and the Sunnah of Your Messenger indicated. For You did not make clear to us through the Book and the Sunnah that the attributes should be denied, whereas Your words indicated that they should be affirmed. We therefore affirmed what Your words and the words of Your Messenger indicated. If the truth lay in the contrary position, the Messenger did not explain that position, nor was it something self-evident to reason. Rather, even supposing it to be true, only a few individuals would know it. What, then, when most of those who have pursued that contrary position to its furthest limits acknowledge bewilderment and doubt?’”

The denier said:

“Even if we are right, we will be told: ‘You said something I did not command you to say, and sought knowledge I did not command you to seek. Reward is only for those who obey, and you did not comply with My command.’”

He said:

“And if we are mistaken, we have indeed suffered a manifest loss.”

Such is the situation of those who affirm differences in excellence within Allah’s speech and attributes, and those who deny them. Those who affirm them hold fast to the Book, the Sunnah, and the reports of the early generations. They also have clear rational proofs demonstrating the soundness of their position and the falsity of their opponents’ position—proofs against which no valid objection can be raised. Those who deny them, however, have neither a verse from Allah’s Book, nor a hadith from Allah’s Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—nor a statement from any of the early generations of this community. They have nothing but an opinion which they claim their reason supports. Their opponents demonstrate that reason actually supports the opposite, and that the error of their position is established by clear reason just as it is established by authentic transmitted evidence.

It is utterly unsound to argue against differences in excellence on the basis of His words:

“They divided the Quran into portions.”

For the verse does not indicate this in any way whatsoever