but he may refrain from using the term “degrees of superiority,” just as he refrains from using the term “likeness”—not because he considers the attributes alike. Rather, he denies likeness because there is no multiplicity, and because he does not apply the term “mutual distinctness.” Similar questions arise: Should the attributes be described as different or not? Are they mutually distinct or not? Should each attribute be said to be the Essence itself or other than it? Or should these two negations not be combined, but each be stated separately? Or should none of these expressions be used? These matters are not peculiar to this question—the question of superiority.

There is no doubt that likeness or degrees of superiority can be conceived only where there is multiplicity. The multiplicity of Allah’s names, attributes, and words is the position held by the majority of Muslims, and was the position of the early generations of this community and its leading scholars. It accords with the natural disposition Allah has instilled in His servants. Thus, people speak to one another in accordance with this natural disposition and the revealed law, even though some of them hold other views that contradict both and entail the invalidity of what they themselves say in accordance with them. The Quran and Sunnah indicate in numerous places that Allah’s words are multiple. The Exalted has said:

“Say, ‘If the sea were ink for the words of my Lord, the sea would be exhausted before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even if We brought its like as a supplement.’”

The Exalted has also said:

“If all the trees on earth were pens, and the sea, replenished by seven more seas, were ink, Allah’s words would not be exhausted.”

Elsewhere, we have presented the position of the early generations and shown that they affirmed that Allah has words without end. We have also explained the dispute over whether knowledge and will are multiple, and explained that