affirm His creation and His command, believing in His creation, which entails the perfection of His power and the all-encompassing scope of His will, and affirming His command, which sets forth the words and deeds He loves and is pleased with. He must believe in His revealed law and His decree with a faith free from error. This entails (affirming His oneness by worshipping Him alone, with no partner): that is, affirming His oneness in intention, will and action. The first entails (affirming His oneness in knowledge and speech), as indicated by the surah:

“Say, ‘He is Allah, the One.’”

The other is indicated by the surah:

“Say, ‘O disbelievers!’”

These are the two surahs of sincerity. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to recite them after al-Fātihah in the two units of prayer at dawn, the two units of prayer associated with circumambulation, and on other occasions.

As for the first—affirming Allah’s oneness with regard to His attributes—the fundamental principle in this matter is to describe Allah as He has described Himself and as His messengers have described Him, both in negation and affirmation. Thus, one affirms for Allah what He has affirmed for Himself and denies of Him what He has denied of Himself.

It is well known that the way of the early generations of this community and its leading scholars is to affirm the attributes He has affirmed, without specifying their manner or likening them to those of created beings, and without distortion or denial.

Likewise, they deny of Him what He has denied of Himself, while affirming the attributes He has affirmed, without deviation concerning either His names or His signs. For Allah Most High has condemned those who deviate concerning His names and His signs, as He says:

“To Allah belong the most beautiful names, so call upon Him by them, and leave those who deviate concerning His names. They will be recompensed for what they used to do.”

And He says:

“Indeed, those who deviate