and more integral to the perfection of the One they describe. Hence the wording in the transmitted supplication:

“I ask You by Your mighty and most mighty, great and greatest name.”

And:

“He has indeed called upon Allah by His mighty name, by which, when He is invoked, He answers, and when He is asked, He gives.”

There are other reports of this kind. Thus, differences in excellence among the names and attributes are evident matters.

Second, a single attribute may itself vary in excellence. A command to do one thing may be more perfect than a command to do another. Allah’s pleasure with the prophets is greater than His pleasure with those below them, and His mercy towards them is more perfect than His mercy towards others. Allah’s speaking to some of His servants is more perfect than His speaking to others. The same applies to everything else in this category. Just as His names and attributes are diverse, they also vary in excellence, as indicated by the Quran, the Sunnah, consensus, and reason.

The specious argument of those who deny that they vary in excellence is of the same kind as that of those who deny their multiplicity. This ultimately amounts to denying the attributes, as advocated by the Jahmiyyah because of the composition they allege this would entail. We have explained the invalidity of this at length in its proper place.