one of their gnostics, accomplished masters, and monotheists, they release him from religious obligations and permit him to commit forbidden acts. Some who identify with Sufism and spiritual wayfaring may adopt certain aspects of these doctrines. These Bātiniyyah are the heretics whom Muslims unanimously regard as greater disbelievers than Jews and Christians.
The arguments that those who believe and affirm Allah’s attributes use against these heretics can also be used against anyone who shares in some of their heresy. Thus, if one affirms Allah’s attributes while denying that He resembles created beings—as the clear verses indicate—this is the truth that accords with both reason and revelation and demolishes the foundations of heresy and misguidance.
Allah, glorified is He, must not be the subject of comparisons that liken Him to His creation, for Allah has no equal. Rather, His is “the highest attribute.” Therefore, He and created beings must not be placed together in an analogy, nor in a syllogism whose members are treated as equal. Rather, “the highest attribute” applies to Him: whatever perfection a created being possesses, the Creator is more entitled to it; and whatever deficiency a created being is held to be free of, the Creator is more entitled to be declared free of it.
Thus, if a created being is unlike another created being despite sharing the same name, the Creator is all the more entitled to be declared unlike created beings, even when the same name is used. The same reasoning applies to the second illustration,