nor does mere affirmation that invalidates the position of those who negate the divine attributes necessarily refute the polytheists without a further demonstration.

At times, the Quran refutes those who negate the divine attributes, as in its refutation of Pharaoh and his like; at other times, it refutes the polytheists—and this is more frequent—because the Quran is a healing for what lies within people’s hearts. The disease of associating partners with Allah is more prevalent among people than the disease of negating the divine attributes.

Moreover, Allah—glorified is He—has declared that all praise belongs to Him, that He is Praiseworthy and Glorious, that all praise belongs to Him in this world and the Hereafter, and that all judgment is His, along with other such forms of praise.

Praise is of two kinds:

Praise for His beneficence toward His servants, which is a form of gratitude; and praise for what He deserves in and of Himself by virtue of His attributes of perfection. The latter kind of praise is due only for that which is intrinsically deserving of praise, and only one possessing attributes of perfection deserves it. These attributes are positive realities, for purely privative things contain no praise, goodness, or perfection.

It is well known that anything praised is praised only for the attributes of perfection it possesses. Thus, every quality for which created beings are praised comes from the Creator, and the One from whom comes whatever they are praised for is Himself more deserving of praise. It is therefore established that He deserves all forms of perfect praise. He has a greater claim to praise than every praised being, and to perfection than every perfect being. This is what was to be demonstrated.