The human being is a speaking, laughing animal, and whatever distinguishes the human being from a beast is an attribute of perfection. Just as speech is an attribute of perfection, so too is laughter. One who speaks is more perfect than one who does not, and one who laughs is more perfect than one who does not. If laughter in us entails some imperfection, Allah is exalted above that. Furthermore, this is, for the most part, confined to particular cases and is not universal. The essential reality of laughter is not invariably associated with imperfection. Our essences and attributes are likewise accompanied by imperfection, as is our existence; yet it does not follow that the Lord brings things into existence while having no essence of His own.

This is where the extremist Qarmatians, such as the author of al-Iqlīd and others like him, went astray. They sought to deny of Him everything known by the heart and articulated by the tongue, whether by negation or affirmation. They said:

“We do not say that He is existent or non-existent, nor that He is described or not described,” because, they claimed, doing so would involve likening Him to created beings. Yet this entails that He is impossible and therefore amounts to likening Him to what is impossible. The resemblance that is impossible with regard to Allah is that He should share with creatures anything peculiar to them—such as coming into being, death, extinction, and contingency—and that He should be identical to them in any of His attributes, such as life, knowledge, and power. Although He is described by the latter, an attribute of the Creator does not resemble the corresponding attribute of a creature.