[The response to the remaining parts of Ibn al-Mutahhar’s argument under the first line of argument]

[Section: Ibn al-Mutahhar’s discussion of the Sunni doctrine concerning the attributes and its refutation]

(Section) (1)

Then this Imami said: (2)

“As for the rest of the Muslims, they have adopted all manner of positions. Some of them—the Asharites—say that there are many eternal entities (3) alongside Allah Most High. These are the entities they affirm (4) to exist in external reality, such as power, knowledge, and so forth. They thus held that, in order for Him to be knowing, He depends upon the existence of an entity—namely, knowledge—and that, in order for Him to be powerful, He depends upon the existence of an entity—namely, power—and likewise in other respects. They did not hold that He is powerful by virtue of His Essence [or knowing by virtue of His Essence] (5), or living by virtue of His Essence (6). Rather, He possesses these qualities by virtue of eternal entities upon which He depends for them. They thus made Him needy and deficient in His Essence (7), yet perfect through another. Allah is supremely exalted above that! [Nor (8) do they say that these attributes are essential (9).]

“Their leading authority, Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, objected to them, saying: The Christians committed disbelief because they said (10), ‘There are three eternal entities,’ whereas the Asharites affirmed nine eternal entities.”