truth] (1), because an essence divested of knowledge and power has no reality in external existence, nor is it Allah (2), nor does it deserve worship. But if he means that they did not regard Him as knowing and powerful by virtue of His essence, which necessarily entails knowledge and power, then this is a false allegation against them. Rather, His very essence, which necessitates His knowledge and power, is what necessitates His being knowing and powerful, necessitates His knowledge and power, and makes knowledge and power necessitate His being knowing and powerful. All these matters necessarily entail one another. His essence, as characterized by these attributes, is what necessitates all of this and does not, in this regard, depend (3) upon anything distinct from it.

The Tenth Aspect (4):

His statement, “The eternal attributes are depended upon for these attributes,” is not their position, for in their view, the eternal attributes (5) are the attributes themselves. As for the verbal predication of this, they call that the description. There is no doubt that something cannot be described as knowing unless it possesses knowledge. Yet He—glory be to Him—is Himself the one who necessitates those eternal attributes subsisting in Him. Thus, if He can be described as possessing knowledge, power, and life only by virtue of them, while He Himself necessitates (* them, He is not dependent upon anything other than Himself. Likewise, if He cannot be described as possessing knowledge unless He is described as living, while He Himself necessitates *) (6) life, then He is not dependent upon anything other than Himself.

Had he instead said, “by virtue of eternal attributes (7) (7 whose existence these attributes necessarily entail, while His essence 7) (8)