whatever is obligatory for any one of us is likewise obligatory for Allah [Most High] (1), nor that whatever is forbidden to any one of us is likewise forbidden to Allah [Most High] (2), nor that whatever is evil when done by us is evil when done by Allah, nor that whatever is good when done by Allah [Most High] (3) is necessarily good when done by any one of us. None of us has the right to impose anything upon Allah [Most High] (4) or declare anything forbidden to Him.

This is the fundamental principle upon which they agree. They also agree that when Allah [Most High] (5) promises His servants something, its occurrence becomes certain by virtue of His promise, for He is truthful in what He declares and never breaks His promise. They further agree that He will not punish His prophets or His righteous servants but will admit them into Paradise (6), just as He has declared.

They differed, however, over two questions:

The first is whether people can know through reason that certain acts are good (7), know that Allah is characterized by performing them, know that certain acts are evil, and know that Allah is far above them. (8) There are two well-known positions on this matter (9). The first holds that reason cannot establish whether any act is good or evil. With regard to Allah, this is because evil on His part is intrinsically impossible; and with regard to human beings, it is because goodness and evil are established only through revealed law. This is the position of al-Ashʿarī and his followers, as well as many jurists among