Critique of Doubts

God, blessed and exalted, possesses Names and Attributes. But we must not identify what belongs to God with God Himself, just as the heavens and the earth belong to God, yet the Divine Essence cannot be identified with them. The fact that the Most Beautiful Names belong exclusively to the Divine Essence affirms His sovereignty; it does not mean that the Essence is identical with a Name. Worshipping the Names and Attributes instead of the Essence is outright unbelief and shirk, because a name is distinct from the one named.

Rebellious beings with ugly appearances bear the consequences of their past deeds in this world, but that does not mean they are left to their own devices. They are still responsible for restraining their base traits and fulfilling their duties. A world without evil is also possible, just as the world of the angels is free of evil.