The Essence of Islam – Volume I — Page 135
Allah the Exalted 135 that which is known are all the same and cannot be separated. There is here nothing which should be regarded as having been created. God's knowledge of His Own Being cannot be compared to anything else. In this instance, the. Knower is not something apart from that which is known so that one may be designated as the Creator and the other as creation. The proper way to put it is that His. Being is uncreated and is eternally and everlastingly. Self-Existing and that is the meaning of God. . The second part of the objection is that God's complete knowledge of Himself means that He has the power to create His Own like. The answer to this is that God's power directs itself towards matters which are not inconsistent with His eternal attributes. It is true that God, if. He so desires, can create that of which He has perfect knowledge, but it certainly does not follow that whatever. He has the power to do He should proceed to do without regard to His perfect attributes. In the exercise of all His powers, He has regard to His perfect attributes and He has it in mind whether that which He wills is not contradictory of His perfect attributes. For instance, He has the power to burn a pious and righteous person in the fire of. Hell, but His mercy and justice and attribute of reward would stand in the way, and, therefore, He never does it. . In the same way His power is never inclined to destroy. Himself for this would be contrary to His eternal life. He does not create His Own like because His attributes of. Unity and Peerlessness, which are eternal, prevent Him from thinking in that way. It should be understood that to be unable to do something is one thing, but despite the power to do a thing, not to address Himself to something contradictory of His attributes, is quite another. [Surmah Chashm Āryā Rūḥānī Khazā'in, Vol. 2, pp. 230-233 footnote]