In this regard, many a foot has slipped and many a mind has strayed, yet Allah guides whom He wills to a straight path.

Whoever masters the two foundations set out earlier—those pertaining to the Divine attributes, and to creation and command—will be able to distinguish between that which Allah has commanded, loves, and is pleased with, and that which He does not, all the while acknowledging that the Divine decree encompasses them both. Such a person affirms for the Creator—glorified is He—the attributes that prove His absolute otherness from His creatures: nothing of His essence is found in any created thing, nor is anything of the creation found in His essence. He thereby upholds the pure monotheism for which Allah sent His messengers and revealed His scriptures, as highlighted in the two “chapters of sincerity”:

“Say: O disbelievers” (Sūrah al-Kāfirūn, 109:1) and
“Say: He is Allah, One” (Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ, 112:1).

Indeed, “Say: He is Allah, One” is equal to one third of the Qur’an, for the Qur’an, in terms of its themes, is divided into three parts: a third devoted to the affirmation of Allah’s oneness, a third to narratives, and a third to commands and prohibitions—for the Qur’an is the speech of Allah. Speech is either declarative or imperative. Declarative speech is about either the Creator or the creation, whereas imperative speech comprises commands, prohibitions, and permissions. Thus “Say: He is Allah, One” contains the third that concerns monotheism—information about the Creator. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “’Say: He is Allah, One’ is equal to one third of the Qur’an.”