cannot be without One who keeps them in place. He then drew our attention to the falsity of the philosophers’ claims concerning natural properties, and their assertions about the action of earth, water, fire, and air upon trees and the various fruits they produce, through His words, mighty and majestic is He:

“And on the earth are neighbouring plots, gardens of grapevines, crops, and palm trees growing from a common root or separately, watered with the same water; yet We make some excel others in taste.”

Then He said, mighty and majestic is He:

“Indeed, in that are signs for people who reason.”

[Al-Raʿd: 4]

The Most High then drew His creatures’ attention to His oneness through the harmony and orderly arrangement of His acts, and to His having no partner in them, through His words, mighty and majestic is He:

“Had there been in the heavens and the earth gods besides Allah, both would have fallen into ruin.”

[Al-Anbiyāʾ: 22]

The reason this would lead to ruin is that, if there were two gods, their affairs would not proceed in an orderly manner, nor would anything be perfectly fashioned. Incapacity would inevitably afflict them—or undo them—when they obstructed one another in their actions and their ability to perform them. This is because each of them must either be capable