For this reason, Allah Most High explains in His Book that each of the two consequences—every god taking away what he created, and some rising above others—is a conclusive proof that there is no god alongside Allah. As He Most High says:

“Allah has not taken any son, nor has there ever been any god alongside Him. Otherwise, each god would have taken away what he created, and some would have risen above others.”

[al-Mu’minūn: 91]

He thus identifies two necessary consequences, each of which disproves the supposition from which it follows.

The first is His statement:

“Otherwise, each god would have taken away what he created.”

For a god must possess power and be independently capable of acting, without needing another to make him capable. As explained above, if the power of either depended upon someone making him capable, that would be impossible.

For if the one who makes him capable is his creature, then the god himself is the one who made that creature capable. If that creature were in turn the one who made him capable, this would constitute an impossible circular dependence, just as it is impossible for a creature to be the creator of its Creator.

If, however, the one who makes him capable is, like him, eternal and necessarily existent in his own right, then the same argument applies to his power as to the other’s. If his power is inseparable from his essence and he has no need of another for it, the claim is established. But if he needs another for it, he would not be capable until that other made him capable. This is an impossible circular dependence, just as it is impossible for either of them to depend for his existence or knowledge upon the other making him existent or knowledgeable. In that case, his existence, power, and knowledge would be derived from the other and brought about by him. Thus, one would not exist until the other brought him into existence, and the other would not exist until the first brought him into existence. Neither, therefore, would exist.