who is known to be God, for no one disputed that Allah is the true God. They disputed only whether another might be taken as a god despite being owned by Him.

Hence He says:

“He sets forth for you an example from among yourselves: do you have, among those whom your right hands possess, partners in what We have provided for you, so that you are equal in it, fearing them as you fear one another?” [al-Rūm: 28]

The Most High also says:

“And those who take protectors besides Him [say], ‘We worship them only to bring us nearer to Allah.’” [al-Zumar: 3]

And He says:

“Or have they taken intercessors besides Allah? Say, ‘Even though they possess nothing and understand nothing?’ * Say, ‘To Allah belongs all intercession. His is the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and to Him you will be returned.’ * When Allah alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter recoil; but when those besides Him are mentioned, they rejoice.” [al-Zumar: 43–45]

This has been discussed at length in its proper place. Our concern here, however, is what this author has said.

He says:

“What shows you that the argument the speculative theologians understood from the verse is not the argument the verse contains is that the impossible conclusion to which their argument leads differs from the impossible conclusion to which the argument mentioned in the verse leads.

“For the argument they claim to be the argument of the verse leads to more than one impossible conclusion, since they divide the matter into three cases, whereas the verse contains no such division.

“Thus their argument, which