either of them; for if one wished to bring a body to life and the other wished to cause it to die, and both their wills were fulfilled, the body would be alive and dead at the same time. If neither one’s will were fulfilled, the body would be neither alive nor dead at the same time. This is rationally impossible. Thus, the only remaining possibility is that one would have his will fulfilled while the other would not. The one whose will is fulfilled is Allah, the All-Powerful; the one whose will is not fulfilled is no god, for he is powerless and overcome. They call this proof the argument from mutual hindrance. Allah, Exalted is He, has drawn attention to it in His Book with His words:

“Had there been within them both gods besides Allah, they both would have been ruined.” [al-Anbiyā’: 22]

And His words:

“Allah has not taken any son, nor has there ever been with Him any deity. If there had been, each deity would have taken what it created, and some of them would have sought to overcome others. Exalted is Allah above what they describe.” [al-Mu’minūn: 91]

Among the rational proofs that He is eternal is that, had He been brought into existence, He would necessarily have had an originator. For if something brought into existence could exist without an originator, writing could exist without a writer, and a building without a builder. This is rationally impossible. The same reasoning applies to its originator, and to its originator’s originator, until the succession rests upon a first originator who has no originator: Allah, Lord of all worlds.

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Among the names that rational proofs establish as rightly belonging to Him are those affirming that He is living, knowing, powerful, and possessed of will.

Among the rational proofs that He is knowing, powerful, and possessed of will is that He creates all created things, bringing them from nonexistence into existence. Were He not powerful, He could not act, for action is possible only for one who has power. Allah, Exalted is He, has drawn attention to this with His words:

“Is not He who created the heavens and the earth able to create the likes of them? Yes, indeed! He is the All-Knowing Creator.” [Yā Sīn: 81]

Were He not knowing, He would not distinguish what He brings into existence and creates from what He does not bring into existence or create, and the attributes of created things, with all their different kinds, would be confused for Him. Far exalted is Allah above that! Allah, Exalted is He, has drawn attention