Whereas those whom Allah, exalted be He, has guided, are able to distinguish between things even when they overlap in certain respects. They perceive what is shared and what is distinct, what is similar and what is different. Such people are not misled by ambiguous statements, for they always read them alongside the definitive verses that draw the clear line of separation between the two.

This is just like the use of the plural forms inna (Indeed We) and naḥnu (We). A single speaker who has partners in his action may speak in the plural, and a single, majestic ruler may also do so—because each of his attributes functions as though it were an individual, and because he has followers who serve him though they are not his partners.

Thus, when a Christian seizes upon the verse, “Indeed We, We sent down the Reminder” (Q 15:9), or similar passages, to argue for a plurality of gods, the decisive text that settles the matter is: “And your God is one God; there is no deity except Him, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful” (Q 2:163).