anything good, nor does he fulfill any need for you. Allah, glorified is He, is living, powerful, and speaks; He commands justice and is on a straight path. This describes Him in terms of the utmost perfection and praiseworthiness. His commanding justice—which is the truth—entails that He knows it, teaches it, approves of it, commands His servants to uphold it, and loves those who practice it. He commands nothing else and is exalted above its opposite: injustice, oppression, folly, and falsehood. Rather, His commands and His revealed law are entirely just. Those who uphold justice are His allies and beloved ones; they are those who dwell near Him, on His right, upon pulpits of light.
His commanding justice encompasses both His religious, legislative command and His universal, decretive command. Both are just, without injustice in any respect, as stated in the authentic hadith:
“O Allah, I am Your servant, the son of Your male servant and Your female servant. My forelock is in Your hand. Your judgment concerning me takes effect, and Your decree concerning me is just.”
His decree is His universal command. When He wills something, His command is only to say to it, “Be,” and it is. Thus, He commands only truth and justice, and His own acts of decreeing and determining are true and just, even though what is decreed and determined may include injustice and oppression. The act of decreeing is distinct from what is decreed, and the act of determining is distinct from what is determined.
He then declares that He is on a straight path. This parallels the words of His messenger Hūd [11:56]:
“Indeed, I have put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is no living creature but that He holds it by its forelock. Indeed, my Lord is on a straight path.”
His words, “There is no living creature but that He holds it by its forelock,” parallel the Prophet’s words, peace and blessings be upon him: “My forelock is in Your hand.” His words, “Indeed, my Lord is on a straight path,” parallel the words, “Your decree concerning me is just.” The first concerns His dominion, and the second His praiseworthiness. To Him, glorified is He, belongs all dominion, and to Him belongs all praise.
His being on a straight path entails that He speaks only truth, commands only justice, and does only what brings benefit and mercy, wisdom and justice. He adheres to the truth in His words and deeds. Thus, He never decrees anything for a servant by which He would wrong him, nor punishes him without a sin, nor diminishes any of his good deeds. He does not burden him with any of the sins of others that he neither committed nor caused, nor hold anyone accountable for another’s sin, nor does He