and al-ʿUzzā and Manāt, the third, the other, intending thereby disbelief in Allah. This example parallels their practice of applying false labels, such as “dependent” and “other,” to what Allah has affirmed for Himself through His names and verses, and then declaring that Allah Most High is above being dependent on anything else.

This is like someone calling His Prophet Muhammad “Mudhammam” (“the reviled”), then saying, “Curse Mudhammam!” Yet he—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—is Muhammad (“the praised”), not Mudhammam. Allah, glorified is He, is self-sufficient by virtue of His names and attributes and is in no way dependent on anything else, even if they call Him dependent on something else if these attributes are affirmed of Him. Likewise, the polytheists called Muhammad “Mudhammam” when he called them to worship Allah alone.

Such is the condition of a group of those who oppose Allah’s authority, with which He sent His messengers.