“Have you made me an equal with Allah? Rather say, ‘Whatever Allah alone wills.’” (1)

Likewise, the phrase, “Had it not been for Allah and So-and-so,” should be reformulated as, “Whatever Allah wills, then So-and-so,” or, “Had it not been for Allah, then So-and-so.” The particle then (thumma) conveys sequence with delay, placing the servant’s will after and dependent upon Allah’s will, as the Exalted says, “You do not will except that Allah, Lord of the worlds, wills” (al-Takwir 81:29).

In contrast, the conjunction and (wāw) merely links two elements without indicating order or dependence. Similar expressions include, “I have none but Allah and you,” or, “This is by the blessings of Allah and your blessings.”

As for actions, examples are wearing a ring or string to ward off or remove misfortune, or hanging amulets out of fear of the evil eye and the like. If a person believes these objects are merely means by which harm is lifted or averted, this is minor polytheism, for Allah has not assigned them as causes. But if he believes they repel or remove harm in and of themselves, that is major polytheism, because he has attached his reliance to something other than Allah.