anything with Allah.”

Likewise, all the hadiths concerning intercession show that he intercedes only for those who worship Allah alone. A servant merits the honour of intercession and other blessings in proportion to his worship of Allah alone and his sincere devotion to Him. Allah—glorified is He—has made His promises and warnings, reward and punishment, and praise and blame dependent upon faith in Him, worshipping Him alone, and obeying Him. Whoever is more perfect in these respects is more deserving of Allah’s protective care and the good of this world and the Hereafter. Moreover, He alone provides for all His servants, Muslims and disbelievers alike; He alone wards off harm from them, and it is to Him that they turn in times of calamity.

The Most High says:

“Whatever blessings you have are from Allah. Then, when hardship touches you, it is to Him that you cry for help.”

The Most High also says:

“Say, ‘Who guards you by night and day in place of the Most Merciful?’”

That is, instead of the Most Merciful. This is the more correct of the two interpretations, as in His saying:

“If We willed, We could have put angels in your place, succeeding you on earth.”

That is, We could have put them in your stead, as the commentators generally explain. The same usage occurs in the poet’s words:

“Would that, instead of Zamzam’s water, we had a draught,
Cooled through the night upon al-Tahyān.”

That is, instead of Zamzam’s water. Thus, none but Allah watches over creation by night and day, protecting them and warding off harm from them.

The Most High says:

“Who could possibly be an army for you, helping you besides the Most Merciful? The disbelievers are in nothing but delusion.”

“Who could possibly provide for you if He withheld His provision? Yet they persist in defiance and aversion.”