And He, Most High, said:
“We descend only by the command of your Lord. To Him belongs whatever is before us, whatever is behind us, and whatever lies between. Your Lord is never forgetful.”
And He, Most High, said:
“Say, ‘Call upon those whom you claim besides Him. They have no power to remove harm from you or to shift it elsewhere.’”
“Those whom they invoke seek a means of approach to their Lord—which of them will be nearest—and hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. Indeed, your Lord’s punishment is to be feared.”
The verse was revealed concerning those who invoke angels and prophets. This is not the place for an exhaustive discussion of that matter. For Allah, glorified be He, sent Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, “with concise, comprehensive speech.” The expressions in the Quran are comprehensive and all-encompassing, conveying in universal and general terms what is scattered throughout the speech of others. Moreover, He names each thing in a way that indicates the attribute relevant to the stated and explained judgment, and makes clear how that designation conveys its meaning.
His declaring Himself free of offspring, begetting, and taking a child is more comprehensive and sounder than expressing the denial through the term ʿilla (cause). The original sense of ʿilla concerns change, as with an illness that alters the body’s healthy condition; ʿalīl (ill) is the opposite of healthy.
It has been said that “maʿlūl” is used only in connection with drinking. One says, “He drank water ʿallan baʿda nahalin (a second time after the first),” and ʿallaltuhu means that you gave him a second drink.
As for using the term “ʿilla” for something that necessitates or entails another thing, this belongs to the conventional usage of the scholars of speculative theology. Although these two senses are related to the ordinary linguistic meaning of ʿilla through the notion of change, that relationship is more evident in the term “tawallud” (generation). Hence, it is more common in ordinary speech. People say: