what he asked for, that would diminish what I possess no more than a needle diminishes the sea when dipped into it.”

There are differences between the Creator, Most High, and created beings that are evident to anyone with even the slightest insight.

One is that the Lord, Most High, is inherently independent of all besides Him, and it is impossible for Him to need anyone else in any respect. Kings and slave owners, however, necessarily depend on others.

Another is that although the Lord, Most High, loves and approves of righteous deeds and rejoices at the repentance of those who repent, He Himself creates and facilitates all this. Thus, what He loves and approves of comes about only through His power and will. This is clear according to the doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamā‘ah, who acknowledge that Allah bestows faith upon His servants, unlike the Qadariyyah. A created being, however, may obtain what he loves through someone else’s action.

Another is that the Lord, Most High, commands His servants to do what benefits them and forbids them from doing what harms them. As Qatādah said:

“Allah did not command His servants to do what He commanded because He needed them, nor does He forbid them from doing what He forbade out of stinginess towards them. Rather, He commanded them to do what benefits them and forbade them from doing what harms them.”

This contrasts with a created being who commands another to do what he himself needs and forbids him from things out of stinginess towards him.

This, too, is clear according to the doctrine of the early generations and Ahl al-Sunnah, who affirm His wisdom and mercy and say:

“He commands His servants only to do good that benefits them, and forbids them only from evil that harms them.”

This is contrary to the Mujabbirah, who say:

“He may command them to do what harms them and forbid them from doing what benefits them.”

And (another difference is that He, glorified is He, bestows His favour by sending the messengers and revealing the scriptures. He also bestows ability, the senses, and the other means through which knowledge and righteous action are attained. He guides His servants, and there is no power or strength except through Him.

For this reason, the people of Paradise say:

“Praise be to Allah, who has guided us