Another point that clarifies this is that a king acts as a deputy for people with respect to what Allah has granted them to own. Ownership entails power: no one can be an owner unless he can exercise control, whether personally or through his guardian or agent. Landed and movable property belong to their owner, indicating that they are within his power. Moses said:

“My Lord, I have control over none but myself and my brother.”

Since he could exercise authority over his brother because his brother obeyed him, he described this as having control over him. Allah, exalted is He, says:

“So they have ownership of them.”

And He says:

“And say, ‘Glory be to Him who has subjected this to us, for we could not have mastered it ourselves.’”

That is, they would not have had the ability. This indicates that they became capable of mastering these creatures when He subjected them to them. This is the meaning of His words:

“So they have ownership of them.”

Allah, exalted is He, also says:

“They could neither scale it nor pierce it.”

This indicates that, had they pierced it, they would have possessed the ability to do so. Piercing is not merely the movement of their hands; rather, it is making a hole in something. This therefore indicates that such piercing is within people’s power.

Furthermore, the Quran indicates that external objects produced by people are their handiwork. Whatever they make is, self-evidently and by common agreement, within their power. Yet the opposing disputant says, “Nothing outside the locus of their power is made by them.” This contradicts the Quran. Allah, exalted is He, said to Noah:

“Build the Ark under Our watchful eyes and according to Our revelation.”

And He said:

“And he was building the Ark.”

He has stated that ships are created, even though they are made by the children of Adam, and has made them among His signs, saying:

“And a sign for them is that We carried their descendants in the laden ship.”

“He has subjected to you whatever is on earth, and the ships that sail through the sea by His command.”

“And He has made for you ships and livestock on which you ride.”

And He said:

“Do you worship what you carve,
when Allah created you and what you make?”