And whoever truly understands this will find the door to understanding Allah’s oneness opened to him. He will know that none but Allah deserves to be invoked, let alone worshipped, and that trust and hope must be placed in Him alone. This is established by both revelation and reason. In this respect, there is no difference between heavenly and earthly causes, the deeds and intercession of angels, prophets, and believers, or any other causes. Whoever places his trust in an angel, a prophet, a righteous man, or anyone similar for intercession or supplication should be told:

This too is merely one cause among others. The one who intercedes or supplicates does so only by Allah’s will and power. Moreover, those who obey Him intercede only for someone with whom He is pleased. As the Exalted says:

“They intercede only for those with whom He is pleased.”

No one intercedes with Him except by His permission—permission pertaining to His universal decree. For intercession, being an act performed by His servants, occurs only by His will and power. He is not like a created being approached by an intercessor whose intercession takes place independently of the might and power of the one being approached. Rather, He, glorified be He, creates the intercessor’s intercession, just as He creates all other changes. There is no might or power except through Him.

The word hawl (might) encompasses a change from one state to another, whether through movement, volition, or something else. Thus, the intercessor has no power to bring about any change, in intercession or anything else, except through Him. Furthermore, those who obey Him and whose intercession is accepted intercede only for those with whom He is pleased. They do not ask Him for anything that He does not love to be asked for. Indeed, even the angels—His own angels—are as He says of them:

“They say, ‘The Most Merciful has taken a son.’ Glory be to Him! Rather, they are honored servants.

“They do not precede Him in speech, and they act by His command.

“He knows what is before them and what is behind them. They intercede only for those with whom He is pleased, and they stand in awe of Him.”