Exalted is He:

“Is one who was dead, then We gave him life and a light by which to walk among people, like one who is in darkness from which he cannot emerge?”

And He, Exalted is He, says:

“Is one who is a believer like one who is defiantly disobedient? They are not equal.”

Thus, He—glory be to Him—has made clear the distinction between those who obey Allah and the Messenger and those who disobey Allah and the Messenger, just as He has made clear the distinction between what He has commanded and what He has forbidden.

More importantly still, He has made clear the distinction between the Creator and creation, and that no created being may equate the Creator with creation in any respect, thereby making a created being a rival to the Creator. He, Exalted is He, says:

“Among people are those who take others besides Allah as equals, loving them as they love Allah. But those who believe are stronger in their love for Allah.”

And He, Exalted is He, says:

“Do you know of any equal to Him?”

“And there is none comparable to Him.”

“There is nothing like Him.”

He has set forth parables in the Quran concerning those who fail to draw this distinction, but instead set up equals to their Lord and equate Him with His creation. As they will say while screaming in the Fire:

“By Allah, we were clearly astray when we equated you with the Lord of all worlds!”

And He, Exalted is He, says:

“Is He who creates like one who does not create? Will you not then take heed? If you tried to count Allah’s blessings, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Allah knows what you conceal and what you reveal. Those whom they invoke besides Allah create nothing, but are themselves created. They are dead, not living, and do not know when they will be resurrected.”

He—glory be to Him—is the Creator, the All-Knowing, the Truth, the Ever-Living who never dies. Those besides Him create nothing, as He says:

“Indeed, those whom you invoke besides Allah will never create