Thus, whoever sets another equal to Allah in anything that belongs exclusively to Him, glorified and exalted is He, is a polytheist. This is unlike someone who does not set anything equal to Him but commits sins while acknowledging that Allah alone is his Lord and submitting to Him out of fear of punishment for sin. Such a person must be distinguished from someone who does not acknowledge that this is forbidden.

Section

Just as He, glorified and exalted, distinguishes between things that differ, He groups together and treats equally things that are alike. In creation and command, He judges a thing as He judges its like. He neither distinguishes between two things that are alike nor treats two things that are not alike as equal. Rather, if they differ and are opposed, He does not treat them as equal.

The term “difference” in the Quran means opposition and contradiction, not merely the absence of likeness—as it does in the terminology of many theorists. Examples include His words:

“Had it been from anyone other than Allah, they would have found in it much contradiction.”

And His words:

“Indeed, you hold conflicting views.”

“Whoever is turned away from it is turned away.”

And His words:

“But they differed: some of them believed, while others disbelieved.”

He, glorified and exalted, has made clear that His established way neither changes nor shifts, in more than one