and reports it; it is thus a cause in knowledge, mention, and writing, but not in external reality. As He said:

“His command, when He wills a thing, is only to say to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.”

Allah, glorified is He, is man’s Creator and Teacher. He is the One who “created man from a clinging clot,” and He is “the Most Generous,” “who taught by the pen,” “taught man what he did not know.”

Even supposing that “god” meant “lord,” it is He who makes a creature subject to His lordship. On this understanding, it would be He who makes the ma’lūh a ma’lūh. The creature subject to His lordship did not make Him a Lord. Rather, lordship is His attribute, and He is the One who created the creature and made it subject to His lordship. When that creature believes in the Lord, acknowledges His lordship, and declares it, it has taken Allah as its Lord, sought no lord besides Allah, and taken no other lord. As Allah Most High said:

“Say, ‘Should I seek a lord other than Allah, when He is the Lord of all things?’”

And Allah Most High said:

“Should I take as a protector anyone other than Allah, the Originator of the heavens and the earth?”

And He said:

“Nor would he command you to take the angels and prophets as lords. Would he command you to disbelieve after you have submitted to Allah?”

He Himself is also the true God; there is no deity worthy of worship except Him. Thus, when a person worships Him without setting up another god alongside Him or taking any god besides Him, that person has affirmed His oneness. Allah Most High said:

“So do not invoke another god alongside Allah, lest you be among those punished.”

And Allah Most High said:

“Do not set up another god alongside Allah, lest you be left condemned and forsaken.”

Abraham said to his father Āzar:

“Do you take idols as gods? Indeed, I see you and your people in manifest error.”

A created being is not a god in itself. Rather, its worshipper has taken it as a god, made it a god, and called it