reassurance, as though He were saying: ‘Proceed with what you have been commanded to do. Your Lord is not like these other lords; rather, He is the Most Generous, untouched by any deficiency. He will support you and grant you victory.’”

I say: Some of the early Muslims said:

“None of you should offer Allah what he would be ashamed to offer someone he esteems, for Allah is the most generous of the generous.”

That is, He is more deserving of honor than anything else, since He is more generous than anything else. He, glory be to Him, is the Possessor of Majesty and Honor. He therefore deserves to be revered and honored. Reverence entails exaltation, while honor entails praise and love.

This resembles what has been said in describing the believer: he has been endowed with sweetness of character and an awe-inspiring presence. In the report of Hind ibn Abī Hālah describing the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, it says:

“Whoever saw him at first sight stood in awe of him, and whoever came to know him through close association loved him.”

This is because sovereignty and praise belong to Him, glory be to Him. This has been discussed at length elsewhere, and it has been explained that Ahl al-Sunnah describe Him as possessing divine power, wisdom, and mercy. They are the ones who worship and praise Him. It has also been explained that worship must be His due alone, to the exclusion of all else, and that worship entails the utmost humility and the utmost love.