and zeal by which he wards off injustice; and it is known that the former is more perfect than the latter.

For this reason, the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—described the Lord as possessing this in the most perfect degree. He said in an authentic hadith:

“No one has greater protective jealousy than Allah. For that reason, He has forbidden indecencies, whether open or hidden.”

He also said:

“Are you amazed at Sa‘d’s protective jealousy? I have greater protective jealousy than he, and Allah has greater protective jealousy than I.”

As for the claim that these are psychological reactions, the response is that everything besides Allah is created and subject to being acted upon. We ourselves and our very essences are subject to being acted upon. The fact that, in us, these are involuntary reactions caused by something other than ourselves and which we are unable to repel does not entail that Allah is passively affected by them or unable to repel them. Everything that occurs in existence does so by His will and power: nothing occurs except what He wills, and He wills only what occurs. To Him belong all dominion and all praise.