for it is he who takes steps to have the silkworm spin it, and then to expose the worm to the sun, so that he may obtain his intended benefit from the silk. In this case, he has contributed to the worm’s movement that ultimately caused its suffering.

Likewise, a person may arrange for livestock to reproduce for him and chickens to lay eggs for him, and then slaughter those animals for his own benefit. He has thereby caused that animal to exist in a manner that led to its suffering, because doing so served an interest of his.

In sum, it may be proper for a human being to cause an animal pain when a greater benefit warrants it. Such conduct is therefore not inherently blameworthy, reprehensible, or unjust, although some instances of it may indeed be unjust.

Accordingly, regarding injustice on Allah’s part, one may say either that it is intrinsically impossible. This is because injustice means exercising authority over what belongs to another, whereas all things belong to Allah. Alternatively, injustice means disobeying a command that one is obliged to obey. It is impossible for Allah Most High either to exercise authority over another’s property or to disobey the command of anyone whom He must obey. If injustice consists solely in one of these two things, it is impossible for Him.

Or one may say that injustice is possible in itself, but He—glorified is He—does not commit it because of His self-sufficiency, His knowledge that it is reprehensible, His declaration that He does not commit it, and the perfection of His Essence. Injustice can therefore never proceed from Him, since justice and mercy are inseparable from His Essence. According to this view, it is impossible for Him to be characterized by the opposites of the attributes of perfection that necessarily belong to Him. Thus, whatever He does is done for a wisdom that requires it, just as whatever He refrains from doing is left undone for a wisdom that requires His being exalted above it.