…All the beings that populate the face of the earth—humans and animals alike, on land and at sea, from the greatest creature down to the tiniest—are sustained solely by His favor and His provision. Allah says: “Who is the one that could provide for you if He withheld His provision?” (al-Mulk 67:21); and He says: “There is not a creature on earth without its provision resting with Allah; He knows its dwelling place and its temporary repository” (Hud 11:6); and He says: “How many a creature does not carry its own provision—Allah provides for it and for you; He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing” (al-Ankabut 29:60). Such is the Lord, exalted be He: “That is Allah, your Lord; so worship Him” (Yunus 10:3). Anything other than Allah—whether idols or anything else—possesses none of this; no one controls provision, for every creature is itself merely provided for. [3] His statement, “He is my deity,” means that the Lord described above is the only One who deserves worship from me and from everyone else. The Shaykh, may Allah have mercy on him, also points out that acknowledging lordship (rububiyya) alone is not enough; it does not suffice to say, “My Lord is Allah who has nurtured me with His favors.” One must also confess one’s servitude to Him (ubudiyya) and devote all acts of worship exclusively to Him. This is precisely what distinguishes the monotheist (muwahhid) from the polytheist (mushrik): the muwahhid affirms both Allah’s lordship and His sole right to be worshiped, admitting no partner whatsoever.