share in His dominion, nor do they lend Him any support, and their intercession helps no one except the person for whom He grants permission.

This is utterly different from worldly kings. Those who intercede with them may themselves possess a realm, may be partners in that realm, or may serve as allies who bolster the king’s authority. Such people—and others besides—step forward to intercede without first seeking the king’s leave, and the king receives their pleas for a variety of reasons: sometimes because he needs them, sometimes out of fear of them, and sometimes in recompense for favors they have shown him or kindness they have bestowed upon him. Indeed, he will accept the intercession of his own son or wife for just that reason, for he depends on his wife and child, and were they to turn away from him he would be harmed by it. He will likewise accept the intercession of his servant; if he were to refuse it, he would fear that the servant might disobey or work against him. All intercession exchanged among human beings falls into this category: no one accepts another’s intercession except out of hope for benefit or fear of harm.

Allah—exalted is He—expects nothing from anyone, fears no one, and needs no one; rather, He is the Self-Sufficient. He says: “Behold, surely to Allah belongs all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth. Those who invoke others besides Allah follow nothing but conjecture; they do nothing but guess.” (Qur’an 10:66) … up to His words (10:68): “They say, ‘Allah has taken a son…’”