Understanding ‘Ilah’

THE CONCEPT OF RELIGION has no partner in His sovereignty, it is He who has created all things and measured them out precisely. Yet they have taken, besides Him, deities who create nothing and are themselves created, and who have no power to harm, or benefit themselves and who control neither death, nor life, nor resurrection. (25:1-3) This context clearly shows that the meaning of “dominion” ( ) ملك attributed to God here does not relate to social or political rule but rather to creation, control over benefit and harm, decision-making, and authority over life and death. As a result, this is how the commentators have understood it. One reference states: “To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth” ( :) له ملك السموات واالرض the dominion of both realms is His, indicating that He exercises authority over them and all within them. Thus both kingdom and dominion are His alone without any other partner or entity having any share in it. ( ) مل یکن له شریک فی امللک reinforces the previous statement ( له ملك السموات ) واالرض and rebuts those who ascribe partners to Allah. ( Al-Bahr al-Muheet, Vol. 6, p. 480) In addition to these three verses, four more verses are referenced at the conclusion of this discussion, where