Understanding ‘Ilah’

the author under review suggests more explicitly that the concept of “sovereignty” or “rulership” is included within the meaning of divinity (Uluhiyyat) itself. The first verse is as follows: “Say, ‘Lord, sovereign of all sovereignty, You bestow sovereignty on whom You will and take away from whom You please; You exalt whoever You will. All that is good lies in Your hands. You have the power to will anything.”— (Quran, 3:26) I accept that in this verse the word “mulk” (sovereignty) is also used to refer to worldly authority. But is the mere occurrence of the phrase “worldly authority” in a sentence sufficient to prove the concept under discussion? The message from this verse is straightforward: Allah, through His supreme authority, grants worldly dominion to whom He wills and takes it away from whom He wills. He has power over everything—this is a core belief for every Muslim. What this verse establishes is that worldly power is a divine gift, not that gaining worldly authority is the goal of the Muslim community. The second verse is: “Then, exalted be God, the true King. There is no deity except Him, the Lord of the Glorious Throne.” (Quran, 23:116)