163. There are certain attributes which belong exclusively to God. Moreover,
there are certain duties that man owes to God by virtue of His being his Lord.
The indictment of the Qur'an is that the people in question ascribe to others
than God the attributes which are exclusively His and likewise consider others
to be the rightful claimants of certain rights over man which belong only to
God. To be Lord of the entire complex of causal relationships found in the universe,
to dispense the needs and requirements of people, to deliver them from distress
and affliction, to heed complaints and respond to lamentations and prayers,
and having full knowledge of all that is apparent as well as all that is hidden,
are the exclusive attributes of God.
Furthermore, there are certain rights which God alone may claim: that His creatures
should recognize Him alone as their Sovereign, prostrate themselves before Him
alone in recognition of their bondage to Him, turn to Him alone for the fulfilment
of their prayers, call Him alone for help and succour, place their trust is
none save Him, centre their hopes and expectations only in His Munificence,
and fear Him alone both in public and in private.
In the same way, being the only Absolute Sovereign of the universe, it befits
none save God to lay down what is permitted and what is prohibited for His subjects,
to prescribe their rights and duties, to command them what to do and what not
to do, to direct them as to how the energy and resources bestowed on them, by
God, should be expended.
Again, it is God alone Who can ask His subjects to acknowledge His sovereignty,
to accept His commands as the source of law, to consider Him alone to be the
Lord entitled to command men, to consider His commands supreme, and to turn
to Him alone for correct guidance. Whoever either ascribes to any being other
than God any of the aforementioned attributes or recognizes the claim of anyone
save God to be entitled to any of the above-mentioned rights over His creatures
is in fact setting up that being as a rival to God, and placing him on the same
plane as God. By the same token, any individual or institution claiming to possess
any of the exclusive attributes and rights of God (as mentioned above), is in
fact claiming a position parallel and equal to that of God even though the claim
to godhead may not have been categorically spelled out.
164. True faith requires that a man should give absolute priority to seeking God's good pleasure and should hold nothing too dear to sacrifice for the sake of God.