“And He is without any partner who might have assisted Him...

“And He is without any partner who might have assisted Him in creating wonderful things.”[^7] Similar points are also mentioned in many other traditions. The Interpretation of the Divine Unity in Creation Muslims schools of thought have consensus of opinion on the Divine Unity in creation, but in interpreting it three viewpoints have been put forth. 1.

Imāmiyyah Theologians and Muslims Theosophers According to them, what is meant by the exclusiveness of God in creating is that there is no essential and independent Creator or Originator except God, but they do not deny natural and supranatural causes and factors.

In their view, the angels perform specific activities just as the human being is the performer of his own activities, and natural causes have also their own particular effects but none of them is an essentially independent agent or cause.

This theory – apart from being concomitant with rational laws and affirmed by the senses and experience – can clearly be deduced from verses of the Qur’an, for in many verses the Qur’an has pointed out the contribution of supernatural causes in the emergence of some natural events as well as the human agency. 2.

‘Ashā‘irah According to them, the act of creation is directly or indirectly exclusive to God, and in the world of creation, there is no agent or cause except God and those regarded as natural causes or factors are called “God’s practice” ( ādat Allāh ). That is, it has been God’s precedent ( sunnat Allāh ) that, for instance, there is heat following the existence of fire and following the rising of the sun, the horizon becomes bright.

Yet, there is no real or cosmic relationship between the causes and the originators of existence. Even the human being is not the agent of his actions; the human actions are also part of the Action of God. 3. Mu‘tazilah They have acknowledged natural causes and factors but they do not regard the human being’s voluntary actions as God’s creation ( makhlūq ); they rather consider them as solely human actions.

For this reason, they are called mufawwiḍah ; that is, those who believe that the human being’s actions have been delegated ( tafwīḍ ) to him. Examination and Criticism None of the last two theories is correct.