are other creators and compassionate ones. And you also say, ‘the Creator of all the worlds possesses endless perfections. United in Him are the utmost levels of every kind of perfection.’ Whereas, the perfections of beings are known through their opposites: if there were no pain, pleasure would not be a sort of perfection; if there were no darkness, light could not be proved to exist; if there were no separation, there would be no pleasure in union, and so on, would there?”
The Answer: We shall answer the first part of the question with five indications.
#### First Indication
FIRST INDICATION: From beginning to end, the Qur’an demonstrates divine unity; this is a clear indication that those sort of phrases in the Qur’an are not as you understand them. Rather, “The Best of Creators” is to say, “He is at the highest and best rank of creativity,” which in no way indicates that there is another creator. Like the other attributes, creativity has many degrees or ranks. “The Best of Creators” means, “He is a Glorious Creator at the furthest and most excellent degree of creativity.”
#### Second Indication
SECOND INDICATION: Terms like, “The Best of Creators” do not look to a plurality of creators, but to the varieties of the state of being creature. That is, “He is a Creator Who creates everything in an appropriate form, at a faultless degree.” Verses like, “Who makes most excellent everything He creates”(32:7), express this meaning.
#### Third Indication
THIRD INDICATION: The comparison suggested by terms like, “The Best of Creators,” “God is Most Great,” [^16] “The Best Judge between truth and falsehood”(6:57), and “The Most Bountiful” are not comparative and superlative adjectives comparing God Almighty’s actual attributes and actions with others who possess samples of those attributes and actions. For all the perfections in the universe, and in jinn, men, and angels, are but pale shadows in relation to His perfection. How could any comparison be possible? It is rather human beings, and particularly the people of neglect, who see perfection in terms of comparison.
[^16]:Abū Ḥanīfa, al-Musnad, 148; Abū Yūsuf, Kitāb al-Āthār, 18; al-Shāfī’ī, al-Sunan al-Ma’thūra, 290; Ibn Abī Shayba, al-Muṣannaf, vi, 75; al-Ṭabarānī, Mu’jam al-Awṣat, v, 28.
For example, a private shows complete obedience and respect to his corporal. It seems to him that all benefits come from him and he thinks little of the king. Even if he does think of him, it is still to the corporal that he shows his gratitude. So it is said to the private: “See here! The king is much greater than your corporal, it is only him that you should thank.” Now this sentence does not compare the king’s imperial commandership,