2.6 Those who claim multiplicity of deities


Claims for multiplicity of deities are indeed rare among the various sects and religions. They unanimously agree that the world does not enjoy two creators perfectly alike in attributes and actions, but rather it is necessarily so that one must have a feature distinct from the other and with this divinity is negated.

Ibn Abi al-Iz al-Hanafi -may Allah show him mercy-says:
“It is not known from among the sect anyone who has claimed: that indeed this world has two creators perfectly alike in attributes and actions; the Magian dualists and Manicheans claiming two origins: light and darkness and that the world emanate from them unanimously agreeing that light is better than darkness, even they have not claimed two perfectly identical gods. As for the Christians and their doctrine of Trinity, they have not claimed for this world three gods independent of each other but rather that the world has One Creator. They call all of the Son, Father and Holy Spirit One god. Their claims of trinity are self contradicting. What is intended here is to demonstrate that none among the groups claim this world has two creators perfectly alike in attributes and actions. We find groups from among the theologians, contemplators, and philosophers have exhausted their efforts in establishing this. Among them are those who acknowledge their incapability of establishing it through reason claiming that it is known only through divine transmission.


2.6 Those who claim multiplicity of deities


And since shirk regarding the Oneness of Divine Lordship is prohibited among all mankind by virtue of the non-existence of two creators perfectly alike in attributes and actions, we do however find some of the polytheists presenting that the Creator created part of the world, as claimed by the dualists in the case of darkness, and claimed also by the fatalists in the acts of animals, also by the naturalist philosophers in the motion of the planets or souls or natural bodies; these groups posit incidents that have not originate from Allah. They commit partial shirk in the Oneness of Divine Lordship just as many of the polytheist Arabs and others believed in their deities forms of benefit and harm without Allah having created it. Although this form of shirk exists between man, Quran has repudiated it as Allah the All Exalted says:

[لقمَان: ٢٥] (( مَا اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ مِنْ وَلَدٍ وَمَا كَانَ مَعَهُ مِنْ إِلَهٍ إِذاً لَذَهَبَ كُلُّ إِلَهٍ بِمَا خَلَقَ وَلَعَلا بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ ))
No son did Allah beget, nor is there any god along with Him: (if there were many gods), behold, each god would have taken away what he had created, and some would have lorded it over others! [23:91]


2.6 Those who claim multiplicity of deities


Contemplate this manifest evidence expressed in this concise and explicit expression. Indeed the true God must be the one who is indeed creator who provides benefit to His servants and protects them from harm. If there were with Allah the All Glorious another deity sharing in His kingdom it would then enjoy therein qualities of creation and action and thus would not satisfy with this partnership. Thus knowledge of the world emanating from two creators perfectly alike in attributes and actions is self defeating which is established in the natural disposition, false by evidence of correct reason, and so the possibility of a dualism of gods is negated.” Here ends his remarks-may Allah show him mercy.

With this it has been made clear the defeat of those claiming a multiplicity of deities and the falsehood of their envisioning two gods enacting in existence. We are left with no option except to return to the truth that agrees to the pure natural dispositions and belief in the Oneness of Divine Lordship of Allah the All Exalted and to realize the Divine Godship, Allah the All Exalted know best.