It is clear that He exercises His sovereignty not through creational compulsion or by sending angels, but rather by appointing a caliph on the Earth; as He has said: ﴿إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً﴾[1]; “Indeed, I am the Appointer of a caliph on the Earth.” For example, He appointed Dawud as a caliph on the Earth, saying: ﴿يَا دَاوُودُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاكَ خَلِيفَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعِ الْهَوَى فَيُضِلَّكَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ﴾[2]; “O Dawud! We appointed you as a caliph on the Earth, so judge justly among people and do not follow your desires, for they will mislead you from the path of Allah.” This means that Allah, as the Sovereign over existence, in a perfectly rational act, exercises His governance by appointing a deputy. Likewise, all rational beings do the same to exercise their governance, and it is clear that He is the Creator and Master of rational beings; as He has said: ﴿وَاللَّهُ يُؤْتِي مُلْكَهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ﴾[3]; “And Allah gives His dominion to whomever He wills, and Allah is the All-Encompassing, the All-Knowing,” and: ﴿قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتَنْزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّنْ تَشَاءُ﴾[4]; “Say: ‘O Allah! You are the Owner of dominion! You give dominion to whomever You will and take dominion from whomever You will.’” For example, He gave His governance to Talut , while the companions of His Prophet were not pleased with his governance and believed themselves more deserving of governance; as He has said: ﴿وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ بَعَثَ لَكُمْ طَالُوتَ مَلِكًا ۚ قَالُوا أَنَّى يَكُونُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِالْمُلْكِ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُؤْتَ سَعَةً مِنَ الْمَالِ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَاهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَزَادَهُ بَسْطَةً فِي الْعِلْمِ وَالْجِسْمِ ۖ وَاللَّهُ يُؤْتِي مُلْكَهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ﴾[5]; “And their Prophet said to them: ‘Allah has sent Talut as a ruler for you!’ They said: ‘How can he have dominion over us when we are more worthy of dominion than him, and he has not been given abundance of wealth?!’ He said: ‘Allah has chosen him over you and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and physical strength. And Allah gives His dominion to whomever He wills, and Allah is the All-Encompassing, the All-Knowing.’”

It is completely natural and understandable that the governance of Allah is realized only when the appointment of the ruler is in His hands; for as long as the appointment of the ruler is in the hands of others and not in His, governance cannot be regarded as belonging to Him.