This is what He Himself has referred to, saying: ﴿تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ الْمُلْكُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ﴾[1]; “Blessed is He in Whose hand is dominion, and He has power over all things,” and: ﴿فَسُبْحَانَ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ مَلَكُوتُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ﴾[2]; “So, Exalted is He in Whose hand is the sovereignty over all things. And to Him you will be returned,” and: ﴿قُلْ مَنْ بِيَدِهِ مَلَكُوتُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ يُجِيرُ وَلَا يُجَارُ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾[3]; “Say: ‘Who is it in Whose hand is the sovereignty over all things, and He grants shelter and is not sheltered—if you should know?!’” Therefore, the fact that sovereignty belongs to Him, in practice, means nothing other than that it is based on His choice, regardless of the choice of others; as He has said: ﴿وَرَبُّكَ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيَخْتَارُ ۗ مَا كَانَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ ۚ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ﴾[4]; “And your Lord creates and chooses whatever He wills. They have no choice. Glorified and Exalted is Allah above what they associate with Him.”

In other words, the return of sovereignty in Islam is to the permission of Allah. Rather, no matter has legitimacy unless it returns to His permission. This is one of the most important fundamental principles in Islam; as He has repeatedly and emphatically said: ﴿أَلَا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَصِيرُ الْأُمُورُ﴾[5]; “Be aware that all matters return to Allah,” and: ﴿وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ﴾[6]; “And all matters are returned to Allah,” and: ﴿وَإِلَى اللَّهِ عَاقِبَةُ الْأُمُورِ﴾[7]; “And the end of all matters is with Allah,” and: ﴿وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ الْمَصِيرُ﴾[8]; “Dominion of the heavens and the Earth belongs to Allah and is returned to Allah.” This means that the basis of legitimacy in Islam is the permission of Allah, and any action that does not return to the permission of Allah is not considered Islamic and, accordingly, does not lead to His Heaven and forgiveness; as He has explicitly said: ﴿وَاللَّهُ يَدْعُو إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَالْمَغْفِرَةِ بِإِذْنِهِ﴾[9]; “And Allah invites to Heaven and forgiveness by His permission”—meaning that He makes His permission the means of legitimizing actions and, accordingly, attaining His pleasure through their performance.