[The Oneness of Allah in Tahkim]

The third dimension is tahkim, in the sense of applying rulings among beings, which is made possible through authority over them and is certainly not befitting anyone other than Allah; as He has said: ﴿لِلَّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا فِيهِنَّ ۚ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ﴾[1]; “Dominion over the heavens and the Earth and everything within them belongs to Allah, and He has power over all things”—considering that only Allah possesses the qualification to legislate rulings, and accordingly, only He is capable of the complete application of His rulings. This is because the complete application of His rulings requires perfect knowledge of them, while perfect knowledge of them is impossible except for the One who has legislated them; given that no one is as aware of His satisfaction and dissatisfaction, and thus of His lawful and unlawful, as He Himself is; as He has said: ﴿أَمْ كُنْتُمْ شُهَدَاءَ إِذْ وَصَّاكُمُ اللَّهُ بِهَذَا﴾[2]; “Or were you present when Allah enjoined this upon you?!” and: ﴿قُلْ هَلُمَّ شُهَدَاءَكُمُ الَّذِينَ يَشْهَدُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ حَرَّمَ هَذَا﴾[3]; “Say: ‘Bring your witnesses who testify that Allah has made this unlawful,’” and: ﴿وَلَا تَقُولُوا لِمَا تَصِفُ أَلْسِنَتُكُمُ الْكَذِبَ هَذَا حَلَالٌ وَهَذَا حَرَامٌ لِتَفْتَرُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ لَا يُفْلِحُونَ﴾[4]; “Do not say, concerning that which your tongues falsely describe: ‘This is lawful, and this is unlawful,’ in order to fabricate lies against Allah. Undoubtedly, those who fabricate lies against Allah will not gain salvation.” Similarly, the complete application of Allah’s rulings requires perfect knowledge of their subjects, while perfect knowledge of their subjects is impossible except for their Creator; considering that no one is as aware of His created beings, and thus of their measures and places, as He Himself is; as He has said: ﴿وَعِنْدَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْلَمُهَا إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ ۚ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِنْ وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْأَرْضِ وَلَا رَطْبٍ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍ﴾[5]; “And the keys of the unseen are with Him; none knows them except Him. And He knows whatever is on land and at sea. Not a leaf falls except that He knows it, and there is not a grain in the darkness of the Earth, nor anything wet or dry, but it is in an Enlightening Book,”