God is the only Creator and the only Master of everything that exists in the universe. This is an established fact in the Qur’ānic discourse. This discourse also strongly denunciates seeking support from, or addressing worship to, anyone other than God. Why? Because such deeds contradict the fundamental fact of submission to God and also because they are acts of polytheism that again contradict the monotheistic belief of Islam.
The Qur’ān repeatedly argues why man should submit to God alone and must not take anyone or anything in matters of worship, surrender and submission. In 6:14 the Book of God commands the Prophet ﷺ: “Say: Am I to take for my master anyone but God, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, who gives nourishment to all and Himself needs none? Say: I am commanded to be the first of those who surrender themselves to God, and not to be among those who associate partners with Him.”
This verse bears testimony to the fact that God is the Creator and Master of Seen and Unseen both. He is the Creator and thus Master of the heavens and the earth. It is He Who sustains and nourishes each and every living being on earth, in the air and beneath the layers of the earth. And this He does without standing in need of any help or support from any one of His creatures. These attributes of God demand that human beings should surrender themselves to God. And this surrender to God should be quite unadulterated, without any ifs and buts.
This verse presents a powerful logic that appeals to human nature. It means to put very sharp questions: To whom does mastery and sovereignty of the universe belong and who alone is to be revered as the Supreme Master, if not the Creator who has originated the heavens and the earth? To whom, if not to the One who provides sustenance and nourishment to every creature in the heavens and on earth while He Himself needs none?
There are only two ways – the path of Love and Mercy of God and the path of His wrath – left for us to choose any one of them. Either we turn to God alone, receive His instructions, surrender and submit to Him and obey Him, seek His support and succour, worship Him alone, and acknowledge only His authority over all matters, or pledge our loyalty and allegiance to Him in all matters or we claim that any one of His creatures has a say or partnership with Him in any of these matters and we, thus, become guilty of polytheism. The beauty of Islam is that there is no coercion in matters of faith. Everyone is free to choose whatsoever he likes.