Appearance
Can Man-Made Things Be Attributed to God?
How often do people ascribe the things invented, crafted, or manufactured by man solely and exclusively to him, cutting off their attribution to God! This habit stems from a very narrow understanding of causality and creation, as though man alone creates independently of the ultimate reality governing all existence. However, as ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī illustrates in Tafsīr al-Mīzān, this reasoning betrays an incomplete grasp of the intricate relationship between human actions, material causes, and divine will. The question of whether man-made things can be attributed to God is a deeper inquiry into the layers of causality and divine governance of the universe as presented in the Qur’an and supported by rational analysis.
Among those who reject attributing man-made things to God are the materialists, who deny the existence of a Creator altogether. They argue that the belief in a Creator arose from primitive ignorance. They claim that early humans, faced with mysteries of natural phenomena such as weather changes, natural disasters, or psychological effects, invented the idea of a supernatural Creator to fill the gaps in their understanding. According to this view, as science progressed and identified natural causes for many phenomena, belief in God—once posited to explain these unknowns—lost its relevance.
Furthermore, materialists hold that the natural and social sciences will eventually unravel every mystery, including the complexities of human consciousness and spiritual experiences. They even aspire to replicate life itself, suggesting that man will one day create life-giving cells and organisms through chemical processes. For materialists, this would supposedly eliminate the need for a Divine Creator altogether, leaving nothing in the realm of existence that requires attribution to a supernatural cause.
ʿAllāmah categorically rejects these claims. He explains that the theistic belief in a Creator did not arise from ignorance of material causes or psychological phenomena. The belief in God predates recorded history and theological thought, as even ancient philosophers and civilizations ascribed the existence of the universe to a Creator. The Qur’an, as well, consistently asserts that monotheism preceded polytheism as the primal belief of humanity—a view further supported by researchers such as Max Müller, who studied the emergence of religious beliefs across cultures.
The key distinction lies in the theistic understanding of causality. The theists, says ʿAllāmah, recognize that the existence of the universe and everything within it—whether we know their material causes or not—ultimately requires an essential Cause outside the universe. This Cause, identified as God, acts as the foundation upon which all other causes and effects depend. The belief in God does not deny the material causes of phenomena. Rather, it affirms that these causes and the entire interconnected system of causality itself require a non-contingent, self-existent Cause. In short, the existence of material causes does not render the Creator superfluous but instead points to His overarching governance.
One of the most profound arguments raised by ʿAllāmah is that human beings intuitively grasp the relationship between the universe and its Creator, even if they cannot articulate it in philosophical terms. Common sense points to the reality that the entire chain of causes and effects in the cosmos rests upon a Supreme Cause. The Qur’an captures this understanding succinctly: “God is the Creator of everything” (), and “His is the creation and the command” ().
The materialists, however, contradict themselves when they deny the Creator while insisting on the inviolability of causality. They argue that everything is governed by cause and effect yet fail to account for the origin of this universal system. How can they accept that man’s actions, as part of this network of causes and effects, emerge from predetermined material factors, yet deny the necessity of an overarching Cause? ʿAllāmah rightly points out this contradiction, emphasizing the coherence of the theistic worldview, which reconciles the material and divine without reducing one to the other.
Islamic theology, as presented in the Qur’an, offers a framework for understanding causality that harmonizes human free will, material causes, and divine agency. The Qur’an acknowledges that human beings act by their own volition, employing their will to create and manufacture things. For instance, it describes human actions and inventions in tangible terms, such as crafting idols or fabricating objects for both virtuous and sinful purposes. Yet, the Qur’an also attributes all these actions and their outcomes to God as the ultimate Creator.
A prime example is the verse: “And God has created you and what you make” (). This verse acknowledges human agency in crafting objects or engaging in creative work but grounds this ability in God’s act of creation. Without God as the ultimate source of existence and capability, man’s creative powers would cease to function. Similarly, the verse “And you did not smite when you smote (the enemy), but it was God Who smote” () attributes an act to both the individual (in this case, the Prophet during battle) and to God, reconciling human agency with divine authority.
What follows is a vital realization: man-made things can and should be attributed to God, but in a manner befitting His majesty. Human beings act within a framework of divine will and governance. Their abilities, intentions, and actions are not independent but are bestowed upon them by their Creator.
ʿAllāmah highlights that the Qur’an not only affirms natural causality but elevates it to a sign of divine wisdom. The natural order—where causes give rise to effects according to fixed laws—points to the meticulous precision of the Creator. Rather than contradicting the existence of God, this system serves as evidence of His comprehensive power and knowledge.
For example, the Qur’an highlights causality and predestination in verses such as: “And Who created every thing, then ordained for it a measure” () and “Surely We have created every thing according to a measure” (). These verses affirm that all things exist within defined boundaries, governed by material and temporal laws established by God. In other words, the natural order and human creativity are manifestations of God’s overarching decree. This does not mean, however, that God’s will undermines human freedom. Rather, divine attribution operates at a level that encompasses human agency without negating it.
Furthermore, verses such as “And there is not a thing but with Us are the treasures of it, and We do not send it down but in a known measure” () emphasize that even the resources, inspirations, and opportunities that allow human creativity originate with God. Thus, man acts within limits set by divine wisdom, drawing from resources that belong ultimately to the Creator.
One of the challenges arises from the misunderstanding of how sinful actions or morally reprehensible creations (such as idols, intoxicants, or tools of vice) can be attributed to God. Some argue that attributing such creations to God contradicts His sublimity and justice, as seen in the verse: “Intoxicants and games of chance… are only an abomination of Satan’s handiwork” ().
ʿAllāmah addresses this by distinguishing between different perspectives. When one observes a man-made object from the standpoint of its physical existence, it is a “thing” created by God. For instance, an idol is essentially stone or metal given a particular shape, both of which are within the scope of God’s creation. From this angle, it can be ascribed to God. However, when viewed as an object of sin or polytheism (i.e., idol worship), the act of misusing that object belongs solely to man or, metaphorically, to Satan. Thus, man-made things, even if used for sins, remain part of God’s creation at the level of their existence.
The principles outlined by ʿAllāmah reflect a powerful synthesis of rationalism and revelation. Rationally, it is illogical to isolate man’s actions and creations from the overarching causality of the universe. Every condition enabling man’s creativity—the environment, his intellect, his will, his materials—is provided and maintained by God. Theologically, the Qur’an affirms this interdependence, portraying the Creator as the source of all existence and capacity: “His is the creation and the command” (). Anything that exists, therefore, must originate with Him, and human actions are no exception.
The question of whether man-made things can be attributed to God uncovers profound truths about the relationships between causality, human volition, and divine governance. ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī’s explanation masterfully navigates this complex terrain, clarifying that human creations are not independent of God but operate within His system of causality and decree. By addressing materialist misconceptions and erroneous theological assumptions, he establishes a coherent worldview in which human agency functions in harmony with divine will. In this synthesis, the Qur’an’s message leaves no doubt: man-made things are unmistakably attributed to God, even as humans remain accountable for their intentions and actions. This understanding invites believers to recognize their dependence on the Creator and to act responsibly within the God-given framework of free will.
The Qur’an consistently employs a rational and logical method to address questions of existence, causality, and divine governance. It encourages reflection and reasoning, as seen in verses such as, “Have they not considered the dominion of the heavens and the earth and everything that God has created?” () and “Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding” (). The Qur’an’s arguments often appeal to reason and natural phenomena to establish the dependence of all creation on an ultimate, self-existent Cause. This rational approach forms the basis of Tafsīr al-Mīzān, where ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī elaborates on how material causes do not negate divine agency but instead point to the intricate and purposeful system created by God. ↩︎
Research in abiogenesis, which explores how non-living elements might transition to living systems via purely chemical interactions, directly supports materialist narratives of a self-sufficient universe without supernatural involvement. Researchers like Jack Szostak have worked extensively on protocells, aiming to recreate life’s origins within laboratory settings. ↩︎
Max Müller, a 19th-century philologist and scholar of comparative religion, is known for his extensive work in tracing the origins and development of religious beliefs across ancient cultures. Through his studies, Müller argued that monotheism predated polytheism, aligning with the Qur’anic assertion that humanity’s initial inclination was towards the belief in one Creator. His analysis of ancient texts and religious traditions illuminated how polytheism emerged as a later distortion of primitive monotheism, thereby bolstering the perspective of a primordial monotheistic faith in human history. ↩︎
The argument presented is commonly termed “The Cosmological Argument”, specifically its variant known as “The Argument of Causality” or “The First Cause Argument” in debates with atheists. This argument posits that the existence of the universe and its interconnected system of causes and effects ultimately necessitates a non-contingent, self-existent Cause — identified as God. It highlights that while material causes explain phenomena within the universe, they themselves rely on a foundational, independent Cause beyond the universe to account for existence as a whole. ↩︎
Another example to illustrate this concept can be drawn from intoxicants (alcohol). From the perspective of their physical existence, intoxicants are substances created by God as part of the natural world. For instance, the ingredients used in making alcohol, such as grapes or barley, are part of God’s creation, and their chemical and physical properties exist within the system ordained by Him. These substances, in their natural or unprocessed forms, have legitimate uses (e.g., grapes as food). However, when these substances are fermented and crafted into intoxicants, their misuse arises when they are consumed for sinful purposes, leading to harm, addiction, and moral corruption. This act of producing and consuming intoxicants for sinful purposes is attributed to human beings or metaphorically to Satan, as the Qur’an states, “Intoxicants and games of chance and (sacrificing to) stones set up and (dividing by) arrows are only an abomination of Satan’s handiwork” (). Thus, the physical properties and existence of such substances belong to God’s creation, but their sinful utilization is a result of human actions and choice. This example mirrors the principle that even man-made or human-altered creations remain within the framework of God’s creation at their essential level, while the moral responsibility for misuse lies with human beings. ↩︎