The ruling on saying, "O most noble of creation, to whom can I take refuge but You?"

Question:
This issue is important, Shaykh Salih. It concerns the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Have you made me a rival to Allah?" So what about the one who says, "O most noble of creation, to whom can I take refuge but You?"

Answer:
Yes. When the man said, "What Allah wills and what you will," the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) rebuked him.
And even though he was a Companion, yes, he rebuked him, saying, "Have you made me a rival to Allah?" meaning a partner in the will. He mixed the will of Allah with the will of the servant. This implies that the servant is a partner to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and a rival to Allah. A rival is a partner. This involves forbidding what is wrong and clarifying the truth, and not leaving people in their errors and ignorance. Rather, one clarifies to them: "Have you made me a rival to Allah?" Say, "What Allah wills alone." What Allah wills alone. Either say, "And what Allah wills alone," or say, "What Allah wills, then what you will." What you will. Yes.