The ruling on describing a human being as the deputy of Allah
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We often read and hear about describing a human being as the deputy of Allah on His earth,They argue with the saying of Allah the Exalted: [al-Baqarah: 30], and His saying, Exalted and Majestic, to Dawud:
[Sad: 26], and they distinguish this from the saying of Allah, Exalted and Majestic: [al-An'am: 165], so what is the correct position on this matter?
The correct position, may Allah bless you! is that if by "deputy" it is meant that he is an agent on behalf of Allah in His creation, then this is not permissible; because Allah the Exalted knows His creation best, and He is the One who disposes of their affairs, and He does not need an intermediary or an agent. But if by it is meant that he is one who carries out the command of Allah, executing the command of Allah among the servants of Allah; then there is nothing wrong with that.
And Allah has mentioned several verses indicating this meaning, such as His saying: [al-An'am: 165] and His saying: [Sad: 26] and the like of that. So if by "deputy" it is intended that the human is an agent for Allah, and that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has entrusted the matter to him; then this is not permissible. But if by it is intended that he is His deputy,Meaning: one who executes the Shari'ah of Allah on the earth of Allah; then there is nothing wrong with that, meaning that it is permissible to call him the deputy of Allah in the sense that I mentioned.
Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority
إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةًO Dawud, indeed We have made you a successor on the earth
يَا دَاوُودُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاكَ خَلِيفَةً فِي الأَرْضِ.And it is He who has made you successors upon the earth
وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَكُمْ خَلائِفَ الْأَرْضِThe correct position, may Allah bless you! is that if by "deputy" it is meant that he is an agent on behalf of Allah in His creation, then this is not permissible; because Allah the Exalted knows His creation best, and He is the One who disposes of their affairs, and He does not need an intermediary or an agent. But if by it is meant that he is one who carries out the command of Allah, executing the command of Allah among the servants of Allah; then there is nothing wrong with that.
And Allah has mentioned several verses indicating this meaning, such as His saying:
