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However, the word اَنْدَادًا means alikes, or equals; anything like or equal to Taâ’lâ is His exact opposite; there is contrariety between them. In this, there is a subtle allusion that a like or an equal is essentially bâtil. Then the use of the plural indicates the utter ignorance of mushriks and alludes to the fact that they attract contempt and rage to themselves. That is, the Qur’an says to them, "How can you attribute a great number of equals and opposites to Allah, Who is without any like?" There is also a subtle sign for the rejection of all kinds of shirk, like shirk in His essence, in His attributes and His actions. It also alludes to the rejection of levels of mushriks, like the pagans (al-wathaniûn), the Sabeans, the Christians (ahl al-tathlîth1) and the Naturalists, all of whom believe that causes have an actual effect.