Question: In Surah Mominoon the Almighty Allah says:
“…So blessed be Allah, the best of the Creators”. (23:14)
When the Almighty Allah calls Himself the “best of Creators” does it mean that there exist other Creators also?
Answer: From the aspect of Arabic language the root Khalq (creation) occurs I three meanings:
1. To evaluate or estimate something.
2. To transform a thing into something else. For example to make tools from iron.
3. To bring something from non-existence into existence. That is to bestow existence something that did not exist before.
Without any doubt the third meaning is special to the Almighty Allah and the words of Creator and inventor. Apart from Him these terms are not used to anyone else. So much so that the first and the second are applicable even to human beings. In the ayats of the Holy Qur’an the root Khalq is used in the first or the second meaning. For example it is mentioned regarding Isa ibn Maryam (a.s.):
“And when you determined out of clay a thing like the form of a bird by My permission.”
Here it denotes changing one thing into another.
The ayat in question has also used in the second meaning or the first and since in those meanings there can be many creators it is correct to state that He is the best of Creators.