Praise be to Allah, and may blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
A person saying about himself, “I am the god of mathematics,” is a prohibited expression that must be avoided, because the word “god” (ilah) in its original meaning refers to the one who is worshipped and deserves to be worshipped, and this belongs only to Allah, the Exalted. A sound intention does not make an improper expression correct, especially when this expression is used in the context of praising oneself and exaggerating one’s excellence. As for declaring a particular person to be a disbeliever, this cannot be based merely on uttering the expression without considering his intention and circumstances, and without the conditions for such a ruling being fulfilled and its impediments being absent.
Words are not a trivial matter in the religion of Allah. Allah may raise a servant by means of a good word, and a word may also be a cause of Allah’s anger and punishment.
Allah تعالى says:
﴿They swear by Allah that they did not say it, while they certainly uttered the word of disbelief and disbelieved after their Islam.﴾ [At-Tawbah: 74]
And He says concerning mocking the religion:
﴿Say: “Was it Allah, His verses, and His Messenger that you were mocking? Do not make excuses; you have disbelieved after your faith.”﴾ [At-Tawbah: 65–66]
And Allah تعالى says:
﴿He does not utter a word except that with him is an observer ready to record it.﴾ [Qaf: 18]
In the two Sahihs, Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“Indeed, a servant may utter a word without considering what it contains, and because of it he falls into the Fire farther than the distance between the east and the west.”
Therefore, the believer should be careful with his words, especially words that concern the rights of Allah تعالى.
An ilah is the one who is worshipped and deserves to be worshipped.
Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله stated that an ilah is the one who is worshipped and deserves worship, and worship encompasses the utmost love together with the utmost humility and submission.
Therefore, Allah تعالى says:
﴿And your God is One God. There is no deity worthy of worship except Him, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.﴾ [Al-Baqarah: 163]
Thus, using the word “god” (ilah) to describe a human being is inappropriate with respect to this meaning, even if the speaker merely intends to exaggerate his skill.
No, because a correct intention does not justify every expression.
A person who says, “I am the god of mathematics,” may intend by this that he is extremely skilled in mathematics, but he has chosen a word that carries a meaning inappropriate for a person to use in describing himself.
A Muslim should instead choose a sound expression that conveys the intended meaning without any objectionable element, such as:
These expressions convey the intended meaning without using the word “god.”
It is not correct to say that everyone who utters this expression definitively becomes a disbeliever merely by saying it. Declaring a specific person to be a disbeliever has its own principles and conditions, and it is necessary to know his intention and the circumstances surrounding his statement.
Nevertheless, even without intending divinity, the expression is prohibited or extremely objectionable, and the person who says it must repent to Allah from it, replace it with clear and sound wording, and refrain from using it again.
If someone said it out of ignorance of its ruling, or it slipped from his tongue and he later learned that it was wrong, he should stop using it, seek Allah’s forgiveness, repent to Him, and not return to using it.
A person may wish to express his excellence in a particular field, and there are many permissible ways to do so. There is no need to borrow expressions associated with divinity.
A Muslim is also commanded to beware of arrogance and self-admiration, and to remember that whatever knowledge and ability he possesses is ultimately a blessing from Allah تعالى.
Allah سبحانه says:
﴿And you have not been given of knowledge except a little.﴾ [Al-Isra: 85]
No matter how much knowledge or skill a person attains, his knowledge remains limited, and whatever ability and talent he possesses is from the فضل of Allah upon him.
It is not permissible for a person to say about himself, “I am the god of mathematics,” or anything similar, because the word “ilah” in its meaning refers to the one who is worshipped and deserves worship, and that is Allah, Glorified and Exalted. A sound intention is not sufficient to make this expression correct.
Whoever says it without believing in divinity must abandon the expression and repent to Allah from it. A particular person should not be judged to be a disbeliever merely because of this expression without establishing his intention and applying the Islamic principles governing judgment upon a specific individual.
And Allah knows best.