What is the ruling on someone who asks: "Can your Lord annihilate Himself?" with the intention of testing the students' knowledge of Allah, and is one who answers that Allah is capable of all things if He wills to annihilate Himself considered an apostate?

God's power relates to the possible, not the impossible. God is capable of all things, and the impossible is not a "thing"; therefore, God's power and will do not relate to it. The issue of God's annihilation is inherently impossible and self-evidently absurd, so neither will nor power relate to it.

Thus, the student's statement, "If He wished to annihilate Himself, He would do so!" is incorrect, because God's annihilation is inherently impossible. God's power is limitless, and it is impermissible to restrict it with what people of doubt say, such as: "He cannot create another like Himself, or annihilate Himself"; this is a satanic whisper. God is capable of everything that is within the realm of possibility and capability. As for that which is inherently impossible, it is not considered a "thing" by any rational person, and its existence is inconceivable. An example of this is the question posed by some atheists: "Can God create another like Himself?" This is inherently impossible, and only an ignorant person or a deceitful, stubborn individual would bring it up.

Such a question is only posed by someone ignorant who does not comprehend what he is saying, or a deceitful, stubborn individual. However, posing it for the purpose of teaching is permissible, and it is better phrased as an interrogative. The teacher erred in judging the student as an unbeliever; the context is one of teaching, not declaring disbelief. Judging a specific individual to be an unbeliever when there is doubt and before establishing proof is a grave error.