And when it was one of the most astonishing things, their arguing while they acknowledged what was required of them, that certainly submission is due to Him, the One with no partner, and that He has all the attributes of perfection, so all praise is for Him. He said: ﴿And if﴾ meaning they argue or say: rather we follow our forefathers, while they, if ﴿you ask them who created the heavens﴾ in their entirety ﴿and the earth﴾ and all that is in it ﴿they will surely say﴾. And since it was more appropriate for the wisdom which is the beginning of the Surah to be limited to the place of need, He did not add here to what was attributed to it, unlike [Surah] Az-Zukhruf which is based on clarification. So He said, shifting the saying from the greatness to something greater than it, saying: ﴿Allah﴾ [meaning] 'the one named by this name which combines His name between majesty and honor.' They have acknowledged that all that they associated with Him is part of His creation and made from His creations.

And when they believed that their partners do some actions for them, therefore they hoped for them and feared them, as is clear in the story of the uncle of Anas, the deaf man, and others. He ﷺ commanded him to teach them that there is no creation other than Him nor any command, rather He is the Creator of everything in the heavens and the earth as He created them. And among (p-194) that which deserves praise, glorified is He, is His overpowering them to affirming him, blessings and peace be upon him, [with] such acknowledgment while they are in utmost denial. So He said, resuming: ﴿Say, Praise﴾ meaning the encompassing of all attributes of perfection ﴿is for Allah﴾ meaning the one who has the complete and comprehensive encompassing without limitation to the creation of the two horizons or anything else. 'The matter is greater than the saying of a speaker,' as He encompasses what you know of the creation of the heavens and the earth. He is the doer of all actions, just as He is the creator of all beings, and there is no partner for Him in anything of the matter, just as there is no partner for Him in anything of the creation.

And when they thought that their idols could do something, as the woman of Dhul-Nun al-Dawsi, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "Is there any fear for the child from Dhul-Shara?" And as the people of Dhamam ibn Thalabah, may Allah be pleased with him, said when their gods were insulted: "Beware of leprosy, beware of scab." And as the keeper of al-Uzza said, and as Thaqif said in their tyranny, until they said when it was leveled with the ground, "By Allah, the foundation will surely be angry." This led Al-Mughira ibn Shu'bah, may Allah be pleased with him, to dig up the foundation. And they would, when affliction touched them, especially at sea, disassociate themselves from it and attribute the matter to the one who is responsible for it, as is guaranteed by the oneness of Allah. So sometimes a speaker would say, relying on that: "Indeed, they know what has been established by praise." He said: "But most of them do not know," meaning that Allah is the one who is unique in everything, just as He is unique in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and that nothing occurs except by His permission. For they do not act upon what they know of that, and knowledge that is not acted upon is as if it does not exist; rather, non-existence is better than it. And the few are those who are moderate when saved from hardship, as will come shortly, or the meaning could be that they have no knowledge at all. For if they had knowledge, it would have benefited them in their knowledge of Allah, or in that they do not acknowledge His uniqueness, glorified and exalted is He, in creation and provision. This would lead to their contradiction and obligate them to acknowledge the truth of your judgment regarding His absolute oneness.