And when He removed from their partners the ability to own anything of the worlds, and established all sovereignty for Him alone, he ﷺ commanded him to affirm them with what is necessary from that, so he said: "Say, who provides for you?" And when everything of provision is dependent on the two realms, and it was in the context of favor and reproach, he gathered it so that it would not be claimed that there is a manager of anything from the upper world other than Him, glorified and exalted is He. So he said: "from the heavens" and he said: "and the earth" in the singular, because they do not know other than it.

And when it was known that they acknowledge that this is solely for Allah, as has been stated explicitly multiple times, and it is established that their acknowledgment of this obligates them to sincerity in worship before anyone who has the slightest grasp of his mind, he indicated this [by the indication] of his command ﷺ to respond to the fact that they are like those who deny this. For their acknowledgment of it did not benefit them, so he said: "Say, Allah" meaning [the Most High King] alone. And he commanded him [after establishing] this clear proof to follow it with something that is more severe upon them than the impact of arrows in a way that does not do justice to it, nor can anyone direct a type of stab towards it by saying affirmatively, warning of the necessity of reflecting on distinguishing the truthful from the false by detaching from desires. For the matter is of utmost danger: "And indeed we" meaning the people of monotheism in worship for the One who is unique in provision, "or you" meaning the people of associating partners with Him, who do not possess anything of the things. And "or" is in its original sense, not in the meaning of 'and', meaning that one of our two groups is in one of two ambiguous situations that do not clarify, so he is in great danger due to being in doubt about his matter, not having a decisive guidance for him. So look with your minds in determining whether he is the one who knows [the truth] for its people or the one who has given the truth to those who are not its people. Ibn al-Jawzi said: This is like saying to a man whom you disbelieve: By Allah, one of us is a liar, and you mean by it a disbelieving that is not exposed. And the man says: By Allah, so-and-so has arrived. Then one who knows his lie says to him: Say, if Allah wills. So he disbelieves him with a better statement than the explicit denial, meaning especially after establishing the proof for the intended meaning. Then he likened the guided ones to one who is on the back of a steed, directing it wherever he wishes from the steed by saying: "Surely on guidance" meaning in following what should be acted upon, seeking assistance in it, observing everything that may expose him to what could lead to misguidance, so he avoids it. "Or in misguidance" [meaning] from the truth in the appropriate belief, immersing in it, while it surrounds the afflicted with it, so he cannot find a way to correctness with it: "clear" meaning evident in itself, calling everyone to know that it is misguidance except for one who is immersed in it, justified for him. For he does not realize within himself and between him and coming to insight except that he exits from it for a while, then he knows that he was in that state doing what one who has a type of mind does not do. So in this is an encouragement to the reflection that they used to reject by saying: "Our hearts are in coverings" [Fussilat: 5] and similar in the evidences by which the truth is distinguished from falsehood in the best manner by the most just supplication and the gentlest call, where the caller has joined himself with them in what he called them to reflect upon. The meaning is that it is incumbent upon each of us - if he is in one of the two ambiguous paths - to look into a matter to be safe, for the matter is of utmost clarity while the misguided one is at the end of danger. And indeed, the virtuous ones among the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, and those of intellect and reason among them would say this after Islam, like Khalid ibn al-Walid and Amr ibn al-As, and you cannot mention them without their grandeur, prominence, and intelligence. They said: By Allah, we used to be greatly astonished by those who enter into Islam, and today [we] are greatly astonished by those who hesitate about it.