And when he mentioned his reliance on Allah and his trust in His protection and guardianship from their plotting, he described him with what necessitates reliance upon Him. This is due to the encompassing nature of His Lordship over him and them, in that every creature is in His grasp, ownership, and under His might and authority, and He takes hold of their forelocks. This is exemplified by His saying: 'Indeed, my Lord is on a straight path,' meaning that He is on the path of truth and justice in His dominion. No oppressor escapes Him, nor does anyone who seeks refuge with Him go to waste. So if they turn away, then if you turn away. If you say: The conveying was before the turning away, how then did the punishment occur for the condition? I say: Its meaning is that if you turn away, I will not be blamed for neglect in conveying, and you were challenged by the fact that what I sent to you has reached you, yet you chose nothing but to deny the message and oppose the messenger. And He will replace you with another people who will succeed you in your lands and wealth, and you will not harm Him in any way by your turning away, for it is not permissible for Him to be harmed or benefited. Rather, you harm yourselves. And in the reading of Abdullah: 'And He will replace,' in the indicative form. Likewise: 'And do not harm Him,' in connection to the position of 'Indeed, I have conveyed to you.' The meaning is: If they turn away, He excuses me and replaces them with a people other than you, and you harm only yourselves. 'Indeed, He is, over all things, a Guardian,' meaning a watcher over them, overseeing them. Nothing of your deeds is hidden from Him, nor does He become heedless of holding you accountable. Or from the one who is a watcher over all things, preserving them, and they are in need of His preservation from harm; one like Him does not suffer harm from one like you.