And His Throne was upon the water, meaning that there was creation beneath it before the creation of the heavens and the earth. Its elevation above them is only above the water. And this indicates that the Throne and the water were created before the heavens and the earth.

And it is said: And the water was upon the surface of the wind, and Allah knows best about that. However it may be, Allah holds all of that by His power. And as the bodies increase, they become more in need of it and of His holding.

'Liabluyakum' is related to creation, meaning He created them for a profound wisdom, which is to make them dwellings for His servants, and to bestow upon them various blessings, and to command them to perform acts of obedience and to avoid sins. So whoever is grateful and obeys, He rewards him, and whoever is ungrateful and disobeys, He punishes him. And when this resembles the test of the tester, He said: 'Liabluyakum.' He means: to do with you what the tester does regarding your conditions and how you act.

If you say: How is it permissible to link the act of testing? I say: Because in testing there is a meaning of knowledge, for it is a path to it, so it is associated with it, just as you say: Look which of them has a better face and listen to which of them has a better voice, for looking and listening are paths to knowledge.

If you say: How was it said: 'Which of you is best in deeds?' And the deeds of the believers are those that vary to good and better, while the deeds of the believers and the disbelievers vary to good and evil? I say: Those who are best in deeds are the pious, and they are the ones who hasten to obtain what is the aim of Allah from His servants. So He specified them with mention and omitted the mention of those after them as an honor for them and a reminder of their status with Him, and that would be a kindness to the listeners and an encouragement to attain their virtue.

And from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him: 'Liabluyakum which of you is best in intellect, and most cautious of the prohibitions of Allah, and quickest in obedience to Allah.'

It was narrated by Dawood ibn al-Mujbir in the Book of Intellect and Agriculture in his Musnad from him, and al-Tabari and Ibn Mardawayh through his path from Abdul Wahid ibn Zayd from Kulaib ibn Wa'il from Ibn Umar. And Dawood is weak. And Ibn Mardawayh also narrated it through the path of Muhammad ibn Amras from Sulayman ibn Isa from al-Thawri from Kulaib likewise, and its chain is weaker than the first.

It was read: 'And if you say: Indeed, you will be resurrected,' with the opening of the hamzah.

And its meaning is that it is from their saying: 'Go to the market and buy us meat,' and that you buy means 'you might buy,' meaning: 'And if you say to them: Perhaps you will be resurrected,' meaning: Expect your resurrection and think it is possible, and do not stop the saying by denying it, for they would say: 'This is nothing but clear magic,' firmly asserting its falsehood.

And it is possible that you have included in 'I said' the meaning of 'I mentioned,' and the meaning of their saying: 'This is nothing but clear magic' is that magic is a false matter, and its falsehood is like the falsehood of magic, likening it to it. Or they referred to this regarding the Qur'an, for the Qur'an is the one that speaks of resurrection, and if they consider it magic, then they have included in it the denial of what is in it regarding resurrection and others.

And it was read: 'This is nothing but a magician,' meaning the Messenger, and the magician is a liar and a falsifier.