He, glorified is He, has presented from the necessities of His worship and the requirements of gratitude to Him the creation of them alive and capable first, because it is a precursor to the foundations of blessings and its introduction. It is the reason for being able to worship, give thanks, and other matters. Then He created the earth, which is their place and their abode that they must have. It is like the yard of a dwelling, its place of movement, and its spread. Then He created the sky, which is like a dome stretched and a tent pitched over this land. Then He fashioned, exalted is He, something resembling the contract of marriage between the eye and the shade by sending down water from it upon it. And the extraction from its belly—similar to the offspring produced from animals—of various fruits as sustenance for the children of Adam, so that this may be a consideration for them: and a means to look that leads to monotheism and acknowledgment, and a blessing they recognize, so they meet it with the requirement of gratitude. They reflect on the creation of themselves and the creation of what is above them and below them. And that none of these creatures is capable of bringing anything into existence. They will then be certain that there must be a Creator unlike them, so they do not make the creatures rivals to Him while they know that they cannot do as He does. The connected with its connection may either be in the accusative case as a description, like 'the one who created you,' or in praise and glorification. Or it may be in the nominative case as a subject, containing what is in the accusative of praise. And Yazid al-Shami read: 'bisaata.' And Talha read: 'mahaada.' The meaning of making it a mattress, a spread, and a resting place for people is that they sit on it, sleep on it, and turn over as one turns over on his mattress, spread, and resting place. If you say: Is there evidence in it that the earth is flat and not spherical? I say: There is nothing in it except that people spread on it as they do with coverings, and whether it is in the shape of a surface or in the shape of a sphere, the act of spreading is not rejected nor dismissed, due to its great size, vastness, and the distance of its corners. And if it is easy on the mountain, which is a peg from the pegs of the earth, it is easier in the earth that has length and width. The building is a source named after the constructed—whether it is a house, dome, tent, or a shelter. And the buildings of the Arabs are their tents, and from it, he built upon his wife, because they used to pitch a new tent over her when they married. If you say: What is the meaning of extracting the fruits with water when they came out by His power and will? I say: The meaning is that He made water a cause for their emergence and a material for them, like the water of the male in the creation of the offspring. He is capable of bringing all kinds into existence without causes or materials, just as He created the souls of the causes and materials. However, He has in the creation of things a progression from state to state, and a transfer from one rank to another, with wisdom and reasons that He renews for His angels and the observers with the eyes of insight from His servants, providing them with lessons and sound thoughts, and an increase in tranquility, and calmness towards His great power and the wonders of His wisdom. This is not in creating them suddenly without progression and arrangement. And 'from' in 'from the fruits' is for partitive, as evidenced by His saying: 'So We brought forth from it every kind of fruit,' and His saying: 'So We brought forth with it fruits.' And because the deniers, I mean: water and sustenance, surround it. And the intention with their indefiniteness is the meaning of partivity, as if it were said: And We sent down from the sky some water, so We brought forth with it some fruits, to be some of your sustenance. This is what corresponds to the correctness of the meaning, because He did not send down all the water from the sky, nor did He bring forth all the fruits with the rain, nor did He make all sustenance in the fruits. And it may be for clarification, as when you say: I spent a thousand of the dirhams. If you say: In what is 'rizqan' in the accusative case? I say: If 'from' is for partitive, its being in the accusative is because it is an object for it. And if it is fixed, it is an object for 'brought forth.' If you say: The fruits brought forth by the water of the sky are many, so why was it said 'fruits' instead of 'fruit' and 'thamar'?

I said: There are two aspects to it. One is that the term 'fruits' refers to a group of the fruit, as in your saying: 'So-and-so has reached the fruit of his orchard,' meaning its fruits. An example of this is their saying: 'the word of Al-Huwaidara,' referring to his poem. And their term for the village is 'Al-Mudara,' although it is actually a collection of soil. The second aspect is that the plurals interchange with one another due to their gathering, as in His saying: (How many gardens they left) and (three periods). The first aspect is supported by the reading of Muhammad ibn Al-Samiq: 'from the fruit,' in the singular. And 'before you' is a description that applies to sustenance if it is intended as the eye, and if it is made a name for the meaning, it is an object, as if it were said: 'sustenance for you.' If you say: What does 'so do not make' relate to? I say: There are three aspects: It can relate to the command, meaning: worship your Lord, so do not make for Him partners, for the essence of worship and its foundation is monotheism, and that no partner or associate is made for Allah. Or it can relate to 'perhaps,' in which case 'make' would be in the accusative, similar to 'so that I may reach the means' in His saying, the Exalted: (Perhaps I may reach the means of the heavens and look upon the God of Moses) in the narration of Hafs from Asim, meaning: He created you so that you may fear and be cautious of His punishment, so do not liken Him to His creation. Or it can relate to 'the one who made for you,' if it is raised as a subject, meaning: He is the one who has chosen you with these great signs and clear proofs that testify to His oneness, so do not take for Him partners. And 'the partner' means the equal. It is only said for an opposing counterpart. Jarir said: 'Do you make a partner for me... and what is a Taim to one of noble lineage?' The question is one of denial. Taim is a name of a man and a tribe, and it is the object brought forward. And 'to' is related to 'you make' in a way that implies, meaning: you attribute it to me or to mean 'for me.' It is permissible for it to relate to 'partner,' which is the second object. The 'and' indicates the state, meaning: while Taim is not a partner to one of noble lineage and merits, how can he be a partner to me? It is narrated: 'Do you make a Taim?' Thus it is the subject, and the meaning is as previously mentioned, and 'to' is related to something omitted, indicating the state of Taim or of 'partner.' And 'the partner' means the equal and the opposite. And I opposed the man: I contradicted him and opposed him, from 'to oppose.' And the meaning of their saying: 'There is no partner for Allah nor opposite' negates what would take His place and negates what contradicts Him. If you say: They used to call their idols by His name and exalt them with the exaltation due to Him, and they did not claim that they opposed Allah or contradicted Him. I say: When they drew near to them and exalted them and called them gods, their condition resembled that of one who believes they are gods like him, capable of opposing and contradicting him. Thus it was said to them in a mocking manner, as they were mocked with the term 'partner,' and their condition was condemned for making many partners for one who can never have a partner. In this, Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufail said when he departed from the religion of his people: 'One God or a thousand gods... shall I worship when affairs are divided?' I left Al-Lat and Al-Uzza altogether... thus does the discerning man act. This is attributed to Amr ibn Zayd ibn Nufail ibn Rabi'ah ibn Abdullah ibn Qart ibn Razah ibn Rabi'ah. The 'hamzah' indicates a question. And in it is a form of astonishment and the display of error in the worship of gods and condemnation of their worshippers. 'One God' is the object. 'Shall I worship' means: shall I obey. And by 'a thousand' is meant multitude, not specifically that number. 'When affairs are divided' means: when each group takes a religion from the religions. And His saying: 'Al-Lat and Al-Uzza' means: and others among the idols, for there is no distinction between them. 'The discerning man' refers to the one who is insightful in the matter. And Muhammad ibn Al-Samiq read: 'So do not make for Allah a partner.' If you say: What is the meaning of 'and you know'? I say: Its meaning is: And your state and description is that you possess the ability to distinguish between the correct and the corrupt, and knowledge of the subtleties of matters and the complexities of conditions, and success in plans, and cleverness and insight, to a degree that you cannot be denied.

And it can be intended that their exclusivity is with complete knowledge, and that others do not reach anything of what they have of it. (A) In the firmness of knowledge of matters and the good grasp of them. And the object of (you know) is left out, as if it were said: And you are of the people of knowledge and understanding. The reproach in it is more emphatic, meaning you are the knowledgeable and distinguished ones. Then what you are upon in the matter of your religion, of making idols equals to Allah, is the height of ignorance and the end of foolishness of the mind. And it is permissible to consider: And you know that there is nothing like Him. Or: And you know the difference between Him and them. Or: And you know that they do not act like His actions, as His saying: (Is there among your partners anyone who does anything of that?)