'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' He commanded His Messenger, blessings and peace be upon him, to recite these verses that articulate the proofs of His oneness, His ability over all things, and His wisdom. He was also commanded to begin with praising Him and sending peace upon His Prophets and the chosen ones among His servants. In this, there is good teaching, a reminder of beautiful manners, encouragement to begin with the two mentions, seeking blessings through them, and relying on their status to accept what is conveyed to the listeners and their attentiveness to it. It aims to place in their hearts the status that the speaker desires. Scholars, preachers, and exhorters have inherited this etiquette from generation to generation. They praised Allah, the Exalted, and sent blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, before every beneficial knowledge and before every admonition and reminder, at the beginning of every sermon. The correspondents followed them, applying this in the beginnings of their books on conquests, congratulations, and other significant events. It is said that it is connected to what preceded it, and that he was commanded to praise Allah for the destruction of the disbelievers from the nations and to send peace upon the Prophets, peace be upon them, and their followers who were saved. It is said that it is a speech directed to Lot, peace be upon him, to praise Allah for the destruction of the disbelievers of his people and to send peace upon those whom Allah chose and saved from their destruction and protected from their sins. It is known that there is no good in what they associated with Him at all, so that it can be compared to the One who is the Creator of all good and its Owner. Rather, it is an obligation upon them and a rebuke. It was said: 'It is known that there is no good in what they associated with Him until it is compared to the One who is the Creator of all good and its Owner. Rather, it is an obligation upon them and a rebuke.' It was said: 'This is a statement of the state of their situation, as they preferred the worship of idols over the worship of Allah. No rational person would prefer one thing over another unless there is a reason that drives them to prefer it due to an increase in good or benefit.' So they were told, with the knowledge that there is no good in what they preferred, and that they did not prefer it for an increase in good but rather out of desire and folly, to alert them to their excessive error, the ignorance that entangles them, their misleading of discernment, and their rejection of reason. They should know that preference must be for the greater good. This is similar to what was narrated about Pharaoh: 'Am I better than this one who is insignificant?' while he knew that Moses did not have rivers flowing beneath him like those that flowed under him. Then Allah, glorified and exalted is He, enumerated the good things and benefits that are the effects of His mercy and grace, as He enumerated them in another place, then said: 'Is there any of your partners who does any of that?' It was recited: 'They associate' with both the singular and plural forms. And it was reported from the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, that when he recited it, he would say: 'Rather, Allah is better, more lasting, greater, and more generous than what they associate.'