The disbelievers used to take pride in idols, as Allah, the Exalted, said: "And they have taken besides Allah gods that they might be for them a source of strength." And those who believed with their tongues without the agreement of their hearts: they used to take pride in the polytheists, as Allah, the Exalted, said: "Those who take disbelievers as allies instead of believers. Do they seek honor through them? But indeed, honor belongs to Allah entirely." He made it clear that there is no honor except for Allah and His allies. And He said: "And to Allah belongs honor and to His Messenger and to the believers." The meaning is that one should seek it from Allah. So He placed His saying "To Allah belongs all honor" in its proper context, relying on it for its indication, because something is only sought from its owner and possessor. An analogy is your saying: "Whoever wants advice, it is with the righteous," meaning: "So let him seek it from them," except that you established what indicates it in its place. The meaning of "To Allah belongs all honor" is that all honor is exclusive to Allah: the honor of this world and the honor of the Hereafter. Then it was made known that what is sought for honor is faith and righteous deeds by His saying: "To Him ascends the good word, and the righteous deed raises it." The good word is: "There is no god but Allah." Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: This word is not accepted. It does not ascend to the heavens to be recorded where the accepted deeds are recorded, as Allah, the Exalted, said: "Indeed, the record of the righteous is in 'Illiyyin.'" Except when it is accompanied by the righteous deed that fulfills it and confirms it, then it raises it and ascends it. It was said: the raising is the word, and the raised is the deed, because no deed is accepted except from a monotheist. It was said: the raiser is Allah, the Exalted, and the raised is the deed. It was said: the good word includes every mention of glorification, praise, declaration of faith, recitation of the Qur'an, supplication, seeking forgiveness, and others. And from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him: "It is the saying of a man: 'Subhan Allah,' 'Alhamdulillah,' 'There is no god but Allah,' 'Allah is the Greatest.' When the servant says them, the angel ascends with them to the heavens and greets the face of the Most Merciful. If there is no righteous deed, it is not accepted." [Reported by Al-Thalabi and Ibn Mardawayh from the narration of Ali ibn Asim from Suhail from his father from Abu Huraira, raised, and narrated by Al-Hakim and Al-Bayhaqi in the names and Al-Tabari raised from Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him.] And in the hadith: "Allah does not accept a saying except with an action, and He does not accept a saying or an action except with an intention, and He does not accept a saying, action, and intention except by adhering to the Sunnah." [Reported by Al-Khatib in Al-Jami from the narration of Baqiyyah ibn Ismail ibn Abdullah from Aban from Anas with this raised. And Aban is abandoned. There is another route from Abu Huraira raised, reported by Ibn Adi and Ibn Hibban, both in the weak narrators from Khalid ibn Abdul Da'im from Nafi' ibn Yazid from Zuhrah ibn Ma'bad from Sa'id ibn Al-Musayyib from him, with the wording: "Recitation in prayer is better than recitation outside of prayer - the hadith. And in it: 'And no saying except with an action,' to the end of it. And Ibn Hibban also narrated from the narration of Al-Zuhri from Sa'id ibn Al-Musayyib from Ibn Mas'ud. In it is Ahmad ibn Al-Hasan Al-Masri. And he is a liar.] And from Ibn Al-Muqaffa: A saying without action is like a dish without fat, a cloud without rain, a bow without a string.

And it was recited: "To Him ascends the good word" in the passive form. And "To Him ascends the good word" in the active participle form, from 'as'ada. And the ascender is the man, meaning: the good word ascends to Allah, the Exalted. And to Him ascends the good speech. And it was recited: "And the righteous deed raises it," with the righteous deed in the accusative, and the raiser is the word or Allah, the Exalted. If you say: "Makar" is an intransitive verb. It is not said: "Makar so-and-so his deed," so how is "the evils" in the accusative?

I said: This is a description of the source, or of what is in its ruling, like His saying, 'And the evil plotting does not encompass except its people.' Its origin is 'and those who plotted evil plots.' Or it refers to the types of evil plots, and it means the plots of Quraysh when they gathered in Dar al-Nadwa and deliberated on one of three plots they would devise against the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him: either to affirm him, or to kill him, or to expel him, as Allah, glorified and exalted is He, mentioned about them, 'And when those who disbelieved plotted against you to restrain you or to kill you or to expel you.' And the plotting of those is certainly a failure, meaning: and the plotting of those who devised those three plots is specifically a failure, that is: it is worthless and corrupt, unlike the plotting of Allah against them when He expelled them from Mecca, killed them, and made them firm in the well of Badr. Thus, He gathered all their plots together and fulfilled His saying, 'And they plot, and Allah plots, and Allah is the best of planners,' and His saying, 'And the evil plotting does not encompass except its people.'