Or have they taken [other] than Allah as intercessors? The hamzah is for denial. They have taken Quraysh as intercessors, when they said: 'These are our intercessors with Allah.' And no one intercedes with Him except by His permission. Do you not see His saying: 'Say, to Allah belongs [all] intercession'? That is, He is its owner. So no one can intercede except under two conditions: that the one for whom intercession is made is accepted, and that the intercessor is permitted. And here both conditions are completely absent. Even if they were, meaning: would they intercede even if they do not possess anything and do not understand? That is, even if they were in this state, they do not possess anything at all, so they cannot possess intercession, and they have no understanding. To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, confirming His saying: 'To Allah belongs [all] intercession.' Because if He owns everything and intercession is part of ownership, then He is its owner. If you say: What is the connection of His saying: 'Then to Him you will be returned'? I say: It is connected to what follows. Its meaning is: To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth today, and then to Him you will return on the Day of Resurrection, and there will be no ownership on that day except for Him. So He has the dominion of this world and the Hereafter.