Is it other than Allah? The interrogative particle is placed before the verb which is 'I take' because the denial is in taking other than Allah as an ally, not in taking the ally, so it was more appropriate to be placed first. An example of this is: 'Is it other than Allah that you command me to worship, O ignorant ones? Has Allah permitted you?' And it is read 'Fātir as-samawāt' in the genitive as an attribute of Allah, and in the nominative as praise. Al-Zuhri read: 'Fatar.' Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: 'I did not know what Fātir of the heavens and the earth was until two Bedouins came to me arguing over a well, and one of them said: 'I created it.' [Reported by Abu Ubaid in Gharib al-Hadith, and in the virtues of the Qur'an with a good chain, in which there is only Ibrahim ibn Muhajir, and it will come in the tafsir of Fātir.] That is, I originated it. And He provides and is not provided for, as His saying: 'What I want from them of provision, and what I want them to feed me.' The meaning is that all benefits are from Him, and it is not permissible for Him to benefit. And it is read: 'and He does not feed,' with the opening of the 'ya.' Ibn al-Ma'mun narrated from Ya'qub: 'He provides and does not provide,' based on the first for the object and the second for the subject, and the pronoun refers to other than Allah. Al-Ashhab read: 'He provides and does not provide,' based on both for the subject. It is explained that its meaning is: 'He provides, and does not seek provision.' Al-Azhari narrated: 'I fed,' meaning 'I sought to be fed.' Similarly: 'I benefited.' It is possible that the meaning is: 'He provides at times and does not provide at other times according to the interests,' as you say: 'He gives and withholds, expands and restricts, enriches and impoverishes.' The first to embrace Islam because the Prophet preceded his nation in Islam, as His saying: 'And with that I was commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims,' and the saying of Musa: 'Glorified are You! I have repented to You, and I am the first of the believers.' And do not be among the polytheists, and its meaning is: I was commanded to embrace Islam and forbidden from polytheism. And whoever is turned away from the punishment on that day, then indeed Allah has had mercy on him, the great mercy, which is salvation. [Mahamud said: 'The intended meaning is the great mercy, which is salvation from the Fire... etc.' Ahmad said: 'The reason for specifying mercy is either by it being the great one, or by the mercy of reward. If it remained unrestricted, the reward would not increase on the condition, as it is known by necessity that turning away from punishment is mercy. It is astonishing that Al-Zamakhshari affirms the specification of it by the mercy of reward, as turning away from punishment necessitates reward, and it must be. Others affirm this specification by saying that turning away from punishment does not necessitate reward, as it is possible that one is turned away from punishment and not rewarded, thus the reward provides a benefit that was not understood from the condition. Thus, Al-Qunawi corrected it. Indeed, the principle of the Mu'tazila compels one to what Al-Zamakhshari has gone to, as the obligated ones among them are divided into those deserving of Paradise, thus reward is certain, and those deserving of Hell, thus punishment is certain, and they attribute that to reason, not to narration.] As you say: 'If you feed Zayd from his hunger, then you have done good to him?' You mean: 'Then you have completed the good to him,' or 'Then you have admitted him to Paradise,' because whoever is not punished must necessarily have reward. And it is read: 'Whoever is turned away from him,' based on the subject, and the meaning is: 'Whoever Allah turns away from on that day, then indeed he has been shown mercy,' meaning: 'Whoever Allah repels from him.' And He protects him, and it is known from the one repelled from. And the mention of the repelled is omitted, as it is known or mentioned before it, which is the punishment. And it is possible that 'on that day' is in the accusative due to the verb 'turns away,' meaning: 'Whoever Allah turns away from on that day: it is for him, then he has been shown mercy.' This reading is supported by the reading of Ubayy, may Allah be pleased with him: 'Whoever Allah turns away from.'