(1) See al-Tabari, 16:512-513. (2) Al-Tabari said, 16:513-514: “The Arab grammarians differed concerning its interpretation when it is recited in this manner. It is reported that Abu Amr ibn al-Ala read it in the genitive case and said that its meaning is: ‘By their Lord’s permission, to the path of Allah, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, to whom belongs all that is in the heavens.’ He said that this is a case in which a deferred noun is understood as preceding, illustrating it with the statement, ‘I passed by the elegant Abd Allah.’ Here, an adjective is placed in the position of the noun, and the noun is then placed in the position of the adjective; the noun consequently follows the adjective in grammatical inflection, because the adjective has been placed in the noun’s position. As one poet said: ‘Had you possessed arrows and been lean, / you would not have feared the assaults of the vile wolf.’ “As for al-Kisa'i, it was reported that he held that one who reads it in the genitive intends it as a single connected expression, making the genitive follow the genitive; he himself read it in the genitive.” He then said: “In my view, the correct position is that they are two well-known readings, each of which has been recited by leading Quran reciters, and their meaning is the same. Whichever of the two the reciter chooses, he is correct. It is also possible that the one who reads it in the nominative intends the same meaning as the one who reads it in the genitive, by linking one part of the speech to another, but uses the nominative because it is separated from the preceding verse. This is like His saying: ‘Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their wealth ...,’ at the end of the verse, followed by: ‘Those who repent, worship ...’ [Quran 9:111-112].” (3) Al-Tabari said, 16:514: “The meaning of His saying, ‘Allah, to whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth,’ is: Allah, who possesses everything in the heavens and on earth. He says to His Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him: We sent down this Book to you so that you may call My servants to worship the One whose attributes are such, and abandon the worship of deities and idols that possess neither harm nor benefit for them or for themselves. Then, exalted is His praise, He warned those who disbelieve in Him and do not respond to His Messenger’s call to sincere tawhid (affirmation of Allah’s absolute oneness), saying: ‘Woe to the disbelievers from a severe punishment.’ That is, the valley through which the pus of the inhabitants of Hell flows, for those who deny His oneness and worship others alongside Him, from Allah’s severe punishment.”