“But if they turn away, We have not sent you as a guardian over them. Your duty is only to convey the message. Indeed, when We let man taste mercy from Us, he rejoices in it; but if misfortune befalls them because of what their own hands have sent forth, then man is surely ungrateful.” (48)

“To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He creates whatever He wills: He grants daughters to whom He wills, and grants sons to whom He wills; or He grants them both sons and daughters, and He makes whomever He wills barren. Indeed, He is All-Knowing, All-Powerful.” (49–50)

“It is not for any human being that Allah should speak to him except through revelation, or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger to reveal, by His permission, whatever He wills. Indeed, He is Most High, All-Wise.” (51)

“But if they turn away” from responding, “We have not sent you as a guardian over them. Your duty is only to convey the message.” “Indeed, when We let man taste mercy from Us,” Ibn Abbas said: this means wealth and good health. “He rejoices in it; but if misfortune befalls them”—that is, drought—“because of what their own hands have sent forth, then man is surely ungrateful”: when the first hardship comes, he forgets and denies all the blessings of Allah that had previously come to him.

“To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth”: He has complete control over them, disposing of them as He wills. “He creates whatever He wills: He grants daughters to whom He wills,” so that he has no male child. It has been said: it is a blessing for a woman to give birth to a daughter before a son, since Allah, Exalted is He, began by mentioning daughters. “And He grants sons to whom He wills,” so that he has no daughter.

“Or He grants them both sons and daughters”: He joins both for a person, so that sons and daughters are born to him. “And He makes whomever He wills barren,” so that he neither bears children nor has children born to him. It has been said that this refers to the prophets, peace be upon them: “He grants daughters to whom He wills” refers to Lot, who had no male child but only two daughters; “and He grants sons to whom He wills” refers to Abraham, who had no daughter; “or He grants them both sons and daughters” refers to Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, who had sons and daughters; and “He makes whomever He wills barren” refers to John and Jesus, peace be upon them, neither of whom had children. This is by way of illustration; the verse applies generally to all people. “Indeed, He is All-Knowing, All-Powerful.”

Allah, mighty and majestic, says: “It is not for any human being that Allah should speak to him except through revelation.” This was because the Jews said to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, “Why do you not speak to Allah and look upon Him, if you are a prophet, just as Moses spoke to Him and looked upon Him?” He replied, “Moses did not look upon Allah.” Then Allah, Exalted is He, revealed: “It is not for any human being that Allah should speak to him except through revelation” (1)—that is, He reveals to him in a dream or by inspiration—“or from behind a veil”: He lets him hear His speech without his seeing Him, as He spoke to Moses, peace be upon him,