(41–44) “We have certainly presented matters in diverse ways in this Quran so that they may take heed, yet it only increases them in aversion. Say, ‘If there were other gods with Him, as they claim, they would surely seek a way to the Lord of the Throne.’ Glory be to Him, and immeasurably exalted is He above what they say! The seven heavens, the earth, and all within them glorify Him. There is not a single thing that does not glorify Him with praise, but you do not understand their glorification. Surely He is Most Forbearing, All-Forgiving.”
Allah Most High informs us that He has presented matters to His servants in diverse ways in this Quran: He has set forth and clarified its rulings in various forms, furnished abundant proofs and evidence for what He calls them to, and admonished and reminded them so that they might remember what benefits them and follow it, and what harms them and abandon it.
Yet most people insist on turning away from Allah’s signs because they hate the truth and love the falsehood they have followed. They have become fanatically attached to their falsehood and neither lend an ear to Allah’s signs nor pay them any heed.
Among the greatest matters for which He has presented signs and proofs in diverse ways is the affirmation of Allah’s oneness, the foundational principle of all principles. He commands it, prohibits its opposite, and establishes abundant rational and revealed proofs for it, such that anyone who heeds even some of them will be left with neither doubt nor uncertainty in his heart.
One such proof is the rational argument mentioned here. He says, “Say” to the polytheists who set up another god alongside Allah: “If there were other gods with Him, as they claim”—that is, according to what their assertion and fabrication entail—“they would surely seek a way to the Lord of the Throne.” That is, they would seek a way to Allah by worshiping Him, turning to Him in repentance, drawing near to Him, and seeking the means of approach to Him. How, then, can a needy servant who recognizes his utter need to worship his Lord be made a god alongside Allah?! Is this anything but the gravest injustice and the most foolish folly?
According to this interpretation, the verse resembles the statement of Allah Most High: “Those whom they invoke themselves seek the means of approach to their Lord, each striving to be nearer.”
It also resembles His statement: “On the Day He gathers them and whatever they worship besides Allah, He will say, ‘Was it you who led these servants of Mine astray, or did they themselves stray from the way?’ They will say, ‘Glory be to You! It was not for us to take any protectors besides You.’”
The statement, “Say, ‘If there were other gods with Him, as they claim, they would surely seek a way to the Lord of the Throne,’” may also mean that they would seek a way to overcome Allah Most High and strive against Him. Whichever one prevailed and conquered would then be the Lord and God. Yet they know and acknowledge that the deities they worship (1) besides Allah are subjugated and vanquished and possess no control whatsoever. Why, then, have they adopted them while they are in such a state? This resembles the statement of Allah Most High: “Allah has never taken any son, nor has there ever been any god alongside Him. Otherwise, each god would have taken away what it had created, and some of them would have risen above others.”
“Glory be to Him and exalted is He”—that is, He is holy, free from every imperfection, and exalted in His attributes—“far above what they say” by associating partners with Him and setting up rivals alongside Him—“immeasurably exalted.” His rank is lofty, His greatness immense, and His majesty is too great to be rivaled; it is impossible that ⦗459⦘ other gods should exist alongside Him. Whoever says so has manifestly gone astray and committed a grave injustice.
Even the mightiest created beings dwindle before His greatness. Before His majesty, the seven heavens and all within them, and the seven earths and all within them, are small: “The entire earth will be in His grasp on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens will be folded in His right hand.”
The upper and lower realms are inherently dependent upon Him—a dependence from which none of them is ever free at any time.
This dependence encompasses every aspect: they depend upon Him for creation, provision, and governance, and they are utterly compelled to have Him as the One they worship and love, drawing near to Him and turning to Him in every circumstance. He therefore says:
“The seven heavens, the earth, and all within them glorify Him. There is not a single thing”—every animate creature, whether endowed with speech or not; every tree and plant; every inanimate object; and every living and dead thing—“that does not glorify Him with praise,” both through the testimony of its state and through its utterance. “But you do not understand their glorification”—that is, the glorification of all other created beings whose languages differ from yours. The All-Knower of the unseen, however, encompasses it in His knowledge.
“Surely He is Most Forbearing, All-Forgiving”: He does not immediately punish those who make such a statement about Him that the heavens and earth almost split asunder because of it and the mountains collapse. Instead, He gives them respite, bestows blessings upon them, grants them well-being, provides for them, and invites them to turn to Him so that they might repent of this tremendous sin, whereupon He may grant them an abundant reward and forgive their sin. Were it not for His forbearance and forgiveness, the heavens would have fallen upon the earth, and He would not have left a single living creature upon its surface.