(84–89) “Say, ‘To whom belong the earth and all who are in it, if you know?’ They will say, ‘To Allah.’ Say, ‘Will you not then take heed?’ Say, ‘Who is the Lord of the seven heavens and the Lord of the Mighty Throne?’ They will say, ‘Allah.’ Say, ‘Will you not then fear Him?’ Say, ‘In whose hand is the dominion of all things—who grants protection, while none can grant protection against Him—if you know?’ They will say, ‘To Allah.’ Say, ‘How then are you bewitched?’”
That is: Say to these deniers of the resurrection who equate others with Allah, arguing against them on the basis of what they themselves affirm and acknowledge—Allah’s exclusive lordship—to establish what they deny: His sole right to divinity and worship. Likewise, argue from their acknowledgment that He created immense created things against their denial that the dead will be restored to life, which is easier than that.
“To whom belong the earth and all who are in it?” That is: Who created the earth and all that is upon it—animals, plants, inanimate objects, seas, rivers, and mountains—and who owns and governs all of it? If you ask them (1) about this, they cannot but say, “Allah alone.” When they acknowledge this, say to them: “Will you not then take heed?” That is: Will you not return to what Allah has reminded you of—something you already know and which is ingrained in your innate nature, though turning away may sometimes obscure it? The truth is that if you return to your recollection and simply reflect, you will know that its Owner alone deserves worship, and that attributing divinity to one who is himself owned is the falsest of all falsehoods.
He then moved to something greater, saying: “Say, ‘Who is the Lord of the seven heavens’”—with all the luminous bodies, moving planets, and fixed stars they contain—“and the Lord of the Mighty Throne,” which is the highest, most expansive, and greatest of all created things? Who created all of that, governs it, and directs it in every manner? “They will say, ‘Allah.’” That is, they will acknowledge that Allah is the Lord of all of it. When they acknowledge this, say to them: “Will you not then fear Him?” Will you not beware of worshipping powerless created beings, ⦗558⦘ and instead fear the Mighty Lord, perfect in power and supreme in authority?
The graciousness of this mode of address is evident in the expressions “Will you not then take heed?” and “Will you not then fear Him?” and in the use of gentle exhortation to admonish them and draw their hearts.
He then moved to their acknowledgment of something more comprehensive than all of that, saying: “Say, ‘In whose hand is the dominion of all things?’” That is, the ownership of everything in the upper and lower realms, whether we can see it or not. The term malakūt is an intensive form meaning “dominion.” “Who grants protection”—He protects His servants from evil, repels hardships from them, and safeguards them from whatever would harm them—“while none can grant protection against Him.” That is, no one can protect another against Allah or repel an evil that Allah has decreed. Indeed, no one can intercede with Him except by His permission. “They will say, ‘To Allah.’” That is, they will acknowledge that Allah owns everything and grants protection, while none can grant protection against Him.
“Say” to them when they acknowledge this, compelling them to accept its necessary conclusion: “How then are you bewitched?” That is: Where have your minds gone, such that you worship those whom you know possess no dominion or even the slightest share of it and are powerless in every respect, while failing to devote worship exclusively to the Mighty Owner, who is fully able and governs every affair? Minds that lead you to this can only be bewitched. Without doubt, Satan has bewitched them through what he adorned and made attractive to them and by turning realities upside down for them. He thus bewitched their minds, just as magicians bewitched people’s eyes.