1–2. “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His servant so that he might be a warner to all the worlds * He to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and earth, who has taken no son and has no partner in His dominion, and who created all things and determined them with precise determination.”
This is an exposition of His perfect greatness, His uniqueness [in oneness] (1) in every respect, and His abundant goodness and beneficence. He said, “Blessed is He,” meaning that He is supremely great, His attributes are perfect, and His goodness is abundant. Among the greatest manifestations of His goodness and blessings is that He sent down this Quran, which distinguishes between the lawful and the unlawful, guidance and misguidance, and the people of felicity and the people of misery, “upon His servant,” Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—who attained the highest degrees of servitude and surpassed all the messengers, “so that” this sending down of the Criterion upon His servant might make him “a warner to all the worlds.” He warns them of Allah’s might and retribution and explains to them what incurs Allah’s pleasure and what incurs His wrath. Thus, whoever accepts his warning and acts upon it will be among those saved in this world and the Hereafter, attaining eternal felicity and everlasting dominion. Is there any blessing, grace, or beneficence greater than this? Blessed, then, is He whose beneficence and blessings include this.
“He to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and earth,” meaning that He alone governs them. All who inhabit them are His possessions and servants, submissive before His greatness, subject to His lordship, and in need of His mercy. He is the One “who has taken no son and has no partner in His dominion.” How could He have a son or partner when He is the Owner and all besides Him are owned; He is the Subduer and all besides Him are subdued; and He is self-sufficient in every respect, while all created beings are intrinsically dependent upon Him in every respect?
How could He have a partner in His dominion when the forelocks of all His servants are in His hands, and they neither move nor remain still nor exercise any power except by His permission? Allah is far exalted above such a claim. Those who say such things do not esteem Him as He deserves. He therefore said, “And who created all things.” This encompasses the upper and lower realms, including their animals, plants, and inanimate objects. “And determined them with precise determination,” meaning that He gave every creature the form suited and fitting to it, in accordance with what His wisdom required. Every creature is therefore fashioned in such a way that sound reason cannot conceive of it being otherwise than its observable shape and form. Indeed, no part or organ of a single creature would be suited to any position other than the one it occupies. Allah Most High said, “Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High, who created and fashioned in due proportion, and who determined and guided.” He also said, “Our Lord is He who gave everything its form and then guided it.”
Having explained His perfection, greatness, and abundant beneficence—which necessarily entail that He alone should be supremely loved, worshipped, and venerated, and singled out for sincere devotion without any partner—it was fitting that He should mention the falsehood of worshipping anything besides Him. He therefore said: