(24–27) “Say, ‘Who provides for you from the heavens and the earth?’ Say, ‘Allah.’ Surely either we or you are rightly guided or clearly astray. Say, ‘You will not be questioned about what we have committed, nor will we be questioned about what you do.’ Say, ‘Our Lord will bring us together, then judge between us in truth. He is the Supreme Judge, the All-Knowing.’ Say, ‘Show me those whom you have joined to Him as partners. Certainly not! Rather, He is Allah, the Almighty, the All-Wise.’”
Allah Most High commands His Prophet Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—to say to those who associate partners with Allah, challenging them to produce evidence for their polytheism: “Who provides for you from the heavens and the earth?” They cannot avoid acknowledging that it is Allah. Even if they refuse to acknowledge it, “Say, ‘Allah,’” for you will find no one able to refute this statement. Once it is clear that Allah alone provides for you from the heavens and the earth, sends down rain [for you], causes vegetation to grow for you, makes rivers flow for you, brings forth the fruits of trees for you, and has placed all animals at your disposal for your benefit and provision, why do you worship alongside Him those who provide you with nothing and bring you no benefit?
Regarding His words, “Surely either we or you are rightly guided or clearly astray,” one of our two parties—ours or yours—is upon guidance and firmly established upon it, while the other is immersed in manifest error. Such words are spoken by one to whom the truth has become evident, to whom the correct position is clear, and who is certain of the truth he follows and the falsity of his opponent’s position.
That is, we have set forth enough proofs—clear to both us and you—to know with absolute certainty and without any doubt which of us is upon the truth and which upon falsehood, and which is guided and which astray. There is consequently no benefit in explicitly identifying them. For if you (1) compare one who calls people to worship the Creator of all creatures, who governs them in every way, bestows every blessing, provides for them, conveys every favor to them, and wards off every affliction from them—to whom all praise and all sovereignty belong; before whose majesty every being, from the angels on down, is submissive and humbled; whom every intercessor fears, so that none may intercede with Him except by His permission; who is the Most High, the Most Great in His Essence, attributes, and acts; and who possesses every perfection, all majesty and beauty, and all praise, commendation, and glory—one who calls people to draw near to the One whose attributes are such, to devote their deeds sincerely to Him, and to refrain from worshipping anyone besides Him; and then compare him with one who seeks nearness to idols, statues, and graves that neither create nor provide and possess no power to bring benefit or harm, death ⦗680⦘ or life, or resurrection, either to themselves or to those who worship them; that are merely inanimate objects, devoid of reason, and cannot hear their worshippers’ supplications—and even if they could hear, they would not respond; that on the Day of Resurrection will repudiate the polytheism committed through them, disown their worshippers, and exchange curses with them; that have no share in sovereignty, no partnership or assisting role in it, and no power of intercession independent of Allah—such a person invokes beings of this description and seeks nearness to them in every way he can, while opposing and fighting those who devote their religion sincerely to Allah and denying Allah’s messengers, who brought the call to sincere worship of Allah alone—it will become clear (2) to you which of the two parties is guided and which astray, and which is wretched and which blessed. No one needs to spell this out for you, for the reality of the situation speaks more plainly than words ever could.
“Say” to them: [“You will not be questioned about what we have committed, nor will we be questioned about what you do.” That is, each party—us and you—has its own deeds. You] “will not be questioned” about our offenses and sins, if we have sinned, and we will not be questioned about your deeds. Let our mutual aim be to seek the truth and follow the path of fairness. Set aside whatever we may have done, and do not let it prevent you from following the truth. Judgments in this world are based on outward appearances: truth is followed and falsehood avoided. Deeds, however, have another abode, where the Wisest of judges will pass judgment and the Most Just of the just will decide between the disputants.
He therefore says: “Say, ‘Our Lord will bring us together, then judge between us,’” meaning that He will judge between us with a judgment that distinguishes the truthful from the liar and those deserving reward from those deserving punishment. He is the best of judges.
O Messenger—and likewise anyone who stands in your place—“Say” to them: “Show me those whom you have joined to Him as partners.” That is: Where are they? How can they be identified? Are they on earth or in heaven? The Knower of the unseen and the visible has informed us that He has no partner anywhere in existence:
“They worship besides Allah what can neither harm nor benefit them, and they say, ‘These are our intercessors with Allah.’ Say, ‘Are you informing Allah of what He does not know?’” To the end of the verse.
“Those who invoke alleged partners besides Allah are not following any true partners. They follow only conjecture and do nothing but speculate.”
Likewise, the chosen ones among His creation—the prophets and messengers—know of no partner belonging to Him. O polytheists, therefore, show me those whom, according to your false claim, you have joined to Allah as “partners.”
They cannot possibly answer this challenge. He therefore says, “Certainly not!” That is, Allah has no partner, peer, or opponent. “Rather, He is Allah,” who alone deserves to be taken as God and worshipped; “the Almighty,” who has subdued all things, so that everything besides Him is vanquished, subjugated, and governed; “the All-Wise,” who perfected what He created and made excellent what He prescribed. Even if the only manifestation of His wisdom in His legislation were that He commanded people to worship Him alone and devote their religion sincerely to Him, that He loves this and made it the path to salvation, and that He forbade associating partners with Him and taking rivals besides Him and made that the path to misery and destruction, this alone would suffice (3) as proof of His perfect wisdom. How much more so when everything He commands and forbids contains wisdom?