(1–2) “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. All praise belongs to Allah, the Originator of the heavens and earth, who made the angels messengers with wings—two, three, or four. He adds to creation whatever He wills. Allah is indeed capable of all things. * Whatever mercy Allah opens up for people, none can withhold; and whatever He withholds, none can release thereafter. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.”

Allah Most High praises His noble and holy Self for creating the heavens and earth and all the creatures they contain, for this demonstrates the perfection of His power, the vastness of His dominion, the all-encompassing nature of His mercy, the marvel of His wisdom, and the comprehensiveness of His knowledge.

Having mentioned creation, He then mentioned that which pertains to command: He “made the angels messengers” who administer His decrees governing creation and serve as intermediaries between Him and His creatures in conveying His religious commands.

His statement that He made the angels messengers, without excluding any of them, demonstrates their perfect obedience to their Lord and their submission to His command. As Allah Most High says, “They do not disobey Allah in what He commands them, but do whatever they are commanded.”

Since the angels administer, by Allah’s permission, whatever He has entrusted to them, He mentioned their strength to carry this out and the speed with which they travel: He made them “with wings” by which they fly and swiftly execute what they are commanded. “Two, three, or four”—that is, some have two wings, some three, and some four, in accordance with what His wisdom requires.

“He adds to creation whatever He wills”—that is, He gives some of His creatures more than others in their created qualities, strength, beauty, number of bodily members, beautiful voices, and delightful tones.

“Allah is indeed capable of all things.” His power encompasses whatever He wills, and nothing is beyond it. This includes giving some of His creatures more than others.

He then mentioned that He alone governs, gives, and withholds, saying, “Whatever mercy Allah opens up for people, none can withhold; and whatever He withholds” of His mercy from them, “none can release thereafter.” This requires people to turn to Allah Most High alone, recognize their need of Him in every respect, call upon none but Him, and fear and place their hope in none but Him. “He is the Almighty,” who has subdued all things, “the All-Wise,” who places everything in its proper place and assigns it its rightful station.