(47–51) “And We built heaven with might, and indeed We are surely expanding it. And We spread out the earth—how excellently We prepared it! And of everything We created two mates, so that you may take heed. So flee to Allah. I am indeed a clear warner from Him to you. And do not set up another god alongside Allah. I am indeed a clear warner from Him to you.”
The Most High says, explaining His immense power: “And We built heaven”; that is, We created and perfected it, making it a roof over the earth and all that is upon it.
“With might”; that is, with immense strength and power. ⦗812⦘ “And indeed We are surely expanding it”—expanding its regions and reaches. We also grant [abundance] to Our servants through provision. Allah has not left a single creature in the trackless wilderness, the depths of the seas, or any region of the upper and lower worlds without delivering sufficient provision to it and directing to it bounty that meets its needs.
Glory be to Him whose generosity encompasses every creature, and blessed is He whose mercy embraces all created beings.
“And We spread out the earth”; that is, We made it a resting place for creation, where they can pursue everything upon which their welfare depends: homes, orchards, crops, cultivation, places to sit, and roads leading to their destinations and purposes. Since a resting place may be suitable in every respect or only in some respects, the Most High informs us that He prepared it in the finest and most perfect manner. He praised Himself for doing so, saying, “How excellently We prepared it!”—He who prepared for His servants all that His [wisdom], mercy, and beneficence required.
“And of everything We created two mates”—[that is, two kinds], male and female, in every species of animal—“so that you may take heed” [of Allah’s blessings that He has bestowed upon you] (1), as well as His wisdom in ordaining this. He made it the means by which every animal species continues to exist, so that you may foster, tend, and rear them, thereby obtaining the resulting benefits.
After calling His servants to contemplate His signs, which require them to fear Him and turn to Him, He commanded them to fulfil the intended purpose of that contemplation: to flee to Him. This means fleeing from everything Allah dislikes, outwardly and inwardly, to everything He loves, outwardly and inwardly: from ignorance to knowledge, unbelief to faith, disobedience to obedience, and heedlessness to the remembrance of Allah. Whoever fulfils all these matters has perfected his religion in its entirety: all that he fears has departed from him, and he has attained the utmost object (2) of his desire.
Allah calls returning to Him a “flight” because turning to anything other than Him entails every kind of fear and adversity, whereas turning to Him brings every kind of beloved thing, security, [joy], happiness, and triumph. Thus the servant flees from Allah’s decree and predestination to Allah’s decree and predestination. Anyone whom you fear, you flee from him to Allah Most High; but one’s flight to Allah is proportionate to one’s fear of Him. “I am indeed a clear warner from Him to you”; that is, I warn you of Allah’s punishment and instil fear in you with a manifest warning.
“And do not set up another god alongside Allah.” This is part of fleeing to Allah; indeed, it is the very foundation of fleeing to Him. The servant must flee from taking gods besides Allah—whether idols, rivals, graves, or anything else worshipped apart from Allah—and devote worship, fear, hope, supplication, and penitent return exclusively to his Lord.