(54) “Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then rose over the Throne. He covers the day with the night, which pursues it swiftly. The sun, the moon, and the stars are all subjected by His command. Surely, all creation and command belong to Him. Blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds.”
Allah Most High says, explaining that He is the Lord who alone is to be worshipped, without partner: “Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth” and all that they contain, in all their immensity and vastness, precise construction, perfection, and wondrous creation.
“In six days,” the first of which was Sunday and the last Friday. When He had completed them both and placed within them whatever He willed of His decree, He “rose”—blessed and exalted is He—“over the Throne,” the mighty Throne that encompasses the heavens and the earth and all that is within and between them. He rose in a manner befitting His majesty, greatness, and sovereignty. He thus rose over the Throne, encompassed all dominion, governed the realms, and put into effect throughout them His cosmic decrees and religious laws. Hence He said: “He covers the day” with “the night”—the dark night covering the bright day. Darkness then falls over the face of the earth, people settle down, creatures return to their dwellings, and they rest from the weariness and the going to and fro of the day.
“Which pursues it swiftly.” Whenever night arrives, day departs, and whenever day arrives, night departs. This continues forever without interruption until Allah folds up this world and His servants pass on to an abode other than this one.
“The sun, the moon, and the stars are all subjected by His command”; that is, by His subjection and governance, which attest to His attributes of perfection. Their creation and immense size attest to the perfection of His power. Their precise design, order, and perfection attest to the perfection of His wisdom. The indispensable benefits and advantages they provide, as well as lesser benefits, attest to the vastness of His mercy. All this attests to the vastness of His knowledge and shows that He is the true God, to whom alone worship is rightfully due.
“Surely, all creation and command belong to Him.” Creation belongs to Him, for every creature in the upper and lower realms—its essence, attributes, and actions—proceeds from Him. Command also belongs to Him, encompassing revealed laws and prophethood. Creation encompasses His cosmic, predestined decrees, while command encompasses His religious, legislative rulings. There are also the judgments of recompense, which will take place in the everlasting abode.
“Blessed is Allah”; that is, He is great and exalted, and abundant are His goodness and beneficence. He is blessed in Himself because of the greatness and perfection of His attributes, and He blesses others by bestowing abundant goodness and immense beneficence upon them. Every blessing in the universe is therefore an effect of His mercy. Hence He said: “So blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds.”
Having mentioned aspects of His greatness and majesty that show people of understanding that He alone is the One to be worshipped and sought in every need, He commanded what follows from this, saying: “Call upon your Lord humbly and privately. Indeed, He does not love the transgressors. * Do not spread corruption on earth after it has been set right, and call upon Him in fear and hope. Indeed, Allah’s mercy is near to those who do good.”