(3–4) “Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then rose over the Throne, directing all affairs. There is no intercessor except after His permission. That is Allah, your Lord, so worship Him. Will you not then take heed? To Him you will all return. Allah’s promise is true. Indeed, He originates creation, then brings it back, so that He may reward with justice those who believe and do righteous deeds. As for those who disbelieve, they will have a drink of scalding water and a painful punishment because they used to disbelieve.”
Allah Most High says, explaining His lordship, divinity, and greatness: “Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days.” Although He is able to create them in a single moment, He did so in this manner because of the divine wisdom it entailed and because He acts with gentleness.
Part of His wisdom in creating them is that He created them in truth and for a true purpose, so that He might be known by His names and attributes and singled out in worship.
“Then,” after creating the heavens and the earth, “He rose over the Throne” in a manner befitting His greatness.
“He directs all affairs” in the upper and lower realms: causing death and giving life, sending down provisions, alternating fortunes among people, relieving those afflicted, and answering those who call upon Him.
Thus, every matter of governance descends from Him and ascends to Him, and all creation submits to His might (1), humbled before His greatness and authority.
“There is no intercessor except after His permission.” None of them ventures to intercede—even if he is the best of creation—until Allah permits it. He permits intercession only for those with whom He is pleased, and He is pleased only with those who sincerely worship Him and affirm His oneness.
“That is”—the One whose affair is as described—“Allah, your Lord.” That is, He is Allah, who possesses the attribute of divinity, encompassing all attributes of perfection, and the attribute of lordship, encompassing all attributes of action.
“So worship Him”—that is, single Him out in every form of worship within your ability. “Will you not then take heed” of the proofs demonstrating that He alone deserves worship and praise, the Possessor of majesty and honor?
After mentioning His creational decree—His universal direction of all affairs—and His religious decree, namely His ⦗358⦘ law, whose substance and purpose are the worship of Him alone without partner, He then mentioned the judgment of recompense: His requiting people for their deeds after death. He said: “To Him you will all return.” That is, He will gather you after your death at the appointed time of a known Day.
“Indeed, He originates creation, then brings it back.” The One capable of originating creation is capable of bringing it back. Whoever witnesses His origination of creation and then denies that He will recreate it has lost all reason: he denies one of two comparable acts while affirming the more difficult of the two. This is a clear rational proof of the resurrection. He then mentioned the scriptural proof, saying: “Allah’s promise is true.” That is, His promise is truthful and must be fulfilled, “so that He may reward those who believe” in their hearts in all that Allah has commanded them to believe.
“And do righteous deeds” with their limbs, whether obligatory or recommended. “With justice”—that is, for their faith and deeds—with a recompense He has described to His servants. He has informed them that no soul knows what delights of the eyes have been concealed for them. “As for those who disbelieve” in Allah’s signs and reject Allah’s messengers,
“they will have a drink of scalding water”—that is, hot water that sears their faces and tears apart their intestines—“and a painful punishment” comprising all other kinds of torment, “because they used to disbelieve”—that is, on account of their disbelief and wrongdoing. Allah did not wrong them; rather, they wronged themselves.