and who sends down water from the sky in due measure, with which We revive a dead land—thus will you be brought forth—and who created all pairs and provided for you ships and livestock on which you ride, so that you may settle upon their backs, then remember your Lord’s blessing when you have settled upon them and say, ‘Glory be to Him who subjected this to us, for we could never have brought it under our control. Indeed, to our Lord we shall surely return.’”
These descriptions are Allah’s own words, Exalted is He; they are not a continuation of their answer.
And He, Exalted is He, says:
“Say, ‘To whom belong the earth and whoever is in it, if you know?’ They will say, ‘To Allah.’ Say, ‘Will you not then take heed?’ Say, ‘Who is the Lord of the seven heavens and the Lord of the Mighty Throne?’ They will say, ‘They belong to Allah.’” And the subsequent verses.
And He, Exalted is He, says:
“Say, ‘Tell me: if Allah’s punishment came upon you, or the Hour came upon you, would you call upon anyone other than Allah, if you are truthful?’ No, it is Him alone you would call upon, and, if He willed, He would remove the distress for which you called upon Him, and you would forget whatever you associate with Him.”
Likewise, He says:
“Is Allah better, or what they associate with Him? Or who created the heavens and the earth and sent down water for you from the sky, with which We caused gardens of beauty to grow? You could never have made their trees grow. Is there a god alongside Allah? Yet they are a people who set up equals to Him. Or who made the earth a stable dwelling place, placed rivers throughout it, set firm mountains upon it, and placed a barrier between the two seas? Is there a god alongside Allah?”
That is: did a god alongside Allah do this? This is a rhetorical question expressing denial, and they acknowledge that no other god alongside Allah did this.
Those commentators who say that the intended meaning is, “Is there another god alongside Allah?” are mistaken. For they did set up other gods alongside Allah, as He, Exalted is He, says:
“Do you truly testify that there are other gods alongside Allah