And in Sūrat al-Rahmān He mentions:

“Everyone upon the earth will perish,”

and similar statements, after which He says:

“Then which of your Lord’s favours will you both deny?”

A group of scholars offered the following explanation—the wording is al-Baghawī’s. Then, after citing His words,

“They will go back and forth between it and scalding water,”

he said: “Everything Allah, Mighty and Majestic, mentions from His words, ‘Everyone upon the earth will perish,’ onwards consists of admonitions. This is a blessing, because it deters people from sins.”

Others, including al-Zajjāj and Ibn al-Jawzī, explained these verses as meaning: “Then which of your Lord’s favours will you both deny?”—referring to these things, for they are all blessings: they point you to His oneness, and through them He provides you with what sustains you. This is what they said concerning Sūrat al-Rahmān.

Regarding His words,

“Then which of your Lord’s favours will you doubt?”

they said: “Which of your Lord’s blessings, pointing to His oneness, do you call into question?” Another explanation is: “You doubt and dispute.” Ibn ‘Abbās said: “You deny.”

I say: The word tatamārā (“you dispute”) incorporates the meaning of tukadhdhib (“you deny”); hence He made it transitive with tā. It follows the tafā‘ul pattern, derived from mirā (disputation). One says, “We disputed about the crescent moon,” and, “Disputing about the Quran is disbelief.” Such disputation can involve denial and casting doubt.

It is also said that, since the address was directed to them, He said tatamārā (“you dispute”), meaning yatamārawna (“they dispute”), rather than tamtarī (“you doubt”), because the tafā‘ul form involves two parties.

Concerning His words,

“And that a person will have only what he strives for,”

they said: “It has been said that this refers to al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah.” For He said:

“Or has he not been informed of what is in the Scriptures of Moses,”

“and of Abraham, who fulfilled his obligations,”

“that no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another?”

[Then He turned to address him, saying: “And that a person will have only what he strives for.”] (*)

Likewise, He said:

“He created man from clay like pottery,”

“and He created the jinn from a smokeless flame of fire.”

“Then which of your Lord’s favours will you both deny?”

Thus, everything He has created contains kindness towards His servants for which He is to be thanked, and He has in it a wise purpose that pertains to Him