on earth. Neither the earth nor its inhabitants can be set right unless Allah alone is worshipped, people are called to Him and no other, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is obeyed and followed. Anyone else must be obeyed only when he commands obedience to the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. If he commands disobedience to him, he is neither to be heard nor obeyed.

Allah has set the earth right through His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, His religion, and the command to worship Him alone. He has forbidden corrupting it by associating partners with Him and opposing His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Whoever reflects on the state of the world will find that everything that sets the earth right stems from affirming Allah’s oneness, worshipping Him, and obeying His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Every evil, turmoil, affliction, drought, domination by an enemy, and the like stems from opposing the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and calling people to others besides Allah. Whoever reflects on this as he should will find it holds true in his own life and in the lives of others, both generally and in particular cases. There is no power nor strength except through Allah.

As for His words, Exalted is He,

“And call upon Him in fear and hope,”

the command to supplicate is repeated here because of the fear and hope mentioned alongside it. First, He commanded that He be called upon humbly and in private; then He also commanded that supplication be offered in fear and hope.

He separated these two statements with two intervening statements. The first is declarative and implies a prohibition, namely His words:

“Indeed, He does not love the transgressors.”