circumstance. A circumstantial clause here resembles an adverbial phrase, and both can convey a causal sense (1), as when one says: “Do you condemn so-and-so (2) when he is a righteous man, and mistreat him when he is good (3) to you?” In this way, the grounds are established for censuring the person and forbidding him from the conduct to which you objected.

He—Glorified is He—condemns their worship of what they carve. He therefore cited (4) His words:

“And Allah created you and what you make,”

which contain grounds for condemning them for doing so and forbidding them from it: namely, that Allah Most High created their handiwork. Had the intended meaning instead been, “Allah created you and your deeds—unbelief and otherwise,” this would contain nothing relevant to censuring them; nor would explaining that Allah Most High creates His servants’ acts provide any grounds for condemning them for associating partners with Him] (5).

It may, however, be said: This verse indicates that the servants’ acts are created, for He said, “Allah created you and the idols that you make,” and they used to carve those idols. There are only two possibilities: either what is meant is that He created them before they were carved and fashioned, or that He created them both before and afterward.

If what is meant is merely to state that they had been created beforehand, the verse would not establish that the fashioned, carved object itself was created. Rather, what was created would be what had not yet been fashioned or carved.

If, however, what is meant is His creating them after (6) the fashioning and carving, then it is known that the carving they bear is an effect produced by them and an act of theirs (7).