Lahu ma fee assamawati wama fee al-ardi wahuwa alAAaliyyu alAAatheem (surah shura: 4)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(42:4) His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth; He is the Most High, the All-Great. *2

Lahoo maa fis samaa waati wa maa fil ardi wa Huwal `Aliyul `Azeem

*2) These introductory sentences are not meant to be said merely in praise of Allah Almighty, but their each word has a deep link with the background in which these verses were sent down. The foremost basis of the objections of the people who were expressing wonder and doubts against the Holy Prophet and the Qur'an was that he was inviting them to Tauhid and they were being alarmed at this and saying that if AIlah alone is the Creator, Sustainer and Ruler, what would be the position of their saints and holy men? At this it has been said: "This whole Universe belongs to Allah. How can therefore the godhead of another work and operate in the kingdom of the real Sovereign, particularly when those others whose godhead is acknowledged, are themselves also His subjects?" Then, it has been said: `He is the High, the Great!" That is, He is far above that somebody else should be equal to Him in rank and should became His associate in His Being, attributes, powers or rights. "