Overview (Verses 14 - 18)

God’s Oneness: The Fundamental Question
 
So far, the basic fact that God is the only Creator and the only owner of everything that exists in the universe has been established. This is now followed by a strong denunciation of seeking support from, or addressing worship to, anyone other than God. All such deeds contradict the fundamental fact of submission to God since they are acts of polytheism that do not fit with Islam. A number of God’s attributes are also stated here, including that He is  the Creator  of  the heavens  and  earth, the sustainer of all, the Almighty. The general air of awe is enhanced by a mention of God’s severe punishment. Say: ‘Am I to take for my master anyone but God, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, who gives nourishment to all and Himself needs none’? Say: ‘I am commanded to be the first of those who surrender themselves to God, and not to be among those who associate partners with Him. Say: Indeed I would dread, were I to disobey my Lord, the suffering of an awesome day. He who is spared that shall have received His grace. This will be a manifest triumph. If God were to expose you to affliction, none can remove it but He. And if He were to bless you with good fortune — well, He has power over all things. He alone holds sway over all His creatures, and He alone is truly wise, all-aware. (Verses 14-18)

The advocates of Islam should reflect deeply on these verses, starting with the one which outlines the relationship of patronage: “Say: ‘Am I to take for my master anyone but God, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, who gives nourishment to all and Himself needs none? Say: ‘I am commanded to be the first of those who surrender themselves to God, and not to be among those who associate partners with Him.’” (Verse 14) Such reflection would bring home to them that to take anyone other than God for a patron or master, submitting to him and seeking his help, is contrary to Islam. It is, indeed, the sort of idolatry from which Islam endeavours to free mankind. They will also come to know that the first manifestation of such a relationship is to accept laws enacted by any being other than God, whether they relate to faith or practical life. Needless to say, all mankind are in this position today. Hence, the advocates of Islam must define their objective to free all mankind from subservience to other creatures so that they submit to God alone. In carrying out their noble task, they face the same sort of ignorance as that faced by God’s Messenger when he received the Qur’ān from God.
 
This is, indeed, the basic issue: taking God alone for our Master, or waliy, in every sense of the word. He alone is the Lord to be worshipped. We submit to Him as He is the only Sovereign. No support may be sought from anyone other than Him. In every grave situation, we appeal to Him alone for help. This is the basic question of faith. When we take Him as master, in every sense of the word, and submit to Him alone, we are true Muslims. Those who associate others with Him in any aspect of His mastery are guilty of associating partners with God. This is something that cannot be entertained by any Muslim.
 
This fundamental issue is stated in these verses in the strongest terms and is contained within a powerful rhythm: “Say: Am I to take for my master anyone but God, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, who gives nourishment to all and Himself needs none? Say: I am commanded to be the first of those who surrender themselves to God, and not to be among those who associate partners with Him.” (Verse 14)
 
This  Qur’ānic  verse  reflects  human  nature’s  powerful  logic.  To  whom  does mastery belong and who alone is to be viewed as patron, if not the Creator who has originated the heavens and the earth? To whom, if not to the One who provides sustenance and nourishment to every creature in the heavens and on earth while He Himself needs none? “Say: ‘Am I to take for my master anyone but God’”, when such are His attributes? What logic allows that anyone other than God be taken as master? If it is help and support that one needs from a master, then God, the originator of the heavens and the earth has the supreme power in both. If the objective of taking a master is to get provisions and sustenance, then it is God who provides sustenance to all creatures in the universe. How then can mastery be attributed to anyone other than the Almighty who provides for all?
 
This is followed by another instruction to the Prophet: “Say: I am commanded to be the first of those who surrender themselves to God, and not to be among those who associate partners with Him.” (Verse 14) To submit oneself to God and not to associate partners with Him means that we must not accept anyone other than God as a master. To do so is to be guilty of polytheism and polytheism cannot be equated with Islam.
 
It is all a single issue that admits no equivocation. Either we turn to God alone, receive His instructions, submit to Him and obey Him, seek His support, worship Him alone, and acknowledge only His authority over all matters, pledge our loyalty and allegiance to Him in both worship and law-making and thus become Muslims, or we claim that any one of His creatures has a say or partnership with Him in any of these matters and we, thus, become guilty of polytheism. Needless to say, Islam, i.e. submission to God, and the association of partners with Him cannot exist side by side.
 
God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) was commanded to declare all this without ambiguity. He was ordered to face the unbelievers with it, that is those who were trying to persuade him to accept a compromise and allow a place in his faith for their gods in return for their acceptance of it. They also tried to obtain a concession from him such that some of them were allowed certain attributes of Godhead in order that they could retain their prestige and safeguard their interests. Had he afforded them this concession and allowed them in particular the authority to forbid things or make them lawful, they would have offered to stop opposing him, would have made him their chief, given him much of their wealth and married him to the prettiest of their girls. They tried hard, waving a stick in one hand, representing torture, hardship and war, and holding a carrot of reconciliation and peace in the other.
 
In reply to this dual attempt, the Prophet was commanded to make this powerful and decisive denunciation of their beliefs and to state the principles of Islam in the clearest of terms. He was also ordered to warn and frighten them, declaring at the same time how seriously he viewed the whole issue and how he dreaded God’s punishment, should he be guilty of disobedience to Him: “Say: Indeed I would dread, were I to disobey my Lord, the suffering of an awesome day. He who is spared that shall have received His grace. This will be a manifest triumph.” (Verses 15-16)
 
This verse is a faithful portrayal of the feelings of God’s Messenger in respect of the commandments he received from God, and how he truly feared God’s punishment. To be spared that punishment is considered an act of grace bestowed by God and a clear triumph for the recipient over all temptation. In addition, these two verses violently shook the hearts of the unbelievers at that time, as they continue to do at all times. They describe the torment of the Day of Judgement as something fearsome, moving fast towards its victim and surrounding him before claiming him altogether. The only way to avert it is through the power of the Almighty who diverts it away. As we view this scene depicted in this verse, we hold our breaths, waiting for the final image.
 
But why should man take a master for himself other than God? Why does he allow himself to sink into paganism when he has been forbidden to do so? Why does he not do what he is commanded to do, namely to submit himself to God? Why does he expose himself to the grievous torment which follows upon such disobedience? Does he think that people will come to his help if he experiences misfortune? Or does he hope to receive kindness from them? All this can only be granted to him by God, who has supreme power and who can cause everything to happen and who holds sway over all His creatures. It is He alone who grants and denies people’s wishes according to His wisdom and His knowledge of their conditions: “If God were to expose you to affliction, none can remove it but He. And if He were to bless you with good fortune — well, He has power over all things. He alone holds sway over all His creatures, and He alone is truly wise, all-aware.” (Verses 17-18)
 
Here we see how the Qur’ān penetrates the depth of the human soul to touch on its latent desires and innermost fears. It brings all this into the open and subjects it to the light of faith which distinguishes good from evil. It presents the issues clearly and defines the nature of Godhead succinctly. This fits well with the importance of the central question with which the sūrah deals at this point and which the Qur’ān tackles on many occasions.