Surah 42

Surah 42:12

"To Him (belong) the keys of the heavens and the earth. He extends (His) provision to whomever He pleases, and restricts (it). Surely He has knowledge of everything."
Allah is the Protector, Ruler and Creator Verses 42:9-12
Show Full Scripture Context (42:9-12) — 4 Verses
Verse 9

أَمِ ٱتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوۡلِيَآءَۖ فَٱللَّهُ هُوَ ٱلۡوَلِيُّ وَهُوَ يُحۡيِ ٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٞ

Or have they taken allies other than Him? God – He is the (true) Ally. He gives the dead life. He is powerful over everything.

Verse 10

وَمَا ٱخۡتَلَفۡتُمۡ فِيهِ مِن شَيۡءٖ فَحُكۡمُهُۥٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِۚ ذَٰلِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ رَبِّي عَلَيۡهِ تَوَكَّلۡتُ وَإِلَيۡهِ أُنِيبُ

Whatever you differ about, judgment of it (belongs) to God. That is God, my Lord. In Him I have put my trust, and to Him I turn (in repentance).

Verse 11

فَاطِرُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنۡ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَزۡوَٰجٗا وَمِنَ ٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ أَزۡوَٰجٗا يَذۡرَؤُكُمۡ فِيهِۚ لَيۡسَ كَمِثۡلِهِۦ شَيۡءٞۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡبَصِيرُ

(He is) the Creator of the heavens and the earth. He has made pairs for you from yourselves, and pairs (also) from the livestock. He scatters you by this means. There is nothing like Him. He is the Hearing, the Seeing.

Verse 12

لَهُۥ مَقَالِيدُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ يَبۡسُطُ ٱلرِّزۡقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقۡدِرُۚ إِنَّهُۥ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عَلِيمٞ

To Him (belong) the keys of the heavens and the earth. He extends (His) provision to whomever He pleases, and restricts (it). Surely He has knowledge of everything.

Here Allah denounces the idolators for taking other gods instead of Allah, and declares that He is the True God, and it is not right to worship anyone except Him Alone. He is the One Who is able to bring the dead back to life and He is Able to do all things. Then He says:

Quoted Scripture
"And in whatsoever you differ, the decision thereof is with Allah."

means, in whatever issue you differ. This is general in meaning and applies to all things.

{the decision thereof is with Allah.} means, He is the Judge of that, according to His Book and the Sunnah of His Prophet. This is like the Ayah:

Quoted Scripture
"[(And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger](quran/4/59)}."

{Such is Allah, my Lord} means, (He is) the Judge of all things.

Quoted Scripture
"in Whom I put my trust, and to Him I turn in repentance."

means, 'I refer all matters to Him.'

{The Creator of the heavens and the earth.} means, the Maker of them both and everything in between.

Quoted Scripture
"He has made for you mates from yourselves,"

means, of your own kind. As a blessing and a favor from Him, He has made your kind male and female.

{and for the cattle (also) mates.} means, and He has created for you eight pairs of cattle.

{By this means He creates you.} means, in this manner He creates you, male and female, generation after generation of men and cattle.

{There is nothing like Him,} means, there is nothing like the Creator of these pairs, for He is the Unique, the Self-Sufficient Master, Who has no peer or equal.

Quoted Scripture
"He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer."

"To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth."

We have already discussed the interpretation of this phrase in Surat Az-Zumar (39:63), the conclusion of which is that He is the One Who is controlling and governing them.

Quoted Scripture
"He expands provision for whom He wills, and straitens."

means, He gives plentiful provision to whomsoever He wills and He reduces it for whomsoever He wills, and He is perfectly Wise and Just.

Quoted Scripture
"Verily, He is the All-Knower of everything."

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 8, Page 569-571)

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.