"Or do they have the dominion of the heavens and the earth and what is between them?" It is interrogative; meaning: they possess nothing of that. "Then let them ascend"—let them rise—"through the causes [the means]." Al-Suddi said: Meaning: through the gates; the gates of the heavens, if they were able to do that; meaning: they are not able to do it.
Muhammad said: The meaning is: if they claim any of these things that none possesses but Allah, let them ascend through the means that would lead them to the heaven.
﴿أم لَهُم ملك السَّمَاوَات وَالْأَرْض وَمَا بَينهمَا﴾ عَلَى الِاسْتِفْهَام؛ أَي: لَيْسَ لَهُم من ذَلِك شَيْء ﴿فليرتقوا﴾ فليصعدوا ﴿فِي الْأَسْبَاب﴾ قَالَ السُّدي: يَعْنِي: فِي الْأَبْوَاب؛ أَبْوَاب السَّمَاوَات إِن كَانُوا يقدرُونَ عَلَى ذَلكَ؛ أَي: لَا يقدرُونَ عَلَيْهِ.
قَالَ محمدٌ: الْمَعْنى إِذا ادّعوا شَيْئا من هَذِه الْأَشْيَاء الَّتِي لَا يملكهَا إِلَّا اللَّه فليصعدوا فِي الْأَسْبَاب الَّتِي توصلهم إِلَى السَّمَاء.
