Ishaq: His saying: "Alif. Lam. Mim. Allah! There is no god except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer." He opened the Surah by clearing Himself of what they said, and by affirming His oneness in creation and command, in which He has no partner. He refuted the disbelief they innovated and the rivals they set up alongside Him, and He argued against them using their own statements regarding their companion so that they might recognize their error through it. He said: "Allah! There is no god except Him," meaning: there is no partner with Him in His command.

His saying (the Exalted): "The Ever-Living."

3126 - 'Ali b. al-Husayn narrated to us, Muhammad b. 'Isa reported to us, 'Amr b. Humran reported to us, from Sa'id, from Qatada regarding His saying: "The Ever-Living," [meaning] the Ever-Living who does not die. A similar account was narrated from al-Rabi' b. Anas.

[His saying: "The Sustainer."]

[The first view]

3127 - Hajjaj b. Hamza narrated to us, Shababa reported to us, Warqa' reported to us, from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid regarding His saying: "The Sustainer," [meaning] the One who stands over everything.

3128 - My father narrated to us, Musa b. Isma'il reported to us, Salam b. Abi Muti' reported to us, from Qatada regarding His saying: "The Ever-Living, the Sustainer," [meaning] the One who stands over the creation regarding their deeds, their provisions, and their appointed terms. A similar account was narrated from al-Rabi' b. Anas.

The second view:

3129 - My father narrated to us, al-Hasan b. al-Rabi' reported to us, 'Abd Allah b. Idris reported to us, Muhammad b. Ishaq reported to us regarding His saying: "The Ever-Living, the Sustainer," [meaning] the One who remains upon His station, who does not cease to be; whereas 'Isa was flesh and blood, and since it was decreed for him to die, he passed away from the state in which he was formed.

3130 - 'Ali b. al-Husayn narrated to us, 'Isa al-Sa'igh in Baghdad reported to us, Suwayd b. 'Abd al-'Aziz reported to us, from Sufyan b. Husayn, from al-Hasan: "The Sustainer," [meaning] the One for whom there is no cessation.

His saying (the Exalted): "He has revealed to you the Book."

[The first view]

3131 - Abu Sa'id al-Ashajj narrated to us, Talid b. Sulayman reported to us, from 'Ata' b. al-Sa'ib, from