( وَمِنَ النَّاسِ ) (And [yet], among the people...): Although man knows that Allah (swt) is the Grantor of blessings, that He is the one who created, prepared all these blessings around him, and created for him water, air, seas, rivers, trees, plants, animals, all for him, yet: (And [yet], among the people..); not all people do that.

( أَندَادًا ) (Equals..): the equal is: the counterpart, identical, and parallel.

These equals and these counterparts are either the gods they have made and worshiped from idols and stones or the sun, or the desires. Allah (swt) says:

{ أَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَٰهَهُ هَوَاهُ }

(Have you seen the one who takes as his god his own desire?)  (Al-Furqan: 43)

A man’s desire is a counterpart. Sometimes, a misguided man worships himself or worships others, because he believes that the kingdom of heaven and earth is in his hands. He also believes that they benefit and harm, give life and cause death, honor and humiliate. However, Allah (swt) alone is the One who grants life and causes death:

 قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَاءُ وَتَنزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَاءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَاءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَاءُ

(Say, “O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will.)  (Al-Imran: 26)

He is the only Disposer, and He is the only Owner. Therefore, we must be aware not to direct out hearts towards the causes. We must not ignore the Lord of the causes and is the real Causer. However, despite all these signs of the existence of Allah, there ([yet], among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals [to Him]. They love them as they [should] love Allah.).

( وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّلَّهِ ) (But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah..): believers are certain that Allah (swt) is the Beneficial and the Harmful. They love Allah (swt), and the evidence of their love for Allah (swt) that they surrender to his judgment.

How do you express your love for Allah (swt)?

You disobey God while showing to others that you love Him,

This is something that is outrageously impossible,

If your love for Him was true, then you would have obeyed Him,

Verily, the lover is utterly obedient to the one who he loves.

Love requires obedience, and it could not be to love Allah (swt) and disobey Him at the same time. Believers resort to Allah (swt) when they suffer affliction , as they thank Him for grace and tender. whereas, those who do take other than Allah (swt) as equals when they fall in calamities and exposed to anguish and pain, do they resort to those whom they love as they love Allah (swt)?

If lost in the desert, or was in a plane that would almost burn, or was sick and on death bed, the believer would call, “O Lord”. As for the one who does not believe in Allah (swt), does he then believe that, in these critical moments, whomsoever he loves and turns to, and whomsoever he takes other than Allah (swt) as a god, would save him? He would not resort to them at this moment; because he knows by instinct that Allah (swt) is the only one who saves him, removes his gloom , worry, as well as the only One who takes away his pain.

There is a happiness, which only the believer can feel. This happiness is originated from the certainty that faith has instilled in his heart. When the man knows that Allah (swt) is the one who lowers and raises, as well as connects and cuts, he lives in a spiritual harmony with himself, and his surroundings. Hence, if he suffers affliction , he would say, “indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return,” and if he looks at the blessings, which he enjoys, he would resort to his Lord, by mentioning the Granter of these blessings and thanking Him. So that the believer is in a constant happiness, and this is based on Allah’s saying:

{ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ }

(Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.)  (Ar-Ra’d: 28)

( وَلَوْ يَرَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا ) (And if only they who have wronged would consider..): The oppressor is the one who oppresses others or oppresses himself. The one who oppresses others is the one who infringes upon the rights of others. However, the one who oppresses himself is the one who pleases it, gives it an immediate lust, and prevents it from permanent bliss. Whoever does unlawful, and knows that its result and punishment is the torment of Allah (swt), there is no doubt that he has wronged himself.

( إِذْ يَرَوْنَ الْعَذَابَ ) ([that] when they see the punishment , [they will be certain]..): They see with certainty. We, in this world, do not see the torment with the eye of certainty, so:

 أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ * حَتَّىٰ زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ * كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ * ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ * كَلَّا لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ الْيَقِينِ * لَتَرَوُنَّ الْجَحِيمَ * ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيْنَ الْيَقِينِ * ثُمَّ لَتُسْأَلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّعِيمِ

(Competition in [worldly] increase diverts you % Until you visit the graveyards. % No! You are going to know. % Then no! You are going to know. % No! If you only knew with knowledge of certainty… % You will surely see the Hellfire. % Then you will surely see it with the eye of certainty. % Then you will surely be asked that Day about pleasure.)  (At-Takathur: 1-8)

The eye of certainty is when man really sees the torment on the Day of Resurrection.

( أَنَّ الْقُوَّةَ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعَذَابِ ) (that all power belongs to Allah and that Allah is severe in punishment.): When they see the torment and know that all the power belong to Allah (swt), all that were of the power of money, the power of the prestige, the power of health, out of the power of causes had disappeared, and that all power belong to Allah (swt).