Tafsir of Al-Furqan 25:26

"The sovereignty on that day is the true sovereignty belonging to the Most Merciful"

That is: The overwhelming authority and absolute dominance, which is constant in form and meaning, outwardly and inwardly, in such a way that it is devoid of cessation, belongs to the Most Merciful on that day when the heaven is split asunder and the angels descend.

Al-mulk (the sovereignty) is the subject (mubtada'), al-haqq (the true/the truth) is its attribute, and li-r-rahman (belonging to the Most Merciful) is its predicate (khabar). Yawma'idhin (on that day) is an adverbial phrase (zarf) referring to the stability of the predicate for the subject. The benefit of this restriction is that the stability of sovereignty belongs to Him, the Exalted, exclusively on that day, whereas in the other days of the world, there exists for others— عز وجل —a formal and partial disposal of affairs. Some scholars have chosen this view, and perhaps the matter of the separation between the attribute and the described noun by the aforementioned adverb is minor.

It has been said: Al-mulk is the subject, and yawma'idhin is connected to it, meaning "the possessor of sovereignty" (al-malikiyyah). Al-haqq is the predicate, and li-r-rahman is connected to al-haqq. This is critiqued by the fact that the point of bringing the predicate as a definite noun is not apparent in this case, for the apparent reading would be: "The sovereignty on that day is a true sovereignty for the Most Merciful." It was answered that its connection to what was mentioned provides emphasis to what is implied by the definiteness of both parties.

It is also said: It is connected to an elliptical element for clarification, as in the phrase "a watering for you," and the clarified is "to whom belongs the sovereignty." It is also said: It is connected to an elliptical element that serves as an attribute for al-haqq, and this is as you see. It is also said: Yawma'idhin is the predicate, al-haqq is an adjective for al-mulk, and li-r-rahman is connected to it; however, this involves separating the adjective and the noun described by the predicate, so do not be heedless.

They forbade connecting yawma'idhin to al-haqq if it were not the predicate, reasoning that it is an infinitive (masdar), and the connection (silah) of an infinitive—even if it is an adverb—cannot precede it. There is debate regarding this. The sentence, under most of the aforementioned possibilities for the agent of "day," is an inception (isti'naf) meant to explain the states and terrors of that day.

His, the Exalted, mentioning Himself by the title of "the Most Merciful" (ar-rahman) serves to signal that His—عز وجل —attainment of the utmost mercy does not render the situation easy for the disbelievers, as indicated by His, the Exalted, saying: "And it will be a day, for the disbelievers, difficult."

That is: That day, despite the sovereignty within it belonging to Allah—Who is excessive in mercy toward His servants—will be severe upon the disbelievers. The intended meaning is the intensity of the terrors contained within it. Al-Raghib interpreted "difficult" (‘asir) as that which has no ease or simplicity in its affair. The sentence is an intercalary concluding remark (i’tirad tadhili) that confirms what preceded it. Within it is an indication that this day will be easy for the believers. In the Hadith, it is stated that it will be made easy for the believer until it is lighter for him than an obligatory prayer he performed in the world.