Tafsir of An-Naml 27:91

(I have only been commanded to worship the Lord of this city, Who has sanctified it) This is an inception, with an implied "Say" preceding it. It is a command for him—peace and blessings be upon him—to say this to these disbelievers after having explained to them the circumstances of the beginning and the return, and having elucidated the states of the Resurrection. This is done to stir their ambitions in the most subtle way, so that they may occupy themselves with rectifying their conditions, attaining what benefits them, and turning toward contemplating the dazzling signs that have struck their ears—sufficient for their guidance and a cure for their ailments.

The "city," according to what has been narrated from Ibn Abbas, Qatadah, and others, is the magnificent Makkah. In the history of Makkah, it is mentioned that it is Mina. It is said: Yahya ibn Maysarah narrated to us from Khallad ibn Yahya from Sufyan, who said: "The city is Mina, and the Arabs call it a city even now." Ibn Abi Hatim also extracted its interpretation as such from Abu al-Aliyah. Some prominent scholars have stated that the majority of exegetes hold the first view.

Attributing the city specifically [to the Lord] is for the glorification of its status and the exaltation of its standing. Addressing the fact that He, the Exalted, has sanctified it is an honor upon honor and a glorification following glorification. It also contains an indication of the reason for the command and the necessity of complying with it, as in His, the Exalted, saying: "So let them worship the Lord of this House, Who has fed them, [saving them] from hunger and made them safe, [saving them] from fear." It also hints at the extreme hideousness of what they have done within it; do you not see that even though it is forbidden to violate its sanctity—by cutting its fresh grass, lopping its trees, frightening its game, or desiring to deviate therein—they have persisted within it in committing the most abominable of sins and the most atrocious of acts of heresy? For they abandoned the worship of its Lord, set up idols within it, and devoted themselves to their worship—may Allah, the Exalted, fight them! How are they deluded?

There is no contradiction between the attribution of its sanctification to Him, the Exalted, in the verse, and the saying of the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—"Abraham—peace be upon him—sanctified Makkah, and I sanctified Madinah," regarding the attribution of its sanctification to Abraham. This is because the reference here is based on the fact that He is the One who sanctified it in reality, while the reference in the Hadith is based on the fact that Abraham—peace be upon him—was a manifestation of His, the Exalted’s, decree.

Ibn Abbas and Ibn Mas’ud read "al-lati" (which) as an adjective for the "city." The reading of the majority is more eloquent in glorification. It is stated in al-Kashshaf that applying the description [of the Lord] to the Lord—exalted is His status—is a glorification of the status of the description, the status of that to which the description relates, and an added exclusivity to the One upon whom the description is applied, by way of integration, treating it as an accepted, proven matter. This would not be the case if the city were described with a [common] descriptor for specification or praise.

His, the Exalted, saying: (And to Him belongs everything)—meaning in creation, ownership, and disposal, without anything participating with Him, may He be glorified, in any part of that—is a verification of the truth and an alert regarding the singularity of Makkah being attributed [to the Lord] despite the generality of Lordship for all existents, for the reasons of glorification and honor mentioned previously.

Some people have used this as evidence for the permissibility of what the ignorant among the Sufis say: "Something for Allah" (Shay’ lillah), as it is in the sense of "Everything is for Allah, the Exalted," like saying "A date is better than a locust." You know that they do not bring it forth for that intention; rather, they say: "Something for Allah, O so-and-so" to some of the great figures of the people of the graves, either in the sense of "Give me something for the sake of Allah, O so-and-so," or "You are a great thing from the traces of the power of Allah, the Exalted." Those who do not consider them infidels for it have interpreted it in this way, and that is the truth, even if it appears on the surface, according to the first of the two interpretations, as requesting something from one who has no power over anything. Yes, it is better to preserve the tongue from such words.

(And I have been commanded to be of the Muslims)—meaning: I remain firm upon what I was, of being among those steadfast upon the religion of Islam and Monotheism, or those who have surrendered their faces to Allah, the Exalted, sincerely, from His, the Exalted, saying: "And who is better in religion than one who submits his face to Allah."