Tafsir of Al-`Ankabut 29:22

"And you will not cause failure" (to Him, the Exalted, in the execution of His decree and judgment upon you) "on the earth" (meaning by fleeing through the vast earth, or by descending into a place of deep, remote concealment that cannot be reached) "nor in the heaven" (meaning neither by seeking refuge in the heaven, which is vaster than the earth, or which is more inaccessible to those who reside therein, protecting them from the hands of calamities as you imagine, if you were able to ascend to it, as in the words of the Exalted: "If you are able to pass beyond the regions of the heavens and the earth, then pass!", or [refers to] the towers and high citadels in its direction, as has been said, though this is contrary to the apparent meaning).

Ibn Zayd and al-Farra’ said: "And [he who is] in the heaven" contains a deleted relative pronoun (mawsul), and it is a subject whose predicate is deleted, the estimation being: "Nor is he who is in the heaven capable of causing failure." The sentence is coordinated with the one preceding it. This is weakened by the fact that it entails the deletion of the relative pronoun while its relative clause (silah) remains, which is not permissible according to the Basrans except in poetry, such as the verse of Hassan: "Whoever among you satirizes the Messenger of Allah, and whoever praises and aids him, are equal." This is based on the apparent meaning, provided that Ibn Malik stipulated for its permissibility that the deleted relative pronoun be coordinated with another mentioned relative pronoun, as in this verse. It is also weakened by the fact that it entails the deletion of the predicate without any necessity for it. For this reason, some have made the relative pronoun coordinated with "you" (antum), and did not make it a subject with a deleted predicate, so that the conjunction is a sentence coordinated with a sentence.

Some have claimed that the relative pronoun is deleted in two places and that it is the object of the participle "causing failure" (mu‘jizin), saying: The estimation is "And you will not cause failure to [him who is] in the earth," meaning from among mankind and jinn, "nor [to him who is] in the heaven," meaning from among the angels (upon them be peace). So how could you cause failure to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic? It is not hidden that this is extremely far-fetched, and the Word of Allah, the Exalted, should not be interpreted in such a way.

It has been said that there is no deletion in the verse at all, and that "the heaven" is the canopy; however, "you" is an address to all rational beings, so it includes the angels, and "the heaven" is considered in relation to them, and "the earth" in relation to the others—namely, mankind and jinn—and this is as you see.

"And you have not, other than Allah, any protector" (to guard you from an earthly or heavenly affliction) "or helper" (to ward it off from you).