Tafsir of Fatir 35:2

(Whatever Allah opens for the people of mercy): That is, whatever He releases and sends forth. "Opening" is a metaphor for "sending," based on the relationship of causality; for opening what is closed is the cause for the release and sending forth of what is contained within it. Hence, it is contrasted with "withholding," and release is a metonymy for giving, as one says: "The Sultan released the provisions to the soldiers." Thus, it is a metonymy branching off from the metaphor.

In the choice of the word "opening," there is a sign that mercy is among the most precious of treasures and the most difficult to attain. Its indefiniteness is for the sake of generalization and ambiguity; that is, whatever Allah the Exalted opens from the treasures of His mercy—any mercy it may be, such as favor, health, security, knowledge, wisdom, and other things that cannot be encompassed—to the point that 'Urwah used to say, as reported by Ibn al-Mundhir from Muhammad bin Ja'far bin al-Zubayr regarding riding in a litter: "It is, by Allah, a mercy opened for the people," then he would recite: "Whatever Allah opens for the people of mercy," etc.

Ibn Abi Hatim reported from al-Suddi that "mercy" means rain, and from Ibn 'Abbas that it means repentance; the intent is to provide examples. The prepositional phrase ("for the people") is in the position of a state (hal), not an adjective (sifah), because a conditional noun cannot be described.

(So there is no one to withhold it): That is, no one has the power to withhold it. (And whatever He withholds): That is, whatever thing He withholds, (There is no sender for it): That is, no one has the power to send it. The difference between the two pronouns is because the referent of the first is specified by "mercy," while the referent of the second is absolute, encompassing mercy and other things. In this, along with the precedence of the opening of mercy, is an indication that His mercy—the Exalted—precedes His wrath, as reported in the authentic Hadith. It is said that the intent is "And whatever He withholds of mercy," but the specified object was omitted because the preceding clause indicates it; the masculine pronoun is used in consideration of the word's form, as there is nothing to strengthen the consideration of the meaning in the articulation. This is supported by the reading: "There is no sender for it (laha)" with the feminine pronoun.

(After Him): That is, after His withholding it. (And He is the Exalted in Might): The Overcomer of everything He wills among matters, among which are opening and withholding. (The Wise): He who does everything He does according to what wisdom and benefit require. This sentence is a concluding statement (tadhyil) confirming what preceded it, manifesting that both opening and withholding are in accordance with the wisdom upon which the order of creation revolves. How this verse invites one to be devoted exclusively to Allah the Exalted, to turn away from all besides Him, and to relieve the mind of imaginations that cause distraction and sleepless nights!

Ibn al-Mundhir reported from 'Amir bin 'Abd al-Qays: He said, "There are four verses from the Book of Allah the Exalted that, when I recite them, I do not care what state I wake up or go to sleep in: 'Whatever Allah opens for the people of mercy, there is no one to withhold it; and whatever He withholds, there is no sender for it after Him.' And, 'If Allah touches you with harm, there is no remover of it except Him; and if He intends for you good, there is no repeller of His bounty.' And, 'Allah will bring about, after hardship, ease.' And, 'And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision.'"

After He, the Exalted, explained that He is the Creator of the dominion and the kingdom, and the absolute disposer of affairs within them, He commanded all people—or the people of Makkah, as reported from Ibn 'Abbas and chosen by al-Tayyibi—to show gratitude for His blessings, saying, "O mankind..."