Tafsir of Fatir 35:41

(Indeed, Allah holds the heavens and the earth, lest they cease [to exist].) This is a resumption [of discourse], establishing the ugliness and terror of polytheism. It means that Allah Almighty preserves the heavens and the earth, disliking their cessation, or so that they might not cease and vanish; for the contingent being, just as it requires the Necessary Being, Glorified be He, at the moment of its creation, it likewise requires Him in its state of persistence.

Al-Zajjaj said: "Holds" (yumsiku) means "prevents," and "lest they cease" (an tazula) is its object, subject to ellipsis and the inclusion of a preposition, for it [the verb] takes the particle min—that is, He prevents them from ceasing. In Al-Bahr, it is permissible for "lest they cease" to be a permutation of inclusion (badal ishtimal) for "the heavens and the earth"—meaning, He, Glorified be He, prevents the cessation of the heavens and the earth. Some have interpreted "cessation" as displacement from their place, meaning that Allah Almighty prevents the heavens from shifting from their location, rising or falling, and likewise prevents the earth from shifting. There is a narration reported by ‘Abd ibn Humayd and a group from Ibn ‘Abbas that suggests this.

It has been said: Their "cessation" is their rotation, for they are stationary, and what revolves are the spheres of the stars, which are other than the heavens. Sa‘id ibn Mansur, Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, and ‘Abd ibn Humayd reported from Shaqiq, who said: It was said to Ibn Mas‘ud that Ka‘b says: "The heaven rotates on a pole like the pole of a millstone, upon a pillar on the shoulder of an angel." He replied: "Ka‘b has lied. Allah Almighty says: (Indeed, Allah holds the heavens and the earth, lest they cease), and it would be sufficient cessation for them to rotate."

The view upheld by the predecessors (Salaf) is that the heavens do not rotate and that they are not the [celestial] spheres. Many Islamic scholars held that they do rotate and that they are not distinct from the spheres. As for the earth, there is no disagreement among Muslims regarding its stationarity. Philosophers are divided, though the majority maintain it is stationary. Some have held that it is in motion and that sunrise and sunset are due to its movement, but this has been refuted in its proper place. The most appropriate interpretation of the verse is what you have heard first, as well as the verse being driven [to address] what we have mentioned.

It has been said: When He explained the corruption of the matter of the "partners" and established the proof for their falsehood, He followed this with [a declaration of] His greatness, Almighty and Exalted is He, and His power, Glorified be He, so that a thing might be clarified by its opposite, and the insignificance of the idols might be confirmed by mentioning the greatness of Allah, Almighty and Exalted is He.

(And if they were to cease)—that is, if they were on the verge of cessation by way of hypothesis and supposition. This is supported by the reading of Ibn Abi ‘Abla: "Even if they were to cease" (wa-law zalata). It has been said that this refers to what will occur on the Day of Resurrection, such as the folding of the heavens and the scattering of the mountains.

(Indeed, none could hold them after Him)—meaning, no one could hold them. The particle min [in min ahad] is added to emphasize the generality, and the second [ba‘dahu] indicates beginning [of time/agency] after His holding, or after their cessation. The sentence is the response to an implied oath preceding the lam of preparation in "if" (la’in), and the response to the condition is omitted because the response to the oath indicates it. "Holds" (amsaka) here carries the meaning of "He holds" (yumsiku), as in the words of the Almighty: (And if you brought to those who were given the Scripture every sign, they would not follow your qiblah).

(Indeed, He is Forbearing, All-Forgiving.) Thus, He is forbearing with the polytheists and forgives those among them who repent, despite the magnitude of their crime which might have necessitated the hastening of punishment and the failure to hold the heavens and the earth, resulting in the destruction of the world they inhabit. Therefore, one should not presume that the context necessitates only the mention of power, to the exclusion of forbearance and forgiveness.