Tafsir of Ad-Dhariyat 51:51

This is a conjunctive clause to the command [preceding it], and it is a prohibition against associating others with Him, explicitly in the manner of "Unify Him and do not associate partners with Him." Among the transmitted invocations is: "There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner."

He repeated His saying, exalted is He: {Indeed, I am to you from Him a clear warner}, because the first instance was attached to the command, and this instance is attached to the prohibition. The purpose of all this is to urge monotheism and to be excessive in admonition.

It has been said: The meaning of His saying, exalted is He: {So flee to Allah} is a command to have faith and to adhere to obedience. Mentioning {And do not set up...} etc., is for the purpose of singling out the greatest thing one must flee from. As for {Indeed, I am to you...} etc., the first is a consequence of abandoning faith and obedience, while the second is a consequence of polytheism; thus, they are distinct due to the distinctness of what each is consequent upon, and each occurs as a justification for its predecessor. However, this is not free from turbidity.

Al-Zamakhshari said: In the verse, {flee to} His obedience and His reward from His disobedience and His punishment, and unify [Him] and do not associate anything with Him. He repeated {Indeed, I am to you...} etc., upon the command to obey and the prohibition of polytheism, so that it may be known that faith does not benefit except with action, just as action does not benefit except with faith, and that no one attains [what is with] Allah, exalted is He, except the one who combines both.

This is finished, but it contains a flaw: there is no indication in the verse for that in any way. Furthermore, the interpretation of "fleeing to Allah" as he interpreted it, so as to apply it to action alone, is not accepted. Even if one were to concede that the warning pertains to abandoning action, from where does it follow that it lacks benefit? The people of the Sunnah do not dispute the occurrence of the warning for committing a sin. Therefore, what comes to mind, on the assumption that what is meant by "fleeing to Allah" is worship, is that He, exalted is He, commanded it first and threatened the one who abandons it with the warning known in the Law, which is punishment—not eternity [in the Fire]. Secondly, He, majestic is His glory, prohibited associating anyone else with the worship of Him, and threatened the polytheist with the warning known for him, which is eternity [in the Fire].

On this basis, the two warnings are distinct, and the verse, in its presentation of the command before the prohibition, is similar to His saying, exalted is He: {So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone} and His saying, glorified is He: {And worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him}. And how far is this from what Al-Zamakhshari mentioned—may Allah treat him with His justice.