Tafsir of Ad-Dhariyat 51:58

"Indeed, Allah is the Provider" (He who provides for everyone in need of provision, and none other than He, Glory be to Him, provides—neither independently nor in partnership). From this, it is understood that He, the Almighty and Majestic, is in no need of provision.

"The Possessor of Power, the Firm" (intense in power). This sentence serves as the justification for not desiring [provision]. The Imam said: His being the Provider pertains to the lack of a need to seek provision, for he who seeks it is poor and needy. His being, the Almighty and Majestic, the Possessor of Power, the Firm, pertains to the lack of a need to seek service—the service intended by His saying, Glory be to Him: "And I do not want them to feed Me," for he who seeks it is incapable and lacks power. It is as if it were said: I do not want any provision from them because I am the Provider, and I do not want any service from them because I am powerful and firm.

The apparent phrasing would have been "Indeed, I am the Provider," as it appears in a recitation attributed to the Prophet (peace be upon him). However, the discourse shifts to the third person, and the use of the Majestic Name is due to its fame in the sense of 'the One worthy of worship.' In this, there is an intimation of the reason for the ruling, and the verse is thus presented in the form of a proverb, as was said regarding the saying of the Almighty: "Indeed, falsehood is ever bound to perish." Its expression in this manner—upon the assumption of the word "Say" [preceding the verse]—is apparent, while the other recitation requires the interpretation we mentioned earlier.

He, the Almighty, preferred "Possessor of Power" (Dhu al-Quwwa) over "the Powerful" (al-Qawi). It is said: Because in the word "Possessor" (Dhu), as Ibn al-Hiti and others have stated, there is an exaltation of that to which it is attributed and that which is described by it, and the context demands this. For this reason, "the Firm" (al-Matin) followed it, and the description of power alone was not deemed sufficient.

The Imam said: Since the intention was to confirm what preceded—namely, the lack of desire for provision and the lack of seeking assistance from others—the description of provision was brought in the form of an intensive noun (mubalagha), for without it, it would not suffice to confirm the lack of desire for provision. As for the description of power, it was brought without intensive form because it suffices to confirm the lack of seeking assistance, for he who possesses power—even if not to the ultimate degree—does not seek the assistance of another. However, since "Possessor of Power" does not indicate more than that He, the Almighty, possesses "some" power, the description "the Firm" was added, which is he who possesses stability that does not waver.

He then said: "The Powerful" (al-Qawi) is more intensive than "Possessor of Power" (Dhu al-Quwwa), and "Might" (al-’Izza) is more complete than "Firmness" (al-Matana). The more complete has been coupled with the more complete, and the lesser with the lesser, in the saying of the Almighty: "Allah will surely make evident those who support Him and His messengers unseen. Indeed, Allah is Powerful, Exalted in Might." In the saying of the Almighty: "Indeed, Allah is the Provider," etc., the context required what was used. Much has been said on this matter, though I do not consider it free from obscurity.

Ibn Muhaisin recited "the Provider" (ar-Raziq) on the measure of the active participle (fa'il). Al-A’mash and Ibn Wathab recited "the Firm" (al-Matin) in the genitive case (al-jarr), which is explained by it being an adjective for "Power" (al-Quwwa). This is permissible despite its masculine form, due to interpreting [the power] as "capability" (al-iqtidar), or because it is on the measure of verbal nouns that are the same for masculine and feminine, or because it is treated like the form fa'il in the meaning of maf'ul (passive). Abu al-Fath permitted it to be an adjective for "Possessor" (Dhu), being in the genitive case by proximity (jiwar), similar to the saying: "This is the stone of a ruined lizard's den," though this is weak.