Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:107

Al-Baqarah (2:107)

أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا لَكُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ

Know that when the Almighty and Exalted One established the permissibility of abrogation (Naskh), He immediately followed it by clarifying that the sovereignty over the heavens and the earth belongs to Him and no one else.

This serves as a reminder that His commanding and forbidding (rulings) are sound precisely because He is the Owner of creation. This is the position of our scholars (Ash'ari school): that the obligation (Taklif) is sound from Him solely because He is the Owner of creation, dominant over them, and not because of a reward that will be attained or a punishment that will be averted.

Al-Qaffal suggested that this verse might be an allusion to the matter of the Qibla (direction of prayer). He stated that Allah informed them that He is the Owner of the heavens and the earth, and that all places and directions belong to Him. No direction possesses inherent sanctity over another, except by what Allah, the Exalted, designates it to be. Since the command to face the Qibla is merely a specific designation for honor, there is no impediment preventing its change from one direction to another.

As for "Wali" (Protector/Guardian) and "Nasir" (Helper/Supporter), both are derived from the intensive active participle form (Fa'il) to denote exaggeration of the meaning.

Some people used this verse as evidence that Sovereignty (Mulk) is distinct from Power (Qudra). They argue that Allah first said: "Did you not know that Allah is over all things competent?" (referring to Qudra), and then followed it with: "Did you not know that to Allah belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth?" (referring to Mulk). If Mulk were merely synonymous with Qudra, this would be a redundant repetition without benefit. The discussion regarding the reality of Mulk and Qudra has already been covered in His statement: "Master of the Day of Recompense" (Al-Fatiha: 4).

أَمْ تُرِيدُونَ أَنْ تَسْأَلُوا رَسُولَكُمْ كَمَا سُئِلَ مُوسَىٰ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَمَنْ يَتَبَدَّلِ الْكُفْرَ بِالْإِيمَانِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ

Or do you intend to ask your Messenger as Moses was asked before? But whoever exchanges disbelief for faith has certainly strayed from the straight path.