Tafsir of Fatir 35:16

Surah Fatir (35): Verse 16

{إن يشأ يذهبكم ويأت بخلق جديد} (If He wills, He can remove you and bring forth a new creation.)

This statement serves as a clarification of His absolute self-sufficiency (Ghinā).

Rhetorical Significance:

The eloquence here lies in the structure: {If He wills, He can remove you}. This indicates that the annihilation of humanity is entirely dependent upon His Will, unlike things that are needy or dependent.

If something is needy, one would not say, "If so-and-so wills, he will demolish his house and destroy his property." Instead, one would say, "If it were not for the need for dwelling, I would sell the house," or "If it were not for the necessity of the property, I would abandon it."

Furthermore, the Almighty enhances the demonstration of His self-sufficiency by adding: {and bring forth a new creation}.

This addresses a potential misconception: if someone imagines that this dominion (over creation) possesses perfection and greatness, and that removing the current creation would cause His dominion and greatness to vanish, then He clarifies that He is capable of creating a new creation that is better, more beautiful, more complete, and more perfect than the current one.

{وما ذلك على الله بعزيز} (And that is not difficult for Allah.)