| Fāṭir: (39) It is He who made you...

Then the Almighty said: {It is He who made you successors (khalā’if) in the earth}.

This is to establish the cutting off of their argument. When they said: {Our Lord, let us out [of the Fire] so we may do righteous deeds}, the Almighty responded: {Did We not grant you a life long enough for whoever would remember to remember?} This indicates that the empowerment and respite—a period sufficient for knowledge—had already been granted. Furthermore, He added: {And there came to you a warner}, meaning: We granted you intellects, and We sent to you those who support the rational with transmitted evidence. He further emphasized this by saying: {It is He who made you successors (khalā’if) in the earth}.

This means He alerted you through those who passed away and whose condition has ended. If you had not gained knowledge that those who denied the Messengers were destroyed, your obstinacy would have been more concealed and your corruption less apparent. However, you were given respite, granted long lives, and commanded through the tongues of the Messengers as you were commanded. You were made successors on earth, meaning one successor after another, learning the state of those who came before you and being content with their fate.

{So whoever disbelieves, upon him is his disbelief. And the disbelief of the disbelievers increases them not in anything except hatred (maqtan) in the sight of their Lord.}

Because the previous disbeliever was hated (mamqūt), like a servant who does not serve his master. The subsequent one, whom the Messenger warned and who did not heed, is even more hated, like a servant whom the advisor counsels and commands to serve his master, promising and threatening him, yet the advice benefits him not, nor does it bring him happiness. And the one following them, who saw the punishment of those who preceded him and did not fear its punishment, is the most hated of all.

Then the Almighty said: {And the disbelief of the disbelievers increases them not except in loss (khasāran)}.

This means that disbelief is of no benefit with God, as it only increases hatred (maqtan). Nor does it benefit them in themselves, as it yields them nothing but loss (khasāran). For life is like capital: whoever buys the pleasure of God with it profits, and whoever buys His displeasure with it incurs loss.

Then the Almighty said: {Say, "Have you seen your partners whom you invoke besides Allah? Show me what they have created of the earth, or do they have a share in the heavens? Or have We given them a Book so they are upon clear evidence from it?}