Tafsir of Al-Hijr 15:16-20

{Except for one who steals a hearing} The phrase is in the accusative case as an exception. Ibn Abbas narrated: They were not barred from the heavens, but when Jesus was born, they were barred from three heavens. When Muhammad was born, they were barred from all the heavens.

{A clear flame} Visible to those who see.

{Measured} Weighed by the scale of wisdom and determined by a measure that necessity demands, in which neither increase nor decrease is appropriate. Alternatively, it means it has a weight and measure in the categories of grace and benefit. It is also said: It refers to things that are weighed, such as gold, silver, copper, iron, and others.

{Means of subsistence (Ma‘ayish)} Written with a clear ya (ي), unlike shama’il (traits) or khaba’ith (vices) and their likes, where writing them with a ya is an error; the correct form is with a hamza (ء), or by pronouncing the ya between a ya and a hamza. It has been recited as ma‘a’ish (معائش) with a hamza, by analogy.

{And those for whom you are not providers} This is a conjunction linked to "means of subsistence" (ma‘ayish), or to the position of "for you" (lakum). It is as if it were said: "We have placed for you therein means of subsistence, and We have placed for you those for whom you are not providers," or: "We have placed means of subsistence for you and for those for whom you are not providers."

He intended by this: dependents, slaves, and servants whom they mistakenly think they provide for. In reality, Allah is the Provider; He provides for them and for the masters. This also includes livestock, beasts, and everything of that nature which Allah provides for, even though they falsely imagine that they are the providers. It is not permissible for this to be in the genitive case as a conjunction to the genitive pronoun in "for you" (lakum), because one cannot conjoin to a genitive pronoun [without repeating the preposition].

{And there is not a thing but that with Us are its depositories, and We do not send it down except according to a known measure}