Tafsir of Ash-Shura 42:9

"Or have they taken..."

The hamza in am (or) signifies denunciation.

"For Allah is the Protector"

He is the One who must be taken as Protector alone, and it is He who must be believed to be the Master and Lord. The fa (for) in His saying, "For Allah is the Protector," is the response to an implied conditional clause. It is as if, after denying every protector other than Him, it was said: "If they desire a protector in truth, then Allah is the Protector in truth; there is no protector besides Him."

"And He gives life to the dead, and He is over all things competent."

It is His nature as this Protector that He gives life to the dead. Therefore, He is the only One worthy of being taken as a protector, rather than those who are capable of nothing.

"And in anything over which you disagree, its ruling is with Allah. That is Allah, my Lord; upon Him I have relied, and to Him I turn back."