Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Al-Qasas -> Allah Alone is the One Who has the Power of Creation, Knowledge and Choice

Allah tells us that He is the only One Who has the power to create and make decisions, and there is no one who can dispute with Him in that or reverse His judgement. His saying:

﴿ظˆظژط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظڈظƒظژ ظٹظژط®ظ’ظ„ظڈظ‚ظڈ ظ…ظژط§ ظٹظژط´ظژط¢ط،ظڈ ظˆظژظٹظژط®ظ’طھظژط§ط±ظڈ﴾

(And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses,) means, whatever He wills, for what He wills, happens; and what He does not will, does not happen. All things, good and bad alike, are in His Hands and will return to Him.

﴿ظ…ظژط§ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظژ ظ„ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط®ظگظٹظژط±ظژط©ظڈ﴾

(no choice have they.) is a negation, according to the correct view. This is like the Ayah,

﴿ظˆظژظ…ظژط§ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظژ ظ„ظگظ…ظڈط¤ظ’ظ…ظگظ†ظچ ظˆظژظ„ط§ظژ ظ…ظڈط¤ظ’ظ…ظگظ†ظژط©ظچ ط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ظ‚ظژط¶ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظˆظژط±ظژط³ظڈظˆظ„ظڈظ‡ظڈ ط£ظژظ…ظ’ط±ط§ظ‹ ط£ظژظ† ظٹظژظƒظڈظˆظ†ظژ ظ„ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط®ظگظٹظژط±ظژط©ظڈ ظ…ظگظ†ظ’ ط£ظژظ…ظ’ط±ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’﴾

(It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision) (33:36). Then Allah says:

﴿ظˆظژط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظڈظƒظژ ظٹظژط¹ظ’ظ„ظژظ…ظڈ ظ…ظژط§ طھظڈظƒظگظ†ظ‘ظڈ طµظڈط¯ظڈظˆط±ظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظˆظژظ…ظژط§ ظٹظڈط¹ظ’ظ„ظگظ†ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(And your Lord knows what their breasts conceal, and what they reveal.) He knows what is hidden in their hearts, just as He knows what they do openly.

﴿ط³ظژظˆظژط¢ط،ظŒ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ†ظ’ظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظ…ظ‘ظژظ†ظ’ ط£ظژط³ظژط±ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ„ظژ ظˆظژظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ط¬ظژظ‡ظژط±ظژ ط¨ظگظ‡ظگ ظˆظژظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ظ…ظڈط³ظ’طھظژط®ظ’ظپظچ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ظ‘ظژظٹظ’ظ„ظگ ظˆظژط³ظژط§ط±ظگط¨ظŒ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژط§ط±ظگ ﴾

(It is the same whether any of you conceals his speech or declares it openly, whether he be hid by night or goes forth freely by day.) (13:10).

﴿ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظ„ط§ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ€ظ‡ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ظ‡ظڈظˆظژ﴾

(And He is Allah; La ilaha illa Huwa,) meaning, He is unique in His divinity, for none is to be worshipped besides Him, and there is no lord who can create what he wills and chooses besides Him.

﴿ظ„ظژظ‡ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط­ظژظ…ظ’ط¯ظڈ ظپظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظچظˆظ„ظژظ‰ ظˆظژط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط®ظگط±ظژط©ظگ﴾

(His is the praise, in the first and in the last,) in all that He does, He is to be praised for His justice and wisdom.

﴿ظˆظژظ„ظژظ‡ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط­ظڈظƒظ’ظ…ظڈ﴾

(His is the decision,) that none can put back, because of His might, power, wisdom and mercy.

﴿ظˆظژط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگ طھظڈط±ظ’ط¬ظژط¹ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(and to Him shall you be returned.) means, all of you on the Day of Resurrection, and everyone will be rewarded or punished according to his deeds, good and evil alike, and absolutely none of their deeds will be concealed from Him.

﴿ظ‚ظڈظ„ظ’ ط£ظژط±ظژط£ظژظٹظ’طھظڈظ…ظ’ ط¥ظگظ† ط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظٹظ’ظƒظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژظٹظ’ظ„ظژ ط³ظژط±ظ’ظ…ظژط¯ط§ظ‹ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ‰ ظٹظژظˆظ’ظ…ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ‚ظگظٹظژظ€ظ…ظژط©ظگ ظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ€ظ‡ظŒ ط؛ظژظٹظ’ط±ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظٹظژط£ظ’طھظگظٹظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط¨ظگط¶ظگظٹظژط¢ط،ظچ ط£ظژظپظژظ„ط§ظژ طھظژط³ظ’ظ…ظژط¹ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ظ‚ظڈظ„ظ’ ط£ظژط±ظژط،ظژظٹظ’طھظڈظ…ظ’ ط¥ظگظ† ط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظٹظ’ظƒظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژط§ط±ظژ ط³ظژط±ظ’ظ…ظژط¯ط§ظ‹ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ‰ ظٹظژظˆظ’ظ…ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ‚ظگظٹظژظ€ظ…ظژط©ظگ ظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ€ظ‡ظŒ ط؛ظژظٹظ’ط±ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظٹظژط£ظ’طھظگظٹظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط¨ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ„ظچ طھظژط³ظ’ظƒظڈظ†ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ظپظگظٹظ‡ظگ ط£ظژظپظ„ط§ظژ طھظڈط¨ظ’طµظگط±ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ظˆظژظ…ظگظ† ط±ظ‘ظژط­ظ’ظ…ظژطھظگظ‡ظگ ط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظژ ظ„ظژظƒظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژظٹظ’ظ„ظژ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژط§ط±ظژ ظ„ظگطھظژط³ظ’ظƒظڈظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظپظگظٹظ‡ظگ ظˆظژظ„ظگطھظژط¨طھظژط؛ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ…ظگظ† ظپظژط¶ظ’ظ„ظگظ‡ظگ ظˆظژظ„ظژط¹ظژظ„ظ‘ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ طھظژط´ظ’ظƒظڈط±ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(71. Say: "Tell me! If Allah made the night continuous for you till the Day of Resurrection, which god besides Allah could bring you light Will you not then hear'') (72. Say: "Tell me! If Allah made the day continuous for you till the Day of Resurrection, which god besides Allah could bring you night wherein you rest Will you not then see'') (73. It is out of His mercy that He has made for you the night and the day that you may rest therein and that you may seek of His bounty -- and in order that you may be grateful.)