Then Allah, the Exalted, informs about the state of humankind on the Day of Judgment: they are not immune from Allah's punishment, neither by their own strength nor by an external force.
He is the helper, for when the servant falls into distress, he may either repel it with his own strength or with the strength of someone who helps him; both of these are absent in his case.
And similar is His saying, the Exalted: 'They cannot aid themselves, nor are they supported by Us.'
Then Allah, the Exalted, swore by 'the sky which returns' and 'the earth which cleaves open.'
He swore by the sky and its returning of rain, and the earth and its cleaving with plants.
Al-Fara' said it begins with rain, then it returns with it every year.
Abu Ishaq said the return is rain because it comes and goes repeatedly.
Likewise, Ibn Abbas said it begins with rain and then returns with it every year.
The accurate understanding is that this is a metaphor.
The return of the sky is granting the good that comes from it over time, as it continues to return, meaning it provides once and again.
All goodness comes from the sky, as the most apparent good seen with the eye is rain.
The return is interpreted as rain and its counterpart is the earth cleaving with plants.
And the cleaving is interpreted as vegetation, as it cleaves the earth, meaning it splits it open.
Thus, He, the Exalted, swore by the sky with its rain and the earth with its vegetation.
Each of these is a sign from the signs of Allah, the Exalted, indicating His Lordship.
And He swore concerning the truth and authenticity of the Quran, saying: 'Indeed, it is a decisive word, and it is not a jest.'
Just as He swore at the beginning of the Surah concerning the state of humankind in their origin and return.
And the decisive word is that which distinguishes between truth and falsehood, differentiating this from that.
And it distinguishes between people in what they differ, and the correct judgment is what clarifies the intended meaning and distinguishes it from others.
