Ash-Shura 42:9

Allah is the Protector, Ruler and Creator

Here Allah denounces the idolators for taking other gods instead of Allah, and declares that He is the True God, and it is not right to worship anyone except Him Alone. He is the One Who is able to bring the dead back to life and He is Able to do all things. Then He says:

(And in whatsoever you differ, the decision thereof is with Allah.) means, in whatever issue you differ. This is general in meaning and applies to all things.

(the decision thereof is with Allah.) means, He is the Judge of that, according to His Book and the Sunnah of His Prophet . This is like the Ayah:

((And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger) (4:59).

(Such is Allah, my Lord) means, (He is) the Judge of all things.

(in Whom I put my trust, and to Him I turn in repentance. ) means, `I refer all matters to Him.'

(The Creator of the heavens and the earth.) means, the Maker of them both and everything in between.

(He has made for you mates from yourselves,) means, of your own kind. As a blessing and a favor from Him, He has made your kind male and female.

(and for the cattle (also) mates.) means, and He has created for you eight pairs of cattle.

(By this means He creates you.) means, in this manner He creates you, male and female, generation after generation of men and cattle.

(There is nothing like Him,) means, there is nothing like the Creator of these pairs, for He is the Unique, the Self-Sufficient Master, Who has no peer or equal.

(He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.)

(To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth. ) We have already discussed the interpretation of this phrase in Surat Az-Zumar (39:63), the conclusion of which is that He is the One Who is controlling and governing them.

(He expands provision for whom He wills, and straitens.) means, He gives plentiful provision to whomsoever He wills and He reduces it for whomsoever He wills, and He is perfectly Wise and Just.

(Verily, He is the All-Knower of everything.)

لِّتُنذِرَ‌ أُمَّ الْقُرَ‌ىٰ (So that you may warn the town that is the mother of all towns) - Umm-ul- Qura (mother of all the towns) means the origin and foundation of all habitations and cities which is Makkah. This title has been given to this city because, to Allah Almighty, it is more distinguished and more excellent than all other cities, habitations and the whole earth. Imam Ahmad has narrated in Musnad, with the authority of Sayyidna ` Adiyy Ibn Hamra' Az-zuhri ؓ that he heard the Messenger of Allah at a market of Makkah when he ﷺ was migrating from the city. He ﷺ was addressing Makkah in the following words:

انک لخیر ارض اللہ و احبّ ارض اللہ اَلَیَّ ولو لا اِنّی اُخرجت منک لما خرجت

"To me, you are better and dearer than the whole of Allah's earth; if I had not been expelled from your vicinity, I would never have left it of my own accord." (At-tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah - rated as ` hasan ahib' by Tirmidhi)

وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا - means the suburbs in the neighborhood of Makkah Mukarramah; it could mean the neighboring Arab countries as well as the whole of the earth from east to west.