Commentary
And when it was established that He - glorified and exalted is He - is All-Aware of their sins; after His discouragement of them regarding the world by mentioning the fates of the former ones; He followed that with the news that He will deal with them according to His knowledge; in a manner that makes known His knowledge of all their inner states; of good and evil; encouraging them towards the Hereafter; warning them against the world; for it is what prevents following the messengers; and adhering to their obedience; out of fear of losing their share of the world due to the removal of what they have of leadership, wealth, and indulgence in pleasure; out of ignorance that what is decreed cannot be other than it is; whether its owner is in obedience or disobedience; He said (the Exalted): "Whoever intends"; meaning: an intention that he is in it with utmost determination; by what his nature necessitates as indicated by the actions of existence; and since the focus of the surah's purpose is on the goodness which is worship based on witnessing; and that is contrary to the state of one who turns to the world; He expressed it by His saying (the Exalted): "the immediate"; meaning: only; "We hasten"; meaning: by Our greatness; "for him in it"; meaning: the immediate; "what We will"; of what he desires; not all that he desires; then He replaced "for him" with His saying (the Exalted): "for whom We will"; meaning: not for everyone who desires that; as a reminder that this is by Our power; not by the power of that one who desires; "Then We made"; meaning: by what We have of greatness; "for him"; meaning: for his apparent and hidden; "Hell"; meaning: the fiery place that meets with frowning those who face the world and its people with a smile; "he will enter it"; in the Hereafter; "blamed"; meaning: acted upon by blame; which is the opposite of praise; "driven away"; meaning: pushed away; expelled; distanced; so it is necessary for the one who desires the world to always be cautious; for he will not be free from the torment of the Hereafter; and if he is not given anything of his desires - as indicated by "for whom We will" -; he will have both complete torments; the poverty of this world; and the torment of the Hereafter; and if he is given, he is not given all that he desires - by what he indicated in "what We will" - so he will have the torment of what was prevented from him; along with the torment of the Hereafter.
Explore Other Scholars on This Verse
Compare different scholarly perspectives on Surah Al-Isra verse 18