He said, [that is] Ibrahim, peace be upon him, addressing what was from the recklessness of ignorance regarding what is appropriate for one like him from the gravity of knowledge: "Peace be upon you," meaning you are safe from me as long as I am not commanded concerning you with anything. Then he resumed his saying: "I will seek forgiveness for you" with a promise that there is no contradiction in it, "from my Lord," meaning - [the One] who is gracious to me by my asking Him for your forgiveness of your sins by granting you success in Islam, which erases what came before it. This was before he knew that he was an enemy to Allah, destined for misery, as evidenced by his lack of certainty regarding His punishment in his saying: "Indeed, I fear that punishment will touch you" [Maryam: 45].

Then he justified his proceeding to that, indicating that it is a dangerous position due to the humiliation it entails for him because of the increased closeness. He said: "Indeed, He has been gracious to me," meaning [in] all my states, "exceedingly generous," meaning He has been excessive in honoring me time after time and again after again.