And when they were granted faith in the request for forgiveness, they justified the request by saying: ﴿Allah does not burden a soul﴾, meaning the Greatest King, the Most Merciful, the Most Generous, who possesses all attributes of perfection, ﴿except that which it can bear﴾, meaning what it can encompass and endure and is not incapable of. This is what is possible for the essence that relates to the choice of the servant in his actions. And Allah, glorified and exalted is He, did not inform that neither the impossible for its essence nor the possible for its essence occurs, whether it is something that the human has no role in choosing, like sleep, or whether he has a role in it. And the eternal knowledge is related to its non-occurrence and He, glorified and exalted is He, informed of its non-occurrence as assistance to its possessor. Thus, the obligation does not occur with it, and it is permissible to be obligated by it. And this saying is part of their supplication in the form of praise, seeking fulfillment of what the Messenger, blessings and peace be upon him, informed them about regarding Him, glorified and exalted is He, out of fear that they would be burdened with what belongs to Allah, glorified and exalted is He, as indicated by the verse and the words of the believers at its revelation and the Prophet's, blessings and peace be upon him, response to them that they would not be burdened with the accountability for the whispers that do not involve determination, because it is something that souls conceal and there is no ability to repel it. So it is in the category of:

If a person praises you one day ∗∗∗ that is enough for him from exposing himself to praise.

And perhaps the shift from addressing to speaking in the third person by mentioning the Greatest Name is a form of flattery, as He has attributes of greatness that necessitate pardon for their weakness, and attributes of forbearance, mercy, and compassion that alleviate their burden. It is possible that this is from the words of Allah, glorified and exalted is He, as a reward for them for their saying: ﴿We have heard and we obeyed﴾ [Al-Baqarah: 285], thus He informed them that He does not hold them accountable for the thoughts of the soul in which there is no determination. Therefore, what was difficult for them from His saying: ﴿And if you disclose what is in your souls﴾ [Al-Baqarah: 284], is negated, unlike what was conveyed to the Children of Israel by their saying: ﴿We have heard and we disobeyed﴾ [Al-Baqarah: 93], which are burdens in this world and the Hereafter. So at that time, it would be a resumption in response to one who might have said: Did He answer their supplication? And it would be an explanation of His saying at the beginning of the surah: ﴿Those are upon guidance from their Lord﴾ [Al-Baqarah: 5]. And this possibility is supported by his following the ruling of what is within capacity by way of resumption or beginning with His saying: ﴿For it﴾, meaning specific to it, ﴿is what it has earned﴾. And the mention of the action in general in good indicates that mere occurrence is sufficient to be considered, even if accompanied by laziness, and even mere intention. Al-Harali said: And the form of فعل in its bare form expresses the least of gains, and for that reason, whoever intends a good deed but does not perform it, a good deed is written for him. End.

﴿And upon it﴾ meaning specifically ﴿what it has earned﴾. So, He conditioned in evil the form of the causative verb indicating reliance, pointing out that [from] the nature of the soul is the inclination towards desires entirely. And that sin is not recorded except with (p-178) determination and strong resolve. If there is an apparent action from it, it is done with seriousness, energy, desire, and ease. Therefore, whoever intends to commit a sin but does not act upon it, it is not recorded against him. Perhaps the expression came contrary to that for a meaning in that context necessitated by the situation.

And when He gave them glad tidings of that, He made them aware of the locations of His blessings in a supplication that He arranged from the lighter to the heavier as a means of elevation. This indicates that He did not hold them accountable for what they committed out of forgetfulness, nor for what they did mistakenly, nor did He burden them. Rather, He made their legislation a lenient Hanif way and did not burden them beyond their capacity, despite having all of that. And that He pardoned them from His punishment, then He concealed them so that He did not disgrace them by mentioning their sins. Then He had mercy on them by allowing them to be in a position of closeness, making them worthy of succession. Thus, it became evident that He elevates their matter above all matters and manifests their religion over all religions, as He, glorified and exalted is He, is the one who calls them. And let the supplication all be carried upon acceptance and included in response. So He, glorified and exalted is He, said: ﴿Our Lord, do not hold us accountable﴾ meaning do not act with us as (p-179) one who debates an opponent, for he discusses him on every small and great matter ﴿if we forget﴾ meaning if we did what You prohibited us from ﴿or we make a mistake﴾ meaning we did that while remembering it, but we did not intend evil. Al-Harali said: And the mistake is the slipping from the limit without intention, but with the resolve to be correct or with the wish not to err. In its execution, from the words of Allah, glorified and exalted is He, upon the tongue of His servants, it is accepted. It has ended. And the repetition of Our Lord at the beginning of each sentence of this kind is as previously indicated in the reminder of the greatness of the station in the goodness of upbringing and the kindness of benevolence and compassion.

And when that may be, then He has the right to impose what He wills while burdening what is greatly difficult among the obligations, for He is not questioned about what He does. He said: ﴿Our Lord, and do not impose upon us a burden﴾ meaning a weight.

Al-Harali said: It is the heavy covenant, meaning that which is most difficult to bear. Then he magnified the favor by saying: ﴿As He has laid it upon those before us﴾, indicating that He had imposed upon those who preceded us from the rulings that would shake the foundations, confirming what leads to gratitude for the alleviation of that from us. The root of the burden is the one that is attached; the thing attaches it: it is heavy, for when the branch becomes heavy, it bends and inclines, and this is the intended meaning here. And those burdens referred to are indeed very many, among them what is in the second book of the Torah regarding the offering that it is to be sprinkled from the blood of the sacrifice upon the corners of the altar. Then he said: And whoever draws near with the slaughter of an ox or other than it in a place other than the door of the Dome of the Time, that man will be punished like the one who killed a person because he has shed blood, and that man will perish from his people. And whoever eats blood, the wrath will descend upon him and he will perish because the souls of the animals are the blood. [And they were only commanded to offer it upon the altar for the forgiveness of their sins and the purification of their souls, for indeed, forgiveness is only granted to the soul by blood]. And whoever offers a sacrifice, he eats from it on the day of its slaughter and the second day, and whatever remains on the third is to be burned in the fire. And whoever eats from it will perish from his people. And among that regarding those with ailments is that whoever is afflicted with leprosy among humans sits alone and does not mix with people, and his dwelling is outside the place of the Children of Israel, until he mentioned leprosy in clothing, houses, and others. Whatever is leprous from the skins and clothing, the place of the leprosy is to be cut off from it. If it appears in it after the cutting, it is to be burned [entirely] in the fire. And if leprosy appears in a house, it is to be demolished, and its stones, wood, and soil are to be gathered outside the village and burned in the fire. Likewise, the disease of the flux has many strictures, among them that whoever sits on a garment that has flux must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he is impure until the night; and similar to this. Then he said: And the Lord spoke to Moses and said to him: This is the law of the leprous person who is to be purified: he is to be presented to the priest, and he is to be brought outside the camp, and the priest is to look (p-182) if the leprous spot has healed and he has been purified from it, the priest commands that he be presented, and two live clean birds are to be brought, and a piece of cedar wood, and scarlet yarn - and he counted other things; and a sacrifice in a specific manner difficult at a source of water, and he washes his clothes and body, and shaves the hair of his head, beard, eyebrows, and all the hair of his body. And he is to remain outside of his house for seven days, and on the eighth day he is to bring another sacrifice [to be offered] in a specific manner, and the priest is to sprinkle from its blood upon the clothes and body of the one who has been purified from leprosy, and likewise from the oil of his offering, and the remainder is to be poured upon his head. And likewise in the case of the flux, when the one afflicted with flux is healed, he [is to remain] for seven days, [then] he purifies himself and washes his clothes, and offers a sacrifice at the door of the Dome of the Time. And he said: And any man who has emitted pre-seminal fluid or has had a discharge of semen, he washes his entire body with water, and he is impure until the night; and whoever approaches a menstruating woman is (p-183) impure until the night. [And any garment or bedding upon which a discharge has fallen is to be washed with water and is impure until the night], and any garment upon which she has lain while she is menstruating is impure, and whoever approaches her bedding must wash his clothes and bathe with water and is impure until the night, and likewise the woman experiencing irregular bleeding. And in it also: And the Lord spoke to Moses and said to him: Speak to the Children of Israel and tell them: When a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth to a male, she will be unclean [for seven] days as she is during her menstruation, and on the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised, and she will be unclean and will remain in her place for thirty-three days, not approaching anything sacred, nor entering the house of Allah, glorified and exalted is He, for prayer is forbidden to her until she completes her days of purification. If she gives birth to a female, she will be like her impurity during her menstruation for fourteen days and will remain in her impurity for sixty-six days. When she completes her days of purification, whether she has given birth to a son or a daughter, she is to bring an offering in the Dome of the Time at the hand of the priest for her purification from what has flowed from her [of blood]. And among the burdens is what is in the second book also that when they harvest the land or pick the vineyard, it is forbidden for them to be thorough and they are commanded to leave for the poor. Then he said: (p-184) And do not pick up what falls from your olives, but leave it for the poor and for those who come to Me, for I am Allah, your Lord. Then he said: And when you enter the land and plant in it every fruit tree that bears edible fruit, leave it for three years and do not eat from its fruits. When the fourth year comes, all the fruits of your trees are to be a sacred offering to the Lord and a glory for His honor, and in the fifth year you may eat its fruits, for they will grow and increase for you in yield; I am Allah, your Lord! And he said at the end of the fifth book, which is the last of its books: Do not be unjust to the poor, the orphan, and the resident among you in judgment, and do not take the garment of the widow as a pledge, and remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt, and your Lord rescued you from there. Therefore, I command you and say to you that it is obligatory upon you to do like this act. And when you harvest the field of your land and forget a bundle, do not return to seek to take it; it is to be for the resident, the orphan, and the widow, that Allah, your Lord, may bless you in all the work of your hands. And when you glean your olives, do not seek what you have forgotten in your field; it is to be for the orphan, the resident, and the widow. And when you cut your vineyards, do not be thorough in what is therein; rather, leave it for the resident (p-185) and the orphan and the widow; and remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. Therefore, I command you to do this act. And as for what is upon the Christians from that, much of it will come, if Allah wills, in Al-Ma'idah when He, the Most High, says: ﴿And let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah has revealed therein﴾ [Al-Ma'idah: 47].

And when they called for what included faith in what was revealed to them of what was carried by those who were before them of the burden, they followed it with what indicates their belief that this is justice from Him in judgment. And that He has the right to act beyond that and to impose what is not within ability, because He is the complete owner and the sole king of ownership. And they asked for relief by lifting that, so they said: "Our Lord, and do not..." And He expressed by the verb form what is understood from the treatment regarding the obligation of what cannot be borne, saying: "You burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear." Meaning: capacity for it.

And when a person may deliberately commit sin due to a desire that calls him to it and a purpose that drives him to it, they followed that with a general supplication, saying: "And pardon us," meaning: lift from us the punishment of all sins. "And forgive us," meaning: do not mention them to us at all. The first is the pardon from the punishment of the body, and the second is the pardon from the torment of the soul. And Al-Harali said: And when it may be that one who is pardoned and forgiven may have a shortcoming in rank from attaining the share of mercy, Allah, the Exalted, associated the one who is pardoned and forgiven with the one who is shown mercy, beginning with His saying: "And have mercy on us," meaning: so that the sinful repentant is equal to the one who has never sinned at all in attaining mercy.

And when He, the Most High, multiplied for them His pardon, forgiveness, and mercy, He guided them thereby to the station of the caliphate, as He said: "Today there is no protector from the command of Allah except for whom He has mercy" [Hud: 43]. So when they became caliphs, striving against the enemies of Allah and fulfilling the command of Allah and opposing those who take others besides Allah, it became evident that there must be adversaries who would oppose them. He, glorified and exalted is He, taught them the one who had mercy upon them, saying about them: "You are our protector". The protector is the one who is necessary for the guardianship, who is established in it and continuously remains in it for those who have entrusted their affairs to Him in matters they are not capable of. This ends the meaning. Its reality is the one who acts for the fruit of guardianship, which is closeness and acceptance. This is because when they asked for pardon from the punishment of the body and the soul, they asked for their reward. The reward for the body is Paradise, and the reward for the soul is the pleasure of witnessing. This is the fruit of guardianship, which is turning towards the protector entirely. Then He made the conclusion of the believers' turning to their Lord the supplication for the fruit of guardianship, saying: "So help us" with the tongue and the sword. He indicated to the strength of the opponents, urging them to correct their resorting and sincerity in their desire by saying: "against the people". He indicated that the evidences for Him, glorified and exalted is He, are in the utmost clarity for every rational person by saying: "the disbelievers", meaning those who cover the evidences that point them to their Lord, mentioned at the beginning of the Surah. This included the obligation of fighting them and that they are the worst of enemies. And His saying, glorified and exalted is He: "There is no compulsion in religion" [Al-Baqarah: 256] is not a prohibition against that, but rather an indication that the religion has become so clear that there can be no compulsion in it. Rather, it is necessary for every rational person to enter into it with the utmost desire, apart from the need for intimidation. So whoever advises himself enters into it by what his intellect has guided him to, and whoever refuses will be forced into it by the advice of Allah, which is the striking with the sword and the piercing of arrows. And when the conclusion of this was indicating that when He, the Most High, multiplied for them His pardon for sin, He does not punish for it, and His forgiveness makes it as if it never was, so He does not mention it at all nor punish for it, and His mercy in bringing the forgiven sinner to high ranks guided them to the rank of caliphate in fulfilling His command and striving against His enemies. Even if their matter is great and their enumeration is difficult, it was a reminder that the beginning of this Surah is guidance and its conclusion is caliphate. Thus, it fulfilled the clarification of the matter of prophethood to the extent of the appearance of caliphate, and it was the peak of the Qur'an. The essence of what is in the Qur'an is connected to its meanings, either by what it explicitly stated or by what it alluded to and made understood through its clarity, just as it connects with the entirety of the Qur'an to Surah Al-Fatihah, making it a mother for all. This was conveyed by the teacher Abu Al-Hasan Al-Harali. And it has become clear with the mention of the revealed and belief in it, and the support against the disbelievers after detailing the matter of spending and the wealth that is spent from it, the response of its segments to its beginning and its end to its first. Among the great comprehensive matters in its regard and the encompassing meaning that clarifies its high status is what Al-Harali said: When the one who revealed this Qur'an, who is specific to the seal of the prophets, blessings of Allah and peace be upon him and upon all of them, revealed letters encompassing meanings addressing the Prophet and the Imams, and detailing [verses] addressing the general community, this Surah encompassed the two types of addresses. It began with (Alif Lam Meem), letters indicating an encompassing of what its meanings contain, from the encompassing of the one who stands from the meaning of Alif, the encompassing of the station from the meaning of Meem, and the encompassing of the connection from the meaning of Lam. And when the encompassing is in three ranks: a divine encompassing, a sustaining encompassing, and a detailed encompassing, the specific encompassing of these letters with which this Surah began is a detailed encompassing. Thus, the opening occurred in what was addressed by the command of the Qur'an in its recitation on earth in the intermediate rank, as it is closer to the two ends and easier for accessing the higher and fulfilling the lower. So what was in the Qur'an from "Alif Lam Meem" [Luqman: 1], "These are the verses of the Wise Book" [Luqman: 2], and similar verses detail an encompassing of the encompassing of the [Book] that was revealed in Surah Al-Baqarah. It was inclusive of the encompassings of the four books: the Book of Decree that Allah, glorified and exalted is He, wrote before He created the creatures with what Allah willed of duration and number. It was reported that "Allah wrote the Book and decreed the decree, and His Throne was upon the water," and "Allah, glorified and exalted is He, decreed the measures of the creatures before He created them by fifty thousand years," and that He decreed the provisions before He created the forms by two thousand years. Much of this has been reported in the news. And in comparison to this preceding book of decree is the subsequent book of recompense that Allah, glorified and exalted is He, wrote, and its effect is the completion of the initiation by preserving the initial actions in the hands of the creatures who will receive bliss and torment, safety and terror, revelation and concealment. This other book corresponds to the first existence, and by their interaction, the Book of Laws becomes evident, which includes the matter of religion and the call wherein guidance and trial occurred. Then the Book of Actions, which Allah, glorified and exalted is He, wrote regarding the individuals who are accountable for their actions and the states of their souls, and what He wrote in their hearts of faith or sealed upon them or marked them with wickedness or tyranny. Thus, the beginnings and ends corresponded, and the Book of Laws and the Book of Actions differed in what Allah, glorified and exalted is He, has manifested from behind a veil of the meaning of guidance, trial, initiative, and abstention. The Surah Al-Baqarah included the encompassings of all these books and fulfilled the Book of Decrees with what is in its core from clarifying the matter of the believers, disbelievers, and hypocrites, and the Book of Actions as He, glorified and exalted is He, mentioned the matter of sealing upon the disbelievers and the disease in the hearts of the hypocrites, and what is detailed in all of the Surah from the laws of religion and what is mentioned alongside it that corresponds to it from the recompense from the beginning of faith to the ultimate certainty that the meaning of the Surah has reached between the truth and creation regarding the matter of religion, and between creation and creation regarding transactions and resistances, and between a person and his soul regarding oaths and covenants, to the extent of concluding it with what is from the truth for the creation in the succession of the caliphs, whom He concluded this Surah with their mention, those who said: "Forgive us, our Lord" [Al-Baqarah: 285] until its end. And when the purpose of this Surah is the written encompassing, that was its clarification and the majority of its verses, and the divine encompassing was its allusion and the light of its verses. Thus, that was in the Ayat of the Throne a statement, and in all of its verses an allusion according to the proximity of the written encompassing to the divine encompassing, and in a previous beginning or subsequent conclusion or a comprehensive wisdom. Therefore, this Surah, which mentions Al-Baqarah, is connected to the Surah that mentions Al-Imran, due to what was revealed in Surah Al-Imran of the divine encompassing until in its opening is the greatest name of Allah. Thus, what is in Al-Baqarah is a clarification in Surah Al-Imran, and what is in Al-Baqarah is an allusion in Surah Al-Imran, except for what has been revealed in each of them from the explicitness of the other; therefore, they are two connected Surahs, and two ends, and two clouds that shade their companion on the Day of Resurrection. And with what they are from the first mention and between them from the apparent disparity between the written encompassing and the divine encompassing, therefore Surah Al-Baqarah was the peak for it, and the peak is the highest part of the animal that is on its knees and the most beautiful in totality, which is the camel. And Surah Al-Imran was the crown of the Qur'an, and the crown is the highest of what is in the created beings from the creation that is established and entrusted on earth, its appearance in all of the composed is its encompassing. Thus, the arrangement of these two Surahs occurred in a manner similar to the arrangement of the verses, where the clarification in the verse connects to the allusion of its predecessor as previously indicated in various places. This ends. And the secret of the arrangement of the Surah of the peak upon this system is that when He, glorified and exalted is He, opened it by classifying the people who are for the religion like the pillars carrying the one with the peak, it became established and the beginning of the intended matter was mentioned by referencing the closest peak to the understanding of the people of standing. He said addressing all the types that He presented: "O mankind, worship your Lord" [Al-Baqarah: 21] and continued until the matter became clear to the utmost clarity, and He began to mention His favors, glorified and exalted is He, upon the people commanded with worship by what He created for them of all that exists with what He honored their father Adam, blessings and peace be upon him. Then He specifically mentioned the Arabs and those who followed them by stating the favor upon them in arguing against the Children of Israel and reproaching them, while He, glorified and exalted is He, affirms every little matter of lordship and monotheism with worship without mentioning anything of the laws except what the Children of Israel have abandoned. Thus, He mentioned it in the form of favor upon the Arabs and reproaching the Children of Israel for their abandonment, not that it is the intended matter by itself. So when they purified themselves, they elevated and became qualified for various types of knowledge, He said, elevating them from the levels of lordship to the heights of divinity.

'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' "And your God is one God. There is no god but Him" [Al-Baqarah: 163]. When they ascended this honor, He taught them the purifying acts of worship and cleansed their souls of its impurities. He mentioned the fundamentals and branches of the essential acts, the five pillars, and the boundaries that follow regarding food, drink, marriage, and other benefits. They prepared themselves with it, and it is the noble provisions from the One of Glory. He said, elevating them to the unseen presence of His luminous majesty, mentioning the name of all names, "Allah! There is no god but Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence" [Al-Baqarah: 255]. When the one who reaches the highest station of freedom must, among the people, return to the bond of servitude, He mentioned to them some deeds suitable for them. He encouraged them towards things, most of which are from the valley of goodness, which is the station of the people of knowledge. He mentioned the example of spending, which is one of the foundations of the chapter, following the mention of the station of tranquility, indicating that this is the affair of the tranquil. He encouraged it, hinting that there is no hope of reaching except by detaching from all of this world. He emphasized the importance of pure sustenance, which cannot be sustained in any state without it. He strongly prohibited usury, indicating the necessity of being content with little and forbidding any increase for the elite and any forbidden matters for the common people. He guided them to the etiquettes of the religion that necessitate trust in what is with Allah, which requires sincere reliance that yields help from Allah, glorified and exalted is He, and guidance towards that. The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, passed away while adhering to it. Allah, glorified and exalted is He, built each third of these thirds on a foundation. In affirming His matter, He directed with a conclusion warning against being negligent regarding it. He added the third due to its being the conclusion, and with it is the blessing of completeness, as He emphasized to them after His conclusion the belief in all that is in the chapter. He concluded by indicating that the essence of that struggle is for those of misguidance and stubbornness, relying upon the Owner of the Kingdom and the King of the servants. This is the path of the people of guidance, righteousness, and correctness, and Allah, glorified and exalted is He, is the One who grants success to what is right.