And when Allah, glorified and exalted is He, prohibited through these statements the matters of lineage and ancestry, He thereby protected blood and wealth. He knew that the decree was: if it were not that He, glorified and exalted is He, is the best of forgivers and the best of merciful, He would not have acted with you in this manner, and He would have exposed the sinners and revealed the secrets of those who take lightly the commands. Thus, the system would have been corrupted, and you would have persisted in being negligent regarding the rulings. Therefore, He turned to that which is known in His decree by His saying: 'And if it were not for the favor of Allah,' meaning by what He has of generosity and beauty, and the attribute of perfect qualities, 'upon you and His mercy,' meaning with you, 'and that Allah,' meaning the One who encompasses all things with knowledge and power, 'is Oft-Returning,' meaning He is one who frequently accepts the repentance of sinners to Him, 'All-Wise,' who governs matters and prevents them from corruption by what He knows of the consequences of affairs, to expose every disobedient one. And He did not require four witnesses as a cover for you, nor did He command punishment for what is required by your disobedience. Thus, your system would have been corrupted, and your contracts would have been disrupted, and similar matters that cannot be fully described, so the soul would go in every direction regarding it. It is as they said: often what is left unsaid is more eloquent than what is spoken.