And when He, glorified and exalted is He, mentioned His command regarding them and affirmed their rights, He followed it with evidence for what Luqman, peace be upon him, mentioned about the ugliness of associating partners with Allah. He said: ﴿And if they strive against you﴾, meaning along with what I commanded you regarding their obedience. He indicated with the form of mutual striving to their opposition, even if they exert themselves in compelling you to do that ﴿to associate with Me﴾. He indicated with the tool of elevation that there is no hope for anyone who obeys them in that, even if only verbally, to be among the good-doers, even if the parents are in the utmost rank and capability of alluring means for him. This is unlike the Surah of the Spider, for it is for absolute temptation, and not for the strength of the disbelievers. Thus, He expressed [in it] with the preposition of reason, indicating the absolute sincere struggle with both the strong and the weak. In both instances, there is a type of symbolism indicating that if he is weak [against them], he obeys with his tongue, and that does not remove him from faith, just as it removed him [here] from the description of good-doing. For this reason, He warned in the verse that follows it about hypocrisy due to temptation. And He, glorified and exalted is He, referred to following the evidence regarding the ruling of what He granted of reason, justice, and fairness, saying: ﴿What you have no knowledge of﴾, indicating that it is impossible for any knowledge from the types of knowledge to indicate anything from associating partners with Allah in any type of indication. Rather, all knowledge indicates oneness in the manner that the minds have agreed upon, and that has been corroborated by the reports of the prophets and messengers. As for the manner that the people of heresy called the doctrine of unity, it is sufficient that there is no knowledge of their consensus that it is outside the realm of reason, contradicting all that has been reported from the prophets in transmission. Even if they dressed it with the claim of following some verses, as my book of obligations clarified, it is impossible for anyone to adopt it except after detaching from reason and denying transmission. No one has called upon himself to nullify what they called upon themselves, but whoever Allah misguides, for him there is no guide.

So when He established that in this wondrous manner, He said, causing it: ﴿So do not obey them﴾, meaning in that, even if they both gather to struggle against you regarding it. Rather, oppose them, even if the matter leads to the sword, for their command in that is contrary to wisdom, leading to pure injustice and folly. In it is a warning to Quraysh about the pure error in imitating their forefathers in that.

And when this might imply turning away from them entirely in every matter if they oppose in religion, He indicated that it is not absolute, saying: ﴿And accompany them in this world﴾, meaning in its affairs that do not relate to religion as long as they are alive.

And when the one who is built upon deficiency is incapable of fulfilling all rights, it has been made easier for him by the indefinite article in His saying: ﴿known﴾, meaning by his kindness to them if they are upon a religion that they agree upon and treating them with forbearance and tolerance, and what is required by the noble morals and high virtues. Ibn Maylaq said: And from this lamp shines the importance of honoring the elders who were usually a cause for establishing hearts in the circles of scientific and practical monotheism. This means that in presenting this advice, this context is the greatest indication that honoring the intermediaries among creation does not prevent sincerity in monotheism. Ibn Maylaq said: And from here, the feet of some people slipped who delved into the claim of monotheism until they turned away from the aspect of intermediaries, thus falling into disbelief from where they claimed monotheism. For indeed, honoring the honored in the law is honoring the sanctities of Allah and obeying the command of Allah. By my life, this misstep is what the followers of Iblis stumble upon, as he refused to prostrate to anyone other than Allah. Then he said what means: And these are a people who turned away from honoring the intermediaries, claiming zeal for the status of monotheism. And there are people who completely dismissed the intermediaries and said: There is nothing in existence except Him, and they are the people of absolute unity, and all are in misguidance. The truth is moderation and justice in affirming the Creator and His oneness, and honoring those whom He commanded to honor among His servants.

And when that may lead to a type of weakness in religion due to some favoritism, He negated that by saying: ﴿And follow﴾, meaning strive to follow ﴿the path﴾, meaning the religion and way of ﴿who has repented﴾, meaning the one who has come submissively ﴿to Me﴾, not turning to the worship of others besides Me, and they are the sincere ones from your parents and others. For indeed, that does not take you away from being good to them or from the oneness of Allah and sincerity to Him. In this is an encouragement to recognize men by the truth and a command to judge the scholars and others by the criterion of the Book and the Sunnah. So whoever's actions are in accordance with them is to be followed, and whoever's actions are contrary to them is to be avoided.

And when the decree was: "Indeed, the return of all your affairs in this world is to Me," He then added His saying: "Then to Me," meaning in the Hereafter, not to anyone else is your return. This was the original intent, but He gathered for the purpose of generalization and said, expressing with the source form that indicates the event, its time, and its place: "Your return" in both a sensory and a meaningful way. So I will uncover the veil: "So I will inform you," meaning I will act like one who is meticulous in investigation and reporting after that and because of it. For that is the most suitable thing for wisdom, even if the follow-up of everything is according to what is appropriate for it: "By what you used to do," by what is for you like your nature: "You do," meaning you renew its action, whether small or large, significant or insignificant, and whatever was in your natures that did not manifest outwardly. So I will reward whom I will and forgive whom I will. So prepare for that your provisions, and do not act like one who has no return to be held accountable for and rewarded for the weight of an atom from his deeds. Perhaps he expressed accountability with the term informing because knowledge of the action is a reason for being rewarded for it, or because he gathered the two divisions. The accountability of the happy is only an indication of implication, and the accountability of the miserable is by direct correspondence.