And when He discouraged them in the abode of hardships and troubles regarding the duration of staying; they were as if they hoped that by leaving fighting they would attain immortality; or delay a death caused by fighting; He alerted them to what they realize; that death is a destination that must be reached; at the time that has been decreed for it; and if a person avoids it in fortresses; or throws himself into destruction; He said (the Exalted) - reproaching those who said that; affirming with 'what'; the negating particle for the opposite of what the words entail; because their condition is like that of one who denies death without fighting; responding with a true answer; after he had provided the first answer as a concession -: 'Wherever you may be'; O people; all of you; your obedient ones; and your disobedient ones; 'death will overtake you'; meaning: it is a pursuer; no one who flees from it will escape; 'even if you are in lofty towers'; meaning: fortresses; a tower within a tower; or each one of you in a tower.

And when that was a gathering, it was appropriate for the emphasis intended by it to be the abundance in: 'fortified'; meaning: prolonged; each one of them is towering in the air; secure; and it is also coated with plaster; meaning: with gypsum; so there is no flaw in it at all; and it is permissible that what is meant by fortification is mere precision; meaning that it is exaggerated in its fortification - because the context also necessitates it; so if death is inevitable, then to be in the jihad that leads to eternal happiness is preferable to being in anything else. Then he related what remained of their sayings to what had preceded of it; in His saying: 'Our Lord, why have You decreed'; [An-Nisa: 77]; to the end of it; and although this people among them are not the first; it may be said: when he informed that caution does not avail against destiny; he immediately followed that with their condition; reproaching with it those who were negligent in their affairs; signaling to the turning away from their address with some anger; because they combined neglecting the glorification of Allah (the Exalted) with neglecting the etiquette with the Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him); whom He sent to be obeyed by the permission of Allah; so he said: 'And if'; meaning: they said that while the condition is that if 'some of those called from the nation'; and they are those who have a disease in their hearts; 'a good thing'; meaning: something that pleases them; and its occurrence is good for them; from whatever it may be; 'they say this is from Allah'; meaning: the One to whom belongs all command; you have no part in it; 'and if a bad thing befalls them'; meaning: a situation that displeases them; from whatever direction it may be; 'they say this is from you'; meaning: from your presence in this land; taking omens with you.

And when this was a grave matter; and it was burning for the heart; and a catalyst; he made it easy for him by saying: ﴿Say, 'All'﴾; meaning: of the evil and the good; in reality; whether it was worldly or otherworldly; ﴿from Allah﴾; meaning: the One to whom belongs everything; and nothing belongs to others; and that - as they said - 'When Abu Umamah died; As'ad ibn Zurarah; the leader of Banu Najjar - may Allah (the Exalted) be pleased with him - when the Prophet ﷺ migrated; (p-336) the Prophet ﷺ said as in the biography: 'What a wretched dead man Abu Umamah is for the Jews and the hypocrites of the Arabs! They say: If he were a prophet, his companion would not have died; and I do not possess for myself or for my companion anything from Allah.'; And when this led to the knowledge that they were mistaken in that; they deserved denial; he said - denying them -: 'So what'; and he belittled them by saying: 'for these'; and as if he said: ﴿the people﴾; which indicates standing; and sufficiency; either mockingly towards them; or attributing to them the strength of bodies; and the weakness of the place; ﴿they can hardly understand﴾; they do not come close to understanding; ﴿a saying﴾; meaning: he conveys to them a good understanding at all.