'And He made it' means that Ibrahim, blessings and peace be upon him, made this word, which is the oneness of Allah, with its evidence 'a lasting word in his offspring.' This means his descendants. He prayed while being answered in his saying: 'And keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols' [Ibrahim: 35] and in his saying 'And of my descendants' [Al-Baqarah: 124]. 'Our Lord, and raise among them a Messenger from them who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them. Indeed, You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise' [Al-Baqarah: 129]. 'Perhaps they will return' means that their state will be like the state of one who looks at them if there occurs from them a deviation or corruption, like one whose return is hoped for. For when they remember that their greatest father, who built for them the House and bequeathed them pride, said that, they follow him. It is permissible that it relates to what relates to 'when,' meaning mention to them the saying of their father so that their state is with one who is ignorant of the consequences, like one whose return is hoped for from following the ignorance of the parents to following this father, whose following is not considered imitation, for what he said is based on evidence that cannot be confined, thus guaranteeing the complete victory for its followers. In its context, there is an indication that they will be of two types: one type will return and another will not return.