And when they argued with him about polytheism in this surah more than once, just as the people of Ibrahim - blessings and peace be upon him - argued with him. The last of that was that he called them ﷺ to recite what had been revealed to him - glorified and exalted is He - regarding the prohibition of polytheism and the explanation of his upright religion. Then he repeated here his condemnation of them for their division, which indicates misguidance, and it is necessary, and the praise of the religion of the messengers, which has been established that they did not differ in it at all. And he despaired the disbelievers of his ﷺ agreement with them, a type of agreement and inclination with them somewhat - he was commanded (p-341) - glorified and exalted is He - after it was established at the beginning of the surah, during it, and at its end that there is no Lord other than Him - by denying anyone who wants from him an inclination towards someone other than the One who is unique in His life and death - so he had the uniqueness of what is between them and what comes after that without any doubt. And the severe reprimand was said: ﴿Say﴾ meaning: to those who hope that you will expel your companions for their sake: ﴿Is there any other than Allah﴾ meaning: the One who has all perfection ﴿that I should seek﴾ meaning: I ask for and want with polytheism, for absolute wealth is not accepted from anyone who associates anything with Him ﴿a Lord﴾ meaning: a benefactor who takes care of my interests as you wished. So it is an allusion to them and a reminder to them, and the attribution to him ﷺ is meant for all of creation - in the spirit of fairness in the debate for the purpose of persuasion. ﴿And He is﴾ meaning: while it is established by the decisive proofs and firmly rooted in the fixed minds and imprinted in the shining lights of thoughts ﴿the Lord of all things﴾ meaning: the Creator and the Sustainer. Is it appropriate for anyone to submit to other than his Master, and that other is also a created being like him to his Master? This is something that no sane person would accept for himself.

And when he denied those who incline to others despite his general goodness and kindness, he followed it up with a warning from the principle of his justice regarding his great harm. He said: "And no soul earns except against itself," meaning: while it is the case that no soul earns a sin, even if it is small, with strong determination and resolve, which is such that the action confirms it. As mentioned in the verse of Al-Baqarah: "Except against itself," meaning: it cannot be invalid for it or for others. And if it is against it, it cannot be held accountable by Him, glorified and exalted is He, except for it, because He is a wise judge. So how could I call upon others openly or secretly, and that is the greatest of sins! And to deter from hidden polytheism through showing off and every sin, even if it is small, he stripped the action of being an effect so that it would not be assumed that it could only be what it exaggerated in. The context here is clear that earning is constrained by sin, for it is in the calling upon others than Allah, and the verse of Al-Baqarah indicates the sin that only occurs due to a strong desire from the soul for it, due to its nature towards deficiencies. Thus, it does not contradict this because what it has earned from sins has been known from that to be an earning. And it is better to say: And when the meaning is that if I seek a lord other than Him and rely on what I have taken upon myself, and I am a human being, and the human being is inclined towards deficiencies, then I have perished. He expressed this by saying, stripping the action for the purpose of generality: "And no soul earns," as it is a soul looking at its own self, turning away from its Lord, entrusted to its own strength and ability, "Except against itself," and no one else carries anything of its burden for it. And when it may be that someone carries something from another's burdens as assistance for him, he negated that by saying: "And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another," meaning: a bearer will not carry, even if she is a parent or a child, "the burden of another." "And if a heavily laden one calls to carry it, nothing of it will be carried, even if he is of close kin" [Fatir: 18]. So if the matter is like this, it is not fitting for a rational person to expose himself to carrying something of the wrath of this king who has no partner, and to whom the return is, even if the duration is long.

And when he generalized in earning and bearing burdens so that a stubborn one would not say that this is specific to you and not to us, he also generalized in the return for something similar. He said, threatening them after the completion of clarification, adding to what the denial indicated from the negation in such a way that it could be said: Indeed, I do not do anything of that; I do not seek a lord other than my Lord at all. As for you, do what you do, for indeed your Lord is All-Knowing of it: "Then" [meaning: after a long delay] for you is kindness from Him towards you "to your Lord," meaning: the One who has done good to you with every blessing, not to others. "Is your return," meaning: on the Day of Gathering, even if you have lived a long time or remained for a long while, "and He will inform you," meaning: He will inform you with a great and complete news.

And when it was previously mentioned that they divided their religion, He said: ﴿By what you were﴾ meaning: by nature and disposition; and for this reason, He preceded the preposition to indicate the importance of it due to the strength of their inclination towards it without coercion, distraction, or forgetfulness. He said: ﴿In it you differ﴾ meaning: with a Messenger and others, and He will judge you regarding all of that by what you deserve. Your condition is worthy of your punishment being severe because you have denied His favor; Abu Hayyan said: Al-Naqqash narrated that it was reported that the disbelievers said to the Prophet ﷺ: 'Return, O Muhammad, to our religion and worship our deities and leave what you are upon, and we will take care of all that you need in your worldly life and your Hereafter.' So this verse was revealed. End.