His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "So do they await anything except like the days of those who passed on before them? Say, 'Then wait; indeed, I am with you among those who wait.'" "Then We will save Our messengers and those who have believed. Thus it is a right upon Us to save the believers." "Say, 'O mankind, if you are in doubt about my religion, I do not worship those whom you worship besides Allah, but I worship Allah, who causes you to die, and I have been commanded to be of the believers.'"

This is a warning and an encouragement to faith. That is: if they persist in disbelief, punishment will befall them, and if they believe, they will be saved. This is the tradition of Allah regarding the past nations. So is there anything other than that with these people? This is an inquiry meaning to stop them.

And in His saying, exalted is He: "Say, 'Then wait,'" there is a temporary truce, and it is among that which has been abrogated by fighting.

And His saying, exalted is He: "Then We will save Our messengers," the verse, since the punishment was not limited in duration and the Prophet and the believers were among the disbelievers, it was stated that the custom of Allah, exalted and majestic is He, has passed in saving His messengers and their followers. Thus, the warning is more severe. And all of them read: "We will save" with a strengthened ج, except for al-Kisai and Hafs from Asim, for they read: "We will save" with a silent ن and a softened ج. And Asim read in Surah Al-Anbiya in some of what was narrated from him: "We will save" with a دَامَة on the ن and the omission of the second one and the strengthening of the ج, as if the ن was assimilated into it. This reading has no basis, as mentioned by al-Zajjaj. And Abu Hatim narrated something similar from al-Amash. And the script of the mushaf for this word is "We will save" with a ج without a ي. Likewise, al-Kisai read in Surah Maryam: "Then We will save those who feared [Allah]" with a silent ن and a softened ج, while the others read with a فَتْحَة on the ن and a strengthened ج. And the ك in His saying: "Thus it is correct that it can be in a state of رفع, and it is correct that it can be in a state of نصب as an adjective for a deleted source.

And His saying, exalted is He: "Say, 'O mankind,'" is a general address to all people until the Day of Resurrection. It includes everyone who is characterized by doubt in the religion of Islam. And this verse's meaning aligns with implicit meanings indicated by this concise apparent wording. The meaning is: if you are in doubt about my religion, then you do not worship Allah; likewise, He is not worthy of doubt. Rather, doubt is in your religion and it is rejected. As for "I do not worship anyone other than Him," the eloquence and brevity of the speech necessitated this entire summary. Then He specified His object of worship and highlighted one of His attributes: "Who causes you to die" for what is in it of reminding of death and striking the souls with it, and the return to Allah after it, and the criticism of the idols that they believed to be harmful and beneficial.