'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, says: "By Allah, We have certainly sent to nations before you, and the devil has adorned for them their deeds. So he is their ally today, and they will have a painful punishment." "And We did not send down to you the Book except to make clear to them that in which they differ and as guidance and mercy for a people who believe." "And Allah has sent down from the heaven water, and He has given life to the earth after its death. Indeed, in that is a sign for a people who listen." "And indeed, for you in the animals is a lesson. We give you to drink from what is in their bellies, from between excretion and blood, pure milk, palatable for the drinkers." This is a verse that serves as a parable for them regarding those who came before, and within it is a warning for them and reassurance for the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him. His saying: "today" may indicate the day of informing about this verse, which is after the death of those mentioned nations, meaning: they had no ally after they died and needed help except for the devil. It may also indicate the Day of Resurrection, and the definite article in it is for the covenant, meaning: he is their ally on the day of witnessing, which is the time of need and judgment. It may also mean: he is their ally during their lifetime, then his guardianship ceased with their death. He expressed this by saying: "today" as a representation for the addressees during their lifetime, just as you would say to a young man encouraging him to seek knowledge: O so-and-so, no one studies except today, meaning: at your age. It is as if he said to these: he is their ally in this phase of your life, which was theirs, and the rest of the verse is a warning. And His saying, the Exalted, "And We did not send down to you the Book" refers to the Qur'an. And His saying, "except to make clear" is in the position of the purpose for which it was sent. And His saying, "and as guidance and mercy" is an addition to it, as if He said: except for clarification, meaning: for the purpose of clarification. And His saying, "that in which they differ" is a general term for the types of disbelief of the disbelievers, such as denial of Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, or denial of the Resurrection, or denial of prophethood and other than that. However, the reference in this verse is to their denial of His lordship and their associating idols with divinity. This is indicated by what follows in establishing the signs that indicate that the animals and other actions are indeed from Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, not from the idols. And His saying, the Exalted, "And Allah has sent down from the heaven water" is the verse. When He commanded him to clarify what they differed in, He emphasized the signs leading to the clarification of the matter of lordship, so He began with the blessing of rain, which is the clearest of signs, and it is the essence of life, and it is in utmost clarity; no rational person disputes it. The life and death of the earth is a metaphor and a comparison to living beings; when it is lifeless, it is barren and not producing, so it is like the dead. And when it is producing, green, shaking, and flourishing, it is like the living. And His saying, "who listen" indicates the clarity of this consideration in it and its clarification; for it does not require deep thought or reflection of the heart, but rather the attentive one only needs to hear the words.

'The cattle' are the four types: camels, cattle, sheep, and goats. 'The lesson' refers to the situation that is considered in it. Nafi', Ibn 'Amir, and 'Asim - in the narration of Abu Bakr - and Ibn Mas'ud - with a difference - read 'We will give you to drink' with the opening of the noon, from asqā yaskī. The rest read, and Hafs from 'Asim with the closing of the noon, which is the reading of the Kufans and the people of Mecca. Some of the people of language said: They are two languages with the same meaning. A group said: You say to whom you have given a drink with the lip or in one instance: I have given him a drink, and you say to whom you pass his drinking or grant him a drink: I have given him to drink. This is the saying of those who read 'We will give you to drink,' because the milk of the cattle is continuous for humanity. And it was recited by one who said: 'They are two languages with the same meaning,' the saying of Labid: 'My people drank from Badr and quenched Numayr and the tribes from Hilal.' And this is necessary; because he does not call for his people with little. Abu Raja' read: 'He will give you to drink' with the ya, meaning: Allah will give you to drink. A group read: 'You will be given to drink' with the ta, and this is weak. Likewise, the readers differed in the Surah 'The Believers.' And His saying: 'From what is in their bellies' refers to the gender, and to what is mentioned, as the poet said: 'Like the chicks, their gizzards have been plucked.' And this is much, like His saying, glorified and exalted is He: 'No! It is a reminder' [Abasa: 11] 'So whoever wills may remember it' [Abasa: 12]. It is said that He said: 'Bellies' because the cattle and the livestock are one individual, the pronoun refers to the meaning of livestock. A group said: The pronoun refers to 'some'; since the males do not have milk in them, it is as if the lesson is only in the cattle. And 'the dung' is what descends to the intestines, and 'the palatable' is that which is easy to drink and pleasant. A group read: 'palatable' with a strong ya. 'Isa al-Thaqafi read: 'palatable' with the ya being silent, and this is a lightening from 'sīgh' like 'mayyit' and 'hayyin,' and its weight is not fi'l; because the word is wawiyyah, so the fi'l from it is 'sawgh.' It has been narrated that no one has ever drunk the milk with it, and this has been narrated from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him.