Allah, the Exalted, says:

"Those who said to their brothers while they sat (at home), 'If they had obeyed us, they would not have been killed.' Say, 'Then avert death from yourselves, if you should be among the truthful.'"

"And do not think that those who have been killed in the cause of Allah are dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision."

"Rejoicing in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounty."

"Those" is a substitute for "those" mentioned earlier. Their brothers are the slain from the Khazraj. It is a brotherhood of lineage and neighborhood. And His saying, "to their brothers" means: for the sake of their brothers, and concerning their brothers. It is possible that His saying, "to their brothers" refers to the living among the hypocrites, and the pronoun in "they had obeyed us" refers to the slain. And His saying, "while they sat" is a clause in the position of a state, and it is an intervening state during the speech. And His saying, "If they had obeyed us" means that they should not have gone out to the Quraysh.

Al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan read: "they would not have been killed," with a strong ت, and this is the saying regarding the two fates. So Allah, the Exalted, responded to them with His saying, "Say, 'Then avert..." the verse. And to avert means to push away, and from it is the saying of Daghfal the genealogist:

"The encounter of the flood is an encounter that pushes it away, and the burden you do not know or lift."

And the necessity of this argument is that you, O you who say: indeed, caution and the use of reason push away death. So be cautious and look at that which overwhelms you from it, the death of your noses. Push it away if your saying is true, meaning: it is only fixed lifetimes with Allah.

And the majority of the reciters read, "And do not think" with the ت addressing the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him. And Humayd ibn Qays read: "And let not (anyone) think" with the ي referring to the absent. It was narrated from Ibn 'Amir, and Abu 'Amr mentioned it, as if the subject is implied: let not anyone or any thinker think. And I see this reading with the ب being pronounced, and the meaning is: let not the people think. And "let them not think" means: let them not assume. And Al-Hasan read: "those who have been killed," with a strong ت, and Ibn 'Amir from the seven, and it was narrated from 'Asim that he read: "those who fought" with an ألف between the ق and the ت.

And Allah, the Exalted, informed in this verse about the martyrs that they are in Paradise receiving provision. This is the place of benefit, and there is no doubt that they died and that their bodies are in the soil, and their souls are alive like the souls of all believers. And they are favored with provision in Paradise from the time of their killing, to the extent that the life of this world is as if it is everlasting for them.

Al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan said: The son of Adam continues to praise until he becomes alive and does not die by martyrdom in the cause of Allah. So His saying, "Rather, they are alive" is a prelude to His saying, "receiving provision," as no one is provided for except the living. This is like when you say to someone who has disparaged a man: 'Rather, he is an excellent man,' and you come with the name of the kind to which you attribute the description of excellence.

The majority of the people read: "Rather, they are alive" with a raised ending, based on an implied beginning, meaning: they are alive. Ibn Abi Abla read: "Rather, they are alive" with a lowered ending; Al-Zajjaj said: The lowered ending is permissible on the meaning of "Rather, I think they are alive." Abu Ali in Al-Aghfal said: This is not permissible because the matter is certain, so it is not permissible to command it with a supposition, nor is it correct to imply anything except the act of supposition.

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

The way of reading of Ibn Abi Abla is to imply an action other than supposition: I believe them or I consider them, and this is weak since there is no indication in the words of what is implied.

And his saying "with their Lord" has an omitted addition, the estimation of which is: with the honor of their Lord, because "with" implies the utmost closeness, and for this reason it was not made smaller, as said by Sibawayh. It has been reported from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, that he said: "The souls of the martyrs are by a river at the gate of Paradise called Barq, from which their provision comes to them from Paradise morning and evening." It has also been narrated from him, peace be upon him, that he said: "The souls of the martyrs are in the bellies of green birds that visit the rivers of Paradise and eat from its fruits."

(p-419) Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

And these are different ranks and conditions, all of which are united by the fact that they are provided for. And he, peace be upon him, said: "Indeed, the soul of the believer is a bird that clings to the fruits of Paradise," and it is narrated "that it clings" with an open lam and with a ya. The meaning of the hadith is specifically about the martyrs, for the souls of the believers who are not martyrs only see their places in Paradise without entering it, and also they are not provided for. And "to cling" means to obtain a morsel of food, and the opening of the lam is from the act of clinging, and Al-Farra narrated it in the context of obtaining a morsel. It has been narrated that the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said: "Indeed, Allah, the Exalted, looks at the martyrs and says: O My servants, what do you desire that I may increase you? They say: O our Lord, nothing is above what You have given us; this is Paradise from which we eat wherever we wish, but we want You to return us to the world so that we may fight in Your cause and be killed once more. He, the Exalted, says: It has been decreed that you will not be returned." It has been narrated that the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said to Jabir ibn Abdullah: "Shall I not give you glad tidings, O Jabir?" Jabir said: I said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah. He said: Indeed, your father, where he was struck at Uhud, Allah has given him life, then he said: What do you love, O Abdullah ibn Amr, that I do for you? He said: O Lord, I love that You return me to the world so that I may fight for You and be killed once more." And Qatadah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: It was mentioned to us that some men from the companions of the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, said: Would that we knew what happened to our brothers who were struck at Uhud, so this verse was revealed. And Muhammad ibn Qays ibn Makhramah in a narration said: "Indeed, the martyrs said: O our Lord, is there no messenger to inform our Prophet about what You have given us?" So Allah, the Exalted, said: I am your messenger, and Jibril descended with these verses."

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

And these narrations regarding this meaning have become numerous, and the reports differ. All of that is permissible according to what I have summarized from these meanings.

And His saying, glorified and exalted is He: "rejoicing" is in the accusative case as a state, and it is from the joy meaning happiness. And the virtue in this verse is the mentioned bliss.