'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "And when harm touches people, they call upon their Lord, turning to Him. Then when He lets them taste mercy from Him, at once a party of them associates others with their Lord." "So that they may deny what We have given them. So enjoy yourselves, for you will surely know." "Or have We sent down upon them a sultan, so he speaks of what they used to associate?" This is the beginning of a reproach against the idol worshippers who associate partners with Allah, exalted and majestic is He. Allah, the Exalted, clarified to them that they are like all of mankind in that when harm touches them, they call upon Allah, glorified is He, and leave the idols discarded. At that time, they have a turning back and submission. Then when He lets them taste His mercy, meaning: His command comes to them with it, and tasting is metaphorical. Then a group of them associates partners with Him through idols and similar things. And 'when' is for surprise, therefore it is suitable in response to the first 'when', in the manner of 'so', and this group is the idol worshippers. Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: And something from these words applies to the believers when relief comes to them after hardship, they attribute that to a created being, or to their clever opinions, and other than that; because in it there is a lack of gratitude to Allah, blessed and exalted is He, and it is called associating partners metaphorically. And His saying, exalted is He: "So that they may deny" the 'lam' is the lam of purpose. A group said: It is the lam of command in the context of warning and threat. As for His saying, exalted is He: "So enjoy yourselves," it is a command in the context of warning and reprimand, meaning: Say to them, O Muhammad: 'So enjoy yourselves.' Abu Alaliyah read: "So they may enjoy" with a 'ya' before the 'ta', and that is an addition to "So that they may deny," meaning: so that their lives may be prolonged in disbelief. And in the readings of Ibn Mas'ud: "So let them enjoy," and it was narrated from Abu Alaliyah: "So they may enjoy" with a 'ya' without the first 'ta'. And in the Mushaf of Ibn Mas'ud: "They enjoyed," as Harun said. The majority of the people read: "You will know" with a 'ta' addressing them, and Abu Alaliyah read: "They will know" with a 'ya' mentioning the absent. And His saying, exalted is He: "Or" means (rather) and the 'alif' is for inquiry, as if He has turned from the beginning of the speech and returned to this proof. And "sultan" here means: the proof, from a messenger or a book or similar, and 'sultan' in the speech of the Arabs is the plural of 'salit', like 'rghif' and 'rghifan', and 'ghadir' and 'ghudran'. It is derived from dominance and overcoming, and this name is necessary in the Arabs for the chief; because he is dominant in the face of truth, and it is (p-27) a name of plurality in terms of types of dominance and kingship with him. And a group said: It is a singular name with the weight of 'fu'lan'. And His saying, exalted is He: "So he speaks" means that he shows their argument, and he prevails their doctrine, and he speaks of their associating partners, as Qatadah said. Thus, that takes the place of speech, as He, exalted is He, said: "This is Our Book which speaks against you with the truth." [Al-Jathiya: 29]