His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "And mention Our servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, those of strength and vision. Indeed, We have chosen them for an exclusive mention of the Home. And indeed, they are with Us among the chosen and the best. And mention Ishmael, Elisha, and Dhul-Kifl; all were among the best. This is a mention, and indeed, for the righteous is a good return. Gardens of Eternity, whose doors will be opened for them. Reclining therein, they will call therein for abundant fruit and drink. And with them will be companions of modest gaze, equal in age. This is what you are promised for the Day of Reckoning. Indeed, this is Our provision; for it there is no end." Ibn Kathir read: "And mention Our servant" in the singular, and this is the reading of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both of them, and the people of Mecca. The others read: "And mention Our servants" in the plural. As for this reading, the three entered into the mention and into servitude. As for the reading of those who read: "Our servant," then Al-Makki and others said: They entered into the mention, but did not enter into servitude except from outside this verse. There is consideration in this. Some of the interpreters interpreted from this verse that the one who was sacrificed was Isaac, because Allah, exalted and majestic is He, mentioned him after mentioning Job, as prophets whom He tested with trials, just as He tested Job. He did not mention Ishmael because he was among those who were not tested. Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This is all weak. The majority read: "those of strength," and Hasan, Al-Thaqafi, Al-Amash, and Ibn Mas'ud read: "those of strength" by omitting the 'ya. As for 'ulu, it is the plural of 'dhū.' As for the first reading, 'strength' refers to the power in obedience to Allah, as said by Ibn Abbas and Mujahid. A group said: Rather, its meaning is: those of strength and the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon them: of prophethood and status. And some said: The meaning is: the hands of the limbs, and what is meant are the hands that act in good, and the keen eyes in it, not like those which are neglected among most people. As for those who read: "strength" without the 'ya,' it is possible that it is like that which has the 'ya' and was omitted for ease. Since the 'alif' and 'lam' replace the tanween, it is necessary to omit it along with it as is omitted with the tanween. A group said: "strength" means: power, and what is meant is obedience to Allah, exalted and majestic is He. And His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "and the eyes" refers to insight, meaning: they see the truths and look with the light of Allah, exalted and majestic is He, and in this manner, all have interpreted.

Nafi' read alone: "with the pure remembrance" in the genitive case, which is the reading of Abu Ja'far, Al-A'raj, and Shaiba. The others read: "with a pure remembrance" with tanween. Al-Amash read: "with their pure remembrance," which is the reading of Talha. It is possible that "pure" is a verbal noun, as if he expressed it as a merit or rank. As for those who added it; "remembrance" is in the genitive case due to the addition, and as for those who used tanween; then "remembrance" is a substitute for "pure." It is also possible that "pure" is a source like healing, the treachery of the eyes, and others. Then "remembrance" - on this - may be in the accusative case as a source on the assumption: we have purified them by making the remembrance of the home pure for them, and "pure" would be a source from: purified, by omitting the extra letters. Or it may be that "remembrance" is in the nominative case as a source, on the assumption: we have purified them by the fact that the remembrance of the home has become pure for them, and "pure" would be from: became pure. And "the home" in every case is in the accusative case with "remembrance," and "remembrance" is a source. The verse may imply that by "the home" he means the home of the Hereafter, meaning: we have purified them by the fact that the reminder of the Hereafter has become pure for them, and he called the people to it and urged them towards it. This is the saying of Qatadah. Or it may mean: their remembrance of the Hereafter has become pure for them, and their fear of it, and the action according to that. This is the saying of Mujahid. Ibn Zayd said: the meaning is: we have granted them the best of what is in the Hereafter, and we have purified them with it, and we have given it to them. It is possible that by "the home" he means the worldly home, meaning the remembrance of praise and glorification from the people, and the lasting praise which is the eternal reward for it. Thus, the verse comes in the meaning of His saying, the Most High: "a tongue of truth" [Ash-Shu'ara: 84], and in the meaning of His saying: "and We left upon him in the last ones" [As-Saffat: 108].

And "the chosen ones" originally is: the chosen ones, the yā has moved, and what precedes it is open, so it turned into an alif. Then the alif's and yā's silence, which is the sign of the plural, came together, so the alif was omitted. And "the best" is the plural of good, and good is a softened form of better, like dead and deceased.

Hamzah and Al-Kisai read: "and Al-Yasa'" as if he included the definite article on "Yasa'" and made it similar to Dhi'gham and others. This is the reading of Ali ibn Abi Talib - may Allah be pleased with him - and the Kufans. The others read: "and Yasa'". Abu Ali said: the alif and lam in it are extra and not defining, as it is in the saying of the poet:

I have indeed harvested you with the akmuw and the asaqil And I have indeed forbidden you from the daughters of the camels.

'And 'the daughters of the reeds': a type of truffle. There is a difference of opinion regarding the prophethood of (Dhul-Kifl), and the explanation of his matter has preceded. His saying, glorified and exalted is He: 'This is a reminder' has two possible meanings. One of them is that it refers to the praise of the one mentioned and the preservation of honor for him. This interpretation is supported by the statement of those who said earlier that 'the abode' refers to the worldly abode. The second meaning is that 'this' refers to the Qur'an, meaning: it is a reminder for the worlds. And 'the return': the place to which they return, and 'gardens' is an alternative to 'goodness', and 'opened' is an attribute of the gardens. 'The doors' is an object whose doer is not mentioned, and the estimation according to the Kufans is: 'opened for them are its doors', and this is not permissible according to the people of Basra. Their estimation is: 'the doors are from it', and the reason for this pronoun is that the attribute must have a return to the described. And 'the ones whose glances are restrained', Qatadah said: its meaning is: upon their husbands. And 'equals' means: similar ones, and its origin among the children of Adam is that the teeth are one, meaning: their bodies touched the dust at the same time. Ibn Kathir and Abu Amr read 'they are promised' with a 'ya' from below, and they differed in Surah 'Qaf', so Abu Amr read it with a 'ta' from above, and the others read in both surahs with a 'ta'. And 'the end': is annihilation and expiration.