His saying, exalted and glorified is He: "He said, 'By Your might, I will surely lead them all astray, except for Your chosen servants among them.'" "He said, 'The truth is, and I say the truth.'" "I will surely fill Hell with you and with those of them who follow you all together.'" "Say, 'I do not ask you for it any reward, nor am I of the pretentious.'" "It is nothing but a reminder for the worlds.'" "And you will surely know its news after a time.'" The speaker is Iblis. He swore by the might of Allah, the Most High. Qatadah said: The enemy of Allah knew that he had no might, so he swore by the might of Allah that he would lead the descendants of Adam all astray, except for those whom Allah has chosen for faith in Him. The judge Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This is an exception of the lesser from the greater, in the manner of exception; because the believers are much fewer than the disbelievers, as evidenced by the hadith of the sending of the Fire and others. Some people allowed that the many could be excepted from the generality and the few be left on the original ruling. They argued with His saying: "Indeed, My servants, there is no authority for you over them, except for whoever follows you of the deviators." [Al-Hijr: 42] And those who contradicted them said: The servants here include both humans and angels, so the exception remains in its place that the lesser is the one excluded. The opening of the 'lam' and its breaking in "the chosen ones" has been previously mentioned. The speaker of "The truth is, and I say the truth" is Allah, the Most High. Mujahid said: The meaning is: 'The truth is I.' The majority read with the accusative in both instances. As for the second, it is accusative due to "I say." As for the first, it can imply encouragement or an oath by dropping the particle of the oath, as if he said: 'By the truth,' then the particle was omitted, just as you say: 'By Allah, I will surely do it,' meaning: 'I swear by Allah.' And this is supported by His saying: "I will surely fill." Sibawayh said: I said to Al-Khalil: What is the meaning of "I will surely do it" when it comes at the beginning? He said: It is as if it is a sworn intention. A group said: The first is accusative due to an implied verb. Ibn Abbas and Mujahid read with the nominative in both instances. As for the first, it is by way of beginning, and its news is in His saying: "I will surely fill," because the meaning is: 'I will fill.' As for the second, it is also raised on the beginning. Aasim and Hamzah read with the nominative in the first, and this is the reading of Mujahid, Al-Amash, and Aban ibn Taghlib, and the parsing of this is clear. Al-Hasan read: "The truth and the truth" with the genitive of the 'qaf' in both as an oath, and Abu Amr Al-Dani mentioned it. Then the Most High commanded His Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, to inform them that he does not ask for any reward or money, and that he is not among those who pretend what has not been made obligatory upon him, nor does he adorn himself with anything other than what he is in. Al-Husayn ibn Al-Fadl said: This verse abrogates His saying: "Say, 'I do not ask you for it any reward except for affection in kinship.'" [Ash-Shura: 23] And Al-Zubair ibn Al-Awwam, may Allah be pleased with him, said: 'A caller of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, called out: "O Allah, forgive those who do not claim and do not pretend. Indeed, I am free from pretense, and the righteous among my nation."'

'And His saying, exalted is He: "It is nothing but a reminder for the worlds" means: by it, the Qur'an, and "except a reminder" means: a reminder. Then He threatened them, exalted is He, with His saying: "And you will surely know its news after a time." This is with an omission, the meaning of which is: and you will surely know the truth of its news after a time from your threat to them.

And the people differed in the meaning of His saying, exalted is He: "after a time" to what time He referred? Because "time" in the language can refer to both a little and a lot of time. Ibn Zayd said: He referred to the Day of Resurrection. And Qatadah and Al-Hasan said: In the language, He referred to the appointed times that they have; because each one of them knows the truths after his death. And Al-Suddi said: He referred to the Day of Badr; because it is the day the disbelievers recognized the truth of the warning of the Qur'an to them.

The interpretation of Surah (Sad) is complete, and all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.