His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "If you disbelieve, then indeed Allah is Rich beyond need of you, and He does not approve for His servants disbelief. But if you are grateful, He approves it for you. And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you of what you used to do. Indeed, He is Knowing of that which is in the breasts."

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: This verse addresses the disbelievers whom Allah did not will to purify their hearts. And "His servants" are the believers. It is possible that it addresses all people, because Allah, exalted is He, is Rich beyond need of all people, and they are poor to Him. He clarified the distance of humanity from the pleasure of Allah if they disbelieve, by His saying: "If you disbelieve."

The interpreters from the people of the Sunnah differed in interpreting His saying, exalted is He: "And He does not approve for His servants disbelief." One group said: Approval means will, and the apparent meaning is general, while its meaning is specific to whom Allah has decreed for him. So His servants, according to this, are His angels and the believers among humans and jinn. This is consistent with the saying of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him. Another group said: The words are a correct generality, and disbelief occurs from whom it occurs by the will of Allah, exalted is He; however, after it occurs, He does not approve it as a religion for them. This is based on the possibility mentioned earlier. The meaning of "He does not approve" is that He does not thank them for it nor reward them with good for it. So approval, according to this, is a description of an action meaning acceptance and the like. Consider will, for its reality is in what has not yet occurred, while approval is a reality in what has already occurred. Reflect on this in the verses of the Qur'an, and you will find it. Although the Arabs may use this interchangeably in their poetry in a figurative manner.

And His saying, exalted is He: "And if you are grateful, He approves it for you" is general, and true gratitude includes faith within it. Ibn Kathir, Abu Amr, and Al-Kisai read: "He approves it" with a full vowel on the letter 'h'. Ibn Amer and Asim read it with a shortened vowel. There is a difference reported from Nafi and Abu Amr - in the narration of Abu Bakr -: [He approves] with the letter 'h' being silent. Abu Hatim said: This is a mistake that is not permissible.

He, exalted is He, said: "And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another," meaning: No one will carry the sin of another. He feminized "the bearer" and "the other" because he intended the souls. And "the burden" is the weight. This is a report implying the encouragement for everyone to look to their own affairs and what befalls them in their own selves.

Then He informed them, exalted is He, that their return in the Hereafter is to their Lord, meaning: to His reward or punishment. He will stop everyone regarding their deeds; for He is the All-Aware of the intentions of the breasts and all hearts. And "the essence of the breast" refers to what is hidden within it, and from it is their saying: "The wolf is envious of what is in his belly."