His saying, exalted is He: "And as for those who were too proud and arrogant, He will punish them with a painful punishment, and they will not find for themselves besides Allah any ally or supporter" [An-Nisa: 173]. "O mankind, there has come to you a clear proof from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a clear light". "So as for those who have believed in Allah and held fast to Him, He will admit them into His mercy and bounty and will guide them to Him on a straight path."

This is a warning for those who are too proud; those who abandon the worship of Allah out of disdain and arrogance. This pride is only found among the disbelievers regarding following the prophets and what is similar to it, like the actions of Huwayy ibn Akhtab and his brother Abu Yasir with Muhammad - blessings and peace be upon him - and the actions of Abu Jahl and others. Otherwise, if you assume any human being knows Allah, the Most High, it is impossible to find him disbelieving in Him out of arrogance. The permissible obstinacy only leads to pride against humanity, while the ranks are close in the perception of the arrogant.

His saying, exalted is He: "O mankind, there has come to you a clear proof from your Lord"; this verse refers to Muhammad - blessings and peace be upon him - and the proof is the clear evidence that provides complete certainty. The meaning is: there has come to you, associated with Muhammad - blessings and peace be upon him - a proof from Allah, the Most High, regarding the truth of what He calls you to and the falsehood of what you are upon from the sects. And His saying, exalted is He: "And We have sent down to you a clear light"; this means the Qur'an, which contains clarification for everything. It is the admonisher that forbids and commands.

Then Allah, blessed and exalted, promised the believers in Allah who hold fast to Him. The pronoun in "by Him" may refer to Allah, the Most High, and it may refer to the Qur'an, which is included in His saying, exalted is He: "a clear light"; and holding fast to it means clinging to its cause and seeking safety and protection by it. It protects as strongholds protect. This has been explained by the words of the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him -: "The Qur'an is the strong rope of Allah; whoever clings to it is protected." And the bounty is Paradise and its delights. And "He will guide them" means to the bounty; this is the guidance to the path of Paradise, as He, exalted is He, said: "He will guide them and amend their condition" [Muhammad: 5]; because the guidance of direction has preceded and has been attained when they believed in Allah, the Most High, and held fast to His Book.

And "a straight path" is in the accusative case due to an implied verb indicated by "He will guide them"; its estimation is: He will make them know. It may also be understood as a second object, as "and He will guide them" means: "He will make them know"; and it may be in an adverbial sense; and it may be a state from the pronoun in "to Him"; and it is said to be from "and bounty"; and the path is the way; and its explanation has been provided multiple times.