His saying - glorified and exalted is He -: "O you who have believed, fear Allah and seek a means to Him and strive in His cause that you may succeed." "Indeed, those who disbelieve, if they had all that is in the earth entirely and the like of it with it, to ransom themselves thereby from the punishment of the Day of Resurrection, it would not be accepted from them, and they will have a painful punishment." "They want to emerge from the Fire, but they will not emerge from it, and they will have a lasting punishment." This verse is a warning from Allah, the Exalted, following the mention of the punishments that befall the combatants; and this is among the most eloquent of warnings; because it comes to the souls while they are fearful and trembling; and the nature of humans is that when they see and hear of a matter that tests them with terrible hardships, they soften and become humble; thus the warning comes in this state. "And seek"; its meaning is: ask for; and "the means" refers to the closeness; and the cause of success in the desired matter; and from that is the saying of 'Antarah to his wife: "Indeed, men have a means to you, that they take you to adorn yourself and to apply henna." And as for the sought means for Muhammad - blessings and peace be upon him - it is also from this; because supplicating for him with the means and virtue is that he is granted them in this world; and he is characterized by them; and the fruit of that in the Hereafter is intercession in the Praiseworthy Station; and from this wording is the poet's saying: "When the whisperers are heedless, we return to our connection, and the reconciliation returns between us and the means." Al-Tabari narrated it. And His saying, the Exalted: "And strive in His cause"; the jihad is specified for mention for two reasons: one of them is its prominence in acts of righteousness; and that it is a foundation of Islam; and it has entered into the meaning of His saying: "And seek a means to Him"; but it is specified for honor; and the other reason is that it is the act of worship that is suitable for every one prohibited from fighting; and he is prepared for it by his condition; and his age; and his strength; and the greed of his soul; so there is nothing between him and turning to jihad except the success of Allah, the Exalted. And the 'lam' in His saying: "to ransom" is the lam of "so that"; and the majority of people read: "it would not be accepted"; with the 'ta' and the 'qaf' being pronounced with a dammah, as the doer is not mentioned; and Yazid ibn Qutaybah read: "it would be accepted"; with a fathah, meaning: "what Allah, the Exalted, did not accept." And His saying, the Exalted: "They want"; is an indication that they desire this in their hearts; and in another verse, they speak of this desire; and Al-Hasan ibn Abi Al-Hasan said: When the Fire departs from them, they approach its edges; and then they want to emerge; and they hope for it; and that is His saying, the Exalted: "They want to emerge from the Fire." Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: And some people have interpreted this desire as meaning "they are about to"; based on this story that Al-Hasan narrated; and this should not be interpreted except in matters where true desire cannot be realized; like His saying, the Exalted: "He wants to collapse" [Al-Kahf: 77]; but as for the desire of the children of Adam, no; except with much figurative language.

And the majority of the people read: "yakhruju"; [Al-Ma'idah: 22] with a فتح on the ياء and a ضم on the راء. And Yahya ibn Waththab and Ibrahim al-Nakha'i read: "yukhraju"; with a ضم on the ياء and a فتح on the راء.

And Allah, glorified and exalted is He, informed about these disbelievers that they are not going to exit from the Fire; rather, their punishment in it is permanent and everlasting. Al-Tabari reported from Nafi' ibn al-Azraq al-Khariji that he said to Ibn Abbas: O blind of sight; blind of heart; do you claim that a people will exit from the Fire; when Allah, glorified and exalted is He, said: "And they will not exit from it"? Ibn Abbas replied to him: Woe to you; read what is above it; this verse is about the disbelievers.