His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "Those who avoid the major sins and the immoralities, except for the minor transgressions. Indeed, your Lord is All-Encompassing in forgiveness. He knows you when He created you from the earth and when you were embryos in the wombs of your mothers. So do not declare yourselves pure; He knows best who fears Him." "Have you seen the one who turned away?" "And gave a little and withheld?" "Does he have knowledge of the unseen, so he sees?" "Or has he not been informed of what is in the scrolls of Moses?" "And Abraham, who fulfilled?" "That no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another."

His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "Those" is a description of "those" mentioned previously. "Avoid" means: they keep away. The majority of readers and people read: "the major sins of wrongdoing," while Ibn Wathab, Talhah, Al-Amash, Isa, Hamzah, and Al-Kisai read: "the major sin of wrongdoing" in the singular, which is intended to mean the plural. This is like His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "So we have no intercessors" [Ash-Shu'ara: 100] and "nor any close friend" [Ash-Shu'ara: 101], and like His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "And how excellent are those as companions" [An-Nisa: 69].

People have differed regarding what the major sins are. The majority have gone to the view that they are the seven destructive sins mentioned in the hadiths. The discussion of them and the differing hadiths about them has already been mentioned in Surah [An-Nisa]. The correct statement regarding the major sins is that they are every disobedience for which there is a prescribed punishment in this world and for which there is a threat of fire in the Hereafter, or a curse, and similar to this is specific to it. They are numerous in number. For this reason, Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, when he was asked: Is it seven? He said: It is closer to seventy than to seven. And Zayd ibn Aslam said: The major sin here refers to disbelief. And "the immoralities" are the mentioned disobediences. His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "except for the minor transgressions" is an exception that can be understood as connected, and if you consider it as disconnected, that is also permissible.

People have differed regarding the meaning of "the minor transgressions." Ibn Abbas and Ibn Zayd said: It means what they committed of polytheism and disobedience in the days of ignorance before Islam. Al-Tha'labi said, from Ibn Abbas, Zayd ibn Thabit, Zayd ibn Aslam, and his father: The reason for the verse is that the disbelievers said to the Muslims: You were yesterday doing our deeds, so the verse was revealed. It is like His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "And that you do not combine between two sisters except what has already occurred" [An-Nisa: 23]. And Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and others said: It means: except for what they committed of disobediences, a slip and a mistake without persistence, then they repent from it. Al-Tabari mentioned from Al-Hasan ibn Abi Al-Hasan that he said: In the minor transgression of zina, theft, and drinking alcohol, then he does not return. This is similar to what preceded, as if this interpretation necessitates being lenient with people in including them in the promise of goodness; for the majority of believers commit disobediences. And for this reason, they recited - and the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, exemplified it:

If You forgive, O Allah, forgive abundantly, and which servant of Yours does not slip?

(p-122) Abu Huraira, Ibn Abbas, Al-Shabi, and others said: Al-Lamam refers to the minor sins that exist between the two limits of this world and the Hereafter. These are the sins for which there is no specific limit or warning mentioned. It is said to be minor in relation to others; otherwise, in relation to the one who forbids them, they are all major sins. This is supported by the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: "Indeed, Allah has decreed for the son of Adam his share of adultery, which is inevitable. The adultery of the eye is the gaze, the adultery of the tongue is the speech, and the private parts either confirm or deny that. If the private parts precede, then he is an adulterer; otherwise, it is al-Lamam." It has been narrated that this verse was revealed concerning Nabhan the date seller. People do not escape committing these minor sins, yet they have the best reward if they avoid those which are in themselves major sins. Scholars have agreed on this saying, and many have inclined towards it. Al-Tabari mentioned from Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al-As, may Allah be pleased with both of them, that he said: Al-Lamam is what is less than shirk. This, in my opinion, is not authentic from Abdullah ibn Amr. Al-Mahdawi mentioned from Ibn Abbas and Al-Shabi that al-Lamam is what is less than adultery. Niftawayh said: Al-Lamam is what is not habitual. Al-Rummani said: Al-Lamam is the intention to sin and the thoughts of the soul about it without committing it. Al-Thaalabi narrated from Sa'id ibn Al-Musayyib that it is what crosses the heart. That is the whispering of the devil. Al-Zahrawi said: It is said that al-Lamam is a sudden glance, and this was said by Al-Hasan ibn Al-Fadl. Then Allah, the Exalted, reassured after this with His saying: "Indeed, your Lord is All-Encompassing in forgiveness."

His saying, the Exalted: "He is more knowledgeable of you" - the verse. It has been narrated from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, that it was revealed concerning a group of Jews who glorified themselves and said to a child when he died among them: This is a friend with Allah, the Exalted, and similar imagined statements. Thus, the verse was revealed concerning them, and it is general in meaning for all of humanity. Al-Thaalabi narrated from Al-Kalbi and Muqatil that it was revealed concerning a group of believers who boasted about their deeds. And His saying, the Exalted: "He is more knowledgeable of you" - Makkī ibn Abi Talib said in Al-Mushkil: Its meaning is: He is knowledgeable of you. The majority of the people of meanings said: Rather, it is a preference in general, meaning He is more knowledgeable than all those who exist collectively. The operative word in "when" is "more knowledgeable." Some grammarians said: The operative word in it is an implied verb whose meaning is: Remember when. The first meaning is clearer; for its implication is: If His knowledge encompasses you while you are in these conditions and you have fallen into concealment, then it is more likely that it will occur with you while you are heedless and committing sins.

And the creation from the earth is intended by it the creation of Adam, peace be upon him. It is possible that it is intended by it the creation of food. And 'ajinnah is the plural of janin. And His saying, the Most High: ﴿So do not declare yourselves pure﴾ its apparent meaning is the prohibition that one should not declare oneself pure. It is possible that it may be a prohibition against some people declaring others pure. If this is the case, then it is a prohibition against declaring one's reputation and praise for the world and being certain of the declaration. Among that is the hadith regarding Uthman ibn Maz'un at his death. As for the declaration of the imam and the role model for someone to be followed or for people to aspire to goodness, it is permissible. And the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, declared some of his companions, Abu Bakr and others, may Allah be pleased with them. Likewise, the declaration of witnesses in rights is permissible due to the necessity of it. And the origin of declaration is indeed piety, and Allah, the Most High, knows best about the piety of people than you do.

His saying, the Most High: ﴿Have you seen the one who turned away﴾ the verse. Mujahid, Ibn Zayd, and others said: It was revealed concerning Al-Walid ibn Al-Mughira Al-Makhzumi. This is because he had heard the recitation of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, and sat with him, and the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, advised him. He drew near to Islam, and the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, hoped for him. Then a man from the polytheists admonished him and said to him: Will you abandon the religion of your fathers? Return to your religion and remain steadfast upon it, and I will bear for you everything you fear in the Hereafter, but on the condition that you give me such and such from wealth. Al-Walid ibn Al-Mughira agreed to that, and he turned away from what he was about to embrace of Islam, and he went astray far astray. He gave that wealth to that man and then withheld from him and became stingy. So the verse was revealed concerning him. And Al-Thalabi mentioned from a group that it was revealed concerning Uthman ibn Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, in a story that occurred with Abdullah ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Sarh. And all of that is invalid in my view, and Uthman is above such a thing. And Al-Suddi said: It was revealed concerning Al-As ibn Wa'il. So His saying, the Most High: ﴿And he gave a little and withheld﴾ - on this saying - is concerning wealth. And Muqatil ibn Hayyan in the book of Al-Thalabi mentioned: And he gave a little of himself in his closeness to faith, then he withheld, meaning his giving was cut off. And this is clear from the wording, while the other requires narration. And 'tawalla' means: he turned away and turned his back, and the intended meaning is: from the command of Allah, the Most High. And 'akda' means: his giving was cut off, and it is likened to a digger in the earth. When he reaches a hard place, which is what is solid from the earth, he stops and his digging is cut off. Likewise, the digger stops when he reaches a mountain. Then it is said to one whose work has been cut off: akda and ajbala.

'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' And His saying, exalted is He: "Is there knowledge of the unseen with him, so he sees?" Its meaning is: I know from the unseen that whoever bears the sins of another, then the one who bears for him benefits from that. He sees the truth regarding this, and he has insight in it. Or is he ignorant, not informed of what is in the scriptures of Musa - and it is the Torah - and in the scriptures of Ibrahim - and they are books that were revealed to him from the heavens - that no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another? That is, no bearer will carry another's load, and everyone will be taken for their own sins. So when he was ignorant of this, he fell into giving his wealth to the one who said to him: I will bear for you the burden of the Hereafter.

And the interpreters differed in the meaning of His saying, exalted is He: "The one who fulfilled." What is the fulfilled? Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: They used to take a relative for a relative in killing and similar matters before Ibrahim, peace be upon him. So Ibrahim, peace be upon him, fulfilled and reached this ruling that no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, also said, and Al-Rabi': And from the obedience of Allah, exalted is He, in the slaughtering of his son, peace be upon them. And Ikrimah said: And in these ten verses: "That no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another" and what follows it. And Ibn Abbas, Qatadah, and Ikrimah said: He fulfilled what was obligated upon him of acts of obedience in their proper manner, and the branches of faith and Islam were completed for him. So Allah, exalted is He, granted him his exemption from the Fire. And Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: He fulfilled the laws of Islam, thirty arrows. And Abu Umamah - and he raised it to the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him - said: And in four prayers each day. And the strongest of all these is the general saying for all acts of obedience that fulfill the religion of Islam. It is narrated that it was not fully obligated upon anyone except Ibrahim and Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. And the evidence for that is His saying, exalted is He: "And when his Lord tested Ibrahim with words, and he completed them" [Al-Baqarah: 124].

And Ibn Jubayr, Abu Malik, and Ibn Al-Samif'ah read: "And fulfilled" with a lightened 'fa'. The disagreement regarding what he fulfilled is like the disagreement regarding what he fulfilled according to the first reading that we explained, and the reading was narrated from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, and Abu Umamah read it.

And "the burden": is the weight. And he feminized "the bearer" either because he meant the soul, or he meant exaggeration like 'alimah and nasabah and what is similar to them. And "that" in His saying, glorified is He: "That no bearer of burdens will bear" is lightened from the heavy. Its estimation is: that he does not bear, and the barrier between it and the verb is good if the verb remains elevated. It is like His saying, exalted is He: "That there will be among you the sick and others" [Al-Muzzammil: 20] and similar to it. And "that" in a position of raising or lowering both are arranged.