His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "Indeed, the male and female believers who give Allah a good loan, it will be multiplied for them, and for them is a noble reward." "And those who believed in Allah and His messengers, they are the truthful and the martyrs with their Lord; for them is their reward and their light. And those who disbelieved and denied Our signs, they are the companions of the Hellfire."

The majority of the reciters read: "Indeed, the male and female believers" with a strengthened ص (sad) that is open, meaning the ones who give charity. This is also how it is in the Mushaf of Ubayy ibn Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with him: "Indeed, the ones who give charity," with a ت (ta), which supports this reading. Also, His saying, exalted is He: "And they give Allah a good loan" is appropriate in the context of charity. Ibn Kathir and Abu Bakr read from Asim: "Indeed, the believers" with a light ص (sad), meaning those who affirmed the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, in what he conveyed from Allah, exalted is He, and they believed in Him. This reading is supported by the fact that it is more general than those who do not give charity, as the wording encompasses all those who affirm. Then, the specification by His saying, exalted is He: "And they give Allah" refutes the intent of the two readings being separate from one another.

And His saying, exalted is He: "And they give Allah a good loan" is connected in meaning; for the meaning of His saying, glorified is He: "Indeed, the male and female believers": is that indeed, those who give charity. And a verbal connection is not correct here, as Abu Ali said in Al-Hujjah. The meaning of "loan" and the meaning of "multiplication" which Allah, exalted is He, promised this nation has already been mentioned, as has the meaning of describing the reward as noble; all of this is in this Surah.

What supports for me the reading of the one who read: "Indeed, the male and female believers" with a strengthened ص (sad) is that Allah, exalted is He, encouraged in this Surah spending in His cause, then mentioned in it the people of charity and promised them, then mentioned the people of faith and affirmation in His saying, exalted is He: "And those who believed in Allah and His messengers." And according to the reading of the one who read: "Indeed, the believers" with a light ص (sad), the mention of the believers is repeated in the wording, and the fact that the categories are specified with their rulings from the promise is clearer. Belief in Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, necessitates belief in all the messengers, peace be upon them, and for that reason He said, exalted is He: "And His messengers."

And "the truthful" is a form of exaggeration from truthfulness, or from affirmation, as Al-Zajjaj mentioned: "And فَعيل (fa'il) is not to be except from a three-letter verb, and some people have indicated that it may come from non-three-letter verbs, and he said: 'مَسِيكٌ' from 'أُمْسِكُ'." I say that it is said: "مَسَّكَ الرَجُلَ," and it has been narrated: "مَسَّكَ الشَيْءَ," and there is a consideration in this.

And His saying, exalted is He: "And the martyrs are with their Lord" has caused people to differ in its interpretation. Ibn Mas'ud, Mujahid, and a group said: "And the martyrs" is connected to His saying, exalted is He: "the truthful ones," and the speech is continuous. Then this group differed in the meaning of this connection. Some of them said: Allah described the believers as truthful ones and martyrs, so every believer is a martyr. This was said by Mujahid. Al-Bara' ibn Azib, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said: "The believers of my nation are martyrs," and the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, recited this verse. The Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, specifically mentioned the seven martyrs as an honor, because they are in the highest ranks of martyrdom. Do you not see that the one killed in the way of Allah is also specifically mentioned among the seven with an honor that is unique to him? Some of them said: Allah, exalted is He, described the believers as truthful ones and martyrs, but in the meaning of witness, not in the meaning of martyr. This is similar to His saying, exalted is He: "And you will be witnesses over the people" [Al-Hajj: 78]. It is as if He, blessed and exalted is He, said in this verse: they are the people of truth and witness over the nations with their Lord. Ibn Abbas, Masruq, and Al-Dahhak said: The speech is complete in His saying, exalted is He: "Those are the truthful ones." And His saying, exalted is He: "And the martyrs" is an independent beginning. Then this group differed in the meaning of this beginning. Some of them said: The meaning of the verse is: and the martyrs, in that they are truthful ones present with their Lord. And by "the martyrs" he meant the prophets, peace be upon them. It is as if the prophets, peace be upon them, witness for the believers that they are truthful ones. This is explained by His saying, exalted is He: "So how will it be when We bring from every nation a witness and We bring you as a witness against these" [An-Nisa: 41]. And some of them said: His saying, exalted is He: "And the martyrs" is an independent beginning, intending by it the martyrs in the way of Allah, and He began the news about them by saying that they are with their Lord, for them is their reward and their light. It is as if He, exalted is He, made them a distinct category mentioned alone. And in the hadith: "Indeed, the people of the highest paradise see them from below them as you see a shining star, and indeed, Abu Bakr and Umar are among them and they are blessed."

And His saying, exalted is He: "For them is their reward and their light" is a report about the martyrs only, according to the last of the opinions. It is a report about the believers mentioned at the beginning of the verse according to the first three opinions. And His saying, exalted is He: "And their light" the majority of the interpreters said is a reality according to what has been narrated regarding what has been mentioned earlier in this surah. Mujahid and others said: It is a metaphorical expression for guidance, honor, and the good tidings they have received.

And when the mention of the believers and the people of honor was concluded, He, exalted is He, followed it with the mention of the disbelievers who deny to clarify the difference. He reminded them, exalted is He, that they are the companions of the Hellfire and its inhabitants.