His saying, exalted and majestic is He:

﴿Race towards forgiveness from your Lord and a garden whose width is like the width of the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who believe in Allah and His messengers. That is the favor of Allah; He gives it to whom He wills, and Allah is the Possessor of great favor.﴾

﴿No disaster strikes in the earth or in yourselves except that it is in a Book before We bring it into being. Indeed, that for Allah is easy.﴾

﴿So that you do not grieve over what has escaped you nor rejoice in what He has given you. And Allah does not like every self-deluded boaster.﴾

When He, exalted and majestic is He, mentioned the forgiveness that is in the Hereafter, He urged in this verse to hasten towards it and to race towards it. This verse is evidence among all scholars in urging towards acts of obedience. Some of them have inferred from it that the first times of prayers are better because they necessitate hastening and racing. Some of them mentioned in the interpretation of this verse things that are in the nature of examples. A group of scholars, among them Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "Race towards forgiveness from your Lord" means: be in the first row in battle. Others, among them Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said: witness the Takbir of Ihram with the Imam. Others, among them Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, said: be the first to enter the mosque and the last to leave it. All of this is in the nature of examples.

And He, exalted and majestic is He, mentioned the width of the garden, whereas it is known that it is less than its length. A group from the people of meanings said: He expressed the area by width and did not intend that its length is more or less. It has been narrated in the hadith that "the ceiling of Paradise is the Throne," and it has been narrated in the hadith that "the seven heavens in the Kursi are like a dirham in the desert, and the Kursi in the Throne is like a dirham in the desert."

And His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "Prepared" implies that it is created now and ready. Al-Hasan explicitly stated this in the Book of Discussion.

And His saying, exalted and majestic is He: ﴿No disaster strikes﴾, Ibn Zayd said: the meaning is: whatever happens of good or evil. This is according to the meaning of the word "strikes" and not according to the common understanding of disaster, for if it is understood in the context of evil. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, said that he meant the common understanding of disaster and specified it in mention because it is more significant to humans. It is one of the incidents, which indicates that all incidents, both good and evil, are likewise. And His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "in the earth" means: due to droughts, earthquakes, and other than that. And His saying, exalted and majestic is He: ﴿and not in yourselves﴾ means: due to death, diseases, and other than that. And His saying, exalted and majestic is He: ﴿except in a Book﴾ means: except that the disaster is in a Book, and "We bring it into being" means: We create it. It is said: Allah created the creation, meaning: He created them. The pronoun refers back to the disaster, and it is said: it refers back to the earth, and it is said: it refers back to the selves. This was said by Ibn Abbas, Qatadah, and a group. Al-Mahdawi mentioned the permissibility of the pronoun returning to all that was mentioned, and all of these meanings are correct because the previous Book is eternal before all of this. And His saying, exalted and majestic is He: ﴿Indeed, that for Allah is easy﴾ means: the attainment of all things is in the Book.

'And His saying, the Most High: ﴿So that you do not grieve over what has escaped you﴾ means: Allah, the Most High, has done all of this and informed you of it so that it may be a reason for your submission and your little concern for the matters of this world. So do not grieve over what has escaped you, and do not rejoice with a joy that leads to arrogance over what He has given you in it. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: There is no one who does not grieve and rejoice, but whoever is struck by a calamity makes it patience, and whoever is struck by good makes it gratitude. Abu Amr alone read: 'Ateekum' in the past tense, and this is consistent with His saying, the Most High: 'Fateekum.' The rest of the seven reciters read: 'Atakum' in the form of 'A'takum' meaning: Allah, the Most High, has given you. This is the reading of Al-Hasan, Al-A'raj, and the people of Mecca. Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, read: 'Ooteetum,' which supports the reading of the majority.

And His saying, the Most High: ﴿And Allah does not love every arrogant boaster﴾ indicates that the prohibited joy is that which leads to arrogance and boastfulness. As for the joy in the blessings of Allah, the Most High, that is accompanied by gratitude and humility, it is something that no one can refrain from, nor is there any blame in it.