'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful'. His saying - glorified and exalted is He -: "And this is a Book which We have sent down, blessed; so follow it and fear [Allah], that you may receive mercy." "Lest you say, 'The Scripture was only sent down to two groups before us, and indeed, we were of their study unaware.'" "Or lest you say, 'If only the Scripture had been sent down to us, we would have been better guided than they.' Indeed, there has come to you a clear proof from your Lord and guidance and mercy. So who is more unjust than one who denies the verses of Allah and turns away from them? We will make those who turn away from Our verses taste a terrible punishment for what they used to turn away from." "And this"; is a reference to the Qur'an; and "blessed"; is a description of what is in it from expansions; and the removal of the rulings of ignorance; and its prohibitions; and the gathering of the word of the Arabs; and the unity of the hands of its followers; and Allah, the Exalted, has opened for the believers through it; and its meaning is: "Its goodness is increased"; and "blessing": is increase; and growth; and "so follow it"; is a call to religion; and "and fear [Allah]": the most apparent in it is that it is a command for general piety in all matters; by the evidence of His saying - glorified and exalted is He -: "that you may receive mercy." And "that"; from His saying - glorified and exalted is He -: "Lest you say..."; is in the accusative case; and its doer is "We have sent it down"; and the estimation is: "And this is a Book which We have sent down, out of dislike for you to say..."; and this is the most correct of the sayings; and the most precise for the intended meaning; and it is said: the doer in "that"; is His saying - glorified and exalted is He - "and fear [Allah]"; as if He said: "and fear [Allah] that you say..."; and this interpretation can be derived on the meaning: "and fear [Allah] that you say such and such; for you have no proof in it"; but there is a concern in it; due to His saying - glorified and exalted is He -: "that you may receive mercy."; and in the first interpretation, the structure of the verse is consistent. And the two groups: are the Jews and the Christians; by consensus of the interpreters; and "study": is reading; and learning through it; and "if"; in His saying - glorified and exalted is He -: "And if we were..."; is lightened from the heavy; and the "lam" in His saying - glorified and exalted is He -: "indeed, we were unaware"; is a lam of emphasis; this is the view of the Basrans; and Sibawayh reported from some of the Arabs that they lighten it; and keep it in its function; and among them is the reading of some of the people of Medina: "And if we were all unaware"; and as for the famous view, if it is lightened, it returns to the letter of beginning; it does not function; and as for the view of the Kufans, then "if"; in this verse; means "not"; the negator; and the "lam" means "except"; as if He said: "And we were not unaware of their study except for being unaware." The judge Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: The meaning of this verse is the removal of the proof from the hands of Quraysh; and the rest of the Arabs; that they did not have a Book; as if He said: "And this Qur'an, O assembly of Arabs, was sent down as a proof against you; so that you do not say: 'Indeed, the Torah and the Gospel were sent down in a language other than ours to others; and we did not know that; this is a Book in your language; and with a man from among you.'"

And His saying, exalted is He, "Or do you say"; is a phrase that is connected to the first phrase. It is in the context of arguing against the disbelievers. It cuts off their attachment in the Hereafter by stating that the Scriptures were revealed to others. They are heedless of studying and reflecting on the Shari'ah. If a Book were to be revealed to them, they would be quicker to guidance than all people. So it was said to them: "Indeed, a clear statement has come to you from Allah, exalted is He, and guidance and mercy."

And when it was established that the clear evidence had come and the proof had been established, it was appropriate thereafter that the confirmation occurs with His saying, exalted is He, "So who is more unjust than one who denies these clear signs?"

And "صَدَفَ" means: to turn away, to deviate, and to disregard. And Yahya ibn Waththab and Ibn Abi Abla read: "كَذَبَ" with a lightening of the د; while the majority read: "كَذَّبَ" with a strengthening of the د. And "سَنَجْزِي الَّذِينَ" is a threat. And a group read: "يَصْدِفُونَ" with a kasra on the د; while another group read: "يَصْدُفُونَ" with a damma on the د.