His saying - glorified and exalted is He -: "Say, what is greater in testimony? Say, Allah is a witness between me and you. And this Qur'an has been revealed to me so that I may warn you by it and whoever reaches it. Do you certainly testify that with Allah there are other deities? Say, I do not testify. Say, indeed He is one God, and indeed I am free of what you associate."

"Any": it is an interrogative; and it is inflected while being ambiguous; and this is because it necessitates addition; and because it contains knowledge of a part of the one being inquired about that is not specified; for when you say: "Which of the two men came to us?" you know that one of them came, but not which one; thus these two aspects remove it from the depths of ambiguity, and it is inflected.

And this verse implies that Allah - glorified and exalted is He - is referred to as "a thing"; just as He is referred to as "existing"; but there is nothing like Him - blessed and exalted is He.

And "testimony" is in the accusative as a specification; and it is valid for the object; by carrying "greater" on the analogy of the description resembling the active participle.

And this verse is similar to His saying - exalted is He -: "Say, to whom belongs what is in the heavens and the earth? Say, to Allah." [Al-An'am: 12]; in that it is an inquiry directed towards confirmation; and then He hastens to the answer; for there cannot be any opposition in it; and this is like when you say to someone you are disputing with and complaining about: "Who is more capable than anyone in the city?"; then you hasten and say: "The Sultan; for he prevents us"; and similar examples to this; thus the meaning of the verse is that He said to them: "What is greater in testimony? Allah is greater in testimony; for He is a witness between me and you"; so "Allah" is raised as the subject; and its predicate is implied; indicated by the apparent wording; as we have estimated; and "witness" is the predicate of the implied subject.

And Mujahid said: The meaning is that Allah, exalted is He, said to His Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him -: "Say to them: What is greater in testimony? And say to them: Allah is a witness between me and you; when they were at a loss for an answer"; so "witness" in this interpretation is a predicate for "Allah"; and there is no initiative from the questioner to the intended answer by His saying: "a witness between me and you"; meaning: in my conveying.

And a group read: "And I was revealed this Qur'an"; in the past tense; and "the Qur'an" is in the accusative; and in "and I was revealed"; there is a pronoun referring back to Allah, exalted is He, from His saying: "Say, Allah"; and a group read: "And it was revealed"; in the passive voice; "the Qur'an" is in the nominative.

"To warn you"; its meaning is: to frighten you with it of punishment; and the Hereafter; and "and whoever" is conjoined to the 'kaf' and 'mim' in His saying: "to warn you"; and "and whoever reaches"; its meaning - according to the majority - is: the conveying of the Qur'an; that is: to warn you; and to warn whoever reaches it; so in "reaches" there is an omitted pronoun; because it is in the connection of "and whoever"; thus it was omitted due to the length of the speech; and a group said: "and whoever reaches maturity"; so in "reaches" - according to this interpretation - there is a presumed pronoun referring back to "and whoever."

And it has been narrated regarding the meaning of the first interpretation that there are hadiths; among them is that the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him - said: "O people; convey from me even if it is one verse; for whoever is conveyed a verse from the Book of Allah, the Exalted, has certainly conveyed the command of Allah, the Exalted, whether he takes it or leaves it." And similar to this are the hadiths; like his saying - blessings and peace be upon him -: "Whoever this Qur'an reaches, I am his warner." (p-331) And a group read: "Ayinakum"; with an additional alif between the first and second hamzah that is facilitated; working after this facilitation as it was before the facilitation; and a group read: "Ayinakum"; with two hamzah; the second is facilitated; without an alif between them; and a group read: "Ainankum"; they found the gathering of the two hamzah heavy; so they added an alif between the two hamzah; and a group read: "Innakum"; affirmatively; without estimation.

And this verse aims at reproach; and it discredits the opinion.

And "ukhra"; is an adjective for "aliha"; and the description of the plural of what does not reason is treated in the singular feminine manner; like his saying: "other needs"; and likewise his addressing the plural of what does not reason; like his saying: "O mountains, respond with him" [Saba: 10]; and similar to this; and since these deities are stones; and sticks; this was treated accordingly.

Then Allah, the Exalted, commanded him to disavow their testimony; and to proclaim the oneness of Allah - blessed and exalted is He -; and to disavow their associating partners with Him.

And "wa innani"; is an affirmation to which the noon that follows the verb is attached; so that its movement remains when the pronoun is connected to it; in your saying: "and he struck me"; and similar.

The apparent meaning of the verse is that it is about the worshippers of idols; and Al-Tabari mentioned that it has been reported from a source whose authenticity has not been established that it was revealed concerning a group of Jews; and it was attributed to Ibn Abbas - may Allah be pleased with them both - who said: "The blacksmith Ibn Zayd; and Qardam Ibn Ka'b; and Bahri Ibn Umayr came and said: O Muhammad; do you know of a god with Allah other than Him? So he - blessings and peace be upon him - said to them: 'There is no god but Allah; with that I have been commanded'; so the verse was revealed concerning them."