His saying - glorified and exalted is He -: "And certainly, messengers were denied before you. So they were patient over what they were denied and harmed until Our victory came to them. And there is no changer of the words of Allah. And certainly, there has come to you from the news of the messengers." "And if their aversion is hard on you, then if you are able to seek a tunnel in the earth or a ladder in the sky, then bring them a sign. And if Allah had willed, He would have gathered them upon guidance. So do not be among the ignorant." This verse contains the presentation of the example that should be followed by Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah - blessings and peace be upon him -; and his hope that he would receive like what they received from victory if he adhered to what they adhered to of patience. Al-Dahhak and Ibn Jurayj said: Allah, the Exalted, consoled His Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him - with this verse. It has been narrated from Ibn 'Amir that he read: "And they were harmed" without a waw after the hamzah. Then he strengthened that hope with His saying: "And there is no changer of the words of Allah"; meaning: there is no repeller of His command; and His prior words concerning what will be; and no one can deny what He has informed of. So the meaning is: "So be patient as they were patient; and wait for what comes; and trust in this news; for there is no changer of it." The intent here is this news; and the wording is general for all the prior words of Allah, the Exalted; as for the words of Allah - glorified and exalted is He - in the Torah and the Gospel; the view of Ibn 'Abbas - may Allah be pleased with both of them - is that there is no changer of them; but rather the Jews distorted them by interpretation, not by changing letters and words; and many scholars permitted that they may have changed the words, because they were entrusted with them; and this is the more apparent. As for the Qur'an, Allah, the Exalted, has ensured its preservation; so it is not permissible to change it. Allah - blessed and exalted is He - said: "And indeed, We will preserve it" [Al-Hijr: 9]; and He said regarding those: "By what they were entrusted from the Book of Allah" [Al-Ma'idah: 44]. And His saying - the Exalted -: "And certainly, there has come to you from the news of the messengers"; meaning: in what We have revealed and narrated to you; what fulfills this which We have informed you of. The subject of "has come to you" is implied, according to what Al-Tabari and Al-Rummani have gone to; its estimation is: "And certainly, a news has come to you; or news has come." Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: The correct meaning according to me is that it is estimated as: "clarity"; or "explanation." Abu Ali Al-Farisi said: His saying: "from the news of the messengers" is in the position of raising with "came"; and the preposition has entered upon the subject; and this is according to the view of Al-Akhfash in permitting the entry of "from" in the obligatory; and the view of Al-Rummani is that "from" should not be added in the obligatory.

And His saying, exalted is He, "And if their aversion is hard on you"; this verse contains an obligation of proof for the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him - and a division of the states upon him; so that it becomes clear that there is no way except for patience and proceeding with the command of Allah, exalted is He. The meaning is: "If you find their denial and disbelief to be great upon yourself; and you adhere to sadness over it; then if you could enter a burrow in the depths of the earth; or ascend a ladder in the sky; then do so as you wish with it"; meaning: "Indeed, you cannot do any of this; and you must adhere to patience; and bear the hardship; and oppose them with the signs which Allah, exalted is He, has set for those who observe and reflect; for He - there is no deity except Him - did not intend to gather them upon guidance; rather, He intended to set forth from the signs what a people may be guided by reflecting upon it; and others go astray; since He created them upon the fitrah; and guided the way; and His mercy preceded His anger; and all of this belongs to Him by right of His ownership, exalted is He. So do not be among the ignorant by regretting; and be saddened over a matter that Allah, exalted is He, intended and enacted; and He knows the benefit in it."

Qadi Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: This is the meaning of the verse.

And the name "kan"; it is correct that it be the matter; and the affair; and "their aversion is hard on you"; is its news; and it is correct that "their aversion" is the name of "kan"; and it is estimated in "hard"; a pronoun; and "hard" is in the position of the news; and the first of the two opinions is more sound.

And "al-nafaq": the burrow in the earth; and from it: "the burrows of the jerboa"; and "the ladder": the thing upon which one ascends; and it can be derived from "al-salamah"; because it is its cause; and its plural is "salalim"; and from it is the saying of the poet:

"No barriers of the land will prevent a man, nor will ladders be built for him in the heavens."

And "so that a sign comes to them"; meaning: with a sign; and he means: either in your doing that; meaning: the sign is the very act of your entering the earth; or your ascending in the sky; or that a sign comes to them from one of the two directions; and the response to the condition was omitted earlier in his saying: "So if you are able"; for brevity; for the understanding of the listener; its estimation is: "Then do it; or do as you wish"; as has been mentioned.

And "He would gather them"; it is possible: either by creating them as believers; or by granting them faith after their disbelief; by opening their chests; and "guidance": the direction; and this verse refutes the Qadariyyah who say: "Indeed, the ability does not necessitate that the disbeliever believes; and that what comes to a person from all of his actions is not created by Allah, exalted is He, in it"; exalted is Allah above their saying.

And "among the ignorant"; it is possible that he does not know that if Allah, exalted is He, had willed, He would have gathered them; and it is possible that you are concerned with the existence of their disbelief which He has decreed; and intended; and you take yourself to what Allah, exalted is He, did not decree.

There appears to be a distinction between Allah's saying to Muhammad - blessings and peace be upon him -: "So do not be among the ignorant"; and between Allah's saying to Noah - peace be upon him -: "Indeed, I advise you not to be among the ignorant" [Hud: 46]; and it has been established that Muhammad - blessings and peace be upon him - is the best of the prophets. Al-Makki and Al-Mahdi said: "And the address in His saying: 'So do not be among the ignorant' is for the Prophet - peace and blessings be upon him -; and what is meant by it is his nation." And this is weak; the wording does not necessitate it. Some said: Noah was honored due to his age and his gray hair; and some said: The burden was heavier on Muhammad - blessings and peace be upon him - due to his closeness to Allah - glorified and exalted is He - and his status with Him; just as a reproacher bears more on his relative than on strangers.

Qadi Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: The strong view with me regarding the verse is that it did not come according to the two prophets; rather, it came according to the two matters from which the prohibition occurred; and the reproach in them. It is clear that the matter from which Muhammad - blessings and peace be upon him - was prohibited is of greater significance and more dangerous than the matter that Noah - peace be upon him - encountered.