His saying - glorified and exalted is He -: "So when he saw the sun rising, he said: This is my Lord; this is greater. But when it set, he said: O my people, indeed I am disassociated from what you associate." "Indeed, I have directed my face toward He who created the heavens and the earth, inclining toward truth, and I am not of the polytheists." "And his people argued with him. He said: Do you argue with me about Allah while He has guided me? And I do not fear what you associate with Him, except if my Lord should will something. My Lord encompasses all things in knowledge. So will you not remember?" When he aimed for his Lord, he said: "This"; thus he reminded; meaning: this visible thing; or the illuminating one; and similar to this; "But when it set"; the sun; nothing remained to represent for them by it; thus his argument became clear; and he became strong by that against their opposition; and disassociated from their associating. (p-405) And His saying: "Indeed, I am disassociated from what you associate"; supports the saying of one who said: it is revealed in the context of old age and obligation; and "I have directed my face"; meaning: I have turned with my intention; and my worship; and my monotheism; and my faith; and other than that which the meaning expressed by "my face" encompasses; and "created"; its meaning is: originated in bodies; and "inclining"; its meaning is: straight; and "al-hanif" means: the inclination; in the speech of the Arabs; and its origin is in persons; and it is metaphorical in meanings; for the crooked in bodies is more "hanif"; in reality; meaning inclined; and the straight in them is "hanif"; in a figurative sense; as if it inclined from every direction to the uprightness. "And they argued with him": "he engaged with him"; from "al-hujjah"; he said: "Do you dispute with me regarding the proof of the oneness of Allah, the Exalted?" And some of his people read: "Do you argue with me"; by pronouncing both nuns; and this is the original; and Ibn Kathir; and Abu Amr; and Asim; and Hamzah; and al-Kisai read: "Do you argue with me"; by merging the first nun into the second; and Nafi and Ibn Amer read: "Do you argue with me"; by omitting the single nun; and it was said: it is the second; and it was said: it is the first; and what indicates that is that it remained broken; Abu Ali al-Farisi said: it is not permissible to omit the first; because it is for the case; and only the second was omitted, which is a preparatory for the 'ya' of the speaker; just as it was omitted in "layti"; and in the poet's saying:

............... *** It displeases the beloved ones if I should be absent

And after that, the remaining first was broken; due to its proximity to the 'ya'.

'And He has guided us'; meaning: He has guided me to His knowledge and His oneness. Al-Kisai inclined towards 'guided us'; and the inclination in that is good. If inclination is permissible in 'ghaza' and 'da'a' - which are from the ones with a waw - then it is more permissible and better in 'hadani' - which is from the ones with a ya. It has been reported that the disbelievers said to Ibrahim - blessings and peace be upon him -: 'Fear that our gods may afflict you with leprosy or disease, due to your harm towards them and your belittling of them.' He - blessings and peace be upon him - said to them: 'I do not fear that which you associate with Him; for it has no power and is of no benefit to you.' And 'ma' in this context means 'that which'; and the pronoun in 'bihee' may return to Allah - glorified and exalted is He - so that in His saying: 'you associate,' the pronoun refers back to 'ma.' The estimation of the speech is: 'And I do not fear the idols that you associate with Allah, the Exalted, in lordship.' It is also possible that the pronoun returns to 'ma,' and there is no need for anything else; as if the estimation is: 'that which you associate because of it.' And His saying, the Exalted, 'Except that my Lord wills something'; is an exception that is not from the first. And 'shay'an' is in the accusative due to 'yasha.' Since the strength of the speech is that he does not fear harm, he excepted the will of his Lord, the Exalted, in that He may will harm for him. And 'ilm' is in the accusative as a distinction; it is a noun meaning the doer, as the Arabs say: 'Zayd sweated with sweat'; and the meaning is: 'The sweat of Zayd poured.' Likewise, the meaning here is: 'The knowledge of my Lord encompasses all things.' 'Do you not reflect?' is a pause, a reminder, and an indication of their shortcomings.