His saying, exalted and majestic is He:

﴿And of those We created is a nation guiding by the truth and by it they act justly﴾ ﴿And those who denied Our verses, We will gradually lead them to destruction from where they do not know﴾ ﴿And I will give them time, for My plan is firm﴾ ﴿Do they not reflect upon their companion? There is no madness in him; he is only a clear warner﴾ ﴿Or do they not look into the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that Allah has created? And perhaps their appointed time has drawn near; so in what statement after it will they believe?﴾

This verse contains news about a people opposing those previously mentioned in that they are people of faith, uprightness, and guidance. The apparent wording of this verse implies every believer from the time of Adam, peace be upon him, until the Day of Resurrection. Al-Nahhas said: The world is never devoid of a caller to the truth at any time.

(p-99) Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

It is the same whether his voice is loud or silent.

It has been narrated by many of the interpreters that this refers to the nation of Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. It has been narrated in this regard from the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, that he said: "This verse is for you, and a similar one was previously given to the people of Musa."

And His saying, exalted is He: ﴿And those who denied Our verses﴾ is a warning, and the reference is to the disbelievers. And ﴿We will gradually lead them to destruction﴾ means: We will drive them step by step and degree by degree with blessings upon them and giving them respite until they become deluded and think that they will not be punished. And His saying, exalted is He: ﴿from where they do not know﴾ means: from where they do not know that it is a gradual leading to their destruction. This is a punishment from Allah for denying the verses, as when He decreed punishment upon them, He gave them time to increase in sin. Ibn Wathab and Al-Nakha'i read: "They will gradually lead them" with a ya.

And His saying, exalted is He: "I will give them time" means: I will delay them for a period of time. And in it are three pronunciations: opening the meem, and pronouncing it with a dammah, and with a kasrah. Abdul Hamid read from Ibn Amir: "That My plan" meaning: for the sake of My plan, and the majority of people and the rest of the seven reciters read: "Indeed, My plan" as a definitive statement and a new beginning.

(p-100) And "firm" means: strong. The poet said:

؎ For a family upon us is a duty we do not neglect ∗∗∗ Strong is its power, not weakened by the rope

And Ibn Ishaq narrated in this verse: "Trustworthy is its power," and it is from the strength that is relied upon for its strength. And from it is the saying of the poet, which is Imru' al-Qais:

؎ It has two sides like a lion ∗∗∗ ∗∗∗ that has fallen upon its forearms

And they are the sides of the back, and from it is the saying of another:

؎ We have turned away from despair and have opened up to trials ∗∗∗ ∗∗∗ many forms of calamity have tightened their grip

And from it is the saying of Imru' al-Qais:

؎ And he walks on deaf, solid rocks ∗∗∗ ∗∗∗ with strong ties that are flexible and firm

(p-101) And from it is the hadith in the battle of Banu al-Mustaliq: "So the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, moved among the people" meaning: he moved with them in a severe manner so that the conversation would be interrupted by the words of Ibn Ubayy ibn Salul: ﴿If we return to Medina﴾ [Al-Munafiqun: 8] the verse.

And His saying, exalted is He: "Or did they not reflect on what is with their companion?" This verse is a confirmation that is accompanied by a reprimand for the disbelievers. The pause is on His saying: "Or did they not reflect?" Then He began the statement by negating what they mentioned: "There is no madness in their companion," meaning in Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. It is possible that the meaning is: Did they not reflect that there is no madness in their companion?

The reason for the revelation of this verse, as it has been narrated, is that "the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, ascended one night to Safa and began to call the tribes of Quraysh: O sons of so-and-so, O sons of so-and-so, warning them and calling them to Allah. Some of the disbelievers said when morning came: This is a madman who has been shouting until morning." So Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, negated what they said about him in this mentioned context and in others, for madness is part of what they accused him of until Allah manifested His light. Then He informed that he is a warner, meaning a warning of punishment. The term warning, when it comes unrestricted, is indeed in the context of evil, and it may be used in the context of good when it is specified. It appears from the arrangement of the verse that it urges them to reflect on the matter of Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, and that there is no madness in him, as He referred them after this verse to contemplation. Then He clarified what they should contemplate on; likewise, He referred here to reflection and then clarified what should be reflected upon.

And His saying, exalted is He: "Or did they not look into the dominion of the heavens and the earth and what Allah has created from anything?" This verse is also a reprimand for the disbelievers and a confirmation. The looking here is with the heart, as a lesson and reflection. And "dominion" is a term of greatness and exaggeration. His saying, glorified is He: "And what Allah has created from anything" is a term that encompasses all that is looked into and inferred from, from the creation that indicates the Creator, and from the human self and its senses and the places of its sustenance. The term "thing" applies to all existents. And His saying: "And that perhaps" is a conjunction to His saying: "In the dominion." And the second "and" is in the position of raising with "perhaps," and the meaning is to stop them at the fact that they have not looked into anything of this, nor into the fact that their lifespans have drawn near, so they died and the time for rectification has passed, and the warning has become obligatory upon them.

Then He stopped them with what statement or matter would their faith and affirmation occur if it did not happen with something in which there is their salvation and their entry into Paradise? Similar to this is the saying of the poet:

"And for which soul after my soul shall I fight?"

And the pronoun in His saying, glorified is He: "after him" refers to the Qur'an. It has been said that it refers to Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, and his story and matter altogether. It has also been said that it refers to the appointed time, as there is no action after death.