'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' His saying, exalted and glorious is He: "And indeed, among us are the righteous and among us are others besides that. We are various paths." "And indeed, we thought that we would never be able to frustrate Allah on earth, nor could we frustrate Him by fleeing." "And when we heard the guidance, we believed in it. So whoever believes in his Lord, he will not fear loss nor oppression." "And indeed, among us are Muslims and among us are the unjust. So whoever submits, those are the ones who have sought guidance." "And as for the unjust, they will be fuel for Hellfire." This is all from the words of the jinn until the end of His saying, exalted and glorious is He: "And as for the unjust, they will be fuel for Hellfire." And His saying, exalted and glorious is He: "And among us are others besides that, meaning those who are not righteous." It is as if they said: "And among us is a people or a group who are not righteous." This term sometimes takes the place of "not." And "the paths" are the different ways, and "the various kinds" are likewise the differing things, as if He has divided them from one another and separated them. Ibn Abbas, Ikrimah, and Qatadah said: "The various paths are differing desires." Others said: "They are differing sects." Al-Kumayt said: I have gathered by opinion from them every rejecter, as they are various paths in their desires. Their saying: "And indeed, we thought that we would never be able to frustrate Allah," the thought here means knowledge. This is a report from them about their state after their belief in what they heard from Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. And "the guidance" they mean by it is the Qur'an, for they called it guidance because it is the cause of guidance. And "loss" is the deficiency of good deeds, and "oppression" is the increase in bad deeds. Al-Amash and Yahya ibn Wathab read: "So he will not fear" with certainty without an alif. And Allah, exalted and glorious is He, then divided the state of the people in the Hereafter in a manner similar to how the speaker of the jinn divided it, for His saying: "And indeed, among us are Muslims and among us are the unjust." And "the unjust" is the oppressor, as said by Mujahid, Qatadah, and the people. From him is the saying of the poet: A people who killed Ibn Hind by force, while they were unjust to Al-Nu'man. And "the just" is the one who is fair. This division is to mention the state of the two groups regarding salvation and destruction, and to encourage those who have not entered into Islam. The implication is that "So whoever submits" is an address from Allah, exalted and glorious is He, to Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, and what follows it from the verses supports this. And "they have sought" means they have sought by their efforts. From it is the saying of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him: "Do not seek your prayers at the rising or setting of the sun." And His saying, exalted and glorious is He: "Fuel for Hellfire" is similar to His saying, exalted and glorious is He: "Its fuel is men and stones."