'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' He, the Exalted, said: "Certainly, they sought fitnah before and they turned matters upside down for you until the truth came and the command of Allah appeared while they were averse." "And among them is he who says, 'Grant me permission and do not put me to trial.' Surely, they have fallen into fitnah. And indeed, Hell is surrounding the disbelievers." "If a good thing touches you, it distresses them; and if a misfortune strikes you, they say, 'We had already taken our matter before.' And they turn away while they are rejoicing." "Say, 'Nothing will strike us except what Allah has decreed for us; He is our Protector. And upon Allah let the believers rely.'" In this verse, there is a belittlement of them. This is because He informed that they previously strove against Islam, and Allah nullified their striving. The meaning of His saying, "before," refers to their state at the time of the migration of the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, and their retreat from it at Uhud and elsewhere. The meaning of "and they turned matters upside down for you" is that they planned it in secret. They examined its aspects and divisions, and they strove with every trick. Muslimah ibn Muharib read: "and they turned matters upside down for you" with a lightening of the ل. And "the command of Allah" is Islam and His call. His saying, the Exalted, "And among them is he who says, 'Grant me permission'" was revealed concerning Al-Jadd ibn Qays. It is mentioned that when the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, commanded to raid the lands of the Romans, he encouraged the people and said to Al-Jadd ibn Qays: "Do you not want to fight this year against the sons of the yellow?" And he said to him and the people: "Raid, and you will gain the daughters of the yellow!" Al-Jadd ibn Qays said to him: 'Grant me permission to stay behind and do not put me to trial by mentioning the daughters of the yellow, for my people know that I cannot control myself when I see women.'" Ibn Ishaq mentioned something similar to this in the saying that contains much slackness and excuses for staying behind. Al-Tabari narrated that the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, said: "Raid Tabuk, and you will gain the daughters of the yellow!" Al-Jadd said: 'Grant me permission and do not put us to trial with women.'" This is a different inclination than the first if considered, and it resembles hypocrisy and opposition. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, said that Al-Jadd said: "But I will assist you with my wealth." Some people interpreted his saying: "and do not put me to trial" as meaning: do not make it difficult for me until I need to commit your disobedience and oppose you. So make it easy for me and let me be without any burden. This is a good interpretation that aligns with the wording. However, the mention of the daughters of the yellow is an objection to this interpretation. Isa ibn Umar read: "and do not put me to trial" with a heavy ت. Abu Hatim said: It is the language of Banu Tamim. The yellow is the Romans, the sons of Ais ibn Ishaq ibn Ibrahim, the Friend, peace be upon them. They were of a yellow color, and it is said to the Romans: the sons of the yellow. From that is the saying of Abu Sufyan: "The matter of the son of Abu Kabshah has been commanded, for he is feared by the king of the sons of the yellow." And from it is the saying of the poet:

Al-Naqqash and al-Mahdawi mentioned that the Asfar is a man from Abyssinia who fell in the lands of the Romans. He married and had daughters who were beautiful. This is weak. And His saying, the Most High: ﴿Indeed, they fell into the trial﴾ means in that which they showed fleeing from it, as has been made clear to you and to the believers from their hypocrisy. And what has been confirmed with you from their disbelief has corrupted what is between you and them.

And ﴿they fell﴾ is a phrase indicating the certainty of their falling. From it: "You fell upon the expert." Then He said: ﴿And indeed, Hell is surrounding the disbelievers﴾. This is a severe threat to them, meaning: it is their end and their fate, however they turn in this world, they will return to it. It is surrounding in this manner.

And His saying, the Most High: ﴿If a good thing touches you﴾, the verse informs about their belief and what they are upon. The good thing here, according to the battle, is the spoils and victory, and the calamity is defeat and disappointment. The wording is general - after that - in every beloved and disliked matter. And the meaning of His saying, the Most High: ﴿We had taken our matter before﴾ means we had resolved to remain behind and looked to ourselves.

And His saying, the Most High: ﴿Say, nothing will befall us﴾, the verse. Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, commanded His Prophet in this verse to respond to the hypocrites and to spoil their joy by informing them that the thing they believe to be a calamity is not as they have believed, but rather all of it is what Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, has decreed for the believers. So either it will be victory and joy in this world or it will be a provision for the Hereafter. And Talhah ibn Musarif read: "Say, will anything befall us?" Abu Hatim mentioned it. And according to Ibn Jinni: Talhah ibn Musarif read, and the eye of the judge of Ray read: "Say, nothing will befall us" with the second 'ya' being emphasized and broken. This is what Abu al-Fath mentioned and explained that, and it is an error, and Allah knows best.

Abu Hatim said: Amr ibn Shafiq said: I heard the eye of the judge of Ray reading: "Say, nothing will befall us" with the 'noon' being emphasized. Abu Hatim said: And that is not permissible because the 'noon' does not enter with "lan". And if it were for Talhah ibn Musarif, it would have been permissible because it is with "hal". Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, said: ﴿Will his plot remove what enrages?﴾ [Al-Hajj: 15]. And His saying: ﴿Allah has decreed﴾ it is possible that He means what He has ordained and destined. And it is possible that He means what Allah has written for us in our Qur'an upon us that we either prevail over our enemy or be martyred, so we enter Paradise.

The judge Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

And this possibility returns to the first, and al-Zajjaj mentioned both.

And His saying, exalted is He: ﴿And upon Allah let the believers rely﴾ means: along with their striving and effort, as there is no power and no strength except by Allah. This is the saying of most scholars, and it is correct. This is what the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, did throughout his life. Among it is his support between two shields. People have differed in the meaning of reliance in sustenance. The most apparent and correct is that a man who can engage in pure lawful means, which does not involve any dislike, should strive for what preserves him, such as gathering firewood and similar activities. And Allah, blessed and exalted is He, has linked sustenance with taking causes. Among it is His saying, exalted is He: ﴿And shake the trunk of this palm tree towards you; it will drop fresh, ripe dates upon you﴾ [Maryam: 25].

And among it is the saying of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, regarding birds: "They go out hungry..." the hadith. And among it is his saying, blessings and peace be upon him: "Tie it and rely (on Allah)." Some people have gone to the extent that a strong man, when he reaches the level of reliance, enters a cave or a house where he is unaware of what is in it, and remains in the remembrance of Allah, relying, saying: If there is sustenance left for me, Allah will bring it to me, and if my sustenance has been completed, I have died. This is considered good by some people. My father, may Allah be pleased with him, informed me that there was a man in the Sacred Mosque who would repeatedly take out a card from his pocket, look at it, then put it away, and remain in that state until he died in that place. I read the card, and it was written on it: ﴿And be patient for the judgment of your Lord, for indeed, you are in Our sight﴾ [At-Tur: 48].

The judge Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This way is not seen by most scholars. Rather, a man should strive for his sustenance in a good manner, avoiding any suspicion. If it becomes impossible for him and he reaches the level of necessity, then at that point, if he permits himself to ask and eats what is forbidden, it is permissible for him. If he is patient and considers himself, he is in the highest rank among people. And among the people are those who see that it is an obligation upon him to preserve his life.

As for one who chooses to throw himself into reliance while striving is possible, this has never been the character of the Messenger, blessings and peace be upon him, nor of the companions, nor of the scholars. And Allah, glorified is He, is the one who guides to what is correct. Among the evidences of those who advocate reliance is the hadith of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, in his saying: "Seventy thousand of my nation will enter Paradise without reckoning, and they are those who do not seek treatment, nor do they cauterize, nor do they use charms, and upon their Lord they rely." In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, prayed for Ukasha ibn Mihsan to be among them. It was said: This is because he knew from him that he was of that nature. And he said to another: "Ukasha has surpassed you in this." And the supplication was cooled. It was said: This is because he was a hypocrite, and it was said: Rather, he knew from him that he was not suitable for this degree of reliance.