When they asked him and described him with kindness, he took that as an opportunity. He connected it with describing himself with what is beyond the knowledge of scholars, which is the news of the unseen. He would inform them of what food would be brought to them in prison before it came to them and describe it to them, saying: 'Today food will come to you, described as such and such,' and they would find it as he informed them. He made that a means to mention to them the oneness of Allah and to present to them faith, beautifying it for them, and making polytheism with Allah seem ugly to them. This is a method that every knowledgeable person should follow with the ignorant and the wicked. If one of them seeks a fatwa, he should first provide guidance, direction, admonition, and advice, and invite him to what is more appropriate and obligatory upon him than what he asked about, and then he may give him a fatwa afterward. The scholar, if his status in knowledge is unknown, and he describes himself with what he is addressing—his aim being that they may benefit from him in religion—this is not considered self-praise by interpreting his essence and nature. This is because it resembles explaining the ambiguous and clarifying its meaning. This is an indication to them of interpretation, meaning that this interpretation and news of the unseen is from what my Lord has taught me and revealed to me, and I did not say it based on conjecture or astrology. I have left the religion of those people and followed the religion of the mentioned prophets, which is the Hanif religion. He meant by 'those who do not believe' the people of Egypt and those who were the youths of their religion. Their repetition indicates that they are particularly disbelievers in the Hereafter, and that others were believers in it, those who follow the religion of Ibrahim. To emphasize their disbelief in the recompense, it is a reminder of the oppression and major sins they commit, which can only be done by one who is a disbeliever in the abode of recompense. It may also imply what he was subjected to by them when they imprisoned him, after they saw the clear signs of his innocence. That can only be done by one who is greatly disbelieving in the recompense. He mentioned his ancestors to show them that he comes from a prophetic lineage after informing them that he is a prophet who receives revelation, with what he mentioned about informing of the unseen, to strengthen their desire to listen to him and follow his words. 'It is not for us, the prophets, to associate anything with Allah,' whether it be from a king, a jinn, or a human, let alone to associate with Him an idol that does not hear or see. Then he said: 'That oneness is from the favor of Allah upon us and upon the people,' meaning upon the messengers and those to whom they were sent, because they alerted them to it and guided them to it. 'But most of the people to whom they were sent do not thank Allah for His favor, so they associate partners with Him and do not pay attention.' It was said that this is from the favor of Allah upon us because He has set for us the signs that we look into and use for guidance. Such signs have been set for all people without distinction, but most people do not look or seek guidance, following their desires, remaining disbelievers and ungrateful.