I will not send him with you, as it contradicts my state. [Mahamud said: "Its meaning is that sending him with you contradicts... etc."] Ahmad said: "The word 'lan' is for emphatic negation. As for the saying of al-Zamakhshari regarding the contradiction, he has a purpose behind that which is only understood by one who has studied his words thoroughly. This is because he relied on the interpretation of the vision of Allah, the Exalted, stating that His saying 'You will not see Me' means that vision contradicts my state. He made this contradiction a consequence of 'lan' and then adhered to this word wherever it occurred. All of this is to train the minds to understand that this is a consequence of 'lan', and the response to that has already been mentioned.]] - And I have seen from you what I have seen - sending him with you until you bring me a covenant from Allah, meaning that you should swear to me by Allah. He made swearing by Allah a covenant because swearing by Him is what strengthens and confirms promises. Allah has permitted that, so it is His permission that you will surely bring it to me as an answer to the oath, because the meaning is: until you swear to bring it to me unless you are overwhelmed. [[He returned to his words. He said: "And His saying 'You will surely bring it to me unless you are overwhelmed' means unless you are defeated and cannot bring it... etc."] Ahmad said: "This type of exception is specific to negation because the excluded is not mentioned, and the negation is general. It follows that negating the coming, for example, implies negating all subsequent conditions necessarily. It is as if it is coupled with mentioning the excluded. The coming, however, does not imply general conditions, as it only depends on one of them. And Allah knows best. This story has indeed proven the common saying, which is: 'Affliction is tied to speech.' For indeed, Jacob, peace be upon him, first said regarding Joseph: 'I fear that a wolf will eat him,' and he was tested because of this statement. Then he said here a second time: 'Unless you are overwhelmed,' meaning that you are defeated by him, and he was also tested by that, and they were overwhelmed by him.]] So you could not bring him. Or unless you perish. If you say: Inform me about the reality of this exception, for it contains a problem? I say: 'To be overwhelmed' is an object of purpose, and the affirmative statement which is His saying 'You will surely bring it to me' is interpreted as negation. Its meaning is: You do not refrain from bringing it except for being overwhelmed by you, meaning: You do not refrain from it for any reason except for one reason: that you are overwhelmed by you. It is an exception from the broadest generality in the object of purpose, and an exception from the broadest generality can only be in negation alone, so it must be interpreted as negation. An example of the affirmative interpreted as negation is their saying: 'I swore by Allah that if I did not do it, I would do it,' meaning: I do not ask you for anything except the action based on what we say regarding the request for the covenant and giving it. A guardian is watchful and observant.