Its meaning is: And whoever is blind in this world, he is blind in the Hereafter as well and more astray than the blind. The blind is a metaphor for one who does not perceive the visible due to the corruption of his senses, for one who does not find the path of salvation: in this world due to the loss of sight, and in the Hereafter because guidance will not benefit him. It has been permitted that the second [blind] means superiority. [He returned to his words. He said: 'It has been permitted that the second means superiority... etc.' Ahmad said: 'That is because it is from the blindness of the heart and not the blindness of sight, so it is permissible that it is derived from the comparative.'] Therefore, Abu Amr read the first with a slight inclination and the second with emphasis. [He returned to his words. He said: 'Therefore, Abu Amr inclined the first and emphasized the second... etc.' Ahmad said: 'It is possible that this verse is a counterpart of the first, meaning: whoever is given his book in his right hand, he is the one who sees it and reads it, and whoever was blind in this world, not seeing himself nor looking at his end, he is in the Hereafter likewise not seeing his book, but blind to it or more blind than he was in this world, according to the different interpretations, and Allah knows best.'] This is because the comparative form is completed with 'than,' so its alif is considered as if it is situated in the middle of the speech. [The phrase 'situated in the middle of the speech' perhaps refers to the word, as in the expression of Al-Nasafi. (A)] As for the first, nothing is related to it, so its alif is situated at the end, exposed to inclination.