And they said to their brothers, meaning for the sake of their brothers, as Allah, the Exalted, said: "And those who disbelieved said to those who believed, 'If it had been good, they would not have preceded us to it.'" And the meaning of brotherhood is the agreement of kind or lineage. When they traveled in the land, if they traveled in it and went far for trade or otherwise, or if they were raiders, the plural of raider, like 'aaf' and 'afaa,' as in the saying: 'The water has become aaf.' And it is read with the lightening of the zaa by omitting the taa from 'ghaza.' If you say: How was it said: "When they traveled" with "they said"? I say: It is in the narration of the past state, like saying: When they strike in the land. If you say: What is the relation to 'to make'? I say: They said, meaning they said that and believed it to be a regret in their hearts, just as the 'lam' is in: "So that it may be for them an enemy and a sorrow." Or do not be, meaning: Do not be like them in uttering that saying and believing it, so that Allah may make the negation of your being like them a regret in their hearts, for opposing them in what they say and believe and contradicting them is what grieves and angers them. And Allah gives life and causes death, a response to their saying. Meaning, the matter is in His hand; He may give life to the traveler and the raider, and cause death to the resident and the one who sits as He wills. And it is reported from Khalid ibn al-Walid, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said at his death: There is not a span in me except that there is a strike or a stab in it, and here I am dying as a camel dies; may the eyes of the cowards not sleep. And Allah is All-Seer of what you do, so do not be like them. And it is read with the yaa, meaning those who disbelieved; 'For forgiveness' is the response to the oath, which suffices as the response to the condition, and likewise: "To Allah you will be gathered" is a lie of the disbelievers at first in their claim that whoever traveled from their brothers or raided, if he had been in the city, he would not have died. And He forbade the Muslims from that because it is a reason for retreat from jihad. Then He said to them: And if what you fear of destruction by death and killing in the way of Allah comes upon you, then what you attain of forgiveness and mercy by dying in the way of Allah is better than what you gather from the world and its benefits if you do not die. And from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both of them: Better than the expanse of the earth in gold. And it is read with the yaa, meaning the disbelievers will be gathered to Allah, the Most Merciful, the Vast in mercy, the Great in reward. You will be gathered, and the occurrence of Allah's name in this position with its precedence and the inclusion of the 'lam' on the connected letter is a matter not hidden. It is read: 'You have died' with the mīm being either pronounced or broken, from 'maata' and 'yamoot'.