So direct your face to the religion, and align your face to it and adjust it, not turning away from it to the right or to the left. This is a representation of one’s turning towards the religion, remaining steadfast upon it, and being firm in it, and being concerned with its causes. For indeed, whoever is concerned with something directs his attention to it, focuses his gaze upon it, and aligns his face towards it, approaching it. And being upright is a state of the one being commanded. Or from the religion is the creation of Allah, meaning adhere to the creation of Allah. Or upon you is the creation of Allah. And it is implied in addressing the group due to His saying, 'turning to Him.' And 'turning' is a state of the pronoun in 'adhere.' And His saying, 'and fear Him and establish...' and 'do not be' is connected to this implied statement. And the creation is the nature. Do you not see His saying, 'there is no changing the creation of Allah'? The meaning is that He created them capable of monotheism and the religion of Islam, not turning away from it nor denying it, as it corresponds to reason and aligns with correct understanding. So if they were to leave it, they would choose another religion, and whoever among them was led astray was led astray by the devils of mankind and jinn. From it is His ﷺ saying, 'All My servants I created them upright, but the devils led them astray from their religion and commanded them to associate with Me others.' This was narrated by Muslim from the hadith of Iyad ibn Himar with more detail. And His saying, peace be upon him: 'Every newborn is born upon the fitrah until his parents make him a Jew or a Christian.' This is agreed upon from the hadith of Abu Huraira. 'There is no changing the creation of Allah,' meaning it is not appropriate for that fitrah to be altered or changed. If you say: Why was the address singular at first, then plural? I say: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was addressed first, and the address to the Messenger is an address to his nation, along with the honor of the leader. Then it was made plural for clarification and summarization. 'From those' is a replacement for 'the polytheists' who divided their religion, abandoning the religion of Islam. And it was read: 'they divided their religion' with emphasis, meaning they made it different religions due to their differing desires. 'And they were sects,' factions, each one following its leader who misled it. 'Every party among them rejoiced in what they had,' thinking their falsehood to be the truth. And it is possible that 'from those' is disconnected from what preceded it, meaning from those who separated from their religion, every party rejoicing in what they have. However, 'rejoicing' is raised as a description for all, as in His saying: 'And every friend who does not humble himself to his companion...' And every friend who does not humble himself to his companion is deserving of being turned away from and avoided, as Al-Shamakh said. And it is narrated: the second half of the verse is replaced with 'a friend who is sharp or a source.' And 'not humbling' is raised as a description for all, or in the genitive as a description for 'friend,' meaning whoever does not humble himself for his companion is deserving of being turned away and avoided, not with affection. And the 'fa' was added, because the subject here has the meaning of condition. And 'the sharp' is the severing one, and 'the sources' is the one who avoids, meaning whoever does not humble himself for the connection with his friend leads him to severance; if not, then to avoidance, as if he is indeed severing or avoiding in action.