Meccan [except for verse 14, which is Medinan], and its verses are 37, and it is said 36 verses [revealed after Al-Dukhan]. 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.'

Ha-Mim. If you take it as a name, it would be the subject with 'the revelation of the Book' as its predicate. It would necessitate the omission of a word, meaning: the revelation of Ha-Mim is the revelation of the Book. And 'from Allah' is a connection to the revelation. If you take it as a counting of letters, then 'the revelation of the Book' is the subject, and the circumstance is the predicate. 'Indeed, in the heavens and the earth' can be taken literally, or it can mean that 'in the creation of the heavens' due to His saying 'and in your creation.'

If you ask: On what does 'and what spreads' depend? Is it on the added noun or on the pronoun of the added noun? I say: Rather, it is on the added noun, because the added noun is a connected genitive pronoun, which makes it inappropriate to be the object of conjunction. They found it inappropriate to say: 'I passed by you and Zayd,' and 'this is your father and Amr.' Likewise, if they emphasized it, they disliked saying: 'I passed by you, you and Zayd.'

It has been read: 'verses for a people who are certain,' in the accusative and nominative, as in your saying: 'Indeed, Zayd is in the house and Amr is in the market.' Or 'Amr is in the market.' As for His saying 'verses for a people who understand,' it is from the conjunction of two factors, whether it is in the accusative or nominative. If it is in the accusative, the two factors are: 'Indeed' and 'in,' the 'and' stands in place of them, so it governs the genitive in 'the difference of night and day,' and the accusative in 'verses.' If it is in the nominative, then the two factors are: the subject and 'in,' which governs the nominative in 'verses' and the genitive in 'the difference.' Ibn Mas'ud read: 'and in the difference of night and day.'

If you ask: Is the conjunction on two factors according to the view of Al-Akhfash valid? There is no position for it. Sibawayh rejected it. What is the explanation of the verse according to him?

I say: There are two explanations according to him. One is that it is implied 'in.' What has made it good is what was mentioned before in the two preceding verses. It is supported by the reading of Ibn Mas'ud. The second is that 'verses' is in the accusative for specification after the conclusion of the genitive, conjoined to what preceded it or for repetition, and its raising is implied 'it is.' It has been read: 'and the difference of night and day' in the nominative. It has been read: 'a sign.' Likewise, 'and what spreads from a creature is a sign.' It has been read: 'and the turning of the winds.' The meaning is: Indeed, the just among the servants, when they look at the heavens and the earth with correct observation, know that they are created and that they must have a creator. So they believe in Allah and acknowledge Him. When they look at the creation of themselves and their transitions from state to state and form to form, and in the creation of what is on the surface of the earth from various types of animals, their faith increases, and they become certain, and confusion is removed from them. When they look at all the events that occur at every moment, like the difference of night and day, the descent of rain, and the revival of the earth with it after its death, and the turning of the winds to the south and north, to the east and west, they understand, and their knowledge is solidified, and their certainty is purified. And rain is called sustenance because it is the cause of sustenance. That is a reference to the previous signs, meaning: those signs are the signs of Allah. And we recite them in the present state, meaning: recited to you with the truth, and the governing factor is what is indicated by 'those' from the meaning of the reference. And similar to this: 'this is my husband' [meaning] 'this is my husband, an elder.' It has been read: 'it recites them,' with a pronoun after 'Allah' and 'His signs,' meaning after the signs of Allah, as they say: 'I admired Zayd and his generosity,' meaning: 'I admired the generosity of Zayd.' And it is possible that it means: after the words of Allah, which is His Book and His Qur'an, as His saying: 'Allah has revealed the best of narratives.' And it has been read: 'they believe' with a feminine or masculine pronoun.