Commentary
And in the heaven is your provision; it is the rain, for it is the cause of sustenance. And from Sa'id ibn Jubair: it is the snow and every perennial spring of it. And from Al-Hasan: whenever he saw the clouds, he would say to his companions: 'By Allah, therein is your provision, but you deprive yourselves of it due to your sins.' And what you are promised of Paradise: it is above the seventh heaven beneath the Throne.
Or he meant that what you are provided with in this world and what you are promised in the Hereafter is all predetermined and written in the heaven. It has been recited:
'Like what' with the nominative as a description of the truth, meaning a truth like your speech, and with the accusative as: 'Indeed, it is a truth truly like your speech.'
And it is permissible that it be an opening for its addition to something not firmly established. And 'what' is an additive according to the text of Al-Khalil, and this is like the saying of the people:
'Indeed, this is a truth, just as you see and hear, and like your being here.' And this pronoun refers to what has been mentioned regarding the signs and provision and the matter of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, or to what you are promised. And from Al-Asma'i: I came from the mosque of Basra, and an Arab approached me on his mount and said: 'Who is the man?' I said: 'From the Banu Asma.' He said: 'From where have you come?' I said: 'From a place where the words of the Most Merciful are recited.' He said: 'Recite to me,' so I recited 'And the winds that scatter.' When I reached His saying: 'And in the heaven is your provision,' he said: 'Sufficient for you,' then he went to his she-camel, slaughtered it, and distributed it to those who came and went. He took his sword and bow, broke them, and left. When I performed Hajj with Al-Rashid, I began to circumambulate, and suddenly I heard someone calling me with a thin voice. I turned and saw the Arab, who had become emaciated and yellow. He greeted me and asked me to recite the surah. When I reached the verse, he shouted and said: 'We have found what our Lord promised us to be true.' Then he said: 'Is there anything else?' So I recited: 'By the Lord of the heaven and the earth, indeed, it is true.' He shouted and said: 'O Glory be to Allah! Who has made the Majestic angry until He swore? They did not believe Him in His words until they compelled Him to take an oath.' He said this three times, and his soul departed with it.
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