And among them are those who listen to you when you recite the Qur'an. It has been narrated that Abu Sufyan, Al-Walid, Al-Nadr, Utbah, Shaybah, Abu Jahl, and others gathered to listen to the recitation of the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him. They said to Al-Nadr: O Abu Qatila, what does Muhammad say? He said: By the One who made it his House - meaning the Kaaba - I do not know what he says, except that he moves his tongue and says tales of the ancients, like what I have told you about the past generations. Abu Sufyan said: I truly see it as the truth. Abu Jahl said: No, and then it was revealed. And the veils upon the hearts, and the heaviness in the ears: is a metaphor for the turning away of their hearts and their hearing from accepting it. [Mahmoud said: 'The veils upon the hearts and the heaviness in the ears is a metaphor for the turning away of their hearts and their hearing from accepting it... etc.' Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This verse is sufficient in refuting the belief of the Qadarites who claim that Allah, the Exalted, intended for these listeners to comprehend and understand the Qur'an, and that He did not prevent them from that. It is impossible, according to their claim, that He prevents them from that while wanting them not to understand it, for that is, in their view, ugly. So see how this verse refutes them and calls out to them in error, as His saying 'that they may understand it' means a dislike for them to understand it, and between the intention according to their claim and the dislike as indicated by the verse, there is a great distance. And Allah is the Guide.] And the belief in its correctness. And the reason for attributing the action to its essence is His saying 'And We made' to indicate that it is a matter established in them that does not leave them, as if they are created upon it. Or it is a narration of what they used to express by saying 'And in our ears is heaviness, and between us and you is a barrier.' And Talhah read 'waqra' with a kasrah on the waw. Until when they come to you, they argue with you; it is until that which follows it is sentences. And the sentence is His saying 'When they come to you, those who disbelieve say' and 'they argue with you' is a state. And it may be that it is the preposition and 'when they come to you' is in the genitive case meaning until the time of their coming, and 'they argue with you' is a state, and His saying: 'those who disbelieve say' is an explanation for it. And the meaning is that their denial of the signs has reached the point that they argue with you and deny you. And their argument is that they say 'This is nothing but tales of the ancients,' thus they make the words of Allah and the truest speech into myths and lies, which is the utmost in denial. And they prevent people from the Qur'an or from the Messenger, blessings and peace be upon him, and they discourage them from believing in him and distance themselves from him, leading them astray and causing them to go astray. And if they are destroying themselves with that, the harm does not extend to others, even if they think they are harming the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him. And it was said: It is Abu Talib because he used to prevent the Quraysh from harming the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, and distanced himself from him without believing in him.

And it has been narrated that they gathered to Abu Talib and intended evil against the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him. He said: [It was narrated by Al-Bayhaqi in the Delails from the path of Ibn Ishaq who told me that Ya'qub ibn 'Atabah ibn Al-Mughira ibn Al-Akhnas narrated that the Quraysh said to Abu Talib this statement and he mentioned the story.]

And by Allah, they will not reach you with their gathering... until I am laid to rest in the earth, buried.

So declare your command; there is no shame upon you... and rejoice in that, and let our eyes find comfort in it.

And you called upon me and claimed that you were sincere... and you have spoken the truth, and you were there trustworthy.

And you presented a religion that there is no doubt that... it is the best of the religions of creation, our religion.

If it were not for the blame or my fear of a disgrace... you would have found me generous in that matter. This refers to Abu Talib, when the Quraysh gathered with him and intended to kill the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him. "So declare openly" means to proclaim your matter so that it affects the hearts, like the cracking of glass, meaning to split and break it. And "ghad" means to diminish - with a dammah - in dignity. And "ghadghad" the water means to lessen it and reduce it. This means there is no humiliation or deficiency in your matter. And "bushra" means glad tidings - with a dammah - joy and happiness. And "abshar" means to be happy and rejoice. I gave him glad tidings and I made him happy. That is: be happy and rejoice in that.

"His eyes were delighted" means he was pleased, so rejoice in that. It is an affirmation of "abshar," but in a figurative way that implies emphasis.

"And eyes" is a distinguishing noun shifted from the subject, meaning to please your eyes. The plural refers to more than one, or it implies emphasis, or it refers to his eyes or his eyes and the believers'. It is narrated "from it" meaning from that matter. And "lan" is a particle for confirming negation, as evidenced by its usage in various contexts.

The negation of reaching is a metaphor for negating harm in a more eloquent manner. The "ba" indicates association. And "until I am laid to rest" is a finality that serves to confirm and support, and "tawseed" is a metaphor for death, as a pillow is placed under his head in his grave. And "dufina" means buried in the state. The use of the present tense negated by "lan" in response to an oath is only permissible in necessity, as here.

And I claimed: meaning I said to one who does not believe you, and you have indeed spoken the truth in your claim that you are a sincere advisor to the people. And "I was then" means at the time of your saying "trustworthy" in what you claimed and presented to us as a true religion that it is the best of the religions of humanity, meaning in terms of religion or in terms of reward. And it is said that the distinction may simply imply emphasis, and this is certainly the case here, thus the phrase "certainly" is an interjection for emphasis.

And "hadhar" is a noun meaning caution from their reproach against me. It is narrated as "or my fear of a disgrace." And "sabb" is stronger than blame. "You would have found me" O Muhammad, pleased with that religion, manifesting it. And "samh" means generosity, so he is generous, like "dhakham" means greatness, he is great: if he is generous and does not withhold.