He mentioned the non-pious among the Muslims and commanded to warn them so that they may be pious. Then he followed this by mentioning the pious among them and commanded to draw them near and honor them, and not to obey anyone who intends otherwise for them. He praised them for their continuous supplication to their Lord, meaning their worship and their persistence in it. The mention of morning and evening refers to continuity. It was said that it means they pray the Fajr and Asr prayers. He characterized them with sincerity in their worship by saying 'they seek His face,' and the face is a term that expresses the essence and reality of a thing. It is narrated that some leaders of the polytheists said to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him: 'If you would expel these lowly ones from us,' meaning the poor Muslims, and they are Ammar, Suhayb, Bilal, Khabbab, Salman, and their likes, may Allah be pleased with them, 'and they wear woolen garments, we would sit with you and converse with you.' The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said: 'I will not expel the believers.' They said: 'Then keep them away from us when we come, and if we leave, you may sit them with you if you wish.' He said: 'Yes, hoping for their faith.' [Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi in Al-Shu'ab at its end, and Al-Wahidi in Asbab al-Nuzul from the narration of Abu Mushajjah ibn Rab'i from Salman, who said: 'The influential ones came to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him: 'Ayyinah ibn Badr, Al-Afra' ibn Habib, and their people said: 'O Messenger of Allah, if you would sit at the front of the mosque and expel from us these lowly ones, meaning Abu Dharr, Salman, and the poor Muslims, who wore woolen garments, we would sit with you and converse with you and take from you.' So Allah, the Exalted, revealed: 'And be patient with those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His face...' until His saying: 'for the wrongdoers is a fire.' The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, then sought them out.' The hadith is also reported by Ibn Majah, Ibn Abi Shaybah, Al-Tabarani, Abu Nu'aym in the biography of Khabbab, Ishaq, Abu Ya'la, Al-Bazzar, Al-Bayhaqi, and Al-Wahidi through the route of Abu Al-Kanood from Khabbab regarding the verse: 'And do not expel those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His face. You are not accountable for anything of their account...' until His saying: 'for the wrongdoers.' He said: 'Al-Afra' and Ayyinah found the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, with Suhayb, Bilal, Ammar, and Khabbab, sitting among some of the weak believers. He mentioned it at length.'] It is narrated that Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: 'If you would do so, we would see what they would become.' He said: 'Write a letter about this.' So he called for a sheet and for Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, to write, and it was revealed. He threw away the sheet and Umar apologized for his statement. [I said: This is in the hadith of Khabbab mentioned earlier without Umar's consultation and his apology.] Salman and Khabbab said: 'It was revealed about us, and the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, would sit with us and draw near to us until our knees touched his knees. He would stand up from us when he wanted to stand, and the verse was revealed.' [I said: As for the hadith of Khabbab, it is from the beginning until his saying 'to stand' in the hadith mentioned earlier. As for the hadith of Salman, I have mentioned it first. As for his saying 'And he said: Praise be to Allah... until the end,' it is in the hadith of Salman alone.] 'And be patient with those who call upon their Lord...' So he stopped standing from us until you stand up, and he said: 'Praise be to Allah who did not cause me to die until He commanded me to be patient with a group of my nation. With you is life and with you is death. You are not accountable for anything of their account, just as their account is only upon my Lord.' This is because they criticized their religion and sincerity. He said: 'You are not accountable for anything of their account after bearing witness to their sincerity and seeking the face of Allah in their actions, meaning: Even if the matter is as they say before Allah, you are only required to consider the apparent and to take on the characteristics of the pious. If they have a hidden aspect that is not pleasing, their account is upon them and does not transfer to you, just as your account is upon you and does not transfer to them, as His saying: 'And no bearer of burdens will bear another's burden.' If you say: 'Is it not enough that He said: You are not accountable for anything of their account, until He added: And there is nothing of your account upon them?'

I said: I have made the two sentences like a single sentence, and the intended meaning of both is the meaning in the saying: 'And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another.' Only both sentences together can convey this meaning, as if it were said: 'You will not be held accountable, nor will they, for the account of their companion.' It was said that the pronoun refers to the polytheists. The meaning is: they will not be held accountable for your account, nor you for their account, until their faith concerns you and your eagerness for it drives you to expel the believers, so you expel them, which is the response to the negation, and you would be among the wrongdoers, which is the response to the prohibition. It is also possible that it is an addition to 'so you expel them' in a causal manner, because being unjust is a result of expelling them. And it has been recited: 'in the morning and in the evening.'