And when [it is said], it is understood as 'mention' being implied. Or: at the time when He said to them what He said, it was such and such, 'You are harming me.' They were harming him in various ways, by belittling him and criticizing him personally, denying His signs, and disobeying Him in matters that benefited them, and their worship of the calf, and their request to see Allah openly, and the denial which is the neglect of Allah's right and His right. And 'You certainly know' is in the position of a state, meaning: you harm me while you are certain of it. [Mahamud said: 'This indicates that they are contrary to the truth when he said: you harm me while you are certain...'] Ahmad said: The people of Arabic say: 'Qad' accompanies the past to bring it closer to the state. Hence the call to prayer: 'The prayer has indeed been established.' And the accompaniment of the past also includes the meaning of expectation, so Sibawayh said 'Qad fa'al' is a response to what is being done. And Al-Khalil said: This news is for a people who are awaiting it. As for with the present tense, it indicates reduction like 'perhaps', as in their saying: 'The liar may tell the truth.' So if its meaning with the present tense is reduction and it has entered the verse with the present tense, the correct view - and Allah knows best - is that this is from the speech which they intend to exaggerate in what it reflects. And 'Qad' in this meaning is analogous to 'perhaps' in His saying: 'Perhaps those who disbelieved wish they were Muslims.' For it is in this position more eloquent than 'many' in terms of abundance. So when 'perhaps' was introduced in abundance contrary to its original meaning of reduction, likewise the introduction of 'Qad' here is to increase their knowledge, meaning: to affirm its certainty contrary to its original meaning of reducing the original. And upon this: 'I may leave the century with its fingers yellowing.' And he only praised himself with the abundance of this action from him contrary to his original habit. And it is not said that carrying it in the verse on abundance is impossible, because knowledge is known to be related and does not increase or decrease. For we say: it is expressed about the establishment of the action and its realization and its confirmation and reaching the ultimate goal in its kind by what is expressed about abundance, and this is a correct expression. Do you not see that His saying: 'Perhaps those who disbelieved wish' is of this kind? For the intended meaning is their intense desire for that and its reaching its utmost limit, nothing else. And Allah is the Grantor of success. That I am the Messenger of Allah to you, and the matter of your knowledge of that and its cause is my glorification and respect, not that you harm me and belittle me. For whoever knows Allah and His greatness honors His Messenger, knowing that honoring Him is in honoring His Messenger. And whoever harms him, the warning of Allah is surely upon him. So when they deviated from the truth, Allah caused their hearts to deviate by withholding His kindness from them. [The saying 'by withholding His kindness from them' explains the deviation based on the belief of the Mu'tazila: that He does not will evil. And the belief of the people of the Sunnah: that He wills both evil and good, as established in its place.] And Allah does not guide the disobedient people, He does not show kindness to them because they are not of the people of kindness. If you say: What is the meaning of 'Qad' in the saying 'You certainly know'? I say: Its meaning is affirmation, as if he said: 'And you know with certain knowledge, without any doubt in it.'