That is, one of two matters will certainly happen: either your expulsion or your return to disbelief. If you say: How did they address Shu'ayb, blessings and peace be upon him, with the return? [Mahmoud said: "If you say how did they address Shu'ayb with the form of return..." Ahmad said: And Al-Zamakhshari based this statement on the fact that the form of return necessitates the return of the returner to a state they were in before. The accurate response to the mentioned question, while necessitating the return, is that this action, although used in that way, often appears with the meaning of 'to become.' In this case, it may be akin to 'was' and does not necessitate a return to a previous state, but rather the opposite, which is the transition from a previous state to a new state, like 'became.' It is as if they said - and Allah knows best -: We will certainly expel you, O Shu'ayb, and those who have believed with you from our town, or you will become disbelievers like us. Thus, the question is resolved. Or the use of the return can be accepted in the sense of returning to a previous matter. This can be answered similarly to the response to Allah's saying: 'Allah is the ally of those who have believed. He brings them out of darkness into light.' And 'Those who disbelieve, their allies are false gods. They bring them out of light into darkness.' And the expulsion necessitates a previous entry into what was expelled from, and we know that the believer who grows in faith has never entered the darkness of disbelief nor was he in it, just as the original disbeliever has never entered the light of faith nor was he in it. However, since faith and disbelief are among the voluntary actions that Allah has created the servant to be capable of either, it is expressed that the believer is capable of disbelief and then turns away from it to faith, as a report of being brought out of darkness into light. This is a favor from Allah to him and kindness towards him. Conversely, this applies to the disbeliever. A similar consideration has passed regarding Allah's saying: 'Those are the ones who have exchanged guidance for error,' and this is a metaphor where the cause is expressed by the effect. The benefit of choosing this in these contexts is to affirm the capability and choice to establish Allah's proof against His servants, and Allah knows best.

If we return to your religion after Allah has saved us from it, and He intends the return of His people, yet He has organized Himself among them even though He is innocent of that, conducting His words according to the rule of predominance. If you say: What is the meaning of His saying, "And it is not for us to return to it except that Allah wills?" And Allah, the Exalted, is above willing the apostasy of the believers. [His saying, "And Allah, the Exalted, is above willing the apostasy of the believers" means He is free from wanting...] according to the view of the Mu'tazila, that He does not will evil. However, according to the Ahl al-Sunnah, He wills it just as He wills good. (A) And their return to disbelief. [Mahamud said: "If you say Allah is sacred from willing the apostasy of the believers and their return to disbelief..." Ahmad said: And this question, as you see, is based on a false principle, in the belief of the necessity of maintaining righteousness and what is best, which is not directed according to the principle of the Sunnah. The apparent meaning of the verse is what is relied upon; it should not be interpreted or altered. As for al-Zamakhshari's argument for the correctness of his interpretation by saying, "Our Lord encompasses all things in knowledge," it is one of his tricks in false interpretations, supported by following doubts and fabricating them. The context of His saying, "Our Lord encompasses all things in knowledge," acknowledges the inadequacy of knowledge of the outcome and awareness of hidden matters. For the return to disbelief is permissible in Allah's power to occur from the servant, and if it occurs, it is by Allah's power and will, which is hidden from His creation. Thus, caution is necessary, and fear is essential, but for the one whom Allah has guided to the correct belief and sound faith, and Allah is the guide. An example of this is the saying of Ibrahim, peace be upon him, "And I do not fear what you associate with Him unless my Lord wills something. Our Lord encompasses all things in knowledge," as he referred the matter to the will, which is hidden by Allah's exclusivity in the knowledge of the unseen. And Allah knows best.]? I said: Its meaning is except that Allah wills our abandonment and withholding of His graces, knowing that they will not benefit us and would be in vain. And vain actions are ugly and not done by the Wise. The evidence for this is His saying, "Our Lord encompasses all things in knowledge," meaning He knows everything that was and will be. He knows the conditions of His servants, how they change, and their hearts, how they fluctuate, and how they harden after tenderness, and become ill after health, and return to disbelief after faith. Upon Allah, we rely to keep us steadfast in faith and guide us to increase in certainty. And it may be that His saying, "except that Allah wills" is to cut off their hopes [He returned to his words. He said: And it may be that what is meant is to cut off their hopes...] in returning, for Allah's will for their return to disbelief is impossible and outside of wisdom. [His saying, "impossible and outside of wisdom" is also based on the view of the Mu'tazila. (A)] Or if we were unwilling, the hamzah is for questioning, and the waw is the waw of the state, meaning: Do you return us to your religion while we are unwilling, and while we are unwilling? And what is for us, and what is appropriate for us, and what is valid for us? Our Lord, judge between us. The judgment is either to open our matter until what is between us and our people is clarified, and it becomes evident by sending down upon them a punishment that makes clear that they are upon falsehood, and You are the best of those who open. Like His saying, "And He is the best of judges." If you say: What is the style of His saying, "We have certainly fabricated against Allah a lie if we return to your religion?" I said: It is a statement conditioned by a condition, and there are two aspects to it. One is that it could be an independent statement with a meaning of astonishment, as if they said: How we have lied against Allah if we return to disbelief after Islam, for the apostate is more severe in fabrication than the disbeliever, because the disbeliever fabricates against Allah a lie, claiming that Allah has a rival, whereas He has no rival. And the apostate is similar to him in that and exceeds him, as he claims that what was hidden from him has become clear in distinguishing between truth and falsehood. The second is that it could be an oath with the implied omission of the lam, meaning: By Allah, we have certainly fabricated against Allah a lie.