And that if they were to be steadfast, it is a lightened form of the heavy, and it is among the revealed. The meaning is: And it was revealed to me that the matter and the discourse, if the jinn were to be steadfast on the best path, that is, if their father, the jinn, remained firm in the worship of Allah and obedience and did not become arrogant about prostrating to Adam and did not disbelieve, and his offspring followed him in Islam, We would have bestowed upon them and expanded their provision. And the mention of the abundant water, which is much, is with the opening of the dal and its breaking. Both readings are permissible, for it is the source of livelihood and the expansion of provision. 'To test them in it' means to test them in how they show gratitude for what they have been granted. It may also mean: And if the jinn who listened were to remain on their previous way before listening and did not transition to Islam, We would have expanded their provision, drawing them in, to test them in it: so that the blessing would be a cause for them to follow their desires, and for them to fall into temptation, and for them to increase in sin, or to punish them for their ingratitude for the blessing, away from the remembrance of their Lord, from His worship, or from His admonition, or from His revelation. 'He would lead him' is read with a closed and an open noon, meaning: We would put him into punishment, and the original is: We would lead him into punishment, as in His saying: 'What has led you into Saqar?' It is transitive to two objects: either by omitting the preposition and connecting the verb, as in His saying: 'And Musa chose his people,' or by implying the meaning of 'We would lead him.' It is said: He led him and lead him. He said: Until when they lead them into Qata'idah. Qata'idah is the name of a pit. Ibn Manaf bin Rabi' said: Until when they lead them into Qata'idah... like the way the shepherd drives away the strays. And the shal is the driving away. And the shird is the plural of shard, like the servants are the plural of servant. And the ascent is the source of ascension; it is said: He ascended, ascending, and ascensions. It is described with punishment because the punished one ascends, meaning it overcomes him and he cannot bear it. From it is the saying of Umar, may Allah be pleased with him: 'Nothing has ascended me like the marriage sermon,' meaning: Nothing has troubled me or overwhelmed me.