Tafsir of Yunus 10:103

{Then We save Our messengers...}

The verb is read with a tashdid (stress), while al-Kisa’i and Ya’qub read it with takhfif (lightening). It is a conjunction linked to a suppressed clause indicated by His saying: {like the days of those who passed away before them}. The text intervening between them is a parenthetical clause brought forth to hasten the threat and to emphasize the severity of the warning. It is as if it were said: "We destroy the nations, then We save the messengers sent to them and those who believed with them."

The present tense is used to recount a past event in order to strike terror by bringing its image to the mind. The narration of the salvation is postponed after the narration of the destruction—contrary to how it appears in other places—so that it may be followed by His saying: {Likewise, it is binding upon Us to save the believers}.

That is, We save them with a salvation that is like the salvation that was granted to those before them. On this interpretation, the demonstrative pronoun refers to the salvation, and the prepositional phrase is linked to a suppressed element that acts as an adjective for a deleted verbal noun. It is also permitted that the kaf (in kadhalika) is in the accusative position, meaning "like" (a likeness), occupying the place of the absolute object (maf'ul mutlaq). Some suggest it may be in the position of a state (hal) from the salvation implied by "We save," interpreted as: "We perform the salvation, such that it is in the state of being like that salvation." It may also be in the nominative position as the predicate of a suppressed subject, meaning: "The matter is thus."

{Haqqan} (truly/bindingly) is in the accusative by an implied verb, meaning: "He makes that binding, truly." The sentence is an interpolation between the governing verb and its object, on the estimation that kadhalika is the object of the verb mentioned afterward. Its benefit is to emphasize the salvation and to clarify that it is inevitable, which is what is meant by "truth." It is also permissible that it means "obligatory," and the meaning of the salvation being obligatory is that it is like a command binding upon Him, the Exalted, for in reality, there is no obligation upon Him.

More than one grammarian has explicitly stated that the sentence is parenthetical. It is derived from this that there is no harm in a parenthetical sentence even if some of its related components remain. It is also permitted that it be a substitute (badal) for the kaf (which means "like") or for the deleted element that the kaf replaced. It is also said that kadhalika is in the accusative as the object of the first "We save," and haqqan is in the accusative by the second; however, this is contrary to the apparent meaning.

As for "the believers," it either refers to the genus that includes the messengers (peace be upon them) and their followers, or it refers to the followers only, with the messengers not being mentioned as an indication that there is no need to mention them. In either case, it contains a notification that the pivot of salvation is faith. This sentence was brought as a concluding corollary to what preceded it, confirming its content.