Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:257

Allah is the Guardian of those who believe — meaning their helper, their beloved, or the manager of their affairs. The intended meaning is those who desire faith, or those whose faith is established in the knowledge of Allah (Exalted is He), or those who have actually attained faith.

He brings them out — by His guidance and His granting of success. This is an explanation of guardianship, or a second predicate for those who permit it to be a sentence, or it is a circumstantial qualifier from the pronoun in "Guardian" — from the darkness — which follows from disbelief, or the darkness of sins, or doubts, whatever they may be — into the light — meaning the light of faith, or the light of acts of obedience, or the light of certainty with its various levels. It is narrated from Al-Hasan that he interpreted the "bringing out" here as "prevention," meaning He prevents them from entering into any form of darkness. Al-Waqidi limited the interpretation of "darkness" and "light" to mere disbelief and faith, applying everything in the Quran to this, except for what is mentioned in Surah Al-An'am: "And He made the darkness and the light," for there, it refers to the night and the day. The better view is to interpret "darkness" in a sense that encompasses all its types, and "light" in a sense that encompasses all its types, placing a "light" that brings one out in opposition to every "darkness" from which one is brought out. Verily, He (Glorified be He) brings whom He wills out from the darkness of speculation into the light of evidence; from the darkness of alienation into the light of communion; from the darkness of the world of bodies into the light of the world of spirits, among other things beyond count. The "light" is singularized due to the oneness of the Truth, just as the "darkness" is pluralized due to the multiplicity of the types of misguidance, or the first is an indication of rarity and the second of abundance.

And those who disbelieved — meaning those who desired disbelief, or those whose disbelief was established in the knowledge of the Exalted, or those who actually disbelieved — their guardians — in reality, or according to what they hold — are the Taghut — meaning Satan, or the idols, or all those who lead others astray from the paths of Truth. The relative pronoun is the first subject, "their guardians" is the second subject, and "the Taghut" is its predicate; the entire sentence is the predicate for the first, and the resulting structure is linked to what preceded it. It is said: Perhaps the change in structure is to avoid placing the word "Taghut" directly opposite the Majestic Name (Allah), and to intend emphasis by repeating the predication while signaling the contrast between the two parties in every aspect, even in the manner of expression. It is recited as Al-Tawaghit (plural); its pluralization is correct based on the view that it is a verbal noun, as it became a proper noun for whatever is worshipped instead of Allah (Exalted is He).

They bring them out — through whisperings and the casting of doubts, or by keeping them in a state where their belief leads them to expect benefit and harm from them, and that they will bring them closer to Allah in status. The use of the pronoun for rational beings is either because they are truly among them or because they are claimed to be. The attribution of "bringing out" to them is metaphorical, in the sense of attribution to a cause, so it does not contradict the fact that His power and will (Exalted is He) are ultimately what encompass this.

From the light — meaning the innate light upon which all people were created, or the light of the successive proofs that they witness, through the descent of which they are enabled to seek illumination, treating them as if they were the light itself. Thus, it does not stand as an objection that they were already in the light, so how could they be brought out of it? It is also said that the expression is used for the sake of parallelism. It is also said that "bringing out" can mean "prevention," which does not necessitate a prior entry. From Mujahid: The verse was revealed regarding a group who apostatized, so there is no doubt that they were brought out of the light they were in—which was the light of faith.

Into the darkness — which are the darknesses of disbelief, immersion in error, refusal to desist, and failure to be guided by the signs that are reflected upon and recited. This sentence is an explanation of the guardianship of the Taghut, so the detachment is for the sake of perfect attachment. It is also permissible for it to be a second predicate, as previously mentioned.

Those are — an indication of the relative pronoun group, considering their characterization by what is contained in the relative clause and the ugly acts that follow it. It is also permitted that it refers to the disbelievers and their guardians, though this is far-fetched.

The companions of the Fire — meaning those who are clothed in it and are permanently attached to it due to the magnitude of what they are upon.

They will abide therein eternally — remaining forever. In this, there is a promise and a warning for the disbelievers. Perhaps the lack of a corresponding promise for the believers—as is said—is to signal their exaltation, and that their status is not in need of declaration, and that their standing is higher than being compared to these people, or that the expression cannot suffice to describe what has been prepared for them. It is also said that His saying (Exalted is He), "Guardian of those who believe," provides the promise, and that is sufficient.