Tafsir of An-Nur 24:56

(And establish prayer and give zakah and obey the Messenger)

It is permissible for this to be a conjunction linked to “(Obey Allah),” thereby entering with it into the sphere of what is commanded; the separator is not entirely alien [to the context], for it is a promise regarding what has been commanded, and some of it is a completion thereof.

In al-Kashshaf, it is stated that it is not far-fetched for a separator to exist between what is conjoined and what it is conjoined to, even if it is long, because the right of the conjoined is to be distinct from that which it is conjoined to, and the separator confirms and prepares for that distinction, since adjacency is a cause for [presuming] connection and unity.

The repetition of the command to obey the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is for emphasis. It is emphasized more than the command to obey Allah the Exalted because souls—especially the souls of the Arabs—find a difficulty in submitting to a human being that they do not find in submitting to Allah the Exalted. It is also because mercy is linked to it, or to the sentences contained within the sphere of the speech, in His saying: (that you may receive mercy).

Just as guidance is linked to obedience in His saying: (And if you obey him, you will be guided).

In fairness, this conjunction is far-fetched; indeed, some have said: It is not in keeping with the eloquence of the Noble Order.

It is also permissible for it to be a conjunction linked to “(They worship Me),” which would be a specification after a generalization. The apparent form would have been to say: "They worship Me, not associating anything with Me, and they establish prayer, give zakah, and obey the Messenger, that they may receive mercy." However, there was a shift from that to what was mentioned, by way of iltifat (a rhetorical shift in person) to the address, for the sake of greater concern. This is made appropriate here by the address in “(among you).” This has been criticized as having no basis, because after accepting the iltifat and allowing the conjunction of the performative (insha') to the informative (ikhbar), it still does not fit—nor does the previous sentence being a circumstantial clause or an explanatory initiation.

What I have chosen is that it is a conjunction linked to an implied verb that the speech necessitates and the order demands. Since He, Glorified be He, mentioned: (And whoever disbelieves after that—then those are the defiantly disobedient), the prohibition against disbelief is understood. It is as if it were said: "Do not disbelieve, and establish prayer," etc.

It is also permissible that the implied verb is understood from the totality of what preceded, from His saying: (Say, "Obey Allah"), etc., as it necessitates the command to believe and perform righteous deeds. It is as if it were said: "Believe, perform righteous deeds, and establish prayer," etc.

Regarding “(obey)” it is permissible that it is a command to obey him (peace and blessings be upon him) in all the legal rulings that incorporate the pleasing etiquettes; or it is a command to obey in matters other than the two previous ones, in which case its mention is to complete them. It is as if it were said: "And obey the Messenger in the rest of what he commands you."

His saying: (that you may receive mercy) is linked to the three commands. To make it, according to the first view, linked [only] to the last one, is a matter of interpretation.