Tafsir of Al-`Ankabut 29:56

It was revealed—according to what is narrated from Muqatil and al-Kalbi—regarding the oppressed believers in Mecca who were commanded to emigrate from it. Most commentators hold this view. Some have generalized the ruling to apply to everyone who is unable to perform the matters of religion as they should in a land due to obstruction from infidels or others; they said: Emigration to a land where one is able to do so becomes mandatory for him. This has been narrated from Ibn Jubayr, ‘Ata, Mujahid, and Malik ibn Anas.

Mutarrif ibn al-Shikhkhir said: The verse is a promise from Him, Exalted is He, of the vastness of provision throughout the entire earth. According to both opinions, the meaning of "the earth" is the known earth. It is narrated from al-Jubba’i that the verse is a promise from Him, Mighty and Majestic is He, to enter into Paradise those who devoted worship sincerely to Him, Glorified is He; he interpreted "the earth" as the land of Paradise. The relied-upon interpretation is that which preceded.

The fa (ف) in fa-iyaya (فإياي) is the fa of causality derived from His saying, "Indeed My earth is spacious," just as you say: "Indeed Zayd is your brother, so honor him." Likewise, if you were to say: "He is your brother, so if you are able, then honor him." Iyaya (إياي) is the object of a deleted verb that the mentioned verb ('abudun) explains. It is not permissible for it to be the object of the mentioned verb because the latter is occupied by its own pronoun. That deleted verb is the jazaa’ (reward/consequence) for a deleted shart (condition), and this object was placed as a substitute for it.

The fa in fa'budun (فأعبدون) is the fa that occurs in the jazaa’, except that since it was necessary to delete it, the explainer that reinforces it was made to stand in its place verbally, and the fa was prefixed to it; for the fa is necessary to indicate the jazaa’. It does not enter upon the object of the deleted verb—meaning iyaya—even if we assume it is devoid of a fa, because it is purely a substitute for the condition verb. Thus, it is determined that it must enter upon the explainer. Furthermore, it is so that the mentioned verb matches the deleted verb in every respect. It is necessary to posit that the deleted verb acting upon iyaya is delayed, so that the substitution for the condition verb is not missed, while simultaneously conveying the meaning of exclusivity and sincerity. The meaning is: "Indeed My earth is spacious; so if you do not devote worship sincerely to Me in one land, then devote it sincerely to Me in another." The condition is established as "if you do not devote [worship] sincerely," due to the mentioned response (jazaa’) indicating it.

There is no prevention to the first fa being the fa of the response to another implied condition, reinforcing the causality, meaning: "Indeed My earth is spacious, and if this is the case, then if you do not devote worship sincerely to Me [in one land], etc." It is said that the first fa is the response to an implied condition, while the second is a repetition so that the explainer matches the explained. It is then said: The meaning is, "Indeed My earth is spacious; if you do not devote worship sincerely to Me in one land, then devote it sincerely to Me in another." The sentence of the implied condition—meaning "if you do not devote sincerely"—is then an initiating sentence, devoid of a fa. What preceded is deeper in significance.

Some investigators held that the second fa is for linking what follows it to the implied verb acting upon iyaya, intending a form of comprehensiveness, as in "Take the best, then the best." This is criticized by the fact that the mentioned verb would then not be fit to be an explainer, due to the impermissibility of an interposing conjunction between an explainer and the explained.

As for what Imam al-Sakkaki mentioned regarding His saying, "So Me alone, fear Me"—that the fa is a conjunction and the structure is "So Me alone, fear [Me]; then fear Me"—he intended by that that it is so in origin, not in the present state, according to what the author of al-Kashf has verified. People have prolonged their speech on this station, and we have mentioned a portion of it in the beginning of the commentary of Surah al-Baqarah, so refer to it along with this and contemplate. Allah, the Exalted, is the Guide to the straight path.