Tafsir of Ya seen 36:11

{ "Innama tunziru" (You only warn) }—meaning a warning that entails an effect—{ "man ittaba'a al-dhikr" (those who follow the Reminder) }—that is, the Quran, as narrated from Qatadah, by contemplating it and acting upon it. It is also said: [the Reminder is] the admonition. "Ittaba'a" is in the sense of [present tense] "yattabi'u" (follows); the use of the past tense signifies the certainty of its occurrence. Another interpretation is that your warning only benefits the believers who have followed [the guidance], and the "warning" refers to warning them against what they might neglect after having followed [the truth], so it does not entail the fallacy of "attaining what is already attained" (i.e., warning those who are already warned). Others say the intended meaning is "those whom Allah, the Exalted, knows will follow," and they are the few upon whom the decree [of destruction] has not been passed.

{ "Wa khashia al-Rahman" (and fear the Most Merciful) }—that is, fear His punishment, without being deluded by His mercy, Majestic is He. For He, the Glorified, despite the greatness of His mercy, has a painful punishment, as stated in His saying: { "Inform My servants that it is I who am the Forgiving, the Merciful. And that it is My punishment which is the painful punishment." } From what has been established, the secret behind mentioning "the Most Merciful" (Al-Rahman) alongside "fear" is understood, rather than "the Compeller" (Al-Qahhar) or the like.

{ "Bil-ghayb" (in the unseen) }—this is a circumstantial qualifier (hal) related to the implied object in the structure of the speech, as we have indicated. That is: he fears the punishment of the Most Merciful while that punishment is in a state of "unseen," meaning it is absent from him. The summary of this is that he fears the punishment before it descends and before he witnesses its terrors. It is also permissible for it to be a circumstantial qualifier for the subject of { "khashia" (feared) }, meaning: he feared the punishment of the Most Merciful while he was absent from the punishment, not witnessing it; or he feared while being absent from the eyes of people, not showing them his fear, so that it might be free from hypocrisy. Some have interpreted "the unseen" as the heart, making the prepositional phrase attached to "feared," meaning: he feared in his heart, and was not merely feigning fear without being truly fearful. It is also said that it is permissible to make it a circumstantial qualifier for "the Most Merciful," though its status is clear. The discourse regarding "khashia" follows the same pattern as the discourse regarding "ittaba'a."

{ "Fabashshirhu bimaghfiratin" (so give him glad tidings of forgiveness) }—great forgiveness for what has passed, or as some say, for what he may neglect [in the future]. { "Wa ajrin karim" (and a noble reward) }—a reward of such excellence that its measure cannot be estimated, for what he has sent forth [of deeds]. The letter "Fa" indicates the sequence of the glad tidings—or the command to provide them—upon what preceded it of following the Reminder and fearing [God]. In al-Bahr, it is stated: "Since the warning has proven effective, so give him glad tidings, etc."; do not neglect this. From Qatadah, there is an interpretation of the "noble reward" as Paradise, and it refers to its bliss which encompasses what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and has not crossed the heart of any human, the greatest of which is the vision of Allah, the Exalted.