Al-Qalam: (7) Indeed, your Lord is...

"Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided."

This is an initiation to clarify what preceded it and to confirm the promise and warning contained therein. That is, He, Glory be to Him, is most knowing of whoever has strayed from His path, which leads to the felicity of both worlds, and wandered into the wasteland of misguidance—turning toward what it necessitates of eternal wretchedness and increased torment. This is the "madman" who does not distinguish between benefit and harm; rather, he considers harm to be a benefit and chooses it, and considers benefit to be harm and abandons it.

He, the Almighty and Majestic, is most knowing of those who are guided to His path, the successful in every objective, the saved from every dread; these are the sound-minded and balanced. Thus, He shall requite each of the two groups according to what they deserve of punishment and reward.

It is stated in al-Kashshaf that "your Lord is most knowing" of the madmen in reality, who are those that strayed from His path, and He is most knowing of the sound-minded, who are the rightly guided. Alternatively, it may be a warning and a promise, and that He, Glory be to Him, is most knowing of the recompense of both groups.

It is stated in al-Kashf that, according to the first interpretation, it is a concluding clause (tadhil) confirming what was alluded to previously—that the one who is "afflicted" (by the madness) is he who is characterized by it. This follows the style of emphasis without explicit naming, yet in a clearer manner. For His saying, "Which of you is the afflicted," contains no specification in any way, whereas this [verse] acts as a substitute, stating "He is most knowing of the madman and the sane one," indicating that madness in this context is not what they imagined, and that absolute misguidance is established for them in the very instance of that claim.

According to the second interpretation, it is also a concluding clause, but by way of explicit statement, because "who has strayed" is placed in the position of "them," and "the rightly guided" is placed in the position of "you."

Perhaps what we have considered is a hope for benefit. It seems the warning was brought first so that it might connect to what was felt initially. The expression regarding misguidance is in the form of a verb to indicate that it is contrary to what human nature (fitra) necessitates, and the repetition of "He is most knowing" is for the sake of added confirmation, while signaling the difference in recompense.