Tafsir of Al-Insan 76:31

This is an explanation of what the previous sentence encompassed. It is said that it means: He (Glorified be He) causes whomsoever He wills to enter into His mercy—those in whom He knew there was good, by granting them success in that which leads to entering Paradise, namely faith and obedience.

{وَالظَّالِمِينَ}—that is, those who wrong their own selves, those in whom He knew there was evil—{أَعَدَّ لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا}—a punishment extreme in its painfulness. The accusative case (nasb) of "al-zalimin" (the wrongdoers) is due to an implied verb explained by "a‘adda" (He has prepared); one might estimate it as "yu‘adhdhibu" (He punishes), or one might estimate it as "wa‘ada" (He has threatened), "kafa’a" (He has recompensed), or the like. "A‘adda" (He has prepared) itself cannot be the implied verb because it does not take the preposition "lam" (in this construction). Ibn al-Zubayr, Aban ibn ‘Uthman, and Ibn Abi ‘Abla read it as al-zalimuna (in the nominative case) as a subject starting a new sentence (ibtida’). The reading of the majority is better, even if it necessitates an estimation for the sake of parallelism, whereas the other reading does not; for in the former, the sentence is nominal (ismiyyah), while the first is verbal (fi’liyyah). One cannot argue that increased emphasis on the side of warning is required, because we say the matter is the opposite; if one were to examine it closely, mercy precedes wrath.

‘Abdullah (ibn Mas‘ud) read it as wa lil-zalimina (with the preposition lam). Some say the lam is for the purpose of emphasis, while others say it implies "He has prepared for the wrongdoers a punishment" (a‘adda lil-zalimina a‘adda lahum). The majority follow the first reading.

Furthermore, while this Surah contains within it all that it does regarding the vastness of the mercy of Allah (the Exalted and Majestic), it also points toward the greatness of His Majesty (Glorified and Exalted be He). Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi (who classified it as hasan), Ibn Majah, al-Diya’ in al-Mukhtarah, and al-Hakim (who authenticated it)—among others—narrated from Abu Dharr, who said: "He recited Hal ata ‘ala al-insan until he finished it, then said: 'I see what you do not see and I hear what you do not hear. The heaven has groaned, and it is right that it should groan; there is no space in it the size of four fingers except that there is an angel placing his forehead in prostration to Allah the Exalted. By Allah, if you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much, and you would not find pleasure in women in your beds, and you would go out to the mountain passes, crying out to Allah the Exalted.'"

This is as apparent as can be regarding what we have said. We ask Allah the Exalted to make us among the righteous, the brought-near, and the chosen, to grant us Paradise and silk, and to make our efforts before Him appreciated, by the sanctity of the Prophet (may Allah grant him peace and blessings) and his family, who have been purified of all filth with a thorough purification.