Al-Anfal: (20) O you who...

(O you who have believed, obey Allah and His Messenger and do not turn away) i.e., do not turn away (from him) i.e., from the Messenger. The pronoun is returned to him, peace and blessings be upon him, because the intention is his obedience, may Allah the Exalted bless him and grant him peace. Mentioning the obedience of Allah the Exalted is a preamble to his obedience; it implies obedience to Allah because he is the conveyor from Him. Thus, what returns to him is like what returns to Allah and His Messenger. It has been said: the pronoun refers to Jihad. It has also been said: it refers to the command indicated by obedience. "Turning away" is used metaphorically. His saying, the Exalted: (while you are hearing) is a circumstantial clause brought to emphasize the obligation of refraining from turning away absolutely, not to restrict the prohibition of it to the state of hearing. That is: do not turn away from him while you are hearing the Qur’an that speaks of the obligation to obey him, and the admonitions that deter from disobeying him, with a hearing of understanding and submission. Sometimes, "hearing" may be intended to mean "believing," or the statement may remain upon its literal meaning without committing to any metaphor at all.