**Exegesis:** Know that the word **{These}** (تلك) refers to the verses of this Sūrah. **The Clear Book** (الكتاب المبين) refers to the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ), and its clarity means that everything that will occur has been inscribed therein. Thus, the angels who look into it describe the existing things. The Book is rendered indefinite (كتاب مبين instead of الكتاب المبين) to give it greater majesty, similar to the verse: {In a seat of truth, with a Sovereign, All-Powerful} (Al-Qamar: 55). Ibn Abī ‘Ublay read it as **{And a clear Book}** (وكتاب مبين) in the nominative case, implying: *And the verses are [from] a clear Book*, where the possessive noun (مضاف) is omitted and the possessed noun (مضاف إليه) takes its place. If you ask: What is the difference between this and the verse: {Alif, Lām, Rā. These are the signs of the Book and a clear Qur'an} (Al-Hijr: 1)? The answer is: There is no difference, because the conjunction 'and' (و) does not necessitate sequential order.

**Exegesis:** The phrase **{guidance and good tidings}** (هدى وبشرى) can be in the accusative (naṣb) or nominative (raf‘) case. 1. **Accusative (Naṣb):** It is a circumstantial adverb (حال), meaning *guiding and bringing good tidings*. The operative factor is the sense of indication (إشارة) inherent in **{These}** (تلك). 2. **Nominative (Raf‘):** This occurs in three ways: * As a nominal sentence (مبتدأ وخبر): *It is guidance and good tidings.* * As an apposition (بدل) to the verses (آيات). * As a predicate following another predicate: Meaning, its verses have gathered the signs of the Book, *and* they are guidance and good tidings. Scholars differed on why guidance (هدى) is specified only for the believers, with two main views: * **First View:** It means the Book guides them to Paradise, and it is good tidings for them, as in the verse: {Then He will admit them into His Mercy and Grace, and guide them to a straight path} (An-Nisā’: 175). Therefore, it is exclusive to the believers. * **Second View (Regarding the specification of guidance):** Guidance here means demonstration/proof (الدلالة). The reasons for specifying it to believers are: * It is coupled with **good tidings** (بشرى), which only applies to believers. * They are the ones who adhered to it, so they are singled out, like: {You are only a warner to those who fear it} (An-Nāzi‘āt: 45). * It means the Book *increases* their guidance. Allah says: {And Allah increases those who are guided, in guidance} (Maryam: 76).

**Exegesis:** Regarding **{establish the prayer}** (يقيمون الصلواة), the most likely interpretation is the five obligatory prayers, as the definite article (ال) implies this. Establishing the prayer means performing it with all its prerequisites. The same applies to **{give zakāh}** (يؤتون الزكاة); it refers to the obligatory zakāh, and establishing it means giving it its due right. Regarding **{and they, in the Hereafter, are certain}** (وهم بالاخرة هم يوقنون), a question arises: Believers who establish prayer and give zakāh must necessarily be certain about the Hereafter, so why is this mentioned again? The answer is twofold: 1. **It is part of the description linked to the relative pronoun (الذين):** * **First Sub-view:** Human perfection involves knowing the Truth for its own sake (knowledge of the Originator, معرفة المبدأ) and acting upon it (knowledge of the Return, معرفة المعاد). The noblest actions are obedience through self (prayer) and obedience through wealth (zakāh). Thus: * **{For the believers}** refers to knowing the Originator. * **{establish the prayer and give zakāh}** refers to obedience through self and wealth. * **{and they, in the Hereafter, are certain}** refers to knowledge of the Return. It is as if Allah placed knowledge of the Originator as the first boundary, knowledge of the Return as the final boundary, and placed obedience through self and wealth in between. * **Second Sub-view:** Among those who pray and give zakāh, some are firmly convinced of resurrection and accountability, while others perform these acts out of precaution (in case they are right, they gain bliss; if wrong, they lose little). Those who perform these acts merely out of precaution are not truly guided by the Qur'an. Only those firmly certain of the Hereafter are truly guided. This is why this qualifier was mentioned. 2. **It is an inserted parenthetical clause (جملة اعتراضية):** It is as if the meaning is: *These who believe and perform righteous deeds—establishing prayer and giving zakāh—are the ones certain of the Hereafter.* This view is stronger, supported by starting a new sentence structure and repeating the subject (هم) to emphasize that only those who combine faith and righteous action possess true certainty about the Hereafter, as the fear of the consequence compels them to endure hardships.