Divorce (Al-Talaq): (8) And how many a town...

His saying, the Exalted: {And how many a town} (8:5). The discussion regarding ka'ayyin (how many) has already passed. His saying: {rebelled against the command of its Lord} describes the town with rebellion, but what is meant are its people, like His saying: {And ask the town} (Joseph: 82). Ibn Abbas said: {rebelled against the command of its Lord} means it turned away from it. Al-Muqatil said: it disobeyed the command of its Lord and defied His Messengers, so We called it to account with a severe reckoning. Allah called it to account for its deeds in this world and punished it with torment, which is His saying: {and We punished it with a terrible punishment} (8:6), meaning a terrible, immense punishment. Thus, the reckoning is interpreted as torment. Al-Kalbi said this is due to transposition (placing things out of order): meaning, He punished it in this world and called it to a severe reckoning in the Hereafter. What is meant is the reckoning and torment of the Hereafter. {and tasted the evil consequence of its affair} (8:7), meaning the severity of its affair and the punishment for its disbelief. Ibn Abbas said: the consequence of its disbelief. {and the consequence of its affair was loss} means the consequence of its rebellion was loss in the Hereafter, which is His saying: {Allah has prepared for them a severe punishment}. This warns the disbelievers of Mecca against denying Muhammad, lest what befell previous nations befall them. His saying, the Exalted: {So fear Allah, O people of understanding!} (8:28), is an address to the people of faith, meaning: fear Allah lest you disbelieve in Him and His Messenger. His saying: {Allah has sent down to you a Reminder, a Messenger} (8:29) has two interpretations:

1. That Allah sent down a Reminder, which is the Messenger. He is named a Reminder because he reminds them of what pertains to their religion and their hereafter.
2. That Allah sent down a Reminder, and He sent a Messenger.

In Al-Kashshaf, it is stated that {a Messenger} refers to Gabriel, peace be upon him, as a substitute for {a Reminder} because he was described by reciting the verses of Allah, so his descent is in the sense of the descent of the Reminder. The term Dhikr (Reminder) can refer to honor, as in His saying: {And indeed, it is a reminder for you and your people} (Al-Zukhruf: 44), or it can refer to the Qur'an, as in His saying: {And We have sent down to you the Reminder} (An-Nahl: 44). It has also been read as Rasūl (Messenger) in the nominative case, meaning "He is a Messenger." And {reciting to you the clear verses of Allah} is read with both genitive (khifḍ) and accusative (naṣb). The verses (āyāt) are the proofs. The genitive reading implies that they clarify the matter, the Prophet, what is lawful, and what is unlawful. Whoever reads it in the accusative intends that Allah clarified and made manifest His verses, indicating they are from Him.

First: Does His saying, the Exalted: {So fear Allah, O people of understanding!} (8:28) relate to His saying: {And how many a town rebelled against the command of its Lord} (8:5) or not? We say: His saying {So fear Allah} confirms the view that what is meant by "town" is its people, because it indicates that Allah's address is only to those possessing intellect; whoever has no intellect is not addressed. Alternatively, His saying {And how many a town} encompasses both warning and encouragement.

Second: True faith is piety (Taqwa). Since the people of understanding who believed were necessarily among the early believers, how can they be told: {So fear Allah}? We say: Piety has degrees and ranks. The first degree is protection from polytheism (Shirk), and the rest are protection from sins other than polytheism. Thus, when the people of faith are commanded with piety, this command pertains to major and minor sins, not to polytheism.

Third: Whoever believes in Allah has exited darkness into light. If this is the case, why does the statement say {to bring out those who believe} instead of {to bring out those who disbelieve}? We say: It is possible that what is meant is {to bring out those who will believe}, as the past tense can sometimes imply the future, like in His saying: {And when Allah said, O Jesus...} (Al 'Imran: 55), meaning "And when Allah says." Alternatively, it could mean bringing them out from darknesses that might afflict them after their initial belief.

His saying: {And whoever believes in Allah} carries a sense of wonder and glorification for the reward Allah has granted the believer. It has also been read as {He will admit them} (plural) with the yā' and nūn. And {Allah has certainly granted him a good provision}. Al-Zajjaj said: Allah has provided him with Paradise whose delights never cease. Alternatively, {provision} (rizqan) means obedience in this world and reward in the Hereafter, similar to His saying: {Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire} (Al-Baqarah: 201).