Al-A'raf: (35-36) O Children of Adam...

Know that when the Almighty established the rulings of obligation (Taklīf) and clarified that everyone has a fixed term that neither precedes nor is delayed, He then explained that after death, if they were obedient, there will be no fear nor grief upon them. But if they were rebellious, they will fall into the severest punishment.

His saying, {If there come to you...} (Imā ya'tīnakum): The conditional particle inna is joined by mā for emphasis on the meaning of the condition, which is why its verb is necessitated to take the heavy nūn (of emphasis). The consequence of this condition is indicated by the fā' (then), and what follows it is the condition and its result, which is His saying: {So whoever fears [Allah] and does righteousness...} (Faman ittaqā wa aṣlaḥ).

He said "messengers" even though the address is to the Prophet (peace be upon him), who is the Seal of the Prophets (peace be upon them all), because the Almighty conducted the discourse according to His established practice concerning nations. He said {from among you} because the Messenger being one of them cuts off their excuse and makes the proof clearer against them in several ways:

1. Their prior knowledge of his condition and purity.
2. Their prior knowledge of what is fitting for his capability, so there is no room for doubt or suspicion regarding the miracles that appear through him, that they occurred by the power of Allah, not his own. For this reason, the Almighty said: {And if We had made him an angel, We would have made him a man} (Al-An'am: 9).
3. The familiarity and tranquility of the heart achieved with one's own kind, which is not achieved with what is not of the same kind.

As for His saying: {reciting My verses...} (yaquṣṣūna 'alayya āyātī): It is said these verses are the Qur'an. It is said they are the proofs (dalā'il). It is said they are the rulings and laws. The first view is more comprehensive, as all these things are verses of Allah the Almighty, because when messengers come, they must mention all these categories.

Then the Almighty divided the state of the community, saying: {So whoever fears [Allah] and does righteousness} (Faman ittaqā wa aṣlaḥ). Combining these two states necessitates reward because the one who fears is he who refrains from everything Allah has forbidden, and included in {and does righteousness} is that he performs everything he has been commanded to do.

Then the Almighty described their state: {no fear will come upon them}—meaning concerning future events—{nor will they grieve}—meaning concerning past events. This is because if a person anticipates harm reaching him in the future, he fears. If he reflects and realizes that some undesirable thing has reached him in the past, grief enters his heart. For this reason, the best interpretation for negating grief is that it means he will not grieve over what he missed in the world. His grief over the punishment of the Hereafter must be removed by the attainment of the removal of fear, making it an additional benefit, which is preferable.

Thus, the Almighty clarified that his state in the Hereafter differs from his state in the world, for in the Hereafter, fear and grief will absolutely not enter his heart.

The scholars differed regarding whether the believers among the people of obedience will be afflicted by fear and grief during the terrors of the Day of Resurrection.

Some held that such fear and grief will not afflict them, and the evidence for this is this verse, and also His saying: {The Greatest Terror will not grieve them} (Al-Anbiya: 103).

Others held that this terror will afflict them, based on His saying: {The Day you will see it, every nursing mother will forget that which she suckled, and every pregnant woman will drop her load, and you will see the people as in a state of intoxication, yet they will not be intoxicated} (Al-Hajj: 2), meaning due to the severity of fear.

These scholars answered this verse by saying its meaning is that their affair will ultimately result in security and joy, like a doctor saying to a patient, "There is no harm to you," meaning your affair will ultimately lead to well-being and safety, even if you are currently afflicted by your illness.

Then the Almighty clarified that those who denied these verses brought by the messengers {and were arrogant}—meaning they disdained accepting them and rebelled against adhering to them—{then those will be the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally} (fa'ulā'ika aṣḥāb an-nār hum fīhā khālidūn).

Our companions (the Ash'arites/Sunnis) have used this verse as evidence that the sinner who performs prayer will not remain eternally in the Fire, because the Almighty specified that the deniers of Allah's verses and the arrogant regarding their acceptance are those who will abide eternally in the Fire. The word {they} (hum) implies restriction (Hasr), which necessitates that whoever is not described by this denial and arrogance will not abide eternally in the Fire. And Allah knows best.

7 < {Who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allah or denies His verses? Those will attain their portion [of what is decreed for them] from the Book until when Our messengers [of death] come to them to take their souls, they will say, "Where are those you used to invoke besides Allah?" They will say, "They have departed from us," and they will bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers.} > 7