Tafsir of Al-Qasas 28:50

"But if they do not respond to you..."

Question: What is the difference between the verb istijaba (to respond) in this verse and in the line of poetry: "Then no responder responded to him at that moment," where it is used without the preposition lam?

Response: This verb can take the du‘a (the call/supplication) as a direct object, or it can take the da‘i (the caller) as an object using the preposition lam. When it takes the caller as an object, the du‘a is usually omitted. Thus, one says: istajaba Allah du‘a’ahu (God answered his prayer) or istajaba lahu (He answered him). It is rarely said: istajaba lahu du‘a’ahu (He answered him his prayer). As for the line of poetry, its meaning is: "No one answered his call," with the omitted noun (the call).

Question: But istijaba requires a du‘a (call), and there is no du‘a here.

Response: The phrase "Then bring a book" is a command to produce one. A command is an incitement to an action and a call toward it. It is as if He said: "If they do not respond to your call to produce a book, except by following their own desires, then know that they have been left without excuse, and no argument remains for them except the following of desire."

Then He says: "And who is more astray than he who follows his own desire without guidance from Allah?"

This means: one whose heart is sealed and who is deprived of divine grace.

"Indeed, Allah does not guide..."

This means: He does not grant grace to those who persist in wrongdoing, for whom granting grace would be futile. The phrase "without guidance" is in the position of a hal (state/adverbial), meaning: abandoned, left alone with his own desires.

"And We have conveyed the Word to them, that they might remember."