Tafsir of Al-Qasas 28:86

"And you were not expecting..."

If you ask: What is the nature of the exception in His saying: {Except for a mercy from your Lord}?

I say: This statement is based on the underlying meaning. It is as if it were said: "The Book was not cast upon you except as a mercy from your Lord." It is also permissible for "except" (illa) to carry the meaning of "but" (lakin) for the purpose of rectification (istidrak), meaning: "But for a mercy from your Lord, it was cast upon you."

{And do not let them divert you from the verses of Allah after they have been revealed to you. And invite to your Lord and do not ever be of the polytheists.}