Tafsir of Al-Insan 76:23

"Indeed, it is We who have sent down..."

The repetition of the pronoun after it was established as the noun for inna (Indeed) serves as an emphasis upon emphasis regarding the meaning of God’s exclusivity in the revelation. This is so that it may be firmly established in the soul of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) that if He is the One who sent it down, then its revelation—in whatever manner it descended—could only be wisdom and correctness.

It is as if it were said: "The Quran was not sent down to you in a fragmented, gradual manner except by Me, and no one else. You have known Me to be Wise, doing everything I do for reasons of wisdom. My profound wisdom has called for Me to send down to you the command for endurance and patience, and I shall send down to you the command for fighting and retribution after a while."

"So be patient for the decision of your Lord"—which proceeds from wisdom and the suspension of matters based on interests, and His delaying of your victory over your enemies among the people of Mecca.

"And do not obey from among them any sinner or ungrateful one"—do not obey them out of a lack of patience regarding their harm or weariness at the delay of victory. Despite their excessive hostility and abuse toward him and those with him, they would call upon him to turn back from his mission, offering him their wealth and the marriage of their most noble daughters if he would comply.

If you ask: They were all disbelievers, so what is the meaning of the division in His saying "or an ungrateful one"? I say: Its meaning is: Do not obey from among them anyone who commits what is a sin and calls you to it, or anyone who commits what is disbelief and calls you to it. This is because they would either call him to assist them in an act that is a sin or disbelief, or something that is neither. Thus, He forbade him from assisting them in the first two, but not the third.

It is also said: The "sinner" is Utbah, and the "ungrateful one" is al-Walid. This is because Utbah was prone to sins and engaged in various types of immorality, while al-Walid was excessive in disbelief and fierce in his arrogance.

If you ask: The meaning of "or" is "do not obey either of them," so why was "and" (wa) not used to forbid obeying both of them together? I say: If it were said, "Do not obey them both," it might be permissible to obey one of them. But when it is said, "Do not obey either of them," it is understood that the one who forbids obeying one of them is even more prohibitive of obeying them both. Just as when one is forbidden from saying "uff" to one's parents, it is understood that one is forbidden from striking them by way of priority.

"And mention the name of your Lord morning and evening"—persist in the dawn and afternoon prayers.

"And from the night, prostrate to Him"—pray to Him during a portion of the night. Or, it means the Maghrib and Isha prayers. The preposition "min" (from) is attached to the adverb of time to denote partiality, just as it is attached to the object in His saying: "He will forgive you [some] of your sins" (Nuh: 4).

"And exalt Him during a long night"—perform the tahajjud for Him during a long portion of the night: two-thirds of it, or half of it, or a third of it.

"Indeed, these [people] love the immediate and leave behind them a heavy Day. We have created them and strengthened their forms; and when We will, We can replace them with others like them by [complete] replacement."