بَعْدَAfterوُصُولِهِhis arrivalإِلَيْهَاto her
After his arrival to her.
قَالَHe saidاللَّهُGodتَعَالَىthe Most High::((وَمَاAnd whatكَانَwasاللَّهُGodلِيُضِلَّto lead astrayقَوْمًاa peopleبَعْدَafterإِذْwhenهَدَاهُمْHe guided them))حَتَّىuntilيَبينَHe clarifiesلَهُمْto themمَاwhatيَتَّقُونَthey are cautious of
God the Most High said: "And what was God to lead astray a people after He guided them, until He clarifies to them what they are to be cautious of."
فَهَذَاThis isالإِضْلَالُthe leading astrayعُقُوبَةٌa punishmentمِنْهُfrom Himلَهُمْfor them,,حِينَwhenبَيَّنَHe clarifiedلَهُمْto them
This leading astray is a punishment from Him for them, when He clarified to them.
فَلَمْBut they did notيَقْبَلُواacceptمَاwhatبَيَّنَهُHe clarifiedلَهُمْto them,,وَلَمْand did notيَعْمَلُواactبِهِupon itفَعَاقَبَهُمْSo He punished themبِأَنْbyأَضَلَّهُمْleading them astrayعَنْfromالْهُدَىthe guidance,,وَمَاand no oneأَضَلَّled astrayاللَّهُGodسُبْحَانَهُthe Exaltedأَحَدًاanyoneقَطٌّeverإِلَّاexceptبَعْدَafterهَذَاthisالْبَيَانِthe clarification
But they did not accept what He clarified to them, and did not act upon it, so He punished them by leading them astray from guidance, and no one ever gets led astray by God except after this clarification.
وَإِذَاAnd ifعَرَفْتَyou knowهَذَاthisعَرَفْتَyou knowسِرَّthe secretالْقَدَرِof fate,,وَزَالَتْand it removesعَنكَfrom youشُكُوكٌdoubtsكَثِيرَةٌmany,,وَشُبُهَاتٌand suspicionsفِيinهَذَاthisالْبَابِmatter
And if you know this, you will know the secret of fate, and it will remove many doubts and suspicions from you regarding this matter.
وَعَلِمْتَAnd you knowحِكْمَةَthe wisdomاللَّهِof Godفِيinإِضْلَالِهِleading astrayمَنْwhomيُضِلَّهُHe leads astrayمِنْfromعِبَادِهِHis servants.
And you know the wisdom of God in leading astray whom He leads astray among His servants.
وَالْقُرْآنَAnd the Quranيُصَرِّحُdeclaresبِهَذَاthisفِيinغَيْرِotherمَوْضِعٍplaces,,كَقَوْلِهِlike His saying::(فَلَا(So notزَاغُواdid they strayأَزَاغَGod caused to strayاللَّهُGodقُلُوبَهُمْtheir hearts))
And the Quran declares this in other places, like His saying: "So not did they stray, so God caused their hearts to stray."
﴿)وَقَالُواAnd He says to themقُلُوبُنَاour heartsغُلْفٌare sealed off.بَلْButطَبَعَHe has sealedاللَّهُGodعَلَيْهَاupon themبِكُفْرِهِمْdue to their disbelief
And He says: "And their hearts are sealed off. But God has sealed them due to their disbelief."
فَالأَوَّلُSo the first::كُفْرٌis disbeliefعِنَادٌin obstinacy.وَالثَّانِيAnd the second::كُفْرٌis disbeliefطَبْعٌof sealing.وَقَوْلُهُAnd His saying::(وَنُقَلِّبُ(And We turnأَفْئِدَتَهُمْtheir heartsوَأَبْصَارَهُمْand their sightsكَمَاasلَمْthey did notيُؤْمِنُواbelieveبِهِin Himأَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍthe first time,,,وَنَذَرُهُمْand We leave themفِيinطُغْيَانِهِمْtheir tyrannyيَعْمَهُونَwandering.
So the first is disbelief in obstinacy. And the second is the sealing of disbelief. And His saying: "And We turn their hearts and their sights as they did not believe in Him the first time, and We leave them in their tyranny, wandering."
فَعَاقَبَهُمْSo He punished themعَلَىforتَرْكِabandoningالإِيمَانِthe faithبِهِin Himحِينَwhenتَيَقَّنُوهُthey were certainوَتَحَقَّقُوهُand confirmed it.,,بِأَنْbyقَلَبَturningأَفْئِدَتَهُمْtheir heartsوَأَبْصَارَهُمْand their sightsفَلَمْso they did notيَهْتَدُواfind guidanceلَهُto it
So He punished them for abandoning the faith in Him when they were certain and confirmed it, by turning their hearts and their sights, so they did not find guidance to it.
فَتَأَمَّلْSo ponderهَذَاthisالْمَوْضِعَplaceحَقًّtrulyالتَأَمُّلَreflect.فَإِنَّهُIndeed it isمَوْضِعٌa placeعَظِيمٌgreat.
So ponder this place truly, for it is a great place.
وَقَالَAnd He saidتَعَالَىthe Exalted::(وَأَمَّا(And as forثَمُودُThamudفَهَدَيْنَاهُمْWe guided themفَاسْتَحَبُّواbut they preferredالْعَمَىthe blindnessعَلَىoverالْهُدَىthe guidance.))
And He the Exalted said: "And as for Thamud, We guided them but they preferred blindness over guidance."
فَهَذَاThis isهُدًىguidanceبَعْدَafterالْبَيَانِthe clarificationوَالدَّلَالَةِand evidence.وَهُوَAnd it isشَرْطٌa conditionلَاnotمُوجِبٌa necessity.فَإِنْFor ifلَمْnotيَقْتَرِنْit is associatedبِهِwith itهُدًىguidanceآخَرَotherبَعْدَهُafter itلَمْnotيَحْصَلْbe achievedبِهِwith itكَمَالُthe completenessالِاهْتِدَاءِof guidanceوَهُوَand it isهُدًىthe guidanceالتَّوفِيقِof successوَالْإِلْهَامِand inspiration.
This guidance is after the clarification and evidence, and it is a condition, not a necessity. For if it is not associated with another guidance after it, then the completeness of guidance cannot be achieved, and it is the guidance of success and inspiration.
وَهَذَاAnd thisالْبَيَانُclarificationنَوْعَانِis two types:بَيَانٌclarificationبِالْآيَاتِby the versesالْمَسْمُوعَةِthat are heardالْمَتْلُوَةِand recited.وَبَيَانٌAnd a clarificationبِالْآيَاتِby the versesالْمَشْهُودَةِthat are witnessedالْمَرْئِيَّةِand seen.وَكِلَاهُمَاAnd bothأَدِلَّةٌare evidenceوَآيَاتٌand signsعَلَىforتَوْحِيدِthe onenessاللَّهِof Godوَأَسْمَائِهِand His namesوَصِفَاتِهِand attributesوَكَمَالِهِand His perfection.وَصِدْقِand the truthمَاwhatأَخْبَرَتwas toldبِهِby itرُسُلُهُHis messengersعَنْهُabout Him.
And this clarification consists of two types: a clarification by the recited verses and a clarification by the witnessed and seen verses, and both are evidence and signs for the oneness of God, His names, attributes, and perfection, and the truth of what His messengers told about Him.
وَلِهَذَاAnd for this reasonيَدْعُوHe invitesعِبَادَهُHis servantsبِآيَاتِهِby His versesالْمَتْلُوَةِthat are recitedإِلَىtoالتَّفَكُّرِreflectفِيinآيَاتِهِHis signsالْمَشْهُودَةِthat are witnessedوَيُحَضُّهُمْand prompts themعَلَىtoالتَّفَكُّرِreflectفِيinهَذِهِthese.وَهَذِهِAnd these.وَهَذَاAnd thisالْبَيَانُclarificationهُوَisالَّذِيwhatبُعِثَتwas sentبِهِby itالرُّسُلُthe messengersوَجُعِلَتand was madeإِلَيْهِمto themوَإِلَىand toالْعُلَمَاءِthe scholarsبَعْدَهُمْafter them.وَبَعْدَAnd afterذَلِكَthatيُضِلُّHe leads astrayاللَّهُGodمَنْwhomيَشَاءُHe wills.
And for this reason, He invites His servants by His recited verses to reflect upon His witnessed signs and prompts them to reflect upon these. And this clarification is what was sent by the messengers and made to them and to the scholars after them. And after that, God leads astray whom He wills.