Likewise, al-Wālī related this from Ibn ʿAbbās, yet the report is disconnected and therefore unsound. (1)

This, however, is not what the verse intends; rather, it unequivocally points to the first interpretation, both in wording and in meaning. As for the wording, the expression man zakkāhā (who purifies it) is a relative clause, and every relative clause must contain a pronoun that refers back to its antecedent man (who). Thus, when one says, “Successful indeed is the person who purifies it,” the subject pronoun (2) in zakkāhā (“purifies it”) returns to man. This is impeccable syntax, just as one says, “Successful is he who fears Allah his Lord,” “Successful is he who obeys his Lord,” or, “Successful is he who stands in awe of Him.” (3)

If, on the other hand, the meaning were taken as “Successful indeed is he whom Allah purifies,” no pronoun would remain in the sentence that refers back to man (who). Under that interpretation, the pronoun (4) would refer to Allah (5), not to man, and the object pronoun returns