except to convey the message. Allah, Exalted is He, then said: ﴾But as for the one who came to you striving, while he fears Allah, you are inattentive to him﴿. This contrasts with His statement: ﴾As for the one who considers himself self-sufficient, you give him your attention﴿.

﴾But as for the one who came to you striving﴿ means that he hastens to attend the Prophet’s gathering, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in order to seize the opportunity. ﴾While he fears Allah﴿ means that he fears Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He, in his heart because he knows His greatness. ﴾You are inattentive to him﴿ means that you occupy yourself away from him and overlook him, because the Prophet was preoccupied with the leaders of the people in the hope that they might be guided.

﴾No indeed!﴿ means: Do not do this. We therefore say that ﴾No indeed!﴿ here is a particle of rebuke and deterrence—that is, do not do what you did. ﴾Indeed, it is a reminder﴿: ﴾it﴿ refers to the Quranic verses Allah revealed to His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. ﴾A reminder﴿ means that it reminds people of what benefits them and urges them toward it, while reminding them of what harms them and warning them against it; through these verses, the heart takes heed.

﴾So whoever wills may heed it﴿ means that whoever wishes may remember the admonition that was revealed and take heed, while whoever wishes may decline to do so, in accordance with the statement of Allah, Exalted is He: ﴾Say, “The truth is from your Lord. So whoever wills—let him believe; and whoever wills—let him disbelieve”﴿ [al-Kahf: 29].

As a matter of divine decree, Allah has given human beings the choice between belief and disbelief. As a matter of revealed law, however, He does not approve disbelief for His servants. A person is not legally free to choose between disbelief and faith; rather, he is commanded and obligated to believe. From the standpoint of divine decree, though, he possesses choice. He is not, as some people claim, merely driven along and compelled in his actions. Rather, this is an innovated doctrine introduced by the Jabriyya from among the Jahmiyya and others (1).

A human being therefore truly possesses choice. Consequently, when something occurs without a person’s choice—as in the case of someone who is coerced, asleep, forgetful, or the like—the ruling ordinarily attached to it does not apply to him in his standing before Allah, Exalted is He. ﴾So whoever wills may heed it﴿ means that whoever wishes may remember the revelation that was sent down and take heed through it, while whoever wishes may decline to remember it. The one granted success is he whom Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He, grants success.

﴾In honored sheets, exalted and purified﴿ means that this reminder contained in these verses is ﴾in honored sheets, exalted and purified﴿—revered in the sight of Allah. The term suhuf (sheets) is the plural of sahā’if (pages), while sahā’if is the plural of sahīfa (page), meaning something upon which words are written. ﴾In the hands of