and the believers’ jihad, through which acts of obedience to Allah and things beloved to Him were achieved that were greater in His sight than the belief of the leading men of Quraysh.

Accordingly, it may be said:

Allah created jinn and mankind only that they might worship Him. This is the end He intended for them through His command; through it, what He loves is attained, and their happiness and salvation are achieved. This holds even though some of them do not worship Him and He has not made them worshippers of Him, if making them so would mean forgoing other things that He loves more than their worship, and bringing about other evils that He hates more than their disobedience.

It may also be said:

“And they will continue to differ * except those upon whom your Lord has mercy; and for that He created them.”

For in creating them, He intended what they would ultimately come to: mercy or disagreement.

Thus, in the former verse He mentions the end they were commanded to pursue, while here He mentions the end to which they will ultimately come. Both are intended by Him. The former is intended through His command, and whatever of it actually occurs is intended through both His creation and His command. The latter is intended through His creation, and whatever of it is commanded is intended through both His creation and His command.

This is the meaning of what is reported from ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib, may Allah be pleased with him, concerning His words:

“Except to worship Me.”

He said: “It means: only that I may command them to worship Me