He, glorified be He, denied that believers who remain behind from striving in His cause are equal to those who strive. He then stated that He had favoured those who strive over those who remain behind by one rank, and then that He had favoured them by several ranks.

Some people have found this verse difficult to understand in relation to those who remain behind, above whom those who strive are favoured by several ranks: if they, together with those who remain behind above whom those with disabilities are favoured—those who strive, by several ranks—are those without disabilities, then those who strive are superior to those who remain behind without qualification. On this understanding, what is the purpose of excepting those with disabilities from those who remain behind, when they are not equal to those who strive in the first place? The ruling concerning those excepted would thus be identical to the ruling concerning the group from which they are excepted.

This is the difficulty.

With Allah’s praise, we shall explain what resolves it. We say:

The Quran reciters differed concerning the grammatical case of ghayr (“other than”). It has been read in both the nominative and the accusative, and both readings occur among the seven canonical readings. It has also been read in the genitive outside those seven readings; this is the reading of Abū Habwa.

In the accusative reading, it functions as an exception, because ghayr in an exceptive construction takes the same grammatical case as the noun following illā (“except”), namely the accusative. This is the correct view.

Some have held that it is accusative as a circumstantial qualifier: those who remain behind without disabilities are not equal—that is, while in sound health, they are not equal to those who strive. However, interpreting it as an exception is more correct, since in Arabic usage ghayr scarcely ever functions as a circumstantial qualifier unless it is followed by an indefinite noun in a genitive construction. Examples include His words, exalted is He:

“But whoever is compelled by necessity, neither desiring it,”

and His words, mighty and majestic is He:

“Livestock have been made lawful for you, except what is recited to you, without permitting yourselves to hunt,”

and the Prophet’s words, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“Welcome to the delegation, neither disgraced nor remorseful.”

If, however, ghayr is followed by a definite noun in a genitive construction, it agrees grammatically with what precedes it, as in His words, exalted is He: “The path