The second is something He dislikes, hates, and is displeased with: transgression. Thus He commands and encourages what He loves, and warns against and forbids what He hates in the strongest possible terms: He does not love those who do it. And what good can anyone attain if Allah does not love him?
His words, “Indeed, He does not love those who transgress,” immediately following “Call upon your Lord humbly and in secret,” indicate that whoever does not call upon Him humbly and in secret is among the transgressors whom He does not love.
The verse thus divides people into two groups: those who call upon Allah humbly and in secret, and those who transgress by failing to do so.
Section
Allah Most High says: “And do not cause corruption on the earth after it has been set right.”
Most commentators said: Do not corrupt it through sins and by calling people to anything other than obedience to Allah, after Allah has set it right by sending the Messengers, making His law clear, and calling people to obey Him. Worshipping others besides Allah, calling people to others besides Him, and associating partners with Him constitute the greatest corruption on earth. Indeed, corruption on earth truly stems from associating partners with Him and disobeying His commands. Allah Most High says: 30: 41 “Corruption has appeared on land and sea because of what people’s hands have earned.” ‘Atiyyah said concerning the verse: “Do not disobey Allah on earth, lest Allah withhold the rain and destroy the crops because of your sins.” More than one of the early generations said: “When the rains fail, the animals curse the sinful descendants of Adam, saying, ‘O Allah, curse them! It is because of them that the earth has become barren and the rains have failed.’”
In short, associating partners with Allah, calling people to others besides Him, and setting up someone other than Him to be worshipped, or someone other than the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—to be obeyed and followed, constitute the greatest corruption on earth. Neither the earth nor its inhabitants can be set right unless Allah alone is worshipped, people are called to Him alone and no other, and obedience and adherence are given exclusively to His Messenger. Obedience to anyone else is obligatory only when he commands obedience to the Messenger. But if he commands