in Allah’s consolation will be torn apart by regrets; whoever fixes his gaze upon what people possess will have prolonged sorrow; and whoever imagines that Allah’s blessing lies in his food, drink, and clothing will do little and find his punishment at hand.

“And enjoin prayer upon your family, and be steadfast in observing it. We do not ask you for provision; rather, We provide for you. And the ultimate outcome belongs to those who are mindful of Allah. They say, ‘Why does he not bring us a sign from his Lord?’ Has there not come to them clear proof of what was in the earlier scriptures? Had We destroyed them with a punishment before this, they would surely have said, ‘Our Lord, why did You not send us a messenger, so that we might have followed Your signs before we were humiliated and disgraced?’” (132–134)

Concerning His saying, “And enjoin prayer upon your family”: that is, your people. It was also said: those who follow your religion, as in His saying, “And he used to enjoin prayer upon his people” (Mary: 55). “And be steadfast in observing it”: that is, persevere in prayer, for it restrains one from indecency and wrongdoing.

“We do not ask you for provision”: We do not charge you with providing for any of Our creatures, nor with providing for yourself; rather, We charge you only with deeds. “Rather, We provide for you. And the ultimate outcome”—that is, the beautiful and praiseworthy end—“belongs to those who are mindful of Allah,” meaning the people of piety. Ibn Abbas said: They are those who believed you, followed you, and feared Me.

It is related in some Musnads that whenever hardship afflicted the household of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, he would command them to pray and recite this verse. (1)

Concerning His saying, “They say,” meaning the polytheists, “Why does he not bring us a sign from his Lord?”: that is, the sign they demanded, for he had already brought them many signs. “Has there not come to them clear proof?” The people of Medina and Basra, as well as Hafs transmitting from Asim, recited the verb in the feminine form because “clear proof” is grammatically feminine. The others recited it in the masculine form because the verb precedes its subject, and because “clear proof” here means an exposition, so they took account of the meaning. “Clear proof of what was in the earlier scriptures”: that is, an exposition of what they contain; this is the Quran, a more conclusive proof and a clearer sign.

It was also said: Has there not come to them the account of what was in the earlier scriptures—the Torah, the Gospel, and the accounts of other nations—namely, that they demanded signs, but when the signs came to them and they did not believe in them, how We hastened punishment and destruction upon them? What then assures these people that, if the sign comes to them, their condition will not be like the condition of those people?

“And had We destroyed them with a punishment before this”: that is, before sending the Messenger and sending down the Quran. “They would surely have said, ‘Our Lord, why did You not