“Turning his side in arrogance so as to lead others astray from the way of Allah. For him there is disgrace in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection We shall make him taste the punishment of the Burning Fire. That is for what your hands have sent forth, and because Allah is never unjust to His servants. And among people is he who worships Allah on the edge: if good befalls him, he is content with it; but if a trial befalls him, he turns back on his heels. He loses this world and the Hereafter. That is the clear loss.” (9) (10) (11)

“Turning his side in arrogance”: that is, strutting arrogantly. Mujahid and Qatadah said: twisting his neck. Atiyyah and Ibn Zayd said: turning away arrogantly from that to which he is called. Ibn Jurayj said: he turns away from the truth out of arrogance.

The term translated as “side” means the flank; a man’s two sides are the right and left sides. It is the part that a person bends, twists, and inclines when turning away from something. A similar statement is Allah’s saying:

“And when Our verses are recited to him, he turns away in arrogance.” (Luqman: 7)

And He, Most High, says:

“And when they are told, ‘Come, so that the Messenger of Allah may seek forgiveness for you,’ they twist their heads.” (Al-Munafiqun: 5)

“So as to lead others astray from the way of Allah” ⦗24/A⦘: that is, from the religion of Allah. “For him there is disgrace in this world”: punishment and humiliation, namely, being killed at Badr. Thus al-Nadr ibn al-Harith and Uqbah ibn Abi Muayt were executed after being taken captive on the day of Badr.

“And on the Day of Resurrection We shall make him taste the punishment of the Burning Fire.” And it will be said to him: “That is for what your hands have sent forth, and because Allah is never unjust to His servants.” He does not punish them without sin. Glorified and Exalted is He: however He wills to deal with His servant, His judgment is just, and He is not unjust.

His saying, Most High, “And among people is he who worships Allah on the edge,” was revealed concerning a group of Bedouins who would come to Madinah as emigrants from their desert dwellings. When one of them arrived in Madinah and his body remained healthy there, his mare foaled a fine colt, his wife gave birth to a son, and his wealth increased, he would say, “This is a good religion; I have found good in it,” and he would become content with it. But if illness afflicted him, his wife gave birth to a girl, his mares miscarried (1), and his wealth declined, he would say, “Ever since I entered this religion, I have found nothing but evil,” and would turn away from his religion. That is the trial (2). So Allah, Most High, revealed:

“And among people is he who worships Allah on the edge.”

Most of the exegetes said: that is, in doubt. Its origin is the edge of a thing—that is, its extremity—such as the edge of a mountain or a wall, where one standing upon it is not firmly settled. Thus, one who doubts the religion is described as worshipping Allah “on the edge,” because he stands on the outer margin of the religion and has not entered it with firmness and steadfastness. Its underlying image is that of someone standing on the edge of a mountain, wavering and unsteady, liable to fall to either side of the brink because of his unstable footing. Had they worshipped Allah by giving thanks in prosperity and being patient in adversity, they would not have been on the edge. Al-Hasan said: he is the hypocrite.