the multiplied rewards: Allah, exalted is He, gives him tenfold and more for a single good deed. (1) This is sound, for these multiplied rewards have distinctive qualities: among them is that the servant will be questioned about his deed, but he will not be questioned about the multiplied reward; among them is that Satan has an avenue to his deed, but has no avenue to the multiplied reward; nor can adversaries lay claim to the multiplied reward. The good deed is according to what the servant deserves, whereas its multiplication is according to what befits the generosity of the Lord.
“And on that Day they will be safe from terror.” The reciters of Kufa read “from terror” with tanwin, and “on that Day” with the mim vowelled with fathah. The others read it in the genitive construct, because this is more comprehensive, entailing safety from every terror of that Day; whereas the indefinite reading suggests one terror rather than another. The reciters of Medina vowel the mim of “on that Day” with fathah.
“And whoever comes with an evil deed—their faces will be thrust into the Fire. ‘Are you rewarded except for what you used to do?’ (90) Say, ‘I have only been commanded to worship the Lord of this city, who made it sacred and to whom all things belong; and I have been commanded to be among those who submit to Him, (91) and to recite the Quran.’ Whoever is guided is guided only for his own benefit; and whoever goes astray, say, ‘I am only one of the warners.’ (92) And say, ‘Praise be to Allah. He will show you His signs, and you will recognize them. And your Lord is not unaware of what you do.’ (93)”
“And whoever comes with an evil deed”: that is, polytheism. “Their faces will be thrust into the Fire”: that is, they will be cast upon their faces. One says, “I threw the man down,” when one casts him upon his face; thus he falls face-down. The keepers of Hell will say to them: “Are you rewarded except for what you used to do?”—namely, the polytheism they committed in this world.
His saying, exalted is He, “I have only been commanded”: Allah says to His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, “Say: I have only been commanded.” “To worship the Lord of this city”: that is, Mecca. “Who made it sacred”: Allah made it a secure sanctuary, in which no blood may be shed, no one may be wronged, its game may not be hunted, and its herbage may not be cut. ⦗60/b⦘ “And to Him all things belong”: both in creation and ownership. “And I have been commanded to be among those who submit to Allah.”
“And to recite the Quran”: that is, I have also been commanded to recite the Quran. “Whoever is guided is guided only for his own benefit”: that is, the benefit of his guidance returns to him. “And whoever goes astray” from faith and misses the path of guidance, “say: I am only one of the warners”—one who gives warning; I am responsible only for conveying the message. This was abrogated by the verse commanding fighting. (2)
“And say: Praise be to Allah” for His blessings. “He will show you His signs”: that is, on the Day of Badr, through killing, captivity, and striking