“The disbelievers say, ‘The Hour will never come to us.’ Say, ‘Yes, by my Lord, it will surely come to you—the Knower of the unseen. Not even the weight of an atom, in the heavens or on the earth, is hidden from Him; nor is there anything smaller or greater than that except that it is in a clear Record, (3) so that He may recompense those who believe and do righteous deeds. Those will have forgiveness and a generous provision. (4) But those who strive against Our signs, thinking that they can escape Us, will have a painful punishment of torment. (5) And those who have been given knowledge see that what has been sent down to you from your Lord is the truth, and that it guides to the path of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy. (6)’

“The disbelievers say, ‘The Hour will never come to us.’ Say, ‘Yes, by my Lord, it will surely come to you—the Knower of the unseen.’” The scholars of Medina and Syria recited “Knower” in the nominative, as an independent clause. The others recited it in the genitive, as an attribute of “my Lord”; that is, “By my Lord, the Knower of the unseen.” Hamzah and al-Kisa’i recited it as “the All-Knowing,” in the intensive form and with the final letter in the genitive.

“Not even the weight of an atom is hidden from Him”: that is, it does not escape Him. (1) “In the heavens or on the earth, nor is there anything smaller than that”—that is, smaller than an atom—“or greater, except that it is in a clear Record.” “So that He may recompense those who believe and do righteous deeds. Those”—meaning, those who believe—“will have forgiveness and a generous provision”: a good provision, meaning in Paradise.

“But those who strive against Our signs, thinking that they can escape Us, will have a painful punishment of torment.” Ibn Kathir, Hafs, and Ya‘qub recited “painful” in the nominative here and in Surah al-Jathiyah, as an attribute of “punishment.” [The others recited it in the genitive, as an attribute of “torment.” Qatadah said: “Torment is the evil of punishment.”] (2)

“And those”—that is, and those—“who have been given knowledge,” meaning the believing People of the Book: Abdullah ibn Salam and his companions. Qatadah said: They are the Companions of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. “What has been sent down to you from your Lord,” meaning the Quran, “is the truth,” meaning that it is from Allah, “and it guides”—meaning, the Quran guides—“to the path of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy”: namely, Islam. (3)