“It is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds. (80) Do you then treat this discourse with indifference? (81) And do you make your gratitude for what you have been given a matter of denial? (82)”

“It is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds”: that is, the Quran was sent down from the Lord of the worlds. In the breadth of Arabic usage, that which has been sent down is called a “sending down,” just as that which has been decreed is called a “decree,” and that which has been created, a “creation.”

“Do you then treat this discourse”—meaning, the Quran—“with indifference?” O people of Mecca. Ibn Abbas said: “You deny it.” Muqatil ibn Hayyan said: “You disbelieve,” as in His saying: “They wish that you would compromise, so they would compromise.” (al-Qalam 9) One who dissembles, or practices flattery and compromise, is a liar and a hypocrite. The term originally refers to maintaining inwardly what is contrary to one’s outward appearance. It was then applied to one who denies the truth, even if he openly declares his denial and disbelief.

“And do you make your gratitude for what you have been given”—that is, your share and portion of the Quran—“a matter of denial?” Regarding this verse, al-Hasan said: “Lost indeed is the servant whose only share of Allah’s Book is to deny it.”

A group of Quran commentators said that its meaning is: You make your gratitude consist in denial. Al-Haytham ibn Adi said: “In the dialect of Azd Shanu'ah, the verb normally meaning ‘to be provided for’ is used in the sense of ‘to give thanks.’ This relates to attributing rainfall to the stars. When rain came, they would say, ‘We were given rain by the setting of such-and-such a star,’ and they would not regard it as being from the bounty of Allah, the Exalted. They were therefore told: ‘Do you make your provision’—that is, your gratitude for the provision you have been given, namely your gratitude for your provision—‘a matter of denial?’ The governing noun was omitted, and the noun dependent upon it was put in its place.”

Abu al-Hasan al-Sarakhsi informed us; Zahir ibn Ahmad informed us; Abu Ishaq al-Hashimi informed us; Abu Mus'ab informed us, from Malik, from Salih ibn Kaysan, from Ubayd Allah ibn Abd Allah ibn Utbah ibn Masud, from Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, led us in the dawn prayer at Hudaybiyyah after rain had fallen during the night. When he had finished, he turned to the people and said: “Do you know what your Lord has said?” They replied, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He said: “He said: ‘This morning, among My servants, there arose one who believes in Me and one who disbelieves. As for the one who says, “We were given rain through the bounty and mercy of Allah,” he is a believer in Me and rejects the stars as a cause. But as for the one who says, “We were given rain by the setting of such-and-such a star,” he disbelieves in Me and attributes the rain to the stars.’” (1)

Ibn Abbas also narrated it from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, adding: Then this verse was revealed: “Then I swear by the setting of the stars,” up to His saying: “And do you make your gratitude for what you have been given a matter of denial?” (2) (al-Waqi'ah 82)