Allah loathed them for fleeing from death, so He caused them to die as a punishment; then they were resurrected in order to complete the terms decreed for them. Had their appointed terms come, they would not have been resurrected. (1)

His saying, “Have you not considered?” means: Have you not known, through My informing you? It is a matter of inner perception.

The scholars of meaning said: This is an expression of wonder, as though He were saying, “Have you ever seen the like of them?” Just as one says, “Have you not considered what so-and-so is doing?” Every occurrence in the Quran of “Have you not considered?” concerning something the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did not witness firsthand has this meaning.

“Those who left their homes in thousands”: this is the plural of “thousand.” It has also been said to mean that their hearts were united, as the plural of ālif (“one in harmony”), just as quʿūd (“those seated”) is the plural of qāʿid (“one seated”). The sound view is that it refers to their number.

“Fearing death,” that is, out of fear of death. “Then Allah said to them, ‘Die!’” This was a command of transformation, like His saying, “Be apes, despised” (65—al-Baqarah). “Then He brought them to life,” after their death. “Indeed, Allah is surely bountiful to the people.” It is said that this is general, applying to all people in this world; and it is also said that it is specific to the believers. “But most people are not grateful.” As for the disbelievers, they did not show gratitude; and as for the believers, they did not attain the utmost degree of gratitude.

“And fight in the way of Allah,” that is, against the enemies of Allah in obedience to Allah. “And know that Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” Most exegetes said: This was addressed to those who had been brought back to life. They were commanded to fight in the way of Allah, for they had left their homes fleeing from jihad. Allah caused them to die, then brought them to life, and commanded them to strive in battle. It was also said that the address is to this community, commanding them to perform jihad.

His saying, “Who is it that will lend Allah a goodly loan?” A loan is the name for everything a person gives in order to be recompensed for it. Thus, Allah Most High calls the deeds that the believers perform for Him, in hope of the reward He has promised them, a loan, because they do them seeking His reward. Al-Kisāʾī said: A loan is whatever good or evil deed you send ahead. The basic meaning of loan in Arabic is cutting; it is called a loan because one cuts off a portion of one’s wealth and gives it, so that its equivalent may return to him.

It is also said that the verse contains an ellipsis, its intended sense being: Who is it that will lend to the servants of Allah and to the needy among His creation? This is like His saying, “Indeed, those who harm Allah and His Messenger” (57—al-Ahzab), meaning: those who harm the servants of Allah. As related in the authentic hadith from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Allah Most High will say on the Day of Resurrection: ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for food, yet you did not feed Me.’ He will say, ‘My Lord, how could I feed You when You are the Lord of the worlds?’ He will say, ‘My servant so-and-so asked you for food, yet you did not feed him. Did you not know that, had you fed him, you would have found that with Me?’” (2)

His saying, “lends Allah,” means: spends in obedience to Allah. “A goodly loan”: Al-Husayn ibn ʿAlī al-Wāqidī said that this means giving while seeking reward, with a willing heart. Ibn al-Mubārak said: from lawful wealth. It was also said: without reminding others of it or causing hurt. “Then He will multiply it for him”: Ibn Kathīr, Abu Jaʿfar, Ibn ʿĀmir, and Yaʿqūb read the verb with consonant doubling, as do they in its other forms; Abu ʿAmr agreed with them in Surat al-Ahzab. The others read it with an alif and without consonant doubling. Both are valid Arabic forms. The evidence for the consonant-doubled reading is His saying: