One says, “He carried out the matter,” and “He established the matter,” when he performs it while giving it all its due rights. What is meant by it is the five daily prayers; it is mentioned in the singular form, as in His saying: “Allah sent the prophets as bearers of glad tidings and warners, and sent down with them the Book in truth” (2:213)—that is, the Books.
In linguistic usage, prayer means supplication. Allah Most High says, “And pray for them” (9:103), meaning: supplicate for them. In the Sacred Law, it is the name for particular acts: standing, bowing, prostrating, sitting, supplication, and praise. Regarding His saying, “Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet” (33:56), it has been said that, in this verse, prayer from Allah means mercy; from the angels, seeking forgiveness; and from the believers, supplication.
Concerning His saying, “and from what We have provided them” (2): that is, what We have given them. Provision is the name for everything from which benefit may be derived, even a child or a slave. Its original linguistic meaning is fortune and share. “They spend”: that is, they give in charity. Qatadah said: “They spend in the path of Allah and in obedience to Him.” The basic meaning of spending is to remove something from one’s hand and ownership. Hence the expression for merchandise being sold in the market, because the goods leave one’s hand; and likewise, an animal is said to have died when its spirit departs. This verse concerns the believers among the Arab polytheists.
Concerning His saying, “and those who believe in what has been sent down to you”: this means the Quran; “and what was sent down before you”: the Torah, the Gospel, and all the other Books sent down to the prophets, peace and blessings be upon them. Abu Ja‘far, Ibn Kathir, Qalun, Abu ‘Amr (3), the people of Basra, and Ya‘qub do not lengthen any disjunctive vowel-lengthening occurring between two words, whereas the others lengthen it. This verse concerns the believers from among the People of the Scripture.
Concerning His saying, “and in the Hereafter”: that is, in the final abode. This world is called the nearer world because of its nearness to the Hereafter, while the Hereafter is called the latter because it comes later and follows this world. “They have certainty”: that is, they know with certainty that it will come to pass. Certainty is knowledge. It has also been said that certainty and sure knowledge are knowledge based on inference. For this reason, Allah is not described as possessing certainty, nor is His knowledge called certainty, since His knowledge is not based on inference.
Concerning His saying, “Those”: that is, the people possessing these qualities. The word translated “those” is an expression referring to a group, like “they”; its final addressee particle is like that in the word translated “that.” “Upon guidance”: that is, upon right guidance, clear exposition, and insight. “From their Lord; and it is they who are the successful”: that is, the saved 6/b and triumphant; they have attained Paradise and been saved from the Fire. Success may also mean abiding: that is, abiding forever in everlasting bliss. The original meaning of success is cutting and splitting; hence a farmer is called a tiller because he splits the earth. In the proverb, “Iron is split by iron.” Thus, they are assured of goodness in this world and the Hereafter. (4)