and Our declaration concerning the polytheists, so We set out the signs in detail. That is, We distinguish and clarify for you Our proof regarding every truth denied by the people of falsehood: “so that the way of the wicked may become clear,” meaning, the path of the wicked.

The Medinan reciters read it in the second-person form, “so that you may discern,” with “the way” in the accusative, as an address to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him; that is, “so that you, O Muhammad, may know the way of the wicked.” One says, “I have discerned a matter” and “I have come to know it,” when one has recognized it. Hamzah, al-Kisai, and Abu Bakr read it in the third-person form, “so that the way may become clear,” with “the way” in the nominative. The other reciters read it in the second-person form with “the way” in the nominative; that is, so that the way may appear and become clear. The word “way” may be treated as either masculine or feminine. Evidence for its masculine usage is His saying, Exalted is He: “If they see the way of right guidance, they do not take it as a way” (The Heights, 146). Evidence for its feminine usage is His saying: “Why do you hinder those who believe in Him from the way of Allah, seeking to make it crooked?” (Family of Imran, 99).

His saying, Exalted is He: “Say, ‘I have been forbidden to worship those whom you invoke besides Allah.’ Say, ‘I do not follow your desires’”—that is, in worshipping idols and driving away the poor—“for then I would have gone astray and would not be among the rightly guided.” That is, if I were to do so, I would have abandoned the path of truth and followed a way other than that of guidance.

“Say, ‘Indeed, I stand upon a clear proof from my Lord, yet you have denied it. What you seek to hasten is not within my power. Judgment belongs to Allah alone. He declares the truth, and He is the best of deciders.’ (57) Say, ‘If what you seek to hasten were within my power, the matter between me and you would have been settled. And Allah knows best who the wrongdoers are.’ (58)”

“Say, ‘Indeed, I stand upon a clear proof’”: that is, upon clarification, insight, and proof. “From my Lord, yet you have denied it”: that is, what I have brought. “What you seek to hasten is not within my power”: it was said that this refers to their demanding that the punishment be hastened. They used to say, “If this is indeed the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky” (The Spoils of War, 32)—to the end of the verse. It was also said that it refers to the Day of Resurrection. Allah, Exalted is He, says: “Those who do not believe in it seek to hasten it” (Consultation, 18).

“Judgment belongs to Allah alone. He declares the truth”: the reciters of the Hijaz and Asim read “He declares the truth,” with a doubled consonant, meaning that He speaks the truth. This is because it is written in all the Quranic codices without the letter ya, and because He says “the truth,” rather than “with the truth.” The other reciters read, “He judges the truth,” meaning that He judges with truth, as indicated by His saying, “and He is the best of deciders.” Decisive separation applies to judgment. They omitted the letter ya because of the heaviness of the definite article, as in His saying, “the one who will enter the Blazing Fire,” and similar expressions. Nor did He say “with the truth,” because “the truth” functions as an adjective qualifying the verbal noun, as though He had said: He judges a true judgment.

“Say, ‘If what you seek to hasten were within my power’”—that is, in my hand—“from among the punishment, the matter between me and you would have been settled.”