(1–6) “In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. All praise is for Allah, who sent down the Book upon His servant and placed no crookedness in it, but made it upright, to warn of a severe punishment from Him and give glad tidings to the believers who perform righteous deeds that they will have a fine reward, in which they will remain forever, and to warn those who say, ‘Allah has taken a son.’”
Praising Allah means extolling Him for His attributes, all of which are attributes of perfection, and for His blessings, both outward and inward, religious and worldly. The greatest of all His blessings is that He sent down the magnificent Book upon His servant and Messenger, Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He therefore praised Himself, and this also contains guidance for His servants to praise Him for sending the Messenger to them and sending down the Book for them.
He then described this Book with two qualities demonstrating that it is perfect in every respect: He denied that it contains any crookedness and affirmed that it is upright (1) and straight. Denying crookedness means that there is no falsehood in its reports and no injustice or futility in its commands and prohibitions. Affirming its uprightness means that it conveys only the noblest reports and issues only the finest commands. Its reports fill hearts with knowledge, faith, and sound understanding, such as its accounts of Allah’s names, attributes, and deeds, as well as matters of the unseen, past and future. Its commands and prohibitions purify souls, ⦗470⦘ cleanse them, foster their growth, and bring them to perfection, for they embody perfect justice and equity, sincerity, and servitude to Allah, Lord of the worlds, alone without partner. A Book possessing these qualities truly merits that Allah should praise Himself for sending it down and commend it to His servants.
His words, “to warn of a severe punishment from Him,” mean that through this Noble Quran He may warn of the punishment from Him which He has ordained and decreed for those who disobey His command. This includes punishment in this world and punishment in the Hereafter. It is also among His blessings that He has caused His servants to fear and has warned them of what will harm and destroy them.
Thus, after mentioning the description of the Fire in this Quran, the Exalted says: “Through this Allah causes His servants to fear. O My servants, therefore fear Me.” It is part of His mercy toward His servants that He has appointed severe punishments for those who disobey His command, made those punishments clear to them, and explained the causes that lead to them.
“And give glad tidings to the believers who perform righteous deeds that they will have a fine reward.” That is, Allah sent down the Book upon His servant to give glad tidings to those who believe in Him and in His messengers and books, whose faith has become complete and thus requires them to perform righteous deeds. These are the obligatory and recommended deeds that combine sincerity with faithful adherence. “They will have a fine reward”: this is the recompense Allah has appointed for faith and righteous deeds. Its greatest and most glorious part is attaining Allah’s pleasure and entering Paradise, which contains what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has ever conceived. Describing this reward as fine indicates that nothing whatsoever will mar or disturb it, for if it contained any such thing, its excellence would not be complete.
Moreover, they will be “in it forever.” This fine reward will never cease to be theirs, nor will they ever depart from it. Rather, their bliss will continually increase. The mention of glad tidings necessarily points to the deeds by which what has been promised becomes due: this Quran contains every righteous deed that leads to what delights souls and brings joy to spirits.
“And to warn those who say, ‘Allah has taken a son’”—namely, the Jews, Christians, and polytheists who uttered this hideous claim. They did not make it on the basis of knowledge [nor] certainty. Neither they nor the forefathers whom they blindly followed possessed any knowledge of it. Rather, they follow nothing but conjecture and whatever their souls desire.