⦗22–24⦘ “Whoever submits himself to Allah while doing good has indeed grasped the firmest handhold. To Allah is the ultimate outcome of all matters. * Whoever disbelieves, let not his disbelief grieve you. To Us is their return, and We shall inform them of what they did. Allah knows all that lies within breasts. * We let them enjoy themselves for a little while; then We shall compel them to a severe punishment.”
“Whoever submits himself to Allah”—that is, humbles himself and yields to Him by observing His prescribed laws and devoting his religion sincerely to Him—“while doing good” in that submission, such that his deeds accord with the Shariah and he follows the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him.
Alternatively: whoever submits himself to Allah by performing every act of worship and does so with excellence, worshiping Allah as though he sees Him; for even though he does not see Him, He sees him.
Alternatively: whoever submits himself to Allah by fulfilling the rights due to Him, while doing good to Allah’s servants and fulfilling their rights.
These meanings necessarily entail one another. They differ only in terms of [the difference in] (1) what the two expressions apply to; otherwise, they all agree upon observing all the laws of the religion in a manner by which they are accepted and perfected. Whoever does so has submitted and “grasped the firmest handhold”—that is, the handhold which, when grasped, makes one secure, saves one from destruction, and brings one every good.
Whoever does not submit himself to Allah, or does not do good, has not grasped the firmest handhold; and if he has not grasped the firmest handhold, nothing remains but destruction and ruin. “To Allah is the ultimate outcome of all matters”—that is, their return, destination, and final end. He will judge between His servants and recompense them according to what their deeds have ultimately amounted to and the consequences they have produced. Let them therefore prepare for that event.
“Whoever disbelieves, let not his disbelief grieve you,” for you have fulfilled your duty of calling and conveying the message. If he is not guided, your reward with Allah is assured, and there is no longer any cause for grief over his failure to be guided; for had there been any good in him, Allah would have guided him.
Nor should you grieve because they have dared to show you enmity, openly waged war against you, and persisted in their error and disbelief. Nor should you be consumed with anguish over them because punishment has not swiftly overtaken them.
For “to Us is their return, and We shall inform them of what they did”: their disbelief and enmity, their efforts to extinguish Allah’s light, and their abuse of His messengers.
“Allah knows all that lies within breasts”—that which no speaker has uttered; how much more, then, does He know what is manifest and plainly witnessed?
“We let them enjoy themselves for a little while” in this world so that their sin may increase and their punishment become full. “Then We shall compel them”—that is, [We shall force them] (2)—“to a severe punishment,” one that has reached the utmost degree of enormity and magnitude, horror, pain, and severity.