(1–19) “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High * Who created and fashioned perfectly * Who ordained and guided * Who brought forth the pasture * Then reduced it to dark, withered debris * We shall cause you to recite, and you will not forget * Except what Allah wills. Surely He knows what is open and what is hidden * And We shall ease you toward the way of ease * So remind, if the reminder benefits * He who fears will take heed * But the most wretched will shun it * Who will enter the Great Fire * Where he will neither die nor live * Successful indeed is he who purifies himself * And remembers the name of his Lord and prays.”
The Most High commands that He be glorified, which entails remembering and worshipping Him, submitting before His majesty, and humbling oneself before His greatness. This glorification must befit the greatness of Allah Most High: His most beautiful names, which surpass every other name, must be mentioned together with their beautiful and magnificent meanings (1), as must His deeds. Among His deeds is that He created all creatures and fashioned them perfectly—that is, He perfected and made their creation excellent. He “ordained” all things according to a decree to which every created thing conforms, “and guided” every creature accordingly.
This is the universal guidance by which He guides every creature to what serves its welfare. His worldly blessings are also mentioned here. Thus He says: “Who brought forth the pasture.” That is, He sent down water from the sky and thereby caused many kinds (2) of plants and grasses to grow, from which people, livestock, and every animal (3) derive enjoyment. Then, after ⦗921⦘ it has attained the youthful vigor allotted to it, its vegetation withers and its grass dries. “Then reduced it to dark, withered debris”—that is, blackened vegetation; He reduced it to crumbling, decayed stubble.
His blessings pertaining to religion are also mentioned here. Thus Allah graciously bestowed their foundation and source (4), namely the Quran, saying: “We shall cause you to recite, and you will not forget.” That is, We shall preserve what We have revealed to you of the Book, impress it upon your heart, and you will forget none of it. This is a tremendous glad tiding from Allah to His servant and Messenger Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: Allah would teach him knowledge that he would not forget.
“Except what Allah wills”—namely, whatever His wisdom requires that He cause you to forget for an overriding benefit. “Surely He knows what is open and what is hidden.” This includes His knowledge of what is best for His servants; therefore, He legislates whatever He wills and rules as He wills (5).
“And We shall ease you toward the way of ease.” This is another tremendous glad tiding (6): Allah would ease His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, toward what is easy in all his affairs and make His law and religion easy (7).
“So remind” people through Allah’s law and His verses, “if the reminder benefits”—that is, so long as the reminder is accepted and the admonition is heeded, whether it achieves its entire intended purpose or only part of it.
The verse also implies that if the reminder is of no benefit—because reminding would increase evil or diminish good—then it is not commanded but prohibited. People therefore fall into two groups with respect to the reminder: those who benefit and those who do not.
Regarding those who benefit, He says: “He who fears” Allah Most High “will take heed.” Fear of Allah Most High, together with knowing that He will recompense him for his deeds (8), requires a servant to refrain from sins (9) and strive to perform good deeds.
Regarding those who do not benefit, He says: “But the most wretched will shun it, who will enter the Great Fire.” This is the kindled Fire that reaches into the hearts.
“Where he will neither die nor live.” That is, he will suffer a painful punishment without relief or respite. They will even wish for death, but it will not come to them, as the Most High says: “Death will not be decreed for them so that they may die, nor will any of its punishment be lightened for them.”
“Successful indeed is he who purifies himself.” That is, the one who cleanses and purifies his soul of polytheism, injustice, and evil character has indeed attained success and gained profit. “And remembers the name of his Lord and prays.” That is, he becomes characterized by the remembrance of Allah and his heart becomes imbued with it, prompting him to perform deeds that please Allah—especially prayer, which is the measure of faith.
This is the meaning of the noble verse. As for those who interpret “purifies himself” as paying the alms due at the end of Ramadan, and “remembers the name of his Lord and prays” as referring to the Eid prayer, this interpretation is included within the wording as one of its particular applications, but it is not its sole meaning.