with certainty beyond doubt. This is the greatest and clearest of truths, and Allah has furnished innumerable proofs and evidences for it.

This verse also demonstrates the virtue of knowledge and its people. Allah singled them out for mention above the rest of humankind, joined their testimony to His own testimony and that of His angels, and made their testimony one of the greatest proofs and evidences of His oneness, His religion, and His recompense. Those morally accountable are therefore required to accept this just and truthful testimony.

Implicit in this is an affirmation of their integrity, that people are to follow them, and that they are the leaders whose guidance is followed. This confers upon them immeasurable excellence, honor, and eminence.

(19) “Indeed, the religion in Allah’s sight is Islam. Those who were given Scripture did not differ until after knowledge had come to them, out of jealous animosity among themselves. Whoever rejects Allah’s signs—Allah is swift in reckoning.”

The Most High declares that “the religion in Allah’s sight”—the only religion He recognizes and the only one He accepts—is “Islam.” It is outward and inward submission to Allah alone in accordance with what He prescribed through His messengers. The Most High says, “Whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.” Thus, whoever follows a religion other than Islam does not truly submit to Allah, for he has not taken the path that Allah prescribed through His messengers.

The Most High then states that the People of the Scripture knew this. They differed and deviated from it only out of obstinacy and transgression, even though knowledge had come to them that should have prevented disagreement and required adherence to the true religion.

Then, when Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) came to them, they recognized him fully; but envy, transgression, and disbelief in Allah’s signs prevented them from following the truth.

“Whoever rejects Allah’s signs—Allah is swift in reckoning.” Let him await that reckoning, for it is surely coming, and Allah will requite them for what they used to do.

(20) “If they dispute with you, say, ‘I have submitted myself to Allah, and so have those who follow me.’ Ask those who were given Scripture and the unlettered, ‘Have you submitted?’ If they submit, they are rightly guided; but if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the message. Allah sees His servants.”

After explaining that the true religion in His sight is Islam, and after the People of the Scripture had disputed directly with the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), rejected the proof established against them, and persisted in obstinacy, Allah Most High commanded him to say and proclaim that he had submitted his entire self—outwardly and inwardly—to Allah. Those who followed him had likewise joined him in this sincere submission.

He was also commanded to say to all people—both the People of the Scripture and the unlettered, meaning the Arabs and others who had no scripture: If you submit, you are upon the straight path, guidance, and truth. If you turn away, your reckoning is with Allah. My duty is only to convey the message, and I have conveyed it to you and established the proof against you.

(21–22) “Indeed, those who reject Allah’s signs, kill the prophets without right, and kill those among humankind who command justice—give them tidings of painful punishment. * Those are the ones whose deeds have come to nothing in this world and the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers.”

That is, they combined all these evils: disbelief in Allah’s signs, rejection of Allah’s messengers, and the grave crime of attacking those of creation who have the greatest claim upon people—the messengers and leaders of guidance, who command people to uphold the justice affirmed by all revealed religions and sound reason.

(22) The deeds of such people “have come to nothing in this world and the Hereafter.” They deserve painful punishment and will have no one to help them against Allah’s punishment or deliver them from His penalty.

(23–25) “Have you not seen those who were given a portion of Scripture? They are called to Allah’s Book so that it may judge between them, yet a group of them turns away in aversion. * That is because they say, ‘The Fire will touch us only for a limited number of days.’ The lies they invented have deceived them concerning their religion. * How then will it be when We gather them for a Day about which there is no doubt, and every soul is paid in full for what it earned, and they will not be wronged?”

That is: Do you not look with wonder at “those who were given a portion of Scripture” and “are called to Allah’s Book,” which confirms what He revealed to His messengers?

“Yet a group of them turns away in aversion” to following the truth. It is as though one were to ask: What prompted them to turn away when they were the most obliged to follow it and knew best the true nature of what Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had brought? Allah mentions two reasons for this.

The first was their sense of security and their false assurance that they would be saved and that the Fire would touch them only for a limited number of days, which they themselves determined according to their corrupt desires—as though the governance of the dominion rested with them. Thus they said, “No one will enter Paradise unless he is a Jew or a Christian.” It is well known that these are false wishes according to both divine law and reason.

The second reason was that, after they denied Allah’s signs and fabricated lies against Him, Satan made their evil deeds appear attractive to them. They were deceived by this and came to imagine that it was the truth, as a punishment for turning away from the truth. What, then, will their condition be when Allah gathers them on the Day of Resurrection, gives everyone their deeds in full, and enacts His justice among His servants? On that Day, do not ask about the punishment they will suffer or the good and reward they will forfeit. That will be because of what their own hands earned: “Your Lord is never unjust to His servants.”

(26–27) “Say, ‘O Allah, Master of all dominion! You grant dominion to whomever You will and take dominion from whomever You will. You honor whomever You will and humble whomever You will. All good is in Your hand. You are indeed capable of all things. * You cause night to enter into day and day to enter into night. You bring the living out of the dead and the dead out of the living, and provide without measure for whomever You will.’”

Allah Most High commands His Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)—primarily, while the command applies to others by extension—to proclaim that his Lord alone directs all affairs and governs the upper and lower worlds, and that He alone has the right to be worshipped because He alone possesses absolute dominion and perfect governance. He grants dominion to whomever He wills and takes it from whomever He wills; He honors whomever He wills and humbles whomever He wills.

Matters are not governed by the wishes of the People of the Scripture or anyone else. Rather, all command belongs to Allah, and all governance is His. No one can oppose His governance or assist Him in His decree. Just as He controls the changing fortunes of people, He also controls time itself.

(27) “You cause night to enter into day and day to enter into night.” That is, He causes each to enter the other and replace it, increasing one by as much as He decreases the other, thereby securing the welfare of His creation.

He brings the living out of the dead, just as He brings diverse crops and trees out of their seeds and the believer out of the disbeliever. He also brings the dead out of the living, just as He brings grains and fruit stones out of crops and trees, and the egg out of the bird. It is He who