“And how could you disbelieve when Allah’s verses are recited to you and His Messenger is among you? Whoever holds fast to Allah has indeed been guided to a straight path.”

Allah Most High then mentioned the greatest cause and most compelling reason for the believers to remain firm in their faith and unshaken in their certainty, making their falling into disbelief one of the most inconceivable things. He said: “And how could you disbelieve when Allah’s verses are recited to you and His Messenger is among you?” That is, the Messenger is in your midst, reciting your Lord’s verses to you at all times. They are the clear signs that demand absolute certainty concerning what they establish, firm conviction in what they entail, and no doubt whatsoever about anything they indicate. This is especially so when the one explaining them is the best of creation, the most learned, the most eloquent, the most sincere in counsel, and the most compassionate toward the believers—ardently concerned to guide creation and direct them by every means within his power. May Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. Indeed, he gave sincere counsel and conveyed the message with perfect clarity, leaving nothing for any speaker to add and no room for anyone seeking goodness to search further.

He then stated that whoever holds fast to Him—placing his trust in Him, seeking protection through His might and mercy from every evil, and seeking His help in every good—“has indeed been guided to a straight path,” one that leads him to the ultimate object of desire. This is because he combines following the Messenger in his words, deeds, and conduct with holding fast to Allah.