and at its end. At its beginning, He says:

“And who believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed before you, and are certain of the Hereafter.”

Belief in what was revealed to him and what was revealed before him includes belief in the Books, the messengers, and the angels. Then He says:

“And are certain of the Hereafter.”

Belief in Allah is included in belief in the unseen and in belief in the Books and the messengers. Thus, these verses encompass belief in the five foundations.

In the middle of the surah, He says:

“Rather, righteousness is to believe in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets.”

Then He relates that the people of faith said:

“We make no distinction between any of His messengers.”

That is, we do not believe in some and disbelieve in others, in which case our belief in those whom we accepted would avail us nothing, just as it availed the People of the Book nothing. Rather, we believe in them all, affirm their truthfulness, and make no distinction between them, for the message of their Lord unites them. How, then, could we distinguish between those whom Allah has united, oppose His messengers, and thereby be opposed to Him?

Through this faith, they distinguished themselves from every group of disbelievers, both those who reject the messengers altogether and those who believe in some while rejecting others. Their belief in Allah included belief in His lordship, His attributes of perfection and majesty, His most beautiful names, His all-encompassing power and will, and His perfect knowledge and wisdom. In this, they distinguished themselves from all the people of innovation who deny these matters or any part of them. For complete faith in Allah entails affirming what He has affirmed for Himself and declaring Him free of all that He has declared Himself free