neither does it require that either. [There is nothing] (1) in His words:

“Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous deeds”

that entails (2) that they must all be such.

The response is: Yes. We do not claim that this wording alone indicates that all of them are characterized by faith and righteous deeds. Rather, our point is that min does not preclude this description from applying to them all. Let no one argue [that] (3) the discourse indicates that the praise included and encompassed them all in His words:

“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those with him are firm against the disbelievers and compassionate among themselves” (4)—

and so on to the end of the passage.

There is no doubt that this praises them for the attributes mentioned: their firmness against the disbelievers, their compassion among themselves, their bowing and prostrating while seeking bounty and favor from Allah, the marks upon their faces from the effects of prostration, and their progression from weakness to full strength and uprightness, like a crop.

The promise of forgiveness and the great reward is not based merely on these attributes, but on faith and righteous deeds. He therefore mentioned that by which they merit the promise, although they were (5) all characterized by it. Had that not been mentioned, it might have been thought that merely by virtue of what had already been stated, (* they merited forgiveness and the great reward, and the basis for the recompense would not have been explained, unlike when *) (6) faith is mentioned