[29] Exalt Allah And His Shariah First and Foremost

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Allah, The Most High, said:

المص

Alif-Lam-Mim-Sad. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Quran and none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings].

كِتَابٌ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ فَلَا يَكُن فِي صَدْرِكَ حَرَجٌ مِّنْهُ لِتُنذِرَ بِهِ وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(This is the) Book (the Quran) sent down unto you (O Muhammad), so let not your breast be narrow therefrom, that you warn thereby, and a reminder unto the believers.

Then Allah addressed the servants and drew their attention to the Book, saying

اتَّبِعُوا مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ ۗ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ

[Say (O Muhammad)]: Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord, and do not follow any (protectors who order you to ascribe partners to Allah). Little do you remember!

Meaning:

أي: الكتاب الذي أريد إنزاله لأجلكم، وهو: { مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ } الذي يريد أن يتم تربيته لكم، فأنزل عليكم هذا الكتاب الذي، إن اتبعتموه، كملت تربيتكم، وتمت عليكم النعمة، وهديتم لأحسن الأعمال والأخلاق ومعاليها { وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا مِنْ دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ } أي: تتولونهم، وتتبعون أهواءهم، وتتركون لأجلها الحق. { قَلِيلًا مَا تَذَكَّرُونَ } فلو تذكرتم وعرفتم المصلحة، لما آثرتم الضار على النافع، والعدو على الوليِّ

The Book which I want to send down for you. It is “from your Lord”, who wants to complete His nurturing (and cultivation) for you, so He sent down to you this Book which, if you follow it, your nurturing will be perfected, the blessing upon you will be completed, and you will be guided to the best deeds, moral character and their loftiest (aspects)

“And do not follow protectors besides Him”.

Meaning: do not take them as allies, following their desires and abandoning the truth because of them.

“Little do you (polytheists) remember”.

Meaning: Because if you (truly) remember and know (true) benefit (welfare), you would not have preferred what is harmful over what is beneficial, nor (preferred) the enemy over the true protector.

An Except from Tafsir As-Sadi

Paraphrased