تفسير : and from his narration on the authority of ibn 'abbas that he said regarding the interpretation of allah's saying (alif. lam. mim.): '(alif. lam. mim.) he says: i am allah, i know; it is also said that it is an oath by which allah swore because of his saying: (lo! we tested those who were before you).
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī
تفسير : alif lām mīm: god knows best what he means by these [letters].
Ali ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi
تفسير : (alif. lam. mim. do men imagine that they will be left (at ease) because they say, we believe, and will not be tested with affliction?) [29:1-2].
said al-sha‘bi: “these verses were revealed about some people in mecca who embraced islam. the companions of the prophet, allah bless him and give him peace, in medina wrote to them saying that their faith and embracing of islam will not be accepted from them until they emigrate from mecca. for this reason, they left mecca with the intention of joining medina. however, the idolaters caught up with them and harmed them. these verses were, therefore, revealed about them. the muslims of medina then wrote back and said to them that such-and-such verses were revealed about you. those muslims in mecca said: ‘we will leave and fight whoever follows us’. they left mecca and were pursued by the idolaters. fighting ensued between them; some were killed and some escaped safe. allah, exalted is he, therefore revealed about them (then lo! thy lord—for those who become fugitive after they had been persecuted…) [16:110]”.
said muqatil: “this verse was revealed about mihja‘, the client of ‘umar ibn al-khattab, who was the first muslim to be killed at the battle of badr. ‘amr ibn al-hadrami struck him with a bow which killed him. the prophet, allah bless him and give him peace, said on that day: ‘the master of all martyrs is mihja‘. he will be the first one of this community to be called to the gate of heaven’. his wife and parents were distraught because of his death, and so allah, exalted is he, revealed about them these verses, explaining that they had to suffer trials and hardship for the sake of allah, exalted is he”.
Sahl al-Tustari
تفسير : alif lām mīm ! do people suppose they will be left to say, ‘we believe,’ without being put to the test?he said:that is, without their being beset by affliction (balāʾ). truly affliction is a doorway between the people of gnosis (ahl al-maʿrifa) and god, mighty and majestic is he. it has been related that the angels say, ‘o lord! your disbelieving servant has had [the goods of] this world made available to him in abundance, while affliction has been kept away from him.’ then he says to the angels, ‘reveal his [the unbelieving servant’s] punishment to them [the other angels?].’ when they see it they say, ‘what he gets from the world is not a blessing for him.’ then they say, ‘o lord! you keep the world away from your believing servant and expose him to affliction!’ and he says to the angels, ‘reveal to the others his [the believing servant’s] reward.’ when they see his reward they say, ‘whatever he suffers in this world will not harm him.’ he [tustarī] said:let your prayer (ṣalāt) be forbearance (ṣabr) in the face of suffering (baʾsāʾ), your fasting (ṣawm) be to observe silence (ṣamt), and your charity (ṣadaqa) be to refrain from doing harm [to anybody] (kaff al-adhā). furthermore, forbearance in [times of] well-being (ʿāfiya) is more difficult than forbearance in [times of] affliction (balāʾ). this saying is also related from him:seeking safety (salāma) is not exposing yourself to affliction.his words:
