15. Al-Hijr

those who have reduced the Recitation namely those scriptures revealed to them to parts believing in some and disbelieving in others. It is alternatively said that the individuals meant here were those who ‘divided up’ among themselves the roads to Mecca barring people from Islam. Some of them said that the Qur’ān was sorcery some that it was soothsaying and others that it was poetry.

By your Lord We shall question them all — a questioning involving rebuke —

about what they used to do.

So proclaim O Muhammad (s) what you have been commanded to proclaim in other words declare it openly and carry it out and turn away from the idolaters — this was revealed before the command to struggle against the idolaters.

Indeed We have sufficed you against the mockers who mocked you by Our having destroyed each one of them through some harm and these were al-Walīd b. al-Mughīra al-‘Āsī b. Wā’il ‘Udayy b. Qays al-Aswad b. al-Muttalib and al-Aswad b. ‘Abd Yaghūth

And verily wa-laqad is for confirmation We know that your breast is at times oppressed by what they say in the way of mockery and denial.

So glorify intimately repeating the praise of your Lord in other words say subhāna’Llāhi wa-bi-hamdihi — and be of those who prostrate themselves those who pray;

and worship your Lord until Certainty — Death — comes to you.