The Meaning of Allah’s Saying: “O you who believe.”

The Shaykh : Allah began these two verses with His saying: It is reported from Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: “When Allah says, ‘O you who believe,’ then lend it your ear” meaning, listen to it, “for it is either good that you are commanded to do, or evil that you are forbidden from” I repeat the report; he said (may Allah be pleased with him): “When Allah the Exalted says, ‘O you who believe,’ then lend it your ear” meaning, listen to it, “for it is either good that you are commanded to do, or evil that you are forbidden from” And we say that when Allah the Exalted says: He begins the address with a call. This indicates the importance of this address, because a call requires alerting the one being called and the one being addressed before the speech, indicating that he will address them with something of importance. Furthermore, if the call is by the description of faith, it indicates that what is being addressed to this person is among the implications of faith, and it also indicates that opposing it is a deficiency in faith.