Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: "No! Indeed, man is insolent" to His saying: "Did he not know that Allah sees?" from Surat al-'Alaq.

The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance.
As for what follows: This is the eighty-third session of the weekly sessions that take place every Thursday, and this is the twenty-seventh day of the month of Rajab in the year 1415.
We begin this session with what Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has facilitated in the exegesis of Surat Iqra, Surat al-'Alaq. We ended in it at the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He): .
Allah the Exalted said: "No" in the Noble Qur'an occurs with several meanings, one of which is "certainly," as in this verse. So "No" means "certainly," indicating that Allah the Exalted affirms this with an affirmation in which there is no doubt. Insolence is transgressing the limit. If he sees that he is self-sufficient regarding the mercy of Allah, he becomes insolent and does not care. If he sees that he is self-sufficient regarding Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in relieving distress and obtaining what is desired, he stops turning to Allah and does not care. If he sees that he is self-sufficient through health, he forgets sickness. If he sees that he is self-sufficient through satiety, he forgets hunger. If he sees that he is self-sufficient through clothing, he forgets nakedness, and so on. So it is in the nature of man to be insolent and rebellious whenever he sees himself in abundance. However, the believer is an exception to this, because the believer does not see himself as self-sufficient regarding Allah for the blink of an eye. He is always in need of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), asking his Lord for every need and turning to Him in every adversity. He sees that if Allah entrusted him to himself, He would entrust him to weakness, incapacity, and exposure, and that he does not possess for himself any benefit or harm. This is the believer. But man, in his capacity as man, has insolence in his nature. This is like His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He): .
Then He said (Mighty and Majestic), threatening this insolent one: meaning: the return. That is, no matter how much you become insolent, arrogant, proud, and self-sufficient, your return is to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), as Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) said: And since the return is to Allah in all matters, no one can ever escape the decree of Allah, nor the reward of Allah and His justice.
And His saying: We might say that it is broader than the threat and warning, meaning that it includes the threat and warning, but it may include what is broader. So the meaning is: the return is to Allah in everything. In religious matters, to what do we refer for judgment? Quickly? To the Book and the Sunnah. In cosmic matters, to whom do we refer? To Allah. So there is no return for the servant except to Allah. All matters return to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), who does what He wills. Even the wars, trials, and evils that occur among people, it is Allah who decreed them, but He decreed them for a wisdom, as Allah the Exalted said: .
So contains a threat to this man who became insolent when he saw himself as self-sufficient regarding his Lord. It also contains what is more comprehensive and broader, which is that the return is to Allah the Exalted in all matters.
Then He said: meaning: inform me about the state of this man, and He expressed wonder at the state of this man. So now we have a forbiddener and a forbidden one. Who is the forbiddener? The forbiddener is the insolent one of Quraysh, Abu Jahl. He was called Abu al-Hukm in Quraysh because they referred to him for judgment and returned to him. So he was deluded by himself, may Allah protect us, and he was overcome by Islam and died in disbelief, as is well known. This man was named Abu Jahl by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) in opposition to their naming him Abu al-Hukm. As for the forbidden one, he is Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), who is the servant. It was said to Abu Jahl: "Muhammad is praying at the Ka'bah in front of the people, misleading them and turning them away from their idols and their deities." So one day he passed by him while he was prostrating and forbade him. He forbade the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, "I have forbidden you, so why do you do this?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) rebuked him, so he turned back. Then it was said to Abu Jahl: "He—meaning Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family)—is still praying." So he said: "By Allah, if I see him, I will crush his neck with my foot and I will rub his face in the dust." When he saw him one day prostrating under the Ka'bah, and he approached him intending to fulfill his oath and his vow, when he approached him, he found between him and him a trench of fire and great terrors. So he bent his head backward and was unable to reach the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). This servant who forbids a servant when he prays—He expressed wonder at his state, how does he do this? Therefore, it came in the last verses: and that He will reward him.
Then He said: "Have you seen" means: inform me, O addressed one, if he is on the guidance, who is meant? The forbiddener Abu Jahl, or the prostrating Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family)? The second one is meant. It says: "Have you seen, if this prostrating one is on the guidance, how do you forbid him from it?" Or he commanded with piety. Some exegetes said: "Or" here means "and," meaning "and he commanded with piety." But the correct view is that it is in its place for variation, meaning: "Have you seen, if he is on the guidance in what he did of prostration and prayer, or if he commanded others with piety?" Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) commands with piety without doubt. So he is righteous in himself and a reformer for others.
meaning: He sees the forbidden one, who is the prostrating Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), the one who commands with piety, and He sees this insolent servant who forbids a servant when he prays. He sees (Glorified and Exalted is He) with knowledge and sight. So He (Glorified and Exalted is He) sees everything, no matter how hidden or fine it is, and He knows everything, no matter how far, how much, or how little. So He knows the one who commands and the one who forbids. He knows the one who commands and the one who forbids, and He knows the one who prays and the one who prostrates. And He knows who became insolent and who submitted to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And He will reward every person with his deed.
The intent of this is to threaten this one who forbids a servant when he prays, and to make clear that Allah the Exalted knows his state and the state of the one he forbids, and He will reward each of them with what he deserves. We ask Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) to make us and you among those who prostrate to Allah, who command with the piety of Allah, on the guidance of Allah and His light. Indeed, He is capable of all things.
Now to the questions. We begin with Al-Ayyam.