Continuation of the explanation of the saying of Allah the Exalted: “Allah has sent down the best statement, a Book similar in its parts, in pairs. The skin of those who fear their Lord shudders from it, then their skins and their hearts soften at the remembrance of Allah. That is the guidance of Allah, by which He guides whom He wills. And as for whom Allah leaves astray, for him there is no guide.”

It moves from warning to encouragement, so one becomes eager to perform the obligatory acts and cautious about committing the forbidden. This is one of the complete or perfect styles of rhetoric. “Shudders” means trembles. When one hears the verses of threat and warning, one trembles, fears, and is agitated. Some of the Salaf would fall ill for days and require visitation when they heard certain verses, as happened to the Commander of the Faithful, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), when he recited the saying of Allah the Exalted: He fell ill for days until the people visited him. And His saying: “Those who fear” means they fear Him with knowledge of His greatness and majesty, for fear (khashiyyah) does not exist without knowledge. Allah the Exalted said: The scholars have distinguished between fear (khashiyyah) and fear (khawf) in several ways:
First, that fear (khashiyyah) is accompanied by knowledge. Second, that fear (khashiyyah) is of the greatness of the one feared, even if the one fearing is great. As for fear (khawf), it arises from the weakness of the one fearing, even if the thing feared is not great. These are two differences between fear (khashiyyah) and fear (khawf): that fear (khashiyyah) is with knowledge, while fear (khawf) may be based on illusion. A person might see a shadow from a distance and fear it, though it is nothing. The second is that fear (khashiyyah) is due to the greatness of the one feared, even if the one fearing is great, but the one feared is greater than him. As for fear (khawf), it arises from the weakness of the one fearing, even if the thing feared is not great. And His saying: This lordship is of the specific lordship by which Allah has bestowed upon them the fear He placed in their hearts. “Softens” after the shuddering or trembling. “Softens” means becomes calm and settles at the remembrance of Allah, meaning it is led to His remembrance, so the goal of this softness is the remembrance of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. “Softens” It is possible that the reference is to the fear that occurred in them, in which case the intended meaning of guidance is guidance of success, because fear is an action. It is also possible that the reference is to the Book, which is the best statement, in which case the guidance is guidance of indication, because the Book guides in the sense of indicating. And success is in the hand of whom? In the hand of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. This sentence is conditional; Allah has stated in it that whoever He has written as astray, no one can guide him. And His saying: Its original form is “hadī” with a yā, but the yā was deleted due to the meeting of two static letters. Where are the two static letters? The tanwīn on the dāl and the deleted static yā. It is permissible to keep it and say “hadī,” but it is often deleted for lightness and the meeting of two static letters.