وَيُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمُ الْآيَاتِ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

Allah clarifies the signs for you, and Allah is all-knowing, all-wise.

EXEGESIS

Āyāt (signs) is also used for the verses of the Quran since they are the signs of God’s communications, commands, and prohibitions.

EXPOSITION

As we mentioned, God emphasises in this surah how it is His role to guide the community of the believers to that which is in their best interests. He does so by sending the manifest signs; it is then upon the believers to follow those.

Allah clarifies the signs for you: the glorious name of God – Allah – has been specifically mentioned here to emphasise the importance of what is being said.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Alusi, 9/318.”][1][/su_tooltip]} It is also a reminder that these are His words and āyāt and they must be followed. If it were not for the guidance of God, people would be destroyed by their own sins.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Tabari, 18/79.”][2][/su_tooltip]}

The exegetes have suggested different meanings for what is meant by signs:

1. Evidences and proofs.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Tibyan, 7/418.”][3][/su_tooltip]}
2. Commands and prohibitions.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Tabrisi, 7/208; Munyah, 19/89.”][4][/su_tooltip]}
3. The obligatory responsibilities and moral guidelines that He has revealed.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Muhit, 8/23; Ibn Kathir, 6/27; Alusi, 9/318; Tantawi, 10/98.”][5][/su_tooltip]}

None of these are mutually exclusive and can all be included in the meaning of signs.

And Allah is all-knowing, all-wise: He knows what you have done, and He is wise in what He decrees and commands,^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Tibyan, 7/418; Tabari, 18/79-80; Nemuneh, 14/402.”][6][/su_tooltip]} commanding to that which is in the interest of His servants.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Ibn Kathir, 6/27; Munyah, 19/89.”][7][/su_tooltip]} More specifically in the context of the event of ifk, God knows the slanderers and the damage they caused, and in His wisdom He has revealed verses instructing the believers on how to behave to correct their course and repair that damage.

The knowledge and wisdom of God are two necessary requirements for obedience. The one who does not have these two qualities need not be obeyed, since if he commands to do something, it may not actual be in our best interest, and if we obey him, he might not even know that we did so. Since the topic is about obedience to God, these two attributes have been mentioned.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Razi, 33/344.”][8][/su_tooltip]}

[1] Alusi, 9/318.
[2] Tabari, 18/79.
[3] Tibyan, 7/418.
[4] Tabrisi, 7/208; Munyah, 19/89.
[5] Muhit, 8/23; Ibn Kathir, 6/27; Alusi, 9/318; Tantawi, 10/98.
[6] Tibyan, 7/418; Tabari, 18/79-80; Nemuneh, 14/402.
[7] Ibn Kathir, 6/27; Munyah, 19/89.
[8] Razi, 33/344.