preceded of its counterparts, regarding the added emphasis of the pattern faʿīl over fāʿil in praise and blame (1).

The commentary on the interpretation of the statement of Allah the Exalted: ﴿O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you﴾

Abū Jaʿfar said: Thus, He—Exalted be His praise—commanded both groups—the one about whom Allah reported that it is all the same to them whether you warn them or do not warn them, they will not believe (2), due to His sealing their hearts and their hearing (3); and the other that attempts to deceive Allah and those who believe through what it displays with its tongue by saying, 'We believe in Allah and the Last Day,' while concealing the opposite, with disease in its heart and doubt regarding the reality of what it displays; as well as the rest of His accountable creation—to submit and yield to Him in obedience, and to devote Lordship and worship exclusively to Him, to the exclusion of idols, icons, and deities. For He—Exalted be His mention—is their Creator, the Creator of those before them among their fathers and grandfathers, and the Creator of their idols, icons, and deities. So He—Exalted be His mention—said to them: The One who created you, your fathers, your grandfathers, and all other creation besides you, and who has power to harm you and benefit you, is more deserving of obedience than one who has no power to benefit or harm you (4).

Ibn ʿAbbās, in what has been narrated to us from him, used to say regarding that similar to what we have said, except that it was mentioned from him that he used to say regarding the meaning of 'worship your Lord': 'Declare the Monotheism (Tawhid) of your Lord.' And we have already demonstrated—in what has preceded of this book of ours—that the meaning of worship is submission to Allah in obedience,