"For him there are successive [angels]"—for this one who hides himself and this one who wanders freely, there are successive [angels]: angels "from before him and from behind him, guarding him by the command of Allah," meaning: by the command of Allah. Al-Hasan said: They are four angels: two angels by night, and two angels by day.
Muhammad said: The meaning of "muʿaqqibāt" (successive) is that some of them follow others, and it is intensified to indicate the frequency of the action.
"Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves." The meaning is: that when Allah sends a messenger to a people and they reject him, Allah destroys them. "And when Allah intends for a people ill," meaning: punishment, "there is no repelling it, and there is no patron for them besides Him" who can protect them from the punishment of Allah.
Muhammad said: "Wālin" (patron) means: a guardian who takes charge of them besides Allah.
Surat ar-Raʿd from verse (12) to verse (13).
﴿لَهُ مُعَقِّبَات﴾ لِهَذَا الْمُسْتَخْفِي وَهَذَا السَّارِبُ مُعَقِّبَاتٌ: مَلائِكَةٌ ﴿مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ﴾ أَيْ: بِأَمْرِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ الْحَسَنُ: هُمْ أَرْبَعَةُ أَمْلاكٍ: مَلَكَانِ بِاللَّيْلِ، وَمَلَكَانِ بِالنَّهَارِ.
قَالَ محمدٌ: مَعْنَى ﴿مُعَقِّبَات﴾: أَنْ يَأْتِيَ بَعْضُهُمْ بِعَقِبِ بَعْضٍ، وَشُدِّدَتْ لِتَكْثِيرِ الْفِعْلِ.
﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغيرُوا مَا بِأَنْفسِهِم﴾ الْمَعْنَى: أَنَّ اللَّهَ إِذَا بَعَثَ إِلَى قومٍ رَسُولا فَكَذَّبُوهُ، أَهْلَكُهُمُ اللَّهُ ﴿وَإِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ سوءا﴾ يَعْنِي: عَذَابًا ﴿فَلا مَرَدَّ لَهُ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ والٍ﴾ يَمْنَعُهُمْ مِنْ عَذَابِ اللَّهِ.
قَالَ محمدٌ: ﴿والٍ﴾ أَيْ: وليٌّ يَتَوَلاهُمْ دُونَ اللَّهِ.
سُورَة الرَّعْد من الْآيَة (١٢) إِلَى الْآيَة (١٣).
