In the Shade of the Qur'an by Sayyid Qutb

Believers! Do not take My enemies, who are your enemies as well, for your friends, showing them affection when they have rejected the truth you have received, and have driven the Messenger and yourselves out only because you believe in God your Lord. If you have left your homes to strive in My cause and to seek My pleasure, then do not secretly lean towards them with affection. I well know all that you conceal and all that you reveal. Whoever of you does this has already strayed from the right path. If they get the better of you, they will remain your enemies and stretch out their hands and tongues to you with evil. They dearly wish to see you unbelievers. (Verses 1-2)

The surah begins with this friendly and inspiring address, calling on ‘believers. It is an address by their Lord in whom they believe, who calls on them in the name of faith that establishes their bond with Him, to carefully consider their position. He also warns them against their enemies schemes and reminds them of the task they have been assigned.

In a kindly and friendly way, God makes their enemies His enemies:

“ Believers! Do not take My enemies, who are your enemies as well, for your friends, showing them affection.” (Verse 1) Thus, He makes the believers feel that they belong to Him. Whoever is hostile to them is actually hostile to Him. They are the people who bear His insignia on earth and the ones He loves. Therefore, it is inconceivable that they should show affection to those who are His and their enemies.

God reminds them of the crimes, aggression and injustice committed by those people against them, their faith and His Messenger: “ They have rejected the truth you have received, and have driven the Messenger and yourselves out only because you believe in God, your Lord.” (Verse 1) Having committed all such injustices, what basis could there be for friendship and affection? They rejected the truth and drove the Prophet and his followers out of their homes for no other reason than that they believed in God. He reminds the believers of all this, stating in effect that it was for their faith that the unbelievers fought them, not for any other reason.

The real issue of contention, i.e. faith, is brought to the fore. They were driven out of their homes for no reason other than faith.

Having thus stated the true issue of conflict, the surah reminds the believers that there is no room for intimacy between them and the unbelievers, if they have truly left their homes for Gods sake, and in quest of His pleasure: “If you have left your homes to strive in My cause and to seek My pleasure.” (Verse 1) It is not possible for someone to migrate seeking God’s pleasure and His cause to combine this with friendship with those who drove him out because of it. Such people are the enemies of God and His Messenger.

The surah then adds an implicit warning against what they conceal in their hearts of friendly feelings towards their enemies, God’s enemies.

He is fully aware of what hearts may secretly harbour and what they leave in the open: “Do not secretly lean towards them with affection. I well know all that you conceal and all that you reveal.” (Verse 1) This is followed by a fearsome warning that strikes fear in believers’ hearts:

“ Whoever of you does this has already strayed from the right path” (Verse 1) A believer fears nothing worse than going astray after he has known and followed guidance.

The threat and the warning come right in the middle of an explanation of the unbelievers’ true character and their evil intentions. Further explanation follows: “If they get the better of you, they will remain your enemies and stretch out their hands and tongues to you with evil. They dearly wish to see you unbelievers.” (Verse 2) Whenever they have the chance to take advantage of the Muslims, they will act as open enemies, causing them whatever harm they can, verbal and physical, using every means available.

What is even worse is that “they dearly wish to see you unbelievers.” 2) To a believer, this is worse than any verbal or physical harm that can be done to him. To wish him to lose his most valuable treasure of faith and revert to disbelief is to be his worst enemy. A person who has tasted the sweetness of faith after being an unbeliever, who has seen its light after the darkness of unbelief, and who has experienced the reassurance and happiness generated by holding the concepts and feelings of a believer will hate to revert to disbelief, just as much as he would hate being thrown into a fire. It is only an enemy of God who wishes to see him return to the hell of unbelief after he has experienced the happiness of living in the heaven of faith. How could he tolerate the emptiness of unbelief after he has enjoyed life in the active world of belief? The Qur’an gradually builds up the believers’ reaction against their enemies until it culminates in a true description of their dearest wish: “they dearly wish to see you unbelievers.” (Verse 2)

The second round makes only one comment about the strong bond of blood relations, a tie that is deeply rooted in people s hearts. It is a bond that often forces its presence in the form of warm friendliness:

Neither your kinsfolk nor your own children will be of any benefit to you. On the Day of Resurrection He will decide between you. God sees all that you do. (Verse 3)

A believer works for the life to come, on which he focuses his hopes.

Whatever he does in this life is merely the planting of the seeds. The harvest he awaits is in the life to come. This verse touches his heart with what happens there when all ties of blood are severed, and if the bond of faith is non-existent. This should make it easier for him to abandon such ties in the short life of this world, preferring the permanent bond that remains strong in both this life and the life to come. Hence, the surah says to the believers: “ Neither your kinsfolk nor your own children will be of any benefit to you.” verse 3) These ties which you cherish, and the preservation of which forces you to befriend yours and God’s enemies happened to Hatib in his eagerness to preserve his bond with his family, and as happened to others who left their relatives and children. All these ties will be of no benefit to you, because “on the Day of Resurrection He will decide between you.” (Verse 3) You will be separated from them, because the tie that binds people together is already severed. Belief is the only tie that counts in God’s sight. “God sees all that you do.” (Verse 3) He is aware of the action itself and the intention behind it.

The third round establishes a clear link between all Muslims and the first generation of believers in God’s oneness. They all join the same procession that moves across countless generations, distinguished by faith and shedding all ties except faith. They are all the same community, starting with Abraham, who preached the first version of the pure faith.

He provided an example to be followed, not only in faith but also in practice. He struggled with the bonds of kinship before he, and those with him, managed to purge their feelings of any bond other than that of faith:

You have a good example in Abraham and those who followed him, when they said to their people: 'We disown you and what you worship instead of God. We reject you. The enmity and hate that have arisen between us and you will last until you believe in God alone.' The only exception was Abraham, when he said to his father, 7 shall pray for forgiveness for you, although it is not in my power to be of any avail to you against God.’ 'Our Lord! In You we have placed our trust, and to You do we turn, and with You is the final destination. Our Lord! Do not make of us a test for the unbelievers. Forgive us, Lord. You are the Almighty, the Wise. 'In them, indeed, you have a good example for everyone who looks forward with hope to God and the Last Day. Anyone who turns away should remember that God is truly self-sufficient, worthy of all praise. (Verses 4-6)

When a Muslim reflects on these verses, he discovers that he has a great, well-established ancestry, a long history, and an example to follow set long ago. He goes back to Abraham, not only in his faith but also in his personal experience. Thus, his experience goes beyond his own personal one and that of his generation. People in this great procession of the faithful have gone through a similar experience to what he is now facing, and they came to a certain conclusion, taking a firm decision.

The question is far from new, and the requirement does not constitute a very heavy burden. Besides, should ties with relatives who are hostile to his faith be severed, he still belongs to a great community, cherishing the bond of faith with all its members. He is only a branch of a great tree with firm roots and many branches that spreads its shade wide. This tree was planted by Abraham, the first to surrender himself to God.

So, Abraham and his followers went through the same experience as the Muhajirin, and they provide a good example: “ They said to their people: We disown you and what you worship instead of God. We reject you.

The enmity and hate that have arisen between us and you will List until you believe in God alone” (Verse 4) Abraham and his followers made their stand clear: they dissociated themselves from their people, the deities they worshipped and their beliefs. They rejected them altogether and believed in God alone. The only feelings they had towards them were ones of enmity and hate until those people also came to believe in God alone. It was a total break that left no ties or bonds after the one of faith had been severed. This is the absolute verdict in such a situation. The example set by Abraham and his followers is good enough for every believer until the end of time.

Some Muslims, however, found a loophole enabling them to continue to maintain warm feelings towards idolatrous blood relatives. This loophole was Abraham insofar as he prayed to God to forgive his father who was an idolater. The Qur’an explains Abrahams attitude when he promised his father that he would seek Gods forgiveness for him: “The only exception was Abraham, when he said to his father, 1 shall pray for forgiveness for you.” (Verse 4) Abraham said this before he was certain that his father still held stubbornly to his idolatrous beliefs. Abraham was hoping and expecting that his father would see the truth and accept the faith. In another surah we are told: “Abraham prayed for the forgiveness of his father only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became clear to him that he was God's enemy, he disowned him.” (9: 114)

When Abraham assessed the situation properly, he placed the matter in God’s hands, turning to Him for guidance, placing his trust completely in Him in all situations: “Although it is not in my power to be of any avail to you against God. Our Lord! In You we have placed our trust, and to You do we turn, and with You is the final destination.” (Verse 4) This total self-surrender to God is the essential feature of Abraham’s faith placed under special focus so that his Muslim offspring properly appreciate it. Here again we see the Quranic method of cultivating the Muslim community with directives based on stories and the lessons derived from them.

Therefore, the remainder of Abraham’s supplication is also stated:

“Our Lord! Do not make of us a test for the unbelievers.” (Verse. 5) This prayer is an appeal to God not to give the unbelievers mastery over the believers, which would strengthen the former’s rejection of true faith.

They would think that had faith provided any protection to its followers, they themselves would not have been able to subdue them. This is a confusing point, one that often surfaces when falsehood manages to gain the upper hand for a time and purpose known only to God. In such periods, tyranny is able to treat believers very badly. Good believers endure this test with patience, but this should not prevent them from praying to God to spare them such hardship that makes of them a test to others and a basis for creeping doubt.

Abraham and his group continue their supplication: “Forgive us” This is said by Abraham, God’s own friend, realizing that the standard of worship which is worthy of God is beyond his reach. As a human being, he cannot attain the level of worship which gives due thanks for God’s favours and which sufficiently glorifies Him. Therefore, he appeals for forgiveness, setting an example for his own group and all later believers.

Concluding his prayer, Abraham addresses his Lord by His attributes that are the most suitable here: “Lord! You are the Almighty, the Wise.” (Verse 5)

Concluding its account of Abraham and his followers’ attitude, of those who surrendered themselves to God, the surah repeats the fact that they provided a good example for all believers: “In them, indeed, you have a good example for everyone who looks forward with hope to God and the Last Day Anyone who turns away should remember that God is truly self-sufficient, worthy of all praise” (Verse 6) The example is there for those who look forward with hope to God and the Last Day. These are the ones who truly appreciate the experience that Abraham and his followers went through, and treat it as the example to follow. This, then, encourages the present generation of believers to strengthen their resolve. Anyone who abandons this way, leaving the noble procession of believers and disowns the bond with those great ancestors may do so.

God needs no one: “Anyone who turns away should remember that God is truly self-sufficient, worthy of all praise” (Verse 6)

In this round, the believers have been taken back to the early period of their long history, remembering their first origins on earth. They have learnt from the experience of those earlier generations and reviewed the conclusion to which such experience led. The way to follow is not difficult, especially since they are not the first to tread it. The Qur’an repeats this conclusion so as to make the procession of faith uninterrupted. No one who follows the same way should feel lonely, even if he finds himself the only one in his generation following that way! He will not find it difficult to discharge his duty because previous travellers discharged it before him.

God knows how eager the early Muslims were to see the hostility and conflict with their own people come to an end. Therefore, the surah raises before them the hope that those enemies might yet join the Muslims and accept the Islamic faith. In this way, hostility between the two camps would be replaced by firmly-based affection. Again, the surah lightens their burden, stating the main rule on which international relations between the Muslim community and other powers are based.

Thus, boycott and enmity are applied only in cases of aggression and hostility by unbelievers. When there is no aggression against Muslims and hostilities are absent, then Muslims should treat others kindly, as they deserve, always maintaining fairness and justice:

It may well be that God will bring about affection between you and those who are now your enemies. God is all powerful; God is much forgiving, ever merciful. God does not forbid you to deal kindly and with full equity with those who do not fight you on account of your faith, nor drive you out of your homes. God loves those who behave equitably. God only forbids you to turn in friendship towards those who fight against you because of your faith, and drive you from your homes, and help others to drive you out. Those of you who turn towards them in friendship are indeed wrongdoers. (Verses 7-9)

Islam is a religion of peace, a faith based on love. It wants only for others to benefit from and implement its sound way of life. It wants all people to come together, under God’s banner, as a fraternity based on love. Nothing prevents this other than aggression by Islam’s enemies.

Should those enemies wish to live in peace with Islam and Muslims, Islam will not be the one to start enmity. Even if enmity and hostility exists, Islam preserves the seeds of friendship by extending justice and good treatment to its enemies, hoping that they will one day be convinced that their own advantage lies in adopting its noble beliefs.

Islam never despairs of this possibility.

The first verse of this section refers to this hope that is never extinguished by despair. It seeks to lighten the burden of some of the Muhajirin who were troubled by conflict with their own people: “It may well be that God will bring about affection between you and those who are now your enemies? (Verse 7) As this prospect of hope is raised by God, it was certain to become a reality. When the Muslims heard it, they were certain that it would be fulfilled. Indeed, it was not long after, when Makkah fell to Islam, that the people of the Quraysh became Muslims, and all joined together under the same banner. All enmity between them disappeared and all were united as brethren.

“God is all powerful? (Verse 7) He accomplishes what He wills, and no one can raise an objection, let alone try to stop Him. “God is much forgiving, ever merciful? (Verse. 7) He will forgive past sins and hostility.

Until Gods promise is fulfilled, expressed here in the form of a hope, God gives them permission to be friendly with those who did not fight them or drive them out of their homes on account of their faith. No blame would attach to them if they maintained friendly relations with such people, treating them fairly, giving them all their due. On the other hand, there is a strict prohibition against friendship with those who fought them, drove them out of their land, or even helped in driving them out. Those who violate this prohibition are judged as wrongdoers.

Wrongdoing is equated with unbelief, as God says in the Qur’an: “To associate partners with Him is indeed a great wrong? (31: 13) This is, then, a very serious warning that strikes awe in a believer’s heart.

This rule about how to treat non-Muslims is most fair and fits with the nature of Islam and its outlook on human life and on the universe as a whole. It represents the basis of its international law, which considers the state of peace to be the permanent state with all peoples and groupings.

This state of peace is revoked only when military aggression against Islam and its people takes place, for it is imperative that such aggression be repelled; or when treason is feared after a treaty with others has been signed, for this represents a threat of aggression; or when freedom of belief and advocating Islam is forcibly suppressed, which again represents aggression. In all other cases, Islam extends the hand of peace, affection and justice to all people.

This rule fits perfectly with the overall Islamic concept, which makes the only bone of contention between them and their opponents that of faith. The only value a Muslim will not compromise, even if this forces him to fight, is faith. Nothing puts Muslims in conflict and hostility with other communities except the question of the freedom to present their faith to people, the freedom of belief, the freedom to implement the divine code in human life.

This directive fits with the drift of the surah which aims to give prominence to faith, making it the only banner Muslims raise. Whoever stands under it belongs to them, and whoever fights them on account of it is their enemy. Anyone who maintains peace with them, leaving them to their faith, preventing no one from listening to it and adopting it, and putting no pressure on those who believe in it is a person at peace.

Islam allows kindly treatment to be extended to such people.

A Muslim lives for his faith, making it his sole purpose within himself and with all people. He does not enter into conflict for gain, nor does he fight for ties of race, land, tribe or family. His only struggle is to ensure that God’s word reigns supreme, and that His faith is the code to be followed.

Sometime later Surah 9, Repentance, was revealed, starting with the verse that gave notice to communities that held peace treaties with the Muslim state. It gave a four-month notice of termination of any treaty that did not specify a term of expiry. Treaties that ran for a specified notice remained valid until the end of their terms. This measure was taken after practical experience showed that the idolaters in Arabia only observed their treaties with the Muslim community until they had a chance of victory should they violate such treaties. This brought into operation the other rule concerning such treaties: “If you fear treachery from any folk, cast [your treaty with them] back to them in a fair manner.

God does not love the treacherous. ” (8: 58) To give notice of termination in a fair way was necessary to secure the Islamic base, which at the time included the whole of the Arabian Peninsula, against its enemies living alongside them. These were the idolaters and people of earlier religions who were repeatedly in breach of their treaties, trying to take the Muslim community unawares. This was essentially a permanent situation of aggression. Another reason for this measure was the fact that the two superpowers at the time, the Byzantine and Persian Empires, began to feel that Islam could become a source of danger to them and this they wanted to pre-empt. Therefore, they started to encourage Arab tribes living close to them to take a hostile attitude towards the Muslim state.

All this necessitated that the Islamic base be made solid and secure from any internal enemy before any clash with outside powers could take place.

The surah issues a ruling concerning women believers who might join the Muslim community:

Believers! When believing women come to you as migrants, test them.

God knows best their faith. If you ascertain that they are believers, do not send them back to the unbelievers. They are no longer lawful [as wives]for the unbelievers, and these are no longer lawful to them.

None the less, hand back to the unbelievers the dowries they have paid them. It is no offence for you to marry them after giving them their dowries. Do not hold on to marriage ties with unbelieving women.

Ask for repayment of the dowries you have paid, just as they have the right to ask for repayment of their dowries. Such is God's judgement.

He judges between you in equity. God is all-knowing, wise. Should any of your wives go over to the unbelievers and you subsequently acquire gains from them, then pay those whose wives have gone away the equivalent of whatever dowry they had paid. Fear God, in whom you believe. (Verses 10-11)

The Prophet concluded the al-Hudaybiyah Treaty with the Quraysh in Makkah and this specified a condition whereby the Prophet and the Muslim community would return to them anyone who went over to the Muslims, even though that person might be a Muslim. Reports mention that when the Prophet was about to leave al-Hudaybiyah, a few women came over to him seeking to join the Muslim community in Madinah.

The Quraysh asked for their extradition in accordance with the terms of the treaty. It appears that those terms were not conclusive in the case of women. These two verses were revealed to block returning women believers to the unbelievers, for fear that they would be persecuted on account of their faith.’ This was a situation requiring rules of international law. These rules outlined here regulate such cases on the basis of absolute fairness, without allowing the behaviour of the other party, unfair as it may be, to influence the Islamic stand. Furthermore, Islams stance is that it ensures justice in all internal and external dealings.

The first step required by these rules was to test migrating women in order to determine their reasons for migration. In other words, they must not be trying to escape from a marriage that had gone wrong, or be pursuing some other material benefit, or hoping to marry men they were in love with in the Muslim community. Ibn 'Abbas reports that the Prophet tested any such woman, asking her: “By God, have you fled to us because you hate your husband? By God, have you come to us merely to migrate to a new land? By God, are you coming to us in pursuit of some material gain? By God, have you come to us only because you love God and His Messenger?” Tkrimah explains that the test was a form of questioning so as to establish whether the woman was migrating only because she loved God and His Messenger or for some other purpose. The test was also to establish whether or not she was in love with a man from the Muslim community, and whether or not she was fleeing from her husband.

Such, then, was the test. It relied on statements made under oath.

Whether such a woman had any different motive, God only knew. People simply cannot establish this with any measure of certainty: “ God knows best their faith” (Verse 10) When they have made their statements under oath, confirming that they are believers, then the Muslim community cannot “send them back to the unbelievers. They are no longer lawful [as wives]for the unbelievers, and these are no longer lawful to them.” (Verse 10) When the most important bond of faith has been severed, nothing can repair the relationship. Marriage is a union of permanent setdement and it cannot be properly established when the primary bond of faith is absent. Faith is the basic and vital emotion that keeps a heart alive; it cannot be replaced by any other. A believers heart cannot warm to another that is devoid of faith. There can be no true feeling of mutual inclination or security between two hearts when only one of them has faith. Marriage survives on mutual affection, compassion, inclination and security.

After the Prophets migration to Madinah this issue had been left open, with no rule stated about it in the Qur’an. Therefore, no couple were separated even if only one accepted Islam while the other did not.

This was due to the fact that the Muslim society had not yet by then established firm roots. When al-Hudaybiyah Treaty was concluded, it was time that such a separation be made. Muslims, men and women, should understand that the bond that overrides all other bonds is faith, and they should put this rule into practice.

The provision for separating such couples was accompanied by a provision for compensation. Thus, an unbeliever whose wife left him because she was Muslim was entitled to receive back whatever he had paid to her in dowry at the time of their marriage. The same applied in reverse, should the man be a believer and his wife not.

When this had been done, the Muslims could marry such migrant women, provided that they paid them dowries. Scholars differ as to whether such women should observe a waiting period; as also over the length of the waiting period. Some scholars say that it is the same as that observed by a divorced woman, i.e. until she has gone through three menstrual periods, while others maintain that it lasts only until she has completed one period, to make sure that she is not pregnant. It is agreed that if any such woman is pregnant, her waiting period lasts until she has given birth.

“None the less, hand back to the unbelievers the dowries they have paid them. It is no offence for you to marry them after giving them their dowries. Do not hold on to marriage ties with unbelieving women. Ask for repayment of the dowries you have paid, just as they have the right to ask for repayment of their dowries” (verse. 10) All these rules are then tied to the strongest guarantee a believer has, which is that of watching God and fearing Him: “Such is God's judgement. He judges between you in equity. God is all-knowing, wise” (Verse 10) Indeed, this is the only inviolable guarantee. Gods judgement is that of the One who knows what is in peoples hearts, the Almighty who has power over all creatures.

It is enough that a Muslim should realize the source of this judgement in order to implement it fully, because he knows that he will ultimately return to God.

Should a believer lose what he had paid in dowry, because his unbeliever wife or her family refuses to refund her Muslim husband, as happened in some cases, the Muslim ruler would compensate him for this, taking this from any money due to the unbelievers whose Muslim wives had migrated to join the Muslim community, or from any war gains made by the Muslim community: “Should any of your wives go over to the unbelievers and you subsequently acquire gains from them, then pay those whose wives have gone away the equivalent of whatever dowry they had paid.” (Verse 11) Again this ruling is tied to the same guarantee that ensures the implementation of every Islamic rule: “Fear God, in whom you believe.” (Verse 11) This is a profound and touching instruction for believers.

We see how these rulings concerning the separation of married couples provide an example of the practical implementation of the Islamic concept of life values and ties. They reflect the unity of the Muslim community and its being distinct from any other. It is a community where all life is based on faith, where all distinctions of race, colour, language, family and land are insignificant. There is only one sign that distinguishes between people - the sign of the party to which they belong. There are only two parties: the party of God and the party of Satan.

The Prophet is then instructed on how women should pledge their allegiance, and what the terms of their pledge should be:

Prophet! When believing women come and pledge to you that they will not associate any partner with God, nor steal, nor commit adultery, nor kill their children, nor lie about who fathered their children, nor disobey you in anything reasonable, then accept their pledge of allegiance and pray to God to forgive them. God is most forgiving, ever merciful. (Verse 12)

These terms outline the major elements of faith, and provide the framework of the new social system established by Islam. They comprise associating no partners with God in any way whatsoever. They confirm that offences with prescribed penalties, such as theft and adultery, should never be committed. Women should also pledge never to kill their children. This is a reference to the pre-Islamic practice of burying girls alive, and includes killing embryos for any reason. Women are placed in trust of their pregnancies. Another term of the pledge women give is that they should never “ lie about who fathered their children”2 I bn ‘Abbas says: “This means that they must not attribute to their husbands any child that does not belong to them. The same view is stated by Muqatil. Perhaps this term, coming as it does after that of refraining from adultery altogether, was to address some practices of pre-Islamic days, when a woman might sleep with several men and when she gave birth to a child, she would choose its father from among them on the basis of looks, or perhaps on some other basis when she knew who its true father was. However, the text includes this and any other case of falsehood in this regard. Perhaps Ibn ‘Abbas and Muqatil referred to this particular situation because of a case at the time.

The last term in womens pledge of allegiance is that they must not “ disobey you in anything reasonable.” This means a commitment to obey the Prophet in everything he says, because he never ordered anything other than what is reasonable and good. However, this term is also one of the main elements of the Islamic constitution. It makes clear that obedience of the Muslim ruler remains valid only within what is reasonable, i.e. what is in line with Islam and its laws. It does not give blanket cover, requiring obedience in every situation whatsoever. This rule ensures that the force of any legislation is derived from its being based on Gods law, not the will of the ruler or the nation should they differ with God’s law. Both ruler and nation are subject to God’s law and derive their authority from it.

When women give such a comprehensive pledge of allegiance, their pledges are accepted. The Prophet is asked to pray to God to forgive them what they might have done in the past: “ Then accept their pledge ofallegiance and pray to God to forgive them. God is most forgiving, ever mercifid'' (Verse 12) It is God who forgives and pardons.

The surah concludes with a general directive:

Believers! Do not take as friends any people with whom God is angry.

They despair ofthe life to come just as the unbelievers despair ofthose buried in their graves. (Verse 13)

This is addressed to believers in their capacity of faith, a faith that distinguishes them from all other communities. Some reports suggest that the description of 'people with whom God is angry refers to the Jews, since they have been branded as such elsewhere in the Qur’an.

However, we have here a general text that applies to the Jews, the polytheists and all other enemies of God. All these groups have incurred Gods anger. All of them despair of the life to come. They never take it seriously, and never give it a thought. Their despair of it is the same as that of unbelievers who think that those who died will never return and be resurrected.

This final address sums up the theme of the surah, giving it a conclusion akin to its opening. Its message is thus very clearly stated.