O people fear your Lord who created you of a single soul and from it created its mate and from the pair of them scattered many men and women; and fear God by whom you claim [your rights] from one another and kinship ties. Surely God has been watchful over you. “People” al-nās is a generic noun whose etymology is uncertain. It is said that man al-ins is called ins because of his becoming visible ẓuhūr. Following this [etymology] the allusion ishāra is: “O you whom I have made appear from the concealment of nonexistence by the decree of My prescriptive command taklīfī I have chosen whom I will from among you for My honoring tashrīfī and deprived whom I will from among you of My guidance and giving of knowledge taʿrīfī. I have brought you to what- ever I will and have joined you to it by the decree of My free agency taṣrīfī.” It is said: “I did not cause anything else like you to appear from non- existence and [I] did not make appear to anyone else what I have made appear to you in your states.” [Following another etymology of the word “people” al-nās] it is said: “I named you “humankind” insān because of your forgetfulness nisyān. If you forget Me there is nothing of lesser value than you. But if you forget all that is other than me there is none who sees more clearly than you.” It is said that for the one who forgets the Real there is no limit to his tribulation man nasiya al-ḥaqqa fa-lā ghāyata li-miḥnatihi while for the one who forgets creation there is no end to the sublimity of his state wa- man nasiya al-khalqa fa-lā nihāyata li-ʿulūwi ḥālatihi. It is said: He says to the sinners “O you who have forgotten My cov- enant ʿahdī who have rejected My love waddī and ignored My limit ḥaddī now it is time for you to return to My door bābī so that you may lay claim to My kindness and approval ījābī.” He said to those with deeper knowledge “O you who in Us have forgotten your worldly portion ḥaẓẓaka and have kept your glance and expression laḥẓaka wa lafẓaka from any other-your rightful due ḥaqquka is magnified through Us. Helping you is made worthy with Us wajaba ladaynā naṣruka and your measure is exalted before Us wa-jalla ʿindanā qadruka.
