Allah said next,

﴿ذلِكَ هُدَى اللَّهِ يَهْدِى بِهِ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ﴾

(This is the guidance of Allah with which He guides whomsoever He wills of His servants.) meaning, this occurred to them by Allah's leave and because He directed them to guidance. Allah said;

﴿وَلَوْ أَشْرَكُواْ لَحَبِطَ عَنْهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ﴾

(But if they had joined in worship others with Allah, all that they used to do would have been of no benefit to them.) This magnifies the serious danger of Shirk and the gravity of committing it. In another Ayah, Allah said;

﴿وَلَقَدْ أُوْحِىَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكَ لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ﴾

(And indeed it has been revealed to you, as it was to those (Allah's Messengers) before you: "If you join others in worship with Allah, surely your deeds will be in vain.'') ﴿39:65﴾ `If' here does not mean that this would ever occur, as is similar in Allah's statement;

﴿قُلْ إِن كَانَ لِلرَّحْمَـنِ وَلَدٌ فَأَنَاْ أَوَّلُ الْعَـبِدِينَ ﴾

(Say: "If the Most Beneficent had a son, then I am the first of Allah's worshippers.'') ﴿43:81﴾, and

﴿لَوْ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نَّتَّخِذَ لَهْواً لاَّتَّخَذْنَـهُ مِن لَّدُنَّآ إِن كُنَّا فَـعِلِينَ ﴾

(If We intended to take a pastime (a wife or a son, etc.) We could surely have taken it from Us, if We were going to do (that)) ﴿21:17﴾, and,

﴿لَّوْ أَرَادَ اللَّهُ أَن يَتَّخِذَ وَلَداً لاَّصْطَفَى مِمَّا يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ سُبْحَـنَهُ هُوَ اللَّهُ الْوَحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ ﴾

(If Allah willed to take a son, He could have chosen whom He pleased out of those whom He created. But glory be to Him! He is Allah, the One, the Compelling.) ﴿39:4﴾ Allah said,

﴿أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَـهُمُ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ﴾

(They are those whom We gave the Book, Al-Hukm, and prophethood.) We bestowed these bounties on them, as a mercy for the servants, and out of our kindness for creation.

﴿فَإِن يَكْفُرْ بِهَا﴾

(But if they disbelieve therein...) in the prophethood, or the three things; the Book, the Hukm and the prophethood,

﴿هَـؤُلاءِ﴾

(They...) refers to the people of Makkah, according to Ibn `Abbas, Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, As-Suddi, and others.

﴿فَقَدْ وَكَّلْنَا بِهَا قَوْماً لَّيْسُواْ بِهَا بِكَـفِرِينَ﴾

(then, indeed We have entrusted it to a people who are not disbelievers therein.) This Ayah means, if the Quraysh and the rest of the people of the earth - Arabs and non-Arabs, illiterate and the People of the Scripture - disbelieve in these bounties, then We have entrusted them to another people, the Muhajirun and Ansar, and those who follow their lead until the Day of Resurrection,

﴿لَّيْسُواْ بِهَا بِكَـفِرِينَ﴾

(who are not disbelievers therein.) They will not deny any of these favors, not even one letter. Rather, they will believe in them totally, even the parts that are not so clear to some of them. We ask Allah to make us among them by His favor, generosity and kindness. Addressing His servant and Messenger, Muhammad , Allah said;

﴿أُوْلَـئِكَ﴾

(They are...) the Prophets mentioned here, along with their righteous fathers, offspring and bretheren,

﴿الَّذِينَ هَدَى اللَّهُ﴾

(those whom Allah had guided.) meaning, they alone are the people of guidance,

﴿فَبِهُدَاهُمُ اقْتَدِهْ﴾

(So follow their guidance.) Imitate them. This command to the Messenger certainly applies to his Ummah, according to what he legislates and commands them. While mentioning this Ayah, Al-Bukhari recorded that Mujahid asked Ibn `Abbas, "Is there an instance where prostration is warranted in ﴿Surah﴾ Sad'' Ibn `Abbas said, "Yes.'' He then recited,

﴿وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَـقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ﴾

(...And We bestowed upon him Ishaq and Ya`qub...) until,

﴿فَبِهُدَاهُمُ اقْتَدِهْ﴾

(...So follow their guidance.) He commented, "He (our Prophet, Muhammad ) was among them.'' In another narration, Mujahid added that Ibn `Abbas said, "Your Prophet was among those whose guidance we were commanded to follow.'' Allah's statement,

﴿قُل لاَّ أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْراً﴾

(Say: "No reward I ask of you for this.'') means, I do not ask you for any reward for delivering the Qur'an to you, nor anything else,

﴿إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ ذِكْرَى لِلْعَـلَمِينَ﴾

("It is only a reminder for the `Alamin (mankind and Jinns).'') so they are reminded by it and guided from blindness to clarity, from misguidance to guidance, and from disbelief to faith.

﴿وَمَا قَدَرُواْ اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ إِذْ قَالُواْ مَآ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى بَشَرٍ مِّن شَىْءٍ قُلْ مَنْ أَنزَلَ الْكِتَـبَ الَّذِى جَآءَ بِهِ مُوسَى نُوراً وَهُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ تَجْعَلُونَهُ قَرَطِيسَ تُبْدُونَهَا وَتُخْفُونَ كَثِيراً وَعُلِّمْتُمْ مَّا لَمْ تَعْلَمُواْ أَنتُمْ وَلاَ ءَابَاؤُكُمْ قُلِ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ ذَرْهُمْ فِى خَوْضِهِمْ يَلْعَبُونَ - وَهَـذَا كِتَـبٌ أَنزَلْنَـهُ مُبَارَكٌ مُّصَدِّقُ الَّذِى بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَلِتُنذِرَ أُمَّ الْقُرَى وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَهُمْ عَلَى صَلاَتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ ﴾

(91. They did not estimate Allah with an estimation due to Him when they said: "Nothing did Allah send down to any human being (by inspiration).'' Say : "Who then sent down the Book which Musa brought, a light and a guidance to mankind which you (the Jews) have made into (separate) papersheets, disclosing (some of it) and concealing much. And you were taught that which neither you nor your fathers knew.'' Say: "Allah (sent it down).'' Then leave them to play in their vain discussions.) (92. And this is a blessed Book which We have sent down, confirming what came before it, so that you may warn the Mother of Towns and all those around it. Those who believe in the Hereafter believe in it, and they are constant in guarding their Salah.)