Detailed Exegesis

Ammā: The response to ammā, which is a conditional particle, is the entire conditional sentence: “whoever follows My guidance, there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve” (faman tabiʿa hudā__ya falā khawfun ʿalayhim wa-lā hum yaḥzanūn). This is similar to saying: “If you come to us, we will feed you if we are able.”(227)

Minnī (“from Me”): The first-person singular pronoun (yāʾ al-mutakallim) in minnī and hidāya, and the use of the explicit term hidāya (guidance) instead of the pronoun or the definite article al- (as in _al-_hudā), particularly with the precedence of minnī over hudā, indicates that the true beneficial guidance for human society is that which originates from God, delivered through revelation or sound reasoning. Any claim of guidance that contradicts revelation or rational proof is, in essence, misguidance. This is supported by the verse: “Say, indeed, the guidance of God is the [only] guidance” (qul inna hudā _llāhi huwa l-_hudā) (2:120).

Fear: The distinction between fear (khawf) and awe (khashya) lies in their sources. Awe of anything other than God is blameworthy and should be exclusive to Him, as indicated in: “Those who convey the messages of God and fear Him, and do not fear anyone except God.” Awe involves the inner belief that something or someone other than God is independently effective, which is incorrect because, in the realm of contingent existence, no entity has independent power except God. In contrast, fear is a practical response to perceived threats without implying belief in independent power. For example, fearing a harmful creature and avoiding it, or the Prophet (s.a.w.) fearing the treachery of treaty-breaking polytheists. Thus, God instructs: “If you fear treachery from a people, throw [their treaty] back to them, [putting you] on equal terms” (8:58).

The difference between fear (khawf) and grief (ḥuzn) is that fear concerns apprehension about potential future loss, while grief usually reflects sorrow over past losses. However, when loss in the future is certain and cannot be prevented, grief may arise in the present as well.