وَذَٰلِكَand thatلِأَنَّbecauseالطَّاعَةُobedienceحِصْنٌfortressالرَّبِّof the Lordتَبَارَكَblessedوَتَعَالَىٰand exaltedالَّذِيwhoمَنْwhoدَخَلَهُenters itكَانَisالْآمِنِينَsafeفَإِذَاand ifفَارَقَleavesالْحِصْنَthe fortressاَجْتَرَأَdaresعَلَيْهِon himقُطَّاعُhighwaymenالطَّرِيقِof the roadوَغَيْرِهِمand othersوَعَلَىand uponمَنْwhoحَسَبَaccording toاَجْتِرَائِهِhis audacityعَلَىagainstمَعَاصِيthe disobediencesاللَّهِof Allahيَكُونُthere isاَجْتِرَاءٌaudacityهَذِهِof theseالْآفَاتِcalamitiesوَالنُّفُوسِand soulsعَلَيْهِon him
And that is because obedience is the fortress of the Lord, the Blessed and Exalted, and whoever enters it is safe. If one leaves the fortress, highwaymen and others dare against him. According to the extent of his audacity in disobeying Allah, there is an audacity of these calamities and souls on him.
وَلَيْسَand there is notلَهُfor himشَيْءٌanythingيُرَدُّto repelعَنْهُaway from himفَإِنَّfor indeedذِكْرُthe mentionاللَّهِof Allahوَطَاعَتِهِand his obedienceوَالْصَّدَقَةُand charityوَإِرْشَادُand guidingالْجَاهِلِthe ignorantوَالْأَمْرُand commandingبِالْمَعْرُوفِto what is goodوَالنَّهْيُand forbiddingعَنْfromالْمُنْكَرِthe evilوِقَايَةٌis a shieldتَرُدُّthat repelsعَنْaway fromالْعَبْدِthe servantبِمَنْزِلَةٍis likeالقُوَّةِthe powerالَّتِيthatتَرُدُّrepelsالْمَرَضَthe illnessوَتُقَاوِمُهُand resists itفَإِذَاand ifسَقَطَتْit fallsالْقُوَّةُthe powerغَلَبَتْovercomesوَارِدُthe onsetالْمَرَضِof the illnessفَكَانَso it wasالْهَلاَكُdestruction
And there is nothing to repel him, for indeed, the mention of Allah and His obedience, charity, guiding the ignorant, commanding what is good, and forbidding what is evil is a shield that repels the servant. It is like the power that repels and resists illness; when the power falls, the onset of illness overcomes, and thus destruction occurs.
فَلَابُدَّthere must beلِلْعَبْدِfor the servantمِنْofشَيْءٍsomethingيُرَدُّto repelعَنْهُaway from himفَإِنَّfor indeedمُوجِبَthe necessityالسَّيِّئَاتِof the sinsوَالْحَسَنَاتِand the good deedsيَتَدَافَعَانِrepel one anotherوَيَكُونُand it isالْحُكْمُthe rulingلِلْغَالِبِfor the prevailingكَمَاasتَقَدَّمَwas mentioned
There must be something for the servant to repel from him, for indeed, the necessity of sins and good deeds repel one another, and the ruling is for the prevailing as previously mentioned.
وَكُلَّمَاAnd wheneverقَوِيَتْthe good deeds become strongجَانِبُthe sideالْحَسَنَاتِof good deedsكَانَthe repellingأَقْوَىstrongerفَإِنَّfor indeedاللَّهَAllahيُدَافِعُdefendsعَنْaboutالَّذِينَthose whoآمَنُواbelieveوَالْإِيمَانُand beliefقَوْلٌis a sayingوَعَمَلٌand an actionفَبِحَسَبِand according toقُوَّةِthe strengthالْإِيمَانِof faithيَكُونُthere isالدَّفْعُthe repelوَاللَّهُand Allahالْمُسْتَعَانُis the one sought for help
And whenever the side of good deeds becomes strong, the repelling becomes stronger. For indeed, Allah defends those who believe, and belief is both a saying and an action. According to the strength of one's faith, there is repelling. And Allah is the one sought for help.
وَمِنْAnd fromعُقُوبَاتِهَاits punishmentsأَنَّهَاthat itتَخُونُbetraysالْعَبْدَthe servantأَحْوَجَmost in needمَاwhenيَكُونُhe isإِلَىforنَفْسِهِhimselfفَإِنَّfor indeedكُلَّeveryأَحَدٍoneمُحْتَاجٌis in needإِلَىforمَعْرِفَةِknowledgeمَاof whatيَنْفَعُهُbenefits himوَمَاand whatيُضِرُّهُharms himفِيinمَعَاشِهِhis livelihoodوَمَعَادِهِand his afterlifeوَأَعْلَمُand the most knowledgeableالنَّاسِof peopleأَعْرَفُهُمْis the one who knows themبِذَٰلِكَabout itعَلَىinالتَّفْصِيلِdetailوَأَقْوَاهُمْand the strongest of themوَأَكْيَسُهُمand the wisest of themمِنْamong those whoقَوِيَhas strengthعَلَىover
And from its punishments is that it betrays the servant when he is most in need of himself. For indeed, everyone is in need of knowledge of what benefits them and what harms them in their livelihood and afterlife. And the most knowledgeable of people in detail is the one who knows them, and the strongest and wisest among them is he who has strength over.