فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن كَذَبَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ وَكَذَّبَ بِٱلصِّدْقِ إِذْ جَآءَهُۥ · وَٱلَّذِى جَآءَ بِٱلصِّدْقِ وَصَدَّقَ بِهِۦٓ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ
"Who does greater wrong than one who invents a lie against God and denies the truth when it comes to him? And the one who brings the truth and those who confirm it — they are the ones who guard themselves."
| Verse | Verb | Who |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | Kadhdhaba bi'ṣ-ṣidq — he denied the truth | The first side |
| 33 | Jāʾa bi'ṣ-ṣidqi wa ṣaddaqa bih — he brought the truth and confirmed it | The second side |
And in the second verse there are two distinct acts: bringing, and confirming. The lexicographers dwell on whom this pair refers to and transmit differing explanations. I do not impose a preference.
But the structure is plain and worth recording: for a word to pass into life two things are needed — one who says it and one who accepts it. The verse gathers both under the same ruling: ulāʾika humu'l-muttaqūn.
لِيُكَفِّرَ ٱللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ أَسْوَأَ ٱلَّذِى عَمِلُوا۟ وَيَجْزِيَهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ — "that God may cover over the worst of what they did, and give them their reward according to the best of what they used to do."
The two extremes must be recorded: aswaʾa (the worst) is covered over, aḥsana (the best) is taken as the measure.
The same structure was treated in al-Aḥqāf at 46/16 (nataqabbalu ʿanhum aḥsana mā ʿamilū wa natajāwazu ʿan sayyiʾātihim) — the two sūras set up the same two-ended reckoning. I rely on that treatment.