." When the stories of the Israelites began...

." When the stories of the Israelites began, they were addressed in second person, because the verses contained a lot of admonition and reprimand; it continued to the story of the Cow when, because of demands of eloquence, it was changed to third person. Conse­quently, this verse too began with third person, but when time came to quote the verbal covenant, the style reverted to the second person. "You shall not worship (any) but Allâh": It is a prohibition in the form of an information.

This style shows the utmost im­portance attached to the ban by the speaker - it is as though the speaker has no doubt whatsoever that the order shall be complied with, and that, in this case, the servants will not dare to go near idolatory.

The same style is continued in the next clause, "and (you shall do) good to (your) parents, and to the near of kin and to the orphans and the needy." The change over to second person, although resorted to for the purpose of quoting the covenant, has put the speech back to the original style and has linked the last clauses of the covenant to the fresh admonitary ones: "and keep up prayer and pay the zakât. Then you turned back . . ." QUR’?N: and (you shall do) good to (your) parents. .

.: As translated here, it is a declarative sentence with the sense of im­perative. It may also be translated as an imperative sentence: "and (do) good . . ." The verse gives in descending order of importance, the list of those whom one should do good to. The parents are the root of man's existence, and nearest of all to him. Then come the near of kin.

Going outside the circle of relatives, the orphans are most deserving of kindness and beneficence, because in their small age they are deprived of their father - their guardian, protector and bread-earner. Other needy persons come after them. "and to the orphans": "al-Yatîm" ( = orphan) is he whose father has died. The word is not used for him who has lost his mother.

Also, it is said that a human child is called "orphan" if his father dies, but in animals, the adjective is used for one whose mother dies. "and the needy": "al-Masâkîn" () is plural of al-miskîn ( = needy, impoverished, destitue, lowly). "and speak to men good (words)": "Husnan" (= beauty, excellence) is an infinitive verb, used for adjective (beautiful, excellent, good) to give emphasis. Some reciters have recited it hasanan ( = beautiful, excellent, good).