The first and second verses point towards the Oneness of God and describe His life and magnificence. “He is the Highest, the supreme; He is the living the supporter of all.”

As we have mentioned earlier there is a difference in the life of God and the life of the contingent beings. His life is the true life because it is inherent in Him, and now acquired or temporal; His life is His knowledge and power (Two things that we have dealt in details earlier) because these two are the real signs of his life. He is not just the god who exists because of Himself but is the source of life for all creation and their lordship and management are in His hands.

In short, His life has no resemblance from the life of other beings; His life is ever existing, eternal non-changeable and free from all deficiencies and limitations. His life actually is His power and knowledge over all things.

The third verse speaks about the Judgment Day. It says, “And all Faces shall be humbled before the ever living the one who sustains and protects all that exists.” The losers will be those who have been unjust to themselves.

‘A’nat’ originates from “U’nwa” which means humility and shame and that is why the prisoners are called “An”ani” because they are shamed in front of those who have captured them. Here humility and shame have been described for the face because the most respectable part of the human body is the face and the sign of humility are seen first on it.

The reference about the living and honorable is a sing that God’s eternal life and honor will be more established on that day. The weakness of man and his return to God too will be evident because every human will be made alive after his death. The dependence about mercy and justice is God’s court is hidden to none.

The fourth verse describes that sign of God’s life which has no death. The messenger is being ordered to rely on Him. “And put you trust in Him who lives and will never die.” It is true that a believing person who relies on God is never afraid of anyone and he will never panic in any situation. We also know that even if this verse speaks about only one version of belief it has both a social and practical result because this verse strengths the foundation of reliance on God.

The fifth verse has the same subject with a practical and social angle; it is said, “He is the ever living.” And there is no God but Him, “so invoke Him with sincere devotion.”

The tone of the verse according to Fakhr Razi is the only living truth (1) and

if there is life in other creations it is connected with death and is temporal. It has no power to be worshipped and so we can deduce that truth is imperative for belief and it is also imperative to deny polytheism.

From all the above verses we learn about God’s eternal life, a life that is not connected with death, change or alterations; a life in which He himself is the cause and other who exists do so because of him. It is a life that teaches us to be humbly reliant on Him. Lastly, it is a life from which we learn about the oneness in worship and which denies all manner of polytheism.

(1) Tafsir Al Mizan vol. 17 page 366; Tafsir Kabeer Vol. 27 page 84