How is the negation of the oath in the verse, "I swear by this city [Mecca]," interpreted as an oath by Mecca? Does the repetition of "And who is more unjust" imply the existence of more than one unjust person? Why were the apostates who returned to Quraish not killed in the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah? And what is your advice to someone who wishes to gain a deep understanding of their religion so that they can answer such questions?

The exegetes differed regarding the meaning of "لَا أُقْسِمُ" (I swear not) in Surat Al-Balad. Some went on to say that "لَا" (no/not) is an extra particle for emphasis, or that it is for negating an omitted word, and they cited poetic and Quranic examples. While others held that it is not for negating the oath, but rather it is like the Arabs' saying "لَا وَاللَّهِ" (No, by God), or that it is a true negation meaning "I do not swear by this city if you (the Prophet) are not in it." Ibn Al-Arabi and others chose that it is a refutation of those who denied the resurrection, and then the oath began thereafter. The city intended is Mecca, by agreement of the exegetes.