The term latif denotes something that is extremely subtle in quality, and therefore intangible and unfathomable. Whenever this term occurs in the Qur'an with reference to God in conjunction with the adjective khabir ("all-aware"), it is invariably used to express the idea of His inaccessibility to human perception, imagination or comprehension, as Contrasted with His Own all-awareness (see, apart from the above verse, also 22:63, 31:16, 33:34 and 67:14). In the two instances where the combination of latif and khabir carries the definite article al ( and 67:14), the expression huwa 'l-latif has the meaning of "He alone is unfathomable"-implying that this quality of His is unique and absolute.

Lit., "thou hast learned [it well]"-i.e., God's message.

Le., no mortal has it in his power to cause another person to believe unless God graces that person with His guidance.

This prohibition of reviling anything that other people hold sacred - even in contravention of the principle of God's oneness - is expressed in the plural and is, therefore, addressed to all believers. Thus, while Muslims are expected to argue against the false beliefs of others, they are not allowed to abuse the objects of those beliefs and to hurt thereby the feelings of their erring fellow-men.

Lit., "thus goodly have We made...", etc., implying that it is in the nature of man to regard the beliefs which have been implanted in him from childhood, and which he now shares with his social environment, as the only true and possible ones - with the result that a polemic against those beliefs often tends to provoke a hostile psychological reaction.

Lit., "Miracles are only with God." It is to be noted that the Qur'anic term ayah denotes not only a "miracle" (in the sense of a happening that goes beyond the usual-that is, commonly observable-course of nature), but also a "sign" or "message": and the last-mentioned significance is the one which is by far the most frequently- met with in the Qur'an. Thus, what is commonly described as a "miracle" constitutes, in fact, an unusual message from God, indicating sometimes in a symbolic manner - a spiritual truth which would otherwise have remained hidden from man's intellect. But even such extraordinary, "miraculous" messages cannot be regarded as "supernatural": for the so-called "laws of nature" are only a perceptible manifestation of "God's way" (sunnat Allah) in respect of His creation-and, consequently, everything that exists and happens, or could conceivably exist or happen, is "natural" in the innermost sense of this word, irrespective of whether it conforms to the ordinary course of events or goes beyond it. Now since the extraordinary messages referred to manifest themselves, as a rule, through the instrumentality of those specially gifted and divinely elected personalities known as "prophets", these are sometimes spoken of as "performing miracles" - a misconception which the Qur'an removes by the words, "Miracles are in the power of God alone". (See also 17:59 and the corresponding note.)

Le., so long as they remain blind to the truth in consequence of their unwillingness to acknowledge it - and this in accordance with the law of cause and effect which God has imposed on His creation (see surah 2, note 7).

Sc., of the fact that there is life after death.

See note 95 above.

21:20-22, 29:61-63

Individuals makes their initial decision with the freedom of choice given to them (18:29) and God leads them according to their choice. Those who have decided deep in their minds to reject God's signs/miracles with prejudice, will not see, witness, acknowledge, or appreciate those signs/miracles (7:146). These people label the divine signs and miracles as "myth" or "illusion/magic" (6:7,25). To witness a 3-D stereogram made with computer generated random dots, one needs to have an open mind, open both his eyes, and follow certain rules. Recent studies by Mahzarin Banaji Anthony Greenwald and other scientists using Implicit Association Test, or IAT show that our unconscious attitudes create strong biases. Bruce Bower, in April 22, 2006 issue of Science News described these hidden biases with the following statements: "It lurks in the mind's dark basement, secretly shaping our opinions, attitudes, and stereotypes. This devious manipulator does its best to twist our behavior to its nefarious end. Its stock in trade: stirring up racial prejudice and a host of other pernicious preconceptions about members of various groups. Upstairs, our conscious mind ignores this pushy cellar dweller and assumes that we're decent folk whose actions usually reflect good intentions." Inductive reasoning, which creates stereotyping or generalization is an important tool for our survival. Occasionally we need to react fast in events when we sense risk to our lives or well-being. However, the quick retrieval of stored conclusions of inductive reasoning, has also the chance to be wrong. Thus, when we have more than few seconds to reflect, to reach an accurate or beneficial judgment it is always important to examine our biases. To overcome against this stealthy prejudice, the Quran recommends us to engage in self-examination, critical thinking, and deliberate and constant struggle to be open-minded (53:33; 54:43; 17:36; 39:18).