Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AL AN'AAM [147]

147. If they deny you say: ”Your Lord is the Owner of vast mercy, and never will His wrath be turned back from the people who are criminals.”) Allah says, if your opponents among the idolators, Jews and their likes reject you, O Muhammad,

(Say: ”Your Lord is the Owner of vast mercy...”) encouraging them to seek Allah's vast mercy and follow His Messenger ,

(and never will His wrath be turned back from the people who are criminals.) discouraging them from defying the Messenger, the Final Prophet, Muhammad . Allah often joins encouragement with threats in the Qur'an. Allah said at the end of this Surah:

(Surely, your Lord is swift in retribution, and certainly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) ï´¿6:165ï´¾ Allah also said,

(But verily, your Lord is full of forgiveness for mankind in spite of their wrongdoing. And verily, your Lord is (also) severe in punishment.) ï´¿13:6ï´¾, and

(Declare unto My servants, that truly, I am the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. And that My torment is indeed the most painful torment.) ï´¿15:49-50ï´¾, and

(The Forgiver of sin, the Acceptor of repentance, the Severe in punishment.) ï´¿40:3ï´¾ and,

(Verily, the punishment of your Lord is severe and painful. Verily, He it is Who begins and repeats. And He is Oft-Forgiving, full of love.)ï´¿85:12-14ï´¾. There are many other Ayat on this subject.