13 Preface وَإِنَّ لَنا لَلآخِرَةَ وَالأولىٰYusuf AliAnd verily unto Us (belong) the End and the Beginning.1In the End man will return to God, and even from the beginning of man’s life God’s mercies and loving care surround him. In the probationary period of man’s life, he has a measure of free-will, and he is expected to use it in such a way as to bring his whole being into harmony with the universal Will and Law. For he will have to answer for the right use of his talents and opportunities. If man’s will has any meaning, he has the choice of accepting God’s guidance or rejecting it, and in the latter case he must take the consequences. Hence the warning of the future “Fire” in the next verse.