And when He, glorified and exalted is He, mentioned at the beginning of the stories of the Jews that He took a covenant from the prophets with what He took; and informed them that whoever turns away after that is the wicked one; then He informed by His saying: "Indeed, messengers have come to you before me" [Al-Imran: 183] "So if they deny you, then indeed, messengers were denied before you" [Al-Imran: 184]; that the prophets fulfilled the covenant; and that many of their followers betrayed; He repeated here the reminder of that covenant; in a way that includes the scholars; after informing of the hearing of the harm that includes their breaking of the covenant; so the reminder of this covenant was like evidence for the content of the verse that preceded it; and it is as if it was said: "So remember my saying to you; 'You will surely be tested'; and make it a focal point for you; so that you may prepare yourselves for it; and let not your distress intensify with the occurrence of what occurs from it"; and remember when Allah, the One who is great except Him, took the covenant of those; and when betrayal from the scholar is the most heinous; and mentioning knowledge without specifying the teacher is sufficient in that; He built for the unknown His saying: "They were given the Book"; meaning: in the explanation; so they feared; so they harmed only themselves; and if they harmed themselves by betraying the covenant of Allah, glorified and exalted is He, they were in their harm more severe; and to Him they hastened; or the estimation may be: "And remember what I informed you of; when I send it down upon you; and be patient to succeed; and remember when Allah took the covenant of those before you; and they wasted it; so that you do not do as they did; lest what befell them from humiliation and disgrace in this world befall you; along with what is stored in the Hereafter of the punishment of the Fire."

This is what appeared to me at first; then it became clear that what cannot be avoided is that when the story of 'Uhud' ended; and what followed it; until it was concluded after the sermon with the inevitability of death; from which those who fled from them fled; and the remaining ones were frightened by it; similar to what had preceded; that He made it (p-152) a proof against him; from the hatred of the People of the Book; and what followed it; he referred to 'when'; which is implied - for the connection to ﴿And when you went out﴾ [Al-Imran: 121]; to his saying: ﴿And when Allah took﴾; meaning: remember that; it will guide you to their enmity; and remember what has been confirmed to you from the news of Allah (glorified and exalted is He) witnessed; by the news of those who embraced Islam from the scholars; and the priests that Allah took ﴿the covenant of those who were given the Book﴾; meaning: from the Jews; and the Christians; with what He confirmed in His Books; and on the tongues of His Messengers: ﴿You shall certainly make it clear﴾; meaning: the Book; ﴿to the people and do not conceal it﴾; meaning: as advice from them to Allah - glorified and exalted is He - and to His Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him); and to the leaders of the believers; and their general populace; so that they may believe in the Prophet who was given glad tidings about; ﴿But they threw it away﴾; meaning: the covenant; by throwing away the Book; ﴿behind their backs﴾; out of envy towards you; and hatred; and it is a representation of their abandonment of acting upon it; because whoever leaves something behind forgets it; ﴿And they exchanged it for a small price﴾; and since the price they exchanged it for was a loss; there is no profit in it at all; contrary to what they had given; while it was a price; and the price, when it is diminished, the possibility of profit from it is removed; he expressed it by saying: ﴿a price﴾; and he increased in clarifying their foolishness by saying: ﴿a little﴾; meaning: by accumulating wealth; and seeking leadership; so they concealed what they had of knowledge about this noble Prophet; ﴿So wretched is what they purchase﴾; meaning: because with its annihilation it has inherited for them everlasting disgrace; and the everlasting fire; (p-153) and he expressed this taking by purchase; as a declaration of their obstinacy in it; and he alerted by the form of exaggeration to their excessive obstinacy.