Tafsir for verse: 3:64
قُلۡ يَٰٓأَهۡلَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ تَعَالَوۡاْ إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٖ سَوَآءِۭ بَيۡنَنَا وَبَيۡنَكُمۡ أَلَّا نَعۡبُدَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ وَلَا نُشۡرِكَ بِهِۦ شَيۡـٔٗا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعۡضُنَا بَعۡضًا أَرۡبَابٗا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِۚ فَإِن تَوَلَّوۡاْ فَقُولُواْ ٱشۡهَدُواْ بِأَنَّا مُسۡلِمُونَ ٦٤ ﴿64
64Say, “O people of the Book, come to a word common between us and between you, that we worship none but Allah, that we associate nothing with Him and that some of us do not take others as Lords instead of Allah.” Then, should they turn back, say, “Bear witness that we are Muslims.”
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Commentary

And when they turned away from the Mubahala after he presented to them various types of arguments and they were cut off, there remained no doubt for them. They accepted humiliation and the jizyah, so it was known that they had dissolved from what they were in of the debate. There remained only the manifestation of the result, which necessitated the greatness of his longing ﷺ for it due to his immense concern ﷺ for the guidance of creation. So he commanded him to mention it repeatedly, guiding them in a way lighter than what had passed, by comforting them in what he calls them to with compassion. He would call with a supplication that includes the disputants from the Christians and others who have a scripture from the Jews and others to the word that the proofs have established its truthfulness and the evidences have risen for its sincerity, a supplication that is the most just of it, in a manner that includes negating what may be imagined of intending to favor them and specializing in a matter without them. This is because he began with directly addressing what he called them to and accepted for them what he accepted for himself, and what the books have gathered upon and the messengers have agreed upon. So he said, glorified and exalted is He: "Say." And when he had transitioned from seeking to refute them, he addressed them gently with what they love, saying: "O People of the Book," indicating what they have in that of knowledge. "Come," meaning raise yourselves from the depths of the lesser and greater shirk in which you are, "to a word," then he described it by saying: "that is equitable," meaning of justice with no deviation in it whatsoever, "between us and you." Then he explained it by saying: "that we worship none but Allah," meaning because He possesses the attributes of perfection, and he affirmed that by saying: "and we do not associate anything with Him," meaning we do not believe He has a partner even if we do not worship Him.

And when the direction towards other than Allah is contrary to what the original nature calls to, he expressed it with the form of causation, saying: "and let none of us take others as lords," meaning like 'Uzayr, the Messiah, and the scholars and monks who permit and prohibit. And when the term lord may be applied to the teacher and the educator in a type of upbringing, he alerted to that the prohibited matter is indeed the belief in tyranny and the transgression upon what is exclusive to Allah, glorified and exalted is He, saying: "besides Allah," who is exclusive to perfection.

And when the doubts were removed and the excuses were eliminated, he commanded to confront them with the disagreement in a context whose apparent meaning is abandonment and its hidden meaning is the severe warning of confrontation. He said - indicating this by expressing with a tool of doubt that turning away from this justice is hardly possible: ﴿So if they turn away﴾ meaning from Islam to Him in the oneness of Allah, ﴿Say﴾ you are followers of your father Ibrahim, blessings and peace be upon him, when he said: ﴿I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds﴾ [Al-Baqarah: 131] and in compliance with his will when he said: ﴿And do not die except while you are Muslims﴾ [Aali 'Imran: 102] ﴿Bear witness that we﴾ meaning we ﴿are Muslims﴾ meaning characterized by Islam, submissive to His command. It is likely that our Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, will command us to fight you for His support against you, following the tradition of the messengers. We will respond to him with what the disciples responded with, bearing witness that they are Muslims. Then we will confront you, turning towards Him, relying on Him, while you know His past days and previous events.

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