And when the decree was: "They said: Indeed, we do not claim that they created anything from the heavens; nor from the earth; and we acknowledge that none holds the heavens and the earth except Allah; and we only worship them to bring us closer to Allah; as our forefathers used to do; and if it were not for the fact that they had evidence for that, they would not have done it"; he added to this his saying - clarifying their misguidance in their denial of the messengers after what has appeared of their misguidance in associating partners with the Sender; and He gives them respite; and provides for them; as evidence of His forbearance along with His knowledge -: ﴿And they swore﴾; meaning: the disbelievers of Makkah; ﴿By Allah﴾; meaning: the One who is great and none other than Him; ﴿The utmost of their oaths﴾; meaning: to the utmost of what they can do of oaths; Al-Baghawi said: When it reached them - meaning the disbelievers of Makkah - that the people of the Book denied their messengers; they said: May Allah curse the Jews and the Christians; their messengers came to them and they denied them; if a messenger came to us, we would certainly be more guided in religion than them.

And when he informed about their oath; he narrated the meaning of what they swore upon; without its wording; by saying: ﴿If a warner comes to them﴾; and he expressed the greatest reason for the message; and he said: ﴿A warner﴾; meaning: from Allah; ﴿They will surely be﴾; meaning: the disbelievers; ﴿more guided﴾; meaning: greater in guidance; ﴿than one﴾; meaning: one of the ﴿nations﴾; meaning: the previous ones; or from the nation that did not exist among the nations to which the warners came, more guided than them; Abu Hayyan said: As they said: He is one of the two; and it is one of the ones; they intend superiority (p-74) in intelligence; and reason; because they are sharper in mind; and more eloquent in speech; and greater in intellect; and more committed to what the mind calls to; and more eager for what testifies to virtue; and they confirmed by the oath; because the observer of the denial of the people of knowledge of the Book denies them in their claim of affirmation; by another analogy; and it indicated their hastiness in lying with the conjunction; so he said: ﴿So when a warner came to them﴾; meaning: upon what they conditioned; and additionally; and he is Muhammad ﷺ who they used to testify that he was the best of them while being the best of them in person; and the noblest of them in lineage; and the most generous of them in every character; both mother and father; and the most distinguished of them in every merit; ﴿It did not increase them﴾; meaning: his coming did not add anything to their conditions; ﴿except in aversion﴾; meaning: because it was a cause for their increase in disbelief; like the camels that fled from their owner; so they strayed from the path; and he called them; and because of his calling, they increased in aversion; so they sank deeper into misguidance; and it became such that it is difficult to return them; and it became clear that they have no covenant; with their claim that they are the most trustworthy of people; and there is no truthfulness with them; with their assertion that they are the most truthful of creation;.