And when He (glorified and exalted is He) informed about what is upon those who differentiate between Allah and His messengers, and what is for their opposites, He followed it with some of what they intended by it, the division. This is that Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf and Finhas ibn Azura, from the Jews, said falsely: "If you are a prophet, then bring us a book all at once from the heaven; we will witness it when it descends, just as Musa - blessings and peace be upon him - brought his book in that way." So Allah (glorified and exalted is He) sent down a reprimand to them for this lie, indicating their falsehood in it, weakening their question, warning against its pitfalls, and clarifying their disbelief in Allah and His messengers: ﴿They ask you﴾. And when this was among the greatest of their doubts by which they misled those whom Allah intended, this is because they saw that this clear book is the greatest of miracles, and that the Arabs could not find a way to attack it in a manner that could be accepted. So they directed their schemes towards it with this doubt and similar to it, which He (glorified and exalted is He) completely falsified, and He exposed them because of it to the utmost disgrace. And He (glorified and exalted is He) increased in their rebuke by saying: ﴿People of the Book﴾, indicating that the scholar should be the farthest of people from deception, let alone outright lying. ﴿That You should send down upon them﴾; meaning: specifically for them, by affirming their names; ﴿A book from the heaven﴾ and what they implied in their saying this, that Musa - blessings and peace be upon him - brought the Torah all at once, is a falsehood that was caught by those whom Allah (glorified and exalted is He) intended from the people of Islam, thinking that Allah - blessed and exalted is He - approved them for it. And it is not so, as the entire context indicates, and what is almost explicit in it comes in His saying: ﴿Indeed, We have revealed to you﴾ [An-Nisa: 163]; the verse; as will be clarified. And the Jews now acknowledge that it did not descend all at once. And Al-Kalbi said in the story of the cow that they slaughtered for the sake of the murdered man they were deliberating about: and that was before the descent of the Qasama in the Torah.

And when this was something that the Prophet ﷺ found to be great, he indicated that, clarifying - as a consolation for him ﷺ - that their habit was obstinacy; and their nature was disbelief; and that they were the most hardened of people in their hearts; and the most coarse in their dispositions; and that their forefathers had obstinately opposed those who claimed to believe in him now; and that they were upon his Shari'ah; and the thing they loved most about him was what he showed them of those great signs; among which was their rescue from servitude; rather from slaughter; and that this had been repeated by them; along with what they witnessed of calamities; and pardon; (p-455) he said: "So indeed"; meaning: if you find that to be great; then indeed "they asked"; meaning: their forefathers; meaning: they were upon their path of obstinacy; so they are their partners; "Musa"; without any reason; except for obstinacy; "greater"; meaning: more significant; "than that"; meaning: the great matter which they confronted you with; after I showed them of the miracles that obligated everyone who knew them to believe in you; and to be disciplined with you; then he clarified it by saying: "So they said: Show us Allah"; meaning: the Most High King; who has no likeness; and the minds cannot encompass His greatness; "openly"; meaning: visibly; without any covering; nor veil; nor any kind of concealment; rather our eyes encompass Him; just as hearing encompasses the spoken word; and this indicates that both of the questions are forbidden; due to being unjust; for leading to belittling what we present of miracles; and considering it insufficient; while the revelation of the Book all at once is not appropriate for the wisdom upon which this abode was built, linking causes with effects; and building it upon them; for it is known that the separation of commands is a reason for the lightness of carrying them; and that is more likely to lead to compliance; and easier for memorization; and more helpful for understanding; and greater in affirming the one to whom it was revealed; and more expansive for his chest; and stronger for his heart; and more invigorating for his longing; and the vision in this manner which they requested - which is encompassing - is impossible; so their asking for that is belittling; although it is obstinacy; and for that reason, his saying about their question was: "So the thunderbolt seized them"; meaning: following this question; and because of it; without any delay; a seizing of overpowering and dominance; "the thunderbolt"; meaning: a fire that descended from the sky with a great sound; it is worthy of not being called anything else - if attributed to it - "thunderbolt"; so it destroyed them; "because of their wrongdoing"; meaning: because of their wrongdoing with this question; and others; due to it being obstinacy without any original justification for it; and by requesting the vision in an impossible manner; which is the request for encompassing; "then"; after pardoning them; and reviving them from the death of this thunderbolt; "they took the calf"; meaning: they made an effort to take it; and they were obstinate in making it.

And when the misguided one, after the abundance of clarification, is more deserving of reproach; he said: "After"; and he included the preposition as an indication that their taking did not encompass the time of distance; rather, they repented from it; "What came to them were the clear signs"; meaning: with this revival; and other miracles; "So We forgave"; meaning: for what We have of greatness; "for that"; meaning: the great sin; with Our repentance upon them; without complete destruction of them; "And We gave"; meaning: with Our greatness which no greatness can compare to; "Moses authority"; meaning: dominance; and overwhelming control; "clear"; meaning: evident; for he commanded them to kill themselves; and they hastened to comply after they had committed this great misguidance; and in it is a clear symbol that he - glorified and exalted is He - will empower Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, over everyone who opposes him, greater than this empowerment.