And when the decree was: 'Indeed, We have given you the Book with this attribute of greatness,' your nation differed in it regarding what We informed you of at the beginning of Al-Baqarah about the division of the people. So We punished those who were arrogant towards it by sealing their hearts. He then addressed them, consoling his words, affirming to those who say from the people of the Book in misguidance: 'If he were a prophet, the people would not have differed about him,' and similar things that he confuses with: 'And indeed, We have given' meaning according to what We have of greatness, 'Musa the Book' meaning the one that encompasses what is in it of their guidance, 'So there occurred disagreement' meaning the disagreement happened 'in it' meaning from his nation just as it occurred in this Book. This is because Allah, glorified and exalted is He, created creation for disagreement along with what He instilled in them of minds that urge to spend. 'And had it not been for a word' meaning a will 'that preceded' in eternity, and He turned the saying to the attribute of kindness as a satisfaction with the decree and consolation. He increased that by specifying it with addition, saying: 'from your Lord' meaning the One who is kind to you by granting success to the righteous to follow you and forsaking the wicked by expelling them from you to relieve you from them without harm to your religion, and by neglecting everyone until a known term, then delaying everyone until the Day of the Greatest Judgment without extermination by punishment as We did with other nations. 'It would have been decided' meaning the occurrence of the decisive judgment 'between them' the differing ones with the justice of the oppressed from his oppressor now. And when he knew this and other than it that the Day of Resurrection has been decreed and made a promise that the word will not be changed with Him, it became clear that it must happen and there is no way to avoid it while they argue about it. He said affirming: 'And indeed, they are in doubt' meaning surrounding them 'about it' meaning the judgment on the Day of Judgment 'that is causing doubt' meaning placing them in doubt, which is the accusation and confusion such that they cannot escape from its circle at all.