And when the intended meaning by the polytheists, along with the idol worshippers, is the people of the Book who took their scholars and monks as lords besides Allah for accepting from them the permissibility and prohibition, (p-268) and that was indicative that they had separated from the people of obedience. This was also misleading, as they did not separate from them except out of ignorance. He said, adding to what you can estimate: So the messengers came to the people and established for them the religion and clarified for them the utmost clarification. So Allah chose some of them and led astray some of them, and they separated: ﴿And they did not separate﴾ meaning the polytheists from before you from the people of the Book and others in their religions ﴿except﴾ and He included the preposition for the lack of encompassing time, and He said: ﴿After the knowledge came to them﴾ meaning upon the tongues of their prophets who did not call for confusion ﴿the knowledge﴾ meaning with that which does not allow for separation, and from it that the division is misguidance. The preposition also indicated that the separation was with knowledge; the time was not long, so forgetfulness did not creep into their knowledge. This is a clarification of the great power of Allah, the Exalted, in His control over hearts. So beware that your condition does not become like theirs; let your fear of your Lord and your hope in Him intensify.

And when leaving the path of knowledge is astonishing and far-fetched, he said, clarifying that what led them to that were the desires of the souls from which there is no salvation except by the protection of Allah, the Exalted: ﴿Out of envy﴾ meaning while their separation was animosity, and there is no doubt in it; it is the evident injustice for the sake of the desires of the souls and following whims, from which the servant must distance himself by having no will at all, but rather his will should be in accordance with the command of his Lord. (p-269) And when the absolute envy is contrary to the virtues of morals, then committing it is astonishing. He increased in astonishment by clarifying that the envy did not return their group to another; rather, it was specific to them, so he said: ﴿Among them﴾.

And when that necessitated treatment, he said, adding to what you can estimate: So were it not for the power of Allah and His kindness, they would never have gathered after the separation: ﴿And were it not for a word﴾ meaning there is no change for it ﴿that preceded﴾ meaning in eternity by delaying them to their appointed times. And when their being given respite and kindness towards them is a mercy for them, it was clarified that this is only for the sake of the best of creation, so that they may be followers of him and thus increase in honor. He singled it out for mention, alerting to that, so he said, comforting him ﷺ by directing the speech to the attribute of kindness, pleasing him with what he hopes for in his nation. He increased this by adding to his pronoun, making it understood that his kindness towards them is a kindness that befits his status and aligns with his noble intention and aims: ﴿From your Lord﴾ meaning the One who is kind to you by making you the best of creation and their leader. The word preceded with His delaying them ﴿to an appointed time﴾ is a measure for their appointed times, then for gathering them in the Hereafter ﴿It would be decided﴾ in the easiest and simplest way ﴿between them﴾ at the time of separation by the destruction of the oppressor and the salvation of the one who is right.

And when he informed about the condition of those who preceded, and those in his time, blessings and peace be upon him, from the people of the Book claimed the utmost knowledge of it and gathered around it. All of it is a call to hasten to inherit this final, comprehensive Book. Some of them would engage in acts of worship and turn away from the world, and other things that necessitate that he is upon insight regarding his matter. And the denial that he has any type of doubt, he said in a manner that encompasses others, emphasizing a warning about that: ﴿And indeed those﴾. And when the intention was to reach the Book without dispute, and it did not leave a need for knowledge of the means to it, his saying was built for the passive: ﴿They were made to inherit the Book﴾, meaning the complete final one. They are this nation, as what abrogated their Book rendered the previous ones as if they had died. So they inherited, as He, the Most High, said: ﴿Then We made to inherit the Book those whom We chose from Our servants﴾ [Fatir: 32]. Their condition was in their ability to act in the Book with preservation and understanding, and the absence of dispute in their claim, the condition of the inheritor and the inherited from him. So he said: ﴿After them﴾, meaning the dispersed ones. And he affirmed the preposition for the absence of the entirety of time: ﴿Surely they are in doubt about it﴾, meaning the inheritance of the Book which necessitates gathering, not dispersing, due to what is in it of good. This is due to their actions being the actions of the doubter, as they say: 'Indeed, it is magic, poetry, and sorcery,' and similar to that. And that the one who brings it is not truthful after their witnessing of what he brought of miracles and after their knowledge of him. As for the Arabs and those who dwelt among them from the people of the Book, it is with its miraculous nature along with what is in the people of the Book of the glad tidings of it. As for those who do not dwell among them, it is with the call of their Book ﴿doubtful﴾, meaning causing suspicion in the accusation that arises in the need that arises in the turns of time, which are its hardships, calamities, and adversities. This is on the condition that the intended is our Book, and it is permissible that the pronoun refers specifically to the people of the Book and the Book is theirs. And their doubt in it is their action contrary to what called them to follow our Book by following our Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him.