And when the supplication was confined to remembrance, and that was beneficial for them and gentle with them, their obedience does not increase anything in the dominion of Allah, nor does their turning away decrease anything of His greatness; because all of that is by His will. He established a condition among them, so He said, affirming the matter of the message by denouncing those who denied it and binding them to what they acknowledge. As for the people of the Book, it is certain knowledge, and as for the Arabs, it is imitation for them; because they submitted to them the knowledge and made them the source of their inquiries about Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him: "And what" means: so we said that to them specifically while they were in a state that they did not "appreciate" meaning: they did not exalt "Allah" meaning: the One who possesses the attributes of perfection "as He deserves" meaning: His exaltation in their denial of their remembrance and their turning away from their glad tidings and their response to His gratitude with disbelief in Him. Al-Wahidi said: It is said that he "appreciated" something - if he examined it and estimated it and wanted to know its measure - he "estimates" it - with the letter 'dhamma' - an "appreciation." And from it is his saying, blessings and peace be upon him:

(If it is obscured to you, then estimate for it), meaning: seek to know it - this is its origin in the language. Then it was said to someone who knows something: he estimates its worth. If he does not know it by its attributes, then he does not estimate its worth. (When) they said, meaning: the Jews, and the verse is Medinan, and Quraysh is in their acceptance of their words. It may also be Makkan, and their saying this could be when Quraysh sent to them asking about him (blessings and peace be upon him) regarding his message and his argument against them by sending Musa (peace be upon him) and the revelation of the Torah upon him. (What Allah has revealed) meaning: forgetting what He has of attributes of perfection. (Upon a human being from anything) because whoever attributes a king with complete sovereignty without establishing his commands among his subjects in what pleases him for them to do and what displeases him for them to avoid, has attributed him to a great deficiency. So how if that attribution is false! And although what he said is only from some of the scholars, rather some of the people of the Book who are part of the scholars, it has been attributed to all, because they did not respond to the one who said it nor did they hasten to take him to task, magnifying the matter and exaggerating the issue. This indicates that it is obligatory upon everyone who hears a verse from the verses of Allah to strive towards it and to seek to understand its matter. If he verifies it, then whoever criticizes it should be taken by the hand with what his ability can reach, just as he would do if that were arising from his father or someone from whom he takes pride among the children of this world. In this is a complete indication that enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil is the foundation of all matters. Whoever neglects it is doomed and causes destruction. Al-Wahidi narrated in the reasons for revelation without a chain from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) and Muhammad ibn Kab al-Qurazi that the Jews said: What has Allah revealed upon a human being from anything? So Allah, the Exalted, revealed this verse, indicating that the Jews are the ones who said that, and obliging them to acknowledge the falsehood or equality with the unlettered in adhering to desires without a Book, reproaching them for their ignorance, their great falsehood, their extreme audacity, and their lack of shame: (Say) meaning: to these foolish ones who dared to make this statement without considering its consequences and what must follow from it, reproaching them and stopping them at the point of their ignorance. (Who has revealed the Book) meaning: the one that encompasses the laws and admonitions and the good of this world and the Hereafter (which came with it Musa) meaning: the one you claim to adhere to its law, while that Book is (a light) meaning: one that can be taken from placing things in their proper place (and guidance for the people) meaning: one that is guidance for all of them. As for at that time, then by adhering to it, and as for when the Gospel was revealed, then by taking what it guided to in following it, and likewise when the Qur'an was revealed, it has become clear that it is guidance in every time, sometimes by calling to what is in it and sometimes by calling to something else. Then it was clarified that they concealed from it what is explicit and clear in calling to something else, following their desires and adhering to blindness. So He said: (You make it) meaning: O Jews (pieces of paper) meaning: scattered papers so that you can conceal what you want (you show it) meaning: you reveal it to the people (and you conceal much) meaning: of it what you intend by it to change the religion - this is according to the reading of the majority with the 'fawqaniyyah', and according to the reading of Ibn Kathir and Abu Amr with the 'ghaybah', it is a turning away indicating great anger, pointing out that what they said is truly deserving of being ashamed to mention it, so how about its action! Then He turned to them for the increase in their rebuke, informing them that they are equal to the rest of humanity in the origin of creation, rather the Arabs are purer than them and have sounder understandings. If it were not for what Musa (peace be upon him) brought them, they would not have surpassed them in understanding, nor would they have increased upon them in knowledge. So He said: (And you were taught) meaning: O Jews, by the Book that was revealed to Musa (what you did not know) meaning: O Jews of this time (nor your forefathers) meaning: the ancients who were more knowledgeable than you.

And when they had reached a level of great ignorance in this statement, he said, indicating their obstinacy: "Say"; meaning: you, in responding to this question, are not waiting for their answer, for they are the most ignorant of people and the most obstinate. "Allah"; meaning: the One who revealed that Book. "Then" after you say that, do not listen to them at all, but "leave them in their confusion"; meaning: their words and actions that are firmly based on ignorance, built upon the fact that they are in the darkness of misguidance, like one who plunges into water, doing what they do not know. "They play"; meaning: they act like a player, which brings them no benefit and does not avert harm from them, while wasting time.