'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' He, exalted and glorified is He, said: "And set forth for them the example of the people of the town when the messengers came to it. When We sent to them two, and they denied them both, so We strengthened them with a third. They said, 'Indeed, we are messengers to you.' They said, 'You are not but humans like us, and the Most Merciful has not revealed anything. You are only telling lies.' They said, 'Our Lord knows that we are indeed messengers to you. And there is not upon us except the clear notification.'" The setting forth of the example is taken from striking, meaning it is similar in type, as you say: 'This struck this.' There is a difference of opinion regarding whether the action of setting forth an example extends to two objects or to one. Those who say it extends to two objects consider this verse as having 'example' and 'the people' as the two objects of the saying: 'Set forth.' Those who say it extends to one object consider it as 'example,' and 'the people' as a substitute for it. It is also permissible that the object is 'the people,' and that His saying 'example' is in the accusative case as a description, meaning: in the state of your setting forth an example. And 'the town' - according to what has been narrated from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and Al-Zuhri - is Antioch. There is a difference of opinion regarding the messengers. Qatadah and others said: They were among the disciples whom Jesus, peace be upon him, sent when he was raised and crucified, and he was made to resemble him. The disciples then spread out in the lands, and Allah here narrates the story of those who went to Antioch. Another group said: These are prophets from Allah, blessed and exalted is He. This is supported by the saying of the disbelievers: "You are not but humans like us," for it is a dialogue that is only said to one who has conveyed the message from Allah, while the other is uncertain. Al-Naqqash mentioned something lengthy in the stories of this verse, and its authenticity is not certain, so I have summarized it. The necessary implication of the verse is that Allah sent to it two messengers who called the people of the town to worship Allah alone and to guidance and faith, but they denied them both. So Allah, exalted and glorified is He, strengthened their matter with a third, and the proof was established against the people of the town. Among them was a man who came running and believed, but they killed him in the end, and they disbelieved. So a cry from the heavens struck them, and they were extinguished. The majority of the reciters read: "So We strengthened" with a strong zay, meaning: We empowered and reinforced, and with this, Mujahid and others interpreted it. Al-A'sim, in the narration of Al-Mufaddal from Abu Bakr, read it with a light zay, meaning: We overpowered them in their matter, and in the reading of Ibn Mas'ud: "with a third" with an alif and lam. This nation denied prophethood by saying: "And the Most Merciful has not revealed anything," and the messengers responded to them by referring the knowledge to Allah and being content with His knowledge. They informed them that their duty was only to convey, and that they had no responsibility for their guidance or misguidance, and in this is a warning for them.