His saying, exalted is He:

﴿O you who have believed, believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Book which He has sent down to His Messenger and the Book which He sent down before. And whoever disbelieves in Allah and His angels and His Books and His messengers and the Last Day has certainly gone far astray.﴾

﴿Indeed, those who have believed then disbelieved then believed then disbelieved then increased in disbelief - Allah will not forgive them or guide them to a way.﴾

People have differed regarding who is addressed by His saying, exalted is He: ﴿O you who have believed, believe in Allah.﴾ A group said: The address is to those who believed in Moses and Jesus from the People of the Two Books; meaning: "O you who have believed in a prophet from the prophets; believe in Muhammad - blessings and peace be upon him." Al-Tabari favored this saying. It was said: The address is to the believers; meaning: "Let your faith be like this; in completeness; and in fidelity to Allah, exalted is He; and to Muhammad - blessings and peace be upon him -; and to the Qur'an and all the other revealed Books." This matter implies permanence and continuity. It was said: The address is to the hypocrites; meaning: "O you who have shown faith with your tongues; let your faith be true in this manner."

Abu Amr, Ibn Kathir, and Ibn Amir read: "Nuzzila" with a dammah on the noon and a kasrah on the doubled zay; in a manner where its doer is not named. They also read: "and the Book which was revealed before" with a dammah on the hamzah and a kasrah on the zay; in a manner where its doer is not named. The others read: "Nazzala and Anzala" with a fathah on the noon and zay, and a fathah on the hamzah in "Anzala"; attributing the two actions to Allah, exalted is He. It was narrated from Asim similar to the reading of Abu Amr. The first mentioned Book is the Qur'an; and the second mentioned is a generic name for all that has been revealed from the Book.

And His saying, exalted is He: ﴿And whoever disbelieves in Allah﴾; up to the end of the verse; is a warning and news; implying a caution to the believers from the state of disbelief.

The interpreters have differed regarding the intended meaning of His saying, exalted is He: ﴿Indeed, those who have believed then disbelieved then believed then disbelieved.﴾ A group among them, including Qatadah and Abu Aliyah, said: The verse is about the Jews and Christians; the Jews believed in Moses and the Torah, then disbelieved; and the Christians believed in Jesus and the Gospel, then disbelieved; then they increased in disbelief regarding Muhammad - blessings and peace be upon him. Al-Tabari favored this saying. Al-Hasan ibn Abi Al-Hasan said: The verse is about a group from the People of the Book who said: ﴿Believe in what has been sent down to those who believe at the beginning of the day and disbelieve at its end.﴾ [Aal Imran: 72] Mujahid and Ibn Zayd said: The verse is about the hypocrites; for among them are those who would believe, then disbelieve, then believe, then disbelieve; they waver in that; so this verse was revealed about those who increased in disbelief; having persisted in their hypocrisy until they died.

The judge Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: And this is the preferred saying; and the saying of Al-Hasan ibn Abi Al-Hasan is a good possibility; and the saying of Qatadah; and Abu Al-Aliyah; and this is the one that Al-Tabari preferred; is a weak saying; it is refuted by the words of the verse; and that is because the verse is only about a group, each one of whom is characterized by this trait of wavering between disbelief and faith; then he increases in disbelief by meeting; and the Jews and Christians did not have in one of them except for one faith and one disbelief; and rather, faith and disbelief are imagined in them; with the mixing of the groups that did not coincide in one time; and this is not the purpose of the verse; but this trait exists in a person among the hypocrites; because a single man among them believes; then he disbelieves; then he meets upon disbelief; and reflect on His saying, the Exalted: "Allah would not forgive them"; for it is a phrase that implies that these are predetermined upon them from the very beginning; and for that, they wavered; and this phrase is not like saying: "Allah does not forgive them"; rather, it is more severe; and it indicates the entrapment of one in this condition; and his destruction; and it is a phrase that requires the listener to pay attention; and to reconsider; before the decree upon him takes effect; and to be among these; and everyone who disbelieves one disbelief; and meets upon it; Allah, the Exalted, has said that He does not forgive him; and He did not say: "Allah would not forgive him"; so reflect on the difference between the two phrases; for it is from the subtle wonders of eloquence that are in the Book of Allah; as if His saying: "Allah would not forgive"; is a judgment that has been established upon them in this world while they are alive.