His saying, the Most High: "And We raised the mountain above them by their covenant, and We said to them, 'Enter the gate prostrating,' and We said to them, 'Do not transgress on the Sabbath,' and We took from them a firm covenant." "So because of their breaking of their covenant and their disbelief in the signs of Allah and their killing of the prophets without right and their saying, 'Our hearts are wrapped,' rather, Allah has sealed them because of their disbelief, so they do not believe except for a few." "And because of their disbelief and their saying against Maryam a great slander."

"Al-Tur": the mountain; it is a generic name; and this is a saying; and it is said: Al-Tur is every mountain that does not produce vegetation. In Sham, there is a mountain known as 'Al-Tur'; and the name has been attached to it; and it is the Tur of Sinai; and it is not elevated over the Children of Israel; because the raising of the mountain was in what followed the examination of the wilderness from the direction of the lands of Egypt; and they were rising with Musa - blessings and peace be upon him -; and the story of the raising of the Tur has preceded in Surah Al-Baqarah; and His saying: "By their covenant"; meaning: because of their covenant to receive the Book with strength; and to act upon what is in it.

And His saying, the Most High: "And We said to them, 'Enter the gate prostrating'"; it is the gate of Al-Aqsa; known as the 'Gate of Humility'; they were commanded to humble themselves in gratitude to Allah, the Most High, for the victory He granted them in that land; and to enter the gate of the city prostrating; and this is a type of prostration of gratitude that many scholars have performed; and it has been narrated from the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him -; although Malik ibn Anas - may Allah have mercy on him - does not see it.

And His saying, the Most High: "And We said to them, 'Do not transgress on the Sabbath'"; meaning: against the fish; and in all other actions; and these were in Aylah; from the shore of the sea; and they were commanded to cease from all work on the Sabbath; but they did not do so; rather, they fished and acted; and the story of that has preceded; and Allah, the Most High, took from them the firm covenant; it is on the tongue of Musa and Harun and others from the prophets; meaning: that they would take the Torah with strength; and act upon all that is in it; and convey it to their children; and fulfill the trust in it.

And His saying, the Most High: "So because of their breaking"; the verse; it is news about things they committed; which are in opposition to what they were commanded; and that is that the covenant for which the mountain was raised was broken by them; and the faith that it included, "Enter the gate prostrating"; for that humility is indeed the fruit of faith; and submission; they replaced it with their disbelief in the signs of Allah; and their saying: "A seed in a hair; and wheat in barley"; and similar things which are a mockery of the command of Allah; and disbelief in Him; and likewise they were commanded not to transgress on the Sabbath; and within that is obedience; and hearing the command; but they replaced that cessation with the violation of the greatest sanctity; which is the killing of the prophets; and likewise the taking of the firm covenant from them included their understanding of the extent of what they committed; so they replaced that with their ignorance.

And their saying: "Our hearts are wrapped"; meaning: they are in veils; and wrapped; so they do not understand; and Allah, the Most High, informed that all of that is due to a sealing from Him upon their hearts; and that they are liars in what they claim of a lack of understanding.

(p-60) And Nafi' read: "ta'addū"; with the 'ayn being silent; and the dal being emphasized and rounded. And Warsh narrated from him: "ta'addū"; with the 'ayn being opened; and the dal being emphasized and rounded. And the others read: "la ta'addū"; with the 'ayn being silent; the dal being light; and rounded. And Al-Amash and Al-Hasan read: "la ta'tadū."

And His saying, the Exalted, "So by what"; the "ma" is an extra word for emphasis; the meaning is: "So by their breaking (the covenant)"; and the omission of the response to this statement is eloquent; it is left with the listener's mind; its meaning is: "We cursed them and humiliated them; and We decreed upon those who are among them to remain in Hell forever."

Then He, the Exalted, said: ﴿And for their disbelief﴾; meaning: regarding the matter of 'Isa - peace be upon him -; ﴿and their saying against Maryam a great slander﴾; meaning their accusation against her of adultery; while they witnessed the miracle in the words of 'Isa in the cradle; otherwise, if it were not for the miracle, they would have been in their saying following the judgment of humans in denying a pregnancy without a male; and "al-buhtan" is a noun; from your saying: "bahtahu"; if he confronted him with a matter that is bewildering; with which the mind is perplexed; and it is an accusation with falsehood.