'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' His saying, the Exalted: "Have you not seen those who purify themselves? Rather, Allah purifies whom He wills, and they are not wronged a thread's weight." "Look how they invent lies against Allah, and sufficient is that as a manifest sin." "Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture? They believe in [the false gods] and the tyrant, and they say to those who disbelieved, 'These are more guided than the believers as to the way.'" "Those are the ones whom Allah has cursed, and whoever Allah curses, you will not find for him a helper." This is a general term in its apparent meaning, and no one among the interpreters has disagreed that the intended meaning is the Jews. However, there is disagreement regarding the meaning by which they purify themselves. Qatadah and Al-Hasan said that this refers to their saying: "We are the children of Allah and His beloved ones" [Al-Ma'idah: 18] and their saying: "No one will enter Paradise except one who is a Jew" [Al-Baqarah: 111]. Al-Dahhak and Al-Suddi said that this refers to their saying: 'We have no sins, and whatever we did by day is forgiven at night, and whatever we did by night is forgiven by day, and we are like children in the absence of sins.' Mujahid, Abu Malik, and Ikrimah said that it refers to their presenting their young children for prayer because they have no sins. The author said: This is far from the intent of the verse. Ibn Abbas said that this refers to their saying: 'Our children who died will intercede for us and purify us.' Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said that this refers to the praise of some of them for one another, and their commendation and purification of one another. Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This verse necessitates the condemnation of the one who purifies himself by his tongue, and the indication that the one who is purified is the one whose actions are good, and whom Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has purified. The pronoun in 'purify' refers to those mentioned who have purified themselves, or to those whom Allah, the Exalted, purifies. It is known that outside of these two categories, Allah, the Exalted, does not wrong them, apart from this verse. A group read 'and you will not be wronged' with a 'taa' for addressing. The thread is what is twisted, and it is a form meaning that which is done. Ibn Abbas, Ata, and Mujahid, among others, said that the thread is the string found in the split of a date pit. Ibn Abbas, Abu Malik, and Al-Suddi said it is what comes out from between your two fingers or your two hands when you twist them. All of this refers to a metaphor for belittling something and making it small, and that Allah does not wrong it, nor anything less than it in smallness, so how about what is above it? Its accusative case is for a second object with 'you will not be wronged.' His saying, the Exalted: "Look how they invent lies" indicates that their self-purification was false and a lie, and it reinforces that the purification was by their saying: "We are the children of Allah and His beloved ones" [Al-Ma'idah: 18] as the fabrication in this statement is more possible. And 'how' can be in the accusative position with 'they invent' and it can also be in the nominative position as a subject, with the predicate in His saying: 'they invent.'

'And sufficient is it for him as a manifest sin.' This is a report that, in its implication, expresses astonishment and amazement at the matter. Therefore, the preposition 'bi' (ب) has entered to indicate the meaning of the matter with astonishment. It is enough for them to have this lie as a sin, and nothing else is sought for them, as it is ruinous and destructive. And 'sin' is in the accusative case as a specification.

And His saying, the Exalted: 'Have you not seen those who...' The apparent meaning encompasses the Jews and the Christians. However, the interpreters have unanimously agreed that what is meant by it is a group from the Jews, and the stories clarify that. There is a difference regarding 'al-jibt' and 'al-taghut.' Ikrimah and others said: They are, in this context, two idols that belonged to Quraysh. This is because Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf and a group with him came to Mecca, inciting to fight the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him. Quraysh said to them: 'Indeed, you are the people of the Book, and Muhammad is the owner of a Book, and we do not trust you to be with him unless you prostrate to these two idols of ours.' So they did. This is when this verse was revealed. Ibn Abbas said: 'Al-jibt' here refers to Huyayy ibn Akhtab, and 'al-taghut' refers to Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf. What is meant by this verse is the people who were with them from the Children of Israel for their belief in them and their following of them. Ibn Abbas also said: 'Al-jibt' refers to the idols, and 'al-taghut' refers to the people who translate the idols, those who mislead people by teaching them the worship of idols. It has been narrated from Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: 'Al-jibt' is magic, and 'al-taghut' is the devil. Mujahid and al-Sha'bi said the same. Zayd ibn Aslam said: 'Al-jibt' is the sorcerer, and 'al-taghut' is the devil. Sa'id ibn Jubair and Rafi' said: 'Al-jibt' is the sorcerer, and 'al-taghut' is the soothsayer. Qatadah said: 'Al-jibt' is the devil, and 'al-taghut' is the soothsayer. Sa'id ibn Jubair also said: 'Al-jibt' is the devil, and 'al-taghut' is the devil. Ibn Sirin said: 'Al-jibt' is the soothsayer, and 'al-taghut' is the sorcerer. Mujahid said in the book of al-Tabari: 'Al-jibt' is Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf, and 'al-taghut' is the devil who was in the form of a human.

Ibn 'Atiyyah said: The sum of this necessitates that al-Jibt and al-Taghut refer to everything that is worshipped and obeyed besides Allah. Likewise, Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Al-Taghut is everything that is worshipped besides Allah, the Exalted. Some people mentioned that al-Jibt is from the language of the Abyssinians. Qutrub said: Al-Jibt's origin is al-Jibs, which is the heavy thing that has no good in it. As for al-Taghut, it is one who has transgressed. Its origin is Taghawut, its form is Fa'alut, and its 'Ta' is extra. It was flipped and thus became Tal'ut. Its origin is Tawghut. The 'Waw' moved, and what came before it was opened, so it turned into an 'Alif.' And His saying, the Exalted: "And they say to those who disbelieved..." The reason for this is: "That Quraysh said to Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf when he came to Mecca: You are our leader and the leader of your people. We are a people who slaughter the camels, host the guests, maintain family ties, provide water to the pilgrims, and worship our deities whom we found our fathers worshipping. And this impudent one from his people has severed the ties of kinship. Who is more guided, we or he?" Ka'b replied: You are more guided than him and more steadfast in religion. Then this verse was revealed, as narrated by Ibn 'Abbas. Al-Suddi reported that Abu Sufyan addressed Ka'b with this statement. Thus, the pronoun in "And they say" refers back to Ka'b according to what has preceded, or to the group from the Children of Israel who were with Ka'b, because they said according to his words in all that has been mentioned by some of the interpreters.

"To those who disbelieved" in this verse refers to Quraysh, and the reference with "these" is to them. "More guided" is in the form of Af'al, which is for comparison. And "those who believed" are the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, and his Ummah. And "a way" is in the accusative for distinction.

A group said: Rather, the intended one in the verse from the Children of Israel is Huyayy ibn Akhtab, and he is the one referred to in the beginning of the verses. The reference to him is in His saying: "Those are the ones" who are meant from the Children of Israel. Whoever said they were a group, that is correct in wording and meaning. And whoever said it is Ka'b or Huyayy, he expressed it with the plural term because he was followed, and his statement was accompanied by the statement of a group.

And "He has cursed them" means: He has removed them from His goodness and has despised them. And whoever Allah does that to and forsakes, there is no helper for him among the created beings. And if a group supports him, their support is of no benefit, as it does not avail him in anything.