His saying - glorified and exalted is He -: ﴿And among those who said, 'Indeed, we are Christians,' We took their covenant, but they forgot a portion of what they were reminded of. So We caused animosity and hatred to arise among them until the Day of Resurrection. And Allah will inform them of what they used to do.﴾ ﴿O People of the Scripture, there has come to you Our Messenger to make clear to you much of what you used to conceal of the Scripture and to overlook much.﴾

"And among": is related to "We took"; the meaning is: "And We took from those who said, 'Indeed, we are Christians,' their covenant"; and it is possible that His saying: "And among" is connected to His saying: ﴿ "traitors among them";﴾ [Al-Ma'idah: 13] and that His saying: ﴿ "We took their covenant";﴾ is the beginning of a report about them; and the first is more likely; and the fact that they are called Christians is connected to their saying and claim; as it is a legal name that implies support for the religion of Allah; and they named themselves this without deserving it; and there is no similarity between their actions and their words; so this phrase came as a reprimand to them; distancing them from the path of supporting the religion of Allah and His Prophets.

And His saying, exalted is He: ﴿So We caused animosity and hatred to arise among them﴾; its meaning is: We established it among them; and we attached it; and the term 'causing animosity' is derived from the adhesive substance that is used to stick; and the pronoun in "among them" may refer to the Jews and the Christians; because animosity between them is an ongoing reality; and it may refer only to the Christians; because they are a fighting nation; among them are tribulations until the Day of Resurrection; then Allah, blessed and exalted is He, threatened them with the punishment of the Hereafter; as informing them of their actions is indeed a confirmation; and a reprimand for the punishment; as their actions are disbelief that necessitates eternity in the Fire.

And His saying, exalted is He: ﴿O People of the Scripture﴾; is a term that encompasses both Jews and Christians; but the incidents of concealment - such as stoning; and others - were preserved for the Jews; as they were neighbors of the Messenger of Allah - blessings and peace be upon him - in his migrations; and Muhammad ibn Kab al-Qurazi said: The first thing that was revealed from this Surah are these two verses concerning the Jews and Christians; then the rest of the Surah was revealed at Arafat during the Farewell Pilgrimage.

And His saying: "Our Messenger"; means Muhammad - blessings and peace be upon him -; and in the verse is evidence of the validity of his Prophethood; as his informing of the hidden matters in their books; while he is unlettered and does not read; nor does he accompany readers; is a proof that this comes only from Allah - blessed and exalted is He.

And the most famous of the incidents that they concealed and Allah revealed through the tongue of His Prophet; is the matter of stoning; and its narration is well-known; and among that are the attributes of Muhammad - blessings and peace be upon him -; and others; and "from the Scripture"; means: from the Torah.

And His saying: ﴿And He forgives much﴾; its meaning is: and He leaves much without exposing you in it; to preserve you. And this which is left is in the meaning of their boasting; and their description of the days of Allah before them; and similar to that which does not necessitate exposing them in the religion of Islam; and their denial. And the doer in "And He forgives"; is Muhammad - blessings and peace be upon him -; and it is possible that the action is attributed to Allah, glorified and exalted is He; and if the forgiveness is from the Prophet - peace be upon him - then by the command of his Lord; and if it is from Allah, glorified and exalted is He; then it is through the tongue of His Prophet - peace be upon him -; and the two possibilities are close to each other.