His saying - glorified and exalted is He -: "And the Jews and the Christians said, 'We are the children of Allah and His beloved.' Say, 'Then why does He punish you for your sins? Rather, you are but human beings from among those He created. He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills. And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, and to Him is the final destination.'" "O People of the Scripture, there has come to you Our Messenger to make clear to you after a period of messengers, lest you say, 'There came not to us any bringer of good tidings or a warner.' And indeed, there has come to you a bringer of good tidings and a warner. And Allah is over all things competent." In the words, there is a twist and brevity that leads the listener to differentiate it with his mind; this is because the apparent meaning of the wording necessitates that all the Jews and Christians say about all of them: "We are the children of Allah and His beloved." But the matter is not so; rather, each sect says specifically: "We are the children of Allah and His beloved." And the sonship in their saying is the sonship of affection and compassion; and they mentioned that Allah, the Exalted, revealed to the Children of Israel that the first of My children is My firstborn; they preferred this and said: "We are the children of Allah and His beloved." And if what they narrated were correct, its meaning would be a firstborn in honor or prophethood and the like; and "beloved" is the plural of "beloved." And this statement of theirs was when the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him - called them to believe in him and warned them of punishment; they said: "We do not fear what you say, for we are the children of Allah and His beloved." And this was mentioned by Ibn Abbas - may Allah be pleased with both of them -; and they had said to the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him - in various instances: "We will enter the fire and remain in it for forty days; then you will leave us in it." So Allah responded to them with His saying; He said to Muhammad - blessings and peace be upon him -: "Say, 'Then why does He punish you for your sins?'" That is, if your status were above the status of humans, He would not punish you; and you have acknowledged that He punishes you. Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: And this is based on the fact that the punishment is by the fire of the Hereafter; and the verse may imply that what is meant is what Allah - the Exalted - punishes them with in this world; because the Children of Israel, if a man among them committed a sin, it would be written on his door the mention of his sin and the mention of his punishment; and that would be enforced upon him; this is a punishment in this world for sins; it contradicts that they are children and beloved. Then he left the first speech; and he turned away from it without invalidating it; and he entered into another matter confirming their being human like other people and creation; the most honored of them is the most pious; He guides whom He wills to faith; so He forgives him; and He entangles whom He wills in disbelief; so He punishes him; and to Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them; so He has the right of ownership to do as He wills; there is no one to reverse His judgment; and to Him is the final destination of the world with resurrection and return.

And His saying, exalted is He: "O People of the Book"; is an address to the Jews and Christians. And the Messenger in his saying: "Our Messenger": Muhammad - blessings and peace be upon him -; and His saying: "after a period of messengers"; means: after a cessation of their coming for a while. And the period (fatra) is a stillness after movement in a body; and that is borrowed in meanings. And the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him - said: "For every action there is a fervor; and for every fervor there is a period." And the poet said:

And indeed, I am overtaken by a period of remembering you,

Its meaning is stillness after disturbance.

And the people have differed regarding the duration of the period that was between Jesus - peace be upon him - and Muhammad - blessings and peace be upon him -; Qatadah said: five hundred and sixty years; and Al-Dahhak said: four hundred years and a few thirty years; and in the authentic narration, the period between them is six hundred years. And this verse was revealed because of the saying of the Jews: 'Allah has not sent down anything to a human after Moses.' This was said by Ibn Abbas - may Allah be pleased with them both. And His saying, exalted is He: "that you say"; is a purpose for it; the meaning is: beware that you say, arguing on the Day of Resurrection: "No bearer of good news has come to us, nor a warner has come to us"; for indeed, a proof has come against you; "and Allah is capable of all things"; for He is the guide; and the misleader; and the bestower of blessings; and the punisher; there is no Lord other than Him.