His saying - glorified and exalted is He -: "Indeed, those who have believed and those who have become Jews and the Sabians and the Christians, whoever has believed in Allah and the Last Day and has done righteous deeds, there will be no fear upon them, nor will they grieve." "Certainly, We took the covenant from the Children of Israel and We sent to them messengers. Whenever a messenger came to them with what their souls did not desire, a group of them they denied, and a group of them they killed."

"Those"; is a general term for every believer from the community of Muhammad; and from other communities; so it is as if the words of the verse have encompassed all people; and it has clarified the sects according to their differences; and this is the interpretation of the majority of the commentators. Al-Zajjaj said: What is meant by His saying: "Indeed, those who have believed"; are the hypocrites; the meaning is: "Indeed, those who have believed with their mouths; while their hearts have not believed."

Qadi Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: It is as if the words of the verse have counted the sects that could transition to faith; then He negated fear and grief from them; on the condition of their transition to belief in Allah and the Last Day; and according to the first interpretation, His saying: "whoever has believed"; is within the realm of the believers; meaning: he has remained steadfast; and continued; and the interpretation of "those who have become Jews"; and the interpretation of "the Sabians"; and the interpretation of "the Christians"; has been previously mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah.

The readers have differed regarding the grammatical case of "the Sabians"; in this verse; the majority read: "and the Sabians"; in the nominative case; and upon it are the copies of the cities; and the seven readers; and Uthman ibn Affan - may Allah be pleased with him -; and Aisha - may Allah be pleased with her -; and Ubayy ibn Ka'b; and Sa'id ibn Jubair; and Al-Jahdari read: "and the Sabians"; and this is a clear reading in terms of grammar; and Al-Hasan ibn Abi Al-Hasan; and Al-Zuhri read: "and the Sabians"; with a kasra on the ba and a damma on the ya, without hamza; and this has been previously mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah.

As for the reading of the majority: "and the Sabians"; the view of Sibawayh; and Al-Khalil; and the grammarians of Basra; is that it is from the preceding which means the following; and it is what is intended; as if he said: "Indeed, those who have believed and those who have become Jews, whoever has believed in Allah and the Last Day and has done righteous deeds, there will be no fear upon them; nor will they grieve; and the Sabians and the Christians likewise"; and Al-Zajjaj recited a similar verse in this regard:

"And if not, then know that we and you are indeed adversaries as long as we remain in opposition."

So His saying: "and you"; is advanced in wording; but delayed in meaning; meaning: "and you likewise."

Al-Zajjaj reported from Al-Kisai and Al-Farra that they said: "and the Sabians"; is connected to "and those who"; since the original in "those who"; is the nominative; and since the accusative of "indeed" is weak; and Al-Zajjaj refuted this saying; and said: "Indeed" is the strongest of the particles that negate; and it was also reported from Al-Kisai that he said: "and the Sabians"; is connected to the pronoun in "those who have become Jews"; and the estimation is: "those who have become Jews are they and the Sabians"; and this saying is refuted by the meaning: because it implies that the Sabians are Jews; and it was said: "Indeed"; meaning "yes"; and what follows it is raised by the subject; and it was narrated from some of them that he read: ["and the Sabians"; without hamza].

The connection of this verse with the one before it is that it was said to them: The truth is not in itself as you claim that you are the children of Allah and His beloved ones; rather, you are not on anything straight until you believe and establish the revealed books. Then, the news about the truth in itself is resumed by stating that whoever believes in all the worlds is the successful one who has no fear upon him.

His saying - glorified and exalted is He -: "Indeed, We took the covenant from the Children of Israel"; this is a resumption of news regarding their actions; and what they violated of the covenants; and the crimes they committed; meaning: "Indeed, the stick is from the small sticks"; and these, O Muhammad, are from those; so their ugly actions are not something new.

And "whenever"; is an adverb; and the agent in it is: "they denied"; and "they kill"; and His saying, exalted is He: "with what their souls do not desire"; implies that their desire was other than the truth; and it is evident that the desire of the self is whenever it is unleashed; but whenever it is constrained by good, that is permissible; and from this is the saying of Umar - may Allah be pleased with him - in the story of the captives of Badr: "The Messenger of Allah - blessings and peace be upon him - desired what Abu Bakr - may Allah be pleased with him - said; and he did not desire what I said."

And His saying, exalted is He: "A group denied"; its meaning is: they only denied him; he means: the group from the messengers; and they did not kill him; and a group of the messengers denied him; and they killed him; so he sufficed with mentioning the killing; as it encompasses the denial.