His saying, exalted is He: "Certainly, those who said, 'Indeed, Allah is the third of three,' have certainly disbelieved. And there is no deity except one God. And if they do not cease from what they are saying, there will surely touch the disbelievers among them a painful punishment." "So will they not repent to Allah and seek His forgiveness? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." "The Messiah, son of Mary, is but a messenger. Messengers have passed on before him, and his mother was a truthful woman. They both used to eat food. Look how We make clear the verses to them; then look how they are deluded." This verse is a confirmed report; like the one before it; and it is about this group that speaks of the Trinity; which is - as it is said - "the Melkite"; and they are sects; among them are the "Nestorians"; and others; and there is no meaning in mentioning their sayings in a book of tafsir; rather the truth is that they, despite their differing conditions, are disbelievers; in that they have made a number in divinity; and in that they have made for Jesus - peace be upon him - a divine ruling. And His saying, exalted is He: "the third of three"; it is not permissible in it except for the addition; and the genitive of "three"; because the meaning is: one of three; for if you say: "Zayd is the third of two"; or "the fourth of three"; it is permissible for you to add; as has been mentioned; and it is permissible not to add; and to make "three" accusative; meaning: "Zayd makes three." And His saying, exalted is He: "And there is no deity except one God"; it is a clear report of the truth; and He is the Creator, the Originator; characterized by the highest attributes; exalted is He above what the falsifiers say. Then He warned - blessed and exalted is He - those who say this great thing of the touching of punishment; and that is a threat of the punishment of this world of killing; and captivity; and of the punishment of the Hereafter afterward; no one among them will escape from it. Then He was gentle - glorified and exalted is He - with them by urging them to repent; and seek forgiveness; then He described Himself as Forgiving and Merciful; to draw in the repenters; and to comfort them; so that they may be assured of benefiting from their repentance. Then He informed, exalted is He, about the reality of the matter of the Messiah and that he is a messenger; a human; like the previous messengers before him. And "passed"; its meaning is: went; and preceded in the emptiness of the earth; and Hittan ibn Abdullah al-Raqashi read: "Indeed, messengers have passed before him"; with the indefinite article "the messengers"; and likewise he read: "And Muhammad is but a messenger; messengers have passed before him"; [Al-Imran: 144] and the saying has proceeded in the manner of this reading there. And His saying, exalted is He: "And his mother was a truthful woman"; it is a description with a form of exaggeration; from "truthfulness"; and it is possible that it is from "affirmation"; and by it Abu Bakr - may Allah be pleased with him - was named; for his affirmation; and this attribute for Mary drives away the saying of those who said: "She is a prophetess"; and there may exist in authentic hadith stories of a people whom angels spoke to without prophethood; like the story of the three: the bald, the blind, and the leper; and others; and there is no prophethood there; so likewise is the matter of Mary.

And His saying, exalted is He: "They both used to eat food"; is an indication of the deficiency of humanity; and of a state of need for sustenance; with which divinity is negated. And it was mentioned by al-Makki and al-Mahdi and others that it is an expression of the need for excretion; and this is an ugly statement; and there is no necessity that leads to it until this meaning is intended by the mention; rather it is an expression of the need for nourishment; and it is inevitable that the observer, if he reflects with his mind on the consequences of nourishment, will find that; and others.

Then, exalted is He, commanded Muhammad - blessings and peace be upon him - and implicitly his nation - to reflect on the misguidance of these people; and their distance from the path of truth; and that the verses clarify for them; and are presented in utmost clarity; then they are afterwards diverted; meaning: their inclinations divert them; and their laziness removes them from the truth.

And "how"; in this verse; is not a question about a state; but it is an expression about a state that is such that it should be asked about with "how"; and this is like your saying: "Be however you wish; for you are a friend."

And "from where"; its meaning is: from any direction; Sibawayh said: its meaning is: "how"; and "from where."

And "they are diverted"; its meaning is: they are turned away; and from it is His saying - exalted and glorified is He -: "They are turned away from it, who are turned away" [Adh-Dhariyat: 9]; and the diverted land: that which has been turned away from receiving rain; and the rain, in reality, is what is diverted; but it was said: "a diverted land"; when it was [diverted] from it.