His saying - glorified and exalted is He -: "And what is [the matter] with us that we do not believe in Allah and what has come to us of the truth, and we hope that our Lord will admit us with the righteous people?" "So Allah rewarded them for what they said with gardens under which rivers flow, abiding therein forever. And that is the reward of the doers of good." "And those who disbelieved and denied Our signs - they are the companions of the Hellfire." "O you who have believed, do not make unlawful the good things which Allah has made lawful to you and do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not like the transgressors."

Their saying: "And what is [the matter] with us"; is a stopping for themselves; or an argument against those who opposed them from the disbelievers; by saying to them: "You have believed and hastened [to faith]." So they said: "And what could possibly deter us from believing when the truth has become clear and the enlightening truth has come?"

"And what is [the matter] with us": it is a beginning and news; and "we do not believe"; is in the position of the حال; but it is a حال that is the intended meaning; and in it is the benefit; as you say: "Zayd came riding"; and you have been asked: "Did he come walking or riding?"

And in the Mus'haf of Ibn Mas'ud: "And what is [the matter] with us that we do not believe in Allah and what has been sent down to us by our Lord."

"And we hope"; its meaning is: "And we are hoping"; so the واو is a conjunction of a sentence to another sentence; not a conjunction of a فعل to a فعل; and the righteous people are: Muhammad and his companions; this was said by Ibn Zayd and others from the interpreters.

Then Allah, the Exalted, mentioned what He rewarded them with of bliss; for their faith; and their good deeds; then He mentioned the state of the disbelievers who deny; and that they are companions of the Hellfire; and the meaning has been known from other than one verse from the Book of Allah that it is a necessary, permanent, eternal association.

And His saying, the Exalted: "O you who have believed, do not make unlawful the good things which Allah has made lawful for you"; the verse; Abu Malik, and 'Ikrimah, and Al-Nakha'i, and Abu Qalabah, and Qatadah, and Al-Suddi, and Abdullah ibn Abbas - may Allah be pleased with them - and others said: "Indeed, it was revealed because of a group from the companions of the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him -; who reached such a level of admonition and fear of Allah that some of them made unlawful women; and some of them made unlawful sleeping at night; and perfume; and some of them intended to practice celibacy; and among them was Ali ibn Abi Talib; and Uthman ibn Maz'oon." 'Ikrimah said: "And among them was Ibn Mas'ud; and Al-Miqdad; and Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah;" and Qatadah said: "They rejected women; and meat; and they wanted to take monasteries;" and Ibn Abbas - may Allah be pleased with him - said: "They took the knives to cut off their male organs;" and Al-Suddi elaborated on the story of Al-Hawla, the wife of Uthman ibn Maz'oon; with the wives of the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him - and informing her that he did not approach her; so when the Messenger of Allah - blessings and peace be upon him - was informed of their condition, he said: "As for me, I stand and sleep; I fast and break my fast; I come to women; and I use perfume; so whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me."" Al-Tabari said: "And in what is recited: 'Whoever turns away from your Sunnah is not of your nation and has gone astray from the straight path.'"

Ibn Zayd said: The reason for this verse is that 'Abdullah ibn Rawahah had a guest; and ibn Rawahah turned away and his guest had not eaten dinner; so he said to his wife: Did you feed him? She said: The food was little; so I waited for you; he said: Did you withhold my guest for my sake? Your food is forbidden to me if I taste it; she said: And it is forbidden to me if I taste it, even if you do not taste it; and the guest said: And it is forbidden to me if I taste it if you do not taste it; when ibn Rawahah saw that, he said: Bring your food closer; eat in the name of Allah; so they all ate together; then he went to the Messenger of Allah - blessings and peace be upon him - and informed him; and the Messenger of Allah - blessings and peace be upon him - said to him: 'You have done well'; and this verse was revealed.

And Al-Tabari narrated from Ibn Abbas - may Allah be pleased with them both - that the verse was revealed because 'a man came to the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him - and said: O Messenger of Allah; when I eat meat, I indulge and my desire overtakes me; so I have forbidden meat; so Allah revealed this verse.'

Qadi Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: The good things in this verse are the delights; as indicated by its addition to 'what He has made lawful'; and by the context of what was mentioned regarding the reason for the verse.

The interpreters differed in the meaning of His saying: 'And do not transgress'; Al-Suddi, 'Ikrimah, and others said: It is a prohibition against these mentioned matters of forbidding what Allah has made lawful; and legislating what He has not permitted; so His saying: 'And do not transgress' is an emphasis on His saying: 'Do not forbid'; and Al-Hasan ibn Abi Al-Hasan said: The meaning is: And do not transgress so that you make lawful what Allah has forbidden; so the two prohibitions encompass both extremes; as if he said: Do not be strict so that you forbid what is lawful; and do not be lenient so that you make lawful what is forbidden; and the saying regarding the meaning of 'Indeed, Allah does not like the transgressors' has been mentioned more than once.