And if they had believed in the Messenger of Allah and the Qur'an and had feared Allah, leaving what they were upon of rejecting the Book of Allah and following the books of the devils, then there would have been a reward from Allah that is better. And it was read: 'lamathubah', like 'mashurah' and 'mashurah'. If they had known that the reward of Allah is better than what they are in, and they have known, but their ignorance led them to abandon acting upon knowledge.

If you say: How was the nominal sentence preferred over the verbal one in the response to 'if'? I say: Because of what it indicates about the stability and permanence of the reward, as it was shifted from accusative to nominative in 'Peace be upon you' for that reason. If you say:

Why was it not said 'the reward of Allah is better'? I say: Because the meaning is: 'A thing of the reward is better for them.' And it is permissible that His saying (And if they had believed) is a wish. [Mahamud, may Allah have mercy on him, said: 'And it is permissible that His saying, the Exalted, (And if they had believed) is a wish... etc.' Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: 'Wishing is a metaphor for Allah's will for their faith and piety, in the manner of interpreting the cause by will and responding to it in a subsequent manner.'] For their faith is a metaphor for Allah's will for their faith and choice of it, as if it were said: 'Would that they had believed.' Then it began: 'A reward from Allah is better.' The Muslims would say to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, when he would convey to them something of knowledge: 'Ra'ina, O Messenger of Allah,' meaning: 'Watch over us and wait for us until we understand and memorize it.' And the Jews had a word they would use in Hebrew or Syriac, which is 'Ra'ina'. So when they heard the believers saying: 'Ra'ina', they seized upon it and addressed the Messenger, blessings and peace be upon him, meaning that insult. So the believers were commanded with that which is in its meaning, which is 'Unzurna', meaning: 'Look at us' when they wait for him. And Ubayy read: 'Anzurna' from 'nazarah', meaning: 'Delay us until we memorize.' And Abdullah ibn Mas'ud read: 'Ra'ouna', as they would address him with the plural form for respect. And Al-Hasan read: 'Ra'ina' with tanween from 'ra'n', meaning: 'Do not say a word 'Ra'ina' attributed to 'ra'n' meaning foolishness, like 'Dar' and 'Ibn', because it resembled their saying: 'Ra'ina', and it was a cause for insult, it was characterized by foolishness. And listen and do well to hear what the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, speaks to you and conveys to you of the issues with attentive ears and present minds, so that you do not need to seek assistance and request consideration, or listen with acceptance and obedience, and let your hearing not be like the hearing of the Jews when they said: 'We have heard and we have disobeyed,' or listen to what you have been commanded with seriousness so that you do not return to what you have been forbidden from, emphasizing upon them to abandon that word. It was narrated that Sa'd ibn Mu'adh heard it from them and said: 'O enemies of Allah, upon you is the curse of Allah, and by the One in Whose hand is my soul, if I hear it from a man of you saying it to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, I will surely strike his neck.' They said: 'But do you not say it?' [It was narrated by Abu Na'im in Al-Dala'il from the narration of Muhammad ibn Marwan Al-Suddi from Al-Kalbi from Abu Salih from Ibn Abbas. Regarding His saying, the Exalted: 'Do not say Ra'ina', he said: 'Ra'ina' in the tongue of the Jews is a vile insult - for the Jews would say it to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, secretly. So when his companions heard it, they declared it. They would say it and laugh at it: Sa'd ibn Mu'adh heard it from them. He mentioned it. And this Al-Suddi is a small one who is abandoned. And so is his sheikh.] So it was revealed. And for the disbelievers and for the Jews who took lightly the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, and insulted him, there is a painful punishment. The first is for clarification because those who disbelieved are a genus under which are two types: the People of the Book and the polytheists, as His saying, the Exalted: 'Those who disbelieved among the People of the Book and the polytheists.' The second is additional for encompassing goodness, and the third is for beginning the limit.

And the good is revelation, and likewise mercy, as His saying, 'Are they the ones who distribute the mercy of your Lord?' The meaning is that they see themselves more deserving of being revealed to, so they envy you and do not wish that anything of revelation be sent down upon you. And Allah chooses for prophethood whom He wills, and He does not will except what wisdom necessitates. And Allah is the Possessor of great favor, indicating that granting prophethood is from the great favor, as His saying, 'Indeed, His favor upon you was great.'