They were given a share of the Book, meaning the scholars of the Jews, and that they obtained a considerable share of the Torah.

And "of" is either for partitive or for clarification, or they obtained from the kind of the revealed books or from the tablet of the Torah, which is a great share. They are called to the Book of Allah, which is the Torah, to judge between them. This is because the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, entered their schools and called them. Then, Nu'aim ibn Amr and Al-Harith ibn Zayd said to him: "What religion are you on?"

He said: "On the religion of Ibrahim." They said: "Indeed, Ibrahim was a Jew." He said to them: "Indeed, between us and you is the Torah, so come to it." [[Reported by Al-Tabari from the narration of Ishaq from Muhammad from Said or Ikrimah from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them.]] But they refused. It is said that it was revealed regarding stoning, and they disagreed about it.

And from Al-Hasan and Qatadah: The Book of Allah is the Qur'an, for they knew that it is the Book of Allah and did not doubt it. Then a group of them turns away, showing their rejection after knowing that returning to the Book of Allah is obligatory, while they are turning away. They are a people who continue to turn away as their habit. And it was recited (to judge) in the passive form.

The intended meaning is what occurred of the disagreement and enmity between those who converted from their scholars and those who did not convert: that they were called to the Book of Allah, which there is no disagreement among them regarding its authenticity, which is the Torah, to judge between the truthful and the false among them. Then a group of them turns away, those who did not convert. This is because His saying: (to judge between them) implies that there is a disagreement occurring among them, not between them and the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him.

That turning away and rejection is due to their hope of escaping from the Fire after a few days, just as the Murji'ah and the Hashwiyyah were deceived in their religion by what they fabricated." Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "This is also an insinuation against the people of the Sunnah in their belief of delegating the forgiveness of the major sins of the believing monotheist to the will of Allah, the Exalted, even if he dies persisting upon them, believing in His saying: (Indeed, Allah does not forgive that partners are associated with Him, and He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills) and affirming intercession for the people of major sins. They are reproached for this until they are made a basis to compare with the Jews who said: (The Fire will not touch us except for a few numbered days). So look at how he filled his heart with hatred for the people of the Sunnah and enmity, and how he filled the earth with these whispers of hypocrisy.

So praise be to Allah who has made His servants poor in need of relying upon Him, for taking from the people of innovation the right of the Sunnah, thus deafening their hearts with decisive proofs of the fundamentals of the spears." They imposed upon themselves the matter of punishment and hoped to escape from the Fire after a few days, just as the Murji'ah and the Hashwiyyah hoped.

The saying: "as the Murji'ah and the Hashwiyyah hoped" is an insinuation against the people of the Sunnah, as they went to believe that whoever enters the Fire from the people of major sins among the believers will exit by intercession or by the forgiveness of Allah, as the hadiths have stated. (A)

And they were deceived in their religion by what they fabricated, that their forefathers are the prophets who intercede for them, just as those were deceived by the intercession of the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, for their major sins. So how if we gather them, what will they do? How will their situation be? This is an expression of the enormity of what has been prepared for them and a warning to them that they will fall into something they have no way to repel or escape from, and that what they have told themselves and made easy for themselves is based on falsehood and they hope for what cannot be.