Among those who have become Jews is a clarification for those who have been given a share of the Book because they are Jews and Christians. And His saying:

(And Allah knows best), (And sufficient is Allah), (And sufficient is Allah) are phrases that are interjected between the clarification and the clarifier as a form of interruption or clarification for your enemies. What is between them is an interruption or a connection to a helper, meaning He will help you from among those who have become Jews, as His saying (And We helped him from the people who denied). It is also possible that it is a statement that begins, on the condition that they are altering, a description of an omitted subject, the estimate being: from those who have become Jews, a people who alter. As in His saying:

And time is nothing but two instances, from which ... I die and another I seek to live, I toil.

Both have been decreed for me in a record ... neither do I desire life nor do I find death pleasant.

By Tamim ibn Aqil, he says: Time is nothing but two instances and two occasions, one in which I die, and one in which I seek life while I toil, meaning I strive and exert myself and hurry in seeking it. The intended meaning of the record is the preserved tablet. Then he said: Life is not more beloved to me because of the hardship in it, and death is not more pleasant to me because the soul dislikes it.

So, from them, at times, I die in it. They distort the words from their places. They lean them away and remove them. This is because when they change it and place instead of it whatever they alter, they have tilted it from the places that Allah has placed it in, and they have removed it from them. This is similar to their distortion of "Asmar Rab'ah" from its place in the Torah by placing "Adam Tawwal" instead of it. And similar to their distortion of "the stoning" by placing "the limit" instead of it. If you say: How is it said here (from their places) and in Al-Ma'idah (after their places)? I say: As for (from their places), it is based on what we have explained regarding its removal from its places that Allah's wisdom necessitated placing it in, due to what their desires required of replacing it with something else. As for (after their places), the meaning is that it had places where it was appropriate for it to be, so when they distorted it, they left it like a stranger that has no place after its places and abodes. The two meanings are close. And it was read: they distort the speech. And the words - with a kasrah on the kaf and a sukoon on the lam - is the plural of a word, a lighter form of a word. Their saying "not heard" is a state of the addressed. It is said: Listen while you are not heard. This is a saying with two aspects. It may imply blame, meaning listen to us while you are called upon - without having heard - because if their supplication against him was answered, he would not hear, so he was deaf and not heard. They said this relying on the fact that their saying - not heard - is a supplication that is answered, or listen while not being responded to in what you call for. Its meaning is not heard as a response. It is said that the distorted words intended here in this surah are like "not heard" and "Ra'ina," and it was not intended here to replace the rulings and mediate between the two words, between His saying: (they distort) and His saying: (twisting with their tongues). The intended meaning is also the distortion of clear signs, as the distorting ones and their likes are meant. As for in Surah Al-Ma'idah, it is apparent - and Allah knows best - that what is meant there by the words is the rulings and their distortion, like their replacing stoning with flogging. Do you not see that He followed it with His saying: (They say, 'If you are given this, then take it; but if you are not given it, then beware')? The difference intended by the words in the two surahs. It was said in Surah Al-Ma'idah (they distort the words from their places), meaning they transfer it from the place that Allah has placed it in, so it became its homeland and abode to another place, remaining like a stranger regretted, about whom it is said: This is a stranger from after its places and abodes. This meaning does not exist in like "Ra'ina" and "not heard," and if it exists, it is not the linguistic placement that is concerned with its transition from its place like the legal placement. Were it not for the inclusion of this transfer with mockery and ridicule, its matter would not be significant. Therefore, it came here (they distort the words from their places) not coupled with what was coupled with the first in the form of regret. It agrees with you, as if you heard nothing. Or listen while not hearing a speech that you approve of, so your hearing of it is a substitute. And it is permissible in this that (not heard) is the object of listen, meaning listen to a speech not heard by you, because your ear does not comprehend it, a substitute for it. And it may imply praise, meaning listen while not hearing something disliked, from your saying: I made someone hear someone else if I insulted him. Likewise, their saying "Ra'ina" may imply "Ra'ina, we speak to you," meaning observe us and wait for us. It may resemble a Hebrew word or a Syriac word that they used to insult each other with, which is: Ra'ina. They were, in mockery of the religion and ridicule of the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, speaking to him with words that are ambiguous, intending by them insult and humiliation while appearing to show respect and honor, twisting with their tongues the truth to falsehood, as they place (Ra'ina) in place of (Look at us) and (not heard) in place of: I did not hear something disliked. Or they twist with their tongues what they harbor of insults to what they show of respect hypocritically. If you say: How did they come with the ambiguous saying with two aspects after they explicitly stated and said: We have heard and we have disobeyed? I say: All the disbelievers faced him with disbelief and disobedience. And they do not face him with insult and supplication of evil. It is permissible that they said it among themselves. And it is permissible that they did not articulate that, but when they did not believe, they made it as if they had articulated it. And Ubayy read: And look at us, from the delay.

To what does the pronoun return in the saying 'it would have been better for them'? I say: to 'that they said' because the meaning is that if their saying 'we hear and obey' had been established, then their saying would have been better for them, more upright, more just, and more fitting. But Allah has cursed them because of their disbelief, meaning He has forsaken them due to their disbelief and distanced them from His kindness, so they do not believe except for a little faith, meaning weak and feeble faith that is not taken into account. This is their faith in the One who created them while they disbelieve in others, or He intended by 'little' the absence of faith, as in the saying: 'A little complaining for the one who is important befalls him.' It is said about Ta'abbata Sharran, who praises Shams ibn Malik, one of the leaders of the Arabs. And it was said to Abu Kabir al-Hudhali, who praises Ta'abbata Sharran. The meaning is that he is devoid of complaint to show praise, meaning he does not complain for the sake of the important matter while he is afflicted by it. He is one who has much desire. 'Shatt' is like 'shatat' in origin, a source, and they are used to mean scattered and widespread. It has been narrated as 'nashr al-nawa,' which is synonymous with it. It has been narrated as 'shatti al-nawa,' which is the plural of 'shat,' meaning scattered and different, meaning his goals and paths are many and different. 'Nawa' is the plural of 'naw,' which is the intention of the traveler, and it is also used for distance, so it is masculine, and it is used for the intention of the traveler, which is feminine. 'Al-mumaat' is a desolate place with no water. 'Al-jahish' means the solitary one, and 'al-i'rawwar' refers to riding a horse bareback. The expression 'he remains by the evening' instead of 'he sleeps' indicates that he continues to travel and does not stop at night. And by saying 'al-i'rawwar,' it indicates that he rushes into difficulties without protection from them. Indeed, he has likened the dangers to what can be ridden on the path of metaphor, and he has affirmed for them a presence in imagination. It indicates that he is unconcerned with them, but rather hastens towards them without preparation, like a horseman rushing to his horse and lacking patience until he saddles it. It indicates that he appears and prevails as he has expressed in a way that implies superiority over them. Meaning he is devoid of complaint, or except for a few of them who have believed.