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Ayah
Word by Word
وَدَّ
Wish[ed]
كَثِيرٞ
many
مِّنۡ
from
أَهۡلِ
(the) People
ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ
(of) the Book
لَوۡ
if
يَرُدُّونَكُم
they could turn you back
مِّنۢ
from
بَعۡدِ
after
إِيمَٰنِكُمۡ
your (having) faith
كُفَّارًا
(to) disbelievers
حَسَدٗا
(out of) jealousy
مِّنۡ
from
عِندِ
(of)
أَنفُسِهِم
themselves
مِّنۢ
(even) from
بَعۡدِ
after
مَا
[what]
تَبَيَّنَ
became clear
لَهُمُ
to them
ٱلۡحَقُّۖ
the truth
فَٱعۡفُواْ
So forgive
وَٱصۡفَحُواْ
and overlook
حَتَّىٰ
until
يَأۡتِيَ
brings
ٱللَّهُ
Allah
بِأَمۡرِهِۦٓۗ
His Command
إِنَّ
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
Allah
عَلَىٰ
on
كُلِّ
every
شَيۡءٖ
thing
قَدِيرٞ
(is) All-Powerful
وَدَّ
Wish[ed]
كَثِيرٞ
many
مِّنۡ
from
أَهۡلِ
(the) People
ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ
(of) the Book
لَوۡ
if
يَرُدُّونَكُم
they could turn you back
مِّنۢ
from
بَعۡدِ
after
إِيمَٰنِكُمۡ
your (having) faith
كُفَّارًا
(to) disbelievers
حَسَدٗا
(out of) jealousy
مِّنۡ
from
عِندِ
(of)
أَنفُسِهِم
themselves
مِّنۢ
(even) from
بَعۡدِ
after
مَا
[what]
تَبَيَّنَ
became clear
لَهُمُ
to them
ٱلۡحَقُّۖ
the truth
فَٱعۡفُواْ
So forgive
وَٱصۡفَحُواْ
and overlook
حَتَّىٰ
until
يَأۡتِيَ
brings
ٱللَّهُ
Allah
بِأَمۡرِهِۦٓۗ
His Command
إِنَّ
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
Allah
عَلَىٰ
on
كُلِّ
every
شَيۡءٖ
thing
قَدِيرٞ
(is) All-Powerful
Translation
Many of the People of the Scripture wish they could turn you back to disbelief after you have believed, out of envy from themselves [even] after the truth has become clear to them. So pardon and overlook until Allāh delivers His command. Indeed, Allāh is over all things competent.
Tafsir
Many of the People of the Scripture long that (law, '[if only] that', represents [the import of] the verbal noun) they might make you disbelievers, after you have believed, from the envy (hasadan is the object denoting reason), being, of their own souls, that is to say, their wicked souls have prompted them to this [attitude]; after the truth, with regard to the Prophet may peace and salutation be upon him, has become clear to them, in the Torah; yet pardon, leave them be, and be forgiving, stay away, and make no encroachments against them, till God brings His command, concerning fighting them; truly God has power over all things.
"The Prohibition of following the Ways of the People of the Book
Allah says;
وَدَّ كَثِيرٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَوْ يَرُدُّونَكُم مِّن بَعْدِ إِيمَانِكُمْ
Many of the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) wish that they could turn you away as disbelievers after you have believed,
Allah warned His believing servants against following the ways of the People of Book, who publicly and secretly harbor enmity and hatred for the believers, and who envy the believers, while they recognize the virtue of the believers and their Prophet.
Allah also commanded His believing servants to forgive them and to be patient with them, until Allah delivers His aid and victory to them. Allah commanded the believers to perform the prayer perfectly, to pay the Zakah and He encouraged them to preserve the practice of these righteous deeds.
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abdullah bin Ka`b bin Malik said that;
Ka`b bin Al-Ashraf, who was a Jew and a poet, used to criticize the Prophet in his poems, so Allah revealed,
وَدَّ كَثِيرٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَوْ يَرُدُّونَكُم
(Many of the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) wish that they could turn you away..) regarding his matter.
Also, Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn Abbas said,
""An unlettered Messenger came to the People of the Scriptures confirming what they have in their own Books about the Messengers and the Ayat of Allah. He also believes in all of this, just as they believe in it. Yet, they rejected the Prophet out of disbelief, envy and transgression. This is why Allah said,
كُفَّاراً حَسَدًا مِّنْ عِندِ أَنفُسِهِم مِّن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الْحَقُّ
out of envy from their own selves, even after the truth (that Muhammad is Allah's Messenger) has become manifest unto them.
Allah said that after He illuminated the truth for them, such that they were not ignorant of any of it, yet their envy made them deny the Prophet. Thus Allah criticized, chastised and denounced them.""
Allah legislated the characteristics that His Prophet and the believers should adhere to:belief, faith and accepting what Allah revealed to them and to those before them out of His generosity and tremendous kindness.
Ar-Rabi bin Anas said that,
مِّنْ عِندِ أَنفُسِهِم
(from their own selves) means,
""of their making.""
Also, Abu Al-Aliyah said that,
مِّن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الْحَقُّ
(even after the truth (that Muhammad is Allah's Messenger) has become manifest unto them) means,
""After it became clear that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah whom they find written of in the Torah and the Injil. They denied him in disbelief and transgression because he was not one of them.""
Qatadah and Ar-Rabi bin Anas said similarly.
Allah said,
فَاعْفُواْ وَاصْفَحُواْ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ اللّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ
But forgive and overlook, till Allah brings His command.
this is similar to His saying;
وَلَتَسْمَعُنَّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُواْ أَذًى كَثِيراً
And you shall certainly hear much that will grieve you from those who received the Scripture before you (Jews and Christians) and from those who ascribe partners to Allah. (3:186)
Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn Abbas said that,
""Allah's statement,
فَاعْفُواْ وَاصْفَحُواْ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ اللّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ
(But forgive and overlook, till Allah brings His command.) was abrogated by the Ayah,
فَاقْتُلُواْ الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْ
(Then kill the Mushrikin wherever you find them), (9:5),
and,
قَاتِلُواْ الَّذِينَ لَا يُوْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ وَلَا بِالْيَوْمِ الاخِرِ
Fight against those who believe not in Allah, nor in the Last Day) (9:29) until,
وَهُمْ صَاغِرُونَ
(And feel themselves subdued), (9:29).
Allah's pardon for the disbelievers was repealed.""
Abu Al-Aliyah, Ar-Rabi bin Anas, Qatadah and As-Suddi said similarly:
It was abrogated by the Ayah of the sword,"" (Mentioned above). The Ayah,
حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ اللّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ
(till Allah brings His command.) gives further support for this view.
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded Usamah bin Zayd saying that;
the Messenger of Allah and his Companions used to forgive the disbelievers and the People of the Book, just as Allah commanded in His statement,
فَاعْفُواْ وَاصْفَحُواْ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ اللّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ إِنَّ اللّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
But forgive and overlook, till Allah brings His command. Verily, Allah is able to do all things.
The Messenger of Allah used to forgive them and was patient with them as Allah ordered him, until Allah allowed fighting them. Then Allah destroyed those who He decreed to be killed among the strong men of Quraysh, by the Prophet's forces.
The chain of narration for this text is Sahih, but I did not see its wordings in the six collections of Hadith, although the basis of it is in the Two Sahihs, narrated from Usamah bin Zayd.
The Encouragement to perform Good Deeds
Allah said
وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلَةَ وَاتُواْ الزَّكَاةَ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُواْ لَانفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ اللّهِ
And perform the Salah and give the Zakah, and whatever of good you send forth for yourselves before you, you shall find it with Allah.
Allah encouraged the believers to busy themselves in performing deeds that would bring them benefit and reward on the Day of Resurrection, such as prayer and paying Zakah. This way, they will gain Allah's aid in this life and on a Day when the witnesses testify,
يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ الظَّـلِمِينَ مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ وَلَهُمُ الْلَّعْنَةُ وَلَهُمْ سُوءُ الدَّارِ
The Day when their excuses will be of no profit to the Zalimin (wrongdoers). Theirs will be the curse, and theirs will be the evil abode (i.e. painful torment in Hell-fire). (40:52)
This is why Allah said,
إِنَّ اللّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
Certainly, Allah sees what you do.
meaning, that He is never unaware of the deeds of any person, nor will these deeds be lost by Him. Whether deeds are righteous or evil, Allah will award each according to what he or she deserves based on their deeds."
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