Qatadah said: It means the strict burdens that were imposed upon them in the religion. “And the shackles” means: the heavy burdens “that were upon them.” These included such things as requiring them to kill themselves as repentance, cut off sinful limbs, cut impurity from a garment with scissors, making legal retaliation obligatory in cases of killing and forbidding the acceptance of blood-money, abstaining from work on the Sabbath, and the fact that their prayer was not valid except in their places of worship, along with other hardships. They were likened to shackles that bind the hand to the neck.

“So those who believe in him”—that is, in Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him—“honour him,” meaning, they revere him; “support him” against his enemies; “and follow the light sent down with him,” meaning, the Quran—“it is they who will prosper.”

“Say, ‘O mankind, I am the Messenger of Allah to you all—He to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no deity worthy of worship but Him. He gives life and causes death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, who believes in Allah and His words, and follow him so that you may be rightly guided.’ (158) And among the people of Moses is a community that guides by the truth and establishes justice by it. (159)”

His saying, Exalted is He, “Say, ‘O mankind, I am the Messenger of Allah to you all—He to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no deity worthy of worship but Him. He gives life and causes death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, who believes in Allah and His words’” means: His signs, namely the Quran. Mujahid and al-Suddi said: It means Jesus, son of Mary; and he recited it as “His word.” “And follow him so that you may be rightly guided.”

His saying, Glorified and Exalted is He, “And among the people of Moses,” means the Children of Israel. 139/A “A community,” that is, a group, “that guides by the truth,” meaning that they direct people to and call them to the truth. It has also been said that it means they are themselves guided by it and remain upright upon it. “And establish justice by it,” meaning that they judge according to the truth and uphold justice.

Al-Kalbi, al-Dahhak, and al-Rabi said: They are a people beyond China, in the farthest East, beside a river [whose current carries sand] (1) called the River of Awadaf. No one among them possesses wealth to the exclusion of his companion. Rain falls upon them at night, and they awake to clear weather by day. They cultivate their land, so that none among us can reach them, and they are upon the truth. (2)

It is related that Gabriel, peace be upon him, took the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to them on the night of his Night Journey, and he spoke to them. [Gabriel said to them: “Do you know with whom you are speaking?” They replied, “No.” He then said to them, “This is Muhammad, the unlettered Prophet, so believe in him.”] (3) They said, “O Messenger of Allah, Moses, peace be upon him, instructed us that whoever among you lives to see Ahmad should convey to him greetings from us.” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, returned greetings to