detailed, setting out what is lawful and forbidden, the prescribed penalties, and the rulings. “None reject them except those who depart from Allah’s command.”

“Is it that whenever they make a covenant, a party among them casts it aside? Rather, most of them do not believe. And when a messenger from Allah came to them, confirming what they had with them, a party of those given the Book cast the Book of Allah behind their backs, as though they did not know.”

His saying, exalted is He, “Is it that whenever”: the conjunctive particle wa is preceded by the interrogative alif. “They make a covenant”: that is, the Jews had pledged that, should Muhammad appear, they would believe in him; but when he appeared, they disbelieved in him.

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, reminded them of the covenant (1) which Allah had taken from them, and of what had been entrusted to them concerning Muhammad—that they should believe in him—Malik ibn al-Sayf said, “By Allah, no covenant concerning Muhammad was entrusted to us.” So Allah Most High sent down this verse. (2) This is supported by the recitation of Abu Raja al-Ataridi: “Or whenever they were bound by a covenant,” which makes them the objects [of the verb].

Ata said: These were the covenants between the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and the Jews 16/a, that they would not assist the polytheists in fighting him; but they violated them, as did Banu Qurayzah and Banu al-Nadir. (3) Evidence for this is His saying, exalted is He: “Those of them with whom you made a covenant, then they break their covenant” (al-Anfal, 56). “Cast it aside”: they discarded and violated it. “A party”: groups among them—the Jews. “Rather, most of them do not believe.”