and Ammar ibn Yasir, after the Battle of Uhud: “Had you been upon the truth, you would not have been defeated. So return to our religion, for we are better guided than you.” Ammar said to them, “How serious is the breaking of a covenant in your view?” They replied, “It is serious.” He said, “Then I have made a covenant never to disbelieve in Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, for as long as I live.” The Jews said, “As for this one, he has apostatized.”

Hudhayfah said, “As for me, I am content with Allah as my Lord, Muhammad as my Prophet, Islam as my religion, the Quran as my guide, the Kaabah as my direction of prayer, and the believers as my brothers.” Then the two of them came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and informed him of this. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “You have attained goodness and prospered.” Thereupon Allah, exalted is He, revealed: “Many among the People of the Book wish...” (1)

That is, many among the People of the Book—the Jews—wished and desired “to turn you back,” O company of believers, “into disbelievers after you have believed, out of envy.” This is an accusative verbal noun; that is, they envy you with envy “arising from themselves,” meaning, of their own accord; Allah did not command them to do this. “After the truth had become clear to them”: that is, it had become clear to them in the Torah that Muhammad’s words, peace and blessings be upon him, are true and that his religion is true.

“So pardon”: that is, leave them; “and overlook”: that is, excuse them. Pardoning means erasing, while overlooking means turning away. This was before the verse commanding fighting. “Until Allah brings about His command”: that is, His punishment—killing and taking captive the Banu Qurayzah, and the expulsion and banishment of the Banu Nadir. (2) This was stated by Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him.

Qatadah (3) said: It means His command to fight them, in His saying: “Fight those who do not believe in Allah or the Last Day”—up to His saying—“while they are subdued” (al-Tawbah 9:29). Ibn Kaysan said: It means by His knowledge and His judgment concerning them: He decreed Islam for some of them, and killing, captivity, and the jizyah tax for others. “Indeed, Allah is fully capable of all things.”

“Establish the prayer, give zakah, and whatever good you send ahead for yourselves, you will find it with Allah. Indeed, Allah sees all that you do” (110).

“Establish the prayer, give zakah, and whatever you send ahead”—that is, advance—(4) “for yourselves of good,” namely obedience and righteous deeds, “you will find it with Allah.” It was also said that “good” here means wealth, as in His saying, “If he leaves behind wealth” (al-Baqarah 2:180), referring to zakah or voluntary charity. “You will find it with Allah,” such that even a piece of fruit or a morsel will be like Mount Uhud. “Indeed, Allah sees all that you do.”