from the Children of Israel, except for ten: Noah, Hud, Salih, Shuayb, Lot, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and Muhammad—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon them all.

“Recite”: that is, read. “To them Your verses”: that is, Your Book, meaning the Quran. An ayah of the Quran is a connected passage of speech ending at its point of division. It is also said to be a collection of letters, as in the expression, “The people went out as a group,” meaning all together. “And teach them the Book”: meaning the Quran. “And wisdom”: Mujahid said, “Understanding of the Quran.” Muqatil said, “The Quran’s exhortations and the rulings it contains.” Ibn Qutaybah said, “It is knowledge and action; a person is not wise until he combines both.” It is also said to mean the sunnah, or rulings and judicial decisions; and it is also said that wisdom is jurisprudence.

Abu Bakr ibn Durayd said: “Every statement that admonishes you, calls you to a noble virtue, or forbids you from something vile is wisdom.”

“And purify them”: that is, cleanse them of associationism and sins. It is also said to mean that he takes the obligatory alms from their wealth. Ibn Kaysan said: He will testify on their behalf on the Day of Resurrection that they are upright when they testify that the prophets conveyed the message. This is part of purification, which is attestation to integrity. “Indeed, You are the Almighty, the All-Wise.” Ibn Abbas said: The Almighty is He for whom no equal exists. Al-Kalbi said: He is the One who exacts retribution, as indicated by Allah Most High’s words: “Allah is Almighty, Possessor of retribution” (4—The Family of Imran). It is also said: the Unassailable One, whom hands cannot reach and whom nothing can attain. It is also said: the Strong; might means strength. Allah Most High said: “So We strengthened them with a third” (14—Ya-Sin), meaning, We reinforced them. It is also said: the Overpowering One. Allah Most High says, in recounting the words spoken: “And he overpowered me in speech” (23—Sad), meaning, he overcame me. The proverb says: “Whoever prevails despoils”—that is, whoever overcomes takes the spoils.

“Who would turn away from the religion of Abraham except one who makes a fool of himself? We certainly chose him in this world, and in the Hereafter he will surely be among the righteous. When his Lord said to him, ‘Submit,’ he replied, ‘I have submitted to the Lord of all worlds.’” (130–131)

“Who would turn away from the religion of Abraham?” This was because Abdullah ibn Salam called his two nephews, Salamah and Muhajir, to Islam. He said to them: “You both know that Allah Most High said in the Torah: ‘I shall send forth from the descendants of Ishmael a prophet whose name is Ahmad. Whoever believes in him is rightly guided, and whoever does not believe in him is accursed.’” Salamah accepted Islam, while Muhajir refused to accept Islam. So Allah Most High revealed: “Who would turn away from the religion of Abraham?” (1) That is, who would abandon his religion and his law. One says that a person desires something when he seeks it, and turns away from it when he abandons it.

The wording “who” is interrogative, though its meaning is one of rebuke and reproach; that is, none turns away from the religion of Abraham “except one who makes a fool of himself.” Ibn Abbas said: one who has lost himself. Al-Kalbi said: one who has gone astray through his own self. Abu Ubaydah said: one who has destroyed himself. Ibn Kaysan and al-Zajjaj said: it means one who has made himself ignorant. Foolishness is ignorance and poor judgment, and every foolish person is