and al-Kisāʾī and Hafṣ recited it with the letter tāʾ—that is, in the second-person form—because of His words: “Say, ‘Do you dispute with us concerning Allah?’” And after it, He says: “Say, ‘Do you know better, or does Allah?’” The other reciters read it with the letter yāʾ, meaning: Do the Jews and Christians say, “Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes were Jews or Christians?” Say, O Muhammad: “Do you know better concerning their religion, or does Allah?” Allah Most High has informed us that Abraham was not (20) a Jew or a Christian, but was a devout monotheist, a Muslim.

“And who is more unjust than one who conceals a testimony from Allah in his possession?” This refers to their knowledge that Abraham and his sons were Muslims, and that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is true and is a messenger—something to which Allah had made them bear witness in their Scriptures. “And Allah is not unaware of what you do.”

“That was a community that has passed away. It shall have what it earned, and you shall have what you earned; and you will not be questioned about what they used to do.” He repeated it (1) for emphasis.

Concerning His words, “The foolish among the people will say”: that is, the ignorant. “What has turned them away”—that is, diverted and redirected them—“from the direction of prayer they formerly faced?” This means Jerusalem. The term qiblah is a noun-form derived from reciprocal facing. This was revealed concerning the Jews and the polytheists of Mecca, who attacked the change of the direction of prayer from Jerusalem to Mecca. They said to the polytheists of Mecca, “Muhammad has become uncertain in his course and has longed for his birthplace. He has now turned toward your town and is returning to your religion.” Allah Most High then said: “Say, ‘To Allah belong the east and the west.’” They belong to Him, and all created beings are His servants. “He guides whom He wills to a straight path.”

“And thus We have made you a middle community.” This was revealed concerning the leaders of the Jews. They said to Muʿādh ibn Jabal, “Muhammad only abandoned our direction of prayer out of envy. Our direction of prayer was the direction of prayer of the prophets, and Muhammad surely knows that we are a just people among mankind.” Muʿādh replied, “We are upon truth and justice.” Thereupon Allah Most High revealed: “And thus”—that is, in this manner. It is also said that the comparative particle means: just as We chose Abraham and his descendants and selected them, so “We have made you a middle community.” This is connected to His words: “And We had certainly chosen him in this world” (al-Baqarah 103)—that is, a just and chosen community. Allah Most High says: “The most moderate among them said” (al-Qalam 28), meaning, the best and most just of them. The best of things are those that lie in the middle.

Al-Kalbī said: It means the people of a religion that is moderate between excess and neglect, for both are blameworthy in religion.