“Then, indeed, your Lord—for those who commit evil in ignorance, then repent thereafter and mend their ways—indeed, your Lord after that is surely Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. (119) Indeed, Abraham was a nation in himself, devoutly obedient to Allah, inclining to the truth, and he was not among the polytheists. (120)”

“Brief enjoyment” means that what they enjoy is only brief enjoyment, or that they have brief enjoyment in this world. “And for them is a painful punishment” in the Hereafter.

“And upon those who became Jews We prohibited what We related to you before”—that is, in Surah al-An‘am, where Allah Most High says: “And upon those who became Jews We prohibited every animal with uncloven hoof” (Surah al-An‘am 6:146), and the rest of the verse. (1)

“We did not wrong them” by prohibiting those things to them; “rather, they used to wrong themselves.” Thus, We prohibited them to them because of their transgression.

“Then, indeed, your Lord—for those who commit evil in ignorance, then repent thereafter and mend their ways”: mending their ways means remaining steadfast in repentance. “Indeed, your Lord after that”—that is, after that ignorance—“is surely Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

Allah Most High says: “Indeed, Abraham was a nation in himself.” Ibn Mas‘ud said: “A nation is one who teaches goodness”; that is, he was a teacher of goodness, whom the people of the world follow, and he possessed such praiseworthy qualities as are found in an entire nation.

Mujahid said: “He was the only believer, while all the people were disbelievers.” (2)

Qatadah said: “There is no religious community except that they regard him with loyalty and approval.”

“Devoutly obedient to Allah”: obedient to Him. It was also said: one who fulfilled the commands of Allah Most High. “Inclining to the truth”: a Muslim, steadfast upon the religion of Islam. It was also said: sincere. “And he was not among the polytheists.”