“O messengers, eat from what is wholesome and do righteous deeds. Indeed, I am Knowing of what you do. And indeed, this religion of yours is one religion, and I am your Lord, so fear Me. Yet they divided their religion among themselves into sects, each faction rejoicing in what it has. So leave them in their heedlessness for a time. Do they think that, by the wealth and children We provide for them...”

Allah, exalted is He, says: “O messengers.” Al-Hasan, Mujahid, Qatadah, al-Suddi, al-Kalbi, and a group of others said: This refers to Muhammad alone, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in accordance with the Arab practice of addressing an individual in the plural form. Some said that it refers to Jesus, while others said that it refers to all the messengers, peace be upon them.

“Eat from what is wholesome”: that is, what is lawful. “And do righteous deeds”: righteousness is uprightness in accordance with what the Sacred Law requires. “Indeed, I am Knowing of what you do.”

“And indeed, this...” The Kufan reciters read wa-inna (and indeed) with kasrah on the initial alif, as an independent statement. The others read it with fatḥah on the alif. Ibn Amir recited it with an ungeminated nun, treating in as a connecting particle; its sense is: “This is your religion.” The remaining reciters pronounced the nun with gemination. [32/A] Its sense is: “and that this is your religion”; that is, “that this is your religion and law, which you follow.”

“One religion”: that is, one creed, namely Islam. “And I am your Lord, so fear Me”: that is, fear Me on account of this.

It is also said that the meaning is: I have commanded you with what I commanded the messengers before you; thus, your command is one. “And I am your Lord, so fear Me”: that is, beware of Me. It is also said that it is in the accusative by virtue of an implied verb, meaning: Know that this is your religion—one religion—and that I am your Lord; therefore, fear Me.

“Yet they divided their affair”: that is, their religion, “among themselves”; in other words, they split apart and became sects—Jews, Christians, and Magians. “Into sects”: that is, differing factions and divisions. Its singular, zabur, means a faction or group. Likewise is zubrah, whose plural is zubar. From this comes the expression zubar al-hadid (pieces of iron) (Al-Kahf, 96): that is, they became factions like pieces of iron.

Some reciters from Syria read zubaran, with fatḥah on the letter ba. Qatadah and Mujahid said that zuburan means books: each group followed a book different from that followed by the others. It is also said that they made their books into disparate parts: they believed in some of them, disbelieved in some, and distorted some.

“Each faction rejoicing in what it has”: that is, in the religion it possesses; they are self-admiring and pleased with themselves. “So leave them in their heedlessness.” Ibn Abbas said: in their disbelief and misguidance. It is also said: in their blindness, or in their neglectfulness. “For a time”: until they die.

“Do they think that, by the wealth and children We provide for them”: that is, what We give them and make a means of support for them of wealth and children in this world.