so they obeyed him in denying Moses. Indeed, they were a defiantly disobedient people.

“Then, when they angered Us, We took retribution from them and drowned them all. (55) Thus We made them a precedent and an example for those who came after. (56) And when the son of Mary was cited as an example, behold, your people raised an outcry over it. (57) They said, ‘Are our gods better, or is he?’ They put this to you only for argument’s sake. Indeed, they are a quarrelsome people. (58)”

“Then, when they angered Us”: that is, they provoked Our anger. “We took retribution from them and drowned them all.”

“Thus We made them a precedent”: Hamzah and al-Kisa’i recited it as sulufan, with a u-vowel on both the sin and the lam. Al-Farra’ said: It is the plural of salif, from salufa yaslifu, meaning “to precede.” The others recited it as salafan, with an a-vowel on both the sin and the lam, as the plural of salif, like such Arabic plurals as haris/haras (“guard/guards”), ⦗119/a⦘ khadim/khadam (“servant/servants”), and rasid/rasad (“watcher/watchers”). Both readings mean those nations that had passed and gone before. One says salufa yaslifu when something precedes; and salaf refers to the forefathers who have gone before. Thus, We made them predecessors, so that those who came after them might take admonition from them.

“And an example for those who came after”: that is, a lesson and an admonition for those who remained after them. It was also said: a precedent for the disbelievers of this Ummah on their way to the Fire, and an example for those who come after them.

“And when the son of Mary was cited as an example”: Ibn ‘Abbas and most commentators said that this verse was revealed concerning the disputation of ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Ziba‘ra with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, regarding Jesus, when Allah’s saying was revealed: “Indeed, you and whatever you worship besides Allah are fuel for Hell” (al-Anbiya 21:98). We have already mentioned this in Surat al-Anbiya. (1)

“Behold, your people raised an outcry over it”: the scholars of Madinah and Syria, along with al-Kisa’i, recited it as yasudduna, with a u-vowel on the letter sad, meaning “they turn away,” analogous to His saying, exalted is He: “They turn away from you in aversion” (al-Nisa 4:61). The others recited it with an i-vowel on the sad.

They differed regarding its meaning. Al-Kisa’i said: They are two dialectal variants, like ya‘rushuna and ya‘rishuna (“they build trellises”), yashuddu and yashiddu (“he binds tightly”), and yanummu and yanimmu (“he spreads reports”).

Ibn ‘Abbas said: It means that they raise a clamor. Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib said: They shout. Al-Dahhak said: They make an uproar. Qatadah said: They are distressed. Al-Qurazi said: They are vexed. Thus, when the son of Mary was cited as an example, behold, your people raised an outcry over it, saying, “Muhammad seeks nothing from us except that we should worship him and take him as a god, just as the Christians worshiped Jesus.”

“They said, ‘Are our gods better, or is he?’” Qatadah said: “Or is he?” means Muhammad—that we should worship and obey him and abandon our gods.

Al-Suddi and Ibn Zayd said: “Or is he?” means Jesus. They said: Muhammad claims that everything worshiped besides Allah will be in the Fire; therefore, we are content for our gods to be with Jesus, Ezra, and the angels in the Fire. Allah, exalted is He, said: “They put this example to you only for argument’s sake”—that is, in false contention—although they knew that what was intended by His saying, “And whatever you worship besides Allah are fuel for Hell” (al-Anbiya 21:98), was these idols. “Indeed, they are a quarrelsome people.”