“When people are gathered together, they will become enemies to them and will disown their worship of them. (6) When Our clear verses are recited to them, those who disbelieve say of the truth when it comes to them, ‘This is plainly magic.’ (7) Or do they say, ‘He has fabricated it’? Say, ‘If I have fabricated it, then you have no power to protect me from Allah at all. He knows best what you say about it. He is sufficient as a witness between me and you, and He is the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.’ (8) Say, ‘I am not unprecedented among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I follow only what is revealed to me, and I am only a clear warner.’ (9)”
“When people are gathered together, they will become enemies to them and will disown their worship of them”: that is, they will deny it. This is clarified by His saying: “We disown before You that they ever worshipped us.” (al-Qasas 63)
“When Our clear verses are recited to them, those who disbelieve say of the truth when it comes to them, ‘This is plainly magic’”: they call the Quran magic.
“Or do they say, ‘He has fabricated it’?” That is, that Muhammad fabricated it himself. So Allah, exalted is He, says: “Say, ‘If I have fabricated it, then you have no power to protect me from Allah at all’”: you are unable to ward off His punishment from me, should He punish me for fabricating it. So how could I fabricate lies about Allah for your sake? “He knows best what you say about it”: that is, the denial of the Quran in which you indulge, claiming that it is magic. “He is sufficient as a witness between me and you”: that the Quran has come from Him. “And He is the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful”: in delaying the punishment from you.
Al-Zajjaj said: This is an invitation for them to repent; its meaning is that Allah, exalted is He, forgives whoever among you repents and shows him mercy.
“Say, ‘I am not unprecedented among the messengers’”: that is, not something unprecedented. The term bidʿan means “unprecedented,” like niṣf and naṣīf (half); its plural is abdāʿ. I am not the first messenger; many prophets were sent before me. So how can you deny my prophethood?
“Nor do I know what will be done with me or with you”: the scholars differed concerning the meaning of this verse. Some of them said that it means: I do not know what will be done with me or with you on the Day of Resurrection. When this verse was revealed, the polytheists rejoiced and said, “By al-Lat and al-Uzza, our standing with Allah and Muhammad’s are one and the same. He has no distinction or superiority over us. Had he not invented what he says of his own accord, the One who sent him would have informed him of what would be done with him.” Thereupon Allah revealed: “So that Allah may forgive you your past and future sins.” (al-Fath 2) The Companions said, “Congratulations, O Prophet of Allah! We now know what will be done”