“O People of the Scripture, why do you mix the truth with falsehood and conceal the truth while you know? (71) And a group among the People of the Scripture said, ‘Believe, at the beginning of the day, in what has been sent down to the believers, and disbelieve at its end, so that perhaps they may turn back.’ (72)”

Regarding His saying, “A group among the People of the Scripture wished”: this was revealed concerning Mu‘adh ibn Jabal, Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman, and ‘Ammar ibn Yasir, when the Jews invited them to their religion. Thus, “A group wished” was revealed (1)—[that is, a group among the People of the Scripture desired] (2), meaning the Jews—“to lead you astray” from your religion and turn you back to disbelief. “Yet they lead none astray but themselves, though they do not perceive it.”

“O People of the Scripture, why do you disbelieve in the verses of Allah?” That is, in the Quran and in the description of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, “while you bear witness”—that his description is mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel.

“O People of the Scripture, why do you mix the truth with falsehood?” That is, why do you mix Islam with Judaism and Christianity? It was also said: Why do you mix faith in Jesus, peace be upon him—which is the truth—with disbelief in Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him—which is falsehood? And it was said: Why do you mix the Torah sent down to Moses with the falsehood that you altered and wrote with your own hands, “and conceal the truth while you know”—that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and his religion are true.

Regarding His saying, Most High, “And a group among the People of the Scripture said, ‘Believe’”—the verse: al-Hasan and al-Suddi said: Twelve rabbis from the Jews of Khaybar and the villages of ‘Uyaynah conspired, and ⦗61/b⦘ said to one another, “Enter Muhammad’s religion at the beginning of the day by verbal profession alone, without