He said, “O Messenger of Allah, the enemy of Allah uttered a grave statement: he claimed that Allah is poor and that they are rich. I became angry for the sake of Allah and struck him in the face.” Phinehas denied this, so Allah Most High revealed, in response to Phinehas and in confirmation of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him: “Allah has certainly heard the statement of those who said, ‘Allah is poor, while we are rich.’” (1) 75/a

“We will record what they said”—that is, their falsehood and fabrication against Allah—“and recompense them for it.” (2) Muqatil said: “We shall preserve it against them.” Al-Waqidi said: “We shall command the recording angels to write it down.” Its parallel is His saying, Most High: “and We are surely recording it.”

“And their killing of the prophets without right; and We shall say, ‘Taste the punishment of the Burning Fire.’” Hamzah recited it: “It will be recorded,” with the ya in the passive voice; “and their killing,” with the lam in the nominative; and “He will say,” with a ya. “Taste the punishment of the Burning Fire,” meaning the Fire; it has the sense of “that which burns,” just as it is said, “For them is a painful punishment,” meaning, a punishment that causes pain.

“That is because of what your own hands have sent forth, and because Allah is never unjust to His servants. (182) Those who say, ‘Allah has taken a covenant from us that we should not believe in any messenger unless he brings us an offering consumed by fire.’ Say, ‘Messengers before me came to you with clear proofs and with what you have mentioned; so why did you kill them, if you are truthful?’ (183)”

“That is because of what your own hands have sent forth, and because Allah is never unjust to His servants”—thus, He does not punish without sin.

Concerning His saying, Most High, “Those who say, ‘Allah has taken a covenant from us,’” through to the end of the verse: al-Kalbi said, “It was revealed concerning Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf, Malik ibn al-Sayf, Wahb ibn Yahudha, Zayd ibn al-Tabut, (3) Phinehas ibn Azura, and Huyayy ibn Akhtab. They came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and said, ‘O Muhammad, you claim that Allah Most High has sent you to us as a messenger, has sent down the Book to you, and has indeed taken a covenant from us in the Torah that we should not believe in a messenger who claims to have come from Allah unless he brings us an offering consumed by fire. If you bring us this, we will believe you.’

Allah Most High then revealed: ‘Those who say’ (4)—that is, Allah has heard the statement of those who said. The word “those” is in the genitive case, in apposition to the first occurrence of “those.” “Allah has taken a covenant from us,” meaning: He commanded and enjoined us in His Books not to believe in a messenger—that is, not to affirm as true any messenger who claims to have come from Allah—unless he brings us an offering consumed by fire, which would be evidence of his truthfulness.

An offering is everything by which a servant draws near to Allah Most High, such as a sacrifice, charity, or righteous deed. The term is derived from nearness. Offerings and spoils of war were not lawful for the Children of Israel. Whenever they presented an offering or acquired spoils, there came a fire