except because we believe in Allah, in what has been revealed to us, and in what was revealed before, and because most of you are defiantly disobedient?” That is: Do you resent us for anything other than our faith and your own defiance? In other words, you resent our faith even though you know that we are upon the truth, because you have acted sinfully by persisting in your religion out of love of leadership and wealth.

“Say, ‘Shall I inform you of those whose recompense with Allah is worse than this? They are those whom Allah has cursed and upon whom He has brought His wrath, and of whom He made apes and swine, and who worshipped false gods. Such are worse in position and farther astray from the right way.’ (60)

When they come to you, they say, ‘We believe.’ Yet they enter with disbelief and leave with it; and Allah knows best what they conceal. (61)

You see many of them rushing into sin and transgression and consuming illicit gains. How evil is what they have been doing! (62)

Why do the rabbis and scholars not forbid them from sinful speech and consuming illicit gains? How evil is what they do! (63)”

Then He said: “Say,” O Muhammad, “shall I inform you,” that is, shall I tell you, “of that whose recompense with Allah is worse than this,” than what you mentioned—namely, their saying, “We have never seen any people of any religion less fortunate than you in this world and the Hereafter, nor any religion worse than your religion.” He therefore gave the reply in wording that echoed their opening statement, ⦗109⦘ even though the matter first mentioned was not itself evil, as in His saying, exalted is He: “Shall I inform you of something worse than that? The Fire.” (al-Hajj, 72)

“Recompense” means reward and requital; it is in the accusative as an explanatory specification. “Those whom Allah has cursed,” that is, they are those whom Allah has cursed, “and upon whom He has brought His wrath”—meaning the Jews—“and of whom He made apes and swine.” The apes were the Sabbath violators, while the swine were the disbelievers associated with Jesus’ table.

It is narrated from ‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah, from Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that both groups who were transformed were Sabbath violators: their young men were transformed into apes, and their elders into swine. “And who worshipped false gods,” that is, among them were those who worshipped false gods—meaning, they obeyed Satan in what he enticed them to do. This is supported by Ibn Mas‘ud’s recitation: “and those who worshipped false gods.” Hamzah read it as wa-‘ubuda al-taghuti, with the letter ba’ vowelled with dammah and al-taghuti in the genitive, intending al-‘ubud—meaning, the servant. Both ‘abd and ‘ubud are linguistic forms, just as sab‘ and subu‘ are. It was also said that it is the plural of ‘ibad (servants). Al-Hasan read it as wa-‘abada al-taghuta, in the singular. “Such are worse in position and farther astray from the right way,” that is, from the path of truth.

“And when they come to you, they say”—meaning these hypocrites. It was also said that they were those who said, “Believe in what has been sent down to the believers at the beginning of the day, and disbelieve in it at its end.” They came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and said, “We believe in you and affirm what you have said,” while concealing disbelief. “Yet they enter with disbelief and leave with it,” meaning that they entered as disbelievers and left as disbelievers. “And Allah knows best what they conceal.”