“Thus We have made pleasing to every community its deeds.” That is, just as We made the worship of idols and obedience to Satan seem pleasing to these polytheists, through deprivation and forsaking, so too We have made pleasing to every community its deeds (1), whether good or evil, acts of obedience or disobedience. “Then to their Lord is their return, and He will inform them”—and recompense them—“for what they used to do.”

“And they swear their strongest oaths by Allah that, if a sign came to them, they would surely believe in it. Say: ‘The signs are only with Allah.’ And what can make you know that, even if it came, they would not believe?” (109)

Regarding His saying, exalted is He, “And they swear their strongest oaths by Allah,” Muhammad ibn Kab al-Qurazi and al-Kalbi said: Quraysh said, “Muhammad, you tell us that Moses had a staff with which he struck the rock, whereupon twelve springs gushed forth from it; and you tell us that Jesus, peace be upon him, used to bring the dead to life. So bring us signs, that we may believe you.”

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “What would you like?” They said, “Turn Mount Safa into gold for us; or raise up for us some of our dead so that we may ask him concerning you, whether what you say is true or false; or show us the angels bearing witness for you.”

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “If I do some of what you ask, will you believe me?” They replied, “Yes, by Allah! If it happens, we shall all follow you.” The Muslims asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, to send it down upon them so that they might believe. So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, stood supplicating Allah to turn Safa into gold. Then Gabriel, peace be upon him, came to him and said, “Choose whatever you wish. If you wish, it will become gold; but if they do not believe, I shall punish them. Or, if you wish, I shall leave them, so that those of them who repent may repent.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Rather, let those of them who repent, repent.” Thereupon Allah, exalted is He, revealed: “And they swear their strongest oaths by Allah” (2)—that is, they swore by Allah with the utmost solemnity in their oaths; meaning, they made the most emphatic and strongest oaths they were able to make.

Al-Kalbi and Muqatil said: When a man swears by Allah, that is the utmost of his oath.

“If a sign came to them,” as signs had come to the earlier communities, “they would surely believe in it. Say,” Muhammad, “the signs are only with Allah,” and Allah has power to send them down. “And what can make you know?” That is, what can make you aware?

The scholars differed concerning those addressed by His saying, “And what can make you know?” Some said that the address is directed to the polytheists who swore the oaths. Others said that the address is directed to the believers.

Regarding His saying, Most High, “that, even if it came, they would not believe”: Ibn Kathir, the people of Basra, and Abu Bakr, transmitting from Asim, recited it