Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (226)

(14) “And from those who said, ‘We are Christians,’ We took their covenant, but they forgot a portion of what they had been reminded of. So We stirred up enmity and hatred among them until the Day of Resurrection. And Allah will inform them of what they used to do.”

That is, just as We took a solemn covenant from the Jews, We likewise took one from “those who said, ‘We are Christians’”—who claimed to be followers of Jesus son of Mary and commended themselves for believing in Allah, His messengers, and what they brought. Yet they broke the covenant and “forgot a portion of what they had been reminded of,” both by losing knowledge of it and by failing to act upon it.

“So We stirred up enmity and hatred among them until the Day of Resurrection.” That is, We set them against one another, and such evils and rancor arose among them as caused them to hate and oppose one another until the Day of Resurrection. This is plainly evident, for Christians have always been—and continue to be—divided by hatred, hostility, and discord.

“And Allah will inform them of what they used to do,” and He will punish them for it.

﴿١٤﴾ ﴿وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّا نَصَارَى أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَهُمْ فَنَسُوا حَظًّا مِمَّا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ فَأَغْرَيْنَا بَيْنَهُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَسَوْفَ يُنَبِّئُهُمُ اللَّهُ بِمَا كَانُوا يَصْنَعُونَ﴾ . أي: وكما أخذنا على اليهود العهد والميثاق، فكذلك أخذنا على ﴿الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّا نَصَارَى﴾ لعيسى ابن مريم، وزكوا أنفسهم بالإيمان بالله ورسله وما جاءوا به، فنقضوا العهد، ﴿فَنَسُوا حَظًّا مِّمَّا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ﴾ نسيانا علميا، ونسيانا عمليا. ﴿فَأَغْرَيْنَا بَيْنَهُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ﴾ أي: سلطنا بعضهم على بعض، وصار بينهم من الشرور والإحن ما يقتضي بغض بعضهم بعضا ومعاداة بعضهم بعضا إلى يوم القيامة، وهذا أمر مشاهد، فإن النصارى لم يزالوا ولا يزالون في بغض وعداوة وشقاق. ﴿وَسَوْفَ يُنَبِّئُهُمُ اللَّهُ بِمَا كَانُوا يَصْنَعُونَ﴾ فيعاقبهم عليه.