(108–110) “Or do you wish to question your Messenger as Moses was questioned before? Whoever trades faith for disbelief has certainly strayed from the straight path. * Many of the People of the Book wish they could turn you back into disbelievers after you have believed, out of envy from within themselves, even after the truth has become clear to them. So pardon and overlook until Allah brings about His command. Surely Allah has power over all things. * Establish prayer, give zakat, and whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you will find it with Allah. Surely Allah sees all that you do.”

Allah forbids the believers—or the Jews—from questioning their Messenger “as Moses was questioned before.” What is meant here are questions posed out of obstinacy and objection, as Allah Most High said: “The People of the Book ask you to bring down to them a book from heaven. They asked Moses for something even greater than that, saying, ‘Show us Allah plainly.’”

Allah Most High also said: “O you who believe, do not ask about things which, if disclosed to you, would trouble you.” These and similar questions are what has been prohibited.

As for questions asked to seek guidance and acquire knowledge, these are praiseworthy, and Allah has commanded them, as He said: “Ask the people of knowledge if you do not know.” He also approves of those who do so (1), as in His words: “They ask you about wine and gambling,” and, “They ask you about orphans,” and other similar passages.

Since the prohibited questions are blameworthy and may lead the one who asks them to disbelief, He said: “Whoever trades faith for disbelief has certainly strayed from the straight path.”

He then spoke of the envy of many among the People of the Book and how it reached such a point that they wished “they could turn you back into disbelievers after you have believed.” They strove to do so and set their schemes in motion, but their plotting recoils upon them, [as] Allah Most High said: “A group of the People of the Book said, ‘Believe in what was revealed to the believers at the beginning of the day and reject it at its end, so that they may turn back.’” This arose from the envy within themselves.

Allah therefore commanded the believers to respond to those who had grievously wronged them with pardon and forbearance until Allah should bring about His command.

Thereafter, Allah brought His command, commanding them to fight. Allah thereby granted the believers relief from them: they killed some, enslaved others, and expelled still others. “Surely Allah has power over all things.”

Then [Allah] commanded them, for the time being, to occupy themselves with establishing prayer, giving zakat, and performing every act of devotion. He promised them that whatever good they did would never be lost with Allah; rather, they would find it with Him in full and abundant measure, for He had preserved it. “Surely Allah sees all that you do.”