they recognized, they rejected it; so may Allah’s curse fall upon the disbelievers.” (Q 2:89)

Abū al-ʿĀliyah said: “When the Jews sought help through Muḥammad against the Arab idolaters they would pray, ‘O Allah, send forth this Prophet whom we find recorded in our scripture so that he may torment and kill the polytheists.’ Yet when Allah did send Muḥammad ﷺ and they realized that he was not one of them, they disbelieved in him—out of envy toward the Arabs, even though they knew full well that he was Allah’s Messenger. So Allah revealed these verses (1): ‘When there came to them what they recognized, they rejected it; so may Allah’s curse fall upon the disbelievers’ (Q 2:89) (2).

Ibn Isḥāq said: ʿĀṣim ibn ʿUmar ibn Qatādah al-Anṣārī related to me, on the authority of men of his clan, who said:

“Among the things that drew us to Islam—together with Allah’s mercy and guidance—was what we used to hear from the Jews. We were polytheists who worshipped idols, while they were People of the Book and possessed knowledge we did not have. Hostility continually flared between us and them. Whenever we managed to inflict something they disliked, they would say, ‘The time is near of a Prophet who is about to be sent; we shall follow him and, together with him, kill you (3) with the slaughter of ʿĀd and Iram!’ We heard this from them again and again. Then, when Allah sent His Messenger ﷺ and he called us to Allah, we responded. We recognized in him what they had threatened us with; we hastened to believe in him, whereas they rejected him. Concerning us and them Allah revealed the verses in al-Baqarah: ‘When there came to them a Book from Allah confirming what was with them—although previously they used to pray for victory over those who disbelieved—yet when there came to them what they recognized, they rejected it; so may Allah’s curse be upon the disbelievers’ (Q 2:89) (4).