A parallel wording occurs in His saying:

“And they carry your loads to a land you could not reach except with great hardship.”

This does not mean that you could not reach it in the past; rather, this is their constant condition. Thus, His words, “Those who disbelieved would not be released until it comes to them,” imply that this is always their condition.

The surah mentions the different classes of creation and what Allah has commanded all His servants. It explains that this is indispensable: messengers must be sent, scriptures revealed, and the blessed—the people of Paradise—and the wretched—the people of the Fire—made known. His words:

“Those who disbelieved among the People of the Book and the polytheists would not be released until the clear evidence comes to them—a messenger from Allah, reciting purified scriptures,”

form a statement explaining that the Messenger was sent to them all. His words:

“Those who were given the Scripture did not become divided until after the clear evidence had come to them,”

establish the proof against the followers of revealed laws, condemn their divisions and disagreements, and explain that these arose after the clear evidence had come to them.

These two statements are paralleled by His saying:

“Mankind was one community; then Allah sent the prophets as bearers of good tidings and warners, and sent down with them the Scripture in truth to judge between people concerning that over which they differed.”

Then He said:

“None differed concerning it except those who were given it, after