[879] They play on words. It could be that they are saying that a person of your status cannot be told to listen in spite of himself (cf. Muḥyī ad-Dīn Darwīsh, Iʿrāb al-Qur’ān wa Bayānuhu), or they pray that he (ﷺ) becomes deaf or even dies so that he loses his sense of hearing (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr).
[880] One word for seeking the Prophet’s permission, i.e. rāʿinā (lend us your ear), is replaced by another, i.e. unẓurnā (bear with us), as rāʿinā could be twisted and used derogatorily to mean something else which is inappropriate (from ruʿūnah, foolishness). Some of the Madinan Jews used to address the Prophet (ﷺ) by subtly twisting their tongues when uttering rāʿinā to mean: “You are foolish!” (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Wāḥidī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī).
[881] The religion of Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Qur’an (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī).
[882] The details of this story are given in 7: 163-165.
[883] These are the Jews who like to think of themselves as ‘chosen’ or a cut above the rest. They say: “We are the children of Allah and His beloved!” (5: 18); “The Fire will not touch us except for a limited number of days!” (2: 80). (al-Ṭabarī, al-Rāzī, al-Saʿdī)
[884] God is the One Who really knows the truth of matters, and thus He lauds whoever is deserving of His creation: “Do not glorify yourselves; He knows best those who are ˹truly˺ Mindful”, (53: 32). (al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī)
[885] That is to say as much as a hair’s breadth.
[886] By glorifying themselves in such a manner and claiming honour falsely. (al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī)
[887] al-Jibt is a word used for all sorts of false and groundless things and everything that is worshipped besides God. (al-Sijistānī, Gharīb al-Qur’ān; Ibn Fāris, Maqāyīs al-Lughah; al-Iṣfahānī, al-Mufradāt)
[888] al-Ṭāghūt taken from ṭughyān, i.e. transgression and wrongdoing. All that transgresses against God. Anyone who condones being worshipped besides God is a ṭāghūt. (Ibn Qutaybah, Gharīb al-Qur’ān; al-Sijistānī, Gharīb al-Qur’ān; Ibn Fāris, Maqāyīs al-Lughah; al-Iṣfahānī, al-Mufradāt)
[889] The reason for the revelation of this aya is narrated by Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) whereby: “When ˹the Jewish scholar˺ Kaʿb Ibn al-Ashraf came to Makkah, the Quraysh asked him: “You are the best of the people of Madinah and their master. Aren’t you?” He replied: “Yes!” They then said: “What do you think of this sonless outcast ˹alluding to the Most Noble Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)˺ claiming that he is better than us when we are the custodians of pilgrims and the caretakers of the House of God!” He said: “You are indeed better than him!” Then the following ayas were revealed: “Indeed, your hater is the one cut off”, (108: 3) and: “Have you ˹Muhammad˺ not seen those who were given a share of the Book believing in ˹all sorts of ˺ idols and false gods and say about those who Deny: “These are more guided in their ways than those who Believe!*Those are the ones whom Allah Damned—whoever Allah Damns will find no helper””. (al-Nasā’ī, al-Sunan al-Kubrā: 11707; Ibn Ḥibbān: 6572)