[158] That is, their religion is baseless. Ibn Abū Ḥātim documents in his Tafsīr that Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) narrated: “When the Christians of Najrān came to the Messenger of God (ﷺ), the rabbis met them and both parties disputed in the Messenger’s (ﷺ) presence. Rāfiʿ Ibn Ḥuraymilah ˹a Jewish rabbi˺ said: “You ˹Christians˺ have no ground whatsoever!” He Denied Jesus and the Evangel! A Najranian said: “You have no ground whatsoever!” He Denied both the Prophethood of Moses and the Torah!”
[159] Each party reads their respective revealed Books, i.e. the Torah, which foretells the good news of the coming of Jesus (عليه السلام) and the Evangel which tells them the truth about Moses (عليه السلام) and the Torah. (al-Ṭabarī, Ibn ʿAṭiyyah, Ibn Kathīr)
[160] al-Wāḥidī, Ibn Kathīr and Ibn ʿĀshūr are of the opinion that the ones who are meant by this are the pagans of Makkah who drove the Prophet (ﷺ) and his Companions from the Sanctuary and dedicated it to idol worshipping: thus, the ‘desolation’ of the place of worship (masjid). Some Qur’anic ayas (8: 34 and 48: 25) allude to the actions of the pagans regarding prohibiting Muslims from worshipping God in the same terms.
[161] God decrees here that the just punishment of those who commit such a vile act is that they will only enter places of worship in a state of fear and trepidation expecting Divine justice will be exacted on them or that the Believers will seize them. (al-Ṭabarī, al-Saʿdī, Ibn ʿĀshūr)
[162] This is by way of consolation to the Believers who had been persecuted and prevented from performing their right to worship—that the whole world belongs to God and one can find Him wherever one turns.
[163] This claim is made by the Jews when they said that Ezra was the son of God, the Christians when they said that Jesus was the son of God (cf. 9: 30) and the Arab pagans who claimed that the angels were God’s daughters (cf. 16: 57 and 43: 19) (Ibn Kathīr). The claim that God has a son - or offspring - is rebuffed as horribly macabre recurrently in the Qur’an (cf. 10-68-69, 4:171 and 25: 1-2), because a son is his father’s like and equal. Such qualities are not becoming of Almighty God, the Absolute Sovereign, for whom no one can be alike (cf. 6: 100-101).
[164] Subḥānahu (lit. Glorified be Him!) is used here as an emotionally charged interjection that highlights how unbecoming what they claim of God is.
[165] Qānitūn, translated here as ‘submitting’, has the much wider meaning that all of God’s creation, particularly those endowed with free will, are servants of His, over whom He has total control and that they are all subject to Divine canons and rules of existence (being ever needful, getting old and dying) whether they are willing to admit them or not. (al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī, Ibn ʿĀshūr)
[166] God’s Absolute Power is highlighted here. The realization of His Will and His Ability to create are carried out by this two-lettered command, (Be!) (cf. 3: 47 and 59, 19: 34-35, 36: 81-82). The Possessor of such power has no need for procreation (al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr).
[167] These are Arab pagans, elsewhere called ‘the illiterates’ (cf. 3: 20). (Ibn Kathīr, Ibn ʿĀshūr)
[168] The hearts of the Deniers of the Message are alike. The three examples of acts of Denial, spelled out in Ayas 114-119, i.e. persecuting Believers and denying them their right of worship, claiming that God has an offspring and toyingly asking their Prophets for proofs and miracles without seriously intending to Believe in them (for more of this cf. 6: 124, 17: 90-93), are meant to show that Deniers, old and new, ignorant or having a revealed Book that should guide them to the Truth, are one and the same. Their driving forces and motives are similar (cf. 51: 52-53).
[169] If a person’s heart is smitten with the disease of Denial it shows through their actions irrespective of all other considerations. Conversely, those who open up their hearts to the Truth will find ample evidence for it.
[170] That is: You, Prophet, will not be responsible for what becomes of them after you have delivered the Message to them (cf. 3: 20-21). God is consoling Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and assuring him of the Truthfulness of his Message in the face of the fierce war he and his followers were facing on all these fronts.