Allah said,
﴿فَمَن كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مِنْكُمْ
فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ السَّبِيلِ﴾
(But if any of you after this, disbelieved, he has indeed gone astray from the straight
way.) Therefore, those who break this covenant, even though they pledged and vowed
to keep it, yet, they broke it and denied it ever existed, they have avoided the
clear path and deviated from the path of guidance to the path of misguidance. Allah
then mentioned the punishment that befell those who broke His covenant and the pledge
they gave Him,
﴿فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِم مِّيثَـقَهُمْ
لَعنَّـهُمْ﴾
(So because of their breach of their covenant, We cursed them...) Allah states,
because of their breaking the promise that We took from them, We cursed them, deviated
them away from the truth, and expelled them from guidance,
﴿وَجَعَلْنَا قُلُوبَهُمْ قَاسِيَةً﴾
(and made their hearts grow hard...) and they do not heed any word of advice that
they hear, because of the hardness of their hearts.
﴿يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِ﴾
(They change the words from their (right) places...) Since their comprehension became
corrupt, they behaved treacherously with Allah's Ayat, altering His Book from its
apparent meanings which He sent down, and distorting its indications. They attributed
to Allah what He did not say, and we seek refuge with Allah from such behavior.
﴿وَنَسُواْ حَظَّا مِّمَّا ذُكِرُواْ
بِهِ﴾
(and have abandoned a good part of the Message that was sent to them.) by not implementing
it and by ignoring it. Allah said next,
﴿وَلاَ تَزَالُ تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى خَآئِنَةٍ
مِّنْهُمْ﴾
(And you will not cease to discover deceit in them,) such as their plots and treachery
against you, O Muhammad, and your Companions. Mujahid said that this Ayah refers
to their plot to kill the Messenger of Allah .
﴿فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَاصْفَحْ﴾
(But forgive them, and overlook (their misdeeds).) This, indeed, is the ultimate
victory and triumph. Some of the Salaf said, "You would never treat those who disobey
Allah with you better than obeying Allah with them.'' This way, their hearts will
gather around the truth and Allah might lead them to the right guidance. This is
why Allah said,
﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ﴾
(Verily, Allah loves the doers of good.) Therefore, forgive those who err against
you. Qatadah said that this Ayah was abrogated with Allah's statement,
﴿قَـتِلُواْ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ
بِاللَّهِ وَلاَ بِالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ﴾
(Fight against those who believe not in Allah, nor in the Last Day).
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