Tafsir of Al-Anbiya' 21:93

"And they cut their affair between them..."

Meaning: They made the affair of their religion amongst themselves into pieces. The verb "cut" (taqatta'u) carries the meaning of "rendering" (al-ja'l), and for this reason, it acts directly upon "their affair" (amrahum). Abu al-Baqa said: "They cut their affair," meaning "in their affair," i.e., they became divided. It is also said that it acts directly because it carries the meaning of "they severed" (qata'u), i.e., they dispersed. It is further said that "their affair" is a transformed discernment (tamyiz) derived from the subject, meaning "their affair became fragmented."

The first explanation mentioned is the most apparent, and the argument regarding the discernment is not hidden from anyone possessed of discernment. Furthermore, the original structure of the statement was "You cut your affair amongst yourselves" (addressing them directly), but it shifted to the third person to reprimand them for what they committed by way of division in the religion and by rendering it into distributed fragments, and to convey this to others. It is as if it were said: "Do you not see the enormity of what these people have perpetrated regarding the religion of Allah—that upon which all the Prophets, peace be upon them, were in agreement?" In this, there is a condemnation of disagreement in the fundamental principles.

"All"—meaning every one of those fragmented sects, or every single individual within each of those sects—"will return to Us"—through resurrection, and not to anyone else—so We shall recompense them at that time according to their deeds. The indication of fixity and certainty within this sentence is clear.