Tafsir of Al Imran 3:12

Abu Salih narrated from Ibn Abbas—may Allah the Exalted be pleased with them both—that when Allah the Exalted defeated the polytheists on the day of Badr, the Jews of Medina said: "By Allah, this is the unlettered Prophet whom Moses, peace and blessings be upon him, gave us glad tidings of, and we find him in our book with his attributes and description, and [we find] that no standard of his shall ever be turned back." They intended to believe in him and follow him. Then, some said to others: "Do not be hasty until you see another battle of his." When the day of Uhud came and the companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, suffered a setback, they doubted and said: "No, by Allah, he is not him." Misery overcame them, so they did not submit. There was a treaty between them and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, for a specified period, but they violated that treaty. Ka’b ibn al-Ashraf went with sixty riders to the people of Mecca—Abu Sufyan and his companions—and they agreed with them and unified their intent, saying: "Let our word be one." They then returned to Medina, and Allah the Exalted revealed this verse concerning them.

Ibn Jarir, Ibn Ishaq, and al-Bayhaqi also narrated from Ibn Abbas—may Allah the Exalted be pleased with them both—that when the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, returned to Medina having gained victory at Badr, he gathered the Jews in the market of Banu Qaynuqa’ and said: "O assembly of Jews, submit to Islam before Allah the Exalted strikes you with what He struck the Quraysh with." They replied: "O Muhammad, do not be deceived by yourself just because you killed a group of Quraysh who were inexperienced and did not know how to fight. By Allah, if you were to fight us, you would know that we are the [true] people, and that you have not encountered the like of us." Thereupon, Allah the Exalted revealed: (Say to those who disbelieve) until His saying, the Glorified: (to those who have vision).

The intended meaning of the "those" (the relative pronoun) is the Jews. The sin (in sataghlibuna) indicates the nearness of the occurrence; meaning, you will be overcome very soon. It refers to [the defeat] in this world, and Allah the Exalted truly fulfilled His promise to His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. Six hundred of the Banu Qurayza were killed in a single day, as it is said; he gathered them in the market of Banu Qaynuqa’, ordered the executioners to strike their necks, and ordered that a trench be dug and they be cast into it. He also exiled the Banu al-Nadir, conquered Khaybar, and imposed the jizya upon them. This is one of the clearest signs of Prophethood.

(And you will be gathered) is conjoined to (you will be overcome), and the intended meaning is in the Hereafter. (To Hell) which is the destination and ultimate end of their gathering; thus, ila (to) is in its primary sense. It is also said it means fi (in), and the meaning is that they will be collected therein. This verse serves as a confirmation of what preceded it, for defeat is realized by the lack of benefit from wealth and children, and the gathering to Hell is the beginning of their being fuel for it.

The people of Kufa, excluding ‘Asim, read it as sayaghlibuna and yuhsharuna (in the third person/yā). The others read it as tataghlibuna and tuhsharuna (in the second person/tā’). A distinction is made between the two readings: in the case of the second person (tā’ of address), the meaning is that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was commanded to inform them on his own authority of the content of the speech, such that if they disbelieved, the disbelief would revert to him. In the case of the third person (yā’ of absence), he was commanded to convey the ruling that Allah the Exalted informed him of, namely that they will be overcome, such that if they disbelieved, the disbelief would revert to Allah the Exalted.

Regarding His saying, the Glorified: (And how wretched is the resting place).

This is either a completion of what is said to them or a fresh beginning to terrify [people with] Hell and make the condition of its inhabitants hideous. Mahad (resting place) is like firash (bed) in both wording and meaning. The object of the condemnation is implicit, which is Hell, or [the fate] which they have prepared for themselves.