ﲓ ﲔ ﲕ ﲖ ﲗ ﲘ ﲙ ﲚ ﲛ ﲜ ﲝ ﲞ ﲟ ﲠ ﲡ ﲢ ﲣ ﲤ ﲥ ﲦ ﲧ ﲨ ﲩ ﲪ ﲫ ﲬ ﲭ ﲮ ﲯ ﲰ ﲱ ﲲ
And they did not become divided until after knowledge had come to them - out of jealous animosity between themselves. And if not for a word that preceded from your Lord [postponing the penalty] until a specified time, it would have been concluded between them. And indeed, those who were granted inheritance of the Scripture after them are, concerning it, in disquieting doubt.
Tafsir
Verse range: 42:14
"And they did not become divided"—meaning the nations of the prophets after the passing of their prophets, as mentioned in al-Kashf, since the time Noah, peace be upon him, was sent—"in the religion to which they were called, and they differed in it at some point in time"—"except after knowledge had come to them"—from their prophets, [the knowledge] that division is error, corruption, and a matter for which there is a threat of punishment. This supports what was previously indicated: that both ancient and modern nations were commanded to unite their word and establish the religion. The term "knowledge" here signifies its cause through a metaphorical figure of speech (majaz mursal). It is also possible that the figurative usage is in the attribution (isnad), or that the speech implies an omitted word, meaning: "the cause of knowledge came to them." It may also be said that "came" is a metaphor for "attained." The exception, as we have indicated, is an istithna' mufarragh (an exclusive exception) from the most general of times. It is also permissible for it to be from the most general of states, meaning: they did not divide in any state whatsoever, except at the time when knowledge came.
"Out of jealous animosity among themselves"—that is, due to enmity, given that baghy (transgression/injustice) is the cause, and it is the catalyst for division; or it means seeking worldly gain and leadership, given that baghy is an infinitive meaning "seeking."
"And had it not been for a word that preceded from your Lord"—which is His promise, the Exalted, to defer punishing them—"until an appointed term"—known to Him, the Glorified, which is the Day of Resurrection, the end of the lifetimes ordained for them—"it would have been judged between them"—by annihilating those in the wrong at the moment they requested it, due to the magnitude of what they committed.
"And indeed, those who were caused to inherit the Book after them"—these are the People of the Book who existed during the time of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace; Zayd ibn Ali read it as wurrithu (were made to inherit), passive voice with a geminated waw—"are in skeptical doubt concerning it"—meaning concerning their own Book, for they did not believe in it with true belief—"that is disquieting"—that is, unsettling or causing one to fall into doubt.
The sentence is an interjection confirming that their division persists among their successors, coupled with doubt regarding their own Book, despite their affiliation with it. Thus, they divided after the knowledge that came to them from the Prophet sent to them—who confirmed their Book—and they divided before him due to doubt in their Book, so they neither believed in him nor affirmed him truly.
