Tafsir of Ash-Shura 42:16

"And those who dispute concerning Allah" — meaning, they argue regarding His religion. Ibn Abbas and Mujahid said: It was revealed regarding a group from the Children of Israel who intended to turn people away from Islam and lead them astray. They said, "Our Book came before your Book, and our Prophet came before your Prophet, so our religion is superior to your religion." In another narration, it is stated: "So we are more entitled to Allah, the Exalted, than you."

Ibn al-Mundhir recorded from Ikrimah, who said: When "When the victory of Allah and the conquest comes" was revealed, the polytheists in Mecca said—before he (the Prophet) had prevailed over them—"People have entered into the religion of Allah in multitudes, so either drive us out from among you, or abandon Islam." However, disputation regarding it is not apparent, and perhaps they mentioned therein what they did.

"(From after what has been responded to Him)" — meaning, after people responded to Allah, the Exalted, or to His religion, and entered into it and submitted to it, due to the appearance of the proof and the clarity of the path. Expressing this as "response" is in consideration of their being called to it.

"(Their argument is invalid before their Lord)" — meaning, it is vanishing, false, and not accepted by Him, the Exalted. In fact, they have no argument at all; their falsehoods were merely termed an "argument" (evidence) here as a way of keeping pace with their false claims.

It is permitted that the pronoun in "to Him" refers to the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, as he is effectively mentioned by virtue of the respondents being the People of the Book. Their response to him, may Allah exalt and grant him peace, was their acknowledgment and their seeking victory through him before his mission. If they are the ones disputing, the speech is equivalent to: "And those who dispute regarding the religion of Allah after they have responded to His Messenger and acknowledged his attributes—their argument in denying him is false because it contains a rejection of what they previously acknowledged and what observation confirmed."

It is also said: The "Respondent" is Allah, the Exalted, and the pronoun "to Him" refers to the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him; and that His, the Exalted’s, response to him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was by manifesting the miracles that indicated his truthfulness. Al-Jubba'i inclined toward this, saying: It means after Allah, the Exalted, responded to his supplication against the disbelievers of Badr until He killed them at the hands of the believers; and his supplication against the people of Mecca until they suffered drought; and his supplication for the oppressed until Allah, the Exalted, rescued them from the hands of the Quraish; and other such things that would take too long to enumerate. The invalidity of their argument lies in the appearance of what contradicts what they claimed, and this is apparent in that this verse is Meccan, because the Battle of Badr was after the Migration (Hijrah).

To construe "responded" as the promise is contrary to what is apparent. The same applies to what was narrated from Ikrimah. It is also said that construing the "response" as the response of the People of the Book necessitates the same (that it is Medinan), as none of them were empowered. It is further said: It does not necessitate that, because the news of their response and their acknowledgment—while he, peace and blessings be upon him, was in Mecca—reached the people of Mecca, and the disputers are identified as them; therefore, there is no barrier to it being Meccan.

"(And upon them is wrath)" — a great one, for their obstinacy against the truth after its appearance.

"(And for them is a severe punishment)" — its magnitude cannot be estimated.