Tafsir of Al-Ma'idah 5:13

(So for their breaking of their covenant): Meaning, because of their breaking of their covenant, which was affirmed by nothing else, neither independently nor by addition. The ba (in fabi-ma) is causal, and ma is an augmentative particle used to emphasize the statement and establish it firmly in the soul, or it means "a thing," as Abu al-Baqa’ stated. The prepositional phrase relates to His saying, Exalted is He: (We cursed them): That is, We cast them out and distanced them from Our mercy as a punishment for them; this was said by ‘Ata’ and a group. From al-Hasan and Muqatil, it is said the meaning is: "We transformed them into apes and swine." From Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), it is said: "We punished them by imposing the jizya upon them." It is not hidden that what ‘Ata’ said is closer to the literal meaning, because the reality of la’n (cursing) in language is casting out and distancing, so its use in the latter two meanings is metaphorical, based on using it for the necessary consequence of its meaning, which is vilification through what was mentioned. However, there is no evidence for this in the speech. Specifying the explanation with what was mentioned—even though it ought to have been explained after stating the fulfillment of the curse and the breach by saying, for example: "So they broke their covenant, and thus We cursed them"—is due to the necessity of the simple essence of a thing preceding its composite essence, as the Shaykh al-Islam said, to signal that their realization is a clear matter that does not need explanation; rather, what is in need of explanation is the causality and effect between them.

(And We made their hearts hard): Dry and callous, recoiling from accepting the truth and not softening, as was said by Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both). It is also said: the meaning is that We deprived them of the success (tawfiq) and grace through which their chests would expand, until what they were earning veiled their hearts. This is like saying to someone: "You have ruined your sword," if he leaves it unattended until it rusts, or "You have made your nails your weapon," if he does not clip them. Al-Jubba’i said: The meaning is that We clarified the state of their hearts and what they are upon of hardness, and We judged that they will not believe and that no sermon will benefit them. It is not hidden that this is contrary to the apparent meaning and that nothing prompted it but Mu'tazili views. Hamza and al-Kisa’i read it as qasiya (قسية), which is either an intensive form of qasiya (hard) because it is on the scale of fa'il, or it means "counterfeit," from their saying "a dirham is qasin" if it is adulterated, which is also derived from hardness, as the adulterated object possesses dryness and rigidity. It is said that qis is not Arabic but Arabized. It has also been read as qasiya with a kasra on the qaf for assimilation.

(They distort the word from its places): An inception to explain the degree of their hearts' hardness, for there is no degree greater than that which results in the audacity to distort the word of the Lord of the Worlds and fabricate lies against Him, the Exalted and Majestic. The use of the imperfect tense is for storytelling, bringing the image to mind, and indicating renewal and continuity. It is permitted that it be a circumstantial qualifier (hal) for the object of "We cursed them" or for the genitive possessor in "their hearts," but it has been weakened by what it has been weakened with. Making it a circumstantial qualifier for the "hearts" or for its pronoun in "hard" is—as has been said—not valid due to the lack of a referent back to the possessor of the state. Making "the hearts" mean "their owners" is something that the possessors of [the truth] do not pay attention to.

(And they forgot a portion): That is, they abandoned a sufficient share (of what they were reminded with): From the Torah, or from what they were commanded therein to follow Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). It is said: They distorted the Torah, and because of the misfortune of that, things fell out of their memory. Ibn al-Mubarak and Ahmad in Al-Zuhd recorded that Ibn Mas‘ud said: "I surely believe that a man forgets knowledge he used to possess because of a sin he commits." In the meaning of this is the saying of al-Shafi‘i (may Allah be pleased with him): "I complained to Waki‘ about my poor memory, so he guided me to abandon sins and informed me that knowledge is light, and the light of Allah does not guide the sinner."

(And you will still come upon treachery from them): That is, betrayal (khiyana), as it has been read, on the basis that it is a verbal noun on the scale of fa'ila like kadhiba (lying) or laghiya (vain talk); or it is an active participle kha’ina, meaning "possessing treachery." To this, the speech of Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) points, or a treacherous group, or a treacherous soul, or a treacherous person, on the basis that it is a description, and the ta is for intensity, though it is rare in the active participle. "From them" relates to a deleted element acting as a description for it, except that "from" in the first two interpretations is initial (ibtida’iyya), meaning: "upon treachery or an act possessing treachery occurring from them, emanating from them." In the other interpretations, it is partitive (tab’idiyya). The meaning is that treachery and betrayal are a constant habit for them and their predecessors, as is known from their description with distortion and what accompanies it, such that they hardly ever abandon or conceal it, so you will always see that from them. (Except for a few of them): An exception from the genitive pronoun in "from them," and the "few" refers to ‘Abd Allah ibn Salam and his like, who gave sincere counsel to Allah the Exalted and His Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Some made it an exception from "treachery" based on the second interpretation; thus, the "few" is intended, and "from" is initial, as previously mentioned, meaning: "except for a few [treacheries] occurring from them." It is said the exception is from His saying, Exalted is He: (And We made their hearts hard).

(So pardon them and overlook): That is, if they repent or pay the jizya, as has been narrated from al-Hasan and Ja‘far ibn Mubashir, and chosen by al-Tabari. Thus the pronoun "them" refers to what its counterparts refer to. From Abu Muslim, it is said that it returns to the "few" who were exempted, meaning: "pardon them as long as they remain on your covenant and do not betray you." According to the canons, the verse is established (muhkam). It is said the pronoun returns to what al-Tabari chose, and it is absolute, but it was abrogated by His saying, Exalted is He: "Fight those who do not believe in Allah..." the verse. This is narrated from Qatada. From al-Jubba’i, it is that it is abrogated by His saying, Exalted is He: "And if you fear from a people treachery, then throw back to them on equal terms." (Indeed, Allah loves the doers of good): A justification for the command and an urge to comply, and an alert that pardon in an absolute sense is of the nature of doing good.