Tafsir of Al-An'am 6:159

This is a new commencement to clarify the conditions of the People of the Two Scriptures, following the clarification of the condition of the polytheists. This is based on what has been narrated from Ibn Abbas and Qatadah: that the verse was revealed concerning the Jews and the Christians. Meaning: they scattered their religion and fragmented it, so each sect among them held fast to a portion of it. Ali—may God ennoble his countenance—Hamzah, and al-Kisa’i read it as faraqū (with an alif), meaning they separated themselves [from it]. Thus, abandoning a part of it, even if taking another part, is an abandonment of the whole or a separation from it.

{And became sects}: that is, groups. Each group followed an imam and adhered to him, or supported him and manifested his cause. Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi (who authenticated it), Ibn Majah, and Ibn Hibban—with al-Hakim authenticating it—narrated from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said: "The Jews divided into seventy-one sects, all of whom are in the abyss except for one; the Christians divided into seventy-two sects, all of whom are in the abyss except for one; and my nation will divide into seventy-three sects, all of whom are in the abyss except for one."

The exception of the one sect from each of the two peoples of the scripture is only with regard to the era that passed before abrogation. As for after it, all are in the abyss, even if their reasons for entering it differ. Among the strange occurrences is that some fanatical Imami Shi'ites of our time, whose name is Hamad, narrated "except a sect" (firqah) in place of "except one" (wāhidah) in this report. He said: It contains an indication of the salvation of the Shi'a, for the numerical value of the word firqah (sect) and the word shīʿah (Shi'a) are the same according to the abjad system. As if the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said: "Except the Shi'a." The ones commonly referred to by this title are the Imami Shi'ites. I said to him, after several refutations of his claim: "By this type of indication, it would necessitate that they be a dog, for the numerical value of kalb (dog) and the numerical value of Hamad are the same." So, stuff the dog's mouth with a stone.

{You are not of them in anything}: Meaning, regarding inquiring about them, searching into their division, or punishing them; or, you are innocent of them. It has also been said that this is a promise to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, of immunity from them—meaning you are not of them in any way that would cause you harm. Al-Suddi said that he was forbidden from initiating combat against them, then this was abrogated by what is in Surat Bara’ah. {Of them} is in the place of a circumstantial qualifier, as it is an adjective for an indefinite noun that has been placed before it.

{Their affair is only to God}: This is an explanation for the aforementioned negation. That is, He alone handles the affair of their first and last, and manages it according to what wisdom necessitates. It is said that the "dividers" are the people of innovation (ahl al-bid'ah) from this nation, for al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Jarir, al-Tabarani, al-Shirazi in al-Alqab, and Ibn Marduyah narrated from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, regarding His saying—Glory be to Him—{Indeed, those who divided...}: "They are the people of innovation and desires of this nation."

Al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Abi Hatim, Abu al-Shaykh, al-Tabarani, Abu Nu'aym in al-Hilyah, al-Bayhaqi in al-Shu'ab, and others narrated from Umar ibn al-Khattab—may God be pleased with him—that the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said to Aisha—may God be pleased with her: "O Aisha, indeed those who divided their religion and became sects are the people of innovation, the people of desires, and the people of misguidance of this nation. They have no repentance; I am innocent of them, and they are innocent of me." Thus, the statement is a new commencement to clarify the condition of the innovators, following the clarification of the condition of the polytheists, as an indication that they are not far removed from them. Perhaps the sentence {Their affair is only to God}, etc., in this context, is not for explanation, but is rather for a threat regarding what they have done; meaning, their return is to Him—Glory be to Him—{then He will inform them} on the Day of Resurrection {of what they used to do} in the world, by persisting in punishing them for it.