Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:84

"Do not shed each other's blood, and do not evict one another from your homes" Meaning: Let not some of you do this to others.

"Do not shed each other's blood" A person is made to be like one's own self when there is a connection of origin or religion. It is also said: if one kills another, it is as if he has killed himself, because he will be executed in retaliation for it.

"Then you acknowledged" To the covenant, and you confessed to yourselves that it was binding upon you.

"While you were witnessing" Witnessing against yourselves. It is like saying, "So-and-so is acknowledging such-and-such against himself, witnessing it." It is also said: "And you, O assembly of Jews, are witnessing today the acknowledgment of your ancestors regarding this covenant."

"Then you are those [same people] who kill one another" This expresses astonishment at what is attributed to them—killing, expulsion, and aggression—after the covenant was taken from them, and after their acknowledgment and witnessing. The meaning is: "Then you, after that, are these [same] witnesses." It implies that you are a different people from those who acknowledged, treating the change in character as equivalent to a change in essence, just as one might say, "You have returned with a face other than the one with which you left."

"Killing one another" This is an explanation of the phrase "Then you are those [same people]." It is also said that "those" (hā’ulā’i) is a relative pronoun meaning "those who."

"Tadhāharūna" (You support one another) It is read with the tā’ omitted and assimilated, and as tatadhāharūna with the tā’ retained. It also means tataẓharūna (you manifest/cooperate), meaning you assist one another against them.

"And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them" Variations in reading include tafdūhum, tafādūhum, asrā, and asārā.

"While their eviction was forbidden to you" The pronoun here is the "pronoun of the matter" (ḍamīr al-sha’n). It is also permissible for it to be ambiguous, with its explanation being "their eviction."

"Do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part?" Meaning: You believe in the ransom, but disbelieve in the prohibition of fighting and expulsion. This is because the Qurayẓah were allies of the Aws, and the Naḍīr were allies of the Khazraj. Each group would fight alongside its allies; if they were defeated, they would destroy their homes and expel them. But if a man from either group was taken captive, they would collect funds to ransom him. The Arabs would reproach them, saying, "How can you fight them and then ransom them?" They would reply, "We were commanded to ransom them, and fighting them was forbidden to us, but we are ashamed to let our allies be humiliated."

"So what is the recompense for those among you who do that except disgrace in the life of this world?" The disgrace was the killing and enslavement of the Banū Qurayẓah and the expulsion of the Banū Naḍīr. It is also said to refer to the jizyah (tribute). Those who did this were returned to the severest punishment because their disobedience was the most severe.

"And on the Day of Resurrection they will be returned to the severest of punishment" Read as yuraddūna and ya‘malūna with both yā’ and tā’.

"And Allah is not unaware of what you do."

"It is they who have bought the life of this world [in exchange] for the Hereafter, so the punishment will not be lightened for them" Neither the punishment of this world by reducing the jizyah, nor will anyone help them by defending them. The same applies to the punishment of the Hereafter.

"Nor will they be aided."