Tafsir of Al Imran 3:69

"A faction of the People of the Scripture wish..."

"A faction..." They are the Jews who invited Hudhayfah, Ammar, and Mu'adh to Judaism.

"And they do not mislead except themselves..." The consequence of their misguidance returns only upon them, for the punishment is doubled for them due to their own misguidance and their leading others astray. Alternatively, it means they are incapable of misleading the Muslims; they only mislead their own kind and their followers.

"By the verses of Allah..." Meaning the Torah and the Gospel, and their disbelief in them—that is, they do not believe in what these scriptures explicitly stated regarding the validity of the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and other matters.

"And you bear witness..." Meaning your acknowledgment that they are the verses of Allah. Alternatively, it means: "Do you disbelieve in the Quran and the proofs of the Messenger’s prophethood while you bear witness?"—meaning you recognize his description in the two scriptures, or you disbelieve in all the verses of Allah while knowing they are the truth.

It is recited as talbissuna (with a shaddah on the ba'). Yahya ibn Waththab recited it as talbasuna (with a fatha on the ba'), meaning: "You mix the truth with falsehood," as in the saying: "Like one wearing two garments of falsehood."

And his saying: (When he is adorned with glory and wrapped in it.)