Tafsir of Al Imran 3:73-74

The meaning is: "Show faith in what has been revealed to the believers at the beginning of the day."

It is said that twelve rabbis from the Jews of Khaybar conspired and said to one another: "Enter into the religion of Muhammad at the beginning of the day without belief, and disbelieve in it at the end of the day. Say: 'We have looked into our books and consulted our scholars, and we found that Muhammad is not the one described (in our scriptures); his falsehood and the invalidity of his religion have become clear to us.' If you do this, his companions will doubt their religion."

It is also said that this concerns the Qibla when it was turned toward the Kaaba. Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf said to his companions: "Believe in what was revealed to them regarding praying toward the Kaaba and pray toward it at the beginning of the day, then disbelieve in it at the end of the day and pray toward the Rock. Perhaps they will say, 'They are more knowledgeable than us, and they have turned back,' and so they will turn back."

They intended: "Keep secret your admission that the Muslims have been given from the Book of God the like of what you have been given, and do not disclose it except to your own followers alone, excluding the Muslims—so that it does not increase their steadfastness—and excluding the polytheists—so that it does not invite them to Islam."

If you ask: "What is the meaning of the parenthetical clause?" I say: Its meaning is that guidance is the guidance of God. Whoever He wills to treat with kindness until they accept Islam, or to increase their steadfastness in Islam, it shall be so. Your plotting, your schemes, and your concealing your belief from the Muslims and the polytheists will be of no avail. Likewise is the Almighty’s saying: "Say, 'Indeed, all bounty is in the hand of God; He gives it to whom He wills'"—meaning guidance and success.

Alternatively, the speech concludes at the phrase: "Except to those who follow your religion." The meaning is: "Do not show this outward belief—which is their belief at the break of day—except to those who follow your religion," meaning those who were followers of your faith among those who converted from among you. For their turning back was more hoped for by them than the turning back of others, and because their Islam was more infuriating to them.

The phrase "that anyone should be given" means: "It is because anyone should be given the like of what you have been given that you said what you said and planned it, and for no other reason." This means that the envy and transgression within you—that anyone should be given the like of what you have been given of the favor of knowledge and the Book—is what prompted you to say what you said. The evidence for this is the recitation of Ibn Kathir: A-an yu'tā ahad (with an added interrogative hamza for confirmation and rebuke), meaning: "Is it not that anyone should be given...?"

If you ask: "What is the meaning of the phrase 'or that they might argue with you' in this context?" I say: Its meaning is: "You planned what you planned so that no one would be given the like of what you were given, and because of what would follow your disbelief in it—namely, their arguing with you before your Lord."

It is also permissible that "the guidance of God" is a substitute for "the guidance," and "that anyone should be given" is the predicate of inna, meaning: "Say, 'Indeed, the guidance of God is that anyone should be given the like of what you have been given, or that they might argue with you'—until they argue with you before your Lord, refuting your falsehood with their truth and invalidating your argument."

It is also recited as in yu'tā ahad (with in as a negative particle), and it is connected to the speech of the People of the Book: "Do not believe except those who follow your religion, and say to them: 'No one is given the like of what you have been given, so that they might argue with you before your Lord.'" This means: "They are not given the like of it, so they will not argue with you."

It is also possible that "that anyone should be given" is in the accusative case due to an implied verb indicated by the phrase "do not believe except to those who follow your religion." It is as if it were said: "Say, 'Indeed, the guidance is the guidance of God, so do not deny that anyone should be given the like of what you have been given,'" because their statement "Do not believe except to those who follow your religion" is a denial that anyone should be given the like of what they were given.