Tafsir Ibn Abbas: An-Nisaa, Ayah 51
Common Words
Other Scholars on This Ayah
Tafsir
The following was revealed regarding Ka‘b b. al-Ashraf and other such scholars from among the Jews when they came to Mecca and saw those killed at Badr and began to incite the idolaters to avenge them their dead by waging war against the Prophet s Have you not seen those who were given a share of the Book how they believe in al-Jibt and al-Tāghūt two idols belonging to Quraysh and say to the disbelievers to Abū Sufyān and his companions when they the latter said to them ‘Are we who are the guardians of the House who give drink to the pilgrim offer hospitality to the guest set free the captive and do such and such … not more rightly guided than Muhammad he who has contravened the religion of his forefathers severed the ties of kinship and abandoned the Sanctuary?’ ‘These in other words you are more rightly guided upon a more upright way than the believers’?
Related Hadiths
Those who have made their Scripture into parts are the people of the Scripture who divided it into portions and believed in a part of it and disbelieved the other.
They, the people of the Scriptures, divided this Scripture into parts, believing in some portions of it and disbelieving the others. (See 15:91)
"As We have sent down (the Scripture) on those who are divided (Jews and Christians)." (15.90) They believed in part of it and disbelieved in the other, (and they) are the Jews and the Christians.
Ibn Abbas Commentary
(Hast thou not seen) have you not been informed, O Muhammad, about (those unto whom a portion of the Scripture has been given) those who have been given knowledge of the Torah in relation to your trait and attribute, the verse of stoning [married people who commit fornication], and similar other issue, namely. Malik Ibn al-Sayf and his friends who were about seventy people, (how they believe in idols) this is Huyayy Ibn Akhtab (and false deities) Ka'b Ibn Ashraf, (and bow they say of those (idolaters) who disbelieve) the unbelievers of Mecca: (�These are more rightly guided) they have a better religion (than those who believe?�) in the Qur'an and in Muhammad and his Religion.