His saying, the Exalted: “And if they had believed and feared Allah, then a reward from Allah,” meaning: the reward on the Day of Resurrection, “is better, if they only knew,” meaning: had they been learned, they would have believed due to that knowledge of theirs and practiced piety. Disbelievers are not described as being learned.
قَوْله تَعَالَى: ﴿وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَمَثُوبَةٌ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ﴾ يَعْنِي: الثَّوَاب يَوْم الْقِيَامَة ﴿خَيْرٌ لَو كَانُوا يعلمُونَ﴾ أَي: لَو كَانُوا عُلَمَاء لآمنوا بعلمهم ذَلِكَ، وَاتَّقوا وَلا يُوصف الْكفَّار بِأَنَّهُم عُلَمَاء.
