'A people before you had asked them,' then they were explained to them, 'then they became thereby disbelievers.' Meaning: the People of the Scripture. [Yahya narrated to us], and it has reached me that it is in the reading of Ubayy ibn Ka'b: 'A people before you had asked them, [then I explained it to them], then they became thereby [disbelievers].'
﴿قَدْ سَأَلَهَا قَوْمٌ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ﴾ فَبُيِّنَتْ لَهُمْ ﴿ثُمَّ أَصْبَحُوا بِهَا كَافِرين﴾ يَعْنِي: أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ: [حَدَّثَنَا يحيى]، وَبَلَغَنِي أَنَّهَا فِي قِرَاءَةِ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ:
قَدْ سَأَلَهَا قَوْمٌ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ [فَبَيَّنْتُهُ لَهُمْ] فَأَصْبَحُوا بهَا [كَافِرين].
