"And mankind was not but one community," meaning: upon Islam, between Adam and Noah, according to the interpretation of Qatadah. "Then they differed," when the prophets came to them, and some of them disbelieved. "And if not for a word that preceded from your Lord, it would have been judged between them regarding that over which they differ." The interpretation of al-Hasan: meaning, the believers and the disbelievers; if it were not that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, had decreed that He would not reckon [them] with the reckoning of the Hereafter in this world, He would have judged between them in this world, and He would have caused the people of Paradise to enter Paradise and the people of the Fire to enter the Fire.
﴿وَمَا كَانَ النَّاسُ إِلا أُمَّةً وَاحِدَة﴾ يَعْنِي: عَلَى الإِسْلامَ مَا بَيْنَ آدَمَ إِلَى نُوحٍ؛ فِي تَفْسِيرِ قَتَادَة ﴿فَاخْتَلَفُوا﴾ لَمَّا أَتَتْهُمُ الأَنْبِيَاءُ، وَكَفَرَ بَعْضُهُمْ ﴿وَلَوْلا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِنْ رَبِّكَ لَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ فِيمَا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ﴾ تَفْسِيرُ الْحَسَنِ: يَعْنِي: الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْكَافِرِينَ لَوْلا أَنَّ اللَّهَ ﷿ قَضَى أَلا يُحَاسِبَ بِحِسَابِ الآخِرَةِ فِي الدُّنْيَا لحاسبهم فِي الدُّنْيَا؛ فَأَدْخَلَ أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ الْجنَّة، وَأهل النَّار النَّار.
