"And if only the People of the Scripture had believed and feared Allah." Qatadah said: He says:
If they had believed in what Allah revealed and feared what He forbade them, "We would have removed from them their misdeeds," [up to the end of] the verse.
﴿وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقوا﴾ قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: يَقُولُ:
لَوْ آمَنُوا بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ وَاتَّقَوْا مَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْهِمْ ﴿لَكَفَّرْنَا عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ﴾ الْآيَة.
