"Then We caused Our messengers to follow in their footsteps, and We followed them with Jesus, the son of Mary," meaning after them.
Muhammad said: The meaning of (qaffayna) is: we sent them to follow, and the masdar (verbal noun) is taqfiyah.
"And We gave him the Gospel, and We placed in the hearts of those who followed him compassion and mercy," meaning they would have compassion for one another and show mercy to one another. Then He resumed the speech, saying: "But monasticism they invented; We did not prescribe it for them," meaning We did not prescribe it for them; they only invented it seeking the pleasure of Allah, in order to draw nearer to Allah thereby. Al-Hasan said: So Allah made it binding upon them when they invented it.
Muhammad said: (wa rahbaniyyatan) is in the accusative case (nasb) based on the meaning: and they invented monasticism.
He said: "Yet they did not observe it," meaning: the monasticism, "with due observance," nor did they observe what We prescribed for them, meaning: they did not fulfill that to Allah.
﴿ثُمَّ قَفَّيْنَا عَلَى آثَارِهِمْ بِرُسُلِنَا وقفينا بِعِيسَى ابْن مَرْيَم﴾ بعدهمْ.
قَالَ محمدٌ: معنى (قَفَّيْنَا): أتبعنا، والمصْدَر: تقفية.
﴿وَآتَيْنَاهُ الإِنْجِيلَ وَجَعَلْنَا فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ رأفة وَرَحْمَة﴾ يرأف بَعضهم بِبَعْض، ويرحَم بَعضهم بَعْضًا، ثمَّ اسْتَأْنف الْكَلَام فَقَالَ: ﴿وَرَهْبَانِيَّةً ابْتَدَعُوهَا مَا كَتَبْنَاهَا عَلَيْهِمْ﴾ لم نكْتبها عَلَيْهِم، إِنَّمَا ابتدعوها ابْتِغَاء رضوَان اللَّه ليتقربُوا بهَا إِلَى اللَّه. قَالَ الْحسن: ففرضها اللَّه عَلَيْهِم حِين ابتدعوها.
قَالَ مُحَمَّد: (ورهبانية) بالنصْب على معنى: وابتدعوا رَهْبَانِيَّة.
قَالَ ﴿فَمَا رعوها﴾ يَعْنِي: الرهبانية ﴿حق رعايتها﴾ وَلَا مَا فَرضنَا عَلَيْهِم، أَي: مَا أدَّوْا ذَلِك إِلَى اللَّه.
