"Unquestionably, for Allah is the pure religion," meaning: Islam. "And those who take protectors besides Him," meaning: They take them as deities whom they worship besides Allah. "We do not worship them," meaning: They said, "We do not worship them"—there is an implication here—"except that they may bring us nearer to Allah in position," meaning: nearness. They claimed that they draw near to Allah through the worship of idols so that He may set right their livelihoods in this world, and they do not affirm the Hereafter.
Mujahid said: The Quraysh say this regarding the idols, while those before them said it regarding the angels, Jesus son of Mary, and Ezra.
"Indeed, Allah will judge between them concerning that over which they differ," He will judge between the believers.
﴿أَلا لِلَّهِ الدِّينُ الْخَالِصُ﴾ يَعْنِي: الْإِسْلَام ﴿وَالَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دونه أَوْلِيَاء﴾ أَي: يتخذونهم آلِهَة يَعْبُدُونَهُمْ من دون اللَّه ﴿مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ﴾ أَي: قَالُوا مَا نعبدهم , فِيهَا إِضْمَار ﴿إِلا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زلفى﴾ قربى؛ زَعَمُوا أَنهم يَتَقَرَّبُون إِلَى اللَّه بِعبَادة الْأَوْثَان لكَي يصلح لَهُم مَعَايشهمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا , وَلَيْسَ يقرونَ بِالآخِرَة.
قَالَ مُجَاهِد: قُرَيْش يَقُولُونَهُ للأوثان , وَمن قبلهم يَقُولُونَهُ للْمَلَائكَة ولعيسى ابْن مَرْيَم ولعُزَير.
﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ فِي مَا هُمْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ﴾ يحكم بَين الْمُؤمنِينَ
