980 - Muhammad ibn Yahya narrated to us, al-'Abbas ibn al-Walid informed us, Yazid ibn Zuray' narrated to us, Sa'id narrated to us, from Qatadah: "a party of those who were given the Scripture threw the Book of Allah behind their backs," he says: "a party of those who were given the Scripture broke the Book of Allah."

His saying: "as if they did not know"

981 - Muhammad ibn 'Ubayd Allah ibn al-Munadi reported to me in what he wrote to me, Yunus ibn Muhammad al-Mu'addib narrated to us, Shayban al-Nahwi narrated to us, from Qatadah regarding His saying: "as if they did not know," he said: "The people knew, but they cast their knowledge aside, concealed it, and denied it."

His saying: "And followed what the devils recited during the kingdom of Solomon"

982 - Abu Sa'id al-Ashajj narrated to us, Abu Usamah narrated to us, from al-A'mash, from al-Minhal, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas, he said: "Asif, the scribe of Solomon, was brought out by the devils. They wrote magic and disbelief in every two lines and said: 'This is what Solomon practiced.' Consequently, the ignorant among the people declared him a disbeliever and reviled him, while their scholars remained cautious. The ignorant continued to revile him until there was revealed to Muhammad: 'And followed what the devils recited during the kingdom of Solomon. Solomon did not disbelieve, but the devils disbelieved.'"

983 - 'Isam ibn Rawwad narrated to us, Adam narrated to us, al-Mas'udi narrated to us, from Ziyad, the freedman of Mus'ab, from al-Hasan regarding: "And followed what the devils recited," he said: "A third was poetry, a third was magic, and a third was divination."

984 - Muhammad ibn Sa'd ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn 'Atiyyah al-'Awfi reported to me in what he wrote to me, my father narrated to me, my uncle al-Husayn narrated to us, from his father, from his grandfather, from Ibn 'Abbas regarding His saying: "And followed what the devils recited during the kingdom of Solomon. Solomon did not disbelieve, but the devils disbelieved." He said: "When the kingdom of Solomon departed, a group from the jinn and mankind apostatized and followed desires. When Allah restored the kingdom to Solomon and the people stood firm on the religion as it was, Solomon discovered their books and buried them under his throne. Solomon then passed away shortly after that. The jinn and mankind discovered the books after the death of Solomon and said: 'This is a book from Allah that was revealed to Solomon, and he concealed it from us.' They took it and adopted it as a religion. So Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed: 'And when there came to them a messenger from Allah confirming what was with them.'"