[His saying, the Exalted: Say, O People of the Scripture]
3881 - By the same chain, 'Abbad narrated to us, saying: I asked al-Hasan about His saying: "O People of the Scripture, why do you avert [people] from the way of Allah?" He said: "They are the Jews and the Christians."
3882 - Abu Zur'ah narrated to us, Minjab ibn al-Harith narrated to us, Bishr ibn 'Umarah informed us, from Abu Rawq, from al-Dahhak, from Ibn 'Abbas regarding His saying: "Avert from the way of Allah": He said: "[They avert them] from the religion of Allah."
3883 - My father narrated to us, Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Rahman narrated to us, 'Abd Allah ibn Abi Ja'far narrated to us, from his father, from al-Rabi' regarding His saying: "Why do you avert [people] from the way of Allah?": He says: "Why do you avert [people] from Islam and from the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?" Abu Muhammad said: The same was also narrated from Qatadah.
His saying, the Exalted: "[Those] who have believed, seeking to make it deviant"
[The First Aspect]
3884 - Ahmad ibn 'Uthman ibn Hakim narrated to us, Ahmad ibn Mufaddal narrated to us, Asbat narrated to us, from al-Suddi: "Say, O People of the Scripture, why do you avert [people] from the way of Allah [those] who have believed, seeking to make it deviant?" And they were such that if anyone asked them, "Do you find [a mention of] Muhammad?" they would say: "No." Thus, they averted people from him, and by "seeking to make it deviant" they meant "seeking to make it [a cause of] destruction."
The Second Aspect:
3885 - Abu Bakr ibn Abi Musa al-Kufi narrated to us, Harun ibn Hatim narrated to us, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Hammad narrated to us, from Asbat, from al-Suddi, from Abu Malik regarding His saying: "Seeking to make it deviant": He said: "Meaning, you desire other than Islam in Mecca."
His saying, the Exalted: "Deviant"
3886 - Ahmad ibn 'Uthman narrated to us, Ahmad ibn Mufaddal narrated to us, Asbat narrated to us, from al-Suddi: "Deviant" He said: "Destruction."
