of those reported about; and had he used the singular where he used the plural, or used the plural where he used the singular, it would have been correct and permissible. (1)

As for the Interpretation of that (2), He means by it: O community of the rabbis of the People of the Book, believe in what I have revealed to My Messenger Muḥammad—Peace and blessings of God be upon him—of the Qur'an that confirms your Book and that which is with you of the Torah and the Gospel, wherein it was covenanted to you that he is My Messenger and My Prophet sent with the truth; and do not be the first of your nation who denied it (3) and rejected that it is from Me, while you possess knowledge of it that others do not.

And their Disbelief in it is their rejection that it is from Allah (4). The pronoun "h" in "in it" refers back to "what" (mā) in His statement: "And believe in what I have sent down." Just as:

817- Al-Qāsim narrated to me, he said: Al-Ḥusayn narrated to us, he said: Ḥajjāj narrated to us, he said: Ibn Jurayj said regarding His statement: "And be not the first to disbelieve in it", in the Qur'an. (5)

Abū Jaʿfar said: And it was narrated from Abū al-ʿĀliya regarding that what:

818- Al-Muthannā narrated it to me, he said: Ādam narrated to us, he said: Abū Jaʿfar narrated to us, from al-Rabīʿ, from Abū al-ʿĀliya: "And be not the first to disbelieve in it", he says: "Do not be the first who disbelieved in Muḥammad—Peace and blessings of God be upon him." (6)

And some of them said: "And be not the first to disbelieve in it", meaning: in your Book. They interpret that in their denial of Muḥammad—Peace and blessings of God be upon him—there is a denial on their part of their Book, because in their Book is the command to follow Muḥammad—Peace and blessings of God be upon him.

And these two views are far from what the apparent recitation indicates. That is because Allah—exalted be His praise—