"Indeed, those who believed then disbelieved"—the verse. According to the exegesis of Qatadah, these are the people of the two scriptures. He said: The Jews believed in the Torah, then disbelieved in it—meaning: what they distorted of it—and the Christians believed in the Gospel, then disbelieved in it—meaning: what they distorted of it. "Then they increased"—all of them—"in disbelief" in the Quran. "Never would Allah forgive them"—Al-Hasan said: Meaning: those among them who died in their state of disbelief. "Nor would He guide them to a path"—that is: a path of guidance; meaning: the living. He intended by this their general body, for the select among them may accept faith. "Give tidings to the hypocrites that there is for them a painful punishment."
﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا﴾ الْآيَة، هُمْ أهل الْكِتَابَيْنِ، فِي تَفْسِير قَتَادَة. قَالَ: آمَنت الْيَهُود بِالتَّوْرَاةِ، ثُمَّ كفرت بهَا - يَعْنِي: مَا حرفوا مِنْهَا - وَآمَنت النَّصَارَى بالإنجيل ثُمَّ كفرت بِهِ - يَعْنِي: مَا حرفوا مِنْهُ. ﴿ثُمَّ ازْدَادُوا﴾ كلهم ﴿كُفْرًا﴾ بِالْقُرْآنِ ﴿لَمْ يَكُنِ الله ليغفر لَهُم﴾ قَالَ الحَسَن: يَعْنِي: من مَاتَ مِنْهُم على كفره. ﴿وَلا لِيَهْدِيَهُمْ سَبِيلا﴾ أَي: سَبِيل هدى؛ يَعْنِي: الْأَحْيَاء، وَأَرَادَ بِهَذَا عامتهم، وَقد تسلم الْخَاصَّة مِنْهُم. ﴿بَشِّرِ الْمُنَافِقِينَ بِأَنَّ لَهُم عذَابا أَلِيمًا﴾
