Yahya: (from Ibn Abi Dhi'b), from al-Zuhri, [from 'Ata' ibn Yazid], from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was asked about the children of the polytheists, and he said: "Allah knows best what they would have been doing."
Yahya said: He means, if they had reached maturity.
His saying: "The creation of Allah cannot be changed," means: the religion of Allah, as in His saying: "Whomever Allah guides, he is the rightly guided," for no one can cause him to go astray; "but most of the people do not know," and they are the polytheists.
يَحْيَى: (عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ) عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ [عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ] عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: " سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ عَنْ أَوْلَادِ الْمُشْركين، فَقَالَ: الله أعلم (ل ٢٦٤) بِمَا كَانُوا عَامِلِينَ ".
قَالَ يَحْيَى: يَعْنِي: لَوْ بُلِّغُوا.
قَوْلُهُ: ﴿لَا تَبْدِيل لخلق الله﴾ يَعْنِي: لِدِينِ اللَّهِ كَقَوْلِهِ ﴿مَنْ يهد الله فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدي﴾ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُ أَحَدٌ أَنْ يُضِلَّهُ ﴿وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾ وهم الْمُشْركُونَ.
