And the third interpretation:

2539 - My father narrated to us, Ibrahim b. Mahdi reported to us, al-Faraj b. Fadalah reported to us, from Rabi'ah b. Yazid, who said: Were it not for what Allah repels [from the earth] by the people of the cities for the sake of the people of the desert, the punishment would have come upon them directly.

2540 - Abu Yazid al-Qaratisi informed us in what he wrote to me, Asbagh reported to us, he said: I heard 'Abd al-Rahman b. Zayd b. Aslam saying regarding the saying of Allah: "And were it not for Allah repelling people, some by others"—he said: Were it not for fighting and Jihad.

His saying: "The earth would have been corrupted"

2541 - al-Hajjaj b. Hamzah narrated to us, Shababah reported to us, Warqa' reported to us, from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid: "The earth would have been corrupted"—He means: Its inhabitants would have perished.

It was also narrated from al-Rabi' b. Anas something similar to that.

His saying: "But Allah is full of bounty to the worlds"

2542 - Muhammad b. al-'Abbas, the freed slave of Banu Hashim, narrated to us, Zunayj Muhammad b. 'Amr reported to us, Salamah reported to us, Ibn Ishaq said: "But Allah is full of bounty to the worlds"—that is: favor.

His saying, the Exalted: "These are the verses of Allah; We recite them to you in truth, and you are indeed from among the messengers"

2543 - Abu Bakr b. Abi Musa narrated to us, Harun b. Hatim reported to us, 'Abd al-Rahman b. Abi Hammad reported to us, from Asbat, from al-Suddi, from Abu Malik, regarding his saying: "These"—meaning: These [verses].

[His saying: "The verses of Allah"]

2544 - Abu Zur'ah narrated to us, Yahya b. 'Abd Allah reported to us, Ibn Lahi'ah narrated to me, 'Ata' b. Dinar narrated to me, from Sa'id b. Jubayr, regarding His saying: "The verses of Allah"—meaning: The Qur'an.

2545 - My father narrated to us, Hisham b. 'Ubayd Allah reported to us, 'Abd Allah b. al-Mubarak reported to us, regarding His saying: "These are the verses of Allah"—he said: The Qur'an.