The third interpretation:

3917 - My father narrated to us, Abu Salamah narrated to us, Mubarak—meaning Ibn Fadalah—narrated to us, from al-Hasan regarding the saying of Allah the Almighty: "And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together," he said: [Meaning] to His obedience.

The fourth interpretation:

3918 - 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 Abu al-'Aliyah regarding His saying: "And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together," he says: Hold firmly to sincerity (ikhlas) for Allah alone.

The fifth interpretation:

3919 - al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Rabi' narrated to us, 'Abd al-Razzaq informed us, from Ma'mar, from Qatadah regarding "And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together," he said: To the covenant of Allah and His command.

His saying, the Exalted: "And do not be divided."

3920 - My father narrated to us, 'Amr ibn 'Ali al-Sayrafi narrated to us, 'Abd Rabbihi ibn Bariq al-Hanafi narrated to me—and he praised him well—Simak ibn al-Walid al-Hanafi narrated to me that he met Ibn 'Abbas in Medina and said: What do you say regarding a ruler over us who oppresses us, insults us, and transgresses against us in our Zakat; should we not withhold it from them? He said: No, pay it to them, O Hanafi; for your father is one with refined lips and flared nostrils—meaning: Zanj (of African descent)—but give him your Zakat, for a fine female camel it is, a female camel that is commanded to a man between his bride and his milk-skin—meaning: his wife and his container of milk. Then he took my arms and squeezed them and said: "O Hanafi, the Jama'ah, the Jama'ah; for indeed, the nations of old were only destroyed by their division. Have you not heard the saying of Allah the Almighty: 'And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not be divided'?"

3921 - 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', from Abu al-'Aliyah regarding the saying of Allah the Exalted: "And do not be divided," he says: Do not show enmity toward one another over it—meaning: over the sincerity—and be brothers upon it.

His saying, the Exalted: "And remember the favor of Allah upon you."

3922 - My father narrated to us, Abu Salih narrated to us, Mu'awiyah ibn Salih narrated to me, from 'Ali ibn Abi Talhah, from Ibn 'Abbas regarding His saying: "The favor of Allah," he says: Allah's well-being (afiyah).