Mujahid, regarding His saying: "...and He made of them monkeys and swine," he said: They were transformed (transmogrified) from the Jews.

His saying, the Almighty: "...monkeys and swine."

[6562] Yunus ibn Habib narrated to us, Abu Dawud narrated to us, Dawud ibn al-Furat narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Zayd al-'Abdi, from Abu al-A'yaq, from Abu Hafs, from Ibn Mas'ud, he said: We asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) about the monkeys and swine: "Are they from the progeny of the Jews?" He said: "No. Indeed, Allah never cursed a people and transformed them such that they would have progeny. Rather, this is a creation that existed, and when Allah became angry with the Jews, He transformed them and made them like them."

His saying, the Almighty: "...and worshipped Taghut (false deities)."

[6563] My father narrated to me, Abu Ghassan narrated to us, he said: I said to Ibn Abi Layla regarding "and worshipped Taghut," he said: It means they served the Taghut.

His saying, the Almighty: "And when they come to you, they say, 'We have believed.'"

[6564] Muhammad ibn Yahya narrated to us, al-'Abbas ibn al-Walid al-Narsi narrated to us, Yazid ibn Zuray', narrated to us, Sa'id narrated to us, from Qatada, regarding His saying: "And when they come to you, they say, 'We have believed,'" he said: They were a group of Jews who used to visit the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and inform him that they were believers in what he brought, while they were holding firmly to their misguidance and disbelief. So they would enter with that [claim] and leave from the presence of the Prophet of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).

His saying, the Almighty: "...while they had entered with disbelief, and they had certainly left with it."

[6565] Muhammad ibn Sa'id al-'Awfi informed me in what he wrote to me, my father narrated to me, my paternal uncle narrated to us, my father narrated to me, from his father, from Ibn 'Abbas, regarding His saying: "And when they come to you, they say, 'We have believed,' while they had entered with disbelief, and they had certainly left with it," he said: They entered while they were speaking the truth [outwardly], but their hearts were imbued with disbelief, so He said: "They entered with disbelief, and they had certainly left with it."