The Third Aspect:

8153 - Muhammad ibn Sa‘d informed me in what he wrote to me, my father told us, my uncle told me from his father from ‘Atiyyah from Ibn ‘Abbas: Regarding His saying: "Indeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects," that this is because the Jews and the Christians differed before Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was sent, and they divided. Then when Muhammad was sent, it was revealed regarding them: "Indeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects."

8154 - al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Rabi‘ told us, ‘Abd al-Razzaq informed us, Ma‘mar informed us from Qatadah: Regarding His saying: "Indeed, those who have divided their religion," he said: They are the Jews and the Christians.

The Fourth Aspect:

8155 - Abu Sa‘id ibn Yahya ibn Sa‘id al-Qattan informed us, Husayn al-Ju‘fi told us from Shayban from Qatadah: Regarding His saying: "Indeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects," he said: The Jews.

8156 - Ahmad ibn ‘Uthman ibn Hakim informed me in what he wrote to me, Ahmad ibn Mufaddal told us, Asbat told us from al-Suddi: Regarding His saying: "Indeed, those who have divided their religion," he said: They abandoned their religion.

His saying, the Almighty: "And become sects."

8157 - My father told us, Muhammad ibn al-Musaffa told us, Baqiyyah told us, Shu‘bah told us from Mujalid from al-Sha‘bi from Shurayh from ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said to ‘A’ishah:

"O ‘A’ishah, indeed those who have divided their religion and become sects are the people of desires and innovations. O ‘A’ishah, indeed for every sinner there is repentance except for the people of innovation, for they have no repentance; they are free of me, and I am free of them."

8158 - My father told us, Abu Salih, the scribe of al-Layth, told us, Mu‘awiyah ibn Salih told me from ‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah from Ibn ‘Abbas, regarding His saying: "Indeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects," he said:

Allah commanded the believers to hold to the community (jama‘ah) and forbade them from disagreement and division, and informed them that those before them were only destroyed by arguing and disputing about the religion of Allah.

8159 - Ahmad ibn ‘Uthman ibn Hakim al-Awdi informed me in what he wrote to me, Ahmad ibn Mufaddal told us, Asbat told us from al-Suddi: Regarding His saying: "And become sects," he said: Separated.