with the first Scripture and with the final Scripture. Allah then revealed: "O you who have believed, fear Allah and believe in His Messenger; He will give you a double portion of His mercy." The People of the Scripture said: "They have been given just as we have been given." Then Allah revealed: "[And We did this] so that the People of the Scripture may know"—until He concluded the verse.

16983 - 'Ali ibn al-Husayn narrated to us, 'Abd al-A'la ibn Hammad narrated to us, Ya'qub ibn 'Abdullah al-Ash'ari narrated to us, Layth narrated to us, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr who said: When this verse was revealed, "Those will be given their reward twice for what they patiently endured," the Jews went out against the Muslims and said: "Whoever among us believes in your Book and our Book will have two rewards, and whoever does not believe in your Book will have a reward like your rewards." Then Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, revealed to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him: "O you who have believed, fear Allah and believe in His Messenger; He will give you a double portion of His mercy and make for you a light by which you walk and forgive you." So He increased them in light and forgiveness. "So that the People of the Scripture may know that they are not capable"—until the end of the verse.

16984 - It was read to Yunus ibn 'Abd al-A'la, Ibn Wahb informed us, al-Layth ibn Sa'd informed me, from 'Aqil ibn Khalid, from Shihab that the verse which is in [Surah] Ta-Sin-Mim... "Those will be given their reward twice"—he said: It was concerning those who embraced Islam from among the People of the Scripture.

16985 - Muhammad ibn Yahya narrated to us, al-'Abbas narrated to us, Yazid narrated to us, from Sa'd, from Qatadah regarding His saying: "Those to whom We gave the Scripture before it—they are believers in it"—he said: We used to relate that it was revealed concerning some people from the People of the Scripture who were upon a law of the truth; they would adhere to it and abide by it until Allah sent Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Then they believed in him and affirmed him, so Allah gave them their reward twice for their patience on the first Scripture, their following of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and their patience upon that. It was mentioned to us that among them were Salman and 'Abdullah ibn Salam.

16986 - My father narrated to us, Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Dashtaki narrated to us, 'Abdullah ibn Abi Ja'far narrated to us, from his father, from al-Rabi' regarding His saying: "Those will be given their reward twice for what they patiently endured"—he said: They were a people who, during the time of the fatrah (the gap between prophets), were holding fast to Islam, remaining steadfast upon it, and patient over what they were harmed with, until some men among them reached the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and joined him. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "Indeed, Islam began as a stranger and will return as a stranger just as it began, so glad tidings to the strangers." So whoever...