بَعْضَهُۥ

3:180.

Commentary:

The words, separate the bad from the good, refer to the first part of the previous verse, giving the reason for the defeat and failure of the disbelievers. God would cause their war against Islam to end in their defeat so that He might distinguish the righteous from the unrighteous. Similarly, the latter part of this verse, viz. put the bad, one upon another, and heap them up all together, and then cast them into Hell, corresponds to the latter part of the previous verse, viz. that the disbelievers shall be gathered into Hell. The words, heap them up all together, imply that as the disbelievers made a common cause against Islam, they would, as it were, all be heaped up into a bundle and then thrown into the fire of Hell as one huge piece of fuel.

28:53.

2:86.

18:111; 39:12; 72:21.

Commentary:

This verse shows that some of the "People of the Book" had accepted Islam while the Holy Prophet was yet in Mecca. The words, rejoice in what has been revealed to thee, most probably refer to Negus, the Abyssinian King and some of his people who, in their hearts, had become Muslims. But as their faith had not yet become publicly known, the words used about them are not "they believe" but simply "they rejoice."

The words, to whom We have given the Book, may also refer to Muslims, who naturally rejoiced to hear the glad tidings of their final triumph.

By the word احزاب (parties) is meant all those people to whom a Prophet is sent and who do not accept him. In the verse under comment the people referred to are the Jews, Christians and all other disbelievers, as the Holy Prophet has been sent to all the nations of the earth.

The words, a part thereof, have been used because disbelievers denied or disapproved of only those parts of the Quran which disagreed with their own Scriptures or their own beliefs. With regard to the remaining parts, they had no disagreement with them.

Commentary:

It is difficult to say to what particular incident the present verse in fact refers. The reference which seems to be supported by the context may be to the incident described by ‘A’ishah herself, which is to this effect: When verse 33:29 was revealed, giving the Holy Prophet’s wives a choice between his companionship and separation from him, by way of a reply to their demand for a life of comfort and ease, the Prophet first of all, broached the matter with ‘A’ishah (Bukhari, Kitabul-Mazalim wal Ghasb). The Holy Prophet appears to have taken that course because it was ‘A’ishah who had led the demand along with Hafsah, and it is not unlikely that ‘A’ishah passed on the Holy Prophet’s secret communication to Hafsah. Whatever the actual facts may be, the verse emphasizes the obligation of a person to whom a secret is confided not to divulge it, particularly when the parties concerned are husband and wife and the secret relates to a private domestic affair; or for that matter when they are a Prophet of God and one of his followers.