Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs
(And a generation hath succeeded them) a generation of people succeeded the righteous ones, but their successors, among the Jews, were evil (who inherited the Scriptures) they took the Scripture and concealed the traits and description of Muhammad (pbuh) that is in it. (They grasp the goods of this low life (as the price of evil doing)) they take bribes and other unlawful stuff of this world in exchange for concealing the traits and description of Muhammad (pbuh) (and say: It will be forgiven us) the sins we commit at night shall be forgiven during the day, and the sins we commit in the day shall be forgiven at night. (And if there came to them (again)) today (the offer of the like) similar to the unlawful that had come to them before, (they would accept it) and declaring to be lawful. (Hath not the covenant of the Scripture been taken on their behalf that they should not speak aught concerning Allah save the Truth? And they have studied that which is therein) of the traits and attributes of Muhammad (pbuh); it is also said that this means: they studied what is in it of the lawful and the unlawful but did not act upon it. (And the abode of the Hereafter) i.e. Paradise (is better, for those who ward off (evil)) ward off disbelief, idolatry, indecencies, bribery and changing the traits and description of the Prophet (pbuh) in the Torah. Warding off these is better than the abode of the life of this world. (Have ye then no sense?) do you not realise that the life of this world is vanishing and the Hereafter is everlasting?
Tafsir Ibn 'Abbas, trans. Mokrane Guezzou
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