وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَكَفَّرْنَا عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَلَأَدْخَلْنَاهُمْ جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ ﴿۶۵﴾ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ أَقَامُوا التَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنْجِيلَ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ لَأَكَلُوا مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِمْ مِنْهُمْ أُمَّةٌ مُقْتَصِدَةٌ وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْهُمْ سَاءَ مَا يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿۶۶﴾ يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ ﴿۶۷﴾

﴾65﴿ Wa law anna Ahlal Kitaabi aamanoo wattaqaw lakaffarnaa 'anhum saiyiaatihim wa la adkhalnaahu Jannaatin Na'eem
﴾66﴿ Wa law annahum aqaamut Tawraata wal Injeela wa maaa unzila ilaihim mir Rabbihim la akaloo min fawqihim wa min tahti arjulihim; minhum ummatum muqta sidatunw wa kaseerum minhum saaa'a maa ya'maloon
﴾67﴿ Yaaa aiyuhar Rasoolu balligh maaa unzila ilaika mir Rabbika wa il lam taf'al famaaa ballaghta Risaalatah; wallaahu ya'simuka minan naas; innal laaha laa yahdil qawmal kaafireen

﴾65﴿ And if the People of the Book had believed and kept themselves from sin, We would certainly have removed their evils from them and admitted them to the gardens of bliss
﴾66﴿ And if these people acted according to the Torah and the Gospel and according to the book that was revealed to them from their Lord, of course they would eat sustenance from above themselves and below their feet, Some of them are righteous And for many of them, the actions they do are bad
﴾67﴿ O Messenger: Convey what has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not do so, then you have not conveyed any of His messages, Surely, Allah Almighty does not give the power (to kill you) to the disbelieving people

[65] After listing the reasons for avoiding alliances with them, the verse now turns to an invitation to the true religion — which is based on faith and piety — and presents it with the promise of reward in the Hereafter:
"(Āmanū)" — refers to true and sincere faith in Allah the Exalted and in the final Messenger (may Allah bless him and give him peace).
"(Wa-ittaqaw)" — means protecting themselves from the disbelief and causes of corruption mentioned in the previous verses.
In "(La-kaffarnā ‘anhum sayyiātihim)", the phrase indicates removal of punishment, as Allah promises to erase their sins. The word sayyiātihim (their misdeeds) includes all sins, both major and minor, as well as bad inner traits — all of which would be forgiven if they embrace faith and piety.
[66] This verse presents the invitation through worldly glad tidings. Here, faith (īmān) and piety (taqwā) are expressed as upholding the divine scriptures, because true belief and piety are inherent in properly establishing and acting upon the divine books. Additionally, this verse implies the implementation and application of Allah’s law, and that if this responsibility is fulfilled, worldly blessings will follow. This meaning is also repeated in other Surahs.
"(Aqāmū)" — refers to affirming the truth of the scriptures, acting upon them personally, and establishing them in society through invitation, struggle (jihad), and legal implementation (taḥkīm).
(Question) Since the Torah and the Gospel are abrogated, why is their establishment mentioned?
(Answer) What is meant is their proper establishment during their valid time — during the era of their revelation. After the revelation of the Qur'an, the command is to establish the Qur'an only.
"(La-akalū min fawqihim wa min taḥti arjulihim)" — means they would have received sustenance from above in the form of timely, blessed rains, and from beneath their feet, meaning bountiful crops, fruits, and other provisions from the earth.
"(Minhum ummatun muqtaṣidah)" — indicates that among them is a group that is moderate and balanced in both belief and action — neither excessive nor neglectful, free from extremism or distortion.
[67] From this verse onward begins the third section of the surah, continuing to its end. It deals with two main themes. The first theme, which runs until verse 86, is a direct address to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), urging him to persist in invitation and conveying the message, specifically targeting the Christians. It lays out five key principles (masā’il) related to this mission.
In this verse, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is addressed with strong emphasis on the obligation of invitation and delivering the message:
1. "(Balligh mā unzila ilayk)" — “Convey what has been revealed to you” This indicates that the standard for da‘wah and conveying the message is the Qur’an and Sunnah. The command is to deliver all that was revealed — openly, courageously, and without concern for anyone’s reaction. For the Prophet, da‘wah (invitation) was an individual obligation (farḍ ‘ayn). For the rest of the Ummah, it varies in levels and degrees.
2. "(Wa in lam taf‘al fa-mā ballaghta risālatah)" — “And if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message” This highlights that holding back any part of the revelation, or considering people’s feelings while conveying the truth, would be a failure to deliver the message. According to Qurtubi, this verse also serves as a disciplinary address to the Prophet (peace be upon him), and more so a warning to scholars — that no part of the revealed religion may be concealed.
Qurtubi also says this verse is a refutation of the Rafidah (Shia) — may Allah disgrace them — who falsely claim that the Prophet concealed parts of revelation out of dissimulation (taqiyyah) or conveyed special knowledge only to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). May Allah curse the liars.
It also serves as a rejection of innovators (mubtadi‘ūn) who distort or withhold parts of the religion.
3. "(Wallāhu ya‘ṣimuka min al-nās)" — “And Allah will protect you from the people” This third method of encouragement assures the Prophet that he need not fear anyone, because Allah guarantees his protection.
(Question) But the Prophet (peace be upon him) experienced various forms of harm — in Makkah, at Uhud, and elsewhere. So how can this promise be understood?
(Answer) This verse from Surah al-Mā’idah was revealed after those hardships — thus, it assures him that after this point, no one would be able to harm or kill him.
"(Lā yahdī...)" — in this context, “guidance” means giving disbelievers the ability or power to kill the Prophet, which Allah denies them.