إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ السَّبْتُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَيَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ ﴿۱۲۴﴾ ادْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَجَادِلْهُمْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ ضَلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ ﴿۱۲۵﴾ وَإِنْ عَاقَبْتُمْ فَعَاقِبُوا بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبْتُمْ بِهِ وَلَئِنْ صَبَرْتُمْ لَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لِلصَّابِرِينَ ﴿۱۲۶﴾

﴾124﴿ Innnamaa ju'ilas Sabtu 'alal lazeenakhtalafoo feeh; wa inna Rabbaka la yahkumu bainahum Yawmal Qiyaamati feemaa kaanoo feehi yakhtalifoon
﴾125﴿ Ud'u ilaa sabeeli Rabbika bilhikmati walmaw 'izatil hasanati wa jaadilhum billatee hiya ahsan; inna Rabbaka huwa a'almu biman dalla 'an sabeelihee wa Huwa a'lamu bilmuhtadeen
﴾126﴿ Wasbir wa maa sabruka illaa billaah; wa laa tahzan 'alaihim wa laa taku fee daiqim mimmaa yamkuroon

﴾124﴿ Indeed, the observance of Saturday was ordained only for those who differed regarding it, and surely your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that in which they used to differ
﴾125﴿ Call to your Lord with wisdom and good advice, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His path, and He knows best those who are rightly guided
﴾126﴿ And if you retaliate, then retaliate with an equivalent to that which you were harmed. But if you are patient, it is better for those who are patient

[124] This verse addresses a doubt (شُبهة) raised by some: In the religion of Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him), honoring Saturday (سبت) was obligatory—so why, O Prophet, do you oppose that?
The response is that honoring Saturday was only made obligatory upon "الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُوا"—those who disputed, namely the Jews.
This observance was not part of the religion of Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him).
The meaning of "الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُوا" is that Allah had granted them the option to choose one day a week for religious observance, and He informed them that Friday (يوم الجمعة) is the most virtuous.
Therefore, it was expected of them to submit their will to the will of Allah, but instead, they chose Saturday.
Later, the Christians (نصارى), during the reign of Constantine (قسطنطین), went further in opposition and chose Sunday (یوم الأحد).
Thus, this verse clarifies that observance of specific days was a matter of later divergence, not part of the pure Abrahamic faith, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) is not contradicting that original religion by honoring Friday instead.
[125] This verse encourages the act of da‘wah (دعوت), and from here to the end of the Surah, five etiquettes (آداب) of da‘wah are mentioned.
In this verse and those that follow, the command to invite is expressed with the word "(ادْعُ)", and it includes both the method of da‘wah and the expected challenges and outcomes.
The goal of da‘wah is clarified in the phrase "(إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ)"—meaning the path of your Lord, which refers to Tawḥīd and the beliefs discussed earlier in the Surah.
The method of da‘wah is described in three parts:
1. "(بِالْحِكْمَةِ)" – meaning: with strong and clear proofs and certainty. "Ḥikmah" (wisdom) refers to well-grounded knowledge and practice, and its details are mentioned in verse (39) of Surah Al-Isrā’, where it refers to the Qur’an and authentic Hadith.
2. "(وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ)" – meaning: through gentle encouragement, including glad tidings, rewards, warnings, and reminders that stir the heart and motivate sincerity.
3. "(وَجَادِلْهُم بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ)" – meaning: respond to doubts and objections with kindness, patience, and respectful argumentation, using a manner that silences opposition without aggression.
The verse ends with "(إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ...)", indicating that your responsibility is only to convey the message, while guidance lies solely with Allah—this points to the ultimate outcome of da‘wah.
[126] In this verse, there is an indication of the hardships (مصایب) faced in da‘wah—the challenges and opposition that come with calling people to the truth.
Two approaches to dealing with such difficulties are mentioned:
1. معاقبه – responding with justice, i.e., retaliating in equal measure ("بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبْتُم بِهِ")—taking your due without transgressing.
2. صبر (patience) – enduring the harm without retaliation, which is presented as the better and more virtuous path.
Thus, while justice is allowed, forgiveness and patience are preferred, especially in the context of da‘wah, where gentleness and forbearance can lead to hearts being guided.