Tanwir al-Miqbas min Tafsir Ibn Abbas

And from his narration on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that he said regarding the interpretation of Allah's saying (Those who disbelieve among the People of the Scripture): '(Those who disbelieve among the People of the Scripture) i.e. the Jews and Christians (and the idolaters) the Arab idolaters (could not have left off (erring)) could not have remained in their denial of Muhammad (pbuh) the Qur'an and Islam (till the clear proof came unto them) until clarification of what is in their Scriptures, the Scriptures of the Jews and Christians, came to them. There is another way of understanding the above: those who disbelieve among the people of the Scripture, before the advent Muhammad (pbuh) such as 'Abdullah Ibn Salam and his followers, and those who ascribed partners to Allah before the advent of Muhammad (pbuh) such as Abu Bakr and his fellow Arabs, would not have desisted from their disbelief and idolatry until the clear proof came to them, i.e. until Muhammad (pbuh) came to them.

(A messenger from Allah) i.e. Muhammad (pbuh) (reading) to them (purified pages) pages purified from idolatry

(Containing) i.e. the page of Muhammad (pbuh) contains (correct scriptures) a religion and a straight and just way that contains no crookedness.

(Nor were the People of the Scripture divided) those who were given the Torah, i.e. Ka'b Ibn al-Ashraf and his host, did not differ about Muhammad (pbuh) the Qur'an and Islam (until after the clear proof came unto them) until the clarification of what is in their Scripture regarding the traits and description of Muhammad (pbuh) came to them.

(And they are ordered) in all the Scriptures (naught else than to serve Allah) nothing else but to profess Allah's divine Oneness, (keeping religion pure for Him) through the profession of Allah's divine Oneness, (as men by nature upright) as ones surrendered unto Him, (and to establish worship) and perform the five daily prayers after declaring their profession in Allah's divine Oneness (and to pay the poor-due) from their wealth after that. Allah then mentioned belief in Allah's divine Oneness, saying: (That) i.e. belief in Allah's divine Oneness (is true religion) the religion of truth, straight without any crookedness; it is also said that this means: that, i.e. belief in Allah's divine Oneness, is the religion of the angels; and it is also said this means: it is the religion of those who are by nature upright; and it is also said this means: the religion of Abraham.

(Lo! those who disbelieve) in Muhammad (pbuh) and the Qur'an, (among the People of the Scripture and the idolaters) i.e. the idolaters among the people of Mecca, (will abide in fire of hell) never to die therein or leave it. (They are the worst of created beings.

(And) lo! those who believe) in Muhammad (pbuh) and the Qur'an, such as 'Abdullah Ibn Salam and his followers and Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and his companions (and do good works) acts of obedience privately between themselves and their Lord (are the best of created beings.

Their reward is with their Lord: Gardens of Eden) the chamber of the Beneficent, the source of the prophets and those near to Him (beneath which) beneath whose trees, habitations and rooms (rivers flow) rivers of wine, water, honey and milk, (wherein they dwell forever) they remain in Paradise for ever never to die or leave it. (Allah hath pleasure in them) i.e. in their faith and works (and they have pleasure in Him) in His reward and bestowal of honour upon Him. (This) i.e. the Gardens and good pleasure (is (in store) for him who feareth his Lord) is for him who believes in Allah's divine Oneness such as Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and his companions and 'Abdullah Ibn Salam and his followers'.