فَاخْتَلَفَ الاْاَحْزَابُ مِن بَيْنِهِمْ
...
Then the sects differed,
means that the opinions of the People of the Book differed concerning `Isa even after the explanation of his affair and the clarification of his situation.
They disagreed about his being the servant of Allah, His Messenger, and His Word that He cast upon Maryam and a spirit from Himself.
So a group of them -- who were the majority of the Jews (may Allah's curses be upon them) -- determined that he was a child of fornication and that his speaking in his cradle was merely sorcery.
Another group said that it was Allah Who was speaking (not `Isa).
Others said that he (`Isa) was the son of Allah.
Some said that he was the third part of a divine trinity with Allah.
Yet, others said that he was the servant of Allah and His Messenger.
This latter view is the statement of truth, which Allah guided the believers to.
A report similar with this meaning has been reported from `Amr bin Maymun, Ibn Jurayj, Qatadah and others from the Salaf (predecessors) and the Khalaf (later generations).
Allah said,
...
فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن مَّشْهَدِ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
so woe unto the disbelievers from the meeting of a great Day.
This is a threat and severe warning for those who lie about Allah, invent falsehood and claim that He (Allah) has a son.
However, Allah has given them respite until the Day of Resurrection, and He has delayed their term out of gentleness and confident reliance upon His divine decree overcoming them. Verily, Allah does not hasten the affair of those who disobey Him.
This has been related in a Hadith collected in the Two Sahihs,
إِنَّ اللهَ لَيُمْلِي لِلظَّالِمِ حَتَّى إِذَا أَخَذَهُ لَمْ يُفْلِتْه
Verily, Allah gives respite to the wrongdoer until He seizes him and he will not be able to escape Him.
Then, the Messenger of Allah recited the Ayah,
وَكَذلِكَ أَخْذُ رَبِّكَ إِذَا أَخَذَ الْقُرَى وَهِىَ ظَـلِمَةٌ إِنَّ أَخْذَهُ أَلِيمٌ شَدِيدٌ
Such is the punishment of your Lord when He punishes the towns while they are doing wrong. Verily, His punishment is painful, (and) severe. (11:102)
In the Two Sahihs it is also reported that the Messenger of Allah said,
لاَا أَحَدَ أَصْبَرُ عَلَى أَذىً سَمِعَهُ مِنَ اللهِ إِنَّهُمْ يَجْعَلُونَ لَهُ وَلَدًا وَهُوَ يَرْزُقُهُمْ وَيُعَافِيهِم
No one is more patient with something harmful that he hears than Allah. Verily, they attribute to Him a son, while He is the One Who provides them sustenance and good health.
Allah says,
وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ أَمْلَيْتُ لَهَا وَهِىَ ظَـلِمَةٌ ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُهَا وَإِلَىَّ الْمَصِيرُ
And many a township did I give respite while it was given to wrongdoing. Then I punished it. And to me is the (final) return (of all). (22:48)
Allah, the Exalted, also says,
وَلاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ اللَّهَ غَـفِلً عَمَّا يَعْمَلُ الظَّـلِمُونَ إِنَّمَا يُوَخِّرُهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ تَشْخَصُ فِيهِ الاَبْصَـرُ
Consider not that Allah is unaware of that which the wrongdoers do, but He gives them respite up to a Day when the eyes will stare in horror. (14:42)
This is the reason that Allah says here,
فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن مَّشْهَدِ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
So woe unto the disbelievers from the meeting of a great Day.
referring to the Day of Resurrection.
It has been related in an authentic Hadith that is agreed upon (in Al-Bukhari and Muslim), on the authority of Ubadah bin As-Samit who said that the Messenger of Allah said,
مَنْ شَهِدَ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَأَنَّ عِيسَى عَبْدُاللهِ وَرَسُولُهُ وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَاهَا إِلَى مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌ مِنْهُ وَأَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ حَقٌّ وَالنَّارَ حَقٌّ أَدْخَلَهُ اللهُ الْجَنَّةَ عَلَى مَا كَانَ مِنَ الْعَمَل
Whoever testifies that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, Who has no partners, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, and that `Isa was Allah's servant and Messenger, and His Word that He cast upon Maryam, and a spirit from Him, and that Paradise and Hell are both real, then Allah will admit him into Paradise regardless of whatever he did.
