2:91

Wa izaa qeela lahum aaminoo bimaaa anzalal laahu qaaloo nu'minu bimaaa unzila
'alainaa wa yakfuroona bimaa waraaa'ahoo wa huwal haqqu musaddiqal limaa ma'ahum;
qul falima taqtuloona Ambiyaaa'al laahi min qablu in kuntum mu'mineen

And when it is said to them, "Believe in what God has revealed," they say, "We
believe in what was revealed to us," and they reject anything beyond that, although
it is the truth which confirms what they have. Say, "Why did you kill God's
prophets before, if you were believers?"

And when it is said to them (the Jews), "Believe in what Allah has sent down, 'they
say,
"We believe in what was sent down to us. And they disbelieve in that which came
after it,
while it is the truth confirming what is with them. Say (O Muhammad pbuh to them):
"Why then have
you killed the Prophets of Allah aforetime, if you indeed have been believers

--------------
ASBAB AL NUZUL

--------------------
- Although The Jews denied the Truth, They claimed to be Believers

Allah said,

"And when it is said to them" meaning, the Jews and the People of the Book,

"Believe in what Allah has sent down" to Muhammad pbuh, believe in and follow him

"They say, "We believe in what was sent down to us." meaning, it is enough for us
to believe in
what was revealed to us in the Tawrah and the Injil, and this is the path that we
choose,

"And they disbelieve in that which came after it"

"while it is the truth confirming what is with them"

meaning, while knowing that what was
revealed to Muhammad pbuh

"it is the truth confirming what is with them"

This means that since what was sent to Muhammad conforms to what was revealed to
the People of the Book,
then this fact constitutes a proof against them.

- Similarly, Allah said,

"Those to whom We gave the Scripture (Jews and Christians) recognize him (Muhammad
pbuh) as
they recognize their sons" (2:146)

- Allah said next ,

"Why then have you killed the Prophets of Allah aforetime, if you indeed have been
believers"
This means, "If your claim that you believe in what was revealed to you is true,
then why did
you kill the Prophets who came to you affirming the Tawrah's Law, although you knew
they
were true Prophets You killed them simply out of transgression, stubbornness and
injustice
with Allah's Messengers. Therefore, you only follow your lusts, opinions and
desires.

- Similarly, Allah said,

"Is it that whenever there came to you a Messenger with what you yourselves desired
not ,you
grew arrogant Some you disbelieved and some you killed."

- Also, As-Suddi said, "In this Ayah, Allah chastised the People of the Book

"Say (O Muhammad pbuh to them) "Why then have you killed the Prophets of Allah
aforetime, if you
indeed have been believers"

----------------------------------------

TAFSIR AL TUSTARI

---------------------------------------
Decoding the Quran

And when it is said to them, “Believe in what Allah has revealed,” they say, “We
believe only in what is revealed to us” and they disbelieve what has been revealed
to others. Whereas those revelations confirm that which is within them! Say, “If
you really believed in the reality that was revealed to you, then why did you kill
the Nabis of Allah?”

...
[2:91] And when it was said to them, ‘Believe in what God has revealed, that is,
the Qurʾān and other [Books], they said, ‘We believe in what was revealed to us’,
that is, the Torah; and (wā, here indicates a circumstantial qualifier) they
disbelieve in what is beyond that, what is other than that or what came afterwards,
such as the Qur’ān; yet it is the truth (wa-huwa’l-ḥaqqu is a circumstantial
qualifier) confirming (muṣaddiqan, a second circumstantial qualifier for emphasis)
what is with them. Say, to them: ‘Why then were you slaying the prophets of God
formerly, if you were believers?’ in the Torah and in it you were forbidden to kill
them: this address, concerning what their forefathers did, is directed towards
those present at the time of our Prophet, on account of their approval of it [that
is, of what the forefathers had done].