Marwan said to his gatekeeper, "Go to Ibn ʿAbbas, O Rafiʿ, and say, 'If everybody who rejoices in what he has done, and likes to be praised for what he has not done, will be punished, then all of us will be punished." Ibn ʿAbbas said, "What connection have you with this case? It was only that the Prophet ﷺ called the Jews and asked them about something, and they hid the truth and told him something else, and showed him that they deserved praise for the favor of telling him the answer to his question, and they became happy with what they had concealed. Then Ibn ʿAbbas recited:-- "(And remember) when Allah took a Covenant from those who were given the Scripture..and those who rejoice in what they have done and love to be praised for what they have not done.' " (3.187-188) Humaid bin ʿAbdur-Rahman bin ʿAuf narrated that Marwan had told him (the above narration).  

أَنْ يُحْمَدَ بِمَا لَمْ يَفْعَلْ مُعَذَّبًا لَنُعَذَّبَنَّ أَجْمَعُونَ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ وَمَا لَكُمْ وَلِهَذِهِ إِنَّمَا دَعَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَهُودَ فَسَأَلَهُمْ عَنْ شَىْءٍ فَكَتَمُوهُ إِيَّاهُ وَأَخْبَرُوهُ بِغَيْرِهِ فَأَرَوْهُ أَنْ قَدِ اسْتَحْمَدُوا إِلَيْهِ بِمَا أَخْبَرُوهُ عَنْهُ فِيمَا سَأَلَهُمْ وَفَرِحُوا بِمَا أُوتُوا مِنْ كِتْمَانِهِمْ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ {وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ} كَذَلِكَ حَتَّى قَوْلِهِ {يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أَتَوْا وَيُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يُحْمَدُوا بِمَا لَمْ يَفْعَلُوا}  

If every one of us be punished for his being happy upon his deed and for his being praised for what he has not done, nobody would be saved from the torment. Ibn 'Abbas said: What you have to do with this verse? It has been in fact revealed in connection with the people of the Book." Then Ibn Abbas recited this verse:" When Allah took a covenant from those who had been given the Book: You shall explain it to people and shall not conceal this" (iii. 186), and then Ibn 'Abbas recited this verse:" Think not that those who exult in what they have done and love to be praised for what they have not done" (iii. 186). Ibn 'Abbas (further) said: Allah's Apostle ( ﷺ) asked them about something and then they concealed that and they told him something else and they went out and they thought that they had informed him as lie had asked them and they felt happy of what they had concealed.  

أَنْ يُحْمَدَ بِمَا لَمْ يَفْعَلْ مُعَذَّبًا لَنُعَذَّبَنَّ أَجْمَعُونَ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ مَا لَكُمْ وَلِهَذِهِ الآيَةِ إِنَّمَا أُنْزِلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ فِي أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ ثُمَّ تَلاَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ { وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلاَ تَكْتُمُونَهُ} هَذِهِ الآيَةَ وَتَلاَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ { لاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أَتَوْا وَيُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يُحْمَدُوا بِمَا لَمْ يَفْعَلُوا} وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ سَأَلَهُمُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عَنْ شَىْءٍ فَكَتَمُوهُ إِيَّاهُ وَأَخْبَرُوهُ بِغَيْرِهِ فَخَرَجُوا قَدْ أَرَوْهُ أَنْ قَدْ أَخْبَرُوهُ بِمَا سَأَلَهُمْ عَنْهُ وَاسْتَحْمَدُوا بِذَلِكَ إِلَيْهِ وَفَرِحُوا بِمَا أَتَوْا مِنْ كِتْمَانِهِمْ إِيَّاهُ مَا سَأَلَهُمْ عَنْهُ  

that Marwan bin Al-Hakam said: "Go O Rafi' - who was his gate-keeper - "to Ibn 'Abbas and say to him: 'If every person who rejoices with what he has done, and loves to be praised for what he has not done, will be punished, then we will all be punished.' So Ibn 'Abbas said: 'This Ayah has got nothing to do with you. This was only revealed about the People of the Book.' Then Ibn 'Abbas recited: "When Allah took a covenant from those who were given the Scripture to make it known and clear to mankind... (3:187)" and he recited: "Think not that those who rejoice in what they have done, and love to be praised for what they have not done... (3:188)" Ibn 'Abbas said: 'The Prophet ﷺ asked them about something, and they concealed it, and told him about something else. So they left wanting him to think that they informed him about what he asked them, and wanting to be praised for that by him, and they were rejoicing over what they had concealed, and the fact that they were asked about it."  

أَنْ يُحْمَدَ بِمَا لَمْ يَفْعَلْ مُعَذَّبًا لَنُعَذَّبَنَّ أَجْمَعُونَ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ مَا لَكُمْ وَلِهَذِهِ الآيَةِ إِنَّمَا أُنْزِلَتْ هَذِهِ فِي أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ ثُمَّ تَلاَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ ( وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلاَ تَكْتُمُونَهُ ) وَتَلاَ (لَاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أَتَوْا وَيُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يُحْمَدُوا بِمَا لَمْ يَفْعَلُوا ) قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ سَأَلَهُمُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عَنْ شَيْءٍ فَكَتَمُوهُ وَأَخْبَرُوهُ بِغَيْرِهِ فَخَرَجُوا وَقَدْ أَرَوْهُ أَنْ قَدْ أَخْبَرُوهُ بِمَا قَدْ سَأَلَهُمْ عَنْهُ وَاسْتُحْمِدُوا بِذَلِكَ إِلَيْهِ وَفَرِحُوا بِمَا أُوتُوا مِنْ كِتْمَانِهِمْ وَمَا سَأَلَهُمْ عَنْهُ  

that Marwan bin Al-Hakam said: "Go O Rafi' - who was his gate-keeper - "to Ibn 'Abbas and say to him: 'If every person who rejoices with what he has done, and loves to be praised for what he has not done, will be punished, then we will all be punished.' So Ibn 'Abbas said: 'This Ayah has got nothing to do with you. This was only revealed about the People of the Book.' Then Ibn 'Abbas recited: "When Allah took a covenant from those who were given the Scripture to make it known and clear to mankind... (3:187)" and he recited: "Think not that those who rejoice in what they have done, and love to be praised for what they have not done... (3:188)" Ibn 'Abbas said: 'The Prophet ﷺ asked them about something, and they concealed it, and told him about something else. So they left wanting him to think that they informed him about what he asked them, and wanting to be praised for that by him, and they were rejoicing over what they had concealed, and the fact that they were asked about it." (Using translation from Tirmidhī 3014)  

أَنْ يُحْمَدَ بِمَا لَمْ يَفْعَلْ مُعَذَّبًا لَنُعَذَّبَنَّ أَجْمَعُونَ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ وَمَا لَكُمْ وَهَذِهِ؟ إِنَّمَا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ فِي أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ ثُمَّ تَلا ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ {وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللهُ مِيثَاقَ الَّذِينَأُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ} [آل عمران 187] هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ وَتَلا ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ {لَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أَتَوْا وَيُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يُحْمَدُوا بِمَا لَمْ يَفْعَلُوا} [آل عمران 188] وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ سَأَلَهُمِ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عَنْ شَيْءٍ فَكَتَمُوهُ إِيَّاهُ وَأَخْبَرُوهُ بِغَيْرِهِ فَخَرَجُوا قَدْ أَرَوْهُ أَنْ قَدِ أخْبَرُوهُ بِمَا سَأَلَهُمْ عَنْهُ وَاسْتَحْمَدُوا بِذَلِكَ إِلَيْهِ وَفَرِحُوا بِمَا أَتَوْا مِنْ كِتْمَانِهِمْ إِيَّاهُ مَا سَأَلَهُمْ عَنْهُ  

[Machine] The verse was revealed concerning the people of the Book, when the Prophet ﷺ asked them about something, and they concealed it. Then, they came to him and he asked them again, and they informed him about something else. So, they realized that they had already informed him about what he had asked them, and they praised themselves for their secrecy and rejoiced in what they had kept hidden from him of what he had asked them.  

ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ إِنَّمَا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ فِي أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ أَتَاهُ الْيَهُودُ «فَسَأَلَهُمُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عَنْ شَيْءٍ فَكَتَمُوهُ ثُمَّ أَتَوْهُ فَسَأَلَهُمْ فَأَخْبَرُوهُ بِغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ فَخَرَجُوا وَرَأَوْا أَنْ قَدْ أَخْبَرُوهُ بِمَا سَأَلَهُمْ عَنْهُ وَاسْتَحْمَدُوا بِذَلِكَ وَفَرِحُوا بِمَا أُوتُوا مِنْ كِتْمَانِهِمْ إِيَّاهُ مِمَّا سَأَلَهُمْ عَنْهُ»