Verses 43–56
The context of the verses in this section attests that the polytheists from the Prophet Muḥammad’s people consulted some of the People of the Book and sought their opinion regarding his claims. The polytheists presented to the People of the Book some of the Qur’anic verses revealed to the Prophet while the Qur’anic revelation confirmed and endorsed the Torah. The People of the Book who were consulted responded by authenticating and confirming the Prophet as well as expressing their faith in the true knowledge and wisdom that the Qur’an contained, adding that they had recognized the Prophet by his attributes and characteristics well before he was commissioned, just as God said: And when it is recited to them, they say: We believe in it, it is the truth from our Lord; we were submitters before this ().
However, such a response displeased the polytheists, and they quarreled with the People of the Book and used rude language towards them. They said: “The Qur’an is a work of magic, and the Torah is a work of magic like it: Two [works of] magic backing up each other” (), and they said: Surely we are unbelievers in all (). As a result, the People of the Book turned away from them, saying: Peace be on you; we do not desire the ignorant ().
What comes across upon reading the noble verses in this sūrah is that God relates the story of Moses and informs how He made a people who were weak, enslaved, and persecuted such that their sons were killed while their women-folk were allowed to live, to triumph over a people who considered themselves exalted—who were arrogant, tyrannical and corrupt. This triumph occurred by means of a child from among the weak and persecuted people whom God raised in the very lap of his enemy—an enemy by whose order thousands of the sons of the weak and persecuted people were killed. Then God led the child out from among the arrogant and tyrannical people when the child had grown to maturity, subsequently sending him forth as a messenger and returning him to the arrogant and tyrannical people, rendering him triumphant over them, till He drowned the arrogant and tyrannical people altogether while He saved the nation of Israel such that they became the heirs.
When God relates this narrative here, He adds to it the mention of the Torah: a heavenly book which contained details of the message and the call and by means of which the proof became complete, and which contained the remembrance. Thus God mentions that He revealed the Torah to Moses in which were clear arguments, guidance, and mercy for mankind so that mankind would hearken, pay heed, and remember, and thereby desist from the disobedience of God after He had destroyed the past generations due to their disobedience.
Thus, in a similar manner, God revealed the Qur’an to the Prophet Muḥammad and narrated to him the stories of Moses. All this was while the Prophet Muḥammad did not witness the revelation of the Torah to Moses, nor was he present at the mountain of al-Ṭūr when God called out to Moses and spoke to him. In addition, God narrated to the Prophet what transpired between Moses and Shuʿayb although the Prophet was not resident in Midian, reciting to the Meccans His signs; rather it was God who revealed and narrated to the Prophet what He narrated as a mercy from Himself so that the Prophet may warn a people by it—a people to whom no warner had come before the Prophet. This was because the people to whom the warning was addressed had become deserving of divine punishment and deserving of being afflicted with adversity and calamity due to their ingratitude, disbelief, and wickedness. Thus, were God not to reveal a book and were He not to convey the call, the ungrateful, disbelieving, and wicked people would have said: “Our Lord if You had sent us a messenger from Yourself, we would have followed and obeyed the signs,” and as a result the proof would be in their favor and against God .
However, when the truth came to them from God by means of the prophetic mission of the Prophet Muḥammad who was sent to them, and by means of the revelation of the Qur’an, they reacted with the statement: Why is he not given the like of what was given to Moses? What! Did they not disbelieve in what Moses was given before? () This disbelief and rejection on their part was when they had consulted the People of the Book regarding the claims of the Prophet, which the People of the Book authenticated and confirmed, whereupon the polytheists said: Two [works of] magic backing up each other (), meaning thereby the Torah and the Qur’an. They also said: Surely we are unbelievers in all ().
Then, God taught His Prophet the conclusive proof against them with: Say: Then bring some [other] book from Allah which is a better guide than both of them, [that] I may follow it, if you are truthful (). What God meant was that it was imperative in God’s wisdom that there should be a book revealed from Himself which guides to the truth, by which the proof to mankind is made complete, and which they would know. Hence if the Torah and the Qur’an were not books of guidance and if they were not sufficient for the guidance of mankind, then there must be a book that is a better guide than these two. However, that was not the case since these two books contained right knowledge and wisdom, supported by miracles and intelligent evidence, in addition to which there was no heavenly book that was better in guidance to these two. Thus the two books were books of guidance while the people who were turning away from these two books were following and obeying their desires and whims and had strayed from the right path, which is described in: But if they do not answer you, then know that they only follow their low desires; and who is more erring than he who follows his low desires without any guidance from Allah? Surely Allah does not guide the unjust people ()
Thereafter, God praises a group of the People of the Book whom the polytheists had consulted regarding the matter of the Prophet (Muḥammad) and the Qur’an. These were the People of the Book who had manifested their faith and belief (in the Prophet and the Qur’an) to the polytheists, and had subsequently turned away from the polytheists and avoided the futile and nonsensical speech with which the latter confronted them.
Commentary
وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا أَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُونَ الْأُولَىٰ بَصَائِرَ لِلنَّاسِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ٤٣
(28:43) And certainly, We gave Moses the Book after We had destroyed the former generations, as clear arguments for men and as guidance and mercy, that they may be mindful.
This book was the Torah, which was given to Moses by means of God’s revelation to him.
After We had destroyed the former generations refers to the generations preceding the revelation of the Torah such as the people of the Prophet Noah and the people after them from among those that were destroyed. This possibly includes the people of the Pharaoh too among them. The registration of this clause here contains an indication of the urgent and dire need by then for the revelation of the book due to the loss of the divine teachings as a result of the passing away of the past generations, and for the sake of drawing attention in the book of God to their stories and experiences, and to the advent of divine punishment on them due to their belying the signs of God. This was so that those who wished to reflect may do so by means of it and so that those who wished to remember and pay heed would do so by it.
As for the phrase baṣāʾira li al-nās (“clear arguments for men”) that occurs in this verse, the term baṣāʾir is the plural of the term baṣīrah. This term means “that by means of which someone perceives and understands something,” while what is intended by this plural term are the clear and evident proofs by means of which a person perceives and understands the truth and by which a person distinguishes between truth and falsehood.
As for the term hudan which occurs in this verse, it has the meaning of “the guide (to the right path)” or “that by which one is guided aright.” Similarly, the word raḥmah which occurs in this verse has the meaning of “that due to which one qualifies for mercy and compassion.”
Hence the meaning obtained is: “I swear, certainly, We had given Moses the book which was the Torah. This was after We had destroyed the earlier generations and consequently wisdom dictated that the warning and the call be renewed such that the new book revealed would serve as clear proof by means of which mankind would perceive and understand right knowledge. It would also serve as guidance by means of which mankind would be guided to the right knowledge, in addition to which it would also serve as mercy, whereby mankind would qualify for mercy and compassion due to acting in accordance to its laws and regulations so that they would recall the beliefs and deeds that were obligatory on them.”
وَمَا كُنْتَ بِجَانِبِ الْغَرْبِيِّ إِذْ قَضَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَى الْأَمْرَ وَمَا كُنْتَ مِنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ ٤٤
(28:44) And you were not on the western side when We revealed to Moses the commandment, and you were not among the witnesses.
This is addressed to the Prophet Muḥammad while the description al-gharbī (“western”) that occurs in this verse serves as an adjective which describes and qualifies a noun that is elided, the elided noun being either “the valley” or “the mountain.” The intent would be “on the side of the western valley” (bi-jānib al-wādī al-gharbī) or “on the side of the western mountain” (bi-jānib al-jabal al-gharbī).
When We revealed to Moses the commandment: This revelation included the meaning of “covenant,” while the meaning of revealing the covenant to Moses, according to what is suggested, refers to the rules and regulations that relate to the office of prophecy, which were conveyed by the revelation of the Torah to him. As for the covenant made to him with respect to the office of messengership, this is indicated by the subsequent verse, which is: And you were not on this side of the mountain when We called… () while the part of this verse which reads and you were not among the witnesses serves as a reiterating confirmation of what has been mentioned before.
Therefore the meaning obtained is: “You were neither present nor were you a witness when We revealed the Torah to Moses on the side of the western valley or on the side of the western mountain.”
وَلَٰكِنَّا أَنْشَأْنَا قُرُونًا فَتَطَاوَلَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْعُمُرُ ۚ وَمَا كُنْتَ ثَاوِيًا فِي أَهْلِ مَدْيَنَ تَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِنَا وَلَٰكِنَّا كُنَّا مُرْسِلِينَ ٤٥
(28:45) But We raised up generations, then life became prolonged to them; and you were not dwelling among the people of Midian, reciting to them Our communications, but We were the senders.
The phrase “then life became prolonged to them” which occurs in this verse means the continuation and prolongation of the time-period, while the initial part of this verse which reads But We raised up generations, then life became prolonged to them occurs as supplemental information for the Prophet as well as to make up for the negation that was mentioned in the previous verse: And you were not on the western side when… ().
Hence the meaning obtained is: “You were not present there, witnessing what was unfolding there; however, We brought forth or created generations after Moses and their life became prolonged for them. Then We revealed his story to you as well as the news of the revelation of the book that was revealed to him.”
Hence, this part of the verse is succinct and concise due to an elision, since the context provides sufficient meaning and sense.
And you were not dwelling among the people of Midian, reciting to them Our communications, but We were the senders: The term al-thāwī that occurs in this verse means “resident or residing, dwelling.” It is said in Arabic for a person who takes up residence or settles down in a place that he had: thawā fī al-makān translated as “he settled down or resided in the place” while the pronoun him refers to the polytheists of Mecca to whom the Prophet used to recite the verses of God which conveyed what happened to Moses in Midian during the latter’s residence there.
The end part of this verse that reads but We were the senders occurs with the aim of removing any ambiguity and to make up the negation and denial mentioned earlier in this verse.
Hence the meaning obtained is: “You were not resident with the people of Midian—and these were Shuʿayb and his people—witnessing what was happening to Moses there whilst reciting Our signs to the polytheists which convey his news; rather, it was We who sent you as a messenger to your people, revealing to you these verses so that you may recite them to the people.”
وَمَا كُنْتَ بِجَانِبِ الطُّورِ إِذْ نَادَيْنَا وَلَٰكِنْ رَحْمَةً مِنْ رَبِّكَ لِتُنْذِرَ قَوْمًا مَا أَتَاهُمْ مِنْ نَذِيرٍ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ٤٦
(28:46) And you were not on the side of the mountain when We called, but a mercy from your Lord that you may warn a people to whom no warner came before you, that they may be mindful.
What is apparent upon comparing this verse with the previous one, which reads: And you were not on the western side when We revealed to Moses the commandment… () is that the meaning of the “call” in this verse refers to the call made from the bush or tree during the night in which Moses saw the fire on the side of the mountain of al-Ṭūr, while the phrase but a mercy from your Lord that occurs here does so in the sense of providing additional information and for making up for the negation that occurs at the onset of this verse, and so it provides supplemental information in order to remove any ambiguity or confusion. There is a shift in the mode of the divine discourse in the middle of this verse from the immediately previous verses as well as from the beginning part of this verse where God speaks to the Prophet in conversation, always referring to Himself in the first person plural to speaking about Himself (in the middle of this verse) as if He is absent from the place of the conversation as indicated by the use of the second person singular pronoun “your” in this verse but a mercy from your Lord. This is to prove the total and consummate attention and care of God for the Prophet.
That you may warn a people to whom no warner came before you: It is apparent that the mention of “a people” in this verse is a reference to the people at the time of the Prophet or a reference to them and to those associated with them from their forefathers since the prophets from among them such as Hūd, Ṣāliḥ, Shuʿayb, and Ishmael had long passed away.
Hence the meaning obtained is: “You were not present at the side of the mountain of al-Ṭūr when We called out to Moses, spoke to him, and chose him for the office of messengership such that you would be acquainted with it and informed about it like one who was present there as a witness; however, We have informed you of it as a mercy from Ourselves so that you may warn a people to whom no warner had come before you so that they may mind.”
وَلَوْلَا أَنْ تُصِيبَهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُوا رَبَّنَا لَوْلَا أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولًا فَنَتَّبِعَ آيَاتِكَ وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٤٧
(28:47) And were it not that there should befall them a disaster for what their hands have sent before, then they should say: Our Lord! Why didst Thou not send to us a messenger so that we should have followed Thy communications and been of the believers?
The meaning of the phrase “what their hands have sent before” that occurs in this verse refers to the sins and evil which they had earned due to their beliefs and practices. This is understood from the terminal part of this verse, while the meaning of the term muṣībah (“a disaster”) which would befall them refers to a disaster whose extent is more pervasive and broader in scope than the disaster of the world alone or that of the hereafter alone since turning away from the truth through disbelief and immorality entails divine punishment in the world as it entails divine punishment in the hereafter. A discussion regarding this issue has already taken place in the context of And if the people of the towns had believed and guarded [against evil] We would certainly have opened up for them blessings from the heaven and the earth () and other verses.
Then they should say: Our Lord! Why didst Thou not send to us a messenger so that we should have followed Thy communications and been of the believers? This occurs as a concomitant to not sending forth divine messengers. The implied meaning is: “We would certainly not have sent a messenger” (lamā arsalnā rasūlan).
Hence the meaning obtained is: “Had it not been that the disbelievers would have a valid argument against Us supposing no messenger was sent to them and due to which they would be overtaken by what their hands had sent forth of disbelief and immorality, We would certainly not have sent forth a messenger to them, but for their saying: “Our Lord, if only You had sent us a messenger we would have followed and obeyed Your signs which the messengers would recite to us, and we would have been believers.”
فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ عِنْدِنَا قَالُوا لَوْلَا أُوتِيَ مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰ ۚ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفُرُوا بِمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰ مِنْ قَبْلُ ۖ قَالُوا سِحْرَانِ تَظَاهَرَا وَقَالُوا إِنَّا بِكُلٍّ كَافِرُونَ ٤٨
(28:48) But [now] when the truth has come to them from Us, they say: Why is he not given the like of what was given to Moses? What! Did they not disbelieve in what Moses was given before? They say: Two [works of] magic backing up each other; and they say: Surely we are unbelievers in all.
The beginning part of this verse means: “We sent a messenger to them with the truth and revealed the book.” It is clear that the book refers to the book that was revealed to the messenger, which is the Qur’an revealed to the Prophet Muḥammad. However, when the truth came to them from Us, they said: Why is he not given the like of what was given to Moses? Their statement—“why is the Prophet not given the like of the Torah, which was given to Moses?”—suggests that they intended that the Qur’an be revealed all at once, just as God relates about them in: And those who disbelieve say: Why has not the Qur’an been revealed to him all at once? ()
God responded to their statement with: What! Did they not disbelieve in what Moses was given before? They say: Two [works of] magic backing up each other. What they meant by this statement of theirs was in reference to the Qur’an and the Torah.
And they say: Surely we are unbelievers in all: The difference between the two statements—Two [works of] magic backing up each other and Surely we are unbelievers in all—is that the first one is a negation of faith in the two books while the second is a negation of faith in the very principle of prophethood. Perhaps it is due to this difference in meaning between the two statements that the verb qālū (“they said”) is repeated in this verse.
قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِكِتَابٍ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ هُوَ أَهْدَىٰ مِنْهُمَا أَتَّبِعْهُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ٤٩
(28:49) Say: Then bring some [other] book from Allah which is a better guide than both of them [that] I may follow if you are truthful.
This verse occurs as a concomitant to the accusation that the Qur’an and the Torah were works of magic, backing each other up. This concomitance would be invalid unless it was incumbent that there was among mankind a book from God that guides them while at the same time it was incumbent on them to follow it. Thus, if the two books were works of magic and false, then it would mean that the truth lay elsewhere, in another book. This concomitance is similar to the concomitance that God clarifies in: And were it not that there should befall them a disaster for what their hands have sent before, then they should say: Our Lord! Why didst Thou not send to us a messenger so that we should have followed Thy communications and been of the believers? ().
Mankind has a right on God that He should reveal a book to them and send forth a messenger to them. It is for this reason that God instructed His Prophet to demand of them a book other than these two, a book which would supposedly be a better guide than these two so that he may follow it.
Therefore, if the two books were works of magic and backing each other up then they would be false and misguided and devoid of any guidance while the other book, other than these two, which they would bring forth, would supposedly be a better guide than these two—it being necessary that the comparative adjective (ahdā) be applicable to both: the thing preferred [that is, the other book] and the thing that is preferred over [that is, the Qur’an and the Torah]—however the situation, in light of it being a situation of debate and argumentation, claims that the two books are rightly-guiding while there is no other book that is superior to them both in guidance. Therefore if the opponent does not accept this claim, then the opponent would consequently need to come forth with a book that is superior to these two in the sense and meaning which corresponds and relates to the two books, which means that the opponent would have to bring forth a book that is a better guide than them both. This is even if the noble Qur’an declares that corruption and defect had seeped into the current Torah, which would not befit it being considered a book of guidance in an absolute sense; however, the verse in question is actually referring to the original Torah that was revealed to Moses, which is the book that the Qur’an authenticates and vouches for.
Moreover, the subject of the verse in question is the consideration of the two books together while the Qur’an corrects the current Torah by mentioning corruption in it. Thus it is these two books together that are guidance while no book is a better guide than these two. As for the part of this verse that reads if you are truthful, this is in relation to their claim that the two are works of magic, backing each other up.
فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا لَكَ فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّمَا يَتَّبِعُونَ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ ۚ وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنِ اتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ بِغَيْرِ هُدًى مِنَ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ ٥٠
(28:50) But if they do not answer you, then know that they are only following their low desires; and who is more erring than he who follows his low desires without any guidance from Allah? Surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.
The verbal nouns al-istijāba and al-ijāba mean one and the same. Both generally mean “to answer,” “to respond,” “to reply.”
But if they do not answer you then know that they are only following their low desires: occurs as a concomitant to the previous verse, which was Say: Then bring some [other] book from Allah which is a better guide than both of them… (). It means: “If you told them such and such and challenged them with it yet they did not bring a book that was a better guide than the Qur’an and the Torah while it was specifically identified that there is no guidance which is more complete and perfect than the guidance contained in these two books, and despite that they still accuse the two works of being works of magic and turn away from them, then know that they are not in search of the truth nor are they interested in following what is clearly attested to by the intellect; rather, they are merely following their whims and desires and are simply defending their desires and fancies by such false remarks as Two [works of] magic backing up each other… () and We are unbelievers in all.”
It is also possible that the intent of then know that they are only following their low desires is: “If they do not bring forth a book that is better in guidance than these two while they persist in rejecting these two, then know that they are establishing their mode of life on following and obeying their whims and fancies. They do not have faith in the principle of prophethood or in the principle that God sends forth heavenly teachings to them by means of revelation and inspiration requiring them to follow it and to conduct their lives in accordance with their Lord’s guidance.” Perhaps the next part of the verse supports this meaning and interpretation, namely: And who is more erring than he who follows his low desires without any guidance from Allah? Allah does not guide the unjust people.
The question in this verse which reads and who is more erring than he who follows his low desires without any guidance from Allah? is a rhetorical question which indicates a negation with a tone of rebuke. Its intent is to conclude that the Meccan polytheists are a people who are errant, while Allah does not guide the unjust people explains that their state of being errant is due to their following their whims and desires. This is because following whims and desires lead to deviating from the truth and from the path of guidance, which is consequently an injustice and an inequity, and God does not guide the unjust, while the one not guided is lost and astray.
Thus the proof obtained is that if they do not bring forth a book which is better in guidance than these two and at the same time they refuse to believe in these two books then it means they are merely following their whims and desires, while a person who follows his or her whims and desires is unjust and the unjust are not guided aright, and one who is not guided aright is lost and astray.
وَلَقَدْ وَصَّلْنَا لَهُمُ الْقَوْلَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ٥١
(28:51) And certainly, We have made the word to reach them so that they may be mindful.
The meaning is: “We (that is, God) (repeatedly) conveyed or revealed the Qur’an to them in a manner such that its parts followed each other in connected, sequential revelation; a verse followed by another in sequence, a sūrah coming in the wake of another sūrah in sequence, where these (verses and sūrahs) contained promises, warnings, rules, anecdotes, lessons, judgments, and advice so that they would pay heed and remember.”
الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ هُمْ بِهِ يُؤْمِنُونَ ٥٢
(28:52) [As to] those whom We gave the Book before it, they are believers in it.
The two pronouns that occur in this verse refer to the Qur’an. It is also suggested that these two pronouns refer to the Prophet Muḥammad; however, the first identification is more in harmony with the context of the verse. This and the following verses contain praise in favor of a group of believers from the People of the Book. This praise comes subsequent to the censure and criticism of the polytheists of Mecca in the previous verses.
The context of the terminal parts of these verses testifies that these praised people were a specific group from the People of the Book who had believed in the Qur’an; therefore, the claim that the expression “the People of the Book” mentioned in these verses refers to the generality of the believers from among them is inconsequential.
وَإِذَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِهِ إِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا مِنْ قَبْلِهِ مُسْلِمِينَ٥٣
(28:53) And when it is recited to them, they say: We believe in it surely it is the truth from our Lord; we were submitters before this.
The singular pronouns that occur in this verse refer to the Qur’an, while the letter lām prefixed to the word ḥaqq is to convey the meaning of definite specificity. Thus the meaning obtained is: “When the Qur’an is recited to them (that is, to the People of the Book), they say: We believe in it, surely it is the truth which we know of and which we know to be from our Lord, and we are familiar with it, and we knew it from before.”
We were submitters before this occurs in order to explain the Qur’an’s position and status of being the truth and of it being well-known among them, the meaning being: “We were submitters to it, even before its revelation,” or: “We were believers in the religion which the Qur’an calls to and which it calls ‘Islām’ even before its revelation.”
It is also suggested that the two pronouns that occur in this verse refer to the Prophet Muḥammad; however, what has been explained above is more in conformity with the context. However it may be, what the People of the Book meant was what they had read in their sacred scriptures of the attributes and characteristics of the Prophet and the book which would be revealed to him. For example, this is what the following verses indicate: Those who follow the Messenger-Prophet, the ummī, whom they find written down with them in the Torah and the Evangel… (); Is it not a sign to them that the learned men of the Israelites know it? ().
أُولَٰئِكَ يُؤْتَوْنَ أَجْرَهُمْ مَرَّتَيْنِ بِمَا صَبَرُوا وَيَدْرَءُونَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ السَّيِّئَةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ ٥٤
(28:54)These shall be granted their reward twice, because they are steadfast, and they repel evil with good and spend out of what We have given them.
This verse contains a beautiful promise for the People of the Book for what they had done, and it contains praise in their favor for their good conduct and patient indulgence towards the impetuous polytheists. Therefore the most suitable understanding of the intent of the part of this verse which reads these shall be granted their reward twice… is that it means they shall be granted the reward of their faith in their own scripture and the reward of their faith in the Qur’an as well as for their patience for the sake of their faith, which was followed by a subsequent faith in what it entailed of struggle and effort required to rally against their desires.
It is also suggested that the meaning of this verse is that they shall be granted reward due to their patience for the sake of their religion and for the harm they suffered and endured at the hands of the unbelievers and due to them enduring discomfort and hardship; however, you are already aware of which meaning the context supports.
As for the part of this verse that reads and they repel (yadraʾūna, from al-darʾu) evil with good, the term al-darʾu means “to repel,” “to push,” “to avert,” and “to overcome,” while the meaning of the two terms al-ḥasanah and al-sayyiʾah is suggested to be good and evil speech, respectively. It is also suggested that these two terms mean good and evil deeds, respectively; that is, “a good turn,” “a kind act” and “an abominable and detestable act,” respectively. These two terms are also suggested to mean good and bad character, respectively, which in turn refer to forbearance (al-ḥilm) and hot-tempered impetuosity (al-jahl) respectively. The context of the verse favors the last interpretation, and thus the meaning is that they repulse the hurt and harm of the people from themselves by means of patient indulgence, and the meaning of the rest of the verse is clear.
وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا اللَّغْوَ أَعْرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَقَالُوا لَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ لَا نَبْتَغِي الْجَاهِلِينَ ٥٥
(28:55) And when they hear idle talk, they turn aside from it and say: We shall have our deeds and you shall have your deeds. Peace be on you; we do not desire the ignorant.
The meaning of the word al-laghw that occurs in this verse is “idle, nonsensical talk (laghw al-kalām).” This understanding is in light of the word’s relationship and occurrence alongside the verb samiʾū (“they hear”). The meaning (of the initial part of this verse) is “engaging in speech which is inappropriate and unworthy such as gibberish, garrulous talk, insulting speech, and all that which involves crudeness and coarseness.” It is for this reason that when the believers from the People of the Book heard such speech, they turned away from it and did not respond to it with its kind; rather they responded with the words: We shall have our deeds and you shall have your deeds which refers to a suspension of hostilities. This is while their words, conveyed in peace be on you means you have security and peace from us, which is also a reference to suspension of hostilities and taking leave or moving away in an honorable and dignified manner just as God says: And the servants of the Beneficent Allah are they who walk on the earth in humbleness, and when the ignorant address them, they say: Peace ().
As for their words conveyed in we do not desire the ignorant, it means: “We do not desire to associate with them or to have social intercourse with them.” This is an affirmation of what has gone before, and it denotes the manner and conduct of the speech of the polytheists such that if the believers from the People of the Book uttered it, then it would amount to responding to evil with evil.
إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ ٥٦
(28:56) You cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He pleases, and He knows best the followers of the right way.
The meaning of guidance mentioned in this verse is to convey someone to the desired and intended destination, to convey him to a state where the heart overflows with faith. It is known that this role is reserved for God, and none shares in this role with Him. This does not negate the role of showing, pointing out or indicating the right path since this is part of the responsibility of the divine messenger and there is no reason to negate that for him. The verbal noun al-ihtidāʾ means “accepting true guidance.”
Hence, when God describes in the previous verses how the polytheists were deprived of the blessing of guidance while they were a people who belonged to the community of the Prophet, how they had deviated as a result of following their desires, and describes their arrogant attitude towards the truth which was revealed to them, as well as describing the faith of the People of the Book and their acknowledgment and admission of the truth, God then concludes His speech in this section by stating that the matter of guidance rests with God and not with him. God guides these people who do not belong to your community, your community being one to whom you are calling out to and whom you are preaching to. On the other hand, God does not guide these who are from your own people, those whom you would like to accept true guidance, and He knows best the followers of the right way.
Examining Narrations
- It is narrated from the Messenger of God:
God has not destroyed a people, or a generation, or a nation, or the inhabitants of a town by punishment from the heavens ever since He sent down the Torah to the earth, with the exception of the people of the town who were transformed into apes. Have you not seen what God says: And certainly We gave Moses the Book after We had destroyed the former generations? ()
Author’s comment: This verse is not explicit regarding the discontinuity of divine destruction, especially by means of heavenly punishment, subsequent to the descent of the Torah.
- It is narrated from the Messenger of God regarding And you were not on this side of the mountain when We called ():
When God drew Moses close to Himself at the mountain of al-Ṭūr at Sinai as an intimate friend, Moses asked God: “My Lord, is there one more honorable to You than myself? This is because You drew me near to Yourself as an intimate friend and conversed with me.”
God replied: “Yes, Muḥammad is more honorable to Me than yourself.”
Moses asked: “If Muḥammad is more honorable to You than me, then is the nation of Muḥammad more honorable to You than the Children of Israel? This is because you cleaved apart the sea for them, saved them from the Pharaoh and his tyranny, and fed them manna and quails.”
God replied: “Yes, the nation of Muḥammad is more honorable to Me than the Children of Israel.”
Moses said: “My Lord, then show them to me.”
God replied: “You shall never see them; however, if you wish I can let you hear their voices,” and Moses agreed. Thus God called out: “O nation of Muḥammad, respond to your Lord,” and they did so while they were still in the loins of their fathers and the wombs of their mothers, up until the Day of Resurrection. They responded by saying: “Here we are at Your service. You are our true Lord, and we are Your true slaves.”
God responded: “You all have said the truth. I am your Lord and you are my slaves in truth. I have forgiven you even before you called Me, and I have granted you your wishes even before you beseeched Me. Thus whoever from among you meets Me with the testimony that there is no God save Allah shall consequently enter paradise.”
Ibn ʿAbbās said: “Thus when God sent forth Muḥammad as a messenger, He intended to bestow favors on him with what He had granted Moses and his nation, and so He said: O Muḥammad, And you were not on this side of the mountain when We called ().”
Author’s comment: Al-Suyūṭī has also transmitted this via other chains of transmission, while al-Ṣadūq has also transmitted a report in al-ʿUyūn with a similar meaning from Imam al-Riḍāʿ; however, to interpret and understand the verse in question in light of the meaning suggested by this report entails causing contextual disruption and disorder in the sentences that occur before and after it, one with the other.
- It is narrated from Abū al-Ḥasan [al-Riḍā] regarding and who is more erring than he who follows his low desires without any guidance from Allah? ():
It means one who takes his desires as his religion without any guidance from the leaders (Imams) of guidance.
Author’s comment: A report similar to this is transmitted in Baṣāʾir al-Darajāt via his chain of transmission from Muʿallā from Imam al-Ṣādiq. This report, with respect to the interpretation of this verse, needs to be understood from the perspective of the application (al-jary) of its meaning to the Imams, or from the perspective that it reflects the verses’ inner meaning.
- Abū ʿAlī al-Faḍl ibn al-Ḥasan al-Ṭabrisī (d. 548 AH or 1154 CE) says with respect to [As to] those whom We gave the Book before it, they are believers in it ():
This verse and the verses that follow were revealed with respect to ʿAbdullāh b. Salām, Tamīm al-Dārī, al-Jārūd, al-ʿAbdī, and Salmān al-Fārisī, and this was when they accepted the faith of Islam, and, consequently, these verses were revealed in their favor. This was the opinion of Qatāda (d. 117 AH or 735 CE). It is also suggested that this verse was revealed in favor of forty Christian men. They had believed in the Prophet before the latter was commissioned to the office of messengership; thirty-two of these were from Ethiopia who accepted the faith at the hands of Jaʿfar b. Abī Ṭālib on his advent there, while eight were from al-Shām. Among them were Baḥīrāʾ, Abraha, Al-Ashraf, Ayman, Idrīs, Nāfiʿ, and Tamīm.
Author’s comment: There are reports that transmit different information.
- Abū ʿAlī al-Faḍl ibn al-Ḥasan al-Ṭabrisī wrote with respect to and they repel evil with good ():
It is suggested that they repelled the hot-tempered impetuosity of the hot-tempered, ignorant, and impetuous person with forbearance (al-ḥilm). This was the opinion of Yaḥyā b. Salām. It means they repelled the harm of the people from themselves by patiently indulging them. A similar explanation has been reported from Imam al-Ṣādiq.
- It is related from Abū Hurayra:
When the moment of the death of Abū Ṭālib drew near, the Prophet approached him and said: “O uncle, say: there is no God but Allah, and I shall bear witness to your testimony on the Day of Resurrection.”
Abū Ṭālib replied: “If it were not for the fact that the Quraysh would humiliate and taunt me by saying: what led him to testify to that was nothing but the restlessness and disquiet that occurs due to death, then I would confess to that to you.” At that, God revealed: You cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He pleases, and He knows best the followers of the right way ().
Author’s comment: Reports with similar content have been transmitted from Ibn ʿUmar, Ibn al-Musayyab, and others; however, the reports of the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt are numerous in number in favor of Abū Ṭālib’s faith, while lines of poetry have been transmitted from him which are replete with his testimony in favor of the sincerity of the Prophet and the truth of his religion. He was the one who looked after and accommodated the Prophet during the latter’s infancy and supported him after the latter was commissioned to the office of messengership and before his migration to Medina. Thus the effect of Abū Ṭālib’s endeavors alone in his quest to safeguard the noble self of the Prophet during the ten years preceding the emigration would equal the effect of the endeavors of the Emigrants and the Helpers altogether during the ten years after the emigration.
The letter lām (in wa laqad ātaynā) indicates an oath. (Auth.)
The letter lām mentioned in the text and suggested as indicating an oath is identified as the intensifying letter lām that functions as the complement of an oath which oath is elided here. Thus the meaning is: “I swear that certainly We gave Moses the book…” (Trans.) ↩︎
This term occurs here as denoting the state or the circumstance (al-ḥāl) of the book (revealed). It is also suggested that this term is employed here in the grammatical sense of mafʿūl lahu. (Auth.)
Al-ḥāl as a grammatical feature refers to a word or a phrase used to describe the state, condition or circumstance of something. The state, condition or circumstance for it is obtained at the time when the action of the main verb takes place, which in this case is identified as the verb ātaynā, translated as “We gave (Moses the book).”
Mafʿūl lahu refers to an indefinite verbal noun in the accusative, which is used adverbially and gives the reason or the motive for the action of the main verb which occurs at the beginning of this verse, which is identified as being the first person plural perfect tense verb ātaynā, translated as: “We gave.” ↩︎
Both these terms occur as denoting the state or the circumstance (al-ḥāl) of the book (revealed) just like the term baṣāʾir, or, as it is also suggested that these two terms are employed in the grammatical sense of mafʿūl lahu. (Auth.) ↩︎
This is in contrast to the way in which most translators render this verse in translation. They appear to consider the adjective al-gharbī as qualifying the word jānib within the possessive construct phrase bi-jānib al-wādī or al-jabal al-gharbī rather than qualifying the words al-wādī or al-jabal, the suggested elided nouns. Consequently they translate this part of the verse as: “on the western side of the valley or mountain.” (Trans.) ↩︎
It is apparent that the term raḥmah (“a mercy”) which occurs in this verse is in the grammatical sense of mafʿūl lahu. (Auth.)
2 This is an indefinite verbal noun in the accusative, which is used adverbially and gives the reason or the motive for the action of a verb. (Trans.) ↩︎
The apodosis of the (unlikely negative) conditional sentence is elided due to it being apparent. (Auth.)
2 The potential harm is that the disobedient would have had a valid argument against God. The unlikely negative conditional sentence is indicated by the particles law lā occurring at the very beginning of this verse. (Trans.)
Also see the translator’s note under verse . (Ed.) ↩︎
The author of al-Kashshāf writes:
This verb, in its transitive mode, takes “the call” or “the petition made” (that is, al-duʿā) as its grammatical object, just as it takes “the caller” or “the petitioner” or “the one making the call” (that is, al-dāʿī) as its grammatical object by means of the letter lām. However in most cases the call made (that is, al-duʿā) is not mentioned as the grammatical object of the verb if the one making the call, that is, the caller or the petitioner (that is, al-dāʿī) is mentioned as the grammatical object of this verb. Thus it may be said: istajāba allahu duʿāʾahu (“God responded to his call or petition”), just as it may be said: istajāba lahu (“He responded to him”). However the call made (al-duʿā) and the one making the call (al-dāʿī) are hardly ever mentioned together or simultaneously as the grammatical objects of this verb, which means it is hardly ever said: istajāba lahu duʿāʾahu (“He answered or responded to the petitioner’s plea” or ”He answered or responded to the caller’s petition”). (Auth.)
2 The second case identified here occurs in this verse where the verb yastajībū takes the one making the call or the petitioner (that is, al-dāʿī), who is identified by the masculine second person singular pronoun -ka as its grammatical object by means of the letter lām—yastajībū laka. (Trans.) ↩︎
For instance: “None! None is more erring that he who follows his low desires without any guidance from Allah.” (Trans.) ↩︎
In this verse, the third person plural pronoun refers to the Meccan polytheists. The verbal noun al-tawṣīl is on the pattern of al-tafʿīl. This pattern denotes the meaning of increase and abundance with respect to the verbal noun of the first or root form of the verb [that is, it intensifies the meaning of the root form]. The verbal noun of the first or root form of al-tawṣīl is al-waṣl (“delivering,” “arriving,” “connection,” “reaching.”)
3 An example of the relationship between first and second form verbal nouns is with respect to the root q-ṭ-ʿ (“to cut”). Its first form verbal noun al-qaṭʿu means “to cut,” “to chop,” “to sever,” whereas its second form verbal noun al-taqṭīʿ means “to cut (something) into pieces,” “to dismember.” Another example relates to the root q-t-l (“to kill”). Its first form verbal noun, al-qatl, means “to kill,” whereas the second form verbal noun al-taqtīl means “to massacre,” “to butcher.” (Auth.) ↩︎
Al-Durr al-Manthūr, on the authority of al-Bazzār, Ibn al-Mundhir, and al-Ḥākim who authenticated it, and on the authority of Ibn Mardawayh from Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-Manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Mardawayh from Ibn ʿAbbās. ↩︎
Baṣāʾir al-Darajāt, via its chain of narration on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Fuḍayl. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-Bayān. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-Bayān. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-Manthūr, on the authority of ʿAbd ibn Ḥamīd, Muslim, al-Tirmidhī, Ibn Abī Ḥātim and Ibn Mardawayh and al-Bayhaqi in al-Dalāʾil. ↩︎