Tafseer Verse 163-165
Revelation Came to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Just as it Came to the Prophets Before Him
Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated that Muhammad bin Abi Muhammad said that `Ikrimah, or Sa`id bin Jubayr, related to Ibn `Abbas that he said, “Sukayn and `Adi bin Zayd said, `O Muhammad! We do not know that Allah sent down anything to any human after Musa.’ Allah sent down a rebuttal of their statement,
إِنَّآ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ كَمَآ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَى نُوحٍ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ مِن بَعْدِهِ
(Verily, We have inspired you (O Muhammad) as We inspired Nuh and the Prophets after him.)” Allah states that He sent down revelation to His servant and Messenger Muhammad ﷺ just as He sent down revelation to previous Prophets. Allah said,
إِنَّآ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ كَمَآ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَى نُوحٍ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ مِن بَعْدِهِ
(Verily, We have inspired you (O Muhammad) as We inspired Nuh and the Prophets after him,) until,
وَءَاتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ زَبُوراً
(…and to Dawud We gave the Zabur. ) The `Zabur’ (Psalms) is the name of the Book revealed to Prophet Dawud, peace be upon him.
Twenty-Five Prophets Are Mentioned in the Qur’an
Allah said,
وَرُسُلاً قَدْ قَصَصْنَـهُمْ عَلَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَرُسُلاً لَّمْ نَقْصُصْهُمْ عَلَيْكَ
(And Messengers We have mentioned to you before, and Messengers We have not mentioned to you) Before the revelation of this Ayah. The following are the names of the Prophets whom Allah named in the Qur’an. They are: Adam, Idris, Nuh (Noah), Hud, Salih, Ibrahim (Abraham), Lut, Isma`il (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Ya`qub (Jacob), Yusuf (Joesph), Ayyub (Job), Shu`ayb, Musa (Moses), Harun (Aaron), Yunus (Jonah), Dawud (David), Sulayman (Solomon), Ilyas (Elias), Al-Yasa` (Elisha), Zakariya (Zachariya), Yahya (John) and `Isa (Jesus), and their leader, Muhammad . Several scholars of Tafsir also listed Dhul-Kifl among the Prophets. Allah’s statement,
وَرُسُلاً لَّمْ نَقْصُصْهُمْ عَلَيْكَ
(and Messengers We have not mentioned to you,) means, `there are other Prophets whom We did not mention to you in the Qur’an.’
The Virtue of Musa
Allah said,
وَكَلَّمَ اللَّهُ مُوسَى تَكْلِيماً
(and to Musa Allah spoke directly.) This is an honor to Musa, and this is why he is called the Kalim, he whom Allah spoke to directly. Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr bin Marduwyah recorded that `Abdul-Jabbar bin `Abdullah said, “A man came to Abu Bakr bin `Ayyash and said, `I heard a man recite (this Ayah this way): وَكَلَّمَ اللَّهَ مُوسَى تَكلِيمًا “and to Allah, Musa spoke directly.” Abu Bakr said, `Only a disbeliever would recite it like this.’ Al-A`mash recited it with Yahya bin Withab, who recited it with Abu `Abdur-Rahman As-Sulami who recited it with `Ali bin Abi Talib who recited with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ,
وَكَلَّمَ اللَّهُ مُوسَى تَكْلِيماً
(and to Musa Allah spoke directly.)”‘ Abu Bakr bin Abi Ayyash was so angry with the man who recited the Ayah differently, because he altered its words and meanings. That person was from the group of Mu`tazilah who denied that Allah spoke to Musa or that He speaks to any of His creation. We were told that some of the Mu`tazilah once recited the Ayah that way, so one teacher present said to him, “O son of a stinking woman! What would you do concerning Allah’s statement,
وَلَمَّا جَآءَ مُوسَى لِمِيقَـتِنَا وَكَلَّمَهُ رَبُّهُ
(And when Musa came at the time and place appointed by Us, and his Lord spoke to him,) 7:143″ The Shaykh meant that the later Ayah cannot be altered or changed.
The Reason Behind Sending the Prophets is to Establish the Proof
Allah said,
رُّسُلاً مُّبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ
(Messengers as bearers of good news as well as of warning,) meaning, the Prophets bring good news to those who obey Allah and practice the good things that please Him. They also warn against His punishment and torment for those who defy His commandments. Allah said next,
لِئَلاَّ يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعْدَ الرُّسُلِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزاً حَكِيماً
(in order that mankind should have no plea against Allah after the Messengers. And Allah is Ever All-Powerful, All-Wise.) Allah sent down His Books and sent His Messengers with good news and warnings. He explained what He likes and is pleased with and what He dislikes and is displeased with. This way, no one will have an excuse with Allah. Allah said in other Ayat,
وَلَوْ أَنَّآ أَهْلَكْنَـهُمْ بِعَذَابٍ مِّن قَبْلِهِ لَقَالُواْ رَبَّنَا لَوْلا أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولاً فَنَتَّبِعَ ءَايَـتِكَ مِن قَبْلِ أَن نَّذِلَّ وَنَخْزَى
(And if We had destroyed them with a torment before this, they would surely have said: “Our Lord! If only You had sent us a Messenger, we should certainly have followed Your Ayat, before we were humiliated and disgraced.”) and,
وَلَوْلا أَن تُصِيبَهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ
(And if (We had) not (sent you to the people of Makkah) in case a calamity should seize them for (the deeds) that their hands have sent forth. ) It is recorded in the Two Sahihs that Ibn Mas`ud said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«لَا أَحَدَ أَغْيَرُ مِنَ اللهِ، مِنْ أَجْلِ ذلِكَ حَرَّمَ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ، وَلَا أَحَدْ أَحَبْ إِلَيْهِ الْمَدْحُ مِنَ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، مِنْ أَجْلِ ذلِكَ مَدَحَ نَفْسَهُ، وَلَا أَحَدَ أَحَبْ إِلَيْهِ الْعُذْرُ مِنَ اللهِ، مِنْ أَجْلِ ذلِكَ بَعَثَ النَّبِيِّينَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنْذِرِين»
(No one is more jealous than Allah. This is why He prohibited all types of sin committed in public or secret. No one likes praise more than Allah, and this is why He has praised Himself. No one likes to give excuse more than Allah, and this is why He sent the Prophets as bearers of good news and as warners.) In another narration, the Prophet said,
«مِنْ أَجْلِ ذلِكَ أَرْسَلَ رُسُلَهُ وَأَنْزَلَ كُتُبَه»
(And this is why He sent His Messengers and revealed His Books.)
لَّـكِنِ اللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ إِلَيْكَ أَنزَلَهُ بِعِلْمِهِ وَالْمَلَـئِكَةُ يَشْهَدُونَ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ شَهِيداً – إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَصَدُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ قَدْ ضَلُّواْ ضَلَـلاَ بَعِيداً – إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَظَلَمُواْ لَمْ يَكُنِ اللَّهُ لِيَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ وَلاَ لِيَهْدِيَهُمْ طَرِيقاً
Tafseer Verse 166-170
إِنَّآ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ
(Verily, We have inspired you…) emphasized the Prophet’s prophethood and refuted the idolators and People of the Scripture who denied him. Allah said,
لَّـكِنِ اللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ إِلَيْكَ
(But Allah bears witness to that which He has sent down unto you,) meaning, even if they deny, defy and disbelieve in you, O Muhammad, Allah testifies that you are His Messenger to whom He sent down His Book, the Glorious Qur’an that,
لاَّ يَأْتِيهِ الْبَـطِلُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَلاَ مِنْ خَلْفِهِ تَنزِيلٌ مِّنْ حَكِيمٍ حَمِيدٍ
(Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it, (it is) sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise.) Allah then said,
أَنزَلَهُ بِعِلْمِهِ
(He has sent it down with His knowledge,) The knowledge of His that He willed His servants to have access to. Knowledge about the clear signs of guidance and truth, what Allah likes and is pleased with, what He dislikes and is displeased with, and knowledge of the Unseen, such as the past and the future. This also includes knowledge about His honorable attributes that no sent Messenger or illustrious angel can even know without Allah’s leave. Similarly, Allah said,
وَلاَ يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلاَّ بِمَا شَآءَ
(And they will never compass anything of His knowledge except that which He wills.) and,
وَلاَ يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلْماً
(but they will never compass anything of His knowledge.) Allah’s statement,
وَالْمَلَـئِكَةُ يَشْهَدُونَ
(and the angels bear witness.) to the truth of what you came with and what was revealed and sent down to you, along with Allah’s testimony to the same,
وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ شَهِيداً
(And Allah is All-Sufficient as a Witness.) Allah said,
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَصَدُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ قَدْ ضَلُّواْ ضَلَـلاَ بَعِيداً
(Verily, those who disbelieve and prevent (others) from the path of Allah, they have certainly strayed far away.) For they are disbelievers themselves and do not follow the truth. They strive hard to prevent people from following and embracing Allah’s path. Therefore, they have defied the truth, deviated, and strayed far away from it. Allah also mentions His judgment against those who disbelieve in His Ayat, Book and Messenger, those who wrong themselves by their disbelief and hindering others from His path, committing sins and violating His prohibitions. Allah states that He will not forgive them;
وَلاَ لِيَهْدِيَهُمْ طَرِيقاً
(nor will He guide them to a way (that is, of good).)
إِلاَّ طَرِيقَ جَهَنَّمَ خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَداً
(Except the way of Hell, to dwell therein forever…) and this is the exception. Allah then said,
يأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَآءَكُمُ الرَّسُولُ بِالْحَقِّ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ فَـَامِنُواْ خَيْراً لَّكُمْ
(O mankind! Verily, there has come to you the Messenger with the truth from your Lord, so believe in him, it is better for you.) This Ayah means, Muhammad ﷺ has come to you with guidance, the religion of truth and clear proof from Allah. Therefore, believe in what he has brought you and follow him, for this is better for you. Allah then said,
وَإِن تَكْفُرُواْ فَإِنَّ للَّهِ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ
(But if you disbelieve, then certainly to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth.) Allah is far too rich than to need you or your faith, and no harm could ever affect Him because of your disbelief. Allah said in another Ayah,
وَقَالَ مُوسَى إِن تَكْفُرُواْ أَنتُمْ وَمَن فِى الاٌّرْضِ جَمِيعًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَنِىٌّ حَمِيدٌ
(And Musa said: “If you disbelieve, you and all on earth together, then verily, Allah is Rich (Free of all needs), Owner of all praise.”) Allah said here,
وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيماً
(And Allah is Ever All-Knowing,) He knows those who deserve to be guided, and He will guide them. He also knows those who deserve deviation, and He leads them to it,
حَكِيماً
(All-Wise) in His statements, actions, legislation and all that He decrees.