بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Ar-Ra'd 13:43
The Thunder · Juz 13 · Page 255
وَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَسۡتَ مُرۡسَلٗاۚ قُلۡ كَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَهِيدَۢا بَيۡنِي وَبَيۡنَكُمۡ وَمَنۡ عِندَهُۥ عِلۡمُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ ٤٣
And those who have disbelieved say, "You are not a messenger." Say, [O Muḥammad], "Sufficient is Allāh as Witness between me and you, and [the witness of] whoever has knowledge of the Scripture."1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., those who recognize the truth through their knowledge of previous scriptures. ↩
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Commentary on 13:43
Allah and those who have Knowledge of the Scripture are Sufficient as Witness to the Message of the Prophet
Allah says, the disbelievers reject you and say,
لَسْتَ مُرْسَلاً
(You are not a Messenger.) from Allah,
قُلْ كَفَى بِاللَّهِ شَهِيداً بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ
(Say: "Sufficient as a witness between me and you is Allah...") meaning, say, `Allah is sufficient for me and He is the witness over me and you. He is witness that I (Muhammad) have conveyed the Message from Him and over you, O rejecters, to the falsehood that you invent.' Allah said,
وَمَنْ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ الْكِتَبِ
(and those too who have knowledge of the Scripture.) This refers to `Abdullah bin Salam, according to Mujahid. However, this opinion is not plausible, since this Ayah was revealed in Makkah and `Abdullah bin Salam embraced Islam soon after the Prophet emigrated to Al-Madinah. A more suitable explanation is that narrated by Al-`Awfi from Ibn `Abbas that this Ayah refers to Jews and Christians. Qatadah said that among them are, `Abdullah bin Salam, Salman (Al-Farisi) and Tamim Ad-Dari. The correct view is that this Ayah,
وَمَنْ عِندَهُ
(and those too who have. ..), refers to the scholars of the People of the Scriptures who find the description of Muhammad in their Books and the good news of his advent that were conveyed to them by their Prophets. Allah said in other Ayat,
وَرَحْمَتِى وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ فَسَأَكْتُبُهَا لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَوةَ وَالَّذِينَ هُم بَِايَتِنَا يُؤْمِنُونَالَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِىَّ الأُمِّىَّ الَّذِى يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا عِندَهُمْ فِى التَّوْرَاةِ وَالإِنجِيلِ
(And My mercy embraces all things. That (mercy) I shall ordain for those who have Taqwa, and give Zakah; and those who believe in Our Ayat; Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write whom they find written with them in the Tawrah and the Injil.) 7:156-157 and,
أَوَلَمْيَكُن لَّهُمْ ءَايَةً أَن يَعْلَمَهُ عُلَمَاءُ بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ
(It is not a sign to them that the learned scholars of the Children of Israel knew it (as true))26:197 There are similar Ayat that affirm that the scholars of the Children of Israel know this fact from their divinely revealed Books. This is the end of Surat Ar-Ra`d, and all praise is due to Allah and all favors are from Him.
Page 255
13:43
وَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَسۡتَ مُرۡسَلٗاۚ قُلۡ كَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَهِيدَۢا بَيۡنِي وَبَيۡنَكُمۡ وَمَنۡ عِندَهُۥ عِلۡمُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ ٤٣
And those who have disbelieved say, "You are not a messenger." Say, [O Muḥammad], "Sufficient is Allāh as Witness between me and you, and [the witness of] whoever has knowledge of the Scripture."1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., those who recognize the truth through their knowledge of previous scriptures. ↩
14:1
الٓرۚ كِتَٰبٌ أَنزَلۡنَٰهُ إِلَيۡكَ لِتُخۡرِجَ ٱلنَّاسَ مِنَ ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ بِإِذۡنِ رَبِّهِمۡ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطِ ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلۡحَمِيدِ ١
Alif, Lām, Rā.1 [This is] a Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], that you might bring mankind out of darknesses into the light by permission of their Lord - to the path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy -
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 2:1. ↩
14:2
ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِي لَهُۥ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ وَوَيۡلٞ لِّلۡكَٰفِرِينَ مِنۡ عَذَابٖ شَدِيدٍ ٢
Allāh, to whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And woe [i.e., destruction] to the disbelievers from a severe punishment -
14:3
ٱلَّذِينَ يَسۡتَحِبُّونَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا عَلَى ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَبۡغُونَهَا عِوَجًاۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ فِي ضَلَٰلِۭ بَعِيدٖ ٣
The ones who prefer the worldly life over the Hereafter and avert [people] from the way of Allāh, seeking to make it [seem] deviant. Those are in extreme error.
14:4
وَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا بِلِسَانِ قَوۡمِهِۦ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمۡۖ فَيُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهۡدِي مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ٤
And We did not send any messenger except [speaking] in the language of his people to state clearly for them, and Allāh sends astray [thereby] whom He wills1 and guides whom He wills. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., those who refuse His guidance. ↩
14:5
وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مُوسَىٰ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَآ أَنۡ أَخۡرِجۡ قَوۡمَكَ مِنَ ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ وَذَكِّرۡهُم بِأَيَّىٰمِ ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٖ شَكُورٖ ٥
And We certainly sent Moses with Our signs, [saying], "Bring out your people from darknesses into the light and remind them of the days1 of Allāh." Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful.
1 translator’s note
- Days of blessings bestowed upon the Children of Israel. Also interpreted as days of punishment and destruction of the former nations. ↩
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy