Tafseer of Jonas · Yunus · 10:19
And mankind was not but one community [united in religion], but [then] they differed. And if not for a word that preceded from your Lord, it would have been judged between them [immediately] concerning that over which they differ.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The exposition of the interpretation of the word of Allah, the Exalted: وَمَا كَانَ النَّاسُ إِلَّا أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَاخْتَلَفُوا وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِنْ رَبِّكَ لَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ فِيمَا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ (19) (And mankind were but a single community, then they fell into disagreement. And were it not for a word that had preceded from your Lord, judgement would already have been passed between them concerning that over which they differ.)
Abū Jaʿfar said: Allah — may His remembrance be exalted — says: Mankind were but the people of a single religion and a single creed, but they fell into disagreement in their religion, and the paths branched out within it for them. وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِنْ رَبِّكَ — He says: were it not that it had been ordained beforehand by Allah that He would not destroy any people until their appointed terms had elapsed — لَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ فِيمَا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ — He says: then judgement would have been passed between them, by destroying the people of falsehood among them and saving the people of truth.
* * *
We have already set out the disagreement of the dispute over the meaning of this in "Sūrat al-Baqarah", namely in His word: كَانَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ النَّبِيِّينَ [Sūrat al-Baqarah: 213], and we have set out the correct view therein with its proofs, which makes it unnecessary to repeat it in this place.
17589 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, saying: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: وَمَا كَانَ النَّاسُ إِلَّا أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَاخْتَلَفُوا — at the time when one of the two sons of Adam killed his brother.
17590 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: ʿAbdullāh related to us, on the authority of Warqāʾ, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid — with an identical narration.
17591 — Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: Al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid — likewise with an identical narration.
