Tafseer of Jonas · Yunus · 10:93
And We had certainty settled the Children of Israel in an agreeable settlement and provided them with good things. And they did not differ until [after] knowledge had come to them. Indeed, your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which they used to 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 explanation of the words of Allah the Exalted: وَلَقَدْ بَوَّأْنَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مُبَوَّأَ صِدْقٍ وَرَزَقْنَاهُمْ مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ فَمَا اخْتَلَفُوا حَتَّى جَاءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَقْضِي بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ (93)
(And We settled the Children of Israel in an excellent dwelling-place, and We provided them with good things; and they did not differ among themselves until knowledge came to them. Verily, your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that wherein they differed.)
Abū Jaʿfar says: Allah the Exalted says: We caused the Children of Israel to settle in excellent dwelling-places.
It has been said that what is meant by this is Syria (al-Shām) and Jerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis). And it has been said that what is meant by this is Syria and Egypt.
*Mention of those who said this:*
17882 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: al-Muḥāribī and Abū Khālid related to us, on the authority of Juwaybir, on the authority of al-Ḍaḥḥāk, concerning the words مُبَوَّأَ صِدْقٍ : he said: "excellent dwelling-places: Egypt and Syria."
17883 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning the words مُبَوَّأَ صِدْقٍ : he said: "Allah settled them in Syria and Jerusalem."
17884 — Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning the words وَلَقَدْ بَوَّأْنَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مُبَوَّأَ صِدْقٍ : "Syria." And he recited: إِلَى الأَرْضِ الَّتِي بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا لِلْعَالَمِينَ [Surah al-Anbiyāʾ: 71].
As for His words: وَرَزَقْنَاهُمْ مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ — that is to say: We provided the Children of Israel with lawful food, and that is the "good" (al-ṭayyib).
As for His words: فَمَا اخْتَلَفُوا حَتَّى جَاءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ — Allah the Exalted says: those of the Children of Israel whom We thus favoured did not differ among themselves until there came to them that of which they had knowledge. This means that, before the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ was sent, they were in agreement concerning his prophethood and acknowledged him as well as his mission, without differing among themselves therein — on the basis of the description which they found written down with them. Yet when there came to them that which they recognized, a part of them rejected it and another part believed in it — and the believers among them were but few in number. That is the meaning of His words: they did not differ until that which was known to them came to them — namely, he whom they knew to be the prophet of Allah — and thus Allah placed the word "the knowledge" (al-ʿilm) in place of "the known" (al-maʿlūm).
There were also scholars who explained "the knowledge" (al-ʿilm) here as the Book of Allah and His revelation.
*Mention of those who said this:*
17885 — Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning the words فَمَا اخْتَلَفُوا حَتَّى جَاءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ : "the knowledge" is the Book of Allah which He sent down, and His command with which He charged them. And did they then differ among themselves until knowledge came to them — out of mutual envy among them? Did the adherents of these desires fight over anything other than envy? He said: "envy" (al-baghy) has two aspects: the aspect of covetousness for the worldly — and those among his adherents who fought one another over it — and envy with regard to "the knowledge," whereby one person regards the other as ignorant and erring while seeing himself as the correct and the knowledgeable one, and thus, in his supposed rightness and knowledge, tramples the other as one who errs.
As for His words: إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَقْضِي بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ — Allah the Exalted says to His prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: Verily, your Lord, O Muḥammad, will judge on the Day of Resurrection between those of the Children of Israel who disputed concerning you — regarding that wherein they differed in this world concerning My affair — by causing those of them who denied you to enter the Fire, and those of them who believed in you to enter the paradise (janna). That is His judgment on that Day concerning that wherein they differed regarding the affair of Muḥammad ﷺ.
