Tafseer of Hud · Hud · 11:17
So is one who [stands] upon a clear evidence from his Lord [like the aforementioned]? And a witness from Him follows it, and before it was the Scripture of Moses to lead and as mercy. Those [believers in the former revelations] believe in the Qur'an. But whoever disbelieves in it from the [various] factions - the Fire is his promised destination. So be not in doubt about it. Indeed, it is the truth from your Lord, but most of the people do not believe.
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 word of Allah the Exalted: أَفَمَنْ كَانَ عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَيَتْلُوهُ شَاهِدٌ مِنْهُ وَمِنْ قَبْلِهِ كِتَابُ مُوسَى إِمَامًا وَرَحْمَةً أُولَئِكَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ (Is the one who is upon a clear proof from his Lord, and a witness from Him follows him, and before him the Book of Mūsā as a guide and a mercy — are they the ones who believe in it?) (17)
Abū Jaʿfar said: Allah the Exalted says: (''Is the one who is upon a clear proof from his Lord'') — whose religion has been made clear to him so that he has perceived it. (''and a witness from Him follows him'').
The exegetes differed concerning the explanation of this.
Some said: by the word (''Is the one who is upon a clear proof from his Lord'') is meant Muḥammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
Mention of who said this:
18030 — Muḥammad ibn Khalf related to me, saying: Ḥusayn ibn Muḥammad related to us, saying: Shaybān related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, on the authority of ʿUrwa, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥanafiyya, who said: I said to my father: ''O father, are you the follower in (''and a witness from Him follows him'')? He said: ''No, by Allah, O my son! I would have wished that I were he, but it is his tongue.''
18031 — Yaʿqūb and Ibn Wakīʿ related to me, they said: Ibn ʿUlayya related to us, on the authority of Abū Rajāʾ, on the authority of al-Ḥasan: (''and a witness from Him follows him''), he said: his tongue.
18032 — Ibn Bashār related to us, saying: Ibn Abī ʿAdī related to us, on the authority of ʿAwf, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, concerning the word: (''and a witness from Him follows him''), he said: his tongue.
18033 — Muḥammad ibn al-Muthanná related to us, saying: Al-Ḥakam ibn ʿAbdallāh Abū al-Nuʿmān al-ʿIjlī related to us, saying: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of Abū Rajāʾ, on the authority of al-Ḥasan: the same.
18034 — ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥasan al-Azdī related to me, saying: Al-Muʿāfā ibn ʿImrān related to us, on the authority of Qurra ibn Khālid, on the authority of al-Ḥasan: the same.
18035 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda concerning the word: (''Is the one who is upon a clear proof from his Lord'') — that is Muḥammad, who was upon a clear proof from his Lord.
18036 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, on the authority of al-Ḥasan concerning the word: (''and a witness from Him follows him''), he said: his tongue.
18037 — 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: (''and a witness from Him follows him''), he said: his tongue is the witness.
18038 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Abū Usāma related to us, on the authority of Shuʿba, on the authority of Abū Rajāʾ, on the authority of al-Ḥasan: the same.
18039 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Ghandar related to us, on the authority of ʿAwf, on the authority of al-Ḥasan: the same.
Others said: by the word (''and a witness from Him follows him'') is meant Muḥammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
Mention of who said this:
18040 — Muḥammad ibn Bashār related to us, saying: Ibn Abī ʿAdī related to us, on the authority of ʿAwf, on the authority of Sulaymān al-ʿAllāf, on the authority of al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī concerning the word: (''and a witness from Him follows him''), he said: The witness is Muḥammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
18041 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Ghandar related to us, on the authority of ʿAwf, he said: Sulaymān al-ʿAllāf related to me, saying: It reached me that al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī said: (''and a witness from Him follows him''), he said: Muḥammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
18042 — ... he said: Abū Usāma related to us, on the authority of ʿAwf, on the authority of Sulaymān al-ʿAllāf: he heard al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī: (''and a witness from Him follows him''), he says: Muḥammad is the witness of Allah.
18043 — Yūnus ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning the word: (''Is the one who is upon a clear proof from his Lord, and a witness from Him follows him''), he said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was upon a clear proof from his Lord. And the Qurʾān also follows him as a witness from Allah, that he is the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
18044 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Jarīr related to us, on the authority of Layth, on the authority of Mujāhid: (''Is the one who is upon a clear proof from his Lord''), he said: the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
18045 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: his father related to us, on the authority of Naḍr ibn ʿArabī, on the authority of ʿIkrima: the same.
18046 — ... he said: his father related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Ibrāhīm: the same.
18047 — Al-Ḥārith related to us, saying: Abū Khālid related to us, I heard Sufyān say: (''Is the one who is upon a clear proof from his Lord''), he said: Muḥammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
Others said: That is ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib.
Mention of who said this:
18048 — Muḥammad ibn ʿImāra al-Asadī related to us, saying: Razīq ibn Marzūq related to us, saying: Ṣabbāḥ al-Farrāʾ related to us, on the authority of Jābir, on the authority of ʿAbdallāh ibn Nujayy, who said: ʿAlī, may Allah be pleased with him, said: There is no man of the Quraysh but a verse or two verses were sent down concerning him. Then someone said to him: And you, concerning what was sent down about you? ʿAlī said: Have you not read the verse that was sent down in Hūd: (''and a witness from Him follows him'')?
Others said: That is Jibrīl.
Mention of who said this:
18049 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, on the authority of ʿIkrima, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: (''and a witness from Him follows him'') — he kept saying: Jibrīl.
18050 — Abū Kurayb and Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, they said: Ibn Idrīs related to us, on the authority of al-Ḥasan ibn ʿUbaydallāh, on the authority of Ibrāhīm: (''and a witness from Him follows him''), he said: Jibrīl.
18051 — And Abū Kurayb related that to us again with his isnād (chain of transmission) from Ibrāhīm, and he said: he said: They say: ''ʿAlī'' — but it is Jibrīl.
18052 — Abū Kurayb and Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, they said: Ibn Idrīs related to us, on the authority of Layth, on the authority of Mujāhid, who said: It is Jibrīl, who recited the Torah and the Gospel and the Qurʾān. And he is the witness of Allah.
18053 — Ibn Bashār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us; and Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdallāh al-Mukharrimī related to us, saying: Jaʿfar ibn ʿAwn related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us; and al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: Al-Thawrī informed us; and al-Muthanná related to me, saying: Abū Nuʿaym related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us — all on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Ibrāhīm: (''and a witness from Him follows him''), he said: Jibrīl.
18054 — Muḥammad ibn al-Muthanná related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar related to us, saying: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Ibrāhīm: the same.
18055 — ... he said: Sahl ibn Yūsuf related to us, saying: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Ibrāhīm: the same.
18056 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Jarīr related to us, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Ibrāhīm: the same.
18057 — ... he said: Jarīr related to us, on the authority of Layth, on the authority of Mujāhid, he said: Jibrīl.
18058 — ... he said: ʿAbdallāh related to us, on the authority of Isrāʾīl, on the authority of al-Suddī, on the authority of Abū Ṣāliḥ: (''and a witness from Him follows him''), he said: Jibrīl.
18059 — ... he said: Abū Muʿāwiya related to us, on the authority of Jaybir, on the authority of al-Ḍaḥḥāk: (''and a witness from Him follows him''), he said: Jibrīl.
18060 — ... It was related to me from al-Ḥusayn ibn al-Faraj, who said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say, he said: ʿUbayd ibn Sulaymān related to us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning the word: (''Is the one who is upon a clear proof from his Lord''), that is Muḥammad, who was upon a clear proof from Allah. (''and a witness from Him follows him''), Jibrīl, a witness from Allah, who recites to Muḥammad what he was sent with.
18061 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: his father related to us, on the authority of Abū Jaʿfar, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ, on the authority of Abū al-ʿĀliya, who said: It is Jibrīl.
18062 — ... he said: his father related to us, on the authority of Naḍr ibn ʿArabī, on the authority of ʿIkrima, who said: It is Jibrīl.
18063 — ... he said: his father related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Ibrāhīm, who said: Jibrīl.
18064 — ... Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās concerning the word: (''Is the one who is upon a clear proof from his Lord''), that is Muḥammad, who was upon a clear proof from his Lord. (''and a witness from Him follows him''), that is Jibrīl, a witness from Allah by what he recites from the Book of Allah that was sent down to Muḥammad. And it is said: (''and a witness from Him follows him''), that is: the angel who is with him preserves him.
18065 — Al-Muthanná related to me, saying: Abū al-Nuʿmān ʿĀrim related to us, saying: Ḥammād ibn Zayd related to us, on the authority of Ayyūb, who said: Mujāhid kept saying concerning the word: (''Is the one who is upon a clear proof from his Lord''), he said: that is Muḥammad. (''and a witness from Him follows him''), he said: Jibrīl.
Others said: It is an angel who preserves him.
Mention of who said this:
18066 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: (''and a witness from Him follows him''), he said: with him is a guardian from Allah, an angel.
18067 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Yazīd ibn Hārūn and Suwayd ibn ʿAmr related to us, on the authority of Ḥammād ibn Salama, on the authority of Ayyūb, on the authority of Mujāhid: (''and a witness from Him follows him''), he said: an angel who preserves him.
18068 — ... he said: Muḥammad ibn Bakr related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, from someone who heard Mujāhid: (''and a witness from Him follows him''), he said: the angel.
18069 — Al-Muthanná 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: (''and a witness from Him follows him''), he follows him as a guardian from Allah, an angel.
18070 — Al-Muthanná related to me, saying: Al-Ḥajjāj ibn al-Minhāl related to us, saying: Ḥammād related to us, on the authority of Ayyūb, on the authority of Mujāhid: (''and a witness from Him follows him''), he said: the angel who preserves him: يَتْلُونَهُ حَقَّ تِلاوَتِهِ (''They follow it as it should be followed'') (Surah Al-Baqara: 121), he said: they follow it with the true following.
18071 — 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: (''and a witness from Him follows him''), he said: a guardian from Allah, an angel.
Abū Jaʿfar said: The most correct of the mentioned statements concerning the explanation of the word (''and a witness from Him follows him'') is the statement of the one who says: ''It is Jibrīl'', because of the indication of the word (''and before him the Book of Mūsā as a guide and a mercy'') upon the correctness of this. For the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not recite the Book of Mūsā before the Qurʾān, so that that would be a proof for the correctness of the statement of the one who says: ''What is meant is his tongue, or Muḥammad himself, or ʿAlī'' — in the opinion of the one who says that ʿAlī is meant. And there is no one known to have recited that or to have brought it before the Qurʾān, of those whom the exegetes say is meant by the word (''and a witness from Him follows him''), other than Jibrīl, may peace be upon him.
If someone says: If that is your proof that the one meant is Jibrīl, then the reading of the word (''and before him the Book of Mūsā'') must be with naṣb (accusative) — for the meaning of the sentence according to your explanation must be: and a witness from Allah recites the Qurʾān and before the Qurʾān the Book of Mūsā?
We answer: The reciters in all the provinces agree on reading it with rafʿ (nominative), and there is no one who may read it contrary to that. And if the reading with naṣb had been transmitted, it would also be a correct reading with a correct meaning.
If he says: What then is the reason for their rafʿ according to your explanation?
We answer: The reason for their rafʿ is that they began a new statement about the coming of the Book of Mūsā before our Scripture that was sent down to Muḥammad, and so they chose rafʿ because of ''min''. And the reading is so, and the meaning of Jibrīl's recitation of that book before the Qurʾān is contained therein, even though the statement was begun independently as I have described — because the indication of the word upon its meaning is sufficient for that.
And as for the word (''as a guide''), it is placed with naṣb as a ḥāl (circumstantial qualifier) of ''the Book of Mūsā'', and the word (''and a mercy'') is connected to it. It is as though it were said: and before him the Book of Mūsā as a guide for the Children of Israel, who follow it, and as a mercy from Allah which He recited to Mūsā, as in:
18072 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: his father related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Ibrāhīm, concerning the word: (''and before him the Book of Mūsā'') — he said: before him it brought the Book to Mūsā.
And in the word there is an omitted part that has not been mentioned because the indication of what is mentioned is sufficient for it. That is: (''Is the one who is upon a clear proof from his Lord, and a witness from Him follows him, and before him the Book of Mūsā as a guide and a mercy'') — ''like the one who wanders astray in error, not guided to the right path, not distinguishing truth from falsehood, and intending by his action only the worldly life and its adornment''. That is equivalent to the word: أَمْ مَنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ سَاجِدًا وَقَائِمًا (''Or the one who passes the hours of the night in obedience, prostrating and standing'') (Surah Al-Zumar: 9). And the proof for the correctness of what we have said is that this follows upon the word: مَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا (''Whoever intends the worldly life''), the whole verse. Then it was said: Is this better, or the one who is upon a clear proof from his Lord? The Arabs do that often when what they have mentioned contains an indication upon what they have omitted.
And His word: (''They are the ones who believe in it'') — He says: Those whom I have described believe in him and acknowledge him — even though these polytheists (mushrikīn) do not believe in him.
The explanation of the word of Allah the Exalted: وَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِهِ مِنَ الأَحْزَابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهُ فَلا تَكُ فِي مِرْيَةٍ مِنْهُ إِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ (''And whoever disbelieves in it from the parties, the Fire is his appointed place. So be not in doubt about it; it is the truth from your Lord, but most of the people do not believe.'') (17)
Abū Jaʿfar said: Allah the Exalted says: Whoever disbelieves in this Qurʾān and denies that it is from Allah (''from the parties'') — and they are those who have grouped themselves around their religions — (''the Fire is his appointed place''), to which he goes in the Hereafter by his disbelief. Allah says to His Prophet Muḥammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: (''So be not in doubt about it'') — be not in doubt about it, namely that the appointed place of whoever disbelieves in the Qurʾān from the parties is the Fire, and that this Qurʾān which We have sent down to you is from Allah.
Then Allah the Exalted began a new statement about the Qurʾān and said: Verily, this Qurʾān which We have sent down to you, O Muḥammad, is the truth from your Lord, there is no doubt in it. But most of the people do not believe that it is so.
If someone asks: Was the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in doubt about the fact that the Qurʾān is from Allah and is the truth, that it was said to him: ''So be not in doubt about it''?
We answer: This is equivalent to His word: فَإِنْ كُنْتَ فِي شَكٍّ مِمَّا أَنـزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ (''If you are in doubt about what We have sent down to you'') (Surah Yūnus: 94), and we have clarified that there.
And statements of like meaning to what we have said the exegetes have expressed.
Mention of who said this:
18073 — Muḥammad ibn Bashār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Wahhāb related to us, saying: Ayyūb related to us, saying: It was related to me that Saʿīd ibn Jubayr said: Every ḥadīth (report) of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that reached me in the correct manner, I found confirmed in the Book of Allah the Exalted — until I heard the word: ''No one of this community, neither a Jew nor a Christian, who hears of me and then does not believe in what I was sent with, will enter anything but the Fire.'' Saʿīd said: I said: Where is this in the Book of Allah? — until I reached this verse: (''And whoever disbelieves in it from the parties, the Fire is his appointed place''), he said: of all the religions.
18074 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdallāh al-Mukharrimī and Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, they said: Jaʿfar ibn ʿAwn related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Ayyūb, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr concerning the word: (''And whoever disbelieves in it from the parties''), he said: of all the religions.
18075 — Yaʿqūb and Ibn Wakīʿ related to me, they said: Ibn ʿUlayya related to us, saying: Ayyūb related to us, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, who said: I did not hear a ḥadīth of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the correct manner but I found the confirmation, or he said: the corroboration of it in the Qurʾān. And it reached me that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ''No one of this community, neither a Jew nor a Christian, who then does not believe in what I was sent with, will enter anything but the Fire''. And I began to say: Where is the confirmation of it? — until I reached this: أَفَمَنْ كَانَ عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّهِ up to the word (''The Fire is his appointed place'') — he said: the parties are all the religions.
18076 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, who said: Ayyūb related to me, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ''There is no one of my community, neither a Jew nor a Christian, who does not believe in me, but he enters the Fire.'' And I began to say: Where is the confirmation of it in the Book of Allah? He said: And rarely did I hear a ḥadīth of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, but I found a confirmation of it in the Qurʾān — until I found this verse: (''And whoever disbelieves in it from the parties, the Fire is his appointed place'') — all the religions.
18077 — ... he said: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: (''And whoever disbelieves in it from the parties, the Fire is his appointed place''), he said: the disbelievers are all parties upon disbelief (kufr).
18078 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda concerning the word: وَمِنَ الأَحْزَابِ مَنْ يُنْكِرُ بَعْضَهُ (''And among the parties are those who reject a part of it'') (Surah Al-Raʿd: 36), that is: those who disbelieve in a part of it — and they are the Jews and the Christians. He said: It reached us that the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ''No one of my community, neither a Jew nor a Christian, who dies thereafter before he has believed in me, enters anything but the Fire.''
18079 — Al-Muthanná related to me, saying: Yūsuf ibn ʿAdī al-Naḍrī related to us, saying: Ibn al-Mubārak informed us, on the authority of Shuʿba, on the authority of Abū Bishr, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī: that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ''Whoever of my community hears of me, whether a Jew or a Christian, and does not believe in me, does not enter Paradise (janna).''
