Tafseer of The Thunder · Ar-Ra'd · 13:36
And [the believers among] those to whom We have given the [previous] Scripture rejoice at what has been revealed to you, [O Muhammad], but among the [opposing] factions are those who deny part of it. Say, "I have only been commanded to worship Allah and not associate [anything] with Him. To Him I invite, and to Him is my return."
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.
Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted says: and those to whom We have given the Book from among those who have believed in you and followed you, O Muḥammad — يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ (rejoice at what has been sent down to you) thereof. وَمِنَ الأَحْزَابِ مَنْ يُنْكِرُ بَعْضَهُ (and among the factions are those who reject part of it) — He says: and among the people of the religions who have banded together against you — they being people of differing religions — are those who reject part of what has been sent down to you. So say to them: إِنَّمَا أُمِرْتُ O people أَنْ أَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ that I worship Allah alone, and not what exists besides Him, وَلا أُشْرِكَ بِهِ and that I assign Him no associate in my worship, such that I would worship besides Him the gods and idols — but I devote the religion purely to Him, as an adherent of the upright faith, as a submitted servant. إِلَيْهِ أَدْعُو (to Him I call) — He says: to His obedience and the pure worship of Him alone I call the people. وَإِلَيْهِ مَآبِ (and to Him is my return) — He says: and to Him is my return.
And it is a "mafʿal" from the saying "āba yaʾūbu awban wa-maāban" (to return).
And the exegetes said something similar to what we have said about this.
Mention of who said that:
20454 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: وَالَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ — these are the Companions of Muḥammad ﷺ, who rejoiced at the Book of Allah and His Messenger and acknowledged him as truthful.
His word: وَمِنَ الأَحْزَابِ مَنْ يُنْكِرُ بَعْضَهُ — by it he means the Jews and the Christians.
20455 — Al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad related to us, saying: Shabāba related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word: وَمِنَ الأَحْزَابِ مَنْ يُنْكِرُ بَعْضَهُ — he said: of the People of the Book.
20456 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: ʿAbd Allāh related to us, on the authority of Warqāʾ, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid — the same.
20457 — 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, concerning His word: وَالَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمِنَ الأَحْزَابِ مَنْ يُنْكِرُ بَعْضَهُ — of the People of the Book, and "al-aḥzāb" are the People of the Scriptures who come together in their factions. His word: وَإِنْ يَأْتِ الأَحْزَابُ [Surah Al-Aḥzāb 33:20] — he said: because of their banding together against the Prophet ﷺ. Ibn Jurayj said, he said on the authority of Mujāhid: يُنْكِرُ بَعْضَهُ — he said: part of the Qurʾān.
20458 — 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: وَإِلَيْهِ مَآبٌ — and to Him is the return of every servant.
20459 — Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning His word: وَالَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ — he said: these are those who believed in the Prophet ﷺ from among the People of the Book, and they rejoice therein. And he recited: وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِهِ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ لا يُؤْمِنُ بِهِ [Surah Yūnus 10:40]. And concerning His word وَمِنَ الأَحْزَابِ مَنْ يُنْكِرُ بَعْضَهُ — he said: "al-aḥzāb" are the nations: the Jews, the Christians, and the Magians — among them are those who believe in him and among them are those who reject him.
