Tafseer of The Prophets · Al-Anbiyaa · 21:105
And We have already written in the book [of Psalms] after the [previous] mention that the land [of Paradise] is inherited by My righteous servants.
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 scholars of exegesis differed concerning what is meant by "al-zabūr" and "al-dhikr" in this place. Some said: by al-zabūr are meant all the books of the prophets that Allah sent down to them, and by al-dhikr is meant the Mother of the Book which is with Him in heaven.
Mention of those who said this:
ʿĪsā ibn ʿUthmān ibn ʿĪsā al-Ramlī related to me, saying: Yaḥyā ibn ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, who said: I asked Saʿīd about the word of Allah وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ; he said: "Al-dhikr: that (Book) which is in heaven."
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: ʿĪsā ibn Yūnus related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, concerning His word وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ: he said: al-Aʿmash read it as الزُّبُرِ; he said: "Al-zubūr, the Tawrāt, the Injīl and the Qurʾān; مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ: al-dhikr is that (Book) which is in heaven."
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning الزَّبُورِ: he said: "The Book"; مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ: he said: "The Mother of the Book with Allah."
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 الزَّبُورِ: he said: "The Book"; مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ: he said: "The Mother of the Book with Allah."
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning His word وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ: he said: "Al-zabūr: the books that were sent down to the prophets; and al-dhikr: the Mother of the Book in which the things prior are written down."
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Jarīr related to us, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Saʿīd, concerning His word وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ: he said: "We wrote in the Qurʾān after the Tawrāt."
Others said: rather, by al-zabūr are meant the books that Allah sent down upon those of the prophets who came after Mūsā, and by al-dhikr: the Tawrāt.
Mention of those who said this:
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 His word وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ... the verse: he said: "Al-dhikr is the Tawrāt, and al-zabūr are the books."
We were related to via al-Ḥusayn, who said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd related to us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning His word وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ... the verse: he said: "Al-dhikr is the Tawrāt; and by al-zabūr after the Tawrāt are meant the books."
Others said: rather, by al-zabūr is meant the Zabūr of Dāwūd, and by al-dhikr: the Tawrāt of Mūsā (may Allah's peace be upon them both).
Mention of those who said this:
Muḥammad ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Wahhāb related to us, saying: Dāwūd related to us, on the authority of ʿĀmir, who treated this verse وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ: he said: "The Zabūr of Dāwūd; after the dhikr: the dhikr is the Tawrāt of Mūsā."
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Ibn Abī ʿAdī related to us, on the authority of Dāwūd, on the authority of al-Shaʿbī, who treated this verse وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ: he said: "In the Zabūr of Dāwūd; after the dhikr of Mūsā."
The most correct of these opinions, in my view, is what Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, Mujāhid and those who shared their view said — that the meaning is: "We wrote in the books after the Mother of the Book, that Allah wrote therein all that would be before the creation of the heavens and the earth." For al-zabūr is the book — one says: "I wrote the book" (zabartu l-kitāb wa-dhabartuhu) when one has written it down; and every book that Allah sent down to one of His prophets is a dhikr. Since this is so, the insertion of the definite article in "al-dhikr" gives the clear indication that thereby a specific dhikr is meant which was known to those to whom the Qurʾānic text was revealed; and were it something other than the Mother of the Book which we have described, the Tawrāt would have no more right than the scrolls of Ibrāhīm to be intended thereby — for those preceded the Zabūr of Dāwūd.
The interpretation of the text, then — since it is as we have described — is: "We have decreed, and written down Our decree in the books after the Mother of the Book, that the earth is inherited by Our righteous servants" — meaning thereby: the earth of the Garden (janna) is inherited by My servants who work in His obedience, who hold to His command and prohibition, and not by those among them who commit His disobedience and prefer obedience to Satan over obedience to Him.
Mention of those who said this:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdullāh al-Hilālī related to us, saying: ʿUbaydullāh ibn Mūsā related to us, saying: Isrāʾīl related to us, on the authority of Abū Yaḥyā al-Qattāt, on the authority of Mujāhid, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word أَنَّ الأرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ: he said: "The earth of the Garden."
ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ أَنَّ الأرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ: he said: "Allah, exalted is He, announced in the Tawrāt, the Zabūr and His foreknowledge before the heavens and the earth existed, that He would make the community of Muḥammad ﷺ inherit the earth and would cause them to enter the Garden — and they are the righteous servants."
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Jarīr related to us, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, concerning His word وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ أَنَّ الأرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ: he said: "We wrote in the Qurʾān after the Tawrāt; and the earth is the earth of the Garden."
ʿAlī ibn Sahl related to me, saying: Ḥajjāj related to us, on the authority of Abū Jaʿfar, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ ibn Anas, on the authority of Abū l-ʿĀliya, concerning أَنَّ الأرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ: he said: "The earth is the Garden."
ʿĪsā ibn ʿUthmān ibn ʿĪsā al-Ramlī related to me, saying: Yaḥyā ibn ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, who said: I asked Saʿīd about the word of Allah أَنَّ الأرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ; he said: "The earth of the Garden."
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning the word of Allah أَنَّ الأرْضَ: he said: "The Garden"; يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ.
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 — the same.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word أَنَّ الأرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ: he said: "The Garden." And he recited the word of Allah, exalted is His praise: وَقَالُوا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي صَدَقَنَا وَعْدَهُ وَأَوْرَثَنَا الأَرْضَ نَتَبَوَّأُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ نَشَاءُ فَنِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعَامِلِينَ. He said: "The Garden begins on the earth and then ascends in steps; and the Fire begins on the earth, and between the two is a partition — a wall — and no one knows what that wall is." And he recited: بَابٌ بَاطِنُهُ فِيهِ الرَّحْمَةُ وَظَاهِرُهُ مِنْ قِبَلِهِ الْعَذَابُ: "And its steps descend into the earth, and the steps of the Garden ascend into the heavens."
Muḥammad ibn ʿAwf related to us, saying: Abū l-Mughīra related to us, saying: Ṣafwān related to us: "I asked ʿĀmir ibn ʿAbdullāh Abā l-Yamān: 'Is there a place where the souls of the believers gather?'" He said: "The earth concerning which Allah says وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ أَنَّ الأرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ: that is the earth upon which the souls of the believers gather until the Resurrection arrives."
Others said: it is the earth that Allah makes the believers inherit in this world.
Others said: thereby are meant the Banū Isrāʾīl, for Allah promised them this and fulfilled that promise to them.
As proof for that opinion the word of Allah was adduced: وَأَوْرَثْنَا الْقَوْمَ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا يُسْتَضْعَفُونَ مَشَارِقَ الأَرْضِ وَمَغَارِبَهَا الَّتِي بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا. We have already mentioned the opinion of the one who said that أَنَّ الأرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ is the earth of the unbelieving nations which the community of Muḥammad ﷺ inherits — and that is the opinion of Ibn ʿAbbās as transmitted by ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭalḥa from him.
