Tafseer of The Prophets · Al-Anbiyaa · 21:24
Or have they taken gods besides Him? Say, [O Muhammad], "Produce your proof. This [Qur'an] is the message for those with me and the message of those before me." But most of them do not know the truth, so they are turning away.
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.
Allah, exalted be His remembrance, says: Have these polytheists (mushrikīn) taken besides Allah gods who benefit and harm, who create and give life and cause to die? Say, O Muhammad, to them: Bring your proof — that is to say: your argument. He says: bring a proof, if you claim that you are right in what you say — an argument and a proof of your truthfulness.
As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ (Say: Bring your proof): he says: bring your clear proof for what you say.
As for His word هَذَا ذِكْرُ مَنْ مَعِيَ (this is the remembrance of those who are with me): He says: what I have brought you from Allah of the Qurʾān and the revelation — ذِكْرُ مَنْ مَعِيَ (the remembrance of those who are with me): that is to say: the report of those who are with me, concerning what there is for them of Allah's reward for their belief in Him and their obedience to Him, and what falls upon them of Allah's punishment for their disobedience to Him and their disbelief in Him. وَذِكْرُ مَنْ قَبْلِي (and the remembrance of those who were before me): He says: and the report of those who were before me of the nations who have passed away before me, and what Allah did with them in the world and what He will do with them in the Hereafter.
In a manner similar to how we have explained this verse, the exegetes of the Qurʾān spoke.
Mention of those who said that:
Bishr related to me, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word هَذَا ذِكْرُ مَنْ مَعِيَ (this is the remembrance of those who are with me): he says: this Qurʾān contains the remembrance of what is declared lawful (ḥalāl) and what is declared unlawful (ḥarām). وَذِكْرُ مَنْ قَبْلِي (and the remembrance of those who were before me): he says: the remembrance of the deeds of the earlier nations and what Allah did with them and to what they came.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj: هَذَا ذِكْرُ مَنْ مَعِيَ (this is the remembrance of those who are with me): he said: the report of those who are with me, and the report of those who were before me.
As for His word بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لا يَعْلَمُونَ الْحَقَّ (but most of them do not know the Truth): He says: rather, most of these polytheists (mushrikīn) do not know what is right in what they say and in what they do and refrain from, so that they are turned away from the Truth out of ignorance and lack of understanding.
And Qatāda used to say concerning that, as Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لا يَعْلَمُونَ الْحَقَّ فَهُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ (but most of them do not know the Truth, and they turn away) — from the Book of Allah.
