Tafseer of The Stories · Al-Qasas · 28:75
And We will extract from every nation a witness and say, "Produce your proof," and they will know that the truth belongs to Allah, and lost from them is that which they used to invent.
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.
His saying: وَنَزَعْنَا مِنْ كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ شَهِيدًا ("And We shall draw forth from every community a witness") means: and We have brought forward from every community its witness, and that is its prophet, who testifies against it concerning how his community answered him regarding the message that he brought them from Allah. It has also been said: ونَزَعْنَا is derived from the saying "so-and-so drew forth such-and-such proof (nazaʿa)," in the meaning of: he brought it into presence and brought it forth.
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) have spoken.
Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning his saying: وَنَزَعْنَا مِنْ كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ شَهِيدًا ("And We shall draw forth from every community a witness") — its witness is its prophet, who testifies against it that he conveyed the message of his Lord.
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 of them — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid; concerning his saying: وَنَزَعْنَا مِنْ كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ شَهِيدًا ("And We shall draw forth from every community a witness"), he said: a messenger.
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, with something similar.
And his saying: فَقُلْنَا هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ ("Then We said: Bring your proof!") means: Then We said to the community of every prophet among them who had rejected his counsel and denied what he had brought them from their Lord, when their prophet testified against them that he had conveyed to them the message of Allah: هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ ("Bring your proof!"). That means: He said to them: Bring your proof for the partners you ascribed to Allah, while Allah left you no excuse by means of the messengers, and imposed the proof against you by means of the arguments.
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the people of interpretation have spoken.
Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: فَقُلْنَا هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ ("Then We said: Bring your proof!"), that is to say: your evidence.
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 of them — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning his saying: فَقُلْنَا هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ ("Then We said: Bring your proof!"), he said: your proof for what you worshipped and said.
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: فَقُلْنَا هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ ("Then We said: Bring your proof!"), he said: your proof for what you worshipped.
And his saying: فَعَلِمُوا أَنَّ الْحَقَّ لِلَّهِ ("Then they will know that the truth belongs to Allah") means: Then at that moment they will know that the decisive proof against them belongs to Allah, and that the truth belongs to Allah, and that His tidings are the truth. Thus they will become certain of an everlasting punishment from Allah for them. وَضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ ("And that which they used to fabricate will forsake them") means: and that which vanishes and departs is what they used to ascribe to Allah as partners in the worldly life, and what they fabricated and lied — about Me, concerning them. It will then avail them nothing there, but rather it will harm them and cause them to burn in the fire of hell (jahannam).
