Tafseer of The Spider · Al-Ankaboot · 29:51
And is it not sufficient for them that We revealed to you the Book which is recited to them? Indeed in that is a mercy and reminder for a people who 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 His word, the Exalted: أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِهِمْ أَنَّا أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَرَحْمَةً وَذِكْرَى لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ (51) ("Is it not enough for them that We have sent down to you the Book, which is recited to them? Indeed, in that is truly a mercy and a reminder for a people who believe.") (29:51)
The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: Is it not enough for these polytheists (mushrikīn), O Muḥammad — those who say: "If only a sign from his Lord had been sent down to Muḥammad ﷺ", from among the signs and proofs — "that We have sent down to you" this "Book, which is recited to them"? He says: that is read out to them; "indeed, in that is truly a mercy". He says: indeed, in this Book that We have sent down to them is truly a mercy (raḥma) for those who believe in it, and a reminder by which they take admonition through the teaching and the warning that it contains.
And it has been mentioned that this verse was sent down because a group of the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had copied something from some of the books of the People of the Book (ahl al-kitāb).
* Mention of who said that:
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 ʿAmr ibn Dīnār, on the authority of Yaḥyā ibn Jaʿda, that some people of the Muslims came to the Prophet of Allah ﷺ with writings in which they had written down some of what the Jews say. When he looked into them, he threw them away and then said: "It suffices as foolishness for a people — or: as misguidance for a people — that they turn away from what their prophet has brought them to what someone other than their prophet has brought, to a people who are not their own." Then was sent down: أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِهِمْ أَنَّا أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَرَحْمَةً وَذِكْرَى لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ ("Is it not enough for them that We have sent down to you the Book, which is recited to them? Indeed, in that is truly a mercy and a reminder for a people who believe.").
