Tafseer of The Cloaked One · Al-Muddaththir · 74:52
Rather, every person among them desires that he would be given scriptures spread about.
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 statement: بَلْ يُرِيدُ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ يُؤْتَى صُحُفًا مُنَشَّرَةً (Nay, each one of them desires that he should be given unrolled scrolls). The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: it is not the case, regarding these polytheists (mushrikīn), in their turning away from this Qurʾān, that they do not know that it is from Allah; but rather each one of them desires that a writing from heaven be given to him, sent down upon him.
And in accordance with what we have said concerning this, the interpreters of the Qurʾān (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 statement: بَلْ يُرِيدُ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ يُؤْتَى صُحُفًا مُنَشَّرَةً (Nay, each one of them desires that he should be given unrolled scrolls), he said: some people said: O Muḥammad, if it pleases you that we should follow you, then bring us a writing, addressed specifically to so-and-so and so-and-so, in which we are commanded to follow you. Qatāda said: they wished to obtain safety without performing deeds.
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 His statement: بَلْ يُرِيدُ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ يُؤْتَى صُحُفًا مُنَشَّرَةً (Nay, each one of them desires that he should be given unrolled scrolls), he said: to so-and-so, from the Lord of the worlds.