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Aayah referring back to the people of the book (Surah Yunus, Verse 94)

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I have a question with regards to Surah Yunus, Verse 94 (10:94). It states that if we (as Muslims) are in doubt with what has been revealed to us, we should refer back to the Scriptures that came before (e.g. Torah and Gospel) and ask the Jews and Christians to confirm that our revelation is correct. However, we know that the Torah and the Gospels have been corrupted and we also know that the Jews and Christians are misguided, so how are we meant to refer back to their books and ask them about our revelation’s authenticity, when we don’t have their original scriptures?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

You refer to the following aayah:


فَإِنْ كُنْتَ فِي شَكٍّ مِمَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ فَاسْأَلِ الَّذِينَ يَقْرَءُونَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ ۚ لَقَدْ جَاءَكَ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ 

   

Translation: If you are in doubt about what we have revealed (about the truth of the incidents mentioned in the Quraan), then ask those who were reciting the Book (Tawrah) before you (they will confirm that these incidents are true because they had been told the same).

Undoubtedly the truth has come to you from your Rabb, so never be of the doubtful ones.

(Surah Yunus, Verse 94)

Brother,

You state that if we (as Muslims) are in doubt with what has been revealed to us, we should refer back to the Scriptures that came before (e.g. Torah and Gospel) and ask the Jews and Christians to confirm that our revelation is correct.

Unfortunately, you have misunderstood the aayah in reference.

Allah Talaah says: If you are in doubt about what we have revealed (about the truth of the incidents mentioned in the Quraan), then ask those who were reciting the Book (Tawrah) before you (they will confirm that these incidents are true because they had been told the same).

Allah Talaah does not order us to refer to the Scriptures that came before us, but instead Allah Taalah orders us ask those who were reciting the Book (Tawrah) before us.

Therefore, Allah advises us to refer to those Muslims who accepted Islam from Judiasm and Christianity, like Abdullah Ibne-Salaam and others, to confirm that their scriptures speak about Nabi (Sallallahu Alai Wasalam). [i]

Allah Taalah mentions in the Quraan:

“(Also remember the time) When Issa, the son of Maryam, said: O children of Israil! Indeed I am the Rasool of Allah (who has been)sent to you confirming the Torah, which came before me, and giving Glad Tidings of a Rasool to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad. (Referring to Nabi (Sallallahu Alai Wasalam).

But when he came to them with Clear Signs, they said: this is evident sorcery.” 

(Surah Saff, Verse 6)

In the above referred verse, it is obvious that Issa (Alaihis Salaam) referred to Rasullullah (Sallallahu Alai Wasalam).

Moreover, the Bible itself testifies to the coming of Nabi (Sallallahu Alai Wasalam). [ii]

Moses stated that God told him: “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.  If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.”

 (Deuteronomy 18:18-19)

The above verse clearly refers to Rasullullah (Sallallahu Alai Wasalam).

1)  As Rasullullah (Sallallahu Alai Wasalam) was like Moses (Musa Alaihis Salaam). He came in this world the natural way and passed away.

2)  That he will come from the brothers of the Israelites, i.e. the Ishmaelites.

3)  That God will put His words in to the mouth of this prophet and that he will declare what God commands him.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Muhammad IV Patel

Student Darul Iftaa
Lusaka, Zambia 

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

_____


[i] تفسير الطبري = جامع البيان ت شاكر (15/ 200) 

القول في تأويل قوله تعالى: {فَإِنْ كُنْتَ فِي شَكٍّ مِمَّا أَنزلْنَا إِلَيْكَ فَاسْأَلِ الَّذِينَ يَقْرَءُونَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ لَقَدْ جَاءَكَ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ فَلا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ (94) }

قال أبو جعفر: يقول تعالى ذكره لنبيه محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم: فإن كنت يا محمد في شك من حقيقة ما اخترناك فأنزلنا إليك، (2) من أن بني إسرائيل لم يختلفوا في نبوّتك قبل أن تبعث رسولا إلى خلقه، لأنهم يجدونك عندهم مكتوبًا، ويعرفونك بالصفة التي أنت بها موصوف في كتابهم في التوراة والإنجيل = (فاسأل الذين يقرءون الكتاب من قبلك) ، من أهل التوراة والإنجيل، كعبد الله بن سلام ونحوه، من أهل الصدق والإيمان بك منهم، دون أهل الكذب والكفر بك منهم.

* * *

وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل.

*ذكر من قال ذلك:

17886- حدثنا القاسم قال، حدثنا الحسين قال، حدثني حجاج، عن ابن جريج قال، قال ابن عباس في قوله: (فاسأل الذين يقرءون الكتاب من قبلك) ، قال: التوراة والإنجيل، الذين أدركوا محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم من أهل الكتاب فآمنوا به، يقول: فاسألهم إن كنت في شك بأنك مكتوب عندهم.

17887- حدثني يونس قال، أخبرنا ابن وهب قال، قال ابن زيد في قوله: (فإن كنت في شك مما أنزلنا إليك فاسأل الذين يقرءون الكتاب من قبلك) ، قال: هو عبد الله بن سلام، كان من أهل الكتاب، فآمن برسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم.

17888- حدثنا القاسم قال، حدثنا الحسين قال، حدثني حجاج، عن ابن جريج، عن مجاهد قوله: (فاسأل الذين يقرءون الكتاب من قبلك) قال: هم أهل الكتاب.

17889- حدثت عن الحسين بن الفرج قال: سمعت أبا معاذ يقول: أخبرنا عبيد قال: سمعت الضحاك يقول: (فاسأل الذين يقرءون الكتاب من قبلك) ، يعني أهل التقوى وأهلَ الإيمان من أهل الكتاب، ممن أدرك نبيّ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم

 

تفسير القرطبي (8/ 382)

قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: (فَإِنْ كُنْتَ فِي شَكٍّ مِمَّا أَنْزَلْنا إِلَيْكَ) الْخِطَابُ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَالْمُرَادُ غَيْرُهُ، أَيْ لَسْتَ فِي شَكٍّ وَلَكِنْ غَيْرُكَ شَكَّ. قَالَ أَبُو عُمَرَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْوَاحِدِ الزَّاهِدُ: سَمِعْتُ الْإِمَامَيْنِ ثَعْلَبًا وَالْمُبَرِّدَ يَقُولَانِ: مَعْنَى” فَإِنْ كُنْتَ فِي شَكٍّ” أَيْ قُلْ يَا مُحَمَّدُ لِلْكَافِرِ فَإِنْ كُنْتَ فِي شَكٍّ مِمَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ (فَسْئَلِ الَّذِينَ يَقْرَؤُنَ الْكِتابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ) أَيْ يَا عَابِدَ الْوَثَنِ إِنْ كُنْتَ فِي شَكٍّ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ فَاسْأَلْ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ، يَعْنِي عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ سَلَامٍ وَأَمْثَالَهُ، لِأَنَّ عَبَدَةَ الْأَوْثَانِ كَانُوا يُقِرُّونَ لِلْيَهُودِ أَنَّهُمْ أَعْلَمُ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ أَجْلٍ أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَابُ كِتَابٍ، فَدَعَاهُمُ الرَّسُولُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى أَنْ يَسْأَلُوا مَنْ يُقِرُّونَ بِأَنَّهُمْ أَعْلَمُ مِنْهُمْ، هَلْ يَبْعَثُ اللَّهُ بِرَسُولٍ مِنْ بَعْدِ مُوسَى. وَقَالَ الْقُتَبِيُّ: هَذَا خِطَابٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ لَا يَقْطَعُ بِتَكْذِيبِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَلَا بِتَصْدِيقِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، بَلْ كَانَ فِي شَكٍّ. وَقِيلَ: الْمُرَادُ بِالْخِطَابِ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا غَيْرُهُ، وَالْمَعْنَى: لَوْ كنت يلحقك الشك فيما أخبرناك به فسألت أهل الكتاب لا زالوا عَنْكَ الشَّكَّ. وَقِيلَ: الشَّكُّ ضِيقُ الصَّدْرِ، أَيْ إِنْ ضَاقَ صَدْرُكَ بِكُفْرِ هَؤُلَاءِ فَاصْبِرْ، وَاسْأَلِ الَّذِينَ يَقْرَءُونَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ يُخْبِرُوكَ صَبْرَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ عَلَى أَذَى قَوْمِهِمْ وَكَيْفَ عَاقِبَةُ أَمْرِهِمْ. وَالشَّكُّ فِي اللُّغَةِ أَصْلُهُ الضِّيق

تفسير البيضاوي = أنوار التنزيل وأسرار التأويل (3/ 123)

إِنْ كُنْتَ فِي شَكٍّ مِمَّا أَنْزَلْنا إِلَيْكَ فَسْئَلِ الَّذِينَ يَقْرَؤُنَ الْكِتابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ لَقَدْ جاءَكَ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ فَلا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ المُمْتَرِينَ (94) وَلا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآياتِ اللَّهِ فَتَكُونَ مِنَ الْخاسِرِينَ (95)

فَإِنْ كُنْتَ فِي شَكٍّ مِمَّا أَنْزَلْنا إِلَيْكَ من القصص على سبيل الفرض والتقدير. فَسْئَلِ الَّذِينَ يَقْرَؤُنَ الْكِتابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ فإنه محقق عندهم ثابت في كتبهم على نحو ما ألقينا إليك، والمراد تحقيق ذلك والاستشهاد بما في الكتب المتقدمة وأن القرآن مصدق لما فيها، أو وصف أهل الكتاب بالرسوخ في العلم بصحة ما أنزل إليه، أو تهييج الرسول صلّى الله عليه وسلّم وزيادة تثبيته لا إمكان وقوع الشك له ولذلك

قال عليه الصلاة والسلام: «لا أشك ولا أسأل»

وقيل الخطاب للنبي صلّى الله عليه وسلّم والمراد أمته أو لكل من يسمع أي إن كنت أيها السامع في شك مما نزلنا على لسان نبينا إليك، وفيه تنبيه على أن كل من خالجته شبهة في الدين ينبغي أن يسارع إلى حلها بالرجوع إلى أهل العلم. لَقَدْ جاءَكَ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ واضحاً أنه لا مدخل للمرية فيه بالآيات القاطعة. فَلا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ المُمْتَرِينَ بالتزلزل عما أنت عليه من الجزم واليقين


تفسير النيسابوري = غرائب القرآن ورغائب الفرقان (3/ 612)

وعن ابن عباس: لا والله ما شك طرفة عين ولا سأل أحدا منهم. وقيل: «إن» نافية أي فما كنت في شك يعني لا نأمرك بالسؤال لأنك شاك ولكن لتزداد يقينا. وقيل: الخطاب لكل سامع يتأتى منه الشك. ومن المسئول منه قال المحققون: هم مؤمنوا أهل الكتاب كعبد الله بن سلام وعبد الله بن صوريا وتميم الداري وكعب الأحبار لأنهم هم الذين يوثق بخبرهم. ومنهم من قال: الكل سواء لأنهم إذا بلغوا حد التواتر وقرأوا آية من التوراة والإنجيل تدل على البشارة بمقدم محمد صلّى الله عليه وسلم فقد حصل الغرض، لأن تلك الآية لما بقيت مع توفر دواعيهم على تحريف نعته كانت من أقوى الدلائل. والظاهر أن المقصود من السؤال معرفة حقيقة القرآن وصحة نبوة محمد صلّى الله عليه وسلم لقوله: مِمَّا أَنْزَلْنا إِلَيْكَ

[ii]  The Holy Bible, New International Version, Deuteronomy chapter 18, verse 18

This answer was collected from Askimam.org, which is operated under the supervision of Mufti Ebrahim Desai from South Africa.

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