Surah Al-Ahqaf (46) — Ayah 10

(Ayah 10) ➊ The literal meaning of {قُلْ اَرَءَيْتُمْ اِنْ كَانَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللّٰهِ …:’’ اَرَءَيْتُمْ ‘‘} is "Have you seen?" The Arabs use it in the sense of {’’ أَخْبِرُوْنِيْ‘‘} (tell me), meaning, "Have you seen? If you have seen, then tell me." In {’’ وَ شَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ مِّنْۢ بَنِيْۤ اِسْرَآءِيْلَ عَلٰى مِثْلِهٖ ‘‘}, "the testimony of someone like him" means that if a witness from among the Children of Israel has given testimony. Because sometimes, by "someone like," the thing itself is meant, as it is said: {’’مِثْلُكَ لَا يَفْعَلُ هٰذَا‘‘} "Someone like you does not do this work," meaning you do not do this work. Therefore, the meaning of {’’ فَاٰمَنَ وَ اسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ ‘‘} is not that he believed in someone like him, but rather it means, "Then he believed in it, and you acted arrogantly." The use of the word {’’مِثْلٌ‘‘} for a person himself is exemplified, according to one tafsir, by Allah Almighty's statement: «اَوَ مَنْ كَانَ مَيْتًا فَاَحْيَيْنٰهُ وَ جَعَلْنَا لَهٗ نُوْرًا يَّمْشِيْ بِهٖ فِي النَّاسِ كَمَنْ مَّثَلُهٗ فِي الظُّلُمٰتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِّنْهَا» [ الأنعام : ۱۲۲ ] {’’ أَيْ كَمَنْ هُوَ ({نَفْسُهُ}) Fī al-ẓulumāt (in the darknesses)." Here, the phrase "like one whose likeness is in the darknesses" means "like the one who (himself) is in darknesses." Similarly: « فَاِنْ اٰمَنُوْا بِمِثْلِ مَاۤ اٰمَنْتُمْ بِهٖ فَقَدِ اهْتَدَوْا » [ البقرۃ : ۱۳۷ ] (So if they believe in the like of that which you believe in, then surely they are guided) means, "If they believe in that which you believe in..." (Adhwa' al-Bayan). For further details, see the tafsir of Surah Ash-Shura, Ayah (11): «لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهٖ شَيْءٌ ».

In this ayah, from {’’ اِنْ كَانَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللّٰهِ ‘‘} to {’’ وَ اسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ ‘‘} is a conditional clause, whose result is omitted and is made clear by the following sentence {’’ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظّٰلِمِيْنَ ‘‘}: {’’أَيْ فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِنْكُمْ‘‘} "then who is more unjust than you?" This is supported by Surah Ha Mim As-Sajdah (52) as well.

After mentioning the various objections of the disbelievers to the Quran and their answers, now they are being warned of the evil end of not believing in it: Tell me, if this Book is from Allah Almighty and you deny it, even though a witness from among the Children of Israel has already testified to its truth, then he himself believed in it, but (even after knowing that it is the truth) you refuse to accept it merely out of arrogance and to maintain false pride (then surely you are unjust, and Allah Almighty will not grant you guidance), because those who arrogantly reject the truth, Allah Almighty does not grant such wrongdoers the ability to walk the straight path.

➋ In this ayah, who is meant by {’’ شَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ مِّنْۢ بَنِيْۤ اِسْرَآءِيْلَ ‘‘}? The commentators have various opinions about this. The most famous opinion is that it refers to Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him). The evidence for this is the hadith of Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: [ مَا سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ سَلَّمَ يَقُوْلُ لِأَحَدٍ يَمْشِيْ عَلَی الْأَرْضِ إِنَّهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ إِلَّا لِعَبْدِ اللّٰهِ بْنِ سَلَامٍ قَالَ وَ فِيْهِ نَزَلَتْ هٰذِهِ الْآيَةُ : « وَ شَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ مِّنْۢ بَنِيْۤ اِسْرَآءِيْلَ عَلٰى مِثْلِهٖ» ] [ بخاري، مناقب الأنصار، مناقب عبد اللّٰہ بن سلام رضی اللہ عنہ : ۳۸۱۲ ] "I did not hear the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say about anyone walking on the earth that he is among the people of Paradise except Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him)." Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) said that this ayah was revealed about him: « وَ شَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ مِّنْۢ بَنِيْۤ اِسْرَآءِيْلَ عَلٰى مِثْلِهٖ» [ الأحقاف : ۱۱ ] "And a witness from among the Children of Israel has testified to the like of it (the Quran)." But the problem with this is that this surah is Makki, whereas Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) became Muslim in Madinah. Those who take this "witness" to mean Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) explain that although the surah is Makki, this ayah could be Madani, or it could be that the mention of Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) believing from among the Children of Israel was made in Makkah as a prophecy. But the more likely explanation seems to be that the meaning of Sa'd's (may Allah be pleased with him) statement is that Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) is also among those who, from among the Children of Israel, testified to the truth of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and believed in him. Because it is established in the principles of tafsir that sometimes the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) say that a certain ayah was revealed about a certain issue or person, even though their intent is that the ayah applies to and is true for that person or issue.

The second and third opinions are that it refers to Musa (peace be upon him) or, according to some, Isa (peace be upon him), because they testified to the truth of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the Torah and the Gospel. Especially Isa (peace be upon him) gave glad tidings of his coming by name and, by believing in him, confirmed him, as he said: « وَ اِذْ قَالَ عِيْسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ يٰبَنِيْۤ اِسْرَآءِيْلَ اِنِّيْ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ اِلَيْكُمْ مُّصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرٰىةِ وَ مُبَشِّرًۢا بِرَسُوْلٍ يَّاْتِيْ مِنْۢ بَعْدِي اسْمُهٗۤ اَحْمَدُ » [الصف : ۶ ] "And when Isa son of Maryam said, O Children of Israel! Indeed, I am the Messenger of Allah to you, confirming what came before me of the Torah and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad." Despite the distortions in the Torah and the Gospel, there are still such verses in them in which the coming of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is given as glad tidings and his truth is confirmed. See also the tafsir of Surah As-Saff (6) and Surah Al-A'raf (157).

The fourth opinion, which seems stronger, is that the polytheists of Makkah commonly traveled for trade to Madinah, Khaybar, and Syria, which Allah Almighty has also mentioned in Surah Quraysh. In these journeys, they would meet the People of the Book, Jews and Christians, and would ask them about the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and among them, fair-minded people would not refrain from testifying to the truth. Therefore, Allah Almighty has mentioned in several places in the Quran, even in Makki surahs, that the scholars of the People of the Book also confirm this Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and this Book and believe in it. Therefore, in {’’ وَ شَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ مِّنْۢ بَنِيْۤ اِسْرَآءِيْلَ ‘‘}, the word {’’ شَاهِدٌ ‘‘}, as Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said, is a generic noun and can refer to any of those people who, during the time the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was in Makkah, testified to his prophethood, as the faith and testimony of Najashi (may Allah be pleased with him) to his truth is well known, even though the Israelite Companions who believed in Madinah are not excluded from this. Now, observe those ayahs of the Makki surahs in which the testimony of the People of the Book is mentioned as support: « قُلْ كَفٰى بِاللّٰهِ شَهِيْدًۢا بَيْنِيْ وَ بَيْنَكُمْ وَ مَنْ عِنْدَهٗ عِلْمُ الْكِتٰبِ» [ الرعد : ۴۳ ] "Say, Allah is sufficient as a witness between me and you, and (so is) he who has knowledge of the Book." And He said: «اِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ اُوْتُوا الْعِلْمَ مِنْ قَبْلِهٖۤ اِذَا يُتْلٰى عَلَيْهِمْ يَخِرُّوْنَ لِلْاَذْقَانِ سُجَّدًا (107) وَّ يَقُوْلُوْنَ سُبْحٰنَ رَبِّنَاۤ اِنْ كَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّنَا لَمَفْعُوْلًا » [ بني إسرائیل : ۱۰۷، ۱۰۸ ] "Indeed, those who were given knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, they fall upon their faces in prostration. And they say, 'Exalted is our Lord! Indeed, the promise of our Lord has been fulfilled.'" And He said: « وَ اِذَا يُتْلٰى عَلَيْهِمْ قَالُوْۤا اٰمَنَّا بِهٖۤ اِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَّبِّنَاۤ اِنَّا كُنَّا مِنْ قَبْلِهٖ مُسْلِمِيْنَ » [ القصص : ۵۳ ] "And when it is recited to them, they say, 'We believe in it. Indeed, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed, we were Muslims before it.'" And He said: « اَوَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَّهُمْ اٰيَةً اَنْ يَّعْلَمَهٗ عُلَمٰٓؤُا بَنِيْۤ اِسْرَآءِيْلَ» [ الشعراء : ۱۹۷ ] "And was it not a sign to them that it is known to the scholars of the Children of Israel?"