سُوْرَةُ المَآئِدَةِ
Surah Al-Maaida (5) — Ayah 15
يَـٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ قَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ كَثِيرًا مِّمَّا كُنتُمْ تُخْفُونَ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَيَعْفُوا۟ عَن كَثِيرٍ ۚ قَدْ جَآءَكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَـٰبٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴿15﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Now has come to you Our Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) explaining to you much of that which you used to hide from the Scripture and pass over (i.e. leaving out without explaining) much. Indeed, there has come to you from Allâh a light (Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) and a plain Book (this Qur’ân).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَهْلَ
yāahla
O People
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ
l-kitābi
(of) the Book
قَدْ
qad
Surely
جَآءَكُمْ
jāakum
has come to you
رَسُولُنَا
rasūlunā
Our Messenger
يُبَيِّنُ
yubayyinu
making clear
لَكُمْ
lakum
to you
كَثِيرًۭا
kathīran
much
مِّمَّا
mimmā
of what
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you used to
تُخْفُونَ
tukh'fūna
conceal
مِنَ
mina
of
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ
l-kitābi
the Scripture
وَيَعْفُوا۟
wayaʿfū
and overlooking
عَن
ʿan
of
كَثِيرٍۢ ۚ
kathīrin
much
قَدْ
qad
Surely
جَآءَكُم
jāakum
has come to you
مِّنَ
mina
from
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
نُورٌۭ
nūrun
a light
وَكِتَـٰبٌۭ
wakitābun
and a Book
مُّبِينٌۭ
mubīnun
clear
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 15) ➊ {يٰۤاَهْلَ الْكِتٰبِ قَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُوْلُنَا ……:} After mentioning the breaking of covenants by the Jews and Christians and their turning away from the truth, now they are being invited to believe in the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). (Kabir) In this verse, two attributes of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) are mentioned: one is that he discloses many rulings which they used to conceal, such as the verse of stoning, the story of the Sabbath people whose forms were transformed into monkeys and pigs, and similarly, the verses related to the attributes of the Noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). In short, the Jews used to hide all these matters. Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that a Jewish man and woman who had committed adultery were brought to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He asked them: "What ruling do you find in your book regarding this?" They said: "Our scholars have prescribed (the punishment) of blackening the face and parading on a donkey." Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah! Call their scholars along with the Torah." So the Torah was brought, and one of them placed his hand over the verse of stoning and began to read from before and after it. Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "Lift your hand." He lifted his hand, and the verse of stoning appeared from underneath. Thus, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered, and both of them were stoned. [ بخاری، الحدود، باب الرجم فی البلاط : ۶۸۱۹ ]
➋ {قَدْ جَآءَكُمْ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ نُوْرٌ وَّ كِتٰبٌ مُّبِيْنٌ :} By "light" is meant the Book of Allah, the Exalted. The conjunction "wa" is not to indicate two separate things but for explanation, meaning the clear Book is the explanation of this light. A clear proof of this is the following verse: « يَهْدِيْ بِهِ اللّٰهُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَهٗ سُبُلَ السَّلٰمِ » meaning, with which Allah guides those who seek His pleasure to the paths of peace. Now, if in this verse "light" and "clear Book" were two separate things, the words would have been {’’ يَهْدِيْ بِهِمَا اللّٰهُ ‘‘} (Allah guides with both of them). Elsewhere, Allah Himself has called the Noble Qur'an "light," as He said: «فَالَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا بِهٖ وَ عَزَّرُوْهُ وَ نَصَرُوْهُ وَ اتَّبَعُوا النُّوْرَ الَّذِيْۤ اُنْزِلَ مَعَهٗۤ اُولٰٓىِٕكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُوْنَ» [الأعراف : ۱۵۷ ] "So those who believe in this Messenger, and honor him, and help him, and follow the light which has been sent down with him, they are the successful." It is thus clear that the Book sent down with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is itself the light. Similarly, He said: {«فَاٰمِنُوْا بِاللّٰهِ وَ رَسُوْلِهٖ وَ النُّوْرِ الَّذِيْۤ اَنْزَلْنَا »} [ التغابن : ۸ ] "So believe in Allah and His Messenger and the light which We have sent down." The word "light" for the Qur'an has also come in Surah An-Nisa and other places, as He said: «يٰۤاَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَآءَكُمْ بُرْهَانٌ مِّنْ رَّبِّكُمْ وَ اَنْزَلْنَاۤ اِلَيْكُمْ نُوْرًا مُّبِيْنًا » [ النساء : ۱۷۴ ] "O people! Surely there has come to you a clear proof from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a clear light."
Some commentators have taken "light" to mean the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and "clear Book" to mean the Noble Qur'an. In this case, the meaning would be that from Allah, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came as a light, and the Qur'an as a clear Book, with which Allah guides, meaning he is a light of guidance, and secondly, {’’ نُوْرٌ مِنَ اللهِ ‘‘} meaning a light sent from Allah, who is a creation of Allah and not {’’ نُوْرٌ مِنْ نُوْرِ اللهِ ‘‘} meaning a piece of light from Allah's own light, that he is a part of Allah or Allah Himself. This is the same belief as the Christians, who made the Messiah (peace be upon him) the son of Allah, and these people have made the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) a piece of Allah. Surah Al-Ikhlas strongly refutes this filthy and polytheistic belief.
➋ {قَدْ جَآءَكُمْ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ نُوْرٌ وَّ كِتٰبٌ مُّبِيْنٌ :} By "light" is meant the Book of Allah, the Exalted. The conjunction "wa" is not to indicate two separate things but for explanation, meaning the clear Book is the explanation of this light. A clear proof of this is the following verse: « يَهْدِيْ بِهِ اللّٰهُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَهٗ سُبُلَ السَّلٰمِ » meaning, with which Allah guides those who seek His pleasure to the paths of peace. Now, if in this verse "light" and "clear Book" were two separate things, the words would have been {’’ يَهْدِيْ بِهِمَا اللّٰهُ ‘‘} (Allah guides with both of them). Elsewhere, Allah Himself has called the Noble Qur'an "light," as He said: «فَالَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا بِهٖ وَ عَزَّرُوْهُ وَ نَصَرُوْهُ وَ اتَّبَعُوا النُّوْرَ الَّذِيْۤ اُنْزِلَ مَعَهٗۤ اُولٰٓىِٕكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُوْنَ» [الأعراف : ۱۵۷ ] "So those who believe in this Messenger, and honor him, and help him, and follow the light which has been sent down with him, they are the successful." It is thus clear that the Book sent down with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is itself the light. Similarly, He said: {«فَاٰمِنُوْا بِاللّٰهِ وَ رَسُوْلِهٖ وَ النُّوْرِ الَّذِيْۤ اَنْزَلْنَا »} [ التغابن : ۸ ] "So believe in Allah and His Messenger and the light which We have sent down." The word "light" for the Qur'an has also come in Surah An-Nisa and other places, as He said: «يٰۤاَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَآءَكُمْ بُرْهَانٌ مِّنْ رَّبِّكُمْ وَ اَنْزَلْنَاۤ اِلَيْكُمْ نُوْرًا مُّبِيْنًا » [ النساء : ۱۷۴ ] "O people! Surely there has come to you a clear proof from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a clear light."
Some commentators have taken "light" to mean the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and "clear Book" to mean the Noble Qur'an. In this case, the meaning would be that from Allah, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came as a light, and the Qur'an as a clear Book, with which Allah guides, meaning he is a light of guidance, and secondly, {’’ نُوْرٌ مِنَ اللهِ ‘‘} meaning a light sent from Allah, who is a creation of Allah and not {’’ نُوْرٌ مِنْ نُوْرِ اللهِ ‘‘} meaning a piece of light from Allah's own light, that he is a part of Allah or Allah Himself. This is the same belief as the Christians, who made the Messiah (peace be upon him) the son of Allah, and these people have made the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) a piece of Allah. Surah Al-Ikhlas strongly refutes this filthy and polytheistic belief.
