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Tafsir

Scholarly commentary explaining a verse — its context, its meaning and how the scholars have understood it.

Ash-Shuraa 42:52

Word by word

وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ رُوحًا مِّنْ أَمْرِنَا ۚ مَا كُنتَ تَدْرِى مَا ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ وَلَا ٱلْإِيمَـٰنُ وَلَـٰكِن جَعَلْنَـٰهُ نُورًا نَّهْدِى بِهِۦ مَن نَّشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ۚ وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِىٓ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

And thus We have revealed to you an inspiration of Our command [i.e., the Qur’ān]. You did not know what is the Book or [what is] faith, but We have made it a light by which We guide whom We will of Our servants. And indeed, [O Muḥammad], you guide to a straight path -

Ibn Kathir (Abridged) English Ma'arif al-Qur'an English Tafsir Muyassar Arabic Tafsir Ibn Kathir Arabic All sources

Ibn Kathir (Abridged)

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

How the Revelation comes down

This refers to how Allah sends revelation. Sometimes He casts something into the heart of the Prophet , and he has no doubt that it is from Allah, as it was reported in Sahih Ibn Hibban that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:«إِنَّ رُوْحَ الْقُدُسِ نَفَثَ فِي رُوعِي أَنَّ نَفْسًا لَنْ تَمُوتَ حَتْى تَسْتَكْمِلَ رِزْقَهَا وَأَجَلَهَا، فَاتَّقُوا اللهَ وَأَجْمِلُوا فِي الطَّلَب»(Ar-Ruh Al-Qudus i.e., Jibril breathed into my heart that no soul will die until its allotted provision and time have expired, so have Taqwa of Allah and keep seeking in a good (and lawful) way.)أَوْ مِن وَرَآءِ حِجَابٍ(or from behind a veil) -- as He spoke to Musa, peace be upon him. He asked to see Him after He had spoken to him, but this was not granted to him. In the Sahih, it recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Jabir bin `Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him:«مَا كَلَّمَ اللهُ أَحَدًا إِلَّا مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ، وَإِنَّهُ كَلَّمَ أَبَاكَ كِفَاحًا»(Allah never speaks to anyone except from behind a veil, but He spoke to your father directly.) This is how it was stated in the Hadith.

He Jabir's father was killed on the day of Uhud, but this refers to the realm of Al-Barzakh, whereas the Ayah speaks of this earthly realm.أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولاً فَيُوحِىَ بِإِذْنِهِ مَا يَشَآءُ(or (that) He sends a Messenger to reveal what He wills by His leave.) as Jibril, peace be upon him, and other angels came down to the Prophets, peace be upon them.إِنَّهُ عَلِىٌّ حَكِيمٌ(Verily, He is Most High, Most Wise.) He is Most High, All-Knowing, Most Wise.وَكَذَلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ رُوحاً مِّنْ أَمْرِنَا(And thus We have sent to you Ruh of Our command.) means, the Qur'an.مَا كُنتَ تَدْرِى مَا الْكِتَـبُ وَلاَ الإِيمَـنُ(You knew not what is the Book, nor what is Faith.) means, `in the details which were given to you in the Qur'an.'وَلَـكِن جَعَلْنَـهُ(But We have made it) means, the Qur'an,نُوراً نَّهْدِى بِهِ مَن نَّشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا(a light wherewith We guide whosoever of Our servants We will.

) This is like the Ayah:قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ هُدًى وَشِفَآءٌ وَالَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ فِى ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى(Say: "It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness (deafness) in their ears, and it (the Qur'an) is blindness for them.") (41:44).وَأَنَّكَ(And verily, you) means, `O Muhammad,'لَتَهْدِى إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ(are indeed guiding to a straight path.) means, the correct behavior. Then Allah explains this further by saying:صِرَطِ اللَّهِ(The path of Allah) meaning, His Laws which He enjoins.الَّذِى لَهُ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ(to Whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth.) means, their Lord and Sovereign, the One Who is controlling and ruling them, Whose decree cannot be overturned.أَلاَ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَصِيرُ الاٍّمُورُ(Verily, all matters at the end go to Allah.) means, all matters come back to Him and He issues judgement concerning them. Glorified and exalted be He far above all that the evildoers and deniers say.

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Ash-Shura

Ma'arif al-Qur'an

Mufti Muhammad Shafi

مَا كُنتَ تَدْرِ‌ي مَا الْكِتَابُ وَلَا الْإِيمَانُ وَلَـٰكِن (You did not know earlier what is the Book or what is "Iman', but We have made it a light with which We guide whomsoever we will from among Our slaves - 42:52). This verse is a complement of the subject of the first verse. The gist is that in this world, nobody has ever seen, nor can ever see and converse face to face with Allah Ta’ ala. However, Allah Ta’ ala does send ` wahy' to His chosen bondsmen in three ways described in the first verse. And in accordance with Allah Ta’ ala's practice, ` wahy' is sent to the Holy Prophet ﷺ as well. The demand of Jews that Allah Ta’ ala should speak to him face to face is simply a display of ignorance and hostility. That is why Allah Ta’ ala has stated that whatever knowledge a man obtains, even a prophet for that matter, is all a grant of Allah Ta’ ala. Until Allah Ta’ ala tells them through ` wahy', they would neither be aware of any Book nor would they know the details of faith.

Unawareness of the Book before ` wahy' is quite obvious; absence of knowledge of faith means that its details, rules and regulations, and its exalted place become known to a prophet after ` wahy', not before it, otherwise it is proved with consensus of the ummah that whomever Allah chooses to make His Messenger or Prophet, He gives him faith and belief right from the beginning of his birth; his faith is engraved in his nature. These chosen people are firm believers, even before prophethood and before ` wahy' is sent to them. Principles of belief become a part of their nature and behaviour. That is why all the prophets were opposed by their people and they piled up all sorts of allegations against them, but no one had ever accused a prophet of idolatry, even before he was appointed as a prophet. Qurtubi, in his Tafsir, and Qadi ` Ayad in Shifa' have dealt with this subject in full detail.

Alhamdulillahthe commentary on

Surah Shuraends here.

Tafsir Muyassar

Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Saudi Arabia

وكما أوحينا إلى الأنبياء من قبلك -أيها النبي- أوحينا إليك قرآنًا من عندنا، ما كنت تدري قبله ما الكتب السابقة ولا الإيمان ولا الشرائع الإلهية؟ ولكن جعلنا القرآن ضياء للناس نهدي به مَن نشاء مِن عبادنا إلى الصراط المستقيم. وإنك -أيها الرسول- لَتَدُلُّ وَتُرْشِدُ بإذن الله إلى صراط مستقيم -وهو الإسلام- صراط الله الذي له ملك جميع ما في السموات وما في الأرض، لا شريك له في ذلك. ألا إلى الله -أيها الناس- ترجع جميع أموركم من الخير والشر، فيجازي كلا بعمله: إن خيرًا فخير، وإن شرًا فشر.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

وقوله ( وكذلك أوحينا إليك روحا من أمرنا ) يعني القرآن ، ( ما كنت تدري ما الكتاب ولا الإيمان ) أي : على التفصيل الذي شرع لك في القرآن ، ( ولكن جعلناه ) أي القرآن ( نورا نهدي به من نشاء من عبادنا ) ، كقوله : ( قل هو للذين آمنوا هدى وشفاء والذين لا يؤمنون في آذانهم وقر وهو عليهم عمى أولئك ينادون من مكان بعيد ) [ فصلت : 44 ] .وقوله : ( وإنك ) [ أي ] يا محمد ( لتهدي إلى صراط مستقيم ) ، وهو الخلق القويم . ثم فسره بقوله :

Tafsir is provided for educational reference. Paragraph breaks are added for readability — the wording of each commentary is unchanged. For religious guidance, consult a qualified scholar.