Al-An'am: 156

Ayah

Word by Word

أَن

Lest

تَقُولُوٓاْ

you say

إِنَّمَآ

Only

أُنزِلَ

was revealed

ٱلۡكِتَٰبُ

the Book

عَلَىٰ

طَآئِفَتَيۡنِ

the two groups

مِن

from

قَبۡلِنَا

before us

وَإِن

and indeed

كُنَّا

we were

عَن

about

دِرَاسَتِهِمۡ

their study

لَغَٰفِلِينَ

certainly unaware

Translation

Lest ye should say: "The Book was sent down to two Peoples before us, and for our part, we remained unacquainted with all that they learned by assiduous study:"

Tafsir

Praising the Tawrah and the Qur'an

Allah says;

ثُمَّ اتَيۡنَا مُوسَى الۡكِتَابَ

Then, We gave Musa the Book (the Tawrah),

After Allah described the Qur'an by saying,

وَأَنَّ هَـذَا صِرَاطِي مُسۡتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ

(And verily, this is My straight path, so follow it...), He then praised the Tawrah and its Messenger,

ثُمَّ اتَيۡنَا مُوسَى الۡكِتَابَ

(Then, We gave Musa the Book...). Allah often mentions the Qur'an and the Tawrah together.

Allah said,

وَمِن قَبۡلِهِ كِتَـبُ مُوسَى إِمَاماً وَرَحۡمَةً وَهَـذَا كِتَـبٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّسَاناً عَرَبِيّاً

And before this was the Scripture of Musa as a guide and a mercy. And this is a confirming Book in the Arabic language. (46:12)

Allah said in the this Surah,

قُلۡ مَنۡ أَنزَلَ الۡكِتَـبَ الَّذِى جَأءَ بِهِ مُوسَى نُوراً وَهُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ تَجۡعَلُونَهُ قَرَطِيسَ تُبۡدُونَهَا وَتُخۡفُونَ كَثِيراً

Say:Who then sent down the Book which Musa brought, a light and a guidance to mankind which you have made into paper sheets, disclosing (some of it) and concealing (much). (6:91)

and

وَهَـذَا كِتَـبٌ أَنزَلۡنَـهُ مُبَارَكٌ

And this is a blessed Book which we have sent down... (6:92)

Allah said about the idolators,

فَلَمَّا جَأءَهُمُ الۡحَقُّ مِنۡ عِندِنَا قَالُواۡ لَوۡلا أُوتِىَ مِثۡلَ مَأ أُوتِىَ مُوسَى

But when the truth has come to them from Us, they say:Why is he not given the like of what was given to Musa! (28:48)

Allah replied,

أَوَلَمۡ يَكۡفُرُواۡ بِمَأ أُوتِىَ مُوسَى مِن قَبۡلُ قَالُواۡ سِحۡرَانِ تَظَـهَرَا وَقَالُواۡ إِنَّا بِكُلٍّ كَـفِرُونَ

Did they not disbelieve in that which was given to Musa of old! They say:Two kinds of magic (the Tawrah and the Qur'an), each helping the other! And they say:Verily, in both we are disbelievers. (28:48)

Allah said about the Jinns that they said,

يقَوۡمَنَأ إِنَّا سَمِعۡنَا كِتَـباً أُنزِلَ مِن بَعۡدِ مُوسَى مُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا بَيۡنَ يَدَيۡهِ يَهۡدِى إِلَى الۡحَقِّ

O our people! Verily, we have heard a Book sent down after Musa, confirming what came before it, it guides to the truth. (46:30)

Allah's statement,

تَمَامًا عَلَى الَّذِيَ أَحۡسَنَ وَتَفۡصِيلً

complete for that which is best, and explaining all things in detail...

means; `We made the Book that We revealed to Musa, a complete and comprehensive Book, sufficient for what he needs to complete his Law.'

Similarly, Allah said in another Ayah,

وَكَتَبۡنَا لَهُ فِى الاٌّلۡوَاحِ مِن كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ

And We wrote for him on the Tablets the lesson to be drawn from all things. (7:145)

Allah's statement,

عَلَى الَّذِيَ أَحۡسَنَ

(for that which is best), means:

`as a reward for his doing right and obeying Our commands and orders.'

Allah said in other Ayat,

هَلۡ جَزَاءُ الاِحۡسَـنِ إِلاَّ الاِحۡسَـنُ

Is there any reward for good other than what is best! (55:60)

وَإِذِ ابۡتَلَى إِبۡرَهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَـتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ قَالَ إِنِّى جَـعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا

And (remember) when the Lord of Ibrahim tried him with (certain) commands, which he fulfilled. He (Allah) said (to him), Verily, I am going to make you an Imam for mankind. (2:124)

and,

وَجَعَلۡنَا مِنۡهُمۡ أَيِمَّةً يَهۡدُونَ بِأَمۡرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُواۡ وَكَانُواۡ بِـَايَـتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ

And We made from among them (Children of Israel), leaders, giving guidance under Our command, when they were patient and believed with certainty in Our Ayat. (32:24)

Allah said;

وَتَفۡصِيلً

لِّكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحۡمَةً

and explaining all things in detail and a guidance and a mercy,

praising the Book that Allah sent down to Musa, while,

لَّعَلَّهُم بِلِقَاء رَبِّهِمۡ يُوۡمِنُونَ

وَهَـذَا كِتَابٌ أَنزَلۡنَاهُ مُبَارَكٌ فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَاتَّقُواۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُرۡحَمُونَ

that they might believe in the meeting with their Lord. And this is a blessed Book (the Qur'an) which We have sent down, so follow it and have Taqwa so that you may receive mercy.

This calls to following the Qur'an. Allah encourages His servants to follow His Book (the Qur'an) and orders them to understand it, adhere to it and call to it. He also describes it as being blessed, for those who follow and implement it in this life and the Hereafter, because it is the Firm Rope of Allah.

The Qur'an is Allah's Proof Against His Creation

Allah says;

أَن تَقُولُواۡ إِنَّمَا أُنزِلَ الۡكِتَابُ عَلَى طَأيِفَتَيۡنِ مِن قَبۡلِنَا

Lest you should say:The Book was sent down only to two sects before us,

Ibn Jarir commented on the Ayah,

The Ayah means, this is a Book that We sent down, so that you do not say,

إِنَّمَا أُنزِلَ الۡكِتَابُ عَلَى طَأيِفَتَيۡنِ مِن قَبۡلِنَا

(The Book was sent down only to two sects before us). This way, you will have no excuse.

Allah said in another Ayah,

وَلَوۡلا أَن تُصِيبَهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتۡ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ فَيَقُولُواۡ رَبَّنَا لَوۡلا أَرۡسَلۡتَ إِلَيۡنَا رَسُولاً فَنَتِّبِعَ ءايَـتِكَ

Otherwise, they would have suffered a calamity because of what their hands sent forth, and said:Our Lord! Why did You not send us a Messenger We would then have followed Your Ayat. (28:47)

The Ayah,

عَلَى طَأيِفَتَيۡنِ مِن قَبۡلِنَا

(to two sects before us),

According to Ali bin Abi Talhah who narrated it from Ibn Abbas,

refers to the Jews and Christians,

Similar was reported from Mujahid, As-Suddi, Qatadah and several others.

Allah's statement,

وَإِن كُنَّا عَن دِرَاسَتِهِمۡ لَغَافِلِينَ

...and for our part, we were in fact unaware of what they studied.

meaning:`we did not understand what they said because the revelation was not in our tongue. We, indeed, were busy and unaware of their message,' so they said.

Allah said next

أَوۡ تَقُولُواۡ لَوۡ أَنَّا أُنزِلَ عَلَيۡنَا الۡكِتَابُ لَكُنَّا أَهۡدَى مِنۡهُمۡ

Or lest you should say:If only the Book had been sent down to us, we would surely, have been better guided than they.

meaning:We also refuted this excuse, had you used it, lest you say, If a Book was revealed to us, just as they received a Book, we would have been better guided than they are.

Allah also said.

وَأَقۡسَمُواۡ بِاللَّهِ جَهۡدَ أَيۡمَـنِهِمۡ لَيِن جَأءَهُمۡ نَذِيرٌ لَّيَكُونُنَّ أَهۡدَى مِنۡ إِحۡدَى الاٍّمَمِ

And they swore by Allah their most binding oath that if a warner came to them, they would be more guided than any of the nations (before them). (35:42)

Allah replied here,

فَقَدۡ جَاءكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَهُدًى وَرَحۡمَةٌ

So now has come unto you a clear proof from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy.

Allah says, there has come to you from Allah a Glorious Qur'an revealed to Muhammad, the Arab Prophet. In it is the explanation of the lawful and unlawful matters, guidance for the hearts and mercy from Allah to His servants who follow and implement it.

Allah said;

فَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّن كَذَّبَ بِأيَاتِ اللّهِ وَصَدَفَ عَنۡهَا

Who then does more wrong than one who rejects the Ayat of Allah and Sadafa away therefrom,

This refers to the one who neither benefited from what the Messenger brought, nor followed what he was sent with by abandoning all other ways. Rather, he Sadafa from following the Ayat of Allah, meaning, he discouraged and hindered people from following it.

This is the explanation of As-Suddi for Sadafa, while Ibn Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah said that Sadafa means, he turned away from it.

سَنَجۡزِي الَّذِينَ يَصۡدِفُونَ عَنۡ ايَاتِنَا سُوءَ الۡعَذَابِ بِمَا كَانُواۡ يَصۡدِفُونَ

We shall requite those who turn away from Our Ayat with an evil torment, because of their turning away.