Lest you say: "The Book that was sent before was meant only for two groups; we were not aware of their teachings;"
For you (the disbelievers) may say, “The Book was sent down only to two groups (Jews and Christians) before us; and we were totally unaware of what they read and taught.”
lest you should say, 'The Book was sent down only upon two parties before us, and we have indeed been heedless of their study';
It has been given to you] lest you say, "Only unto two groups of people, [both of them] before our time, has a divine writ been bestowed from on high and we were indeed unaware of their teachings";
Lest ye should say: the Book was only sent down to the two sects before us, and we in sooth were unaware of their readings.
Lest you (pagan Arabs) should say: "The Book was only sent down to two sects before us (the Jews and the Christians), and for our part, we were in fact unaware of what they studied."
Lest you say, “The Scripture was revealed to two parties before us, and we were unaware of their teachings.”
(You may no longer) say now that the Book was revealed only to two groups of people before Us and that we had indeed been unaware of what they read.
Lest you should say: "The Book was sent down only to two sects before us, and for our part, we were in fact unaware of what they studied."
Lest ye should say: The Scripture was revealed only to two sects before us, and we in sooth were unaware of what they read;
Lest you should say, ‘The Book was sent down only to two communities before us, and we were indeed unaware of their studies,’
lest you should say: 'The Book was sent down only to two parties before us; we are inattentive to their study'
[We revealed it] lest you say, "The Scripture was only sent down to two groups before us, but we were of their study unaware,"
and will not say that the Book was revealed only to two groups of people before you, or that you were ignorant of its knowledge,
Lest you say that the Book was only revealed to two parties before us and We were truly unaware of what they read.
An taqooloo innam<u>a</u> onzila alkit<u>a</u>bu AAal<u>a</u> <u>ta</u>ifatayni min qablin<u>a</u> wain kunn<u>a</u> AAan dir<u>a</u>satihim lagh<u>a</u>fileen<b>a</b>
and not say, "The Book was only sent down to the two groups before us and we were indeed unaware of their teachings,"
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:"
أَن تَقُولُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبُ عَلَىٰ طَآئِفَتَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِنَا وَإِن كُنَّا عَن دِرَاسَتِهِمْ لَغَٰفِلِينَ
This Book was revealed so that you, idolaters, do not say: Allah only revealed the Torah and the Gospel to the Jews and the Christians before us and He did not reveal any scripture to us. I do not know how to read their scriptures as they are in their language and not in ours.
This Book was revealed so that you, idolaters, do not say: Allah only revealed the Torah and the Gospel to the Jews and the Christians before us and He did not reveal any scripture to us. I do not know how to read their scriptures as they are in their language and not in ours.
<h2 class="title">The Qur'an is Allah's Proof Against His Creation</h2><p>Ibn Jarir commented on the Ayah, "The Ayah means, this is a Book that We sent down, so that you do not say, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ الْكِتَـبُ عَلَى طَآئِفَتَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِنَا</div><p>("The Book was sent down only to two sects before us.") This way, you will have no excuse. Allah said in another Ayah, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلَوْلا أَن تُصِيبَهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُواْ رَبَّنَا لَوْلا أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولاً فَنَتِّبِعَ ءايَـتِكَ</div><p>(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, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">عَلَى طَآئِفَتَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِنَا</div><p>(to two sects before us) refers to the Jews and Christians, according to `Ali bin Abi Talhah who narrated it from Ibn `Abbas. Similar was reported from Mujahid, As-Suddi, Qatadah and several others. Allah's statement, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَإِن كُنَّا عَن دِرَاسَتِهِمْ لَغَـفِلِينَ</div><p>("...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, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أَوْ تَقُولُواْ لَوْ أَنَّآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْكِتَـبُ لَكُنَّآ أَهْدَى مِنْهُمْ</div><p>(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. </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَأَقْسَمُواْ بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَـنِهِمْ لَئِن جَآءَهُمْ نَذِيرٌ لَّيَكُونُنَّ أَهْدَى مِنْ إِحْدَى الاٍّمَمِ</div><p>(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, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ</div><p>(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; </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن كَذَّبَ بِآيَـتِ اللَّهِ وَصَدَفَ عَنْهَا</div><p>(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. </p>
The Qur'an is Allah's Proof Against His CreationIbn Jarir commented on the Ayah, "The Ayah means, this is a Book that We sent down, so that you do not say, إِنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ الْكِتَـبُ عَلَى طَآئِفَتَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِنَا("The Book was sent down only to two sects before us.") This way, you will have no excuse. Allah said in another Ayah, وَلَوْلا أَن تُصِيبَهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُواْ رَبَّنَا لَوْلا أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا 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 طَآئِفَتَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِنَا(to two sects before us) refers to the Jews and Christians, according to `Ali bin Abi Talhah who narrated it from Ibn `Abbas. Similar was reported from Mujahid, As-Suddi, Qatadah and several others. Allah's statement, وَإِن كُنَّا عَن دِرَاسَتِهِمْ لَغَـفِلِينَ("...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, أَوْ تَقُولُواْ لَوْ أَنَّآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْكِتَـبُ لَكُنَّآ أَهْدَى مِنْهُمْ(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. وَأَقْسَمُواْ بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَـنِهِمْ لَئِن جَآءَهُمْ نَذِيرٌ لَّيَكُونُنَّ أَهْدَى مِنْ إِحْدَى 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, فَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ(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; فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن كَذَّبَ بِآيَـتِ اللَّهِ وَصَدَفَ عَنْهَا(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. 