Qurโ€™an says โ€˜Ask People of the Bookโ€™: What and Why?

Qurโ€™an says โ€˜Ask People of the Bookโ€™: What and Why?



Mohamad Mostafa Nassar

Twitter:@NassarMohamadMR

Waqar Akbar Cheema

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1. Introduction

Qurโ€™an 16:43 and 21:7 are the references some critics of Islam often use to assert that Qurโ€™an testifies the Judeo-Christian people to be the bastions of the monotheistic faith. It is argued that these verses also testify to the authenticity of the Bible.

Part of the verses they quote goes as:

ููŽุงุณู’ุฃูŽู„ููˆุง ุฃูŽู‡ู’ู„ูŽ ุงู„ุฐูู‘ูƒู’ุฑู ุฅูู†ู’ ูƒูู†ู’ุชูู…ู’ ู„ูŽุง ุชูŽุนู’ู„ูŽู…ููˆู†ูŽ

So ask the people of the Reminder, if you know not.[1]

They say, and rightly so, the words โ€œpeople of the Reminderโ€ or โ€œpeople of the Remembranceโ€ according to many prominent early Muslim exegetes refer to the People of the Book. Referring to some critics, however, insinuate that Qurโ€™an thus accedes to truth claims of the Jews and Christians.

2.Context of the verses

2.1 Textual context

While it is true that the verses do refer to the people of the Book but the said conclusion is not true. And here is the plain reasoning to show this.

Even if a complete verse is taken in oblivion to its context it obscures the actual meaning, let alone quoting a verse in half as is in case at hand. At both the instances the verses in full go as;

ูˆูŽู…ูŽุง ุฃูŽุฑู’ุณูŽู„ู’ู†ูŽุง ู…ูู†ู’ ู‚ูŽุจู’ู„ููƒูŽ ุฅูู„ูŽู‘ุง ุฑูุฌูŽุงู„ู‹ุง ู†ููˆุญููŠ ุฅูู„ูŽูŠู’ู‡ูู…ู’ ููŽุงุณู’ุฃูŽู„ููˆุง ุฃูŽู‡ู’ู„ูŽ ุงู„ุฐูู‘ูƒู’ุฑู ุฅูู†ู’ ูƒูู†ู’ุชูู…ู’ ู„ูŽุง ุชูŽุนู’ู„ูŽู…ููˆู†ูŽ

And We sent no messenger before thee, but that they were men unto whom We revealed. So ask the people of the Reminder, if you know not.

This was certainly addressed to the pagans of Makkah who doubted if a human could be a Messenger of the Most High โ€“ Allah.

The verses before and after Qurโ€™an 21: 7 make this further clear. Verse 3 tells us about the pagans;

ูˆูŽุฃูŽุณูŽุฑูู‘ูˆุง ุงู„ู†ูŽู‘ุฌู’ูˆูŽู‰ ุงู„ูŽู‘ุฐููŠู†ูŽ ุธูŽู„ูŽู…ููˆุง ู‡ูŽู„ู’ ู‡ูŽุฐูŽุง ุฅูู„ูŽู‘ุง ุจูŽุดูŽุฑูŒ ู…ูุซู’ู„ููƒูู…ู’

And those who do wrong confide in secret converse, โ€œIs this not but a human being like yourselves?

And in verse 7 and 8 Allah replies back;

ูˆูŽู…ูŽุง ุฃูŽุฑู’ุณูŽู„ู’ู†ูŽุง ู‚ูŽุจู’ู„ูŽูƒูŽ ุฅูู„ูŽู‘ุง ุฑูุฌูŽุงู„ู‹ุง ู†ููˆุญููŠ ุฅูู„ูŽูŠู’ู‡ูู…ู’ ููŽุงุณู’ุฃูŽู„ููˆุง ุฃูŽู‡ู’ู„ูŽ ุงู„ุฐูู‘ูƒู’ุฑู ุฅูู†ู’ ูƒูู†ู’ุชูู…ู’ ู„ูŽุง ุชูŽุนู’ู„ูŽู…ููˆู†ูŽ ูˆูŽู…ูŽุง ุฌูŽุนูŽู„ู’ู†ูŽุงู‡ูู…ู’ ุฌูŽุณูŽุฏู‹ุง ู„ูŽุง ูŠูŽุฃู’ูƒูู„ููˆู†ูŽ ุงู„ุทูŽู‘ุนูŽุงู…ูŽ ูˆูŽู…ูŽุง ูƒูŽุงู†ููˆุง ุฎูŽุงู„ูุฏููŠู†ูŽ

And We sent no messenger before thee, but that they were men unto whom We revealed. So ask the people of the Reminder, if you know not. We did not make them bodies that ate not food; nor were they immortal.

2.2 Reported context

A narration from Ibn โ€˜Abbas (d. 68/687) further clarifies the actual context of the verse;

ุนู† ุงุจู† ุนุจุงุณุŒ ู‚ุงู„: ู„ู…ุง ุจุนุซ ุงู„ู„ู‡ ู…ุญู…ุฏุง ุฑุณูˆู„ุง ุฃู†ูƒุฑุช ุงู„ุนุฑุจ ุฐู„ูƒุŒ ุฃูˆ ู…ู† ุฃู†ูƒุฑ ู…ู†ู‡ู…ุŒ ูˆู‚ุงู„ูˆุง: ุงู„ู„ู‡ ุฃุนุธู… ู…ู† ุฃู† ูŠูƒูˆู† ุฑุณูˆู„ู‡ ุจุดุฑุง ู…ุซู„ ู…ุญู…ุฏุŒ ู‚ุงู„: ูุฃู†ุฒู„ ุงู„ู„ู‡ (ุฃูŽูƒูŽุงู†ูŽ ู„ูู„ู†ูŽู‘ุงุณู ุนูŽุฌูŽุจู‹ุง ุฃูŽู†ู’ ุฃูŽูˆู’ุญูŽูŠู’ู†ูŽุง ุฅูู„ูŽู‰ ุฑูŽุฌูู„ู ู…ูู†ู’ู‡ูู…ู’) ูˆู‚ุงู„: (ูˆูŽู…ูŽุง ุฃูŽุฑู’ุณูŽู„ู’ู†ูŽุง ู…ูู†ู’ ู‚ูŽุจู’ู„ููƒูŽ ุฅูู„ุง ุฑูุฌูŽุงู„ุง ู†ููˆุญููŠ ุฅูู„ูŽูŠู’ู‡ูู…ู’ ููŽุงุณู’ุฃูŽู„ููˆุง ุฃูŽู‡ู’ู„ูŽ ุงู„ุฐูู‘ูƒู’ุฑู ุฅูู†ู’ ูƒูู†ู’ุชูู…ู’ ู„ุง ุชูŽุนู’ู„ูŽู…ููˆู†ูŽ โ€ฆ) ูุงุณุฃู„ูˆุง ุฃู‡ู„ ุงู„ุฐูƒุฑ: ูŠุนู†ูŠ ุฃู‡ู„ ุงู„ูƒุชุจ ุงู„ู…ุงุถูŠุฉุŒ ุฃุจุดุฑุง ูƒุงู†ุช ุงู„ุฑุณู„ ุงู„ุชูŠ ุฃุชุชูƒู… ุฃู… ู…ู„ุงุฆูƒุฉุŸ ูุฅู† ูƒุงู†ูˆุง ู…ู„ุงุฆูƒุฉ ุฃู†ูƒุฑุชู…ุŒ ูˆุฅู† ูƒุงู†ูˆุง ุจุดุฑุง ูู„ุง ุชู†ูƒุฑูˆุง ุฃู† ูŠูƒูˆู† ู…ุญู…ุฏ ุฑุณูˆู„ุง ู‚ุงู„: ุซู… ู‚ุงู„ (ูˆูŽู…ูŽุง ุฃูŽุฑู’ุณูŽู„ู’ู†ูŽุง ู…ูู†ู’ ู‚ูŽุจู’ู„ููƒูŽ ุฅูู„ุง ุฑูุฌูŽุงู„ุง ู†ููˆุญููŠ ุฅูู„ูŽูŠู’ู‡ูู…ู’ ู…ูู†ู’ ุฃูŽู‡ู’ู„ู ุงู„ู’ู‚ูุฑูŽู‰) ุฃูŠ ู„ูŠุณูˆุง ู…ู† ุฃู‡ู„ ุงู„ุณู…ุงุก ูƒู…ุง ู‚ู„ุชู….

Ibn Abbas said: When Allah sent Muhammad as a Messenger, the Arabs refused to accept him and those who refused to accept him said, โ€œAllah is greater than to send a mortal man like Muhammad as His Messenger.โ€

So Allah revealed, โ€œIs it a marvel for mankind that We have sent revelation unto a man from among themselves,โ€ (10: 2) And He (Allah, further) said, โ€œAnd We sent no messenger before thee, but that they were men unto whom We revealed. So ask the people of the Reminder, if you knowโ€ (16: 43)

Ask the People of Remembrance i.e. people of the previous scriptures if the Messengers who came to them were (mortal) men or the angels?

And if they (tell you) they were men then do not reject that Muhammad is a Messenger. Then Allah said, โ€œAnd We sent none before thee, save men unto whom We sent revelation among the people of the towns.โ€ (12: 109) that they were not some heavenly creatures as you say (or expect).[2]

It is likewise reported from a number of early exegetes such as Ismaโ€˜il al-Suddi (d. 127/745),[3] Maqatil b. Suleman (d. 150/767),[4] and Maโ€˜mar b. Rashid (d. 153/770).[5]

3. Further elucidation and wrap-up

All the above points are enough to clarify that verses do not mean to recognize the People of the Book as custodians of the faith nor raises them to the status of people of ultimate knowledge but only asks the pagans to confirm from them that the Prophet from Allah have always been mortal men and not angels etc.

If this knowledge makes arrogant a people to whom countless Prophets were sent then perhaps it is enough to know that they have failed to receive the guidance offered to them and have contented themselves with a pittance.

To use the verse, however, to imply that Qurโ€™an raises the Jews or Christians to the status of epitomes of truth would be as good as implying that Bible affirms atheism for a verse in Psalms reads:

Fools say to themselves, โ€œThere is no God.โ€ They sin and commit evil deeds; none of them does what is right. [6]

Finally, given the irreconcilable differences between the Jewish and Christian beliefs and approaches to religion the very fluidity of the term โ€˜People of Reminderโ€™ makes the suggestion of total vindication of either of them an impossibility.

[divider]

Refuting The Argument Regarding the Qurโ€™an Ordering the Jews and Christians to Judge by Their Scriptures Quran (5:47)

Does Quran 10:94 order Muslims, to ask People of Book if they are in doubt ?

Paul the False Apostle of Satan

Quran confirms the Corruption of the Torah and Gospels

Is There Any Proof That the Bible Was Corrupted?

Evidence That Islam Teaches That There Was Textual Corruption of The Christian and Jewish Scriptures

Refuting The Argument That The Qurโ€™an Orders The Prophet and Doubting Believers To Refer To The Christians and Jews For Consultation

The Noble Qurโ€™an says, โ€œAsk the people of the Book.โ€ What and why?

Does Quran 10:94 order Muslims, to ask People of Book if they are in doubt ?

Did Prophet Muhammed Kiss Torah?

Ask the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) โ€“ Qurโ€™an 10:94 ?

Refuting The Argument Regarding Allahโ€™s Words Do Not Change Quran (6:115)

References:

[1] Qurโ€™an 16:43; 21:7

[2] Al-Tabari, Ibn Jarir, Jamiโ€˜ al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qurโ€™an, (Beirut: al-Resalah Publishers, 2000) Vol.17, 208

[3] Ibn Abi Hatim, Tafsir al-Qurโ€™an al-Azim, (KSA: Maktaba Nazar, 1419) No. 12562

[4] Maqatil b. Suleman, al-Tafsir, (Beirut: Dar โ€˜Ihyaโ€™ al-Turath, 1423 AH) Vol.2, 470

[5] al-Sanโ€˜ani, โ€˜Abdul Razzaq, al-Musannaf, (Beirut: al-Maktab al-Islami, 1403) Hadith 10209

[6] The Bible (NET): Psalms, 14:1