أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحُكْمَ وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَ ۚ فَإِن يَكْفُرْ بِهَا هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ فَقَدْ وَكَّلْنَا بِهَا قَوْمًا لَّيْسُوا۟ بِهَا بِكَـٰفِرِينَ 89
Translations
Those are the ones to whom We gave the Scripture and authority and prophethood. But if they [i.e., the disbelievers] deny it, then We have entrusted it to a people who are not therein disbelievers.
Transliteration
Ulaa'ika alladhina aatayna hum al-kitaab wa-al-hukm wa-al-nubuwwah. Fa-in yakfur biha haula'i faqad wakkalna biha qawman laysu biha bikafirin.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the prophets and righteous scholars who were granted the Scripture, wisdom, and prophethood by Allah. According to classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, it emphasizes that if the people of the Book reject these divine gifts, Allah has entrusted their guardianship to a community (the Muslim ummah) who will not disbelieve in them, affirming the continuity and preservation of divine truth through the believers.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-An'am, a Meccan surah that discusses the oneness of Allah and the rejection of the polytheists. The passage connects to the broader theme of Allah's guidance through His prophets and scriptures, addressing the rejection by some People of the Book and reassuring the early Muslim community of their role as guardians of divine truth.
Related Hadiths
The principle of preserving divine knowledge is reflected in the hadith: 'The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it' (Sahih Bukhari 5027). Additionally, the concept of the ummah's trustworthiness appears in the hadith: 'My ummah will not agree upon an error' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2167).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that they bear the sacred responsibility of preserving, understanding, and transmitting divine knowledge with sincerity and integrity. It also reassures the faithful that despite opposition and rejection by others, Allah's truth remains protected through those who believe and uphold it.