وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ ۚ فَٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِۦ ۖ وَمِنْ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ مَن يُؤْمِنُ بِهِۦ ۚ وَمَا يَجْحَدُ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ إِلَّا ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ 47
Translations
And thus We have sent down to you the Book [i.e., the Qur’ān]. And those to whom We [previously] gave the Scripture believe in it. And among these [people of Makkah] are those who believe in it. And none reject Our verses except the disbelievers.
Transliteration
Wa-kadhalika anzalna ilayka al-kitab; fa-alladhina ataynahu mu al-kitab yu'minun bihi; wa-min haula'i man yu'minu bihi; wa-ma yajhadu bi-ayatina illa al-kafirun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes that the Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in the same manner as previous scriptures were revealed to earlier prophets, affirming continuity in divine revelation. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the verse indicates that those who were given knowledge of the previous scriptures (referring to sincere scholars among the People of the Book) recognize the truth of the Qur'an, while some from the Arabs also believe in it. The verse concludes that only those who deliberately reject God's signs are the true disbelievers, emphasizing that denial of divine truth is a matter of choice, not ignorance.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan period and addresses the broader theme of Surah Al-'Ankabut, which deals with trials and faith. The context relates to the Prophet's message being a confirmation and continuation of divine guidance sent to previous nations, relevant to his interactions with both the People of the Book and the Arab pagans in Mecca.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet Muhammad said, 'The closest people to me on the Day of Resurrection will be those who fear Allah the most' relates to the theme of true belief being recognized by scholars. Additionally, Muslim reported that the Prophet acknowledged the righteousness of sincere believers from the People of the Book who recognized divine truth.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds Muslims that true disbelief is not mere ignorance but a deliberate rejection of clear signs, and encourages believers to recognize that sincere seekers of truth across different communities can recognize divine guidance when it is presented to them with clarity and conviction.