بَلْ جَآءَ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَصَدَّقَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ 37
Translations
Rather, he [i.e., the Prophet (ﷺ)] has come with the truth and confirmed the [previous] messengers.
Transliteration
Bal jaa'a bil-haqqi wa saddaqa al-mursaleen
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) came with the truth (al-haqq) and confirmed/testified to all the previous messengers and their messages. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this verse emphasizes that the Qur'an validates the truthfulness of all the prophets before him, and that his message is consistent with the divine guidance sent through the entire chain of messengers. The phrase "saddaqa al-mursaleen" (confirmed the messengers) indicates that the Qur'an corroborates the essential teachings of previous prophets while correcting distortions that had entered their religions.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah As-Saffat's discussion of the prophets and their righteousness. The surah extensively mentions various prophets (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Noah, Elijah, Lot, Jonah, and others) and their steadfastness, so this ayah serves as a concluding affirmation that Prophet Muhammad stands in this noble lineage of truth-bearing messengers.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The example of the prophets is like a man who built a beautiful and perfect house except for a place of one brick in a corner. People go around it and wonder at its beauty but say, 'Why is this brick not placed here?' I am that brick and I am the seal of the prophets.' (Sahih Bukhari 3445). This hadith illustrates how Muhammad completes and perfects the prophetic mission.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches Muslims that Islam does not reject the previous religions but rather affirms their core truths while completing the divine guidance. For believers today, it emphasizes the importance of respecting all prophets and recognizing Islam as the culmination of divine revelation, fostering interfaith understanding based on shared prophetic truth.