Ibn Jarir said: "Allah says, `just as We revealed the Books to the Messengers
who came before you, O Muhammad, so We have also revealed this Book to you.'''
What he said is good and fits the context. Allah's saying:
[فَالَّذِينَ
ءَاتَيْنَـهُمُ الْكِتَـبَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ]
(and those whom We gave the Scripture believe therein) means, those
knowledgable rabbis and scholars among them who learned it and recited it
properly, such as `Abdullah bin Salam, Salman Al-Farisi and others like them.
[وَمِنْ هَـؤُلاءِ
مَن يُؤْمِنُ بِهِ]
(as also believe therein some of these) meaning, the Quraysh Arabs and
others.
[وَمَا يَجْحَدُ
بِـايَـتِنَآ إِلاَّ الْكَـفِرونَ]
(and none but the disbelievers reject Our Ayat.) No one disbelieves and
rejects them except those who conceal the truth with falsehood, and those who
try to hide the rays and light of the sun by their covering an eye. Then Allah
says:
[وَمَا كُنتَ تَتْلُو
مِن قَبْلِهِ مِن كِتَـبٍ وَلاَ تَخُطُّهُ بِيَمِينِكَ]
(Neither did you read any book before it (this Qur'an) nor did you write any
book with your right hand. ) meaning, `you lived among your people for a long
time before you brought this Qur'an. During this time you never read any book or
wrote anything. Your people, as well as others all know that you are an
unlettered man who does not read or write.' This is how he was also described in
the previous Scriptures, as Allah says:
[الَّذِينَ
يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِىَّ الأُمِّىَّ الَّذِى يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا
عِندَهُمْ فِى التَّوْرَاةِ وَالإِنجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُم بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَـهُمْ
عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ]
(Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet, the unlettered about whom they
find written with them in the Tawrah and the Injil, -- he commands them with
good; and forbids them from evil.) (7:157) This is how the Messenger of Allah
will remain until the Day of Resurrection, unable to write even one line or one
letter. He used to have scribes who would write down the revelation for him, or
would write letters from him to be sent to different places. Allah's saying:
[إِذاً لاَّرْتَـبَ
الْمُبْطِلُونَ]
(In that case, indeed, the followers of falsehood might have doubted.) means,
`if you had been literate, some ignorant people would have doubted you. They
would have said that you learned this from Books inherited from the Prophets
which came before.' Indeed, they did say that, even though they knew that he was
unlettered and could not read or write.
[وَقَالُواْ
أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ اكْتَتَبَهَا فَهِىَ تُمْلَى عَلَيْهِ بُكْرَةً
وَأَصِيلاً ]
(And they say: "Tales of the ancients, which he has written down, and they
are dictated to him morning and afternoon.'') (25:5) Allah says:
[قُلْ أَنزَلَهُ
الَّذِى يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ]
(Say: "It has been sent down by Him Who knows the secret of the heavens and
the earth) (25:6). And Allah says here:
[بَلْ هُوَ ءَايَـتٌ
بَيِّنَـتٌ فِى صُدُورِ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ]
(Nay, but it is (Quran), the clear Ayat, (preserved) in the breasts of those
who have been given knowledge.) meaning, this Qur'an is clear Ayat which
indicate the truth, commands, prohibitions and stories. It is memorized by the
scholars for whom Allah makes it easy to memorize, recite and interpret. This is
like the Ayah,
[وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا
الْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ ]
(And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and remember; then is
there any one who will remember) (54:17). The Messenger of Allah said:
«مَا مِنْ نَبِيَ
إِلَّا وَقَدْ أُعْطِيَ مَا آمَنَ عَلَى مِثْلِهِ الْبَشَرُ، وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ
الَّذِي أُوتِيتُهُ وَحْيًا أَوْحَاهُ اللهُ إِلَيَّ، فَأَرْجُو أَنْ أَكُونَ
أَكْثَرَهُمْ تَابِعًا»
(There has never been any Prophet who was not given that which would make
people believe in him. What I have been given is revelation which Allah reveals
to me, and I hope that I will have the most followers among them.) According to
the Hadith of `Iyad bin Himar, recorded in Sahih Muslim, Allah says:
«إِنِّي مُبْتَلِيكَ
وَمُبْتَلٍ بِكَ، وَمُنْزِلٌ عَلَيْكَ كِتَابًا لَا يَغْسِلُهُ الْمَاءُ،
تَقْرَؤُهُ نَائِمًا وَيَقْظَانًا»
("I am testing you and testing others through you, revealing to you a Book
which cannot be washed away by water, which you recite while you are asleep and
while you are awake.'') This means, if the manuscript where it is written were
to be washed with water, there is no need for that manuscript. This is because
it is preserved in the hearts and is easy on the tongue (i.e., is easy to
recite), and is controlling people's hearts and minds. It is miraculous in its
wording and in its meanings. In the previous Scriptures this Ummah was described
as carrying their holy Books in their hearts.
[وَمَا يَجْحَدُ
بِـَايَـتِنَآ إِلاَّ الظَّـلِمُونَ]
(And none but the wrongdoers deny Our Ayat) Nobody denies it or tries to
undermine its status or rejects it except the wrongdoers, i.e., the arrogant
transgressors who know the truth but turn away from it, as Allah says:
[إِنَّ الَّذِينَ
حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ - وَلَوْ جَآءَتْهُمْ كُلُّ
ءايَةٍ حَتَّى يَرَوُاْ الْعَذَابَ الاٌّلِيمَ ]
(Truly, those, against whom the Word (wrath) of your Lord has been justified,
will not believe. Even if every sign should come to them, until they see the
painful torment.) (10:96-97)
[وَقَالُواْ لَوْلاَ
أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ ءايَـتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ قُلْ إِنَّمَا الاٌّيَـتُ عِندَ اللَّهِ
وَإِنَّمَآ أَنَاْ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ - أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِهِمْ أَنَّآ أَنزَلْنَا
عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَـبَ يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لَرَحْمَةً وَذِكْرَى
لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ - قُلْ كَفَى بِاللَّهِ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَكُمْ شَهِيداً
يَعْلَمُ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَالَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ بِالْبَـطِلِ
وَكَفَرُواْ بِاللَّهِ أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْخَـسِرُونَ ]
(50. And they say: "Why are not signs sent down to him from his Lord'' Say:
"The signs are only with Allah, and I am only a plain warner.'') (51. Is it not
sufficient for them that We have sent down to you the Book which is recited to
them Verily, herein is mercy and a reminder for a people who believe.) (52. Say:
"Sufficient is Allah for a witness between me and you. He knows what is in the
heavens and on the earth.'' And those who believe in falsehood, and disbelieve
in Allah, it is they who are the losers.)