Praise of `Isa and the Continuity of Prophethood
Ayahs Covered
Common Words
Other Scholars on These Ayahs
And We caused Jesus son of Mary to follow in their that is the prophets’ footsteps confirming the Torah before him; and We gave to him the Gospel wherein is guidance from error and light an exposition...
We said So let the People of the Gospel judge according to what God has revealed therein of rulings a variant reading of wa’l-yahkum ‘let them judge’ is wa-li-yahkuma making it a supplement to that wh...
Related Hadiths
"If any do fail to judge (by the light of) what Allah has revealed, they are (no better than) unbelievers" up to "wrongdoers." These three verses were revealed about the Jews, particularly about Qurai...
The Qur'anic verse: "If they do come to thee, either judge between them, or decline to interfere" was abrogated by the verse: "So judge between them by what Allah hath revealed."
Ibn Kathir Commentary
Related Tafsir
Praise of `Isa and the Continuity of Prophethood
Allah Mentions `Isa and Praises the Injil
Allah said,
وَقَفَّيْنَا
(and We sent...) meaning, We sent
عَلَى ءَاثَـرِهِمْ
(in their footsteps) meaning the Prophets of the Children of Israel,
بِعَيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ مُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ التَوْرَاةِ
(`Isa, son of Maryam, confirming the Tawrah that had come before him,) meaning, he believed in it and ruled by it.
وَءَاتَيْنَـهُ الإِنجِيلَ فِيهِ هُدًى وَنُورٌ
(and We gave him the Injil, in which was guidance and light) a guidance that directs to the truth and a light that removes the doubts and solves disputes,
وَمُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ
(and confirmation of the Tawrah that had come before it,) meaning, he adhered to the Tawrah, except for the few instances that clarified the truth where the Children of Israel differed. Allah states in another Ayah that `Isa said to the Children of Israel,
وَلاٌّحِلَّ لَكُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ
(. ..and to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you.) So the scholars say that the Injil abrogated some of the rulings of the Tawrah. Allah's statement,
وَهُدًى وَمَوْعِظَةٌ لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ
(a guidance and an admonition for those who have Taqwa.) means, We made the Injil guidance and an admonition that prohibits committing sins and errors, for those who have Taqwa of Allah and fear His warning and torment. Allah said next,
وَلْيَحْكُمْ أَهْلُ الإِنجِيلِ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ
(Let the people of the Injil judge by what Allah has revealed therein.) meaning, so that He judges the people of the Injil by it in their time. Or, the Ayah means, so that they believe in all that is in it and adhere to all its commands, including the good news about the coming of Muhammad and the command to believe in and follow him when he is sent. Allah said in other Ayat,
قُلْ يَـأَهْلَ الْكِتَـبِ لَسْتُمْ عَلَى شَىْءٍ حَتَّى تُقِيمُواْ التَّوْرَاةَ وَالإِنجِيلَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ
(Say "O People of the Scripture! You have nothing (guidance) until you act according to the Tawrah, the Injil, and what has been sent down to you from your Lord.") and,
الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِىَّ الأُمِّىَّ الَّذِى يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا عِندَهُمْ فِى التَّوْرَاةِ
(Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write whom they find written with them in the Tawrah...) until,
الْمُفْلِحُونَ
(...successful.) Here, Allah said,
وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَآ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْفَـسِقُونَ
(And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such are the rebellious.) meaning, the rebellious and disobedient of Allah who prefer falsehood and abandon truth. We mentioned before that this Ayah was revealed about the Christians, and this is evident from the context of the Ayah.