6.91
Abbas - Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs
(And they measure not the power of Allah its true measure) they do not glorify Allah as He should be glorified (when they say: Allah hath naught) no Scripture (revealed unto a human being) among the prophets. This verse was revealed about Malik Ibn al-Sayf, the Jew, who claimed that Allah did not reveal any Scripture to human beings. (Say) O Muhammad, to Malik: (Who revealed the Book which Moses brought, a light) an exposition and enlightenment (and guidance for mankind) from error, (which ye have put) written (on parchments which ye show) many things which do not contain the traits and description of the Prophet (pbuh) (but ye hide much (thereof)) you hide many portions of it which contain the traits and description of Muhammad (pbuh) (and by which ye were taught) of legal rulings, punishment, the lawful and the unlawful as well as the traits and description of Muhammad (pbuh) in the Scripture (that which ye knew not yourselves nor (did) your fathers (know it)) before the revelation of legal rulings and punishments? If they answer and say it was Allah, then fine, if they do not, (Say: Allah) revealed it. (Then leave them to their play of cavilling) let them indulge in their falsehood: quibbling and lying.
They measured not God with the rightful due of His measure.... Say "God," then leave them to play in their plunging.
In other words, they did not recognize Him with the rightful due of His recognition, they did not describe Him with the rightful due of His description, and they did not venerate Him with the rightful due of His veneration. No one has recognized Him as is worthy of Him. No one has known Him as is worthy of Him. They encompass nothing of His knowledge [2:255]. You have been given no knowledge save a little [17:85].
Majestic is the Unity, so how can there be finding? Holy is the Self-Sufficient, so how can there be arrival? He is known, but encompassing Him in knowledge is absurd; He is seen, but perceiving His attribute is impossible; He is recognized, but having an overview of His description is not correct. He took away His attribute and measure so that no one exalted would reach His exaltation, no understanding would perceive His extent, no knower would know His measure. What familiarity has water and dust with Him who always was and always will be? What affinity has eternity with new arrival? How can the subsistent Real join with the trace of what undergoes annihilation? How can the worthy link up with the unworthy? How can the prisoner of
variegation reach the guise of stability?
If others were of any use in His gentle presence,
the passionate for His beauty would have a hope for union. It would be possible to search, were there a way to seek;
He would be known in the end, were there a way to ask.
Say "God," then leave them. This is an eloquent allusion to the reality of solitariness, the center point of togetherness, making the aspiration one-pointed, recognizing the Real as one, and turning away from others toward Him. Say "God," then leave them: Keep the heart turned toward Him and leave aside the others. What does someone seized by His love have to do with others? In this work, this world and the next are like a wall, and, for the recognizer, talking about the two is nothing but defect and shame.
Shiblī said to one of his companions, "Stick to God, leave everything else, and be with Him.
And say, "God,' then leave them to play in their plunging."
They that is the Jews measured not God with His true measure that is they have not extended Him the grandeur that truly befits Him or it means they have not attained the true knowledge of Him when they said to the Prophet(s)disputing with him about the Qur’ān ‘God has not revealed anything to any mortal.’ Say to them ‘Who revealed the Book which Moses brought a light and guidance for mankind? You put it in all three instances the verbs may be read either in the third person plural yaj‘alūnahu ‘they put it’; yubdūnahā ‘they reveal it’; wa-yukhfūna ‘and they hide’ or in the second person plural taj‘alūnahu ‘you put it’; tubdūnahā ‘you reveal it’; wa-tukhfūna ‘and you hide’ on parchments that is you write it down on fragments of notes which you disclose that is what you choose to disclose thereof but you hide much of what is in them as in the case of the descriptions of Muhammad (s); and you have been taught O Jews in the Qur’ān what you did not know neither you nor your fathers’ in the Torah through the elucidation therein of what you were confused about and in disagreement over. Say ‘God’ revealed it — and if they do not say it there is no other response — then leave them to play in their discourse their falsehood.
They measured not God with His true measure when they said, 'God has not revealed anything to any mortal': that is to say, they did not know Him as He should be known, for they went beyond the limit in defining His transcendence making Him remote from His servants to the extent that nothing of His knowledge or His words could become manifest upon them. Had they known Him as He ought to be known, they would have realised that His servants have no existence nor does anything else [for that matter] except through Him. All exists through His existence: there is no existence except His. The entirety of the world of the visible is His exoteric aspect and [the entirety of] the world of the unseen is His esoteric aspect and for every esoteric aspect there is an exoteric one. So what inhibition is there against that certain of His attributes should manifest themselves in a human locusḍ Indeed, there is no [better] locus for the manifestation of His perfect esoteric knowledge and wisdom than the perfect man. The Prophet therefore, in terms of form, represents His exoteric aspect, and in terms of meaning, represents His esoteric aspect: His knowledge descends onto his heart and manifests itself on his tongue, wherewith he calls His servants to His essence. There is no dualism here, except when considering the differentiation of His attributes. However, when considering the union, there is no existent other than Him, neither the Prophet nor anyone else. If one were to consider the differentiations of His attributes and His names, the Prophet becomes manifest as a consequence of the specific in His essence, exalted be He, through certain of His attributes and becomes one of His names. If he is perfect in his prophethood, then that [name] would be [God's] Greatest Name by which alone the gates of the storehouses of His unseen, His existence and His wisdom are opened, as you will have heard. Therefore do not deny [it], if you feel stupified by, and deprived of, its understanding and are dumbfounded: it may be that God will open up the eye of your insight and so you see what no eye has ever seen, or [that He will open up] the hearing of your heart and you hear what no ear has ever heard, or that He will illumine your heart such that you will perceive what has never occurred to the mind (qalb) of a mortal.
The Messenger is but a Human to Whom the Book was Revealed by Inspiration
Allah says that those who rejected His Messengers did not give Allah due consideration. Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and `Abdullah bin Kathir said that this Ayah was revealed about the Quraysh. It was also said that it was revealed about some Jews.
(And nothing prevented men from believing when the guidance came to them, except that they said: "Has Allah sent a man as Messenger'' Say: "If there were on the earth, angels walking about in peace and security, We should certainly have sent down for them from the heaven an angel as a Messenger.'') 17:94-95. Allah said here,
(They did not estimate Allah with an estimation due to Him when they said: "Nothing did Allah send down to any human being (by inspiration).'') Allah answered them,
(Say : "Who then sent down the Book which Musa brought, a light and a guidance to mankind'') meaning, say, O Muhammad, to those who deny the concept that Allah sent down Books by revelation, answering them specifically,
مَنْ أَنزَلَ الْكِتَـبَ الَّذِى جَآءَ بِهِ مُوسَى
(Who then sent down the Book which Musa brought) in reference to the Tawrah that you and all others know that Allah sent down to Musa, son of `Imran. Allah sent the Tawrah as a light and a guidance for people, so that it could shed light on the answers to various disputes, and to guide away from the darkness of doubts. Allah's statement,.
(which you have made into (separate) papersheets, disclosing (some of it) and concealing (much).) means, you made the Tawrah into separate sheets which you copied from the original and altered, changed and distorted as you wished. You then said, "this is from Allah,'' meaning it is in the revealed Book of Allah, when in fact, it is not from Allah. This is why Allah said here,
(And you were taught that which neither you nor your fathers knew.) meaning, Who sent down the Qur'an in which Allah taught you the news of those who were before you and the news of what will come after, that neither you nor your fathers had knowledge of. Allah's statement,
قُلِ اللَّهُ
(Say: "Allah.'') `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said, "Meaning, `Say, Allah sent it down.''' Allah said,
ثُمَّ ذَرْهُمْ فِى خَوْضِهِمْ يَلْعَبُونَ
(Then leave them to play in their vain discussions.) leave them to play in ignorance and misguidance until the true news comes to them from Allah. Then, they will know whether the good end is theirs or for the fearful servants of Allah. Allah said,
(And say to those who were given the Scripture and to those who are illiterates: "Do you submit yourselves'' If they do, they are rightly guided; but if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the Message; and Allah is All-Seer of (His) servants.) 3:20. It is recorded in the Two Sahihs, that the Messenger of Allah said,
(Those who believe in the Hereafter believe in it,) meaning, those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, believe in this blessed Book, the Qur'an, which We revealed to you, O Muhammad,
وَهُمْ عَلَى صَلاَتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ
(and they are constant in guarding their Salah.) for they perform what Allah ordered them, offering the prayers perfectly and on time.
6.91-94
Maududi - Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an
The context in which the words, "Allah has not sent down anything to any man," occur and their refutation clearly show that these were the words of the Jews. They uttered these words when the disbelievers and the mushrikin of Arabia asked them, "Tell us whether the Word of Allah has really been sent down to this man, Muhammad," This question had arisen because the Holy Prophet claimed, " I am a Prophet and the Book is being sent down to me." The Quraish and the mushrik Arabs turned to the Jews because they possessed the Book and believed in the Prophets and could speak with authority. Therefore, their answer provided the opponents with a strong weapon against Islam and they repeated the answer as an argument to dissuade the people from it. That is why their answer has been cited here and refuted. Here a possible doubt should also be removed: How can a Jew, who believes that the Torah had been sent down by God, say, "Allah has not sent down anything to any man?" A little thinking will show that a person in his obduracy often utters such things as are against his fundamental principles merely to refute his opponent. As the Jews were bent upon refuting his claim to Prophethood, they had been so blinded by their opposition to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be peace), that in denying his Prophethood they even denied the very office of Prophethood. "Those people formed quite a wrong estimate of Allah... "means that they committed a grave error in evaluating His powers and wisdom. For the person who says: "Allah has not sent down the knowledge of the Truth and Guidance for life," makes either of the two wrong estimates: (1) He believes that Allah has not power to send down Revelation to any man, and this is a wrong estimate of the powers of Allah; (2) He thinks that though Allah has given man intelligence and authority to exploit the resources of nature, He has made no arrangement for his right guidance, but has left him to act indiscriminately in the world, and this is a wrong estimate of the wisdom of Allah.
This answer is meant for the Jews, who had furnished the disbelievers and the mushrikin with the arguments that "Allah has not sent down anything to any man..." To refute their objection it has particularly been pointed out that the Torah was sent down to Moses by Allah, for they themselves believed and could not deny that the Torah had been sent down to Moses by Allah. Thus, it was by itself a refutation of their assertion that "Allah has not sent down anything to any man.." It also proved at least that the Word of God can be sent down to a man, as it had been sent down to Moses.
After showing in the preceding verse (91) that the Word of God can be sent down to a man and that it had actually been sent down to Moses, a man, the Qur'an in this verse proceeds to prove that the Word, which has been sent down to Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him), is actually the Word of God. Four things have been put forward as a proof thereof: (1). It is a blessed Book: it presents the best principles for the welfare and true success of man; it teaches the right creeds and inculcates all kinds of virtues and exhorts the people of follow a high standard of morality for leading a pure life. At the same time, it does not teach in any way whatsoever any vice selfishness, narrow-mindedness, cruelty, obscenity and the like, which you have interpolated in abundance in your sacred Books. (2). It does not present anything different form the Guidance contained in the former Scriptures: nay, it testifies to the same teaching that had been presented in them. (3). This Book aims to fulfill the very object for which the former Books had been sent, that is, to shake up and rouse those people who had become forgetful of the noble object for which they had been created, and to warn them of the evil consequences of their wicked ways. (4). The Message of this Book has not attracted those from among mankind who are the worshipers of this world and slaves of their lusts, but only such people as are able to see the higher things of life beyond the narrow bounds of their worldly life. Then the most obvious characteristic of the revolution that this Book has brought about in their lives is that they stand out conspicuously among the people around them for their piety and God-worship. Is it possible for any book invented by an impostor, who has the audacity to say that it is from Allah, to produce such excellent results?
(And they measure not the power of Allah its true measure when they say: Allah hath naught revealed unto a human being…) [6:91]. Al-Walibi reported that Ibn ‘Abbas said: "The Jews said to the Prophet: ‘O Muhammad, has Allah revealed a Scripture to you?’ The Prophet answered: ‘Yes, He did!’ They said: ‘By Allah, Allah has never sent down any Scripture from heaven’. Allah, exalted is He, then revealed (Say (unto the Jews who speak thus): Who revealed the Book which Moses brought, a light and guidance for mankind…)". Muhammad ibn Ka‘b al-Quradi said: "Allah commanded Muhammad, Allah bless him and give him peace, to ask the people of the Book about his matter and how he is mentioned in their Scriptures. However, their resentful envy toward Muhammad drove them to disbelieve in Allah and His Messenger. They said: ‘Allah has never revealed anything to any human being’. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse". Sa‘id ibn Jubayr said: "A Jew by the name of Malik ibn al-Sayf went to argue with the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said to him: ‘I plead with you by Him Who has revealed the Torah to Moses, do you not find in the Torah that Allah loathes the fat rabbi?’ Because this Jew was a fat rabbi, he got angry and said: ‘By Allah, Allah has never sent anything to any human being’. Horrified, his companions exclaimed: ‘Woe unto you, not even to Moses!’ He said: ‘By Allah, Allah has never sent anything to any human being’. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse".
