Translation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary (in progress)
أَفَمَن كَانَ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٖ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ وَيَتۡلُوهُ شَاهِدٞ مِّنۡهُ وَمِن قَبۡلِهِۦ كِتَٰبُ مُوسَىٰٓ إِمَامٗا وَرَحۡمَةًۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِهِۦۚ وَمَن يَكۡفُرۡ بِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلۡأَحۡزَابِ فَٱلنَّارُ مَوۡعِدُهُۥۚ فَلَا تَكُ فِي مِرۡيَةٖ مِّنۡهُۚ إِنَّهُ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ
[2507] Exegetes hold different opinions as to what exactly this ‘witness’ is. Some have opined that it is the Qur’an itself, in which God Almighty testifies that the Believers have clear evidence from Him (cf. Ibn Taymiyyah, Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā, 13: 69, Ibn al-Qayyim, Madārij al-Sālikīn, 3: 435, Ibn Kathīr, al-Qāsimī). Others say that it refers to Archangel Gabriel (عليه السلام) (cf. al-Ṭabarī). Yet al-Saʿdī has it that it means pure, incorrupt innate human nature (fiṭrah).
[2508] That is, the Torah is another witness which precedes the shortly previously mentioned ‘witness’ (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī), being most likely the Qur’an itself.
[2509] Cf. al-Rāzī, Abū Ḥayyān, al-Biqāʿī, Naẓm al-Durar.
[2510] al-Aḥzāb (lit. the confederates) are those who banded together or confederated (taḥazzabū) against the Messenger (ﷺ) (cf. al-Tafsīr al-Muyassar).
[2511] What is dealt with so far could be taken as a means of comforting and assuring the Messenger (ﷺ), and the Believers at large, of the rightfulness of their cause, given the very tough circumstances they were experiencing. It draws attention to the fact that people were not willing to Believe because such is human nature and he was not to take it as a fault of his own or of the call itself.
