upon clear proof from his Lord like one who desires the life of this world and its adornment? Or is one who stands upon clear proof from his Lord like one who is steeped in error and ignorance? What is meant by the one who stands upon clear proof from his Lord is the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
“And followed by a witness from Him”: that is, one follows him who bears witness to his truthfulness. They differed concerning this witness (1). Ibn ‘Abbas, Alqamah, Ibrahim, Mujahid, Ikrimah, al-Dahhak, and most Quran commentators said: It is Gabriel, peace be upon him.
Al-Hasan and Qatadah said: It is the tongue of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.
Ibn Jurayj narrated from Mujahid that he said: It is an angel who guards him and guides him aright.
Al-Husayn ibn al-Fadl said: It is the Quran—its composition and its inimitability.
It was also said: It is Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him. Ali said: “There is not a man among Quraysh concerning whom a verse of the Quran was not revealed.” A man then asked him, “And what was revealed concerning you?” He replied: “And followed by a witness from Him.” (2)
It was also said that the witness from Him is the Gospel. (3)
“And before it”: that is, before the coming of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. It was also said: before the revelation of the Quran. “The Book of Moses”: that is, the Book of Moses had been “a guide and a mercy” for those who followed it—that is, the Torah. It confirms the Quran and bears witness to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. “Such people believe in it”: that is, the Companions of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. It was also said that this refers to those among the People of the Book who embraced Islam.
“Whoever disbelieves in it”: that is, in Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. It was also said: in the Quran. “From among the factions”: that is, the disbelievers from all religious communities. “The Fire is his promised destination.”
Hassan ibn Sa‘id al-Mani‘i informed us; Abu Tahir al-Ziyadi informed us; Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Qattan informed us; Ahmad ibn Yusuf al-Sulami informed us; Abd al-Razzaq informed us; Ma‘mar informed us, from Hammam ibn Munabbih; Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated to us that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “By Him in Whose Hand is Muhammad’s soul, no one from this community—Jew or Christian—hears of me, then dies without believing in that with which I was sent, except that he will be among the inhabitants of the Fire.” (4)
(1) See the following statements in al-Tabari, 15:270-276.
(2) Al-Tabari narrated it through a chain containing Jabir al-Jufi, who is weak. He was a Rafidi (an extremist Shiite) and a follower of Abdullah ibn Saba. Ibn Kathir likewise judged this view weak in his Tafsir, 2:441, stating: “It is weak, and no reliable proponent of it can be established.”
(3) Al-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him, held that the most sound interpretation of the words, “and it is followed by a witness from Him,” is the view that the witness is Gabriel, as indicated by the words, “and before it was the Book of Moses, a guide and mercy.” Tafsir, 15:276. Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “It is that which Allah revealed to the prophets of the pure, complete, exalted laws, culminating in the law of Muhammad, may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him and upon them all. Therefore, Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Ikrimah, Abu al-Aliyah, al-Dahhak, Ibrahim al-Nakhai, al-Suddi, and others said regarding the words, ‘and it is followed by a witness from Him,’ that he is Gabriel, peace be upon him. It is also reported from Ali, al-Hasan, and Qatadah that he is Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Both views are close in meaning, for both Gabriel and Muhammad conveyed Allah's message: Gabriel to Muhammad, and Muhammad to the ummah.” Tafsir, 2:441.
(4) Muslim narrated it through another chain from Abu Hurayrah with the wording: “... no Jew or Christian from this ummah ...” in the Book of Faith, chapter: “The obligation to believe in the messengership of our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him,” no. 153, 1:134. The compiler of Sharh al-Sunnah narrated it with the wording cited above, 1:104. It is also found in Abu Awanah, 1:104; Imam Ahmad's al-Musnad, no. 8188, Halabi edition; and Hammam ibn Munabbih's Sahifah, no. 91, p. 409.
The ummah intended in this hadith comprises everyone to whom Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was sent and against whom his proof is binding, whether or not he believes in him. Thus, the wording includes the entire ummah al-dawah (the community invited to Islam): those living during his lifetime and those who come into existence after him until the Day of Resurrection. All of them are required to obey him. The phrase, “nor Jew nor Christian,” is an instance of conjoining the particular to the general; they are mentioned only to indicate that others are included as well. Al-Qurtubi said: if the narration does not join “Jew” and “Christian” by a conjunction, they are appositives of “ummah.” However, when they are joined by a conjunction, as in al-Baghawi's narration here, the Jew and Christian do not fall under the ummah mentioned. Al-Iraqi said: it is also possible that this ummah means the Arabs, who were idol worshippers. In that case, the conjunction of “Jew” and “Christian” is in its ordinary sense, since they are not included in what preceded; the wording in our narration, “nor Jew nor Christian,” supports this. See Sahifah Hammam ibn Munabbih from Abu Hurayrah, edited and annotated by Dr. Rifaat Fawzi Abd al-Muttalib, pp. 409-410; further references are cited there.