“And thus We have revealed to you a spirit by Our command. You did not know what the Book was, nor what faith was; but We made it a light by which We guide whomever We will of Our servants. And indeed, you guide to a straight path: the path of Allah, to whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Unquestionably, to Allah all matters return.” (52–53)

“And thus”: that is, just as We revealed to the rest of Our messengers, “We have revealed to you a spirit by Our command.” Ibn Abbas said: “Prophethood.” Al-Hasan said: “Mercy.” Al-Suddi and Muqatil said: “Revelation.” Al-Kalbi said: “A Book.” Al-Rabi said: “Gabriel.” Malik ibn Dinar said: “That is, the Quran.”

“You did not know,” before the revelation, “what the Book was, nor what faith was”—that is, the laws and distinguishing features of faith. Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Khuzaymah said: (1) “Faith” in this context means prayer, as indicated by His saying: “Allah would never cause your faith to be lost” (al-Baqarah 143).

The scholars of legal theory hold that the prophets, peace be upon them, were believers before revelation. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, worshipped Allah before revelation according to the religion of Abraham, though the laws of his religion had not yet been made clear to him.

“But We made it a light.” Ibn Abbas said: “That is, faith.” Al-Suddi said: “That is, the Quran.” “By which We guide”: that is, by which We direct aright. “Whomever We will of Our servants. And indeed, you guide”: that is, you call people “to a straight path,” meaning Islam.

“The path of Allah, to whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Unquestionably, to Allah all matters return”: that is, all the affairs of creation in the Hereafter.