“It is not for a human being”—meaning Jesus—“whom Allah has given the Scripture,” namely, the Gospel. (1)

Ibn ‘Abbas and ‘Ata’ said: “It is not for a human being” means Muhammad—“whom Allah has given the Scripture,” that is, the Quran. This was because Abu Rafi‘ al-Qurazi, a Jew, and a leading man among the Christians of Najran (2) said: “O Muhammad, do you want us to worship you and take you as a lord?” He replied: “Allah forbid that we should command the worship of anyone besides Allah. Allah has not commanded me to do that, nor has He enjoined it upon me.” (3) Thereupon Allah Most High revealed this verse: (4) “It is not for a human being”—that is, it is not fitting for a human being—just as Allah Most High says: “It is not for us to speak of this” (Quran 24:16), meaning: it is not fitting for us.

The term bashar (human being) encompasses all the descendants of Adam and has no singular form of its own, like “people” and “army”; it may be used for either one individual or a plurality. “Whom Allah has given the Scripture and wisdom”: that is, understanding and knowledge. It is also said to mean authority to carry out Allah’s judgement. “And prophethood”: the exalted rank belonging to the prophets. “Then says to the people, ‘Be servants of mine instead of Allah.’ Rather, be”: that is, rather, he says, “Be devoted to the Lord.”

The scholars differed concerning its meaning. ‘Ali, Ibn ‘Abbas, and al-Hasan said: “Be learned jurists and scholars.” Qatadah said: “Wise men and scholars.” Sa‘id ibn Jubayr said: “The scholar who acts upon his knowledge.” It is also related from Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ‘Abbas: “Jurists who teach.”

It was also said: The rabbani is one who educates people in the elementary elements of knowledge before its advanced matters. ‘Ata’ said: “Scholars, wise men, and sincere well-wishers to Allah’s creation.” Abu ‘Ubaydah said: “I heard a learned man say: ‘The rabbani is one knowledgeable of what is lawful and forbidden, of commands and prohibitions, (5) and knowledgeable of the accounts of the community—what has been and what will be.’” (6) It was also said: The rabbaniyyin rank above the ahbar, and the ahbar are scholars; the rabbaniyyin are those who combine knowledge with insight into the governance of people.

Al-Mu’arrij said: “Be rabbaniyyin: worship your Lord.” He derived it from rububiyyah (lordship), explaining that it was originally rabbiyy; an alif was then inserted for emphasis, and then a nun was added because of the stillness of the alif, just as they say Sana‘ani and Bahrani.

Al-Mubarrad said: “They are masters of knowledge. They were given this name because they cultivate knowledge, attend to it, and train students in the elementary branches of knowledge”