was guidance and light—that is, in the Gospel—and confirming the Torah that came before it, as guidance and instruction for the God-fearing.

“Let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah has revealed therein.” Al-A‘mash and Hamzah recited it as “so that the people of the Gospel may judge,” with the lām vowelled with kasrah and the mīm with fathah; that is, “in order that they may judge.” The others recited it with the lām unvowelled and the mīm in the jussive, as a command. Muqatil ibn Hayyan said: Allah commanded the learned religious scholars and rabbis to judge according to what was in the Torah, and He commanded the priests and monks to judge according to what was in the Gospel. Yet they disbelieved, saying, “Ezra is the son of Allah” and “the Messiah is the son of Allah.” “Whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed—it is they who are defiantly disobedient”: those who depart from the command of Allah, the Exalted.

Allah the Exalted’s saying: “And We have revealed to you,” O Muhammad, “the Book”—the Quran—“in truth, confirming what came before it of the Scripture”: that is, the revealed Books that came before it, “and as a guardian over it.” Al-Walibi narrated from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that this means: a witness over it. This was also the view of Mujahid, Qatadah, al-Suddi, and al-Kisa’i.

Hassan said:

“Indeed, the Book bears witness to our Prophet ...
And those endowed with understanding recognize the truth.”

That is, it is a witness and a confirmer.

Ikrimah said: it means one that indicates. Sa‘id ibn Jubayr and Abu Ubaydah said: one entrusted with its care. Al-Hasan said: trustworthy (1). It was also said that its original form is mu’aymin, a diminutive form derived from amīn, “trustworthy,” just as they say mubaytir, derived from baytar, “veterinarian.” The hamzah was then changed into an hā’, as they say araqtu al-mā’a and haraqtuhu, and īhāt and hayhāt, and similar expressions.

The meaning of the Quran’s trustworthiness is what Ibn Jurayj said: the Quran is trustworthy over the Books that preceded it. Thus, whatever the People of the Book report from their Scripture (2), if it is found in the Quran, then affirm it; otherwise, reject it.

Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib and al-Dahhak said: a judge. Al-Khalil said: a watcher and preserver. These meanings are close to one another. The overall meaning is that every book whose truthfulness the Quran attests is a Book of Allah, the Exalted; and whatever it does not attest is not. “So judge”