By “the unlettered” are meant those who had no scripture and no trace of a divine message, whether Arabs or others who were not among the People of the Book. Allah Most High therefore bestowed upon them an immense favor, greater than His favor upon others, for they were bereft of knowledge and goodness and had been in manifest error. They worshipped trees, idols, and stones; adopted the ways of ravenous beasts; and allowed their strong to devour their weak. They were utterly ignorant of the knowledge brought by the prophets. Allah therefore raised among them a Messenger from among themselves, whose lineage, noble qualities, and truthfulness they knew, and He sent down His Book to him. He “recites His signs to them”—signs that provide conclusive proof and necessitate faith and certainty—and “purifies them” by urging them to adopt virtuous qualities, explaining those qualities to them in detail, and restraining them from reprehensible traits. He also “teaches them the Book and wisdom,” meaning knowledge of the Quran (1) and knowledge of the Sunnah, which together encompass the knowledge of the former and latter generations.
Through this instruction and purification by him, they became the most learned of all people. Indeed, they became leaders of the people of knowledge and religion, the most perfect of people in character, and the finest in conduct and bearing. They were themselves rightly guided and guided others, becoming leaders of the rightly guided and guides to the believers (2). Thus, by sending this Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—Allah bestowed upon them the most complete blessing and the noblest gift.
His words, “and others among them who have not yet joined them,” mean that He also bestowed His favor upon others besides them—that is, besides the unlettered—including those who would come after them and some of the People of the Book. They had not yet joined those who directly experienced (3) the Messenger’s call. It may also mean that they had not yet attained their merit, or that they had not yet joined them in time. In either case, both meanings are correct. Those among whom Allah sent His Messenger, who saw him and directly encountered his call, received distinctions and virtues in which no one else can ever equal them.
This was part of His might and wisdom: He did not leave His servants neglected or without purpose. Rather, He sent messengers among them, commanding and forbidding them. This is part of Allah’s immense bounty, which He bestows upon whomever He wills among His servants. It is superior to His favors of bodily health, abundant provision, and all other worldly blessings. No blessing is greater than the blessing of religion, which is the foundation of triumph and everlasting happiness.
(5–8) “The likeness of those who were charged with the Torah but failed to uphold it is that of a donkey carrying volumes of books. Wretched is the likeness of the people who denied Allah’s signs. Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people. Say, ‘O you who are Jews, if you claim that you alone are Allah’s allies to the exclusion of all other people, then wish for death, if you are truthful.’ But they will never wish for it because of what their hands have sent ahead. Allah knows the wrongdoers. Say, ‘Indeed, the death from which you flee will surely overtake you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the seen, and He will inform you of what you used to do.’”
After Allah Most High mentioned His favor upon this community, among whom He sent the unlettered Prophet, and the distinctions and merits He granted them in which no one can equal them—this unlettered nation that surpassed former and latter peoples, even the People of the Book, who claim to be devout scholars and leading rabbis—He mentioned those among the Jews, and likewise the Christians, whom Allah charged with bearing the Torah and commanded to learn it and act upon what it contains (4). Yet they did not truly bear it or fulfill the charge entrusted to them. They therefore possess no distinction, and their likeness is that of a donkey carrying upon its back volumes ⦗863⦘ of learned works. Does that donkey benefit from the books upon its back? Does it acquire any merit because of them? Or is its only share of them the burden of carrying them?
This is the likeness of the Jewish scholars (5) who did not act upon what the Torah contains, among the foremost and greatest of whose injunctions are the command to follow Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—the glad tidings of his coming, and faith in the Quran he brought. What, then, does anyone fitting this description gain from the Torah except disappointment, loss, and the establishment of proof against him? This likeness corresponds perfectly to their condition.
How wretched is the likeness of the people who denied Allah’s signs, which demonstrate the truthfulness of our Messenger and the truth of what he brought.
“Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people”; that is, He does not direct them to what is in their best interests so long as wrongdoing remains their defining trait and obstinacy their attribute. Part of the Jews’ wrongdoing and obstinacy is that they know they are upon falsehood yet claim to be upon the truth and to be Allah’s allies to the exclusion of all other people.
For this reason, Allah commanded His Messenger to say to them: If you are truthful in your claim that you are upon the truth and are Allah’s allies, then “wish for death.” This is a simple challenge. Had they known that they were upon the truth, they would not have held back from this challenge, which Allah made evidence of their truthfulness if they wished for death and of their falsehood (6) if they did not. Since no such wish came from them despite this challenge being publicly proclaimed to them, it became clear that they knew the falsehood and corruption of their position. He therefore said, “But they will never wish for it because of what their hands have sent ahead,” meaning the sins and acts of disobedience that make them dread death. “Allah knows the wrongdoers,” and none of their wrongdoing can possibly be hidden from Him.
Although they do not wish for death because of what their hands have sent ahead and flee (7) from it [as far as they possibly can], this will not save them. Rather, the death that Allah has irrevocably decreed for His servants and written for them must inevitably overtake them.
Then, after death and the completion of their appointed terms, all creation will be returned on the Day of Resurrection to the Knower of the unseen and the seen. He will inform them of all that they used to do, whether good or evil, little or much.