as in His words:

“Knower of the unseen, He discloses His unseen to no one except a messenger whom He approves,” to the end of the verse.

It has also been said: He sent it down knowing both it and you. Ibn Jarīr al-Tabarī said concerning the verse in Sūrat al-Nisā’: “He sent it down to you knowing that you are His chosen one from among His creation.”

Al-Zajjāj mentioned two interpretations concerning the verse in Sūrat Hūd. The first is: “He sent it down knowing that He was sending it down and knowing that it is the truth from Him.” The second is: “He sent it down containing the unseen matters He disclosed in it, indicating what will happen and what has already happened.”

(I say: This latter interpretation is the one explained above. The first, however, is of the same kind as Ibn Jarīr’s explanation. For He knows it and the one to whom He sent it down; He knows that it is true and that its recipient is worthy of that for which Allah chose him. This would then resemble His words:

“And We certainly chose them, knowingly, above all other peoples,”

and the words of the one who said:

“I was only given it because of knowledge”—

meaning: because Allah knows that I deserve it.

(I say: This interpretation is included in the meaning of the first explanation. For when speech is sent down with the Lord’s knowledge, this entails that everything it contains comes from His knowledge, including its statements concerning itself and the Messenger. This is the correct interpretation, held by the majority; some of them mentioned no other.