then he recited to him:

‘Alif Lām Rā.’

‘These are the verses of the clear Book.’

‘We relate to you the best of accounts through Our revelation to you of this Quran, though before it you were among those unaware.’

He recited it to him three times and struck him three times. Then ʿUmar asked him, ‘Are you the one who copied out the Book of Daniel?’

He replied, ‘Yes.’

He said, ‘Go and erase it with hot water and white wool. Do not read it or teach anyone to read it.’”

ʿUmar recited this verse to him to explain that the Quran contains the best of accounts, so there is no need for anything else alongside it. This indicates that “accounts” is general in scope and is not confined to Surah Joseph. It also indicates that they knew the Quran was superior to the Book of Daniel and other such books of the prophets.

A similar incident is reported of Ibn Masʿūd: when he was brought passages copied from books, he erased them and spoke of the Quran’s excellence, just as ʿUmar had done. May Allah be pleased with them both.

Ibn Abī Hātim reported from Qatādah, concerning “We relate to you the best of accounts,” that he said: “From earlier scriptures and Allah’s past dealings with the nations”—“through Our revelation to you of this Quran.”

This indicates that “the best of accounts” encompasses all of this. Indeed, the word “accounts” includes what the prophets related of Allah’s verses, beyond accounts of past nations, as in His words, Most High:

“Did there not come to you messengers from among yourselves, relating My verses to you and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours? They will say, ‘We bear witness against ourselves.’”

Elsewhere He says:

“Reciting to you the verses of your Lord.”

And He, Most High, has said: “And We have sent down to you