This, then, is Allah’s own testimony to the prophethood of this Messenger—may peace and blessings be upon him—and a clarification of his qualities.

Regarding His words, “There has certainly come to you,” the prefixed lām is the lām of an oath; an implicit oath is understood, meaning: “By Allah, there has certainly come to you….”

The particle qad is a marker of verification and emphasis, adding confirmation upon confirmation.

“Has come to you”: O people, this address is meant for all humanity, because his mission—peace and blessings be upon him—is universal for both accountable species, humans and jinn.

“A Messenger”: one to whom a divine law is revealed and who is commanded to convey it. He is called a messenger because he is sent by Allah, Glorified and Exalted.

“From among yourselves”: that is, from your own human kind, not an angel. Such is Allah’s practice: He sends to human beings messengers of their own species so that they may explain the message, converse with them, and because they already know him. Had He sent an angel, they would not have been able to communicate with it, for it is not of their kind; nor could they bear to behold an angel, since it is not of their species. Out of His mercy, Exalted is He, He sent to mankind a messenger of their own kind—indeed, an Arab from the noblest lineage of the Arabs, from Banu Hāshim who