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Draft:Qur'an 4:199

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Qur'an 4:199
Verse's Information
SuraSura Al 'Imran (Qur'an 3)
Verse199
Juz'4
Content Information
Cause of
Revelation		The death of Najashi and the Prophet's (s) Absentee funeral prayer; the faith of 'Abd Allah b. Salam; the faith of a group of the People of the Book; or all believing People of the Book
Place of
Revelation		Medina


Qur'an 3:199 addresses a cohort among the People of the Book who possess faith in God, the Quran, and their own scriptures, maintaining a state of humility before the Divine. These individuals refuse to barter God's signs for a trifle and are devoid of ignorant prejudice. God has ordained a substantial reward for them and reckons their account swiftly.[1] Exegetes interpret this verse as an indication of God's omniscience regarding human actions, which obviates the need for temporal calculation; He is capable of judging all beings instantaneously without compromising His justice.[2]

Elsewhere in the Quran, such as Verses 113 through 115 of Sura Al 'Imran, certain People of the Book are similarly characterized as faithful and righteous.[3]

According to commentators, Verse 199 serves as a counterpoint to preceding verses that censure the People of the Book for transgressions such as distinguishing between divine prophets and concealing the covenant of God. In contrast, this verse highlights and praises the virtuous attributes of a specific group among them.[4] This group is distinguished by their humble faith in God and divine scriptures; notably, faith in the Quran is mentioned prior to faith in their own books.[5] Scholars such as Javadi Amoli posit that faith in God is the antecedent to all other forms of faith and the genesis of other perfections.[6] By virtue of their profound faith, this group transcends ignorant prejudices.[7] Their faith is characterized by humility rather than arrogance or rebellion.[8]

Moreover, the verse underscores that these individuals abstain from altering or distorting divine verses, refusing to compromise God's rulings for worldly gain or power. Unlike those who have exchanged guidance for misguidance, this faction of the People of the Book adheres to the truth, executes divine commands, and shuns the forbidden.[9]

Regarding the identity of the People of the Book mentioned in Verse 199, four primary interpretations have been transmitted:

  1. Najashi, the Christian King of Abyssinia: Historical reports suggest that upon being informed by Gabriel of Najashi's death, the Prophet Muhammad (s) performed the funeral prayer for him. This act drew criticism from hypocrites who objected to praying for a Christian, thereby precipitating the revelation of this verse.[10]
  2. 'Abd Allah b. Salam: Certain exegeses, including Tafsir Ibn 'Abbas[11] and Tafsir Muqatil b. Sulayman,[12] maintain that the verse alludes to 'Abd Allah b. Salam and his companions who embraced Islam.
  3. A group of converts: Some accounts assert the verse was revealed concerning a specific group of People of the Book who converted to Islam, reportedly comprising forty individuals from Najran, thirty-two from Abyssinia, and eight from Rome.[13]
  4. All believing People of the Book: A broader interpretation posits that the verse encompasses all People of the Book who become Muslim, rather than referring to a specific historical figure.[14]

Notes

  1. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsir-i Nemuneh, 1374 Sh, vol. 3, pp. 231-232.
  2. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1408 AH, vol. 2, p. 917.
  3. ↑ Javādī Āmulī, Tasnīm, 1388 Sh, vol. 16, pp. 760-761.
  4. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1408 AH, vol. 2, p. 917.
  5. ↑ Javādī Āmulī, Tasnīm, 1388 Sh, vol. 16, pp. 763-764.
  6. ↑ Javādī Āmulī, Tasnīm, 1388 Sh, vol. 16, p. 762.
  7. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsir-i Nemuneh, 1374 Sh, vol. 3, p. 232.
  8. ↑ Javādī Āmulī, Tasnīm, 1388 Sh, vol. 16, pp. 764-765.
  9. ↑ Shaykh Ṭūsī, al-Tibyān, vol. 3, p. 94.
  10. ↑ For example see: Ṭabarānī, al-Tafsir al-kabīr, 2008, vol. 2, p. 180; Wāḥidī, Asbāb nuzūl al-Qurʾān, 1419 AH, p. 143.
  11. ↑ Ibn ʿAbbās, Tanwīr al-miqbās, 1425 AH, p. 83.
  12. ↑ Azdī Marwazī, Tafsir Muqātil b. Sulaymān, 1423 AH, vol. 1, p. 323.
  13. ↑ For example see: Thaʿlabī, al-Kashf wa l-bayān, 1422 AH, vol. 3, p. 238; Baghawī, Tafsir al-Baghawī, 1420 AH, vol. 1, p. 559.
  14. ↑ Wāḥidī, Asbāb nuzūl al-Qurʾān, 1419 AH, p. 144; Shaykh Ṭūsī, al-Tibyān, vol. 3, p. 93; Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1408 AH, vol. 2, p. 917.

References

  • Azdī Marwazī, Muqātil b. Sulaymān. Tafsir Muqātil b. Sulaymān. Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 1423 AH.
  • Baghawī, al-Ḥusayn b. Masʿūd al-. Tafsir al-Baghawī. Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 1420 AH.
  • Ibn ʿAbbās, ʿAbd Allāh. Tanwīr al-miqbās min tafsir Ibn ʿAbbās. Beirut, Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyya, 1425 AH.
  • Javādī Āmulī, ʿAbd Allāh. Tasnīm: tafsir-i Qurʾān-i karīm. Qom, Isrāʾ, 1388 Sh.
  • Kalbāsī, Zahrā & Amīr Aḥmadnizhād. "Taḥlīl wa barrasī-yi riwāyāt-i tafsirī dar bāra-yi ʿAbd Allāh b. Salām". Majalla-yi Āmūzahā-yi Qurʾānī. No. 24, Fall & Winter 1395 Sh.
  • Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir. Tafsir-i Nemuneh. Tehran, Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 1374 Sh.
  • Shaykh Ṭūsī, Muḥammad b. Ḥasan. al-Tibyān fī tafsir al-Qurʾān. Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, n.d.
  • Ṭabarānī, Sulaymān b. Aḥmad al-. al-Tafsir al-kabīr. Jordan, Dār al-Kitāb al-Thaqāfī, 2008.
  • Ṭabrisī, Faḍl b. Ḥasan al-. Majmaʿ al-bayān fī tafsir al-Qurʾān. Beirut, Dār al-Maʿrifa, 1408 AH.
  • Thaʿlabī, Aḥmad b. Muḥammad al-. al-Kashf wa l-bayān fī tafsir al-Qurʾān. Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 1422 AH.
  • Wāḥidī, ʿAlī b. Aḥmad al-. Asbāb nuzūl al-Qurʾān. Ed. Kamāl Bīsūnī Zaghlūl. Beirut, Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyya, 1419 AH.
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