Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AN NAHL [43]

43. And We sent not (as Our Messengers) before you (O Muhammad) any but men, whom We sent revelation. So ask Ahl Adh-Dhikr, if you know not. 44. With clear signs and Books (We sent the Messengers). And We have also revealed the Dhikr to you so that you may clearly explain to men what was revealed to them, and that perhaps they may reflect. Ad-Dahhak said, reporting from Ibn `Abbas: ”When Allah sent Muhammad as a Messenger, the Arabs, or some of them, denied him and said, `Allah is too great to send a human being as a Messenger.' Then Allah revealed:

(Is it a wonder to people that We have sent Our Inspiration to a man from among themselves (saying): ”Warn mankind...'') and He said,

(And We sent not (as Our Messengers) before you (O Muhammad) any but men, whom We sent Revelation. So ask Ahl Adh-Dhikr, if you know not.). meaning, (ask) the people of the previous Books, were the Messengers that were sent to them humans or angels If they were angels, then you have the right to find this strange, but if they were human, then you have no grounds to deny that Muhammad is a Messenger. Allah says:

(And We sent not before you (as Messengers) any but men to whom We revealed, from among the people of townships. ) ï´¿12:109ï´¾ and not from among the people of heaven as you say.'' It was reported by Mujahid from Ibn `Abbas that what is meant by Ahl Adh-Dhikr is the People of the Book. This is as Allah says:

(Say: ”Glorified be my Lord! Am I anything but a man, sent as a Messenger'' And nothing prevented men from believing when the guidance came to them, except that they said: ”Has Allah sent a man as (His) Messenger'') (17:93-94)

(And We never sent before you (O Muhammad) any of the Messengers but verily, they ate food and walked in the markets.) (25:20)

(And We did not create them (the Messengers, with) bodies that did not eat food, nor were they immortals.)(21:8)

(Say (O Muhammad ): ”I am not a new thing among the Messengers. '') ﴿46:9﴾,

(Say (O Muhammad): ”I am only a man like you. It has been revealed to me.'') ﴿18:110﴾ Then Allah informs those who doubt that a Messenger can be a human to ask those who have knowledge of the previous Scriptures about the Prophets who came before: were their Prophets humans or angels Then Allah mentions that He has sent them,

(with clear signs), meaning proof and evidence, and

(and Books ﴿Zubur﴾), meaning Scriptures. Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak and others said: Zubur is the plural of Zabur, and the Arabs say, Zaburtul-Kitab meaning, ”I wrote the book.'' Allah says:

(And everything they have done is noted in (their) Records (of deeds) ï´¿Zuburï´¾) (54:52)

(And indeed We have written in Az-Zabur after the Dhikr that My righteous servant shall inherit the land (i.e. the land of Paradise).) (21:105) Then Allah says:

(And We have also revealed the Dhikr to you), meaning the Qur'an,

(so that you may clearly explain to men what was revealed to them,) meaning, sent down from their Lord, because you know the meaning of what Allah has revealed to you, and because of your understanding and adherence to it, and because We know that you are the best of creation and the leader of the Children of Adam. So that you may explain in detail what has been mentioned in brief, and explain what is not clear.

(so that perhaps they may reflect.) meaning, they should examine themselves and be guided by it, so that they may attain the victory of salvation in this world and the next.