10-93 And certainly We lodged the Children of Israel in a goodly abode and provided them with good things. Then they differed not till the knowledge came to them. Surely thy Lord will judge between them on the day of Resurrection concerning that in which they differed.a
وَلَقَدْ بَوَّأْنَا بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ مُبَوَّأَ صِدْقٍۢ وَرَزَقْنَـٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ فَمَا ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْعِلْمُ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَقْضِى بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا۟ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ (۹۳)
10-93a: مُبَوَّأَ صِدْقٍۢ – مُبَوَّأ is derived from بواء (to settle, reside, dwell) in the sense of a place to dwell and the addition of صِدْقٍۢ denotes that it is a goodly place. See 10-2a. According to Khalil every complete and perfect thing is called صِدْق and he interprets مُبَوَّأَ صِدْقٍۢ as a good destination (T). That is a place with all kinds of potential.
Blessings bestowed on Bani Israel and their opposition to the Holy Prophet: The first part of the verse mentions that Allah blessed the Israelites with a goodly abode after their freedom from Pharoah. A goodly abode is one that provides the necessities for the inhabitants, has the best places, and is nicely situated. The indication here is to the Holy Land where not only were the Israelites free from the bondage of another nation but they also had the best things available to them. The term رَزَقْ is very expansive in its meanings and includes their own governance, and knowledge which was imparted to them through prophets. In another place, this is explained as: ٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَةَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ جَعَلَ فِيكُمْ أَنۢبِيَآءَ وَجَعَلَكُم مُّلُوكًۭا وَءَاتَىٰكُم مَّا لَمْ يُؤْتِ أَحَدًۭا مِّنَ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ (remember the favor of Allah to you when He raised prophets among you and made you kings and gave you what He gave not to any other of the nations) (5:2). This was Allah’s reward to them, but the second part of the verse describes their current condition where despite having knowledge, they disagreed and by disagreement is meant their disagreement in the matter of the Holy Prophet and their opposition to him. See 2-176a.
10-94 But if thou art in doubt as to that which We have revealed to thee, ask those who read the Book before thee. Certainly the Truth has come to thee from thy Lord, so be not thou of the doubters.a
فَإِن كُنتَ فِى شَكٍّۢ مِّمَّآ أَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ فَسْـَٔلِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَقْرَءُونَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ مِن قَبْلِكَ ۚ لَقَدْ جَآءَكَ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْمُمْتَرِينَ (۹۴)
10-94a: شَكٍّۢ – شَك (doubt) is for a person to consider two opposite affairs as the same and equal, and this happens because the person sees similar signs in both, or because there is no argument in favor of one over the other, and sometimes شَك is about a thing whether it is present or not, and sometimes about its genus, as to which genus it belongs, and sometimes about some of its attributes, and sometimes about the purpose for which a thing is created. شَك is a kind of ignorance, but ignorance is general while شَك is specific, and every شَك is ignorance but every ignorance is not شَك (R).
The Holy Prophet never had any doubt about the Quran, nor could he have had any doubt: Who is the addressee here? This is such a clear situation that there is hardly any need to discuss it. The address in the Quran is sometimes general even though the address may be in the singular tense. Further, every address in the singular tense is not necessarily addressed to the Holy Prophet. Sometimes even if a prophet is addressed by name, the address is general, as in: يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ إِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ (O Prophet, when you divorce women) (65:1). The addressee in this verse is someone that has doubt about the Quran, and the meaning of شَك (doubt) has been explained above, that it is a person who cannot decide with equality and justice. For example, a person who cannot decide whether the Quran is from God or is a fabrication will have doubt. It is obvious that it is impossible for the Holy Prophet to have doubt on this score, and even hardened opponents have admitted that the Holy Prophet considered himself to be true. In particular, the Christian critics admit this to be so for the Makkan period in which this chapter was revealed. Further, it is meaningless to allege that the Holy Prophet had any doubt about the Quran. Even if the Holy Prophet was fabricating the Quran (and I seek God’s protection for even stating this), he knew that he was fabricating, and if he was not fabricating then he knew that he was not fabricating. Thus, someone else could be in doubt about the Quran, but under both conditions, the Holy Prophet would not have any doubt. The opponents can be right or wrong, but the Holy Prophet can never have doubt because doubt is a state of ignorance, and the Holy Prophet had full knowledge of the situation. The word doubt can only be used for people who are in an intermediate stage of ambiguity and do not know whether to call it true or to call it false. Sometimes they say one thing and sometimes another. Further, is it possible to say about a person that he has doubt when he has such power of conviction that he creates certainty in the hearts of thousands who are willing to go into the jaws of death but are not willing to abandon the Quran. The next verse makes it crystal clear where it is stated be not of those who reject the messages of Allah. This statement too is in the singular tense and so if it is the Holy Prophet is in doubt then it can only be he who is rejecting the message. This is absurd on the face of it. This is clarified even further in verse 10:104 where it is stated: يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِن كُنتُمْ فِى شَكٍّۢ مِّن دِينِى (O people, if you are in doubt as to my religion) which shows that it is the same people who are addressed in the singular in the current verse but are addressed in the plural in verse 10:104. It is thus made clear that the doubters were other people. Verse 10:104 ends with: I am commanded to be of the believers, then how can the Holy Prophet be a doubter. The phrase مِّمَّآ أَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ (that which We have revealed to thee) does not negate this argument because there are many places in the Quran where it is stated that the Quran has been revealed to everyone, as for example in يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ قَدْ جَآءَكُم بُرْهَـٰنٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَأَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكُمْ نُورًۭا مُّبِينًۭا (O people, manifest proof has indeed come to you from your Lord and We have sent down to you a clear light) (4:174). There are many other verses making similar statements.
Some commentators have erroneously mentioned Abdullah bin Salam in explaining فَسْـَٔلِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَقْرَءُونَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ (ask those who read the Book before thee), but he became a Muslim in Madinah whereas this surah is Makkan. When Abdullah bin Salam became a Muslim, it is he who believed in the truthfulness of the Holy Prophet and not that the Holy Prophet enquired from him to believe in his truthfulness. This error is obvious from the fact that there are many narrations in Ibn Jarir that the Holy Prophet never doubted and never enquired. Some narrations contain the words that the Holy Prophet said: لا اشك و لا اسئل (I neither doubt nor do I ask) and this was said to make the people understand that this verse is not about the Holy Prophet but about others. It is a historical fact that the Holy Prophet never questioned anyone from the People of the Book for the purpose of finding out some truth.
10-95 And be not of those who reject the messages of Allah, (for) then thou wilt be of the losers.
وَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ فَتَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ (۹۵)
10-96 Surely those against whom the word of thy Lord has proved true will not believe,
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ (۹۶)
10-97 Though every sign should come to them, till they see the painful chastisement.
وَلَوْ جَآءَتْهُمْ كُلُّ ءَايَةٍ حَتَّىٰ يَرَوُا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ ٱلْأَلِيمَ (۹۷)
10-97a: What was the word of Allah that proved true? It is obvious that it is the chastisement of belying Allah’s messages which is the topic being discussed. This is stated again in verse 10:95 where the rejection of the messages of Allah is mentioned.
10-98 And why was there not a town which believed, so that their belief should have profited them, but the people of Jonah? When they believed, We removed from them the chastisement of disgrace in this world’s life, and We gave them provision for a while.a
فَلَوْلَا كَانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ ءَامَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَآ إِيمَـٰنُهَآ إِلَّا قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّآ ءَامَنُوا۟ كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ ٱلْخِزْىِ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَمَتَّعْنَـٰهُمْ إِلَىٰ حِينٍۢ (۹۸)
10-98a: يُونُسَ – His Biblical name is Jonah, and he has a short book in the Books of the Prophets of Old Testament. He lived in the eighth century before Jesus. Besides this verse, Jonah is mentioned in the Quran in the following verses: 6:86, 21:87, 37:39-48, 68:48-50. His message was for the people of Nineveh which at the time was the capital of a kingdom which extended over a large part of the earth.
The Dwellers of Nineveh and their chastisement: In contrast with the mention of the death and destruction of people who belied their prophets, mention is now made of a prophet whose opponents, despite being unbelievers initially, finally repented and were saved from chastisement. Jonah was sent to this nation. Ibn Kathir narrates that Jonah warned his nation of chastisement, but they did not believe and Jonah migrated from there so as not to get caught up in the chastisement. Subsequently, these people turned to Allah and Allah withheld the punishment. There are two opinions after this. One opinion is that it was only the chastisement of this world that was withheld but not the chastisement of the next world. According to this opinion, they did not actually believe but only partially turned to Allah for fear of chastisement. The other opinion is that the chastisement of the next world was also forgiven because they heeded the message and believed. This incident provides great insight into the real nature of the warnings of chastisements. The chastisement can be cancelled even if the warning is given by a prophet whether the turning to Allah is complete so that people believe sincerely or the turning is partial and done only from the fear of punishment.
A salient point in this narration of Jonah is the outcome of his opponents and there is an indication in this that the opponents of the Holy Prophet will repent and will not be destroyed. There is a hadith of the Holy Prophet which also indicates that mercy will be shown to his opponents. The Holy Prophet said: لا تفضّلونی علیٰ یونس (Do not give me superiority over Jonah).
10-99 And if thy Lord had pleased, all those who are in the earth would have believed, all of them. Wilt thou then force men till they are believers?a
وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لَـَٔامَنَ مَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ كُلُّهُمْ جَمِيعًا ۚ أَفَأَنتَ تُكْرِهُ ٱلنَّاسَ حَتَّىٰ يَكُونُوا۟ مُؤْمِنِينَ (۹۹)
10-99a: This is a Makkan revelation when the Muslims were under severe persecution and so no one can say that the Holy Prophet wanted to convert people to Islam by the sword. The meaning is that belief is a matter of free will and only those who want to believe may do so.
10-100 And it is not for any soul to believe except by Allah’s permission. And He casts uncleanness on those who will not understand.a
وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفْسٍ أَن تُؤْمِنَ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَيَجْعَلُ ٱلرِّجْسَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ (۱۰۰)
10-100a: For what is meant by إِذْنِ see 2-97a. Whatever happens on earth happens by Allah’s permission: وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفْسٍ أَن تَمُوتَ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ (And no soul can die but with Allah’s permission) (2:145). However, the uncleanness and impurity of disbelief is left by Allah only on those people wo do not put their intelligence to work. So, when a person refuses to use his intellect then Allah’s permission for cleanliness will not be given.
10-101 Say: Behold what is in the heavens and the earth! And signs and warners avail not a people who believe not.
قُلِ ٱنظُرُوا۟ مَاذَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَمَا تُغْنِى ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتُ وَٱلنُّذُرُ عَن قَوْمٍۢ لَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ (۱۰۱)
10-102 What do they wait for, then, but the like of the days of those who passed away before them? Say: Wait then; I, too, am with you of those who wait.
فَهَلْ يَنتَظِرُونَ إِلَّا مِثْلَ أَيَّامِ ٱلَّذِينَ خَلَوْا۟ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ قُلْ فَٱنتَظِرُوٓا۟ إِنِّى مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْمُنتَظِرِينَ (۱۰۲)
10-102a: For the meaning of أَيَّامِ see 3-140a and its meaning here is events that befell past generations, that is the tribulations that came to them. The disbelievers are asked to wait because similar days will befall them.
10-103 Then We deliver Our messengers and those who believe — even so (now); it is binding on Us to deliver the believers.a
ثُمَّ نُنَجِّى رُسُلَنَا وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ حَقًّا عَلَيْنَا نُنجِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ (۱۰۳)
10-103a: Deliverance from the cruelty of the enemies of religion: The last verse states that the disbelievers should wait for the chastisement. It is stated in this verse that when the chastisement comes, the prophet and his believing followers are saved and find freedom from the hands of their enemies. This is stated to console the Holy Prophet and his followers. The promise is then repeated that the believers will be delivered, and the purport is that the deliverance is not specific to messengers and whenever believers are in difficulties, Allah will deliver them. In fact, by bringing in the term حَقًّا عَلَيْنَا (it is binding on us) the promise is further strengthened. Despite this promise, Muslim countries and nations are embroiled in difficulties. Why is that? It is because they do not become righteous. If the Muslims sincerely become believers, Allah will automatically remove their difficulties.
Bayan-ul-Quran 