Ar-Ra'd (The Thunder)

43. “And those who disbelieve say: ‘You are not a messenger’. Say: Allah is sufficient as a witness between me and you and he with whom is the knowledge of the Book.”

We read in the first verse of this Surah that whatever is revealed to the Prophet (S) is identical with the Truth, though most people disbelieve it. We also read in this last verse of the Surah that the pagans refute the prophetic mission of the Prophet (S).

This indicates to the climax of the obstinacy and hostility of the seduced people as against the Divine Messenger and his words of truth. Therefore, it implies in this noble verse that they use a new pretext everyday, and they demand a new miracle, and eventually they claim that he is not a prophet.

The verse says:

“And those who disbelieve say: ‘You are not a messenger’…”

Addressing them he should answer them: It was sufficient for them that two persons bear witness between them and him, one of whom was ‘Allah’ and the other one consists of those who have a full command of the knowledge of the Book, of the Qur’an.

Both parties are aware that I am His messenger: Allah as well as those who are knowledgeable about this Book, that is the Qur’an.

The verse says:

“…Say: ‘Allah is sufficient as a witness between me and you and he with whom is the knowledge of the Book’.”

And this further stresses once again the miraculous nature of the Qur’an in its different aspects.

As for the sentence;

“…and he with whom is the knowledge of the Book”,

we have got the news which are in proximity of sequential order that the objective in mind is Amir-ul-Mu’mineen, and in some, that the objective in mind is the Immaculate Imams.

However, these quotations do not confirm a monopoly and as we have repeatedly said allusions to cases are made to perfect example or examples, and we claim that if the objective in mind is the glorious Qur’an, no one else is knowledgeable as to the apparent and the hidden and as to the interpretations of the Qur’an, having monopoly in such cases except the household of the prophet.

As He declares:

“…none knows its (hidden) interpretation except Allah and those firmly rooted in knowledge…”1

Abū Sa‘id Khidary says:

“I asked the Prophet (S) about: the Qur’anic phrase:

‘said he with whom was knowledge from the Book’,

(which is found in the story of Solomon).

He answered:

‘He was the inheritor of my brother Solomon and replaced him.’

I inquired:

‘Whom is it (the above verse) talking about and to whom allusions are being made?’

He answered:

‘He is my brother Ali Ibn Abi Talib (as)’.”¹

The author of Atyab-ul-Bayan claims that we may say the objective in mind of ‘the knowledge of the Book’ is the greatest Name of Allah, of which ’Asif-Ibn-Barkhya the inheritor of Hadrat Sulayman, only knew a faction and not more. And Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (as), as well as other Immaculate Imams (as), knew all in its entirety except what was kept by Allah for Himself.

Some Islamic traditions denote that the relationship of the Qur’anic phrase /min-al-kit ab/ to /‘ilm-ul-kit ab/ is just like a drop with respect to a green sea. Certainly, when one of the companions of Hadrat Sulayman, who had some partial knowledge of the Book, could at a glance revoke the throne of the queen of Saba before him, how mighty one might be if he possesses all the knowledge of that Book!

According to the quotations, as we said, the objective in mind about whom he has the knowledge of the entire Book is Hadrat Ali (as) and Ahl-ul-Bayt (as).

For further information about these quotations refer to Tafsir Nūr-uth-Thaqalayn, Tafsir Burhan, Tafsir Safi, and Tafsir Kanz-ud-Daqa’iq.

O’ Allah! Open the gates of your blessings to us and provide us with the knowledge of the Book, and engage our souls with the light of the Qur’an and provide our thoughts with such potentialities that we do not refer to other than You and not to regard anything as supreme once faced with Your Will.

Amin.