(Can it happen that he who takes his stand on clear evidence from his Lord) This shows that even apart from revelation, there is ample evidence in man's own self, in the structure of the heavens and the earth, and in the order that prevails in the universe to prove that God is the only creator, master, lord and sovereign of the universe. The evidence referred to above also inclines man to believe that the present life will be followed by another one in which man will be required to render an account of his deeds and wherein he might be requited.
(Subsequently followed by a witness from Him (in his support)) The 'witness from Him' is the Qur'an. The testimony of the natural phenomena combined with that provided by man's own self had already created in man the disposition to affirm the truths mentioned earlier. All that was further reinforced by the Qur'an which came as reassurance that what he was predisposed to believe in was indeed true.
(And prior to that the Book of Moses was revealed as a guide and a mercy, (would even he deny the truth in the manner of those who adore the life of this world)? Rather, such men are bound to believe in it.) In the present context the verse means that those who are overly infatuated with the allurements of a worldly life will be inclined to reject the message of the Qur'an. Distinguishable from these are those who take full note of the testimony furnished by their own beings and by the structure and order prevailing in the universe in support of God's unity. This testimony was further reinforced by the heavenly books revealed before the Qur'an. How could such people close their eyes to such overwhelming testimony as this and join their voice with those of the unbelievers?
This verse clearly indicates that even before the Qur'an was revealed, the Prophet (peace be on him) had reached the stage of belief in the Unseen. We have seen in al-An'am (see 6: 75 ff.) the case of Abraham. Before being appointed a Prophet, Abraham (peace be on him) was led by a careful observation of the natural phenomena to knowledge of God's unity. Likewise, the present verse makes it clear that by his reflection, the Prophet (peace be on him), had been led to believe in the Unseen even before the Qur'an was revealed. Subsequently, when the Qur'an was revealed it not only confirmed what he had already become inclined to accept, but also provided definite knowledge about it.
Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: The One Who believes in the Qur'an is upon Clear Proof from His Lord:
Allah, the Exalted, informs of the condition of the believers who are upon the natural religion of Allah, which He made inherent in His creatures. This is based upon their confession to Him that there is no one worthy of worship except He. This is similar to Allah's statement, (So set you your face towards the religion, Hanifan. Allah's Fitrah with which He has created mankind.) [30:30],
In the Two Sahihs it is recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said, (Every child is born upon the Fitrah, but his parents make him a Jew, Christian, or Magian. This is just like the calf that is born whole. Have you noticed any calves that are born mutilated)
In Sahih Muslim it is recorded that `Iyad bin Himar said that the Messenger of Allah said, (Allah, the Exalted, says, `Verily, I created my servants Hunafa', but the devils came to them and distracted them from their religion. They made it unlawful for them that I had made lawful for them and they commanded them to associate partners with Me, concerning which no authority has been revealed.) Therefore, the believer is one who remains upon this Fitrah.
Concerning Allah's statement, (وَيَتْلُوهُ شَاهِدٌ مِّنْهُ and whom a witness from Him recites (follows) it;) This means that a witness comes to him from Allah. That witness is the pure, perfect and magnificent legislation that Allah revealed to the Prophets. These legislations were finalized with the legislation (Shari`ah) of Muhammad. The believer has the natural disposition that bears witness to (the truth of) the general legislation, and accepts that specific laws are taken from the general legislation. The Fitrah accepts the Shari`ah and believes in it.
For this reason, Allah, the Exalted, says, (Can they who rely on a clear proof from their Lord, and whom a witness from Him recites (follows) it;) This clear proof which is recited is the Qur'an, which Jibril conveyed to the Prophet and the Prophet Muhammad conveyed it to his Ummah.
Then Allah says, (وَمِن قَبْلِهِ كِتَابُ مُوسَ and before it, came the Book of Musa,) This means that before the Qur'an, there was the Book of Musa, the Tawrah.
(إَمَامًا وَرَحْمَةً a guidance and a mercy) This means that Allah, the Exalted, revealed it to that Ummah as a leader for them and a guide for them to follow, as a mercy from Allah upon them. Therefore, whoever believed in it with true faith, then it would lead him to believe in the Qur'an as well.
For this reason, Allah said, (أُوْلَـئِكَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ they believe therein)
Then Allah, the Exalted, threatens those who reject the Qur'an, or any part of it, by saying, (وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ مِنَ الاٌّحْزَابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهُ but those of the sects that reject it, the Fire will be their promised meeting place.) This is directed towards everyone on the face of the earth who disbelieves in the Qur'an, whether they are idolators, disbelievers, People of the Scripture, or other sects from the descendants of Adam. This applies to all whom the Qur'an reaches, regardless of their differences in color, appearance, or nationality.
As Allah says, (لاٌّنذِرَكُمْ بِهِ وَمَن بَلَغَ that I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach. ) [6:19]
Allah, the Exalted, said, (قُلْ يَأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا Say: "O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah.') Allah says, (وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ مِنَ الاٌّحْزَابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهُ but those of the sects that reject it, the Fire will be their promised meeting place.)
In Sahih Muslim it is recorded that Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah said, (By He in Whose Hand is my soul! there is no one of this Ummah, whether he be a Jew or Christian, who hears of me and does not believe in me, except that he will enter the Hell- fire.)
Every Hadith is confirmed by the Qur'an: Ayyub As-Sakhtiyani reported from Sa`id bin Jubayr that he said, "I did not hear any Hadith of the Prophet, substantiated as he stated it, except that I found its confirmation in the Qur'an. (The narrator said, "Or he said, `I found its verification in the Qur'an.''')
Thus, it reached me that the Prophet said, (There is no one of this Ummah, whether he be a Jew or Christian, who hears of me and does not believe in me, except that he will enter the Hellfire.) Therefore, I said, `Where is its verification in the Book of Allah Most of what I have heard reported from the Messenger of Allah, I have found its verification in the Qur'an.'
Then I found this verse, (but those of the sects that reject it (the Qur`an), the Fire will be their promised meeting place.) And this means from all religions.''
Then Allah says, (فَلاَ تَكُ فِى مِرْيَةٍ مِّنْهُ إِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ So be not in doubt about it. Verily, it is the truth from your Lord,) This means that the Qur'an is the truth from Allah and there is no doubt or suspicion concerning it.
This is as Allah says, (Alif Lam Mim. The revelations of the Book, in which there is no doubt, is from the Lord of all that exists!) [32:1-2]
Allah, the Exalted, says, (الم ذَلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لاَ رَيْبَ فِيهِ Alif Lam Mim. This is the Book in which there is no doubt.) [2:1-2]
The Ayah; (وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ but most of mankind believe not.) is similar to Allah's statement, (وَمَآ أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ and most of mankind will not believe even if you desire it eagerly.)[12:103]
Likewise, Allah says, (وَإِن تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَن فِى الاٌّرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّ and if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah's path.)
Allah also says, (وَلَقَدْ صَدَّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِبْلِيسُ ظَنَّهُ فَاتَّبَعُوهُ إِلاَّ فَرِيقاً مِّنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ and indeed Iblis did prove true his thought about them: and they followed him, all except a group of true believers.) [34:20]
Tafsir Qur'an Wiki: (Testimony in Support of Clear Evidence)
The Qur’ān cannot be truly appreciated except by those who fight the same battle as the early believers and look to the Qur’ān for guidance and instruction. Those who try to understand the meaning of the Qur’ān in a cold and detached academic manner cannot appreciate its true nature as long as they remain away from its battle. The Qur’ān never reveals its secrets to those who opt for safety and comfort even if their choice requires them to submit to some authority other than God’s.
“Have you considered him who takes his stand on clear evidence from his Lord, followed by a testimony from Him, which is preceded by the Book of Moses [revealed as] a guide and a mercy [to people]? These believe in it. As for those, of any group, who deny its truth, the fire is their appointed place. So, be not in doubt concerning it; it is the truth from your Lord, even though most people do not believe.” (Verse 17) Qur’ānic commentators express different views about the meaning of this verse, depending upon their understanding of the referent of each of the third person pronouns used: ‘him who takes his stand on a clear evidence from his Lord,’ ‘a testimony from him,’ and [it is] followed by’.17 To my mind, the weightier view is to say that the one ‘who takes his stand on a clear evidence from his Lord’ is the Prophet Muĥammad (peace be upon him), and, by extension, everyone who believes in his message. The next phrase, ‘followed by a testimony from Him,’ means that the Prophet is followed by a witness giving a testimony to the truth of his message and prophethood. This witness is the Qur’ān which is, by itself, proof of its being revealed from God, as no one can produce anything similar to it. ‘Which is preceded by,’ again refers to the Qur’ān as a witness, while ‘the Book of Moses’ also testifies to the truthfulness of the Prophet as it contains clear references to him as the final prophet, and also by the fact that in its original form, the Torah, which is the Book of Moses, is in full agreement with the Qur’ān.
Thus, the overall meaning of this verse is as follows: consider this Prophet to whose honesty and truthfulness all evidence points. He takes his stand on clear evidence which he finds in his innermost soul, granted to him by his Lord. This clear evidence is followed by a testimony from God, which is the Qur’ān, a book with clear characteristics confirming its divine source. He is further supported by another testimony which was given long before him, that is, the Torah, the book revealed to Moses to be a constitution for the Children of Israel and a mercy bestowed on them from on high. The Torah gives evidence to the truthfulness of the Prophet, God’s Messenger, in two ways: it tells plainly of his message and prophethood, and it includes the same ideological principles of the universal religion acceptable to God. Is it right, then, that such a prophet should face hostility, stubborn rejection, a denial of his message and accusations of forgery? This is singularly odd, considering all the evidence confirming and endorsing his message.
It then portrays the attitude of believers in the Qur’ān and those, of all races, colours and communities, who deny it, and shows the punishment awaiting them in the hereafter. It reassures the Prophet and the believers that what they have is the truth. They should not, therefore, be disturbed by the unbelievers’ attitude despite the fact that they formed the majority at that time.
“These believe in it. As for those, of any group, who deny its truth, the fire is their appointed place. So, be not in doubt concerning it; it is the truth from your Lord, even though most people do not believe.” (Verse 17) Some commentators find the first sentence in this section of the verse problematic. If the one who takes his stand on clear evidence from his Lord,’ is the Prophet in person, as we have explained, then the pronoun ‘these’ is problematic because it is plural referring to a group who believe in God’s revelations and the proof it contains. But there is no problem really. The pronoun it’ in this sentence, ‘These believe in it,’ refers to the ‘testimony’ which is the Qur’ān. Thus, there is nothing unusual in saying, ‘These believe in it,’ meaning that they believe in the Qur’ān. Indeed, the Prophet was the first to believe in what was revealed to him, followed by those who accepted his message:
“The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him by his Lord, and so do all the believers. Each one of them believes in God, His angels, His books and His messengers.” (2:285) The present verse refers to him and includes with him those who have accepted his message and believed in the faith which he conveyed to them. This is a method of expression often used in the Qur’ān.
“As for those, of any group, who deny its truth, the fire is their appointed place.” (Verse 17) The appointment will not fail, for God [limitless is He in His glory] is the One who has appointed it.
Unshakeable Belief in the Truth: “So, be not in doubt concerning it; it is the truth from your Lord, even though most people do not believe.” (Verse 17) The Prophet never entertained any doubt about the truthfulness of the revelations he was receiving. How could he have doubted when he had taken his stand on clear evidence from his Lord? However, this divine instruction, coming immediately after all the pointers and evidence made in this verse, suggests that the Prophet was concerned that his call had not made any real headway in Makkah and that it faced determined opposition from many quarters. He therefore needed some reassurance, as did the small group of his followers. Such reassurance is granted here by God, the Merciful.
The advocates of Islamic revival face a similar situation wherever they happen to be. They have to confront all sorts of rejection, hostility, ridicule, persecution as well as physical and moral repression. All forces of jāhiliyyah, local and international, are marshaled against them. They are subjected to the most ghastly and wicked forms of repression. Conversely, those who conduct such persecution are treated as heroes. In their present difficulty, the advocates of Islam will be well advised to understand this verse fully, with all that it states and imarshaledey are in urgent need of the reassurance provided by God’s appropriate affirmation: “Be not in doubt concerning it; it is the truth from your Lord, even though most people do not believe.” (Verse 17)
Advocates of Islam need to find within themselves a share of the clear, divine evidence God’s messengers had in their hearts. They need to feel His mercy which God’s messengers never doubted for a moment and through which they confirmed their commitment regardless of the great difficulties they faced: “Think, my people! If I take my stand on clear evidence from my Lord who has bestowed on me His grace, who will save me from God were I to disobey Him? You are, in such a case, only aggravating my ruin.” (Verse 63)
Advocates of Islam nowadays face a situation that is not dissimilar to the situations faced by God’s messengers (peace be upon them). In fact, our situation today is similar to that which prevailed when the Prophet conveyed his message to all of humanity. He faced the jāhiliyyah into which humanity had sunk after it was put on the path of Islam [i.e., submission to God] by Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, John, Jesus and the rest of the prophets.
Jāhiliyyah may or may not recognize the existence of God. In either form it appoints for people deities who rule over them in a way that is different from that revealed by God. It establishes for mankind values, traditions and legislations which make them submit to these deities, and not to God. The Islamic message to all of humanity is to renounce these false deities in order to return to God. We should believe in Him as our only Lord, submit ourselves to Him, follow only His legislation and obey only His commandments. This is indeed what starts the grinding battle between monotheism and polytheism, Islam and jāhiliyyah, the advocates of Islamic revival and the tyrants who rule the world in the name of their false deities.
Hence, it is necessary for advocates of Islam to refer to the Qur’ān where they may find a picture of their own situation and the battle they are fighting. This is what we mean when we say that this Qur’ān can only be appreciated by those who fight its battle, and who face situations similar to those that existed at the time of its revelation and for which it provided guidance and instruction.
So, my brothers and sisters in Islam, and all those non-Muslims reading the post, read Qur'an in detail and grasp the message it contains, which leads to the Divine Truth and better understanding of the past days of ignorance and setting up a knowledge base to know what Lord of the worlds wants us to know, that is unflinching belief in One True God, without assistants and associates.
