Tafsir of Al-Anbiya' 21:24

His saying, the Exalted: "Or have they taken besides Him gods" is an interruption and a transition from demonstrating the invalidity of what they have taken as true gods—by exposing their lack of the characteristics of divinity, among which is the power to create, and by establishing a decisive proof of the impossibility of the plurality of gods absolutely and the singularity of the Transcendent in divinity—to the invalidity of their taking those deities, despite their utter void of such characteristics, as partners to Allah—may His status be exalted—and to rebuking them by compelling them to provide proof for their false claim. This also serves to verify that all heavenly scriptures speak to the truth of monotheism and the invalidity of polytheism. It is also permitted that this is a transition to show the invalidity of gods in general, after having shown the invalidity of earthly gods.

The hamza (in Am) is for the denunciation of the aforementioned act of taking, expressing its ugliness and gravity. "Besides" (min) is connected to "have they taken" (ittakhadhu). The meaning is: "Nay, they have taken—transgressing against Him, the Exalted, despite the manifestation of His magnificent affairs that necessitate His singularity in divinity—gods, despite the manifestation that they are entirely devoid of the properties of divinity."

"Say"—to them, by way of rebuke and silencing them—"Produce your proof" for what you claim, either by way of clear intellect or sound tradition; for it is not valid to say such a thing without evidence for it. The inclusion of the proof being annexed to their pronoun is a form of mockery of them.

And His saying, the Exalted: "This is the Reminder of those with me and the Reminder of those before me" is an illumination of his proof and an indication that it is something that all divine scriptures have spoken of, and an added confirmation for them to produce their proof, in order to show their complete helplessness. That is: "This revelation that has come regarding the matter of monotheism, which contains the decisive proof, is the reminder of my nation and their exhortation, and the reminder of the past nations. I have established my proof, so establish yours."

The word "Reminder" (dhikr) was repeated, and he did not suffice with connecting the relative clause to the relative clause that would necessitate carrying over, because the fact that the specified item is a reminder for those with him is apparent, and its being a reminder for those before him is by virtue of its unity in reality with the revelation that contains it.

It is also said: The intent by "the Reminder" is the Scripture; that is, "This is a Scripture sent down to my nation, and this is a Scripture sent down to the nations of the prophets—peace be upon them—from the three books and the scrolls." So review them and see if there is anything in any of them other than the command to monotheism and the prohibition of polytheism. Thus, it contains a rebuke to them that implies the opposite of what they claim.

It was recited with tanwin (nunation) on the first and second "Reminder," and what follows it is made to have the place of an accusative object, because it is a verbal noun, and its exercising of governance is the original state, such as in [the verse]: "Or feeding on a day of severe hunger, an orphan."

Yahya bin Ya'mar and Talha recited it with tanwin and the mim of min vocalized with a kasra. According to this, it is a preposition, and ma'a (with) is the noun governed by it in the genitive case, which denotes companionship and gathering; it was made here a preposition of place like qabla (before) and ba'da (after), so it became permissible to attach min to it, just as it is permissible to attach it to those two, though its entry upon it is rare. Abu Hayyan stated that it is then in the meaning of 'inda (at/near). It is also said that min enters upon its described noun; that is, "An exhortation from a book with me, and an exhortation from a book before me." Abu Hatim weakened this reading because it involves the entry of min upon ma'a, and he did not see a basis for it. From Talha, it is narrated that he read: "This is a Reminder with me and a Reminder before me," with tanwin on "Reminder" and the omission of "min." A group read: "This is a Reminder of those with me" in the genitive construction, and "a Reminder of those before me" with tanwin and a kasra on the mim.

And His saying, the Exalted: "But most of them do not know the truth" is an interruption from His side—the Exalted—not included in the prompted speech, and a transition from the command to rebuke them by contemplating the proof to the clarification that arguing with them is of no benefit due to their lack of discernment between truth and falsehood. "So they"—because of that—"are turning away," continuing to turn away from monotheism and following the Messenger; they do not refrain from the error and straying they are upon, even if the clear signs and arguments are repeated to them, or they are turning away from the intellectual and traditional proofs presented to them.

Al-Hasan, Humayd, and Ibn Muhaysin read "the Truth" (al-haqq) with the nominative case (rafa'), on the basis that it is the predicate of a deleted subject; that is, "It is the Truth." The sentence is parenthetical between the cause and the effect, as an emphasis on the connection between them. Al-Zamakhshari permitted that it be in the accusative case also, in the sense of emphasis, as you say, "This is the servant of Allah, the Truth, not the Falsehood." The manifest reading is that it is in the accusative case as a direct object of "know," with knowledge meaning recognition.