Tafsir of Al-Furqan 25:20

"And We did not send before you any messengers but that they ate food and walked in the markets."

It is said that this is a consolation for the Prophet (peace be upon him) regarding their saying: "What is the matter with this messenger? He eats food and walks in the markets," by indicating that you have an excellent pattern in all the messengers (peace be upon them), for they were likewise. Al-Zajjaj said: It is an argument against them in their saying, as if it were said: "Such were those who passed before of the messengers; they ate food and walked in the markets, so how can Muhammad (peace be upon him) be a novelty among the messengers?" Al-Tayyibi rejected this, arguing that the noble structure does not support it, because their obstinacy had already been answered by His saying: "Look at how they set forth comparisons for you." This was countered in Al-Kashshaf by saying: One might say this is another answer, just as it was answered there from various aspects according to what was reported from the Imam. He made His saying: "Nay, they denied the Hour" a third answer, and followed it with His saying: "And We have prepared for those who deny the Hour," due to the appropriateness, and the threat was completed. Then, He—glorified be He—answered them with another response that also contains consolation, and this is supported by the noble structure.

The sentence after illa (except) is said to be a second adjective for a suppressed noun before min (among) in "among the messengers." The meaning is: "We did not send before you any of the messengers except as those who eat and walk." This was countered by the fact that it involves separating the qualified noun and the adjective with illa, which most grammarians rejected, as stated in Al-Mughni. Hence, some made it an adjective for a suppressed noun after illa, treating it as a substitute (badal) for what was omitted earlier, with its adjective taking its place. The meaning is: "We did not send before you any of the messengers except men or messengers [who are] that they..." And it contains the separation between the substitute and that for which it is substituted, which is permissible according to them. Al-Farra’ posited man (who) after illa, which can be either relative or indefinite. Some made the sentence innathum (that they) in the place of a hal (state) governed by a suppressed verb, and the sentence of the statement is an adjective, i.e., "except men or messengers, [it is said] that they..." which is as you see. Ibn al-Anbari said: The sentence is a hal (state), and the exception is from the most general of states; the estimation is "except that they..." Abu Hayyan said: This is the preferred view. He estimated the waw (conjunction) based on the belief that relying solely on the pronoun in such a hal clause is not eloquent. Perhaps one might prefer not to estimate it and deny the claim of lack of eloquence, or attribute such [forms] to those not connected with illa, because it is in reality a substitute.

As for the kasra on inna (in "that they"), it is due to its occurrence at the beginning of the sentence and the occurrence of the lam (emphatic prefix) after it. It was also recited as annathum (with a fathah), based on the addition of the lam after it and the estimation of a preposition before it, i.e., "because they eat..." The intended meaning is: "We did not make them messengers to the people except because they were like them."

Ali—may Allah honor his face—and Abu Mas'ud and Abd al-Rahman bin Abd Allah recited yamshuna with the shin being emphatic/doubled, with a damma on the ya, in the passive voice—meaning, "he is walked by," i.e., his needs or the people walk him—and the doubling is for intensification, as in the saying of the Hudhali: "A wine shop walks among us." Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami recited it, as in Al-Bahr, with a damma on the ya and the shin with doubling in the active voice; it is an intensification of the non-doubled yamshi, so it matches the famous recitation and does not require the estimation of "his needs walk him" or the like. They cited his saying: "He walked with the branches of the maba'ah..." and his saying: "Khuzayma left every base person who walks between a ring and a frame." In some copies of Al-Kashshaf, there is evidence that he did not encounter this recitation.

"And We have made some of you for others a trial; will you have patience?"

It is said this is also a consolation for him (peace be upon him), but regarding their saying: "Or why is not a treasure bestowed on him, or why does he not have a garden?" meaning: We have made your rich, O people, a trial for your poor, so that We may see if they will have patience. "And your Lord is ever All-Seeing"—meaning, All-Knowing of the right thing regarding what He uses as a trial and otherwise; so let not your breast be straitened, nor let their rumors disturb you. It is said: It refers to his (peace and blessings be upon him) patience regarding what they said and considered strange regarding his eating of food and walking in the markets, after arguing against them with the rest of the messengers.

The speech involves a shifting of address, generalizing it to all messengers by way of taghlib (predominance), according to what some have chosen. The "first some" refers to the disbelievers of the nations, and their specification with messengers is justified by the fact that they are considered "some of them," and the "second some" refers to their messengers, in the sense of: "We made every specific some of the nations a trial for its specific messenger." It was not explicitly stated out of reliance on the testimony of the situation. In summary: Our tradition has proceeded according to Our wisdom in trying the messengers with their nations, and their showing hostility toward them, and the unleashing of their tongues against them with rumors exceeding the limits of justice, and their following every path in harming them, so that We may know their patience.

Alternatively, it is an address to all people, as is said, and this is the most apparent view. The "first some" is more general than just disbelievers—it includes the wealthy, the healthy, and others who are fit to be a trial. The "second some" is more general than just messengers—it includes the prophets, the readers, the sick, and others fit to be tried. According to this, the speech is beneficial for his (peace be upon him) patience regarding what they said and more.

It is also said: The "first some" refers to those among the messengers who have no wealth, and the "second some" refers to their nations. This includes our Prophet (peace be upon him) and his nation primarily. It is as if it were said: We have made you a trial for your nation, because if you were a possessor of treasures and gardens, their inclination toward you and obedience to you would have been for the sake of the world, or mixed with the world. We sent you possessing no wealth so that the obedience of those who obey you from among them would be purely for the sake of Allah, without worldly greed. Such is the state of all those among the messengers who have no wealth regarding their nations.

The most apparent view is the generality of the address and the two groups; this is what the traditions require. Ibn Atiyyah took this view, saying: "This is general for both the believer and the disbeliever. The healthy person is a trial for the sick, the wealthy is a trial for the poor, and the messenger—distinguished by the honor of prophethood—is a trial for the nobles of the disbelievers in his era, and likewise for scholars and just rulers." Ibn al-Qasim recited this verse when he saw Ashhab. Abu Hayyan chose this. The specific reason for revelation does not harm this, for it has been reported from al-Kalbi that it was revealed concerning Abu Jahl, al-Walid bin al-Mughirah, al-'As bin Wa'il, and those of their class, who said: "If we embrace Islam—and Ammar, Suhayb, Bilal, and such-and-such have embraced it before us—they will exalt themselves over us, relying on their precedence."

The interrogation is either within the scope of causality for the "making," and its counterpart is suppressed—as it is suppressed in countless examples—and the estimation is: "So that We may know whether you will have patience or not," meaning: So that what is in Our knowledge may manifest. The correlation for estimating "knowledge" is the inclusion of the "trial" within it. Or, it is not within the scope of causality, and there is no suppressed counterpart, rather it is for encouragement and incitement, the meaning being: "Have patience, for I have tried some of you with others." It is also permissible not to estimate a counterpart even under the assumption of causality, if the address is to the messengers (peace be upon them), as you have heard.

Ibn Atiyyah made the address in the previous part general, but specifically restricted "will you have patience?" to the believers whom He made the respite of the disbelievers a trial for, within the previous generality. He estimated a counterpart, saying: "It is as if He made the respite of the disbelievers a trial for the believers, then confronted them: 'Will you have patience or not?'" He made His saying "And your Lord is ever All-Seeing" a promise to the patient and a threat to the disobedient. Some made it a promise to the Messenger (peace be upon him) of a great reward for his beautiful patience, with additional honor for him (peace and blessings be upon him) by turning to the name "the Lord" added to his pronoun (peace be upon him). It is also permitted that it is a threat to those who are stubborn toward him (peace and blessings be upon him), brought to complete the consolation or the command to have patience, though this is not as strong. The verse is used as evidence for the Divine Decree and Predestination, for it established that the actions of the servants, such as the hostility of the disbelievers and their harm, occur by the making and will of Allah, and "trial" in the sense of testing, even if it is not among the actions of the servants, is leading to and necessitating that which is of their actions, and it contains the subtlety it contains.