And We gave Moses the Book

(That is, the Torah, which according to Abu Hayyan, is the first book in which laws were detailed) after We had destroyed the earlier generations, [namely] the peoples of Noah, Hud, Salih, and Lot, peace be upon them. The focus on the fact that its bestowal occurred after their destruction serves to indicate that it was sent down after the intense need for it had arisen, serving as a preamble to what follows: the explanation of the necessity for sending down the Holy Quran to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). For the destruction of the earlier generations is among the causes for the deterioration of the signs of the [previous] religious laws and the erasure of their traces, which leads to the disruption of the world’s order and the corruption of the states of nations, necessitating a new legislation that establishes the principles remaining through the passage of ages and arranges the branches that change with the changing of eras, while reminding [people] of the conditions of past nations—which serves as a lesson.

Whoever is heedless of this says: It is better to interpret "the earlier generations" as those who did not believe in Moses (peace be upon him), and contrast it with the "second" [group], who are those who believed in him. It is also said: The intention is that which encompasses those who did not believe in Moses, from Pharaoh and his troops to the nations destroyed before him; but this is not the case. "Ma" (in "ma ahlakna") is a masdariyah (verbal noun) particle; meaning, We gave him that after Our destruction of the earlier generations.

(As) Basā'ir (insights) for the people—that is, lights for their hearts through which they perceive truths and distinguish between truth and falsehood, as they were otherwise completely blind to understanding and perception. For "basirah" is the light of the heart through which one perceives, just as the light of the eye is that through which one sees. It is also applied to the eye itself; its plural is "abṣār," while the first [meaning] is pluralized as "baṣā'ir." Regarding the "people," it is said they are his [Moses’] nation, and it is said it is a general term encompassing them and those after them. The fact that the Torah serves as insights for those to whom our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was sent lies in its containing guidance pointing to the truthfulness of his mission (peace and blessings be upon him), or it adds knowledge to their existing knowledge. This is countered by the argument that it would necessitate urging [the believers] to study the Torah and know what is in it, whereas it is established that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) for permission to [read] collections of its writings from the Torah to read them and increase in knowledge, so he became angry until it was visible in his face, then said: "If Moses were alive, he would have no choice but to follow me." So Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) threw it from his hand and regretted it.

The response is that his anger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was because the Torah in the hands of the Jews at that time was corrupted and contained additions and omissions, and was not the very Torah that was revealed to Moses (peace be upon him), and the people were still new to Islam. Had the door been opened to referring to the Torah and studying it at that time, it would have led to great corruption. Thus, the prohibition against reading it when Islam was new and the departure from disbelief was recent does not prove that it is not, in itself, "insights" containing what guides to the truthfulness of his mission (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and increases knowledge of the correctness of what he brought. Among what indicates the permissibility of referring to it in a general sense is the saying of the Almighty: "Say: 'Bring the Torah and recite it, if you are truthful.'" The believers among the People of the Book, such as Abdullah ibn Salam and Ka’b al-Ahbar, used to convey from it what they conveyed of reports, and no one among the pillars of Islam denied that or the hearing of it. There is no difference between hearing what they convey from it and reading it therein and taking it from it. Many scholars have referred to it to compel the Jews and argue against them using some of its expressions regarding the truthfulness of his mission (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). What I incline toward is that the intended meaning of "the people" is the Children of Israel, for that is what the context demands.

As for studying the Torah, the discussion is lengthy. In Tuhfat al-Muhtaj by the master scholar Ibn Hajar (may his mercy be upon him), it is forbidden for anyone other than a profound scholar to study something like the Torah, given the knowledge of its alteration or doubt regarding it, and this is closer to the truth. Whoever examines the Torah in the hands of the Jews today sees that most of it is altered, having no agreement with what is in the Great Quran at all; and this is what is relied upon.

(And as) Guidance—that is, to the religious laws which are the paths leading to Allah (Mighty and Majestic).

(And as) Mercy—as whoever acts according to it attains the mercy of Allah (the Almighty) according to the requirement of His promise (Exalted is He). The generality of His mercy in this sense does not contradict that there are people among [mankind] who are disbelievers in it and are not shown mercy. The accusative state of these conjoined items serves as a description of the "Book," meaning it is itself the insights, the guidance, and the mercy, or [it is so] by the omission of the genitive [e.g., "possessing" insights]. Abu al-Baqa’ permitted their being in the accusative as a cause (maf’ul li-ajlih), meaning: We gave him the Book for the sake of insights, guidance, and mercy.

That they might remember—that is, so that they may remember, based on the view that "la’alla" (that/perhaps) is for causation. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded via al-Suddi from Abu Malik that he said: "La’alla" in the Quran means "so that," like the verse in [Surah] al-Shu’ara: "That you might live forever." Al-Waqidi narrated from al-Baghawi that he said: Every instance of "la’alla" in the Quran is for causation except "That you might live forever," for it is for comparison. The well-known view is that it is for hope (tarajji). Since [hope] is impossible for Him (the Almighty), some have treated the speech as being of the illustrative (tamthil) style, meaning: We gave it to them so they would be in a state capable of remembering, like the state of one from whom goodness is hoped for. Others shifted the hope to the addressees, so it is from them, not from Him (the Almighty). Al-Zamakhshari made it a derivative metaphor, likening will to hope because both are a request for occurrence. This was countered by saying it necessitates that Allah’s desired outcome fails to occur, as not all remember, unless it is of the category of attributing to the whole what belongs to a part. You know that will (al-iradah), according to the Mu'tazila, is of two types: Tafwidiyya (delegated), from which the desired object may fail to occur; and Qasriyya (compulsory), from which the desired object never fails to occur. Whenever the first type is intended here, the problem is resolved, although the aforementioned division is contrary to the true school of thought.