Al-Ankabut: 47

"And thus We have revealed to you the Book..."

This is a stripping of the address from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah Most High bless him and grant him peace). The word "thus" (kadhalika) refers to the source of the verb that follows it. The presence of the meaning of distance in it—indicated by the kaf—is to signify the high status of the one referred to in terms of virtue. It means: "Just as that wondrous revelation, which corresponds to the revelation of all other scriptures, has occurred, We have revealed to you the Quran," part of which is this verse that speaks of the aforementioned arguing in a way that is best. It is also said: The indication refers to what preceded regarding the mention of the Book and its people; meaning, "And just as We revealed the Books to those before you, We have revealed to you the Book."

"Those to whom We have given the Book..."

This refers to the two groups, the Jews and the Christians, based on the fact that what is intended by "the Book" is its genus, which includes the Torah and the Gospel. The phrasing is taken literally. It is also said that there is an ellipsis of an added noun, meaning: "We have given them the knowledge of the Book."

"...believe in it..."

They believe in the Book that has been revealed to you. It is also said that the pronoun refers to him (may Allah Most High bless him and grant him peace), but this is as you can see. The intent behind "those" in the opinion of those mentioned previously—the contemporaries of the Prophet (may Allah Most High bless him and grant him peace) among those people—is that they were believers in the revelation of the Quran according to what they knew from the Book they possessed. The present tense verb is used to bring that scene to mind in the narrative. They are specified by being given the Book to indicate that those who came after them among the contemporaries of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah Most High bless him and grant him peace) had the Book stripped from them by abrogation.

In another opinion, it refers to his contemporaries (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) who acted upon their Book, such as Abdullah bin Salam and his peers. They are specified by being given the Book because they are the ones who benefit from it, as if those other than them were not given it at all. It is said: This supports the opinion that the aforementioned verses are Medinan, since them being Meccan—and Abdullah being someone who converted to Islam after the Hijra—would mean that it is a notification from Allah Almighty regarding their Islam in the future, and detailing it as a notification is very far-fetched.

Al-Tabarsi allowed that the relative pronoun refers to the Muslims of this Ummah, and the pronoun in "in it" refers to the Quran, but the weakness in this is apparent. Perhaps the most manifest view is that it refers to the scholars of the two Books who are worthy of being credited with being given the Book, such as Abdullah bin Salam and his peers. There is no impossibility in the verses being Meccan based on what you have heard. The fa is for ordering what follows it upon what preceded it, for their belief in it is consequent to its revelation in the manner mentioned.

"And of these [people]..."

Meaning, of the Arabs or the people of Mecca—on the basis that the relative pronoun refers to Abdullah and his peers, or to those among the Jews and Christians of his era (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) based on the first interpretation.

"...there are those who believe in it."

Meaning, in the Book that was revealed to you. "Some" (min), as some have asserted, is partitive and acts as the subject (mubtada'), for which there are parallels in the Glorious Book.

"And none reject Our signs..."

Meaning, none reject "it." This overt noun was placed in the position of the pronoun to alert to the manifest nature of the Book’s evidence for what it contains and its being from Allah the Almighty. The attachment to the "Nun of Majesty" (na) is for further glorification. In what is mentioned is the ultimate denunciation of those who reject it.

Rejection (jahd), as Al-Raghib said, is the denial of what is firmly held in the heart, and the affirmation of what is denied in the heart. It is interpreted here as denial with knowledge. It is as if it were said: "And none deny Our signs despite knowing them..."

"...except the disbelievers."

Meaning, those deeply immersed in disbelief who are adamant upon it, for that prevents them from acknowledgement and submission. It is said: It is permissible to interpret it as absolute denial, and "disbelievers" is meant to indicate those deeply immersed in disbelief as well, due to the implication of the discourse. The expression "Our signs" indicates this, meaning: None deny Our signs, despite their manifestation and lofty status, except those deeply immersed in disbelief, because that prevents them from paying attention to them, contemplating them, or reflecting upon what would lead them to recognize their truth. Those intended are whoever is characterized by that quality, without targeting a specific individual. It is also said: They are Ka'b bin al-Ashraf and his companions.