Tafsir of Sad 38:69

This includes the mention of one of the narratives of the prophets in detail, without prior knowledge of it, and without engaging in any of the usual means of attaining such knowledge, such as examining divine scriptures or hearing from the People of the Book. It is a clear proof indicating that it came by way of revelation from Allah, the Exalted, and that all his other reports are likewise. This, according to what we have stated, is a reminder meant to establish Prophethood by citing a brief example of it, as a prelude to guiding toward the path, a reminder of the remainder, and a stepping stone toward listening to what He has mentioned as a kindness to those called [to the truth] and an exaltation of the caller.

The reason for not addressing such matters regarding Tawhid (Monotheism) is due to the manifest nature of its proofs, alongside the fact that some of it has been mentioned in a fresh and vivid manner, which is what the previously mentioned attributes point to. Therefore, it should not be said that addressing the proof of Prophethood rather than Tawhid is evidence that the primary intent of the discourse is Prophethood, and that the latter was brought merely to complete the former.

You know that Prophethood and the fact that the Qur’an is a revelation from Allah, the Exalted, are inseparable; when one is proven, the other is proven. However, making the verse refer to Prophethood and its establishment is prioritized by [the element of] proximity, and by the fact that this verse is introduced with the same [imperative] that introduced the verse containing the claim of Prophethood before it, namely His saying: {Say}. If this preference is accepted by you, then [so be it]; otherwise, do not deviate from what has been narrated from Ibn Abbas and those with him, and from al-Hasan, that it refers to the Day of Resurrection, as in His saying: {Concerning what are they disputing? Concerning the Great News}. It has been said: It refers to what preceded of the narratives of the prophets, peace be upon them. It has also been said: It refers to the disputation of the people of the Fire.

The verb "knowledge" is connected via the particle bi (in "knowledge of") in view of the meaning of "encompassing." The Mala' (Assembly) refers to the noble group, for they fill the eyes with beauty and the souls with majesty and splendor; it is a collective noun, and for this reason, it is described with the singular, namely "the Exalted." The intended meaning is the assembly of the angels, Adam (peace be upon him), and Iblis (may the curse be upon him), and they were in the heaven, so the loftiness was physical. The discourse between them was about what you will learn, if Allah wills.

The word idh (when) is connected to a suppressed [predicate] required by the context, for the intent is to negate his—peace and blessings be upon him—knowledge of their state, not of their beings. The estimation is: "I had no knowledge, in the past, in any way or manner, of the state of the Exalted Assembly at the time of their disputation." This is better than the estimation of the discourse as the majority have gone, which is: "I had no knowledge of the speech of the Exalted Assembly at the time of their disputation," because his knowledge—peace and blessings be upon him—is not restricted only to what transpired between them in terms of words, but is general to both words and actions, such as the prostration of the angels (peace be upon them) and the refusal and arrogance of Iblis, just as the revelation declares. Therefore, it is better to consider the generality in its negation as well.

It has been said: Idh is a badal ishtimal (permutation of inclusion) from "the Assembly," or an adverb of time for "knowledge," but there is debate regarding this. The "disputation" is that which He, the Almighty, points to with His saying: {When your Lord said...} etc. The expression "they are disputing" is in the present tense because it is an extraordinary matter, so it was brought to make it present in the mind, as a narrative of the state. The plural pronoun refers to the Assembly. Abu Hayyan mentioned that it refers to Quraysh, but he considered it unlikely. It seems that "they are disputing" would then be an iltifat (shift) from the address in {You are indifferent to it} to the third person. The disputation would then be regarding the affair of his messengership—peace and blessings be upon him—or the affair of the Qur’an, or the affair of the Resurrection. This involves deviating from what has been transmitted and resorting to an interpretation that is hardly understood from the verse without any need for it; furthermore, sound taste does not accept it. His saying, the Almighty: ...