Tafsir of Al-A'raf 7:159

(And among the people of Moses is an ummah): meaning a group, a great congregation, (who guide by the truth): that is, they are upholders of the truth, assuming the ba (in bil-haqq) indicates accompaniment, and the prepositional phrase is in the position of a state (hal); or, [it means] by the Word of Truth, assuming the ba indicates instrumentality and the prepositional phrase is extraneous [to the state]. (And thereby they act justly): meaning by the truth, they act justly in the rulings current among them. The use of the imperfect tense for both verbs signifies continuous renewal.

There is disagreement regarding who is meant by them. It is said: they were people who were as such during the time of Moses, peace be upon him. The speech is framed to dispel what might be suggested by the restriction of the writing of mercy, piety, and belief to the followers of the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)—the suggestion being the deprivation of all good from the predecessors of the people of Moses, peace be upon him. It is an explanation that they are not all as their circumstances were portrayed; rather, among them are those described as such and such. The imperfect tense is used to depict a past state.

The Sheikh al-Islam chose this. It does not seem far-fetched to me that this is an explanation of another group of the people, contrasting what Moses, peace be upon him, mentioned in his saying: "Would You destroy us for what the foolish among us have done?"—which explicitly states that there were some among the people who did not do it.

It is also said: They are people found during the era of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) who are described as such, like Abdullah ibn Salam and his peers. Al-Tayyibi favored this, [reasoning] that it is the closest of the views. This is because when Allah answered the prayer of Moses, peace be upon him, with His saying: "(I will record it)..." to His saying: "Those who follow the unlettered messenger," etc., He then commanded the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to proclaim that which would rebuke the Jews and alert them to their fabrication regarding his (the Prophet's) status, while demonstrating fairness. This is through His saying: "Say, 'O mankind...'," etc., and His saying: "So believe," etc., followed by His saying: "And among the people of Moses..." etc.

The meaning is that some of those about whom we have related what we have related believed and were fair to themselves; they guide people to the fact that he (the Prophet) is the promised Messenger, and they say to them: "This is the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom we find written with us in the Torah and the Gospel," and they act justly in judgment and do not transgress. However, most of them were not fair; they confused the truth with falsehood, concealed it, and acted unjustly in their rulings. Thus, the mention of this group is a slight against the majority.

An objection was raised that those who believed from the people of Moses during the time of the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) were few, and the word ummah indicates multitude. Furthermore, these people were already mentioned previously. It was answered that the word ummah may be applied to a few, especially if they possess status; indeed, it may even be applied to one person if he has such [status], as in His saying: "Indeed, Abraham was an ummah." Also, that their mention here, for the point indicated, does not preclude their mention previously for a purpose other than that point. Repeating one thing for different purposes is a well-known practice in the Book. Moreover, it has been said: in the previous passage, they were described with what is apparent that they are the guided, while here they are described with what is apparent that they are the guides. Thus, from both mentions, it is concluded that they are described with both qualities. Yes, the point of the separation remains, but perhaps it is not hidden from the contemplative.

It is also said: They are a people from the Children of Israel found between Moses and our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them both), and they are present even now. Ibn Jarir and others recorded from Ibn Jurayj that he said: "It reached me that when the Children of Israel killed their prophets and disbelieved—and they were twelve tribes—one tribe among them dissociated themselves from what they had done, apologized, and asked Allah to separate them from the others. Allah opened a tunnel in the earth for them, and they traveled through it until they came out behind China. They are there as hunafa (monotheists), facing our qiblah." To them is the reference, as Ibn Abbas said, of His saying: "And We said after him to the Children of Israel, 'Dwell in the land, and when the promise of the Hereafter comes, We will bring you forth in a gathering'." He explained the "promise of the Hereafter" as the descent of Jesus, peace be upon him, and said: "They traveled in the tunnel for a year and a half."

Muqatil mentioned, as Abu al-Shaykh narrated, that Allah caused a river to flow with them and made a lamp of light before them, and that the land to which they emerged is a place where insects, beasts, and predators gather, all living together. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) came to them on the night of the Mi'raj, accompanied by Gabriel, peace be upon him, and they believed in him. He taught them the prayer, and from al-Kalbi, al-Dahhak, and al-Rabi' it is said that he (the Prophet) taught them the zakat and ten surahs from the Quran that were revealed in Makkah, and commanded them to congregate and leave the Sabbath. He conveyed to them the greeting of Moses, peace be upon him, and the Prophet (the Prophet, may he receive peace) returned the greeting. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from al-Suddi that he said: "Between you and them is a river of sand that flows." Ibn al-Khazin weakened this story, and I do not see it as anything, nor do I think you will find a reliable chain for it, even if you were to seek a tunnel in the earth or a ladder to the heaven.