Tafsir of Yunus 10:1-2

Classification: Meccan, except for verses 40, 94, 95, and 96, which are Medinan.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

{ Alif-Lam-Ra. These are the verses of the Wise Book. }

{ Is it a wonder to the people that We revealed to a man from among them: "Warn the people and give glad tidings to those who believe that they have a standing of truth with their Lord"? The disbelievers said, "Indeed, this is a clear sorcerer." }

{Alif-Lam-Ra. These are the verses of the Wise Book.} The enumeration of the letters is by way of challenge. {These are the verses of the Book} is a reference to the verses contained within this Surah, and "the Book" refers to the Surah itself. {The Wise} means possessing wisdom, because it contains it and speaks through it. Alternatively, it is described with an adjective derived from a verb, as Al-A‘sha said: And a wise poem that comes to kings; I have spoken it so that it may be asked: "Who said this?"

{Is it a wonder for the people that We revealed...} The hamza is for the denial of wonder and to express astonishment at them. {That We revealed} is the subject of kana (was), and ‘ajaban (a wonder) is its predicate. Ibn Mas‘ud recited it as ‘ajab (a noun), making it indefinite, while an awhayna (that We revealed) is the predicate, being definite—similar to the saying: "Its mixture is honey and water."

The better interpretation is that kana is complete (intransitive), and an awhayna is a substitute for ‘ajab. If you ask: "What is the meaning of the lam in His saying: kana lin-nasi ‘ajaban (was it a wonder for the people)?" and "What is the difference between this and saying: akana ‘inda an-nasi ‘ajaban (was it a wonder in the view of the people)?" I say: Its meaning is that they made it a marvel for themselves to wonder at, and they set it up as a target toward which they directed their mockery and denial. "In the view of the people" does not carry this meaning.

What they wondered at was that revelation should come to a human, and that he should be a man from among the commoners rather than a great man among their elite. They used to say: "The wonder is that God found no messenger to send to the people except the orphan of Abu Talib," and that he should mention the Resurrection to them, warn of the Fire, and give glad tidings of Paradise. None of these things are actually wonders, for the messengers sent to nations were only humans like them. God Almighty said: {If there had been angels upon the earth walking securely, We would have sent down to them from the heaven an angel as a messenger} (Al-Isra: 95).

Sending a poor man or an orphan is also not a wonder, for God Almighty only chooses those who deserve to be chosen due to their possessing the qualities of independence for the Prophethood they were chosen for. Wealth and worldly status are not among those qualities at all: {And neither your wealth nor your children are that which brings you near to Us in position} (Saba: 37). The Resurrection for the sake of recompense for good and evil is the greatest wisdom; how then could it be a wonder? The true wonder and the thing rejected by reason is the suspension of recompense.

{That He may warn the people} An (that) is explanatory, because revelation contains the meaning of speech. It is also permissible that it is the lightened form of the heavy anna, and its origin is: "that the matter is our saying: warn the people."

{That they have a qadam sidq (footing of truth) with their Lord} The prepositional phrase associated with it is omitted. Qadam sidq means a precedence, a merit, and a high status. If you ask: "Why is precedence called qadam (foot)?" I say: Because striving and preceding are done with the feet, a beautiful achievement and precedence are called qadam, just as a blessing is called yad (hand) because it is given by the hand, and ba‘ (fathom) because its possessor extends it. Thus, it is said: "So-and-so has a qadam (footing) in goodness." Adding it to sidq (truth) is an indication of increased merit and that it is among the great precedences. It is also said to mean "a station of truth."

{Indeed, this...} Inna hadha (Indeed, this) refers to this Book and what Muhammad brought. {...is a sorcerer}. Whoever reads it as la-sahir (a sorcerer) is referring to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him). This is evidence of their helplessness and their acknowledgment of him, even if they were lying in calling it sorcery. In Ubayy’s recitation, it is: {Ma hadha illa sihr} (This is nothing but sorcery).