قُلْ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِهِۦٓ أَوْ لَا تُؤْمِنُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهِۦٓ إِذَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ يَخِرُّونَ لِلْأَذْقَانِ سُجَّدًا 107
Translations
Say, "Believe in it or do not believe." Indeed, those who were given knowledge before it - when it is recited to them, they fall upon their faces in prostration,
Transliteration
Qul āminū bihi aw lā tu'minū. Inna alladhīna ūtū al-'ilma min qablihi idhā yutlā 'alayhim yakhirrun lil-adhqān sujjadā
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands the Prophet to announce that belief or disbelief in the Quran is a matter of choice for the people, yet those who possess knowledge from before its revelation (the People of the Book who have true understanding) fall prostrate in tears when the Quran is recited to them, recognizing its divine truth. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this describes the sincere scholars among the Jews and Christians who acknowledged the Quran's authenticity and the Prophet's truthfulness, exemplifying those whose hearts are receptive to divine guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan period of Surah Al-Isra and addresses the reality of human free will in accepting or rejecting the message. It contextualizes the varied responses to the Quranic message—while some disbelieve despite evidence, the people of knowledge and understanding from previous scriptures recognize and submit to the Quran's truth, illustrating the difference between intellectual pride and sincere seeking of truth.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim record that when the Quran was recited, tears would flow from the eyes of believers and they would fall in prostration. The hadith about Abdullah ibn Salam and other Jewish converts reflects this ayah's meaning—they recognized the Quran as truth and embraced Islam.
Themes
Key Lesson
True knowledge and understanding naturally lead to humility and submission before God's signs; conversely, arrogance and closed hearts prevent recognition of truth even when it is clear. For believers today, this ayah emphasizes that acceptance of faith stems from a combination of intellectual discernment and sincere, humble hearts open to divine guidance.