نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ بِٱلْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَأَنزَلَ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ وَٱلْإِنجِيلَ 3
Translations
He has sent down upon you, [O Muḥammad], the Book in truth, confirming what was before it. And He revealed the Torah and the Gospel
Transliteration
Nazzala 'alayka al-kitāba bil-ḥaqqi muṣaddiqan limā bayna yadayhi wa anzala at-Tawrāta wa al-Injīl
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that Allah revealed the Qur'an to the Prophet (peace be upon him) with truth, confirming and validating the previous scriptures (Torah and Gospel) that came before it. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that while the Qur'an authenticates the core truths of earlier revelations, it also corrects distortions and abrogates certain laws specific to earlier communities. The verse establishes the Qur'an's role as the final, comprehensive revelation that encompasses guidance for all of humanity.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the opening section of Surah Ali 'Imran, which addresses the People of the Book (Christians and Jews) and their relationship to divine revelation. The broader Medinan context involves dialogue with communities who possessed previous scriptures, establishing the Qur'an's authenticity and superiority while acknowledging the divine origin of earlier revelations.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The example of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is like abundant rain falling on the earth' (Sahih Bukhari 97). This relates to the successive revelations mentioned in the ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that Islam honors the prophetic tradition and earlier revelations while recognizing the Qur'an as the final, authoritative guidance. It invites reflective study of how divine truth progresses through history while remaining fundamentally unified in its core principles.
Related Ayahs
وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ
And We certainly gave Moses the Scripture that perhaps they would be guided.
كِتَـٰبٌ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ فَلَا يَكُن فِى صَدْرِكَ حَرَجٌ مِّنْهُ لِتُنذِرَ بِهِۦ وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
[This is] a Book revealed to you, [O Muḥammad] - so let there not be in your breast distress therefrom - that you may warn thereby and as a reminder to the believers.
وَٱلَّذِىٓ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ هُوَ ٱلْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِعِبَادِهِۦ لَخَبِيرٌۢ بَصِيرٌ
And that which We have revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], of the Book is the truth, confirming what was before it. Indeed Allāh, of His servants, is Aware and Seeing.
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ قَالَ أُوحِىَ إِلَىَّ وَلَمْ يُوحَ إِلَيْهِ شَىْءٌ وَمَن قَالَ سَأُنزِلُ مِثْلَ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ ۗ وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ فِى غَمَرَٰتِ ٱلْمَوْتِ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ بَاسِطُوٓا۟ أَيْدِيهِمْ أَخْرِجُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمُ ۖ ٱلْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ ٱلْهُونِ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ غَيْرَ ٱلْحَقِّ وَكُنتُمْ عَنْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ
And who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allāh or says, "It has been inspired to me," while nothing has been inspired to him, and one who says, "I will reveal [something] like what Allāh revealed." And if you could but see when the wrongdoers are in the overwhelming pangs of death while the angels extend their hands, [saying], "Discharge your souls! Today you will be awarded the punishment of [extreme] humiliation for what you used to say against Allāh other than the truth and [that] you were, toward His verses, being arrogant."