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﴿ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

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Exegesis of the verse: ((Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Book, who are called to the Book of Allah to judge between them...))

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Then Allah the Exalted said:
Do you not consider, [O Muhammad], those who were given a portion of the Scripture? They are invited to the Scripture of Allah that it should arbitrate between them; then a party of them turns away, and they are refusing. ألم تر إلى الذين أوتوا نصيبا من الكتاب يدعون إلى كتاب الله ليحكم بينهم ثم يتولى فريق منهم وهم معرضون
[Ali 'Imran 3:23]
Have you not seen ألم تر
The interrogation here is for the sake of wonder, for every person of reason is astonished by this state. And
seenتر
it is possible that it refers to seeing with the eyes, and it is possible that it refers to seeing through knowledge, and the second is more appropriate because it is more comprehensive, and because it relates to the state, and the state is known, not seen with the eyes; it means, have you not known about these people.
those who were given a portion of the Scripture الذين أوتوا نصيبا من الكتاب
[Ali 'Imran 3:23]
This means they were given a portion of knowledge, and the One who gave them the portion is Allah Mighty and Majestic, and it was omitted because it is known, for Allah the Exalted is the One who gives knowledge. Allah the Exalted said:
He gives wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever has been given wisdom has certainly been given much good يعطي الحكمة من يشاء ومن يؤت الحكمة فقد أوتي خيرا كثيرا
[Al-Baqarah 2:269]
And He said:
and had taught him from Us a [certain] knowledge. وعلمناه من لدنا علما
[Al-Kahf 18:65]
So the One who gives the portion of knowledge is Allah Mighty and Majestic. And His saying:
a portion of the Scripture نصيبا من الكتاب
[Ali 'Imran 3:23]
Does it imply diminution or increase? It is possible that the intended meaning is that they were given a large portion of the Book, such that it would lead them to guidance, but they, may Allah protect us from that, became arrogant. And it is possible that they have only a little knowledge, and that even if it were assumed they had much knowledge, this knowledge did not benefit them, so they became like one who was given a small portion of knowledge. And His saying:
they are called to the Book of Allah يدعون إلى كتاب الله
The attribution of the judgment here is possible to be to Allah Mighty and Majestic, so that Allah judges between them by His Book, and it is possible that it is to the Book, and the judgment is attributed to it because the judgment is established by it, and a thing is often attributed to its cause. In any case, whether we say that the pronoun in
to judge يحكم
refers to Allah, or we say it refers to the Book, these people are called to the Book of Allah to judge between them, but they do not accept this. Therefore He said:
And when they are called to [the words of] Allah and His Messenger to judge between them, at once a party of them turns aside [in refusal]. ثم يتولى فريق منهم معرضون
[An-Nur 24:48]
A group of them turns away, not all of them, because some of them have been guided. Some of these who were given a portion of the Book have been guided by Allah, and they are many. But a group of them turns away, and with their turning away, they are averted, may Allah protect us from that. They have no inclination, neither in appearance nor in reality, but they are turning away and averted. And He only said:
and they are averted وهم معرضون
which is a circumstantial clause. The reason He said that is because a person may turn away for a temporary reason, but there is something of inclination in his heart. As for these people, they are turning away and they are filled with aversion from the Book of Allah to judge between them. And here he says:
then a party of them turns away, and they are refusing. يتولى فريق منهم وهم معرضون
[Ali 'Imran 3:23]
How is the circumstantial clause valid from the indefinite noun "a group"? The circumstantial clause is what clarifies the state of the doer. Yes, the doer is an indefinite noun and the "wa" is a definite noun. No, no, it clarifies the state of the doer. But the doer must be a definite noun or an indefinite noun with a cause, because it is described, because it is described
a group of them فريق منهم
And when the indefinite noun is described, it becomes specialized and becomes similar to a definite noun.
Source alathar.net

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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