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fa-ʾin kunta fī shakkin mimmā ʾanzalnā ʾilayka fa-sʾali lladhīna yaqraʾūna l-kitāba min qablika la-qad jāʾaka l-ḥaqqu min rabbika fa-lā takūnanna mina l-mumtarīna
So if you are in doubt about what We have sent down to you, ask those who read the Book [revealed] before you. The truth has certainly come to you from your Lord; so do not be among the skeptics.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Yunus – Verse 94
94. “So if you are in doubt as to what We have revealed unto you, then ask those who read the book (sent) before you. The Truth hath indeed come to you from your Lord, so be not of the doubters.”
How is it that the Qur’an implies: O! Prophet, if you have any doubts about the Qur’an, ask the People of the Book, despite the fact that he (S) had never had any shadow of a doubt in this respect? Reason does not admit that a prophet might doubt the revelation sent to him. However, its meaning can be gathered in the same Surah, verse 104. Here Allah, the Exalted, has addressed the Prophet (S) while this meaning addresses the whole people. The implication of it is that if the people are hesitating, they must ask those who have read the Qur’an.
To support this argument, there is a verse at the end of the current Surah in which Allah, the Gracious, addressing the people from the tongue of the Prophet (S), says:
“O you people if you are in doubt as to my religion.”
With this verse, Allah, the Gracious, made it transparent that the Prophet (S) had not been skeptical and His objective in addressing the Prophet (S) is really intended for other people. Likewise, there are other verses that apparently address the Prophet (S) although, in reality, the addressees are people other than the Prophet (S) as well. The verse says:
“So if you are in doubt as to what We have revealed unto you, then ask those who read the book (sent) before you...”
Incidentally, some of the great commentators of the Qur’an have stated that this doubt is of the type which is based upon supposition and probability and not upon certainty and through defining rules, like the verse which says:
“If the Beneficent (Allah) had a son...” 1 .
Although the verse, “He begets not, nor is He begotten…”, categorically rules out the issue of Allah having a child. This proposition is in fact a conditional proposition. That is, were you to have the slightest doubt in this respect, you should ask those knowledgeable People of the Book, because they are sure that you tell the Truth. Imam Sadiq (as) is narrated who said that Hadrat Muhammad (S) never doubted and never asked the People of the Book.
And finally, besides the explanation offered in the above, the verse demonstrates the fact that the reasons for the appointment of the Prophet (S) and whatever is revealed to him are not confined to his call to prophecy and his offering of miracles. There are allusions made to him in the Books of the preceding prophets and though those books are misrepresented and their authenticity questionable, there are numerous tidings here and there, amounting to sixty cases which are available to the People of the Book.
The holy sentence which says: “…The Truth has indeed come to you from your Lord...” signifies: by means of the revelations and exhaustive proofs it has been proved to you that what has been passed to you is an authentic and genuine truth which leaves no room for any sort of skepticism. Thus, be firm in your beliefs in which case you should have no doubts, not refuting and denying the Divine verses, and continue your course. The verse continues saying:
“…The Truth hath indeed come to you from your Lord, so be not of the doubters.”
Footnotes