The People of the Remembrance Are also of Knowledge and Faith and of Understanding
Published in January 6, 2019
Translated by: Ahmed Fathy
Firstly: the meaning of the Quranic term (Remembrance):
1- It denotes the Holy Quran itself.
1/1: The disbelievers of Arabia said the following to Muhammad: "..."O you who received the Remembrance, you are insane."" (15:6). The term (Remembrance) refers to the Quran itself. The disbelieving contemporaries of Muhammad rejected the Quran and demanded tangible signs/miracle; their demand of seeing angels is rejected by the Lord God; no one sees angels except upon the angels of death upon dying; the Lord God Himself preserves the Quran as the only miracle: "Why do you not bring us the angels, if you are truthful." We do not send the angels down except with reason, and they will not be held back. Surely We revealed the Remembrance, and We will surely preserve it." (15:7-9).
1/2: The disbelievers of Arabia hated the fact that the Remembrance (i.e., the Quran) was revealed to Muhammad and not to any other man amongst them: "Was the Remembrance sent down to him, out of all of us?" In fact, they are doubtful of My Remembrance. In fact, they have not yet tasted My torment." (38:8).
2- The term (Remembrance) indicates the previous Scriptures of the Lord God; e.g., the tribe/people of Thamood said the following about Saleh their prophet: "Was the Remembrance given to him, out of all of us? In fact, he is a wicked liar."" (54:25).
Secondly: the people of the Remembrance:
1- They are the knowledgeable ones who know all about the previous Celestial Scriptures: "We did not send before you except men whom We inspired. So ask the people of the Remembrance, if you do not know. With the clarifications and the Scriptures..." (16:43-44). The Quran addresses the People of the Book as well; it clarifies their own previous Books: "...And We revealed to you the Remembrance, that you may clarify to the people what was revealed to them, and that they may reflect. " (16:44). The Remembrance here is the Quran, of course. The Lord God says the following to the People of the Book about the Quran: "O People of the Book! Our messenger has come to you, clarifying for you much of what you kept hidden of the Book, and overlooking much. Light from God has come to you, and a Clear Book." (5:15); "This Quran relates to the Israelites most of what they differ about." (27:76).
2- This is about asking people who have knowledge about previous Scriptures descended/revealed by the Lord God: "We did not send before you except men, whom We inspired. Ask the people of the Remembrance, if you do not know." (21:7).
3- The Quranic terms (Remembrance) and (Knowledge) are synonymous and denote the Quran and the previous Scriptures of the Lord God.
Thirdly: the term (Knowledge) describes the Holy Quran itself:
1- We quote the following verses about adhering to the Quranic Knowledge and not to the whims/desires or preferences of the People of the Book.
1/1: "The Jews and the Christians will not approve of you, unless you follow their creed. Say, "God's guidance is the guidance." Should you follow their desires, after the Knowledge that has come to you, you will have in God neither guardian nor helper." (2:120).
1/2: "Even if you were to bring to those who were given the Book every proof, they would not follow your direction, nor are you to follow their direction, nor do they follow the direction of one another. And if you were to follow their desires, after the Knowledge that has come to you, you would be in that case one of the unjust ones." (2:145).
2- About the disputes over Jesus after his death: "And if anyone disputes with you about him, after the Knowledge that has come to you, say, "Come, let us call our children and your children, and our women and your women, and ourselves and yourselves, and let us invoke God's curse on the liars."" (3:61).
Fourthly: the term (Knowledge) describes the previous Scriptures of the Lord God:
1- After the Divine Knowledge/Revelation descended in the Celestial Scriptures/Books, the polytheists and unjust ones invented devilish revelations and dispute over them within countless differences, discrepancies and contradictions.
1/1: "Religion with God is Islam. Those to whom the Scripture was given differed only after Knowledge came to them, out of envy among themselves. Whoever rejects the Verses of God - God is quick to judge." (3:19).
1/2: "They became divided only after Knowledge came to them, out of injustice among themselves..." (42:14).
1/3: "And We gave them precise rulings. They fell into dispute only after Knowledge came to them, out of mutual injustice..." (45:17).
2- The same meaning is repeated here: "Those who were given the Scripture did not splinter (into sects), except after the Clear Evidence came to them." (98:4).
Fifthly: the people of the Remembrance are the people who have knowledge of the Divine Book/Scripture:
1- They are the ones who combine faith and knowledge of the Celestial Book or Divine Scripture of the Lord God. they are described in the following verses.
1/1: "...From among His servants, the knowledgeable ones fear God..." (35:28).
1/2: "...God elevates those among you who believe, and those given knowledge, many steps. God is Aware of what you do." (58:11).
2- The type of the people of the Remembrance/Knowledge exists in all eras and locations.
2/1: "God bears witness that there is no God but He, as do the angels, and those endowed with Knowledge - upholding justice. There is no God but He, the Mighty, the Wise." (3:18). This is the testimony within prayers uttered by knowledgeable monotheists in all eras.
2/2: In contrast to those who seek to undermine and cast doubt on the Lord God's Verses, there are those monotheistic people of the Remembrance/Knowledge who believe in the Divine Book.
2/2/1: "But those who strive against Our Verses - these are the dwellers of Hell. We never sent a messenger before you, or a prophet, but when he had a desire Satan interfered in his wishes. But God nullifies what Satan interjects, and God affirms His revelations. God is Omniscient and Wise. In order to make Satan's suggestions a test for those whose hearts are diseased, and those whose hearts are hardened. The unjust ones are in profound discord. And so that those endowed with Knowledge may know that it is the Truth from your Lord, and so believe in it, and their hearts soften to it. God guides those who believe to the Straight Path." (22:51-54).
2/2/2: "As for those who strive against Our Verses, seeking to undermine them - for them is torment of a painful plague. Those who received Knowledge know that what is revealed to you from your Lord is the Truth; and it guides to the Path of the Majestic, the Praiseworthy." (34:5-6).
3- The people of the Remembrance/Knowledge include some of the People of the Book in previous eras.
3/1: Some of them lived during the era of Quaroon inside Egypt: "And he went out before his people in his splendor. Those who desired the worldly life said, "If only we possessed the likes of what Quaroon was given. He is indeed very fortunate." But those who were given Knowledge said, "Woe to you! The reward of God is better for those who believe and do righteous deeds." Yet none attains it except the patient ones." (28:79-80).
3/2: In contrast to the Arabs who rejected and disbelieved in the Quran during Muhammad's lifetime, there were some knowledgeable ones among the People of the Book inside Arabia who prostrated once they heard the Quran: "Say, "Believe in it, or do not believe." Those who were given knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, they fall to their chins, prostrating." (17:107).
3/3: It is a great sign that scholars among the Israelites in Arabia recognized the Quran as God's Word: "The Honest Spirit came down with it. Upon your heart, that you may be one of the warners. In a clear Arabic tongue. And it is in the Scriptures of the ancients. Is it not a sign for them that the scholars of the Israelites recognized it?" (26:193-197). Scholars are the people of knowledge, of course.
3/4: The Lord God has told Muhammad that if he doubted the Quran, he can ask the knowledgeable ones among the People of the Book: "If you are in doubt about what We revealed to you, ask those who read the Scripture before you. The Truth has come to you from your Lord, so do not be of those who doubt." (10:94).
3/5: These knowledgeable ones among the People of the Book are described in this context in contrast to disbelievers among them: "And for their taking usury, although they were forbidden it; and for their consuming people's wealth dishonestly. We have prepared for the faithless among them a painful torment. But those among them firmly rooted in knowledge, and the believers, believe in what was revealed to you, and in what was revealed before you; and the observers of prayers, and the givers of charity, and the believers in God and the Last Day - upon these We will bestow an immense reward." (4:161-162).
4- The people of the Remembrance/Knowledge are also those knowledgeable of the Quran itself.
4/1: They are described here in contrast to scholars/clergymen of the earthly/terrestrial religions whose hearts are filled with deviation typical of polytheists: "It is He who revealed to you the Book. Some of its verses are definitive; they are the foundation of the Book, and others are similar. As for those in whose hearts is deviation, they follow the similar part, seeking dissent, and seeking to derive an interpretation. But none knows its interpretation except God and those firmly rooted in knowledge say, "We believe in it; all is from our Lord." But none recollects except those with understanding." (3:7).
4/2: Hence, in contrast to the existence of Quran-hating persons in all eras, there are the Quran-believing people of the Remembrance/Knowledge: "You did not read any scripture before this, nor did you write it down with your right hand; otherwise the falsifiers would have doubted. In fact, it is but Clear Verses in the hearts of those given knowledge. No one renounce Our Verses except the unjust ones." (29:48-49).
4/3: Some of the people of the Remembrance/Knowledge existed during Muhammad's lifetime, in contrast to hypocrites in Yathreb: "Among them are those who listen to you, but when they leave your presence, they say to those given knowledge, "What did he say just now?" Those are they whose hearts God has sealed, and they follow their own desires." (47:16).
4/4: We see in this verse a direct mode of address to contemporaries of Muhammad: "O you who believe! When you are told to make room in your gatherings, make room; God will make room for you. And when you are told to disperse, disperse. God elevates those among you who believe, and those given knowledge, many steps. God is Aware of what you do." (58:11).
5- The people of the Remembrance/Knowledge have their role to play on the Last Day, as they will express their stance against disbelievers/sinners, as per the following Quranic verses.
5/1: "On the Day when the Hour takes place, the criminals will swear they had stayed but an hour. Thus they were deluded. But those endowed with knowledge and faith will say, "You remained in God's Book until the Day of Resurrection. This is the Day of Resurrection, but you did not know."" (30:55-56).
5/2: "Then, on the Day of Resurrection, He will disgrace them, and say, "Where are My partners for whose sake you used to dispute?" Those who were given knowledge will say, "Today shame and misery are upon the disbelievers."" (16:27).
Sixthly: the people of the Remembrance are the people of Knowledge and of understanding:
1- "It is He who revealed to you the Book. Some of its verses are definitive; they are the foundation of the Book, and others are similar. As for those in whose hearts is deviation, they follow the similar part, seeking dissent, and seeking to derive an interpretation. But none knows its interpretation except God and those firmly rooted in knowledge say, "We believe in it; all is from our Lord." But none recollects except those with understanding." (3:7); "...But none pays heed except those with understanding." (2:269).
2- We see the link further between the people of the Remembrance/Knowledge and understanding (i.e., insight, intellect, or reasoning) in the following Quranic contexts.
2/1: "Is he who knows that what was revealed to you from your Lord is the Truth, like him who is blind? Only those with understanding will remember." (13:19).
2/2: "This is a proclamation for the humankind, that they may be warned thereby, and know that He is One God, and that people of understanding may remember." (14:52).
2/3: "Is he who worships devoutly during the watches of the night, prostrating himself and standing up, mindful of the Hereafter, and placing his hope in the mercy of his Lord? Say, "Are those who know and those who do not know equal?" Only those of understanding will remember." (39:9).
3- Remembrance means to ponder/reflect on the Quran and also on God's creations in the universe; this is done with people of understanding: "In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, are signs for people of understanding. Those who remember God while standing, and sitting, and on their sides; and they reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth: "Our Lord, You did not create this in vain, glory to You, so protect us from the torment of Hell-Fire." (3:190-191).
4- This verse is about the Quran and pondering it by knowledgeable people of understanding: "A Blessed Book that We sent down to you, that they may ponder its Verses, and for those with understanding to take heed." (38:29).
5- Thus, faith and understanding are linked to Remembrance (i.e., the Quran) as per this verse: "...So fear God within piety, O you who possess understanding and faith. God has sent down to you the Remembrance." (65:10).