Az-Zumar · Makki · ayah 33 of 75

Az-Zumar 39:33

وَٱلَّذِى جَآءَ بِٱلصِّدْقِ وَصَدَّقَ بِهِۦٓ ۙ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ

“And the one who has brought the truth [i.e., the Prophet (ﷺ)] and [they who] believed in it - those are the righteous.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Being truthful is only half; the God-fearing also say yes to the truth when someone else brings it.

A reflection

Two halves of one person

The previous ayah described a man who lied and denied. This ayah describes his opposite: alladhī jāʾa bi-al-ṣidqi wa-ṣaddaqa bihi, the one who brought the truth and confirmed it. One commentary says the promise is placed beside the warning, so that each is seen against the other.

The commentaries list several readings of who is meant. Some say the Prophet ﷺ brought the truth and also believed it himself. Some say he brought it and the believers confirmed it. One view says Jibril brought it and the Prophet ﷺ received it. One commentary judges the best reading to be the widest. It means everyone who calls to the oneness of Allah and confirms His messengers, in any age.

The grammar supports that. The ayah says alladhī, 'the one who', in the singular. Then it says ulāʾika, 'those', in the plural. A single description covers a whole company. One Companion's recorded reading even has the plural throughout: those who brought the truth and confirmed it.

Notice what the ayah puts together. Bringing truth and confirming truth are joined in one description. The man of the previous ayah failed at both: he lied, and he denied. The person here succeeds at both. They speak what is true, and when truth comes to them from another, they accept it. Neither half is enough alone.

The full entry has 6 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.