Verse No. 17

“Indeed, there are two witnesses between the Prophet and his nation: the Book of Allah and one who has knowledge of the Book. And he is Allah’s caliph among them after the Prophet.”

قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى:

﴿وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَسْتَ مُرْسَلًا ۚ قُلْ كَفَى بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَمَنْ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ الْكِتَابِ﴾[1]

Translation:

Allah Almighty has said:

And those who disbelieved say: “You are not a Prophet.” Say: “Allah and one who has knowledge of the Book are sufficient as witnesses between me and you.”

Considerations

1 . أَخْبَرَنَا يُونُسُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْخَتْلَانِيُّ، قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَسْتَ مُرْسَلًا ۚ قُلْ كَفَى بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَمَنْ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ الْكِتَابِ﴾، فَقَالَ: شَهَادَةُ اللَّهِ كِتَابُهُ، وَإِنَّ بَيْنَ الرَّسُولِ وَأُمَّتِهِ شَهِيدَيْنِ: كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَمَنْ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ الْكِتَابِ، وَهُوَ خَلِيفَةُ اللَّهِ فِيهِمْ بَعْدَ الرَّسُولِ، وَلَا تَعْدِمُهُمَا أُمَّتُهُ حَتَّى تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ، قُلْتُ: جَعَلَنِيَ اللَّهُ فِدَاكَ، فَقَدْ أَظْهَرْتَ لِي مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ مَا يُخْفُونَهُ، قَالَ: لَا يُخْفُونَهُ، وَلَكِنْ لَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَهُ، أَمْ عَلَى قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَا! فَأَخَذَنِي الْبُكَاءُ، فَقَالَ: مَا لَكَ؟! قُلْتُ: آسَفُ عَلَى النَّاسِ، فَإِنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَسْمَعُوا قَوْلَكَ، وَإِنَّهُ الْحِكْمَةُ وَفَصْلُ الْخِطَابِ، وَلَوْ سَمِعُوهُ لَاهْتَدَوْا، فَقَالَ: لَا تَأْسَفْ عَلَيْهِمْ، ﴿وَلَوْ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ فِيهِمْ خَيْرًا لَأَسْمَعَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ أَسْمَعَهُمْ لَتَوَلَّوْا وَهُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ﴾[2].

Translation:

Yunus ibn Abdullah al-Khatlani informed us, he said: I asked Mansoor about the statement of Allah Almighty Who says: “And those who disbelieved say: ‘You are not a Prophet.’ Say: ‘Allah and one who has knowledge of the Book are sufficient as witnesses between me and you.’” So he said: “Allah’s testimony is His Book. And indeed, there are two witnesses between the Prophet and his nation: the Book of Allah and one who has knowledge of the Book. And he is Allah’s caliph among them after the Prophet. And his nation will never be without these two until the Day of Judgment arrives.” I said: “May Allah sacrifice me for you; because you revealed to me something from the Book of Allah that they conceal.” He said: “They do not conceal it. But they do not reflect on it, or the hearts have locks upon them[3]!” At that moment, I began to cry. So he said: “What is the matter with you?!” I said: “I feel sorry for people; because they have not heard your statement, while it is wisdom and decisive speech. And if they had heard it, they would have been guided.” So he said: “Do not feel sorry for them. ‘If Allah had found any good in them, He would have certainly made them hear. And if He had made them hear, they would have turned away, while they were averse.’”

2 . أَخْبَرَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ وَوَلِيدُ بْنُ مَحْمُودٍ وَصَالِحُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ وَغَيْرُهُمْ، قَالُوا: كُنَّا جَمَاعَةً عِنْدَ الْمَنْصُورِ، فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَيْنَا وَقَالَ: إِنَّ لِلَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ شَهِيدَيْنِ: كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَمَنْ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ الْكِتَابِ، وَلَا يَكْفِيهِمْ أَحَدُهُمَا دُونَ الْآخَرِ، وَهَذَا قَوْلُ اللَّهِ: ﴿قُلْ كَفَى بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَمَنْ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ الْكِتَابِ﴾، ثُمَّ نَظَرَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَقَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ هَلْ بَيَّنْتُ؟! فَدَاخَلَنَا مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَمَّا قَالَ هَذَا، ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَيْنَا وَقَالَ: إِنَّ الْأَرْضَ لَا تَخْلُو مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَمَنْ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ الْكِتَابِ، لِيَكُونَا شَهِيدَيْنِ بَيْنَ الرَّسُولِ وَأُمَّتِهِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَمَنْ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ الْكِتَابِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ عِتْرَةِ الرَّسُولِ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ، وَهَذَا قَوْلُهُ: «إِنِّي تَارِكٌ فِيكُمُ الثَّقَلَيْنِ: كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَعِتْرَتِي أَهْلَ بَيْتِي، إِنْ تَمَسَّكْتُمْ بِهِمَا لَنْ تَضِلُّوا بَعْدِي، وَإِنَّهُمَا لَنْ يَفْتَرِقَا حَتَّى يَرِدَا عَلَيَّ الْحَوْضَ»، ثُمَّ نَظَرَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ نَظْرَةً أُخْرَى فَقَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ هَلْ وَفَّيْتُ؟! فَأَخَذْنَا نَرْتَعِدُ مِنْ هَيْبَتِهِ لَمَّا قَالَ هَذَا كَأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيَا!

Translation:

Hasan ibn Qasim, Walid ibn Mahmoud, Salih ibn Muhammad, and others informed us, they said: We were a group in Mansoor’s presence. Then he turned toward us and said: “Indeed, for Allah, there are two witnesses over people: the Book of Allah and one who has knowledge of the Book. And neither of these two makes them free from the need for the other, and this is the statement of Allah, where He has said: ‘Say: Allah and one who has knowledge of the Book are sufficient as witnesses between me and you.’” Then he looked up at the sky and said: “O Allah! Did I explain?!” So, a sense of fear from Allah came over us that Allah knows, when he said this. Then he turned back to us and said: “Indeed, the Earth is not empty of the Book of Allah and one who has knowledge of the Book, to serve as two witnesses between the Prophet and his nation until the Day of Judgment. And the one who has knowledge of the Book is a man from the Itrah and the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet, and this is his statement, where he has said: ‘Indeed, I leave among you two weighty treasures: the Book of Allah and my Itrah, (who are) my Ahl al-Bayt. If you hold firmly to them, you will never go astray after me. And these two will never be separated until they come to me by the Pond.’” Then, once more, he looked up at the sky and said: “O Allah! Did I fulfill?!” Then we began to tremble because of his awe when he said this, as if he were not in this world!