Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written (7:157)

Almuntakhab Fi Tafsir Alquran Alkarim

Who acknowledge the mission of Our Messenger, the unlettered Prophet whom they find well described in their AL-Tawrah (Torah) and AL-Injil (Gospel). Who enjoins them equity and the general principles of justice and forbids them all that is wrongful and obscene; He informs them of all that Allah has rendered lawful for them to eat and of all that is unlawful. He shall release them from the rules fettering them and from the restrictions imposed upon them, and release their minds from what had burdened them of anxious thoughts. Therefore, those who recognize his mission; give credence to his message, honour him, afford him the help he needs and act in accordance with the spiritual and intellectual enlightenment imparted to him, shall be the recipients of Allahs mercy and blessings and it is these whom Heaven shall prosper

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(7:157) [To-day this mercy is for] those who follow the ummi Prophet,  *112whom they find mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel with them. *113 He enjoins upon them what is good and forbids them what is evil. He makes the clean things lawful to them and prohibits all corrupt things, *114 and removes from them their burdens and the shackles that were upon them. *115 So those who believe in him and assist him, and succour him and follow the Light which has been sent down with him, it is they who shall prosper.

Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written meaning

*112). The preceding verse concludes God's response to Moses' prayer. This was the appropriate moment to invite the Israelites to follow the Message preached by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him). The upshot of what is being said here is that people can even now attain God's mercy exactly as they could in the past. These conditions require that people should now follow the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him), since refusal to follow a Prophet after his advent amounts to gross disobedience to God. Those who do not commit themselves to follow the Prophet (peace be on him) cannot attain the essence of piety, no matter how hard they try to make a pretence of it by observing the minor details of religious rituals generally associated with piety.
Likewise, the Israelites had been told that paying Zakah was essential to win God's mercy. However, payment of Zakah is meaningless unless one supports the struggle to establish the hegemony of truth which was being carried on under the leadership of the Prophet (peace be on him). For unless one spends money to exalt the word of God, the very foundation of Zakah are lacking, even if a person spends huge amounts in the way of charity. They were also reminded that they had been told in the past that God's mercy was exclusively for those who believed in His Revelation. Now those who rejected the Revelation received by Muhammad (peace be on him) could never be considered believers in Revelation no matter how zealously they claim to believe in the Torah.
Reference to the Prophet (peace be on him) in this verse as umimi is significant as the Israelites branded all other nations as Gentiles (ummis). Steeped in racial prejudice, they did not consider members of other nations as their equals, let alone accept any person not belonging to them as a Prophet. The Qur'an also states the Jewish belief that they would not be taken to ask for whatever they might do to non-Jews. (See Al'Imran 3: 75.) Employing the same term which they themselves had used, the Qur'an tells them that their destiny was linked with the ummi Prophet. By obeying him they would become deserving of God's mercy. As for disobedience to the Prophet (peace be on him). it would continue to arouse God's wrath which had been afflicted upon them for centuries.
*113). Pointed and repeated reference to the coming of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) is made in the Bible. (See Deuteronomy 8: 15-19; Matthew 21: 33-46; John 1: 19-25; 14: 15-17, 25-30; 15: 25-6; 6: 7-15.)
*114). The Prophet declares the pure things which they had forbidden as lawful, and the impure things which they had legitimized as unlawful.
*115). The Israelites had fettered their lives by undue restrictions which had been placed on them by the legal hair-splitting of their jurists, the pietistic exaggerations of their spiritual leaders, the introduction of superstitions and self-contrived laws and regulations by, their masses. The Prophet, by relieving them of every unnecessary burden and releasing them from every unjustified restriction, in fact liberated their shackled lives.
 

Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written meaning in Urdu

(پس آج یہ رحمت اُن لوگوں کا حصہ ہے) جو اِس پیغمبر، نبی امی کی پیروی اختیار کریں جس کا ذکر اُنہیں اپنے ہاں تورات اور انجیل میں لکھا ہوا ملتا ہے وہ انہیں نیکی کا حکم دیتا ہے، بدی سے روکتا ہے، ان کے لیے پاک چیزیں حلال او ر ناپاک چیزیں حرام کرتا ہے، اور ان پر سے وہ بوجھ اتارتا ہے جو اُن پر لدے ہوئے تھے اور وہ بندشیں کھولتا ہے جن میں وہ جکڑے ہوئے تھے لہٰذا جو لوگ اس پر ایمان لائیں اور اس کی حمایت اور نصرت کریں اور اُس روشنی کی پیروی اختیار کریں جو اس کے ساتھ نازل کی گئی ہے، وہی فلاح پانے والے ہیں