Surah Yunus ayat 19 Tafsir Quran 10:19

﴿وَمَا كَانَ النَّاسُ إِلَّا أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَاخْتَلَفُوا ۚ وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِن رَّبِّكَ لَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ فِيمَا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ﴾
[ يونس: 19]

10:19 And mankind was not but one community [united in religion], but [then] they differed. And if not for a word that preceded from your Lord, it would have been judged between them [immediately] concerning that over which they differ.

Mankind was but one community following one religion that is submission to the One God from the time of Adam to the time of Noah; but it is also said that this was the case from the time of Abraham to that of ‘Amr b. Luhayy; then they differed some of them remaining firmly upon belief in One God while others disbelieved. And had it not been for a word that had already preceded from your Lord to the effect that requital would be deferred until the Day of Resurrection it would have been decided between them that is between mankind in this life regarding that over which they differed in religion by the disbelievers being punished.

People were but one single nation, then they differed among themselves in opinion and each group cherished a certain view and belief and were altogether set at variance. Had it not been for Allahs word proclaimed beforehand to delay the decision on matters of doubt and dispute among them and to put punishment in respite, their Hereafter would have been planted in the now

What do the Idolators believe about Their Gods Allah reproaches the idolators that worshipped others beside Allah, thinking that those gods would intercede for them before Allah.
Allah states that these gods do not harm or benefit.
They don't have any authority over anything, nor do they own anything.
These gods can never do what the idolators had claimed about them.
That is why Allah said: قُلْ أَتُنَبِّئُونَ اللَّهَ بِمَا لاَ يَعْلَمُ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَلاَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ ( Say: `Do you inform Allah of that which He knows not in the heavens and on the earth' ) Ibn Jarir said: "This means, `Are you telling Allah about what may not happen in the heavens and earth' Allah then announced that His Glorious Self is far above their Shirk and Kufr by saying: سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ( Glorified and Exalted is He above all that which they associate as partners (with Him )!) Shirk is New Allah then tells us that Shirk was new among mankind.
It was not in existence in the beginning.
He tells us that people were believers in one religion and that religion was Islam.
Ibn `Abbas said: "There were ten centuries between Adam and Nuh.
They were all on Islam.
Then differences among people took place.
They worshipped idols and rivals.
So Allah sent extensive evidence and irrefutable proof with His Messengers." لِّيَهْلِكَ مَنْ هَلَكَ عَن بَيِّنَةٍ وَيَحْيَى مَنْ حَىَّ عَن بَيِّنَةٍ ( So that those who were to be destroyed (for rejecting the faith ) might be destroyed after a clear evidence, and those who were to live might live after a clear evidence.)8:42 Allah's statement: وَلَوْلاَ كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِن رَّبِّكَ ( And had not it been for a Word that went forth before from your Lord... ) means that if Allah had not decreed He would not punish anyone until the evidence is established against them.
And also that if He had not given creatures a respite until a defined term had passed, He would have judged among them in what they disputed.
Then He would have caused the believers to be happy and delighted and the disbelievers to be miserable and wretched.

(10:19) Once all men were but a single community; then they disagreed (and formulated different beliefs and rites). *25 Had it not been that your Lord had already so ordained, a decisive judgement would have been made regarding their disagreements. *26

And mankind was not but one community meaning

*25).
For further elaboration see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol.
I, al-Baqarah 2, n.
230, pp.
165-6, and ibid., vol.
II, al-An 'am 6, n.
24, pp.
228-9 -Ed.

*26).
The fact is that God has wilfully kept reality beyond the ken of man's sense-perception.
This was done so as to test whether man, by making proper use of his reason, conscience and intuition, is able to find the right way.
As a logical corollary of this, God allows those who decide to follow any other way rather than the right one to do so.
Had this not been the case, the reality could have been instantly unmasked and that would have put an end to all disagreements relating to the issue.

This statement has been made in order to remove a major misconception.
Many people feel disconcerted today, as they felt disconcerted at the time when the Qur'an was revealed, by the fact that there are found different religions in the world and that the followers of each of these are convinced that their religion alone is the true one.
People have been puzzled as to how to determine which religion is the right one and which is not.

In this regard, the Qur'anic view which is being articulated here is that multiplicity of religions does not constitute the original state of things, that it is a relatively later development in human history.
Initially, all mankind professed a single religion, and that religion was the true one.
Later on, people began to disagree regarding the truth and this gave rise to different religions and creeds.
Now it is not likely that God would dramatically appear before them and reveal the reality to them directly during the present phase of their worldly existence.
For, the very purpose of the present life is to test people.
And this test consists of finding out who discovers the reality - even though it is beyond the reach of the senses - with the help of his reason and common sense.

 

What do the Idolators believe about Their Gods Allah reproaches the idolators that worshipped others beside Allah, thinking that those gods would intercede for them before Allah.
Allah states that these gods do not harm or benefit.
They don't have any authority over anything, nor do they own anything.
These gods can never do what the idolators had claimed about them.
That is why Allah said: قُلْ أَتُنَبِّئُونَ اللَّهَ بِمَا لاَ يَعْلَمُ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَلاَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ ( Say: `Do you inform Allah of that which He knows not in the heavens and on the earth' ) Ibn Jarir said: "This means, `Are you telling Allah about what may not happen in the heavens and earth' Allah then announced that His Glorious Self is far above their Shirk and Kufr by saying: سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ( Glorified and Exalted is He above all that which they associate as partners (with Him )!) Shirk is New Allah then tells us that Shirk was new among mankind.
It was not in existence in the beginning.
He tells us that people were believers in one religion and that religion was Islam.
Ibn `Abbas said: "There were ten centuries between Adam and Nuh.
They were all on Islam.
Then differences among people took place.
They worshipped idols and rivals.
So Allah sent extensive evidence and irrefutable proof with His Messengers." لِّيَهْلِكَ مَنْ هَلَكَ عَن بَيِّنَةٍ وَيَحْيَى مَنْ حَىَّ عَن بَيِّنَةٍ ( So that those who were to be destroyed (for rejecting the faith ) might be destroyed after a clear evidence, and those who were to live might live after a clear evidence.)8:42 Allah's statement: وَلَوْلاَ كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِن رَّبِّكَ ( And had not it been for a Word that went forth before from your Lord... ) means that if Allah had not decreed He would not punish anyone until the evidence is established against them.
And also that if He had not given creatures a respite until a defined term had passed, He would have judged among them in what they disputed.
Then He would have caused the believers to be happy and delighted and the disbelievers to be miserable and wretched.

( Mankind ) in the time of Abraham, and it is said in the time of Noah ( were but one community ) following one religion: the religion of disbelief, and so Allah sent prophets as warners and bringers of glad tidings; ( then they differed ) two parties emerged: believers and disbelievers; ( and had it not been for a word ) to delay the punishment of this nation ( that had already gone forth from thy Lord ) that had already been enjoined by your Lord ( it had been judged between them ) they would have been destroyed ( about that ) about religion ( wherein they differ ) they opposed.

Mankind were but one community (i.e. on one religion - Islamic Monotheism), then they differed (later), and had not it been for a Word that went forth before from your Lord, it would have been settled between them regarding what they differed.

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