ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُۥ لَكُنتُم مِّنَ ٱلْخَٰسِرِينَ
“Then, even after that, ye turned away, and if it had not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy ye had been among the losers.” — M. M. Pickthall
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Taberî, the term 'i'raz' (turning away) mentioned in this verse refers to the People of the Book abandoning and turning their backs on the covenant and adherence to Allah's commandments that He took from them. Allah's grace is explained as Islam, and His mercy as the Qur'an; it is stated that if Allah had not granted the grace of repentance, those who broke this covenant would have been among the losers. Furthermore, although the address was directed to the People of the Book living in the time of the Prophet, it is essentially a report concerning the deeds of their ancient forefathers, and this is explained by likening it to the custom of Arabs attributing the deeds of a tribe's ancient forefathers to their contemporary addressees.
يعني بذلك أنكم تركتم العمل بما أخذنا ميثاقكم وعهودكم على العمل به بجد واجتهاد بعد إعطائكم ربكم المواثيق على العمل به والقيام بما أمركم به في كتابكم فنبذتموه وراء ظهوركم.
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to this exegete, the address in the verse 'then you turned away from it' can be interpreted in three ways: either it is directed to the Israelites of the past, or to the Jews present in the time of the Prophet (they turned away after witnessing miracles like their forefathers' turning away), or it is directed to the direct addressees. Furthermore, regarding the phrase 'levlâ fadlullah' (had it not been for Allah's grace), the statement that they would have been among the losers without Allah's grace is related to graces such as their being granted respite until they repent or the mountain being raised above them. The answer given by Kâ'bî to defend Mu'tazila is considered weak because it contradicts the view of linguists that the particle 'levlâ' expresses the non-existence of something due to the existence of something else.
أن لقائل أن يقول كلمة { لولا } تفيد انتفاء الشيء لثبوت غيره ، فهذا يقتضي أن انتفاء الخسران من لوازم حصول فضل الله تعالى فحيث حصل الخسران وجب أن لا يحصل هناك لطف الله تعالى
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
Kurtubî states that according to Sîbeveyh, the word 'fadl' (grace) is in the nominative case as the subject, and its predicate is omitted because Arabs do not need it to be explained. 'Fadl' is explained as Allah's grace and granting of respite, and 'rahmatu' (mercy) is explained as a concept attributed to this grace; according to one view, grace means accepting repentance and mercy means forgiveness. He also explains the difference between 'fazl' and 'fadl', stating that 'fazl' is something extra beyond what is obligatory, while 'ifdalah' is doing what is not obligatory.
فضل مرفوع بالابتداء عند سيبويه والخبر محذوف لا يجوز إظهاره لأن العرب استغنت عن إظهاره إلا أنهم إذا أرادوا إظهاره جاؤوا بأن فإن جاؤوا بها لم يحذفوا الخبر والتقدير فلولا فضل الله تدارككم
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
In this section, Ibn Kesîr states that the expression 'then you turned away' in the verse refers to servants breaking the grave and reinforced covenant that Allah had taken from them and turning their backs on it; despite this turning away, Allah accepted their repentance and showed mercy to them by sending prophets. This is presented as an explanation concerning the breaking of the covenant in this world and the next.
يقول تعالى ثم بعد هذا الميثاق المؤكد العظيم توليتم عنه وانثنيتم ونقضتموه أي بتوبته عليكم وإرساله النبيين والمرسلين إليكم بنقضكم ذلك الميثاق في الدنيا والآخرة
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Beydâvî, this verse narrates the covenant given by the Israelites to follow Musa and to implement the rulings of the Torah. It is reported that when they found it difficult to accept the heavy obligations in the Torah, the mountain was raised above them and made into a shade, through which they accepted the covenant. The command 'take what We have given you with strength and remember what is in it' refers to implementing the rulings of the Book seriously, not forgetting them, and acting upon them; nevertheless, after the covenant they turned away, and had it not been for Allah's grace, they would have been among the losers.
روي أن موسى عليه الصلاة والسلام لما جاءهم بالتوراة فرأوا ما فيها من التكاليف الشاقة كبرت عليهم وأبوا قبولها، فأمر جبريل عليه السلام فقلع الطور فظلله فوقهم حتى قبلوا
Comparison
Common ground
All exegetes address this verse within the framework of the Israelites breaking the covenant they gave to Allah and turning away, and despite this, Allah granting them respite and the opportunity for repentance through His grace and mercy; there is consensus that the phrase 'levlâ fadlullah' (had it not been for Allah's grace) indicates that without this grace they would have been among the losers.
Differences
While Taberî and Ibn Kesîr focus on a narration-based reading, discussing to whom the address was directed and the nature of the covenant, Râzî brings a theological dimension (criticism of Mu'tazila) by discussing that the address could be directed to three different audiences (the Israelites of the past, the Jews of the Prophetic period, or the direct addressees). Kurtubî and Beydâvî, on the other hand, concentrate more on linguistic and grammatical analysis, examining the syntactic function and semantic differences of the words 'fazl' and 'rahmet'; Beydâvî also adds the narration about the mountain being raised.
Historical context
In the early period exegete Taberî, narration and linguistic explanation are intertwined, while in later periods theological discussions with Râzî come to the fore, and with Kurtubî and Beydâvî, more systematic grammatical and morphological analyses emerge; while the fundamental meaning (breaking of the covenant and Allah's grace) remains constant, the methods and emphases of explanation have diversified over time.
Modern connection
This verse can remind us of the importance of adhering to given promises and responsibilities, that humans may sometimes weaken in this adherence, but the opportunity for repentance and renewal is always available. In the context of family and social life, fulfilling covenants and efforts to repair relationships through patience and tolerance can be considered from this perspective. Furthermore, the simultaneous use of linguistic and narration methods by the exegetes provides an example of how scholarly knowledge and deep understanding can be pursued in a harmonious manner.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar