I seek refuge with Allah from the Shaitaan the rejected.
What Al-Kitab is not
Traditionally, in some occurrences of the word “Al-Kitab”, it is considered to be the same as Al Quran. And in other occurances it is confused with and translated as the “previous scriptures”. But actually “Al-Kitab” refers to neither of the two.
Take for example verse 2:2, which is mostly translated and understood as “This(al quran) is the Book(al-kitab)”. But the verse is actually saying “zaalika al-kitab” which means “that is the Book”, not “this“. From these very opening passages of Al-Quran, it should become very clear that by “zaalika al-kitab/that is the Book”, it is introducing us to another specific book, and not to itself.
The book points to itslef as “haaza/this al-quran”,”haaza kitab” or “haaza al-hadees” etc, but not even a single time as “haaza AL-kitab”.
So what is Al-Kitab then?
Al-Kitab: The subject matter for humanity
Al-Kitab is THE Book. It is the book of Allah / God. Throughout Al Quran, the terms “Al-Kitab” and “kitabillah”(book of Allah) refer to the same book. i.e the book introduced in verse 2:2 as “That is Al-Kitaab. No doubt therein. A guidance for al-muttaqeen.”
Al Kitaab was revealed with the prophets to judge between all people…
2/213: The people were one ummat, so Allah appointed the prophets as bearers of good news and warners, and He sent down with them Al-Kitab with the truth so that they may judge between the people wherein they differed…
According to verse 6:83-89, Allah gave Al-Kitab to the prophets including Ibrahim, Ishaaq, Yaqoob, Nooh, Dawood, Sulaiman, Ayub, Yusuf, Moosa, Haroon, Zakariya, Yahya, Eesa, Ilyas, Ismail, Yassa, Younis and Loot.
Everyone will be judged by Al-Kitab
Al-Kitaab was revealed with an-nabiyyeen/the prophets to judge between people,
2/213: The people were one ummat, so Allah appointed the prophets as bearers of good news and warners, and He sent down with them Al-Kitab with the truth so that they may judge between the people wherein they differed…
and on the Day of Resurrection everyone will be judged by it.
39/69: And the earth will shine with the light of its lord, and Al-Kitab will be placed, and the prophets and the witnesses will be brought forward, and it will be judged between them with the truth and they will not be oppressed.
39/70: And every nafs/psyche/self will be given in full to what it did and He knows best with what they do.
Hence Al-Kitaab is the subject matter for all humanity. On the Day of Judgment, when the whole of mankind will be gathered, and the prophets and witnesses will be brought forward, on that day Al-Kitab will be placed,and everyone will be held accountable by the same book: Al-Kitab. Thus al-kitab is the single most important subject, and the best book to study that subject is Al-Quran:
10/37: And this Al Quran is not such that it could be produced by other than Allah, but it is confirmation of what is between His hands and the tafseel/detail of Al-Kitab, no doubt in it, from the lord of the worlds.
Al-Quran is the tafseel/detailing of Al-Kitab(10:38). Al-Quran is Al-Haqq with which Al-Kitab is revealed mufassal.
6/114: Shall I seek other than Allah as a judge and He has revealed to you Al-Kitab mufassal/detailed. Those to whom We have given Al-Kitaab know that it is revealed from your Lord, with Al-Haqq(Al-Quraan). So do not be of those who doubt.
Prophets of the past also received revelation in Arabic language
Al-Kitab contains muhkamaat ayaat i.e. the verses containing hukm/judgment. These verses are the ‘ummil kitab’(um/mother of Al-Kitab):
3:7 He it is who has revealed Al-Kitab upon you. From it are muhkamat ayaat. They are the ummul kitab/mother of Al-Kitab…
The ‘ummul kitab’ contains ‘al-kitaab al-mubeen’ which is an Arabic reading:
43/1-4: Ha Meem. And ‘Al-Kitab al mubeen’. Surely, We have made it an Arabic reading, that you may be able to understand. Surely it is in the ‘um’/source of Al-Kitab with Us, the high, the wise.
Hence the hukm in Al-Kitaab is in Arabic language, and so was the one revealed to the prophets of the past who were given Al-Kitab by Allah(in verse 6:89).
13/36: And those whom We have given Al-Kitab rejoice at what has been sent to you. And out of Al-Ahzab there is that person who denies some of it. Say: “Surely what I have been commanded is that I serve Allah and I do not associate with Him. To Him I invite and to Him is the return.”
13/37: And like that, We have sent it down as an Arabic hukm/judgment…
It means hukm revealed now is Arabic just like it was revealed to those given Al-Kitab by Allah i.e the prophets.
The message revealed in Arabic language is also in the zubur of the people of the past.
26/192-196: Surely, it(the message) is revealed by the lord of the worlds. Revealed with it the true spirit. Upon your heart that you may be from the warners. With the clear/mubeen Arabic language. And surely it is in the zubur of the earlier ones.
Revelation has always been in Arabic language because it is a language that provides details. Had the book been revealed some other language, people would have complained about the lack of details of its verses.
41/44: And had We made it a foreign (non-arabic) reading, they would have said “Why are its verses not detailed?”…
How well-known is the book of Allah?
‘Allazeena ootul kitab’/Those who are been given Al-Kitab are those who are capable of clarifying it for the people. But instead, they break the covenant to purchase cheap gains.
3/187: And when Allah took the covenant of those who were given Al-Kitab: “Clarify it for the people, and do not hide it”; But they threw it behind their backs and purchased with it a little price. Evil is what they purchase.
Other scriptures and religions copied from Al-Kitab
In addition to Al-Kitab already being kept hidden from the people(3:187), others write their own versions of Al-Kitab by copying from it, and then make claims of their divinity. The Evangels/Gospels, Torahs and the Hadiths etc appear to have been copied from the Al-Kitab.
And that is still being done, people are still copying from Al-Kitab, for example “The True Furqan”, a recent attempt at producing a “sura like it”(2:23) :
2/79: So woe to those who write Al-Kitab with their hands, and then they say “This is from the presence of Allah”, so that they may purchase a small gain with it. Woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they earn.
Distortion of language with Al-Kitaab
Another group distorts their language to make it sound similar to Al-Kitab, so that people may confuse the new words with the words and language in Al-Kitab.
Some examples:
“Ahlal bayt” to Ahlal bayt/Shias
“Al-islam” to Islam
“muslim” to Muslim
“At-tauraat” to Torah
“Darussalam” to Jerusalem
(More on this later)
3:78 And among them is a group that twist their language with Al-Kitab, so that you may think it is from Al-Kitab, while it is not from Al-Kitab. And they say “It is from the presence of Allah”, while it is not from the presence of Allah. And they say the lie against Allah while they know.
—
Fahad
Related articles:
What are the “books/kutub” of God?
Ahlal Kitab
Those who are given Al-Kitab by God
Those who are given Al-Kitab
Takhlees 