أَكُفّارُكُم خَيرٌ مِن أُولٰئِكُم أَم لَكُم بَراءَةٌ فِي الزُّبُرِ

Are your faithless better than those, or have you [been granted] some immunity in the scriptures?

EXEGESIS

Kuffārukum (your faithless) is addressed to the people of Mecca.

Khayr (better) is a comparative adjective; the better-ness could be in terms of worldly adornments such as wealth and children, or societal behaviours such as generosity, bravery, and helping the weak.[1] Some have said it might be an indication to the degrees of disbelief, i.e. are you better because you are lower in disbelief?[2] See also 9:69.

The question is a rhetorical one that intends to reject these claims. Based on this, the meaning would be: Your faithless are not better than those past communities and neither have you been granted immunity in the scriptures.[3]

Zubur (scriptures) is the plural of the word zabūr which means a book and is derived from zabr which means writing.[4] The scriptures being referred to here are previous divine scriptures.[5] The term is used frequently in the Quran as heavenly scriptures (3:184, 4:163,16:43, 21:105, 26:196, 35:25).

EXPOSITION

The previous verses were explicitly addressing Prophet Muhammad (s) and implicitly addressing the polytheists of Mecca. In this verse, Allah directly addresses the polytheists of Mecca[6] in order to refute three of their hypothetical excuses for their rejection. Two of these are mentioned in this verse and the third in the following verse.

The first excuse is that perhaps they think they are better than the previous nations, and thus even if they go down the same path as them they shall not face a similar destiny. However, it is clear that the ways of Allah do not change for different communities and thus there are no exceptions to His commands. The second excuse is that perhaps they have been granted immunity in the previous scriptures and thus are safe from the punishment. The rhetorical questions in the verse reject both (see also 68:37-39 and 6:148).

The verses of this last section of the chapter are a conclusion of what has come before them. This chapter has discussed two issues: the coming of the hour and the stories of the previous nations. These final verses first add to the latter by addressing the polytheists of Mecca, and thereafter return to the topic of the Day of Judgement.[7]

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

According to some exegetes, the term kuffārukum is used because disbelievers can be categorised into two subgroups: the first are those obstinate and stubborn disbelievers who knowingly reject the truth, for whom It is the same to them whether you warn them or do not warn them, they will not have faith (36:10), and the second are those disbelievers who are inculpably ignorant about the truth and therefore could one day accept the faith. Based on this distinction, the verse is addressing the general category of disbelievers which includes both subgroups, and asks them whether the obstinate disbelievers amongst you consider themselves better than those who passed before them.[8]

[1] Mizan, 19/84.
[2] Furqan, 27/499.
[3] Mizan, 19/84; Tabrisi, 9/293.
[4] Munyah, 27/218.
[5] Mizan, 19/84.
[6] Munyah, 27/218.
[7] Mizan, 19/83.
[8] Furqan, 27/498.