The chosen ones who inherited the book.....

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وَإِنْ يُكَذِّبُوكَ فَقَدْ كَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَبِالزُّبُرِ وَبِالْكِتَابِ الْمُنِيرِ {25}
[Shakir 35:25] And if they call you a liar, so did those before them indeed call (their messengers) liars; their messengers had come to them with clear arguments, and with scriptures, and with the illuminating book.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنْفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً يَرْجُونَ تِجَارَةً لَنْ تَبُورَ
{29}

[Shakir 35:29] Surely they who recite the Book of Allah and keep up prayer and spend out of what We have given them secretly and openly, hope for a gain which will not perish.
لِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَيَزِيدَهُمْ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ {30}
[Shakir 35:30] That He may pay them back fully their rewards and give them more out of His grace: surely He is Forgiving, Multiplier of rewards.
وَالَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ هُوَ الْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِعِبَادِهِ لَخَبِيرٌ بَصِيرٌ {31}
[Shakir 35:31] And that which We have revealed to you from the Book, that is the truth verifying that which is before it; most surely with respect to His servants Allah is Aware, Seeing.
ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْكِتَابَ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ۖ فَمِنْهُمْ ظَالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ وَمِنْهُمْ مُقْتَصِدٌ وَمِنْهُمْ سَابِقٌ بِالْخَيْرَاتِ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْكَبِيرُ {32}
[35:32] Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants; so of them is he who makes his soul to suffer a loss, and of them is he who takes a middle course, and of them is he who is foremost in deeds of goodness by Allah's permission; this is the great excellence.


Without long argument I will summarize why I believe 35:32 is about the family.

1. The word Astafa through out Quran is used to emphasize special exalted pure servants of God that are specially used for his religion and are towering in height above normal people.
2. The verses before already emphasized on people who recite the book, and so it seems a different meaning ought to be given here, it doesn't simple mean who recite the book, but those are inherited the knowledge the Prophet was revealed from it.
3. Those who truly recite the illuminating book are not unjust as knowledge and action go together, and truly the one who knows is the who believes and testifies by sight of true love as we are meant to love, this can be verified by much of Quran.
4. The verses before are emphasizing that God with respect to his servants is aware seeing, to shift the topic from that is actually what would be deceptive....
5. Sunnis want to quote the verse, isolate, forget everything God has said about chosen ones in Quran and how the word was used (astafa), forget the verse before it emphasize on God seeing and aware of his servants, and also forget the verses before that also talked about those who recite the book of God....and so do away with all that....and then emphasize they are following the clear meaning without even refuting the other possibility rationally but simply by sheer assertion of their Taweel.

[Noor-us-Sunnah]

And We certainly saved the Children of Israel from the humiliating torment, From Pharaoh. Indeed, he was a haughty one among the transgressors. And We certainly chose them by knowledge over [all] the worlds. [Quran 44:30-32]

And We had certainly given Moses guidance, and We caused the Children of Israel to inherit the Book. [40:53]

Verily, We did send down the Taurat (Torah) [to Musa (Moses)], therein was guidance and light, by which the Prophets, who submitted themselves to Allah's Will, judged the Jews. And the rabbis and the priests [too judged the Jews by the Taurat (Torah) after those Prophets] for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah's Book, and they were witnesses thereto. Therefore fear not men but fear Me (O Jews) and sell not My Verses for a miserable price. And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such are the Kafirun (i.e. disbelievers - of a lesser degree as they do not act on Allah's Laws).[5:44]

A whole nation can be chosen, and it can inherit the book and its scholars can judge the people and guard the book.

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You are right Noor Sunnah, however the word used in that verse to refer to them being selected by knowledge over rest of worlds is not astafa.

Selected means they were given knowledge above the nations out of God's wisdom while the word astafa would have suggested it was due to them being superior and special.

The word astafa in Quran has used always (let's exclude the verse in Suratal Fatir for sake of argument) in the sense of being far superior and special in God's eyes, it's not him simply selecting but choosing what he prefers due to superiority.

That and a verse before it already emphasized on those who recite the book.

So when God says "Peace be upon the servants that he has chosen"... obviously bani-Israel who were selected for knowledge over the nations are not included.

Likewise, for the verse, we are discussing.

[Noor-us-Sunnah]

The reason I posted those verses is to show, that A nation can be chosen by Allah and it can inherit a book. This was to hint you that in the argument you brought up, even here a nation (Muslim Ummah) is addressed which was chosen and inherited the book.

Now when you agree with this point, and you argue that Astafa means far more superior and special, then I agree with this and indeed the Muslim ummah is superior to other nations and special. The evidence is the verse of Quran, which tells us that Muslim nation will be witness over the previous nations. Indeed this is speciality and superiority of Muslim Ummah.

Thus, have We made of you an Ummat justly balanced, that ye might be witnesses over the nations, and the Messenger a witness over yourselves; and We appointed the Qibla to which thou wast used, only to test those who followed the Messenger from those who would turn on their heels (From the Faith). Indeed it was (A change) momentous, except to those guided by Allah. And never would Allah Make your faith of no effect. For Allah is to all people Most surely full of kindness, Most Merciful.(2:143)

And as for the hadeeth of inheriting the book then we know of the hadeeth that, Ulama are the heirs of Prophet.

For details you may refer to any Sunni quranic Tafseer on this issue.

[Hani]

It's Istafa not Astafa.

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Salam

I think my points still all stand.

Your points give a different viewpoint as well.

Let people judge which one makes more sense and if my points all still stand or not.