'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' His saying, exalted and glorious is He: "And you were not by the western side when We decreed to Moses the matter, and you were not among the witnesses." "But We raised up generations, and time prolonged for them, and you were not residing among the people of Midian, reciting to them Our verses. But We were sending messengers." "And you were not by the side of the mount when We called, but as a mercy from your Lord, to warn a people to whom no warner had come before you, so perhaps they will remember." The meaning: You, O Muhammad, did not witness these unseen matters that We inform you of. However, they have come to you by Our revelation. Thus, it was necessary for them to hasten to believe in you. But the matter prolonged for the generations that We raised up over time, so their understanding became absent, and their ignorance and misguidance became established. And "We decreed" means: We executed and directed, and "the matter" means the Torah. A group said: It means what Allah, blessed and exalted is He, informed about the matter of Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This is a good interpretation that aligns with what follows from His saying: "But We raised up generations." And "the residing one" means the one who is settled. His saying: "And you were not by the side of the mount" refers to the time of the Torah's descent to Moses. And His saying, exalted is He: "when We called," it was narrated from Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: "On that day, it was called from the heavens: 'O community of Muhammad, I have responded to you before you call Me, and I have forgiven you before you ask Me.' At that time, Moses, peace be upon him, will ask to be among the community of Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him." The meaning is: when We called by Your command, and We informed you of your prophethood. And His saying: "as a mercy" is in the accusative case, or it is in the accusative for the purpose of it. And His saying: "but" indicates that We made you and executed your command previously as a mercy from your Lord. That is: and the meaning is: but We informed you as a mercy from Us to you and as a favor. And the people read: "as a mercy" in the accusative, while 'Isa read: "as a mercy" in the nominative. And He means by the people "those to whom no warner has come" contemporaneous with him from the Arabs. And the rest of the verse is clear. And Al-Tabari said: "The meaning of His saying: 'when We called' is that 'those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet whom they find written..." [Al-A'raf: 157]