If you say: How did he say to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, "So if you are in doubt about what We have sent down to you," while He said about the disbelievers, "And indeed they are in doubt about it, a doubt that is troubling"? [Mamdouh said: "If you say how did he, peace be upon him, say: 'So if you are in doubt' along with His saying about the disbelievers 'And indeed they are in doubt about it, a doubt that is troubling'... etc.? Ahmad said: If this interpreter had said that the negation of doubt from him, peace be upon him, was a preparation for his command to ask so that his proof would be established upon those being asked, not to gain knowledge from their questioning for the sake of clarifying the matter by his saying to him, 'Say, to whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth? Say, to Allah,' and he commanded both the question and the answer - it would have been more correct and safer, and Allah knows best."] I say: There is a great difference between His saying, "Indeed they are in doubt about it, a doubt that is troubling," affirming doubt for them as a means of emphasis and verification, and His saying, "So if you are in doubt," meaning as a hypothesis and representation, as if it were said: If doubt were to occur to you, for example, and the devil were to suggest to you confusion from it hypothetically, then ask those who read the Book. The meaning is that Allah, glorified and exalted is He, mentioned the Children of Israel first, and described them as those who read the Book, and that knowledge had come to them, because the matter of the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, is written among them in the Torah and the Gospel, and they know him as they know their own children. He wanted to affirm their knowledge of the truth of the Qur'an and the truth of the Prophethood of Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, and to emphasize that, so He said: If doubt were to occur to you hypothetically and in consideration - and the way of one who is troubled by a doubt in religion is to hasten to resolve and remove it, either by returning to the laws of religion and its proofs, or by consulting the scholars who point to the truth - then ask the scholars of the People of the Book, meaning: they are knowledgeable about the truth of what has been revealed to you and possess knowledge that qualifies them to consult with someone like you and to engage with you, let alone others. The aim is to describe the scholars as firmly grounded in knowledge of the truth of what was revealed to the Messenger of Allah, not to describe the Messenger of Allah with doubt about it. Then He said: "Indeed the truth has come to you from your Lord," meaning it has been established for you through clear signs and proofs that what has come to you is the truth in which there is no room for doubt, so do not be among the doubters, and do not be among those who deny the signs of Allah, meaning: remain steadfast and continue in your state of being free from doubt and denial of the signs of Allah. It may be that this is in the manner of incitement and encouragement, as His saying: "So do not be a supporter of the disbelievers." And do not let anything turn you away from the signs of Allah after they have been sent down to you, for the sake of further affirmation and protection. Therefore, he, peace be upon him, said upon its revelation: "I do not doubt and I do not ask, rather I bear witness that it is the truth" [This was narrated by Abdul Razzaq, and through him by Al-Tabari from Ma'mar from Qatadah regarding this verse, and it was conveyed to us that the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said: "I do not doubt and I do not ask."]. And Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "No, by Allah, he did not doubt even for the blink of an eye, nor did he ask anyone of them." And it is said that the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, was addressed, but the intended audience was his nation. Its meaning is: If you are in doubt about what We have sent down to you, as in His saying: "And We have sent down to you a clear light." And it is said: The address is to the listener among those who may experience doubt, as the Arabs say: If your brother is in need, then help him. And it is said: "If" is for negation, meaning: So if you were not in doubt, then ask, meaning: We do not command you to ask because you are in doubt, but to increase your certainty, just as Ibrahim, peace be upon him, increased his certainty by witnessing the resurrection of the dead. And it was read: "Then ask those who read the Books."