His saying, the Exalted: "...to what is before it of the Book"
[6471] And through the same chain from Ibn 'Abbas regarding His saying: "...confirming to what is before it of the Book," he said: It is the Qur'an, a witness over the Torah and the Gospel, confirming them.
It was narrated from Qatadah that he said: The Books that preceded it.
His saying, the Exalted: "...and a Muhaymin (witness/protector) over it"
[The first view]
[6472] Abu Sa'id al-Ashajj narrated to us, Waki' narrated to us, from Sufyan and Isma'il, from Abu Ishaq, from al-Tamimi—and his name is Arbad—from Ibn 'Abbas regarding His saying: "...and a Muhaymin over it," he said: Entrusted over it.
[6473] My father narrated to us, Abu Hudhayfah narrated to us, Shibl narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Najih regarding His saying: "...and a Muhaymin over it," he said: Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is entrusted with the Qur'an. It was narrated from 'Ikrimah, al-Hasan, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, and 'Ata' al-Khurasani that it means: The Trustworthy.
[The second view]
[6474] My father narrated to us, Abu Salih narrated to us, Mu'awiyah ibn Salih narrated to me, from 'Ali ibn Abi Talhah, from Ibn 'Abbas regarding His saying: "...and a Muhaymin over it," he said: The Muhaymin is the Trustworthy; he said: The Qur'an is the trustworthy one over every book before it. A similar [report] was narrated from 'Ata' al-Khurasani. It was narrated from Muhammad ibn Qays that he said: [It is] the Qur'an.
[The third view]
[6475] Abu Sa'id al-Ashajj narrated to us, Ibn 'Ulayyah narrated to us, from Abu Raja', he said: I asked al-Hasan about "...and a Muhaymin over it," he said: Confirming these Books and a trustee over them.
[The fourth view]
[6476] My father narrated to us, Abu Salih narrated to us, Mu'awiyah narrated to me, from 'Ali, from Ibn 'Abbas regarding His saying: "...and a Muhaymin," he says: A master/lord. A similar [report] was narrated from al-Suddi.
His saying, the Exalted: "...over it"
[The first view]
[6477] And through the same chain from Ibn 'Abbas regarding His saying: "...and a Muhaymin over it," he said: Over every book before it. A similar [report] was narrated from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, Mujahid (in one of the two narrations), 'Ikrimah, 'Atiyyah, 'Ata' al-Khurasani, Muhammad ibn Ka'b, Qatadah, al-Suddi, and 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam.
