2:129 “Teaching them the book and the wisdom…”

"Our Lord, and send among them a messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them. Indeed, You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise."

So in this verse, a lot of sectarians use this to try and justify their Hadith narrations. And what they try to say is that because Allah swt says “wa” in the middle of the words The Book (Al-Kitabi) and the wisdom (Al-Hikmah), that means it's two different sources. But are they two different sources…? Or just two different descriptions of the SAME source? Let's check it out…

“Wa” Does Not Always Mean Two Different Sources

So Allah swt uses the word “wa” in between two things that are the same source a few times.

For example, in 15:1: “Alif, Lam, Ra. These are the verses of the Book and a clear Qur'an.”

Allah swt uses the word “wa” in between two Nouns: “the Book” and “the Quran.” Does that mean these are two different sources? No. We know that the Quran and the Book are the same source when we go to 43:1-3: “By the clear Book, indeed, We have made it an Arabic Qur'an that you might understand.” So Allah is telling us in this verse that the Book and the Quran are the same thing. Yet in 15:1 He uses the word “wa” in between the Book and the Quran. So if this is not two different sources, then what does it mean when He uses the “wa” in the middle of the two nouns? It means they're two different descriptions of the same source.

The Grammar of 2:231 Proves It

And Surah 2:231 will prove that when we look at the grammar.

"And when you divorce women and they have [nearly] fulfilled their term, either retain them according to acceptable terms or release them according to acceptable terms, and do not keep them, intending harm, to transgress [against them]. And whoever does that has certainly wronged himself. And do not take the VERSES of Allah in jest. And remember the favor of Allah upon you and what has been revealed to you of THE BOOK and WISDOM by which He INSTRUCTS you with IT (SINGULAR). And fear Allah and know that Allah is Knowing of all things."

Allah is saying that He instructs us with the Book and the wisdom and uses a singular pronoun “Bihi” (WITH IT) to identify them both. Not “Hum” for “THEM.” This is telling us the wisdom and the Book are ONE — they are ONE source.

The Word “Teach” (ʿallama)

Now let's get to the word “Teach” (ʿallama), which comes from the root ʿayn-lām-mīm (ع ل م), found in the verse. It carries meanings such as:

• To teach
• To instruct
• To impart knowledge
• To educate
• To make someone know
• To inform

So many sectarians say that because Allah says “Teach” in this verse, it means to recite the verses and then give his own explanations outside the Quran…but that is not what he is doing. He is teaching the Quran through the recitation of the EXPLAINED Book. Because they are a people who are (Al-Umiyina), meaning they do not know the Book, he is giving them knowledge of the Book by reciting it to them. Which falls under the definition of “teach” — it means to give someone knowledge, skills, or information they did not have before — and that is exactly what he is doing. And when he is reciting the Quran to them, he is also giving them the explanation and knowledge at the same time, as Allah says that His Book is explained in detail in 12:111 and that He sent down the Book with His knowledge.

"But Allah bears witness to what He has sent down to you. He sent it down with His knowledge, and the angels bear witness as well. And Allah is sufficient as a Witness."

The Purification Comes From the Verses

Now when it comes to the purification, this is obvious. When the messenger recites the Quran, the people are being purified from disbelief. It's not talking about a physical purification but a spiritual purification…and 62:1-3 shows that he's purifying them through the verses, the ayats.

"He is the One who raised among the unlettered a messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom, although before that they had been clearly astray."

So the purification comes from the recitation of Allah swt's verses and being taught the Book and the wisdom — which, as I made clear earlier in this article, happens through the recitation of the Quran itself. The Book, the wisdom, the purification, the teachings — all come from the Quran, the verses of Allah. Nothing in this verse points to Hadith narrations.

Not their 6 Sunni books:

• Sahih al-Bukhari
• Sahih Muslim
• Sunan Abi Dawud
• Jamiʿ al-Tirmidhi
• Sunan al-Nasa'i
• Sunan Ibn Majah

And not their 4 Shia books:

• Al-Kāfī
• Man Lā Yaḥḍuruhu al-Faqīh
• Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām
• Al-Istibṣār

The Story of Moses and Pharaoh

More evidence that the purification happens through the Ayats of Allah swt is the story of Moses.

"When his Lord called to him in the sacred valley of Tuwa, 'Go to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed. And say to him, "Would you [be willing to] purify yourself? And let me guide you to your Lord so you would fear [Him]?" And he showed him the greatest sign (Ayat). But Pharaoh denied and disobeyed.'"

In these verses, Allah swt tells Moses to go to Pharaoh and say, “Would you [be willing to] purify yourself? And let me guide you to your Lord so you would fear [Him]?”

So Moses says two things here. He asks Pharaoh if he is willing to PURIFY himself using the word (Tazakka) — which is from the same root that Allah uses when He speaks about the messenger purifying them in 62:2 — and to let Moses GUIDE him to Allah.

Then, right after that, what does Moses do? Does he speak from his own self? NO! He shows Pharaoh the greatest AYAT.

So, in this context, the purification and the guiding would happen through what? Through the Ayats. Which is why that is the very next thing that Moses shows him after he asks him to purify himself and to let him guide him to Allah.