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1 وَمَا اُنْزِلَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ : Know that the descriptions like these both comprise encouragement and constructive injunctions: "Believe in such-and-such… Make no distinction…"

The phrase's positioning and its ties comprise four subtle points:

Firstly: To refer the deduction to the evidence. It is like this:

"O, man! If you believe in the Qur'an, believe also in the previous books, for the Qur'an confirms their veracity and testifies to them." This is indicated by مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ2

Secondly: To refer the evidence to the deduction. It is like this:

“O Ahl al-Kitâb! If you believe in the former Prophets and previous books, you should also believe in the Qur'an and Muhammad ‘Alayhissalâm, for they gave the good tidings of Muhammad ‘Alayhissalâm coming. Moreover, confirmation of the former Prophets and previous books and their revelation and evidences of their nubuwwah are to be found more perfectly in the Qur'an with their haqiqah and rûh and more clearly in Muhammad ‘Alayhissalâm. Thus, according to this excellent reasoning, the Qur'an is the Kalâm of Allâh and Muhammad ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm is His Rasûl.”

Thirdly: In this is an indication that the possession of the Qur'an — that is Islam which emerged from it in the Era of Bliss — is like a tree the origin of which is fastened in the depths of the past. Its spreading roots are fed from the water sources of that time yielding life and strength. And with its trunk in the skies of the future, its spreading branches are laden with fruit. That is to say, Islam embraces the past and the future.