Surah 26. Ash-Shuara, Ayah 196

Lit., "in the scriptures (zubur, sing. zabur) of the ancients" (see surah {21}, note [101]). This interpretation of the above verse - advanced among others by Zamakhshari and Baydawi (and, according to the former, attributed to Imam Abu Hanifah as well) - is in full consonance with the oft-repeated Qur'anic doctrine that the basic teachings revealed to Muhammad are in their purport (ma'ani) identical with those preached by the earlier prophets. Another, more popular interpretation is, "...this [Qur'an] has been mentioned [or "foretold"] in the earlier scriptures" (see in this connection note [33] on 2:42 and - with particular reference to a prediction made by Jesus - note [6] on 61:6 ).

The word Zubur, used here, is plural of Zabur, which is mentioned in the Qur-an as the Book revealed to the prophet Da'ud. It has also been used in the Qur-an in generic sense of "Book" (LIV: 52). Here the word refers to the earlier Revelations.