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Al-Baqarah 140

Ayah 140 of 286 · Medinan

أَمۡ تَقُولُونَ إِنَّ إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسۡمَٰعِيلَ وَإِسۡحَٰقَ وَيَعۡقُوبَ وَٱلۡأَسۡبَاطَ كَانُواْ هُودًا أَوۡ نَصَٰرَىٰۗ قُلۡ ءَأَنتُمۡ أَعۡلَمُ أَمِ ٱللَّهُۗ وَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّن كَتَمَ شَهَٰدَةً عِندَهُۥ مِنَ ٱللَّهِۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعۡمَلُونَ ١٤٠

Or do you say that Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants were Jews or Christians? Say, "Are you more knowing or is Allāh?" And who is more unjust than one who conceals a testimony1 he has from Allāh? And Allāh is not unaware of what you do.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

1 Statements in previous scriptures attesting to the nature of Allāh's religion (Islām) and the coming of Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ).

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. أَمۡOram
  2. تَقُولُونَ(do) you saytaqūlūna
  3. إِنَّthatinna
  4. إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمَIbrahimib'rāhīma
  5. وَإِسۡمَٰعِيلَand Ishmaelwa-is'māʿīla
  6. وَإِسۡحَٰقَand Isaacwa-is'ḥāqa
  7. وَيَعۡقُوبَand Yaqubwayaʿqūba
  8. وَٱلۡأَسۡبَاطَand the descendantswal-asbāṭa
  9. كَانُواْwerekānū
  10. هُودًاJewshūdan
  11. أَوۡoraw
  12. نَصَٰرَىٰۗChristiansnaṣārā
  13. قُلۡSayqul
  14. ءَأَنتُمۡAre youa-antum
  15. أَعۡلَمُbetter knowingaʿlamu
  16. أَمِorami
  17. ٱللَّهُۗ(is) Allahl-lahu
  18. وَمَنۡAnd whowaman
  19. أَظۡلَمُ(is) more unjustaẓlamu
  20. مِمَّنthan (the one) whomimman
  21. كَتَمَconcealedkatama
  22. شَهَٰدَةًa testimonyshahādatan
  23. عِندَهُۥ(that) he hasʿindahu
  24. مِنَfrommina
  25. ٱللَّهِۗAllahl-lahi
  26. وَمَاAnd notwamā
  27. ٱللَّهُ(is) Allahl-lahu
  28. بِغَٰفِلٍunawarebighāfilin
  29. عَمَّاof whatʿammā
  30. تَعۡمَلُونَyou dotaʿmalūna

Tafsir

Or do you say, O People of the Scripture, that Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the prophets from Jacob’s descendants were on the path of the Jews or Christians? Ask, O Prophet, in reply to them, whether they are more knowledgeable or is Allah. If they claim that they were Jews or Christians, then what they say is false, because they were sent and died before the Torah and the Gospel were revealed. This shows that what they say is a lie against Allah and His Prophet, and that they hid the truth of what was revealed to them. No one does greater wrong than someone who hides firm evidence that they have from Allah, as some of the People of the Scripture did. Allah is not unaware of what you do, and you will be rewarded accordingly.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran