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An-Nisa 157

Ayah 157 of 176 · Medinan

وَقَوۡلِهِمۡ إِنَّا قَتَلۡنَا ٱلۡمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ٱبۡنَ مَرۡيَمَ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمۡۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱخۡتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ لَفِي شَكّٖ مِّنۡهُۚ مَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنۡ عِلۡمٍ إِلَّا ٱتِّبَاعَ ٱلظَّنِّۚ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينَۢا ١٥٧

And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the messenger of Allāh." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain.1

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

1 Another meaning is "And they did not kill him, being certain [of his identity]," i.e., they killed another assuming it was Jesus (upon whom be peace).

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. وَقَوۡلِهِمۡAnd for their sayingwaqawlihim
  2. إِنَّاIndeed, weinnā
  3. قَتَلۡنَاkilledqatalnā
  4. ٱلۡمَسِيحَthe Messiahl-masīḥa
  5. عِيسَىIsaʿīsā
  6. ٱبۡنَsonib'na
  7. مَرۡيَمَ(of) Maryammaryama
  8. رَسُولَ(the) Messengerrasūla
  9. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allahl-lahi
  10. وَمَاAnd notwamā
  11. قَتَلُوهُthey killed himqatalūhu
  12. وَمَاand notwamā
  13. صَلَبُوهُthey crucified himṣalabūhu
  14. وَلَٰكِنbutwalākin
  15. شُبِّهَit was made to appear (so)shubbiha
  16. لَهُمۡۚto themlahum
  17. وَإِنَّAnd indeedwa-inna
  18. ٱلَّذِينَthose whoalladhīna
  19. ٱخۡتَلَفُواْdifferikh'talafū
  20. فِيهِin itfīhi
  21. لَفِي(are) surely inlafī
  22. شَكّٖdoubtshakkin
  23. مِّنۡهُۚabout itmin'hu
  24. مَاNotmā
  25. لَهُمfor themlahum
  26. بِهِۦabout itbihi
  27. مِنۡ[of]min
  28. عِلۡمٍ(any) knowledgeʿil'min
  29. إِلَّاexceptillā
  30. ٱتِّبَاعَ(the) followingittibāʿa
  31. ٱلظَّنِّۚ(of) assumptionl-ẓani
  32. وَمَاAnd notwamā
  33. قَتَلُوهُthey killed himqatalūhu
  34. يَقِينَۢاcertainlyyaqīnan

Tafsir

I cursed them because they proudly, but falsely, said, ‘We killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of Allah’. They did not kill him as they claimed, nor did they crucify him; but they killed and crucified a man whom Allah made to resemble Jesus, so they thought the person who was killed was Jesus. Those Jews who claimed to have killed him and those Christians who surrendered him over to them are in doubt and confusion regarding the matter. They have no knowledge, but make guesses that are of no worth against the truth. Truly, they did not kill Jesus nor crucify him.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran