Sūrah Al-i ‘Imrān (64-80)
Qur’ānic Exegesis
(Translated from Ghāmdī’s al-Bayān by Shehzad Saleem)
قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْاْ إِلَى كَلَمَةٍ سَوَاء بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلاَّ نَعْبُدَ إِلاَّ اللّهَ وَلاَ نُشْرِكَ
بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلاَ يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضاً أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللّهِ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَقُولُواْ اشْهَدُواْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ (64)
يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لِمَ تُحَآجُّونَ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمَا أُنزِلَتِ التَّورَاةُ وَالإنجِيلُ إِلاَّ مِن بَعْدِهِ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ هَاأَنتُمْ هَؤُلاء حَاجَجْتُمْ فِيمَا لَكُم بِهِ عِلمٌ فَلِمَ تُحَآجُّونَ فِيمَا لَيْسَ لَكُم
will associate none with Him, and that none of us shall make other deities besides God.”[3] If they turn away, say: “Bear witness, then, that we submit to God.”[4] (64)
People of the Book! Why do you argue about Abraham even though the Torah and the Gospel were only revealed after him? Then do you not understand even this?[5] Indeed, you are the ones who have argued about things of which you have some knowledge.
بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَاللّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلاَ نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِإِبْرَاهِيمَ لَلَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ وَهَـذَا النَّبِيُّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَاللّهُ وَلِيُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (65-68)
وَدَّت طَّآئِفَةٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَوْ يُضِلُّونَكُمْ وَمَا يُضِلُّونَ إِلاَّ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ
Must you now argue about that of which you have no knowledge at all? And [in reality] God knows, but you know not. Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian; he was but a devoted Muslim[6] and he was also not among the Idolaters.[7] Those who followed Abraham are more entitled to ascribe themselves to him. After this, this Prophet is entitled [to this ascription] and those who professed faith in him (check) and God is a companion of such faithful.[8] (65-68)
[Believers!] a group from among the People of the Book desires to somehow make you deviate from the right path; and [in
يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لِمَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللّهِ وَأَنتُمْ تَشْهَدُونَ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لِمَ تَلْبِسُونَ الْحَقَّ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُونَ الْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (69-71)
وَقَالَت طَّآئِفَةٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ آمِنُواْ بِالَّذِيَ أُنزِلَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَجْهَ النَّهَارِ وَاكْفُرُواْ آخِرَهُ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ وَلاَ تُؤْمِنُواْ إِلاَّ لِمَن تَبِعَ دِينَكُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ الْهُدَى هُدَى
reality] they mislead none but themselves, but they know not. People of the Book! Why do you deny God’s revelations when you bear witness to them?[9] People of the Book![10] Why do you mingle truth with falsehood when you know it?[11] (69-71)
And a group of the People of the Book says: “Believe in that which is revealed to believers in the morning and deny it in the evening so that they may themselves abandon their faith[12] and do
اللّهِ أَن يُؤْتَى أَحَدٌ مِّثْلَ مَا أُوتِيتُمْ أَوْ يُحَآجُّوكُمْ عِندَ رَبِّكُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ الْفَضْلَ بِيَدِ اللّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاء وَاللّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِ مَن يَشَاء وَاللّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ (72-74)
not listen to anyone except those of your own faith” – Tell them [O Prophet!]: “Guidance in reality is the guidance of God!”[13] – [so do not listen to it] lest such a thing which is bestowed on you is bestowed on others[14] or that they dispute with you in your Lord’s presence.[15] Tell them: “Grace is in the hands of God: He bestows it on whom He will. God is munificent and all-knowing.[16] He is merciful to whom He chooses; His blessings are immense.”[17] (72-74)
وَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ مَنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِقِنطَارٍ يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِدِينَارٍ لاَّ يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ إِلاَّ مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَآئِمًا ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُواْ لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِي الأُمِّيِّينَ سَبِيلٌ
[You expect from them that in the matter of your prophet, they will act justly[18]] and [on their side, the situation is that] among the People of the Book there are some who, if you trust them with a heap of wealth, will return it to you intact; and there are others who, if you entrust them with a single dinār, will not hand it back unless you forcefully demand it from them.[19] This is because they say: “We shall not be held blameworthy in the matter of these unlettered.”[20] And [it is a fact that] they deliberately say of God
وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ بَلَى مَنْ أَوْفَى بِعَهْدِهِ وَاتَّقَى فَإِنَّ اللّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ (75-76)
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللّهِ وَأَيْمَانِهِمْ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلاً أُوْلَـئِكَ لاَ خَلاَقَ لَهُمْ فِي الآخِرَةِ وَلاَ يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللّهُ وَلاَ يَنظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلاَ يُزَكِّيهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ (77)
what is untrue. Indeed, why not?[21] [the wayof God is that] He who keeps his covenant with Him and remains pious [is liked by Him] because God loves the pious.[22] (75-76)
[On the other hand], those who sell the covenant of God[23] and their own oaths[24] for a trivial price shall have no share in the world to come. And God will neither speak to them, nor look at
وَإِنَّ مِنْهُمْ لَفَرِيقًا يَلْوُونَ أَلْسِنَتَهُم بِالْكِتَابِ لِتَحْسَبُوهُ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللّهِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللّهِ وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ (78)them, nor purify[25] them [from their sins] on the Day of Judgement. In fact, a grievous punishment awaits them [there][26]. (77)
And there are some among them who while reading the Book of God twist their tongues so that you may think that what they are reading is written in the Book whereas it is not written in it. And they say: “This is from God,” whereas it is not from God and [in this manner] they deliberately ascribe falsehood to God.[27] (78)
مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُؤْتِيَهُ اللّهُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُواْ عِبَادًا لِّي مِن دُونِ اللّهِ وَلَـكِن كُونُواْ رَبَّانِيِّينَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْكِتَابَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ وَلاَ يَأْمُرَكُمْ أَن تَتَّخِذُواْ الْمَلاَئِكَةَ وَالنِّبِيِّيْنَ أَرْبَابًا أَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْكُفْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ أَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ (79-80)
[Not only this, they also forge a lie on the Prophet of God and don’t even think that] it is not befitting for a human being to whom the Almighty gives His Book and the ability to decide and carry out the responsibilities of prophethood [according to it], then he should say to people: “Serve me instead of God.” [No] in fact [he will only say]: “Be devoted servants of God[28] because you have taught and studied the Book of God.” Nor will he ask you to make the angels and the prophets as your god; Will he ask you to commit disbelief once you have become Muslims?[29] (79-80)