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Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

Verse 140of 286

أَمْ تَقُولُونَ إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِۦمَ وَإِسْمَٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَٱلْأَسْبَاطَ كَانُوا۟ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَٰرَىٰ ۗ قُلْ ءَأَنتُمْ أَعْلَمُ أَمِ ٱللَّهُ ۗ وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن كَتَمَ شَهَٰدَةً عِندَهُۥ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ﴿١٤٠

Translation (Sahih International)

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 Allah?" And who is more unjust than one who conceals a testimony he has from Allah? And Allah is not unaware of what you do.

Word-by-word meaning

أَمْamOr
تَقُولُونَtaqūlūna(do) you say
إِنَّinnathat
إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَib'rāhīmaIbrahim
وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَwa-is'māʿīlaand Ishmael
وَإِسْحَـٰقَwa-is'ḥāqaand Isaac
وَيَعْقُوبَwayaʿqūbaand Yaqub
وَٱلْأَسْبَاطَwal-asbāṭaand the descendants
كَانُوا۟kānūwere
هُودًاhūdanJews
أَوْawor
نَصَـٰرَىٰ ۗnaṣārāChristians
قُلْqulSay
ءَأَنتُمْa-antumAre you
أَعْلَمُaʿlamubetter knowing
أَمِamior
ٱللَّهُ ۗl-lahu(is) Allah
وَمَنْwamanAnd who
أَظْلَمُaẓlamu(is) more unjust
مِمَّنmimmanthan (the one) who
كَتَمَkatamaconcealed
شَهَـٰدَةًshahādatana testimony
عِندَهُۥʿindahu(that) he has
مِنَminafrom
ٱللَّهِ ۗl-lahiAllah
وَمَاwamāAnd not
ٱللَّهُl-lahu(is) Allah
بِغَـٰفِلٍbighāfilinunaware
عَمَّاʿammāof what
تَعْمَلُونَtaʿmalūnayou do

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Allah directed His Prophet to pre-empt the arguments with the idolators:قُلْ أَتُحَآجُّونَنَا فِى اللَّهِ(Say (O Muhammad to the Jews and Christians), "Dispute you with us about Allah) meaning, "Do you dispute with us regarding the Oneness of Allah, obedience and submission to Him and in avoiding His prohibitions,وَهُوَ رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّكُمْ(while He is our Lord and your Lord) meaning, He has full control over us and you, and deserves the worship alone without partners.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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