Skip to content
MyDeenTools

Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread)

Verse 106of 120

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ شَهَٰدَةُ بَيْنِكُمْ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ حِينَ ٱلْوَصِيَّةِ ٱثْنَانِ ذَوَا عَدْلٍۢ مِّنكُمْ أَوْ ءَاخَرَانِ مِنْ غَيْرِكُمْ إِنْ أَنتُمْ ضَرَبْتُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَأَصَٰبَتْكُم مُّصِيبَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۚ تَحْبِسُونَهُمَا مِنۢ بَعْدِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَيُقْسِمَانِ بِٱللَّهِ إِنِ ٱرْتَبْتُمْ لَا نَشْتَرِى بِهِۦ ثَمَنًۭا وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَىٰ ۙ وَلَا نَكْتُمُ شَهَٰدَةَ ٱللَّهِ إِنَّآ إِذًۭا لَّمِنَ ٱلْءَاثِمِينَ﴿١٠٦

Translation (Sahih International)

O you who have believed, testimony [should be taken] among you when death approaches one of you at the time of bequest - [that of] two just men from among you or two others from outside if you are traveling through the land and the disaster of death should strike you. Detain them after the prayer and let them both swear by Allah if you doubt [their testimony, saying], "We will not exchange our oath for a price, even if he should be a near relative, and we will not withhold the testimony of Allah. Indeed, we would then be of the sinful."

Word-by-word meaning

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاyāayyuhāO you
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnawho
ءَامَنُوا۟āmanūbelieve
شَهَـٰدَةُshahādatu(Take) testimony
بَيْنِكُمْbaynikumamong you
إِذَاidhāwhen
حَضَرَḥaḍaraapproaches
أَحَدَكُمُaḥadakumuone of you
ٱلْمَوْتُl-mawtu[the] death
حِينَḥīna(at the) time (of making)
ٱلْوَصِيَّةِl-waṣiyati[the] a will
ٱثْنَانِith'nānitwo
ذَوَاdhawāmen
عَدْلٍۢʿadlinjust
مِّنكُمْminkumamong you
أَوْawor
ءَاخَرَانِākharānitwo others
مِنْminfrom
غَيْرِكُمْghayrikumother than you
إِنْinif
أَنتُمْantumyou
ضَرَبْتُمْḍarabtum(are) travel(ing)
فِىin
ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍithe earth
فَأَصَـٰبَتْكُمfa-aṣābatkumthen befalls you
مُّصِيبَةُmuṣībatucalamity
ٱلْمَوْتِ ۚl-mawti(of) [the] death
تَحْبِسُونَهُمَاtaḥbisūnahumāDetain both of them
مِنۢminfrom
بَعْدِbaʿdiafter
ٱلصَّلَوٰةِl-ṣalatithe prayer
فَيُقْسِمَانِfayuq'simāniand let them both swear
بِٱللَّهِbil-lahiby Allah
إِنِiniif
ٱرْتَبْتُمْir'tabtumyou doubt
لَاNot
نَشْتَرِىnashtarīwe will exchange
بِهِۦbihiit for
ثَمَنًۭاthamanana price
وَلَوْwalaweven if
كَانَkānahe is
ذَاdhā(of)
قُرْبَىٰ ۙqur'bāa near relative
وَلَاwalāand not
نَكْتُمُnaktumuwe will conceal
شَهَـٰدَةَshahādatatestimony
ٱللَّهِl-lahi(of) Allah
إِنَّآinnāIndeed, we
إِذًۭاidhanthen
لَّمِنَlamina(will) surely (be) of
ٱلْـَٔاثِمِينَl-āthimīnathe sinners

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Testimony of Two Just Witnesses for the Final Will and TestamentThis honorable Ayah contains a glorious ruling from Allah. Allah's statement,يِـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ شَهَـدَةُ بَيْنِكُمْ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ حِينَ الْوَصِيَّةِ اثْنَانِ(O you who believe! When death approaches any of you, and you make a bequest, then take the testimony of two...) meaning that there should be two witnesses in such cases,ذَوَا عَدْلٍ(just men...

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

Share this verse with others

WhatsAppX

These tools are free because of generous Muslims.

$10/month keeps this platform free for 50,000 people. Every visit earns you reward — Sadaqah Jariyah.

Support this project