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Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread)

Verse 48of 120

وَأَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ بِٱلْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًۭا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَمُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ ۖ فَٱحْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ عَمَّا جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ ۚ لِكُلٍّۢ جَعَلْنَا مِنكُمْ شِرْعَةًۭ وَمِنْهَاجًۭا ۚ وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ وَلَٰكِن لِّيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِى مَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمْ ۖ فَٱسْتَبِقُوا۟ ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ ۚ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًۭا فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ﴿٤٨

Translation (Sahih International)

And We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], the Book in truth, confirming that which preceded it of the Scripture and as a criterion over it. So judge between them by what Allah has revealed and do not follow their inclinations away from what has come to you of the truth. To each of you We prescribed a law and a method. Had Allah willed, He would have made you one nation [united in religion], but [He intended] to test you in what He has given you; so race to [all that is] good. To Allah is your return all together, and He will [then] inform you concerning that over which you used to differ.

Word-by-word meaning

وَأَنزَلْنَآwa-anzalnāAnd We revealed
إِلَيْكَilaykato you
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَl-kitābathe Book
بِٱلْحَقِّbil-ḥaqiin [the] truth
مُصَدِّقًۭاmuṣaddiqanconfirming
لِّمَاlimāwhat
بَيْنَbayna(was) before
يَدَيْهِyadayhihis hands
مِنَminaof
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِl-kitābithe Book
وَمُهَيْمِنًاwamuhayminanand a guardian
عَلَيْهِ ۖʿalayhiover it
فَٱحْكُمfa-uḥ'kumSo judge
بَيْنَهُمbaynahumbetween them
بِمَآbimāby what
أَنزَلَanzalahas revealed
ٱللَّهُ ۖl-lahuAllah
وَلَاwalāand (do) not
تَتَّبِعْtattabiʿfollow
أَهْوَآءَهُمْahwāahumtheir vain desires
عَمَّاʿammāwhen
جَآءَكَjāakahas come to you
مِنَminaof
ٱلْحَقِّ ۚl-ḥaqithe truth
لِكُلٍّۢlikullinFor each
جَعَلْنَاjaʿalnāWe have made
مِنكُمْminkumfor you
شِرْعَةًۭshir'ʿatana law
وَمِنْهَاجًۭا ۚwamin'hājanand a clear way
وَلَوْwalawAnd if
شَآءَshāa(had) willed
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
لَجَعَلَكُمْlajaʿalakumHe (would have) made you
أُمَّةًۭummatana community
وَٰحِدَةًۭwāḥidatanone
وَلَـٰكِنwalākin[and] but
لِّيَبْلُوَكُمْliyabluwakumto test you
فِىin
مَآwhat
ءَاتَىٰكُمْ ۖātākumHe (has) given you
فَٱسْتَبِقُوا۟fa-is'tabiqūso race
ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ ۚl-khayrāti(to) the good
إِلَىilāTo
ٱللَّهِl-lahiAllah
مَرْجِعُكُمْmarjiʿukumyou will return
جَمِيعًۭاjamīʿanall
فَيُنَبِّئُكُمfayunabbi-ukumthen He will inform you
بِمَاbimāof what
كُنتُمْkuntumyou were
فِيهِfīhiconcerning it
تَخْتَلِفُونَtakhtalifūnadiffering

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Praising the Qur'an; the Command to Refer to the Qur'an for JudgmentAllah mentioned the Tawrah that He sent down to His Prophet Musa, the one whom He spoke directly to, praising it, commanding that it should be implemented, before it was abrogated. Allah then mentioned the Injil, praised it and commanded its people to adhere to it and follow it, as we stated. He next mentioned the Glorious Qur'an that He sent down to His honorable servant and Messenger.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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