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Ali 'Imran (The Family of Imran)

Verse 79of 200

مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُؤْتِيَهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْحُكْمَ وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُوا۟ عِبَادًۭا لِّى مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَٰكِن كُونُوا۟ رَبَّٰنِيِّۦنَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ﴿٧٩

Translation (Sahih International)

It is not for a human [prophet] that Allah should give him the Scripture and authority and prophethood and then he would say to the people, "Be servants to me rather than Allah," but [instead, he would say], "Be pious scholars of the Lord because of what you have taught of the Scripture and because of what you have studied."

Word-by-word meaning

مَاNot
كَانَkānais
لِبَشَرٍlibasharinfor a human
أَنanthat
يُؤْتِيَهُyu'tiyahugives him
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَl-kitābathe Book
وَٱلْحُكْمَwal-ḥuk'maand the wisdom
وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَwal-nubuwataand the Prophethood
ثُمَّthummathen
يَقُولَyaqūlahe says
لِلنَّاسِlilnnāsito the people
كُونُوا۟kūnūBe
عِبَادًۭاʿibādanworshippers
لِّىof me
مِنminfrom
دُونِdūnibesides
ٱللَّهِl-lahiAllah
وَلَـٰكِنwalākinbut (would say)
كُونُوا۟kūnūBe
رَبَّـٰنِيِّـۧنَrabbāniyyīnaworshippers of the Lord
بِمَاbimābecause
كُنتُمْkuntumyou have been
تُعَلِّمُونَtuʿallimūnateaching
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَl-kitābathe Book
وَبِمَاwabimāand because
كُنتُمْkuntumyou have been
تَدْرُسُونَtadrusūnastudying (it)

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

No Prophet Ever Called People to Worship him or to Worship Other Than AllahThis Ayah 3:79 means, it is not for a person whom Allah has given the Book, knowledge in the Law and prophethood to proclaim to the people, "Worship me instead of Allah," meaning, along with Allah. If this is not the right of a Prophet or a Messenger, then indeed, it is not the right of anyone else to issue such a claim.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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