Surah 3. Aal-Imran

And if anyone should argue with thee about this [truth] after all the knowledge that has come unto thee, say: "Come! Let us summon our sons and your sons, and our women and your women, and ourselves and yourselves; and then let us pray [together] humbly and ardently, and let us invoke God's curse upon those [of us] who are telling a lie."⁴⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., regarding the true nature of Jesus. According to all the reliable authorities, verses {59-63} of this surah were revealed in the year 10 H., on the occasion of a dispute between the Prophet and a deputation of the Christians of Najran who, like all other Christians, maintained that Jesus was "the son of God" and, therefore, God incarnate. Although they refused the "trial through prayer" (mubahalah) proposed to them by the Prophet, the latter accorded to them a treaty guaranteeing all their civic rights and the free exercise of their religion.

If anyone disputes with you concerning this matter (the birth of Jesus) after full knowledge has come to you, say: "Come! Let us gather our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves: then let us earnestly pray and invoke the curse of Allah on the liars."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Now, whoever disputes with you 'O Prophet' concerning Jesus after full knowledge has come to you, say, 'Come! Let us gather our children and your children, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves- then let us sincerely invoke Allah's curse upon the liars.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

And whoso disputeth with thee concerning him, after the knowledge which hath come unto thee, say (unto him): Come! We will summon our sons and your sons, and our women and your women, and ourselves and yourselves, then we will pray humbly (to our Lord) and (solemnly) invoke the curse of Allah upon those who lie.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

If anyone disputes in this matter with thee now after (full) knowledge hath come to thee say: "Come! let us gather together our sons and your sons our women and your women ourselves and yourselves: then let us earnestly pray and invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie!" ⁴⁰⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In the year of Deputations, 10th of the Hijra, came a Christian embassy from Najran (towards Yaman, about 150 miles north of Sanaa). They were much impressed on hearing this passage of the Qur-an explaining thc true position of Christ, and they entered into tributary relations with the new Muslim State. But ingrained habits and customs prevented them from accepting Islam as a body. The Holy Prophet, firm in his faith, proposed a Mubahala, i.e., a solemn meeting, in which both sides should summon not only their men, but their women and children, earnestly pray to Allah, and invoke the curse of Allah on those who should lie. Those who had a pure and sincere faith would not hesitate. The Christians declined, and they were dismissed in a spirit of tolerance with a promise of protection from the State in return for tribute.

Behold, this is indeed the truth of the matter, and there is no deity whatever save God; and, verily, God - He alone - is almighty, truly wise.

  - Mohammad Asad

Verily this is the absolute true explanation. The fact of the matter is, that there is no god but Allah; and for sure Allah is the Mighty, the Wise.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Certainly, this is the true narrative, and there is no god 'worthy of worship' except Allah. And indeed, Allah 'alone' is the Almighty, All-Wise.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Lo! This verily is the true narrative. There is no God save Allah, and lo! Allah is the Mighty, the Wise.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

This is the true account: there is no god except Allah; and Allah He is indeed the Exalted in Power the Wise. ⁴⁰¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

We are now in a position to deal with the questions which we left over at ii. 87. Jesus is no more than a man. It is against reason and revelation to call him Allah or the son of Allah. He is called the son of Mary to emphasize this. He had no human father, as his birth was miraculous. But it is not this which raise him to his high position as a prophet, but because Allah called him to his office. The praise is due to Allah, Who by His word gave him spiritual strength-"strengthened him with the Holy spirit. The miracles which surround his story relate not only to the "Clear Signs" which he brought. It was those who misunderstood him who obscured his clear Signs and surrounded him with mysteries of their own invention.

And if they turn away [from this truth] - behold, God has full knowledge of the spreaders of corruption.

  - Mohammad Asad

But if they turn away from accepting this challenge, it will be clear proof of their mischief and Allah has the full knowledge of mischief-makers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

If they turn away, then surely Allah has 'perfect' knowledge of the corruptors.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And if they turn away, then Lo! Allah is Aware of (who are) the corrupters.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But if they turn back Allah hath full knowledge of those who do mischief.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Say: "O followers of earlier revelation! Come unto that tenet which we and you hold in common:⁴⁹ that we shall worship none but God, and that we shall not ascribe divinity to aught beside Him, and that we shall not take human beings for our lords beside God."⁵⁰ And if they turn away, then say: "Bear witness that it is we who have surrendered ourselves unto Him.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "a word [that is] equitable between you and us". The term kalimah, primarily meaning "word" or "utterance", is often used in the philosophical sense of "proposition" or "tenet".

Lit., "that we shall not take one another for lords beside God". Since the personal pronoun "we" obviously applies to human beings, the expression "one another" necessarily bears the same connotation. In its wider implication, the above call is addressed not merely to the Christians, who attribute divinity to Jesus and certain aspects of divinity to their saints, but also to the Jews, who assign a quasi-divine authority to Ezra and even to some of their great Talmudic scholars (cf. {9:30-31}).

Say: "O people of the Book! Let us get together on what is common between us and you: that we shall worship none but Allah; that we shall not associate any partners with Him; that we shall not take from among ourselves any lords beside Allah." If they reject your invitation then tell them: "Bear witness that we are Muslims (who have surrendered to Allah)."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Say, 'O Prophet,' 'O People of the Book! Let us come to common terms: that we will worship none but Allah, associate none with Him, nor take one another as lords instead of Allah.' But if they turn away, then say, 'Bear witness that we have submitted 'to Allah alone'.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Say: O People of the Scripture. Come to an agreement between us and you: that we shall worship none but Allah, and that we shall ascribe no partners unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for lords beside Allah. And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are they who have surrendered (unto Him).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Say: "O people of the Book! come to common terms as between us and you: that we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with Him; that we erect not from among ourselves Lords and patrons other than Allah." If then they turn back say: "Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to Allah's will)." ⁴⁰²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In the abstract the People of the Book would agree to all three propositions. In practice they fail. Apart from doctrinal lapses from the unity of the One True God, there is the question of a consecrated Priesthood (among the Jews it was hereditary also), as if a mere human being-Cohen, or Pope, or Priest, or Brahman, could claim superiority apart from his learning and the purity of his life, or could stand between man and Allah in some special sense. The same remarks apply to the worship of saints. They may be pure and sincere, but no one can protect us or claim Lordship over us except Allah. For Rabb, see i. 2. n. Abraham was a true Prophet of Allah, but he could not be called a Jew or a Christian as he lived long before the Law of Moses or the Gospel of Jesus was revealed.

O FOLLOWERS of earlier revelation! Why do you argue about Abraham,⁵¹ seeing that the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed till [long] after him? Will you not, then, use your reason?

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., as to whether the principles he followed were those of the Jewish faith, according to which the Torah is considered to be the final Law of God, or of the Christian faith, which conflicts with the former in many respects.

O people of the Book! Why do you argue with us about Ibrahim, as to whether he was a Jew or a Christian? You know, that the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel) were revealed long after him? Have you no sense at all?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O People of the Book! Why do you argue about Abraham, while the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed until long after him? Do you not understand?

  - Mustafa Khattab

O People of the Scripture! Why will ye argue about Abraham, when the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed till after him? Have ye then no sense?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Ye people of the Book! why dispute ye about Abraham when the Law and the Gospel were not revealed till after him? Have ye no understanding?

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Lo! You are the ones who would argue about that which is known to you; but why do you argue about something which is unknown to you?⁵² Yet God knows [it], whereas you do not know:

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., as to what was the true creed of Abraham. "That which is known to you" is an allusion to their knowledge of the obvious fact that many of the teachings based on the extant versions of the Torah and the Gospels conflict with the teachings of the Qur'an (Razi).

So far you have been arguing about things of which you had some knowledge! Must you now argue about that of which you know nothing at all? Allah knows while you do not.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Here you are! You disputed about what you have 'little' knowledge of,¹ but why do you now argue about what you have no knowledge of?² Allah knows and you do not know.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 The perception of Jesus (ﷺ).

 Abraham (ﷺ) being Jewish or Christian.

Lo! ye are those who argue about that whereof ye have some knowledge: Why then argue ye concerning that whereof ye have no knowledge? Allah knoweth. Ye know not.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Ah! ye are those who fell to disputing (even) in matters of which ye had some knowledge! but why dispute ye in matters of which ye have no knowledge? It is Allah Who knows and ye who know not! ⁴⁰³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The number of sects among the Jews and Christians shows that they wrangled and disputed even about some of the matters of their own religion, of which they should have had some knowledge. But when they talk of Father Abraham, they are entirely out of court, as he lived before their peculiar systems were evolved.

Abraham was neither a "Jew" nor a "Christian", but was one who turned away from all that is false, having surrendered himself unto God; and he was not of those who ascribe divinity to aught beside Him.

  - Mohammad Asad

Ibrahim was neither a Jew nor a Christian but he was a Muslim, true in faith. He was not one of the mushrikin (who set up partners with Allah).

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian; he submitted in all uprightness¹ and was not a polytheist.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Linguistically, “Muslim” means “someone who has submitted themselves to Allah.”

Abraham was not a Jew, nor yet a Christian; but he was an upright man who had surrendered (to Allah), and he was not of the idolaters.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian but he was true in faith and bowed his will to Allah's (which is Islam) and he joined not gods with Allah. ⁴⁰⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. ii. 135 and the whole argument in that passage.

Behold, the people who have the best claim to Abraham are surely those who follow him - as does this Prophet and all who believe [in him] - and God is near unto the believers.

  - Mohammad Asad

Surely the people nearest to Ibrahim are those who follow him, which are this Prophet (Muhammad) and those who believe with him; Allah is the Protector of only those who are the believers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Indeed, those who have the best claim to Abraham are his followers, this Prophet,¹ and the believers. And Allah is the Guardian of those who believe.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Muḥammad (ﷺ).

Lo! those of mankind who have the best claim to Abraham are those who followed him, and this Prophet and those who believe (with him); and Allah is the Protecting Friend of the believers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Without doubt among men the nearest of kin to Abraham are those who follow him as are also this Apostle and those who believe; and Allah is the Protector of those who have faith.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Some of the followers of earlier revelation would love to lead you astray: yet none do they lead astray but themselves, and perceive it not.

  - Mohammad Asad

Some of the People of the Book want to mislead you; but they mislead none except themselves, though they do not realize it.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Some of the People of the Book wish to mislead you 'believers'. They mislead none but themselves, yet they fail to perceive it.

  - Mustafa Khattab

A party of the people of the Scripture long to make you go astray; and they make none to go astray except themselves, but they perceive not.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

It is the wish of a section of the People of the Book to lead you astray. But they shall lead astray (not you) but themselves and they do not perceive!

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

O followers of earlier revelation! Why do you deny the truth of God's messages to which you yourselves bear witness?⁵³

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "when you [yourselves] bear witness": an allusion to the Biblical prophecies relating to the coming of the Prophet Muhammad.

O People of the Book! Why you deny the revelations of Allah while you know that they are true?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O People of the Book! Why do you reject the signs of Allah while you bear witness 'to their truth'?

  - Mustafa Khattab

O People of the Scripture! Why disbelieve ye in the revelations of Allah, when ye (yourselves) bear witness (to the truth) ?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Ye People of the Book! Why reject ye the Signs of Allah of which ye are (yourselves) witnesses?

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

O followers of earlier revelation! Why do you cloak the truth with falsehood and conceal the truth of which you are [so well] aware?

  - Mohammad Asad

O People of the Book! Why do you confound the truth with falsehood and knowingly conceal the truth?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O People of the Book! Why do you mix the truth with falsehood and hide the truth knowingly?

  - Mustafa Khattab

O People of the Scripture! Why confound ye truth with falsehood and knowingly conceal the truth?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Ye People of the Book! Why do ye clothe truth with falsehood and conceal the truth while ye have knowledge? ⁴⁰⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

There are many ways of preventing the access of people to the truth. One is to tamper with it, or trick it out in colours of falsehood: haf-truths are often more dangerous than obvious falsehoods. Another is to conceal it altogether. Those who are jealous of a prophet of Allah, whom they actually see before them, do not allow his credentials or virtues to be known, or vilify him, or conceal facts which would attract people to him. When people do this of set purpose, against their own light ("of which ye are yourselves witnesses"), they are descending to the lowest depths of degradation, and they are doing more harm to themselves than to anyone else.

And some of the followers of earlier revelation say [to one another]: "Declare your belief in what has been revealed unto those who believe [in Muhammad] at the beginning of the day, and deny the truth of what came later,⁵⁴ so that they might go back [on their faith];

  - Mohammad Asad

Most of the commentators, relying on views current among some of the tabi'un (i.e., the generation that came after the Companions of the Prophet), understand this passage thus: "Declare at the beginning of the day your belief in what has been revealed unto those who believe in Muhammad, and deny the truth [thereof] in its latter part." This rendering would imply that the Judaeo-Christian attempts at confusing the Muslims, to which the above verse refers, consisted in alternatingly declaring belief and disbelief in the Qur'anic message. On the other hand, the rendering adopted by me (and supported by Al-Asam, whose interpretation has been quoted by Razi in his commentary on this verse) implies that some Jews and Christians have been and are hoping to achieve this end by admitting, however reluctantly, that there may be "some truth" in the early Qur'anic revelations ("that which has been revealed at the beginning of the day"), while they categorically reject its later parts inasmuch as they clearly contradict certain Biblical teachings.

Some of the People of the Book say to one another: "Believe in what is revealed to the believers (Muslims) in the morning and deny it in the evening; so that they (the Muslims) may follow suit and abandon their faith.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

A group among the People of the Book said 'to one another', 'Believe in what has been revealed to the believers in the morning and reject it in the evening, so they may abandon their faith.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And a party of the People of the Scripture say: Believe in that which hath been revealed, unto those who believe at the opening of the day, and disbelieve at the end thereof, in order that they may return;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

A section of the People of the Book say: "Believe in the morning what is revealed to the believers but reject it at the end of the day; perchance they may (themselves) turn back. ⁴⁰⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Wajh here has the sense of "beginning", early part. The cynics who plotted against Islam actually asked their accomplies to join the believers and then repudiate them.

but do not [really] believe anyone who does not follow your own faith." Say: "Behold, all [true] guidance is God's guidance consisting in one's being granted [revelation] such as you have been granted."⁵⁵ Or would they contend against you before your Sustainer? Say: "Behold, all bounty is in the hand of God; He grants it unto whom He wills:⁵⁶ for God is infinite all-knowing,

  - Mohammad Asad

This refers to the Jews and the Christians, who are not prepared to accept the Qur'anic message on the ground that it conflicts with parts of their own scriptures.

In this context, the term fadl ("bounty") is synonymous with the bestowal of divine revelation.

Do not follow anyone except the one who follows your own religion." O Muhammad, tell them: "The only true guidance is the guidance of Allah." These people of the Book do not believe that revelation could be sent to anyone besides themselves, like that which has been sent to you; or that they will ever argue with you in the presence of your Rabb. Tell them: "For sure, grace is in the hands of Allah: He bestows it on whom He pleases; Allah has boundless knowledge."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And only believe those who follow your religion.' Say, 'O Prophet,' 'Surely, 'the only' true guidance is Allah's guidance.' 'They also said,' 'Do not believe that someone will receive 'revealed' knowledge similar to yours or argue against you before your Lord.' Say, 'O Prophet,' 'Indeed, all bounty is in the Hands of Allah- He grants it to whoever He wills. And Allah is All-Bountiful, All-Knowing.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

And believe not save in one who followeth your religion--Say (O Muhammad): Lo! the guidance is Allah's guidance--that any one is given the like of that which was given unto you or that they may argue with you in the presence of their Lord. Say (O Muhammad): Lo! the bounty is in Allah's hand. He bestoweth it on whom He will. Allah is All Embracing, All Knowing.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"And believe no one unless he follows your religion." Say: "True guidance is the guidance of Allah; (fear ye) lest a revelation be sent to someone (else) like unto that which was sent unto you. Or that those (receiving such revelation) should engage you in argument before your Lord." Say: "All bounties are in the hand of Allah: He granteth them to whom He pleaseth; and Allah careth for all and He knoweth all things." ^{407 408}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The two clauses following have been variously construed, and some translations leave the sense ambiguous. I have construed the conjunction "an" to mean "lest", as it undoubtedly does in vii. 172. 'an taqulu", etc.

Cf. ii. 76. The People of the Book were doubly annoyed at the Muslims: (1) that they should (being outside their ranks) receive Allah's revelations, and (2) that having received such revelations, they should be able to convict them out of their own scriptures before their Lord.

singling out for His grace whom He wills. And God is limitless in His great bounty."

  - Mohammad Asad

He chooses for His mercy whom He pleases, Allah is the Owner of mighty grace.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He chooses whoever He wills to receive His mercy. And Allah is the Lord of infinite bounty.

  - Mustafa Khattab

He selecteth for His mercy whom He will. Allah is of infinite bounty.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

For His Mercy He specially chooseth whom He pleaseth: for Allah is the Lord of bounties unbounded.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

AND AMONG the followers of earlier revelation there is many a one who, if thou entrust him with a treasure, will [faithfully] restore it to thee; and there is among them many a one who, if thou entrust him with a tiny gold coin, will not restore it to thee unless thou keep standing over him - which is an outcome of their assertion,⁵⁷ "No blame can attach to us [for anything that we may do] with regard to these unlettered folk": and [so] they tell a lie about God, being well aware [that it is a lie].⁵⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "this, because they say". In Arabic usage, the verb qala (lit., "he said") often signifies "he asserted" or "expressed an opinion". As is evident from many Traditions, the people referred to are the Jews.

I.e., they falsely claim that God Himself has exempted them from all moral responsibility towards non-Jews (contemptuously described as "unlettered folk"), knowing well that their own scriptures provide no basis whatever for such a claim.

Among the People of the Book there are some who, if you trust them with a heap of gold, will readily return it back; and there are others who, if you trust them with a single dinar (silver coin) will not return it back unless you constantly keep on demanding; because they say, "We are not going to be called to account for our behavior with the illiterates (non Jews or Christians)." Thus they deliberately ascribe a lie to Allah - knowing well that He never permitted such wrongdoing.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

There are some among the People of the Book who, if entrusted with a stack of gold, will readily return it. Yet there are others who, if entrusted with a single coin, will not repay it unless you constantly demand it. This is because they say, 'We are not accountable for 'exploiting' the Gentiles.'¹ And 'so' they attribute lies to Allah knowingly.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 “Gentiles” here refers to the pagans of Arabia.

Among the People of the Scripture there is he who, if thou trust him with a weight of treasure, will return it to thee. And among them there is he who, if thou trust him with a piece of gold, will not return it to thee unless thou keep standing over him. That is because they say: We have no duty to the Gentiles. They speak a lie concerning Allah knowingly.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Among the People of the Book are some who if entrusted with a hoard of gold will (readily) pay it back; others who if entrusted with a single silver coin will not repay it unless thou constantly stoodest demanding because they say "There is no call on us (to keep faith) with these ignorant (pagans)." But they tell a lie against Allah and (well) they know it. ^{409 410 411}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Hoard of gold: qintar: a talent of 1,200 ounces of gold. See iii. 14. n. 354.

Silver coin: dinar. In the later Roman Empire, the denarius was a small silver coin. It must have been current in Syria and the markets of Arabia in the time of the Prophet. It was the coin whose name is translated in the English Bible by the word penny. Matt. xxii, 19: hence the abbreviation of penny is d (= denarius). The later Arabian coin dinar coined by the Umaiyads, was a gold coin after the pattern of the Byzantine (Roman) denarius aureus and weighed about 66349 grains troy, just a little more than a half-sovereign.

Every race imbued with race arrogance resorts to this kind of moral or religious subterfuge. Even if its members are usually honest or just among themselves, they are contemptuous of those outside their circle, and cheat and deceive them without any qualms of conscience. This is a "lie against Allah."