سُوْرَةُ المَآئِدَةِ
Surah Al-Maaida (5) — Ayah 17
لَّقَدْ كَفَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْمَسِيحُ ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ ۚ قُلْ فَمَن يَمْلِكُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًٔا إِنْ أَرَادَ أَن يُهْلِكَ ٱلْمَسِيحَ ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَأُمَّهُۥ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ۗ وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ۚ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴿17﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Surely, in disbelief are they who say that Allâh is the Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary). Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "Who then has the least power against Allâh, if He were to destroy the Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary), his mother, and all those who are on the earth together?" And to Allâh belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them. He creates what He wills. And Allâh is Able to do all things.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
لَّقَدْ
laqad
Certainly
كَفَرَ
kafara
disbelieved
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
قَالُوٓا۟
qālū
said
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
هُوَ
huwa
He
ٱلْمَسِيحُ
l-masīḥu
(is) the Messiah
ٱبْنُ
ub'nu
son
مَرْيَمَ ۚ
maryama
(of) Maryam
قُلْ
qul
Say
فَمَن
faman
Then who
يَمْلِكُ
yamliku
has power
مِنَ
mina
against
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
شَيْـًٔا
shayan
(in) anything
إِنْ
in
if
أَرَادَ
arāda
He intends
أَن
an
to
يُهْلِكَ
yuh'lika
destroy
ٱلْمَسِيحَ
l-masīḥa
the Messiah
ٱبْنَ
ib'na
son
مَرْيَمَ
maryama
(of) Maryam
وَأُمَّهُۥ
wa-ummahu
and his mother
وَمَن
waman
and whoever
فِى
fī
(is) in
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the earth
جَمِيعًۭا ۗ
jamīʿan
all
وَلِلَّهِ
walillahi
And for Allah
مُلْكُ
mul'ku
(is the) dominion
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ
l-samāwāti
(of) the heavens
وَٱلْأَرْضِ
wal-arḍi
and the earth
وَمَا
wamā
and what
بَيْنَهُمَا ۚ
baynahumā
(is) between both of them
يَخْلُقُ
yakhluqu
He creates
مَا
mā
what
يَشَآءُ ۚ
yashāu
He wills
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
and Allah
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
(is) on
كُلِّ
kulli
every
شَىْءٍۢ
shayin
thing
قَدِيرٌۭ
qadīrun
All-Powerful
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 17) ➊ {لَقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِيْنَ قَالُوْۤا ……:} That is, those who said that Allah and the Messiah are one and the same, and there is no difference between them. In ancient times, this was only the belief of the Christian sect Jacobites, but in this era, the three Christian sects—Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox—all, although they believe in the Trinity, their real aim is to consider the Messiah (peace be upon him) as God. In other words, all of them believe in the unity of God and the Messiah. In this verse, Allah has declared all of them to be disbelievers. (Al-Manar) Among Muslims, praise be to Allah, there are many who are steadfast on the belief in the Oneness of Allah, but there are also some misguided ones who have clearly said:
He who was established on the Throne as God
Has descended in Madinah as Mustafa
This is exactly the same polytheistic belief mentioned above. May Allah guide all Muslims to hold the belief in the Oneness of Allah and grant them steadfastness upon it. Ameen!
➋ {قُلْ فَمَنْ يَّمْلِكُ مِنَ اللّٰهِ شَيْـًٔا …… :} That is, He is the Owner of all and the Absolute Controller, and He has power and superiority over everything. If He wills, He can destroy everything in an instant. If the Messiah (peace be upon him) were God, then at least he could have saved himself and his mother, but Allah caused his mother to die, and He will also cause him to die at the appointed time; he will not be able to escape death. This clearly shows that he is neither God nor the son of God, but rather His servant and messenger. (Kabir, Qurtubi)
➌ {يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ:} That is, He creates whatever He wills and makes whomever He wills as He wishes. He created Adam (peace be upon him) without both a mother and a father, so what difficulty would there be for Him to create Jesus (peace be upon him) without a father? Merely being born without a father does not make anyone God. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes that Allah sometimes says such things regarding the Prophets so that their followers do not elevate them beyond the limits of servitude. (Muwadhih)
He who was established on the Throne as God
Has descended in Madinah as Mustafa
This is exactly the same polytheistic belief mentioned above. May Allah guide all Muslims to hold the belief in the Oneness of Allah and grant them steadfastness upon it. Ameen!
➋ {قُلْ فَمَنْ يَّمْلِكُ مِنَ اللّٰهِ شَيْـًٔا …… :} That is, He is the Owner of all and the Absolute Controller, and He has power and superiority over everything. If He wills, He can destroy everything in an instant. If the Messiah (peace be upon him) were God, then at least he could have saved himself and his mother, but Allah caused his mother to die, and He will also cause him to die at the appointed time; he will not be able to escape death. This clearly shows that he is neither God nor the son of God, but rather His servant and messenger. (Kabir, Qurtubi)
➌ {يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ:} That is, He creates whatever He wills and makes whomever He wills as He wishes. He created Adam (peace be upon him) without both a mother and a father, so what difficulty would there be for Him to create Jesus (peace be upon him) without a father? Merely being born without a father does not make anyone God. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes that Allah sometimes says such things regarding the Prophets so that their followers do not elevate them beyond the limits of servitude. (Muwadhih)
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
17. 1. In this verse, Allah Almighty has described His perfect power and complete ownership. The purpose is to refute and invalidate the Christian belief in the divinity of Jesus. Initially, only a few people believed in the absolute divinity of Jesus, that is, only one sect—the Jacobites—held this belief, but now all Christians, in one way or another, believe in the divinity of Jesus. Therefore, the doctrine of the Trinity or the three hypostases now holds fundamental importance in Christianity. In any case, the Qur'an has clearly stated at this point that attributing divine qualities to any prophet or messenger is outright disbelief. The Christians committed this disbelief by declaring Jesus as Allah; if any other group or sect elevates any other prophet from the status of humanity and prophethood to the status of divinity, they too will be committing the same disbelief.
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
17. Surely, those who say, "The Messiah, son of Mary [45], is Allah," have certainly disbelieved. Say, "Who then has any power against Allah, if He intended to destroy the Messiah, son of Mary, and his mother [46], and everyone on the earth altogether?" To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them. He creates whatever He wills [47], and Allah is Powerful over all things [48].
[45]
The Statement of the Christians that ‘Isa is the Essence of Allah and Its Refutation:
These disbelievers are the Christians or Nasara who tried to merge divinity into the humanity of ‘Isa (Jesus) ؑ. Since this way of thinking was entirely based on misguidance and polytheism, many paths of misguidance emerged. One sect emphasized the aspect of divinity and said that Allah Almighty incarnated in the body of ‘Isa ؑ, therefore he is the very essence of Allah Almighty or is Allah Himself. Those who emphasized the aspect of humanity said that ‘Isa is not the very essence of Allah, but he is certainly the son of Allah. And those who adopted a third, intermediate path of misguidance said that Allah is not one, but three, and all three are eternal and everlasting: one is Allah, the second is ‘Isa ؑ, and the third is the Holy Spirit. Then these three together also make one god. Then, after a long time, Lady Maryam was also considered to be included in divinity (and other such superstitions).
[42] The Christians associate both ‘Isa ؑ and Lady Maryam ؑ with divinity, while Sayyiduna ‘Isa ؑ (according to the Christians) could not save himself from being crucified, and Lady Maryam ؑ could not save herself from the accusation of the Jews, so what kind of divinity did they have? And if Allah were to destroy both of them and all the other humans present on this earth in an instant, is there anyone who could restrain His hand? Because the Creator of all these things is also Allah Almighty, and He alone is the Owner. And the Owner has the right to do as He wills with what He owns.
[47] That is, He created ‘Isa ؑ without a father, and Hawwa (Eve) without a mother, through the means of Sayyiduna Adam ؑ,, and Sayyiduna Adam ؑ without both mother and father, and the fourth and most common form is that He creates through the union of man and woman, and He has complete power to create in every way.
[48]
The Statement of the Jews and Christians that “We are the Sons and Beloved Ones of Allah”:
That is, the punishment that is being inflicted upon them in this world—if they are truly the beloved of Allah, then why are they being punished and disgraced? In previous eras, you were destroyed and ruined twice, and what is your condition today? Does anyone punish and disgrace their beloved or dear ones? From this, it is clear that their claim is absolutely false and baseless. Their second claim was that we are the descendants of the Prophets, and in this respect, we are the beloved of Allah and will not face punishment in the Hereafter. Allah refuted this claim by saying that if you are truthful in your claim, then you should long for death as soon as possible, from which it is clear that only a person’s deeds can be the means of his salvation in the Hereafter; lineage and ancestry will be of no use there.
On the Day of Judgment, Lineage and Ancestry Will Be of No Use:
Thus, Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever is held back by his deeds, his lineage will not push him forward.”
[مسلم کتاب الذکر۔ باب فضل الاجتماع علی تلاوۃ القرآن]
And when the verse of Surah Shu‘ara: ﴿وَاَنْذِرْ عَشِيْرَتَكَ الْاَقْرَبِيْنَ﴾ was revealed, the Prophet ﷺ called his relatives and mentioned them by name, for example: O ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib! I will not be able to do anything for you. O Safiyyah! (the Prophet’s ﷺ aunt) I will not be able to do anything for you. O Fatimah bint Muhammad ﷺ! Ask me for whatever you want from my wealth (in this world). I will not be able to do anything for you.
[بخاری۔ کتاب التفسیر سورۃ شعراء۔ مسلم کتاب الایمان۔ باب۔ وانذر عشیر تک الاقربین]
[45]
The Statement of the Christians that ‘Isa is the Essence of Allah and Its Refutation:
These disbelievers are the Christians or Nasara who tried to merge divinity into the humanity of ‘Isa (Jesus) ؑ. Since this way of thinking was entirely based on misguidance and polytheism, many paths of misguidance emerged. One sect emphasized the aspect of divinity and said that Allah Almighty incarnated in the body of ‘Isa ؑ, therefore he is the very essence of Allah Almighty or is Allah Himself. Those who emphasized the aspect of humanity said that ‘Isa is not the very essence of Allah, but he is certainly the son of Allah. And those who adopted a third, intermediate path of misguidance said that Allah is not one, but three, and all three are eternal and everlasting: one is Allah, the second is ‘Isa ؑ, and the third is the Holy Spirit. Then these three together also make one god. Then, after a long time, Lady Maryam was also considered to be included in divinity (and other such superstitions).
[42] The Christians associate both ‘Isa ؑ and Lady Maryam ؑ with divinity, while Sayyiduna ‘Isa ؑ (according to the Christians) could not save himself from being crucified, and Lady Maryam ؑ could not save herself from the accusation of the Jews, so what kind of divinity did they have? And if Allah were to destroy both of them and all the other humans present on this earth in an instant, is there anyone who could restrain His hand? Because the Creator of all these things is also Allah Almighty, and He alone is the Owner. And the Owner has the right to do as He wills with what He owns.
[47] That is, He created ‘Isa ؑ without a father, and Hawwa (Eve) without a mother, through the means of Sayyiduna Adam ؑ,, and Sayyiduna Adam ؑ without both mother and father, and the fourth and most common form is that He creates through the union of man and woman, and He has complete power to create in every way.
[48]
The Statement of the Jews and Christians that “We are the Sons and Beloved Ones of Allah”:
That is, the punishment that is being inflicted upon them in this world—if they are truly the beloved of Allah, then why are they being punished and disgraced? In previous eras, you were destroyed and ruined twice, and what is your condition today? Does anyone punish and disgrace their beloved or dear ones? From this, it is clear that their claim is absolutely false and baseless. Their second claim was that we are the descendants of the Prophets, and in this respect, we are the beloved of Allah and will not face punishment in the Hereafter. Allah refuted this claim by saying that if you are truthful in your claim, then you should long for death as soon as possible, from which it is clear that only a person’s deeds can be the means of his salvation in the Hereafter; lineage and ancestry will be of no use there.
On the Day of Judgment, Lineage and Ancestry Will Be of No Use:
Thus, Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever is held back by his deeds, his lineage will not push him forward.”
[مسلم کتاب الذکر۔ باب فضل الاجتماع علی تلاوۃ القرآن]
And when the verse of Surah Shu‘ara: ﴿وَاَنْذِرْ عَشِيْرَتَكَ الْاَقْرَبِيْنَ﴾ was revealed, the Prophet ﷺ called his relatives and mentioned them by name, for example: O ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib! I will not be able to do anything for you. O Safiyyah! (the Prophet’s ﷺ aunt) I will not be able to do anything for you. O Fatimah bint Muhammad ﷺ! Ask me for whatever you want from my wealth (in this world). I will not be able to do anything for you.
[بخاری۔ کتاب التفسیر سورۃ شعراء۔ مسلم کتاب الایمان۔ باب۔ وانذر عشیر تک الاقربین]
