سُوْرَةُ التَّوْبَةِ
Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 31
ٱتَّخَذُوٓا۟ أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَـٰنَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلْمَسِيحَ ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَمَآ أُمِرُوٓا۟ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَـٰهًا وَٰحِدًا ۖ لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ﴿31﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allâh (by obeying them in things which they made lawful or unlawful according to their own desires without being ordered by Allâh), and (they also took as their Lord) Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary), while they (Jews and Christians) were commanded [in the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] to worship none but One Ilâh (God - Allâh) Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He)[4]. Praise and glory be to Him (far above is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him)."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ٱتَّخَذُوٓا۟
ittakhadhū
They have taken
أَحْبَارَهُمْ
aḥbārahum
their rabbis
وَرُهْبَـٰنَهُمْ
waruh'bānahum
and their monks
أَرْبَابًۭا
arbāban
(as) Lords
مِّن
min
besides
دُونِ
dūni
besides
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
وَٱلْمَسِيحَ
wal-masīḥa
and the Messiah
ٱبْنَ
ib'na
son
مَرْيَمَ
maryama
(of) Maryam
وَمَآ
wamā
And not
أُمِرُوٓا۟
umirū
they were commanded
إِلَّا
illā
except
لِيَعْبُدُوٓا۟
liyaʿbudū
that they worship
إِلَـٰهًۭا
ilāhan
One God
وَٰحِدًۭا ۖ
wāḥidan
One God
لَّآ
lā
(There) is no
إِلَـٰهَ
ilāha
god
إِلَّا
illā
except
هُوَ ۚ
huwa
Him
سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥ
sub'ḥānahu
Glory be to Him
عَمَّا
ʿammā
from what
يُشْرِكُونَ
yush'rikūna
they associate (with Him)
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.
31. 1. Its explanation is clearly given by the hadith narrated by Hazrat Adi bin Hatim. He says that after hearing this verse from the Prophet ﷺ, I submitted, "The Jews and Christians never worshipped their scholars, then why has it been said that they made them their lords?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "It is true that they did not worship them, but this is the case: when their scholars declared something lawful, they considered it lawful, and when they declared something unlawful, they considered it unlawful. This is their worship of them." (Sahih Tirmidhi) Because the authority to declare lawful and unlawful belongs only to Allah Almighty. If anyone accepts this right in someone else, it means he has made him his lord. In this verse, there is a great warning for those who have given their leaders the position of declaring lawful and unlawful, and are not even willing to give importance to the texts of the Quran and Hadith in comparison to their statements.
