سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْۣبِيَآءِ
Surah Al-Anbiyaa (21) — Ayah 93
وَتَقَطَّعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَهُم بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ كُلٌّ إِلَيْنَا رَٰجِعُونَ ﴿93﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
But they have broken up and differed as regards their religion among themselves. (And) they all shall return to Us.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَتَقَطَّعُوٓا۟
wataqaṭṭaʿū
But they cut off
أَمْرَهُم
amrahum
their affair
بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ
baynahum
among themselves
كُلٌّ
kullun
all
إِلَيْنَا
ilaynā
to Us
رَٰجِعُونَ
rājiʿūna
(will) return
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 93) ➊ {وَ تَقَطَّعُوْۤا اَمْرَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ:’’ تَقَطَّعُوْۤا ‘‘} is from the form "tafaʿʿul" which is intransitive. Originally it was {’’ تَقَطَّعُوْا فِي أَمْرِهِمْ‘‘}, meaning they became divided among themselves in the matter of their religion. Due to the omission of {’’فِيْ‘‘ }, the accusative came on {’’ اَمْرَهُمْ ‘‘}. Some have said that here {’’ تَقَطَّعُوْۤا ‘‘} is in the form "tafʿīl" ({قَطَّعُوْا}) which is transitive, meaning they divided their religion among themselves. This meaning is also possible, but the first meaning is more correct. That is, all had one religion and one Lord, so it was necessary that all remained one community and held firmly to the Book and Sunnah of their Prophet, but despite knowing everything, merely due to mutual stubbornness and enmity, they split into many sects regarding religion. See Surah Al-Baqarah (2:213) and Surah Ash-Shura (13, 14). The same happened to our Ummah, that instead of uniting on the Book and Sunnah, they made separate leaders of jurisprudence and Sufism and split into many sects, each of which considers itself to be on the truth. Politically, by abolishing the Islamic Caliphate, they were divided into fifty-six (56) independent countries, none of which is truly independent; the result is before everyone.
➋ Before this, Allah Almighty addressed the People of the Book and said: «{ اِنَّ هٰذِهٖۤ اُمَّتُكُمْ اُمَّةً وَّاحِدَةً وَّ اَنَا رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوْنِ }» meaning, "This is your Ummah, one Ummah, and I am your Lord, so worship Me alone." Now in this verse, instead of addressing them, He mentioned them in the third person and instead of saying {’’ تَقَطَّعْتُمْ أَمْرَكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ ‘‘} (you became divided among yourselves in the matter of your religion), He said: {’’ وَ تَقَطَّعُوْۤا اَمْرَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ ‘‘} that they became divided among themselves in their matter. This is a shift from direct address to third person, as if after addressing them, Allah Almighty did not consider them worthy of being addressed due to their factionalism, so He mentioned them in the third person.
➌ { كُلٌّ اِلَيْنَا رٰجِعُوْنَ :} meaning, these people may form as many groups as they wish, in the end all have to return to Us, then We will decide among all. He said: «{ قُلِ اللّٰهُمَّ فَاطِرَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ عٰلِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَ الشَّهَادَةِ اَنْتَ تَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ فِيْ مَا كَانُوْا فِيْهِ يَخْتَلِفُوْنَ }» [الزمر : ۴۶ ] "Say: O Allah! Creator of the heavens and the earth! Knower of the unseen and the seen! You alone will judge between Your servants concerning that in which they used to differ."
➋ Before this, Allah Almighty addressed the People of the Book and said: «{ اِنَّ هٰذِهٖۤ اُمَّتُكُمْ اُمَّةً وَّاحِدَةً وَّ اَنَا رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوْنِ }» meaning, "This is your Ummah, one Ummah, and I am your Lord, so worship Me alone." Now in this verse, instead of addressing them, He mentioned them in the third person and instead of saying {’’ تَقَطَّعْتُمْ أَمْرَكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ ‘‘} (you became divided among yourselves in the matter of your religion), He said: {’’ وَ تَقَطَّعُوْۤا اَمْرَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ ‘‘} that they became divided among themselves in their matter. This is a shift from direct address to third person, as if after addressing them, Allah Almighty did not consider them worthy of being addressed due to their factionalism, so He mentioned them in the third person.
➌ { كُلٌّ اِلَيْنَا رٰجِعُوْنَ :} meaning, these people may form as many groups as they wish, in the end all have to return to Us, then We will decide among all. He said: «{ قُلِ اللّٰهُمَّ فَاطِرَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ عٰلِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَ الشَّهَادَةِ اَنْتَ تَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ فِيْ مَا كَانُوْا فِيْهِ يَخْتَلِفُوْنَ }» [الزمر : ۴۶ ] "Say: O Allah! Creator of the heavens and the earth! Knower of the unseen and the seen! You alone will judge between Your servants concerning that in which they used to differ."
