سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 64
قُلْ يَـٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ تَعَالَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَآءٍۭ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِۦ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَقُولُوا۟ ٱشْهَدُوا۟ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ ﴿64﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allâh (Alone), and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allâh. Then, if they turn away, say: "Bear witness that we are Muslims."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قُلْ
qul
Say
يَـٰٓأَهْلَ
yāahla
O People
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ
l-kitābi
(of) the Book
تَعَالَوْا۟
taʿālaw
Come
إِلَىٰ
ilā
to
كَلِمَةٍۢ
kalimatin
a word
سَوَآءٍۭ
sawāin
equitable
بَيْنَنَا
baynanā
between us
وَبَيْنَكُمْ
wabaynakum
and between you
أَلَّا
allā
that not
نَعْبُدَ
naʿbuda
we worship
إِلَّا
illā
except
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
وَلَا
walā
and not
نُشْرِكَ
nush'rika
we associate partners
بِهِۦ
bihi
with Him
شَيْـًۭٔا
shayan
anything
وَلَا
walā
and not
يَتَّخِذَ
yattakhidha
take
بَعْضُنَا
baʿḍunā
some of us
بَعْضًا
baʿḍan
(to) others
أَرْبَابًۭا
arbāban
(as) lords
مِّن
min
from
دُونِ
dūni
besides
ٱللَّهِ ۚ
l-lahi
Allah
فَإِن
fa-in
Then if
تَوَلَّوْا۟
tawallaw
they turn away
فَقُولُوا۟
faqūlū
then say
ٱشْهَدُوا۟
ish'hadū
Bear witness
بِأَنَّا
bi-annā
that we
مُسْلِمُونَ
mus'limūna
(are) Muslims
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 64) ➊ { قُلْ يٰۤاَهْلَ الْكِتٰبِ …:} In this verse, a command is given to invite the People of the Book to three common matters: (1) That we worship none except Allah. (2) That we do not associate anything with Him. (3) And that none of us take others as lords besides Allah. Despite the distortions in the Torah and the Gospel, the Torah is still filled with monotheism and the prohibition of shirk, and the Gospel also contains this teaching in various places, such as: "Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only." [متّی : ۴ : ۱۰ ] In fact, it is also stated: "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." [متّی : ۶ : ۱۰ ]
➋ The People of the Book were opposing all three matters: the Jews declared Ezra as the son of Allah and the Christians began worshipping the Messiah as the son of Allah, and both made the lawful and unlawful according to the rulings of their rabbis and monks, thus granting them the status of lordship. For details, see Surah At-Tawbah (30, 31) and their footnotes.
➌ The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), according to Allah's command, invited the People of the Book to this common belief; those who were near, he invited directly, and those who were far, he wrote letters to them. Thus, when he wrote a letter to Heraclius, the king of Rome, he invited him to Islam and also wrote the verse under commentary, as mentioned in Sahih Bukhari "Book of Tafsir (4553)."
➍ { فَاِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقُوْلُوا اشْهَدُوْا بِاَنَّا مُسْلِمُوْنَ:} That is, if the People of the Book turn away from accepting this belief, then you should declare that you remain firm upon this belief from your side. In this, it is indicated that the People of the Book have deviated from this belief, because they declared Ezra and Jesus (peace be upon them) as sons of Allah. In addition, they made the graves of their prophets and righteous people into places of prostration.
➋ The People of the Book were opposing all three matters: the Jews declared Ezra as the son of Allah and the Christians began worshipping the Messiah as the son of Allah, and both made the lawful and unlawful according to the rulings of their rabbis and monks, thus granting them the status of lordship. For details, see Surah At-Tawbah (30, 31) and their footnotes.
➌ The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), according to Allah's command, invited the People of the Book to this common belief; those who were near, he invited directly, and those who were far, he wrote letters to them. Thus, when he wrote a letter to Heraclius, the king of Rome, he invited him to Islam and also wrote the verse under commentary, as mentioned in Sahih Bukhari "Book of Tafsir (4553)."
➍ { فَاِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقُوْلُوا اشْهَدُوْا بِاَنَّا مُسْلِمُوْنَ:} That is, if the People of the Book turn away from accepting this belief, then you should declare that you remain firm upon this belief from your side. In this, it is indicated that the People of the Book have deviated from this belief, because they declared Ezra and Jesus (peace be upon them) as sons of Allah. In addition, they made the graves of their prophets and righteous people into places of prostration.
