سُوْرَةُ الشُّوْرٰي
Surah Ash-Shura (42) — Ayah 14
وَمَا تَفَرَّقُوٓا۟ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْعِلْمُ بَغْيًۢا بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِن رَّبِّكَ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى لَّقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُورِثُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ لَفِى شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ مُرِيبٍ ﴿14﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And they divided not till after knowledge had come to them, through (selfish) transgression between themselves. And had it not been for a Word that went forth before from your Lord for an appointed term, the matter would have been settled between them. And verily, those who were made to inherit the Scripture [i.e. the Taurâh (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] after them (i.e. Jews and Christians) are in grave doubt concerning it (i.e. Allâh’s true religion - Islâm or the Qur’ân).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمَا
wamā
And not
تَفَرَّقُوٓا۟
tafarraqū
they became divided
إِلَّا
illā
until
مِنۢ
min
after
بَعْدِ
baʿdi
after
مَا
mā
[what]
جَآءَهُمُ
jāahumu
came to them
ٱلْعِلْمُ
l-ʿil'mu
the knowledge
بَغْيًۢا
baghyan
(out of) rivalry
بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ
baynahum
among them
وَلَوْلَا
walawlā
And if not
كَلِمَةٌۭ
kalimatun
(for) a word
سَبَقَتْ
sabaqat
(that) preceded
مِن
min
from
رَّبِّكَ
rabbika
your Lord
إِلَىٰٓ
ilā
for
أَجَلٍۢ
ajalin
a term
مُّسَمًّۭى
musamman
specified
لَّقُضِىَ
laquḍiya
surely, it (would have) been settled
بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ
baynahum
between them
وَإِنَّ
wa-inna
And indeed
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
أُورِثُوا۟
ūrithū
were made to inherit
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ
l-kitāba
the Book
مِنۢ
min
after them
بَعْدِهِمْ
baʿdihim
after them
لَفِى
lafī
(are) surely in
شَكٍّۢ
shakkin
doubt
مِّنْهُ
min'hu
concerning it
مُرِيبٍۢ
murībin
disquieting
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 14) ➊ { وَ مَا تَفَرَّقُوْۤا اِلَّا مِنْۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ:} That is, the reason for their splitting into sects was not that they were unaware of the commands of Allah and His Messenger, and due to ignorance they formed their own separate religions and schools of thought, but rather this division occurred after knowledge had come to them from Allah.
➋ { بَغْيًۢا بَيْنَهُمْ:} That is, the cause of forming separate groups and sects was their mutual jealousy, stubbornness, and enmity, due to which, instead of submitting to the command of Allah, they formed separate sects based on their own opinions and conjectures, and did not even refrain from altering the Book of Allah, to the extent that their mutual differences escalated to opposition and then to fighting and warfare. See also the exegesis of Surah Al-Baqarah (2:213).
➌ { وَ لَوْ لَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِنْ رَّبِّكَ … :} For its exegesis, see the exegesis of Surah Ha Mim Sajdah (41:45).
➍ { وَ اِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ اُوْرِثُوا الْكِتٰبَ مِنْۢ بَعْدِهِمْ … :} That is, in the beginning, those who formed sects deviated from the truth despite having knowledge, and made such verbal and conceptual alterations in the Book of Allah that the later generations, who were not worthy of inheriting this Book but were made its heirs, became afflicted with such doubts about its authenticity due to these alterations that they remained severely disturbed and restless. They no longer had certainty about their books being revealed, but rather, without any evidence or proof, blindly followed their forefathers and elders.
➎ Mufassir Abdul Rahman Kilani writes: "There were several reasons why these heirs fell into doubt about their revealed books, the greatest of which is that the original language and original text of these books was not preserved and conveyed to the coming generations; only translations were used, and these translations themselves were considered the revealed book. The second reason was that the sayings of elders and additional material were included in them, to the extent that it became difficult to distinguish between the two types of texts. The third reason was that their historical chain of transmission was also lost (in fact, no chain was kept at all). The effect of all these things was that the later scholars themselves fell into doubt about the book as to which part is correct and revealed, and which text consists of the sayings of elders, etc., and this very doubt and suspicion kept them in a state of anxiety in making any correct decision." (Tayseer al-Qur'an)
➋ { بَغْيًۢا بَيْنَهُمْ:} That is, the cause of forming separate groups and sects was their mutual jealousy, stubbornness, and enmity, due to which, instead of submitting to the command of Allah, they formed separate sects based on their own opinions and conjectures, and did not even refrain from altering the Book of Allah, to the extent that their mutual differences escalated to opposition and then to fighting and warfare. See also the exegesis of Surah Al-Baqarah (2:213).
➌ { وَ لَوْ لَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِنْ رَّبِّكَ … :} For its exegesis, see the exegesis of Surah Ha Mim Sajdah (41:45).
➍ { وَ اِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ اُوْرِثُوا الْكِتٰبَ مِنْۢ بَعْدِهِمْ … :} That is, in the beginning, those who formed sects deviated from the truth despite having knowledge, and made such verbal and conceptual alterations in the Book of Allah that the later generations, who were not worthy of inheriting this Book but were made its heirs, became afflicted with such doubts about its authenticity due to these alterations that they remained severely disturbed and restless. They no longer had certainty about their books being revealed, but rather, without any evidence or proof, blindly followed their forefathers and elders.
➎ Mufassir Abdul Rahman Kilani writes: "There were several reasons why these heirs fell into doubt about their revealed books, the greatest of which is that the original language and original text of these books was not preserved and conveyed to the coming generations; only translations were used, and these translations themselves were considered the revealed book. The second reason was that the sayings of elders and additional material were included in them, to the extent that it became difficult to distinguish between the two types of texts. The third reason was that their historical chain of transmission was also lost (in fact, no chain was kept at all). The effect of all these things was that the later scholars themselves fell into doubt about the book as to which part is correct and revealed, and which text consists of the sayings of elders, etc., and this very doubt and suspicion kept them in a state of anxiety in making any correct decision." (Tayseer al-Qur'an)
