سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 140
أَمْ تَقُولُونَ إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَٱلْأَسْبَاطَ كَانُوا۟ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَـٰرَىٰ ۗ قُلْ ءَأَنتُمْ أَعْلَمُ أَمِ ٱللَّهُ ۗ وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن كَتَمَ شَهَـٰدَةً عِندَهُۥ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿140﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Or say you that Ibrâhîm (Abraham), Ismâ‘îl (Ishmael), Ishâq (Isaac), Ya‘qûb (Jacob) and Al-Asbât [the offspring of the twelve sons of Ya‘qûb (Jacob)] were Jews or Christians? Say, "Do you know better or does Allâh (knows better ... that they all were Muslims)? And who is more unjust than he who conceals the testimony [i.e. to believe in Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم when he comes, as is written in their Books. (See Verse 7:157)] he has from Allâh? And Allâh is not unaware of what you do."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَمْ
am
Or
تَقُولُونَ
taqūlūna
(do) you say
إِنَّ
inna
that
إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ
ib'rāhīma
Ibrahim
وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ
wa-is'māʿīla
and Ishmael
وَإِسْحَـٰقَ
wa-is'ḥāqa
and Isaac
وَيَعْقُوبَ
wayaʿqūba
and Yaqub
وَٱلْأَسْبَاطَ
wal-asbāṭa
and the descendants
كَانُوا۟
kānū
were
هُودًا
hūdan
Jews
أَوْ
aw
or
نَصَـٰرَىٰ ۗ
naṣārā
Christians
قُلْ
qul
Say
ءَأَنتُمْ
a-antum
Are you
أَعْلَمُ
aʿlamu
better knowing
أَمِ
ami
or
ٱللَّهُ ۗ
l-lahu
(is) Allah
وَمَنْ
waman
And who
أَظْلَمُ
aẓlamu
(is) more unjust
مِمَّن
mimman
than (the one) who
كَتَمَ
katama
concealed
شَهَـٰدَةً
shahādatan
a testimony
عِندَهُۥ
ʿindahu
(that) he has
مِنَ
mina
from
ٱللَّهِ ۗ
l-lahi
Allah
وَمَا
wamā
And not
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
(is) Allah
بِغَـٰفِلٍ
bighāfilin
unaware
عَمَّا
ʿammā
of what
تَعْمَلُونَ
taʿmalūna
you do
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.
(O People of the Book!) Do you say that "Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants were all Jews or Christians?" Do you know better, or does Allah? And who is more unjust than the one who conceals the testimony he has from Allah [172]? And Allah is not unaware of what you do.
[172]
The Accusation by Jews and Christians that Their Prophets Were Jewish or Christian:
To understand the meaning of this verse, it is first necessary to know that Judaism, according to its current beliefs and doctrines, came into existence in the third and fourth centuries BCE. Christianity, with its specific beliefs and doctrines, is a product of the period after the death of Jesus ؑ. The scholars of the Jews and Christians were well aware that Abraham ؑ, Ishmael ؑ, Isaac ؑ, Jacob ؑ, and their descendants, such as Joseph ؑ and others, had all passed away long before the emergence of this form of Judaism and Christianity. However, these Jewish and Christian scholars had firmly established in the minds of the common people that, according to the Jews, the aforementioned prophets were Jewish, and according to the Christians, they were Christian. In this context, observe this verse in which Allah Almighty has exposed the dishonesty of the Jewish and Christian scholars and, by declaring them guilty of concealing testimony, has deemed them the greatest of wrongdoers.
[172]
The Accusation by Jews and Christians that Their Prophets Were Jewish or Christian:
To understand the meaning of this verse, it is first necessary to know that Judaism, according to its current beliefs and doctrines, came into existence in the third and fourth centuries BCE. Christianity, with its specific beliefs and doctrines, is a product of the period after the death of Jesus ؑ. The scholars of the Jews and Christians were well aware that Abraham ؑ, Ishmael ؑ, Isaac ؑ, Jacob ؑ, and their descendants, such as Joseph ؑ and others, had all passed away long before the emergence of this form of Judaism and Christianity. However, these Jewish and Christian scholars had firmly established in the minds of the common people that, according to the Jews, the aforementioned prophets were Jewish, and according to the Christians, they were Christian. In this context, observe this verse in which Allah Almighty has exposed the dishonesty of the Jewish and Christian scholars and, by declaring them guilty of concealing testimony, has deemed them the greatest of wrongdoers.
