سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 23
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ نَصِيبًا مِّنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَىٰ كِتَـٰبِ ٱللَّهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّىٰ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ وَهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ ﴿23﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Have you not seen those who have been given a portion of the Scripture? They are being invited to the Book of Allâh to settle their dispute, then a party of them turn away, and they are averse.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَلَمْ
alam
Have not
تَرَ
tara
you seen
إِلَى
ilā
[to]
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
أُوتُوا۟
ūtū
were given
نَصِيبًۭا
naṣīban
a portion
مِّنَ
mina
of
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ
l-kitābi
the Scripture
يُدْعَوْنَ
yud'ʿawna
They are invited
إِلَىٰ
ilā
to
كِتَـٰبِ
kitābi
(the) Book
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
لِيَحْكُمَ
liyaḥkuma
that (it should) arbitrate
بَيْنَهُمْ
baynahum
between them
ثُمَّ
thumma
then
يَتَوَلَّىٰ
yatawallā
turns away
فَرِيقٌۭ
farīqun
a party
مِّنْهُمْ
min'hum
of them
وَهُم
wahum
and they (are)
مُّعْرِضُونَ
muʿ'riḍūna
those who are averse
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.
23. Have you not considered those who were given a portion of the Scripture (the Torah)? When they are invited to Allah’s Book (the Torah) to judge between them, a group of them turns away and they refuse (to accept its judgment) [27].
[27]
The Jewish Scholars Avoiding Judgment According to the Book of Allah:
In this verse, ﴿اُوْتُوْا نَصِيْبًا مِّنَ الْكِتٰبِ﴾ refers to those Jewish scholars who possessed some knowledge of the Torah. However, despite their knowledge, altering the commands of the Book of Allah had become their second nature. In the Torah, there was a clear command of stoning for a married man or woman who committed adultery. At first, these scholars would, when a noble, wealthy, or respected person committed adultery, use various legal tricks to drop the punishment, but would enforce the prescribed punishment on weaker individuals. Later, they devised a middle path for all kinds of people and decided that the punishment for an adulterer should be the same for everyone, and that punishment was that whether the adulterer was a man or a woman, young or old, their face would be blackened, they would be made to ride a donkey, and paraded around the settlement. Once, during the time of the Prophet ﷺ, an incident occurred where a wealthy Jew committed adultery with a Jewish woman. Both were married. Their case was brought before the court of the Prophet ﷺ. Their intention was that perhaps in this way the adulterers would escape stoning. The Prophet ﷺ asked the Jewish scholars: What punishment do you find in the Book of Allah for such people? They immediately replied that they blacken their faces, make them ride a donkey, and parade them around. Abdullah bin Salam ؓ (who was among the Jewish scholars and had embraced Islam) said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: They are lying. Tell them to bring the Book of Allah. So the Torah was brought. The reader placed his hand over the verse of stoning and tried to hide it, reading from before and after it. At the request of Abdullah bin Salam ؓ, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ told him to lift his hand, and underneath was the verse of stoning. In this way, when the theft of these scholars was exposed, they got up and left out of shame. This verse describes the conduct of such Jewish scholars. Now, the judgment of the case was still pending. So, the Prophet ﷺ had the Jewish man and woman stoned. This incident is mentioned in several authentic hadiths.
[27]
The Jewish Scholars Avoiding Judgment According to the Book of Allah:
In this verse, ﴿اُوْتُوْا نَصِيْبًا مِّنَ الْكِتٰبِ﴾ refers to those Jewish scholars who possessed some knowledge of the Torah. However, despite their knowledge, altering the commands of the Book of Allah had become their second nature. In the Torah, there was a clear command of stoning for a married man or woman who committed adultery. At first, these scholars would, when a noble, wealthy, or respected person committed adultery, use various legal tricks to drop the punishment, but would enforce the prescribed punishment on weaker individuals. Later, they devised a middle path for all kinds of people and decided that the punishment for an adulterer should be the same for everyone, and that punishment was that whether the adulterer was a man or a woman, young or old, their face would be blackened, they would be made to ride a donkey, and paraded around the settlement. Once, during the time of the Prophet ﷺ, an incident occurred where a wealthy Jew committed adultery with a Jewish woman. Both were married. Their case was brought before the court of the Prophet ﷺ. Their intention was that perhaps in this way the adulterers would escape stoning. The Prophet ﷺ asked the Jewish scholars: What punishment do you find in the Book of Allah for such people? They immediately replied that they blacken their faces, make them ride a donkey, and parade them around. Abdullah bin Salam ؓ (who was among the Jewish scholars and had embraced Islam) said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: They are lying. Tell them to bring the Book of Allah. So the Torah was brought. The reader placed his hand over the verse of stoning and tried to hide it, reading from before and after it. At the request of Abdullah bin Salam ؓ, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ told him to lift his hand, and underneath was the verse of stoning. In this way, when the theft of these scholars was exposed, they got up and left out of shame. This verse describes the conduct of such Jewish scholars. Now, the judgment of the case was still pending. So, the Prophet ﷺ had the Jewish man and woman stoned. This incident is mentioned in several authentic hadiths.
