سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 79
مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُؤْتِيَهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحُكْمَ وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُوا۟ عِبَادًا لِّى مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَـٰكِن كُونُوا۟ رَبَّـٰنِيِّـۧنَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ ﴿79﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
It is not (possible) for any human being to whom Allâh has given the Book and Al-Hukm (the knowledge and understanding of the laws of religion) and Prophethood to say to the people: "Be my worshippers rather than Allâh’s." On the contrary (he would say): "Be you Rabbâniyyûn (learned men of religion who practise what they know and also preach others), because you are teaching the Book, and you are studying it."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
مَا
mā
Not
كَانَ
kāna
is
لِبَشَرٍ
libasharin
for a human
أَن
an
that
يُؤْتِيَهُ
yu'tiyahu
gives him
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ
l-kitāba
the Book
وَٱلْحُكْمَ
wal-ḥuk'ma
and the wisdom
وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَ
wal-nubuwata
and the Prophethood
ثُمَّ
thumma
then
يَقُولَ
yaqūla
he says
لِلنَّاسِ
lilnnāsi
to the people
كُونُوا۟
kūnū
Be
عِبَادًۭا
ʿibādan
worshippers
لِّى
lī
of me
مِن
min
from
دُونِ
dūni
besides
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
وَلَـٰكِن
walākin
but (would say)
كُونُوا۟
kūnū
Be
رَبَّـٰنِيِّـۧنَ
rabbāniyyīna
worshippers of the Lord
بِمَا
bimā
because
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you have been
تُعَلِّمُونَ
tuʿallimūna
teaching
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ
l-kitāba
the Book
وَبِمَا
wabimā
and because
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you have been
تَدْرُسُونَ
tadrusūna
studying (it)
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.
79. It is not for any human being to whom Allah has given the Book, wisdom, and prophethood, that he should then say to the people, "Be my servants instead of Allah's [69]." Rather, (he would say), "Be devoted to Allah [70], because you teach the Book and you study it yourselves." (This is what the teaching of the Book requires.)
[69]
The Act of Elevating Any Creature to the Rank of Divinity Can Never Be That of a Prophet:
There are several reports regarding the context of revelation of this verse, and all of them seem to be correct. For example, one is that when the Christians of Najran came to debate and argue with you, the Jews joined them and sarcastically said to you, “Do you want us to worship you?” Then this verse was revealed. Another report is that a Companion asked you, “The Romans and Persians prostrate before their kings; should we not prostrate to you instead of greeting you with salam?” You strictly forbade this and said, “If it were permissible to prostrate to anyone other than Allah, I would have commanded the wife to prostrate to her husband, because the husband has great rights over the wife.”
[ترمذی، ابواب الرضاع والطلاق، باب ماجاء فی حق الزوج علی المراۃ]
Then this verse was revealed. Whatever the case may be, in this verse there is a comprehensive refutation of all such matters that various nations have attributed to the prophets and included in their religious books, according to which a prophet or an angel is declared to be a deity. In these verses, a general principle has been stated: any teaching that instructs servitude to anyone other than Allah and elevates a servant to the rank of God can never be the teaching of a prophet. And wherever such a thing is found in any religious book, it should be understood that this misguided belief is the result of people’s distortions.
[70]
It Is Impossible for a Prophet to Call for His Own Worship:
Those Jewish scholars who held religious offices were called rabbis. Their job was to guide people in religious matters, establish acts of worship, and implement religious rulings. In this verse, it is being explained that it is not the job of a prophet to first invite people to the worship of Allah, and then, when they begin to obey him, to start having them worship himself. Rather, his task is to prepare people of the rabbinic type, and the book that is given to him, and which you read and teach, also demands this. Because the work of the prophets is to eradicate disbelief and polytheism, not to spread it. And what could be greater disbelief and polytheism than making prophets or anyone else into a lord?
The Meaning of Making Scholars into Lords:
It should be clear that blindly submitting to the words of one’s scholars and spiritual leaders without investigation is also tantamount to making them one’s lord. When this verse:
﴿ اِتَّخَذُوْٓا اَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ اَرْبَابًا مِّنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ﴾
was revealed, ‘Adi bin Hatimؓ (who was previously a Christian) said to the Messenger of Allahﷺ, “We did not make our scholars and spiritual leaders into lords.” Heﷺ said, “Was it not the case that whatever they declared lawful, you considered lawful, and whatever they declared unlawful, you considered unlawful?” ‘Adi bin Hatimؓ replied, “Yes, that was the case.” The Prophetﷺ said, “That is what making them lords means.”
[ترمذی ابواب التفسیر، زیر تفسیر آیت مذکورہ]
[69]
The Act of Elevating Any Creature to the Rank of Divinity Can Never Be That of a Prophet:
There are several reports regarding the context of revelation of this verse, and all of them seem to be correct. For example, one is that when the Christians of Najran came to debate and argue with you, the Jews joined them and sarcastically said to you, “Do you want us to worship you?” Then this verse was revealed. Another report is that a Companion asked you, “The Romans and Persians prostrate before their kings; should we not prostrate to you instead of greeting you with salam?” You strictly forbade this and said, “If it were permissible to prostrate to anyone other than Allah, I would have commanded the wife to prostrate to her husband, because the husband has great rights over the wife.”
[ترمذی، ابواب الرضاع والطلاق، باب ماجاء فی حق الزوج علی المراۃ]
Then this verse was revealed. Whatever the case may be, in this verse there is a comprehensive refutation of all such matters that various nations have attributed to the prophets and included in their religious books, according to which a prophet or an angel is declared to be a deity. In these verses, a general principle has been stated: any teaching that instructs servitude to anyone other than Allah and elevates a servant to the rank of God can never be the teaching of a prophet. And wherever such a thing is found in any religious book, it should be understood that this misguided belief is the result of people’s distortions.
[70]
It Is Impossible for a Prophet to Call for His Own Worship:
Those Jewish scholars who held religious offices were called rabbis. Their job was to guide people in religious matters, establish acts of worship, and implement religious rulings. In this verse, it is being explained that it is not the job of a prophet to first invite people to the worship of Allah, and then, when they begin to obey him, to start having them worship himself. Rather, his task is to prepare people of the rabbinic type, and the book that is given to him, and which you read and teach, also demands this. Because the work of the prophets is to eradicate disbelief and polytheism, not to spread it. And what could be greater disbelief and polytheism than making prophets or anyone else into a lord?
The Meaning of Making Scholars into Lords:
It should be clear that blindly submitting to the words of one’s scholars and spiritual leaders without investigation is also tantamount to making them one’s lord. When this verse:
﴿ اِتَّخَذُوْٓا اَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ اَرْبَابًا مِّنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ﴾
was revealed, ‘Adi bin Hatimؓ (who was previously a Christian) said to the Messenger of Allahﷺ, “We did not make our scholars and spiritual leaders into lords.” Heﷺ said, “Was it not the case that whatever they declared lawful, you considered lawful, and whatever they declared unlawful, you considered unlawful?” ‘Adi bin Hatimؓ replied, “Yes, that was the case.” The Prophetﷺ said, “That is what making them lords means.”
[ترمذی ابواب التفسیر، زیر تفسیر آیت مذکورہ]
