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Ayah
Word by Word
قُلۡ
Say
يَٰٓأَهۡلَ
O People
ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ
(of) the Book
لِمَ
Why
تَصُدُّونَ
(do) you hinder
عَن
from
سَبِيلِ
(the) way
ٱللَّهِ
(of) Allah
مَنۡ
(those) who
ءَامَنَ
believe[d]
تَبۡغُونَهَا
seeking (to make) it
عِوَجٗا
(seem) crooked
وَأَنتُمۡ
while you
شُهَدَآءُۗ
(are) witnesses
وَمَا
And not
ٱللَّهُ
Allah
بِغَٰفِلٍ
(is) unaware
عَمَّا
of what
تَعۡمَلُونَ
you do
قُلۡ
Say
يَٰٓأَهۡلَ
O People
ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ
(of) the Book
لِمَ
Why
تَصُدُّونَ
(do) you hinder
عَن
from
سَبِيلِ
(the) way
ٱللَّهِ
(of) Allah
مَنۡ
(those) who
ءَامَنَ
believe[d]
تَبۡغُونَهَا
seeking (to make) it
عِوَجٗا
(seem) crooked
وَأَنتُمۡ
while you
شُهَدَآءُۗ
(are) witnesses
وَمَا
And not
ٱللَّهُ
Allah
بِغَٰفِلٍ
(is) unaware
عَمَّا
of what
تَعۡمَلُونَ
you do
Translation
Say, "O People of the Scripture, why do you avert from the way of Allāh those who believe, seeking to make it [seem] deviant, while you are witnesses [to the truth]? And Allāh is not unaware of what you do."
Tafsir
Say: 'O People of the Scripture, why do you bar believers, causing them to turn away, from God's way, His religion, by denying the truth of the Prophet and concealing His graces, desiring to make it crooked ('iwajan is the verbal noun, meaning mu'awwajatan, 'made crooked'), inclining away from the truth, while you yourselves are witnesses, [while] you know that the religion which is upright and pleasing [to God] is that of Islam, as stated in your Book? God is not heedless of what you do', in the way of unbelief and mendacity; instead He gives you respite until your appointed time and then requites you.
"
Chastising the People of the Book for Their Disbelief and Blocking the Path of Allah
Allah says,
قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لِمَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِأيَاتِ اللّهِ وَاللّهُ شَهِيدٌ عَلَى مَا تَعْمَلُونَ
Say:""O People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Why do you reject the Ayat of Allah, while Allah is Witness to what you do!""
In this Ayah Allah criticizes the disbelieving People of the Book for refusing the truth, rejecting Allah's Ayat and hindering those who seek to believe from His path, although they know that what the Messenger was sent with is the truth from Allah.
قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لِمَ تَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللّهِ مَنْ امَنَ تَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا وَأَنتُمْ شُهَدَاء
Say:""O People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Why do you stop those who have believed, from the path of Allah, seeking to make it seem crooked, while you (yourselves) are witnesses!
They learned this from the previous Prophets and honorable Messengers, may Allah's peace and blessings be on them all. They all brought the glad tidings and the good news of the coming of the unlettered, Arab, Hashimi Prophet from Makkah, the master of the Children of Adam, the Final Prophet and the Messenger of the Lord of heavens and earth.
وَمَا اللّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ
And Allah is not unaware of what you do.""
Allah has warned the People of the Book against this behavior, stating that He is Witness over what they do, indicating their defiance of the knowledge conveyed to them by the Prophets. They rejected, denied and refused the very Messenger whom they were ordered to convey the glad tidings about his coming. Allah states that He is never unaware of what they do, and He will hold them responsible for their actions,
يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ
(The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail), (26:88).
Warning Muslims Against Imitating People of the Scriptures
Allah warns;
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُوَاْ إِن تُطِيعُواْ فَرِيقًا مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ يَرُدُّوكُم بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْ كَافِرِينَ
O you who believe! If you obey a group of those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians), they would (indeed) render you disbelievers after you have believed!
Allah warns His believing servants against obeying the People of the Book, who envy the believers for the favor that Allah gave them by sending His Messenger.
Similarly, Allah said,
وَدَّ كَثِيرٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ لَوْ يَرُدُّونَكُم مِن بَعْدِ إِيمَـنِكُمْ كُفَّارًا حَسَدًا مِّنْ عِنْدِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ
Many of the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) wish that they could turn you away as disbelievers after you have believed, out of their own envy. (2:109)
In this Ayah (3:100) Allah said,
إِن تُطِيعُواْ فَرِيقًا مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ يَرُدُّوكُم بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْ كَافِرِينَ
(If you obey a group of those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians), they would (indeed) render you disbelievers after you have believed!),
then said
وَكَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ وَأَنتُمْ تُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ ايَاتُ اللّهِ وَفِيكُمْ رَسُولُهُ
And how would you disbelieve, while unto you are recited the verses of Allah, and among you is His Messenger,
meaning, disbelief is far from touching you, since the Ayat of Allah are being sent down on His Messenger day and night, and he recites and conveys them to you.
Similarly, Allah said,
وَمَا لَكُمْ لَا تُوْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولُ يَدْعُوكُمْ لِتُوْمِنُواْ بِرَبِّكُمْ وَقَدْ أَخَذَ مِيثَـقَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ مُّوْمِنِينَ
And what is the matter with you that you believe not in Allah! While the Messenger invites you to believe in your Lord; and He has indeed taken your covenant, if you are real believers. (57:8)
A Hadith states that one day, the Prophet said to his Companions,
أَيُّ الْمُوْمِنِينَ أَعْجَبُ إِلَيْكُمْ إِيمَانًا
""Who among the faithful believers do you consider has the most amazing faith?""
They said, ""The angels.""
He said,
وَكَيْفَ لَا يُوْمِنُونَ وَهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِم
""Why would they not believe, since they are with their Lord?""
They mentioned the Prophets.
and the Prophet said,
وَكَيْفَ لَا يُوْمِنُونَ وَالْوَحْيُ يَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِمْ
""Why would they not believe while the revelation is sent down to them?""
They said, ""Then, we are.""
وَكَيْفَ لَا تُوْمِنُونَ وَأَنَا بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِكُمْ
He said, ""Why would not you believe when I am among you?""
They asked, ""Who has the most amazing faith?""
قَوْمٌ يَجِييُونَ مِنْ بَعْدِكُمْ يَجِدُونَ صُحُفًا يُوْمِنُونَ بِمَا فِيهَا
The Prophet said, ""A people who will come after you and who will find only books that they will believe in.""
Allah said next,
وَمَن يَعْتَصِم بِاللّهِ فَقَدْ هُدِيَ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
And whoever depends upon Allah, then he is indeed guided to the right path.
for trusting and relying on Allah are the basis of achieving the right guidance and staying away from the path of wickedness. They also represent the tool to acquiring guidance and truth and achieving the righteous aims."
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