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Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 140

سورة البقرة، الآية ١٤٠

2:140 Juz 1 Hizb 2 Page 21 of the mushaf Medinan surah

Text of verse 2:140

أَمْ تَقُولُونَ إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسْمَٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَٱلْأَسْبَاطَ كَانُوا۟ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَٰرَىٰ قُلْ ءَأَنتُمْ أَعْلَمُ أَمِ ٱللَّهُ وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن كَتَمَ شَهَٰدَةً عِندَهُۥ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ ۝١٤٠

Transliteration

am taqūlūna inna ib'rāhīma wa-is'māʿīla wa-is'ḥāqa wayaʿqūba wal-asbāṭa kānū hūdan aw naṣārā qul a-antum aʿlamu ami l-lahu waman aẓlamu mimman katama shahādatan ʿindahu mina l-lahi wamā l-lahu bighāfilin ʿammā taʿmalūna

Translation

Or do you say that Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants were Jews or Christians? Say, "Are you more knowing or is Allāh?" And who is more unjust than one who conceals a testimony49 he has from Allāh? And Allāh is not unaware of what you do.

Notes

[49] Statements in previous scriptures attesting to the nature of Allāh's religion (Islām) and the coming of Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ) .

Translation in another language
Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary Read in the surah

Verse 140 of Surah Al-Baqarah (2:140), a Medinan surah, is in juz 1, on page 21 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 69 reciters.

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Tafsir of verse 140

Al-Mukhtasar

Or do you say, O People of the Scripture, that Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the prophets from Jacob’s descendants were on the path of the Jews or Christians? Ask, O Prophet, in reply to them, whether they are more knowledgeable or is Allah. If they claim that they were Jews or Christians, then what they say is false, because they were sent and died before the Torah and the Gospel were revealed. This shows that what they say is a lie against Allah and His Prophet, and that they hid the truth of what was revealed to them. No one does greater wrong than someone who hides firm evidence that they have from Allah, as some of the People of the Scripture did. Allah is not unaware of what you do, and you will be rewarded accordingly.

Tafsir of the whole Surah Al-Baqarah

Other translations of verse 140

Or do you say that Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the descendants [of Jacob] were Jews or Christians?” Say, “Are you more knowledgeable or Allah?” Who does greater wrong than the one who hides a testimony he has from Allah? But Allah is not unaware of what you do.

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."

Or say ye that Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes were Jews or Christians? Say: Do ye know best, or doth Allah? And who is more unjust than he who hideth a testimony which he hath received from Allah? Allah is not unaware of what ye do.

Or do ye say that Abraham, Isma'il Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes were Jews or Christians? Say: Do ye know better than Allah? Ah! who is more unjust than those who conceal the testimony they have from Allah? but Allah is not unmindful of what ye do!

Nay! do you say that Ibrahim and Ismail and Yaqoub and the tribes were Jews or Christians? Say: Are you better knowing or Allah? And who is more unjust than he who conceals a testimony that he has from Allah? And Allah is not at all heedless of what you do.

Or (even) do you say that Ibrahim, and Ismacil and Ishaq and Yaaqub and the Grandsons (i.e. Tribes) were Judaic or Nasara (i.e. Christian)?" Say, "Do you know best or Allah?" And who is more unjust than he who has kept back in his presence a testimony from Allah? And in no way is Allah ever heedless of whatever you do.

Verse 140 word by word

  1. أَمْ am Or
  2. تَقُولُونَ taqūlūna (do) you say ق و ل
  3. إِنَّ inna that
  4. إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ ib'rāhīma Ibrahim
  5. وَإِسْمَٰعِيلَ wa-is'māʿīla and Ishmael
  6. وَإِسْحَٰقَ wa-is'ḥāqa and Isaac
  7. وَيَعْقُوبَ wayaʿqūba and Yaqub
  8. وَٱلْأَسْبَاطَ wal-asbāṭa and the descendants س ب ط
  9. كَانُوا۟ kānū were ك و ن
  10. هُودًا hūdan Jews ه و د
  11. أَوْ aw or
  12. نَصَٰرَىٰ naṣārā Christians ن ص ر
  13. قُلْ qul Say ق و ل
  14. ءَأَنتُمْ a-antum Are you
  15. أَعْلَمُ aʿlamu better knowing ع ل م
  16. أَمِ ami or
  17. ٱللَّهُ l-lahu (is) Allah
  18. وَمَنْ waman And who
  19. أَظْلَمُ aẓlamu (is) more unjust ظ ل م
  20. مِمَّن mimman than (the one) who
  21. كَتَمَ katama concealed ك ت م
  22. شَهَٰدَةً shahādatan a testimony ش ه د
  23. عِندَهُۥ ʿindahu (that) he has ع ن د
  24. مِنَ mina from
  25. ٱللَّهِ l-lahi Allah
  26. وَمَا wamā And not
  27. ٱللَّهُ l-lahu (is) Allah
  28. بِغَٰفِلٍ bighāfilin unaware غ ف ل
  29. عَمَّا ʿammā of what
  30. تَعْمَلُونَ taʿmalūna you do ع م ل

Verses related to verse 140

Cited by Ibn Kathir in his explanation of this verse

  • Ali ’Imran 3:67–68

    مَا كَانَ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ …

    Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was one inclining toward truth, a Muslim [submitting to Allāh]. And he was not of the polytheists. …

Verses with similar wording

They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.

  • Al-Baqarah 2:149

    وَمِنْ حَيْثُ خَرَجْتَ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

    So from wherever you go out [for prayer, O Muḥammad], turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Ḥarām, and indeed, it is the truth from your Lord. And Allāh is not unaware of what you do.

  • Al-Baqarah 2:74

    ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَهِىَ كَٱلْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً وَإِنَّ مِنَ ٱلْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ ٱلْمَآءُ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

    Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even harder. For indeed, there are stones from which rivers burst forth, and there are some of them that split open and water comes out, and there are some of them that fall down for fear of Allāh. And Allāh is not unaware of what you do.

  • Ali ’Imran 3:99

    قُلْ يَٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ لِمَ تَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ مَنْ ءَامَنَ تَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا وَأَنتُمْ شُهَدَآءُ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

    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."

  • An-Nisa 4:163

    إِنَّآ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ كَمَآ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَىٰ نُوحٍ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ وَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسْمَٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَٱلْأَسْبَاطِ وَعِيسَىٰ وَأَيُّوبَ وَيُونُسَ وَهَٰرُونَ وَسُلَيْمَٰنَ وَءَاتَيْنَا دَاوُۥدَ زَبُورًا

    Indeed, We have revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him. And We revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, the Descendants, Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon; and to David We gave the book [of Psalms].

  • Ali ’Imran 3:84

    قُلْ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسْمَٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَٱلْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَٱلنَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ مُسْلِمُونَ

    Say, "We have believed in Allāh and in what was revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Descendants [al-Asbāṭ], and in what was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [submitting] to Him."

  • Al-Baqarah 2:85

    ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَتُخْرِجُونَ فَرِيقًا مِّنكُم مِّن دِيَٰرِهِمْ تَظَٰهَرُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ وَإِن يَأْتُوكُمْ أُسَٰرَىٰ تُفَٰدُوهُمْ وَهُوَ مُحَرَّمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ إِخْرَاجُهُمْ أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ فَمَا جَزَآءُ مَن يَفْعَلُ ذَٰلِكَ مِنكُمْ إِلَّا خِزْىٌ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰٓ أَشَدِّ ٱلْعَذَابِ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

    Then, you are those [same ones who are] killing one another and evicting a party of your people from their homes, cooperating against them in sin and aggression. And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, although their eviction was forbidden to you. So do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part? Then what is the recompense for those who do that among you except disgrace in worldly life; and on the Day of Resurrection they will be sent back to the severest of punishment. And Allāh is not unaware of what you do.

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