Translation of the meanings Ayah 79 Surah Āl-‘Imrān - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia

Ayah: 79

مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُؤۡتِيَهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡحُكۡمَ وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُواْ عِبَادٗا لِّي مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَٰكِن كُونُواْ رَبَّٰنِيِّـۧنَ بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تُعَلِّمُونَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَدۡرُسُونَ

(79) It is not ˹possible˺ for a human, to whom Allah gives the Book, ˹sound˺ judgement and Prophethood, to then say to people: “Be my servants instead of Allah”^[629]. But ˹he would say˺: “Be godly, because of the Book you teach and because of your ˹diligent˺ study ˹of it˺”.

[629] al-Bayhaqī in al-Dalā’il (quoted in al-Tafsīr al-Ṣaḥīḥ, 2:43) documents that Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) narrated that Abū Rāfiʿ al-Qaraẓī said: “When the learned Jews and Christians came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he called them to Islam, they replied: “Do you Muhammad want us to worship you just like the Christians worship Jesus, son of Mary?”… The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “I seek refuge by Allah that I shall call to the worship of any other besides Him. This is not what He sent me for!”