Translation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary * - Translations’ Index
Translation of the meanings Ayah: (30) Surah: At-Tawbah
وَقَالَتِ ٱلۡيَهُودُ عُزَيۡرٌ ٱبۡنُ ٱللَّهِ وَقَالَتِ ٱلنَّصَٰرَى ٱلۡمَسِيحُ ٱبۡنُ ٱللَّهِۖ ذَٰلِكَ قَوۡلُهُم بِأَفۡوَٰهِهِمۡۖ يُضَٰهِـُٔونَ قَوۡلَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن قَبۡلُۚ قَٰتَلَهُمُ ٱللَّهُۖ أَنَّىٰ يُؤۡفَكُونَ
(30) The Jews said: “ʿUzayr[2070] is the son of Allah!” and the Christians said: “The Messiah is the son of Allah!” That is what they say with their mouths[2071], emulating ˹thus˺ the saying of those who Denied before[2072]; Allah damns them[2073], how far do they avert ˹from the Truth˺!
[2070] This statement caused much speculation as to its purport among scholars early and late, Muslim and non-Muslim. Some postulated that only some of the Jews said so (this view is held by many an early scholar of exegesis), particularly among those who lived in 7th century Arabia; others speculated about this historical personality and what he was or did; some even went to the extent of theorizing about what the lexical term ‘ʿuzayr’ really meant; yet others saw that this alludes to the famous Biblical Hebrew epithet bənê ha-Ělōhīm (בְנֵי הָֽאֱלֹהִים, sons of God). All of this is discussed at length in books and articles elsewhere.
However, it is important to note that Islam emphasizes absolutely the purest form of monotheism (tawḥīd) and warns in the strongest of terms against Associating (shirk) any being with God Almighty, even in the least. In the next aya Jews and Christians are condemned for practicing what is seen as shirk: “They took their rabbis and their monks as Lords besides Allah – and Messiah, son of Maryam – while they were not bade except to worship Allah, the One; there is no god but Him—exalted be He over what they Associate”. This is because they followed the laws set by their leaders and not those of God (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn ʿAṭiyyah, Abū Ḥayyān, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī). Of these, rabbi and monk ‘Lord’ or ‘bənê ha-Ělōhīm’ Ezra could have been singled out for the Jews as, in Muhammad Asad’s words, he: “occupies a unique position in the esteem of all Jews, and has always been praised by them in the most extravagant terms. It was he who restored and codified the Torah after it had been lost during the Babylonian Exile, and ‘edited’ it in more or less in the form which it has today; and thus “he promoted the establishment of an exclusive, legalistic type of religion that became dominant in later Judaism” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1963, Vol. IX, p. 15). Ever since then he has been venerated to such a degree that his verdicts on the Law of Moses have come to be regarded by the Talmudists as being practically equivalent to the Law itself: which, in Qur’anic ideology, amounts to the unforgivable sin of shirk, inasmuch as it implies the elevation of a human being to the status of a quasi-divine law-giver and the blasphemous attribution to him - albeit metaphorically - of the quality of ‘sonship’ in relation to God. Cf. in this connection Exodus iv, 22-23 (“Israel is My son”) or Jeremiah xxxi, 9 (“I am a father to Israel”): expressions to which, because of their idolatrous implications, the Qur’an takes strong exception”. This fact is undeniable and it tallies with the Qur’anic outlook (and the Sunnah as in al-Bukhārī: 4581 and Muslim: 183) and is borne out by the relationship that ties Ayas 30 and 31 together and how the latter is delicately worded and reflects on our reading of the earlier: “They said: “Allah has taken to Himself a child”. Glory be to Him! Nay! But all that is in the Heavens and Earth are His, they are all submitting to Him” (2: 116).
[2071] That is these claims have no proof, are mere word of mouth (cf. al-Wāḥidī, al-Basīṭ, al-Baghawī, Ibn Kathīr); thus implicating (kināyah) its falsehood (cf. al-Qurṭubī, Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[2072] Exegetes are of different opinions as to who those who Denied before them exactly were (cf. al-Rāzī, al-Māwardī, al-Zamakhsharī, Ibn al-Jawzī). The point being made is how deviated in their religion they had become: “Deniers indeed are those who say: “Allah is the Messiah, son of Maryam”. ˹While˺ The Messiah ˹himself˺ said: “Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. Indeed whoever Associates with Allah, then Allah will surely forbid him ˹entry into˺ Paradise and his home will be Hellfire—the wrongdoers will never have helpers”. *Deniers indeed are those who say: “Allah is one of three!” There never would ever be a God but One. If they do not desist from what they say, those of them who Deny will be touched by a painful Punishment. *Would they not ˹then˺ repent to Allah and seek His forgiveness! Indeed Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. *The Messiah son of Maryam is no more than a Messenger who comes in a line of ˹many˺ Messengers and his mother is an affirmer of Truth, they both used to eat food. Look how We lay plain the Signs for them and look how they turn away ˹from the Truth˺. *Say ˹Muhammad˺: “Do you worship besides Allah ˹any˺ who can neither harm nor benefit you! Allah is the One who is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. *Say: “People of the Book, do not take an extremely hard line on your religion, that is besides the Truth, and do not follow the desires of ˹those˺ folk who ˹themselves˺ had become misguided before, lead a great many astray and missed the right path ˹themselves˺” (5: 72-77).
[2073] Qātalahum Allāh (lit. May Allah fight them!) is an interjection intended to impart incredulous amazement (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr).
However, it is important to note that Islam emphasizes absolutely the purest form of monotheism (tawḥīd) and warns in the strongest of terms against Associating (shirk) any being with God Almighty, even in the least. In the next aya Jews and Christians are condemned for practicing what is seen as shirk: “They took their rabbis and their monks as Lords besides Allah – and Messiah, son of Maryam – while they were not bade except to worship Allah, the One; there is no god but Him—exalted be He over what they Associate”. This is because they followed the laws set by their leaders and not those of God (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn ʿAṭiyyah, Abū Ḥayyān, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī). Of these, rabbi and monk ‘Lord’ or ‘bənê ha-Ělōhīm’ Ezra could have been singled out for the Jews as, in Muhammad Asad’s words, he: “occupies a unique position in the esteem of all Jews, and has always been praised by them in the most extravagant terms. It was he who restored and codified the Torah after it had been lost during the Babylonian Exile, and ‘edited’ it in more or less in the form which it has today; and thus “he promoted the establishment of an exclusive, legalistic type of religion that became dominant in later Judaism” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1963, Vol. IX, p. 15). Ever since then he has been venerated to such a degree that his verdicts on the Law of Moses have come to be regarded by the Talmudists as being practically equivalent to the Law itself: which, in Qur’anic ideology, amounts to the unforgivable sin of shirk, inasmuch as it implies the elevation of a human being to the status of a quasi-divine law-giver and the blasphemous attribution to him - albeit metaphorically - of the quality of ‘sonship’ in relation to God. Cf. in this connection Exodus iv, 22-23 (“Israel is My son”) or Jeremiah xxxi, 9 (“I am a father to Israel”): expressions to which, because of their idolatrous implications, the Qur’an takes strong exception”. This fact is undeniable and it tallies with the Qur’anic outlook (and the Sunnah as in al-Bukhārī: 4581 and Muslim: 183) and is borne out by the relationship that ties Ayas 30 and 31 together and how the latter is delicately worded and reflects on our reading of the earlier: “They said: “Allah has taken to Himself a child”. Glory be to Him! Nay! But all that is in the Heavens and Earth are His, they are all submitting to Him” (2: 116).
[2071] That is these claims have no proof, are mere word of mouth (cf. al-Wāḥidī, al-Basīṭ, al-Baghawī, Ibn Kathīr); thus implicating (kināyah) its falsehood (cf. al-Qurṭubī, Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[2072] Exegetes are of different opinions as to who those who Denied before them exactly were (cf. al-Rāzī, al-Māwardī, al-Zamakhsharī, Ibn al-Jawzī). The point being made is how deviated in their religion they had become: “Deniers indeed are those who say: “Allah is the Messiah, son of Maryam”. ˹While˺ The Messiah ˹himself˺ said: “Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. Indeed whoever Associates with Allah, then Allah will surely forbid him ˹entry into˺ Paradise and his home will be Hellfire—the wrongdoers will never have helpers”. *Deniers indeed are those who say: “Allah is one of three!” There never would ever be a God but One. If they do not desist from what they say, those of them who Deny will be touched by a painful Punishment. *Would they not ˹then˺ repent to Allah and seek His forgiveness! Indeed Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. *The Messiah son of Maryam is no more than a Messenger who comes in a line of ˹many˺ Messengers and his mother is an affirmer of Truth, they both used to eat food. Look how We lay plain the Signs for them and look how they turn away ˹from the Truth˺. *Say ˹Muhammad˺: “Do you worship besides Allah ˹any˺ who can neither harm nor benefit you! Allah is the One who is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. *Say: “People of the Book, do not take an extremely hard line on your religion, that is besides the Truth, and do not follow the desires of ˹those˺ folk who ˹themselves˺ had become misguided before, lead a great many astray and missed the right path ˹themselves˺” (5: 72-77).
[2073] Qātalahum Allāh (lit. May Allah fight them!) is an interjection intended to impart incredulous amazement (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr).
Arabic explanations of the Qur’an:
Translation of the meanings Ayah: (30) Surah: At-Tawbah
Translation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - Translations’ Index
Translation of the meanings of the Noble Qur’an into English - in progress - translated by Dr. Walid Bleihesh Al-Omari.