Verse 2:140 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

136 قُولُوۤا۟ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَمَاۤ أُنزِلَ إِلَیۡنَا وَمَاۤ أُنزِلَ إِلَىٰۤ إِبۡرَ ٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسۡمَـٰعِیلَ وَإِسۡحَـٰقَ وَیَعۡقُوبَ وَٱلۡأَسۡبَاطِ وَمَاۤ أُوتِیَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِیسَىٰ وَمَاۤ أُوتِیَ ٱلنَّبِیُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمۡ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَیۡنَ أَحَدࣲ مِّنۡهُمۡ وَنَحۡنُ لَهُۥ مُسۡلِمُونَ ۝١٣٦ qūlū āmannā bil-lahi wamā unzila ilaynā wamā unzila ilā ib'rāhīma wa-is'māʿīla wa-is'ḥāqa wayaʿqūba wal-asbāṭi wamā ūtiya mūsā waʿīsā wamā ūtiya l-nabiyūna min rabbihim lā nufarriqu bayna aḥadin min'hum wanaḥnu lahu mus'limūn So [you believers], say, ‘We believe in God and in what was sent down to us and what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and what was given to Moses, Jesus, and all the prophets by their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we devote ourselves to Him.’ 137 فَإِنۡ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِمِثۡلِ مَاۤ ءَامَنتُم بِهِۦ فَقَدِ ٱهۡتَدَوا۟ۖ وَّإِن تَوَلَّوۡا۟ فَإِنَّمَا هُمۡ فِی شِقَاقࣲۖ فَسَیَكۡفِیكَهُمُ ٱللَّهُۚ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِیعُ ٱلۡعَلِیمُ ۝١٣٧ fa-in āmanū bimith'li mā āmantum bihi faqadi ih'tadaw wa-in tawallaw fa-innamā hum fī shiqāqin fasayakfīkahumu l-lahu wahuwa l-samīʿu l-ʿalīm So if they believe like you do, they will be rightly guided. But if they turn their backs, then they will be entrenched in opposition. God will protect you from them: He is the All Hearing, the All Knowing. And say [believers] 138 صِبۡغَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَنۡ أَحۡسَنُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ صِبۡغَةࣰۖ وَنَحۡنُ لَهُۥ عَـٰبِدُونَ ۝١٣٨ ṣib'ghata l-lahi waman aḥsanu mina l-lahi ṣib'ghatan wanaḥnu lahu ʿābidūn ‘[Our life] takes its colour from God, and who gives a better colour than God? It is Him we worship.’ 139 قُلۡ أَتُحَاۤجُّونَنَا فِی ٱللَّهِ وَهُوَ رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّكُمۡ وَلَنَاۤ أَعۡمَـٰلُنَا وَلَكُمۡ أَعۡمَـٰلُكُمۡ وَنَحۡنُ لَهُۥ مُخۡلِصُونَ ۝١٣٩ qul atuḥājjūnanā fī l-lahi wahuwa rabbunā warabbukum walanā aʿmālunā walakum aʿmālukum wanaḥnu lahu mukh'liṣūn Say [Prophet] [to the Jews and Christians], ‘How can you argue with us about God when He is our Lord and your Lord? Our deeds belong to us, and yours to you. We devote ourselves entirely to Him

140 أَمۡ تَقُولُونَ إِنَّ إِبۡرَ ٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسۡمَـٰعِیلَ وَإِسۡحَـٰقَ وَیَعۡقُوبَ وَٱلۡأَسۡبَاطَ كَانُوا۟ هُودًا أَوۡ نَصَـٰرَىٰۗ قُلۡ ءَأَنتُمۡ أَعۡلَمُ أَمِ ٱللَّهُۗ وَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّن كَتَمَ شَهَـٰدَةً عِندَهُۥ مِنَ ٱللَّهِۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعۡمَلُونَ ۝١٤٠ 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 taʿmalūn Or are you saying that Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes were Jews or Christians?’ [Prophet], ask them, ‘Who knows better: you or God? Who could be more wicked than those who hide a testimony [they received] from God? God is not unmindful of what you do.’

141 تِلۡكَ أُمَّةࣱ قَدۡ خَلَتۡۖ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتۡ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبۡتُمۡۖ وَلَا تُسۡءَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا۟ یَعۡمَلُونَ ۝١٤١ til'ka ummatun qad khalat lahā mā kasabat walakum mā kasabtum walā tus'alūna ʿammā kānū yaʿmalūn That community passed away: what they earned belongs to them, and what you earn belongs to you. You will not be answerable for their deeds 142 ۞ سَیَقُولُ ٱلسُّفَهَاۤءُ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَا وَلَّىٰهُمۡ عَن قِبۡلَتِهِمُ ٱلَّتِی كَانُوا۟ عَلَیۡهَاۚ قُل لِّلَّهِ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقُ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبُۚ یَهۡدِی مَن یَشَاۤءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَ ٰطࣲ مُّسۡتَقِیمࣲ ۝١٤٢ sayaqūlu l-sufahāu mina l-nāsi mā wallāhum ʿan qib'latihimu allatī kānū ʿalayhā qul lillahi l-mashriqu wal-maghribu yahdī man yashāu ilā ṣirāṭin mus'taqīmi The foolish people will say, ‘What has turned them away from the prayer direction they used to face?’ Say, ‘East and West belong to God. He guides whoever He will to the right way.’ 143 وَكَذَ ٰلِكَ جَعَلۡنَـٰكُمۡ أُمَّةࣰ وَسَطࣰا لِّتَكُونُوا۟ شُهَدَاۤءَ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَیَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ عَلَیۡكُمۡ شَهِیدࣰاۗ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا ٱلۡقِبۡلَةَ ٱلَّتِی كُنتَ عَلَیۡهَاۤ إِلَّا لِنَعۡلَمَ مَن یَتَّبِعُ ٱلرَّسُولَ مِمَّن یَنقَلِبُ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَیۡهِۚ وَإِن كَانَتۡ لَكَبِیرَةً إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلَّذِینَ هَدَى ٱللَّهُۗ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِیُضِیعَ إِیمَـٰنَكُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِٱلنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفࣱ رَّحِیمࣱ ۝١٤٣ wakadhālika jaʿalnākum ummatan wasaṭan litakūnū shuhadāa ʿalā l-nāsi wayakūna l-rasūlu ʿalaykum shahīdan wamā jaʿalnā l-qib'lata allatī kunta ʿalayhā illā linaʿlama man yattabiʿu l-rasūla mimman yanqalibu ʿalā ʿaqibayhi wa-in kānat lakabīratan illā ʿalā alladhīna hadā l-lahu wamā kāna l-lahu liyuḍīʿa īmānakum inna l-laha bil-nāsi laraūfun raḥīmu We have made you [believers] into a just community, so that you may bear witness [to the truth] before others and so that the Messenger may bear witness [to it] before you. We only made the direction the one you used to face [Prophet] in order to distinguish those who follow the Messenger from those who turn on their heels: that test was hard, except for those God has guided. God would never let your faith go to waste [believers], for God is most compassionate and most merciful towards people 144 قَدۡ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجۡهِكَ فِی ٱلسَّمَاۤءِۖ فَلَنُوَلِّیَنَّكَ قِبۡلَةࣰ تَرۡضَىٰهَاۚ فَوَلِّ وَجۡهَكَ شَطۡرَ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِۚ وَحَیۡثُ مَا كُنتُمۡ فَوَلُّوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمۡ شَطۡرَهُۥۗ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِینَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ لَیَعۡلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمۡۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا یَعۡمَلُونَ ۝١٤٤ qad narā taqalluba wajhika fī l-samāi falanuwalliyannaka qib'latan tarḍāhā fawalli wajhaka shaṭra l-masjidi l-ḥarāmi waḥaythu mā kuntum fawallū wujūhakum shaṭrahu wa-inna alladhīna ūtū l-kitāba layaʿlamūna annahu l-ḥaqu min rabbihim wamā l-lahu bighāfilin ʿammā yaʿmalūn Many a time We have seen you [Prophet] turn your face towards Heaven, so We are turning you towards a prayer direction that pleases you. Turn your face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque: wherever you [believers] may be, turn your faces to it. Those who were given the Scripture know with certainty that this is the Truth from their Lord: God is not unaware of what they do