Verse 3:68 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

64 قُلۡ یَـٰۤأَهۡلَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ تَعَالَوۡا۟ إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةࣲ سَوَاۤءِۭ بَیۡنَنَا وَبَیۡنَكُمۡ أَلَّا نَعۡبُدَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ وَلَا نُشۡرِكَ بِهِۦ شَیۡءࣰا وَلَا یَتَّخِذَ بَعۡضُنَا بَعۡضًا أَرۡبَابࣰا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِۚ فَإِن تَوَلَّوۡا۟ فَقُولُوا۟ ٱشۡهَدُوا۟ بِأَنَّا مُسۡلِمُونَ ۝٦٤ qul yāahla l-kitābi taʿālaw ilā kalimatin sawāin baynanā wabaynakum allā naʿbuda illā l-laha walā nush'rika bihi shayan walā yattakhidha baʿḍunā baʿḍan arbāban min dūni l-lahi fa-in tawallaw faqūlū ish'hadū bi-annā mus'limūn Say, ‘People of the Book, let us arrive at a statement that is common to us all: we worship God alone, we ascribe no partner to Him, and none of us takes others beside God as lords.’ If they turn away, say, ‘Witness our devotion to Him.’ 65 یَـٰۤأَهۡلَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ لِمَ تُحَاۤجُّونَ فِیۤ إِبۡرَ ٰهِیمَ وَمَاۤ أُنزِلَتِ ٱلتَّوۡرَىٰةُ وَٱلۡإِنجِیلُ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِۦۤۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ ۝٦٥ yāahla l-kitābi lima tuḥājjūna fī ib'rāhīma wamā unzilati l-tawrātu wal-injīlu illā min baʿdihi afalā taʿqilūn People of the Book, why do you argue about Abraham when the Torah and the Gospels were not revealed until after his time? Do you not understand 66 هَـٰۤأَنتُمۡ هَـٰۤؤُلَاۤءِ حَـٰجَجۡتُمۡ فِیمَا لَكُم بِهِۦ عِلۡمࣱ فَلِمَ تُحَاۤجُّونَ فِیمَا لَیۡسَ لَكُم بِهِۦ عِلۡمࣱۚ وَٱللَّهُ یَعۡلَمُ وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ ۝٦٦ hāantum hāulāi ḥājajtum fīmā lakum bihi ʿil'mun falima tuḥājjūna fīmā laysa lakum bihi ʿil'mun wal-lahu yaʿlamu wa-antum lā taʿlamūn You argue about some things of which you have some knowledge, but why do you argue about things of which you know nothing? God knows and you do not 67 مَا كَانَ إِبۡرَ ٰهِیمُ یَهُودِیࣰّا وَلَا نَصۡرَانِیࣰّا وَلَـٰكِن كَانَ حَنِیفࣰا مُّسۡلِمࣰا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِینَ ۝٦٧ mā kāna ib'rāhīmu yahūdiyyan walā naṣrāniyyan walākin kāna ḥanīfan mus'liman wamā kāna mina l-mush'rikīn Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian. He was upright and devoted to God, never an idolater

68 إِنَّ أَوۡلَى ٱلنَّاسِ بِإِبۡرَ ٰهِیمَ لَلَّذِینَ ٱتَّبَعُوهُ وَهَـٰذَا ٱلنَّبِیُّ وَٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ۗ وَٱللَّهُ وَلِیُّ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِینَ ۝٦٨ inna awlā l-nāsi bi-ib'rāhīma lalladhīna ittabaʿūhu wahādhā l-nabiyu wa-alladhīna āmanū wal-lahu waliyyu l-mu'minīn and the people who are closest to him are those who truly follow his ways, this Prophet, and [true] believers- God is close to [true] believers

69 وَدَّت طَّاۤىِٕفَةࣱ مِّنۡ أَهۡلِ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ لَوۡ یُضِلُّونَكُمۡ وَمَا یُضِلُّونَ إِلَّاۤ أَنفُسَهُمۡ وَمَا یَشۡعُرُونَ ۝٦٩ waddat ṭāifatun min ahli l-kitābi law yuḍillūnakum wamā yuḍillūna illā anfusahum wamā yashʿurūn Some of the People of the Book would dearly love to lead you [believers] astray, but they only lead themselves astray, though they do not realize it 70 یَـٰۤأَهۡلَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ لِمَ تَكۡفُرُونَ بِءَایَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَأَنتُمۡ تَشۡهَدُونَ ۝٧٠ yāahla l-kitābi lima takfurūna biāyāti l-lahi wa-antum tashhadūn People of the Book, why do you deny God’s revelations when you can see they are true 71 یَـٰۤأَهۡلَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ لِمَ تَلۡبِسُونَ ٱلۡحَقَّ بِٱلۡبَـٰطِلِ وَتَكۡتُمُونَ ٱلۡحَقَّ وَأَنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ ۝٧١ yāahla l-kitābi lima talbisūna l-ḥaqa bil-bāṭili wataktumūna l-ḥaqa wa-antum taʿlamūn People of the Book, why do you mix truth with falsehood? Why do you hide the truth when you recognize it 72 وَقَالَت طَّاۤىِٕفَةࣱ مِّنۡ أَهۡلِ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِٱلَّذِیۤ أُنزِلَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَجۡهَ ٱلنَّهَارِ وَٱكۡفُرُوۤا۟ ءَاخِرَهُۥ لَعَلَّهُمۡ یَرۡجِعُونَ ۝٧٢ waqālat ṭāifatun min ahli l-kitābi āminū bi-alladhī unzila ʿalā alladhīna āmanū wajha l-nahāri wa-uk'furū ākhirahu laʿallahum yarjiʿūn Some of the People of the Book say, ‘At the beginning of the day, believe in what has been revealed to these believers [the Muslims], then at the end of the day reject it, so that they too may turn back