Verse 6:23 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

19 قُلۡ أَیُّ شَیۡءٍ أَكۡبَرُ شَهَـٰدَةࣰۖ قُلِ ٱللَّهُۖ شَهِیدُۢ بَیۡنِی وَبَیۡنَكُمۡۚ وَأُوحِیَ إِلَیَّ هَـٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ لِأُنذِرَكُم بِهِۦ وَمَنۢ بَلَغَۚ أَىِٕنَّكُمۡ لَتَشۡهَدُونَ أَنَّ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ ءَالِهَةً أُخۡرَىٰۚ قُل لَّاۤ أَشۡهَدُۚ قُلۡ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَـٰهࣱ وَ ٰحِدࣱ وَإِنَّنِی بَرِیۤءࣱ مِّمَّا تُشۡرِكُونَ ۝١٩ qul ayyu shayin akbaru shahādatan quli l-lahu shahīdun baynī wabaynakum waūḥiya ilayya hādhā l-qur'ānu li-undhirakum bihi waman balagha a-innakum latashhadūna anna maʿa l-lahi ālihatan ukh'rā qul lā ashhadu qul innamā huwa ilāhun wāḥidun wa-innanī barīon mimmā tush'rikūn Say, ‘What counts most as a witness?’ Say, ‘God is witness between you and me. This Quran was revealed for me to warn you [people] and everyone it reaches. Do you really bear witness that there are other gods beside God?’ Say, ‘I myself do not bear witness [to any such thing].’ Say, ‘He is only one God, and I disown whatever you join with Him.’ 20 ٱلَّذِینَ ءَاتَیۡنَـٰهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ یَعۡرِفُونَهُۥ كَمَا یَعۡرِفُونَ أَبۡنَاۤءَهُمُۘ ٱلَّذِینَ خَسِرُوۤا۟ أَنفُسَهُمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا یُؤۡمِنُونَ ۝٢٠ alladhīna ātaynāhumu l-kitāba yaʿrifūnahu kamā yaʿrifūna abnāahumu alladhīna khasirū anfusahum fahum lā yu'minūn Those to whom We have given the Scripture know this as well as they know their own sons. Those who have lost their souls will not believe 21 وَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوۡ كَذَّبَ بِءَایَـٰتِهِۦۤۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا یُفۡلِحُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ ۝٢١ waman aẓlamu mimmani if'tarā ʿalā l-lahi kadhiban aw kadhaba biāyātihi innahu lā yuf'liḥu l-ẓālimūn Who does greater wrong than someone who fabricates a lie against God or denies His revelation? Those who do such wrong will not prosper 22 وَیَوۡمَ نَحۡشُرُهُمۡ جَمِیعࣰا ثُمَّ نَقُولُ لِلَّذِینَ أَشۡرَكُوۤا۟ أَیۡنَ شُرَكَاۤؤُكُمُ ٱلَّذِینَ كُنتُمۡ تَزۡعُمُونَ ۝٢٢ wayawma naḥshuruhum jamīʿan thumma naqūlu lilladhīna ashrakū ayna shurakāukumu alladhīna kuntum tazʿumūn When We gather them all together and say to the polytheists, ‘Where are those you claimed were partners with God?’ in their utter disma

23 ثُمَّ لَمۡ تَكُن فِتۡنَتُهُمۡ إِلَّاۤ أَن قَالُوا۟ وَٱللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشۡرِكِینَ ۝٢٣ thumma lam takun fit'natuhum illā an qālū wal-lahi rabbinā mā kunnā mush'rikīn they will only say, ‘By God, our Lord, we have not set up partners beside Him!’

24 ٱنظُرۡ كَیۡفَ كَذَبُوا۟ عَلَىٰۤ أَنفُسِهِمۡۚ وَضَلَّ عَنۡهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ یَفۡتَرُونَ ۝٢٤ unẓur kayfa kadhabū ʿalā anfusihim waḍalla ʿanhum mā kānū yaftarūn See how they lie against themselves and how those they invented have deserted them 25 وَمِنۡهُم مَّن یَسۡتَمِعُ إِلَیۡكَۖ وَجَعَلۡنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمۡ أَكِنَّةً أَن یَفۡقَهُوهُ وَفِیۤ ءَاذَانِهِمۡ وَقۡرࣰاۚ وَإِن یَرَوۡا۟ كُلَّ ءَایَةࣲ لَّا یُؤۡمِنُوا۟ بِهَاۖ حَتَّىٰۤ إِذَا جَاۤءُوكَ یُجَـٰدِلُونَكَ یَقُولُ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوۤا۟ إِنۡ هَـٰذَاۤ إِلَّاۤ أَسَـٰطِیرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِینَ ۝٢٥ wamin'hum man yastamiʿu ilayka wajaʿalnā ʿalā qulūbihim akinnatan an yafqahūhu wafī ādhānihim waqran wa-in yaraw kulla āyatin lā yu'minū bihā ḥattā idhā jāūka yujādilūnaka yaqūlu alladhīna kafarū in hādhā illā asāṭīru l-awalīn Among them are some who [appear to] listen to you, but we have placed covers over their hearts- so they do not understand the Quran- and deafness in their ears. Even if they saw every sign they would not believe in them. So, when they come to you, they argue with you: the disbelievers say, ‘These are nothing but ancient fables,’ 26 وَهُمۡ یَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنۡهُ وَیَنۡءَوۡنَ عَنۡهُۖ وَإِن یُهۡلِكُونَ إِلَّاۤ أَنفُسَهُمۡ وَمَا یَشۡعُرُونَ ۝٢٦ wahum yanhawna ʿanhu wayanawna ʿanhu wa-in yuh'likūna illā anfusahum wamā yashʿurūn and tell others not to listen [to the Quran], while they themselves keep away from it. But they ruin no one but themselves, though they fail to realize this 27 وَلَوۡ تَرَىٰۤ إِذۡ وُقِفُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ فَقَالُوا۟ یَـٰلَیۡتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلَا نُكَذِّبَ بِءَایَـٰتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِینَ ۝٢٧ walaw tarā idh wuqifū ʿalā l-nāri faqālū yālaytanā nuraddu walā nukadhiba biāyāti rabbinā wanakūna mina l-mu'minīn If you could only see, when they are made to stand before the Fire, how they will say, ‘If only we could be sent back, we would not reject the revelations of our Lord, but be among the believers.’