Quran 2:140 — Al-Baqara, verse 140
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
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.’
أَمْ تَقُولُونَ إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطَ كَانُوا هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَىٰ ۗ قُلْ أَأَنْتُمْ أَعْلَمُ أَمِ اللَّهُ ۗ وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ كَتَمَ شَهَادَةً عِنْدَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ
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 taʿmalūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- Or do you say, "Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob, and the Tribes -- they were Jews, or they were Christians"?' Say: 'Have you then greater knowledge, or God? And who does greater evil than he who conceals a testimony received from God? And God is not heedless of the things you do.'
- Muhammad Asad
- "Do you claim that Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and their descendants were `Jews' or `Christians'?" Say: "Do you know more than God does? And who could be more wicked than he who suppresses a testimony given to him by God? Yet God is not unmindful of what you do.
- Sahih International
- Or do you say that Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants were Jews or Christians? Say, "Are you more knowing or is Allāh?" And who is more unjust than one who conceals a testimony he has from Allāh? And Allāh is not unaware of what you do.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | أَمْam | Or | — |
| 2 | تَقُولُونَtaqūlūna | (do) you say | قول |
| 3 | إِنَّinna | that | — |
| 4 | إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَib'rāhīma | Ibrahim | — |
| 5 | وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَwa-is'māʿīla | and Ishmael | — |
| 6 | وَإِسْحَـٰقَwa-is'ḥāqa | and Isaac | — |
| 7 | وَيَعْقُوبَwayaʿqūba | and Yaqub | — |
| 8 | وَٱلْأَسْبَاطَwal-asbāṭa | and the descendants | سبط |
| 9 | كَانُوا۟kānū | were | كون |
| 10 | هُودًاhūdan | Jews | هود |
| 11 | أَوْaw | or | — |
| 12 | نَصَـٰرَىٰ ۗnaṣārā | Christians | نصر |
| 13 | قُلْqul | Say | قول |
| 14 | ءَأَنتُمْa-antum | Are you | — |
| 15 | أَعْلَمُaʿlamu | better knowing | علم |
| 16 | أَمِami | or | — |
| 17 | ٱللَّهُ ۗl-lahu | (is) Allah | أله |
| 18 | وَمَنْwaman | And who | — |
| 19 | أَظْلَمُaẓlamu | (is) more unjust | ظلم |
| 20 | مِمَّنmimman | than (the one) who | — |
| 21 | كَتَمَkatama | concealed | كتم |
| 22 | شَهَـٰدَةًshahādatan | a testimony | شهد |
| 23 | عِندَهُۥʿindahu | (that) he has | عند |
| 24 | مِنَmina | from | — |
| 25 | ٱللَّهِ ۗl-lahi | Allah | أله |
| 26 | وَمَاwamā | And not | — |
| 27 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | (is) Allah | أله |
| 28 | بِغَـٰفِلٍbighāfilin | unaware | غفل |
| 29 | عَمَّاʿammā | of what | — |
| 30 | تَعْمَلُونَtaʿmalūna | you do | عمل |