Quran 2:253 — Al-Baqara, verse 253
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
We favoured some of these messengers above others. God spoke to some; others He raised in rank; We gave Jesus, son of Mary, Our clear signs and strengthened him with the holy spirit. If God had so willed, their successors would not have fought each other after they had been brought clear signs. But they disagreed: some believed and some disbelieved. If God had so willed, they would not have fought each other, but God does what He will.
تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۘ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ كَلَّمَ اللَّهُ ۖ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجَاتٍ ۚ وَآتَيْنَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَيَّدْنَاهُ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ ۗ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ وَلَـٰكِنِ اخْتَلَفُوا فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ آمَنَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ كَفَرَ ۚ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلُوا وَلَـٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيدُ
til'ka l-rusulu faḍḍalnā baʿḍahum ʿalā baʿḍin min'hum man kallama l-lahu warafaʿa baʿḍahum darajātin waātaynā ʿīsā ib'na maryama l-bayināti wa-ayyadnāhu birūḥi l-qudusi walaw shāa l-lahu mā iq'tatala alladhīna min baʿdihim min baʿdi mā jāathumu l-bayinātu walākini ikh'talafū famin'hum man āmana wamin'hum man kafara walaw shāa l-lahu mā iq'tatalū walākinna l-laha yafʿalu mā yurīdu
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- And those Messengers, some We have preferred above others; some there are to whom God spoke, and some He raised in rank. And We gave Jesus son of Mary the clear signs, and confirmed him with the Holy Spirit. And had God willed, those who came after him would not have fought one against the other after the clear signs had come to them; but they fell into variance, and some of them believed, and some disbelieved; and had God willed they would not have fought one against the other; but God does whatsoever He desires.
- Muhammad Asad
- Some of these apostles have We endowed more highly than others: among them were such as were spoken to by God [Himself], and some He has raised yet higher.' And We vouchsafed unto Jesus, the son of Mary, all evidence of the truth, and strengthened him with holy inspiration. And if God had so willed, they who succeeded those [apostles] would not have contended with one another after all evidence of the truth had come to them; but [as it was,] they did take to divergent views, and some of them attained to faith, while some of them came to deny the truth. Yet if God had so willed, they would not have contended with one another: but God does whatever He wills.
- Sahih International
- Those messengers - some of them We caused to exceed others. Among them were those to whom Allāh spoke, and He raised some of them in degree. And We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear proofs, and We supported him with the Pure Spirit [i.e., Gabriel]. If Allāh had willed, those [generations] succeeding them would not have fought each other after the clear proofs had come to them. But they differed, and some of them believed and some of them disbelieved. And if Allāh had willed, they would not have fought each other, but Allāh does what He intends.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ۞ تِلْكَtil'ka | These | — |
| 2 | ٱلرُّسُلُl-rusulu | (are) the Messengers | رسل |
| 3 | فَضَّلْنَاfaḍḍalnā | We (have) preferred | فضل |
| 4 | بَعْضَهُمْbaʿḍahum | some of them | بعض |
| 5 | عَلَىٰʿalā | over | — |
| 6 | بَعْضٍۢ ۘbaʿḍin | others | بعض |
| 7 | مِّنْهُمmin'hum | Among them | — |
| 8 | مَّنman | (were those with) whom | — |
| 9 | كَلَّمَkallama | spoke | كلم |
| 10 | ٱللَّهُ ۖl-lahu | Allah | أله |
| 11 | وَرَفَعَwarafaʿa | and He raised | رفع |
| 12 | بَعْضَهُمْbaʿḍahum | some of them | بعض |
| 13 | دَرَجَـٰتٍۢ ۚdarajātin | (in) degrees | درج |
| 14 | وَءَاتَيْنَاwaātaynā | And We gave | أتي |
| 15 | عِيسَىʿīsā | Isa | — |
| 16 | ٱبْنَib'na | son | بني |
| 17 | مَرْيَمَmaryama | (of) Maryam | — |
| 18 | ٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِl-bayināti | the clear proofs | بين |
| 19 | وَأَيَّدْنَـٰهُwa-ayyadnāhu | and We supported him | أيد |
| 20 | بِرُوحِbirūḥi | with Spirit | روح |
| 21 | ٱلْقُدُسِ ۗl-qudusi | [the] Holy | قدس |
| 22 | وَلَوْwalaw | And if | — |
| 23 | شَآءَshāa | (had) willed | شيأ |
| 24 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah | أله |
| 25 | مَاmā | not | — |
| 26 | ٱقْتَتَلَiq'tatala | (would have) fought each other | قتل |
| 27 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | those who | — |
| 28 | مِنۢmin | (came) from | — |
| 29 | بَعْدِهِمbaʿdihim | after them | بعد |
| 30 | مِّنۢmin | from | — |
| 31 | بَعْدِbaʿdi | after | بعد |
| 32 | مَاmā | [what] | — |
| 33 | جَآءَتْهُمُjāathumu | came to them | جيأ |
| 34 | ٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتُl-bayinātu | the clear proofs | بين |
| 35 | وَلَـٰكِنِwalākini | [And] but | — |
| 36 | ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ikh'talafū | they differed | خلف |
| 37 | فَمِنْهُمfamin'hum | [so] of them | — |
| 38 | مَّنْman | (are some) who | — |
| 39 | ءَامَنَāmana | believed | أمن |
| 40 | وَمِنْهُمwamin'hum | and of them | — |
| 41 | مَّنman | (are some) who | — |
| 42 | كَفَرَ ۚkafara | denied | كفر |
| 43 | وَلَوْwalaw | And if | — |
| 44 | شَآءَshāa | (had) willed | شيأ |
| 45 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah | أله |
| 46 | مَاmā | not | — |
| 47 | ٱقْتَتَلُوا۟iq'tatalū | they (would have) fought each other | قتل |
| 48 | وَلَـٰكِنَّwalākinna | [and] but | — |
| 49 | ٱللَّهَl-laha | Allah | أله |
| 50 | يَفْعَلُyafʿalu | does | فعل |
| 51 | مَاmā | what | — |
| 52 | يُرِيدُyurīdu | He intends | رود |