وَتَقَطَّعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَهُم بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ كُلٌّ إِلَيْنَا رَٰجِعُونَ 93
Translations
And [yet] they divided their affair [i.e., that of their religion] among themselves, [but] all to Us will return.
Transliteration
Wa taqatta'oo amrahum baynahum, kullun ilaina raji'oon
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the people of earlier scriptures (particularly the People of the Book) who divided their religion into conflicting sects and groups, each following their own path despite receiving the same divine message. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir emphasize that this division stemmed from their rejection of parts of revelation and following of desires, yet the ayah concludes with the reminder that all will ultimately return to Allah for judgment. The statement 'kullun ilaina raji'oon' (all of them will return to Us) serves as a powerful warning that despite their divisions in this life, none can escape Divine accountability.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Anbiya', which discusses the stories of the prophets and emphasizes the unity of their message. The context addresses how previous communities fractured into sects despite receiving clear guidance, illustrating a recurring pattern of human deviation from divine truth. This serves as a warning to the Muslim community to maintain unity and not follow the same destructive path of division.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The Jews were divided into seventy-one sects, and the Christians into seventy-two sects, and my Ummah will be divided into seventy-three sects' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2641). Also relevant is the hadith: 'The best of you are my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them' (Sahih Bukhari 2652), emphasizing the importance of following the unified path of the Prophet and his companions.
Themes
Key Lesson
Despite worldly divisions and disagreements, all humanity faces inevitable return to Allah where truth will be vindicated and falsehood exposed; Muslims should prioritize unity of belief and practice, learning from the cautionary examples of previous communities who fractured into harmful sects. The ayah reminds us that diversity of opinion on secondary matters is permissible, but fundamental divisions rooted in rejecting clear divine guidance constitute a grave spiritual danger.