أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَآءَ إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ ٱلْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنۢ بَعْدِى قَالُوا۟ نَعْبُدُ إِلَـٰهَكَ وَإِلَـٰهَ ءَابَآئِكَ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ إِلَـٰهًا وَٰحِدًا وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ مُسْلِمُونَ 133
Translations
Or were you witnesses when death approached Jacob, when he said to his sons, "What will you worship after me?" They said, "We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac - one God. And we are Muslims [in submission] to Him."
Transliteration
Am kuntum shuhadaa idh hadara Ya'qooba al-mawtu idh qala libaneehi ma ta'budoona min ba'dee qaloo na'budu ilahaka wa ilaha aba'ika Ibrahima wa Isma'eela wa Ishaq ilahan wahidan wa nahnu lahu muslimoon
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah records the deathbed testament of Prophet Yaqub (Jacob) to his sons, asking them what they will worship after his death. His sons affirm their commitment to monotheism, declaring they will worship only Allah—the God of their forefathers Ibrahim, Ismail, and Ishaq—as one God, and that they submit to Him in Islam. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize this as a profound moment where the patriarchs collectively reaffirm the oneness of Allah across generations, establishing continuity of the divine message from Ibrahim through Yaqub.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of a broader Medinan discussion addressing the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) who disputed over religion and claimed exclusive access to Paradise. The Qur'an here highlights how the patriarchs of Judaism and Christianity all adhered to pure monotheism (Tawhid) and submission to Allah, not the sectarian divisions that came later. This context appears in verses 2:111-141 of Surah Al-Baqarah.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those of my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them.' (Sahih Bukhari 2652). Additionally, the Prophet emphasized following the practices of the earlier Prophets, reinforcing the continuity of monotheism demonstrated by Yaqub and his forefathers.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us the importance of transmitting Islamic values and monotheistic belief to the next generation, as exemplified by Yaqub's concern for his sons' faith after his passing. It reminds us that true Islam is not cultural or sectarian, but rather the sincere, unified worship of One God—a principle that transcends time and generations.