ٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ يَعْرِفُونَهُۥ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ ۖ وَإِنَّ فَرِيقًا مِّنْهُمْ لَيَكْتُمُونَ ٱلْحَقَّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ 146
Translations
Those to whom We gave the Scripture know him [i.e., Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)] as they know their own sons. But indeed, a party of them conceal the truth while they know [it].
Transliteration
Al-ladhīna ātaynāhum al-kitāba yaʿrifūnahu kamā yaʿrifūna abnāʾahum wa-inna farīqan minhum layaktumuun al-ḥaqqa wa-hum yaʿlamūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the People of the Book (Christians and Jews) who possess the Torah and Gospel and recognize the Prophet Muhammad and his message with the same clarity as they recognize their own children, yet a faction among them deliberately conceals the truth despite their knowledge. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain this refers to scholars among the People of the Book who found descriptions of the Prophet in their scriptures but chose to hide this from their people out of arrogance, envy, or fear of losing their positions of authority.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in Medina during the period when the Prophet engaged with Jewish and Christian communities. It addresses the phenomenon of intellectual dishonesty among some religious scholars of those faiths who encountered the Quranic message but rejected it not from ignorance but from conscious suppression of truth they internally recognized.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari 3942 contains reports of Jewish rabbis acknowledging the Prophet's description in their scriptures. Also relevant is the general hadith about those who hide knowledge, which is condemned in multiple hadith collections including Sunan Ibn Majah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that possessing knowledge brings responsibility; those who know the truth are accountable before Allah for their actions regarding it. It warns against allowing ego, worldly interests, or fear of social consequences to override our duty to acknowledge and follow the truth when we recognize it.
Related Ayahs
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ
Allāh - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursī extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.
وَإِذْ نَجَّيْنَـٰكُم مِّنْ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوٓءَ ٱلْعَذَابِ يُذَبِّحُونَ أَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَآءَكُمْ ۚ وَفِى ذَٰلِكُم بَلَآءٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَظِيمٌ
And [recall] when We saved you [i.e., your forefathers] from the people of Pharaoh, who afflicted you with the worst torment, slaughtering your [newborn] sons and keeping your females alive. And in that was a great trial from your Lord.
إِنَّمَا يَأْمُرُكُم بِٱلسُّوٓءِ وَٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَأَن تَقُولُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
He only orders you to evil and immorality and to say about Allāh what you do not know.
قُلْنَا ٱهْبِطُوا۟ مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا ۖ فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّى هُدًى فَمَن تَبِعَ هُدَاىَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
We said, "Go down from it, all of you. And when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance - there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.