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
وَٱلْمُطَلَّقَـٰتُ يَتَرَبَّصْنَ بِأَنفُسِهِنَّ ثَلَـٰثَةَ قُرُوٓءٍ ۚ وَلَا يَحِلُّ لَهُنَّ أَن يَكْتُمْنَ مَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ فِىٓ أَرْحَامِهِنَّ إِن كُنَّ يُؤْمِنَّ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ۚ وَبُعُولَتُهُنَّ أَحَقُّ بِرَدِّهِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ إِنْ أَرَادُوٓا۟ إِصْلَـٰحًا ۚ وَلَهُنَّ مِثْلُ ٱلَّذِى عَلَيْهِنَّ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۚ وَلِلرِّجَالِ عَلَيْهِنَّ دَرَجَةٌ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
Divorced women remain in waiting [i.e., do not remarry] for three periods, and it is not lawful for them to conceal what Allāh has created in their wombs if they believe in Allāh and the Last Day. And their husbands have more right to take them back in this [period] if they want reconciliation. And due to them [i.e., the wives] is similar to what is expected of them, according to what is reasonable. But the men [i.e., husbands] have a degree over them [in responsibility and authority]. And Allāh is Exalted in Might and Wise.
بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُۥ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَلَهُۥٓ أَجْرُهُۥ عِندَ رَبِّهِۦ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
Yes, [on the contrary], whoever submits his face [i.e., self] in Islām to Allāh while being a doer of good will have his reward with his Lord. And no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.
وَإِذْ فَرَقْنَا بِكُمُ ٱلْبَحْرَ فَأَنجَيْنَـٰكُمْ وَأَغْرَقْنَآ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ
And [recall] when We parted the sea for you and saved you and drowned the people of Pharaoh while you were looking on.
وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمُ رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْ هَـٰذَا بَلَدًا ءَامِنًا وَٱرْزُقْ أَهْلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ مَنْ ءَامَنَ مِنْهُم بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ۖ قَالَ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَأُمَتِّعُهُۥ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ أَضْطَرُّهُۥٓ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ
And [mention] when Abraham said, "My Lord, make this a secure city and provide its people with fruits - whoever of them believes in Allāh and the Last Day." [Allāh] said, "And whoever disbelieves - I will grant him enjoyment for a little; then I will force him to the punishment of the Fire, and wretched is the destination."