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
وَلَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ ءَايَـٰتٍۭ بَيِّنَـٰتٍ ۖ وَمَا يَكْفُرُ بِهَآ إِلَّا ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ
And We have certainly revealed to you verses [which are] clear proofs, and no one would deny them except the defiantly disobedient.
ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ
Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them,
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَوُا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds and establish prayer and give zakāh will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.
بَلَىٰ مَن كَسَبَ سَيِّئَةً وَأَحَـٰطَتْ بِهِۦ خَطِيٓـَٔتُهُۥ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ
Yes, [on the contrary], whoever earns evil and his sin has encompassed him - those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally.