ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ نَزَّلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۗ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فِى ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَفِى شِقَاقٍۭ بَعِيدٍ 176
Translations
That is [deserved by them] because Allāh has sent down the Book in truth. And indeed, those who differ over the Book are in extreme dissension.
Transliteration
Dhālika bi-anna Allāha nazzala al-Kitāba bi-al-ḥaqq, wa-inna alladhīna ikhtalafu fī al-Kitābi la-fī shiqāq ba'īd
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah states that Allah revealed the Book (Qur'an) with truth, and those who dispute and differ about the Book are in severe discord and opposition. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this verse condemns those who reject the clear truth of the Qur'an and engage in baseless argumentation, emphasizing that disagreement stemming from denial of divine revelation leads to profound spiritual schism. The verse establishes that the Qur'an's truth is absolute, and deliberate disagreement with it represents a fundamental breach from the straight path.
Revelation Context
This ayah is situated within Surah Al-Baqarah's discussion of the People of the Book (Ahl al-Kitab) and their contradictions regarding the Qur'an. The broader context addresses how some Jews and Christians distorted their own scriptures and rejected the Qur'an despite its clarity, making it a Medinan ayah responding to specific interfaith disputes the Muslim community encountered.
Related Hadiths
Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it' (Sahih Bukhari 5027), emphasizing proper understanding of the Book. Additionally, the Hadith Qudsi: 'Indeed, those who dispute about My ayat have gone far astray' reflects the gravity of quarreling about divine revelation (Tirmidhi).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that true knowledge comes from accepting the Qur'an's truth without needless disputation, and that disagreement rooted in denial of divine guidance creates profound spiritual distance from Allah's path. For modern readers, it emphasizes the importance of studying scripture with sincere intention to understand rather than to argue or find faults.
Related Ayahs
۞ وَإِن كُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ وَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ كَاتِبًا فَرِهَـٰنٌ مَّقْبُوضَةٌ ۖ فَإِنْ أَمِنَ بَعْضُكُم بَعْضًا فَلْيُؤَدِّ ٱلَّذِى ٱؤْتُمِنَ أَمَـٰنَتَهُۥ وَلْيَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ رَبَّهُۥ ۗ وَلَا تَكْتُمُوا۟ ٱلشَّهَـٰدَةَ ۚ وَمَن يَكْتُمْهَا فَإِنَّهُۥٓ ءَاثِمٌ قَلْبُهُۥ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ
And if you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, then a security deposit [should be] taken. And if one of you entrusts another, then let him who is entrusted discharge his trust [faithfully] and let him fear Allāh, his Lord. And do not conceal testimony, for whoever conceals it - his heart is indeed sinful, and Allāh is Knowing of what you do.
كَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَكُنتُمْ أَمْوَٰتًا فَأَحْيَـٰكُمْ ۖ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
How can you disbelieve in Allāh when you were lifeless and He brought you to life; then He will cause you to die, then He will bring you [back] to life, and then to Him you will be returned.
وَلَكُمْ فِى ٱلْقِصَاصِ حَيَوٰةٌ يَـٰٓأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
And there is for you in legal retribution [saving of] life, O you [people] of understanding, that you may become righteous.
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّى جَاعِلٌ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ ٱلدِّمَآءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
And [mention, O Muḥammad], when your Lord said to the angels, "Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority." They said, "Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we exalt You with praise and declare Your perfection?" He [Allāh] said, "Indeed, I know that which you do not know."