وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَقَفَّيْنَا مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ بِٱلرُّسُلِ ۖ وَءَاتَيْنَا عِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ ٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ وَأَيَّدْنَـٰهُ بِرُوحِ ٱلْقُدُسِ ۗ أَفَكُلَّمَا جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌۢ بِمَا لَا تَهْوَىٰٓ أَنفُسُكُمُ ٱسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ فَفَرِيقًا كَذَّبْتُمْ وَفَرِيقًا تَقْتُلُونَ 87
Translations
And We did certainly give Moses the Scripture [i.e., the Torah] and followed up after him with messengers. And We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear proofs and supported him with the Pure Spirit [i.e., the angel Gabriel]. But is it [not] that every time a messenger came to you, [O Children of Israel], with what your souls did not desire, you were arrogant? And a party [of messengers] you denied and another party you killed.
Transliteration
Wa-laqad ātaynā Mūsā al-kitāba wa-qaffaynā min ba'dihi bi-ar-rusuli wa-ātaynā 'Īsā ibna Maryama al-bayyināti wa-ayyaddnāhu bi-rūḥi al-Qudusi a-fa-kullammā jā'akum rasūlun bi-mā lā tahwā anfusukum istakbartum fa-farīqan kadhdhabtum wa-farīqan taqtulūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes the divine continuity of prophethood from Musa (Moses) through successive messengers to 'Isa (Jesus), emphasizing that Allah granted each prophet clear signs and miraculous support. The verse then rebukes the Bani Isra'il (Children of Israel) for their pattern of rejecting and even killing messengers whose message contradicted their desires and worldly inclinations. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this addresses the hypocrisy and arrogance of the Jewish communities in Medina who denied Muhammad's prophethood despite possessing knowledge of previous scriptures.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of a broader Medinan passage (2:40-103) addressing the Bani Isra'il and their covenant with Allah. It was revealed in the context of the Jewish tribes of Medina (Banu Qaynuqa', Banu an-Nadir, and Banu Qurayza) who had broken their covenants and rejected the Prophet Muhammad. The ayah reminds them of their historical pattern of rejecting prophets to motivate them toward acceptance of the final message.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The Jews were divided into seventy-one sects, and the Christians into seventy sects, and my Ummah will be divided into seventy-three sects' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2641), which relates to the theme of differing responses to divine guidance. Additionally, Surah Al-Baqarah 2:91 directly follows with the statement 'And when it was said to them, "Believe in what Allah has sent down," they said, "We believe [only] in what was sent down to us."'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that rejection of divine truth often stems from ego and attachment to worldly desires rather than intellectual doubt, and that following such inclinations leads to spiritual destruction. We must examine our hearts for similar patterns of resistance to truth and cultivate humility before the signs of Allah, recognizing that the temptation to reject divine guidance has afflicted nations throughout history.
Related Ayahs
فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُم مَّنَـٰسِكَكُمْ فَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ كَذِكْرِكُمْ ءَابَآءَكُمْ أَوْ أَشَدَّ ذِكْرًا ۗ فَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَمَا لَهُۥ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَـٰقٍ
And when you have completed your rites, remember Allāh like your [previous] remembrance of your fathers or with [much] greater remembrance. And among the people is he who says, "Our Lord, give us in this world," and he will have in the Hereafter no share.
ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَهِىَ كَٱلْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنَ ٱلْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ ٱلْمَآءُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ
Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even harder. For indeed, there are stones from which rivers burst forth, and there are some of them that split open and water comes out, and there are some of them that fall down for fear of Allāh. And Allāh is not unaware of what you do.
فَإِنْ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِمِثْلِ مَآ ءَامَنتُم بِهِۦ فَقَدِ ٱهْتَدَوا۟ ۖ وَّإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَإِنَّمَا هُمْ فِى شِقَاقٍ ۖ فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ
So if they believe in the same as you believe in, then they have been [rightly] guided; but if they turn away, they are only in dissension, and Allāh will be sufficient for you against them. And He is the Hearing, the Knowing.
وَلِلْمُطَلَّقَـٰتِ مَتَـٰعٌۢ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۖ حَقًّا عَلَى ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
And for divorced women is a provision according to what is acceptable - a duty upon the righteous.