۞ وَمِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ مَنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِقِنطَارٍ يُؤَدِّهِۦٓ إِلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِدِينَارٍ لَّا يُؤَدِّهِۦٓ إِلَيْكَ إِلَّا مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَآئِمًا ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا۟ لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِى ٱلْأُمِّيِّـۧنَ سَبِيلٌ وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ 75
Translations
And among the People of the Scripture is he who, if you entrust him with a great amount [of wealth], he will return it to you. And among them is he who, if you entrust him with a [single] coin, he will not return it to you unless you are constantly standing over him [demanding it]. That is because they say, "There is no blame upon us concerning the unlearned." And they speak untruth about Allāh while they know [it].
Transliteration
Wa min ahli al-kitabi man in ta'manhu biqintarin yu'addih ilayak wa minhum man in ta'manhu bidinar la yu'addih ilayak illa ma dumta alayhi qai'man. Dhalika bi-annahum qalu laysa alayna fi al-ummiyyin sabīl wa yaqulun ala Allah al-kadhib wa hum ya'lamun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the varying levels of honesty and trustworthiness among the People of the Book, highlighting that some are entirely dependable in their financial transactions while others are deceitful—particularly when dealing with those they consider unbelievers (the Arabs/ummiyin). The ayah reveals their hypocrisy: they falsely claimed that they had no religious obligation to deal justly with the unlettered Arabs, and they deliberately lied about this being permissible in their faith. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this ayah exposes how some scholars of the People of the Book twisted their scriptures to justify dishonesty in commerce with Muslims.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in Madinah during the early Islamic period when trade interactions between Muslims and the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) were common. The context relates to complaints about unfair dealings in commerce and the need to establish trustworthiness as a fundamental Islamic value, contrasting the conduct of some dishonest merchants among the People of the Book with the Islamic standard of honesty.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3895), emphasizing trustworthiness in all dealings. Also relevant: 'Whoever cheats is not from us' (Sahih Muslim 102), which condemns fraudulent conduct regardless of the recipient's faith.
Themes
Key Lesson
Muslims are called to maintain unwavering honesty and integrity in all financial and personal transactions, regardless of the other party's religion or status—an absolute standard that cannot be compromised. This ayah serves as a timeless reminder that Islamic ethics demand consistency and justice, rejecting any justification for dishonesty based on tribal, ethnic, or religious differences.