وَقَالَتِ ٱلْيَهُودُ عُزَيْرٌ ٱبْنُ ٱللَّهِ وَقَالَتِ ٱلنَّصَـٰرَى ٱلْمَسِيحُ ٱبْنُ ٱللَّهِ ۖ ذَٰلِكَ قَوْلُهُم بِأَفْوَٰهِهِمْ ۖ يُضَـٰهِـُٔونَ قَوْلَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ قَـٰتَلَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۚ أَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ 30
Translations
The Jews say, "Ezra is the son of Allāh"; and the Christians say, "The Messiah is the son of Allāh." That is their statement from their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before [them]. May Allāh destroy them; how are they deluded?
Transliteration
Wa qālati al-yahūdu 'Uzayr ibnu Allāh wa qālati an-nasārā al-masīḥu ibnu Allāh. Dhālik qawluhum bi-afwāhihim. Yuḍāhi'ūn qawl alladhīna kafarū min qablu. Qātalahumu Allāh. Annā yu'fakūn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes the false claims of both Jews and Christians regarding the divinity of 'Uzayr (Ezra) and 'Īsā (Jesus) respectively. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that these claims were made without evidence—merely uttered by their forefathers—and represent a grave distortion of monotheism (tawhīd). The phrase 'yuḍāhi'ūn qawl alladhīna kafarū min qablu' (they resemble the speech of disbelievers before them) indicates that such deification claims follow the pattern of pre-Islamic polytheistic societies, showing that Christians and Jews fell into the same error as earlier nations.
Revelation Context
Revealed in Medina during the period when the Prophet Muhammad encountered both Jewish and Christian communities. The surah At-Tawbah addresses the hypocrites and People of the Book regarding their departures from monotheism. This ayah specifically responds to the theological errors of these communities who lived among or near the Muslims of Medina.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah (shirk)' (Sahih Bukhari 4476). Additionally, the Prophet forbade imitating the practices of disbelieving nations, which relates to how these theological errors propagated through cultural tradition rather than divine guidance.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches Muslims to question inherited beliefs and to verify them against divine revelation rather than accepting claims merely because they are traditional or widespread. It serves as a warning against allowing cultural practices and ancestral customs to override the clear message of God's absolute Oneness and uniqueness.
Related Ayahs
سَيَحْلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ لَكُمْ إِذَا ٱنقَلَبْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ لِتُعْرِضُوا۟ عَنْهُمْ ۖ فَأَعْرِضُوا۟ عَنْهُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ رِجْسٌ ۖ وَمَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ
They will swear by Allāh to you when you return to them that you would leave them alone. So leave them alone; indeed they are evil; and their refuge is Hell as recompense for what they had been earning.
ٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ أَوْ لَا تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ إِن تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةً فَلَن يَغْفِرَ ٱللَّهُ لَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ
Ask forgiveness for them, [O Muḥammad], or do not ask forgiveness for them. If you should ask forgiveness for them seventy times - never will Allāh forgive them. That is because they disbelieved in Allāh and His Messenger, and Allāh does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.
وَإِذَا مَآ أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ فَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ أَيُّكُمْ زَادَتْهُ هَـٰذِهِۦٓ إِيمَـٰنًا ۚ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ فَزَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَـٰنًا وَهُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ
And whenever a sūrah is revealed, there are among them [i.e., the hypocrites] those who say, "Which of you has this increased in faith?" As for those who believed, it has increased them in faith, while they are rejoicing.
وَجَآءَ ٱلْمُعَذِّرُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ لِيُؤْذَنَ لَهُمْ وَقَعَدَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ ۚ سَيُصِيبُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
And those with excuses among the bedouins came to be permitted [to remain], and they who had lied to Allāh and His Messenger sat [at home]. There will strike those who disbelieved among them a painful punishment.