Surah Al-Baqarah >> Currently viewing Surah Baqarah Ayat 91 (2:91)

Surah Baqarah Ayat 91 in Arabic Text

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمۡ ءَامِنُواْ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ قَالُواْ نُؤۡمِنُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيۡنَا وَيَكۡفُرُونَ بِمَا وَرَآءَهُۥ وَهُوَ ٱلۡحَقُّ مُصَدِّقٗا لِّمَا مَعَهُمۡۗ قُلۡ فَلِمَ تَقۡتُلُونَ أَنۢبِيَآءَ ٱللَّهِ مِن قَبۡلُ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ
Wa izaa qeela lahum aaminoo bimaaa anzalal laahu qaaloo nu’minu bimaaa unzila ‘alainaa wa yakfuroona bimaa waraaa’ahoo wa huwal haqqu musaddiqal limaa ma’ahum; qul falima taqtuloona Ambiyaaa’al laahi min qablu in kuntum mu’mineen

English Translation

Here you can read various translations of verse 91

Sahih International
And when it is said to them, “Believe in what Allah has revealed,” they say, “We believe [only] in what was revealed to us.” And they disbelieve in what came after it, while it is the truth confirming that which is with them. Say, “Then why did you kill the prophets of Allah before, if you are [indeed] believers?”

Yusuf Ali
“When it is said to them, “Believe in what Allah Hath sent down, “they say, “We believe in what was sent down to us:” yet they reject all besides, even if it be Truth confirming what is with them. Say: “Why then have ye slain the prophets of Allah in times gone by, if ye did indeed believe?”

Abul Ala Maududi
When it is said to them, “Believe in that which Allah has sent down,” they say, “We believe only in that which has been sent to us”, and reject everything else, though it is the Truth and confirms what is with them. Well, ask them, “If you sincerely believed in what was sent down to you, why did you kill the Messengers of Allah (who were sent to you from amongst yourselves)?

Muhsin Khan
And when it is said to them (the Jews), “Believe in what Allah has sent down,” they say, “We believe in what was sent down to us.” And they disbelieve in that which came after it, while it is the truth confirming what is with them. Say (O Muhammad Peace be upon him to them): “Why then have you killed the Prophets of Allah aforetime, if you indeed have been believers?”

Pickthall
And when it is said unto them: Believe in that which Allah hath revealed, they say: We believe in that which was revealed unto us. And they disbelieve in that which cometh after it, though it is the truth confirming that which they possess. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Why then slew ye the prophets of Allah aforetime, if ye are (indeed) believers?

Dr. Ghali
And when it was said to them, “Believe in what Allah has sent down, ” they said, “We believe in what was sent down on us, ” and they disbelieve in what is beyond it, and it is the Truth sincerely (verifying) what is with them. Say, “Why then did you kill the Prophesiers (i.e. Prophets) of Allah earlier in case you are believers?”

Abdel Haleem
When it is said to them, ‘Believe in God’s revelations,’ they reply, ‘We believe in what was revealed to us,’ but they do not believe in what came afterwards, though it is the truth confirming what they already have. Say [Muhammad], ‘Why did you kill God’s prophets in the past if you were true believers?

Muhammad Junagarhi
اور جب ان سے کہا جاتا ہے کہ اللہ تعالیٰ کی اتاری ہوئی کتاب پر ایمان ﻻؤ تو کہہ دیتے ہیں کہ جو ہم پر اتاری گئی اس پر ہمارا ایمان ہے۔ حاﻻنکہ اس کے بعد والی کے ساتھ جو ان کی کتاب کی تصدیق کرنے والی ہے، کفر کرتے ہیں، اچھا ان سے یہ تو دریافت کریں کہ اگر تمہارا ایمان پہلی کتابوں پر ہے تو پھر تم نے اگلے انبیا کو کیوں قتل کیا؟

Quran 2 Verse 91 Explanation

For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Baqarah ayat 91, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.

Ala-Maududi

(2:91) When they are told: “Believe in what Allah has revealed,” they say: “We believe only in what was revealed to us (Israel).” They deny everything else even though it be the Truth which confirms what they possess. Say (to them): “If indeed you are believers, why is it that in the past you killed the Prophets of Allah (who were from Israel)?”


There is no commentary by Abul Maududi available for this verse.

Ibn-Kathir

91. And when it is said to them (the Jews), “Believe in what Allah has sent down,” they say, “We believe in what was sent down to us.” And they disbelieve in that which came after it, while it is the truth confirming what is with them. Say (O Muhammad to them): “Why then have you killed the Prophets of Allah aforetime, if you indeed have been believers” 92. And indeed Musa came to you with clear proofs, yet you worshipped the calf after he left, and you were Zalimun.


Although The Jews denied the Truth, They claimed to be Believers!

Allah said,

﴿وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ﴾

(And when it is said to them), meaning, the Jews and the People of the Book,

﴿ءَامِنُواْ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ﴾

(Believe in what Allah has sent down) to Muhammad , believe in and follow him,

﴿قَالُواْ نُؤْمِنُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا﴾

(They say, “We believe in what was sent down to us.”) meaning, it is enough for us to believe in what was revealed to us in the Tawrah and the Injil, and this is the path that we choose,

﴿وَيَكْفُرونَ بِمَا وَرَآءَهُ﴾

(And they disbelieve in that which came after it).

﴿وَهُوَ الْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ﴾

(while it is the truth confirming what is with them) meaning, while knowing that what was revealed to Muhammad ,

﴿الْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ﴾

(it is the truth confirming what is with them). This means that since what was sent to Muhammad conforms to what was revealed to the People of the Book, then this fact constitutes a proof against them. Similarly, Allah said,

﴿الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَـهُمُ الْكِتَـبَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ﴾

(Those to whom We gave the Scripture (Jews and Christians) recognize him (Muhammad ) as they recognize their sons) (2:146). Allah said next,

﴿فَلِمَ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنبِيَآءَ اللَّهِ مِن قَبْلُ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ﴾

(“Why then have you killed the Prophets of Allah aforetime, if you indeed have been believers”).

This means, “If your claim that you believe in what was revealed to you is true, then why did you kill the Prophets who came to you affirming the Tawrah’s Law, although you knew they were true Prophets You killed them simply out of transgression, stubbornness and injustice with Allah’s Messengers. Therefore, you only follow your lusts, opinions and desires.” Similarly, Allah said,

﴿أَفَكُلَّمَا جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ بِمَا لاَ تَهْوَى أَنفُسُكُم اسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ فَفَرِيقًا كَذَّبْتُمْ وَفَرِيقًا تَقْتُلُونَ﴾

(Is it that whenever there came to you a Messenger with what you yourselves desired not, you grew arrogant Some you disbelieved and some you killed.)

Also, As-Suddi said, “In this Ayah, Allah chastised the People of the Book,

﴿قُلْ فَلِمَ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنبِيَآءَ اللَّهِ مِن قَبْلُ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ﴾

(Say (O Muhammad to them): “Why then have you killed the Prophets of Allah aforetime, if you indeed have been believers”).”

﴿وَلَقَدْ جَآءَكُم مُّوسَى بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ﴾

(And indeed Musa came to you with clear proofs) meaning, with clear signs and clear proofs that he was the Messenger of Allah and that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. The clear signs -or miracles- mentioned here are the flood, the locusts, the lice, the frogs, the blood, the staff and the hand. Musa’s miracles also include parting the sea, shading the Jews with clouds, the manna and quails, the gushing stone, etc.

﴿ثُمَّ اتَّخَذْتُمُ الْعِجْلَ﴾

(yet you worshipped the calf) meaning, as a deity instead of Allah, during the time of Musa. Allah’s statement,

﴿مِن بَعْدِهِ﴾

(after he left) after Musa went to Mount Tur to speak to Allah. Similarly, Allah said,

﴿وَاتَّخَذَ قَوْمُ مُوسَى مِن بَعْدِهِ مِنْ حُلِيِّهِمْ عِجْلاً جَسَداً لَّهُ خُوَارٌ﴾

(And the people of Musa made in his absence, out of their ornaments, the image of a calf (for worship). It had a sound (as if it was mooing)) (7:148).

﴿وَأَنتُمْ ظَـلِمُونَ﴾

(and you were Zalimun) meaning, you were unjust in this behavior of worshipping the calf, although you knew that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. Similarly, Allah said,

﴿وَلَمَّا سُقِطَ فَى أَيْدِيهِمْ وَرَأَوْاْ أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ ضَلُّواْ قَالُواْ لَئِن لَّمْ يَرْحَمْنَا رَبُّنَا وَيَغْفِرْ لَنَا لَنَكُونَنّ مِنَ الْخَـسِرِينَ ﴾

(And when they regretted and saw that they had gone astray, they (repented and) said: “If our Lord have not mercy upon us and forgive us, we shall certainly be of the losers”) (7:149).

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surah baqarah ayat 91
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