Surah Al-Baqarah 2:113
سُورَةُ البَقَرَةِ · Medinan · Verse 113 of 286
وَقَالَتِ ٱلْيَهُودُ لَيْسَتِ ٱلنَّصَٰرَىٰ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍۢ وَقَالَتِ ٱلنَّصَٰرَىٰ لَيْسَتِ ٱلْيَهُودُ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍۢ وَهُمْ يَتْلُونَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ ۚ فَٱللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا۟ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ
Translation
The Jews say, ‘The Christians have no ground whatsoever to stand on,’ and the Christians say, ‘The Jews have no ground whatsoever to stand on,’ though they both read the Scripture, and those who have no knowledge say the same; God will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning their differences.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
This verse opens by revealing a stark conflict: the Jews claimed, "The Christians are not upon anything worthwhile," and the Christians retorted, "The Jews are not upon anything worthwhile." This mutual dismissal, as described by Ibn Ashur, represents an old habit of theirs, an exaggeration of their differences into complete negation.
The Weight of "Nothing"
The phrase "عَلى شَيْءٍ" (on anything) in the context of denial carries profound weight. Scholars like Ibn Ashur, al-Zamakhshari, and al-Razi explain that it's a powerful overstatement. It doesn't mean literally "nothing" exists in their faith, but rather that their beliefs are considered by the other party to be "nothing of value" or "nothing that can be relied upon." This extreme expression highlights how each group utterly invalidated the other's religion.
Reciting, Not Reflecting
Allah then adds the striking observation, "وَهُمْ يَتْلُونَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ" (while they recite the Book). The Arabic word "يتلون" means to recite or follow. Ibn Ashur notes that this phrase functions as a circumstantial clause, expressing astonishment. It highlights the profound irony: these groups were denying each other despite both possessing divine scriptures. Al-Zamakhshari points out that "الكتاب" here refers to the genus of scripture, implying they were people of knowledge, expected to understand the interconnectedness of divine messages. The use of "يتلون" (recite) instead of "يعلمون" (know) subtly suggests that while they recited their books, they may not have truly reflected upon or deeply understood their contents, which would have affirmed the truth in each other's traditions.
An Unflattering Parallel
The verse continues, "كَذَلِكَ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ" (Similarly, those who do not know said the like of their statement). Ibn Ashur explains that both "كَذَلِكَ" (similarly) and "مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ" (the like of their statement) work together to emphasize the exact likeness. This is a severe reprimand. Allah compares the mutual disparagement of the People of the Book, who possess scripture, to the words of "those who do not know" – referring to the ignorant Arab polytheists, as noted by Ibn Ashur and al-Zamakhshari. It's as if Allah is saying, "Your contentious dismissal of each other, despite your knowledge of scripture, is no different from the baseless assertions of the truly ignorant." This comparison effectively "disfigures" their claims by associating them with pure delusion.
The Final Judgment
The verse concludes with "فَٱللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا۟ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ" (So Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which they used to differ). The Arabic conjunction "فَاء" (fa, "so" or "then") indicates that this judgment is a direct consequence of their divisive and baseless claims, driven by envy and whims, as Ibn Ashur notes. It serves as a stern warning and a promise of ultimate accountability, where Allah will separate truth from falsehood in all matters of their dispute.
Sources: Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), al-Jalalayn
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:113 is discussed in 4 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
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