Unveiling Disbelief: an Analysis of the Qur'ānic Understanding of the Disbeliever
Master’s Thesis
Presented to
The Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Brandeis University
Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies
Joseph E. B. Lumbard, Advisor
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Arts
in
Near Eastern and Judaic Studies
by
Megan Kimberly Stewart
May 2015
Copyright by
Megan Kimberly Stewart
©2015
iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I have many debts of graditude due to so many individuals I am certain I will be unable to fit
them all on this acknowledgements page. However, I would like to thank some of the people who have
been a major influence and advocate both before and during the writing of this thesis.
I would first like to thank my professor and advisor Joseph E. B. Lumbard, for not only holding
some of the most interesting lectures of life, but for challenging the way I think and encouraging me
during my entire time at Brandeis University. I am eternally grateful to Professor Lumbard for allowing
me to both read and use the Harper Collin’s Study Qur’ān manuscript for the English translation of the
Qur’ān in this thesis. It is by far the best English translation of the Qur’ān in existence and I am looking
forward to it upcoming publication. I would also like to thank Professor Lumbard for the ‘shoulder to cry
on’, which he provided over the two years of the journey that was my Masters Degree in Near Eastern and
Judaic Studies. I will never be able to repay you for those boxes of tissues.
Next, I would like to thank my second reader and professor Carl Sharif El-Tobgui, for his
continued support and brainstorming during the writing of this thesis, and for his informative and
interesting class on Islamic Law. I am extremely thankful for Professor El-Tobgui’s kindness and
understanding during some of the more stressful times of my two years at Brandeis University.
Further, I am eternally grateful for my mother Karen Sullivan. There is no way I will ever be able
to thank her for all of the time and energy she has put into my life, but knowing that she would “bet her
life” on me during times where I was not sure I believed in myself, makes me one of the luckiest people
in existence. You have supported me through the good times, the bad times, and the questionable times.
Wicked love you Mumma, thank you for everything. I have no idea what I would do without you.
I would also like to thank my father, Brent Stewart. I am not sure if he will ever pronounce the
word “Arabic” correctly or if he even thought my attending graduate school was a good idea to begin
with, but I am so thankful he went along with it anyway! I will never forget the times I called to talk to
him about my studies and was ignored for the television… Joking aside, thank you Dad for everything, I
wicked love you.
I would like to thank my brother, Mitchell Stewart, for his support and love through this process.
Having me as a sister does not make life easy, but I appreciate all of the laughs, encouragement, prayers,
and endless phones calls made not only during graduate school but throughout his entire life. Thank you
Mitch for being you, I love you so much.
To my friend and colleague, Elias Abrar, for going above and beyond the call of friendship during
the two years I have known him in graduate school. I will never be able to thank him enough for bugging
him at all hours of the day with questions on both my thesis and course material. Thank you Elias for
being a genuinely kind person, for all the laughs and for listening when I needed it the most.
Finally, I would like to thank some of the friends, colleagues, and all around best people in the
world for being there during the highs and lows of graduate school: Alaa Murad, Sandra Fernandez,
Joseph Leonard, Celine Lizzio, and Jason Bernard; and in memory of Fredrick George Jones Jr. Ph. D, for
without whom I would most likely have never written this thesis.
iv
ABSTRACT
Unveiling Disbelief: an Analysis of the Qur'ānic Understanding of the Disbeliever
A thesis presented to the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts
by Megan Kimberly Stewart
This thesis is an analysis of how the derived forms from the Arabic root ‘ ر-ف-ك ’,
translated as to disbelieve and disbelievers, is used in the Qur’ān. The purpose of this thesis is to
determine what it means to disbelieve and to be a disbeliever, through analyzing verses of the
Qur’ān and examining the verses through the use of tafsīr, hadith, the Asbāb al-Nuzūl, and other
forms of prophetic Sunnah. This thesis defines what it means to believe, how the various verbal
forms of ‘ ر-ف-ك ’ are used to understand what it means to disbelieve, explore what characteristics
are associated with disbelievers, and how the People of the Book, the Jews and Christians, fit
into the concept of belief and disbelief.
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 1
Chapter One: Belief
Īmān: Faith
Mu’min: Believer
4
5
10
Chapter Two: To Disbelieve
To Disbelieve; To Deny
To Absolve
To be Ungrateful
14
14
18
20
Chapter Three: Characteristics of Disbelief 23
Veiled, Blinded, Deaf, and Dumb
The Heart of the Disbeliever
24
34
Chapter Four: The People of the Book
The People of the Book: Outside the Qur’ān
The Book
The People of the Book
The People of the Book as Disbelievers
Believer or Disbeliever: The Case for Plurality in Islam
37
38
40
42
47
51
Conclusion 55
Appendix A: Qur’ān Āyāt Containing the Forms of ر-ف-ك 57
Appendix B: Grammatical use of the root ر-ف-ك 100
Bibliography 102
1
Introduction
﴾14:18﴿ The parable of those who disbelieve in their Lord: their deeds are as ashes that the wind blows hard on a
stormy day. They have no power over aught that they have earned. That is extreme error.
One of the fundamental issues in understanding the religious inclusive aspect of the
Islamic faith, especially in this day and age, is centered on what it means to be a ‘disbeliever’.
The term ‘infidel’ gets thrown around by extremist groups on a daily basis, and has made its way
into mainstream media who portray Islam based on limited knowledge and understanding of the
Qur’ān. Unlike the concept of non-believing people in Judaism and Christianity, the portrayal of
the disbeliever in Islam is not so clear. The Qur’ān addresses disbelief and its derived forms in
eighty-three of the one-hundred and fourteen suwar, making it a topic which was obviously seen
as an aspect of concern during the time of the Prophet Muhammad and the early Muslim
community. A problem which comes with interpreting and understanding the use of bisbelief in
the Qur’ān, comes with the āyāt that seem contradictory to ones on disbelief which came before
it. Deciphering what it means to disbelieve is not only important for further understanding and
interpreting āyāt of the Qur’ān, but it is also important for the promotion of the idea of religious
inclusivism within the Islamic faith.
For this reason, the purpose of this thesis is to analyze āyāt of the Qur’ān regarding
disbelief, by looking at some of the most fundamental concepts of the Islamic faith, thereby
creating a clearer picture of what it actually means to be an ‘infidel’ or disbeliever. The first
2
chapter will explore the concept of belief and the believer as a means of understanding what is
considered the opposite of disbelief, which will serve as a basis for characterics not associated
with disbelievers. The second chapter will then analyze what it means ‘to disbelieve’, from its
root ‘ ر-ف-ك ’ to its various verbal forms in Arabic, and how the Qur’ān describes disbelief in
relation to the believer. The third chapter will explore the characteristics of the disbeliever, with
more of a focus on some of the more philosophical aspects underlying disbelief, as well as some
of the allusions and imagery used to give a metaphorical understanding of disbelief. The final
chapter will take a look at how disbelief fits into the other Abrahamic religious traditions,
Judaism and Christianity, and how they are considered both believers and disbelievers under
various circumstances.
In order to properly analyze the āyāt of the Qur’ān on the disbeliever, this thesis employs
the use of Qur’ānic commentary, tafsīr (تفسير), as a means of interpreting āyāt of the Qur’ān, and
to explore how classical scholars of Islam vary in interpretation. The tafsīr collections of Jalāl al-
Dīn al-Suyūṭī and Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī’, 'Abdullāh Ibn cAbbās Muḥammad Al-
Fīrūzabādī,‘Abd al-Razzāq Al-Kāshānī, Abū’l-Qāsim Al-Qushayrī, Muḥammad Rashīd Riḍā,
Sahl Ibn ‘Abd Allāh Al-Tustarī, and Abū Jacfar Muḥammad B. Jarīr Al-Ṭabarī, were utilized in
addition to cAlī ibn Ahmad Al-Wāhidī’s Asbāb al-Nuzūl, as the main source for determining the
Ocassions of Revelation (أسباب النزول) for some sūrah and āyah. These tafsīr collections were
chosen based on their reliabiltity and reputation with Islamic scholars, but primarily because they
were some of the only tafsīr collections which had been made available with an English
translation. Other sources of Prophetic Sunnah include passages of hadith and a biography of the
Prophet Muhammad by Martin Lings.
3
As a means of staying true to the original Arabic, each āyah listed is listed using the
phonetic pronunciation, original Arabic title, and English translation of the title. Each chapter is
referred to as a sūrah (سورة), or suwar (سور) in the plural, and each verse is called an āyah (آية),
or āyāt (آيات) in the plural. As the author of this paper, I chose to use the traditional Arabic
terminology when describing chapter and verse number as the term sūrah is rarely ever
substituted for the English ‘chapter’, and the word ‘verse’ does not fully encompass the meaning
of the Arabic word āyah (آية), which can be translated to mean ‘sign’ or ‘evidence’. For a number
of terms which I provided the phonetic pronouncation for the Arabic word, I have also included
the Arabic. As a student of Arabic, I have always found it more helpful to see the Arabic spelling
of the word even when the phonetic pronounciation of the Arabic is given. All English
translated passages of the Qur’ān were taken from the forthcoming Harper Collin’s publication
entitled, The Study Qur’ān.1
1Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Caner K. Dagli, Maria Massi Dakake, Joseph E. B. Lumbard, and Mohammed Rustom, eds.,
The Study Quran. San Francisco: HarperOne, 2015.
4
I
The Believer
﴾2:285﴿. The Messenger believes in what was sent down to him from his Lord, as do the believers. Each believes in
God, His angels, His Books, and His messengers. “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And
they say, “We hear and obey. Thy forgiveness, our Lord! And unto Thee is the journey’s end.”2
The fundamental principle of understanding why humanity is drawn toward religious
practice was best stated by Seyyed Hossein Nasr: “The function of religion is to bestow order
upon human life and to establish an “outward” harmony upon whose basis man can return
inwardly to his Origin by means of the journey toward the “interior” direction.”3 According to
the Classical Islamic tradition, God created human kind from a single clot. He created us as
beings which He intended to be a reflection of Himself, and created us to worship Him in a
mortal state until our return to Him in Paradise. The Qur’ān was sent as a Revelation to the
Prophet Muhammad to be a reminder of mankind’s place with the singular and omniscient God.
This reminder came as a warning to all mankind, that upon death you will be judged on how you
have lived out your life in accordance to God’s Will and likeness. According to the Hadith
tradition, it is explained that death need not be feared by those who live in accordance to (حديث)
the word of God: “The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) has said, ‘The
2All rights to the English translations of the Qur’ān belong to Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Caner K. Dagli, Maria Massi
Dakake, Joseph E. B. Lumbard, and Mohammed Rustom, eds., The Study Quran. San Francisco: HarperOne, 2015. 3Seyyed Hussain Nasr, The Interior Life in Islam (Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project: 2014), Pg.1.
5
intelligent man is he who judges himself and acts for what follows death’.”4 The question then is,
how do we live in the way of God and how does one guarantee their entrance to paradise? The
most basic answer is, to believe.
Belief is the antonym of disbelief, and therefore cannot share similar characteristics by
definition. Disbelief ( كفر) and the disbeliever (كافر) are markedly two of the most negative
concepts to be used in the Qur’ān, and to truly define the disbeliever, what it means to believe
must first be understood. There are three major dimensions within Islamic doctrine, islam (إسلام)
traditionally defined as, “to turn oneself over to, to resign oneself, to submit,”5 īmān (إيمان)
generally defined as “faith” but more inclusively defined by the Prophet Muhammad as, “[…] a
knowledge in the heart, a voicing with the tongue, and an activity in the limbs,”6 and ihsan
is understood as “doing what is beautiful,”7 and explained by the Prophet in the Hadith of (إحسان)
Gabriel as, “to worship God as if you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He sees you.”8 For the
purpose of understanding disbelief, īmān will be examined to get a better grasp of what it means
to believe, as well as exploring the characteristics of a mu’min (مؤمن), meaning believer, through
the use of various prophetic Sunnah, to clearly establish what it means to be a God fearing and
pious believer.
Īmān (الإيمان): Faith
The Arabic root ‘ ن-م-أ ’ has approximately seventeen derived forms that are used in the
Qur’ān. Form one verb, أمن, meaning “to entrust” and “to feel secure” is used in approximately
sixteen āyāt of the Qur’ān; the form four verb, ءامن, meaning “to believe” is used in
4Abū Ḥāmid Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad al-Ghazālī. The Remembrance of Death and the Afterlife. Trans. T.J.
Winter. (Cambridge:The Islamic Texts Society, 1989), Pg. 2. 5Sachiko Murata and William C Chittick, The Vision of Islam (St. Paul: Paragon House, 1994), pg 3. 6Ibid, pg 37. 7Ibid, pg 267. 8Ibid.
6
approximately four hundred and seventy nine āyāt; and finally it is used once as the form eight
verb ٱؤتمن, meaning “to be entrusted”. The translation of the form one verb of the root ‘ ن-م-أ ’
gives insight into the inner idea of faith and how faith or believing gives a feeling of security
within the heart of the individual that believes in the Word of God: “Īmān is an act of heart, a
decisive giving oneself up to God and His Message and gaining peace and security and
fortification against tribulation.”9 Therefore to believe is to entrust ones soul and fate to the Will
of God, and to not believe or disbelieve is to either not entrust or to refuse to entrust ones heart to
the Will of God. The beginning āyāt of the Sūrah al-Baqarah, “The Cow” (سورة البقرة), āyāt two
through five, state that the Qur’ān was sent by God as a book for those who believe, and lay out
briefly a few key concepts in recognizing a believer within the Islamic faith:
﴾2:2﴿ This is the Book in which there is no doubt, a guidance for the reverent, ﴾2:3﴿ who
believe in the Unseen and perform the prayer and spend from that which We have
provided them, ﴾2:4﴿ and who believe in what was sent down unto thee, and what was sent
down before thee, and who are certain of the Hereafter. ﴾2:5﴿ It is they who are upon
guidance from their Lord, and it is they who shall prosper.
Belief in the Unseen, with ‘Unseen’ capitalized to imply God and His angels, along with
the performance of daily prayer, the belief in the Hereafter, reverence, and belief in “what was
sent down to thee [the Prophet Muhammad] and before thee [the Prophet Muhammad],” mark
the six Articles of Faith in the Islamic tradition. The “Oneness of God”, tawhid ( دتوحي )
emphasizes the idea which is laid out in “The Testimony” of the Islamic faith known as the
Shahadah (الشهادة) which states: “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messanger of
God,” (لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله). The concept of tawhid (توحيد) marks the first Article of Faith in
Islam and is part of the belief in the Unseen. This affirmation leads to the belief in the messages
of the prophets of God both past and present, as all of God’s prophets came with a message
9Fazlur Rahman. “Some Key Ethical Concepts of the Qur’ān” The Journal of Religious Ethics Vol. 11, No. 2. 1983
pp. 171.
7
which affirmed the Oneness of God: ﴾21:24﴿ “And We sent no messenger before thee, save that
We revealed unto him: ﴾21:25﴿ “Verily, there is no god but I, so worship Me!” The Qur’ān
emphasizes the importance of the worship of God as the singular and only omniscient being
throughout the Qur’ān and it explicitly states that God is the ‘One God’ ( ه واحد ـ in (إل
approximately eleven different āyāt.10 In later suwar, the Qur’ān again reminds the reader of
what it describes as a true believer, such as in Sūrah al-Anfāl,’The Spoils’ ( السورة الأنف ), āyāt two
through four, with these āyāt being similar to that of Sūrah al-Baqarah, āyāt two through five
stated earlier. However, these āyāt add a powerful image of the heart when it hears the Name of
God:
﴾8:2﴿ Only they are believers whose hearts quake with fear when God is mentioned, and
when His signs are recited unto them they increase them in faith, and they trust in their
Lord, ﴾8:3﴿ those who perform the prayer and spend from that which We have provided
them. ﴾8:4﴿ It is they who truly are believers. For them are ranks in the sight of their Lord,
and forgiveness and a generous provision.
The heart (قلب) in Classical Islamic thought is seen as the spiritual organ through which
an individual is able to understand the Spiritual Truth. The heart is considered the aspect of the
human being that is able to rationally perceive things, and is the primary organ used to call on
the Remembrance of God, dhikr (ذکر).11 The heart of the believer is considered to be healthy, as
it is illuminated by the Light of God. The heart of the believer strives in the Way of God, to
reflect the perfection and beauty of the Unseen: ﴾64:11﴿ “No misfortune befalls, save by God’s
Leave. And whosoever believes in God, He guides his heart. And God is Knower of all things.”
It is those whose hearts that are guided by God that are content, patient, and grateful, which are
regarded as righteous characteristics of the believer.
10Qur’ān 2:163, 4:171, 5:73, 6:19, 14:52, 16:22, 16:51, 18:110, 21:108, 22:34, and 41:6. 11Murata and Chittick, The Vision of Islam, Pp. 37-38.
8
The Hadith traditions exemplify saying of the Prophet which help define faith as it relates
to Islam. The definition of īmān (الإيمان) is broken down by Muhammad in the Hadith of Gabriel,
where the Angel Gabriel asks the Prophet to define what it means to have faith and to believe.
The Prophet Muhammad then relays to Gabriel the Articles of Faith, which are a reflection of the
āyāt previously seen in Sūrah al-Baqarah, āyāt two through five:
He [Gabriel] said "Now tell me about faith." He [Muhammad] replied, "Faith means that
you have faith in God, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and that
you have faith in the measuring out, both its good and its evil."12
Faith in its most pure form is simply the belief in God and living in accordance with His
will. It is the belief in God and His angels, following the prophetic Sunnah and performing the
five daily prayers, belief in the Hereafter, having reverence, and acknowledging the Word of
God in scripture, both in the Qur’ān and in the revelations which came before it. Not believing in
all aspects of the Articles of Faith pulls the individuals heart farther from the pure remembrance
of God. When the early followers of Islam began to spread the message of God and individuals
and groups began claiming that they were believers of Islam, God sent an āyah stating to
Muhammad and the Muslim community, that there was a difference between submitting to God
and having faith in God:
﴾49:14﴿ The Bedouin say, “We believe.” Say, “You believe not. Rather say, ‘We have
submitted,’ for belief has not yet entered your hearts. Yet if you obey God and His
Messenger, He will not diminish for you aught of your deeds. Truly God is Forgiving,
Merciful.”
For Murata and Chittick, this āyah is an example which outlines the separation between
the concepts of islām and īmān, in that one can practice in the way of God and submit, but if they
do not truly believe or have faith in God and submit for reasons outside of pure belief, the
12Ibid, Pg. xxv.
9
individual is not truly having full belief in God.13 The Asbāb al-Nuzul of al-Wāhīdi states that the
Bedouin which the āyah addresses was of a clan called the Banu Asad ibn Khuzaymah, “They
declared themselves to be believers outwardly but disbelievers inwardly.”14 Submitting to God
and having faith in God having an overlapping message in some aspects, but in reality mark two
different aspects of belief in the Divine. Looking back at the Hadith of Gabriel, the Angel
Gabriel calls on Muhammad to tell him about what it means to submit. The Prophet is said to
have replied:
[…]“Submission means that you bear witness that there is no go but God and that
Muhammad is God’s Messanger, that you should perform the ritual prayer, pay the alms
tax, fast during Ramadan, and make pilgrimage to the House if you are able to God
there.”15
Compared to the section of the Hadith of Gabriel discussed at the beginning of this
chapter, one will find that the concept of islām encompasses more of the outward or physical
expressions of belief, while īmān focuses on the inner aspects of belief and the individual
spiritual journey of the believer. Submitting one’s self to God can be seen as the first step in the
spiritual journey, but the journey itself comes with the inner knowledge of the Truth and the
development of faith.
To believe then is to submit, to be grateful, to fear God, to actively seek God, and to
place God at the forefront of thought and action. It is through faith that one is able to act in the
Way of God and it is through faith that one is able to fulfill the pre-temporal covenant with God
and return to God in Paradise. The tests of life are what inevitably display ones devotion and
13Ibid, Pg 40. 14Alī ibn Ahmad Al-Wāhidī. Asbāb al-Nuzūl. Trans. Mokrane Guezzou. (Amman: Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic
Thought, 2008), Pg. 158. 15Murata and Chittick, The Vision of Islam, Pg. xxv.
10
disposition to God, and it is how one acts in accord with faith in God that sets the believer apart
from the disbeliever.
Mu’min (مؤمن): Believer
Returning back to the Arabic root ‘ ن-م-أ ’, which we established as the root of derived
verbal forms meaning ‘to believe’ earlier in this chapter, the fourth verbal form ( ءامن) can be
used to create the active participle mu’min مؤمن, which translates to ‘possessing īmān’, i.e.
‘possessing faith’ or simply ‘a believer’. The twenty-third Sūrah entitled al-Muʾminūn, ‘The
Believers’ (سورة المؤمنون), the Qur’ān gives a list of identifiable qualities of a pious believer:
﴾23:1﴿ Truly the believers have prospered, ﴾23:2﴿ who are humble in their prayers, ﴾23:3﴿ and
who turn away from idle talk, ﴾23:4﴿ and who give the alms, ﴾23:5﴿ and who guard their
private parts, ﴾23:6﴿ save from their spouses, or those whom their right hands possess, for
then they are not blameworthy–– ﴾23:7﴿ and as for those who seek beyond that, it is they
who are transgressors— ﴾23:8﴿ and those who keep their trusts and their covenant, ﴾23:9﴿
and those who are mindful of their prayers: ﴾23:10﴿ It is they who are the heirs, ﴾23:11﴿ who
shall inherit Paradise, abiding therein.
Individuals who are humble in their prayers and submit themselves to God are considered
people who understand the truth of the Qur’ān and strive in the Way of God. They are able to
completely submit themselves to God, and recognize that God is the reason for their creation and
existence. The believer is completely humbled by their creation, and recognizes God as the only
truth and conduct themselves in a manner which coincides with the teaching of the Prophet
Muhammad and the Word of God itself. Tafsīr Tustarī explains that the believer is living their
life in accordance to scripture and are naturally humbled by the Creator:
Humble submission (khushūʿ) is openly [manifested] (ʿalāniyya). It is to stand before
God, Exalted is He, while maintaining the conditions for the finest conduct (ādāb)
required by the One who commands (al-Āmir), which is to purge your [moments of]
activity (ḥarakāt) and stillness (sukūn) from anything other than Him.16
16Sahl Ibn ‘Abd Allāh Al-Tustarī. Tafsīr al-Tustarī: Great Commentaries on the Holy Qur’ān. Trans. Annabel
Keeler and Ali Keeler (Amman: Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, 2011), Pg. 135.
11
The finest conduct as stated by Tafsīr Tustarī, is a form of action expressed in other
Prophetic Sunnah when speaking of the behavior of the believer. The hadith collection Jāmic at-
Tirmidhi, narrates that the Prophet Muhammad once stated that: "Nothing is heavier on the
believer's Scale on the Day of Judgment than good character. For indeed Allah, Most High, is
angered by the shameless obscene person."17 Being respectful and pious furthers the aspect of the
āyah which calls on the believer to turn away from idle talk, explained by Tafsīr al-Jalālayn as
the active role of the believer to shun vain speech and other nonsensical or obscene talk.18 The
Philosopher Al-Ghazālī addresses the importance of moral virtue in his work, The Alchemy of
Happiness, in which al-Ghazālī’s explains his idea of moral virtue as behavior that directly infers
from the striving to achieve a likeness to that of God, “The aim of moral discipline is to purify
the heart from the rust of passion and resentment, till, like a clear mirror, it reflects the light of
God.”19 If the soul is to “reflect the light of God” like “a clear mirror”, the individual must first
come to an understanding of what God is, and this can only be done through the guidance of the
prophetic Sunnah, but especially through studying and coming to understand the Word of God in
the Qur’ān.
Sūrah al-Muʾminūn (سورة المؤمنون), āyāt one through eleven, also reiterates the importance
of paying the alms tax as is made mandatory by the Five Pillars of Islam, and speaks of the
importance of staying chaste before marriage. Sexual relations outside of marriage, zinā (زنا), is
considered an illicit sexual activity such as fornication and adultery. This belief coincides with
the rules laid out in the Jewish and Christian scriptures, and was particularly important within the
17Jāmic at-Tirmidhi 2002, Vol. 4, Book 1, Hadith 2002, < http://sunnah.com/urn/673050> 18Jalāl al-Dīn Al-Suyūṭī, and Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī. Tafsīr al-Jalālayn. Trans. Feras Hamza. (Amman: Royal Aal
al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, 2007), Pg. 396. 19Abū Ḥāmid Muḥammad Al-Ghazālī, The Alchemy of Happiness. Trans. Claud Field, (Armonk: M. E. Sharpe Inc.,
1991), Pg. 8.
12
early Muslim community in part because there was a major cultural emphasis in the Arab world
of being able to trace one’s lineage, though primarily is due to the belief that zinā leads to social
discord. For these reasons and those laid out in the Qur’ān, zinā was not tolerated from a
religious standpoint and is to be avoided by the believer.20
The Hadith tradition has a variety of recorded sayings which regard how the Prophet
Muhammad classified or described a believer. One such instance from Sahih Muslim, describes
an individual who is grateful, prosperous, and patient; the believer is an individual that no matter
what befalls them in life, they turn to God in praise:
The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, "How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good
for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity attends him, he
expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he
endures it patiently and that is better for him".21
It is the believers’ absolute faith in God that conditions them for happiness, as they know
that obedience and piety inevitably lead them to be reunited with the Creator in the Hereafter.
The believer trusts in the guidance of God, and believes in the scripture and in God’s
Messengers. They strive in the Way of God and when they fall from the Way, they seek
forgiveness and repent for their deeds. As best stated by Muhammad Abdul Ḥaq, the believer is
unshakable in character and allows his belief in God to dominate the entirety of his life: “From
the absolute and uncompromising nature of Divine Unity springs the unshakable character of the
faith of a Muslim and an acute consciousness of it dominates his whole life. His faith is,
therefore, inaccessible to doubt and despair.”22 Further hadith reported in Sahih Muslim and
20Wael B. Hallaq. Sharī’a: Theory, Practice, Transformations. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009), Pg.
271. 21Sahih Muslim, Book of Miscellany, Book 1, Hadith 27. Web. < http://sunnah.com/riyadussaliheen/1/27>. 22Muhammad Abdul Ḥaq“The Perspective of At-Tawḥīd” Islamic Studies, Vol. 22, No. 3. (Islamabad: Islamic
Research Institute, 1983), Pg. 3.
13
Sahih Bukari claim that hearing the Qur’ān from the mouth of the believer is far different from
hearing the Qur’ān from those who do not have full faith in God:
The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, "The believer who recites the Qur'an is like a citron
whose fragrance is sweet and whose taste is delicious. A believer who does not recite the
Qur'an is like a date-fruit which has no fragrance but has a sweet taste. The hypocrite
who recites the Qur'an is like basil whose fragrance is so sweet, but its taste is bitter. The
hypocrite who does not recite the Qur'an is like a colocynth which has no fragrance and
its taste is bitter."23
The Word of God is seen as sweeter from the mouth of the believer because the
believer’s heart is in Remembrance of God. The believer who does not recite is believed to refer
to the individual who has submitted but has yet to truly have faith in the Qur’ān or strive in the
way of God. The hypocrite is in reference to the disbeliever, as their lack of connection with God
causes the Words of the Qur’ān to lose their beauty.
Analyzing what it is that defines faith and the believer puts in to context what the Qur’ān
recognizes as the way to become closer to God, and the characteristics of those who have either
achieved or are striving to achieve that closeness. Understanding what it is that makes the
believer will further the understanding of disbelief, since as previously stated the opposite of
belief is disbelief. With the believer and faith focusing on the striving in the Way of God, and
living as a reflection of this way, we can being to understand that the disbeliever does not strive
in the Way of God, and instead refuses to participate in the remembrance of Him.
23Al-Bukhari and Muslim, Book 9, Hadith 5 Book of Virtues <http://sunnah.com/riyadussaliheen/9/5>
14
II
Disbelief ﴾2:171﴿. The parable of those who disbelieve is that of one who cries to that which hears only a call and a shout. Deaf,
dumb, and blind, they do not understand.
According to the Sufī tradition, the Tafsīr tradition helps the individual to understand the
some of the deeper meanings of the Qur’ān: “[…] The Qur’ān contains many levels of meaning,
that man has the potential to uncover these meanings, and that the task of interpretation is
endless.”24 It is understood by Classical Islamic scholars from reading the Qur’ān, that each
āyah has a meaning derived from the most basic reading of the āyah, a number of more in-depth
meanings based on the reader and how the prophetic tradition tends to portray an āyah, and a
divine meaning which is said to be known by God and is the deepest form of understanding. In
order to fully contemplate and create a solid definition of what it means ‘to disbelieve’, this
chapter will use a number of tafsīr collections, as well as the Asbāb al-Nūzul, to form an
understanding of what actually characterizes disbelief and during what instances these
individuals were referred to as disbelievers.
To Disbelieve; To Deny (كفر)
The Arabic root ‘ ر-ف-ك ’ is used in approximately two hundred and seventy-three āyāt in
the first verbal form is translated as ‘to disbelieve’, ‘to deny’, or ‘to be ungrateful’ ( كفر). Denial
24Kristin Zahra Sands. Ṣūfī Commentaries on the Qur’ān in Classical Islam (New York: Routledge, 2006), Pg. 7.
15
and disbelief both give the meaning, from a religious context, that to disbelieve is to deny God,
whether it be through ignorance or purposeful refusal. According to Toshuiko Izutsu the root ‘ -ك
ر-ف ’, even before it is used in its various grammatical forms, has a philosophical meaning
implying ignorance and ungratefulness:
The basic meaning of the root KFR, as far as our philosophical knowledge goes, is most
probably that of ‘covering’. In contexts concerned especially with the bestowing and
receiving of benefits, the word naturally comes to mean ‘to cover, i.e. to ignore
knowingly, the benefits which one has received’, and thence, ‘to be unthankful.’25
The first āyah which refers to the disbeliever in the Qur’ān appears in the second Surah
entitled al-Baqarah, “The Cow” (سورة البقرة), āyah six, which speaks of the unwillingness and
implied ungratefulness of the disbeliever towards the words of God, “Truly it is the same for the
disbelievers (كفروا) whether thou warnest them or warnest them not; they do not believe ﴾2:6﴿.”
Sūrah al-Baqarah (سورة البقرة) is a Surah which is believed to have been revealed during the
Madinan period and according to al-Wāhīdi’s Asbab al-Nuzul, the disbelievers of which the āyah
refers has two potential specified groups of individuals. The first interpretation addresses the idea
that ‘the disbelievers’ as stated in the āyah, refer to the major figureheads of the Quraysh tribe in
the city of Mecca from which the Prophet Muhammad and his companions had just escaped in
their emigration to Madinah.26 Tafsīr al-Jalālayn supports this first interpretation and states the
āyah refers to “Abū Jahl, Abū Lahab and such,” with Abū Jahl being the pagan nephew and
successor of a clan chief in Mecca,27 and Abū Lahab who was a pagan uncle of the Prophet
Muhammad and who believed that his nephew was a deceiver:28
25 Toshihiko Izutsu. Ethico-Religious Concepts in the Qur’ān. (Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2002),
Pg. 120. 26Al-Wāhidī. Asbāb al-Nuzūl, Pg. 1 27Martin Lings. Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources (Rochester: Inner Traditions, 2006), pg. 60. 28Ibid, pg. 52.
16
As for the disbelievers, the likes of Abū Jahl, Abū Lahab and such; alike it is for them
whether you have warned them or have not warned them, they do not believe, as God
knows very well, so do not hope that they will believe.29
In this instance, the tafsir draws on the occasions surrounding the time that the āyah was
revealed to understand what the Prophet meant when speaking of the disbelievers. The second
instance according to the Asbāb al-Nuzūl claims that the Prophet Muhammad meant the Jewish
people and tribes of Madinah as opposed to the pagan leaders of Mecca. Tafsīr Ibn 'Abbās
describes the disbelievers in Sūrah al-Baqarah (سورة البقرة), only as those “who remain firm in
their disbelief,”30 while the Laṭā’if al-Ishārāt by al-Qushayrī states that the disbelievers are:
“Those who are veiled by the covering of their own qualities are kept from witnessing His
truth.”31 Unlike the first instance of the specified Meccan pagans given in the Asbāb al-Nuzūl,
the suggestions of the Jewish people being the specific disbelievers of this āyah is not as
supported within the tafsīr tradition. The concept of the Jewish people as the disbelievers in this
āyah can be seen as a contradiction of other Qur’ān āyāt which will be analyzed in a later
chapter.
Since the believer is someone who turns their heart and eyes toward God in remembrance
and gratefulness, the disbeliever should then be seen as one who turns their heart from God,
ungrateful in their refusal to remember. Sūrah al-Ḥajj, ‘the Pilgrimage’ ( الحج سورة ), āyah twenty-
five, acknowledges the concept to the disbelievers turning from the Way of God, but furthers the
definition by also stating that they turn away from the Sacred Mosque, the Ka’ba:
﴾22:25﴿ Truly those who disbelieve and turn from the way of God, and the Sacred Mosque
which We have appointed for mankind—equal are those who dwell there and those who
29Al-Suyūṭī and al-Maḥallī. Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, Tafsir [2:6]. 30‘Abdullāh Ibn ‘Abbās and Muḥammad al-Firūzabādī. Tanwīr al-Miqbās min Tafsīr Ibn ‘Abbās. Trans. Mokrane
Guezzou. (Amman: Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, 2007), Pg. 72. 31Abū’l-Qāsim al-Qushayrī, Laṭā’if al-Ishārāt-Subtleties of the Allusions: Great Commentaries of the Holy Qur’ān,
Part 1. Trans. Zahra Sands, (Amman: Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, 2007) Pg. 31
17
come from abroad—whosoever desires to deviate wrongfully therein, We shall cause him
to taste a painful punishment.
For this particular āyah, Al-Wāhidī leaves no account in the Asbāb al-Nuzūl for a
particular event or group of individuals to which the Qur’ān is referring. Tafsīr Jalālayn is also
vague with regard to the disbeliever for this āyah, however he does clarify that the Way of God
which the disbeliever turns away from is the obedience to God, narrowing it down a little more
to at least the pagan Arabs. Tafsīr Ibn ‘Abbās explains that in this instance it referred to a
companion of the prophet prior to embracing Islam:
[…]the reference here is to Abu Sufyan-this happened before he embraced Islam-and his
host (and bar (men) from the way of Allah) and drive people away from Allah's religion
and obedience (and from the Inviolable Place of Worship) and bar Muhammad (pbuh) on
the year of al-Hudaybiyyah from performing the lesser and greater pilgrimage in the
Sacred Precinct (which We have appointed) as a Sacred Precinct and Qiblah (for
mankind together, the dweller therein and the nomad) the dweller therein and the
strangers are equal in it.32
To disbelieve in this instance is seen as one who worships a polytheistic traditon, and in
particular a polytheist who drives others away from the Word of God. This is a common theme
among āyāt of the Qur’ān involving disbelief and the disbeliever, however there are also
instances in which it is not just the polytheistic pagan Arabs which are said to have disbelieved,
but also referencing disbelievers among the People of the Book. As seen in Sūrah al-Baqarah,
āyah twenty-six:
﴾2:26﴿ Truly God is not ashamed to set forth a parable of a gnat or something smaller, As
for those who believe, they know it is the truth from their Lord, and as for those who
disbelieve, they say, “What did God mean by this parable?” He misleads many by it, and
He guides many by it, and He misleads none but the iniquitous.
This particular āyah has two occasions in which this āyāt was believed to have been
revealed according to al-Wāhidī. The first occasion states that the āyah was revealed in the
regard to the Jews who did not believe that the āyah was a true revelation. Those disbelievers
32Ibn ‘Abbās and al-Firūzabādī. Tanwīr al-Miqbās min Tafsīr Ibn ‘Abbās. Trans. Guezzou, pg. 366.
18
who questioned the parable of the gnat in this particular instance are the Jews: “Al-Hasan and
Qatadah said: “When Allah mentioned gnats and spiders in His Book and used them to coin
similitudes for the disbelievers, the Jews laughed and said: 'this does not resemble Allah's
speech', and so Allah revealed this verse.””33 The Jews and the Christians are both considered
among believers and disbelievers due to a number of conflicting āyāt of the Qur’ān, and in this
āyah their disbelief stems from their refusal to believe in the Word of God that was the ‘parable
of a gnat’. The other occasion mentioned by al-Wāhidī gives the action of disbelief to the
Meccan pagans, similar to what was explained in the commentary of Sūrah al-Ḥajj ( الحج سورة ),
āyah twenty-five. Al-Wāhidī is not specific in this instance of which individuals he is referring
to, but instead refers to the group or population in a more broad sense by stating “the idolaters”:
[…] “This is because Allah mentioned the deities of the idolaters, saying: (And if the fly
took something from them, they could not rescue it from him) [22:73]. He also mentioned
the scheme of the deities and compared it to cobweb. Upon hearing this, they said: 'See
how Allah mentions gnats and spiders in the Qur'an revealed to Muhammad; what is the
use of this?' And so Allah revealed this.”34
To disbelieve then seems to primarily focus on idol worship and polytheism, though
instances of the Jews and Christians are also prone to exhibiting characteristics of disbelief. It is
the rejection of the message revealed by the Prophet Muhammad which in this instance,
identifies those who disbelieve.
To Absolve (كفر)
The second verbal form of the root ‘ ر-ف-ك فر ك ,’ meaning ‘to absolve,’ is used
approximately fourteen times, and is used in every instance as God absolving an individual of
‘evil deeds’35 or ‘the worst of that which they have done.’36 The use of this verb always
33 Al-Wāhidī. Asbāb al-Nuzūl. Trans. Guezzou, pg. 2. 34Al-Wāhidī. Asbāb al-Nuzūl. Trans. Guezzou, pg. 2. 35Qur’ān 2:271, 3:193, 3:195, 4:31, 5:12, 5:65, 8:29, 29:7, 47:2, 48:5, 64:9, 65:5, 66:8. 36Qur’ān 39:35.
19
translated as ‘to absolve’ in The Study Qur’ān and in other translations of the Qur’ān as ‘to
remove.’ When it comes to defining disbelief, it is important to note that a believer cannot be a
disbeliever at the same time. This forgiveness of ‘evil deeds’ for which the use of ‘to absolve’ is
used only in regard to believers, gives the reader the impression that characteristics of the
disbeliever, or ‘evil deeds,’ if they were to be done by the believer, have the ability to be
absolved through seeking forgiveness with God. A case in which the second verbal form is used
with regard to absolving something which is outside of the belief of Islam can be seen in the fifth
Sūrah al-Māʾidah, ‘The Table Spread’ (سورة المائدة), āyah sixty-five, in which God states that the
People of the Book could have been forgiven of their ‘evil deeds’ had they believed in the
message of the Prophet Muhammad: ﴾5:65﴿ “Had the People of the Book believed and been
reverent, We would surely have absolved them of their evil deeds, and caused them to enter
Gardens of bliss.” In this instance, God tells the Jews and the Christians that had they embraced
Muhammad and the Qur’ān He would forgive them for not following the laws which He set
forth, or forgive them for not following through with their obligations they agreed to in the
covenant made with God in their primordial state.
When the Qur’ān uses the verb ‘to absolve’ it is used in every instance to the believer.
For those who are truly faithful and believe, they can never be considered disbelievers. They
may fault in their daily life, but if they seek forgiveness for those faults they are absolved of their
fault. This is seen in Sūrah al-Anfāl, āyah twenty-nine: ﴾8:29﴿ “O you who believe! If you
reverence God, He will make for you a criterion, and absolve you of your evil deeds, and forgive
you. And God is Possessed of Tremendous Bounty.” Tafsīr Tustarī describes that the reverence
of God and his granting of a criterion, is that of helping the believer distinguish between truth
and falsehood: “That is, a light in religion, by which [you can distinguish] between truth and
20
falsehood in doubtful matters.”37 The believer is therefore able to distinguish between truth and
falsehood, which is not the case for the disbeliever who is only aware of falsehood. This
disbeliever is then seen as unguided by the Light of God, and unable to become absolved of their
deeds on the Day of Judgement.
To be Ungrateful (أكفر)
The fourth verbal form of the root ‘أكفر ,’ك-ف-ر translated as ‘to be ungrateful,’38 is used
only once in the eightieth Sūrah ‘Abasa, ‘He Frowned’ (سورة عبس), āyah seventeen: ﴾80:17﴿
“Perish man! How ungrateful is he!” The Asbāb al-Nuzūl by al-Wāhidī explains that the entire
Sūrah was based off of an event in which the Prophet Muhammad was speaking to 'Utbah ibn
Rabi'ah, Abu Jahl ibn Hisham, 'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, and Ubayy and Umayyah the sons of
Khalaf, in an attempt to get them to embrace Islam. During the meeting, the Prophet Muhammad
was asked by ‘Abdallāh ibn Umm Maktūm, a blind man and soon after this occasion one of the
first people to embrace the religion of Islam, to tell him of the message which God had given to
Muhammad. The Prophet turned away from ‘Abdallāh ibn Umm Maktūm to the group of
Meccan pagans, and the Surah was revealed as a form of chastisement of the Prophet teaching
the Message of God to those who did not care, while turning away a man who sought to
understand and know God’s Message.39 According to Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, āyah seventeen of
Sūrah ‘Abasa (سورة عبس), speaks of the disbelieving pagans when it states “Perish man!” and
sees them as ungrateful for turning away and not believing in the Word of God. 40 The refusal to
hear or believe in the Word of God from His Messenger is the reason why the disbeliever is
considered ungrateful.
37Al-Tustarī. Tafsīr al-Tustarī. Trans. Keeler and Keeler, pp: 81-82. 38Qur’ān 80:17. 39Al-Wāhidī. Asbāb al-Nuzūl, Pp 161-162. 40Al-Suyūṭī and al-Maḥallī. Tafsīr al-Jalālayn. Trans. Hamza. Tafsir [80:7].
21
The one-hundred and ninth Sūrah of the Qur’ān entitled ‘The Disbelievers’, al-Kāfirūn
consists of six āyāt which affirm belief and negate disbelief, showing that those ,(سورة الكافرون)
who believe do not believe what those who disbelieve believe:
﴾109:1﴿ Say, “O disbelievers! ﴾109:2﴿ I worship not what you worship; ﴾109:3﴿ nor are you
worshippers of what I worship; ﴾109:4﴿ nor am I a worshipper of what you worship; ﴾109:5﴿
nor are you worshippers of what I worship. ﴾109:6﴿ Unto you your religion, and unto me
my religion.”
According to the Asbāb al-Nuzūl, the āyāt of Sūrah al-Kāfirūn (سورة الكافرون), were
revealed following a conversation between the Prophet Muhammad and the Meccan pagans in
which they told the prophet that they would worship the God of Islam for a year on the condition
that he worship their idols.41 The āyāt reiterate the fact that the religion of the Prophet
Muhammad is a religion that is not like that of the religion of the disbelievers, while affirming
that both the Prophet Muhammad and the Muslim community will never worship the idols of the
pagan Meccans, and that they may continue in their disbelief and idol worship while the Prophet
and his followers would continue their worship of the singular Omniscient God.42 This final āyah
of this Surah which basically states that the disbeliever can continue to worship as he will, is
later negated by an āyah which has been entitled “The Verse of the Sword”, Sūrah ‘The
Repentance’, al-Tawbah (سورة التوبة), āyāh five:43
﴾9:5﴿ Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wheresoever you find
them, capture them, besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every place of ambush. But
if they repent, and perform the prayer and give the alms, then let them go their way. Truly
God is Forgiving, Merciful.
Though this āyah is said to have negated Sūrah al-Kāfirūn (سورة الكافرون), āyah six, Tafsīr
Ibn ‘Abbās states that the section of Sūrah al-Tawbah (سورة التوبة), āyah five that’s says “slay the
41Al-Wāhidī. Asbāb al-Nuzūl. Trans. Mokrane Guezzou, Pg. 167. 42Ibn 'Abbās and al-Fīrūzabādī, Tanwīr al-Miqbās min Tafsīr Ibn 'Abbās. Trans Guezzou. Pg. 776. 43Al-Wāhidī. Asbāb al-Nuzūl. Trans. Mokrane Guezzou, Pg. 167.
22
idolaters,” the idolaters in this instance refers to those “who treaty is for fifty days,”44 and does
not necessarily mean idolaters in general. Since the term disbeliever is not only attributed to idol
worship or paganism, the entirety of Sūrah al-Kāfirūn (سورة الكافرون) should be seen as
circumstantial to the Meccan pagans, and not to all individuals who do not believe in Islam. The
negation of the āyah should therefore only be applicable if the disbelievers addressed in Sūrah
al-Kāfirūn are only the disbelieving Meccan pagans.
To disbelieve then is to be a denier of the Light of God, ungrateful toward God’s
Messages and His messengers, and an individual unable to be absolved or forgive by God. From
the āyāt of the Qur’ān we can decisively state that there are a number of instances of disbelief
among the People of the Book in the Qur’ān, while the pagans of the Arabian Peninsula who
lived during the time of the Prophet Muhammad lived in a constant state of disbelief.
44'Ibn 'Abbās and al-Fīrūzabādī, Tanwīr al-Miqbās min Tafsīr Ibn 'Abbās. Trans Mokrane Guezzou, Pg. 194.
23
III
Characteristics of the Disbeliever
﴾2:17﴿ Their parable is that of one who kindled a fire, and when it lit up around him God took away their light, and
left them in darkness unseeing. ﴾2:18﴿ Deaf, dumb, and blind, they return not.
Having analyzed what it means to believe and how the verb to disbelieve is used, the next
question which must be answered is who are the disbelievers and how does the Qur’ān view
them in relation to God? A number of books have been written by Islamic Philosophers that look
at characteristics of God and in return what ideologies and characteristics make up the
disbeliever. When it comes to distinguishing the difference between the believer and the
disbeliever in the Qur’ān, a number of images and metaphors are used for the reader to get a
clearer understanding of what characteristics separate the two major categories of individuals.
The believer strives to live their life in the Way of God, while the disbeliever rejects the Message
of God and His Messengers. In the āyāt of the Qur’ān which regard God, the prophets, the
believers and the disbelievers, there can be found allegories of veiling, darkness, covering, light,
and disease within the heart. In the Islamic Mystical Tradition, known as Sufism, the concept of
‘light’ as a metaphor of God is a deeply contemplated concept which has been studied primarily
within the Sufi tradition.
24
Veiled, Blinded, Deaf, and Dumb
When the Prophet Muhammad received the first revelation from the Angel Gabriel in the
cave of Mount Hira, the prophet ran home in disbelief telling his wife to “cover me” feeling for
certain that he had been possessed by jinn or become insane. It was not until Khadijah removed
his cloak and convinced him of his place as a messenger of God that he was able to recognize the
truth of the angel’s words and begin to fulfill the path that God set before him.45 Like the later
followers of the Muslim community, when Muhammad heard and believed in the words
delivered by the Angel Gabriel, he was unveiled from jāhiliyya (جاهلية), the state and time of
ignorance, and came to know the Truth that was brought to him by God.
The Qur’ān provides a number of defining characteristics for both the believer and the
disbeliever in an attempt to help the reader get a better grasp on how to not only live in
accordance with the Word of God, but to outline what marks specific traits of those who do not
truly live in accordance with the Islamic faith. Disbelief is marked by characteristics in which
they have removed them of their senses, such as in Sūrah al-Baqarah, “The Cow” (سورة البقرة),
āyāt seventeen and eighteen: ﴾2:17﴿ “Their [the disbelievers’] parable is that of one who kindled a
fire, and when it lit up around him God took away their light, and left them in darkness unseeing.
﴾2:18﴿ Deaf, dumb, and blind, they return not.” The individual who disbelievers is left ‘blind’,
‘deaf’ and ‘dumb’, which according to Jalāl al-Dīn Al-Suyūṭī and Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī, in
Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, marks a total inability to recognize the omnipotence of God, “Deaf, to the
truth, so that they cannot hear it and accept it; dumb, mute as regards goodness, unable to speak
of it; and, blind, to the path of guidance, so that they cannot perceive it; they shall not return,
from error.”46 The individuals described by this āyah and its tafsīr, seem to be in a state that is
45See Martin Lings, Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources, (Rochester: Inner Traditions, 2006). 46 Al-Suyūṭī and al-Maḥallī. Tafsīr al-Jalālayn. Trans. Hamza. Pg. 23.
25
unchangeable, as the individuals cannot cure their inability to see, hear, or speak, and exists
solely based on how they were created. In contrast to the permanent state of being “deaf, dumb,
and blind” is the concept of being ‘veiled’ or ‘covered’. The use of the verb ‘to cover’ is used
with regard to the disbelievers’ sight, hearing, and heart and is used frequently in other Qur’ān
āyāt. The concept of ‘covering’ goes back to the philosophical meaning of the root ‘ ر-ف-ك ’ as
shown earlier by Izutsu, alluding to the concept of disbelief as ‘to knowingly ignore’ or reject the
truth. The Qur’ān also alludes to God placing a covering over those who do not believe, placing
it over the heart, implying that the individual is not actively participating in the remembrance of
God: ﴾17:47﴿ “And We have placed coverings over their hearts, such that they understand not, and
in their ears a deafness. And whenever thou dost mention thy Lord alone in the Quran, they turn
their backs in aversion.” Similar to this āyah, the Qur’ān presents a number of āyāt which place a
veil or covering over the heart of the disbeliever as well as the eyes. Though the eyes and the
heart are different aspects of the person, the implied meaning for both is a disconnection with
God and being consumed by the darkness.
The Qur’ān further emphasizes the removal of God’s light outside of the use of the veil
and covering, and instead uses darkness itself. There is a potential for the interpretation that the
disbelievers spoken about with regard to a veil or covering are those that will never see the light
through the veil, while those living in darkness may one day come across the light, i.e. their
heart, could potentially participate in the Remembrance of God. In Sūrah al-Baqarah (سورة البقرة),
āyāt nineteen and twenty, the Qur’ān composes a vivid image of stormy skies and again uses the
senses to explain the state of the disbeliever before God:
﴾2:19﴿ Or a cloudburst from the sky, in which there is darkness, thunder, and lightning.
They put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps, fearing death. And God
encompasses the disbelievers. ﴾2:20﴿ The lightning all but snatches away their sight.
Whenever it shines for them they walk therein, and when darkness comes over them they
26
halt. Had God willed, He would have taken away their hearing and their sight. Truly God
is Powerful over all things.
The imagery of these āyāt provides both a basic and more in-depth allegory to the place
of the disbeliever before God. The noise of the thunder has the disbeliever covering their ears,
and only when the light of the lightning shines in the darkness is the disbeliever able to see; yet
when the light is no longer present, the individual is unable to move forward from loss of sight.
The individual is left in darkness, fearing death due to the sound of the thunder. Tafsīr al-
Jalālayn elaborates that the cloudburst is layers of darkness enshrouding the individual standing
in the rain, with the sound of thunder representing the voice of angel in charge of the clouds, and
the flash of light representing the element which coerces the individual forward.47 This use of
darkness and light is a common allegory used in a number of āyāt in the Qur’ān, most notably in
Sūrah al-Nūr, "The Light" (سورة النور), āyāh thirty-five, which is commonly referred to by
Qur’ānic scholars as ‘the Light Verse’, as it compares God to light:
﴾24:35﴿ God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is a niche,
wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as a shining star kindled from a
blessed olive tree, neither of the East nor of the West. Its oil would well-nigh shine forth,
even if no fire had touched it. Light upon light. God guides unto His Light whomsoever
He will, and God sets forth parables for mankind, and God is Knower of all things.
The word ‘light’ (نور) is used in thirty-six āyāt of the Qur’ān and is always used in the
singular form.48 Interestingly, the word for darkness (ظلمات), is used in twenty-one āyāt of the
Qur’ān and is always used in its plural form, never in the singular, though it is generally
translated into English as ‘darkness’ and not ‘darknesses.’49 Though it is not mentioned in the
tafsīr tradition, the light exclusively in the singular form and darkness exclusively in the plural
47Al-Suyūṭī and al-Maḥallī. Tafsīr al-Jalālayn. Trans. Feras Hamza, pg. 23. 48Qur’ān 2:17, 2:257, 4:174, 5:15, 5:16, 5:44, 5:46, 6:1, 6:91, 6:122, 7:157, 9:32, 10:5, 11:40, 13:16, 14:1, 14:5,
19:63, 23:27, 24:35, 24:40, 33:43, 35:20, 39:22, 39:69, 42:52, 57:9, 57:12, 57:13, 57:19, 57:28, 61:8, 64:8, 65:11,
66:8, and 71:16. 49Qur’ān 2:17, 2:19, 2:257, 5:16, 6:1, 6:39, 6:59, 6:63, 6:97, 6:122, 13:16, 14:1, 14:5, 21:87, 24:40, 27:63, 33:43,
35:20, 39:6, 57:9, and 65:11.
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form, furthers the allusion of God to light as singular and guiding, while also alluding to the
darkness as the pluralistic aspect of the pagan faith and as the opposite of God, keeping the
disbeliever from seeing the path laid before him. Since darkness can be explained as the opposite
of light, it therefore can be seen as being an opposite of God. “The action of the light makes the
arising of the shadow possible and the shadow is thus a reflection, in some sense, of its source;
but, in another sense, the shadow is other than, indeed has qualities opposite to, its source.”50
Without light one cannot understand darkness, just as without God and the Qur’ān an individual
cannot know what actions and beliefs go against the Will of God. Unlike God who is the Light of
this world, darkness represents the lack of belief in God. It is the Light of God which resides in
the heart of the believer and thus guides the believer to live in accordance with the Way of God,
“Light, by Him, upon light, by fire; the light of God is His guidance of the believer, light upon
the light of faith. God guides to His Light, that is, [to] the religion of Islam, whom He will.”51
By stating that “God guides to His Light […] whom He will,” the impression is given that God
both brings people to His Light, yet at the same time pushes away from the light whom He will.
Since God is omniscient and nothing can happen outside of the Will of God, it is interesting to
note that God then denies people His ‘Light’ and does not make everyone believe. It is this
division of those who are willing to accept the Light of God and those who are unwilling to
accept it, which divides the pious from the ignorant.
The Qur’ān further states that those who can ‘see’ and those who are ‘blind’ to the light
are not considered equal in the eyes of God, as in Sūrah Fāţir, “the Originator” (سورة فاطر), āyāt
nineteen and twenty: ﴾35:19﴿ “Not equal are the blind and the seeing, ﴾35:19﴿ nor the darkness and
50Robert J. Dobie, Logos and Revelation: Ibn ‘Arabi, Meister Eckart, and Mystical Hermaneutics, (Washington:
Catholic University of America Press, 2010), Pg 31. 51Al-Suyūṭī and al-Maḥallī. Tafsīr al-Jalālayn. Trans. Feras Hamza, Pg. 414.
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the light.” The Qur’ān itself is said to be a book which prepares the believer for death, so it
comes as no surprise that those who believe in God’s Message and His Messenger will be seen
as superior to those who failed to recognize or accept the Words of God when they had been
shown the Qur’ān. This idea is further illustrated looking back at Surah al-Baqarah, āyah 19,
where is states, “[…] they put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps, fearing death.”
The disbeliever covers their ears to the Word of God, avoiding His Message, and in doing so not
just “fearing death” due to the thunderclaps, but fearing death due to the refusal to listen to the
Words of God and in doing so, not preparing themselves for their inevitable judgement on the
Day of Judgement.
A theme used in the Qur’ān when referencing both light, darkness, and disbelief, is the
concept that the disbeliever is willingly ‘blinding’ himself from bearing witness to God and
refusing to believe. The Qur’ān also takes it a step further in asserting that the disbeliever may
try to lure the believer into a state of damnation by convincing the believer to no longer believe
in God. Sūrah ‘The Repentance’, al-Tawbah (سورة التوبة), āyah thirty-two, states that the
disbeliever desires to stop the “Light of God” through lies told to the believer: ﴾9:32﴿ “They desire
to extinguish the Light of God with their mouths. But God refuses to do aught but complete His
Light, though the disbelievers be averse.” Tafsīr al-Jalālayn explains that the extinguishing of
God’s Light with their mouths is based on the disbelievers’ attempts to remove God’s Laws and
His proofs in scripture, and by slandering the Name of God before the believers.52 Al-Wāhidī
does not specify the occasion from which the āyah was revealed, leaving the implied
understanding of the disbeliever slandering the name of God to be of disbelievers in general and
not referring to a specified group.
52Ibid Pg. 198.
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According to the Sufi philosopher Ibn al-‘Arabī, the concept of the use of the term ‘light’
in the Qur’ān is synonymous with God, but it is his belief that in order for an individual to ‘see’
the ‘light,’ one must first ‘see’ darkness:
As the divine light, wujūd has certain characteristics in common with physical light,
which is a single, invisible reality through which all colors, shapes and objects are
perceived. To the objection that light is not invisible but visible, one can reply that light
in itself is invisible. Only when it is mixed with darkness can it be seen. Pure unmixed
light would annihilate the universe, just as the light of the sun would instantly blind us if
we looked at it without the veil of the atmosphere, not to mention the veil of distance.53
For the early Muslim community it would not have been difficult to understand the
darkness, because it was not until Muhammad delivered the revelation of the Qur’ān to the
people of Mecca and Madinah that they were able to come out of the darkness and embrace the
Light of God. Understanding the darkness would have also been important to understanding the
laws set forth by the Qur’ān, as referencing the concepts during the time of jahilliyah would have
created contrast between what is right and what is wrong. The same contrast would be present in
understanding what it means to live a pious and grateful existence, as opposed to a life of an
ingrate.
The use of the light allegory is also used in reference to the Prophet Muhammad, though
instead of the term ‘light’ specifically, the Prophet is referred to as a ‘luminous lamp’ in Surah
Al-'Aĥzāb, “The Combined Forces” (سورة الأحزاب): ﴾33:45﴿ “O Prophet! Truly We have sent thee as
a witness, as a bearer of glad tidings, and as a warner, ﴾33:46﴿ as one who calls unto God by His
leave, and as a luminous lamp.” Since God is the ‘light’ and Muhammad is the ‘lamp’, it can be
imagined that the Prophet Muhammad, like the lamp that contains the flame, is the physical
bearer of the ‘light’ that is God. According to the philosopher Mullā Ṣadrā Shīrāzī, the Prophet
53William C. Chittick. Imaginal Worlds: Ibn al-‘Arabī and the Problem of Religious Diversity (Albany: State
University of New York Press, 1994), pg. 16.
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Muhammad is representative of the glass of the lamp through which we are able to see the Light
of God:
That which corresponds to the glass of this light [364] is Muhammad the Messenger of
God […] For it is not possible to witness the light of Divine Unity owing to its great
intensity and power, which subjugates the insights and overwhelms the reasons except
from behind the veil of the Muḥammadan glass, for it is through him that the lamp of
light of the Sublime is recognized before the dawn of its manifestation.54
As the Messenger of God and the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad being represented as
the ‘glass of the lamp’ or physical being which houses the Light of God, would come as no
surprise to most Muslims. Muhammad is the deliverer of the Revelation and an exemplary
individual, whose character is said to be a direct embodiment of the Qur’ān. Since Muhammad’s
heart is in direct communication with God through the Revelation, it can be understood that
Muhammad as the glass of the lamp which holds the light, is literally and metaphorically the
protector and preserver of the Light of God.
In the Niche of Lights, by philosopher Abû Ḥâmid Muḥammad Al-Ghazālī, Al-Ghazālī
turns to the Light Verse to obtain an understanding of the human soul and its relation to God.
David Buchman notes that Al-Ghazālī is able to deduce that the layers outside of the ‘Light’ that
is God represent the five perceptual faculties of the human soul:
In this case the lamp, the niche, the glass, the tree, and the olive of the Light Verse are all
visible, existent things whose characteristics point to the attributes of these five faculties:
senses, imagination, reflection, the rational faculty, and the prophetic faculty.55
Similarly to Mullā Ṣadrā Shīrāzī, Al-Ghazālī views each aspect of the lamp as
corresponding to the varied levels of spiritual understanding and fulfillment. All faculties bring
the individual closer to God, just as layer by layer, going through each element of the lamp, you
54Mullā Ṣadrā Shīrāzī, On the Hermeneutics of the Light Verse of the Qur’an (Tafsīr Āyat al-Nūr). Trans. Latimah-
Parvin Peerwani, (London: Islamic College for Advanced Studies Press, 2004), Pg. 59 55Al-Ghazālī, Niche of lights, Pg. xxxiii.
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eventually reach the flame, just as through striving the believer is able to become illuminated by
the Light of God.
When it comes to seeing the ‘light’ and the ‘darkness’, Al-Ghazālī explains that the eye
of the human being has seven major imperfections. The first is that the eye cannot see itself, the
second is that the eye cannot see that which is extremely far or extremely close, the third is that
the eye cannot see behind veils, the fourth is that the eye can only perceive the manifest
dimensions, the fifth is that the eye can only see some existent things, the sixth is that the eye
cannot see that which is infinite, and the seventh is that the eye perceives large things as being
small.56 The third imperfection which references the eyes’ inability to see behind veils, is later
addressed in the Niche of Lights as being a concept in which three categories of humanity tend to
arise: those who are veiled by sheer darkness, those who are veiled by both light and darkness,
and those veiled by sheer lights.57
According to Al-Ghazālī, those who are veiled by sheer darkness are those individuals
who do not recognize God and who are centered on this physical dimension, with no further
contemplation of death, “They are the atheists, those who do not have faith in God and the Last
Day. They love life in this world more than the next world because they do not have faith in the
next world at all.”58 Al-Ghazālī uses the word ‘atheist’ (الم لاح دة) in this section which is not used
in the Qur’ān at any point to describe a particular individual or group, although the verb however
from the way in which he uses the term ‘atheist’, it can be assumed that the definition is similar
to that of ‘disbeliever’ (كافر). Al-Ghazālī’s explanation that the ‘atheists’ are “those who do not
have faith in God and the Last Day,” so it may not specifically mean those who are completely
56Ibid Pp. 6-8. 57Ibid Pp. 45-53. 58Ibid Pg. 45.
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godless, and may instead mean those who do not believe in the Omniscient God, which differs
slightly from the modern use of the term ‘atheist.’
Of the group of individuals who are veiled in sheer darkness, are those who search for
meaning in the world around them, and those that do not. For those that search for meaning, as
Al-Ghazālī explains, they do not look for causation outside of the physical and simply conclude
that it is all of a ‘natural’ doing. In giving causation for ‘nature’ the individuals are left without
true understanding, “They have no awareness of themselves and of what proceeds from them,
and they have no light perceptible to outward eye sight.”59 The lack of light alludes to the lack of
guidance, and for the individual veiled in sheer darkness there is no guidance. The complete lack
of God in the life of the atheist is what inevitably will lead them to the fire. They do not seek
God and God does not seek them. Their life is centered on the caprice mentioned in the Qur’ān:
﴾25:54﴿ “Hast thou considered the one who takes his caprice as his god? Wouldst thou be a
guardian over him? ﴾25:44﴿ Or do you suppose that most of them hear or understand? Truly they
are but as cattle. Nay, they are further astray from the way.” The one veiled in sheer darkness is
so far from the Way, that there is no hope for them in the Hereafter.
The second classification of veiling belongs to those who are veiled by both light and
darkness. This second classification consists of three groups, with the first being idol worshipers
who do not who does not focus on his own soul and fails to strive to understand the knowledge
of God.60 Unlike those veiled in complete darkness, Al-Ghazālī states that they have, at a very
basic level, understanding of a higher power who is greater than themselves but they affix this
power and the attributes of God to idols essentially keeping them in the darkness.61 Still within
59Al-Ghazālī, Niche of lights, Pg. 45. 60Ibid pg. 47. 61Ibid.
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this second classification is a group categorized by to Al-Ghazālī as a specific group of Turks
that exclusively worships people and objects based on characteristics of beauty.62 Al-Ghazālī
believes that they are more able to observe light than those who worship idols but their senses
are still covered in darkness.63 Further groups within the classification of those who are veiled by
both light and darkness, are those which slowly begin to see more light as they work their way
from the darkness of idol worship, to those who see some light which Al-Ghazālī calls ‘the
dualists’:
Hence, they worship unlimited light, which brings together all the lights of the world.
They suppose that this is the lord of the world and that all good things are ascribed to it.
Then they saw that there is evil in the world, [and] they did not consider it beautiful to
ascribe it to their lord, declaring him devoid of evil. Thus, they set up a struggle between
their lord and darkness, and they turn the world over to light and darkness.64
This group is considered closer to possibly coming to see the Light of God according to
Al-Ghazālī, however they are still far from submitting or opening their hearts to the Truth.
The second group within this second classification representing those who are veiled by
both darkness and light are those who have been veiled by the darkness of imagination. These
are individuals who are able to look past the sensory objects of the mortal state, but are unable to
fully imagine, and thus are unable to contemplate what makes up the Unseen.65 The final group
within this category are those who are veiled in the divine Light of God, but are veiled by a dark
and corrupt comparison, in which they worship an existent being which can be described using
62Al-Ghazālī states: “The second company of people are a community of the furthest Turks. They have neither a
religious creed nor a revealed law, and they believe firmly that they have a lord and that he is the most beautiful of
things…” Niche of Lights, Pg. 48. 63Ibid pg. 48. 64Ibid, Pg. 49. 65Ibid, Pg. 49.
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the senses.66 The final classification of veiling is of those who are veiled in sheer light, and it is
those individuals who are able to recognize God as the perfect and absolute being.67
The inevitable understanding of veiling and of the conditions of deafness, dumbness, and
blindness relates back to the “Light Verse”, in that when one does not open oneself up or shields
themselves from the Light of God, the individual is left in a place of non-fulfillment. Without
God the disbeliever is not guided, and without guidance the disbeliever cannot fulfill his
covenant with God, due to his ignorance and ungratefulness.
The Heart of the Disbeliever
In the first chapter of this thesis, the characteristics of the heart of the believer were
briefly discussed in which the heart was described as the “illuminating light of God.” Much like
the aspect of light and darkness discussed in the veiling of the disbeliever, the heart of the
disbeliever is stated by the Qur’ān to reflect no light, and describes it as dark and diseased: ﴾2:10﴿
“In their hearts is a disease, and God has increased them in disease. Theirs shall be a painful
punishment for having lied.” Since the heart is the spiritual organ, the only conclusion which can
be drawn with regard to the heart of the disbeliever is that it is filled with darkness and is unable
to recognize or act in the remembrance of God.
There are a number of instances in the prophetic Sunnah that discuss the bleak state of the
heart of the disbeliever and further warn the believer to recognize those hearts which do not
participate in the remembrance of God. Sūrah al-Kahf, ‘The Cave’ (سورة الكهف), āyah twenty-
eight, which calls on the believer to have patience with those whose hearts are in remembrance
66Ibid, Pg. 49-48. 67Ibid, 49-50.
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with God and while warning them to take no direction from those whose hearts do not recognize
God:
﴾18:28﴿ Make thy soul patient with those who call upon their Lord morning and evening,
desiring His Face. Turn not thine eyes away from them, desiring the adornment of the life
of this world, nor obeying one whose heart We have made heedless of the remembrance
of Us and who follows his caprice and whose affair exceeds the bounds.
The understanding of this āyah according to Tafsīr Ibn 'Abbās, is that when speaking of
individuals who follow their caprices, the āyah references the idol worship of the pagan Arabs,68
which is confirmed by Tafsīr Jalālayn: “This was ‘Uyayna b. Hisn and his companions — and
who follows his own whim, by attributing partners [to God], and whose conduct is [mere]
prodigality, excess.”69 This is important to note for discerning what the Qur’ān categorizes as a
disbeliever and as one whose heart is not connected to God. Though it is without doubt that the
pagan Arabs of the Arabian peninsula were considered disbelievers, the āyah does not include
any other religious groups, such as the Jewish and Christians tribes known to have been in
contact with the early Muslim population, in this particular instance.
Similar to the concept of being veiled, the term ‘sealed’ is used with regard to the heart of
the disbeliever. For those who prefer the sensory aspects of life and ignore the eternal growth of
the soul Sūrah al-Naḥl, ‘the Bee’ ( النحل سورة ), āyat one-hundred and seven and one-hundred and
eight, states that the heart, hearing, and the seeing of the disbelievers have been sealed: ﴾16:107﴿
“That is for their having preferred the life of this world to the Hereafter. And surely God guides
not disbelieving people. ﴾16:108﴿ It is they on whose hearts God has placed a seal, and on their
hearing and their seeing. It is they who are heedless.”
68Ibn 'Abbās and al-Fīrūzabādī, Tanwīr al-Miqbās min Tafsīr Ibn 'Abbās. Trans. Guezzou, pg. 316. 69Al-Suyūṭī and al-Maḥallī. Tafsīr al-Jalālayn. Trans. Hamza, pg. 315.
36
The Islamic tradition emphasizes that the Qur’ān is the main source of guidance in the
life of a pious Muslim. The Qur’ān itself states that it is a source of guidance sent by God in
Sūrah al-Isrāʾ, ‘The Night Journey’ (سورة الإسراء), āyah nine: ﴾17:9﴿ “Truly this Quran guides
toward that which is most upright, and gives glad tidings to the believers who perform righteous
deeds that theirs shall be a great reward.” It is of no surprise then that those who do not believe
in the Qur’ān and the Prophet Muhammad are not considered to be guided by God: ﴾16:104﴿
“Truly those who believe not in the signs of God, God guides them not, and theirs shall be a
painful punishment.” Without the heart turning toward God the disbeliever is not guided. This
disbelief is seen as a disease, in relation to the healthy and pious heart of the believer.
What we can determine about disbelief is that the disbeliever is veiled to the Truth, either
willingly or because God made it so. They live a life which can sometimes be seen as being
without trial, as God is sure to judge them on the Day of Judgement. Disbelief is used in regard
to a number of individuals, though more commonly the pagan Arabs during the time of the
Prophet Muhammad.
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IV
The People of the Book
﴾5:69﴿ Truly those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Sabeans, and the Christians—whosoever believes
in God and the Last Day and works righteousness, no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve.
A concept which has been made clear through nearly every religious text is that some
religions do not take you on the ‘straightest path’ to the creator. When the Revelation was given
to the Prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel, a new yet familiar journey was designed as a
guiding map on how one can come to understand their creator and to solidify their destination in
the Gardens of Paradise. This path, much like the paths that came before it, gave a descriptive
and often precise guide that still left a number of unknowns and even today have us trying to
understand the exact meaning behind the prophetic Message. The question which plagues the
present religious communities’ strive for religious inclusivism: where do we fit in with the other?
For Muslims, the religious other is discussed heavily in the Qur’ān from a number of different
angles, with some suwar regarding these religions both as believers and disbelievers. There is no
question in the understanding of what the Qur’ān states will be the fate of those religions that
focus their belief on polytheistic higher beings, as seen in the Qur’ān āyāh ﴾4:116﴿, “Truly God
forgives not that any partner be ascribed to Him, but He forgives what is less than that for
whomsoever He will. Whosoever ascribes partners unto God has surely gone far astray.” The
question which is often the most controversial to address is where do the other Abrahamic
38
religious traditions, Judaism and Christianity, fit into the religion of Islam? Through analysis of
āyāt of the Qur’ān, we can begin to understand the place of “The People of the Book,” and their
role as believers and disbelievers within the religion of Islam.
The People of the Book: Outside the Qur’ān
The city of Mecca during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad, was a thriving city built
upon trade and religious pilgrimage. Mecca was the city of the Kacbah, a structure which,
according to Islamic histories, was constructed by the Prophet Abraham and his first born son
Ishmael. The Islamic tradition and the peoples of the Arabian Peninsula saw Abraham as an
important ancestral figure, similarly to the religious view of Abraham in the Jewish and Christian
traditions. The Revelation given to the Prophet Muhammad further emphasized the importance
of Abraham, as the Qur’an places him as a monotheist long before the current Abrahamic
religious traditions arose, “Abraham is discussed as a prophet who predated Judaism and
Christianity, who established the Kacbah as a temple of worship, and who is a ḥanīf or primordial
monotheist.”70 The Arabic term ḥanīf (حنيفا), is only used for a select number of individuals who
are said to have worshiped the ‘One God’ with practices that did not correspond to any particular
established religious practice. The basis for Abraham being classified as such, can be found in
āyah sixty-seven of the Sūrah al-Imran which states: ﴾3:67﴿ “Abraham was neither a Jew (يهوديا)
nor a Christian (نصرانيا). Rather he was a Ḥanīf (حنيفا), a Muslim, and he was not one of the
polytheists.” Growing up in the city of Mecca, the Prophet Muhammad would have come in
contact with a number of Jewish and Christian tribes and individuals, who would come to the
city in pilgrimage as well as to participate in trade. Outside of the various polytheistic traditions,
70See Caner, K. Dagli, “Commentary Introduction to ‘Sūrah al-Baqarah,’” in The Study Quran. Eds., Nasr, Seyyed
Hossein, Caner K. Dagli, Maria Massi Dakake, Joseph E. B. Lumbard, and Mohammed Rustom (San Francisco:
HarperOne, 2015).
39
the Jewish and Christian traditions, specifically the variation of those religious traditions which
were practiced at that time, were the two most prominently practiced traditions of the time:
These two religions were most visible on the religious map of Arabia besides pre-Islamic
polytheism at the advent of Islam. Furthermore, under the Prophet's leadership, Muslims'
attitude to 'others' was characterized in general by mutual goodwill, friendship, and a
strong preference for reconciliation, peace and amity.71
Following the first Revelations, the early Muslim community immigrated to the city of
Madinah located north of Mecca, in an attempt to escape the persecution the newly formed
community was experiencing at the hands of the polytheistic tribe of Quraysh. Upon the
Prophet’s arrival in Madinah, the Islamic tradition states that a charter was drafted by the Prophet
and was employed as a set of laws for all individuals and tribes in Madinah. This charter gives
much insight into the community of Madinah and what was acceptable under the Prophet’s rule,
which included how the Jewish tribes of Madinah were to be treated by the Muslim community.
The Muslims and Jews of Madinah shared a number of hardships and inevitably had a number of
altercations, but the charter itself gives scholars some insight into the initial goodwill and
friendship that the Muslims originally offered to the Jews Tribes of Madinah:
To the Jew who follows us belong help and equality. He shall not be wronged nor shall
his enemies be aided. […]The Jews of the B. ‘Auf are one community with the believers
(the Jews have their religion and the Muslims have theirs), their freedmen and their
persons except those who behave unjustly and sinfully, for they hurt but themselves and
their families. The same applies to the Jews of the B. al-Najjar, B. al-Harith, B. Sai ida,
B. Jusham, B. al-Aus, B. Tha'laba, and the Jafna, a clan of the Tha‘laba and the B. al-
Shutayba. Loyalty is a protection against treachery. The freedmen of Tha ‘laba are as
themselves. The close friends of the Jews are as themselves. […] The Jews of al-Aus,
their freedmen and themselves have the same standing with the people of this document
in purely loyalty from the people of this document. Loyalty is a protection against
treachery. He who acquires aught acquires it for himself. God approves of this
document.72
71Muhammad Zia-Ul-Haq, “Religious Diversity: An Islamic Perspective,” Islamic Studies, Vol. 49, No. 4 (Winter
2010) Pg. 493 72Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq ibn Yasār ibn Khiyār, The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rasul
Allah. Trans. A. Guillaume (New York: Oxford University Press, 1955), pp. 231-233.
40
The Jews of Madinah can be seen as having received some fairness when it came to
welcoming the Muslim community into the city and promoting the Prophet as their leader. The
lack of mentioning of Christians in the document is because there was no major Christian tribe or
population in Medina during the time of the Prophet. Outside of the Qur’ānic evidence, those of
the Jewish faith can be said to have been protected and treated fairly, and were not forced to
convert to Islam under the Prophet’s protection. This is significant in the understanding the place
of the Jews and Christians during rise of the Islamic faith, as other religious groups did not
receive similar treatment.
The Book (الكتاب)
Though scholars agree that the most common use of The People of the Book in the
Qur’ān refers to the Jewish and Christian traditions, and more specifically referring to the Jewish
and Christian traditions practiced during the time of the Islamic Revelation. The Qur’ān is also
referred to as the Book, which can be seen in Sūrah al-Baqarah (سورة البقرة), āyah one-hundred
and twenty-one, which states: ﴾2:121﴿ “Those unto whom We have given the Book and who recite
it as it should be recited are they who believe in it. And whosoever does not believe in it, they are
the losers.” Many passages of the Qur’ān acknowledge itself as a book in a type of self-
awareness which, given the historical tradition that claims that during the life of the Prophet
Muhammad there was no written form of the Revelation used by the early Muslim community,
seems to allude to the eventual future of the Word of God to be passed down as a written text.73
The Prophet Muhammad himself was said to have been unable to read or write, and the Qur’ān
often focuses on the importance of recitation and preserving the Word of God in the oral
tradition, common among the Arabs of that time, and less on its importance to be written down.
73See Daniel A. Madigan, The Qur’ân’s Self-Image: Writing and Authority in Islamic Scripture. (Princeton:
Princeton University Press, 2001), “Chapter 1: The Quran as a Book.”
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The Qur’ān uses two words for the word ‘recite’ in the Qur’ān, the first coming from the root ‘ -ت
which translates as ‘to recite’ in ’ق-ر-أ‘ which translate as ‘to recite,’74 and from the root ’ل-و
some āyāt and ‘to read’ in others.75 The major endeavor to collect the āyāt and suwar in a written
form arose after the Battle of Yamama, in which a number of the individuals within the Muslim
community who perished in the battle were reciters of the Qur’ān. The fear of losing āyāt and
sūrah was strong enough to start a campaign of preserving the Word of God in the form of the
written world.
This self-awareness can allow one to read the texts in such a way that ‘the Book’
becomes less specific to one particular message, and instead reference the encompassing
message that God delivered not only to the Arab people through the Prophet Muhammad, but
through other messengers as well. An example of a āyah that, though considered to be addressed
to Muhammad, can be interpreted in a more inclusivist way is found in Sūrah al-Nisa’, “The
Women” (سورة النساء), āyah one-hunred and thirteen, which states:
﴾4:113﴿ Were it not for God’s Bounty toward thee, and His Mercy, a party of them would
have plotted to lead thee astray, but they lead astray only their own souls, and they can do
thee no harm in the least. God has sent down unto thee the Book ( الكتاب) and Wisdom, and
has taught thee what thou knewest not; God’s Bounty toward thee is great indeed.
‘The Book’ no matter which group it is associated with, does not differ in name but only
differs in the variation of its message. Since the Qur’ān states that the Message received by
Muhammad was not entirely new in that it had previously been given to the People of the Book,
the Book then becomes more synonymous with the Word of God. The Book is instead all
encompassing, much as the Qur’ān claims itself to be in later suwar.
74Qur’ān 2:44, 2:113, 2:121, 2:129, 2:151, 2:252, 3:58, 3:93, 3:101, 3:108, 3:113, 3:164, 4:127, 5:1, 5:27, 6:151,
7:175, 8:2, 8:31, 10:15, 10:16, 10:61, 10:71, 11:17, 13:30, 17:107, 18:27, 19:58, 19:73, 22:30, 22:72, 23:66, 23:105,
26:69, 27:92, 28:3, 28:45, 28:53, 28:59, 29:45, 29:48, 29:51, 31:7, 33:34, 34:43, 35:29, 37:3, 39:71, 45:6, 45:8,
45:25, 45:31, 46:7, 62:2, 65:11, 68:15, 83:13, 98:2. Verses with ‘recite’ not pertaining to scripture: 2:102, 18:83 75Translated as ‘to recite’ in Qur’ān 7:204, 16:98, 17:45, 17:106, 26:119, 73:20, 75:18, 84:21, 87:6. Translated as ‘to
read’ in Qur’ān 10:94, 17:14, 17:71, 17:93, 69:19, 96:1, 96:3.
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The People of the Book
The People of the Book ( أهل الكتاب), are referred to approximately thirty-one times in the
Qur’ān.76 Outside of the straight forward references of the People of the Book, an additional set
of āyāt has also been interpreted to mean the same thing, including the most commonly used
āyāt: “those who were given the Book” ( الذين أوتوا الكتاب)77, “those who were given a portion of the
Book” ( ن الكتاب الذين آتيناهم ) ”those unto whom We have given the Book“ ,78(الذين أوتوا نصيبا م
and “those who read the ,80(من عنده علم الكتاب ) ”whosoever has knowledge of the book“ ,79(الكتاب
Book” ( الذين يقرءون الكتاب)81.
Though the Qur’ān groups together the Jews and Christians by calling them The People
of the Book in a number of instances, they are also addressed individually in a number of suwar.
Christians ( النصارى) are referred to in seven different āyāt of the Qur’ān with each instance also
referring to the Jews,82 however the Qur’ān also refers to the Christians in one other instance as
the People of the Gospel ( نجيل in which is it used independently and not in association ,(أهل الإ
with Judaism.83 Unlike the word for Christian, the Qur’ān uses a total of four terms to address
the Jewish people, including ‘the Jews’ ( اليهود),84 ‘the Jews’(هودا),85 ‘those who are Jewish’ ( الذين
There are a number of āyah of the Qur’ān that 87.(بني إسرائيل ) ’and ‘the Children of Israel ,86(هادوا
76Qur’an 2:105, 2:109, 3:64, 3:65, 3:69, 3:70, 3:71, 3:72, 3:75, 3:98, 3:99, 3:110, 3:113, 3:199, 4:123, 4:153, 4:159,
4:171, 5:15, 5:19, 5:59, 5:65, 5:68, 5:77, 29:46, 33:26, 57:29, 59:2, 59:11, 98:1, and 98:6. 77Qur’an, 2:101, 2:144, 2:145, 3:19, 3:20, 3:100, 3:186, 3:187, 4: 47, 4:131, 5:5, 5:57, 57:16, 74: 31, 98: 4. 78Qur’an, 3:23, 4:44, 4:51. 79Qur’an, 2:121, 2:146, 6:20, 6:89, 6:114, 13:36, 28:52, 29:47. 80Qur’an, 13:43. 81Qur’an, 10:94. 82Qur’an 2:62, 2:113, 2:120, 5:18, 5:51, 5:69, 22:17. 83Qur’ān 5:47 84Qur’an 2:113, 2:120, 5:18, 5:64, 9:30. 85Qur’an 2:111, 2:135, 2:140. 86Qur’an 2:62, 4:46, 4:160, 5:41, 5:44, 5:69, 6:146, 16:118, 22:17, 62:6. 87Qur’an 2:40, 2:47, 2:83, 2:122. 2:211, 2:246, 3:49, 3:93, 5:12, 5:32, 5:70, 5:72, 5:78, 5:110, 7:105, 7:137, 7:138,
10:90, 10:93, 17:2, 17:4, 17:101, 17:104, 19:58, 20:47, 20:80, 20:94, 26:17, 26:22, 26:59, 26:197, 27:76, 32:23,
40:53, 43:59, 44:30, 45:16, 46:10, 61:6, 61:14.
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address the Children of Israel specifically, as though it is speaking directly to the Jewish
population at the time. The first āyah that calls on the Children of Israel ( بني إسرائيل), is found in
the second Sūrah al-Baqarah (سورة البقرة), āyah 40, in which they are told to ‘remember’ their
covenant with God: ﴾2:40﴿ “O Children of Israel! Remember My blessing which I bestowed upon
you, and fulfill My covenant, and I shall fulfill your covenant, and be in awe of Me.” The
covenant with the Children of Israel is subsequently mentioned again later in the same Sūrah,
though this time is seems to be more specific with regards to the aspects of the covenant which
had been made:
﴾2:83﴿ And [remember] when We made a covenant with the Children of Israel, “Worship
none but God; be virtuous towards parents, kinsmen, orphans, and the indigent; and speak
to people in a goodly way; and perform the prayer and give the alms.” Then you turned
away, save a few of you, swerving aside.
The interpretation of Sūrah al-Baqarah, āyah fourty does not coincide with the more
specified covenant which is addressed in Sūrah al-Baqarah, āyah eighty-three by a number of
Qur’ānic commentaries. According to Tanwīr al-Miqbās min Tafsīr Ibn 'Abbās, the covenant
made by the Children of Israel with God which the Qur’ān refers in āyah fourty Sūrah al-
Baqarah means, “fulfil my covenant regarding this Prophet,”88and that the covenant God makes
with the Children of Israel in return will be fulfilled, “by admitting you to Paradise.”89 This
particular interpretation, with variation in specific wording, is also given in Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, in
which the covenant the Children of Israel are fulfilling is specific to the Prophet Muhammad.90
From another perspective, Tafsir al-Kāshānī takes on a more pluralistic interpretation in which
the covenant addressed in Sūrah al-Baqarah, āyah fourty refers to a covenant given to the
88Ibn 'Abbās and al-Fīrūzabādī, Tanwīr al-Miqbās min Tafsīr Ibn 'Abbās. Trans. Guezzou, pg. 9. 89Ibid 90Al-Suyūṭī and al-Maḥallī, Tafsīr al-Jalālayn. Trans. Feras Hamza, pg. 9.
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Children of Israel prior to the time of the Prophet Muhammad, with allusions to the Islamic
belief of a pre-temporal covenant made between God and man:
The Children of Israel are the people of the divine gentleness and the recipients of the
favour of guidance and prophethood. He calls to them with gentleness and a reminder of
the former favour and the bygone covenant taken from them in the Torah to affirm the
unity of the acts after the pre-eternal covenant, which is the way with [one’s] beloved
after [a period of] estrangement: Were there not between us ties of kinship and bonds as
well as affection and brotherhood? This [divine] call is specifically qualified by the
affirmation of the unity of [His] attributes that is the lifting of the second veil. It is more
specific than the first general call made to remind [them] of the favour of religion and the
covenant and the [divine] self-disclosure through the attribute of favour-giver and
guardian.91
Tafsīr al-Kāshānī speaks of a bygone covenant, one in which may or may not have
addressed God’s command to follow the Prophet Muhammad and accept the Qur’ān as God’s
message. It may also imply the covenant made with the Prophet Noah, the Prophet Abraham, the
Prophet Noah, the Prophet David, or of a covenant made with God that was lost or forgotten by
man and not written in the Torah.
A majority of the instances of ‘the Children of Israel’ seems to simultaneously refer to
the Christians, which may mean that the use of the term ‘Children of Israel’ refers instead to the
general population of Abrahamic monotheists at the time, especially since Christianity arose
from Judaism and was still in the early stages of development around the time of the Revelation.
A number of āyāt of the Qur’ān further clarify that the Book which it is speaking of in reference
to the Christians and Jews is specifically the Torah ( التوراة) and the Christian Gospels (الأنجيل).92
An example of the Book pertaining to the Jewish Bible can be seen in the second Sūrah al-
Baqarah (سورة البقرة), āyah 53: ﴾2:53﴿ “And when We gave unto Moses the Book and the Criterion,
that haply you may be guided.” According to a translation of Abū Ja’far Muḥammad b. Jarīr al-
91Al-Kāshānī, Tafsir al- Kāshānī. Trans. Hamza, pg. 34. 92Qur’ān 3:3, 3:48, 3:50, 3:65, 3:93, 5:46, 5:47, 5:66, 5:68, 5:110, 7:157, 9:111, 48:29, 57:27, and 61:6.
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Ṭabarī’s, The Commentary on the Qur’an (جامع البيان عن تأويل آي القرآن), al-Ṭabarī states that ‘the
Book’ which Moses received was the Torah, and the Criterion is the decided divide between
truth and falsehood:
It is as if he said: And remember also when We gave Moses the Torah which
discriminates93 between truth and falsehood so that you might be guided by it, and might
follow the truth which is in it, because I have made it thus a guidance for him who takes
it as a guide and follows what is in it.94
This commentary by al-Tabarī supports the idea that the earlier Revelations brought by
Messengers of God prior to Muhammad, that are recognized by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam,
were messages containing the Truth that is the Word of God. A further example of the Book
which seems to allude to the Jewish Bible, as well as the Christian Gospels can be found in the
Sūrah al-Anʿām, “The Cattle” (سورة الأنعام), āyāt one-hundred and fifty-four through one-hundred
and fifty-six which states:
﴾6:154﴿ Then We gave unto Moses the Book, complete for those who would be virtuous, as
an exposition of all things, and as a guidance and a mercy, that haply they might believe
in the meeting with their Lord. ﴾6:155﴿ And this is a blessed book that We have sent down,
so follow it and be reverent, that haply you may receive mercy. ﴾6:156﴿ Lest you should say,
“The Book was only sent down upon two groups before us, and we were indeed heedless
of their study.”
The section of the āyah which states, “The Book was only sent down upon two groups
before us, and we were indeed heedless of their study,” shows that the Message of the Qur’ān is
one that had been previously given to the Jews and Christians, though it is implied through the
Revelation of the Prophet Muhammad that the Messages that were previously given to the Jews
and Christians have been altered, or are not the same as the Message that was originally
delivered by the Messengers’ of God. This is suggested because a further message would not
is translated as ‘the Criterion’ in The Study Qur’an and as ‘the discrimination’ in The Commentary on the الفرقان 93
Qur’an. 94Abū Ja’far Muḥammad B. Jarīr Al-Ṭabarī, The Commentary on the Qur’an: Being an Abridged Translation of
Jāmic al-bayān can ta’wīl āy al-Qur’ān, Vol. 1. Ed. J. Cooper, W.F. Madelung, A. Jones. (New York: Oxford
University Press, 1987), Pp. 315-316.
46
have been needed had the messages which came before it been accurately preserved. This is
further implied in Sūrah al-Baqarah, āyah eighty-seven:
﴾2:87﴿ And indeed We gave unto Moses the Book and caused a succession of messengers
to follow him. And We gave Jesus son of Mary clear proofs, and strengthened him with
the Holy Spirit. Is it not so that whenever a messenger brought you something your souls
did not desire you waxed arrogant, and denied some, and killed others?
The āyah addresses a profound problem of the human condition, to turn away from
something which they cannot bring themselves to believe or select only parts of the message
which they feel benefit them. This also is potentially in reference to the general attitude towards
Christian and Jewish individuals and groups of the Arabian Peninsula who heard the Qur’an but
remained within their own tradition, which from an Islamic perspective, is denying the last and
the most pure Message of God. The Qur’ān acknowledges this denial by individuals, and even
confirms the prior messages to have once been the truest version of God’s Message prior to the
Qur’ān. This is confirmed in Sūrah al-Ma’ida ( المائدة سورة ), āyah fourty-eight:
﴾5:48﴿ And we have sent down unto thee the Book in truth, confirming the Book that came
before it, and as protector over it. So judge between them in accordance with what God
has sent down, and follow not their caprices away from the truth that has come unto thee.
For each among you we have appointed a law and a way. And had God willed, He would
have made you one community, but [He willed otherwise], that He might try you in that
which He has given you. So vie with one another in good deeds. Unto God shall be your
return all together, and He will inform you of that wherein you differ.
Having already determined that ‘The Book’ is less strictly the written religious text, and
more of a focus on the Message of God, it can be seen that the fault of the People of the Book
lies in the written text which has been handed down from generation to generation. There are
insistences of the Qur’ān which show that the People of the Book have the ability to obtain
Salvation, and shows that the original Messages revealed to the Jews and Christians were as
valid as the Qur’ān:
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﴾5:69﴿ Truly those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the
Sabeans—whosoever believes in God and the Last Day and works righteousness shall
have their reward with their Lord. No fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve.
With time having, assumingly, distorted the original Message, the Qur’ān was revealed to
right the wrong and bring the people back to the One God of the Abrahamic religious traditions.
For this reason the Qur’ān can be considered to be more inclusive of the religions which came
before it. However, much like in the Judaic and Christian traditions, there are those who commit
sins and claim to be of a tradition but their actual belief and their actions go against their
religious doctrine. It is these instances which lead to the concept of ‘disbelief’ among the People
of the Book.
Disbelief among the People of the Book
Though the Qur’ān respects ‘the People of the Book’ as believers in the Oneness of God
and tends to take a more inclusive and pluralistic stance on the place of the People of the Book
within the religion of Islam, there is a major difference between Muslims and People of the
Book, despite the Qur’ān’s seemingly universal message:
Despite a clear message of universality, tolerance and pluralism in the Qur’ān, the main
line theological and hermeneutic traditions have almost always chosen to read the
universal, inclusivist dimensions of the Qur’ān, and of the sayings of the Prophet
Muhammad in light of the more exclusivist verses such as, Verily the religion with God
is Islam (5:3), and Who seeks other than Islam as a religion, it will not be accepted from
him (3:85).95
This may be the case because unlike Muslims, who are unable to be considered
disbelievers if they truly believe in the words of the Qur’ān, the People of the Book can be
considered both a believer and a disbeliever, which is not possible for followers of Islam, as seen
in Sūrah Āl ʿImrān “The House of ‘Imrān” (سورة آل عمران), āyah seventy: ﴾3:70﴿ “O People of the
95Joseph Lumbard. “Qur’ānic Inclusivism in an Age of Globalization” in The Religious Other: Towards a Muslim
Theology of the Other Religions in a Post-Prophetic Age, edited by Muhammad Suheyl Umar, 151-162. (Lahore:
Iqbal Academy Pakistan, 2008), Pg. 152.
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Book! Why do you disbelieve in God’s signs, while you are witnesses?” Tanwīr al-Miqbās min
Tafsīr Ibn ‘Abbās sees this āyah as a call on the People of the Book to remember that the
scripture that came before the Qur’ān and recognize Muhammad as a prophet sent by God, while
explaining in the following āyah of the Qur’ān Sūrah Āl ʿImrān ( عمران آل سورة ), āyah seventy-
one that the People of the Book must stop confounding the traits of the anti-Christ found in their
scripture with that of the Prophet Muhammad.96 Since the Qur’ān marks the most recent
revelation given by God, and according to the Islamic tradition marks the last revelation to be
given until the Day of Judgement, belief in the messages which came before the Qur’ān are not
considered the absolute truth that if followed will gain the follower a place in Paradise.
Sūrah Ninety-Eight entitled, ‘The Clear Proof,’ al-Bayyinah (سورة البينة), specifically
focuses on the topic of disbelief among the People of the Book. This proves to be an interesting
contrast to some other suwar of the Qur’ān, as the People of the Book are placed in a category of
disbelief beside the polytheists: ﴾98:6﴿ “Indeed the faithless from among the People of the Book
and the polytheists will be in the fire of hell, to remain in it [forever]. It is they who are the worst
of creatures.” The reason for the revelation of Sūrah Al-Bayyinah (سورة البينة) cannot be found in
the Asbāb al-Nuzūl of Alī ibn Ahmad al-Wāhidī and Tafsīr al-Jalālayn is does not seem to state
anything more in-depth than the most basic understanding of the āyah. Tafsīr Ibn ‘Abbās takes
the Sūrah a step further in its understanding and gives examples of individuals for whom the
āyah is believed to apply:
(Those who disbelieve among the People of the Scripture) i.e. the Jews and Christians
(and the idolaters) the Arab idolaters (could not have left off (erring)) could not have
remained in their denial of Muhammad (pbuh) the Qur'an and Islam (till the clear proof
came unto them) until clarification of what is in their Scriptures, the Scriptures of the
Jews and Christians, came to them. There is another way of understanding the above:
those who disbelieve among the people of the Scripture, before the advent Muhammad
(pbuh) such as 'Abdullah Ibn Salam and his followers, and those who ascribed partners to
96Ibn ‘Abbās and al-Firūzabādī. Tanwīr al-Miqbās min Tafsīr Ibn ‘Abbās. Trans. Guezzou, Pg. 72.
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Allah before the advent of Muhammad (pbuh) such as Abu Bakr and his fellow Arabs,
would not have desisted from their disbelief and idolatry until the clear proof came to
them, i.e. until Muhammad (pbuh) came to them.97
The trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit within the Christian tradition is a
major concept that is not accepted within the Islam tradition. Dividing God into three entities is
seen as a polytheistic form of worship, in which the worship of Jesus is seen as diverting worship
away from God. This negative attitude towards this category of individuals within the People of
the Book is seen in a number of āyāt, but is explicitly stated in Sūrah al-Māʾidah (سورة المائدة),
āyah seventy three: ﴾5:73﴿ “They certainly disbelieve, those who say, “Truly God is the third of
three,” while there is no god save the One God. If they refrain not from what they say, a painful
punishment will befall those among them who disbelieved.” The statement “Truly God is the
third of three,” is stated in reference to the trinity and in general marks the Christian faith as a
form of disbelief.
﴾5:72﴿ They certainly disbelieve, those who say, “Truly God is the Messiah, son of Mary.”
But the Messiah said, “O Children of Israel! Worship God, my Lord and your Lord.”
Surely whosoever ascribes partners unto God, God has forbidden him the Garden, and his
refuge shall be the Fire. And the wrongdoers shall have no helpers.
The Islamic understanding of the Christian belief that Jesus is the son of God was that it
was not a title claimed by Jesus himself and was something constructed during the writing of the
Gospels. The Qur’ān reasserts the claim that Jesus was a messenger and a prophet and that he
represented the manifest word of God, but he was not considered more or less than the
messengers that came before him or after him: ﴾5:75﴿ “The Messiah, son of Mary, was naught but
a messenger—messengers have passed away before him. And his mother was truthful. Both of
them ate food. Behold how We make the signs clear unto them, yet behold how they are
perverted!” This āyah from Sūrah al-Māʾidah (سورة المائدة) introduces this idea that the Torah and
97Ibid, pg. 766.
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the Gospels both represent a perversion of their original message, and that they have strayed
from their true message, considered lost over time through either purposeful or accidental
editing. Later in āyah seventy-seven of Sūrah al-Māʾidah (سورة المائدة) God calls on the People of
the Book to stop the exaggeration of the messages which had been given to them, and to stop
leading people astray, both from the original message of the Torah and Gospel and from the
message of Muhammad: ﴾5:77﴿ “Say, “O People of the Book! Do not exaggerate in your religion
beyond the truth, and follow not the caprices of a people who went astray aforetime, and led
many astray, and strayed from the right way.” Tafsīr al-Jalālayn examines this āyah as a
warning to the People of the Book to stop pulling their communities and the early Muslim
community away from the Truth through corruption of the Word of God, and as a warning to the
Christians to stop elevating the place of Jesus in relation to God and to keep him in his proper
place.98
Though the aspect of corruption is present with regards to the Torah and Gospel, both the
Qur’ān and Islamic scholars recognize them as revelations sent by God to the Jewish and
Christian communities prior to the revelation of the Prophet Muhammad. What makes the
Qur’ān different from the revelations that came before it, is that it is considered the absolute,
unmodified, and non-corrupt Word of God. There are a number of āyāt that further allude to the
idea that the Torah and the Gospel having been edited over time, either on purpose or by
accident, which make them not as pure as the Qur’ān. Sūrah al-Māʾidah (سورة المائدة), āyāt sixty-
six, states that had the People of the Book observed the revelation sent down to them, as it was
intended, they would be able to recognize and believe in Muhammad and receive blessing from
God:
98Al-Suyūṭī and al-Maḥallī, Tafsīr al-Jalālayn. Trans. Hamza, pg 125.
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﴾5:66﴿ Had they observed the Torah and the Gospel and that which was sent down unto
them from their Lord, they would surely have received nourishment from above them and
from beneath their feet. There is a moderate community among them; but many of them,
evil is that which they do!
Similar to āyah seventy-five of the same Sūrah, quoted above, both āyāt allude to the fact
that the Jewish and Christian peoples are not properly observing the Torah or the Gospel,
possibly due to the corruption or perversion of the original messages to their present form.
According to Tafsīr Ibn ‘Abbās, had the Jews and the Christians read the true Words of God,
they would find that a description of Muhammad was contained within the Torah and Gospels,
and it is the unjust leaders within the Jewish and Christian communities that try to conceal these
traits.99 Going back to the Christian concept of the Trinity, the Qur’ān reveals a conversation
between God and the Prophet Jesus, in which God asks Jesus if he told mankind that he was a
god:
﴾5:116﴿ And when God said, “O Jesus son of Mary! Didst thou say unto mankind, ‘Take
me and my mother as gods apart from God?’” He said, “Glory be to Thee! It is not for me
to utter that to which I have no right. Had I said it, Thou wouldst surely have known it.
Thou knowest that which is in myself and I know not that which is in Thy Self. Truly it is
Thou who knowest best the things unseen.
The message of this āyah reflects the statement made in Tafsīr al-Jalālayn that the
Christian community placed Jesus as the physical embodiment of God. This āyah can be
understood as an affirmation to the Muslim community that they are right to believe in Jesus as a
messenger, similar to that of Muhammad, who delivered the Word of God to a community who
had gone astray from the original message delivered in the messages which came before the birth
of Jesus. Tafsīr al-Jalālayn’s interpretation of Sūrah al-Māʾidah (سورة المائدة), āyah one-hundred
and sixteen, re-emphasizes Jesus’ humility, by pointing out Jesus’ words in response to God’s
questioning him of his place, stating, “Thou knowest that which is in myself and I know not that
99Ibn ‘Abbās and al-Firūzabādī. Tanwīr al-Miqbās min Tafsīr Ibn ‘Abbās. Trans. Guezzou, Pg. 122.
52
which is in Thy Self,” it is here that Jesus affirms that he is not all knowing, and that the Truth
can only be found in God, who is knower of all things and of the Unseen.100
Believer or Disbeliever: The Case for Religious Inclusivism in Islam
The People of the Book in the Qur’ān as previously shown are spoken about in an often
contradictory light, with their place in the Qur’ān as believers and disbelievers. Fortunately for
the early Muslims, so many instances have been recorded including the Occasions of Revelation
for most of the passages as well as commentaries on Qur’ān āyāt by Muslim scholars, helps to
assert a more pluralistic perspective in the Qur’ānic view of the Christians and Jews. In
Muḥammad Rashīd Riḍā’s Tafsīr al-Qur’ān al-ḥakīm al-shahīr bi-tafsīr al-Manār, he explains
that in verses of the Qur’an such as Sūrah Al-Ma’ida ( المائدة سورة ), āyah fourty-eight, prove that
the Revelation given to the Prophet Muhammad was one that was all-inclusive, in that it further
confirmed and reminded those who had gone astray of the messages which had come before:
The Muḥammadan leader chooses the path of Muḥammad and leaves aside the other
paths, even though he acknowledges them and has faith in them. However, he does not
make himself a servant except through the path of Muḥammad, nor does he have his
followers make themselves servants except through it. He traces the attributes of all paths
back to it, because Muḥammad’s revealed religion is all-inclusive. Hence the property of
all the revealed religions has been transferred to his revealed religion. His revealed
religion embraces them, but they do not embrace it.101
Riḍā’s stance is that Islam is the final and only truly valid religion as the path laid out by
Muhammad is regarded as the “straight path” to God, and therefore believed to be the most
truthful of the Revelations. In contrast to Riḍā, the Qur’ān does state that the People of the Book
have the ability to achieve a place in Paradise following the Day of Judgment: ﴾2:62﴿ “Truly those
who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabeans—whosoever believes
in God and the last day and works righteousness shall have their reward with their Lord. No fear
100Al-Suyūṭī and al-Maḥallī, Tafsīr al-Jalālayn. Trans. Hamza, pg 132. 101Muḥammad Rashīd Riḍā. Tafsīr al-Qur’ān al-ḥakīm al-shahīr bi-tafsīr al-Manār. 12 Vols. (Beirut: Dār al-
Ma’rifa, 1970), Tafsīr 6:276.
53
shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve.” This verse, as inclusive as it may sound, states that
those who believe as well as the Jews, Christians, and Sabeans, can find rewards through
righteous work, but it does not outright call these groups “believers.”
In the tenth Sūrah entitled “Jonah” (سورة يونس), there is an interesting āyah which alludes
to there being a truth found in every religious community: ﴾10:47﴿ “For every community there is
a messenger, and when their messenger comes, judgment shall be rendered between them with
justice, and they will not be wronged.” The problem potentially faced with this āyah is that all
communities cannot be right in their religious message, and therefore in some way their message
has to have undergone some change that made it stray from the truth. William Chittick makes the
point that the Muslim ulama could not just state that all religions shared a universal truth,
because the consequence would have lessened the Qur’ān’s claim to being the absolute truth of
the Word of God:
In the case of the Muslim community, the ulama had no good reason to argue in support
of Qur’anic references to the universality of religious truth, verses like “every nation has
its messenger” (10:47). If they had suggested that others might be following legitimate
ways, they would have been diluting the absolute authority of the religious command
designated by the Qur’an and the Sunna.102
The key is then to a find a way to encourage plurality in such a way that the importance
of Qur’ānic guidance stays at the forefront of how one can achieve salvation, while at the same
time acknowledging that some non-Muslim individuals will still find a way to achieve salvation.
Perhaps humanity can instead look at the worshiping of the One God as a means of still abiding
by the Qur’ānic command of submitting to God, especially those who perform good deeds.
Regardless, the claim that only those who are Muslim are allowed into paradise even contradicts
the Qur’ān. As Reza Shah-Kazemi states:
102William C. Chittick, “The Ambiguity of the Qur’anic Command”, Between Heaven and Hell: Islam Salvation,
and the Fate of Others. Mohammad Hassan Khalil, ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013), Pg. 77.
54
It is not possible to claim that only those called “Muslims” in the confessional sense enter
Paradise; rather, we are called upon to stress heartfelt submission to God, together with
the practice of virtue in consequence of that submission, as being the foundation upon
which one can legitimately hope for the divine grace by means of which, alone, one
enters Paradise.103
The question which must then be asked is what qualifies as, “heart felt submission to
God,” as stated by Kazemi, and does following the messages in the Jewish Bible and Christian
Gospels qualify as proper submission? Though I have argued that those who believe in the
original, uncorrupt Messages of God given to the Jews and Christians would find a place in
paradise, it does not account for the Jews and Christians who believe in the Bible and the
Gospels during this day in age. If we go by what Islam defines as a believer and an individual of
faith, we cannot claim that the Jews and Christians are believers. Instead, because they meet
some of the qualifications of faith, such as belief in God, His angels, and some of His Messages,
it can be stated that the People of the Book observe a belief which has attributes associated with
disbelief. Therefore the disbelief attributed to the People of the Book can be seen as a lesser form
of disbelief than that of the polytheistic Arabs, whose disbelief is stronger than that who
recognize the Oneness of God.
For this reason, the People of the Book should be considered as being closer in following
the Word of God over those who participate in polytheistic practices. Even more so, those People
of the Book who perform righteous deeds should be given the benefit of potentially being able to
abide in Paradise, though possibly on a lower level of Paradise than the pious Muslim. One idea
that should also be stressed is the notion that in the end it is not the human being who decides
who is a believer or a non-believer and who will be able to enter Paradise, which is at the
discretion of God who, according to all Abrahamic religious traditions, is merciful and forgiving.
103Reza Shah-Kazemi. “Beyond Polemics and Pluralism: The Universal Message of the Qur’an,” Between Heaven
and Hell: Islam Salvation, and the Fate of Others. Mohammad Hassan Khalil, ed. (New York: Oxford University
Press, 2013), Pg. 87.
55
For this reason, as well as evidence from the Qur’an and the early Islamic histories, the Jews,
Christians, and Muslims should be able to find friendship and compassion through commonality
in religious tradition, and through the basic reason of respecting all of God’s creations.
56
V
Conclusion
﴾2:256﴿ There is no coercion in religion. Sound judgment has become clear from error. So whosoever disavows false
deities and believed in God has grasped the most unfailing handhold, which never breaks. And God is Hearing,
Knowing.
The concept and definition of the disbeliever in Islam as described by the Qur’ān will
continue to remain a topic of debate among pluralistic and more conservative readers. What
makes the Qur’ān such a unique addition to the Abrahamic religious tradition, is that it is a Book
that not only is a religious text from which people can derive various meanings, but it is a Book
that encourages the reader to read deeper and derive additional and more complex
interpretations. The case for the disbeliever is no exception.
What we can conclude about the disbeliever without any doubt is that polytheism will
always be considered a form of disbelief. Since part of affirming ones faith in Islam is the
statement, “there is no god but God,” it would be impossible to justify polytheism within any
conceivable definition of faith within Islam.
In the case of the Christian and Jewish communities as believers beside Muslims, there is
no denying that all three religious groups can trace their lineage back to the Prophet Abraham,
and all believe (from their own perspectives) in the omnipotent Oneness of God. The main
points with regard to the status of the People of the Book within the Qur’ān which ultimately
marks them as a unique category next to Muslims is that unlike followers of Islam, the People of
the Book can be seen by the Qur’ān both as people with a degree of true faith, those they do not
fully believe in the Prophet Muhammad and the Qur’ān.
57
One thing that should be stated with regard to the universality of the Qur’ān and its
ability to be inclusive; is that regardless of whether or not a reader finds supporting information
from the sources of prophetic Sunnah to claim that the Qur’ān is inclusive or exclusive, it is all in
how the reader is approaching the Qur’ān. If an individual who is looking for proof that the only
true religion is the religion of Islam, they need only turn to the end of Sūrah al-Māʾidah ( سورة
ائدةالم ), āyah three: ﴾5:3﴿ “[…] This day those who disbelieve have despaired of your religion. So
fear them not, but fear Me! This day I have perfected for you your religion, and completed My
blessing upon you, and have approved for you as religion, Submission (Islām).” However, if you
are looking to discover whether or not those individuals who are Jewish or Christian which you
associate are destined for damnation in the Fire, you can look to Sūrah al-Baqarah, āyah sixty-
two:
﴾2:62﴿ Truly those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the
Sabeans—whosoever believes in God and the Last Day and works righteousness shall
have their reward with their Lord. No fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve.
Though the Jews and the Christians may not be considered believers, they have a
regonized degree of belief which would make them more inclusive than those who are
polytheists, and the Jews and the Christians recognize the Light of God, but are metaphorically
veiled to some of God’s Light. If a solid definition cannot be given, it can minimally be stated
that those who are classified as disbelievers do not believe in the Omniscient God, they do not
believe in the scriptures which we brought by God’s Messengers, and their hearts are not open to
faith. They live a life which is veiled from salvation and are ungrateful, and show this
ungratefulness in their existence. The disbeliever attributes God’s Oneness to idols or does not
recognize a supreme being at all, inevitably completely veiling their heart from the
Remembrance of God.
58
Appendix A
The following is a list of the verse numbers ﴾Sūrah number: ‘Āyah number﴿, the English translation, and
the original Arabic of Qur’ān verses containing a word with the root ‘ ر-ف-ك ’
﴾2:6﴿ Truly it is the same for the disbelievers whether
thou warnest them or warnest them not; they do
not believe.
سواء عليهم أأنذرتهم أم لم كفرواإن الذين
تنذرهم لا يؤمنون.
﴾2:19﴿
Or a cloudburst from the sky, in which there is
darkness, thunder, and lightning. They put their
fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps,
fearing death. And God encompasses the
disbelievers.
ماء فيه ظلمات ورعد وبرق ن الس أو كصيب م
ن الص واعق حذر يجعلون أصابعهم في آذانهم م
ه محيط بالكافرينالموت واللـ
﴾2:24﴿ And if you do not, and you will not, then be
mindful of the Fire made ready for the
disbelievers, whose fuel is men and stones.
التي فإن لم تفعلوا ولن تفعلوا فاتقوا النار
للكافرينوقودها الناس والحجارة أعدت
﴾2:26﴿
Truly God is not ashamed to set forth a parable of
a gnat or something smaller, As for those who
believe, they know it is the truth from their Lord,
and as for those who disbelieve, they say, “What
did God mean by this parable?” He misleads
many by it, and He guides many by it, and He
misleads none but the iniquitous.
ا بعوضة ه لا يستحيي أن يضرب مثلا م إن اللـ
ا الذين آمنوا في علمون أنه الحق من فما فوقها فأم
ا الذين بهم وأم فيقولون ماذا أراد اللـه كفروار
ذا مثلا يضل به كثيرا ويهدي به كثيرا وما ـ به
يضل به إلا الفاسقين
﴾2:28﴿
How can you disbelieve in God, seeing that you
were dead and He gave you life; then He causes
you to die; then He gives you life; then unto Him
shall you be returned?
ه وكنتم أمواتا فأحياكم ثم تكفرونكيف باللـ
ون يميتكم ثم يحييكم ثم إليه ترجع
﴾2:34﴿ And when We said to the angels, “Prostrate unto
Adam,” they prostrated, save Iblīs. He refused and
waxed arrogant, and was among the disbelievers.
وإذ قلنا للملائكة اسجدوا لدم فسجدوا إلا إبليس
الكافرينوكان من أبى واستكبر
﴾2:39﴿ But those who disbelieve and deny Our signs, it is
they who are inhabitants of the Fire, abiding
therein.
ئك أصحاب كفرواوالذين ـ وكذبوا بآياتنا أول
النار هم فيها خالدون.
﴾2:41﴿
And believe in that which I have sent down,
confirming that which you have with you, and be
not the first to disbelieve in it. And sell not My
signs for a paltry price, and reverence Me.
وآمنوا بما أنزلت مصدقا لما معكم ولا تكونوا
به ولا تشتروا بآياتي ثمنا قليلا وإياي كافر ل أو
فاتقون
﴾2:61﴿
And when you said, “O Moses, we will not endure
one food, so call upon your Lord for us, that He
may bring forth for us some of what the earth
grows; its herbs, its cucumbers, its garlic, its
lentils, its onions. He said, “Would you substitute
what is lesser for what is better? Go down to a
town, and you will have what you ask for.” So they
were struck with abasement and poverty, and
earned a burden of wrath from God. That is
because they disbelieved in the signs of God, and
killed the prophets without right. That is because
they disobeyed and were transgressors.
وإذ قلتم يا موسى لن نصبر على طعام واحد
ا تنبت الأرض من فادع لنا ربك يخرج لنا مم
ائها وفومها وعدسها وبصلها قال بقلها وقث
ر أتستبدلون الذي هو أدنى بالذي هو خي
ا سألتم وضربت اهبطوا مصرا فإن لكم م
ن اللـه عليهم الذلة والمسكنة وباءوا بغضب م
لك بأنهم كانوا بآيات اللـه ويقتلون يكفرونذ
لك ب كانوا النبيين بغير الحق ذ ما عصوا و
يعتدون.
﴾2:85﴿ And yet it is you, the very same, who kill your own
and expel a party of you from their homes,
conspiring against them in sin and enmity. And if
ؤلاء تقتلون أنفسكم وتخرجون فريقا ـ ثم أنتم ه
ثم ن ديارهم تظاهرون عليهم بالإ نكم م م
59
they come to you as captives you ransom them,
though their expulsion was forbidden to you. Do
you, believe in part of the Book and disbelieve in
part? And what is the recompense of those who do
so but disgrace in the life of this world? And on the
Day of Resurrection, they shall be consigned to the
most terrible punishment. And God is heedless of
what you do.
والعدوان وإن يأتوكم أسارى تفادوهم وهو
م عليكم إخراجهم أفتؤمنون ببعض الكتاب محر
لك منكم تكفرونو ببعض فما جزاء من يفعل ذ
إلا خزي في الحياة الدنيا ويوم القيامة يردون
ا تعملون ه بغافل عم إلى أشد العذاب وما اللـ
﴾2:88﴿ And they say, “Our hearts are uncircumcised.”
Rather, God has cursed them for their disbelief,
for little do they believe.
هم فقليلا بكفروقالوا قلوبنا غلف بل لعنهم اللـه
ا يؤمنون م
﴾2:89﴿
And when there came to them a Book from God,
confirming that which they had with them—and
aforetime they used to ask for victory over those
who disbelieve—so when there came to them that
which they recognized, they disbelieved in it. So
may the curse of God be upon the disbelievers.
ا جاءهم كتاب م ه مصدق لما ولم ن عند اللـ
معهم وكانوا من قبل يستفتحون على الذين
ا عرفوا كفروا ا جاءهم م به فلعنة كفروافلم
الكافريناللـه على
﴾2:90﴿
Evil is that for which they sold their souls, that
they should disbelieve in what God sent down, out
of envy that God should send down His grace unto
whomsoever He will among His servants. They
earn a burden of wrath upon wrath, and the
disbelievers shall have a humiliating punishment.
بما أنزل يكفرواأنفسهم أن بئسما اشتروا به
ه من فضله على من يشاء ل اللـ اللـه بغيا أن ينز
من عباده فباءوا بغضب على غضب
هين للكافرينو عذاب م
﴾2:91﴿
And when it is said unto them, “Believe in what
God hath sent down,” they say, “We believe in
what was sent down to us,” and they disbelieve in
what is beyond it, although it is in truth,
confirming what is with them. Say, “Then why did
you slay the prophets of God aforetime, if you
were believers?”
قيل لهم آمنوا بما أنزل اللـه قالوا نؤمن بما وإذا
بما وراءه وهو الحق يكفرونأنزل علينا و
ه من مصدقا لما معهم قل فلم تقتلون أنبياء اللـ
ؤمنين قبل إن كنتم م
﴾2:93﴿
And when We made a covenant with you, and
raised the Mount over you, “Take hold of what We
have given you with strength, and listen!” They
said, “We hear, and disobey,” and they were made
to drink the calf into their hearts because of their
disbelief. Say, “Evil is that which your belief
enjoins upon you, if you are believers.”
وإذ أخذنا ميثاقكم ورفعنا فوقكم الطور خذوا ما
ة واسمعوا قالوا سمعنا وعصينا آتيناكم بقو
قل بئسما بكفرهموأشربوا في قلوبهم العجل
ؤمنين يأمركم به إيمانكم إن كنتم م
﴾2:98﴿ Whosoever is an enemy of God, His angels and
His messengers, and Gabriel and Michael; God is
indeed the enemy of the disbelievers.
ا للـه وملائكته ورسله وجبريل من كان عدو
ه عدو ين.للكافروميكال فإن اللـ
﴾2:99﴿ We did indeed send down to you clear signs, and
only the iniquitous disbelieve in them.
بها إلا يكفرولقد أنزلنا إليك آيات بينات وما
الفاسقون
﴾2:102﴿
And they followed what the satans recited against
the kingdom of Solomon. Solomon did not
disbelieve, but the satans disbelieved, teaching
people sorcery and that which was sent down to
the two angels at Babylon, Hārūt and Mārūt. But
they would not teach anyone until they had said,
“We are only a trial, so do not disbelieve.” Then
they would learn from them that by which they
could cause separation between a man and his
wife. But they did not harm anyone with it, save by
ياطين على ملك سليمان وما واتبعوا ما تتلو الش
كن الشياطين كفر ـ يعلمون كفرواسليمان ول
ن ببابل الناس السحر وما أنزل على الملكي
هاروت وماروت وما يعلمان من أحد حتى
فيتعلمون منهما ما تكفريقولا إنما نحن فتنة فلا
ين قون به بين المرء وزوجه وما هم بضار يفر
هم به من أحد إلا بإذن الل ـه ويتعلمون ما يضر
ولا ينفعهم ولقد علموا لمن اشتراه ما له في
60
God’s leave. And they would learn that whosoever
purchases it has no share in the Hereafter. Evil is
that for which they sold their souls, had they but
known.
الخرة من خلاق ولبئس ما شروا به أنفسهم لو
كانوا يعلمون
﴾2:104﴿ O you who believe! Do not say “Attend to us!” but
say “Regard us,” and listen! And the disbelievers
shall have a painful punishment.
يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تقولوا راعنا وقولوا
عذاب أليم للكافرينانظرنا واسمعوا و
﴾2:105﴿
Neither the disbelievers among the People of the
Book nor the polytheists wish that any good be
sent down to you from your Lord, but God singles
out for His Mercy whomsoever He will, and God is
Possessed of Tremendous Bounty.
ا يود الذين من أهل الكتاب ولا كفروام
بكم المشركين أ ن ر ن خير م ل عليكم م ن ينز
واللـه يختص برحمته من يشاء واللـه ذو
الفضل العظيم.
﴾2:108﴿
Or do you wish to question your messenger as
Moses was questions aforetime? Whosoever
exchanges belief for disbelief has gone astray from
the right way.
أم تريدون أن تسألوا رسولكم كما سئل موسى
يمان فقد ضل الكفرمن قبل ومن يتبدل بالإ
بيل سواء الس
﴾2:109﴿
Many of the People of the Book wish to turn you
back into disbelievers after your having believed,
out of envy in their souls, even after the truth has
become clear to them. So pardon and forbear,
until God comes with His Command. Truly God is
Powerful over all things.
ن أهل الكتاب ن بعد ود كثير م لو يردونكم م
ن بعد ما كفاراإيمانكم ن عند أنفسهم م حسدا م
تبين لهم الحق فاعفوا واصفحوا حتى يأتي
ه على كل شيء قدير اللـه بأمره إن اللـ
﴾2:121﴿
Those unto whom We have given the Book and
who recite it as it should be recited are they who
believe in it. And whosoever does not believe in it,
they are the losers.
ئك ـ الذين آتيناهم الكتاب يتلونه حق تلاوته أول
ئك هم كفرييؤمنون به ومن ـ به فأول
الخاسرون
﴾2:126﴿
And [remember] when Abraham said, “My Lord,
make this a land secure, and provide its people
with fruits: those among them who believe in God
and the Last Day.” He said, “Whosoever
disbelieves, I will grant him enjoyment for a while,
then I will compel him toward the punishment of
the Fire. What an evil journey’s end!
ذا بلدا آمنا ـ وإذ قال إبراهيم رب اجعل ه
وارزق أهله من الثمرات من آمن منهم باللـه
عه قليلا ثم كفرم الخر قال ومن واليو فأمت
ه إلى عذاب النار وبئس المصير أضطر
﴾2:152﴿ So remember Me, and I shall remember you. Give
thanks unto Me, and disbelieve not in Me. تكفروني ولا فاذكروني أذكركم واشكروا ل
﴾2:161﴿ Indeed those who disbelieve, and die disbelievers,
upon them shall be the curse of God, the angels,
and mankind altogether.
ئك عليهم كفار وماتوا وهم كفرواإن الذين ـ أول
ه والملائ كة والناس أجمعين لعنة اللـ
﴾2:171﴿
The parable of those who disbelieve is that of one
who cries to that which hears only a call and a
shout. Deaf, dumb, and blind, they do not
understand.
سمع كمثل الذي ينعق بما لا ي كفرواومثل الذين
إلا دعاء ونداء صم بكم عمي فهم لا يعقلون
﴾2:191﴿
And slay them wheresoever you come upon them,
and expel them whence they expelled you, for strife
is worse than slaying. But do not fight with them
near the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you
there. But if they fight you, then slay them. Such is
the recompense of the disbelievers.
ن حيث واقتلوهم حيث ثقفتموهم وأخرجوهم م
م أخرجوكم والفتنة أشد من القتل ولا تقاتلوه
عند المسجد الحرام حتى يقاتلوكم فيه فإن
لك جزاء الكافرينقاتلوكم فاقتلوهم كذ
61
﴾2:212﴿
The life of this world is made fair seeming by those
who disbelieve, and they ridicule those who
believe. But those who are reverent shall be above
them on the Day of Resurrection. And God
provides for whomsoever He will without
reckoning.
الحياة الدنيا ويسخرون من كفروازين للذين
قيامة واللـه الذين آمنوا والذين اتقوا فوقهم يوم ال
يرزق من يشاء بغير حساب
﴾2:217﴿
They ask thee about the sacred month—about
fighting therein. Say, “Fighting therein is grave,
but turning [others] from the way of God—and
disbelieving in Him—and from the Sacred
Mosque, and expelling its people, is graver in the
sight of God. Strife is greater than slaying.” And
they will not cease to fight you until they make you
renounce your religion, if they are able.
Whosoever among you renounces his religion and
dies as a disbeliever, their deeds have come to
naught in this world and the Hereafter, and they
are the inhabitants of the Fire, abiding therein.
يسألونك عن الشهر الحرام قتال فيه قل قتال
ه و به كفر فيه كبير وصد عن سبيل اللـ
والمسجد الحرام وإخراج أهله منه أكبر عند
م يقاتلونك اللـه والفتنة أكبر من القتل ولا يزالون
حتى يردوكم عن دينكم إن استطاعوا ومن
ئك كافر يرتدد منكم عن دينه فيمت وهو ـ فأول
ئك ـ حبطت أعمالهم في الدنيا والخرة وأول
أصحاب النار هم فيها خالدون
﴾2:250﴿
And when they went forth against Goliath and his
hosts they said, “Our Lord, pour patience upon us,
make firm our steps, and help us against the
disbelieving people.”
ا برزوا لجالوت وجنوده قالوا ربنا أفرغ ولم
وثبت أقدامنا وانصرنا على القوم علينا صبرا
الكافرين
﴾2:253﴿
Those are the messengers. We have favored some
above others. Among them are those to whom God
spoke, and some He raised up in ranks. And We
gave Jesus son of Mary clear proofs and
strengthened him with the Holy Spirit. Had God so
willed, those who came after them would not have
fought one another after the clear proofs had come
to them. But they differed: among them were those
who believed, and among them were those who
disbelieved. And had God so willed they would not
have fought one another. But God does as He
wills.
ن نهم م لنا بعضهم على بعض م سل فض تلك الر
كلم اللـه ورفع بعضهم درجات وآتينا عيسى
ابن مريم البينات وأيدناه بروح القدس ولو شاء
ن بعد ما اللـه ما اقتتل الذين من بعدهم م
ن آمن كن اختلفوا فمنهم م ـ جاءتهم البينات ول
ن كن كفرومنهم م ـ ه ما اقتتلوا ول ولو شاء اللـ
اللـه يفعل ما يريد
﴾2:254﴿
O you who believe! Spend from that which We
have provided you before a day comes wherein
there shall be neither bargaining, nor friendship,
nor intercession. And the disbelievers, they are the
wrongdoers.
ن قبل ا رزقناكم م يا أيها الذين آمنوا أنفقوا مم
ولا خلة ولا شفاعة أن يأتي يوم لا بيع فيه
هم الظالمون الكافرونو
﴾2:256﴿
There is no coercion in religion. Sound judgment
has become clear from error. So whosoever
disavows false deities and believed in God has
grasped the most unfailing handhold, which never
breaks. And God is Hearing, Knowing.
شد من الغي فمن لا إكراه في الدين قد تبين الر
بالطاغوت ويؤمن باللـه فقد استمسك يكفر
بالعروة الوثقى لا انفصام لها واللـه سميع عليم
﴾2:257﴿
God is the Protector of those who believe. He
brings them out of the darkness into light. As for
those who disbelieve, their protectors are the idols,
bringing them out of the light into darkness. They
are the inhabitants of the Fire, abiding therein.
ن الظلمات إلى اللـه ولي الذين آمنوا يخرجهم م
أولياؤهم الطاغوت كفرواالنور والذين
ئك ـ لمات أول ن النور إلى الظ يخرجونهم م
أصحاب النار هم فيها خالدون
﴾2:258﴿
Hast thou not seen he who disputed with Abraham
about his Lord because God had given him
sovereignty? When Abraham said, “My Lord gives
life and causes death,” he said, “I give life and
ألم تر إلى الذي حاج إبراهيم في ربه أن آتاه
اللـه الملك إذ قال إبراهيم ربي الذي يحيي
ويميت قال أنا أحيي وأميت قال إبراهيم فإن
62
cause death.” Abraham said, “Truly God brings
the sun from the east. Bring it, then, from the
west.” Thus was he who disbelieved confounded.
And God guides not wrongdoing people.
بها من اللـه يأتي بالشمس من المشرق فأت
ه لا يهدي القوم كفرالمغرب فبهت الذي واللـ
الظالمين
﴾2:264﴿
O you who believe! Do not annul your acts of
charity through preening and injury, like he who
spends his wealth to be seen of men and believes
not in God and the Last Day. His parable is that of
a smooth rock with dust upon it: a downpour
strikes it, and leaves it barren. They have no power
over anything of what they earned. And God
guides not the disbelieving people.
بطلوا صدقاتكم بالمن يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا ت
والأذى كالذي ينفق ماله رئاء الناس ولا يؤمن
باللـه واليوم الخر فمثله كمثل صفوان عليه
تراب فأصابه وابل فتركه صلدا لا يقدرون
ه لا يهدي القوم على شيء ا كسبوا واللـ م م
الكافرين
﴾2:271﴿
If you disclose your acts of charity, that is well.
But if you hide them and give to the poor, that is
better for you, and will acquit you of some of your
evil deeds. And God is Aware of whatsoever you
do.
ا هي وإن تخفوها دقات فنعم إن تبدوا الص
ن يكفروتؤتوها الفقراء فهو خير لكم و عنكم م
سيئاتكم واللـه بما تعملون خبير
﴾2:276﴿ God blights usury and causes acts of charity to
grow. And God loves not any sinful ingrate.
ه لا دقات واللـ با ويربي الص ه الر يمحق اللـ
أثيم كفار يحب كل
﴾2:286﴿
God tasks no soul beyond its capacity. It shall
have what it has earned and be subject to what is
has perpetrated. “Our Lord, take us not to task if
we forget or err! Our Lord, lay not upon us a
burden like Thou laid upon those before us. Our
Lord, impose not upon us that which we have not
the strength to bear! And pardon us, forgive us,
and have mercy upon us! Thou art our Master, so
help us against the disbelieving people.”
لا يكلف اللـه نفسا إلا وسعها لها ما كسبت
وعليها ما اكتسبت ربنا لا تؤاخذنا إن نسينا أو
أخطأنا ربنا ولا تحمل علينا إصرا كما حملته
لنا ما لا طاقة على الذين من قبلنا ربن ا ولا تحم
لنا به واعف عنا واغفر لنا وارحمنا أنت
الكافرينمولانا فانصرنا على القوم
﴾3:4﴿
Aforetime, as a guidance to mankind. And He sent
down the Criterion. Truly those who disbelieve in
the signs of God shall have a severe punishment.
And God is Mighty, Possessor of Vengeance.
الذينمن قبل هدى للناس وأنزل الفرقان إن
ه عزيز كفروا ه لهم عذاب شديد واللـ بآيات اللـ
ذو انتقام
﴾3:10﴿ As for those who disbelieve, neither their wealth
nor their children will avail them aught against
God. And it is they who shall be fuel for the Fire.
لن تغني عنهم أموالهم ولا كفرواإن الذين
ن اللـه شيئا وأ ئك هم وقود النار أولادهم م ـ ول
﴾3:12﴿ Say to the disbelievers, “You shall be vanquished
and gathered unto Hell, an evil resting place!”
ستغلبون وتحشرون إلى جهنم كفرواقل للذين
وبئس المهاد
﴾3:13﴿
There was a sign for you in the two hosts which
met, one host fighting in the way of God and the
other disbelieving, whom they [the former] saw as
twice themselves as the eye sees. And God
strengthens by His help whomsoever He will. Truly
in that is a lesson for those who possess insight.
قد كان لكم آية في فئتين التقتا فئة تقاتل في
ه وأخرى ثليهم رأي كافرة سبيل اللـ يرونهم م
لك العين واللـه يؤيد بنصره من يشاء إن في ذ
ولي الأبصار لعبرة لأ
﴾3:19﴿
Truly the religion in the sight of God is
submission. Those who were given the Book
differed not until after knowledge had come to
them, out of envy among themselves. And
whosoever disbelieves in God’s signs, truly God is
swift in reckoning
سلام وما اختلف الذين إن الد ه الإ ين عند اللـ
أوتوا الكتاب إلا من بعد ما جاءهم العلم بغيا
بآيات اللـه فإن اللـه سريع يكفربينهم ومن
الحساب
63
﴾3:21﴿
Truly those who disbelieve in God’s signs and kill
the prophets without right, and kill those who
enjoin justice among mankind: give them glad
tidings of a painful punishment.
ه ويقتلون النبيين يكفرونإن الذين بآيات اللـ
رون بالقسط من بغير حق ويقتلون الذين يأم
الناس فبشرهم بعذاب أليم
﴾3:28﴿
Let not the believers take the disbelievers as
protectors apart from the believers. Whosoever
does that is not of God in aught, unless you guard
against them out of prudence. And God warns you
of Himself, and unto God is the journey’s end.
خذ المؤمنون أولياء من دون الكافرينلا يت
لك فليس من اللـه في المؤمنين ومن يفعل ذ
قوا منهم تقاة ويحذركم الل ـه شيء إلا أن تت
ه المصير نفسه وإلى اللـ
﴾3:32﴿ Say, “Obey God and obey the Messenger.” If they
turn away, then truly God loves not the
disbelievers.
سول فإن تولوا فإن اللـه قل أطيعوا اللـه والر
الكافرينلا يحب
﴾3:52﴿
And when Jesus sensed disbelief in them, he said,
“Who are my helpers unto God?” The apostles
said, “We are God’s helpers. We believe in God;
bear witness that we are submitters.
ا أحس عيسى منهم قال من أنصاري الكفرفلم
ه آمنا إلى ال ه قال الحواريون نحن أنصار اللـ لـ
باللـه واشهد بأنا مسلمون
﴾3:55﴿
When He said, “O Jesus, I shall take thee and
raise thee unto Me, and purify thee of those who
disbelieved, and place those who followed thee
above those who disbelieved, until the Day of
Resurrection. Then unto Me is your return, and I
shall judge between you concerning that wherein
you use to differ.
إذ قال اللـه يا عيسى إني متوفيك ورافعك إلي
رك من ال وجاعل الذين كفرواذين ومطه
إلى يوم القيامة ثم كفروااتبعوك فوق الذين
إلي مرجعكم فأحكم بينكم فيما كنتم فيه تختلفون
﴾3:56﴿ And as for those who disbelieve, I shall punish
them with a severe punishment in this world and
the Hereafter; and they shall have no helpers.
ا الذين فأعذبهم عذابا شديدا في الدنيا كفروافأم
ن ناصرين والخرة وما لهم م
﴾3:70﴿ O People of the Book! Why do you disbelieve in
God’s signs, while you are witnesses?
ه وأنتم تكفرونيا أهل الكتاب لم بآيات اللـ
تشهدون
﴾3:72﴿
And a group of the People of the Book say,
“Believe in what was sent down unto those who
believe at the start of the day, and disbelieve at its
end, that haply they may return.
ن أهل الكتاب آمنوا بالذي أنزل وقالت طائفة م
آخره اكفرواعلى الذين آمنوا وجه النهار و
لعلهم يرجعون
﴾3:80﴿ And he would not command you to take the angels
and the prophets as lords. Would he command you
to disbelief after your having been submitters?
ولا يأمركم أن تتخذوا الملائكة والنبيين أربابا
سلمون بالكفرأيأمركم بعد إذ أنتم م
﴾3:86﴿
How shall God guide a people who have
disbelieved after having believed, having borne
witness that the Messenger is true, and the clear
proofs having come to them? And God guides not
wrongdoing people.
ه قوما بعد إيمانهم كفرواكيف يهدي اللـ
ه وشهد سول حق وجاءهم البينات واللـ وا أن الر
لا يهدي القوم الظالمين
﴾3:90﴿ Truly those who disbelieve after having believed,
then increase in disbelief, their repentance shall
not be accepted, and they are the ones astray.
بعد إيمانهم ثم ازدادوا كفرا لن كفرواإن الذين
الون ئك هم الض ـ تقبل توبتهم وأول
﴾3:91﴿
Truly those who disbelieve and die while they are
disbelievers, an earth full of gold would not be
accepted from any one of them were he to offer it
in ransom. For them there shall be a painful
punishment, and they shall have no helpers.
فلن يقبل من كفار وماتوا وهم كفرواإن الذين
ئ ـ لء الأرض ذهبا ولو افتدى به أول ك أحدهم م
ن ناصرين لهم عذاب أليم وما لهم م
64
﴾3:97﴿
Therein are clear signs: the station of Abraham,
and whosoever enters it shall be secure.
Pilgrimage to the House is a duty upon mankind
before God for those who can find a way. For
whosoever disbelieves, truly God is beyond need of
the worlds.
قام إبراهيم ومن دخله كان فيه آيات بينات م
آمنا وللـه على الناس حج البيت من استطاع
ين فإن اللـه غني عن العالم كفرإليه سبيلا ومن
﴾3:98﴿ Say, “O People of the Book! Why do you
disbelieve in God’s signs, while God is Witness
over what you do?
ه واللـه تكفرونقل يا أهل الكتاب لم بآيات اللـ
شهيد على ما تعملون
﴾3:100﴿ O you who believe! If you obey a group among
those who were given the Book, they will render
you disbelievers after your having believed.
ن الذين يا أيها الذين آمنوا إن تطيعوا فريقا م
كافرينأوتوا الكتاب يردوكم بعد إيمانكم
﴾3:101﴿
How can you disbelieve, while God’s signs are
recited unto you and His Messenger is among
you? And whosoever holds fast to God is indeed
guided unto a straight path.
وأنتم تتلى عليكم آيات اللـه تكفرونوكيف
يعتصم باللـه فقد هدي إلى وفيكم رسوله ومن
ستقيم صراط م
﴾3:106﴿
On the Day when faces whiten and faces blacken.
As for those whose faces blacken, “Did you
disbelieve after having believed? Then taste the
punishment for having disbelieved.”
ا الذين يوم ت بيض وجوه وتسود وجوه فأم
بعد إيمانكم فذوقوا أكفرتماسودت وجوههم
تكفرونالعذاب بما كنتم
﴾3:112﴿
They shall be struck with abasement wherever they
are come upon, save by means of a rope from God
and a rope from mankind. And they shall earn a
burden of wrath from God, and they shall be
struck with indigence. That is because they would
disbelieve in God’s signs and kill the prophets
without right. That is for their having disobeyed
and transgressed.
ن ضربت عليهم الذلة أين ما ثقفوا إلا بحبل م
ن اللـه ن الناس وباءوا بغضب م اللـه وحبل م
لك بأنهم كانوا وضربت عليهم المسكنة ذ
ياء بغير حق بآيات اللـه ويقتلون الأنب يكفرون
كانوا يعتدون لك بما عصوا و ذ
﴾3:115﴿ Whatsoever good they do, they will not be denied
it. And God knows the reverent.
واللـه عليم يكفروهوما يفعلوا من خير فلن
بالمتقين
﴾3:116﴿
Truly those who disbelieve, neither their wealth
nor their children will avail them aught against
God. They are the inhabitants of the Fire, abiding
therein.
لن تغني عنهم أموالهم ولا كفرواإن الذين
ن اللـه شيئا وأو ئك أصحاب النار أولادهم م ـ ل
هم فيها خالدون
﴾3:127﴿ that He may cut off a faction of those who
disbelieve or abase them, so that they be turned
back disappointed.
ن الذين أو يكبتهم فينقلبوا كفرواليقطع طرفا م
خائبين
﴾3:131﴿ And be mindful of the Fire that has been prepared
for the disbelievers. للكافرينواتقوا النار التي أعدت
﴾3:141﴿ And so that God may assay those who believe and
blight the disbelievers… ص اللـه الذين آمن الكافرينوا ويمحق وليمح
﴾3:147﴿
Their words were but to say, “Our Lord, forgive us
our sins and our prodigality in our affairs, and
make firm our steps, and help us against the
disbelieving people.”
غفر لنا ذنوبنا وما كان قولهم إلا أن قالوا ربنا ا
وإسرافنا في أمرنا وثبت أقدامنا وانصرنا على
الكافرينالقوم
﴾3:149﴿ O you who believe! If you obey those who
disbelieve, they will turn you back on your heels;
then you shall be turned into losers.
كفروايا أيها الذين آمنوا إن تطيعوا الذين
يردوكم على أعقابكم فتنقلبوا خاسرين
65
﴾3:151﴿
We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who
disbelieve for having ascribed partners unto God,
for which He has not sent down any authority. And
their refuge shall be the Fire, and evil is the abode
of the wrongdoers.
عب بما كفرواسنلقي في قلوب الذين الر
ل به سلطانا ومأواهم أشركوا باللـه ما لم ينز
ظالمين النار وبئس مثوى ال
﴾3:156﴿
O you who believe! Be not like those who
disbelieve and say of their brethren when they
travel upon the earth or campaign, “Had they
stayed with us, they would not have died and been
slain,” that God may make that a source of regrets
in their hearts. And God gives life and causes
death, and God sees whatsoever you do.
كفروايا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تكونوا كالذين
خوانهم إذا ضربوا في الأرض أو وقالوا لإ
ى لو كانوا عندنا ما ما توا وما قتلوا كانوا غز
لك حسرة في قلوبهم واللـه يحيي ليجعل اللـه ذ
ه بما تعملون بصير ويميت واللـ
﴾3:167﴿
and that He may know those who are hypocrites.
And it was said unto them, “Come, fight in the way
of God or defend [yourselves].” They said, “Had
we known there would be fighting we would have
followed you.” That day they were closer to
disbelief than to belief, saying with their mouths
what was not in their hearts. And God knows best
what they conceal.
لم الذين نافقوا وقيل لهم تعالوا قاتلوا في وليع
تبعناكم ه أو ادفعوا قالوا لو نعلم قتالا لا سبيل اللـ
يمان يقولون للكفرهم يومئذ أقرب منهم لل
ا ليس في قلوبه ه أعلم بما بأفواههم م م واللـ
يكتمون
﴾3:176﴿
And let not those who hasten unto disbelief grieve
thee. Truly they will not harm God in the least.
God desires to give them no share in the
Hereafter, and theirs shall be a great punishment.
إنهم لن الكفرالذين يسارعون في ولا يحزنك
ه ألا يجعل لهم حظا ه شيئا يريد اللـ وا اللـ يضر
في الخرة ولهم عذاب عظيم
﴾3:177﴿ Truly those who have purchased disbelief at the
price of belief will not hurt God in the least, and
theirs shall be a painful punishment.
وا اللـه الكفرإن الذين اشتروا يمان لن يضر بالإ
شيئا ولهم عذاب أليم
﴾3:178﴿
And let not those who disbelieve suppose that the
respite We grant them is good for them. We only
grant them respite that they may increase in sin,
and theirs shall be a humiliating punishment.
أنما نملي لهم خير كفرواولا يحسبن الذين
نفسهم إنما نملي لهم ليزدادوا إثما ولهم عذاب لأ
هين م
﴾3:193﴿
Our Lord! Truly we have heard a caller calling to
faith, saying ‘Believe in your Lord,’ so we
believed. Our Lord, forgive us our sins and
absolve us of our evil deeds, and take us unto Thee
with the pious
بنا إننا سمعنا م يمان أن آمنوا ر ناديا ينادي لل
عنا كفربربكم فآمنا ربنا فاغفر لنا ذنوبنا و
سيئاتنا وتوفنا مع الأبرار
﴾3:195﴿
Then their Lord answered them, “I shall not let the
work of any worker among you, male or female, be
in vain; each of you is like the other. So those who
emigrated, and were expelled from their homes,
and were hurt in My way, and fought and were
slain—I shall absolve them of their evil deeds and
shall make them enter Gardens with rivers running
below, a reward from God. And God, with Him is
the most beautiful reward.”
فاستجاب لهم ربهم أني لا أضيع عمل عامل
ن بعض فالذين ن ذكر أو أنثى بعضكم م نكم م م
هاجروا وأخرجوا من ديارهم وأوذوا في
عنهم سيئاتهم لكفرنسبيلي وقاتلوا وقتلوا
لأدخلنهم جنات تجري من تحتها الأنهار ثوابا و
ن عند اللـه واللـه عنده حسن الثواب م
﴾3:196﴿ Let it not delude thee that those who disbelieve are
free to come and go in the land. نك تقلب ال في البلاد كفرواذين لا يغر
﴾4:18﴿
And repentance is not accepted from those who do
evil deeds, till when death confronts one of them,
he says, “Truly now I repent,” nor from those who
die as disbelievers. For those We have prepared a
painful punishment.
يئات حتى إذا وليست التوبة للذين يعملون الس
حضر أحدهم الموت قال إني تبت الن ولا
ئك أعتدنا لهم كفار الذين يموتون وهم ـ أول
عذابا أليما
66
﴾4:31﴿ If you shun the grave sins that you are forbidden,
We shall absolve you of your evil deeds and cause
you to enter at a noble gate.
عنكم نكفرإن تجتنبوا كبائر ما تنهون عنه
دخلا كريما سيئاتكم وندخلكم م
﴾4:37﴿
Those who are miserly and enjoin people to be
miserly, concealing what God has given them from
His Bounty. We have prepared for the disbelievers
a humiliating punishment.
الذين يبخلون ويأمرون الناس بالبخل ويكتمون
عذابا للكافرينأعتدنا ما آتاهم اللـه من فضله و
هينا م
﴾4:42﴿
On that Day those who disbelieved and disobeyed
the Messenger will wish that they were level with
the earth, and they will conceal no account from
God.
سول لو وعصوا ا كفروايومئذ يود الذين لر
ى بهم الأرض ولا يكتمون اللـه حديثا تسو
﴾4:46﴿
Among those who are Jews are those who distort
the meaning of the word, and say, “We hear and
disobey,” and “Hear, as one who hears not!” and
“Attend to us!” twisting their tongues and
disparaging religion. And had they said, “We hear
and obey” and “Listen” and “Regard us” it would
have been better for them and more proper. But
God cursed them for their disbelief, so they believe
not, save a few.
ن الذين هادوا ي واضعه م فون الكلم عن م حر
ويقولون سمعنا وعصينا واسمع غير مسمع
وراعنا ليا بألسنتهم وطعنا في الدين ولو أنهم
قالوا سمعنا وأطعنا واسمع وانظرنا لكان خيرا
كن لعنهم اللـه لهم وأق ـ فلا يؤمنون بكفرهموم ول
إلا قليلا
﴾4:51﴿
Hast thou not considered those who were given a
portion of the Book, who believe in idols and false
deities, and say of those who disbelieve, “These
are guided more rightly than those who believe.”
ن الكتاب ألم تر إلى الذين أوتوا نصيبا م
للذينيؤمنون بالجبت والطاغوت ويقولون
ؤلاء أهدى من الذين آمنوا سبيلا كفروا ـ ه
﴾4:56﴿
Those who disbelieve in Our signs, We shall surely
cause them to burn in a Fire. As often as their
skins are consumed, We shall replace them with
other skins, that they may taste the punishment.
Truly God is Mighty, Wise.
كلما بآياتنا سوف نصليهم نارا كفرواإن الذين
نضجت جلودهم بدلناهم جلودا غيرها ليذوقوا
ه كان عزيزا حكيما العذاب إن اللـ
﴾4:60﴿
Hast thou not seen those who claim that they
believe in that which was sent down unto thee and
in that which was sent down before thee, desiring
to seek judgment from false deities, although they
were commanded not to believe in them? But
Satan desires to lead them far astray.
ألم تر إلى الذين يزعمون أنهم آمنوا بما أنزل
بلك يريدون أن يتحاكموا إليك وما أنزل من ق
به ويريد يكفرواإلى الطاغوت وقد أمروا أن
يطان أن يضلهم ضلالا بعيدا الش
﴾4:76﴿
Those who believe fight in the way of God, and
those who disbelieve fight in the way of false
deities. Fight, therefore, against the allies of
Satan. Surely the scheme of Satan is ever feeble.
واكفرالذين آمنوا يقاتلون في سبيل اللـه والذين
يقاتلون في سبيل الطاغوت فقاتلوا أولياء
يطان إن كيد الش يطان كان ضعيفاالش
﴾4:84﴿
So fight in the way of God. Thou art accountable
only for thyself, and urge on the believers. It may
be that God will restrain the might of the
disbelievers, for God is stronger in might and
more severe in punishment.
ض فقات ل في سبيل اللـه لا تكلف إلا نفسك وحر
ه أن يكف بأس الذين كفرواالمؤمنين عسى اللـ
واللـه أشد بأسا وأشد تنكيلا
﴾4:89﴿
They wish that you should disbelieve, even as they
disbelieve, that you may be on a level with them.
So take them not as protectors till they migrate in
the way of God. But if they turn their backs, then
seize them and slay them wherever you find them,
and take no protector or helper from among them,
فتكونون سواء فلا كفروان كما ودوا لو تكفرو
ه تتخذوا منهم أولياء حتى يهاجروا في سبيل اللـ
فإن تولوا فخذوهم واقتلوهم حيث وجدتموهم
ولا تتخذوا منهم وليا ولا نصيرا
67
﴾4:101﴿
When you travel upon the earth, there is no blame
upon you for shortening your prayers if you fear
that the disbelievers may attack you: verily the
disbelievers are your manifest enemy.
وإذا ضربتم في الأرض فليس عليكم جناح أن
لاة إن خفتم أن يفتنكم تقصروا من الذينالص
بينا الكافرينإن كفروا ا م كانوا لكم عدو
﴾4:102﴿
When thou art with them and leadest them in
prayer, let one group of them stand with thee in
prayer, taking their arms with them. When they
have performed their prostrations, let them
withdraw to the rear, and let another group come
that has not prayed and let them pray with thee,
taking precaution and their arms. The disbelievers
wish you to be heedless of your arms and your
baggage that they might assault you all at once.
There is no blame on you if you lay aside your
arms when you are troubled by heavy rain or
illness. But take your precaution. Surely God has
prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating
punishment.
لاة فلتقم طائفة وإذا كنت فيهم فأقمت لهم الص
عك وليأخذوا أسلحتهم فإذا سجدوا نهم م م
فليكونوا من ورائكم ولتأت طائفة أخرى لم
يصلوا فليصلوا معك وليأخذوا حذرهم
لو تغفلون عن الذينكفرواوأسلحتهم ود
يلة واحدة أسلحتكم وأمتعتكم فيميلون عليكم م
طر أو ن م ولا جناح عليكم إن كان بكم أذى م
رضى أن تضعوا أسلحتكم وخ ذوا كنتم م
هينا للكافرينحذركم إن اللـه أعد عذابا م
﴾4:131﴿
Unto God belongs whatsoever is in the heavens
and whatsoever is on the earth. We have enjoined
those who were given the Book before you, and We
enjoin you to reverence God. But if you disbelieve,
[know that] unto God belongs whatsoever is in the
heavens and whatsoever is on the earth, and God
is Self-Sufficient, Praised.
ه ما في السماوات وما في الأرض ولقد وللـ
ينا الذين أوتوا الكتاب من ق بلكم وإياكم أن وص
ه وإن فإن للـه ما في السماوات تكفروااتقوا اللـ
ه غنيا حميدا وما في الأرض وكان اللـ
﴾4:136﴿
O you who believe! Believe in God and His
Messenger, and the Book He sent down upon His
Messenger, and the Book He sent down before.
Whosoever does not believe in God and His angels
and His Books and His messengers and the Last
Day has wandered far astray
ه ورسوله والكتاب يا أيها الذين آمنوا آمنوا باللـ
ل على رسوله والكتاب الذي أنزل من الذي نز
ه وملائكته وكتبه ورسله يكفرقبل ومن باللـ
واليوم الخر فقد ضل ضلالا بعيدا
﴾4:137﴿
Those who believe and then disbelieve, and then
believe and then disbelieve, and then increase in
disbelief, God will not forgive them nor guide them
unto any way.
ثم كفرواثم آمنوا ثم كفرواإن الذين آمنوا ثم
لم يكن اللـه ليغفر لهم ولا ليهديهم كفراازدادوا
سبيلا
﴾4:139﴿ Those who take disbelievers as protectors instead
of believers—do they seek might through them?
Truly might belongs altogether to God.
أولياء من دون الكافرينالذين يتخذون
ة فإ ه المؤمنين أيبتغون عندهم العز ة للـ ن العز
جميعا
﴾4:140﴿
He has already sent down upon you in the Book
that when you hear the signs of God being rejected
and mocked, do not sit with them till they engage
in some other discourse, or else you will surely be
like them. Truly God will gather the hypocrites and
the disbelievers in Hell all together—
ل عليكم في الكتاب أن إذا سمعتم آيات وقد نز
بها ويستهزأ بها فلا تقعدوا معهم يكفراللـه
ثلهم حتى يخوضوا في حديث غيره إنكم إذا م
ه جامع المنافقين في جهنم والكافرينإن اللـ
جميعا
﴾4:141﴿
Those who wait upon you, and if a victory comes
to you from God, they say, “Were we not with
you?” But if the disbelievers have some success,
they say, “Did we not overwhelm you, and did we
not protect you from the believers?” God will
judge between you on the Day of Resurrection, and
ه الذين يتربصون بكم فإن كان لك ن اللـ م فتح م
عكم وإن كان نصيب للكافرينقالوا ألم نكن م
ن المؤمنين قالوا ألم نستحوذ عليكم ونمنعكم م
ه يحكم بينكم يوم القيامة ولن يجعل اللـه فاللـ
ن على المؤمنين سبيلا للكافري
68
God will not grant the disbelievers a way over the
believers.
﴾4:144﴿ O you who believe! Do not take the disbelievers as
protectors instead of the believers. Do you wish to
give God a clear warrant against you?
من أولياء الكافرينيا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تتخذوا
دون المؤمنين أتريدون أن تجعلوا للـه عليكم
بينا سلطانا م
﴾4:150﴿
Truly those who disbelieve in God and His
messengers, and seek to make a distinction
between God and His messengers, and say: “We
believe in some and disbelieve in others,” and seek
to take a way between—
ه ورسله ويريدون أن يكفرونإن الذين باللـ
قوا بين اللـه ورسله ويقولون نؤمن ببعض يفر
لك نكفرو ببعض ويريدون أن يتخذوا بين ذ
سبيلا
﴾4:151﴿ It is they who are truly disbelievers, and We have
prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating
punishment.
ئك هم ـ حقا وأعتدنا للكافرين الكافرونأول
هينا عذابا م
﴾4:155﴿
Then for their breaking of their covenant, and their
disbelieving in the signs of God, and their slaying
of the prophets without right, and their saying:
“Our hearts are uncircumcised,”—No! rather God
has set a seal upon them for their disbelief, so they
believe not, save a few—
يثاقهم و فبما ن ه وقتلهم كفرقضهم م هم بآيات اللـ
الأنبياء بغير حق وقولهم قلوبنا غلف بل طبع
فلا يؤمنون إلا قليلا بكفرهماللـه عليها
﴾4:156﴿ And for their disbelief, and their uttering against
Mary a tremendous calumny, وقولهم على مريم بهتانا عظيما بكفرهمو
﴾4:161﴿
And for their taking usury, though they had been
forbidden it, and for their consuming men’s wealth
falsely. And We have prepared for the disbelievers
among them a painful punishment.
با وقد نهوا عنه وأكلهم أموال الناس وأخذهم الر
منهم عذابا أليما للكافرينبالباطل وأعتدنا
﴾4:167﴿ Verily those who disbelieve and who turn from the
way of God have certainly wandered far astray.
ه قد كفرواإن الذين وصدوا عن سبيل اللـ
ضلوا ضلالا بعيدا
﴾4:168﴿ Verily those who disbelieve and do wrong, God
will not forgive them, nor will He guide them to
any path,
وظلموا لم يكن اللـه ليغفر لهم اكفروإن الذين
ولا ليهديهم طريقا
﴾4:170﴿
O mankind! The Messenger has come to you with
the truth from your Lord; so believe! It is better for
you. But if you disbelieve, unto God belongs
whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth, and
God is Knowing, Wise.
بكم سول بالحق من ر يا أيها الناس قد جاءكم الر
ه ما في تكفروافآمنوا خيرا لكم وإن فإن للـ
السماوات والأرض وكان اللـه عليما حكيما
﴾5:3﴿
Forbidden unto you are carrion and blood, the
flesh of swine and that which has been offered to
other than God, that which has been strangled or
beaten to death, and that which has been killed by
falling or has been gored to death, that which has
been mangled by beasts of prey—save that which
you may purify—and that which is sacrificed on
stone altars, and that which you allot with divining
arrows; that is iniquity. This day those who
disbelieve have despaired of your religion. So fear
them not, but fear Me! This day I have perfected
for you your religion, and completed My blessing
upon you, and have approved for you as religion,
Submission (Islām). But whosoever is compelled
مت عليكم الميتة والدم ولحم الخنزير وما حر
ه به والمنخنقة والموقوذة أهل لغير اللـ
يتم والمتردية والنطيحة وما أكل السبع إلا ما ذك
ستقسموا بالأزلام وما ذبح على النصب وأن ت
لكم فسق اليوم يئس الذين من دينكم فلا كفرواذ
تخشوهم واخشون اليوم أكملت لكم دينكم
سلام وأتممت عليكم نعمتي ورضيت لكم الإ
ثم دينا فمن اضطر في م خمصة غير متجانف لإ
حيم فإن اللـه غفور ر
69
by hunger, without inclining toward sin, then
surely God is Forgiving, Merciful.
﴾5:5﴿
This day, all good things are made lawful unto
you. The food of those who have been given the
Book is lawful unto you, and your food is lawful
unto them. And likewise the chaste women of the
believers, and the chaste women of those who were
given the Book before you, when you have given
them their bridewealth as married women, not as
fornicators, nor as paramours. And whosoever
rejects belief, his deeds have come to naught, and
in the Hereafter he shall be among the losers.
يبات وطعام الذين أوتوا اليوم أحل لكم الط
الكتاب حل لكم وطعامكم حل لهم والمحصنات
من المؤمنات والمحصنات من الذين أوتوا
الكتاب من قبلكم إذا آتيتموهن أجورهن
محصنين غير مسافحين ولا متخذي أخدان
يمان فقد حبط عمله وهو في يكفرومن بالإ
الخرة من الخاسرين
﴾5:10﴿ And those who disbelieve and deny Our signs, they
shall be the inhabitants of Hellfire.
ئك أصحاب كفرواذين وال ـ وكذبوا بآياتنا أول
الجحيم
﴾5:12﴿
God had made a covenant with the Children of
Israel, and We raised among them twelve
chieftains. And God said, “I am with you!” Surely,
if you perform the prayer, and give alms and
believe in My messengers and support them, and
lend unto God a goodly loan, I shall surely absolve
you of your evil deeds, and shall cause you to enter
Gardens with rivers running below. But whosoever
among you disbelieves thereafter, surely he has
strayed from the right way.
ولقد أخذ اللـه ميثاق بني إسرائيل وبعثنا منهم
اثني عشر نقيبا وقال اللـه إني معكم لئن أقمتم
كاة وآمنتم برسلي لاة وآتيتم الز الص
رتموهم وأقرضتم اللـه قرضا ح سنا وعزكفرن عنكم سيئاتكم ولأدخلنكم جنات تجري ل
لك منكم فقد كفرمن تحتها الأنهار فمن بعد ذ
ضل سواء السبيل
﴾5:17﴿
They indeed have disbelieved who say, “God is the
Messiah, son of Mary.” Say, “Who would have
any power over God if He desired to destroy the
Messiah, son of Mary, and his mother, and those
on earth all together?” Unto God belongs
sovereignty over the heavens and the earth and
whatsoever is between them. He creates
whatsoever He will, and God is Powerful over all
things.
ه هو المسيح ابن كفرلقد الذين قالوا إن اللـ
مريم قل فمن يملك من اللـه شيئا إن أراد أن
ه ومن في الأرض يهلك المسيح ابن مريم وأم
ه ملك السماوات والأرض وما جميعا وللـ
بينهما يخلق ما يشاء واللـه على كل شيء قدير
﴾5:36﴿
Truly those who disbelieve, were they to possess
all that is on the earth and the like of it besides to
ransom themselves thereby from the punishment of
the Day of Resurrection, it would not be accepted
from them. And theirs shall be a painful
punishment.
ا في الأرض جميعا كفرواإن الذين لو أن لهم م
ومثله معه ليفتدوا به من عذاب يوم القيامة ما
عذاب أليم تقبل منهم ولهم
﴾5:41﴿
O Messenger! Let them not grieve thee those who
hasten unto disbelief, those who say, “We believe”
with their mouths, while their hearts believe not,
and those who are Jews, who listen to lies, and to
others who have not come to thee. They distort the
meaning of the word, saying, “If you are given
this, then take it, but if you are not given this, then
beware!” For whomsoever God desires that he be
tried, thou hast no power to avail him aught
against God. They are those whose hearts God
desired not to purify. Theirs is disgrace in this
world, and in the Hereafter they shall have a great
punishment.
سول لا يحزنك الذين يسارعون في يا أيها الر
من الذين قالوا آمنا بأفواههم ولم تؤمن الكفر
اعون للكذب قلوبهم ومن الذين هادوا سم
فون ا اعون لقوم آخرين لم يأتوك يحر لكلم سم
ذا فخذوه ـ من بعد مواضعه يقولون إن أوتيتم ه
ه فتنته فلن وإن لم تؤتوه فاحذروا ومن يرد اللـ
ه ئك الذين لم يرد اللـ ـ ه شيئا أول تملك له من اللـ
ر قلوبهم لهم في الدنيا خزي ولهم في أن يطه
الخرة عذاب عظيم
70
﴾5:44﴿
Truly We sent down the Torah, wherein is a
guidance and a light, by which the prophets who
submitted [unto God] judged those who are Jews,
as did the sages and the rabbis, in accordance
with such of God’s Book as they were bidden to
preserve and to which they were witnesses. So fear
not mankind, but fear Me! And sell not My signs
for a paltry price. Whosoever judges not by that
which God has sent down—it is they who are
disbelievers.
إنا أنزلنا التوراة فيها هدى ونور يحكم بها
بانيون النبيون الذين أسلموا للذين هادوا والر
ه وكانوا والأحبار بما استحفظوا من كتاب اللـ
اخشون ولا عليه شهداء فلا تخشوا الناس و
تشتروا بآياتي ثمنا قليلا ومن لم يحكم بما أنزل
ئك هم ـ الكافروناللـه فأول
﴾5:45﴿
And therein We prescribed for them: A life for a
life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for
an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and for wounds,
retribution. But whosoever forgoes it out of
charity, it shall be an expiation for him.
Whosoever judges not by that which God has sent
down—it is they who are wrongdoers.
نفس والعين وكتبنا عليهم فيها أن النفس بال
بالعين والأنف بالأنف والأذن بالأذن والسن
ن والجروح قصاص فمن تصدق به فهو بالس
ئك كفارة ـ له ومن لم يحكم بما أنزل اللـه فأول
المون هم الظ
﴾5:54﴿
O you who believe! Whosoever among you should
renounce his religion, God will bring a people
whom He loves and who love Him, humble toward
the believers, stern toward the disbelievers,
striving in the way of God, and fearing not the
blame of any blamer. That is the Bounty of God,
which He gives to whomsoever He will. And God
is All-Encompassing, Knowing.
يا أيها الذين آمنوا من يرتد منكم عن دينه
ه بقوم يحبهم ويحبونه أذلة على فسوف يأتي اللـ
ة على يجاهدون في الكافرينالمؤمنين أعز
ه ولا يخافون لومة لائم لك فضل سبيل اللـ ذ
ه واسع عليم اللـه يؤتيه من يشاء واللـ
﴾5:57﴿
O you who believe! Take not as protectors those
who take your religion in mockery and as play,
from among those who were given the Book before
you, or the disbelievers, and reverence God, if you
are believers.
يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تتخذوا الذين اتخذوا دينكم
ن الذين أوتوا الكتاب من قبلكم هزوا ولعبا م
ؤمنين الكفارو ه إن كنتم م أولياء واتقوا اللـ
﴾5:61﴿
When they come to you, they say, “We believe.”
But they certainly entered with disbelief and they
have certainly left with it, and God knows best
what they were concealing.
وهم بالكفروإذا جاءوكم قالوا آمنا وقد دخلوا
ه أعلم بما كانوا يكتمون قد خرجوا به واللـ
﴾5:64﴿
The Jews say, “God’s hand is shackled.” Shackled
are their hands, and they are cursed for what they
say. Nay, but His two hands are outstretched, He
bestows as He wills. Surely that which has been
sent down unto thee from thy Lord will increase
many of them in rebellion and disbelief. And We
have cast enmity and hatred among them till the
Day of Resurrection. As often as they ignite a
flame for war, God extinguishes it. They endeavor
to work corruption upon the earth. And God loves
not the workers of corruption.
وقالت اليهود يد اللـه مغلولة غلت أيديهم ولعنوا
بما قالوا بل يداه مبسوطتان ينفق كيف يشاء
بك ا أنزل إليك من ر نهم م وليزيدن كثيرا م
العداوة والبغضاء وألقينا بينهم كفراطغيانا و
إلى يوم القيامة كلما أوقدوا نارا للحرب أطفأها
ه لا يحب اللـه ويسعون في الأرض فسادا واللـ
المفسدين
﴾5:65﴿
Had the People of the Book believed and been
reverent, We would surely have absolved them of
their evil deeds, and caused them to enter Gardens
of bliss.
عنهم لكفرناولو أن أهل الكتاب آمنوا واتقوا
سيئاتهم ولأدخلناهم جنات النعيم
﴾5:67﴿ O Messenger! Convey that which has been sent
down unto thee from thy Lord, and if thou dost not,
thou wilt not have conveyed His message. And God
سول بلغ ما أنزل إليك من ر بك وإن يا أيها الر
لم تفعل فما بلغت رسالته واللـه يعصمك من
الكافرينالناس إن اللـه لا يهدي القوم
71
will protect thee from mankind. Surely God guides
not disbelieving people.
﴾5:68﴿
Say, “O People of the Book! You stand on naught
till you observe the Torah and the Gospel, and that
which has been sent down unto you from your
Lord.” Surely that which has been sent down unto
thee from thy Lord will increase many of them in
rebellion and disbelief. So grieve not for the
disbelieving people.
يء حتى تقيموا قل يا أهل الكتاب لستم على ش
بكم ن ر نجيل وما أنزل إليكم م التوراة والإ
بك ا أنزل إليك من ر نهم م وليزيدن كثيرا م
الكافرينفلا تأس على القوم كفراطغيانا و
﴾5:72﴿
They certainly disbelieve, those who say, “Truly
God is the Messiah, son of Mary.” But the Messiah
said, “O Children of Israel! Worship God, my
Lord and your Lord.” Surely whosoever ascribes
partners unto God, God has forbidden him the
Garden, and his refuge shall be the Fire. And the
wrongdoers shall have no helpers
ه هو المسيح ابن كفرلقد الذين قالوا إن اللـ
ه مريم وقال المسيح يا بني إسرائيل اعبدوا اللـ
م اللـه ربي وربكم إنه من يشرك باللـه فقد حر
المين من عليه الجنة ومأواه النار و ما للظ
أنصار
﴾5:73﴿
They certainly disbelieve, those who say, “Truly
God is the third of three,” while there is no god
save One God. If they refrain not from what they
say, a painful punishment will befall those among
them who disbelieved.
ه ثالث ثلاثة وما من كفرلقد الذين قالوا إن اللـ
ا يقولون ه واحد وإن لم ينتهوا عم ـ ه إلا إل ـ إل
منهم عذاب أليم كفرواليمسن الذين
﴾5:78﴿
Those who disbelieved among the Children of
Israel were cursed by the tongue of David and
Jesus son of Mary. That was because they
disobeyed and used to transgress.
من بني إسرائيل على لسان كفروالعن الذين
كان لك بما عصوا و وا داوود وعيسى ابن مريم ذ
يعتدون
﴾5:80﴿
Thou seest many of them allying with those who
have disbelieved. Evil indeed is that which they
have sent forth for their souls: the anger of God is
upon them, and in punishment shall they abide.
نهم يتولو لبئس ما كفروان الذين ترى كثيرا م
قدمت لهم أنفسهم أن سخط اللـه عليهم وفي
العذاب هم خالدون
﴾5:86﴿ As for those who disbelieved and denied Our
signs—such shall be the inhabitants of Hellfire!
ئك أصحاب وكذ كفرواوالذين ـ بوا بآياتنا أول
الجحيم
﴾5:89﴿
God will not take you to task for that which is
frivolous in your oaths, but He will take you to task
for the oaths you have pledged in earnest. The
expiation thereof is the feeding of ten indigent
people with the equivalent of that which you feed
your own family, or clothing them, or freeing a
slave. And whosoever finds not [the means], let
him fast for three days. That is the expiation for
your oaths when you have sworn [them]. But keep
your oaths. Thus does God make clear unto you
His signs, that haply you may give thanks.
كن ـ لا يؤاخذكم اللـه باللغو في أيمانكم ول
يؤاخذكم بما عقدتم الأيمان فكفارته إطعام
طعمون أهليكم أو عشرة مساكين من أوسط ما ت
كسوتهم أو تحرير رقبة فمن لم يجد فصيام
لك أيمانكم إذا حلفتم كفارةثلاثة أيام ذ
لك يبين اللـه لكم آياته واحفظوا أيمانكم كذ
شكرون لعلكم ت
﴾5:95﴿
O you who believe! Slaughter not any game while
you are in pilgrim sanctity. And [for] the one
among you who slaughters it intentionally, a
recompense of cattle, the like of that which he
slaughtered, as judged by two just men among you,
as an offering brought to the Kaʿbah, or the
expiation of feeding the indigent, or the equivalent
of this in fasting, that he may taste the evil
consequences of his affair. God has forgiven that
which is past, but whosever relapses, God will take
يد وأنتم حرم يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تقتلوا الص
ثل ما قتل من دا فجزاء م تعم ومن قتله منكم م
نكم هديا با لغ الكعبة أو النعم يحكم به ذوا عدل م
لك صياما ليذوق كفارة طعام مساكين أو عدل ذ
ا سلف ومن عاد فينتقم ه عم وبال أمره عفا اللـ
اللـه منه واللـه عزيز ذو انتقام
72
vengeance upon him, and God is Mighty,
Possessor of vengeance.
﴾5:102﴿ A people before you asked about these things, then
came to be disbelievers therein. ن قبلكم ثم أصبحوا بها كافرينقد سألها قوم م
﴾5:103﴿
God has not established Baḥīrah, or Sā’ibah, or
Waṣīlah, or Ḥām. But those who disbelieve
fabricate lies against God, and most of them
understand not.
ه من بحيرة ولا سائبة ولا وصيلة ما جعل اللـ
كن الذين ـ يفترون على اللـه كفرواولا حام ول
الكذب وأكثرهم لا يعقلون
﴾5:110﴿
Then God will say, “O Jesus son of Mary!
Remember My blessing upon thee, and upon thy
mother, when I strengthened thee with the Holy
Spirit, that thou mightest speak to people in the
cradle and in maturity; and when I taught thee the
Book, Wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel; and
how thou wouldst create out of clay the shape of a
bird, by My leave, and thou wouldst breathe into
it, and it would become a bird, by My leave; and
thou wouldst heal the blind and the leper, by My
leave; and thou wouldst bring forth the dead, by
My leave; and how I restrained the Children of
Israel from [harming] thee, when thou didst bring
them clear proofs, and those who disbelieved
among them said, ‘This is naught but manifest
sorcery.’
إذ قال اللـه يا عيسى ابن مريم اذكر نعمتي
الدتك إذ أيدتك بروح القدس تكلم عليك وعلى و
الناس في المهد وكهلا وإذ علمتك الكتاب
نجيل وإذ تخلق من والحكمة والتوراة والإ
ير بإذني فتنفخ فيها فتكون الطين كهيئة الط
ا بإذني وتبرئ الأكمه والأبرص بإذني وإذ طير
تخرج الموتى بإذني وإذ كففت بني إسرائيل
منهم كفرواعنك إذ جئتهم بالبينات فقال الذين
بين ذا إلا سحر م ـ إن ه
﴾5:115﴿
God said, “I shall indeed send it down unto you.
But whosoever among you disbelieves thereafter, I
shall surely punish him with a punishment
wherewith I have not punished any other in all the
worlds.”
لها عليكم فمن بعد منكم يكفرقال اللـه إني منز
ن العالمين فإني أعذبه عذابا لا أعذبه أحدا م
﴾6:1﴿ Praise be to God, Who created the heavens and
the earth, and made darkness and light. Yet those
who do not believe ascribe equals to their Lord!
ه ه الذي خلق بسم اللـ حيم الحمد للـ ن الر ـ حم الر
لمات والنور ثم السماوات والأرض وجعل الظ
بربهم يعدلون كفرواالذين
﴾6:7﴿
Had We sent down unto thee a Book inscribed on
parchment, such that they could touch it with their
hands, those who do not believe would have said,
“This is naught but manifest sorcery.”
لنا عليك كتابا في قرطاس فلمسوه ولو نز
بين كفروابأيديهم لقال الذين ذا إلا سحر م ـ إن ه
﴾6:25﴿
Among them are those who listen to thee, but We
have placed coverings over their hearts, such that
they understand not, and in their ears a deafness.
Were they to see every sign, they would not believe
in it, so that when they come to thee, they dispute
with thee. Those who disbelieve say, “This is
naught but fables of those of old.”
ن يستمع إليك وجعلنا على قلوبهم أكنة ومنهم م
أن يفقهوه وفي آذانهم وقرا وإن يروا كل آية لا
جاءوك يجادلونك يقول يؤمنوا بها حتى إذا
لين كفرواالذين ذا إلا أساطير الأو ـ إن ه
﴾6:30﴿
If thou couldst see when they are arraigned before
their Lord. He will say, “Is this not the truth?”
They will say, “Yea, indeed, by our Lord!” He will
say, “Then taste the punishment for having
disbelieved.”
ذا ـ ولو ترى إذ وقفوا على ربهم قال أليس ه
بالحق قالوا بلى وربنا قال فذوقوا العذاب بما
تكفرونكنتم
﴾6:70﴿ Leave those who take their religion to be play and
diversion, and who are deluded by the life of this
world, but remind them with it, lest any soul be
تهم وذر الذين اتخذوا دينهم لعب ا ولهوا وغر
الحياة الدنيا وذكر به أن تبسل نفس بما كسبت
ليس لها من دون اللـه ولي ولا شفيع وإن تعدل
73
delivered to ruin because of what it has earned—it
has no protector apart from God, nor any
intercessor, and though it should offer every kind
of ransom, it shall not be accepted from it. Those
are the ones delivered to ruin for that which they
have earned. Theirs shall be a drink of boiling
liquid and a painful punishment for having
disbelieved.
ئك الذين أبسلوا بما ـ كل عدل لا يؤخذ منها أول
ن حميم وعذاب أليم بما كسبوا لهم شراب م
يكفرونكانوا
﴾6:89﴿
They are those unto whom We have given the
Book, judgment, and prophethood. So if these do
not believe in them, We have entrusted them to a
people who will not disbelieve in them.
ة فإن أ ئك الذين آتيناهم الكتاب والحكم والنبو ـ ول
لنا بها قوما ليسوا بها يكفر ؤلاء فقد وك ـ بها ه
بكافرين
﴾6:122﴿
Is he who was dead, and to whom We give life,
making for him a light by which to walk among
mankind, like unto one who is in darkness from
which he does not emerge? Thus for the
disbelievers, what they used to do was made to
seem fair unto them.
أومن كان ميتا فأحييناه وجعلنا له نورا يمشي
لمات ليس به في الناس كم ثله في الظ ن م
لك زين نها كذ ما كانوا للكافرينبخارج م
يعملون
﴾6:130﴿
“O company of jinn and human beings! Did not
messengers come unto you from amongst
yourselves, recounting unto you My signs, and
warning you of the meeting with this your Day?”
They will say, “We bear witness against
ourselves.” The life of this world deluded them,
and they bear witness against themselves that they
were disbelievers.
نس ألم يأتكم ر نكم يا معشر الجن والإ سل م
ون عليكم آياتي وينذرونكم لقاء يومكم يقص
تهم الحياة ذا قالوا شهدنا على أنفسنا وغر ـ ه
كافرينالدنيا وشهدوا على أنفسهم أنهم كانوا
﴾7:37﴿
And who does greater wrong than one who
fabricates a lie against God or denies His signs?
For such as these, their portion of the Book will
reach them, till when Our messengers come to take
them away, they will say, “Where is that which you
used to call upon apart from God?” They will
respond, “They have forsaken us.” And they bear
witness against themselves that they were
disbelievers.
ن افترى على اللـه كذبا أو كذب فمن أظلم مم
ن الكتاب حتى ئك ينالهم نصيبهم م ـ بآياته أول
ذا جاءتهم رسلنا يتوفونهم قالوا أين ما كنتم إ
تدعون من دون اللـه قالوا ضلوا عنا وشهدوا
كافرينعلى أنفسهم أنهم كانوا
﴾7:45﴿ Those who turn from the way of God and seek to
make it crooked, disbelieving in the Hereafter.
الذين يصدون عن سبيل اللـه ويبغونها عوجا
كافرونوهم بالخرة
﴾7:50﴿
The inhabitants of the Fire will call out to the
inhabitants of the Garden, “Pour some water
down upon us, or some of that which God has
provided you.” They will respond, “Truly God has
forbidden them both to the disbelievers.”
ونادى أصحاب النار أصحاب الجنة أن أفيضوا
ه قالوا إن ا رزقكم اللـ علينا من الماء أو مم
الكافرينمهما على اللـه حر
﴾7:66﴿ The notables among his people who disbelieved
said, “Truly we think that you are foolish, and we
consider you to be among the liars.”
من قومه إنا لنراك في كفرواقال المل الذين
ا لنظنك من الكاذبين سفاهة وإن
﴾7:76﴿ Those who were arrogant said, “Truly we believe
not in that which you believe.” كافرونقال الذين استكبروا إنا بالذي آمنتم به
﴾7:90﴿ The notables among his people who disbelieved
said, “Verily if you follow Shuʿayb, you shall
surely be the losers.”
من قومه لئن اتبعتم كفرواوقال المل الذين
شعيبا إنكم إذا لخاسرون
74
﴾7:93﴿
So he turned away from them and said, “O my
people! I indeed delivered unto you the messages
of my Lord, and advised you sincerely. So how can
I grieve for a disbelieving people?”
فتولى عنهم وقال يا قوم لقد أبلغتكم رسالات
ربي ونصحت لكم فكيف آسى على قوم
كافرين
﴾7:101﴿
These are the towns whose stories We have
recounted unto thee. Their messengers certainly
brought them clear proofs, but they would not
believe in what they had denied earlier. Thus does
God set a seal upon the hearts of the disbelievers.
ص عليك من أنبائها ولقد جاءتهم تلك القرى نق
رسلهم بالبينات فما كانوا ليؤمنوا بما كذبوا من
لك يطبع اللـه على قلوب الكافرينقبل كذ
﴾8:7﴿
And [remember] when God promised you that one
of the two companies was to be yours, and you
wished that the unarmed one would be yours. But
God desires to verify the truth through His Words,
and to cut off the last remnant of the disbelievers.
ائفتين أنها لكم وإذ يعدكم اللـه إحدى الط
وتودون أن غير ذات الشوكة تكون لكم ويريد
اللـه أن يحق الحق بكلماته ويقطع دابر
الكافرين
﴾8:12﴿
Behold, thy Lord revealed unto the angels, “Truly
I am with you; so make firm those who believe. I
shall cast terror into the hearts of those who
disbelieve. So strike above the neck, and strike
their every fingertip.”
إذ يوحي ربك إلى الملائكة أني معكم فثبتوا
كفرواالذين آمنوا سألقي في قلوب الذين
عب ف اضربوا فوق الأعناق واضربوا منهم الر
كل بنان
﴾8:14﴿ Thus it is, so taste it, and [know] that the
disbelievers shall have the punishment of the Fire. لكم فذوقوه وأن عذاب النار للكافرينذ
﴾8:15﴿ O you who believe! When you meet those who
disbelieve arrayed [for battle], turn not your backs
to them.
زحفا كفروايا أيها الذين آمنوا إذا لقيتم الذين
فلا تولوهم الأدبار
﴾8:18﴿ Thus it is, and [know] that God makes feeble the
scheming of the disbelievers. ه موهن كيد لكم وأن اللـ الكافرينذ
﴾8:29﴿
O you who believe! If you reverence God, He will
make for you a criterion, and absolve you of your
evil deeds, and forgive you. And God is Possessed
of Tremendous Bounty.
يا أيها الذين آمنوا إن تتقوا اللـه يجعل لكم
عنكم سيئاتكم ويغفر لكم واللـه ذو يكفرفرقانا و
الفضل العظيم
﴾8:30﴿
And [remember] when those who disbelieve
plotted against thee, to capture thee, or to slay
thee, or to expel thee. They plotted, and God
plotted. And God is the best of plotters.
ليثبتوك أو يقتلوك أو كفرواوإذ يمكر بك الذين
ه خير يخرجوك ويمكرون ويمكر اللـه واللـ
ين الماكر
﴾8:35﴿ Their prayer at the House is naught but whistling
and clapping. So taste the punishment for having
disbelieved!
وما كان صلاتهم عند البيت إلا مكاء وتصدية
تكفرونفذوقوا العذاب بما كنتم
﴾8:36﴿
Truly those who disbelieve spend their wealth to
turn [others] from the way of God. They will spend
it, then it will be a source of regret for them, and
then they will be overcome. And the disbelievers
will be gathered unto Hell
أموالهم ليصدوا عن ينفقون كفرواإن الذين
ه فسينفقونها ثم تكون عليهم حسرة ثم سبيل اللـ
إلى جهنم يحشرون كفروايغلبون والذين
﴾8:38﴿ Say to the disbelievers that, if they desist, what is
past will be forgiven them, but if they relapse, then
the wont of those of old has already passed.
ا قد سلف كفرواقل للذين إن ينتهوا يغفر لهم م
لين وإن يعودوا فقد مضت سنت الأو
﴾8:50﴿
And if only thou couldst see when the angels take
those who disbelieve, striking their faces and their
backs, and [saying] “Taste the punishment of the
burning!
الملائكة كفرواولو ترى إذ يتوفى الذين
يضربون وجوههم وأدبارهم وذوقوا عذاب
الحريق
75
﴾8:52﴿
[Theirs was] like the way of the House of Pharaoh
and those before them; they disbelieved in the
signs of God; so God seized them for their sins.
Truly God is Strong, severe in retribution.
بآيات كفرواكدأب آل فرعون والذين من قبلهم
ه بذنوبهم إن اللـه قوي شديد الل ـه فأخذهم اللـ
العقاب
﴾8:55﴿ Truly the worst of beasts in the sight of God are
those who have disbelieved and will not believe
فهم لا كفرواإن شر الدواب عند اللـه الذين
يؤمنون
﴾8:59﴿ And let not those who disbelieve suppose they have
outstripped [anyone]. Indeed they thwart nothing. سبقوا إنهم لا يعجزون كفرواولا يحسبن الذين
﴾8:65﴿
O Prophet! Rouse the believers to fight. If there be
twenty steadfast among you, they shall overcome
two hundred. And if there be one hundred of you,
they shall overcome one thousand of those who
disbelieve, because they are a people who
understand not.
ض المؤمنين على ال قتال إن يا أيها النبي حر
نكم عشرون صابرون يغلبوا مائتين وإن يكن م
ن الذين ائة يغلبوا ألفا م نكم م بأنهم كفروايكن م
قوم لا يفقهون
﴾8:73﴿ As for those who disbelieve, they are protectors of
one another. Unless you do the same, there will be
a strife in the land, and a great corruption.
بعضهم أولياء بعض إلا تفعلوه كفرواوالذين
تكن فتنة في الأرض وفساد كبير
﴾9:2﴿ So travel freely throughout the land for four
months, and know that you cannot thwart God,
and that God shall disgrace the disbelievers.
فسيحوا في الأرض أربعة أشهر واعلموا أنكم
ه مخزي ه وأن اللـ الكافرينغير معجزي اللـ
﴾9:3﴿
And an announcement from God and His
Messenger to the people on the Day of the greater
ḥajj: that God and His Messenger have repudiated
the idolaters. So, if you repent it would be better
for you. And if you turn away, then know that you
cannot thwart God. And give the disbelievers glad
tidings of a painful punishment
ن اللـه ورسوله إلى الناس يوم الحج وأذان م
ن المشركين ورسوله الأكبر أن اللـه بريء م
فإن تبتم فهو خير لكم وإن توليتم فاعلموا أنكم
ه وبشر الذين غير بعذاب كفروامعجزي اللـ
أليم
﴾9:12﴿
But if they renege on their oaths after having made
their treaty, and vilify your religion, then fight the
leaders of disbelief—truly they have no oaths—
that they might desist.
ن بعد عهدهم وطعنوا في وإ ن نكثوا أيمانهم م
ة إنهم لا أيمان لهم لعلهم الكفردينكم فقاتلوا أئم
ينتهون
﴾9:17﴿
It is not for the idolaters to maintain the mosques
of God, bearing witness of disbelief against
themselves. They are those whose deeds have come
to naught, and in the Fire shall they abide.
ه ما كان للمشركين أن يعمروا مساجد اللـ
ئك حبطت بالكفرشاهدين على أنفسهم ـ أول
خالدون أعمالهم وفي النار هم
﴾9:23﴿
O you who believe! Take not your fathers and your
brothers as protectors if they prefer disbelief to
belief. As for those among you take them as
protectors, it is they who are the wrongdoers.
خذ وا آباءكم وإخوانكم يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تت
يمان ومن الكفرأولياء إن استحبوا على الإ
ئك هم الظالمون ـ نكم فأول يتولهم م
﴾9:26﴿
Then God sent down His Tranquility upon His
Messenger and upon the believers, and sent down
hosts whom you saw not, and punished those who
disbelieved. And that is the recompense of the
disbelievers.
ثم أنزل اللـه سكينته على رسوله وعلى
المؤمنين وأنزل جنودا لم تروها وعذب الذين
لك جز كفروا الكافريناء وذ
﴾9:30﴿
The Jews say that Ezra is the son of God, and the
Christians say that the Messiah is the son of God.
Those are words from their mouths. They resemble
the words of those who disbelieved before. God
curse them! How are they perverted?
ه وقالت النصارى وقالت اليهود عزير ابن اللـ
لك قولهم بأفواههم يضاهئون ه ذ المسيح ابن اللـ
من قبل قاتلهم اللـه أنى كفرواقول الذين
يؤفكون
76
﴾9:32﴿
They desire to extinguish the Light of God with
their mouths. But God refuses to do aught but
complete His Light, though the disbelievers be
averse.
يريدون أن يطفئوا نور اللـه بأفواههم ويأبى
الكافروناللـه إلا أن يتم نوره ولو كره
﴾9:37﴿
Truly the nasīʾ is but an increase in disbelief,
whereby the disbelievers go astray. They make it
lawful one year and forbid it another, in order to
reconcile it with the number made sacred by God,
thus making lawful that which God has forbidden.
The evil of their deeds is made fair-seeming unto
them, but God guides not the disbelieving people.
إنما النسيء زيادة في الكفر يضل به الذين
مونه عاما ليواطئوا كفروا يحلونه عاما ويحر
م الل ه زين لهم عدة ما حر م اللـ ـه فيحلوا ما حر
ه لا يهدي القوم الكافرينسوء أعمالهم واللـ
﴾9:40﴿
If you help him not, yet God has already helped
him. Remember when those who disbelieved
expelled him, the second of the two. Yea, the two
were in the cave, when he said to his companion,
“Grieve not; truly God is with us.” Then God sent
down His Tranquility upon him, and supported
him with hosts you see not. And He made the word
of those who disbelieve to be the lowliest, and the
Word of God is the highest. And God is Mighty,
Wise.
ه إذ أخرجه الذين إلا تنصروه فقد نصره اللـ
ثاني اثنين إذ هما في الغار إذ يقول كفروا
ه لصاحبه لا تحزن إن اللـه معنا فأنزل اللـ
ينته عليه وأيده بجنود لم تروها وجعل كلمة سك
فلى وكلمة اللـه هي العليا واللـه كفرواالذين الس
عزيز حكيم
﴾9:49﴿
And among them some say, “Grant me leave, and
tempt me not.” Nay, they have fallen into
temptation. And truly Hell encompasses the
disbelievers.
ن يقول ائذن لي ولا تفتني ألا في ومنهم م
بالكافرينالفتنة سقطوا وإن جهنم لمحيطة
﴾9:54﴿
And naught prevented their spending from being
accepted from them, save that they disbelieved in
God and in His Messenger, and only come to the
prayer lazily, and only spend reluctantly
كفرواوما منعهم أن تقبل منهم نفقاتهم إلا أنهم
لاة إلا وهم باللـه وبرسوله ولا يأتون الص
كسالى ولا ينفقون إلا وهم كارهون
﴾9:55﴿
And let not their wealth nor their children impress
thee. God desires but to punish them thereby in the
life of this world, and that their souls should
depart while they are disbelievers.
فلا تعجبك أموالهم ولا أولادهم إنما يريد اللـه
ليعذبهم بها في الحياة الدنيا وتزهق أنفسهم وهم
كافرون
﴾9:66﴿ Make no excuses. You disbelieved after having
believed. If We pardon a group of you, We shall
punish another group for having been guilty.
بعد إيمانكم إن نعف عن كفرتملا تعتذروا قد
نكم نعذب طائفة بأنهم كانوا مجرمين طائفة م
﴾9:68﴿
Truly God has promised the hypocrites, men and
women, and the disbelievers the Fire of Hell, to
abide therein. It shall suffice them. God curses
them, and theirs shall be a lasting punishment.
ه المنافقين والمنافقات و نار الكفاروعد اللـ
هي حسبهم ولعنهم اللـه جهنم خالدين فيها
قيم ولهم عذاب م
﴾9:73﴿ O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the
hypocrites, and be harsh with them. Their refuge is
Hell. What an evil journey’s end!
والمنافقين واغلظ ارالكفيا أيها النبي جاهد
عليهم ومأواهم جهنم وبئس المصير
﴾9:74﴿
They swear by God that they said it not, but indeed
they spoke the word of disbelief, and disbelieved
after having submitted [to God]. And they had
ambitions that they did not achieve, and they were
vengeful only because God and His Messenger
enriched them from His Bounty. If they repent, it
would be better for them. But if they turn away,
God will punish them with a painful punishment in
ه ما قالوا ولقد قالوا كلمة الكفريحلفون باللـ
وا بما لم ينالوا وما كفرواو بعد إسلامهم وهم
سوله من فضله فإن نقموا إلا أن أغناهم اللـه ور
ه يتوبوا يك خيرا لهم وإن يتولوا يعذبهم اللـ
عذابا أليما في الدنيا والخرة وما لهم في
الأرض من ولي ولا نصير
77
this world and in the Hereafter, and on earth they
shall have neither protector nor helper.
﴾9:80﴿
Seek forgiveness for them, or seek not forgiveness
for them. If thou seekest forgiveness for them
seventy times, God will not forgive them. That is
because they disbelieve in God and His
Messenger. And God guides not iniquitous people.
م استغفر لهم أو لا تستغفر لهم إن تستغفر له
لك بأنهم ه لهم ذ ة فلن يغفر اللـ كفرواسبعين مر
ه لا يهدي القوم الفاسقين باللـه ورسوله واللـ
﴾9:84﴿ And never pray over one of them who dies, nor
stand by his grave. Truly they disbelieved in God
and His Messenger and died iniquitous.
ات أبدا ولا تقم على نهم م ولا تصل على أحد م
ه ورسوله وماتوا وهم كفرواقبره إنهم باللـ
فاسقون
﴾9:85﴿
And let not their wealth or their children impress
thee. God desires only to punish them thereby in
this world, and that their souls should depart while
they are disbelievers.
ه أن ولا تعجبك أموالهم وأولادهم إنما يريد اللـ
هم يعذبهم بها في الدنيا وتزهق أنفسهم و
كافرون
﴾9:90﴿
Those seeking to be excused among the Bedouin
came in order to be granted leave, while those who
lied to God and His Messenger stayed back. A
painful punishment shall befall those among them
who disbelieve.
ن الأعراب ليؤذن لهم وقعد وجاء المعذرون م
كفرواالذين كذبوا اللـه ورسوله سيصيب الذين
منهم عذاب أليم
﴾9:97﴿
The Bedouin are more severe in disbelief and
hypocrisy, and more liable not to know the limits
[ordained] in what God has sent down unto His
Messenger. And God is Knowing, Wise.
ونفاقا وأجدر ألا يعلموا كفراالأعراب أشد
ه عليم حدود ما أنزل اللـه على رسوله واللـ
حكيم
﴾9:107﴿
And as for those who established a mosque for
harm and disbelief, and to divide the believers,
and to be an outpost for those who made war on
God and His Messenger before, they will surely
swear, “We desire only what is best.” But God
bears witness that truly they are liars.
وتفريقا كفراذوا مسجدا ضرارا و والذين اتخ
ه بين المؤمنين وإرصادا لمن حارب اللـ
ورسوله من قبل وليحلفن إن أردنا إلا الحسنى
واللـه يشهد إنهم لكاذبون
﴾9:120﴿
It is not for the people of Madīnah and the
Bedouin who dwell around them to remain behind
from the Messenger of God, or to prefer
themselves to him. That is because no thirst, nor
toil, nor hunger befalls them in the way of God,
nor do they take any step enraging the
disbelievers, nor do they endure aught at the hands
of an enemy, but that a righteous deed is recorded
for them on account of it. Truly God neglects not
the reward of the virtuous.
ن الأعراب ما كان لأهل المدينة ومن حولهم م
ه ولا يرغبوا بأنفسهم أن يتخلفوا سول اللـ عن ر
لك بأنهم لا يصيبهم ظمأ ولا نصب عن نفسه ذ
ولا مخمصة في سبيل اللـه ولا يطئون موطئا
كتب ولا ينالون من عدو نيلا إلا الكفاريغيظ
لهم به عمل صالح إن اللـه لا يضيع أجر
المحسنين
﴾9:123﴿ O you who believe! Fight those disbelievers who
are near to you, and let them find harshness in
you. And know that God is with the reverent.
ن يا أيها الذين الكفارآمنوا قاتلوا الذين يلونكم م
وليجدوا فيكم غلظة واعلموا أن اللـه مع
المتقين
﴾9:125﴿ As for those in whose hearts is a disease, it added
defilement to their defilement, and they die while
they are disbelievers.
رض فزادتهم رجسا إلى ا الذين في قلوبهم م وأم
كافرونرجسهم وماتوا وهم
﴾10:2﴿
Is it a marvel for mankind that We have sent
revelation unto a man from among themselves,
[saying], “Warn mankind and give glad tidings to
those who believe that they shall have a station of
نهم أن أكان للناس عجبا أن أوحينا إلى رجل م
ر الذين آمنوا أن لهم قدم صدق أنذر الناس وبش
بين الكافرونعند ربهم قال ذا لساحر م ـ إن ه
78
sincerity with their Lord.”? The disbelievers say,
“Surely this is a manifest sorcerer.”
﴾10:4﴿
Unto Him is your return altogether; God’s
Promise is true. Verily He originates creation,
then He brings it back, that He may recompense
with justice those who believe and perform
righteous deeds. As for the disbelievers, theirs
shall be a drink of boiling liquid and a painful
punishment for having disbelieved.
ه حقا إنه يبدأ إليه مرجعكم جميعا وعد اللـ
لق ثم يعيده ليجزي الذين آمنوا وعملوا الخ
الحات بالقسط والذين ن كفرواالص لهم شراب م
يكفرونحميم وعذاب أليم بما كانوا
﴾10:70﴿ An enjoyment in this world, then unto Us shall be
their return, and We shall make them taste severe
punishment for their having disbelieved.
متاع في الدنيا ثم إلينا مرجعهم ثم نذيقهم
ديد بما كانوا يكفرونالعذاب الش
﴾10:86﴿ And save us through Thy mercy from disbelieving
people.” نا برحمتك من القوم الكافرينونج
﴾11:7﴿
He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in
six days, while His Throne was upon the water,
that He may try you as to which of you is most
virtuous in deed. Yet if thou sayest, “Truly you
shall be resurrected after death,” the disbelievers
will surely say, “This is naught but manifest
sorcery!”
وهو الذي خلق السماوات والأرض في ستة
أيام وكان عرشه على الماء ليبلوكم أيكم أحسن
بعوثون من بعد الموت عملا ول ئن قلت إنكم م
بين كفرواليقولن الذين ذا إلا سحر م ـ إن ه
﴾11:9﴿ And if We cause man to taste mercy from Us, and
then withdraw it from him, verily he is despondent,
ungrateful.
نسان منا رحمة ثم نزعناها منه ولئن أذ قنا الإ
كفور إنه ليئوس
﴾11:17﴿
So what of the one who stands upon a clear proof
from his Lord, and for whom it is recited by a
witness from Him? And before it there was the
Book of Moses, a guide and a mercy. It is they who
believe in it. And whosoever disbelieves in it from
among the parties, the Fire is their tryst. So be not
in doubt concerning it. Verily it is the truth from
thy Lord, but most of mankind believe not.
نه أفمن كان على ب به ويتلوه شاهد م ن ر ينة م
ئك ـ ومن قبله كتاب موسى إماما ورحمة أول
به من الأحزاب فالنار يكفريؤمنون به ومن
بك نه إنه الحق من ر موعده فلا تك في مرية م
كن أكثر الناس لا يؤمنون ول ـ
﴾11:19﴿ Those who turn from the way of God and seek to
make it crooked, and who disbelieve in the
Hereafter.
الذين يصدون عن سبيل اللـه ويبغونها عوجا
كافرونوهم بالخرة هم
﴾11:27﴿
But the notables among his people who disbelieved
said, “We see you as naught but a human being
like us, and we see none who follow you, save the
lowliest among us, as is clear to see. Nor do we
see that you have any merit over us; nay, we think
that you are liars.”
من قومه ما نراك إلا كفروافقال المل الذين
ثلنا وما نراك اتبعك إلا الذين هم أراذلنا بشرا م
أي وما نرى لكم علينا من فضل بل بادي الر
نظنكم كاذبين
﴾11:42﴿
And it sailed with them upon waves like mountains.
And Noah called out to his son, who remained
aloof, “O my son! Embark with us, and be not with
the disbelievers.”
وهي تجري بهم في موج كالجبال ونادى نوح
عنا ولا تكن ابنه وكان في مع زل يا بني اركب م
ع الكافرينم
﴾11:60﴿
And they were pursued by a curse in this world,
and [shall be] on the Day of Resurrection. Behold!
Truly ʿĀd disbelieved in their Lord. Behold! Away
with ʿĀd, the people of Hūd!
ذه الدنيا لعنة ويوم القيامة ألا إن وأ ـ تبعوا في ه
ربهم ألا بعدا لعاد قوم هود كفرواعادا
79
﴾11:68﴿ as though they had never dwelt there. Behold!
Truly Thamūd disbelieved in their Lord. Behold!
Away with Thamūd!
ربهم ألا كفرواكأن لم يغنوا فيها ألا إن ثمود
بعدا لثمود
﴾12:37﴿
He said, “No food with which you are provided
will come unto you, save that I shall inform you of
its interpretation before it comes. This is among
the things my Lord has taught me. I forsake the
creed of a people who believe not in God, and they
who are disbelievers in the Hereafter.
قال لا يأتيكما طعام ترزقانه إلا نبأتكما بتأويله
لكما م ا علمني ربي إني قبل أن يأتيكما ذ م
تركت ملة قوم لا يؤمنون باللـه وهم بالخرة
كافرونهم
﴾12:87﴿
O my sons! Go and inquire about Joseph and his
brother and despair not of God’s Comfort; truly
none despairs of God’s Comfort save the
disbelieving people.”
يا بني اذهبوا فتحسسوا من يوسف وأخيه ولا
وح وح اللـه إنه لا ييأس من ر تيأسوا من ر
الكافروناللـه إلا القوم
﴾13:5﴿
And if thou dost wonder, then wondrous is their
saying, “When we are dust, shall we indeed be
[raised] in a new creation?” It is they who
disbelieve in their Lord; it is they who will have
shackles upon their necks; and it is they who will
be the inhabitants of the Fire; they shall abide
therein.
تعجب فعجب قولهم أإذا كنا ترابا أإنا لفي وإن
ئك الذين ـ ئك كفرواخلق جديد أول ـ بربهم وأول
ئك أصحاب النار هم ـ الأغلال في أعناقهم وأول
فيها خالدون
﴾13:7﴿
Those who disbelieve say, “Why has not some sign
been sent down upon him from his Lord?” Thou
art but a warner; and for every people there is a
guide.
به كفرواويقول الذين ن ر لولا أنزل عليه آية م
إنما أنت منذر ولكل قوم هاد
﴾13:14﴿
Unto Him is the supplication of truth; and those
whom they supplicate apart from Him answer them
not in the least, save as one who stretches forth his
palms towards water that it may reach his mouth,
though it never reaches him. And the supplication
of the disbelievers is naught but astray.
له دعوة الحق والذين يدعون من دونه لا
يستجيبون لهم بشيء إلا كباسط كفيه إلى الماء
إلا الكافرينليبلغ فاه وما هو ببالغه وما دعاء
لال في ض
﴾13:27﴿
Those who disbelieve say, “Why has some sign not
been sent down upon him from his Lord?” Say,
“Truly God leads astray whomsoever He will and
guides to Himself whosoever turns in repentance—
به لولا أنزل علي كفرواويقول الذين ن ر ه آية م
ه يضل من يشاء ويهدي إليه من أناب قل إن اللـ
﴾13:30﴿
Thus have We sent thee unto a community before
whom other communities have passed away, that
thou mayest recite unto them that which We have
revealed unto thee; yet they disbelieve in the
Compassionate. Say, “He is my Lord; there is no
god but He. In Him do I trust and unto Him do I
turn.”
ة قد خلت من قبلها أمم لك أرسلناك في أم كذ
يكفرونيك وهم لتتلو عليهم الذي أوحينا إل
ه إلا هو عليه ـ ن قل هو ربي لا إل ـ حم بالر
توكلت وإليه متاب
﴾13:31﴿
Were there a Quran whereby the mountains were
set in motion, or the earth was cleft, or the dead
were made to speak. Nay! Unto God belongs the
affair altogether. Do not those who believe
understand that if God had willed, He would have
guided mankind all together? And those who
disbelieve, calamity will never cease to befall them
because of that which they have wrought, or to
alight close to their abode until God’s Promise
comes. Truly God will not fail the tryst.
ولو أن قرآنا سيرت به الجبال أو قطعت به
الأرض أو كلم به الموتى بل للـه الأمر جميعا
آمنوا أن لو يشاء اللـه لهدى أفلم ييأس الذين
تصيبهم بما كفرواالناس جميعا ولا يزال الذين
ن دارهم حتى صنعوا قارعة أو تحل قريبا م
يأتي وعد اللـه إن اللـه لا يخلف الميعاد
80
﴾13:32﴿ Certainly messengers were mocked before thee.
But I granted respite to those who disbelieved;
then I seized them. How, then, was My retribution!
ن قبلك فأمليت للذين ولقد استهزئ برسل م
ثم أخذتهم فكيف كان عقاب كفروا
﴾13:33﴿
What of He Who attends to every soul in
accordance with what it has earned? Yet they
ascribe partners unto God. Say, “Name them! Or
will you inform Him of something He does not
know upon the earth, or are these vain words?”
Nay! But their plotting has been made to seem fair
unto those who disbelieve, and they have been
turned from the way. And whomsoever God leads
astray, no guide has he.
أفمن هو قائم على كل نفس بما كسبت وجعلوا
وهم أم ت ه شركاء قل سم نبئونه بما لا يعلم في للـ
ن القول بل زين للذين الأرض أم بظاهر م
بيل ومن يضلل كفروا مكرهم وصدوا عن الس
اللـه فما له من هاد
﴾13:35﴿
The parable of the Garden that has been promised
to the reverent: rivers running below it, its food
everlasting, as is its shade. That is the ultimate end
of those who were reverent, while the ultimate end
of the disbelievers is the Fire!
ثل الجنة التي وعد المتقون تجري من تحتها م
الأنهار أكلها دائم وظلها تلك عقبى الذين
عقبى النار الكافريناتقوا و
﴾13:42﴿
And indeed those who were before them plotted,
but unto God belongs plotting altogether. He
knows what every soul earns, and the disbelievers
will know whose is the Ultimate Abode.
ه المكر جميعا وقد مكر الذين من قبلهم فللـ
يعلم ما تكسب كل نفس وسيعلم الكفار لمن
عقبى الدار
﴾13:43﴿
And those who disbelieve say, “You have not been
sent.” Say, “God and whosoever possesses
knowledge of the Book suffices as a witness
between you and me.”
لست مرسلا قل كفى باللـه كفرواويقول الذين
شهيدا بيني وبينكم ومن عنده علم الكتاب
﴾14:2﴿ God, unto Whom belongs whatsoever is in the
heavens and whatsoever is on the earth. Woe unto
the disbelievers for a severe punishment.
اللـه الذي له ما في السماوات وما في الأرض
من عذاب شديد للكافرينوويل
﴾14:7﴿ and when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you give
thanks, I shall surely grant you increase, but if you
are ungrateful, truly My punishment is severe!’”
كفرتموإذ تأذن ربكم لئن شكرتم لأزيدنكم ولئن
إن عذابي لشديد
﴾14:8﴿ And Moses said, “If you are ungrateful—you and
whosoever is on the earth all together—[know
that] verily God is Self-Sufficient, Praised.”
أنتم ومن في الأرض تكفرواوقال موسى إن
جميعا فإن اللـه لغني حميد
﴾14:9﴿
Has not the account come to you of those who
came before you—the people of Noah, and ʿĀd,
and Thamūd, and those who came after them?
None knows them but God. Their messengers
brought them clear proofs, but they thrust their
hands into their mouths and said, “Verily we
disbelieve in that wherewith you have been sent,
and we are in grave doubt about that to which you
call us.”
ألم يأتكم نبأ الذين من قبلكم قوم نوح وعاد
ـه وثمود والذين من بعدهم لا يعلمهم إلا الل
جاءتهم رسلهم بالبينات فردوا أيديهم في
بما أرسلتم به وإنا لفي كفرناأفواههم وقالوا إنا
ا تدعوننا إليه مريب م شك م
﴾14:13﴿
But those who disbelieved said to their
messengers, “We shall surely expel you from our
land, or you shall revert to our creed.” So their
Lord revealed unto them, “We shall surely destroy
the wrongdoers.
ن أرضنا كفرواوقال الذين لرسلهم لنخرجنكم م
أوحى إليهم ربهم لنهلكن أو لتعودن في ملتنا ف
الظالمين
﴾14:18﴿
The parable of those who disbelieve in their Lord:
their deeds are as ashes that the wind blows hard
on a stormy day. They have no power over aught
that they have earned. That is extreme error.
ثل الذين بربهم أعمالهم كرماد اشتدت كفروام
ا كسبوا يح في يوم عاصف لا يقدرون مم به الر
لال البعيد لك هو الض على شيء ذ
81
﴾14:22﴿
And Satan will say, when the matter has been
decreed, “Verily God made you the promise of
truth; and I made you a promise, but I failed you.
And I had no authority over you, save that I called
you, and you responded to me. So do not blame
me, but blame yourselves. I cannot respond to your
cries for help; nor can you respond to my cries for
help. Truly I disbelieved in your ascribing me as
partner aforetime. As for the wrongdoers, surely
theirs shall be a painful punishment.”
ه وعدكم ا قضي الأمر إن اللـ وقال الشيطان لم
ووعدتكم فأخلفتكم وما كان لي وعد الحق
ن سلطان إلا أن دعوتكم فاستجبتم لي عليكم م
ا أنا بمصرخكم فلا تلوموني ولوموا أنفسكم م
بما أشركتمون كفرتوما أنتم بمصرخي إني
المين لهم عذاب أليم من ق بل إن الظ
﴾14:28﴿ Hast thou not considered those who exchanged the
blessing of God for ingratitude and caused their
people to dwell in the abode of perdition—
وأحلوا فراكألم تر إلى الذين بدلوا نعمت اللـه
قومهم دار البوار
﴾14:34﴿
And He gives you something of all that you ask of
Him, and were you to count the blessings of God,
you could not number them. Truly mankind is
wrongdoing, ungrateful.
ن كل ما سألت موه وإن تعدوا نعمت وآتاكم م
نسان لظلوم كفار اللـه لا تحصوها إن الإ
﴾15:2﴿ It may be that those who disbelieve will wish that
they had submitted. بما يود الذين لو كانوا مسلمين كفروار
﴾16:27﴿
Then on the Day of Resurrection He will disgrace
them and say, “Where are My partners on whose
account you were defiant?” Those who were given
knowledge will say, “Surely, this day, disgrace
and evil are upon the disbelievers”
يقول أين شركائي الذين ثم يوم القيامة يخزيهم و
كنتم تشاقون فيهم قال الذين أوتوا العلم إن
الكافرينالخزي اليوم والسوء على
﴾16:39﴿ [This is so] that He might make clear unto them
that wherein they differed, and that those who
disbelieved might know that truly they were liars.
ليبين لهم الذي يختلفون فيه وليعلم الذين كفروا
أنهم كانوا كاذبين
﴾16:55﴿ So let them be ungrateful for that which We have
given them: “Enjoy yourselves! For soon you will
know.” بما آتيناهم فتمتعوا فسوف تعلمون ليكفروا
﴾16:72﴿
And God has ordained mates for you from among
yourselves, and from your mates He has ordained
for you children and grandchildren. And He
provided you with good things. Will they then
believe in that which is false, and show ingratitude
for the blessings of God?
ن أنفسكم أزواجا وجعل لكم واللـه جعل لكم م
يبات ن الط ن أزواجكم بنين وحفدة ورزقكم م م
يكفرونل يؤمنون وبنعمت اللـه هم أفبالباط
﴾16:83﴿ They recognize the Blessing of God, and then deny
it, and most of them are disbelievers.
يعرفون نعمت اللـه ثم ينكرونها وأكثرهم
الكافرون
﴾16.84﴿
And on that Day We shall raise up a witness from
every community, then those who disbelieved will
not be permitted [to speak], nor can they make
amends.
ة شهيدا ثم لا يؤذن للذين ويوم نبعث من كل أم
ولا هم يستعتبون كفروا
﴾16:88﴿
Those who disbelieve and who have turned from
the way of God, for them We shall add punishment
on top of punishment, for their having worked
corruption.
وصدوا عن سبيل اللـه زدناهم كفرواالذين
ا يفسدون عذابا فوق العذاب بما كانو
﴾16:106﴿
Whosoever disbelieves in God after having
believed—save one who is coerced, while his heart
is at peace in faith—but whosoever opens his
breast unto disbelief, upon them shall be the Wrath
of God, and theirs shall be a great punishment.
ه من بعد إيمانه إلا من أكره وقلبه كفرمن باللـ
ن شرح كن م ـ يمان ول صدرا بالكفرمطمئن بالإ
ه ولهم عذاب عظيم ن اللـ فعليهم غضب م
82
﴾16:107﴿ That is for their having preferred the life of this
world to the Hereafter. And surely God guides not
disbelieving people.
لك بأنهم استحبوا الحياة الدنيا على الخرة ذ
ه لا يهدي القوم الكافرينوأن اللـ
﴾16:112﴿
God sets forth a parable: A town secure and at
peace, its provision coming unto it abundantly
from every side. Yet it was ungrateful for the
blessings of God; so God let it taste the garment of
hunger and fear for that which they had wrought.
طمئنة وضرب اللـه مثلا قرية كانت آمن ة م
ن كل مكان بأنعم فكفرتيأتيها رزقها رغدا م
اللـه فأذاقها اللـه لباس الجوع والخوف بما
كانوا يصنعون
﴾17:8﴿ It may be that your Lord will have mercy upon
you, but if you revert, We shall revert. And We
have made Hell a prison for the disbelievers.
عسى ربكم أن يرحمكم وإن عدتم عدنا
حصيرا للكافرينوجعلنا جهنم
﴾17:27﴿ Truly the wasteful are the brethren of satans, and
Satan is ungrateful to his Lord.
ياطين وكان إن المبذرين كانوا إخوان الش
يطان لربه كفوراالش
﴾17:67﴿
And whenever affliction befalls you at sea,
forgotten are those whom you would call upon,
save for Him. Then when He has delivered you
safely to land, you turn away. Man is ever
ungrateful!
ر في البحر ضل من تدعون إلا كم الض وإذا مس
اكم إلى البر أعرضتم وكان ا نج إياه فلم
نسان كفوراالإ
﴾17:69﴿
Or do you feel secure that He will not cause you to
return to it another time, and unleash upon you a
tempestuous wind, and drown you for your having
been ungrateful? Then you would find no avenger
therein against Us.
أم أمنتم أن يعيدكم فيه تارة أخرى فيرسل
يح فيغرقكم بما عليكم ق ن الر م لا ث كفرتماصفا م
تجدوا لكم علينا به تبيعا
﴾17:89﴿ And indeed We have employed every kind of
parable for mankind in this Quran. Yet most of
mankind refuse aught but disbelief.
فن ذا القرآن من كل مثل ولقد صر ـ ا للناس في ه
كفورافأبى أكثر الناس إلا
﴾17:98﴿
That is their recompense for having disbelieved in
Our signs. And they say, “What! When we are
bones and dust, shall we indeed be resurrected as
a new creation?”
لك جزاؤهم بأنهم بآياتنا وقالوا أإذا كنا كفرواذ
عظاما ورفاتا أإنا لمبعوثون خلقا جديدا
﴾17:99﴿
Have they not considered that God, Who created
the heavens and the earth, has the power to create
the like of them? And He has ordained for them a
term, about which there is no doubt. Yet the
wrongdoers refuse aught but disbelief.
ه الذي خلق السماوات أولم يروا أن اللـ
م والأرض قادر على أن يخلق مثلهم وجعل له
كفوراأجلا لا ريب فيه فأبى الظالمون إلا
﴾18:29﴿
And say, “It is the truth from your Lord! So
whosoever will, let him believe, and whosoever
will, let him disbelieve.” Verily We have prepared
for the wrongdoers a Fire whose canopies will
encompass them. And if they plead for relief, they
will be showered with water like molten lead that
will scald faces—an evil drink indeed, and how
evil a resting place!
بكم فمن شاء فليؤمن ومن شاء وقل الحق من ر
المين نارا أحاط بهم رفليكف إنا أعتدنا للظ
سرادقها وإن يستغيثوا يغاثوا بماء كالمهل
يشوي الوجوه بئس الشراب وساءت مرتفقا
﴾18:37﴿
His companion said unto him as he conversed with
him, “Do you disbelieve in the One Who created
you from dust, then from a drop, then fashioned
you as a man?
بالذي خلقك أكفرتقال له صاحبه وهو يحاوره
اك رجلا من تراب ثم من نطفة ثم سو
﴾18:56﴿ And We send not the messengers, save as bearers
of glad tidings and as warners. And those who
disbelieve dispute falsely in order to refute the
رين ومنذرين وما نرسل المرسلين إلا مبش
بالباطل ليدحضوا به الحق كفرواويجادل الذين
واتخذوا آياتي وما أنذروا هزوا
83
truth thereby. They take My signs and that whereof
they were warned in mockery.
﴾18:80﴿ And as for the young boy, his parents were
believers and we feared that he would make them
suffer much through rebellion and disbelief.
ا الغلام فكان أبواه مؤمنين فخشينا أن وأم
كفرايرهقهما طغيانا و
﴾18:100﴿ And We shall present Hell, on that Day, as an
array before the disbelievers. عرضا للكافرينوعرضنا جهنم يومئذ
﴾18:102﴿
Do those who disbelieve reckon that they may take
My servants as protectors apart from Me? Truly
We have prepared Hell as a welcome for the
disbelievers!
أن يتخذوا عبادي من كفرواأفحسب الذين
نزلا للكافرينجهنم دوني أولياء إنا أعتدنا
﴾18:105﴿
They are those who disbelieve in the signs of their
Lord, and in the meeting with Him. Thus their
deeds have come to naught, and on the Day of
Resurrection We shall assign them no weight.
ئك الذين ـ بآيات ربهم ولقائه فحبطت فرواكأول
أعمالهم فلا نقيم لهم يوم القيامة وزنا
﴾18:106﴿ That is their recompense—Hell—for having
disbelieved and for having taken My signs and My
messengers in mockery.
لك جزاؤهم واتخذوا آياتي كفرواجهنم بما ذ
ورسلي هزوا
﴾19:37﴿ Yet the parties differed among themselves, and
woe unto those who disbelieve for the witnessing
of a tremendous day!
واكفرفاختلف الأحزاب من بينهم فويل للذين
شهد يوم عظيم من م
﴾19:73﴿
And when Our signs are recited unto them as clear
proofs, those who disbelieve say unto those who
believe, “Which of the two groups is better in
station, or fairer in company?”
كفروابينات قال الذين وإذا تتلى عليهم آياتنا
قاما وأحسن نديا للذين آمنوا أي الفريقين خير م
﴾19:77﴿ Hast thou not considered the one who disbelieves
in Our signs, and says, “I shall be given wealth
and children.” بآياتنا وقال لأوتين مالا وولدا كفر أفرأيت الذي
﴾19:82﴿ Nay, but they will disavow their worship, and they
will become an opponent unto them. بعبادتهم ويكونون عليهم ضدا سيكفرونكلا
﴾19:83﴿ Hast thou not considered how We unleash the
satans on the disbelievers, to incite them
cunningly?
الكافرينألم تر أنا أرسلنا الشياطين على
ا هم أز تؤز
﴾21:30﴿
Have those who disbelieve not considered that the
heavens and the earth were sewn together and We
rent them asunder? And We made every living
thing from water. Will they not, then, believe?
أن السماوات والأرض كفرواأولم ير الذين
كانتا رتقا ففتقناهما وجعلنا من الماء كل شيء
نون حي أفلا يؤم
﴾21:36﴿
And whenever those who disbelieve see thee, they
take thee in naught but mockery, “Is this the one
who makes mention of your gods?” And it is they
who are disbelievers in the remembrance of the
Compassionate.
إن يتخذونك إلا هزوا اكفرووإذا رآك الذين
ن هم ـ حم ذا الذي يذكر آلهتكم وهم بذكر الر ـ أه
كافرون
﴾21:39﴿ If those who disbelieved but knew of the time when
they shall not be able to hold back the Fire from
their faces or from their backs, nor be helped!
حين لا يكفون عن كفروالو يعلم الذين
وجوههم النار ولا عن ظهورهم ولا هم
ينصرون
﴾21:94﴿
And whosoever performs righteous deeds and is a
believer, there shall be no ingratitude for his
endeavor, and surely We shall write [it] down for
him.
الحات وهو مؤمن فلا فمن يعمل من الص
لسعيه وإنا له كاتبون كفران
84
﴾21:97﴿
and the true promise draws nigh. And, behold,
there shall be the fixed stare of those who
disbelieved, “Oh, woe unto us! We have certainly
been heedless of this! Indeed, we have been
wrongdoers.”
واقترب الوعد الحق فإذا هي شاخصة أبصار
ذا بل كفرواالذين ـ ن ه يا ويلنا قد كنا في غفلة م
ن كنا ظالمي
﴾22:19﴿
These two adversaries dispute concerning their
Lord. As for those who disbelieve, garments of fire
shall be cut for them, and boiling liquid shall be
poured over their heads,
ذان خصمان اختصموا في ربهم فالذين ـ ه
ن نار يصب من فوق ق كفروا طعت لهم ثياب م
رءوسهم الحميم
﴾22:25﴿
Truly those who disbelieve and turn from the way
of God, and the Sacred Mosque which We have
appointed for mankind—equal are those who dwell
there and those who come from abroad—
whosoever desires to deviate wrongfully therein,
We shall cause him to taste a painful punishment.
ه كفرواإن الذين ويصدون عن سبيل اللـ
والمسجد الحرام الذي جعلناه للناس سواء
ومن يرد فيه بإلحاد بظلم العاكف فيه والباد
نذقه من عذاب أليم
﴾22:38﴿ Truly God defends those who believe. Truly God
loves not any ungrateful traitor.
ه لا يحب ه يدافع عن الذين آمنوا إن اللـ إن اللـ
ان فور ككل خو
﴾22:44﴿
And the inhabitants of Midian, and Moses, too,
was denied. But I granted the disbelievers respite,
then I seized them in punishment. And how, then,
was the change I wrought!
وأصحاب مدين وكذب موسى فأمليت
ثم أخذتهم فكيف كان نكير للكافرين
﴾22:55﴿ Yet those who disbelieve remain in doubt over it,
till the Hour comes upon them suddenly or there
comes upon them the punishment of a barren day.
نه ح كفرواولا يزال الذين تى تأتيهم في مرية م
الساعة بغتة أو يأتيهم عذاب يوم عقيم
﴾22:57﴿ And as for those who disbelieve and deny Our
signs, theirs shall be a humiliating punishment.
ئك لهم عذاب ـ والذين كفروا وكذبوا بآياتنا فأول
هين م
﴾22:66﴿ And He it is Who gave you life; then He causes you
to die; then He gives you life. Truly man is
ungrateful.
وهو الذي أحياكم ثم يميتكم ثم يحييكم إن
نسان لكفور الإ
﴾22:72﴿
And when Our signs are recited unto them as clear
proofs, thou seest denial upon the faces of those
who disbelieve. They well-nigh pounce upon those
who recite Our signs unto them. Say, “Shall I
inform you of what is worse than that? The Fire
God has promised to those who disbelieve. What
an evil journey’s end!”
وإذا تتلى عليهم آياتنا بينات تعرف في وجوه
المنكر يكادون يسطون بالذين كفرواالذين
لكم ن ذ يتلون عليهم آياتنا قل أفأنبئكم بشر م
ه الذين النار وعد وبئس المصير كفرواها اللـ
﴾23:24﴿
But the notables who disbelieved among his people
said, “This is only a human being like yourselves,
desiring to set himself above you. And had God
willed, He would have sent down angels. We heard
not of this from our fathers of old.
ذا إلا كفروافقال المل الذين ـ من قومه ما ه
ه ل عليكم ولو شاء اللـ ثلكم يريد أن يتفض بشر م
لي ذا في آبائنا الأو ـ ا سمعنا به ن لأنزل ملائكة م
﴾23:33﴿
And the notables of his people who disbelieved and
denied the meeting of the Hereafter, and unto
whom We had given luxury in the life of this world,
said, “This is but a human being like you, eating of
what you eat, and drinking from what you drink.
وكذبوا بلقاء كفرواوقال المل من قومه الذين
ذا إلا ـ الخرة وأترفناهم في الحياة الدنيا ما ه
ا ا تأكلون منه ويشرب مم ثلكم يأكل مم بشر م
تشربون
﴾23:117﴿ Whosoever calls upon another god along with
God, for which he has no proof, his reckoning is
with God. Truly the disbelievers will not prosper.
ها آخر لا برهان له به ـ ومن يدع مع اللـه إل
الكافرونح فإنما حسابه عند ربه إنه لا يفل
85
﴾24:39﴿
As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a
mirage upon a desert plain which a thirsty man
supposes is water, till when he comes upon it, he
does not find it to be anything, but finds God there.
He will then pay him his reckoning in full, and
God is swift in reckoning.
أعمالهم كسراب بقيعة يحسبه كفرواوالذين
الظمآن ماء حتى إذا جاءه لم يجده شيئا ووجد
اللـه عنده فوفاه حسابه واللـه سريع الحساب
﴾24:55﴿
God has promised those among you who believe
and perform righteous deeds that He will surely
make them vicegerents upon the earth, as He
caused those before them to be vicegerents, and
that He will establish for them their religion,
which He has approved for them, and that He will
surely change them from a state of fear to security.
They will worship Me, not ascribing any partners
unto Me. And whosoever disbelieves thereafter, it
is they who are iniquitous.
ه الذين آمنوا منكم وع الحات وعد اللـ ملوا الص
ليستخلفنهم في الأرض كما استخلف الذين من
قبلهم وليمكنن لهم دينهم الذي ارتضى لهم
ن بعد خوفهم أمنا يعبدونني لا وليبدلنهم م
ئك هم كفرمن يشركون بي شيئا و ـ لك فأول بعد ذ
الفاسقون
﴾24:57﴿ Do not suppose that the disbelievers thwart
[aught] on the earth. The Fire will be their refuge.
What an evil journey’s end!
معجزين في الأرض كفروالا تحسبن الذين
مأواهم النار ولبئس المصير و
﴾25:4﴿
And the disbelievers say, “This is naught but a lie
that he has fabricated, and another people have
helped him in it.” They have indeed produced a
wrongdoing and a calumny.
ذا إلا إفك افتراه وأعانه إن كفرواوقال الذين ـ ه
عليه قوم آخرون فقد جاءوا ظلما وزورا
﴾25:26﴿ That Day the true sovereignty will belong to the
Compassionate, and that will be a difficult Day for
the disbelievers.
ن وكان يوما على الملك يومئذ الح ـ حم ق للر
عسيرا الكافرين
﴾25:32﴿
And the disbelievers say, “Why was the Quran not
sent down upon him as a single whole?” It is so,
that We may make firm thine heart thereby. And
We have recited it unto thee in a measured pace.
ل عليه القرآن جملة كفرواوقال الذين لولا نز
لك لنثبت به فؤادك ورتلناه ترتيلا واحدة كذ
﴾25:50﴿ And indeed We have distributed it amongst them,
that they may reflect. But most men refuse to be
aught but ungrateful.
فناه بينهم ليذكروا فأبى أكثر الناس إلا ولقد صر
كفورا
﴾25:52﴿ So obey not the disbelievers, but strive against
them by means of it with a great striving. دهم به جهادا كبيراوجاه الكافرينفلا تطع
﴾25:55﴿ And they worship apart from God that which
neither benefits them nor harms them. And the
disbeliever is a partisan against his Lord.
ويعبدون من دون اللـه ما لا ينفعهم ولا
هم وكان على ربه ظهيرا افرالكيضر
﴾26:19﴿ And you did your deed which you did, and you are
one of the ingrates.” الكافرينوفعلت فعلتك التي فعلت وأنت من
﴾27:40﴿
The one who had knowledge of the Book said, “I
will bring it to thee in the blink of an eye.” Then
when he saw it set before him, he said, “This is of
the bounty of my Lord, to try me whether I will
give thanks or be ungrateful. And whosoever give
thanks, he gives thanks only for his own soul; and
whosoever is ungrateful, truly my Lord is Self-
Sufficient, Generous.”
ن الكتاب أنا آتيك به قبل قال الذي عنده علم م
ا عنده قال ا رآه مستقر أن يرتد إليك طرفك فلم
ذا من فضل ربي ليبلوني أأشكر أم ـ ن وم أكفره
شكر فإنما يشكر لنفسه ومن كفر فإن ربي غني
كريم
﴾27:43﴿ While that which she worshipped apart from God
barred her; verily she was from a disbelieving
people.”
ا كانت وصدها ما كانت تعبد من دون اللـه إنه
كافرينمن قوم
86
﴾27:67﴿ And those who disbelieve say, “What? When we
and our fathers are dust, shall we indeed be
brought forth?
أإذا كنا ترابا وآباؤنا أئنا كفرواوقال الذين
لمخرجون
﴾28:48﴿
But when the truth came to them from Us, they
said, “Why was he not given the like of that which
was given to Moses?” Did they not disbelieve in
that which was given to Moses aforetime? They
said, “Two sorceries, supporting one another.”
And they said, “Truly we are disbelievers in
each.”
ا جاءهم الحق من عندنا قالوا لولا أوتي مثل فلم
بما أوتي موسى يكفرواما أوتي موسى أولم
من قبل قالوا سحران تظاهرا وقالوا إنا بكل
كافرون
﴾28:82﴿
And morning found those who had longed to be in
his place the day before saying, “Alas! It seems
God outspreads and straitens provision for
whomsoever He will among His servants. Had
God not been gracious to us, He would have
caused us to be engulfed [as well]. Alas! It seems
the disbelievers will not prosper!”
وأصبح الذين تمنوا مكانه بالأمس يقولون
زق لمن يشاء من عباده ويكأن اللـه يبسط الر
ن اللـه علينا لخسف بنا ويقدر لولا أن م
الكافرونلا يفلح ويكأنه
﴾28:86﴿ And thou didst not hope that the Book would be
delivered unto thee; rather it was a mercy from thy
Lord. So be not a support for the disbelievers.
وما كنت ترجو أن يلقى إليك الكتاب إلا رحمة
بك فلا تكونن ظهيرا م للكافرينن ر
﴾29:7﴿
And those who believe and perform righteous
deeds, We shall surely absolve them of their evil
deeds, and We shall surely recompense them
according to the best of that which they used to do.
الحات وا عنهم لنكفرنلذين آمنوا وعملوا الص
سيئاتهم ولنجزينهم أحسن الذي كانوا يعملون
﴾29:12﴿
Those who disbelieve say to those who believe,
“Follow our path and we shall bear your sins.”
But they bear not aught of their sins. Truly they
are liars.
للذين آمنوا اتبعوا سبيلنا كفرواوقال الذين
ولنحمل خطاياكم وما هم بحاملين من خطاياهم
ن شيء إنهم لكاذبون م
﴾29:23﴿ Those who disbelieve in God’s signs and in the
meeting with Him, they despair of My Mercy, and
for them there shall be a painful punishment.
ئك يئسوا كفرواوالذين ـ ه ولقائه أول بآيات اللـ
ئك لهم عذاب أليم ـ حمتي وأول من ر
﴾29:25﴿
And Abraham said, “You have taken idols apart
from God on account of affection between you in
the life of this world. Then on the Day of
Resurrection you will disown one another, and you
will curse one another; your refuge will be the
Fire, and you will have no helpers.”
ودة بينكم ه أوثانا م ن دون اللـ وقال إنما اتخذتم م
بعضكم يكفرفي الحياة الدنيا ثم يوم القيامة
ببعض ويلعن بعضكم بعضا ومأواكم النار وما
ن ناصرين لكم م
﴾29:47﴿
Thus have We sent down unto thee the Book. So
those unto whom We have given the Book believe
in it. Among them are some who believe in it; and
none reject Our signs, save the disbelievers.
لك أنزلنا إليك الكتاب فالذين آتيناهم اب الكت وكذ
ؤلاء من يؤمن به وما ـ يؤمنون به ومن ه
الكافرونيجحد بآياتنا إلا
﴾29:52﴿
Say, “God suffices as a witness between you and
me. He knows whatsoever is in the heavens and the
earth.” And those who believe in what is false and
disbelieve in God, it is they who are the losers.
قل كفى باللـه بيني وبينكم شهيدا يعلم ما في
السماوات والأرض والذين آمنوا بالباطل
ئك هم الخاسرون كفرواو ـ باللـه أول
﴾29:54﴿ And they bid thee hasten the punishment. Truly
Hell shall encompass the disbelievers
يستعجلونك بالعذاب وإن جهنم لمحيطة
بالكافرين
﴾29:66﴿ So let them be ungrateful for that which We have
given them, and let them enjoy themselves, for
soon they will know! بما آتيناهم وليتمتعوا فسوف يعلمون ليكفروا
87
﴾29:67﴿
Or have they not considered that We have made a
secure sanctuary while people are snatched away
all around them? Do they believe in that which is
false? And are they ungrateful for God’s blessing?
أولم يروا أنا جعلنا حرما آمنا ويتخطف الناس
من حولهم أفبالباطل يؤمنون وبنعمة اللـه
يكفرون
﴾29:68﴿
Who does greater wrong than one who fabricates
a lie against God or denies the truth when it comes
unto him? Is there not within Hell an abode for the
disbelievers?
ن افترى على اللـه كذبا أو كذب ومن أظلم مم
ا جاءه أليس في جهنم مثوى للكافرينبالحق لم
﴾30:8﴿
Do they not reflect upon their souls? God did not
create the heavens and the earth and whatsoever is
between them save in truth, and for a term
appointed. Yet truly many among mankind believe
not in the meeting with their Lord.
ا خلق اللـه السماوات أو لم يتفكروا في أنفسهم م
ى سم والأرض وما بينهما إلا بالحق وأجل م
ن الناس بلقاء ربهم لكافرونوإن كثيرا م
﴾30:13﴿ They have no intercessors from among those they
ascribed as partners, and they will then disbelieve
in those they ascribed as partners.
ن شركائهم شفعاء وكانوا ولم يكن لهم م
كافرينبشركائهم
﴾30:16﴿ But as for those who disbelieved and denied Our
signs and the meeting of the Hereafter, they will be
arraigned unto the punishment.
ا الذين وكذبوا بآياتنا ولقاء الخرة كفرواوأم
ئك في العذاب محضرون ـ فأول
﴾30:34﴿ Let them be ungrateful for that which We have
given them: “So enjoy yourselves! For soon you
will know.” بما آتيناهم فتمتعوا فسوف تعلمون ليكفروا
﴾30:44﴿ Whosoever disbelieves, his disbelief is to his own
detriment. And whosoever works righteousness,
they make provision for their souls,
ومن عمل صالحا فلنفسهم كفرهفعليه كفرمن
يمهدون
﴾30:45﴿ That from His Bounty He may recompense those
who believe and perform righteous deeds. Truly
He loves not the disbelievers.
الحا ت من ليجزي الذين آمنوا وعملوا الص
الكافرينفضله إنه لا يحب
﴾30:51﴿ And were We to send a wind and they were to see
it turn yellow, after that they would surely
disbelieve.
ا لظلوا من بعده ولئن أرسلنا ريحا فرأوه مصفر
يكفرون
﴾30:58﴿
And indeed We have set forth for mankind in this
Quran every kind of parable. And if thou bringest
them a sign, those who disbelieve will surely say,
“You make naught but false claims.”
ذا القرآن من كل مث ـ ل ولقد ضربنا للناس في ه
إن أنتم إلا كفرواولئن جئتهم بآية ليقولن الذين
مبطلون
﴾31:12﴿
And indeed We gave Luqmān wisdom: “Give
thanks to God!” And whosoever gives thanks, he
gives thanks for his own sake. And whosoever is
ungrateful, truly God is Self-Sufficient, Praised.
ه ومن ولقد آتينا لقمان الحكمة أن اشكر للـ
فإن اللـه غني كفريشكر فإنما يشكر لنفسه ومن
حميد
﴾31:23﴿
And whosoever does not believe, let not his
disbelief grieve thee. Unto Us is their return, then
We shall inform them of that which they did. Truly
God knows what lies within breasts.
فلا يحزنك كفره إلينا مرجعهم فننبئهم كفرومن
دور بما عملوا إن اللـه عليم بذات الص
﴾31:32﴿
And when waves enshroud them like awnings, they
call upon God, devoting religion entirely to Him.
Then when He has delivered them safely to land
some of them take a middling course. And none
reject Our signs, save all who are perfidious,
ungrateful.
وج كالظلل دعوا اللـه مخلصين وإذا غشيهم م
قتصد وما اهم إلى البر فمنهم م ا نج له الدين فلم
كفور يجحد بآياتنا إلا كل ختار
88
﴾32:10﴿ And they say, “What, when we have become lost in
the earth, shall we indeed be created anew?” Nay,
they believe not in the meeting with their Lord.
وقالوا أإذا ضللنا في الأرض أإنا لفي خلق
كافرونجديد بل هم بلقاء ربهم
﴾32:29﴿ Say, “On the Day of Victory, faith will not benefit
those who disbelieved; nor shall they be granted
respite.”
إيمانهم ولا هم كفرواقل يوم الفتح لا ينفع الذين
ينظرون
﴾33:1﴿ O Prophet! Reverence God and obey not the
disbelievers and the hypocrites. Truly God is
Knowing, Wise.
ه ولا تطع الكافرينيا أيها النبي اتق اللـ
ه كان عليما حكيما والمنافقين إن اللـ
﴾33:8﴿ That the truthful may be questioned concerning
their truthfulness. And for the disbelievers He has
prepared a painful punishment.
ادقين عن صدقهم وأعد للكافرين ليسأل الص
عذابا أليما
﴾33:25﴿ And God turned back those who disbelieved in
their rage; they attained no good. God sufficed the
believers in battle; and God is Strong, Mighty.
ه الذين كفروا بغيظهم لم ينالوا خيرا ورد اللـ
وكفى اللـه المؤمنين القتال وكان اللـه قويا
عزيزا
﴾33:48﴿ Obey not the disbelievers and the hypocrites;
disregard their affront, and trust in God. God
suffices as a Guardian.
والمنافقين ودع أذاهم وتوكل الكافرينولا تطع
ه وكيلا ه وكفى باللـ على اللـ
﴾33:64﴿ Truly God curses the disbelievers and prepares for
them a blazing flame, ه لع ن الكافرين وأعد لهم سعيراإن اللـ
﴾34:3﴿
Those who disbelieve say, “The Hour will never
come upon us.” Say, “Nay! By my Lord, by the
Knower of the Unseen, it will surely come unto
you.” Not a mote’s weight evades Him in the
heavens or on earth, nor smaller than that, nor
larger, but that it is in a clear Book,
اعة قل بلى كفرواوقال الذين لا تأتينا الس
وربي لتأتينكم عالم الغيب لا يعزب عنه مثقال
ة في السماوات ولا في الأرض ولا أصغر ذر
بين لك ولا أكبر إلا في كتاب م من ذ
﴾34:7﴿
And those who disbelieve say, “Shall we show you
a man who will inform you that, when you have
been completely torn to pieces, you shall be in a
new creation?
هل ندلكم على رجل ينبئكم رواكفوقال الذين
ق إنكم لفي خلق جديد قتم كل ممز إذا مز
﴾34:17﴿ Thus did We recompense them for having
disbelieved. And do We recompense any but the
disbeliever?
لك جزيناهم بما وهل نجازي إلا اكفروذ
الكفور
﴾34:31﴿
The disbelievers say, “We shall not believe in this
Quran, nor in that which was before it.” Couldst
thou but see when the wrongdoers are made to
stand before their Lord, hurling reproach upon
one another! Those who had been weak and
oppressed will say to those who had waxed
arrogant, “If not for you, we would have been
believers.”
ذا القرآن ولا كفرواوقال الذين ـ لن نؤمن به
المون موق وفون بالذي بين يديه ولو ترى إذ الظ
عند ربهم يرجع بعضهم إلى بعض القول يقول
الذين استضعفوا للذين استكبروا لولا أنتم لكنا
مؤمنين
﴾34:33﴿
Those who had been weak and oppressed will say
to those who waxed arrogant, “Nay! But there was
plotting by night and day when you ordered us to
disbelieve in God, and to set up equals unto Him.”
And they will hide their remorse when they see the
punishment, and We put shackles upon the necks of
those who disbelieve. Will they be requited for
aught but what they used to do?
وقال الذين استضعفوا للذين استكبروا بل مكر
ه ونجعل الليل والنهار إذ تأمروننا أن نكفر باللـ
ا رأوا العذاب وا الندامة لم له أندادا وأسر
هل كفروانا الأغلال في أعناق الذين وجعل
يجزون إلا ما كانوا يعملون
89
﴾34:34﴿ And We sent no warner unto a town, but that those
living in luxury therein said, “Truly, we disbelieve
in that wherewith you have been sent.”
ن نذير إلا قال مترفوها وما أ رسلنا في قرية م
كافرونإنا بما أرسلتم به
﴾34:43﴿
And when Our signs are recited unto them as clear
proofs, they say, “This is naught but a man who
desires to turn you from that which your fathers
used to worship.” And they say, “This is naught
but a fabricated perversion.” And those who
disbelieve say to the Truth when it comes to them,
“This is naught but manifest sorcery,”
ذا ـ إلا وإذا تتلى عليهم آياتنا بينات قالوا ما ه
ا كان يعبد آباؤكم رجل يريد أن يصدكم عم
فترى وقال الذين ذا إلا إفك م ـ كفرواوقالوا ما ه
بين ذا إلا سحر م ـ ا جاءهم إن ه للحق لم
﴾34:53﴿ When they had disbelieved in it beforehand, while
impugning the unseen from a place far off?
به من قبل ويقذفون بالغيب من كفرواوقد
كان بعيد م
﴾35:7﴿
Those who disbelieve, theirs shall be a severe
punishment. And those who believe and perform
righteous deeds, theirs shall be forgiveness and a
great reward.
الذين كفروا لهم عذاب شديد والذين آمنوا
غفرة وأجر كبير الحات لهم م وعملوا الص
﴾35:14﴿
If you call upon them, they hear not your call, and
even if they heard, they would not respond to you;
and on the Day of Resurrection they will disown
your ascribing partners unto God. And none
informs you like one who is Aware.
إن تدعوهم لا يسمعوا دعاءكم ولو سمعوا ما
بشرككم ولا فرونيكاستجابوا لكم ويوم القيامة
ينبئك مثل خبير
﴾35:26﴿ Then I seized those who disbelieved. How, then,
was the change I wrought! فكيف كان نكير كفرواثم أخذت الذين
﴾35:36﴿
And as for those who disbelieve, theirs shall be the
Fire of Hell. They will not be done away with so as
to die; nor will aught of its punishment be
lightened for them. Thus do We requite every
disbeliever.
لهم نار جهنم لا يقضى عليهم كفرواوالذين
لك فيموتوا ولا يخفف عنه ن عذابها كذ م م
كفور نجزي كل
﴾35:39﴿
He it is Who appointed you vicegerents upon the
earth. So whosoever disbelieves, his disbelief is to
his detriment. The disbelief of the disbelievers
increases them with their Lord in naught but
odium. And the disbelief of the disbelievers
increases them in naught but loss.
كفرهو الذي جعلكم خلائف في الأرض فمن
عند ربهم الكافرينكفرهمولا يزيد كفرهفعليه
إلا خسارا كفرهمالكافرينإلا مقتا ولا يزيد
﴾36:47﴿
And when it is said unto them, “Spend of that
wherewith God has provided you,” those who
disbelieve say to those who believe, “Are we to
feed those whom, if God willed, He would feed?
You are in naught but manifest error.”
ا رزقكم اللـه قال الذين وإذا قيل لهم أنفقوا مم
ه كفروا للذين آمنوا أنطعم من لو يشاء اللـ
بين أطعمه إن أنتم إلا في ضلال م
﴾36:64﴿ Burn therein today for having disbelieved! تكفرونها اليوم بما كنتم اصلو
﴾36:70﴿ To warn whomsoever is alive, and so that the
Word may come due for the disbelievers. الكافرينلينذر من كان حيا ويحق القول على
﴾37:170﴿ Then We ransomed him with a great sacrifice. به فسوف يعلمون فكفروا
﴾38:2﴿ Nay, but those who disbelieve are in vainglory and
schism. ة وشقاق كفروابل الذين في عز
﴾38:4﴿ Now they marvel that a warner from among
themselves has come unto them, and the
disbelievers say, “This is a lying sorcerer. الكافرينإلا إبليس استكبر وكان من
90
﴾38:27﴿
And We did not create Heaven and earth and
whatsoever is between them in vain; that is the
conjecture of those who disbelieve. So woe unto
those who disbelieve in the Fire!
ماء والأرض وما بينهما باطلا وما خلقنا الس
لك ظن الذين من كفروافويل للذين كفرواذ
النار
﴾38:74﴿ Not so Iblīs. He waxed arrogant and was among
the disbelievers. الكافرينكان من إلا إبليس استكبر و
﴾39:3﴿
Behold! Unto God belongs the pure religion, and
those who take protectors apart from Him [say],
“We do not worship them, save to bring us nigh in
nearness unto God.” Truly God will judge between
them regarding that wherein they differ. Truly God
does not guides one who is a disbelieving liar.
ألا للـه الدين الخالص والذين اتخذوا من دونه
بونا إلى اللـه زلفى إن أولياء ما نعبدهم إلا ليقر
ي ما هم فيه يختلفون إن اللـه اللـه يحكم بينهم ف
كفار لا يهدي من هو كاذب
﴾39:7﴿
If you do not believe, surely God is beyond need of
you. He is not pleased with disbelief for His
servants. And if you are grateful, He is pleased
therewith for you; and none shall bear the burden
of another. Then unto your Lord is your return,
and He shall inform you of that which you used to
do. Truly He knows what lies within breasts.
ه غني عنكم ولا يرضى تكفرواإن فإن اللـ
لكفر وإن تشكروا يرضه لكم ولا تزر لعباده ا
رجعكم وازرة وزر أخرى ثم إلى ربكم م
دور فينبئكم بما كنتم تعملون إنه عليم بذات الص
﴾39:8﴿
And when harm befalls man, he calls upon his
Lord, turning unto Him. Then when He bestows a
blessing from Himself upon him, he forgets the
One upon whom he called before and sets up
equals unto God to lead astray from His path. Say,
“Enjoy your disbelief a little; truly you shall be
among the inhabitants of the Fire.”
نسان ضر دعا ربه منيبا إليه ثم إذا وإذا مس الإ
نه نسي ما كان يدعو إليه من قبل له نعمة م خو
ه أندادا ليضل عن سبيله قل تمتع وجعل للـ
أصحاب النار قليلا إنك من بكفرك
﴾39:32﴿
So who does greater wrong than one who lies
against God and denies the truth when it comes to
him? Is there not within Hell an abode for the
disbelievers?
دق ه وكذب بالص ن كذب على اللـ فمن أظلم مم
للكافرينجاءه أليس في جهنم مثوى إذ
﴾39:35﴿ That God may absolve them of the worst of that
which they have done and render unto them their
reward for the best of that which they used to do.
ذي عملوا ويجزيهم اللـه عنهم أسوأ ال ليكفر
أجرهم بأحسن الذي كانوا يعملون
﴾39:59﴿ Nay, My signs did indeed come unto you; yet you
denied them, waxed arrogant, and were among the
disbelievers.
ت بلى قد جاءتك آياتي فكذبت بها واستكبر
الكافرينوكنت من
﴾39:63﴿ Unto Him belong the keys of the heavens and the
earth. And those who disbelieve in the signs of
God, it is they who are the losers.
كفرواله مقاليد السماوات والأرض والذين
ئك هم الخاسرون بآيات اللـه أ ـ ول
﴾39:71﴿
And those who disbelieve will be driven unto Hell
in throngs, till when they reach it, its gates will be
opened and its keepers will say unto them, “Did
not messengers from among you come to you,
reciting unto you the signs of your Lord and
warning you of the meeting with this your Day?”
They will say, “Yea, indeed!” But the Word of
punishment has come due for the disbelievers.
إلى جهنم زمرا حتى إذا كفرواوسيق الذين
ها وقال لهم خزنتها ألم جاءوها فتحت أبواب
نكم يتلون عليكم آيات ربكم يأتكم رسل م
كن ـ ذا قالوا بلى ول ـ وينذرونكم لقاء يومكم ه
الكافرينحقت كلمة العذاب على
﴾40:4﴿ None but those who disbelieve dispute concerning
the signs of God. So let it not delude thee that they
are free to come and go in the land.
فلا كفرواما يجادل في آيات اللـه إلا الذين
يغررك تقلبهم في البلاد
91
﴾40:6﴿ Likewise did the Word of thy Lord come due for
those who disbelieve, that they are the inhabitants
of the Fire.
لك حقت كلمت ربك على الذين أنهم كفرواوكذ
أصحاب النار
﴾40:10﴿
Truly those who disbelieve shall be addressed:
“God’s odium is greater than your odium for
yourselves when you were called to belief, but then
disbelieved.”
ه أكبر من كفرواإن الذين ينادون لمقت اللـ
يمان قتكم أنفسكم إذ تدعون إلى الإ فتكفرونم
﴾40:12﴿
That is because when God was invoked as One,
you disbelieved, and when partners were ascribed
unto Him, you believed. Judgment lies with God,
the Exalted, the Great.
ه وحده لكم بأنه إذا دعي اللـ وإن يشرك كفرتمذ
ه العلي الكبير به تؤمنوا فالحكم للـ
﴾40:14﴿ So call upon God, devoting religion entirely to
Him, though the disbelievers be averse.
ه مخلصين له الدين ولو كره فادعوا اللـ
الكافرون
﴾40:22﴿ That is because their messengers brought them
clear proofs, yet they disbelieved; so God seized
them. Truly He is Strong, severe in retribution.
لك بأنهم كانت تأتيهم رسلهم بالبينات فكفرواذ
ه إنه قوي شديد العقاب فأخذهم اللـ
﴾40:25﴿
So when he came unto them with the truth from Us,
they said, “Slay the sons of those who believe with
him and spare their women.” The scheming of the
disbelievers is in naught but error.
ا جاءهم بالحق من عندنا قالوا اقتلوا أبناء فلم
عه واستحيوا نساءهم وما كيد الذين آمنوا م
إلا في ضلال الكافرين
﴾40:42﴿
You call upon me to disbelieve in God and to
ascribe as a partner unto Him that whereof I have
no knowledge, whereas I call you unto the Mighty,
the Forgiving.
ه وأشرك به ما ليس لي به لكفرني تدعون باللـ
علم وأنا أدعوكم إلى العزيز الغفار
﴾40:50﴿
They will reply: “Did not your messengers bring
you clear proofs?” They will say, “Yea, indeed.”
They will say, “Then make supplications!” But the
supplications of the disbelievers are naught but in
error.
قالوا أولم تك تأتيكم رسلكم بالبينات قالوا بلى
إلا في ضلال الكافرينقالوا فادعوا وما دعاء
﴾40:74﴿
Apart from God?” They will reply, “They have
forsaken us. Nay, but we were not calling upon
aught before.” Thus does God lead astray the
disbelievers.
من دون اللـه قالوا ضلوا عنا بل لم نكن ندعو
ه لك يضل اللـ نالكافريمن قبل شيئا كذ
﴾40:84﴿ Then, when they saw Our Might, they said, “We
believe in God alone, and we disavow that which
we used to ascribe as partners unto Him.”
ا رأوا بأسنا قالوا آمنا باللـه وحده و بما كفرنافلم
كنا به مشركين
﴾40:85﴿
But their believing benefited them not when they
saw Our Might. [That is] the wont of God which
has passed among His servants; and the
disbelievers were then lost.
ه ا رأوا بأسنا سنت اللـ فلم يك ينفعهم إيمانهم لم
الكافروني قد خلت في عباده وخسر هنالك الت
﴾41:7﴿ Those who do not give alms and who disbelieve in
the Hereafter. كاة وهم بالخرة هم كافرونالذين لا يؤتون الز
﴾41:9﴿ Say, “Do you indeed disbelieve in He Who created
the earth in two days, and do you set up equals
unto Him? That is the Lord of the worlds.”
بالذي خلق الأرض في لتكفرونقل أئنكم
لك رب العالمين يومين وتجعلون له أندادا ذ
﴾41:14﴿
When messengers came unto them from before
them and behind them, [saying], ‘Worship none
but God,’ they said, ‘Had our Lord willed, He
would send down angels; so truly we disbelieve in
that wherewith you have been sent.’”
سل من بين أيديهم وم ن خلفهم ألا إذ جاءتهم الر
تعبدوا إلا اللـه قالوا لو شاء ربنا لأنزل ملائكة
كافرونفإنا بما أرسلتم به
92
﴾41:26﴿ And those who disbelieve will say, “Listen not to
this Quran, but speak dismissively of it, that haply
you might prevail.”
ذا القرآن كفرواوقال الذين ـ لا تسمعوا له
والغوا فيه لعلكم تغلبون
﴾41:27﴿ We shall surely make those who disbelieve taste a
severe punishment, and We shall surely requite
them for the worst of that which they used to do.
عذابا شديدا ولنجزينهم كفروافلنذيقن الذين
أسوأ الذي كانوا يعملون
﴾41:29﴿
And those who disbelieve will say, “Our Lord
show us those who led us astray among jinn and
men. Let us put them under our feet, that they
might be among the lowliest.”
نا من كفرواوقال الذين ربنا أرنا اللذين أضلا
نس نجعلهما تحت أقدامنا ليكونا من الجن والإ
الأسفلين
﴾41:41﴿ Truly those who disbelieve in the Reminder when it
comes unto them […]. And truly it is a mighty
Book.
ا جاءهم وإنه لكتاب كفرواإن الذين بالذكر لم
عزيز
﴾41:50﴿
And if We make him taste some mercy from Us
after hardship has befallen him, surely he will say,
“This is mine; I think not that the Hour will come.
If I am returned unto my Lord, surely with Him
shall I have that which is most beautiful.” So We
shall inform those who disbelieved of that which
they have done, and We shall cause them to taste
of a grave punishment.
اء مسته نا من بعد ضر ولئن أذقناه رحمة م
ذا لي وما أظن الساعة قائمة ولئن ـ ليقولن ه
جعت إلى ربي إن لي عنده للحسنى فلننبئن ر
ن عذاب بما عملوا كفرواالذين ولنذيقنهم م
غليظ
﴾41:52﴿ Say, “What think you, if it is from God, yet you
disbelieve in it? Who is more astray than one in
extreme schism?”
ه ثم كفرتم به من قل أرأيتم إن كان من عند اللـ
ن ه و في شقاق بعيد أضل مم
﴾42:26﴿
And He responds to those who believe and perform
righteous deeds, and will increase them from His
Bounty. And as for the disbelievers, theirs shall be
a severe punishment.
ال حات ويستجيب الذين آمنوا وعملوا الص
ن فضله و لهم عذاب شديد الكافرونويزيدهم م
﴾42:48﴿
And if they turn away, We sent thee not as a keeper
over them. Naught is incumbent upon thee, save
the proclamation. Truly when We cause man to
taste mercy from Us, he rejoices in it. And if an
evil befalls them because of that which their hands
have sent forth, truly man is ungrateful.
فإن أعرضوا فما أرسلناك عليهم حفيظا إن
نسان منا عليك إلا البلاغ وإنا إذا أذقنا الإ
مة فرح بها وإن تصبهم سيئة بما قدمت رح
نسان كفور أيديهم فإن الإ
﴾43:15﴿ Yet they assign to Him a portion from some of His
servants. Truly man is a manifest ingrate.
لكفور نسان وجعلوا له من عباده جزءا إن الإ
بين م
﴾43:24﴿
$ He replied, “What! Though I bring you better
guidance than that which you found your fathers
following?” They said, “Truly we disbelieve in
that wherewith you have been sent.”
ا وجدتم عليه آباءكم قال أولو جئتكم بأهدى مم
كافرونقالوا إنا بما أرسلتم به
﴾43:30﴿ And when the Truth came unto them, they said,
“This is sorcery, and we do not believe in it.”
ذا سحر وإنا به ـ ا جاءهم الحق قالوا ه ولم
رونكاف
﴾43:33﴿
And were it not that mankind would be one
community, We would have made for those who
disbelieve in the Compassionate silver roofs for
their houses, stairways whereon to ascend,
ة واحدة لجعلنا لمن ولولا أن يكون الناس أم
ة ومعارج يكفر ن فض ن لبيوتهم سقفا م ـ حم بالر
عليها يظهرون
﴾45:11﴿ This is guidance; and those who disbelieve in the
signs of their Lord, theirs shall be a painful
punishment of torment.
ذا هدى والذين ـ بآيات ربهم لهم عذاب فرواكه
جز أليم ن ر م
93
﴾45:31﴿ And as for those who disbelieve, were not My signs
recited unto you? But you waxed arrogant and
were a guilty people.
ا الذين كم أفلم تكن آياتي تتلى علي كفرواوأم
جرمين فاستكبرتم وكنتم قوما م
﴾46:3﴿
We did not create the heavens and the earth and
whatsoever is between them, save in truth and for
a term appointed. Yet those who disbelieve turn
away from that of which they were warned.
لقنا السماوات والأرض وما بينهما إلا ما خ
ى والذين سم ا أنذروا كفروابالحق وأجل م عم
معرضون
﴾46:6﴿ When mankind is gathered, such will be enemies
unto them and deniers of their worship.
س كانوا لهم أعداء وكانوا وإذا حشر النا
كافرينبعبادتهم
﴾46:7﴿ Yet when Our signs are recited unto them as clear
proofs, those who disbelieve say to the Truth when
it comes to them, “This is manifest sorcery.”
كفرواا بينات قال الذين وإذا تتلى عليهم آياتن
بين ذا سحر م ـ ا جاءهم ه للحق لم
﴾46:10﴿
Say, “Have you considered if it is from God and
you disbelieve in it, though a witness from the
Children of Israel bore witness to the like thereof,
then believed in it, while you waxed arrogant?
Surely God guides not wrongdoing people.”
ه و به وشهد كفرتمقل أرأيتم إن كان من عند اللـ
ن بني إسرائيل على مثله فآمن شاهد م
المين واستكبرتم إن اللـه لا يهدي ا لقوم الظ
﴾46:11﴿
And those who disbelieve say of those who believe,
“Had it been good, they would not have
outstripped us in [attaining] it.” Since they will
not be guided by it, they will say, “This is an
ancient perversion.”
ه و قل أرأيت به وشهد كفرتمم إن كان من عند اللـ
ن بني إسرائيل على مثله فآمن شاهد م
المين واستكبرتم إن اللـه لا يهدي القوم الظ
﴾46:20﴿
And the day when those who disbelieve are
exposed to the Fire: “You squandered your good
things in your life in the world and sought
enjoyment therein; so today you are recompensed
with the punishment of disgrace for having waxed
arrogant upon the earth without right and for
having been iniquitous.”
على النار أذهبتم كفرواالذين ويوم يعرض
طيباتكم في حياتكم الدنيا واستمتعتم بها فاليوم
تجزون عذاب الهون بما كنتم تستكبرون في
الأرض بغير الحق وبما كنتم تفسقون
﴾46:34﴿
And on the day when those who disbelieve are
exposed to the Fire, “Is this not true?” They will
say, “Yea, by our Lord!” He will reply, “Taste the
punishment for having disbelieved.”
ذا ـ ويوم يعرض الذين كفروا على النار أليس ه
قالوا بلى وربنا قال فذوقوا العذاب بما بالحق
تكفرونكنتم
﴾47:1﴿ Those who disbelieve and turn from the way of
God—He has made their deeds go astray.
حيم الذين ن الر ـ حم ه الر وصدوا كفروابسم اللـ
ه أضل أعمالهم عن سبيل اللـ
﴾47:2﴿
And those who believe and perform righteous
deeds, and believe in what has been sent down
unto Muhammad—and it is the truth from their
Lord—He has absolved them of their evil deeds
and set their state aright.
ل والذ الحات وآمنوا بما نز ين آمنوا وعملوا الص
بهم د وهو الحق من ر عنهم كفرعلى محم
سيئاتهم وأصلح بالهم
﴾47:3﴿
That is because those who disbelieve follow
falsehood and because those who believe follow
the truth from their Lord. Thus does God set forth
for mankind their likenesses.
لك بأن الذين اتبعوا الباطل وأن الذين كفرواذ
ه لك يضرب اللـ بهم كذ آمنوا اتبعوا الحق من ر
للناس أمثالهم
﴾47:4﴿
And when you meet those who disbelieve, strike at
their necks; then, when you have overwhelmed
them, tighten the bonds. Then free them graciously
or hold them for ransom, till war lays down its
burdens. Thus [shall it be]. And if God willed, He
would take vengeance upon them, but that He may
قاب حتى إذا كفروافإذا لقيتم الذين فضرب الر
ا فداء أثخن ا منا بعد وإم تموهم فشدوا الوثاق فإم
لك ولو يشاء اللـه حتى تضع الحرب أوزارها ذ
كن ليبلو بعضكم ببعض ـ لانتصر منهم ول
أعمالهم والذين قتلوا في سبيل اللـه فلن يضل
94
test some of you by means of others, […}. And as
for those who are slain in the way of God, He will
not make their deeds go astray.
﴾47:8﴿ As for those who disbelieve, wretched are they,
and He has made their deeds go astray. فتعسا لهم وأضل أعمالهم كفرواوالذين
﴾47:10﴿
Have they not journeyed upon the earth and
observed how those before them fared in the end?
God destroyed them; and the disbelievers shall
have the like thereof.
أفلم يسيروا في الأرض فينظروا كيف كان
ر اللـه عليهم عاقبة الذين من قبلهم دم
أمثالهاللكافرينو
﴾47:11﴿ That is because God is Master of those who
believe, and because the disbelievers have no
master.
ه مولى الذين آمنوا وأن لك بأن اللـ لا الكافرينذ
مولى لهم
﴾47:12﴿
Truly God causes those who believe and perform
righteous deeds to enter Gardens with rivers
running below, while those who disbelieve enjoy
themselves and eat as cattle eat; and the Fire shall
be an abode for them.
الحات ه يدخل الذين آمنوا وعملوا الص إن اللـ
كفروانهار والذين جنات تجري من تحتها الأ
يتمتعون ويأكلون كما تأكل الأنعام والنار مثوى
لهم
﴾47:32﴿
Truly those who disbelieve, and turn from the way
of God, and oppose the Messenger of God after
guidance has been made clear to them will not
harm God in the least. And He will make their
deeds come to naught.
ه وشاقوا كفرواإن الذين وصدوا عن سبيل اللـ
وا سول من بعد ما تبين لهم الهدى لن يضر الر
اللـه شيئا وسيحبط أعمالهم
﴾47:34﴿ Truly those who disbelieve and turn from the way
of God then die while they are disbelievers, God
will not forgive them.
ه ثم ماتوا إن الذين كفروا وصدوا عن سبيل اللـ
فلن يغفر اللـه لهم كفار وهم
﴾48:5﴿
hat He may cause the believing men and the
believing women to enter Gardens with rivers
running below, therein to abide, and that He may
absolve them of their evil deeds—that is a great
triumph in the sight of God—
جنات تجري من ليدخل المؤمنين والمؤمنات
عنهم سيئاتهم يكفرتحتها الأنهار خالدين فيها و
ه فوزا عظيما لك عند اللـ وكان ذ
﴾48:13﴿ And whosoever does not believe in God and His
Messenger—truly We have prepared a blaze for
the disbelievers.
ه ورسوله فإنا أعتدنا ومن لم يؤمن باللـ
سعيرا للكافرين
﴾48:22﴿ If those who disbelieve had fought you, they would
have turned [their] backs, and then would have
found neither protector nor helper.
لولوا الأدبار ثم لا كفروام الذين ولو قاتلك
يجدون وليا ولا نصيرا
﴾48:25﴿
It is they who disbelieved and turned you from the
Sacred Mosque and the offerings detained from
reaching their place of sacrifice. And were it not
for believing men and believing women whom you
know not, lest you trample them, and thus incur
guilt unknowingly—that God may cause
whomsoever He will to enter into His Mercy—had
they been clearly separated, We would surely have
punished the disbelievers among them with a
painful punishment.
وصدوكم عن المسجد الحرام كفرواهم الذين
والهدي معكوفا أن يبلغ محله ولولا رجال
ؤمنات لم تعلموهم أن تطئوهم ؤمنون ونساء م م
ع نهم م ه في فتصيبكم م ة بغير علم ليدخل اللـ ر
كفروارحمته من يشاء لو تزيلوا لعذبنا الذين
منهم عذابا أليما
﴾48:26﴿
When those who disbelieve had set zealotry in
their hearts, the zealotry of the Age of Ignorance,
God sent down His Tranquility upon His
Messenger and upon the believers, and enjoined
the word of reverence upon them, they being more
ة حمية في قلوبهم الحمي كفرواإذ جعل الذين
ه سكينته على رسوله وعلى الجاهلية فأنزل اللـ
المؤمنين وألزمهم كلمة التقوى وكانوا أحق بها
ه بكل شيء عليما وأهلها وكان اللـ
95
worthy of it and deserving of it. And God is
Knower of all things.
﴾48:29﴿
Muhammad is the Messenger of God. Those who
are with him are harsh against the disbelievers,
merciful to one another. You see them bowing,
prostrating, seeking bounty from God and
contentment; their mark upon their faces is from
the effect of prostration. That is their likeness in
the Torah. And their likeness in the Gospel is a
sapling that puts forth its shoot and strengthens it,
such that it grows stout and rises firmly upon its
stalk, impressing the sowers, that through them He
may enrage the disbelievers. God has promised
forgiveness and a great reward to those among
them who believe and perform righteous deeds.
ه والذين معه أشداء على سول اللـ د ر حم م
دا يبتغون الكفار عا سج رحماء بينهم تراهم رك
ه ورضوان ن اللـ ا سيماهم في وجوههم فضلا م
لك مثلهم في التوراة ومثلهم ن أثر السجود ذ م
نجيل كزرع أخرج شطأه فآزره فاستغلظ في الإ
اع ليغيظ بهم ر فاستوى على سوقه يعجب الز
د اللـه الذين آمنوا وعملوا وع الكفار
غفرة وأجرا عظيما الحات منهم م الص
﴾49:7﴿
And know that the Messenger of God is among
you. Were he to obey you in many matters, you
would suffer. But God has caused you to love faith
and has made it seem fair in your hearts, and He
has caused you to despise disbelief, iniquity, and
disobedience—such are the rightly guided—
ه لو يطيعكم في واعلموا أن فيكم رسول اللـ
كن اللـه حب ـ ن الأمر لعنتم ول ب إليكم كثير م
ه إليكم يمان وزينه في قلوبكم وكر الكفرالإ
اشدون ئك هم الر ـ والفسوق والعصيان أول
﴾50:2﴿ Nay, but they marvel that a warner has come unto
them from among their own; so the disbelievers
say, “This is an astounding thing!
نهم فقال نذر م الكافرونبل عجبوا أن جاءهم م
ذا شيء عجيب ـ ه
﴾50:24﴿ “Cast you both into Hell every stubborn
disbeliever… عنيد كفار ألقيا في جهنم كل
﴾51:60﴿ Woe unto those who disbelieve on account of the
Day that they are promised. فويل للذين كفروا من يومهم الذي يوعدون
﴾52:42﴿ Or do they desire to devise [a scheme]? Then
those who disbelieve shall be the ones against
whom a scheme is devised! هم المكيدون كفروايدون كيدا فالذين أم ير
﴾54:8﴿ Scrambling toward the Caller. The disbelievers
say, “This is a calamitous day.”
هطعين إلى الداع يقول ذا يوم الكافرونم ـ ه
عسر
﴾54:14﴿ Coursing under Our Eyes as a recompense for one
who was rejected. كفرتجري بأعيننا جزاء لمن كان
﴾54:43﴿ Are your disbelievers better than those? Or have
you some exemption in the scriptures? ب ئكم أم لكم براءة في الز ـ ن أول ر أكفاركم خير م
﴾57:15﴿
So this day no ransom shall be taken from you, or
from those who disbelieved.” Your refuge shall be
the Fire; it shall be your master. What an evil
journey’s end!
كفروافاليوم لا يؤخذ منكم فدية ولا من الذين
م النار هي مولاكم وبئس المصير مأواك
﴾57:19﴿
And those who believe in God and His
messengers—it is they who are truthful and are
witnesses before their Lord. They have their
reward and their light. And those who disbelieve
and deny Our signs, they are the inhabitants of
Hellfire.
ديقون ئك هم الص ـ ه ورسله أول والذين آمنوا باللـ
والشهداء عند ربهم لهم أجرهم ونورهم والذين
ئك أصحاب الجحيم كفروا ـ وكذبوا بآياتنا أول
﴾57:20﴿
Know that the life of this world is but play,
diversion, ornament, mutual boasting among you,
and vying for increase in property and children—
the likeness of a rain whose vegetation impresses
اعلموا أنما الحياة الدنيا لعب ولهو وزينة
تفاخر بينكم وتكاثر في الأموال والأولاد و
نباته ثم يهيج فتراه الكفاركمثل غيث أعجب
96
the farmers; then it withers such that you see it
turn yellow; then it becomes chaff. And in the
Hereafter there shall be severe punishment,
forgiveness from God, and contentment, and the
life of this world is naught but the enjoyment of
delusion.
ا ثم يكون حطاما وفي الخرة عذاب مصفر
ن اللـه ورضوان وما الحياة شديد ومغفرة م
الدنيا إلا متاع الغرور
﴾58:4﴿
And whosoever finds not [the means], let him fast
two consecutive months before they touch one
another. And whosoever is unable, let him feed
sixty indigent people. That is so that you may
believe in God and His Messenger. These are the
limits set by God, and the disbelievers shall have a
painful punishment.
فمن لم يجد فصيام شهرين متتابعين من قبل أن
ين مسكينا يتماسا فمن لم يستطع فإطعام ست
ل ه ذ ه ورسوله وتلك حدود اللـ ك لتؤمنوا باللـ
عذاب أليم للكافرينو
﴾58:5﴿
Truly those who oppose God and His Messenger
shall be abased, just as those before them were
abased. We have indeed sent down clear signs,
and the disbelievers shall have a humiliating
punishment
ه ورسوله كبتوا كما كبت إن الذين يحادون اللـ
الذين من قبلهم وقد أنزلنا آيات بينات
هين للكافرينو عذاب م
﴾59:2﴿
He it is Who expelled those who disbelieve among
the People of the Book from their homes at the first
gathering. You did not think that they would go
forth, and they thought their fortresses would
protect them from God. Then God came upon them
whence they reckoned not and cast terror into
their hearts as they razed their houses with their
own hands and with the hands of the believers. So
take heed, O you who are possessed of sight.
هو الذي أخرج الذين كفروا من أهل الكتاب
ل الحشر ما ظننتم أن يخرجوا من ديارهم لأو
ه فأتاهم ن اللـ انعتهم حصونهم م وظنوا أنهم م
اللـه من حيث لم يحتسبوا وقذف في قلوبهم
عب يخربون بيوتهم بأيديهم وأيدي المؤمنين الر
ي الأبصار فاعتبروا يا أول
﴾59:11﴿
Hast thou not seen those who act with hypocrisy
saying to their brothers who disbelieve among the
People of the Book, “If you are expelled, surely we
shall go forth with you. And we shall never obey
anyone against you. And if you are fought, we
shall help you.” God bears witness that they are
surely liars.
خوانهم الذين ألم تر إلى الذين نافقوا يقولون لإ
كفروا من أهل الكتاب لئن أخرجتم لنخرجن
أبدا وإن قوتلتم معكم ولا نطيع فيكم أحدا
ه يشهد إنهم لكاذبون لننصرنكم واللـ
﴾59:16﴿ Like Satan when he says unto man, “Disbelieve!”
Then when he disbelieves, he says, “Surely I am
quit of you. Truly I fear God, Lord of the worlds.”
ا كمثل الش نسان اكفر فلم كفريطان إذ قال لل
نك إني أخاف اللـه رب قال إني بريء م
العالمين
﴾60:1﴿
O you who believe! Take not Mine enemy and your
enemy as friends—you offer them affection, though
they have indeed disbelieved in the Truth that has
come to you, expelling the Messenger and you for
having believed in God your Lord—if you have
gone forth striving in My way and seeking My
good pleasure. You show them affection in secret,
while I know best that which you hide and that
which you disclose. And whosoever among you
does so has indeed strayed from the right way.
حيم يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا ن الر ـ حم ه الر بسم اللـ
كم أولياء تلقون إليهم ي وعدو تتخذوا عدو
ن الحق كفرواة وقد بالمود بما جاءكم م
ه ربكم سول وإياكم أن تؤمنوا باللـ يخرجون الر
إن كنتم خرجتم جهادا في سبيلي وابتغاء
ون إليهم بالمودة وأنا أعلم بما مرضاتي تسر
يتم وما أعلنتم ومن يفعله منكم فقد ضل أخف
بيل سواء الس
﴾60:2﴿
Were they to come upon you, they would be
enemies unto you and would stretch forth their
hands and their tongues against you in evil. And
they wish you to disbelieve.
إن يثقفوكم يكونوا لكم أعداء ويبسطوا إليكم
تكفرونأيديهم وألسنتهم بالسوء وودوا لو
97
﴾60:4﴿
There is indeed a beautiful example for you in
Abraham and those with him, when they said to
their people, “Truly we are quit of you and of all
that you worship apart from God. We have
rejected you, and enmity and hatred have arisen
between us and you forever, till you believe in God
alone”; save for Abraham saying to his father, “I
shall assuredly ask forgiveness for you, though I
have no power to avail you aught from God.” Our
Lord, in Thee do we trust, unto Thee do we turn in
repentance, and unto Thee is the journey’s end.
قد كانت لكم أسوة حسنة في إبراهيم والذين
ا تعبدون معه إذ قالوا لق ومهم إنا برآء منكم ومم
بكم وبدا بيننا وبينكم كفرنامن دون اللـه
ه وحده العداوة والبغضاء أبدا حتى تؤمنوا باللـ
ما أملك إلا قول إبراهيم لأبيه لأستغفرن لك و
لنا وإليك بنا عليك توك ه من شيء ر لك من اللـ
أنبنا وإليك المصير
﴾60:5﴿ Our Lord! Make us not a trial for those who
disbelieve, and forgive us. Our Lord! Truly Thou
art the Mighty, the Wise.
واغفر لنا ربنا كفروا تجعلنا فتنة للذين ربنا لا
إنك أنت العزيز الحكيم
﴾60:10﴿
O you who believe! When the believing women
come unto you as emigrants, examine them. God
knows best their faith. Then if you know them to be
believers, do not return them to the disbelievers.
Those women are not lawful for those men; nor
are those men lawful for those women. And give
them what they have spent. There is no blame upon
you if you marry them when you have given them
their bridewealth. And hold not to the ties of
disbelieving women. Ask for what you have spent,
and let them ask for what they have spent. That is
the Judgment of God; He judges between you. And
God is Knowing, Wise.
منات يا أيها الذين آمنوا إذا جاءكم المؤ
مهاجرات فامتحنوهن اللـه أعلم بإيمانهن فإن
الكفارعلمتموهن مؤمنات فلا ترجعوهن إلى
ا لا هن حل لهم ولا هم يحلون لهن وآتوهم م
يكم أن تنكحوهن إذا أنفقوا ولا جناح عل
الكوافرآتيتموهن أجورهن ولا تمسكوا بعصم
لكم حكم واسألوا ما أنفقتم وليسألوا ما أنفقوا ذ
ه عليم حكيم اللـه يحكم بينكم واللـ
﴾61:8﴿ They desire to extinguish the Light of God with their
mouths, but God completes His Light, though the
disbelievers be averse.
ه بأفواههم واللـه متم يريدون ليطفئوا نور اللـ
الكافروننوره ولو كره
﴾61:14﴿
O you who believe! Be helpers of God, just as Jesus
son of Mary said to the apostles, “Who are my
helpers unto God?” The apostles replied, “We are
helpers unto God.” Then a group from the Children
of Israel believed and a group disbelieved. So We
strengthened those who believed against their
enemies, and they came to prevail.
يا أيها الذين آمنوا كونوا أنصار اللـه كما قال
عيسى ابن مريم للحواريين من أنصاري إلى
اللـه قال الحواريون نحن أنصار اللـه فآمنت
ن بني إسرائيل طائفة طائفة فأيدنا وكفرتم
هم فأصبحوا ظاهرين الذين آمنوا على عدو
﴾63:3﴿ That is because they believed, and then
disbelieved; so a seal was set upon their hearts
such that they comprehend not.
لك فطبع على قلوبهم فهم كفروابأنهم آمنوا ثم ذ
لا يفقهون
﴾64:2﴿ He it is Who created you; among you are
disbelievers and among you are believers. And
God sees whatsoever you do.
ه ومنك كافر هو الذي خلقكم فمنكم ؤمن واللـ م م
بما تعملون بصير
﴾64:5﴿
Has not the account come to you of those who
disbelieved aforetime such that they tasted the evil
consequences of their affair, and theirs shall be a
painful punishment?
من قبل فذاقوا وبال كفروالذين ألم يأتكم نبأ ا
أمرهم ولهم عذاب أليم
﴾64:6﴿
That is because their messengers brought them
clear proofs, at which they said, “Shall a human
being guide us?” So they disbelieved and turned
away; yet God is beyond need. And God is Self-
Sufficient, Praised.
لك بأنه كانت تأتيهم رسلهم بالبينات فقالوا ذ
استغنى اللـه فكفرواأبشر يهدوننا وتولوا و
واللـه غني حميد
98
﴾64:7﴿
Those who disbelieve claim that they will not be
resurrected. Say, “Yea! By my Lord! Surely you
shall be resurrected. Then you shall be informed of
that which you did; and that is easy for God.”
أن لن يبعثوا قل بلى وربي كفروازعم الذين
ه لتبعثن ثم لتنب لك على اللـ ؤن بما عملتم وذ
يسير
﴾64:9﴿
The day that He gathers you for the Day of
Gathering, that is the Day of Mutual
Dispossession. And whosoever believes in God and
works righteousness, He will absolve him of his
evil deeds and cause him to enter Gardens with
rivers running below, to abide therein forever.
That is the great triumph.
لك يوم التغابن ومن يوم يجمعكم ليوم الجمع ذ
عنه سيئاته يكفريؤمن باللـه ويعمل صالحا
خله جنات تجري من تحتها الأنهار خالدين ويد
لك الفوز العظيم فيها أبدا ذ
﴾64:10﴿ And those who disbelieve and deny Our signs, they
are the inhabitants of the Fire, abiding therein.
What an evil journey’s end!
ئك أصحاب فرواكوالذين ـ وكذبوا بآياتنا أول
النار خالدين فيها وبئس المصير
﴾65:5﴿
That is the Command of God that He has sent
down unto you. And whosoever reverences God,
He will absolve him of his evil deeds for him and
honor him with reward.
ه ه أنزله إليكم ومن يتق اللـ لك أمر اللـ يكفرذ
عنه سيئاته ويعظم له أجرا
﴾66:7﴿ O you who disbelieve! Make no excuses this day!
You are only requited for that which you used to
do.
لا تعتذروا اليوم إنما كفرواا الذين يا أيه
تجزون ما كنتم تعملون
﴾66:8﴿
O you who believe! Repent unto God with sincere
repentance. It may be that your Lord will absolve
you of your evil deeds and cause you to enter
Gardens with rivers running below—the Day when
God will not disgrace the Prophet and those who
believe with him, with their light spreading before
them and on their right, while they say, “Our
Lord, complete our light for us and forgive us.
Truly Thou art Powerful over all things.”
يا أيها الذين آمنوا توبوا إلى اللـه توبة نصوحا
عنكم سيئاتكم ويدخلكم يكفرعسى ربكم أن
جنات تجري من تحتها الأنهار يوم لا يخزي
نوا معه نورهم يسعى بين اللـه النبي والذين آم
أيديهم وبأيمانهم يقولون ربنا أتمم لنا نورنا
واغفر لنا إنك على كل شيء قدير
﴾66:9﴿ O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the
hypocrites and be harsh with them. Their refuge is
Hell. What an evil journey’s end!
والمنافقين واغلظ الكفاريا أيها النبي جاهد
عليهم ومأواهم جهنم وبئس المصير
﴾66:10﴿
God sets forth as an example for those who
disbelieve the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot.
They were under two of Our righteous servants;
then they betrayed them, and they availed them
naught against God. And it was said unto both,
“Enter the Fire with those who enter.”
رأت نوح ام كفرواضرب اللـه مثلا للذين
وامرأت لوط كانتا تحت عبدين من عبادنا
ه صالحين فخانتاهما فلم يغنيا عنهما من اللـ
شيئا وقيل ادخلا النار مع الداخلين
﴾67:6﴿ And for those who disbelieve in their Lord is the
punishment of Hell. What an evil journey’s end!
بربهم عذاب جهنم وبئس كفرواوللذين
المصير
﴾67:20﴿ Who is it that will be a host for you, who may help
you, apart from the Compassionate? The
disbelievers are in naught but delusion.
ن دون ذا الذي هو جند لكم ينصركم م ـ ن ه أم
ن إن ـ حم إلا في غرور الكافرونالر
﴾67:27﴿ And when they see it close at hand, the faces of
those who disbelieved shall be stricken, and it
shall be said, “This is that for which you called.”
ا رأوه زلفة سيئت وجوه الذين وقيل كفروافلم
ذا الذي كنتم به تدعون ـ ه
﴾67:28﴿
Say, “Have you considered whether God destroys
me and those with me or has mercy upon us? Who
will protect the disbelievers from a painful
punishment?”
عي أو رحمنا ه ومن م قل أرأيتم إن أهلكني اللـ
من عذاب أليم الكافرينفمن يجير
99
﴾68:51﴿ Indeed, those who disbelieve would well-nigh
smite thee down with their glances when they hear
the Reminder, saying, “Surely, he is possessed.”
ا كفرواوإن يكاد الذين ليزلقونك بأبصارهم لم
سمعوا الذكر ويقولون إنه لمجنون
﴾69:50﴿ It is indeed a source of regret for the disbelievers. الكافرينحسرة على وإنه ل
﴾70:2﴿ Upon the disbelievers which none can avert. ليس له دافع للكافرين
﴾70:36﴿ So how is it that those who disbelieve scramble
toward thee. قبلك مهطعين كفروافمال الذين
﴾71:26﴿ Noah said, “My Lord, leave not a single
disbeliever to dwell upon the earth.
ب لا تذر على الأرض من وقال نوح ر
الكافرين
﴾71:27﴿ Truly if you leave them they will mislead Thy
servants and will beget naught but disbelieving
profligates.
إن تذرهم يضلوا عبادك ولا يلدوا إلا إنك
كفارافاجرا
﴾73:17﴿ So if you disbelieve, how will you guard against a
day that would make children gray-haired? قون إن يوما يجعل الولدان شيبا كفرتمفكيف تت
﴾74:10﴿ For the disbelievers, not of ease. غير يسير الكافرينعلى
﴾74:31﴿
And We have appointed none but angels as
wardens of the Fire; and We have not appointed
their number save as a trial for those who
disbelieve, to grant certainty to those who have
been given the Book and increase in faith those
who believe; and that those who were given the
Book and the believers will not doubt; and that
those in whose hearts is a disease and the
disbelievers will say, “What does God desire by
this as a parable?” Thus does God lead astray
whomsoever He will and guide whomsoever He
will. And none knows the hosts of thy Lord but He.
It is but a reminder for the human being.
وما جعلنا أصحاب النار إلا ملائكة وما جعلنا
ليستيقن الذين أوتوا كفروافتنة للذين عدتهم إلا
الكتاب ويزداد الذين آمنوا إيمانا ولا يرتاب
الذين أوتوا الكتاب والمؤمنون وليقول الذين في
رض و ذا ماذا أراد الل الكافرونقلوبهم م ـ ـه به
ه من يشاء ويهدي من يشاء لك يضل اللـ مثلا كذ
وما يعلم جنود ربك إلا هو وما هي إلا ذكرى
للبشر
﴾76:3﴿ Truly We guided him upon the way, be he grateful
or ungrateful. ا إنا هديناه ا شاكرا وإم بيل إم كفوراالس
﴾76:4﴿ We have surely prepared for the disbelievers
chains, shackles, and a blazing flame. سلاسل وأغلالا وسعيرا للكافرينإنا أعتدنا
﴾76:5﴿ Truly the pious drink of a cup mixed with
camphor.
إن الأبرار يشربون من كأس كان مزاجها
كافورا
﴾76:24﴿ So be patient with thy Lord’s judgment and obey
neither sinner nor disbeliever among them. فاصبر لحكم ربك ولا تطع منهم آثما أو كفورا
﴾78:40﴿
Truly We have warned you of a punishment nigh,
on a day when a man beholds what his hands have
sent forth, and the disbeliever says, “Oh, would
that I were dust!”
إنا أنذرناكم عذابا قريبا يوم ينظر المرء ما
يا ليتني كنت ترابا الكافرول قدمت يداه ويق
﴾80:17﴿ Perish man! How ungrateful is he! نسان ما أكفرهقتل الإ
﴾80:42﴿ Those, they are the disbelievers, the profligates. ئك هم ـ الفجرة الكفرةأول
﴾83:34﴿ So that Day those who believe shall laugh at those
who disbelieve, يضحكون الكفارفاليوم الذين آمنوا من
﴾83:36﴿ Have the disbelievers been requited for that which
they used to do? ب ما كانوا يفعلون الكفارهل ثو
100
﴾84:22﴿ Nay! Those who disbelieve deny. يكذبون كفروابل الذين
﴾85:19﴿ Yet those who disbelieve are in denial. في تكذيب كفروابل الذين
﴾86:17﴿ So be gentle with the disbelievers; grant them
respite for a while. ل داأمهلهم روي الكافرينفمه
﴾88:23﴿ But whosoever turns away and disbelieves كفرإلا من تولى و
﴾90:19﴿ And those who disbelieve in Our signs, they are
the companions of the left. بآياتنا هم أصحاب المشأمة كفرواوالذين
﴾98:1﴿ Those who disbelieve among the People of the
Book and the idolaters will not desist until the
clear proof comes unto them
حيم لم يكن الذين ن الر ـ حم ه الر كفروابسم اللـ
من أهل الكتاب والمشركين منفكين حتى تأتيهم
نة البي
﴾98:6﴿
Truly the disbelievers among the People of the
Book and the idolaters are in the Fire of Hell,
abiding therein; it is they who are the worst of
creation.
من أهل الكتاب والمشركين في كفرواإن الذين
ئك هم شر البرية نار جهنم خ ـ الدين فيها أول
﴾109:1﴿ Say, “O disbelievers! الكافرونقل يا أيها
101
Appendix B
The following chart is a list of how the root ‘ ر-ف-ك ’ is used, its translation, and the
specific verse numbers of which each root form is used.
Form I Verb كفر To disbelieve,
To deny, To be
ungrateful
Qur’ān 2:6, 2:26, 2:28, 2:39, 2:61, 2:85, 2:89, 2:90, 2:91,
2:99, 2:102, 2:105, 2:121, 2:126, 2:152, 2:161, 2:171, 2:212,
2:253, 2:256, 2:257, 2:258, 3:4, 3:10, 3:12, 3:19, 3:21, 3:55,
3:55, 3:56, 3:70, 3:72, 3:86, 3:90, 3:91, 3:97, 3:98, 3:101,
3:106, 3:112, 3:115, 3:116, 3:127, 3:149, 3:151, 3:156, 3:178,
3:196, 4:42, 4:51, 4:56, 4:60, 4:76, 4:84, 4:89, 4:101, 4:102,
4:131, 4:136, 4:137, 4:140, 4:150, 4:167, 4:168, 4:170, 5:3,
5:5, 5:10, 5:12, 5:17, 5:36, 5:72, 5:73, 5:78, 5:80, 5:86, 5:103,
5:110, 5:115, 6:1, 6:7, 6:25, 6:30, 6:70, 6:89, 7:66, 7:90, 8:12,
8:15, 8:30, 8:35, 8:36, 8:38, 8:50, 8:52, 8:55, 8:59, 8:65, 8:73,
9:3, 9:26, 9:30, 9:37, 9:40, 9:54, 9:66, 9:74, 9:80, 9:84, 9:90,
10:4, 10:70, 11:7, 11:17, 11:27, 11:60, 11:68, 13:5, 13:7
13:27, 13:30, 13:31, 13:32, 13:33, 13:43, 14:7, 14:8, 14:9,
14:13, 14:18, 14:22, 15:2, 16:39, 16:55, 16:72, 16:84, 16:88,
16:106, 16:112, 17:69, 17:98, 18:29, 18:37, 18:56, 18:102,
18:105, 18:106, 19:37, 19:73, 19:77, 19:82, 21:30, 21:36,
21:39, 21:97, 22:19, 22:25, 22:55, 22:57, 22:72, 23:24, 23:33,
24:55, 22:57, 22:72, 23:24, 23:33, 24:39, 24:55, 24:57, 25:4,
25:32, 27:40, 27:67, 28:48, 29:12, 29:23, 29:25, 29:52, 29:66,
29:67, 30:16, 30:34, 30:44, 30:51, 30:58, 31:12, 31:23, 32:39,
33:25, 34:3, 34:7, 34:17, 34:31, 34:33, 34:43, 34:53, 35:7,
35:14, 35:26, 35:36, 35:39, 36:47, 36:64, 37:170, 38:2, 38:27,
39:7, 39:63, 39:71, 40:4, 40:6, 40:10, 40:12, 4:22, 40:42,
40:84, 41:9, 41:26, 41:27, 41:29, 41:41, 41:50, 41:52, 43:33,
45:11, 45:31, 46:3, 46:7, 46:10, 46:11, 46:20, 46:34, 47:1,
47:3, 47:4, 47:8, 47:12, 47:32, 47:34, 48:22, 48:25, 48:26,
51:60, 52:42, 54:14, 57:15, 57:19, 59:2, 59:11, 59:16 60:1,
60:4, 60:5, 61:14, 63:3, 64:5, 64:6, 64:10, 66:7, 66:10, 67:6,
67:27, 68:51, 70:36, 73:17, 74:31, 84:22, 85:19, 88:23, 90:19,
98:1, 98:6.
Form II Verb كفر To absolve Qur’ān 2:271, 3:193, 3:195, 4:31, 5:12, 5:65, 8:29, 29:7,
39:35, 47:2, 48:5, 64:9, 65:5, 66:8.
Form IV Verb أكفر To be
ungrateful Qur’ān 80:17.
Noun كافر Disbeliever,
Disbelievers
Qur’ān 2:41, 2:109, 2:161, 2:217, 3:91, 4:18, 5:57, 9:68, 9:73,
9:120, 9:123, 13:42, 25:55, 47:34, 48:29, 54:43, 57:20, 60:10,
60:11, 60:13, 64:2, 66:9, 78:40, 80:42, 83:34, 83:36.
Noun كافور Camphor Qur’ān 76:5.
Noun رة .Expiation Qur’ān 5:45, 5:89, 5:95 كف
Noun كفر Disbelief,
Ungratefulness
Qur’ān 2:88, 2:93, 2:108, 2:217, 3:52, 3:80, 3:90, 3:167,
3:176, 3:177, 4:46, 4:137, 4:155, 4:156, 5:41, 5:61, 5:64,
5:68, 9:12, 9:17, 9:23, 9:37, 9:74, 9:97, 9:107, 14:28, 16:106,
18:80, 30:44, 31:23, 35:39, 39:7, 39:8, 49:7.
Noun كفران Rejected Qur’ān 21:94.
102
Noun كفور Disbelief Qur’ān 17:89, 17:99, 25:50.
Noun كوافر
Disbelieving
(Women- for
the verse
specifically)
Qur’ān 60:10.
Nominal اركف
Noun: Ungrateful
Adjective:
Ungrateful,
Disbeliever
Noun:
Qur’ān 2:276.
Adjective:
Qur’ān 14:34, 39:3, 50:24, 71:27.
Nominal كفور
Noun:
Ungrateful,
Disbeliever
Adjective:
Ungrateful
Noun:
Qur’ān 17:67, 22:66, 34:17, 43:15, 76:3, 76:24.
Adjective: 11:9, 17:27, 22:38, 31:32, 35:36, 42:48.
Active
Participle فرون ك
Noun:
Disbelievers,
Deniers
Adjective:
Disbelievers,
Disbelieving
Noun:
Qur’ān 2:19, 2:24, 2:34, 2:89, 2:90, 2:98, 2:104, 2:191, 2:254,
3:28, 3:32, 3:100, 3:131, 3:141, 4:37, 4:101, 4:102, 4:139,
4:140, 4:141, 4:144, 4:151, 4:161, 5:44, 5:54, 5:102, 6:89,
6:122, 6:130, 7:37, 7:45, 7:50, 7:76, 7:93, 7:101, 8:7, 8:14,
8:18, 9:2, 9:26, 9:32, 9:49, 9:55, 9:85, 9:125, 10:2, 11:19,
11:42, 12:37, 12:87, 13:14, 13:35, 14:2, 16:27, 16:83, 17:8,
18:100, 18:102, 19:83, 21:36, 22:44, 23:117, 25:26, 25:52,
26:19, 28:48, 28:82, 28:86, 29:47, 29:54, 29:68, 30:8, 30:13,
30:45, 32:10, 33:1, 33:8, 33:48, 33:64, 34:34, 35:39, 36:70,
38:4, 38:74, 39:32, 39:59, 39:71, 40:14, 40:25, 40:50, 40:74,
40:85, 41:7, 41:14, 42:26, 43:24, 43:30, 46:6, 47:10, 47:11,
48:13, 50:2, 54:8, 58:4, 58:5, 61:8, 67:20, 67:28, 69:50, 70:2,
71:26, 74:10, 74:31, 76:4, 86:17, 109:1.
Adjective:
2:250, 2:264, 2:286, 3:147, 5:67, 5:68, 9:37, 10:86, 16:107,
27:43.
Active
Participle ةكافر Disbelievers Qur’ān 3:13.
103
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