98. Sūrat al-Bayyinah

٩٨۔ سُورَةُ البَيِّنَة

Qurʾān > Chapter 98
القرآن > كتاب ٩٨

The Evidence (Medinan)

quran:98:1 – In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

Those who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists were not to be parted ˹from misbelief˺ until there came to them clear evidence -  

The disbelievers from among (min: explicative) the People of the Scripture and the idolaters, that is, the idol-worshippers (wa’l-mushrikīna is a supplement to ahl, ‘the People of’) were not going to leave off (munfakkīna is the predicate of yakun, ‘were’), that is to say, they were not going to abandon their ways, until the clear proof, namely, Muhammad (s), should come to them, that is, ˹until˺ it came to them;
القرآن:٩٨:١ – بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

لَمْ يَكُنِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ مُنْفَكِّينَ حَتَّىٰ تَأْتِيَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ  

{لم يكن الذين كفروا من} للبيان {أهل الكتاب والمشركين} أي عبدة الأصنام عطف على أهل {منفكين} خبر يكن، أي زائلين عما هم عليه {حتى تأتيهم} أي أتتهم {البينة} أي الحجة الواضحة وهي محمد ﷺ .
quran:98:2 –

A Messenger from Allah, reciting purified scriptures  

a messenger from God (rasūlun mina’Llāhi substitutes for al-bayyinatu, ‘the clear proof’), namely, the Prophet (s), reciting pages purified, of ˹all˺ falsehood,
القرآن:٩٨:٢ –

رَسُولٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ يَتْلُو صُحُفًا مُطَهَّرَةً  

{رسول من الله} بدل من البينة وهو النبي ﷺ {يتلو صحفاً مطهرة} من الباطل.
quran:98:3 –

Within which are correct writings.  

wherein are upright precepts, written rulings that are upright, that is to say, one who recites what contains all that, and that is the Qur’ān. Thus some of them believed in it, while others disbelieved.
القرآن:٩٨:٣ –

فِيهَا كُتُبٌ قَيِّمَةٌ  

{فيها كتب} أحكام مكتوبة {قيمة} مستقيمة، أي يتلو مضمون ذلك وهو القرآن، فمنهم من آمن به ومنهم من كفر.
quran:98:4 –

Nor did those who were given the Scripture become divided until after there had come to them clear evidence.  

And those who were given the Scripture did not become divided, regarding belief in him ˹the Prophet˺ (s), except after the clear proof had come to them, namely, the Prophet (s) — or the Qur’ān which he brought as his miracle. Before his (s) arrival they had all agreed to believe in him when he would come; then those who disbelieved in him from among them became envious of him.
القرآن:٩٨:٤ –

وَمَا تَفَرَّقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ إِلَّا مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ  

{وما تفرق الذين أوتوا الكتاب} في الإيمان به {إلا من بعد ما جاءتهم البينة} أي هو ﷺ أو القرآن الجائي به معجزة له وقبل مجيئه ﷺ كانوا مجتمعين على الإيمان به إذا جاءه فحسده من كفر به منهم.
quran:98:5 –

And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, ˹being˺ sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion.  

And they were only commanded, in their Scripture, the Torah and the Gospel, to worship God (illā li-ya‘budū means illā an ya‘budū, an having been omitted and the lām added) devoting religion purely to Him, ˹free˺ of any idolatry, as hanīfs, upright in ˹following˺ the religion of Abraham and the religion of Muhammad (s), when he would come — so how is it that they disbelieved in him?, and to establish prayer and pay the alms. That is the upright religion, the upright creed.
القرآن:٩٨:٥ –

وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ  

{وما أمروا} في كتابهم التوراة والإنجيل {إلا ليعبدوا الله} أي أن يعبدوه فحذفت أن وزيدت اللام {مخلصين له الدين} من الشرك {حنفاء} مستقيمين على دين إبراهيم ودين محمد إذا جاء فكيف كفروا به {ويقيموا الصلاة ويؤتوا الزكاة وذلك دين} الملة {القيِّمة} المستقيمة.
quran:98:6 –

Indeed, they who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists will be in the fire of Hell, abiding eternally therein. Those are the worst of creatures.  

Truly the disbelievers from among the People of the Scripture and the idolaters shall be in the fire of Hell, to abide therein (khālidīna: an implied circumstantial qualifier, in other words, it will be decreed for them by God, exalted be He, to abide therein) — those are the worst of creatures.
القرآن:٩٨:٦ –

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمْ شَرُّ الْبَرِيَّةِ  

{إن الذين كفروا من أهل الكتاب والمشركين في نار جهنم خالدين فيها} حال مقدرة، أي مقدرا خلودهم فيها من الله تعالى {أولئك هم شر البرية}.
quran:98:7 –

Indeed, they who have believed and done righteous deeds - those are the best of creatures.  

Truly those who believe and perform righteous deeds — they are the best of creatures (al-bariyya means alkhalīqa).
القرآن:٩٨:٧ –

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمْ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ  

{إن الذين آمنوا وعملوا الصالحات أولئك هم خير البرية} الخليقة.
quran:98:8 –

Their reward with Allah will be gardens of perpetual residence beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever, Allah being pleased with them and they with Him. That is for whoever has feared his Lord.  

Their reward with their Lord will be Gardens of Eden, as a residence, underneath which rivers flow, wherein they shall abide forever. God is pleased with them, because of ˹their˺ obedience of Him, and they are pleased with Him, because of His reward. That is ˹the reward˺ for him who fears his Lord, ˹for him˺ who fears His punishment and hence desists from disobeying Him, exalted be He. Meccan or Medinese, consisting of 8 verses.
القرآن:٩٨:٨ –

جَزَاؤُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ۖ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَنْ خَشِيَ رَبَّهُ  

{جزاؤهم عند ربهم جنات عدن} إقامة {تجرى من تحتها الأنهار خالدين فيها أبدا ؓ} بطاعته {ورضوا عنه} بثوابه {ذلك لمن خشي ربه} خاف عقابه فانتهى عن معصيته تعالى.