وَمَا تَفَرَّقَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلْبَيِّنَةُ 4
Translations
Nor did those who were given the Scripture become divided until after there had come to them clear evidence.
Transliteration
Wa mā tafarraqa alladhīna ūtū al-kitāba illā min baʿda mā jāʾat-hum al-bayyinah
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah states that the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) did not divide and dispute among themselves except after clear evidence came to them—referring to the Message of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi explain that despite having received scriptures and knowledge, their divisions arose from rejecting the final revelation and the clear proofs presented to them. The ayah emphasizes that their fragmentation was not due to lack of clarity but rather due to willful rejection and following of desires.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Bayyinah is a Medinan surah revealed in the context of the Prophet's interaction with the People of the Book in Medina. This particular ayah addresses the historical reality of divisions among Jews and Christians, contextualizing them within the broader message that the Qur'an and the Prophet's mission represent the final, clear proof from Allah. The surah's theme centers on the clarity and sufficiency of the Islamic message as the final guidance.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated: 'The Jews were divided into seventy-one sects, and the Christians into seventy-two sects, and my ummah will be divided into seventy-three sects' relates thematically to the discussion of sectarian divisions. Additionally, Surah Al-Bayyinah 98:1-2 in Sahih Bukhari's tafsir section discusses how the clear proofs came to dismiss doubts.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that disagreements and divisions within faith communities often stem not from lack of clarity in divine guidance, but from human rejection and following of personal desires; therefore, Muslims should be cautious against sectarianism and hold firmly to the clear guidance provided by the Qur'an and Sunnah.