قُلْ يَـٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ تَعَالَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَآءٍۭ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِۦ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَقُولُوا۟ ٱشْهَدُوا۟ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ 64
Translations
Say, "O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable between us and you - that we will not worship except Allāh and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead of Allāh." But if they turn away, then say, "Bear witness that we are Muslims [submitting to Him]."
Transliteration
Qul ya ahla al-kitabi taalaw ila kalimatin sawain baynanā wa baynakum alla naʿbudu illā Allāh wa lā nushrik bihi shayʾan wa lā yattakhidh baʿdunā baʿdan arbāban min dūn Allāh fa-in tawallaw faqūlū aishadū bi-annā muslimūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents the fundamental common ground between Muslims and the People of the Book (Jews and Christians)—the worship of Allah alone without ascribing partners to Him and rejecting the deification of human beings. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the 'word of equality' (kalimah sawā') refers to this foundational monotheistic principle that all revealed religions share. If they reject this invitation, Muslims are commanded to declare their submission to Allah alone, making clear the distinction between those who accept divine guidance and those who turn away.
Revelation Context
Revealed in Madinah during the period of interfaith dialogue with the Christians of Najran who visited the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The surah contextually addresses the theological disputes with People of the Book regarding the nature of Christ, making this ayah a call to return to the shared monotheistic foundation before addressing specific disagreements.
Related Hadiths
The delegation of Najran Christians is mentioned in historical sources (Sirah Ibn Hisham) where they debated with the Prophet about Christ's status. Related thematically: Sahih Muslim 1218 where the Prophet emphasizes 'La ilaha illallah' (there is no deity except Allah) as the foundation of Islam.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches Muslims to engage with People of the Book by appealing to shared monotheistic values rather than emphasizing differences, while maintaining unwavering commitment to Islamic principles and clarity about one's faith identity. It demonstrates wisdom in dialogue—seeking common ground while being resolute and uncompromising on fundamental beliefs.