وَإِن مِّنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِۦ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِۦ ۖ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا 159
Translations
And there is none from the People of the Scripture but that he will surely believe in him [i.e., Jesus] before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection he will be against them a witness.
Transliteration
Wa-in min ahli al-kitabi illa la-yu'minunna bihi qabla mawtihi wa-yawma al-qiyamati yakunu alayhim shahidan
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that every person from the People of the Book (Christians and Jews) will believe in Jesus ('Isa) before their death, and on the Day of Judgment he will bear witness against them. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as referring to Jesus's return before the Day of Judgment, at which time all People of the Book will recognize his true status, and those who rejected him in life will be held accountable by his testimony on the Final Day.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah An-Nisa's discussion of Jesus ('Isa) and clarification of the Christian understanding of his nature. It responds to disputes about Jesus's divinity and his role, emphasizing that universal acknowledgment of his truth will occur, either in this life through his return or definitively on the Day of Judgment when all souls face divine justice.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim contain hadith reports about Jesus descending before the Day of Judgment and judging with justice. Related is the hadith: 'There is no prophet between me and him, that is, Jesus' (Tirmidhi), which connects to Jesus's prophetic role and his expected return.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that ultimate truth cannot remain hidden forever—all will eventually recognize and submit to God's reality, either in this world or when facing divine judgment. For believers, it reinforces faith in Jesus's true prophetic mission and serves as a reminder that sincere belief in divine truth, regardless of one's background, is essential for salvation.
Related Ayahs
۞ وَلَكُمْ نِصْفُ مَا تَرَكَ أَزْوَٰجُكُمْ إِن لَّمْ يَكُن لَّهُنَّ وَلَدٌ ۚ فَإِن كَانَ لَهُنَّ وَلَدٌ فَلَكُمُ ٱلرُّبُعُ مِمَّا تَرَكْنَ ۚ مِنۢ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍ يُوصِينَ بِهَآ أَوْ دَيْنٍ ۚ وَلَهُنَّ ٱلرُّبُعُ مِمَّا تَرَكْتُمْ إِن لَّمْ يَكُن لَّكُمْ وَلَدٌ ۚ فَإِن كَانَ لَكُمْ وَلَدٌ فَلَهُنَّ ٱلثُّمُنُ مِمَّا تَرَكْتُم ۚ مِّنۢ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍ تُوصُونَ بِهَآ أَوْ دَيْنٍ ۗ وَإِن كَانَ رَجُلٌ يُورَثُ كَلَـٰلَةً أَوِ ٱمْرَأَةٌ وَلَهُۥٓ أَخٌ أَوْ أُخْتٌ فَلِكُلِّ وَٰحِدٍ مِّنْهُمَا ٱلسُّدُسُ ۚ فَإِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَكْثَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ فَهُمْ شُرَكَآءُ فِى ٱلثُّلُثِ ۚ مِنۢ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍ يُوصَىٰ بِهَآ أَوْ دَيْنٍ غَيْرَ مُضَآرٍّ ۚ وَصِيَّةً مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَلِيمٌ
And for you is half of what your wives leave if they have no child. But if they have a child, for you is one fourth of what they leave, after any bequest they [may have] made or debt. And for them [i.e., the wives] is one fourth if you leave no child. But if you leave a child, then for them is an eighth of what you leave, after any bequest you [may have] made or debt. And if a man or woman leaves neither ascendants nor descendants but has a brother or a sister, then for each one of them is a sixth. But if they are more than two, they share a third, after any bequest which was made or debt, as long as there is no detriment [caused]. [This is] an ordinance from Allāh, and Allāh is Knowing and Forbearing.
إِن يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ إِنَـٰثًا وَإِن يَدْعُونَ إِلَّا شَيْطَـٰنًا مَّرِيدًا
They call upon instead of Him none but female [deities], and they [actually] call upon none but a rebellious Satan,
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ لَيَجْمَعَنَّكُمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ ۗ وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ حَدِيثًا
Allāh - there is no deity except Him. He will surely assemble you for [account on] the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt. And who is more truthful than Allāh in statement.
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَمَن يَلْعَنِ ٱللَّهُ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُۥ نَصِيرًا
Those are the ones whom Allāh has cursed; and he whom Allāh curses - never will you find for him a helper.