وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ ۖ وَمِنَ ٱلْأَحْزَابِ مَن يُنكِرُ بَعْضَهُۥ ۚ قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ ٱللَّهَ وَلَآ أُشْرِكَ بِهِۦٓ ۚ إِلَيْهِ أَدْعُوا۟ وَإِلَيْهِ مَـَٔابِ 36
Translations
And [the believers among] those to whom We have given the [previous] Scripture rejoice at what has been revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], but among the [opposing] factions are those who deny part of it [i.e., the Qur’ān]. Say, "I have only been commanded to worship Allāh and not associate [anything] with Him. To Him I invite, and to Him is my return."
Transliteration
Wa allatheena ataynahum al-kitaba yafrahoon bima unzila ilayka wa min al-ahzabi man yunkiru ba'dahu qul innama umirt an a'buda Allaha wa la ushriku bihi ilayhi ad'u wa ilayhi ma'ab
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes how some People of the Book (Jews and Christians) rejoice at the Qur'an revealed to Muhammad, while other groups (al-ahzab—the various factions of disbelievers) reject parts of it. The Prophet is then commanded to proclaim that he has been ordered to worship Allah alone without associating partners with Him, and to call all people to this monotheistic path. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir note that this reflects the diversity of responses to the message: sincere believers accepting it entirely, and those with hardened hearts rejecting it selectively or wholly.
Revelation Context
This surah was revealed in Medina and addresses the divided responses to the Islamic message in that multicultural society. The ayah specifically reflects the Medinan context where the Prophet encountered both receptive believers from the People of the Book (such as 'Abdullah ibn Salam) and various pagan Arab tribes (ahzab) who rejected the message. It emphasizes the Prophet's unwavering commitment to pure monotheism regardless of acceptance or rejection.
Related Hadiths
The hadith from Sahih Muslim where 'Abdullah ibn Salam converted to Islam upon hearing the Qur'an exemplifies those who rejoice at revelation. Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Bukhari regarding the Prophet's statement, 'I have been commanded to fight people until they testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah,' reflects the theme of single-minded devotion to pure tawheed mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that the path of truth will always encounter mixed responses—some will accept wholeheartedly while others resist—yet the believer's responsibility is to remain steadfast in pure worship of Allah alone and invite others to this path with conviction, not to be swayed by rejection or opposition. It reminds us that our success is measured by sincerity and obedience to Allah, not by universal acceptance of our message.
Related Ayahs
ٱلَّذِينَ يُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَنقُضُونَ ٱلْمِيثَـٰقَ
Those who fulfill the covenant of Allāh and do not break the contract,
قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ ۚ قُلْ أَفَٱتَّخَذْتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمْ نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا ۚ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتُ وَٱلنُّورُ ۗ أَمْ جَعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ شُرَكَآءَ خَلَقُوا۟ كَخَلْقِهِۦ فَتَشَـٰبَهَ ٱلْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ خَـٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَهُوَ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّـٰرُ
Say, "Who is Lord of the heavens and earth?" Say, "Allāh." Say, "Have you then taken besides Him allies not possessing [even] for themselves any benefit or any harm?" Say, "Is the blind equivalent to the seeing? Or is darkness equivalent to light? Or have they attributed to Allāh partners who created like His creation so that the creation [of each] seemed similar to them?" Say, "Allāh is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Prevailing."
لَّهُمْ عَذَابٌ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَشَقُّ ۖ وَمَا لَهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَاقٍ
For them will be punishment in the life of [this] world, and the punishment of the Hereafter is more severe. And they will not have from Allāh any protector.
كَذَٰلِكَ أَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ فِىٓ أُمَّةٍ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهَآ أُمَمٌ لِّتَتْلُوَا۟ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ وَهُمْ يَكْفُرُونَ بِٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ۚ قُلْ هُوَ رَبِّى لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ مَتَابِ
Thus have We sent you to a community before which [other] communities have passed on so you might recite to them that which We revealed to you, while they disbelieve in the Most Merciful. Say, "He is my Lord; there is no deity except Him. Upon Him I rely, and to Him is my return."