Surah Ali 'Imran 3:183 — translation and meaning

آل عمران · Verse 183 / 200 · Page 74

ۗ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَهِدَ إِلَيْنَا أَلَّا نُؤْمِنَ لِرَسُولٍ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَنَا بِقُرْبَانٍ تَأْكُلُهُ النَّارُ قُلْ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِّن قَبْلِي بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَبِالَّذِي قُلْتُمْ فَلِمَ قَتَلْتُمُوهُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

Word by Word

ۗ
الَّذِينَ
alladhina
Those who
قَالُوا
qalu
said
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
اللَّهَ
al-laha
Allah
عَهِدَ
ahida
(has) taken promise
إِلَيْنَا
ilayna
from us
أَلَّا
alla
that not
نُؤْمِنَ
nu'mina
we (should) believe
لِرَسُولٍ
lirasulin
in a Messenger
حَتَّى
hatta
until
يَأْتِيَنَا
yatiyana
he brings to us
بِقُرْبَانٍ
biqur'banin
a sacrifice
تَأْكُلُهُ
takuluhu
consumes it
النَّارُ
al-naru
the fire
قُلْ
qul
Say
قَدْ
qad
Surely
جَاءَكُمْ
jaakum
came to you
رُسُلٌ
rusulun
Messengers
مِّن
min
from
قَبْلِي
qabli
before me
بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ
bil-bayinati
with the clear Signs
وَبِالَّذِي
wabi-alladhi
and with what
قُلْتُمْ
qul'tum
you speak
فَلِمَ
falima
So why
قَتَلْتُمُوهُمْ
qataltumuhum
you killed them
إِن
in
if
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you are
صَادِقِينَ
sadiqina
truthful

Transliteration

Allazeena qaalooo innal laaha 'ahida ilainaaa allaa nu'mina liRasoolin hatta yaa tiyanaa biqurbaanin taa kuluhun naar; qul qad jaaa'akum Rusulum min qablee bilbaiyinaati wa billazee qultum falima qataltumoohum in kuntum saadiqeen

Translation

[They are] those who said, "Indeed, Allah has taken our promise not to believe any messenger until he brings us an offering which fire [from heaven] will consume." Say, "There have already come to you messengers before me with clear proofs and [even] that of which you speak. So why did you kill them, if you should be truthful?"

Verse interpretation (Tafsir)

They are those who lied in their claim that Allah had instructed them in His scripture and from His prophets to not have faith in a messenger unless he came to them with a charitable offering which fire would then burn from the sky. In their claiming this they also restricted other miraculous signs and evidences the prophets came with. Due to this, Allah instructed His Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to ask them why, when messengers had come to them before with clear proofs of the truth of their message, and even with what they had mentioned of an offering burned by fire from the sky, did they reject them and kill them if they were telling the truth!

Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.

100% Free App

Join 50,000+ Muslims

Download for free and never miss a prayer again