2:140

أَمۡ تَقُولُونَ إِنَّ إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسۡمَٰعِيلَ وَإِسۡحَٰقَ وَيَعۡقُوبَ وَٱلۡأَسۡبَاطَ كَانُواْ هُودًا أَوۡ نَصَٰرَىٰۗ قُلۡ ءَأَنتُمۡ أَعۡلَمُ أَمِ ٱللَّهُۗ وَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّن كَتَمَ شَهَٰدَةً عِندَهُۥ مِنَ ٱللَّهِۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعۡمَلُونَ

Am taqooloona inna ibraheema waismaAAeela waishaqa wayaAAqooba waalasbata kanoo hoodan aw nasara qul aantum aAAlamu ami Allahu waman athlamu mimman katama shahadatan AAindahu mina Allahi wama Allahu bighafilin AAamma taAAmaloona

Or do you say that Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants were Jews or Christians? Say, "Are you more knowing or is Allah?" And who is more unjust than one who conceals a testimony he has from Allah? And Allah is not unaware of what you do.

Word by word
  1. أَمۡOr
  2. تَقُولُونَ(do) you say
  3. إِنَّthat
  4. إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمَIbrahim
  5. وَإِسۡمَٰعِيلَand Ishmael
  6. وَإِسۡحَٰقَand Isaac
  7. وَيَعۡقُوبَand Yaqub
  8. وَٱلۡأَسۡبَاطَand the descendants
  9. كَانُواْwere
  10. هُودًاJews
  11. أَوۡor
  12. نَصَٰرَىٰۗChristians
  13. قُلۡSay
  14. ءَأَنتُمۡAre you
  15. أَعۡلَمُbetter knowing
  16. أَمِor
  17. ٱللَّهُۗ(is) Allah
  18. وَمَنۡAnd who
  19. أَظۡلَمُ(is) more unjust
  20. مِمَّنthan (the one) who
  21. كَتَمَconcealed
  22. شَهَٰدَةًa testimony
  23. عِندَهُۥ(that) he has
  24. مِنَfrom
  25. ٱللَّهِۗAllah
  26. وَمَاAnd not
  27. ٱللَّهُ(is) Allah
  28. بِغَٰفِلٍunaware
  29. عَمَّاof what
  30. تَعۡمَلُونَyou do
Al-Baqarah · 2:140Madinah

Do you know better, or does Allah?

Hiding a testimony you hold


The claim
Ibrahim, Ismail, IshaqYaqub, the tribes
claimed as
one of our labels
but
Allah knows bestthey were upright Muslims
The greater wrong
an honest mistake
hiding what you knowa testimony from Allah

Some claimed the prophets from Ibrahim to the tribes followed their later labels. Do you know better, or does Allah? Al-Hasan Al-Basri said their own Book stated these prophets were neither, and they testified to it, yet hid it from people.

You saw what happened in the car park. You know who said what in the meeting. You were asked, and you said nothing. Hiding a testimony you hold is called a great wrong. Allah is not unaware.

Staying silent keeps me out of trouble.

Hiding the truth I know, when it is needed, is a serious wrong before Allah.

Try this

If you are holding back a truth that someone needs to be treated fairly, find a safe way to share it.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 2:139)

Say (O Muhammad ﷺ to the Jews and Christians), "Dispute you with us about Allah while He is our Lord and your Lord? And we are to be rewarded for our deeds and you for your deeds. And we are sincere to Him (i.e. we worship Him alone and none else, and we obey His orders). (139)Or say you that Ibrahim, Isma'il, Ishaq, Ya'qub and Al-Asbat, were Jews or Christians? Say, "Do you know better or does Allah? And who is more unjust than he who conceals the testimony he has from Allah? And Allah is not unaware of what you do. (140)That was a nation who has passed away. They shall receive the reward of what they earned, and you of what you earn. And you will not be asked of what they used to do (141)

Allah directed His Prophet ﷺ to pre-empt the arguments with the idolators:

قُلْ أَتُحَاجُّونَنَا فِي اللَّهِ

(Say (O Muhammad ﷺ to the Jews and Christians), "Dispute you with us about Allah) meaning, "Do you dispute with us regarding the Oneness of Allah, obedience and submission to Him and in avoiding His prohibitions,

وَهُوَ رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّكُمْ

(while He is our Lord and your Lord?) meaning, He has full control over us and you, and deserves the worship alone without partners.

وَلَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ

(And we are to be rewarded for our deeds and you for your deeds.) meaning, we disown you and what you worship, just as you disown us. Allah said in another Ayah,

وَإِن كَذَّبُوكَ فَقُل لِّي عَمَلِي وَلَكُمْ عَمَلُكُمْ ۖ أَنتُم بَرِيئُونَ مِمَّا أَعْمَلُ وَأَنَا بَرِيءٌ مِّمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

(And if they belie you, say: "For me are my deeds and for you are your deeds! You are innocent of what I do, and I am innocent of what you do!")(10:41), and,

فَإِنْ حَاجُّوكَ فَقُلْ أَسْلَمْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّهِ وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِ

(So if they dispute with you (Muhammad ﷺ) say: "I have submitted myself to Allah (in Islam), and (so have) those who follow me")(3:20). Allah said about Ibrahim,

وَحَاجَّهُ قَوْمُهُ قَالَ أَتُحَاجُّونِّي فِي اللَّهِ

(His people disputed with him. He said: "Do you dispute with me concerning Allah")(6:80), and,

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِي حَاجَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي رَبِّهِ

(Have you not looked at him who disputed with Ibrahim about his Lord (Allah)?)(2:258). He said in this honorable Ayah,

وَلَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُخْلِصُونَ

(And we are to be rewarded for our deeds and you for your deeds. And we are sincere to Him.) meaning, "We disown you just as you disown us,"

وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُخْلِصُونَ

(And we are sincere to Him), in worship and submission.

Allah then criticized them in the claim that Ibrahim, the Prophets who came after him and the Asbat were following their religion, whether Judaism or Christianity. Allah said,

 قُلْ أَأَنتُمْ أَعْلَمُ أَمِ اللَّهُ

(Say, "Do you know better or does Allah?") meaning, Allah has the best knowledge and He stated that they were neither Jews, nor Christians. Similarly, Allah said in the Ayah,

مَا كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

(Ibrahim was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim Hanifa (to worship none but Allah alone) and he was not of Al-Mushrikin)(3:67) and the following Ayat. Allah also said,

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن كَتَمَ شَهَادَةً عِندَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ

And who is more unjust than he who conceals the testimony he has from Allah? (2:140) Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, They used to recite the Book of Allah He sent to them that stated that the true religion is Islam and that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah. Their Book also stated that Ibrahim, Isma'il, Ishaq, Ya'qub and the tribes were neither Jews, nor Christians. They testified to these facts, yet hid them from the people. Allah's statement,

وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

(And Allah is not unaware of what you do), is a threat and a warning that His knowledge encompasses every one's deeds, and He shall award each accordingly. Allah then said,

تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ

(That was a nation who has passed away.) meaning, existed before you,

لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ

(They shall receive the reward of what they earned, and you of what you earn.) meaning, they bear their deeds while you bear yours,

وَلَا تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

(And you will not be asked of what they used to do) meaning, the fact that you are their relatives will not suffice, unless you imitate their good deeds. Further, do not be deceived by the fact that you are their descendants, unless you imitate them in obeying Allah's orders and following His Messengers who were sent as warners and bearers of good news. Indeed, whoever disbelieves in even one Prophet, will have disbelieved in all the Messengers, especially if one disbelieves in the master and Final Messenger from Allah, the Lord of the worlds, to all mankind and the Jinns. May Allah's peace and blessings be on Muhammad ﷺ and the rest of Allah's Prophets.