Quran Universe
3:23

أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ نَصِيبٗا مِّنَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ يُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَىٰ كِتَٰبِ ٱللَّهِ لِيَحۡكُمَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّىٰ فَرِيقٞ مِّنۡهُمۡ وَهُم مُّعۡرِضُونَ

Alam tara ila allatheena ootoo naseeban mina alkitabi yudAAawna ila kitabi Allahi liyahkuma baynahum thumma yatawalla fareequn minhum wahum muAAridoona

Do you not consider, [O Muhammad], those who were given a portion of the Scripture? They are invited to the Scripture of Allah that it should arbitrate between them; then a party of them turns away, and they are refusing.

Word by word
  1. أَلَمۡHave not
  2. تَرَyou seen
  3. إِلَى[to]
  4. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  5. أُوتُواْwere given
  6. نَصِيبٗاa portion
  7. مِّنَof
  8. ٱلۡكِتَٰبِthe Scripture
  9. يُدۡعَوۡنَThey are invited
  10. إِلَىٰto
  11. كِتَٰبِ(the) Book
  12. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  13. لِيَحۡكُمَthat (it should) arbitrate
  14. بَيۡنَهُمۡbetween them
  15. ثُمَّthen
  16. يَتَوَلَّىٰturns away
  17. فَرِيقٞa party
  18. مِّنۡهُمۡof them
  19. وَهُمand they (are)
  20. مُّعۡرِضُونَthose who are averse
Ali 'Imran · 3:23Madinah

Invited to their own book, they turned away.

Following scripture only when it agrees with you

The invitation
people of scriptureclaimed to follow it
invited to
the Book of Allahto settle the dispute
but
turned awayaverse
Who is the judge
meI follow it when I like it
the Bookeven when I lose

Ibn Kathir explains that those who claimed to follow the Torah and the Gospel were called to refer to them, books which commanded them to follow the Prophet ﷺ. When called, a group turned away with aversion.

You quote verses when they win you the argument with your spouse. When one cuts against you, you change the subject. The Book is either the judge or it is not.

I follow the Quran, as long as it does not cost me much.

I let the Book judge me too, not only the people I argue with.

Try this

Think of one dispute you are in. Ask honestly what the Quran says, even if it goes against you.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Have you not seen those who have been given a portion of the Scripture? They are being invited to the Book of Allah to settle their dispute, then a party of them turned away, and they are averse (23)This is because they say: "The Fire shall not touch us but for a number of days." And that which they used to invent in their religion has deceived them (24)How (will it be) when We gather them together on the Day about which there is no doubt (i.e. the Day of Resurrection). And each person will be paid in full what he has earned And they will not be dealt with unjustly (25)

Chastising the People of the Book for Not Referring to the Book of Allah for Judgment

Allah criticizes the Jews and Christians who claim to follow their Books, the Tawrah and the Injil, because when they are called to refer to these Books where Allah commanded them to follow Muhammad ﷺ, they turn away with aversion. This censure and criticism from Allah was all because of their defiance and rejection. Allah said next,

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا لَن تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلَّا أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَاتٍ

(This is because they say: "The Fire shall not touch us but for a number of days.") meaning, what made them dare to challenge and defy the truth is their false claim that Allah will only punish them for seven days in the Fire, a day for every one thousand years in this life. We mentioned this subject in the Tafsir of Surat Al-Baqarah.

Allah then said,

وَغَرَّهُمْ فِي دِينِهِم مَّا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ

(And that which they used to invent regarding their religion has deceived them.) meaning, what caused them to remain on their false creed is that they deceived themselves, believing that the Fire will only touch them for a few days for their errors. However, it is they who have invented this notion, and Allah did not grant them authority to support this claim. Allah said, while threatening and warning them,

فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جَمَعْنَاهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهِ

(How (will it be) when We gather them together on the Day about which there is no doubt (i. e. the Day of Resurrection).) meaning, what will their condition be like after they have uttered this lie about Allah, rejected His Messengers and killed His Prophets and their scholars who enjoined righteousness and forbade evil? Allah will ask them about all this and punish them for what they have done. This is why Allah said,

فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جَمَعْنَاهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهِ

(How (will it be) when We gather them together on the Day about which there is no doubt.) meaning, there is no doubt that this Day will come,

وَوُفِّيَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ

(And each person will be paid in full what he has earned? And they will not be dealt with unjustly.)