3. Sura al-Imran

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

Transliteration Alam tara ilal lazina u_tu_ nasibam minal kita_bi yad'u_na ila_ kita_billa_hi liyahkuma bainahum summa yatawalla_ fariqum minhum wa hum mu'ridu_n(a).

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوْتُواْ نَصِيبًا مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ...

3: 23. Hast thou not turned thy vision to those who have been given a portion of the Book?

C366. A portion of the Book: I conceive that Allah's revelation as a whole throughout the ages is "The Book".

The Law of Moses, and the Gospel of Jesus were portions of the Book. The Quran completes the revelation and is par excellence the Book of Allah.

...يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى كِتَابِ اللّهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّى فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ وَهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ ﴿٢٣﴾

They are invited to the Book of Allah, to settle their dispute, but a party of them turn back and decline (the arbitration).

C367. The Commentators mention a particular incident when a dispute was submitted by the Jews for arbitration to the Holy Prophet. He appealed to the authority of their own books, but they tried to conceal and prevaricate.

The general lesson is that the People of the Book should have been the first to welcome in Muhammad the living exponent of the Message of Allah as a whole, and some of them did so: but others turned away from guilty arrogance, relying on corrupted texts and doctrines forged out of their own fancies, though they were not conformable to reason and good sense.

Other versions:

3: 23 [al-i-Imran, Medina 89 ]

Asad Art thou not aware of those who have been granted their share of revelation [aforetime]? They have been called upon to let God's writ be their law 16 - and yet some of them turn away [from it] in their obstinacy,

Pickthall Hast thou not seen how those who have received the Scripture invoke the Scripture of Allah (in their disputes) that it may judge between them; then a faction of them turn away, being opposed (to it)?

Yuksel Did you not see those who were given a portion of the book being invited to God's book to judge between them, then a group of them turn away while they are adverse?

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[[ Asad’s note - 16 Lit., "decide [all disputes] between them" - the reference being to the Torah]]

[ Ali’s notes - 366 A portion of the Book. I conceive that Allah's revelation as a whole throughout the ages is "The Book". The Law of Moses, and the Gospel of Jesus were portions of the Book. The Qur-an completes the revelation and is par excellence the Book of Allah. (3.23)

367 The Commentators mention a particular incident when a dispute was submitted by the Jews for arbitration to the Holy Prophet. He appealed to the authority of their own books, but they tried to conceal and prevaricate. The general lesson is that the People of the Book should have been the first to welcome in Muhammad the living exponent of the Message of Allah as a whole, and some of them did so: but others turned away from guilty arrogance, relying on corrupted texts and doctrines forged out of their own fancies, though they were not conformable to reason and good sense. (3.23)

368 Cf. Q. ii. 80. (3.24)

368 Cf. Q. ii. 80. (3.26) ]