22. [al-Hajj, Medina 103]


22:17

Arabic Source and Roman Transliteration

Arabic


إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالصَّابِئِينَ وَالنَّصَارَىٰ وَالْمَجُوسَ وَالَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ

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Transliteration


Inna allatheena amanoo waallatheena hadoo waalssabi-eena waalnnasara waalmajoosa waallatheena ashrakoo inna Allaha yafsilu baynahum yawma alqiyamati inna Allaha AAala kulli shay-in shaheedun

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Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning

Muhammad Asad


Verily, as for those who have attained to faith [in this divine writ], and those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Sabians, and the Christians, and the Magians, [on the one hand,] and those who are bent on ascribing divinity to aught but God, [on the other,] verily, God will decide between them on Resurrection Day: for, behold, God is witness unto everything.

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M. M. Pickthall


Lo! those who believe (this revelation), and those who are Jews, and the Sabaeans and the Christians and the Magians and the idolaters - Lo! Allah will decide between them on the Day of Resurrection. Lo! Allah is Witness over all things.

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Shakir


Surely those who believe and those who are Jews and the Sabeans and the Christians and the Magians and those who associate (others with Allah)-- surely Allah will decide between them on the day of resurrection; surely Allah is a witness over all things.

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Yusuf Ali


Those who believe (in the Qur'an), those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Sabians, Christians, Magians, and Polytheists,- Allah will judge between them on the Day of Judgment: for Allah is witness of all things.

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Wahiduddin Khan


God will judge between the believers, the Jews, the Sabaeans, the Christians, the Magians and the polytheists on the Day of Judgement. Surely God is witness to everything.

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[Al-Muntakhab]


Those who have acknowledged the Prophet Muhammad and those disposed to believe in the Prophets of the past and those who profess Judaism and the Christians and the various sects of the Sabeites or Mendaites and of the Sabians as well as the Majiis (Magians, lived in Persia, Median & Mesopotamia, worshipped fire as a fit emblem of Allah) and those who incorporated with Allah other deities, shall all have much to answer for. Allah shall judge between them in Day of Judgement; He is the Omnipresent Who witnesses all actions and all things.

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[Progressive Muslims]


Those who believe, and the Jews, and the Sabiens, and the Nazarenes, and the Majoos, and those who have set up partners; God will separate between them on the Day of Resurrection. For God is witness over all things.






[Asad note -18 See surah 2, note 49. ]





17.  Those who believe (in the Qur'án), those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Sabians,

C2788. For Sabians, see n. 76 to 2:62.

They are also referred to in 5:69.

In both those passages the Muslims are mentioned with the Jews, Christians, and Sabians, as receiving Allah's protection and mercy.

Here, besides the four religions, there is further mention of Magians and Polytheists: it is not said that they would receive Allah's Mercy, but only that Allah will judge between the various forms of faith. (R).

... وَالنَّصَارَى وَالْمَجُوسَ وَالَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا...

Christians, Magians, and Polytheists --

C2789. This is the only place where the Magians (Majas) are mentioned in the Quran.

Their cult is a very ancient one. They consider Fire as the purest and noblest element, and worship it as a fit emblem of Allah. Their location was the Persian and Median uplands and the Mesopotamian valleys, their religion was reformed by Zardusht (date uncertain, about B.C. 600?). Their scripture is the Zend-Avesta, the bible of the Parsis. They were "the Wise men of the East" mentioned in the Gospels. (R).

 ...إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ...

Allah will judge between them on the Day of Judgment:

...إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ ﴿١٧﴾

for Allah is witness of all things.