4. Sura an-Nisa

Medina 92 [Hijra 4]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لاَ تَغْلُواْ فِي دِينِكُمْ وَلاَ تَقُولُواْ عَلَى اللّهِ إِلاَّ الْحَقِّ ...  

4: 171. O People of the Book! commit no excesses in your religion: nor say of Allah aught but truth.

... إِنَّمَا الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ اللّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَاهَا إِلَى مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌ مِّنْهُ...  

Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a Messenger of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a Spirit proceeding from Him:

... فَآمِنُواْ بِاللّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ ...

so believe in Allah and His Messengers.

... وَلاَ تَقُولُواْ ثَلاَثَةٌ انتَهُواْ خَيْرًا لَّكُمْ ...

Say not "Trinity": desist: it will be better for you:

... إِنَّمَا اللّهُ إِلَـهٌ وَاحِدٌ سُبْحَانَهُ أَن يَكُونَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ...  

for Allah is One Allah: glory be to Him: (for Exalted is He) above having a son.

... لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَات وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ...  

To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth.

... وَكَفَى بِاللّهِ وَكِيلاً ﴿١٧١﴾  

And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.

Ya_ ahlal kita_bi la_ taglu_ fi dinikum wa la_ taqu_lu_'alallu_hi illal haqq(a), innamal masihu 'isabnu maryama rasu_lulla_hi wa kalimatuh(a_), alqa_ha_ ila_ maryama wa ru_hum minh(u), fa a_minu_ billa_hi warusulih(i), wa la_ taqu_lu_ sala_sah(tun), intahu_ khairal lakum, innamalla_hu ila_huw wa_hid(un), subha_nahu_ an taka_na lahu_ walad(un), lahu_ ma_ fis sama_wa_ti wa ma_ fil ard(i), wa kafa_ billa_hi wakila_(n).

Other Versions:

4: 171

Asad O followers of the Gospel! Do not overstep the bounds in your religious beliefs, and do not say of God anything but the truth. The Christ Jesus, son of Mary, was but God’s Apostle – His promise which He had conveyed unto Mary – and a soul created by Him. Believe, then, in God and His apostles, and do not say, “ [God is] a trinity”. Desist [from this assertion] for your own good. God is but One God; utterly remote is He, in His glory, from having a son: unto Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth; and none is as worthy of trust as God.

Unal ……………….And God suffices as the One to be relied on, to Whom affairs should be referred.

Pickthall 4: 171.......And God is sufficient as Defender.

********************************************

[ Ali’s notes: -

C675. Just as a foolish servant may go wrong by excess of zeal for his master, so in religion people's excesses may lead them to blasphemy or a spirit the very opposite of religion.

The Jewish excesses in the direction of formalism, racialism, exclusiveness, and rejection of Christ Jesus have been denounced in many places. Here the Christian attitude is condemned, which raises Jesus to an equality with Allah: in some cases venerates Mary almost to idolatry: attributes a physical son to Allah: and invents the doctrine of the Trinity, opposed to all reason, which according to the Athanasian Creed, unless a man believes, he is doomed to hell for ever.

Let our Muslims also beware lest they fall into excesses either in doctrine or in formalism.

C676. Christ's attributes are mentioned:

-        that he was the son of a woman, Mary and therefore a man;

-        but a messenger, a man with a mission from Allah, and therefore entitled to honour;

-        a Word bestowed on Mary, for he was created by Allah's word "Be" (kun), and he was: 3:59;

-        a spirit proceeding from Allah, but not Allah:

his life and his mission were more limited than in the case of some other Messengers, though we must pay equal honour to him as a Prophet of Allah.

The doctrines of Trinity, equality with Allah, and sonship, are repudiated as blasphemies. Allah is independent of all needs and has no need of a son to manage His affairs.

The Gospel of John (whoever wrote it) has put in a great deal of Alexandrian and Gnostic mysticism round the doctrine of the Word (Greek, Logos), but it is simply explained here. (R).]