Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 76

Mufti Taqi Usmani

When they meet those who believe, they say, “We believe.” But when some of them meet others in private, they say, “Do you tell them (the Muslims) what Allah has disclosed to you so that they may thereby argue against you before your Lord? Will you, then, not use reason?”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

When they meet the believers they say, “We believe.” But in private they say ˹to each other˺, “Will you disclose to the believers the knowledge Allah has revealed to you,[[ i.e., verses prophesizing the coming of the Prophet (ﷺ) in the Torah (including Deuteronomy {18:15}-18 and {33:2}).]] so that they may use it against you before your Lord? Do you not understand?”

Ruwwad Translation Center

And when they meet the believers they say, “We believe.” But when they meet one another in private they say, “Are you telling them what Allah has revealed to you [about Mohammad], so that they may argue against you before your Lord? Have you no sense?”

A. J. Arberry

And when they meet those who believe, they say 'We believe'; and when they go privily one to another, they say, 'Do you speak to them of what God has revealed to you, that they may thereby dispute with you before your Lord? Have you no understanding?'

Abdul Haleem

When they meet the believers, they say, ‘We too believe.’ But when they are alone with each other they say, ‘How could you tell them about God’s revelation [to us]? They will be able to use it to argue against you before your Lord! Have you no sense?’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And when they meet those who believe they say: we believe; and when some of them are alone with some others they say speak ye unto them of that which God hath opened unto you so that they may argue therewith against you before your Lord? understand then ye not?

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Behold! when they meet the men of Faith, they say; "We believe"; But when they meet each other in private, they say; "Shall you tell them what Allah hath revealed to you, that they may engage you in argument about it before your Lord?"- Do ye not understand (their aim)?

Abul Ala Maududi

When they meet those who believe in Muhammad, they say, "We also believe in him." But when they meet one another in private, they say, "Have you got no sense that you disclose to them those things which Allah has revealed to you so that they might bring them as a proof against you before your Lord?

Ahmed Ali

For when they meet the faithful, they say: "We believe;" but when among themselves, they say: "Why do you tell them what the Lord has revealed to you? They will only dispute it in the presence of your Lord. Have you no sense indeed?"

Ahmed Raza Khan

And when they meet the believers, they say, “We believe”; but when they are in isolation with one another they say, “You clarify to the believers from what Allah has disclosed to you, so that they may evidence it against you before your Lord? So have you no sense?”

Ali Quli Qarai

When they meet the faithful, they say, ‘We believe,’ and when they are alone with one another, they say, ‘Do you recount to them what Allah has revealed to you, so that they may argue with you therewith before your Lord? Do you not exercise your reason?’

Ali Ünal

When they meet those who believe, they declare (hypocritically), "We believe (in what you believe in);" but when they are alone with one another in private, they say (chiding each other): "Will you tell them what God has disclosed to you, that they might use it as an argument against you before your Lord? Do you have no sense?

Amatul Rahman Omar

And when they meet those who believe they say, `We (too) have believed.´ But when they go apart one with another they say, `Do you inform them (- the Muslims) what Allâh has disclosed to you, (- of the prophecies in your Scriptures about the Prophet), that they thereby availing themselves of it (- the Scriptures), may prevail upon you in argumentation on the authority of your Lord? Will you not, then, use your reasoning power?´

English Literal

And if they met those who believed, they said: "We believed." And if some of them (were) together to (with) some, they said: "Do you tell/inform them with what God taught on (to) you? To argue with you with it at your Lord." Do you not reason/understand ?

Faridul Haque

And when they meet the believers, they say, "We believe"; but when they are in isolation with one another they say, "You clarify to the believers from what Allah has disclosed to you, so that they may evidence it against you before your Lord? So have you no sense?"

Hamid S. Aziz

Behold, when they meet men of faith they say, "We believe," but when they meet in private they say, "Will you talk to them of what Allah has opened up (revealed) to you, that they may argue with you upon it before your Lord? Do you not therefore understand?"

Hilali & Khan

And when they (Jews) meet those who believe (Muslims), they say, "We believe", but when they meet one another in private, they say, "Shall you (Jews) tell them (Muslims) what Allah has revealed to you [Jews, about the description and the qualities of Prophet Muhammad Peace be upon him, that which are written in the Taurat (Torah)], that they (Muslims) may argue with you (Jews) about it before your Lord?" Have you (Jews) then no understanding?

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And when they meet those who believe they say, We believe, and when they- are apart one with another they say: Do you talk to them of what Allah has disclosed to you that they may contend with you by this before your Lord? Do you not understand?

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And when they meet those who believe they say: We believe, and when they are alone one with another they say: Do you talk to them of what Allah has disclosed to you that they may contend with you by this before your Lord? Do you not then understand?

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And when they fall in with those who believe, they say: We believe. But when they go apart one with another they say: Prate ye to them of that which Allah hath disclosed to you that they may contend with you before your Lord concerning it? Have ye then no sense?

Muhammad Sarwar

On meeting the believers, they would declare belief but to each other they would say, "How would you (against your own interests) tell them (believers) about what God has revealed to you (in the Bible of the truthfulness of the Prophet Muhammad)? They will present it as evidence to prove you wrong before your Lord. Do you not realize it?"

Qaribullah & Darwish

When they meet those who believe, they say: 'We are believers' But when alone, they say to their other (chiefs). 'Do you tell to them what Allah has revealed to you so that they will dispute with you concerning it with your Lord? Have you no sense'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And when they (Jews) meet those who believe (Muslims), they say, "We believe," but when they meet one another in private, they say, "Shall you (Jews) tell them (Muslims) what Allah has revealed to you that they (Muslims) may argue with you (Jews) about it before your Lord" Have you (Jews) then no understanding

Wahiduddin Khan

When they meet the faithful, they say, "We are believers." But when alone, they say to each other, "Must you tell them what God has revealed to us? They will only use it to argue against you before your Lord! Have you no sense?"

Talal Itani

And when they come across those who believe, they say, “We believe,” but when they come together privately, they say, “Will you inform them of what God has disclosed to you, so that they might dispute with you concerning it before your Lord?” Do you not understand?

Tafsir jalalayn

And when they, the hypocrites from among the Jews, meet those who believe, they say, `We believe', that Muhammad (s) is a prophet and that he is the one of whom we have been given good tidings in our Book; but when they go in private one to another, they, their leaders the ones not involved in the hypocrisy, say, to those hypocrites; `Do you speak to them, the believers, of what God has disclosed to you, that is, what He has made known to you of Muhammad's (s) description in the Torah, so that they may thereby dispute (the lm of li-yuhjjkum, `that they may dispute with you', is the lm of `becoming') with you before your Lord?, in the Hereafter and hold the proof against you for not following him [Muhammad (s)], despite your knowledge of his sincerity? Have you no understanding?' of the fact that they will contend with you if you speak to them in this way? So beware.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَإِذَا لَقُواْ الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ قَالُواْ امَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىَ بَعْضٍ

And when they (Jews) meet those who believe (Muslims), they say, "We believe", but when they meet one another in private...,

Muhammad bin Ishaq reported that Ibn `Abbas commented,
وَإِذَا لَقُواْ الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ قَالُواْ امَنَّا
(And when they (Jews) meet those who believe (Muslims), they say, "We believe"),

"They believe that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, `But he was only sent for you (Arabs)."'

قَالُواْ أَتُحَدِّثُونَهُم بِمَا فَتَحَ اللّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لِيُحَأجُّوكُم بِهِ عِندَ رَبِّكُمْ

they say, "Shall you (Jews) tell them (Muslims) what Allah has revealed to you, that they (Muslims) may argue with you (Jews) about it before your Lord."

However, when they meet each other they say, "Do not convey the news about this Prophet to the Arabs, because you used to ask Allah to grant you victory over them when he came, but he was sent to them (not to you)."

Allah then revealed,

وَإِذَا لَقُواْ الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ قَالُواْ امَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىَ بَعْضٍ قَالُواْ أَتُحَدِّثُونَهُم بِمَا فَتَحَ اللّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لِيُحَأجُّوكُم بِهِ عِندَ رَبِّكُمْ أَفَلَ تَعْقِلُونَ


And when they (Jews) meet those who believe (Muslims), they say, "We believe," but when they meet one another in private, they say, "Shall you (Jews) tell them (Muslims) what Allah has revealed to you, that they (Muslims) may argue with you (Jews) about it before your Lord."

meaning, "If you admit to them that he is a Prophet, knowing that Allah took the covenant from you to follow him, they will know that Muhammad is the Prophet that we were waiting for and whose coming we find foretold of in our Book. Therefore, do not believe in him and deny him."

Al-Hasan Al-Basri said,

"When the Jews met the believers they used to say, `We believe.' When they met each other, some of them would say, `Do not talk to the companions of Muhammad about what Allah has foretold in your Book, so that the news (that Muhammad is the Final Messenger) does not become a proof for them against you with your Lord, and, thus, you will win the dispute."'

أَفَلَ تَعْقِلُونَ



Have you (Jews) then no understanding!

Allah said,

أَوَلَا يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ اللّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ