Al-Qur'an Surah Ali 'Imran Verse 19

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Truly, the (recognized) religion in the sight of Allah is Islām . Those who have been given the Book did not differ (among themselves) until after the knowledge had come to them, (and all this) due to envy against each other. Whoever denies the verses of Allah, then, Allah is swift at reckoning.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Certainly, Allah’s only Way is Islam.[[ i.e., full submission to the Will of Allah.]] Those who were given the Scripture did not dispute ˹among themselves˺ out of mutual envy until knowledge came to them.[[ No community split into believers and disbelievers until they received the knowledge given by their prophet.]] Whoever denies Allah’s signs, then surely Allah is swift in reckoning.

Ruwwad Translation Center

The true religion with Allah is Islam. Those who were given the Scripture did not dispute except after the knowledge had come to them, out of mutual envy and rivalry. But whoever rejects the verses of Allah, then Allah is swift in reckoning.

A. J. Arberry

The true religion with God is Islam. Those who were given the Book were not at variance except after the knowledge came to them, being insolent one to another. And whoso disbelieves in God's signs. God is swift at the reckoning.

Abdul Haleem

True Religion, in God’s eyes, is islam: [devotion to Him alone]. Those who were given the Scripture disagreed out of rivalry, only after they had been given knowledge- if anyone denies God’s revelations, God is swift to take account-

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Verily the religion with Allah is Islam and those Who Were vouchsafed the Book differed Not save after the knowledge had come unto them, out of spite among themselves. And whosoever disbelieveth in the revelations of Allah, then verily Allah swift at reckoning.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Religion before Allah is Islam (submission to His Will); Nor did the People of the Book dissent therefrom except through envy of each other, after knowledge had come to them. But if any deny the Signs of Allah, Allah is swift in calling to account.

Abul Ala Maududi

The true religion with Allah is Islam. The People of the Book adopted many different ways rather than follow the true way of Islam even after the knowledge of truth had reached them, and this merely to commit excesses against one another. Let him who refuses to follow the ordinances and directives of Allah know that Allah is swift in His reckoning.

Ahmed Ali

The true way with God is peace; and the people of the Book did not differ until knowledge (of this revelation) had come to them, out of mutual opposition. But those who deny the signs of God (should remember) He is swift in the reckoning.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Indeed the only true religion in the sight of Allah is Islam; those who had received the Books differed only after the knowledge came to them, due to their hearts’ envy; and whoever disbelieves in the signs of Allah, then Allah is Swift At Taking Account.

Ali Quli Qarai

Indeed, with Allah religion is Islam, and those who were given the Book did not differ except after knowledge had come to them, out of envy among themselves. And whoever denies Allah’s signs [should know that] Allah is swift at reckoning.

Ali Ünal

The (true) religion with God is Islam. Those who were given the Book before differed only after the knowledge (of truth) came to them because of envious rivalry and insolence among themselves. Whoever disbelieves in the Revelations of God (should know that) God is swift at reckoning.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Decidedly, the true Faith acceptable to Allâh is Islam. Those who were given the Scripture were not at variance except after the knowledge had come to them; (their differences were) due to mutual envy and to spite one another. And whoso denies the Messages of Allâh (should bear in mind that) then Allâh indeed is Quick at reckoning.

English Literal

That truly the religion at God, (is) the Islam/submission/surrender, and those who were given The Book did not differ/disagree/dispute, except from after what (that) the knowledge came to them, oppression/corruption between them, and who disbelieves with God`s signs/verses , so that God (is) quick/speedy (in) the counting/calculating .

Faridul Haque

Indeed the only true religion in the sight of Allah is Islam; those who had received the Books differed only after the knowledge came to them, due to their hearts’ envy; and whoever disbelieves in the signs of Allah, then Allah is Swift At Taking Account.

Hamid S. Aziz

Verily, (the true) religion in Allah´s sight is The Surrender (to His will, i.e. Islam), and those to whom the Book was given formerly disagreed not until after knowledge came to them, through mutual envy. But whoever disbelieves in Allah´s revelations, (find that) truly Allah is quick at reckoning.

Hilali & Khan

Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam. Those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ except, out of mutual jealousy, after knowledge had come to them. And whoever disbelieves in the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, then surely, Allah is Swift in calling to account.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Allah bears witness that there is no god but He, and (so do) the angels and those possessed of knowledge, maintaining justice. There is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Surely the (true) religion with Allah is Islam, and those to whom the Book had been given did not show opposition but after knowledge had come to them, out of envy among themselves; and whoever disbelieves in the communications of Allah then surely Allah is quick in reckoning.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Lo! religion with Allah (is) the Surrender (to His Will and Guidance). Those who (formerly) received the Scripture differed only after knowledge came unto them, through transgression among themselves. Whoso disbelieveth the revelations of Allah (will find that) lo! Allah is swift at reckoning.

Muhammad Sarwar

In the sight of God Islam is the religion. The People of the Book created differences in the matters (of religion) because of their hostility among themselves, only after knowledge had come to them. Let whoever denies the revelations of God know that the reckoning of God is swift.

Qaribullah & Darwish

The only religion with Allah is Islam (submission). Those to whom the Book was given disagreed among themselves only after knowledge had been given to them being insolent among themselves. He who disbelieves the verses of Allah indeed Allah is Swift in reckoning.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam. Those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ except out of rivalry, after knowledge had come to them. And whoever disbelieves in the Ayat of Allah, then surely, Allah is Swift in reckoning.

Wahiduddin Khan

The only true religion in God's sight is complete submission to God. And those who were given the Book disagreed only out of rivalry, after knowledge had been given to them -- he who denies God's signs should know that God is swift in His reckoning.

Talal Itani

Religion with God is Islam. Those to whom the Scripture was given differed only after knowledge came to them, out of envy among themselves. Whoever rejects the signs of God—God is quick to take account.

Tafsir jalalayn

Lo!, the religion with God, pleasing [to Him], is submission [to the One God], (al-islm), that is to say, the Divine Law with which the messengers were sent, founded upon the affirmation of God's Oneness (a variant reading [for inna, `lo!'] has anna, `that', as an inclusive substitution for annahu to the end [of that verse, sc. shahida Llhu ... anna l-dna `inda Llhi l-islm, `God bears witness that religion with God is Islm]). Those who were given the Scripture, the Jews and the Christians, differed, in religion, some affirming God's Oneness, others rejecting it, only after the knowledge, of Oneness, came to them through transgression, on the part of the disbelievers, among themselves. And whoever disbelieves in God's signs, God is swift at reckoning, that is, at requiting him.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللّهِ الاِسْلَمُ

Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam.

Allah states that there is no religion accepted with Him from any person, except Islam.

Islam includes obeying all of the Messengers until Muhammad who finalized their commission, thus closing all paths to Allah except through Muhammad. Therefore, after Allah sent Muhammad, whoever meets Allah following a path other than Muhammad's, it will not be accepted of him.

In another Ayah, Allah said,

وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الاِسْلَـمِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ

And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him. (3;85)

In this Ayah (3;19) Allah said, asserting that the only religion accepted with Him is Islam,
إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللّهِ الاِسْلَمُ
(Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam).

Allah then states that those who were given the Scripture beforehand divided in the religion after Allah sent the Messengers and revealed the Books to them providing them the necessary proofs to not do so.

Allah said,

وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ الَّذِينَ أُوْتُواْ الْكِتَابَ إِلاَّ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءهُمُ الْعِلْمُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ

Those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ except out of rivalry, after knowledge had come to them.

meaning, some of them wronged others. Therefore, they differed over the truth, out of envy, hatred and enmity for each other. This hatred made some of them defy those whom they hated even if they were correct.

Allah then said,

وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِأيَاتِ اللّهِ

And whoever disbelieves in the Ayat of Allah,

meaning, whoever rejects what Allah sent down in His Book.

فَإِنَّ اللّهِ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ



then surely, Allah is Swift in reckoning.

Allah will punish him for his rejection, reckon him for his denial, and torment him for defying His Book.

Thereafter, Allah said