Al-Qur'an Surah Az-Zukhruf Verse 61

Mufti Taqi Usmani

And he (‘Īsā) is a source of knowledge of the Hour (the Day of Judgment); so do not be in doubt about it, and follow me. This is the straight way.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And his ˹second˺ coming is truly a sign for the Hour. So have no doubt about it, and follow me. This is the Straight Path.

Ruwwad Translation Center

And he [Jesus] will be a sign of the Hour; so do not have doubt about it and follow me. This is a straight path.

A. J. Arberry

It is knowledge of the Hour; doubt not concerning it, and follow me. This is a straight path.

Abdul Haleem

This [Quran] gives knowledge of the Hour: do not doubt it. Follow Me for this is the right path;

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And verily he is a sign of the Hour wherefore dubitate not thereof, and follow Me: this is the straight path.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And (Jesus) shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment); therefore have no doubt about the (Hour), but follow ye Me; this is a Straight Way.

Abul Ala Maududi

Verily he [i.e., Jesus) is a portent of the Hour. So be in no doubt concerning it and follow Me. This is the Straight Way.

Ahmed Ali

He is certainly the sign of the Hour (of change). So have no doubt about it, and listen to me. This is the straight path.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And indeed Eisa is a sign* of the Last Day, therefore do not ever doubt in the Last Day, and obey Me**; this is the Straight Path. (* The advent of Prophet Eisa to earth for the second time. ** By obeying the Noble Messenger.)

Ali Quli Qarai

[Say,] ‘Indeed he is a portent of the Hour; so do not doubt it and follow me. This is a straight path.

Ali Ünal

Surely he (Jesus) (brought into the world without a father, and granted such miracles as reviving the dead) is a means to knowledge of the Last Hour, so do not feel any doubt concerning it and follow Me (to attain eternal happiness in the other life). This is a straight path.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And indeed this (Qur´ân) gives the knowledge of the (promised) Hour. So have no doubt about it, rather you should follow Me. This is the straight and right path.

English Literal

And that he/it truly is knowledge (E) to the Resurrection/Time of Resurrection/Hour, so do not doubt/argue (E) with it, and follow Me, that (is a) straight/direct road/way.

Faridul Haque

And indeed Eisa is a sign* of the Last Day, therefore do not ever doubt in the Last Day, and obey Me**; this is the Straight Path. (* The advent of Prophet Eisa to earth for the second time. ** By obeying the Noble Messenger.)

Hamid S. Aziz

And most surely it is (the above events or the Quran or he, Jesus) is a sign of the knowledge of coming of the Hour (of Resurrection and Judgment), therefore have no doubt about it and follow Me: this is the Straight Way.

Hilali & Khan

And he ['Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)] shall be a known sign for (the coming of) the Hour (Day of Resurrection) [i.e. 'Iesa's (Jesus) descent on the earth]. Therefore have no doubt concerning it (i.e. the Day of Resurrection). And follow Me (Allah) (i.e. be obedient to Allah and do what He orders you to do, O mankind)! This is the Straight Path (of Islamic Monotheism, leading to Allah and to His Paradise).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And if We pleased, We could make among you angels to be (Our) vicegerents in the land.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And most surely it is a knowledge of the hour, therefore have no doubt about it and follow me: this is the right path.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And lo! verily there is knowledge of the Hour. So doubt ye not concerning it, but follow Me. This is the right path.

Muhammad Sarwar

(Muhammad), tell them, "Jesus is a sign of the Hour of Doom. Have no doubt about it and follow me; this is the straight path.

Qaribullah & Darwish

It is the knowledge of the Hour. Have no doubt concerning it, and follow me. This is a Straight Path,

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And he shall be a known sign for (the coming of) the Hour. Therefore have no doubt concerning it. And follow Me! This is the straight path.

Wahiduddin Khan

He is a sign of the Hour. Have no doubt about it. But follow me. This is a straight path;

Talal Itani

He is a portent of the Hour, so have no doubt about it, and follow Me. This is a straight way.

Tafsir jalalayn

And indeed he, that is, Jesus, is a portent of the Hour -- [the arrival of] it is known by the sending down of him -- so do not doubt it (tamtarunna; the indicative nn has been omitted for apocopation together with the ww of the [third] person [plural] on account of two unvowelled consonants coming together) but, say to them; `Follow me, in the affirmation of [God's] Oneness. This, to which I command you, is a straight path'.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِّلسَّاعَةِ

He was not more than a servant. We granted Our favor to him, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel. And if it were Our will, We would have made angels to replace you on the earth. And he (Isa) shall be a known sign for the Hour.

meaning, the miracles and signs that happened at his hands, such as raising the dead and healing the sick, are sufficient as signs of the approach of the Hour.

فَلَ تَمْتَرُنَّ بِهَا وَاتَّبِعُونِ

هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ



Therefore have no doubt concerning it. And follow Me! This is the straight path.

Ibn Jarir mentioned that Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, commented on the Ayah;
وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ مَثَلً إِذَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْهُ يَصِدُّونَ
(And when the son of Maryam is quoted as an example, behold, your people cry aloud thereat).

"This means the Quraysh, when it was said to them;

إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ أَنتُمْ لَهَا وَارِدُونَ

Certainly you and that which you are worshipping now besides Allah, are (but) fuel for Hell! (Surely) you will enter it. (21;98)

The Quraysh said to him;`What about Isa bin Maryam'

He said;

ذَاكَ عَبْدُاللهِ وَرَسُولُه

He is the servant and Messenger of Allah.

They said,

`By Allah, he means that we should take him as a lord just as the Christians took Isa son of Maryam as a lord.'

Then Allah said;

مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلاَّ جَدَلاًا
بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ


They quoted not the above example except for argument. Nay! But they are a quarrelsome people.

وَقَالُوا أَالِهَتُنَا خَيْرٌ أَمْ هُوَ

And say;"Are our gods better or is he?"

Qatadah said,

"They were saying, `our gods are better than him'."

Qatadah said;

"Ibn Mas`ud, may Allah be pleased with him, recited it
أَالِهَتُنَا خَيْرٌ أَمْ هُدَا
(Are our gods better or is this (person)),"

they mean Muhammad.
...
مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلاَّ جَدَلاًا...

They quoted not the above example except for argument.

means, for the sake of stubborn argument, for they knew that he (Isa ) was not included in the Ayah (21;98), because that would not make sense.

The words,

إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ

Certainly you and that which you are worshipping now besides Allah, are (but) fuel for Hell! (21;98)

are addressed to the Quraysh, for they used to worship idols and false gods -- they did not worship the Messiah so why should he be included in what the Ayah says? What they said was only for the sake of argument; they did not really believe in it.

Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, recorded that Abu Umamah, may Allah be pleased with him, said,

"The Messenger of Allah said;

مَا ضَلَّ قَوْمٌ بَعْدَ هُدًى كَانُوا عَلَيْهِ إِلاَّ أُوْرِثُوا الْجَدَل


No people go astray after having been guided, but they resort to (futile) argument.

Then the Messenger of Allah recited this Ayah;
مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلاَّ جَدَلاًا
بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ
(They quoted not the above example except for argument. Nay! But they are a quarrelsome people)."

It was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Ibn Jarir.

At-Tirmidhi said, "This Hadith is Hasan Sahih, we do not know it except from the Hadith of Hajjaj bin Dinar..."

إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ

He (Isa) was not more than a servant. We granted Our favor to him,

means, Isa, peace be upon him; he was no more than one of the servants of Allah whom Allah blessed with Prophethood and messengership.

وَجَعَلْنَاهُ مَثَلً لِّبَنِي إِسْرَايِيلَ


and We made him an example for the Children of Israel.

means, `a sign, proof and evidence of Our power to do whatever We will.'

وَلَوْ نَشَاء لَجَعَلْنَا مِنكُم مَّلَيِكَةً فِي الاَْرْضِ يَخْلُفُونَ

And if it were Our will, We would have made angels to replace you on the earth.

As-Suddi said,

"They would have taken your place on (the earth)."

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and Qatadah said,

"They would have succeeded one another just as you succeed one another."

This view is implied by the former view.

Mujahid said,

"They would have populated the earth instead of you."

Allah's saying;

وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِّلسَّاعَةِ

And he (Isa) shall be a known sign for (the coming of) the Hour.

The correct view concerning this phrase is that it refers to his descent before the Day of Resurrection, as Allah says;

وَإِن مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ إِلاَّ لَيُوْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ

And there is none of the People of the Scripture but must believe in him before his death. (4;159).

-- meaning before the death of Isa, peace be upon him --

وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيداً

And on the Day of Resurrection, he will be a witness against them (4;159)

This meaning has the support from an alternate recitation of the Ayat
وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِلسَّاعَةِ
(And he shall be a known sign for (the coming of) the Hour.) means, evidence that the Hour will surely come.

Mujahid said;
وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِّلسَّاعَةِ
(And he shall be a sign for (the coming of) the Hour).

means, sign and "One of the signs of the Hour will be the appearance of Isa son of Maryam before the Day of Resurrection."

Something similar was also narrated from Abu Hurayrah, Ibn Abbas, `Abu Al-`Aliyah, Abu Malik, Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak and others.

Many Mutawatir Hadiths report that the Messenger of Allah said that Isa will descend before the Day of Resurrection as a just ruler and fair judge.

فَلَ تَمْتَرُنَّ بِهَا

Therefore have no doubt concerning it.

means, do not doubt that it will surely come to pass.

وَاتَّبِعُونِ

And follow Me.

means, `in what I tell you about it.'

هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ