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Surah Al-Ma'idah, verse 48: meaning and tafsir
وَأَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ بِٱلْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَمُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ ۖ فَٱحْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ عَمَّا جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ ۚ لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنكُمْ شِرْعَةً وَمِنْهَاجًا ۚ وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً وَٰحِدَةً وَلَٰكِن لِّيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِى مَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمْ ۖ فَٱسْتَبِقُوا۟ ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ ۚ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ ٤٨
We have revealed to you [O Prophet] the Book in truth, confirming the scriptures that came before it and as a criterion[45] over them. So judge between them according to what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their desires in disregard of the truth that has come to you. To each of you We have ordained a law and a way of life[46]. If Allah had willed, He would have made you a single community, but He tests you in what He has given you. So compete with one another in doing good deeds. To Allah you will all return, then He will inform you concerning things over which you used to differ.
Translation of the meanings: Rowwad Translation Center — version 1.0.19 · QuranEnc.com
[45] Muhaymin: that which testifies the truth therein and falsifies the falsehood added to them.
[46] A fact borne out by millennia that non-Muslim societies (known as dhimmiyyūn) lived and prospered in peace amidst Muslim communities and states. However, the law (shir‘ah) and way of life (minhāj) are different, yet the divinely ordained religion is, in essence, the same. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Prophets are half brothers; their mothers are different but their religion is the same.” [Al-Bukhārī: 3443, Muslim: 2365]
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Al-Mukhtasar: Abridged Explanation of the Quran
Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies · QuranEnc.com
48. I sent down to you, O Messenger, the Qur’ān with the truth about which there is no doubt that it is from Allah. It is a confirmation and guardian for the revealed books that came before it. Whatever in those books conforms to it is the truth, and whatever does not is false. So judge between people according to what I have revealed to you in it and do not follow their desires which they have adopted in leaving the truth that has been revealed to you about which there is no doubt. I have made a sacred law and clear path for every nation. If I willed to make all the laws one, I would have done so. But I made a separate law for every nation in order to test them all and to see who follows and who does not. So rush towards doing good actions and leave evil ones. Your return on the Day of Judgement is to Me alone. I will inform you about that which you used to differ in and will repay you for the actions you did.
Quran text: Tanzil Project (Tanzil Quran Text, Uthmani v1.1, CC BY 3.0). The translation and tafsir are quoted word for word, unchanged, from the Noble Quran Encyclopedia, QuranEnc.com, each credited to its source. Details on our sources page. These texts are quoted exactly as published; no answer is written by AI. Quran Chat does not issue fatwas.