Tafseer of The Cow · Al-Baqara · 2:111
And they say, "None will enter Paradise except one who is a Jew or a Christian." That is [merely] their wishful thinking, Say, "Produce your proof, if you should be truthful."
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
And they said: "None shall enter Paradise unless he is a Jew or a Christian"
The statement concerning the interpretation of His words, the Exalted: وَقَالُوا لَنْ يَدْخُل الْجَنَّة إلَّا مَنْ كَانَ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَى ("And they said: 'None shall enter Paradise (janna) unless he is a Jew or a Christian'").
He — exalted be His praise — means by His words وَقَالُوا ("And they said") that the Jews and the Christians said: لَنْ يَدْخُل الْجَنَّة ("None shall enter Paradise").
If someone were to ask: "How is it that the Jews and the Christians are joined together in this report, when the statement of the two groups differs — for the Jews deny that the Christians have any share in Allah's reward, and the Christians deny the Jews that same thing?" — then the answer is: The meaning of this is other than what you supposed. Rather, what is meant by it is: the Jews said: "None shall enter Paradise unless he is a Jew," and the Christians said: "None shall enter Paradise except the Christians." But because the meaning of the statement was clear to those to whom it was addressed, the two groups were joined together in the report concerning them, and it was said: قَالُوا لَنْ يَدْخُل الْجَنَّة إلَّا مَنْ كَانَ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَى ("They said: 'None shall enter Paradise unless he is a Jew or a Christian'") — that is to say: the Jews said: "None shall enter Paradise unless he is a Jew," and the Christians said: "None shall enter Paradise unless he is a Christian."
As for His words مَنْ كَانَ هُودًا ("whoever is a Jew"): concerning the word "hūd" there are two views. The first is that it is a plural of "hāʾid," just as "ʿūṭ" is the plural of "ʿāʾiṭ," and "ʿūdh" the plural of "ʿāʾidh," and "ḥūl" the plural of "ḥāʾil"; it would then be a plural for both the masculine and the feminine with a single form. And "al-hāʾid" is the one who repents and returns to the truth. The other view is that it is a verbal noun (maṣdar) for the whole, as one says: "a fasting man (rajul ṣawm) and a fasting people (qawm ṣawm)," and "a man who breaks his fast (rajul fiṭr), and a people who break their fast (qawm fiṭr), and women who break their fast (niswa fiṭr)."
And it has been said that His words إلَّا مَنْ كَانَ هُودًا ("unless he is a Jew") are in reality the statement: "unless he is a Jew (yahūd)"; but He omitted the added "yāʾ" and reverted to the verb of Judaism (al-yahūdiyya). And it has been said that in the reading of Ubayy it reads: "unless he is a Jew or a Christian." And we have already previously expounded the meaning of "al-naṣārā" (the Christians), and why they were so named and put into the plural in that manner, in a way that makes repetition unnecessary.
Those are their wishful fancies
As for His words تِلْكَ أَمَانِيّهمْ ("Those are their wishful fancies"): this is a report from Allah — exalted be His remembrance — concerning the statement of those who said: لَنْ يَدْخُل الْجَنَّة إلَّا مَنْ كَانَ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَى ("None shall enter Paradise unless he is a Jew or a Christian") — namely that it is wishful fancies (amānī) of theirs which they cherish concerning Allah, without right, without proof-ground, without conclusive evidence, and without certain knowledge of the correctness of what they claim, but rather on the basis of claiming falsehoods and the wishful fancies of lying souls. As:
1492 — Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd ibn Zurayʿ related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: تِلْكَ أَمَانِيّهمْ ("Those are their wishful fancies") — lying wishful fancies which they cherish concerning Allah.
1493 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: Ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ: تِلْكَ أَمَانِيّهمْ ("Those are their wishful fancies"), he said: wishful fancies which they cherished concerning Allah, without right.
Say: "Bring your proof, if you are truthful"
The statement concerning the interpretation of His words, the Exalted: قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَانكُمْ إنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ("Say: 'Bring your proof (burhān), if you are truthful'").
This is a command from Allah — exalted be His praise — to His Prophet ﷺ to call those who قَالُوا لَنْ يَدْخُل الْجَنَّة إلَّا مَنْ كَانَ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَى ("said: 'None shall enter Paradise unless he is a Jew or a Christian'") to a matter that is just between all the factions — the Muslims among them, the Jews among them, and the Christians among them — namely the producing of the proof for their claim which they have uttered, that Paradise is entered by none unless he is a Jew or a Christian.
Allah says to His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: "O Muhammad, say to those who claim that Paradise is entered by none unless he is a Jew or a Christian, and by no one else of the rest of mankind: 'Bring your proof for what you claim concerning that, so that we may concede your claim to you, if you are correct in your claim — that Paradise is entered by none unless he is a Jew or a Christian.'"
And "al-burhān" is the clear declaration (al-bayān), the proof-ground (al-ḥujja), and the manifest evidence (al-bayyina). As:
1494 — Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd ibn Zurayʿ related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: هَاتُوا بُرْهَانكُمْ ("Bring your proof") — bring your clear evidence.
1495 — Mūsā related to me, saying: ʿAmr related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: هَاتُوا بُرْهَانكُمْ ("Bring your proof") — bring your proof-ground.
1496 — Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: Al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid: قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَانكُمْ ("Say: 'Bring your proof'"), he said: your proof-ground.
1497 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: Ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ: قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَانكُمْ ("Say: 'Bring your proof'") — that is to say: your proof-ground.
And although the outward import of this statement is that of a call to those who say لَنْ يَدْخُل الْجَنَّة إلَّا مَنْ كَانَ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَى ("None shall enter Paradise unless he is a Jew or a Christian") to produce a proof-ground for their claim which they have uttered concerning that, it in reality carries the meaning of a refutation by Allah of them regarding their claim and their statement; for they were never able to produce a proof for that claim of theirs. And His words بَلَى مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهه لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِن ("Nay, but whoever surrenders his face to Allah while doing good") make clear that the statement we have mentioned carries the meaning of a refutation of the Jews and the Christians in their claim which Allah has mentioned concerning them.
As for the interpretation of His words قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَانكُمْ ("Say: 'Bring your proof'"): that means: "Bring it forth on the spot and come producing it."
