Tafseer of The Cow · Al-Baqara · 2:146
Those to whom We gave the Scripture know him as they know their own sons. But indeed, a party of them conceal the truth while they know [it].
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.
The explanation of the statement of the Exalted: الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ
(Those to whom We have given the Book recognize it as they recognize their own sons)
Abū Jaʿfar said: He — exalted is His praise — means by His statement "Those to whom We have given the Book recognize it" the scribes of the Jews and the scholars of the Christians. He says: these scribes among the Jews and the scholars among the Christians know that the Sacred House (al-Bayt al-Ḥarām) is their qiblah, and the qiblah of Ibrāhīm, and the qiblah of the prophets before you, just as they recognize their own sons. As:—
2259— Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd ibn Zurayʿ related to us, on the authority of Saʿīd, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement: "Those to whom We have given the Book recognize it as they recognize their own sons," he says: they know that the Sacred House is the qiblah.
2260— Al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ, concerning the statement of Allah — mighty and exalted is He: "Those to whom We have given the Book recognize it as they recognize their own sons," by which the qiblah is meant.
2261— It was related to me on the authority of ʿAmmār ibn al-Ḥasan, saying: Ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ, concerning His statement: "Those to whom We have given the Book recognize it as they recognize their own sons," they knew that the qiblah of the Sacred House is their qiblah which was commanded to them, just as they recognized their own sons.
2262— Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His statement: "Those to whom We have given the Book recognize it as they recognize their own sons," by it the Kaʿba, the Sacred House, is meant.
2263— Mūsā ibn Hārūn related to me, saying: ʿAmr ibn Ḥammād related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: "Those to whom We have given the Book recognize it as they recognize their own sons," they recognize the Kaʿba as the qiblah of the prophets, just as they recognize their own sons.
2264— Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His statement: "Those to whom We have given the Book recognize it as they recognize their own sons," he said: the Jews know that it — Mecca — is the qiblah.
2265— Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, saying: Ibn Jurayj said concerning His statement: "Those to whom We have given the Book recognize it as they recognize their own sons," he said: the qiblah and the House.
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The explanation of the statement of the Exalted: وَإِنَّ فَرِيقًا مِنْهُمْ لَيَكْتُمُونَ الْحَقَّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ
(And indeed, a group of them conceal the truth while they know) (146)
Abū Jaʿfar said: He — exalted is His praise — says: and indeed, a group of those to whom the Book was given — and they are the Jews and the Christians. Mujāhid used to say: they are the People of the Book.
2266— Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr — that is, al-Bāhilī — related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, on the authority of ʿĪsā, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, to that effect.
2267— Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, with similar effect.
2268— Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, saying: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, with similar effect.
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Abū Jaʿfar said: And His statement "conceal the truth" — that truth is the qiblah, toward which Allah — mighty and exalted is He — directed His prophet Muḥammad ﷺ. He says: فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ (So turn your face toward the direction of the Sacred Mosque) — that qiblah toward which the prophets before Muḥammad ﷺ directed themselves. The Jews and the Christians concealed it, and some of them directed themselves toward the east and some of them directed themselves toward Jerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis), and they rejected what Allah had commanded them. Along with that, they also concealed the matter of Muḥammad ﷺ, while they found him described with them in the Torah and the Gospel. Then Allah — mighty and exalted is He — informed Muḥammad ﷺ and his community about their treachery toward Allah — blessed and exalted is He — and their treachery toward His servants, and the fact that they concealed that. And He reported that they do what they do of that, while they know that the truth is otherwise, and that what Allah — exalted is His praise — has obligated upon them is the opposite of it. Therefore He said: "conceal the truth while they know" that it is not permitted to them to conceal it, and thus they deliberately commit disobedience toward Allah — blessed and exalted is He. As:—
2269— Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd ibn Zurayʿ related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement: "And indeed, a group of them conceal the truth while they know," they concealed Muḥammad ﷺ.
2270— Al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, saying: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: "conceal the truth while they know," he said: they conceal Muḥammad ﷺ, while they find him described with them in the Torah and the Gospel.
2271— Al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Isḥāq ibn al-Ḥajjāj related to us, saying: Ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ: "And indeed, a group of them conceal the truth while they know," by which the qiblah is meant.
