Tafseer of The Family of Imraan · Aal-i-Imraan · 3:70
O People of the Scripture, why do you disbelieve in the verses of Allah while you witness [to their truth]?
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 His word: يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لِمَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَأَنْتُمْ تَشْهَدُونَ ("O People of the Book, why do you reject the signs of Allah, while you bear witness?") (3:70).
Abū Jaʿfar said: By this He means, exalted is His praise: "O People of the Book" — of the Jews and the Christians — "why do you reject" — He says: why do you deny — "the signs of Allah" — by which He means: that which is in the Book of Allah which He sent down to you through the mouths of your prophets, of His signs and proofs — "while you bear witness" that it is the truth from your Lord.
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This, from Allah, Mighty and Exalted, is only a rebuke to the people of the two Books for their unbelief (kufr) toward Muḥammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and their denial of his prophethood, while they find him in their Books, together with their testimony that what is in their Books is the truth and that it is from Allah, as in:
7219 — Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: "O People of the Book, why do you reject the signs of Allah, while you bear witness?", he says: you bear witness that the description of Muḥammad, the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is in your Book, and then you reject him, deny him, and do not believe in him, while you find him written down with you in the Torah and the Gospel: النَّبِيِّ الأُمِّيِّ الَّذِي يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَكَلِمَاتِهِ ("the unlettered prophet who believes in Allah and His words").
7220 — Al-Muthannā related to us, he said: Isḥāq related to us, he said: Ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ: "O People of the Book, why do you reject the signs of Allah, while you bear witness?", he says: you bear witness that the description of Muḥammad is in your Book, and then you reject him and do not believe in him, while you find him with you in the Torah and the Gospel: "the unlettered prophet".
7221 — Muḥammad related to me, he said: Aḥmad related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: "O People of the Book, why do you reject the signs of Allah, while you bear witness?" — "the signs of Allah" is Muḥammad; as for "you bear witness", they bear witness that he is the truth, while they find him written down with them.
7222 — Al-Qāsim related to us, he said: al-Ḥusayn related to us, he said: Ḥajjāj related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, concerning His word: "O People of the Book, why do you reject the signs of Allah, while you bear witness?" — that the religion with Allah is Islam, and that Allah has no religion other than this.
