Surah Ali 'Imran, Ayah 98 (3:98)

آلِ عِمْرَان

قُلْ يَٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ لِمَ تَكْفُرُونَ بَِٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱللَّهُ شَهِيدٌ عَلَىٰ مَا تَعْمَلُونَ

Quran 3:98 is ayah 98 of Surah Ali 'Imran (“Family of Imran”), a Medinan surah of 200 ayahs. It is in Juz 4, on page 62 of the Madani Mushaf.

3:98
قُلْيَٰٓأَهْلَٱلْكِتَٰبِلِمَتَكْفُرُونَبَِٔايَٰتِٱللَّهِوَٱللَّهُشَهِيدٌعَلَىٰمَاتَعْمَلُونَ٩٨
qul yāahla l-kitābi lima takfurūna biāyāti l-lahi wal-lahu shahīdun ʿalā mā taʿmalūna

Say, "O People of the Scripture, why do you disbelieve in the verses of Allāh while Allāh is Witness over what you do?"(98)

Word by word

  1. قُلْqulSay
  2. يَٰٓأَهْلَyāahlaO People
  3. ٱلْكِتَٰبِl-kitābi(of) the Book
  4. لِمَlimaWhy
  5. تَكْفُرُونَtakfurūna(do) you disbelieve
  6. بَِٔايَٰتِbiāyātiin (the) Verses
  7. ٱللَّهِl-lahi(of) Allah
  8. وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuwhile Allah
  9. شَهِيدٌshahīdun(is) a Witness
  10. عَلَىٰʿalāover
  11. مَاmāwhat
  12. تَعْمَلُونَtaʿmalūnayou do

Tafsir (commentary) of 3:98

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

This commentary explains ayahs 3:98–99 together.

Chastising the People of the Book for Their Disbelief and Blocking the Path of Allah

In this Ayah Allah criticizes the disbelieving People of the Book for refusing the truth, rejecting Allah's Ayat and hindering those who seek to believe from His path, although they know that what the Messenger was sent with is the truth from Allah. They learned this from the previous Prophets and honorable Messengers, may Allah's peace and blessings be on them all. They all brought the glad tidings and the good news of the coming of the unlettered, Arab, Hashimi Prophet from Makkah, the master of the Children of Adam, the Final Prophet and the Messenger of the Lord of heavens and earth. Allah has warned the People of the Book against this behavior, stating that He is Witness over what they do, indicating their defiance of the knowledge conveyed to them by the Prophets. They rejected, denied and refused the very Messenger whom they were ordered to convey the glad tidings about his coming. Allah states that He is never unaware of what they do, and He will hold them responsible for their actions, R

يَوْمَ لاَ يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلاَ بَنُونَ

(The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail) 26:88.

Read the full Surah Ali 'Imran