98
اَلْبَيِّنَةِ
Evidence

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ۔

لَمْ يَكُنِ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا مِنْ اَهْلِ الْكِتٰبِ وَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ مُنْفَكِّيْنَ حَتّٰى تَاْتِيَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ۔ رَسُوْلٌ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ يَتْلُوْا صُحُفًا مُّطَهَّرَةً۔ فِيْهَا كُتُبٌ قَيِّمَةٌ۔ؕ وَ مَا تَفَرَّقَ الَّذِيْنَ اُوْتُوا الْكِتٰبَ اِلَّا مِنْ٘ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ۔ؕ وَ مَآ اُمِرُوْٓا اِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللّٰهَ مُخْلِصِيْنَ لَهُ الدِّيْنَ حُنَفَآءَ وَ يُقِيْمُوا الصَّلٰوةَ وَ يُؤْتُوا الزَّكٰوةَ وَ ذٰلِكَ دِيْنُ الْقَيِّمَةِ۔ؕ اِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا مِنْ اَهْلِ الْكِتٰبِ وَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ فِيْ نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ خٰلِدِيْنَ فِيْهَا ؕ اُولٰٓىِٕكَ هُمْ شَرُّ الْبَرِيَّةِ۔ؕ اِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ اُولٰٓىِٕكَ هُمْ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ۔ؕ جَزَآؤُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنّٰتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِيْ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْاَنْهٰرُ خٰلِدِيْنَ فِيْهَآ اَبَدًا ؕ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ وَ رَضُوْا عَنْهُ ؕ ذٰلِكَ لِمَنْ خَشِيَ رَبَّهُ۔

In the name of God—the most compassionate, the most merciful.

Those People of the Book who have disbelieved, plus the associators [of others with God] did not give up until evidence came to them, [through] a messenger from God reciting purified pages which comprise changeless books.

Nor did those who were given the Book disagree (about it) until after evidence had come to them.

Yet they have merely been ordered to worship God sincerely—[reserving] religion for Him [Alone], as righteous seekers [after Truth] and to keep up prayer and pay the welfare tax. That is the religion for an established [community]. 

Those People of the Book who disbelieve as well as the associators [polytheists] will remain in Hell fire; those are the worst creatures. Those who believe and perform honorable deeds are the best creatures; their reward from their Lord will be gardens of Eden through which rivers flow, to live in for ever. God is pleased with them while they feel pleased with Him. That is [reserved] for anyone who dreads his Lord.

This chapter distinguishes the true believer from those who merely play with belief and good behavior.

The Arab pagans and the followers of Divine scriptures (i.e. followers of previous prophets) used to ask the Prophet Muhammad to show them some miracles, as clear evidence, or demanded that an angel should descend from heaven and talk to them. Only then would they accept his prophethood. But those who make such demands are inevitably frivolous. Such demands had already been made by their forebears, but in spite of their demands being conceded to, they could not become believers.

The true religion of God is that according to which man should pray to and worship the one and only God; he should love and admire God from the bottom of his heart; he should consistently say his prayers and pay zakat (prescribed alms-giving). This is the real religion which comes from God.

The best of all are those who adopt this correct religion and the worst are those who do not do so, or who devise another religion instead of the proper one and call the new religion the true religion.