002:141

The Holy Qor-aan                                                                                                            002:141

اَمۡ تَقُوۡلُوۡنَ اِنَّ اِبۡرٰهٖمَ وَاِسۡمٰعِيۡلَ وَاِسۡحٰقَ وَيَعۡقُوۡبَ وَالۡاَسۡبَاطَ كَانُوۡا هُوۡدًا اَوۡ نَصٰرٰى‌ؕ قُلۡ ءَاَنۡـتُمۡ اَعۡلَمُ اَمِ اللّٰهُ‌ ؕ وَمَنۡ اَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنۡ كَتَمَ شَهَادَةً عِنۡدَهٗ مِنَ اللّٰهِ‌ؕ وَمَا اللّٰهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ‏

Um-ta-qoo-loo-na-in-n
Ib-raa-he-ma-wa-is-maa-ee-la-wa-is-haa-qa-wa-yau-qoo-ba-wul-us-baa-ta
kaa-noo-hoo-dun-auo-na-sa-raa
Qool-aa-un-toom-au-la-mo-aa-mil-laa-ho
Wa-mun-uz-la-mo-mim-mun-ka-ta-ma-sha-haa-da-ton-in-da-hoo-may-nul-laa-hay
Wa-mul-laa-ho-bay-ghaa-fay-lin-um-maa-tau-ma-loo-n.

Is it that you say for sure that
Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes
Were Jewish or Christians?
Say, “Do you surely know more or is it Allah?”
And who is more unjust than him who concealed evidence he had from Allah.
And Allah is not unmindful relative to what you do.”

• اَمۡ — Um — Is it  (= Question mark like could, did, dad, should, would?)
• تَقُوۡلُوۡنَ — Ta-qoo-loona — You say (= v., pres, pl., m, 2nd person. Allege; announce; assert; allege; attribute; boast; broadcast; call; claim; convey; inform; maintain; profess; specify; state; tell)
• اِنَّ — In-na — For sure (= Absolutely; certainly; definitely; doubtlessly; indeed; in all sincerity; positively; really; surely; truly; verily)
• اِبۡرٰهٖمَ — Ib-raa-he-ma — Abraham  (= The name of a Messenger / Prophet of Allah)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; but also; more over; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
• اِسۡمٰعِيۡلَ — Is-maa-ee-la — Ishmael (= The name of a Messenger / Prophet of Allah)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• اِسۡحٰق — Is-haa-qa — Isaac (= The name of a Messenger / Prophet of Allah)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• يَعۡقُوۡبَ — Yau-qoo-ba — Jacob (= The name of a Messenger / Prophet of Allah)
• وَ — Wa…(ul) — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• الۡاَسۡبَاطَ — Us-baa-ta — Tribes (= Children, families, offspring or progeny of the twelve sons of Jacob)
• كَانُوۡا — Kaa-noo — Had been (= v., Conveys continuation; ‘That one in the 3rd persons ‘used to’. This verb and its 14 grammatical variations indicate an act’s continuity from the past to the present and leading into the future – such as ‘continued doing’ or ‘went on doing’)
• هُوۡدًا — Hoo-dun — Jewish (= Followers of Moses; children of Israel; Israelite)
• اَوۡ — Auo — Or (= Alternatively; in substitution)
• نَصٰرٰى‌ — Na-saa-raa — Christian (= Followers of Jesus Christ)
• قُلۡ — Qool — You say (= v., 2nd person. Ask; admonish; announce; assert; call; broadcast; challenge; contend; contest; counter; warn; convey; declare; explain; inform; insist; maintain; tell; preach; profess; question; reply; respond; retort; state. See Commentary titled as “‘You say’ means…“)
• ءَ — Aa — Do (= Question mark like Are, Can, Have, Shell or Will?)
• اَنۡ — Un — Surely (=Absolutely; certainly; definitely; doubtlessly; indeed; positively; really; surely; verily)
• تُمۡ — Toom — You (= pl., m., 2nd person. You men. Generally this way the Holy Qor-aan addresses both men and women)
• اَعۡلَمُ — Au-la-mo — Know more (= Better equipped with awareness; knowing better, full well and greater knowledge; highly knowledgeable)
• اَمِ — Aa-m…(il) — Or is it (= Question mark like could, did, dad, should, would?)
• اللّٰهُ — Laa-ho — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• مَنۡ — Mun — Who (= Anyone; what; whatsoever; who; whoever; whom)
• اَظۡلَمُ — Uz-la-mo — More unjust (= Greater wrong-doer. Guilty of a greater wrong. More cruel, wicked or wrongful.  More unfair. Worse)
• مِمَّنۡ — Mim-mun — From who (= Combination of two words. The first word مِنۡ ‘Min’ means ‘from.’ The second word مَنۡ meaning ‘who.’ The combination of two words thus means ‘from who’ or ‘concerning, regarding or relative to whom)
• كَتَمَ — Ka-ta-ma — Concealed (= Hid; kept secret; swept under the rug)
• شَهَادَةً — Sha-haa-da-ton — Evidence (= Corroboration; proof; testimony; witness’ account)
• عِنۡدَ — In-da — From / With (= In the counting, estimation, eyes, providence or sight of)
• هٗ — Hoo — Him (= pro., s., m., 3rd person. He who conceals evidence)
• مِنَ — May-n…(ul) — From (= From the class, category, count, kind, persons or out of)
• اللّٰهِ — Laa-hay — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)

The Phrase Wa-mul-laa-ho-bay-ghaa … is used frequently. See Note 002:075b.

• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; but; also; more over; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
• مَا — Ma…(ul) — Not (= No; not; not at all; never)
• اللّٰهُ — Laa-ho — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
• بِ — Bay — With (= This word in Arabic literally means ‘with’)
• غَافِلٍ — Ghaa-fay-lin — Unmindful (= Forgetful. Heedless; Ignorant. Unaware)
• عَمَّا — Um-ma — Relative to what (= This is a combination of two words. The first word عَنۡ (un) means about, concerning, regarding, relative to. The second word مَاۤ (maa) means all that or what. عَمَّا means about, concerning, regarding that or what. A/t/a, ‘what,’ ‘that which,’ ‘all the things,’ ‘that’ and ‘all that (evil)’’
• تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ — Tau-ma-loo-na — You do (= v., pres., pl., 2^nd person. Act; activate; attempt; carry out; effect; exercise; execute; function; go; make out; implement; operate; perform; practice; render; serve; run-through; work-out. See Note 002:075b)

* Note 002:141. Five sets of words in this verse 002:141 have appeared in other verses.   Some words and phrases just repeated the format for emphasis.    Some reiterated the events and teachings provided elsewhere.    Some conveyed different shades of a concept like being under a different-color floodlights.    Some illuminated the subject from the angle that was not shown in the light of other angle.    But put together in this verse they all have produced a priceless rule of the Law of Evidence.    Ask a court or prosecutor how important it is that one must not withhold the evidence he has.    See our Commentary titled as Repetitions in the Holy Qor-aan have benefits.

• 002:081 posed a question اَمۡ تَقُوۡلُوۡنَ exposing the ignorance of those to whom it was put.
• 002:137 presented in 10 words what was common among many named prophets.
• 002:112 and 002:136 highlighted the superiority claim of هُوۡدًا اَوۡ نَصٰرٰى‌.
• 002:115 produced the format to show extremely unjust behavior by asking         وَمَنۡ اَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنۡ .
• The last seven (7) words are repeated in several verses including 002:075, 002:086, 002:141 and 002:150.   The last word تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ  (tau-ma-loon) meaning “you do” is in this verse.   But the last word يَعۡمَلُوۡنَ‏ (yau-ma-loon) meaning “they do” is in verses   002:145.