002:121

The Holy Qor-aan                                                                                                                 002:121

وَلَنۡ تَرۡضٰى عَنۡكَ الۡيَهُوۡدُ وَلَا النَّصٰرٰى حَتّٰى تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمۡ‌ؕ قُلۡ اِنَّ هُدَى اللّٰهِ هُوَ الۡهُدٰى‌ؕ وَلَٮِٕنِ اتَّبَعۡتَ اَهۡوَآءَهُمۡ بَعۡدَ الَّذِىۡ جَآءَكَ مِنَ الۡعِلۡمِ‌ۙ مَا لَـكَ مِنَ اللّٰهِ مِنۡ وَّلِىٍّ وَّلَا نَصِيۡرٍؔ‏

Wa-lun-tur-dzaa-un-kul-ya-ho-do-wa-lun-na-saa-raa
Hut-taa-tut-ta-bay-aa-mil-la-ta-hoom
Qool-in-na-ho-dul-laa-hay-ho-wul-ho-daa
Wa-la-aiy-nut-ta-bau-ta-ah-waa-aa-hoom
Bau-dul-la-zee-jaa-aa-ka-may-nul-il-may
Maa-la-ka-may-nul-laa-hay-min-wa-lee-yin-wa-la-na-see-r.

And the Jews will not be pleased with you nor the Christians
Until you have followed their religion.
Proclaim that certainly Allah’s guidance is the real guidance.
And if you followed their fancies
After the real knowledge has reached you
There will not be for you any friend or helper from Allah.

• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; but; also; more over; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
• لَن — Lun — Never (= Absolute denial; no; not; not at all; total negation)
• تَرۡضٰى — Tur-dzaa — Pleased (= Content; happy; satisfied)
• عَنۡ — Un — With (= About; concerning; regarding)
• كَ — Ka — You (= pro., s., m.,  2nd person.  Your.   The initial addressee was the Holy Prophet s.a.w.   The secondary recipients of the message are all humans.   See Notes 002:005)
• الۡيَهُوۡدُ — Ya-hoo-do — Jewish (= Followers of Moses; children of Israel; Israelite)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• لَا — Laa…(un)  — No (= Never; neither; nor; not; absolute and total denial; not at all; negation without exception)
• النَّصٰرٰى — Na-saa-raa — Christian (= Followers of Jesus Christ)
• حَتّٰى — Hut-ta — Until (= Till; unless)
• تَتَّبِعَ — Tut-ta-bay-aa — You follow (= Act on direction given; carry out the orders; conform; do as told; fall in rank; in support; obey instruction)
• مِلَّتَ — Mil-la-ta — Faith (= Creed; religion; life style; way to live; form of religion)
• ھُمۡ‌ — Hoom — Them (= pro., pl., m., 3rd person. Refers to Jews and Christians)
• قُلۡ — Qool — Proclaim (= v., s, 2nd person.  Admonish; announce; assert; counter; call out, convey; declare; educate; elaborate; explain; inform; instruct; maintain; preach; proclaim; profess; propagate; reply; respond; specify; say; state; teach; train; tell; tutor.   Do aforesaid acts relative to 1) others, 2) yourself, 3) your receiving it and 4) your resolve to obey the Commandment.  See Note 112-002 and our Commentary ‘You say’ means‘)
• اِنَّ — In-na — Certainly (= Absolutely; definitely; doubtlessly; earnestly; indeed; seriously; positively; really; surely; truly; verily)
• هُدًى — Ho-da…(ul) — Guidance (= n., Knowledge about what is appropriate. Direction towards the best way, correct course; linier lines, proper path or right road)
• اللّٰهِ — Laa-hay — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
• هُوَ — Ho-wa..(ul) — That is (= pro., s., m., 3rd person. Refers to ‘the guidance’)
• الۡهُدٰٓى — Ho-daa — The Guidance (= n., The Islam.   Appropriate knowledge.   See هُدًى above)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• لَ — La — Certainly (= Absolutely; definitely; doubtlessly; earnestly; indeed; in all sincerity; positively; really; surely; truly; verily)
• ٮِٕنِ — Aiy-n…(ut) — If (= In case; under the circumstances)
• اتَّبَعۡ — Ta-bau — You followed (= Obeyed. Acted or carried out the given directions or instruction. Fell in rank. Stood behind supporting them. Yielded or laid down to what they demand or mandate)
• تَ — Ta — You (= pro., s., m., 2nd person.  You.  See كَ above)
• اَهۡوَآءَ — Ah-waa-aa — Fancies  *   (= pl.,  Evil, low or vain desires; wants; whims; wishes)
• ھُمۡ‌ — Hoom — Their (= pro., pl., m., 3rd person. Refers to Jews and Christians)
• بَعۡدَ — Bau-da..(ul) — After (= Behind; later; subsequent to)
• الَّذِىۡ — La-zee — That (= s., m., 3rd person. Refers to ‘the knowledge’)
• جَآءَ — Jaa-a — Reached (= Arrived; came; had come)
• كَ — Ka — You (= pro., s., m.,  2nd person.  You.  See كَ above)
• مِنَ — May-na..(ul — From (= From the class, category, count, kind, persons or out of)
• الۡعِلۡمِ‌ — Il-may — The Knowledge (= v. Awareness; experience; expertise; familiarity with facts; know-how; solid information accumulated based upon wisdom, intelligence, perfect knowledge, total awareness and appropriate instruction)
• مَاۤ — Maa — Not at all (= Absolutely not; no; never)
• لَ — La — For (= For the attention, benefit, purpose or reason of;relative to; concerning; regarding)  )
• كَ — Ka — You (= pro., s., m., 2nd person.  You.  See كَ above)
• مِنَ — May-na..(ul — From (= From the class, category, count, kind, persons or out of)

[The following six words اللّٰهِ مِنۡ وَّلِىٍّ وَّلَا نَصِيۡرٍ in 002:121 are also the last six words in 002:108]

• اللهِ — Laa-hay — Allah ** (= The Almighty God; the One Only worthy of worship)
• مِنۡ — Min — Among (= From a class, category, count, kind, persons or out of)
• وَّلِىٍّ — Wa-lee-yin — True Friend (= superlative form indicates the greatest, the highest, the most, and highlights that none more than Him is who can help and guard all interests well.   The Guardian.   The Helper.   The Patron.   The Protector.    Real sincere well-wisher.   Friend in need is a friend indeed)
• وَّ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• لَا — Laa — No (= Never; not; absolute and total denial without exception)
• نَصِيۡرٍ — Na-see-r — Real Helper (= superlative form indicates the greatest, the highest, the most, and highlights that none more than Him can help and support when requested and supplicated to do so)

* Note 002:121.   The verse 002:121 shows the wishful thinking of the Jews and Christians about the Moslems.   They aspired that Moslems stop following Islaam and embrace Judaism or Christianity as their adherents.   They desired the same when verses 002:145 to 002:151 came down making Kau’ba the Qibla Changed.   The verse 002:146 stated how People of Scriptures would reject the changed Qibla like earlier Qiblas.   Both verses 002:121 and 002:146 show how eagerly they wanted Moslems to stop following the Islaam.   Both verses declared very similarly that the true knowledge had been revealed to the Holy Prophet s.a.w.  But the consequences for violating the teachings in these two verses although different are quite severe.   The 002:121 warns a flouter that he won’t have God’s help and 002:146 that he will join the wrongdoers.   The initial addressee كَ (you) was the Holy Prophet s.a.w who could never violate any Command.   But eventual addressees are all human beings whether or not they follow the Holy Prophet s.a.w. Clearly others want Moslems to quit Islam and stop worshiping by turning towards their Qiblas.   However, the Moslems are taught to distinguish the right from the wrong and use their intellect.

** Note 002:121a. The phrase قُلۡ اِنَّ هُدَى اللّٰهِ هُوَ الۡهُدٰى‌ؕ   in the verse 002:121 is very similar to the phrase      قُلۡ اِنَّ الۡهُدٰى هُدَى اللّٰه    in the 003:074 verse. They both reiterate the same important Rule of Universal Application, i.e., you announce to the whole world that the real guidance is always that which comes from Allah.