Surah Baqarah ayat 133 Tafsir Quran 2:133

﴿أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَاءَ إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ الْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن بَعْدِي قَالُوا نَعْبُدُ إِلَٰهَكَ وَإِلَٰهَ آبَائِكَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ إِلَٰهًا وَاحِدًا وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ﴾
[ البقرة: 133]

2:133 Or were you witnesses when death approached Jacob, when he said to his sons, "What will you worship after me?" They said, "We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac - one God. And we are Muslims [in submission] to Him."

When the Jews said to the Prophet s ‘Do you not know that on the day of his death Jacob charged his sons with Judaism?’ the following was revealed Or were you witnesses present when death came to Jacob? When idh ‘when’ substitutes for the preceding idh he said to his sons ‘What will you worship after me?’ after I die?; They said ‘We will worship your God and the God of your fathers Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac in recognition of the predominant mention of the father figures Ishmael is also counted as a father and also because the status of an uncle is akin to that of a father One God ilāhan wāhidan ‘One God’ substitutes for ilāhaka ‘your God’ to Him we submit’ the initial am of the phrase am kuntum ‘Or were you …’ is similar to the hamza of denial sc. a-kuntum the sense being ‘You were not present at his death so how do you ascribe to him what does not befit him?’.

Or you people were present when Ya’qub lay on his deathbed and you testify that he enjoined his sons to adhere to a system of faith other than Islam? In fact, you knew well that on his deathbed Ya’qub gathered his sons and said to them: Whom shall you worship after I have departed life? they said: We will pay reverence to Allah, your Allah, the Ilah of your fathers, Ibrahim, Isma‘il and Ishak (Isaac), One Ilah to Whom we display our devotion and adoration by appropriate acts and rites conforming our will to His blessed will

Ya`qub's Will and Testament to His Children upon His Death This Ayah contains Allah's criticism of the Arab pagans among the offspring of Isma`il as well as the disbelievers among the Children of Israel Jacob the son of Isaac, the son of Ibrahim.
When death came to Jacob, he advised his children to worship Allah alone without partners.
He said to them, مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن بَعْدِى قَالُواْ نَعْبُدُ إِلَـهَكَ وَإِلَـهَ آبَآئِكَ إِبْرَهِيمَ وَإِسْمَـعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـقَ ( "What will you worship after me" They said, "We shall worship your Ilah (God ـ Allah ) the Ilah of your fathers, Ibrahim, Isma`il, Ishaq,") Mentioning Isma`il here is a figure of speech, because Isma`il is Jacob's uncle.
An-Nahas said that the Arabs call the uncle a father, as Al-Qurtubi mentioned). This Ayah is used as evidence that the grandfather is called a father and inherits, rather than the brothers ( i.e.
when his son dies ), as Abu Bakr asserted, according to Al-Bukhari who narrated Abu Bakr's statement from Ibn `Abbas and Ibn Az-Zubayr.
Al-Bukhari then commented that there are no opposing opinions regarding this subject.
This is also the opinion of `A'ishah the Mother of the believers, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Tawus and `Ata', Malik, Ash-Shaf`i and Ahmad said that the inheritance is divided between the grandfather and the brothers.
It was reported that this was also the opinion of `Umar, `Uthman, `Ali, bin Mas`ud, Zayd bin Thabit and several scholars among the Salaf and later generations. The statement, إِلَـهًا وَاحِدًا ( One Ilah (God )) means, "We single Him out in divinity and do not associate anything or anyone with Him." وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ ( And to Him we submit ), in obedience meaning, obedient and submissiveness.
Similarly, Allah said, وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ ( While to Him submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly.
And to Him shall they all be returned ) ( 3:83 ). Indeed, Islam is the religion of all the Prophets, even if their reispective laws differed.
Allah said, وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ نُوحِى إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ أَنَاْ فَاعْبُدُونِ ( And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad ) but We revealed to him ( saying ): La ilaha illa Ana none has the right to be worshipped but I ( Allah ), so worship Me ( alone and none else )) ( 21:25 ). There are many other Ayat - and Hadiths - on this subject.
For instance, the Prophet said,
«نَحْنُ مَعْشَرَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ أَوْلَادُ عَلَّاتٍ دِينُنا وَاحِد»
( We, the Prophets, are brothers with different mothers, but the same religion. ) Allah said, تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ ( That was a nation who has passed away ) meaning, existed before your time, لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُم ( They shall receive the reward of what they earned and you of what you earn ). This Ayah proclaims, Your relationship to the Prophets or righteous people among your ancestors will not benefit you, unless you perform good deeds that bring about you religious benefit.
They have their deeds and you have yours, وَلاَ تُسْـَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ( And you will not be asked of what they used to do )." This is why a Hadith proclaims,
«مَنْ بَطَّأَ بِهِ عَمَلُهُ لَمْ يُسْرِعْ بِهِ نَسَبُه»
( Whoever was slowed on account of his deeds will not get any faster on account of his family lineage. )'

(2:133) Were you present at the time when Jacob was on the point of death? He asked his children, "Whom will you worship after me?" They all answered, "We will worship the same One Allah Whom you, your forefathers Abraham. Ismail and Isaac acknowledged as their Allah and to Him we all surrender as Muslims." *133

Or were you witnesses when death approached meaning

*133).
In the Bible the events connected with the death of Jacob ( peace be on him ) are narrated in detail.
It is amazing that this narrative makes no reference to his testament.
However, the contents of the detailed testament embodied in the Talmud greatly resemble the Qur'anic version.
The Talmudic version reads as follows:
'Serve the Lord your God, and He will deliver ye from all trouble, even as He delivered your fathers.'
' .
.
.
Teach your children to love God, and observe His commandments, in order that their days may be prolonged, for God will guard those who do justly and walk in righteousness through all His ways.'
And the sons of Jacob responded, 'All that you have commanded us, our father, we will do.
May God be with us!'
And Jacob answered: 'The Lord will be with you if ye depart not from His ways to the right hand or to the left.'
( The Talmud Selections by H.
Polano, London, Frederick Warne & Co., [ 1877 ], pp.
113-14. )
 

Ya`qub's Will and Testament to His Children upon His Death This Ayah contains Allah's criticism of the Arab pagans among the offspring of Isma`il as well as the disbelievers among the Children of Israel Jacob the son of Isaac, the son of Ibrahim.
When death came to Jacob, he advised his children to worship Allah alone without partners.
He said to them, مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن بَعْدِى قَالُواْ نَعْبُدُ إِلَـهَكَ وَإِلَـهَ آبَآئِكَ إِبْرَهِيمَ وَإِسْمَـعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـقَ ( "What will you worship after me" They said, "We shall worship your Ilah (God ـ Allah ) the Ilah of your fathers, Ibrahim, Isma`il, Ishaq,") Mentioning Isma`il here is a figure of speech, because Isma`il is Jacob's uncle.
An-Nahas said that the Arabs call the uncle a father, as Al-Qurtubi mentioned). This Ayah is used as evidence that the grandfather is called a father and inherits, rather than the brothers ( i.e.
when his son dies ), as Abu Bakr asserted, according to Al-Bukhari who narrated Abu Bakr's statement from Ibn `Abbas and Ibn Az-Zubayr.
Al-Bukhari then commented that there are no opposing opinions regarding this subject.
This is also the opinion of `A'ishah the Mother of the believers, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Tawus and `Ata', Malik, Ash-Shaf`i and Ahmad said that the inheritance is divided between the grandfather and the brothers.
It was reported that this was also the opinion of `Umar, `Uthman, `Ali, bin Mas`ud, Zayd bin Thabit and several scholars among the Salaf and later generations. The statement, إِلَـهًا وَاحِدًا ( One Ilah (God )) means, "We single Him out in divinity and do not associate anything or anyone with Him." وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ ( And to Him we submit ), in obedience meaning, obedient and submissiveness.
Similarly, Allah said, وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ ( While to Him submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly.
And to Him shall they all be returned ) ( 3:83 ). Indeed, Islam is the religion of all the Prophets, even if their reispective laws differed.
Allah said, وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ نُوحِى إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ أَنَاْ فَاعْبُدُونِ ( And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad ) but We revealed to him ( saying ): La ilaha illa Ana none has the right to be worshipped but I ( Allah ), so worship Me ( alone and none else )) ( 21:25 ). There are many other Ayat - and Hadiths - on this subject.
For instance, the Prophet said, «نَحْنُ مَعْشَرَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ أَوْلَادُ عَلَّاتٍ دِينُنا وَاحِد» ( We, the Prophets, are brothers with different mothers, but the same religion. ) Allah said, تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ ( That was a nation who has passed away ) meaning, existed before your time, لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُم ( They shall receive the reward of what they earned and you of what you earn ). This Ayah proclaims, Your relationship to the Prophets or righteous people among your ancestors will not benefit you, unless you perform good deeds that bring about you religious benefit.
They have their deeds and you have yours, وَلاَ تُسْـَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ( And you will not be asked of what they used to do )." This is why a Hadith proclaims, «مَنْ بَطَّأَ بِهِ عَمَلُهُ لَمْ يُسْرِعْ بِهِ نَسَبُه» ( Whoever was slowed on account of his deeds will not get any faster on account of his family lineage. )'

Then Allah mentioned the dispute among the Jews concerning the religion of Abraham, saying: ( Or were ye witnesses ) or were you, O assembly of Jews, present ( when death came to Jacob ) regarding what he enjoined his children, i.e. whether he enjoined them to follow Judaism or Islam, ( when he said unto his sons: What will ye worship after me? ) after I die? ( They said: We shall worship thy God ) we worship, ( the God of your fathers, Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac, one God ) i.e. we worship one God, ( and unto Him we have surrendered ) we acknowledge to worship Him and declare that there is only one true God.

Or were you witnesses when death approached Ya'qub (Jacob)? When he said unto his sons, "What will you worship after me?" They said, "We shall worship your Ilah (God - Allah), the Ilah (God) of your fathers, Ibrahim (Abraham), Isma'il (Ishmael), Ishaque (Isaac), One Ilah (God), and to Him we submit (in Islam)."

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