Surah Al Imran ayat 75 Tafsir Quran 3:75

﴿۞ وَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ مَنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِقِنطَارٍ يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِدِينَارٍ لَّا يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ إِلَّا مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَائِمًا ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ سَبِيلٌ وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾
[ آل عمران: 75]

3:75 And among the People of the Scripture is he who, if you entrust him with a great amount [of wealth], he will return it to you. And among them is he who, if you entrust him with a [single] silver coin, he will not return it to you unless you are constantly standing over him [demanding it]. That is because they say, "There is no blame upon us concerning the unlearned." And they speak untruth about Allah while they know [it].

And of the People of the Scripture is he who if you trust him with a hundredweight that is with much money he will return it to you on account of his trustworthiness the like of ‘Abd Allāh b. Salām to whom a man entrusted 1200 plates of gold which he then returned to him; and of them is he who if you trust him with one dinar will not return it to you on account of his treachery; unless you keep standing over him not leaving him for one minute for as soon as you leave him he will deny it as was the case with Ka‘b b. al-Ashraf to whom a man from Quraysh entrusted a dinar and later denied it. That refusal to return things is because they say ‘We have no duty towards namely no possibility of acquiring sin because of the Gentiles’ the Arabs; for they considered it lawful to be unjust towards any person of a different religion and they attributed the source of this conviction to God exalted be He. God exalted be He says They speak falsehood against God by attributing such things to Him while they are aware that they are liars.

Among Ahl al-Kitab there is he whom you can entrust with a cental of gold and he would return it to you on demand. Also among them is he who if entrusted with one single dinar, would not return it unless you keep asking and he may eventually be pronounced a defaulter. This is by reason of their folly and want of sense that they interpret in words. We are not, they say, under any obligation to these illiterate faithless people -the Muslims- and they intentionally relate to Allah falsehood which they admit into their minds

How Trustworthy Are the Jews Allah states that there are deceitful people among the Jews.
He also warns the faithful against being deceived by them, because some of them, مَنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِقِنْطَارٍ ( if entrusted with a Qintar (a great amount )) of money, يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ ( will readily pay it back; ) This Ayah indicates that this type would likewise give what is less than a Qintar, as is obvious.
However, وَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِدِينَارٍ لاَّ يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ إِلاَّ مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَآئِمًا ( and among them there is he who, if entrusted with a single silver coin, will not repay it unless you constantly stand demanding, ) and insisting on acquiring your rightful property.
If this is what he would do with one Dinar, then what about what is more than a Dinar We mentioned the meaning of Qintar in the beginning of this Surah, while the value of Dinar is well known.
Allah's statement, ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُواْ لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِى الأُمِّيِّينَ سَبِيلٌ ( because they say: "There is no blame on us to betray and take the properties of the illiterates (Arabs ).") means, what made them reject the truth ( or what they owed ) is that they said, "There is no harm in our religion if we eat up the property of the unlettered ones, the Arabs, for Allah has allowed it for us." Allah replied, وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ ( But they tell a lie against Allah while they know it. ) for they invented this lie and word of misguidance.
Rather, Allah would not allow this money for them unless they had a right to it. `Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Sa`sa`ah bin Yazid said that a man asked Ibn `Abbas, "During battle, we capture some property belonging to Ahl Adh-Dhimmah, such as chickens and sheep." Ibn `Abbas said, "What do you do in this case" The man said, "We say that there is no sin ( if we confiscate them ) in this case." He said, "That is what the People of the Book said, لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِى الأُمِّيِّينَ سَبِيلٌ ( There is no blame on us to betray and take the properties of the illiterates (Arabs ).) Verily, if they pay the Jizyah, then you are not allowed their property, except when they willingly give it up." Allah then said, بَلَى مَنْ أَوْفَى بِعَهْدِهِ وَاتَّقَى ( Yes, whoever fulfills his pledge and fears Allah much, ) fulfills his promise and fears Allah among you, O People of the Book, regarding the covenant Allah took from you to believe in Muhammad ﷺ when he is sent, just as He took the same covenant from all Prophets and their nations.
Whoever avoids Allah's prohibitions, obeys Him and adheres to the Shari`ah that He sent with His Final Messenger and the master of all mankind. فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ ( verily, then Allah loves the Muttaqin. )

(3:75) And among the People of the Book there are some who would restore you even if you were to entrust a treasure of gold, and of them there are some whom were you to entrust with one gold piece, will not restore it unless you stand over them. That is because they say: 'We will not be taken to task for whatever we may do to non-Jews (ummls). *64 Thus they falsely fix a lie upon Allah, and do so wittingly.

And among the People of the Scripture meaning

*64).
This was not merely the misconception of the ignorant mass of Jews.
Their religious teaching was the same and the legal doctrines of their accepted religious authorities and jurists reflected this idea.
With regard to injunctions on loans and interest the Bible makes a clear distinction between an Israelite and a non-Israelite ( Deuteronomy 15: 1-3; 23: 20 ).
It is stated in the Talmud that if the bullock of an Israelite injures the bullock of a non-Israelite the former is not liable to any penalty, but not vice versa.
Similarly, it is laid down that if anyone finds an unclaimed article he should enquire amongst the people who live nearby.
If they are Israelites he should announce his find; if not he may keep it without saying anything further.
Rabbi Samuel Ishmael says that if a dispute between a Jew and a Gentile is brought before a judge, he should base his verdict on Jewish law if it is favourable; if the law of the Gentiles goes in favour of the Jew he should justify his judgement by saying that the Gentile has no valid ground for complaint since judgement was given according to his own law.
Even if both laws are unfavourable towards the Jew the judge should still find some pretext for deciding in his favour.
Rabbi Samuel says that benefit should be derived from every mistake the non-Israelite may make.
( See Paul Isaac Hershon, Talmudic Miscellany, London, 1880, pp.
37 and 210-21. )
 

How Trustworthy Are the Jews Allah states that there are deceitful people among the Jews.
He also warns the faithful against being deceived by them, because some of them, مَنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِقِنْطَارٍ ( if entrusted with a Qintar (a great amount )) of money, يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ ( will readily pay it back; ) This Ayah indicates that this type would likewise give what is less than a Qintar, as is obvious.
However, وَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِدِينَارٍ لاَّ يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ إِلاَّ مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَآئِمًا ( and among them there is he who, if entrusted with a single silver coin, will not repay it unless you constantly stand demanding, ) and insisting on acquiring your rightful property.
If this is what he would do with one Dinar, then what about what is more than a Dinar We mentioned the meaning of Qintar in the beginning of this Surah, while the value of Dinar is well known.
Allah's statement, ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُواْ لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِى الأُمِّيِّينَ سَبِيلٌ ( because they say: "There is no blame on us to betray and take the properties of the illiterates (Arabs ).") means, what made them reject the truth ( or what they owed ) is that they said, "There is no harm in our religion if we eat up the property of the unlettered ones, the Arabs, for Allah has allowed it for us." Allah replied, وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ ( But they tell a lie against Allah while they know it. ) for they invented this lie and word of misguidance.
Rather, Allah would not allow this money for them unless they had a right to it. `Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Sa`sa`ah bin Yazid said that a man asked Ibn `Abbas, "During battle, we capture some property belonging to Ahl Adh-Dhimmah, such as chickens and sheep." Ibn `Abbas said, "What do you do in this case" The man said, "We say that there is no sin ( if we confiscate them ) in this case." He said, "That is what the People of the Book said, لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِى الأُمِّيِّينَ سَبِيلٌ ( There is no blame on us to betray and take the properties of the illiterates (Arabs ).) Verily, if they pay the Jizyah, then you are not allowed their property, except when they willingly give it up." Allah then said, بَلَى مَنْ أَوْفَى بِعَهْدِهِ وَاتَّقَى ( Yes, whoever fulfills his pledge and fears Allah much, ) fulfills his promise and fears Allah among you, O People of the Book, regarding the covenant Allah took from you to believe in Muhammad ﷺ when he is sent, just as He took the same covenant from all Prophets and their nations.
Whoever avoids Allah's prohibitions, obeys Him and adheres to the Shari`ah that He sent with His Final Messenger and the master of all mankind. فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ ( verily, then Allah loves the Muttaqin. )

Subsequently, Allah mentions the trustworthiness and treachery of the people of the Book, saying: ( Among the People of the Scripture ) i.e. the Jews ( there is he who, if you trust him with a weight of treasure, will return it to you ) without any problem, hardship or ever thinking to keep it for himself by declaring it lawful for him to take. The reference here is to ’Abdullah Ibn Salam and his companions. ( And among them there is he who, if you trust him with a piece of gold, will not return it to you ) and will declare it lawful for him to take ( unless you keep standing over him ) insisting on taking it back and suing him for it. The reference here is to Ka’b Ibn al-Ashraf and his followers. ( That ) treachery and declaring that it is lawful to take other people’s property ( is because they say: We have no duty to the Gentiles ) there is no harm in taking the property of Arabs. ( They speak a lie concerning Allah knowingly ) they lie about Allah and know that they are lying.

Among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is he who, if entrusted with a Cantar (a great amount of wealth, etc.), will readily pay it back; and among them there is he who, if entrusted with a single silver coin, will not repay it unless you constantly stand demanding, because they say: "There is no blame on us to betray and take the properties of the illiterates (Arabs)." But they tell a lie against Allah while they know it.

Page 59 English transliteration