Surah 2

Surah 2:137

"If they believe in something like what you believe in, they have been (rightly) guided, but if they turn away, they are only in defiance. God will be sufficient for you against them. He is the Hearing, the Knowing."
Tafsir Ibn Kathir Verses 2:137-138
Show Full Scripture Context (2:137-138) — 2 Verses
Verse 137

فَإِنۡ ءَامَنُواْ بِمِثۡلِ مَآ ءَامَنتُم بِهِۦ فَقَدِ ٱهۡتَدَواْۖ وَّإِن تَوَلَّوۡاْ فَإِنَّمَا هُمۡ فِي شِقَاقٖۖ فَسَيَكۡفِيكَهُمُ ٱللَّهُۚ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ

If they believe in something like what you believe in, they have been (rightly) guided, but if they turn away, they are only in defiance. God will be sufficient for you against them. He is the Hearing, the Knowing.

Verse 138

صِبۡغَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَنۡ أَحۡسَنُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ صِبۡغَةٗۖ وَنَحۡنُ لَهُۥ عَٰبِدُونَ

The dye(ing) of God, and who is better than God at dye(ing)? We serve Him.

Quoted Scripture
"137. So if they believe in the like of that which you believe then they are rightly guided; but if they turn away, then they are only in opposition. So Allah will suffice for you against them. And He is the Hearer, the Knower."

"138. [Our Sibghah (religion) is] the Sibghah of Allah (Islam) and which Sibghah can be better than Allah's? And we are His worshippers."

Allah said, if they, the disbelievers among the People of the Book and other disbelievers, believe in all of Allah's Books and Messengers and do not differentiate between any of them,
{then they are rightly guided} meaning, they would acquire the truth and be directed to it.
{but if they turn away} from truth to falsehood after proof had been presented to them,
{then they are only in opposition. So Allah will suffice you against them} meaning, Allah will aid the believers against them,
{And He is the Hearer, the Knower} Allah said,
{The Sibghah of Allah}. Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn 'Abbas commented, "The religion of Allah." This Tafsir was also reported of Mujahid, Abu Al-'Aliyah, 'Ikrimah, Ibrahim, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, 'Abdullah bin Kathir, 'Atiyah Al-'Awfi, Ar-Rabi' bin Anas, As-Suddi and other scholars. The Ayah,
{Allah's Fitrah (i.e. Allah's Islamic Monotheism)} (30:30) directs Muslims to, "Hold to it."

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 1, Page 413-414)

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.