Surah 3

Surah 3:101

"Yet how can you disbelieve, when the signs of God are recited to you, and His messenger is among you? Whoever holds fast to God has been guided to a straight path."
Warning Muslims Against Imitating People of the Scriptures Verses 3:100-101
Show Full Scripture Context (3:100-101) — 2 Verses
Verse 100

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِن تُطِيعُواْ فَرِيقٗا مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ يَرُدُّوكُم بَعۡدَ إِيمَٰنِكُمۡ كَٰفِرِينَ

You who believe! If you obey a group of those who have been given the Book, they will turn you back (into) disbelievers after having believed.

Verse 101

وَكَيۡفَ تَكۡفُرُونَ وَأَنتُمۡ تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡكُمۡ ءَايَٰتُ ٱللَّهِ وَفِيكُمۡ رَسُولُهُۥۗ وَمَن يَعۡتَصِم بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدۡ هُدِيَ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٖ مُّسۡتَقِيمٖ

Yet how can you disbelieve, when the signs of God are recited to you, and His messenger is among you? Whoever holds fast to God has been guided to a straight path.

Allah warns His believing servants against obeying the People of the Book, who envy the believers for the favor that Allah gave them by sending His Messenger. Similarly, Allah said,

Many of the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) wish that they could turn you away as disbelievers after you have believed, out of their own envy [2:109].
In this Ayah [3:100], Allah said,

If you obey a group of those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians), they would (indeed) render you disbelievers after you have believed!, then said,

And how would you disbelieve, while unto you are recited the verses of Allah, and among you is His Messenger?,

meaning, disbelief is far from touching you, since the Ayat of Allah are being sent down on His Messenger day and night, and he recites and conveys them to you. Similarly, Allah said,

And what is the matter with you that you believe not in Allah! While the Messenger invites you to believe in your Lord; and He has indeed taken your covenant, if you are real believers [57:8].

A Hadith states that one day, the Prophet said to his Companions,

"Who among the faithful believers do you consider has the most amazing faith?" They said, "The angels." He said, "Why would they not believe, since they are with their Lord?" They mentioned the Prophets, and the Prophet said, "Why would they not believe while the revelation is sent down to them?" They said, "Then, we are." He said, "Why would not you believe when I am among you?" They asked, "Who has the most amazing faith?" The Prophet said, "A people who will come after you and who will find only books that they will believe in."

Allah said next,

And whoever depends upon Allah, then he is indeed guided to the right path [3:101]

for trusting and relying on Allah are the basis of achieving the right guidance and staying away from the path of wickedness. They also represent the tool to acquiring guidance and truth and achieving the righteous aims.

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Pages 226-227)

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.