Surah Al-Ma'idah, Ayah 68
Quran 5:68 · The Table Spread · Madani · Para 6 · Page 119
قُلْ یٰۤاَهْلَ الْكِتٰبِ لَسْتُمْ عَلٰی شَیْءٍ حَتّٰی تُقِیْمُوا التَّوْرٰىةَ وَالْاِنْجِیْلَ وَمَاۤ اُنْزِلَ اِلَیْكُمْ مِّنْ رَّبِّكُمْ ؕ وَلَیَزِیْدَنَّ كَثِیْرًا مِّنْهُمْ مَّاۤ اُنْزِلَ اِلَیْكَ مِنْ رَّبِّكَ طُغْیَانًا وَّكُفْرًا ۚ فَلَا تَاْسَ عَلَی الْقَوْمِ الْكٰفِرِیْنَ ۟
Transliteration
Qul ya ahla alkitabi lastumAAala shay-in hatta tuqeemoo attawratawal-injeela wama onzila ilaykum min rabbikumwalayazeedanna katheeran minhum ma onzila ilayka minrabbika tughyanan wakufran fala ta/sa AAalaalqawmi alkafireen
Saheeh International
Say, "O People of the Scripture, you are [standing] on nothing until you uphold [the law of] the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to you from your Lord [i.e., the Qur’ān]." And that which has been revealed to you from your Lord will surely increase many of them in transgression and disbelief. So do not grieve over the disbelieving people.
Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir
Say, O Messenger: You – Jews and Christians – have no religious basis, unless you practice what is in the Torah and the Gospel and practice the Qur’ān that has been revealed to you. Your faith is not valid until you have faith in it and practice it. That which has been revealed to you from your Lord will increase the disobedience and disbelief of many of the People of the Scripture because of their envy. So do not be sad over these disbelievers: In the believers who follow you there is sufficient goodness.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) on 5:68–5:69
Say: "O People of the Scripture! You have nothing till you act according to the Tawrah, the Injil, and what has (now) been sent down to you from your Lord (the Qur'an)." Verily, the revelation that has come to you from your Lord makes many of them increase in rebellion and disbelief. So do not grieve for the people who disbelieve (68)Surely, those who believe, and those who are the Jews and the Sabians and the Christians, whosoever believed in Allah and the Last Day, and worked righteousness, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve (69)
There is no Salvation Except through Faith in the Qur'an
Allah says: O Muhammad, say,
يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لَسْتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَيْءٍ
(O People of the Scripture! You have nothing...) meaning no real religion until you adhere to and implement the Tawrah and the Injil. That is, until you believe in all the Books that you have that Allah revealed to the Prophets. These Books command following Muhammad ﷺ and believing in his prophecy, all the while adhering to his Law. Before, we explained Allah's statement,
وَلَيَزِيدَنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنْهُم مَّا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ طُغْيَانًا وَكُفْرًا
(Verily, the revelation that has come to you from your Lord makes many of them increase in rebellion and disbelief.)
فَلَا تَأْسَ عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ
(So do not grieve for the people who disbelieve), Do not be sad or taken aback by their disbelief. Allah said next,
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا
(Surely, those who believe) referring to Muslims,
وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا
(those who are the Jews) who were entrusted with the Tawrah,
وَالصَّابِئُونَ
(and the Sabians...) a sect from the Christians and Magians who did not follow any particular religion, as Mujahid stated. As for the Christians, they are known and were entrusted with the Injil. The meaning here is that if each of these groups believed in Allah and the Hereafter, which is the Day of Judgement and Reckoning, and performed good actions, which to be so, must conform to Muhammad's Law, after Muhammad ﷺ was sent to all mankind and the Jinns. If any of these groups held these beliefs, then they shall have no fear of what will come or sadness regarding what they lost, nor will grief ever affect them. We discussed a similar Ayah before in Surat Al-Baqarah [2:62].