مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَنْ يُؤْتِيَهُ اللَّهُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُوا عِبَادًا لِي مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلَكِنْ كُونُوا رَبَّانِيِّينَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْكِتَابَ وَبِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ

Popular Translations

Muhammad Asad

It is not conceivable that a human being unto whom God had granted revelation, and sound judgment, and prophethood, should thereafter have said unto people, "Worship me beside God"; but rather [did he exhort them], "Become men of God by spreading the knowledge of the divine writ, and by your own deep study [thereof]."

Arthur John Arberry

It belongs not to any mortal that God should give him the Book, the Judgment, the Prophethood, then he should say to men, 'Be you servants to me apart from God.' Rather, 'Be you masters in that you know the Book, and in that you study.

Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)

It is not (possible) that a man, to whom is given the Book, and Wisdom, and the prophetic office, should say to people: "Be ye my worshippers rather than Allah's": on the contrary (He would say) "Be ye worshippers of Him Who is truly the Cherisher of all: For ye have taught the Book and ye have studied it earnestly."

Arabic

مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن یُؤۡتِیَهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلۡحُكۡمَ وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ یَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُوا۟ عِبَادࣰا لِّی مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَـٰكِن كُونُوا۟ رَبَّـٰنِیِّـۧنَ بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تُعَلِّمُونَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَدۡرُسُونَ ۝٧٩

Transliteration (2021)

mā kāna libasharin an yu'tiyahu l-lahu l-kitāba wal-ḥuk'ma wal-nubuwata thumma yaqūla lilnnāsi kūnū ʿibādan lī min dūni l-lahi walākin kūnū rabbāniyyīna bimā kuntum tuʿallimūna l-kitāba wabimā kuntum tadrusūn