Tafsir of Surah Al Imran | quranmazid.com

أَلَمْتَرَإِلَىٱلَّذِينَأُوتُوا۟نَصِيبًامِّنَٱلْكِتَٰبِيُدْعَوْنَإِلَىٰكِتَٰبِٱللَّهِلِيَحْكُمَبَيْنَهُمْثُمَّيَتَوَلَّىٰفَرِيقٌمِّنْهُمْوَهُممُّعْرِضُونَ ٢٣

Saheeh International

Do you not consider, [O Muhammad], those who were given a portion of the Scripture? They are invited to the Scripture of Allah that it should arbitrate between them; then a party of them turns away, and they are refusing.

ar: Muyassar Tafseer

en: Ibn Kathir

Tafseer 'Ibn Kathir' (EN)

Chastising the People of the Book for Not Referring to the Book of Allah for Judgment

Allah says;

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوْتُواْ نَصِيبًا مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى كِتَابِ اللّهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّى فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ وَهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ

Have you not seen those who have been given a portion of the Scripture! They are being invited to the Book of Allah to settle their dispute, then a party of them turned away, and they are averse.

Allah criticizes the Jews and Christians who claim to follow their Books, the Tawrah and the Injil, because when they are called to refer to these Books where Allah commanded them to follow Muhammad, they turn away with aversion.

This censure and criticism from Allah was all because of their defiance and rejection.

Allah said next