Surah Al-Ma'idah — 5:18
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وَقَالَتِ ٱلۡيَهُودُ وَٱلنَّصَٰرَىٰ نَحۡنُ أَبۡنَـٰٓؤُاْ ٱللَّهِ وَأَحِبَّـٰٓؤُهُۥۚ قُلۡ فَلِمَ يُعَذِّبُكُم بِذُنُوبِكُمۖ بَلۡ أَنتُم بَشَرٞ مِّمَّنۡ خَلَقَۚ يَغۡفِرُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَلِلَّهِ مُلۡكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَاۖ وَإِلَيۡهِ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ
The Jews and the Christians each say, “We are the children of Allah and His most beloved!” Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Why then does He punish you for your sins? No! You are only humans like others of His Own making. He forgives whoever He wills and punishes whoever He wills. To Allah ˹alone˺ belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and everything in between. And to Him is the final return.”
Commentary
Both the Jews and the Christians claimed: ‘We are Allah’s children and loved ones’. Say, O Messenger, in refutation of their claim: Why does Allah punish you for the sins you commit? If you were His loved ones, as you claim, He would not have punished you, by your being killed or disfigured in the world, and by means of the fire of Hell in the Afterlife, because He does not punish those He loves. Instead, you are just like all other human beings. If any of them do good, Allah will reward them with Paradise. If any of them do evil, He will punish them in the fire of Hell. Allah forgives whomever He wishes through His grace; and He punishes whomever He wishes through His justice. The dominion of the heavens and the earth, and whatever is in between them, is Allah’s alone. To Him alone is the return.