13:43
The verse Quran 13:43 reads as follows in Rashad Khalifa’s translation:
“Those who disbelieve will say, ‘You are not a messenger!’ Say, ‘God suffices as a witness between me and you, and also those who possess knowledge of the scripture.’”
وَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَسْتَ مُرْسَلًا قُلْ كَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَهِيدًۢا بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَمَنْ عِندَهۥ عِلْمُ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ
This verse has been the subject of extensive debate among Muslim scholars, particularly regarding the phrase “those who possess knowledge of the scripture.” Traditional Sunni interpretations often claim that this verse implies the people of knowledge of the scripture bear witness alongside God to the prophethood of Muhammad. However, a closer examination of the Arabic grammar and context challenges this interpretation. Below, we delve into the linguistic, grammatical, and contextual nuances to explore this verse more comprehensively.
1. The Role of Arabic Grammar in Defining Witnessing
The Genitive Case: Witnessing Exclusively by God
The Arabic phrase in question includes بِاللَّهِ (billah, “by God”), which is in the genitive case (مجرور). This grammatical form is crucial for understanding the structure of the verse. Let’s examine the Arabic text:
قُلْ كَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَمَنْ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ
The genitive case is triggered by the preposition بِ (bi, “by”), tying the act of witnessing (شَهِيدًا) exclusively to God. This indicates that God alone is the witness in this context. The following phrase, وَمَنْ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ (and those who possess knowledge of the scripture), does not share the same grammatical case, separating them from the act of witnessing.
This example can be seen in 5:6 where the same preposition is used against the act of wiping (wamsahu). In the below text the “bi-ru’usikum” relates to “of the head” it then continues with “wa’arjulakum” and their feet. Every single translation of the Quran accepts this as washing the feet even though the preceding verb was to wash. This is because the stronger verb, prior to the wiping was to “faghsilu” or wash.
…وَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْكَعْبَيْنِ…
Here is Quran 5:6 from four different translations:
Abdullah Yusuf Ali: “O ye who believe! When ye prepare for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles.
Marmaduke Pickthall: “O ye who believe! When ye rise up for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and lightly rub your heads and (wash) your feet up to the ankles…
The Clear Quran (Dr. Mustafa Khattab): “O believers! When you rise up for prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, wipe your heads, and wash your feet to the ankles…
Sahih International: “O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles..
2. The Nominative Case: Absence of Shared Witnessing
The nominative case (مرفوع) is used for subjects performing an action. If the people of knowledge of the scripture were actively witnessing alongside God, their mention would require a nominative case construction, marking them as doers of the witnessing. This is not the case here. Instead, the nominative case is absent, affirming that the act of witnessing is attributed exclusively to God.
If this were to be the case it would look like this:- Modified Arabic:
قُلْ كَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ وَمَنْ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ شُهَدَاءَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ
Removal of Exclusive Tying to God (بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا): In the original 13:43, the phrase بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا ties witnessing solely to God. To include the people of knowledge as co-witnesses, the grammatical link between shahada and God needs to be weakened or expanded to include others.
Addition of شُهَدَاءَ (Shuhada’): The word شُهَدَاءَ (plural of شَهِيد, “witnesses”) is added to explicitly make those who possess knowledge an active subject. This indicates they are performing the witnessing alongside God.
Restructuring to Link “the People of Knowledge” with the Act of Witnessing: By making شُهَدَاءَ plural and active, the nominative role of those who possess knowledge is explicitly tied to the verb witness.
3. The Accusative Case: Clarifying the Role of Knowledgeable “People“
The accusative case (منصوب) is often used for objects of actions. To relate this to the English grammar, it’s akin to the “object” being acted on. In a very simplified fashion, the parallels are shown below.
English grammar: “Subject verb object”.
Arabic grammar: “Nominative verb accusative”.
The “accused” is the object that is being acted upon, in this instance, those of knowledge are being acted upon God in His testimony. They are not participating in said witness.
It’s important to note, if 13:43 were related to “people of knowledge of the scripture” the arabic would read as follows:
أهل العلم بالكتاب
أهل (Ahl): Means “people” or “family,” often used to denote a group associated with a particular trait or characteristic.
العلم (Al-‘Ilm): Means “knowledge.”
بالكتاب (Bil-Kitab): Means “of the scripture” or “with the scripture.”
The original Arabic phrase in Quran 13:43 is:
وَمَنْ عِندَهُۥ عِلْمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ (wa man indahu `ilm al-kitab) Translated as: “Those who have knowledge of the scripture.”
“من عنده” (man indahu): Refers to “those who possess” or “those who have.”
“علم الكتاب” (`ilm al-kitab): Refers to “knowledge of the scripture.”
The original phrase focuses on possession or proximity to knowledge, while replacing it with “أهل العلم بالكتاب” shifts the focus explicitly to “people” who are defined by their association with this knowledge.
Subtle Differences
Original Phrase: Broad and inclusive, possibly referring to anyone who has this knowledge (including angels).
Modified Phrase: Explicitly limits it to “people,” excluding non-human entities like angels.
This subtle difference reflects how translation or phrasing in Arabic can significantly shift interpretation. However, their role in this verse is not tied to any direct action. They are mentioned separately, as holders of knowledge, not as participants in the witnessing itself.
4. Context: God’s Sufficiency as a Witness
The verse explicitly states:
قُلْ كَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا (Say, ‘God suffices as a witness.’)
The verb “shahidan” here is in the singular, as previously presented, if the plural “witnesses” were to be applied, it would be “shuhada”.
This declaration underscores God’s sufficiency as the ultimate witness. To suggest that the people of knowledge are also witnessing would imply that God’s testimony alone is insufficient, which undermines His authority and the central Quranic principle of His self-sufficiency.
This theme of God’s sufficiency as a witness is reinforced throughout the Quran. For instance:
Quran 4:166: “But God bears witness to what He revealed to you; He sent it down with His knowledge.”
Quran 10:29: “God suffices as a witness between us and you.”
This consistent emphasis strengthens the argument that 13:43 does not imply shared witnessing. Instead, it highlights the complete authority of God’s testimony.
5. Comparison to Quran 7:172: Exclusive Witnessing
In Quran 7:172, God speaks directly to humanity:
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ شَهِدْنَا (“Recall that your Lord summoned all the descendants of Adam and had them bear witness for themselves: ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They all said, ‘Yes, we bear witness.’”)
This verse is critical because it demonstrates the nature of witnessing (shahada) as a direct and exclusive act between God and the addressed audience. The phrase “أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ” (Am I not your Lord?) is in the active voice and present tense, indicating that the interaction occurs in real-time and requires the participants to be present to respond immediately.
Active Engagement: Localized Witnessing
The verb لَسْتُ (lastu, “Am I not”) places this question in the context of an active, ongoing conversation. It is not a recounting of a past event to a third party, nor is it a general statement meant for a detached audience. Instead, it is a direct address to a specific group: the descendants of Adam at that moment. This directness establishes that shahada is localized to the participants who are actively involved in the discussion.
Similarly, in Quran 13:43, the witnessing is directly tied to God, and the verse describes an ongoing discussion with those present during Muhammad’s time. The skeptics directly confront Muhammad, saying, “You are not a messenger!” God’s response through Muhammad is, “Say, ‘God suffices as a witness between me and you, and also those who possess knowledge of the scripture.’”
Implications for Quran 13:43
The use of the same grammatical structure as in 7:172 suggests that the witnessing in 13:43 is similarly restricted to the immediate audience of Muhammad’s time. The skeptics who are denying Muhammad’s prophethood are being addressed directly by God, and the phrase “those who possess knowledge of the scripture” refers specifically to knowledgeable individuals alive during that time.
This interpretation challenges the notion that “those who possess knowledge of the scripture” could refer to all scholars of scripture throughout history or contemporary figures today. The verb لَسْتَ in 7:172 and the structure of 13:43 confirm that the witnessing occurs in an active, localized context.
Temporal Limitation of Address
Just as 7:172 does not imply that God is engaging a third-party audience or addressing individuals outside the temporal scope of the direct interaction, 13:43 cannot be stretched to include later audiences or future people of knowledge. This is because the Quranic language used here reflects immediate engagement and active discussion with those present.
For example, addressing Muhammad as “You are not a messenger!” becomes nonsensical when applied to a time after Muhammad’s passing. The witnessing tied to 13:43 must therefore be understood as a response to the skeptics of Muhammad’s era, not as a generalized or eternal event.
6. Hypocrisy and Witnessing: Insights from Quran 63:1
Quran 63:1 provides another critical lens for understanding the nature of witnessing:
“When the hypocrites come to you, they say, ‘We bear witness that you are God’s messenger.’ God knows that you are His messenger, and God bears witness that the hypocrites are liars.”
This verse demonstrates that even when individuals verbally declare their testimony, it holds no weight if it lacks sincerity. Again the same localised event is being presented, the hypocrites who were present at the time are bearing witness Muhammad is God’s messenger, yet God calls them liars. Not just because God knows what is in their heart, but also because they did not witness Muhammad’s ascent to prophethood. See this article for a deeper dive into this topic: https://qurantalkblog.com/2022/10/02/shahadah-and-bearing-witness/
They were simply commanded to believe. Muhammad’s miracle was the Quran alone, it takes a leap of faith to realise this is a messenger of God, listening to the truth alone.
4:136 “O you who believe, you shall believe in God and His messenger, and the scripture He has revealed through His messenger, and the scripture He revealed before that. Anyone who refuses to believe in God, and His angels, and His scriptures, and His messengers, and the Last Day, has indeed strayed far astray.”
64:8“Therefore, you shall believe in God and His messenger, and the light that we have revealed. God is fully Cognizant of everything you do.”
48:9 “That you may believe in God and His messenger, and reverence Him, and observe Him, and glorify Him, day and night.”
7:158 “Say, ‘O people, I am God’s messenger to all of you. To Him belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth; there is no god except He. He controls life and death.’ Therefore, you shall believe in God and His messenger, the gentile prophet, who believes in God and His words. Follow him, that you may be guided.”
7. Comparative Translations to Highlight Nuances
To better understand 13:43, let’s examine how other translations render the verse:
Sahih International: “Say, ‘Sufficient is God as Witness between me and you, and those [angels] with knowledge of the Scripture.’”
Yusuf Ali: “Say: ‘Enough for a witness between me and you is God, and such as have knowledge of the Book.’”
Pickthall: “Say: ‘God sufficeth for a witness between me and you, and those who have knowledge of the Scripture.’”
Clear Quran: “Say, ‘God is sufficient as a witness between me and you, as well as those who have knowledge of the Scripture.’”
While translations vary slightly in tone, they all suggest a distinction between God’s act of witnessing and those who possess knowledge of the scripture. Sahih international even adds the possibility that these are related to “angels” and not people, as only angels could have physically witnessed Muhammad receiving divine revelation. None definitively attribute the witnessing to the latter group, further supporting the argument that witnessing is exclusive to God.
Yusuf Ali is the outlier here where he says that God and the those who have knowledge of the book are sufficient as a witness, showcasing inconsistency and lack in understanding of the verse.
8. Practical Implications of the Interpretation
The implications of this analysis are significant:
Grammatical precision matters. The genitive case (billah) ensures that the verb is only carried by God and not the accusatives subsequent to this verb.
God’s sufficiency is central. The Quran repeatedly emphasizes that God alone is sufficient as a witness, reaffirming His ultimate authority.
Human testimony is secondary. Even if others bear witness, their testimony holds no weight compared to God’s. This aligns with the Quranic emphasis on sincerity and divine authority.
Conclusion
Quran 13:43 reinforces the Quranic principle that God alone is sufficient as a witness. Attempts to extend the act of witnessing to include the people of knowledge misunderstand the grammatical structure and contextual emphasis of the verse. By carefully analyzing the Arabic grammar, context, and related verses, we see that the witnessing is performed exclusively by God, and the role of the people of knowledge is peripheral, not participatory. This interpretation aligns with the Quran’s overarching message of God’s singular and absolute sovereignty.
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