Which Surah and Juz is Quran 3:79 from?

This ayah is from Surah Aal-i-Imraan (The Family of Imraan), the 3th surah of the Quran. It appears in Juz 3.

Are there hadiths related to Quran 3:79?

Yes — there are 5 hadiths related to this ayah from Sahih al-Bukhari, Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Sahih Muslim.

What tafsir is available for Quran 3:79?

Commentary on this ayah is available from Ibn Kathir, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Abbas, Al-Jalalayn — classical scholars of Quranic exegesis.

What topics does Quran 3:79 relate to?

This ayah connects to these Quranic topics: Prophethood, Allah, Tawhid, Knowledge, Sincerity in Worship.

Ayah 78

وَإِنَّ مِنْهُمْ لَفَرِيقًۭا يَلْوُۥنَ أَلْسِنَتَه...

3:79Aal-i-Imraan

Q: What does Quran 3:79 mean?

Quran 3:79 (Surah Aal-i-Imraan, Ayah 79) translates to: "It is not for a human [prophet] that Allah should give him the Scripture and authority and prophethood and then he would say to the people, "Be servants to me rather than Allah," but [instead, he would say], "Be pious scholars of the Lord because of what you have taught of the Scripture and because of what you have studied.""

Ayah 80

وَلَا يَأْمُرَكُمْ أَن تَتَّخِذُوا۟ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَة...

مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُؤْتِيَهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْحُكْمَ وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُوا۟ عِبَادًۭا لِّى مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَٰكِن كُونُوا۟ رَبَّٰنِيِّۦنَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ

Maa kaana libasharin ai yu'tiyahul laahul Kitaaba walhukma wan Nubuwwata summa yaqoola linnaasi koonoo 'ibaadal lee min doonil laahi wa laakin koonoo rabbaaniy yeena bimaa kuntum tu'allimoonal Kitaaba wa bimaa kuntum tadrusoon

It is not for a human [prophet] that Allah should give him the Scripture and authority and prophethood and then he would say to the people, "Be servants to me rather than Allah," but [instead, he would say], "Be pious scholars of the Lord because of what you have taught of the Scripture and because of what you have studied."

Themes in this ayah

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The Quran & revelation88 Oneness of Allah86 God-consciousness82 Knowledge & reflection60

Scores run 0–100: how strongly this ayah speaks to a theme. 70+ is central, 50+ is clear, under 50 is weak.

7 other themes with weak connections

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3:79Ayah 1200

29 ayahs in Aal-i-Imraan are strongly about the Quran and revelation. This is one of them.

← Previous on The Quran & revelation3:78And indeed, there is among them a party who alter the Scripture with their tongues so you may think it is from the Scripture, but it is not from the Scripture.Next on The Quran & revelation →3:81And [recall, O People of the Scripture], when Allah took the covenant of the prophets, [saying],

Tafsir

Scholars offer complementary perspectives

View Full Tafsir: Al-Jalalayn on 3:79→

When the Christians of Najrān claimed that Jesus had commanded them to take him as a Divinity and some Muslims asked that they should be permitted to prostrate themselves before him the Prophet s the following was revealed It belongs not to any mortal that God should give him the Book the Judgement the understanding of the Divine Law prophethood then that he should say to men ‘Be servants to me instead of God.’ Rather he should say ‘Be masters scholars labouring rabbāniyyūn ‘those of the Lord’ is derived from rabb ‘lord’ with the extra alif and nūn as a superlative of rabbiyyūn by virtue of what you know ta‘lamūn also read as tu‘allimūn ‘you teach’ of the Book and in what you study’ that is on account of the fact that you used to do this for its benefit is that you engage in action.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do not wish to be like anyone except in two cases. (The first is) A person, whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it righteously; (the second is) the one whom Allah has given wisdom (the Holy Qur'an) and he acts according to it and teaches it to others." (Fath-al-Bari page 177 Vol. 1)

Sahih al-Bukhari #7253Narrated Ibn `Abbas:Sahih

The Prophet (ﷺ) said that his Lord said: "It does not befit a slave that he should say that he is better than Jonah (Yunus) bin Matta.

Jami` at-Tirmidhi #2722Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As:Sahih

that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Indeed Allah does not take away knowledge by removing it from the people, but He takes away knowledge by taking the scholars, until there remains no scholar and the people begin to ask the ignorant leaders, so they give their verdict without knowledge. They will go astray and lead the people astray."

Sahih Muslim #6003Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may prace be upon him) as saying that Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, said:Sahih

It is not meet for a servant of Mine that he should say: I am better than Yunus b. Matta (peace be upon him).

Sunan Ibn Majah #4131It was narrated from 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin 'As that:Sahih

the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Allah will not take away knowledge by removing it from people (from their hearts). Rather He will take away knowledge by taking away the scholars, then when there are no scholars left, the people will take the ignorant as their leaders. They will be asked questions and they will issue verdicts without knowledge, thus they will go astray and lead others astray.'"