Which Surah and Juz is Quran 5:18 from?

This ayah is from Surah Al-Maaida (The Table), the 5th surah of the Quran. It appears in Juz 6.

Are there hadiths related to Quran 5:18?

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

What tafsir is available for Quran 5:18?

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

What topics does Quran 5:18 relate to?

This ayah connects to these Quranic topics: Allah, Prophets, Divine Sovereignty, Divine Justice, Forgiveness.

Ayah 17

لَّقَدْ كَفَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ه...

5:18Al-Maaida

Q: What does Quran 5:18 mean?

Quran 5:18 (Surah Al-Maaida, Ayah 18) translates to: "But the Jews and the Christians say, "We are the children of Allah and His beloved." Say, "Then why does He punish you for your sins?" Rather, you are human beings from among those He has created. He forgives whom He wills, and He punishes whom He wills. And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, and to Him is the [final] destination."

Ayah 19

يَٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ قَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُ...

وَقَالَتِ ٱلْيَهُودُ وَٱلنَّصَٰرَىٰ نَحْنُ أَبْنَٰٓؤُا۟ ٱللَّهِ وَأَحِبَّٰٓؤُهُۥ ۚ قُلْ فَلِمَ يُعَذِّبُكُم بِذُنُوبِكُم ۖ بَلْ أَنتُم بَشَرٌۭ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقَ ۚ يَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ۖ وَإِلَيْهِ ٱلْمَصِيرُ

Wa qaalatil Yahoodu wan Nasaaraa nahnu abnaaa'ul laahi wa ahibbaaa'uh; qul falima yu'azzibukum bizunoobikum bal antum basharum mimmman khalaq; yaghfiru limai yashaaa'u wa yu'azzibu mai yashaaa'; wa lillaahi mulkus samaawaati wal ardi wa maa bainahumaa wa ilaihil maseer

But the Jews and the Christians say, "We are the children of Allah and His beloved." Say, "Then why does He punish you for your sins?" Rather, you are human beings from among those He has created. He forgives whom He wills, and He punishes whom He wills. And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, and to Him is the [final] destination.

Themes in this ayah

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Mercy & forgiveness98

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Mercy & forgiveness

5:18Ayah 1120

15 ayahs in Al-Maaida are strongly about mercy and forgiveness. This is one of them.

← Previous on Mercy & forgiveness5:12And Allah had already taken a covenant from the Children of Israel, and We delegated from among them twelve leaders. And Allah said, "I am with you.Next on Mercy & forgiveness →5:34Except for those who return [repenting] before you apprehend them. And know that Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

Tafsir

Scholars offer complementary perspectives

View Full Tafsir: Al-Jalalayn on 5:18→

The Jews and Christians both of them say ‘We are the sons of God that is we are like his sons in terms of closeness and rank and He is like a father to us in terms of compassion and care and His beloved ones’. Say to them O Muhammad (s) ‘Why then does He chastise you for your sins? if what you say is true. For the father does not punish his son nor the loving his beloved; but He has punished you and therefore you are saying lies. Nay; you are mortals from among all those mortals He created you shall be rewarded as they are rewarded and you shall be requited as they are requited. He forgives him for whom He wills forgiveness and He chastises him for whom He wills’ chastisement and there can be no objection thereto. For to God belongs the kingdom of the heavens and of the earth and all that is between them; to Him is the journey’s end the final return.

that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "The Jews are those who Allah is wrath with, and the Christians have strayed."

Sunan Abu Dawud #4716Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying :Sahih

Every child is born on Islam, but his parents make him a Jew and a Christian, just as a beast is born whole. Do you find some among them (born) maimed? The people asked : Messenger of Allah! What do you think about the one who died while he was young? He replied : Allah knows best what he was going to do.

Sahih Muslim #6591Sahih

There is none born but is created to his true nature (Islam). It is his parents who make him a Jew or a Christian or a Magian quite as beasts produce their young with their limbs perfect. Do you see anything deficient in them? Then he quoted the Qur'an., The nature made by Allah in which He has created men there is no altering of Allah's creation; that is the right religion" (ar-Rum:30)

Sahih Muslim #6594Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:Sahih

No babe is born but upon Fitra. It is his parents who make him a Jew or a Christian or a Polytheist. A person said: Allah's Messenger, what is your opinion if they were to die before that (before reaching the age of adolescence when they can distinguish between right and wrong)? He said: It is Allah alone Who knows what they would be doing.

Jami` at-Tirmidhi #2206'Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said:Sahih

"Every child is born upon the Millah, then his parents make him a Jew, a Christian, or an idolater." It was said: "O Messenger of Allah! What about those who die before that?" He said: "Allah knows best what they would have done." [Another chain) with similar in meaning, and he said: "Born upon the Fiirah."