Qur'an Verse of the Day

Thursday 22nd January 2026 Today  

Chapter 5, Verse 117

وَاِذۡ قَالَ اللّٰہُ یٰعِیۡسَی ابۡنَ مَرۡیَمَ ءَاَنۡتَ قُلۡتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُوۡنِیۡ وَاُمِّیَ اِلٰہَیۡنِ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ ؕ قَالَ سُبۡحٰنَکَ مَا یَکُوۡنُ لِیۡۤ اَنۡ اَقُوۡلَ مَا لَیۡسَ لِیۡ ٭ بِحَقٍّ ؕ؃ اِنۡ کُنۡتُ قُلۡتُہٗ فَقَدۡ عَلِمۡتَہٗ ؕ تَعۡلَمُ مَا فِیۡ نَفۡسِیۡ وَلَاۤ اَعۡلَمُ مَا فِیۡ نَفۡسِکَ ؕ اِنَّکَ اَنۡتَ عَلَّامُ الۡغُیُوۡبِ ﴿۱۱۷﴾

English Translation

And when Allah will say, “O Jesus, son of Mary, didst thou say to men, ‘Take me and my mother for two gods beside Allah?’”, he will answer, “Holy art Thou. I could never say that to which I had no right. If I had said it, Thou wouldst have surely known it. Thou knowest what is in my mind, and I know not what is in Thy mind. It is only Thou Who art the Knower of hidden things.

Short commentary

And when Allah will say, “O Jesus, son of Mary, didst thou say to men, ‘Take me and my mother for two gods[811] beside Allah?’”, He will answer, “Holy art Thou, I could never say[812] that to which I had no right. If I had said it, Thou wouldst have surely known it. Thou knowest what is in my mind, and I know not what is in Thy mind. [a]It is Thou alone Who art the Knower of all hidden things;

811
812
a
811.

The verse refers to the practice of the Christian Church to ascribe Divine powers to Mary. Mary’s help is invoked in Litany, and in Catechism of the Roman Church the doctrine that she is the mother of God is inculcated. Church Fathers in the past have regarded her as Divine and only a few years ago Pope Pius XII incorporated the bodily ascension of Mary in the doctrine of the Church. All this amounts to raising her to the pedestal of Divinity and this is what Protestants denounce as Mariolatry.

 

812.

The Arabic expression in the text which is translated as “I could never” may also be interpreted as: It did not behove me; or it was impossible for me; or I had no right; to do so, etc.

 

a.

5:110; 9:78; 34:49.

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