لَّيْسَ بِأَمَانِيِّكُمْ وَلَآ أَمَانِىِّ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ ۗ مَن يَعْمَلْ سُوٓءًۭا يُجْزَ بِهِۦ وَلَا يَجِدْ لَهُۥ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِيًّۭا وَلَا نَصِيرًۭا
Paradise is not [obtained] by your wishful thinking nor by that of the People of the Scripture. Whoever does a wrong will be recompensed for it, and he will not find besides Allah a protector or a helper.
Introduction
This is āyah 123 of Sūrat An-Nisaa (The Women), the 92nd sūrah in the traditional order of revelation. It was revealed in the Medinan period and sits within Juzʾ 5. Medinan verses often address community life, law, and the building of society.
This introduction is a starting point — the community and Bilal will enrich it over time.
Revelation & occasion
- Period
- Medinan
- Order revealed
- 92 of 114
- Surah
- An-Nisaa (4)
(It will not be in accordance with your desires, nor the desires of the People of the Scripture�) [4:123]. Abu Bakr al-Tamimi informed us> Abu Muhammad ibn Hayyan> Abu Yahya> Sahl> �Ali ibn Mushir> Isma�il ibn Abi Khalid> Abu Salih who said: �The people of the Book, the adherents of the Torah and the adherents of the Gospel, as well as the adherents of other religions sat together one day and each claimed that they were better than the others. This verse was revealed regarding this�. Said Masruq and Qatadah: �One day, the Muslims and the people of the Book argued with each other. The people of the Book said: �We are more guided than you; our Prophet came before yours and our Scripture was revealed before your Scripture. Moreover, we have a better right to Allah than you�. The Muslims said: �We are more guided than you and have a better right to Allah than you. Our Prophet is the seal of prophets and our Scripture makes all the Scriptures before it outmoded�. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse. Allah, exalted is He, later backed the argument of the Muslims against their opponents from amongst the adherents of other religions with His words (And whoso doeth good works, whether of male or female�) [4:124] and His words (Who is better in religion than he who surrendereth his purpose to Allah�) [4:125]�.
Tafsir
Hafiz Ibn Kathir
Chains of transmission
Oral — isnād
- ~610–632 CERevelation & memorisation
Received by the Prophet ﷺ and preserved by the ḥuffāẓ (memorisers) among the Companions.
- 1st century AHMutawātir transmissionawaiting curation
Carried by mass-transmission through the generations of qurrāʾ.
- TodayLiving chainsawaiting curation
Continuous ijāzah chains link reciters today back to the Prophet ﷺ.
Verified isnād chains for this āyah will be added by curators.
Written — the manuscript record
- ~650 CEʿUthmānic codicesawaiting curation
The standardised muṣḥaf sent to the great cities (e.g. the Topkapı and Samarqand codices).
- 8th–10th c.Early Ḥijāzī & Kūfic foliosawaiting curation
Surviving leaves in Birmingham, Sanaa, Paris (BnF) and beyond.
- Modern printModern printawaiting curation
The 1924 Cairo edition → today: the standard printed muṣḥaf used worldwide.
A curated chain of manuscript images for this exact āyah — roughly one per century — is coming. Help us source and verify them.
And now — what do you think?
The text, its history and the classical commentary are laid out above. Share your own understanding, ask a question, or reason with others.
Community resources
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