Al-Bayyina
سُورَةُ البَيِّنَةِ
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
About Surah Al-Bayyina
Medinan · 8 verses
Main Themes
Clear proof through the Quran and the Prophet, distinction between People of the Book and polytheists, reward of the righteous
Significance
Al-Bayyinah (The Clear Proof) addresses the relationship between the Quran's revelation and the previous scriptures, clarifying that the People of the Book who divide after the Clear Proof has come to them are worse than polytheists. The surah then presents the complete formula of righteous action: uprightness, prayer, and zakat. Its closing verse — that the righteous will be pleased with Allah and He will be pleased with them — is one of the Quran's highest expressions of spiritual felicity.
Key Verse Explained
Ayah 5 ("And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakat. And that is the correct religion") is described by scholars as the Quran's most concise summary of the "correct religion" (al-din al-qayyim): pure monotheism, sincere intention, prayer, and social giving. The simplicity of this formulation is used in Islamic da'wah to present Islam's core requirements accessibly.
Related Practices
The closing dua "May Allah be pleased with them and they pleased with Him" — drawn from Ayah 8 — is the standard expression of approval for the righteous companions of the Prophet ﷺ (radi Allahu 'anhum wa radu 'anh). This formula is recited billions of times daily by Muslims worldwide whenever a companion's name is mentioned, making Al-Bayyinah's final verse one of the most frequently echoed Quranic passages in Islamic oral tradition.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ لَمْ يَكُنِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ مُنْفَكِّينَ حَتَّىٰ تَأْتِيَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ 1
Those who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists were not to be parted [from misbelief] until there came to them clear evidence -
رَسُولٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ يَتْلُو صُحُفًا مُطَهَّرَةً 2
A Messenger from Allah, reciting purified scriptures
فِيهَا كُتُبٌ قَيِّمَةٌ 3
Within which are correct writings.
وَمَا تَفَرَّقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ إِلَّا مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ 4
Nor did those who were given the Scripture become divided until after there had come to them clear evidence.
وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ 5
And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمْ شَرُّ الْبَرِيَّةِ 6
Indeed, they who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists will be in the fire of Hell, abiding eternally therein. Those are the worst of creatures.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمْ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ 7
Indeed, they who have believed and done righteous deeds - those are the best of creatures.
جَزَاؤُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ۖ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَنْ خَشِيَ رَبَّهُ 8
Their reward with Allah will be gardens of perpetual residence beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever, Allah being pleased with them and they with Him. That is for whoever has feared his Lord.