And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down [i.e., the Qur’ān] upon Our Servant [i.e., Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)], then produce a sūrah the like thereof and call upon your witnesses [i.e., supporters] other than Allāh, if you should be truthful.
Sahih International
Grammar, phrase by phrase
وَإِن كُنتُمْ
(And if you are)
Root كون — to be, exist, happen · 1,390 times in the Quran
وَإِنword 1
Resumptive Particle · حرف استئنافA resumptive particle is a وَ or فَ that begins a fresh statement after a pause or shift. The prefix وَ here opens the new address to the disbelievers: 'And if you are in doubt…'. L14 · R1
Conditional Particle · أداة شرطA conditional particle sets up a two-part 'if…, then…' sentence. إِن means 'if', a possible but uncertain case: 'if you are in doubt, then produce a chapter'. L16 · R2
كُنتُمْword 2
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action or state tied to a time. كُنتُمْ names a state — being — from the root كون, to be or exist. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb describes a completed state, marking who by an ending on the base. The ending تُمْ on كُنتُمْ marks 'you all': 'you were / you are'. L8 · R2
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb has a و or ي among its root letters, which love to soften or vanish. From the root كون, the weak و has dropped away in كُنتُمْ, hiding that root letter. L24 · R1
Kāna Verb · كان وأخواتهاكَانَ 'was/are' is an incomplete verb: it needs both a topic and a comment, keeping its topic nominative — the ḍammah ـُ form — while pushing its comment into the accusative, usually a fathah ـَ. Here its topic is the attached تُمْ 'you all', and its comment is 'in doubt', which follows to complete the meaning. L18 · R3
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending تُمْ on كُنتُمْ is such a suffix, standing for 'you all' — the topic كَانَ speaks about. L3 · R6
Allah begins to prove the truth of prophethood, after affirming that there is no deity worthy of worship except Him, by addressing the disbelievers who are in doubt about what He sent down.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:23
فِى رَيْبٍۢ
(…in doubt)
Root ريب — to doubt, be uncertain, suspicion · 36 times in the Quran
فِىword 3
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. فِى is such a helper word here. L1 · R8
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the noun right after it into the genitive — the ending for a noun after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. فِى 'in' does that here: 'in doubt'. L4 · R1
رَيْبٍۢword 4
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a thing or a state. رَيْبٍ names such a thing — doubt — from the root ريب, to doubt or be uncertain. L1 · R6
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Indefinite Noun · نكرةAn indefinite noun means 'a' or 'any' something — no particular one — and shows this with the doubled end-vowel tanwīn. رَيْبٍ carries the tanwīn ـٍ (a doubled kasrah), marking it as doubt of no fixed kind. L2 · R8
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ — or here the doubled tanwīn kasrah ـٍ, a small stroke below the last letter. رَيْبٍ carries that ـٍ because the preposition فِى 'in' stands before it: 'in doubt'. L2 · R12
'And if you are in Rayb' means: in doubt.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:23
مِّمَّا نَزَّلْنَا
(…about what We have sent down)
Root نزل — to come down, descend, send down, reveal · 293 times in the Quran
مِّمَّاword 5
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. The مِّ here (from مِن) is such a helper word. L1 · R8
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the noun right after it into the genitive — the ending for a noun after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The مِّ 'about/from' does that here, joining to 'what': 'about what We sent down'. L4 · R1
Relative Pronoun · اسم موصولA relative pronoun is a word like 'what' that hooks a describing sense onto a thing. The مَّا here means 'what', and 'We have sent down' after it tells which thing: what We revealed. L5 · R13
نَزَّلْنَاword 6
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. نَزَّلْنَا names an action — sending down, revealing — from the root نزل, to send down. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb describes a completed action, marking who by an ending on the base. The ending نَا on نَزَّلْنَا marks 'we': 'We have sent down'. L8 · R2
Form II Verb · فَعَّلَA Form II verb doubles its middle root letter with a shaddah ـّ — a small w-shaped mark. From the root نزل, the middle ز carries that shaddah ـّ in نَزَّلْنَا, marking it as Form II: 'We sent down'. L12 · R1
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending نَا on نَزَّلْنَا is such a suffix, standing for 'we' — the ones who sent it down. L3 · R6
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the doer's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The ending نَا on نَزَّلْنَا is that doer, 'we'; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4
عَلَىٰ عَبْدِنَا
(…upon Our Servant,)
Root عبد — to worship, serve; servant, slave · 275 times in the Quran
عَلَىٰword 7
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. عَلَىٰ is such a helper word here. L1 · R8
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the noun right after it into the genitive — the ending for a noun after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. عَلَىٰ 'upon' does that here: 'upon Our Servant'. L4 · R1
عَبْدِنَاword 8
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a person. عَبْدِ names 'servant', from the root عبد, to worship or serve. L1 · R6
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small stroke below the last letter. عَبْدِ ends in that kasrah ـِ because the preposition عَلَىٰ 'upon' stands before it: 'upon Our Servant'. L2 · R12
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'our' glued onto the end of a noun. The ending نَا on عَبْدِنَا stands for 'our', naming whose servant he is. L3 · R6
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains an owner onto the thing owned, and the owner carries the genitive — the owner's ending, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke below the last letter. The ending نَا 'our' is that owner glued onto عَبْدِ; a pronoun like نَا keeps its fixed written shape, so no kasrah appears on it — the genitive is the role its owner slot carries: 'Our Servant'. L5 · R5
'What We have sent down upon Our Servant' means the Qur'an sent down upon Muhammad; the challenge is to produce a chapter like it, using the help of anyone besides Allah.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:23
So far: “And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down [i.e., the Qur’ān] upon Our Servant [i.e., Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)],”
فَأْتُوا۟ بِسُورَةٍۢ
(…then produce a sūrah)
Root اتي — to come, bring, give · 549 times in the Quran
Root سور — wall, chapter of the Quran · 17 times in the Quran
فَأْتُوا۟word 9
Result Particle · فاء الجوابThe result particle is a فَ that introduces the 'then' half of an 'if…, then…' pair, marking what follows from the condition. The prefix فَ here begins the answer to 'if you are in doubt': 'then produce a chapter'. L14 · R2
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. أْتُ names an action — bringing, producing — from the root اتي, to come or bring. L1 · R7
Imperative Verb · فعل أمرAn imperative verb is a command telling 'you' to do something. أْتُ is such a command spoken to a group, 'produce!' — the ending وا۟ points the order at 'you all'. L10 · R1
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb has a و or ي among its root letters, which love to soften or vanish. From the root اتي, the weak ي has dropped away in فَأْتُوا۟, hiding that root letter. L24 · R1
Hamzated Verb · فعل مهموزA hamzated verb has a hamza (ء) among its root letters. Built from the root اتي, أْتُ carries that hamza seated on an alif right after the فَ — the أْ in فَأْتُوا۟ — keeping it among the hamzated kind. L24 · R11
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending وا۟ on فَأْتُوا۟ is such a suffix, standing for 'you all' — those commanded to produce. L3 · R6
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the doer's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The ending وا۟ on فَأْتُوا۟ is that doer, 'you all'; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4
بِسُورَةٍۢword 10
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the noun right after it into the genitive — the ending for a noun after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The prefix بِ here joins to 'produce' to mean 'produce a chapter'. L4 · R1
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a thing. سُورَةٍ names a thing — a chapter of the Qur'an — from the root سور. L1 · R6
Feminine Noun · اسم مؤنثA feminine noun is a naming word Arabic treats as 'she', most often marked by a ة at its end. سُورَةٍ carries that ة, so it is treated as feminine. L2 · R1
Indefinite Noun · نكرةAn indefinite noun means 'a' something — no particular one — and shows this with the doubled end-vowel tanwīn. سُورَةٍ carries the tanwīn ـٍ (a doubled kasrah), marking it as 'a chapter'. L2 · R8
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ — or here the doubled tanwīn kasrah ـٍ, a small stroke below the last letter. سُورَةٍ carries that ـٍ because the preposition بِ stands before it: 'a chapter'. L2 · R12
مِّن مِّثْلِهِۦ
(…the like thereof)
Root مثل — to resemble, be like; example, likeness, similitude · 169 times in the Quran
مِّنword 11
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. مِّن is such a helper word here. L1 · R8
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the noun right after it into the genitive — the ending for a noun after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. مِّن 'of' does that here: 'of the like thereof'. L4 · R1
مِّثْلِهِۦword 12
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a thing. مِّثْلِ names a thing — a like, a match — from the root مثل, to resemble. L1 · R6
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small stroke below the last letter. مِّثْلِ ends in that kasrah ـِ because the preposition مِّن 'of' stands before it: 'the like thereof'. L2 · R12
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'its' glued onto the end of a noun. The ending هِۦ on مِّثْلِهِۦ stands for 'it', pointing back to the Qur'an: 'the like of it'. L3 · R6
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains an owner onto the thing owned, and the owner carries the genitive — the owner's ending, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke below the last letter. The ending هِۦ 'it' is that owner glued onto مِّثْلِ; a pronoun like هِۦ keeps its fixed written shape, so no kasrah appears on it — the genitive is the role its owner slot carries: 'the like of it'. L5 · R5
'A sūrah the like thereof' means one similar to the Qur'an; Allah has challenged the disbelievers — individuals and groups, literate and illiterate — thus making the challenge truly complete.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:23
So far: “And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down [i.e., the Qur’ān] upon Our Servant [i.e., Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)], then produce a sūrah the like thereof”
وَٱدْعُوا۟ شُهَدَآءَكُم
(…and call upon your witnesses)
Root دعو — to call, invoke, pray to; supplication · 212 times in the Quran
Root شهد — to witness, bear witness, testify · 160 times in the Quran
وَٱدْعُوا۟word 13
Conjunction · حرف عطفA conjunction is a small joining word like 'and' that ties one part of speech to another. The prefix وَ here joins this command to 'produce' before it: 'and call upon'. L4 · R4
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. ٱدْعُ names an action — calling, invoking — from the root دعو, to call or invoke. L1 · R7
Imperative Verb · فعل أمرAn imperative verb is a command telling 'you' to do something. ٱدْعُ is such a command spoken to a group, 'call!' — the ending وا۟ points the order at 'you all'. L10 · R1
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb has a و or ي among its root letters, which love to soften or vanish. From the root دعو, the weak و has folded into the ending of ٱدْعُ, hiding that root letter. L24 · R1
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending وا۟ on وَٱدْعُوا۟ is such a suffix, standing for 'you all' — those commanded to call. L3 · R6
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the doer's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The ending وا۟ on وَٱدْعُوا۟ is that doer, 'you all'; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4
شُهَدَآءَكُمword 14
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for people. شُهَدَآءَ names people — witnesses — from the root شهد, to witness or testify. L1 · R6
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more. شُهَدَآءَ is a 'broken' plural — its inner shape reshaped from the singular — naming many witnesses. L2 · R6
Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is the ending a naming word takes when the action lands on it, usually shown by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the last letter. شُهَدَآءَ ends in that fathah ـَ, marking the witnesses as those to be called. L2 · R11
Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is the ones the action lands on, in the accusative — the fathah ـَ, a stroke above the last letter. شُهَدَآءَ carries that fathah ـَ and is whom they are told to call — their witnesses. L9 · R3
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'your' glued onto the end of a noun. The ending كُم on شُهَدَآءَكُم stands for 'your (all)', naming whose witnesses they are. L3 · R6
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains an owner onto the thing owned, and the owner carries the genitive — the owner's ending, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke below the last letter. The ending كُم 'your' is that owner glued onto شُهَدَآءَ; a pronoun like كُم keeps its fixed written shape, so no kasrah appears on it — the genitive is the role its owner slot carries: 'your witnesses'. L5 · R5
Ibn `Abbas said 'your witnesses' means aids; others said partners or people — wise, eloquent men — whose help they may seek other than Allah, though they will never succeed.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:23
مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ
(…other than Allah,)
Root دون — besides, other than, excluding · 144 times in the Quran
Root اله — god · 2,851 times in the Quran
مِّنword 15
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. مِّن is such a helper word here. L1 · R8
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the noun right after it into the genitive — the ending for a noun after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. مِّن 'from' does that here: 'from other than Allah'. L4 · R1
دُونِword 16
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word. دُونِ means 'other than' or 'besides', from the root دون, that which is short of or apart from. L1 · R6
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes after a preposition, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small stroke below the last letter. دُونِ ends in that kasrah ـِ because the preposition مِّن stands before it: 'other than'. L2 · R12
ٱللَّهِword 17
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a person, place, or being. ٱللَّهِ is the proper name of God, from the root اله, god. L1 · R6
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes as the owner in an 'of' phrase, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small stroke below the last letter. ٱللَّهِ ends in that kasrah ـِ, chained after دُونِ: 'other than Allah'. L2 · R12
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains two nouns into an 'of' phrase, and the second — the owner — takes the genitive ending, a kasrah ـِ. ٱللَّهِ carries that kasrah ـِ, chained after دُونِ 'other than': 'other than Allah'. L5 · R5
So far: “And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down [i.e., the Qur’ān] upon Our Servant [i.e., Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)], then produce a sūrah the like thereof and call upon your witnesses [i.e., supporters] other than Allah,”
إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰدِقِينَ
(…if you should be truthful.)
Root كون — to be, exist, happen · 1,390 times in the Quran
Root صدق — to be truthful, sincerity; to give charity; to confirm, verify · 155 times in the Quran
إِنword 18
Conditional Particle · أداة شرطA conditional particle sets up a two-part 'if…, then…' sentence. إِن means 'if', a possible but uncertain case: 'if you should be truthful'. L16 · R2
كُنتُمْword 19
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action or state tied to a time. كُنتُمْ names a state — being — from the root كون, to be or exist. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb describes a completed state, marking who by an ending on the base. The ending تُمْ on كُنتُمْ marks 'you all': 'you are / you should be'. L8 · R2
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb has a و or ي among its root letters, which love to soften or vanish. From the root كون, the weak و has dropped away in كُنتُمْ, hiding that root letter. L24 · R1
Kāna Verb · كان وأخواتهاكَانَ 'was/are' is an incomplete verb: it needs both a topic and a comment, keeping its topic nominative — the ḍammah ـُ form — while pushing its comment into the accusative, usually a fathah ـَ. Here its topic is the attached تُمْ 'you all', and its comment is 'truthful', which takes that accusative ending. L18 · R3
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending تُمْ on كُنتُمْ is such a suffix, standing for 'you all' — the topic كَانَ speaks about. L3 · R6
صَـٰدِقِينَword 20
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for those who hold a quality. صَٰدِقِينَ names 'truthful ones', from the root صدق, to be truthful. L1 · R6
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more. The masculine sound plural in the accusative adds the ending ـِينَ. صَٰدِقِينَ ends in ـِينَ, so it names the many truthful ones. L2 · R6
Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is the ending a naming word takes as the comment of كَانَ; for this kind of plural that ending is ـِينَ rather than the nominative ـُونَ. صَٰدِقِينَ carries that ـِينَ, marking it as the accusative comment: 'if you should be truthful'. L2 · R11
Active Participle · اسم فاعلAn active participle is a naming word built from a verb's root to name the one who does the action. Built from the root صدق (to be truthful), صَٰدِقِينَ names those who speak the truth — the truthful. L11 · R1
The challenge is complete: if they truly hold that the Qur'an did not come from Allah, let them, with all the help they can gather, produce its like — yet they never will.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:23
So far: “And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down [i.e., the Qur’ān] upon Our Servant [i.e., Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)], then produce a sūrah the like thereof and call upon your witnesses [i.e., supporters] other than Allah, if you should be truthful.”