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Surah Ali 'Imran — 3:18

شَهِدَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَأُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمِ قَآئِمًۢا بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۚ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ

Shahidal laahu annahoo laa ilaaha illaa Huwa walmalaaa'ikatu wa ulul 'ilmi qaaa'imam bilqist; laaa ilaaha illaa Huwal 'Azeezul Hakeem

خدا تو اس بات کی گواہی دیتا ہے کہ اس کے سوا کوئی معبود نہیں اور فرشتے اور علم والے لوگ جو انصاف پر قائم ہیں وہ بھی (گواہی دیتے ہیں کہ) اس غالب حکمت والے کے سوا کوئی عبادت کے لائق نہیں

God bears witness that there is no god but he, and so do the angels and those grounded in knowledge — upholding justice. There is no god but he, the Mighty, the Wise.

Reflection

Three witnesses are named to one fact, and the last of them is human: people with knowledge stand beside the angels in giving testimony. Grammarians have divided for centuries over whom the phrase about upholding justice attaches to — God, or those knowledgeable people, which would make justice the condition on which their witness counts. Both readings have been left standing.

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