Surah Ali 'Imran — Ayah 79 (3:79)
مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُؤۡتِيَهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡحُكۡمَ وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُواْ عِبَادٗا لِّي مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَٰكِن كُونُواْ رَبَّٰنِيِّـۧنَ بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تُعَلِّمُونَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَدۡرُسُونَ ٧٩
English translation (Saheeh International)
It is not for a human [prophet]1 that Allāh should give him the Scripture2 and authority and prophethood and then he would say to the people, "Be servants to me rather than Allāh," but [instead, he would say], "Be pious scholars of the Lord because of what you have taught of the Scripture and because of what you have studied."
- Or any believer.
- Or in the case of Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ), "the Book" (i.e., the Qur’ān) .
Brief commentary
It is not right for a man whom Allah gives a book revealed by Him, together with knowledge and understanding and selects him as a prophet, to say then to people, ‘Become servants of me instead of Allah’. Rather, he should say to them: Be righteous scholars-acting on what you know, because of your teaching the revealed book to people and because of your studying it by memorising and understanding it.