Surah An-Nisa, ayah 135: "O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is..." Read it in Arabic with transliteration and the Sahih International translation, with the ayah before and after it, and listen to it recited.
مَّن كَانَ يُرِيدُ ثَوَابَ ٱلدُّنْيَا فَعِندَ ٱللَّهِ ثَوَابُ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْءَاخِرَةِ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ سَمِيعًۢا بَصِيرًۭا ﴿١٣٤﴾
man kaana yureedu sawaabad dunyaa fa'indallaahi sawaabud dunyaa wal Aakhirah; wa kaanal laahu Samee'am Baseeraa
Whoever desires the reward of this world - then with Allah is the reward of this world and the Hereafter. And ever is Allah Hearing and Seeing.
۞ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُونُوا۟ قَوَّٰمِينَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ شُهَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ ٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبِينَ ۚ إِن يَكُنْ غَنِيًّا أَوْ فَقِيرًۭا فَٱللَّهُ أَوْلَىٰ بِهِمَا ۖ فَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ ٱلْهَوَىٰٓ أَن تَعْدِلُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن تَلْوُۥٓا۟ أَوْ تُعْرِضُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًۭا ﴿١٣٥﴾
Yaa aiyuhal lazeena aamanoo koonoo qawwa ameena bilqisti shuhadaaa'a lillaahi wa law 'alaa anfusikum awil waalidaini wal aqrabeen iny yakun ghaniyyan aw faqeeran fallaahu awlaa bihimaa falaaa tattabi'ul hawaaa an ta'diloo; wa in talwooo aw tu'ridoo fa innal laaha kaana bimaa ta'maloona Khabeera
O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَٱلْكِتَٰبِ ٱلَّذِى نَزَّلَ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ وَٱلْكِتَٰبِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَٰلًۢا بَعِيدًا ﴿١٣٦﴾
Yaaa aiyuhal lazeena aamanooo aaminoo billaahi wa Rasoolihee wal Kitaabil lazee nazzala 'alaa Rasoolihee wal Kitaabil lazeee anzala min qabl; wa mai yakfur billaahi wa Malaaa'ikatihee wa Kutubihee wa Rusulihee wal Yawmil Aakhiri faqad dalla dalaalam ba'eedaa
O you who have believed, believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Book that He sent down upon His Messenger and the Scripture which He sent down before. And whoever disbelieves in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day has certainly gone far astray.
Arabic: Tanzil, Uthmani script. English: Sahih International. Audio: EveryAyah. Transliteration is a learning aid; read from the Arabic when you can.
Meaning and lessons
O you who believe, stand firm for justice as witnesses for Allah, even against yourselves, your parents or your relatives, whether rich or poor. Do not follow desire so that you swerve from justice. Ibn Kathir explains: speak the truth in your testimony even if it harms you, and do not let love of a rich person or pity for a poor person stop you from it, because Allah is closer to both of them than you are.
Ibn Kathir links it to 5:8: do not let hatred of a people lead you to be unjust; be just, for that is nearer to taqwa. Together the two ayat cover both sides: justice even against those you love, and justice even toward those you dislike. It is the standard for a witness in court, a parent between children, and anyone reporting what happened.
Summarised in our own words from Tafsir Ibn Kathir, on Quran 4:135. Translation of the ayah: Sahih International.
Ayah 135 of Surah An-Nisa (النِّسَاءِ), "The Women", surah 4 of the Quran, a Medinan surah of 176 ayat revealed in Madinah. It is in juz 5 (para 5), hizb 10, on page 100 of the standard Madinah mushaf. People search for it as 4/135, 4 135 or Quran 4 135.
More verses on this theme: Quran verses about parents.
Questions
O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted. (Sahih International)
O you who believe, stand firm for justice as witnesses for Allah, even against yourselves, your parents or your relatives, whether rich or poor. Do not follow desire so that you swerve from justice. Ibn Kathir explains: speak the truth in your testimony even if it harms you, and do not let love of a rich person or pity for a poor person stop you from it, because Allah is closer to both of them than you are.
It is in Surah An-Nisa, surah 4 of the Quran, in juz 5 (para 5), on page 100 of the Madinah mushaf.
The ayah before, 4:134, says: "Whoever desires the reward of this world - then with Allah is the reward of this world and the Hereafter. And ever is Allah Hearing and Seeing." The ayah after, 4:136, says: "O you who have believed, believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Book that He sent down upon His Messenger and the Scripture which He sent down before. And whoever disbelieves in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day has certainly gone far astray."