|
|
Surah 3. Al-I-Imran (149-200) |
|
يَا
أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوَاْ إِن تُطِيعُواْ
الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يَرُدُّوكُمْ عَلَى
أَعْقَابِكُمْ فَتَنقَلِبُواْ خَاسِرِينَ﴿3:149﴾
(3:149) Believers! If you follow those who deny
the Truth, they will drive you back on your
heels, *108
and you will turn about, losers.
*108. That is, they would push them back into
the same state of unbelief from which they had
extricated themselves. Since the Battle of Uhud
the hypocrites and the Jews had constantly
propagated the idea that, had Muhammad been a
true Prophet, he would not have suffered the
reverse that he encountered in that battle. This
reverse was offered as proof that Muhammad
(peace be on him) was an ordinary person whose
fortunes varied, like those of other men,
between victory and defeat. They further
contended that the support and patronage of God
which Muhammad claimed to enjoy was a sham.
بَلِ
اللّهُ مَوْلاَكُمْ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ النَّاصِرِينَ﴿3:150﴾
(3:150) But Allah is your Protector, and He is
the best of helpers.
سَنُلْقِي فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ
الرُّعْبَ بِمَا أَشْرَكُواْ بِاللّهِ مَا لَمْ
يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا وَمَأْوَاهُمُ النَّارُ
وَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى الظَّالِمِينَ﴿3:151﴾
(3:151) We will cast terror into the hearts of
those who have denied the Truth since they have
associated others with Allah in His divinity -
something for which He has sent down no
sanction. The Fire is their abode; how bad the
resting place of the wrong-doers will be!
وَلَقَدْ
صَدَقَكُمُ اللّهُ وَعْدَهُ إِذْ تَحُسُّونَهُم
بِإِذْنِهِ حَتَّى إِذَا فَشِلْتُمْ
وَتَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي الأَمْرِ وَعَصَيْتُم مِّن
بَعْدِ مَا أَرَاكُم مَّا تُحِبُّونَ مِنكُم مَّن
يُرِيدُ الدُّنْيَا وَمِنكُم مَّن يُرِيدُ
الآخِرَةَ ثُمَّ صَرَفَكُمْ عَن ْهُمْ
لِيَبْتَلِيَكُمْ وَلَقَدْ عَفَا عَنكُمْ وَاللّهُ
ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴿3:152﴾
(3:152) Allah surely fulfilled His promise (of
succour) when you were slaying them by His leave
until the moment when you flagged and quarrelled
among yourselves about the matter, and acted
against the order of (the Prophet). Soon He
showed you what you had intensely desired - for
some among you sought this world and some of you
sought the Next. Thereupon, in order to put you
to a test He turned you away from your foes.
Still He pardoned you after that *109
for Allah is Bounteous to those who believe.
*109. The failure of the Muslims was of such a
serious nature that had God not pardoned them
they might have been obliterated there and then.
It was out of God's grace, support and patronage
that after the Muslims had been overpowered by
the enemy the latter were seized with perplexity
and confusion, and withdrew.
إِذْ
تُصْعِدُونَ وَلاَ تَلْوُونَ عَلَى أحَدٍ
وَالرَّسُولُ يَدْعُوكُمْ فِي أُخْرَاكُمْ
فَأَثَابَكُمْ غُمَّاً بِغَمٍّ لِّكَيْلاَ
تَحْزَنُواْ عَلَى مَا فَاتَكُمْ وَلاَ مَا
أَصَابَكُمْ وَاللّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ﴿3:153﴾
(3:153) Recall when you were fleeing without
casting even a side glance at anyone, and the
Messenger was calling out to you from the rear. *110
Then Allah requited you by inflicting grief
after grief upon you *111
so as to instruct you neither to grieve for the
losses you might suffer nor for the afflictions
that might befall you. Allah knows all that you
do.
*110. When subjected to a sudden two-pronged
attack the Muslims scattered; some fled to
Madina while others climbed Mount Uhud. Despite
this, the Prophet (peace be on him) did not move
from his position. The enemy surrounded him on
all sides and only a small party of ten to
twelve followers was left with him. Even at that
critical moment his feet remained firm and he
continued to summon his fleeing followers
towards himself. (See Waqidi, Maghazi, vol. 1,
pp. 237, 240 and 241 - Ed.)
*111. The 'grief referred to in this verse had
many causes: (i) by the setback the Muslims
suffered on the battlefield and by the rumour
that the Prophet (peace be on him) had been
martyred; (ii) by the fact that a large number
of believers had been killed and wounded; and
(iii) by the fact that nothing was known about
what was happening to the Muslim families left
behind in Madina. For it was possible that the
enemy was greater in numbers than the total
population of Madina, and that it might break
through the defences of the battered
ثُمَّ
أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّن بَعْدِ الْغَمِّ أَمَنَةً
نُّعَاسًا يَغْشَى طَآئِفَةً مِّنكُمْ وَطَآئِفَةٌ
قَدْ أَهَمَّتْهُمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ يَظُنُّونَ
بِاللّهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ ظَنَّ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ
يَقُولُونَ هَل لَّنَا مِنَ الأَمْرِ مِن شَيْءٍ
قُلْ إِنَّ الأَم ْرَ كُلَّهُ لِلَّهِ يُخْفُونَ
فِي أَنفُسِهِم مَّا لاَ يُبْدُونَ لَكَ
يَقُولُونَ لَوْ كَانَ لَنَا مِنَ الأَمْرِ شَيْءٌ
مَّا قُتِلْنَا هَاهُنَا قُل لَّوْ كُنتُمْ فِي
بُيُوتِكُمْ لَبَرَزَ الَّذِينَ كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ
الْقَتْلُ إِلَى مَضَاجِعِهِمْ وَلِيَبْتَلِ يَ
اللّهُ مَا فِي صُدُورِكُمْ وَلِيُمَحَّصَ مَا فِي
قُلُوبِكُمْ وَاللّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ﴿3:154﴾
(3:154) Then, after inflict-ing this grief, He
sent down an inner peace upon you - a sleep
which overtook some of you. *112
Those who were concerned merely about
themselves, entertaining false notions about
Allah - the notions of the Age of Ignorance -
asked: 'Have we any say in the matter?' Tell
them: 'Truly, all power of decision rests solely
with Allah.' Indeed, they conceal in their
hearts what they would not reveal to you,
saying: 'If we had any power of decision, we
would not have been slain here.' Say: 'Even if
you had been in your houses, those for whom
slaying had been appointed would have gone forth
to the places where they were to be slain.' And
all this happened so that Allah might test your
secret thoughts and purge your hearts of all
impurities. Allah knows well what is in the
breasts of men.
*112. A strange phenomenon was then experienced
by certain Muslim soldiers. Abu Talhah, who took
part in the battle, states that the Muslims were
seized by such drowsiness that their swords were
slipping from their hands. (For several
Traditions stating this incident, including one
related by Abu Talhah, see Waqidi, Maghazi, vol.
1, pp. 295-6 - Ed.)
إِنَّ
الَّذِينَ تَوَلَّوْاْ مِنكُمْ يَوْمَ الْتَقَى
الْجَمْعَانِ إِنَّمَا اسْتَزَلَّهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ
بِبَعْضِ مَا كَسَبُواْ وَلَقَدْ عَفَا اللّهُ
عَنْهُمْ إِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ﴿3:155﴾
(3:155) Surely those of them who turned their
backs on the day when the two armies met (at
Uhud) did so because Satan made them slip
because of some of their lapses. But Allah has
pardoned them; He is All-Forgiving,
All-Forbearing.
يَا
أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تَكُونُواْ
كَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَقَالُواْ
لإِخْوَانِهِمْ إِذَا ضَرَبُواْ فِي الأَرْضِ
أَوْ كَانُواْ غُزًّى لَّوْ كَانُواْ عِندَنَا
مَا مَاتُواْ وَمَا قُتِلُواْ لِيَجْعَلَ
اللّهُ ذَلِكَ حَسْرَةً فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ
وَاللّه ُ يُحْيِـي وَيُمِيتُ وَاللّهُ بِمَا
تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ﴿3:156﴾
(3:156) Believers, do not behave like those
who disbelieved and say to their brothers
(who meet some mishap) in the course of
their journey for fighting: 'Had they
remained with us, they would not have died
nor been slain.' Allah makes such thoughts
the cause of deep regrets in their hearts. *113
For in truth it is Allah alone who grants
life and deals death. Allah sees all that
you do.
*113. Such ideas had no solid ground. God's
decree regarding the time of one's death
cannot be deferred. Those who lack faith in
God and think that everything is dependent
on their own scheming and effort rather than
on the overpowering Will of God become
victims of perpetual remorse, since they
never cease to reflect how a slightly
different circumstance or slightly altered
strategy could have led to an altogether
different and wholesome result.
وَلَئِن قُتِلْتُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ أَوْ
مُتُّمْ لَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنَ اللّهِ وَرَحْمَةٌ
خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ﴿3:157﴾
(3:157) And were you to be slain or to die
in the way of Allah, then surely Allah's
forgiveness and mercy are better than all
the goods they amass.
وَلَئِن مُّتُّمْ أَوْ قُتِلْتُمْ لإِلَى الله
تُحْشَرُونَ﴿3:158﴾
(3:158) And were you to die or be slain, it
is to Allah that you will all be mustered.
فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ
وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ
لاَنفَضُّواْ مِنْ حَوْلِكَ فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ
وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِي
الأَمْرِ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى
اللّهِ إِنَّ اللّهَ يُحِبُّ
الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ﴿3:159﴾
(3:159) It was thanks to Allah's mercy that
you were gentle to them. Had you been rough,
hard-hearted, they would surely have
scattered away from you. So pardon them, and
pray for their forgiveness, and take counsel
from them in matters of importance. And when
you are resolved on a course of action place
your trust in Allah; surely Allah loves
those who put their trust (in Him).
إِن
يَنصُرْكُمُ اللّهُ فَلاَ غَالِبَ لَكُمْ
وَإِن يَخْذُلْكُمْ فَمَن ذَا الَّذِي
يَنصُرُكُم مِّن بَعْدِهِ وَعَلَى اللّهِ
فَلْيَتَوَكِّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ﴿3:160﴾
(3:160) If Allah helps you none shall
prevail over you; if He forsakes you then
who can help you? It is in Allah that the
believers should put their trust.
وَمَا كَانَ لِنَبِيٍّ أَن يَغُلَّ وَمَن
يَغْلُلْ يَأْتِ بِمَا غَلَّ يَوْمَ
الْقِيَامَةِ ثُمَّ تُوَفَّى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ
مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لاَ يُظْلَمُونَ﴿3:161﴾
(3:161) It is not for a Prophet to defraud; *114
and whoever defrauds shall bring with him
the fruits of his fraud on the Day of
Resurrection, when every human being shall
be paid in full what he has earned, and
shall not be wronged.
*114. When the archers, whom the Prophet had
posted to defend the army against any attack
from the rear, saw that the spoils of the
enemy were being collected, they feared that
the spoils might fall in their entirety to
the lot of the soldiers who were then
collecting them, and that they might,
therefore, be deprived of their share. It
was this idea which had impelled them to
leave their posts. When the Prophet returned
to Madina after the battle he asked them to
explain the cause of their disobedience.
When he had heard their unconvincing stories
he told them: 'You thought that we would act
dishonestly and would not deliver you your
share.' (See Alusi. Ruh al-Ma'ani,
commentary on this verse - Ed.) The verse
alludes to this here. The purpose is to
impress upon them that the Messenger of God
himself was the commander of their army and
that all their affairs were in his hands
alone. What made them feel that their
interests were not secure even in the hands
of God's Messenger? Did they think that a
division of spoils under the direct
supervision of the Prophet Would be made in
any manner other than that dictated by
absolute honesty, trustworthiness and
justice?
أَفَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَ اللّهِ كَمَن
بَاء بِسَخْطٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ وَمَأْوَاهُ
جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ﴿3:162﴾
(3:162) Is he who follows the good pleasure
of Allah like him who is laden with Allah's
wrath and whose abode is Hell? How evil that
is for a resting-place!
هُمْ دَرَجَاتٌ عِندَ اللّهِ واللّهُ بَصِيرٌ
بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ﴿3:163﴾
(3:163) They vary greatly in rank in the
sight of Allah, and Allah sees what they do.
لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤمِنِينَ إِذْ
بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ
يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ
وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ
وَإِن كَانُواْ مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلالٍ
مُّبِينٍ﴿3:164﴾
(3:164) Surely Allah conferred a great
favour on the believers when He raised from
among them a Messenger to recite to them His
signs, and to purify them, and to teach them
the Book and Wisdom. For before that they
were in manifest error.
أَوَلَمَّا أَصَابَتْكُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَدْ
أَصَبْتُم مِّثْلَيْهَا قُلْتُمْ أَنَّى
هَـذَا قُلْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ أَنْفُسِكُمْ
إِنَّ اللّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ﴿3:165﴾
(3:165) And how come when a calamity befell
you, you began to ask: 'How has this come
about?' *115
even though the enemy has suffered at your
hands (in the Battle of Badr) double what
you have suffered! *116
Say: This calamity has been brought about by
yourselves. *117
Surely Allah is Ail-Powerful. *118
*115. The more high ranking Companions were
too well aware of reality to fall prey to
any misunderstandings. The ordinary
believers, however, had thought that as long
as God's Messenger was in their midst and as
long as they enjoyed God's support and help
the unbeliever, could never triumph over
them. Hence, when they suffered defeat at
the Battle of Uhud, their expectations were
shaken and they began to wonder why things
had taken the course they had. They wondered
why they had been defeated even though they
had fought for the sake of God's true
religion with God's support, and the
Messenger of God was with them on the
battlefield. Furthermore, they were worried
that the defeat had been at the hands of
those who were out to destroy God's true
religion. These verses seek to allay this
sense of anxiety and rid their minds of
doubt and suspicion.
*116. In the Battle of Uhud seventy Muslims
were martyred. In the Battle of Badr.
seventy unbelievers were killed and seventy
taken as captives.
*117. The calamity that had befallen them
was the outcome of their own weaknesses and
mistakes. They had not remained sufficiently
patient, they had acted, in certain
respects, in a manner inconsistent with the
dictates of piety, they had disobeyed the
command that had been given them, they were
lured by material wealth and they disputed
and quarrelled among them-selves. After all
this, was it still necessary to ask what
caused the debacle?
*118. If God has the power to make them
victorious He also has the power to bring
about their defeat.
وَمَا أَصَابَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْتَقَى
الْجَمْعَانِ فَبِإِذْنِ اللّهِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ
الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴿3:166﴾
(3:166) What befell you on the day when the
two hosts met was by the leave of Allah, and
in order that He might mark out those who
believe
وَلْيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ نَافَقُواْ وَقِيلَ
لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْاْ قَاتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ
اللّهِ أَوِ ادْفَعُواْ قَالُواْ لَوْ
نَعْلَمُ قِتَالاً لاَّتَّبَعْنَاكُمْ هُمْ
لِلْكُفْرِ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَقْرَبُ مِنْهُمْ
لِلإِيمَانِ يَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَاهِهِم مَّا
لَيْسَ فِ ي قُلُوبِهِمْ وَاللّهُ أَعْلَمُ
بِمَا يَكْتُمُونَ﴿3:167﴾
(3:167) and those who are hypocrites. And
when these hypocrites were asked: 'Come and
fight in the wayof Allah', or (at least)
'defend yourselves', they answered: 'If we
but knew that there would be fighting, we
would certainly have followed. *119
They were nearer then to infidelity than to
faith. They utter from their mouths what is
not in their hearts. Allah knows well what
they conceal.
*119. When 'Abd Allah b. Ubayy decided to
withdraw from the battlefield with his men
several Muslims attempted to persuade him
not to do so. Ibn Ubayy replied that he was
sure that there would be no fighting that
day, and he assured them that had he
expected fighting to take place, he would
have gone along with them.
الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ لإِخْوَانِهِمْ
وَقَعَدُواْ لَوْ أَطَاعُونَا مَا قُتِلُوا
قُلْ فَادْرَؤُوا عَنْ أَنفُسِكُمُ الْمَوْتَ
إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ﴿3:168﴾
(3:168) These are the ones who stayed away,
saying about their brothers: 'Had they
followed us, they would not have been
slain.' Say: 'If you speak the truth then
avert death when it comes to you.'
وَلاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُواْ فِي
سَبِيلِ اللّهِ أَمْوَاتًا بَلْ أَحْيَاء
عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ﴿3:169﴾
(3:169) Think not of those slain in the way
of Allah as dead. *120
Indeed they are living, and with their Lord
they have their sustenance,
*120. For an explanation see Surah 2. n. 155
above.
فَرِحِينَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ
وَيَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِالَّذِينَ لَمْ
يَلْحَقُواْ بِهِم مِّنْ خَلْفِهِمْ أَلاَّ
خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ﴿3:170﴾
(3:170) rejoicing in what Allah has bestowed
upon them out of His bounty, *121
jubilant that neither fear nor grief shall
come upon the believers left behind in the
world who have not yet joined them.
*121. There is a Tradition from the Prophet
that he who leaves the world after having
lived righteously is greeted with a life so
felicitous that he never wishes to return to
the world. The only exception to this are
martyrs who wish to be sent back to the
world so that they may once again attain
martyrdom and thereby enjoy that unique joy,
bliss and ecstasy which one experiences at
the time of laying down one's life for God.
(Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, vol. Ill, 103,
126, 153, 173, 251, 276, 278, 284, 289;
Bukhari, 'Tafsir al-Qur'an', 6 and 21:
Muslim, 'Al-Imarah', 108, 109. 121 - Ed.)
يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِنِعْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ
وَفَضْلٍ وَأَنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ
الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴿3:171﴾
(3:171) They rejoice at the favours and
bounties of Allah, and at the awareness that
Allah will not cause the reward of the
believers to be lost.
الَّذِينَ اسْتَجَابُواْ لِلّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ
مِن بَعْدِ مَآ أَصَابَهُمُ الْقَرْحُ
لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُواْ مِنْهُمْ وَاتَّقَواْ
أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ﴿3:172﴾
(3:172) There were those who responded to
the call of Allah and the Messenger *122
after injury had smitten them *123
- for all those who do good and fear Allah
there is a mighty reward.
*122. When, after the Battle of Uhud, the
Makkan polytheists had travelled several
stages of their journey, they began to tell
themselves what a mistake they had made in
allowing the opportunity to crush the power
of Muhammad to slip out of their hands. At
one place they halted and deliberated among
themselves about launching a second attack
on Madina. They failed, however, to muster
sufficient courage and carried on to Makka.
The Prophet, for his part, also realized
that they might attack once again. On the
second day of Uhud, therefore, he gathered
the Muslims and urged them to pursue the
unbelievers. Even though this was a highly
critical moment, the true men of faith
girded their loins and were prepared to lay
down their lives at the behest of the
Prophet. They accompanied him to Hamra' al-Asad,
eight miles from Madina. The present verse
refers to these dedicated men.
*123. These few verses were revealed almost
one year after the Battle of Uhud. As they
are connected with the events of the battle
they were included in the present discourse.
الَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ
النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُواْ لَكُمْ
فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَاناً
وَقَالُواْ حَسْبُنَا اللّهُ وَنِعْمَ
الْوَكِيلُ﴿3:173﴾
(3:173) When people said to them:
'Behold, a host has gathered around you
and you should fear them', it only
increased their faith and they answered:
'Allah is Sufficient for us; and what an
excellent Guardian He is!'
فَانقَلَبُواْ بِنِعْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ
وَفَضْلٍ لَّمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ
وَاتَّبَعُواْ رِضْوَانَ اللّهِ وَاللّهُ
ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ﴿3:174﴾
(3:174) So they returned with a mighty
favour and a great bounty from Allah
having suffered no harm. They followed
the good pleasure of Allah, and Allah is
the Lord of great bounty.
إِنَّمَا ذَلِكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ يُخَوِّفُ
أَوْلِيَاءهُ فَلاَ تَخَافُوهُمْ
وَخَافُونِ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ﴿3:175﴾
(3:175) It was Satan who suggested to
you the fear of his allies. Do not fear
them; fear Me, if you truly believe. *124
*124. While returning from the Battle of
Uhud, Abu Sufyan challenged the Muslims
to another encounter at Badr the
following year. But when the appointed
time arrived, Abu Sufyan's courage
failed him on account of the famine
prevailing in Makka that year. As a
face-saving device he arranged to send
an agent to Madina who spread the rumour
that tremendous war preparations were
afoot among the Quraysh, and that they
were trying to muster a huge army which
would be so powerful that no other power
in the whole of Arabia would resist it.
The purpose of this rumour was to
overawe the Muslims and discourage them
from advancing towards Makka, so that
when the confrontation did not take
place it would be blamed on the timidity
of the Muslims. The effect of this
measure was such that when the Prophet
(peace be on him) urged the Muslims to
accompany him to Badr the initial
response was not encouraging. Finally,
the Prophet publicly announced that if
no one would accompany him, he would go
alone. In response, fifteen hundred
devotees expressed their willingness and
accompanied him to Badr. Abu Sufyan set
out with two thousand men but after
travelling for two days he told his men
that it seemed unwise to fight and that
they would return the following year for
the proposed encounter. Thus he and his
men retreated. The Prophet and his
Companions stayed at Badr for eight days
awaiting the threatened encounter.
Meanwhile, they conducted business with
a trade caravan which yielded them
considerable profit. Later, when it
became known that the unbelievers had
gone back to Makka, the Prophet returned
to Madina. (See Ibn Hisham, vol. 2, pp.
209 f.; Ibn Ishaq, Life of Muhammad, pp.
447 f. - Ed.)
وَلاَ يَحْزُنكَ الَّذِينَ يُسَارِعُونَ
فِي الْكُفْرِ إِنَّهُمْ لَن يَضُرُّواْ
اللّهَ شَيْئاً يُرِيدُ اللّهُ أَلاَّ
يَجْعَلَ لَهُمْ حَظًّا فِي الآخِرَةِ
وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ﴿3:176﴾
(3:176) Let not those who run towards
disbelief grieve you; they shall not
hurt Allah in the least. Allah will not
provide for them any share in the Next
Life. A mighty punishment awaits them.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُاْ الْكُفْرَ
بِالإِيمَانِ لَن يَضُرُّواْ اللّهَ
شَيْئًا وَلهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ﴿3:177﴾
(3:177) Indeed those who have purchased
unbelief in exchange for faith shall not
hurt Allah in the least. Theirs shall be
a painful chastisement.
وَلاَ يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ
أَنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ خَيْرٌ
لِّأَنفُسِهِمْ إِنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ
لِيَزْدَادُواْ إِثْمًا وَلَهْمُ عَذَابٌ
مُّهِينٌ﴿3:178﴾
(3:178) Do not let the, unbelievers
imagine that the respite We give them is
good for them. We give them respite so
that they may grow in wickedness. A
humiliating chastisement lies in store
for them.
مَّا كَانَ اللّهُ لِيَذَرَ
الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى مَآ أَنتُمْ
عَلَيْهِ حَتَّىَ يَمِيزَ الْخَبِيثَ مِنَ
الطَّيِّبِ وَمَا كَانَ اللّهُ
لِيُطْلِعَكُمْ عَلَى الْغَيْبِ وَلَكِنَّ
اللّهَ يَجْتَبِي مِن رُّسُلِهِ مَن
يَشَاء فَآمِنُواْ بِاللّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ
وَإِن تُؤْ مِنُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ فَلَكُمْ
أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ﴿3:179﴾
(3:179) Allah will not let the believers
stay in the state they are: *125
He will set the wicked apart from the
good. Allah is not going to disclose to
you what is hidden in the realm beyond
the reach of perception, *126
but He chooses from among His Messengers
whom He wills (to intimate such
knowledge). Believe, then, in Allah and
in His Messengers; and if you believe
and be come God-fearing, yours will be a
great reward.
*125. That is, God does not want to see
the Muslim community in a hotch-potch
condition with the true men of faith
indistinguishable from the hypocrites.
*126. This means that God does not
resort to revelation to provide
information as to whether specific
individuals are true men of faith or
hypocrites. God creates, instead,
certain situations in which the faith of
those who profess to believe is severely
tested. The result is that the man of
faith stands out clearly from the
hypocrite.
وَلاَ يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ
بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ هُوَ
خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ بَلْ هُوَ شَرٌّ لَّهُمْ
سَيُطَوَّقُونَ مَا بَخِلُواْ بِهِ يَوْمَ
الْقِيَامَةِ وَلِلّهِ مِيرَاثُ
السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَاللّهُ بِمَا
تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ﴿3:180﴾
(3:180) Those who are niggardly about
what Allah has granted them out of His
bounty think that niggardli ness is good
for them; it is bad for them. What they
were niggardly about will turn into a
halter round their necks on the Day of
Resur-rection. To Allah belongs the
inheritance of the heavens and the
earth; *127
and Allah is well aware of what you do.
*127. Everything in the heavens and the
earth belongs to God alone. Hence the
possession and use of anything by man is
purely transient. For everyone will be
dispossessed of his temporary
belongings, and everything will
ultimately return to and abide with God.
If anyone therefore spends openheartedly
in the way of God out of his temporary
possessions he does so from property
which, ultimately, belongs to God alone.
Anyone who hoards his possessions and
fails to spend them in the way of God is
indeed stupid.
لَّقَدْ سَمِعَ اللّهُ قَوْلَ
الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ إِنَّ اللّهَ
فَقِيرٌ وَنَحْنُ أَغْنِيَاء
سَنَكْتُبُ مَا قَالُواْ وَقَتْلَهُمُ
الأَنبِيَاء بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَنَقُولُ
ذُوقُواْ عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ﴿3:181﴾
(3:181) Allah has heard the saying
of those who said: 'Allah is poor,
and we are rich. *128
We shall record what they have said,
and the fact of their slaying the
Prophets unjustly, and we shall say
to them: Taste now the torment of
the Fire.
*128. This statement was made by the
Jews. On the revelation of the
Qur'anic verse (2: 245): 'Who of you
will lend Allah a goodly loan?', the
Jews began to ridicule it and said:
'Look, God has now gone bankrupt and
has begun to beg of His creatures
for loans.' (For this statement made
by the Jews see the Tradition
mentioned by Ibn Kathir in his
comments on this verse - Ed.)
ذَلِكَ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ
وَأَنَّ اللّهَ لَيْسَ بِظَلاَّمٍ
لِّلْعَبِيدِ﴿3:182﴾
(3:182) That is in recompense for
what you have done.' Allah does no
wrong to His servants.
الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ إِنَّ اللّهَ
عَهِدَ إِلَيْنَا أَلاَّ نُؤْمِنَ
لِرَسُولٍ حَتَّىَ يَأْتِيَنَا
بِقُرْبَانٍ تَأْكُلُهُ النَّارُ قُلْ
قَدْ جَاءكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِّن قَبْلِي
بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَبِالَّذِي قُلْتُمْ
فَلِمَ قَتَلْتُمُوهُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ
صَادِقِينَ﴿3:183﴾
(3:183) To those who say: 'Allah has
directed us that we accept none as
Messenger until he makes an offering
that the fire will consume', say:
'Other Messengers came to you before
me with clear signs, and with the
sign you have mentioned. So why did
you slay them, if what you say is
true? *129
*129. The Bible mentions at several
places that the token of Divine
acceptance of a person's sacrificial
offering was the appearance of a
mysterious fire which consumed the
offering. (See Judges 6: 20-1 and
13: 19-20; 2 Chronicles 7: 1-2.) The
Bible does not state, however, that
the consuming fire was an
indispensable token of prophethood
and that anyone not endowed with
that miracle could not be a Prophet.
The Jews in discussing the claim of
Muhammad (peace be on him) to be a
Messenger of God brought up the
question of this miraculous sign,
and used it as a pretext for denying
that claim. There was even clearer
evidence of the Jews' hostility to
Truth: they had not hesitated to
murder a number of Prophets who had
been endowed with the miracle of
consuming fire. The Bible mentions,
for example, the Prophet Elijah who
had challenged the worshippers of
Ba'l to sacrifice a bull, promising
that he too would sacrifice a bull.
He stated that the offering of the
one who was truthful would be
consumed by the miraculous fire. The
confrontation took place before a
large crowd and it was Elijah's
sacrifice which was consumed by the
fire. This so antagonized the
Ba'1-worshipping Queen that the
henpecked King decided to put the
Prophet Elijah to death. Elijah was
forced to leave his homeland and
take refuge in the mountains of
Sinai. (See 1 Kings 18 and 19.) The
Jews are told in effect: 'How dare
you ask for the miracle of the
consuming fire when in the past you
have not even refrained from
murdering Prophets who performed
that miracle?'
فَإِن كَذَّبُوكَ فَقَدْ كُذِّبَ
رُسُلٌ مِّن قَبْلِكَ جَآؤُوا
بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالزُّبُرِ
وَالْكِتَابِ الْمُنِيرِ﴿3:184﴾
(3:184) Now, if they give the lie to
you, then other Messengers who came
bearing clear signs and scriptures
and the illuminating Book were also
given the lie before you.
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ
وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ
يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ
عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ
فَقَدْ فَازَ وَما الْحَيَاةُ
الدُّنْيَا إِلاَّ مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ﴿3:185﴾
(3:185) Everyone is bound to taste
death and you shall receive your
full reward on the Day of
Resurrection. Then, whoever is
spared the Fire and is admitted to
Paradise has indeed been successful.
The life of this world is merely an
illusory enjoyment. *130
*130. Whoever considers the effects
of his actions in this earthly life
to be of crucial significance, and
sees in them the criteria of right
and wrong, the criteria of that
which leads either to one's ultimate
salvation or to one's doom, falls
prey to a serious misconception. The
fact that a person is outstandingly
successful in life does not
necessarily prove that he is either
not prove that he has either strayed
from the right way or is out of
favour with God. The earthly results
of a man's actions are often quite
different from the ones he will see
in the Next Life. What is of true
importance is what will happen in
that eternal life rather than in
this transient one.
لَتُبْلَوُنَّ فِي أَمْوَالِكُمْ
وَأَنفُسِكُمْ وَلَتَسْمَعُنَّ مِنَ
الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ مِن
قَبْلِكُمْ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ
أَشْرَكُواْ أَذًى كَثِيرًا وَإِن
تَصْبِرُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ فَإِنَّ
ذَلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الأُمُورِ﴿3:186﴾
(3:186) (Believers!) You will
certainly be put to test in respect
of your properties and lives, and
you will certainly hear many hurtful
things from those who were granted
the Book before you and those who
have associated others with Allah in
His divinity. If you remain patient
and God-fearing *131
this indeed is a matter of great
resolution.
*131. Muslims should not lose their
self-control in the face of the
Jews' invidious taunts and slander.
The Jews' accusations, debased talk
and false propaganda should not
provoke the Muslims into adopting a
posture either inconsistent with
truth and justice or with the
dignity, decorum and high standards
of moral conduct that become men of
faith.
وَإِذَ أَخَذَ اللّهُ مِيثَاقَ
الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ
لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلاَ
تَكْتُمُونَهُ فَنَبَذُوهُ وَرَاء
ظُهُورِهِمْ وَاشْتَرَوْاْ بِهِ
ثَمَناً قَلِيلاً فَبِئْسَ مَا
يَشْتَرُونَ﴿3:187﴾
(3:187) And recall when Allah took a
covenant from those who were given
the Book: 'You shall explain it to
men and not hide it. *132
Then they cast the Book behind their
backs, and sold it away for a
trivial gain. Evil indeed is their
bargain.
*132. Although the Jews remembered
that some Prophets had been endowed
with the miracle of consuming fire,
they conveniently forgot their
covenant with God at the time they
were entrusted with the Scripture,
and their mission as the bearers of
the Scripture. The 'covenant' to
which this verse alludes is
mentioned at several places in the
Bible. In the last sermon of Moses,
cited in Deuteronomy, he again and
again calls the attention of Israel
to the covenant in the following
words: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our
God is one Lord; and you shall love
the Lord your God with all your
heart, with all your soul, with all
your might. And these words which I
command shall be upon your heart;
and you shall teach them diligently
to your children, and shall talk of
them when you sit in your house, and
when you walk by the way, and when
you lie down, and when you rise. And
you shall bind them as a sign upon
your hand, and they shall be as
frontlets between your eyes. And you
shall write them on the doorposts of
your house and on your gates.'
(Deuteronomy 6: 4-9.)
Then, in his last testament Moses
said: 'And on the day you pass over
the Jordan to the land which the
Lord your God gives you, you shall
set up large stones, and plaster
them with plaster and you shall
write upon them all the words of
this law, when you pass over to
enter the land which the Lord your
God gives you, a land flowing with
milk and honey, as the Lord, the God
of your fathers, has promised you.
And when you have passed over the
Jordan, you shall set up these
stones, concerning which I command
you this day, on Mount Ebal, and you
shall plaster them with plaster.'
(Deuteronomy 27: 2-4.) When the
Levites were handed a copy of the
Torah, they were instructed to
gather men, women and children every
seventh year on the occasion of the
Feast of Tabernacles and to recite
the entire text to them. But their
indifference to the Book of God grew
to such a point that seven hundred
years later even the priests of the
Temple of Solomon and the Jewish
ruler of Jerusalem did not know that
they had the Book of God with them.
(See 2 Kings 22: 8-13.)
لاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ
يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أَتَواْ
وَّيُحِبُّونَ أَن يُحْمَدُواْ
بِمَا لَمْ يَفْعَلُواْ فَلاَ
تَحْسَبَنَّهُمْ بِمَفَازَةٍ مِّنَ
الْعَذَابِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ
أَلِيمٌ﴿3:188﴾
(3:188) Do not think that those
who exult in their misdeeds and
love to be praised for what
indeed they have not done, *133
do not think that they are
secure from chastisement. A
painful chastisement awaits
them.
*133. Such people expected
praises to be lavished upon them
for being God-fearing, devout
and pious, for being sincere
servants of the true faith, for
being defenders of God's Law and
for having reformed and purified
the lives of people, even though
none of this might be true. They
wanted people to go about
trumpeting that such and such a
person had made great sacrifices
in the cause of God and had
sincerely guided people to the
right way even though the facts
might be the reverse of what
they claimed.
وَلِلّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالأَرْضِ وَاللّهُ عَلَىَ كُلِّ
شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ﴿3:189﴾
(3:189) To Allah belongs the
dominion of the heavens and the
earth; and Allah is
Ail-Powerful. indeed been
successful. The life of this
world is merely an illusory
enjoyment.
إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلاَفِ اللَّيْلِ
وَالنَّهَارِ لآيَاتٍ لِّأُوْلِي
الألْبَابِ﴿3:190﴾
(3:190) Surely in the creation
of the heavens and the earth, *134
and in the alternation of night
and day, there are signs for men
of understanding.
*134. This section constitutes
the conclusion of the present
surah. It is related not so much
to the verses which immediately
precede it as to the entire
surah. In order to grasp its
significance one should
particularly bear in mind our
introductory remarks to this
surah. (See pp. 229 ff. above.)
الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللّهَ
قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىَ
جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي
خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ
رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَذا
بَاطِلاً سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا
عَذَابَ النَّارِ﴿3:191﴾
(3:191) those who remember Allah
while standing, sitting or
(reclining) on their backs, and
reflect in the creation of the
heavens and the earth, *135
(saying): 'Our Lord! You have
not created this in vain. Glory
to You! Save us, then, from the
chastisement of the Fire. *136
*135. This means that with the
help of those signs one can
easily arrive at the Truth,
provided one is not indifferent
to God and looks at the
phenomenon of the universe
thoughtfully.
*136. When people look carefully
at the order of the universe, it
becomes clear to them that it is
an order permeated by wisdom and
intelligent purpose. It is
altogether inconsistent with
wisdom that the man endowed with
moral consciousness and freedom
of choice, the man gifted with
reason and discretion, should
not be held answerable for his
deeds. This kind of reflection
leads people to develop a strong
conviction that the After-life
is a reality. Thanks to this
conviction, they begin to seek
God's refuge from His
punishment.
رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ مَن تُدْخِلِ
النَّارَ فَقَدْ أَخْزَيْتَهُ
وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ
أَنصَارٍ﴿3:192﴾
(3:192) Our Lord! Whomever You
cause to enter the Fire, him You
indeed bring to disgrace, and
there will be none to succour
the wrong-doers.
رَّبَّنَا إِنَّنَا سَمِعْنَا
مُنَادِيًا يُنَادِي لِلإِيمَانِ
أَنْ آمِنُواْ بِرَبِّكُمْ
فَآمَنَّا رَبَّنَا فَاغْفِرْ
لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَكَفِّرْ
عَنَّا سَيِّئَاتِنَا
وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ الأبْرَارِ﴿3:193﴾
(3:193) Our Lord! Indeed we
heard a crier calling to the
faith saying: "Believe in your
Lord"; so we did believe. *137
Our Lord, forgive us our sins,
and wipe out our evil deeds and
make us die with the truly
pious.'
*137. Many eras have passed
before you. Go about, then, in
the land and behold the end of
those who gave the lie to (the
directives and ordinances of
Allah).
رَبَّنَا وَآتِنَا مَا
وَعَدتَّنَا عَلَى رُسُلِكَ وَلاَ
تُخْزِنَا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
إِنَّكَ لاَ تُخْلِفُ الْمِيعَادَ﴿3:194﴾
(3:194) 'Our Lord, fulfil what
You promised to us through Your
Messengers, and disgrace us not
on the Day of Resurrection;
indeed You never go back on Your
promise. *138
*138. Such people do not doubt
the fact that God will fulfil
His promises. What they do doubt
is whether they will be reckoned
among those for whom those
promises were made. Hence they
pray to God to make them worthy
of His promised rewards. They
are afraid lest they remain
targets of slander and ridicule
by the unbelievers in this
world, and then be disgraced in
the Hereafter before the same
unbelievers who may mock them
once again saying that their
faith has been of no avail to
them.
فَاسْتَجَابَ لَهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ
أَنِّي لاَ أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ
عَامِلٍ مِّنكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ
أُنثَى بَعْضُكُم مِّن بَعْضٍ
فَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُواْ
وَأُخْرِجُواْ مِن دِيَارِهِمْ
وَأُوذُواْ فِي سَبِيلِي
وَقَاتَلُواْ وَقُتِلُواْ
لأُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنْهُمْ
سَيِّئَاتِهِ مْ
وَلأُدْخِلَنَّهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ
تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا
الأَنْهَارُ ثَوَابًا مِّن عِندِ
اللّهِ وَاللّهُ عِندَهُ حُسْنُ
الثَّوَابِ﴿3:195﴾
(3:195) Their Lord answered the
Prayer thus: "I will not suffer
the work of any of you, whether
male or female, to go to waste;
each of you is from the other. *139
Those who emigrated and were
driven out from their homesteads
and were persecuted in My cause,
and who fought and were slain,
indeed I shall wipe out their
evil deeds from them and shall
certainly admit them to the
gardens beneath which rivers
flow." This is their reward with
their Lord; and with Allah lies
the best reward. *140
*139. All humans are equal in
the sight of God. God does not
have separate criteria for
judging the male and the female,
the master and the slave, the
high and the low.
*140. It is reported that some
non-Muslims came to the Prophet
and said that Moses had produced
his staff and had been endowed
with the miracle of the shining
hand (see Qur'an 7: 108; 20:
22), and that Jesus restored
sight to the blind and cured the
lepers (see Qur'an 31 49). Other
Prophets had also been granted
miracles. What miracles, they
enquired, could the Prophet
perform? In response the Prophet
recited all the verses from
verse 190 to the end of this
surah, adding that that was what
he had brought.
لاَ يَغُرَّنَّكَ تَقَلُّبُ
الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فِي
الْبِلاَدِ﴿3:196﴾
(3:196) (O Messenger!) Do not
let the strutting about of the
unbelievers in the land deceive
you.
مَتَاعٌ قَلِيلٌ ثُمَّ
مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ
الْمِهَادُ﴿3:197﴾
(3:197) This is but a little
enjoyment, then their
destination is Hell -what an
evil resting place!
لَكِنِ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْاْ
رَبَّهُمْ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٌ
تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا
الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا
نُزُلاً مِّنْ عِندِ اللّهِ وَمَا
عِندَ اللّهِ خَيْرٌ
لِّلأَبْرَارِ﴿3:198﴾
(3:198) But those who fear their
Lord: theirs shall be the
gardens beneath which rivers
flow and in which they will live
forever: a hospitality from
Allah Himself, And Allah's
reward is best for the truly
pious.
وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ
لَمَن يُؤْمِنُ بِاللّهِ وَمَا
أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ
إِلَيْهِمْ خَاشِعِينَ لِلّهِ لاَ
يَشْتَرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللّهِ
ثَمَنًا قَلِيلاً أُوْلَـئِكَ
لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ
إِنَّ اللّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ﴿3:199﴾
(3:199) And among the People of
the Book some believe in Allah
and what has been revealed to
you, and what has been revealed
to them. They humble themselves
before Allah, and do not sell
Allah's revelations for a small
price. For these men their
reward is with their Lord. Allah
is swift in His reckoning.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ
اصْبِرُواْ وَصَابِرُواْ
وَرَابِطُواْ وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ
لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ﴿3:200﴾
(3:200) Believers, be steadfast,
and vie in steadfastness, *141
stand firm in your faith, and
hold Allah in fear that you may
attain true success.
*141. The original Arabic word
is " sabiru". This has two
possible meanings. One is that
whenever they are in
confrontation with unbelievers,
the believers should endure even
greater hardships for their
cause, and display a higher
degree of fortitude than the
unbelievers. The other is that
the believers should try to
excel one another in facing the
opposition and hostility of
unbelievers with courage and
fortitude.
|
|
|
