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You will gather mankind together, O Lord, on a day that is certain to come, and God does not fail in His promise. | “Our Lord! Indeed You will gather all mankind for a Day about which there is no doubt"; indeed Allah’s promise does not change. | Our Lord, it is Thou that shall gather mankind for a day whereon is no doubt; verily God will not fail the tryst. | "O our Sustainer! Verily, Thou wilt gather mankind together to witness the Day about [the coming of] which there is no doubt: verily, God never fails to fulfil His promise." | Our Lord! verily Thou art the Assembler of mankind for a Day whereof there is no doubt. Verily Allah faileth not the tryst. | Our Lord! Verily, it is You Who will gather mankind together on the Day about which there is no doubt. Verily, Allah never breaks His Promise". | “Our Lord, You will gather the people for a Day in which there is no doubt.” God will never break His promise. | Our Lord! You surely will gather mankind together one Day, a Day about (the coming of which) there is no doubt. Surely Allah never goes against His promise.' | "Our Lord! Verily, it is You Who will gather mankind together on the Day about which there is no doubt. Verily, Allah never breaks His Promise." | Our Lord! Lo! it is Thou Who gatherest mankind together to a Day of which there is no doubt. Lo! Allah faileth not to keep the tryst. | Our Lord! You will indeed gather mankind on a day in which there is no doubt. Indeed Allah does not break His promise.’ | Lord, You will surely gather all the people for a Day that will come in which there is no doubt' Allah will not break His promise. | Our Lord, surely You will gather the people for a Day about which there is no doubt. Indeed, Allah does not fail in His promise." | Lord, it is certain that one day You will gather all the people together. God does not break His promise." | Our Lord! surely Thou art the Gatherer of men on a day about which there is no doubt; surely Allah will not fail (His) promise. | Rabban<u>a</u> innaka j<u>a</u>miAAu a<b>l</b>nn<u>a</u>si liyawmin l<u>a</u> rayba feehi inna All<u>a</u>ha l<u>a</u> yukhlifu almeeAA<u>a</u>d<b>a</b> | Our Lord, You will surely gather all mankind on the Day of whose coming there is no doubt. God never fails to fulfill His promise." | "Our Lord! Thou art He that will gather mankind Together against a day about which there is no doubt; for Allah never fails in His promise." | 8 | 3 | رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ جَامِعُ ٱلنَّاسِ لِيَوْمٍ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهِ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُخْلِفُ ٱلْمِيعَادَ | Our Lord, You are going to call all people back to You: to hold them to account on a day in which there is no doubt. Our Lord, You do not break promises. | Our Lord, You are going to call all people back to You: to hold them to account on a day in which there is no doubt. Our Lord, You do not break promises. | ||||
As for those who deny, neither their wealth nor their children will help them in the least against God. They shall be but faggots for (the fire of) Hell, | Indeed for those who disbelieve, neither their wealth nor their offspring will help to save them in the least from Allah; and it is they who are fuel for the fire. | As for the unbelievers, their riches will not avail them, neither their children, aught against God; those -- they shall be fuel for the Fire | BEHOLD, as for those who are bent on denying the truth - neither their worldly possessions nor their offspring will in the least avail them against God; and it is they, they who shall be the fuel of the fire! | Verily those who disbelieve-neither their riches nor their offspring shall avail them aught with Allah. and these! they shall be the fuel of the Fire. | Verily, those who disbelieve, neither their properties nor their offspring will avail them whatsoever against Allah; and it is they who will be fuel of the Fire. | As for those who disbelieve, neither their wealth nor their children will avail them anything against God. These will be fuel for the Fire. | Those who disbelieve, neither their wealth nor their offspring will avail them at all against Allah, and it is they who will be the fuel of the Fire | Verily, those who disbelieve, neither their properties nor their offspring will avail them whatsoever against Allah; and it is they who will be fuel of the Fire. | (On that Day) neither the riches nor the progeny of those who disbelieve will aught avail them with Allah. They will be fuel for Fire. | As for the faithless, neither their wealth nor their children shall avail them anything against Allah; it is they who will be fuel for the Fire; | Those who disbelieve, neither their riches nor their children shall save them from Allah. They shall become the fuel of the Fire. | Indeed, those who disbelieve - never will their wealth or their children avail them against Allah at all. And it is they who are fuel for the Fire. | The wealth and children of the unbelievers will never serve them as a substitute for their belief in God. Such people will be the fuel for the fire. | (As for) those who disbelieve, surely neither their wealth nor their children shall avail them in the least against Allah, and these it is who are the fuel of the fire. | Inna alla<u>th</u>eena kafaroo lan tughniya AAanhum amw<u>a</u>luhum wal<u>a</u> awl<u>a</u>duhum mina All<u>a</u>hi shayan waol<u>a</u>ika hum waqoodu a<b>l</b>nn<u>a</u>r<b>i</b> | As for those who deny the truth, their wealth and children will not help them against God. They will be fuel for the Fire. | Those who reject Faith,- neither their possessions nor their (numerous) progeny will avail them aught against Allah: They are themselves but fuel for the Fire. | 9 | 3 | إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَن تُغْنِىَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَٰلُهُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَٰدُهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًٔا وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمْ وَقُودُ ٱلنَّارِ | The wealth and children of the disbelievers in Allah and His Messenger will not protect them from Allah’s punishment in this world nor in the Afterlife. Such disbelievers will be the fuel with which Hell will be lit on the Day of Resurrection. | The wealth and children of the disbelievers in Allah and His Messenger will not protect them from Allah’s punishment in this world nor in the Afterlife. Such disbelievers will be the fuel with which Hell will be lit on the Day of Resurrection. | <p>Sequence</p><p>The text now shifts from the verbal confrontation with disbelievers on the warnings about the coming physical encounter as pointed out in verse 12 - 'You shall soon be overcome (by Muslims) ' while the verses earlier (10 and 11) serve as the introduction.</p> | SequenceThe text now shifts from the verbal confrontation with disbelievers on the warnings about the coming physical encounter as pointed out in verse 12 - 'You shall soon be overcome (by Muslims) ' while the verses earlier (10 and 11) serve as the introduction. | <h2 class="title">On the Day of Resurrection, No Wealth or Offspring Shall Avail</h2><p>Allah states that the disbelievers shall be fuel for the Fire,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يَوْمَ لاَ يَنفَعُ الظَّـلِمِينَ مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ وَلَهُمُ الْلَّعْنَةُ وَلَهُمْ سُوءُ الدَّارِ </div><p>(The Day when their excuses will be of no profit to wrongdoers. Theirs will be the curse, and theirs will be the evil abode (i.e. painful torment in Hell-fire).) 40:52.</p><p>Further, what they were granted in this life of wealth and offspring shall not avail them with Allah, or save them from His punishment and severe torment. Similarly, Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَلاَ تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَلُهُمْ وَلاَ أَوْلَـدُهُمْ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ بِهَا فِي الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَتَزْهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَـفِرُونَ </div><p>(So let not their wealth nor their children amaze you; in reality Allah's plan is to punish them with these things in the life of this world, and that their souls shall depart (die) while they are disbelievers.) 9:55, and,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لاَ يَغُرَّنَّكَ تَقَلُّبُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فِى الْبِلَـدِ - مَتَـعٌ قَلِيلٌ ثُمَّ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ </div><p>(Let not the free disposal (and affluence) of the disbelievers throughout the land deceive you. A brief enjoyment; then, their ultimate abode is Hell; and worst indeed is that place for rest.) 3:196, 197.</p><p>Allah said in this Ayah 3:10,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ</div><p>(Verily, those who disbelieve) meaning, disbelieved in Allah's Ayat, denied His Messengers, defied His Books and did not benefit from His revelation to His Prophets,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لَن تُغْنِىَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَلُهُمْ وَلاَ أَوْلـدُهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَأُولَـئِكَ هُمْ وَقُودُ النَّارِ</div><p>(Neither their properties nor their offspring will avail them whatsoever against Allah; and it is they who will be fuel of the Fire.) meaning, they will be the wood with which the Fire is kindled and fed. Similarly, Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ</div><p>(Certainly you (disbelievers) and that which you are worshipping now besides Allah, are (but) fuel for Hell!) 21:98.</p><p>Allah said next,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">كَدَأْبِ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ</div><p>(Like the Da'b of the people of Fira`wn.) Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas said that the Ayah means, "Like the behavior of the people of Fir`awn." This is the same Tafsir of `Ikrimah, Mujahid, Abu Malik, Ad-Dahhak, and others. Other scholars said that the Ayah means, "Like the practice, conduct, likeness of the people of Fir`awn." These meanings are all plausible, for the Da'b means practice, behavior, tradition and habit. The Ayah indicates that the disbelievers will not benefit from their wealth or offspring. Rather, they will perish and be punished. This is the same end the people of Fir`awn and the previous nations met, those who rejected the Messengers, the Ayat, and proofs of Allah that they were sent with.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَاللَّهُ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ</div><p>(And Allah is severe in punishment.) meaning, His punishment is severe and His torment is painful. None can escape Allah's grasp, nor does anything escape His knowledge. Allah does what He wills and prevails over all things, it is He to Whom everything is humbled and there is no deity worthy of worship, nor any Lord except Him.</p> | On the Day of Resurrection, No Wealth or Offspring Shall AvailAllah states that the disbelievers shall be fuel for the Fire,يَوْمَ لاَ يَنفَعُ الظَّـلِمِينَ مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ وَلَهُمُ الْلَّعْنَةُ وَلَهُمْ سُوءُ الدَّارِ (The Day when their excuses will be of no profit to wrongdoers. Theirs will be the curse, and theirs will be the evil abode (i.e. painful torment in Hell-fire).) 40:52.Further, what they were granted in this life of wealth and offspring shall not avail them with Allah, or save them from His punishment and severe torment. Similarly, Allah said,فَلاَ تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَلُهُمْ وَلاَ أَوْلَـدُهُمْ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ بِهَا فِي الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَتَزْهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَـفِرُونَ (So let not their wealth nor their children amaze you; in reality Allah's plan is to punish them with these things in the life of this world, and that their souls shall depart (die) while they are disbelievers.) 9:55, and,لاَ يَغُرَّنَّكَ تَقَلُّبُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فِى الْبِلَـدِ - مَتَـعٌ قَلِيلٌ ثُمَّ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ (Let not the free disposal (and affluence) of the disbelievers throughout the land deceive you. A brief enjoyment; then, their ultimate abode is Hell; and worst indeed is that place for rest.) 3:196, 197.Allah said in this Ayah 3:10,إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ(Verily, those who disbelieve) meaning, disbelieved in Allah's Ayat, denied His Messengers, defied His Books and did not benefit from His revelation to His Prophets,لَن تُغْنِىَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَلُهُمْ وَلاَ أَوْلـدُهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَأُولَـئِكَ هُمْ وَقُودُ النَّارِ(Neither their properties nor their offspring will avail them whatsoever against Allah; and it is they who will be fuel of the Fire.) meaning, they will be the wood with which the Fire is kindled and fed. Similarly, Allah said,إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ(Certainly you (disbelievers) and that which you are worshipping now besides Allah, are (but) fuel for Hell!) 21:98.Allah said next,كَدَأْبِ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ(Like the Da'b of the people of Fira`wn.) Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas said that the Ayah means, "Like the behavior of the people of Fir`awn." This is the same Tafsir of `Ikrimah, Mujahid, Abu Malik, Ad-Dahhak, and others. Other scholars said that the Ayah means, "Like the practice, conduct, likeness of the people of Fir`awn." These meanings are all plausible, for the Da'b means practice, behavior, tradition and habit. The Ayah indicates that the disbelievers will not benefit from their wealth or offspring. Rather, they will perish and be punished. This is the same end the people of Fir`awn and the previous nations met, those who rejected the Messengers, the Ayat, and proofs of Allah that they were sent with.وَاللَّهُ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ(And Allah is severe in punishment.) meaning, His punishment is severe and His torment is painful. None can escape Allah's grasp, nor does anything escape His knowledge. Allah does what He wills and prevails over all things, it is He to Whom everything is humbled and there is no deity worthy of worship, nor any Lord except Him. |
Like the people of the Pharaoh, and those before them, who rejected Our signs, and were punished for their sins by God; and the punishment of God is severe. | Like the way of Firaun’s people, and those before them; they denied Our signs; so Allah seized them because of their sins; and Allah’s punishment is severe. | like Pharaoh's folk, and the people before them, who cried lies to Our signs; God seized them because of their sins; God is terrible in retribution. | [To them shall - happen] the like of what happened to Pharaoh's people and those who lived before them: they gave the lie to Our messages - and so God took them to task for their sins: for God is severe in retribution. | After the wont of the people of Fir'awn and those before them. They belied Our signs, wherefore Allah laid hold of them for their sins. And Allah is Severe in chastising. | Like the behaviour of the people of Fir'aun (Pharaoh) and those before them; they belied Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), so Allah seized (destroyed) them for their sins. And Allah is Severe in punishment. | Like the behavior of Pharaoh’s people and those before them. They rejected Our signs, so God seized them for their sins. God is Strict in retribution. | (To them shall happen) the like of what happened to the people of Pharaoh, and those before them. They rejected Our signs, so Allah seized them for their sins. Allah indeed is severe in punishment. | Like the behavior of the people of Fir`awn and those before them; they belied Our Ayat. So Allah punished them for their sins. And Allah is severe in punishment. | Like Pharaoh's folk and those who were before them, they disbelieved Our revelations and so Allah seized them for their sins. And Allah is severe in punishment. | as in the case of Pharaoh’s clan and those who were before them, who denied Our signs. So Allah seized them for their sins, and Allah is severe in retribution. | Like Pharaoh's people and those before them who belied Our revelations; Allah seized them in their sinfulness. Allah is firm in inflicting punishment. | [Theirs is] like the custom of the people of Pharaoh and those before them. They denied Our signs, so Allah seized them for their sins. And Allah is severe in penalty. | They do as the people of Pharaoh and those who lived before them did. They called Our revelations mere lies. God punished them for their sins. God is stern in His retribution. | Like the striving of the people of Firon and those before them; they rejected Our communications, so Allah destroyed them on account of their faults; and Allah is severe in requiting (evil). | Kadabi <u>a</u>li firAAawna wa<b>a</b>lla<u>th</u>eena min qablihim ka<u>thth</u>aboo bi<u>a</u>y<u>a</u>tin<u>a</u> faakha<u>th</u>ahumu All<u>a</u>hu bi<u>th</u>unoobihim wa<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hu shadeedu alAAiq<u>a</u>b<b>i</b> | Their end will be like Pharaoh's people and those before them; they denied Our signs, so God seized them in their sinfulness: God is stern in punishment. | (Their plight will be) no better than that of the people of Pharaoh, and their predecessors: They denied our Signs, and Allah called them to account for their sins. For Allah is strict in punishment. | 10 | 3 | كَدَأْبِ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَٱللَّهُ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ | The case of these disbelievers is like that of the people of Pharaoh, and those before them who disbelieved in Allah and denied His signs. As a result, Allah punished them for their sins – their wealth and children did not benefit them. Allah is severe in punishing those who disbelieve in Him and His signs. | The case of these disbelievers is like that of the people of Pharaoh, and those before them who disbelieved in Allah and denied His signs. As a result, Allah punished them for their sins – their wealth and children did not benefit them. Allah is severe in punishing those who disbelieve in Him and His signs. | ||||
So tell the disbelievers: "You will surely be subdued and driven to Hell: How bad a preparation!" | Say (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) to the disbelievers, “Very soon you shall be overcome and driven towards hell; and that is a wretched resting-place.” | Say to the unbelievers: 'You shall be overthrown, and mustered into Gehenna -- an evil cradling!' | Say unto those who are bent on denying the truth: "You shall be overcome and gathered unto hell - and how evil a resting-place!" | Say thou unto those who disbelieve: anon shall ye be overcome, and gathered unto Hell--an evil couch! | Say (O Muhammad SAW) to those who disbelieve: "You will be defeated and gathered together to Hell, and worst indeed is that place to rest." | Say to those who disbelieve, “You will be defeated, and rounded up into Hell—an awful resting-place.” | Tell those who disbelieved: 'You shall soon be overpowered and mustered to Hell - and that is an evil resting place!' | Say to those who disbelieve: "You will be defeated and gathered together to Hell, and worst indeed is that place of rest." | Say (O Muhammad) unto those who disbelieve: Ye shall be overcome and gathered unto Hell, an evil resting-place. | Say to the faithless, ‘You shall be overcome and mustered toward hell, and it is an evil resting place.’ | Say to those who disbelieve: 'You shall be overcome and gathered into Gehenna (Hell), an evil cradling' | Say to those who disbelieve, "You will be overcome and gathered together to Hell, and wretched is the resting place." | (Muhammad), tell the unbelievers that they will soon be defeated and driven into Hell, a terrible dwelling. | Say to those who disbelieve: You shall be vanquished, and driven together to hell; and evil is the resting-place. | Qul lilla<u>th</u>eena kafaroo satughlaboona watu<u>h</u>sharoona il<u>a</u> jahannama wabisa almih<u>a</u>d<b>u</b> | Say to those who deny the truth, "You shall be overcome and driven into Hell -- an evil resting place!" | Say to those who reject Faith: "Soon will ye be vanquished and gathered together to Hell,-an evil bed indeed (to lie on)! | 11 | 3 | قُل لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ سَتُغْلَبُونَ وَتُحْشَرُونَ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمِهَادُ | O Messenger, say to those who disbelieve, no matter what their religion, ‘The believers will defeat you and you will die as disbelievers. Allah will then gather you in the fire of Hell. What an evil resting place it will be for you!’ | O Messenger, say to those who disbelieve, no matter what their religion, ‘The believers will defeat you and you will die as disbelievers. Allah will then gather you in the fire of Hell. What an evil resting place it will be for you!’ | <p>Commentary</p><p>Some readers of verse 12: قُل لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا سَتُغْلَبُونَ just cited, above may have some doubt about disbelievers being overcome because this is not the case with all disbelievers of the world. But, this doubt is unfounded as the disbelievers referred to here are the disbelievers and Jews of that particular time - from among whom, the pagans were overcome when killed or taken prisoners, and the Jews were overcome through killing or imprisonment as well as through Jizya and extradition. Therefore, this 'overcoming' of disbelievers mentioned in the verse simply does not refer to disbelievers universally.</p> | CommentarySome readers of verse 12: قُل لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا سَتُغْلَبُونَ just cited, above may have some doubt about disbelievers being overcome because this is not the case with all disbelievers of the world. But, this doubt is unfounded as the disbelievers referred to here are the disbelievers and Jews of that particular time - from among whom, the pagans were overcome when killed or taken prisoners, and the Jews were overcome through killing or imprisonment as well as through Jizya and extradition. Therefore, this 'overcoming' of disbelievers mentioned in the verse simply does not refer to disbelievers universally. | <h2 class="title">Threatening the Jews With Defeat and Encouraging Them to Learn a Lesson From the Battle of Badr</h2><p>Allah commanded the Prophet Muhammad to proclaim to the disbelievers,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">سَتُغْلَبُونَ</div><p>(You will be defeated) in this life,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَتُحْشَرُونَ</div><p>(And gathered together) on the Day of Resurrection,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِلَى جَهَنَّمَ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ</div><p>(to Hell, and worst indeed is that place of rest)</p><p>Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar recorded that `Asim bin `Umar bin Qatadah said that when the Messenger of Allah gained victory in the battle of Badr and went back to Al-Madinah, he gathered the Jews in the marketplace of Bani Qaynuqa`.</p><p>Therefore, Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ ءَايَةٌ</div><p>(There has already been a sign for you) meaning, O Jews, who said what you said! You have an Ayah, meaning proof, that Allah will make His religion prevail, award victory to His Messenger, make His Word apparent and His religion the highest.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فِي فِئَتَيْنِ</div><p>(In the two armies) meaning, two camps,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">الْتَقَتَا</div><p>(that met) in combat (in Badr),</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فِئَةٌ تُقَـتِلُ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ</div><p>(One was fighting in the Cause of Allah) the Muslims,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَأُخْرَى كَافِرَةٌ</div><p>(And as for the other, in disbelief) meaning, the idolators of Quraysh at Badr. Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يَرَوْنَهُمْ مِّثْلَيْهِمْ رَأْىَ الْعَيْنِ</div><p>(They saw them with their own eyes twice their number) means, the idolators thought that the Muslims were twice as many as they were, for Allah made this illusion a factor in the victory that Islam had over them.</p><p>It was said that the meaning of Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يَرَوْنَهُمْ مِّثْلَيْهِمْ رَأْىَ الْعَيْنِ</div><p>(They saw them with their own eyes twice their number) is that the Muslims saw twice as many idolators as they were, yet Allah gave them victory over the disbelievers. `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "When we looked at the disbelievers' forces, we found that they were twice as many as we were. When we looked at them again, we thought they did not have one man more than we had. So Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَإِذْ يُرِيكُمُوهُمْ إِذِ الْتَقَيْتُمْ فِى أَعْيُنِكُمْ قَلِيلاً وَيُقَلِّلُكُمْ فِى أَعْيُنِهِمْ</div><p>(And (remember) when you met, He showed them to you as few in your eyes and He made you appear as few in their eyes.) 8:44".</p><p>When the two camps saw each other, the Muslims thought that the idolators were twice as many as they were, so that they would trust in Allah and seek His help. The idolators thought that the believers were twice as many as they were, so that they would feel fear, horror, fright and despair. When the two camps stood in lines and met in battle, Allah made each camp look smaller in the eyes of the other camp, so that they would be encouraged to fight each other,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لِّيَقْضِيَ اللَّهُ أَمْراً كَانَ مَفْعُولاً</div><p>(so that Allah might accomplish a matter already ordained.) 8:42 meaning, so that the truth and falsehood are distinguishable, and thus the word of faith prevails over disbelief and deviation, so that the believers prevail and the disbelievers are humiliated. In a similar statement, Allah said;</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ بِبَدْرٍ وَأَنتُمْ أَذِلَّةٌ</div><p>(And Allah has already made you victorious at Badr, when you were a weak little force) 3:123. In this Ayah 3:13 Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَاللَّهُ يُؤَيِّدُ بِنَصْرِهِ مَن يَشَآءُ إِنَّ فِى ذَلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لاوْلِى الاٌّبْصَـرِ</div><p>(And Allah supports with His victory whom He wills. Verily, in this is a lesson for those who understand.) meaning, this should be an example for those who have intelligence and sound comprehension. They should contemplate about Allah's wisdom, decisions and decree, that He gives victory to His believing servants in this life and on the Day the witnesses stand up to testify.</p> | Threatening the Jews With Defeat and Encouraging Them to Learn a Lesson From the Battle of BadrAllah commanded the Prophet Muhammad to proclaim to the disbelievers,سَتُغْلَبُونَ(You will be defeated) in this life,وَتُحْشَرُونَ(And gathered together) on the Day of Resurrection,إِلَى جَهَنَّمَ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ(to Hell, and worst indeed is that place of rest)Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar recorded that `Asim bin `Umar bin Qatadah said that when the Messenger of Allah gained victory in the battle of Badr and went back to Al-Madinah, he gathered the Jews in the marketplace of Bani Qaynuqa`.Therefore, Allah said,قَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ ءَايَةٌ(There has already been a sign for you) meaning, O Jews, who said what you said! You have an Ayah, meaning proof, that Allah will make His religion prevail, award victory to His Messenger, make His Word apparent and His religion the highest.فِي فِئَتَيْنِ(In the two armies) meaning, two camps,الْتَقَتَا(that met) in combat (in Badr),فِئَةٌ تُقَـتِلُ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ(One was fighting in the Cause of Allah) the Muslims,وَأُخْرَى كَافِرَةٌ(And as for the other, in disbelief) meaning, the idolators of Quraysh at Badr. Allah's statement,يَرَوْنَهُمْ مِّثْلَيْهِمْ رَأْىَ الْعَيْنِ(They saw them with their own eyes twice their number) means, the idolators thought that the Muslims were twice as many as they were, for Allah made this illusion a factor in the victory that Islam had over them.It was said that the meaning of Allah's statement,يَرَوْنَهُمْ مِّثْلَيْهِمْ رَأْىَ الْعَيْنِ(They saw them with their own eyes twice their number) is that the Muslims saw twice as many idolators as they were, yet Allah gave them victory over the disbelievers. `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "When we looked at the disbelievers' forces, we found that they were twice as many as we were. When we looked at them again, we thought they did not have one man more than we had. So Allah's statement,وَإِذْ يُرِيكُمُوهُمْ إِذِ الْتَقَيْتُمْ فِى أَعْيُنِكُمْ قَلِيلاً وَيُقَلِّلُكُمْ فِى أَعْيُنِهِمْ(And (remember) when you met, He showed them to you as few in your eyes and He made you appear as few in their eyes.) 8:44".When the two camps saw each other, the Muslims thought that the idolators were twice as many as they were, so that they would trust in Allah and seek His help. The idolators thought that the believers were twice as many as they were, so that they would feel fear, horror, fright and despair. When the two camps stood in lines and met in battle, Allah made each camp look smaller in the eyes of the other camp, so that they would be encouraged to fight each other,لِّيَقْضِيَ اللَّهُ أَمْراً كَانَ مَفْعُولاً(so that Allah might accomplish a matter already ordained.) 8:42 meaning, so that the truth and falsehood are distinguishable, and thus the word of faith prevails over disbelief and deviation, so that the believers prevail and the disbelievers are humiliated. In a similar statement, Allah said;وَلَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ بِبَدْرٍ وَأَنتُمْ أَذِلَّةٌ(And Allah has already made you victorious at Badr, when you were a weak little force) 3:123. In this Ayah 3:13 Allah said,وَاللَّهُ يُؤَيِّدُ بِنَصْرِهِ مَن يَشَآءُ إِنَّ فِى ذَلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لاوْلِى الاٌّبْصَـرِ(And Allah supports with His victory whom He wills. Verily, in this is a lesson for those who understand.) meaning, this should be an example for those who have intelligence and sound comprehension. They should contemplate about Allah's wisdom, decisions and decree, that He gives victory to His believing servants in this life and on the Day the witnesses stand up to testify. |
There was a token for you in the two armies which clashed (in the battle of Badr), one fighting for God, the other of unbelievers who saw with their own eyes the faithful to be two times as many as they, for God reinforces with His help whomsoever He will. In this is a lesson for those who have eyes. | Indeed there was a sign for you in the two groups that clashed; one army fighting in Allah's cause, against the other of disbelievers, whom they (the Muslims) saw with their eyes, as twice their own number; and Allah strengthens with His help whomever He wills; indeed in this is a lesson for the intelligent, to be learnt by observing. | There has already been a sign for you in the two companies that encountered, one company fighting in the way of God and another unbelieving; they saw them twice the like of them, as the eye sees, but God confirms with His help whom He will. Surely in that is a lesson for men possessed of eyes. | You have already had a sign in the two hosts that met in battle, one host fighting in God's cause and the other denying Him; with their own eyes [the former] saw the others as twice their own number: but God strengthens with His succour whom He wills. In this, behold, there is indeed a lesson for all who have eyes to see. | Of a surety there hath been unto you a sign, the two hosts that met, one host fighting in the way of Allah, and the other disbelieving, beholding themselves, with their own eyes, twice as many as they. And Allah aideth with His succour whomsoever He will. Verily herein is a lesson for men of insight. | There has already been a sign for you (O Jews) in the two armies that met (in combat i.e. the battle of Badr): One was fighting in the Cause of Allah, and as for the other (they) were disbelievers. They (the believers) saw them (the disbelievers) with their own eyes twice their number (although they were thrice their number). And Allah supports with His Victory whom He pleases. Verily, in this is a lesson for those who understand. (See Verse 8:44). (Tafsir At-Tabari) | There was a sign for you in the two parties that met. One party fighting in the way of God, and the other was disbelieving. They saw them with their own eyes twice their number. But God supports with His help whomever He wills. In that is a lesson for those with insight. | You have already come across an instructive sign in the two hosts that encountered each other in battle (at Badr): one host fighting in the way of Allah, and the other that of unbelievers. They saw with their own eyes that one host was twice the number of the other. But (the result of the battle has proved that) Allah succours with His victory whomsoever He wills. In this there is surely a lesson for all who have eyes to see. | There has already been a sign for you in the two armies that met. One was fighting in the cause of Allah, and as for the other, in disbelief. They saw them with their own eyes twice their number. And Allah supports with His aid whom He wills. Verily, in this is a lesson for those who understand. | There was a token for you in two hosts which met: one army fighting in the way of Allah, and another disbelieving, whom they saw as twice their number, clearly, with their very eyes. Thus Allah strengtheneth with His succour whom He will. Lo! herein verily is a lesson for those who have eyes. | There was certainly a sign for you in the two hosts that met: one host fighting in the way of Allah and the other faithless, who saw them as visibly twice as many. Allah strengthens whomever He wishes with His help. There is indeed a moral in that for those who have insight. | Indeed, there was a sign for you in the two armies which met on the battlefield. One was fighting in the way of Allah, and another unbelieving. They (the believers) saw with their eyes that they were twice their own number. Allah strengthens with His victory whom He will. Surely, in that there was a lesson for those possessed of eyes. | Already there has been for you a sign in the two armies which met - one fighting in the cause of Allah and another of disbelievers. They saw them [to be] twice their [own] number by [their] eyesight. But Allah supports with His victory whom He wills. Indeed in that is a lesson for those of vision. | There, certainly, is evidence (of the existence of God) for you in the case of the two armies. One of them fought for the cause of God. The other were disbelievers. The disbelievers appeared to be twice the size of the believers. However, God supports through His help whomever He wants. It is a good lesson for the people of true vision. | Indeed there was a sign for you in the two hosts (which) met together in encounter; one party fighting in the way of Allah and the other unbelieving, whom they saw twice as many as themselves with the sight of the eye and Allah strengthens with His aid whom He pleases; most surely there is a lesson in this for those who have sight. | Qad k<u>a</u>na lakum <u>a</u>yatun fee fiatayni iltaqat<u>a</u> fiatun tuq<u>a</u>tilu fee sabeeli All<u>a</u>hi waokhr<u>a</u> k<u>a</u>firatun yarawnahum mithlayhim raya alAAayni wa<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hu yuayyidu bina<u>s</u>rihi man yash<u>a</u>o inna fee <u>tha</u>lika laAAibratan liolee alab<u>sa</u>r<b>i</b> | There was a sign for you in the two groups which met face to face [at Badr], one party fighting for the cause of God and the other made up of those who deny the truth. The faithful saw with their own eyes that the others were twice their number: but God strengthens with His succour whom He wills. In this, there is indeed a lesson for all who have eyes to see. | "There has already been for you a Sign in the two armies that met (in combat): One was fighting in the cause of Allah, the other resisting Allah; these saw with their own eyes Twice their number. But Allah doth support with His aid whom He pleaseth. In this is a warning for such as have eyes to see." | 12 | 3 | قَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ ءَايَةٌ فِى فِئَتَيْنِ ٱلْتَقَتَا فِئَةٌ تُقَٰتِلُ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَأُخْرَىٰ كَافِرَةٌ يَرَوْنَهُم مِّثْلَيْهِمْ رَأْىَ ٱلْعَيْنِ وَٱللَّهُ يُؤَيِّدُ بِنَصْرِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لِّأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَبْصَٰرِ | There was a clear sign and lesson in the two groups that met to fight in the Battle of Badr. One group was made up of believers, and this was the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions: they were fighting for Allah’s sake and in order to raise His Word against the word of those who disbelieve. The other group consisted of the disbelievers of Makkah, who had come out in pride and for show. The believers actually saw the disbelievers as being double their real number; but Allah helped His allies. Allah gives His support to whomever He wishes. In that there is a lesson and a warning for those of insight to realize that the help of Allah can come to the believers even though they may be few in number; and that defeat can come to those on falsehood even though they may be great in number. | There was a clear sign and lesson in the two groups that met to fight in the Battle of Badr. One group was made up of believers, and this was the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions: they were fighting for Allah’s sake and in order to raise His Word against the word of those who disbelieve. The other group consisted of the disbelievers of Makkah, who had come out in pride and for show. The believers actually saw the disbelievers as being double their real number; but Allah helped His allies. Allah gives His support to whomever He wishes. In that there is a lesson and a warning for those of insight to realize that the help of Allah can come to the believers even though they may be few in number; and that defeat can come to those on falsehood even though they may be great in number. | <p>Sequence</p><p>In the previous verses, the disbelievers were informed that they will be overcome. Now, cited in this verse is an example of how the prophecy has been fulfilled.</p><p>Commentary</p><p>This verse refers to the Battle of Badr in which the disbelievers had about 1000 men, 700 camels and 100 horses, while the Muslim mujahidin were just over 300, having a total of 70 camels, 2 horses, 6 armours and 8 swords. The encounter was certainly strange as each combating group saw the opponent being twice its own numbers. The sighting of so many Muslims inspired awe in the hearts of the disbelievers, while Muslims who saw the disbelievers as twice of them turned to Allah more fervently. They had hopes of Allah's help, and ultimate victory, because they had placed their total trust in Allah, were steadfast and sincerely believed in the promise of Allah revealed to them in the following words:</p><p>إِن يَكُن مِّنكُمْ أَلْفٌ يَغْلِبُوا أَلْفَيْنِ بِإِذْنِ اللَّـهِ</p><p>If there be among you a hundred patient one, they shall over-come two hundred. (8:66)</p><p>If the actual number of disbelievers which was three times more than their own were to be realized by Muslims, they may have been overawed. This state of sighting the numbers of the other group as twice its own was at a particular time. At another time each of the two combating groups felt the other one as low in numbers, as it would appear later in Surah al-Anfal.</p><p>To sum up, it can be safely said that making a small group of people with very little to fight against a much stronger group and score a victory, as prophesied in Makkah, is an unusual event full of lessons for the observant and the discerning.</p> | SequenceIn the previous verses, the disbelievers were informed that they will be overcome. Now, cited in this verse is an example of how the prophecy has been fulfilled.CommentaryThis verse refers to the Battle of Badr in which the disbelievers had about 1000 men, 700 camels and 100 horses, while the Muslim mujahidin were just over 300, having a total of 70 camels, 2 horses, 6 armours and 8 swords. The encounter was certainly strange as each combating group saw the opponent being twice its own numbers. The sighting of so many Muslims inspired awe in the hearts of the disbelievers, while Muslims who saw the disbelievers as twice of them turned to Allah more fervently. They had hopes of Allah's help, and ultimate victory, because they had placed their total trust in Allah, were steadfast and sincerely believed in the promise of Allah revealed to them in the following words:إِن يَكُن مِّنكُمْ أَلْفٌ يَغْلِبُوا أَلْفَيْنِ بِإِذْنِ اللَّـهِIf there be among you a hundred patient one, they shall over-come two hundred. (8:66)If the actual number of disbelievers which was three times more than their own were to be realized by Muslims, they may have been overawed. This state of sighting the numbers of the other group as twice its own was at a particular time. At another time each of the two combating groups felt the other one as low in numbers, as it would appear later in Surah al-Anfal.To sum up, it can be safely said that making a small group of people with very little to fight against a much stronger group and score a victory, as prophesied in Makkah, is an unusual event full of lessons for the observant and the discerning. | ||
Enamoured are the people of the lust of (earthly) pleasures, of women and of children and hoarded heaps of gold and silver, well-bred horses, and tilled land and cattle, all (vain) goods and chattels of the life of this world, while the best of abodes is with God. | Beautified is for mankind the love of these desires – women, and sons, and heaps of gold and piled up silver, and branded horses, and cattle and fields; this is the wealth of the life of this world; and it is Allah, with Whom is the excellent abode. | Decked out fair to men is the love of lusts -- women, children, heaped-up heaps of gold and silver, horses of mark, cattle and tillage. That is the enjoyment of the present life; but God -- with Him is the fairest resort. | ALLURING unto man is the enjoyment of worldly desires through women, and children, and heaped-up treasures of gold and silver, and horses of high mark, and cattle, and lands. All this may be enjoyed in the life of this world - but the most beauteous of all goals is with God. | Fair-seeming is made unto men the love of pleasurable things from women and children and talents heaped-up of gold and silver and horses branded up and cattle and tilth. All that is the enjoyment of the life of the World, and Allah! with Him is the best resort. | Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women, children, much of gold and silver (wealth), branded beautiful horses, cattle and well-tilled land. This is the pleasure of the present world's life; but Allah has the excellent return (Paradise with flowing rivers, etc.) with Him. | Adorned for the people is the love of desires, such as women, and children, and piles upon piles of gold and silver, and branded horses, and livestock, and fields. These are the conveniences of the worldly life, but with God lies the finest resort. | Men are naturally tempted by the lure of women, children, treasures of gold and silver, horses of mark, cattle and plantations. These are the enjoyments in the life of this world; but with Allah lies a goodly abode to return to. | Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women, children, Qanatir Al-Muqantarah of gold and silver, branded beautiful horses (Musawwamah), cattle and fertile land. This is the pleasure of the present world's life; but Allah has the excellent return with Him. | Beautified for mankind is love of the joys (that come) from women and offspring; and stored-up heaps of gold and silver, and horses branded (with their mark), and cattle and land. That is comfort of the life of the world. Allah! With Him is a more excellent abode. | The love of [worldly] allures, including women and children, accumulated piles of gold and silver, horses of mark, livestock, and farms has been made to seem decorous to mankind. Those are the wares of the life of this world, but the goodness of one’s ultimate destination lies near Allah. | Decorated for people are the desires of women, offspring, and of heaped up piles of gold and silver, of pedigree horses, cattle, and sown fields. These are the enjoyments of the worldly life, but with Allah is the best return. | Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire - of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return. | Worldly desires, wives, children, accumulated treasures of gold and silver, horses of noble breed, cattle, and farms are all made to seem attractive to men. All these are the bounties of the worldly life but in the life to come God has the best place for people to dwell. | The love of desires, of women and sons and hoarded treasures of gold and silver and well bred horses and cattle and tilth, is made to seem fair to men; this is the provision of the life of this world; and Allah is He with Whom is the good goal (of life). | Zuyyina li<b>l</b>nn<u>a</u>si <u>h</u>ubbu a<b>l</b>shshahaw<u>a</u>ti mina a<b>l</b>nnis<u>a</u>i wa<b>a</b>lbaneena wa<b>a</b>lqan<u>at</u>eeri almuqan<u>t</u>arati mina a<b>l</b><u>thth</u>ahabi wa<b>a</b>lfi<u>dd</u>ati wa<b>a</b>lkhayli almusawwamati wa<b>a</b>lanAA<u>a</u>mi wa<b>a</b>l<u>h</u>arthi <u>tha</u>lika mat<u>a</u>AAu al<u>h</u>ay<u>a</u>ti a<b>l</b>dduny<u>a</u> wa<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hu AAindahu <u>h</u>usnu alma<u>a</u>b<b>i</b> | The satisfaction of worldly desires through women, and children, and heaped-up treasures of gold and silver, and pedigreed horses, and cattle and lands is attractive to people. All this is the provision of the worldly life; but the most excellent abode is with God. | Fair in the eyes of men is the love of things they covet: Women and sons; Heaped-up hoards of gold and silver; horses branded (for blood and excellence); and (wealth of) cattle and well-tilled land. Such are the possessions of this world's life; but in nearness to Allah is the best of the goals (To return to). | 13 | 3 | زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ وَٱلْبَنِينَ وَٱلْقَنَٰطِيرِ ٱلْمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَبِ وَٱلْفِضَّةِ وَٱلْخَيْلِ ٱلْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ وَٱلْحَرْثِ ذَٰلِكَ مَتَٰعُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُۥ حُسْنُ ٱلْمَـَٔابِ | Allah tells us that He has made the love of desirable things of this world attractive to people in order to test them. These desirable things include women, children, wealth (in the form of gold and silver) that is overflowing and piled up, beautiful trained horses, livestock (such as camels, cows and sheep), as well as farmlands – all of which is the enjoyment of the life of the world which lasts only for a short while. A believer should not become attached to these things as Allah has kept the best place of return for him: the Paradise that is as wide as the heavens and the earth. | Allah tells us that He has made the love of desirable things of this world attractive to people in order to test them. These desirable things include women, children, wealth (in the form of gold and silver) that is overflowing and piled up, beautiful trained horses, livestock (such as camels, cows and sheep), as well as farmlands – all of which is the enjoyment of the life of the world which lasts only for a short while. A believer should not become attached to these things as Allah has kept the best place of return for him: the Paradise that is as wide as the heavens and the earth. | <p>Sequence</p><p>That the hostility of disbelievers should be countered with Jihad against them was the theme in several previous verses. Now, in these verses the text explains the reason why the disbelievers indulge in hostility against Islam and Muslims. The reason for this and for all evil deeds is, in fact, the love of the worldly life. There are all sorts of people who line up against the truth - some driven by greed for wealth or power, some goaded by lust and some in defence of false ancestral customs: All this is just to grab a share in the temporal enjoyments of the present life which has been described in these verses.</p><p>Commentary</p><p>The limits of one's love for worldly enjoyments</p><p>The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said: حُبُّ الدئنیا راس کُلِّ خَطِیٔۃ It means that the love of دنیا dunya (worldly life or worldly enjoyments) is the main source of all errors. The first verse here names some of the most de-sired things and says that they have been made to look attractive and therefore, people go after them enticed by their glamour brushing aside any concerns for the life to come, if there be any.</p><p>It will be noted that things named here are the center of attraction for human beings, out of which, women come first and then the children. For whatever man goes about procuring is because of the needs of his family - wife and children - to share it with him. Then come other forms of wealth and possessions - gold, silver, cattle and tillage - which attract people secondarily.</p><p>Why has man been made in a way that he is temperamentally attracted to these things? The answer is that Allah has done so in His ultimate wisdom. Let us consider:</p><p>1. If man was not naturally inclined to and even enamoured with these things, all worldly business would have gone topsy-turvy. Why would someone sweat on farms and fields? Why would a wage-earner or an entrepreneur burn themselves out in an industry, or a business-man would put his capital and labour in buying and selling things? The secret was that the people of the world were made to grow and survive through this instinctive love for such things whereby they would go about collecting and preserving these. The worker goes out to earn some money. The well-to-do goes out to hire a worker for his job. The trader brings forth his best merchandise for display waiting for a customer to earn something from. A customer goes to the shopping mall to buy things he needs to live or be happy with. If we think about it, we shall realize that it was the love for what is desirable in this mortal world which brought them out of their homes, and in this silent process, gave the world a strong and ongoing social system.</p><p>There is yet another element of wisdom behind it. If man had no liking for the blessings he finds in the mortal world, he would obviously have no taste or desire for blessings promised in the world to come. That being the case, why would he ever take the trouble of doing what is good and thus become deserving of Paradise, and not doing what is evil and thus become safe from Hell?</p><p>There is still another element of wisdom which is more significant for consideration here. Is it not that man, with love for these things in his heart, has been put to a test as to who becomes engrossed in the enjoyments of the present life and forgets the life to come, and who comes to realize the real and temporal nature of these things, shows concern for them only in proportion to his needs, and then channels all his efforts into deeds that would make his next life good and safe? The wisdom behind the adornment of such things has been pointed out elsewhere in the Holy Qur'an:</p><p>إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا مَا عَلَى الْأَرْضِ زِينَةً لَّهَا لِنَبْلُوَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا</p><p>We made whatever there is on the earth its adornment so that We can test as to who among them acts best. (18:7)</p><p>The verse cited above clearly shows that the glamourizing of sue} desirable things is an act of God based on many wise considerations. However, as for verses where such glamorization of things has been attributed to شیطان Satan - for example, زَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ (the شیطان Satan has made their deeds look attractive to them - 8:48; 16:63; 27:24; 29:38.) - there the reference is to things that are evil, religiously and rationally; or, the reference is to a false sense of adornment which is evil because it transgresses the limits set by Allah: Otherwise, it is not absolutely bad to adorn the lawful things. In fact, there may be a few benefits in doing so. Therefore, this act of placing attraction in things in some verses has been attributed to Allah, as stated above.</p><p>Let us summarize our discussion so far and see how it works for us in our practical life. We now know that Allah created, in His grace and wisdom, all good things of life in this world, made them look attractive and - worthy of man's effort to acquire them so that man can be tested. This is one of Allah's many acts of wisdom to see whether the man gets swayed by the glamour of the fleeting enjoyment of things, or remembers the Creator of these things, or the man forgets the very Creator of his own being as well. Aided by this realization, does man make these things a medium through which to know and love Allah; or, is it that he would elect to get totally lost in the love for these known transitory things, and forget all about the real Master and Creator before Whom he must appear on the Last Day and account for whatever he did.</p><p>On the one hand is a person who has the best of both worlds. He enjoys the blessings of the present life and uses its means for success in the life to come. For him, the enjoyments of the mortal world did not become a road-block; rather, they proved to be the milestones which led him safely into a prosperous Hereafter. But, for the other person these very things became the causes that led him to squander his chance of having a good life in the Hereafter, and also became the very cause of perennial punishment. Frankly, if we were to look a little deeper, we would realize that these things become a sort of punishment for him right here in this world as well. For such people, the Holy Qur'an says:</p><p>فَلَا تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُهُمْ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّـهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا</p><p>So, their wealth and children should not attract you. Allah wants to punish them with these in this lowly life - 9:55.</p><p>Thus, the lesson is that we can seek good things of life with moderation and even store them in accordance with our genuine needs. In this lies the ultimate good of this life and the life to come. Using them in prohibited ways, or indulging in them so excessively that one forgets the post-death reality of آخرۃ Akhirah is nothing but self-destruction. The poet-sage, Maulana Rumi has illustrated this very eloquently when he said;</p><p>آب اندر زیر کشتی پشتی است</p><p>آب در کشتی ھلاک کشتی است</p><p>He says that things of this world with which we surround ourselves are like water, and the heart of man is like a boat in it. As long as the water remains beneath and around the boat, it is good and helpful, and certainly guarantees the very purpose of its being there. But, if water gets into the boat, it makes the boat capsize and destroys all that was in it. Similarly, man's wealth and possessions are means of convenience for his role in this world and in the life to come - provided that they do not enter into his heart, sit there, and kill it in the process.</p><p>Therefore, the verse under discussion, immediately after mentioning some especially desirable things of the world, presents the essential guideline for human beings by saying:</p><p>ذَٰلِكَ مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَاللَّـهُ عِندَهُ حُسْنُ الْمَآبِ</p><p>That is an enjoyment of the worldly life. And with Allah lies the beauty of the final resort. (3:14)</p><p>In other words, it means that all these things are there simply to serve a purpose in man's mortal life in the present world and certainly not to have him fall in love with things for their own sake, for the real beauty of the experience lies in one's ultimate resort with Allah in blissful eternity enjoying what would never perish, diminish or weaken.</p> | SequenceThat the hostility of disbelievers should be countered with Jihad against them was the theme in several previous verses. Now, in these verses the text explains the reason why the disbelievers indulge in hostility against Islam and Muslims. The reason for this and for all evil deeds is, in fact, the love of the worldly life. There are all sorts of people who line up against the truth - some driven by greed for wealth or power, some goaded by lust and some in defence of false ancestral customs: All this is just to grab a share in the temporal enjoyments of the present life which has been described in these verses.CommentaryThe limits of one's love for worldly enjoymentsThe Holy Prophet ﷺ has said: حُبُّ الدئنیا راس کُلِّ خَطِیٔۃ It means that the love of دنیا dunya (worldly life or worldly enjoyments) is the main source of all errors. The first verse here names some of the most de-sired things and says that they have been made to look attractive and therefore, people go after them enticed by their glamour brushing aside any concerns for the life to come, if there be any.It will be noted that things named here are the center of attraction for human beings, out of which, women come first and then the children. For whatever man goes about procuring is because of the needs of his family - wife and children - to share it with him. Then come other forms of wealth and possessions - gold, silver, cattle and tillage - which attract people secondarily.Why has man been made in a way that he is temperamentally attracted to these things? The answer is that Allah has done so in His ultimate wisdom. Let us consider:1. If man was not naturally inclined to and even enamoured with these things, all worldly business would have gone topsy-turvy. Why would someone sweat on farms and fields? Why would a wage-earner or an entrepreneur burn themselves out in an industry, or a business-man would put his capital and labour in buying and selling things? The secret was that the people of the world were made to grow and survive through this instinctive love for such things whereby they would go about collecting and preserving these. The worker goes out to earn some money. The well-to-do goes out to hire a worker for his job. The trader brings forth his best merchandise for display waiting for a customer to earn something from. A customer goes to the shopping mall to buy things he needs to live or be happy with. If we think about it, we shall realize that it was the love for what is desirable in this mortal world which brought them out of their homes, and in this silent process, gave the world a strong and ongoing social system.There is yet another element of wisdom behind it. If man had no liking for the blessings he finds in the mortal world, he would obviously have no taste or desire for blessings promised in the world to come. That being the case, why would he ever take the trouble of doing what is good and thus become deserving of Paradise, and not doing what is evil and thus become safe from Hell?There is still another element of wisdom which is more significant for consideration here. Is it not that man, with love for these things in his heart, has been put to a test as to who becomes engrossed in the enjoyments of the present life and forgets the life to come, and who comes to realize the real and temporal nature of these things, shows concern for them only in proportion to his needs, and then channels all his efforts into deeds that would make his next life good and safe? The wisdom behind the adornment of such things has been pointed out elsewhere in the Holy Qur'an:إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا مَا عَلَى الْأَرْضِ زِينَةً لَّهَا لِنَبْلُوَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًاWe made whatever there is on the earth its adornment so that We can test as to who among them acts best. (18:7)The verse cited above clearly shows that the glamourizing of sue} desirable things is an act of God based on many wise considerations. However, as for verses where such glamorization of things has been attributed to شیطان Satan - for example, زَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ (the شیطان Satan has made their deeds look attractive to them - 8:48; 16:63; 27:24; 29:38.) - there the reference is to things that are evil, religiously and rationally; or, the reference is to a false sense of adornment which is evil because it transgresses the limits set by Allah: Otherwise, it is not absolutely bad to adorn the lawful things. In fact, there may be a few benefits in doing so. Therefore, this act of placing attraction in things in some verses has been attributed to Allah, as stated above.Let us summarize our discussion so far and see how it works for us in our practical life. We now know that Allah created, in His grace and wisdom, all good things of life in this world, made them look attractive and - worthy of man's effort to acquire them so that man can be tested. This is one of Allah's many acts of wisdom to see whether the man gets swayed by the glamour of the fleeting enjoyment of things, or remembers the Creator of these things, or the man forgets the very Creator of his own being as well. Aided by this realization, does man make these things a medium through which to know and love Allah; or, is it that he would elect to get totally lost in the love for these known transitory things, and forget all about the real Master and Creator before Whom he must appear on the Last Day and account for whatever he did.On the one hand is a person who has the best of both worlds. He enjoys the blessings of the present life and uses its means for success in the life to come. For him, the enjoyments of the mortal world did not become a road-block; rather, they proved to be the milestones which led him safely into a prosperous Hereafter. But, for the other person these very things became the causes that led him to squander his chance of having a good life in the Hereafter, and also became the very cause of perennial punishment. Frankly, if we were to look a little deeper, we would realize that these things become a sort of punishment for him right here in this world as well. For such people, the Holy Qur'an says:فَلَا تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُهُمْ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّـهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَاSo, their wealth and children should not attract you. Allah wants to punish them with these in this lowly life - 9:55.Thus, the lesson is that we can seek good things of life with moderation and even store them in accordance with our genuine needs. In this lies the ultimate good of this life and the life to come. Using them in prohibited ways, or indulging in them so excessively that one forgets the post-death reality of آخرۃ Akhirah is nothing but self-destruction. The poet-sage, Maulana Rumi has illustrated this very eloquently when he said;آب اندر زیر کشتی پشتی استآب در کشتی ھلاک کشتی استHe says that things of this world with which we surround ourselves are like water, and the heart of man is like a boat in it. As long as the water remains beneath and around the boat, it is good and helpful, and certainly guarantees the very purpose of its being there. But, if water gets into the boat, it makes the boat capsize and destroys all that was in it. Similarly, man's wealth and possessions are means of convenience for his role in this world and in the life to come - provided that they do not enter into his heart, sit there, and kill it in the process.Therefore, the verse under discussion, immediately after mentioning some especially desirable things of the world, presents the essential guideline for human beings by saying:ذَٰلِكَ مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَاللَّـهُ عِندَهُ حُسْنُ الْمَآبِThat is an enjoyment of the worldly life. And with Allah lies the beauty of the final resort. (3:14)In other words, it means that all these things are there simply to serve a purpose in man's mortal life in the present world and certainly not to have him fall in love with things for their own sake, for the real beauty of the experience lies in one's ultimate resort with Allah in blissful eternity enjoying what would never perish, diminish or weaken. | <h2 class="title">The True Value of This Earthly Life</h2><p>Allah mentions the delights that He put in this life for people, such as women and children, and He started with women, because the test with them is more tempting. For instance, the Sahih recorded that the Messenger said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«مَا تَرَكْتُ بَعْدِي فِتْنَةً أَضَرَّ عَلَى الرِّجَالِ مِنَ النِّسَاء»</div><p>(I did not leave behind me a test more tempting to men than women.)</p><p>When one enjoys women for the purpose of having children and preserving his chastity, then he is encouraged to do so. There are many Hadiths that encourage getting married, such as,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«وَإِنَّ خَيْرَ هذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ مَنْ كَانَ أَكْثَرَهَا نِسَاء»</div><p>(Verily, the best members of this Ummah are those who have the most wives) He also said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«الدُّنْيَا مَتَاعٌ، وَخَيْرُ مَتَاعِهَا الْمَرْأَةُ الصَّالِحَة»</div><p>(This life is a delight, and the best of its delight is a righteous wife)</p><p>The Prophet said in another Hadith,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«حُبِّبَ إِلَيَّ النِّسَاءُ وَالطِّيبُ، وَجُعِلَتْ قُرَّةُ عَيْنِي فِي الصَّلَاة»</div><p>(I was made to like women and perfume, and the comfort of my eye is the prayer.)</p><p>`A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "Nothing was more beloved to the Messenger of Allah than women, except horses," and in another narration, "...than horses except women."</p><p>The desire to have children is sometimes for the purpose of pride and boasting, and as such, is a temptation. When the purpose for having children is to reproduce and increase the Ummah of Muhammad with those who worship Allah alone without partners, then it is encouraged and praised. A Hadith states,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«تَزَوَّجُوا الْوَدُودَ الْوَلُودَ، فَإِنِّي مُكَاثِرٌ بِكُمُ الْأُمَمَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَة»</div><p>(Marry the Wadud (kind) and Walud (fertile) woman, for I will compare your numbers to the rest of the nations on the Day of Resurrection.)</p><p>The desire of wealth sometimes results out of arrogance, and the desire to dominate the weak and control the poor, and this conduct is prohibited. Sometimes, the want for more money is for the purpose of spending it on acts of worship, being kind to the family, the relatives, and spending on various acts of righteousness and obedience; this behavior is praised and encouraged in the religion.</p><p>Scholars of Tafsir have conflicting opinions about the amount of the Qintar, all of which indicate that the Qintar is a large amount of money, as Ad-Dahhak and other scholars said. Abu Hurayrah said "The Qintar is twelve thousand Uwqiyah, each Uwqiyah is better than what is between the heavens and earth." This was recorded by Ibn Jarir .</p><p>The desire to have horses can be one of three types. Sometimes, owners of horses collect them to be used in the cause of Allah, and when warranted, they use their horses in battle. This type of owner shall be rewarded for this good action. Another type collects horses to boast, and out of enmity to the people of Islam, and this type earns a burden for his behavior. Another type collects horses to fulfill their needs and to collect their offspring, and they do not forget Allah's right due on their horses. This is why in this case, these horses provide a shield of sufficiency for their owner, as evident by a Hadith that we will mention, Allah willing, when we explain Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَأَعِدُّواْ لَهُمْ مَّا اسْتَطَعْتُم مّن قُوَّةٍ وَمِن رّبَاطِ الْخَيْلِ</div><p>(And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war.) 8:60.</p><p>As for the Musawwamah horses, Ibn `Abbas said that they are the branded, beautiful horses. This is the same explanation of Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, `Abdur-Rahman bin `Abdullah bin Abza, As-Suddi, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Abu Sinan and others. Makhul said the Musawwamah refers to the horse with a white spotted faced, and the horse with white feet. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Dharr said that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«لَيْسَ مِنْ فَرَسٍ عَرَبِيَ إِلَّا يُؤْذَنُ لَهُ مَعَ كُلِّ فَجْرٍ يَدْعُو بِدَعْوَتَيْنِ يَقُولُ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ خَوَّلْتَنِي مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ، فَاجْعَلْنِي مِنْ أَحَبِّ مَالِهِ وَأَهْلِهِ إِلَيْهِ أَوْ أَحَبَّ أَهْلِهِ وَمَالِهِ إِلَيْه»</div><p>(Every Arabian horse is allowed to have two supplications every dawn, and the horse supplicates, `O Allah! You made me subservient to the son of Adam. Therefore, make me among the dearest of his wealth and household to him, or, ...make me the dearest of his household and wealth to him.)</p><p>Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَالاٌّنْعَـمُ</div><p>(Cattle) means, camels, cows and sheep.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَالْحَرْثِ</div><p>(And fertile land) meaning, the land that is used to farm and grow plants.</p><p>Allah then said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">ذَلِكَ مَتَـعُ الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا</div><p>(This is the pleasure of the present world's life) meaning, these are the delights of this life and its short lived joys,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَاللَّهُ عِندَهُ حُسْنُ الْمَأَبِ</div><p>(But Allah has the excellent return with Him) meaning, the best destination and reward.</p><h2 class="title">The Reward of the Those Who Have Taqwa is Better Than All Joys of This World</h2><p>This is why Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُلْ أَؤُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِخَيْرٍ مِّن ذَلِكُمْ</div><p>(Say: "Shall I inform you of things far better than those")</p><p>This Ayah means, "Say, O Muhammad, to the people, `Should I tell you about what is better than the delights and joys of this life that will soon perish"' Allah informed them of what is better when He said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لِلَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْاْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّـتٌ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الاٌّنْهَارُ</div><p>(For those who have Taqwa there are Gardens (Paradise) with their Lord, underneath which rivers flow) meaning, rivers run throughout it. These rivers carry various types of drinks: honey, milk, wine and water such that no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard, and no heart has ever imagined,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَآ</div><p>(Therein (is their) eternal (home)) meaning, they shall remain in it forever and ever and will not want to be removed from it.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَأَزْوَجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ</div><p>(And Azwajun Mutahharatun (purified mates or wives)) meaning, from filth, dirt, harm, menstruation, post birth bleeding, and other things that affect women in this world.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَرِضْوَنٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ</div><p>(And Allah will be pleased with them) meaning, Allah's pleasure will descend on them and He shall never be angry with them after that. This is why Allah said in in Surah Bara`ah,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَرِضْوَنٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ</div><p>(But the pleasure of Allah is greater) 9:72, meaning, greater than the eternal delight that He has granted them. Allah then said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ</div><p>(And Allah is All-Seer of the (His) servants) and, He gives each provisions according to what they deserve.</p> | The True Value of This Earthly LifeAllah mentions the delights that He put in this life for people, such as women and children, and He started with women, because the test with them is more tempting. For instance, the Sahih recorded that the Messenger said,«مَا تَرَكْتُ بَعْدِي فِتْنَةً أَضَرَّ عَلَى الرِّجَالِ مِنَ النِّسَاء»(I did not leave behind me a test more tempting to men than women.)When one enjoys women for the purpose of having children and preserving his chastity, then he is encouraged to do so. There are many Hadiths that encourage getting married, such as,«وَإِنَّ خَيْرَ هذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ مَنْ كَانَ أَكْثَرَهَا نِسَاء»(Verily, the best members of this Ummah are those who have the most wives) He also said,«الدُّنْيَا مَتَاعٌ، وَخَيْرُ مَتَاعِهَا الْمَرْأَةُ الصَّالِحَة»(This life is a delight, and the best of its delight is a righteous wife)The Prophet said in another Hadith,«حُبِّبَ إِلَيَّ النِّسَاءُ وَالطِّيبُ، وَجُعِلَتْ قُرَّةُ عَيْنِي فِي الصَّلَاة»(I was made to like women and perfume, and the comfort of my eye is the prayer.)`A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "Nothing was more beloved to the Messenger of Allah than women, except horses," and in another narration, "...than horses except women."The desire to have children is sometimes for the purpose of pride and boasting, and as such, is a temptation. When the purpose for having children is to reproduce and increase the Ummah of Muhammad with those who worship Allah alone without partners, then it is encouraged and praised. A Hadith states,«تَزَوَّجُوا الْوَدُودَ الْوَلُودَ، فَإِنِّي مُكَاثِرٌ بِكُمُ الْأُمَمَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَة»(Marry the Wadud (kind) and Walud (fertile) woman, for I will compare your numbers to the rest of the nations on the Day of Resurrection.)The desire of wealth sometimes results out of arrogance, and the desire to dominate the weak and control the poor, and this conduct is prohibited. Sometimes, the want for more money is for the purpose of spending it on acts of worship, being kind to the family, the relatives, and spending on various acts of righteousness and obedience; this behavior is praised and encouraged in the religion.Scholars of Tafsir have conflicting opinions about the amount of the Qintar, all of which indicate that the Qintar is a large amount of money, as Ad-Dahhak and other scholars said. Abu Hurayrah said "The Qintar is twelve thousand Uwqiyah, each Uwqiyah is better than what is between the heavens and earth." This was recorded by Ibn Jarir .The desire to have horses can be one of three types. Sometimes, owners of horses collect them to be used in the cause of Allah, and when warranted, they use their horses in battle. This type of owner shall be rewarded for this good action. Another type collects horses to boast, and out of enmity to the people of Islam, and this type earns a burden for his behavior. Another type collects horses to fulfill their needs and to collect their offspring, and they do not forget Allah's right due on their horses. This is why in this case, these horses provide a shield of sufficiency for their owner, as evident by a Hadith that we will mention, Allah willing, when we explain Allah's statement,وَأَعِدُّواْ لَهُمْ مَّا اسْتَطَعْتُم مّن قُوَّةٍ وَمِن رّبَاطِ الْخَيْلِ(And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war.) 8:60.As for the Musawwamah horses, Ibn `Abbas said that they are the branded, beautiful horses. This is the same explanation of Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, `Abdur-Rahman bin `Abdullah bin Abza, As-Suddi, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Abu Sinan and others. Makhul said the Musawwamah refers to the horse with a white spotted faced, and the horse with white feet. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Dharr said that the Messenger of Allah said,«لَيْسَ مِنْ فَرَسٍ عَرَبِيَ إِلَّا يُؤْذَنُ لَهُ مَعَ كُلِّ فَجْرٍ يَدْعُو بِدَعْوَتَيْنِ يَقُولُ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ خَوَّلْتَنِي مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ، فَاجْعَلْنِي مِنْ أَحَبِّ مَالِهِ وَأَهْلِهِ إِلَيْهِ أَوْ أَحَبَّ أَهْلِهِ وَمَالِهِ إِلَيْه»(Every Arabian horse is allowed to have two supplications every dawn, and the horse supplicates, `O Allah! You made me subservient to the son of Adam. Therefore, make me among the dearest of his wealth and household to him, or, ...make me the dearest of his household and wealth to him.)Allah's statement,وَالاٌّنْعَـمُ(Cattle) means, camels, cows and sheep.وَالْحَرْثِ(And fertile land) meaning, the land that is used to farm and grow plants.Allah then said,ذَلِكَ مَتَـعُ الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا(This is the pleasure of the present world's life) meaning, these are the delights of this life and its short lived joys,وَاللَّهُ عِندَهُ حُسْنُ الْمَأَبِ(But Allah has the excellent return with Him) meaning, the best destination and reward.The Reward of the Those Who Have Taqwa is Better Than All Joys of This WorldThis is why Allah said,قُلْ أَؤُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِخَيْرٍ مِّن ذَلِكُمْ(Say: "Shall I inform you of things far better than those")This Ayah means, "Say, O Muhammad, to the people, `Should I tell you about what is better than the delights and joys of this life that will soon perish"' Allah informed them of what is better when He said,لِلَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْاْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّـتٌ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الاٌّنْهَارُ(For those who have Taqwa there are Gardens (Paradise) with their Lord, underneath which rivers flow) meaning, rivers run throughout it. These rivers carry various types of drinks: honey, milk, wine and water such that no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard, and no heart has ever imagined,خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَآ(Therein (is their) eternal (home)) meaning, they shall remain in it forever and ever and will not want to be removed from it.وَأَزْوَجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ(And Azwajun Mutahharatun (purified mates or wives)) meaning, from filth, dirt, harm, menstruation, post birth bleeding, and other things that affect women in this world.وَرِضْوَنٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ(And Allah will be pleased with them) meaning, Allah's pleasure will descend on them and He shall never be angry with them after that. This is why Allah said in in Surah Bara`ah,وَرِضْوَنٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ(But the pleasure of Allah is greater) 9:72, meaning, greater than the eternal delight that He has granted them. Allah then said,وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ(And Allah is All-Seer of the (His) servants) and, He gives each provisions according to what they deserve. |
Say: "Shall I tell you of (things) even better? With the Lord are gardens with running streams of water for those who keep from evil and follow the straight path, where they will live unchanged with the purest of companions and blessings of God." And under God's eyes are devotees | Say (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “Shall I inform you of something better than that? For the pious, with their Lord, are Gardens beneath which rivers flow – they will abide in it forever – and pure wives, and Allah’s pleasure”; and Allah sees the bondmen. | Say: 'Shall I tell you of a better than that?' For those that are godfearing, with their Lord are gardens underneath which rivers flow, therein dwelling forever, and spouses purified, and God's good pleasure. And God sees His servants | Say: "Shall I tell you of better things than those [earthly joys]? For the God-conscious there are, with their Sustainer, gardens through which running waters flow, therein to abide, and spouses pure, and God's goodly acceptance." And God sees all that is in [the hearts of] His servants - | Say thou! Shall I declare unto you that which is better than these For those who fear Allah are Gardens with their Lord, there under rivers flow, wherein they shall be abiders, and spouses purified, and pleasure from Allah. And Allah is Beholder of His bondsmen | Say: "Shall I inform you of things far better than those? For Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V. 2:2) there are Gardens (Paradise) with their Lord, underneath which rivers flow. Therein (is their) eternal (home) and Azwajun Mutahharatun (purified mates or wives) [i.e. they will have no menses, urine, or stool, etc.], And Allah will be pleased with them. And Allah is All-Seer of the (His) slaves". | Say, “Shall I inform you of something better than that? For those who are righteous, with their Lord are Gardens beneath which rivers flow, where they will remain forever, and purified spouses, and acceptance from God.” God is Observant of the servants. | Say: 'Shall I tell you of things better than these? For the God-fearing there are, with their Lord, gardens beneath which rivers flow; there they will abide for ever, will have spouses of stainless purity as companions, and will enjoy the good pleasure of Allah.' Allah thoroughly observes His servants. | Say: "Shall I inform you of things far better than those For those who have Taqwa there are Gardens (Paradise) with their Lord, underneath which rivers flow. Therein (is their) eternal (home) and Azwajun Mutahharatun (purified mates or wives). And Allah will be pleased with them. And Allah is All-Seer of the servants." | Say: Shall I inform you of something better than that? For those who keep from evil, with their Lord, are Gardens underneath which rivers flow wherein they will abide, and pure companions, and contentment from Allah. Allah is Seer of His bondmen, | Say, ‘Shall I inform you of something better than that? For those who are Godwary there will be gardens near their Lord, with streams running in them, to remain in them [forever], and chaste mates, and Allah’s pleasure.’ And Allah watches His servants. | Say: 'Shall I tell you of a better thing than that? For the cautious with their Lord, theirs shall be Gardens underneath which rivers flow, where they shall live for ever, and purified spouses, and pleasure from Allah' Allah is watching over His worshipers. | Say, "Shall I inform you of [something] better than that? For those who fear Allah will be gardens in the presence of their Lord beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally, and purified spouses and approval from Allah. And Allah is Seeing of [His] servants - | (Muhammad), ask them, "Shall I tell you what is far superior to worldly pleasures? Those who have fear of God will have (as their reward) gardens wherein streams flow and wherein they will live forever with their purified spouses and with the consent of God. God knows all about His servants." | Say: Shall I tell you what is better than these? For those who guard (against evil) are gardens with their Lord, beneath which rivers flow, to abide in them, and pure mates and Allah's pleasure; and Allah sees the servants. | Qul aonabbiokum bikhayrin min <u>tha</u>likum lilla<u>th</u>eena ittaqaw AAinda rabbihim jann<u>a</u>tun tajree min ta<u>h</u>tih<u>a</u> alanh<u>a</u>ru kh<u>a</u>lideena feeh<u>a</u> waazw<u>a</u>jun mu<u>t</u>ahharatun wari<u>d</u>w<u>a</u>nun mina All<u>a</u>hi wa<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hu ba<u>s</u>eerun bi<b>a</b>lAAib<u>a</u>d<b>i</b> | Say, "Shall I tell you of something better than all of these? For the God-fearing, there are Gardens in nearness to their God with rivers flowing through them where they shall live forever with pure spouses and the goodwill of God. God is watching His servants -- | Say: Shall I give you glad tidings of things Far better than those? For the righteous are Gardens in nearness to their Lord, with rivers flowing beneath; therein is their eternal home; with companions pure (and holy); and the good pleasure of Allah. For in Allah's sight are (all) His servants,- | 14 | 3 | قُلْ أَؤُنَبِّئُكُم بِخَيْرٍ مِّن ذَٰلِكُمْ لِلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوْا۟ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّٰتٌ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا وَأَزْوَٰجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ وَرِضْوَٰنٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَٱللَّهُ بَصِيرٌۢ بِٱلْعِبَادِ | O Messenger, say: Shall I tell you about something better than those desirable things? Those who are mindful of Allah by fulfilling His commands and avoiding His prohibitions will have gardens with trees and palaces overlooking flowing streams in which they will live eternally. They will also have wives who will be free from any defects in their form or character. In addition, they will gain the pleasure of Allah, and Allah will never be angry with them. Allah sees the actions of His servants, nothing is hidden from Him and He will recompense them for what they do. | O Messenger, say: Shall I tell you about something better than those desirable things? Those who are mindful of Allah by fulfilling His commands and avoiding His prohibitions will have gardens with trees and palaces overlooking flowing streams in which they will live eternally. They will also have wives who will be free from any defects in their form or character. In addition, they will gain the pleasure of Allah, and Allah will never be angry with them. Allah sees the actions of His servants, nothing is hidden from Him and He will recompense them for what they do. | <p>In the second verse that follows (15), the same subject has been further cleared by saying:</p><p>قُلْ أَؤُنَبِّئُكُم بِخَيْرٍ مِّن ذَٰلِكُمْ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَأَزْوَاجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ وَرِضْوَانٌ مِّنَ اللَّـهِ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ ﴿15﴾</p><p>Say: "Shall I not tell you what is far better than that? For those who fear Allah, there are with their Lord gardens beneath which rivers flow, where they shall live forever, and wives purified, and approval from Allah. And Allah is watchful over His servants."</p><p>Here, the address is to the Holy Prophet ﷺ who is being asked to tell those who become obsessed with imperfect and perishable blessings they find in the present life that he is in a position to lead them on to far better blessings. These shall be the lot of those who fear Allah and are obedient to Him. These blessings are, 'gardens beneath which rivers flow, wives purified and favours from Allah' - the last being the ultimate man can and should aspire for.</p><p>It will be recalled that in the preceding verse (14), the total count of blessings that infatuate man was given as six women, children, heaps of gold and silver, fine horses, cattle and tillage. As compared to that, only three blessings of the Hereafter, that is, the gardens of Par-adise, wives purified and the approval from Allah have been identified. Out of the rest, children were not mentioned because man loves children during his life in the world as children help and strengthen him in what he does and through them his name lives on. But, in the Here-after he would not need such help, nor would he 'die' in which case he may have to look for an heir. Apart from this, whoever has children would have them all in the Paradise. Whoever has no children in the mortal world would, to begin with, just not have the desire to have them in the Paradise. Should someone desire that he may have children, Allah Almighty would bless him with children. According to a hadith in Jami` al-Tirmidhi, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: 'If a dweller of Paradise wishes to have children, the process of pregnancy, birth and growth of the child will be completed in no time and he would have what he wished for.'</p><p>Similarly, gold and silver were not mentioned in relation to the Paradise because gold and silver are needed in the mortal world as material things are bought against them or anything else one-needs can be procured through them. In the Hereafter, there will be just no need to buy anything or sell anything or pay for anything. Instead of that, whatever the dweller of Paradise needs will be instantly provided. Incidentally, the Paradise itself is not without gold and silver.</p><p>Some sayings of the Prophet ﷺ mention that some places of Paradise will have bricks of gold and silver masoned one after the other. However, in view of the uniqueness of that life; gold and silver were not considered worth mentioning.</p><p>Now the horses. In the world of our experience, horses help cover distances. In the other world, there is no travel and no riding but, sound hadith reports do prove that fine horses will be presented before the dwellers of Paradise on Fridays which they will ride to go and meet friends and relatives. As is evident, horses were not worth mentioning in this context, which is also true about cattles and farms and their produce. The services they provide have already been provided in the Paradise by Allah Almighty without their medium.</p><p>However, should there be someone there who for some unnecessary reason wishes to try farming, he will have his wish granted. As it appears in some reports in al-Tabarani, everything needed for farming will be assembled instantly for such a person. Thereafter the whole process of ploughing, seeding, ripening and cutting will be accomplished in no time and he will have what he wished for before him. So, among the blessings of the آخرۃ Akhirah, the mention of 'wives purified' was considered sufficient because the Holy Qur'an has another promise for the people of Paradise: وَلَهُم مَّا يَشْتَهُونَ ﴿57﴾ And for them there is what they wish for). After such a comprehensive declaration, there remains no need to individually mention any particular blessing. Those that have been mentioned are blessings already there without any need to ask for these.</p><p>The last and most important messing mentioned is the approval of Allah Almighty something one cannot easily conceptualize - after which there is no danger of displeasure from Allah. According to a hadith, when the people of Paradise would have settled down there, happy and content without having any desire remaining unfulfilled, Allah Almighty will speak to them asking if they are happy and if they need anything. They will say: Our Lord, You have given us everything, what else could we ever need. Allah Almighty would say: Now I give you the greatest of all blessings - you all have My approval that I will never be displeased with you, and nearness forever.</p><p>Since the danger of Allah's displeasure does not exist in Paradise, there is also no danger that the blessings of Paradise will ever be taken back or reduced.</p><p>It is the very subject of these verses that the Holy Prophet has summarized in the following hadith:</p><p>الدنیا ملعونۃ و ملعون ما فیھا الا ما ابتغی بہ وجہ اللہ وفی روایہ الا</p><p>زکر اللہ و ما والاہ او عالماً او متعلماً</p><p>'Wordly life is cursed and cursed is what is in there, except what is used to seek the pleasure of Allah'. According to another narration: ' except the Dhikr (Remembrance) of Allah and what Allah likes and except ` Alim عالِم (religious scholar) and Talib ilm طالب العلم (student in religion).'</p><p>This hadith has been reported by Ibn Majah and al-Tabarani on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ .</p> | In the second verse that follows (15), the same subject has been further cleared by saying:قُلْ أَؤُنَبِّئُكُم بِخَيْرٍ مِّن ذَٰلِكُمْ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَأَزْوَاجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ وَرِضْوَانٌ مِّنَ اللَّـهِ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ ﴿15﴾Say: "Shall I not tell you what is far better than that? For those who fear Allah, there are with their Lord gardens beneath which rivers flow, where they shall live forever, and wives purified, and approval from Allah. And Allah is watchful over His servants."Here, the address is to the Holy Prophet ﷺ who is being asked to tell those who become obsessed with imperfect and perishable blessings they find in the present life that he is in a position to lead them on to far better blessings. These shall be the lot of those who fear Allah and are obedient to Him. These blessings are, 'gardens beneath which rivers flow, wives purified and favours from Allah' - the last being the ultimate man can and should aspire for.It will be recalled that in the preceding verse (14), the total count of blessings that infatuate man was given as six women, children, heaps of gold and silver, fine horses, cattle and tillage. As compared to that, only three blessings of the Hereafter, that is, the gardens of Par-adise, wives purified and the approval from Allah have been identified. Out of the rest, children were not mentioned because man loves children during his life in the world as children help and strengthen him in what he does and through them his name lives on. But, in the Here-after he would not need such help, nor would he 'die' in which case he may have to look for an heir. Apart from this, whoever has children would have them all in the Paradise. Whoever has no children in the mortal world would, to begin with, just not have the desire to have them in the Paradise. Should someone desire that he may have children, Allah Almighty would bless him with children. According to a hadith in Jami` al-Tirmidhi, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: 'If a dweller of Paradise wishes to have children, the process of pregnancy, birth and growth of the child will be completed in no time and he would have what he wished for.'Similarly, gold and silver were not mentioned in relation to the Paradise because gold and silver are needed in the mortal world as material things are bought against them or anything else one-needs can be procured through them. In the Hereafter, there will be just no need to buy anything or sell anything or pay for anything. Instead of that, whatever the dweller of Paradise needs will be instantly provided. Incidentally, the Paradise itself is not without gold and silver.Some sayings of the Prophet ﷺ mention that some places of Paradise will have bricks of gold and silver masoned one after the other. However, in view of the uniqueness of that life; gold and silver were not considered worth mentioning.Now the horses. In the world of our experience, horses help cover distances. In the other world, there is no travel and no riding but, sound hadith reports do prove that fine horses will be presented before the dwellers of Paradise on Fridays which they will ride to go and meet friends and relatives. As is evident, horses were not worth mentioning in this context, which is also true about cattles and farms and their produce. The services they provide have already been provided in the Paradise by Allah Almighty without their medium.However, should there be someone there who for some unnecessary reason wishes to try farming, he will have his wish granted. As it appears in some reports in al-Tabarani, everything needed for farming will be assembled instantly for such a person. Thereafter the whole process of ploughing, seeding, ripening and cutting will be accomplished in no time and he will have what he wished for before him. So, among the blessings of the آخرۃ Akhirah, the mention of 'wives purified' was considered sufficient because the Holy Qur'an has another promise for the people of Paradise: وَلَهُم مَّا يَشْتَهُونَ ﴿57﴾ And for them there is what they wish for). After such a comprehensive declaration, there remains no need to individually mention any particular blessing. Those that have been mentioned are blessings already there without any need to ask for these.The last and most important messing mentioned is the approval of Allah Almighty something one cannot easily conceptualize - after which there is no danger of displeasure from Allah. According to a hadith, when the people of Paradise would have settled down there, happy and content without having any desire remaining unfulfilled, Allah Almighty will speak to them asking if they are happy and if they need anything. They will say: Our Lord, You have given us everything, what else could we ever need. Allah Almighty would say: Now I give you the greatest of all blessings - you all have My approval that I will never be displeased with you, and nearness forever.Since the danger of Allah's displeasure does not exist in Paradise, there is also no danger that the blessings of Paradise will ever be taken back or reduced.It is the very subject of these verses that the Holy Prophet has summarized in the following hadith:الدنیا ملعونۃ و ملعون ما فیھا الا ما ابتغی بہ وجہ اللہ وفی روایہ الازکر اللہ و ما والاہ او عالماً او متعلماً'Wordly life is cursed and cursed is what is in there, except what is used to seek the pleasure of Allah'. According to another narration: ' except the Dhikr (Remembrance) of Allah and what Allah likes and except ` Alim عالِم (religious scholar) and Talib ilm طالب العلم (student in religion).'This hadith has been reported by Ibn Majah and al-Tabarani on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ . | ||
who say: "O Lord, we believe; forgive our trespasses and save us the torment of Hell." | Those who say, “Our Lord! we have accepted faith, so forgive us our sins and save us from the punishment of fire.” | who say, 'Our Lord, we believe; forgive us our sins, and guard us against the chastisement of the Fire' -- | those who say, "O our Sustainer! Behold, we believe [in Thee]; forgive us, then, our sins, and keep us safe from suffering through the fire" -: | Those who say our Lord! verify we! we have believed, wherefore forgive us our sins, and protect us from the torment of the Fire. | Those who say: "Our Lord! We have indeed believed, so forgive us our sins and save us from the punishment of the Fire." | Those who say, “Our Lord, we have believed, so forgive us our sins, and save us from the suffering of the Fire.” | These are the ones who pray: 'Our Lord! We do indeed believe, so forgive us our sins and keep us safe from the chastisement of the Fire'; | Those who say: "Our Lord! We have indeed believed, so forgive us our sins and save us from the punishment of the Fire." | Those who say: Our Lord! Lo! we believe. So forgive us our sins and guard us from the punishment of Fire; | Those who say, ‘Our Lord! Indeed, we have faith. So forgive us our sins, and save us from the punishment of the Fire.’ | Those are they who say: 'Lord, we believe in You, forgive us our sins and save us from the punishment of the Fire', | Those who say, "Our Lord, indeed we have believed, so forgive us our sins and protect us from the punishment of the Fire," | (Such will be the reward of) those who say, "Lord, we have believed in you. Forgive us our sins and save us from the torment of fire," | Those who say: Our Lord! surely we believe, therefore forgive us our faults and save us from the chastisement of the fire. | Alla<u>th</u>eena yaqooloona rabban<u>a</u> innan<u>a</u> <u>a</u>mann<u>a</u> fa<b>i</b>ghfir lan<u>a</u> <u>th</u>unooban<u>a</u> waqin<u>a</u> AAa<u>tha</u>ba a<b>l</b>nn<u>a</u>r<b>i</b> | those who say, "Lord, we believe in You, forgive us our sins and keep us from the punishment of the Fire," | (Namely), those who say: "Our Lord! we have indeed believed: forgive us, then, our sins, and save us from the agony of the Fire;"- | 15 | 3 | ٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا فَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ | The people of Paradise are the ones who say in their prayers, ‘Our Lord, we have faith in You and in that which You revealed to Your messengers; and we have followed Your sacred law. So, forgive the sins we have committed and protect us from the punishment of the fire of Hell’. | The people of Paradise are the ones who say in their prayers, ‘Our Lord, we have faith in You and in that which You revealed to Your messengers; and we have followed Your sacred law. So, forgive the sins we have committed and protect us from the punishment of the fire of Hell’. | <h2 class="title">The Supplication and Description of Al-Muttaqin</h2><p>Allah describes the Muttaqin, His pious servants, whom He promised tremendous rewards,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا</div><p>(Those who say: "Our Lord! We have indeed believed") in You, Your Book and Your Messenger.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا</div><p>(so forgive us our sins) because of our faith in You and in what You legislated for us. Therefore, forgive us our errors and shortcomings, with Your bounty and mercy,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ</div><p>(and save us from the punishment of the Fire.)</p><p>Allah then said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">الصَّـبِرِينَ</div><p>((They are) those who are patient) while performing acts of obedience and abandoning the prohibitions.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَالصَّـدِقِينَ</div><p>(those who are true) concerning their proclamation of faith, by performing the difficult deeds.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَالْقَـنِتِينَ</div><p>(and obedient) meaning, they submit and obey Allah,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَالْمُنَـفِقِينَ</div><p>(those who spend) from their wealth on all the acts of obedience they were commanded, being kind to kith and kin, helping the needy, and comforting the destitute.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَالْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ بِالاٌّسْحَارِ</div><p>(and those who pray and beg Allah's pardon in the last hours of the night) and this testifies to the virtue of seeking Allah's forgiveness in the latter part of the night. It was reported that when Ya`qub said to his children,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">سَوْفَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ رَبِّى</div><p>(I will ask my Lord for forgiveness for you) 12:98 he waited until the latter part of the night to say his supplication.</p><p>Furthermore, the Two Sahihs, the Musnad and Sunan collections recorded through several Companions that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«يَنْزِلُ اللهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالى فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ إِلى سَمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا حِينَ يَبْقَى ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ الْآخِرُ، فَيَقُولُ: هَلْ مِنْ سَائِلٍ فَأُعْطِيَهُ؟ هَلْ مِنْ دَاعٍ فَأَسْتَجِيبَ لَهُ؟ هَلْ مِنْ مُسْتَغْفِرٍ فَأَغْفِرَ لَهُ؟»</div><p>(Every night, when the last third of it remains, our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, descends to the lowest heaven saying, "Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to his invocation Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him")</p><p>The Two Sahihs recorded that `A'ishah said, "The Messenger of Allah performed Witr during the first part, the middle and latter parts of the night. Then, later (in his life), he would perform it (only) during the latter part." `Abdullah bin `Umar used to pray during the night and would ask, "O Nafi`! Is it the latter part of the night yet" and if Nafi` said, "Yes," Ibn `Umar would start supplicating to Allah and seeking His forgiveness until dawn. This Hadith was collected by Ibn Abi Hatim.</p> | The Supplication and Description of Al-MuttaqinAllah describes the Muttaqin, His pious servants, whom He promised tremendous rewards,الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا(Those who say: "Our Lord! We have indeed believed") in You, Your Book and Your Messenger.فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا(so forgive us our sins) because of our faith in You and in what You legislated for us. Therefore, forgive us our errors and shortcomings, with Your bounty and mercy,وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ(and save us from the punishment of the Fire.)Allah then said,الصَّـبِرِينَ((They are) those who are patient) while performing acts of obedience and abandoning the prohibitions.وَالصَّـدِقِينَ(those who are true) concerning their proclamation of faith, by performing the difficult deeds.وَالْقَـنِتِينَ(and obedient) meaning, they submit and obey Allah,وَالْمُنَـفِقِينَ(those who spend) from their wealth on all the acts of obedience they were commanded, being kind to kith and kin, helping the needy, and comforting the destitute.وَالْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ بِالاٌّسْحَارِ(and those who pray and beg Allah's pardon in the last hours of the night) and this testifies to the virtue of seeking Allah's forgiveness in the latter part of the night. It was reported that when Ya`qub said to his children,سَوْفَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ رَبِّى(I will ask my Lord for forgiveness for you) 12:98 he waited until the latter part of the night to say his supplication.Furthermore, the Two Sahihs, the Musnad and Sunan collections recorded through several Companions that the Messenger of Allah said,«يَنْزِلُ اللهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالى فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ إِلى سَمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا حِينَ يَبْقَى ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ الْآخِرُ، فَيَقُولُ: هَلْ مِنْ سَائِلٍ فَأُعْطِيَهُ؟ هَلْ مِنْ دَاعٍ فَأَسْتَجِيبَ لَهُ؟ هَلْ مِنْ مُسْتَغْفِرٍ فَأَغْفِرَ لَهُ؟»(Every night, when the last third of it remains, our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, descends to the lowest heaven saying, "Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to his invocation Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him")The Two Sahihs recorded that `A'ishah said, "The Messenger of Allah performed Witr during the first part, the middle and latter parts of the night. Then, later (in his life), he would perform it (only) during the latter part." `Abdullah bin `Umar used to pray during the night and would ask, "O Nafi`! Is it the latter part of the night yet" and if Nafi` said, "Yes," Ibn `Umar would start supplicating to Allah and seeking His forgiveness until dawn. This Hadith was collected by Ibn Abi Hatim. |
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They are the patient, the sincere and devout, full of charity, who pray for forgiveness in the hours of dawn. | The steadfast, and the truthful, and the reverent, and who spend in Allah's cause, and who seek forgiveness in the last hours of the night (before dawn). | men who are patient, truthful, obedient, expenders in alms, imploring God's pardon at the daybreak. | those who are patient in adversity, and true to their word, and truly devout, and who spend [in God's way], and pray for forgiveness from their innermost hearts. | The patient ones and the truthful ones and the devout ones and the expanders and the praying ones at early dawn for forgiveness. | (They are) those who are patient ones, those who are true (in Faith, words, and deeds), and obedient with sincere devotion in worship to Allah. Those who spend [give the Zakat and alms in the Way of Allah] and those who pray and beg Allah's Pardon in the last hours of the night. | The patient, and the truthful, and the reverent, and the charitable, and the seekers of forgiveness at dawn. | men who are steadfast, truthful, obedient, spend (in the way of Allah) and implore the forgiveness of Allah before daybreak. | (They are) the patient, the true believers, and obedient with sincere devotion in worship to Allah. Those who spend [in good] and those who pray and beg Allah's pardon in the last hours of the night. | The steadfast, and the truthful, and the obedient, those who spend (and hoard not), those who pray for pardon in the watches of the night. | [They are] patient and truthful, obedient and charitable, and they plead for [Allah’s] forgiveness at dawns. | who are patient, truthful, obedient, and charitable, and who ask forgiveness at dawn. | The patient, the true, the obedient, those who spend [in the way of Allah], and those who seek forgiveness before dawn. | who exercise patience, speak the truth, who are devoted in prayer, spend their property for the cause of God and seek forgiveness from God during the last part of the night. | The patient, and the truthful, and the obedient, and those who spend (benevolently) and those who ask forgiveness in the morning times. | A<b>l</b><u>ssa</u>bireena wa<b>al</b><u>ssa</u>diqeena wa<b>a</b>lq<u>a</u>niteena wa<b>a</b>lmunfiqeena wa<b>a</b>lmustaghfireena bi<b>a</b>las<u>ha</u>r<b>i</b> | those who are steadfast, truthful, obedient, and those who spend [for God's cause] and who pray before dawn for forgiveness." | Those who show patience, Firmness and self-control; who are true (in word and deed); who worship devoutly; who spend (in the way of Allah); and who pray for forgiveness in the early hours of the morning. | 16 | 3 | ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ وَٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ وَٱلْقَٰنِتِينَ وَٱلْمُنفِقِينَ وَٱلْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ بِٱلْأَسْحَارِ | They are the ones who are patient in doing good actions, leaving bad actions and in the face of calamity; truthful in their words and actions; fulfil Allah’s sacred law completely; spend their wealth in Allah’s path; and ask for forgiveness in the last part of the night when prayers are most likely accepted and when hearts are not distracted. | They are the ones who are patient in doing good actions, leaving bad actions and in the face of calamity; truthful in their words and actions; fulfil Allah’s sacred law completely; spend their wealth in Allah’s path; and ask for forgiveness in the last part of the night when prayers are most likely accepted and when hearts are not distracted. | ||||
God is witness there is no god but He, and so are the angels and men full of learning. He is the upholder of justice. There is no god but He, the mighty and all-wise. | Allah has given witness that there is none worthy of worship (God) except Him – and the angels and the scholars also give witness, established with justice (with truth) – there is no God except Him, the Almighty, the Wise. | God bears witness that there is no god but He -- and the angels, and men possessed of knowledge -- upholding justice; there is no god but He, the All-mighty, the All-wise. | GOD [Himself] proffers evidence - and [so do] the angels and all who are endowed with knowledge - that there is no deity save Him, the Upholder of Equity: there is no deity save Him, the Almighty, the Truly Wise. | Allah beareth witness - and also the angles and those endued with knowledge that there is no god but He, the Maintainer of equity: there is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise. | Allah bears witness that La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), and the angels, and those having knowledge (also give this witness); (He is always) maintaining His creation in Justice. La ilah illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. | God bears witness that there is no god but He, as do the angels, and those endowed with knowledge—upholding justice. There is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise. | Allah Himself bears witness that there is no God but He; and likewise do the angels and the men possessed of knowledge bear witness in truth and justice that there is no God but He, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. | Allah bears witness that none has the right to be worshipped but He, and the angels, and those having knowledge (also bear witness to this); (He always) maintains His creation in justice. None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Almighty, the All-Wise. | Allah (Himself) is Witness that there is no Allah save Him. And the angels and the men of learning (too are witness). Maintaining His creation in justice, there is no Allah save Him the Almighty, the Wise. | Allah, maintainer of justice, the Almighty and the All-wise, besides whom there is no god, bears witness that there is no god except Him, and [so do] the angels and those who possess knowledge. | Allah bears witness that there is no god except He, and so do the angels and the knowledgeable. He upholds justice there is no god except He, the Mighty, the Wise. | Allah witnesses that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge - [that He is] maintaining [creation] in justice. There is no deity except Him, the Exalted in Might, the Wise. | God Himself testifies that He is the only Lord. The angels and the men of knowledge and justice testify that God is the only Lord, the Majestic, and All-wise. | Allah bears witness that there is no god but He, and (so do) the angels and those possessed of knowledge, maintaining His creation with justice; there is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise. | Shahida All<u>a</u>hu annahu l<u>a</u> il<u>a</u>ha ill<u>a</u> huwa wa<b>a</b>lmal<u>a</u>ikatu waoloo alAAilmi q<u>a</u>iman bi<b>a</b>lqis<u>t</u>i l<u>a</u> il<u>a</u>ha ill<u>a</u> huwa alAAazeezu al<u>h</u>akeem<b>u</b> | God bears witness that there is no deity save Him, as do the angels and those who possess knowledge. He is the upholder of justice. There is no diety save Him, the Mighty, the Wise One. | There is no god but He: That is the witness of Allah, His angels, and those endued with knowledge, standing firm on justice. There is no god but He, the Exalted in Power, the Wise. | 17 | 3 | شَهِدَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَأُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمِ قَآئِمًۢا بِٱلْقِسْطِ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ | Allah testifies that He alone is worthy of worship based on the legislative and universal signs indicating His divinity. The angels and people of knowledge also testify to this, by declaring and calling to His Oneness. They testified to the greatest thing anyone can testify to; the absolute right of Allah to be worshipped, and the perfect justice in His creation and sacred law. This is the greatest thing that anyone can testify to. There is no god but Him, the Mighty who can never be overpowered and the one who is Wise in His creation, planning and legislation. | Allah testifies that He alone is worthy of worship based on the legislative and universal signs indicating His divinity. The angels and people of knowledge also testify to this, by declaring and calling to His Oneness. They testified to the greatest thing anyone can testify to; the absolute right of Allah to be worshipped, and the perfect justice in His creation and sacred law. This is the greatest thing that anyone can testify to. There is no god but Him, the Mighty who can never be overpowered and the one who is Wise in His creation, planning and legislation. | <p>The subject of توحید Tauhid (Oneness of Allah) which began with the opening of Surah 'Al-` Imran reappears in the first verse in a very special manner. Out of the three witnesses mentioned here, the evidence of Allah Almighty is in a figurative sense. It means that the being and the attributes of Allah and the manifestations of His power and creativity all over are open signs of His Oneness. Then there are the Messengers and Books sent by Allah, all confirming. that truth. The second testimony mentioned is that of angels who are close to Allah. They carry out His instructions and bear testimony (knowing and seeing) that Allah alone is worthy of worship.</p><p>The third witness is that of the men of knowledge. This expression, ulul` ilm, means the blessed prophets and men who have the knowledge of Islam. Imam al-Ghazali and Ibn Kathir رحمۃ اللہ علیہم find this a matter of great honour for ` Ulama for Allah has mentioned their witness along with His, and that of angels. It is also possible that the term, ulul` ilm (the men of knowledge) may, in an absolute sense, be referring to those who, by conducting an inquiry based on sound intellectual principles, or by deliberating into this universe, could acquire the knowl-edge of the unity of Allah Almighty - even if they are not ` alim or 'men of knowledge' in the traditional sense, whose knowledge is acquired under a formal discipline from Islam's own original sources. The next verse (19) clearly settles that the only faith' (دین din) acceptable to Allah is Islam. Thus, totally excluding any other faith or religion as acceptable to Allah, the verse completes the subject of Allah's Oneness, any opposition to which is doomed.</p><p>Related considerations</p><p>Merits of the verse meaning "Allah bears witness"</p><p>The verse beginning with شَهِدَ اللَّـهُ : 'shahidal-lahhu' has a special elegance. Imam al-Baghawi (رح) ، the renowned mufassir reports that two leading Jewish scholars came to Madinah from Syria. With the township of Madinah before them, they started talking to each other about the looks of the place which matched the prophecy in Torah that the last of the prophets would be living here. Later, they came to know that someone very pious lives here and whom people refer to as the prophet. They went to see the Holy Prophet ﷺ sight of him reminded them of all attributes which Torah had predicted he would have. They presented themselves before him and said: "You are Muhammad?" He said: "Yes." Again, they said: "You are Ahmad?" He said: "Yes, I am Muhammad and Ahmad." Then they said: We are going to ask you a question. If you answer it correctly, we shall embrace Islam." He ﷺ said: "Go ahead and ask." They asked: "Which is the greatest witness in the Book of Allah?" This verse of شَهِدَہ 'shahadah' (witness) was revealed as an answer to this question. He recited it for them. Both of them embraced Islam immediately.</p><p>According to a hadith in the Musnad of Ahmad, when the Holy Prophet ﷺ recited this verse in ` Arafat, he said right after that:</p><p>و انا علیٰ ذلک من الشٰھدین یا رَبِّ</p><p>And to that, 0 my Lord, I too am a witness. (Ibn Kathir)</p><p>And a narration from Imam al-A'mash (رح) says: Whoever recites this verse and then says: و انا علیٰ ذلک من الشٰھدین یا رَبِّ ; (And to that, 0 my Lord, I too am a witness), Allah Almighty will say to the angels on the Last Day: 'My servant has made a promise while I am the Foremost to keep a promise when I make it, so let my servant be admitted into Paradise.' (Ibn Kathir)</p><p>Another hadith from Sayyidna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari ؓ narrates that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: 'Whoever recites Ayah al-Kursi (2:255) and the Ayah : شَهِدَ اللَّـهُ Shahidal-lahu (3:18) and قُلِ اللَّـهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ : Qulil-lahumma malik al-mulki upto بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ bighairi hisab (3:26, 27), Allah Almighty will forgive all his sins, admit him to Paradise and take care of seventy (i.e. plenty) of his needs, the simplest of these being his forgiveness.' (Ruh a1-Ma` ani with reference to Dailami)</p> | The subject of توحید Tauhid (Oneness of Allah) which began with the opening of Surah 'Al-` Imran reappears in the first verse in a very special manner. Out of the three witnesses mentioned here, the evidence of Allah Almighty is in a figurative sense. It means that the being and the attributes of Allah and the manifestations of His power and creativity all over are open signs of His Oneness. Then there are the Messengers and Books sent by Allah, all confirming. that truth. The second testimony mentioned is that of angels who are close to Allah. They carry out His instructions and bear testimony (knowing and seeing) that Allah alone is worthy of worship.The third witness is that of the men of knowledge. This expression, ulul` ilm, means the blessed prophets and men who have the knowledge of Islam. Imam al-Ghazali and Ibn Kathir رحمۃ اللہ علیہم find this a matter of great honour for ` Ulama for Allah has mentioned their witness along with His, and that of angels. It is also possible that the term, ulul` ilm (the men of knowledge) may, in an absolute sense, be referring to those who, by conducting an inquiry based on sound intellectual principles, or by deliberating into this universe, could acquire the knowl-edge of the unity of Allah Almighty - even if they are not ` alim or 'men of knowledge' in the traditional sense, whose knowledge is acquired under a formal discipline from Islam's own original sources. The next verse (19) clearly settles that the only faith' (دین din) acceptable to Allah is Islam. Thus, totally excluding any other faith or religion as acceptable to Allah, the verse completes the subject of Allah's Oneness, any opposition to which is doomed.Related considerationsMerits of the verse meaning "Allah bears witness"The verse beginning with شَهِدَ اللَّـهُ : 'shahidal-lahhu' has a special elegance. Imam al-Baghawi (رح) ، the renowned mufassir reports that two leading Jewish scholars came to Madinah from Syria. With the township of Madinah before them, they started talking to each other about the looks of the place which matched the prophecy in Torah that the last of the prophets would be living here. Later, they came to know that someone very pious lives here and whom people refer to as the prophet. They went to see the Holy Prophet ﷺ sight of him reminded them of all attributes which Torah had predicted he would have. They presented themselves before him and said: "You are Muhammad?" He said: "Yes." Again, they said: "You are Ahmad?" He said: "Yes, I am Muhammad and Ahmad." Then they said: We are going to ask you a question. If you answer it correctly, we shall embrace Islam." He ﷺ said: "Go ahead and ask." They asked: "Which is the greatest witness in the Book of Allah?" This verse of شَهِدَہ 'shahadah' (witness) was revealed as an answer to this question. He recited it for them. Both of them embraced Islam immediately.According to a hadith in the Musnad of Ahmad, when the Holy Prophet ﷺ recited this verse in ` Arafat, he said right after that:و انا علیٰ ذلک من الشٰھدین یا رَبِّAnd to that, 0 my Lord, I too am a witness. (Ibn Kathir)And a narration from Imam al-A'mash (رح) says: Whoever recites this verse and then says: و انا علیٰ ذلک من الشٰھدین یا رَبِّ ; (And to that, 0 my Lord, I too am a witness), Allah Almighty will say to the angels on the Last Day: 'My servant has made a promise while I am the Foremost to keep a promise when I make it, so let my servant be admitted into Paradise.' (Ibn Kathir)Another hadith from Sayyidna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari ؓ narrates that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: 'Whoever recites Ayah al-Kursi (2:255) and the Ayah : شَهِدَ اللَّـهُ Shahidal-lahu (3:18) and قُلِ اللَّـهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ : Qulil-lahumma malik al-mulki upto بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ bighairi hisab (3:26, 27), Allah Almighty will forgive all his sins, admit him to Paradise and take care of seventy (i.e. plenty) of his needs, the simplest of these being his forgiveness.' (Ruh a1-Ma` ani with reference to Dailami) | <h2 class="title">The Testimony of Tawhid</h2><p>Allah bears witness, and verily, Allah is sufficient as a Witness, and He is the Most Truthful and Just Witness there is; His statement is the absolute truth,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أَنَّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ</div><p>(that La ilaha illa Huwa) meaning, He Alone is the Lord and God of all creation; everyone and everything are His servants, creation and in need of Him. Allah is the Most Rich, Free from needing anyone or anything. Allah said in another Ayah,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لَّـكِنِ اللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ إِلَيْكَ</div><p>(But Allah bears witness to that which He has sent down (the Qur'an) unto you (O Muhammad )) 4:166.</p><p>Allah then mentioned the testimony of His angels and those who have knowledge after he mentioned His own testimony,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">شَهِدَ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَالْمَلَـئِكَةُ وَأُوْلُواْ الْعِلْمِ</div><p>(Allah bears witness that none has the right to be worshipped but He), and the angels, and those having knowledge (also bear witness to this)). This Ayah emphasizes the great virtue of those who have knowledge.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قَآئِمَاً بِالْقِسْطِ</div><p>((He) maintains His creation in justice) in all that He does,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ</div><p>(None has the right to be worshipped but He) thus emphasizing this fact,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">العَزِيزُ الحَكِيمُ</div><p>(the Almighty, the All-Wise.) the Mighty that does not submit to weakness due to His might and greatness, the Wise in all His statements, actions, legislation and decrees.</p><h2 class="title">The Religion with Allah is Islam</h2><p>Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الإِسْلَـمُ</div><p>(Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam.) Allah states that there is no religion accepted with Him from any person, except Islam. Islam includes obeying all of the Messengers until Muhammad who finalized their commission, thus closing all paths to Allah except through Muhammad . Therefore, after Allah sent Muhammad , whoever meets Allah following a path other than Muhammad's, it will not be accepted of him. In another Ayah, Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الإِسْلَـمِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ</div><p>(And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him) 3:85.</p><p>In this Ayah 3:19, Allah said, asserting that the only religion accepted with Him is Islam,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الإِسْلَـمُ</div><p>(Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam.)</p><p>Allah then states that those who were given the Scripture beforehand divided in the religion after Allah sent the Messengers and revealed the Books to them providing them the necessary proofs to not do so. Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ إِلاَّ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ</div><p>(Those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ except out of rivalry, after knowledge had come to them.) meaning, some of them wronged others. Therefore, they differed over the truth, out of envy, hatred and enmity for each other. This hatred made some of them defy those whom they hated even if they were correct. Allah then said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِآيَـتِ اللَّهِ</div><p>(And whoever disbelieves in the Ayat of Allah) meaning, whoever rejects what Allah sent down in His Book,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَإِنَّ اللَّهِ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ</div><p>(then surely, Allah is Swift in reckoning.) Allah will punish him for his rejection, reckon him for his denial, and torment him for defying His Book. Thereafter, Allah said.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَإنْ حَآجُّوكَ</div><p>(So if they dispute with you (Muhammad )) so if they argue with you about Tawhid,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَقُلْ أَسْلَمْتُ وَجْهِىَ للَّهِ وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِ</div><p>(Say: "I have submitted myself to Allah (in Islam), and (so have) those who follow me") meaning, Say, `I have made my worship sincere for Allah Alone without partners, rivals, offspring or companion,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِ</div><p>(and those who follow me) who followed my religion and embraced my creed.' In another Ayah, Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُلْ هَـذِهِ سَبِيلِى أَدْعُو إِلَى اللَّهِ عَلَى بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَاْ وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِى</div><p>(Say (O Muhammad ): "This is my way; I invite unto Allah with sure knowledge, I and whosoever follows me...") 12:108.</p><h2 class="title">Islam is the Religion of Mankind and the Prophet Was Sent to all Mankind</h2><p>Allah commanded His servant and Messenger, Muhammad , to call the People of the Two Scriptures and the unlettered idolators to his religion, way, Law and all that Allah sent him with. Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَقُلْ لِّلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ وَالاٍّمِّيِّينَ ءَأَسْلَمْتُمْ فَإِنْ أَسْلَمُواْ فَقَدِ اهْتَدَواْ وَّإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَـغُ</div><p>(And say to those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and to those who are illiterates (Arab pagans): "Do you (also) submit yourselves" If they do, they are rightly guided; but if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the Message.) meaning, their reckoning is with Allah and their return and final destination is to Him. It is He Who guides whom He wills and allows whom He wills to stray, and He has the perfect wisdom and the unequivocal proof for all of this. This is why Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ</div><p>(And Allah sees the servants.) for He has perfect knowledge of who deserves to be guided and who does not deserve to be guided. Verily,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لاَ يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْـَلُونَ </div><p>(He cannot be questioned for what He does, while they will be questioned.) 21:23 because of His perfect wisdom and mercy. This and similar Ayat are clear proofs that the Message of Muhammad is universal to all creation, as it is well established in the religion, according to the various texts of the Book and Sunnah. For instance, Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُلْ يَأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا</div><p>(Say (O Muhammad ): "O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah.") 7:158, and,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">تَبَارَكَ الَّذِى نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَـلَمِينَ نَذِيراً </div><p>(Blessed be He Who sent down the criterion to His servant that he may be a warner to the `Alamin (mankind and Jinn).) 25:1.</p><p>The Two Sahihs and other collections of Hadith recorded that the Prophet sent letters to the kings of the earth during his time and to different peoples, Arabs and non-Arabs, People of the Book and the unlettered, just as Allah had commanded him. `Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Ma`mar said, that Hammam said that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، لَا يَسْمَعُ بِي أَحَدٌ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ: يَهُودِيٌّ وَلَا نَصْرَانِيٌّ، وَمَاتَ وَلَمْ يُؤْمِنْ بِالَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ، إِلَّا كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّار»</div><p>(By He in Whose Hand is my soul! No member of this Ummah, no Jew or Christian, hears of me but dies without believing in what I was sent with, but will be among the people of the Fire.) Muslim recorded this Hadith.</p><p>The Prophet said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«بُعِثْتُ إِلَى الْأَحْمَرِ وَالْأَسْوَد»</div><p>(I was sent to the red and black. ) and,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«كَانَ النَّبِيُّ يُبْعَثُ إِلى قَوْمِهِ خَاصَّةً، وَبُعِثْتُ إِلَى النَّاسِ عَامَّة»</div><p>(A Prophet used to be sent to his people, but I was sent to all mankind.)</p> | The Testimony of TawhidAllah bears witness, and verily, Allah is sufficient as a Witness, and He is the Most Truthful and Just Witness there is; His statement is the absolute truth,أَنَّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ(that La ilaha illa Huwa) meaning, He Alone is the Lord and God of all creation; everyone and everything are His servants, creation and in need of Him. Allah is the Most Rich, Free from needing anyone or anything. Allah said in another Ayah,لَّـكِنِ اللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ إِلَيْكَ(But Allah bears witness to that which He has sent down (the Qur'an) unto you (O Muhammad )) 4:166.Allah then mentioned the testimony of His angels and those who have knowledge after he mentioned His own testimony,شَهِدَ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَالْمَلَـئِكَةُ وَأُوْلُواْ الْعِلْمِ(Allah bears witness that none has the right to be worshipped but He), and the angels, and those having knowledge (also bear witness to this)). This Ayah emphasizes the great virtue of those who have knowledge.قَآئِمَاً بِالْقِسْطِ((He) maintains His creation in justice) in all that He does,لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ(None has the right to be worshipped but He) thus emphasizing this fact,العَزِيزُ الحَكِيمُ(the Almighty, the All-Wise.) the Mighty that does not submit to weakness due to His might and greatness, the Wise in all His statements, actions, legislation and decrees.The Religion with Allah is IslamAllah said,إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الإِسْلَـمُ(Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam.) Allah states that there is no religion accepted with Him from any person, except Islam. Islam includes obeying all of the Messengers until Muhammad who finalized their commission, thus closing all paths to Allah except through Muhammad . Therefore, after Allah sent Muhammad , whoever meets Allah following a path other than Muhammad's, it will not be accepted of him. In another Ayah, Allah said,وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الإِسْلَـمِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ(And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him) 3:85.In this Ayah 3:19, Allah said, asserting that the only religion accepted with Him is Islam,إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الإِسْلَـمُ(Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam.)Allah then states that those who were given the Scripture beforehand divided in the religion after Allah sent the Messengers and revealed the Books to them providing them the necessary proofs to not do so. Allah said,وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ إِلاَّ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ(Those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ except out of rivalry, after knowledge had come to them.) meaning, some of them wronged others. Therefore, they differed over the truth, out of envy, hatred and enmity for each other. This hatred made some of them defy those whom they hated even if they were correct. Allah then said,وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِآيَـتِ اللَّهِ(And whoever disbelieves in the Ayat of Allah) meaning, whoever rejects what Allah sent down in His Book,فَإِنَّ اللَّهِ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ(then surely, Allah is Swift in reckoning.) Allah will punish him for his rejection, reckon him for his denial, and torment him for defying His Book. Thereafter, Allah said.فَإنْ حَآجُّوكَ(So if they dispute with you (Muhammad )) so if they argue with you about Tawhid,فَقُلْ أَسْلَمْتُ وَجْهِىَ للَّهِ وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِ(Say: "I have submitted myself to Allah (in Islam), and (so have) those who follow me") meaning, Say, `I have made my worship sincere for Allah Alone without partners, rivals, offspring or companion,وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِ(and those who follow me) who followed my religion and embraced my creed.' In another Ayah, Allah said,قُلْ هَـذِهِ سَبِيلِى أَدْعُو إِلَى اللَّهِ عَلَى بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَاْ وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِى(Say (O Muhammad ): "This is my way; I invite unto Allah with sure knowledge, I and whosoever follows me...") 12:108.Islam is the Religion of Mankind and the Prophet Was Sent to all MankindAllah commanded His servant and Messenger, Muhammad , to call the People of the Two Scriptures and the unlettered idolators to his religion, way, Law and all that Allah sent him with. Allah said,وَقُلْ لِّلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ وَالاٍّمِّيِّينَ ءَأَسْلَمْتُمْ فَإِنْ أَسْلَمُواْ فَقَدِ اهْتَدَواْ وَّإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَـغُ(And say to those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and to those who are illiterates (Arab pagans): "Do you (also) submit yourselves" If they do, they are rightly guided; but if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the Message.) meaning, their reckoning is with Allah and their return and final destination is to Him. It is He Who guides whom He wills and allows whom He wills to stray, and He has the perfect wisdom and the unequivocal proof for all of this. This is why Allah said,وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ(And Allah sees the servants.) for He has perfect knowledge of who deserves to be guided and who does not deserve to be guided. Verily,لاَ يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْـَلُونَ (He cannot be questioned for what He does, while they will be questioned.) 21:23 because of His perfect wisdom and mercy. This and similar Ayat are clear proofs that the Message of Muhammad is universal to all creation, as it is well established in the religion, according to the various texts of the Book and Sunnah. For instance, Allah said,قُلْ يَأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا(Say (O Muhammad ): "O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah.") 7:158, and,تَبَارَكَ الَّذِى نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَـلَمِينَ نَذِيراً (Blessed be He Who sent down the criterion to His servant that he may be a warner to the `Alamin (mankind and Jinn).) 25:1.The Two Sahihs and other collections of Hadith recorded that the Prophet sent letters to the kings of the earth during his time and to different peoples, Arabs and non-Arabs, People of the Book and the unlettered, just as Allah had commanded him. `Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Ma`mar said, that Hammam said that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said,«وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، لَا يَسْمَعُ بِي أَحَدٌ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ: يَهُودِيٌّ وَلَا نَصْرَانِيٌّ، وَمَاتَ وَلَمْ يُؤْمِنْ بِالَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ، إِلَّا كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّار»(By He in Whose Hand is my soul! No member of this Ummah, no Jew or Christian, hears of me but dies without believing in what I was sent with, but will be among the people of the Fire.) Muslim recorded this Hadith.The Prophet said,«بُعِثْتُ إِلَى الْأَحْمَرِ وَالْأَسْوَد»(I was sent to the red and black. ) and,«كَانَ النَّبِيُّ يُبْعَثُ إِلى قَوْمِهِ خَاصَّةً، وَبُعِثْتُ إِلَى النَّاسِ عَامَّة»(A Prophet used to be sent to his people, but I was sent to all mankind.) |
The true way with God is peace; and the people of the Book did not differ until knowledge (of this revelation) had come to them, out of mutual opposition. But those who deny the signs of God (should remember) He is swift in the reckoning. | Indeed the only true religion in the sight of Allah is Islam; those who had received the Books differed only after the knowledge came to them, due to their hearts’ envy; and whoever disbelieves in the signs of Allah, then Allah is Swift At Taking Account. | The true religion with God is Islam. Those who were given the Book were not at variance except after the knowledge came to them, being insolent one to another. And whoso disbelieves in God's signs. God is swift at the reckoning. | Behold, the only [true] religion in the sight of God is [man's] self-surrender unto Him; and those who were vouchsafed revelation aforetime took, out of mutual jealousy, to divergent views [on this point] only after knowledge [thereof] had come unto them. But as for him who denies the truth of God's messages - behold, God is swift in reckoning! | Verily the religion with Allah is Islam and those Who Were vouchsafed the Book differed Not save after the knowledge had come unto them, out of spite among themselves. And whosoever disbelieveth in the revelations of Allah, then verily Allah swift at reckoning. | Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam. Those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ except, out of mutual jealousy, after knowledge had come to them. And whoever disbelieves in the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, then surely, Allah is Swift in calling to account. | Religion with God is Islam. Those to whom the Scripture was given differed only after knowledge came to them, out of envy among themselves. Whoever rejects the signs of God—God is quick to take account. | The true religion with Allah is Islam. The People of the Book adopted many different ways rather than follow the true way of Islam even after the knowledge of truth had reached them, and this merely to commit excesses against one another. Let him who refuses to follow the ordinances and directives of Allah know that Allah is swift in His reckoning. | Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam. Those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ except out of rivalry, after knowledge had come to them. And whoever disbelieves in the Ayat of Allah, then surely, Allah is Swift in reckoning. | Lo! religion with Allah (is) the Surrender (to His Will and Guidance). Those who (formerly) received the Scripture differed only after knowledge came unto them, through transgression among themselves. Whoso disbelieveth the revelations of Allah (will find that) lo! Allah is swift at reckoning. | Indeed, with Allah religion is Islam, and those who were given the Book did not differ except after knowledge had come to them, out of envy among themselves. And whoever denies Allah’s signs [should know that] Allah is swift at reckoning. | The only religion with Allah is Islam (submission). Those to whom the Book was given disagreed among themselves only after knowledge had been given to them being insolent among themselves. He who disbelieves the verses of Allah indeed Allah is Swift in reckoning. | Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam. And those who were given the Scripture did not differ except after knowledge had come to them - out of jealous animosity between themselves. And whoever disbelieves in the verses of Allah, then indeed, Allah is swift in [taking] account. | In the sight of God Islam is the religion. The People of the Book created differences in the matters (of religion) because of their hostility among themselves, only after knowledge had come to them. Let whoever denies the revelations of God know that the reckoning of God is swift. | Surely the (true) religion with Allah is Islam, and those to whom the Book had been given did not show opposition but after knowledge had come to them, out of envy among themselves; and whoever disbelieves in the communications of Allah then surely Allah is quick in reckoning. | Inna a<b>l</b>ddeena AAinda All<u>a</u>hi alisl<u>a</u>mu wam<u>a</u> ikhtalafa alla<u>th</u>eena ootoo alkit<u>a</u>ba ill<u>a</u> min baAAdi m<u>a</u> j<u>a</u>ahumu alAAilmu baghyan baynahum waman yakfur bi<u>a</u>y<u>a</u>ti All<u>a</u>hi fainna All<u>a</u>ha sareeAAu al<u>h</u>is<u>a</u>b<b>i</b> | The only true religion in God's sight is complete submission to God. And those who were given the Book disagreed only out of rivalry, after knowledge had been given to them -- he who denies God's signs should know that God is swift in His reckoning. | The Religion before Allah is Islam (submission to His Will): Nor did the People of the Book dissent therefrom except through envy of each other, after knowledge had come to them. But if any deny the Signs of Allah, Allah is swift in calling to account. | 18 | 3 | إِنَّ ٱلدِّينَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْإِسْلَٰمُ وَمَا ٱخْتَلَفَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْعِلْمُ بَغْيًۢا بَيْنَهُمْ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِيعُ ٱلْحِسَابِ | The acceptable path in Allah’s sight is Islam, the path of surrendering: devotion of all good actions to Allah alone, submission to Him in servitude and acceptance of all messengers, including the final messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) with whom revelations came to an end, and after whom no sacred laws will remain valid except his. The Jews and Christians only split up into various groups and sects, after evidence was established against them in the form of knowledge that had come to them, because of envy and greed for the world. Yet for whoever denies the verses of Allah revealed to His Messenger, Allah is quick in taking to account those who disbelieve in Him and His messengers. | The acceptable path in Allah’s sight is Islam, the path of surrendering: devotion of all good actions to Allah alone, submission to Him in servitude and acceptance of all messengers, including the final messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) with whom revelations came to an end, and after whom no sacred laws will remain valid except his. The Jews and Christians only split up into various groups and sects, after evidence was established against them in the form of knowledge that had come to them, because of envy and greed for the world. Yet for whoever denies the verses of Allah revealed to His Messenger, Allah is quick in taking to account those who disbelieve in Him and His messengers. | <p>Din دین and Islam اسلام : An Explanation of the Two words:</p><p>The word, Din (دین) has more than one meaning in the Arabic language, one of them being 'the way'. In the terminology of the Qur'an, the word, Din دین is used to stand for principles and injunctions which are common to all prophets (علیہم السلام) from Sayyidna Adam (علیہ السلام) to the last of the prophets, Sayyidna Muhammad al-Mustafa ﷺ . The words, 'shari'ah (شریعہ) or 'al-minhaj' (المنھاج) or the word, 'madhhab' (مذھب) from among the later-day terms, are used to cover subsidiary injunctions, which have been different during different ages and different communities. The Holy Qur'an says:</p><p>شَرَعَ لَكُم مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا وَصَّىٰ بِهِ نُوحًا</p><p>Allah made you follow the same religion with which He bound Nuh (and other prophets) - 42:13.</p><p>This tells us that the دین din of all our blessed prophets (علیہم السلام) was one and the same, that is, belief in the most perfect Being and Attributes of Allah, in His being free of all shortcomings and- that He alone is worthy of worship, believing in this from the depth of one's heart and confirming it verbally; belief in the Day of Judgment, in the final reckoning of deeds, the reward and the punishment and in Paradise and Hell and in every prophet and messenger sent by Him and in all command-ments and injunctions brought by them, believing all this in one's heart and confirming such belief verbally as well.</p><p>Now the real meaning of the word, اسلام Islam is to submit oneself to Allah and be obedient to His commands. Given this meaning, those who believed in the prophets and messengers of their time and were obedient to the commands of Allah they brought to them, were all entitled to be called Muslims, and their religion was Islam. It was in this sense of the word that Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) said: وَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِين I have been commanded that I be from among the Muslims 10:72) and therefore, Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) described himself and his community as Muslims when he said: رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ (Our Lord, make us Muslims, the submitting ones to Thee, and from our progeny a community of Muslims submitting to Thee - 2:128). And it was in this very sense of the word that the disciples of Sayyidna 'Isa (علیہ السلام) said: وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ (And bear witness that we are Muslims - 3:52)</p><p>Sometimes this word is applied particularly to the din دین and Shari` ah, the religion and the law brought finally by the last among the prophets, Sayyidna Muhammad al-Mustafa ﷺ This law abrogated all previous ways in religion and this shall sustain right through the Day of Judgment. Given this meaning of the word Islam, it becomes particular to the religion brought by the prophet of Islam and to the large community of his followers. In a well-known hadith of Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) ، the Holy Prophet ﷺ has explained Islam in this very manner.</p><p>The word, الاسلام 'Al-Islam' as it appears in the verse here carries the likelihood of both meanings. If the first meaning is taken, it would mean that the only religion -acceptable with Allah is Islam, that is, becoming obedient in complete submission to the commands of Allah, believing in all prophets of all times and in whatever commandments they brought, by acting accordingly. Although, the religion brought by Hadhrat Muhammad ﷺ has not been specially identified here, yet, in pursuance of the general rule, once the last among the line of prophets had been sent, the belief and practice of all injunctions he brought becomes binding, and inclusive under this rule. As such, the outcome will be that the religion acceptable during the period of Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) was what he brought; during the period of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) ، what he brought. Similarly, the Islam of the period of Sayyidna Musa was what came in the form of the tablets of Torah and the teachings of Moses and the Islam of the period of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) was what came as Injil and the teachings of Jesus (علیہ السلام) ، At the end of this chain of prophets, the Islam of the period of Sayyidna Muhammad ﷺ the last among the prophets (علیہم السلام) ، shall be what took shape on the pattern given by the Qur'an and Sunnah.</p><p>Now if we take the second meaning of Islam, that is, the Sharl'ah the way and law brought by the last of the prophets the verse would come to mean that in this period of time only that religion of Islam which is true to the teachings of the noble Prophet ﷺ is the one acceptable. No doubt, previous religions too, during their age of currency, were known as Islam, but they are now abrogated. So, the end-result is the same both ways, that is, during the age of every prophet, the religion acceptable in the sight of Allah is that particular Islam which conforms to the revelation and teachings credited to that prophet. No religion, other than this, even if it be a previously abrogated one, is acceptable and certainly not deserving of being called "Islam" at a later stage. The Shari` ah of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) was the Islam of his times. When the time of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) came, the abrogated laws of that code did not remain the Islam of his time. Similarly, any laws of Moses (علیہ السلام) abrogated during the time of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) were not to be labeled as Islam any more. It is exactly like this when laws and injunctions of previous religious codes were abrogated during the time of the Last of the prophets ﷺ ، they no more remained valid as Islam. Therefore, whatever meaning of Islam is taken, general or particular, in relation to the community being addressed by the Holy Qur'an, the outcome of both is nothing but that, following the appearance of the noble Prophet ﷺ ، the only religion which shall be deserving of the Surah 'Al-` Imran 3.18-19 name, Islam, will be the one that conforms to the قُرآن and the teachings of the blessed recipient of revelations and that alone shall be acceptable in the sight of Allah. Since no other religion is acceptable to Allah, it cannot become a source of salvation either. This subject has appeared in the Holy Qur'an in many verses separately. The exact words used in one such verse are: وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ That is, whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him (and what is done under its dictates shall be wasted).</p><p>Salvation in our times depends on Islam:</p><p>Even good deeds and morals from a non-Muslim are not acceptable.</p><p>These verses have very clearly hit at the root of the atheistic approach which endeavours to bracket Islam and disbelief (kufr) on the same footing in the name of tolerance preached by Islam, thereby claiming that every faith of the world Judaism, Christianity, even paganism can each become the source of salvation, on condition that its followers perform good deeds and observe good morals. This is a veiled attempt to demolish a principle of Islam and to prove that reality Islam is nothing of substance. It is something limpid and imaginary which could be moulded to fit into whatever religion one chooses, even if it is kufr or disbelief The verses of the Holy Qur'an, those appearing here and a large number of others, have very explicitly stressed that the light and darkness cannot be the same. Similarly, it is grossly absurd and impossible that Allah would like disobedience to and rebellion against Him just as He likes obedience and submission. Whoever denies even one basic principle of Islam, he is, without any shadow of doubt, a rebel to Allah and the enemy of how impressing he may appear in his other deeds and formal morality. Salvation in the Hereafter depends, first of all, on obedience to Allah and His Messenger. Whoever remains deprived of it, not one of his deeds is credible. The Holy Qur'an says for such people:</p><p>فَلَا نُقِيمُ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَزْنًا</p><p>We shall not assign weight to their deeds on the Day of Judgment - 18:105.</p><p>In verse 19: وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ after declaring that 'the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam', the text moves on to explain why the people of the Book went about disputing the prophethood of Sayyidna Muhammad ﷺ ، and challenging Islam as false. They did this, not because they had any doubts in this connection for they knew the truth of the matter through their own scriptures, but because they were scared of losing their ground against 'Muslims. So, it was their malice towards Muslims, their love for power and influence and their arrogant self-image as traditional leaders which drove them to these altercations.</p><p>Finally, it was said: وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِآيَاتِ اللَّـهِ فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ that is, 'whoever denies the verses of Allah (as the people of the Book did), then, Allah is swift at reckoning'. The swiftness of this reckoning can be well imagined as it starts initially soon after death when man passes into the state known as 'barzakh برزخ '. But the detailed accounting for one's deeds shall take place on the Day of Judgment when he will have to account for his doings in the minutest detail. Then, the penchant for disputing truth will be exposed. The people who denied the truth will discover their worth and the punishment it calls for shall become known to them.</p> | Din دین and Islam اسلام : An Explanation of the Two words:The word, Din (دین) has more than one meaning in the Arabic language, one of them being 'the way'. In the terminology of the Qur'an, the word, Din دین is used to stand for principles and injunctions which are common to all prophets (علیہم السلام) from Sayyidna Adam (علیہ السلام) to the last of the prophets, Sayyidna Muhammad al-Mustafa ﷺ . The words, 'shari'ah (شریعہ) or 'al-minhaj' (المنھاج) or the word, 'madhhab' (مذھب) from among the later-day terms, are used to cover subsidiary injunctions, which have been different during different ages and different communities. The Holy Qur'an says:شَرَعَ لَكُم مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا وَصَّىٰ بِهِ نُوحًاAllah made you follow the same religion with which He bound Nuh (and other prophets) - 42:13.This tells us that the دین din of all our blessed prophets (علیہم السلام) was one and the same, that is, belief in the most perfect Being and Attributes of Allah, in His being free of all shortcomings and- that He alone is worthy of worship, believing in this from the depth of one's heart and confirming it verbally; belief in the Day of Judgment, in the final reckoning of deeds, the reward and the punishment and in Paradise and Hell and in every prophet and messenger sent by Him and in all command-ments and injunctions brought by them, believing all this in one's heart and confirming such belief verbally as well.Now the real meaning of the word, اسلام Islam is to submit oneself to Allah and be obedient to His commands. Given this meaning, those who believed in the prophets and messengers of their time and were obedient to the commands of Allah they brought to them, were all entitled to be called Muslims, and their religion was Islam. It was in this sense of the word that Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) said: وَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِين I have been commanded that I be from among the Muslims 10:72) and therefore, Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) described himself and his community as Muslims when he said: رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ (Our Lord, make us Muslims, the submitting ones to Thee, and from our progeny a community of Muslims submitting to Thee - 2:128). And it was in this very sense of the word that the disciples of Sayyidna 'Isa (علیہ السلام) said: وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ (And bear witness that we are Muslims - 3:52)Sometimes this word is applied particularly to the din دین and Shari` ah, the religion and the law brought finally by the last among the prophets, Sayyidna Muhammad al-Mustafa ﷺ This law abrogated all previous ways in religion and this shall sustain right through the Day of Judgment. Given this meaning of the word Islam, it becomes particular to the religion brought by the prophet of Islam and to the large community of his followers. In a well-known hadith of Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) ، the Holy Prophet ﷺ has explained Islam in this very manner.The word, الاسلام 'Al-Islam' as it appears in the verse here carries the likelihood of both meanings. If the first meaning is taken, it would mean that the only religion -acceptable with Allah is Islam, that is, becoming obedient in complete submission to the commands of Allah, believing in all prophets of all times and in whatever commandments they brought, by acting accordingly. Although, the religion brought by Hadhrat Muhammad ﷺ has not been specially identified here, yet, in pursuance of the general rule, once the last among the line of prophets had been sent, the belief and practice of all injunctions he brought becomes binding, and inclusive under this rule. As such, the outcome will be that the religion acceptable during the period of Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) was what he brought; during the period of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) ، what he brought. Similarly, the Islam of the period of Sayyidna Musa was what came in the form of the tablets of Torah and the teachings of Moses and the Islam of the period of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) was what came as Injil and the teachings of Jesus (علیہ السلام) ، At the end of this chain of prophets, the Islam of the period of Sayyidna Muhammad ﷺ the last among the prophets (علیہم السلام) ، shall be what took shape on the pattern given by the Qur'an and Sunnah.Now if we take the second meaning of Islam, that is, the Sharl'ah the way and law brought by the last of the prophets the verse would come to mean that in this period of time only that religion of Islam which is true to the teachings of the noble Prophet ﷺ is the one acceptable. No doubt, previous religions too, during their age of currency, were known as Islam, but they are now abrogated. So, the end-result is the same both ways, that is, during the age of every prophet, the religion acceptable in the sight of Allah is that particular Islam which conforms to the revelation and teachings credited to that prophet. No religion, other than this, even if it be a previously abrogated one, is acceptable and certainly not deserving of being called "Islam" at a later stage. The Shari` ah of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) was the Islam of his times. When the time of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) came, the abrogated laws of that code did not remain the Islam of his time. Similarly, any laws of Moses (علیہ السلام) abrogated during the time of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) were not to be labeled as Islam any more. It is exactly like this when laws and injunctions of previous religious codes were abrogated during the time of the Last of the prophets ﷺ ، they no more remained valid as Islam. Therefore, whatever meaning of Islam is taken, general or particular, in relation to the community being addressed by the Holy Qur'an, the outcome of both is nothing but that, following the appearance of the noble Prophet ﷺ ، the only religion which shall be deserving of the Surah 'Al-` Imran 3.18-19 name, Islam, will be the one that conforms to the قُرآن and the teachings of the blessed recipient of revelations and that alone shall be acceptable in the sight of Allah. Since no other religion is acceptable to Allah, it cannot become a source of salvation either. This subject has appeared in the Holy Qur'an in many verses separately. The exact words used in one such verse are: وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ That is, whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him (and what is done under its dictates shall be wasted).Salvation in our times depends on Islam:Even good deeds and morals from a non-Muslim are not acceptable.These verses have very clearly hit at the root of the atheistic approach which endeavours to bracket Islam and disbelief (kufr) on the same footing in the name of tolerance preached by Islam, thereby claiming that every faith of the world Judaism, Christianity, even paganism can each become the source of salvation, on condition that its followers perform good deeds and observe good morals. This is a veiled attempt to demolish a principle of Islam and to prove that reality Islam is nothing of substance. It is something limpid and imaginary which could be moulded to fit into whatever religion one chooses, even if it is kufr or disbelief The verses of the Holy Qur'an, those appearing here and a large number of others, have very explicitly stressed that the light and darkness cannot be the same. Similarly, it is grossly absurd and impossible that Allah would like disobedience to and rebellion against Him just as He likes obedience and submission. Whoever denies even one basic principle of Islam, he is, without any shadow of doubt, a rebel to Allah and the enemy of how impressing he may appear in his other deeds and formal morality. Salvation in the Hereafter depends, first of all, on obedience to Allah and His Messenger. Whoever remains deprived of it, not one of his deeds is credible. The Holy Qur'an says for such people:فَلَا نُقِيمُ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَزْنًاWe shall not assign weight to their deeds on the Day of Judgment - 18:105.In verse 19: وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ after declaring that 'the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam', the text moves on to explain why the people of the Book went about disputing the prophethood of Sayyidna Muhammad ﷺ ، and challenging Islam as false. They did this, not because they had any doubts in this connection for they knew the truth of the matter through their own scriptures, but because they were scared of losing their ground against 'Muslims. So, it was their malice towards Muslims, their love for power and influence and their arrogant self-image as traditional leaders which drove them to these altercations.Finally, it was said: وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِآيَاتِ اللَّـهِ فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ that is, 'whoever denies the verses of Allah (as the people of the Book did), then, Allah is swift at reckoning'. The swiftness of this reckoning can be well imagined as it starts initially soon after death when man passes into the state known as 'barzakh برزخ '. But the detailed accounting for one's deeds shall take place on the Day of Judgment when he will have to account for his doings in the minutest detail. Then, the penchant for disputing truth will be exposed. The people who denied the truth will discover their worth and the punishment it calls for shall become known to them. | ||
Even then if they argue, tell them: "I have bowed in submission to God, and so have my followers." And tell the people of the Book and the Arabs: "Do you submit?" If they do, they will find the right path; if they turn away, your duty is to deliver the message. And God keeps an eye on His votaries. | Then if they argue with you, (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) say, “I have submitted my face (self) to Allah and likewise have my followers”; and say to the People given the Book(s) and the illiterate, “Have you submitted (accepted Islam)?” If they submit, they have attained the right path – and if they turn away (reject), then your duty is only to convey this command; and Allah is seeing the bondmen. | So if they dispute with thee, say: 'I have surrendered my will to God, and whosoever follows me. And say to those who have been given the Book and to the common folk: 'Have you surrendered?' If they have surrendered, they are right guided; but if they turn their backs, thine it is only to deliver the Message; and God sees His servants. | Thus, [O Prophet,] if they argue with thee, say, "I have surrendered my whole being unto God, and [so have] all who follow me!" - and ask those who have been vouchsafed revelation aforetime, as well as all unlettered people, "Have you [too] surrendered yourselves unto Him?" And if they surrender themselves unto Him, they are on the right path; but if they turn away - behold, thy duty is no more than to deliver the message: for God sees all that is in [the hearts of] His creatures. | Wherefore if they contend with thee, say thou: have surrendered myself unto Allah and he who followeth me. And say thou unto those who have been vouchsafed the Book and unto the illiterates; do you (also) accept Islam? Then if they accept Islam, they are of a surety guided; and if they turn away, then upon thee is only the preaching, and Allah is Beholder of His bondsmen. | So if they dispute with you (Muhammad SAW) say: "I have submitted myself to Allah (in Islam), and (so have) those who follow me." And say to those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and to those who are illiterates (Arab pagans): "Do you (also) submit yourselves (to Allah in Islam)?" If they do, they are rightly guided; but if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the Message; and Allah is All-Seer of (His) slaves. | If they argue with you, say, “I have surrendered myself to God, and those who follow me.” And say to those who were given the Scripture, and to the unlearned, “Have you surrendered?” If they have surrendered, then they are guided; but if they turn away, then your duty is to convey. God is Seeing of the servants. | And if they remonstrate with you, tell them: 'I have submitted my whole being to Allah, and so have those who follow me.' And ask the People of the Book as well as those who follow no heavenly Scripture: 'Have you also submitted (to Allah)?' If they have submitted to Him, they are indeed on the right way but if they deviate from submitting to Allah, then your duty is merely to deliver the message. Allah observes the affairs of His servants. | So if they dispute with you say: "I have submitted myself to Allah, and (so have) those who follow me." And say to those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and to those who are illiterate (Arab pagans): "Do you (also) submit yourselves" If they do, they are rightly guided; but if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the Message; and Allah sees the servants. | And if they argue with thee, (O Muhammad), say: I have surrendered my purpose to Allah and (so have) those who follow me. And say unto those who have received the Scripture and those who read not: Have ye (too) surrendered? If they surrender, then truly they are rightly guided, and if they turn away, then it is thy duty only to convey the message (unto them). Allah is Seer of (His) bondmen. | If they argue with you, say, ‘I have submitted my will to Allah, and [so has] he who follows me.’ And say to those who were given the Book and the uninstructed ones, ‘Do you submit?’ If they submit, they will certainly be guided; but if they turn away, then your duty is only to communicate, and Allah watches His servants. | If they argue with you, say: 'I have submitted my face to Allah and so have those who follow me' To those who have received the Book (Jews and Nazarenes) and to the ignorant, ask: 'Have you submitted yourselves to Allah' If they became Muslims they were guided, if they turn away, then your only duty is to warn them. Allah is watching over all His worshipers. | So if they argue with you, say, "I have submitted myself to Allah [in Islam], and [so have] those who follow me." And say to those who were given the Scripture and [to] the unlearned, "Have you submitted yourselves?" And if they submit [in Islam], they are rightly guided; but if they turn away - then upon you is only the [duty of] notification. And Allah is Seeing of [His] servants. | (Muhammad), if the People of the Book argue against you, say, "I and those who follow me have submitted ourselves to God." Ask the People of the Book and the illiterate ones, "Have you embraced Islam?" If they embrace Islam, they will find guidance but if they turn away, your task is just to preach. God knows all about His servants. | But if they dispute with you, say: I have submitted myself entirely to Allah and (so) every one who follows me; and say to those who have been given the Book and the unlearned people: Do you submit yourselves? So if they submit then indeed they follow the right way; and if they turn back, then upon you is only the delivery of the message and Allah sees the servants. | Fain <u>ha</u>jjooka faqul aslamtu wajhiya lill<u>a</u>hi wamani ittabaAAani waqul lilla<u>th</u>eena ootoo alkit<u>a</u>ba wa<b>a</b>l<b></b>ommiyyeena aaslamtum fain aslamoo faqadi ihtadaw wain tawallaw fainnam<u>a</u> AAalayka albal<u>a</u>ghu wa<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hu ba<u>s</u>eerun bi<b>a</b>lAAib<u>a</u>d<b>i</b> | If they dispute with you, say, "I have submitted my whole being to God and so have those who follow me." And ask those who have been given the Book, as well as the unlettered, "Do you submit yourselves to God in the same way?" If they submit themselves to Him, they are on the right path; but if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the message. God is observant of all His servants. | So if they dispute with thee, say: "I have submitted My whole self to Allah and so have those who follow me." And say to the People of the Book and to those who are unlearned: "Do ye (also) submit yourselves?" If they do, they are in right guidance, but if they turn back, Thy duty is to convey the Message; and in Allah's sight are (all) His servants. | 19 | 3 | فَإِنْ حَآجُّوكَ فَقُلْ أَسْلَمْتُ وَجْهِىَ لِلَّهِ وَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَنِ وَقُل لِّلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْأُمِّيِّۦنَ ءَأَسْلَمْتُمْ فَإِنْ أَسْلَمُوا۟ فَقَدِ ٱهْتَدَوا۟ وَّإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ ٱلْبَلَٰغُ وَٱللَّهُ بَصِيرٌۢ بِٱلْعِبَادِ | If they argue with you, O Messenger, about the truth that has been revealed to you, then say to them in reply, ‘I and the believers who follow me have submitted to Allah’. Also, say, O Messenger, to the People of the Scripture and the idolaters, ‘Do you submit to Allah sincerely, following what I have brought?’ If they submit to Allah and follow your sacred law, then they are on the path of guidance. If they turn away from Islam, then your duty is only to give your message to them; then Allah will decide about them. He watches His servants and will reward them according to their actions. | If they argue with you, O Messenger, about the truth that has been revealed to you, then say to them in reply, ‘I and the believers who follow me have submitted to Allah’. Also, say, O Messenger, to the People of the Scripture and the idolaters, ‘Do you submit to Allah sincerely, following what I have brought?’ If they submit to Allah and follow your sacred law, then they are on the path of guidance. If they turn away from Islam, then your duty is only to give your message to them; then Allah will decide about them. He watches His servants and will reward them according to their actions. | <p>The Surah began with the confirmation of Divine Oneness and the refutation of Trinity. Answered here are argumentations in which the disbelievers and deniers among the people of the Book persist - even after the truth of Islam has been proved conclusively. The advice against such ongoing. and unnecessary disputations is that the acceptance or rejection of disputers should be of no use to a believer who simply has to declare that he and those with him have entered the fold of Islam being in no doubt about its truth. The Holy Prophet ﷺ was entrusted with the mission of calling the people of the Book, the Jews and Christians, and the disbelievers of Arabia to submit to Allah and embrace Islam which will be for their own good for they will be on the right path. In case they continue to maintain their hostile attitude, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been comforted here by saying that his duty is only limited to conveying the message of Allah and His commandments. That the message does not seem to get across to them, as they elect to reject rather than accept, should really not be a matter of concern for him. This is something Allah will take care of in His own way for He is in full sight of what His servants are doing.</p> | The Surah began with the confirmation of Divine Oneness and the refutation of Trinity. Answered here are argumentations in which the disbelievers and deniers among the people of the Book persist - even after the truth of Islam has been proved conclusively. The advice against such ongoing. and unnecessary disputations is that the acceptance or rejection of disputers should be of no use to a believer who simply has to declare that he and those with him have entered the fold of Islam being in no doubt about its truth. The Holy Prophet ﷺ was entrusted with the mission of calling the people of the Book, the Jews and Christians, and the disbelievers of Arabia to submit to Allah and embrace Islam which will be for their own good for they will be on the right path. In case they continue to maintain their hostile attitude, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been comforted here by saying that his duty is only limited to conveying the message of Allah and His commandments. That the message does not seem to get across to them, as they elect to reject rather than accept, should really not be a matter of concern for him. This is something Allah will take care of in His own way for He is in full sight of what His servants are doing. | ||
To those who deny the signs of God, and slay the apostles unjustly, and slay the upholders of justice, give news of painful punishment. | Those who disbelieve in the signs of Allah, and wrongfully martyr the Prophets, and slay people who enjoin justice – so give them the glad tidings of a painful punishment. | Those who disbelieve in the signs of God and slay the Prophets without right, and slay such men as bid to justice -- do thou give them the good tidings of a painful chastisement; | Verily, as for those who deny the truth of God's messages, and slay the prophets against all right, and slay people who enjoin equity - announce unto them a grievous chastisement. | Verily those who disbelieve in the revelations of Allah and slay the prophets without justice and slay those among men who command equity thou unto them a torment afflictive. | Verily! Those who disbelieve in the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah and kill the Prophets without right, and kill those men who order just dealings,
announce to them a painful torment. | As for those who defy God’s revelations, and kill the prophets unjustly, and kill those who advocate justice among the people—promise them a painful retribution. | Give those who refuse to follow the directives of Allah, who slay the Prophets unjustly, and who slay those who enjoin justice, give them glad tidings of a grievous chastisement. | Verily, those who disbelieve in the Ayat of Allah and kill the Prophets without right, and kill those men who order just dealings, then announce to them a painful torment. | Lo! those who disbelieve the revelations of Allah, and slay the prophets wrongfully, and slay those of mankind who enjoin equity: promise them a painful doom. | Those who deny Allah’s signs and kill the prophets unjustly and kill those who call for justice from among the people, inform them of a painful punishment. | Those who disbelieve the verses of Allah and slay the Prophets unjustly, and slay those who bid to justice give them the glad tidings of a painful punishment! | Those who disbelieve in the signs of Allah and kill the prophets without right and kill those who order justice from among the people - give them tidings of a painful punishment. | Warn those who deny the revelations of God and unjustly slay the Prophets and those who call people to be just, that they will suffer a painful torment. | Surely (as for) those who disbelieve in the communications of Allah and slay the prophets unjustly and slay those among men who enjoin justice, announce to them a painful chastisement. | Inna alla<u>th</u>eena yakfuroona bi<u>a</u>y<u>a</u>ti All<u>a</u>hi wayaqtuloona a<b>l</b>nnabiyyeena bighayri <u>h</u>aqqin wayaqtuloona alla<u>th</u>eena yamuroona bi<b>a</b>lqis<u>t</u>i mina a<b>l</b>nn<u>a</u>si fabashshirhum biAAa<u>tha</u>bin aleem<b>in</b> | Those who deny God's signs and kill the prophets unjustly and kill those who enjoin justice, give them warning of a woeful punishment, | As to those who deny the Signs of Allah and in defiance of right, slay the prophets, and slay those who teach just dealing with mankind, announce to them a grievous penalty. | 20 | 3 | إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ ٱلنَّبِيِّۦنَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَيَقْتُلُونَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ | Those who disbelieve in Allah’s signs, which show that He alone is the Lord and the One worthy of being worshipped, kill His prophets wrongly due to hatred, and kill those who call for justice by commanding good and forbidding evil – give these murderous disbelievers news of a painful punishment. | Those who disbelieve in Allah’s signs, which show that He alone is the Lord and the One worthy of being worshipped, kill His prophets wrongly due to hatred, and kill those who call for justice by commanding good and forbidding evil – give these murderous disbelievers news of a painful punishment. | <p>In the earlier part of the Surah, the text mostly beamed at the Christians. In verse 20, 'those who have been given the Book' includes both Christians and Jews. Now, verses 21-22 here, talk about some of the unusual doings of Jews. Ruh al-Ma'ani while commenting on this verse reports a hadith from the Holy Prophet ﷺ as narrated by Ibn Abi Hatim ؓ . While explaining this verse, he said that Bani Isra'i1 slew forty three prophets at one and the same time. One hundred and seventy pious, elders stood up asking them to uphold justice. They slew them as well on the same day. (Bayan a1-Qura'n)</p><p>In verse 21, 'those who disbelieve the verses of Allah' refers to Jews who did not believe in the Injil انجیل and the Qur'an. 'Slay the Prophets (علیہم السلام) unjustly means that they know that they are doing so without justice. 'Those who bid justice' are people who teach moderation in deeds and morals.</p><p>Because of this whole set of their terrible deeds, verse 22 says that all their good deeds have gone waste both here and there, and when they are punished, they will find no one to assist them.</p> | In the earlier part of the Surah, the text mostly beamed at the Christians. In verse 20, 'those who have been given the Book' includes both Christians and Jews. Now, verses 21-22 here, talk about some of the unusual doings of Jews. Ruh al-Ma'ani while commenting on this verse reports a hadith from the Holy Prophet ﷺ as narrated by Ibn Abi Hatim ؓ . While explaining this verse, he said that Bani Isra'i1 slew forty three prophets at one and the same time. One hundred and seventy pious, elders stood up asking them to uphold justice. They slew them as well on the same day. (Bayan a1-Qura'n)In verse 21, 'those who disbelieve the verses of Allah' refers to Jews who did not believe in the Injil انجیل and the Qur'an. 'Slay the Prophets (علیہم السلام) unjustly means that they know that they are doing so without justice. 'Those who bid justice' are people who teach moderation in deeds and morals.Because of this whole set of their terrible deeds, verse 22 says that all their good deeds have gone waste both here and there, and when they are punished, they will find no one to assist them. | <h2 class="title">Chastising the Jews for Their Disbelief and for Killing the Prophets and Righteous People</h2><p>This Ayah chastises the People of the Book for the transgression and prohibitions they committed by their denials in the past and more recent times, of Allah's Ayat and the Messengers. They did this due to their defiance and rejection of the Messengers, denial of the truth and refusal to follow it. They also killed many Prophets when they conveyed to them what Allah legislated for them, without cause or criminal behavior committed by these Prophets, for they only called them to the truth,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَيَقْتُلُونَ الَّذِينَ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْقِسْطِ مِنَ النَّاسِ</div><p>(And kill those men who order just dealings) thus, demonstrating the worst type of arrogance. Indeed, the Prophet said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«الْكِبْرُ بَطَرُ الْحَقِّ وَغَمْطُ النَّاس»</div><p>(Kibr (arrogance) is refusing the truth and degrading people)</p><p>This is why when they rejected the truth and acted arrogantly towards the creation, Allah punished them with humiliation and disgrace in this life, and humiliating torment in the Hereafter. Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَبَشِّرْهُمْ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ </div><p>(then announce to them a painful torment) meaning, painful and humiliating,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَـلُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالاٌّخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّـصِرِينَ </div><p>(They are those whose works will be lost in this world and in the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers. ).</p> | Chastising the Jews for Their Disbelief and for Killing the Prophets and Righteous PeopleThis Ayah chastises the People of the Book for the transgression and prohibitions they committed by their denials in the past and more recent times, of Allah's Ayat and the Messengers. They did this due to their defiance and rejection of the Messengers, denial of the truth and refusal to follow it. They also killed many Prophets when they conveyed to them what Allah legislated for them, without cause or criminal behavior committed by these Prophets, for they only called them to the truth,وَيَقْتُلُونَ الَّذِينَ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْقِسْطِ مِنَ النَّاسِ(And kill those men who order just dealings) thus, demonstrating the worst type of arrogance. Indeed, the Prophet said,«الْكِبْرُ بَطَرُ الْحَقِّ وَغَمْطُ النَّاس»(Kibr (arrogance) is refusing the truth and degrading people)This is why when they rejected the truth and acted arrogantly towards the creation, Allah punished them with humiliation and disgrace in this life, and humiliating torment in the Hereafter. Allah said,فَبَشِّرْهُمْ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ (then announce to them a painful torment) meaning, painful and humiliating,أُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَـلُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالاٌّخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّـصِرِينَ (They are those whose works will be lost in this world and in the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers. ). |
Their good deeds will be wasted in this world and in the next, and none will they have to help them. | They are those whose deeds are wasted in this world and in the Hereafter; and they do not have any aides. | their works have failed in this world and the next; they have no helpers. | It is they whose works shall come to nought both in this world and in the life to come; and they shall have none to succour them. | These are they whose works have Come to naught in the world and the Hereafter, nor have they helpers. | They are those whose works will be lost in this world and in the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers. | They are those whose deeds will come to nothing, in this world and in the Hereafter; and they will have no saviors. | These are the people whose works have gone to waste in this world and in the World to Come. They have none to help them. | They are those whose works will be lost in this world and in the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers. | Those are they whose works have failed in the world and the Hereafter; and they have no helpers. | They are the ones whose works have failed in this world and the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers. | Their works shall be annulled in this world and in the Everlasting Life, and there shall be none to help them. | They are the ones whose deeds have become worthless in this world and the Hereafter, and for them there will be no helpers. | The deeds of such people are made devoid of all virtue in both this life and the life to come. There will be no one to help them. | Those are they whose works shall become null in this world as well as the hereafter, and they shall have no helpers. | Ol<u>a</u>ika alla<u>th</u>eena <u>h</u>abi<u>t</u>at aAAm<u>a</u>luhum fee a<b>l</b>dduny<u>a</u> wa<b>a</b>l<u>a</u>khirati wam<u>a</u> lahum min n<u>as</u>ireen<b>a</b> | their deeds will come to nothing in this world as well as in the hereafter; they will have no supporters. | They are those whose works will bear no fruit in this world and in the Hereafter nor will they have anyone to help. | 21 | 3 | أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَٰلُهُمْ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْءَاخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّٰصِرِينَ | The actions of those who do such things are wasted and will not be of any benefit to them, neither in this world nor the Afterlife, due to their lack of faith. There will be no one to protect them from the punishment. | The actions of those who do such things are wasted and will not be of any benefit to them, neither in this world nor the Afterlife, due to their lack of faith. There will be no one to protect them from the punishment. | ||||
Have you not seen the people who have received a part of Revelation who are called to the Book of God that it may judge (in their disputes) between them? But some, being averse turn away, | Did you not see them who have received a part of the Book – when called towards the Book of Allah for judging between them, a group of them opposes it and turns away? | Hast thou not regarded those who were given a portion of the Book, being called to the Book of God, that it might decide between them, and then a party of them turned away, swerving aside? | Art thou not aware of those who have been granted their share of revelation [aforetime]? They have been called upon to let God's writ be their law - and yet some of them turn away [from it] in their obstinacy, | Hast thou not observed those vouchsafed a portion of the Book called to the Book of Allah that it may judge between them? Then a party of them turn away and they are backsliders | Have you not seen those who have been given a portion of the Scripture? They are being invited to the Book of Allah to settle their dispute, then a party of them turn away, and they are averse. | Have you not considered those who were given a share of the Scripture, as they were called to the Scripture of God to arbitrate between them; then some of them turned back, and declined? | Have you not noticed those who have been given a portion of the Book? Whenever their learned men are summoned to the Book of Allah to judge the differences between them, a party of them turns away in aversion. | Have you not seen those who have been given a portion of the Scripture They are being invited to the Book of Allah to settle their dispute, then a party of them turned away, and they are averse. | Hast thou not seen how those who have received a portion of the Scripture invoke the Scripture of Allah (in their disputes) that it may judge between them; then a faction of them turn away, being opposed (to it)? | Have you not regarded those who were given a share of the Book, who are summoned to the Book of Allah in order that it may judge between them, whereat a part of them refuse to comply and they are disregardful? | Have you not seen those who have received a portion of the Book being called to the Book of Allah, that it might judge between them, and some turned away, swerving aside. | Do you not consider, [O Muhammad], those who were given a portion of the Scripture? They are invited to the Scripture of Allah that it should arbitrate between them; then a party of them turns away, and they are refusing. | (Muhammad), consider those who have received a share of the Book. When they refer to the Book in order to judge amongst themselves, a group of them turn away with disregard | Have you not considered those (Jews) who are given a portion of the Book? They are invited to the Book of Allah that it might decide between them, then a part of them turn back and they withdraw. | Alam tara il<u>a</u> alla<u>th</u>eena ootoo na<u>s</u>eeban mina alkit<u>a</u>bi yudAAawna il<u>a</u> kit<u>a</u>bi All<u>a</u>hi liya<u>h</u>kuma baynahum thumma yatawall<u>a</u> fareequn minhum wahum muAAri<u>d</u>oon<b>a</b> | Have you not seen those who received a portion of the Book? When they are invited to accept the judgement of God's Book, a group of them turns away in aversion. | Hast thou not turned Thy vision to those who have been given a portion of the Book? They are invited to the Book of Allah, to settle their dispute, but a party of them Turn back and decline (The arbitration). | 22 | 3 | أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ نَصِيبًا مِّنَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَىٰ كِتَٰبِ ٱللَّهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّىٰ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ وَهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ | O Prophet, did you not see the Jews who were given knowledge of the Torah proving your prophethood? When they are called to refer to the book of Allah, the Torah, so that it can decide about what they differ in, a group of their scholars and leaders turn away, ignoring the judgement of the Torah because it does not agree with their desires. The right thing for them to have done, having claimed that they follow the Torah, is to accept its judgement without hesitation. | O Prophet, did you not see the Jews who were given knowledge of the Torah proving your prophethood? When they are called to refer to the book of Allah, the Torah, so that it can decide about what they differ in, a group of their scholars and leaders turn away, ignoring the judgement of the Torah because it does not agree with their desires. The right thing for them to have done, having claimed that they follow the Torah, is to accept its judgement without hesitation. | <p>While dealing with the subject of Jews, as in verses 21-22, the text goes on to censure a particular claim of theirs in the present verse. The address is to the Holy Prophet ﷺ and the reference is to the Torah given to the Jews who would have found it enough for them if they were really looking forward to guidance. But they elect to be in-different because they say and believe that the fire of Hell will not touch them except for a few days, after which, according to their supposition, they would be forgiven. This, it has been said, is self-deception caused by what they have been forging for themselves like their belief that they were the progeny of prophets and therefore, they will escape punishment in the fire of Hell.</p><p>Jews contended that they had worshipped the calf for 40 days and so they will incur punishment, if any, for the same period only.</p> | While dealing with the subject of Jews, as in verses 21-22, the text goes on to censure a particular claim of theirs in the present verse. The address is to the Holy Prophet ﷺ and the reference is to the Torah given to the Jews who would have found it enough for them if they were really looking forward to guidance. But they elect to be in-different because they say and believe that the fire of Hell will not touch them except for a few days, after which, according to their supposition, they would be forgiven. This, it has been said, is self-deception caused by what they have been forging for themselves like their belief that they were the progeny of prophets and therefore, they will escape punishment in the fire of Hell.Jews contended that they had worshipped the calf for 40 days and so they will incur punishment, if any, for the same period only. | <h2 class="title">Chastising the People of the Book for Not Referring to the Book of Allah for Judgment</h2><p>Allah criticizes the Jews and Christians who claim to follow their Books, the Tawrah and the Injil, because when they are called to refer to these Books where Allah commanded them to follow Muhammad , they turn away with aversion. This censure and criticism from Allah was all because of their defiance and rejection. Allah said next,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُواْ لَن تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلاَ أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَتٍ</div><p>(This is because they say: "The Fire shall not touch us but for a number of days.") meaning, what made them dare to challenge and defy the truth is their false claim that Allah will only punish them for seven days in the Fire, a day for every one thousand years in this life. We mentioned this subject in the Tafsir of Surat Al-Baqarah.</p><p>Allah then said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَغَرَّهُمْ فِى دِينِهِم مَّا كَانُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ</div><p>(And that which they used to invent regarding their religion has deceived them.) meaning, what caused them to remain on their false creed is that they deceived themselves, believing that the Fire will only touch them for a few days for their errors. However, it is they who have invented this notion, and Allah did not grant them authority to support this claim. Allah said, while threatening and warning them,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جَمَعْنَـهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ لاَّ رَيْبَ فِيهِ</div><p>(How (will it be) when We gather them together on the Day about which there is no doubt (i. e. the Day of Resurrection).) meaning, what will their condition be like after they have uttered this lie about Allah, rejected His Messengers and killed His Prophets and their scholars who enjoined righteousness and forbade evil Allah will ask them about all this and punish them for what they have done. This is why Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جَمَعْنَـهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ لاَّ رَيْبَ فِيهِ</div><p>(How (will it be) when We gather them together on the Day about which there is no doubt.) meaning, there is no doubt that this Day will come,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَوُفِّيَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لاَ يُظْلَمُونَ</div><p>(And each person will be paid in full what he has earned And they will not be dealt with unjustly.).</p> | Chastising the People of the Book for Not Referring to the Book of Allah for JudgmentAllah criticizes the Jews and Christians who claim to follow their Books, the Tawrah and the Injil, because when they are called to refer to these Books where Allah commanded them to follow Muhammad , they turn away with aversion. This censure and criticism from Allah was all because of their defiance and rejection. Allah said next,ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُواْ لَن تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلاَ أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَتٍ(This is because they say: "The Fire shall not touch us but for a number of days.") meaning, what made them dare to challenge and defy the truth is their false claim that Allah will only punish them for seven days in the Fire, a day for every one thousand years in this life. We mentioned this subject in the Tafsir of Surat Al-Baqarah.Allah then said,وَغَرَّهُمْ فِى دِينِهِم مَّا كَانُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ(And that which they used to invent regarding their religion has deceived them.) meaning, what caused them to remain on their false creed is that they deceived themselves, believing that the Fire will only touch them for a few days for their errors. However, it is they who have invented this notion, and Allah did not grant them authority to support this claim. Allah said, while threatening and warning them,فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جَمَعْنَـهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ لاَّ رَيْبَ فِيهِ(How (will it be) when We gather them together on the Day about which there is no doubt (i. e. the Day of Resurrection).) meaning, what will their condition be like after they have uttered this lie about Allah, rejected His Messengers and killed His Prophets and their scholars who enjoined righteousness and forbade evil Allah will ask them about all this and punish them for what they have done. This is why Allah said,فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جَمَعْنَـهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ لاَّ رَيْبَ فِيهِ(How (will it be) when We gather them together on the Day about which there is no doubt.) meaning, there is no doubt that this Day will come,وَوُفِّيَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لاَ يُظْلَمُونَ(And each person will be paid in full what he has earned And they will not be dealt with unjustly.). |
For they say: "The Fire will not touch us for more than a few days." They have been deceived by the lies they have themselves fabricated, and stray from their faith. | They dared to do this because they say, “The fire will definitely not touch us except for a certain number of days”; and they are deceived in their religion by the lies they fabricated. | That, because they said, 'The Fire shall not touch us, except for a number of days'; and the lies they forged has deluded them in their religion. | simply because they claim, "The fire will most certainly not touch us for more than a limited number of days": and thus the false beliefs which they invented have [in time] caused them to betray their faith. | That is because they say, the Fire shall touch us not save for a few days numbered. And there had deluded them in their religion that which they have been fabricating. | This is because they say: "The Fire shall not touch us but for a number of days." And that which they used to invent regarding their religion has deceived them. | That is because they said, “The Fire will not touch us except for a limited number of days.” They have been misled in their religion by the lies they fabricated. | This is because they say: 'The fire of Hell shall not touch us except for a limited number of days.' The false beliefs which they have forged have deluded them in their faith. | This is because they say: "The Fire shall not touch us but for a number of days." And that which they used to invent in their religion has deceived them. | That is because they say: The Fire will not touch us save for a certain number of days. That which they used to invent hath deceived them regarding their religion. | That is because they say, ‘The Fire shall not touch us except for a number of days,’ and they have been misled in their religion by what they used to fabricate. | For they say: 'The Fire will not touch us except for a certain number of days' And the lies they forged have deluded them in their religion. | That is because they say, "Never will the Fire touch us except for [a few] numbered days," and [because] they were deluded in their religion by what they were inventing. | because of their belief that the fire will only touch them for a few days. This fabricated belief has deceived them in matters of their religion. | This is because they say: The fire shall not touch us but for a few days; and what they have forged deceives them in the matter of their religion. | <u>Tha</u>lika biannahum q<u>a</u>loo lan tamassan<u>a</u> a<b>l</b>nn<u>a</u>ru ill<u>a</u> ayy<u>a</u>man maAAdood<u>a</u>tin wagharrahum fee deenihim m<u>a</u> k<u>a</u>noo yaftaroon<b>a</b> | That is because they say, "The Fire will touch us only for a limited number of days." Thus the false beliefs which they have invented have deluded them in the matter of their religion. | This because they say: "The Fire shall not touch us but for a few numbered days": For their forgeries deceive them as to their own religion. | 23 | 3 | ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا۟ لَن تَمَسَّنَا ٱلنَّارُ إِلَّآ أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَٰتٍ وَغَرَّهُمْ فِى دِينِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ | They turned away from the truth and ignored it because they used to think that the fire of Hell will only touch them for a few days and they will then enter Paradise. This belief deceived them and made them bold against Allah and His religion. | They turned away from the truth and ignored it because they used to think that the fire of Hell will only touch them for a few days and they will then enter Paradise. This belief deceived them and made them bold against Allah and His religion. | ||||
How shall it be when We gather them together on a day that is certain to come, when each will receive his reward without (favour or) wrong? | So what will be (their state) when We bring all of them together for the Day (of Resurrection) about which there is no doubt; and every soul will be paid back in full for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged. | But how will it be, when We gather them for a day whereon is no doubt, and every soul shall be paid in full what it has earned, and they shall not be wronged? | How, then, [will they fare] when We shall gather them all together to witness the Day about [the coming of] which there is no doubt, and every human being shall be repaid in full for what he has done, and none shall be wronged? | How shall it be then, when we shall gather them on the Day whereof there is no doubt, and every soul shall be repaid in full that which it hath earned, and they shall not be wronged. | How (will it be) when We gather them together on the Day about which there is no doubt (i.e. the Day of Resurrection). And each person will be paid in full what he has earned? And they will not be dealt with unjustly. | How about when We gather them for a Day in which there is no doubt, and each soul will be paid in full for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged? | How, then, will they fare when We shall gather them all together to witness the Day about (the coming of) which there is no doubt, and when every human being shall be repaid in full for what he has done, and none shall be wronged? | How (will it be) when We gather them together on the Day about which there is no doubt (i.e. the Day of Resurrection). And each person will be paid in full what he has earned And they will not be dealt with unjustly. | How (will it be with them) when We have brought them all together to a Day of which there is no doubt, when every soul will be paid in full what it hath earned, and they will not be wronged. | But how will it be [with them] when We gather them on a day in which there is no doubt, and every soul shall be recompensed fully for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged? | How will it be when We gather them for a Day in which there is no doubt, when every soul will be given what it has earned and they will not be wronged? | So how will it be when We assemble them for a Day about which there is no doubt? And each soul will be compensated [in full for] what it earned, and they will not be wronged. | What will happen to their belief when We bring them together on the Inevitable Day when every soul will be justly recompensed for its deeds? | Then how will it be when We shall gather them together on a day about which there is no doubt, and every soul shall be fully paid what it has earned, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly? | Fakayfa i<u>tha</u> jamaAAn<u>a</u>hum liyawmin l<u>a</u> rayba feehi wawuffiyat kullu nafsin m<u>a</u> kasabat wahum l<u>a</u> yu<i><u>th</u></i>lamoon<b>a</b> | How will it be when We gather them all together upon a Day which is sure to come, when every human being shall be repaid in full for what he has done? They will not be wronged. | But how (will they fare) when we gather them together against a day about which there is no doubt, and each soul will be paid out just what it has earned, without (favour or) injustice? | 24 | 3 | فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جَمَعْنَٰهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهِ وَوُفِّيَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ | What will be their state and how much will they regret? It will be incredibly terrible when I gather them to give account on the Day of Resurrection, in which there is no doubt. Every person will be given the reward of his actions according to what he deserves, without there being any oppression by a reduction in good actions or an increase in evil actions. | What will be their state and how much will they regret? It will be incredibly terrible when I gather them to give account on the Day of Resurrection, in which there is no doubt. Every person will be given the reward of his actions according to what he deserves, without there being any oppression by a reduction in good actions or an increase in evil actions. | ||||
Say: "O Lord of all dominions, You give whom it pleases You the kingdom, and You take away the power from whosoever You will; You exalt whom You please and debase whom You will. All goodness is Yours (entirely). Indeed You have the power over all things. | Invoke (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “O Allah! Owner Of The Kingdom – You bestow the kingdom on whomever You will, and You take back the kingdom from whomever You will; and You give honour to whomever You will, and You humiliate whomever You will; only in Your Hand (control) lies all goodness; indeed, You are Able to do all things.” | Say: 'O God, Master of the Kingdom, Thou givest the Kingdom to whom Thou wilt, and seizest the Kingdom from whom Thou wilt, Thou exaltest whom Thou wilt, and Thou abasest whom Thou wilt; in Thy hand is the good; Thou art powerful over everything. | SAY: "O God, Lord of all dominion! Thou grantest dominion unto whom Thou willest, and takest away dominion from whom Thou willest; and Thou exaltest whom Thou willest, and abasest whom Thou willest. In Thy hand is all good. Verily, Thou hast the power to will anything. | Say thou: O Allah! sovereign of the dominion: Thou givest dominion unto whomsoever Thou wilt, and Thou takest away dominion from whomsoever Thou wilt; Thou honourest whomsoever Thou wilt, and Thou abasest whomsoever Thou wilt; and in Thine hand is good. And verily Thou art over every thing Potent. | Say (O Muhammad SAW): "O Allah! Possessor of the kingdom, You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take the kingdom from whom You will, and You endue with honour whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will. In Your Hand is the good. Verily, You are Able to do all things. | Say, “O God, Owner of Sovereignty. You grant sovereignty to whom You will, and You strip sovereignty from whom you will. You honor whom you will, and You humiliate whom you will. In Your hand is all goodness. You are Capable of all things.” | Say: 'O Allah, Lord of all dominion! You give dominion to whom You will, and take away dominion from whom You will, and You exalt whom You will, and abase whom You will. In Your Hand is all good. Surely You are All-Power-ful. | Say: "O Allah! Possessor of the power, You give power to whom You will, and You take power from whom You will, and You endue with honor whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will. In Your Hand is the good. Verily, You are able to do all things. | Say: O Allah! Owner of Sovereignty! Thou givest sovereignty unto whom Thou wilt, and Thou withdrawest sovereignty from whom Thou wilt. Thou exaltest whom Thou wilt, and Thou abasest whom Thou wilt. In Thy hand is the good. Lo! Thou art Able to do all things. | Say, ‘O Allah, Master of all sovereignty! You give sovereignty to whomever You wish, and strip of sovereignty whomever You wish; You make mighty whomever You wish, and You degrade whomever You wish; all choice is in Your hand. Indeed You have power over all things.’ | Say: 'O Allah, Owner of the Kingdom. You give the kingdom to whom You will, and take it away from whom You will, You exalt whom You will and abase whom You will. In Your Hand is good, You have power over all things. | Say, "O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things competent. | (Muhammad), say, "Lord, Owner of the Kingdom, You give authority to whomever You want and take it away from whomever You want. You give honor to whomever You want and humiliate whomever You want. In Your hands is all virtue and You have power over all things. | Say: O Allah, Master of the Kingdom! Thou givest the kingdom to whomsoever Thou pleasest and takest away the kingdom from whomsoever Thou pleasest, and Thou exaltest whom Thou pleasest and abasest whom Thou pleasest in Thine hand is the good; surety, Thou hast power over all things. | Quli all<u>a</u>humma m<u>a</u>lika almulki tutee almulka man tash<u>a</u>o watanziAAu almulka mimman tash<u>a</u>o watuAAizzu man tash<u>a</u>o watu<u>th</u>illu man tash<u>a</u>o biyadika alkhayru innaka AAal<u>a</u> kulli shayin qadeer<b>un</b> | Say, "Lord, sovereign of all sovereignty. You bestow sovereignty on whom you will and take it away from whom You please; You exalt whoever You will and abase whoever You will. All that is good lies in Your hands. You have the power to will anything. | Say: "O Allah! Lord of Power (And Rule), Thou givest power to whom Thou pleasest, and Thou strippest off power from whom Thou pleasest: Thou enduest with honour whom Thou pleasest, and Thou bringest low whom Thou pleasest: In Thy hand is all good. Verily, over all things Thou hast power. | 25 | 3 | قُلِ ٱللَّهُمَّ مَٰلِكَ ٱلْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِى ٱلْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَنزِعُ ٱلْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَآءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَآءُ بِيَدِكَ ٱلْخَيْرُ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ | O Prophet, say in praise of your Lord and in declaration of His greatness: Allah, to You belongs all authority in this world and the Afterlife. You give authority to whomever of Your creation You wish, and remove it from whomever of Your creation You wish. You give honour to whomever You wish, and You disgrace whomever You wish. All of this is done according to Your wisdom and justice. All good lies only in Your hand. You have power over everything. | O Prophet, say in praise of your Lord and in declaration of His greatness: Allah, to You belongs all authority in this world and the Afterlife. You give authority to whomever of Your creation You wish, and remove it from whomever of Your creation You wish. You give honour to whomever You wish, and You disgrace whomever You wish. All of this is done according to Your wisdom and justice. All good lies only in Your hand. You have power over everything. | <p>In these verses, Muslims have been taught and prompted to make a particular prayer which, in a subtle way, gives an indication that they are going to overpower disbelievers. This has its proof in the background in which these verses were revealed. When the Holy Prophet ﷺ promised that Byzantine and Persia will be taken, the hypocrites and the Jews laughed at the idea. Thereupon, this verse was revealedI.</p><p>1. Ruh al-Ma' ani from al-Wahidi, from Ibn ` Abbas and Anas ؓ</p><p>Commentary</p><p>The background of Revelation:</p><p>An episode from the Battle of Khandaq</p><p>The recurring defeat of the disbelievers of Makkah at Badr and Uhud and their general failure to register any gains in their hostility against Muslims coupled with the growing strength of Muslims and the rise of Islam had made them very nervous, almost reckless. The whole thing ended up in a conspiracy. The disbelievers of Arabia, the Jews and the Christians all joined in a united front against Muslims and resolved to attack Madinah and fight a conclusive battle. This they did, determined to eradicate Islam and Muslims from the face of the earth. The battle is called 'al-Ahzab' in the Qur'an, and 'Khandaq خندق in history, because the Holy Prophet ﷺ had decided in consultation with his Companions ؓ that a khandaq خندق or trench be dug around parts of Madinah to block the unhindered attack of the enemy during this battle.</p><p>According to narrations in al-Baihaqi, Abu Nu'aim and Ibn Khuzaimah, when the task of digging the trench was entrusted to the Islamic army, the plan was to allot the digging of a forty hand-span long trench to a group of ten men each. This trench was several miles long and fairly deep and wide, so that the enemy would find it impossible to cross over. Then, the digging had to be completed in the shortest possible time which made the noble Companions ؓ put in whatever time and energy they had in this effort, so much so that they found it difficult to leave the job and take time for even the most pressing of their needs. They were working non-stop on hungry stomachs. Surely, a modern army engineering service with its latest equipment would have not found this kind of job any easier to handle. Here, it was the power of faith which made the completion of this difficult assignment possible.</p><p>The Holy Prophet ﷺ was taking part in this digging operation as an individual like everybody else. By chance, the diggers came upon a huge rock in a certain part of the trench. Those who were assigned to dig that part of the trench tried their best to break it apart but they became helpless and gave up. They asked Sayyidna Salman al-Farisi to go to the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، tell him about the problem and seek his instructions in this connection. The Holy Prophet ﷺ immediately came at the spot, took the pick-axe in his blessed hands and struck at the rock. The rock was shat-tered into pieces and from it rose a streak of light which illuminated the area far and wide. The Holy Prophet ﷺ said: In this light, I see the palaces and buildings of Hirah in the country of Persia. He struck again and a second beam of light rose. He said: 'In this light, I was shown the red palaces and buildings of the Byzantinians.' When he struck the third time and the flame beamed its light around, he said: 'In this I was shown the great palaces of San'a in Yemen.' Then, he said: 'I share the good news given by Jibra'il. (علیہ السلام) with you that my community of Muslims will prevail over all these countries.'</p><p>When the hypocrites of Madinah heard about it, they found an occasion to ridicule Muslims - 'just look at these people, here they are all scared of the enemy, digging trenches without eating and resting, not knowing for sure if their own lives will be safe, yet they are dreaming of running over Persia, Byzantine and Yemen!' It was in answer to a people so unfair and unjust that Allah Almighty revealed the verse:</p><p>قُلِ اللَّـهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَاءُ وَتَنزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَاءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَاءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَاءُ ۖ بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴿26﴾</p><p>Say: "0 Allah, 0 Lord of the Kingdom, You give kingdom to whom You will, and take kingdom away from whom You will; and You bestow honour on whom You will, and bring disgrace to whom You will. In Your hand lies the good. You are surely powerful over everything." (3 : 26)</p><p>Appearing in the form of a prayer, this verse so eloquently brings into focus the most perfect power of Allah as it manifests itself in the rise and fall of nations and in the revolutions that rock countries. At the same time it gives a hint that the prophecy made by the Holy Prophet ﷺ will come to pass and Persia and Byzantine will .fall to Muslims. Here, enemies of Islam have been warned that they have not learnt their lesson from the rise and fall of past wielders of power for they judge events and personalities from the material angle while the truth is that all powers and governments of the world are in the hands of the most pristine power of Allah, the One in whose hands lies all honour and disgrace. There is no doubt that He is capable of making the poor and the meek sit on thrones and wrest power from kings and monarchs. Why then, should it be difficult for him to choose these ragged believers digging trenches to rule over Persia, Syria, Iraq and Yemen?</p><p>Things usually considered bad, may ultimately prove not to be that bad:</p><p>Towards the end of the verse, the expression بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ translated as ` in Your hand lies the good' needs some explanation. It will be noticed that in the earlier part of the verse both giving and taking of power and bestowing of honour and bringing of disgrace were mentioned side by side. It would have seemed in keeping with the occasion if the word, شر ‘sharr’ (evil) would have been coupled with 'khair' (good). But, the text elects to use the word, 'khair' (good) alone and thereby points out to something real and significant in human affairs. The point worth noting is that a person or a people may regard something as unwelcome, and it may even be so for that particular person or people, but looked at from the wider angle of the whole community of nations, it may not be really evil. The Arab poet, Mutanabbi has put it very succinctly when he said:</p><p>مصایب قوم عند قوم فواید</p><p>The calamities of one group are the gains of another.</p><p>In short, the evil of things we regard as evil is partial. Looked at from its relationship to the Creator of the Universe and the Lord of all there is, and viewed in the perspective of the totality of the world of our experience, nothing is really evil or bad as such. So given the wis-dom, the power and the consideration of the created universe as a whole, everything is good, 'khair' as the verse sees sufficient to say.</p> | In these verses, Muslims have been taught and prompted to make a particular prayer which, in a subtle way, gives an indication that they are going to overpower disbelievers. This has its proof in the background in which these verses were revealed. When the Holy Prophet ﷺ promised that Byzantine and Persia will be taken, the hypocrites and the Jews laughed at the idea. Thereupon, this verse was revealedI.1. Ruh al-Ma' ani from al-Wahidi, from Ibn ` Abbas and Anas ؓCommentaryThe background of Revelation:An episode from the Battle of KhandaqThe recurring defeat of the disbelievers of Makkah at Badr and Uhud and their general failure to register any gains in their hostility against Muslims coupled with the growing strength of Muslims and the rise of Islam had made them very nervous, almost reckless. The whole thing ended up in a conspiracy. The disbelievers of Arabia, the Jews and the Christians all joined in a united front against Muslims and resolved to attack Madinah and fight a conclusive battle. This they did, determined to eradicate Islam and Muslims from the face of the earth. The battle is called 'al-Ahzab' in the Qur'an, and 'Khandaq خندق in history, because the Holy Prophet ﷺ had decided in consultation with his Companions ؓ that a khandaq خندق or trench be dug around parts of Madinah to block the unhindered attack of the enemy during this battle.According to narrations in al-Baihaqi, Abu Nu'aim and Ibn Khuzaimah, when the task of digging the trench was entrusted to the Islamic army, the plan was to allot the digging of a forty hand-span long trench to a group of ten men each. This trench was several miles long and fairly deep and wide, so that the enemy would find it impossible to cross over. Then, the digging had to be completed in the shortest possible time which made the noble Companions ؓ put in whatever time and energy they had in this effort, so much so that they found it difficult to leave the job and take time for even the most pressing of their needs. They were working non-stop on hungry stomachs. Surely, a modern army engineering service with its latest equipment would have not found this kind of job any easier to handle. Here, it was the power of faith which made the completion of this difficult assignment possible.The Holy Prophet ﷺ was taking part in this digging operation as an individual like everybody else. By chance, the diggers came upon a huge rock in a certain part of the trench. Those who were assigned to dig that part of the trench tried their best to break it apart but they became helpless and gave up. They asked Sayyidna Salman al-Farisi to go to the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، tell him about the problem and seek his instructions in this connection. The Holy Prophet ﷺ immediately came at the spot, took the pick-axe in his blessed hands and struck at the rock. The rock was shat-tered into pieces and from it rose a streak of light which illuminated the area far and wide. The Holy Prophet ﷺ said: In this light, I see the palaces and buildings of Hirah in the country of Persia. He struck again and a second beam of light rose. He said: 'In this light, I was shown the red palaces and buildings of the Byzantinians.' When he struck the third time and the flame beamed its light around, he said: 'In this I was shown the great palaces of San'a in Yemen.' Then, he said: 'I share the good news given by Jibra'il. (علیہ السلام) with you that my community of Muslims will prevail over all these countries.'When the hypocrites of Madinah heard about it, they found an occasion to ridicule Muslims - 'just look at these people, here they are all scared of the enemy, digging trenches without eating and resting, not knowing for sure if their own lives will be safe, yet they are dreaming of running over Persia, Byzantine and Yemen!' It was in answer to a people so unfair and unjust that Allah Almighty revealed the verse:قُلِ اللَّـهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَاءُ وَتَنزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَاءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَاءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَاءُ ۖ بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴿26﴾Say: "0 Allah, 0 Lord of the Kingdom, You give kingdom to whom You will, and take kingdom away from whom You will; and You bestow honour on whom You will, and bring disgrace to whom You will. In Your hand lies the good. You are surely powerful over everything." (3 : 26)Appearing in the form of a prayer, this verse so eloquently brings into focus the most perfect power of Allah as it manifests itself in the rise and fall of nations and in the revolutions that rock countries. At the same time it gives a hint that the prophecy made by the Holy Prophet ﷺ will come to pass and Persia and Byzantine will .fall to Muslims. Here, enemies of Islam have been warned that they have not learnt their lesson from the rise and fall of past wielders of power for they judge events and personalities from the material angle while the truth is that all powers and governments of the world are in the hands of the most pristine power of Allah, the One in whose hands lies all honour and disgrace. There is no doubt that He is capable of making the poor and the meek sit on thrones and wrest power from kings and monarchs. Why then, should it be difficult for him to choose these ragged believers digging trenches to rule over Persia, Syria, Iraq and Yemen?Things usually considered bad, may ultimately prove not to be that bad:Towards the end of the verse, the expression بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ translated as ` in Your hand lies the good' needs some explanation. It will be noticed that in the earlier part of the verse both giving and taking of power and bestowing of honour and bringing of disgrace were mentioned side by side. It would have seemed in keeping with the occasion if the word, شر ‘sharr’ (evil) would have been coupled with 'khair' (good). But, the text elects to use the word, 'khair' (good) alone and thereby points out to something real and significant in human affairs. The point worth noting is that a person or a people may regard something as unwelcome, and it may even be so for that particular person or people, but looked at from the wider angle of the whole community of nations, it may not be really evil. The Arab poet, Mutanabbi has put it very succinctly when he said:مصایب قوم عند قوم فوایدThe calamities of one group are the gains of another.In short, the evil of things we regard as evil is partial. Looked at from its relationship to the Creator of the Universe and the Lord of all there is, and viewed in the perspective of the totality of the world of our experience, nothing is really evil or bad as such. So given the wis-dom, the power and the consideration of the created universe as a whole, everything is good, 'khair' as the verse sees sufficient to say. | <h2 class="title">Encouraging Gratitude</h2><p>Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُلْ</div><p>(Say) O Muhammad , while praising your Lord, thanking Him, relying in all matters upon Him and trusting in Him.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">اللَّهُمَّ مَـلِكَ الْمُلْكِ</div><p>(O Allah! Possessor of the power) meaning, all sovereignty is Yours,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">تُؤْتِى الْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَنزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَآءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَآءُ</div><p>(You give power to whom You will, and You take power from whom You will, and You endue with honor whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will.) meaning, You are the Giver, You are the Taker, it is Your will that occurs and whatever You do not will, does not occur. This Ayah encourages thanking Allah for the favors He granted His Messenger and his Ummah. Allah transferred the prophethood from the Children of Israel to the Arab, Qurashi, Makkan, unlettered Prophet, the Final and Last of all Prophets and the Messenger of Allah to all mankind and Jinn. Allah endowed the Prophet with the best of qualities from the prophets before him. Allah also granted him extra qualities that no other Prophet or Messenger before him was endowed with, such as granting him (more) knowledge of Allah and His Law, knowledge of more of the matters of the past and the future, such as what will occur in the Hereafter. Allah allowed Muhammad's Ummah to reach the eastern and western parts of the world and gave dominance to his religion and Law over all other religions and laws. May Allah's peace and blessings be on the Prophet until the Day of Judgment, and as long as the day and night succeed each other. This is why Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ مَـلِكَ الْمُلْكِ</div><p>(Say: "O Allah! Possessor of the power,") meaning, You decide what You will concerning Your creation and You do what you will. Allah refutes those who thought that they could decide for Allah,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَقَالُواْ لَوْلاَ نُزِّلَ هَـذَا الْقُرْءَانُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِّنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ </div><p>(And they say: "Why is not this Qur'an sent down to some great man of the two towns (Makkah and Ta'if)") 43:31.</p><p>Allah refuted them by saying,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّكَ</div><p>(Is it they who would portion out the Mercy of your Lord) 43:32, meaning, "We decide for Our creation what We will, without resistance or hindrance by anyone. We have the perfect wisdom and the unequivocal proof in all of this, and We give the prophethood to whom We will." Similarly, Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ</div><p>(Allah knows best with whom to place His Message) and,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">انظُرْ كَيْفَ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ</div><p>(See how We prefer one above another (in this world)) 17: 21</p><p>Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">تُولِجُ الَّيْلَ فِى الْنَّهَارِ وَتُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِى الَّيْلِ</div><p>(You make the night enter into the day, and You make the day enter into the night) meaning, You take from the length of one of them and add it to the shortness of the other, so that they become equal, and take from the length of one of them and add it to the other so that they are not equal. This occurs throughout the seasons of the year: spring, summer, fall and winter. Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَتُخْرِجُ الْحَىَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَتُخْرِجُ الَمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَىِّ</div><p>(You bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living.) means, You bring out the seed from the plant and the plant from the seed; the date from its seed and the date's seed from the date; the faithful from the disbeliever and the disbeliever from the faithful; the chicken from the egg and the egg from the chicken, etc.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَتَرْزُقُ مَن تَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ</div><p>(And You give wealth and sustenance to whom You will, without limit.) meaning, You give whomever You will innumerable amounts of wealth while depriving others from it, out of wisdom, and justice.</p> | Encouraging GratitudeAllah said,قُلْ(Say) O Muhammad , while praising your Lord, thanking Him, relying in all matters upon Him and trusting in Him.اللَّهُمَّ مَـلِكَ الْمُلْكِ(O Allah! Possessor of the power) meaning, all sovereignty is Yours,تُؤْتِى الْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَنزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَآءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَآءُ(You give power to whom You will, and You take power from whom You will, and You endue with honor whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will.) meaning, You are the Giver, You are the Taker, it is Your will that occurs and whatever You do not will, does not occur. This Ayah encourages thanking Allah for the favors He granted His Messenger and his Ummah. Allah transferred the prophethood from the Children of Israel to the Arab, Qurashi, Makkan, unlettered Prophet, the Final and Last of all Prophets and the Messenger of Allah to all mankind and Jinn. Allah endowed the Prophet with the best of qualities from the prophets before him. Allah also granted him extra qualities that no other Prophet or Messenger before him was endowed with, such as granting him (more) knowledge of Allah and His Law, knowledge of more of the matters of the past and the future, such as what will occur in the Hereafter. Allah allowed Muhammad's Ummah to reach the eastern and western parts of the world and gave dominance to his religion and Law over all other religions and laws. May Allah's peace and blessings be on the Prophet until the Day of Judgment, and as long as the day and night succeed each other. This is why Allah said,قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ مَـلِكَ الْمُلْكِ(Say: "O Allah! Possessor of the power,") meaning, You decide what You will concerning Your creation and You do what you will. Allah refutes those who thought that they could decide for Allah,وَقَالُواْ لَوْلاَ نُزِّلَ هَـذَا الْقُرْءَانُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِّنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ (And they say: "Why is not this Qur'an sent down to some great man of the two towns (Makkah and Ta'if)") 43:31.Allah refuted them by saying,أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّكَ(Is it they who would portion out the Mercy of your Lord) 43:32, meaning, "We decide for Our creation what We will, without resistance or hindrance by anyone. We have the perfect wisdom and the unequivocal proof in all of this, and We give the prophethood to whom We will." Similarly, Allah said,اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ(Allah knows best with whom to place His Message) and,انظُرْ كَيْفَ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ(See how We prefer one above another (in this world)) 17: 21Allah said,تُولِجُ الَّيْلَ فِى الْنَّهَارِ وَتُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِى الَّيْلِ(You make the night enter into the day, and You make the day enter into the night) meaning, You take from the length of one of them and add it to the shortness of the other, so that they become equal, and take from the length of one of them and add it to the other so that they are not equal. This occurs throughout the seasons of the year: spring, summer, fall and winter. Allah's statement,وَتُخْرِجُ الْحَىَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَتُخْرِجُ الَمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَىِّ(You bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living.) means, You bring out the seed from the plant and the plant from the seed; the date from its seed and the date's seed from the date; the faithful from the disbeliever and the disbeliever from the faithful; the chicken from the egg and the egg from the chicken, etc.وَتَرْزُقُ مَن تَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ(And You give wealth and sustenance to whom You will, without limit.) meaning, You give whomever You will innumerable amounts of wealth while depriving others from it, out of wisdom, and justice. |
You make the night succeed the day, the day succeed the night, raise the living from the dead, the dead from the living, and give whomsoever You please, and in measure without number." | “You cause part of the night to pass into the day, and You cause part of the day to pass into the night; and You bring forth the living from the dead, and You bring forth the dead from the living; and You give to whomever You will, without account.” | Thou makest the night to enter into the day and Thou makest the day to enter into the night, Thou bringest forth the living from the dead and Thou bringest forth the dead from the living, and Thou providest whomsoever Thou wilt without reckoning. | "Thou makest the night grow longer by shortening the day, and Thou makest the day grow longer by shortening the night. And Thou bringest forth the living out of that which is dead, and Thou bringest forth the dead out of that which is alive. And Thou grantest sustenance unto whom `Thou willest, beyond all reckoning." | Thou plungest night into day and Thou plungest day into night, and Thou bringest forth the living from the lifeless, and Thou bringest forth the lifeless from the living; and Thou providest for whomsoever Thou wilt without reckoning. | You make the night to enter into the day, and You make the day to enter into the night (i.e. increase and decrease in the hours of the night and the day during winter and summer), You bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living. And You give wealth and sustenance to whom You will, without limit (measure or account). | “You merge the night into the day, and You merge the day into the night; and you bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living; and You provide for whom you will without measure.” | You cause the night to pass into the day and the day to pass into the night. You bring forth the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living, and You give sustenance to whom You will beyond all reckoning.' | You make the night to enter into the day, and You make the day to enter into the night, You bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living. And You give wealth and sustenance to whom You will, without limit. | Thou causest the night to pass into the day, and Thou causest the day to pass into the night. And Thou bringest forth the living from the dead, and Thou bringest forth the dead from the living. And Thou givest sustenance to whom Thou choosest, without stint. | ‘You make the night pass into the day and You make the day pass into the night. You bring forth the living from the dead and You bring forth the dead from the living, and You provide for whomever You wish without any reckoning.’ | You cause the night to enter into the day, and the day to enter into the night. You bring forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living. You provide without reckoning to whom You will' | You cause the night to enter the day, and You cause the day to enter the night; and You bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living. And You give provision to whom You will without account." | You cause the day to enter into the night and the night to enter into the day. You cause the living to come out of the dead and the dead to come out of the living. You give sustenance to whomever You want without keeping an account. | Thou makest the night to pass into the day and Thou makest the day to pass into the night, and Thou bringest forth the living from the dead and Thou bringest forth the dead from the living, and Thou givest sustenance to whom Thou pleasest without measure. | Tooliju allayla fee a<b>l</b>nnah<u>a</u>ri watooliju a<b>l</b>nnah<u>a</u>ra fee allayli watukhriju al<u>h</u>ayya mina almayyiti watukhriju almayyita mina al<u>h</u>ayyi watarzuqu man tash<u>a</u>o bighayri <u>h</u>is<u>a</u>b<b>in</b> | You cause the night to pass into the day, and the day into the night; You bring forth the living from the lifeless and the lifeless from the living. You give without measure to whom You will." | "Thou causest the night to gain on the day, and thou causest the day to gain on the night; Thou bringest the Living out of the dead, and Thou bringest the dead out of the Living; and Thou givest sustenance to whom Thou pleasest, without measure." | 26 | 3 | تُولِجُ ٱلَّيْلَ فِى ٱلنَّهَارِ وَتُولِجُ ٱلنَّهَارَ فِى ٱلَّيْلِ وَتُخْرِجُ ٱلْحَىَّ مِنَ ٱلْمَيِّتِ وَتُخْرِجُ ٱلْمَيِّتَ مِنَ ٱلْحَىِّ وَتَرْزُقُ مَن تَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ | A display of Your power is that You cause the night to become longer by making it enter into the day, and You cause the day to become longer by entering it into the night. You bring out the living from the dead – as in a believer from a disbeliever and crops from seed – and You bring out the dead from the living – as in a disbeliever from a believer and a chick from an egg. You give provision to whomever You wish, in abundance without any limit or count. | A display of Your power is that You cause the night to become longer by making it enter into the day, and You cause the day to become longer by entering it into the night. You bring out the living from the dead – as in a believer from a disbeliever and crops from seed – and You bring out the dead from the living – as in a disbeliever from a believer and a chick from an egg. You give provision to whomever You wish, in abundance without any limit or count. | <p>The second verse (27) demonstrates that Allah controls all spaces and heavenly bodies and employs the sun and the moon to make the days longer than nights and the nights longer than the days at His will and command.</p><p>Mentioned after that is His unrivalled power of 'bringing the living out from the dead' such as, a chick from an egg, or a human infant from the sperm, or a tree from a seed and of 'bringing the dead out from the living' such as eggs from birds and beasts, sperm from humans or fruit from trees and dried grain from plants.</p><p>If we were to take 'the living' and the dead' in a broad and general sense, this will become inclusive of the learned and the ignorant, the perfect and the imperfect and the believer and the disbeliever (the Muslim and the Kafir). It only goes to show that Allah's perfect power exercises absolute control over all phenomena, both physical and spiritual, through which He can make a Muslim out of a Kafir, a perfect believer out of a staunch disbeliever, a scholar out of an ignorant person - if He so wills. And if He so wills, He can let a believer turn into a disbeliever or a rustic into a scholar. He brought Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) out of an idol-worshipper. He let the son of Prophet Nuh (علیہ السلام) remain an infidel. Strange but true, the son of an ` alim عالم (scholar) can remain illiterate and the son of someone illiterate can become an ` alim عالم .</p><p>A discerning reader will not fail to notice the eloquent order in which Allah's most perfect power that reigns and runs the universe from the cosmos to the soul of man has been demonstrated so effectively.</p><p>The special merit of this verse:</p><p>Imam al-Baghawi (رح) reports a hadith from the Holy Prophet ﷺ in which he said: It is Allah's promise that anyone who recites, after every Surah, the Surah al-Fatihah, Ayah al-Kursi, two verses of 'Al-` Imran, that is شَهِدَ اللَّـهُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ (3:18) and the present verse from قُلِ اللَّـهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ (26-27), He will make his abode in Paradise, and have him placed in the Sacred Enclosure, and bless him with His mercy seventy times every day, and fulfill seventy of his needs, and protect him against every envier and enemy and make him prevail over them.</p> | The second verse (27) demonstrates that Allah controls all spaces and heavenly bodies and employs the sun and the moon to make the days longer than nights and the nights longer than the days at His will and command.Mentioned after that is His unrivalled power of 'bringing the living out from the dead' such as, a chick from an egg, or a human infant from the sperm, or a tree from a seed and of 'bringing the dead out from the living' such as eggs from birds and beasts, sperm from humans or fruit from trees and dried grain from plants.If we were to take 'the living' and the dead' in a broad and general sense, this will become inclusive of the learned and the ignorant, the perfect and the imperfect and the believer and the disbeliever (the Muslim and the Kafir). It only goes to show that Allah's perfect power exercises absolute control over all phenomena, both physical and spiritual, through which He can make a Muslim out of a Kafir, a perfect believer out of a staunch disbeliever, a scholar out of an ignorant person - if He so wills. And if He so wills, He can let a believer turn into a disbeliever or a rustic into a scholar. He brought Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) out of an idol-worshipper. He let the son of Prophet Nuh (علیہ السلام) remain an infidel. Strange but true, the son of an ` alim عالم (scholar) can remain illiterate and the son of someone illiterate can become an ` alim عالم .A discerning reader will not fail to notice the eloquent order in which Allah's most perfect power that reigns and runs the universe from the cosmos to the soul of man has been demonstrated so effectively.The special merit of this verse:Imam al-Baghawi (رح) reports a hadith from the Holy Prophet ﷺ in which he said: It is Allah's promise that anyone who recites, after every Surah, the Surah al-Fatihah, Ayah al-Kursi, two verses of 'Al-` Imran, that is شَهِدَ اللَّـهُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ (3:18) and the present verse from قُلِ اللَّـهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ (26-27), He will make his abode in Paradise, and have him placed in the Sacred Enclosure, and bless him with His mercy seventy times every day, and fulfill seventy of his needs, and protect him against every envier and enemy and make him prevail over them. | ||
Those who believe should not take unbelievers as their friends in preference to those who believe -- and whoever does so should have no (expectations) of God -- unless to safeguard yourselves against them. But God commands you to beware of Him, for to God you will journey in the end. | The Muslims must not befriend the disbelievers, in preference over the Muslims; whoever does that has no connection whatsoever with Allah, except if you fear them; Allah warns you of His wrath; and towards Allah only is the return. | Let not the believers take the unbelievers for friends, rather than the believers -- for whoso does that belongs not to God in anything -- unless you have a fear of them. God warns you that You beware of Him, and unto God is the homecoming. | LET NOT the believers take those who deny the truth for their allies in preference to the believers - since he who does this cuts himself off from God in everything - unless it be to protect yourselves against them in this way. But God warns you to beware of Him: for with God is all journeys' end. | Let not the believers take unto themselves the infidels as friends, beside the believers: and whosoever doth that, then he is not in respect of Allah in aught, unless indeed ye fear from them a danger. And Allah maketh ye beware of Himself; and unto Allah is the last wending. | Let not the believers take the disbelievers as Auliya (supporters, helpers, etc.) instead of the believers, and whoever does that will never be helped by Allah in any way, except if you indeed fear a danger from them. And Allah warns you against Himself (His Punishment), and to Allah is the final return. | Believers are not to take disbelievers for friends instead of believers. Whoever does that has nothing to do with God, unless it is to protect your own selves against them. God warns you to beware of Him. To God is the destiny. | The believers may not take the unbelievers for their allies in preference to those who believe. Whoever does this has nothing to do with Allah unless he does so in order to protect himself from their wrong-doing. Allah warns you to beware of Him for it is to Allah that you will return. | Let not the believers take the disbelievers as friends instead of the believers, and whoever does that, will never be helped by Allah in any way, unless you indeed fear a danger from them. And Allah warns you against Himself, and to Allah is the final return. | Let not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers. Whoso doeth that hath no connection with Allah unless (it be) that ye but guard yourselves against them, taking (as it were) security. Allah biddeth you beware (only) of Himself. Unto Allah is the journeying. | The faithful should not take the faithless for allies instead of the faithful, and Allah will have nothing to do with those who do that, except when you are wary of them, out of caution. Allah warns you to beware of [disobeying] Him, and toward Allah is the return. | The believers should not take the unbelievers as guides in preference to the believers he who does this does not belong to Allah in anything, unless you have a fear of them. Allah warns you to be cautious of Him, the arrival is to Allah. | Let not believers take disbelievers as allies rather than believers. And whoever [of you] does that has nothing with Allah, except when taking precaution against them in prudence. And Allah warns you of Himself, and to Allah is the [final] destination. | The believers must not establish friendship with the unbelievers in preference to the faithful. Whoever does so has nothing to hope for from God unless he does it out of fear or taqiyah (pious dissimulation). God warns you about Himself. To God do all things return. | Let not the believers take the unbelievers for friends rather than believers; and whoever does this, he shall have nothing of (the guardianship of) Allah, but you should guard yourselves against them, guarding carefully; and Allah makes you cautious of (retribution from) Himself; and to Allah is the eventual coming. | L<u>a</u> yattakhi<u>th</u>i almuminoona alk<u>a</u>fireena awliy<u>a</u>a min dooni almumineena waman yafAAal <u>tha</u>lika falaysa mina All<u>a</u>hi fee shayin ill<u>a</u> an tattaqoo minhum tuq<u>a</u>tan wayu<u>h</u>a<u>thth</u>irukumu All<u>a</u>hu nafsahu wail<u>a</u> All<u>a</u>hi alma<u>s</u>eer<b>u</b> | Let not the believers take those who deny the truth for their allies in preference to the believers, anyone who does that will isolate himself completely from God, unless it be to protect yourselves against them in this way. God admonishes you to fear Him: for, to God shall all return. | Let not the believers Take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than believers: if any do that, in nothing will there be help from Allah: except by way of precaution, that ye may Guard yourselves from them. But Allah cautions you (To remember) Himself; for the final goal is to Allah. | 27 | 3 | لَّا يَتَّخِذِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ فِى شَىْءٍ إِلَّآ أَن تَتَّقُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ تُقَىٰةً وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسَهُۥ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمَصِيرُ | O believers, do not take disbelievers as friends that you love and support instead of other believers: whoever does this will never be helped by Allah in any way. However, if you are under their authority and you fear for your lives, then there is no harm if you avoid their harm by being nice to them in your speech and actions on the outside, whilst hating them inside. Allah warns you of Himself, so fear Him and do not become the subject of His anger by committing sins. All men will return to Allah alone on the Day of Resurrection for Him to reward them for their actions. | O believers, do not take disbelievers as friends that you love and support instead of other believers: whoever does this will never be helped by Allah in any way. However, if you are under their authority and you fear for your lives, then there is no harm if you avoid their harm by being nice to them in your speech and actions on the outside, whilst hating them inside. Allah warns you of Himself, so fear Him and do not become the subject of His anger by committing sins. All men will return to Allah alone on the Day of Resurrection for Him to reward them for their actions. | <p>Commentary</p><p>In these verses, Muslims have been instructed not to take disbelievers as their friends. Those who act against this instruction have been sternly warned: Those who take them as friends will find that their bond of love and friendship with Allah has been cut off. Any emotionally involved friendship that comes from the heart is absolutely forbidden (Haram). However, a formal friendship at the level of mutual dealings is, no doubt, permissible; but, that too is not favoured if unnecessary.</p><p>Verses dealing with this subject have appeared at many places in the Holy Qur'an with varying shades of meaning. It was said in Surah al-Mumtahinah:</p><p>يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُوِّي وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ تُلْقُونَ إِلَيْهِم بِالْمَوَدَّةِ</p><p>0. those who believe, do not take My enemy and your enemy as friends having love for them. (60:1)</p><p>Then, towards the end it was said:</p><p>وَمَن يَفْعَلْهُ مِنكُمْ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ</p><p>And whoever from among you does this he has gone astray from the right path. (60:1)</p><p>Elsewhere it was said:</p><p>يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَىٰ أَوْلِيَاءَ ۘ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ ﴿المائدة : 51﴾</p><p>0 those who believe, do not take Jews or Christians as friends (for) they are friends among themselves. And whoever has friendship with them, he is one of them. (5:51)</p><p>And it appears in Surah al-Mujadalah:</p><p>لَّا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّـهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللَّـهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُوا آبَاءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَانَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ</p><p>You shall not find those who believe in Allah and in the Here-after having friendship with those who have enmity with Allah and His messenger, even though they may be their fathers or sons or brothers or members of their tribe. (58:22)</p><p>Relations with disbelievers</p><p>In verses cited above and in many other verses of the Holy Qur'an, Muslims have been strongly prevented from 'Muamlat' with non-Muslims, that is, from indulging in relations based on love and friendship. Looking at these clear instructions, non-Muslims who are not aware of the true intention and application of this rule start thinking that the religion of Muslims does not seem to have any place for toleration or bilateral relations or even common courtesy.</p><p>On the other hand, there are a large number of verses from the Holy Qur'an, the words and acts of the noble Prophet ﷺ ، the practice of the rightly -guided Khulafa' and other revered Companions, which bring to light injunctions and actual modes of dealing with non-Muslims by way of favour, compassion, generosity, sympathy and concern, which has little or no parallel in world history. A superficial look on these different attitudes may sense a sort of contradiction therein. But, this feeling is a result of only a cursory study of the true teachings of the Qur'an. If we collect all verses of the Qur'an, relating to this subject which appear at several different places and study them all together, we shall find nothing which could bother non-Muslims nor shall there remain any doubt of contradiction in the text of the Qur'an and Hadith. With this need in view, given below is a full explanation of this point which will, hopefully, bring forth the distinction between various shades of friendship and the reality behind each of them. In addition to this, we shall also get to know what levels of friendship are permissible or impermissible and also the reasons why a certain level has been disallowed.</p><p>The truth of the matter is that there are different degrees or steps or levels in relations between two persons or groups. The first degree of such relations comes from the heart, that of affection and love involving intense emotional commitment. This is called Muwalat or close friendship. This sort of friendship is restricted to true Muslims. A Muslim is not permitted to have this kind of relationship with a non-Muslim.</p><p>The second degree is that of Muwasat, which means relationship based on sympathy, kindness and concern. It includes charitable help and support, condolence and consolation and any well-meaning attitude of wishing well. Barring disbelievers who are at war with Muslims, this kind of relationship is permissible with all other non-Muslims. A detailed explanation of this approach has appeared in Surah al-Mumtahinnah (60:8)</p><p>لَّا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّـهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ</p><p>Allah does not forbid you from treating those who do not fight you on your faith, nor have they driven you out of your homes, with benevolence and equity.</p><p>The third degree is that of Mudarat which means relations based on customary cordiality, adequacy in courtesy, pleasant and friendly behaviour, and mannerly politeness. This too is permissible with all non-Muslims, especially so, when the objective is to present them with some beneficial aspect of the Faith, or when they are guests, or the purpose is to stay safe from any possible harm coming through them. The words, إِلَّا أَن تَتَّقُوا مِنْهُمْ تُقَاةً ( (unless you guard yourselves against an apprehension from them) appearing in this verse mean this degree of Mudarat which, in other words, means that Muwalat or friendship with disbelievers is not permissible except when you are in a situation where you want to defend yourself against them. Since Mudarat or sympathetic relations somewhat resemble Muwalat or friendship, it was exempted from the category of Muwalat. (Bayan al-Qur'n)</p><p>The fourth degree is that of Mu` amalat or dealings. It means dealings and transactions in business or employment or wages or industry or technology. These too are permissible with non-Muslims, except when such dealings harm the general body of Muslims. The continued practice of the Holy Prophet ﷺ the rightly-guided Khulafa' and other Companions prove it so. It is on this basis that Muslim jurists have prohibited the sale of arms to disbelievers who are at war with Muslims. However, trade and activities allied to it have been permitted. Also allowed is having them as employees or being employed in their plants and institutions.</p><p>To sum up, as for the four degrees of relations with non-Muslims, we now know that friendship which binds a Muslim in very close ties with non-Muslims is not permissible under any condition. Relations based on benevolence, humane interest and concern are permitted with all but the belligerent ones. Similarly, politeness and friendly treatment is also permissible when the purpose is to entertain a guest, convey Islamic teachings to non-Muslims or to stay safe against being hurt or harmed by them.</p><p>Now, let us look at what our noble Prophet ﷺ ، who graced this world as the universal mercy, did for non-Muslims. He demonstrated such compassion, generosity and politeness while dealing with them that it would be difficult to find its example in the world history. When Makkah was in the grip of famine, he personally went out to help his enemies who had made him leave his home town. Then, came the conquest of Makkah. All these enemies fell under his power and control. He set all of them free saying: لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ which means - Not only that you are being given amnesty this day, we are not censuring you at all for your past tyranny against us either.' When non-Muslim prisoners of war were presented before him, he treated them with such tenderness which many cannot claim to have done even in respect of their children. The disbelievers inflicted on him all sorts of injuries and pain but he never raised his hand in revenge. ` He did not even wish ill of them. A delegation from the tribe of Bano Thaqif who had not embraced Islam upto that time came to visit him. They were given the honour of staying in the Mosque of the Prophet ﷺ ، a place regarded by Muslims as most honourable.</p><p>Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ gave stipends and allowances to needy non-Muslim dhimmis ذِمِّی ، an elegant conduct the examples of which are spread all over in the accounts of dealings credited to the rightly -guided Khulafa' and the noble Companions. Let us bear in mind that all these were in one or the other form of Mu` wasat (concern) or Mudarat (cordiality) or Mu'amalat (dealings). It had nothing to do with Muwalat or close and intimate friendship which had been forbidden.</p><p>The aforesaid explanations clarify two things: firstly, Islam teaches its adherents all possible tolerance, decency and benevolence while dealing with non-Muslims; secondly, the superficial contradiction sensed with regard to the verse forbidding friendship with non-Muslims stands removed.</p><p>However, there is a possible question which still remains unanswered. The question is: °Why has the Qur'an chosen to so strongly block close friendship with disbelievers, so much so that it has not al-lowed it in favour of any disbeliever under any condition? at is the wisdom behind it? One of the reasons, a particular one, is that Islam does not see man existing in this world like common animals or jungle trees and blades of grass which sprout, grow, flourish and die and that is the end of it. Instead of that, man’ s life in this world is a purposeful life. All stages and phases of his life, that is, his eating, drinking, standing, sitting, sleeping, waking, even his living and dying, all revolve around a central purpose. As long as what he does conforms to this purpose, all he does is correct and sound. If these are against that purpose, then, they are all wrong. The poet-sage Rumi said it so well:</p><p>زندگی از بہر ذکر و بندگی است</p><p>بے عبادت زندگی شرمندگی است</p><p>The purpose of life is to remember the Creator and serve Him well Life without that devotion is nothing but shame</p><p>In his view and in the view of all right-minded people, when man abandons this purpose, he does not remain the human being he was created to be:</p><p>آنچہ می بینی خلافِ آدم اند</p><p>نیستند آدم غلافِ آدم اند</p><p>What you see is a crowd of anti-men</p><p>They are not men, they are just the shell of men</p><p>The Holy Qur'an has made human beings declare this purpose as their solemn creed in the following words:</p><p>قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّـهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿162﴾</p><p>(My prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the Worlds." (6:162)</p><p>Now, when it stands established that the purpose of man's life is to obey and worship Allah, the Lord of the worlds, everything else including all affairs of life in this world -- business, government, politics, personal and social relations -- must invariably follow this purpose. It follows, therefore, that those who are against this purpose are the worst enemies of man. Since Satan is the foremost in this enmity, the Holy Qur'an says: إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّا (Surely, Satan is your enemy, so take him as enemy. 35:6).</p><p>Thus, those who follow the alluring dictates of the Satan and op-pose the injunctions of Allah brought by the blessed prophets ﷺ can hardly be the kind of people to deserve deep love and friendship based on close ties and any degree of intimacy. It is just not possible for a person who has a definite purpose in life, and who has all his friendships and enmities, agreements and disagreements subservient to this central purpose, to do something like this. The same subject has been stated in a hadith from al-Bukhari and Muslim in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been reported to have said: من احَبَّ للہ وابغضَ للہ فقدِ استکملَ (Whoever loves for the sake of Allah-and hates for the sake of Allah alone, has perfected his faith) (Bukhari and Muslim). From here we know that ایمان ‘Iman or faith remains incomplete unless man subordinates his love and friendship and his hatred and enmity to Allah Almighty. Therefore, any deep emotional commitment by a true Muslim in the known forms of love and friendship has to be exclusively for one who is with him all the way in the pursuit of this noble purpose and certainly obedient to what his Lord has commanded him to do. This is why the Holy Qur'an has, in verses cited at the beginning of the commentary, said that the one who maintains relations based on deep love and friendship with disbelievers is one of them.</p><p>The last verse (30) says that 'Allah warns you of Himself lest you should indulge in friendship with disbelievers for the sake of fleeting interests and objectives and thus invite the anger of Allah. And since close friendship (Muwalat) relates to the heart and the affairs of the heart are known to none but Allah, it is possible that a person may actually be intensely in love for and friendship with disbelievers, but may deny it verbally. Therefore, the earlier verse (29) has already covered it by saying: "whether you conceal what is in your hearts, or disclose it, Allah shall know it." No denial or false claim is tenable before Him.</p> | CommentaryIn these verses, Muslims have been instructed not to take disbelievers as their friends. Those who act against this instruction have been sternly warned: Those who take them as friends will find that their bond of love and friendship with Allah has been cut off. Any emotionally involved friendship that comes from the heart is absolutely forbidden (Haram). However, a formal friendship at the level of mutual dealings is, no doubt, permissible; but, that too is not favoured if unnecessary.Verses dealing with this subject have appeared at many places in the Holy Qur'an with varying shades of meaning. It was said in Surah al-Mumtahinah:يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُوِّي وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ تُلْقُونَ إِلَيْهِم بِالْمَوَدَّةِ0. those who believe, do not take My enemy and your enemy as friends having love for them. (60:1)Then, towards the end it was said:وَمَن يَفْعَلْهُ مِنكُمْ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِAnd whoever from among you does this he has gone astray from the right path. (60:1)Elsewhere it was said:يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَىٰ أَوْلِيَاءَ ۘ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ ﴿المائدة : 51﴾0 those who believe, do not take Jews or Christians as friends (for) they are friends among themselves. And whoever has friendship with them, he is one of them. (5:51)And it appears in Surah al-Mujadalah:لَّا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّـهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللَّـهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُوا آبَاءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَانَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْYou shall not find those who believe in Allah and in the Here-after having friendship with those who have enmity with Allah and His messenger, even though they may be their fathers or sons or brothers or members of their tribe. (58:22)Relations with disbelieversIn verses cited above and in many other verses of the Holy Qur'an, Muslims have been strongly prevented from 'Muamlat' with non-Muslims, that is, from indulging in relations based on love and friendship. Looking at these clear instructions, non-Muslims who are not aware of the true intention and application of this rule start thinking that the religion of Muslims does not seem to have any place for toleration or bilateral relations or even common courtesy.On the other hand, there are a large number of verses from the Holy Qur'an, the words and acts of the noble Prophet ﷺ ، the practice of the rightly -guided Khulafa' and other revered Companions, which bring to light injunctions and actual modes of dealing with non-Muslims by way of favour, compassion, generosity, sympathy and concern, which has little or no parallel in world history. A superficial look on these different attitudes may sense a sort of contradiction therein. But, this feeling is a result of only a cursory study of the true teachings of the Qur'an. If we collect all verses of the Qur'an, relating to this subject which appear at several different places and study them all together, we shall find nothing which could bother non-Muslims nor shall there remain any doubt of contradiction in the text of the Qur'an and Hadith. With this need in view, given below is a full explanation of this point which will, hopefully, bring forth the distinction between various shades of friendship and the reality behind each of them. In addition to this, we shall also get to know what levels of friendship are permissible or impermissible and also the reasons why a certain level has been disallowed.The truth of the matter is that there are different degrees or steps or levels in relations between two persons or groups. The first degree of such relations comes from the heart, that of affection and love involving intense emotional commitment. This is called Muwalat or close friendship. This sort of friendship is restricted to true Muslims. A Muslim is not permitted to have this kind of relationship with a non-Muslim.The second degree is that of Muwasat, which means relationship based on sympathy, kindness and concern. It includes charitable help and support, condolence and consolation and any well-meaning attitude of wishing well. Barring disbelievers who are at war with Muslims, this kind of relationship is permissible with all other non-Muslims. A detailed explanation of this approach has appeared in Surah al-Mumtahinnah (60:8)لَّا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّـهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْAllah does not forbid you from treating those who do not fight you on your faith, nor have they driven you out of your homes, with benevolence and equity.The third degree is that of Mudarat which means relations based on customary cordiality, adequacy in courtesy, pleasant and friendly behaviour, and mannerly politeness. This too is permissible with all non-Muslims, especially so, when the objective is to present them with some beneficial aspect of the Faith, or when they are guests, or the purpose is to stay safe from any possible harm coming through them. The words, إِلَّا أَن تَتَّقُوا مِنْهُمْ تُقَاةً ( (unless you guard yourselves against an apprehension from them) appearing in this verse mean this degree of Mudarat which, in other words, means that Muwalat or friendship with disbelievers is not permissible except when you are in a situation where you want to defend yourself against them. Since Mudarat or sympathetic relations somewhat resemble Muwalat or friendship, it was exempted from the category of Muwalat. (Bayan al-Qur'n)The fourth degree is that of Mu` amalat or dealings. It means dealings and transactions in business or employment or wages or industry or technology. These too are permissible with non-Muslims, except when such dealings harm the general body of Muslims. The continued practice of the Holy Prophet ﷺ the rightly-guided Khulafa' and other Companions prove it so. It is on this basis that Muslim jurists have prohibited the sale of arms to disbelievers who are at war with Muslims. However, trade and activities allied to it have been permitted. Also allowed is having them as employees or being employed in their plants and institutions.To sum up, as for the four degrees of relations with non-Muslims, we now know that friendship which binds a Muslim in very close ties with non-Muslims is not permissible under any condition. Relations based on benevolence, humane interest and concern are permitted with all but the belligerent ones. Similarly, politeness and friendly treatment is also permissible when the purpose is to entertain a guest, convey Islamic teachings to non-Muslims or to stay safe against being hurt or harmed by them.Now, let us look at what our noble Prophet ﷺ ، who graced this world as the universal mercy, did for non-Muslims. He demonstrated such compassion, generosity and politeness while dealing with them that it would be difficult to find its example in the world history. When Makkah was in the grip of famine, he personally went out to help his enemies who had made him leave his home town. Then, came the conquest of Makkah. All these enemies fell under his power and control. He set all of them free saying: لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ which means - Not only that you are being given amnesty this day, we are not censuring you at all for your past tyranny against us either.' When non-Muslim prisoners of war were presented before him, he treated them with such tenderness which many cannot claim to have done even in respect of their children. The disbelievers inflicted on him all sorts of injuries and pain but he never raised his hand in revenge. ` He did not even wish ill of them. A delegation from the tribe of Bano Thaqif who had not embraced Islam upto that time came to visit him. They were given the honour of staying in the Mosque of the Prophet ﷺ ، a place regarded by Muslims as most honourable.Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ gave stipends and allowances to needy non-Muslim dhimmis ذِمِّی ، an elegant conduct the examples of which are spread all over in the accounts of dealings credited to the rightly -guided Khulafa' and the noble Companions. Let us bear in mind that all these were in one or the other form of Mu` wasat (concern) or Mudarat (cordiality) or Mu'amalat (dealings). It had nothing to do with Muwalat or close and intimate friendship which had been forbidden.The aforesaid explanations clarify two things: firstly, Islam teaches its adherents all possible tolerance, decency and benevolence while dealing with non-Muslims; secondly, the superficial contradiction sensed with regard to the verse forbidding friendship with non-Muslims stands removed.However, there is a possible question which still remains unanswered. The question is: °Why has the Qur'an chosen to so strongly block close friendship with disbelievers, so much so that it has not al-lowed it in favour of any disbeliever under any condition? at is the wisdom behind it? One of the reasons, a particular one, is that Islam does not see man existing in this world like common animals or jungle trees and blades of grass which sprout, grow, flourish and die and that is the end of it. Instead of that, man’ s life in this world is a purposeful life. All stages and phases of his life, that is, his eating, drinking, standing, sitting, sleeping, waking, even his living and dying, all revolve around a central purpose. As long as what he does conforms to this purpose, all he does is correct and sound. If these are against that purpose, then, they are all wrong. The poet-sage Rumi said it so well:زندگی از بہر ذکر و بندگی استبے عبادت زندگی شرمندگی استThe purpose of life is to remember the Creator and serve Him well Life without that devotion is nothing but shameIn his view and in the view of all right-minded people, when man abandons this purpose, he does not remain the human being he was created to be:آنچہ می بینی خلافِ آدم اندنیستند آدم غلافِ آدم اندWhat you see is a crowd of anti-menThey are not men, they are just the shell of menThe Holy Qur'an has made human beings declare this purpose as their solemn creed in the following words:قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّـهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿162﴾(My prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the Worlds." (6:162)Now, when it stands established that the purpose of man's life is to obey and worship Allah, the Lord of the worlds, everything else including all affairs of life in this world -- business, government, politics, personal and social relations -- must invariably follow this purpose. It follows, therefore, that those who are against this purpose are the worst enemies of man. Since Satan is the foremost in this enmity, the Holy Qur'an says: إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّا (Surely, Satan is your enemy, so take him as enemy. 35:6).Thus, those who follow the alluring dictates of the Satan and op-pose the injunctions of Allah brought by the blessed prophets ﷺ can hardly be the kind of people to deserve deep love and friendship based on close ties and any degree of intimacy. It is just not possible for a person who has a definite purpose in life, and who has all his friendships and enmities, agreements and disagreements subservient to this central purpose, to do something like this. The same subject has been stated in a hadith from al-Bukhari and Muslim in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been reported to have said: من احَبَّ للہ وابغضَ للہ فقدِ استکملَ (Whoever loves for the sake of Allah-and hates for the sake of Allah alone, has perfected his faith) (Bukhari and Muslim). From here we know that ایمان ‘Iman or faith remains incomplete unless man subordinates his love and friendship and his hatred and enmity to Allah Almighty. Therefore, any deep emotional commitment by a true Muslim in the known forms of love and friendship has to be exclusively for one who is with him all the way in the pursuit of this noble purpose and certainly obedient to what his Lord has commanded him to do. This is why the Holy Qur'an has, in verses cited at the beginning of the commentary, said that the one who maintains relations based on deep love and friendship with disbelievers is one of them.The last verse (30) says that 'Allah warns you of Himself lest you should indulge in friendship with disbelievers for the sake of fleeting interests and objectives and thus invite the anger of Allah. And since close friendship (Muwalat) relates to the heart and the affairs of the heart are known to none but Allah, it is possible that a person may actually be intensely in love for and friendship with disbelievers, but may deny it verbally. Therefore, the earlier verse (29) has already covered it by saying: "whether you conceal what is in your hearts, or disclose it, Allah shall know it." No denial or false claim is tenable before Him. | <h2 class="title">The Prohibition of Supporting the Disbelievers</h2><p>Allah prohibited His believing servants from becoming supporters of the disbelievers, or to take them as comrades with whom they develop friendships, rather than the believers. Allah warned against such behavior when He said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَ اللَّهِ فِي شَىْءٍ</div><p>(And whoever does that, will never be helped by Allah in any way) meaning, whoever commits this act that Allah has prohibited, then Allah will discard him. Similarly, Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ عَدُوِّى وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَآءَ تُلْقُونَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِالْمَوَدَّةِ</div><p>(O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies as friends, showing affection towards them), until,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَن يَفْعَلْهُ مِنكُمْ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ السَّبِيلِ</div><p>(And whosoever of you does that, then indeed he has gone astray from the straight path.) 60:1. Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ الْكَـفِرِينَ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَتُرِيدُونَ أَن تَجْعَلُواْ للَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَاناً مُّبِيناً </div><p>(O you who believe! Take not for friends disbelievers instead of believers. Do you wish to offer Allah a manifest proof against yourselves) 4:144, and,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَـرَى أَوْلِيَآءَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُمْ مِّنكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ</div><p>(O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as friends, they are but friends of each other. And whoever befriends them, then surely, he is one of them.) 5:51.</p><p>Allah said, after mentioning the fact that the faithful believers gave their support to the faithful believers among the Muhajirin, Ansar and Bedouins,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَالَّذينَ كَفَرُواْ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ إِلاَّ تَفْعَلُوهُ تَكُنْ فِتْنَةٌ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَفَسَادٌ كَبِيرٌ </div><p>(And those who disbelieve are allies of one another, (and) if you do not behave the same, there will be Fitnah and oppression on the earth, and a great mischief and corruption.) 8:73.</p><p>Allah said next,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِلاَ أَن تَتَّقُواْ مِنْهُمْ تُقَـةً</div><p>(unless you indeed fear a danger from them) meaning, except those believers who in some areas or times fear for their safety from the disbelievers. In this case, such believers are allowed to show friendship to the disbelievers outwardly, but never inwardly. For instance, Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Ad-Darda' said, "We smile in the face of some people although our hearts curse them." Al-Bukhari said that Al-Hasan said, "The Tuqyah is allowed until the Day of Resurrection." Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ</div><p>(And Allah warns you against Himself.) meaning, He warns you against His anger and the severe torment He prepared for those who give their support to His enemies, and those who have enmity with His friends,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَإِلَى اللَّهِ الْمَصِيرُ</div><p>(And to Allah is the final return) meaning, the return is to Him and He will reward or punish each person according to their deeds.</p> | The Prohibition of Supporting the DisbelieversAllah prohibited His believing servants from becoming supporters of the disbelievers, or to take them as comrades with whom they develop friendships, rather than the believers. Allah warned against such behavior when He said,وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَ اللَّهِ فِي شَىْءٍ(And whoever does that, will never be helped by Allah in any way) meaning, whoever commits this act that Allah has prohibited, then Allah will discard him. Similarly, Allah said,يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ عَدُوِّى وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَآءَ تُلْقُونَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِالْمَوَدَّةِ(O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies as friends, showing affection towards them), until,وَمَن يَفْعَلْهُ مِنكُمْ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ السَّبِيلِ(And whosoever of you does that, then indeed he has gone astray from the straight path.) 60:1. Allah said,يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ الْكَـفِرِينَ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَتُرِيدُونَ أَن تَجْعَلُواْ للَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَاناً مُّبِيناً (O you who believe! Take not for friends disbelievers instead of believers. Do you wish to offer Allah a manifest proof against yourselves) 4:144, and,يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَـرَى أَوْلِيَآءَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُمْ مِّنكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ(O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as friends, they are but friends of each other. And whoever befriends them, then surely, he is one of them.) 5:51.Allah said, after mentioning the fact that the faithful believers gave their support to the faithful believers among the Muhajirin, Ansar and Bedouins,وَالَّذينَ كَفَرُواْ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ إِلاَّ تَفْعَلُوهُ تَكُنْ فِتْنَةٌ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَفَسَادٌ كَبِيرٌ (And those who disbelieve are allies of one another, (and) if you do not behave the same, there will be Fitnah and oppression on the earth, and a great mischief and corruption.) 8:73.Allah said next,إِلاَ أَن تَتَّقُواْ مِنْهُمْ تُقَـةً(unless you indeed fear a danger from them) meaning, except those believers who in some areas or times fear for their safety from the disbelievers. In this case, such believers are allowed to show friendship to the disbelievers outwardly, but never inwardly. For instance, Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Ad-Darda' said, "We smile in the face of some people although our hearts curse them." Al-Bukhari said that Al-Hasan said, "The Tuqyah is allowed until the Day of Resurrection." Allah said,وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ(And Allah warns you against Himself.) meaning, He warns you against His anger and the severe torment He prepared for those who give their support to His enemies, and those who have enmity with His friends,وَإِلَى اللَّهِ الْمَصِيرُ(And to Allah is the final return) meaning, the return is to Him and He will reward or punish each person according to their deeds. |
Say: "Whether you conceal or reveal whatsoever is in your hearts it is all known to God, as is known to Him all that is in the heavens and the earth; and God has the power over all things." | Say, (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “Whether you hide or reveal whatever is in your hearts, Allah knows it all; and He knows all whatever is in the heavens and all whatever is in the earth; and Allah has control over all things.” | Say: 'Whether you hide what is in your breasts or publish it, God knows it. God knows what is in the heavens and what is in the earth; and God is powerful over everything.' | Say: "Whether you conceal what is in your hearts or bring it into the open, God knows it: for He knows all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth; and God has the power to will anything." | Say thou: Whether ye conceal that which is in your breasts or disclose it, Allah knoweth it, and He knoweth that which is in the heavens and in the earth; and Allah is over everything Potent. | Say (O Muhammad SAW): "Whether you hide what is in your breasts or reveal it, Allah knows it, and He knows what is in the heavens and what is in the earth. And Allah is Able to do all things." | Say, “Whether you conceal what is in your hearts, or disclose it, God knows it.” He knows everything in the heavens and the earth. God is Powerful over everything. | Say: 'Whether you conceal what is in your hearts or disclose it, Allah knows it. Allah knows what is in the heavens and in the earth and He has power over everything.' | Say: "Whether you hide what is in your breasts or reveal it, Allah knows it, and He knows what is in the heavens and what is in the earth. And Allah is able to do all things." | Say, (O Muhammad): Whether ye hide that which is in your breasts or reveal it, Allah knoweth it. He knoweth that which is in the heavens and that which is in the earth, and Allah is Able to do all things. | Say, ‘Whether you hide what is in your hearts or disclose it, Allah knows it, and He knows whatever there is in the heavens and whatever there is in the earth; and Allah has power over all things.’ | Say: 'Whether you hide what is in your hearts or reveal it, Allah knows it. He knows all that is in the heavens and earth and has power over all things' | Say, "Whether you conceal what is in your breasts or reveal it, Allah knows it. And He knows that which is in the heavens and that which is on the earth. And Allah is over all things competent. | (Muhammad), tell them, "God knows all that you may conceal in your hearts or you may reveal. He knows all that is in the heavens and the earth. He has power over all things. | Say: Whether you hide what is in your hearts or manifest it, Allah knows it, and He knows whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, and Allah has power over all things. | Qul in tukhfoo m<u>a</u> fee <u>s</u>udoorikum aw tubdoohu yaAAlamhu All<u>a</u>hu wayaAAlamu m<u>a</u> fee a<b>l</b>ssam<u>a</u>w<u>a</u>ti wam<u>a</u> fee alar<u>d</u>i wa<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hu AAal<u>a</u> kulli shayin qadeer<b>un</b> | Say, "God knows everything that is in your heart, whether you conceal it or reveal it; He knows everything that the heavens and earth contain; God has power over all things." | Say: "Whether ye hide what is in your hearts or reveal it, Allah knows it all: He knows what is in the heavens, and what is on earth. And Allah has power over all things. | 28 | 3 | قُلْ إِن تُخْفُوا۟ مَا فِى صُدُورِكُمْ أَوْ تُبْدُوهُ يَعْلَمْهُ ٱللَّهُ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ | Say, O Prophet: Whether you hide within your hearts that which Allah has forbidden, such as befriending the disbelievers, or you reveal the same, Allah knows about it. Nothing is hidden from Him. He knows whatever is in the heavens and the earth. He has power over everything and nothing is outside His ability. | Say, O Prophet: Whether you hide within your hearts that which Allah has forbidden, such as befriending the disbelievers, or you reveal the same, Allah knows about it. Nothing is hidden from Him. He knows whatever is in the heavens and the earth. He has power over everything and nothing is outside His ability. | <h2 class="title">Allah Knows What the Hearts Conceal</h2><p>Allah tells His servants that He knows the secrets and apparent matters and that nothing concerning them escapes His observation. Rather, His knowledge encompasses them in all conditions, time frames, days and instances. His knowledge encompasses all that is in heaven and earth, and nothing not even the weight of an atom, or what is smaller than that in the earth, seas and mountains, escapes His observation. Indeed,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ</div><p>(And Allah is able to do all things.) and His ability encompasses everything. This Ayah alerts Allah's servants that they should fear Him enough to not commit what He prohibits and dislikes, for He has perfect knowledge in all they do and is able to punish them promptly. And He gives respite to some of them, then He punishes them, and He is Swift and Mighty in taking account. This is why Allah said afterwards,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مُّحْضَرًا</div><p>(On the Day when every person will be confronted with all the good he has done,) meaning, on the Day of Resurrection, Allah brings the good and evil deeds before the servant, just as He said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يُنَبَّأُ الإِنسَـنُ يَوْمَئِذِ بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ </div><p>(On that Day man will be informed of what he sent forward, and what he left behind.) 75:13.</p><p>When the servant sees his good deeds, he becomes happy and delighted. When he sees the evil deeds he committed, he becomes sad and angry. Then he will wish that he could disown his evil work and that a long distance separated it from him. He will also say to the devil who used to accompany him in this life, and who used to encourage him to do evil;</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يلَيْتَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكَ بُعْدَ الْمَشْرِقَيْنِ فَبِئْسَ الْقَرِينُ</div><p>("Would that between me and you were the distance of the two easts ـ a horrible companion (indeed)!) 43:38.</p><p>Allah then said, while threatening and warning,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ</div><p>(And Allah warns you against Himself) meaning, He warns you against His punishment. Allah then said, while bringing hope to His servants, so that they do not despair from His mercy or feel hopeless of His kindness,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَاللَّهُ رَءُوفٌ بِالْعِبَادِ</div><p>(And Allah is full of kindness with the servants)</p><p>Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "Allah is so kind with them that He warns them against Himself." Others commented, "He is merciful with His creation and likes for them to remain on His straight path and chosen religion, and to follow His honorable Messenger."</p> | Allah Knows What the Hearts ConcealAllah tells His servants that He knows the secrets and apparent matters and that nothing concerning them escapes His observation. Rather, His knowledge encompasses them in all conditions, time frames, days and instances. His knowledge encompasses all that is in heaven and earth, and nothing not even the weight of an atom, or what is smaller than that in the earth, seas and mountains, escapes His observation. Indeed,وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ(And Allah is able to do all things.) and His ability encompasses everything. This Ayah alerts Allah's servants that they should fear Him enough to not commit what He prohibits and dislikes, for He has perfect knowledge in all they do and is able to punish them promptly. And He gives respite to some of them, then He punishes them, and He is Swift and Mighty in taking account. This is why Allah said afterwards,يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مُّحْضَرًا(On the Day when every person will be confronted with all the good he has done,) meaning, on the Day of Resurrection, Allah brings the good and evil deeds before the servant, just as He said,يُنَبَّأُ الإِنسَـنُ يَوْمَئِذِ بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ (On that Day man will be informed of what he sent forward, and what he left behind.) 75:13.When the servant sees his good deeds, he becomes happy and delighted. When he sees the evil deeds he committed, he becomes sad and angry. Then he will wish that he could disown his evil work and that a long distance separated it from him. He will also say to the devil who used to accompany him in this life, and who used to encourage him to do evil;يلَيْتَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكَ بُعْدَ الْمَشْرِقَيْنِ فَبِئْسَ الْقَرِينُ("Would that between me and you were the distance of the two easts ـ a horrible companion (indeed)!) 43:38.Allah then said, while threatening and warning,وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ(And Allah warns you against Himself) meaning, He warns you against His punishment. Allah then said, while bringing hope to His servants, so that they do not despair from His mercy or feel hopeless of His kindness,وَاللَّهُ رَءُوفٌ بِالْعِبَادِ(And Allah is full of kindness with the servants)Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "Allah is so kind with them that He warns them against Himself." Others commented, "He is merciful with His creation and likes for them to remain on His straight path and chosen religion, and to follow His honorable Messenger." |
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On the day when every man will find whatever of good he has earned and of evil, and is confronted with it, he shall wish that a distance appeared between him and that day -- (that it were far away). God bids you beware of Him, though compassionate is God to His votaries. | On the Day when every soul will be confronted with all the good that it has done; and all the evil that it has done – it will wish that perhaps there would have been a great distance between itself and the punishment; and Allah warns you of His punishment; and Allah is Most Compassionate towards His bondmen. | The day every soul shall find what it has done of good brought forward, and what it has done of evil; it will wish if there were only a far space between it and that day. God warns you that you beware of Him; and God is gentle with His servants. | On the Day when every human being will find himself faced with all the good that he has done, and with all the evil that he has done, [many a one] will wish that there were a long span of time between himself and that [Day]. Hence, God warns you to beware of Him; but God is most compassionate towards His creatures. | The Day whereon each soul shall find presented whatsoever it hath worked of good and whatsoever it hath worked of evil, it would fain that there were betwixt it and that Day a wide space. And Allah maketh you beware of Himself: Allah is Tender unto His bondsmen. | On the Day when every person will be confronted with all the good he has done, and all the evil he has done, he will wish that there were a great distance between him and his evil. And Allah warns you against Himself (His Punishment) and Allah is full of Kindness to the (His) slaves. | On the Day when every soul finds all the good it has done presented. And as for the evil it has done, it will wish there were a great distance between them. God cautions you of Himself. God is Kind towards the servants. | The Day is approaching when every soul shall find itself confronted with whatever good it has done and whatever evil it has wrought. It will then wish there is a wide space between it and the Day! Allah warns you to beware of Him; He is most tender towards His servants. | On the Day when every person will be confronted with the good he has done, and all the evil he has done, he will wish that there were a great distance between him and his evil. And Allah warns you against Himself and Allah is full of kindness with the servants. | On the Day when every soul will find itself confronted with all that it hath done of good and all that it hath done of evil (every soul) will long that there might be a mighty space of distance between it and that (evil). Allah biddeth you beware of Him. And Allah is Full of Pity for (His) bondmen. | The day when every soul will find present whatever good it has done; and as for the evil, it has done, it will wish there were a far distance between it and itself. Allah warns you to beware of [disobeying] Him, and Allah is most kind to [His] servants. | The Day that every soul shall find what it has done of good brought forward, and what it has done of evil, it will wish if there were only a far space between it and that (Day). Allah warns you to be wary of Him; and Allah is Gentle with His worshipers. | The Day every soul will find what it has done of good present [before it] and what it has done of evil, it will wish that between itself and that [evil] was a great distance. And Allah warns you of Himself, and Allah is Kind to [His] servants." | On the day when every soul will see its good and bad deeds right before its very eyes, it will wish for the longest period of time to separate it from its bad deeds. God warns you about Himself. God is Compassionate to His servants. | On the day that every soul shall find present what it has done of good and what it has done of evil, it shall wish that between it and that (evil) there were a long duration of time; and Allah makes you to be cautious of (retribution from) Himself; and Allah is Compassionate to the servants. | Yawma tajidu kullu nafsin m<u>a</u> AAamilat min khayrin mu<u>hd</u>aran wam<u>a</u> AAamilat min sooin tawaddu law anna baynah<u>a</u> wabaynahu amadan baAAeedan wayu<u>h</u>a<u>thth</u>irukumu All<u>a</u>hu nafsahu wa<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hu raoofun bi<b>a</b>lAAib<u>a</u>d<b>i</b> | On the Day when every human being will find himself faced with all the good that he has done, and with all the evil that he has done, many will wish that there were a long space of time between himself and that [Day]. God admonishes you to fear Him, but God is compassionate towards His servants. | "On the Day when every soul will be confronted with all the good it has done, and all the evil it has done, it will wish there were a great distance between it and its evil. But Allah cautions you (To remember) Himself. And Allah is full of kindness to those that serve Him." | 29 | 3 | يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مُّحْضَرًا وَمَا عَمِلَتْ مِن سُوٓءٍ تَوَدُّ لَوْ أَنَّ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُۥٓ أَمَدًۢا بَعِيدًا وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسَهُۥ وَٱللَّهُ رَءُوفٌۢ بِٱلْعِبَادِ | On the Day of Resurrection every person will find the good that he did in front of him, without any deficiency. Those who did bad will wish that there was a great distance between them and their bad actions – but shall a desire will be worthless! Allah warns you of Himself, so do not become the subject of His anger by committing sins. Allah is kind to His servants and therefore gives them this warning. | On the Day of Resurrection every person will find the good that he did in front of him, without any deficiency. Those who did bad will wish that there was a great distance between them and their bad actions – but shall a desire will be worthless! Allah warns you of Himself, so do not become the subject of His anger by committing sins. Allah is kind to His servants and therefore gives them this warning. | ||||
Say: "If you love God then follow me that God may love you and forgive your faults; for God is forgiving and kind." | Proclaim, (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “O mankind! If you love Allah, follow me – Allah will love you and forgive you your sins”; and Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful. | Say: 'If you love God, follow me, and God will love you, and forgive you your sins; God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate.' | Say [O Prophet]: "If you love God, follow me, [and] God will love you and forgive you your sins; for God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace." | Say thou: if ye, are wont to love Allah, then follow me, and Allah shall rove you and forgive you your sins; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. | Say (O Muhammad SAW to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Quran and the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." | Say, “If you love God, then follow me, and God will love you, and will forgive you your sins.” God is Forgiving and Merciful. | (O Messenger!) Tell people: 'If you indeed love Allah, follow me, and Allah will love you and will forgive you your sins. Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate.' | Say (O Muhammad to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah, then follow me (i.e. Muhammad), Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." | Say, (O Muhammad, to mankind): If ye love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. | Say, ‘If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins, and Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful.’ | Say (Prophet Muhammad): 'If you love Allah, follow me and Allah will love you, and forgive your sins. Allah is Forgiving and Merciful' | Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." | (Muhammad), tell them, "If you love God, follow me. God will love you and forgive your sins. God is All-forgiving and All-merciful." | Say: If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your faults, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. | Qul in kuntum tu<u>h</u>ibboona All<u>a</u>ha fa<b>i</b>ttabiAAoonee yu<u>h</u>bibkumu All<u>a</u>hu wayaghfir lakum <u>th</u>unoobakum wa<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hu ghafoorun ra<u>h</u>eem<b>un</b> | Say, "If you love God, follow me and God will love you and forgive you your sins. God is most forgiving, and most merciful." | Say: "If ye do love Allah, Follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins: For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." | 30 | 3 | قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحْبِبْكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ | O Prophet, say: If you really love Allah, then follow what I have brought, on the inside and the outside. By doing this, you will gain Allah’s love and He will forgive your sins. Allah is Forgiving and Merciful to those who repent to Him. | O Prophet, say: If you really love Allah, then follow what I have brought, on the inside and the outside. By doing this, you will gain Allah’s love and He will forgive your sins. Allah is Forgiving and Merciful to those who repent to Him. | <p>Sequence</p><p>In previous verses, there was affirmation of Allah's Oneness and the condemnation of disbelief in it. Affirmed now is the belief in prophethood as well as the necessity of following the Messenger so that we stand informed that the rejection of prophethood or refusal to obey the Prophet ﷺ is also an act of disbelief (kufr) like the rejection of the Oneness of Allah.</p><p>Commentary</p><p>Love is something secret. Whether or not a person loves another person, or loves less or more, are questions which cannot be answered precisely. There is no measure or yard-stick to determine the truth of the matter except that one makes an educated guess based on visible conditions and dealings, for love leaves traces and signs which could help in recognizing it as such. Now, in these verses, Allah Almighty tells those who claimed that they loved Allah and hoped to be loved by Him above the real criterion of His love. In other words, if a person living in the world of today claims that he loves his Creator and Master, then, he must test it on the touch-stone of his obedience to the Messenger, that is, match it against the frequency and quality of where and how he has been following him. Once this is done, the genuine and the fake of it will be exposed right there. How much true a person turns out to be in his claim will be visible from how much he makes it a point to follow the noble prophet (علیہ السلام) ، using the guidance brought by him as the guiding force in his life. The same test will show that the weaker a person is in his claim, so equally weak he shall be in his obedience to the Prophet ﷺ .</p><p>The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said:</p><p>He who obeyed Muhammad ﷺ obeyed Allah and he who disobeyed Muhammad ﷺ disobeyed Allah. (Tafsir Mazhari)</p> | SequenceIn previous verses, there was affirmation of Allah's Oneness and the condemnation of disbelief in it. Affirmed now is the belief in prophethood as well as the necessity of following the Messenger so that we stand informed that the rejection of prophethood or refusal to obey the Prophet ﷺ is also an act of disbelief (kufr) like the rejection of the Oneness of Allah.CommentaryLove is something secret. Whether or not a person loves another person, or loves less or more, are questions which cannot be answered precisely. There is no measure or yard-stick to determine the truth of the matter except that one makes an educated guess based on visible conditions and dealings, for love leaves traces and signs which could help in recognizing it as such. Now, in these verses, Allah Almighty tells those who claimed that they loved Allah and hoped to be loved by Him above the real criterion of His love. In other words, if a person living in the world of today claims that he loves his Creator and Master, then, he must test it on the touch-stone of his obedience to the Messenger, that is, match it against the frequency and quality of where and how he has been following him. Once this is done, the genuine and the fake of it will be exposed right there. How much true a person turns out to be in his claim will be visible from how much he makes it a point to follow the noble prophet (علیہ السلام) ، using the guidance brought by him as the guiding force in his life. The same test will show that the weaker a person is in his claim, so equally weak he shall be in his obedience to the Prophet ﷺ .The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said:He who obeyed Muhammad ﷺ obeyed Allah and he who disobeyed Muhammad ﷺ disobeyed Allah. (Tafsir Mazhari) | <h2 class="title">Allah's Love is Attained by Following the Messenger</h2><p>This honorable Ayah judges against those who claim to love Allah, yet do not follow the way of Muhammad . Such people are not true in their claim until they follow the Shari`ah (Law) of Muhammad and his religion in all his statements, actions and conditions. It is recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَد»</div><p>(Whoever commits an act that does not conform with our matter (religion), then it will be rejected of him.)</p><p>This is why Allah said here,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِى يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ</div><p>(Say (O Muhammad to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you...") meaning, what you will earn is much more than what you sought in loving Him, for Allah will love you. Al-Hasan Al-Basri and several scholars among the Salaf commented, "Some people claimed that they love Allah. So Allah tested them with this Ayah;</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِى يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ</div><p>(Say (O Muhammad to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you..."). "</p><p>Allah then said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ</div><p>("And forgive you your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.") meaning, by your following the Messenger , you will earn all this with the blessing of his mission. Allah next commands everyone,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُلْ أَطِيعُواْ اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ</div><p>(Say: "Obey Allah and the Messenger." But if they turn away) by defying the Prophet)</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْكَـفِرِينَ</div><p>(then Allah does not like the disbelievers.) thus, testifying that defiance of the Messenger's way constitutes Kufr. Indeed, Allah does not like whoever does this, even if he claims that he loves Allah and seeks a means of approach to Him, unless, and until, he follows the unlettered Prophet, the Final Messenger from Allah to the two creations: mankind and the Jinn. This is the Prophet who, if the previous Prophets and mighty Messengers were to have been alive during his time, they would have no choice but to follow, obey him, and to abide by his Law. We will mention this fact when we explain the Ayah,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَـقَ النَّبِيِّيْنَ</div><p>(And (remember) when Allah took the Covenant of the Prophets) 3:81, Allah willing.</p> | Allah's Love is Attained by Following the MessengerThis honorable Ayah judges against those who claim to love Allah, yet do not follow the way of Muhammad . Such people are not true in their claim until they follow the Shari`ah (Law) of Muhammad and his religion in all his statements, actions and conditions. It is recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah said,«مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَد»(Whoever commits an act that does not conform with our matter (religion), then it will be rejected of him.)This is why Allah said here,قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِى يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ(Say (O Muhammad to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you...") meaning, what you will earn is much more than what you sought in loving Him, for Allah will love you. Al-Hasan Al-Basri and several scholars among the Salaf commented, "Some people claimed that they love Allah. So Allah tested them with this Ayah;قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِى يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ(Say (O Muhammad to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you..."). "Allah then said,وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ("And forgive you your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.") meaning, by your following the Messenger , you will earn all this with the blessing of his mission. Allah next commands everyone,قُلْ أَطِيعُواْ اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ(Say: "Obey Allah and the Messenger." But if they turn away) by defying the Prophet)فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْكَـفِرِينَ(then Allah does not like the disbelievers.) thus, testifying that defiance of the Messenger's way constitutes Kufr. Indeed, Allah does not like whoever does this, even if he claims that he loves Allah and seeks a means of approach to Him, unless, and until, he follows the unlettered Prophet, the Final Messenger from Allah to the two creations: mankind and the Jinn. This is the Prophet who, if the previous Prophets and mighty Messengers were to have been alive during his time, they would have no choice but to follow, obey him, and to abide by his Law. We will mention this fact when we explain the Ayah,وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَـقَ النَّبِيِّيْنَ(And (remember) when Allah took the Covenant of the Prophets) 3:81, Allah willing. |
Say: "Obey God and His Messenger;" and if they refuse (then remember) God does not love disbelievers. | Proclaim, “Obey Allah and the Noble Messenger”; so if they turn away – then Allah is not pleased with the disbelievers. | Say: 'Obey God, and the Messenger.' But if they turn their backs, God loves not the unbelievers. | Say: “Pay heed unto God and the Apostle.” And if they turn away - verely, God does not love those who deny the truth. | Say thou: obey Allah and the apostle if thereafter they turn away. then verily Allah loveth not the infidels. | Say (O Muhammad SAW): "Obey Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad SAW)." But if they turn away, then Allah does not like the disbelievers. | Say, “Obey God and the Messenger.” But if they turn away—God does not love the faithless. | Say: 'Obey Allah and obey the Messenger.' If they turn away from this then know that Allah does not love those who refuse to obey Him and His Messenger. | Say: "Obey Allah and the Messenger." But if they turn away, then Allah does not like the disbelievers. | Say: Obey Allah and the messenger. But if they turn away, lo! Allah loveth not the disbelievers (in His guidance). | Say, ‘Obey Allah and the Apostle.’ But if they turn away, indeed Allah does not like the faithless. | Say: 'Obey Allah and the Messenger' But if they turn away, then truly, Allah does not love the unbelievers. | Say, "Obey Allah and the Messenger." But if they turn away - then indeed, Allah does not like the disbelievers. | Tell them, "Obey God and the Messenger." If they turn away (let it be known) that God does not love the unbelievers. | Say: Obey Allah and the Apostle; but if they turn back, then surely Allah does not love the unbelievers. | Qul a<u>t</u>eeAAoo All<u>a</u>ha wa<b>al</b>rrasoola fain tawallaw fainna All<u>a</u>ha l<u>a</u> yu<u>h</u>ibbu alk<u>a</u>fireen<b>a</b> | Say, "Obey God and the Messenger," and if they turn away, God does not love those who deny the truth. | Say: "Obey Allah and His Messenger": But if they turn back, Allah loveth not those who reject Faith. | 31 | 3 | قُلْ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ | O Prophet, say: Follow Allah and His Messenger by fulfilling His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions. If they turn away from the command, then know that Allah does not love the disbelievers who go against His sacred law and the instructions of His Messenger. | O Prophet, say: Follow Allah and His Messenger by fulfilling His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions. If they turn away from the command, then know that Allah does not love the disbelievers who go against His sacred law and the instructions of His Messenger. | ||||
God had chosen Adam and Noah and the families of Abraham and 'Imran in preference to others. | Indeed Allah chose Adam, and Nooh, and the Family of Ibrahim, and the Family of Imran over the creation. | God chose Adam and Noah and the House of Abraham and the House of Imran above all beings, the | BEHOLD, God raised Adam, and Noah, and the House of Abraham, and the House of `Imran above all mankind, | Verily did Allah choose Adam and Nuh and the house of lbrahim and the house of 'lmran out of the worlds | Allah chose Adam, Nuh (Noah), the family of Ibrahim (Abraham) and the family of 'Imran above the 'Alamin (mankind and jinns) (of their times). | God chose Adam, and Noah, and the family of Abraham, and the family of Imran, over all mankind. | Truly Allah chose Adam and Noah and the descendants of Abraham and of 'Imran above all mankind. | Allah chose Adam, Nuh (Noah), the family of Ibrahim and the family of `Imran above the nations. | Lo! Allah preferred Adam and Noah and the Family of Abraham and the Family of 'Imran above (all His) creatures. | Indeed Allah chose Adam and Noah, and the progeny of Abraham and the progeny of Imran above all the nations; | Allah chose Adam and Noah, the House of Abraham and the House of Imran above all worlds. | Indeed, Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of 'Imran over the worlds - | God chose (and gave distinction to) Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham, and Imran over all the people of the world. | Surely Allah chose Adam and Nuh and the descendants of Ibrahim and the descendants of Imran above the nations. | Inna All<u>a</u>ha i<u>st</u>af<u>a</u> <u>a</u>dama wanoo<u>h</u>an wa<u>a</u>la ibr<u>a</u>heema wa<u>a</u>la AAimr<u>a</u>na AAal<u>a</u> alAA<u>a</u>lameen<b>a</b> | God chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of 'Imran above all His creatures. | Allah did choose Adam and Noah, the family of Abraham, and the family of 'Imran above all people,- | 32 | 3 | إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰٓ ءَادَمَ وَنُوحًا وَءَالَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَءَالَ عِمْرَٰنَ عَلَى ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ | Allah honoured Adam (peace be upon him), by making the angels prostrate before him; Noah, by making him the first messenger to the people of the earth; the family of Abraham, by placing prophethood in his children; and the family of ‘Imrān, the father of Mary – which is a reference to Jesus (peace be upon him). He selected all of them and preferred them over all the people of their time. | Allah honoured Adam (peace be upon him), by making the angels prostrate before him; Noah, by making him the first messenger to the people of the earth; the family of Abraham, by placing prophethood in his children; and the family of ‘Imrān, the father of Mary – which is a reference to Jesus (peace be upon him). He selected all of them and preferred them over all the people of their time. | <p>In these verses a reference has been made to some past prophets to comfort the Holy Prophet ﷺ since disbelievers did not obey him because they doubted his prophethood. It is for their guidance that names of some past prophets have been cited to help remove such doubts. However, these prophets have been referred to very briefly as the main purpose is to mention Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) which follows immediately because he will come again to this world and will work with the followers of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، therefore, it is necessary for the Muslims to know his identification.</p> | In these verses a reference has been made to some past prophets to comfort the Holy Prophet ﷺ since disbelievers did not obey him because they doubted his prophethood. It is for their guidance that names of some past prophets have been cited to help remove such doubts. However, these prophets have been referred to very briefly as the main purpose is to mention Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) which follows immediately because he will come again to this world and will work with the followers of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، therefore, it is necessary for the Muslims to know his identification. | <h2 class="title">The Chosen Ones Among the People of the Earth</h2><p>Allah states that He has chosen these households over the people of the earth. For instance, Allah chose Adam, created him with His Hand and blew life into him. Allah commanded the angels to prostrate before Adam, taught him the names of everything and allowed him to dwell in Paradise, but then sent him down from it out of His wisdom. Allah chose Nuh and made him the first Messenger to the people of the earth, when the people worshipped idols and associated others with Allah in worship. Allah avenged the way Nuh was treated, for he kept calling his people day and night, in public and in secret, for a very long time. However, his calling them only made them shun him more, and this is when Nuh supplicated against them. So Allah caused them to drown, and none among them was saved, except those who followed the religion that Allah sent to Nuh. Allah also chose the household of Ibrahim, including the master of all mankind, and the Final Prophet, Muhammad, peace be upon him. Allah also chose the household of `Imran, the father of Marym bint `Imran, the mother of `Isa, peace be upon them. So `Isa is from the offspring of Ibrahim, as we will mention in the Tafsir of Surat Al-An`am, Allah willing, and our trust is in Him.</p> | The Chosen Ones Among the People of the EarthAllah states that He has chosen these households over the people of the earth. For instance, Allah chose Adam, created him with His Hand and blew life into him. Allah commanded the angels to prostrate before Adam, taught him the names of everything and allowed him to dwell in Paradise, but then sent him down from it out of His wisdom. Allah chose Nuh and made him the first Messenger to the people of the earth, when the people worshipped idols and associated others with Allah in worship. Allah avenged the way Nuh was treated, for he kept calling his people day and night, in public and in secret, for a very long time. However, his calling them only made them shun him more, and this is when Nuh supplicated against them. So Allah caused them to drown, and none among them was saved, except those who followed the religion that Allah sent to Nuh. Allah also chose the household of Ibrahim, including the master of all mankind, and the Final Prophet, Muhammad, peace be upon him. Allah also chose the household of `Imran, the father of Marym bint `Imran, the mother of `Isa, peace be upon them. So `Isa is from the offspring of Ibrahim, as we will mention in the Tafsir of Surat Al-An`am, Allah willing, and our trust is in Him. |
They were descendants of one another; and God hears all and knows everything. | They are the descendants one of another; and Allah is the All Hearing, the All Knowing. | seed of one another; God hears, and knows. | in one line of descent. And God was all-hearing, all-knowing | Progeny, one of the other, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing. | Offspring, one of the other, and Allah is the All-Hearer, All-Knower. | Offspring one of the other. God is Hearer and Knower. | (for His messengership) - a people alike and the seed of one another. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. | Offspring, one of the other, and Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower. | They were descendants one of another. Allah is Hearer, Knower. | some of them are descendants of the others, and Allah is all-hearing, all-knowing. | They were the offspring of one another. Allah is Hearing, and Knowing. | Descendants, some of them from others. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing. | They were the offspring of one another. God is All-hearing and All-seeing. | Offspring one of the other; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing. | <u>Th</u>urriyyatan baAA<u>d</u>uh<u>a</u> min baAA<u>d</u>in wa<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hu sameeAAun AAaleem<b>un</b> | They are the offspring of one another. God hears all and knows all. | Offspring, one of the other: And Allah heareth and knoweth all things. | 33 | 3 | ذُرِّيَّةًۢ بَعْضُهَا مِنۢ بَعْضٍ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ | These prophets and their followers were all part of the same family: declaring Allah’s Oneness and doing good. They passed on noble character and virtues to one another. Allah hears the statements of His servants and knows their actions; and therefore chooses whomever He wills. | These prophets and their followers were all part of the same family: declaring Allah’s Oneness and doing good. They passed on noble character and virtues to one another. Allah hears the statements of His servants and knows their actions; and therefore chooses whomever He wills. | ||||
Remember, when the wife of 'Imran prayed: "O Lord, I offer what I carry in my womb in dedication to Your service, accept it, for You hear all and know everything." | (Remember) When the wife of Imran said, “My Lord! I pledge to you what is in my womb – that it shall be dedicated purely in Your service, so accept it from me; indeed You only are the All Hearing, the All Knowing.” | When the wife of Imran said, 'Lord, I have vowed to Thee, in dedication, what is within my womb. Receive Thou this from me; Thou hearest, and knowest.' | when a woman of [the House of] `Imran prayed: "O my Sustainer! Behold, unto Thee do I vow [the child] that is in, my womb, to be devoted to Thy service. Accept it, then, from me: verily, Thou alone art all-hearing, all-knowing!" | Recall what time the wife of 'lmran said my Lord verily have vowed unto Thee that which is in my belly to be dedicated; accept Thou then of me. Verily Thou! Thou art the Hearer, the Knower. | (Remember) when the wife of 'Imran said: "O my Lord! I have vowed to You what (the child that) is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services (free from all worldly work; to serve Your Place of worship), so accept this, from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing." | The wife of Imran said, “My Lord, I have vowed to You what is in my womb, dedicated, so accept from me; You are the Hearer and Knower.” | (He also heard) when the woman of 'Imran said: 'O Lord! Behold, unto You do I vow that the child in my womb is to be devoted to Your exclusive service. Accept it, then, from me. Surely You alone are All-Hearing, All-Knowing.' | (Remember) when the wife of `Imran said: "O my Lord! I have vowed to You what is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services, so accept this from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing." | (Remember) when the wife of 'Imran said: My Lord! I have vowed unto Thee that which is in my belly as a consecrated (offering). Accept it from me. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Hearer, the Knower! | When the wife of Imran said, ‘My Lord, I dedicate to You in consecration what is in my belly. Accept it from me; indeed You are the All-hearing, the All-knowing.’ | (Remember) when the wife of 'Imran said: 'Lord, I have vowed to You in dedication that which is hidden inside me. Accept this from me. You are the Hearer, the Knower' | [Mention, O Muhammad], when the wife of 'Imran said, "My Lord, indeed I have pledged to You what is in my womb, consecrated [for Your service], so accept this from me. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing." | Remember when Imran's wife prayed to her Lord saying, "I have made a vow to dedicate to Your service whatever is in my womb. Lord, accept it from me. You are All-hearing and All-knowing". | When a woman of Imran said: My Lord! surely I vow to Thee what is in my womb, to be devoted (to Thy service); accept therefore from me, surely Thou art the Hearing, the Knowing. | I<u>th</u> q<u>a</u>lati imraatu AAimr<u>a</u>na rabbi innee na<u>th</u>artu laka m<u>a</u> fee ba<u>t</u>nee mu<u>h</u>arraran fataqabbal minnee innaka anta a<b>l</b>ssameeAAu alAAaleem<b>u</b> | Remember when the wife of 'Imran said, "My Lord, I have dedicated what is in my womb entirely to Your service. So accept this from me. You are the One who hears and knows all." | Behold! a woman of 'Imran said: "O my Lord! I do dedicate unto Thee what is in my womb for Thy special service: So accept this of me: For Thou hearest and knowest all things." | 34 | 3 | إِذْ قَالَتِ ٱمْرَأَتُ عِمْرَٰنَ رَبِّ إِنِّى نَذَرْتُ لَكَ مَا فِى بَطْنِى مُحَرَّرًا فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّىٓ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ | Remember, O Messenger, when the wife of ‘Imrān, the mother of Mary, said: O Lord, I have made it a duty on myself to fully dedicate my unborn child to You, to worship You and Your House, so accept this act from me. You are the One who hears my prayer and knows my intention. | Remember, O Messenger, when the wife of ‘Imrān, the mother of Mary, said: O Lord, I have made it a duty on myself to fully dedicate my unborn child to You, to worship You and Your House, so accept this act from me. You are the One who hears my prayer and knows my intention. | <p>Commentary:</p><p>In the religious code of earlier prophets, there was a method of worship through which a child, out of one's children, could be freed from all worldly services and devoted exclusively for Allah. Following this practice, the mother of Sayyidah Maryam made a vow during her pregnancy that she would let the newborn serve بیت المقدس Baitul-Maqdis in the way of Allah and that she would not put the child on worldly chores. Sayyidah Maryam's mother thought that she will deliver a male child. But, when she delivered a girl, she was full of remorse thinking that a girl would not be able to do this duty. But Allah Almighty, out of His consideration for the sincerity of Sayyidah Maryam's mother, accepted that very girl and thereby made her status distinct from any other girl of the world.</p><p>From here we learn that a mother holds a certain measure of guardianship over her child in respect of his or her education and training, for Sayyidah Maryam's mother would have never vowed if the mother had no right of guardianship over her child. Similarly, it proves that a mother too has the right to give a name to her child. (a1-Jassas)</p> | Commentary:In the religious code of earlier prophets, there was a method of worship through which a child, out of one's children, could be freed from all worldly services and devoted exclusively for Allah. Following this practice, the mother of Sayyidah Maryam made a vow during her pregnancy that she would let the newborn serve بیت المقدس Baitul-Maqdis in the way of Allah and that she would not put the child on worldly chores. Sayyidah Maryam's mother thought that she will deliver a male child. But, when she delivered a girl, she was full of remorse thinking that a girl would not be able to do this duty. But Allah Almighty, out of His consideration for the sincerity of Sayyidah Maryam's mother, accepted that very girl and thereby made her status distinct from any other girl of the world.From here we learn that a mother holds a certain measure of guardianship over her child in respect of his or her education and training, for Sayyidah Maryam's mother would have never vowed if the mother had no right of guardianship over her child. Similarly, it proves that a mother too has the right to give a name to her child. (a1-Jassas) | <h2 class="title">The Story of Maryam's Birth</h2><p>The wife of `Imran mentioned here is the mother of Maryam, and her name is Hannah bint Faqudh. Muhammad bin Ishaq mentioned that Hannah could not have children and that one day, she saw a bird feeding its chick. She wished she could have children and supplicated to Allah to grant her offspring. Allah accepted her supplication, and when her husband slept with her, she became pregnant. She vowed to make her child concentrate on worship and serving Bayt Al-Maqdis (the Masjid in Jerusalem), when she became aware that she was pregnant. She said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">رَبِّ إِنِّي نَذَرْتُ لَكَ مَا فِي بَطْنِي مُحَرَّرًا فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّي إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ</div><p>(O my Lord! I have vowed to You what is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services, so accept this from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing.) meaning, You hear my supplication and You know my intention. She did not know then what she would give birth to, a male or a female.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْهَا قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّى وَضَعْتُهَآ أُنثَى وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا وَضَعَتْ</div><p>(Then when she gave birth to her, she said: "O my Lord! I have given birth to a female child, ـ and Allah knew better what she bore.)</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالاٍّنثَى</div><p>(And the male is not like the female,) in strength and the commitment to worship Allah and serve the Masjid in Jerusalem.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَإِنِّى سَمَّيْتُهَا مَرْيَمَ</div><p>(And I have named her Maryam,) thus, testifying to the fact that it is allowed to give a name to the newly born the day it is born, as is apparent from the Ayah, which is also a part of the law of those who were before us. Further, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah mentioned that the Prophet said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«وُلِدَ لِيَ اللَّيْلَةَ وَلَدٌ، سَمَّيْتُهُ بِاسْمِ أَبِي إِبْرَاهِيم»</div><p>(This night, a son was born for me and I called him by my father's name, Ibrahim.) Al-Bukhari and Muslim collected this Hadith.</p><p>They also recorded that Anas bin Malik brought his newborn brother to the Messenger of Allah who chewed a piece of date and put it in the child's mouth and called him `Abdullah. Other new born infants were also given names on the day they were born.</p><p>Qatadah narrated that Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, that Samurah bin Jundub said that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«كُلُّ غُلَامٍ رَهِينٌ بِعَقِيقَتِهِ، يُذْبَحُ عَنْهُ يَوْمَ سَابِعِهِ، وَيُسَمَّى وَيُحْلَقُ رَأَسُه»</div><p>(Every new born boy held in security by his `Aqiqah, until his seventh day, a sacrifice is offered on his behalf, he is given a name, and the hair on his head is shaved.)</p><p>This Hadith was collected by Ahmad and the collectors of the Sunan, and was graded Sahih by At-Tirmidhi. We should mention that another narration for this Hadith contained the wording, "and blood is offered on his behalf," which is more famous and established than the former narration, and Allah knows best.</p><p>Allah's statement that Maryam's mother said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وِإِنِّى أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَـنِ الرَّجِيمِ</div><p>("...And I seek refuge with You for her and for her offspring from Shaytan, the outcast.") means, that she sought refuge with Allah from the evil of Shaytan, for her and her offspring, i.e., `Isa, peace be upon him. Allah accepted her supplication, for `Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«مَا مِنْ مَوْلُودٍ يُولَدُ إِلَّا مَسَّهُ الشَّيْطَانُ حِينَ يُولَدُ، فَيَسْتَهِلُّ صَارِخًا مِنْ مَسِّهِ إِيَّاهُ، إِلَّا مَرْيَمَ وَابْنَهَا»</div><p>(Every newly born baby is touched by Shaytan when it is born, and the baby starts crying because of this touch, except Maryam and her son.)</p><p>Abu Hurayrah then said, "Read if you will,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وِإِنِّى أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَـنِ الرَّجِيمِ</div><p>(And I seek refuge with You for her and for her offspring from Shaytan, the outcast)." The Two Sahihs recorded this Hadith.</p> | The Story of Maryam's BirthThe wife of `Imran mentioned here is the mother of Maryam, and her name is Hannah bint Faqudh. Muhammad bin Ishaq mentioned that Hannah could not have children and that one day, she saw a bird feeding its chick. She wished she could have children and supplicated to Allah to grant her offspring. Allah accepted her supplication, and when her husband slept with her, she became pregnant. She vowed to make her child concentrate on worship and serving Bayt Al-Maqdis (the Masjid in Jerusalem), when she became aware that she was pregnant. She said,رَبِّ إِنِّي نَذَرْتُ لَكَ مَا فِي بَطْنِي مُحَرَّرًا فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّي إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ(O my Lord! I have vowed to You what is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services, so accept this from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing.) meaning, You hear my supplication and You know my intention. She did not know then what she would give birth to, a male or a female.فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْهَا قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّى وَضَعْتُهَآ أُنثَى وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا وَضَعَتْ(Then when she gave birth to her, she said: "O my Lord! I have given birth to a female child, ـ and Allah knew better what she bore.)وَلَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالاٍّنثَى(And the male is not like the female,) in strength and the commitment to worship Allah and serve the Masjid in Jerusalem.وَإِنِّى سَمَّيْتُهَا مَرْيَمَ(And I have named her Maryam,) thus, testifying to the fact that it is allowed to give a name to the newly born the day it is born, as is apparent from the Ayah, which is also a part of the law of those who were before us. Further, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah mentioned that the Prophet said,«وُلِدَ لِيَ اللَّيْلَةَ وَلَدٌ، سَمَّيْتُهُ بِاسْمِ أَبِي إِبْرَاهِيم»(This night, a son was born for me and I called him by my father's name, Ibrahim.) Al-Bukhari and Muslim collected this Hadith.They also recorded that Anas bin Malik brought his newborn brother to the Messenger of Allah who chewed a piece of date and put it in the child's mouth and called him `Abdullah. Other new born infants were also given names on the day they were born.Qatadah narrated that Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, that Samurah bin Jundub said that the Messenger of Allah said,«كُلُّ غُلَامٍ رَهِينٌ بِعَقِيقَتِهِ، يُذْبَحُ عَنْهُ يَوْمَ سَابِعِهِ، وَيُسَمَّى وَيُحْلَقُ رَأَسُه»(Every new born boy held in security by his `Aqiqah, until his seventh day, a sacrifice is offered on his behalf, he is given a name, and the hair on his head is shaved.)This Hadith was collected by Ahmad and the collectors of the Sunan, and was graded Sahih by At-Tirmidhi. We should mention that another narration for this Hadith contained the wording, "and blood is offered on his behalf," which is more famous and established than the former narration, and Allah knows best.Allah's statement that Maryam's mother said,وِإِنِّى أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَـنِ الرَّجِيمِ("...And I seek refuge with You for her and for her offspring from Shaytan, the outcast.") means, that she sought refuge with Allah from the evil of Shaytan, for her and her offspring, i.e., `Isa, peace be upon him. Allah accepted her supplication, for `Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,«مَا مِنْ مَوْلُودٍ يُولَدُ إِلَّا مَسَّهُ الشَّيْطَانُ حِينَ يُولَدُ، فَيَسْتَهِلُّ صَارِخًا مِنْ مَسِّهِ إِيَّاهُ، إِلَّا مَرْيَمَ وَابْنَهَا»(Every newly born baby is touched by Shaytan when it is born, and the baby starts crying because of this touch, except Maryam and her son.)Abu Hurayrah then said, "Read if you will,وِإِنِّى أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَـنِ الرَّجِيمِ(And I seek refuge with You for her and for her offspring from Shaytan, the outcast)." The Two Sahihs recorded this Hadith. |
And when she had given birth to the child, she said: "O Lord, I have delivered but a girl." -- But God knew better what she had delivered: A boy could not be as that girl was. "I have named her Mary," (she said), "and I give her into Your keeping. Preserve her and her children from Satan the ostracized." | So when she gave birth to it, she said, “My Lord! I have indeed given birth to a girl!” And Allah well knows what she gave birth to; and the boy she had prayed for is not like this girl; “And I have named her Maryam and I give her and her offspring in Your protection, against Satan the outcast.” | And when she gave birth to her she said, 'Lord, I have given birth to her, a female.' (And God knew very well what she had given birth to; the male is not as the female.) 'And I have named her Mary, and commend her to Thee with her seed, to protect them from the accursed Satan.' | But when she had given birth to the child, she said: "O my Sustainer! Behold, I have given birth to a female" - the while God had been fully aware of what she would give birth to, and [fully aware] that no male child [she might have hoped for] could ever have been like this female - "and I have named her Mary. And, verily, I seek Thy protection for her and her offspring against Satan, the accursed." | Then when she brought her forth, she said: my Lord verily have brought forth a female - and Allah knew best that which she had brought forth, - and the male is not as the female, and verily have named her Maryam, and verily seek refuge for her and her progeny with Thee from the Satan the accursed. | Then when she delivered her [child Maryam (Mary)], she said: "O my Lord! I have delivered a female child," - and Allah knew better what she delivered, - "And the male is not like the female, and I have named her Maryam (Mary), and I seek refuge with You (Allah) for her and for her offspring from Shaitan (Satan), the outcast." | And when she delivered her, she said, “My Lord, I have delivered a female,” and God was well aware of what she has delivered, “and the male is not like the female, and I have named her Mary, and have commended her and her descendants to Your protection, from Satan the outcast.” | But when she gave birth to a female child, she said: 'O Lord! I have given birth to a female' - and Allah knew full well what she had given birth to - 'and a female is not the same as a male. I have named her Mary and commit her and her offspring to You for protection from Satan, the accursed.' | Then when she gave birth to her, she said: "O my Lord! I have given birth to a female child, ـ and Allah knew better what she bore, ـ "And the male is not like the female, and I have named her Maryam, and I seek refuge with You for her and for her offspring from Shaytan, the outcast." | And when she was delivered she said: My Lord! Lo! I am delivered of a female - Allah knew best of what she was delivered - the male is not as the female; and lo! I have named her Mary, and lo! I crave Thy protection for her and for her offspring from Satan the outcast. | When she bore her, she said, ‘My Lord, I have borne a female [child]’—and Allah knew better what she had borne, and the male [child she expected] was no match for the female [child she had borne] —‘and I have named her Mary, and I commend her and her offspring to Your care against [the evil of] the outcast Satan.’ | And when she was delivered of her, she said: 'Lord, I have given birth to her, a female' Allah knew of what she had given birth the male is not like the female 'and I have called her Mary. Protect her and all her descendants from satan, the stoned one' | But when she delivered her, she said, "My Lord, I have delivered a female." And Allah was most knowing of what she delivered, "And the male is not like the female. And I have named her Mary, and I seek refuge for her in You and [for] her descendants from Satan, the expelled [from the mercy of Allah]." | When the baby was born she said, "Lord, it is a female." God knew this. Male and female are not alike. "I have named her Mary. I pray that You will keep her and her offspring safe from Satan, the condemned one." | So when she brought forth, she said: My Lord! Surely I have brought it forth a female-- and Allah knew best what she brought forth-- and the male is not like the female, and I have named it Marium, and I commend her and her offspring into Thy protection from the accursed Shaitan. | Falamm<u>a</u> wa<u>d</u>aAAath<u>a</u> q<u>a</u>lat rabbi innee wa<u>d</u>aAAtuh<u>a</u> onth<u>a</u> wa<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hu aAAlamu bim<u>a</u> wa<u>d</u>aAAat walaysa a<b>l</b><u>thth</u>akaru ka<b>a</b>lonth<u>a</u> wainnee sammaytuh<u>a</u> maryama wainnee oAAee<u>th</u>uh<u>a</u> bika wa<u>th</u>urriyyatah<u>a</u> mina a<b>l</b>shshay<u>ta</u>ni a<b>l</b>rrajeem<b>i</b> | When she gave birth, she said, "My Lord, I have given birth to a girl," God knew very well what she had given birth to: a male is not like a female, "I have named her Mary and placed her and her children in Your protection from the rejected Satan." | When she was delivered, she said: "O my Lord! Behold! I am delivered of a female child!"- and Allah knew best what she brought forth- "And no wise is the male Like the female. I have named her Mary, and I commend her and her offspring to Thy protection from the Evil One, the Rejected." | 35 | 3 | فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْهَا قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّى وَضَعْتُهَآ أُنثَىٰ وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا وَضَعَتْ وَلَيْسَ ٱلذَّكَرُ كَٱلْأُنثَىٰ وَإِنِّى سَمَّيْتُهَا مَرْيَمَ وَإِنِّىٓ أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ | When she reached the end of her pregnancy and gave birth she was astonished – as she had hoped for a boy – and she said, ‘O Lord, I have given birth to a girl’. Allah knows what she gave birth to. Of course, a girl does not have the same strength and form as a boy that she had hoped for. She said, ‘I have named her Mary and I ask for Your mercy in protecting her and her children from the rejected Satan’. | When she reached the end of her pregnancy and gave birth she was astonished – as she had hoped for a boy – and she said, ‘O Lord, I have given birth to a girl’. Allah knows what she gave birth to. Of course, a girl does not have the same strength and form as a boy that she had hoped for. She said, ‘I have named her Mary and I ask for Your mercy in protecting her and her children from the rejected Satan’. | ||||
Her Lord accepted her graciously, and she grew up with excellence, and was given into the care of Zachariah. Whenever Zachariah came to see her in the chamber, he found her provided with food, and he asked: "Where has this come from, O Mary?" And she said: "From God who gives food in abundance to whomsoever He will." | So her Lord fully accepted her (Maryam), and gave her an excellent development; and gave her in Zakaria’s guardianship; whenever Zakaria visited her at her place of prayer, he found new food with her; he said, “O Maryam! From where did this come to you?” She answered, “It is from Allah; indeed Allah gives to whomever He wills, without limit account.” (Miracles occur through the friends of Allah.) | Her Lord received the child with gracious favour, and by His goodness she grew up comely, Zachariah taking charge of her. Whenever Zachariah went in to her in the Sanctuary, he found her provisioned. 'Mary,' he said, 'how comes this to thee?' 'From God,' she said. Truly God provisions whomsoever He will without reckoning. | And thereupon her Sustainer accepted the girl-child with goodly acceptance, and caused her to grow up in goodly growth, and placed her in the care of Zachariah. Whenever Zachariah visited her in the sanctuary, he found her provided with food. He would ask: "O Mary, whence came this unto thee?" She would answer: "It is from God; behold, God grants sustenance unto whom He wills, beyond all reckoning." | Then her Lord accepted her with goodly acceptance and made her grow up with a goodly growth, and He made Zakariyya take care of her. So oft as Zakariyya entered the apartment to see her, he found provision by her. He said: O Maryam! whence hast thou this! She said this is from before Allah. Verily Allah provideth for whomsoever He will without reckoning. | So her Lord (Allah) accepted her with goodly acceptance. He made her grow in a good manner and put her under the care of Zakariya (Zachariya). Every time he entered Al-Mihrab to (visit) her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: "O Maryam (Mary)! From where have you got this?" She said, "This is from Allah." Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit." | Her Lord accepted her with a gracious reception, and brought her a beautiful upbringing, and entrusted her to the care of Zechariah. Whenever Zechariah entered upon her in the sanctuary, he found her with provision. He said, “O Mary, where did you get this from?” She said, “It is from God; God provides to whom He wills without reckoning.” | Thereupon her Lord graciously accepted Mary and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth and placed her in the care of Zechariah. Whenever Zechariah visited her in the sanctuary, he found her provided with food. He asked her: 'O Mary, how did this come to you?' She said: 'It is from Allah. Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills beyond all reckoning.' | So her Lord (Allah) accepted her with goodly acceptance. He made her grow in a good manner and put her under the care of Zakariyya. Every time he entered the Mihrab to (visit) her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: "O Maryam! From where have you gotten this" She said, "This is from Allah." Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit. | And her Lord accepted her with full acceptance and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth; and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah went into the sanctuary where she was, he found that she had food. He said: O Mary! Whence cometh unto thee this (food)? She answered: It is from Allah. Allah giveth without stint to whom He will. | Thereupon her Lord accepted her with a gracious acceptance, and made her grow up in a worthy fashion, and He charged Zechariah with her care. Whenever Zechariah visited her in the sanctuary, he would find provisions with her. He said, ‘O Mary, from where does this come for you?’ She said, ‘It comes from Allah. Allah provides whomever He wishes without any reckoning.’ | Her Lord graciously accepted her. He made her grow with a fine upbringing and entrusted her to the care of Zachariah. Whenever Zachariah went to her in the sanctuary, he found that she had provision with her. 'Mary' he said, 'how does this come to you' 'It is from Allah' she answered. Truly, Allah provides whomsoever He will without reckoning. | So her Lord accepted her with good acceptance and caused her to grow in a good manner and put her in the care of Zechariah. Every time Zechariah entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found with her provision. He said, "O Mary, from where is this [coming] to you?" She said, "It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without account." | Her Lord graciously accepted the offer and made Mary grow up, pure, and beautiful. Zachariah took custody of her. Whenever he went to visit her in her place of worship, he would find with her some food. He would ask her, "Where did this food come from?" She would reply, "God has sent it." God gives sustenance to whomever He wants without keeping an account. | So her Lord accepted her with a good acceptance and made her grow up a good growing, and gave her into the charge of Zakariya; whenever Zakariya entered the sanctuary to (see) her, he found with her food. He said: O Marium! whence comes this to you? She said: It is from Allah. Surely Allah gives to whom He pleases without measure. | Fataqabbalah<u>a</u> rabbuh<u>a</u> biqaboolin <u>h</u>asanin waanbatah<u>a</u> nab<u>a</u>tan <u>h</u>asanan wakaffalah<u>a</u> zakariyy<u>a</u> kullam<u>a</u> dakhala AAalayh<u>a</u> zakariyy<u>a</u> almi<u>h</u>r<u>a</u>ba wajada AAindah<u>a</u> rizqan q<u>a</u>la y<u>a</u> maryamu ann<u>a</u> laki h<u>atha</u> q<u>a</u>lat huwa min AAindi All<u>a</u>hi inna All<u>a</u>ha yarzuqu man yash<u>a</u>o bighayri <u>h</u>is<u>a</u>b<b>in</b> | Her Lord graciously accepted her and made her grow in goodness and entrusted her to the care of Zachariah. Every time Zachariah visited her in her chamber he found some provision with her. He asked, "Mary, where did this provision come from?" She replied, "This is from God. God provides for whoever He wills without measure." | Right graciously did her Lord accept her: He made her grow in purity and beauty: To the care of Zakariya was she assigned. Every time that he entered (Her) chamber to see her, He found her supplied with sustenance. He said: "O Mary! Whence (comes) this to you?" She said: "From Allah: for Allah Provides sustenance to whom He pleases without measure." | 36 | 3 | فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍ وَأَنۢبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا ٱلْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقًا قَالَ يَٰمَرْيَمُ أَنَّىٰ لَكِ هَٰذَا قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ | Allah graciously accepted the dedication and brought her up well. He made the hearts of His pious servants incline caringly to her and put her in the care of the Prophet Zachariah. Whenever Zachariah would enter her place of worship he would find wholesome food there. So, he asked her, ‘O Mary, where did you get this food from?’ She replied, ‘This food is from Allah. Allah gives to whomever He wishes in abundance without account’. | Allah graciously accepted the dedication and brought her up well. He made the hearts of His pious servants incline caringly to her and put her in the care of the Prophet Zachariah. Whenever Zachariah would enter her place of worship he would find wholesome food there. So, he asked her, ‘O Mary, where did you get this food from?’ She replied, ‘This food is from Allah. Allah gives to whomever He wishes in abundance without account’. | <p>Commentary</p><p>In order to fulfill her vow, Sayyidah Maryam's mother took her to the Mosque of بیت المقدس Baitul-Maqdis and talked to the care-takers and worshippers at the Mosque, Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) being one of them, and. told them that she had vowed to dedicate the child in the service of God and therefore, she could not keep the child with her. She asked them to take her and keep her.</p><p>Sayyidna ` Imran (علیہ السلام) was the Imam of this Mosque. He had died during the pregnancy of Maryam's mother, otherwise he would have been the most deserving person to have taken charge of the child, being the father and the Imam of the Mosque. Therefore, every keeper and worshipper of the Mosque wished to take her in his custody. Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) pleaded his bid for custody by saying that his wife was Maryam's aunt and she being next to her mother certainly deserved to keep her. But, people did not agree to prefer him over the others. Finally, everybody agreed to draw lots, which turned out to be fairly strange as it would appear later. Here too, it was Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) who turned out to be the winner.</p><p>So, he got custody of Maryam. According to some reports, he employed a wet-nurse to have her suckled. Other reports say that she just did not need to be suckled. She grew up able to sit and walk and Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) put her in a good house adjacent to the Mosque. When he went out, he locked the house and opened it on re-turn. This has been stated briefly in the present verse.</p> | CommentaryIn order to fulfill her vow, Sayyidah Maryam's mother took her to the Mosque of بیت المقدس Baitul-Maqdis and talked to the care-takers and worshippers at the Mosque, Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) being one of them, and. told them that she had vowed to dedicate the child in the service of God and therefore, she could not keep the child with her. She asked them to take her and keep her.Sayyidna ` Imran (علیہ السلام) was the Imam of this Mosque. He had died during the pregnancy of Maryam's mother, otherwise he would have been the most deserving person to have taken charge of the child, being the father and the Imam of the Mosque. Therefore, every keeper and worshipper of the Mosque wished to take her in his custody. Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) pleaded his bid for custody by saying that his wife was Maryam's aunt and she being next to her mother certainly deserved to keep her. But, people did not agree to prefer him over the others. Finally, everybody agreed to draw lots, which turned out to be fairly strange as it would appear later. Here too, it was Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) who turned out to be the winner.So, he got custody of Maryam. According to some reports, he employed a wet-nurse to have her suckled. Other reports say that she just did not need to be suckled. She grew up able to sit and walk and Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) put her in a good house adjacent to the Mosque. When he went out, he locked the house and opened it on re-turn. This has been stated briefly in the present verse. | <h2 class="title">Maryam Grows Up; Her Honor is with Allah</h2><p>Allah states that He has accepted Maryam as a result of her mother's vow and that He,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَأَنبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا</div><p>(made her grow in a good manner) meaning, made her conduct becoming, her mannerism delightful and He made her well liked among people. He also made her accompany the righteous people, so that she learned righteousness, knowledge and religion.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا</div><p>(And put her under the care of Zakariyya) meaning, Allah made Zakariyya her sponsor. Allah made Zakariyya Maryam's guardian for her benefit, so that she would learn from his tremendous knowledge and righteous conduct. He was the husband of her maternal aunt, as Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Jarir stated, or her brother-in-law, as mentioned in the Sahih,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«فَإِذَا بِيَحْيَى وَعِيسى، وَهُمَا ابْنَا الْخَالَة»</div><p>(I saw John and `Isa, who are maternal cousins.)</p><p>We should state that in general terms, what Ibn Ishaq said is plausible, and in this case, Maryam was under the care of her maternal aunt. The Two Sahihs recorded that the Messenger of Allah decided that `Amarah, the daughter of Hamzah, be raised by her maternal aunt, the wife of Ja`far bin Abi Talib, saying,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«الْخَالَةُ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْأُم»</div><p>(The maternal aunt is just like the mother.)</p><p>Allah then emphasizes Maryam's honor and virtue at the place of worship she attended,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقًا</div><p>(Every time he entered the Mihrab to (visit) her, he found her supplied with sustenance.)</p><p>Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Abu Ash-Sha`tha, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, `Atiyah Al-`Awfi and As-Suddi said, "He would find with her the fruits of the summer during winter, and the fruits of the winter during summer." When Zakariyya would see this; d</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قَالَ يمَرْيَمُ أَنَّى لَكِ هَـذَا</div><p>(He said: "O Maryam! From where have you gotten this") meaning, where did you get these fruits from</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ إنَّ اللَّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ</div><p>(She said, "This is from Allah." Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit.)</p> | Maryam Grows Up; Her Honor is with AllahAllah states that He has accepted Maryam as a result of her mother's vow and that He,وَأَنبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا(made her grow in a good manner) meaning, made her conduct becoming, her mannerism delightful and He made her well liked among people. He also made her accompany the righteous people, so that she learned righteousness, knowledge and religion.وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا(And put her under the care of Zakariyya) meaning, Allah made Zakariyya her sponsor. Allah made Zakariyya Maryam's guardian for her benefit, so that she would learn from his tremendous knowledge and righteous conduct. He was the husband of her maternal aunt, as Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Jarir stated, or her brother-in-law, as mentioned in the Sahih,«فَإِذَا بِيَحْيَى وَعِيسى، وَهُمَا ابْنَا الْخَالَة»(I saw John and `Isa, who are maternal cousins.)We should state that in general terms, what Ibn Ishaq said is plausible, and in this case, Maryam was under the care of her maternal aunt. The Two Sahihs recorded that the Messenger of Allah decided that `Amarah, the daughter of Hamzah, be raised by her maternal aunt, the wife of Ja`far bin Abi Talib, saying,«الْخَالَةُ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْأُم»(The maternal aunt is just like the mother.)Allah then emphasizes Maryam's honor and virtue at the place of worship she attended,كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقًا(Every time he entered the Mihrab to (visit) her, he found her supplied with sustenance.)Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Abu Ash-Sha`tha, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, `Atiyah Al-`Awfi and As-Suddi said, "He would find with her the fruits of the summer during winter, and the fruits of the winter during summer." When Zakariyya would see this; dقَالَ يمَرْيَمُ أَنَّى لَكِ هَـذَا(He said: "O Maryam! From where have you gotten this") meaning, where did you get these fruits fromقَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ إنَّ اللَّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ(She said, "This is from Allah." Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit.) |
Then prayed Zachariah to his Lord: "O Lord, bestow on me offspring, virtuous and good, for You answer all prayers." | It is here that Zakaria prayed to his Lord; he said, “My Lord! Give me from Yourself a righteous child; indeed You only are the Listener Of Prayer.” | Then Zachariah prayed to his Lord saying, 'Lord, give me of Thy goodness a goodly offspring. Yea, Thou hearest prayer.' | In that self-same place, Zachariah prayed unto his Sustainer, saying: "O my Sustainer! Bestow upon me [too], out of Thy grace, the gift of goodly offspring; for Thou, indeed, hearest all prayer." | Forthwith Zakariyya prayed unto his Lord my Lord bestow on me from Thine presence a goodly offspring; verily Thou! Thou art the Hearer of prayer. | At that time Zakariya (Zachariya) invoked his Lord, saying: "O my Lord! Grant me from You, a good offspring. You are indeed the All-Hearer of invocation." | Thereupon Zechariah prayed to his Lord; he said, “My Lord, bestow on me good offspring from Your presence; You are the Hearer of Prayers.” | Then Zechariah prayed to his Lord: 'O Lord! Grant me from Yourself out of Your grace the gift of a goodly offspring, for indeed You alone heed all Prayers.' | At that time Zakariyya invoked his Lord, saying: "O my Lord! Grant me from You, a good offspring. You are indeed the All-Hearer of invocation." | Then Zachariah prayed unto his Lord and said: My Lord! Bestow upon me of Thy bounty goodly offspring. Lo! Thou art the Hearer of Prayer. | Thereat Zechariah supplicated his Lord. He said, ‘My Lord! Grant me a good offspring from You! Indeed You hear all supplications.’ | Thereupon Zachariah supplicated to his Lord, saying: 'Lord, give me from You a good offspring. You hear all prayers' | At that, Zechariah called upon his Lord, saying, "My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication." | Zachariah prayed to his Lord there, saying, "Lord, grant me, by Your Grace, virtuous offspring. You hear all prayers". | There did Zakariya pray to his Lord; he said: My Lord! grant me from Thee good offspring; surely Thou art the Hearer of prayer. | Hun<u>a</u>lika daAA<u>a</u> zakariyy<u>a</u> rabbahu q<u>a</u>la rabbi hab lee min ladunka <u>th</u>urriyyatan <u>t</u>ayyibatan innaka sameeAAu a<b>l</b>dduAA<u>a</u><b>i</b> | Thereupon Zachariah prayed to his Lord, saying, "Lord, grant me by Your own grace virtuous offspring. You are the hearer of all prayers." | There did Zakariya pray to his Lord, saying: "O my Lord! Grant unto me from Thee a progeny that is pure: for Thou art He that heareth prayer! | 37 | 3 | هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُۥ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ | When Zachariah saw the food that Allah was miraculously giving to Mary, he became hopeful that Allah would give him a child despite being very old and his wife being unable to bear children. He said: O Lord, give me a good child. You hear the prayer of the person who prays to You and You know his condition. | When Zachariah saw the food that Allah was miraculously giving to Mary, he became hopeful that Allah would give him a child despite being very old and his wife being unable to bear children. He said: O Lord, give me a good child. You hear the prayer of the person who prays to You and You know his condition. | <p>Commentary</p><p>1. While looking at the first sentence of this verse هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُ (Thereupon, Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) prayed to his Lord) - we should bear in mind that Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) had no offspring upto that time. He had grown old and one usually does not have children in that age, although he firmly believed that Allah, in His ultimate power, could change the usual phenomenon and bless him with an offspring even at his advanced age. But he had not personally witnessed the unusual divine acts - such as he did when he saw unusual and out-of-season eatables provided for Sayyidah Maryam and that was why he did not have the courage to extend his hand of prayer for an offspring. Now when he saw the miracle with his own eyes, he was persuaded for such prayer under the belief that Allah, who can provide a servant with out-of season fruits, would also bless him with an offspring, even in this late age, and so he prayed.</p><p>2. The second sentence of the verse - 'He said: قَالَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً "O my Lord, grant me from Your own (power) a goodly progeny."' - tells us that making prayers to have children is a blessed practice of the prophets and the righteous.</p><p>In another verse Allah Almighty has said: وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلًا مِّن قَبْلِكَ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ "And We sent messengers before you and provided them with wives and children"- (13:38).It means that children are among the blessings of Allah which were bestowed on the Holy Prophet as well as on other prophets.</p><p>Now, should someone try to stop the birth of children, by any means, he will not only rebel against nature but will also deprive him-self of having acted in harmony with the common and agreed practice of prophets (علیہم السلام) The Holy Prophet of Islam ﷺ has given great importance to the question of marriage and children, so much so that he did not allow anyone to avoid married life and children inspite of his capability, and refused to take such a person as a member of his community of followers. He said:</p><p>(1) النکاح من سُنتی</p><p>(2) فمن رغب عن سنتی فلیس مِنِی</p><p>(3) تَزوَجوا الودودَ الولودَ فاِنِی مکاثر بکم الامم</p><p>(1) Marriage is my sunnah (way).</p><p>(2) So, whoever turns away from my sunnah, he is not from me.</p><p>(3) Therefore, marry a woman who is loving and fertile, for I shall compete with other communities on the basis of your numbers.</p><p>In another verse, Allah Almighty praises those who pray before Him to have a wife in marriage, have children and have them grow good and righteous. He says:</p><p>وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ</p><p>And those who say: '0 our Lord, bless us with such among our wives and our children as be the delight of our eyes. (25:74)</p><p>Hasan al-Basri, (رح) says that the Qur'anic expression - قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ 'qurrata a` yun' (literally: coolness or luster of the eyes; meaning someone dearly loved and cherished) - here means that the maker of prayer sees his children and wife devoted in obedience to Allah.</p><p>It appears in a hadith that Umm Sulaym ؓ requested the Holy Prophet ﷺ to pray for his attendant, Sayyidna Anas ؓ . He made the following prayer for him:</p><p>الھم اَکثِر مالہ و ولدہ وبارک لہ فیما اعطیتہ</p><p>0 Allah, increase his wealth and his children and make him prosper in what You have bestowed on him.</p><p>It was the outcome of this very prayer that Sayyidna Anas ؓ had about a hundred children and was also blessed with an ample measure of wealth.</p> | Commentary1. While looking at the first sentence of this verse هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُ (Thereupon, Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) prayed to his Lord) - we should bear in mind that Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) had no offspring upto that time. He had grown old and one usually does not have children in that age, although he firmly believed that Allah, in His ultimate power, could change the usual phenomenon and bless him with an offspring even at his advanced age. But he had not personally witnessed the unusual divine acts - such as he did when he saw unusual and out-of-season eatables provided for Sayyidah Maryam and that was why he did not have the courage to extend his hand of prayer for an offspring. Now when he saw the miracle with his own eyes, he was persuaded for such prayer under the belief that Allah, who can provide a servant with out-of season fruits, would also bless him with an offspring, even in this late age, and so he prayed.2. The second sentence of the verse - 'He said: قَالَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً "O my Lord, grant me from Your own (power) a goodly progeny."' - tells us that making prayers to have children is a blessed practice of the prophets and the righteous.In another verse Allah Almighty has said: وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلًا مِّن قَبْلِكَ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ "And We sent messengers before you and provided them with wives and children"- (13:38).It means that children are among the blessings of Allah which were bestowed on the Holy Prophet as well as on other prophets.Now, should someone try to stop the birth of children, by any means, he will not only rebel against nature but will also deprive him-self of having acted in harmony with the common and agreed practice of prophets (علیہم السلام) The Holy Prophet of Islam ﷺ has given great importance to the question of marriage and children, so much so that he did not allow anyone to avoid married life and children inspite of his capability, and refused to take such a person as a member of his community of followers. He said:(1) النکاح من سُنتی(2) فمن رغب عن سنتی فلیس مِنِی(3) تَزوَجوا الودودَ الولودَ فاِنِی مکاثر بکم الامم(1) Marriage is my sunnah (way).(2) So, whoever turns away from my sunnah, he is not from me.(3) Therefore, marry a woman who is loving and fertile, for I shall compete with other communities on the basis of your numbers.In another verse, Allah Almighty praises those who pray before Him to have a wife in marriage, have children and have them grow good and righteous. He says:وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍAnd those who say: '0 our Lord, bless us with such among our wives and our children as be the delight of our eyes. (25:74)Hasan al-Basri, (رح) says that the Qur'anic expression - قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ 'qurrata a` yun' (literally: coolness or luster of the eyes; meaning someone dearly loved and cherished) - here means that the maker of prayer sees his children and wife devoted in obedience to Allah.It appears in a hadith that Umm Sulaym ؓ requested the Holy Prophet ﷺ to pray for his attendant, Sayyidna Anas ؓ . He made the following prayer for him:الھم اَکثِر مالہ و ولدہ وبارک لہ فیما اعطیتہ0 Allah, increase his wealth and his children and make him prosper in what You have bestowed on him.It was the outcome of this very prayer that Sayyidna Anas ؓ had about a hundred children and was also blessed with an ample measure of wealth. | <h2 class="title">The Supplication of Zakariyya, and the Good News of Yahya's Birth</h2><p>When Zakariyya saw that Allah provided sustenance for Maryam by giving her the fruits of winter in summer and the fruits of summer in winter, he was eager to have a child of his own. By then, Zakariyya had become an old man, his bones feeble and his head full of gray hair. His wife was an old women who was barren. Yet, he still supplicated to Allah and called Him in secret,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنْكَ</div><p>(O my Lord! Grant me from Ladunka,) from You,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً</div><p>(A good offspring) meaning, a righteous offspring,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَآءِ</div><p>(You are indeed the All-Hearer of invocation.) Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَنَادَتْهُ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّى فِى الْمِحْرَابِ</div><p>(Then the angels called him, while he was standing in prayer in the Mihrab,) meaning, the angels spoke to him directly while he was secluded, standing in prayer at his place of worship. Allah told us about the good news that the angels delivered to Zakariyya,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحْيَـى</div><p>(Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya, ) of a child from your offspring, his name is Yahya. Qatadah and other scholars said that he was called Yahya (literally, `he lives') because Allah filled his life with faith.</p><p>Allah said next,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">مُصَدِّقاً بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ</div><p>(believing in the Word from Allah) Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said, and also Al-Hasan, Qatadah, `Ikrimah, Mujahid, Abu Ash-Sha`tha, As-Suddi, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Ad-Dahhak, and several others said that the Ayah,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">مُصَدِّقاً بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ</div><p>(believing in the Word from Allah) means, "Believing in `Isa, son of Maryam."</p><p>Abu Al-`Aliyah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Qatadah and Sa`id bin Jubayr said that Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَسَيِّدًا</div><p>(And Sayyidan) means, a wise man. Ibn `Abbas, Ath-Thawri and Ad-Dahhak said that Sayyidan means, "The noble, wise and pious man." Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib said that Sayyid is the scholar and Faqih. `Atiyah said that Sayyid is the man noble in behavior and piety. `Ikrimah said that it refers to a person who is not overcome by anger, while Ibn Zayd said that it refers to the noble man. Mujahid said that Sayyidan means, honored by Allah.</p><p>Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَحَصُورًا</div><p>(And Hasuran) does not mean he refrains from sexual relations with women, but that he is immune from illegal sexual relations. This does not mean that he does not marry women and have legal sexual relations with them, for Zakariyya said in his supplication for the benefit of Yahya,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">هَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنْكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً</div><p>(Grant me from You, a good offspring), meaning, grant me a son who will have offspring, and Allah knows best.</p><p>Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَنَبِيًّا مِّنَ الصَّـلِحِينَ</div><p>(A Prophet, from among the righteous) delivers more good news of sending Yahya as Prophet after the good news that he will be born. This good news was even better than the news of Yahya's birth. In a similar statement, Allah said to the mother of Musa,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّا رَآدُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ وَجَـعِلُوهُ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ</div><p>(Verily, We shall bring him back to you, and shall make him one of the Messengers.) 28:7</p><p>When Zakariyya heard the good news, he started contemplating about having children at his age. He said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لِي غُلَـمٌ وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِي الْكِبَرُ وَامْرَأَتِى عَاقِرٌ قَالَ</div><p>("O my Lord! How can I have a son when I am very old, and my wife is barren" (He) said...) meaning the angel said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">كَذَلِكَ اللَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ</div><p>("Thus Allah does what He wills.") meaning, this is Allah's matter, He is so Mighty that nothing escapes His power, nor is anything beyond His ability.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قَالَ رَبِّ اجْعَل لِّى ءَايَةً</div><p>(He said: "O my Lord! Make a sign for me") meaning make a sign that alerts me that the child will come,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلاَّ تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلَـثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلاَّ رَمْزًا</div><p>((Allah) said: "Your sign is that you shall not speak to the people for three days except by signals.") meaning, you will not be able to speak except with signals, although you are not mute. In another Ayah, Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">ثَلَـثَ لَيَالٍ سَوِيّاً</div><p>(For three nights, though having no bodily defect.) 19:10</p><p>Allah then commanded Zakariyya to supplicate, thank and praise Him often in that condition,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيرًا وَسَبِّحْ بِالْعَشِىِّ وَالإِبْكَـرِ</div><p>(And remember your Lord much and glorify (Him) in the afternoon and in the morning. )</p><p>We will elaborate more on this subject in the beginning of Surah Maryam (chapter 19), Allah willing.</p> | The Supplication of Zakariyya, and the Good News of Yahya's BirthWhen Zakariyya saw that Allah provided sustenance for Maryam by giving her the fruits of winter in summer and the fruits of summer in winter, he was eager to have a child of his own. By then, Zakariyya had become an old man, his bones feeble and his head full of gray hair. His wife was an old women who was barren. Yet, he still supplicated to Allah and called Him in secret,رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنْكَ(O my Lord! Grant me from Ladunka,) from You,ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً(A good offspring) meaning, a righteous offspring,إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَآءِ(You are indeed the All-Hearer of invocation.) Allah said,فَنَادَتْهُ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّى فِى الْمِحْرَابِ(Then the angels called him, while he was standing in prayer in the Mihrab,) meaning, the angels spoke to him directly while he was secluded, standing in prayer at his place of worship. Allah told us about the good news that the angels delivered to Zakariyya,أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحْيَـى(Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya, ) of a child from your offspring, his name is Yahya. Qatadah and other scholars said that he was called Yahya (literally, `he lives') because Allah filled his life with faith.Allah said next,مُصَدِّقاً بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ(believing in the Word from Allah) Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said, and also Al-Hasan, Qatadah, `Ikrimah, Mujahid, Abu Ash-Sha`tha, As-Suddi, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Ad-Dahhak, and several others said that the Ayah,مُصَدِّقاً بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ(believing in the Word from Allah) means, "Believing in `Isa, son of Maryam."Abu Al-`Aliyah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Qatadah and Sa`id bin Jubayr said that Allah's statement,وَسَيِّدًا(And Sayyidan) means, a wise man. Ibn `Abbas, Ath-Thawri and Ad-Dahhak said that Sayyidan means, "The noble, wise and pious man." Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib said that Sayyid is the scholar and Faqih. `Atiyah said that Sayyid is the man noble in behavior and piety. `Ikrimah said that it refers to a person who is not overcome by anger, while Ibn Zayd said that it refers to the noble man. Mujahid said that Sayyidan means, honored by Allah.Allah's statement,وَحَصُورًا(And Hasuran) does not mean he refrains from sexual relations with women, but that he is immune from illegal sexual relations. This does not mean that he does not marry women and have legal sexual relations with them, for Zakariyya said in his supplication for the benefit of Yahya,هَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنْكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً(Grant me from You, a good offspring), meaning, grant me a son who will have offspring, and Allah knows best.Allah's statement,وَنَبِيًّا مِّنَ الصَّـلِحِينَ(A Prophet, from among the righteous) delivers more good news of sending Yahya as Prophet after the good news that he will be born. This good news was even better than the news of Yahya's birth. In a similar statement, Allah said to the mother of Musa,إِنَّا رَآدُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ وَجَـعِلُوهُ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ(Verily, We shall bring him back to you, and shall make him one of the Messengers.) 28:7When Zakariyya heard the good news, he started contemplating about having children at his age. He said,قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لِي غُلَـمٌ وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِي الْكِبَرُ وَامْرَأَتِى عَاقِرٌ قَالَ("O my Lord! How can I have a son when I am very old, and my wife is barren" (He) said...) meaning the angel said,كَذَلِكَ اللَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ("Thus Allah does what He wills.") meaning, this is Allah's matter, He is so Mighty that nothing escapes His power, nor is anything beyond His ability.قَالَ رَبِّ اجْعَل لِّى ءَايَةً(He said: "O my Lord! Make a sign for me") meaning make a sign that alerts me that the child will come,قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلاَّ تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلَـثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلاَّ رَمْزًا((Allah) said: "Your sign is that you shall not speak to the people for three days except by signals.") meaning, you will not be able to speak except with signals, although you are not mute. In another Ayah, Allah said,ثَلَـثَ لَيَالٍ سَوِيّاً(For three nights, though having no bodily defect.) 19:10Allah then commanded Zakariyya to supplicate, thank and praise Him often in that condition,وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيرًا وَسَبِّحْ بِالْعَشِىِّ وَالإِبْكَـرِ(And remember your Lord much and glorify (Him) in the afternoon and in the morning. )We will elaborate more on this subject in the beginning of Surah Maryam (chapter 19), Allah willing. |
Then the angels said to him as he stood in the chamber at prayer: "God sends you good tidings of John who will confirm a thing from God and be noble, continent, and a prophet, and one of those who are upright and do good." | And the angels called out to him while he was standing, offering prayer at his place of worship, “Indeed Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya (John), who will confirm a Word (or sign) from Allah, – a leader, always refraining from women, a Prophet from one of Our devoted ones.” | And the angels called to him, standing in the Sanctuary at worship, 'Lo, God gives thee good tidings of John, who shall confirm a Word of God, a chief, and chaste, a Prophet, righteous.' | Thereupon, as he stood praying in the sanctuary, the angels called out unto him: "God sends thee the glad tiding of [the birth of] John, who shall confirm the truth of a word from God, and [shall be] outstanding among men, and utterly chaste, and a prophet from among the righteous." | Then the angels called unto him even while he stood Praying in the apartment: verily Allah announceth unto thee Yahya confessing to a word from Allah, and a leader, and a chaste and a prophet of the righteous one. | Then the angels called him, while he was standing in prayer in Al-Mihrab (a praying place or a private room), (saying): "Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya (John), confirming (believing in) the Word from Allah [i.e. the creation of 'Iesa (Jesus), the Word from Allah ("Be!" - and he was!)], noble, keeping away from sexual relations with women, a Prophet, from among the righteous." | Then the angels called out to him, as he stood praying in the sanctuary: “God gives you good news of John; confirming a Word from God, and honorable, and moral, and a prophet; one of the upright.” | As he stood praying in the sanctuary, the angels called out to him: 'Allah gives you good tidings of John (Yahya), who shall confirm a command of Allah, shall be outstanding among men, utterly chaste, and a Prophet from among the righteous.' | Then the angels called him, while he was standing in prayer in the Mihrab, (saying): "Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya, believing in the Word from Allah, and Sayyidan, and Hasuran, a Prophet, from among the righteous." | And the angels called to him as he stood praying in the sanctuary: Allah giveth thee glad tidings of (a son whose name is) John, (who cometh) to confirm a word from Allah lordly, chaste, a prophet of the righteous. | Then, as he stood praying in the sanctuary the angels called out to him: ‘Allah gives you the good news of John, as a confirmer of a Word of Allah, eminent and chaste, a prophet, and one of the righteous.’ | And the angels called out to him when he was standing in the sanctuary worshipping, saying: 'Allah gives you glad tidings of John, who shall confirm a Word from Allah. He shall be a master and chaste, a Prophet and from the righteous' | So the angels called him while he was standing in prayer in the chamber, "Indeed, Allah gives you good tidings of John, confirming a word from Allah and [who will be] honorable, abstaining [from women], and a prophet from among the righteous." | When he was standing during prayer in his place of worship, the angels called him saying, "God gives you the glad news of the birth of your son, John who will be a confirmation of (Jesus) the Word of God. He will become a chaste, noble leader and one of the righteous Prophets. | Then the angels called to him as he stood praying in the sanctuary: That Allah gives you the good news of Yahya verifying a Word from Allah, and honorable and chaste and a prophet from among the good ones. | Fan<u>a</u>dathu almal<u>a</u>ikatu wahuwa q<u>a</u>imun yu<u>s</u>allee fee almi<u>h</u>r<u>a</u>bi anna All<u>a</u>ha yubashshiruka biya<u>h</u>y<u>a</u> mu<u>s</u>addiqan bikalimatin mina All<u>a</u>hi wasayyidan wa<u>h</u>a<u>s</u>ooran wanabiyyan mina a<b>l</b><u>ssa</u>li<u>h</u>een<b>a</b> | As he stood praying in the chamber, the angels called out to him, saying, "God gives you the good news of John, who shall confirm the Word from God, and [shall be] outstanding among men, and utterly chaste, and a prophet from among the righteous." | While he was standing in prayer in the chamber, the angels called unto him: "Allah doth give thee glad tidings of Yahya, witnessing the truth of a Word from Allah, and (be besides) noble, chaste, and a prophet,- of the (goodly) company of the righteous." | 38 | 3 | فَنَادَتْهُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَآئِمٌ يُصَلِّى فِى ٱلْمِحْرَابِ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحْيَىٰ مُصَدِّقًۢا بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَسَيِّدًا وَحَصُورًا وَنَبِيًّا مِّنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ | The angels called out to him while he was standing in prayer in his place of worship, saying: Allah gives you good news of a child to be born to you whose name will be John. He will confirm a word from Allah – which refers to Jesus, son of Mary, because he was specially created by a word from Allah. This child will be a leader of his people with his knowledge and worship. He will be innocent, keeping himself away from desires, including approaching women. He will dedicate himself to worshipping His Lord and will also be a prophet from those who are righteous. | The angels called out to him while he was standing in prayer in his place of worship, saying: Allah gives you good news of a child to be born to you whose name will be John. He will confirm a word from Allah – which refers to Jesus, son of Mary, because he was specially created by a word from Allah. This child will be a leader of his people with his knowledge and worship. He will be innocent, keeping himself away from desires, including approaching women. He will dedicate himself to worshipping His Lord and will also be a prophet from those who are righteous. | <p>Commentary</p><p>1. The expression, کَلِمَۃ اللہ 'a word of Allah' refers to Sayyidna 'Isa (علیہ السلام) . This term is used for him because he was created, in an unusual manner, simply by the will and command of Allah - without a paternal linkage.</p><p>2. The second quality of Sayyidna Yahya (علیہ السلام) has been described by the word, حَصُورً 'hasur' translated here as 'abstinent'. It means that he was very particular about keeping himself shielded from temptations, that is, from things one habitually enjoys. When we say one abstains from enjoyments of life, the statement includes abstinence even from fulfilling the desires of things allowed, for example, good food, good dress and marital life and things like these. Since the quality of abstinence has been mentioned here in a positive frame of reference, it obviously seems to suggest that this is the better way, although ahadith prove the higher merit of living in the bond of marriage. In this situation, the considered opinion is that one whose condition is similar to that of Sayyidna Yahya (علیہ السلام) and who is so absorbed in the thought of his life-to-come that he feels no need to have a wife nor has the time and frame of mind to fulfil the rights of his wife and children, then, for such a person this is the better choice. It is because of this particular reason that ahadith which describe the merit of marriage come up with a restrictive clause as well, that is, مَنِ استطاع منکم الباءَۃ which means that one who can marry and is capable of fulfilling the due rights of his wife, should marry, for this is better for him; otherwise, he is not ad-vised to marry. (Bayern al-Qur'n)</p> | Commentary1. The expression, کَلِمَۃ اللہ 'a word of Allah' refers to Sayyidna 'Isa (علیہ السلام) . This term is used for him because he was created, in an unusual manner, simply by the will and command of Allah - without a paternal linkage.2. The second quality of Sayyidna Yahya (علیہ السلام) has been described by the word, حَصُورً 'hasur' translated here as 'abstinent'. It means that he was very particular about keeping himself shielded from temptations, that is, from things one habitually enjoys. When we say one abstains from enjoyments of life, the statement includes abstinence even from fulfilling the desires of things allowed, for example, good food, good dress and marital life and things like these. Since the quality of abstinence has been mentioned here in a positive frame of reference, it obviously seems to suggest that this is the better way, although ahadith prove the higher merit of living in the bond of marriage. In this situation, the considered opinion is that one whose condition is similar to that of Sayyidna Yahya (علیہ السلام) and who is so absorbed in the thought of his life-to-come that he feels no need to have a wife nor has the time and frame of mind to fulfil the rights of his wife and children, then, for such a person this is the better choice. It is because of this particular reason that ahadith which describe the merit of marriage come up with a restrictive clause as well, that is, مَنِ استطاع منکم الباءَۃ which means that one who can marry and is capable of fulfilling the due rights of his wife, should marry, for this is better for him; otherwise, he is not ad-vised to marry. (Bayern al-Qur'n) | ||
"How can I have a son, O Lord," he said, "for I am old and my wife is barren?" "Thus," came the answer, "God does as He wills." | He said, “My Lord! How can I have a son when old age has reached me and my wife is barren?” He said, “This is how Allah brings about, whatever He wills.” | 'Lord,' said Zachariah, 'how shall I have a son, seeing I am an old man and my wife is barren?' 'Even so,' God said, 'God does what He will.' | [Zachariah] exclaimed: "O my Sustainer! How can I have a son when old age has already overtaken me, and my wife is barren?" Answered [the angel]: "Thus it is: God does what He wills." | He said: my Lord! in what wise shall there be unto me a youth whereas age hath overtaken me and my wife is barren. Allah said: even so: Allah doeth whatsoever He listeth. | He said: "O my Lord! How can I have a son when I am very old, and my wife is barren?" Allah said: "Thus Allah does what He wills." | He said, “My Lord, how will I have a son, when old age has overtaken me, and my wife is barren?” He said, “Even so, God does whatever He wills.” | Zechariah exclaimed: 'My Lord! How shall I have a son when old age has overtaken me and my wife is barren?' He said: Thus shall it be; Allah does what He wills.' | He said: "O my Lord! How can I have a son when I am very old, and my wife is barren" (Allah) said: "Thus Allah does what He wills." | He said: My Lord! How can I have a son when age hath overtaken me already and my wife is barren? (The angel) answered: So (it will be). Allah doeth what He will. | He said, ‘My Lord, how shall I have a son while old age has overtaken me and my wife is barren?’ Said He, ‘So it is that Allah does whatever He wishes.’ | He said: 'Lord, how shall I have a son when I am overtaken by old age and my wife is barren' He said: 'Even so, Allah does what He will' | He said, "My Lord, how will I have a boy when I have reached old age and my wife is barren?" The angel said, "Such is Allah; He does what He wills." | He said, "How can there be a son for me when I am already senile and my wife is barren." The angel replied, "God does as He wills." | He said: My Lord! when shall there be a son (born) to me, and old age has already come upon me, and my wife is barren? He said: even thus does Allah what He pleases. | Q<u>a</u>la rabbi ann<u>a</u> yakoonu lee ghul<u>a</u>mun waqad balaghaniya alkibaru wa<b>i</b>mraatee AA<u>a</u>qirun q<u>a</u>la ka<u>tha</u>lika All<u>a</u>hu yafAAalu m<u>a</u> yash<u>a</u><b>o</b> | "Lord," said Zachariah, "how shall I have a son when I am now overtaken by old age and my wife is barren?" "Such is the will of God," replied [the angel], "He does what He pleases." | He said: "O my Lord! How shall I have son, seeing I am very old, and my wife is barren?" "Thus," was the answer, "Doth Allah accomplish what He willeth." | 39 | 3 | قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِى غُلَٰمٌ وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِىَ ٱلْكِبَرُ وَٱمْرَأَتِى عَاقِرٌ قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ ٱللَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ | When the angels gave him the good news about John, Zachariah said, ‘O Lord, how can I have a child after I have become old and my wife is unable to bear children?’ Allah replied to him that the example of the creation of John, in spite of his old age and his wife being barren, is like that of the creation of anything that Allah wishes to create, even though it is out of the ordinary. This is because Allah has power over everything and does whatever He wills in His wisdom and knowledge. | When the angels gave him the good news about John, Zachariah said, ‘O Lord, how can I have a child after I have become old and my wife is unable to bear children?’ Allah replied to him that the example of the creation of John, in spite of his old age and his wife being barren, is like that of the creation of anything that Allah wishes to create, even though it is out of the ordinary. This is because Allah has power over everything and does whatever He wills in His wisdom and knowledge. | <p>Commentary</p><p>We have already seen that Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) believed in the absolute power of Allah and had seen its manifestation repeatedly and that he had himself made the prayer and knew of its acceptance as well, what then, did he mean by asking: 'how shall I have a boy?' The truth of the matter is that the question asked by him was not be-cause of any doubt in the absolute power of Allah. Quite contrary to this, the purpose of the question was to find out the state in which this was to happen: whether the present extreme old age of both of them would remain just as it was, or would that state be changed. The eloquent reply given in كَذَٰلِكَ اللَّـهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ (That is how Allah does what He wills) makes it clear that they were to remain at the same age and that they would have an offspring in that very state. This resolves any doubt that may be entertained at this point. (Bayn al-Qur'n)</p> | CommentaryWe have already seen that Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) believed in the absolute power of Allah and had seen its manifestation repeatedly and that he had himself made the prayer and knew of its acceptance as well, what then, did he mean by asking: 'how shall I have a boy?' The truth of the matter is that the question asked by him was not be-cause of any doubt in the absolute power of Allah. Quite contrary to this, the purpose of the question was to find out the state in which this was to happen: whether the present extreme old age of both of them would remain just as it was, or would that state be changed. The eloquent reply given in كَذَٰلِكَ اللَّـهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ (That is how Allah does what He wills) makes it clear that they were to remain at the same age and that they would have an offspring in that very state. This resolves any doubt that may be entertained at this point. (Bayn al-Qur'n) | ||
And Zachariah said: "Give me a token, O Lord." "The token will be," was the reply, "that you will speak to no man for three days except by signs; and remember your Lord much, and pray at evening and sunrise." | He said, “My Lord! Determine a sign for me”; He said, “The sign is that you shall not be able to speak to mankind for three days except by signs; and remember your Lord profusely, and proclaim His Purity before sunset and at dawn.” | 'Lord,' said Zachariah, 'appoint to me a sign.' 'Thy sign,' God said, 'is that thou shalt not speak, save by tokens, to men for three days. And mention thy Lord oft, and give glory at evening and dawn.' | [Zachariah] prayed: "O my Sustainer! Appoint a sign for me!" Said [the angel]: "Thy sign shall be that for three days thou wilt not speak unto men other than by gestures. And remember thy Sustainer unceasingly, and extol His limitless glory by night and by day." | He said: my Lord! appoint unto me a sign. Allah said: thy sign is that thou shalt not speak unto mankind for three days save by beckoning; and remember thy Lord much and hallow Him in the evening and morning. | He said: "O my Lord! Make a sign for me." Allah said: "Your sign is that you shall not speak to mankind for three days except with signals. And remember your Lord much (by praising Him again and again), and glorify (Him) in the afternoon and in the morning." | He said, “My Lord, give me a sign.” He said, “Your sign is that you shall not speak to the people for three days, except by gestures. And remember your Lord much, and praise in the evening and the morning.” | Zechariah said: 'O my Lord! Appoint a sign for me.' The angel said: 'The sign for you shall be that you shall not speak to men for three days except by gesture. Remember your Lord and extol His glory by night and by day.' | He said: "O my Lord! Make a sign for me." (Allah) said: "Your sign is that you shall not speak to the people for three days except by signals. And remember your Lord much, and glorify (Him) in the afternoon and in the morning." | He said: My Lord! Appoint a token for me. (The angel) said: The token unto thee (shall be) that thou shalt not speak unto mankind three days except by signs. Remember thy Lord much, and praise (Him) in the early hours of night and morning. | He said, ‘My Lord, grant me a sign.’ Said He, ‘Your sign is that you will not speak to people for three days except in gestures. Remember Your Lord much, and glorify Him morning and evening.’ | He said: 'Lord, appoint for me a sign' He said: 'Your sign is that you shall not speak to people except by signs for three days' And remember your Lord abundantly, exalt Him in the evening and at the dawn' | He said, "My Lord, make for me a sign." He Said, "Your sign is that you will not [be able to] speak to the people for three days except by gesture. And remember your Lord much and exalt [Him with praise] in the evening and the morning." | Zachariah prayed to God saying, "Lord, show me the evidence (that it is Divine revelation)." The Lord replied, "You must not speak to people for three days except with gestures. Commemorate your Lord often and glorify Him in the early mornings and the evenings." | He said: My Lord! appoint a sign for me. Said He: Your sign is that you should not speak to men for three days except by signs; and remember your Lord much and glorify Him in the evening and the morning. | Q<u>a</u>la rabbi ijAAal lee <u>a</u>yatan q<u>a</u>la <u>a</u>yatuka all<u>a</u> tukallima a<b>l</b>nn<u>a</u>sa thal<u>a</u>thata ayy<u>a</u>min ill<u>a</u> ramzan wa<b>o</b><u>th</u>kur rabbaka katheeran wasabbi<u>h</u> bi<b>a</b>lAAashiyyi wa<b>a</b>libk<u>a</u>r<b>i</b> | He said, "My Lord, grant me a sign." [The angel] said, "Your sign is that you will not be able to speak to people for three days except by signs. Remember your Lord much and glorify Him morning and evening." | He said: "O my Lord! Give me a Sign!" "Thy Sign," was the answer, "Shall be that thou shalt speak to no man for three days but with signals. Then celebrate the praises of thy Lord again and again, and glorify Him in the evening and in the morning." | 40 | 3 | قَالَ رَبِّ ٱجْعَل لِّىٓ ءَايَةً قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ ٱلنَّاسَ ثَلَٰثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلَّا رَمْزًا وَٱذْكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيرًا وَسَبِّحْ بِٱلْعَشِىِّ وَٱلْإِبْكَٰرِ | Zachariah said: O Lord, give me a sign that my wife is pregnant. Allah said: The sign that you want is that you will not be able to speak for three days, except by indications, and this will not be because of any disability. So, remember Allah much and glorify Him at the end and beginning of the day. | Zachariah said: O Lord, give me a sign that my wife is pregnant. Allah said: The sign that you want is that you will not be able to speak for three days, except by indications, and this will not be because of any disability. So, remember Allah much and glorify Him at the end and beginning of the day. | <p>2. With reference to verse 41, Sayyidna Zakariyya's purpose behind requesting a sign (of pregnancy) was to be happy at the prospect and thus be enabled to show their gratitude all along even prior to the actual birth of the child. So, Allah gave him the sign stated above.</p><p>The sign given was remarkably suitable to its purpose. His request for a sign was prompted by his wish to show his gratefulness. Now, the sign set for him leaves him incapable of doing anything but this. Even a hundred signs would have not done what this one sign did and, of course, the noble purpose he had on his mind was all too well-accomplished. (Bayn al-Qur'an)</p><p>The last phrase: (except through gestures) in this verse tells us that in a situation where speech is not possible because of a valid reason, gesture would be deemed as its substitute. Consequently, it appears in a hadith that the Holy Prophet ﷺ asked a maid-servant: این اللہ ؟ I ('Where is Allah?' ). She pointed out towards the sky. He said: 'This maid-servant is a Muslim.' (al-Qurtubi)</p> | 2. With reference to verse 41, Sayyidna Zakariyya's purpose behind requesting a sign (of pregnancy) was to be happy at the prospect and thus be enabled to show their gratitude all along even prior to the actual birth of the child. So, Allah gave him the sign stated above.The sign given was remarkably suitable to its purpose. His request for a sign was prompted by his wish to show his gratefulness. Now, the sign set for him leaves him incapable of doing anything but this. Even a hundred signs would have not done what this one sign did and, of course, the noble purpose he had on his mind was all too well-accomplished. (Bayn al-Qur'an)The last phrase: (except through gestures) in this verse tells us that in a situation where speech is not possible because of a valid reason, gesture would be deemed as its substitute. Consequently, it appears in a hadith that the Holy Prophet ﷺ asked a maid-servant: این اللہ ؟ I ('Where is Allah?' ). She pointed out towards the sky. He said: 'This maid-servant is a Muslim.' (al-Qurtubi) | ||
The angels said: "O Mary, indeed God has favoured you and made you immaculate, and chosen you from all the women of the world. | And when the angels said, “O Maryam! Indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you, and has this day, chosen you among all the women of the world.” | And when the angels said, 'Mary, God has chosen thee, and purified thee; He has chosen thee above all women. | AND LO! The angels said: "O Mary! Behold, God has elected thee and made thee pure, and raised thee above all the women of the world. | And recall what time the angels said: O Maryam! verily Allah chose thee and purified thee and chose thee above the women of the worlds. | And (remember) when the angels said: "O Maryam (Mary)! Verily, Allah has chosen you, purified you (from polytheism and disbelief), and chosen you above the women of the 'Alamin (mankind and jinns) (of her lifetime)." | The angels said, “O Mary, God has chosen you, and has purified you. He has chosen you over all the women of the world. | Then came the time when the angels said: 'O Mary! Behold, Allah has chosen you, and made you pure, and exalted you above all the women in the world. | And (remember) when the angels said: "O Maryam! Verily, Allah has chosen you, purified you, and chosen you above the women of the nations." | And when the angels said: O Mary! Lo! Allah hath chosen thee and made thee pure, and hath preferred thee above (all) the women of creation. | And when the angels said, ‘O Mary, Allah has chosen you and purified you, and He has chosen you above the world’s women. | And when the angels said to Mary: 'Allah has chosen you and purified you. He has chosen you above all women of the worlds. | And [mention] when the angels said, "O Mary, indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds. | "Behold," the angels told Mary, "God had chosen you, purified you, and given you distinction over all women. | And when the angels said: O Marium! surely Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the world. | Wai<u>th</u> q<u>a</u>lati almal<u>a</u>ikatu y<u>a</u> maryamu inna All<u>a</u>ha i<u>st</u>af<u>a</u>ki wa<u>t</u>ahharaki wa<b>i</b><u>st</u>af<u>a</u>ki AAal<u>a</u> nis<u>a</u>i alAA<u>a</u>lameen<b>a</b> | The angels said, "Mary, God has selected you and purified you. He has selected you over [all] the women of your time. | Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah hath chosen thee and purified thee- chosen thee above the women of all nations. | 41 | 3 | وَإِذْ قَالَتِ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ يَٰمَرْيَمُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَٱصْطَفَىٰكِ عَلَىٰ نِسَآءِ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ | Remember, O Messenger, when the angels said to Mary (peace be upon her): Allah has chosen you because of the praiseworthy qualities you have. He has purified you from all defects, and chosen you over all the other women of your time. | Remember, O Messenger, when the angels said to Mary (peace be upon her): Allah has chosen you because of the praiseworthy qualities you have. He has purified you from all defects, and chosen you over all the other women of your time. | <p>Commentary</p><p>1. In verse 42, the sentence: وَاصْطَفَاكِ عَلَىٰ نِسَاءِ الْعَالَمِينَ (and has chosen you over women of all the worlds) refers to all women in that period of time. Therefore, the statement سیدۃ نسآءِ اھل الجنۃ فاطمۃ (Fatimah is the foremost among women of the Paradise) appearing in hadith does not contradict it.</p><p>2. It will be noticed that, in the last sentence of verse 43:</p> | Commentary1. In verse 42, the sentence: وَاصْطَفَاكِ عَلَىٰ نِسَاءِ الْعَالَمِينَ (and has chosen you over women of all the worlds) refers to all women in that period of time. Therefore, the statement سیدۃ نسآءِ اھل الجنۃ فاطمۃ (Fatimah is the foremost among women of the Paradise) appearing in hadith does not contradict it.2. It will be noticed that, in the last sentence of verse 43: | <h2 class="title">The Virtue of Maryam Over the Women of Her Time</h2><p>Allah states that the angels spoke to Maryam by His command and told her that He chose her because of her service to Him, because of her modesty, honor, innocence, and conviction. Allah also chose her because of her virtue over the women of the world. At-Tirmidhi recorded that `Ali bin Abi Talib said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah say,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«خَيْرُ نِسَائِهَا مَرْيَمُ بِنْتُ عِمْرَانَ، وَخَيْرُ نِسَائِهَا خَدِيجَةُ بِنْتُ خُوَيْلِد»</div><p>(The best woman (in her time) was Maryam, daughter of `Imran, and the best woman (of the Prophet's time) is Khadijah (his wife), daughter of Khuwaylid.)"</p><p>The Two Sahihs recorded this Hadith. Ibn Jarir recorded that Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari said that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«كَمُلَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ كَثِيرٌ، وَلَمْ يَكْمُلْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلَّا مَرْيَمُ بِنْتُ عِمْرَانَ وَ آسِيَةُ امْرَأَةُ فِرْعَوْن»</div><p>(Many men achieved perfection, but among women, only Maryam the daughter of `Imran and Asiah, the wife of Fir`awn, achieved perfection.)</p><p>The Six -- with the exception of Abu Dawud - recorded it. Al-Bukhari's wording for it reads,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«كَمُلَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ كَثِيرٌ، وَلَمْ يَكْمُلْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلَّا آسِيَةُ امْرَأَةُ فِرْعَوْنَ، وَمَرْيَمُ بِنْتُ عِمْرَانَ، وَإِنَّ فَضْلَ عَائِشَةَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ كَفَضْلِ الثَّرِيدِ عَلى سَائِرِ الطَّعَام»</div><p>(Many men reached the level of perfection, but no woman reached such a level except Asiah, the wife of Fir`awn, and Maryam, the daughter of `Imran. The superiority of `A'ishah (his wife) to other women, is like the superiority of Tharid (meat and bread dish) to other meals.)</p><p>We mentioned the various chains of narration and wordings for this Hadith in the story of `Isa, son of Maryam, in our book, Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah, all the thanks are due to Allah.</p><p>Allah states that the angels commanded Maryam to increase acts of worship, humbleness, submission, prostration, bowing, and so forth, so that she would acquire what Allah had decreed for her, as a test for her. Yet, this test also earned her a higher grade in this life and the Hereafter, for Allah demonstrated His might by creating a son inside her without male intervention. Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يمَرْيَمُ اقْنُتِى لِرَبِّكِ وَاسْجُدِى وَارْكَعِى مَعَ الرَكِعِينَ </div><p>("O Maryam! Submit yourself with obedience (Aqnuti) and prostrate yourself, and bow down along with Ar-Raki`in.")</p><p>As for Qunut (Aqnuti in the Ayah), it means to submit with humbleness. In another Ayah, Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">بَل لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَـنِتُونَ</div><p>(Nay, to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth, and all surrender with obedience (Qanitun) to Him.) 2:116</p><p>Allah next said to His Messenger after He mentioned Maryam's story,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَنبَآءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ</div><p>(This is a part of the news of the Ghayb which We reveal.) "and narrate to you (O Muhammad ), "</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يُلْقُون أَقْلَـمَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ يَكْفُلُ مَرْيَمَ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ</div><p>(You were not with them, when they cast lots with their pens as to which of them should be charged with the care of Maryam; nor were you with them when they disputed.) meaning, "You were not present, O Muhammad, when this occurred, so you cannot narrate what happened to the people as an eye witness. Rather, Allah disclosed these facts to you as if you were a witness, when they conducted a lottery to choose the custodian of Maryam, seeking the reward of this good deed."</p><p>Ibn Jarir recorded that `Ikrimah said, "Maryam's mother left with Maryam, carrying her in her infant cloth, and took her to the rabbis from the offspring of Aaron, the brother of Musa. They were responsible for taking care of Bayt Al-Maqdis (the Masjid) at that time, just as there were those who took care of the Ka`bah. Maryam's mother said to them, `Take this child whom I vowed to serve the Masjid, I have set her free, since she is my daughter, for no menstruating woman should enter the Masjid, and I shall not take her back home.' They said, `She is the daughter of our Imam,' as `Imran used to lead them in prayer, `who took care of our sacrificial rituals.' Zakariyya said, `Give her to me, for her maternal aunt is my wife.' They said, `Our hearts cannot bear that you take her, for she is the daughter of our Imam.' So they conducted a lottery with the pens with which they wrote the Tawrah, and Zakariyya won the lottery and took Maryam into his care."'. `Ikrimah, As-Suddi, Qatadah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, and several others said that the rabbis went into the Jordan river and conducted a lottery there, deciding to throw their pens into the river. The pen that remained afloat and idle would indicate that its owner would take care of Maryam. When they threw their pens into the river, the water took all the pens under, except Zakariyya's pen, which remained afloat in its place. Zakariyya was also their master, chief, scholar, Imam and Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be on him and the rest of the Prophets.</p> | The Virtue of Maryam Over the Women of Her TimeAllah states that the angels spoke to Maryam by His command and told her that He chose her because of her service to Him, because of her modesty, honor, innocence, and conviction. Allah also chose her because of her virtue over the women of the world. At-Tirmidhi recorded that `Ali bin Abi Talib said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah say,«خَيْرُ نِسَائِهَا مَرْيَمُ بِنْتُ عِمْرَانَ، وَخَيْرُ نِسَائِهَا خَدِيجَةُ بِنْتُ خُوَيْلِد»(The best woman (in her time) was Maryam, daughter of `Imran, and the best woman (of the Prophet's time) is Khadijah (his wife), daughter of Khuwaylid.)"The Two Sahihs recorded this Hadith. Ibn Jarir recorded that Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari said that the Messenger of Allah said,«كَمُلَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ كَثِيرٌ، وَلَمْ يَكْمُلْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلَّا مَرْيَمُ بِنْتُ عِمْرَانَ وَ آسِيَةُ امْرَأَةُ فِرْعَوْن»(Many men achieved perfection, but among women, only Maryam the daughter of `Imran and Asiah, the wife of Fir`awn, achieved perfection.)The Six -- with the exception of Abu Dawud - recorded it. Al-Bukhari's wording for it reads,«كَمُلَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ كَثِيرٌ، وَلَمْ يَكْمُلْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلَّا آسِيَةُ امْرَأَةُ فِرْعَوْنَ، وَمَرْيَمُ بِنْتُ عِمْرَانَ، وَإِنَّ فَضْلَ عَائِشَةَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ كَفَضْلِ الثَّرِيدِ عَلى سَائِرِ الطَّعَام»(Many men reached the level of perfection, but no woman reached such a level except Asiah, the wife of Fir`awn, and Maryam, the daughter of `Imran. The superiority of `A'ishah (his wife) to other women, is like the superiority of Tharid (meat and bread dish) to other meals.)We mentioned the various chains of narration and wordings for this Hadith in the story of `Isa, son of Maryam, in our book, Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah, all the thanks are due to Allah.Allah states that the angels commanded Maryam to increase acts of worship, humbleness, submission, prostration, bowing, and so forth, so that she would acquire what Allah had decreed for her, as a test for her. Yet, this test also earned her a higher grade in this life and the Hereafter, for Allah demonstrated His might by creating a son inside her without male intervention. Allah said,يمَرْيَمُ اقْنُتِى لِرَبِّكِ وَاسْجُدِى وَارْكَعِى مَعَ الرَكِعِينَ ("O Maryam! Submit yourself with obedience (Aqnuti) and prostrate yourself, and bow down along with Ar-Raki`in.")As for Qunut (Aqnuti in the Ayah), it means to submit with humbleness. In another Ayah, Allah said,بَل لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَـنِتُونَ(Nay, to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth, and all surrender with obedience (Qanitun) to Him.) 2:116Allah next said to His Messenger after He mentioned Maryam's story,ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَنبَآءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ(This is a part of the news of the Ghayb which We reveal.) "and narrate to you (O Muhammad ), "وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يُلْقُون أَقْلَـمَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ يَكْفُلُ مَرْيَمَ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ(You were not with them, when they cast lots with their pens as to which of them should be charged with the care of Maryam; nor were you with them when they disputed.) meaning, "You were not present, O Muhammad, when this occurred, so you cannot narrate what happened to the people as an eye witness. Rather, Allah disclosed these facts to you as if you were a witness, when they conducted a lottery to choose the custodian of Maryam, seeking the reward of this good deed."Ibn Jarir recorded that `Ikrimah said, "Maryam's mother left with Maryam, carrying her in her infant cloth, and took her to the rabbis from the offspring of Aaron, the brother of Musa. They were responsible for taking care of Bayt Al-Maqdis (the Masjid) at that time, just as there were those who took care of the Ka`bah. Maryam's mother said to them, `Take this child whom I vowed to serve the Masjid, I have set her free, since she is my daughter, for no menstruating woman should enter the Masjid, and I shall not take her back home.' They said, `She is the daughter of our Imam,' as `Imran used to lead them in prayer, `who took care of our sacrificial rituals.' Zakariyya said, `Give her to me, for her maternal aunt is my wife.' They said, `Our hearts cannot bear that you take her, for she is the daughter of our Imam.' So they conducted a lottery with the pens with which they wrote the Tawrah, and Zakariyya won the lottery and took Maryam into his care."'. `Ikrimah, As-Suddi, Qatadah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, and several others said that the rabbis went into the Jordan river and conducted a lottery there, deciding to throw their pens into the river. The pen that remained afloat and idle would indicate that its owner would take care of Maryam. When they threw their pens into the river, the water took all the pens under, except Zakariyya's pen, which remained afloat in its place. Zakariyya was also their master, chief, scholar, Imam and Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be on him and the rest of the Prophets. |
So adore your Lord, O Mary, and pay homage and bow with those who bow in prayer." | “O Maryam! Stand in reverence before your Lord, prostrate yourself and bow along with those who bow.” | Mary; be obedient to thy Lord, prostrating and bowing before Him.' | O Mary! Remain thou truly devout unto thy Sustainer, and prostrate thyself in worship, and bow down with those who bow down [before Him]." | Maryam! be devout unto thy Lord, prostrate thyself, and bow down with them that bow down. | O Mary! "Submit yourself with obedience to your Lord (Allah, by worshipping none but Him Alone) and prostrate yourself, and Irka'i (bow down etc.) along with Ar-Raki'un (those who bow down etc.)." | “O Mary, be devoted to your Lord, and bow down, and kneel with those who kneel.” | O Mary! Remain devout to your Lord, and prostrate yourself in worship, and bow with those who bow (before Him).' | "O Maryam! Submit yourself with obedience (Aqnuti) to your Lord and prostrate yourself, and bow down along with Ar-Raki`in." | O Mary! Be obedient to thy Lord, prostrate thyself and bow with those who bow (in worship). | O Mary, be obedient to your Lord and prostrate and bow down with those who bow [in worship].’ | Mary, be obedient to your Lord, prostrate and bow with those who bow' | O Mary, be devoutly obedient to your Lord and prostrate and bow with those who bow [in prayer]." | Mary, pray devotedly to your Lord, prostrate yourself before Him and bow down with those who bow down before Him." | O Marium! keep to obedience to your Lord and humble yourself, and bow down with those who bow. | Y<u>a</u> maryamu oqnutee lirabbiki wa<b>o</b>sjudee wa<b>i</b>rkaAAee maAAa a<b>l</b>rr<u>a</u>kiAAeen<b>a</b> | O Mary! Remain truly devout to your Sustainer, and prostrate yourself in worship, and bow down with those who bow down [before Him]." | "O Mary! worship Thy Lord devoutly: Prostrate thyself, and bow down (in prayer) with those who bow down." | 42 | 3 | يَٰمَرْيَمُ ٱقْنُتِى لِرَبِّكِ وَٱسْجُدِى وَٱرْكَعِى مَعَ ٱلرَّٰكِعِينَ | O Mary, stand for long periods in prayer, prostrate to your Lord and bow down with His righteous servants who bow down to Him. | O Mary, stand for long periods in prayer, prostrate to your Lord and bow down with His righteous servants who bow down to Him. | <p>وَارْكَعِي مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ (and bow down with those who bow) while giving an order to bow down, the imperative has been qualified with the words "with those who bow"- but no such qualification appears while giving an order of prostration. This apparently seems to hint that people generally do not observe due concern while making ruk a` (bowing). They tend to bend a little, then resume the standing position (as if in a hurry). This kind of رکوع ruku' (bowing) is closer to standing قیام (qiyam). As said earlier, it apparently seems to suggest that Allah Almighty, by mentioning the qualification 'those who bow', has given a model to be followed so that one's bowing in prayer could become similar to those who bow fully and perfectly as due.</p> | وَارْكَعِي مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ (and bow down with those who bow) while giving an order to bow down, the imperative has been qualified with the words "with those who bow"- but no such qualification appears while giving an order of prostration. This apparently seems to hint that people generally do not observe due concern while making ruk a` (bowing). They tend to bend a little, then resume the standing position (as if in a hurry). This kind of رکوع ruku' (bowing) is closer to standing قیام (qiyam). As said earlier, it apparently seems to suggest that Allah Almighty, by mentioning the qualification 'those who bow', has given a model to be followed so that one's bowing in prayer could become similar to those who bow fully and perfectly as due. | ||
This is news of the Unknown that We send you, for you were not there when they cast lots with quills (to determine) who should take care of Mary, nor when they disputed it. | These are tidings of the hidden, which We secretly reveal to you (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him); and you were not present with them when they threw their pens to draw lots, to know who should be the guardian of Maryam; nor were you present with them when they were quarrelling. (Yet you know of these things – this is a proof of your being a Prophet.) | (That is of the tidings of the Unseen, that We reveal to thee; for thou wast not with them, when they were casting quills which of them should have charge of Mary; thou wast not with them, when they were disputing.) | This account of something that was beyond the reach of thy perception We [now] reveal unto thee: for thou wert not with them when they drew lots as to which of them should be Mary's guardian, and thou wert not with them when they contended [about it] with one another. | This is of the tidings of things hidden which We reveal unto thee and thou wast not with them when they cast their reeds as to which of them should take care of Maryam, nor wast thou with them when they disputed. | This is a part of the news of the Ghaib (unseen, i.e. the news of the past nations of which you have no knowledge) which We inspire you with (O Muhammad SAW). You were not with them, when they cast lots with their pens as to which of them should be charged with the care of Maryam (Mary); nor were you with them when they disputed. | These are accounts from the Unseen, which We reveal to you. You were not with them when they cast their lots as to which of them would take charge of Mary; nor were you with them as they quarreled. | (O Muhammad!) We reveal to you this account from a realm which lies beyond the reach of your perception for you were not with them when they drew lots with their pens about who should be Mary's guardian, and you were not with them when they disputed about it. | This is a part of the news of the Ghayb (Unseen) which We reveal to you. You were not with them, when they cast lots with their pens as to which of them should be charged with the care of Maryam; nor were you with them when they disputed. | This is of the tidings of things hidden. We reveal it unto thee (Muhammad). Thou wast not present with them when they threw their pens (to know) which of them should be the guardian of Mary, nor wast thou present with them when they quarrelled (thereupon). | These accounts are from the Unseen, which We reveal to you, and you were not with them when they were casting lots [to see] which of them would take charge of Mary’s care, nor were you with them when they were contending. | This is from the news of the unseen. We reveal it to you (Prophet Muhammad). You were not present when they cast their quills to see which of them should look after Mary, nor were you present when they were disputing. | That is from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you, [O Muhammad]. And you were not with them when they cast their pens as to which of them should be responsible for Mary. Nor were you with them when they disputed. | (Muhammad), that was some of the news about the unseen, that We have revealed to you. You were not among those who cast lots by throwing their arrows to find out who would take custody of Mary, nor were you among those who disputed the matter. | This is of the announcements relating to the unseen which We reveal to you; and you were not with them when they cast their pens (to decide) which of them should have Marium in his charge, and you were not with them when they contended one with another. | <u>Tha</u>lika min anb<u>a</u>i alghaybi noo<u>h</u>eehi ilayka wam<u>a</u> kunta ladayhim i<u>th</u> yulqoona aql<u>a</u>mahum ayyuhum yakfulu maryama wam<u>a</u> kunta ladayhim i<u>th</u> yakhta<u>s</u>imoon<b>a</b> | This is an account of the unseen, which We reveal to you. You were not with them when they drew lots as to which of them should be Mary's guardian and you were not with them when they disputed with one another. | This is part of the tidings of the things unseen, which We reveal unto thee (O Messenger!) by inspiration: Thou wast not with them when they cast lots with arrows, as to which of them should be charged with the care of Mary: Nor wast thou with them when they disputed (the point). | 43 | 3 | ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنۢبَآءِ ٱلْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يُلْقُونَ أَقْلَٰمَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ يَكْفُلُ مَرْيَمَ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ | The story of Zachariah and Mary is one of the reports of [the Ghaib] which I reveal to you, O Messenger. You were not there with those scholars and worshippers when they argued about who was most entitled to raise Mary. They eventually decided to draw lots by throwing their pens, and the pen of Zachariah (peace be upon him) won. | The story of Zachariah and Mary is one of the reports of [the Ghaib] which I reveal to you, O Messenger. You were not there with those scholars and worshippers when they argued about who was most entitled to raise Mary. They eventually decided to draw lots by throwing their pens, and the pen of Zachariah (peace be upon him) won. | <p>Commentary</p><p>This verse presents an argument to prove the prophethood of Sayyidna Muhammad ﷺ by referring to happenings in the lives of Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) and Sayyidah Maryam. These took place in the remote past and there is no likelihood of their being seen or heard or read, specially so, by the Holy Prophet ﷺ which by itself proves that his being so informed of the unknown was beyond the ordinary course of learning. He had just no way of finding out such details by any obvious means at his command. Hence, the truth is that this information was revealed to him as part of the message he gave to others. The text very eloquently states that the Holy Prophet ﷺ was not there to see them drawing lots (by throwing their reed pens in water,. based on prior agreement that the owner of the pen which flows against the current shall be the winner), nor was he present on the scene when they were initially quarreling about the custody of Maryam before agreeing upon the drawing of lots.</p><p>The rule governing قُرعَہ Qur'ah (to the drawing of lots) according to Hanafi jurists, is that قُرعَہ Qur'ah (drawing of lots) cannot be given a decisive role in determining the rights known and fixed in Islamic Law. Drawing lots in such a situation is included under Qimar (gambling). For example, if something is jointly owned by several persons and a lot is drawn to decide that the one whose name comes out in the lot shall take the whole thing; or, in the case of a child whose parentage is disputed, a lot is drawn and the one whose name comes out in the lot drawn is taken to be the father. Drawing lots in such cases is not al-lowed in Shari'ah. As for rights which depend upon opinion, قُرعَہ Qur'ah is permissible in them, for instance, while allotting portions of a joint property, A is given the eastern portion and B, the western, by draw-ing a lot. This is permissible because this was permissible even with-out having to draw lots by a mutual agreement of the parties concerned or by a decree of a judge. (Bayan a1-Qur'n)</p><p>In other words, it can be said that in a situation where the rights of all parties are equal and the purpose of the lot is only to allocate equal portions to each of them and to decide as to which portion is for whom, then drawing a lot is permissible.</p> | CommentaryThis verse presents an argument to prove the prophethood of Sayyidna Muhammad ﷺ by referring to happenings in the lives of Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) and Sayyidah Maryam. These took place in the remote past and there is no likelihood of their being seen or heard or read, specially so, by the Holy Prophet ﷺ which by itself proves that his being so informed of the unknown was beyond the ordinary course of learning. He had just no way of finding out such details by any obvious means at his command. Hence, the truth is that this information was revealed to him as part of the message he gave to others. The text very eloquently states that the Holy Prophet ﷺ was not there to see them drawing lots (by throwing their reed pens in water,. based on prior agreement that the owner of the pen which flows against the current shall be the winner), nor was he present on the scene when they were initially quarreling about the custody of Maryam before agreeing upon the drawing of lots.The rule governing قُرعَہ Qur'ah (to the drawing of lots) according to Hanafi jurists, is that قُرعَہ Qur'ah (drawing of lots) cannot be given a decisive role in determining the rights known and fixed in Islamic Law. Drawing lots in such a situation is included under Qimar (gambling). For example, if something is jointly owned by several persons and a lot is drawn to decide that the one whose name comes out in the lot shall take the whole thing; or, in the case of a child whose parentage is disputed, a lot is drawn and the one whose name comes out in the lot drawn is taken to be the father. Drawing lots in such cases is not al-lowed in Shari'ah. As for rights which depend upon opinion, قُرعَہ Qur'ah is permissible in them, for instance, while allotting portions of a joint property, A is given the eastern portion and B, the western, by draw-ing a lot. This is permissible because this was permissible even with-out having to draw lots by a mutual agreement of the parties concerned or by a decree of a judge. (Bayan a1-Qur'n)In other words, it can be said that in a situation where the rights of all parties are equal and the purpose of the lot is only to allocate equal portions to each of them and to decide as to which portion is for whom, then drawing a lot is permissible. | ||
When the angels said: "O Mary, God gives you news of a thing from Him, for rejoicing, (news of one) whose name will be Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, illustrious in this world and the next, and one among the honoured, | And remember when the angels said, “O Maryam! Allah gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him, whose name is the Messiah, Eisa the son of Maryam – he will be honourable in this world and in the Hereafter, and among the close ones (to Allah).” | When the angels said, 'Mary, God gives thee good tidings of a Word from Him whose name is Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary; high honoured shall he be in this world and the next, near stationed to God. | Lo! The angels said: "O Mary! Behold, God sends thee the glad tiding, through a word from Him, [of a son] who shall become known as the Christ Jesus, son of Mary, of great honour in this world and in the life to come, and [shall be] of those who are drawn near unto God. | Recall what time the angels said: Maryam! verily Allah announceth unto thee a word from Him: his name Shall be the Masih, Isa, son of Maryam, illustrious in the world and the Hereafter and one of those brought nigh. | (Remember) when the angels said: "O Maryam (Mary)! Verily, Allah gives you the glad tidings of a Word ["Be!" - and he was! i.e. 'Iesa (Jesus) the son of Maryam (Mary)] from Him, his name will be the Messiah 'Iesa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), held in honour in this world and in the Hereafter, and will be one of those who are near to Allah." | The Angels said, “O Mary, God gives you good news of a Word from Him. His name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, well-esteemed in this world and the next, and one of the nearest. | And when the angels said: 'O Mary! Allah gives you the glad tidings of a command from Him: his name shall be Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary. He shall be highly honoured in this world and in the Next, and shall be one of those near stationed to Allah. | (Remember) when the angels said: "O Maryam! Verily, Allah gives you the glad tidings of a Word from Him, his name will be Al-Masih, `Isa, the son of Maryam, held in honor in this world and in the Hereafter, and he will be one of those who are near to Allah." | (And remember) when the angels said: O Mary! Lo! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a word from him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, illustrious in the world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near (unto Allah). | When the angels said, ‘O Mary, Allah gives you the good news of a Word from Him whose name is Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, distinguished in the world and the Hereafter and one of those brought near [to Allah]. | When the angels said: 'O Mary, Allah gives you glad tidings of a Word (Be) from Him, whose name is Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary. He shall be honored in this world and in the Everlasting Life and he shall be among those who are close. | [And mention] when the angels said, "O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary - distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near [to Allah]. | "Behold," the angels told Mary, "God has given you the glad news of the coming birth of a son whom He calls His Word, whose name will be Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, who will be a man of honor in this life and the life to come, and who will be one of the ones nearest to God. | When the angels said: O Marium, surely Allah gives you good news with a Word from Him (of one) whose name is the '. Messiah, Isa son of Marium, worthy of regard in this world and the hereafter and of those who are made near (to Allah). | I<u>th</u> q<u>a</u>lati almal<u>a</u>ikatu y<u>a</u> maryamu inna All<u>a</u>ha yubashshiruki bikalimatin minhu ismuhu almasee<u>h</u>u AAees<u>a</u> ibnu maryama wajeehan fee a<b>l</b>dduny<u>a</u> wa<b>a</b>l<u>a</u>khirati wamina almuqarrabeen<b>a</b> | When the angels said, "O Mary, your Lord gives you good news of a Word from Him. His name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, honoured in this world and in the next and one of those who are granted nearness to God. | Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah; | 44 | 3 | إِذْ قَالَتِ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ يَٰمَرْيَمُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنْهُ ٱسْمُهُ ٱلْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيهًا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْءَاخِرَةِ وَمِنَ ٱلْمُقَرَّبِينَ | Remember, O Messenger, when the angels said: O Mary, Allah gives you good news of a child who will be created without a father: merely by a word from Allah, such as ‘Be’, and he will become a child by Allah’s will. The name of this child will be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary. He will have a high rank in this world and the Afterlife and he will be one of those who are made close to Allah. | Remember, O Messenger, when the angels said: O Mary, Allah gives you good news of a child who will be created without a father: merely by a word from Allah, such as ‘Be’, and he will become a child by Allah’s will. The name of this child will be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary. He will have a high rank in this world and the Afterlife and he will be one of those who are made close to Allah. | <p>The previous verse (44) appeared parenthetically between the present verses 45 - 46 and verses 42 - 43 and the purpose was to affirm the prophethood of Sayyidna Muhammad ﷺ . The present verse resumes with the story of Sayyidah Maryam which actually pre-pares the ground for a fuller account of the birth, mission and miracles of Sayyidna 'Isa (علیہ السلام) .</p><p>Commentary</p><p>One of the qualities of Sayyidna 'Isa (علیہ السلام) mentioned in this verse is that 'he shall speak in the cradle' which means that he will speak while still a child, although no child has the ability to do so. When soon after the birth of infant Jesus (علیہ السلام) ، as mentioned in another verse, people chided Sayyidah Maryam on the basis of a false accusation, this new-born infant, Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) spoke up, saying: اِنِّی عبداللہ (I am a servant of Allah). Then following immediately, it was said that he will also talk to people when he will be in the later middle of his age (kahl). It is worth noting here that the incidence of speaking in infancy was certainly a sign and a miracle and it is quite appropriate to mention it at this point. But, speaking to people during one's middle age is very normal, something everyone does no matter whether he is a Muslim, or a non-Muslim, learned or illiterate. Why has this been mentioned here as something special? what could it mean?</p><p>One answer to this question appears in Bayan al-Qur'an by Maulana Ashraf Thanavi (رح) who says that the real purpose here is to particularly focus onthe miraculous nature of meaningful infant speech. The reference to the speech in the middle age is there to indicate that his childhood speech too would not be the usual baby-talk, rather it would be rational, even learned and eloquent, as man does in his advanced years. If we were to look into the true historical background of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) ، we would discover that this reference to him as speaking to people in his middle age provides a great standing argument in favour of the Islamic position which, according to the Qur'anic belief, is that Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) has been raised alive onto the heavens.</p><p>Hadith narrations prove that Sayyidna (علیہ السلام) while so raised, was in the approximate age bracket of 30-35 years which is youth at its best. Middle age, kohl in Arabic, was something he never reached during his life in this world. So, his talking to people in his middle age can happen only when he were to grace this world once again with his presence. Therefore, the way his childhood speech was a miracle, his speech in the middle age could be nothing else but another miracle.</p> | The previous verse (44) appeared parenthetically between the present verses 45 - 46 and verses 42 - 43 and the purpose was to affirm the prophethood of Sayyidna Muhammad ﷺ . The present verse resumes with the story of Sayyidah Maryam which actually pre-pares the ground for a fuller account of the birth, mission and miracles of Sayyidna 'Isa (علیہ السلام) .CommentaryOne of the qualities of Sayyidna 'Isa (علیہ السلام) mentioned in this verse is that 'he shall speak in the cradle' which means that he will speak while still a child, although no child has the ability to do so. When soon after the birth of infant Jesus (علیہ السلام) ، as mentioned in another verse, people chided Sayyidah Maryam on the basis of a false accusation, this new-born infant, Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) spoke up, saying: اِنِّی عبداللہ (I am a servant of Allah). Then following immediately, it was said that he will also talk to people when he will be in the later middle of his age (kahl). It is worth noting here that the incidence of speaking in infancy was certainly a sign and a miracle and it is quite appropriate to mention it at this point. But, speaking to people during one's middle age is very normal, something everyone does no matter whether he is a Muslim, or a non-Muslim, learned or illiterate. Why has this been mentioned here as something special? what could it mean?One answer to this question appears in Bayan al-Qur'an by Maulana Ashraf Thanavi (رح) who says that the real purpose here is to particularly focus onthe miraculous nature of meaningful infant speech. The reference to the speech in the middle age is there to indicate that his childhood speech too would not be the usual baby-talk, rather it would be rational, even learned and eloquent, as man does in his advanced years. If we were to look into the true historical background of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) ، we would discover that this reference to him as speaking to people in his middle age provides a great standing argument in favour of the Islamic position which, according to the Qur'anic belief, is that Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) has been raised alive onto the heavens.Hadith narrations prove that Sayyidna (علیہ السلام) while so raised, was in the approximate age bracket of 30-35 years which is youth at its best. Middle age, kohl in Arabic, was something he never reached during his life in this world. So, his talking to people in his middle age can happen only when he were to grace this world once again with his presence. Therefore, the way his childhood speech was a miracle, his speech in the middle age could be nothing else but another miracle. | <h2 class="title">Delivering the Good News to Maryam of `Isa's Birth</h2><p>This Ayah contains the glad tidings the angels brought to Maryam that she would give birth to a mighty son who will have a great future. Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ يمَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنْهُ</div><p>((Remember) when the angels said: "O Maryam! Verily, Allah gives you the glad tidings of a Word from Him,) a son who will come into existence with a word from Allah, `Be', and he was. This is the meaning of Allah's statement (about Yahya)</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">مُصَدِّقاً بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ</div><p>(Believing in the Word from Allah.) 3:39, according to the majority of the scholars.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">اسْمُهُ الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ</div><p>(His name will be Al-Masih, `Isa, the son of Maryam) and he will be known by this name in this life, especially by the believers. `Isa was called "Al-Masih" (the Messiah) because when he touched (Mash) those afflicted with an illness, they would be healed by Allah's leave. Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ</div><p>(`Isa, the son of Maryam) relates `Isa to his mother, because he did not have a father.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَجِيهًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالاٌّخِرَةِ وَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ</div><p>(Held in honor in this world and in the Hereafter, and will be one of those who are near to Allah.) meaning, he will be a leader and honored by Allah in this life, because of the Law that Allah will reveal to him, sending down the Scripture to him, along with the other bounties that Allah will grant him with. `Isa will be honored in the Hereafter and will intercede with Allah, by His leave, on behalf of some people, just as is the case with his brethren the mighty Messengers of Allah, peace be upon them all.</p><h2 class="title">`Isa Spoke When He was Still in the Cradle</h2><p>Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَيُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ فِى الْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلاً</div><p>(He will speak to the people, in the cradle and in manhood,) calling to the worship of Allah Alone without partners, while still in the cradle, as a miracle from Allah, and when he is a man, by Allah's revelation to him.</p><p>Muhammad bin Ishaq recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«مَا تَكَلَّمَ مَوْلُودٌ فِي صِغَرِهِ إِلَّا عِيسَى وَصَاحِبُ جُرَيْج»</div><p>(No infant spoke in the cradle except `Isa and the companion of Jurayj.)</p><p>Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«لَمْ يَتَكَلَّمْ فِي الْمَهْدِ إِلَّا ثَلَاثَةٌ: عِيسَى، وَصَبِيٌّ كَانَ فِي زَمَنِ جُرَيْجٍ، وَصَبِيٌّ آخَر»</div><p>(No infant spoke in the cradle except three, `Isa, the boy during the time of Jurayj, and another boy.)</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمِنَ الصَّـلِحِينَ</div><p>(And he will be one of the righteous.) in his statements and actions, for he will possess, pure knowledge and righteous works.</p><h2 class="title">`Isa was Created Without a Father</h2><p>When Maryam heard the good news that the angels conveyed from Allah, she said;</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">رَبِّ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لِى وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِى بَشَرٌ</div><p>("O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me.")</p><p>Mary said, "How can I have a son while I did not marry, nor intend to marry, nor am I an indecent woman, may Allah forbid" The angel conveyed to Maryam, Allah's answer,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">كَذَلِكَ اللَّهُ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ</div><p>(So (it will be) for Allah creates what He wills.)</p><p>He is Mighty in power and nothing escapes His ability. Allah used the word `create' here instead of the word `does' as in the tale about Zakariyya 3:40, to eradicate any evil thought concerning `Isa. Allah next emphasized this fact when He said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ</div><p>(When He has decreed something, He says to it only: "Be! ـ and it is.) meaning, what Allah wills, comes into existence instantly and without delay. In another Ayah, Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَآ أَمْرُنَآ إِلاَّ وَحِدَةٌ كَلَمْحٍ بِالْبَصَرِ </div><p>(And Our commandment is but one as the twinkling of an eye.) 54:50, meaning, "We only issue the command once, and it comes into existence instantly, as fast as, and faster than, a blink of the eye. "</p> | Delivering the Good News to Maryam of `Isa's BirthThis Ayah contains the glad tidings the angels brought to Maryam that she would give birth to a mighty son who will have a great future. Allah said,إِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ يمَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنْهُ((Remember) when the angels said: "O Maryam! Verily, Allah gives you the glad tidings of a Word from Him,) a son who will come into existence with a word from Allah, `Be', and he was. This is the meaning of Allah's statement (about Yahya)مُصَدِّقاً بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ(Believing in the Word from Allah.) 3:39, according to the majority of the scholars.اسْمُهُ الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ(His name will be Al-Masih, `Isa, the son of Maryam) and he will be known by this name in this life, especially by the believers. `Isa was called "Al-Masih" (the Messiah) because when he touched (Mash) those afflicted with an illness, they would be healed by Allah's leave. Allah's statement,عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ(`Isa, the son of Maryam) relates `Isa to his mother, because he did not have a father.وَجِيهًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالاٌّخِرَةِ وَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ(Held in honor in this world and in the Hereafter, and will be one of those who are near to Allah.) meaning, he will be a leader and honored by Allah in this life, because of the Law that Allah will reveal to him, sending down the Scripture to him, along with the other bounties that Allah will grant him with. `Isa will be honored in the Hereafter and will intercede with Allah, by His leave, on behalf of some people, just as is the case with his brethren the mighty Messengers of Allah, peace be upon them all.`Isa Spoke When He was Still in the CradleAllah said,وَيُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ فِى الْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلاً(He will speak to the people, in the cradle and in manhood,) calling to the worship of Allah Alone without partners, while still in the cradle, as a miracle from Allah, and when he is a man, by Allah's revelation to him.Muhammad bin Ishaq recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,«مَا تَكَلَّمَ مَوْلُودٌ فِي صِغَرِهِ إِلَّا عِيسَى وَصَاحِبُ جُرَيْج»(No infant spoke in the cradle except `Isa and the companion of Jurayj.)Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said,«لَمْ يَتَكَلَّمْ فِي الْمَهْدِ إِلَّا ثَلَاثَةٌ: عِيسَى، وَصَبِيٌّ كَانَ فِي زَمَنِ جُرَيْجٍ، وَصَبِيٌّ آخَر»(No infant spoke in the cradle except three, `Isa, the boy during the time of Jurayj, and another boy.)وَمِنَ الصَّـلِحِينَ(And he will be one of the righteous.) in his statements and actions, for he will possess, pure knowledge and righteous works.`Isa was Created Without a FatherWhen Maryam heard the good news that the angels conveyed from Allah, she said;رَبِّ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لِى وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِى بَشَرٌ("O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me.")Mary said, "How can I have a son while I did not marry, nor intend to marry, nor am I an indecent woman, may Allah forbid" The angel conveyed to Maryam, Allah's answer,كَذَلِكَ اللَّهُ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ(So (it will be) for Allah creates what He wills.)He is Mighty in power and nothing escapes His ability. Allah used the word `create' here instead of the word `does' as in the tale about Zakariyya 3:40, to eradicate any evil thought concerning `Isa. Allah next emphasized this fact when He said,إِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ(When He has decreed something, He says to it only: "Be! ـ and it is.) meaning, what Allah wills, comes into existence instantly and without delay. In another Ayah, Allah said,وَمَآ أَمْرُنَآ إِلاَّ وَحِدَةٌ كَلَمْحٍ بِالْبَصَرِ (And Our commandment is but one as the twinkling of an eye.) 54:50, meaning, "We only issue the command once, and it comes into existence instantly, as fast as, and faster than, a blink of the eye. " |
Who will speak to the people when in the cradle and when in the prime of life, and will be among the upright and doers of good." | “He will speak to people while he is in the cradle and in his adulthood, and will be of the devoted ones.” | He shall speak to men in the cradle, and of age, and righteous he shall be.' | And he shall speak unto men in his cradle, and as a grown man, and shall be of the righteous." | And he shall speak unto mankind from the cradle and in maturity; and be one of the righteous. | "He will speak to the people in the cradle and in manhood, and he will be one of the righteous." | He will speak to the people from the crib, and in adulthood, and will be one of the righteous.” | And he shall speak to men in the cradle and also later when he grows to maturity and shall indeed be among the righteous.' | "He will speak to the people, in the cradle and in manhood, and he will be one of the righteous." | He will speak unto mankind in his cradle and in his manhood, and he is of the righteous. | He will speak to the people in the cradle and in adulthood, and will be one of the righteous.’ | He shall speak to people in his cradle and when he is aged, and shall be among the righteous' | He will speak to the people in the cradle and in maturity and will be of the righteous." | He will speak to the people while in his cradle and preach to them when he will be a man. He will be one of the righteous ones. | And he shall speak to the people when in the cradle and when of old age, and (he shall be) one of the good ones. | Wayukallimu a<b>l</b>nn<u>a</u>sa fee almahdi wakahlan wamina a<b>l</b><u>ssa</u>li<u>h</u>een<b>a</b> | And he shall speak to men in his cradle, and as a grown man, and shall be one of the righteous." | "He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. And he shall be (of the company) of the righteous." | 45 | 3 | وَيُكَلِّمُ ٱلنَّاسَ فِى ٱلْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلًا وَمِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ | This child will miraculously speak to people when he is a small baby, as well as when he grows up and becomes a man. He will tell them what is best for them in their religious and worldly affairs. He will also be one of those who are righteous in their words and actions. | This child will miraculously speak to people when he is a small baby, as well as when he grows up and becomes a man. He will tell them what is best for them in their religious and worldly affairs. He will also be one of those who are righteous in their words and actions. | ||||
She said: "How can I have a son, O Lord, when no man has touched me?" He said: "That is how God creates what He wills. When He decrees a thing, He says 'Be', and it is. | She said, “My Lord! How can I bear a child when no man has ever touched me?” He said, “This is how Allah creates whatever He wills; when He wills a thing, He only says to it, ‘Be’ – and it happens immediately.” | 'Lord,' said Mary, 'how shall I have a son seeing no mortal has touched me?' 'Even so,' God said, God creates what He will. When He decrees a thing He does but say to it "Be," and it is. | Said she: "O my Sustainer! How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me?" [The angel] answered: "Thus it is: God creates what He wills when He wills a thing to be, He but says unto it, 'Be' - and it is. | She said: my Lord! in what wise shall there be unto me a son whereas no human being hath touched me. Allah said: even so. Allah createth whatsoever He will, When He hath decreed a thing, He only saith to it: Be, and it becometh; | She said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me." He said: "So (it will be) for Allah creates what He wills. When He has decreed something, He says to it only: "Be!" and it is. | She said, “My Lord, how can I have a child, when no man has touched me?” He said, “It will be so. God creates whatever He wills. To have anything done, He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.” | She said: 'O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has ever touched me?' The angel answered: Thus shall it be. Allah creates whatever He wills. When He decides something, He merely says: "Be" and it is. | She said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me." He said: "So (it will be) for Allah creates what He wills. When He has decreed something, He says to it only: `Be! ـ and it is." | She said: My Lord! How can I have a child when no mortal hath touched me? He said: So (it will be). Allah createth what He will. If He decreeth a thing, He saith unto it only: Be! and it is. | She said, ‘My Lord, how shall I have a child seeing that no human has ever touched me?’ He said, ‘So it is that Allah creates whatever He wishes. When He decides on a matter He just says to it ‘‘Be!’’ and it is. | 'Lord' she said, 'how can I bear a child when no human being has touched me' He replied: 'Such is the Will of Allah. He creates whom He will. When He decrees a thing, He only says: "Be," and it is. | She said, "My Lord, how will I have a child when no man has touched me?" [The angel] said, "Such is Allah; He creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, 'Be,' and it is. | (Mary) said, "How can there be a son for me when no mortal has touched me?" The angel replied, "That is how God creates whatever He wants. When He decides to do something He just orders it to exist and it comes into existence." | She said: My Lord! when shall there be a son (born) to I me, and man has not touched me? He said: Even so, Allah creates what He pleases; when He has decreed a matter, He only says to it, Be, and it is. | Q<u>a</u>lat rabbi ann<u>a</u> yakoonu lee waladun walam yamsasnee basharun q<u>a</u>la ka<u>tha</u>liki All<u>a</u>hu yakhluqu m<u>a</u> yash<u>a</u>o i<u>tha</u> qa<u>da</u> amran fainnam<u>a</u> yaqoolu lahu kun fayakoon<b>u</b> | "Lord," she said, "how can I have a child when no man has touched me?" [The angel] replied, "Thus it is: God creates what He wills: when He wills a thing He need only say, "Be," and it is. | She said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man hath touched me?" He said: "Even so: Allah createth what He willeth: When He hath decreed a plan, He but saith to it, 'Be,' and it is! | 46 | 3 | قَالَتْ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِى وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِى بَشَرٌ قَالَ كَذَٰلِكِ ٱللَّهُ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ إِذَا قَضَىٰٓ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ | Mary was surprised that she was to have a child without a husband and said in astonishment: How can I have a child when no man has come near me in a lawful or unlawful way? The angel said to her: Just as Allah will create a child for you without a father, He creates whatever He wishes even though it may be out of the ordinary. When Allah wishes for something, He says ‘Be’ and it is. Nothing can stop Him doing as He wills. | Mary was surprised that she was to have a child without a husband and said in astonishment: How can I have a child when no man has come near me in a lawful or unlawful way? The angel said to her: Just as Allah will create a child for you without a father, He creates whatever He wishes even though it may be out of the ordinary. When Allah wishes for something, He says ‘Be’ and it is. Nothing can stop Him doing as He wills. | <p>The glad tidings given by the angel (verse 46) regarding the birth of Sayyidna ` Isa without a father surprised Sayyidah Maryam as she was a virgin. She wondered how it would happen. Would that be a Divine miracle or would she be asked to marry a man? The Divine answer eliminates the latter possibility. Not restricted by it, 'Allah creates what He wills', that is, His will is all sufficient to bring some-thing into existence. He needs no medium or cause. It is only His command "be" which makes things come into existence.</p> | The glad tidings given by the angel (verse 46) regarding the birth of Sayyidna ` Isa without a father surprised Sayyidah Maryam as she was a virgin. She wondered how it would happen. Would that be a Divine miracle or would she be asked to marry a man? The Divine answer eliminates the latter possibility. Not restricted by it, 'Allah creates what He wills', that is, His will is all sufficient to bring some-thing into existence. He needs no medium or cause. It is only His command "be" which makes things come into existence. | ||
He will teach him the Law and the judgement, and the Torah and the Gospel, | “And Allah will teach him the Book and wisdom, and the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Bible).” | And He will teach him the Book, the Wisdom, the Torah, the Gospel, | And he will impart unto thy son revelation, and wisdom, and the Torah, and the Gospel, | And He shall teach him the Book and wisdom and the Taurat and the Injil: | And He (Allah) will teach him ['Iesa (Jesus)] the Book and Al-Hikmah (i.e. the Sunnah, the faultless speech of the Prophets, wisdom, etc.), (and) the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel). | And He will teach him the Scripture and wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel. | And He will teach him the Book, the Wisdom, the Torah, the Gospel, | And He will teach him the Book and Al-Hikmah, and the Tawrah and the Injil. | And He will teach him the Scripture and wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel, | He will teach him the Book and wisdom, the Torah and the Evangel, | He will teach him the Book, the Wisdom, the Torah and the Gospel, | And He will teach him writing and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel | God will give (Jesus) wisdom and teach him the Book, the Torah, and the Gospel. | And He will teach him the Book and the wisdom and the Tavrat and the Injeel. | WayuAAallimuhu alkit<u>a</u>ba wa<b>a</b>l<u>h</u>ikmata wa<b>al</b>ttawr<u>a</u>ta wa<b>a</b>linjeel<b>a</b> | God will instruct him in the Book and in wisdom and in the Torah and in the Gospel. | "And Allah will teach him the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel, | 47 | 3 | وَيُعَلِّمُهُ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ وَٱلْإِنجِيلَ | Allah will teach him to say and do things correctly; and He will teach him the Torah that He had revealed to Moses (peace be upon him) and the Gospel which He will reveal to him. | Allah will teach him to say and do things correctly; and He will teach him the Torah that He had revealed to Moses (peace be upon him) and the Gospel which He will reveal to him. | <p>1. Verse 48 recounts the august virtues of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) who would be born blessed with the honour of learning from Allah: Scriptures, Wisdom and specially the توراۃ Torah and the اِنجیل Injil; and that he will be sent as a Messenger of Allah to all of the Children of Isra` il.</p><p>2. The message he will carry to them will be his argument in favour of his prophethood. In order that they believe, enumerated in verse 49, there are four signs or miracles that he would perform, being enough for willing believers.</p><p>3. Verse 50 says that Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) will declare that he has come to confirm Torah which was revealed before his coming and to make lawful what remained unlawful for them in the law of Moses. This means that the unlawfulness of some things in the earlier code would stand abrogated by the new one, (that of Sayyidna ` Isa علیہ السلام) whose station of prophethood was the conclusive argument for that claim of abrogation. The proof of his truth were the signs from their Lord.</p><p>4. Once his prophethood is established, verse 51 states that Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) will ask them to beware of any contravention of Divine commandments, fear Allah, and follow his teachings in matters of religion which, in a nutshell, are that 'Allah is my Lord and your Lord' (the ultimate in belief) and 'Worship Him' (the ultimate in deeds). This, then, is the straight path which helps perfect the ideal combination of beliefs and deeds, leads to the way of salvation and is the source of communion with Allah.</p><p>Ruling:</p><p>Making the shape of a bird was the making of a picture, something permitted in that Shari` ah. In our Shari'ah, its permissibility was abrogated.</p> | 1. Verse 48 recounts the august virtues of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) who would be born blessed with the honour of learning from Allah: Scriptures, Wisdom and specially the توراۃ Torah and the اِنجیل Injil; and that he will be sent as a Messenger of Allah to all of the Children of Isra` il.2. The message he will carry to them will be his argument in favour of his prophethood. In order that they believe, enumerated in verse 49, there are four signs or miracles that he would perform, being enough for willing believers.3. Verse 50 says that Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) will declare that he has come to confirm Torah which was revealed before his coming and to make lawful what remained unlawful for them in the law of Moses. This means that the unlawfulness of some things in the earlier code would stand abrogated by the new one, (that of Sayyidna ` Isa علیہ السلام) whose station of prophethood was the conclusive argument for that claim of abrogation. The proof of his truth were the signs from their Lord.4. Once his prophethood is established, verse 51 states that Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) will ask them to beware of any contravention of Divine commandments, fear Allah, and follow his teachings in matters of religion which, in a nutshell, are that 'Allah is my Lord and your Lord' (the ultimate in belief) and 'Worship Him' (the ultimate in deeds). This, then, is the straight path which helps perfect the ideal combination of beliefs and deeds, leads to the way of salvation and is the source of communion with Allah.Ruling:Making the shape of a bird was the making of a picture, something permitted in that Shari` ah. In our Shari'ah, its permissibility was abrogated. | <h2 class="title">The Description of `Isa and the Miracles He Performed</h2><p>Allah states that the good news brought to Maryam about `Isa was even better because Allah would teach him,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ</div><p>(the Book and Al-Hikmah). It appears that the `Book' the Ayah mentioned here refers to writing. We explained the meaning of Al-Hikmah in the Tafsir of Surat Al-Baqarah.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">التَّوْرَاةَ وَالإِنجِيلَ</div><p>(the Tawrah and the Injil). The Tawrah is the Book that Allah sent down to Musa, son of `Imran, while the Injil is what Allah sent down to `Isa, son of Maryam, peace be upon them, and `Isa memorized both Books. Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَرَسُولاً إِلَى بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ</div><p>(And will make him a Messenger to the Children of Israel) means, that Allah will send `Isa as a Messenger to the Children of Israel, proclaiming to them,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أَنِّى قَدْ جِئْتُكُمْ بِآيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ أَنِى أَخْلُقُ لَكُمْ مِّنَ الطِّينِ كَهَيْئَةِ الطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ</div><p>(I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I design for you out of clay, a figure like that of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah's leave). These are the miracles that `Isa performed; he used to make the shape of a bird from clay and blow into it, and it became a bird by Allah's leave. Allah made this a miracle for `Isa to testify that He had sent him.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَأُبْرِىءُ الاٌّكْمَهَ</div><p>(And I heal him who is Akmah) meaning, `a person who was born blind,' which perfects this miracle and makes the challenge more daring.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَالاٌّبْرَصَ</div><p>(And the leper) which is a known disease,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَأُحْىِ الْمَوْتَى بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ</div><p>(And I bring the dead to life by Allah's leave).</p><p>Many scholars stated that Allah sent every Prophet with a miracle suitable to his time. For instance, in the time of Musa, magic was the trade of the time, and magicians held a high position. So Allah sent Musa with a miracle that captured the eyes and bewildered every magician. When the magicians realized that Musa's miracle came from the Almighty, Most Great, they embraced Islam and became pious believers. As for `Isa, he was sent during a time when medicine and knowledge in physics were advancing. `Isa brought them the types of miracles that could not be performed, except by one sent by Allah. How can any physician bring life to clay, cure blindness and leprosy and bring back to life those entrapped in the grave Muhammad was sent during the time of eloquent people and proficient poets. He brought them a Book from Allah; if mankind and the Jinn tried to imitate ten chapters, or even one chapter of it, they will utterly fail in this task, even if they tried to do it by collective cooperation. This is because the Qur'an is the Word of Allah and is nothing like that of the creatures.</p><p>`Isa's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِى بُيُوتِكُمْ</div><p>(And I inform you of what you eat, and what you store in your houses) means, I tell you about what one of you has just eaten and what he is keeping in his house for tomorrow.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ فِى ذَلِكَ</div><p>(Surely, therein), all these miracles,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لأَيَةً لَّكُمْ</div><p>(is a sign for you) testifying to the truth of what I was sent to you with,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَوَمُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ</div><p>(If you believe. And I have come confirming that which was before me of the Tawrah,) affirming the Tawrah and upholding it,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلاٌّحِلَّ لَكُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ</div><p>(and to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you.)</p><p>This part of the Ayah indicates that `Isa abrogated some of the Laws of the Tawrah and informed the Jews of the truth regarding some issues that they used to dispute about. In another Ayah;</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلأُبَيِّنَ لَكُم بَعْضَ الَّذِى تَخْتَلِفُونَ فِيهِ</div><p>(And in order to make clear to you some of the (points) in which you differ) 43:63.</p><p>`Isa said next,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَجِئْتُكُمْ بِأَيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ</div><p>(And I have come to you with a proof from your Lord.) "Containing affirmation and evidence to the truth of what I am conveying to you."</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَاتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ</div><p>(So have Taqwa of Allah and obey me. Truly, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him (Alone).) for I and you are equal in our servitude, submission and humbleness to Him,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">هَـذَا صِرَطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ</div><p>(This is the straight path.)</p> | The Description of `Isa and the Miracles He PerformedAllah states that the good news brought to Maryam about `Isa was even better because Allah would teach him,الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ(the Book and Al-Hikmah). It appears that the `Book' the Ayah mentioned here refers to writing. We explained the meaning of Al-Hikmah in the Tafsir of Surat Al-Baqarah.التَّوْرَاةَ وَالإِنجِيلَ(the Tawrah and the Injil). The Tawrah is the Book that Allah sent down to Musa, son of `Imran, while the Injil is what Allah sent down to `Isa, son of Maryam, peace be upon them, and `Isa memorized both Books. Allah's statement,وَرَسُولاً إِلَى بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ(And will make him a Messenger to the Children of Israel) means, that Allah will send `Isa as a Messenger to the Children of Israel, proclaiming to them,أَنِّى قَدْ جِئْتُكُمْ بِآيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ أَنِى أَخْلُقُ لَكُمْ مِّنَ الطِّينِ كَهَيْئَةِ الطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ(I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I design for you out of clay, a figure like that of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah's leave). These are the miracles that `Isa performed; he used to make the shape of a bird from clay and blow into it, and it became a bird by Allah's leave. Allah made this a miracle for `Isa to testify that He had sent him.وَأُبْرِىءُ الاٌّكْمَهَ(And I heal him who is Akmah) meaning, `a person who was born blind,' which perfects this miracle and makes the challenge more daring.وَالاٌّبْرَصَ(And the leper) which is a known disease,وَأُحْىِ الْمَوْتَى بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ(And I bring the dead to life by Allah's leave).Many scholars stated that Allah sent every Prophet with a miracle suitable to his time. For instance, in the time of Musa, magic was the trade of the time, and magicians held a high position. So Allah sent Musa with a miracle that captured the eyes and bewildered every magician. When the magicians realized that Musa's miracle came from the Almighty, Most Great, they embraced Islam and became pious believers. As for `Isa, he was sent during a time when medicine and knowledge in physics were advancing. `Isa brought them the types of miracles that could not be performed, except by one sent by Allah. How can any physician bring life to clay, cure blindness and leprosy and bring back to life those entrapped in the grave Muhammad was sent during the time of eloquent people and proficient poets. He brought them a Book from Allah; if mankind and the Jinn tried to imitate ten chapters, or even one chapter of it, they will utterly fail in this task, even if they tried to do it by collective cooperation. This is because the Qur'an is the Word of Allah and is nothing like that of the creatures.`Isa's statement,وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِى بُيُوتِكُمْ(And I inform you of what you eat, and what you store in your houses) means, I tell you about what one of you has just eaten and what he is keeping in his house for tomorrow.إِنَّ فِى ذَلِكَ(Surely, therein), all these miracles,لأَيَةً لَّكُمْ(is a sign for you) testifying to the truth of what I was sent to you with,إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَوَمُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ(If you believe. And I have come confirming that which was before me of the Tawrah,) affirming the Tawrah and upholding it,وَلاٌّحِلَّ لَكُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ(and to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you.)This part of the Ayah indicates that `Isa abrogated some of the Laws of the Tawrah and informed the Jews of the truth regarding some issues that they used to dispute about. In another Ayah;وَلأُبَيِّنَ لَكُم بَعْضَ الَّذِى تَخْتَلِفُونَ فِيهِ(And in order to make clear to you some of the (points) in which you differ) 43:63.`Isa said next,وَجِئْتُكُمْ بِأَيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ(And I have come to you with a proof from your Lord.) "Containing affirmation and evidence to the truth of what I am conveying to you."فَاتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ(So have Taqwa of Allah and obey me. Truly, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him (Alone).) for I and you are equal in our servitude, submission and humbleness to Him,هَـذَا صِرَطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ(This is the straight path.) |
And he will be Apostle to the children of Israel, (saying:) 'I have come to you with a prodigy from your Lord that I will fashion the state of destiny out of mire for you, and breathe (a new spirit) into it, and (you) will rise by the will of God. I will heal the blind and the leper, and infuse life into the dead, by the leave of God. I will tell you what you devour and what you hoard in your homes. In this will be a portent for you if you do believe. | “And he will be a Noble Messenger towards the Descendants of Israel saying, ‘I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, for I mould a birdlike sculpture from clay for you, and I blow into it and it instantly becomes a (living) bird, by Allah’s command; and I heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I revive the dead, by Allah’s command; and I tell you what you eat and what you store in your houses; undoubtedly in these (miracles) is a great sign for you, if you are believers.’ (Several miracles bestowed to Prophet Eisa are mentioned here.) | to be a Messenger to the Children of Israel saying, "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. I will create for you out of clay as the likeness of a bird; then I will breathe into it, and it will be a bird, by the leave of God. I will also heal the blind and the leper, and bring to life the dead, by the leave of God. I will inform you too of what things you eat, and what you treasure up in your houses. Surely in that is a sign for you, if you are believers. | and [will make him] an apostle unto the children of Israel.” "I HAVE COME unto you with a message from your Sustainer. I shall create for you out of clay, as it were, the shape of [your] destiny, and then breathe into it, so that it might become [your] destiny by God's leave; and I shall heal the blind and the leper, and bring the dead back to life by God's leave; and I shall let you know what you may eat and what you should store up in your houses. Behold, in all this there is indeed a message for you, if you are [truly] believers. | And an apostle Unto the children of Israi'l with this message: verily have come unto you with a sign from your Lord, verily I form for you out of clay as though the likeness of a bird and then I breathe thereunto, and a bird it becometh by Allah's command. And heal the blind from birth and the leprous and quicken the dead by Allah's command. And I declare unto you that which ye have eaten and that which ye have stored in your houses. Verily herein is a sign for you if ye are believers. | And will make him ['Iesa (Jesus)] a Messenger to the Children of Israel (saying): "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I design for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah's Leave; and I heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I bring the dead to life by Allah's Leave. And I inform you of what you eat, and what you store in your houses. Surely, therein is a sign for you, if you believe. | A messenger to the Children of Israel: “I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. I make for you out of clay the figure of a bird; then I breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by God’s leave. And I heal the blind and the leprous, and I revive the dead, by God’s leave. And I inform you concerning what you eat, and what you store in your homes. In that is a sign for you, if you are believers.” | and he will be a Messenger to the Children of Israel.' (And when he came to them he said): 'I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. I will make for you from clay the likeness of a bird and then I will breathe into it and by the leave of Allah it will become a bird. I will also heal the blind and the leper, and by the leave of Allah bring the dead to life. I will also inform you of what things you eat and what you treasure up in your houses. Surely this is a sign for you if you are true believ-ers. | And will make him a Messenger to the Children of Israel (saying): "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I design for you out of clay, a figure like that of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah's leave; and I heal the blind, and the leper, and I bring the dead to life by Allah's leave. And I inform you of what you eat, and what you store in your houses. Surely, therein is a sign for you, if you believe." | And will make him a messenger unto the Children of Israel, (saying): Lo! I come unto you with a sign from your Lord. Lo! I fashion for you out of clay the likeness of a bird, and I breathe into it and it is a bird, by Allah's leave. I heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I raise the dead, by Allah's leave. And I announce unto you what ye eat and what ye store up in your houses. Lo! herein verily is a portent for you, if ye are to be believers. | and [he will be] an apostle to the Children of Israel, [and he will declare,] “I have certainly brought you a sign from your Lord: I will create for you the form of a bird out of clay, then I will breathe into it, and it will become a bird by Allah’s leave. I heal the blind and the leper and I revive the dead by Allah’s leave. I will tell you what you have eaten and what you have stored in your houses. There is indeed a sign in that for you, should you be faithful. | to be a Messenger to the Children of Israel, (saying): "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. From clay, I will create for you the likeness of a bird. I shall breathe into it and by the permission of Allah, it shall be a bird. I shall heal the blind, and the leper, and raise the dead to life by the permission of Allah. I shall tell you what you ate and what you store in your houses. Surely, that will be a sign for you, if you are believers. | And [make him] a messenger to the Children of Israel, [who will say], 'Indeed I have come to you with a sign from your Lord in that I design for you from clay [that which is] like the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird by permission of Allah. And I cure the blind and the leper, and I give life to the dead - by permission of Allah. And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers. | He will be a Messenger of God to the Israelites to whom he will say, "I have brought you a miracle from your Lord. I can create for you something from clay in the form of a bird. When I blow into it, it will become a real bird, by the permission of God. I can heal the blind and the lepers and bring the dead back to life, by the permission of God. I can tell you about what you eat and what you store in your homes. This is a miracle for you if you want to have faith. | And (make him) an apostle to the children of Israel: That I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I determine for you out of dust like the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird with Allah's permission and I heal the blind and the leprous, and bring the dead to life with Allah's permission and I inform you of what you should eat and what you should store in your houses; most surely there is a sign in this for you, if you are believers. | Warasoolan il<u>a</u> banee isr<u>a</u>eela annee qad jitukum bi<u>a</u>yatin min rabbikum annee akhluqu lakum mina a<b>l</b><u>tt</u>eeni kahayati a<b>l</b><u>tt</u>ayri faanfukhu feehi fayakoonu <u>t</u>ayran bii<u>th</u>ni All<u>a</u>hi waobrio alakmaha wa<b>a</b>labra<u>s</u>a wao<u>h</u>yee almawt<u>a</u> bii<u>th</u>ni All<u>a</u>hi waonabbiokum bim<u>a</u> takuloona wam<u>a</u> taddakhiroona fee buyootikum inna fee <u>tha</u>lika la<u>a</u>yatan lakum in kuntum mumineen<b>a</b> | He will make him a messenger to the Children of Israel. He will say: "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. I will make the shape of a bird out of clay for you and then breathe into it and, by God's leave, it will become a living bird. And by God's leave I will heal the blind and the leper and bring the dead to life. I will tell you what you eat and what you store up in your homes. Surely in this there is a sign for you, if you are believers. | "And (appoint him) a messenger to the Children of Israel, (with this message): "'I have come to you, with a Sign from your Lord, in that I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah's leave: And I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and I quicken the dead, by Allah's leave; and I declare to you what ye eat, and what ye store in your houses. Surely therein is a Sign for you if ye did believe; | 48 | 3 | وَرَسُولًا إِلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ أَنِّى قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِـَٔايَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ أَنِّىٓ أَخْلُقُ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلطِّينِ كَهَيْـَٔةِ ٱلطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًۢا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ وَأُبْرِئُ ٱلْأَكْمَهَ وَٱلْأَبْرَصَ وَأُحْىِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِى بُيُوتِكُمْ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَءَايَةً لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ | Allah will make him a messenger to the Israelites, instructing him to say to them: I am Allah’s messenger to you. I have brought to you a sign indicating my prophethood: I will make the shape of a bird using clay, then I will breathe into it and it will become a living bird by Allah’s permission. I will cure the one who was born blind, so that he will be able to see, and the leper who will recover from his illness; and I will bring the dead to life. I will do all of this with Allah’s permission. I will tell you about what you consume and what you hide in your homes. In all of these extraordinary things that I mentioned to you, which human beings cannot do, is a clear sign that I am Allah’s messenger to you, if you wish to have faith and to accept the proof. | Allah will make him a messenger to the Israelites, instructing him to say to them: I am Allah’s messenger to you. I have brought to you a sign indicating my prophethood: I will make the shape of a bird using clay, then I will breathe into it and it will become a living bird by Allah’s permission. I will cure the one who was born blind, so that he will be able to see, and the leper who will recover from his illness; and I will bring the dead to life. I will do all of this with Allah’s permission. I will tell you about what you consume and what you hide in your homes. In all of these extraordinary things that I mentioned to you, which human beings cannot do, is a clear sign that I am Allah’s messenger to you, if you wish to have faith and to accept the proof. | ||||
I (have come to) confirm the truth of the Torah which was sent down before me, and make certain things lawful which have been forbidden until now; and I come to you with a sign from your Lord; so be fearful of God and follow me. | ‘And I come confirming the Taurat (Torah) – the Book before me – and to make lawful for you some of the things which were forbidden to you, and I have come to you with a sign from your Lord – therefore fear Allah and obey me.’ | Likewise confirming the truth of the Torah that is before me, and to make lawful to you certain things that before were forbidden unto you. I have come to you with a sign from your Lord; so fear you God, and obey you me. | "And [I have come] to confirm the truth of whatever there still remains of the Torah, and to make lawful unto you some of the things which [aforetime] were forbidden to you. And I have come unto you with a message from your Sustainer; remain, then, conscious of God, and pay heed unto me. | And I come confessing to the Taurat that was before me, and to allow unto you some of that which was forbidden unto you. So And I have come unto you with a sign from your Lord wherefore fear Allah and obey me. | And I have come confirming that which was before me of the Taurat (Torah), and to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you, and I have come to you with a proof from your Lord. So fear Allah and obey me. | “And verifying what lies before me of the Torah, and to make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you. I have come to you with a sign from your Lord; so fear God, and obey me.” | And I have come to confirm the truth of whatever there still remains of the Torah, and to make lawful to you some of the things which had been forbidden to you. have come to you with a sign from your Lord; so have fear of Allah and obey me. | "(And I have come) confirming that which was before me of the Tawrah, and to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you, and I have come to you with a proof from your Lord. So have Taqwa of Allah and obey me." | And (I come) confirming that which was before me of the Torah, and to make lawful some of that which was forbidden unto you. I come unto you with a sign from your Lord, so keep your duty to Allah and obey me. | And [I come] to confirm [the truth of] that which is before me of the Torah, and to make lawful for you some of the things that were forbidden you. I have brought you a sign from your Lord; so be wary of Allah and obey me. | Likewise confirming the Torah that has been before me and to make lawful to you some of the things you have been forbidden. I bring you a sign from your Lord, therefore, fear Allah and obey me. | And [I have come] confirming what was before me of the Torah and to make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you. And I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, so fear Allah and obey me. | "I testify to what is true in the Torah and make lawful for you some of the things that were made unlawful. I have brought you a miracle from your Lord. Have fear of God and obey me. | And a verifier of that which is before me of the Taurat and that I may allow you part of that which has been forbidden t you, and I have come to you with a sign from your Lord therefore be careful of (your duty to) Allah and obey me. | Wamu<u>s</u>addiqan lim<u>a</u> bayna yadayya mina a<b>l</b>ttawr<u>a</u>ti walio<u>h</u>illa lakum baAA<u>d</u>a alla<u>th</u>ee <u>h</u>urrima AAalaykum wajitukum bi<u>a</u>yatin min rabbikum fa<b>i</b>ttaqoo All<u>a</u>ha waa<u>t</u>eeAAoon<b>i</b> | I come to fulfill [the prediction] of the Torah which preceded me and to make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you and I come to you with a sign from your Lord. So fear God and obey me. | "'(I have come to you), to attest the Law which was before me. And to make lawful to you part of what was (Before) forbidden to you; I have come to you with a Sign from your Lord. So fear Allah, and obey me. | 49 | 3 | وَمُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَىَّ مِنَ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ وَلِأُحِلَّ لَكُم بَعْضَ ٱلَّذِى حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَجِئْتُكُم بِـَٔايَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ | I have come to you to confirm the revelation of the Torah that was before me, and to make lawful some of that which was unlawful in the past: making things easy for you. I have brought to you a clear proof of the truthfulness of what I say, so be mindful of Allah by fulfilling His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions; and follow that which I call you to. | I have come to you to confirm the revelation of the Torah that was before me, and to make lawful some of that which was unlawful in the past: making things easy for you. I have brought to you a clear proof of the truthfulness of what I say, so be mindful of Allah by fulfilling His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions; and follow that which I call you to. | ||||
Surely God is my Lord, and your Lord, so worship Him; and this is the right path. | ‘Undoubtedly Allah is the Lord of all – mine and yours – so worship Him only; this is the Straight Path.’” | Surely God is my Lord and your Lord; so serve Him. This is a straight path".' | "Verily, God is my Sustainer as well as your Sustainer; so worship Him [alone]: this is a straight way." | Verily Allah is my Lord; and your Lord, wherefore worship Him; this is the straight path. | Truly! Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him (Alone). This is the Straight Path. | “God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path.” | Surely, Allah is my Lord and your Lord; so serve Him alone. This is the straight way.' | "Truly, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him (Alone). This is the straight path." | Lo! Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path. | Indeed Allah is my Lord and your Lord; so worship Him. This is a straight path.” ’ | Allah is my Lord and your Lord, therefore, worship Him. This is the Straight Path"' | Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is the straight path." | God is my Lord as well as yours. Worship Him for this is the right path." | Surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord, therefore serve Him; this is the right path. | Inna All<u>a</u>ha rabbee warabbukum fa<b>o</b>AAbudoohu h<u>atha</u> <u>s</u>ir<u>at</u>un mustaqeem<b>un</b> | God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is the straight path." | "'It is Allah Who is my Lord and your Lord; then worship Him. This is a Way that is straight.'" | 50 | 3 | إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبُّكُمْ فَٱعْبُدُوهُ هَٰذَا صِرَٰطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ | Allah is my Lord and your Lord, and He is the only One that deserves to be followed and feared. So, worship Him alone. This worship of Allah and being mindful of Him that I instruct you to do is the straight path which has no crookedness. | Allah is my Lord and your Lord, and He is the only One that deserves to be followed and feared. So, worship Him alone. This worship of Allah and being mindful of Him that I instruct you to do is the straight path which has no crookedness. | ||||
When Jesus perceived their unbelief he asked: "Who will help me in the way of God?" "We," the disciples answered, "shall be the helpers of God. We believe in God; and you be our witness that we submit and obey. | So when Eisa sensed their disbelief he said, “Who will be my aides towards (in the cause of) Allah?” The disciples said, “We are the aides of Allah’s religion; we believe in Allah, and you bear witness that we are Muslims.” | And when Jesus perceived their unbelief, he said, 'Who will be my helpers unto God?' The Apostles said, 'We will be helpers of God; we believe in God; witness thou our submission. | And when Jesus became aware of their refusal to acknowledge the truth, he asked: "Who will be my helpers in God's cause?" The white-garbed ones replied: "We shall be [thy] helpers [in the cause] of God! We believe in God: and bear thou witness that we have surrendered ourselves unto Him! | Then when 'Isa perceived in them infidelity, he said: who will be my helpers unto Allah! The disciples said; we are helpers of Allah; we believe in Allah and bear thou witness that verily we are Muslims. | Then when 'Iesa (Jesus) came to know of their disbelief, he said: "Who will be my helpers in Allah's Cause?" Al-Hawariun (the disciples) said: "We are the helpers of Allah; we believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are Muslims (i.e. we submit to Allah)." | When Jesus sensed disbelief on their part, he said, “Who are my allies towards God?” The disciples said, “We are God’s allies; we have believed in God, and bear witness that we submit.” | And when Jesus perceived their leaning towards unbelief, he asked: 'Who will be my helpers in the way of Allah?' The disciples said: 'We are the helpers of Allah. We believe in Allah, and be our witness that we have submitted ourselves exclusively to Allah. | Then when `Isa came to know of their disbelief, he said: "Who will be my helpers in Allah's cause" Al-Hawariyyun said: "We are the helpers of Allah; we believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are Muslims." | But when Jesus became conscious of their disbelief, he cried: Who will be my helpers in the cause of Allah? The disciples said: We will be Allah's helpers. We believe in Allah, and bear thou witness that we have surrendered (unto Him). | When Jesus sensed their faithlessness, he said, ‘Who will be my helpers [on the path] toward Allah?’ The Disciples said, ‘We will be helpers of Allah. We have faith in Allah, and you be witness that we have submitted [to Him]. | When (Prophet) Jesus felt their disbelief, he said: 'Who will be my helpers in the way of Allah' The disciples replied: 'We are the helpers of Allah. We believe in Allah. Bear witness that we are submitters (Muslims). | But when Jesus felt [persistence in] disbelief from them, he said, "Who are my supporters for [the cause of] Allah?" The disciples said, "We are supporters for Allah. We have believed in Allah and testify that we are Muslims [submitting to Him]. | When Jesus found them denying the truth, he said, "Who will help me in the cause of God?" The disciples replied, "We are the helpers of God. We believe in Him. Jesus, bear witness that we have submitted ourselves to His will." | But when Isa perceived unbelief on their part, he said Who will be my helpers in Allah's way? The disciples said: We are helpers (in the way) of Allah: We believe in Allah and bear witness that we are submitting ones. | Falamm<u>a</u> a<u>h</u>assa AAees<u>a</u> minhumu alkufra q<u>a</u>la man an<u>sa</u>ree il<u>a</u> All<u>a</u>hi q<u>a</u>la al<u>h</u>aw<u>a</u>riyyoona na<u>h</u>nu an<u>sa</u>ru All<u>a</u>hi <u>a</u>mann<u>a</u> bi<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hi wa<b>i</b>shhad biann<u>a</u> muslimoon<b>a</b> | When Jesus perceived their denial, he said, "Who will be my helpers in God's cause?" The disciples said, "We are God's helpers, we believe in God. Bear witness that we have surrendered ourselves. | When Jesus found Unbelief on their part He said: "Who will be My helpers to (the work of) Allah?" Said the disciples: "We are Allah's helpers: We believe in Allah, and do thou bear witness that we are Muslims. | 51 | 3 | فَلَمَّآ أَحَسَّ عِيسَىٰ مِنْهُمُ ٱلْكُفْرَ قَالَ مَنْ أَنصَارِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ قَالَ ٱلْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنصَارُ ٱللَّهِ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَٱشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ | When Jesus realized that they were going to continue in their disbelief, he addressed the Israelites, saying, ‘Who will help me in calling towards Allah?’ His chosen followers said: We are the ones who will help Allah’s religion. We have faith in Allah and we follow you. Be a witness, O Jesus, that we submit to Allah by accepting His Oneness and following Him. | When Jesus realized that they were going to continue in their disbelief, he addressed the Israelites, saying, ‘Who will help me in calling towards Allah?’ His chosen followers said: We are the ones who will help Allah’s religion. We have faith in Allah and we follow you. Be a witness, O Jesus, that we submit to Allah by accepting His Oneness and following Him. | <p>Following blessed predictions mentioned earlier, Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) was born with all promised signs. As a messenger sent to Bani Isra` il, he presented his call to them supported by miracles to prove his prophethood. But, the Bani Isra'il were adamant and kept on rejecting him as a prophet, even going to the limit of being physically hostile to him.</p><p>The text now identifies the very first followers of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) brings to light their real creed, expressed first before their prophet and then (in verse 53), reiterated it in the form of a prayer before their Lord.</p><p>Commentary</p><p>The word, حواری 'hawariyy (singular of حواریون 'al-hawariyyun' ) appearing in verse 52 (translated as the disciples' ), is a derivation from حوار hawar which lexically means whiteness. In the religious terminology, the title of حواری 'Ihawariyy' has been given to the sincere disciples or companions of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) r either because of their sincerity or the purity of their heart, or because of their white dress. Likewise, the Companions of the Holy Prophet (علیہ السلام) have been called, صاحبی sahabiyy (plural, sahabah).</p><p>Some commentators have given the number of the disciples as twelve. Incidentally, the word 'hawariyy' is also, at times, used in the absolute sense of 'helper' or 'supporter'. It is in this very sense that it was said in a hadth: "Every prophet has a hawariyy, that is, a sincere companion; Zubair is my hawariyy' (Tafsir al-Qurtubi)</p><p>An Important Note:</p><p>Verse 52 states that Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) looked for helpers in the way of Allah only when he sensed hostility from disbelievers, and not at the initial stage of his call. As obvious, he had risen to the task all alone obeying the command of his Lord without worrying about setting up a 'party' in advance. When came the need, he found a group around him. A little thought here would show that every worthy mission demands such determination and courage.</p> | Following blessed predictions mentioned earlier, Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) was born with all promised signs. As a messenger sent to Bani Isra` il, he presented his call to them supported by miracles to prove his prophethood. But, the Bani Isra'il were adamant and kept on rejecting him as a prophet, even going to the limit of being physically hostile to him.The text now identifies the very first followers of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) brings to light their real creed, expressed first before their prophet and then (in verse 53), reiterated it in the form of a prayer before their Lord.CommentaryThe word, حواری 'hawariyy (singular of حواریون 'al-hawariyyun' ) appearing in verse 52 (translated as the disciples' ), is a derivation from حوار hawar which lexically means whiteness. In the religious terminology, the title of حواری 'Ihawariyy' has been given to the sincere disciples or companions of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) r either because of their sincerity or the purity of their heart, or because of their white dress. Likewise, the Companions of the Holy Prophet (علیہ السلام) have been called, صاحبی sahabiyy (plural, sahabah).Some commentators have given the number of the disciples as twelve. Incidentally, the word 'hawariyy' is also, at times, used in the absolute sense of 'helper' or 'supporter'. It is in this very sense that it was said in a hadth: "Every prophet has a hawariyy, that is, a sincere companion; Zubair is my hawariyy' (Tafsir al-Qurtubi)An Important Note:Verse 52 states that Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) looked for helpers in the way of Allah only when he sensed hostility from disbelievers, and not at the initial stage of his call. As obvious, he had risen to the task all alone obeying the command of his Lord without worrying about setting up a 'party' in advance. When came the need, he found a group around him. A little thought here would show that every worthy mission demands such determination and courage. | <h2 class="title">The Disciples Give Their Support to `Isa</h2><p>Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَلَمَّآ أَحَسَّ عِيسَى</div><p>(Then when `Isa came to know), meaning, `Isa felt that they were adamant in disbelief and continuing in misguidance. He said to them,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">مَنْ أَنصَارِى إِلَى اللَّهِ</div><p>(Who will be my helper in Allah's cause) Mujahid commented, "Meaning, who would follow me to Allah" However, it appears that `Isa was asking, "Who would help me convey the Message of Allah"</p><p>The Prophet said during the Hajj season, before the Hijrah,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«مَنْ رَجُلٌ يُؤْوِينِي حَتَّى أُبَلِّغَ كَلَامَ رَبِّي؟، فَإِنَّ قُرَيْشًا قَدْ مَنَعُونِي أَنْ أُبَلِّغَ كَلَامَ رَبِّي»</div><p>(Who will give me asylum so that I can convey the Speech of my Lord, for the Quraysh have prevented me from conveying the Speech of my Lord.) until he found the Ansar. The Ansar helped the Prophet and gave him refuge. He later migrated to them, they comforted the Prophet and protected him from all his enemies, may Allah be pleased with them all. This is similar to what happened with `Isa, for some of the Children of Israel believed in him, gave him their aid and support and followed the light that was sent with him. This is why Allah said about them;</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَلَمَّآ أَحَسَّ عِيسَى مِنْهُمُ الْكُفْرَ قَالَ مَنْ أَنصَارِى إِلَى اللَّهِ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنْصَارُ اللَّهِ ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ - رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا بِمَآ أَنزَلَتْ وَاتَّبَعْنَا الرَّسُولَ فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّـهِدِينَ </div><p>(Al-Hawariyyun said: "We are the helpers of Allah; we believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are Muslims. Our Lord! We believe in what You have sent down, and we follow the Messenger; so write us down among those who bear witness.") Hawari in Arabic - means `support'. The Two Sahihs recorded that when the Prophet encouraged the people to fight during the battle of Al-Ahzab, Az-Zubayr came forward, and again, when the Prophet asked for fighters a second time. The Prophet said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«إِنَّ لِكُلِّ نَبِيَ حَوَارِيًّا، وَحَوَارِيِّي الزُّبَيْر»</div><p>(Every Prophet has a Hawari, and Az-Zubayr is my Hawari)</p><p>Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said about,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّـهِدِينَ</div><p>(so write us down among those who bear witness) "Meaning among the Ummah of Muhammad." This Hadith has a good chain of narration.</p><h2 class="title">The Jews Plot to Kill `Isa</h2><p>Allah states that the Children of Israel tried to kill `Isa by conspiring to defame him and crucify him. They complained about him to the king who was a disbeliever. They claimed that `Isa was a man who misguided people, discouraged them from obeying the king, caused division, and separated between man and his own son. They also said other lies about `Isa, which they will carry on their necks, including accusing him of being an illegitimate son. The king became furious and sent his men to capture `Isa to torture and crucify him. When they surrounded `Isa's home and he thought that they would surely capture him, Allah saved him from them, raising him up from the house to heaven. Allah put the image of `Isa on a man who was in the house; when the unjust people went in the house while it was still dark, they thought that he was `Isa. They captured that man, humiliated and crucified him. They also placed thorns on his head. However, Allah deceived these people. He saved and raised His Prophet from them, leaving them in disarray in the darkness of their transgression, thinking that they had successfully achieved their goal. Allah made their hearts hard, and defiant of the truth, disgracing them in such disgrace that it will remain with them until the Day of Resurrection. This is why Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَكَرُواْ وَمَكَرَ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَـكِرِينَ </div><p>(And they plotted, and Allah planned too. And Allah is the Best of those who plot.)</p> | The Disciples Give Their Support to `IsaAllah said,فَلَمَّآ أَحَسَّ عِيسَى(Then when `Isa came to know), meaning, `Isa felt that they were adamant in disbelief and continuing in misguidance. He said to them,مَنْ أَنصَارِى إِلَى اللَّهِ(Who will be my helper in Allah's cause) Mujahid commented, "Meaning, who would follow me to Allah" However, it appears that `Isa was asking, "Who would help me convey the Message of Allah"The Prophet said during the Hajj season, before the Hijrah,«مَنْ رَجُلٌ يُؤْوِينِي حَتَّى أُبَلِّغَ كَلَامَ رَبِّي؟، فَإِنَّ قُرَيْشًا قَدْ مَنَعُونِي أَنْ أُبَلِّغَ كَلَامَ رَبِّي»(Who will give me asylum so that I can convey the Speech of my Lord, for the Quraysh have prevented me from conveying the Speech of my Lord.) until he found the Ansar. The Ansar helped the Prophet and gave him refuge. He later migrated to them, they comforted the Prophet and protected him from all his enemies, may Allah be pleased with them all. This is similar to what happened with `Isa, for some of the Children of Israel believed in him, gave him their aid and support and followed the light that was sent with him. This is why Allah said about them;فَلَمَّآ أَحَسَّ عِيسَى مِنْهُمُ الْكُفْرَ قَالَ مَنْ أَنصَارِى إِلَى اللَّهِ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنْصَارُ اللَّهِ ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ - رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا بِمَآ أَنزَلَتْ وَاتَّبَعْنَا الرَّسُولَ فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّـهِدِينَ (Al-Hawariyyun said: "We are the helpers of Allah; we believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are Muslims. Our Lord! We believe in what You have sent down, and we follow the Messenger; so write us down among those who bear witness.") Hawari in Arabic - means `support'. The Two Sahihs recorded that when the Prophet encouraged the people to fight during the battle of Al-Ahzab, Az-Zubayr came forward, and again, when the Prophet asked for fighters a second time. The Prophet said,«إِنَّ لِكُلِّ نَبِيَ حَوَارِيًّا، وَحَوَارِيِّي الزُّبَيْر»(Every Prophet has a Hawari, and Az-Zubayr is my Hawari)Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said about,فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّـهِدِينَ(so write us down among those who bear witness) "Meaning among the Ummah of Muhammad." This Hadith has a good chain of narration.The Jews Plot to Kill `IsaAllah states that the Children of Israel tried to kill `Isa by conspiring to defame him and crucify him. They complained about him to the king who was a disbeliever. They claimed that `Isa was a man who misguided people, discouraged them from obeying the king, caused division, and separated between man and his own son. They also said other lies about `Isa, which they will carry on their necks, including accusing him of being an illegitimate son. The king became furious and sent his men to capture `Isa to torture and crucify him. When they surrounded `Isa's home and he thought that they would surely capture him, Allah saved him from them, raising him up from the house to heaven. Allah put the image of `Isa on a man who was in the house; when the unjust people went in the house while it was still dark, they thought that he was `Isa. They captured that man, humiliated and crucified him. They also placed thorns on his head. However, Allah deceived these people. He saved and raised His Prophet from them, leaving them in disarray in the darkness of their transgression, thinking that they had successfully achieved their goal. Allah made their hearts hard, and defiant of the truth, disgracing them in such disgrace that it will remain with them until the Day of Resurrection. This is why Allah said,وَمَكَرُواْ وَمَكَرَ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَـكِرِينَ (And they plotted, and Allah planned too. And Allah is the Best of those who plot.) |
"O Lord, we believe in Your revelations and follow this Apostle. Enroll us among the witnesses." | “Our Lord! We have believed in what You have sent down and we follow the Noble Messenger, therefore record us among the witnesses of the truth.” | Lord, we believe in that Thou hast sent down, and we follow the Messenger. Inscribe us therefore with those who bear witness.' | O our Sustainer! We believe in what Thou hast bestowed from on high, and we follow this Apostle; make us one, then, with all who bear witness [to the truth]!" | Our Lord! we believe in that which Thou hast sent down, and, follow the apostle; write us up wherefore with the witnesses. | Our Lord! We believe in what You have sent down, and we follow the Messenger ['Iesa (Jesus)]; so write us down among those who bear witness (to the truth i.e. La ilaha ill-Allah - none has the right to be worshipped but Allah). | “Our Lord, we have believed in what You have revealed, and we have followed the Messenger, so count us among the witnesses.” | Our Lord! We believe in the com-mandment You have revealed and we obey the Messenger; make us, then, one of those who bear witness (to the Truth).' | "Our Lord! We believe in what You have sent down, and we follow the Messenger [`Isa]; so write us down among those who bear witness." | Our Lord! We believe in that which Thou hast revealed and we follow him whom Thou hast sent. Enrol us among those who witness (to the truth). | Our Lord, we believe in what You have sent down, and we follow the apostle, so write us among the witnesses.’ | Lord, we have believed in what You sent down and followed the Messenger. Write us among Your witnesses' | Our Lord, we have believed in what You revealed and have followed the messenger Jesus, so register us among the witnesses [to truth]." | They prayed, "Lord, we have believed in what You have revealed to Your Messenger and we have followed him. Write down our names with those who testify in support of the Truth." | Our Lord! we believe in what Thou hast revealed and we follow the apostle, so write us down with those who bear witness. | Rabban<u>a</u> <u>a</u>mann<u>a</u> bim<u>a</u> anzalta wa<b>i</b>ttabaAAn<u>a</u> a<b>l</b>rrasoola fa<b>o</b>ktubn<u>a</u> maAAa a<b>l</b>shsh<u>a</u>hideen<b>a</b> | Our Lord, we believe in what You have sent down and we follow the messenger, so count us among those who bear witness." | "Our Lord! we believe in what Thou hast revealed, and we follow the Messenger; then write us down among those who bear witness." | 52 | 3 | رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا بِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ وَٱتَّبَعْنَا ٱلرَّسُولَ فَٱكْتُبْنَا مَعَ ٱلشَّٰهِدِينَ | The disciples also said: Our Lord, we have believed in the Gospel that you revealed and we have followed the messenger, Jesus (peace be upon him), so make us of those who are witnesses to the truth and who have faith in You and Your messengers. | The disciples also said: Our Lord, we have believed in the Gospel that you revealed and we have followed the messenger, Jesus (peace be upon him), so make us of those who are witnesses to the truth and who have faith in You and Your messengers. | ||||
But they (the unbelievers) contrived a plot, and God did the like; and God's plan is the best. | And the disbelievers conspired (to kill Eisa), and Allah covertly planned to destroy them; and Allah is the best of secret planners. | And they devised, and God devised, and God is the best of devisers. | And the unbelievers schemed [against Jesus]; but God brought their scheming to nought: for God is above all schemers. | And they plotted, and Allah plotted, and Allah is the Best of plotters. | And they (disbelievers) plotted [to kill 'Iesa (Jesus)], and Allah planned too. And Allah is the Best of the planners. | They planned, and God planned; but God is the Best of planners. | Then they schemed (against the Messiah), and Allah countered their schemes by schemes of His own. Allah is the best of schemers. | And they (disbelievers) plotted and Allah planned too. And Allah is the Best of those who plot | And they (the disbelievers) schemed, and Allah schemed (against them): and Allah is the best of schemers. | Then they plotted [against Jesus], and Allah also devised, and Allah is the best of devisers. | They devised, and Allah devised. And Allah is the Best Devisor. | And the disbelievers planned, but Allah planned. And Allah is the best of planners. | The unbelievers plotted and God planned, but God is a much better planner; | And they planned and Allah (also) planned, and Allah is the best of planners. | Wamakaroo wamakara All<u>a</u>hu wa<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hu khayru alm<u>a</u>kireen<b>a</b> | And they schemed but God also schemed and God is the Best of Schemers. | And (the unbelievers) plotted and planned, and Allah too planned, and the best of planners is Allah. | 53 | 3 | وَمَكَرُوا۟ وَمَكَرَ ٱللَّهُ وَٱللَّهُ خَيْرُ ٱلْمَٰكِرِينَ | The disbelievers from the Israelites plotted to kill Jesus (peace be upon him), so Allah planned to leave them in their misguidance; and He made another person resemble Jesus (peace be upon him) on the occasion when they actually tried to murder him. Allah is the best plotter, because there can be nothing more severe than His plot against His enemies. | The disbelievers from the Israelites plotted to kill Jesus (peace be upon him), so Allah planned to leave them in their misguidance; and He made another person resemble Jesus (peace be upon him) on the occasion when they actually tried to murder him. Allah is the best plotter, because there can be nothing more severe than His plot against His enemies. | <p>Commentary</p><p>In these verses the miraculous event of the Ascension of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) (Jesus Christ) has been mentioned. "And they made a move" refers to the evil designs of the Jews who planned to arrest him and to get him crucified.</p><p>The next sentence i.e. "and Allah made a move" refers to the plan designed by Allah Almighty to save his prophet ` Isa (علیہ السلام) from their ill designs. They sent one of them to Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) to arrest him and Allah changed his face totally and made him resemble Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) and raised Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) to heavens, while that person was crucified under the mistaken identity. How Allah had planned to save ` Isa (علیہ السلام) from their clutches was disclosed to him when his enemies came to arrest him. The details of these disclosures have been mentioned in verse 55.</p><p>Explanation of important words in the verse</p><p>Some sects which deny, contrary to the belief of the entire Muslim community, the Ascension of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) (Jesus Christ), his being alive in the heavens and his descension towards the later times, have worked through the words and meanings of these verses to open doors of distortion in the Qur'anic text. Therefore, it seems appropriate that these words be explained in some details.</p><p>Let us begin with وَاللَّـهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ translated as and Allah is the best of those who make moves'. The word, مکر makr in Arabic denotes a subtle and secret move or plan. If this is for a good purpose, it is good; and if this is for a bad purpose, it is bad. It was why the restriction of saiyy سِّٰی : evil) was placed with مکر makr (: move, plan) in: وَلَا يَحِيقُ الْمَكْرُ السَّيِّئُ إِلَّا (And evil plan besets none but its perpetrator - 35:43).</p><p>The Qur'anic word, مکر makr, is used exclusively for conspiracy, evil plan and strategy in the everyday idiom of the Urdu language (in which this commentary was originally written), therefore, it should not be equated with the Arabic usage. This is the reason why Allah has been called: خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ 'Khair al-Makirin' here.</p><p>The verse means that the Jews started making a series of conspiracies and secret schemes against Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) going to the limit of convincing the ruler of the time that he was a heretic (God forbid) all bent upon changing the Torah and was going to make apostates of everybody. The ruler ordered the arrest of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) . While this was the scene on one side, the subtle and secret move made by Allah Almighty was countering their evil plans more effectively, which has been mentioned in the verses coming next.</p> | CommentaryIn these verses the miraculous event of the Ascension of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) (Jesus Christ) has been mentioned. "And they made a move" refers to the evil designs of the Jews who planned to arrest him and to get him crucified.The next sentence i.e. "and Allah made a move" refers to the plan designed by Allah Almighty to save his prophet ` Isa (علیہ السلام) from their ill designs. They sent one of them to Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) to arrest him and Allah changed his face totally and made him resemble Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) and raised Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) to heavens, while that person was crucified under the mistaken identity. How Allah had planned to save ` Isa (علیہ السلام) from their clutches was disclosed to him when his enemies came to arrest him. The details of these disclosures have been mentioned in verse 55.Explanation of important words in the verseSome sects which deny, contrary to the belief of the entire Muslim community, the Ascension of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) (Jesus Christ), his being alive in the heavens and his descension towards the later times, have worked through the words and meanings of these verses to open doors of distortion in the Qur'anic text. Therefore, it seems appropriate that these words be explained in some details.Let us begin with وَاللَّـهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ translated as and Allah is the best of those who make moves'. The word, مکر makr in Arabic denotes a subtle and secret move or plan. If this is for a good purpose, it is good; and if this is for a bad purpose, it is bad. It was why the restriction of saiyy سِّٰی : evil) was placed with مکر makr (: move, plan) in: وَلَا يَحِيقُ الْمَكْرُ السَّيِّئُ إِلَّا (And evil plan besets none but its perpetrator - 35:43).The Qur'anic word, مکر makr, is used exclusively for conspiracy, evil plan and strategy in the everyday idiom of the Urdu language (in which this commentary was originally written), therefore, it should not be equated with the Arabic usage. This is the reason why Allah has been called: خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ 'Khair al-Makirin' here.The verse means that the Jews started making a series of conspiracies and secret schemes against Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) going to the limit of convincing the ruler of the time that he was a heretic (God forbid) all bent upon changing the Torah and was going to make apostates of everybody. The ruler ordered the arrest of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) . While this was the scene on one side, the subtle and secret move made by Allah Almighty was countering their evil plans more effectively, which has been mentioned in the verses coming next. | ||
When God said: "O Jesus, I will take you to Myself and exalt you, and rid you of the infidels, and hold those who follow you above those who disbelieve till the Day of Resurrection. You have then to come back to Me when I will judge between you in what you were at variance." | Remember when Allah said, “O Eisa! I will keep you alive till your full age, and raise you towards Me, and cleanse you of the disbelievers and give your followers dominance over the disbelievers until the Day of Resurrection; then you will all return to Me, so I shall judge between you concerning the matter in which you dispute.” | When God said, 'Jesus, I will take thee to Me and will raise thee to Me and I will purify thee of those who believe not. I will set thy followers above the unbelievers till the Resurrection Day. Then unto Me shall you return, and I will decide between you, as to what you were at variance on. | Lo! God said: "O Jesus! Verily, I shall cause thee to die, and shall exalt thee unto Me, and cleanse thee of [the presence of] those who are bent on denying the truth; and I shall place those who follow thee [far] above those who are bent on denying the truth, unto the Day of Resurrection. In the end, unto Me you all must return, and I shall judge between you with regard to all on which you were wont to differ. | Recall what time Allah said: O 'Isa! verily I shall make thee die, and am lifting thee to myself and am purifying thee from those who disbelieve, and shall place those who follow thee above those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection; thereafter unto Me shall be the return of you all, then I shall judge between you of that wherein ye were wont to differ. | And (remember) when Allah said: "O 'Iesa (Jesus)! I will take you and raise you to Myself and clear you [of the forged statement that 'Iesa (Jesus) is Allah's son] of those who disbelieve, and I will make those who follow you (Monotheists, who worship none but Allah) superior to those who disbelieve [in the Oneness of Allah, or disbelieve in some of His Messengers, e.g. Muhammad SAW, 'Iesa (Jesus), Musa (Moses), etc., or in His Holy Books, e.g. the Taurat (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel), the Quran] till the Day of Resurrection. Then you will return to Me and I will judge between you in the matters in which you used to dispute." | God said, “O Jesus, I am terminating your life, and raising you to Me, and clearing you of those who disbelieve. And I will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve, until the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me is your return; then I will judge between you regarding what you were disputing. | (And it was part of His scheme) when Allah said: 'O Jesus! I will recall you and raise you up to Me and will purify you (of the company) of those who disbelieve, and will set your followers above the unbelievers till the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me you shall return, and I will judge between you regarding what you differed. | And (remember) when Allah said: "O `Isa! I will take you and raise you to Myself and purify [save] you from those who disbelieve, and I will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve till the Day of Resurrection. Then you will return to Me and I will judge between you in the matters in which you used to dispute." | (And remember) when Allah said: O Jesus! Lo! I am gathering thee and causing thee to ascend unto Me, and am cleansing thee of those who disbelieve and am setting those who follow thee above those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection. Then unto Me ye will (all) return, and I shall judge between you as to that wherein ye used to differ. | When Allah said, ‘O Jesus, I shall take you[r soul], and I shall raise you up toward Myself, and I shall clear you of [the calumnies of] the faithless, and I shall set those who follow you above the faithless until the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me will be your return, whereat I will judge between you concerning that about which you used to differ. | Allah said' (Prophet) Jesus, I will take you to Me and will raise you to Me, and I will purify you from those who disbelieve. I will make your followers (who died before Prophet Muhammad) above those who disbelieve till the Day of Resurrection. Then, to Me you shall all return, and I shall judge between you as to that you were at variance. | [Mention] when Allah said, "O Jesus, indeed I will take you and raise you to Myself and purify you from those who disbelieve and make those who follow you [in submission to Allah alone] superior to those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me is your return, and I will judge between you concerning that in which you used to differ. | He told Jesus, "I will save you from your enemies, raise you to Myself, keep you clean from the association with the disbelievers, and give superiority to your followers over the unbelievers until the Day of Judgment. On that day you will all return to Me and I shall resolve your dispute. | And when Allah said: O Isa, I am going to terminate the period of your stay (on earth) and cause you to ascend unto Me and purify you of those who disbelieve and make those who follow you above those who disbelieve to the day of resurrection; then to Me shall be your return, so l will decide between you concerning that in which you differed. | I<u>th</u> q<u>a</u>la All<u>a</u>hu y<u>a</u> AAees<u>a</u> innee mutawaffeeka war<u>a</u>fiAAuka ilayya wamu<u>t</u>ahhiruka mina alla<u>th</u>eena kafaroo waj<u>a</u>AAilu alla<u>th</u>eena ittabaAAooka fawqa alla<u>th</u>eena kafaroo il<u>a</u> yawmi alqiy<u>a</u>mati thumma ilayya marjiAAukum faa<u>h</u>kumu baynakum feem<u>a</u> kuntum feehi takhtalifoon<b>a</b> | God said, "O Jesus, I shall take you to Me and will raise you up to Me and shall clear you [of the calumnies] of the disbelievers, and shall place those who follow you above those who deny the truth, until the Day of Judgement; then to Me shall all return and I will judge between you regarding your disputes. | Behold! Allah said: "O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee (of the falsehoods) of those who blaspheme; I will make those who follow thee superior to those who reject faith, to the Day of Resurrection: Then shall ye all return unto me, and I will judge between you of the matters wherein ye dispute. | 54 | 3 | إِذْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَٰعِيسَىٰٓ إِنِّى مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَىَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَجَاعِلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ ثُمَّ إِلَىَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ فِيمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ | Allah also planned against them by saying to Jesus: O Jesus, I will take you away alive, raise your body and soul to Me, rid you of the filth of those who disbelieved you and distance you from them. I will make those who follow you part of the true religion, which includes acceptance of Muhammad (peace be upon him); and they will have greater proof and might over those who disbelieve you until the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me alone will be your return on the Day of Resurrection and I will pass true judgement between you regarding your differences. | Allah also planned against them by saying to Jesus: O Jesus, I will take you away alive, raise your body and soul to Me, rid you of the filth of those who disbelieved you and distance you from them. I will make those who follow you part of the true religion, which includes acceptance of Muhammad (peace be upon him); and they will have greater proof and might over those who disbelieve you until the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me alone will be your return on the Day of Resurrection and I will pass true judgement between you regarding your differences. | <p>The word, مُتَوَفِّيكَ 'Mutawaffi' in إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ takes 'tawaffi' as its verbal noun with its root being 'wafyun.' Lexically, the word means 'to take in full'. This being its real meaning, its derivations wafa, ifa' and 'istifa' are used to convey that sense. In fact, the real meaning of tawaffi is 'to take in full' which is universally confirmed by all lexicons of the Arabic language. Since man completes his appointed time at the hour of death and the spirit or soul given by Allah is taken back fully and conclusively, it is in that context that this word is also used figuratively in the sense of death. A simple form of death is the daily sleep of human beings. For this too, the Holy Qur'an uses the same word when it says:</p><p>اللَّـهُ يَتَوَفَّى الْأَنفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَالَّتِي لَمْ تَمُتْ فِي مَنَامِهَا</p><p>'Allah takes away lives of the living at the time of their death and of those that do not die, in their sleep'. (39:42)</p><p>Hafiz Ibn Taimiyyah says in al-Jawab al-Sahih</p><p>التوفی فی لغۃ العرب معناھا القبض والا ستیفاء و ذلک ثلاثۃ انواع، احدھا التوفی فی النوم، والثانی توفی الموت، ولثالث توفی الروح والبدن جمیعا</p><p>Al-tawaffi, in the Arabic language, means: to exact fully or take in full. It takes three forms; the first: to take in sleep; the second: to take in death; and the third: to take the soul and the body all together.</p><p>In Kulliyat Abu al-Baqa', it is said:</p><p>التوفی الامانۃ و قبض الروح ، وعلیہ استعمال العامۃ او الاستیفاء، واخذ الحق وعلیہ استعمال البلغٓاء</p><p>Al-tawaffi is putting to death and exacting of the soul in common usage while, in the classical usage, it is taking in full and the exacting of the due right.</p><p>Therefore, the majority of scholars have translated the word, 'mutawaffika' in the verse under study in the sense of 'taking in full'. This means that Allah will not leave Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) in the hands of the Jews, rather He would take him away which would be in the form that he would be risen unto Him in the heavens.</p><p>This is how the words 'I am to take you in full' have been interpreted by the majority of the scholars. However, some authentic commentators of the Holy Qur'an have interpreted these words in the sense of 'giving death' also, but they do not mean that the death of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) will occur at the hands of his enemies. The true meaning of the verse, according to these commentators is as follows:</p><p>Allah Almighty said two things to comfort Jesus at a time when the Jews were bent on killing him. One: That his death will come, not at their hands in the form of killing, but that it would be a natural death. Two: In order to rescue him from the evil designs of those people, Allah Almighty will, at that time, raise Jesus towards Him. This explanation is exactly what has been reported from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ as quoted by al-Suyuti in his al-Durr al-Manthur on the authority of several narrators.</p><p>The gist of this tafsir or explanation is that tawaffi does mean giving death, but there is the element of precedence and sequence in the words used. The fact of وَرَافِعُكَ (I shall raise you) will come first and that of مُتَوَفِّيكَ (I shall give you death) later. Now at this point, the wisdom behind mentioning the phenomenon of the earlier lies in the hint that it gives about the events which are to come later on. It means that raising towards Allah will not last forever; it would be temporary and then, he would return to the mortal world and prevail over enemies and later on, death will come to him in a natural way.</p><p>Thus, the event of his return from heaven and his death after having established his victory in the world was not only a miracle but a consummation of the honour and integrity of Jesus (علیہ السلام) . In addition to that, the unfounded Christian belief in the divinity of Jesus was also refuted. Had it not been so, the event of Jesus being raised towards the heavens alive would have further strengthened their false belief that he too was Living and Eternal like Allah. Therefore, by introducing the word (pointing out to his death) first, all those mis-conceptions which might have arisen from 'raising of Jesus' have been refuted in advance.</p><p>The reality is that disbelievers and polytheists have always been vehemently opposed to prophets, And parallel to that there has been the customary practice of Allah - when a people unto whom a prophet has been sent stick to their own opinion, do not listen to the prophet and do not believe in him even after having witnessed the miracles, then, one of the following two counter-actions were taken: Either those people were annihilated through some natural calamity as was done with ` Ad and Thamud and the peoples of Prophets لوط Lut and صالح Salih (علیہما السلام) or, alternatively Allah would instruct His prophet to migrate from the habitat of disbelievers and go to some other place. It was there that they were provided with such power and glory that they finally achieved victory against the people whom they were sent to. For example Prophet Ibrahim, (علیہ السلام) migrated from Iraq and sought refuge in Syria. Similarly, Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) (Moses) migrated from Egypt and came to Madyan. Finally, the Last prophet, Muhammad ﷺ migrated from Makkah and came to Madinah. It was from there that he finally attacked Makkah and conquered it. This raising of Jesus to the heavens to outmaneuver the threatening designs of the Jews was, in fact, an act of emigration in its own way following which he would return to this world and achieve total victory over the Jews.</p><p>Now comes the question as to why this emigration of his, quite separate from the rest, has the heavens as the destination? So, for that matter, Allah Almighty has Himself said about him that his case is like that of Adam (علیہ السلام) . The way in which Adam's birth differs from the normal birth of the rest of creation, (i.e., without a father and a mother) so it is that the birth of Jesus (علیہ السلام) took a miraculous form different from the normal birth of human beings; and his death too, taking a unique and unmatched form, will materialize after hundreds of years following his return to the world -- unprecedented indeed. Why then, should one be surprised if his emigration too follows some such unique pattern?</p><p>These marvels of nature led the ignorant among Christians into believing and declaring that he was God, while deliberation into the various aspects of these very marvels, are clear proofs of his servitude as a human being to God, obedience to the Divine will and the demonstration of human traits. It is for this reason that the Holy Qur'an has made a pointed reference to the refutation of belief in the Godhood of Jesus (علیہ السلام) on all such occasions. The raising towards the heavens would have made this doubt all the more strong. Therefore, by bringing the word mutawaffika (I am to take you in full) earlier, this doubt was totally eliminated. Thus we come to realize that this verse, no doubt, aims at negating the Jewish plans since they were all set to crucify and kill Jesus, and that Allah Almighty made their plans come to nothing. Moreover, this precedence and sequence of words became the mode of refuting the Christians as well, that Jesus (علیہ السلام) was no God who was never to die but that a time will come when he too will meet his death.</p><p>In his Tafsir Imam al-Razi (رح) has said that such precedence and sequence occurs frequently in the noble Qur'an in order to cover similar expedient considerations under which an event due later has been mentioned first while an event due earlier has been placed after that. (al-Tafsir al-Kabir, v. 2, p. 48)</p><p>As for رَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّ (And I shall raise you towards Me), the meaning is clear. Addressing Jesus (علیہ السلام) here, it has been said: 'I shall raise you towards Me'. Everyone knows that Jesus is not the name of just the spirit but that of the spirit and the body of Jesus. Now taking the raising of Jesus (علیہ السلام) in the sense that the act of raising was spiritual only, and not physical, is all wrong. As far as the word, raf رَفِعُ raising) is concerned, there are occasions when it is also used to indicate raising of 'ranks as it appears in the following verses of the noble Qur'an:</p><p>وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَكُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَاتٍ</p><p>And raised some of you in ranks over others (6:165).</p><p>يَرْفَعِ اللَّـهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ</p><p>... and Allah will raise up in rank those of you who believe and those who have been given knowledge (58:11).</p><p>So, it is obvious that the word, رَفِعُ raf: raising; in the sense of the raising of rank or status has been used figuratively in view of the context of the aforementioned verses. There is no reason here to ignore the real meaning and go by that which is figurative. Moreover, by using the word, إِلَيَّ ila: (towards) alongwith the word, raf (رَفِعُ : raising), at this particular place, the possibility of such a figurative meaning has been totally eliminated. What is said in this verse is رَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّ : rafi` uka ilaiyya: I shall raise you towards Me. Then there is the verse from Surah al-Nis-a' (4:158), which refutes the belief of Jews; there too, what was said وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًا بَل رَّفَعَهُ اللَّـهُ إِلَيْهِ ; that is, the Jews certainly did not kill Jesus (علیہ السلام) ، instead, Allah raised him towards Himself. This later expression is used for nothing but the raising alive of the spirit and the body.</p><p>Explained this far were the words of the verse.</p><p>Allah Almighty's Five Promises to Jesus</p><p>In the verse under reference, Allah Almighty made five promises to ` (علیہ السلام) vis-a-vis the Jews:</p><p>1. The first promise was that his death will not come at the hands of the Jews through killing. It will be a natural death coming at its appointed time and that appointed time will come close to the Day of Doom, when ` Isa (علیہ السلام) will come down from the heavens onto the earth as reported in details in sound ahadith transmitted through unbroken chains, part of which will appear later.</p><p>2. The second promise was to raise him towards the heavens in the existing situation. This was fulfilled right then. The report of this fulfillment was given in Surah al-Nisa' (4:158) by saying:</p><p>وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًا ﴿157﴾ بَل رَّفَعَهُ اللَّـهُ إِلَيْهِ</p><p>Certainly, the Jews did not kill him, instead; Allah Almighty raised him towards Himself.</p><p>1. The third promise was: وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ، that is, to have him cleansed of false accusations brought on him by his enemies. That promise was fulfilled when the last of the prophets (علیہم السلام) came and refuted all false accusations of the Jews. For instance, the Jews threw slanders on the parentage of Sayyidna lsa (علیہ السلام) because of his having been born without a father. The noble Qur'an refuted this slander by declaring that he was born without a father because such was the power and will of Allah. And that too does not call for much of a surprise. More surprising is the birth of Adam (علیہ السلام) since he was born without both a father and a mother.</p><p>2. The Jews accused Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) of claiming to be God.</p><p>There are many verses in the noble Qur'an in which, contrary to this accusation, Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) has been reported to have' publicly confessed his being human and a servant and bondsman of Allah. The fourth promise appears in وَجَاعِلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا (and placed those who follow you above those who disbelieve) which means that his followers will be made to overcome those who deny and oppose him. This promise was fulfilled in the sense that following here means the belief in and confession of the prophethood of Sayyidna ` Isa۔ (علیہ السلام) The belief in and the practice of all injunctions ascribed to him is not a pre-condition. Thus the Christians and the Muslims both fall in this category as they believe in the prophethood and messenger-ship of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) . However, this is a different matter that holding this much of belief is not enough to bring forth salvation in the Hereafter. Instead, the salvation in the Hereafter depends on believing in all injunctions brought by Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) . One of the instructions given by Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) was that his followers should believe and have faith in the last of the Prophets (ﷺ), who would come after Jesus departs. The Christians did not follow this instruction in matters of faith and belief, therefore, they deprived themselves of salvation in the Hereafter while Muslims acted in accordance with that too, therefore, they became deserving of salvation in the Hereafter۔ But, part of the promise which relates to having dominant authority over Jews was dependent on the prophethood of Sayyidna ` tsa (علیہ السلام) only. That dominance in the world has always been the 'fate of Christians and Muslims vis-a-vis the Jews, and surely, so shall it be through the Day of Judgment.</p><p>From the time when Allah Almighty made this promise right upto now, it has always been the case that the Christians and Muslims have dominated the Jews. The world has seen the establishment of their empires. The existence of the present state of Israel cannot make the truth of this position doubtful for several reasons. To begin with, and in reality, this state is no more than a manifestation of the military might of Russia and the Christians of Euro-American origin which they have established and maintained against Muslims. As soon as Russia, America and countries of Europe withdraw their patronage, the world will itself witness the instant collapse of this state and its disappearance from the map of the world. Therefore, people who can see the reality do realise the actual position of Israel or the Government of the Jews. It is by no means a manifestation of the domination of Jews. If, just for the sake of argument, it is taken to be their own state, even then, who would - in his right frame of mind - deny that, given the totality of Christians and Muslims, they are wielders of lesser influence and are much subjugated with fear. Even if we were to leave this aspect aside, we know that a temporary domination by the Jews close to the Day of Judgment has been reported in the authentic reports of the Holy Prophet ﷺ Now if this world is destined to exist for any considerable period of time and if the Day of Judgment is close, that domination too is not contrary to the reports which Muslims consider authentic. Moreover, such short-lived occupation cannot be given the name of a state or government especially when it is based on -a conspiracy hatched by the Christians and the communists.</p><p>5. The fifth promise, that of giving a decision in respect of such conflicts in faith on the Day of Judgment will certainly be fulfilled on its appointed time as it has been indicated in the verse:</p><p>وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَـٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ</p><p>Then, to Me is your return, whereupon I shall judge between you. (3:55)</p><p>JESUS: The question of his life and second coming:</p><p>The Jews are the only people in the world who say that Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) was crucified, killed and buried following which he never returned to life. What happened really and truly has been clarified in verse 158 of Surah al-Nis-a' in the Holy Qur'an. Then, in وَمَكَرُوا وَمَكَرَ اللَّـهُ (And they made a move, and Allah made a move.) of the present verse, it has been pointed out that Allah Almighty made the sinister move of the enemies of ` Isa recoil upon those who had gone into the house to kill Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) . It was one of them that Allah Almighty changed to look exactly like Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) and then He raised Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) alive onto the heavens. The words of the verse are as follows:</p><p>وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَـٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ</p><p>And they did not kill him and they did not crucify him, but they were deluded by resemblance (4:157).</p><p>Details regarding this will appear under the commentary on Surah al-Nis-a'.</p><p>The Christians said that Jesus was, no doubt, killed on the cross but was brought back to life once again and raised onto the heavens. The verse under reference has refuted this false notion as well. It is stressed here that similar to the Jews who were rejoicing after killing their own man, the Christians fell a victim to the same mistaken identity by believing that it was Jesus who got killed on the Cross, and as such, the Christians too became the victims of mistaken identity. This is obvious from the Qur'anic statement شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ (they were deluded by re-semblance) just like the Jews were deceived by mistaken identity.</p><p>As opposed to the view of these two groups, there is the Islamic belief, stated here in this verse and in several other verses clearly, which says that Allah Almighty raised him alive onto the heavens in order to rescue him from the Jews. He was not to be killed and he was not to be crucified. He is in the heavens alive and it will be close to the Day of Judgment when he shall come down from the heavens, lead the Muslims to victory over the Jews, and finally, he will die a natural death.</p><p>There is a consensus of the entire Muslim community on this belief. Hafiz ibn Hajr, in his Talkhis al-Habir, has reported this consensus (page 319). This belief, and the consensus of the community on it, stands proved on the authority of several verses of the Holy Qur'an and reports from متواتر mutawatir ahadith transmitted through an unbroken chain of reporting. However, this is not the place for its detailed discussion, and not necessary either. The reason being that scholars of the community have already taken up this question in special books with full clarity giving detailed answers to those who dispute in the Ascension of the Christ. For instance, the Arabic work, ` Aqidatul islam fi Hayati ` Isa (علیہ السلام) by Hujjatu l'Is1am Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Anwar Shah al-Kashmiri, Hayat-e-` Isa (علیہ السلام) (the Life of Jesus) in Urdu by Hadrat Maulana Badr ` Alam Muhajir Madani, Hayat-e-Masih (علیہ السلام) in Urdu by Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Idris and hundreds of other books or essays dealing with this question have been widely published and circulated. While carrying out the orders of his respected teacher, Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Anwar Shah al-Kashmiri, this writer had collected more than one hundred متواتر mutawatir ahadith identified by him which prove in an undeniable manner that Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) was raised alive and that he will return close to the Day of Judgment. This collection in book form and entitled, Al-Tasrih bima Tawatara fi Nuzul al-Masih has been recently published from Beirut with marginal notes and commentary by ` Allama ` Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah, a revered scholar of Allepo, Syria.</p><p>Hafiz ibn Kathir while explaining the verse وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِّلسَّاعَةِ of Surah Al-Zukhruf (43:61) has said:</p><p>و قد توارت الاحادیث عم رسول اللہ ﷺ انہ اخبر بنزول عیسیٰ (علیہ السلام) قبل یوم القیامۃ اماما عادلاً الخ</p><p>There are ahadith from the Holy Prophet ﷺ narrated in an uninterrupted succession, that he proclaimed the coming of ` Isa (علیہ السلام) ، before the Day of Judgment as a just leader.</p><p>At this stage I would like to draw the attention of the reader to a point which, if noticed even with a small measure of sanity and justice would leave no room for any doubt regarding this question. The point is that in the eleventh section of Surah 'Al-` Imran, Allah Almighty while referring to past prophets deemed it sufficient to refer to prophets Adam, Nuh, 'Al-Ibrahim and 'Al-` Imran (علیہم السلام) briefly in one single verse. After that, it was in nearly three sections and twenty two verses that refer-ence was made to Sayyidna 'Isa (علیہ السلام) and his family with meticulous detail something which has not been made in that manner even in respect of the Last of the prophets ﷺ to whom the Qur'an was revealed. Note the detailed mention of the grandmother of Jesus (علیہ السلام) ، her pledge, the birth of his mother, her name, her upbringing, the conceiving of Jesus by his mother then the detailed narrative of his birth, followed by the description of what his mother ate and drank, after child birth, her return to the family with the newborn child, their blames and curses, first the gift of eloquence to the newborn as his miracle, then his growing up and call to his people, opposition faced and the help of disciples, the hostile attempts by the Jews to trap and kill him, his being raised alive onto the heavens - then complete details of his additional traits, his looks, physique, dress and its likes - these are accounts which have not been taken up in the whole spectrum of the Qur'an and Hadith in respect of any prophet or messenger with that much of detail. This point is an open invitation to everyone to think as to why did this happen and what was the wisdom behind it.</p><p>Even a moment's reflection here makes it clear that the Last of the prophets ﷺ being the final prophet and messenger with no apostle to come after him, took special care to guide his community about conditions that it was going to face right through the Day of Judgment. He therefore, took upon himself to identify those who would be worthy of the community's following. He, as a matter of principle, described them with a profile of their general qualities. There were other blessed people whom he identified by name and emphatically asked the community to follow them. Other than these, he also marked out the astray and the deviating who posed a danger to the faith of the community.</p><p>Of the mischief-makers who were to come after the Holy Prophet ﷺ the most notorious was Dajjal (the anti-Christ) the imposter of the Messiah, whose disturbing wickedness was terribly deviation-prone. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ related many details of his profile, attending conditions and distinguishing traits, so that there remains no room for the community to doubt about his being a mischief monger whenever he appears. Similarly, among the later day religious reformers and power-worthy elders, Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) is the most distinguished whom Allah Almighty blessed with the station of prophethood, kept him alive in the heavens to come to the rescue of the Muslim community during the wicked period of Dajjal (anti-Christ) and appointed him to kill Dajjal close to the Day of Judgment. This is why it was deemed necessary that the community should be given the most clear indications of his person and qualities as well, so that no human being remains in doubt while identifying Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) when he comes, the second time.</p><p>There are many elements of wisdom in this treatment.</p><p>Firstly, should the community find it difficult to identify ` Isa (Jesus Christ) (علیہ السلام) the very purpose of his coming will be negated. If the Muslim community will not identify and cooperate with him, how could he help and support them? Secondary, although Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) will not come into the world at that time designated as Prophet (علیہ السلام) ، but he would come to lead the Muslim community as the Khalifa (vice-regent) the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، the personal station of prophethood that he has will not be taken from him. Instead, he would be like the governor of a province or state who continues to hold that position even if he has gone out to visit some other province or state for some reason. Therefore, even though he is not as a governor in that province, the office of the governorship has not been ipso facto taken away from him. Similarly, Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) will not be without his attribute of prophethood at that time, and the way the rejection of his prophethood was infidelity earlier, so infidelity it shall be at that time. Now the Muslim community which has already nursed and shown its faith in his prophethood as based on the guidance of the Qur'an would fall into the grievous error of rejection, if it fails to recognize him when he comes. So, clarifying his signs and attributes in a greater measure was extremely necessary.</p><p>Thirdly, since the event of the coming of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) will take place towards the later years of this mortal world, chances were - given the ambiguity in his marks of identification that some other person could come up with the claim of being Messiah, the son of Mary, in which case, these indicators will serve well to refute and reject any such claim. This is what happened in pre-partition India where Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian claimed that he was the promised Messiah. The scholars of the Muslim community refuted his claim on the basis of these very much cited indicators.</p><p>In short, here and at other places, the very fact of such detailed description concerning Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) is in itself indicating that his reappearance is due close to the Day of Judgment and that he would return to the world. This humble writer has taken up this subject in full details in his Urdu treatise entitled مسیح موعود کی پہچان Masih Maw` ud ki pahchan (Identifying the Promised Messiah) which may be consulted for these details.</p> | The word, مُتَوَفِّيكَ 'Mutawaffi' in إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ takes 'tawaffi' as its verbal noun with its root being 'wafyun.' Lexically, the word means 'to take in full'. This being its real meaning, its derivations wafa, ifa' and 'istifa' are used to convey that sense. In fact, the real meaning of tawaffi is 'to take in full' which is universally confirmed by all lexicons of the Arabic language. Since man completes his appointed time at the hour of death and the spirit or soul given by Allah is taken back fully and conclusively, it is in that context that this word is also used figuratively in the sense of death. A simple form of death is the daily sleep of human beings. For this too, the Holy Qur'an uses the same word when it says:اللَّـهُ يَتَوَفَّى الْأَنفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَالَّتِي لَمْ تَمُتْ فِي مَنَامِهَا'Allah takes away lives of the living at the time of their death and of those that do not die, in their sleep'. (39:42)Hafiz Ibn Taimiyyah says in al-Jawab al-Sahihالتوفی فی لغۃ العرب معناھا القبض والا ستیفاء و ذلک ثلاثۃ انواع، احدھا التوفی فی النوم، والثانی توفی الموت، ولثالث توفی الروح والبدن جمیعاAl-tawaffi, in the Arabic language, means: to exact fully or take in full. It takes three forms; the first: to take in sleep; the second: to take in death; and the third: to take the soul and the body all together.In Kulliyat Abu al-Baqa', it is said:التوفی الامانۃ و قبض الروح ، وعلیہ استعمال العامۃ او الاستیفاء، واخذ الحق وعلیہ استعمال البلغٓاءAl-tawaffi is putting to death and exacting of the soul in common usage while, in the classical usage, it is taking in full and the exacting of the due right.Therefore, the majority of scholars have translated the word, 'mutawaffika' in the verse under study in the sense of 'taking in full'. This means that Allah will not leave Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) in the hands of the Jews, rather He would take him away which would be in the form that he would be risen unto Him in the heavens.This is how the words 'I am to take you in full' have been interpreted by the majority of the scholars. However, some authentic commentators of the Holy Qur'an have interpreted these words in the sense of 'giving death' also, but they do not mean that the death of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) will occur at the hands of his enemies. The true meaning of the verse, according to these commentators is as follows:Allah Almighty said two things to comfort Jesus at a time when the Jews were bent on killing him. One: That his death will come, not at their hands in the form of killing, but that it would be a natural death. Two: In order to rescue him from the evil designs of those people, Allah Almighty will, at that time, raise Jesus towards Him. This explanation is exactly what has been reported from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ as quoted by al-Suyuti in his al-Durr al-Manthur on the authority of several narrators.The gist of this tafsir or explanation is that tawaffi does mean giving death, but there is the element of precedence and sequence in the words used. The fact of وَرَافِعُكَ (I shall raise you) will come first and that of مُتَوَفِّيكَ (I shall give you death) later. Now at this point, the wisdom behind mentioning the phenomenon of the earlier lies in the hint that it gives about the events which are to come later on. It means that raising towards Allah will not last forever; it would be temporary and then, he would return to the mortal world and prevail over enemies and later on, death will come to him in a natural way.Thus, the event of his return from heaven and his death after having established his victory in the world was not only a miracle but a consummation of the honour and integrity of Jesus (علیہ السلام) . In addition to that, the unfounded Christian belief in the divinity of Jesus was also refuted. Had it not been so, the event of Jesus being raised towards the heavens alive would have further strengthened their false belief that he too was Living and Eternal like Allah. Therefore, by introducing the word (pointing out to his death) first, all those mis-conceptions which might have arisen from 'raising of Jesus' have been refuted in advance.The reality is that disbelievers and polytheists have always been vehemently opposed to prophets, And parallel to that there has been the customary practice of Allah - when a people unto whom a prophet has been sent stick to their own opinion, do not listen to the prophet and do not believe in him even after having witnessed the miracles, then, one of the following two counter-actions were taken: Either those people were annihilated through some natural calamity as was done with ` Ad and Thamud and the peoples of Prophets لوط Lut and صالح Salih (علیہما السلام) or, alternatively Allah would instruct His prophet to migrate from the habitat of disbelievers and go to some other place. It was there that they were provided with such power and glory that they finally achieved victory against the people whom they were sent to. For example Prophet Ibrahim, (علیہ السلام) migrated from Iraq and sought refuge in Syria. Similarly, Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) (Moses) migrated from Egypt and came to Madyan. Finally, the Last prophet, Muhammad ﷺ migrated from Makkah and came to Madinah. It was from there that he finally attacked Makkah and conquered it. This raising of Jesus to the heavens to outmaneuver the threatening designs of the Jews was, in fact, an act of emigration in its own way following which he would return to this world and achieve total victory over the Jews.Now comes the question as to why this emigration of his, quite separate from the rest, has the heavens as the destination? So, for that matter, Allah Almighty has Himself said about him that his case is like that of Adam (علیہ السلام) . The way in which Adam's birth differs from the normal birth of the rest of creation, (i.e., without a father and a mother) so it is that the birth of Jesus (علیہ السلام) took a miraculous form different from the normal birth of human beings; and his death too, taking a unique and unmatched form, will materialize after hundreds of years following his return to the world -- unprecedented indeed. Why then, should one be surprised if his emigration too follows some such unique pattern?These marvels of nature led the ignorant among Christians into believing and declaring that he was God, while deliberation into the various aspects of these very marvels, are clear proofs of his servitude as a human being to God, obedience to the Divine will and the demonstration of human traits. It is for this reason that the Holy Qur'an has made a pointed reference to the refutation of belief in the Godhood of Jesus (علیہ السلام) on all such occasions. The raising towards the heavens would have made this doubt all the more strong. Therefore, by bringing the word mutawaffika (I am to take you in full) earlier, this doubt was totally eliminated. Thus we come to realize that this verse, no doubt, aims at negating the Jewish plans since they were all set to crucify and kill Jesus, and that Allah Almighty made their plans come to nothing. Moreover, this precedence and sequence of words became the mode of refuting the Christians as well, that Jesus (علیہ السلام) was no God who was never to die but that a time will come when he too will meet his death.In his Tafsir Imam al-Razi (رح) has said that such precedence and sequence occurs frequently in the noble Qur'an in order to cover similar expedient considerations under which an event due later has been mentioned first while an event due earlier has been placed after that. (al-Tafsir al-Kabir, v. 2, p. 48)As for رَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّ (And I shall raise you towards Me), the meaning is clear. Addressing Jesus (علیہ السلام) here, it has been said: 'I shall raise you towards Me'. Everyone knows that Jesus is not the name of just the spirit but that of the spirit and the body of Jesus. Now taking the raising of Jesus (علیہ السلام) in the sense that the act of raising was spiritual only, and not physical, is all wrong. As far as the word, raf رَفِعُ raising) is concerned, there are occasions when it is also used to indicate raising of 'ranks as it appears in the following verses of the noble Qur'an:وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَكُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَاتٍAnd raised some of you in ranks over others (6:165).يَرْفَعِ اللَّـهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ... and Allah will raise up in rank those of you who believe and those who have been given knowledge (58:11).So, it is obvious that the word, رَفِعُ raf: raising; in the sense of the raising of rank or status has been used figuratively in view of the context of the aforementioned verses. There is no reason here to ignore the real meaning and go by that which is figurative. Moreover, by using the word, إِلَيَّ ila: (towards) alongwith the word, raf (رَفِعُ : raising), at this particular place, the possibility of such a figurative meaning has been totally eliminated. What is said in this verse is رَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّ : rafi` uka ilaiyya: I shall raise you towards Me. Then there is the verse from Surah al-Nis-a' (4:158), which refutes the belief of Jews; there too, what was said وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًا بَل رَّفَعَهُ اللَّـهُ إِلَيْهِ ; that is, the Jews certainly did not kill Jesus (علیہ السلام) ، instead, Allah raised him towards Himself. This later expression is used for nothing but the raising alive of the spirit and the body.Explained this far were the words of the verse.Allah Almighty's Five Promises to JesusIn the verse under reference, Allah Almighty made five promises to ` (علیہ السلام) vis-a-vis the Jews:1. The first promise was that his death will not come at the hands of the Jews through killing. It will be a natural death coming at its appointed time and that appointed time will come close to the Day of Doom, when ` Isa (علیہ السلام) will come down from the heavens onto the earth as reported in details in sound ahadith transmitted through unbroken chains, part of which will appear later.2. The second promise was to raise him towards the heavens in the existing situation. This was fulfilled right then. The report of this fulfillment was given in Surah al-Nisa' (4:158) by saying:وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًا ﴿157﴾ بَل رَّفَعَهُ اللَّـهُ إِلَيْهِCertainly, the Jews did not kill him, instead; Allah Almighty raised him towards Himself.1. The third promise was: وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ، that is, to have him cleansed of false accusations brought on him by his enemies. That promise was fulfilled when the last of the prophets (علیہم السلام) came and refuted all false accusations of the Jews. For instance, the Jews threw slanders on the parentage of Sayyidna lsa (علیہ السلام) because of his having been born without a father. The noble Qur'an refuted this slander by declaring that he was born without a father because such was the power and will of Allah. And that too does not call for much of a surprise. More surprising is the birth of Adam (علیہ السلام) since he was born without both a father and a mother.2. The Jews accused Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) of claiming to be God.There are many verses in the noble Qur'an in which, contrary to this accusation, Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) has been reported to have' publicly confessed his being human and a servant and bondsman of Allah. The fourth promise appears in وَجَاعِلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا (and placed those who follow you above those who disbelieve) which means that his followers will be made to overcome those who deny and oppose him. This promise was fulfilled in the sense that following here means the belief in and confession of the prophethood of Sayyidna ` Isa۔ (علیہ السلام) The belief in and the practice of all injunctions ascribed to him is not a pre-condition. Thus the Christians and the Muslims both fall in this category as they believe in the prophethood and messenger-ship of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) . However, this is a different matter that holding this much of belief is not enough to bring forth salvation in the Hereafter. Instead, the salvation in the Hereafter depends on believing in all injunctions brought by Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) . One of the instructions given by Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) was that his followers should believe and have faith in the last of the Prophets (ﷺ), who would come after Jesus departs. The Christians did not follow this instruction in matters of faith and belief, therefore, they deprived themselves of salvation in the Hereafter while Muslims acted in accordance with that too, therefore, they became deserving of salvation in the Hereafter۔ But, part of the promise which relates to having dominant authority over Jews was dependent on the prophethood of Sayyidna ` tsa (علیہ السلام) only. That dominance in the world has always been the 'fate of Christians and Muslims vis-a-vis the Jews, and surely, so shall it be through the Day of Judgment.From the time when Allah Almighty made this promise right upto now, it has always been the case that the Christians and Muslims have dominated the Jews. The world has seen the establishment of their empires. The existence of the present state of Israel cannot make the truth of this position doubtful for several reasons. To begin with, and in reality, this state is no more than a manifestation of the military might of Russia and the Christians of Euro-American origin which they have established and maintained against Muslims. As soon as Russia, America and countries of Europe withdraw their patronage, the world will itself witness the instant collapse of this state and its disappearance from the map of the world. Therefore, people who can see the reality do realise the actual position of Israel or the Government of the Jews. It is by no means a manifestation of the domination of Jews. If, just for the sake of argument, it is taken to be their own state, even then, who would - in his right frame of mind - deny that, given the totality of Christians and Muslims, they are wielders of lesser influence and are much subjugated with fear. Even if we were to leave this aspect aside, we know that a temporary domination by the Jews close to the Day of Judgment has been reported in the authentic reports of the Holy Prophet ﷺ Now if this world is destined to exist for any considerable period of time and if the Day of Judgment is close, that domination too is not contrary to the reports which Muslims consider authentic. Moreover, such short-lived occupation cannot be given the name of a state or government especially when it is based on -a conspiracy hatched by the Christians and the communists.5. The fifth promise, that of giving a decision in respect of such conflicts in faith on the Day of Judgment will certainly be fulfilled on its appointed time as it has been indicated in the verse:وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَـٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْThen, to Me is your return, whereupon I shall judge between you. (3:55)JESUS: The question of his life and second coming:The Jews are the only people in the world who say that Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) was crucified, killed and buried following which he never returned to life. What happened really and truly has been clarified in verse 158 of Surah al-Nis-a' in the Holy Qur'an. Then, in وَمَكَرُوا وَمَكَرَ اللَّـهُ (And they made a move, and Allah made a move.) of the present verse, it has been pointed out that Allah Almighty made the sinister move of the enemies of ` Isa recoil upon those who had gone into the house to kill Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) . It was one of them that Allah Almighty changed to look exactly like Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) and then He raised Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) alive onto the heavens. The words of the verse are as follows:وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَـٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْAnd they did not kill him and they did not crucify him, but they were deluded by resemblance (4:157).Details regarding this will appear under the commentary on Surah al-Nis-a'.The Christians said that Jesus was, no doubt, killed on the cross but was brought back to life once again and raised onto the heavens. The verse under reference has refuted this false notion as well. It is stressed here that similar to the Jews who were rejoicing after killing their own man, the Christians fell a victim to the same mistaken identity by believing that it was Jesus who got killed on the Cross, and as such, the Christians too became the victims of mistaken identity. This is obvious from the Qur'anic statement شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ (they were deluded by re-semblance) just like the Jews were deceived by mistaken identity.As opposed to the view of these two groups, there is the Islamic belief, stated here in this verse and in several other verses clearly, which says that Allah Almighty raised him alive onto the heavens in order to rescue him from the Jews. He was not to be killed and he was not to be crucified. He is in the heavens alive and it will be close to the Day of Judgment when he shall come down from the heavens, lead the Muslims to victory over the Jews, and finally, he will die a natural death.There is a consensus of the entire Muslim community on this belief. Hafiz ibn Hajr, in his Talkhis al-Habir, has reported this consensus (page 319). This belief, and the consensus of the community on it, stands proved on the authority of several verses of the Holy Qur'an and reports from متواتر mutawatir ahadith transmitted through an unbroken chain of reporting. However, this is not the place for its detailed discussion, and not necessary either. The reason being that scholars of the community have already taken up this question in special books with full clarity giving detailed answers to those who dispute in the Ascension of the Christ. For instance, the Arabic work, ` Aqidatul islam fi Hayati ` Isa (علیہ السلام) by Hujjatu l'Is1am Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Anwar Shah al-Kashmiri, Hayat-e-` Isa (علیہ السلام) (the Life of Jesus) in Urdu by Hadrat Maulana Badr ` Alam Muhajir Madani, Hayat-e-Masih (علیہ السلام) in Urdu by Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Idris and hundreds of other books or essays dealing with this question have been widely published and circulated. While carrying out the orders of his respected teacher, Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Anwar Shah al-Kashmiri, this writer had collected more than one hundred متواتر mutawatir ahadith identified by him which prove in an undeniable manner that Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) was raised alive and that he will return close to the Day of Judgment. This collection in book form and entitled, Al-Tasrih bima Tawatara fi Nuzul al-Masih has been recently published from Beirut with marginal notes and commentary by ` Allama ` Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah, a revered scholar of Allepo, Syria.Hafiz ibn Kathir while explaining the verse وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِّلسَّاعَةِ of Surah Al-Zukhruf (43:61) has said:و قد توارت الاحادیث عم رسول اللہ ﷺ انہ اخبر بنزول عیسیٰ (علیہ السلام) قبل یوم القیامۃ اماما عادلاً الخThere are ahadith from the Holy Prophet ﷺ narrated in an uninterrupted succession, that he proclaimed the coming of ` Isa (علیہ السلام) ، before the Day of Judgment as a just leader.At this stage I would like to draw the attention of the reader to a point which, if noticed even with a small measure of sanity and justice would leave no room for any doubt regarding this question. The point is that in the eleventh section of Surah 'Al-` Imran, Allah Almighty while referring to past prophets deemed it sufficient to refer to prophets Adam, Nuh, 'Al-Ibrahim and 'Al-` Imran (علیہم السلام) briefly in one single verse. After that, it was in nearly three sections and twenty two verses that refer-ence was made to Sayyidna 'Isa (علیہ السلام) and his family with meticulous detail something which has not been made in that manner even in respect of the Last of the prophets ﷺ to whom the Qur'an was revealed. Note the detailed mention of the grandmother of Jesus (علیہ السلام) ، her pledge, the birth of his mother, her name, her upbringing, the conceiving of Jesus by his mother then the detailed narrative of his birth, followed by the description of what his mother ate and drank, after child birth, her return to the family with the newborn child, their blames and curses, first the gift of eloquence to the newborn as his miracle, then his growing up and call to his people, opposition faced and the help of disciples, the hostile attempts by the Jews to trap and kill him, his being raised alive onto the heavens - then complete details of his additional traits, his looks, physique, dress and its likes - these are accounts which have not been taken up in the whole spectrum of the Qur'an and Hadith in respect of any prophet or messenger with that much of detail. This point is an open invitation to everyone to think as to why did this happen and what was the wisdom behind it.Even a moment's reflection here makes it clear that the Last of the prophets ﷺ being the final prophet and messenger with no apostle to come after him, took special care to guide his community about conditions that it was going to face right through the Day of Judgment. He therefore, took upon himself to identify those who would be worthy of the community's following. He, as a matter of principle, described them with a profile of their general qualities. There were other blessed people whom he identified by name and emphatically asked the community to follow them. Other than these, he also marked out the astray and the deviating who posed a danger to the faith of the community.Of the mischief-makers who were to come after the Holy Prophet ﷺ the most notorious was Dajjal (the anti-Christ) the imposter of the Messiah, whose disturbing wickedness was terribly deviation-prone. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ related many details of his profile, attending conditions and distinguishing traits, so that there remains no room for the community to doubt about his being a mischief monger whenever he appears. Similarly, among the later day religious reformers and power-worthy elders, Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) is the most distinguished whom Allah Almighty blessed with the station of prophethood, kept him alive in the heavens to come to the rescue of the Muslim community during the wicked period of Dajjal (anti-Christ) and appointed him to kill Dajjal close to the Day of Judgment. This is why it was deemed necessary that the community should be given the most clear indications of his person and qualities as well, so that no human being remains in doubt while identifying Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) when he comes, the second time.There are many elements of wisdom in this treatment.Firstly, should the community find it difficult to identify ` Isa (Jesus Christ) (علیہ السلام) the very purpose of his coming will be negated. If the Muslim community will not identify and cooperate with him, how could he help and support them? Secondary, although Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) will not come into the world at that time designated as Prophet (علیہ السلام) ، but he would come to lead the Muslim community as the Khalifa (vice-regent) the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، the personal station of prophethood that he has will not be taken from him. Instead, he would be like the governor of a province or state who continues to hold that position even if he has gone out to visit some other province or state for some reason. Therefore, even though he is not as a governor in that province, the office of the governorship has not been ipso facto taken away from him. Similarly, Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) will not be without his attribute of prophethood at that time, and the way the rejection of his prophethood was infidelity earlier, so infidelity it shall be at that time. Now the Muslim community which has already nursed and shown its faith in his prophethood as based on the guidance of the Qur'an would fall into the grievous error of rejection, if it fails to recognize him when he comes. So, clarifying his signs and attributes in a greater measure was extremely necessary.Thirdly, since the event of the coming of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) will take place towards the later years of this mortal world, chances were - given the ambiguity in his marks of identification that some other person could come up with the claim of being Messiah, the son of Mary, in which case, these indicators will serve well to refute and reject any such claim. This is what happened in pre-partition India where Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian claimed that he was the promised Messiah. The scholars of the Muslim community refuted his claim on the basis of these very much cited indicators.In short, here and at other places, the very fact of such detailed description concerning Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) is in itself indicating that his reappearance is due close to the Day of Judgment and that he would return to the world. This humble writer has taken up this subject in full details in his Urdu treatise entitled مسیح موعود کی پہچان Masih Maw` ud ki pahchan (Identifying the Promised Messiah) which may be consulted for these details. | <h2 class="title">Meaning of `Take You</h2><p>Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَىَّ</div><p>(I will take you and raise you to Myself) while you are asleep. Allah said in a similar Ayat,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَهُوَ الَّذِى يَتَوَفَّـكُم بِالَّيْلِ</div><p>(It is He Who takes your souls by night (when you are asleep).) 6:60, and,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">اللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الاٌّنفُسَ حِينَ مِوْتِـهَا وَالَّتِى لَمْ تَمُتْ فِى مَنَامِـهَا</div><p>(It is Allah Who takes away the souls at the time of their death, and those that die not during their sleep.) 39:42.</p><p>The Messenger of Allah used to recite the following words when he would awaken;</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«الْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي أَحْيَانَا بَعْدَ مَا أَمَاتَنَا، وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُور»</div><p>(All the thanks are due to Allah Who brought us back to life after He had caused us to die (sleep), and the Return is to Him).</p><p>Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَبِكُفْرِهِمْ وَقَوْلِهِمْ عَلَى مَرْيَمَ بُهْتَـناً عَظِيماً وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَـكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ</div><p>(And because of their disbelief and allegations against Maryam and because of their saying "We killed Al-Masih `Isa, son of Maryam, the Messenger of Allah, ـ but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but it appeared that way to them) until,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَـكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ لَفِى شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ مَا لَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلاَّ اتِّبَاعَ الظَّنِّ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِيناً - بَل رَّفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزاً حَكِيماً </div><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَإِن مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ إِلاَّ لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيداً </div><p>(For surely; they killed him not But Allah raised him up unto Himself. And Allah is Ever All-Powerful, All-Wise. And there is none of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) but must believe in him before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection, he `Isa will be a witness against them.) 4:156-159</p><p>`His death' refers to `Isa, and the Ayah means that the People of the Book will believe in `Isa, before `Isa dies. This will occur when `Isa comes back to this world before the Day of Resurrection, as we will explain. By that time, all the People of the Book will believe in `Isa, for he will annul the Jizyah and he will only accept Islam from people. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Al-Hasan said that Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ</div><p>(I will take you) is in reference to sleep, for Allah raised `Isa while he was asleep.</p><h2 class="title">Altering the Religion of `Isa</h2><p>Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ</div><p>(And purify save you from those who disbelieve) by raising you to heaven,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَجَاعِلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ</div><p>(And I will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve, till the Day of Resurrection)</p><p>This is what happened. When Allah raised `Isa to heaven, his followers divided into sects and groups. Some of them believed in what Allah sent `Isa as, a servant of Allah, His Messenger, and the son of His female-servant.</p><p>However, some of them went to the extreme over `Isa, believing that he was the son of Allah. Some of them said that `Isa was Allah Himself, while others said that he was one of a Trinity. Allah mentioned these false creeds in the Qur'an and refuted them. The Christians remained like this until the third century CE, when a Greek king called, Constantine, became a Christian for the purpose of destroying Christianity. Constantine was either a philosopher, or he was just plain ignorant. Constantine changed the religion of `Isa by adding to it and deleting from it. He established the rituals of Christianity and the so-called Great Trust, which is in fact the Great Treachery. He also allowed them to eat the meat of swine, changed the direction of the prayer that `Isa established to the east, built churches for `Isa, and added ten days to the fast as compensation for a sin that he committed, as claimed. So the religion of `Isa became the religion of Constantine, who built more then twelve thousand churches, temples and monasteries for the Christians as well as the city that bears his name, Constantinople (Istanbul). Throughout this time, the Christians had the upper hand and dominated the Jews. Allah aided them against the Jews because they used to be closer to the truth than the Jews, even though both groups were and still are disbelievers, may Allah's curse descend on them.</p><p>When Allah sent Muhammad , those who believed in him also believed in Allah, His Angels, Books and Messengers in the correct manner. So they were the true followers of every Prophet who came to earth. They believed in the unlettered Prophet , the Final Messenger and the master of all mankind, who called them to believe in the truth in its entirety. This is why they had more right to every Prophet than his own nation, especially those who claim to follow their Prophet's way and religion, yet change and alter his religion. Furthermore, Allah abrogated all the laws that were sent down to the Prophets with the Law He sent Muhammad with, which consists of the true religion that shall never change or be altered until the commencement of the Last Hour. Muhammad's religion shall always be dominant and victorious over all other religions. This is why Allah allowed Muslims to conquer the eastern and western parts of the world and the kingdoms of the earth. Furthermore, all countries submitted to them; they demolished Kisra (king of Persia) and destroyed the Czar, ridding them of their treasures and spending these treasures for Allah's sake. All this occurred just as their Prophet told them it would, when he conveyed Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِى الاْرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِى ارْتَضَى لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدّلَنَّهُمْ مّن بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْناً يَعْبُدُونَنِى لاَ يُشْرِكُونَ بِى شَيْئاً</div><p>(Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession in the land, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practice their religion which He has chosen for them. And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear (provided) they worship Me and do not associate anything with Me.) 24:55.</p><p>Therefore, Muslims are the true believers in `Isa. The Muslims then acquired Ash-Sham from the Christians, causing them to evacuate to Asia Minor, to their fortified city in Constantinople. The Muslims will be above them until the Day of Resurrection. Indeed, he, Muhammad , who is truthful and who received the true news, has conveyed to Muslims that they will conquer Constantinople in the future, and seize its treasures.</p><h2 class="title">Threatening the Disbelievers with Torment in This Life and the Hereafter</h2><p>Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِذْ قَالَ اللَّهُ يعِيسَى إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَىَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَجَاعِلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ فِيمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ - فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فَأُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَاباً شَدِيداً فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالاٌّخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِّن نَّـصِرِينَ </div><p>(And I will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve till the Day of Resurrection. Then you will return to Me and I will judge between you in the matters in which you used to dispute. As to those who disbelieve, I will punish them with a severe torment in this world and in the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers.)</p><p>This is what Allah did to the Jews who disbelieved in `Isa and the Christians who went to the extreme over him. Allah tormented them in this life; they were killed, captured, and lost their wealth and kingdoms. Their torment in the Hereafter is even worse and more severe,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَا لَهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ مِن وَاقٍ</div><p>(And they have no Waq (defender or protector) against Allah) 13:34.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَاتِ فَيُوَفِّيهِمْ أُجُورَهُمْ</div><p>(And as for those who believe and do righteous good deeds, Allah will pay them their reward in full) in this life, with victory and domination, and in the Hereafter, with Paradise and high grades,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَاللَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الظَّـلِمِينَ</div><p>(And Allah does not like the wrongdoers.)</p><p>Allah then said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">ذَلِكَ نَتْلُوهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ الآيَـتِ وَالذِّكْرِ الْحَكِيمِ </div><p>(This is what We recite to you of the verses and the Wise Reminder.) meaning, "What We narrated to you, O Muhammd, regarding `Isa, his birth and his life, is what Allah conveyed and revealed to you, sent down from the Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz (The Preserved Tablet). So there is no doubt in it. Similarly, Allah said in Surah Maryam;</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">ذلِكَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ قَوْلَ الْحَقِّ الَّذِى فِيهِ يَمْتُرُونَ - مَا كَانَ للَّهِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ مِن وَلَدٍ سُبْحَـنَهُ إِذَا قَضَى أَمْراً فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ </div><p>(Such is `Isa, son of Maryam. (It is) a statement of truth, about which they doubt (or dispute). It befits not Allah that He should beget a son. Glorified be He. When He decrees a thing, He only says to it: "Be!" and it is.)</p> | Meaning of `Take YouAllah said,إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَىَّ(I will take you and raise you to Myself) while you are asleep. Allah said in a similar Ayat,وَهُوَ الَّذِى يَتَوَفَّـكُم بِالَّيْلِ(It is He Who takes your souls by night (when you are asleep).) 6:60, and,اللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الاٌّنفُسَ حِينَ مِوْتِـهَا وَالَّتِى لَمْ تَمُتْ فِى مَنَامِـهَا(It is Allah Who takes away the souls at the time of their death, and those that die not during their sleep.) 39:42.The Messenger of Allah used to recite the following words when he would awaken;«الْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي أَحْيَانَا بَعْدَ مَا أَمَاتَنَا، وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُور»(All the thanks are due to Allah Who brought us back to life after He had caused us to die (sleep), and the Return is to Him).Allah said,وَبِكُفْرِهِمْ وَقَوْلِهِمْ عَلَى مَرْيَمَ بُهْتَـناً عَظِيماً وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَـكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ(And because of their disbelief and allegations against Maryam and because of their saying "We killed Al-Masih `Isa, son of Maryam, the Messenger of Allah, ـ but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but it appeared that way to them) until,وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَـكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ لَفِى شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ مَا لَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلاَّ اتِّبَاعَ الظَّنِّ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِيناً - بَل رَّفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزاً حَكِيماً وَإِن مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ إِلاَّ لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيداً (For surely; they killed him not But Allah raised him up unto Himself. And Allah is Ever All-Powerful, All-Wise. And there is none of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) but must believe in him before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection, he `Isa will be a witness against them.) 4:156-159`His death' refers to `Isa, and the Ayah means that the People of the Book will believe in `Isa, before `Isa dies. This will occur when `Isa comes back to this world before the Day of Resurrection, as we will explain. By that time, all the People of the Book will believe in `Isa, for he will annul the Jizyah and he will only accept Islam from people. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Al-Hasan said that Allah's statement,إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ(I will take you) is in reference to sleep, for Allah raised `Isa while he was asleep.Altering the Religion of `IsaAllah said,وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ(And purify save you from those who disbelieve) by raising you to heaven,وَجَاعِلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ(And I will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve, till the Day of Resurrection)This is what happened. When Allah raised `Isa to heaven, his followers divided into sects and groups. Some of them believed in what Allah sent `Isa as, a servant of Allah, His Messenger, and the son of His female-servant.However, some of them went to the extreme over `Isa, believing that he was the son of Allah. Some of them said that `Isa was Allah Himself, while others said that he was one of a Trinity. Allah mentioned these false creeds in the Qur'an and refuted them. The Christians remained like this until the third century CE, when a Greek king called, Constantine, became a Christian for the purpose of destroying Christianity. Constantine was either a philosopher, or he was just plain ignorant. Constantine changed the religion of `Isa by adding to it and deleting from it. He established the rituals of Christianity and the so-called Great Trust, which is in fact the Great Treachery. He also allowed them to eat the meat of swine, changed the direction of the prayer that `Isa established to the east, built churches for `Isa, and added ten days to the fast as compensation for a sin that he committed, as claimed. So the religion of `Isa became the religion of Constantine, who built more then twelve thousand churches, temples and monasteries for the Christians as well as the city that bears his name, Constantinople (Istanbul). Throughout this time, the Christians had the upper hand and dominated the Jews. Allah aided them against the Jews because they used to be closer to the truth than the Jews, even though both groups were and still are disbelievers, may Allah's curse descend on them.When Allah sent Muhammad , those who believed in him also believed in Allah, His Angels, Books and Messengers in the correct manner. So they were the true followers of every Prophet who came to earth. They believed in the unlettered Prophet , the Final Messenger and the master of all mankind, who called them to believe in the truth in its entirety. This is why they had more right to every Prophet than his own nation, especially those who claim to follow their Prophet's way and religion, yet change and alter his religion. Furthermore, Allah abrogated all the laws that were sent down to the Prophets with the Law He sent Muhammad with, which consists of the true religion that shall never change or be altered until the commencement of the Last Hour. Muhammad's religion shall always be dominant and victorious over all other religions. This is why Allah allowed Muslims to conquer the eastern and western parts of the world and the kingdoms of the earth. Furthermore, all countries submitted to them; they demolished Kisra (king of Persia) and destroyed the Czar, ridding them of their treasures and spending these treasures for Allah's sake. All this occurred just as their Prophet told them it would, when he conveyed Allah's statement,وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِى الاْرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِى ارْتَضَى لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدّلَنَّهُمْ مّن بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْناً يَعْبُدُونَنِى لاَ يُشْرِكُونَ بِى شَيْئاً(Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession in the land, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practice their religion which He has chosen for them. And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear (provided) they worship Me and do not associate anything with Me.) 24:55.Therefore, Muslims are the true believers in `Isa. The Muslims then acquired Ash-Sham from the Christians, causing them to evacuate to Asia Minor, to their fortified city in Constantinople. The Muslims will be above them until the Day of Resurrection. Indeed, he, Muhammad , who is truthful and who received the true news, has conveyed to Muslims that they will conquer Constantinople in the future, and seize its treasures.Threatening the Disbelievers with Torment in This Life and the HereafterAllah said,إِذْ قَالَ اللَّهُ يعِيسَى إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَىَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَجَاعِلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ فِيمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ - فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فَأُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَاباً شَدِيداً فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالاٌّخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِّن نَّـصِرِينَ (And I will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve till the Day of Resurrection. Then you will return to Me and I will judge between you in the matters in which you used to dispute. As to those who disbelieve, I will punish them with a severe torment in this world and in the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers.)This is what Allah did to the Jews who disbelieved in `Isa and the Christians who went to the extreme over him. Allah tormented them in this life; they were killed, captured, and lost their wealth and kingdoms. Their torment in the Hereafter is even worse and more severe,وَمَا لَهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ مِن وَاقٍ(And they have no Waq (defender or protector) against Allah) 13:34.وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَاتِ فَيُوَفِّيهِمْ أُجُورَهُمْ(And as for those who believe and do righteous good deeds, Allah will pay them their reward in full) in this life, with victory and domination, and in the Hereafter, with Paradise and high grades,وَاللَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الظَّـلِمِينَ(And Allah does not like the wrongdoers.)Allah then said,ذَلِكَ نَتْلُوهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ الآيَـتِ وَالذِّكْرِ الْحَكِيمِ (This is what We recite to you of the verses and the Wise Reminder.) meaning, "What We narrated to you, O Muhammd, regarding `Isa, his birth and his life, is what Allah conveyed and revealed to you, sent down from the Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz (The Preserved Tablet). So there is no doubt in it. Similarly, Allah said in Surah Maryam;ذلِكَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ قَوْلَ الْحَقِّ الَّذِى فِيهِ يَمْتُرُونَ - مَا كَانَ للَّهِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ مِن وَلَدٍ سُبْحَـنَهُ إِذَا قَضَى أَمْراً فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ (Such is `Isa, son of Maryam. (It is) a statement of truth, about which they doubt (or dispute). It befits not Allah that He should beget a son. Glorified be He. When He decrees a thing, He only says to it: "Be!" and it is.) |
Those who are infidels will surely receive severe punishment both in this world and the next; and none will they have to help (or save) them. | “So I shall mete a severe punishment to those who disbelieve, in this world and in the Hereafter; and they will not have any supporters.” | As for the unbelievers, I will chastise them with a terrible chastisement in this world and the next; they shall have no helpers.' | "And as for those who are bent on denying the truth, I shall cause them to suffer a suffering severe in this world and in the life to come, and they shall have none to succour them; | Then as for those who disbelieved I shall torment them with a severe torment in the world and the Hereafter, nor shall have they any helpers. | "As to those who disbelieve, I will punish them with a severe torment in this world and in the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers." | As for those who disbelieve, I will punish them with a severe punishment, in this world and the next, and they will have no helpers. | As for those who disbelieved, I shall punish them with a terrible chastisement in this world and in the Next; and they shall find none to help them. | "As to those who disbelieve, I will punish them with severe torment in this world and in the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers." | As for those who disbelieve I shall chastise them with a heavy chastisement in the world and the Hereafter; and they will have no helpers. | As for the faithless, I will punish them with a severe punishment in the world and the Hereafter; and they will have no helpers.’ | As for those who disbelieve, I will sternly punish them in this world and in the Everlasting Life, there shall be none to help them. | And as for those who disbelieved, I will punish them with a severe punishment in this world and the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers." | I shall sternly punish the unbelievers in this life and in the life to come and no one will help them. | Then as to those who disbelieve, I will chastise them with severe chastisement in this world and the hereafter, and they shall have no helpers. | Faamm<u>a</u> alla<u>th</u>eena kafaroo faoAAa<u>thth</u>ibuhum AAa<u>tha</u>ban shadeedan fee a<b>l</b>dduny<u>a</u> wa<b>a</b>l<u>a</u>khirati wam<u>a</u> lahum min n<u>as</u>ireen<b>a</b> | Those who deny the truth shall be sternly punished in this world and in the world to come: there shall be none to help them." | "As to those who reject faith, I will punish them with terrible agony in this world and in the Hereafter, nor will they have anyone to help." | 55 | 3 | فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَأُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْءَاخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّٰصِرِينَ | As for those who disbelieved you and the truth you brought to them, I will punish them severely in the world by making them suffer being killed, imprisoned and disgraced; and in the Afterlife, I will punish them in the fire of Hell. They will have no one to help them against the punishment. | As for those who disbelieved you and the truth you brought to them, I will punish them severely in the world by making them suffer being killed, imprisoned and disgraced; and in the Afterlife, I will punish them in the fire of Hell. They will have no one to help them against the punishment. | <p>Sequence</p><p>In the previous verse (56), it was said that Allah will be the final judge and decision-maker in what they used to differ in between them-selves. This verse describes that decision.</p><p>Commentary</p><p>Are the sufferings of this world beneficial for the next life?</p><p>The words "I shall punish them in this world and in the Hereafter" in verse 56 may create a little doubt. Since the statement here relates to the Judgment to be pronounced on the Last Day, how can the statement -'I shall punish them in this world and in the hereafter`- be explained as this world of ours would not exist at that time and even though it exists today, but the Judgment is to be given on the Day of Resurrection?</p><p>This difficulty can be resolved by turning to an analogy. This saying is similar to the saying of a judge to a culprit -'Right now I am sending you to the jail for a year; if you misbehave there, I shall make it for two years'- which simply means that those two years will be counted from the day the punishment is being awarded. Based on this, it is certain that following any misbehaviour the two-year punishment will become effective. So, given the misconduct, the validity of this whole will regulate itself for one more year as 'add-on'.</p><p>The same applies here as the punishment in the world has already been given; now the punishment of the Hereafter will be added on and the sum-total will be finally executed on the Last Day, that is, having been punished in the world will not serve as expiation for the punishment of the Hereafter. This is contrary to the condition of believers who, when struck by suffering in the mortal world, have their sins forgiven and find the punishment due in the Hereafter lightened or warded off. For this reason, a hint to this effect has been made in لَا يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِي and Allah does not like transgressors -v. 57), that is, believers are dear because of their belief and the beloved ones are always treated in such a manner. The disbelievers are detested because of their disbelief and those detested do not receive such treatment. (Bayan a1-Qur'an)</p> | SequenceIn the previous verse (56), it was said that Allah will be the final judge and decision-maker in what they used to differ in between them-selves. This verse describes that decision.CommentaryAre the sufferings of this world beneficial for the next life?The words "I shall punish them in this world and in the Hereafter" in verse 56 may create a little doubt. Since the statement here relates to the Judgment to be pronounced on the Last Day, how can the statement -'I shall punish them in this world and in the hereafter`- be explained as this world of ours would not exist at that time and even though it exists today, but the Judgment is to be given on the Day of Resurrection?This difficulty can be resolved by turning to an analogy. This saying is similar to the saying of a judge to a culprit -'Right now I am sending you to the jail for a year; if you misbehave there, I shall make it for two years'- which simply means that those two years will be counted from the day the punishment is being awarded. Based on this, it is certain that following any misbehaviour the two-year punishment will become effective. So, given the misconduct, the validity of this whole will regulate itself for one more year as 'add-on'.The same applies here as the punishment in the world has already been given; now the punishment of the Hereafter will be added on and the sum-total will be finally executed on the Last Day, that is, having been punished in the world will not serve as expiation for the punishment of the Hereafter. This is contrary to the condition of believers who, when struck by suffering in the mortal world, have their sins forgiven and find the punishment due in the Hereafter lightened or warded off. For this reason, a hint to this effect has been made in لَا يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِي and Allah does not like transgressors -v. 57), that is, believers are dear because of their belief and the beloved ones are always treated in such a manner. The disbelievers are detested because of their disbelief and those detested do not receive such treatment. (Bayan a1-Qur'an) | ||
But those who believe and do good deeds shall be given their recompense in full; but God does not love the unjust. | “And for those who believed and did good deeds, Allah will give them their full reward; and Allah does not like the unjust.” | But as for the believers, who do deeds of righteousness, He will pay them in full their wages: and God loves not the evildoers. | whereas unto those who attain to faith and do good works He will grant their reward in full: for God does not love evildoers." | And as for those who believed and worked righteous works, He shall repay them their hires in full, and Allah loveth not the wrong-doers. | And as for those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah) and do righteous good deeds, Allah will pay them their reward in full. And Allah does not like the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers). | And as for those who believe and do good works, He will give them their rewards in full. God does not love the unjust.” | But those who believe and do righteous deeds, He will reward them in full. Allah does not love the unjust.' | And as for those who believe and do righteous good deeds, Allah will pay them their reward in full. And Allah does not like the wrongdoers. | And as for those who believe and do good works, He will pay them their wages in full. Allah loveth not wrong-doers. | But as for those who have faith and do righteous deeds, He will pay them in full their rewards, and Allah does not like the wrongdoers. | As for those who believe and do good works, He will pay them their wages in full. Allah does not love the harmdoers. | But as for those who believed and did righteous deeds, He will give them in full their rewards, and Allah does not like the wrongdoers. | However, to the righteously striving believers I shall give their reward in full measure." God does not love the unjust. | And as to those who believe and do good deeds, He will pay them fully their rewards; and Allah does not love the unjust. | Waamm<u>a</u> alla<u>th</u>eena <u>a</u>manoo waAAamiloo a<b>l</b><u>ssa</u>li<u>ha</u>ti fayuwaffeehim ojoorahum wa<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hu l<u>a</u> yu<u>h</u>ibbu a<b>l</b><i><u>thth</u></i><u>a</u>limeen<b>a</b> | As for those who have believed and do good works, they shall be given their reward in full. God does not love evil-doers. | "As to those who believe and work righteousness, Allah will pay them (in full) their reward; but Allah loveth not those who do wrong." | 56 | 3 | وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ فَيُوَفِّيهِمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ | As for those who had faith in you and the truth that you brought to them, and did good actions (such as prayer, charity, fasting, keeping family relations, etc.), then Allah will give them the reward of their actions in full without any reduction. This refers to the followers of the Messiah before the coming of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), whose coming was confirmed by the Messiah himself. Allah does not love those who do wrong and the greatest wrong is to ascribe partners to Allah and to disbelieve His messengers. | As for those who had faith in you and the truth that you brought to them, and did good actions (such as prayer, charity, fasting, keeping family relations, etc.), then Allah will give them the reward of their actions in full without any reduction. This refers to the followers of the Messiah before the coming of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), whose coming was confirmed by the Messiah himself. Allah does not love those who do wrong and the greatest wrong is to ascribe partners to Allah and to disbelieve His messengers. | ||||
These verses that We read to you are signs and reminder full of wisdom. | These are some verses that We recite to you, and advice full of wisdom. | This We recite to thee of signs and wise remembrance. | THIS MESSAGE do We convey unto thee, and this tiding full of wisdom: | This which we recite unto thee is of the signs and of the wise admonition. | This is what We recite to you (O Muhammad SAW) of the Verses and the Wise Reminder (i.e. the Quran). | This is what We recite to you of the Verses and the Wise Reminder. | What We recite to you consists of signs and wise admonition. | This is what We recite to you of the verses and the Wise Reminder. | This (which) We recite unto thee is a revelation and a wise reminder. | These that We recite to you are from the signs and the Wise Reminder. | This, We recite to you of the verses and the Wise Remembrance. | This is what We recite to you, [O Muhammad], of [Our] verses and the precise [and wise] message. | (Muhammad), what we recite to you are revelations and words of wisdom. | This We recite to you of the communications and the wise reminder. | <u>Tha</u>lika natloohu AAalayka mina al<u>a</u>y<u>a</u>ti wa<b>al</b><u>thth</u>ikri al<u>h</u>akeem<b>i</b> | This which We recite to you is a revelation and a wise reminder. | "This is what we rehearse unto thee of the Signs and the Message of Wisdom." | 57 | 3 | ذَٰلِكَ نَتْلُوهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ ٱلْءَايَٰتِ وَٱلذِّكْرِ ٱلْحَكِيمِ | This account of Jesus which is recited to you is a clear sign indicating the truth of what was revealed to you. It is a perfect message for those who are mindful of Allah, as it contains nothing false. | This account of Jesus which is recited to you is a clear sign indicating the truth of what was revealed to you. It is a perfect message for those who are mindful of Allah, as it contains nothing false. | ||||
For God the likeness of Jesus is as that of Adam whom He fashioned out of dust and said "Be" and he was. | The example of Eisa with Allah is like that of Adam; He created him (Adam) from clay and then said to him, “Be” – and it thereupon happens! | Truly, the likeness of Jesus, in God's sight, is as Adam's likeness; He created him of dust, then said He unto him, 'Be,' and he was. | Verily, in the sight of God, the nature of Jesus is as the nature of Adam, whom He created out of dust and then said unto him, "Be" - and he is. | Verily the likeness of 'lsa with Allah is as the likeness of Adam: him He created out of dust, thereafter He said unto him: Be, and lo! he becometh. | Verily, the likeness of 'Iesa (Jesus) before Allah is the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then (He) said to him: "Be!" - and he was. | The likeness of Jesus in God’s sight is that of Adam: He created him from dust, then said to him, “Be,” and he was. | Surely, in the sight of Allah, the similitude of the creation of Jesus is as the creation of Adam whom He created out of dust, and then said: 'Be', and he was. | Verily, the likeness of `Isa before Allah is the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then said to him: "Be!" and he was. | Lo! the likeness of Jesus with Allah is as the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust, then He said unto him: Be! and he is. | Indeed the case of Jesus with Allah is like the case of Adam: He created him from dust, then said to him, ‘Be,’ and he was. | Truly, the likeness of (Prophet) Jesus with Allah, is as the likeness of Adam, He created him from dust then He said to him "Be" and he was. | Indeed, the example of Jesus to Allah is like that of Adam. He created Him from dust; then He said to him, "Be," and he was. | To God the case of Jesus is as that of Adam whom He created from the earth and then said, "Exist," and Adam came into existence. | Surely the likeness of Isa is with Allah as the likeness of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him, Be, and he was. | Inna mathala AAees<u>a</u> AAinda All<u>a</u>hi kamathali <u>a</u>dama khalaqahu min tur<u>a</u>bin thumma q<u>a</u>la lahu kun fayakoon<b>u</b> | Jesus in the sight of God is like Adam. He created him from dust; then said to him, "Be!" and he was. | The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: "Be". And he was. | 58 | 3 | إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَىٰ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ ءَادَمَ خَلَقَهُۥ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ | With Allah, the example of the creation of Jesus (peace be upon him) is like the creation of Adam, who was born from dust without a father or mother. Allah simply said to him: Become a man. And he became as Allah willed. How do you then assume that Jesus is a god on the basis that he has no father when you accept that Adam is human despite his having no father or mother? | With Allah, the example of the creation of Jesus (peace be upon him) is like the creation of Adam, who was born from dust without a father or mother. Allah simply said to him: Become a man. And he became as Allah willed. How do you then assume that Jesus is a god on the basis that he has no father when you accept that Adam is human despite his having no father or mother? | <p>The event of Mubahala and the refutation of heretics.</p><p>The background of these verses is that the Holy Prophet ﷺ ultimatum to the Christians of Najran which included three options in the order given below:</p><p>1. Accept Islam, or</p><p>2. Pay jizya جزیہ (a levy on free non-Muslims under Muslim rule), or</p><p>3. Get ready for a war.</p><p>After mutual consultation, the Christians sent a delegation to the Holy Prophet ﷺ consisting of Shurahbil ` Abdullah b. Shurahbil and Jabbar ibn Fayd to the Holy Prophet ﷺ ۔ They came and began their talks on religious issues. When they, in their effort to prove the godhood of Jesus (علیہ السلام) ، took their debate to the extremes of dispute, that was the moment this verse of Mubahala was revealed. Thereupon, the Holy Prophet ﷺ invited the Christians to join in the Mubahala confrontation (a form of resolving disputes by praying to Allah, the details of which shall shortly be discussed) and quite readily, he himself came out with Sayyidah Fatimah ؓ Sayyidna Ali ؓ and their sons, Hasan and Husain ؓ along with him all set for the مُباھلہ Mubahalah. Looking at this, Shurahbil said to his two comrades: 'Look, you already know that he is a prophet of Allah and getting into a Mubahalah confrontation with a prophet means certain death and destruction for us. So find out some other way to get out of this fix.' His comrades asked him as to what he thought it could be. Shurahbil said: 'I think the best solution is to opt for a truce as advised by the prophet'. So, on this everybody agreed. As a result, the Holy Prophet ﷺ made peace by fixing a levy on them which was accepted by them as well. (Tafsir ibn Kathir).</p> | The event of Mubahala and the refutation of heretics.The background of these verses is that the Holy Prophet ﷺ ultimatum to the Christians of Najran which included three options in the order given below:1. Accept Islam, or2. Pay jizya جزیہ (a levy on free non-Muslims under Muslim rule), or3. Get ready for a war.After mutual consultation, the Christians sent a delegation to the Holy Prophet ﷺ consisting of Shurahbil ` Abdullah b. Shurahbil and Jabbar ibn Fayd to the Holy Prophet ﷺ ۔ They came and began their talks on religious issues. When they, in their effort to prove the godhood of Jesus (علیہ السلام) ، took their debate to the extremes of dispute, that was the moment this verse of Mubahala was revealed. Thereupon, the Holy Prophet ﷺ invited the Christians to join in the Mubahala confrontation (a form of resolving disputes by praying to Allah, the details of which shall shortly be discussed) and quite readily, he himself came out with Sayyidah Fatimah ؓ Sayyidna Ali ؓ and their sons, Hasan and Husain ؓ along with him all set for the مُباھلہ Mubahalah. Looking at this, Shurahbil said to his two comrades: 'Look, you already know that he is a prophet of Allah and getting into a Mubahalah confrontation with a prophet means certain death and destruction for us. So find out some other way to get out of this fix.' His comrades asked him as to what he thought it could be. Shurahbil said: 'I think the best solution is to opt for a truce as advised by the prophet'. So, on this everybody agreed. As a result, the Holy Prophet ﷺ made peace by fixing a levy on them which was accepted by them as well. (Tafsir ibn Kathir). | <h2 class="title">The Similarities Between the Creation of Adam and the Creation of `Isa</h2><p>Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَى عِندَ اللَّهِ</div><p>(Verily, the likeness of `Isa before Allah) regarding Allah's ability, since He created him without a father,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">كَمَثَلِ ءَادَمَ</div><p>(is the likeness of Adam), for Allah created Adam without a father or a mother. Rather,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">خَلَقَهُ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ</div><p>(He created him from dust, then (He) said to him: "Be!" and he was.)</p><p>Therefore, He Who created Adam without a father or a mother is able to create `Isa, as well, without a father. If the claim is made that `Isa is Allah's son because he was created without a father, then the same claim befits Adam even more. However, since such a claim regarding Adam is obviously false, then making the same claim about `Isa is even more false.</p><p>Furthermore, by mentioning these facts, Allah emphasizes His ability, by creating Adam without a male or female, Hawa' from a male without a female, and `Isa from a mother without a father, compared to His creating the rest of creation from male and female. This is why Allah said in Surah Maryam,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلِنَجْعَلَهُ ءَايَةً لِّلْنَّاسِ</div><p>(And We made him a sign for mankind) 19: 21.</p><p>Allah said in this Ayah,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَلاَ تَكُنْ مِّن الْمُمْتَرِينَ </div><p>((This is) the truth from your Lord, so be not of those who doubt.) meaning, this is the only true story about `Isa, and what is beyond truth save falsehood Allah next commands His Messenger to call those who defy the truth, regarding `Isa, to the Mubahalah (the curse).</p><h2 class="title">The Challenge to the Mubahalah</h2><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَمَنْ حَآجَّكَ فِيهِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْاْ نَدْعُ أَبْنَآءَنَا وَأَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَنِسَآءَنَا وَنِسَآءَكُمْ وَأَنفُسَنَا وأَنفُسَكُمْ</div><p>(Then whoever disputes with you concerning him after the knowledge that has come to you, say: "Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves") for the Mubahalah,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ</div><p>(then we pray), supplicate,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَنَجْعَل لَّعْنَتُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَـذِبِينَ</div><p>(and we invoke Allah's curse upon the liars) among the two of us.</p><p>The reason for the call to Mubahalah and the revelation of the Ayat from the beginning of this Surah until here, is that a delegation from the Christians of Najran (in Yemen) came to Al-Madinah to argue about `Isa, claiming that he was divine and the son of Allah. Allah sent down the beginning of this Surah until here, to refute their claims, as Imam Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar and other scholars stated.</p><p>Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar said in his famous Sirah, "The delegation of Christians from Najran came to the Messenger of Allah . The delegation consisted of sixty horsemen, including fourteen of their chiefs who make decisions. These men were Al-`Aqib, also known as `Abdul-Masih, As-Sayyid, also known as Al-Ayham, Abu Harithah bin `Alqamah, of the family of Bakr bin Wa`il and Uways bin Al-Harith. They also included, Zayd, Qays, Yazid, Nabih, Khuwaylid, `Amr, Khalid, `Abdullah and Yuhannas. Three of these men were chiefs of this delegation, Al-`Aqib, their leader and to whom they referred for advice and decision; As-Sayyid, their scholar and leader in journeys and social gatherings; and Abu Harithah bin `Alqamah, their patriarch, priest and religious leader. Abu Harithah was an Arab man from the family of Bakr bin Wa`il, but when he embraced Christianity, the Romans and their kings honored him and built churches for him (or in his honor). They also supported him financially and gave him servants, because they knew how firm his faith in their religion was." Abu Harithah knew the description of the Messenger of Allah from what he read in earlier divine Books. However, his otherwise ignorance led him to insist on remaining a Christian, because he was honored and had a high position with the Christians. Ibn Ishaq said, "Muhammad bin Ja`far bin Az-Zubayr said that, `The (Najran) delegation came to the Messenger of Allah in Al-Madinah, entered his Masjid wearing robes and garments, after the Prophet had prayed the `Asr prayer. They accompanied a caravan of camels led by Bani Al-Harith bin Ka`b. The Companions of the Messenger of Allah who saw them said that they never saw a delegation like them after that... Then Abu Harithah bin `Alqamah and Al-`Aqib `Abdul-Masih or As-Sayyid Al-Ayham spoke to the Messenger of Allah , and they were Christians like the king (Roman King). However, they disagreed about `Isa; some of them said, `He is Allah,' while some said, `He is the son of Allah,' and some others said, `He is one of a trinity.' Allah is far from what they attribute to Him."</p><p>Indeed, these are the creeds of the Christians. They claim that `Isa is God, since he brought the dead back to life, healed blindness, leprosy and various illnesses, told about matters of the future, created the shape of birds and blew life into them, bringing them to life. However, all these miracles occurred by Allah's leave, so that `Isa would be a sign from Allah for people.</p><p>They also claim that `Isa is the son of Allah, since he did not have a father and he spoke when he was in the cradle, a miracle which had not occurred by any among the Children of Adam before him, so they claim. They also claim that `Isa is one of a trinity, because Allah would say, `We did, command, create and demand.' They said, `If Allah were one, he would have said, `I did, command, create and decide.' This is why they claim that `Isa and Allah are one (Trinity). Allah is far from what they attribute to Him, and we should mention that the Qur'an refuted all these false Christian claims.</p><p>Ibn Ishaq continued, "When these Ayat came to the Messenger from Allah , thus judging between him and the People of the Book, Allah also commanded the Prophet to call them to the Mubahalah if they still refused the truth. The Prophet called them to the Mubahalah. They said, `O Abu Al-Qasim! Let us think about this matter and get back to you with our decision to what we want to do.' They left the Prophet and conferred with Al-`Aqib, to whom they referred to for advice. They said to him, `O `Abdul-Masih! What is your advice' He said, `By Allah, O Christian fellows! You know that Muhammad is a Messenger and that he brought you the final word regarding your fellow (`Isa). You also know that no Prophet conducted Mubahalah with any people, and the old persons among them remained safe and the young people grew up. Indeed, it will be the end of you if you do it. If you have already decided that you will remain in your religion and your creed regarding your fellow (`Isa), then conduct a treaty with the man (Muhammad) and go back to your land.' They came to the Prophet and said, `O Abu Al-Qasim! We decided that we cannot do Mubahalah with you and that you remain on your religion, while we remain on our religion. However, send with us a man from your Companions whom you are pleased with to judge between us regarding our monetary disputes, for you are acceptable to us in this regard."'</p><p>Al-Bukhari recorded that Hudhayfah said, "Al-`Aqib and As-Sayyid, two leaders from Najran, came to the Messenger of Allah seeking to invoke Allah for curses (against whoever is unjust among them), and one of them said to the other, `Let us not do that. By Allah, if he were truly a Prophet and we invoke Allah for curses, we and our offspring shall never succeed afterwards.' So they said, `We will give you what you asked and send a trusted man with us, just a trusted man.' The Messenger of Allah said;</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«لَأَبْعَثَنَّ مَعَكُمْ رَجُلًا أَمِينًا حَقَّ أَمِين»</div><p>فاستشرف لها أصحاب رسول اللهصلى الله عليه وسلّم، فقال:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«قُمْ يَا أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ بْنَ الْجَرَّاح»</div><p>فلما قام، قال رسول اللهصلى الله عليه وسلّم:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«هَذَا أَمِينُ هذِهِ الْأُمَّة»</div><p>("Verily, I will send a trusted man with you, a truly trustworthy man." The Companions of the Messenger of Allah all felt eager to be that man. The Messenger said, "O Abu `Ubaydah bin Al-Jarrah! Stand up." When Abu `Ubaydah stood up, the Messenger of Allah said, "This is the trustee of this Ummah."')</p><p>Al-Bukhari recorded that Anas said that the Messenger of Allah said on another occasion,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَمِينٌ، وَأَمِينُ هذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ الْجَرَّاح»</div><p>(Every Ummah has a trustee, and the trustee of this Ummah is Abu `Ubaydah bin Al-Jarrah.)</p><p>Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "Abu Jahl, may Allah curse him, said, `If I see Muhammad praying next to the Ka`bah, I will step on his neck.' The Prophet later said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«لَوْ فَعَلَ لَأَخَذَتْهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ عِيَانًا، ولو أن اليهود تمنوا الموت لماتوا، ورأوا مقاعدهم من النار، ولو خرج الذين يباهلون رسول اللهصلى الله عليه وسلّم لرجعوا لا يجدون مالًا ولا أهلًا»</div><p>(Had he tried to do it, the angels would have taken him publicly. Had the Jews wished for death, they would have perished and would have seen their seats in the Fire. Had those who sought Mubahalah with the Messenger of Allah, went ahead with it, they would not have found estates or families when they returned home)." Al-Bukhari, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i also recorded this Hadith, which At-Tirmidhi graded Hasan Sahih.</p><p>Allah then said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ هَـذَا لَهُوَ الْقَصَصُ الْحَقُّ</div><p>(Verily, this is the true narrative) meaning, what we narrated to you, O Muhammad, about `Isa is the plain truth that cannot be avoided,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَا مِنْ إِلَـهٍ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُفَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ</div><p>(and none has the right to be worshipped but Allah. And indeed, Allah is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. And if they turn away,) by abandoning this truth,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِالْمُفْسِدِينَ</div><p>(then surely, Allah is All-Aware of those who do mischief.) for those who abandon the truth for falsehood commit mischief, and Allah has full knowledge of them and will subject them to the worst punishment. Verily, Allah is able to control everything, all praise and thanks are due to Him, and we seek refuge with Him from His revenge.</p> | The Similarities Between the Creation of Adam and the Creation of `IsaAllah said,إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَى عِندَ اللَّهِ(Verily, the likeness of `Isa before Allah) regarding Allah's ability, since He created him without a father,كَمَثَلِ ءَادَمَ(is the likeness of Adam), for Allah created Adam without a father or a mother. Rather,خَلَقَهُ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ(He created him from dust, then (He) said to him: "Be!" and he was.)Therefore, He Who created Adam without a father or a mother is able to create `Isa, as well, without a father. If the claim is made that `Isa is Allah's son because he was created without a father, then the same claim befits Adam even more. However, since such a claim regarding Adam is obviously false, then making the same claim about `Isa is even more false.Furthermore, by mentioning these facts, Allah emphasizes His ability, by creating Adam without a male or female, Hawa' from a male without a female, and `Isa from a mother without a father, compared to His creating the rest of creation from male and female. This is why Allah said in Surah Maryam,وَلِنَجْعَلَهُ ءَايَةً لِّلْنَّاسِ(And We made him a sign for mankind) 19: 21.Allah said in this Ayah,الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَلاَ تَكُنْ مِّن الْمُمْتَرِينَ ((This is) the truth from your Lord, so be not of those who doubt.) meaning, this is the only true story about `Isa, and what is beyond truth save falsehood Allah next commands His Messenger to call those who defy the truth, regarding `Isa, to the Mubahalah (the curse).The Challenge to the Mubahalahفَمَنْ حَآجَّكَ فِيهِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْاْ نَدْعُ أَبْنَآءَنَا وَأَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَنِسَآءَنَا وَنِسَآءَكُمْ وَأَنفُسَنَا وأَنفُسَكُمْ(Then whoever disputes with you concerning him after the knowledge that has come to you, say: "Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves") for the Mubahalah,ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ(then we pray), supplicate,فَنَجْعَل لَّعْنَتُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَـذِبِينَ(and we invoke Allah's curse upon the liars) among the two of us.The reason for the call to Mubahalah and the revelation of the Ayat from the beginning of this Surah until here, is that a delegation from the Christians of Najran (in Yemen) came to Al-Madinah to argue about `Isa, claiming that he was divine and the son of Allah. Allah sent down the beginning of this Surah until here, to refute their claims, as Imam Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar and other scholars stated.Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar said in his famous Sirah, "The delegation of Christians from Najran came to the Messenger of Allah . The delegation consisted of sixty horsemen, including fourteen of their chiefs who make decisions. These men were Al-`Aqib, also known as `Abdul-Masih, As-Sayyid, also known as Al-Ayham, Abu Harithah bin `Alqamah, of the family of Bakr bin Wa`il and Uways bin Al-Harith. They also included, Zayd, Qays, Yazid, Nabih, Khuwaylid, `Amr, Khalid, `Abdullah and Yuhannas. Three of these men were chiefs of this delegation, Al-`Aqib, their leader and to whom they referred for advice and decision; As-Sayyid, their scholar and leader in journeys and social gatherings; and Abu Harithah bin `Alqamah, their patriarch, priest and religious leader. Abu Harithah was an Arab man from the family of Bakr bin Wa`il, but when he embraced Christianity, the Romans and their kings honored him and built churches for him (or in his honor). They also supported him financially and gave him servants, because they knew how firm his faith in their religion was." Abu Harithah knew the description of the Messenger of Allah from what he read in earlier divine Books. However, his otherwise ignorance led him to insist on remaining a Christian, because he was honored and had a high position with the Christians. Ibn Ishaq said, "Muhammad bin Ja`far bin Az-Zubayr said that, `The (Najran) delegation came to the Messenger of Allah in Al-Madinah, entered his Masjid wearing robes and garments, after the Prophet had prayed the `Asr prayer. They accompanied a caravan of camels led by Bani Al-Harith bin Ka`b. The Companions of the Messenger of Allah who saw them said that they never saw a delegation like them after that... Then Abu Harithah bin `Alqamah and Al-`Aqib `Abdul-Masih or As-Sayyid Al-Ayham spoke to the Messenger of Allah , and they were Christians like the king (Roman King). However, they disagreed about `Isa; some of them said, `He is Allah,' while some said, `He is the son of Allah,' and some others said, `He is one of a trinity.' Allah is far from what they attribute to Him."Indeed, these are the creeds of the Christians. They claim that `Isa is God, since he brought the dead back to life, healed blindness, leprosy and various illnesses, told about matters of the future, created the shape of birds and blew life into them, bringing them to life. However, all these miracles occurred by Allah's leave, so that `Isa would be a sign from Allah for people.They also claim that `Isa is the son of Allah, since he did not have a father and he spoke when he was in the cradle, a miracle which had not occurred by any among the Children of Adam before him, so they claim. They also claim that `Isa is one of a trinity, because Allah would say, `We did, command, create and demand.' They said, `If Allah were one, he would have said, `I did, command, create and decide.' This is why they claim that `Isa and Allah are one (Trinity). Allah is far from what they attribute to Him, and we should mention that the Qur'an refuted all these false Christian claims.Ibn Ishaq continued, "When these Ayat came to the Messenger from Allah , thus judging between him and the People of the Book, Allah also commanded the Prophet to call them to the Mubahalah if they still refused the truth. The Prophet called them to the Mubahalah. They said, `O Abu Al-Qasim! Let us think about this matter and get back to you with our decision to what we want to do.' They left the Prophet and conferred with Al-`Aqib, to whom they referred to for advice. They said to him, `O `Abdul-Masih! What is your advice' He said, `By Allah, O Christian fellows! You know that Muhammad is a Messenger and that he brought you the final word regarding your fellow (`Isa). You also know that no Prophet conducted Mubahalah with any people, and the old persons among them remained safe and the young people grew up. Indeed, it will be the end of you if you do it. If you have already decided that you will remain in your religion and your creed regarding your fellow (`Isa), then conduct a treaty with the man (Muhammad) and go back to your land.' They came to the Prophet and said, `O Abu Al-Qasim! We decided that we cannot do Mubahalah with you and that you remain on your religion, while we remain on our religion. However, send with us a man from your Companions whom you are pleased with to judge between us regarding our monetary disputes, for you are acceptable to us in this regard."'Al-Bukhari recorded that Hudhayfah said, "Al-`Aqib and As-Sayyid, two leaders from Najran, came to the Messenger of Allah seeking to invoke Allah for curses (against whoever is unjust among them), and one of them said to the other, `Let us not do that. By Allah, if he were truly a Prophet and we invoke Allah for curses, we and our offspring shall never succeed afterwards.' So they said, `We will give you what you asked and send a trusted man with us, just a trusted man.' The Messenger of Allah said;«لَأَبْعَثَنَّ مَعَكُمْ رَجُلًا أَمِينًا حَقَّ أَمِين»فاستشرف لها أصحاب رسول اللهصلى الله عليه وسلّم، فقال:«قُمْ يَا أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ بْنَ الْجَرَّاح»فلما قام، قال رسول اللهصلى الله عليه وسلّم:«هَذَا أَمِينُ هذِهِ الْأُمَّة»("Verily, I will send a trusted man with you, a truly trustworthy man." The Companions of the Messenger of Allah all felt eager to be that man. The Messenger said, "O Abu `Ubaydah bin Al-Jarrah! Stand up." When Abu `Ubaydah stood up, the Messenger of Allah said, "This is the trustee of this Ummah."')Al-Bukhari recorded that Anas said that the Messenger of Allah said on another occasion,«لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَمِينٌ، وَأَمِينُ هذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ الْجَرَّاح»(Every Ummah has a trustee, and the trustee of this Ummah is Abu `Ubaydah bin Al-Jarrah.)Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "Abu Jahl, may Allah curse him, said, `If I see Muhammad praying next to the Ka`bah, I will step on his neck.' The Prophet later said,«لَوْ فَعَلَ لَأَخَذَتْهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ عِيَانًا، ولو أن اليهود تمنوا الموت لماتوا، ورأوا مقاعدهم من النار، ولو خرج الذين يباهلون رسول اللهصلى الله عليه وسلّم لرجعوا لا يجدون مالًا ولا أهلًا»(Had he tried to do it, the angels would have taken him publicly. Had the Jews wished for death, they would have perished and would have seen their seats in the Fire. Had those who sought Mubahalah with the Messenger of Allah, went ahead with it, they would not have found estates or families when they returned home)." Al-Bukhari, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i also recorded this Hadith, which At-Tirmidhi graded Hasan Sahih.Allah then said,إِنَّ هَـذَا لَهُوَ الْقَصَصُ الْحَقُّ(Verily, this is the true narrative) meaning, what we narrated to you, O Muhammad, about `Isa is the plain truth that cannot be avoided,وَمَا مِنْ إِلَـهٍ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُفَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ(and none has the right to be worshipped but Allah. And indeed, Allah is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. And if they turn away,) by abandoning this truth,فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِالْمُفْسِدِينَ(then surely, Allah is All-Aware of those who do mischief.) for those who abandon the truth for falsehood commit mischief, and Allah has full knowledge of them and will subject them to the worst punishment. Verily, Allah is able to control everything, all praise and thanks are due to Him, and we seek refuge with Him from His revenge. |
This is the truth from your Lord, so do not be in doubt. | O listener! (followers of this Prophet) This is the Truth from your Lord, so never be of those who doubt. | The truth is of God; be not of the doubters. | [This is] the truth from thy Sustainer; be not, then, among the doubters! | This is the truth from thy Lord, wherefore be thou not of those who dubitate. | (This is) the truth from your Lord, so be not of those who doubt. | The truth is from your Lord, so do not be of those who doubt. | This is the truth from your Lord; be not, then, among those who doubt. | (This is) the truth from your Lord, so be not of those who doubt. | (This is) the truth from thy Lord (O Muhammad), so be not thou of those who waver. | This is the truth from your Lord, so do not be among the skeptics. | The truth is from your Lord, therefore, do not be among the doubters. | The truth is from your Lord, so do not be among the doubters. | (Muhammad, the essence of) the Truth is from your Lord. Never have any doubt about it. | (This is) the truth from your Lord, so be not of the disputers. | Al<u>h</u>aqqu min rabbika fal<u>a</u> takun mina almumtareen<b>a</b> | This is the truth from your Lord, so do not be among the doubters. | The Truth (comes) from Allah alone; so be not of those who doubt. | 59 | 3 | ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ ٱلْمُمْتَرِينَ | The undoubtable truth about Jesus is that which was revealed to you by your Lord, so do not be one of those who doubt and are unsure. Instead, be firm on the truth that you have. | The undoubtable truth about Jesus is that which was revealed to you by your Lord, so do not be one of those who doubt and are unsure. Instead, be firm on the truth that you have. | ||||
Tell those who dispute this with you even after the knowledge that has reached you: "Come, let us gather our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, and pray and solicit God to condemn those who lie." | Therefore say to those who dispute with you (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) concerning Eisa after the knowledge has come to you, “Come! Let us summon our sons and your sons, and our women and your women, and ourselves and yourselves – then pray humbly, thereby casting the curse of Allah upon the liars!” (The Christians did not accept this challenge.) | And whoso disputes with thee concerning him, after the knowledge that has come to thee, say: 'Come now, let us call our sons and your sons, our wives and your wives, our selves and your selves, then let us humbly pray and so lay God's curse upon the ones who lie.' | And if anyone should argue with thee about this [truth] after all the knowledge that has come unto thee, say: "Come! Let us summon our sons and your sons, and our women and your women, and ourselves and yourselves; and then let us pray [together] humbly and ardently, and let us invoke God's curse upon those [of us] who are telling a lie." | Wherefore those who contend with thee therein after that which hath come unto thee of the knowledge - say thou: come! let us call our sons and your sons, and our women and your women, and ourselves and yourselves, then let us humbly pray, and invoke the curse of Allah upon the liars. | Then whoever disputes with you concerning him ['Iesa (Jesus)] after (all this) knowledge that has come to you, [i.e. 'Iesa (Jesus)] being a slave of Allah, and having no share in Divinity) say: (O Muhammad SAW) "Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves - then we pray and invoke (sincerely) the Curse of Allah upon those who lie." | And if anyone disputes with you about him, after the knowledge that has come to you, say, “Come, let us call our children and your children, and our women and your women, and ourselves and yourselves, and let us invoke God’s curse on the liars.” | Tell whoever disputes with you on this matter after true knowledge has come to you: 'Come! Let us summon our sons and your sons, and our women and your women, and ourselves and yourselves, and then let us pray together and invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie.' | Then whoever disputes with you concerning him after the knowledge that has come to you, say: "Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then we pray and we invoke Allah's curse upon the liars." | And whoso disputeth with thee concerning him, after the knowledge which hath come unto thee, say (unto him): Come! We will summon our sons and your sons, and our women and your women, and ourselves and yourselves, then we will pray humbly (to our Lord) and (solemnly) invoke the curse of Allah upon those who lie. | Should anyone argue with you concerning him, after the knowledge that has come to you, say, ‘Come! Let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, our souls and your souls, then let us pray earnestly, and call down Allah’s curse upon the liars.’ | Those who dispute with you concerning him after the knowledge has come to you, say: 'Come, let us gather our sons and your sons, our womenfolk and your womenfolk, ourselves and yourselves. Then let us humbly pray, so lay the curse of Allah upon the ones who lie' | Then whoever argues with you about it after [this] knowledge has come to you - say, "Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then supplicate earnestly [together] and invoke the curse of Allah upon the liars [among us]." | If anyone disputes (your prophesy) after knowledge has come to you, say, "Let each of us bring our children, women, our people, and ourselves to one place and pray to God to condemn the liars among us." | But whoever disputes with you in this matter after what has come to you of knowledge, then say: Come let us call our sons and your sons and our women and your women and our near people and your near people, then let us be earnest in prayer, and pray for the curse of Allah on the liars. | Faman <u>ha</u>jjaka feehi min baAAdi m<u>a</u> j<u>a</u>aka mina alAAilmi faqul taAA<u>a</u>law nadAAu abn<u>a</u>an<u>a</u> waabn<u>a</u>akum wanis<u>a</u>an<u>a</u> wanis<u>a</u>akum waanfusan<u>a</u> waanfusakum thumma nabtahil fanajAAal laAAnata All<u>a</u>hi AAal<u>a</u> alk<u>ath</u>ibeen<b>a</b> | And if anyone should argue with you about this [truth] after the knowledge you have received, say to them, "Come! Let us gather our sons and your sons, our women and your women, and ourselves and yourselves; and then let us pray earnestly and invoke the curse of God upon the liars. | If any one disputes in this matter with thee, now after (full) knowledge Hath come to thee, say: "Come! let us gather together,- our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves: Then let us earnestly pray, and invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie!" | 60 | 3 | فَمَنْ حَآجَّكَ فِيهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا۟ نَدْعُ أَبْنَآءَنَا وَأَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَنِسَآءَنَا وَنِسَآءَكُمْ وَأَنفُسَنَا وَأَنفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَل لَّعْنَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَى ٱلْكَٰذِبِينَ | If anyone of the Christians disputes with you, O Messenger, regarding the matter of Jesus, and claims that he was not Allah’s servant after the correct knowledge has come to you, then say to them, ‘Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves; and let us gather together and then pray to Allah to send down His curse on those of us who are lying’. | If anyone of the Christians disputes with you, O Messenger, regarding the matter of Jesus, and claims that he was not Allah’s servant after the correct knowledge has come to you, then say to them, ‘Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves; and let us gather together and then pray to Allah to send down His curse on those of us who are lying’. | <p>The Meaning of Mubahalah</p><p>As stated earlier, verse 61 has instructed the Holy Prophet ﷺ to invite his opponents (Christians) to Mubahalah which literally means 'mutual prayer' but in the terminology of Islamic Shari'ah it refers to a particular form of resolving religious disputes. When the argumentations from both sides fail to resolve a religious issue, the parties jointly pray Allah to cast His curse on whichever of the two parties is parties is false. Since curse means 'moving someone far away from the divine mercy', - and moving far away from mercy is being close to divine wrath--therefore, the essence of the meaning is: Wrath be on the liar. As such, whoever is the liar shall face the evil consequences whereupon the truth will become evident before the disbelievers as well. Invocation in this manner is called 'Mubahalah'.</p><p>Originally, the Mubahalah can be carried out by the disputants only; they can simply get together and pray. It is not necessary that all their family members are assembled. However, if all the family members participate in the Mubahalah, it becomes more effective. (That is why the Holy Prophet JJ was instructed to invite the family members of both sides).</p><p>'Son' includes grandson</p><p>In verse 61 the words 'our sons' does not mean 'our' sons as of the loins only. Instead, the sense is general. They may be sons or grandsons, because this is how the word is used in common usage. Therefore, the grandsons of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، namely Sayyidna Hasan and Sayyidna Husain ؓ as well as Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ the son-in-law of the Holy Prophet ﷺ are all included in the words: 'our sons'.</p><p>Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ has another additional reason for being included in the 'sons' of the Holy Prophet ﷺ because he had grown up under the patronage of the Holy Prophet ﷺ who had treated him like his own son.</p><p>It is, therefore, evident that Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ is included in the words: 'our sons'. Some Shiites have claimed that since he was not the son of the Holy Prophet ﷺ he could not be referred to by the Holy Prophet ﷺ as 'our son'. Through this notion the Shiites conclude that Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ was included in the words 'ourselves', therefore, he was the immediate successor of the Holy Prophet ﷺ .</p><p>The fallacy of this argument is evident from what has been discussed above.</p> | The Meaning of MubahalahAs stated earlier, verse 61 has instructed the Holy Prophet ﷺ to invite his opponents (Christians) to Mubahalah which literally means 'mutual prayer' but in the terminology of Islamic Shari'ah it refers to a particular form of resolving religious disputes. When the argumentations from both sides fail to resolve a religious issue, the parties jointly pray Allah to cast His curse on whichever of the two parties is parties is false. Since curse means 'moving someone far away from the divine mercy', - and moving far away from mercy is being close to divine wrath--therefore, the essence of the meaning is: Wrath be on the liar. As such, whoever is the liar shall face the evil consequences whereupon the truth will become evident before the disbelievers as well. Invocation in this manner is called 'Mubahalah'.Originally, the Mubahalah can be carried out by the disputants only; they can simply get together and pray. It is not necessary that all their family members are assembled. However, if all the family members participate in the Mubahalah, it becomes more effective. (That is why the Holy Prophet JJ was instructed to invite the family members of both sides).'Son' includes grandsonIn verse 61 the words 'our sons' does not mean 'our' sons as of the loins only. Instead, the sense is general. They may be sons or grandsons, because this is how the word is used in common usage. Therefore, the grandsons of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، namely Sayyidna Hasan and Sayyidna Husain ؓ as well as Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ the son-in-law of the Holy Prophet ﷺ are all included in the words: 'our sons'.Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ has another additional reason for being included in the 'sons' of the Holy Prophet ﷺ because he had grown up under the patronage of the Holy Prophet ﷺ who had treated him like his own son.It is, therefore, evident that Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ is included in the words: 'our sons'. Some Shiites have claimed that since he was not the son of the Holy Prophet ﷺ he could not be referred to by the Holy Prophet ﷺ as 'our son'. Through this notion the Shiites conclude that Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ was included in the words 'ourselves', therefore, he was the immediate successor of the Holy Prophet ﷺ .The fallacy of this argument is evident from what has been discussed above. | ||
And this verily is the true account. There is no god but God, and God is all-mighty and all-wise. | This undoubtedly is the true narrative; there is none worthy of worship except Allah; and Allah is the Almighty, the Wise. | This is the true story. There is no god but God, and assuredly God is the All-mighty, the All-wise. | Behold, this is indeed the truth of the matter, and there is no deity whatever save God; and, verily, God - He alone - is almighty, truly wise. | Verily this! it is the true recital; and God there is none save Allah, and verily Allah! He is the Mighty, the Wise. | Verily! This is the true narrative [about the story of 'Iesa (Jesus)], and, La ilaha ill-Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, the One and the Only True God, Who has neither a wife nor a son). And indeed, Allah is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. | This is the narrative of truth: there is no god but God. God is the Mighty, the Wise. | This is the true story. There is no God but Allah, and assuredly Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise. | Verily, this is the true narrative, and there is no god except Allah. And indeed, Allah is the Almighty, the All-Wise. | Lo! This verily is the true narrative. There is no Allah save Allah, and lo! Allah, He verily is, is the Mighty, the Wise. | This is indeed the true account, for sure. There is no god but Allah, and indeed Allah is the All-mighty, the All-wise. | This is indeed the truthful narration. There is no god except Allah. It is Allah who is the Almighty, the Wise. | Indeed, this is the true narration. And there is no deity except Allah. And indeed, Allah is the Exalted in Might, the Wise. | This is the true story (of Jesus). There is no Lord but God. It is God who is Majestic and All-wise. | Most surely this is the true explanation, and there is no god but Allah; and most surely Allah-- He is the Mighty, the Wise. | Inna h<u>atha</u> lahuwa alqa<u>s</u>a<u>s</u>u al<u>h</u>aqqu wam<u>a</u> min il<u>a</u>hin ill<u>a</u> All<u>a</u>hu wainna All<u>a</u>ha lahuwa alAAazeezu al<u>h</u>akeem<b>u</b> | This is the true account. There is no deity save Him. God is Mighty and Wise." | This is the true account: There is no god except Allah; and Allah-He is indeed the Exalted in Power, the Wise. | 61 | 3 | إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَهُوَ ٱلْقَصَصُ ٱلْحَقُّ وَمَا مِنْ إِلَٰهٍ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ | That which has been mentioned to you about Jesus (peace be upon him) is the true tale that contains no lie or doubt. There is no one worthy of worship besides Allah alone. Allah is Mighty in His authority and Wise in His planning and instruction. | That which has been mentioned to you about Jesus (peace be upon him) is the true tale that contains no lie or doubt. There is no one worthy of worship besides Allah alone. Allah is Mighty in His authority and Wise in His planning and instruction. | ||||
If they turn away (remember) God knows the mischief-mongers. | So if they turn away, then indeed Allah knows those who cause turmoil. | And if they turn their backs, assuredly God knows the workers of corruption. | And if they turn away [from this truth] - behold, God has full knowledge of the spreaders of corruption. | But if they turn away, then Allah is Knower of the corrupters. | And if they turn away (and do not accept these true proofs and evidences), then surely, Allah is All-Aware of those who do mischief. | But if they turn away—God knows the corrupt. | And if they turn their backs, truly Allah knows those who cause mischief. | And if they turn away, then surely, Allah is All-Aware of those who do mischief. | And if they turn away, then lo! Allah is Aware of (who are) the corrupters. | But if they turn away, indeed Allah knows best the agents of corruption. | If they turn away, Allah knows the evildoers. | But if they turn away, then indeed - Allah is Knowing of the corrupters. | If they turn away (from the Truth, let it be known that) God knows well the evil-doers. | But if they turn back, then surely Allah knows the mischief-makers. | Fain tawallaw fainna All<u>a</u>ha AAaleemun bi<b>a</b>lmufsideen<b>a</b> | And if they turn away, God knows well the evil-doers. | But if they turn back, Allah hath full knowledge of those who do mischief. | 62 | 3 | فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌۢ بِٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ | If they turn away from what you have brought and do not follow you, then it is because they are corrupt. Allah knows those who cause corruption in the earth and He will recompense them for that. | If they turn away from what you have brought and do not follow you, then it is because they are corrupt. Allah knows those who cause corruption in the earth and He will recompense them for that. | ||||
Tell them: "O people of the Book, let us come to an agreement on that which is common between us, that we worship no one but God, and make none His compeer, and that none of us take any others for lord apart from God." If they turn away you tell them: "Bear witness that we submit to Him." | Say (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “O People given the Book(s)! Come towards a word which is common between us and you, that we shall worship no one except Allah, and that we shall not ascribe any partner to Him, and that none of us shall take one another as lords besides Allah”; then if they do not accept say, “Be witness that (only) we are Muslims.” | Say: 'People of the Book! Come now to a word common between us and you, that we serve none but God, and that we associate not aught with Him, and do not some of us take others as Lords, apart from God.' And if they turn their backs, say: 'Bear witness that we are Muslims.' | Say: "O followers of earlier revelation! Come unto that tenet which we and you hold in common: that we shall worship none but God, and that we shall not ascribe divinity to aught beside Him, and that we shall not take human beings for our lords beside God." And if they turn away, then say: "Bear witness that it is we who have surrendered ourselves unto Him." | Say thou: O people of the Book! come to a word common between us and between you; that we shall worship none save Allah's and that we shall not associate aught with Him, and that none of you shall take others as Lords beside Allah. Then if they turn away, say: bear witness that verily we are Muslims. | Say (O Muhammad SAW): "O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah. Then, if they turn away, say: "Bear witness that we are Muslims." | Say, “O People of the Book, come to terms common between us and you: that we worship none but God, and that we associate nothing with Him, and that none of us takes others as lords besides God.” And if they turn away, say, “Bear witness that we have submitted.” | Say: 'People of the Book! Come to a word common between us and you: that we shall serve none but Allah and shall associate none with Him in His divinity and that some of us will not take others as lords beside Allah.' And if they turn their backs (from accepting this call), tell them: 'Bear witness that we are the ones who have submitted ourselves exclusively to Allah.' | Say: "O people of the Scripture: Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah the same, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah." Then, if they turn away, say: "Bear witness that we are Muslims." | Say: O People of the Scripture! Come to an agreement between us and you: that we shall worship none but Allah, and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for lords beside Allah. And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are they who have surrendered (unto Him). | Say, ‘O People of the Book! Come to a common word between us and you: that we will worship no one but Allah, that we will not ascribe any partner to Him, and that some of us will not take some others as lords besides Allah.’ But if they turn away, say, ‘Be witnesses that we have submitted [to Allah].’ | Say: 'People of the Book, let us come to a common word between us and you that we will worship none except Allah, that we will associate none with Him, and that none of us take others for lords besides Allah' If they turn away, say: 'Bear witness that we are Muslims' | Say, "O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable between us and you - that we will not worship except Allah and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead of Allah." But if they turn away, then say, "Bear witness that we are Muslims [submitting to Him]." | (Muhammad), say to the People of the Book, "We must come to a common term. Let us worship no one except God, nor consider anything equal to Him, nor regard any of us as our Lord besides God." However, if they turn away from (the Truth), tell them, "Bear witness that we have submitted ourselves to the will of God." | Say: O followers of the Book! come to an equitable proposition between us and you that we shall not serve any but Allah and (that) we shall not associate aught with Him, and (that) some of us shall not take others for lords besides Allah; but if they turn back, then say: Bear witness that we are Muslims. | Qul y<u>a</u> ahla alkit<u>a</u>bi taAA<u>a</u>law il<u>a</u> kalimatin saw<u>a</u>in baynan<u>a</u> wabaynakum all<u>a</u> naAAbuda ill<u>a</u> All<u>a</u>ha wal<u>a</u> nushrika bihi shayan wal<u>a</u> yattakhi<u>th</u>a baAA<u>d</u>un<u>a</u> baAA<u>d</u>an arb<u>a</u>ban min dooni All<u>a</u>hi fain tawallaw faqooloo ishhadoo biann<u>a</u> muslimoon<b>a</b> | Say, "People of the Book, let us come to a word common to us that we shall worship none but God and that we shall associate no partner with Him and that none of us shall take others, besides God, for lords." And if they turn away, say, "Bear witness that we have submitted to God." | Say: "O People of the Book! come to common terms as between us and you: That we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah." If then they turn back, say ye: "Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to Allah's Will). | 63 | 3 | قُلْ يَٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ تَعَالَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَآءٍۭ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِۦ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَقُولُوا۟ ٱشْهَدُوا۟ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ | Say, O Messenger: O Jews and Christians, People of the Scripture, come let us unite on a fair word in which we are all equal: that we worship Allah alone and we do not worship anyone besides Him, no matter what his rank and no matter how high is his status; and that we do not take one another as lords to be worshipped and followed besides Allah. If they turn away from the truth and fairness that you call them towards, then, O believers, say to them: Bear witness that we have surrendered to Allah and are obedient to Him. | Say, O Messenger: O Jews and Christians, People of the Scripture, come let us unite on a fair word in which we are all equal: that we worship Allah alone and we do not worship anyone besides Him, no matter what his rank and no matter how high is his status; and that we do not take one another as lords to be worshipped and followed besides Allah. If they turn away from the truth and fairness that you call them towards, then, O believers, say to them: Bear witness that we have surrendered to Allah and are obedient to Him. | <p>Commentary:</p><p>Important Principles of Tabligh and Da'wah:</p><p>This verse: تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ unfolds an important principle of Tabligh تبلیغ (Preaching) and Da'wah دعوہ (Preaching Islam). The principle requires that a person, who desires to carry his call to a group which holds beliefs and ideas different from his own, should follow a particular method. That method is to induce that group to unite only on what they both can agree to, for instance, when the Holy Prophet ﷺ gave the Byzantine ruler, Hiraql (Heraclius) the call to Islam, he picked up a particular point on which there was mutual agreement, i.e., on the Oneness of Allah Almighty. That invitation is reproduced below:</p><p>بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم، مِن محمد عبداللہ ورسولہ الی ھرقل عظیم الروم، سلام علی من اتبع الھدی، اما بعد فانی ادعوک بدعایۃ الاسلام ، اسلم ِ تسلم یؤتک اللہ اجرک مرتین فان علیک اثم الیریسین، لْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللَّـهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّـهِ (البخاری)</p><p>I begin with the name of Allah who is All-Merciful, Very-Merciful. From Muhammad, servant of Allah, and His messenger: To Heraclius, the Byzantine emperor. Peace be on him who takes the right path. After that, I invite you to the call of Islam. Embrace Islam and be in peace. Allah will bestow upon you a twofold reward, but should you turn away, then, on you shall be the sin of your subjects. "0 people of the Book, come to a word common between us and you that we worship none but Allah, that we associate nothing with Him and that some of us do not take some others as Lord instead of Allah." (Al-Bukhari)</p><p>The statement, 'you be witness...' in the last sentence of the verse teaches us a lesson, that is, should someone refuse to accept the truth, even after it has been proved clearly, then the proper course is to re-state one's own belief and conclude the conversation. Entering into fur-ther debate and verbal altercation is not appropriate.</p> | Commentary:Important Principles of Tabligh and Da'wah:This verse: تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ unfolds an important principle of Tabligh تبلیغ (Preaching) and Da'wah دعوہ (Preaching Islam). The principle requires that a person, who desires to carry his call to a group which holds beliefs and ideas different from his own, should follow a particular method. That method is to induce that group to unite only on what they both can agree to, for instance, when the Holy Prophet ﷺ gave the Byzantine ruler, Hiraql (Heraclius) the call to Islam, he picked up a particular point on which there was mutual agreement, i.e., on the Oneness of Allah Almighty. That invitation is reproduced below:بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم، مِن محمد عبداللہ ورسولہ الی ھرقل عظیم الروم، سلام علی من اتبع الھدی، اما بعد فانی ادعوک بدعایۃ الاسلام ، اسلم ِ تسلم یؤتک اللہ اجرک مرتین فان علیک اثم الیریسین، لْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللَّـهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّـهِ (البخاری)I begin with the name of Allah who is All-Merciful, Very-Merciful. From Muhammad, servant of Allah, and His messenger: To Heraclius, the Byzantine emperor. Peace be on him who takes the right path. After that, I invite you to the call of Islam. Embrace Islam and be in peace. Allah will bestow upon you a twofold reward, but should you turn away, then, on you shall be the sin of your subjects. "0 people of the Book, come to a word common between us and you that we worship none but Allah, that we associate nothing with Him and that some of us do not take some others as Lord instead of Allah." (Al-Bukhari)The statement, 'you be witness...' in the last sentence of the verse teaches us a lesson, that is, should someone refuse to accept the truth, even after it has been proved clearly, then the proper course is to re-state one's own belief and conclude the conversation. Entering into fur-ther debate and verbal altercation is not appropriate. | <h2 class="title">Every Person Knows about Tawhid</h2><p>This Ayah includes the People of the Book, the Jews and Christians, and those who follow their ways.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُلْ يأَهْلَ الْكِتَـبِ تَعَالَوْاْ إِلَى كَلِمَةٍ</div><p>(Say: "O people of the Scripture! Come to a word")</p><p>`Word' - in Arabic - also means a complete sentence, as evident from this Ayah. Allah described this word as being one,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">سَوَآءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ</div><p>(that is the same between us and you), an honest and righteous word that is fair to both parties. Allah then explained this word,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أَلاَّ نَعْبُدَ إِلاَّ اللَّهَ وَلاَ نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئاً</div><p>(that we worship none but Allah (Alone), and that we associate no partners with Him,) we worship neither a statue, cross, idol, Taghut (false gods), fire or anything else. Rather, we worship Allah Alone without partners, and this is the message of all of Allah's Messengers. Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ نُوحِى إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ أَنَاْ فَاعْبُدُونِ </div><p>(And We did not send any Messenger before you but We revealed to him (saying): "None has the right to be worshipped but I (Allah), so worship Me (Alone and none else).") 21:25 and,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الْطَّـغُوتَ</div><p>(And verily, We have sent among every Ummah a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Taghut (all false deities).") 16:36. Allah said next,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلاَ يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ</div><p>("and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah.") Ibn Jurayj commented, "We do not obey each other in disobedience to Allah."</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَقُولُواْ اشْهَدُواْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ</div><p>(Then, if they turn away, say: "Bear witness that we are Muslims.") if they abandon this fair call, then let them know that you will remain in Islam as Allah has legislated for you.</p><p>We should mention that the letter that the Prophet sent to Heraclius reads, "In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Heraclius, Leader of the Romans: peace be upon those who follow the true guidance. Embrace Islam and you will acquire safety, embrace Islam and Allah will grant you a double reward. However, if you turn away from it, then you will carry the burden of the peasants, and,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يأَهْلَ الْكِتَـبِ تَعَالَوْاْ إِلَى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَآءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلاَّ نَعْبُدَ إِلاَّ اللَّهَ وَلاَ نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئاً وَلاَ يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَقُولُواْ اشْهَدُواْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ</div><p>("O people of the Scripture: Come to a word that is the same between us and you, that we worship none but Allah (Alone), and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah." Then, if they turn away, say: "Bear witness that we are Muslims.")"</p><p>Muhammad bin Ishaq and other scholars said that the beginning of Surah Al `Imran, and more than eighty verses thereafter; were revealed about the delegation of Najran. Az-Zuhri stated that the people of Najran were the first people to pay the Jizyah (tax money paid to the Muslim State). However, there is no disagreement that the Ayah that ordained the Jizyah 9:29 was revealed after the Fath (conquering Makkah, and therefore, after the delegation of Najran came to Al-Madinah). So, how can this Ayah 3:64 be contained in the Prophet's letter to Heraclius before the victory of Makkah, and how can we harmonize between the statements of Muhammad bin Ishaq and Az-Zuhri The answer is that the delegation of Najran came before Al-Hudaybiyyah (before the victory of Makkah), and what they paid was in lieu of the Mubahalah; not as Jizyah. The Ayah about the Jizyah was later revealed, and its ruling supported what occurred with the Najran people. In support of this opinion, we should mention that in another instance, the ruling on dividing the booty into one - fifth (for the Prophet ) and four-fifths (for the fighters) agreed with the practice of `Abdullah bin Jahsh during the raid that he led before Badr. An Ayah later on upheld the way `Abdullah divided the booty. Therefore, it is possible that the Prophet wrote this statement (Say, "O People of the Scripture. ..") in his letter to Heraclius before the Ayah was revealed. Later on, the Qur'an agreed with the Prophet's statement, word by word. It is also a fact that the Qur'an was revealed in agreement with what `Umar said regarding the captured disbelievers at Badr, the Hijab (Muslim woman code of dress), refraining from performing prayer for the hypocrites, and regarding his statements:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَاتَّخِذُواْ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَهِيمَ مُصَلًّى</div><p>(And take you the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim as a place of prayer.) 2:125, and,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">عَسَى رَبُّهُ إِن طَلَّقَكُنَّ أَن يُبْدِلَهُ أَزْوَجاً خَيْراً مِّنكُنَّ</div><p>(It may be if he divorced you (all) that his Lord will give him instead of you, wives better than you.) 66:5.</p> | Every Person Knows about TawhidThis Ayah includes the People of the Book, the Jews and Christians, and those who follow their ways.قُلْ يأَهْلَ الْكِتَـبِ تَعَالَوْاْ إِلَى كَلِمَةٍ(Say: "O people of the Scripture! Come to a word")`Word' - in Arabic - also means a complete sentence, as evident from this Ayah. Allah described this word as being one,سَوَآءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ(that is the same between us and you), an honest and righteous word that is fair to both parties. Allah then explained this word,أَلاَّ نَعْبُدَ إِلاَّ اللَّهَ وَلاَ نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئاً(that we worship none but Allah (Alone), and that we associate no partners with Him,) we worship neither a statue, cross, idol, Taghut (false gods), fire or anything else. Rather, we worship Allah Alone without partners, and this is the message of all of Allah's Messengers. Allah said,وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ نُوحِى إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ أَنَاْ فَاعْبُدُونِ (And We did not send any Messenger before you but We revealed to him (saying): "None has the right to be worshipped but I (Allah), so worship Me (Alone and none else).") 21:25 and,وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الْطَّـغُوتَ(And verily, We have sent among every Ummah a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Taghut (all false deities).") 16:36. Allah said next,وَلاَ يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ("and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah.") Ibn Jurayj commented, "We do not obey each other in disobedience to Allah."فَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَقُولُواْ اشْهَدُواْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ(Then, if they turn away, say: "Bear witness that we are Muslims.") if they abandon this fair call, then let them know that you will remain in Islam as Allah has legislated for you.We should mention that the letter that the Prophet sent to Heraclius reads, "In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Heraclius, Leader of the Romans: peace be upon those who follow the true guidance. Embrace Islam and you will acquire safety, embrace Islam and Allah will grant you a double reward. However, if you turn away from it, then you will carry the burden of the peasants, and,يأَهْلَ الْكِتَـبِ تَعَالَوْاْ إِلَى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَآءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلاَّ نَعْبُدَ إِلاَّ اللَّهَ وَلاَ نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئاً وَلاَ يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَقُولُواْ اشْهَدُواْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ("O people of the Scripture: Come to a word that is the same between us and you, that we worship none but Allah (Alone), and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah." Then, if they turn away, say: "Bear witness that we are Muslims.")"Muhammad bin Ishaq and other scholars said that the beginning of Surah Al `Imran, and more than eighty verses thereafter; were revealed about the delegation of Najran. Az-Zuhri stated that the people of Najran were the first people to pay the Jizyah (tax money paid to the Muslim State). However, there is no disagreement that the Ayah that ordained the Jizyah 9:29 was revealed after the Fath (conquering Makkah, and therefore, after the delegation of Najran came to Al-Madinah). So, how can this Ayah 3:64 be contained in the Prophet's letter to Heraclius before the victory of Makkah, and how can we harmonize between the statements of Muhammad bin Ishaq and Az-Zuhri The answer is that the delegation of Najran came before Al-Hudaybiyyah (before the victory of Makkah), and what they paid was in lieu of the Mubahalah; not as Jizyah. The Ayah about the Jizyah was later revealed, and its ruling supported what occurred with the Najran people. In support of this opinion, we should mention that in another instance, the ruling on dividing the booty into one - fifth (for the Prophet ) and four-fifths (for the fighters) agreed with the practice of `Abdullah bin Jahsh during the raid that he led before Badr. An Ayah later on upheld the way `Abdullah divided the booty. Therefore, it is possible that the Prophet wrote this statement (Say, "O People of the Scripture. ..") in his letter to Heraclius before the Ayah was revealed. Later on, the Qur'an agreed with the Prophet's statement, word by word. It is also a fact that the Qur'an was revealed in agreement with what `Umar said regarding the captured disbelievers at Badr, the Hijab (Muslim woman code of dress), refraining from performing prayer for the hypocrites, and regarding his statements:وَاتَّخِذُواْ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَهِيمَ مُصَلًّى(And take you the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim as a place of prayer.) 2:125, and,عَسَى رَبُّهُ إِن طَلَّقَكُنَّ أَن يُبْدِلَهُ أَزْوَجاً خَيْراً مِّنكُنَّ(It may be if he divorced you (all) that his Lord will give him instead of you, wives better than you.) 66:5. |
O people of the Book, why dispute about Abraham? The Torah and the Gospel were sent down after him: Do you not understand? | O People given the Book(s)! Why do you argue about Ibrahim, whereas the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Bible) were not sent down until after him? So do you not have sense? | People of the Book! Why do you dispute concerning Abraham? The Torah was not sent down, neither the Gospel, but after him. What, have you no reason? | O FOLLOWERS of earlier revelation! Why do you argue about Abraham, seeing that the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed till [long] after him? Will you not, then, use your reason? | O people of the Book! wherefore contend ye concerning Ibrahim, whereas the Taurat and the Injil were not sent down save after him! Will ye not then under stand? | O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Why do you dispute about Ibrahim (Abraham), while the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel) were not revealed till after him? Have you then no sense? | O People of the Book! Why do you argue about Abraham, when the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed until after him? Will you not reason? | People of the Book! Why do you dispute with us about Abraham even though the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed until after the time of Abraham? Do you not understand? | O people of the Scripture! Why do you dispute about Ibrahim, while the Tawrah and the Injil were not revealed till after him Have you then no sense | O People of the Scripture! Why will ye argue about Abraham, when the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed till after him? Have ye then no sense? | O People of the Book! Why do you argue concerning Abraham? Neither the Torah nor the Evangel were sent down until [long] after him. Do you not exercise your reason? | People of the Book, why do you dispute about Abraham when both the Torah and the Gospel were not sent down till after him? Have you no sense? | O People of the Scripture, why do you argue about Abraham while the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed until after him? Then will you not reason? | Ask the People of the Book, "Why do you argue about Abraham? The Torah and Gospel were revealed only after him. Why do you not understand? | O followers of the Book! why do you dispute about Ibrahim, when the Taurat and the Injeel were not revealed till after him; do you not then understand? | Y<u>a</u> ahla alkit<u>a</u>bi lima tu<u>ha</u>jjoona fee ibr<u>a</u>heema wam<u>a</u> onzilati a<b>l</b>ttawr<u>a</u>tu wa<b>a</b>linjeelu ill<u>a</u> min baAAdihi afal<u>a</u> taAAqiloon<b>a</b> | People of the Book, why do you dispute about Abraham when the Torah and Gospel were only sent down after him. Do you not use your reason? | Ye People of the Book! Why dispute ye about Abraham, when the Law and the Gospel Were not revealed Till after him? Have ye no understanding? | 64 | 3 | يَٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ لِمَ تُحَآجُّونَ فِىٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَتِ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةُ وَٱلْإِنجِيلُ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦٓ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ | O People of the Scripture, why do you dispute about the belief of Abraham? The Jews claimed that he was a Jew and the Christians claimed he was a Christian. You know very well that Judaism and Christianity appeared a long time after him. Can you not see the falseness of your statement and the error of your claim? | O People of the Scripture, why do you dispute about the belief of Abraham? The Jews claimed that he was a Jew and the Christians claimed he was a Christian. You know very well that Judaism and Christianity appeared a long time after him. Can you not see the falseness of your statement and the error of your claim? | <p>Commentary</p><p>The argumentation referred to in verse 65 was to decide whether Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) followed the way of the Jews, or that of the Christians. The futility of their exercise already stood exposed as both these ways in religion appeared long after the revelation of the Old and New Testaments. These just did not exist before that. How, then, could it be claimed that Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) . It adhered To these ways?</p><p>Verse 66 points out to the hollowness of their approach when they indulged in their argumentation on the basis of incomplete knowledge. That they would venture to do so on the basis of no knowledge could hardly he explained. The truth is that only Allah knows the way of Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) .</p><p>That way has been described in Verse 67.</p><p>Verse 68 declares that the closest of people to Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) were those who followed him during his time and now the closest to him is the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad a1-Mustafa ﷺ and so are the believers in him and in past prophets. These believers are the community of Muhammad ﷺ and their guardian is Allah and He will reward them for their belief.</p> | CommentaryThe argumentation referred to in verse 65 was to decide whether Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) followed the way of the Jews, or that of the Christians. The futility of their exercise already stood exposed as both these ways in religion appeared long after the revelation of the Old and New Testaments. These just did not exist before that. How, then, could it be claimed that Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) . It adhered To these ways?Verse 66 points out to the hollowness of their approach when they indulged in their argumentation on the basis of incomplete knowledge. That they would venture to do so on the basis of no knowledge could hardly he explained. The truth is that only Allah knows the way of Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) .That way has been described in Verse 67.Verse 68 declares that the closest of people to Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) were those who followed him during his time and now the closest to him is the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad a1-Mustafa ﷺ and so are the believers in him and in past prophets. These believers are the community of Muhammad ﷺ and their guardian is Allah and He will reward them for their belief. | <h2 class="title">Disputing with the Jews and Christians About the Religion of Ibrahim</h2><p>Allah censures the Jews and Christians for their dispute with Muslims over Ibrahim Al-Khalil and the claim each group made that he was one of them. Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar reported that Ibn `Abbas said, "The Christians of Najran and Jewish rabbis gathered before the Messenger of Allah and disputed in front of him. The rabbis said, `Ibrahim was certainly Jewish.' The Christians said, `Certainly, Ibrahim was Christian.' So Allah sent down,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يأَهْلَ الْكِتَـبِ لِمَ تُحَآجُّونَ فِى إِبْرَهِيمَ</div><p>(O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Why do you dispute about Ibrahim,) meaning, `How is it that you, Jews, claim that Ibrahim was Jew, although he lived before Allah sent down the Tawrah to Musa How is it that you, Christians, claim that Ibrahim was Christian, although Christianity came after his time" This is why Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ</div><p>(Have you then no sense)</p><p>Allah then said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">هأَنتُمْ هَـؤُلاءِ حَـجَجْتُمْ فِيمَا لَكُم بِهِ عِلمٌ فَلِمَ تُحَآجُّونَ فِيمَا لَيْسَ لَكُمْ بِهِ عِلْمٌ</div><p>(Verily, you are those who have disputed about that of which you have knowledge. Why do you then dispute concerning that of which you have no knowledge)</p><p>This Ayah criticizes those who argue and dispute without knowledge, just as the Jews and Christians did concerning Ibrahim. Had they disputed about their religions, which they had knowledge of, and about the Law that was legislated for them until Muhammad was sent, it would have been better for them. Rather, they disputed about what they had no knowledge of, so Allah criticized them for this behavior. Allah commanded them to refer what they have no knowledge of to He Who knows the seen and unseen matters and Who knows the true reality of all things. This is why Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ</div><p>(It is Allah Who knows, and you know not.)</p><p>Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">مَا كَانَ إِبْرَهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلاَ نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا</div><p>(Ibrahim was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim Hanifa), shunning Shirk and living in Iman,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ</div><p>(and he was not of the Mushrikin.)</p><p>This Ayah is similar to the Ayah in Surat Al-Baqarah,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَقَالُواْ كُونُواْ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَـرَى تَهْتَدُواْ</div><p>(And they say, "Be Jews or Christians, then you will be guided...") 2:135.</p><p>Allah said next,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِإِبْرَهِيمَ لَلَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ وَهَـذَا النَّبِىُّ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَاللَّهُ وَلِىُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ </div><p>(Verily, among mankind who have the best claim to Ibrahim are those who followed him, and this Prophet and those who have believed. And Allah is the Wali (Protector and Helper) of the believers.)</p><p>This Ayah means, "The people who have the most right to be followers of Ibrahim are those who followed his religion and this Prophet, Muhammad , and his Companions from the Muhajirin, Ansar and those who followed their lead." Sa`id bin Mansur recorded that Ibn Mas`ud said that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«إِنَّ لِكُلِّ نَبِيَ وُلَاةً مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ، وَإِنَّ وَلِيِّي مِنْهُمْ أَبِي وَخَلِيلُ رَبِّي عَزَّ وَجَل»</div><p>(Every Prophet had a Wali (supporter, best friend) from among the Prophets. My Wali among them is my father Ibrahim, the Khalil (intimate friend) of my Lord, the Exalted and Most Honored)</p><p>The Prophet then recited,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِإِبْرَهِيمَ لَلَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ</div><p>(Verily, among mankind who have the best claim to Ibrahim are those who followed him...)</p><p>Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَاللَّهُ وَلِىُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ</div><p>(And Allah is the Wali (Protector and Helper) of the believers.) means, Allah is the Protector of all those who believe in His Messengers.</p> | Disputing with the Jews and Christians About the Religion of IbrahimAllah censures the Jews and Christians for their dispute with Muslims over Ibrahim Al-Khalil and the claim each group made that he was one of them. Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar reported that Ibn `Abbas said, "The Christians of Najran and Jewish rabbis gathered before the Messenger of Allah and disputed in front of him. The rabbis said, `Ibrahim was certainly Jewish.' The Christians said, `Certainly, Ibrahim was Christian.' So Allah sent down,يأَهْلَ الْكِتَـبِ لِمَ تُحَآجُّونَ فِى إِبْرَهِيمَ(O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Why do you dispute about Ibrahim,) meaning, `How is it that you, Jews, claim that Ibrahim was Jew, although he lived before Allah sent down the Tawrah to Musa How is it that you, Christians, claim that Ibrahim was Christian, although Christianity came after his time" This is why Allah said,أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ(Have you then no sense)Allah then said,هأَنتُمْ هَـؤُلاءِ حَـجَجْتُمْ فِيمَا لَكُم بِهِ عِلمٌ فَلِمَ تُحَآجُّونَ فِيمَا لَيْسَ لَكُمْ بِهِ عِلْمٌ(Verily, you are those who have disputed about that of which you have knowledge. Why do you then dispute concerning that of which you have no knowledge)This Ayah criticizes those who argue and dispute without knowledge, just as the Jews and Christians did concerning Ibrahim. Had they disputed about their religions, which they had knowledge of, and about the Law that was legislated for them until Muhammad was sent, it would have been better for them. Rather, they disputed about what they had no knowledge of, so Allah criticized them for this behavior. Allah commanded them to refer what they have no knowledge of to He Who knows the seen and unseen matters and Who knows the true reality of all things. This is why Allah said,وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ(It is Allah Who knows, and you know not.)Allah said,مَا كَانَ إِبْرَهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلاَ نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا(Ibrahim was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim Hanifa), shunning Shirk and living in Iman,وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ(and he was not of the Mushrikin.)This Ayah is similar to the Ayah in Surat Al-Baqarah,وَقَالُواْ كُونُواْ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَـرَى تَهْتَدُواْ(And they say, "Be Jews or Christians, then you will be guided...") 2:135.Allah said next,إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِإِبْرَهِيمَ لَلَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ وَهَـذَا النَّبِىُّ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَاللَّهُ وَلِىُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (Verily, among mankind who have the best claim to Ibrahim are those who followed him, and this Prophet and those who have believed. And Allah is the Wali (Protector and Helper) of the believers.)This Ayah means, "The people who have the most right to be followers of Ibrahim are those who followed his religion and this Prophet, Muhammad , and his Companions from the Muhajirin, Ansar and those who followed their lead." Sa`id bin Mansur recorded that Ibn Mas`ud said that the Messenger of Allah said,«إِنَّ لِكُلِّ نَبِيَ وُلَاةً مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ، وَإِنَّ وَلِيِّي مِنْهُمْ أَبِي وَخَلِيلُ رَبِّي عَزَّ وَجَل»(Every Prophet had a Wali (supporter, best friend) from among the Prophets. My Wali among them is my father Ibrahim, the Khalil (intimate friend) of my Lord, the Exalted and Most Honored)The Prophet then recited,إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِإِبْرَهِيمَ لَلَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ(Verily, among mankind who have the best claim to Ibrahim are those who followed him...)Allah's statement,وَاللَّهُ وَلِىُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ(And Allah is the Wali (Protector and Helper) of the believers.) means, Allah is the Protector of all those who believe in His Messengers. |
Remember you are those who disputed the things you knew; so wherefore dispute about things you do not know? And God has the knowledge, while you do not know. | Listen! This was what you argued about – of which you have some knowledge – why do you then argue about the matter you do not have any knowledge of? And Allah knows whereas you do not know. | Ha, you are the ones who dispute on what you know; why then dispute you touching a matter of which you know not anything? God knows, and you know not. | Lo! You are the ones who would argue about that which is known to you; but why do you argue about something which is unknown to you? Yet God knows [it], whereas you do not know: | Ah! ye are those who fell to contending respecting that whereof ye had some knowledge, wherefore then should ye contend respecting that whereof ye have no knowledge! And Allah knoweth, and ye know not. | Verily, you are those who have disputed about that of which you have knowledge. Why do you then dispute concerning that which you have no knowledge? It is Allah Who knows, and you know not. | Here you are—you argue about things you know, but why do you argue about things you do not know? God knows, and you do not know. | Behold, you are those who have disputed greatly concerning matters which you knew; why are you now disputing about matters that you know nothing about? Allah knows it whereas you do not know. | Verily, you are those who have disputed about that of which you have knowledge. Why do you then dispute concerning that of which you have no knowledge It is Allah Who knows, and you know not. | Lo! ye are those who argue about that whereof ye have some knowledge: Why then argue ye concerning that whereof ye have no knowledge? Allah knoweth. Ye know not. | Ah! You are the very ones who argue about that of which you have knowledge. But why do you argue about that of which you have no knowledge? And Allah knows and you do not know. | Indeed, you have disputed about that which you have knowledge. Why then dispute about that of which you have no knowledge? Allah knows and you do not know. | Here you are - those who have argued about that of which you have [some] knowledge, but why do you argue about that of which you have no knowledge? And Allah knows, while you know not. | You even argue about what is already known to you. What can you learn from arguing about that which you have no knowledge? God knows but you do not know." | Behold! you are they who disputed about that of which you had knowledge; why then do you dispute about that of which you have no knowledge? And Allah knows while you do not know. | H<u>a</u>antum h<u>a</u>ol<u>a</u>i <u>ha</u>jajtum feem<u>a</u> lakum bihi AAilmun falima tu<u>ha</u>jjoona feem<u>a</u> laysa lakum bihi AAilmun wa<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hu yaAAlamu waantum l<u>a</u> taAAlamoon<b>a</b> | You are those who disputed about things of which you had some knowledge. Must you now argue about things of which you have no knowledge? God knows, but you do not know. | Ah! Ye are those who fell to disputing (Even) in matters of which ye had some knowledge! but why dispute ye in matters of which ye have no knowledge? It is Allah Who knows, and ye who know not! | 65 | 3 | هَٰٓأَنتُمْ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ حَٰجَجْتُمْ فِيمَا لَكُم بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ فَلِمَ تُحَآجُّونَ فِيمَا لَيْسَ لَكُم بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ | You, People of the Scripture, argued without knowledge with the Prophet (peace be upon him) about your religion and about what was revealed to you. Why, then, do you dispute about Abraham and his religion, which you do not know, as it is not in your book and your prophets did not discuss it? Allah knows the reality of things and you do not know. | You, People of the Scripture, argued without knowledge with the Prophet (peace be upon him) about your religion and about what was revealed to you. Why, then, do you dispute about Abraham and his religion, which you do not know, as it is not in your book and your prophets did not discuss it? Allah knows the reality of things and you do not know. | ||||
Neither was Abraham a Jew nor a Christian, but upright and obedient, and not an idolater. | Ibrahim was neither a Jew nor a Christian; but he was a Muslim, free from all falsehood; and was not of the polytheists. | No; Abraham in truth was not a Jew, neither a Christian; but he was a Muslim and one pure of faith; certainly he was never of the idolaters. | Abraham was neither a "Jew" nor a "Christian", but was one who turned away from all that is false, having surrendered himself unto God; and he was not of those who ascribe divinity to aught beside Him. | Ibrahim was not a Jew, nor a Nazarene, but he was an upright Muslim, nor was he of the associators. | Ibrahim (Abraham) was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim Hanifa (Islamic Monotheism - to worship none but Allah Alone) and he was not of Al-Mushrikun (See V. 2:105). | Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a Monotheist, a Muslim. And he was not of the Polytheists. | Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian; he was a Muslim, wholly devoted to God. And he certainly was not amongst those who associate others with Allah in His divinity. | Ibrahim was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim Hanifa and he was not of the Mushrikin | Abraham was not a Jew, nor yet a Christian; but he was an upright man who had surrendered (to Allah), and he was not of the idolaters. | Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian. Rather, he was a Hanif, a Muslim, and he was not one of the polytheists. | No, Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Nazarene. He was of pure faith, a submitter (Muslim). He was never of the idolaters. | Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was one inclining toward truth, a Muslim [submitting to Allah]. And he was not of the polytheists. | Abraham was not a Jew or a Christian. He was an upright person who had submitted himself to the will of God. Abraham was not a pagan. | Ibrahim was not a Jew nor a Christian but he was (an) upright (man), a Muslim, and he was not one of the polytheists. | M<u>a</u> k<u>a</u>na ibr<u>a</u>heemu yahoodiyyan wal<u>a</u> na<u>s</u>r<u>a</u>niyyan wal<u>a</u>kin k<u>a</u>na <u>h</u>aneefan musliman wam<u>a</u> k<u>a</u>na mina almushrikeen<b>a</b> | Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian. He was an upright man, one who had surrendered himself to God. He was not one of those who associate partners with God. | Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian; but he was true in Faith, and bowed his will to Allah's (Which is Islam), and he joined not gods with Allah. | 66 | 3 | مَا كَانَ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ | Abraham was not a Jew or Christian in belief, but he was opposed to all false religions and obedient to Allah alone. He was also not one of those who ascribe partners to Allah – contrary to the idolaters of the Arabs, who claim to follow his belief. | Abraham was not a Jew or Christian in belief, but he was opposed to all false religions and obedient to Allah alone. He was also not one of those who ascribe partners to Allah – contrary to the idolaters of the Arabs, who claim to follow his belief. | ||||
Of all men the nearest to Abraham are those who follow him, and then this Prophet and the faithful; and God is the protector of all believers. | Undoubtedly among all mankind who have the best claim to Ibrahim are those who followed him, and this Prophet (Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) and the believers; and Allah is the Guardian of the believers. | Surely the people standing closest to Abraham are those who followed him, and this Prophet, and those who believe; and God is the Protector of the believers. | Behold, the people who have the best claim to Abraham are surely those who follow him - as does this Prophet and all who believe [in him] - and God is near unto the believers. | Verily the nearest of mankind to Ibrahim, surely those who followed him, and this prophet, and those who believe; and Allah is the Patron of the believers. | Verily, among mankind who have the best claim to Ibrahim (Abraham) are those who followed him, and this Prophet (Muhammad SAW) and those who have believed (Muslims). And Allah is the Wali (Protector and Helper) of the believers. | The people most deserving of Abraham are those who followed him, and this prophet, and those who believe. God is the Guardian of the believers. | Surely the people who have the best claim to a relationship with Abraham are those who followed him in the past, and presently this Prophet and those who believe in him; Allah is the guardian of the men of faith. | Verily, among mankind who have the best claim to Ibrahim are those who followed him, and this Prophet and those who have believed. And Allah is the Wali (Protector and Helper) of the believers. | Lo! those of mankind who have the best claim to Abraham are those who followed him, and this Prophet and those who believe (with him); and Allah is the Protecting Guardian of the believers. | Indeed the nearest of all people to Abraham are those who follow him and this prophet and those who have faith, and Allah is the guardian of the faithful. | Surely, the people who are nearest to Abraham are those who followed him, and this Prophet (Muhammad), and those who believe. Allah is the Guardian of the believers. | Indeed, the most worthy of Abraham among the people are those who followed him [in submission to Allah] and this prophet, and those who believe [in his message]. And Allah is the ally of the believers. | The nearest people to Abraham, among mankind, are those who followed him, this Prophet (Muhammad) and the true believers. God is the Guardian of the true believers. | Most surely the nearest of people to Ibrahim are those who followed him and this Prophet and those who believe and Allah is the guardian of the believers. | Inna awl<u>a</u> a<b>l</b>nn<u>a</u>si biibr<u>a</u>heema lalla<u>th</u>eena ittabaAAoohu wah<u>atha</u> a<b>l</b>nnabiyyu wa<b>a</b>lla<u>th</u>eena <u>a</u>manoo wa<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hu waliyyu almumineen<b>a</b> | Surely, the people who are closest to Abraham are those who followed him and this Prophet [Muhammad], and those who believe in him. God is the guardian of the believers. | Without doubt, among men, the nearest of kin to Abraham, are those who follow him, as are also this Prophet and those who believe: And Allah is the Protector of those who have faith. | 67 | 3 | إِنَّ أَوْلَى ٱلنَّاسِ بِإِبْرَٰهِيمَ لَلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوهُ وَهَٰذَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَٱللَّهُ وَلِىُّ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ | The people who are most entitled to claim a link to Abraham are those who followed him in his time, as well as this Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and those who have faith in him from this nation. Allah helps and protects the believers. | The people who are most entitled to claim a link to Abraham are those who followed him in his time, as well as this Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and those who have faith in him from this nation. Allah helps and protects the believers. | ||||
Some among the people of the Book wish to lead you astray, yet they lead none astray but themselves, though they do not realise. | A group among the People given the Book(s) desire that if only they could lead you astray; and they only make themselves astray, and they do not have sense. | There is a party of the People of the Book yearn to make you go astray; yet none they make to stray, except themselves, but they are not aware. | Some of the followers of earlier revelation would love to lead you astray: yet none do they lead astray but themselves, and perceive it not. | Pain would a party of the people of the Book lead you astray, and none they lead astray save themselves, and they perceive not. | A party of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) wish to lead you astray. But they shall not lead astray anyone except themselves, and they perceive not. | A party of the People of the Book would love to lead you astray, but they only lead themselves astray, and they do not realize it. | A party of the People of the Book would fain lead you astray, whereas in truth they lead none astray except themselves, but they do not realize it. | A party of the People of the Scripture wish to lead you astray. But they shall not lead astray anyone except themselves, and they perceive not. | A party of the People of the Scripture long to make you go astray; and they make none to go astray except themselves, but they perceive not. | A group of the People of the Book were eager to lead you astray; yet they lead no one astray except themselves, but they are not aware. | Some of the People of the Book wish to make you go astray, but they lead none astray except themselves, though they do not sense it. | A faction of the people of the Scripture wish they could mislead you. But they do not mislead except themselves, and they perceive [it] not. | A group among the People of the Book would love to mislead you but they mislead no one but themselves. However, they do not realize it. | A party of the followers of the Book desire that they should lead you astray, and they lead not astray but themselves, and they do not perceive. | Waddat <u>ta</u>ifatun min ahli alkit<u>a</u>bi law yu<u>d</u>illoonakum wam<u>a</u> yu<u>d</u>illoona ill<u>a</u> anfusahum wam<u>a</u> yashAAuroon<b>a</b> | Some of the People of the Book wish to lead you astray but they only lead themselves astray, though they do not realise it. | It is the wish of a section of the People of the Book to lead you astray. But they shall lead astray (Not you), but themselves, and they do not perceive! | 68 | 3 | وَدَّت طَّآئِفَةٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ لَوْ يُضِلُّونَكُمْ وَمَا يُضِلُّونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ | The scholars of the Jews and the Christians desire to mislead you, O believers, away from the truth that Allah has guided you to. Yet they only mislead themselves because their attempt to mislead the believers only increases their misguidance, and they do not know the consequence of their actions. | The scholars of the Jews and the Christians desire to mislead you, O believers, away from the truth that Allah has guided you to. Yet they only mislead themselves because their attempt to mislead the believers only increases their misguidance, and they do not know the consequence of their actions. | <p>Commentary</p><p>Verse 69 exposes the cherished desire of the people of the Book to mislead Muslims away from the true faith they are on. The text, then, firmly declares that the victim of their effort to misguide is no one other than themselves, something they do not realize.</p><p>Verse 70, addressing the people of the Book, asks them as to why they disbelieve in the signs of Allah, such as the verses in Torah and Injil which prove the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ because the denial of his prophethood amounts to declaring these verses to be false which is infidelity, although they themselves confirm these as true. This is an admonition on their error in belief.</p><p>Proceeding further, Verse 71 admonishes them for confusing the real statement, that is, the prophecy about the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ with the fictitious, that is, the interpolated statements or false exegesis. The crucial question being asked is as to why would they conceal the truth of the matter despite knowing the truth, and knowing that they are hiding it.</p> | CommentaryVerse 69 exposes the cherished desire of the people of the Book to mislead Muslims away from the true faith they are on. The text, then, firmly declares that the victim of their effort to misguide is no one other than themselves, something they do not realize.Verse 70, addressing the people of the Book, asks them as to why they disbelieve in the signs of Allah, such as the verses in Torah and Injil which prove the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ because the denial of his prophethood amounts to declaring these verses to be false which is infidelity, although they themselves confirm these as true. This is an admonition on their error in belief.Proceeding further, Verse 71 admonishes them for confusing the real statement, that is, the prophecy about the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ with the fictitious, that is, the interpolated statements or false exegesis. The crucial question being asked is as to why would they conceal the truth of the matter despite knowing the truth, and knowing that they are hiding it. | <h2 class="title">The Envy the Jews Feel Towards Muslims; Their Wicked Plots Against Muslims</h2><p>Allah states that the Jews envy the faithful and wish they could misguide them. Allah states that the punishment of this behavior will fall back upon them, while they are unaware. Allah criticizes them,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يأَهْلَ الْكِتَـبِ لِمَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِأَيَـتِ اللَّهِ وَأَنتُمْ تَشْهَدُونَ </div><p>(O People of the Scripture!: Why do you disbelieve in the Ayat of Allah, while you bear witness.)</p><p>You know for certain that Allah's Ayat are true and authentic,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يأَهْلَ الْكِتَـبِ لِمَ تَلْبِسُونَ الْحَقَّ بِالْبَـطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُونَ الْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ </div><p>(O People of the Scripture: Why do you mix truth with falsehood and conceal the truth while you know) by hiding what is in your Books about the description of Muhammad , while you know what you do.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَقَالَت طَّآئِفَةٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ ءَامِنُواْ بِالَّذِي أُنزِلَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَجْهَ النَّهَارِ وَاكْفُرُواْ ءَاخِرَهُ</div><p>(And a party of the People of the Scripture say: "Believe in the morning in that which is revealed to the believers, and reject it at the end of the day,)</p><p>This is a wicked plan from the People of the Book to deceive Muslims who are weak in the religion. They decided that they would pretend to be believers in the beginning of the day, by attending the dawn prayer with the Muslims. However, when the day ended, they would revert to their old religion so that the ignorant people would say, "They reverted to their old religion because they uncovered some shortcomings in the Islamic religion." This is why they said next.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ</div><p>(so that they may turn back.) Ibn Abi Najih said that Mujahid commented about this Ayah, which refers to the Jews, "They attended the dawn prayer with the Prophet and disbelieved in the end of the day in order to misguide the people. This way, people would think that they have uncovered shortcomings in the religion that they briefly followed."</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلاَ تُؤْمِنُواْ إِلاَّ لِمَن تَبِعَ دِينَكُمْ</div><p>("And believe no one except the one who follows your religion.")</p><p>They said, do not trust anyone with your secret knowledge, except those who follow your religion. Therefore, they say, do not expose your knowledge to Muslims in order to prevent them from believing in it and, thus, use it as proof against you. Allah replied,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُلْ إِنَّ الْهُدَى هُدَى اللَّهِ</div><p>(Say: (O Prophet) "Verily, right guidance is the guidance of Allah.")</p><p>Allah guides the hearts of the faithful to the perfect faith through the clear Ayat, plain proofs and unequivocal evidence that He has sent down to His servant and Messenger Muhammad . This occurs, O you Jews, even though you hide the description of Muhammad . the unlettered Prophet whom you find in your Books that you received from the earlier Prophets. Allah's statement;</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أَن يُؤْتَى أَحَدٌ مِّثْلَ مَآ أُوتِيتُمْ أَوْ يُحَآجُّوكُمْ عِندَ رَبِّكُمْ</div><p>((And they say: ) "Do not believe that anyone can receive like that which you have received, otherwise they would engage you in argument before your Lord.")</p><p>They say, "Do not disclose the knowledge that you have to the Muslims, to prevent them from learning it and thus becoming your equals. They will be even better because they will believe in it or will use it against you as evidence with your Lord, and thus establish Allah's proof against you in this life and the Hereafter." Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُلْ إِنَّ الْفَضْلَ بِيَدِ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُ</div><p>(Say: "All the bounty is in the Hand of Allah; He grants to whom He wills.) meaning, all affairs are under His control, and He gives and takes. Verily, Allah gives faith, knowledge and sound comprehension to whomever He wills. He also misguides whomever He wills by blinding his sight, mind, sealing his heart, hearing and stamping his eyes closed. Allah has the perfect wisdom and the unequivocal proofs.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَاللَّهُ وَسِعٌ عَلِيمٌيَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِ مَن يَشَآءُ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ </div><p>(And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower." He selects for His mercy whom He wills and Allah is the Owner of great bounty.) meaning, He has endowed you, O believers, with tremendous virtue, in that He honored your Prophet Muhammad over all other prophets, and by directing you to the best Shari`ah there is.</p> | The Envy the Jews Feel Towards Muslims; Their Wicked Plots Against MuslimsAllah states that the Jews envy the faithful and wish they could misguide them. Allah states that the punishment of this behavior will fall back upon them, while they are unaware. Allah criticizes them,يأَهْلَ الْكِتَـبِ لِمَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِأَيَـتِ اللَّهِ وَأَنتُمْ تَشْهَدُونَ (O People of the Scripture!: Why do you disbelieve in the Ayat of Allah, while you bear witness.)You know for certain that Allah's Ayat are true and authentic,يأَهْلَ الْكِتَـبِ لِمَ تَلْبِسُونَ الْحَقَّ بِالْبَـطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُونَ الْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (O People of the Scripture: Why do you mix truth with falsehood and conceal the truth while you know) by hiding what is in your Books about the description of Muhammad , while you know what you do.وَقَالَت طَّآئِفَةٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ ءَامِنُواْ بِالَّذِي أُنزِلَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَجْهَ النَّهَارِ وَاكْفُرُواْ ءَاخِرَهُ(And a party of the People of the Scripture say: "Believe in the morning in that which is revealed to the believers, and reject it at the end of the day,)This is a wicked plan from the People of the Book to deceive Muslims who are weak in the religion. They decided that they would pretend to be believers in the beginning of the day, by attending the dawn prayer with the Muslims. However, when the day ended, they would revert to their old religion so that the ignorant people would say, "They reverted to their old religion because they uncovered some shortcomings in the Islamic religion." This is why they said next.لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ(so that they may turn back.) Ibn Abi Najih said that Mujahid commented about this Ayah, which refers to the Jews, "They attended the dawn prayer with the Prophet and disbelieved in the end of the day in order to misguide the people. This way, people would think that they have uncovered shortcomings in the religion that they briefly followed."وَلاَ تُؤْمِنُواْ إِلاَّ لِمَن تَبِعَ دِينَكُمْ("And believe no one except the one who follows your religion.")They said, do not trust anyone with your secret knowledge, except those who follow your religion. Therefore, they say, do not expose your knowledge to Muslims in order to prevent them from believing in it and, thus, use it as proof against you. Allah replied,قُلْ إِنَّ الْهُدَى هُدَى اللَّهِ(Say: (O Prophet) "Verily, right guidance is the guidance of Allah.")Allah guides the hearts of the faithful to the perfect faith through the clear Ayat, plain proofs and unequivocal evidence that He has sent down to His servant and Messenger Muhammad . This occurs, O you Jews, even though you hide the description of Muhammad . the unlettered Prophet whom you find in your Books that you received from the earlier Prophets. Allah's statement;أَن يُؤْتَى أَحَدٌ مِّثْلَ مَآ أُوتِيتُمْ أَوْ يُحَآجُّوكُمْ عِندَ رَبِّكُمْ((And they say: ) "Do not believe that anyone can receive like that which you have received, otherwise they would engage you in argument before your Lord.")They say, "Do not disclose the knowledge that you have to the Muslims, to prevent them from learning it and thus becoming your equals. They will be even better because they will believe in it or will use it against you as evidence with your Lord, and thus establish Allah's proof against you in this life and the Hereafter." Allah said,قُلْ إِنَّ الْفَضْلَ بِيَدِ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُ(Say: "All the bounty is in the Hand of Allah; He grants to whom He wills.) meaning, all affairs are under His control, and He gives and takes. Verily, Allah gives faith, knowledge and sound comprehension to whomever He wills. He also misguides whomever He wills by blinding his sight, mind, sealing his heart, hearing and stamping his eyes closed. Allah has the perfect wisdom and the unequivocal proofs.وَاللَّهُ وَسِعٌ عَلِيمٌيَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِ مَن يَشَآءُ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ (And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower." He selects for His mercy whom He wills and Allah is the Owner of great bounty.) meaning, He has endowed you, O believers, with tremendous virtue, in that He honored your Prophet Muhammad over all other prophets, and by directing you to the best Shari`ah there is. |
O people of the Book, why do you disbelieve the signs of God having witnessed them yourselves? | O People given the Book(s)! Why do you disbelieve in the signs of Allah, whereas you yourselves are witnesses? | People of the Book! Why do you disbelieve in God's signs, which you yourselves witness? | O followers of earlier revelation! Why do you deny the truth of God's messages to which you yourselves bear witness? | O people of the Book! wherefore disbelieve ye in the revelations of Allah whereas ye bear witness? | O people of the Scripture! (Jews and Christians): "Why do you disbelieve in the Ayat of Allah, [the Verses about Prophet Muhammad SAW present in the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] while you (yourselves) bear witness (to their truth)." | O People of the Book! Why do you reject the revelations of God, even as you witness? | O People of the Book! Why do you reject the signs of Allah even though you yourselves witness them? | "O People of the Scripture! Why do you disbelieve in the Ayat of Allah, while you bear witness." | O People of the Scripture! Why disbelieve ye in the revelations of Allah, when ye (yourselves) bear witness (to their truth)? | O People of the Book! Why do you deny Allah’s signs while you testify [to their truth]? | People of the Book! Why do you disbelieve the verses of Allah while you are witness? | O People of the Scripture, why do you disbelieve in the verses of Allah while you witness [to their truth]? | (Muhammad), say, "People of the Book, why do you deny the revelation of God (the Quran) even though you know very well that it is from God?. | O followers of the Book! Why do you disbelieve in the communications of Allah while you witness (them)? | Y<u>a</u> ahla alkit<u>a</u>bi lima takfuroona bi<u>a</u>y<u>a</u>ti All<u>a</u>hi waantum tashhadoon<b>a</b> | People of the Book! Why do you deny God's signs, having been witnesses thereof? | Ye People of the Book! Why reject ye the Signs of Allah, of which ye are (Yourselves) witnesses? | 69 | 3 | يَٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ لِمَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَأَنتُمْ تَشْهَدُونَ | O People of the Scripture, Jews and Christians, why do you disbelieve Allah’s words which were sent down to you and the clear indication they contain of the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him), whilst you are witness to the fact that it is the truth contained in your books? | O People of the Scripture, Jews and Christians, why do you disbelieve Allah’s words which were sent down to you and the clear indication they contain of the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him), whilst you are witness to the fact that it is the truth contained in your books? | <p>The words in أَنتُمْ تَشْهَدُونَ (you are yourselves a witness - 70) and in أَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (you know ( 71) should not be taken to mean that disbelief will become permissible for them if they do not attest to the truth or have no knowledge about it. This is because kufr (disbelief) is intrinsically an abominable thing to practice. This is prohibited under all conditions. However, the mention of kufr (disbelief) after knowledge and attestation is to increase the impact of reproachment.</p> | The words in أَنتُمْ تَشْهَدُونَ (you are yourselves a witness - 70) and in أَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (you know ( 71) should not be taken to mean that disbelief will become permissible for them if they do not attest to the truth or have no knowledge about it. This is because kufr (disbelief) is intrinsically an abominable thing to practice. This is prohibited under all conditions. However, the mention of kufr (disbelief) after knowledge and attestation is to increase the impact of reproachment. | ||
O people of the Book, why do you mix the false with the true, and hide the truth knowingly? | O People given the Book(s)! Why do you mix the truth with falsehood and conceal the truth, whereas you know? | People of the Book! Why do you confound the truth with vanity, and conceal the truth and that wittingly? | O followers of earlier revelation! Why do you cloak the truth with falsehood and conceal the truth of which you are [so well] aware? | O people of the Book! wherefore confound ye the truth with falsehood, and hide the truths While ye know? | O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians): "Why do you mix truth with falsehood and conceal the truth while you know?" | O People of the Book! Why do you confound the truth with falsehood, and knowingly conceal the truth? | People of the Book! Why do you confound Truth with falsehood, and why do you conceal the Truth knowingly? | "O People of the Scripture! Why do you mix truth with falsehood and conceal the truth while you know" | O People of the Scripture! Why confound ye truth with falsehood and knowingly conceal the truth? | O People of the Book! Why do you mix the truth with falsehood, and conceal the truth while you know [it]? | People of the Book! Why do you confound truth with falsehood, and knowingly hide the truth? | O People of the Scripture, why do you confuse the truth with falsehood and conceal the truth while you know [it]? | Why do you mix truth with falsehood and knowingly hide the truth?" | O followers of the Book! Why do you confound the truth with the falsehood and hide the truth while you know? | Y<u>a</u> ahla alkit<u>a</u>bi lima talbisoona al<u>h</u>aqqa bi<b>a</b>lb<u>at</u>ili wataktumoona al<u>h</u>aqqa waantum taAAlamoon<b>a</b> | People of the Book! Why do you mix truth with falsehood and knowingly conceal the truth? | Ye People of the Book! Why do ye clothe Truth with falsehood, and conceal the Truth, while ye have knowledge? | 70 | 3 | يَٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ لِمَ تَلْبِسُونَ ٱلْحَقَّ بِٱلْبَٰطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُونَ ٱلْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ | O People of the Scripture, why do you mix the truth contained in your books with falsehood from yourselves? Why do you hide the truth and guidance contained in your book, such as the truthfulness of the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him), when you know what is true and what is false? | O People of the Scripture, why do you mix the truth contained in your books with falsehood from yourselves? Why do you hide the truth and guidance contained in your book, such as the truthfulness of the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him), when you know what is true and what is false? | ||||
A section of the people of the Book say: "Believe in the morning what has been revealed to the faithful, and deny in the evening; they might perhaps turn back; | And a group among the People given the Book(s) said, “Believe in what has been sent down to the believers in the morning and deny it by evening – perhaps they (the Muslims) may turn back (disbelieve).” | There is a party of the People of the Book say, 'Believe in what has been sent down upon those who believe at the beginning of the day, and disbelieve at the end of it; haply they will then return; | And some of the followers of earlier revelation say [to one another]: "Declare your belief in what has been revealed unto those who believe [in Muhammad] at the beginning of the day, and deny the truth of what came later, so that they might go back [on their faith]; | And a Party of the people of the Book say: believe in that which hath been sent down unto those who have believed, at the break of day, and disbelieve at the close thereof, haply they may turn away; | And a party of the people of the Scripture say: "Believe in the morning in that which is revealed to the believers (Muslims), and reject it at the end of the day, so that they may turn back. | Some of the People of the Book say, “Believe in what was revealed to the believers at the beginning of the day, and reject it at its end, so that they may return.” | A party of the People of the Book said: 'Believe in the morning what has been revealed to those who believe, and then deny it in the evening that they may thus retract (from their faith).' | And a party of the People of the Scripture say: "Believe in the morning in that which is revealed to the believers, and reject it at the end of the day, so that they may turn back. | And a party of the People of the Scripture say: Believe in that which hath been revealed unto those who believe at the opening of the day, and disbelieve at the end thereof, in order that they may return; | A group of the People of the Book say, ‘Believe in what has been sent down to the faithful at the beginning of the day, and disbelieve at its end, so that they may turn back [from their religion].’ | Some of the People of the Book say: 'Believe in that which is sent down to those who believe at the beginning of the day and disbelieve at the end of it, so that they will return. | And a faction of the People of the Scripture say [to each other], "Believe in that which was revealed to the believers at the beginning of the day and reject it at its end that perhaps they will abandon their religion, | Some of the People of the Book say, "Believe in what is revealed to the Muslims during the day only and abandon it in the evening. This will perhaps make them give up their religion". | And a party of the followers of the Book say: Avow belief in that which has been revealed to those who believe, in the first part of the day, and disbelieve at the end of it, perhaps they go back on their religion. | Waq<u>a</u>lat <u>ta</u>ifatun min ahli alkit<u>a</u>bi <u>a</u>minoo bi<b>a</b>lla<u>th</u>ee onzila AAal<u>a</u> alla<u>th</u>eena <u>a</u>manoo wajha a<b>l</b>nnah<u>a</u>ri wa<b>o</b>kfuroo <u>a</u>khirahu laAAallahum yarjiAAoon<b>a</b> | Some of the People of the Book say to one another, "Believe in what is revealed to the faithful in the morning and deny it in the evening, so that they [the Muslims] may themselves abandon their faith [in confusion]. | A section of the People of the Book say: "Believe in the morning what is revealed to the believers, but reject it at the end of the day; perchance they may (themselves) Turn back; | 71 | 3 | وَقَالَت طَّآئِفَةٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَجْهَ ٱلنَّهَارِ وَٱكْفُرُوٓا۟ ءَاخِرَهُۥ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ | A group of Jewish scholars said: On the outside, accept the Qur’ān which was revealed to the believers at the beginning of the day and then reject it at the end of the day, so that, after seeing this, they begin to have doubts about their religion and turn back from it saying, ‘These people know better about Allah’s Book and they have turned back’. | A group of Jewish scholars said: On the outside, accept the Qur’ān which was revealed to the believers at the beginning of the day and then reject it at the end of the day, so that, after seeing this, they begin to have doubts about their religion and turn back from it saying, ‘These people know better about Allah’s Book and they have turned back’. | <p>Some from among the people of the Book chose a strategy of deception in order to mislead Muslims. According to their agreed plan, they would declare their belief in the Qur'an in the morning and then reject it in the evening. They thought that this quick about-turn would create doubts in the minds of Muslims about Qur'an and Islam and they might turn away from their faith thinking that there must be something wrong with Islam visible to such learned people who were open-minded enough to accept it first. They also made it a point to re-serve their feinted declaration of belief in Islam to hoodwink Muslims only! Their true belief, they planned, would be affirmed before none but only those who follow their own creed. The rule was: Sincerity with the later, expediency with the former!</p><p>That these tricks are low is proved later in Verse 73 when the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been asked to declare that their clever moves are not going to work for them since Guidance given to servants of Allah is certainly from Allah. So, it is He who, with Guidance in His control, can make whoever He will steadfast on that Guidance. No one can succeed in weaning such a person away from it with any trick, plan or enticement whatsoever.</p><p>The reason why they act in the way they do is envy, that is, they envy Muslims as to why they were given the Scripture, or they envy their supremacy in religious argument. It is because of this envy that they keep working to bring about the downfall of Islam and of the community that adheres to it.</p><p>That this envy is based on not knowing the nature, timing and wisdom of Allah's grace and mercy is explained in the later part of verse 73 and in verse 74.</p> | Some from among the people of the Book chose a strategy of deception in order to mislead Muslims. According to their agreed plan, they would declare their belief in the Qur'an in the morning and then reject it in the evening. They thought that this quick about-turn would create doubts in the minds of Muslims about Qur'an and Islam and they might turn away from their faith thinking that there must be something wrong with Islam visible to such learned people who were open-minded enough to accept it first. They also made it a point to re-serve their feinted declaration of belief in Islam to hoodwink Muslims only! Their true belief, they planned, would be affirmed before none but only those who follow their own creed. The rule was: Sincerity with the later, expediency with the former!That these tricks are low is proved later in Verse 73 when the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been asked to declare that their clever moves are not going to work for them since Guidance given to servants of Allah is certainly from Allah. So, it is He who, with Guidance in His control, can make whoever He will steadfast on that Guidance. No one can succeed in weaning such a person away from it with any trick, plan or enticement whatsoever.The reason why they act in the way they do is envy, that is, they envy Muslims as to why they were given the Scripture, or they envy their supremacy in religious argument. It is because of this envy that they keep working to bring about the downfall of Islam and of the community that adheres to it.That this envy is based on not knowing the nature, timing and wisdom of Allah's grace and mercy is explained in the later part of verse 73 and in verse 74. | ||
"And do not believe those who do not belong to your faith." Say: "True guidance is the guidance of God -- that any may be given the like of what has been given you." Will they argue with you before your Lord? Say: "God's is the bounty. He gives whomsoever He please, for He is infinite and all-wise." | “And do not believe in anyone except him who follows your religion”; say (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “Only Allah’s guidance is the true guidance” – (so why not believe in it) if someone has been given similar to what was given to you, or if someone may be able to evidence it against you before your Lord; say (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “Undoubtedly the munificence lies only in Allah’s Hand (control); He may bestow upon whomever He wills; and Allah is Most Capable, All Knowing.” | and believe not any but him who follows your religion.' Say: 'The true guidance is God's guidance -- that anyone should be given the like of what you have been given, or dispute with you before your Lord.' Say: 'Surely bounty is in the hand of God; He gives it unto whomsoever He will; and God is All-embracing, All-knowing. | but do not [really] believe anyone who does not follow your own faith." Say: "Behold, all [true] guidance is God's guidance, consisting in one's being granted [revelation] such as you have been granted." Or would they contend against you before your Sustainer? Say: "Behold, all bounty is in the hand of God; He grants it unto whom He wills: for God is infinite, all-knowing, | And believe not save one who followeth your religion. Say thou: verily the guidance of Allah - that is the guidance. Envy ye that any one should be vouchsafed the like of that which was vouchsafed unto you or fear ye that those others may overcome you in Contention before your Lord! Say thou: verily the grace is in the hand of Allah He vouchsafeth it unto whomsoever He will; and Allah is Bounteous, Knowing. | And believe no one except the one who follows your religion. Say (O Muhammad SAW): "Verily! Right guidance is the Guidance of Allah" and do not believe that anyone can receive like that which you have received (of Revelation) except when he follows your religion, otherwise they would engage you in argument before your Lord. Say (O Muhammad SAW): "All the bounty is in the Hand of Allah; He grants to whom He wills. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, the All-Knower." | And trust none except those who follow your religion.” Say, “Guidance is God’s guidance. If someone is given the like of what you were given, or they argue with you before your Lord, say, “All grace is in God’s hand; He gives it to whomever He wills.” God is Bounteous and Knowing. | They also say among themselves: 'Do not follow anyone except him who follows your faith.' Say: 'Surely true guidance is Allah's. It is His favour that anyone should be given the like of what you have been given in the past, and that others should have been given firm evidence to proffer against you before your Lord.' Say: 'Surely bounty is in the Hand of Allah; He gives it to whom He wills. Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing. | And believe no one except the one who follows your religion." Say (O Prophet): "Verily, right guidance is the guidance of Allah." (And they say:) "Do not believe that anyone can receive like that which you have received, otherwise they would engage you in argument before your Lord." Say: "All the bounty is in the Hand of Allah; He grants to whom He wills. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower." | And believe not save in one who followeth your religion - Say (O Muhammad): Lo! the guidance is Allah's Guidance - that anyone is given the like of that which was given unto you or that they may argue with you in the presence of their Lord. Say (O Muhammad): Lo! the bounty is in Allah's hand. He bestoweth it on whom He will. Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing. | And [they say,] ‘Do not believe anyone except him who follows your religion.’ Say, ‘Indeed [true] guidance is the guidance of Allah.’ [They also say.] ‘[Do not believe] that anyone may be given the like of what you were given, or that he may argue with you before your Lord.’ Say, ‘Indeed all grace is in Allah’s hand; He grants it to whomever He wishes, and Allah is all-bounteous, all-knowing. | Believe none except those who follow your own religion' Say: 'The true guidance is the Guidance of Allah that anyone should be given the like of what you have been given, or dispute with you before your Lord' Say: 'Bounty is in the Hand of Allah' He gives it to whomsoever He will. Allah is the Embracer, the Knower. | And do not trust except those who follow your religion." Say, "Indeed, the [true] guidance is the guidance of Allah. [Do you fear] lest someone be given [knowledge] like you were given or that they would [thereby] argue with you before your Lord?" Say, "Indeed, [all] bounty is in the hand of Allah - He grants it to whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Wise." | They also say, "Do not believe anyone except those who follow your religion, so that no one may have what you have received or may argue with you before your Lord." (Muhammad), tell them, "The only guidance is the guidance of God. All favors are in the hands of God. He grants His favors to whomever He wants. He is Munificent and All-knowing". | And do not believe but in him who follows your religion. Say: Surely the (true) guidance is the guidance of Allah-- that one may be given (by Him) the like of what you were given; or they would contend with you by an argument before your Lord. Say: Surely grace is in the hand of Allah, He gives it to whom He pleases; and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing. | Wal<u>a</u> tuminoo ill<u>a</u> liman tabiAAa deenakum qul inna alhud<u>a</u> hud<u>a</u> All<u>a</u>hi an yut<u>a</u> a<u>h</u>adun mithla m<u>a</u> ooteetum aw yu<u>ha</u>jjookum AAinda rabbikum qul inna alfa<u>d</u>la biyadi All<u>a</u>hi yuteehi man yash<u>a</u>o wa<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hu w<u>a</u>siAAun AAaleem<b>un</b> | Believe only in those who follow your own religion." Say to them, "Surely, the true guidance is the guidance from God." [But you think it is impossible that] someone else may be granted [revelation] such as you were granted -- or else that they should contend against you before your Lord. Say, "All grace is in the hands of God; He grants it to whom He wills: for God is boundless, and all knowing, | "And believe no one unless he follows your religion." Say: "True guidance is the Guidance of Allah: (Fear ye) Lest a revelation be sent to someone (else) Like unto that which was sent unto you? or that those (Receiving such revelation) should engage you in argument before your Lord?" Say: "All bounties are in the hand of Allah: He granteth them to whom He pleaseth: And Allah careth for all, and He knoweth all things." | 72 | 3 | وَلَا تُؤْمِنُوٓا۟ إِلَّا لِمَن تَبِعَ دِينَكُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ ٱلْهُدَىٰ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ أَن يُؤْتَىٰٓ أَحَدٌ مِّثْلَ مَآ أُوتِيتُمْ أَوْ يُحَآجُّوكُمْ عِندَ رَبِّكُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ ٱلْفَضْلَ بِيَدِ ٱللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ | They also said: Do not believe or accept anyone unless he is a Jew and follows your religion. Say, O Messenger: Guidance to the truth is the Guidance of Allah; not the disbelief and stubbornness that you display, fearing that anyone else could be given a bounty similar to what you were given, or that they would argue with you before your Lord if you acknowledged what was revealed to them. Say, O Messenger: Bounty is in Allah’s Hand and He gives it to whomever of His servants He wills: His bounty is not restricted to any one nation. Allah is embracing and He knows who is deserving. | They also said: Do not believe or accept anyone unless he is a Jew and follows your religion. Say, O Messenger: Guidance to the truth is the Guidance of Allah; not the disbelief and stubbornness that you display, fearing that anyone else could be given a bounty similar to what you were given, or that they would argue with you before your Lord if you acknowledged what was revealed to them. Say, O Messenger: Bounty is in Allah’s Hand and He gives it to whomever of His servants He wills: His bounty is not restricted to any one nation. Allah is embracing and He knows who is deserving. | ||||
He may choose whom He likes for His favours, for great is His bounty. | “He chooses by His mercy, whomever He wills; and Allah is the Owner of Great Munificence.” | He singles out for His mercy whom He will; God is of bounty abounding.' | singling out for His grace whom He wills. And God is limitless in His great bounty." | He singleth out for His mercy Whomsoever He will; And Allah is the Owner of mighty Grace. | He selects for His Mercy (Islam and the Quran with Prophethood) whom He wills and Allah is the Owner of Great Bounty. | He specifies His mercy for whomever He wills. God is Possessor of Sublime Grace. | He singles out for His mercy whomever He wills, Allah is possessed of abounding bounty.' | He selects for His Mercy whom He wills and Allah is the Owner of great bounty. | He selecteth for His mercy whom He will. Allah is of Infinite Bounty. | He singles out for His mercy whomever He wishes, and Allah is dispenser of a great grace.’ | He singles out for His Mercy whom He will. And Allah is of abundant bounty. | He selects for His mercy whom He wills. And Allah is the possessor of great bounty. | God grants priority in granting mercy to whomever He wants. God's favors are great. | He specially chooses for His mercy whom He pleases; and Allah is the Lord of mighty grace. | Yakhta<u>ss</u>u bira<u>h</u>matihi man yash<u>a</u>o wa<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hu <u>th</u>oo alfa<u>d</u>li alAAa<i><u>th</u></i>eem<b>i</b> | He singles out for His mercy whoever He pleases. God is the Lord of exceeding bounty." | For His Mercy He specially chooseth whom He pleaseth; for Allah is the Lord of bounties unbounded. | 73 | 3 | يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلْفَضْلِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ | He selects whomever of His creation He wishes to receive His mercy and blesses them with guidance, prophethood and numerous favours. Allah’s bounty is great and has no limit. | He selects whomever of His creation He wishes to receive His mercy and blesses them with guidance, prophethood and numerous favours. Allah’s bounty is great and has no limit. | ||||
There are some among the people of the Book who return a whole treasure entrusted to them; yet some there are who do not give back a dinar until you demand and insist, because they say: "It is not a sin for us to (usurp) the rights of the Arabs." Yet they lie against God, and they know it. | Among the People given the Book(s) is one who, if you trust him with a heap of treasure, will return it to you; and among them is one who, if you trust him with (just) one coin, will not return it to you unless you constantly stand over him (keep demanding); that is because they say, “We are not obliged in any way, in the case of illiterates”; and they purposely fabricate lies against Allah. | And of the People of the Book is he who, if thou trust him with a hundredweight, will restore it thee; and of them is he who, if thou trust him with one pound, will not restore it thee, unless ever thou standest over him. That, because they say, 'There is no way over us as to the common people.' They speak falsehood against God and that wittingly. | AND AMONG the followers of earlier revelation there is many a one who, if thou entrust him with a treasure, will [faithfully] restore it to thee; and there is among them many a one who, if thou entrust him with a tiny gold coin, will not restore it to thee unless thou keep standing over him - which is an outcome of their assertion, "No blame can attach to us [for anything that we may do] with regard to these unlettered folk": and [so] they tell a lie about God, being well aware [that it is a lie]." | And of the people of the Book is he whom if thou trustest with a talent, he will restore it unto thee, and among them is he whom if thou trustest with a dinar, he will not restore it unto thee except thou art ever standing over him that is because they say there is in the matter of the illiterates no call on us. And they forge a lie against Allah while they know. | Among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is he who, if entrusted with a Cantar (a great amount of wealth, etc.), will readily pay it back; and among them there is he who, if entrusted with a single silver coin, will not repay it unless you constantly stand demanding, because they say: "There is no blame on us to betray and take the properties of the illiterates (Arabs)." But they tell a lie against Allah while they know it. | Among the People of the Book is he, who, if you entrust him with a heap of gold, he will give it back to you. And among them is he, who, if you entrust him with a single coin, he will not give it back to you, unless you keep after him. That is because they say, “We are under no obligation towards the gentiles.” They tell lies about God, and they know it. | And among the People of the Book there are some who would restore you even if you were to entrust a treasure of gold, and of them there are some whom were you to entrust with one gold piece, will not restore it unless you stand over them. That is because they say: 'We will not be taken to task for whatever we may do to non-Jews (ummls). Thus they falsely fix a lie upon Allah, and do so wittingly. | Among the People of the Scripture is he who, if entrusted with a Qintar (a great amount of wealth), will readily pay it back; and among them there is he who, if entrusted with a single silver coin, will not repay it unless you constantly stand demanding, because they say: "There is no blame on us to betray and take the properties of the illiterates (Arabs)." But they tell a lie against Allah while they know it. | Among the People of the Scripture there is he who, if thou trust him with a weight of treasure, will return it to thee. And among them there is he who, if thou trust him with a piece of gold, will not return it to thee unless thou keep standing over him. That is because they say: We have no duty to the Gentiles. They speak a lie concerning Allah knowingly. | Among the People of the Book is he who if you entrust him with a quintal will repay it to you, and among them is he who, if you entrust him with a dinar will not repay it to you unless you stand persistently over him. That is because they say, ‘We have no obligation to the non-Jews.’ But they attribute lies to Allah, and they know [it]. | Among the People of the Book there are some, who, if you trust him with a Qintar (98, 841. 6 lbs.), will return it to you, and there are others, who, if you trust him with a dinar will not hand it back unless you stand over him, for they say: 'As for the common people, they have no recourse to us' They say lies against Allah while they know. | And among the People of the Scripture is he who, if you entrust him with a great amount [of wealth], he will return it to you. And among them is he who, if you entrust him with a [single] silver coin, he will not return it to you unless you are constantly standing over him [demanding it]. That is because they say, "There is no blame upon us concerning the unlearned." And they speak untruth about Allah while they know [it]. | If you entrust some of the People of the Book, with a large quantity of gold, they will return it to you while if you entrust others among them with a small quantity of gold, they will not give it back to you unless you keep insisting on its return. For they say, "We are not bound to keep our words with the illiterate people," and they themselves knowingly ascribe false statements to God. | And among the followers of the Book there are some such that if you entrust one (of them) with a heap of wealth, he shall pay it back to you; and among them there are some such that if you entrust one (of them) with a dinar he shall not pay it back to you except so long as you remain firm in demanding it; this is because they say: There is not upon us in the matter of the unlearned people any way (to reproach); and they tell a lie against Allah while they know. | Wamin ahli alkit<u>a</u>bi man in tamanhu biqin<u>ta</u>rin yuaddihi ilayka waminhum man in tamanhu bideen<u>a</u>rin l<u>a</u> yuaddihi ilayka ill<u>a</u> m<u>a</u> dumta AAalayhi q<u>a</u>iman <u>tha</u>lika biannahum q<u>a</u>loo laysa AAalayn<u>a</u> fee alommiyyeena sabeelun wayaqooloona AAal<u>a</u> All<u>a</u>hi alka<u>th</u>iba wahum yaAAlamoon<b>a</b> | Among the people of the Book there are some who, if you entrust them with a heap of gold, will return it to you. But there are others of them who, if you entrust them with a single dinar, will not return it to you, unless you keep demanding it from them. That is because they say, "We are under no obligation towards the gentiles." They deliberately tell lies about God. | Among the People of the Book are some who, if entrusted with a hoard of gold, will (readily) pay it back; others, who, if entrusted with a single silver coin, will not repay it unless thou constantly stoodest demanding, because, they say, "there is no call on us (to keep faith) with these ignorant (Pagans)." but they tell a lie against Allah, and (well) they know it. | 74 | 3 | وَمِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ مَنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِقِنطَارٍ يُؤَدِّهِۦٓ إِلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِدِينَارٍ لَّا يُؤَدِّهِۦٓ إِلَيْكَ إِلَّا مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَآئِمًا ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا۟ لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِى ٱلْأُمِّيِّۦنَ سَبِيلٌ وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ | There are some People of the Scripture who, if you hand over a large amount of wealth, will honour the trust. On the other hand, there are some of them who, if you trust them with a small amount, will not return the trust unless you persistently demand it from them. That is because they wrongly claim that there is no sin on them for any crime they commit against the Arabs or if they consume the wealth of the Arabs, since Allah has permitted that for them. They say such lies knowing that it is a false attribution to Allah. | There are some People of the Scripture who, if you hand over a large amount of wealth, will honour the trust. On the other hand, there are some of them who, if you trust them with a small amount, will not return the trust unless you persistently demand it from them. That is because they wrongly claim that there is no sin on them for any crime they commit against the Arabs or if they consume the wealth of the Arabs, since Allah has permitted that for them. They say such lies knowing that it is a false attribution to Allah. | <p>Sequence</p><p>In the previous verses (70-72), breach of faith committed by the people of the Book was mentioned. This included disbelieving in the verses of Allah, confusing the truth with what is false, concealing the truth and conspiring to mislead Muslim believers.</p><p>In the verse cited above (75), their breach of trust in matters of property has been mentioned. Since some of them happened to be trustworthy, both types were identified.</p><p>Commentary</p><p>Praising good qualities in some non-Muslim is correct</p><p>In this verse (75), some people have been praised for their trustworthiness. If this 'some' refers to those among the people of the Book who had embraced Islam, praising them poses no problems. But, in case, it does not refer to Muslims particularly and instead, refers to the people of the Book in the absolute sense including non-Muslims as well, then the situation generates the question: When no act of a kafir (disbeliever) is acceptable why praise them?</p><p>The answer is that for an action or deed to become acceptable is a different matter and having a word of praise for it is something else. From praising something it does not follow that it is acceptable with Allah. The purpose is to point out that something good, even if it be that of a kafir (disbeliever), is good enough in a certain degree, the benefit of which he receives in the form of good reputation in the mortal world, and of course, in the Hereafter, in the form of a reduction in punishment for his disbelief.</p><p>This statement also makes it, clear that Islam does not resort to prejudice and short-sightedness. On the contrary, it shows open-hearted appreciation of the excellence of even its adversary in respect</p><p>of his achievements.</p><p>It is from this verse: إِلَّا مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَائِمًا (unless you keep standing over him - 75) that Imam Abu Hanifah (رح) has deduced the ruling that the lender has the right to keep pursuing the borrower until he receives his due. (Qurtubi)</p> | SequenceIn the previous verses (70-72), breach of faith committed by the people of the Book was mentioned. This included disbelieving in the verses of Allah, confusing the truth with what is false, concealing the truth and conspiring to mislead Muslim believers.In the verse cited above (75), their breach of trust in matters of property has been mentioned. Since some of them happened to be trustworthy, both types were identified.CommentaryPraising good qualities in some non-Muslim is correctIn this verse (75), some people have been praised for their trustworthiness. If this 'some' refers to those among the people of the Book who had embraced Islam, praising them poses no problems. But, in case, it does not refer to Muslims particularly and instead, refers to the people of the Book in the absolute sense including non-Muslims as well, then the situation generates the question: When no act of a kafir (disbeliever) is acceptable why praise them?The answer is that for an action or deed to become acceptable is a different matter and having a word of praise for it is something else. From praising something it does not follow that it is acceptable with Allah. The purpose is to point out that something good, even if it be that of a kafir (disbeliever), is good enough in a certain degree, the benefit of which he receives in the form of good reputation in the mortal world, and of course, in the Hereafter, in the form of a reduction in punishment for his disbelief.This statement also makes it, clear that Islam does not resort to prejudice and short-sightedness. On the contrary, it shows open-hearted appreciation of the excellence of even its adversary in respectof his achievements.It is from this verse: إِلَّا مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَائِمًا (unless you keep standing over him - 75) that Imam Abu Hanifah (رح) has deduced the ruling that the lender has the right to keep pursuing the borrower until he receives his due. (Qurtubi) | <h2 class="title">How Trustworthy Are the Jews</h2><p>Allah states that there are deceitful people among the Jews. He also warns the faithful against being deceived by them, because some of them,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">مَنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِقِنْطَارٍ</div><p>(if entrusted with a Qintar (a great amount)) of money,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ</div><p>(will readily pay it back;) This Ayah indicates that this type would likewise give what is less than a Qintar, as is obvious. However,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِدِينَارٍ لاَّ يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ إِلاَّ مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَآئِمًا</div><p>(and among them there is he who, if entrusted with a single silver coin, will not repay it unless you constantly stand demanding,) and insisting on acquiring your rightful property. If this is what he would do with one Dinar, then what about what is more than a Dinar We mentioned the meaning of Qintar in the beginning of this Surah, while the value of Dinar is well known. Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُواْ لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِى الأُمِّيِّينَ سَبِيلٌ</div><p>(because they say: "There is no blame on us to betray and take the properties of the illiterates (Arabs).") means, what made them reject the truth (or what they owed) is that they said, "There is no harm in our religion if we eat up the property of the unlettered ones, the Arabs, for Allah has allowed it for us." Allah replied,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ</div><p>(But they tell a lie against Allah while they know it.) for they invented this lie and word of misguidance. Rather, Allah would not allow this money for them unless they had a right to it.</p><p>`Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Sa`sa`ah bin Yazid said that a man asked Ibn `Abbas, "During battle, we capture some property belonging to Ahl Adh-Dhimmah, such as chickens and sheep." Ibn `Abbas said, "What do you do in this case" The man said, "We say that there is no sin (if we confiscate them) in this case." He said, "That is what the People of the Book said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِى الأُمِّيِّينَ سَبِيلٌ</div><p>(There is no blame on us to betray and take the properties of the illiterates (Arabs).)</p><p>Verily, if they pay the Jizyah, then you are not allowed their property, except when they willingly give it up."</p><p>Allah then said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">بَلَى مَنْ أَوْفَى بِعَهْدِهِ وَاتَّقَى</div><p>(Yes, whoever fulfills his pledge and fears Allah much,) fulfills his promise and fears Allah among you, O People of the Book, regarding the covenant Allah took from you to believe in Muhammad when he is sent, just as He took the same covenant from all Prophets and their nations. Whoever avoids Allah's prohibitions, obeys Him and adheres to the Shari`ah that He sent with His Final Messenger and the master of all mankind.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ</div><p>(verily, then Allah loves the Muttaqin.)</p> | How Trustworthy Are the JewsAllah states that there are deceitful people among the Jews. He also warns the faithful against being deceived by them, because some of them,مَنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِقِنْطَارٍ(if entrusted with a Qintar (a great amount)) of money,يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ(will readily pay it back;) This Ayah indicates that this type would likewise give what is less than a Qintar, as is obvious. However,وَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِدِينَارٍ لاَّ يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ إِلاَّ مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَآئِمًا(and among them there is he who, if entrusted with a single silver coin, will not repay it unless you constantly stand demanding,) and insisting on acquiring your rightful property. If this is what he would do with one Dinar, then what about what is more than a Dinar We mentioned the meaning of Qintar in the beginning of this Surah, while the value of Dinar is well known. Allah's statement,ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُواْ لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِى الأُمِّيِّينَ سَبِيلٌ(because they say: "There is no blame on us to betray and take the properties of the illiterates (Arabs).") means, what made them reject the truth (or what they owed) is that they said, "There is no harm in our religion if we eat up the property of the unlettered ones, the Arabs, for Allah has allowed it for us." Allah replied,وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ(But they tell a lie against Allah while they know it.) for they invented this lie and word of misguidance. Rather, Allah would not allow this money for them unless they had a right to it.`Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Sa`sa`ah bin Yazid said that a man asked Ibn `Abbas, "During battle, we capture some property belonging to Ahl Adh-Dhimmah, such as chickens and sheep." Ibn `Abbas said, "What do you do in this case" The man said, "We say that there is no sin (if we confiscate them) in this case." He said, "That is what the People of the Book said,لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِى الأُمِّيِّينَ سَبِيلٌ(There is no blame on us to betray and take the properties of the illiterates (Arabs).)Verily, if they pay the Jizyah, then you are not allowed their property, except when they willingly give it up."Allah then said,بَلَى مَنْ أَوْفَى بِعَهْدِهِ وَاتَّقَى(Yes, whoever fulfills his pledge and fears Allah much,) fulfills his promise and fears Allah among you, O People of the Book, regarding the covenant Allah took from you to believe in Muhammad when he is sent, just as He took the same covenant from all Prophets and their nations. Whoever avoids Allah's prohibitions, obeys Him and adheres to the Shari`ah that He sent with His Final Messenger and the master of all mankind.فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ(verily, then Allah loves the Muttaqin.) |
But certainly whoever keeps his promise and follows the right path (will be blessed), for God loves those who shun evil and follow the right course. | Yes, why not? Whoever fulfilled his pledge and practised piety – and indeed Allah loves the pious. | Nay, but whoso fulfils his covenant and fears God, God loves the godfearing. | Nay, but [God is aware of] those who keep their bond with Him, and are conscious of Him: and, verily, God loves those who are conscious of Him. | Aye whosoever keepeth his covenant and feareth Allah--then verily Allah loveth the God-fearing. | Yes, whoever fulfils his pledge and fears Allah much; verily, then Allah loves those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V. 2:2). | Indeed, whoever fulfills his commitments and maintains piety—God loves the pious. | But Allah loves only those who fulfil their covenant and fear Allah. Truly Allah loves the God-fearing. | Yes, whoever fulfills his pledge and fears Allah much; verily, then Allah loves the Muttaqin (the pious). | Nay, but (the chosen of Allah is) he who fulfilleth his pledge and wardeth off (evil); for lo! Allah loveth those who ward off (evil). | Yes, whoever fulfills his commitments and is wary of Allah—Allah indeed loves the Godwary. | Rather, those who keep their promise and fear Allah Allah loves the cautious. | But yes, whoever fulfills his commitment and fears Allah - then indeed, Allah loves those who fear Him. | Those who keep their promise and observe piety should know that God certainly loves the pious ones. | Yea, whoever fulfills his promise and guards (against evil)-- then surely Allah loves those who guard (against evil). | Bal<u>a</u> man awf<u>a</u> biAAahdihi wa<b>i</b>ttaq<u>a</u> fainna All<u>a</u>ha yu<u>h</u>ibbu almuttaqeen<b>a</b> | Indeed God loves those who honour their covenants and fear Him. God loves the righteous. | Nay.- Those that keep their plighted faith and act aright,-verily Allah loves those who act aright. | 75 | 3 | بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِعَهْدِهِۦ وَٱتَّقَىٰ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ | It is not as they claimed: in fact, there is a sin on them. However, if anyone fulfils his promise to Allah to have faith in Him and His Messenger, as well as his promise to people to honour their trusts, and is mindful of Allah by fulfilling His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions, then Allah loves those who are mindful of Him and will give them the best reward. | It is not as they claimed: in fact, there is a sin on them. However, if anyone fulfils his promise to Allah to have faith in Him and His Messenger, as well as his promise to people to honour their trusts, and is mindful of Allah by fulfilling His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions, then Allah loves those who are mindful of Him and will give them the best reward. | <p>Sequence</p><p>Earlier, in ; يَقُولُونَ ,(they say - 75), there was a refutation of the claim made, by the people of the Book. Onwards from there, in verses 76-77, the same refutation has been re-asserted and the merit of fulfilling a commitment as well as the condemnation for its breach have been clarified.</p><p>Commentary</p><p>Ahd عھد (pledge or covenant) is what gets settled between parties concerned after mutual discussions and by which both of them have to abide. Contrary to this is وعدہ wa'dah or promise which issues forth from a single side, that is, عہد ` ahd (pledge or covenant) is bilateral while wa'dah (promise) is unilateral.</p><p>That commitments should be fulfilled has been stressed in the Qur'an and Sunnah time and again. For instance, right here in verse 77 cited above, five warnings have been given to those who break their solemn pledge:</p><p>1. They will have no share in the blessings of the heaven. In a hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said that one who usurps the right of a Muslim under false oath makes the fire of Hell compulsory for himself. The narrator of the hadith asked if the Fire will become compulsory even if this concerned something very insignificant? In reply, he said: Even if this be the green bough of a tree. (Muslim vide Mazhari)</p><p>2. Allah Almighty will not speak to them with glad tidings.</p><p>3. Allah Almighty will not look at them mercifully on the Day of Doom.</p><p>4. Allah Almighty will not forgive them their sins since they wasted away the rights of a servant of Allah through breach of trust, and Allah will not forgive what a human being owes to another human being. In Islamic terminology, this is known as the hagq al-'abd or the right of a servant of Allah.</p><p>And a grievous punishment shall await them.</p> | SequenceEarlier, in ; يَقُولُونَ ,(they say - 75), there was a refutation of the claim made, by the people of the Book. Onwards from there, in verses 76-77, the same refutation has been re-asserted and the merit of fulfilling a commitment as well as the condemnation for its breach have been clarified.CommentaryAhd عھد (pledge or covenant) is what gets settled between parties concerned after mutual discussions and by which both of them have to abide. Contrary to this is وعدہ wa'dah or promise which issues forth from a single side, that is, عہد ` ahd (pledge or covenant) is bilateral while wa'dah (promise) is unilateral.That commitments should be fulfilled has been stressed in the Qur'an and Sunnah time and again. For instance, right here in verse 77 cited above, five warnings have been given to those who break their solemn pledge:1. They will have no share in the blessings of the heaven. In a hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said that one who usurps the right of a Muslim under false oath makes the fire of Hell compulsory for himself. The narrator of the hadith asked if the Fire will become compulsory even if this concerned something very insignificant? In reply, he said: Even if this be the green bough of a tree. (Muslim vide Mazhari)2. Allah Almighty will not speak to them with glad tidings.3. Allah Almighty will not look at them mercifully on the Day of Doom.4. Allah Almighty will not forgive them their sins since they wasted away the rights of a servant of Allah through breach of trust, and Allah will not forgive what a human being owes to another human being. In Islamic terminology, this is known as the hagq al-'abd or the right of a servant of Allah.And a grievous punishment shall await them. | ||
Those who trade on the promises of God, and who purchase a little gain from their oaths, will have no share in the life to come. God will not address or even regard them on the Day of Resurrection, nor perfect them, and their suffering will be painful. | Those who accept abject prices in exchange of Allah’s covenant and their oaths, do not have a portion in the Hereafter – Allah will neither speak to them nor look towards them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and for them is a painful punishment. | Those that sell God's covenant, and their oaths, for a little price, there shall be no share for them in the world to come; God shall not speak to them neither look on them on the Resurrection Day, neither will He purify them; and for them awaits a painful chastisement. | Behold, those who barter away their bond with God and their own pledges for a trifling gain - they shall not partake in the blessings of the life to come; and God will neither speak unto them nor look upon them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He cleanse them of their sins; and grievous suffering awaits them. | Verily those who barter Allah's covenant and their oaths at a Small price- no portion is theirs in the Hereafter; nor shall Allah speak unto them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor shall He cleanse them, and theirs shall be a torment afflictive. | Verily, those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allah's Covenant and their oaths, they shall have no portion in the Hereafter (Paradise). Neither will Allah speak to them, nor look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them, and they shall have a painful torment. | Those who exchange the covenant of God, and their vows, for a small price, will have no share in the Hereafter, and God will not speak to them, nor will He look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them. They will have a painful punishment. | There shall be no share in the Life to Come for those who sell away the covenant of Allah and their oaths for a trivial gain. On the Day of Resurrection Allah will neither address them, look at them, nor will He purify them. A painful chastisement lies ahead of them. | Verily, those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allah's covenant and their oaths, they shall have no portion in the Hereafter (Paradise). Neither will Allah speak to them nor look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them, and they shall have a painful torment. | Lo! those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allah's covenant and their oaths, they have no portion in the Hereafter. Allah will neither speak to them nor look upon them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He make them grow. Theirs will be a painful doom. | There shall be no share in the Hereafter for those who sell Allah’s covenant and their oaths for a paltry gain, and on the Day of Resurrection Allah will not speak to them nor will He [so much as] look at them, nor will He purify them, and there is a painful punishment for them. | Those who sell the promise of Allah and their own oaths for a little price shall have no share in the Everlasting Life. Allah will neither speak to them, nor look at them, nor purify them on the Day of Resurrection. Theirs shall be a painful punishment. | Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allah and their [own] oaths for a small price will have no share in the Hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and they will have a painful punishment. | Those who sell their covenant with God and their promises for a small price will have no share in the life hereafter. God will not speak to them nor will He look at them on the Day of Judgment nor will He purify them. They will face a painful torment. | (As for) those who take a small price for the covenant of Allah and their own oaths-- surely they shall have no portion in the hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them, nor will He look upon them on the day of resurrection nor will He purify them, and they shall have a painful chastisement. | Inna alla<u>th</u>eena yashtaroona biAAahdi All<u>a</u>hi waaym<u>a</u>nihim thamanan qaleelan ol<u>a</u>ika l<u>a</u> khal<u>a</u>qa lahum fee al<u>a</u>khirati wal<u>a</u> yukallimuhumu All<u>a</u>hu wal<u>a</u> yan<i><u>th</u></i>uru ilayhim yawma alqiy<u>a</u>mati wal<u>a</u> yuzakkeehim walahum AAa<u>tha</u>bun aleem<b>un</b> | Those who sell out God's covenant and their oaths for a paltry price will have no share in the life to come on the Day of Resurrection. God will neither speak to them nor cast a look upon them on the Day of Judgement, nor will He purify them. For them there shall be a grievous punishment. | As for those who sell the faith they owe to Allah and their own plighted word for a small price, they shall have no portion in the Hereafter: Nor will Allah (Deign to) speak to them or look at them on the Day of Judgment, nor will He cleans them (of sin): They shall have a grievous penalty. | 76 | 3 | إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ ٱللَّهِ وَأَيْمَٰنِهِمْ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ لَا خَلَٰقَ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ وَلَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَلَا يَنظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ | Those who take a small amount of this world in exchange of Allah’s advice to them to follow His revelation and His messengers, and in exchange of the oaths they took to fulfil Allah’s pledge, will have no share in the reward of the Afterlife. Allah will not speak kindly to them and will not look at them mercifully on the Day of Resurrection. They will receive a painful punishment. | Those who take a small amount of this world in exchange of Allah’s advice to them to follow His revelation and His messengers, and in exchange of the oaths they took to fulfil Allah’s pledge, will have no share in the reward of the Afterlife. Allah will not speak kindly to them and will not look at them mercifully on the Day of Resurrection. They will receive a painful punishment. | <h2 class="title">There is No Share in the Hereafter for Those Who Break Allah's Covenant</h2><p>Allah states that whoever prefers the small things of this short, soon to end life, instead of fulfilling what they have promised Allah by following Muhammad , announcing his description from their books to people and affirming his truth, then,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أُوْلَـئِكَ لاَ خَلَـقَ لَهُمْ فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ</div><p>(they shall have no portion in the Hereafter.)</p><p>They will not have a share or part in the Hereafter's rewards,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلاَ يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللَّهُ وَلاَ يَنظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ</div><p>(Neither will Allah speak to them nor look at them on the Day of Resurrection) with His mercy. This Ayah indicates that Allah will not speak words of kindness nor look at them with any mercy,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلاَ يُزَكِّيهِمْ</div><p>(nor will He purify them) from sins and impurities. Rather, He will order them to the Fire,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ</div><p>(and they shall have a painful torment.)</p><p>There are several Hadiths on the subject of this Ayah, some of which follow. The First Hadith</p><p>Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Dharr said, "The Messenger of Allah said, c</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«ثَلَاثَةٌ لَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللهُ، وَلَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ، وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيم»</div><p>قلت: يا رسول الله، من هم؟ خابوا وخسروا قال: وأعاده رسول اللهصلى الله عليه وسلّم ثلاث مرات، قال:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«الْمُسْبِلُ، وَالْمُنَفِّقُ سِلْعَتَهُ بِالْحَلِفِ الْكَاذِبِ، وَالْمَنَّان»</div><p>(There are three persons whom Allah will not speak to, look at on the Day of Resurrection or purify, and they shall taste a painful torment. I said, `O Messenger of Allah! Who are they, may they gain failure and loss' He said, repeating this statement thrice, `The Musbil (man whose clothes reach below the ankles), he who swears while lying so as to sell his merchandize and the one who gives charity and reminds people of it).')" This was also recorded by Muslim, and the collectors of the Sunan. Another Hadith</p><p>Imam Ahmad recorded that `Adi bin `Amirah Al-Kindi said, "Imru' Al-Qays bin `Abis, a man from Kindah, disputed with a man from Hadramut in front of the Messenger of Allah concerning a piece of land. The Prophet required the man from Hadramut to present his evidence, but he did not have any. The Prophet required Imru' Al-Qays to swear to his truthfulness, but the man from Hadramut said, `O Messenger of Allah! If you only require him to swear, then by the Lord of the Ka`bah (Allah), my land is lost.' The Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«مَنْ حَلَفَ عَلى يَمِينٍ كَاذِبَةٍ لِيَقْتَطِعَ بِهَا مَالَ أَحَدٍ، لَقِيَ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِ غَضْبَان»</div><p>(Whoever swears while lying to acquire the property of others, will meet Allah while He is angry with him.)" Raja' one of the narrators of the Hadith, said that the Messenger of Allah then recited,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَيْمَـنِهِمْ ثَمَنًا قَلِيًلا</div><p>(Verily, those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allah's covenant and their oaths...)</p><p>Imru' Al-Qays said, `What if one forfeits this dispute, what will he gain, O Messenger of Allah' The Prophet answered, `Paradise.' Imru' Al-Qays said, `Bear witness that I forfeit all the land for him."' An-Nasa'i also recorded this Hadith. Another Hadith</p><p>Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah said that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«مَنْ حَلَفَ عَلى يَمِينٍ هُوَ فِيهَا فَاجِرٌ، لِيَقْتَطِعَ بِهَا مَالَ امْرِى مُسْلِمٍ، لَقِيَ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِ غَضْبَان»</div><p>(Whoever takes a false oath to deprive a Muslim of his property will meet Allah while He is angry with him.)</p><p>Al-Ash`ath said, "By Allah! This verse was revealed concerning me. I owned some land with a Jewish man who denied my right, and I complained against him to the Messenger of Allah. The Prophet asked me, `Do you have evidence' I said, `I don't have evidence.' He said to the Jew, `Take an oath then.' I said, `O Allah's Messenger! He will take a (false) oath immediately, and I will lose my property.' Allah revealed the verse,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَيْمَـنِهِمْ ثَمَنًا قَلِيًلا</div><p>(Verily, those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allah's covenant and their oaths...)"</p><p>The Two Sahihs recorded this Hadith. Another Hadith</p><p>Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«ثَلَاثَةٌ لَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَلَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ، وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ، وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ: رَجُلٌ مَنَعَ ابْنَ السَّبِيلِ فَضْلَ مَاءٍ عِنْدَهُ، وَرَجُلٌ حَلَفَ عَلى سِلْعَةٍ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ يَعْنِي كَاذِبًا وَرَجُلٌ بَايَعَ إِمَامًا، فَإِنْ أَعْطَاهُ وَفَى لَهُ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يُعْطِهِ لَمْ يَفِ لَه»</div><p>(Three persons whom Allah shall not speak to on the Day of Resurrection, or look at, or purify them, and they shall taste a painful torment. (They are) a man who does not give the wayfarer some of the water that he has; a man who swears, while lying, in order to complete a sales transaction after the `Asr prayer; and a man who gives his pledge of allegiance to an Imam (Muslim Ruler), and if the Imam gives him (something), he fulfills the pledge, but if the Imam does not give him, he does not fulfill the pledge).</p><p>Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi also recorded this Hadith, and At-Tirmidhi graded it Hasan Sahih.</p> | There is No Share in the Hereafter for Those Who Break Allah's CovenantAllah states that whoever prefers the small things of this short, soon to end life, instead of fulfilling what they have promised Allah by following Muhammad , announcing his description from their books to people and affirming his truth, then,أُوْلَـئِكَ لاَ خَلَـقَ لَهُمْ فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ(they shall have no portion in the Hereafter.)They will not have a share or part in the Hereafter's rewards,وَلاَ يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللَّهُ وَلاَ يَنظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ(Neither will Allah speak to them nor look at them on the Day of Resurrection) with His mercy. This Ayah indicates that Allah will not speak words of kindness nor look at them with any mercy,وَلاَ يُزَكِّيهِمْ(nor will He purify them) from sins and impurities. Rather, He will order them to the Fire,وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ(and they shall have a painful torment.)There are several Hadiths on the subject of this Ayah, some of which follow. The First HadithImam Ahmad recorded that Abu Dharr said, "The Messenger of Allah said, c«ثَلَاثَةٌ لَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللهُ، وَلَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ، وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيم»قلت: يا رسول الله، من هم؟ خابوا وخسروا قال: وأعاده رسول اللهصلى الله عليه وسلّم ثلاث مرات، قال:«الْمُسْبِلُ، وَالْمُنَفِّقُ سِلْعَتَهُ بِالْحَلِفِ الْكَاذِبِ، وَالْمَنَّان»(There are three persons whom Allah will not speak to, look at on the Day of Resurrection or purify, and they shall taste a painful torment. I said, `O Messenger of Allah! Who are they, may they gain failure and loss' He said, repeating this statement thrice, `The Musbil (man whose clothes reach below the ankles), he who swears while lying so as to sell his merchandize and the one who gives charity and reminds people of it).')" This was also recorded by Muslim, and the collectors of the Sunan. Another HadithImam Ahmad recorded that `Adi bin `Amirah Al-Kindi said, "Imru' Al-Qays bin `Abis, a man from Kindah, disputed with a man from Hadramut in front of the Messenger of Allah concerning a piece of land. The Prophet required the man from Hadramut to present his evidence, but he did not have any. The Prophet required Imru' Al-Qays to swear to his truthfulness, but the man from Hadramut said, `O Messenger of Allah! If you only require him to swear, then by the Lord of the Ka`bah (Allah), my land is lost.' The Messenger of Allah said,«مَنْ حَلَفَ عَلى يَمِينٍ كَاذِبَةٍ لِيَقْتَطِعَ بِهَا مَالَ أَحَدٍ، لَقِيَ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِ غَضْبَان»(Whoever swears while lying to acquire the property of others, will meet Allah while He is angry with him.)" Raja' one of the narrators of the Hadith, said that the Messenger of Allah then recited,إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَيْمَـنِهِمْ ثَمَنًا قَلِيًلا(Verily, those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allah's covenant and their oaths...)Imru' Al-Qays said, `What if one forfeits this dispute, what will he gain, O Messenger of Allah' The Prophet answered, `Paradise.' Imru' Al-Qays said, `Bear witness that I forfeit all the land for him."' An-Nasa'i also recorded this Hadith. Another HadithImam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah said that the Messenger of Allah said,«مَنْ حَلَفَ عَلى يَمِينٍ هُوَ فِيهَا فَاجِرٌ، لِيَقْتَطِعَ بِهَا مَالَ امْرِى مُسْلِمٍ، لَقِيَ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِ غَضْبَان»(Whoever takes a false oath to deprive a Muslim of his property will meet Allah while He is angry with him.)Al-Ash`ath said, "By Allah! This verse was revealed concerning me. I owned some land with a Jewish man who denied my right, and I complained against him to the Messenger of Allah. The Prophet asked me, `Do you have evidence' I said, `I don't have evidence.' He said to the Jew, `Take an oath then.' I said, `O Allah's Messenger! He will take a (false) oath immediately, and I will lose my property.' Allah revealed the verse,إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَيْمَـنِهِمْ ثَمَنًا قَلِيًلا(Verily, those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allah's covenant and their oaths...)"The Two Sahihs recorded this Hadith. Another HadithImam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,«ثَلَاثَةٌ لَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَلَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ، وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ، وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ: رَجُلٌ مَنَعَ ابْنَ السَّبِيلِ فَضْلَ مَاءٍ عِنْدَهُ، وَرَجُلٌ حَلَفَ عَلى سِلْعَةٍ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ يَعْنِي كَاذِبًا وَرَجُلٌ بَايَعَ إِمَامًا، فَإِنْ أَعْطَاهُ وَفَى لَهُ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يُعْطِهِ لَمْ يَفِ لَه»(Three persons whom Allah shall not speak to on the Day of Resurrection, or look at, or purify them, and they shall taste a painful torment. (They are) a man who does not give the wayfarer some of the water that he has; a man who swears, while lying, in order to complete a sales transaction after the `Asr prayer; and a man who gives his pledge of allegiance to an Imam (Muslim Ruler), and if the Imam gives him (something), he fulfills the pledge, but if the Imam does not give him, he does not fulfill the pledge).Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi also recorded this Hadith, and At-Tirmidhi graded it Hasan Sahih. |
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Among them is a section which distorts in reading the Scripture in a way that though it sounds like the Scripture, in fact it is not; yet they say it is from God, when they know it is not; and they lie about God, and knowingly. | And amongst them are some who distort (change words of) the Book with their tongues, so that you may think that this also is in the Book whereas it is not in the Book; and they say, “This is from Allah” whereas it is not from Allah; and they fabricate lies against Allah, whereas they know. | And there is a sect of them twist their tongues with the Book, that you may suppose it part of the Book, yet it is not part of the Book; and they say, 'It is from God,' yet it is not from God, and they speak falsehood against God, and that wittingly. | And, behold, there are indeed some among them who distort the Bible with their tongues, so as to make you think that [what they say] is from the Bible, the while it is not from the Bible; and who say, "This is from God," the while it is not from God: and thus do they tell a lie about God, being well aware [that it is a lie]. | And verily among them, are a party who pervert the Book with their tongues, that ye might deem it of the Book whereas it is not of the Book. And they say it is from God; whereas it is not from Allah, and they forge a lie against Allah while they know. | And verily, among them is a party who distort the Book with their tongues (as they read), so that you may think it is from the Book, but it is not from the Book, and they say: "This is from Allah," but it is not from Allah; and they speak a lie against Allah while they know it. | And among them are those who twist the Scripture with their tongues, that you may think it from the Scripture, when it is not from the Scripture. And they say, “It is from God,” when it is not from God. They tell lies and attribute them to God, knowingly. | And there is a party among them who twist their tongues while reciting the Book to make you think that it is part of the Book when in fact it is not. They say: 'It is from Allah', when in fact it is not from Allah. They falsely fix a lie upon Allah, and do so wittingly. | And verily, among them is a party who distort the Book with their tongues, so that you may think it is from the Book, but it is not from the Book, and they say: This is from Alla0h, but it is not from Alla0h؛ and they speak a lie against Alla0h while they know it. | And lo! there is a party of them who distort the Scripture with their tongues, that ye may think that what they say is from the Scripture, when it is not from the Scripture. And they say: It is from Allah, when it is not from Allah; and they speak a lie concerning Allah knowingly. | There is a group of them who alter their voice while reading out a text [that they have themselves authored], so that you may suppose it to be from the Book, though it is not from the Book, and they say, ‘It is from Allah,’ though it is not from Allah, and they attribute lies to Allah, and they know [it]. | And there is a sect among them who twist their tongues with the Book, so you will think it is from the Book, whereas it is not from the Book. They say: 'This is from Allah' whereas it is not from Allah. And they knowingly tell lies against Allah. | And indeed, there is among them a party who alter the Scripture with their tongues so you may think it is from the Scripture, but it is not from the Scripture. And they say, "This is from Allah," but it is not from Allah. And they speak untruth about Allah while they know. | A group among the People of the Book when reading the Bible, deliberately mispronounce words in order to change their meaning, try to show that what they have read is from the true Bible. In fact, what they have read is not from the true Bible. They say, "What we read is from God." In reality, it is not from God. They knowingly ascribe false statements to God. | Most surely there is a party amongst those who distort the Book with their tongue that you may consider it to be (a part) of the Book, and they say, It is from Allah, while it is not from Allah, and they tell a lie against Allah whilst they know. | Wainna minhum lafareeqan yalwoona alsinatahum bi<b>a</b>lkit<u>a</u>bi lita<u>h</u>saboohu mina alkit<u>a</u>bi wam<u>a</u> huwa mina alkit<u>a</u>bi wayaqooloona huwa min AAindi All<u>a</u>hi wam<u>a</u> huwa min AAindi All<u>a</u>hi wayaqooloona AAal<u>a</u> All<u>a</u>hi alka<u>th</u>iba wahum yaAAlamoon<b>a</b> | There are some among them who distort the Book by the way they speak to make you think that what they say is from the Book, whereas it is not. They say it is from God whereas it is not. Thus they tell a lie about God and they know it. | There is among them a section who distort the Book with their tongues: (As they read) you would think it is a part of the Book, but it is no part of the Book; and they say, "That is from Allah," but it is not from Allah: It is they who tell a lie against Allah, and (well) they know it! | 77 | 3 | وَإِنَّ مِنْهُمْ لَفَرِيقًا يَلْوُۥنَ أَلْسِنَتَهُم بِٱلْكِتَٰبِ لِتَحْسَبُوهُ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ | There is a group of Jews who twist their tongues when reciting the Torah that was revealed by Allah, so that you think that they are reciting from the Torah, whereas it is not from the Torah. Instead, it is their lies and fabrications against Allah. They say: What we recite has been revealed by Allah – whereas it was not revealed by Allah. They tell lies about Allah when they know they are lying against Allah and His messengers. | There is a group of Jews who twist their tongues when reciting the Torah that was revealed by Allah, so that you think that they are reciting from the Torah, whereas it is not from the Torah. Instead, it is their lies and fabrications against Allah. They say: What we recite has been revealed by Allah – whereas it was not revealed by Allah. They tell lies about Allah when they know they are lying against Allah and His messengers. | <p>Commentary</p><p>It was during the presence of the deputation from Najran that some Jews and Christians had said: '0 Muhammad, do you want us to worship you the way Christians worship Jesus, son of Mary?' He said: 'I seek refuge with Allah that we worship someone other than Allah or call on others to do so. Allah Almighty has not sent us to do that.' Thereupon, this verse was revealed.</p> | CommentaryIt was during the presence of the deputation from Najran that some Jews and Christians had said: '0 Muhammad, do you want us to worship you the way Christians worship Jesus, son of Mary?' He said: 'I seek refuge with Allah that we worship someone other than Allah or call on others to do so. Allah Almighty has not sent us to do that.' Thereupon, this verse was revealed. | <h2 class="title">The Jews Alter Allah's Words</h2><p>Allah states that some Jews, may Allah's curses descend on them, distort Allah's Words with their tongues, change them from their appropriate places, and alter their intended meanings. They do this to deceive the ignorant people by making it appear that their words are in the Book of Allah. They attribute their own lies to Allah, even though they know that they have lied and invented falsehood. Therefore, Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ</div><p>(and they speak a lie against Allah while they know it.)</p><p>Mujahid, Ash-Sha`bi, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said that,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يَلْوُونَ أَلْسِنَتَهُم بِالْكِتَـبِ</div><p>(who distort the Book with their tongues,) means, "They alter them (Allah's Words)."</p><p>Al-Bukhari reported that Ibn `Abbas said that the Ayah means they alter and add although none among Allah's creation can remove the Words of Allah from His Books, they alter and distort their apparent meanings. Wahb bin Munabbih said, "The Tawrah and the Injil remain as Allah revealed them, and no letter in them was removed. However, the people misguide others by addition and false interpretation, relying on books that they wrote themselves. Then,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ</div><p>(they say: "This is from Allah," but it is not from Allah;)</p><p>As for Allah's Books, they are still preserved and cannot be changed." Ibn Abi Hatim recorded this statement. However, if Wahb meant the books that are currently in the hands of the People of the Book, then we should state that there is no doubt that they altered, distorted, added to and deleted from them. For instance, the Arabic versions of these books contain tremendous error, many additions and deletions and enormous misinterpretation. Those who rendered these translations have incorrect comprehension in most, rather, all of these translations. If Wahb meant the Books of Allah that He has with Him, then indeed, these Books are preserved and were never changed.</p> | The Jews Alter Allah's WordsAllah states that some Jews, may Allah's curses descend on them, distort Allah's Words with their tongues, change them from their appropriate places, and alter their intended meanings. They do this to deceive the ignorant people by making it appear that their words are in the Book of Allah. They attribute their own lies to Allah, even though they know that they have lied and invented falsehood. Therefore, Allah said,وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ(and they speak a lie against Allah while they know it.)Mujahid, Ash-Sha`bi, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said that,يَلْوُونَ أَلْسِنَتَهُم بِالْكِتَـبِ(who distort the Book with their tongues,) means, "They alter them (Allah's Words)."Al-Bukhari reported that Ibn `Abbas said that the Ayah means they alter and add although none among Allah's creation can remove the Words of Allah from His Books, they alter and distort their apparent meanings. Wahb bin Munabbih said, "The Tawrah and the Injil remain as Allah revealed them, and no letter in them was removed. However, the people misguide others by addition and false interpretation, relying on books that they wrote themselves. Then,وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ(they say: "This is from Allah," but it is not from Allah;)As for Allah's Books, they are still preserved and cannot be changed." Ibn Abi Hatim recorded this statement. However, if Wahb meant the books that are currently in the hands of the People of the Book, then we should state that there is no doubt that they altered, distorted, added to and deleted from them. For instance, the Arabic versions of these books contain tremendous error, many additions and deletions and enormous misinterpretation. Those who rendered these translations have incorrect comprehension in most, rather, all of these translations. If Wahb meant the Books of Allah that He has with Him, then indeed, these Books are preserved and were never changed. |
It is not for a mortal to whom God reveals the Book and the judgement and the prophethood to say to the people: "Be my votaries instead of God's," but (to say): "Become learned in divine law, by virtue of teaching and studying the Book." | It is not for any human to whom Allah has given the Book and wisdom and Prophethood, that he should afterwards say to the people, “Leave (the worship of) Allah and be my worshippers” – but he will surely say, “Be sincere worshippers of Allah, because you teach the Book and you preach from it.” | It belongs not to any mortal that God should give him the Book, the Judgment, the Prophethood, then he should say to men, 'Be you servants to me apart from God.' Rather, 'Be you masters in that you know the Book, and in that you study.' | It is not conceivable that a human being unto whom God had granted revelation, and sound judgment, and prophethood, should thereafter have said unto people, "Worship me beside God"; but rather [did he exhort them], "Become men of God by spreading the knowledge of the divine writ, and by your own deep study [thereof]." | It is not Possible for a human being unto whom Allah hath vouchsafed the Book and Wisdom and prophethood that he should thereafter say unto men: be ye worshippers of me, beside Allah; but be ye faithful servants of the Lord, seeing that ye are wont to teach the Books and seeing that ye are wont to exercise yourselves therein. | It is not (possible) for any human being to whom Allah has given the Book and Al-Hukma (the knowledge and understanding of the laws of religion, etc.) and Prophethood to say to the people: "Be my worshippers rather than Allah's." On the contrary (he would say): "Be you Rabbaniyun (learned men of religion who practise what they know and also preach others), because you are teaching the Book, and you are studying it." | No person to whom God has given the Scripture, and wisdom, and prophethood would ever say to the people, “Be my worshipers rather than God’s.” Rather, “Be people of the Lord, according to the Scripture you teach, and the teachings you learn.” | It does not befit a man that Allah should grant him His Book and sound judgement and prophet-hood, and thereafter he should say to men: 'Become servants to me apart from Allah.' He would rather say: 'Become dedicated men of Allah, in accord with the dictates of the Book you have been teaching and studying.' | It is not (possible) for any human being to whom Allah has given the Book and Al-Hukm and prophethood to say to the people: "Be my worshippers rather than Allah's." On the contrary (he would say): "Be you Rabbaniyyun, because you are teaching the Book, and you are studying it." | It is not (possible) for any human being unto whom Allah had given the Scripture and wisdom and the prophethood that he should afterwards have said unto mankind: Be slaves of me instead of Allah; but (what he said was): Be ye faithful servants of the Lord by virtue of your constant teaching of the Scripture and of your constant study thereof. | It does not behoove any human that Allah should give him the Book, judgement and prophethood, and then he should say to the people, ‘Be my servants instead of Allah.’ Rather [he would say], ‘Be a godly people, because of your teaching the Book and because of your studying it.’ | No human to whom Allah has given the (Holy) Book, Judgement and Prophethood would say to the people: 'Be worshipers of me, other than Allah' But rather, 'Be of the Lord, for that you teach the Book, and in that you have studied' | It is not for a human [prophet] that Allah should give him the Scripture and authority and prophethood and then he would say to the people, "Be servants to me rather than Allah," 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." | God would never give the Book, authority, or prophesy to any person who would tell others to be his servants instead of being the servants of God. He would rather tell them to worship God for they had been teaching and studying the Book. | It is not meet for a mortal that Allah should give him the Book and the wisdom and prophethood, then he should say to men: Be my servants rather than Allah's; but rather (he would say): Be worshippers of the Lord because of your teaching the Book and your reading (it yourselves). | M<u>a</u> k<u>a</u>na libasharin an yutiyahu All<u>a</u>hu alkit<u>a</u>ba wa<b>a</b>l<u>h</u>ukma wa<b>al</b>nnubuwwata thumma yaqoola li<b>l</b>nn<u>a</u>si koonoo AAib<u>a</u>dan lee min dooni All<u>a</u>hi wal<u>a</u>kin koonoo rabb<u>a</u>niyyeena bim<u>a</u> kuntum tuAAallimoona alkit<u>a</u>ba wabim<u>a</u> kuntum tadrusoon<b>a</b> | No one to whom God has given the Scriptures and on whom He has bestowed wisdom and prophethood would say to men, "Worship me instead of God." [He would say rather], "Be devoted servants of God, for you have taught and studied the Scriptures." | It is not (possible) that a man, to whom is given the Book, and Wisdom, and the prophetic office, should say to people: "Be ye my worshippers rather than Allah's": on the contrary (He would say) "Be ye worshippers of Him Who is truly the Cherisher of all: For ye have taught the Book and ye have studied it earnestly." | 78 | 3 | مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُؤْتِيَهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْحُكْمَ وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُوا۟ عِبَادًا لِّى مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَٰكِن كُونُوا۟ رَبَّٰنِيِّۦنَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ | 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. | 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. | <p>The infallibility of the Prophets</p><p>The verse implies that a person whom Allah invests with the Book, the Wisdom and the power of making decisions, and places him on the great station of prophethood is always faithful to his mission when he communicates the Divine message to people and calls on them to be-come His faithful servants. That he starts moving people away from the worship of only one God and starts asking them to become his own worshippers or the worshippers of some other creatures is something he can never do. If so, this would mean that the one whom Allah had sent as his messenger did not, in fact, deserve this designation. Any government of this world, when appointing someone to an office of responsibility, always takes two factors into consideration:</p><p>1. Does the incumbent have the ability to comprehend and execute government policy?</p><p>2. How far can he be expected to execute government directives, and to hold its subjects in a stable stance of loyalty? No king or parliament would ever appoint someone as its representative or ambassador about whom there exists the least doubt of indulging in anti-government activity, or deviation from its policy or directives. However, it is possible that the government may have failed to make a correct assessment of a person's ability or loyalty. But with Allah even that element of doubt does not exist. If He knows about a man that he would not over-step the bounds of loyalty and obedience to Him, even in the slightest degree, then it is impossible that he could, later on, prove to be contrary to that assessment. Otherwise, it would mean that Divine knowledge is defective (we seek refuge with Allah! ) Right from here, the question of the ` ismah1 (infallibility) of the prophets, (علیہم السلام) becomes clear. Now that the blessed prophets are free of minor sins, how can the probability of doing shirk (the major sin of associating others with Allah) or making revolt against Allah remain valid?</p><p>1.` Ismah' means a special protection given to someone by Allah which makes him refrain from sins. For the purpose of brevity we may translate it as 'infallibility' – editor</p><p>In this, there is the necessary refutation of the Christians who claimed that it was Masih (علیہ السلام) who asked them to have belief in his sonship and godhead. Also chastised were the Muslims who had gone to the Holy Prophet . ﷺ trying to find out if it was all right for them to prostrate before him rather than greet him with the usual سلام salam. Also admonished were the people of the Book who had invested their rabbis and monks with the station of God. Refuge with Allah! (Tafsir ` Usmani)</p> | The infallibility of the ProphetsThe verse implies that a person whom Allah invests with the Book, the Wisdom and the power of making decisions, and places him on the great station of prophethood is always faithful to his mission when he communicates the Divine message to people and calls on them to be-come His faithful servants. That he starts moving people away from the worship of only one God and starts asking them to become his own worshippers or the worshippers of some other creatures is something he can never do. If so, this would mean that the one whom Allah had sent as his messenger did not, in fact, deserve this designation. Any government of this world, when appointing someone to an office of responsibility, always takes two factors into consideration:1. Does the incumbent have the ability to comprehend and execute government policy?2. How far can he be expected to execute government directives, and to hold its subjects in a stable stance of loyalty? No king or parliament would ever appoint someone as its representative or ambassador about whom there exists the least doubt of indulging in anti-government activity, or deviation from its policy or directives. However, it is possible that the government may have failed to make a correct assessment of a person's ability or loyalty. But with Allah even that element of doubt does not exist. If He knows about a man that he would not over-step the bounds of loyalty and obedience to Him, even in the slightest degree, then it is impossible that he could, later on, prove to be contrary to that assessment. Otherwise, it would mean that Divine knowledge is defective (we seek refuge with Allah! ) Right from here, the question of the ` ismah1 (infallibility) of the prophets, (علیہم السلام) becomes clear. Now that the blessed prophets are free of minor sins, how can the probability of doing shirk (the major sin of associating others with Allah) or making revolt against Allah remain valid?1.` Ismah' means a special protection given to someone by Allah which makes him refrain from sins. For the purpose of brevity we may translate it as 'infallibility' – editorIn this, there is the necessary refutation of the Christians who claimed that it was Masih (علیہ السلام) who asked them to have belief in his sonship and godhead. Also chastised were the Muslims who had gone to the Holy Prophet . ﷺ trying to find out if it was all right for them to prostrate before him rather than greet him with the usual سلام salam. Also admonished were the people of the Book who had invested their rabbis and monks with the station of God. Refuge with Allah! (Tafsir ` Usmani) | <h2 class="title">No Prophet Ever Called People to Worship him or to Worship Other Than Allah</h2><p>This Ayah 3:79 means, it is not for a person whom Allah has given the Book, knowledge in the Law and prophethood to proclaim to the people, "Worship me instead of Allah," meaning, along with Allah. If this is not the right of a Prophet or a Messenger, then indeed, it is not the right of anyone else to issue such a claim.</p><p>This criticism refers to the ignorant rabbis, priests and teachers of misguidance, unlike the Messengers and their sincere knowledgeable followers who implement their knowledge; for they only command what Allah commands them, as their honorable Messengers conveyed to them. They also forbid what Allah forbade for them, by the words of His honorable Messengers. The Messengers, may Allah's peace and blessings be on all of them, are the emissaries between Allah and His creation, conveying Allah's Message and Trust. The messengers indeed fulfilled their mission, gave sincere advice to creation and conveyed the truth to them. Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلَـكِن كُونُواْ رَبَّـنِيِّينَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْكِتَـبَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ</div><p>(On the contrary (he would say), "Be you Rabbaniyyun, because you are teaching the Book, and you are studying it.") means, the Messenger recommends the people to be Rabbaniyyun. Ibn `Abbas, Abu Razin and several others said that Rabbaniyyun means, "Wise, learned, and forbearing." Ad-Dahhak commented concerning Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْكِتَـبَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ</div><p>(because you are teaching the Book, and you are studying it.) "Whoever learns the Qur'an deserves to become a Faqih (learned)."</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ</div><p>(and you are studying it), preserving its words.</p><p>Allah then said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلاَ يَأْمُرَكُمْ أَن تَتَّخِذُواْ الْمَلَـئِكَةَ وَالنَّبِيِّيْنَ أَرْبَابًا</div><p>(Nor would he order you to take angels and Prophets for lords.) The Prophet does not command worshipping other than Allah, whether a sent Messenger or an angel.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْكُفْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ أَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ</div><p>(Would he order you to disbelieve after you have submitted to Allah's will) meaning, he would not do that, for whoever calls to worshipping other than Allah, will have called to Kufr. The Prophets only call to Iman which commands worshipping Allah Alone without partners. Allah said in other Ayat,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ نُوحِى إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ أَنَاْ فَاعْبُدُونِ </div><p>(And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad ) but We revealed to him (saying): "None has the right to be worshipped but I, so worship Me".) 21:25,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الْطَّـغُوتَ</div><p>(And verily, We have sent among every Ummah a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid Taghut (all false deities).") 16:36, and,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَاسْئلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رُّسُلِنَآ أَجَعَلْنَا مِن دُونِ الرَّحْمَـنِ ءَالِهَةً يُعْبَدُونَ </div><p>(And ask those of Our Messengers whom We sent before you: "Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the Most Gracious (Allah)") 43:45</p><p>Allah said concerning the angels,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَن يَقُلْ مِنْهُمْ إِنِّى إِلَـهٌ مِّن دُونِهِ فَذلِكَ نَجْزِيهِ جَهَنَّمَ كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الظَّـلِمِينَ </div><p>(And if any of them should say: "Verily, I am a god besides Him (Allah)," such a one We should recompense with Hell. Thus We recompense the wrongdoers.) 21:29.</p> | No Prophet Ever Called People to Worship him or to Worship Other Than AllahThis Ayah 3:79 means, it is not for a person whom Allah has given the Book, knowledge in the Law and prophethood to proclaim to the people, "Worship me instead of Allah," meaning, along with Allah. If this is not the right of a Prophet or a Messenger, then indeed, it is not the right of anyone else to issue such a claim.This criticism refers to the ignorant rabbis, priests and teachers of misguidance, unlike the Messengers and their sincere knowledgeable followers who implement their knowledge; for they only command what Allah commands them, as their honorable Messengers conveyed to them. They also forbid what Allah forbade for them, by the words of His honorable Messengers. The Messengers, may Allah's peace and blessings be on all of them, are the emissaries between Allah and His creation, conveying Allah's Message and Trust. The messengers indeed fulfilled their mission, gave sincere advice to creation and conveyed the truth to them. Allah's statement,وَلَـكِن كُونُواْ رَبَّـنِيِّينَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْكِتَـبَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ(On the contrary (he would say), "Be you Rabbaniyyun, because you are teaching the Book, and you are studying it.") means, the Messenger recommends the people to be Rabbaniyyun. Ibn `Abbas, Abu Razin and several others said that Rabbaniyyun means, "Wise, learned, and forbearing." Ad-Dahhak commented concerning Allah's statement,بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْكِتَـبَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ(because you are teaching the Book, and you are studying it.) "Whoever learns the Qur'an deserves to become a Faqih (learned)."وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ(and you are studying it), preserving its words.Allah then said,وَلاَ يَأْمُرَكُمْ أَن تَتَّخِذُواْ الْمَلَـئِكَةَ وَالنَّبِيِّيْنَ أَرْبَابًا(Nor would he order you to take angels and Prophets for lords.) The Prophet does not command worshipping other than Allah, whether a sent Messenger or an angel.أَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْكُفْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ أَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ(Would he order you to disbelieve after you have submitted to Allah's will) meaning, he would not do that, for whoever calls to worshipping other than Allah, will have called to Kufr. The Prophets only call to Iman which commands worshipping Allah Alone without partners. Allah said in other Ayat,وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ نُوحِى إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ أَنَاْ فَاعْبُدُونِ (And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad ) but We revealed to him (saying): "None has the right to be worshipped but I, so worship Me".) 21:25,وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الْطَّـغُوتَ(And verily, We have sent among every Ummah a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid Taghut (all false deities).") 16:36, and,وَاسْئلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رُّسُلِنَآ أَجَعَلْنَا مِن دُونِ الرَّحْمَـنِ ءَالِهَةً يُعْبَدُونَ (And ask those of Our Messengers whom We sent before you: "Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the Most Gracious (Allah)") 43:45Allah said concerning the angels,وَمَن يَقُلْ مِنْهُمْ إِنِّى إِلَـهٌ مِّن دُونِهِ فَذلِكَ نَجْزِيهِ جَهَنَّمَ كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الظَّـلِمِينَ (And if any of them should say: "Verily, I am a god besides Him (Allah)," such a one We should recompense with Hell. Thus We recompense the wrongdoers.) 21:29. |
He will surely not bid you make the angels and the prophets your lords. Would he order you disbelief after you have submitted (and accepted the law of God)? | And nor will he command you to appoint the angels and the Prophets as Gods; would he (a Prophet) command you to disbelieve after you have become Muslims? | He would never order you to take the angels and the Prophets as Lords; what, would He order you to disbelieve, after you have surrendered? | And neither did he bid you to take the angels and the prophets for your lords: [for] would he bid you to deny the truth after you have surrendered yourselves unto God? | And he would not command you that ye should take the angels and the prophets for lords. Would he command you to infidelity after ye are become Muslims? | Nor would he order you to take angels and Prophets for lords (gods). Would he order you to disbelieve after you have submitted to Allah's Will? (Tafsir At-Tabari). | Nor would he command you to take the angels and the prophets as lords. Would he command you to infidelity after you have submitted? | He will never enjoin you to take the angels or Prophets for your lords. Will he enjoin upon you unbelief when you have submitted yourselves to Allah? | Nor would he order you to take angels and Prophets for lords. Would he order you to disbelieve after you have submitted to Allah's will | And he commanded you not that ye should take the angels and the prophets for lords. Would he command you to disbelieve after ye had surrendered (to Allah)? | And he would not command you to take the angels and the prophets for lords. Would he call you to unfaith after you have submitted [to Allah]? | Nor would he order you to take the angels and the Prophets for lords, what, would he order you with disbelief after you were submitters (Muslims)! | Nor could he order you to take the angels and prophets as lords. Would he order you to disbelief after you had been Muslims? | A Prophet would never order you to take the angels and the Prophets as your Lords. Would he order you to disbelieve after you have submitted yourselves to God? | And neither would he enjoin you that you should take the angels and the prophets for lords; what! would he enjoin you with unbelief after you are Muslims? | Wal<u>a</u> yamurakum an tattakhi<u>th</u>oo almal<u>a</u>ikata wa<b>al</b>nnabiyyeena arb<u>a</u>ban ayamurukum bi<b>a</b>lkufri baAAda i<u>th</u> antum muslimoon<b>a</b> | Nor would he enjoin you to take the angels and the prophets as your lords; how could he command you to be disbelievers after you have submitted to God. | Nor would he instruct you to take angels and prophets for Lords and patrons. What! would he bid you to unbelief after ye have bowed your will (To Allah in Islam)? | 79 | 3 | وَلَا يَأْمُرَكُمْ أَن تَتَّخِذُوا۟ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ وَٱلنَّبِيِّۦنَ أَرْبَابًا أَيَأْمُرُكُم بِٱلْكُفْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ أَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ | It is also not right for such a man to instruct you to take the angels and the prophets as lords to be worshipped besides Allah. Is it possible that he would instruct you to disbelieve after you have become devoted and have surrendered to Him? | It is also not right for such a man to instruct you to take the angels and the prophets as lords to be worshipped besides Allah. Is it possible that he would instruct you to disbelieve after you have become devoted and have surrendered to Him? | ||||
Remember when God covenanted the prophets (and said): "If after I have given you the Law and the judgement there comes an apostle to you who confirms the truth already with you, you will surely believe him and help him;" and asked: "Do you accept and agree to the terms of My covenant?" They said: "We accept." "Then you be witness," said God, "and I shall be witness with you. | And remember when Allah took a covenant from the Prophets; “If I give you the Book and knowledge and the (promised) Noble Messenger (Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) comes to you, confirming the Books you possess, you shall positively, definitely believe in him and you shall positively, definitely help him”; He said, “Do you agree, and accept My binding responsibility in this matter?” They all answered, “We agree”; He said, “Then bear witness amongst yourselves, and I Myself am a witness with you.” | And when God took compact with the Prophets: 'That I have given you of Book and Wisdom; then there shall come to you a Messenger confirming what is with you -- you shall believe in him and you shall help him; do you agree?' He said. 'And do you take My load on you on that condition?' They said, 'We do agree.' God said, 'Bear witness so, and I shall be with you among the witnesses.' | AND, LO, God accepted, through the prophets, this solemn pledge [from the followers of earlier revelation]: "If, after all the revelation and the wisdom which I have vouchsafed unto you, there comes to you an apostle confirming the truth already in your possession, you must believe in him and succour him. Do you" - said He - "acknowledge and accept My bond on this condition?" They answered: "We do acknowledge it." Said He: "Then bear witness [thereto], and I shall be your witness. | And recall what time Allah took a bond from the prophets saying whatever I vouchsafed unto you of Book and Wisdom, end, thereafter there cometh unto you an apostle confessing to that which is with you, ye shall surely believe in him and succour him. He said: assent ye, and take ye My burthen thereunto They said: we assent. He said: then bear Witness, and I, with you among the witnesses. | And (remember) when Allah took the Covenant of the Prophets, saying: "Take whatever I gave you from the Book and Hikmah (understanding of the Laws of Allah, etc.), and afterwards there will come to you a Messenger (Muhammad SAW) confirming what is with you; you must, then, believe in him and help him." Allah said: "Do you agree (to it) and will you take up My Covenant (which I conclude with you)?" They said: "We agree." He said: "Then bear witness; and I am with you among the witnesses (for this)." | God received the covenant of the prophets, “Inasmuch as I have given you of scripture and wisdom; should a messenger come to you verifying what you have, you shall believe in him, and support him.” He said, “Do you affirm My covenant and take it upon yourselves?” They said, “We affirm it.” He said, “Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses.” | And recall when Allah took a covenant from the Prophets: 'This is the Book and the Wisdom which I have given you. But should a Prophet come to you confirming that which is already with you, you shall believe in him and shall help him. So saying, Allah asked: 'Do you agree and accept to take up the burden of the covenant?' They answered: 'We agree,' He said: 'Then bear wirness; and I will be with you among the witness. | And (remember) when Allah took the covenant of the Prophets, saying: "Take whatever I gave you from the Book and Hikmah, and afterwards there will come to you a Messenger confirming what is with you; you must, then, believe in him and help him." Allah said: "Do you agree (to it) and will you take up Isri" They said: "We agree." He said: "Then bear witness; and I am with you among the witnesses." | When Allah made (His) covenant with the prophets, (He said): Behold that which I have given you of the Scripture and knowledge. And afterward there will come unto you a messenger, confirming that which ye possess. Ye shall believe in him and ye shall help him. He said: Do ye agree, and will ye take up My burden (which I lay upon you) in this (matter)? They answered: We agree. He said: Then bear ye witness. I will be a witness with you. | When Allah took a compact concerning the prophets, [He said,] ‘Inasmuch as I have given you [the knowledge] of the Book and wisdom, should an apostle come to you thereafter confirming what is with you, you shall believe in him and help him.’ He said, ‘Do you pledge and accept My covenant on this condition?’ They said, ‘We pledge.’ He said, ‘Then be witnesses, and I, too, am among the witnesses along with you.’ | And when Allah took the covenant of the Prophets: 'That I have given you of the Book and Wisdom. Then there shall come to you a Messenger (Muhammad) confirming what is with you, you shall believe in him and you shall support him to be victorious, do you agree and take My load on this' They answered: 'We do agree' Allah said: 'Then bear witness, and I will be with you among the witnesses' | And [recall, O People of the Scripture], when Allah took the covenant of the prophets, [saying], "Whatever I give you of the Scripture and wisdom and then there comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you, you [must] believe in him and support him." [Allah] said, "Have you acknowledged and taken upon that My commitment?" They said, "We have acknowledged it." He said, "Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses." | When God made a covenant with the Prophets, saying, "When I give you the Book and wisdom and a Messenger comes to you who will testify to the guidance which you have received from Me, you must believe in him and help him, then He asked them, "Do you affirm and accept my covenant?" They replied, "Yes, we affirm it." The Lord said, "Then bear witness to this and I shall bear witness with you". | And when Allah made a covenant through the prophets: Certainly what I have given you of Book and wisdom-- then an apostle comes to you verifying that which is with you, you must believe in him, and you must aid him. He said: Do you affirm and accept My compact in this (matter)? They said: We do affirm. He said: Then bear witness, and I (too) am of the bearers of witness with you. | Wai<u>th</u> akha<u>th</u>a All<u>a</u>hu meeth<u>a</u>qa a<b>l</b>nnabiyyeena lam<u>a</u> <u>a</u>taytukum min kit<u>a</u>bin wa<u>h</u>ikmatin thumma j<u>a</u>akum rasoolun mu<u>s</u>addiqun lim<u>a</u> maAAakum latuminunna bihi walatan<u>s</u>urunnahu q<u>a</u>la aaqrartum waakha<u>th</u>tum AAal<u>a</u> <u>tha</u>likum i<u>s</u>ree q<u>a</u>loo aqrarn<u>a</u> q<u>a</u>la fa<b>i</b>shhadoo waan<u>a</u> maAAakum mina a<b>l</b>shsh<u>a</u>hideen<b>a</b> | When God made a covenant with the prophets, He said, "Here is the Book and the wisdom which I have given you. When there comes to you a messenger fulfilling that [predictions about him in their Scripture] which is with you, you must believe in him and help him. Do you then affirm this and accept the responsibility I have laid upon you in these terms?" They said, "We will affirm it." God said, "Then bear witness, and I will bear witness with you." | Behold! Allah took the covenant of the prophets, saying: "I give you a Book and Wisdom; then comes to you a messenger, confirming what is with you; do ye believe in him and render him help." Allah said: "Do ye agree, and take this my Covenant as binding on you?" They said: "We agree." He said: "Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses." | 80 | 3 | وَإِذْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِيثَٰقَ ٱلنَّبِيِّۦنَ لَمَآ ءَاتَيْتُكُم مِّن كِتَٰبٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ ثُمَّ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِۦ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُۥ قَالَ ءَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكُمْ إِصْرِى قَالُوٓا۟ أَقْرَرْنَا قَالَ فَٱشْهَدُوا۟ وَأَنَا۠ مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلشَّٰهِدِينَ | Remember, O Messenger, when Allah took an affirmed promise from the prophets, saying to them: If I give you a revealed book, teach you wisdom and make you reach a high rank and status, and then My Messenger comes to you confirming the book and wisdom that you have, then you must accept what he brings and help him as his followers. Do you, O prophets, accept this and give Me a firm commitment for that? They replied, ‘We accept that’. Allah said: Bear witness against yourselves and your communities, and I will also be a witness against you and them. | Remember, O Messenger, when Allah took an affirmed promise from the prophets, saying to them: If I give you a revealed book, teach you wisdom and make you reach a high rank and status, and then My Messenger comes to you confirming the book and wisdom that you have, then you must accept what he brings and help him as his followers. Do you, O prophets, accept this and give Me a firm commitment for that? They replied, ‘We accept that’. Allah said: Bear witness against yourselves and your communities, and I will also be a witness against you and them. | <h2 class="title">Taking a Pledge From the Prophets to Believe in Our Prophet, Muhammad</h2><p>Allah states that He took a pledge from every Prophet whom He sent from Adam until `Isa, that when Allah gives them the Book and the Hikmah, thus acquiring whatever high grades they deserve, then a Messenger came afterwards, they would believe in and support him. Even though Allah has given the Prophets the knowledge and the prophethood, this fact should not make them refrain from following and supporting the Prophet who comes after them. This is why Allah, the Most High, Most Honored, said</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَـقَ النَّبِيِّيْنَ لَمَآ ءَاتَيْتُكُم مِّن كِتَـبٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ</div><p>(And (remember) when Allah took the covenant of the Prophets, saying: "Take whatever I gave you from the Book and Hikmah.") meaning, if I give you the Book and the Hikmah,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">ثُمَّ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُ قَالَ ءَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَى ذلِكُمْ إِصْرِى</div><p>("and afterwards there will come to you a Messenger confirming what is with you; you must, then, believe in him and help him." Allah said, "Do you agree (to it) and will you take up Isri")</p><p>Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Ar-Rabi`, Qatadah and As-Suddi said that `Isri' means, "My covenant." Muhammad bin Ishaq said that,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِصْرِى</div><p>(Isri) means, "The responsibility of My covenant that you took," meaning, the ratified pledge that you gave Me.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قَالُواْ أَقْرَرْنَا قَالَ فَاشْهَدُواْ وَأَنَاْ مَعَكُمْ مِّنَ الشَّـهِدِينَفَمَنْ تَوَلَّى بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ</div><p>(They said: "We agree." He said: "Then bear witness; and I am with you among the witnesses." then whoever turns away after this,") from fulfilling this pledge and covenant, c</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْفَـسِقُونَ</div><p>(they are the rebellious.) `Ali bin Abi Talib and his cousin `Abdullah bin `Abbas said, "Allah never sent a Prophet but after taking his pledge that if Muhammad were sent in his lifetime, he would believe in and support him." Allah commanded each Prophet to take a pledge from his nation that if Muhammad were sent in their time, they would believe in and support him. Tawus, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and Qatadah said, "Allah took the pledge from the Prophets that they would believe in each other", and this statement does not contradict what `Ali and Ibn `Abbas stated.</p><p>Therefore, Muhammad is the Final Prophet until the Day of Resurrection. He is the greatest Imam, who if he existed in any time period, deserves to be obeyed, rather than all other Prophets. This is why Muhammad led the Prophets in prayer during the night of Isra' when they gathered in Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). He is the intercessor on the Day of Gathering, when the Lord comes to judge between His servants. This is Al-Maqam Al-Mahmud (the praised station) refer to 17:79 that only Muhammad deserves, a responsibility which the mighty Prophets and Messengers will decline to assume. However, Muhammad will carry the task of intercession, may Allah's peace and blessings be on him.</p> | Taking a Pledge From the Prophets to Believe in Our Prophet, MuhammadAllah states that He took a pledge from every Prophet whom He sent from Adam until `Isa, that when Allah gives them the Book and the Hikmah, thus acquiring whatever high grades they deserve, then a Messenger came afterwards, they would believe in and support him. Even though Allah has given the Prophets the knowledge and the prophethood, this fact should not make them refrain from following and supporting the Prophet who comes after them. This is why Allah, the Most High, Most Honored, saidوَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَـقَ النَّبِيِّيْنَ لَمَآ ءَاتَيْتُكُم مِّن كِتَـبٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ(And (remember) when Allah took the covenant of the Prophets, saying: "Take whatever I gave you from the Book and Hikmah.") meaning, if I give you the Book and the Hikmah,ثُمَّ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُ قَالَ ءَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَى ذلِكُمْ إِصْرِى("and afterwards there will come to you a Messenger confirming what is with you; you must, then, believe in him and help him." Allah said, "Do you agree (to it) and will you take up Isri")Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Ar-Rabi`, Qatadah and As-Suddi said that `Isri' means, "My covenant." Muhammad bin Ishaq said that,إِصْرِى(Isri) means, "The responsibility of My covenant that you took," meaning, the ratified pledge that you gave Me.قَالُواْ أَقْرَرْنَا قَالَ فَاشْهَدُواْ وَأَنَاْ مَعَكُمْ مِّنَ الشَّـهِدِينَفَمَنْ تَوَلَّى بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ(They said: "We agree." He said: "Then bear witness; and I am with you among the witnesses." then whoever turns away after this,") from fulfilling this pledge and covenant, cفَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْفَـسِقُونَ(they are the rebellious.) `Ali bin Abi Talib and his cousin `Abdullah bin `Abbas said, "Allah never sent a Prophet but after taking his pledge that if Muhammad were sent in his lifetime, he would believe in and support him." Allah commanded each Prophet to take a pledge from his nation that if Muhammad were sent in their time, they would believe in and support him. Tawus, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and Qatadah said, "Allah took the pledge from the Prophets that they would believe in each other", and this statement does not contradict what `Ali and Ibn `Abbas stated.Therefore, Muhammad is the Final Prophet until the Day of Resurrection. He is the greatest Imam, who if he existed in any time period, deserves to be obeyed, rather than all other Prophets. This is why Muhammad led the Prophets in prayer during the night of Isra' when they gathered in Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). He is the intercessor on the Day of Gathering, when the Lord comes to judge between His servants. This is Al-Maqam Al-Mahmud (the praised station) refer to 17:79 that only Muhammad deserves, a responsibility which the mighty Prophets and Messengers will decline to assume. However, Muhammad will carry the task of intercession, may Allah's peace and blessings be on him. |
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Then any one who turns away will be a transgressor." | So those who turn away after this – it is they who are the sinners. | Then whosoever turns his back after that -- they are the ungodly. | And, henceforth, all who turn away [from this pledge] - it is they, they who are truly iniquitous!" | Wherefore whosoever shall turn away thereafter -those then! they are the transgressors. | Then whoever turns away after this, they are the Fasiqun (rebellious: those who turn away from Allah's Obedience). | Whoever turns away after that—these are the deceitful. | Then whosoever shall turn away from this covenant they are the transgressors. | Then whoever turns away after this, they are the rebellious. | Then whosoever after this shall turn away: they will be miscreants. | Then whoever turns away after that—it is they who are the transgressors. | Whosoever turns back after that, they are the transgressors. | And whoever turned away after that - they were the defiantly disobedient. | After this, whoever turns away will be of the evil-doers. | Whoever therefore turns back after this, these it is that are the transgressors. | Faman tawall<u>a</u> baAAda <u>tha</u>lika faol<u>a</u>ika humu alf<u>a</u>siqoon<b>a</b> | Now whoever turns away after this, are surely transgressors. | If any turn back after this, they are perverted transgressors. | 81 | 3 | فَمَن تَوَلَّىٰ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْفَٰسِقُونَ | Whoever turns away after this promise witnessed by Allah and His messengers, they are the ones who leave the religion of Allah and His obedience. | Whoever turns away after this promise witnessed by Allah and His messengers, they are the ones who leave the religion of Allah and His obedience. | ||||
Do they seek another way than God's? But whosoever is in the heavens and the earth is submissive to God and obedient (to Him), by choice or constraint, and will be returned to Him. | So do they desire a religion other than the religion of Allah, whereas to Him has submitted whoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or grudgingly, and it is to Him they will return? | What, do they desire another religion than God's, and to Him has surrendered whoso is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and to Him they shall be returned? | Do they seek, perchance, a faith other than in God, although it is unto Him that whatever is in the heavens and on earth surrenders itself, willingly or unwillingly, since unto Him all must return? | Seek they then other than the religion of Allah Whereas unto Him hath submitted whosoever is in the heavens and the earth willingly or unwillingly, and unto Him shall they all be returned. | Do they seek other than the religion of Allah (the true Islamic Monotheism worshipping none but Allah Alone), while to Him submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly. And to Him shall they all be returned. | Do they desire other than the religion of God, when to Him has submitted everything in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and to Him they will be returned? | Do they now seek a religion other than prescribed by Allah even though all that is in the heavens and the earth is in submission to Him - willing or unwillingly - and to Him all shall return? | Do they seek other than the religion of Allah, while to Him submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly. And to Him shall they all be returned. | Seek they other than the religion of Allah, when unto Him submitteth whosoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and unto Him they will be returned. | Do they seek a religion other than that of Allah, while to Him submits whoever there is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and to Him they will be brought back? | Are they seeking a religion other than that of Allah, and to Him whosoever is in the heavens and the earth has submitted willingly and unwillingly. To Him they shall be returned. | So is it other than the religion of Allah they desire, while to Him have submitted [all] those within the heavens and earth, willingly or by compulsion, and to Him they will be returned? | Do they want a religion other than the religion of God when all that is in the heavens and the earth have submitted themselves to His will, either by their own free will or by force? To God do all things return. | Is it then other than Allah's religion that they seek (to follow), and to Him submits whoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and to Him shall they be returned. | Afaghayra deeni All<u>a</u>hi yabghoona walahu aslama man fee a<b>l</b>ssam<u>a</u>w<u>a</u>ti wa<b>a</b>lar<u>d</u>i <u>t</u>awAAan wakarhan wailayhi yurjaAAoon<b>a</b> | Do they seek a religion other than the religion of God, when everything in the heavens and the earth has submitted to Him, willingly or unwillingly? To Him they shall all return. | Do they seek for other than the Religion of Allah?-while all creatures in the heavens and on earth have, willing or unwilling, bowed to His Will (Accepted Islam), and to Him shall they all be brought back. | 82 | 3 | أَفَغَيْرَ دِينِ ٱللَّهِ يَبْغُونَ وَلَهُۥٓ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ | Do these people, who leave the religion of Allah and His obedience, look for something other than the religion Allah has chosen for His worship when every creation in the heavens and earth surrenders to Him, whether willingly like the believers, or unwillingly, like the disbelievers? Then all of creation will return to Him on the Day of Resurrection to give an account for their actions. | Do these people, who leave the religion of Allah and His obedience, look for something other than the religion Allah has chosen for His worship when every creation in the heavens and earth surrenders to Him, whether willingly like the believers, or unwillingly, like the disbelievers? Then all of creation will return to Him on the Day of Resurrection to give an account for their actions. | <h2 class="title">The Only Valid Religion To Allah is Islam</h2><p>Allah rebukes those who prefer a religion other than the religion that He sent His Books and Messengers with, which is the worship of Allah Alone without partners, to Whom,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ</div><p>(submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth,) Willingly, or not. Allah said in other Ayat,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَللَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا</div><p>(And unto Allah (Alone) falls in prostration whoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly.) 13:15, and,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أَوَ لَمْيَرَوْاْ إِلَىخَلَقَ اللَّهُ مِن شَىْءٍ يَتَفَيَّأُ ظِلَـلُهُ عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَالْشَّمَآئِلِ سُجَّدًا لِلَّهِ وَهُمْوَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ مِن دَآبَّةٍ وَالْمَلَـئِكَةُ وَهُمْ لاَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ يَخَـفُونَ رَبَّهُمْ مِّن فَوْقِهِمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ </div><p>(Have they not observed things that Allah has created: (how) their shadows incline to the right and to the left, making prostration unto Allah, and they are lowly And to Allah prostrate all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, of the moving creatures and the angels, and they are not proud. They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded) 16: 48-50.</p><p>Therefore, the faithful believer submits to Allah in heart and body, while the disbeliever unwillingly submits to Him in body only, since he is under Allah's power, irresistible control and mighty kingship that cannot be repelled or resisted. Waki` reported that Mujahid said that the Ayah,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا</div><p>(While to Him submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly), is similar to the Ayah,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُمْ مَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ</div><p>(And verily, if you ask them: "Who created the heavens and the earth" Surely, they will say: "Allah") 39:38.</p><p>He also reported that Ibn `Abbas said about,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا</div><p>(while to Him submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly.)</p><p>"When He took the covenant from them."</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ</div><p>(And to Him shall they all be returned) on the Day of Return, when He will reward or punish each person according to his or her deeds.</p><p>Allah then said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُلْ ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا</div><p>(Say: "We believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to us) the Qur'an,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَى إِبْرَهِيمَ وَإِسْمَـعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ</div><p>(and what was sent down to Ibrahim, Ismai`0l, Ishaq, Ya`qub) the scriptures and revelation,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَالأَسْبَاطَ</div><p>(and the Asbat,) the Asbat are the twelve tribes who originated from the twelve children of Israel (Ya`qub).</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَا أُوتِىَ مُوسَى وَعِيسَى</div><p>(and what was given to Musa, `Isa) the Tawrah and the Injil,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَالنَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ</div><p>(and the Prophets from their Lord.) and this encompasses all of Allah's Prophets.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لاَ نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ</div><p>(We make no distinction between one another among them) we believe in all of them,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ</div><p>(And to Him (Allah) we have submitted (in Islam))</p><p>Therefore, faithful Muslims believe in every Prophet whom Allah has sent and in every Book He revealed, and never disbelieve in any of them. Rather, they believe in what was revealed by Allah, and in every Prophet sent by Allah. Allah said next,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الإِسْلَـمِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ</div><p>(And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him,) whoever seeks other than what Allah has legislated, it will not be accepted from him,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَهُوَ فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَـسِرِينَ</div><p>(and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.)</p><p>As the Prophet said in an authentic Hadith,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا، فَهُوَ رَد»</div><p>(Whoever commits an action that does not conform to our matter (religion) then it is rejected).</p> | The Only Valid Religion To Allah is IslamAllah rebukes those who prefer a religion other than the religion that He sent His Books and Messengers with, which is the worship of Allah Alone without partners, to Whom,وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ(submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth,) Willingly, or not. Allah said in other Ayat,وَللَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا(And unto Allah (Alone) falls in prostration whoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly.) 13:15, and,أَوَ لَمْيَرَوْاْ إِلَىخَلَقَ اللَّهُ مِن شَىْءٍ يَتَفَيَّأُ ظِلَـلُهُ عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَالْشَّمَآئِلِ سُجَّدًا لِلَّهِ وَهُمْوَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ مِن دَآبَّةٍ وَالْمَلَـئِكَةُ وَهُمْ لاَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ يَخَـفُونَ رَبَّهُمْ مِّن فَوْقِهِمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ (Have they not observed things that Allah has created: (how) their shadows incline to the right and to the left, making prostration unto Allah, and they are lowly And to Allah prostrate all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, of the moving creatures and the angels, and they are not proud. They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded) 16: 48-50.Therefore, the faithful believer submits to Allah in heart and body, while the disbeliever unwillingly submits to Him in body only, since he is under Allah's power, irresistible control and mighty kingship that cannot be repelled or resisted. Waki` reported that Mujahid said that the Ayah,وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا(While to Him submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly), is similar to the Ayah,وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُمْ مَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ(And verily, if you ask them: "Who created the heavens and the earth" Surely, they will say: "Allah") 39:38.He also reported that Ibn `Abbas said about,وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا(while to Him submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly.)"When He took the covenant from them."وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ(And to Him shall they all be returned) on the Day of Return, when He will reward or punish each person according to his or her deeds.Allah then said,قُلْ ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا(Say: "We believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to us) the Qur'an,وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَى إِبْرَهِيمَ وَإِسْمَـعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ(and what was sent down to Ibrahim, Ismai`0l, Ishaq, Ya`qub) the scriptures and revelation,وَالأَسْبَاطَ(and the Asbat,) the Asbat are the twelve tribes who originated from the twelve children of Israel (Ya`qub).وَمَا أُوتِىَ مُوسَى وَعِيسَى(and what was given to Musa, `Isa) the Tawrah and the Injil,وَالنَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ(and the Prophets from their Lord.) and this encompasses all of Allah's Prophets.لاَ نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ(We make no distinction between one another among them) we believe in all of them,وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ(And to Him (Allah) we have submitted (in Islam))Therefore, faithful Muslims believe in every Prophet whom Allah has sent and in every Book He revealed, and never disbelieve in any of them. Rather, they believe in what was revealed by Allah, and in every Prophet sent by Allah. Allah said next,وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الإِسْلَـمِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ(And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him,) whoever seeks other than what Allah has legislated, it will not be accepted from him,وَهُوَ فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَـسِرِينَ(and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.)As the Prophet said in an authentic Hadith,«مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا، فَهُوَ رَد»(Whoever commits an action that does not conform to our matter (religion) then it is rejected). |
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Say: "We believe in God, and in what has been revealed to us, and in what had been sent down to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and their offspring, and what had been revealed to Moses and to Jesus and to all other prophets by their Lord. We make no distinction between them, and we submit to Him and obey." | Say, “We believe in Allah and what is sent down to us and what was sent down to Ibrahim, and Ismael, and Ishaq, and Yaqub (Jacob) and their sons, and that which came to Moosa and Eisa and the Prophets, from their Lord; we do not make any distinction, in belief, between any of them, and to Him we have submitted ourselves.” | Say: 'We believe in God, and that which has been sent down on us, and sent down on Abraham and Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob, and the Tribes, and in that which was given to Moses and Jesus, and the Prophets, of their Lord; we make no division between any of them, and to Him we surrender.' | Say: "We believe in God, and in that which has been bestowed from on high upon us, and that which has been bestowed upon Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and their descendants, and that which has been vouchsafed by their Sustainer unto Moses and Jesus and all the [other] prophets: we make no distinction between any of them. And unto Him do we surrender ourselves." | Say thou: we believe in Allah and in that which is sent down unto us, and that which was sent down unto Ibrahim and Isma'il and Is-haq and Ya'qub and the tribes, and that which was vouchsafed unto Musa and 'Isa and other prophets from their Lord: we differentiate not between any of them, and unto Him we are submistive. | Say (O Muhammad SAW): "We believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to us, and what was sent down to Ibrahim (Abraham), Isma'il (Ishmael), Ishaque (Isaac), Ya'qub (Jacob) and Al-Asbat [the twelve sons of Ya'qub (Jacob)] and what was given to Musa (Moses), 'Iesa (Jesus) and the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between one another among them and to Him (Allah) we have submitted (in Islam)." | Say, “We believe in God, and in what was revealed to us; and in what was revealed to Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Patriarchs; and in what was given to Moses, and Jesus, and the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we submit.” | Say: 'We believe in Allah and what was revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and to Issac and Jacob and his descendents, and the teachings which Allah gave to Moses and Jesus and to other Prophets. We make no distinction between any of them and to Him do we submit. | Say: "We believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to us, and what was sent down to Ibrahim, Isma`il, Ishaq, Ya`qub and Al-Asbat, and what was given to Musa, `Isa and the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between one another among them and to Him (Allah) we have submitted." | Say (O Muhammad): We believe in Allah and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and that which was vouchsafed unto Moses and Jesus and the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and unto Him we have surrendered. | Say, ‘We have faith in Allah and in what has been sent down to us, and what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes, and that which Moses, Jesus and the prophets were given by their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him do we submit.’ | Say: 'We believe in Allah and in what is sent down to us and in that which was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the tribes, and in that which was given to (Prophets) Moses and Jesus, and the Prophets from their Lord. We do not differentiate between any of them. To Him we are submitters (Muslims)' | Say, "We have believed in Allah and in what was revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Descendants, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [submitting] to Him." | (Muhammad), say, "We believe in God and in that which has been revealed to us and in that which was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants. We believe in that which was given to Moses, Jesus, and the Prophets by their Lord. We make no distinction between them and we have submitted ourselves to the will of God". | Say: We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us, and what was revealed to Ibrahim and Ismail and Ishaq and Yaqoub and the tribes, and what was given to Musa and Isa and to the prophets from their Lord; we do not make any distinction between any of them, and to Him do we submit. | Qul <u>a</u>mann<u>a</u> bi<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hi wam<u>a</u> onzila AAalayn<u>a</u> wam<u>a</u> onzila AAal<u>a</u> ibr<u>a</u>heema waism<u>a</u>AAeela wais<u>ha</u>qa wayaAAqooba wa<b>a</b>lasb<u>at</u>i wam<u>a</u> ootiya moos<u>a</u> waAAees<u>a</u> wa<b>al</b>nnabiyyoona min rabbihim l<u>a</u> nufarriqu bayna a<u>h</u>adin minhum wana<u>h</u>nu lahu muslimoon<b>a</b> | Say, "We believe in God and in what has been sent down to us and to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes. We believe in what has been given to Moses, Jesus and the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them. It is to Him that we have surrendered ourselves." | Say: "We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our will (in Islam)." | 83 | 3 | قُلْ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسْمَٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَٱلْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَٱلنَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ مُسْلِمُونَ | Say, O Messenger, that you have faith in Allah, doing as He instructs you, and that you have faith in the revelation that was given to you, and to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob, and in what was revealed to the prophets among Jacob’s descendants, and in the scriptures and miracles that were given to Moses, Jesus and all the prophets by their Lord. Also, say that you make no distinction between them, believing in all of them, and that you are bound to Allah alone, surrendering in devotion to Him. | Say, O Messenger, that you have faith in Allah, doing as He instructs you, and that you have faith in the revelation that was given to you, and to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob, and in what was revealed to the prophets among Jacob’s descendants, and in the scriptures and miracles that were given to Moses, Jesus and all the prophets by their Lord. Also, say that you make no distinction between them, believing in all of them, and that you are bound to Allah alone, surrendering in devotion to Him. | ||||
And whoever seeks a way other than submission to God, it will not be accepted from him, and he will be a loser in the world to come. | And if one seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him; and he is among the losers in the Hereafter. | Whoso desires another religion than Islam, it shall not be accepted of him; in the next world he shall be among the losers. | For, if one goes in search of a religion other than self-surrender unto God, it will never be accepted from him, and in the life to come he shall be among the lost. | And whosoever will seek a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted of Him, and he shall be of the losers in the Hereafter. | And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers. | Whoever seeks other than Islam as a religion, it will not be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers. | And whoever seeks a way other than this way a submission (Islam), will find that it will not be accepted from him and in the Life to come he will be among the losers. | And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers. | And whoso seeketh as religion other than the Surrender (to Allah) it will not be accepted from him, and he will be a loser in the Hereafter. | Should anyone follow a religion other than Islam, it shall never be accepted from him, and he will be among the losers in the Hereafter. | He who chooses a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him, and in the Everlasting Life he will be among the losers. | And whoever desires other than Islam as religion - never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers. | No religion other than Islam (submission to the will of God) will be accepted from anyone. Whoever follows a religion other than Islam will be lost on the Day of Judgment. | And whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted from him, and in the hereafter he shall be one of the losers. | Waman yabtaghi ghayra alisl<u>a</u>mi deenan falan yuqbala minhu wahuwa fee al<u>a</u>khirati mina alkh<u>a</u>sireen<b>a</b> | If anyone seeks a religion other than Islam [submission to God], it will not be accepted from him; he will be among the losers in the Hereafter. | If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter He will be in the ranks of those who have lost (All spiritual good). | 84 | 3 | وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ ٱلْإِسْلَٰمِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ مِنَ ٱلْخَٰسِرِينَ | Whoever seeks a path other than that which Allah has endorsed – the path of surrendering (Islam) – it will not be accepted from them by Allah. They will be of those who have lost their souls by entering the fire of Hell. | Whoever seeks a path other than that which Allah has endorsed – the path of surrendering (Islam) – it will not be accepted from them by Allah. They will be of those who have lost their souls by entering the fire of Hell. | <p>Commentary</p><p>The literal meaning of 'Islam' is 'submission and obedience.' As a term 'Islam' stands for submission to that particular religion which Allah Almighty has sent through his prophets (علیہم السلام) to guide human beings, because fundamental principles are the same in the religious codes of all prophets (علیہم السلام) .</p><p>Correspondingly, there are occasions when 'Islam' is used in that general sense, while there are other occasions when it is used exclusively to identify the Last Shari'ah which was revealed to the Last of the Prophets (علیہ السلام) . Both these kinds of application are present in the Holy Qur'an. That the past prophets called themselves 'Muslim' and their communities, the 'Muslim' community, stands proved under the authority of several wordings of the Qur'anic text. Concurrently, this name has also been used as a particular name of the community the Last of the Prophets:</p><p>هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِن قَبْلُ وَفِي هَـٰذَا</p><p>It was He who named you Muslims before, and in this (Qur'an). (22:78)</p><p>In short, every Divine religion which came through a prophet is also called 'Islam'. Then, it is also used as a particular title for the Muslim community. Now, the question is as to which sense does the word, 'Islam', carry at this place in the Holy Qur'an?</p><p>The correct position is that, no matter which of the two meanings is taken, it does not make much of a difference in terms of the outcome, since the name of 'Islam' given to the religion of past prophets was for a limited group of people and a specified period of time.</p><p>That was the 'Islam' of that time. Restricted to the specific group or community, that 'Islam' was not meant to serve as a universal code for all times to come. As such when a particular prophet departed and was replaced by another prophet, ` Islam' (i.e. the specific code) of that time ceased to be operative. The 'Islam' of the said time was to be what the new prophet presented. Obviously, there was no difference between these different codes in so far as the fundamentals are con-cerned, however, the subsidiary injunctions might differ. As for the 'Islam' given through the last Prophet ﷺ it will remain unabrogable and will serve as a permanent code right upto the Day of Judgment. And, in accordance with the cited rule, all previous religions stand abrogated after the Holy Prophet ﷺ as been sent.</p><p>Now, they are not Islam as such anymore. Instead, Islam is the name of that particular religion which has reached us through the Holy Prophet, Muhammad al-Mustafa ﷺ . Therefore, it appears in authentic ahadith that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: 'Had Musa been living this day, following me would have been incumbent upon him too.' In yet another hadith, he has been reported to have said that ` Isa (علیہ السلام) ، when he appears close to the Day of Resurrection, he too, inspite of holding his distinction and office of prophethood, would follow no other religious code except that of his (the Prophet ﷺ of Islam).</p><p>Therefore, at this place, no matter what sense is taken of Islam - the general or the particular - the outcome of both is the same, that is, after the coming of the Last of the Prophets (علیہم السلام) ، only that religion, and that alone, will be termed as Islam which has come to the world through him. On belief in that alone depends the salvation نجات (najat) of all human beings for it is their indispensable need. This ex-plains what has been said in the present verse: 'Whoever seeks a faith other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him.'</p><p>Details about this subject have already appeared under the commentary on the verse (3:19).</p> | CommentaryThe literal meaning of 'Islam' is 'submission and obedience.' As a term 'Islam' stands for submission to that particular religion which Allah Almighty has sent through his prophets (علیہم السلام) to guide human beings, because fundamental principles are the same in the religious codes of all prophets (علیہم السلام) .Correspondingly, there are occasions when 'Islam' is used in that general sense, while there are other occasions when it is used exclusively to identify the Last Shari'ah which was revealed to the Last of the Prophets (علیہ السلام) . Both these kinds of application are present in the Holy Qur'an. That the past prophets called themselves 'Muslim' and their communities, the 'Muslim' community, stands proved under the authority of several wordings of the Qur'anic text. Concurrently, this name has also been used as a particular name of the community the Last of the Prophets:هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِن قَبْلُ وَفِي هَـٰذَاIt was He who named you Muslims before, and in this (Qur'an). (22:78)In short, every Divine religion which came through a prophet is also called 'Islam'. Then, it is also used as a particular title for the Muslim community. Now, the question is as to which sense does the word, 'Islam', carry at this place in the Holy Qur'an?The correct position is that, no matter which of the two meanings is taken, it does not make much of a difference in terms of the outcome, since the name of 'Islam' given to the religion of past prophets was for a limited group of people and a specified period of time.That was the 'Islam' of that time. Restricted to the specific group or community, that 'Islam' was not meant to serve as a universal code for all times to come. As such when a particular prophet departed and was replaced by another prophet, ` Islam' (i.e. the specific code) of that time ceased to be operative. The 'Islam' of the said time was to be what the new prophet presented. Obviously, there was no difference between these different codes in so far as the fundamentals are con-cerned, however, the subsidiary injunctions might differ. As for the 'Islam' given through the last Prophet ﷺ it will remain unabrogable and will serve as a permanent code right upto the Day of Judgment. And, in accordance with the cited rule, all previous religions stand abrogated after the Holy Prophet ﷺ as been sent.Now, they are not Islam as such anymore. Instead, Islam is the name of that particular religion which has reached us through the Holy Prophet, Muhammad al-Mustafa ﷺ . Therefore, it appears in authentic ahadith that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: 'Had Musa been living this day, following me would have been incumbent upon him too.' In yet another hadith, he has been reported to have said that ` Isa (علیہ السلام) ، when he appears close to the Day of Resurrection, he too, inspite of holding his distinction and office of prophethood, would follow no other religious code except that of his (the Prophet ﷺ of Islam).Therefore, at this place, no matter what sense is taken of Islam - the general or the particular - the outcome of both is the same, that is, after the coming of the Last of the Prophets (علیہم السلام) ، only that religion, and that alone, will be termed as Islam which has come to the world through him. On belief in that alone depends the salvation نجات (najat) of all human beings for it is their indispensable need. This ex-plains what has been said in the present verse: 'Whoever seeks a faith other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him.'Details about this subject have already appeared under the commentary on the verse (3:19). | ||
How can God show the way to those who, having come to faith, turned away, even though they had borne witness that the Messenger was true, and the clear signs had reached them? God does not show the unrighteous the way. | Why should Allah will guidance for the people who disbelieved, after their having accepted faith and bearing witness that the Noble Messenger is a true one, and after clear signs had come to them? And Allah does not guide the unjust. | How shall God guide a people who have disbelieved after they believed, and bore witness that the Messenger is true, and the clear signs came to them? God guides not the people of the evildoers. | How would God bestow His guidance upon people who have resolved to deny the truth after having attained to faith, and having borne witness that this Apostle is true, and [after] all evidence of the truth has come unto them? For, God does not guide such evildoing folk. | How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief and after they bore witness that the apostle was true and after evidences had come unto them! And Allah guideth not a wrong-doing people. | How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief and after they bore witness that the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) is true and after clear proofs had come unto them? And Allah guides not the people who are Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers). | How will God guide a people who disbelieved after having believed, and had witnessed that the Messenger is true, and the clear proofs had come to them? God does not guide the unjust people. | How can Allah guide people who once believed, after they received clear signs and affirmed that the Messenger was a true one, lapsed into disbelief. Allah does not guide the wrong-doers. | How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief and after they bore witness that the Messenger is true and after clear proofs came to them And Allah guides not the people who are wrongdoers. | How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief and (after) they bore witness that the messenger is true and after clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty) had come unto them. And Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk. | How shall Allah guide a people who have disbelieved after their faith and [after] bearing witness that the Apostle is true, and [after] manifest proofs had come to them? Allah does not guide the wrongdoing lot. | How shall Allah guide a people who lapse into disbelief after they believed and bore witness that the Messenger is true, and after receiving clear proofs! Allah does not guide the harmdoers. | How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief and had witnessed that the Messenger is true and clear signs had come to them? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people. | Why would God guide a people who disbelieves after having had faith, who have found the Messenger to be truthful, and who have received authoritative evidence? God does not guide the unjust. | How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their believing and (after) they had borne witness that the Apostle was true and clear arguments had come to them; and Allah does not guide the unjust people. | Kayfa yahdee All<u>a</u>hu qawman kafaroo baAAda eem<u>a</u>nihim washahidoo anna a<b>l</b>rrasoola <u>h</u>aqqun waj<u>a</u>ahumu albayyin<u>a</u>tu wa<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hu l<u>a</u> yahdee alqawma a<b>l</b><i><u>thth</u></i><u>a</u>limeen<b>a</b> | How would God bestow His guidance upon people who have opted for unbelief after having embraced the faith and having borne witness that this Messenger is true and [after] all evidence of the truth has come to them? For, God does not guide such wrongdoers: | How shall Allah Guide those who reject Faith after they accepted it and bore witness that the Messenger was true and that Clear Signs had come unto them? but Allah guides not a people unjust. | 85 | 3 | كَيْفَ يَهْدِى ٱللَّهُ قَوْمًا كَفَرُوا۟ بَعْدَ إِيمَٰنِهِمْ وَشَهِدُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱلرَّسُولَ حَقٌّ وَجَآءَهُمُ ٱلْبَيِّنَٰتُ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ | How shall Allah grant faith in Him and in His messengers to a people who disbelieved after having faith in Allah and witnessing that what the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) brought was the truth, and after clear proofs of the truth of this have come to them? Allah does not grant faith in Him to a people who are wrongdoers and who choose error instead of guidance. | How shall Allah grant faith in Him and in His messengers to a people who disbelieved after having faith in Allah and witnessing that what the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) brought was the truth, and after clear proofs of the truth of this have come to them? Allah does not grant faith in Him to a people who are wrongdoers and who choose error instead of guidance. | <p>Commentary</p><p>The removal of a doubt:</p><p>On a superficial view of the verse كَيْفَ يَهْدِي اللَّـهُ : 'How shall Allah give guidance...' (86), there emerges a doubt that whoever turns an apostate receives no guidance afterwards, although, the fact is contrary to this. There are many who, after having become apostates, re-embrace the faith and become recipients of guidance.</p><p>The answer is that the withholding of guidance mentioned here is in accordance with common usage. For instance, some criminal when punished by a certain ruler may say, 'I have been given a special treatment by the ruler with his own hands.' And in answer to him, it is said: 'Why are we going to give a special treatment to such a criminal?' That is, there is just no special treatment called for in this case, while it does not mean that such a person cannot, in any way, become deserving of special treatment even if he behaved well. (Bayern a1-Qur'an)</p> | CommentaryThe removal of a doubt:On a superficial view of the verse كَيْفَ يَهْدِي اللَّـهُ : 'How shall Allah give guidance...' (86), there emerges a doubt that whoever turns an apostate receives no guidance afterwards, although, the fact is contrary to this. There are many who, after having become apostates, re-embrace the faith and become recipients of guidance.The answer is that the withholding of guidance mentioned here is in accordance with common usage. For instance, some criminal when punished by a certain ruler may say, 'I have been given a special treatment by the ruler with his own hands.' And in answer to him, it is said: 'Why are we going to give a special treatment to such a criminal?' That is, there is just no special treatment called for in this case, while it does not mean that such a person cannot, in any way, become deserving of special treatment even if he behaved well. (Bayern a1-Qur'an) | <h2 class="title">Allah Does Not Guide People Who Disbelieve After they Believed, Unless They Repent</h2><p>Ibn Jarir recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "A man from the Ansar embraced Islam, but later reverted and joined the polytheists. He later on became sorry and sent his people to, `Ask the Messenger of Allah for me, if I can repent.' Then,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">كَيْفَ يَهْدِى اللَّهُ قَوْمًا كَفَرُواْ بَعْدَ إِيمَـنِهِمْ</div><p>(How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief) until,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ</div><p>(Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) was revealed and his people sent word to him and he re-embraced Islam."</p><p>This is the wording recorded by An-Nasa'i, Al-Hakim and Ibn Hibban. Al-Hakim said, "Its chain is Sahih and they did not record it."</p><p>Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">كَيْفَ يَهْدِى اللَّهُ قَوْمًا كَفَرُواْ بَعْدَ إِيمَـنِهِمْ وَشَهِدُواْ أَنَّ الرَّسُولَ حَقٌّ وَجَآءَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَـتُ</div><p>(How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief and after they bore witness that the Messenger is true and after clear proofs came to them)</p><p>means, the proofs and evidences were established, testifying to the truth of what the Messenger was sent with. The truth was thus explained to them, but they reverted to the darkness of polytheism. Therefore, how can such people deserve guidance after they willingly leapt into utter blindness This is why Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَاللَّهُ لاَ يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الظَّـلِمِينَ</div><p>(And Allah guides not the people who are wrongdoers.)</p><p>He then said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أُوْلَـئِكَ جَزَآؤُهُمْ أَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ لَعْنَةَ اللَّهِ وَالْمَلَـئِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ </div><p>(They are those whose recompense is that on them (rests) the curse of Allah, of the angels and of all mankind.)</p><p>Allah curses them and His creation also curses them.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَآ</div><p>(They will abide therein) in the curse,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لاَ يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَلاَ هُمْ يُنظَرُونَ</div><p>(Neither will their torment be lightened nor will it be delayed or postponed.) for, the torment will not be lessened, not even for an hour. After that, Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ تَابُواْ مِن بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ وَأَصْلَحُواْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ </div><p>(Except for those who repent after that and do righteous deeds. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.)</p><p>This Ayah indicates Allah's kindness, graciousness, compassion, mercy and favor on His creatures when they repent to Him, for He forgives them in this case.</p> | Allah Does Not Guide People Who Disbelieve After they Believed, Unless They RepentIbn Jarir recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "A man from the Ansar embraced Islam, but later reverted and joined the polytheists. He later on became sorry and sent his people to, `Ask the Messenger of Allah for me, if I can repent.' Then,كَيْفَ يَهْدِى اللَّهُ قَوْمًا كَفَرُواْ بَعْدَ إِيمَـنِهِمْ(How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief) until,فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ(Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) was revealed and his people sent word to him and he re-embraced Islam."This is the wording recorded by An-Nasa'i, Al-Hakim and Ibn Hibban. Al-Hakim said, "Its chain is Sahih and they did not record it."Allah's statement,كَيْفَ يَهْدِى اللَّهُ قَوْمًا كَفَرُواْ بَعْدَ إِيمَـنِهِمْ وَشَهِدُواْ أَنَّ الرَّسُولَ حَقٌّ وَجَآءَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَـتُ(How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief and after they bore witness that the Messenger is true and after clear proofs came to them)means, the proofs and evidences were established, testifying to the truth of what the Messenger was sent with. The truth was thus explained to them, but they reverted to the darkness of polytheism. Therefore, how can such people deserve guidance after they willingly leapt into utter blindness This is why Allah said,وَاللَّهُ لاَ يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الظَّـلِمِينَ(And Allah guides not the people who are wrongdoers.)He then said,أُوْلَـئِكَ جَزَآؤُهُمْ أَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ لَعْنَةَ اللَّهِ وَالْمَلَـئِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ (They are those whose recompense is that on them (rests) the curse of Allah, of the angels and of all mankind.)Allah curses them and His creation also curses them.خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَآ(They will abide therein) in the curse,لاَ يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَلاَ هُمْ يُنظَرُونَ(Neither will their torment be lightened nor will it be delayed or postponed.) for, the torment will not be lessened, not even for an hour. After that, Allah said,إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ تَابُواْ مِن بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ وَأَصْلَحُواْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ (Except for those who repent after that and do righteous deeds. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.)This Ayah indicates Allah's kindness, graciousness, compassion, mercy and favor on His creatures when they repent to Him, for He forgives them in this case. |
For such the requital is the curse of God and the angels and of men. | The recompense of such is that on them is the curse of Allah and of the angels and of men combined. | Those -- their recompense is that there shall rest on them the curse of God and of the angels and of men, altogether, | Their requital shall be rejection by God, and by the angels, and by all [righteous] men. | These! their meed is that on them shall be the curse of Allah and of angles and of mankind, all; | They are those whose recompense is that on them (rests) the Curse of Allah, of the angels, and of all mankind. | Those—their penalty is that upon them falls the curse of God, and of the angels, and of all mankind. | The recom- pense for their wrong-doing is that the curse of Allah and of the angels and of all men shall upon them. | They are those whose recompense is that on them (rests) the curse of Allah, of the angels and of all mankind. | As for such, their guerdon is that on them rests the curse of Allah and of angels and of men combined. | Their requital is that there shall be upon them the curse of Allah, the angels, and all mankind. | Those, their recompense shall be the curse of Allah, the angels, and all the people | Those - their recompense will be that upon them is the curse of Allah and the angels and the people, all together, | What they will gain will be the condemnation of God, the angels, and all people, | (As for) these, their reward is that upon them is the curse of Allah and the angels and of men, all together. | Ol<u>a</u>ika jaz<u>a</u>ohum anna AAalayhim laAAnata All<u>a</u>hi wa<b>a</b>lmal<u>a</u>ikati wa<b>al</b>nn<u>a</u>si ajmaAAeen<b>a</b> | such people will be rewarded with rejection by God, by the angels, by all mankind. | Of such the reward is that on them (rests) the curse of Allah, of His angels, and of all mankind;- | 86 | 3 | أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ جَزَآؤُهُمْ أَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ لَعْنَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ | The reward of those wrongdoers who choose falsehood is the condemnation of Allah and the angels and the people all together; and they are excluded and removed from the mercy of Allah. | The reward of those wrongdoers who choose falsehood is the condemnation of Allah and the angels and the people all together; and they are excluded and removed from the mercy of Allah. | ||||
They shall live under it, and none of their agony decrease nor be respite for them. | Remaining in it forever; their punishment will not be lightened, nor will they get any respite. | therein dwelling forever; the chastisement shall not be lightened for them; no respite shall be given them. | In this state shall they abide; [and] neither will their suffering be lightened, nor will they be granted respite. | Abiders therein, their torment shall not be lightened nor shall they be respited. | They will abide therein (Hell). Neither will their torment be lightened, nor will it be delayed or postponed (for a while). | Remaining in it eternally, without their punishment being eased from them, and without being reprieved. | Thus shall they abide. Neither shall their chastisement be granted nor shall they be granted any respite. | They will abide therein. Neither will their torment be lightened nor will it be delayed or postponed. | They will abide therein. Their doom will not be lightened, neither will they be reprieved; | They will remain in it [forever], and their punishment will not be lightened, nor will they be granted any respite, | there they shall live for ever. Their punishment shall not be lightened, nor shall they be given respite. | Abiding eternally therein. The punishment will not be lightened for them, nor will they be reprieved. | with which they will live forever. Their torment will not be relieved and no attention will be paid to them. | Abiding in it; their chastisement shall not be lightened nor shall they be respited. | Kh<u>a</u>lideena feeh<u>a</u> l<u>a</u> yukhaffafu AAanhumu alAAa<u>tha</u>bu wal<u>a</u> hum yun<i><u>th</u></i>aroon<b>a</b> | In this state they shall abide forever; their punishment shall not be lightened nor shall they be granted respite. | In that will they dwell; nor will their penalty be lightened, nor respite be (their lot);- | 87 | 3 | خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا لَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابُ وَلَا هُمْ يُنظَرُونَ | These disbelievers will live eternally in the fire of Hell, never to leave! Their suffering will not be lightened and they will not be given more time to repent and ask for forgiveness. | These disbelievers will live eternally in the fire of Hell, never to leave! Their suffering will not be lightened and they will not be given more time to repent and ask for forgiveness. | ||||
But those who repent and reform, God is surely forgiving and merciful. | Except those who repented thereafter and reformed themselves; then indeed Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful. | But those who repent thereafter, and make amends -- God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate. | But excepted shall be they that afterwards repent and put themselves to rights: for, behold, God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace. | Save such shall repent thereafter and amend; verily Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. | Except for those who repent after that and do righteous deeds. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. | Except those who repent afterwards, and reform; for God is Forgiving and Merciful. | But those who repent and mend their ways shall be excepted for indeed Allah is Forgiving, All-Compassionate. | Except for those who repent after that and do righteous deeds. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. | Save those who afterward repent and do right. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. | except such as repent after that and make amends, for Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful. | Except those who afterwards repent and mend their ways, Allah is Forgiving and the Most Merciful. | Except for those who repent after that and correct themselves. For indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. | However, to those who repent afterwards and reform themselves, God is All-forgiving and All-merciful. | Except those who repent after that and amend, then surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. | Ill<u>a</u> alla<u>th</u>eena t<u>a</u>boo min baAAdi <u>tha</u>lika waa<u>s</u>la<u>h</u>oo fainna All<u>a</u>ha ghafoorun ra<u>h</u>eem<b>un</b> | Except for those who afterwards repent and reform. God is forgiving and merciful; | Except for those that repent (Even) after that, and make amends; for verily Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. | 88 | 3 | إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ تَابُوا۟ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ وَأَصْلَحُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ | This punishment is for everyone except those who repent to Allah, asking for forgiveness, after their disbelief and disobedience, and correct what they have done. Truly, Allah is Forgiving and Compassionate to those who repent to Him. | This punishment is for everyone except those who repent to Allah, asking for forgiveness, after their disbelief and disobedience, and correct what they have done. Truly, Allah is Forgiving and Compassionate to those who repent to Him. | ||||
Those who deny, having once come to faith, and persist in denial, will not have their repentance accepted, for they have gone astray. | Indeed those who disbelieve after having accepted faith, and advance further in their disbelief – their repentance will never be accepted; and it is they who are the astray. | Surely those who disbelieve after they have believed and then increase in unbelief -- their repentance shall not be accepted; those are the ones who stray. | Verily, as for those who are bent on denying the truth after having attained to faith, and then grow [ever more stubborn] in their refusal to acknowledge the truth, their repentance [of other sins] shall not be accepted: for it is they who have truly gone astray. | Verily those who disbelieve after they have believed and thereafter wax in infidelity, their- repentance shall by no means be accepted. These! they are the straying ones. | Verily, those who disbelieved after their Belief and then went on increasing in their disbelief (i.e. disbelief in the Quran and in Prophet Muhammad SAW) - never will their repentance be accepted [because they repent only by their tongues and not from their hearts]. And they are those who are astray. | As for those who disbelieve after having believed, then plunge deeper into disbelief, their repentance will not be accepted; these are the lost. | Those who relieved and have har-dened in their disbelief after once believing, their (pretence to) repentance shall not be accepted. Indeed such men have altogether strayed. | Verily, those who disbelieved after their belief and then went on increasing in their disbelief never will their repentance be accepted. And they are those who are astray. | Lo! those who disbelieve after their (profession of) belief, and afterward grow violent in disbelief: their repentance will not be accepted. And such are those who are astray. | Indeed those who turn faithless after their faith, and then advance in faithlessness, their repentance will never be accepted, and it is they who are the astray. | Indeed those who disbelieve after they have believed and increase in disbelief, their repentance shall not be accepted. These are those who are astray. | Indeed, those who reject the message after their belief and then increase in disbelief - never will their [claimed] repentance be accepted, and they are the ones astray. | Those who disbelieve, after having been believers and increase their disbelief, are lost and their repentance will not be accepted. | Surely, those who disbelieve after their believing, then increase in unbelief, their repentance shall not be accepted, and these are they that go astray. | Inna alla<u>th</u>eena kafaroo baAAda eem<u>a</u>nihim thumma izd<u>a</u>doo kufran lan tuqbala tawbatuhum waol<u>a</u>ika humu a<b>l</b><u>dda</u>lloon<b>a</b> | but as for those who are bent on denying the truth after accepting the true faith and grow in their refusal to acknowledge the truth, their repentance will not be accepted. They are the ones who have gone far astray. | But those who reject Faith after they accepted it, and then go on adding to their defiance of Faith,- never will their repentance be accepted; for they are those who have (of set purpose) gone astray. | 89 | 3 | إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بَعْدَ إِيمَٰنِهِمْ ثُمَّ ٱزْدَادُوا۟ كُفْرًا لَّن تُقْبَلَ تَوْبَتُهُمْ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلضَّآلُّونَ | Those who disbelieve after having faith, and stick to this disbelief until they die, then repenting to Allah and asking for forgiveness at the time of death, will not have this accepted from them, as the time for acceptance would have expired. They are those who have lost their way from the straight path which leads to Allah. | Those who disbelieve after having faith, and stick to this disbelief until they die, then repenting to Allah and asking for forgiveness at the time of death, will not have this accepted from them, as the time for acceptance would have expired. They are those who have lost their way from the straight path which leads to Allah. | <h2 class="title">Neither Repentance of the Disbeliever Upon Death, Nor His Ransoming Himself on the Day of Resurrection Shall be Accepted</h2><p>Allah threatens and warns those who revert to disbelief after they believed and who thereafter insist on disbelief until death. He states that in this case, no repentance shall be accepted from them upon their death. Similarly, Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلَيْسَتِ التَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَـتِ حَتَّى إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ</div><p>(And of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil deeds until death faces one of them) 4:18.</p><p>This is why Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لَّن تُقْبَلَ تَوْبَتُهُمْ وَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الضَّآلُّونَ</div><p>(never will their repentance be accepted. And they are those who went astray.) to those who abandon the path of truth for the path of wickedness. Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Al-Bazzar recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that some people embraced Islam, reverted to disbelief, became Muslims again, then reverted from Islam. They sent their people inquiring about this matter and they asked the Messenger of Allah . On that, this Ayah was revealed,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بَعْدَ إِيمَـنِهِمْ ثُمَّ ازْدَادُواْ كُفْرًا لَّن تُقْبَلَ تَوْبَتُهُمْ</div><p>(Verily, those who disbelieved after their belief and then went on increasing in their disbelief never will their repentance be accepted). The chain of narration is satisfactory. Thereafter, Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَمَاتُواْ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِم مِّلْءُ الاٌّرْضِ ذَهَبًا وَلَوِ افْتَدَى بِهِ</div><p>(Verily, those who disbelieved, and died while they were disbelievers, the (whole) earth full of gold will not be accepted from anyone of them even if they offered it as a ransom.)</p><p>Those who die while disbelievers, shall have no good deed ever accepted from them, even if they spent the earth's fill of gold in what was perceived to be an act of obedience. The Prophet was asked about `Abdullah bin Jud`an, who used to be generous to guests, helpful to the indebted and who gave food (to the poor); will all that benefit him The Prophet said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«لَا، إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَقُلْ يَوْمًا مِنَ الدَّهْرِ: رَبِّ اغْفِر لِي خَطِيئَتِي يَوْمَ الدِّين»</div><p>(No, for not even one day during his life did he pronounce, `O my Lord! Forgive my sins on the Day of Judgment.)</p><p>Similarly, if the disbeliever gave the earth's full of gold as ransom, it will not be accepted from him. Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلاَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلاَ تَنفَعُهَا شَفَـعَةٌ</div><p>(...nor shall compensation be accepted from him, nor shall intercession be of use to him,)2:123, and</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لاَّ بَيْعٌ فِيهِ وَلاَ خِلَـلٌ</div><p>(...on which there will be neither mutual bargaining nor befriending.) 14:31, and,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوْ أَنَّ لَهُمْ مَّا فِى الاٌّرْضِ جَمِيعاً وَمِثْلَهُ مَعَهُ لِيَفْتَدُواْ بِهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ مَا تُقُبِّلَ مِنْهُمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ </div><p>(Verily, those who disbelieve, if they had all that is in the earth, and as much again therewith to ransom themselves thereby from the torment on the Day of Resurrection, it would never be accepted of them, and theirs would be a painful torment) 5:36.</p><p>This is why Allah said here,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَمَاتُواْ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِم مِّلْءُ الاٌّرْضِ ذَهَبًا وَلَوِ افْتَدَى بِهِ</div><p>,(Verily, those who disbelieved, and died while they were disbelievers, the (whole) earth full of gold will not be accepted from anyone of them if they offered it as a ransom).</p><p>The implication of this Ayah is that the disbeliever shall never avoid the torment of Allah, even if he spent the earth's fill of gold, or if he ransoms himself with the earth's fill of gold, - all of its mountains, hills, sand, dust, valleys, forests, land and sea.</p><p>Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas said that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«يُؤْتَى بِالرَّجُلِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَيَقُولُ لَهُ: يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ، كَيْفَ وَجَدْتَ مَنْزِلَكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ: أَيْ رَبِّ خَيْرَ مَنْزِلٍ، فَيَقُولُ: سَلْ وَتَمَنَّ، فَيَقُولُ: مَا أَسْأَلُ وَلَا أَتَمَنَّى إِلَّا أَنْ تَرُدَّنِي إِلَى الدُّنْيَا فَأُقْتَلَ فِي سَبِيلِكَ عَشْرَ مِرَارٍ، لِمَا يَرَى مِنْ فَضْلِ الشَّهَادَةِ، وَيُؤْتَى بِالرَّجُلِ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَيَقُولُ لَهُ: يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ، كَيْفَ وَجَدْتَ مَنْزِلَكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ: يَا رَبِّ شَرَّ مَنْزِلٍ، فَيَقُولُ لَهُ: تَفْتَدِي مِنِّي بِطِلَاعِ الْأَرْضِ ذَهَبًا؟ فَيَقُولُ: أَيْ رَبِّ نَعَمْ، فَيَقُولُ: كَذَبْتَ، قَدْ سَأَلْتُكَ أَقَلَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَأَيْسَرَ فَلَمْ تَفْعَلْ، فَيُرَدُّ إِلَى النَّار»</div><p>(A man from among the people of Paradise will be brought and Allah will ask him, "O son of Adam! How did you find your dwelling" He will say, "O Lord, it is the best dwelling." Allah will say, "Ask and wish." The man will say, "I only ask and wish that You send me back to the world so that I am killed ten times in Your cause," because of the honor of martyrdom he would experience. A man from among the people of the Fire will be brought, and Allah will say to him, "O son of Adam! How do you find your dwelling" He will say, "It is the worst dwelling, O Lord." Allah will ask him, "Would you ransom yourself from Me with the earth's fill of gold" He will say, "Yes, O Lord." Allah will say, "You have lied. I asked you to do what is less and easier than that, but you did not do it," and he will be sent back to the Fire.)</p><p>This is why Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أُوْلَـئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِّن نَّـصِرِينَ</div><p>(For them is a painful torment and they will have no helpers.) for they shall not have anyone who will save them from the torment of Allah or rescue them from His painful punishment.</p> | Neither Repentance of the Disbeliever Upon Death, Nor His Ransoming Himself on the Day of Resurrection Shall be AcceptedAllah threatens and warns those who revert to disbelief after they believed and who thereafter insist on disbelief until death. He states that in this case, no repentance shall be accepted from them upon their death. Similarly, Allah said,وَلَيْسَتِ التَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَـتِ حَتَّى إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ(And of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil deeds until death faces one of them) 4:18.This is why Allah said,لَّن تُقْبَلَ تَوْبَتُهُمْ وَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الضَّآلُّونَ(never will their repentance be accepted. And they are those who went astray.) to those who abandon the path of truth for the path of wickedness. Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Al-Bazzar recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that some people embraced Islam, reverted to disbelief, became Muslims again, then reverted from Islam. They sent their people inquiring about this matter and they asked the Messenger of Allah . On that, this Ayah was revealed,إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بَعْدَ إِيمَـنِهِمْ ثُمَّ ازْدَادُواْ كُفْرًا لَّن تُقْبَلَ تَوْبَتُهُمْ(Verily, those who disbelieved after their belief and then went on increasing in their disbelief never will their repentance be accepted). The chain of narration is satisfactory. Thereafter, Allah said,إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَمَاتُواْ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِم مِّلْءُ الاٌّرْضِ ذَهَبًا وَلَوِ افْتَدَى بِهِ(Verily, those who disbelieved, and died while they were disbelievers, the (whole) earth full of gold will not be accepted from anyone of them even if they offered it as a ransom.)Those who die while disbelievers, shall have no good deed ever accepted from them, even if they spent the earth's fill of gold in what was perceived to be an act of obedience. The Prophet was asked about `Abdullah bin Jud`an, who used to be generous to guests, helpful to the indebted and who gave food (to the poor); will all that benefit him The Prophet said,«لَا، إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَقُلْ يَوْمًا مِنَ الدَّهْرِ: رَبِّ اغْفِر لِي خَطِيئَتِي يَوْمَ الدِّين»(No, for not even one day during his life did he pronounce, `O my Lord! Forgive my sins on the Day of Judgment.)Similarly, if the disbeliever gave the earth's full of gold as ransom, it will not be accepted from him. Allah said,وَلاَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلاَ تَنفَعُهَا شَفَـعَةٌ(...nor shall compensation be accepted from him, nor shall intercession be of use to him,)2:123, andلاَّ بَيْعٌ فِيهِ وَلاَ خِلَـلٌ(...on which there will be neither mutual bargaining nor befriending.) 14:31, and,إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوْ أَنَّ لَهُمْ مَّا فِى الاٌّرْضِ جَمِيعاً وَمِثْلَهُ مَعَهُ لِيَفْتَدُواْ بِهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ مَا تُقُبِّلَ مِنْهُمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ (Verily, those who disbelieve, if they had all that is in the earth, and as much again therewith to ransom themselves thereby from the torment on the Day of Resurrection, it would never be accepted of them, and theirs would be a painful torment) 5:36.This is why Allah said here,إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَمَاتُواْ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِم مِّلْءُ الاٌّرْضِ ذَهَبًا وَلَوِ افْتَدَى بِهِ,(Verily, those who disbelieved, and died while they were disbelievers, the (whole) earth full of gold will not be accepted from anyone of them if they offered it as a ransom).The implication of this Ayah is that the disbeliever shall never avoid the torment of Allah, even if he spent the earth's fill of gold, or if he ransoms himself with the earth's fill of gold, - all of its mountains, hills, sand, dust, valleys, forests, land and sea.Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas said that the Messenger of Allah said,«يُؤْتَى بِالرَّجُلِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَيَقُولُ لَهُ: يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ، كَيْفَ وَجَدْتَ مَنْزِلَكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ: أَيْ رَبِّ خَيْرَ مَنْزِلٍ، فَيَقُولُ: سَلْ وَتَمَنَّ، فَيَقُولُ: مَا أَسْأَلُ وَلَا أَتَمَنَّى إِلَّا أَنْ تَرُدَّنِي إِلَى الدُّنْيَا فَأُقْتَلَ فِي سَبِيلِكَ عَشْرَ مِرَارٍ، لِمَا يَرَى مِنْ فَضْلِ الشَّهَادَةِ، وَيُؤْتَى بِالرَّجُلِ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَيَقُولُ لَهُ: يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ، كَيْفَ وَجَدْتَ مَنْزِلَكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ: يَا رَبِّ شَرَّ مَنْزِلٍ، فَيَقُولُ لَهُ: تَفْتَدِي مِنِّي بِطِلَاعِ الْأَرْضِ ذَهَبًا؟ فَيَقُولُ: أَيْ رَبِّ نَعَمْ، فَيَقُولُ: كَذَبْتَ، قَدْ سَأَلْتُكَ أَقَلَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَأَيْسَرَ فَلَمْ تَفْعَلْ، فَيُرَدُّ إِلَى النَّار»(A man from among the people of Paradise will be brought and Allah will ask him, "O son of Adam! How did you find your dwelling" He will say, "O Lord, it is the best dwelling." Allah will say, "Ask and wish." The man will say, "I only ask and wish that You send me back to the world so that I am killed ten times in Your cause," because of the honor of martyrdom he would experience. A man from among the people of the Fire will be brought, and Allah will say to him, "O son of Adam! How do you find your dwelling" He will say, "It is the worst dwelling, O Lord." Allah will ask him, "Would you ransom yourself from Me with the earth's fill of gold" He will say, "Yes, O Lord." Allah will say, "You have lied. I asked you to do what is less and easier than that, but you did not do it," and he will be sent back to the Fire.)This is why Allah said,أُوْلَـئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِّن نَّـصِرِينَ(For them is a painful torment and they will have no helpers.) for they shall not have anyone who will save them from the torment of Allah or rescue them from His painful punishment. |
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From those who deny and die disbelieving will never be accepted an earthful of gold if proferred by them as ransom. For them is grievous punishment, and none will help them. | Those who disbelieved and died as disbelievers – an earth full of gold will never be accepted from any one of them, even if he offers it, for his freedom; for them is a painful punishment and they do not have any aides. | Surely those who disbelieve, and die disbelieving, there shall not be accepted from any one of them the whole earth full of gold, if he would ransom himself thereby; for them awaits a painful chastisement, and they shall have no helpers. | Verily, as for those who are bent on denying the truth and die as deniers of the truth - not all the gold on earth could ever be their ransom. It is they for whom grievous suffering is in store; and they shall have none to succour them. | Verily those who disbelieve and die while they are infidels, not an earthful of gold shall be accepted from any such, were he to offer it as a ransom. These! theirs shall be a torment afflictive, nor shall they have any helpers. | Verily, those who disbelieved, and died while they were disbelievers, the (whole) earth full of gold will not be accepted from anyone of them even if they offered it as a ransom. For them is a painful torment and they will have no helpers. | As for those who disbelieve and die disbelievers, even the earth full of gold would not be accepted from any of them, were he to offer it for ransom. These will have a painful torment, and will have no saviors. | Truly those who disbelieved and died as unbelievers, not even an earth full of gold will be accepted from them as ransom. For such people there is painful chastisement; and none shall come to their help. | Verily, those who disbelieved, and died while they were disbelievers, the (whole) earth full of gold will not be accepted from anyone of them if they offered it as a ransom. For them is a painful torment and they will have no helpers. | Lo! those who disbelieve, and die in disbelief, the (whole) earth full of gold would not be accepted from such an one if it were offered as a ransom (for his soul). Theirs will be a painful doom and they will have no helpers. | Indeed those who turn faithless and die while they are faithless, a world of gold will not be accepted from any of them should he offer it for ransom. For such there will be a painful punishment, and they will have no helpers. | As for those who disbelieve and die unbelievers, there shall be not accepted from anyone of them, the whole earth full of gold, if he would ransom himself thereby. Those, for them there is a painful punishment, and none shall help them. | Indeed, those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers - never would the [whole] capacity of the earth in gold be accepted from one of them if he would [seek to] ransom himself with it. For those there will be a painful punishment, and they will have no helpers. | From those who have rejected the truth and died in disbelief, no ransom will be accepted even though they may pay a whole earth of gold. They will suffer a painful torment and no one will help them. | Surely, those who disbelieve and die while they are unbelievers, the earth full of gold shall not be accepted from one of them, though he should offer to ransom himself with it, these it is who shall have a painful chastisement, and they shall have no helpers. | Inna alla<u>th</u>eena kafaroo wam<u>a</u>too wahum kuff<u>a</u>run falan yuqbala min a<u>h</u>adihim milo alar<u>d</u>i <u>th</u>ahaban walawi iftad<u>a</u> bihi ol<u>a</u>ika lahum AAa<u>tha</u>bun aleemun wam<u>a</u> lahum min n<u>as</u>ireen<b>a</b> | Those who reject faith and die in the state of rejection will not be saved, even if they offer as ransom enough gold to fill the entire earth. Painful punishment is in store for them and they will have no supporters. | As to those who reject Faith, and die rejecting,- never would be accepted from any such as much gold as the earth contains, though they should offer it for ransom. For such is (in store) a penalty grievous, and they will find no helpers. | 90 | 3 | إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَمَاتُوا۟ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِم مِّلْءُ ٱلْأَرْضِ ذَهَبًا وَلَوِ ٱفْتَدَىٰ بِهِۦٓ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّٰصِرِينَ | Those who disbelieve and die while in disbelief will not be able to ransom themselves from receiving the punishment of Allah, even were they to try and ransom themselves with the weight of the entire earth in gold. They will have a painful punishment, and they will have no helpers on the Day of Judgement to remove them from their suffering. | Those who disbelieve and die while in disbelief will not be able to ransom themselves from receiving the punishment of Allah, even were they to try and ransom themselves with the weight of the entire earth in gold. They will have a painful punishment, and they will have no helpers on the Day of Judgement to remove them from their suffering. | ||||
You will never come to piety unless you spend of things you love; and whatever you spend is known to God. | You can never attain virtue until you spend in Allah's cause the things you love; and Allah is Aware of whatever you spend. | You will not attain piety until you expend of what you love; and whatever thing you expend, God knows of it. | [But as for you, O believers,] never shall you attain to true piety unless you spend on others out of what you cherish yourselves; and whatever you spend - verily, God has full knowledge thereof. | O Ye shall not attain unto virtue until ye expend of that which ye love; and whatsoever ye expend, verily Allah Is thereof Knower. | By no means shall you attain Al-Birr (piety, righteousness, etc., it means here Allah's Reward, i.e. Paradise), unless you spend (in Allah's Cause) of that which you love; and whatever of good you spend, Allah knows it well. | You will not attain virtuous conduct until you give of what you cherish. Whatever you give away, God is aware of it. | You shall not attain righteousness until you spend out of what you love (in the way of Allah). Allah knows whatever you spend. | By no means shall you attain Al-Birr, unless you spend of that which you love; and whatever of good you spend, Allah knows it well. | Ye will not attain unto piety until ye spend of that which ye love. And whatsoever ye spend, Allah is Aware thereof. | You will never attain piety until you spend out of what you hold dear, and whatever you may spend of anything, Allah indeed knows it. | You shall not attain righteousness until you spend of what you love. Whatever you spend is known to Allah. | Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in the way of Allah] from that which you love. And whatever you spend - indeed, Allah is Knowing of it. | You can never have extended virtue and righteousness unless you spend part of what you dearly love for the cause of God. God knows very well whatever you spend for His cause. | By no means shall you attain to righteousness until you spend (benevolently) out of what you love; and whatever thing you spend, Allah surely knows it. | Lan tan<u>a</u>loo albirra <u>h</u>att<u>a</u> tunfiqoo mimm<u>a</u> tu<u>h</u>ibboona wam<u>a</u> tunfiqoo min shayin fainna All<u>a</u>ha bihi AAaleem<b>un</b> | Never will you attain to righteousness unless you spend for the cause of God out of what you cherish; and whatever you spend is known to God. | By no means shall ye attain righteousness unless ye give (freely) of that which ye love; and whatever ye give, of a truth Allah knoweth it well. | 91 | 3 | لَن تَنَالُوا۟ ٱلْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُوا۟ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا۟ مِن شَىْءٍ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِهِۦ عَلِيمٌ | O believers, you will not receive the reward of the people of goodness and their rank until you spend the wealth you love in the way of Allah. Whatever you spend, big or small, Allah is aware of your intentions and of what you do; and everyone will be rewarded accordingly. | O believers, you will not receive the reward of the people of goodness and their rank until you spend the wealth you love in the way of Allah. Whatever you spend, big or small, Allah is aware of your intentions and of what you do; and everyone will be rewarded accordingly. | <p>Sequence of Verses</p><p>In the previous verse (91), it was said that charity from disbelievers and deniers was not acceptable with Allah. In this verse, believers have been told about acceptable charity and the etiquette governing it.</p><p>Commentary</p><p>Let us first understand what بِرّ. : birr means and what it really signifies so that the whole sense of the verse becomes clear in our minds.</p><p>The literal and real meaning of the word birr is the perfect fulfillment of someone's rights. It is also used in the sense of charity, performance of good deeds and nice conduct. The word: barr and barr بار is used for a person who fulfills, fully and totally, all rights due on him. The expression وَبَرًّا بِوَالِدَتِي (good to my mother - 19:32) and وَبَرًّا بِوَالِدَيْهِ (good to his father and mother - 19:14) has been used in the Qur'an in this very sense. It has been used there as a personal attribute of prophets who fulfilled the rights of their parents fully and perfectly.</p><p>Theplural form of this very word برّ : barr is ابرار : abrar which has been used frequently in the Qur'an. It has been said:</p><p>إِنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ يَشْرَبُونَ مِن كَأْسٍ كَانَ مِزَاجُهَا كَافُورًا ﴿5﴾</p><p>Surely the righteous shall drink of a cup the mixture of which is camphor - 76:5.</p><p>Again at another place it is said:</p><p>إِنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ لَفِي نَعِيمٍ ﴿22﴾ عَلَى الْأَرَائِكِ يَنظُرُونَ ﴿23﴾</p><p>Surely the righteous shall be in bliss, upon furnished thrones</p><p>gazing 83:22, 23.</p><p>Yet again there is:</p><p>وَإِنَّ الْفُجَّارَ لَفِي جَحِيمٍ ﴿14﴾</p><p>And surely, the sinners shall be in hell ablaze - 82:14.</p><p>The last verse above also tells us that the antonym of بِرّ :birr is فجور :fujur (disobedience, sinfulness).</p><p>In al-Adab al-Mufrad of Imam al- Bukhari (رح) and in Ibn Majah and Musnad of Ahmad, it has been reported from Sayydna Abu Bakr ؓ that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: 'Stick to speaking the truth because truth is a companion of بِرّ : birr (righteousness) and both these are in Paradise; and abstain from lying because that is a companion of fujur (sin) and both these are in Hell.'</p><p>The verse 177 of Surah al-Baqarah (2) says:</p><p>لَّيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّـهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ Righteousness is not that you turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteousness is that one believes in Allah and the last Day... 2:177.</p><p>After giving a list of good deeds in this verse, all of them have been classed as بِرّ birr (righteousness). The subject verse also tells us that, of the wide range of righteous deeds, the most preferred form of righteousness is to spend the most cherished things in the way of Allah. The verse further tells us 'you can never claim to have righteousness unless you spend out of what you hold dear.' Thus the meaning is that the perfect fulfillment of the rights of Allah Almighty and a total - self-unburdening from it cannot come to pass unless we spend in the way of Allah what we hold dear to our hearts. This very perfect fulfillment of due rights has also been translated as 'perfect good' or 'excellence in doing good' or 'the great merit'. To sum up, the sense here is that entering the ranks of the 'abrar' (the righteous) depends on sacrificing in the way of Allah that which one holds dear.</p><p>The enthusiastic obedience of ha-bah</p><p>The noble Companions ؓ ، who were the first addressees of the Qur'anic injunctions and the direct disciples of the Holy Prophet ﷺ really loved to carry out the injunctions of the Qur'an in letter and spirit. When this verse was revealed, each one of them surveyed as to what they loved most out of what they had. Consequently, requests started coming before the Holy Prophet ﷺ that these be spent in the way of Allah. Sayyidna Abu Talhah ؓ was the richest person among the انصار Ansar (the helping residents) of Madinah. He was the owner of a fruit farm located right across the mosque of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . It had a well called بیر حاء Bi'r Ha'. Now, in place of this farm, there is, in front of Bab al-Majidi, a building known as Istifa Manzil where pilgrims to Madinah stay. But, in a corner north-east from it, this Bi'r Ha' still exhists by the same name.l The Holy Prophet ﷺ used to visit this farm once in a while and drink water drawn from Bi'r Ha'. He liked the water from this well. This farm belonging to Sayyidna Talhah ؓ was very precious, fertile, and the dearest of all that he owned. After the revelation of this verse, he presented himself before the Holy Prophet ﷺ and said: 'I hold Bi'r Ha' the dearest of all that I own. I wish to 'spend' it in the way of Allah. I request you to use it for whatever purpose you like.' He ﷺ said: 'That farm is a high-yield property. I think it is appropriate that you distribute it among your kith and kin.' Sayyidna Abu Talhah ؓ ، accepting the suggestion made by the Holy Prophet ﷺ distributed it among his relatives and cousins (al-Bukhri and Muslim). This hadith also tells us that charity is not restricted to spending on the poor and the needy, but it is equally charitable and meritorious to give it to one's own family and relatives.</p><p>1. This building and.well have now been demolished due to the extension of the Mosque. (Translator)</p><p>Sayyidna Zayd ibn Haritha ؓ came with a horse and said that he loved it more than anything else he owned and that he wanted to 'spend' it in the way of Allah. The Holy Prophet ﷺ accepted it. But, after having taken it from him, he gave it to his son Sayyidna Usamah ؓ . Zayd ibn Haritha was somewhat disappointed about that thinking that his charity has found its way back into his own home. But, the Holy Prophet ﷺ comforted him by saying: 'Allah Almighty has accepted this charity of yours'. (Tafsir Mazhari vide Ibn Jarir, and others)</p><p>Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ also, had a bond-maid he liked most. He freed her for the sake of Allah.</p><p>Similarly, Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar ؓ had a bond-maid he loved. He freed her in the name of Allah.</p><p>In short, the gist of the verse under reference is that the complete fulfillment of the rights of Allah, the perfect good and excellence in doing good can be achieved only when a person spends something out of his dearest belongings in the way of Allah. Worthy of our attention and retention are some of the following aspects highlighted in this verse:</p><p>The word birr in this verses is inclusive of all charity, obligatory, or voluntary:</p><p>1. First of all, this verse motivates spending in the way of Allah. Some commentators take this to mean obligatory charity such as zakah while others take this to be voluntary (Nafl: supererogatory) charity. But, according to a consensus of respected researchers in the field, it has been established that its sense is general and includes both obligatory and voluntary charities. Then there are the recorded actions of the noble Companions, as cited above, which bear witness that these charitable initiatives taken by them were voluntary.</p><p>Therefore, the sense of the verse is that you give in the way of Allah whatever it may be, the obligatory zakah or the voluntary charity, but that perfect excellence and merit will blossom out from them only-when you spend in the way of Allah what you like and love. Not, that you pick out the spare, the useless or worthless things as if you were trying to get rid of the burden of charity and as if it was some sort of punitive_ tax on you. This subject has been taken up more clearly in an-other verse of the Qur'an which is as follows:</p><p>يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنفِقُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ وَمِمَّا أَخْرَجْنَا لَكُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ ۖ وَلَا تَيَمَّمُوا الْخَبِيثَ مِنْهُ تُنفِقُونَ وَلَسْتُم بِآخِذِيهِ إِلَّا أَن تُغْمِضُوا فِيهِ</p><p>0 those who believe, spend of the the good things you have earned and of what We have brought forth for you from the earth and do not opt for a bad thing spending only from there while you are not going to accept it at all unless you close your eyes to it... - 2:267.</p><p>So, the outcome is that picking out the bad and the useless to give in charity is unacceptable; contrary to that is the acceptable charity which earns full merit and which is nothing but what is spent out of one's dear belongings.</p><p>Moderation in charity:</p><p>2. The second ruling comes out of the hint made in the word t:,. (from what) in the verse. That is, the purpose is not to spend away everything one likes and loves en masse in the way of Allah. Instead, the purpose is to spend whatever has to be spent from the good things. Spending in this way will bring the full reward of charity.</p><p>In charity, what counts is sincerity:</p><p>3. The third ruling is that spending the cherished is not tied to spending something of high value. Instead, by spending what one likes and holds dear, no matter how small it may be in quantity or cost, one would still become deserving of this 'birr' or righteousness. Hasan al-Basri (رح) says, 'Whoever spends sincerely for the good pleasure of Allah, even if that be a single date-fruit alone, that too is good enough to make one deserving of the great merit and perfect righteousness promised in the verse.'</p><p>Alternative for those who have nothing to spend:</p><p>4. On the outside, it appears from the verse that poor people who do not have much to spend will remain deprived of the great good and righteousness mentioned here. It is because it has been said in the verse that this great good cannot be achieved without spending one's cherished belonging while the poor and the needy just do not have anything through which they could reach the station of righteousness. But, a little deliberation would show that the verse does not mean that those who wish to have the great good and the great merit cannot achieve that by any means other than that of spending out of their cherished possessions. Contrary to that, the fact is that this great good can be achieved by some other means as well, such as, ` Ibadah, Dhikr, Tilawah of the Qur'an and abundance of nawafil. Therefore, the poor and the needy can also become the recipients of this great good through other means as it has been clearly explained in Hadith narrations.</p><p>What is meant by things you love?</p><p>5. This is the fifth question. Another verse of the Qur'an tells us that something liked and loved means that the thing is working for him and that he needs it, not that it be spare and useless. The Holy Qur'an says: وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينًا 'which means that "the favoured servants of Allah feed the poor although they need it themselves." (76:08) Similarly, in yet another verse, this subject has been further clarified as follows: وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ They (the favoured servants of Allah) prefer others over their ownselves even though they themselves are in need. (59:09)</p><p>Spending the extra and the spare too is not devoid of merit:</p><p>6. The sixth ruling given in this verse is that entry into the fold of perfect good, great merit and ranks of the righteous depends on spending one's cherished possessions in the way of Allah. But, it does not necessarily follow that there is just no merit in store for one who does spend out of what is extra to his needs. On the contrary, as it is said towards the end of the verse:`) وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ that is, And whatsoever you spend, Allah is fully aware of it,' the sense of the text in the verse is that while the achievement of the perfect good and entry into the ranks of the righteous, no doubt, depends on spending cherished possessions specially; however, no charity is devoid of merit irrespective of whether one spends the cherished or the extra. But, what is certainly undesirable and prohibited is getting into the habit of always picking out the extra and the bad to spend in the way of Allah. But, a person who not only spends good things he likes in charity but also gives away things which are extra to his needs; e.g., left-over food or used clothing, defective utensils or articles in use, does commit no sin by including these in his acts of charity. He would definitely earn a re-ward for those too. As far as spending of cherished possessions is concerned, he would thereupon achieve the great good and find his entry into the ranks of the righteous as well.</p><p>Also stated in this last sentence of the verse is that Allah is fully aware of the real quality of what man spends and knows whether or not it is dear to him, and if he is spending it for the good pleasure of Allah, or for pretense and publicity. The mere verbal claim by some-body that he is spending what he cherishes in the way of Allah is not enough for this purpose. Keeping vigil over him is the One, the all-Knowing, the all-Aware who is cognizant of the secrets of the heart - He is watching and knows what is the true worth of the spending in His way.</p> | Sequence of VersesIn the previous verse (91), it was said that charity from disbelievers and deniers was not acceptable with Allah. In this verse, believers have been told about acceptable charity and the etiquette governing it.CommentaryLet us first understand what بِرّ. : birr means and what it really signifies so that the whole sense of the verse becomes clear in our minds.The literal and real meaning of the word birr is the perfect fulfillment of someone's rights. It is also used in the sense of charity, performance of good deeds and nice conduct. The word: barr and barr بار is used for a person who fulfills, fully and totally, all rights due on him. The expression وَبَرًّا بِوَالِدَتِي (good to my mother - 19:32) and وَبَرًّا بِوَالِدَيْهِ (good to his father and mother - 19:14) has been used in the Qur'an in this very sense. It has been used there as a personal attribute of prophets who fulfilled the rights of their parents fully and perfectly.Theplural form of this very word برّ : barr is ابرار : abrar which has been used frequently in the Qur'an. It has been said:إِنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ يَشْرَبُونَ مِن كَأْسٍ كَانَ مِزَاجُهَا كَافُورًا ﴿5﴾Surely the righteous shall drink of a cup the mixture of which is camphor - 76:5.Again at another place it is said:إِنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ لَفِي نَعِيمٍ ﴿22﴾ عَلَى الْأَرَائِكِ يَنظُرُونَ ﴿23﴾Surely the righteous shall be in bliss, upon furnished thronesgazing 83:22, 23.Yet again there is:وَإِنَّ الْفُجَّارَ لَفِي جَحِيمٍ ﴿14﴾And surely, the sinners shall be in hell ablaze - 82:14.The last verse above also tells us that the antonym of بِرّ :birr is فجور :fujur (disobedience, sinfulness).In al-Adab al-Mufrad of Imam al- Bukhari (رح) and in Ibn Majah and Musnad of Ahmad, it has been reported from Sayydna Abu Bakr ؓ that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: 'Stick to speaking the truth because truth is a companion of بِرّ : birr (righteousness) and both these are in Paradise; and abstain from lying because that is a companion of fujur (sin) and both these are in Hell.'The verse 177 of Surah al-Baqarah (2) says:لَّيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّـهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ Righteousness is not that you turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteousness is that one believes in Allah and the last Day... 2:177.After giving a list of good deeds in this verse, all of them have been classed as بِرّ birr (righteousness). The subject verse also tells us that, of the wide range of righteous deeds, the most preferred form of righteousness is to spend the most cherished things in the way of Allah. The verse further tells us 'you can never claim to have righteousness unless you spend out of what you hold dear.' Thus the meaning is that the perfect fulfillment of the rights of Allah Almighty and a total - self-unburdening from it cannot come to pass unless we spend in the way of Allah what we hold dear to our hearts. This very perfect fulfillment of due rights has also been translated as 'perfect good' or 'excellence in doing good' or 'the great merit'. To sum up, the sense here is that entering the ranks of the 'abrar' (the righteous) depends on sacrificing in the way of Allah that which one holds dear.The enthusiastic obedience of ha-bahThe noble Companions ؓ ، who were the first addressees of the Qur'anic injunctions and the direct disciples of the Holy Prophet ﷺ really loved to carry out the injunctions of the Qur'an in letter and spirit. When this verse was revealed, each one of them surveyed as to what they loved most out of what they had. Consequently, requests started coming before the Holy Prophet ﷺ that these be spent in the way of Allah. Sayyidna Abu Talhah ؓ was the richest person among the انصار Ansar (the helping residents) of Madinah. He was the owner of a fruit farm located right across the mosque of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . It had a well called بیر حاء Bi'r Ha'. Now, in place of this farm, there is, in front of Bab al-Majidi, a building known as Istifa Manzil where pilgrims to Madinah stay. But, in a corner north-east from it, this Bi'r Ha' still exhists by the same name.l The Holy Prophet ﷺ used to visit this farm once in a while and drink water drawn from Bi'r Ha'. He liked the water from this well. This farm belonging to Sayyidna Talhah ؓ was very precious, fertile, and the dearest of all that he owned. After the revelation of this verse, he presented himself before the Holy Prophet ﷺ and said: 'I hold Bi'r Ha' the dearest of all that I own. I wish to 'spend' it in the way of Allah. I request you to use it for whatever purpose you like.' He ﷺ said: 'That farm is a high-yield property. I think it is appropriate that you distribute it among your kith and kin.' Sayyidna Abu Talhah ؓ ، accepting the suggestion made by the Holy Prophet ﷺ distributed it among his relatives and cousins (al-Bukhri and Muslim). This hadith also tells us that charity is not restricted to spending on the poor and the needy, but it is equally charitable and meritorious to give it to one's own family and relatives.1. This building and.well have now been demolished due to the extension of the Mosque. (Translator)Sayyidna Zayd ibn Haritha ؓ came with a horse and said that he loved it more than anything else he owned and that he wanted to 'spend' it in the way of Allah. The Holy Prophet ﷺ accepted it. But, after having taken it from him, he gave it to his son Sayyidna Usamah ؓ . Zayd ibn Haritha was somewhat disappointed about that thinking that his charity has found its way back into his own home. But, the Holy Prophet ﷺ comforted him by saying: 'Allah Almighty has accepted this charity of yours'. (Tafsir Mazhari vide Ibn Jarir, and others)Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ also, had a bond-maid he liked most. He freed her for the sake of Allah.Similarly, Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar ؓ had a bond-maid he loved. He freed her in the name of Allah.In short, the gist of the verse under reference is that the complete fulfillment of the rights of Allah, the perfect good and excellence in doing good can be achieved only when a person spends something out of his dearest belongings in the way of Allah. Worthy of our attention and retention are some of the following aspects highlighted in this verse:The word birr in this verses is inclusive of all charity, obligatory, or voluntary:1. First of all, this verse motivates spending in the way of Allah. Some commentators take this to mean obligatory charity such as zakah while others take this to be voluntary (Nafl: supererogatory) charity. But, according to a consensus of respected researchers in the field, it has been established that its sense is general and includes both obligatory and voluntary charities. Then there are the recorded actions of the noble Companions, as cited above, which bear witness that these charitable initiatives taken by them were voluntary.Therefore, the sense of the verse is that you give in the way of Allah whatever it may be, the obligatory zakah or the voluntary charity, but that perfect excellence and merit will blossom out from them only-when you spend in the way of Allah what you like and love. Not, that you pick out the spare, the useless or worthless things as if you were trying to get rid of the burden of charity and as if it was some sort of punitive_ tax on you. This subject has been taken up more clearly in an-other verse of the Qur'an which is as follows:يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنفِقُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ وَمِمَّا أَخْرَجْنَا لَكُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ ۖ وَلَا تَيَمَّمُوا الْخَبِيثَ مِنْهُ تُنفِقُونَ وَلَسْتُم بِآخِذِيهِ إِلَّا أَن تُغْمِضُوا فِيهِ0 those who believe, spend of the the good things you have earned and of what We have brought forth for you from the earth and do not opt for a bad thing spending only from there while you are not going to accept it at all unless you close your eyes to it... - 2:267.So, the outcome is that picking out the bad and the useless to give in charity is unacceptable; contrary to that is the acceptable charity which earns full merit and which is nothing but what is spent out of one's dear belongings.Moderation in charity:2. The second ruling comes out of the hint made in the word t:,. (from what) in the verse. That is, the purpose is not to spend away everything one likes and loves en masse in the way of Allah. Instead, the purpose is to spend whatever has to be spent from the good things. Spending in this way will bring the full reward of charity.In charity, what counts is sincerity:3. The third ruling is that spending the cherished is not tied to spending something of high value. Instead, by spending what one likes and holds dear, no matter how small it may be in quantity or cost, one would still become deserving of this 'birr' or righteousness. Hasan al-Basri (رح) says, 'Whoever spends sincerely for the good pleasure of Allah, even if that be a single date-fruit alone, that too is good enough to make one deserving of the great merit and perfect righteousness promised in the verse.'Alternative for those who have nothing to spend:4. On the outside, it appears from the verse that poor people who do not have much to spend will remain deprived of the great good and righteousness mentioned here. It is because it has been said in the verse that this great good cannot be achieved without spending one's cherished belonging while the poor and the needy just do not have anything through which they could reach the station of righteousness. But, a little deliberation would show that the verse does not mean that those who wish to have the great good and the great merit cannot achieve that by any means other than that of spending out of their cherished possessions. Contrary to that, the fact is that this great good can be achieved by some other means as well, such as, ` Ibadah, Dhikr, Tilawah of the Qur'an and abundance of nawafil. Therefore, the poor and the needy can also become the recipients of this great good through other means as it has been clearly explained in Hadith narrations.What is meant by things you love?5. This is the fifth question. Another verse of the Qur'an tells us that something liked and loved means that the thing is working for him and that he needs it, not that it be spare and useless. The Holy Qur'an says: وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينًا 'which means that "the favoured servants of Allah feed the poor although they need it themselves." (76:08) Similarly, in yet another verse, this subject has been further clarified as follows: وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ They (the favoured servants of Allah) prefer others over their ownselves even though they themselves are in need. (59:09)Spending the extra and the spare too is not devoid of merit:6. The sixth ruling given in this verse is that entry into the fold of perfect good, great merit and ranks of the righteous depends on spending one's cherished possessions in the way of Allah. But, it does not necessarily follow that there is just no merit in store for one who does spend out of what is extra to his needs. On the contrary, as it is said towards the end of the verse:`) وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ that is, And whatsoever you spend, Allah is fully aware of it,' the sense of the text in the verse is that while the achievement of the perfect good and entry into the ranks of the righteous, no doubt, depends on spending cherished possessions specially; however, no charity is devoid of merit irrespective of whether one spends the cherished or the extra. But, what is certainly undesirable and prohibited is getting into the habit of always picking out the extra and the bad to spend in the way of Allah. But, a person who not only spends good things he likes in charity but also gives away things which are extra to his needs; e.g., left-over food or used clothing, defective utensils or articles in use, does commit no sin by including these in his acts of charity. He would definitely earn a re-ward for those too. As far as spending of cherished possessions is concerned, he would thereupon achieve the great good and find his entry into the ranks of the righteous as well.Also stated in this last sentence of the verse is that Allah is fully aware of the real quality of what man spends and knows whether or not it is dear to him, and if he is spending it for the good pleasure of Allah, or for pretense and publicity. The mere verbal claim by some-body that he is spending what he cherishes in the way of Allah is not enough for this purpose. Keeping vigil over him is the One, the all-Knowing, the all-Aware who is cognizant of the secrets of the heart - He is watching and knows what is the true worth of the spending in His way. | <h2 class="title">Al-Birr is Spending from the Best of One's Wealth</h2><p>In his Tafsir, Waki` reported, that `Amr bin Maymun said that</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لَن تَنَالُواْ الْبِرَّ</div><p>(By no means shall you attain Al-Birr) is in reference to attaining Paradise.</p><p>Imam Ahmad reported that Anas bin Malik said, "Abu Talhah had more property than any other among the Ansar in Al-Madinah, and the most beloved of his property to him was Bayruha' garden, which was in front of the (Messenger's) Masjid. Sometimes, Allah's Messenger used to go to the garden and drink its fresh water." Anas added, "When these verses were revealed,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لَن تَنَالُواْ الْبِرَّ حَتَّى تُنفِقُواْ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ</div><p>(By no means shall you attain Al-Birr unless You spend of that which you love,)</p><p>Abu Talhah said, `O Allah's Messenger! Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لَن تَنَالُواْ الْبِرَّ حَتَّى تُنفِقُواْ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ</div><p>(By no means shall you attain Al-Birr, unless you spend of that which you love;) No doubt, Bayruha' garden is the most beloved of all my property to me. So I want to give it in charity in Allah's cause, and I expect its reward and compensation from Allah. O Allah's Messenger! Spend it where Allah makes you think is feasible. ' On that, Allah's Messenger said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«بَخٍ بَخٍ، ذَاكَ مَالٌ رَابِحٌ، ذَاكَ مَالٌ رَابِحٌ، وَقَدْ سَمِعْتُ، وَأَنَا أَرَى أَنْ تَجْعَلَهَا فِي الْأَقْرَبِين»</div><p>(Well-done! It is profitable property, it is profitable property. I have heard what you have said, and I think it would be proper if you gave it to your kith and kin.)</p><p>Abu Talhah said, `I will do so, O Allah's Messenger.' Then Abu Talhah distributed that garden among his relatives and cousins."</p><p>This Hadith was recorded in the Two Sahihs. They also recorded that `Umar said, "O Messenger of Allah! I never gained possession of a piece of property more precious to me than my share in Khaybar. Therefore, what do you command me to do with it" The Prophet said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«حَبِّسِ الْأَصْلَ وَسَبِّلِ الثَّمَرَة»</div><p>(Retain the land to give its fruits in Allah's cause.)</p> | Al-Birr is Spending from the Best of One's WealthIn his Tafsir, Waki` reported, that `Amr bin Maymun said thatلَن تَنَالُواْ الْبِرَّ(By no means shall you attain Al-Birr) is in reference to attaining Paradise.Imam Ahmad reported that Anas bin Malik said, "Abu Talhah had more property than any other among the Ansar in Al-Madinah, and the most beloved of his property to him was Bayruha' garden, which was in front of the (Messenger's) Masjid. Sometimes, Allah's Messenger used to go to the garden and drink its fresh water." Anas added, "When these verses were revealed,لَن تَنَالُواْ الْبِرَّ حَتَّى تُنفِقُواْ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ(By no means shall you attain Al-Birr unless You spend of that which you love,)Abu Talhah said, `O Allah's Messenger! Allah says,لَن تَنَالُواْ الْبِرَّ حَتَّى تُنفِقُواْ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ(By no means shall you attain Al-Birr, unless you spend of that which you love;) No doubt, Bayruha' garden is the most beloved of all my property to me. So I want to give it in charity in Allah's cause, and I expect its reward and compensation from Allah. O Allah's Messenger! Spend it where Allah makes you think is feasible. ' On that, Allah's Messenger said,«بَخٍ بَخٍ، ذَاكَ مَالٌ رَابِحٌ، ذَاكَ مَالٌ رَابِحٌ، وَقَدْ سَمِعْتُ، وَأَنَا أَرَى أَنْ تَجْعَلَهَا فِي الْأَقْرَبِين»(Well-done! It is profitable property, it is profitable property. I have heard what you have said, and I think it would be proper if you gave it to your kith and kin.)Abu Talhah said, `I will do so, O Allah's Messenger.' Then Abu Talhah distributed that garden among his relatives and cousins."This Hadith was recorded in the Two Sahihs. They also recorded that `Umar said, "O Messenger of Allah! I never gained possession of a piece of property more precious to me than my share in Khaybar. Therefore, what do you command me to do with it" The Prophet said,«حَبِّسِ الْأَصْلَ وَسَبِّلِ الثَّمَرَة»(Retain the land to give its fruits in Allah's cause.) |
To the children of Israel was lawful all food except what Israel forbade himself before the Torah was revealed. Say: "Bring the Torah and recite it, if what you say is true." | All food was lawful for the Descendants of Israel (Jacob), except what Israel forbade for himself, before the Taurat (Torah) was sent down; say, “Bring the Taurat and read it, if you are truthful.” | All food was lawful to the Children of Israel save what Israel forbade for himself before the Torah was sent down. Say: 'Bring you the Torah now, and recite it, if you are truthful.' | ALL FOOD was lawful unto the children of Israel, save what Israel had made unlawful unto itself [by its sinning] before the Torah was bestowed from on high. Say: "Come forward, then, with the Torah and recite it, if what you say is true!" | Every foods was allowable unto the Children of Isra'il, save that which Isra'il had forbidden unto himself, ere the Taurat was revealed. Say thou: bring ye then the Taurat and recite it, if ye say sooth. | All food was lawful to the Children of Israel, except what Israel made unlawful for himself before the Taurat (Torah) was revealed. Say (O Muhammad SAW): "Bring here the Taurat (Torah) and recite it, if you are truthful." | All food was permissible to the Children of Israel, except what Israel forbade for itself before the Torah was revealed. Say, “Bring the Torah, and read it, if you are truthful.” | All food (that is lawful in the Law revealed to Muhammad) was lawful to the Children of Israel, except what Israel made unlawful to themselves before the revelation of the Torah. Tell them: 'Bring the Torah and recite any passage of it if you are truthful.' | All food was lawful to the Children of Israel, except what Isra'il made unlawful for himself before the Tawrah was revealed. Say: "Bring here the Tawrah and recite it, if you are truthful. " | All food was lawful unto the Children of Israel, save that which Israel forbade himself, (in days) before the Torah was revealed. Say: Produce the Torah and read it (unto us) if ye are truthful. | All food was lawful to the Children of Israel except what Israel had forbidden himself before the Torah was sent down. Say, ‘Bring the Torah, and read it, if you are truthful.’ | All food was lawful to the Children of Israel except what Israel forbade himself before the Torah had been sent down. Say: 'Bring the Torah and recite it, if you are truthful' | All food was lawful to the Children of Israel except what Israel had made unlawful to himself before the Torah was revealed. Say, [O Muhammad], "So bring the Torah and recite it, if you should be truthful." | All food was lawful for the children of Israel except for what Israel had deemed unlawful for himself before the Torah was revealed. (Muhammad), ask them to bring the Torah and read it, if they are true in their claim (that all food was not unlawful for the children of Israel). | All food was lawful to the children of Israel except that which Israel had forbidden to himself, before the Taurat was revealed. Say: Bring then the Taurat and read it, if you are truthful. | Kullu a<b>l</b><u>tt</u>aAA<u>a</u>mi k<u>a</u>na <u>h</u>illan libanee isr<u>a</u>eela ill<u>a</u> m<u>a</u> <u>h</u>arrama isr<u>a</u>eelu AAal<u>a</u> nafsihi min qabli an tunazzala a<b>l</b>ttawr<u>a</u>tu qul fatoo bi<b>al</b>ttawr<u>a</u>ti fa<b>o</b>tlooh<u>a</u> in kuntum <u>sa</u>diqeen<b>a</b> | All food was lawful for the Children of Israel, except whatever Israel had made unlawful for himself before the Torah was sent down. Say to them, "Bring the Torah then and read it, if you are truthful. | All food was lawful to the Children of Israel, except what Israel Made unlawful for itself, before the Law (of Moses) was revealed. Say: "Bring ye the Law and study it, if ye be men of truth." | 92 | 3 | كُلُّ ٱلطَّعَامِ كَانَ حِلًّا لِّبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ إِلَّا مَا حَرَّمَ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلُ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِۦ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تُنَزَّلَ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةُ قُلْ فَأْتُوا۟ بِٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ فَٱتْلُوهَآ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰدِقِينَ | All wholesome foods were lawful for the Israelites, except which Jacob (peace be upon him) had made unlawful for himself before the Torah was revealed. These were not, as the Jews claimed to the Prophet Muhammad, made unlawful in the Torah. Tell them, O Prophet, to bring the Torah and read it if they are telling the truth in what they claim. When the Jews heard this, they did not know how to respond, so they did not bring the Torah to recite to him. This is an example of the Jews changing things and not telling the truth about what was in the Torah. | All wholesome foods were lawful for the Israelites, except which Jacob (peace be upon him) had made unlawful for himself before the Torah was revealed. These were not, as the Jews claimed to the Prophet Muhammad, made unlawful in the Torah. Tell them, O Prophet, to bring the Torah and read it if they are telling the truth in what they claim. When the Jews heard this, they did not know how to respond, so they did not bring the Torah to recite to him. This is an example of the Jews changing things and not telling the truth about what was in the Torah. | <p>Commentary</p><p>In the verses appearing above, there is a continuity of arguments against positions taken by the people of the Book. At some places, it concerns Jews and at others, the Christians. One such argument, which has been reported in Ruh al-Ma'ani on the authority of Wahidi and al-Kalbi, recounts the incident when the Holy Prophet ﷺ stated his adherence to the community of Abraham ﷺ with reference to all fundamentals of the religious code, and most of the subsidiaries, the Jews objected by saying: 'You eat camel meat and partake of its milk although these were unlawful for Abraham (علیہ السلام) .' The Holy Prophet ﷺ said: 'No, this was lawful for him.' The Jews said: 'All that we consider unlawful has continued to be unlawful since the days of Naoh and Abraham (علیہما السلام) to the point that this unlawfulness reached us.' Thereupon, Allah Almighty revealed the verse: كُلُّ الطَّعَامِ كَانَ حِلًّا لِّبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ ٍ 'Every (kind of) food was lawful for the children of Isra'il - 93' to refute the Jewish claim in which it is said that before the revelation of Torah, all things were lawful for the children of Isra'il except the camel meat which Isra'il (علیہ السلام) (Jacob) himself had denied to eat for a particular reason, and then it remained unlawful for his progeny also.</p><p>The fact, as narrated by Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ in an authentic re-port, is that Jacob suffered from Sciatica. He had taken a vow that he would abandon what he liked most in what he ate if Allah Almighty cured him of the disease. He was cured and camel meat was what he liked most, so he abandoned it. (See Al-Hakim and al-Tirmidhi as quoted by Ruh a1-Ma` ni). Then, it, so happened that this prohibition which started because of a vow continued among the Bani Isra'il as a divine injunction. It seems their code recognized a vow as a cause of unlawfulness of something lawful, like in our own Shari'ah, a vow may make the permissible acts as obligatory. However, a vow or pledge which renders things unlawful is, in reality, an oath which is not permissible in our Shari` ah. In fact, in such a case, it is obligatory to break the oath and make amends by making کفارہ Ka ffarah. This. Is in accordance with what Allah Almighty has said in the verse لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّـهُ لَكَ why do you forbid what Allah has made lawful for you? - 66:1) (See al-Tafsir al Jabir)</p> | CommentaryIn the verses appearing above, there is a continuity of arguments against positions taken by the people of the Book. At some places, it concerns Jews and at others, the Christians. One such argument, which has been reported in Ruh al-Ma'ani on the authority of Wahidi and al-Kalbi, recounts the incident when the Holy Prophet ﷺ stated his adherence to the community of Abraham ﷺ with reference to all fundamentals of the religious code, and most of the subsidiaries, the Jews objected by saying: 'You eat camel meat and partake of its milk although these were unlawful for Abraham (علیہ السلام) .' The Holy Prophet ﷺ said: 'No, this was lawful for him.' The Jews said: 'All that we consider unlawful has continued to be unlawful since the days of Naoh and Abraham (علیہما السلام) to the point that this unlawfulness reached us.' Thereupon, Allah Almighty revealed the verse: كُلُّ الطَّعَامِ كَانَ حِلًّا لِّبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ ٍ 'Every (kind of) food was lawful for the children of Isra'il - 93' to refute the Jewish claim in which it is said that before the revelation of Torah, all things were lawful for the children of Isra'il except the camel meat which Isra'il (علیہ السلام) (Jacob) himself had denied to eat for a particular reason, and then it remained unlawful for his progeny also.The fact, as narrated by Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ in an authentic re-port, is that Jacob suffered from Sciatica. He had taken a vow that he would abandon what he liked most in what he ate if Allah Almighty cured him of the disease. He was cured and camel meat was what he liked most, so he abandoned it. (See Al-Hakim and al-Tirmidhi as quoted by Ruh a1-Ma` ni). Then, it, so happened that this prohibition which started because of a vow continued among the Bani Isra'il as a divine injunction. It seems their code recognized a vow as a cause of unlawfulness of something lawful, like in our own Shari'ah, a vow may make the permissible acts as obligatory. However, a vow or pledge which renders things unlawful is, in reality, an oath which is not permissible in our Shari` ah. In fact, in such a case, it is obligatory to break the oath and make amends by making کفارہ Ka ffarah. This. Is in accordance with what Allah Almighty has said in the verse لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّـهُ لَكَ why do you forbid what Allah has made lawful for you? - 66:1) (See al-Tafsir al Jabir) | <h2 class="title">The Questions that the Jews Asked Our Prophet</h2><p>Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "A group of Jews came to Allah's Prophet and said, `Talk to us about some things we will ask you and which only a Prophet would know.' He said, `Ask me about whatever you wish. However, give your pledge to Allah, similar to the pledge that Ya`qub took from his children, that if I tell you something and you recognize its truth, you will follow me in Islam.' They said, `Agreed.' The Prophet said, `Ask me about whatever you wish.' They said, `Tell us about four matters: 1. What kinds of food did Isra'il prohibit for himself 2. What about the sexual discharge of the woman and the man, and what role does each play in producing male or female offspring 3. Tell us about the condition of the unlettered Prophet during sleep, 4. And who is his Wali (supporter) among the angels' The Prophet took their covenant that they will follow him if he answers these questions, and they agreed. He said, `I ask you by He Who sent down the Tawrah to Musa, do you not know that Isra'il once became very ill When his illness was prolonged, he vowed to Allah that if He cures His illness, he would prohibit the best types of drink and food for himself. Was not the best food to him camel meat and the best drink camel milk' They said, `Yes, by Allah.' The Messenger said, `O Allah, be Witness against them.' The Prophet then said, `I ask you by Allah, other than Whom there is no deity (worthy of worship), Who sent down the Tawrah to Musa, do you not know that man's discharge is thick and white and woman's is yellow and thin If any of these fluids becomes dominant, the offspring will take its sex and resemblance by Allah's leave. Hence, if the man's is more than the woman's, the child will be male, by Allah's leave. If the woman's discharge is more than the man's, then the child will be female, by Allah's leave.' They said, `Yes.' He said, `O Allah, be Witness against them.' He then said, `I ask you by He Who sent down the Tawrah to Musa, do you not know that the eyes of this unlettered Prophet sleep, but his heart does not sleep' They said, `Yes, by Allah!' He said, `O Allah, be Witness.' They said, `Tell us now about your Wali among the angels, for this is when we either follow or shun you.' He said, `My Wali (who brings down the revelation from Allah) is Jibril, and Allah never sent a Prophet, but Jibril is his Wali.' They said, `We then shun you. Had you a Wali other than Jibril, we would have followed you.' On that, Allah, the Exalted revealed,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ</div><p>(Say: "Whoever is an enemy to Jibril...") 2:97."</p><p>Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">نَفْسِهِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تُنَزَّلَ</div><p>(before the Tawrah was revealed) 3:93, means, Isra'il forbade that for himself before the Tawrah was revealed. There are two objectives behind revealing this segment of the Ayah. First, he forbade himself the most delightful things for Allah's sake. This practice was allowed during his period of Law, and is, thus, suitable that it is mentioned after Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لَن تَنَالُواْ الْبِرَّ حَتَّى تُنفِقُواْ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ</div><p>(By no means shall you attain Al-Birr, unless you spend of that which you love) 3: 92.</p><p>What we are allowed in our Law is to spend in Allah's obedience from what we like and covet but not to prohibit what Allah has allowed. Allah said in other Ayat;</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَءَاتَى الْمَالَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ</div><p>(And gives his wealth, in spite of love for it,) 2:177, and;</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ</div><p>(And they give food, in spite of their love for it,) 76:8.</p><p>The second reason is that after Allah refuted the false Christian beliefs and allegations about `Isa and his mother. Allah started refuting the Jews here, may Allah curse them, by stating that the abrogation of the Law, that they denied occurs, already occurred in their Law. For instance, Allah has stated in their Book, the Tawrah, that when Nuh departed from the ark, Allah allowed him to eat the meat of all types of animals. Afterwards, Isra'il forbade the meat and milk of camels for himself, and his children imitated this practice after him. The Tawrah later on prohibited this type of food, and added several more types of prohibitions. Allah allowed Adam to marry his daughters to his sons, and this practice was later forbidden. The Law of Ibrahim allowed the man to take female servants as companions along with his wife, as Ibrahim did when he took Hajar, while he was married to Sarah. Later on, the Tawrah prohibited this practice. It was previously allowed to take two sisters as wives at the same time, as Ya`qub married two sisters at the same time. Later on, this practice was prohibited in the Tawrah. All these examples are in the Tawrah and constitute a Naskh (abrogation) of the Law. Therefore, let the Jews consider what Allah legislated for `Isa and if such legislation falls under the category of abrogation or not. Why do they not then follow `Isa in this regard Rather, the Jews defied and rebelled against `Isa and against the correct religion that Allah sent Muhammad with.</p><p>This is why Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">كُلُّ الطَّعَامِ كَانَ حِـلاًّ لِّبَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ إِلاَّ مَا حَرَّمَ إِسْرَءِيلُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تُنَزَّلَ التَّوْرَاةُ</div><p>(All food was lawful to the Children of Israel, except what Isra'il made unlawful for himself before the Tawrah was revealed) 3:93 meaning, before the Tawrah was revealed, all types of foods were allowed, except what Isra'il prohibited for himself. Allah then said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">التَّوْرَاةُ قُلْ فَأْتُواْ بِالتَّوْرَاةِ فَاتْلُوهَا إِن كُنتُمْ</div><p>(Say: "Bring here the Tawrah and recite it, if you are truthful."),</p><p>for the Tawrah affirms what we are stating here. Allah said next,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَمَنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ مِن بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الظَّـلِمُونَ </div><p>(Then after that, whosoever shall invent a lie against Allah, then these it is that are the wrongdoers.) 3:94, in reference to those who lie about Allah and claim that He made the Sabbath and the Tawrah eternal. They are those who claim that Allah did not send another Prophet calling to Allah with the proofs and evidences, although evidence indicates that abrogation, as we have described, occurred before in the Tawrah,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الظَّـلِمُونَ</div><p>(then these it is that are the wrongdoers.)</p><p>Allah then said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُلْ صَدَقَ اللَّهُ</div><p>(Say, "Allah has spoken the truth;") 3:95 meaning, O Muhammad, say that Allah has said the truth in what He conveyed and legislated in the Qur'an,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَاتَّبِعُواْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفاً وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ</div><p>(follow the religion of Ibrahim the Hanif, and he was not of the idolators.") 3:95.</p><p>Therefore, follow the religion of Ibrahim that Allah legislated in the Qur'an. Indeed, this is the truth, there is no doubt in it, and the perfect way, and no Prophet has brought a more complete, clear, plain and perfect way than he did. Allah said in other Ayat,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُلْ إِنَّنِى هَدَانِى رَبِّى إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ دِينًا قِيَمًا مِّلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ </div><p>(Say: "Truly, my Lord has guided me to a straight path, a right religion, the religion of Ibrahim, the Hanif, and he was not of the idolators.") 6:161</p><p>and,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ </div><p>(Then, We have sent the revelation to you (saying): "Follow the religion of Ibrahim, the Hanif, and he was not of the idolaters.) 16:123.</p> | The Questions that the Jews Asked Our ProphetImam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "A group of Jews came to Allah's Prophet and said, `Talk to us about some things we will ask you and which only a Prophet would know.' He said, `Ask me about whatever you wish. However, give your pledge to Allah, similar to the pledge that Ya`qub took from his children, that if I tell you something and you recognize its truth, you will follow me in Islam.' They said, `Agreed.' The Prophet said, `Ask me about whatever you wish.' They said, `Tell us about four matters: 1. What kinds of food did Isra'il prohibit for himself 2. What about the sexual discharge of the woman and the man, and what role does each play in producing male or female offspring 3. Tell us about the condition of the unlettered Prophet during sleep, 4. And who is his Wali (supporter) among the angels' The Prophet took their covenant that they will follow him if he answers these questions, and they agreed. He said, `I ask you by He Who sent down the Tawrah to Musa, do you not know that Isra'il once became very ill When his illness was prolonged, he vowed to Allah that if He cures His illness, he would prohibit the best types of drink and food for himself. Was not the best food to him camel meat and the best drink camel milk' They said, `Yes, by Allah.' The Messenger said, `O Allah, be Witness against them.' The Prophet then said, `I ask you by Allah, other than Whom there is no deity (worthy of worship), Who sent down the Tawrah to Musa, do you not know that man's discharge is thick and white and woman's is yellow and thin If any of these fluids becomes dominant, the offspring will take its sex and resemblance by Allah's leave. Hence, if the man's is more than the woman's, the child will be male, by Allah's leave. If the woman's discharge is more than the man's, then the child will be female, by Allah's leave.' They said, `Yes.' He said, `O Allah, be Witness against them.' He then said, `I ask you by He Who sent down the Tawrah to Musa, do you not know that the eyes of this unlettered Prophet sleep, but his heart does not sleep' They said, `Yes, by Allah!' He said, `O Allah, be Witness.' They said, `Tell us now about your Wali among the angels, for this is when we either follow or shun you.' He said, `My Wali (who brings down the revelation from Allah) is Jibril, and Allah never sent a Prophet, but Jibril is his Wali.' They said, `We then shun you. Had you a Wali other than Jibril, we would have followed you.' On that, Allah, the Exalted revealed,قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ(Say: "Whoever is an enemy to Jibril...") 2:97."Allah's statement,نَفْسِهِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تُنَزَّلَ(before the Tawrah was revealed) 3:93, means, Isra'il forbade that for himself before the Tawrah was revealed. There are two objectives behind revealing this segment of the Ayah. First, he forbade himself the most delightful things for Allah's sake. This practice was allowed during his period of Law, and is, thus, suitable that it is mentioned after Allah's statement,لَن تَنَالُواْ الْبِرَّ حَتَّى تُنفِقُواْ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ(By no means shall you attain Al-Birr, unless you spend of that which you love) 3: 92.What we are allowed in our Law is to spend in Allah's obedience from what we like and covet but not to prohibit what Allah has allowed. Allah said in other Ayat;وَءَاتَى الْمَالَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ(And gives his wealth, in spite of love for it,) 2:177, and;وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ(And they give food, in spite of their love for it,) 76:8.The second reason is that after Allah refuted the false Christian beliefs and allegations about `Isa and his mother. Allah started refuting the Jews here, may Allah curse them, by stating that the abrogation of the Law, that they denied occurs, already occurred in their Law. For instance, Allah has stated in their Book, the Tawrah, that when Nuh departed from the ark, Allah allowed him to eat the meat of all types of animals. Afterwards, Isra'il forbade the meat and milk of camels for himself, and his children imitated this practice after him. The Tawrah later on prohibited this type of food, and added several more types of prohibitions. Allah allowed Adam to marry his daughters to his sons, and this practice was later forbidden. The Law of Ibrahim allowed the man to take female servants as companions along with his wife, as Ibrahim did when he took Hajar, while he was married to Sarah. Later on, the Tawrah prohibited this practice. It was previously allowed to take two sisters as wives at the same time, as Ya`qub married two sisters at the same time. Later on, this practice was prohibited in the Tawrah. All these examples are in the Tawrah and constitute a Naskh (abrogation) of the Law. Therefore, let the Jews consider what Allah legislated for `Isa and if such legislation falls under the category of abrogation or not. Why do they not then follow `Isa in this regard Rather, the Jews defied and rebelled against `Isa and against the correct religion that Allah sent Muhammad with.This is why Allah said,كُلُّ الطَّعَامِ كَانَ حِـلاًّ لِّبَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ إِلاَّ مَا حَرَّمَ إِسْرَءِيلُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تُنَزَّلَ التَّوْرَاةُ(All food was lawful to the Children of Israel, except what Isra'il made unlawful for himself before the Tawrah was revealed) 3:93 meaning, before the Tawrah was revealed, all types of foods were allowed, except what Isra'il prohibited for himself. Allah then said,التَّوْرَاةُ قُلْ فَأْتُواْ بِالتَّوْرَاةِ فَاتْلُوهَا إِن كُنتُمْ(Say: "Bring here the Tawrah and recite it, if you are truthful."),for the Tawrah affirms what we are stating here. Allah said next,فَمَنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ مِن بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الظَّـلِمُونَ (Then after that, whosoever shall invent a lie against Allah, then these it is that are the wrongdoers.) 3:94, in reference to those who lie about Allah and claim that He made the Sabbath and the Tawrah eternal. They are those who claim that Allah did not send another Prophet calling to Allah with the proofs and evidences, although evidence indicates that abrogation, as we have described, occurred before in the Tawrah,فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الظَّـلِمُونَ(then these it is that are the wrongdoers.)Allah then said,قُلْ صَدَقَ اللَّهُ(Say, "Allah has spoken the truth;") 3:95 meaning, O Muhammad, say that Allah has said the truth in what He conveyed and legislated in the Qur'an,فَاتَّبِعُواْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفاً وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ(follow the religion of Ibrahim the Hanif, and he was not of the idolators.") 3:95.Therefore, follow the religion of Ibrahim that Allah legislated in the Qur'an. Indeed, this is the truth, there is no doubt in it, and the perfect way, and no Prophet has brought a more complete, clear, plain and perfect way than he did. Allah said in other Ayat,قُلْ إِنَّنِى هَدَانِى رَبِّى إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ دِينًا قِيَمًا مِّلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ (Say: "Truly, my Lord has guided me to a straight path, a right religion, the religion of Ibrahim, the Hanif, and he was not of the idolators.") 6:161and,ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ (Then, We have sent the revelation to you (saying): "Follow the religion of Ibrahim, the Hanif, and he was not of the idolaters.) 16:123. |
And anyone who fabricates lies about God even after this, is wicked indeed. | So henceforth whoever fabricates lies against Allah – it is they who are the unjust. | Whoso forges falsehood against God after that, those are the evildoers. | And all who henceforth invent lies about God - it is they, they who are evildoers! | Then whosoever fabricateth after this, lie against Allah - these! they are the wrong-doers. | Then after that, whosoever shall invent a lie against Allah,
such shall indeed be the Zalimun (disbelievers). | Whoever forges lies about God after that—these are the unjust. | Those who falsely fix lies upon Allah despite this are the wrong-doers. | Then after that, whosoever shall invent a lie against Allah, then it is these that are the wrongdoers. | And whoever shall invent a falsehood after that concerning Allah, such will be wrong-doers. | So whoever fabricates a lie against Allah after that—it is they who are the wrongdoers. | Those who after this invent lies about Allah are harmdoers. | And whoever invents about Allah untruth after that - then those are [truly] the wrongdoers. | Whoever ascribes falsehood to God despite of all the evidence is unjust. | Then whoever fabricates a lie against Allah after this, these it is that are the unjust. | Famani iftar<u>a</u> AAal<u>a</u> All<u>a</u>hi alka<u>th</u>iba min baAAdi <u>tha</u>lika faol<u>a</u>ika humu a<b>l</b><i><u>th</u></i><u>a</u>limoon<b>a</b> | Those who, after this, persist in making up lies and attributing them to God are transgressors." | If any, after this, invent a lie and attribute it to Allah, they are indeed unjust wrong-doers. | 93 | 3 | فَمَنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ | Whoever invents a lie against Allah after the evidence has been made clear – such as the fact that Jacob made certain foods unlawful for himself in a vow and that they were not made unlawful by Allah – then they are wronging themselves by turning away from the obvious truth. | Whoever invents a lie against Allah after the evidence has been made clear – such as the fact that Jacob made certain foods unlawful for himself in a vow and that they were not made unlawful by Allah – then they are wronging themselves by turning away from the obvious truth. | ||||
Say: "God has veritably spoken the truth. So now follow the way of Abraham the upright, who was not of idolaters." | Say (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “Allah is truthful; so follow the religion of Ibrahim, who was free from all falsehood; and he was not of the polytheists.” | Say: 'God has spoken the truth; therefore follow the creed of Abraham, a man of pure faith and no idolater.' | Say: "God has spoken the truth: follow, then, the creed of Abraham, who turned away from all that is false, and was not of those who ascribe divinity to aught beside God." | Say thou: Allah hath spoken the truth; follow therefore the faith of Ibrahim the upright; and he was not of the associators. | Say (O Muhammad SAW): "Allah has spoken the truth; follow the religion of Ibrahim (Abraham) Hanifa (Islamic Monotheism, i.e. he used to worship Allah Alone), and he was not of Al-Mushrikun." (See V. 2:105) | Say, “God has spoken the truth, so follow the religion of Abraham the Monotheist; he was not a Pagan.” | Say: 'Whatever Allah has said is true. Follow, then, the way of Abraham in total devotion to Allah. He was not one of those who associate others with Allah in His divinity. | Say:"Allah has spoken the truth; follow the religion of Ibrahim the Hanif (monotheist), and he was not of the Mushrikin (idolators)." | Say: Allah speaketh truth. So follow the religion of Abraham, the upright. He was not of the idolaters. | Say, ‘Allah has spoken the truth; so follow the creed of Abraham, a Hanif, and he was not one of the polytheists. | Say: 'Allah has said the truth. Follow the Creed of Abraham, he was of pure faith, and not an idolater' | Say, "Allah has told the truth. So follow the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth; and he was not of the polytheists." | (Muhammad), say, "God has spoken the Truth. Follow the upright tradition of Abraham who was not an idolater." | Say: Allah has spoken the truth, therefore follow the religion of Ibrahim, the upright one; and he was not one of the polytheists. | Qul <u>s</u>adaqa All<u>a</u>hu fa<b>i</b>ttabiAAoo millata ibr<u>a</u>heema <u>h</u>aneefan wam<u>a</u> k<u>a</u>na mina almushrikeen<b>a</b> | Say, "God speaks the Truth, so follow the faith of Abraham. He was an upright man and he was not one of the polytheists." | Say: "Allah speaketh the Truth: follow the religion of Abraham, the sane in faith; he was not of the Pagans." | 94 | 3 | قُلْ صَدَقَ ٱللَّهُ فَٱتَّبِعُوا۟ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ | Tell them, O Prophet, that Allah has spoken the truth about Jacob (peace be upon him), and in everything that He has revealed and established in the sacred law. Also, tell them to follow the religion Abraham (peace be upon him): he abandoned all other ways of life for the path of surrendering in devotion to Allah, by worshipping Him and following His sacred law – he only worshipped Allah. | Tell them, O Prophet, that Allah has spoken the truth about Jacob (peace be upon him), and in everything that He has revealed and established in the sacred law. Also, tell them to follow the religion Abraham (peace be upon him): he abandoned all other ways of life for the path of surrendering in devotion to Allah, by worshipping Him and following His sacred law – he only worshipped Allah. | ||||
The first House of God to be set up for men was at Bakkah the blessed, a guidance for the people of the world. | Indeed the first house that was appointed as a place of worship for mankind, is the one at Mecca (the Holy Ka’aba), blessed and a guidance to the whole world; | The first House established for the people was that at Bekka, a place holy, and a guidance to all beings. | Behold, the first Temple ever set up for mankind was indeed the one at Bakkah: rich in blessing, and a [source of] guidance unto all the worlds, | Verily the first House set apart unto mankind was that at Bakka, blest, and a guidance unto the worlds. | Verily, the first House (of worship) appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah (Makkah), full of blessing, and a guidance for Al-'Alamin (the mankind and jinns). | The first house established for mankind is the one at Bekka; blessed, and guidance for all people. | Behold, the first House (of Prayer) established for mankind is the one at Bakkah: it is full of blessing and a centre of guidance for the whole world. | Verily, the first House (of worship) appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah (Makkah), full of blessing, and a guidance for Al-`Alamin (mankind and Jinn). | Lo! the first Sanctuary appointed for mankind was that at Becca, a blessed place, a guidance to the peoples; | Indeed the first house to be set up for mankind is the one at Bakkah, blessed and a guidance for all nations. | The first House ever to be built for people was that at Bakkah (Mecca) blessed and a guidance for the worlds. | Indeed, the first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Makkah - blessed and a guidance for the worlds. | The first house (of worship) that God assigned to men was in Bakka (another name of Mecca). It is a blessed one and a guide for all people. | Most surely the first house appointed for men is the one at Bekka, blessed and a guidance for the nations. | Inna awwala baytin wu<u>d</u>iAAa li<b>l</b>nn<u>a</u>si lalla<u>th</u>ee bibakkata mub<u>a</u>rakan wahudan lilAA<u>a</u>lameen<b>a</b> | The first House to be built for mankind was the one at Bakkah [Makkah]. It is a blessed place; a source of guidance for the whole world. | The first House (of worship) appointed for men was that at Bakka: Full of blessing and of guidance for all kinds of beings: | 95 | 3 | إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِى بِبَكَّةَ مُبَارَكًا وَهُدًى لِّلْعَٰلَمِينَ | The first House built on earth for all people to worship Allah was the Sacred House of Allah in Makkah: a House of worship full of worldly and sacred blessings, and guidance for all the worlds. | The first House built on earth for all people to worship Allah was the Sacred House of Allah in Makkah: a House of worship full of worldly and sacred blessings, and guidance for all the worlds. | <p>Commentary:</p><p>The above verse points out to the distinction and superiority of the House of Allah, the Ka'bah, as compared to the houses, and even mosques, of the whole world. There are several reasons for this status, which have been mentioned in this verse, namely:</p><p>1. Among the true houses of worship in this world, the Ka'bah enjoys the distinction of being the first.</p><p>2. It is full of blessings.</p><p>3. It is a source of guidance for the entire world.</p><p>The gist of the words used in the verse is that the first House designated for people by Allah is none other than the one which is in Makkah al-Mukarramah. It means that the Ka'bah of Makkah al-Mukarramah is the first House of Worship in this world. One possible interpretation of this phrase may be that the first house of all the houses of the world was made for Divine worship exclusively, in which case, there would have been no place of worship or place of residence prior to it. Adam (علیہ السلام) was a prophet of Allah. Given his stature and the eminent position as Allah's vicegerent, it is likely that he, soon after his appearance on the earth, elected to first build the House of Allah even before building his own residence. It is for this reason that Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar, Mujahid, Qatadah and others ؓ from among the Companions and their successors are of the opinion that the Ka` bah is the first house of the world. Then, it is also possible that houses where people lived may have already been made earlier but this may have been the first ever House made exclusively for worship. This very view has been reported from Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ</p><p>Al-Baihaqi, in his book, Dala'il al-Nubuwwah دلایٔل النبوہ ، has reported on the authority of Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Amr ibn al'As that the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، said: 'After the arrival of Sayyidna Adam and Sayyidah Hawwa' (علیہا السلام) into the mortal world, Allah Almighty commanded them through angel Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) that they should build the House of Allah (the Ka'bah). After they had fulfilled the command, they were asked to go round it (in tawaf). They were told that they were the first among people and this house was the first House (of worship) appointed for people (Ibn Kathir).</p><p>As it appears in some reports, this structure of the Ka'bah built by Sayyidna Adam (علیہ السلام) was there upto the time of Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) . It collapsed during the Flood and its traces were obliterated. Following that, it was re-built by Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) on the same foundations. When the structure collapsed again due to some accident, a group from the tribe of Jurhum raised it once again. When yet another collapse came, the Amalkites rebuilt it. When it collapsed close to the early period of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، the Quraysh built it all over again in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ himself participated and helped place the Black Stone with his blessed hands. But, the structure raised by the Quraysh was a little different from the original foundation laid down by Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) in as much as they had left out a section of the House of Allah which is known as حطیم Hatim. There were two doors in the original Abrahamic structure of the Ka'bah, one for entry and another on the back for exit. The Quraysh retained just the one door in the east (for entry and exit).</p><p>The third change they made was to raise the level of the entry door much higher than the ground level of the House of Allah so that everybody could not go in there easily; this was to restrict the entry only to those who were permitted by Quraysh. The Holy Prophet ﷺ Said to Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ : 'I wish I could demolish the present structure and raise it all over again exactly in accordance with the Abrahimic foundation. By doing this I shall be correcting the arbitrary deviation from the Abrahimic foundation made by the Quraysh, but this action is likely to create a misunderstanding among Muslims who are new and whose knowledge is not yet perfect, therefore, I shall leave it as it is for the time being.' The Holy Prophet ﷺ did not live for very long to implement his wishes in his lifetime.</p><p>But, Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Zubayr ؓ the nephew of Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ had heard this saying of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . When he came to rule Makkah al-Mukarramah following the Khulafa al-Rashidin, he had the structure of the House of Allah demolished and had it rebuilt in accordance with the saying of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and the original foundation of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) . He ruled Makkah al-Mu` azzamah for a brief period only. The tyrant of the Muslim community, Hajjaj ibn Yusuf invaded Makkah and Hadrat ` Abdullah ؓ was martyred. After assuming control of the government, and abhorrent as he was to the idea that this feat of ` Abdullah ibn Zubayr ؓ remains a source of fame for the martyred ruler, he started a smear campaign that ` Abdullah ibn Zubayr ؓ was wrong in what he did and that the Ka` bah should be kept the way it was left to posterity by the Holy Prophet ﷺ . Using this excuse, he once again demolished the structure of the House of Allah and had it built anew similar to the one made earlier by the Quraysh during the days of Jahiliyyah. Some Muslim rulers who succeeded Hajjaj ibn Yusuf intended, on the strength of the aforementioned hadith, to rebuild the House of Allah all over again in accordance with the hadith of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . But, the master-jurist of that period, Sayyidna Imam Malik ibn Anas (رح) gave a fatwa to the effect that re-demolishing and re-building the House of Allah at this stage will render the House of Allah a plaything in the hands of rulers who will follow. Every ruler who comes next will do exactly this to earn fame for himself. Therefore, it is appropriate that it be left the way it is. The entire ummah accepted it. This is the reason why the structure built by Hajjaj ibn Yusuf is what remains even to this day. There have been damages, dilapidations and the process of repairs has continued ever since.</p><p>These narrations, first of all, tell us that the Ka'bah is the first house of the world, or at least, the first house of worship. While the Holy Qur'an does mention that the House of Allah was built by Sayyidna Ibrahim and Ismail following His will and command, there are simultaneous indicators suggesting that these revered prophets did not go through the initial layout for its construction. Instead, they built it in accordance with previous foundations, because the real foundation of the Ka'bah was already there. From what is said in the Holy Qur'an, وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ (and when Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) was raising up the foundations of the House along with Ismail (علیہ السلام) 2:127) we get an indication that the Qawa` id or the foundations of the House of Allah were already there. It appears in Surah al-Hajj: وَإِذْ بَوَّأْنَا لِإِبْرَاهِيمَ مَكَانَ الْبَيْتِ (and when we settled for Ibrahim the site of the House - 22:26)</p><p>This too is suggestive of the fact that the site of the House of Allah had continued as pre-determined since earlier times. The first verse lends support to the view that its foundations were already there.</p><p>When Sayydina Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) was commanded to build the House of Allah, as in some reports, he was led by an angel on to the site of the Ka'bah and its previously existing foundations hidden under sand dunes.</p><p>In any case, the verse under reference does prove one of the merits of the Ka'bah, that is, it is the first ever house or place of worship. It has been reported in a hadith from the Sahihayn that Sayyidna Ab Dharr ؓ asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ 'Which is the first ever masjid in the world?' He ﷺ said, 'al-Masjid al-Haram.' He submitted again, 'Which masjid comes after that?' He ﷺ said, 'Masjid Bayt al-Maqdis.' He asked once again, 'What time span separates their building?' He ﷺ said, 'Forty years.'</p><p>In this hadith, it is in relation to the new edifice of the House of Allah that the intervening period between its construction and the initial construction of Bayt al-Maqdis has been determined. As a matter of fact, there are reports which prove that the initial construction of Bayt al-Maqdis was undertaken by Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) forty years after the construction of the Ka'bah. Then comes the construction of Bayt al-Maqdis by Sayyidna Sulayman (علیہ السلام) This too was not a new structure with new foundations, like the Ka'bah. Instead, Sayyidna Sulayman (علیہ السلام) rebuilt it on the original Abrahimic foundations. Thus, there remains no contradiction between reports.</p><p>The Ka` bah has always been an object of reverence and respect. This fact is pointed out in the expression وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ (set up for the people) in this verse under discussion hinted therein is that the respect and honour in which this House of worship is held will not be limited to a particular nation or group. Instead, the whole humanity will hold it in respect. Allah Almighty has placed a built-in aura of dignity and awe in its presence which draws in the hearts of people automatically.</p><p>Here, the word 'Bakkah' means 'Makkah al-Mu'azzamah'. It does not matter whether you say that the letter 'mim' has been substituted for 'ba since, in common Arab usage, 'mim' is substituted for 'ba', or simply say that 'Bakkah' is an alternate name for 'Makkah'.</p><p>The Blessings of the Ka'bah</p><p>The second merit of بیت اللہ Baytullah (the Ka'bah) stated here in this verse is that it is blessed. The word, 'mubarak' has been derived from 'barakah' which means 'to grow' and 'to sustain'. You can look at this growth factor from two angles. Something may grow in a way that it visibly increases in quantity, but the other possible way of growing is that it adds nothing noteworthy to its quantity, yet it turns out to be so useful in so many situations that it would have usually needed much more to do the same job. In that sense this too could be regarded as 'growth' or 'increase'.</p><p>The Ka'bah is full of blessings outwardly and inwardly. The outward blessings it has are quite obvious. Inspite of Makkah and its environs being a desert, dry and barren, all sorts of fruits and vegetables and items of need are available in all seasons and at all times. Not only that these are enough for the people of Makkah, it is much more than that. These suffice for all visitors from everywhere in the world. And everyone knows the volume of visitors, especially during the Hajj season, when hundreds and thousands of people from the farthest corners of the world assemble there whose count outnumbers the resi-dents of Makkah by at least four or five times. This huge multitude of people stays there, not for a few days, but for months together. Even, apart from the Hajj season, there is hardly a time of the year when thousands of people from outside do not come in and go out of here. It may be noted that, during the Hajj season particularly when hundreds and thousands of people from outside assemble there, it has never happened that articles of use could have gone out of the market and become unavailable. Even, animals of sacrifice which are slaughtered there by each and every person, at least on the average of one per per-son, and there are some who sacrifice more, are always available there. It is not that special arrangements are made to import these from other countries. In the words of the Holy Qur'n, يُجْبَىٰ إِلَيْهِ ثَمَرَاتُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ (Brought toward it are fruits of everything - 28:57), there is a clear indication of this phenomena.</p><p>This was a view of the outward blessings which, of course, are not the ultimate objective. The spiritual, the inward blessings are so numerous that it is impossible to count them. There are important ` ibadat, the acts of worship, which are special to the Ka'bah. The great reward and the spiritual blessings that come from them totally revolve around the بیت اللہ Baytullah, such as the Hajj and ` Umra. Then, there are some other ` ibadat the merit of which increases several degrees when done in al-Masjid al-Haram. The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said that a man offering salah at his home will get thawab for one salah; and if he does that in the masjid of his locality, he will get the reward for twenty five salahs; and one who does that in a Jami` جامعہ big congregational mosque) will get the reward for five hundred salahs; and should he offer his salah in al-Masjid al-Aqsa, he will get the reward for one thousand salahs; and in my Masjid, he gets the thawab for fifty thousand salahs, while in al-Masjid al-Haram, that of one hundred thousand salahs. (This narration has been reported by Ibn Majah and Tahawi and others).</p><p>As far as the merits of Hajj are concerned, Muslims generally know the Hadith which declares that a Muslim who performs his Hajj obligations correctly is so cleansed of his past sins as if he was born on that day, all pure and pristine. Obviously, all these are spiritual blessings of the بیت اللہ Baytullah. These very blessings have been identified bythe word ھدی towards the end of the verse: مُبَارَكًا وَهُدًى لِّلْعَالَمِينَ (having blessings and guidance for all worlds).</p> | Commentary:The above verse points out to the distinction and superiority of the House of Allah, the Ka'bah, as compared to the houses, and even mosques, of the whole world. There are several reasons for this status, which have been mentioned in this verse, namely:1. Among the true houses of worship in this world, the Ka'bah enjoys the distinction of being the first.2. It is full of blessings.3. It is a source of guidance for the entire world.The gist of the words used in the verse is that the first House designated for people by Allah is none other than the one which is in Makkah al-Mukarramah. It means that the Ka'bah of Makkah al-Mukarramah is the first House of Worship in this world. One possible interpretation of this phrase may be that the first house of all the houses of the world was made for Divine worship exclusively, in which case, there would have been no place of worship or place of residence prior to it. Adam (علیہ السلام) was a prophet of Allah. Given his stature and the eminent position as Allah's vicegerent, it is likely that he, soon after his appearance on the earth, elected to first build the House of Allah even before building his own residence. It is for this reason that Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar, Mujahid, Qatadah and others ؓ from among the Companions and their successors are of the opinion that the Ka` bah is the first house of the world. Then, it is also possible that houses where people lived may have already been made earlier but this may have been the first ever House made exclusively for worship. This very view has been reported from Sayyidna ` Ali ؓAl-Baihaqi, in his book, Dala'il al-Nubuwwah دلایٔل النبوہ ، has reported on the authority of Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Amr ibn al'As that the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، said: 'After the arrival of Sayyidna Adam and Sayyidah Hawwa' (علیہا السلام) into the mortal world, Allah Almighty commanded them through angel Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) that they should build the House of Allah (the Ka'bah). After they had fulfilled the command, they were asked to go round it (in tawaf). They were told that they were the first among people and this house was the first House (of worship) appointed for people (Ibn Kathir).As it appears in some reports, this structure of the Ka'bah built by Sayyidna Adam (علیہ السلام) was there upto the time of Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) . It collapsed during the Flood and its traces were obliterated. Following that, it was re-built by Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) on the same foundations. When the structure collapsed again due to some accident, a group from the tribe of Jurhum raised it once again. When yet another collapse came, the Amalkites rebuilt it. When it collapsed close to the early period of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، the Quraysh built it all over again in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ himself participated and helped place the Black Stone with his blessed hands. But, the structure raised by the Quraysh was a little different from the original foundation laid down by Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) in as much as they had left out a section of the House of Allah which is known as حطیم Hatim. There were two doors in the original Abrahamic structure of the Ka'bah, one for entry and another on the back for exit. The Quraysh retained just the one door in the east (for entry and exit).The third change they made was to raise the level of the entry door much higher than the ground level of the House of Allah so that everybody could not go in there easily; this was to restrict the entry only to those who were permitted by Quraysh. The Holy Prophet ﷺ Said to Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ : 'I wish I could demolish the present structure and raise it all over again exactly in accordance with the Abrahimic foundation. By doing this I shall be correcting the arbitrary deviation from the Abrahimic foundation made by the Quraysh, but this action is likely to create a misunderstanding among Muslims who are new and whose knowledge is not yet perfect, therefore, I shall leave it as it is for the time being.' The Holy Prophet ﷺ did not live for very long to implement his wishes in his lifetime.But, Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Zubayr ؓ the nephew of Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ had heard this saying of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . When he came to rule Makkah al-Mukarramah following the Khulafa al-Rashidin, he had the structure of the House of Allah demolished and had it rebuilt in accordance with the saying of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and the original foundation of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) . He ruled Makkah al-Mu` azzamah for a brief period only. The tyrant of the Muslim community, Hajjaj ibn Yusuf invaded Makkah and Hadrat ` Abdullah ؓ was martyred. After assuming control of the government, and abhorrent as he was to the idea that this feat of ` Abdullah ibn Zubayr ؓ remains a source of fame for the martyred ruler, he started a smear campaign that ` Abdullah ibn Zubayr ؓ was wrong in what he did and that the Ka` bah should be kept the way it was left to posterity by the Holy Prophet ﷺ . Using this excuse, he once again demolished the structure of the House of Allah and had it built anew similar to the one made earlier by the Quraysh during the days of Jahiliyyah. Some Muslim rulers who succeeded Hajjaj ibn Yusuf intended, on the strength of the aforementioned hadith, to rebuild the House of Allah all over again in accordance with the hadith of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . But, the master-jurist of that period, Sayyidna Imam Malik ibn Anas (رح) gave a fatwa to the effect that re-demolishing and re-building the House of Allah at this stage will render the House of Allah a plaything in the hands of rulers who will follow. Every ruler who comes next will do exactly this to earn fame for himself. Therefore, it is appropriate that it be left the way it is. The entire ummah accepted it. This is the reason why the structure built by Hajjaj ibn Yusuf is what remains even to this day. There have been damages, dilapidations and the process of repairs has continued ever since.These narrations, first of all, tell us that the Ka'bah is the first house of the world, or at least, the first house of worship. While the Holy Qur'an does mention that the House of Allah was built by Sayyidna Ibrahim and Ismail following His will and command, there are simultaneous indicators suggesting that these revered prophets did not go through the initial layout for its construction. Instead, they built it in accordance with previous foundations, because the real foundation of the Ka'bah was already there. From what is said in the Holy Qur'an, وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ (and when Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) was raising up the foundations of the House along with Ismail (علیہ السلام) 2:127) we get an indication that the Qawa` id or the foundations of the House of Allah were already there. It appears in Surah al-Hajj: وَإِذْ بَوَّأْنَا لِإِبْرَاهِيمَ مَكَانَ الْبَيْتِ (and when we settled for Ibrahim the site of the House - 22:26)This too is suggestive of the fact that the site of the House of Allah had continued as pre-determined since earlier times. The first verse lends support to the view that its foundations were already there.When Sayydina Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) was commanded to build the House of Allah, as in some reports, he was led by an angel on to the site of the Ka'bah and its previously existing foundations hidden under sand dunes.In any case, the verse under reference does prove one of the merits of the Ka'bah, that is, it is the first ever house or place of worship. It has been reported in a hadith from the Sahihayn that Sayyidna Ab Dharr ؓ asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ 'Which is the first ever masjid in the world?' He ﷺ said, 'al-Masjid al-Haram.' He submitted again, 'Which masjid comes after that?' He ﷺ said, 'Masjid Bayt al-Maqdis.' He asked once again, 'What time span separates their building?' He ﷺ said, 'Forty years.'In this hadith, it is in relation to the new edifice of the House of Allah that the intervening period between its construction and the initial construction of Bayt al-Maqdis has been determined. As a matter of fact, there are reports which prove that the initial construction of Bayt al-Maqdis was undertaken by Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) forty years after the construction of the Ka'bah. Then comes the construction of Bayt al-Maqdis by Sayyidna Sulayman (علیہ السلام) This too was not a new structure with new foundations, like the Ka'bah. Instead, Sayyidna Sulayman (علیہ السلام) rebuilt it on the original Abrahimic foundations. Thus, there remains no contradiction between reports.The Ka` bah has always been an object of reverence and respect. This fact is pointed out in the expression وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ (set up for the people) in this verse under discussion hinted therein is that the respect and honour in which this House of worship is held will not be limited to a particular nation or group. Instead, the whole humanity will hold it in respect. Allah Almighty has placed a built-in aura of dignity and awe in its presence which draws in the hearts of people automatically.Here, the word 'Bakkah' means 'Makkah al-Mu'azzamah'. It does not matter whether you say that the letter 'mim' has been substituted for 'ba since, in common Arab usage, 'mim' is substituted for 'ba', or simply say that 'Bakkah' is an alternate name for 'Makkah'.The Blessings of the Ka'bahThe second merit of بیت اللہ Baytullah (the Ka'bah) stated here in this verse is that it is blessed. The word, 'mubarak' has been derived from 'barakah' which means 'to grow' and 'to sustain'. You can look at this growth factor from two angles. Something may grow in a way that it visibly increases in quantity, but the other possible way of growing is that it adds nothing noteworthy to its quantity, yet it turns out to be so useful in so many situations that it would have usually needed much more to do the same job. In that sense this too could be regarded as 'growth' or 'increase'.The Ka'bah is full of blessings outwardly and inwardly. The outward blessings it has are quite obvious. Inspite of Makkah and its environs being a desert, dry and barren, all sorts of fruits and vegetables and items of need are available in all seasons and at all times. Not only that these are enough for the people of Makkah, it is much more than that. These suffice for all visitors from everywhere in the world. And everyone knows the volume of visitors, especially during the Hajj season, when hundreds and thousands of people from the farthest corners of the world assemble there whose count outnumbers the resi-dents of Makkah by at least four or five times. This huge multitude of people stays there, not for a few days, but for months together. Even, apart from the Hajj season, there is hardly a time of the year when thousands of people from outside do not come in and go out of here. It may be noted that, during the Hajj season particularly when hundreds and thousands of people from outside assemble there, it has never happened that articles of use could have gone out of the market and become unavailable. Even, animals of sacrifice which are slaughtered there by each and every person, at least on the average of one per per-son, and there are some who sacrifice more, are always available there. It is not that special arrangements are made to import these from other countries. In the words of the Holy Qur'n, يُجْبَىٰ إِلَيْهِ ثَمَرَاتُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ (Brought toward it are fruits of everything - 28:57), there is a clear indication of this phenomena.This was a view of the outward blessings which, of course, are not the ultimate objective. The spiritual, the inward blessings are so numerous that it is impossible to count them. There are important ` ibadat, the acts of worship, which are special to the Ka'bah. The great reward and the spiritual blessings that come from them totally revolve around the بیت اللہ Baytullah, such as the Hajj and ` Umra. Then, there are some other ` ibadat the merit of which increases several degrees when done in al-Masjid al-Haram. The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said that a man offering salah at his home will get thawab for one salah; and if he does that in the masjid of his locality, he will get the reward for twenty five salahs; and one who does that in a Jami` جامعہ big congregational mosque) will get the reward for five hundred salahs; and should he offer his salah in al-Masjid al-Aqsa, he will get the reward for one thousand salahs; and in my Masjid, he gets the thawab for fifty thousand salahs, while in al-Masjid al-Haram, that of one hundred thousand salahs. (This narration has been reported by Ibn Majah and Tahawi and others).As far as the merits of Hajj are concerned, Muslims generally know the Hadith which declares that a Muslim who performs his Hajj obligations correctly is so cleansed of his past sins as if he was born on that day, all pure and pristine. Obviously, all these are spiritual blessings of the بیت اللہ Baytullah. These very blessings have been identified bythe word ھدی towards the end of the verse: مُبَارَكًا وَهُدًى لِّلْعَالَمِينَ (having blessings and guidance for all worlds). | <h2 class="title">The Ka`bah is the First House of Worship</h2><p>Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ</div><p>(Verily, the first House appointed for mankind) for all people, for their acts of worship and religious rituals. They go around the House in Tawaf, pray in its vicinity and remain in its area in I`tikaf.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لَلَّذِى بِبَكَّةَ</div><p>(was that at Bakkah,) meaning, the Ka`bah that was built by Ibrahim Al-Khalil, whose religion the Jews and Christians claim they follow. However, they do not perform Hajj to the house that Ibrahim built by Allah's command, and to which he invited the people to perform Hajj. Allah said next, i</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">مُبَارَكاً</div><p>(full of blessing), sanctified,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَهُدًى لِّلْعَـلَمِينَ</div><p>(and a guidance for Al-`Alamin.)</p><p>Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Dharr said; "I said, `O Allah's Messenger! Which Masjid was the first to be built on the surface of the earth' He said, `Al-Masjid Al-Haram (in Makkah).' I said, `Which was built next' He replied `Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem).' I said, `What was the period of time between building the two' He said, `Forty years.' He added,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«ثُمَّ حَيْثُ أَدْرَكْتَ الصَّلَاةَ فَصَلِّ، فَكُلُّهَا مَسْجِد»</div><p>(Wherever (you may be, and) the prayer becomes due, perform the prayer there, for the whole earth was made a Masjid.)" Al-Bukhari and Muslim also collected this Hadith.</p><h2 class="title">The Names of Makkah, Such As `Bakkah</h2><p>Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لَلَّذِى بِبَكَّةَ</div><p>(was that at Bakkah), where Bakkah is one of the names of Makkah. Bakkah means, `it brings Buka' (crying, weeping) to the tyrants and arrogant, meaning they cry and become humble in its vicinity. It was also said that Makkah was called Bakkah because people do Buka next to it, meaning they gather around it. There are many names for Makkah, such as Bakkah, Al-Bayt Al-`Atiq (the Ancient House), Al-Bayt Al-Haram (the Sacred House), Al-Balad Al-Amin (the City of Safety) and Al-Ma'mun (Security). Makkah's names include Umm Rahm (Mother of Mercy), Umm Al-Qura (Mother of the Towns), Salah, as well as others.</p><h2 class="title">The Station of Ibrahim</h2><p>Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فِيهِ ءَايَـتٌ بَيِّـنَـتٌ</div><p>(In it are manifest signs) 3:97, means, clear signs that Ibrahim built the Ka`bah and that Allah has honored and blessed it. Allah then said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">مَّقَامِ إِبْرَهِيمَ</div><p>(the Maqam (station) of Ibrahim) When the building the Ka`bah was raised, Ibrahim stood on; the Maqam so that he could raise the walls higher, while his son Isma`il was handing the stones to him. We should mention that the Maqam used to be situated right next to the House. Later, and during his reign, `Umar bin Al-Khattab moved the Maqam farther to the east, so that those who go around the House in Tawaf are able to perform it easily, without disturbing those who pray next to the Maqam after finishing their Tawaf. Allah commanded us to pray next to the Maqam;</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَاتَّخِذُواْ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَهِيمَ مُصَلًّى</div><p>(And take you (people) the Maqam (station) of Ibrahim as a place of prayer) 2:125.</p><p>We mentioned the Hadiths about this subject before, and all the thanks are due to Allah. Al-`Awfi said that, Ibn `Abbas commented on Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فِيهِ ءَايَـتٌ بَيِّـنَـتٌ مَّقَامُ إِبْرَهِيمَ</div><p>(In it are manifest signs, the Maqam of Ibrahim;)</p><p>"Such as the Maqam and Al-Mash`ar Al-Haram." Mujahid said, "The impression of Ibrahim's feet remains on the Maqam as a clear sign." It was reported that `Umar bin `Abdul-`Aziz, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, As-Suddi, Muqatil bin Hayyan and others said similarly.</p><h2 class="title">Al-Haram, the Sacred Area, is a Safe Area</h2><p>Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَن دَخَلَهُ كَانَ ءَامِناً</div><p>(whosoever enters it, he attains security,) 3:97 meaning, the Haram of Makkah is a safe refuge for those in a state of fear. There in its vicinity, they will be safe, just as was the case during the time of Jahiliyyah. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "(During the time of Jahiliyyah) a man would commit murder, then wear a piece of wool around his neck and enter the Haram. And even when the son of the murdered person would meet him, he would not make a move against him, until he left the sanctuary." Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْاْ أَنَّا جَعَلْنَا حَرَماً ءامِناً وَيُتَخَطَّفُ النَّاسُ مِنْ حَوْلِهِمْ</div><p>(Have they not seen that We have made (Makkah) a secure sanctuary, while men are being snatched away from all around them) 29:67, and,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَلْيَعْبُدُواْ رَبَّ هَـذَا الْبَيْتِ - الَّذِى أَطْعَمَهُم مِّن جُوعٍ وَءَامَنَهُم مِّنْ خوْفٍ </div><p>(So let them worship (Allah) the Lord of this House (the Ka`bah). (He) Who has fed them against hunger, and has made them safe from fear) 106:3-4.</p><p>It is not allowed for anyone to hunt in the Haram or to drive game out of its den to be hunted, or cut the trees in its vicinity, or pick its grass, as the Hadiths of the Prophet and the statements of the Companions testify. The Two Sahihs recorded (this being the wording of Muslim) that Ibn `Abbas said, "On the day of the conquest of Makkah, the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«لَا هِجْرَةَ، وَلــكِنْ جِهَادٌ وَنِيَّـةٌ، وَإِذَا اسْتُنْفِرْتُمْ فَانْفِرُوا»</div><p>(There is no more Hijrah (migration to Makkah), only Jihad and good intention. If you were mobilized, then march forth.)</p><p>He also said on the day of the conquest of Makkah,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«إِنَّ هَذَا الْبَلَدَ حَرَّمَهُ اللهُ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَواتِ وَالْأَرْضَ، فَهُوَ حَرَامٌ بِحُرْمَةِ اللهِ إِلى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَحِلَّ الْقِتَالُ فِيهِ لأَحَدٍ قَبْلِي، وَلَمْ يَحِلَّ لِي إِلَّا فِي سَاعَةٍ مِنْ نَهَارٍ، فَهُوَ حَرَامٌ بِحُرْمَةِ اللهِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ، لَا يُعْضَدُ شَوْكُهُ، وُلَا يُنَفَّرُ صَيْدُهُ، وَلَا يَلْتَقِطُ لُقَطَتَهَا إِلَّا مَنْ عَرَّفَهَا، وَلَا يُخْتَلَى خَلَاهَا»</div><p>(Beware! Allah made this town (Makkah) a sanctuary when He created the heavens and earth, and it is sacred by Allah's decree until the Day of Resurrection. Fighting in Makkah was not permitted for anyone before me, and it was made legal for me for only a few hours or so on that day. No doubt it is at this moment a sanctuary by Allah's decree until the Day of Resurrection. It is not allowed to uproot its thorny shrubs, hunt its game, pick up its lost objects, except by announcing it, or to uproot its trees.)</p><p>Al-`Abbas said, `Except the lemon grass, O Allah's Messenger, as they use it in their houses and graves.' The Prophet said:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«إِلَّا الْإِذْخِر»</div><p>(Except lemongrass)."</p><p>The Two Sahihs also recorded that Abu Shurayh Al-`Adawi said that he said to `Amr bin Sa`id while he was sending the troops to Makkah (to fight `Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr), "O Commander! Allow me to tell you what Allah's Messenger said on the day following the conquest of Makkah. My ears heard it and my heart memorized it thoroughly, and I saw the Prophet with my own eyes when he, after glorifying and praising Allah, said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«إِنَّ مَكَّةَ حَرَّمَهَا اللهُ، وَلَمْ يُحَرِّمْهَا النَّاسُ، فَلَا يَحِلُّ لِامْرِى يُؤْمِنُ بِاللهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ أَنْ يَسْفِكَ بِهَا دَمًا، وَلَا يَعْضِدَ بِهَا شَجَرَةً، فَإِنْ أَحَدٌ تَرَخَّصَ بِقِتَالِ رَسُولِ اللهِصلى الله عليه وسلّم فِيهَا فَقُولُوا لَهُ: إِنَّ اللهَ أَذِنَ لِرَسُولِهِ وَلَمْ يَأْذَنْ لَكُمْ، وَإِنَّمَا أَذِنَ لِي فِيهَا سَاعَةً مِنْ نَهَارٍ، وَقَدْ عَادَتْ حُرْمَتُهَا الْيَوْمَ كَحُرْمَتِهَا بِالْأَمْسِ فَلْيُبَلِّغِ الشَّاهِدُ الْغَائِب»</div><p>(Allah, not the people, made Makkah a sanctuary. Therefore, anybody who has belief in Allah and the Last Day, should neither shed blood in it nor cut down its trees. If anybody argues that fighting in it is permissible on the basis that Allah's Messenger fought in Makkah, say to him, `Allah allowed His Messenger and did not allow you.' Allah allowed me only for a few hours on that day (of the conquest), and today its sanctity is as valid as it was before. So, those who are present, should inform those who are absent of this fact.)."</p><p>Abu Shurayh was asked, "What did `Amr reply" He said that `Amr said, "O Abu Shurayh! I know better than you in this respect; Makkah does not give protection to a sinner, a murderer or a thief."</p><p>Jabir bin `Abdullah said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah saying,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«لَا يَحِلُّ لِأَحَدِكُمْ أَنْ يَحْمِلَ بِمَكَّةَ السِّلَاح»</div><p>(None of you is allowed to carry a weapon in Makkah.) Muslim recorded this Hadith.</p><p>`Abdullah bin `Adi bin Al-Hamra' Az-Zuhri said that he heard the Messenger of Allah say while standing at Al-Hazwarah in the marketplace of Makkah,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«وَاللهِ إِنَّكِ لَخَيْرُ أَرْضِ اللهِ، وَأَحَبُّ أَرْضِ اللهِ إِلَى اللهِ، وَلَوْلَا أَنِّي أُخْرِجْتُ مِنْكِ مَا خَرَجْت»</div><p>(By Allah! You are the best of Allah's land and the most beloved land to Allah. Had it not been for the fact that I was driven out of you, I would not have left you.)</p><p>Imam Ahmad collected this Hadith and this is his wording. At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah also collected it. At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih."</p><h2 class="title">The Necessity of Performing Hajj</h2><p>Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَللَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَـعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً</div><p>(And Hajj to the House is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, for those who are able to undertake the journey) 3:97.</p><p>This Ayah established the obligation of performing Hajj. There are many Hadiths that mention it as one of the pillars and fundamentals of Islam, and this is agreed upon by the Muslims. According to texts and the consensus of the scholars, it is only obligatory for the adult Muslim to perform it once during his lifetime. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah once gave a speech in which he said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ فُرِضَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْحَجُّ فَحُجُّوا»</div><p>(O people! Hajj has been enjoined on you, therefore, perform Hajj.)</p><p>A man asked, "Is it every year, O Allah's Messenger" The Prophet remained silent until the man repeated the question three times and he then said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«لَوْ قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ لَوَجَبَتْ وَلَمَا اسْتَطَعْتُم»</div><p>(Had I said yes, it would have become an obligation and you would not have been able to fulfill it.) He said next,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«ذَرُونِي مَا تَرَكْتُكُمْ فَإِنَّمَا هَلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ بِكَثْرَةِ سُؤَالِهِمْ وَاخْتِلَافِهِمْ عَلى أَنْبِيَائِهِمْ، وَإِذَا أَمَرْتُكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ فَأْتُوا مِنْهُ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ، وَإِذَا نَهَيْتُكُمْ عَنْ شَيْءٍ فَدَعُوه»</div><p>(Leave me as I leave you, those before you were destroyed because of their many questions and disputing with their Prophets. If I command you with something, perform it as much as you can. If I forbid something for you, then refrain from it.) Muslim recorded similarly.</p><h2 class="title">Meaning of `Afford' in the Ayah</h2><p>There are several categories of "the ability to under take the journey". There is the physical ability of the person himself and the ability that is related to other things as mentioned in the books of jurisprudence. Abu `Isa At-Tirmidhi recorded that Ibn `Umar said, "A man stood up and asked the Messenger of Allah , `O Messenger of Allah! Who is the pilgrim' He said, `He who has untidy hair and clothes.' Another man asked, `Which Hajj is better, O Messenger of Allah' He said, `The noisy (with supplication to Allah) and bloody (with sacrifice).' Another man asked, `What is the ability to undertake the journey, O Messenger of Allah' He said, `Having provision and a means of transportation."' This is the narration that Ibn Majah collected. Al-Hakim narrated that Anas said that the Messenger of Allah was asked about Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">مَنِ اسْتَطَـعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً</div><p>(for those who are able to undertake the journey;) 3:97 "What does `able to undertake the journey' mean" The Prophet answered, "Having sufficient provision and a means of transportation." Al-Hakim stated that this Hadith's chain of narration is authentic, following the guidelines of Muslim in his Sahih, but the Two Sahihs did not collect it. Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«مَنْ أَرَادَ الْحَجَّ فَلْيَتَعَجَّل»</div><p>(Whoever intends to perform Hajj, let him rush to perform it.) Abu Dawud also collected this Hadith.</p><h2 class="title">The One who Denies the Necessity of Hajj Becomes a Disbeliever</h2><p>Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ الله غَنِىٌّ عَنِ الْعَـلَمِينَ</div><p>(...and whoever disbelieves, then Allah stands not in need of any of the `Alamin) 3:97.</p><p>Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and several others commented on this Ayah, "Whoever denies the necessity of Hajj becomes disbeliever, and Allah is far Richer than to need him." Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Al-Isma`ili recorded that `Umar bin Al-Khattab said, "Whoever can afford Hajj but did not perform it, there is no difference in his case if he dies while Jew or Christian." This has an authentic chain of narration leading to `Umar.</p> | The Ka`bah is the First House of WorshipAllah said,إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ(Verily, the first House appointed for mankind) for all people, for their acts of worship and religious rituals. They go around the House in Tawaf, pray in its vicinity and remain in its area in I`tikaf.لَلَّذِى بِبَكَّةَ(was that at Bakkah,) meaning, the Ka`bah that was built by Ibrahim Al-Khalil, whose religion the Jews and Christians claim they follow. However, they do not perform Hajj to the house that Ibrahim built by Allah's command, and to which he invited the people to perform Hajj. Allah said next, iمُبَارَكاً(full of blessing), sanctified,وَهُدًى لِّلْعَـلَمِينَ(and a guidance for Al-`Alamin.)Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Dharr said; "I said, `O Allah's Messenger! Which Masjid was the first to be built on the surface of the earth' He said, `Al-Masjid Al-Haram (in Makkah).' I said, `Which was built next' He replied `Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem).' I said, `What was the period of time between building the two' He said, `Forty years.' He added,«ثُمَّ حَيْثُ أَدْرَكْتَ الصَّلَاةَ فَصَلِّ، فَكُلُّهَا مَسْجِد»(Wherever (you may be, and) the prayer becomes due, perform the prayer there, for the whole earth was made a Masjid.)" Al-Bukhari and Muslim also collected this Hadith.The Names of Makkah, Such As `BakkahAllah said,لَلَّذِى بِبَكَّةَ(was that at Bakkah), where Bakkah is one of the names of Makkah. Bakkah means, `it brings Buka' (crying, weeping) to the tyrants and arrogant, meaning they cry and become humble in its vicinity. It was also said that Makkah was called Bakkah because people do Buka next to it, meaning they gather around it. There are many names for Makkah, such as Bakkah, Al-Bayt Al-`Atiq (the Ancient House), Al-Bayt Al-Haram (the Sacred House), Al-Balad Al-Amin (the City of Safety) and Al-Ma'mun (Security). Makkah's names include Umm Rahm (Mother of Mercy), Umm Al-Qura (Mother of the Towns), Salah, as well as others.The Station of IbrahimAllah's statement,فِيهِ ءَايَـتٌ بَيِّـنَـتٌ(In it are manifest signs) 3:97, means, clear signs that Ibrahim built the Ka`bah and that Allah has honored and blessed it. Allah then said,مَّقَامِ إِبْرَهِيمَ(the Maqam (station) of Ibrahim) When the building the Ka`bah was raised, Ibrahim stood on; the Maqam so that he could raise the walls higher, while his son Isma`il was handing the stones to him. We should mention that the Maqam used to be situated right next to the House. Later, and during his reign, `Umar bin Al-Khattab moved the Maqam farther to the east, so that those who go around the House in Tawaf are able to perform it easily, without disturbing those who pray next to the Maqam after finishing their Tawaf. Allah commanded us to pray next to the Maqam;وَاتَّخِذُواْ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَهِيمَ مُصَلًّى(And take you (people) the Maqam (station) of Ibrahim as a place of prayer) 2:125.We mentioned the Hadiths about this subject before, and all the thanks are due to Allah. Al-`Awfi said that, Ibn `Abbas commented on Allah's statement,فِيهِ ءَايَـتٌ بَيِّـنَـتٌ مَّقَامُ إِبْرَهِيمَ(In it are manifest signs, the Maqam of Ibrahim;)"Such as the Maqam and Al-Mash`ar Al-Haram." Mujahid said, "The impression of Ibrahim's feet remains on the Maqam as a clear sign." It was reported that `Umar bin `Abdul-`Aziz, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, As-Suddi, Muqatil bin Hayyan and others said similarly.Al-Haram, the Sacred Area, is a Safe AreaAllah said,وَمَن دَخَلَهُ كَانَ ءَامِناً(whosoever enters it, he attains security,) 3:97 meaning, the Haram of Makkah is a safe refuge for those in a state of fear. There in its vicinity, they will be safe, just as was the case during the time of Jahiliyyah. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "(During the time of Jahiliyyah) a man would commit murder, then wear a piece of wool around his neck and enter the Haram. And even when the son of the murdered person would meet him, he would not make a move against him, until he left the sanctuary." Allah said,أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْاْ أَنَّا جَعَلْنَا حَرَماً ءامِناً وَيُتَخَطَّفُ النَّاسُ مِنْ حَوْلِهِمْ(Have they not seen that We have made (Makkah) a secure sanctuary, while men are being snatched away from all around them) 29:67, and,فَلْيَعْبُدُواْ رَبَّ هَـذَا الْبَيْتِ - الَّذِى أَطْعَمَهُم مِّن جُوعٍ وَءَامَنَهُم مِّنْ خوْفٍ (So let them worship (Allah) the Lord of this House (the Ka`bah). (He) Who has fed them against hunger, and has made them safe from fear) 106:3-4.It is not allowed for anyone to hunt in the Haram or to drive game out of its den to be hunted, or cut the trees in its vicinity, or pick its grass, as the Hadiths of the Prophet and the statements of the Companions testify. The Two Sahihs recorded (this being the wording of Muslim) that Ibn `Abbas said, "On the day of the conquest of Makkah, the Messenger of Allah said,«لَا هِجْرَةَ، وَلــكِنْ جِهَادٌ وَنِيَّـةٌ، وَإِذَا اسْتُنْفِرْتُمْ فَانْفِرُوا»(There is no more Hijrah (migration to Makkah), only Jihad and good intention. If you were mobilized, then march forth.)He also said on the day of the conquest of Makkah,«إِنَّ هَذَا الْبَلَدَ حَرَّمَهُ اللهُ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَواتِ وَالْأَرْضَ، فَهُوَ حَرَامٌ بِحُرْمَةِ اللهِ إِلى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَحِلَّ الْقِتَالُ فِيهِ لأَحَدٍ قَبْلِي، وَلَمْ يَحِلَّ لِي إِلَّا فِي سَاعَةٍ مِنْ نَهَارٍ، فَهُوَ حَرَامٌ بِحُرْمَةِ اللهِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ، لَا يُعْضَدُ شَوْكُهُ، وُلَا يُنَفَّرُ صَيْدُهُ، وَلَا يَلْتَقِطُ لُقَطَتَهَا إِلَّا مَنْ عَرَّفَهَا، وَلَا يُخْتَلَى خَلَاهَا»(Beware! Allah made this town (Makkah) a sanctuary when He created the heavens and earth, and it is sacred by Allah's decree until the Day of Resurrection. Fighting in Makkah was not permitted for anyone before me, and it was made legal for me for only a few hours or so on that day. No doubt it is at this moment a sanctuary by Allah's decree until the Day of Resurrection. It is not allowed to uproot its thorny shrubs, hunt its game, pick up its lost objects, except by announcing it, or to uproot its trees.)Al-`Abbas said, `Except the lemon grass, O Allah's Messenger, as they use it in their houses and graves.' The Prophet said:«إِلَّا الْإِذْخِر»(Except lemongrass)."The Two Sahihs also recorded that Abu Shurayh Al-`Adawi said that he said to `Amr bin Sa`id while he was sending the troops to Makkah (to fight `Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr), "O Commander! Allow me to tell you what Allah's Messenger said on the day following the conquest of Makkah. My ears heard it and my heart memorized it thoroughly, and I saw the Prophet with my own eyes when he, after glorifying and praising Allah, said,«إِنَّ مَكَّةَ حَرَّمَهَا اللهُ، وَلَمْ يُحَرِّمْهَا النَّاسُ، فَلَا يَحِلُّ لِامْرِى يُؤْمِنُ بِاللهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ أَنْ يَسْفِكَ بِهَا دَمًا، وَلَا يَعْضِدَ بِهَا شَجَرَةً، فَإِنْ أَحَدٌ تَرَخَّصَ بِقِتَالِ رَسُولِ اللهِصلى الله عليه وسلّم فِيهَا فَقُولُوا لَهُ: إِنَّ اللهَ أَذِنَ لِرَسُولِهِ وَلَمْ يَأْذَنْ لَكُمْ، وَإِنَّمَا أَذِنَ لِي فِيهَا سَاعَةً مِنْ نَهَارٍ، وَقَدْ عَادَتْ حُرْمَتُهَا الْيَوْمَ كَحُرْمَتِهَا بِالْأَمْسِ فَلْيُبَلِّغِ الشَّاهِدُ الْغَائِب»(Allah, not the people, made Makkah a sanctuary. Therefore, anybody who has belief in Allah and the Last Day, should neither shed blood in it nor cut down its trees. If anybody argues that fighting in it is permissible on the basis that Allah's Messenger fought in Makkah, say to him, `Allah allowed His Messenger and did not allow you.' Allah allowed me only for a few hours on that day (of the conquest), and today its sanctity is as valid as it was before. So, those who are present, should inform those who are absent of this fact.)."Abu Shurayh was asked, "What did `Amr reply" He said that `Amr said, "O Abu Shurayh! I know better than you in this respect; Makkah does not give protection to a sinner, a murderer or a thief."Jabir bin `Abdullah said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah saying,«لَا يَحِلُّ لِأَحَدِكُمْ أَنْ يَحْمِلَ بِمَكَّةَ السِّلَاح»(None of you is allowed to carry a weapon in Makkah.) Muslim recorded this Hadith.`Abdullah bin `Adi bin Al-Hamra' Az-Zuhri said that he heard the Messenger of Allah say while standing at Al-Hazwarah in the marketplace of Makkah,«وَاللهِ إِنَّكِ لَخَيْرُ أَرْضِ اللهِ، وَأَحَبُّ أَرْضِ اللهِ إِلَى اللهِ، وَلَوْلَا أَنِّي أُخْرِجْتُ مِنْكِ مَا خَرَجْت»(By Allah! You are the best of Allah's land and the most beloved land to Allah. Had it not been for the fact that I was driven out of you, I would not have left you.)Imam Ahmad collected this Hadith and this is his wording. At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah also collected it. At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih."The Necessity of Performing HajjAllah said,وَللَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَـعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً(And Hajj to the House is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, for those who are able to undertake the journey) 3:97.This Ayah established the obligation of performing Hajj. There are many Hadiths that mention it as one of the pillars and fundamentals of Islam, and this is agreed upon by the Muslims. According to texts and the consensus of the scholars, it is only obligatory for the adult Muslim to perform it once during his lifetime. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah once gave a speech in which he said,«أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ فُرِضَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْحَجُّ فَحُجُّوا»(O people! Hajj has been enjoined on you, therefore, perform Hajj.)A man asked, "Is it every year, O Allah's Messenger" The Prophet remained silent until the man repeated the question three times and he then said,«لَوْ قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ لَوَجَبَتْ وَلَمَا اسْتَطَعْتُم»(Had I said yes, it would have become an obligation and you would not have been able to fulfill it.) He said next,«ذَرُونِي مَا تَرَكْتُكُمْ فَإِنَّمَا هَلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ بِكَثْرَةِ سُؤَالِهِمْ وَاخْتِلَافِهِمْ عَلى أَنْبِيَائِهِمْ، وَإِذَا أَمَرْتُكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ فَأْتُوا مِنْهُ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ، وَإِذَا نَهَيْتُكُمْ عَنْ شَيْءٍ فَدَعُوه»(Leave me as I leave you, those before you were destroyed because of their many questions and disputing with their Prophets. If I command you with something, perform it as much as you can. If I forbid something for you, then refrain from it.) Muslim recorded similarly.Meaning of `Afford' in the AyahThere are several categories of "the ability to under take the journey". There is the physical ability of the person himself and the ability that is related to other things as mentioned in the books of jurisprudence. Abu `Isa At-Tirmidhi recorded that Ibn `Umar said, "A man stood up and asked the Messenger of Allah , `O Messenger of Allah! Who is the pilgrim' He said, `He who has untidy hair and clothes.' Another man asked, `Which Hajj is better, O Messenger of Allah' He said, `The noisy (with supplication to Allah) and bloody (with sacrifice).' Another man asked, `What is the ability to undertake the journey, O Messenger of Allah' He said, `Having provision and a means of transportation."' This is the narration that Ibn Majah collected. Al-Hakim narrated that Anas said that the Messenger of Allah was asked about Allah's statement,مَنِ اسْتَطَـعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً(for those who are able to undertake the journey;) 3:97 "What does `able to undertake the journey' mean" The Prophet answered, "Having sufficient provision and a means of transportation." Al-Hakim stated that this Hadith's chain of narration is authentic, following the guidelines of Muslim in his Sahih, but the Two Sahihs did not collect it. Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah said,«مَنْ أَرَادَ الْحَجَّ فَلْيَتَعَجَّل»(Whoever intends to perform Hajj, let him rush to perform it.) Abu Dawud also collected this Hadith.The One who Denies the Necessity of Hajj Becomes a DisbelieverAllah said,وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ الله غَنِىٌّ عَنِ الْعَـلَمِينَ(...and whoever disbelieves, then Allah stands not in need of any of the `Alamin) 3:97.Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and several others commented on this Ayah, "Whoever denies the necessity of Hajj becomes disbeliever, and Allah is far Richer than to need him." Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Al-Isma`ili recorded that `Umar bin Al-Khattab said, "Whoever can afford Hajj but did not perform it, there is no difference in his case if he dies while Jew or Christian." This has an authentic chain of narration leading to `Umar. |
It contains clear signs, and the spot where Abraham had stood. And anyone who enters it will find security. And whosoever can afford should visit the House on a pilgrimage as duty to God. Whosoever denies, should remember that God is independent of the peoples of the world. | In it are clear signs – the place where Ibrahim stood (is one of them); and whoever enters it shall be safe; and performing the Hajj (pilgrimage) of this house, for the sake of Allah, is a duty upon mankind, for those who can reach it; and whoever disbelieves – then Allah is Independent (Unwanting) of the entire creation! | Therein are clear signs -- the station of Abraham, and whosoever enters it is in security. It is the duty of all men towards God to come to the House a pilgrim, if he is able to make his way there. As for the unbeliever, God is All-sufficient nor needs any being. | full of clear messages. [It is] the place whereon Abraham once stood; and whoever enters it finds inner peace. Hence, pilgrimage unto the Temple is a duty owed to God by all people who are able to undertake it. And as for those who deny the truth - verily, God does not stand in need of anything in all the worlds. | Therein are signs manifest, the station of Ibrahim. And whosoever entereth it shall be secure. And incumbent on mankind is pilgrimage to the House for that good-will of Allah: on him who is able to find a way thereunto. And whosoever disbelieveth, then verily Allah is Independent of the worlds. | In it are manifest signs (for example), the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim (Abraham); whosoever enters it, he attains security. And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka'bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses (for one's conveyance, provision and residence); and whoever disbelieves [i.e. denies Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah), then he is a disbeliever of Allah], then Allah stands not in need of any of the 'Alamin (mankind and jinns). | In it are evident signs; the Station of Abraham. Whoever enters it attains security. Pilgrimage to the House is a duty to God for all who can make the journey. But as for those who refuse—God is Independent of the worlds. | In it there are clear signs and the station of Abraham; whoever enters it becomes secure. Pilgrimage to the House is a duty owed to Allah by all who can make their way to it. As for those who refuse to follow His command, surely Allah does not stand in need of anything. | In it are manifest signs (for example), the Maqam (station) of Ibrahim; whosoever enters it, he attains security. And Hajj to the House is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, for those who are able to undertake the journey; and whoever disbelieves, then Allah stands not in need of any of the `Alamin. | Wherein are plain memorials (of Allah's guidance); the place where Abraham stood up to pray; and whosoever entereth it is safe. And pilgrimage to the House is a duty unto Allah for mankind, for him who can find a way thither. As for him who disbelieveth, (let him know that) lo! Allah is Independent of (all) creatures. | In it are manifest signs [and] Abraham’s Station, and whoever enters it shall be secure. And it is the duty of mankind toward Allah to make pilgrimage to the House—for those who can afford the journey to it—and should anyone renege [on his obligation], Allah is indeed without need of the creatures. | In it, there are clear signs; the station where Abraham stood. Whoever enters it let him be safe. Pilgrimage to the House is a duty to Allah for all who can make the journey. And whosoever disbelieves, Allah is Rich, independent of all the worlds. | In it are clear signs [such as] the standing place of Abraham. And whoever enters it shall be safe. And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves - then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds. | In (Bakka), there are many clear signs (evidence of the existence of God). Among them is the spot where Abraham stood. Whoever seeks refuge therein will be protected by the laws of amnesty. Those who have the means and ability have a duty to God to visit the House and perform the hajj (pilgrimage) rituals. The unbelievers should know that God is Independent of all creatures. | In it are clear signs, the standing place of Ibrahim, and whoever enters it shall be secure, and pilgrimage to the House is incumbent upon men for the sake of Allah, (upon) every one who is able to undertake the journey to it; and whoever disbelieves, then surely Allah is Self-sufficient, above any need of the worlds. | Feehi <u>a</u>y<u>a</u>tun bayyin<u>a</u>tun maq<u>a</u>mu ibr<u>a</u>heema waman dakhalahu k<u>a</u>na <u>a</u>minan walill<u>a</u>hi AAal<u>a</u> a<b>l</b>nn<u>a</u>si <u>h</u>ijju albayti mani ista<u>ta</u>AAa ilayhi sabeelan waman kafara fainna All<u>a</u>ha ghaniyyun AAani alAA<u>a</u>lameen<b>a</b> | There are clear signs in it; it is the place where Abraham stood. Anyone who enters it will be secure. Pilgrimage to the House is a duty to God for anyone who is able to undertake it. Anyone who disbelieves should remember that God is independent of all creatures. | In it are Signs Manifest; (for example), the Station of Abraham; whoever enters it attains security; Pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe to Allah,- those who can afford the journey; but if any deny faith, Allah stands not in need of any of His creatures. | 96 | 3 | فِيهِ ءَايَٰتٌۢ بَيِّنَٰتٌ مَّقَامُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَمَن دَخَلَهُۥ كَانَ ءَامِنًا وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ حِجُّ ٱلْبَيْتِ مَنِ ٱسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ عَنِ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ | In this place of worship are clear signs of its special honour and blessings, such as the acts of worship performed in it, and its landmarks, including the stone that Abraham stood on when he was raising the walls of the Kaaba; and whoever enters it is safe, with no harm coming to them. People have a duty to Allah to perform the acts of Hajj in this House of worship, if they are able to do so. Whoever rejects the duty of Hajj disbelieves in Allah, and Allah is in no need of them or anything all in the worlds. | In this place of worship are clear signs of its special honour and blessings, such as the acts of worship performed in it, and its landmarks, including the stone that Abraham stood on when he was raising the walls of the Kaaba; and whoever enters it is safe, with no harm coming to them. People have a duty to Allah to perform the acts of Hajj in this House of worship, if they are able to do so. Whoever rejects the duty of Hajj disbelieves in Allah, and Allah is in no need of them or anything all in the worlds. | <p>Commentary</p><p>Three distinctions of بیت اللہ Baytullah</p><p>Related in this verse are distinctions and merits of the House of Allah, that is, the Ka` bah. Firstly, it has many signs of Allah's power, one of them being the station of Ibrahim مقام ابراھیم (Maqamu Ibrahim). Secondly, one who enters there becomes a recipient of peace and remains protected; he cannot be killed by anybody. Thirdly, it is obligatory on all Muslims around the world that they make the Hajj of the House of Allah, subject to the condition that one has the means and the ability to reach as far as there.</p><p>The signs of Allah's Power:</p><p>Since the time the foundations of بیت اللہ Baytullah were laid out, Allah Almighty has, because of its enormous blessings provided protection to the people of Makkah against enemy attacks. When Abrahah invaded Makkah with his army of elephants, Allah Almighty, in His most perfect power, destroyed them through birds. Those who enter the sacred precincts of Makkah, men and women, even animals, stand protected.</p><p>When there is rainfall on a certain side of بیت اللہ Baytullah, it has been observed that countries situated on that side are favoured with substantial rainfalls. Another unusual sign relates to the Jamarat, the granite pillars on which every pilgrim throws seven pebbles each, everyday for three days. A couple of million or more pilgrims go there every year. Had these pebbles remained there, the Jamarat would have been buried under a mountain of pebbles. The fact is that any huge deposits of pebbles are not visible there after the passage of three days of Hajj, except some scattered pebbles the cause of which is, as stated by the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، that angels pick up these pebbles and the pebbles left there belong to people whose Hajj is not accepted for some reason. This is why it is forbidden to pick up pebbles lying near the Jamarat and throw them on the pillars, as part of Hajj rites, since they are from the unaccepted ones.</p><p>In his comments on this phenomenon, Shaykh Jalal al-Din alSuyuti has said in الخصایٔص الکبرا al-Khasaa'is al-Kubra that there are some miracles of the Holy Prophet ﷺ which still live and stand, and shall continue right through to the Day of judgment and everyone shall see them. One of these, of course, is the unmatched presence of the Holy Qur'an itself which cannot be matched even if the whole world joined its forces. This inability persists all the same as it was during the blessed days of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and shall continue to persist like that right through to the Day of Judgment. Every Muslim, no matter of what period of time, shall be able to challenge the whole world: فَأْتُوا بِسُورَةٍ مِّثْلِهِ (Then, produce a Surah like it -10:38).</p><p>So is the miracle of Jamarat as stated above. Similarly there is the statement of the Prophet ﷺ in respect of Jamarat. He has stated that pebbles thrown on these pillars are picked up by the angels in a manner invisible to mankind. The few pebbles left belong to those unfortunate people whose pilgrimage is not accepted by Allah. The Prophet's statement has stood the test of time for centuries in a row and it will continue upto the Great Day. This is one of the continuing miracles of the Prophet ﷺ and a major sign of Allah in respect of the revered house of Ka'bah.</p><p>The Station of Ibrahim:</p><p>From among the signs associated with the Ka'bah there is the great sign - The Maqamu Ibrahim' which has been mentioned separately in its own right. The Station of Ibrahim is the name of the stone on which Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) stood while building the edifice of بیت اللہ Baytullah (the Ka'bah). There are narrations reporting that the stone raised itself along with the rising level of construction and came down automatically when so required. The footprints of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) are still there on this stone. Obviously Obviously, that an inert and unconscious stone is invested with sudden intelligent volition to respond to functional needs and elevate itself, or come down, or that it is given the ability to assume the plasticity of wax and let a perfect print of feet appear on its surface, are all signs of the most perfect power of Allah reflecting the superior merit of بیت اللہ Baytullah.</p><p>This stone used to be on the ground close to the door of the بیت اللہ Baytullah. When came the Qur'anic command: وَاتَّخِذُوا مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى (And make the station of Ibrahim a place of prayer - 2:125), this stone was removed from there, considering the convenience of those who made tawaf, and placed in front of the بیت اللہ Baytullah, but at some distance outside the مطاف ma-taf (the area where طواف طواف awaf is made) close to Bi'r Zamzam (the well of Zamzam, the original site of which is now marked with a black marble circle on the floor of the بیت اللہ Baytullah with the legend inlaid in Arabic). Later, it was secured in a small structure behind which the two post-tawaf raka` at were offered. The present position is that the station of Ibrahim has been placed securely in a strong metal-crystal casing, but it is the particular stone inside it which is the Maqamu Ibrahim'. Offering the post-Tw‘af salah comprising two raka` at behind or close to it is more merit-worthy. But the appellation, Maqamu Ibrahim' taken in a literal sense, covers the entire al-Masjid al-Haram, the Sacred Mosque. Therefore, Muslim jurists have ruled that offering the two raka'at after Twaf anywhere within the Sacred Mosque would satisfy one's obligation.</p><p>'Whoever enters بیت اللہ Baytullah is secure':</p><p>The second peculiarity of the Ka'bah mentioned in the verse is that 'whoever enters it is secure'. This statement has different aspects. Firstly, it is true in the legal sense, for Allah Almighty has ordained that one who enters there should not be molested or killed; even, if a person kills someone or commits some other crime and goes into the sanctuary, he too should not be punished in there. Instead of that, he should be compelled to come out of the حرم Haram and when he does come out of the حرم Haram, the punishment due will then be given. This is how an entrant to حرم Haram gets the protection of Divine law.</p><p>The second form of security provided to the entrants of حرم Haram is factual. In the very design of Divine creation, Allah Almighty has caused awe and reverence for بیت اللہ Baytullah to take roots in the hearts of people. Even the Arab tribes of جاھلیہ Jahiliyyah, inspite of all their evil practices, were ready to sacrifice their lives to uphold the honour of بیت اللہ Baytullah. That they were all too wild and warring is well-known, yet they held the حرم Haram in such esteem that a son whose father was killed would say nothing to the killer and quietly move away from him in-spite of his burning rage for revenge.</p><p>The only time fighting was allowed within the حرم Haram area was for a few hours through a revelation from Allah Almighty. The occasion was the conquest of Makkah and the permission was restricted to the Holy Prophet ﷺ in order that he could cleanse the بیت اللہ Baytullah and serve an important objective of faith. Soon after the conquest, the Holy Prophet ﷺ made an express announcement to this effect and stressed that the original unlawfulness of fighting in the حرم Haram continues to be valid for ever.</p><p>As far as the case of Hajjaj ibn Yusuf is concerned who, after the time of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، took armed action against Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Zubayr ؓ in Makkah, resorting to killings and terror. Since his action was a grave sin and a flagrant violation of law and Ka'bah's sanctity, in the sight of the entire community which hated him for what he did, therefore, it does not affect the divine declaration of Ka` bah's sanctity. It is also difficult to say that he violated the built-in sanctity of بیت اللہ Baytullah as such intentionally, for Hajjaj himself did not believe in the lawfulness of this action of his; he knew that he was committing a serious crime but he became overwhelmed by political and administrative considerations.</p><p>However, the truth is that the Muslim community at large has always held the حرم Haram and بیت اللہ Baytullah in the highest possible esteem and has always regarded fighting or quarrelling in the sacred precincts as one of the most ugly sins. This is a unique mark of بیت اللہ Baytullah, universally and exclusively.</p><p>The obligation of Hajj: A Distinction of بیت اللہ Baytullah</p><p>Allah Almighty has made the Hajj of بیت اللہ Baytullah an obligation subject to the condition that one has the necessary means and ability to reach there. Having 'means' can be explained by saying that one should have resources surplus to his basic needs which could help him take care of the cost of travel, to بیت اللہ Baytullah and back home, and the expenses incurred during stay in the Holy Land. It is also necessary that his 'means' should be good enough to cover the expenses of his family until his return, for this is an standing obligation on him. Then, one should not be physically handicapped, being unable to see, or use hands and feet, for a handicapped person would not have the ability to go that far and complete the many requirements of the Hajj.</p><p>As women are not legally permitted to travel without a محرم Mahram (marriage with whom is prohibited), they would be considered 'able' to embark on their Hajj if they are travelling with a محرم Mahram making his Hajj whether the محرم Mahram is bearing his own expenses or the woman pays for his expenses as well. Similarly, the route taken to reach the Hajj site should also be secure since this too is part of the condition of 'ability'. If peaceful conditions do not exist on the Hajj route and there is an acute danger to life and property, then, it would mean an absence of the 'ability' to perform Hajj.</p><p>Literally, Hajj means 'to intend'. What it means in terms of prescribed religious observance is already stated in the Holy Qur'an it-self, that is, the طواف tawaf of the Ka` bah, the stay in ` Arafat, and in Muzdalifah. Remaining details have been made clear by the Holy Prophet ﷺ through his words and deeds. So, after the announcement that the Hajj of بیت اللہ Baytullah is an obligation, it was said:</p><p>وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَ</p><p>And if one disbelieves, then Allah is independent of all the worlds.</p><p>Included here, undoubtedly, is the person who intentionally rejects the belief that Hajj is obligatory. It is obvious that such a person can-not be considered a Muslim. He is a disbeliever indeed, for the description: "And if one disbelieves" fits him clearly and comprehensively. Then, comes the case of one who does believe that Hajj is an obligation, yet he does not, inspite of having the means and the ability, perform it. He too, in a way, is no less a denier of the Divine command. In his case, the words: "and if one disbelieves" will apply in the form of admonition and warning since this person is acting like disbelievers who do not perform Hajj. In the process, such a person acts just like one of them.</p><p>This is why Muslim jurists, رحمہم اللہ have said that this is a severe warning to those who do not perform Hajj inspite of having the means and the ability to do so and thus, by this heedless act of theirs, they become the likes of disbelievers. Let us seek refuge with Allah from such a fate.</p> | CommentaryThree distinctions of بیت اللہ BaytullahRelated in this verse are distinctions and merits of the House of Allah, that is, the Ka` bah. Firstly, it has many signs of Allah's power, one of them being the station of Ibrahim مقام ابراھیم (Maqamu Ibrahim). Secondly, one who enters there becomes a recipient of peace and remains protected; he cannot be killed by anybody. Thirdly, it is obligatory on all Muslims around the world that they make the Hajj of the House of Allah, subject to the condition that one has the means and the ability to reach as far as there.The signs of Allah's Power:Since the time the foundations of بیت اللہ Baytullah were laid out, Allah Almighty has, because of its enormous blessings provided protection to the people of Makkah against enemy attacks. When Abrahah invaded Makkah with his army of elephants, Allah Almighty, in His most perfect power, destroyed them through birds. Those who enter the sacred precincts of Makkah, men and women, even animals, stand protected.When there is rainfall on a certain side of بیت اللہ Baytullah, it has been observed that countries situated on that side are favoured with substantial rainfalls. Another unusual sign relates to the Jamarat, the granite pillars on which every pilgrim throws seven pebbles each, everyday for three days. A couple of million or more pilgrims go there every year. Had these pebbles remained there, the Jamarat would have been buried under a mountain of pebbles. The fact is that any huge deposits of pebbles are not visible there after the passage of three days of Hajj, except some scattered pebbles the cause of which is, as stated by the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، that angels pick up these pebbles and the pebbles left there belong to people whose Hajj is not accepted for some reason. This is why it is forbidden to pick up pebbles lying near the Jamarat and throw them on the pillars, as part of Hajj rites, since they are from the unaccepted ones.In his comments on this phenomenon, Shaykh Jalal al-Din alSuyuti has said in الخصایٔص الکبرا al-Khasaa'is al-Kubra that there are some miracles of the Holy Prophet ﷺ which still live and stand, and shall continue right through to the Day of judgment and everyone shall see them. One of these, of course, is the unmatched presence of the Holy Qur'an itself which cannot be matched even if the whole world joined its forces. This inability persists all the same as it was during the blessed days of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and shall continue to persist like that right through to the Day of Judgment. Every Muslim, no matter of what period of time, shall be able to challenge the whole world: فَأْتُوا بِسُورَةٍ مِّثْلِهِ (Then, produce a Surah like it -10:38).So is the miracle of Jamarat as stated above. Similarly there is the statement of the Prophet ﷺ in respect of Jamarat. He has stated that pebbles thrown on these pillars are picked up by the angels in a manner invisible to mankind. The few pebbles left belong to those unfortunate people whose pilgrimage is not accepted by Allah. The Prophet's statement has stood the test of time for centuries in a row and it will continue upto the Great Day. This is one of the continuing miracles of the Prophet ﷺ and a major sign of Allah in respect of the revered house of Ka'bah.The Station of Ibrahim:From among the signs associated with the Ka'bah there is the great sign - The Maqamu Ibrahim' which has been mentioned separately in its own right. The Station of Ibrahim is the name of the stone on which Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) stood while building the edifice of بیت اللہ Baytullah (the Ka'bah). There are narrations reporting that the stone raised itself along with the rising level of construction and came down automatically when so required. The footprints of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) are still there on this stone. Obviously Obviously, that an inert and unconscious stone is invested with sudden intelligent volition to respond to functional needs and elevate itself, or come down, or that it is given the ability to assume the plasticity of wax and let a perfect print of feet appear on its surface, are all signs of the most perfect power of Allah reflecting the superior merit of بیت اللہ Baytullah.This stone used to be on the ground close to the door of the بیت اللہ Baytullah. When came the Qur'anic command: وَاتَّخِذُوا مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى (And make the station of Ibrahim a place of prayer - 2:125), this stone was removed from there, considering the convenience of those who made tawaf, and placed in front of the بیت اللہ Baytullah, but at some distance outside the مطاف ma-taf (the area where طواف طواف awaf is made) close to Bi'r Zamzam (the well of Zamzam, the original site of which is now marked with a black marble circle on the floor of the بیت اللہ Baytullah with the legend inlaid in Arabic). Later, it was secured in a small structure behind which the two post-tawaf raka` at were offered. The present position is that the station of Ibrahim has been placed securely in a strong metal-crystal casing, but it is the particular stone inside it which is the Maqamu Ibrahim'. Offering the post-Tw‘af salah comprising two raka` at behind or close to it is more merit-worthy. But the appellation, Maqamu Ibrahim' taken in a literal sense, covers the entire al-Masjid al-Haram, the Sacred Mosque. Therefore, Muslim jurists have ruled that offering the two raka'at after Twaf anywhere within the Sacred Mosque would satisfy one's obligation.'Whoever enters بیت اللہ Baytullah is secure':The second peculiarity of the Ka'bah mentioned in the verse is that 'whoever enters it is secure'. This statement has different aspects. Firstly, it is true in the legal sense, for Allah Almighty has ordained that one who enters there should not be molested or killed; even, if a person kills someone or commits some other crime and goes into the sanctuary, he too should not be punished in there. Instead of that, he should be compelled to come out of the حرم Haram and when he does come out of the حرم Haram, the punishment due will then be given. This is how an entrant to حرم Haram gets the protection of Divine law.The second form of security provided to the entrants of حرم Haram is factual. In the very design of Divine creation, Allah Almighty has caused awe and reverence for بیت اللہ Baytullah to take roots in the hearts of people. Even the Arab tribes of جاھلیہ Jahiliyyah, inspite of all their evil practices, were ready to sacrifice their lives to uphold the honour of بیت اللہ Baytullah. That they were all too wild and warring is well-known, yet they held the حرم Haram in such esteem that a son whose father was killed would say nothing to the killer and quietly move away from him in-spite of his burning rage for revenge.The only time fighting was allowed within the حرم Haram area was for a few hours through a revelation from Allah Almighty. The occasion was the conquest of Makkah and the permission was restricted to the Holy Prophet ﷺ in order that he could cleanse the بیت اللہ Baytullah and serve an important objective of faith. Soon after the conquest, the Holy Prophet ﷺ made an express announcement to this effect and stressed that the original unlawfulness of fighting in the حرم Haram continues to be valid for ever.As far as the case of Hajjaj ibn Yusuf is concerned who, after the time of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، took armed action against Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Zubayr ؓ in Makkah, resorting to killings and terror. Since his action was a grave sin and a flagrant violation of law and Ka'bah's sanctity, in the sight of the entire community which hated him for what he did, therefore, it does not affect the divine declaration of Ka` bah's sanctity. It is also difficult to say that he violated the built-in sanctity of بیت اللہ Baytullah as such intentionally, for Hajjaj himself did not believe in the lawfulness of this action of his; he knew that he was committing a serious crime but he became overwhelmed by political and administrative considerations.However, the truth is that the Muslim community at large has always held the حرم Haram and بیت اللہ Baytullah in the highest possible esteem and has always regarded fighting or quarrelling in the sacred precincts as one of the most ugly sins. This is a unique mark of بیت اللہ Baytullah, universally and exclusively.The obligation of Hajj: A Distinction of بیت اللہ BaytullahAllah Almighty has made the Hajj of بیت اللہ Baytullah an obligation subject to the condition that one has the necessary means and ability to reach there. Having 'means' can be explained by saying that one should have resources surplus to his basic needs which could help him take care of the cost of travel, to بیت اللہ Baytullah and back home, and the expenses incurred during stay in the Holy Land. It is also necessary that his 'means' should be good enough to cover the expenses of his family until his return, for this is an standing obligation on him. Then, one should not be physically handicapped, being unable to see, or use hands and feet, for a handicapped person would not have the ability to go that far and complete the many requirements of the Hajj.As women are not legally permitted to travel without a محرم Mahram (marriage with whom is prohibited), they would be considered 'able' to embark on their Hajj if they are travelling with a محرم Mahram making his Hajj whether the محرم Mahram is bearing his own expenses or the woman pays for his expenses as well. Similarly, the route taken to reach the Hajj site should also be secure since this too is part of the condition of 'ability'. If peaceful conditions do not exist on the Hajj route and there is an acute danger to life and property, then, it would mean an absence of the 'ability' to perform Hajj.Literally, Hajj means 'to intend'. What it means in terms of prescribed religious observance is already stated in the Holy Qur'an it-self, that is, the طواف tawaf of the Ka` bah, the stay in ` Arafat, and in Muzdalifah. Remaining details have been made clear by the Holy Prophet ﷺ through his words and deeds. So, after the announcement that the Hajj of بیت اللہ Baytullah is an obligation, it was said:وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَAnd if one disbelieves, then Allah is independent of all the worlds.Included here, undoubtedly, is the person who intentionally rejects the belief that Hajj is obligatory. It is obvious that such a person can-not be considered a Muslim. He is a disbeliever indeed, for the description: "And if one disbelieves" fits him clearly and comprehensively. Then, comes the case of one who does believe that Hajj is an obligation, yet he does not, inspite of having the means and the ability, perform it. He too, in a way, is no less a denier of the Divine command. In his case, the words: "and if one disbelieves" will apply in the form of admonition and warning since this person is acting like disbelievers who do not perform Hajj. In the process, such a person acts just like one of them.This is why Muslim jurists, رحمہم اللہ have said that this is a severe warning to those who do not perform Hajj inspite of having the means and the ability to do so and thus, by this heedless act of theirs, they become the likes of disbelievers. Let us seek refuge with Allah from such a fate. | ||
Say: "O people of the Book, why do you reject the word of God when God is a witness to all that you do?" | Say (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “O People given the Book(s)! Why do you not believe in the verses (or signs) of Allah, whereas your deeds are being witnessed by Allah?” | Say: 'People of the Book, why do you disbelieve in the signs of God? Surely God is witness of the things you do.' | SAY: "O followers of earlier revelation! Why do you refuse to acknowledge the truth of God's messages, when God is witness to all that you do?" | Say thou: O People of the Book! wherefore disbelieve ye in the revelations of Allah, whereas Allah is witness of that which ye work! | Say: "O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Why do you reject the Ayat of Allah (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) while Allah is Witness to what you do?" | Say, “O People of the Scripture, why do you reject the Revelations of God, when God witnesses what you do?” | Say: 'People of the Book! Why do you reject the signs of Allah when Allah is witness to all that you do?' | Say: "O People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Why do you reject the Ayat of Allah, while Allah is Witness to what you do" | Say: O People of the Scripture! Why disbelieve ye in the revelations of Allah, when Allah (Himself) is Witness of what ye do? | Say, ‘O People of the Book! Why do you deny the signs of Allah, while Allah is witness to what you do?’ | Say: 'People of the Book, why do you disbelieve the verses of Allah? Surely, Allah is witness to all that you do' | Say, "O People of the Scripture, why do you disbelieve in the verses of Allah while Allah is Witness over what you do?" | (Muhammad), ask the People of the Book, "Why do you deny the revelations of God when He is Well-Aware of your dealings?". | Say: O followers of the Book! why do you disbelieve in the communications of Allah? And Allah is a witness of what you do. | Qul y<u>a</u> ahla alkit<u>a</u>bi lima takfuroona bi<u>a</u>y<u>a</u>ti All<u>a</u>hi wa<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hu shaheedun AAal<u>a</u> m<u>a</u> taAAmaloon<b>a</b> | Say, "People of the Book, why do you reject God's revelations when God is witness to all that you do?" | Say: "O People of the Book! Why reject ye the Signs of Allah, when Allah is Himself witness to all ye do?" | 97 | 3 | قُلْ يَٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ لِمَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱللَّهُ شَهِيدٌ عَلَىٰ مَا تَعْمَلُونَ | O Prophet, ask the People of the Scripture, the Jews and the Christians, why they reject the proof of the truth of your prophet-hood, including the proofs that came in the Torah and the Gospel, when Allah watches over everything you do, witnessing it, and will reward you accordingly. | O Prophet, ask the People of the Scripture, the Jews and the Christians, why they reject the proof of the truth of your prophet-hood, including the proofs that came in the Torah and the Gospel, when Allah watches over everything you do, witnessing it, and will reward you accordingly. | <p>Commentary</p><p>Several verses earlier, the text was dealing with the people of the Book, their false beliefs and their doubts. Then, appeared the mention of بیت اللہ Baytullah and Hajj. Now once again, the people of the Book are the addressees. These verses relate to a particular event. There was a Jew, Shammas ibn Qays, who harboured a chronic malice against Muslims. Once, when he saw two Ansar tribes, Aws and Khazraj, gathered together amiably at one place, his malevolence got the better of him and he went about looking for ways to sow seeds of discord between them. Finally, he set up a man suggesting to him that these two tribes have fought much long-drawn war in pre-Islam days and both parties had recited poetical compositions highlighting their tribal pride. So why not recite these self-congratulating poetical compositions while both sit together. The moment these poems were recited there, emotions rose high, there were charges and counter-charges to the limit that the place and time of a fresh war was all set. When the Holy Prophet ﷺ heard about this, he came to them and said: 'What is all this? Here I am present amidst you and you are doing this after having become Muslims and after having become united and friendly with each other. This is sheer ignorance. Do you want, in this state of yours, to revert to kufr?'</p><p>They took the warning to their hearts. They knew this was a slip caused by شیطان Satan. They embraced each other, wept and repented. These verses were revealed in the background of this event.</p><p>This event appears in Ruh al-Ma'ani as narrated by Ibn Ishaq while there are others who narrate it from Zaid ibn Aslam. This subject continues through several verses after this. Here, the verses begin with an admonition to the people of the Book who had engineered this in triage, and this admonition has been done with great eloquence when, before admonishing them for what they did, they were taken to task for their disbelief as well, which meant that it would have made better sense if they themselves had taken to the right path, and become Muslims, rather than devoting themselves to distract others to the wrong track. Following this, Muslims have been addressed, and served with a word of caution, especially when they have by their side, the Book and the Messenger of Allah, two powerful, never-failing sources, which would help them stay firm in their belief.</p><p>The expression وَمَن يَعْتَصِم بِاللَّـهِ ,'translated as 'And whoever holds on to Allah' means one who stays firm in, and totally committed to, his ایمان 'iman or faith, for اعتصام 'i` tisam', the act of holding on to Allah firmly, denotes that one should affirm His Being and His Attributes, be staunchly faithful to what He has ordained, and in the process, be sure not to be lured into supporting the position of any adversary whoever that may be. One who acts in this manner 'is surely guided to the straight path'. It means that such a person is on the 'straight path', and being on the 'straight path' is the key to all that is good and beneficial which the Word of Allah promises to him.</p> | CommentarySeveral verses earlier, the text was dealing with the people of the Book, their false beliefs and their doubts. Then, appeared the mention of بیت اللہ Baytullah and Hajj. Now once again, the people of the Book are the addressees. These verses relate to a particular event. There was a Jew, Shammas ibn Qays, who harboured a chronic malice against Muslims. Once, when he saw two Ansar tribes, Aws and Khazraj, gathered together amiably at one place, his malevolence got the better of him and he went about looking for ways to sow seeds of discord between them. Finally, he set up a man suggesting to him that these two tribes have fought much long-drawn war in pre-Islam days and both parties had recited poetical compositions highlighting their tribal pride. So why not recite these self-congratulating poetical compositions while both sit together. The moment these poems were recited there, emotions rose high, there were charges and counter-charges to the limit that the place and time of a fresh war was all set. When the Holy Prophet ﷺ heard about this, he came to them and said: 'What is all this? Here I am present amidst you and you are doing this after having become Muslims and after having become united and friendly with each other. This is sheer ignorance. Do you want, in this state of yours, to revert to kufr?'They took the warning to their hearts. They knew this was a slip caused by شیطان Satan. They embraced each other, wept and repented. These verses were revealed in the background of this event.This event appears in Ruh al-Ma'ani as narrated by Ibn Ishaq while there are others who narrate it from Zaid ibn Aslam. This subject continues through several verses after this. Here, the verses begin with an admonition to the people of the Book who had engineered this in triage, and this admonition has been done with great eloquence when, before admonishing them for what they did, they were taken to task for their disbelief as well, which meant that it would have made better sense if they themselves had taken to the right path, and become Muslims, rather than devoting themselves to distract others to the wrong track. Following this, Muslims have been addressed, and served with a word of caution, especially when they have by their side, the Book and the Messenger of Allah, two powerful, never-failing sources, which would help them stay firm in their belief.The expression وَمَن يَعْتَصِم بِاللَّـهِ ,'translated as 'And whoever holds on to Allah' means one who stays firm in, and totally committed to, his ایمان 'iman or faith, for اعتصام 'i` tisam', the act of holding on to Allah firmly, denotes that one should affirm His Being and His Attributes, be staunchly faithful to what He has ordained, and in the process, be sure not to be lured into supporting the position of any adversary whoever that may be. One who acts in this manner 'is surely guided to the straight path'. It means that such a person is on the 'straight path', and being on the 'straight path' is the key to all that is good and beneficial which the Word of Allah promises to him. | <h2 class="title">Chastising the People of the Book for Their Disbelief and Blocking the Path of Allah</h2><p>In this Ayah Allah criticizes the disbelieving People of the Book for refusing the truth, rejecting Allah's Ayat and hindering those who seek to believe from His path, although they know that what the Messenger was sent with is the truth from Allah. They learned this from the previous Prophets and honorable Messengers, may Allah's peace and blessings be on them all. They all brought the glad tidings and the good news of the coming of the unlettered, Arab, Hashimi Prophet from Makkah, the master of the Children of Adam, the Final Prophet and the Messenger of the Lord of heavens and earth. Allah has warned the People of the Book against this behavior, stating that He is Witness over what they do, indicating their defiance of the knowledge conveyed to them by the Prophets. They rejected, denied and refused the very Messenger whom they were ordered to convey the glad tidings about his coming. Allah states that He is never unaware of what they do, and He will hold them responsible for their actions, R</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يَوْمَ لاَ يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلاَ بَنُونَ </div><p>(The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail) 26:88.</p> | Chastising the People of the Book for Their Disbelief and Blocking the Path of AllahIn this Ayah Allah criticizes the disbelieving People of the Book for refusing the truth, rejecting Allah's Ayat and hindering those who seek to believe from His path, although they know that what the Messenger was sent with is the truth from Allah. They learned this from the previous Prophets and honorable Messengers, may Allah's peace and blessings be on them all. They all brought the glad tidings and the good news of the coming of the unlettered, Arab, Hashimi Prophet from Makkah, the master of the Children of Adam, the Final Prophet and the Messenger of the Lord of heavens and earth. Allah has warned the People of the Book against this behavior, stating that He is Witness over what they do, indicating their defiance of the knowledge conveyed to them by the Prophets. They rejected, denied and refused the very Messenger whom they were ordered to convey the glad tidings about his coming. Allah states that He is never unaware of what they do, and He will hold them responsible for their actions, Rيَوْمَ لاَ يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلاَ بَنُونَ (The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail) 26:88. |
Then say: "O people of the Book, why do you turn the believers away from the path of God, looking for obliquities in the way when you are witness to it? And God is aware of all that you do." | Say (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “O People given the Book(s)! Why do you prevent those who have accepted faith from the way of Allah, seeking to cause deviation in it, whereas you yourselves are witnesses to it? And Allah is not unaware of your deeds!” | Say: 'People of the Book, why do you bar from God's way the believer, desiring to make it crooked, yourselves being witnesses? God is not heedless of the things you do.' | Say: "O followers of earlier revelation! Why do you [endeavour to] bar those who have come to believe [in this divine writ] from the path of God by trying to make it appear crooked, when you yourselves bear witness [to its being straight]? For, God is not unaware of what you do." | Say thou: O people of the Book! wherefore turn ye aside from the way of Allah those who believe, seeking for it crookedness, while ye are witnesses! And Allah is not neglectful of that which ye work. | Say: "O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Why do you stop those who have believed, from the Path of Allah, seeking to make it seem crooked, while you (yourselves) are witnesses [to Muhammad SAW as a Messenger of Allah and Islam (Allah's Religion, i.e. to worship none but Him Alone)]? And Allah is not unaware of what you do." | Say, “O People of the Scripture, why do you hinder from God’s path those who believe, seeking to distort it, even though you are witnesses? God is not unaware of what you do.” | Say: 'People of the Book! Why do you hinder one who believes from the way of Allah, seeking that he follow a crooked way, even though you yourselves are witness to its being the right way?' Allah is not heedless of what you do. | Say: "O People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Why do you stop those who have believed, from the path of Allah, seeking to make it seem crooked, while you (yourselves) are witnesses And Allah is not unaware of what you do." | Say: O People of the Scripture! Why drive ye back believers from the way of Allah, seeking to make it crooked, when ye are witnesses (to Allah's guidance)? Allah is not unaware of what ye do. | Say, ‘O People of the Book! why do you bar the faithful from the way of Allah, seeking to make it crooked, while you are witnesses [to its truthfulness]? And Allah is not oblivious of what you do.’ | Say: 'People of the Book, why do you bar he who believes from the Path of Allah and seek to make it crooked, when you yourselves are witnesses? Allah is not inattentive of what you do' | Say, "O People of the Scripture, why do you avert from the way of Allah those who believe, seeking to make it [seem] deviant, while you are witnesses [to the truth]? And Allah is not unaware of what you do." | Ask them, "Why do you create obstacles in the way of God for those who believe in Him, trying to make His way seem crooked when you know that it is straight? God is not unaware of what you do. | Say: O followers of the Book! why do you hinder him who believes from the way of Allah? You seek (to make) it crooked, while you are witness, and Allah is not heedless of what you do. | Qul y<u>a</u> ahla alkit<u>a</u>bi lima ta<u>s</u>uddoona AAan sabeeli All<u>a</u>hi man <u>a</u>mana tabghoonah<u>a</u> AAiwajan waantum shuhad<u>a</u>o wam<u>a</u> All<u>a</u>hu bigh<u>a</u>filin AAamm<u>a</u> taAAmaloon<b>a</b> | Say, "People of the Book, why do you turn the believers away from the path of God, seeking to make it crooked, while you are witnesses thereof? God is not unaware of what you do." | Say: "O ye People of the Book! Why obstruct ye those who believe, from the path of Allah, Seeking to make it crooked, while ye were yourselves witnesses (to Allah's Covenant)? but Allah is not unmindful of all that ye do." | 98 | 3 | قُلْ يَٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ لِمَ تَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ مَنْ ءَامَنَ تَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا وَأَنتُمْ شُهَدَآءُ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ | O Prophet, ask the People of the Scripture, the Jews and the Christians, why they stop people who have faith from the Religion of Allah, wanting to twist it from the truth to falsehood, and turning its people from guidance to misguidance, when they witness that it is the truth confirming what is in their scriptures. Allah is not unaware of what they do in disbelieving it and preventing people from following it; and they will be repaid accordingly. | O Prophet, ask the People of the Scripture, the Jews and the Christians, why they stop people who have faith from the Religion of Allah, wanting to twist it from the truth to falsehood, and turning its people from guidance to misguidance, when they witness that it is the truth confirming what is in their scriptures. Allah is not unaware of what they do in disbelieving it and preventing people from following it; and they will be repaid accordingly. | ||||
O believers, if you follow what some of the people of the Book say, it will turn you into unbelievers even after you have come to belief. | O People who Believe! If you obey some of People given the Book(s), they will definitely turn you into disbelievers after your having accepted faith. | O believers, if you obey a sect of those who have been given the Book, they will turn you, after you have believed, into unbelievers. | O you who have attained to faith! If you pay heed to some of those to whom revelation was vouchsafed aforetime, they might cause you to renounce the truth after you have come to believe [in it]. | O Ye who believe! were ye to obey any party amongst those that have been vouchsafed the Book, they would, after your having believed, render you Infidels. | O you who believe! If you obey a group of those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians), they would (indeed) render you disbelievers after you have believed! | O you who believe! If you obey a party of those who were given the Scripture, they will turn you, after your belief, into disbelievers. | Believers! Were you to obey a party of those who were given the Book, they might cause you to renounce the Truth after you have attained to faith. | O you who believe! If you obey a group of those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians), they would (indeed) render you disbelievers after you have believed! | O ye who believe! If ye obey a party of those who have received the Scripture they will make you disbelievers after your belief. | O you who have faith, if you obey a part of those who were given the Book, they will turn you back, after your faith, into faithless ones. | Believers, if you obey a sect of those who were given the Book, they will turn you into unbelievers after you have believed. | O you who have believed, if you obey a party of those who were given the Scripture, they would turn you back, after your belief, [to being] unbelievers. | Believers, if you obey a certain group among the People of the Book, they will turn you back to disbelief. | O you who believe! if you obey a party from among those who have been given the Book, they will turn you back as unbelievers after you have believed. | Y<u>a</u> ayyuh<u>a</u> alla<u>th</u>eena <u>a</u>manoo in tu<u>t</u>eeAAoo fareeqan mina alla<u>th</u>eena ootoo alkit<u>a</u>ba yaruddookum baAAda eem<u>a</u>nikum k<u>a</u>fireen<b>a</b> | O believers, if you yield to some of those who were given the Scripture, they will cause you to renounce the truth after you have believed. | O ye who believe! If ye listen to a faction among the People of the Book, they would (indeed) render you apostates after ye have believed! | 99 | 3 | يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِن تُطِيعُوا۟ فَرِيقًا مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ يَرُدُّوكُم بَعْدَ إِيمَٰنِكُمْ كَٰفِرِينَ | O you who have faith in Allah and follow His Prophet, if you follow a group of the People of the Scripture, from the Jews or the Christians, in what they say, and accept their opinion in what they claim, then you will return to disbelief after your faith because of their envy and their misguidance. | O you who have faith in Allah and follow His Prophet, if you follow a group of the People of the Scripture, from the Jews or the Christians, in what they say, and accept their opinion in what they claim, then you will return to disbelief after your faith because of their envy and their misguidance. | <h2 class="title">Warning Muslims Against Imitating People of the Scriptures</h2><p>Allah warns His believing servants against obeying the People of the Book, who envy the believers for the favor that Allah gave them by sending His Messenger . Similarly, Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَدَّ كَثِيرٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ لَوْ يَرُدُّونَكُم مِن بَعْدِ إِيمَـنِكُمْ كُفَّارًا حَسَدًا مِّنْ عِنْدِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ</div><p>(Many of the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) wish that they could turn you away as disbelievers after you have believed, out of their own envy) 2:109.</p><p>In this Ayah 3:100, Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِن تُطِيعُواْ فَرِيقاً مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ يَرُدُّوكُم بَعْدَ إِيمَـنِكُمْ كَـفِرِينَ</div><p>(If you obey a group of those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians), they would (indeed) render you disbelievers after you have believed!), then said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَكَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ وَأَنْتُمْ تُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ ءَايَـتُ اللَّهِ وَفِيكُمْ رَسُولُهُ</div><p>(And how would you disbelieve, while unto you are recited the verses of Allah, and among you is His Messenger), meaning, disbelief is far from touching you, since the Ayat of Allah are being sent down on His Messenger day and night, and he recites and conveys them to you. Similarly, Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَا لَكُمْ لاَ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولُ يَدْعُوكُمْ لِتُؤْمِنُواْ بِرَبِّكُمْ وَقَدْ أَخَذَ مِيثَـقَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ مُّؤْمِنِينَ </div><p>(And what is the matter with you that you believe not in Allah! While the Messenger invites you to believe in your Lord; and He has indeed taken your covenant, if you are real believers) 57:8. A Hadith states that one day, the Prophet said to his Companions,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«أَيُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعْجَبُ إِلَيْكُمْ إِيمَانًا؟»</div><p>قالوا: الملائكة. قال:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«وَكَيْفَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ وَهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِم»</div><p>؟ وذكروا الأنبياء، قال:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«وَكَيْفَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْوَحْيُ يَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِمْ؟»</div><p>قالوا: فنحن. قال:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«وَكَيْفَ لَا تُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَنَا بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِكُمْ؟»</div><p>قالوا: فأي الناس أعجب إيمانًا؟ قال:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«قَوْمٌ يَجِيئُونَ مِنْ بَعْدِكُمْ يَجِدُونَ صُحُفًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَا فِيهَا»</div><p>("Who among the faithful believers do you consider has the most amazing faith" They said, "The angels." He said, "Why would they not believe, since they are with their Lord" They mentioned the Prophets, and the Prophet said, "Why would they not believe while the revelation is sent down to them" They said, "Then, we are." He said, "Why would not you believe when I am among you" They asked, "Who has the most amazing faith" The Prophet said, "A people who will come after you and who will find only books that they will believe in.")</p><p>Allah said next,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَن يَعْتَصِم بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ هُدِىَ إِلَى صِرَطٍ مّسْتَقِيمٍ</div><p>(And whoever depends upon Allah, then he is indeed guided to the right path) 3:101 for trusting and relying on Allah are the basis of achieving the right guidance and staying away from the path of wickedness. They also represent the tool to acquiring guidance and truth and achieving the righteous aims.</p> | Warning Muslims Against Imitating People of the ScripturesAllah warns His believing servants against obeying the People of the Book, who envy the believers for the favor that Allah gave them by sending His Messenger . Similarly, Allah said,وَدَّ كَثِيرٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ لَوْ يَرُدُّونَكُم مِن بَعْدِ إِيمَـنِكُمْ كُفَّارًا حَسَدًا مِّنْ عِنْدِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ(Many of the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) wish that they could turn you away as disbelievers after you have believed, out of their own envy) 2:109.In this Ayah 3:100, Allah said,إِن تُطِيعُواْ فَرِيقاً مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ يَرُدُّوكُم بَعْدَ إِيمَـنِكُمْ كَـفِرِينَ(If you obey a group of those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians), they would (indeed) render you disbelievers after you have believed!), then said,وَكَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ وَأَنْتُمْ تُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ ءَايَـتُ اللَّهِ وَفِيكُمْ رَسُولُهُ(And how would you disbelieve, while unto you are recited the verses of Allah, and among you is His Messenger), meaning, disbelief is far from touching you, since the Ayat of Allah are being sent down on His Messenger day and night, and he recites and conveys them to you. Similarly, Allah said,وَمَا لَكُمْ لاَ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولُ يَدْعُوكُمْ لِتُؤْمِنُواْ بِرَبِّكُمْ وَقَدْ أَخَذَ مِيثَـقَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ مُّؤْمِنِينَ (And what is the matter with you that you believe not in Allah! While the Messenger invites you to believe in your Lord; and He has indeed taken your covenant, if you are real believers) 57:8. A Hadith states that one day, the Prophet said to his Companions,«أَيُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعْجَبُ إِلَيْكُمْ إِيمَانًا؟»قالوا: الملائكة. قال:«وَكَيْفَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ وَهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِم»؟ وذكروا الأنبياء، قال:«وَكَيْفَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْوَحْيُ يَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِمْ؟»قالوا: فنحن. قال:«وَكَيْفَ لَا تُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَنَا بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِكُمْ؟»قالوا: فأي الناس أعجب إيمانًا؟ قال:«قَوْمٌ يَجِيئُونَ مِنْ بَعْدِكُمْ يَجِدُونَ صُحُفًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَا فِيهَا»("Who among the faithful believers do you consider has the most amazing faith" They said, "The angels." He said, "Why would they not believe, since they are with their Lord" They mentioned the Prophets, and the Prophet said, "Why would they not believe while the revelation is sent down to them" They said, "Then, we are." He said, "Why would not you believe when I am among you" They asked, "Who has the most amazing faith" The Prophet said, "A people who will come after you and who will find only books that they will believe in.")Allah said next,وَمَن يَعْتَصِم بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ هُدِىَ إِلَى صِرَطٍ مّسْتَقِيمٍ(And whoever depends upon Allah, then he is indeed guided to the right path) 3:101 for trusting and relying on Allah are the basis of achieving the right guidance and staying away from the path of wickedness. They also represent the tool to acquiring guidance and truth and achieving the righteous aims. |
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And how can you disbelieve? To you are being recited the messages of God, and His prophet is among you. And whosoever holds fast to God shall verily be guided to the path that is straight. | And how can you disbelieve, whereas Allah’s verses are recited to you and His Noble Messenger is present amongst you?! And whoever takes the support of Allah is indeed guided to the right path. | How can you disbelieve, seeing you have God's signs recited to you, and His Messenger among you? Whosoever holds fast to God, he is guided to a straight path. | And how could you deny the truth when it is unto you that God's messages are being conveyed, and it is in your midst that His Apostle lives? But he who holds fast unto God has already been guided onto a straight way. | How can you disbelieve while unto you are recited the revelations of Allah, and in your midst is His apostle! And whosoever holdeth fast to Allah, he is of a surety guided unto a straight path. | And how would you disbelieve, while unto you are recited the Verses of Allah, and among you is His Messenger (Muhammad SAW)? And whoever holds firmly to Allah, (i.e. follows Islam Allah's Religion, and obeys all that Allah has ordered, practically), then he is indeed guided to a Right Path. | And how could you disbelieve, when God’s revelations are being recited to you, and among you is His Messenger? Whoever cleaves to God has been guided to a straight path. | How can you disbelieve when you are the ones to whom the signs of Allah are recited and amidst you is His Messenger? Whoever holds fast to Allah will certainly be guided to the straight way. | And how would you disbelieve, while unto you are recited the verses of Allah, and among you is His Messenger And whoever depends upon Allah, then he is indeed guided to the right path. | How can ye disbelieve, when it is ye unto whom Allah's revelations are recited, and His messenger is in your midst? He who holdeth fast to Allah, he indeed is guided unto a right path. | And how would you be faithless while the signs of Allah are recited to you and His Apostle is in your midst? Whoever takes recourse in Allah is certainly guided to a straight path. | How can you disbelieve when the verses of Allah are recited to you and His Messenger is among you! He who holds fast to Allah shall be guided to the Straight Path. | And how could you disbelieve while to you are being recited the verses of Allah and among you is His Messenger? And whoever holds firmly to Allah has [indeed] been guided to a straight path. | How could you turn back to disbelief when the words of God are recited to you and you have in your midst His Messenger? Those who seek the protection of God will certainly be guided to the right path. | But how can you disbelieve while it is you to whom the communications of Allah are recited, and among you is His Apostle? And whoever holds fast to Allah, he indeed is guided to the right path. | Wakayfa takfuroona waantum tutl<u>a</u> AAalaykum <u>a</u>y<u>a</u>tu All<u>a</u>hi wafeekum rasooluhu waman yaAAta<u>s</u>im bi<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hi faqad hudiya il<u>a</u> <u>s</u>ir<u>at</u>in mustaqeem<b>in</b> | But how can you deny the truth when God's revelations are being conveyed to you and His own Messenger is in your midst? He who holds fast to God is indeed guided to the straight path. | And how would ye deny Faith while unto you are rehearsed the Signs of Allah, and among you Lives the Messenger? Whoever holds firmly to Allah will be shown a way that is straight. | 100 | 3 | وَكَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ وَأَنتُمْ تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ ءَايَٰتُ ٱللَّهِ وَفِيكُمْ رَسُولُهُۥ وَمَن يَعْتَصِم بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ هُدِىَ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ | How could you disbelieve in Allah after you have had faith in Him, especially when you have the biggest reason for having firm faith with you? The verses of Allah are being recited to you, and the Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) is making them clear to you. Whoever holds on firmly to the Book of Allah and His Messenger’s way of life, Allah has guided them to the right path. | How could you disbelieve in Allah after you have had faith in Him, especially when you have the biggest reason for having firm faith with you? The verses of Allah are being recited to you, and the Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) is making them clear to you. Whoever holds on firmly to the Book of Allah and His Messenger’s way of life, Allah has guided them to the right path. | ||||
O believers, fear God as He should be feared, and do not die but submitting (to Him). | O People who Believe! Fear Allah in the manner He should rightfully be feared, and do not die except as Muslims. | O believers, fear God as He should be feared, and see you do not die, save in surrender. | O you who have attained to faith! Be conscious of God with all the consciousness that is due to Him, and do not allow death to overtake you ere you have surrendered yourselves unto Him. | O Ye who believe! fear Allah with fear due to Him, and die not except ye be Muslims. | O you who believe! Fear Allah (by doing all that He has ordered and by abstaining from all that He has forbidden) as He should be feared. [Obey Him, be thankful to Him, and remember Him always], and die not except in a state of Islam (as Muslims) with complete submission to Allah. | O you who believe! Revere God with due reverence, and do not die except as Muslims. | Believers! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and see that you do not die save in the state of submission to Allah. | O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah as is His due, and die not except as (true) Muslims. | O ye who believe! Observe your duty to Allah with right observance, and die not save as those who have surrendered (unto Him) | O you who have faith! Be wary of Allah with the wariness due to Him and do not die except as Muslims. | Believers, fear Allah as He should be feared, and do not die except as Muslims. | O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him]. | Believers, have fear of God as you should and die only as Muslims (having submitted to the will of God). | O you who believe! be careful of (your duty to) Allah with the care which is due to Him, and do not die unless you are Muslims. | Y<u>a</u> ayyuh<u>a</u> alla<u>th</u>eena <u>a</u>manoo ittaqoo All<u>a</u>ha <u>h</u>aqqa tuq<u>a</u>tihi wal<u>a</u> tamootunna ill<u>a</u> waantum muslimoon<b>a</b> | Believers, fear God as is His due, and when death comes, be in a state of complete submission to Him. | O ye who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam. | 101 | 3 | يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِۦ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ | O you who have faith in Allah and follow His Messenger, be mindful of Allah as you have been commanded, by following what He instructs you to do, and by staying away from what He prohibits you from doing; and be thankful for His favour, holding firmly to the religion He has given you, so that when you die, you die surrendering in devotion to Him. | O you who have faith in Allah and follow His Messenger, be mindful of Allah as you have been commanded, by following what He instructs you to do, and by staying away from what He prohibits you from doing; and be thankful for His favour, holding firmly to the religion He has given you, so that when you die, you die surrendering in devotion to Him. | <p>Commentary</p><p>In the previous verses, Muslims were warned that the people of the Book, and others, want them to go astray from the right path so Muslims must remain vigilant of their moves and take steps to counter their anti-Muslim activities.</p><p>In the two verses appearing here, two important principles have been given which go to "Pregnable. These are:</p><p>1. Taqwa</p><p>2. Unity</p> | CommentaryIn the previous verses, Muslims were warned that the people of the Book, and others, want them to go astray from the right path so Muslims must remain vigilant of their moves and take steps to counter their anti-Muslim activities.In the two verses appearing here, two important principles have been given which go to "Pregnable. These are:1. Taqwa2. Unity | <h2 class="title">Meaning of `Taqwa of Allah</h2><p>Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud commented on the Ayah,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">اتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ</div><p>(Have Taqwa of Allah as is His due,)</p><p>"That He is obeyed and not defied, remembered and not forgotten and appreciated and not unappreciated." This has an authentic chain of narration to `Abdullah bin Mas`ud. Al-Hakim collected this Hadith in his Mustadrak, from Ibn Mas`ud, who related it to the Prophet . Al-Hakim said, "It is authentic according to the criteria of the Two Shaykhs Al-Bukhari and Muslim, and they did not record it." This is what he said, but it appears that it is only a statement of `Abdullah bin Mas`ud, and Allah knows best. It was also reported that Anas said, "The servant will not have Taqwa of Allah as is His due until he keeps his tongue idle." Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ</div><p>(and die not except as (true) Muslims) 3:102, means, preserve your Islam while you are well and safe, so that you die as a Muslim. The Most Generous Allah has made it His decision that whatever state one lives in, that is what he dies upon and is resurrected upon. We seek refuge from dying on other than Islam.</p><p>Imam Ahmad recorded that Mujahid said, "The people were circling around the Sacred House when Ibn `Abbas was sitting, holding a bent-handled walking stick. Ibn `Abbas said, The Messenger of Allah recited,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ </div><p>(Have Taqwa of Allah as is His due, die not except as (true) Muslims.) 3:102, then he said;</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«وَلَوْ أَنَّ قَطْرَةً مِنَ الزَّقُّومِ قُطِرَتْ لَأَمَرَّتْ عَلى أَهْلِ الْأرْضِ عِيشَتَهُمْ، فَكَيْفَ بِمَنْ لَيْسَ لَهُ طَعَامٌ إِلَّا الزَّقُّومُ؟»</div><p>(Verily, if a drop of Zaqqum (a tree in Hell) falls, it will spoil life for the people of earth. What about those whose food is only from Zaqqum)"</p><p>This was recorded by At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban in his Sahih and Al-Hakim his Mustadrak. At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih"' while Al-Hakim said; "It meets the conditions of the Two Sahihs and they did not record it."</p><p>Imam Ahmad recorded that Jabir said that three nights before the Messenger of Allah died he heard him saying;</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«لَا يَمُوتَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ إِلَّا وَهُوَ يُحْسِنُ الظَّنَّ بِاللهِ عَزَّ وَجَل»</div><p>(None of you should die except while having sincere trust in Allah, the Exalted and Most Honorable.) Muslim also recorded it. The Two Sahihs record that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«يَقُولُ اللهُ: أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي»</div><p>(Allah said, "I am as My servant thinks of Me.")</p><h2 class="title">The Necessity of Holding to the Path of Allah and the Community of the Believers</h2><p>Allah said next,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَاعْتَصِمُواْ بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعاً وَلاَ تَفَرَّقُواْ</div><p>(And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah, and be not divided among yourselves.) It was said that,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ</div><p>(to the Rope of Allah) refers to Allah's covenant, just as Allah said in the following Ayah,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">ضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ أَيْنَ مَا ثُقِفُواْ إِلاَّ بِحَبْلٍ مِّنْ اللَّهِ وَحَبْلٍ مِّنَ النَّاسِ</div><p>(Indignity is put over them wherever they may be, except when under a covenant (of protection) from Allah, and from men;) 3:112, in reference to pledges and peace treaties.</p><p>Allah's statement</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلاَ تَفَرَّقُواْ</div><p>(and be not divided among yourselves), orders sticking to the community of the believers and forbids division. There are several Hadiths that require adhering to the Jama`ah (congregation of believers) and prohibit division. Muslim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«إِنَّ اللهَ يَرْضَى لَكُمْ ثَلَاثًا، وَيَسْخَطُ لَكُمْ ثَلَاثًا: يَرْضَى لَكُمْ أَنْ تَعْبُدُوهُ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا، وَأَنْ تَعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا،وَأَنْ تَنَاصَحُوا مَنْ وَلَّاهُ اللهُ أَمْرَكُمْ. وَيَسْخَطُ لَكُمْ ثَلَاثًا: قِيلَ وَقَالَ، وَكَثْرَةَ السُّؤَالِ، وَإِضَاعَةَ الْمَال»</div><p>(It pleases Allah for you to acquire three qualities and displeases Him that you acquire three characteristics. It pleases Him that you worship Him Alone and not associate anything or anyone with Him in worship, that you hold on to the Rope of Allah altogether and do not divide, and that you advise whoever Allah appoints as your Leader. The three that displease Him are that you say, `It was said,' and, `So-and-so said,' asking many unnecessary questions and wasting money.)</p><p>Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَاذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُم أَعْدَآءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَاناً</div><p>(and remember Allah's favor on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His grace, you became brethren) 3:103.</p><p>This was revealed about the Aws and Khazraj. During the time of Jahiliyyah, the Aws and Khazraj were at war and had great hatred, enmity and ill feelings towards each other, causing long conflicts and battles to occur between them. When Allah brought Islam, those among them who embraced it became brothers who loved each other by Allah's grace, having good ties for Allah's sake and helping each other in righteousness and piety. Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">هُوَ الَّذِى أَيَّدَكَ بِنَصْرِهِ وَبِالْمُؤْمِنِينَوَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِهِمْ لَوْ أَنفَقْتَ مَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ جَمِيعاً مَّآ أَلَّفْتَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ أَلَّفَ بَيْنَهُمْ</div><p>(He it is Who has supported you with His Help and with the believers. And He has united their hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but Allah has united them)8:62,63, until the end of the Ayah. Before Islam, their disbelief had them standing at the edge of a pit of the Fire, but Allah saved them from it and delivered them to faith. The Messenger of Allah reminded the Ansar from both Aws and Khazraj of this bounty when he was dividing the war booty of Hunayn. During that time, some Ansar did not like the way the booty was divided, since they did not get what the others did, although that was what Allah directed His Prophet to do. The Messenger of Allah gave them a speech, in which he said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«يَا مَعْشَرَ الْأَنْصَارِ أَلَمْ أَجِدْكُمْ ضُلَّالًا فَهَدَاكُمُ اللهُ بِي، وَكُنْتُمْ مُتَفَرِّقِينَ فَأَلَّفَكُمُ اللهُ بِي، وَعَالَةً فَأَغْنَاكُمُ اللهُ بِي؟»</div><p>(O Ansar! Did I not find you misguided and Allah directed you to guidance because of me Were you not divided beforehand and Allah united you around me Were you not poor and Allah enriched you because of me)</p><p>Whenever the Prophet asked them a question, they would answer, "Indeed, Allah and His Messenger have granted us bounty."</p> | Meaning of `Taqwa of AllahIbn Abi Hatim recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud commented on the Ayah,اتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ(Have Taqwa of Allah as is His due,)"That He is obeyed and not defied, remembered and not forgotten and appreciated and not unappreciated." This has an authentic chain of narration to `Abdullah bin Mas`ud. Al-Hakim collected this Hadith in his Mustadrak, from Ibn Mas`ud, who related it to the Prophet . Al-Hakim said, "It is authentic according to the criteria of the Two Shaykhs Al-Bukhari and Muslim, and they did not record it." This is what he said, but it appears that it is only a statement of `Abdullah bin Mas`ud, and Allah knows best. It was also reported that Anas said, "The servant will not have Taqwa of Allah as is His due until he keeps his tongue idle." Allah's statement,وَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ(and die not except as (true) Muslims) 3:102, means, preserve your Islam while you are well and safe, so that you die as a Muslim. The Most Generous Allah has made it His decision that whatever state one lives in, that is what he dies upon and is resurrected upon. We seek refuge from dying on other than Islam.Imam Ahmad recorded that Mujahid said, "The people were circling around the Sacred House when Ibn `Abbas was sitting, holding a bent-handled walking stick. Ibn `Abbas said, The Messenger of Allah recited,يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ (Have Taqwa of Allah as is His due, die not except as (true) Muslims.) 3:102, then he said;«وَلَوْ أَنَّ قَطْرَةً مِنَ الزَّقُّومِ قُطِرَتْ لَأَمَرَّتْ عَلى أَهْلِ الْأرْضِ عِيشَتَهُمْ، فَكَيْفَ بِمَنْ لَيْسَ لَهُ طَعَامٌ إِلَّا الزَّقُّومُ؟»(Verily, if a drop of Zaqqum (a tree in Hell) falls, it will spoil life for the people of earth. What about those whose food is only from Zaqqum)"This was recorded by At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban in his Sahih and Al-Hakim his Mustadrak. At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih"' while Al-Hakim said; "It meets the conditions of the Two Sahihs and they did not record it."Imam Ahmad recorded that Jabir said that three nights before the Messenger of Allah died he heard him saying;«لَا يَمُوتَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ إِلَّا وَهُوَ يُحْسِنُ الظَّنَّ بِاللهِ عَزَّ وَجَل»(None of you should die except while having sincere trust in Allah, the Exalted and Most Honorable.) Muslim also recorded it. The Two Sahihs record that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,«يَقُولُ اللهُ: أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي»(Allah said, "I am as My servant thinks of Me.")The Necessity of Holding to the Path of Allah and the Community of the BelieversAllah said next,وَاعْتَصِمُواْ بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعاً وَلاَ تَفَرَّقُواْ(And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah, and be not divided among yourselves.) It was said that,بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ(to the Rope of Allah) refers to Allah's covenant, just as Allah said in the following Ayah,ضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ أَيْنَ مَا ثُقِفُواْ إِلاَّ بِحَبْلٍ مِّنْ اللَّهِ وَحَبْلٍ مِّنَ النَّاسِ(Indignity is put over them wherever they may be, except when under a covenant (of protection) from Allah, and from men;) 3:112, in reference to pledges and peace treaties.Allah's statementوَلاَ تَفَرَّقُواْ(and be not divided among yourselves), orders sticking to the community of the believers and forbids division. There are several Hadiths that require adhering to the Jama`ah (congregation of believers) and prohibit division. Muslim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,«إِنَّ اللهَ يَرْضَى لَكُمْ ثَلَاثًا، وَيَسْخَطُ لَكُمْ ثَلَاثًا: يَرْضَى لَكُمْ أَنْ تَعْبُدُوهُ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا، وَأَنْ تَعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا،وَأَنْ تَنَاصَحُوا مَنْ وَلَّاهُ اللهُ أَمْرَكُمْ. وَيَسْخَطُ لَكُمْ ثَلَاثًا: قِيلَ وَقَالَ، وَكَثْرَةَ السُّؤَالِ، وَإِضَاعَةَ الْمَال»(It pleases Allah for you to acquire three qualities and displeases Him that you acquire three characteristics. It pleases Him that you worship Him Alone and not associate anything or anyone with Him in worship, that you hold on to the Rope of Allah altogether and do not divide, and that you advise whoever Allah appoints as your Leader. The three that displease Him are that you say, `It was said,' and, `So-and-so said,' asking many unnecessary questions and wasting money.)Allah said,وَاذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُم أَعْدَآءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَاناً(and remember Allah's favor on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His grace, you became brethren) 3:103.This was revealed about the Aws and Khazraj. During the time of Jahiliyyah, the Aws and Khazraj were at war and had great hatred, enmity and ill feelings towards each other, causing long conflicts and battles to occur between them. When Allah brought Islam, those among them who embraced it became brothers who loved each other by Allah's grace, having good ties for Allah's sake and helping each other in righteousness and piety. Allah said,هُوَ الَّذِى أَيَّدَكَ بِنَصْرِهِ وَبِالْمُؤْمِنِينَوَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِهِمْ لَوْ أَنفَقْتَ مَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ جَمِيعاً مَّآ أَلَّفْتَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ أَلَّفَ بَيْنَهُمْ(He it is Who has supported you with His Help and with the believers. And He has united their hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but Allah has united them)8:62,63, until the end of the Ayah. Before Islam, their disbelief had them standing at the edge of a pit of the Fire, but Allah saved them from it and delivered them to faith. The Messenger of Allah reminded the Ansar from both Aws and Khazraj of this bounty when he was dividing the war booty of Hunayn. During that time, some Ansar did not like the way the booty was divided, since they did not get what the others did, although that was what Allah directed His Prophet to do. The Messenger of Allah gave them a speech, in which he said,«يَا مَعْشَرَ الْأَنْصَارِ أَلَمْ أَجِدْكُمْ ضُلَّالًا فَهَدَاكُمُ اللهُ بِي، وَكُنْتُمْ مُتَفَرِّقِينَ فَأَلَّفَكُمُ اللهُ بِي، وَعَالَةً فَأَغْنَاكُمُ اللهُ بِي؟»(O Ansar! Did I not find you misguided and Allah directed you to guidance because of me Were you not divided beforehand and Allah united you around me Were you not poor and Allah enriched you because of me)Whenever the Prophet asked them a question, they would answer, "Indeed, Allah and His Messenger have granted us bounty." |
Hold on firmly together to the rope of God, and be not divided among yourselves, and remember the favours God bestowed on you when you were one another's foe and He reconciled your hearts, and you turned into brethren through His grace. You had stood on the edge of a pit of fire and He saved you from it, thus revealing to you His clear signs that you may find the right way perchance. | And hold fast to the rope of Allah, all of you together, and do not be divided; and remember Allah’s favour on you, that when there was enmity between you, He created affection between your hearts, so due to His grace you became like brothers to each other; and you were on the edge of a pit of fire (hell), so He saved you from it; this is how Allah explains His verses to you, so that you may be guided. | And hold you fast to God's bond, together, and do not scatter; remember God's blessing upon you when you were enemies, and He brought your hearts together, so that by His blessing you became brothers. You were upon the brink of a pit of Fire, and He delivered you from it; even so God makes clear to you His signs; so haply you will be guided. | And hold fast, all together, unto the bond with God, and do not draw apart from one another. And remember the blessings which God has bestowed upon you: how, when you were enemies, He brought your hearts together, so that through His blessing you became brethren; and [how, when] you were on the brink of a fiery abyss. He saved you from it. In this way God makes clear His messages unto you, so that you might find guidance, | And hold ye fast, all of you, to the cord of Allah, so and separate not. And remember Allah's favour unto you in that ye were enemies and He joined your hearts together, so ye became by His favour brethren; and ye were on the brink of an abyss of the Fire and He rescued you therefrom. In this wise Allah expoundeth unto you His revelations that haply ye may remain guided. | And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah (i.e. this Quran), and be not divided among yourselves, and remember Allah's Favour on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His Grace, you became brethren (in Islamic Faith), and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.,) clear to you, that you may be guided. | And hold fast to the rope of God, altogether, and do not become divided. And remember God’s blessings upon you; how you were enemies, and He reconciled your hearts, and by His grace you became brethren. And you were on the brink of a pit of fire, and He saved you from it. God thus clarifies His revelations for you, so that you may be guided. | Hold fast together to the cable of Allah and be not divided. Remember the blessing that Allah bestowed upon you: you were once enemies then He brought your hearts together, so that through His blessing you became brothers. You stood on the brink of a pit of fire and He delivered you from it. Thus Allah makes His signs clear to you that you may be guided to the right way. | And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah, and be not divided among yourselves, and remember Allah's favor on you, for you were enemies of one another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His grace, you became brethren, and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes His Ayat clear to you, that you may be guided. | And hold fast, all of you together, to the cable of Allah, and do not separate. And remember Allah's favour unto you: How ye were enemies and He made friendship between your hearts so that ye became as brothers by His grace; and (how) ye were upon the brink of an abyss of fire, and He did save you from it. Thus Allah maketh clear His revelations unto you, that haply ye may be guided, | Hold fast, all together, to Allah’s cord, and do not be divided [into sects]. Remember Allah’s blessing upon you when you were enemies, then He brought your hearts together, so you became brothers with His blessing. And you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, whereat He saved you from it. Thus does Allah clarify His signs for you so that you may be guided. | And hold fast to the Bond of Allah, together, and do not scatter. Remember the Favor of Allah bestowed upon you when you were enemies, and how He united your hearts, so that by His Favor you became brothers. And how He saved you from the Pit of Fire when you were on the brink of it. And so Allah makes plain to you His verses, in order that you will be guided. | And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you - when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be guided. | All of you united hold fast to the rope of God (the Quran and His Messenger), and recall how He favored you when your hostility to each other had torn you apart. He united your hearts in one faith and through His Grace you became brothers. You were on the verge of falling headlong into the abyss of fire, but God saved you. This is how God explains to you His revelations so that you may have the right guidance. | And hold fast by the covenant of Allah all together and be not disunited, and remember the favor of Allah on you when you were enemies, then He united your hearts so by His favor you became brethren; and you were on the brink of a pit of fire, then He saved you from it, thus does Allah make clear to you His communications that you may follow the right way. | Wa<b>i</b>AAta<u>s</u>imoo bi<u>h</u>abli All<u>a</u>hi jameeAAan wal<u>a</u> tafarraqoo wa<b>o</b><u>th</u>kuroo niAAmata All<u>a</u>hi AAalaykum i<u>th</u> kuntum aAAd<u>a</u>an faallafa bayna quloobikum faa<u>s</u>ba<u>h</u>tum biniAAmatihi ikhw<u>a</u>nan wakuntum AAal<u>a</u> shaf<u>a</u> <u>h</u>ufratin mina a<b>l</b>nn<u>a</u>ri faanqa<u>th</u>akum minh<u>a</u> ka<u>tha</u>lika yubayyinu All<u>a</u>hu lakum <u>a</u>y<u>a</u>tihi laAAallakum tahtadoon<b>a</b> | Hold fast to the cord of God and let nothing divide you. Remember the blessings He has bestowed upon you; you were enemies and then He united your hearts and by His grace you became brothers; you were on the brink of an abyss of Fire and He rescued you from it. Thus God makes His signs clear to you, so that you may find guidance. | And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah's favour on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, ye became brethren; and ye were on the brink of the pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus doth Allah make His Signs clear to you: That ye may be guided. | 102 | 3 | وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟ بِحَبْلِ ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا۟ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَآءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِۦٓ إِخْوَٰنًا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ | Hold tightly, O you who have faith, to the Book and the traditions of the Prophet, and do not do that which will bring division amongst you. Remember the blessings of Allah upon you when you were enemies before Islam, fighting each other for the slightest reason, and He brought your hearts together through Islam, so that you became brothers in your faith through His grace, showing each other love and respect and listening to each other’s advice. Before that you were on the brink of entering the fire of Hell because of your disbelief. Allah saved you from the fire of Hell through Islam and guided you to faith. In the way that Allah has made this clear to you, He also makes clear to you what will put things right for you in this world and the Afterlife, so that you are guided to the right way of life. | Hold tightly, O you who have faith, to the Book and the traditions of the Prophet, and do not do that which will bring division amongst you. Remember the blessings of Allah upon you when you were enemies before Islam, fighting each other for the slightest reason, and He brought your hearts together through Islam, so that you became brothers in your faith through His grace, showing each other love and respect and listening to each other’s advice. Before that you were on the brink of entering the fire of Hell because of your disbelief. Allah saved you from the fire of Hell through Islam and guided you to faith. In the way that Allah has made this clear to you, He also makes clear to you what will put things right for you in this world and the Afterlife, so that you are guided to the right way of life. | <p>The first principle appears in the first of the two verses. The second principle follows in the second verse. The first principle stated in the said verse is that one must 'fear Allah', that is, one should organize and manage his life with a full sense of responsibility before Allah, avoiding all that is forbidden or undesirable, doing so in a manner 'which is His due'.</p><p>What تقویٰ Taqwa is?</p><p>In Arabic, the word, تقویٰ 'Taqwa' is used to denote avoidance and abstinence. It is translated as 'fear' in the sense that things one is asked to abstain from are nothing but things that cause fear, or alert one to the danger of Divine retribution.</p><p>تقویٰ Taqwa has its own degrees, the lowest is to avoid کفر Kufr and شرک Shirk, that is, disbelieving in Allah and His Message and attributing partners to His Divinity. In this sense, every Muslim can be counted as مُتَّقی Muttaqi (one who has the quality of تقوی Taqwa ), even if he is involved in sins. At several places in the Holy Qur'an, the words, مُتَّقین 'Muttaqin' (plural of مُتَّقی Muttaqi and تقویٰ 'Taqwa ' have been used in that sense as well. What is really desirable falls under the second degree of تقویٰ Taqwa , that is, to avoid that which is disliked by Allah and His Messenger. The merits and blessings of تقویٰ Taqwa enumerated in the Qur'an and Iiadith have been promised on this degree of avoidance and abstinence.</p><p>As far as the third degree of تقویٰ Taqwa is concerned, this is a high station destined for prophets, (علیہم السلام) ، their devoted deputies and men of Allah, for it is not within the grasp of everybody. To stand guard over one's heart against the onslaught of what does not relate to Allah, and to keep it filled with the remembrance of Allah and the desire to seek His pleasure, are great assignments.</p><p>The meaning of تقویٰ Taqwa 'as due'</p><p>While giving a directive to attain تقویٰ 'Taqwa ' the Holy Qur'an has qualified the word of تقویٰ Taqwa with (a fear which is His due) which mean: that one should seek to attain a degree of تقویٰ Taqwa which it inherently deserves.</p><p>This has been explained by the blessed Companions, ` Abdullah ibn Masud, Rabi', Qatadah and Hasan al-Basri ؓ in the following words:</p><p>حق تقاتہ ہو ان یطاع فلا یعصٰی و یذکر فلا ینسیٰ ویشکر فلا یکفر (البحر المحیط)</p><p>'A fear which is His due' means that one obeys, then does not disobey; remembers then does not forget; and is grateful, then does not become ungrateful.' (Al-Bahr Al-Muhit)</p><p>The above explanation has also been reported with its chain of authorities ascending to the Holy Prophet ﷺ himself.</p><p>Major commentators have explained the sense of the above report differently. For instance, some say that the due fear of Allah means that, in obedience to Allah, one should dismiss all derogatory criticism, no matter where it comes from, always standing firm on what is just, even if, by being just, he has to hurt his own self, or his children, or his parents. Some say, that one can never hope to achieve تقویٰ ’ Taqwa as due' unless he protects his tongue.</p><p>There is another verse in the Holy Qur'an where it is said:</p><p>اتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ</p><p>Fear Allah as much as you can. (64:16)</p><p>According to the blessed Companions, Ibn ` Abbas and Tawus ؓ ، this is really nothing but an explanation of حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ (a fear which is His due). It means that should one be doing his best, using all his attention and energy to guard against evil, the obligation of Taqwa shall stand fulfilled. If one, who has already done everything he could, happens to fall a victim to something impermissible, that would not be considered being against تقویٰ 'Taqwa as due'.</p><p>The statement which follows immediately: وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ (and let not yourself die save as Muslims) tells us that تقویٰ Taqwa is, in reality, the whole of Islam since the total obedience to Allah and His Messenger, and the total avoidance of disobedience both to Allah and His Messenger is what تقویٰ Taqwa is all about; and this is what Islam is.</p><p>The command in the verse, 'and let not yourself die save as Muslims' raises a possible doubt as man does not control death, it may come anytime, anywhere. This doubt is removed when we consider the</p><p>کما تَحِبُّون تموتون و کما تموتون تحشرون</p><p>'As you live, so shall you die; and as you die, so shall you be raised.'</p><p>Therefore, anyone who is determined to live his entire life by the tenets of Islam, and to the best of his determination and ability, acts accordingly, his death will definitely come, God willing, on a state of Islam. Now, about some hadith narrations where it is said that there will be people who may have spent a life-time of good deeds, yet the entire roster of such deeds shall go waste because of something awful they did later. Such fate can befall those people only who did not act with sincerity and steadfastness from the very beginning. And Allah knows best.</p><p>UNITY: The second principle of collective Muslim strength:</p><p>In the second verse, 103: وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا (And hold on to the cord of Allah, all of you), the golden principle of unity has been presented with great eloquence and wisdom, for the principle, being the only effective binding factor, has been identified before the command to unite was given, following which, came the prohibition of disunity and chaos.</p><p>Elaborating this a little, it can be said that unity is something good and desirable, a premise generally approved by all human beings, no matter what place, time, religion or life style they adhere to. A person, who considers fights and disputes as something useful, and good in themselves, would be hard to find anywhere. This is why all groups and parties around the world invariably ask people to unite, but experience shows that all is not well in world affairs. No doubt, everybody agrees that unity is useful, and necessary, yet humanity is divided apart in sects, groups and parties. Then, there is a whole chain of sects within sects and parties within parties, reaching the limits of absurdity where even the unity of two people, in the real sense, has become a myth. A few people get together, agree on something under the driving force of temporary objectives; then, no sooner do interests get served, or remain unrealized, unity evaporates in thin air, and instead, there remains the fall-out of mutual bickering and hostility.</p><p>With a little deliberation, it will become clear that every group, every sect, almost every person would like to unite people on some self-made programme, while the position is that other people have their own self-made programmes. So, rather than agree with them, they invite others to line up under their programme. Therefore, all calls for unity end up in break-ups and chaos among parties and persons. Thus, stuck in this quagmire of differences, humanity at large is the loser.</p><p>Therefore, the Holy Qur'an has not stopped at giving sermons on unity and order, instead, it has also come forward with a just principle which would help achieve and sustain the desired state of affairs in the world, something in which no group should find a ground for differences. The truth of the matter is that imposing a system or programme conceived by one or some members of the human race on other human beings, and hoping that all of them will accept it unanimously, is simply against commonsense, and justice, and is nothing but cheeky self-deception. However, the system and the programme given by the Creator-Sustainer of all the worlds, the رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ Rabb al-` Alamin, is something all human beings should naturally agree upon. No rational human being can deny it on principle. Now, the only possible inroad to difference here can show up in the actual identification of the system given by the Sovereign of Sovereigns, the رَبِّ Rabb, the Lord. Which is it? The Jews say it is the system of the Torah, the Christians say it is the system of the Evangel; both say it was sent by God and it is necessary to act upon it. The approach goes as far as even the poly-theists, who have groups among them attributing their respective religious rites to none but god.</p><p>But, if man could rise a little above his group prejudice and the blind following of forefathers, using his own God-given reason, he would stand face to face with the reality without any frills; the reality that the Last of the Prophets, ﷺ ، has come with the last message of Allah Almighty in the form of the Holy Qur'an and that, at this point of time, there is no other system or living pattern acceptable in the sight of Allah Almighty. Leaving this wider focus aside, we can turn to the first and present addressees of the Qur'an, the Muslims who believe that in the world as we have found it, the Holy Qur'an is the only way of life revealed by Allah Almighty without any shadow of doubt in it, and since Allah Almighty has Himself taken the responsibility of protecting it, there is just no possibility of interpolation or change in it right through to the Day of Judgment. With this position in view, I leave the part of the subject dealing with non-Muslim groups for some other occasion and say to Muslims alone who, being believers in the Qur'an, have no other alternative line of action except this. If different parties among Muslims were to unite on the system of the Holy Qur'an, thousands of their differences based on group, race and country would be resolved instantly, which block the road to human progress. Whatever difference may remain among Muslims, would possibly be in the understanding and the interpretation of the Qur'an. If such difference stays within limits, it is neither blame-worthy nor harmful to collective human living. In fact, the existence of such difference of opinion among the learned is natural. Therefore, exercising restraint and observing limits should not be so difficult to manage. Contrary to this, if our parties were to go on fighting in complete disregard to the Qur'an then, they would not be left with any possibility of correction. It is this chronic dissension and disorder which the Holy Qur'an has sternly forbidden, and it is because of this abandonment of a great Qur'anic principle that our community at large is wasting its potential by succumbing to chaos and factionalism. The Holy Qur'an, in the present verse, shows us the way as to how we can eliminate this tendency to become divided when it says:</p><p>وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا</p><p>And hold on to the cord of Allah, all of you.</p><p>Here, حَبْلِ اللَّـهِ (the cord of Allah) means the Holy Qur'an. The blessed Companion, ` Abdullah ibn Masud ؓ is the narrator of the hadith in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been reported to have said:</p><p>کتاب اللہ ہو حبل اللہ الممدود من السماء الی الارض</p><p>The Book of Allah is the cord of Allah, extended from the heavens to the earth.</p><p>In another narration of the hadith by the noble Companion, Zayd ibn Arqam ؓ ، the words are: حبل اللہ ہو القرآن : The cord of Allah is the Qur'an (Ibn Kathir).</p><p>In Arabic usage, the word, حبل 'habl' also means 'covenant' and, in an absolute sense, it covers everything that can be used as a connecting link. The metaphor of 'cord' has been used for the Qur'an or the Faith to suggest that this is the connecting link which, on one side, establishes the lines of communion between those who believe and their Lord, while, on the other side, it brings all those who believe close together, forming one group.</p><p>In short, this one statement of the Qur'an is full of wise rules of conduct. To begin with, it can be said that man must firmly act in accordance with the way of life revealed by Allah Almighty, that is, the Holy Qur'an. Then comes the unity of action, that is, all Muslims should join hands to act in accordance with it. The result will be that Muslims will become united and organized as if they were a group holding on to the same cord firmly, turning the whole group into a powerful single body. The Holy Qur'an has explained this mystique of Muslim unity more clearly in another verse where it was said:</p><p>إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَيَجْعَلُ لَهُمُ الرَّحْمَـٰنُ وُدًّا ﴿96﴾</p><p>Surely, those who believe and do good deeds, among them the X11-Merciful Allah shall create (mutual) affection. (19:96)</p><p>Also present here is a subtle analogy focused on Muslims holding fast to the Book of Allah. Their effort resembles the effort of those who would grip a strong rope while climbing and thus remain protected against a fall. So, the hint is: If Muslims keep holding on to the Book of Allah with their total strength, all in unison, no شیطان satan will ever succeed in dividing them. As a result, like their individual life, the collective strength of the Muslim community as well shall become stable and impregnable. Keeping a firm grip on the Qur'an is some-thing which helps in uniting scattered forces through which a dead nation gets new life. God forbid, if Muslims break away from it, it is certain that their national and collective life will be ruined, and when this happens, their individual life is not likely to fare any better.</p><p>Islam is the only source of the Muslim Unity</p><p>Unity and agreement need a centre of attraction or a common idea. This idea of a centre has been different with different peoples of the world. Somewhere it was race and tribal affinity. For instance, among the tribal complex of Arabia, Quraysh was one nation and Banu Tamim another. There were other places where colour was the criterion, with black people taken as one nation, and the white people as another. There were still other places where the geographical or lingual factor was the centre of unity making Indian one nation and the Arab, another. Then there were areas where people rallied around ancestral customs drawing a line between those who follow these customs and those who do not, for instance, the Arya Samajists in India.</p><p>The Holy Qur'an, bypassing all these, made the Book of Allah basis of unity, that is, the system revealed by Allah Almighty. In a single stroke, it declared that Muslims are a nation attached to حبل للہ 'Hablillah', the cord of Allah, and those who disbelieve are another nation, not attached to this strong 'cord' or 'rope'. The statement: خَلَقَكُمْ فَمِنكُمْ كَافِرٌ وَمِنكُم مُّؤْمِنٌ (It is He who created you. So, some of you are infidels and some of you are believers) means just this. So, the unifying factors of geog-raphy, race, tribe or language do not deserve to be the centre of affinity for man generally has no control over them. One cannot have them by personal effort or choice. Black cannot become white, a Qurayshi cannot become a Tamimi, an Indian cannot become an Arab. Such unities can exist in a very limited frame; they can never claim to have assembled the whole humanity under their umbrella hoping to have the entire world gathered on a united platform. This is why the Holy Qur'an has made the Divinely revealed way of life as the centre of unity, something one can elect to have for himself. Everyone from the East or the West, black or white, speaking Arabic or English or any other language, coming from any family, any tribe, any human group, can freely make this centre of unity his own as the most rational and correct choice available. Then, humankind can come close together around this centre and become brothers and sisters to one another.</p><p>What is needed is a little impartial thinking, a slight rising above custom, prejudice and habit, as a result of which, the seeker shall be striking the best bargain of his life. Hopefully, he will discover for himself the way of life revealed by Allah Almighty, understand it, and follow it holding fast on to this strong medium of communion with Allah. As a result of this, the whole humanity will become beneficially concentric, having the centre of God-given guidance in common. Consequently, every individual member of this great brotherhood will be able to tune his deeds, material and spiritual, to the jointly accepted way of life from Allah.</p><p>Here is the principle, wise and correct, of which Muslims can be proud, and confident when inviting others to join in. Unfortunately, conspiracies hatched by the Europeans, for centuries to crush the Muslim unity have succeeded in dividing the ranks of those who claim to be Muslims.</p><p>Now they have themselves accepted the differences of race, language and nationalities as the dividing forces, and the link of Muslim unity stands severed by the concept of Arabs and Non-Arabs, Indians and non-Indians etc. The Holy Qur'an proclaims a universal reality, loudly and openly, time and again, that these distinctions are ill-founded and divisive and any unity based on them shall remain irrational and false. A centricity is not the solution for Muslims who have no choice but to 'hold on to the cord of Allah', all of them, as a way of life. This has given them a place of honour earlier, and if there is yet another success destined for them, this is how it would come again.</p><p>Before we move on to the second part of the verse, let us remember the two distinct instructions given to Muslims in this verse, that is, they should first live by the system prescribed for them by Allah Almighty, then, they should hold fast to the cord of Allah' all together. This is how the Muslim ummah gained ascendance in the past and there is no reason why, it will not rise again.</p><p>This far the discussion revolved around the positive aspect of unity among Muslims. The text now takes up the negative aspect when it says: وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا (And'be not divided). This is another example of the peculiarly wise style of the Holy Qur'an when it would highlight the positive aspect first, then identify the negative, and forbid the later. In another verse, it was said:</p><p>وَأَنَّ هَـٰذَا صِرَاطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ ۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمْ عَن سَبِيلِهِ ۚ Surely, this is the straight path, so, follow it. And do not follow (other) ways which will cause you to become separated from His way. (6:153)</p><p>Since disunity is the first and the last reason behind the destruction of a nation, therefore, the Holy Qur'an has repeatedly forbidden it in various ways. It has been said in another verse:</p><p>إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا لَّسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ</p><p>Those who have made divisions in their religion and become sects, you have nothing to do with them. (6:159)</p><p>Also narrated in the Holy Qur'an are events concerning communities led by their prophet's (علیہم السلام) communities which fell into temporal and eternal disgrace because of their mutual disputes and disunity which turned them away from the honest pursuit of their central purpose of life.</p><p>The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said that there are three things Allah Almighty has liked for you while there are three others He has disliked. The ones He has liked are as follows:</p><p>1. That your worship should be for Allah alone and that you should not attribute partners to His divinity.</p><p>2. That you should hold on to the Book of Allah firmly and avoid disunity.</p><p>3. That you should have goodwill for those in authority from among you.</p><p>The three things which cause Allah's displeasure are:</p><p>1. Unnecessary argumentation.</p><p>2. Needless asking.</p><p>3. Wastage of resources. (Ibn Kathir from Abi Hurairah)</p><p>Differences and their Limits</p><p>A question that remains unanswered is: Is every difference to be despised or is there a sort of difference which can be called un-blameworthy? The answer is: Every difference is not blameworthy or despicable. A blameworthy difference is one in which individuals and groups stay away from the Qur'an and think in terms of their whims and wishes. But, should it be that everyone stays united in and around the Qur'an and at the same time, continues to accept the explanation and detail coming from the Holy Prophet ﷺ and then, on the basis of God-given natural ability and intellectual quality, expresses differences in opinion about subsidiaries of religion, in which case, this difference will be natural and Islam does not forbid it. The difference among the blessed Companions and their Successors and among leading juristic authorities was of this nature. It was nothing but this difference that was called a 'mercy' for the community. However, if these very subsidiary debates were to be invested with the status of the mainstream of religion, and differences arising out of them were to become a cause of controversy, confrontation, insult and vilification, then, this too will be considered blameworthy.</p><p>The Blessing of Brotherhood</p><p>The text, after making the two aspects of unity clear, points out to the conditions prevailing among pre-Islam Arabs. Because of tribal rivalries, incessant warfare and long-drawn blood feuds, the entire nation was on the brink of total ruin. What saved them from the fire of hatred was nothing but these blessings of Islam. So, it was said:</p><p>وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّـهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَاءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا</p><p>And remember the blessing of Allah upon you: When you were enemies to each other, and He brought your hearts together, then you, with His grace, became brothers. And you were at the brink of a pit of the Fire, then, He saved you from it. (103)</p><p>In other words, by erasing out deep-seated enmities going back to centuries, Allah Almighty made them brothers to each other through the benediction of Islam and the noble Prophet ﷺ . This made their life worth living, materially and spiritually, establishing between them such exemplary friendship that even their enemies found it awesome. Where in the whole wide world would they have found this brotherly unity, this enormous blessing of Allah, even if they were to spend the combined treasures of the world?</p><p>If we recollect what was said in the opening remarks under these verses, we can see very clearly that the present verse helps eliminate the mischief engineered by the wicked when they tried to disunite the tribes of Aws and Khazraj by reminding them of their past feuds. The lesson is: Once in Islam, division is unthinkable.</p><p>Unity among Muslims depends on obedience to Allah:</p><p>The above statement of the Holy Qur'an unravels yet another mystery. We now know that, in reality, Allah Almighty is the Master of hearts. Activating mutual love and consideration in the hearts of a people is purely a Divine blessing. Obvious along with it is the fact that one can become deserving of the blessings of Allah only through obedience to Him. With disobedience and sin, one cannot hope to have this reward.</p><p>It also follows from here that for Muslims, if they desire to have a stable organization among them, and unity, the only alternative open is that they should make obedience to Allah their life style. This point has been hinted at towards the end of the verse where it was said:</p><p>كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ</p><p>This is how Allah makes His signs clear to you, so that you may take the right path. (103)</p> | The first principle appears in the first of the two verses. The second principle follows in the second verse. The first principle stated in the said verse is that one must 'fear Allah', that is, one should organize and manage his life with a full sense of responsibility before Allah, avoiding all that is forbidden or undesirable, doing so in a manner 'which is His due'.What تقویٰ Taqwa is?In Arabic, the word, تقویٰ 'Taqwa' is used to denote avoidance and abstinence. It is translated as 'fear' in the sense that things one is asked to abstain from are nothing but things that cause fear, or alert one to the danger of Divine retribution.تقویٰ Taqwa has its own degrees, the lowest is to avoid کفر Kufr and شرک Shirk, that is, disbelieving in Allah and His Message and attributing partners to His Divinity. In this sense, every Muslim can be counted as مُتَّقی Muttaqi (one who has the quality of تقوی Taqwa ), even if he is involved in sins. At several places in the Holy Qur'an, the words, مُتَّقین 'Muttaqin' (plural of مُتَّقی Muttaqi and تقویٰ 'Taqwa ' have been used in that sense as well. What is really desirable falls under the second degree of تقویٰ Taqwa , that is, to avoid that which is disliked by Allah and His Messenger. The merits and blessings of تقویٰ Taqwa enumerated in the Qur'an and Iiadith have been promised on this degree of avoidance and abstinence.As far as the third degree of تقویٰ Taqwa is concerned, this is a high station destined for prophets, (علیہم السلام) ، their devoted deputies and men of Allah, for it is not within the grasp of everybody. To stand guard over one's heart against the onslaught of what does not relate to Allah, and to keep it filled with the remembrance of Allah and the desire to seek His pleasure, are great assignments.The meaning of تقویٰ Taqwa 'as due'While giving a directive to attain تقویٰ 'Taqwa ' the Holy Qur'an has qualified the word of تقویٰ Taqwa with (a fear which is His due) which mean: that one should seek to attain a degree of تقویٰ Taqwa which it inherently deserves.This has been explained by the blessed Companions, ` Abdullah ibn Masud, Rabi', Qatadah and Hasan al-Basri ؓ in the following words:حق تقاتہ ہو ان یطاع فلا یعصٰی و یذکر فلا ینسیٰ ویشکر فلا یکفر (البحر المحیط)'A fear which is His due' means that one obeys, then does not disobey; remembers then does not forget; and is grateful, then does not become ungrateful.' (Al-Bahr Al-Muhit)The above explanation has also been reported with its chain of authorities ascending to the Holy Prophet ﷺ himself.Major commentators have explained the sense of the above report differently. For instance, some say that the due fear of Allah means that, in obedience to Allah, one should dismiss all derogatory criticism, no matter where it comes from, always standing firm on what is just, even if, by being just, he has to hurt his own self, or his children, or his parents. Some say, that one can never hope to achieve تقویٰ ’ Taqwa as due' unless he protects his tongue.There is another verse in the Holy Qur'an where it is said:اتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْFear Allah as much as you can. (64:16)According to the blessed Companions, Ibn ` Abbas and Tawus ؓ ، this is really nothing but an explanation of حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ (a fear which is His due). It means that should one be doing his best, using all his attention and energy to guard against evil, the obligation of Taqwa shall stand fulfilled. If one, who has already done everything he could, happens to fall a victim to something impermissible, that would not be considered being against تقویٰ 'Taqwa as due'.The statement which follows immediately: وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ (and let not yourself die save as Muslims) tells us that تقویٰ Taqwa is, in reality, the whole of Islam since the total obedience to Allah and His Messenger, and the total avoidance of disobedience both to Allah and His Messenger is what تقویٰ Taqwa is all about; and this is what Islam is.The command in the verse, 'and let not yourself die save as Muslims' raises a possible doubt as man does not control death, it may come anytime, anywhere. This doubt is removed when we consider theکما تَحِبُّون تموتون و کما تموتون تحشرون'As you live, so shall you die; and as you die, so shall you be raised.'Therefore, anyone who is determined to live his entire life by the tenets of Islam, and to the best of his determination and ability, acts accordingly, his death will definitely come, God willing, on a state of Islam. Now, about some hadith narrations where it is said that there will be people who may have spent a life-time of good deeds, yet the entire roster of such deeds shall go waste because of something awful they did later. Such fate can befall those people only who did not act with sincerity and steadfastness from the very beginning. And Allah knows best.UNITY: The second principle of collective Muslim strength:In the second verse, 103: وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا (And hold on to the cord of Allah, all of you), the golden principle of unity has been presented with great eloquence and wisdom, for the principle, being the only effective binding factor, has been identified before the command to unite was given, following which, came the prohibition of disunity and chaos.Elaborating this a little, it can be said that unity is something good and desirable, a premise generally approved by all human beings, no matter what place, time, religion or life style they adhere to. A person, who considers fights and disputes as something useful, and good in themselves, would be hard to find anywhere. This is why all groups and parties around the world invariably ask people to unite, but experience shows that all is not well in world affairs. No doubt, everybody agrees that unity is useful, and necessary, yet humanity is divided apart in sects, groups and parties. Then, there is a whole chain of sects within sects and parties within parties, reaching the limits of absurdity where even the unity of two people, in the real sense, has become a myth. A few people get together, agree on something under the driving force of temporary objectives; then, no sooner do interests get served, or remain unrealized, unity evaporates in thin air, and instead, there remains the fall-out of mutual bickering and hostility.With a little deliberation, it will become clear that every group, every sect, almost every person would like to unite people on some self-made programme, while the position is that other people have their own self-made programmes. So, rather than agree with them, they invite others to line up under their programme. Therefore, all calls for unity end up in break-ups and chaos among parties and persons. Thus, stuck in this quagmire of differences, humanity at large is the loser.Therefore, the Holy Qur'an has not stopped at giving sermons on unity and order, instead, it has also come forward with a just principle which would help achieve and sustain the desired state of affairs in the world, something in which no group should find a ground for differences. The truth of the matter is that imposing a system or programme conceived by one or some members of the human race on other human beings, and hoping that all of them will accept it unanimously, is simply against commonsense, and justice, and is nothing but cheeky self-deception. However, the system and the programme given by the Creator-Sustainer of all the worlds, the رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ Rabb al-` Alamin, is something all human beings should naturally agree upon. No rational human being can deny it on principle. Now, the only possible inroad to difference here can show up in the actual identification of the system given by the Sovereign of Sovereigns, the رَبِّ Rabb, the Lord. Which is it? The Jews say it is the system of the Torah, the Christians say it is the system of the Evangel; both say it was sent by God and it is necessary to act upon it. The approach goes as far as even the poly-theists, who have groups among them attributing their respective religious rites to none but god.But, if man could rise a little above his group prejudice and the blind following of forefathers, using his own God-given reason, he would stand face to face with the reality without any frills; the reality that the Last of the Prophets, ﷺ ، has come with the last message of Allah Almighty in the form of the Holy Qur'an and that, at this point of time, there is no other system or living pattern acceptable in the sight of Allah Almighty. Leaving this wider focus aside, we can turn to the first and present addressees of the Qur'an, the Muslims who believe that in the world as we have found it, the Holy Qur'an is the only way of life revealed by Allah Almighty without any shadow of doubt in it, and since Allah Almighty has Himself taken the responsibility of protecting it, there is just no possibility of interpolation or change in it right through to the Day of Judgment. With this position in view, I leave the part of the subject dealing with non-Muslim groups for some other occasion and say to Muslims alone who, being believers in the Qur'an, have no other alternative line of action except this. If different parties among Muslims were to unite on the system of the Holy Qur'an, thousands of their differences based on group, race and country would be resolved instantly, which block the road to human progress. Whatever difference may remain among Muslims, would possibly be in the understanding and the interpretation of the Qur'an. If such difference stays within limits, it is neither blame-worthy nor harmful to collective human living. In fact, the existence of such difference of opinion among the learned is natural. Therefore, exercising restraint and observing limits should not be so difficult to manage. Contrary to this, if our parties were to go on fighting in complete disregard to the Qur'an then, they would not be left with any possibility of correction. It is this chronic dissension and disorder which the Holy Qur'an has sternly forbidden, and it is because of this abandonment of a great Qur'anic principle that our community at large is wasting its potential by succumbing to chaos and factionalism. The Holy Qur'an, in the present verse, shows us the way as to how we can eliminate this tendency to become divided when it says:وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّـهِ جَمِيعًاAnd hold on to the cord of Allah, all of you.Here, حَبْلِ اللَّـهِ (the cord of Allah) means the Holy Qur'an. The blessed Companion, ` Abdullah ibn Masud ؓ is the narrator of the hadith in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been reported to have said:کتاب اللہ ہو حبل اللہ الممدود من السماء الی الارضThe Book of Allah is the cord of Allah, extended from the heavens to the earth.In another narration of the hadith by the noble Companion, Zayd ibn Arqam ؓ ، the words are: حبل اللہ ہو القرآن : The cord of Allah is the Qur'an (Ibn Kathir).In Arabic usage, the word, حبل 'habl' also means 'covenant' and, in an absolute sense, it covers everything that can be used as a connecting link. The metaphor of 'cord' has been used for the Qur'an or the Faith to suggest that this is the connecting link which, on one side, establishes the lines of communion between those who believe and their Lord, while, on the other side, it brings all those who believe close together, forming one group.In short, this one statement of the Qur'an is full of wise rules of conduct. To begin with, it can be said that man must firmly act in accordance with the way of life revealed by Allah Almighty, that is, the Holy Qur'an. Then comes the unity of action, that is, all Muslims should join hands to act in accordance with it. The result will be that Muslims will become united and organized as if they were a group holding on to the same cord firmly, turning the whole group into a powerful single body. The Holy Qur'an has explained this mystique of Muslim unity more clearly in another verse where it was said:إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَيَجْعَلُ لَهُمُ الرَّحْمَـٰنُ وُدًّا ﴿96﴾Surely, those who believe and do good deeds, among them the X11-Merciful Allah shall create (mutual) affection. (19:96)Also present here is a subtle analogy focused on Muslims holding fast to the Book of Allah. Their effort resembles the effort of those who would grip a strong rope while climbing and thus remain protected against a fall. So, the hint is: If Muslims keep holding on to the Book of Allah with their total strength, all in unison, no شیطان satan will ever succeed in dividing them. As a result, like their individual life, the collective strength of the Muslim community as well shall become stable and impregnable. Keeping a firm grip on the Qur'an is some-thing which helps in uniting scattered forces through which a dead nation gets new life. God forbid, if Muslims break away from it, it is certain that their national and collective life will be ruined, and when this happens, their individual life is not likely to fare any better.Islam is the only source of the Muslim UnityUnity and agreement need a centre of attraction or a common idea. This idea of a centre has been different with different peoples of the world. Somewhere it was race and tribal affinity. For instance, among the tribal complex of Arabia, Quraysh was one nation and Banu Tamim another. There were other places where colour was the criterion, with black people taken as one nation, and the white people as another. There were still other places where the geographical or lingual factor was the centre of unity making Indian one nation and the Arab, another. Then there were areas where people rallied around ancestral customs drawing a line between those who follow these customs and those who do not, for instance, the Arya Samajists in India.The Holy Qur'an, bypassing all these, made the Book of Allah basis of unity, that is, the system revealed by Allah Almighty. In a single stroke, it declared that Muslims are a nation attached to حبل للہ 'Hablillah', the cord of Allah, and those who disbelieve are another nation, not attached to this strong 'cord' or 'rope'. The statement: خَلَقَكُمْ فَمِنكُمْ كَافِرٌ وَمِنكُم مُّؤْمِنٌ (It is He who created you. So, some of you are infidels and some of you are believers) means just this. So, the unifying factors of geog-raphy, race, tribe or language do not deserve to be the centre of affinity for man generally has no control over them. One cannot have them by personal effort or choice. Black cannot become white, a Qurayshi cannot become a Tamimi, an Indian cannot become an Arab. Such unities can exist in a very limited frame; they can never claim to have assembled the whole humanity under their umbrella hoping to have the entire world gathered on a united platform. This is why the Holy Qur'an has made the Divinely revealed way of life as the centre of unity, something one can elect to have for himself. Everyone from the East or the West, black or white, speaking Arabic or English or any other language, coming from any family, any tribe, any human group, can freely make this centre of unity his own as the most rational and correct choice available. Then, humankind can come close together around this centre and become brothers and sisters to one another.What is needed is a little impartial thinking, a slight rising above custom, prejudice and habit, as a result of which, the seeker shall be striking the best bargain of his life. Hopefully, he will discover for himself the way of life revealed by Allah Almighty, understand it, and follow it holding fast on to this strong medium of communion with Allah. As a result of this, the whole humanity will become beneficially concentric, having the centre of God-given guidance in common. Consequently, every individual member of this great brotherhood will be able to tune his deeds, material and spiritual, to the jointly accepted way of life from Allah.Here is the principle, wise and correct, of which Muslims can be proud, and confident when inviting others to join in. Unfortunately, conspiracies hatched by the Europeans, for centuries to crush the Muslim unity have succeeded in dividing the ranks of those who claim to be Muslims.Now they have themselves accepted the differences of race, language and nationalities as the dividing forces, and the link of Muslim unity stands severed by the concept of Arabs and Non-Arabs, Indians and non-Indians etc. The Holy Qur'an proclaims a universal reality, loudly and openly, time and again, that these distinctions are ill-founded and divisive and any unity based on them shall remain irrational and false. A centricity is not the solution for Muslims who have no choice but to 'hold on to the cord of Allah', all of them, as a way of life. This has given them a place of honour earlier, and if there is yet another success destined for them, this is how it would come again.Before we move on to the second part of the verse, let us remember the two distinct instructions given to Muslims in this verse, that is, they should first live by the system prescribed for them by Allah Almighty, then, they should hold fast to the cord of Allah' all together. This is how the Muslim ummah gained ascendance in the past and there is no reason why, it will not rise again.This far the discussion revolved around the positive aspect of unity among Muslims. The text now takes up the negative aspect when it says: وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا (And'be not divided). This is another example of the peculiarly wise style of the Holy Qur'an when it would highlight the positive aspect first, then identify the negative, and forbid the later. In another verse, it was said:وَأَنَّ هَـٰذَا صِرَاطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ ۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمْ عَن سَبِيلِهِ ۚ Surely, this is the straight path, so, follow it. And do not follow (other) ways which will cause you to become separated from His way. (6:153)Since disunity is the first and the last reason behind the destruction of a nation, therefore, the Holy Qur'an has repeatedly forbidden it in various ways. It has been said in another verse:إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا لَّسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِي شَيْءٍThose who have made divisions in their religion and become sects, you have nothing to do with them. (6:159)Also narrated in the Holy Qur'an are events concerning communities led by their prophet's (علیہم السلام) communities which fell into temporal and eternal disgrace because of their mutual disputes and disunity which turned them away from the honest pursuit of their central purpose of life.The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said that there are three things Allah Almighty has liked for you while there are three others He has disliked. The ones He has liked are as follows:1. That your worship should be for Allah alone and that you should not attribute partners to His divinity.2. That you should hold on to the Book of Allah firmly and avoid disunity.3. That you should have goodwill for those in authority from among you.The three things which cause Allah's displeasure are:1. Unnecessary argumentation.2. Needless asking.3. Wastage of resources. (Ibn Kathir from Abi Hurairah)Differences and their LimitsA question that remains unanswered is: Is every difference to be despised or is there a sort of difference which can be called un-blameworthy? The answer is: Every difference is not blameworthy or despicable. A blameworthy difference is one in which individuals and groups stay away from the Qur'an and think in terms of their whims and wishes. But, should it be that everyone stays united in and around the Qur'an and at the same time, continues to accept the explanation and detail coming from the Holy Prophet ﷺ and then, on the basis of God-given natural ability and intellectual quality, expresses differences in opinion about subsidiaries of religion, in which case, this difference will be natural and Islam does not forbid it. The difference among the blessed Companions and their Successors and among leading juristic authorities was of this nature. It was nothing but this difference that was called a 'mercy' for the community. However, if these very subsidiary debates were to be invested with the status of the mainstream of religion, and differences arising out of them were to become a cause of controversy, confrontation, insult and vilification, then, this too will be considered blameworthy.The Blessing of BrotherhoodThe text, after making the two aspects of unity clear, points out to the conditions prevailing among pre-Islam Arabs. Because of tribal rivalries, incessant warfare and long-drawn blood feuds, the entire nation was on the brink of total ruin. What saved them from the fire of hatred was nothing but these blessings of Islam. So, it was said:وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّـهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَاءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَاAnd remember the blessing of Allah upon you: When you were enemies to each other, and He brought your hearts together, then you, with His grace, became brothers. And you were at the brink of a pit of the Fire, then, He saved you from it. (103)In other words, by erasing out deep-seated enmities going back to centuries, Allah Almighty made them brothers to each other through the benediction of Islam and the noble Prophet ﷺ . This made their life worth living, materially and spiritually, establishing between them such exemplary friendship that even their enemies found it awesome. Where in the whole wide world would they have found this brotherly unity, this enormous blessing of Allah, even if they were to spend the combined treasures of the world?If we recollect what was said in the opening remarks under these verses, we can see very clearly that the present verse helps eliminate the mischief engineered by the wicked when they tried to disunite the tribes of Aws and Khazraj by reminding them of their past feuds. The lesson is: Once in Islam, division is unthinkable.Unity among Muslims depends on obedience to Allah:The above statement of the Holy Qur'an unravels yet another mystery. We now know that, in reality, Allah Almighty is the Master of hearts. Activating mutual love and consideration in the hearts of a people is purely a Divine blessing. Obvious along with it is the fact that one can become deserving of the blessings of Allah only through obedience to Him. With disobedience and sin, one cannot hope to have this reward.It also follows from here that for Muslims, if they desire to have a stable organization among them, and unity, the only alternative open is that they should make obedience to Allah their life style. This point has been hinted at towards the end of the verse where it was said:كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَThis is how Allah makes His signs clear to you, so that you may take the right path. (103) | ||
So let there be a body among you who may call to the good, enjoin what is esteemed and forbid what is odious. They are those who will be successful. | And there should be a group among you that invites to goodness, and enjoins good deeds and forbids immorality; it is they who are the successful. | Let there be one nation of you, calling to good, and bidding to honour, and forbidding dishonour; those are the prosperers. | and that there might grow out of you a community [of people] who invite unto all that is good, and enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong: and it is they, they who shall attain to a happy state! | And let there be of you a community calling others to good and commanding that which is reputable and prohibiting that which is disreputable. And these they are the blissful. | Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining Al-Ma'ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do) and forbidding Al-Munkar (polytheism and disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden). And it is they who are the successful. | And let there be among you a community calling to virtue, and advocating righteousness, and deterring from evil. These are the successful. | And from among you there must be a party who invite people to all that is good and enjoin the doing of all that is right and forbid the doing of all that is wrong. It is they who will attain true success. | Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining Al-Ma`ruf (all that Islam orders) and forbidding Al-Munkar (all that Islam has forbidden). And it is they who are the successful. | And there may spring from you a nation who invite to goodness, and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency. Such are they who are successful. | There has to be a nation among you summoning to the good, bidding what is right, and forbidding what is wrong. It is they who are the felicitous. | Let there be one nation of you that shall call to righteousness, ordering honor, and forbidding dishonor. Those are the prosperous. | And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful. | Let there be a group among you who will invite others to do good deeds, command them to obey the Law, and prohibit them from committing sins. These people will have eternal happiness. | And from among you there should be a party who invite to good and enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong, and these it is that shall be successful. | Waltakun minkum ommatun yadAAoona il<u>a</u> alkhayri wayamuroona bi<b>a</b>lmaAAroofi wayanhawna AAani almunkari waol<u>a</u>ika humu almufli<u>h</u>oon<b>a</b> | Let there be a group among you who call others to good, and enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong: those who do this shall be successful. | Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong: They are the ones to attain felicity. | 103 | 3 | وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى ٱلْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ | Let there be from you, O believers, a group who calls to all that is good and loved by Allah, instructing people to do what is right from the sacred law and from what you know to be good and just; and forbidding what is wrong, which is prohibited by the sacred law and which you know to be wrong and unjust. The people who do this will have complete success in this world and the Afterlife. | Let there be from you, O believers, a group who calls to all that is good and loved by Allah, instructing people to do what is right from the sacred law and from what you know to be good and just; and forbidding what is wrong, which is prohibited by the sacred law and which you know to be wrong and unjust. The people who do this will have complete success in this world and the Afterlife. | <p>Commentary</p><p>In the previous verses (102 - 103), Muslims were given two principles which guarantee their collective wellbeing. If everyone practiced Taqwa and made Islam his linkage with Allah,-the result will be that individual life will be corrected and the collective strength of Muslims will come in its wake.</p><p>In the present verses': وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ (104 - 105), yet another dimension of the proposed system has been added. It has been said here that Muslims are not to rest at the correction of what they think and do individually; but they should, along with that, be affectionately concerned with the good of other brothers and sisters in faith. By doing so, the whole community shall have the benefit of keeping its stance correct at all times, and at the same time, this will guarantee closer mutual cooperation and unity.</p><p>Collective well-being of Muslims depends on two things:</p><p>These are:</p><p>L Self-correction through Taqwa and a firm hold on the 'cord of Allah' through the Qur'an and the Faith.</p><p>2. The correction of others through call دعوۃ (da'wah) and positive propagation.</p><p>The second article of guidance appears in the opening verse which says: and there has to be a group of people from among you ...' So, the gist of the previous and the present verses is that one must correct his or her deeds and morals in the light of what Allah Almighty has sent as the Law, and with it, one must be concerned that other Muslim brothers and sisters do the same. The subject appears in Surah al-` Asr:</p><p>إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ ﴿2﴾ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ ﴿3﴾</p><p>Except those who believe and do good deeds and invite each</p><p>other to truth and invite each other to patience. (103:2, 3)</p><p>In order that Muslims have a firm bond of unity, they must relate to Allah, and in order that this bond stays firm through the ages, it is necessary that Muslims consider it their obligation to enjoin what is good in accordance with the dictates of the Qur'an and the Sunnah on their brothers and sisters in faith, and to stop them from what is not good. The purpose is that 'the cord of Allah' should not slip out of one's hands. This was succinctly illustrated by my well-known teacher, Shaykh al-Islam, Maulana Shabbir Ahmad ` Uthmani (رح) who said:</p><p>"There is no way this 'cord of Allah' can break. That one loses his hand-hold on it is, of course, possible."</p><p>It is to offset this danger that the Holy Qur'an asks Muslims to go on educating other brothers and sisters in faith exhorting them to good deeds and holding them back from the bad ones. This will become a collective effort to stay with Allah and His commands and collective will be their gains in this mortal world and in the Hereafter. There are other proofs in the Holy Qur'an which show that the responsibility of mutual self-correction has been placed on the shoulders of each Muslim.</p><p>Cited above, you have seen the statement made in Su-rah al-'Mr. Elsewhere, in this very Surah ` Al-` Imran, it is said:</p><p>كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ</p><p>You are the best Ummah raised for mankind. You bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair. (3:110)</p><p>As is clear, here too, the obligation - to bid the Fair and forbid the_ Unfair' - has been assigned to the whole community. That they discharge this responsibility is the reason that they are placed higher over other communities. Similarly, there are a large number of sayings of the Holy Prophet ﷺ in this connection. As narrated in Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said:</p><p>والذی نفسی بیدہ لتامرون و لتنھون عن المنکراو لیوشکن اللہ ان یبعث علیکم عقابا من عندہ ثم لتدعنہ فلا یستجیب لکم</p><p>By Him in whose hands is my life, you must bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair lest Allah inflicts upon you a severe punish-ment; you shall then pray to Him (for mercy) but your prayer shall not be answered.</p><p>In another hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said:</p><p>من رای منکم منکراً فیغیرہ بیدہ ، فان لم یستطع فبلسانہ، وان لم یستطع فبقلبہ ، وذلک اضعف الایمان</p><p>Whoever from among you sees that an evil is being committed then, he should change it with his hands. And if he is unable to do that, then, with his spoken word. And if he is unable to do even that, then, with his heart (i.e., abhor it taking it to be evil) and this is the weakest degree of faith.</p><p>All these citations leave no doubt about the fact that the duty of bidding the Fair and forbidding the Unfair falls on every individual of the community. The liability will, however, be proportionate to everyone's ability, which is true in the case of all other Islamic injunctions. You may have noticed in the hadith just quoted above that the obligation varies with ability.</p><p>Now, each function requires a different ability. First of all, the ability to bid the Fair depends on a correct knowledge of the Fair and the Unfair as such. One who cannot distinguish between the two or does not have a full knowledge of his undertaking would not be the right person to go out to others to bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair. Obviously, this would create disorder instead of discipline. It is quite possible that such a person may, because of his lack of knowledge, forbid something Fair or bid something Unfair. So, one who does not know the Fair and the Unfair is obligated to find it out, get to learn the معروف Ma` ruf and منکر Munkar as determined by the Shari` ah of Islam and then he can go ahead and make these known to others as part of his community service. Let this be clear that until such time that one has acquired the prerequisites of this mission, it is not permissible for him to stand up for this service. These days there are places where many ignorant enthusiasts would stand and deliver a sermon without knowing the Qur'an or the Hadith, or worse still, sections of common people would use hearsay to pick up arguments with others as to how something should or should not be done. This method is not proper to correct the Muslim society. Indeed it will result in more disputes and bring destruction to it.</p><p>Similarly, it is also included in 'to bid the Fair' that there be no formidable danger or unbearable harm likely to affect the person involved. Therefore, it was said in the hadith quoted above that one should stop sin with his hands, that is, by this strength. If he is unable .to do so, let him do it with his tongue. If he is unable to do so with his tongue, he should at the least consider it bad in his heart. It is obvious that 'not being able to stop it with his tongue' does not just mean that this person's tongue cannot move. It simply means that he strongly apprehends that, should he open his mouth and speak the truth, his life will be taken or he will be subjected to some other serious injury or loss. In such a case, this person will not be taken as 'able' and he will not be called a sinner for the abandonment of bidding the Fair and forbidding the Unfair. It would be an entirely different matter, if he elects to stake his life and property in the way of Allah, bear all losses and still goes ahead and bids the Fair and forbids the Unfair, which is something many blessed Companions and their Successors have been reported to have done. This is determination at its highest, and a feat of great merit which raised their status in this world and in the Here-after. But, what they did was not obligatory on them.</p><p>The nature of this obligation requires that one bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair in what is necessary; this would be obligatory. If done in what is commendable; the act too would remain commendable. For instance, the five salats are obligatory, therefore, giving good counsel to the non-performer of salah will become necessary on everyone. The nawafil (optional prayers) are classed as commendable or desirable, therefore, giving good counsel on these will be commendable. Here, etiquette would require that while advising someone to do a commendable act, soft language and attitude must be adopted in all cases. Similarly, while inviting to an obligatory act, one should start with softness. However, he may resort to firmness in attitude if one rejects the soft call outright. It is common sight these days that people tend to object in case of what is commendable or indifferent rather strongly, but remain silent when people abandon what is obligatory.</p><p>In addition to this, this obligation will become operative for everybody when one actually sees something forbidden being done before his eyes. For instance, there is a person who is seeing that a Muslim is drinking wine, or stealing or raping, he will then be obligated with the duty to stop it to the best of his ability. If all this is not happening before his eyes, he is not liable to discharge this duty. Rather, this is the duty of the Islamic government to inquire into the crime, investigate and punish the criminal.</p><p>The words of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، من رای منکم منکراً (Whoever from among you sees that an evil is being committed) point out to this principle.</p><p>Then comes another level of this function - that there be a dedicated group among Muslims devoted exclusively to the mission of calling people to the Faith and giving them right guidance towards it. Its single mandate and activity should be that it keeps calling people to the Qur'an and the Sunnah through word and deed. When it sees people less inclined towards what is good, or sees them indulging in evils, it should not fall short of pointing out what is good and preventing people from taking to the evil, of course, according to its ability. It should be realized that this great mission can be carried out fully and effectively only when the performers have a complete knowledge of questions involved, as well as, when they are conversant with methods that go to make the call effective in the light of Sunnah. It is for this reason that a particular group of Muslims has been charged with this responsibility as they are likely to take care of all ramifications of this effort.</p><p>So, in the present verse:</p><p>وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ</p><p>it has been said: And there has to be a group of people from among you who call towards the good and bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair.</p><p>The first part of the verse' وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ translated as (And there has to be a group of people from among you) gives a hint that the presence of this group is necessary. In case, a government does not shoulder this responsibility, it will become obligatory on Muslims that they should establish and operate such a group, because the vital role of the Ummah depends on the existence of such a group. What are the major features of this group? The Qur'anic answer is يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْر (who call towards the good). It means that this call of theirs shall be their primary objective. What does خیر 'khayr' or 'good' mean? The Holy Prophet ﷺ has himself explained it by saying: الخیر ھو اتباع القرآن و سُنَّتی that is, 'khayr' means following the Qur'an and my Sunnah. (Ibn Kathir)</p><p>Seen in a restricted sense, 'to bid the Fair and to forbid the Unfair' could have been taken to mean that doing so shall be needed only on special occasions when the evil or 'the Unfair' منکرات (munkarat) are seen being committed. But, the expression يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْر who call towards the good) in the beginning makes it clear that the function of this group wi11 be to call towards the good, even when evil practices are not seen, or time may not have come to perform something obligatory.</p><p>For example, it is known that in the period between sunrise and Zawal (noon) no salah is prescribed by the Sharl'ah. But this group shall continue even in this period, to exhort people to perform salah when it is due. Or, take fasting which may not be due at a particular time, the month of Ramadan being far away, but that group will not shelve its duty and become complacent. Instead, it will keep reminding people about the month of Ramadan in advance, stressing on them that fasting will be obligatory at that time. In short, calling people to good will be the intrinsic duty of this group for all times to come.</p><p>Then, this 'call towards good' has two sub-levels:</p><p>1. Calling non-Muslims towards 'khayr', that is, Islam. This involves all Muslims. It means that every Muslim, in general, and this group, in particular, is responsible for giving the call of Islam, both by words and acts, to all peoples of the world. Therefore in a verse which enjoins jihad on Muslims, the true Muslims have been defined and praised in the following words:</p><p>الَّذِينَ إِن مَّكَّنَّاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَمَرُوا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَنَهَوْا عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ</p><p>that is, 'true Muslims are those who when We endow them with authority in a land the first thing they do is to establish a system of obedience to Allah on His earth, of which salah is an outward expression, and raise their financial system on principles governed by zakah, and they make the bidding of the Fair and the forbidding of the Unfair their very purpose of life.' (22:41)</p><p>Only if, the Muslim community of today were to take to extending their call towards good to other peoples as their objective, all ills that have crept into our social frame through the blind following of non Muslim nations shall cease to exist. When a community resolves to unite for this great objective and becomes sure that it has to forge ahead among the nations of the world and that the responsibility of teaching and training them falls on its shoulders, will find that all its disunities have disappeared and there remains nothing but that wonderful goal in sight. The secret of the successes achieved by the Holy Prophet ﷺ and his noble Companions ؓ lies hidden behind this effort. It appears in a hadith that the Holy Prophet ﷺ</p><p>recited this verse وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ (And there has to be a group of people from among you) and then said: This special group is the group of the noble Companions (Ibn Jarir). This is because each individual from among these blessed souls considered himself personally charged with the responsibility of calling people to good..</p><p>2. The second sub-level of this noble function is to call Muslims themselves towards the good. This means that تبلیغ tabligh or the act of conveying the message of Allah should be done by all Muslims generally, and by the special group particularly, among Muslims, fulfilling the duty of دعوۃ da'wah imposed by the Qur'an.</p><p>Again this call takes two forms as given below:</p><p>a). The first form will be that of a general and open call to good through which all Muslims will be educated into necessary injunctions and morals which have to be followed in Islam.</p><p>b). The second call would be particular and selective through which the objective will be to produce experts in the Muslim community, experts in the sciences of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Another verse of the Holy Qur'an leads in this direction:</p><p>فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ طَائِفَةٌ لِّيَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ وَلِيُنذِرُوا قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ</p><p>So, why should it not be that a group from every section of them goes forth, so that they may acquire perfect under-standing of the Faith, and so that they may warn their people . when they return to them, that they may be cautious. (9:122)</p><p>Further on, this responsibility-bearing group has been identified as carrying the additional distinction وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ that is, 'they bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair'.</p><p>The word, معروف 'ma` ruf literally means 'recognized' but as a Qur'anic term it includes all good enjoined by Islam, and promoted by all prophets (علیہم السلام) during their respective ages. Since what is good is known and recognized, it has been referred to as معروف 'ma` ruf .</p><p>Similarly, the word, منکر 'munkar' literally means 'non-recognized" or alien", but as a Qur'anic term it includes all evils and disorders about which it is well-known and recognized that the Holy Prophet declared them to be impermissible.</p><p>Keeping this in view, another point is worth-consideration. The Holy Qur'an could have used the word 'wajib' (what is obligating) instead of معروف 'ma` ruf, and the word معاصی 'ma` asi (sins) instead of 'munkar'., but it did not do so. The selection of the words معروف 'ma’ ruf and منکر 'munkar' maybe indicative of the principle that the subject of bidding the Fair and forbidding the Unfair1 must be an act which is recognized by the entire Muslim Ummah as 'fair' or 'unfair' without any difference of interpretation. As for the rules deduced through اجتہاد ijtihad, which have always been open for the different interpretations offered by the capable Muslim jurists, they should not be made an issue during the process of الامر بالمعروف والنھیٰ عن المنکر : 'bidding the fair and forbidding the unfair" It is a pity that such a wise Qur'anic principle is being generally neglected in the Muslim community, and the Muslims are made to fight each other on the secondary issues which can admit different interpretations. People tend to consider such efforts as some feat of piety while the evils which are held by the entire ummah unanimously as sins and are being committed in the community receive much less attention and often go unchecked.</p><p>1. It means that if a recognized school of Islamic jurisprudence, such as Hanafi school adopting a particular interpretation of Islamic law, has held an act as 'fair', the holders of an opposite view like Sh'afi'ites should not blame or reproach the former for their action, and vice versa. (editor)</p><p>Towards the conclusion of the verse, the commendable end of the group described therein has been enshrined in the following words:</p><p>وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ</p><p>And it is these who are successful.</p><p>It simply means that, in reality, success is achieved by such people alone.</p><p>Primarily, this description applies to the great group of the Companions of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . They were the ones who rose with the great objective of calling towards the good and of curbing what was bad and in a very brief period of time conquered the entire world of their time. There were power centers of Byzantine and Persia which could not stop them and they went ahead teaching lessons in morality and purity and ushering around the light of righteousness and Godliness wherever they went.</p> | CommentaryIn the previous verses (102 - 103), Muslims were given two principles which guarantee their collective wellbeing. If everyone practiced Taqwa and made Islam his linkage with Allah,-the result will be that individual life will be corrected and the collective strength of Muslims will come in its wake.In the present verses': وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ (104 - 105), yet another dimension of the proposed system has been added. It has been said here that Muslims are not to rest at the correction of what they think and do individually; but they should, along with that, be affectionately concerned with the good of other brothers and sisters in faith. By doing so, the whole community shall have the benefit of keeping its stance correct at all times, and at the same time, this will guarantee closer mutual cooperation and unity.Collective well-being of Muslims depends on two things:These are:L Self-correction through Taqwa and a firm hold on the 'cord of Allah' through the Qur'an and the Faith.2. The correction of others through call دعوۃ (da'wah) and positive propagation.The second article of guidance appears in the opening verse which says: and there has to be a group of people from among you ...' So, the gist of the previous and the present verses is that one must correct his or her deeds and morals in the light of what Allah Almighty has sent as the Law, and with it, one must be concerned that other Muslim brothers and sisters do the same. The subject appears in Surah al-` Asr:إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ ﴿2﴾ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ ﴿3﴾Except those who believe and do good deeds and invite eachother to truth and invite each other to patience. (103:2, 3)In order that Muslims have a firm bond of unity, they must relate to Allah, and in order that this bond stays firm through the ages, it is necessary that Muslims consider it their obligation to enjoin what is good in accordance with the dictates of the Qur'an and the Sunnah on their brothers and sisters in faith, and to stop them from what is not good. The purpose is that 'the cord of Allah' should not slip out of one's hands. This was succinctly illustrated by my well-known teacher, Shaykh al-Islam, Maulana Shabbir Ahmad ` Uthmani (رح) who said:"There is no way this 'cord of Allah' can break. That one loses his hand-hold on it is, of course, possible."It is to offset this danger that the Holy Qur'an asks Muslims to go on educating other brothers and sisters in faith exhorting them to good deeds and holding them back from the bad ones. This will become a collective effort to stay with Allah and His commands and collective will be their gains in this mortal world and in the Hereafter. There are other proofs in the Holy Qur'an which show that the responsibility of mutual self-correction has been placed on the shoulders of each Muslim.Cited above, you have seen the statement made in Su-rah al-'Mr. Elsewhere, in this very Surah ` Al-` Imran, it is said:كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِYou are the best Ummah raised for mankind. You bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair. (3:110)As is clear, here too, the obligation - to bid the Fair and forbid the_ Unfair' - has been assigned to the whole community. That they discharge this responsibility is the reason that they are placed higher over other communities. Similarly, there are a large number of sayings of the Holy Prophet ﷺ in this connection. As narrated in Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said:والذی نفسی بیدہ لتامرون و لتنھون عن المنکراو لیوشکن اللہ ان یبعث علیکم عقابا من عندہ ثم لتدعنہ فلا یستجیب لکمBy Him in whose hands is my life, you must bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair lest Allah inflicts upon you a severe punish-ment; you shall then pray to Him (for mercy) but your prayer shall not be answered.In another hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said:من رای منکم منکراً فیغیرہ بیدہ ، فان لم یستطع فبلسانہ، وان لم یستطع فبقلبہ ، وذلک اضعف الایمانWhoever from among you sees that an evil is being committed then, he should change it with his hands. And if he is unable to do that, then, with his spoken word. And if he is unable to do even that, then, with his heart (i.e., abhor it taking it to be evil) and this is the weakest degree of faith.All these citations leave no doubt about the fact that the duty of bidding the Fair and forbidding the Unfair falls on every individual of the community. The liability will, however, be proportionate to everyone's ability, which is true in the case of all other Islamic injunctions. You may have noticed in the hadith just quoted above that the obligation varies with ability.Now, each function requires a different ability. First of all, the ability to bid the Fair depends on a correct knowledge of the Fair and the Unfair as such. One who cannot distinguish between the two or does not have a full knowledge of his undertaking would not be the right person to go out to others to bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair. Obviously, this would create disorder instead of discipline. It is quite possible that such a person may, because of his lack of knowledge, forbid something Fair or bid something Unfair. So, one who does not know the Fair and the Unfair is obligated to find it out, get to learn the معروف Ma` ruf and منکر Munkar as determined by the Shari` ah of Islam and then he can go ahead and make these known to others as part of his community service. Let this be clear that until such time that one has acquired the prerequisites of this mission, it is not permissible for him to stand up for this service. These days there are places where many ignorant enthusiasts would stand and deliver a sermon without knowing the Qur'an or the Hadith, or worse still, sections of common people would use hearsay to pick up arguments with others as to how something should or should not be done. This method is not proper to correct the Muslim society. Indeed it will result in more disputes and bring destruction to it.Similarly, it is also included in 'to bid the Fair' that there be no formidable danger or unbearable harm likely to affect the person involved. Therefore, it was said in the hadith quoted above that one should stop sin with his hands, that is, by this strength. If he is unable .to do so, let him do it with his tongue. If he is unable to do so with his tongue, he should at the least consider it bad in his heart. It is obvious that 'not being able to stop it with his tongue' does not just mean that this person's tongue cannot move. It simply means that he strongly apprehends that, should he open his mouth and speak the truth, his life will be taken or he will be subjected to some other serious injury or loss. In such a case, this person will not be taken as 'able' and he will not be called a sinner for the abandonment of bidding the Fair and forbidding the Unfair. It would be an entirely different matter, if he elects to stake his life and property in the way of Allah, bear all losses and still goes ahead and bids the Fair and forbids the Unfair, which is something many blessed Companions and their Successors have been reported to have done. This is determination at its highest, and a feat of great merit which raised their status in this world and in the Here-after. But, what they did was not obligatory on them.The nature of this obligation requires that one bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair in what is necessary; this would be obligatory. If done in what is commendable; the act too would remain commendable. For instance, the five salats are obligatory, therefore, giving good counsel to the non-performer of salah will become necessary on everyone. The nawafil (optional prayers) are classed as commendable or desirable, therefore, giving good counsel on these will be commendable. Here, etiquette would require that while advising someone to do a commendable act, soft language and attitude must be adopted in all cases. Similarly, while inviting to an obligatory act, one should start with softness. However, he may resort to firmness in attitude if one rejects the soft call outright. It is common sight these days that people tend to object in case of what is commendable or indifferent rather strongly, but remain silent when people abandon what is obligatory.In addition to this, this obligation will become operative for everybody when one actually sees something forbidden being done before his eyes. For instance, there is a person who is seeing that a Muslim is drinking wine, or stealing or raping, he will then be obligated with the duty to stop it to the best of his ability. If all this is not happening before his eyes, he is not liable to discharge this duty. Rather, this is the duty of the Islamic government to inquire into the crime, investigate and punish the criminal.The words of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، من رای منکم منکراً (Whoever from among you sees that an evil is being committed) point out to this principle.Then comes another level of this function - that there be a dedicated group among Muslims devoted exclusively to the mission of calling people to the Faith and giving them right guidance towards it. Its single mandate and activity should be that it keeps calling people to the Qur'an and the Sunnah through word and deed. When it sees people less inclined towards what is good, or sees them indulging in evils, it should not fall short of pointing out what is good and preventing people from taking to the evil, of course, according to its ability. It should be realized that this great mission can be carried out fully and effectively only when the performers have a complete knowledge of questions involved, as well as, when they are conversant with methods that go to make the call effective in the light of Sunnah. It is for this reason that a particular group of Muslims has been charged with this responsibility as they are likely to take care of all ramifications of this effort.So, in the present verse:وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِit has been said: And there has to be a group of people from among you who call towards the good and bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair.The first part of the verse' وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ translated as (And there has to be a group of people from among you) gives a hint that the presence of this group is necessary. In case, a government does not shoulder this responsibility, it will become obligatory on Muslims that they should establish and operate such a group, because the vital role of the Ummah depends on the existence of such a group. What are the major features of this group? The Qur'anic answer is يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْر (who call towards the good). It means that this call of theirs shall be their primary objective. What does خیر 'khayr' or 'good' mean? The Holy Prophet ﷺ has himself explained it by saying: الخیر ھو اتباع القرآن و سُنَّتی that is, 'khayr' means following the Qur'an and my Sunnah. (Ibn Kathir)Seen in a restricted sense, 'to bid the Fair and to forbid the Unfair' could have been taken to mean that doing so shall be needed only on special occasions when the evil or 'the Unfair' منکرات (munkarat) are seen being committed. But, the expression يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْر who call towards the good) in the beginning makes it clear that the function of this group wi11 be to call towards the good, even when evil practices are not seen, or time may not have come to perform something obligatory.For example, it is known that in the period between sunrise and Zawal (noon) no salah is prescribed by the Sharl'ah. But this group shall continue even in this period, to exhort people to perform salah when it is due. Or, take fasting which may not be due at a particular time, the month of Ramadan being far away, but that group will not shelve its duty and become complacent. Instead, it will keep reminding people about the month of Ramadan in advance, stressing on them that fasting will be obligatory at that time. In short, calling people to good will be the intrinsic duty of this group for all times to come.Then, this 'call towards good' has two sub-levels:1. Calling non-Muslims towards 'khayr', that is, Islam. This involves all Muslims. It means that every Muslim, in general, and this group, in particular, is responsible for giving the call of Islam, both by words and acts, to all peoples of the world. Therefore in a verse which enjoins jihad on Muslims, the true Muslims have been defined and praised in the following words:الَّذِينَ إِن مَّكَّنَّاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَمَرُوا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَنَهَوْا عَنِ الْمُنكَرِthat is, 'true Muslims are those who when We endow them with authority in a land the first thing they do is to establish a system of obedience to Allah on His earth, of which salah is an outward expression, and raise their financial system on principles governed by zakah, and they make the bidding of the Fair and the forbidding of the Unfair their very purpose of life.' (22:41)Only if, the Muslim community of today were to take to extending their call towards good to other peoples as their objective, all ills that have crept into our social frame through the blind following of non Muslim nations shall cease to exist. When a community resolves to unite for this great objective and becomes sure that it has to forge ahead among the nations of the world and that the responsibility of teaching and training them falls on its shoulders, will find that all its disunities have disappeared and there remains nothing but that wonderful goal in sight. The secret of the successes achieved by the Holy Prophet ﷺ and his noble Companions ؓ lies hidden behind this effort. It appears in a hadith that the Holy Prophet ﷺrecited this verse وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ (And there has to be a group of people from among you) and then said: This special group is the group of the noble Companions (Ibn Jarir). This is because each individual from among these blessed souls considered himself personally charged with the responsibility of calling people to good..2. The second sub-level of this noble function is to call Muslims themselves towards the good. This means that تبلیغ tabligh or the act of conveying the message of Allah should be done by all Muslims generally, and by the special group particularly, among Muslims, fulfilling the duty of دعوۃ da'wah imposed by the Qur'an.Again this call takes two forms as given below:a). The first form will be that of a general and open call to good through which all Muslims will be educated into necessary injunctions and morals which have to be followed in Islam.b). The second call would be particular and selective through which the objective will be to produce experts in the Muslim community, experts in the sciences of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Another verse of the Holy Qur'an leads in this direction:فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ طَائِفَةٌ لِّيَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ وَلِيُنذِرُوا قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَSo, why should it not be that a group from every section of them goes forth, so that they may acquire perfect under-standing of the Faith, and so that they may warn their people . when they return to them, that they may be cautious. (9:122)Further on, this responsibility-bearing group has been identified as carrying the additional distinction وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ that is, 'they bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair'.The word, معروف 'ma` ruf literally means 'recognized' but as a Qur'anic term it includes all good enjoined by Islam, and promoted by all prophets (علیہم السلام) during their respective ages. Since what is good is known and recognized, it has been referred to as معروف 'ma` ruf .Similarly, the word, منکر 'munkar' literally means 'non-recognized" or alien", but as a Qur'anic term it includes all evils and disorders about which it is well-known and recognized that the Holy Prophet declared them to be impermissible.Keeping this in view, another point is worth-consideration. The Holy Qur'an could have used the word 'wajib' (what is obligating) instead of معروف 'ma` ruf, and the word معاصی 'ma` asi (sins) instead of 'munkar'., but it did not do so. The selection of the words معروف 'ma’ ruf and منکر 'munkar' maybe indicative of the principle that the subject of bidding the Fair and forbidding the Unfair1 must be an act which is recognized by the entire Muslim Ummah as 'fair' or 'unfair' without any difference of interpretation. As for the rules deduced through اجتہاد ijtihad, which have always been open for the different interpretations offered by the capable Muslim jurists, they should not be made an issue during the process of الامر بالمعروف والنھیٰ عن المنکر : 'bidding the fair and forbidding the unfair" It is a pity that such a wise Qur'anic principle is being generally neglected in the Muslim community, and the Muslims are made to fight each other on the secondary issues which can admit different interpretations. People tend to consider such efforts as some feat of piety while the evils which are held by the entire ummah unanimously as sins and are being committed in the community receive much less attention and often go unchecked.1. It means that if a recognized school of Islamic jurisprudence, such as Hanafi school adopting a particular interpretation of Islamic law, has held an act as 'fair', the holders of an opposite view like Sh'afi'ites should not blame or reproach the former for their action, and vice versa. (editor)Towards the conclusion of the verse, the commendable end of the group described therein has been enshrined in the following words:وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَAnd it is these who are successful.It simply means that, in reality, success is achieved by such people alone.Primarily, this description applies to the great group of the Companions of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . They were the ones who rose with the great objective of calling towards the good and of curbing what was bad and in a very brief period of time conquered the entire world of their time. There were power centers of Byzantine and Persia which could not stop them and they went ahead teaching lessons in morality and purity and ushering around the light of righteousness and Godliness wherever they went. | <h2 class="title">The Command to Establish the Invitation to Allah</h2><p>Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلْتَكُن مِّنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ</div><p>(Let there arise out of you a group of people)</p><p>that calls to righteousness, enjoins all that is good and forbids evil in the manner Allah commanded,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ</div><p>(And it is they who are the successful.)</p><p>Ad-Dahhak said, "They are a special group of the Companions and a special group of those after them, that is those who perform Jihad and the scholars."</p><p>The objective of this Ayah is that there should be a segment of this Muslim Ummah fulfilling this task, even though it is also an obligation on every member of this Ummah, each according to his ability. Muslim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«مَنْ رَأَى مِنْكُمْ مُنْكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِع فَبِقَلْبِهِ، وَذلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الْإِيمَان»</div><p>(Whoever among you witnesses an evil, let him change it with his hand. If he is unable, then let him change it with his tongue. If he is unable, then let him change it with his heart, and this is the weakest faith.) In another narration, The Prophet said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«وَلَيْسَ وَرَاءَ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ حَبَّةُ خَرْدَل»</div><p>(There is no faith beyond that, not even the weight of a mustard seed.)</p><p>Imam Ahmad recorded that Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman said that the Prophet said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِه، لَتَأْمُرُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ، وَلَتَنْهَوُنَّ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ، أَوْ لَيُوشِكَنَّ اللهُ أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عِقَابًا مِنْ عِنْدِهِ، ثُمَّ لتَدْعُنَّــهُ فَلَا يَسْتَجِيبَ لَكُم»</div><p>(By He in Whose Hand is my soul! You will enjoin righteousness and forbid evil, or Allah shall send down a punishment from Him to you. Then, you will supplicate to Him, but He will not accept your supplication.)</p><p>At-Tirmidhi also collected this Hadith and said, "Hasan". There are many other Hadiths and Ayat on this subject, which will be explained later.</p><h2 class="title">The Prohibition of Division</h2><p>Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلاَ تَكُونُواْ كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُواْ وَاخْتَلَفُواْ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَـتُ</div><p>(And be not as those who divided and differed among themselves after the clear proofs had come to them) 3:105.</p><p>In this Ayah, Allah forbids this Ummah from imitating the division and discord of the nations that came before them. These nations also abandoned enjoining righteousness and forbidding evil, although they had proof of its necessity.</p><p>Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu `Amir `Abdullah bin Luhay said, "We performed Hajj with Mu`awiyah bin Abi Sufyan. When we arrived at Makkah, he stood up after praying Zuhr and said, `The Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«إِنَّ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابَيْنِ افْتَرَقُوا فِي دِينِهِمْ عَلى ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ مِلَّةً، وَإِنَّ هذِهِ الْأُمَّةَ سَتَفْتَرِقُ عَلى ثَلَاثٍ وَسَبْعِينَ مِلَّةً يَعْنِي الْأَهْوَاءَ كُلُّهَا فِي النَّارِ إِلَّا وَاحِدَةً وَهِيَ الْجَمَاعَةُ وَإِنَّهُ سَيَخْرُجُ فِي أُمَّتِي أَقْوَامٌ تَجَارَى بِهِمْ تِلْكَ الْأَهْوَاءُ كَمَا يَتَجَارَى الْكَلَبُ بِصَاحِبِه، لَا يَبْقَى مِنْهُ عِرْقٌ وَلَا مَفْصِلٌ إِلَّا دَخَلَه»</div><p>(The People of the Two Scriptures divided into seventy-two sects. This Ummah will divide into seventy-three sects, all in the Fire except one, that is, the Jama`ah. Some of my Ummah will be guided by desire, like one who is infected by rabies; no vein or joint will be saved from these desires.)</p><p>Mu`awiyah said next: By Allah, O Arabs! If you do not adhere to what came to you from your Prophet then other people are even more prone not to adhere to it. " Similar was recorded by Abu Dawud from Ahmad bin Hanbal and Muhammad bin Yahya.</p><h2 class="title">The Benefits of Brotherly Ties and Unity and the Consequence of Division on the Day of the Gatherin</h2><p>Allah said next,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ</div><p>(On the Day when some faces will become white and some faces will become black;) 3:106 on the Day of Resurrection. This is when the faces of followers of the Sunnah and the Jama`ah will radiate with whiteness, and the faces of followers of Bid`ah (innovation) and division will be darkened, as has been reported from Ibn `Abbas. Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ اسْوَدَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ أَكْفَرْتُمْ بَعْدَ إِيمَـنِكُمْ</div><p>(As for those whose faces will become black (to them will be said): "Did you reject faith after accepting it")</p><p>Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "They are the hypocrites."</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَذُوقُواْ الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ</div><p>(Then taste the torment (in Hell) for rejecting faith,) and this description befits every disbeliever.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ ابْيَضَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ فَفِى رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـلِدُونَ </div><p>(And for those whose faces will become white, they will be in Allah's mercy (Paradise), therein they shall dwell forever.) in Paradise, where they will reside for eternity and shall never desire to be removed. Abu `Isa At-Tirmidhi recorded that Abu Ghalib said, "Abu Umamah saw heads (of the Khawarij sect) hanging on the streets of Damascus. He commented, `The Dogs of the Fire and the worst dead people under the cover of the sky. The best dead men are those whom these have killed.' He then recited,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ</div><p>(On the Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) when some faces will become white and some faces will become black;) until the end of the Ayah. I said to Abu Umamah, `Did you hear this from the Messenger of Allah' He said, `If I only heard it from the Messenger of Allah once, twice, thrice, four times, or seven times, I would not have narrated it to you.' " At-Tirmidhi said, "This Hadith is Hasan." Ibn Majah and Ahmad recorded similarly.</p><p>Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">تِلْكَ آيَـتُ اللَّهِ نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ</div><p>(These are the Ayat of Allah. We recite them to you) meaning, `These are the verses of Allah, His proofs and signs that We reveal to you, O Muhammad,'</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">بِالْحَقِّ</div><p>(in truth) making known the true reality of this world and the Hereafter.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَا اللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلْماً لِّلْعَـلَمِينَ</div><p>(and Allah wills no injustice to the `Alamin. ) for He never treats them with injustice. Rather, He is the Just Ruler Who is able to do everything and has knowledge of everything. Therefore, He does not need to treat any of His creatures with injustice, and this is why He said next,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَللَّهِ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ</div><p>(and to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the Earth.),</p><p>they are all His servants and His property,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الأُمُورُ</div><p>(And all matters go back to Allah,) for His is the decision concerning the affairs of this life and the Hereafter, and His is the Supreme Authority in this life and the Hereafter.</p> | The Command to Establish the Invitation to AllahAllah said,وَلْتَكُن مِّنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ(Let there arise out of you a group of people)that calls to righteousness, enjoins all that is good and forbids evil in the manner Allah commanded,وَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ(And it is they who are the successful.)Ad-Dahhak said, "They are a special group of the Companions and a special group of those after them, that is those who perform Jihad and the scholars."The objective of this Ayah is that there should be a segment of this Muslim Ummah fulfilling this task, even though it is also an obligation on every member of this Ummah, each according to his ability. Muslim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,«مَنْ رَأَى مِنْكُمْ مُنْكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِع فَبِقَلْبِهِ، وَذلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الْإِيمَان»(Whoever among you witnesses an evil, let him change it with his hand. If he is unable, then let him change it with his tongue. If he is unable, then let him change it with his heart, and this is the weakest faith.) In another narration, The Prophet said,«وَلَيْسَ وَرَاءَ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ حَبَّةُ خَرْدَل»(There is no faith beyond that, not even the weight of a mustard seed.)Imam Ahmad recorded that Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman said that the Prophet said,«وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِه، لَتَأْمُرُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ، وَلَتَنْهَوُنَّ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ، أَوْ لَيُوشِكَنَّ اللهُ أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عِقَابًا مِنْ عِنْدِهِ، ثُمَّ لتَدْعُنَّــهُ فَلَا يَسْتَجِيبَ لَكُم»(By He in Whose Hand is my soul! You will enjoin righteousness and forbid evil, or Allah shall send down a punishment from Him to you. Then, you will supplicate to Him, but He will not accept your supplication.)At-Tirmidhi also collected this Hadith and said, "Hasan". There are many other Hadiths and Ayat on this subject, which will be explained later.The Prohibition of DivisionAllah said,وَلاَ تَكُونُواْ كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُواْ وَاخْتَلَفُواْ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَـتُ(And be not as those who divided and differed among themselves after the clear proofs had come to them) 3:105.In this Ayah, Allah forbids this Ummah from imitating the division and discord of the nations that came before them. These nations also abandoned enjoining righteousness and forbidding evil, although they had proof of its necessity.Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu `Amir `Abdullah bin Luhay said, "We performed Hajj with Mu`awiyah bin Abi Sufyan. When we arrived at Makkah, he stood up after praying Zuhr and said, `The Messenger of Allah said,«إِنَّ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابَيْنِ افْتَرَقُوا فِي دِينِهِمْ عَلى ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ مِلَّةً، وَإِنَّ هذِهِ الْأُمَّةَ سَتَفْتَرِقُ عَلى ثَلَاثٍ وَسَبْعِينَ مِلَّةً يَعْنِي الْأَهْوَاءَ كُلُّهَا فِي النَّارِ إِلَّا وَاحِدَةً وَهِيَ الْجَمَاعَةُ وَإِنَّهُ سَيَخْرُجُ فِي أُمَّتِي أَقْوَامٌ تَجَارَى بِهِمْ تِلْكَ الْأَهْوَاءُ كَمَا يَتَجَارَى الْكَلَبُ بِصَاحِبِه، لَا يَبْقَى مِنْهُ عِرْقٌ وَلَا مَفْصِلٌ إِلَّا دَخَلَه»(The People of the Two Scriptures divided into seventy-two sects. This Ummah will divide into seventy-three sects, all in the Fire except one, that is, the Jama`ah. Some of my Ummah will be guided by desire, like one who is infected by rabies; no vein or joint will be saved from these desires.)Mu`awiyah said next: By Allah, O Arabs! If you do not adhere to what came to you from your Prophet then other people are even more prone not to adhere to it. " Similar was recorded by Abu Dawud from Ahmad bin Hanbal and Muhammad bin Yahya.The Benefits of Brotherly Ties and Unity and the Consequence of Division on the Day of the GatherinAllah said next,يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ(On the Day when some faces will become white and some faces will become black;) 3:106 on the Day of Resurrection. This is when the faces of followers of the Sunnah and the Jama`ah will radiate with whiteness, and the faces of followers of Bid`ah (innovation) and division will be darkened, as has been reported from Ibn `Abbas. Allah said,فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ اسْوَدَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ أَكْفَرْتُمْ بَعْدَ إِيمَـنِكُمْ(As for those whose faces will become black (to them will be said): "Did you reject faith after accepting it")Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "They are the hypocrites."فَذُوقُواْ الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ(Then taste the torment (in Hell) for rejecting faith,) and this description befits every disbeliever.وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ ابْيَضَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ فَفِى رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـلِدُونَ (And for those whose faces will become white, they will be in Allah's mercy (Paradise), therein they shall dwell forever.) in Paradise, where they will reside for eternity and shall never desire to be removed. Abu `Isa At-Tirmidhi recorded that Abu Ghalib said, "Abu Umamah saw heads (of the Khawarij sect) hanging on the streets of Damascus. He commented, `The Dogs of the Fire and the worst dead people under the cover of the sky. The best dead men are those whom these have killed.' He then recited,يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ(On the Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) when some faces will become white and some faces will become black;) until the end of the Ayah. I said to Abu Umamah, `Did you hear this from the Messenger of Allah' He said, `If I only heard it from the Messenger of Allah once, twice, thrice, four times, or seven times, I would not have narrated it to you.' " At-Tirmidhi said, "This Hadith is Hasan." Ibn Majah and Ahmad recorded similarly.Allah said,تِلْكَ آيَـتُ اللَّهِ نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ(These are the Ayat of Allah. We recite them to you) meaning, `These are the verses of Allah, His proofs and signs that We reveal to you, O Muhammad,'بِالْحَقِّ(in truth) making known the true reality of this world and the Hereafter.وَمَا اللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلْماً لِّلْعَـلَمِينَ(and Allah wills no injustice to the `Alamin. ) for He never treats them with injustice. Rather, He is the Just Ruler Who is able to do everything and has knowledge of everything. Therefore, He does not need to treat any of His creatures with injustice, and this is why He said next,وَللَّهِ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ(and to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the Earth.),they are all His servants and His property,وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الأُمُورُ(And all matters go back to Allah,) for His is the decision concerning the affairs of this life and the Hereafter, and His is the Supreme Authority in this life and the Hereafter. |
So be not like those who became disunited and differed among themselves after clear proofs had come to them. For them is great suffering. | And do not be like those who became divided and disputed after the clear signs had come to them; and for them is a terrible punishment. | Be not as those who scattered and fell into variance after the clear signs came to them; those there awaits a mighty chastisement, | And be not like those who have drawn apart from one another and have taken to conflicting views after all evidence of the truth has come unto them: for these it is for whom tremendous suffering is in store | And be not like unto those who separated and differed among themselves after there had come unto them evidences. These! for them shall be a torment mighty. | And be not as those who divided and differed among themselves after the clear proofs had come to them. It is they for whom there is an awful torment. | And do not be like those who separated and disputed after the clear proofs came to them; for them is a great punishment. | Do not be like those who fell into factions and differed among themselves after clear signs had come to them. A mighty chastisement awaits them on the Day when some faces will turn bright and ther faces will turn dark. Those whose faces have turned dark will be told: 'Did you fall into unbelief after you had been blessed with belief? Taste, then, chastise- ment for your unbelief.' And those whose faces have turned bright, they will be in the mercy of Allah, and therein they shall abide. These are the mes sages of Allah which We recite to you in truth, and Allah desires no wrong to the people of the world. To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth, and to Allah are all matters referred for decision. | And be not as those who divided and differed among themselves after the clear proofs had come to them. It is they for whom there is an awful torment. | And be ye not as those who separated and disputed after the clear proofs had come unto them. For such there is an awful doom, | Do not be like those who became divided [into sects] and differed after manifest signs had come to them. For such there will be a great punishment | Do not follow the example of those who became divided and differed with one another after clear proofs had come to them. For those, there is a great punishment. | And do not be like the ones who became divided and differed after the clear proofs had come to them. And those will have a great punishment. | Do not be like those who turned into quarrelling sects after receiving clear authoritative evidence. They will suffer a great torment. | And be not like those who became divided and disagreed after clear arguments had come to them, and these it is that shall have a grievous chastisement. | Wal<u>a</u> takoonoo ka<b>a</b>lla<u>th</u>eena tafarraqoo wa<b>i</b>khtalafoo min baAAdi m<u>a</u> j<u>a</u>ahumu albayyin<u>a</u>tu waol<u>a</u>ika lahum AAa<u>tha</u>bun AAa<i><u>th</u></i>eem<b>un</b> | Do not be like those who, after they had been given clear evidence, split into factions and differed among themselves: a terrible punishment awaits such people. | Be not like those who are divided amongst themselves and fall into disputations after receiving Clear Signs: For them is a dreadful penalty,- | 104 | 3 | وَلَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُوا۟ وَٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْبَيِّنَٰتُ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ | Do not be, O believers, like the People of the Scripture who became divided into different groups and divisions, disagreeing about their faith and way of life after clear signs had come to them from Allah. Such people will have a great punishment from Allah. | Do not be, O believers, like the People of the Scripture who became divided into different groups and divisions, disagreeing about their faith and way of life after clear signs had come to them from Allah. Such people will have a great punishment from Allah. | <p>Having established that Muslims have a distinct mission to convey and preach the God-oriented message of good, the text moves on to warn Muslims with the words:</p><p>وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُوا وَاخْتَلَفُوا مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ</p><p>And do not be like those who became divided and fell into disputes after clear signs had come to them. (105)</p><p>It means that Muslims should not be like Jews and Christians who, even after clear injunctions of Allah Almighty had reached them, became divided in the implementation of the basic code of faith simply because they preferred to follow the dictates of their desires. Thus, thrown in violent mutual disputations, vocal and physical, they brought Divine punishment upon themselves. This verse is, in fact, a complement of وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا 103) where Muslims were asked to seek unity and strength by attaching themselves to Allah's commands, individually and collectively, which helps make an entire community act like one body, one person, one entity. Then comes the perpetual mission of دعوۃ da'wah, the act of calling people to good, the process of bidding the Fair and forbidding the Unfair. These nurture and strengthen that unity. After that, by saying وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا (and be not divided) in verse 103 and وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُوا ; (And do not be like those who became divided) in the present verse, Muslims have been asked to learn a lesson from past communities which were destroyed by mutual dissensions with the good counsel that they should do their best to stay safe against this disease.</p><p>The type of divisiveness censured in this verse is a division that shows up because of arrogant and egotistic self-assertiveness, be it in the fundamentals of religion or in its subsidiaries. The statement after clear signs had come to them' is an obvious indicator towards this explanation. The truth is that all fundamentals of religion are dear. Even some subsidiaries are so clear that they allow no margin of disagreement, unless of course, there be a selfish motive behind it.</p><p>However, there are subsidiary issues not so definite and clear. They may have no clear support from the texts of the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah, (rather they are deduced by the scholars on the basis of analogy) or the text on which they are based is open to different interpretations. The resulting difference of opinion in the understanding of these subsidiaries is not included in the sense of this verse. The well known authentic hadith narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim from the blessed Companion, ` Amr ibn al'As ؓ ، is more than enough to permit it. In this hadith the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said that one who does اجتھاد Ijtihad (conducting a competent inquiry within the framework provided by the Sharl'ah to resolve a religious issue) and comes up with a ruling which is correct, he gets a twofold reward; and if he makes a mistake in his اجتھاد Ijtihad, he gets one reward.</p><p>This tells us that an made by a competent scholar even if it turns out to be erroneous, is still worthy enough for a reward provided utmost effort has been made. How can this be regarded as blame-worthy? So, the difference of opinion resulting from اجتھاد Ijtihad undertaken by the blessed Companions ؓ and the great Imams رحمۃ اللہ علیہم has absolutely no connection with the present verse. According to Sayyidna Qasim ibn Muhammad and ` Umar ibn ` Abdul-Aziz رحمۃ اللہ علیہما ، the difference of opinion among the noble Companions ؓ is a source of mercy and ease for people (as in Ruh a1-Ma` ani from al-Baihaqi and al-Mudkhal).</p><p>Ruling on difference of opinion</p><p>Let us have a clear understanding of a serious matter of principle which arises out of this discussion. When we talk about differences in اجتھاد Ijtihad, we mean an اجتھاد Ijtihad which is permissible under the Sharah of Islam. (There is no such thing as an اجتھاد Ijtihad outside the ramifications of the Shari` ah). In a Shari` ah -based اجتھاد Ijtihad, one or the other Imam may elect a view to stand by according to his line of thought, but the fact shall remain that, in the sight of Allah, only one of these views is true while other views are not so true. But again, the decision as to which is true and which is not rests with Allah Almighty, who will bestow, on the Day of Resurrection, a twofold reward on the Imam and ` Alim who arrives at the correct ruling through his Ijtihad. Also rewarded on this Day, wi11 be the one whose Ijtihad was not correct. In short, nobody except Allah has the right to sit on judgment in the difference of interpretation and say that this is true and that is false. However, to the best of one's understanding and insight whichever side one thinks is closest to the Qur'an and the Sunnah he may say that, as far as he thinks, his choice is correct, although the possibility of its being incorrect cannot be ruled out and that which is the opinion on the other side, different from his chosen option is regarded as incorrect, with the possibility of that it may be correct in the sight of Allah. This is something all leading Imams of Fiqh, the masters of Muslim jurisprudence, agree upon.</p><p>So, the rule becomes clear that no side taken in a difference of interpretations is منکر 'munkar' or 'unfair' and open to objection. Thus it will not be subjected to reproach under the authority of يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ (Bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair), More so, when it is not unfair, raising an objection against what does not fall under the 'Unfair' would itself be regarded as unfair. This must be avoided. This is a rule most educated people do not fully comprehend these days or simply neglect it. They do not desist from abusing and verbally attacking others who think otherwise with all sorts of derogatory remarks and fretting. Inevitably, this leads to internecine confrontation and rampant disunity among Muslims, a phenomenon visible all over the Muslim world.</p><p>It has been already said that a difference of interpretation, if it corresponds to the principles of Ijtihad, does not go against the injunction وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا (and be not divided) and, therefore, it is not blameworthy. But, the way this difference is being handled these days, when quarrelsome debates around the tertiary subjects are being nursed as if they were the very basis of Muslim faith. Unfortunately this is what results in mutual confrontation and abuse. It can be said without any shade of doubt that this behaviour is certainly an open violation of the same Qur'anic injunction وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا (and be not divided). It is, most certainly; -objectionable and totally contrary to the way of our learned elders, the blessed Companions and their Successors. There is no precedent for this type of behaviour among the early scholars (the Companions and their disciples) who were the best of our community. That anyone was ever blamed on the basis of difference of opinion in matters of interpretation in this manner is something unheard of. For instance, Imam Shafi` i (رح) and other Imams, may Allah have mercy on them all, rule that in a salah offered in a congregation behind an imam, all those offering their prayer behind him must recite the Surah al-Fatihah as an obligation. Given this ruling anyone who does not fulfill this obligation will not have offered his salah at all. Parallel to this is the view of Imam Abu Hanifah , may Allah have His mercy on him, according to whom it is not permissible for one who prays behind an imam to recite his own Surah al-Fatihah, therefore, the Hanafiyah do not recite it while offering prayers in a congregation behind an imam. But, nowhere during the entire history of Muslim community there is any report saying that the followers of the Shafi` i school considered Hanafiyah as the deserters of the obligation of salah or that their prayers are not complete. They have never been blamed or criticised in the manner one would criticise and attack the evil acts forbidden by the Shari` ah.</p><p>Imam ibn ` Abd al-Barr (رح) has, mentioned the attitude of the early scholars and the revered elders in the following words:</p><p>عن یحی بن سعید قال ما برح اھل الفتوی یفتون فیحل ھذا و یحرم ھذا فلا یری المحرم ان المحل ھلک لتحلیلہ ولا یری المحل ان المحرم ھلک لتحریمہ (جامع بیان العلم ، ص 80)</p><p>Those who are entitled to give fatwa, have always been issuing fatwas. One of them would rule (concerning injunctions not covered under the texts) that something is lawful while the other will rule it to be unlawful. But, the latter takes the former doomed to perdition, nor does the former think that the later is doomed to perdition. (Jami' Bayan al-` Ilm, p. 80)</p><p>An important note of caution</p><p>All this discussion about Ijtihad relates to the one carried out under the standard rules governing it. The very first condition is that Ijtihad can be resorted to in questions and issues about which there is no categorical decision available in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Or, it may be that such decision is not clear and susceptible to more than one interpretation. Or, it is possible that a combination of some verses of the Qur'an and some narrations of the hadith may be apparently contradictory. In situations such as this, only those who possess the necessary pre-requisites to carry out Ijtihad will be entitled to do so. Ijtihad is no easy matter. It requires the most perfect expertise (in the real and full sense of the term) of all disciplines related to the Qur'an and the Hadith, a comprehensive and perfect knowledge of the Arabic language, and a comprehensive knowledge of the sayings of the blessed Companions and their Successors. Therefore, anyone who dabbles in questions which have been settled by authoritative texts and comes up with opinions contrary to those of leading authorities, then this difference of opinion will not fall under the category of Ijtihad as envisaged by the Shari` ah..</p><p>This will also be true about the person who does not fulfill the conditions of Ijtihad. What he says does not affect the question at all. This tendency has unfortunately become fairly visible in Muslim societies. Those who consider themselves educated (in modern sciences) have started to express their personal opinions relating to matters that have been settled in the Qur'an and Sunnah. This is ignorance at its ugliest. These are issues where even Imams and مجتھدین mujtahids would not dare speak. How can the exercise of so called Ijtihad be acceptable from a person who does not even possess the knowledge of Islamic sciences let alone the highest level of learning required for Ijtihad.</p> | Having established that Muslims have a distinct mission to convey and preach the God-oriented message of good, the text moves on to warn Muslims with the words:وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُوا وَاخْتَلَفُوا مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُAnd do not be like those who became divided and fell into disputes after clear signs had come to them. (105)It means that Muslims should not be like Jews and Christians who, even after clear injunctions of Allah Almighty had reached them, became divided in the implementation of the basic code of faith simply because they preferred to follow the dictates of their desires. Thus, thrown in violent mutual disputations, vocal and physical, they brought Divine punishment upon themselves. This verse is, in fact, a complement of وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا 103) where Muslims were asked to seek unity and strength by attaching themselves to Allah's commands, individually and collectively, which helps make an entire community act like one body, one person, one entity. Then comes the perpetual mission of دعوۃ da'wah, the act of calling people to good, the process of bidding the Fair and forbidding the Unfair. These nurture and strengthen that unity. After that, by saying وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا (and be not divided) in verse 103 and وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُوا ; (And do not be like those who became divided) in the present verse, Muslims have been asked to learn a lesson from past communities which were destroyed by mutual dissensions with the good counsel that they should do their best to stay safe against this disease.The type of divisiveness censured in this verse is a division that shows up because of arrogant and egotistic self-assertiveness, be it in the fundamentals of religion or in its subsidiaries. The statement after clear signs had come to them' is an obvious indicator towards this explanation. The truth is that all fundamentals of religion are dear. Even some subsidiaries are so clear that they allow no margin of disagreement, unless of course, there be a selfish motive behind it.However, there are subsidiary issues not so definite and clear. They may have no clear support from the texts of the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah, (rather they are deduced by the scholars on the basis of analogy) or the text on which they are based is open to different interpretations. The resulting difference of opinion in the understanding of these subsidiaries is not included in the sense of this verse. The well known authentic hadith narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim from the blessed Companion, ` Amr ibn al'As ؓ ، is more than enough to permit it. In this hadith the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said that one who does اجتھاد Ijtihad (conducting a competent inquiry within the framework provided by the Sharl'ah to resolve a religious issue) and comes up with a ruling which is correct, he gets a twofold reward; and if he makes a mistake in his اجتھاد Ijtihad, he gets one reward.This tells us that an made by a competent scholar even if it turns out to be erroneous, is still worthy enough for a reward provided utmost effort has been made. How can this be regarded as blame-worthy? So, the difference of opinion resulting from اجتھاد Ijtihad undertaken by the blessed Companions ؓ and the great Imams رحمۃ اللہ علیہم has absolutely no connection with the present verse. According to Sayyidna Qasim ibn Muhammad and ` Umar ibn ` Abdul-Aziz رحمۃ اللہ علیہما ، the difference of opinion among the noble Companions ؓ is a source of mercy and ease for people (as in Ruh a1-Ma` ani from al-Baihaqi and al-Mudkhal).Ruling on difference of opinionLet us have a clear understanding of a serious matter of principle which arises out of this discussion. When we talk about differences in اجتھاد Ijtihad, we mean an اجتھاد Ijtihad which is permissible under the Sharah of Islam. (There is no such thing as an اجتھاد Ijtihad outside the ramifications of the Shari` ah). In a Shari` ah -based اجتھاد Ijtihad, one or the other Imam may elect a view to stand by according to his line of thought, but the fact shall remain that, in the sight of Allah, only one of these views is true while other views are not so true. But again, the decision as to which is true and which is not rests with Allah Almighty, who will bestow, on the Day of Resurrection, a twofold reward on the Imam and ` Alim who arrives at the correct ruling through his Ijtihad. Also rewarded on this Day, wi11 be the one whose Ijtihad was not correct. In short, nobody except Allah has the right to sit on judgment in the difference of interpretation and say that this is true and that is false. However, to the best of one's understanding and insight whichever side one thinks is closest to the Qur'an and the Sunnah he may say that, as far as he thinks, his choice is correct, although the possibility of its being incorrect cannot be ruled out and that which is the opinion on the other side, different from his chosen option is regarded as incorrect, with the possibility of that it may be correct in the sight of Allah. This is something all leading Imams of Fiqh, the masters of Muslim jurisprudence, agree upon.So, the rule becomes clear that no side taken in a difference of interpretations is منکر 'munkar' or 'unfair' and open to objection. Thus it will not be subjected to reproach under the authority of يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ (Bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair), More so, when it is not unfair, raising an objection against what does not fall under the 'Unfair' would itself be regarded as unfair. This must be avoided. This is a rule most educated people do not fully comprehend these days or simply neglect it. They do not desist from abusing and verbally attacking others who think otherwise with all sorts of derogatory remarks and fretting. Inevitably, this leads to internecine confrontation and rampant disunity among Muslims, a phenomenon visible all over the Muslim world.It has been already said that a difference of interpretation, if it corresponds to the principles of Ijtihad, does not go against the injunction وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا (and be not divided) and, therefore, it is not blameworthy. But, the way this difference is being handled these days, when quarrelsome debates around the tertiary subjects are being nursed as if they were the very basis of Muslim faith. Unfortunately this is what results in mutual confrontation and abuse. It can be said without any shade of doubt that this behaviour is certainly an open violation of the same Qur'anic injunction وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا (and be not divided). It is, most certainly; -objectionable and totally contrary to the way of our learned elders, the blessed Companions and their Successors. There is no precedent for this type of behaviour among the early scholars (the Companions and their disciples) who were the best of our community. That anyone was ever blamed on the basis of difference of opinion in matters of interpretation in this manner is something unheard of. For instance, Imam Shafi` i (رح) and other Imams, may Allah have mercy on them all, rule that in a salah offered in a congregation behind an imam, all those offering their prayer behind him must recite the Surah al-Fatihah as an obligation. Given this ruling anyone who does not fulfill this obligation will not have offered his salah at all. Parallel to this is the view of Imam Abu Hanifah , may Allah have His mercy on him, according to whom it is not permissible for one who prays behind an imam to recite his own Surah al-Fatihah, therefore, the Hanafiyah do not recite it while offering prayers in a congregation behind an imam. But, nowhere during the entire history of Muslim community there is any report saying that the followers of the Shafi` i school considered Hanafiyah as the deserters of the obligation of salah or that their prayers are not complete. They have never been blamed or criticised in the manner one would criticise and attack the evil acts forbidden by the Shari` ah.Imam ibn ` Abd al-Barr (رح) has, mentioned the attitude of the early scholars and the revered elders in the following words:عن یحی بن سعید قال ما برح اھل الفتوی یفتون فیحل ھذا و یحرم ھذا فلا یری المحرم ان المحل ھلک لتحلیلہ ولا یری المحل ان المحرم ھلک لتحریمہ (جامع بیان العلم ، ص 80)Those who are entitled to give fatwa, have always been issuing fatwas. One of them would rule (concerning injunctions not covered under the texts) that something is lawful while the other will rule it to be unlawful. But, the latter takes the former doomed to perdition, nor does the former think that the later is doomed to perdition. (Jami' Bayan al-` Ilm, p. 80)An important note of cautionAll this discussion about Ijtihad relates to the one carried out under the standard rules governing it. The very first condition is that Ijtihad can be resorted to in questions and issues about which there is no categorical decision available in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Or, it may be that such decision is not clear and susceptible to more than one interpretation. Or, it is possible that a combination of some verses of the Qur'an and some narrations of the hadith may be apparently contradictory. In situations such as this, only those who possess the necessary pre-requisites to carry out Ijtihad will be entitled to do so. Ijtihad is no easy matter. It requires the most perfect expertise (in the real and full sense of the term) of all disciplines related to the Qur'an and the Hadith, a comprehensive and perfect knowledge of the Arabic language, and a comprehensive knowledge of the sayings of the blessed Companions and their Successors. Therefore, anyone who dabbles in questions which have been settled by authoritative texts and comes up with opinions contrary to those of leading authorities, then this difference of opinion will not fall under the category of Ijtihad as envisaged by the Shari` ah..This will also be true about the person who does not fulfill the conditions of Ijtihad. What he says does not affect the question at all. This tendency has unfortunately become fairly visible in Muslim societies. Those who consider themselves educated (in modern sciences) have started to express their personal opinions relating to matters that have been settled in the Qur'an and Sunnah. This is ignorance at its ugliest. These are issues where even Imams and مجتھدین mujtahids would not dare speak. How can the exercise of so called Ijtihad be acceptable from a person who does not even possess the knowledge of Islamic sciences let alone the highest level of learning required for Ijtihad. | ||
On the Day when some faces would be bright, and some others will be black (with despair), those with black faces (will be told): "Having come to the faith you denied it; now taste therefore the penalty for you disbelieved." | On the Day (of Resurrection) when some faces will be shining and some faces black; so, (to) those whose faces are blackened, “What! You disbelieved after you had accepted faith! Therefore now taste the punishment, the result of your disbelief.” | the day when some faces are blackened, and some faces whitened. As for those whose faces are blackened -- 'Did you disbelieve after you had believed? Then taste the chastisement for that you disbelieved!' | on the Day [of Judgment] when some faces will shine [with happiness] and some faces will be dark [with grief]. And as for those with faces darkened, [they shall be told:] "Did you deny the truth after having attained to faith? Taste, then, this suffering for having denied the truth!" | On a day whereon faces become whitened and faces become blackened. Then as for those whose faces shall have become blackened: disbelieved ye after your profession of belief! taste the torment for that ye have been disbelieving. | On the Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) when some faces will become white and some faces will become black; as for those whose faces will become black (to them will be said): "Did you reject Faith after accepting it? Then taste the torment (in Hell) for rejecting Faith." | On the Day when some faces will be whitened, and some faces will be blackened. As for those whose faces are blackened: “Did you disbelieve after your belief?” Then taste the punishment for having disbelieved. | On the Day when some faces will turn bright and ther faces will turn dark. Those whose faces have turned dark will be told: 'Did you fall into unbelief after you had been blessed with belief? Taste, then, chastisement for your unbelief. | On the Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) when some faces will become white and some faces will become black; as for those whose faces will become black (to them will be said): "Did you reject faith after accepting it Then taste the torment (in Hell) for rejecting faith." | On the Day when (some) faces will be whitened and (some) faces will be blackened; and as for those whose faces have been blackened, it will be said unto them: Disbelieved ye after your (profession of) belief? Then taste the punishment for that ye disbelieved. | on the day when [some] faces will turn white and [some] faces will turn black. As for those whose faces turn black [it will be said to them], ‘Did you disbelieve after your faith? So taste the punishment because of what you used to disbelieve.’ | The Day when faces will be whitened and faces blackened. To those whose faces have become blackened it will be said: 'Did you disbelieve after you had believed? Then taste the punishment for that you disbelieved' | On the Day [some] faces will turn white and [some] faces will turn black. As for those whose faces turn black, [to them it will be said], "Did you disbelieve after your belief? Then taste the punishment for what you used to reject." | On the day when some faces will become white and others black, God will ask the people with the faces which have become black, "Why did you give up your faith? Now suffer the torment for your disbelief". | On the day when (some) faces shall turn white and (some) faces shall turn black; then as to those whose faces turn black: Did you disbelieve after your believing? Taste therefore the chastisement because you disbelieved. | Yawma tabya<u>dd</u>u wujoohun wataswaddu wujoohun faamm<u>a</u> alla<u>th</u>eena iswaddat wujoohuhum akafartum baAAda eem<u>a</u>nikum fa<u>th</u>ooqoo alAAa<u>tha</u>ba bim<u>a</u> kuntum takfuroon<b>a</b> | On the Day when some faces are bright and some faces are dark, it will be said to those with darkened faces, "Did you reject faith after accepting it? Taste, then, this punishment for having denied the truth!" | On the Day when some faces will be (lit up with) white, and some faces will be (in the gloom of) black: To those whose faces will be black, (will be said): "Did ye reject Faith after accepting it? Taste then the penalty for rejecting Faith." | 105 | 3 | يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْوَدَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ أَكَفَرْتُم بَعْدَ إِيمَٰنِكُمْ فَذُوقُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ | This great punishment will come upon them on the Day of Judgement, when the faces of those who have faith will become whitened, lighting up with joy and happiness; and the faces of those who denied the truth will become blackened, darkened with sadness and despair. As for those whose faces become blackened on that great day, they will be asked how they could reject faith in Allah alone, and deny the promise they made with Him that they would not worship anything besides Him, when they had had faith and acknowledged it. They will be told to taste the punishment Allah has prepared for them because of their disbelief. | This great punishment will come upon them on the Day of Judgement, when the faces of those who have faith will become whitened, lighting up with joy and happiness; and the faces of those who denied the truth will become blackened, darkened with sadness and despair. As for those whose faces become blackened on that great day, they will be asked how they could reject faith in Allah alone, and deny the promise they made with Him that they would not worship anything besides Him, when they had had faith and acknowledged it. They will be told to taste the punishment Allah has prepared for them because of their disbelief. | <p>Commentary</p><p>The meaning of 'bright' and 'dark' faces:</p><p>This expression appears in the Holy Qur'an at several places, for instance:</p><p>وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ تَرَى الَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا عَلَى اللَّـهِ وُجُوهُهُم مُّسْوَدَّةٌ</p><p>On the day of Doom, you shall see those who lied against Allah (with) their faces blackened. (39:60)</p><p>وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُّسْفِرَةٌ ﴿38﴾ ضَاحِكَةٌ مُّسْتَبْشِرَةٌ ﴿39﴾ وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌ ﴿40﴾ تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ ﴿41﴾</p><p>Some faces on that day shall shine, laughing, joyous. Some faces on that day shall be dusty, overspread with darkness. (80:38-41)</p><p>وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَّاضِرَةٌ ﴿22﴾</p><p>Faces on that day shall be radiant, looking towards their Lord. (75:22)</p><p>In these verses, several words such as, بْيَضُّ 'bayad', اسْوَدَّ 'sawad', غَبَرَةٌ 'ghabarah', قَتَرَةٌ 'qatarah', and نَّاضِرَةٌ 'nadirah', have been used to carry the same sense. In the English translation, where applicable, they appear in italics. According to the majority of commentators, 'brightness' signifies the brightness of the light of Faith, that is, the faces of believers shall be resplendent with the light of Faith, fresh and smiling due to happiness (as a result of rewards bestowed upon them by Allah). 'Darkness' signifies the darkness of disbelief, that is, the faces of the disbelievers will be covered with the gloomy anguish of disbelief and the added soot of sin and transgression would turn them still darker.</p><p>Who are these people?</p><p>Commentators have explained the identity of the people with 'bright and 'dark' faces variously. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، says that the faces of the followers of Sunnah shall be 'bright' and those of the followers of Bid'ah (innovation in the revealed Faith, not intended by Allah and His Messenger, nor by his learned dark Companions). Hadrat ` Ata' (رح) says that the faces of the Muhajirin and Ansar shall be 'bright' and the faces of the Bani Qurayzah and Bani Nadir shall be 'dark' (Qurtubi).</p><p>Imam Tirmidhi narrates a hadith from Sayyidna Abu Umamah ؓ which identifies these as relating to the Khawarij, )the oldest sect of rebels), that is, the 'dark' faces shall belong to the Khawarij, and the 'bright' faces to those whom they shall kill. The hadith is given below:</p><p>قال ابو امامہ کلاب النار شرقتلی تحت ادیم السماء، وخیر قتلی من قتلوہ ثم قراَ : يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ</p><p>When Sayyidna Abu Umamah ؓ was asked if he had heard the hadith from the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، he replied, while counting on his fingers, that he would not have narrated this hadith had he not heard it from the Holy Prophet ﷺ seven times (Tirmidhi).</p><p>Sayyidna ` Ikrimah ؓ says that 'dark' faces shall belong to those from among the people of the Book who did confirm the coming of the Holy Prophet ﷺ before he was ordained. But when he had been given prophethood they did not accept and support him. On the contrary, they started falsifying him (Qurtubi)</p><p>There are other explanations as well, other than those cited above, but they all lead to the same conclusion, and are not contradictory. Imam al-Qurtubi has said in his Tafsir that the expression يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ in the verse means that the faces of sincere Muslims shall be 'bright' but the faces of all those who may have altered their religion, or may have become apostates and disbelievers, or may be concealing their hypocrisy in their hearts, shall be 'dark'.</p><p>Some special notes:</p><p>In the verse Allah Almighty has mentioned the بْيَضُّ bayyad first, and the سْوَدُّ sawed or darkness after it. But, in the verse which follows: فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ اسْوَدَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ (As for those whose faces turn dark), sawed or darkness has been made to appear before بْيَضُّ bayyad or brightness, although the sequence of 'the original statement required that the mention of brightness appear first at this place as well. This reversal of the order seems to indicate that Allah Almighty has pointed out to His main purpose of creation. That purpose is to bless His creation with His mercy; punishment is not the objective. So, those with bright faces come first as they deserve the mercy and merit from their Lord. People with dark, anguished faces were mentioned later as the ones who deserve punishment. Towards the close of the verse, the statement ففی رحمۃ اللہ (They rest in Allah's mercy) is meant to stress upon the great mercy of the Creator. One cannot miss observing that those deserving of mercy were identified immediately at the beginning of the verse and again, at the end of the verse, and very affectionately indeed. The mention of those whose faces shall turn dark remains in between. All this points out to His limitless, endless mercy, clearly suggesting that human beings were certainly not created to serve as an exhibit or manifestation of Divine punishment; instead, they were created to flourish under the sunshine of Allah's mercy.</p><p>About the statement, فی رحمۃ اللہ 'they shall rest in Allah's mercy', the blessed Companion Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ says that 'rahmah' or 'mercy' in the verse means جَنَّت 'Jannah' or 'paradise'. Here too, the wisdom behind giving the name 'mercy' to 'paradise' is, quite obviously, that man, no matter how worshipful and pious he may be, shall not enter Paradise unless it be through the sole mercy of Allah Almighty. The reason is that being devoted in acts of worship is no feat of human excellence as such. On the contrary, the very ability to do so is, in itself, a gift of Allah. So, عبادہ 'ibadah' or worship does not, in itself, create an inherent right to enter Paradise. It is Allah's mercy alone through which one can enjoy the bliss of Paradise. (al-Tafsir al-Kabir)</p> | CommentaryThe meaning of 'bright' and 'dark' faces:This expression appears in the Holy Qur'an at several places, for instance:وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ تَرَى الَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا عَلَى اللَّـهِ وُجُوهُهُم مُّسْوَدَّةٌOn the day of Doom, you shall see those who lied against Allah (with) their faces blackened. (39:60)وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُّسْفِرَةٌ ﴿38﴾ ضَاحِكَةٌ مُّسْتَبْشِرَةٌ ﴿39﴾ وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌ ﴿40﴾ تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ ﴿41﴾Some faces on that day shall shine, laughing, joyous. Some faces on that day shall be dusty, overspread with darkness. (80:38-41)وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَّاضِرَةٌ ﴿22﴾Faces on that day shall be radiant, looking towards their Lord. (75:22)In these verses, several words such as, بْيَضُّ 'bayad', اسْوَدَّ 'sawad', غَبَرَةٌ 'ghabarah', قَتَرَةٌ 'qatarah', and نَّاضِرَةٌ 'nadirah', have been used to carry the same sense. In the English translation, where applicable, they appear in italics. According to the majority of commentators, 'brightness' signifies the brightness of the light of Faith, that is, the faces of believers shall be resplendent with the light of Faith, fresh and smiling due to happiness (as a result of rewards bestowed upon them by Allah). 'Darkness' signifies the darkness of disbelief, that is, the faces of the disbelievers will be covered with the gloomy anguish of disbelief and the added soot of sin and transgression would turn them still darker.Who are these people?Commentators have explained the identity of the people with 'bright and 'dark' faces variously. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، says that the faces of the followers of Sunnah shall be 'bright' and those of the followers of Bid'ah (innovation in the revealed Faith, not intended by Allah and His Messenger, nor by his learned dark Companions). Hadrat ` Ata' (رح) says that the faces of the Muhajirin and Ansar shall be 'bright' and the faces of the Bani Qurayzah and Bani Nadir shall be 'dark' (Qurtubi).Imam Tirmidhi narrates a hadith from Sayyidna Abu Umamah ؓ which identifies these as relating to the Khawarij, )the oldest sect of rebels), that is, the 'dark' faces shall belong to the Khawarij, and the 'bright' faces to those whom they shall kill. The hadith is given below:قال ابو امامہ کلاب النار شرقتلی تحت ادیم السماء، وخیر قتلی من قتلوہ ثم قراَ : يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌWhen Sayyidna Abu Umamah ؓ was asked if he had heard the hadith from the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، he replied, while counting on his fingers, that he would not have narrated this hadith had he not heard it from the Holy Prophet ﷺ seven times (Tirmidhi).Sayyidna ` Ikrimah ؓ says that 'dark' faces shall belong to those from among the people of the Book who did confirm the coming of the Holy Prophet ﷺ before he was ordained. But when he had been given prophethood they did not accept and support him. On the contrary, they started falsifying him (Qurtubi)There are other explanations as well, other than those cited above, but they all lead to the same conclusion, and are not contradictory. Imam al-Qurtubi has said in his Tafsir that the expression يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ in the verse means that the faces of sincere Muslims shall be 'bright' but the faces of all those who may have altered their religion, or may have become apostates and disbelievers, or may be concealing their hypocrisy in their hearts, shall be 'dark'.Some special notes:In the verse Allah Almighty has mentioned the بْيَضُّ bayyad first, and the سْوَدُّ sawed or darkness after it. But, in the verse which follows: فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ اسْوَدَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ (As for those whose faces turn dark), sawed or darkness has been made to appear before بْيَضُّ bayyad or brightness, although the sequence of 'the original statement required that the mention of brightness appear first at this place as well. This reversal of the order seems to indicate that Allah Almighty has pointed out to His main purpose of creation. That purpose is to bless His creation with His mercy; punishment is not the objective. So, those with bright faces come first as they deserve the mercy and merit from their Lord. People with dark, anguished faces were mentioned later as the ones who deserve punishment. Towards the close of the verse, the statement ففی رحمۃ اللہ (They rest in Allah's mercy) is meant to stress upon the great mercy of the Creator. One cannot miss observing that those deserving of mercy were identified immediately at the beginning of the verse and again, at the end of the verse, and very affectionately indeed. The mention of those whose faces shall turn dark remains in between. All this points out to His limitless, endless mercy, clearly suggesting that human beings were certainly not created to serve as an exhibit or manifestation of Divine punishment; instead, they were created to flourish under the sunshine of Allah's mercy.About the statement, فی رحمۃ اللہ 'they shall rest in Allah's mercy', the blessed Companion Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ says that 'rahmah' or 'mercy' in the verse means جَنَّت 'Jannah' or 'paradise'. Here too, the wisdom behind giving the name 'mercy' to 'paradise' is, quite obviously, that man, no matter how worshipful and pious he may be, shall not enter Paradise unless it be through the sole mercy of Allah Almighty. The reason is that being devoted in acts of worship is no feat of human excellence as such. On the contrary, the very ability to do so is, in itself, a gift of Allah. So, عبادہ 'ibadah' or worship does not, in itself, create an inherent right to enter Paradise. It is Allah's mercy alone through which one can enjoy the bliss of Paradise. (al-Tafsir al-Kabir) | ||
And those with bright faces shall be under God's grace and enjoy it for ever. | And those whose faces will be shining, are in the mercy of Allah; they will abide in it forever. | But as for those whose faces are whitened, they shall be in God's mercy, therein dwelling forever. | But as for those with faces shining, they shall be within God's grace, therein to abide. | And as for those whose faces shall have become whitened-- they shall be in Allah's mercy; therein they shall be abiders. | And for those whose faces will become white, they will be in Allah's Mercy (Paradise), therein they shall dwell forever. | But as for those whose faces are whitened: they are in God’s mercy, remaining in it forever. | And those whose faces have turned bright, they will be in the mercy of Allah, and therein they shall abide. | And for those whose faces will become white, they will be in Allah's mercy (Paradise), therein they shall dwell forever. | And as for those whose faces have been whitened, in the mercy of Allah they dwell for ever. | But as for those whose faces become white, they shall dwell in Allah’s mercy, and they will remain in it [forever]. | As for those whose faces will be whitened, they shall be in the Mercy of Allah for ever. | But as for those whose faces will turn white, [they will be] within the mercy of Allah. They will abide therein eternally. | The people whose faces have become white will enjoy the mercy of God with which they will live forever. | And as to those whose faces turn white, they shall be in Allah's mercy; in it they shall-abide. | Waamm<u>a</u> alla<u>th</u>eena ibya<u>dd</u>at wujoohuhum fafee ra<u>h</u>mati All<u>a</u>hi hum feeh<u>a</u> kh<u>a</u>lidoon<b>a</b> | But as for those with shining faces, they shall abide forever in God's grace. | But those whose faces will be (lit with) white,- they will be in (the light of) Allah's mercy: therein to dwell (for ever). | 106 | 3 | وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ٱبْيَضَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ فَفِى رَحْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ | As for those whose faces become whitened, they will remain in Paradise, eternally blessed. | As for those whose faces become whitened, they will remain in Paradise, eternally blessed. | <p>2. The sentence ففی رحمۃ اللہ (they rest in Allah's mercy) is immediately qualified by هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ (they are there forever). This means that the mercy in which the believers shall rest will not be temporary; it would be forever and eternal. This blessing will never be taken away or reduced in their case. In contrast to this are those whose faces shall turn dark; for them, it has not be expressly mentioned if they shall be in that state forever.</p><p>Sinning man earns his own punishment:</p><p>The verse فَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ (106) (now taste the punishment because you have been sinning) indicates that the punishment on that Day is not from Allah but that it is as consequence of what man has earned while living his mortal life, for the truth is that the blessings of paradise and the hardships of hell are simply a changed form of our very deeds. So, later on in verse 108, it was said: وَمَا اللَّـهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلْمًا لِّلْعَالَمِينَ (and Allah wants no injustice for { anyone in the worlds} which means that Allah has no intention of being unjust to His creation. Whatever reward or punishment is there, is nothing but justice and very much the perfect expression of the divine wisdom and mercy.</p> | 2. The sentence ففی رحمۃ اللہ (they rest in Allah's mercy) is immediately qualified by هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ (they are there forever). This means that the mercy in which the believers shall rest will not be temporary; it would be forever and eternal. This blessing will never be taken away or reduced in their case. In contrast to this are those whose faces shall turn dark; for them, it has not be expressly mentioned if they shall be in that state forever.Sinning man earns his own punishment:The verse فَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ (106) (now taste the punishment because you have been sinning) indicates that the punishment on that Day is not from Allah but that it is as consequence of what man has earned while living his mortal life, for the truth is that the blessings of paradise and the hardships of hell are simply a changed form of our very deeds. So, later on in verse 108, it was said: وَمَا اللَّـهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلْمًا لِّلْعَالَمِينَ (and Allah wants no injustice for { anyone in the worlds} which means that Allah has no intention of being unjust to His creation. Whatever reward or punishment is there, is nothing but justice and very much the perfect expression of the divine wisdom and mercy. | ||
These are the commandments of God We recite to you verily; God does not wish injustice to the creatures of the world. | These are the verses of Allah, which We recite to you (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), with truth; and Allah does not wish any injustice to the creation. | These are the signs of God We recite to thee in truth, and God desires not any injustice to living beings. | These are God's messages: We convey them unto thee, setting forth the truth, since God wills no wrong to His creation. | These are revelations of Allah; We rehearse them unto thee with truth, and Allah intendeth not wrong unto the worlds. | These are the Verses of Allah: We recite them to you (O Muhammad SAW) in truth, and Allah wills no injustice to the 'Alamin (mankind and jinns). | These are the revelations of God. We recite them to you in truth. God desires no injustice for mankind. | These are the mes sages of Allah which We recite to you in truth, and Allah desires no wrong to the people of the world. | These are the Ayat of Allah. We recite them to you in truth, and Allah wills no injustice to the `Alamin. | These are revelations of Allah. We recite them unto thee in truth. Allah willeth no injustice to (His) creatures. | These are the signs of Allah, which We recite to you in truth, and Allah does not desire any wrong for the creatures. | Such are the verses of Allah, We recite them to you with truth. Allah does not want injustice for the worlds. | These are the verses of Allah. We recite them to you, [O Muhammad], in truth; and Allah wants no injustice to the worlds. | Such are God's revelations which We explain to you, (Muhammad), for a genuine purpose. God does not want injustice for any of His creatures. | These are the communications of Allah which We recite to you with truth, and Allah does not desire any injustice to the creatures. | Tilka <u>a</u>y<u>a</u>tu All<u>a</u>hi natlooh<u>a</u> AAalayka bi<b>a</b>l<u>h</u>aqqi wam<u>a</u> All<u>a</u>hu yureedu <i><u>th</u></i>ulman lilAA<u>a</u>lameen<b>a</b> | These are God's revelations; We recite them to you in all truth. God desires no injustice to mankind. | These are the Signs of Allah: We rehearse them to thee in Truth: And Allah means no injustice to any of His creatures. | 107 | 3 | تِلْكَ ءَايَٰتُ ٱللَّهِ نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلْمًا لِّلْعَٰلَمِينَ | O Prophet, these verses recited to you which contain Allah’s promises and threats, are true in what they contain of information, and just in what they contain of laws. Allah does not desire injustice for any creature in the worlds, and no one receives a punishment unless they earned it through their own bad actions. | O Prophet, these verses recited to you which contain Allah’s promises and threats, are true in what they contain of information, and just in what they contain of laws. Allah does not desire injustice for any creature in the worlds, and no one receives a punishment unless they earned it through their own bad actions. |