Surah 3. Ali 'Imran

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Verses [Section]: 1-9[1], 10-20 [2], 21-30 [3], 31-41 [4], 42-54 [5], 55-63 [6], 64-71 [7], 72-80 [8], 81-91 [9], 92-101 [10], 102-109 [11], 110-120 [12], 121-129 [13], 130-143 [14], 144-148 [15], 149-155 [16], 156-172 [17], 173-180 [18], 181-187 [19], 188-200 [20]

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Quran Text of Verse 156-172یٰۤاَیُّهَاO youالَّذِیْنَwhoاٰمَنُوْاbelieve[d]لَا(Do) notتَكُوْنُوْاbeكَالَّذِیْنَlike those whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedوَ قَالُوْاand they saidلِاِخْوَانِهِمْabout their brothersاِذَاwhenضَرَبُوْاthey traveledفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthاَوْorكَانُوْاthey wereغُزًّیfightingلَّوْifكَانُوْاthey had beenعِنْدَنَاwith usمَاnotمَاتُوْاthey (would have) diedوَ مَاand notقُتِلُوْا ۚthey (would have) been killedلِیَجْعَلَSo makesاللّٰهُAllahذٰلِكَthatحَسْرَةًa regretفِیْinقُلُوْبِهِمْ ؕtheir heartsوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahیُحْیٖgives lifeوَ یُمِیْتُ ؕand causes deathوَ اللّٰهُand Allahبِمَاof whatتَعْمَلُوْنَyou doبَصِیْرٌ (is) All-Seer وَ لَىِٕنْAnd ifقُتِلْتُمْyou are killedفِیْinسَبِیْلِ(the) wayاللّٰهِ(of) Allahاَوْorمُتُّمْdie[d]لَمَغْفِرَةٌcertainly forgivenessمِّنَfromاللّٰهِAllahوَ رَحْمَةٌand Mercyخَیْرٌ(are) betterمِّمَّاthan whatیَجْمَعُوْنَ they accumulate 3. Ali 'Imran Page 71وَ لَىِٕنْAnd ifمُّتُّمْyou dieاَوْorقُتِلْتُمْare killedلَاۡاِلَیsurely toاللّٰهِAllahتُحْشَرُوْنَ you will be gathered فَبِمَاSo becauseرَحْمَةٍ(of) MercyمِّنَfromاللّٰهِAllahلِنْتَyou dealt gentlyلَهُمْ ۚwith themوَ لَوْAnd ifكُنْتَyou had beenفَظًّاrudeغَلِیْظَ(and) harshالْقَلْبِ(at) [the] heartلَا نْفَضُّوْاsurely they (would have) dispersedمِنْfromحَوْلِكَ ۪around youفَاعْفُThen pardonعَنْهُمْ[from] themوَ اسْتَغْفِرْand ask forgivenessلَهُمْfor themوَ شَاوِرْهُمْand consult themفِیinالْاَمْرِ ۚthe matterفَاِذَاThen whenعَزَمْتَyou have decidedفَتَوَكَّلْthen put trustعَلَیonاللّٰهِ ؕAllahاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahیُحِبُّlovesالْمُتَوَكِّلِیْنَ the ones who put trust (in Him) اِنْIfیَّنْصُرْكُمُhelps youاللّٰهُAllahفَلَاthen notغَالِبَ(can) overcomeلَكُمْ ۚ[for] youوَ اِنْand ifیَّخْذُلْكُمْHe forsakes youفَمَنْthen whoذَا(is)الَّذِیْthe one whoیَنْصُرُكُمْcan help youمِّنْۢfromبَعْدِهٖ ؕafter Himوَ عَلَیAnd onاللّٰهِAllahفَلْیَتَوَكَّلِlet put (their) trustالْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ the believers وَ مَاAnd notكَانَisلِنَبِیٍّfor a Prophetاَنْthatیَّغُلَّ ؕhe defraudsوَ مَنْAnd whoeverیَّغْلُلْdefraudsیَاْتِwill bringبِمَاwhatغَلَّhe had defraudedیَوْمَ(on the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ ۚ(of) ResurrectionثُمَّThenتُوَفّٰیis repaid in fullكُلُّeveryنَفْسٍsoulمَّاwhatكَسَبَتْit earnedوَ هُمْand theyلَا(will) notیُظْلَمُوْنَ be wronged اَفَمَنِSo is (the one) whoاتَّبَعَpursuesرِضْوَانَ(the) pleasureاللّٰهِ(of) Allahكَمَنْۢlike (the one) whoبَآءَdrawsبِسَخَطٍon (himself) wrathمِّنَofاللّٰهِAllahوَ مَاْوٰىهُand his abodeجَهَنَّمُ ؕ(is) hellوَ بِئْسَand wretchedالْمَصِیْرُ (is) the destination هُمْTheyدَرَجٰتٌ(are in varying) degreesعِنْدَnearاللّٰهِ ؕAllahوَ اللّٰهُand Allahبَصِیْرٌۢ(is) All-Seerبِمَاof whatیَعْمَلُوْنَ they do لَقَدْCertainlyمَنَّbestowed a FavorاللّٰهُAllahعَلَیuponالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَthe believersاِذْasبَعَثَHe raisedفِیْهِمْamong themرَسُوْلًاa Messengerمِّنْfromاَنْفُسِهِمْthemselvesیَتْلُوْاrecitingعَلَیْهِمْto themاٰیٰتِهٖHis Versesوَ یُزَكِّیْهِمْand purifying themوَ یُعَلِّمُهُمُand teaching themالْكِتٰبَthe Bookوَ الْحِكْمَةَ ۚand the wisdomوَ اِنْalthoughكَانُوْاthey wereمِنْfromقَبْلُbefore (that)لَفِیْcertainly inضَلٰلٍ(the) errorمُّبِیْنٍ clear اَوَ لَمَّاۤOrاَصَابَتْكُمْwhenمُّصِیْبَةٌstruck youقَدْdisasterاَصَبْتُمْsurelyمِّثْلَیْهَا ۙyou had struck (them)قُلْتُمْtwice of itاَنّٰیyou saidهٰذَا ؕFrom whereقُلْ(is) thisهُوَSayمِنْItعِنْدِ(is) fromاَنْفُسِكُمْ ؕyourselvesاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahعَلٰی(is) onكُلِّeveryشَیْءٍthingقَدِیْرٌ All-Powerful 3. Ali 'Imran Page 72وَ مَاۤAnd whatاَصَابَكُمْstruck youیَوْمَ(on the) dayالْتَقَی(when) metالْجَمْعٰنِthe two hostsفَبِاِذْنِby (the) permissionاللّٰهِ(of) Allahوَ لِیَعْلَمَand that He (might) make evidentالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَۙthe believers وَ لِیَعْلَمَAnd that He (might) make evidentالَّذِیْنَthose whoنَافَقُوْا ۖۚ(are) hypocritesوَ قِیْلَAnd it was saidلَهُمْto themتَعَالَوْاComeقَاتِلُوْاfightفِیْinسَبِیْلِ(the) wayاللّٰهِ(of) Allahاَوِorادْفَعُوْا ؕdefendقَالُوْاThey saidلَوْIfنَعْلَمُwe knewقِتَالًاfightingلَّا تَّبَعْنٰكُمْ ؕcertainly we (would have) followed youهُمْTheyلِلْكُفْرِto disbeliefیَوْمَىِٕذٍthat dayاَقْرَبُ(were) nearerمِنْهُمْthan [them]لِلْاِیْمَانِ ۚto the faithیَقُوْلُوْنَsayingبِاَفْوَاهِهِمْwith their mouthsمَّاwhatلَیْسَwas notفِیْinقُلُوْبِهِمْ ؕtheir heartsوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahاَعْلَمُ(is) Most Knowingبِمَا(of) whatیَكْتُمُوْنَۚthey conceal اَلَّذِیْنَThose whoقَالُوْاsaidلِاِخْوَانِهِمْabout their brothersوَ قَعَدُوْاwhile they satلَوْIfاَطَاعُوْنَاthey (had) obeyed usمَاnotقُتِلُوْا ؕthey would have been killedقُلْSayفَادْرَءُوْاThen avertعَنْfromاَنْفُسِكُمُyourselvesالْمَوْتَ[the] deathاِنْifكُنْتُمْyou areصٰدِقِیْنَ truthful وَ لَاAnd (do) notتَحْسَبَنَّthinkالَّذِیْنَ(of) those whoقُتِلُوْاare killedفِیْinسَبِیْلِ(the) wayاللّٰهِ(of) Allahاَمْوَاتًا ؕ(as) deadبَلْNay!اَحْیَآءٌThey are aliveعِنْدَnearرَبِّهِمْtheir Lordیُرْزَقُوْنَۙthey are given provision فَرِحِیْنَRejoicingبِمَاۤin whatاٰتٰىهُمُbestowed themاللّٰهُAllahمِنْofفَضْلِهٖ ۙHis Bountyوَ یَسْتَبْشِرُوْنَand they receive good tidingsبِالَّذِیْنَabout those whoلَمْ(have) notیَلْحَقُوْاyet joinedبِهِمْ[with] themمِّنْ[from]خَلْفِهِمْ ۙ(but are) left behindاَلَّاthat (there will be) noخَوْفٌfearعَلَیْهِمْon themوَ لَاand notهُمْtheyیَحْزَنُوْنَۘwill grieve یَسْتَبْشِرُوْنَThey receive good tidingsبِنِعْمَةٍof FavorمِّنَfromاللّٰهِAllahوَ فَضْلٍ ۙand Bountyوَّ اَنَّand thatاللّٰهَAllahلَا(does) notیُضِیْعُlet go wasteاَجْرَ(the) rewardالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ(of) the believers اَلَّذِیْنَThose whoاسْتَجَابُوْاrespondedلِلّٰهِto Allahوَ الرَّسُوْلِand the Messengerمِنْۢfromبَعْدِafterمَاۤwhatاَصَابَهُمُbefell themالْقَرْحُ ۛؕthe injuryلِلَّذِیْنَfor those whoاَحْسَنُوْاdid goodمِنْهُمْamong themوَ اتَّقَوْاand feared Allahاَجْرٌ(is) a rewardعَظِیْمٌۚgreat

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Translation of Verse 156-172

156. O you who believe ! Be not like the unbelievers, who say of their brethren when they are traveling through the earth or engaged in fighting: “If they had stayed with us, they would not have died or been slain.” It is so that Allah may make it a cause of sighs and regrets in their hearts.¹⁸⁹ It is Allah who gives life and death and Allah sees well all that you do.

157. And if you are slain or die in the cause of Allah, forgiveness and mercy from Allah are far better than all that they could amass.

158. And if you die or are slain indeed, it is to Allah that you are to be brought together.

159. It is by the mercy of Allah that you are gentle¹⁹⁰ with them, for if you were stern and hard-hearted, they would have dispersed from around you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult with them upon the conduct of affairs¹⁹¹ (like jihad and campaigns, etc.). Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah.Verily, Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).

160. If Allah helps you, none can overcome you. If He forsakes you, who is there after Him that can help you? In Allah then, let believers put their trust.

161. And it is not for any prophet to be dishonest to his trust.¹⁹² If any person is dishonest, he shall on the day of Judgment, restore what he misappropriated; ¹⁹³then shall every soul receive its due, whatever it earned and none shall be dealt with unjustly.

162. Is the one who follows the pleasure of Allah like to him who draws on himself the wrath of Allah and whose abode is Hell? a woeful abode.

163. There are degrees (of reward and punishment) for the people with Allah, and Allah is watching all that they do¹⁹⁴.

164. Verily Allah conferred a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a messenger from among themselves, who recites for them His verses, purifies them and teaches them the Book and wisdom¹⁹⁵, while before that they were in obvious error.

165. What is this ! When a single disaster smites you, although you smote (your enemy) with one twice as great, do you say: “Whence is this¹⁹⁶?” Say: “It is from yourselves.¹⁹⁷ Verily, Allah has power over all things ¹⁹⁸.”

166. And what you suffered on the day when the two armies met, was by the leave of Allah only, in order that He might know the believers.

167. And He might know the hypocrites also. It was said to them; “Come fight in the way of Allah or (at least) defend yourselves,” They said: “Had we known there would be fighting, we would certainly have followed you.¹⁹⁹ ” They were that day nearer to unbelief than to faith, uttering with their tongues what was not in their hearts. And Allah has full knowledge of all they conceal.

168. Those who,while they sat at home, said of their brethren: “If they had obeyed us they would not have been slain.” Say (to them): “Then avert death from yourselves if you are truthful. ²⁰⁰”

169. And think not of those who are slain in the cause of Allah as dead. Nay, they are alive, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord.²⁰¹

170. Happy, in the bounty provided by Allah; and with regard to those left behind, who have not yet joined them, they rejoice in the fact that there shall come no fear upon them neither shall they grieve.²⁰²

171. They are receiving the glad tidings of Allah’s bounties and favour and of the fact that Allah does not waste the reward of the faithful.²⁰³

172. As for those who responded to the call of Allah and the messenger, ²⁰⁴ even after being wounded, for such of them who do right and fear Allah is a great reward;–

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Commentary

189. That is: Those who think that their own efforts achieve everything they give wrong interpretation to the events that occur through the destiny ordained by Allah and such interpretations and explanations become a matter of anguish and regrets for them as they remain regretting that if they would have done like this then the things would have happened in this way.

190. That is: The lenient attitude that you have adopted in respect of your companions should be continued in future also, lest the defects that were witnessed at the time of the battle of Uhud might harden your attitude. This leniency will make them your loving followers and they will turn to self-reform.

It is thus clear that leniency and gentleness is a moral virtue and it is necessary that a reformer and a missionary must have this quality or virtue and this very quality makes a man popular.

191. Here the Prophet has been directed to consult his companions in his affairs and from the reference to context it is seen that the affairs here mean affairs of campaigns of jihad or things about which no clear command has been received from God or if the command is there, the question of how to put it into effect is required to be settled. Otherwise in matters of Divine Commands there is no question of consultation. Pondering over this command regarding consultation, the following points come into light:

(1) Consultation is an extremely important principle of the Islamic social order and is the basic characteristic of the Islamic political system.

(2) The direction for consultation is for important affairs and campaigns, that is those affairs and problems which affect the social life of the Ummah, in which are included all the problems connected with politics, war, peace and all important matters concerning the Islamic state. Besides all the problems connected with the welfare of the Ummah and the striving for the Islamic Dawah.

(3) When the Prophet is directed to consult, then obeying this direction becomes extremely essential for the Ummah also because the Ummah needs it more than the prophet.

(4) Decisions on very important issues should be taken only after consultation and this decision should be the outcome of the consultation. In other words, the democratic opinion will be decisive. If it is not done, and the ruler decides the issue according to his individual opinion, then there would be no importance of the consultative body and consultation would become unimportant and insignificant. Moreover, it would nourish dictatorial tendencies, which would finally result in throwing out democracy and paving the way for the oppressive fascism. Those who say that the majority is not the proof of rightness, they give the authority of decision to the ruler as against the people, in other words they regard the ruler as a proof of rightness, while this supposition is in itself wrong. The fact is that so far as the proof of rightness is concerned, neither the people nor the ruler is any proof of rightness. However, looking to the circumstances, Islam has given weight to the opinion of the people and has given it a decisive role. And in the modern times when self-opinionated attitudes and selfishness are ruling the roost, to make the ruler independent of the people’s opinion and to give him extraordinary authority and power is to invite serious dangers.

192. Refers to the thinking of the archers who left their posts so that they may not be left behind in collecting the booty of the battle and others getting the benefit. when the leadership of the army was with the Prophet of Allah this kind of thinking and misgiving. was absolutely uncalled for. for no prophet acts in a way that would amount to being false to the trust reposed in him. It may be noted that there is no proof that anybody had accused the prophet of being untrust-worthy. Even then Quran has clearly stated that no prophet can be false to his trust. This explanation was necessary so that there might not be any misgiving or doubts about the distribution of the spoils of war.

193. About misappropriating the trust, very severe punishment has been promised and the prophet had directed the executives of the government treasury to be so scrupulously careful about the public monies that none of them liked even to hide a single needle. He has said:

O people ! If any of you, who has been appointed to work for us, hides a needle or a lesser thing, then it is misappropriation, which he will have to restore on the Day of Judgment.” (Ibn Katheer. Vol. I. page 422. with reference to Ahmed).

194. That is: When the people are not alike from the standpoint of their acts,then how can they be alike from the standpoint of their gains or the degrees of ranks that they will get from Allah?

And think not of those who are slain in the cause of Allah as dead. Nay, they are alive, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord.Happy, in the bounty provided by Allah; and with regard to those left behind, who have not yet joined them, they rejoice in the fact that there shall come no fear upon them neither shall they grieve. (Al-Quran)

195. It is necessary that a distinction be made between the good and the evil. (Please see Note No.149 Surah Baqarah).

196. That is: If you have sustained losses in the battle, then your enemy had before this in the Battle of Badr sustained twice as much losses. In the Battle of Badr 70 infidels were killed and 70 were taken as prisoners, while in the Battle of Uhud 70 Muslims were martyred. Even in this battle a few of the infidels were also killed by the Muslims. But in the end the Muslims had to face the reverses on account of their own mistake.

197. That is: As a result of your own defects and errors.

198. He has power to make you victorious and also to make you suffer the defeat.

199. Refers to the munafiqeen (hypocrites) who avoided taking part in the jihad for fear of death and they were offering the excuse that they thought that the fighting would not take place, Had we known that the fighting would take place then certainly we would have joined it. But at the same time they were saying about the persons who were killed in the battle that if they had taken their advice they would not have been slain. It shows that the main thing was their fear of death because of which they did not come out to fight.

It may be noted that in these battles the Prophet had himself in his person, taken part, and when the prophet himself is participating, then for a Muslim to sit at home was against the honour of faith. Therefore, the Muslims who were really hypocrites have been severely condemned in Quran.

200. If it is possible for you to avert your own death then save yourselves from it and prove that you are truthful.

201. Martyrdom in the cause of Allah is a guarantee for eternal life. Apparently it is seen that those who are killed in the path of Allah have died but in reality death affects their bodies only and not their souls. The soul of the person who is martyred is given a special kind of life in the next world, and this life is so full of happiness and contentment that it cannot be properly imagined in this world. (Please see Note No. 185, Surah Baqarah). It is hadith of Sahih Muslim that the Prophet has said: “The souls of the martyrs are in the covers of the green birds and their place is near the lanterns hanging from the Arsh (Divine Throne). They roam about in the paradise wherever they like and then they return to the lanterns. Their Lord asks them: “What is your wish?” They say: “What can be our wish when we can roam in the paradise in any way we like.” Allah asks them three times about their wish. When they see that they are being repeatedly asked this question, they say: “O our Lord! We wish that our souls be returned to our bodies so that we may again be killed in your cause.” When Allah sees that no need of theirs has remained unfulfilled, He leaves them to their condition.”

202. The souls of the martyrs become very happy in the world of Barzakh (world in between this and the next world) on receiving limitless bounties and honour. Their rejoicing increases further by the thought that those of the righteous people who have been left in the world will soon meet them and for them there is no fear nor any grief.

203. That is: On the Day of Judgment when Allah will hold the Court.

204. This is a reference to the event which took place immediately after the Battle of Uhud. After defeating the Muslims, the infidels proceeded to return to Macca. But on reaching Ravha, a place thirty miles away from Madina, they realised that they had committed an error by returning so soon. At this time they should have attacked the city of Madina and should have dealt a decisive blow to the Muslims. Accordingly, they again thought of fighting. when the prophet came to know of this, he, with his sincere companions, set out after the infidels and reached Hamara-ul-Asad, which is eight miles from Madina. This took place on the second day of the battle of Uhud, viz. on 16 Shawwal, 03 A.H. “The infidels were informed of this and they felt that the morale of the Muslims was still high. So they changed their mind and returned to Macca. The Muslims returned to Madina, successful and satisfied. In this verse, these very loyal and sincere companions have been mentioned, that they had proved their courage even after being wounded, and they set forth on a new campaign.