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 181-1873. Ali 'Imran Page 74لَقَدْCertainlyسَمِعَheardاللّٰهُAllahقَوْلَ(the) sayingالَّذِیْنَ(of) those whoقَالُوْۤاsaidاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahفَقِیْرٌ(is) poorوَّ نَحْنُwhile weاَغْنِیَآءُ ۘ(are) richسَنَكْتُبُWe will recordمَاwhatقَالُوْاthey saidوَ قَتْلَهُمُand their killingالْاَنْۢبِیَآءَthe Prophetsبِغَیْرِwithoutحَقٍّ ۙ(any) rightوَّ نَقُوْلُand We will sayذُوْقُوْاTasteعَذَابَ(the) punishmentالْحَرِیْقِ (of) the Burning Fire ذٰلِكَThatبِمَا(is) becauseقَدَّمَتْ(of what) sent forthاَیْدِیْكُمْyour handsوَ اَنَّand thatاللّٰهَAllahلَیْسَis notبِظَلَّامٍunjustلِّلْعَبِیْدِۚto (His) slaves اَلَّذِیْنَThose whoقَالُوْۤاsaidاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahعَهِدَ(has) taken promiseاِلَیْنَاۤfrom usاَلَّاthat notنُؤْمِنَwe (should) believeلِرَسُوْلٍin a Messengerحَتّٰیuntilیَاْتِیَنَاhe brings to usبِقُرْبَانٍa sacrificeتَاْكُلُهُconsumes itالنَّارُ ؕthe fireقُلْSayقَدْSurelyجَآءَكُمْcame to youرُسُلٌMessengersمِّنْfromقَبْلِیْbefore meبِالْبَیِّنٰتِwith the clear Signsوَ بِالَّذِیْand with whatقُلْتُمْyou speakفَلِمَSo whyقَتَلْتُمُوْهُمْyou killed themاِنْifكُنْتُمْyou areصٰدِقِیْنَ truthful فَاِنْThen ifكَذَّبُوْكَthey reject youفَقَدْthen certainlyكُذِّبَwere rejectedرُسُلٌMessengersمِّنْfromقَبْلِكَbefore youجَآءُوْ(who) cameبِالْبَیِّنٰتِwith the clear Signsوَ الزُّبُرِand the Scripturesوَ الْكِتٰبِand the Bookالْمُنِیْرِ [the] Enlightening كُلُّEveryنَفْسٍsoulذَآىِٕقَةُ(will) tasteالْمَوْتِ ؕ[the] deathوَ اِنَّمَاand onlyتُوَفَّوْنَyou will be paid in fullاُجُوْرَكُمْyour rewardیَوْمَ(on the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ ؕ(of) [the] ResurrectionفَمَنْThen whoeverزُحْزِحَis drawn awayعَنِfromالنَّارِthe Fireوَ اُدْخِلَand admittedالْجَنَّةَ(to) Paradiseفَقَدْthen surelyفَازَ ؕhe is successfulوَ مَاAnd notالْحَیٰوةُ(is) the lifeالدُّنْیَاۤ(of) the worldاِلَّاexceptمَتَاعُenjoymentالْغُرُوْرِ (of) delusion لَتُبْلَوُنَّYou will certainly be testedفِیْۤinاَمْوَالِكُمْyour wealthوَاَنْفُسِكُمْ ۫and yourselvesوَ لَتَسْمَعُنَّAnd you will certainly hearمِنَfromالَّذِیْنَthose whoاُوْتُواwere givenالْكِتٰبَthe Bookمِنْfromقَبْلِكُمْbefore youوَ مِنَand fromالَّذِیْنَthose whoاَشْرَكُوْۤاassociate partners with Allahاَذًیhurtful thingsكَثِیْرًا ؕmanyوَ اِنْand ifتَصْبِرُوْاyou are patientوَ تَتَّقُوْاand fear (Allah)فَاِنَّthen indeedذٰلِكَthatمِنْ(is) ofعَزْمِthe mattersالْاُمُوْرِ (of) determination 3. Ali 'Imran Page 75وَ اِذْAnd whenاَخَذَtookاللّٰهُAllahمِیْثَاقَa Covenantالَّذِیْنَ(from) those whoاُوْتُواwere givenالْكِتٰبَthe BookلَتُبَیِّنُنَّهٗYou certainly make it clearلِلنَّاسِto the mankindوَ لَاand (do) notتَكْتُمُوْنَهٗ ؗconceal itفَنَبَذُوْهُThen they threw itوَرَآءَbehindظُهُوْرِهِمْtheir backsوَ اشْتَرَوْاand they exchangedبِهٖ[with] itثَمَنًا(for) a priceقَلِیْلًا ؕlittleفَبِئْسَAnd wretchedمَا(is) whatیَشْتَرُوْنَ they purchase

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Translation of Verse 181-187

181. Verily, Allah has heard the saying of those who said: Truly Allah is poor and we are rich ! ²¹² “We shall record their saying with their slaying of the prophets unjustly and We shall say: “Taste the punishment of burning.”

182. It is that which your very hands have provided for you. And Allah is not an oppressor of His slaves.

183. Those are the people who say: “ Allah enjoined us that we should not believe in a messenger unless he offers before us a sacrifice which the fire should devour .” Say (to them): “There came to you many messengers before me, with clear signs and even with what you ask for; why then did you slay them, if you speak the truth?”²¹³

184. Then if they belie you, even so did they belie the messengers who were before you, who came with clear signs²¹⁴ and scriptures and the lightgiving Book.

185. Every soul shall taste of death.²¹⁵ And you will be paid recompense in full on the Day of Resurrection. Then whosoever is saved from the fire and admitted to the paradise, has indeed succeeded and this life of the world is nothing but the chattel of deception.

186. You shall surely be tried in your possessions and in your personal selves; and you shall certainly hear much that will hurt you from those who were given the Book before you and from the polytheists. But if you persevere patiently and fear Allah, then it will be a deed of determination and courage.

187. And remember Allah took a covenant from the people of the Book, you shall expound it to the people and shall hide it not but they cast it behind their backs, and bartered it for a small price.²¹⁶ And vile was the bargain they made.

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Commentary

212. It is an allusion to incidents: when in the Quran people were exhorted to spend in the cause of Allah by the verse: ’Who is there that would lend to Allah”, the Jews and some hypocrites from among the Jews made fun of the Quranic statement saying that now Allah has become poor that He is asking for a loan from them.

213. Some prophets of Bani Israel performed this miracle that as a token of the acceptance of their sacrifices, a fire came down from the sky and devoured the sacrifice, e.g. about Prophet Elia (Elijah) it is stated: “Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust,” (l-kings 18:38)

“When Solomon had ended his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifice.” (2 chronicles 7: 1)

(Please also see Judges 6:19 to 21, Leviticus 9:24)

But nowhere it has been made a condition for being a prophet, that unless a prophet shows this miracle his prophethood should not be accepted. This condition was imposed by the Jews as a mischief. Therefore, in view of this mentality of the Jews this answer was considered sufficient that before Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) other prophets had come and performed the miracle of fire devouring sacrifice but even then they had killed them. For example, in the Bible it is stated:

“He (Eli’jah) said, ‘I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the people of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thy altars and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” (l-Kings 19:14 )

Therefore, if the desired miracle is performed by this Prophet, these people who are bent on mischief would find out some excuse for not accepting faith.

214. Among the clear signs, miracles also are included.

215. Death is such a reality as can be observed by everybody. Man, inspite of all his scientific progress has not been able to control death and looking to the constitution of man’s physical body it does not seem possible that he would be able to gain control over it in the future. When death is certain, then the question: what is beyond death should attract his foremost attention. Not to think over such an important problem seriously and to adopt an unreal belief is that basic mistake which would direct the entire life of man in a wrong direction. Another great reality which is unveiled by Quran is that death is not the end of human life, but that death is that bridge by crossing which man reaches the world of results from the world of action.

216. Please see Note No.64, Surah Baqarah.