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 81-91وَ اِذْAnd whenاَخَذَtookاللّٰهُAllahمِیْثَاقَcovenantالنَّبِیّٖنَ(of) the ProphetsلَمَاۤCertainly, whateverاٰتَیْتُكُمْI (have) given youمِّنْofكِتٰبٍ(the) Bookوَّ حِكْمَةٍand wisdomثُمَّthenجَآءَكُمْcomes to youرَسُوْلٌa Messengerمُّصَدِّقٌconfirmingلِّمَاthat whichمَعَكُمْ(is) with youلَتُؤْمِنُنَّyou must believeبِهٖin himوَ لَتَنْصُرُنَّهٗ ؕand you must help himقَالَHe saidءَاَقْرَرْتُمْDo you affirmوَ اَخَذْتُمْand takeعَلٰیonذٰلِكُمْthat (condition)اِصْرِیْ ؕMy CovenantقَالُوْۤاThey saidاَقْرَرْنَا ؕWe affirmقَالَHe saidفَاشْهَدُوْاThen bear witnessوَ اَنَاand I (am)مَعَكُمْwith youمِّنَamongالشّٰهِدِیْنَ the witnesses فَمَنْThen whoeverتَوَلّٰیturns awayبَعْدَafterذٰلِكَthatفَاُولٰٓىِٕكَthen thoseهُمُtheyالْفٰسِقُوْنَ (are) the defiantly disobedient اَفَغَیْرَSo is (it) other thanدِیْنِ(the) religionاللّٰهِ(of) Allahیَبْغُوْنَthey seekوَ لَهٗۤWhile to Himاَسْلَمَ(have) submittedمَنْwhateverفِی(is) inالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضِand the earthطَوْعًاwillinglyوَّ كَرْهًاor unwillinglyوَّ اِلَیْهِand towards Himیُرْجَعُوْنَ they will be returned 3. Ali 'Imran Page 61قُلْSayاٰمَنَّاWe believedبِاللّٰهِin Allahوَ مَاۤand whatاُنْزِلَ(is) revealedعَلَیْنَاon usوَ مَاۤand whatاُنْزِلَwas revealedعَلٰۤیonاِبْرٰهِیْمَIbrahimوَ اِسْمٰعِیْلَand Ismailوَ اِسْحٰقَand Ishaqوَ یَعْقُوْبَand Yaqubوَ الْاَسْبَاطِand the descendentsوَ مَاۤand whatاُوْتِیَwas givenمُوْسٰی(to) Musaوَ عِیْسٰیand Isaوَ النَّبِیُّوْنَand the Prophetsمِنْfromرَّبِّهِمْ ۪their LordلَاNotنُفَرِّقُwe make distinctionبَیْنَbetweenاَحَدٍanyمِّنْهُمْ ؗof themوَ نَحْنُand weلَهٗto Himمُسْلِمُوْنَ (are) submissive وَ مَنْAnd whoeverیَّبْتَغِseeksغَیْرَother thanالْاِسْلَامِ[the] Islamدِیْنًا(as) religionفَلَنْthen neverیُّقْبَلَwill be acceptedمِنْهُ ۚfrom himوَ هُوَand heفِیinالْاٰخِرَةِthe Hereafterمِنَ(will be) fromالْخٰسِرِیْنَ the losers كَیْفَHowیَهْدِی(shall) guideاللّٰهُAllahقَوْمًاa peopleكَفَرُوْا(who) disbelievedبَعْدَafterاِیْمَانِهِمْtheir beliefوَ شَهِدُوْۤاand (had) witnessedاَنَّthatالرَّسُوْلَthe Messengerحَقٌّ(is) trueوَّ جَآءَهُمُand came to themالْبَیِّنٰتُ ؕthe clear proofsوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahلَا(does) notیَهْدِیguideالْقَوْمَthe peopleالظّٰلِمِیْنَ [the] wrongdoers اُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseجَزَآؤُهُمْtheir recompenseاَنَّthatعَلَیْهِمْon themلَعْنَةَ(is the) curseاللّٰهِ(of) Allahوَ الْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةِand the Angelsوَ النَّاسِand the peopleاَجْمَعِیْنَۙall together خٰلِدِیْنَ(They will) abide foreverفِیْهَا ۚin itلَاNotیُخَفَّفُwill be lightenedعَنْهُمُfor themالْعَذَابُthe punishmentوَ لَاand notهُمْtheyیُنْظَرُوْنَۙwill be reprieved اِلَّاExceptالَّذِیْنَthose whoتَابُوْاrepentمِنْۢfromبَعْدِafterذٰلِكَthatوَ اَصْلَحُوْا ۫and reform[ed] themselvesفَاِنَّThen indeedاللّٰهَAllahغَفُوْرٌ(is) Oft-ForgivingرَّحِیْمٌMost Merciful اِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedبَعْدَafterاِیْمَانِهِمْtheir beliefثُمَّthenازْدَادُوْاthey increasedكُفْرًا(in) disbeliefلَّنْneverتُقْبَلَwill be acceptedتَوْبَتُهُمْ ۚtheir repentanceوَ اُولٰٓىِٕكَand thoseهُمُtheyالضَّآلُّوْنَ (are) those who have gone astray اِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelieve[d]وَ مَاتُوْاand diedوَ هُمْwhile theyكُفَّارٌ(are) disbelieversفَلَنْthen neverیُّقْبَلَwill be acceptedمِنْfromاَحَدِهِمْany one of themمِّلْءُfullالْاَرْضِearthذَهَبًا(of) goldوَّ لَوِ[and] (even) ifافْتَدٰیhe offered as ransomبِهٖ ؕitاُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseلَهُمْfor themعَذَابٌ(is) a punishmentاَلِیْمٌpainfulوَّ مَاand notلَهُمْ(will be) for themمِّنْfromنّٰصِرِیْنَ۠any helpers

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Translation of Verse 81-91

81. (Remember) When Allah had taken a covenant (from you) about the prophet that I have blessed you with the Book and wisdom; and that when a messenger comes to you confirming the Book that is already with you, you shall surely believe in him and shall help him.¹⁰³ Allah asked: “Do you agree, and take this heavy responsibility of my Covenant ? They said: “we agree” He said: “Then bear witness and I am with you among the witnesses.”

82. Then whosoever after this may turn away; they are the transgressors¹⁰⁴.

83. Do they seek other than the religion of Allah, ¹⁰⁵ when to Him has submitted whosoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly¹⁰⁶ and to Him they will be returned¹⁰⁷.

84. Say: We believe in Allah and that which is revealed to us and that which was revealed to Ibrahim and Ismail and Ishaq and Yaqub and his descendents and that which was sent down to Moosa, Eesa, and the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have surrendered (as Muslims).

85. And whosoever adopts any other religion than Islam, it will not be accepted from him, and he will be a loser in the Hereafter¹⁰⁸.

86. How shall Allah guide those who reject faith after they accepted it¹⁰⁹ and bore witness that the messenger was true and that clear signs had come to them? And Allah guides not wrong-doing people¹¹⁰.

87. For such people the recompense is that on them shall be the curse of Allah, of His angels and of all mankind.

88. They will dwell therein for ever. Their punishment will not be lightened neither will they be reprieved.

89. Except for those who repent after that and make amends, for verily, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

90. But those who reject faith after they accepted it and then go on adding to their rejection of faith, their repentance will never be accepted’¹¹¹And such people are confirmed astray.

91. Surely, those who rejected faith and died in the state of disbelief, the whole earth full of gold will not be accepted from any of them if it were offered as a ransom (for their salvation)¹¹². Theirs will be a painful punishment and they will have no helpers.

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Commentary

103. From a reference to context it appears that this covenant was taken from Bani Israil in connection with the prophethood of Muhammad (p.b.u.h.)

Accordingly in the Torah and the Gospel there were clear prophecies about the coming of prophet Muhammad ( p.b.u.h.) to which Quran has made numerous references. Even in the exisiting Bibles, inspite of the modifications. there are traces of these prophecies.

104. That is: Even after the firm covenant taken in respect of prophet Muhammed (P.b.u.h.), if these people deviate from their pledged word then this action of theirs is a clear proof of their disobedience, although they have put on the garb of devotion and worship and in the eyes of the world they are considered as religious people.

105. In this verse Islam is termed as Allah’s religion, which clearly shows that though the many religions that are found in the world and that were practised earlier are all ascribed to be Allah’s, but in reality it is Islam alone which deserves to be rightly called Allah’s religion.

106. This is the proof of Islam’s being the only true religion. When all the creatures of the world, including man, bow down to Allah, even the infidels are compelled to obey Allah’s laws of nature. Even the staunchest rejector of faith has to walk with his feet, see with eyes and smell with his nose and all these acts are performed according to the laws made by Allah, to deviate from which is not possible for anybody. Then how can it be permissible for him in his voluntary life that he should not surrender himself to Allah and should try to adopt any religion or method for conducting his life in this world?

From this verse another point that comes out is that Islam is not a religion of any race or any group but that it is really a religion of the whole world and the entire universe and any person, who adopts it as a religion, becomes harmonious with the religion of the universe and any person who adopts another religion or apostasy or atheism, does not harmonise with the religion of the universe but deviates from the basic reality.

107 .When everyone has to return to Allah then those who adopt a religion which is not approved of by Him or who adopt a life style that has no connection with Allah, what explanation would they offer when they would appear before Allah in the Hereafter?

108. This is an open declaration from Allah that only the authorized currency will be accepted in the realm of Allah and that is Islam. Besides this all other currencies would be declared counterfeit, of whatever relilgion that currency may be or if no stamp of any religion may be imprinted on that currency. In other words if a method unauthorized by God is adopted or if a lifestyle having no concern with God is adopted, neither will be acceptable before Allah. On the contrary in the Court of the Hereafter such people would be for dealing in counterfeit currency and they will have to suffer punishment for their counterfeiting activity.

109. Refers to the people of the Book who were blessed with faith but who subsequently adopted the path of rejection of faith.

110. That is: So long as man is not prepared to give up his practice of doing wrong things the path of guidance is not shown to him.

111. That is: Those who lived like infidels uuuu throughout their lives and when death approached, they repented; in the repentance of such people there is no sincerity therefore it would not be acceptable. Only that repentance will be accepted which is sincere and which is supported by the desire of reform.

112. The idea is to show the helplessness of the infidels when the command for everlasting punishment will be issued by the Court of Allah for the infidels, there will be no chance of salvation for them. If it is taken for granted that some infidel had the whole earth full of gold, then he will be ready to give it as ransom for his salvation; but on that day no one will have anything to give. nor will any ransom be accepted from anybody.

Those who busy themselves in this world to earn the worldly wealth and materials. regardless of the salvation in the next world they would have the correct estimate of their folly on the Day of Judgment only.