Surah Ali 'Imran 3:92-101 - Quran Translation Commentary

93. All these articles of food ¹¹⁴ were lawful to the Children of Israil except those which Israil had forbidden for himself ¹¹⁵ before the Torah was revealed. Say: “Bring the Torah and read out, if you are truthful¹¹⁶.

94. If even after this, some people attribute to Allah false things, they are indeed wrongdoers .

95. Say: “Allah has spoken the truth; so follow the religion of Ibrahim, the upright; he was not of the polytheists.”

96. Indeed, the first House¹¹⁷ built for mankind is that which is at ‘Bakkah,”¹¹⁸ full of blessing¹¹⁹ and of guidance¹²⁰ for the people of the world.

97. In it there are clear signs,¹²¹ there is the Place of Ibrahim,¹²² whosoever entered it, attained security. And incumbent on the people is pilgrimage to the House for Allah, on him who can afford to reach there; and as for him who disbelives, Allah is independent of people of the world. ¹²³

98. Say: “O People of the Book ! Why do you reject the signs of Allah, and Allah sees everything that you do ?”

99. Say: “O people of the Book ! why do you obstruct the faithful from the path of Allah,¹²⁴ seeking to make it crooked,¹²⁵ while you are witnesses.¹²⁶ Allah is not unaware of what you do”.

100. O You who believe! If you follow a faction¹²⁷ among the people of the Book, they would make you disbelievers, after your belief.

101. And how can you deny faith when Allah’s revelations are recited to you and His messenger is in your midst?¹²⁸ He who holds fast to Allah,¹²⁹ he indeed is guided to a right path.

Commentary

113. To do a virtuous or righteous deed is one thing and to attain virtue is another where there is formal religiosity, some righteous acts would be performed there, but there will not be the desire to spend for Allah from the things that are loved and there will be no spirit of offering sacrifices in the cause of Allah. On the contrary where there would be ever ready to spend for Allah from his loved things and to offer sacrifices in the cause of Allah. This is a criterion on which the love for Allah and the claim of loyalty to him can be tested. The Jews were very stingy in the matter of spending for Allah. Therefore this touchstone unveiled the reality of their faith.

The best example of spending one’s best things in the cause of Allah is that which was shown by Abu Talha (R ): He had a garden in Madina, “Beerha” which was very much liked by him. The Prophet used to visit this garden and liked to drink its water. When the verse under reference was revealed, Abu Talha (R) said to the Prophet that the garden was to be given in charity for Allah, and that the Prophet could dispose of it in any way he liked. The Prophet said that the property was very good and he would like it to distribute among his (Abu Talha’s) relatives. Abu Talha requested him to do so, and accordingly the Prophet distributed it among Abu Talha’s relatives. —(Tafseer Ibn Katheer Vol. I p.381).

114. Means those animals whose flesh is halal to be eaten according to the Shariah of Islam.

115. Israil was the title of Prophet Yaqub. He was a prophet. As a prophet does not declare anything forbidden without the Divine permission there is no room for presuming that he considered certain thing unlawful for himself by his own sweet will.

116. The main objection of the Jews was that Islam was making lawful those things which are unlawful in the Shariah of Ibrahim. They particularly meant the camel, whose flesh was declared lawful by the Quran, while the Jews considered it as forbidden. In the Torah it is stated:

“Nevertheless among those that chew the cud or part the hoof you shall not eat these: the camel because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof is unclean to you.”(Lev.11.4)

The answer of the Quran to this objection is that the things which are being declared lawful by the Quran were also lawful in the Shariah of Ibrahim which also includes the camel and this was so before the revelation of the Torah. But subsequently the things which were declared unlawful either by prophet Yaqub or by the Torah are of a differnt nature that is they were declared haram for Bani Israil especially and for special reasons too. Therefore the claim that they were lawful in the Shariah of Ibrahim is not right. This wrong claim of the Jews is also refuted by the Torah. because in the Torah there is no mention or clarification that these things are unlawful from the very beginning. In it too there are instances which refute the claim of the Jews, for example in the story of the prophet Nuh (Noah) it is mentioned:

“Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, its blood.’’ (Gen 9: 3.4)

117. By the first House is meant the House that was built for the first time for the purpose of worshipping Allah or the first place of worship. In this verse it has been clarified that it is the House of Ka’ba which is situated in Macca. At another place in connection with its construction the Quran has stated that it was built by prophet Ibrahim and prophet Ismail, which throws light on the following points:

(a) Before prophet Ibrahim there was no permanent place of worship for worshipping Allah.

(b) The narratives which state that first the House of Ka’ba was built by Prophet Adam and subsequently Prophet Ibrahim renovated it are refuted by this statement of the Quran. If the reality would have been what has been stated in these narratives then Quran would have definitely mentioned it. because to mention only the renovator without saying anything about the original builder is not according to the style of the Quran. Besides, these narratives do not enjoy the authenticity of the Sahih hadith. Ibn Katheer, quoting a narrative from Baihaqi that the Ka’ba was first built by prophet Adam states that this quotation was one or the single narratives of Ibn Lahia’h and is weak and probably rests on Abdullah bin Amar (that is: it is not a quotation of the prophet) (Ibn Katheer Vol.I.P. 383). And in the History of Ibn Katheer it is stated:

“There is no sahih hadith (authenticated tradition) from the prophet (Peace be upon him) on this subject (Al-Jami-ul-Latif, P .69, with ref. to Tarekh Ibn Katheer).

(c) Baitul Maqdis was built after the House of Ka’ba. Accordingly it is stated in the Bible that it was built by Prophet Sulaiman: In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the Lord. (I King6:1) Therefore, the claim of the Jews that Baitul Maqdis is an older place of worship than Ka ‘ba is false historically.

(d) The concept of oneness of Allah is as old as man. One of its historical proofs is the House of Ka’ba, whose foundation was laid by that great personality that is regarded as Imam (the leader) by the three great communities of the world, viz. the Jews, the Christians and the Muslims (a great majority of the modern world).

118. ‘Bakkah’ is the old name of Macca, which means city. It has been mentioned in the Zabur (Psalms), but the Jews changed the words ‘the Valley of Bakkah’ into ‘the Valley of Buka’, which means the valley of wailing.

As they go through the valley of Baca they make it a place of springs;

The early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength;” (Psalms 84 : 6,7) However, in the English Bible its translation is found as Valley of Baca.

By such modifications they tried to veil the reality, so that the people may be confused in recognising the House of Allah and the last prophet. By mentioning its old name, Quran unveiled the reality.

119. That is the source of spiritual blessings.

120. That is: It illuminates the path of the belief in oneness of Allah and man is guided to God-worship.

121. Signs of oneness of Allah. Signs of the popularity of this House. Signs of this religion being the true religion and signs of the fact that under the shadow of this House great personalities were brought up and it has breathed in them that spirit of life of striving which no power in the world could subdue.

122. ‘Maqam-i-Ibrahim’ or the place of Ibrahim means the place where prophet Ibrahim stood, that is the place where prophet Ibrahim used to stand for offering prayer. This place is in Masjid-i-Haram. It is specifically mentioned here to show to the Jews that the original worshipping place of prophet Ibrahim where he himself offered prayers is the Masjid-i-Haram and not Baitul Maqdis. The Jews tried to hide this fact and for this purpose made changes at various places in the Torah. Despite this, there are in the present Bible also such statements as support our contention. Accordingly in the Book of Genesis, it is stated:

“Thence he removed to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb. (Gen 12: 8,9)

Here Bethel means Baitullah, in Hebrew El means God. Therefore, the literary meaning of the words Beth El is House of God. In the east of the House of Ka’ba are the hillocks of Safa and Marwah, Prophet Ibrahim had his abode on the hill of Safa and the great event of the sacrifice of Prophet Ismail took place on the hill of Marwah. The reference to prophet Ibrahim’s proceeding towards south means the journey to Arafat, for Arafat is in the south-east of the House of Allah.

This meaning of the Place of Ibrahim is in its original and wider sense. Otherwise Maqam-i- Ibrahim (Place of Ibrahim) is the name of that stone also on which prophet Ibrahim used to stand when building the House of Ka ‘ba and on which the marks of his feet have been permanently imprinted and even today this stone is there with the impression of his auspicious feet, which is kept near the House of Ka ‘ba in Mataf. In other words history has preserved the marks of the feet of prophet Ibrahim so that there should remain no doubt about his being the builder of the House of Ka’ba.

123. That is: If even after these clear signs the people do not accept the belief in oneness of Allah and the position of Ka ‘ba as the centre of the oneness of Allah, then they are infidels and Allah, after clearly manifesting His signs does not care who adopts the path of faith and who the path of rejection. Hajj or pilgrimage is a compulsory duty (Farz) of Islam and is its fifth pillar. If a person does not undertake this pilgrimage inspite of his being capable to do so, then Allah does not care if that person dies as a Jew or as a Christian.

124. Refers to those doubts and misgivings which the people of the Book tried to create in the hearts of the people in respect of Ibrahim’s Millat (Muslims), Baitullah and the last prophet.

125. Making the path of Allah crooked. means to alter the original religion of Allah and introduce innovations. etc. in that religion.

126. That is: You were sent as witnesses of Truth but you adopted the policy of being witnesses of falsehood and of concealing the reality.

127. Refers specifically to that faction of the people of the Book about whose objections and disputations a mention has been made above.

KA’BA (Baitullah)

Macca City and Masjid-e-Haram

128. That is: At a time when Allah’s revelations are being recited in your presence and His messenger is also present in your midst, you are adopting the line of rejection of faith; this would be very serious and extremely unfortunate for you.

129. To hold fast to Allah means to establish deep attachment and relationship with Him.