Surah Ali 'Imran 3:10-20 - Quran Translation Commentary

(3:10) Verily, neither the wealth of those who have disbelieved nor their progeny¹⁹ will aught avail them with Allah. They shall be fuel for the Fire.²⁰

(3:11: Similar to the folks of Fir`awn and their predecessors - who cried lies to Our signs. Allah seized them for their sins. Allah is terrible in retribution.

(3:12) Say to the unbelievers that you shall be overcome and mustered into Jahannam²¹ - an evil resting place.²²

(3:13) There was a sign for you in the two groups that met (at Badr). One group fighting in the cause of Allah while the other – unbelievers, (in the cause of the Devil). They saw them, as the eye sees, twice themselves.²³ (But) Allah strengthens with His succor whom He will. In that was a lesson indeed for those who have insight.

(3:14) Beautified²⁴ for mankind is the joy of the carnal things (that come) from: women,²⁵ offspring, heaped-up hoards²⁶ of gold and silver, branded horses, cattle²⁷ and fields. These are short-lived joys of this world, whereas with Allah is the fairest resort.²⁸

(3:15) Tell them, 'Shall I tell you of (things) better than these? For those of you who acquired piety, for them are, with their Lord, gardens beneath which rivers flow; wherein they shall abide forever; and spouses purified, and a rida from Allah.²⁹ And Allah Sees His slaves.

(3:16) Those who say: 'Our Lord! We have believed, therefore, forgive us our sins, and save us from the punishment of the Fire.'

(3:17: The Patient (and persevering), truthful, devoted, (those who) expend and implore Allah’s forgiveness in the early hours of the morning.³⁰

(3:18) Allah testifies that there is no god save He,³¹ and (so do) the angels and the men of learning³² upholding justice;³³ there is no god save He, the Mighty,³⁴ the Wise.³⁵

(3:19) Verily the (true) religion³⁶ with Allah is Islam.³⁷ Those who were given the Book did not differ but after they had received the knowledge - in envy of each other.³⁸ And whoever rejects the Signs of Allah (should know that) Allah is swift at the reckoning.

(3:20) Therefore, if they dispute with you, tell them, 'I have surrendered myself to Allah as (have) those who follow me.’ Ask those who have been given the Book and the unlettered ones: 'Have you surrendered?’ If they surrender, they (will) attain to guidance. But if they turn away, then, upon you is only the deliverance (of the message). And Allah sees the people.³⁹

Commentary

19. An incident involving an Arab and his several sons participating in the Afghan jihad, served as an eye opener to others. A mild tremor shook the area. Everyone ran away into the open including the sons who also scrambled for safety leaving their old father behind them. "So you forgot me, eh?" the father taunted them as he advanced to them. They were of course ashamed, but the question that everyone asked himself was, if such was the behavior of those in danger, who had left their homes seeking martyrdom, what about the ordinary people! (Au.).

20. A hadith of Ibn Abi Hatim reports Umm al Fadl, mother of Ibn `Abbas as saying: "Once when we were in Makkah the Prophet rose up one night and called out, 'Have I preached O Lord? Have I preached?' three times. `Umar ibn al Khattab stood up and said, 'Yes, (you have)'. (According to another version he said, 'By Allah you have. You have been extremely eager, did your best, and sought their good. Therefore, observe patience.'

"When it was morning the Prophet (saws) said,

" يظهر هذا الدين حتى يجاوز البحار وحتى نحاض ابحار بالخيل في سبيل الله تبارك وتعالى ثم يأتي أقوام يقرءون القرآن فإذا قرءوه قالوا من أقرأ منا من أعلم منا " ثم التفت إلى أصحابه فقال: " هل ترون في أولئكم من خير " قالوا: لا. قال: " أولئك منكم وأولئك من هذه الأمة وأولئك هم وقود النار ".

'Soon Islam will overcome unbelief and push it to its enclaves until horses cross across the seas in the path of Allah. Then a people will come who will recite the Qur'an. When they have begun to recite, they will say, 'Who could be better than us in recitation, in knowledge?' Then he turned to his Companions and asked, ‘Do you any good in them?' They said, ‘No.’ He added, 'They would be of you; they would be of this Ummah, and they would be fuel of the Fire'" (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

21. Jahannam is one of the names of Hell.

22. (Although the application is common, the immediate cause of revelation of this verse was that: Au.), when the Prophet returned from Badr, he ordered the Jews of the Qaynuqah tribe to assemble in their market square. When they had assembled he told them: "O Jews! Submit to Islam before a similar fate overtakes you as that which overtook the Quraysh." They replied: "Muhammad. Let not your slaying of a few Qurayshis embolden you. They were novices who did not know the art of war. If you meet us in a battle, you will discover that you had not encountered a people like us" (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, Shawkani).

23. Two meanings are possible: first, the Muslims were seeing the unbelievers twice themselves in number, and second, it was the unbelievers who were seeing the Muslims twice themselves in numbers. In either case a doubt arises about the implication of another verse in the Qur'an which says (8: 44),

وَإِذْ يُرِيكُمُوهُمْ إِذِ الْتَقَيْتُمْ فِي أَعْيُنِكُمْ قَلِيلًا وَيُقَلِّلُكُمْ فِي أَعْيُنِهِمْ لِيَقْضِيَ اللَّهُ أَمْرًا كَانَ مَفْعُولًا [الأنفال : 44]

'When Allah rendered them to you as few, when you encountered them (at Badr) and rendered you to them as few in their eyes, in order that Allah may bring to an end the affair that had been decided (in your favor).' The answer is that although both the incidents are in reference to Badr, they happened at different moments of the battle. Initially, when they came face to face with each other, the Muslims saw the unbelievers as twice themselves in numbers, (although they were three times more). But when actual combat started, the Muslims saw them as fewer than themselves. "Until," says Ibn Mas`ud, "I turned to the man next to me and asked: 'Do you reckon they are seventy?' He said: 'Nope. I think they are a hundred.' (Actually, they were about a thousand: Au.). But when we defeated them and captured prisoners we asked them, 'How many were you?' They said, 'A thousand'" (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi, Kashshaf, Ibn Kathir).

24. The verse, following the previous verse, which spoke about the battle of Badr, seems to imply that most of the wars are fought for worldly gains, which have been beautified for the people (Alusi).

25. This making of the worldly things attractive in the sight of the people has been done to test them. A hadith in Muslim says:

حُفَّتِ الْجَنَّةُ بِالْمَكَارِهِ وَحُفَّتِ النَّارُ بِالشَّهَوَاتِ

"Paradise has been covered with unpleasant things and the Fire with carnal things." (Qurtubi) The Prophet has also said:

مَا تَرَكْتُ بَعْدِي فِتْنَةً أَضَرَّ عَلَى الرِّجَالِ مِنْ النِّسَاءِ

"I am not leaving behind me a temptation for men greater than women." He has also said in a report preserved by Ibn Majah;

لاَ تَنْكِحُوا النِّسَاءَ لِحُسْنِهِنَّ فَعَسَى حُسْنُهُنَّ أَنْ يُرْدِيَهُنَّ وَلاَ تَنْكِحُوا النِّسَاءَ لأَمْوَالِهِنَّ فَعَسَى أَمْوَالُهُنَّ أَنْ تُطْغِيَهُنَّ وَانْكِحُوهُنَّ عَلَى الدِّينِ فَلأَمَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ خَرْقَاءُ ذَاتُ دِينٍ أَفْضَ

"Do not marry women for their beauty, for their beauty may fade away, nor marry them for their wealth, for their wealth may lead them to rebellion. Rather, marry them for their religion. A black religious slave girl with a sheared ear, or lobes pierced, is preferable (over an irreligious one)" – Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir.

However, if one is fond of women for the sake of children or to safeguard his chastity, then this does not go against the Qur'an as said the Prophet in a hadith of Bukhari:

فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ هَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ كَانَ أَكْثَرَهَا نِسَاءً

"The best of my Ummah are those who have the largest number of women (as wives)." He said about himself:

حُبِّبَ إِلَيَّ النِّسَاءُ وَالطِّيبُ وَجُعِلَ قُرَّةُ عَيْنِي فِي الصَّلَاةِ

"Women and perfumes have been made dear to me. And the cool of my eyes has been placed for me in the Prayers." And, (Qurtubi) `A'isha (ra) says:

لم يكن أحب إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بعد النساء من الخيل

"Nothing was dearer to the Prophet after women than horses." According to another version: "than horses except women." The same principle applies to all the other things mentioned in this verse. If they are dear for the sake of Allah, in order to carry out a duty of Allah, or to meet the just needs, and not for the sake of possession, or to appease the ego, then there is no harm in them. In fact, they are commendable (Ibn Kathir).

26. Qintar is either African, Syrian or Roman in origin, meaning a large amount of heaped up gold or silver. Its plural is, according to Farra', qanatir and muqantarah is plural of plural (Qurtubi).

27. Thanwi has a useful point on the question of love of worldly things. He writes: "Since it is Allah Himself who has beautified the worldly things for mankind, it is a part of human nature, and hence a man is not required to remove it from his heart. (Rather, adds Mufti Shafi`, as Rumi has said, let the heart swim in the sea of material things as does the boat in water, and not sink into it). Whereas (continues Thanwi) in the verse that follows, which declares the Hereafter of greater and permanent value, man is exhorted to cultivate in his heart the love of the Hereafter. That is, instead of working against the "natural love" man is recommended to work on generating in himself this "rational love," and give it preference over the former. This leads us to another truth, viz., of the human qualities some are natural and Allah endowed, and hence man has no control over them. He cannot overcome them. Others are those that man is supposed to acquire, and they, of course, are within his reach and capability. Some salikin do not know the difference and toil at the wrong end."

28. Na`m is camels. But its plural an`am is cattle. A hadith of Ibn Majah says the Prophet (saws) said:

الإِبِلُ عِزٌّ لأَهْلِهَا. وَالْغَنَمُ بَرَكَةٌ. وَالْخَيْرُ مَعْقُودٌ فِي نَوَاصِي الْخَيْلِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ

"Camels are a means of honor. In sheep and goat there is barakah. As for horses, blessings of all kinds will accompany them until the Last Day."

The above hadith is partly in Ibn Majah, which Haythami declared trustworthy (Au.).

Another hadith of sahih isnad reports the Prophet as having advised Umm Hani:

اتخذي غنما فان فيها بركة

"Keep some sheep (and goats) for yourself, there is barakah in them" (Qurtubi).

Haythami declared the above hadith as trustworthy.

One many note the order: women, children, gold and silver, horses, cattle and farms. When a man attains maturity, he needs a woman. Children follow. The family needs wealth and means of transport. Wealth comes from cattle and farms. Industry has been left out, (although a Prophet of yore, Da'ud (asws), made industrial wares, and rudimentary ones existed in Arabia), perhaps because the modern industrial activity is an incidental and short lived one. Human economy over the centuries has been primarily agricultural and pastoral, and will remain so, since humans will outlast minerals (Au.).

29. A hadith of Muslim says:

إذا دخل أهل الجنة يقول الله تعالى لهم (تريدون شيئا أزيدكم)؟ فيقولون: يا ربنا وأي شيء أفضل من هذا؟ فيقول “رِضَاىَ فَلاَ أَسْخَطُ عَلَيْكُمْ بَعْدَهُ أَبَدًا”

Allah will enquire the people of Paradise whether they needed anything else. They would ask if there was anything else better than what they already had. They would be told: "My rida. I will not be angry with you again" (Qurtubi).

30. It has been recorded in the Sahihayn and other books that the Prophet said:

"يَنْزِلُ رَبّنَا تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَىَ كُلّ لَيْلَةٍ إِلَىَ السّمَاءِ الدّنْيَا حِينَ يَبْقَىَ ثُلُثُ اللّيْلِ الاَخِرُ، فَيَقُولُ: مَنْ يَدْعُونِي فَأَسْتَجِيبَ لَهُ وَمَنْ يَسْأَلُنِي فَأُعْطِيَهُ وَمَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُنِي فَأَغْفِرُ لَهُ".

"Allah descends to the firmament of this world every night when a third of it is left and says: ‘Is there anyone to ask so that I might give? Is there anyone to supplicate so that I might answer? Is there anyone to seek forgiveness so that I might forgive?’" (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

It is reported of Ibn `Umar that he would Pray through the night and then ask: "Nafe`! Has the dawn begun to appear?" When Nafe` said yes, he would begin to supplicate and seek forgiveness until the dawn. `Awf Ibn Hatib reports from his father that once he overheard a man who was supplicating in the corner of the mosque, saying: "O My Lord! You ordered and I obeyed. Now this is dawn. Therefore, forgive me." He looked at him. It was `Abdullah Ibn Mas`ud. Finally, Anas bin Malik says: "We used to be told that when we are through with the night Prayers, we should seek Allah's forgiveness seventy times at the approach of dawn (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

31. What is the meaning of Allah bearing witness? Ibn al-Qayyim offers an explanation in detail, of which we shall present only the main points, leaving out the arguments that accompany them.

There are four levels of testimony to a thing:

1. Knowledge of the thing and belief in it as the truth, as Allah said (86: 43),

وَلَا يَمْلِكُ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ الشَّفَاعَةَ إِلَّا مَنْ شَهِدَ بِالْحَقِّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ [الزخرف : 86]

"And those whom they call upon except Allah have no power of intercession save those who testify to the truth and they have knowledge."

2. Its articulation, even if done to oneself and without the knowledge of others as Allah said (43:19):

وَجَعَلُوا الْمَلَائِكَةَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عِبَادُ الرَّحْمَنِ إِنَاثًا أَشَهِدُوا خَلْقَهُمْ سَتُكْتَبُ شَهَادَتُهُمْ وَيُسْأَلُونَ [الزخرف : 19]

"They have declared angels who are the slaves of the Merciful – as females. Have they witnessed their creation? Their testimony will be written down and they shall be questioned."

3. Education and tutoring of others who are ignorant of it as Allah said (9: 17):

مَا كَانَ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ أَنْ يَعْمُرُوا مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ شَاهِدِينَ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ بِالْكُفْرِ [التوبة : 17]

"It was not right of the polytheists to visit the Mosques of Allah, while they bear witness to their own disbelief."

4. Living by its implications and ordering others the same as Allah said (17: 23):

وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ [الإسراء : 23]

"Your Lord has ordered that you worship none but Him."

Ibn Taymiyyah however points out that the existence of the world itself, and the wonderful system by which it operates, bears testimony to Allah's oneness, hence "His testimony.”

32. This demonstrates the status of the `ulama' who have been mentioned along with Allah as witnesses to His oneness, as also it proves the value of knowledge. Indeed, our Prophet himself was asked to supplicate in words:

رَبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا [طه : 114]

"My Lord! Grant me increase in knowledge." The Prophet is reported to have said about the scholars that they are the inheritors of the Prophets (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

A hadith of Musnad Ahmad reports Zubayr b. al `Awwam as saying that the Prophet (saws) recited this verse in `Arafah and said: "And I am of those who bear witness, O My Lord."

And Qattan reports that he happened to have been in Kufa for trade. He stayed there near the quarters of A`mash. One night he heard him recite in his taHajjud this verse: "Allah is witness that there is no god save He, and (so do) the angels and the men of learning, (the One Allah, who is at all times) upholding justice; there is no god save He, the Mighty, the Wise," and then add: "I bear witness to what Allah has borne witness. And I reserve this testimony with Allah. It will be with Him until the Day of Resurrection. And Islam is the true religion." Qattan says, "When I went to say goodbye to A`mash I asked him about what he meant when he said that night since I had no heard anything of the sort from him earlier, although I was in his neighborhood for almost a year." He told me, 'By Allah, I will not tell you about it for another year.' So I left him and wrote the date on his house. After a year I reminded him of it. He said, 'I have heard Ibn Mas`ud report the Prophet as having said that this testimony will be brought to Allah on the Day of Resurrection. Allah will say, "My slave took a promise from Me, and it is deserving of Me that I should keep the promise. Let My slave enter Paradise."' (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, Shawkani).

Qurtubi adds however that according to some scholars this report originating from Musnad Ahmad is weak because of Qattan, but Ibn Ma`in, and Abu Hatim declared him a reliable transmitter.

33. All the attributes of Allah can be incorporated into two: tawhid and `adl. Tawhid signifies Perfection and Beauty. `Adl signifies the emanation of actions that are just, in the right proportion and meeting with the requirements of wisdom. Allah first spoke of tawhid and then al qist which is a synonym of `adl (Ibn Qayyim).

34. The Mighty, whose Power defies any estimation (Ibn Kathir).

35. The Wise in His acts, laws, and Right proportionate (in all things He creates) Ibn Kathir.

36. "Din" here is equivalent of submission and obedience. (Ibn Jarir)

37. That is, Allah will accept no religion from His slaves except Islam as He said at another place in this surah itself (3: 85):

وَمَنْ يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ [آل عمران : 85]

"Whoever sought a religion other than Islam will not have it accepted from him."

The first to whom the passage addressed were the Christians of Najran (Ibn Jarir).

Zamakhshari says, to the effect: Allah qualified Himself as the One who is Mighty, (whom no one can overcome), and as the Just who rules with wisdom. To put it briefly, He is the One and the Just. Then Allah said that "religion with Him is Islam," implying that Islam can be summarized as the religion of oneness of Allah, and justice (din al tawhid wa `adl).

He also explains that there is no repetition in "There is no god save He." For, the first asserts His unity, and the second explains that God, who is One, possesses the Attributes of Might and Wisdom.

38. Mawdudi writes: "In the sight of God there is only one system of life and way of conduct which is both in accord with reality and morally right. This consists of man's acknowledging God as his Lord and the sole object of worship and devotion; of surrendering himself unreservedly to God in obedience and service. In doing so he should follow in toto the guidance communicated by God through His Messengers..." And, a little later, "...the religion of every Messenger of God, in every age and clime, was none other than Islam (submission to God). Likewise, every Divine book, in whichever language it was revealed, and to whichever people it was addressed, contained the teachings of Islam. The various religions which have spread among mankind are distortions of this original religion, and are the results of tampering. Coveting privileges over and above those to which they were entitled, people altered the beliefs, principles and injunctions of the true religion in a manner conducive to their own interests."

39. Ibn Kathir writes: The verse underlines the fact that Prophet Muhammad was sent to the entire mankind, as it is stated in another verse (7: 158):

قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا [الأعراف : 158]

"O people. Verily I am a Messenger of Allah unto all of you." And (25: 1),

تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَالَمِينَ نَذِيرًا [الفرقان : 1]

"Glorified is He who sent down the Furqan on His slave (Muhammad) so that he may be a warner unto the worlds."

And a hadith preserved by Muslim reports the Prophet as having said: "By Him in whose Hands is my life, no one from this Ummah, whether he be a Jew or a Christian, hears about me and then dies without believing in what I have brought, but he will be among the people of the Fire." Imam Ahmad has another tradition recorded in his Musnad (as also by Bukhari) which supports our statement.

عَنْ أَنَسٍ أَنَّ غُلَامًا يَهُودِيًّا كَانَ يَضَعُ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَضُوءَهُ وَيُنَاوِلُهُ نَعْلَيْهِ فَمَرِضَ فَأَتَاهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ وَأَبُوهُ قَاعِدٌ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَا فُلَانُ قُلْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ فَنَظَرَ إِلَى أَبِيهِ فَسَكَتَ أَبُوهُ فَأَعَادَ عَلَيْهِ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَنَظَرَ إِلَى أَبِيهِ فَقَالَ أَبُوهُ أَطِعْ أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ فَقَالَ الْغُلَامُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ فَخَرَجَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَخْرَجَهُ بِي مِنْ النَّارِ

ِA Jewish lad used to assist the Prophet by fetching water for ablution, setting right his shoes and so forth. He fell sick and the Prophet visited him. His father was by the boy's side. The Prophet told him: "O so and so, say, 'There is no god save Allah.'" The lad looked at his father (as if seeking his acquiescence). The father remained silent. The Prophet repeated the invitation. The boy again looked at his father. The father said: "Obey Abu 'l Qasim." The boy said: "I testify that there is no god save Allah, and that you are His Messenger." The Prophet came out saying: "Praise to Allah who saved the boy from the Fire through me" (Quotation from Ibn Kathir ends here).