Surah Ali 'Imran 3:144-148 - Quran Translation Commentary

(3:144) Muhammad is not aught but a Messenger. Messengers have passed away before him.²²⁶ Were he to die, or be killed, will you turn about on your heals?²²⁷ Whoso turns about on his heels will do no harm to Allah.²²⁸ And Allah shall surely recompense the thanksgiving.²²⁹

(3:145) It is not given to any soul to die, save by the will of Allah - (there being) an appointed term (for everyone).²³⁰ Whoso seeks the rewards of this world, We will give him of it. And whoso seeks the reward of the next world, We will give him of that.²³¹ And We shall surely recompense the thanksgiving.

(3:146) How many Prophets there have not been with whom large bands of godly men²³² fought?²³³ They did not lose heart at the setbacks they suffered in the way of Allah; neither did they weaken, nor yet they gave in.²³⁴ And Allah loves the Patient.²³⁵

(3:147) They had nothing to say except that they prayed: 'Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and our excesses in our affairs,²³⁶ make firm our feet and help us against the unbelieving people.

(3:148) So Allah gave them the reward of this world and the excellent reward of the Hereafter. And Allah loves those who do good.

Commentary

226. "Da`wah is older than the da`i ... and will outlast the da`i ... Callers to the Call will come and go. The Call itself will remain ... through and through the ages ... with each new generation of callers turning for inspiration to the Primary Source ... Allah ... the Everlasting" (Sayyid).

227. This refers to the situation in the battle of Uhud when the Prophet (saws) disappeared from the sight, and the news spread that he was dead. (According to a report in Bukhari of `A'isha's narration, it was Iblis who had shouted out that Muhammad was dead: Ibn Kathir). At this, some people, in whose heart was sickness, said that if he was dead there was no point in remaining Muslims. (Some Muslims said: "O that `Abdullah ibn Ubayy was with us, so he could strike a deal with Abu Sufyan: Zamakhshari). Others, who were true in their faith such as an Ansari who was found by a Muhajir injured and bleeding said that if he was dead, there was no point in living, rather, it would be better to die defending what Muhammad had died defending. Thereupon Allah revealed this verse (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir, Razi).

These lines announced that Muhammad's messengership was not a new phenomenon. Other Messengers had come and gone, and one day he will be gone too; as it happened a few years later when he died. (For Messengers are sent to deliver the message, and complete the argument, and not to abide with their people: Zamakhshari). But when that happened, and the Messenger actually died, the people weren't ready to accept the fact. Even a person like `Umar declared that he would behead anyone who said that Muhammad was dead. (That was how `Umar reacted, while, as some people have said, `Uthman was dumb, and `Ali out of sight: Qurtubi). "People," as `A'isha has reported in a version in Bukhari, "were in a state of shock and perplexity, until Abu Bakr arrived (from one of his wives, who lived among the Banu `Awali, a mile out of Madinah: Qurtubi). He went to the corpse, removed the covering, bent down, kissed the forehead and said, 'By Allah. He will not give you two deaths. The death that was written for you has overtaken you.' Then he entered the mosque where he encountered `Umar. He told him, 'Sit down `Umar!' He proceeded to the pulpit and addressed the people in words: 'People. Those who worshipped Muhammad should know that he is dead. But those who worshipped Allah, should know that Allah is Living. He does not die.' Then he recited this verse: 'Muhammad is naught but a Messenger... (until the end).' "And, by God," continues `A'isha, "it was as if the people had not heard of this revelation earlier. It was as if they had just learnt it from Abu Bakr! The next minute, the verse was on everyone's lip." Sa`id ibn al Musayyib adds that `Umar said, 'I did not hear Abu Bakr reciting it, but I began to sweat, and (with its meaning gradually settling upon him), my legs gave way and I collapsed' (Ibn Kathir).

Qurtubi quotes the following here: Anas b. Malik said, as recorded in Ibn Majah: "Madinah had lit up the day the Prophet had entered it, and darkened the day he died. And, it wasn't a moment after we had buried him, but we felt a change in our hearts."

Ibn `Umar said: "Until the Prophet was alive, we used to be careful with our women, avoiding even talking to them playfully, fearful that a revelation might come down censuring us. When he was dead, we became free with them."

228. In this verse was the prediction that the death of the Prophet will be followed by some apostasy. (Shabbir).

229. `Ali is reported to have said that Abu Bakr is the leader of the "Thanksgiving" (Ibn Jarir, Shawkani).

230. (During their encounters with the Persians, much later, during `Umar's caliphate) when the Islamic forces were unable to reach the enemy forces that were at the other side of river Dijlah (Tigris), Hajr b. `Udayy addressed the Muslims: "What?! Is there nothing between you and them, but this river? It is not for any soul to die save by the will of Allah an appointed term?" Then he plunged his horse into the river. Following his example others also plunged their horses into the river (and nobody was drowned). When they arrived at the other side, the Persians began to say, "Deo an," (meaning, "The supermen have arrived: Au.), and fled (Ibn Kathir).

231. As said Allah elsewhere (17: 18, 19):

مَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْعَاجِلَةَ عَجَّلْنَا لَهُ فِيهَا مَا نَشَاءُ لِمَنْ نُرِيدُ ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَا لَهُ جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَاهَا مَذْمُومًا مَدْحُورًا (18) وَمَنْ أَرَادَ الْآخِرَةَ وَسَعَى لَهَا سَعْيَهَا وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُولَئِكَ كَانَ سَعْيُهُمْ مَشْكُورًا [الإسراء : 18 ، 19]

"Whoso wishes for the transitory things, We hasten for him therein, what We will unto whomsoever We will. Then We have appointed for him Jahannum, which he will reach, disgraced and rejected. As for him who wishes for the Hereafter, and strives after it in the way it deserves to be striven for and he is a believer such are the ones whose striving will be well appreciated" (Ibn Kathir).

232. The word in the original is ribbiyyun (sing. ribbi) and can be interpreted both to mean "groups" as well as "batches", which is the opinion of Ibn Mas`ud, Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah, Mujahid, Dahhak, Rabi`, Suddi and others. Nonetheless, it can as well be understood as "scholars" (or godly men: rabbi), which is the opinion of Ibn `Abbas, Hasan, Ibn al Mubarak and others (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi). Of the grammarians, Zajjaj is with the former, while Khalil sides with the latter (Shawkani).

233. (Although a variant reading of qatala [fought] is qutila [were killed] which would mean that many Prophets have earlier been killed along with their numerous followers in the battle fields fighting in the way of Allah, but that did not deter the rest from following their ways a meaning of Ibn Jarir's preference: Au.) Hasan [and Sa`id ibn Jubayr: Zamakhshari and Razi], however, has said that no Prophet was ever killed in a battlefield [and hence qatala is the right reading: Au.] Shawkani.

234. Razi comments: The original has three words of similar meaning: viz., wahn, da`f, and istikanah. What's the difference? Zamakhshari has said in explanation: "They did not weaken down at the death of their Prophet (ma wahanu), did not slacken their jihad efforts after him (ma da`ufu) and, did not seek compromises with their enemies (ma istakanu). However, there is another way of differentiation: Wahn is the weakness that strikes the heart; da`f is that which affects the body leading it to inactivity; and istikanah is the display of such internal weaknesses to others.

235. So, the absence of wahn, da`f and istikanah are signs of sabr (Au.).

236. One of the Prophet's prayer words, according to Muslim, were:

اللهُمَّ اغفِر لِي خَطيئَتِي وجَهلِي وإسرافِي فِي أَمري ومَا أَنت أَعلمُ بِه مِني ، اللهُمَّ اغفِر لِي هَزلِي وجِدي وخَطأي وعَمدِي وكُلُ ذَلك عِندِي

"O Allah, forgive me my errors, my ignorance, my excesses in my affairs, and what You know of me more than I. O Allah, forgive me my frivolous and the serious, my unintended errors, and intended errors, and all of them are in me."

The Prophet’s followers should also adopt his proven prayer words, which are Divinely inspired, rather than substitute them with their own words (Qurtubi).