Surah Ali 'Imran 3:173-180 - Quran Translation Commentary

(3:173) Those, to whom the people said, 'Surely, the forces have gathered against you, therefore fear them.’ But that increased them in their faith²⁷⁷ and they said, 'Allah is sufficient for us, an excellent Trustee.’²⁷⁸

(3:174) So they returned with blessings and bounty from their Lord, untouched by evil; they followed the good Pleasure of Allah. And Allah is the Lord of a great Bounty.²⁷⁹

(3:175) That was Satan scaring you of his friends. So fear them not; fear Me,²⁸⁰ if you are believers.

(3:176) Let not those who hasten to disbelief²⁸¹ aggrieve you.²⁸² They will not harm Allah in the least.²⁸³ Allah desires not to appoint a share for them in the Hereafter.²⁸⁴ For them is a great chastisement.

(3:177: Those who bartered unbelief at the price of belief, surely they will not harm Allah in the least. For them is a painful chastisement.

(3:178) Let not the unbelievers suppose that the respite We grant them is in fact good for their selves. We grant them respite only in order that they may increase in their sins. For them is a humiliating chastisement.

(3:179) Allah was not such as to let the believers remain in the state in which you are, until He distinguished the corrupt from the good.²⁸⁵ And Allah was not such as to let you have knowledge of the Unseen, rather Allah chooses whom He will of His Messengers. Therefore, believe in Allah and His Messengers; and if you believe and are godfearing, then, for you is a great reward.

(3:180) And let not those who are niggardly²⁸⁶ with what Allah has bestowed upon them by His grace imagine that it is a good thing for them. Rather it is evil for them.²⁸⁷ They shall have that which they used to be niggardly with hung about their necks on the Day of Judgement.²⁸⁸ And to Allah belongs the inheritance of all that is in the heavens and the earth. Allah is Aware of what you do.

Commentary

277. This verse proves that iman increases and decreases (Kashshaf, Razi). As for those who have said that it does not, have only differed in the use of the descriptive words. What they have meant to say is that so far as "testimony" is concerned, it can only be called "testimony" if it is accompanied by "conviction." If any doubt lurks, the testimony is no testimony, and hence there is no "belief" in the person. Yes, there can be increase or decrease in the "faith" (yaqin) of a person. A person, to take an example, has full "faith" in a doctor, finds it shaken and is beset with doubts when he discovers him failing with a patient. Therefore, it is "faith" (yaqin) that accepts increase or decrease of which there are, roughly, three degrees: `ilm 'l yaqin, (faith based on knowledge), haqq 'l yaqin (faith based on proofs and arguments) and `ayn 'l yaqin (faith based on personal experience). It is in this background that some scholars have said that iman neither increases nor decreases since there can be no grades or levels of testimony. Either one testifies honestly or he does not. It is in this sense that `Ali is reported to have said that were the veils to be removed there would be no increase in his faith. (He used the word yaqin). Otherwise no one argues that iman increases or decreases in its warmth and force (Manar).

278. Ibn Kathir writes: In a report of Bukhari Ibn `Abbas has said that these were the words Ibrahim (asws) said when he was flung into Fire, and these were the words that Muhammad, peace be upon him, had said when he was told that the forces had gathered against him. It is recommended that the believers also say these words when faced with difficult situations. (However, its utterance does not preclude action: Au.). We have a tradition in Abu Da'ud and Nasa'i which says that once a case was brought up before the Prophet. When he had judged, the man against whom the case had gone, turned back saying: "Allah is sufficient for me, an excellent Trustee (He is)." The Prophet ordered the man brought back. He asked him what it was he had said. The man said, 'I said, "Allah is sufficient for me, and an excellent Trustee (He is)."' The Prophet told him:

إنّ الله تَعَالَى يَلُومُ عَلَى الْعَجْزِ وَلَكِنْ عَلَيْكَ بالْكَيْسِ فإذَا غَلَبَكَ أَمْرٌ فَقُلْ حَسْبِيَ الله وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ

"Allah does not approve of weakness. Rather, you have to act wisely. However, if things go wrong (despite that) then you might say: "Allah is sufficient for me, and an excellent Trustee (He is)."

According to another reliable report the Prophet said:

كَيْفَ أَنْعَمُ وَصَاحِبُ الْقَرْنِ قَدِ الْتَقَمَ الْقَرْنَ ، وَحَنَى جَبْهَتَهُ يَنْتَظِرُ مَتَى يُؤْمَرُ ، قَالُوا : يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ ، فَمَا تَأْمُرُنَا ؟ قَالَ : قُولُوا حَسْبُنَا اللهُ ، وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ

"How can I relax when the Trumpet bearer has the Trumpet on his lips, and awaits with the head bowed down, in anticipation of the order to blow." He was asked: "What should we say then, Messenger of Allah?" He replied: "Say: 'Allah is sufficient for us, and an excellent Trustee (He is).'"

It is also reported of `A'isha and Zaynab (both wives of the Prophet) that they contended with each other. Zaynab said, "Allah married me to the Prophet in the heavens while you were married to him by your kinsfolk." `A'isha replied: "Allah sent down my exoneration from the heavens (and it is) in the Qur'an." With this Zaynab admitted her superiority. Then she asked her: "What did you say when you were found by Safwan b. Mu`attal? (At the time she was left behind by the caravan: Au.). `A'isha said, 'I said, "Allah is sufficient for me, and an excellent Trustee (He is)." Zaynab said: "You said what the believers say" (Ibn Kathir's quotation ends here).

279. `Ikrimah says the allusion is to the campaign of Hamra' al Asad. The battle of Uhud took place on Saturday the 15th of Shawwal. On the evening of the 16th the Prophet's caller announced that volunteers were required for a new campaign. He also announced that only those will be allowed who had participated at Uhud. At this Jabir b. `Abdullah came forward and said, 'You know Messenger of Allah, that I had not stayed back but because my father had said it wasn't right for both of us to go out in the battle leaving seven little girls in no one's care. Therefore I should be allowed to go out now.' (His father was martyred at Uhud: Au.). The Prophet let him join. Some of those who answered the call were Abu Bakr, `Umar, `Uthman, `Ali, Zubayr, Sa`d, Talha, `Abdul Rahman ibn `Awf, `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud, Hudhayfah ibn al Yaman, Abu `Ubaydah ibn al Jarrah: in all, some seventy volunteers. They marched up to Hamra' al Asad, in pursuit of Abu Sufyan and his forces.

According to another report Abu Sa'ib, the freed slave of Uthman, a man from Banu Ash hal and his brother both had received injuries at Uhud. When the second call came, they said to each other that they were not going to miss a campaign in which the Prophet was participating. Accordingly, they both came out, with one of them leaning against the other, joining the Muslims at the camp. From there they marched out to Hamra' al Asad, a station some 12 km from Madinah where the Prophet spent three days before returning.

In the meanwhile Abu Sufyan and his men who had encamped a little further up at a place called Rawha' began to question their own wisdom in not plundering the city of Madinah. "Neither did you kill Muhammad, nor have you got with you heavy bosomed dames as your pillion riders," chided some of them. Even as they were discussing the return, a man called Ma`bad the Khuza`i came up to them. He was still an unbeliever but with a soft corner for the Prophet. He was unhappy with what had struck the Prophet at Uhud. When Abu Sufyan enquired about the Prophet, Ma`bad bluffed to him that he was right behind him with his forces, in numbers unseen at anytime, swelled by those angry ones at Madinah who had not participated in the battle of Uhud. They are full of vengeance and anger. To drive home the point he recited a few couplets of his own. That scared Abu Sufyan. He offered a passing caravan a camel load of raisins if he would pass by the Prophet and discourage him from pursuing him by telling him that Abu Sufyan was himself coming back with a huge army bent on destroying Madinah. When the Prophet and his Companions were informed of this, it only increased them in their faith and they said: "Allah is sufficient for us, and an excellent Trustee (He is)." This, Ibn Jarir says, seems to be the most likely reason for the revelation of these verses.

Badr Sughra

Nevertheless, according to Mujahid, these verses refer to the second campaign of Badr known as Badr al Sughra ('the lesser Badr'). The details are as follows. Before returning from Uhud, Abu Sufyan had promised the Prophet that he would meet him at Badr the next year for another trial of strength. Following his promise Abu Sufyan started out, but fright got the better of him and he returned from Marr 'l Dhahran itself, commissioning Nu`aym b. Mas`ud al Ashja`i at the cost of ten camels to go and relay the news to the Prophet that he was coming up against him with a mighty force. Nu`aym (who embraced Islam during the battle of the Ditch in 5 A.H.: Manar) came down to the town and tried to dissuade the Prophet from setting out, warning him and his men that he did not expect them to return alive, such large were the numbers with Abu Sufyan. This did cause some concern among the Muslims whose response to the Prophet's call was initially lukewarm. But the Prophet was determined and said that he would go alone, even if no one joined him. Encouraged by his determination, some seventy volunteered, and he set out for Badr. On the way they met batches of pagans who all assured them that Abu Sufyan was marching across with an indestructible force. But this only increased them in their faith and they said: "Allah is sufficient for us, an excellent Trustee (He is)." Abu Sufyan of course did not go beyond Marr 'l Dhahran (according to some narrations, `Usfan: Manar). The Muslims, however, chanced into a fair held annually at Badr in which they made great profits and returned laden with merchandise eight days later. This explains the verse: "They returned with blessings and bounty from their Lord, untouched by evil" (Ibn Jarir, Kashshaf, Ibn Kathir).

It seems allusions have been made in these verses to both the campaigns, the Hamra' al Asad as well as the Badr al Sughra. (Verse 172 alludes to Hamra' al Asad, and 173, 174 to Badr al Sughra) Razi, Manar.

Ibn al-Qayyim and Halabi have stated that the total number of men with the Prophet was around 1500. It is possible that only 70 accompanied him initially, and the rest joined him later (Manar).

280. It is said that it is not he who is fearful of his Lord who weeps and then wipes off his eyes (moments later). It is he who gives up what Allah has forbidden in fear of His punishment (Thanwi, Ashraf al-Tafasir). The Prophet has said in a hasan gharib hadith of Tirmidhi:

إِنّي أَرَى مَا لاَ تَرَوْنَ وَأَسْمَعُ مَا لاَ تَسْمَعُونَ، أَطّتْ السّمَاءُ وَحُقّ لَهَا أَنْ تَئِطّ مَا فِيهَا مَوْضِعُ أَرْبَعِ أَصَابِعٍ إِلاّ وَمَلَكٌ وَاضِعٌ جَبْهَتَهُ سَاجِداً لله. وَالله لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا أَعْلَمُ لَضَحِكْتُمْ قَلِيلاً وَلَبَكَيْتُمْ كَثِيراً، وَمَا تَلَذّذْتُمْ بالنّسَاءِ عَلَى الفُرُشِ، وَلَخَرَجْتُمْ إِلَى الصّعُدَاتِ تَجْأَرُونَ إِلَى الله لَوَدِدْتُ أَنّي كُنْتُ شَجَرَةً تُعْضَدُ

"I see what you do not see, and hear what you do not hear. The heaven is creaking and it is right that it should creak, for there is not an inch of space in it but occupied by an angel in prostration. By Allah! If you knew what I know, you'd laugh less, cry more, would not lie down with your women in your beds, rather, would go out into the fields weeping and crying aloud to God (saying) ‘I wish I was a tree plucked off’" (Qurtubi).

281. Sayyid writes: "Let not those who hasten towards disbelief...": This is a pictorial illustration depicting a psychological state. We can notice some of the unbelievers working real hard in the way of disbelief, falsehood, evil, and sins; as if they are contending with others of their kind for an award awaiting them at the other end. We find them heading speedily, in full zeal, great enthusiasm, and full force, plunging headlong, as if they are being pressed on from the rear or are goaded on from the front by someone holding out an award to the winner of the race."

282. Rather, they harm themselves alone, entirely, as Allah said in a hadith of Muslim and Tirmidhi narrated by Abu Dharr:

يَا عِبَادِي إِنّي حَرّمْتُ الظّلْمَ عَلَىَ نَفْسِي. وَجَعَلْتُهُ بَيْنَكُمْ مُحَرّماً. فَلاَ تَظَالَمُوا. يَا عِبَادِي كُلّكُمْ ضَالّ إِلاّ مَنْ هَدَيْتُهُ. فَاسْتَهْدُونِي أَهْدِكُمْ. يَا عِبَادِي كُلّكُمْ جَائِعٌ إِلاّ مَنْ أَطْعَمْتُهُ. فَاسْتَطْعِمُونِي أُطْعِمْكُمْ. يَا عِبَادِي كُلّكُمْ عَارٍ إِلاّ مَنْ كَسَوْتُهُ. فَاسْتَكْسُونِي أَكْسُكُمْ. يَا عِبَادِي إِنّكُمْ تُخْطِئُونَ بِاللّيْلِ وَالنّهَارِ، وَأَنَا أَغْفِرُ الذّنُوبَ جَمِيعاً. فَاسْتَغْفِرُونِي أَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ. يَا عِبَادِي إِنّكُمْ لَنْ تَبْلُغُوا ضَرّي فَتَضُرّونِي. وَلَنْ تَبْلُغُوا نَفْعِي فَتَنْفَعُونِي. يَا عِبَادِي لَوْ أَنّ أَوّلَكُمْ وَآخِرَكُمْ، وَإِنْسَكُمْ وَجِنّكُمْ. كَانُوا عَلَىَ أَتْقَىَ قَلْبِ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ مِنْكُمْ. مَا زَادَ ذَلِكَ فِي مُلْكِي شَيْئاً. يَا عِبَادِي لَوْ أَنّ أَوّلَكُمْ وَآخِرَكُمْ. وَإِنْسَكُمْ وَجِنّكُمْ. كَانُوا عَلَىَ أَفْجَرِ قَلْبِ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ. مَا نَقَصَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ مُلْكِي شَيْئاً. يَا عِبَادِي لَوْ أَنّ أَوّلَكُمْ وَآخِرَكُمْ. وَإِنْسَكُمْ وَجِنّكُمْ. قَامُوا فِي صَعِيدٍ وَاحِدٍ فَسَأَلُونِي. فَأَعْطَيْتُ كُلّ إِنْسَانٍ مَسْأَلَتَهُ. مَا نَقَصَ ذَلِكَ مِمّا عِنْدِي إِلاّ كَمَا يَنْقُصُ الْمِخْيَطُ إِذَا أُدْخِلَ الْبَحْرَ. يَا عِبَادِي إِنّمَا هِيَ أَعْمَالُكُمْ أُحْصِيهَا لَكُمْ. ثُمّ أُوَفّيكُمْ إِيّاهَا. فَمَنْ وَجَدَ خَيْراً فَلْيَحْمَدِ اللّهَ. وَمَنْ وَجَدَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ فَلاَ يَلُومَنّ إِلاّ نَفْسَهُ

"O My slaves, I have forbidden oppression unto Myself and have made it unlawful unto you, therefore do not oppress each other. O My slaves, all of you are misguided save him whom I have guided. Therefore seek guidance of Me, I shall guide you. O My slaves, all of you are hungry save him who I have fed. Therefore ask food of Me and I shall feed you. O My slaves, all of you are naked save him I have clothed. Therefore seek clothes of me and I shall clothe you. O My slaves, you sin by the day and by the night and I forgive all of your sins. Therefore, seek forgiveness of Me and I shall forgive you. O My slaves, you can never be in a position to harm Me that you might (attempt to) harm Me, neither can you ever be in a position to be of profit to Me so that you might (try and) cause Me profit. O My slaves, were the first of you and the last of you, the mankind of you and the jinn-kind of you to become as pious as the most pious of you, that will not cause increase in My kingdom in the least. O My slaves, were the first of you and the last of you, the men of you and the jinn of you to become as corrupt as the most corrupt of you, that will not cause decrease in My kingdom in the least. O My slaves, were the first of you, the last of you, the men of you and the jinn of you to gather in a plain field and ask Me, and I were to grant everyone of you what he asked for, that would not cause a decrease in My kingdom more than what would if a needle were to be dipped into the sea. O My slaves, it is nothing but your own deeds that I keep record of and then return them to you (in the form of retribution, good or bad). Therefore, let him who finds good, thank Allah, and let him who finds it different, may blame none but himself" (Qurtubi).

283. The allusion is to hypocrites (Mujahid, Ibn Ishaq: Ibn Jarir). But some have said that some people became Muslims and then turned apostates. It is they who are alluded to by either of the two verses, 176 and 177 (Razi).

284. That is, they are in such a state of corruption and evil that it entails their deprivation of the blessings of the Hereafter by the Will of Allah and His Approval (Manar).

Asad comments: "This is an allusion to the doctrine of natural laws (in Qur'anic terminology, sunnat Allah, "God's way") to which man's inclination and actions as well as all other happenings in the universe are subject. The above verse says, as it were, "Since these people are bent on denying the truth, Our giving the rein [that is, freedom of choice and time for a reconsideration of their attitude] will not work out for the benefit but will, on the contrary, cause them to grow in false self confidence and, thus, in sinfulness." As in many similar passages in the Qur'an, God attributes their "growing in sinfulness" to His own will because it is He who has imposed on all His creation the natural law of cause and effect."

285. There are many advantages in the distinction being drawn between the believers and the hypocrites. Without that it might happen that a true believer divulge important information to a hypocrite. It also helps the believers to attempt a realistic evaluation of themselves. On the level of the individual, it can prove to be an unveiling, leading them to corrections. Further, it strikes me that one of the easiest way for a person to know of his situation vis a vis his faith, or of those around him, would be for Allah to directly let him have its knowledge. But this is not the Sunnah of Allah. He does not let people know what is in the unseen. Rather, He leaves it to them, giving them the choice to either make efforts towards corrections, in the light of the guidance sent to them, or be negligent (Manar).

286. There is no difference of opinion among the scholars that niggardliness is applicable to withholding when it is obligatory to spend. Withholding that, the spending of which is not obligatory upon a person, does not incur the same censure (Razi).

As for the other Qur'anic term shuhh, it is niggardliness coupled with greed (Qurtubi).

287. When Allah had, up to the last verse, encouraged the believers to go out in the way of Allah, to struggle in His cause with their physical selves, He now follows it up by encouraging them to continue the struggle with their material possessions (Razi, Manar).

Asad adds: "This is an allusion to the way of life of the unbelievers mentioned in verse 179 above: a way of life characterized by extreme attachment to the material things of this world a materialism based on a lack of belief in anything that transcends the practical problems of life."

288. The translation follows the interpretation preferred by Ibn Jarir of Ibn Mas`ud, Suddi and others who have said that it is the withholding of zakah that is alluded to which will be given the form of a serpent. On the day of Judgment it will bite the non remitters on their cheeks.

Ibn Kathir (and to an extent Qurtubi) adds evidence by quoting several ahadith of identical meaning found in various books. One of them, in Bukhari narrated by Abu Hurayrah, says that the Prophet said:

«مَنْ آتَاهُ اللّهُ عَزّ وَجَلّ مَالاً فَلَمْ يُؤَدّ زَكَاتَهُ مُثّلَ لَهُ مَالُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ شُجَاعا أَقْرَعَ لَهُ زَبِيبَتَانَ يَأْخُذُ بِلِهْزَمَتَيْهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَيَقُولُ: أَنَا مَالُكَ أَنَا كَنْزُكَ ثُمّ تَلاَ هَذِهِ الاَيَةَ {وَلاَ يَحْسَبَنّ الّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ}» (آل عمران، الاَية: 081

"Whoever was given wealth but did not pay the zakah will have his wealth turned into a serpent with two spots, taking him by his two jaws on the Day of Judgment saying, 'I'm your wealth, I'm your treasure.' Then the Prophet quoted this verse: "Let not those who are niggardly with what Allah has bestowed upon them by His grace imagine that it is a good thing for them. Rather it is evil for them."

However, Ibn `Abbas and Mujahid have said that the allusion is to the Jews who withhold knowledge of Allah's revelations from the people, and will have some sort of punishment hung around their necks on the Day of Judgment.

It should be apparent on closer consideration that there is no contradiction between the two opinions. In fact, withholding knowledge sent down by Allah, or corrupting it for worldly reasons, is a sin of greater significance than withholding material wealth. To cite an example of a similar nature: after speaking of what Allah has forbidden of the food in verse 173 of surah al Baqarah, which says:

إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةَ وَالدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ بِهِ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ [البقرة : 173]

"He has indeed forbidden you only the carrion, blood, flesh of swine, and that which has been consecrated in the name other than that of Allah," after saying that, Allah went on to say in the next verse:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَيَشْتَرُونَ بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا أُولَئِكَ مَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِي بُطُونِهِمْ إِلَّا النار [البقرة : 174]

"Those who conceal that which Allah has revealed of the Book and barter in its return a paltry price do not fill their bellies but with Fire," implying that if blood, carrion, etc., are forbidden things, then surely concealing Allah's revelation is forbidden to a greater degree. Furthermore, as Imam Razi has pointed out, the next few verses also point to the possibility that it is the Jews who have been alluded to by this verse, who, anyway, committed both kinds of niggardliness: that involving wealth as well as that involving knowledge (Au.).

The Relationship: In the verses previous to this one (no. 181) when Allah spoke of charity the unbelievers said that He must be poor to be exhorting His slaves to spend. He revealed these verses (Razi).