Tafsir Maariful Quran
Quran Translation and Commentary by Maulana Mufti Mohammad Shafi. Translation by Prof. Muhammad Hasan Askari & Prof. Muhammad Shamim. Revised by Justice Mufti Muhammad Taqi UsmaniQuran Translation
Word for Word by
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh
& Kausar Khatri
1. Al-Fatihah
2. Al-Baqarah
3. Al-Imran
4. Al-Nisa
5. Al-Maidah
6. Al-Anam
7. Al-Araf
8. Al-Anfal
9. Al-Taubah
10. Yunus
11. Hud
12. Yusuf
13. Al-Rad
14. Ibrahim
15. Al-Hijr
16. Al-Nahl
17. Bani Israil
18. Al-Kahf
19. Maryam
20. Ta-Ha
21. Al-Anbiya
22. Al-Hajj
23. Al-Muminun
24. An-Nur
25. Al-Furqan
26. Ash-Shuara
27. An-Naml
28. Al-Qasas
29. Al-Ankabut
30. Ar-Rum
31. Luqman
32. As-Sajdah
33. Al-Ahzab
34. Saba
35. Fatir
36. Yasin
37. As-Saffat
38. Saad
39. Az-Zumar
40. Al-Mumin
41. Ha-Meem-As-Sajdah
42. AShura
43. Az-Zukhruf
44. Ad-Dukhan
45. Al-Jathiyah
46. Al-Ahqaf
47. Muhammad
48. Al-Fath
49. Al-Hujurat
50. Al-Qaf
51. Adh-Dhariyat
52. At-Tur
53. An-Najm
54. Al-Qamar
55. Al-Rahman
56. Al-Waqiah
57. Al-Hadid
58. Al-Mujadalah
59. Al-Hashr
60. Al-Mumtahinah
61. As-Saff
62. Al-Jumuah
63. Al-Munafiqun
64. Al-Taghabun
65. At-Talaq
66. At-Tahrim
67. Al-Mulk
68. Al-Qalam
69. Al-Haqqah
70. Al-Maarij
71. Nuh
72. Al-Jinn
73. Al-Muzzammil
74. Al-Muddhththir
75. Al-Qiyamah
76. Ad-Dahr
77. Al-Mursalat
78. An-Naba
79. An-Naziat
80. Abas
81. At-Takwir
82. Al-Infitar
83. At-Tatfif
84. Al-Inshiqaq
85. Al-Buruj
86. At-Tariq
87. Al-Ala
88. Al-Ghashiyah
89. Al-Fajr
90. Al-Balad
91. Ash-Shams
92. Al-Lail
93. Ad-Duha
94. Al-Inshirah
95. At-Tin
96. Al-Alaq
97. Al-Qadr
98. Al-Bayyinah
99. Az-Zilzal
100. Al-Adiyat
101. Al-Qariah
102. At-Takathur
103. Al-Asr
104. Al-Humazah
105. Al-Fil
106. Al-Quraish
107. Al-Maun
108. Al-Kauthar
109. Al-Kafirun
110. An-Nasr
111. Al-Lahab
112. Al-Ikhlas
113. Al-Falaq
114. An-Nas
قُلْ Say یٰۤاَهْلَ O People الْكِتٰبِ (of) the Book تَعَالَوْا Come اِلٰی to كَلِمَةٍ a word سَوَآءٍۭ equitable بَیْنَنَا between us وَ بَیْنَكُمْ and between you اَلَّا that not نَعْبُدَ we worship اِلَّا except اللّٰهَ Allah وَ لَا and not نُشْرِكَ we associate partners بِهٖ with Him شَیْـًٔا anything وَّ لَا and not یَتَّخِذَ take بَعْضُنَا some of us بَعْضًا (to) others اَرْبَابًا (as) lords مِّنْ from دُوْنِ besides اللّٰهِ ؕ Allah فَاِنْ Then if تَوَلَّوْا they turn away فَقُوْلُوا then say اشْهَدُوْا Bear witness بِاَنَّا that we مُسْلِمُوْنَ (are) Muslims یٰۤاَهْلَ O People الْكِتٰبِ (of) the Book لِمَ Why تُحَآجُّوْنَ (do) you argue فِیْۤ concerning اِبْرٰهِیْمَ Ibrahim وَ مَاۤ while not اُنْزِلَتِ was revealed التَّوْرٰىةُ the Taurat وَ الْاِنْجِیْلُ and the Injeel اِلَّا except مِنْۢ from بَعْدِهٖ ؕ after him اَفَلَا Then why don't تَعْقِلُوْنَ you use your intellect هٰۤاَنْتُمْ Here you are هٰۤؤُلَآءِ those who حَاجَجْتُمْ argued فِیْمَا about what لَكُمْ [for] you بِهٖ of it عِلْمٌ (have some) knowledge فَلِمَ Then why تُحَآجُّوْنَ (do) you argue فِیْمَا about what لَیْسَ not لَكُمْ for you بِهٖ of it عِلْمٌ ؕ (any) knowledge وَ اللّٰهُ And Allah یَعْلَمُ knows وَ اَنْتُمْ while you لَا (do) not تَعْلَمُوْنَ know مَا Not كَانَ was اِبْرٰهِیْمُ Ibrahim یَهُوْدِیًّا a Jew وَّ لَا and not نَصْرَانِیًّا a Christian وَّ لٰكِنْ and but كَانَ he was حَنِیْفًا a true مُّسْلِمًا ؕ Muslim وَ مَا and not كَانَ he was مِنَ from الْمُشْرِكِیْنَ the polytheists اِنَّ Indeed اَوْلَی the best to claim relationship النَّاسِ (of) people بِاِبْرٰهِیْمَ with Ibrahim لَلَّذِیْنَ (are) those who اتَّبَعُوْهُ follow him وَ هٰذَا and this النَّبِیُّ [the] Prophet وَ الَّذِیْنَ and those who اٰمَنُوْا ؕ believe[d] وَ اللّٰهُ And Allah وَلِیُّ (is) a Guardian الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ (of) the believers وَدَّتْ Wished طَّآىِٕفَةٌ a group مِّنْ from اَهْلِ (the) People الْكِتٰبِ (of) the Book لَوْ if یُضِلُّوْنَكُمْ ؕ they could lead you astray وَ مَا and not یُضِلُّوْنَ they lead astray اِلَّاۤ except اَنْفُسَهُمْ themselves وَ مَا and not یَشْعُرُوْنَ they perceive یٰۤاَهْلَ O People الْكِتٰبِ (of) the Book! لِمَ Why do تَكْفُرُوْنَ you deny بِاٰیٰتِ [in] the Signs اللّٰهِ (of) Allah وَ اَنْتُمْ while you تَشْهَدُوْنَ bear witness 3. Ali 'Imran Page 59 یٰۤاَهْلَ O People الْكِتٰبِ (of) the Book! لِمَ Why تَلْبِسُوْنَ do you mix الْحَقَّ the truth بِالْبَاطِلِ with the falsehood وَ تَكْتُمُوْنَ and conceal الْحَقَّ the truth وَ اَنْتُمْ while you تَعْلَمُوْنَ۠ know
(3:64) Say, “O people of the Book, come to a word common between us and between you, that we worship none but Allah, that we associate nothing with Him and that some of us do not take others as Lords instead of Allah.” Then, should they turn back, say, “Bear witness that we are Muslims.”
(3:65) O people of the Book, why do you argue about Ibrāhīm, while the Torah and the Injīl were not revealed until after him? Have you, then, no sense
(3:66) Look, this is what you are - you have already argued about matters concerning which you have knowledge; why then do you argue about matters of which you have no knowledge? Allah knows and you do not know
(3:67) Ibrāhīm was neither a Jew nor a Christian. But he was upright, a Muslim, and was not one of those who associate partners with Allah
(3:68) The closest of people to Ibrāhīm are those who followed him, and this prophet, and those who believe; and Allah is the Guardian of all believers
(3:69) A group from the people of the Book loves to mislead you, while they mislead none but themselves, and they do not realize
(3:70) O people of the Book, why do you disbelieve in the verses of Allah (revealed in the former Scriptures to foretell about the advent of the Holy Prophet ?) while you are yourselves witnesses (to those verses)
(3:71) O People of the Book, why do you confound the truth with falsehood, and conceal the truth when you know (the reality)
Important Principles of Tabligh and Da'wah:
This verse: تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ unfolds an important principle of Tabligh تبلیغ (Preaching) and Da'wah دعوہ (Preaching Islam). The principle requires that a person, who desires to carry his call to a group which holds beliefs and ideas different from his own, should follow a particular method. That method is to induce that group to unite only on what they both can agree to, for instance, when the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم gave the Byzantine ruler, Hiraql (Heraclius) the call to Islam, he picked up a particular point on which there was mutual agreement, i.e., on the Oneness of Allah Almighty. That invitation is reproduced below:
بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم، مِن محمد عبداللہ ورسولہ الی ھرقل عظیم الروم، سلام علی من اتبع الھدی، اما بعد فانی ادعوک بدعایۃ الاسلام ، اسلم ِ تسلم یؤتک اللہ اجرک مرتین فان علیک اثم الیریسین، لْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللَّـهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْ‌بَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّـهِ (البخاری)
I begin with the name of Allah who is All-Merciful, Very-Merciful. From Muhammad, servant of Allah, and His messenger: To Heraclius, the Byzantine emperor. Peace be on him who takes the right path. After that, I invite you to the call of Islam. Embrace Islam and be in peace. Allah will bestow upon you a twofold reward, but should you turn away, then, on you shall be the sin of your subjects. "0 people of the Book, come to a word common between us and you that we worship none but Allah, that we associate nothing with Him and that some of us do not take some others as Lord instead of Allah." (Al-Bukhari)
The statement, 'you be witness...' in the last sentence of the verse teaches us a lesson, that is, should someone refuse to accept the truth, even after it has been proved clearly, then the proper course is to re-state one's own belief and conclude the conversation. Entering into fur-ther debate and verbal altercation is not appropriate.
The argumentation referred to in verse 65 was to decide whether Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) followed the way of the Jews, or that of the Christians. The futility of their exercise already stood exposed as both these ways in religion appeared long after the revelation of the Old and New Testaments. These just did not exist before that. How, then, could it be claimed that Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) . It adhered To these ways?
Verse 66 points out to the hollowness of their approach when they indulged in their argumentation on the basis of incomplete knowledge. That they would venture to do so on the basis of no knowledge could hardly he explained. The truth is that only Allah knows the way of Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) .
That way has been described in Verse 67.
Verse 68 declares that the closest of people to Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) were those who followed him during his time and now the closest to him is the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad a1-Mustafa صلى الله عليه وسلم and so are the believers in him and in past prophets. These believers are the community of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and their guardian is Allah and He will reward them for their belief.
Verse 69 exposes the cherished desire of the people of the Book to mislead Muslims away from the true faith they are on. The text, then, firmly declares that the victim of their effort to misguide is no one other than themselves, something they do not realize.
Verse 70, addressing the people of the Book, asks them as to why they disbelieve in the signs of Allah, such as the verses in Torah and Injil which prove the prophethood of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم because the denial of his prophethood amounts to declaring these verses to be false which is infidelity, although they themselves confirm these as true. This is an admonition on their error in belief.
Proceeding further, Verse 71 admonishes them for confusing the real statement, that is, the prophecy about the prophethood of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم with the fictitious, that is, the interpolated statements or false exegesis. The crucial question being asked is as to why would they conceal the truth of the matter despite knowing the truth, and knowing that they are hiding it.