Surah 3. Ali 'Imran

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Verses [Section]: 1-9[1], 10-20 [2], 21-30 [3], 31-41 [4], 42-54 [5], 55-63 [6], 64-71 [7], 72-80 [8], 81-91 [9], 92-101 [10], 102-109 [11], 110-120 [12], 121-129 [13], 130-143 [14], 144-148 [15], 149-155 [16], 156-172 [17], 173-180 [18], 181-187 [19], 188-200 [20]

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Quran Text of Verse 173-180اَلَّذِیْنَThose whoقَالَsaidلَهُمُto themالنَّاسُ[the people]اِنَّIndeedالنَّاسَthe peopleقَدْ(have) certainlyجَمَعُوْاgatheredلَكُمْagainst youفَاخْشَوْهُمْso fear themفَزَادَهُمْBut it increased themاِیْمَانًا ۖۗ(in the) faithوَّ قَالُوْاand they saidحَسْبُنَاSufficient for usاللّٰهُ(is) Allahوَ نِعْمَand (He is the) bestالْوَكِیْلُ [the] Disposer of affairs 3. Ali 'Imran Page 73فَانْقَلَبُوْاSo they returnedبِنِعْمَةٍwith (the) FavorمِّنَofاللّٰهِAllahوَ فَضْلٍand Bountyلَّمْnotیَمْسَسْهُمْtouched themسُوْٓءٌ ۙany harmوَّ اتَّبَعُوْاAnd they followedرِضْوَانَ(the) pleasureاللّٰهِ ؕ(of) Allahوَ اللّٰهُand Allahذُوْ(is) Possessorفَضْلٍ(of) Bountyعَظِیْمٍ great اِنَّمَا(It is) onlyذٰلِكُمُthatالشَّیْطٰنُthe Shaitaanیُخَوِّفُfrightens (you)اَوْلِیَآءَهٗ ۪(of) his alliesفَلَاSo (do) notتَخَافُوْهُمْfear themوَ خَافُوْنِbut fear Meاِنْifكُنْتُمْyou areمُّؤْمِنِیْنَ believers وَ لَاAnd (let) notیَحْزُنْكَgrieve youالَّذِیْنَthose whoیُسَارِعُوْنَhastenفِیin(to)الْكُفْرِ ۚ[the] disbeliefاِنَّهُمْIndeed, theyلَنْneverیَّضُرُّواwill harmاللّٰهَAllahشَیْـًٔا ؕ(in) anythingیُرِیْدُintendsاللّٰهُAllahاَلَّاthat notیَجْعَلَHe will setلَهُمْfor themحَظًّاany portionفِیinالْاٰخِرَةِ ۚthe Hereafterوَ لَهُمْAnd for themعَذَابٌ(is) a punishmentعَظِیْمٌ great اِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whoاشْتَرَوُا(have) purchasedالْكُفْرَ[the] disbeliefبِالْاِیْمَانِwith the faithلَنْneverیَّضُرُّواwill they harmاللّٰهَAllahشَیْـًٔا ۚ(in) anythingوَ لَهُمْand for themعَذَابٌ(is) a punishmentاَلِیْمٌ painful وَ لَاAnd (let) notیَحْسَبَنَّthinkالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْۤاdisbelievedاَنَّمَاthatنُمْلِیْWe give respiteلَهُمْto themخَیْرٌ(is) goodلِّاَنْفُسِهِمْ ؕfor themselvesاِنَّمَاOnlyنُمْلِیْWe give respiteلَهُمْto themلِیَزْدَادُوْۤاso that they may increaseاِثْمًا ۚ(in) sinsوَ لَهُمْand for themعَذَابٌ(is) a punishmentمُّهِیْنٌ humiliating مَاNotكَانَisاللّٰهُAllahلِیَذَرَto leaveالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَthe believersعَلٰیonمَاۤwhatاَنْتُمْyou (are)عَلَیْهِin [it]حَتّٰیuntilیَمِیْزَHe separatesالْخَبِیْثَthe evilمِنَfromالطَّیِّبِ ؕthe goodوَ مَاAnd notكَانَisاللّٰهُAllahلِیُطْلِعَكُمْto inform youعَلَیaboutالْغَیْبِthe unseenوَ لٰكِنَّ[and] butاللّٰهَAllahیَجْتَبِیْchoosesمِنْfromرُّسُلِهٖHis Messengersمَنْwhomیَّشَآءُ ۪He willsفَاٰمِنُوْاso believeبِاللّٰهِin Allahوَ رُسُلِهٖ ۚand His Messengersوَ اِنْand ifتُؤْمِنُوْاyou believeوَ تَتَّقُوْاand fear (Allah)فَلَكُمْthen for youاَجْرٌ(is a) rewardعَظِیْمٌ great وَ لَاAnd (let) notیَحْسَبَنَّthinkالَّذِیْنَthose whoیَبْخَلُوْنَwithholdبِمَاۤof whatاٰتٰىهُمُ(has) given themاللّٰهُAllahمِنْofفَضْلِهٖHis Bountyهُوَ(that) itخَیْرًا(is) goodلَّهُمْ ؕfor themبَلْNayهُوَitشَرٌّ(is) badلَّهُمْ ؕfor themسَیُطَوَّقُوْنَTheir necks will be encircledمَا(with) whatبَخِلُوْاthey withheldبِهٖ[with it]یَوْمَ(on the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ ؕ(of) [the] Resurrectionوَ لِلّٰهِAnd for Allahمِیْرَاثُ(is the) heritageالسَّمٰوٰتِ(of) the heavensوَ الْاَرْضِ ؕand the earthوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahبِمَاwith whatتَعْمَلُوْنَyou doخَبِیْرٌ۠(is) All-Aware

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Translation of Verse 173-180

(3:173) When people said to them: 'Behold, a host has gathered around you and you should fear them', it only increased their faith and they answered: 'Allah is Sufficient for us; and what an excellent Guardian He is!'

(3:174) So they returned with a mighty favour and a great bounty from Allah having suffered no harm. They followed the good pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the Lord of great bounty.

(3:175) It was Satan who suggested to you the fear of his allies. Do not fear them; fear Me, if you truly believe.¹²⁴

(3:176) Let not those who run towards disbelief grieve you; they shall not hurt Allah in the least. Allah will not provide for them any share in the Next Life. A mighty punishment awaits them.

(3:177) Indeed those who have purchased unbelief in exchange for faith shall not hurt Allah in the least. Theirs shall be a painful chastisement.

(3:178) Do not let the, unbelievers imagine that the respite We give them is good for them. We give them respite so that they may grow in wickedness. A humiliating chastisement lies in store for them.

(3:179) Allah will not let the believers stay in the state they are:¹²⁵ He will set the wicked apart from the good. Allah is not going to disclose to you what is hidden in the realm beyond the reach of perception,¹²⁶ but He chooses from among His Messengers whom He wills (to intimate such knowledge). Believe, then, in Allah and in His Messengers; and if you believe and become God-fearing, yours will be a great reward.

(3:180) Those who are niggardly about what Allah has granted them out of His bounty think that niggardli ness is good for them; it is bad for them. What they were niggardly about will turn into a halter round their necks on the Day of Resur-rection. To Allah belongs the inheritance of the heavens and the earth;¹²⁷ and Allah is well aware of what you do.

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Commentary

124. While returning from the Battle of Uhud, Abu Sufyan challenged the Muslims to another encounter at Badr the following year. But when the appointed time arrived, Abu Sufyan's courage failed him on account of the famine prevailing in Makka that year. As a face-saving device he arranged to send an agent to Madina who spread the rumour that tremendous war preparations were afoot among the Quraysh, and that they were trying to muster a huge army which would be so powerful that no other power in the whole of Arabia would resist it. The purpose of this rumour was to overawe the Muslims and discourage them from advancing towards Makka, so that when the confrontation did not take place it would be blamed on the timidity of the Muslims. The effect of this measure was such that when the Prophet (peace be on him) urged the Muslims to accompany him to Badr the initial response was not encouraging. Finally, the Prophet publicly announced that if no one would accompany him, he would go alone. In response, fifteen hundred devotees expressed their willingness and accompanied him to Badr. Abu Sufyan set out with two thousand men but after travelling for two days he told his men that it seemed unwise to fight and that they would return the following year for the proposed encounter. Thus he and his men retreated. The Prophet and his Companions stayed at Badr for eight days awaiting the threatened encounter. Meanwhile, they conducted business with a trade caravan which yielded them considerable profit. Later, when it became known that the unbelievers had gone back to Makka, the Prophet returned to Madina. (See Ibn Hisham, vol. 2, pp. 209 f.; Ibn Ishaq, Life of Muhammad, pp. 447 f. - Ed.)

125. That is, God does not want to see the Muslim community in a hotch-potch condition with the true men of faith indistinguishable from the hypocrites.

126. This means that God does not resort to revelation to provide information as to whether specific individuals are true men of faith or hypocrites. God creates, instead, certain situations in which the faith of those who profess to believe is severely tested. The result is that the man of faith stands out clearly from the hypocrite.

127. Everything in the heavens and the earth belongs to God alone. Hence the possession and use of anything by man is purely transient. For everyone will be dispossessed of his temporary belongings, and everything will ultimately return to and abide with God. If anyone therefore spends openheartedly in the way of God out of his temporary possessions he does so from property which, ultimately, belongs to God alone. Anyone who hoards his possessions and fails to spend them in the way of God is indeed stupid.