Tafheem ul Quran
Surah 3 Ali 'Imran, Ayat 79-85
مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ اَنۡ يُّؤۡتِيَهُ اللّٰهُ الۡكِتٰبَ وَالۡحُكۡمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُوۡلَ لِلنَّاسِ كُوۡنُوۡا عِبَادًا لِّىۡ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِ وَلٰـكِنۡ كُوۡنُوۡا رَبَّانِيّٖنَ بِمَا كُنۡتُمۡ تُعَلِّمُوۡنَ الۡكِتٰبَ وَبِمَا كُنۡتُمۡ تَدۡرُسُوۡنَۙ
﴿3:79﴾
وَلَا يَاۡمُرَكُمۡ اَنۡ تَتَّخِذُوا الۡمَلٰٓـئِكَةَ وَالنَّبِيّٖنَ اَرۡبَابًا ؕ اَيَاۡمُرُكُمۡ بِالۡكُفۡرِ بَعۡدَ اِذۡ اَنۡـتُمۡ مُّسۡلِمُوۡنَ
﴿3:80﴾
وَاِذۡ اَخَذَ اللّٰهُ مِيۡثَاقَ النَّبِيّٖنَ لَمَاۤ اٰتَيۡتُكُمۡ مِّنۡ كِتٰبٍ وَّحِكۡمَةٍ ثُمَّ جَآءَكُمۡ رَسُوۡلٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَكُمۡ لَـتُؤۡمِنُنَّ بِهٖ وَلَـتَـنۡصُرُنَّهٗ ؕ قَالَ ءَاَقۡرَرۡتُمۡ وَاَخَذۡتُمۡ عَلٰى ذٰ لِكُمۡ اِصۡرِىۡؕ قَالُوۡۤا اَقۡرَرۡنَا ؕ قَالَ فَاشۡهَدُوۡا وَاَنَا مَعَكُمۡ مِّنَ الشّٰهِدِيۡنَ
﴿3:81﴾
فَمَنۡ تَوَلّٰى بَعۡدَ ذٰ لِكَ فَاُولٰٓـئِكَ هُمُ الۡفٰسِقُوۡنَ
﴿3:82﴾
اَفَغَيۡرَ دِيۡنِ اللّٰهِ يَبۡغُوۡنَ وَلَهٗۤ اَسۡلَمَ مَنۡ فِى السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ طَوۡعًا وَّكَرۡهًا وَّاِلَيۡهِ يُرۡجَعُوۡنَ
﴿3:83﴾
قُلۡ اٰمَنَّا بِاللّٰهِ وَمَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ عَلَيۡنَا وَمَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ عَلٰٓى اِبۡرٰهِيۡمَ وَ اِسۡمٰعِيۡلَ وَاِسۡحٰقَ وَيَعۡقُوۡبَ وَالۡاَسۡبَاطِ وَمَاۤ اُوۡتِىَ مُوۡسٰى وَ عِيۡسٰى وَالنَّبِيُّوۡنَ مِنۡ رَّبِّهِمۡ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيۡنَ اَحَدٍ مِّنۡهُمۡ وَنَحۡنُ لَهٗ مُسۡلِمُوۡنَ
﴿3:84﴾
وَمَنۡ يَّبۡتَغِ غَيۡرَ الۡاِسۡلَامِ دِيۡنًا فَلَنۡ يُّقۡبَلَ مِنۡهُ ۚ وَهُوَ فِى الۡاٰخِرَةِ مِنَ الۡخٰسِرِيۡنَ
﴿3:85﴾
(3:79) It does not befit a man that Allah should grant him His Book and sound
judgement and prophet-hood, and thereafter he should say to men: 'Become servants
to me apart from Allah.' He would rather say: 'Become dedicated men of Allah,67
in accord with the dictates of the Book you have been teaching and studying.'
(3:80) He will never enjoin you to take the angels or Prophets for your lords.
Will he enjoin upon you unbelief when you have submitted yourselves to Allah?68
(3:81) And recall when Allah took a covenant from the Prophets: 'This is
the Book and the Wisdom which I have given you. But should a Prophet come to
you confirming that which is already with you, you shall believe in him and
shall help him.69 So saying, Allah asked: 'Do you agree and accept
to take up the burden of the covenant?' They answered: 'We agree,' He said:
'Then bear wirness; and I will be with you among the witness. (3:82) Then whosoever shall turn away from this covenant they are the transgressors.70
(3:83) Do they now seek a religion other than prescribed by Allah even though
all that is in the heavens and the earth is in submission to Him71
- willing or unwillingly - and to Him all shall return? (3:84) Say: 'We believe in Allah and what was revealed to us and what was
revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and to Issac and Jacob and his descendents,
and the teachings which Allah gave to Moses and Jesus and to other Prophets.
We make no distinction between any of them72 and to Him do we submit.
(3:85) And whoever seeks a way other than this way a submission (Islam),
will find that it will not be accepted from him and in the Life to come he will
be among the losers.
Notes
67. The term rabbani is used here to denote Jewish religious scholars and
functionaries who were supposed to provide true religious guidance to establish
their rites of worship, implement religious laws, and so on. The same word occurs
in( Surah 5: 44 and 63). In the Christian tradition the word 'divine' is used
as an equivalent to the word rabbani.
68. This refutation is directed at all the false concepts which were attributed
to the Messengers of God by various nations, and then made an integral part
of the religious scriptures. These concepts were false in that they elevated
either the Prophets or the angels to the level of deities
69. A party of the People of the Book would fain lead you astray, whereas
in truth they lead none astray except themselves, but they do not realize it.
70. People of the Book! Why do you reject the signs of Allah even though
you yourselves witness them?60
71. The basic principle characterizing the universe, in other words the religion
of the universe and of every part of it, is Islam; insofar as the universe is
in a state of total obedience and service to the Will of God. Here people are
asked if they would follow a way of life different from Islam though they are
part of the universe which is characterized by submission to God (islam).
72. They are told that it is not the habit of Muslims either to believe in
Prophets and disbelieve in others or to affirm to the truth of some call others
false. Muslims are free from narrow prejudices and chauvinistic loyalties. The
true attitude of Muslims is to bear witness to truth of every Messenger of God,
irrespective of where and when he appears.