Towards Understanding the Quran
With kind permission of Islamic Foundation UK
Introduction | About | Glossary | Verbs
Tafsirs: Maarif | Dawat | Ishraq | Clear
Surah Ali 'Imran 3:81-91   Chapters ↕   Word for Word
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]
وَ اِذْAnd whenاَخَذَtookاللّٰهُAllahمِیْثَاقَcovenantالنَّبِیّٖنَ(of) the ProphetsلَمَاۤCertainly, whateverاٰتَیْتُكُمْI (have) given youمِّنْofكِتٰبٍ(the) Bookوَّ حِكْمَةٍand wisdomثُمَّthenجَآءَكُمْcomes to youرَسُوْلٌa Messengerمُّصَدِّقٌconfirmingلِّمَاthat whichمَعَكُمْ(is) with youلَتُؤْمِنُنَّyou must believeبِهٖin himوَ لَتَنْصُرُنَّهٗ ؕand you must help himقَالَHe saidءَاَقْرَرْتُمْDo you affirmوَ اَخَذْتُمْand takeعَلٰیonذٰلِكُمْthat (condition)اِصْرِیْ ؕMy CovenantقَالُوْۤاThey saidاَقْرَرْنَا ؕWe affirmقَالَHe saidفَاشْهَدُوْاThen bear witnessوَ اَنَاand I (am)مَعَكُمْwith youمِّنَamongالشّٰهِدِیْنَ the witnesses فَمَنْThen whoeverتَوَلّٰیturns awayبَعْدَafterذٰلِكَthatفَاُولٰٓىِٕكَthen thoseهُمُtheyالْفٰسِقُوْنَ (are) the defiantly disobedient اَفَغَیْرَSo is (it) other thanدِیْنِ(the) religionاللّٰهِ(of) Allahیَبْغُوْنَthey seekوَ لَهٗۤWhile to Himاَسْلَمَ(have) submittedمَنْwhateverفِی(is) inالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضِand the earthطَوْعًاwillinglyوَّ كَرْهًاor unwillinglyوَّ اِلَیْهِand towards Himیُرْجَعُوْنَ they will be returned 3. Ali 'Imran Page 61قُلْSayاٰمَنَّاWe believedبِاللّٰهِin Allahوَ مَاۤand whatاُنْزِلَ(is) revealedعَلَیْنَاon usوَ مَاۤand whatاُنْزِلَwas revealedعَلٰۤیonاِبْرٰهِیْمَIbrahimوَ اِسْمٰعِیْلَand Ismailوَ اِسْحٰقَand Ishaqوَ یَعْقُوْبَand Yaqubوَ الْاَسْبَاطِand the descendentsوَ مَاۤand whatاُوْتِیَwas givenمُوْسٰی(to) Musaوَ عِیْسٰیand Isaوَ النَّبِیُّوْنَand the Prophetsمِنْfromرَّبِّهِمْ ۪their LordلَاNotنُفَرِّقُwe make distinctionبَیْنَbetweenاَحَدٍanyمِّنْهُمْ ؗof themوَ نَحْنُand weلَهٗto Himمُسْلِمُوْنَ (are) submissive وَ مَنْAnd whoeverیَّبْتَغِseeksغَیْرَother thanالْاِسْلَامِ[the] Islamدِیْنًا(as) religionفَلَنْthen neverیُّقْبَلَwill be acceptedمِنْهُ ۚfrom himوَ هُوَand heفِیinالْاٰخِرَةِthe Hereafterمِنَ(will be) fromالْخٰسِرِیْنَ the losers كَیْفَHowیَهْدِی(shall) guideاللّٰهُAllahقَوْمًاa peopleكَفَرُوْا(who) disbelievedبَعْدَafterاِیْمَانِهِمْtheir beliefوَ شَهِدُوْۤاand (had) witnessedاَنَّthatالرَّسُوْلَthe Messengerحَقٌّ(is) trueوَّ جَآءَهُمُand came to themالْبَیِّنٰتُ ؕthe clear proofsوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahلَا(does) notیَهْدِیguideالْقَوْمَthe peopleالظّٰلِمِیْنَ [the] wrongdoers اُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseجَزَآؤُهُمْtheir recompenseاَنَّthatعَلَیْهِمْon themلَعْنَةَ(is the) curseاللّٰهِ(of) Allahوَ الْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةِand the Angelsوَ النَّاسِand the peopleاَجْمَعِیْنَۙall together خٰلِدِیْنَ(They will) abide foreverفِیْهَا ۚin itلَاNotیُخَفَّفُwill be lightenedعَنْهُمُfor themالْعَذَابُthe punishmentوَ لَاand notهُمْtheyیُنْظَرُوْنَۙwill be reprieved اِلَّاExceptالَّذِیْنَthose whoتَابُوْاrepentمِنْۢfromبَعْدِafterذٰلِكَthatوَ اَصْلَحُوْا ۫and reform[ed] themselvesفَاِنَّThen indeedاللّٰهَAllahغَفُوْرٌ(is) Oft-ForgivingرَّحِیْمٌMost Merciful اِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedبَعْدَafterاِیْمَانِهِمْtheir beliefثُمَّthenازْدَادُوْاthey increasedكُفْرًا(in) disbeliefلَّنْneverتُقْبَلَwill be acceptedتَوْبَتُهُمْ ۚtheir repentanceوَ اُولٰٓىِٕكَand thoseهُمُtheyالضَّآلُّوْنَ (are) those who have gone astray اِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelieve[d]وَ مَاتُوْاand diedوَ هُمْwhile theyكُفَّارٌ(are) disbelieversفَلَنْthen neverیُّقْبَلَwill be acceptedمِنْfromاَحَدِهِمْany one of themمِّلْءُfullالْاَرْضِearthذَهَبًا(of) goldوَّ لَوِ[and] (even) ifافْتَدٰیhe offered as ransomبِهٖ ؕitاُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseلَهُمْfor themعَذَابٌ(is) a punishmentاَلِیْمٌpainfulوَّ مَاand notلَهُمْ(will be) for themمِّنْfromنّٰصِرِیْنَ۠any helpers

Translation

(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.

(3:86) How can Allah guide people who once believed, after they received clear signs and affirmed that the Messenger was a true one, lapsed into disbelief.73 Allah does not guide the wrong-doers.

(3:87) The recom- pense for their wrong-doing is that the curse of Allah and of the angels and of all men shall upon them.

(3:88) Thus shall they abide. Neither shall their chastisement be granted nor shall they be granted any respite.

(3:89) But those who repent and mend their ways shall be excepted for indeed Allah is Forgiving, All-Compassionate.

(3:90) Those who relieved and have har-dened in their disbelief after once believing,74 their (pretence to) repentance shall not be accepted. Indeed such men have altogether strayed.

(3:91) Truly those who disbelieved and died as unbelievers, not even an earth full of gold will be accepted from them as ransom. For such people there is painful chastisement; and none shall come to their help.

Commentary

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.

73. This is a repetition of the statement made earlier, namely that the Jewish rabbis of Arabia in the time of the Prophet (peace be on him) knew, and sometimes even testified to verbally, that Muhammad was a true Prophet and that his teachings were the same as those of the earlier Prophets. (See for instance Qur'an 2: 89 - Ed.) Their subsequent attitude - namely that of rejection and opposition - was the outcome of prejudice and intransigence, born out of their centuries-old hostility to the Truth.

74. They were not content with just rejecting the call to the Truth but stood in vehement opposition and hostility to it and spared no efforts in obstructing people from following the way of God. They created doubts, spread misgivings, sowed the seeds of distrust and engaged in the worst conspiracies and machinations in order to frustrate the mission of the Prophet (peace be on him).