Sūrah Ali-Imran (21-41)

Qur’ānic Exegesis

 

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ النَّبِيِّينَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَيَقْتُلُونَ الِّذِينَ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْقِسْطِ مِنَ النَّاسِ فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ أُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ (21-22)

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوْتُواْ نَصِيبًا مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى كِتَابِ اللّهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ

So give glad tidings[1] of a woeful torment to those who have been denying God’s revelations and slaying the prophets unjustly[2] and slay those among men who called people to adhere to justice. These are the ones whose deeds shall come to nothing in this world and in the world to come, and now there shall be none to help them.[3] (21-22)

Have you not seen[4] those who have received a portion of the

 

ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّى فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ وَهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُواْ لَن تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلاَّ أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَاتٍ وَغَرَّهُمْ فِي دِينِهِم مَّا كَانُواْيَفْتَرُونَ فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جَمَعْنَاهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ لاَّ رَيْبَ

they are being called to this very Book of God[5] that it may decidethe [differences] among them [then have you not seen that] one group among them turns away[6] and [in reality] they are ones who turn away.[7] The reason for this attitude of theirs is that they declare:

 

فِيهِ وَوُفِّيَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لاَ يُظْلَمُونَ (23-25)

قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَاء وَتَنزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَاء وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَاء وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَاءبِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ إِنَّكَ عَلَىَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ تُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي الْنَّهَارِ

Book: “We shall endure the Fire for a few days only,” [and another reason for this attitude is that] things which they are fabricating have deceived them in the matter of religion.[8]Bur what will they do when We gather them all together upon a day which is sure to come[9] and [in which] every soul will be fully given what it earned and no injustice will be faced by anyone? (23-25)

[Their era has ended, so now] pray you: “Lord, the Sovereign of all sovereignty, You grant sovereignty to whom You please and take it away from whom You please; You grant honour to whomever You please and humiliate whomever You please. All good lies in Your hand; Indeed You have power over all things.[10] [We know that] You make the night to pass into the day,

 

وَتُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَتُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَتُخْرِجُ الَمَيَّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ وَتَرْزُقُ مَن تَشَاء بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ (26-27)

لاَّ يَتَّخِذِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الْكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاء مِن دُوْنِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَ اللّهِ فِيشَيْءٍ إِلاَّ أَن تَتَّقُواْ مِنْهُمْ تُقَاةً وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللّهُ نَفْسَهُ وَإِلَى اللّهِ الْمَصِيرُ قُلْ

and the day to pass into the night and [know that] You bring forth the living from the dead and bring forth the dead from the living.[11] And You give unlimited sustenance to whom You please.”[12] (26-27)

[This is the decision of God and shall soon be imposed on the People of the Book, so] let not the believers make friends with these disbelievers leaving aside the Muslims[13] and

 

إِن تُخْفُواْ مَا فِي صُدُورِكُمْ أَوْ تُبْدُوهُ يَعْلَمْهُ اللّهُ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأرْضِ وَاللّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ يَوْمَ تَجِدُكُلُّ نَفْسٍمَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْخَيْرٍمُّحْضَرًا

[they should remember that] those who will do this, the Almighty will have nothing to do with them – this warning is not in case you protect yourself from them the way it can be done best.[14] God strikes His fear in you and [does so that one day you] have to return to God alone.[15] Tell [these Muslims O Prophet!:] “Whatever is in your hearts[16] whether you hide it or reveal it, it is known to God. And He also knows whatever is between the heavens and the earth and God has power over all things.” The day when each soul will be confronted with whatever good it did.[17] On that day, it will yearn that an interval of time should
 

وَمَا عَمِلَتْ مِن سُوَءٍ تَوَدُّ لَوْ أَنَّ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُ أَمَدًا بَعِيدًا وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللّهُ نَفْسَهُ وَاللّهُ رَؤُوفُ بِالْعِبَادِ (28-30)

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ قُلْ أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْكَافِرِينَ (31-32)

stand between him and this [Day. This is the counsel of God] and God frightens you of Himself and [frightens you because] God is compassionate towards His servants.[18] (28-30)

Tell them: “If you love God, follow me. God will love you and forgive your sins and [you know that] God is forgiving and ever-merciful.”[19] Tell them: “Obey God and the Prophet.” Then [even if after this] they turn away [tell them that] God does not like such disbelievers.[20] (31-32)

 

إِنَّ اللّهَ اصْطَفَى آدَمَ وَنُوحًا وَآلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَآلَ عِمْرَانَ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ ذُرِّيَّةً بَعْضُهَا مِن بَعْضٍ وَاللّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ (33-34)

[[21]These People of the Book want to argue with you.] No doubt, God whilst giving preference to Adam and Noah, Abraham’s family ‘Imrān’s family[22] over all the nations chose them to guide these nations.[23] They are the progeny of one another and [whatever they have been saying and doing, God is aware of it because] God hears all and knows all.[24] (33-34)

 

إِذْ قَالَتِ امْرَأَةُ عِمْرَانَ رَبِّ إِنِّي نَذَرْتُ لَكَ مَا فِي بَطْنِي مُحَرَّرًا فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّي إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْهَا قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَضَعْتُهَا أُنثَى وَاللّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا وَضَعَتْ وَلَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالأُنثَى وَإِنِّي سَمَّيْتُهَا مَرْيَمَ وِإِنِّي أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍ وَأَنبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا

Remind them of the incident when ‘Imrān’s wife prayed: “Lord! I dedicate to Your service this child which is in my womb by relieving it of all responsibilities.[25] Accept it from me. You alone hear all and know all.” And when she delivered the child, she said: “Lord, I have given birth to a daughter”[26] – God well knew of what she had delivered[27] – and [said:] “A boy is not like a girl.[28][I accept her] and have named her Mary and I give her and her progeny in your refuge from Satan, the Accursed One.” [These were her feelings]; however, Her Lord graciously accepted this [girl] and He made her grow a goodly child and made

 

كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقاً قَالَ يَا مَرْيَمُ أَنَّى لَكِ هَـذَا قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللّهِ إنَّ اللّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَاء بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ (35-37)

Zakariyyā[29]her guardian. [So] whenever Zakariyyā visited her[30] in the mihrāb,[31] he would see the blessings of God.[32] [At one such occasion, he asked:] “Mary where do you get this from?”[33] She replied: “This is from God.”[34] [Blessings of your Lord were

هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِن لَّدُنْكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَاء فَنَادَتْهُ الْمَلآئِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّي فِي الْمِحْرَابِ أَنَّ اللّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحْيَـى مُصَدِّقًا بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ وَسَيِّدًا وَحَصُورًا وَنَبِيًّا مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىَ يَكُونُ

for this girl]. Indeed, God gives without measure to whom He desires.[35] (35-37)

It was then that Zakariyyā prayed to his Lord, saying: “Lord, grant me of Your own grace pious offspring [like her]. Indeed You hear the prayers [of Your servants].”[36] In reply, the angels[37] called out to him whilst he was praying in the mihrāb[38]saying: “God gives you glad tidings of the birth of John,[39] who shall confirm the directive of God,[40] be a leader,[41] an abstinent
 

لِي غُلاَمٌ وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِيَ الْكِبَرُ وَامْرَأَتِي عَاقِرٌ قَالَ كَذَلِكَ اللّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاء قَالَ رَبِّ

person[42] and a prophet from among the righteous.”[43] In amazement,

اجْعَل لِّيَ آيَةً قَالَ آيَتُكَ أَلاَّ تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلاَّ رَمْزًا وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيرًا وَسَبِّحْ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالإِبْكَارِ (38-41)