Sūrah Al-i ‘Imrān (81-99)
Qur’ānic Exegesis
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللّهُ مِيثَاقَ النَّبِيِّيْنَ لَمَا آتَيْتُكُم مِّن كِتَابٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ ثُمَّ جَاءكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُ قَالَ أَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكُمْ إِصْرِي قَالُواْ أَقْرَرْنَا قَالَ فَاشْهَدُواْ وَأَنَاْ مَعَكُم مِّنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ فَمَن تَوَلَّى بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ (81-82)
And remind them when God took a covenant from them about the prophets: “The law and wisdom which I have given to you, if a messenger[1] comes forth in confirmation of what is before you, will you profess faith in him and support him?” [After this] He asked: “Do you accept this and acknowledge the responsibility of My covenant?” They replied: “We accept it.” [He said:] “Then bear witness and I bear witness with you.” He [said:] “After this, those who turn away [from this covenant], it is they who are the insolent.”[2] (81-82)
أَفَغَيْرَ دِينِ اللّهِ يَبْغُونَ وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ قُلْ آمَنَّا بِاللّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالأَسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَى وَعِيسَى وَالنَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لاَ نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الإِسْلاَمِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الآخِرَةِ
[These prophets came in this manner]. So do these people [now] seek a religion other than God’s even though every thing in the heavens and the earth are obedient to Him, willingly or by compulsion and to Him shall they return.[3] Tell them: “We have believed in God and what is revealed to us and to Abraham and Ishmael, to Isaac and Jacob and to their progeny and which was given by their Lord to Moses and Jesus and all other prophets. “We do not discriminate between them.[4] [All these are prophets
مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ كَيْفَ يَهْدِي اللّهُ قَوْمًا كَفَرُواْ بَعْدَ إِيمَانِهِمْ وَشَهِدُواْ أَنَّ الرَّسُولَ حَقٌّ وَجَاءهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ وَاللّهُ لاَ يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ أُوْلَـئِكَ جَزَآؤُهُمْ أَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ لَعْنَةَ اللّهِ وَالْمَلآئِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا لاَ يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَلاَ هُمْ يُنظَرُونَ إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ تَابُواْ مِن بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ وَأَصْلَحُواْ فَإِنَّ الله غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بَعْدَ إِيمَانِهِمْ ثُمَّ ازْدَادُواْ كُفْرًا لَّن تُقْبَلَ تَوْبَتُهُمْ وَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الضَّآلُّونَ إِنَّ
of God] and we are obedient to Him only.”[5] [This is Islām] and He who chooses a religion other than Islām, it will certainly not be accepted from him and in the world to come he will surely be among the losers. [You want them to be guided?] How can God guide those who lapse into disbelief after embracing faith even though they bear witness of the veracity of this prophet[6] and there has come to them clear signs and [in reality] God does not guide such wrong-doers. Their punishment is that the curse of God and [his] angels and all mankind is on them;[7] they shall abide in it forever.[8] Neither shall their punishment be reduced nor shall they be given respite. However, [those among them] who afterwards repent and mend their ways [they will be protected from it] because God is forgiving and ever-merciful. [On the contrary], those who denied after accepting [the truth] and continued to grow in disbelief [and now seeing death want to repent] their repentance shall not be accepted and in reality, they[
الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَمَاتُواْ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِم مِّلْءُ الأرْضِ ذَهَبًا وَلَوِ افْتَدَى بِهِ أُوْلَـئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ (83-91)
لَن تَنَالُواْ الْبِرَّ حَتَّى تُنفِقُواْ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِن شَيْءٍ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ (92)
كُلُّ الطَّعَامِ كَانَ حِـلاًّ لِّبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِلاَّ مَا حَرَّمَ إِسْرَائِيلُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تُنَزَّلَ التَّوْرَاةُ قُلْ فَأْتُواْ بِالتَّوْرَاةِ فَاتْلُوهَا إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ فَمَنِ افْتَرَىَ عَلَى اللّهِ
are the erring ones. [Similarly], those who disbelieved and died as disbelievers, no ransom [which they may give to save themselves] shall be accepted from them even if it is as much gold as would fill the entire earth.[9] A painful punishment awaits them, and [there] they shall find none to help them.[10] (83-91)
[This attitude of theirs is merely because after offering certain religious rituals they think themselves to be superior. Tell them:] You shall never be truly virtuous[11] until you spend in [the way of God] what you dearly cherish. [Reflect on this] and [remember] whatever you spend [you will definitely be rewarded for it] because it is known to God.[12] (92)
[They object that if this prophet confirms the Torah why does he regard those things as allowed which it regards as prohibited. Tell them:] all food was lawful to the Israelites [in the same way] except what Israel forbade himself before the Torah was revealed.[13]Tell them: “Bring the Torah and read it, if you are
الْكَذِبَ مِن بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ قُلْ صَدَقَ اللّهُ فَاتَّبِعُواْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ (93-95)
إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِي بِبَكَّةَ مُبَارَكًا وَهُدًى لِّلْعَالَمِينَ فِيهِ آيَاتٌ بَيِّـنَاتٌ
truthful.”[14] Then even after this those who impute falsehood to God, they are the wrong-doers. Tell them: “God has declared the truth, so [leave aside your prejudices and] follow the way of Abraham who was totally devoted [to Islam] and was not among the Idolaters.” (93-95)
[Similarly, they have objections on the qiblah also. Tell them:] the first temple ever to be built for mankind was surely the one at Makkah,[15] as a centre for guidance and blessings for all people of the world. In it, there are manifest signs:[16] the abode of
مَّقَامُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمَن دَخَلَهُ كَانَ آمِنًا وَلِلّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ الله غَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَ (96-97)
قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لِمَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللّهِ وَاللّهُ شَهِيدٌ عَلَى مَا تَعْمَلُونَ قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لِمَ تَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ تَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا وَأَنتُمْ شُهَدَاء وَمَا اللّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ (98-99)
Abraham; whoever enters it is secure and for those who are able to reach this place, the pilgrimage to the House is incumbent upon them. [These are His signs] and those who deny even after this [should know that] God can surely do without all people of the world. (96-97)
Ask [them]: “People of the Book! Why do you deny the revelations of God even though God sees whatever you are doing.” Ask [them]: “People of the Book! Why do you stop these people who have embraced faith from the path of God? You find errors in it even though you were made its witnesses? [Reflect on this] and [remember that] God is not unaware of what you do.” (98-99)