Surah 3. Aal-Imran

AND IT IS not conceivable that a prophet should deceive¹²³ - since he who deceives shall be faced with his deceit on the Day of Resurrection, when every human being shall be repaid in full for whatever he has done, and none shall be wronged.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., by attributing his own opinions to God, and then appealing to the believers to place their trust in Him alone. However contrary to reason such deceit may be, it is a common view among non-believers that the Prophet himself "composed" the Qur'an and thereupon falsely attributed it to divine revelation.

It is not conceivable that any Prophet would hold back from the spoils of war; for anyone who holds back shall bring along whatever he has been withholding on the Day of Resurrection; then every soul shall be paid back in full what it has earned and they shall not be dealt with unjustly.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

It is not for any Prophet to deceive (mankind). Whoso deceiveth will bring his deceit with him on the Day of Resurrection. Then every soul will be paid in full what it hath earned; and they will not be wronged.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Is then he¹²⁴ who strives after God's goodly acceptance like unto him who has earned the burden of God's condemnation¹²⁵ and whose goal is hell? - and how vile a journey's end!

  - Mohammad Asad

An allusion, in this case, to the Prophet Muhammad as well as to prophets in general.

I.e., by falsely attributing his own views to God or distorting His messages by arbitrary interpolations and deliberate changes in the wording of a revelation - an accusation often levelled in the Qur'an (e.g., 2:79 and 3:78 ) against the followers of earlier revelations.

Can it be conceivable that a person who is seeking the good pleasure of Allah will behave like the one who has incurred the wrath of Allah and is ultimately doomed to Hell, which is an evil refuge?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Is one who followeth the pleasure of Allah as one who hath earned condemnation from Allah, whose habitation is the Fire, a hapless journey's end?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

They are on [entirely] different levels in the sight of God; for God sees all that they do.

  - Mohammad Asad

These two kinds of people have quite different levels in the sight of Allah; Allah is observant of all their actions.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

There are degrees (of grace and reprobation) with Allah, and Allah is Seer of what ye do.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Indeed, God bestowed a favour upon the believers when he raised up in their midst an apostle from among themselves, to convey His messages unto them, and to cause them to grow in purity, and to impart unto them the divine writ as well as wisdom - whereas before that they were indeed, most obviously, lost in error.

  - Mohammad Asad

Allah has done a great favor to the believers that He raised among them a Rasool from among themselves, reciting to them the Revelations of Allah, sanctifying them and teaching them the Book and Wisdom, although before this they were in manifest error.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Allah verily hath shown grace to the believers by sending unto them a messenger of their own who reciteth unto them His revelations, and causeth them to grow, and teacheth them the Scripture and wisdom; although before (he came to them ) they were in flagrant error.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

AND DO YOU, now that a calamity has befallen you after you had inflicted twice as much [on your foes],¹²⁶ ask yourselves, "How has this come about?" Say: "It has come from your own selves."¹²⁷ Verily, God has the power to will anything:

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., at the battle of Badr, in the year 2 H.

Many of the followers of the Prophet had been convinced that, whatever the circumstances, God would grant them victory on account of their faith alone. The bitter experience at Uhud came as a shock to them; and so the Qur'an reminds them that this calamity was a consequence of their own doings.

How is it that when you are afflicted with a loss, after you yourselves had inflicted losses twice as heavy upon your enemy in the battle of Badr, you exclaimed: "Whose fault was that?" Say to them: "It was your own fault," Allah has power over everything.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And was it so, when a disaster smote you, though ye had smitten (them with a disaster) twice (as great), that ye said: How is this? Say (unto them, O Muhammad): It is from yourselves. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and all that befell you on the day when the two hosts met in battle happened by God's leave, so that He might mark out the [true] believers,

  - Mohammad Asad

The misfortune which befell you when the two armies met in the battle of Uhud was with the leave of Allah, so that He might know the true believers

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

That which befell you, on the day when the two armies met, was by permission of Allah; that He might know the true believers;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and mark out those who were tainted with hypocrisy and, when they were told, "Come, fight in God's cause" - or, "Defend yourselves"¹²⁸ - answered, "If we but knew [that it would come to a] fight, we would indeed follow you." Unto apostasy were they nearer on that day than unto faith, uttering with their mouths something which was not in their hearts,¹²⁹ the while God knew fully well what they were trying to conceal:

  - Mohammad Asad

Only a fight in self-defence - in the widest meaning of this term - can be considered a "fight in God's cause" (see {2:190-194}, and the corresponding notes); and, thus, the particle "or" between these two phrases is almost synonymous with the expression "in other words".

This is an allusion to the three hundred men who, on the way from Medina to Mount Uhud, forsook the Prophet on the specious plea that he did not really intend to give battle (see note [90] above). But since they knew in their hearts that it would come to a fight, their defection from God's cause almost amounted to a denial of Him (kufr, here rendered as "apostasy").

and the hypocrites. When it was said to them (hypocrites): "Come fight for the cause of Allah or at least defend yourselves," they replied: "Had we known how to fight we would certainly come with you." On that day they were nearer to unbelief than to belief; for they uttered with their mouths what was not in their hearts. Allah is quite aware of what they were concealing.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And that He might know the hypocrites, unto whom it was said: Come, fight in the way of Allah, or defend yourselves. They answered: If we knew aught of fighting we would follow you. On that day they were nearer disbelief than faith. They utter with their mouths a thing which is not in their hearts. Allah is best aware of what they hide.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

they who having themselves held back [from fighting, later] said of their [slain] brethren, "Had they but paid heed to us, they would not have been slain." Say: "Avert, then, death from yourselves, if what you say is true!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Such are the ones who, as they sat at home, said of their brothers: "Had they listened to us, they would not have been killed." Ask them: "Avert death from your own selves, when it comes to you, if you speak the truth."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those who, while they sat at home, said of their brethren (who were fighting for the cause of Allah): If they had been guided by us they would not have been slain. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Then avert death from yourselves if ye are truthful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But do not think of those that have been slain in God's cause as dead. Nay, they are alive! With their Sustainer have they their sustenance,

  - Mohammad Asad

Never think of those who are slain in the cause of Allah as dead. Nay they are alive, and well provided for by their Rabb;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Think not of those, who are slain in the way of Allah, as dead. Nay, they are living. With their Lord they have provision.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

exulting in that [martyrdom] which God has bestowed upon them out of His bounty. And they rejoice in the glad tiding given to those [of their brethren] who have been left behind and have not yet joined them, that no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve:

  - Mohammad Asad

they are pleased with what Allah has given them and they are also happy to think that there is nothing to fear or to regret for those believers whom they have left behind and who have not yet joined them in their bliss.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Jubilant (are they) because of that which Allah hath bestowed upon them of His bounty, rejoicing for the sake of those who have not joined them but are left behind: that there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

they rejoice in the glad tiding of God's blessings and bounty, and [in the promise] that God will not fail to requite the believers

  - Mohammad Asad

They feel happy to have received Allah's grace and bounty and have come to know that most surely Allah does not waste the reward of the believers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They rejoice because of favor from Allah and kindness, and that Allah wasteth not the wage of the believers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

who responded to the call of God and the Apostle after misfortune had befallen them.¹³⁰ A magnificent requital awaits those of them who have persevered in doing good and remained conscious of God:

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "after injury had afflicted them". Most of the commentators assume that this is an allusion to the losses sustained by the Muslims at the battle of Uhud. It is, however, probable that the implication is much wider, the more so since this passage connects directly with the preceding verses which speak, in general terms, of the martyrs who die in God's cause. There is a distinct tendency on the part of most of the classical commentators to read minute historical references into many Qur'anic passages which express ideas of a far wider import and apply to the human condition as such. Verses {172-175} are an instance of this. Some commentators are of the opinion that they refer to the fruitless expedition to Hamra'al-Asad on the day following the battle of Uhud, while others see in it an allusion to the Prophet's expedition, in the following year, known to history as the "Little Badr" (Badr as-Sughra); others, again, think that verse {172} refers to the former and verses {173-174} to the latter. In view of this obvious lack of unanimity - due to the absence of a really authoritative support, either in the Qur'an itself or in authentic Traditions, for any of these speculative assumptions - there is every reason for concluding that the whole passage under consideration expresses a general moral, rounding off, as it were, the historical references to the battle of Uhud and the lessons to be drawn therefrom.

As for those, who, even after their injuries during the battle of Uhud, responded to the call of Allah and His Rasool to follow the Qureysh army which was gathering to attack again, there will be a great reward for such of those who do righteous deeds and refrain from evil,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

As for those who heard the call of Allah and His messenger after the harm befell them (in the fight); for such of them as do right and ward off (evil), there is great reward,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

those who have been warned by other people,¹³¹ "Behold, a host has gathered against you; so beware of them!" - whereupon this only increased their faith, so that they answered, "God is enough for us; and how excellent a guardian is He!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "those to whom people said".

and who, when the people told them: "Your enemies have mustered a great force against you: fear them," grew more firm in their faith and replied: "Allah's help is all-sufficient for us. He is the best protector."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those unto whom men said: Lo! the people have gathered against you, therefore fear them. (The threat of danger) but increased the faith of them and they cried: Allah is sufficient for us! Most Excellent is He in Whom we trust!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

- and returned [from the battle] with God's blessings and bounty, without having been touched by evil:¹³² for they had been striving after God's goodly acceptance - and God is limitless in His great bounty.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., the moral evil arising out of weakness of faith and loss of courage: an allusion to what happened to many Muslims at Uhud.

As a result they returned home with blessings and grace from Allah and suffered no harm at all. Besides this, they had the honor of following what pleased Allah, and Allah is the Owner of mighty grace.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

So they returned with grace and favor from Allah, and no harm touched them. They followed the good pleasure of Allah, and Allah is of infinite bounty.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

It is but Satan who instills [into you] fear of his allies:¹³³ so fear them not, but fear Me, if you are [truly] believers!

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., people who "ally themselves with Satan" by deliberately doing wrong.

Now you must have realized that it was the Shaitan who was trying to prompt you to fear his followers. But have no fear of them. Fear Me, if you are true believers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

It is only the devil who would make (men) fear his partisans. Fear them not; fear Me, if ye are true believers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall