Surah 3. Aal-Imran

Their fate will be like that of the people of Pharaoh and those before them- they all rejected Our signs, so Allah seized them for their sins. And Allah is severe in punishment.

  - Mustafa Khattab

(Their plight will be) no better than that of the people of Pharaoh and their predecessors: they denied Our Signs and Allah called them to account for their sins. For Allah is strict in punishment. ³⁵⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

From the beginning of the world, sin, oppression, arrogance, and want of Faith have gone together. The Pharaoh of the time of Moses relied upon his power, his territory, his armies, and his resources to mock at Moses the messenger of Allah and to oppress the people of Moses. Allah saved the Israelite and punished their oppressors through many plagues and calamities.

'O Prophet!' Tell the disbelievers, 'Soon you will be overpowered and driven to Hell- what an evil place to rest!'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Say to those who reject Faith: "Soon will ye be vanquished and gathered together to hell an evil bed indeed (to lie on)!. ³⁵¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

As Moses warned the Egyptians, so the warning is here sounded to the Pagan Arabs, the Jews and the Christians, and all who resisted Faith, that their resistance would be in vain. Already the battle of Badr (referred to in the next verse) had been a warning how Faith must conquer with the help of Allah. The next few decades saw the Byzantine and the Persian Empires overthrown because of their arrogance and their resistance to the Law of Allah.

Indeed, there was a sign for you in the two armies that met in battle- one fighting for the cause of Allah and the other in denial. The believers saw their enemy twice their number.¹ But Allah supports with His victory whoever He wills. Surely in this is a lesson for people of insight.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 It can also be understood that the disbelievers were made to think there were twice as many believers in the battlefield.

"There has already been for you a Sign in the two armies that met (in combat): one was fighting in the cause of Allah the other resisting Allah; these saw with their own eyes twice their number. But Allah doth support with His aid whom He pleaseth. In this is a warning for such as have eyes to see." ^{352 353}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This refers to the battle of Badr in Ramadhan in the second year of the Hijra. The little exiled community of Makkan Muslims, with their friends in Madinah had organised themselves into a God-fearing community, but were constantly in danger of being attacked by their Pagan enemies of Makkah in alliance with some of the disaffected elements (Jews and Hypocrites) in or near Madinah itself. The design of the Makkans was to gather all the resources they could, and with an overwhelming force, to crush and annihilate Muhammad and his party. To this end Abu Sufyan was leading a richly-laden caravan from Syria to Makkah. He called for armed aid from Makkah, The battle was fought in the plain of Badr, about 150 kilometers south-west of Madinah. The Muslim force consisted of only about 313 men, mostly ill-armed, but they were led by Muhammad, and they were fighting for their Faith. The Makkan army, well-armed and well-equipped, numbered over a thousand and had among its leaders some of the most experienced warriors of Arabia, including Abu Jahl, the inveterate foe and persecutor of Islam. Against all odds the Muslims won a brilliant victory, and many of the enemy leaders, including Abu Jahl, were killed.

It was impossible, without the miraculous aid of Allah, for such a small and ill-equipped force as was the Muslim band, to defeat the large and well-found force of the enemy. But their Faith, firmness, zeal, and discipline won them divine aid. Enemy prisoners stated that the enemy ranks saw the Muslim force to be many times larger than it was.

The enjoyment of 'worldly' desires- women, children,¹ treasures of gold and silver, fine horses, cattle, and fertile land- has been made appealing to people. These are the pleasures of this worldly life, but with Allah is the finest destination.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Banîn means sons. In the ancient Arab culture, sons were a source of pride for their parents and tribes. This is because they provided for their families and took up arms in defence of their tribes.

Fair in the eyes of men is the love of things they covet: women and sons; heaped-up hoards of gold and silver; horses branded (for blood and excellence); and (wealth of) cattle and well-tilled land. Such are the possessions of this world's life; but in nearness to Allah is the best of the goals (to return to). ³⁵⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The pleasures of this world are first enumerated: women for love; sons for strength and pride; hoarded riches, which procure all luxuries; the best and finest pedigree horses; cattle, the measure of wealth in the ancient world, as well as the means and symbols of good farming in the modern world; and broad acres of well-tilled land. By analogy, we may include, for our mechanized age, machines of all kinds,-tractors, motor- cars, aeroplanes, the best internal-combustion engines, etc., etc. In "heaped-up hoards of gold and silver," the Arabic word translated hoards is quanatir plural of quintar, which literally means a Talent of 1.200 ounces of gold.

Say, 'O Prophet,' 'Shall I inform you of what is better than 'all of' this? Those mindful 'of Allah' will have Gardens with their Lord under which rivers flow, to stay there forever, and pure spouses,¹ along with Allah's pleasure.' And Allah is All-Seeing of 'His' servants,

  - Mustafa Khattab

 See footnote for 2:25.

Say: shall I give you glad tidings of things far better than those? For the righteous are gardens in nearness to their Lord with rivers flowing beneath; therein is their eternal home; with companions pure (and holy) and the good pleasure of Allah. For in Allah's sight are (all) His servants. ³⁵⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. ii. 25 and n. 44.

who pray, 'Our Lord! We have believed, so forgive our sins and protect us from the torment of the Fire.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

(Namely) those who say: "Our Lord! we have indeed believed: forgive us then our sins and save us from the agony of the fire."

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

'It is they' who are patient, sincere, obedient, and charitable, and who pray for forgiveness before dawn.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Optional prayers before dawn are recommended and are more likely to be accepted.

Those who show patience firmness and self-control; who are true (in word and deed); who worship devoutly; who spend (in the way of Allah); and who pray for forgiveness in the early hours of the morning. ^{356 357}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Sabr (Sabirin) includes many shades of meaning: I have specified three here, viz., patience, firmness, and self-control. See ii. 45 and ii. 153 and notes thereon.

True servants of Allah are described in iii. 16 and 17. They have faith, humility, and hope (iii. 16); and they have certain virtues (iii. 17) viz., (1) patience, steadfastness, self-restraint, and all that goes under the full definition of Sabr; this shows a certain attitude of mind: (2) in all their dealings they are true and sincere as they are also in their promises and words; this marks them out in social conduct: (3) further, their spiritual worship is earnest and deep, an inner counterpart of their outward conduct; (4) their worship of Allah shows itself in their love of their fellow-men, for they are ready and liberal in charity: and (5) their self-discipline is so great that the first thing they do every morning is humbly to approach their God.

Allah 'Himself' is a Witness that there is no god 'worthy of worship' except Him- and so are the angels and people of knowledge. He is the Maintainer of justice. There is no god 'worthy of worship' except Him- the Almighty, All-Wise.

  - Mustafa Khattab

There is no god but He: that is the witness of Allah His angels and those endued with knowledge standing firm on justice. There is no god but He the Exalted in Power the Wise. ³⁵⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Allah Himself speaks to us through His revelations (through angels) and through His Creation, for all Nature glorifies Allah. No thinking mind, if it only judges the matter fairly, can fail to find the same witness in his own heart and conscience. All this points to the Unity of Allah, His exalted nature, and His wisdom.

Certainly, Allah's only Way is Islam.¹ Those who were given the Scripture did not dispute 'among themselves' out of mutual envy until knowledge came to them.² Whoever denies Allah's signs, then surely Allah is swift in reckoning.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 i.e., full submission to the Will of Allah.

 No community split into believers and disbelievers until they received the knowledge given by their prophet.

The Religion before Allah is Islam (submission to His will): nor did the people of the Book dissent therefrom except through envy of each other after knowledge had come to them. But if any deny the Signs of Allah Allah is swift in calling to account. ³⁵⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Bagyan: through envy, through selfish contumacy or obstinacy, through sheer contrary-mindedness, or desire to resist or rebel. Cf. ii. 90, and ii. 213.

So if they argue with you 'O Prophet', say, 'I have submitted myself to Allah, and so have my followers.' And ask those who were given the Scripture and the illiterate 'people',¹ 'Have you submitted yourselves 'to Allah'?' If they submit, they will be 'rightly' guided. But if they turn away, then your duty is only to deliver 'the message'. And Allah is All-Seeing of 'His' servants.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 This refers to the pagans of Arabia before Islam.        

So if they dispute with thee say: "I have submitted my whole self to Allah and so have those who follow me." And say to the people of the Book and to those who are unlearned: "Do ye (also) submit yourselves?" If they do they are in right guidance but if they turn back thy duty is to convey the Message; and in Allah's sight are (all) His servants. ^{360 361 362}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Wajh: whole self. See n. 114 to ii. 112.

The People of the Book may be supposed to know something about the previous religious history of mankind. To them the appeal should be easy and intelligible, as all Religion is one, and it is only being renewed in Islam. But the appeal is also made to the Pagan Arabs, who are unlearned, and who can well be expected to follow the example of one of their own, who received divine enlightenment, and was able to bring new knowledge to them. A great many of both these classes did so. But the few who resisted Allah's grace, and actually threatened and persecuted those who believed, are told that Allah will look after His own.

Note the literary skill in the argument as it proceeds. The mystery of birth faintly suggests that we are coming to the story of Jesus. The exposition of the Book suggests that Islam is the same religion as that of the People of the Book. Next we are told that the People of the Book made their religion one-sided, and through the priesthood of the family of Imran, we are brought to the story of Jesus, who was rejected by a body of the Jews as Muhammad was rejected by a body of both Jews and Christians.

Indeed, those who deny Allah's signs, kill the prophets unjustly, and kill people who stand up for justice- give them good news of a painful punishment.

  - Mustafa Khattab

As to those who deny the Signs of Allah and in defiance of right slay the Prophets and slay those who teach just dealing with mankind announce to them a grievous penalty. ^{363 364}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Right; haqq has many shades of meaning; (1) right, in the sense of having a right to something; (2) right, in the sense of straight conduct, as opposed to wrong; (3) truth; (4) justice. All these shades are implied here.

Examples of the Prophets slain were: "the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar": Matt. xxiii. 35. Cf. Q. ii. 61. n. 75. Again, John the Baptist (Yahya, noble, chaste, a prophet, of the goodly company of the righteous. Q. iii. 39), was bound, imprisoned, and beheaded, and his head presented to a dancing harlot: Matt. xiv. 1-11.

They are the ones whose deeds are wasted in this world and the Hereafter. And they will have no helpers.

  - Mustafa Khattab

They are those whose works will bear no fruit in this world and in the Hereafter nor will they have anyone to help. ³⁶⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. ii. 217. end.

Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scriptures?¹ Yet when they are invited to the Book of Allah to settle their disputes, some of them turn away heedlessly.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 i.e., the Torah.

Hast thou not turned thy vision to those who have been given a portion of the Book? They are invited to the Book of Allah to settle their dispute but a party of them turn back and decline (the arbitration). ^{366 367}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

A portion of the Book. I conceive that Allah's revelation as a whole throughout the ages is "The Book". The Law of Moses, and the Gospel of Jesus were portions of the Book. The Qur-an completes the revelation and is par excellence the Book of Allah.

The Commentators mention a particular incident when a dispute was submitted by the Jews for arbitration to the Holy Prophet. He appealed to the authority of their own books, but they tried to conceal and prevaricate. The general lesson is that the People of the Book should have been the first to welcome in Muhammad the living exponent of the Message of Allah as a whole, and some of them did so: but others turned away from guilty arrogance, relying on corrupted texts and doctrines forged out of their own fancies, though they were not conformable to reason and good sense.

This is because they say, 'The Fire will not touch us except for a few days.' They have been deceived in their faith by their wishful lying.

  - Mustafa Khattab

This because they say: "The fire shall not touch us but for a few numbered days"; for their forgeries deceive them as to their own religion. ³⁶⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. Q. ii. 80.

But how 'horrible' will it be when We gather them together on the Day about which there is no doubt- when every soul will be paid in full for what it has done, and none will be wronged!

  - Mustafa Khattab

But how (will they fare) when We gather them together against a day about which there is no doubt and each soul will be paid out just what it has earned without (favor or injustice)?

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali