3. Surah Aal-i-Imraan

آل عمرانThe Family of Imraan · 200 ayahsتفہیم القرآن انگلش

Read Surah Aal-i-Imraan in the Quran reader
Ayah 3:41

قَالَ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ لِّیْۤ اٰیَةً١ؕ قَالَ اٰیَتُكَ اَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلٰثَةَ اَیَّامٍ اِلَّا رَمْزًا١ؕ وَ اذْكُرْ رَّبَّكَ كَثِیْرًا وَّ سَبِّحْ بِالْعَشِیِّ وَ الْاِبْكَارِ۠ Open ayah 3:41 in the Quran reader

Zechariah said: 'O my Lord! Appoint a sign for me.' 41 The angel said: 'The sign for you shall be that you shall not speak to men for three days except by gesture. Remember your Lord and extol His glory by night and by day.' 42

41. Here the request is made for some specific sign to be given by means of which Zechariah would come to know in advance when the unusual incident of the birth of a child to a couple, where the male was old and the female both old and barren, would take place. 42. The real purpose of this discourse is to disclose to the Christians the error of their belief in Jesus as God and as the son of God. The subject is introduced by mentioning the birth of John (peace be on him) , anothermiraculous birth which had taken place only six months before the birth of the Messiah (peace be on him) and among his own relatives. God wants to make the Christians ask themselves why the miraculous birth of Jesus should make him God when the similarly miraculous birth of John did not make him so.
Ayahs 3:42–44

وَ اِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلٰٓئِكَةُ یٰمَرْیَمُ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ اصْطَفٰىكِ وَ طَهَّرَكِ وَ اصْطَفٰىكِ عَلٰى نِسَآءِ الْعٰلَمِیْنَ Open ayah 3:42 in the Quran reader

Then came the time when the angels said: 'O Mary! Behold, Allah has chosen you, and made you pure, and exalted you above all the women in the world.

یٰمَرْیَمُ اقْنُتِیْ لِرَبِّكِ وَ اسْجُدِیْ وَ ارْكَعِیْ مَعَ الرّٰكِعِیْنَ Open ayah 3:43 in the Quran reader

O Mary! Remain devout to your Lord, and prostrate yourself in worship, and bow with those who bow (before Him) .'

ذٰلِكَ مِنْ اَنْۢبَآءِ الْغَیْبِ نُوْحِیْهِ اِلَیْكَ١ؕ وَ مَا كُنْتَ لَدَیْهِمْ اِذْ یُلْقُوْنَ اَقْلَامَهُمْ اَیُّهُمْ یَكْفُلُ مَرْیَمَ١۪ وَ مَا كُنْتَ لَدَیْهِمْ اِذْ یَخْتَصِمُوْنَ Open ayah 3:44 in the Quran reader

(O Muhammad!) We reveal to you this account from a realm which lies beyond the reach of your perception for you were not with them when they drew lots with their pens about who should be Mary's guardian, 43 and you were not with them when they disputed about it.

43. They drew lots to decide who should be the guardian of Mary, whose mother had consecrated her to the service of God in the Temple. Since she was a girl, it was a delicate matter as to who from among the priests of the Temple would be the appropriate person to take care of her.
Ayahs 3:45–47

اِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلٰٓئِكَةُ یٰمَرْیَمُ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ یُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنْهُ١ۖۗ اسْمُهُ الْمَسِیْحُ عِیْسَى ابْنُ مَرْیَمَ وَجِیْهًا فِی الدُّنْیَا وَ الْاٰخِرَةِ وَ مِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِیْنَۙ Open ayah 3:45 in the Quran reader

And when the angels said: 'O Mary! Allah gives you the glad tidings of a command from Him: his name shall be Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary. He shall be highly honoured in this world and in the Next, and shall be one of those near stationed to Allah.

وَ یُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ فِی الْمَهْدِ وَ كَهْلًا وَّ مِنَ الصّٰلِحِیْنَ Open ayah 3:46 in the Quran reader

And he shall speak to men in the cradle and also later when he grows to maturity and shall indeed be among the righteous.'

قَالَتْ رَبِّ اَنّٰى یَكُوْنُ لِیْ وَلَدٌ وَّ لَمْ یَمْسَسْنِیْ بَشَرٌ١ؕ قَالَ كَذٰلِكِ اللّٰهُ یَخْلُقُ مَا یَشَآءُ١ؕ اِذَا قَضٰۤى اَمْرًا فَاِنَّمَا یَقُوْلُ لَهٗ كُنْ فَیَكُوْنُ Open ayah 3:47 in the Quran reader

She said: 'O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has ever touched me?' The angel answered: Thus shall it be. 44 Allah creates whatever He wills. When He decides something, He merely says: "Be" and it is.

44. Thus it was affirmed that a child would be born to Mary despite the fact that no man had touched her. The angel's answer mentioned here, 'Thus shall it be', was exactly the same as the response given to Zechariah. Both the following sentences and the preceding section support the view that the angel had conveyed to Mary the glad tidings that a son would be born to her without normal sexual contact, and it was thus that Jesus was born. For, if Mary's child was to be born to her in the usual manner in which children are born to women, and if the birth of Jesus did take place in the normal way, the entire narrative from verse 35 of this surah to verse 63 would have to be declared absurd. Indeed, one would be forced to treat as meaningless all those statements about the birth of Jesus which are found scattered elsewhere in the Qur'an. The Christians had begun to regard Jesus as God and the son of God because of this fatherless birth. The Jews, in turn, cast aspersions on Mary's chastity on the grounds that she had given birth to a child despite being unmarried. If the fatherless birth of Jesus was itself false, it would have been sufficient to tell the Christians that they were indulging in sheer mis-statement, that Mary had indeed been married, that she had a legitimate husband, and that it was as a result of that wedlock that Jesus was born. If this fact could have been stated plainly, there would have been no need for long preparatory statements and complicated propositions, and no need to call Jesus the son of Mary instead of naming his father. For far from resolving the issue such statements add to the confusion. Those who believe the Qur'an to be the word or command from God and yet try to prove that the birth of Jesus took place in the normal manner, as a result of union between his father and mother, end up by proving only that God is less capable of clear expression than they are!
Ayahs 3:48–49

وَ یُعَلِّمُهُ الْكِتٰبَ وَ الْحِكْمَةَ وَ التَّوْرٰىةَ وَ الْاِنْجِیْلَۚ Open ayah 3:48 in the Quran reader

And He will teach him the Book, the Wisdom, the Torah, the Gospel,

وَ رَسُوْلًا اِلٰى بَنِیْۤ اِسْرَآءِیْلَ١ۙ۬ اَنِّیْ قَدْ جِئْتُكُمْ بِاٰیَةٍ مِّنْ رَّبِّكُمْ١ۙ اَنِّیْۤ اَخْلُقُ لَكُمْ مِّنَ الطِّیْنِ كَهَیْئَةِ الطَّیْرِ فَاَنْفُخُ فِیْهِ فَیَكُوْنُ طَیْرًۢا بِاِذْنِ اللّٰهِ١ۚ وَ اُبْرِئُ الْاَكْمَهَ وَ الْاَبْرَصَ وَ اُحْیِ الْمَوْتٰى بِاِذْنِ اللّٰهِ١ۚ وَ اُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا تَاْكُلُوْنَ وَ مَا تَدَّخِرُوْنَ١ۙ فِیْ بُیُوْتِكُمْ١ؕ اِنَّ فِیْ ذٰلِكَ لَاٰیَةً لَّكُمْ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُّؤْمِنِیْنَۚ Open ayah 3:49 in the Quran reader

and he will be a Messenger to the Children of Israel.' (And when he came to them he said) : 'I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. I will make for you from clay the likeness of a bird and then I will breathe into it and by the leave of Allah it will become a bird. I will also heal the blind and the leper, and by the leave of Allah bring the dead to life. I will also inform you of what things you eat and what you treasure up in your houses. Surely this is a sign for you if you are true believ-ers. 45

45. It is hinted here that these signs are sufficient proof that Jesus was designated by God, the Creator and Sovereign of the universe, provided people are prepared to accept the truth instead of obstinately clinging to their prejudiced views. This is further proof that Jesus had been entrusted with a mission by God. Had he not been designated by God but by an imposter he would surely have attempted to found an independent religion, exploiting his miracles to lead people away from their original faith. However, Jesus believed in, and confirmed, the validity of the teachings of the original religion which had been preached at God's behest by the earlier Prophets.
Ayah 3:50

وَ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَیْنَ یَدَیَّ مِنَ التَّوْرٰىةِ وَ لِاُحِلَّ لَكُمْ بَعْضَ الَّذِیْ حُرِّمَ عَلَیْكُمْ وَ جِئْتُكُمْ بِاٰیَةٍ مِّنْ رَّبِّكُمْ١۫ فَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ وَ اَطِیْعُوْنِ Open ayah 3:50 in the Quran reader

And I have come to confirm the truth of whatever there still remains of the Torah, 46 and to make lawful to you some of the things which had been forbidden to you. 47 have come to you with a sign from your Lord; so have fear of Allah and obey me.

46. The fact that Jesus preached the same religion as that expounded earlier by Moses and the other Prophets is also borne out by the statements of the existing Gospels: According to Matthew, in his Sermon on the Mount the Messiah categorically declared: 'Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them' (Matthew 5: 17) . And when a Jewish lawyer enquired: 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?', Jesus replied: 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. And a second is like it, you shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depends the law and the prophets' (ibid., 22: 37-40) . He also instructed his disciples: The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so practise and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practise' (ibid., 23: 2-3) . 47. What Jesus wanted to impress upon them was that he would abolish the prohibitive innovations which had infiltrated the original Divine Law (Shari'ah}. These were the results of the superstitions of their ignorant commoners, the legal hair-splitting of their lawyers, the extremism of their world-renouncing pietists, and the ascendancy and predominance of non-Muslim peoples over them. In determining what is lawful and unlawful, Jesus would be guided by the injunctions of God and not by the inventions of human beings.
Ayah 3:51

اِنَّ اللّٰهَ رَبِّیْ وَ رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوْهُ١ؕ هٰذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِیْمٌ Open ayah 3:51 in the Quran reader

Surely, Allah is my Lord and your Lord; so serve Him alone. This is the straight way.' 48

48. This shows that as with the other Prophets, the fundamental points of Jesus' mission were the following: (1) Man should acknowledge- the exclusive sovereignty of God which demands absolute service and obedience to Him, and Him alone. This principle serves as the basis for the entire structure of human morality and social behaviour. (2) Man should obey the Prophets since they are the representatives of the true Sovereign. (3) The Law which should regulate man's conduct by elaborating what is right and what is wrong should be none other than the Law of God. The laws devised by others should be abrogated. There is, thus, no difference between the missions of Jesus, Moses and Muhammad (peace be on them all) . Those who think that the missions of the Prophets differ from one another and who believe that their objectives vary have fallen into serious error. Whoever is sent by the Lord of the Universe to His creatures can have no other purpose than to dissuade God's subjects from disobeying Him and assuming an attitude of vanity and disregard towards Him, and to admonish them against associating anyone with God in His divinity (that is, either holding anyone to be a partner with the Lord of the Universe in His Sovereignty or recognizing others beside God as having a rightful claim on part of man's loyalty, devotion and worship) , and to invite them all to be loyal to, and to serve, obey and worship God alone. It is unfortunate that the Gospels in their present form do not offer as clear a picture of the mission of Jesus as that presented by the Qur'an. Nevertheless, we find scattered throughout the Gospels all the three fundamentals mentioned above. The notion that man ought to submit himself totally to God is embodied in the following statement: 'You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve' (Matthew 4: 10) . In addition, Jesus believed that the object of his efforts was that God's commands relating to the moral realm should be obeyed in this world in the sphere of human conduct just as His commands about the operation of the physical universe are obeyed in the heavens: 'Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven' (ibid., 6: 10) . The fact that Jesus presented himself as a Prophet and a representative of the Kingdom of Heaven, and that in this capacity he asked people to follow him is borne out by several statements. When, for instance, he began his mission in Nazareth and when his own kith, kin and compatriots turned against him, he remarked: 'A prophet is not without honour except in his own country . . .' (Matthew 13: 57; see also Luke 4: 24 and Mark 6: 4) . And when conspiracies were hatched in Jerusalem to put an end to his life, and people counselled him to go away, he replied: 'Nevertheless I must go on my way . . . for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem' (Luke 13: 33) . When Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time the disciples cried with a loud voice: 'Blessed be the King who comes in the name of the Lord' (Luke 19: 38) . This angered the Pharisees, who asked Jesus to rebuke his disciples. But he replied: 'I tell you, if these were silent the very stones would cry out' (ibid., 19: 40) . On another occasion he said: 'Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light' (Matthew 11: 28-30) . The fact that he invited people to obey the Laws of God rather than the laws made by man is evident from his response (found in both Matthew and Mark) to the objection raised by the Pharisees to the conduct of their disciples who ate with defiled hands, that is, without washing. 'Well did Isiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.' And he said to them: 'You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. For Moses said, "Honour your father and your mother", and "He who speaks evil of his father or mother, let him surely die", but you say, "If a man tells his father or mother what you would have gained from me is Corban (that is, given to God) , and then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God through your tradition which you hand on"' (Mark 7: 6-13; see also Matthew 15: 2-9) .
Ayah 3:52

فَلَمَّاۤ اَحَسَّ عِیْسٰى مِنْهُمُ الْكُفْرَ قَالَ مَنْ اَنْصَارِیْۤ اِلَى اللّٰهِ١ؕ قَالَ الْحَوَارِیُّوْنَ نَحْنُ اَنْصَارُ اللّٰهِ١ۚ اٰمَنَّا بِاللّٰهِ١ۚ وَ اشْهَدْ بِاَنَّا مُسْلِمُوْنَ Open ayah 3:52 in the Quran reader

And when Jesus perceived their leaning towards unbelief, he asked: 'Who will be my helpers in the way of Allah?' The disciples 49 said: 'We are the helpers of Allah. We believe in Allah, 50 and be our witness that we have submitted ourselves exclusively to Allah.

49. The word hawari means approximately the same as the word ansar in the Islamic tradition. In the Bible the usual terms are 'apostles' and 'disciples'. Jesus' chosen disciples were called apostles in the sense that they had been entrusted with a mission by him rather than in the sense of having been entrusted with a mission by God. 50. At various places the Qur'an characterizes man's participation in the effort to establish the supremacy of Islam as 'helping God'. This needs a little explanation. God has endowed man with the freedom of will and choice, with the result that He does not resort to His omnipotent will to compel man either to do certain things or to refrain from others. He rather leaves man free to adopt the course that pleases him - be it that of either belief or unbelief, of either obedience or disobedience. God prefers to instruct man by means of persuasive argument and admonition, so as to bring home to him that even though he is free to disbelieve, disobey and defy the Will of God, his own interest and well-being lie in serving and obeying his Creator. Hence, directing people to the right path by persuasion and admonition is of concern to God, He regards those who contribute to this cause as His allies and helpers. This is, in fact, the most exalted position attainable by man. When a man performs Prayers, keeps his fast and worships God in other ways, he is merely on the level of service and subjection to God. But when a man strives to spread God's true religion and to enthrone it in actual life, he is honoured with the status of God's ally and helper, which is the zenith of man's spiritual growth. 'Literally, 'and be our witness that we are Muslims' - Ed.
Ayahs 3:53–55

رَبَّنَاۤ اٰمَنَّا بِمَاۤ اَنْزَلْتَ وَ اتَّبَعْنَا الرَّسُوْلَ فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشّٰهِدِیْنَ Open ayah 3:53 in the Quran reader

Our Lord! We believe in the com-mandment You have revealed and we obey the Messenger; make us, then, one of those who bear witness (to the Truth) .'

وَ مَكَرُوْا وَ مَكَرَ اللّٰهُ١ؕ وَ اللّٰهُ خَیْرُ الْمٰكِرِیْنَ۠ Open ayah 3:54 in the Quran reader

Then they schemed (against the Messiah) , and Allah countered their schemes by schemes of His own. Allah is the best of schemers.

اِذْ قَالَ اللّٰهُ یٰعِیْسٰۤى اِنِّیْ مُتَوَفِّیْكَ وَ رَافِعُكَ اِلَیَّ وَ مُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِیْنَ كَفَرُوْا وَ جَاعِلُ الَّذِیْنَ اتَّبَعُوْكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِیْنَ كَفَرُوْۤا اِلٰى یَوْمِ الْقِیٰمَةِ١ۚ ثُمَّ اِلَیَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَاَحْكُمُ بَیْنَكُمْ فِیْمَا كُنْتُمْ فِیْهِ تَخْتَلِفُوْنَ Open ayah 3:55 in the Quran reader

(And it was part of His scheme) when Allah said: 'O Jesus! I will recall you 51 and raise you up to Me and will purify you (of the company) of those who disbelieve, 52 and will set your followers above the unbelievers till the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me you shall return, and I will judge between you regarding what you differed.

51. The expression used is mutawaffika. The original meaning of tawaffa is to take and receive. To 'seize a person's sou!' constitutes the figurative rather than the literal meaning of the word. Here the word is used in the sense of 'recall', for example, the recall of an official from his work. The Israelites had persisted in their disobedience, and despite repeated warnings and admonitions their collective behaviour had become increasingly corrupt. They had killed a succession of Prophets and were out to shed the blood of all those who invited them to righteousness and moral rectitude. In order to complete His argument against them, and to give them a last chance to reform themselves, God sent to them two great Prophets, Jesus and John the Baptist. These Prophets carried with them such overwhelming proof of their designation by God that no ground was left for anyone to disbelieve in them, except those who were obstinately hostile to the Truth and who had become exceedingly bold in their opposition to it. Yet the Israelites let this last opportunity slip away. They not only spurned the message of the Prophets but also brazenly indulged in many other atrocious crimes. One of their chiefs had John beheaded at the behest of a dancing girl, and their priests and scribes conspired to have Jesus put to death by the Roman authorities. Further admonition would have been a sheer waste of time. God, therefore, decided to recall His Prophet and condemned the Israelites to perpetual disgrace. It should be noted that this whole discourse (verses 3: 33 ff.) is devoted to repudiating the Christian belief in the godhead of Jesus, and to reforming their beliefs. The main reasons for the spread of these false beliefs were: (i) the miraculous birth of Jesus; (ii) the miracles which he performed; and (iii) his ascension into heaven (which is mentioned categorically in the Christian scriptures) . The Qur'an confirms the miraculous birth of Jesus and asserts that this fatherless birth is a manifestation of God's omnipotence. God creates whomsoever He wills and in the manner He chooses. This extraordinary birth neither proves that Jesus was God nor that he had any share in God's godhead. The miracles of Jesus are also verified by the Qur'an; in fact it enumerates them one by one. The Qur'an, however, makes it clear that Jesus performed these miracles in accordance with God's will, and not of his own innate power. Had the traditions cherished by the Christians regarding Jesus' ascension into heaven been without foundation, they would have been told that he whom they regarded as either God or the son of God had died long ago and become part of the earth, and that if they wanted to satisfy themselves on that score they could go and witness for themselves his grave at a certain place. But not only does the Qur'an not make any categorical statement that Jesus died, it employs an expression which, to say the least, contains the possibility of being interpreted as meaning that he had been raised into heaven alive. Further, the Qur'an tells the Christians that Jesus, contrary to their belief, was not crucified. This means that the man who cried out at the end of his life: 'Eli, Eli, lama sabach-thani?', that is, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?' (Matthew 27: 46) , and the one whose image was seen on the cross was not Christ; God had already raised Christ into heaven. As for those who try to interpret these Qur'anic verses as indicating the death of Jesus, they actually prove only that God is incapable of expressing His ideas in clear, lucid terms. 52. The words 'those who disbelieve' here refer to the Jews whom Jesus had invited to believe, and who had refused that invitation. The expression: 'your followers', if it denotes the true followers of Jesus, can only mean Muslims. Should 'followers' signify all those who profess allegiance to Jesus, it would include both Christians and Muslims.
Ayahs 3:56–59

فَاَمَّا الَّذِیْنَ كَفَرُوْا فَاُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِیْدًا فِی الدُّنْیَا وَ الْاٰخِرَةِ١٘ وَ مَا لَهُمْ مِّنْ نّٰصِرِیْنَ Open ayah 3:56 in the Quran reader

As for those who disbelieved, I shall punish them with a terrible chastisement in this world and in the Next; and they shall find none to help them.

وَ اَمَّا الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ فَیُوَفِّیْهِمْ اُجُوْرَهُمْ١ؕ وَ اللّٰهُ لَا یُحِبُّ الظّٰلِمِیْنَ Open ayah 3:57 in the Quran reader

But those who believe and do righteous deeds, He will reward them in full. Allah does not love the unjust.'

ذٰلِكَ نَتْلُوْهُ عَلَیْكَ مِنَ الْاٰیٰتِ وَ الذِّكْرِ الْحَكِیْمِ Open ayah 3:58 in the Quran reader

What We recite to you consists of signs and wise admonition.

اِنَّ مَثَلَ عِیْسٰى عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ كَمَثَلِ اٰدَمَ١ؕ خَلَقَهٗ مِنْ تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهٗ كُنْ فَیَكُوْنُ Open ayah 3:59 in the Quran reader

Surely, in the sight of Allah, the similitude of the creation of Jesus is as the creation of Adam whom He created out of dust, and then said: 'Be', and he was. 53

53. This means that if Jesus' miraculous birth is sufficient proof that he should be regarded either as God or as the son of God then there are even stronger grounds to apply this to Adam. For, while Jesus was born without a father, Adam was born with neither father nor mother.
Ayah 3:60

اَلْحَقُّ مِنْ رَّبِّكَ فَلَا تَكُنْ مِّنَ الْمُمْتَرِیْنَ Open ayah 3:60 in the Quran reader

This is the truth from your Lord; be not, then, among those who doubt. 54

54. The main points set before the Christians so far are the following: First, it was impressed upon them that none of the various arguments which gave rise to the doctrine of the divinity of Jesus provided valid grounds to support that doctrine. Jesus was merely a human being whom God had created in an extraordinary manner for reasons best known to Him. God had also invested Jesus with the power to perform certain miracles by means of which he could categorically establish his claim to prophethood. It seems perfectly reasonable that God should not have allowed such an extraordinary person to be crucified by unbelievers and should have raised him up to Himself. As the Sovereign, God has the power to treat any of His subjects as He wishes. How can this extraordinary treatment of Jesus justify the conclusion that the subject was himself either the Sovereign, the son of the Sovereign or an associate with Him in His Sovereignty? Second, the message of Muhammad (peace be on him) is the same as that of Jesus. The missions of the two are identical. Third, even after [the ascension of] Jesus the religion of his disciples remained the same, namely, Islam, which is now expounded by the Qur'an. What has happened is that, in the course of time, the Christians have abandoned the teachings of Christ, and have deviated from the religion followed by the early disciples of Jesus.
Ayah 3:61

فَمَنْ حَآجَّكَ فِیْهِ مِنْۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا نَدْعُ اَبْنَآءَنَا وَ اَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَ نِسَآءَنَا وَ نِسَآءَكُمْ وَ اَنْفُسَنَا وَ اَنْفُسَكُمْ١۫ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَلْ لَّعْنَتَ اللّٰهِ عَلَى الْكٰذِبِیْنَ Open ayah 3:61 in the Quran reader

Tell whoever disputes with you on this matter after true knowledge has come to you: 'Come! Let us summon our sons and your sons, and our women and your women, and ourselves and yourselves, and then let us pray together and invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie.' 55

55. The real aim in suggesting this procedure for deciding the dispute was to prove that the attitude of those amongst the delegation of Najran was one of deliberate stubbornness and intransigence. They had no sound arguments to contradict any of the points mentioned above, and they could not find any shred of evidence in their own scriptures upon which they could claim, with firm conviction, that their beliefs were true. Moreover, all that the members of the deputation had come to know of the character, teachings and achievements of the Prophet had made them more or less convinced of his prophethood, and at least caused their disbelief to waver. When they were told that if they had full confidence in the truth of their beliefs they should come forward and pray to God that His curse should fall on the deniers of the truth, none of them came forward. It thus became clear all over Arabia that the priests and leaders of Christianity in Najran, whose holiness was celebrated far and wide, followed beliefs, the truth of which, they themselves were not fully confident in.
Ayahs 3:62–64

اِنَّ هٰذَا لَهُوَ الْقَصَصُ الْحَقُّ١ۚ وَ مَا مِنْ اِلٰهٍ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ١ؕ وَ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَهُوَ الْعَزِیْزُ الْحَكِیْمُ Open ayah 3:62 in the Quran reader

This is the true story. There is no God but Allah, and assuredly Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.

فَاِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلِیْمٌۢ بِالْمُفْسِدِیْنَ۠ Open ayah 3:63 in the Quran reader

And if they turn their backs, truly Allah knows those who cause mischief.

قُلْ یٰۤاَهْلَ الْكِتٰبِ تَعَالَوْا اِلٰى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَآءٍۭ بَیْنَنَا وَ بَیْنَكُمْ اَلَّا نَعْبُدَ اِلَّا اللّٰهَ وَ لَا نُشْرِكَ بِهٖ شَیْئًا وَّ لَا یَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا اَرْبَابًا مِّنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ١ؕ فَاِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقُوْلُوا اشْهَدُوْا بِاَنَّا مُسْلِمُوْنَ Open ayah 3:64 in the Quran reader

Say: 56 'People of the Book! Come to a word common between us and you: 57 that we shall serve none but Allah and shall associate none with Him in His divinity and that some of us will not take others as lords beside Allah.' And if they turn their backs (from accepting this call) , tell them: 'Bear witness that we are the ones who have submitted ourselves exclusively to Allah.'

56. This marks the beginning of the third discourse of this surah. Its contents invite the conclusion that the surah was revealed sometime between the battles of Badr and Uhud. The subjects of these three discourses are so closely interrelated that some commentators have wrongly understood the verses which follow to be part of the foregoing discourse. From the whole tenor of the discourse which now begins, however, it is evident that it is addressed to the Jews. 57. The invitation here is for the two parties to agree on something believed in by one of them, the Muslims, and the soundness of which could hardly be denied by the other party, the Christians. For this was the belief of their own Prophets and had been taught in their own scriptures.
Ayah 3:65

یٰۤاَهْلَ الْكِتٰبِ لِمَ تُحَآجُّوْنَ فِیْۤ اِبْرٰهِیْمَ وَ مَاۤ اُنْزِلَتِ التَّوْرٰىةُ وَ الْاِنْجِیْلُ اِلَّا مِنْۢ بَعْدِهٖ١ؕ اَفَلَا تَعْقِلُوْنَ Open ayah 3:65 in the Quran reader

People of the Book! Why do you dispute with us about Abraham even though the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed until after the time of Abraham? Do you not understand? 58

58. That is, both Judaism and Christianity came into existence after the Torah and the Injil had been revealed; Abraham had lived much earlier than that. Thus it can easily be grasped that the religion of Abraham could not have been that of either Judaism or Christianity. If Abraham was on the right path and had attained salvation it is obvious that one need not follow either, Judaism or Christianity in order to be on the right path and to attain salvation. (See also Surah 2, nn. 135 and 141 above.)
Ayahs 3:66–67

هٰۤاَنْتُمْ هٰۤؤُلَآءِ حَاجَجْتُمْ فِیْمَا لَكُمْ بِهٖ عِلْمٌ فَلِمَ تُحَآجُّوْنَ فِیْمَا لَیْسَ لَكُمْ بِهٖ عِلْمٌ١ؕ وَ اللّٰهُ یَعْلَمُ وَ اَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُوْنَ Open ayah 3:66 in the Quran reader

Behold, you are those who have disputed greatly concerning matters which you knew; why are you now disputing about matters that you know nothing about? Allah knows it whereas you do not know.

مَا كَانَ اِبْرٰهِیْمُ یَهُوْدِیًّا وَّ لَا نَصْرَانِیًّا وَّ لٰكِنْ كَانَ حَنِیْفًا مُّسْلِمًا١ؕ وَ مَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِیْنَ Open ayah 3:67 in the Quran reader

Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian; he was a Muslim, wholly devoted to God. 59 And he certainly was not amongst those who associate others with Allah in His divinity.

59. The word hanif denotes someone who turns his face away from all other directions in order to follow one particular course. We have tried to convey this sense through the expression: 'a Muslim, wholly devoted to God'.
Ayahs 3:68–70

اِنَّ اَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِاِبْرٰهِیْمَ لَلَّذِیْنَ اتَّبَعُوْهُ وَ هٰذَا النَّبِیُّ وَ الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا١ؕ وَ اللّٰهُ وَلِیُّ الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ Open ayah 3:68 in the Quran reader

Surely the people who have the best claim to a relationship with Abraham are those who followed him in the past, and presently this Prophet and those who believe in him; Allah is the guardian of the men of faith.

وَدَّتْ طَّآئِفَةٌ مِّنْ اَهْلِ الْكِتٰبِ لَوْ یُضِلُّوْنَكُمْ١ؕ وَ مَا یُضِلُّوْنَ اِلَّاۤ اَنْفُسَهُمْ وَ مَا یَشْعُرُوْنَ Open ayah 3:69 in the Quran reader

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.

یٰۤاَهْلَ الْكِتٰبِ لِمَ تَكْفُرُوْنَ بِاٰیٰتِ اللّٰهِ وَ اَنْتُمْ تَشْهَدُوْنَ Open ayah 3:70 in the Quran reader

O People of the Book! Why do you reject the signs of Allah even though you yourselves witness them? 60

60. Another rendering of this could be, 'and you yourselves bear witness' to Muhammad's prophethood. However it is translated the sense remains the same. In fact, the impeccable purity of the life of the Prophet, the astounding impact of his teachings and training on the lives of his Companions, and the loftiness of the teachings of the Qur'an all constituted such illustrious signs of God that it was very difficult for anyone conversant with the lives of the Prophets and the tenor of Divine Scriptures to doubt the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be on him) . It is a fact that many Jews and Christians (especially their scholars) came, to recognize in their hearts that Muhammad was the very Prophet whose coming had been announced by the preceding Prophets. This fact was so overwhelming that, despite their intransigence, they could not help but give verbal expression, at times, to the truth of the Prophet's teachings. This is why the Qur'an repeatedly blames them for maliciously misrepresenting the signs of God which they saw with their own eyes and to which they themselves attested.
Ayahs 3:71–72

یٰۤاَهْلَ الْكِتٰبِ لِمَ تَلْبِسُوْنَ الْحَقَّ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَ تَكْتُمُوْنَ الْحَقَّ وَ اَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُوْنَ۠ Open ayah 3:71 in the Quran reader

People of the Book! Why do you confound Truth with falsehood, and why do you conceal the Truth knowingly?

وَ قَالَتْ طَّآئِفَةٌ مِّنْ اَهْلِ الْكِتٰبِ اٰمِنُوْا بِالَّذِیْۤ اُنْزِلَ عَلَى الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَجْهَ النَّهَارِ وَ اكْفُرُوْۤا اٰخِرَهٗ لَعَلَّهُمْ یَرْجِعُوْنَۚۖ Open ayah 3:72 in the Quran reader

A party of the People of the Book said: 'Believe in the morning what has been revealed to those who believe, and then deny it in the evening that they may thus retract (from their faith) .' 61

61. This was one of the devices adopted by the leaders and rabbis of the Jews who lived on the outskirts of Madina in order to damage the mission of Islam. To demoralize the Muslims and create misgivings about the Prophet (peace be on him) , they sent their agents to embrace Islam publicly, then to renounce it, and subsequently to go about telling people they had done so because of the faults they had found in Islam, the Muslims and their Prophet.
Ayah 3:73

وَ لَا تُؤْمِنُوْۤا اِلَّا لِمَنْ تَبِعَ دِیْنَكُمْ١ؕ قُلْ اِنَّ الْهُدٰى هُدَى اللّٰهِ١ۙ اَنْ یُّؤْتٰۤى اَحَدٌ مِّثْلَ مَاۤ اُوْتِیْتُمْ اَوْ یُحَآجُّوْكُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّكُمْ١ؕ قُلْ اِنَّ الْفَضْلَ بِیَدِ اللّٰهِ١ۚ یُؤْتِیْهِ مَنْ یَّشَآءُ١ؕ وَ اللّٰهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِیْمٌۚۙ Open ayah 3:73 in the Quran reader

They also say among themselves: 'Do not follow anyone except him who follows your faith.' Say: 'Surely true guidance is Allah's. It is His favour that anyone should be given the like of what you have been given in the past, and that others should have been given firm evidence to proffer against you before your Lord.' Say: 'Surely bounty is in the Hand of Allah; He gives it to whom He wills. Allah is All-Embracing, 62 All-Knowing. 63

62. The word wasi' which is used here occurs in the Qur'an in three contexts. The first context is the narrow-mindedness and mean outlook of certain people, in contrast to which God is not 'narrow'. The second context is the denunciation of miserliness, meanness and niggardliness, in contrast to which God is Generous and Munificent. The third context is the ascription of finite, limited concepts to God as a result of their limitedimagination, whereas the truth is that God is infinite (see Surah 2, n. 116 above) .
Ayah 3:74

یَّخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهٖ مَنْ یَّشَآءُ١ؕ وَ اللّٰهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِیْمِ Open ayah 3:74 in the Quran reader

He singles out for His mercy whomever He wills, Allah is possessed of abounding bounty.'

63. That is, God knows who deserves to be honoured and exalted.
Ayah 3:75

وَ مِنْ اَهْلِ الْكِتٰبِ مَنْ اِنْ تَاْمَنْهُ بِقِنْطَارٍ یُّؤَدِّهٖۤ اِلَیْكَ١ۚ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَّنْ اِنْ تَاْمَنْهُ بِدِیْنَارٍ لَّا یُؤَدِّهٖۤ اِلَیْكَ اِلَّا مَا دُمْتَ عَلَیْهِ قَآئِمًا١ؕ ذٰلِكَ بِاَنَّهُمْ قَالُوْا لَیْسَ عَلَیْنَا فِی الْاُمِّیّٖنَ سَبِیْلٌ١ۚ وَ یَقُوْلُوْنَ عَلَى اللّٰهِ الْكَذِبَ وَ هُمْ یَعْلَمُوْنَ Open ayah 3:75 in the Quran reader

And among the People of the Book there are some who would restore you even if you were to entrust a treasure of gold, and of them there are some whom were you to entrust with one gold piece, will not restore it unless you stand over them. That is because they say: 'We will not be taken to task for whatever we may do to non-Jews (ummls) . 64 Thus they falsely fix a lie upon Allah, and do so wittingly.

64. This was not merely the misconception of the ignorant mass of Jews. Their religious teaching was the same and the legal doctrines of their accepted religious authorities and jurists reflected this idea. With regard to injunctions on loans and interest the Bible makes a clear distinction between an Israelite and a non-Israelite (Deuteronomy 15: 1-3; 23: 20) . It is stated in the Talmud that if the bullock of an Israelite injures the bullock of a non-Israelite the former is not liable to any penalty, but not vice versa. Similarly, it is laid down that if anyone finds an unclaimed article he should enquire amongst the people who live nearby. If they are Israelites he should announce his find; if not he may keep it without saying anything further. Rabbi Samuel Ishmael says that if a dispute between a Jew and a Gentile is brought before a judge, he should base his verdict on Jewish law if it is favourable; if the law of the Gentiles goes in favour of the Jew he should justify his judgement by saying that the Gentile has no valid ground for complaint since judgement was given according to his own law. Even if both laws are unfavourable towards the Jew the judge should still find some pretext for deciding in his favour. Rabbi Samuel says that benefit should be derived from every mistake the non-Israelite may make. (See Paul Isaac Hershon, Talmudic Miscellany, London, 1880, pp. 37 and 210-21.)
Ayahs 3:76–77

بَلٰى مَنْ اَوْفٰى بِعَهْدِهٖ وَ اتَّقٰى فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ یُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِیْنَ Open ayah 3:76 in the Quran reader

But Allah loves only those who fulfil their covenant and fear Allah. Truly Allah loves the God-fearing.

اِنَّ الَّذِیْنَ یَشْتَرُوْنَ بِعَهْدِ اللّٰهِ وَ اَیْمَانِهِمْ ثَمَنًا قَلِیْلًا اُولٰٓئِكَ لَا خَلَاقَ لَهُمْ فِی الْاٰخِرَةِ وَ لَا یُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللّٰهُ وَ لَا یَنْظُرُ اِلَیْهِمْ یَوْمَ الْقِیٰمَةِ وَ لَا یُزَكِّیْهِمْ١۪ وَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ اَلِیْمٌ Open ayah 3:77 in the Quran reader

There shall be no share in the Life to Come for those who sell away the covenant of Allah and their oaths for a trivial gain. On the Day of Resurrection Allah will neither address them, look at them, nor will He purify them. 65 A painful chastisement lies ahead of them.

65. The reason is that, despite their worst crimes, they still thought that on the Day of Judgement they alone would be honoured with God's favour, and that towards them alone He would turn His gracious attention. They also entertained the belief that if they had been stained by any trace of sin, it would be washed away by the grace of their pious elders. Such people are warned here that the treatment meted out to them in the Next Life will be altogether contrary to their expectations.
Ayah 3:78

وَ اِنَّ مِنْهُمْ لَفَرِیْقًا یَّلْوٗنَ اَلْسِنَتَهُمْ بِالْكِتٰبِ لِتَحْسَبُوْهُ مِنَ الْكِتٰبِ وَ مَا هُوَ مِنَ الْكِتٰبِ١ۚ وَ یَقُوْلُوْنَ هُوَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللّٰهِ وَ مَا هُوَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللّٰهِ١ۚ وَ یَقُوْلُوْنَ عَلَى اللّٰهِ الْكَذِبَ وَ هُمْ یَعْلَمُوْنَ Open ayah 3:78 in the Quran reader

And there is a party among them who twist their tongues while reciting the Book to make you think that it is part of the Book when in fact it is not. 66 They say: 'It is from Allah', when in fact it is not from Allah. They falsely fix a lie upon Allah, and do so wittingly.

66. This could mean that they either distort the meaning of the Scriptures or twist the words of the text in order to misinterpret it. Its real meaning, however, seems to be that when, during their reading of the Scriptures, they encounter any word or sentence which goes against their interests, and the beliefs and notions which they cherish, they distort the meaning of it by deliberately twisting their tongues. Instances of such tongue-twisting are not altogether wanting among those who, despite their belief in the Qur'an, share some of these people's characteristics. For instance, some people who stress the superhuman character of the Prophet (peace be on him) misread the following verse: innama ana basharun mithlukum (Qur'an 18: 110) (I am nothing but a human being like you), replacing innama by inna ma ana and translate it: '(O Prophet), say to them: "I am not a human being like you."
Ayah 3:79

مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ اَنْ یُّؤْتِیَهُ اللّٰهُ الْكِتٰبَ وَ الْحُكْمَ وَ النُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ یَقُوْلَ لِلنَّاسِ كُوْنُوْا عِبَادًا لِّیْ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ وَ لٰكِنْ كُوْنُوْا رَبّٰنِیّٖنَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تُعَلِّمُوْنَ الْكِتٰبَ وَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَدْرُسُوْنَۙ Open ayah 3:79 in the Quran reader

It does not befit a man that Allah should grant him His Book and sound judgement and prophet-hood, and thereafter he should say to men: 'Become servants to me apart from Allah.' He would rather say: 'Become dedicated men of Allah, 67 in accord with the dictates of the Book you have been teaching and studying.'

67. The term rabbani is used here to denote Jewish religious scholars and functionaries who were supposed to provide true religious guidance to establish their rites of worship, implement religious laws, and so on. The same word occurs in Surah 5: 44 and 63. In the Christian tradition the word 'divine' is used as an equivalent to the word rabbani.
Ayah 3:80

وَ لَا یَاْمُرَكُمْ اَنْ تَتَّخِذُوا الْمَلٰٓئِكَةَ وَ النَّبِیّٖنَ اَرْبَابًا١ؕ اَیَاْمُرُكُمْ بِالْكُفْرِ بَعْدَ اِذْ اَنْتُمْ مُّسْلِمُوْنَ۠ Open ayah 3:80 in the Quran reader

He will never enjoin you to take the angels or Prophets for your lords. Will he enjoin upon you unbelief when you have submitted yourselves to Allah? 68

68. This refutation is directed at all the false concepts which were attributed to the Messengers of God by various nations, and then made an integral part of the religious scriptures. These concepts were false in that they elevated either the Prophets or the angels to the level of deities