Sūrat Āl ʿImrān (Juzʾ 3–4, Lan Tanālū)

سورۃ آل عمران (پارہ ۳–۴، لن تنالوا)

Sūrat Āl ʿImrān — Beginning of Juzʾ 3 Continuation

The running header of the text shifts at this point from al-Baqara to Āl ʿImrān. The author transitions seamlessly, continuing the tafsīr into the opening verses of Sūrat Āl ʿImrān. The juzʾ boundary of Tilka al-rusul encompasses both the end of al-Baqara and the beginning of Āl ʿImrān.

Āl ʿImrān 3:1–2 — The Opening Letters and Āyat al-Ḥayy al-Qayyūm

الم﴾ ﴿اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ

Alif Lām Mīm. Allāhu lā ilāha illā huwa al-Ḥayyu al-Qayyūm.

"Alif Lām Mīm. Allah — there is no deity worthy of worship except He, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting." (Āl ʿImrān 3:1–2)

Commentary on the Opening Letters:

The muqaṭṭaʿāt (the isolated letters that open certain sūras) are among the matters in which the scholars differ. Some take a decisive stop (waqf) after Allāh — as if to say: only Allah knows (their meaning). Others — and the author inclines toward the view of those firmly rooted in knowledge (al-rāsikhūna fī al-ʿilm) — read the waqf before wa-al-rāsikhūna, meaning that both Allah and the firmly grounded scholars share in knowledge of the deeper significations.

The letters Alif, Lām, Mīm belong to different points of articulation: Alif from the deepest part of the throat; Lām from the middle; Mīm from the lips. Together they span the entire range of human vocal expression, as if to say: all speech, all language, is in the service of this Book.

The muqaṭṭaʿāt that open the sūras are among the mutashābihāt — the ambiguous, those whose full interpretation is with Allah alone, or with Allah and those firmly grounded in knowledge. Their engagement with the intellect is itself a form of worship: to acknowledge the limits of human understanding before the Book of Allah.

Commentary on 3:2:

Allāhu lā ilāha illā huwa al-Ḥayyu al-Qayyūm — this exact phrase (Allāhu lā ilāha illā huwa al-Ḥayyu al-Qayyūm) also opens Āyat al-Kursī (2:255). Here it opens Āl ʿImrān. The repetition underlines the supremacy of tawḥīd as the foundation of all Qurʾānic teaching.

Al-Ḥayy — the Ever-Living; His life is eternal, anterior, and posterior; wholly unlike created life which depends on causes and is bounded by death.

Al-Qayyūm — the Self-Subsisting, the One by Whom all else subsists. All existence depends upon Him; He depends upon nothing. Qāma — to stand; Qayyūm — the ultimate self-standing one, the foundation of all existence.

Āl ʿImrān 3:3–4

نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَأَنزَلَ التَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنجِيلَ ﴿٣﴾ مِن قَبْلُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَنزَلَ الْفُرْقَانَ ۗ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ ذُو انتِقَامٍ

Nazzala ʿalayka al-kitāba bi-al-ḥaqqi muṣaddiqan li-mā bayna yadayhi wa-anzala al-Tawrāta wa-al-Injīla min qablu hudan li-al-nāsi wa-anzala al-Furqāna inna alladhīna kafarū bi-āyāti Allāhi lahum ʿadhābun shadīdun wa-Allāhu ʿazīzun dhū intiqām.

"He sent down upon you the Book with the Truth, confirming what was before it; and He sent down the Torah and the Gospel, before this, as guidance for the people; and He sent down the Criterion (the Qurʾān as distinguisher). Truly those who disbelieve in the signs of Allah — for them is a severe punishment. And Allah is All-Powerful, the Lord of Retribution." (Āl ʿImrān 3:3–4)

Commentary:

Nazzala ʿalayka al-kitāba bi-al-ḥaqq — He sent down upon you (nazzala, progressive, verse-by-verse revelation over 23 years) the Book with Truth (bi-al-ḥaqq — accompanied by, grounded in truth; it is itself Ḥaqq).

Muṣaddiqan li-mā bayna yadayhi — confirming what is before it: the Qurʾān does not contradict but confirms the authentic content of the Torah and the Gospel, while superseding their distorted forms.

Wa-anzala al-Tawrāta wa-al-Injīl — He also revealed the Torah and the Injīl; their original revelation was from Allah. The corruption that has entered them is human, not Divine. The Muslim affirms, in general, the Divinity of their origin (ijmālī taṣdīq) while acknowledging that their current texts have been altered.

Wa-anzala al-Furqān — and He sent down the Furqān (the Discriminator, the Criterion): the Qurʾān's other great name, emphasising its role as the decisive distinguisher between truth and falsehood, ḥalāl and ḥarām, guidance and misguidance.

Inna alladhīna kafarū bi-āyāti Allāh — those who obstinately reject the signs of Allah, even after the clear evidence and demonstration has reached them, shall have a severe punishment. ʿazīzun dhū intiqām — He is All-Powerful (ʿazīz, undefeatable) and the Lord of Retribution (dhū intiqām) — His punishment, when it comes, cannot be warded off.

Translation of 3:3–4:

He sent down upon you the Book with Truth, confirming what preceded it; and He sent down the Torah and the Gospel, before, as guidance for people; and He sent down the Criterion. Truly, those who deny Allah's signs — for them is a severe punishment. And Allah is All-Powerful, the Lord of Retribution.

Āl ʿImrān 3:5–6

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَخْفَىٰ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ ﴿٥﴾ هُوَ الَّذِي يُصَوِّرُكُمْ فِي الْأَرْحَامِ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ ۚ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

Inna Allāha lā yakhfā ʿalayhi shayʾun fī al-arḍi wa-lā fī al-samāʾi. Huwa alladhī yuṣawwirukum fī al-arḥāmi kayfa yashāʾu lā ilāha illā huwa al-ʿAzīzu al-Ḥakīm.

"Truly, nothing is hidden from Allah in the earth or in the heaven. He it is Who forms you in the wombs as He wills. There is no deity worthy of worship save He, the All-Powerful, the All-Wise." (Āl ʿImrān 3:5–6)

Commentary:

Lā yakhfā ʿalayhi shayʾun — not a particle of creation is hidden from Allah, whether in the depths of the earth or in the highest heavens. Lā yakhfā is stronger than merely "He knows" — it negates all possibility of hiddenness; nothing can be hidden from Him.

Huwa alladhī yuṣawwirukum fī al-arḥām — "He it is Who shapes you in the wombs." This refers to the Divine act of taṣwīr (giving form, shape, and individuality) to each human being in the womb. The womb is His atelier; every countenance, every fingerprint, every unique human form is His direct handiwork.

Kayfa yashāʾ — "as He wills" — the emphasis on Divine will here is a direct refutation of materialist determinism. The shaping of each human being is not random but willed.

Note the connection to Allah's attribute of Muṣawwir (the Fashioner of Forms), one of the Beautiful Names enumerated in al-Ḥashr 59:24.

Lā ilāha illā huwa al-ʿAzīzu al-Ḥakīm — the tawḥīd declaration seals the verse: He Who does all this is the One, All-Powerful, All-Wise. Remember: power (qudra) without wisdom can be fearsome; wisdom (ḥikma) without power can be futile. Allah unites infinite power and infinite wisdom — He is ʿAzīz and Ḥakīm together.

The author adds a philosophically significant note: those who declare God to be "unable to do evil" are mistaken — His power is absolute over all things; but His Essence is such that evil does not proceed from it, because evil proceeds from the shadow of non-being (ʿadam), not from Being (wujūd). Allah's power encompasses all things; His will and His nature do not will the ugly and the disordered.

Translation of 3:5–6:

Truly nothing is hidden from Allah in the earth or in the heaven. He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He wills. There is no deity worthy of worship save He, the All-Powerful, the All-Wise.

Āl ʿImrān 3:7 — The Muḥkam and Mutashābih

هُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُّحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ ۖ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ ۗ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ ۗ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ رَبِّنَا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

Huwa alladhī anzala ʿalayka al-kitāba minhu āyātun muḥkamātun hunna ummu al-kitābi wa-ukharu mutashābihātun fa-ammā alladhīna fī qulūbihim zayghun fa-yattabiʿūna mā tashābaha minhu ibtighāʾa al-fitnati wa-ibtighāʾa taʾwīlihi wa-mā yaʿlamu taʾwīlahu illā Allāhu wa-al-rāsikhūna fī al-ʿilmi yaqūlūna āmannā bihi kullun min ʿindi rabbinā wa-mā yadhdhakkaru illā ulū al-albāb.

"He it is Who sent down upon you the Book; in it are verses that are muḥkamāt (clear and firm) — they are the mother of the Book — and others that are mutashābihāt (ambiguous). Those in whose hearts is deviation follow what is ambiguous therein, seeking discord and seeking its interpretation. But none knows its interpretation except Allah — and those firmly grounded in knowledge say: 'We believe in it; all of it is from our Lord.' And none take heed except those of understanding." (Āl ʿImrān 3:7)

Commentary:

Āyātun muḥkamāt — the muḥkam verses are those whose meaning is clear (wāḍiḥ), unambiguous, firmly established (uḥkimat, drawn tight and secure). They form umm al-kitāb — the mother of the Book, the foundation to which everything else is referred in interpretation.

Mutashābihāt — the ambiguous verses; those in whose meaning there is likeness or similarity that makes definitive determination difficult. These include certain verses describing Divine attributes in apparently anthropomorphic language (the ṣifāt khabariyya), certain eschatological matters, and the muqaṭṭaʿāt.

Fa-ammā alladhīna fī qulūbihim zayghun — those in whose hearts is a deviation, a crookedness, a swerving from the straight path. These are the people who seize upon the ambiguous verses, not to understand them more deeply, but to create fitna (discord, sedition, confusion) and to impose their own distorted interpretations.

Wa-mā yaʿlamu taʾwīlahu illā Allāh — only Allah knows the ultimate taʾwīl (the inmost reality, the full interpretation) of the ambiguous verses. The scholars differ on whether to place a grammatical pause (waqf) here or to continue: wa-al-rāsikhūna fī al-ʿilm — "and the firmly grounded in knowledge." The author records both positions without dogmatism, though he himself inclines toward reading the rāsikhūna as sharing in the knowledge of the taʾwīl under Divine instruction.

Al-rāsikhūna fī al-ʿilm — those whose knowledge has penetrated deep and taken firm root (rusūkh — deep-rootedness). They respond with the supreme response of Ahl al-Sunna: āmannā bihi, "we believe in it" — not dissolving it into human rationalisation, not rejecting it as meaningless, but submitting it to the Divine will.

Kullun min ʿindi rabbinā — "All of it is from our Lord" — the ambiguous and the clear alike are from One Source; there is no contradiction at the level of Divine wisdom, even if human understanding cannot resolve the apparent tension.

The author briefly explains the classical Maturīdī-Ḥanafī approach to the ṣifāt khabariyya (attributes described in terms that have apparently physical connotations):

Take the verse Allāhu yastahziʾu bihim (Allah "mocks" them, al-Baqara 2:15): the meaning is "Allah will give them the punishment that corresponds to their mockery." Thumma istawā ʿalā al-ʿarsh (al-Aʿrāf 7:54): "then He established Himself over the Throne" — meaning His authority, His dominion, His governance of creation became manifest; no bodily direction or spatial containment is implied. Allāhu yaʿkhar bihim — Allah "derides" them in return; meaning He gives them the consequences of their derision. Wa-ghiḍibullāhi ʿalayhim — the anger of Allah (al-Mujādila 58:14): meaning His retribution; for ghaḍab (anger) in its original sense is the preparation of the blood for vengeance; in Allah it means the decree of punishment.

The author's principle: we confess these attributes bi-murādi Allāh — according to what Allah intends — and do not impose upon them the limitations of created nature.

Āl ʿImrān 3:8–9

رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ ﴿٨﴾ رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ جَامِعُ النَّاسِ لِيَوْمٍ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُخْلِفُ الْمِيعَادَ

Rabbanā lā tuzigh qulūbanā baʿda idh hadaytanā wa-hab lanā min ladunka raḥmatan innaka anta al-Wahhāb. Rabbanā innaka jāmiʿu al-nāsi li-yawmin lā rayba fīhi inna Allāha lā yukhlifu al-mīʿād.

"Our Lord! Do not cause our hearts to deviate after You have guided us, and bestow upon us mercy from Your presence. Truly You are the All-Bestowing. Our Lord! You will surely gather humankind together for a Day in which there is no doubt. Truly Allah does not fail in His promise." (Āl ʿImrān 3:8–9)

Commentary:

Lā tuzigh qulūbanā baʿda idh hadaytanā — the people of deep learning (al-rāsikhūna fī al-ʿilm) — having declared their faith in the ambiguous verses — immediately turn to supplication, fearful lest their hearts be caused to deviate. This is the hallmark of ʿulamāʾ al-ḥaqq: the more they know, the more they fear deviation. Zaygha — swerving, tilting, inclining from the straight path.

Wa-hab lanā min ladunka raḥmatan — "bestow upon us mercy from Your Presence" (ladun — from Your very Presence, from the innermost of Your grace, not merely from the outer manifestations of provision). Min ladunka — the lāmiyya construction emphasises the directness and intimacy of the Divine bestowal.

Al-Wahhāb — the All-Bestowing; one who gives without measure, without ceasing, without being asked in the ordinary sense.

Jāmiʿu al-nāsi li-yawmin lā rayba fīh — You will gather all people for that Day in which there is no doubt. Lā rayba fīhi — not the slightest doubt; it is certain, inevitable, unalterable.

Inna Allāha lā yukhlifu al-mīʿād — Allah never breaks His promise. The scholars distinguish: waʿd (promise of good) must necessarily be fulfilled by Divine perfection; waʿīd (threat of punishment) may be mitigated by Divine mercy, for mercy is not weakness. Breaking a promise (ikhlāf al-waʿd) is a defect, and Allah is exalted above all defects. But mercy (raḥma) in not executing every threatened punishment is itself a quality of majesty.

Āl ʿImrān 3:10–11

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَن تُغْنِيَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمْ وَقُودُ النَّارِ ﴿١٠﴾ كَدَأْبِ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ وَالَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا فَأَخَذَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

Inna alladhīna kafarū lan tughniya ʿanhum amwāluhum wa-lā awlāduhum mina Allāhi shayʾan wa-ulāʾika hum waqūdu al-nār. Ka-daʾbi āli Firʿawna wa-alladhīna min qablihim kadhdhabū bi-āyātinā fa-akhadhahumu Allāhu bi-dhunūbihim wa-Allāhu shadīdu al-ʿiqāb.

"Truly, those who disbelieve — their wealth and their children shall avail them nothing against Allah; and they are the fuel of the Fire — like the case of the people of Pharaoh and those before them, who denied Our signs; so Allah seized them on account of their sins. And Allah is severe in punishment." (Āl ʿImrān 3:10–11)

Commentary:

Lan tughniya ʿanhum amwāluhum — their wealth shall not save them; waqūdu al-nār — they themselves are the fuel (waqūd) of the Fire, burning as wood burns in flames. This is a terrible and vivid image: the same wealth and social prestige that seemed to protect them in this world becomes in the next a burden that fuels their destruction.

Ka-daʾbi āli Firʿawn — like the pattern (daʾb, habitual way, established pattern) of Pharaoh's people. This comparison is instructive: the Quraysh who persisted in rejection were following the same pattern as earlier destroyed nations. History is not merely past; it is a recurring spiritual grammar.

Kadhdhabū bi-āyātinā fa-akhadhahumu Allāhu bi-dhunūbihim — they denied Our signs, and Allah seized them because of their sins. Akhadha — to take hold of, to seize; the word implies swift, decisive Divine intervention.

Wa-Allāhu shadīdu al-ʿiqāb — and Allah is severe in punishment when it comes.

Translation of 3:10–11:

Truly those who disbelieve — neither their wealth nor their children shall avail them anything against Allah; they are the fuel of the Fire — like the case of Pharaoh's people and those before them, who denied Our signs; so Allah seized them for their sins. And Allah is severe in punishment.

Āl ʿImrān 3:12–13

قُل لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا سَتُغْلَبُونَ وَتُحْشَرُونَ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ ۚ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ ﴿١٢﴾ قَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ آيَةٌ فِي فِئَتَيْنِ الْتَقَتَا ۖ فِئَةٌ تُقَاتِلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَأُخْرَىٰ كَافِرَةٌ يَرَوْنَهُم مِّثْلَيْهِمْ رَأْيَ الْعَيْنِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ يُؤَيِّدُ بِنَصْرِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ ۗ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لِّأُولِي الْأَبْصَارِ

Qul li-alladhīna kafarū sa-tughlab ūna wa-tuḥsharūna ilā jahannama wa-biʾsa al-mihādu. Qad kāna lakum āyatun fī fiʾtayni iltaqatā fiʾatun tuqātilu fī sabīli Allāhi wa-ukhrā kāfiratun yarawnahum mithlayhi m raʾya al-ʿayni wa-Allāhu yuʾayyidu bi-naṣrihi man yashāʾu inna fī dhālika la-ʿibratan li-ulī al-abṣār.

"Say to those who disbelieve: 'You shall be defeated and gathered toward Hell — how wretched a resting-place!' There was certainly a sign for you in the two groups that encountered one another — one group fighting in the way of Allah and the other disbelieving; they (the believers) saw them (the disbelievers) as twice their number with their own eyes. And Allah supports with His help whom He wills. Truly in this is a lesson for those of vision." (Āl ʿImrān 3:12–13)

Commentary:

Sa-tughlab ūna — "you shall be overcome, you shall be defeated." The prophecy (ikhbār bi-al-ghayb) is addressed to the disbelievers of Quraysh, and it was fulfilled decisively at the Battle of Badr and in every subsequent encounter.

Wa-tuḥsharūna ilā jahannam — "and you shall be gathered toward Hellfire." The ḥashr (gathering, mustering) on the Day of Judgment is here preceded by the worldly prediction of defeat — a double punishment, in this world and the next.

Wa-biʾsa al-mihād — "how wretched a resting-place (mihād)!" — mihād literally means a cradle, a bed, an abode. Hellfire is the ultimate anti-cradle; instead of comfort it gives torment.

Fī fiʾtayni iltaqatā — this refers to the Battle of Badr (17 Ramaḍān 2 AH), when the small Muslim force of approximately 313 believers met the Qurayshi army of approximately 1,000. The disbelievers, who had vastly superior numbers, equipment, and provisions, saw the Muslims as double their own number — a Divine miracle of optical and psychological deflation that struck terror into the Quraysh before a blow was struck.

The causes of the Battle of Badr: (1) The Quraysh had encircled Madīna and threatened the Muslims repeatedly. (2) Abū Jahl had stirred up the Quraysh, and his treacherous behaviour toward Saʿd ibn ʿUbāda (may Allah be pleased with him) had made conflict inevitable. The Muslims intercepted the Qurayshi caravan returning from Syria; when the caravan escaped, the Qurayshi army under Abū Jahl marched out unnecessarily. The Prophetﷺprayed fervently, and Allah gave the decisive victory. Abū Jahl — whose name was ʿAmr ibn Hishām, but whose behaviour earned him the epithet "Father of Ignorance" (Abū Jahl) — was killed, and Allah confirmed His promise of support.

Wa-Allāhu yuʾayyidu bi-naṣrihi man yashāʾ — "Allah supports with His help whom He wills." The naṣr (divine victory) is not based on numbers or material superiority but on divine will and the believers' sincerity.

ʿIbratun li-ulī al-abṣār — a lesson (ʿibra, from the root ʿabara, to cross over, to pass through; one passes over the surface of an event to its deeper spiritual meaning) for those of real vision (baṣāra, insight).

Translation of 3:12–13:

Say to those who disbelieve: "You shall be overcome and mustered toward Hell — what a wretched resting-place!" There was certainly a sign for you in the two forces that met — one fighting in the way of Allah, the other disbelieving; they saw them (the believers) as twice their own number with their naked eyes. And Allah supports with His help whom He wills. Truly in this there is a lesson for those of insight.

[Extended Commentary on the Battle of Badr and its Lessons]

The author elaborates further: those who question the miraculous multiplication of the believers' apparent numbers should consider — was it not precisely such a miraculous perception that Allah granted? The spiritually aware recognise the workings of the Divine hand in history; those who only see material causes will always miss the deeper layer.

The author also notes the symbolism of the dream of the Prophetﷺin which he saw milk — and its interpretation by Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (may Allah be pleased with him) as the milk of knowledge flowing through the community. The three levels of vision are: ʿālam al-arwāḥ (the world of spirits, where Divinely bestowed knowledge is unveiled), ʿālamū al-mithāl (the world of archetypal forms, where the vision presents in symbolic form), and ʿālam al-shahāda (the world of waking testimony, where the meaning is confirmed experientially).

Āl ʿImrān 3:14

زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّهَوَاتِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ وَالْبَنِينَ وَالْقَنَاطِيرِ الْمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ وَالْخَيْلِ الْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ وَالْحَرْثِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَاللَّهُ عِندَهُ حُسْنُ الْمَآبِ

Zuyyina li-al-nāsi ḥubbu al-shahawāti mina al-nisāʾi wa-al-banīna wa-al-qanāṭīri al-muqanṭarati mina al-dhahabi wa-al-fiḍḍati wa-al-khayli al-musawwamati wa-al-anʿāmi wa-al-ḥarthi dhālika matāʿu al-ḥayāti al-dunyā wa-Allāhu ʿindahu ḥusnu al-maʾāb.

"Adorned for people is the love of desires — women and sons, heaped-up hoards of gold and silver, branded horses, cattle, and tillage. That is the provision of the life of this world; but with Allah is the most excellent return." (Āl ʿImrān 3:14)

Commentary:

Zuyyina li-al-nās — "adorned for people" — this adornment is part of the human condition; the desires (shahawāt) are not inherently sinful, for Allah created them. The sin is in subjugating everything else to them.

The verse enumerates the six categories of worldly attachment: nisāʾ (women, wives) — the natural human bond; banīn (sons/children) — the desire for progeny and continuation; qanāṭīr al-muqanṭara — the immense heaps of gold and silver (the word qinṭār refers to a large measure of wealth, and muqanṭara is the emphatic form); khayl al-musawwama — the branded horses specially marked for battle and nobility; anʿām — livestock; ḥarth — agriculture.

Dhālika matāʿu al-ḥayāti al-dunyā — all of this is merely the matāʿ (provision, temporary enjoyment) of the present life. The word matāʿ implies transience and utility, not permanence and ultimate value.

Wa-Allāhu ʿindahu ḥusnu al-maʾāb — but with Allah is the most excellent return. The comparison is made: on one side, the fleeting enjoyments of this world; on the other, the supreme destination with Allah.

The author connects this verse to the social context: Madīna at the time of Badr had just witnessed the Muslims with minimal worldly resources defeat a heavily equipped Qurayshi army. The verse reminds the believers not to be dazzled by worldly abundance.

He makes a pointed contemporary observation about the dunyā and its temptations: women come between husbands and their families; the allure of wealth and social prestige drives people to ruin. His counsel is to place everything in its proper place — enjoying lawful pleasures in moderation and placing the vision of the ākhira above them.

Translation of 3:14:

Adorned for people is love of desires — women, children, hoarded gold and silver, branded horses, cattle, and tillage. That is the provision of this worldly life; but with Allah is the most excellent return.

Āl ʿImrān 3:15

قُلْ أَؤُنَبِّئُكُم بِخَيْرٍ مِّن ذَٰلِكُمْ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَأَزْوَاجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ وَرِضْوَانٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ

Qul a-unabbiʾukum bi-khayrin min dhālikum li-alladhīna ittaqaw ʿinda rabbihim jannātun tajrī min taḥtihā al-anhāru khālidīna fīhā wa-azwājun muṭahharatun wa-riḍwānun mina Allāhi wa-Allāhu baṣīrun bi-al-ʿibād.

"Say: Shall I tell you of something better than that? For those who fear Allah, with their Lord are gardens beneath which rivers flow — they shall abide therein — and pure spouses, and the good pleasure of Allah. And Allah is watchful over His servants." (Āl ʿImrān 3:15)

Commentary:

A-unabbiʾukum — "shall I not inform you, shall I not give you the news?" — nabbaʾa, to bring a significant report. This is an invitation to the believers to lift their gaze above the transient pleasures of 3:14 to something supremely better.

Li-alladhīna ittaqaw — for those who adopted taqwā (God-consciousness, vigilant avoidance of what displeases Allah).

Jannātun tajrī min taḥtihā al-anhār — gardens beneath which rivers flow. The rivers of Paradise are described elsewhere as rivers of water (uncorrupting), rivers of milk (unchanging), rivers of wine (delightful, not intoxicating), rivers of clear honey (al-Muḥammad 47:15).

Azwājun muṭahharatan — pure spouses, purified from all the impurities of worldly existence: physical impurities, moral blemishes, bad character, grief, envy, and ill-will. They are pure in body, soul, and character.

Wa-riḍwānun mina Allāh — and the pleasure (riḍwān) of Allah — the greatest of all blessings; greater even than Paradise itself. It is the crown of all blessings that the beatified soul shall experience: the knowledge and feeling that its Lord is pleased with it.

Wa-Allāhu baṣīrun bi-al-ʿibād — and Allah watches over His servants (baṣīr, seeing, watchful). He knows the seekers of the dunyā and the seekers of the ākhira, and He knows the seekers of Allah Himself — and this last group receives the highest.

The author adds a note on Paradise: those who ask frivolously "what will people do in Paradise?" reveal a failure of theological imagination. The Qurʾān describes it with words taken from worldly experience because those are the only words the human listener knows — but the realities they refer to are utterly beyond comparison. «Mā lā ʿaynun raʾat wa-lā udhunun samiʿat wa-lā khaṭara ʿalā qalbi bashar» — "What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and what has not occurred to any human heart." (al-Bukhārī; Muslim)

Translation of 3:15:

Say: Shall I tell you of something better than all that? For those who fear Allah, their Lord has prepared gardens beneath which rivers flow, in which they shall abide — and pure spouses, and the pleasure of Allah. And Allah is watchful over all His servants.

Āl ʿImrān 3:16–17

الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ ﴿١٦﴾ الصَّابِرِينَ وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْمُنفِقِينَ وَالْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ بِالْأَسْحَارِ

Alladhīna yaqūlūna rabbanā innanā āmannā fa-ghfir lanā dhunūbanā wa-qinā ʿadhāba al-nāri. Al-ṣābirīna wa-al-ṣādiqīna wa-al-qānitīna wa-al-munfiqīna wa-al-mustaghfirīna bi-al-asḥār.

"Those who say: 'Our Lord, we have believed; forgive us our sins and save us from the punishment of the Fire.' The patient ones, the truthful, the devoutly obedient, those who spend (in Allah's way), and those who seek forgiveness in the pre-dawn hours." (Āl ʿImrān 3:16–17)

Commentary:

These verses describe the muttaqūn (the God-fearing) whose reward was described in 3:15. They are identified by their speech and their conduct:

Yaqūlūna rabbanā āmannā — they say: "Our Lord, we have believed!" — their proclamation of faith is sincere, not merely verbal.

Fa-ghfir lanā dhunūbanā wa-qinā ʿadhāba al-nār — they couple their proclamation with supplication for forgiveness and protection from the Fire. This is the spiritual stance of the Ahl al-Sunna: confident in hope, humble in awareness of sin, constantly seeking Divine pardon.

Al-ṣābirīna — the patient ones: patient in obedience to Allah, patient in restraining themselves from what is forbidden, patient under the trials and afflictions of life. Ṣabr (patient endurance) is the foundational virtue.

Al-ṣādiqīna — the truthful: truthful in belief (no contradiction between inner and outer), truthful in word, truthful in conduct.

Al-qānitīna — the devoutly obedient (qunūt): those who stand in long, humble devotion before Allah, particularly in the night prayer (tahajjud). Qunūt implies a quality of sustained, concentrated obedience.

Al-munfiqīna — those who spend in the way of Allah; generous with their wealth in all the ways Allah has ordained.

Al-mustaghfirīna bi-al-asḥār — those who seek forgiveness in the asḥār (the pre-dawn hours, the last third of the night, before Fajr). The asḥār is the most spiritually potent time; it is when the Divine mercy descends most intensely, and the person who rises to seek forgiveness at that hour has placed himself before an open door.

Translation of 3:16–17:

Those who say: "Our Lord, we have believed — forgive our sins and protect us from the punishment of the Fire." The patient, the truthful, the devoutly obedient, those who spend in Allah's way, and those who seek forgiveness in the pre-dawn hours.

Āl ʿImrān 3:18

شَهِدَ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَأُولُو الْعِلْمِ قَائِمًا بِالْقِسْطِ ۚ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

Shahida Allāhu annahu lā ilāha illā huwa wa-al-malāʾikatu wa-ulū al-ʿilmi qāʾiman bi-al-qisṭi lā ilāha illā huwa al-ʿAzīzu al-Ḥakīm.

"Allah bears witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except He — as do the angels and those possessed of knowledge — maintaining justice. There is no deity worthy of worship save He, the All-Powerful, the All-Wise." (Āl ʿImrān 3:18)

Commentary:

Shahida Allāh — "Allah bears witness." Divine testimony is the supreme witness: the testimony (shahāda) of the Lord of all witnesses. Shahida — to bear witness, to declare, to manifest and make evident.

Three witnesses are joined: (1) Allah Himself, (2) the angels, (3) those possessed of knowledge (ulū al-ʿilm) — i.e. the scholars and the prophets. The convergence of these three testimonies upon the single truth of tawḥīd is itself one of the greatest proofs.

Qāʾiman bi-al-qisṭ — "maintaining justice." He upholds perfect justice in all His decrees; the scale of His justice does not tilt.

The author offers a remarkable philosophical reflection: consider the universe around you — is there genuine unity in it, or is it a plurality? All things that we encounter are bil-ʿaraḍ (accidental, dependent, mediated) rather than bī-al-dhāt (self-subsistent, intrinsic). What is bī-al-dhāt? Only Allah, Who is wholly independent, the Necessary Existent (Wājib al-Wujūd), from Whom everything else derives its being. Allah's existence is itself the self-illuminating light (sirāj mushriq) that requires no other lamp to reveal it.

Lā ilāha illā huwa al-ʿAzīzu al-Ḥakīm — no deity worthy of worship except He; the All-Powerful (ʿAzīz) and the All-Wise (Ḥakīm). Power + Wisdom = perfect governance.

The author continues: even the angels bear witness that they are not self-subsistent; they acknowledge their absolute dependence upon their Creator. This acknowledgment of creaturely dependence is itself tawḥīd from the side of the creation.

Translation of 3:18:

Allah bears witness — and so do the angels and those possessed of knowledge — that there is no deity worthy of worship except He, maintaining justice. There is no deity save He, the All-Powerful, the All-Wise.

Āl ʿImrān 3:19

إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الْإِسْلَامُ ۗ وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ ۗ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ

Inna al-dīna ʿinda Allāhi al-Islāmu wa-mā ikhtalafa alladhīna ūtū al-kitāba illā min baʿdi mā jāʾahumu al-ʿilmu baghyan baynahum wa-man yakfur bi-āyāti Allāhi fa-inna Allāha sarīʿu al-ḥisāb.

"Truly the religion in the sight of Allah is Islām. And those who were given the Scripture did not disagree except after knowledge had come to them — out of mutual envy between them. And whoever disbelieves in the signs of Allah — truly Allah is swift in reckoning." (Āl ʿImrān 3:19)

Commentary:

Inna al-dīna ʿinda Allāhi al-Islām — this is among the most decisive and unambiguous declarations in the Qurʾān. Al-dīn — religion, way of life, system of submission. Al-Islām — submission, surrender, yielding oneself entirely to Allah. Every prophet came with Islām — the call to total submission to the One God; the specific laws varied but the essence was one.

What is Islām? Surrendering one's face (wajh) to Allah — i.e. one's entire direction, orientation, and identity — and accepting His commands as absolutely binding.

Wa-mā ikhtalafa alladhīna ūtū al-kitāba illā min baʿdi mā jāʾahumu al-ʿilm — the people of the Book did not disagree out of genuine uncertainty; the truth was made clear to them. Their disagreement arose after knowledge came to them, driven purely by baghī (transgression, mutual envy, desire for self-aggrandisement). This is the great indictment of sectarianism rooted not in honest intellectual difference but in ego and worldly desire.

When a religion reaches its state of maturity and its proofs are manifest, the test is clear: will you submit or will you deviate?

Wa-man yakfur bi-āyāti Allāhi fa-inna Allāha sarīʿu al-ḥisāb — whoever disbelieves in the signs of Allah, Allah is swift in His reckoning. The divine accounting is not delayed indefinitely.

Translation of 3:19:

Truly, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islām. And those who were given the Scripture did not disagree except after knowledge came to them — out of mutual transgression. Whoever disbelieves in Allah's signs — truly Allah is swift in reckoning.

Āl ʿImrān 3:20

فَإِن حَاجُّوكَ فَقُلْ أَسْلَمْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّهِ وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِ ۗ وَقُل لِّلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ وَالْأُمِّيِّينَ أَأَسْلَمْتُمْ ۚ فَإِنْ أَسْلَمُوا فَقَدِ اهْتَدَوْا ۖ وَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَاغُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ

Fa-in ḥājjūka fa-qul aslamtu wajhiya li-Llāhi wa-mani ittabaʿani wa-qul li-alladhīna ūtū al-kitāba wa-al-ummiyyīna a-aslamtum fa-in aslamū fa-qad ihtadaw wa-in tawallaw fa-innamā ʿalayka al-balāghu wa-Allāhu baṣīrun bi-al-ʿibād.

"So if they argue with you, say: 'I have surrendered my face to Allah, and so have those who follow me.' And say to those who were given the Scripture and to the unlettered ones: 'Have you submitted?' If they submit, they are guided; but if they turn away — then upon you is only the conveyance (of the message). And Allah is watchful over His servants." (Āl ʿImrān 3:20)

Commentary:

Aslamtu wajhiya li-Llāh — "I have surrendered my face to Allah." In Arabic, the wajh (face) represents the entire person, one's identity, direction, and intention. To surrender one's face to Allah is to give everything — entirely, unconditionally — to His command.

Wa-man ittabaʿani — and so have all who follow me. This demonstrates the community of submission: the Prophetﷺand his followers are united in a single act of islām — total surrender.

Al-ummiyyīn — the unlettered ones, those without a revealed book; a reference to the Arab pagans who had not received a scripture.

Fa-in aslamū fa-qad ihtadaw — if they submit (by acknowledging the kalima and its demands), they are guided. Guidance is immediate upon submission.

Fa-innamā ʿalayka al-balāgh — "upon you is only the conveyance (balāgh)." The Prophetﷺis not responsible for forcing hearts; his obligation is to deliver the message with clarity and sincerity. Guidance is in Allah's hand.

Translation of 3:20:

So if they dispute with you, say: "I have surrendered my face entirely to Allah, and so have those who follow me." And say to those given the Scripture and to the unlettered: "Have you submitted?" If they submit, they are guided; if they turn away — then upon you is only the conveyance of the message. And Allah is watchful over His servants.

Āl ʿImrān 3:21–22

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ النَّبِيِّينَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَيَقْتُلُونَ الَّذِينَ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْقِسْطِ مِنَ النَّاسِ فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ ﴿٢١﴾ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ

Inna alladhīna yakfurūna bi-āyāti Allāhi wa-yaqtulūna al-nabiyyīna bi-ghayri ḥaqqin wa-yaqtulūna alladhīna yaʾmurūna bi-al-qisṭi mina al-nāsi fa-bashshirhum bi-ʿadhābin alīm. Ulāʾika alladhīna ḥabiṭat aʿmāluhum fī al-dunyā wa-al-ākhirati wa-mā lahum min nāṣirīn.

"Truly those who disbelieve in Allah's signs, and slay the prophets unjustly, and slay those who call for justice among people — give them tidings of a painful punishment. Those are the ones whose works have come to nothing in this world and the Hereafter; and they have no helpers." (Āl ʿImrān 3:21–22)

Commentary:

Three compounding crimes bring the severest condemnation:

(1) Yukfurūna bi-āyāti Allāh — they deny the signs (āyāt) of Allah: the revealed verses, the miracles, the clear manifestations of Divine guidance.

(2) Yaqtulūna al-nabiyyīn bi-ghayri ḥaqq — they slay the prophets without right. This was a historical crime of certain groups among the Banū Isrāʾīl who murdered their own prophets — an act of the most extreme ingratitude and spiritual degeneration.

(3) Yaqtulūna alladhīna yaʾmurūna bi-al-qisṭ mina al-nās — they slay those among the people who command justice (qisṭ) and stand for equity. The just person who speaks truth to power becomes a target.

Fa-bashshirhum — "give them the tidings" — the word bishhāra (glad tidings) used with punishment is istihzāʾ karimaʾ (noble irony, a rhetorical device): the punishment is the only "good news" reserved for such people.

Ḥabiṭat aʿmāluhum — their works have been muḥbaṭ (annulled, rendered vain, obliterated). Ḥabaṭa — as milk sours and turns; the deeds that seemed virtuous are spoiled by the fundamental corruption of kufr and injustice.

Wa-mā lahum min nāṣirīn — and they shall have no helpers on that Day.

Translation of 3:21–22:

Truly those who disbelieve in the signs of Allah, and slay the prophets unjustly, and slay those who call people to justice — give them tidings of a painful punishment. Those are the ones whose works have come to nothing in this world and the Hereafter; they have no helpers.

Āl ʿImrān 3:23–24

The author continues with a discussion of those who were given a portion of the Book (ūtū naṣīban mina al-kitāb), and their inconsistent relationship with Divine guidance.

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا نَصِيبًا مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَىٰ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّىٰ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ وَهُمْ مُّعْرِضُونَ ﴿٢٣﴾ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا لَن تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلَّا أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَاتٍ ۖ وَغَرَّهُمْ فِي دِينِهِم مَّا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ

A-lam tara ilā alladhīna ūtū naṣīban mina al-kitābi yudʿawna ilā kitābi Allāhi li-yaḥkuma baynahum thumma yatawallā farīqun minhum wa-hum muʿriḍūn. Dhālika bi-annahum qālū lan tamassanā al-nāru illā ayyāman maʿdūdātin wa-ghurrahum fī dīnihim mā kānū yaftarūn.

"Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture, being invited to the Book of Allah that it might judge between them — then a group of them turned away, and they are averse? That is because they claimed: 'The Fire shall touch us only for a few days.' And their fabrications have deluded them in their religion." (Āl ʿImrān 3:23–24)

Commentary:

Ūtū naṣīban mina al-kitāb — they were given a naṣīb (a share, a portion) of the Divine book; the full truth was entrusted to them but they failed in their guardianship.

Yudʿawna ilā kitābi Allāh li-yaḥkuma baynahum — they are called to the Book of Allah (the Qurʾān, as the final arbiter) that it may judge between them; but a faction of them turns away.

Lan tamassanā al-nāru illā ayyāman maʿdūdāt — "the Fire shall not touch us except for a few numbered days." This was the peculiar Jewish self-delusion: that their status as the chosen people would shield them from Divine reckoning, or at most reduce it to a brief purgatorial period. This is precisely the same psychological mechanism as any group that imagines itself automatically saved by ethnicity, birth, or nominal affiliation rather than by sincere faith and righteous conduct.

Wa-ghurrahum fī dīnihim mā kānū yaftarūn — their self-deceptions (iftirāʾ, fabrications upon Allah) deluded them in their own religion. The Divine Law applies equally to all. There is no favoured people before the scale of Divine justice.

The author states plainly: the Divine laws are universal. Do not imagine that Banū Isrāʾīl are singled out for a special rebuke here; the rebuke is against anyone — Muslim, Jew, or Christian — who imagines that the laws of Allah can be circumvented by ethnic pride, nominal affiliation, or sectarian self-assurance.

Translation of 3:23–24:

Have you not considered those who were given a portion of the Scripture, being invited to the Book of Allah to judge between them — yet a group of them turns away in aversion? That is because they claim: "The Fire will touch us only for a few days." Their fabrications have deluded them in their religion.

Āl ʿImrān 3:25

فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جَمَعْنَاهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهِ وَوُفِّيَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ

Fa-kayfa idhā jamaʿnāhum li-yawmin lā rayba fīhi wa-wuffiyat kullu nafsin mā kasabat wa-hum lā yuẓlamūn.

"How then (will it be) when We gather them for a Day in which there is no doubt, and every soul is paid in full what it has earned — and they shall not be wronged?" (Āl ʿImrān 3:25)

Commentary:

The question fa-kayfa — "how then?" — is rhetorical, carrying a weight of solemn warning: what excuse will be available on that Day? The self-delusion of "a few days in the Fire" will be stripped away before the reality of the comprehensive accounting.

La rayba fīhi — "no doubt in it" — the certainty of that Day is absolute; it is the one thing in existence about which there is no room for skepticism.

Wuffiyat kullu nafsin mā kasabat — every soul shall be paid in full (tawfiya, complete payment, nothing withheld) according to what it earned. The precision of Divine accounting is total.

Wa-hum lā yuẓlamūn — they shall not be wronged: not a grain of good deed will be lost, not a grain of evil deed will escape reckoning.

Translation of 3:25:

How then (will it be) when We gather them for a Day in which there is no doubt, and every soul is paid in full what it earned — and they shall not be wronged?

Āl ʿImrān 3:26–27 — Mālik al-Mulk

قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَاءُ وَتَنزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَاءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَاءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَاءُ ۖ بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴿٢٦﴾ تُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَتُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِ ۖ وَتُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَتُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ ۖ وَتَرْزُقُ مَن تَشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ

Quli Allāhumma mālikal-mulki tuʾtī al-mulka man tashāʾu wa-tanziʿu al-mulka mimman tashāʾu wa-tuʿizzu man tashāʾu wa-tudhillu man tashāʾu bi-yadika al-khayru innaka ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr. Tūliju al-layla fī al-nahāri wa-tūliju al-nahāra fī al-layli wa-tukhriju al-ḥayya mina al-mayyiti wa-tukhriju al-mayyita mina al-ḥayyi wa-tarzuqu man tashāʾu bi-ghayri ḥisāb.

"Say: O Allah, Master of all sovereignty! You give sovereignty to whom You will and take sovereignty from whom You will. You honour whom You will and humiliate whom You will. In Your hand is all good; truly You are over all things Capable. You cause the night to pass into the day and the day to pass into the night; You bring the living out of the dead and the dead out of the living; and You provide for whom You will without measure." (Āl ʿImrān 3:26–27)

Commentary:

Quli Allāhumma — "Say: O Allah!" — the divine name in the vocative, the call of longing and dependence. This is one of the greatest supplications in the Qurʾān.

Mālik al-mulk — the Master (mālik) of all sovereignty (mulk): not merely a king among kings but the absolute and unique owner of all dominion, from whose grant every other power derives.

Tuʾtī al-mulk man tashāʾu — You grant sovereignty to whom You will; wa-tanziʿu al-mulka mimman tashāʾu — You strip it from whom You will. Human history is the testimony: empires rise and fall; powers that seemed eternal are swept away; those who seemed weak ascend.

Wa-tuʿizzu man tashāʾu wa-tudhillu man tashāʾ — You honour whom You will and humiliate whom You will. Bi-yadika al-khayr — in Your hand is all good (khayr). Significantly, the verse says al-khayr (all good) is in His hand; it does not say "all good and evil" — for the perspective of the divine governance emphasises the ultimate benevolence of all that proceeds from Him.

Innaka ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr — You are over all things capable.

Tūliju al-layla fī al-nahāri — You cause the night to enter into the day (the day growing shorter as nights lengthen) and the day to enter into the night. This wulūj (entering, interpenetration) is both a physical description of the diurnal cycle and a metaphor for the Divine management of all opposites: life and death, power and weakness, honour and humiliation.

Wa-tukhriju al-ḥayya mina al-mayyit — You bring the living from the dead: the believer from the disbeliever's lineage (as Ibrāhīm, upon him be peace, came from Āzar); the grain of wheat from the dead earth. Wa-tukhriju al-mayyita mina al-ḥayy — and You bring the dead from the living: the body that was once the son of a great king now lies powerless; the next generation may be nothing compared to the grandeur of its ancestors.

Wa-tarzuqu man tashāʾu bi-ghayri ḥisāb — and You provide (rizq) for whom You will without measure (bi-ghayri ḥisāb, without accounting, without limit). This is the supreme description of Divine generosity: measureless bestowal.

The author draws the lesson: the Muslims who see worldly powers as absolute should meditate on this verse. All sovereignty is loaned from Allah; what He grants, He can withdraw in an instant. This is not pessimism but liberation — the liberation of the servant who knows that his true Lord is the Master of all kingdoms.

Translation of 3:26–27:

Say: "O Allah, Master of all sovereignty! You give sovereignty to whom You will and strip it from whom You will; You honour whom You will and humiliate whom You will. In Your hand is all good; truly You are over all things Capable. You cause the night to pass into the day and the day into the night; You bring the living from the dead and the dead from the living; and You provide for whom You will without measure."

Āl ʿImrān 3:28

لَّا يَتَّخِذِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الْكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِن دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۖ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَ اللَّهِ فِي شَيْءٍ إِلَّا أَن تَتَّقُوا مِنْهُمْ تُقَاةً ۗ وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ ۗ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ الْمَصِيرُ

Lā yattakhidhi al-muʾminūna al-kāfirīna awliyāʾa min dūni al-muʾminīna wa-man yafʿal dhālika fa-laysa mina Allāhi fī shayʾin illā an tattaqū minhum tuqātan wa-yuḥadhdhirukumu Allāhu nafsahu wa-ilā Allāhi al-maṣīr.

"Let not the believers take the disbelievers as awliyāʾ (allies/protectors) instead of the believers; whoever does this has no part of Allah — unless you are protecting yourselves from them as a precaution. And Allah warns you of Himself; and to Allah is the return." (Āl ʿImrān 3:28)

Commentary:

Awliyāʾ is the plural of walī — one who is close, a protector, an intimate ally. The prohibition here is on taking disbelievers as one's primary sources of loyalty, protection, and confidential trust in place of the believing community.

This is not a prohibition of civil dealings, trade, or ordinary social interaction with non-Muslims; the Qurʾān explicitly allows justice and kindness toward non-combatant disbelievers (al-Mumtaḥana 60:8). Rather, it is a prohibition on giving one's ultimate loyalty and confidential alliance to those whose fundamental orientation is against the Islamic faith and community.

Fa-laysa mina Allāhi fī shayʾ — "he has no part of Allah in anything" — a severe expression meaning he has severed himself from Allah's guardianship and is exposed.

Illā an tattaqū minhum tuqātan — "except when you are protecting yourself from them as a necessary precaution" — the principle of taqiyya (precautionary dissimulation under genuine compulsion). The classical Sunnī understanding is that in situations of genuine life-threatening coercion, a Muslim may outwardly conceal his faith while preserving it inwardly. But this must be genuine necessity (ḍarūra), not a pretext for comfortable compromise.

The author addresses the contemporary context with directness: many Muslims in his time were culturally assimilating to the lifestyles of the disbelievers — their fashions, their customs, their social habits — out of admiration and desire for acceptance, not out of any necessity. This is precisely what the verse condemns. Diplomatic and commercial contact is one thing; melting entirely into the disbelievers' cultural orbit and losing one's Islamic identity is another.

Wa-yuḥadhdhirukumu Allāhu nafsahu — Allah warns you of Himself (nafsahu): of His own Essence, His direct involvement, His authority. This is no secondary warning; it comes from the Majesty of Allah Himself.

Translation of 3:28:

Let not the believers take the disbelievers as intimate allies in place of the believers; whoever does so has no part with Allah — unless you are protecting yourselves from them as a necessary precaution. Allah warns you of Himself, and to Allah is the return.

[Commentary on Taking Disbelievers as Allies — continued]

The author continues: look at the state of Muslims today. Has not the closeness to disbelievers brought corruption? Usury is rampant, immodesty is rampant, the bonds of Muslim solidarity are weakened. The Qurʾān describes the true believer community:﴿أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمْ﴾— "stern toward the disbelievers, merciful among themselves" (al-Fatḥ 48:29). This does not mean cruelty; it means maintaining one's Islamic identity, dignity, and boundaries while being compassionate and loving within the Muslim community.

There is a difference between taqiyya (legitimate precautionary dissimulation under genuine threat) and the wholesale adoption of non-Islamic culture out of fashion and preference. The former is a dispensation; the latter is exactly what the verse prohibits.

The author also warns about the corruption of takfīr — declaring Muslims to be disbelievers (kāfirs) without proper justification. He is emphatic: to call the Companions of the Prophetﷺdisbelievers, or to call ordinary Muslims disbelievers without proper legal basis, is itself a grave sin that brings one dangerously close to kufr oneself.

Āl ʿImrān 3:29–30

قُل إِن تُخْفُوا مَا فِي صُدُورِكُمْ أَوْ تُبْدُوهُ يَعْلَمْهُ اللَّهُ ۗ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴿٢٩﴾ يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مُّحْضَرًا وَمَا عَمِلَتْ مِن سُوءٍ تَوَدُّ لَوْ أَنَّ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُ أَمَدًا بَعِيدًا ۗ وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ رَءُوفٌ بِالْعِبَادِ

Qul in tukhfū mā fī ṣudūrikum aw tubdūhu yaʿlamhu Allāhu wa-yaʿlamu mā fī al-samāwāti wa-mā fī al-arḍi wa-Allāhu ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr. Yawma tajidu kullu nafsin mā ʿamilat min khayrin muḥḍaran wa-mā ʿamilat min sūʾin tawaddu law anna baynaha wa-baynahū amadan baʿīdan wa-yuḥadhdhirukumu Allāhu nafsahu wa-Allāhu raʾūfun bi-al-ʿibād.

"Say: Whether you conceal what is in your breasts or reveal it, Allah knows it; and He knows what is in the heavens and what is in the earth. And Allah is over all things Capable. On the Day when every soul finds what it did of good, presented (before it), and what it did of evil — it will wish there were a vast distance between it and that. And Allah warns you of Himself; and Allah is full of compassion for His servants." (Āl ʿImrān 3:29–30)

Commentary:

In tukhfū mā fī ṣudūrikum aw tubdūhu yaʿlamhu Allāh — "Whether you conceal what is in your breasts or reveal it, Allah knows it." The breast (ṣadr) is the repository of intention, attitude, and inner orientation. Allah's knowledge penetrates to the very seat of human interiority.

Yawma tajidu kullu nafsin mā ʿamilat min khayrin muḥḍaran — "On the Day when every soul finds what it did of good, present (before it)" — muḥḍaran, brought to presence, set before it in full. The good deeds are presented in a way that the soul can see and recognise them.

Wa-mā ʿamilat min sūʾin tawaddu law anna baynaha wa-baynahū amadan baʿīdan — "and what it did of evil — it will wish there were a vast distance (amad, an immense span of time/space) between itself and it." The evil deed stands before its doer as a present reality on that Day; and the soul, confronted with it, desires only to be as far from it as possible.

Wa-yuḥadhdhirukumu Allāhu nafsahu — repeated from 3:28: Allah warns you of Himself, of His direct authority and majesty.

Wa-Allāhu raʾūfun bi-al-ʿibād — "and Allah is full of tender compassion (raʾūf) for His servants." The pairing of warning (taḥdhīr) and compassion (raʾfa) in the same breath is deeply significant: the warning itself is an expression of compassion; it is precisely because Allah loves His servants that He warns them before they step into irreversible ruin.

Translation of 3:29–30:

Say: "Whether you conceal what is in your breasts or reveal it, Allah knows it; He knows what is in the heavens and what is on earth. And Allah is over all things Capable." On the Day when every soul will find what it did of good, present before it — and what it did of evil: it will wish there were a vast distance between itself and it. Allah warns you of Himself; and Allah is full of compassion for His servants.

Āl ʿImrān 3:31–32

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٣١﴾ قُلْ أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ ۖ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْكَافِرِينَ

Qul in kuntum tuḥibbūna Allāha fa-ittabiʿūnī yuḥbibkumu Allāhu wa-yaghfir lakum dhunūbakum wa-Allāhu ghafūrun raḥīm. Qul aṭīʿū Allāha wa-al-rasūla fa-in tawallaw fa-inna Allāha lā yuḥibbu al-kāfirīn.

"Say: If you love Allah, follow me — Allah will love you and forgive your sins. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Say: Obey Allah and the Messenger; but if they turn away — truly Allah does not love the disbelievers." (Āl ʿImrān 3:31–32)

Commentary:

These two verses constitute one of the most profound and beloved passages in the entire Qurʾān — known to the commentators as āyat al-maḥabba (the verse of love). They are the Qurʾānic touchstone of Sunnī spirituality.

In kuntum tuḥibbūna Allāh — "If you love Allah." The conditional is significant: this is addressed to those who claim to love Allah. Many people on the lips profess love of Allah; the Qurʾān provides the proof of the claim.

Fa-ittabiʿūnī — "follow me" — follow the Prophetﷺ, the Muḥammadan path. There is no love of Allah that bypasses the Prophetﷺ. This is the fundamental response to all spiritualities that claim to love God while bypassing the prophetic way (sunna).

Yuḥbibkumu Allāh — "Allah will love you" — the result of following the Prophetﷺis not merely forgiveness but something supremely greater: maḥabbat Allāh — the love of Allah directed toward the servant. The servant loves Allah; but the aspiration of every mystic and believer is to be loved by Allah.

Wa-yaghfir lakum dhunūbakum — and He will forgive your sins. The love of Allah carries within it forgiveness; the beloved of Allah has no fear of being held to account in the way of one estranged from Him.

Wa-Allāhu ghafūrun raḥīm — and Allah is All-Forgiving (ghafūr), Most Merciful (raḥīm) — a Divine seal of tenderness.

Qul aṭīʿū Allāha wa-al-rasūl — "Say: Obey Allah and the Messenger." This is the condensed imperative of the entire Islamic way: obedience to Allah is through obedience to His Messengerﷺ. The two cannot be separated.

What is the fruit of obeying Allah and the Messenger? Yuḥbibkumu Allāh wa-yaghfir lakum — as stated above. And the reward of love? Tughfarūna dhunūbakum — your sins are forgiven. And the reward of forgiveness? Maḥbūbiyyat Allāh — the station of being beloved by Allah.

Fa-in tawallaw — but if they turn away (tawallaw, turn their backs): this is the deepest tragedy of the human story. The path is clear, the reward is unimaginable, and yet some turn away.

Fa-inna Allāha lā yuḥibbu al-kāfirīn — "truly Allah does not love the disbelievers." Love of Allah is not indiscriminate; it is conditional on faith and following. The person who wilfully rejects the path of the Prophetﷺ, who turns away from ittibāʿ (following), has placed himself outside the circle of Divine love.

The author speaks with deep emotion: obedience to the Prophetﷺis not merely a legal obligation; it is the shart (condition) of Divine love. To obey Allah and the Messenger is to attain the magnificent station of being loved by the Lord of all worlds. Is there any wealth, any honour, any pleasure that compares with this?

Translation of 3:31–32:

Say: "If you love Allah, follow me — Allah will love you and forgive your sins. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful." Say: "Obey Allah and the Messenger; but if they turn away — truly Allah does not love the disbelievers."

[Further Commentary on Tafsīr of 3:26–27 — Sovereignty and Providence]

The author returns briefly to expand on the Mālik al-Mulk verse (3:26–27) with a personal reflection. He asks: look at the empires and dynasties of history — where are the Pharaohs now? The descendants of the great kings of antiquity now go unrecognised, powerless, their lineage a dim memory. And from among the lowly and powerless, Allah raises up those who revive His word.

This is tawḥīd made historical: no power endures except the power of Allah; all sovereignty is on loan, subject to withdrawal at any moment.

[Commentary on not taking disbelievers as allies — continued]

The discussion of muwālāt (alliance and loyalty) continues. The author distinguishes carefully:

• Permitted: Justice, trade, diplomatic dealings, ordinary social courtesy toward non-hostile non-Muslims.
• Permitted under necessity: Outward appearance of alliance while preserving inward faith (genuine taqiyya).
• Forbidden: Giving the heart's intimate loyalty to disbelievers in preference over believers; assisting opponents of Islām; adopting their cultural and spiritual orientation as one's own.

The author makes a sharp pastoral observation about his contemporaries who have adopted Western customs wholesale while retaining a nominal Muslim identity: such a state is neither one thing nor the other —﴿مُذَبْذَبِينَ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ لَا إِلَىٰ هَٰؤُلَاءِ وَلَا إِلَىٰ هَٰؤُلَاءِ﴾— "Wavering between this and that — belonging neither to these nor to those" (al-Nisāʾ 4:143). Taqiyya is a specific dispensation of necessity; it is not an excuse for comfortable acculturation.

He returns to the positive: the true Islamic identity is one of dignity, confidence, and clarity. The believer who fears Allah has no reason to fear any human power. The community of the Prophetﷺwas commanded to be ashiddāʾ ʿalā al-kuffār, ruḥamāʾ baynahum — firm in maintaining their identity vis-à-vis those who oppose them, tender and compassionate among themselves. This is the balance of the Ahl al-Sunna.

Wa-ilā Allāhi al-maṣīr — to Allah is the ultimate return of all. No alliance, no power, no affiliation endures except that which is grounded in the love and obedience of Allah.

Āl ʿImrān 3:29 continued — Divine Omniscience and the Day of Reckoning

The author expands his commentary on 3:29 with a discussion of the Divine knowledge of inward states. He quotes the principle: Allāhu aʿlamu bi-murādihim — "Allah knows best what they intend." Neither the angels, nor the scholars, nor the spiritually aware can fully know the hidden interior of another soul. But Allah knows.

The angels do have awareness of the states of the created order — yet their knowledge is derivative and dependent (musta-fad), not self-subsistent. The Maturīdī formula on the angels: they are mumkinu al-dhāt (contingent in their essence), their existence and all their attributes are granted by and dependent upon their Creator. Their knowledge of created states is a gift from Him, not an independent faculty.

The wise person draws this conclusion from the omniscience of Allah: every moment of his life is lived in the full radiance of Divine knowledge. There is no private moment; there is no thought so fleeting that Allah does not know it. This awareness is the foundation of murāqaba (watchful self-awareness in the Divine presence) — one of the foundational stations of the Sufi path.

Wa-Allāhu ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr — His power encompasses all things. The combination of omniscience and omnipotence means that nothing in the created order escapes either His knowledge or His ability to act. This is both the greatest source of spiritual awe and the deepest source of human hope.

The text continues with a closing exhortation drawn from the tafsīr of 3:31–32.

The author reflects: now that the standard (miʿyār) of true love of Allah has been stated in Verse 3:31 — namely, following the Prophetﷺ— the question of what constitutes that following (ittibāʿ) must be addressed. When the Prophetﷺwas present in Madīna, the measure of obedience was clear: to obey him directly, in his blessed presence, hearing his word and following his action. Now, after his passing, the measure of obedience is: adherence to his sunna as preserved in the authentic hadith collections, and to the ijmāʿ (scholarly consensus) of the Ahl al-Sunna.

The final verses on the standard of obedience:

﴿قُلْ أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ﴾— "Say: Obey Allah and the Messenger." Obedience to the Prophetﷺis the fard (obligatory duty) of every believer. To refuse his commands is kufr. What is the fruit of obedience to Allah and the Messenger? The entire blessing of this world and the next: forgiveness, Divine love, the opening of the gates of provision and mercy.

The author closes this section with a supplication in the manner of the classic tafsīr tradition: "May Allah make us among those who truly follow the Prophet Muḥammadﷺ, in word and deed and state (ḥāl). May He grant us the station of maḥbūbiyyat Allāh — being loved by Allah. And may He protect the Muslims from the spiritual ruin of ribā, from the humiliation of false alliances, and from the forgetfulness of His final meeting. Āmīn."

Sūrat Āl ʿImrān — Juzʾ 3 (Tilka al-rusul)

Sūrat Āl ʿImrān (3) — Verses on the Chosen Families and the Birth of Sayyidatunā Maryam

The preceding section established that among the Messengers, some were granted precedence over others — some were spoken to directly by Allah, others were raised in degree. Times changed, peoples changed, and ordinances changed; yet each community in its own age was charged with obeying the Prophet sent to it. Allah the Exalted now declares, in elaboration:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَىٰ آدَمَ وَنُوحًا وَآلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَآلَ عِمْرَانَ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ

Inna llāha ṣṭafā Ādama wa-Nūḥan wa-Āla Ibrāhīma wa-Āla ʿImrāna ʿalā l-ʿālamīn.

"Indeed, Allah chose Adam, and Noah, and the family of Ibrāhīm, and the family of ʿImrān above all the worlds." (Āl ʿImrān 3:33)

Translation: Indeed, Allah chose (iṣṭifāʾ: purification and selection — for ṣafāʾ means purity and clarity) Adam and Noah, and the family of Ibrāhīm (Ismāʿīl, Isḥāq, and their descendants), and the family of ʿImrān (the household of ʿImrān, from whom came Sayyidatunā Maryam and others) — above all the worlds in their respective eras. The definite article in al-ʿālamīn is significant: it means the people of those particular times, not all epochs. Al-umma: the Community; al-yawm: today; al-āba: the fathers.

Commentary: The lexical note: dhurriyya means offspring and progeny — a single word embracing both. "Some of them from others" (baʿḍuhā min baʿḍ) means they are a continuous sacred lineage, related in faith and in blood. Wa-Allāhu Samīʿun ʿAlīm: "And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing" — He hears every word spoken and knows every state of affairs.

Translation of the verse: Indeed, Allah chose Adam, Noah, the family of Ibrāhīm, and the family of ʿImrān above all the peoples of their ages — (and this is right, for) they are a single continuous progeny, some descended from others. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Dear readers: that earlier Prophets and their families are honoured and held in high esteem in no way diminishes the station of our own Prophetﷺ. He is the Master of all Messengers (Sayyid al-mursalīn) and the Seal of the Prophets (Khātam al-nabiyyīn). The supremacy of his rank is established above all that came before him, just as the ḥadīth states:

آدَمُ وَمَنْ دُونَهُ تَحْتَ لِوَائِي

Ādamu wa-man dūnahu taḥta liwāʾī.

"Adam and all who are below him [in rank] will be beneath my banner [on the Day of Resurrection]." (Transmitted through various routes)

Allah now narrates in detail the circumstances of certain of these Messengers:

إِذْ قَالَتِ امْرَأَتُ عِمْرَانَ

Idh qālati mraʾatu ʿImrān...

"When the wife of ʿImrān said..." (Āl ʿImrān 3:35)

إِذْ قَالَتِ امْرَأَتُ عِمْرَانَ رَبِّ إِنِّي نَذَرْتُ لَكَ مَا فِي بَطْنِي مُحَرَّرًا فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّي إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

Idh qālati mraʾatu ʿImrāna rabbi innī nadhartu laka mā fī baṭnī muḥarraran fa-taqabbal minnī innaka anta l-samīʿu l-ʿalīm.

"When the wife of ʿImrān said: My Lord, I have vowed to You what is in my womb, as one dedicated [to Your service], so accept it from me. Indeed, You — You alone are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing." (Āl ʿImrān 3:35)

Commentary: Idh qālati: "Call to mind this event and reflect upon it" — the moment when the wife of ʿImrān ibn Māthān (who is the mother of Sayyidatunā Maryam, upon her be peace) said: Rabbi, "O my Lord!" Innī nadhartu: "I have made a vow." Mā fī baṭnī: "What is in my womb." Muḥarraran: free — dedicated, consecrated to the service of Allah, devoted solely to worship. It was the custom in that era to dedicate one's son to the service of God: when he grew up, he would be brought to the sanctuary — the Temple that Sayyidunā Sulaymān (upon him be peace) had built in Bayt al-Maqdis — where he would be left in the care of the priests and spend his life in divine service. The name of the wife of ʿImrān was Ḥanna. She made this vow in hope that the child would be a son who would serve the sanctuary.

Fa-taqabbal minnī: "So accept it from me." Qabala – yaqbalu – qubūlan: to accept; taqabbala – yataqabbalu: to accept graciously. As long as God's pardon and forbearance have not been obtained, acceptance is not fully realised. God's acceptance of a deed is the greatest of honours and elevations.

Innaka anta l-Samīʿu l-ʿAlīm: "Indeed, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing" — He hears every word and knows every state.

Translation of the verse: (She made her vow, saying:) "O my Lord! What is in my womb — I have vowed it to You and set it free [for Your service]. Accept it from me on Your part; indeed You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing."

Fa-lammā waḍaʿat-hā: "Then when she gave birth to her" — she laid her down and said: Rabbi innī waḍaʿtu-hā unthā: "O my Lord! I have given birth to a girl" — and she had hoped for a boy.

فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْهَا قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَضَعْتُهَا أُنثَىٰ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا وَضَعَتْ وَلَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالْأُنثَىٰ وَإِنِّي سَمَّيْتُهَا مَرْيَمَ وَإِنِّي أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

Fa-lammā waḍaʿat-hā qālat rabbi innī waḍaʿtu-hā unthā wa-llāhu aʿlamu bi-mā waḍaʿat wa-laysa l-dhakaru ka-l-unthā wa-innī sammaytuhā Maryama wa-innī uʿīdhuhā bi-ka wa-dhurriyyatahā mina l-shayṭāni l-rajīm.

"Then when she gave birth to her, she said: My Lord, I have given birth to a girl — and Allah knew best what she had delivered — and the male is not like the female. I have named her Maryam, and I seek Your protection for her and her progeny from Shaytān the accursed." (Āl ʿImrān 3:36)

Commentary: Fa-lammā waḍaʿat-hā: when she gave birth to her. She placed the child down and said: "O my Lord! I have given birth to a girl." Wa-llāhu aʿlamu bi-mā waḍaʿat: a parenthetical remark from Allah, informing us that He knows full well what has been delivered — the Divine commentary on her apology.

Wa-laysa l-dhakaru ka-l-unthā: "The male is not like the female." As a boy could serve the sanctuary, a girl could not do the same (in the custom of that time). Wa-innī sammaytuhā Maryam: "I have named her Maryam." Uʿīdhuhā bi-ka: "I seek Your protection for her" — I place her in Your refuge. Wa-dhurriyyatahā: and her progeny. Mina l-Shayṭāni l-rajīm: from the accursed, expelled devil.

It was from this comprehensive refuge that the Prophetﷺ's ḥadīth speaks: every newborn child is touched by Shaytān at birth and cries from that touch — except Maryam and her son ʿĪsā (upon them both be peace), whom Allah protected by virtue of this very prayer.

Translation of the verse: Then when she delivered her, she said: "O my Lord! I have given birth to a girl" — and Allah knew best what she had delivered — "and the male is not like the female. I have named her Maryam, and I seek Your protection for her and her progeny from Shaytān the accursed."

فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍ وَأَنبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقًا قَالَ يَا مَرْيَمُ أَنَّىٰ لَكِ هَٰذَا قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ

Fa-taqabbalahā rabbuhā bi-qabūlin ḥasanin wa-anbatahā nabātan ḥasanan wa-kaffalahā Zakariyyā kullamā dakhala ʿalayhā Zakariyyā l-miḥrāba wajada ʿindahā rizqan qāla yā Maryamu annā laki hādhā qālat huwa min ʿindi llāhi inna llāha yarzuqu man yashāʾu bi-ghayri ḥisāb.

"So her Lord accepted her with a goodly acceptance and caused her to grow in a goodly manner, and He placed her in the care of Zakariyyā. Whenever Zakariyyā entered upon her in the sanctuary (miḥrāb), he found provisions with her. He said: O Maryam! From where does this come to you? She said: It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without measure." (Āl ʿImrān 3:37)

Commentary: Fa-taqabbalahā rabbuhā bi-qabūlin ḥasanin: "Her Lord accepted her with a goodly acceptance" — a complete, perfect, and beautiful acceptance.

Wa-anbatahā nabātan ḥasanan: "and caused her to grow in a goodly manner" — she grew up in a fine and virtuous manner. Nabata – yanbatu – nabātan: to grow, to flourish.

Wa-kaffalahā Zakariyyā: Sayyidunā Zakariyyā (upon him be peace) became her guardian. It is said that Zakariyyā was the husband of Maryam's maternal aunt (that is, the sister of Ḥanna, the mother of Maryam), and that Maryam's maternal aunt was the wife of Zakariyyā (upon him be peace). Kullamā dakhala ʿalayhā Zakariyyā l-miḥrāba: "Whenever Zakariyyā entered the miḥrāb" — the private sanctuary and chamber of Maryam.

Wajada ʿindahā rizqan: "he found provisions with her" — food and sustenance near her. Qāla yā Maryamu annā laki hādhā: He said: "O Maryam! Where does this come to you?" Qālat huwa min ʿindi llāh: She said: "It is from Allah." Inna llāha yarzuqu man yashāʾu bi-ghayri ḥisāb: "Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without measure" — He feeds and sustains whomever He wills without reckoning or account.

Translation of the verse: So her Lord accepted her with a goodly acceptance and caused her to grow in a goodly manner, and placed her in the care of Zakariyyā. Whenever Zakariyyā entered the sanctuary to her, he found provisions by her side. He said: "O Maryam! From where does this come to you?" She said: "It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without measure."

Commentary (continued): When Sayyidunā Zakariyyā (upon him be peace) observed that Maryam received provisions out of season and beyond natural causes — fresh summer fruits in winter and winter fruits in summer — he understood this to be a sign of Divine favour, and from that moment he supplicated his Lord for a child of his own.

Inna llāha Samīʿun ʿAlīm: "Indeed, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing" — He hears all supplications and knows all conditions.

Fa-nādāhu l-malāʾikatu: "Then the angels called out to him" — while he was standing in prayer in the miḥrāb. Wa-huwa qāʾimun yuṣallī fī l-miḥrāb: He was standing in prayer in the sanctuary. The miḥrāb is the noblest of places — a term combining the meanings of a chamber of devotion, a place of striving (ḥarb: exertion), and of intimacy with Allah. Originally the miḥrāb was reserved for kings and those of high rank. The term has since come to refer to the space in a mosque where the imām leads prayer.

Mubashshiran bi-kalimatin min Allāh: "bearing good tidings of a Word from Allah" — that is, of one who confirms and gives credence to the Word of Allah, the affirmation of Unity and faithfulness to God's covenant.

Some have held that Kalimatu llāh here refers to Sayyidunā ʿĪsā (upon him be peace), and that the angels were giving tidings of his birth. But it is incorrect to suppose from this that ʿĪsā (upon him be peace) is God — Kalimatu llāh here means one who was brought into existence by the Divine Word kun ("Be!"), which is equally true of the creation of Ḥaḍrat Ādam and of Ḥaḍrat ʿĪsā (upon them both be peace).

Wa-sayyidan: "and a master, a chief." Wa-ḥaṣūran: "and one who restrains [himself from worldly desire]" — Sayyidunā Yaḥyā (upon him be peace) was pure, chaste, and safeguarded, ever in awe of Allah. Wa-nabiyyan: "and a Prophet." Mina l-ṣāliḥīn: "from among the righteous."

Translation of the verse: Then the angels called out to him as he stood in prayer in the sanctuary: "(We give you glad tidings) of Yaḥyā, who shall affirm a Word from Allah — a master, chaste, a Prophet, and among the righteous."

وَإِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَاكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَاصْطَفَاكِ عَلَىٰ نِسَاءِ الْعَالَمِينَ

Wa-idh qālati l-malāʾikatu yā Maryamu inna llāha ṣṭafāki wa-ṭahharaki wa-ṣṭafāki ʿalā nisāʾi l-ʿālamīn.

"And when the angels said: O Maryam! Indeed, Allah has chosen you and purified you, and He has chosen you above all the women of the worlds." (Āl ʿImrān 3:42)

Commentary: Wa-idh qālati l-malāʾikatu: "Call to mind the moment when the angels said." Yā Maryam: "O Maryam!" Inna llāha ṣṭafāki: "Indeed, Allah has chosen you" — He purified you, elected you, and selected you. Wa-ṭahharaki: "and has purified you" — He cleansed you from impurity and kept you pure and free from the slanderous accusations of the Jews. Wa-ṣṭafāki ʿalā nisāʾi l-ʿālamīn: "and has chosen you above the women of the worlds" — above the women of your time. We have already established elsewhere that the definite article (al-) when added to such a phrase restricts the reference. The nisāʾ al-ʿālamīn here means the women of that era. Al-umma: the Community; al-ān: now; al-abāʾ: the fathers.

Translation of the verse: And (recall) when the angels said: "O Maryam! Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above all the women of the worlds."

Translation continues: Then the angels said: "O Maryam! Allah gives you glad tidings: He has chosen you and kept you pure and has given you precedence and distinction above all the women of the worlds in your time."

يَا مَرْيَمُ اقْنُتِي لِرَبِّكِ وَاسْجُدِي وَارْكَعِي مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ

Yā Maryamu uqnutī li-rabbiki wa-sjudī wa-rkaʿī maʿa l-rākiʿīn.

"O Maryam! Devote yourself to your Lord, and prostrate, and bow with those who bow." (Āl ʿImrān 3:43)

Commentary: Uqnutī li-rabbiki: "Devote yourself in obedience to your Lord" — stand in continuous devotion, humble and submissive before your Lord. Wa-sjudī: "and prostrate" — in prayer before Allah. Wa-rkaʿī: "and bow." Maʿa l-rākiʿīn: "with those who bow" — together with the congregation of those who pray; rukūʿ (bowing) is understood here as including the full ṣalāt.

Translation of the verse: "O Maryam! Devote yourself to your Lord in obedience, and prostrate and bow with those who bow [in prayer]."

ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ

Dhālika min anbāʾi l-ghaybi nūḥīhi ilayk.

"That is from the tidings of the unseen which We reveal to you." (Āl ʿImrān 3:44)

Commentary: These are tidings of the unseen (ghayb) — and this is the evidence. Nūḥīhi ilayka: "We reveal it to you" — these events are being disclosed to you by divine revelation. Wa-mā kunta ladayhim: "You were not present with them." The Qurʾān uses the technical term waḥy (revelation) in its terminological sense consistently throughout. The terminological and the linguistic usages of such words differ: in linguistic usage, any conveyance of knowledge may be called waḥy; in technical usage, it refers specifically to the revelation conveyed to Prophets (upon them be peace). The Qurʾān uses both, and distinguishing them requires knowledge. The criterion is: where a usage is specific to a Prophet, it is terminological; where it applies to general disclosure, it is linguistic.

Wa-mā kunta ladayhim idh yulqūna aqlāmahum: "You were not present among them when they cast their pens [to draw lots]" — when they cast their writing reeds (aqlām) to determine by lot who would take guardianship of Maryam. Ayyuhum yakfulu Maryam: "which of them would be the guardian of Maryam." Wa-mā kunta ladayhim idh yakhtaṣimūn: "Nor were you present when they disputed." This event — the drawing of lots and the dispute over Maryam's guardianship — was known to none but those who were present, and yet here Allah discloses it to His Prophetﷺas proof of prophethood.

Translation of the verse: These are tidings of the unseen which We reveal to you. You were not present among them when they cast their pens [to determine] who among them would take Maryam in guardianship, nor were you present when they disputed.

إِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنْهُ اسْمُهُ الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيهًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ

Idh qālati l-malāʾikatu yā Maryamu inna llāha yubashshiruki bi-kalimatin minhu ismuhu l-Masīḥu ʿĪsā ibnu Maryama wa-jīhan fī l-dunyā wa-l-ākhirati wa-mina l-muqarrabīn.

"When the angels said: O Maryam! Indeed, Allah gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him — his name is the Messiah, ʿĪsā son of Maryam — distinguished in this world and the Hereafter, and among those brought near [to Allah]." (Āl ʿImrān 3:45)

Commentary: Idh qālati l-malāʾikatu: "When the angels said" — recall this momentous event. Yā Maryam: "O Maryam!" Inna llāha yubashshiruki: "Indeed, Allah gives you good tidings" — He conveys glad news to you and honours you with this announcement. Bi-kalimatin minhu: "of a Word from Him" — of one who came into being solely by the Divine Word kun ("Be!") without a father. His coming to exist was by the Word alone. Ismuhu l-Masīḥu ʿĪsā ibnu Maryam: "His name is the Messiah, ʿĪsā son of Maryam." He is called "son of Maryam" because that was his only human lineage — he had no father. "Al-Masīḥ" carries the meaning of a face of blessing and beauty, of nobility (wajāha), of grace and dignity. Wajīhan fī l-dunyā wa-l-ākhira: "distinguished in this world and the Hereafter" — honoured in both abodes.

Some misguided people have supposed from "Word of Allah" that he shares in divinity. Allah's own words refute this error: He says bi-kalimatin minhu, meaning one who was caused to exist by a Word from Him — this is not the attribute of divinity but of creaturely existence. The word wajih (distinguished) here also proves his creaturely status: one who is truly God does not require distinction; distinction belongs to the servant.

Wa-mina l-muqarrabīn: "and among those brought near [to Allah]" — among the highest of Allah's intimate servants.

Translation of the verse: (And recall) when the angels said: "O Maryam! Allah gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him — his name is the Messiah, ʿĪsā son of Maryam — distinguished in this world and the Hereafter, and among those brought near [to Allah]."

وَيُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ فِي الْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلًا وَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ

Wa-yukallumu l-nāsa fī l-mahdi wa-kahlan wa-mina l-ṣāliḥīn.

"He will speak to the people in the cradle and in maturity, and [he will be] among the righteous." (Āl ʿImrān 3:46)

Commentary: Wa-yukallumu l-nāsa fī l-mahdi: "He will speak to the people in the cradle" — while still an infant in the cradle. Wa-kahlan: "and in maturity" — when he reaches the age of forty, when a man attains the full flower of his wisdom and discernment. Wa-mina l-ṣāliḥīn: "and from among the righteous."

قَالَتْ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِي بَشَرٌ

Qālat rabbi annā yakūnu lī waladun wa-lam yamsasnī bashar.

"She said: My Lord, how can I have a child when no man has touched me?" (Āl ʿImrān 3:47)

Commentary: Qālat: She said — out of wonder and astonishment, not disbelief. Rabbi annā yakūnu lī walad: "My Lord, how can I have a child?" Wa-lam yamsasnī bashar: "when no man has touched me" — neither a husband nor otherwise. Qāla kadhalika llāhu yakhluqu mā yashāʾ: "He said: Thus Allah creates what He wills." The word bashshar (human being) covers both male and female.

Allah the Exalted said: Kadhalika: "Thus" — in this very way, without the usual means. Allāhu yakhluqu mā yashāʾ: "Allah creates what He wills." Reflect, dear readers: Allah gives knowledge and light to His servants. Some act upon it, while others squander it. When a thing's nature and reality requires a certain outcome, it is this very reality that demands the granting of that outcome. A thing that contradicts its own nature cannot come into being even if commanded. The benefit of commanding the impossible — Allah commanding something He knows to be contrary to a person's nature — is that it makes manifest to all creation that the person is by nature disobedient. In every action there is a wisdom, and in every prohibition a wisdom.

Idhā qaḍā amran fa-innamā yaqūlu lahu kun fa-yakūn: "When He decrees a matter, He only says to it: Be! — and it is."

وَيُعَلِّمُهُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَالتَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنجِيلَ

Wa-yuʿallimuhu l-kitāba wa-l-ḥikmata wa-l-tawrāta wa-l-injīl.

"And He will teach him the Book and wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel." (Āl ʿImrān 3:48)

وَرَسُولًا إِلَىٰ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنِّي قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِآيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ أَنِّي أَخْلُقُ لَكُم مِّنَ الطِّينِ كَهَيْئَةِ الطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَأُبْرِئُ الْأَكْمَهَ وَالْأَبْرَصَ وَأُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ مُّؤْمِنِينَ

Wa-rasūlan ilā banī Isrāʾīla annī qad jiʾtukum bi-āyatin min rabbikum annī akhluqu lakum mina l-ṭīni ka-hayʾati l-ṭayri fa-anfukhu fīhi fa-yakūnu ṭayran bi-idhni llāhi wa-ubriʾu l-akmaha wa-l-abraṣa wa-uḥyī l-mawtā bi-idhni llāhi wa-unabbi'ukum bi-mā taʾkulūna wa-mā taddakhirūna fī buyūtikum inna fī dhālika la-āyatan lakum in kuntum muʾminīn.

"And [I am] a Messenger to the Children of Isrāʾīl [saying]: I have come to you with a sign from your Lord — that I fashion for you from clay the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird by the permission of Allah. And I heal the blind from birth and the leper, and I bring the dead to life by the permission of Allah. And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers." (Āl ʿImrān 3:49)

Commentary: Wa-rasūlan ilā banī Isrāʾīl: "And a Messenger to the Children of Isrāʾīl." Annī qad jiʾtukum bi-āyatin min rabbikum: "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord." Annī akhluqu lakum mina l-ṭīni ka-hayʾati l-ṭayr: "I fashion for you from clay something in the form of a bird" — I shape and mould it in the exact proportions of a bird. Fa-anfukhu fīhi fa-yakūnu ṭayran bi-idhni llāh: "then I breathe into it and it becomes a real bird, by the permission of Allah" — it becomes capable of flight. Wa-ubriʾu l-akmaha: "And I heal the one blind from birth" — one born without sight. Wa-l-abraṣ: "and the leper." Wa-uḥyī l-mawtā bi-idhni llāh: "and I bring the dead back to life by the permission of Allah." Wa-unabbi'ukum bi-mā taʾkulūna wa-mā taddakhirūna fī buyūtikum: "and I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses." Inna fī dhālika la-āyatan lakum: "Indeed, in that is a great sign for you" — a proof of Divine power. In kuntum muʾminīn: "if you are believers."

Translation of the verse: "And [I am] a Messenger to the Children of Isrāʾīl: I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. I shall fashion from clay something in the form of a bird, then breathe into it, and it will become a real bird by the permission of Allah. I shall heal the one born blind and the leper, and bring the dead back to life by the permission of Allah. And I shall tell you what you eat and what you store in your homes — in all of this, for you, is a great sign, if you are believers."

Dear readers: all of these are the miracles (muʿjizāt) of Sayyidunā ʿĪsā (upon him be peace). Note carefully: with every miracle the phrase bi-idhni llāh — "by the permission of Allah" — is emphasised. This is to prevent any misunderstanding: the act of creating, healing, and giving life belongs to Allah alone; ʿĪsā (upon him be peace) was only the instrument, the channel of Allah's power, not its source. The mistake of the Christians — attributing divinity to ʿĪsā — arose from failing to understand this. Bi-idhni llāh makes it unambiguous that ʿĪsā is a servant and Messenger, not a god. Also: it is well known that there is a difference between bi-idhni llāh (by the permission of Allah) and bi-amri llāh (by the command of Allah). Bear this in mind.

وَمُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَلِأُحِلَّ لَكُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَجِئْتُكُم بِآيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ

Wa-muṣaddiqan li-mā bayna yadayya mina l-tawrāti wa-li-uḥilla lakum baʿḍa lladhī ḥurrima ʿalaykum wa-jiʾtukum bi-āyatin min rabbikum fa-ttaqū llāha wa-aṭīʿūn.

"And [I come] confirming what was before me of the Torah, and to make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you. And I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, so fear Allah and obey me." (Āl ʿImrān 3:50)

Commentary: Wa-muṣaddiqan li-mā bayna yadayya mina l-tawrāt: "confirming what is before me of the Torah" — affirming the previously revealed scriptures. The Torah (Tawrāt) is the name of the book given to Sayyidunā Mūsā (upon him be peace), which also contained references to Sayyidunā ʿĪsā that were revealed to Moses and others in earlier centuries. Wa-li-uḥilla lakum baʿḍa lladhī ḥurrima ʿalaykum: "to make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you" — some ordinances that had been prohibited on account of their transgressions were now made permissible again. This was an act of Allah's mercy toward them, a relief of the burden. Wa-jiʾtukum bi-āyatin min rabbikum: "And I have come to you with a sign from your Lord" — with clear miracles. Fa-ttaqū llāha wa-aṭīʿūn: "So fear Allah and obey me."

Translation of the verse: "And [I come] confirming what is before me of the Torah, and to make lawful for you some of what was previously forbidden to you. I have come to you with a sign from your Lord — so fear Allah and obey me."

إِنَّ اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ هَٰذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ

Inna llāha rabbī wa-rabbukum fa-ʿbudūhu hādhā ṣirāṭun mustaqīm.

"Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. This is a straight path." (Āl ʿImrān 3:51)

Translation of the verse: "Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord — so worship Him. This is the straight path."

فَلَمَّا أَحَسَّ عِيسَىٰ مِنْهُمُ الْكُفْرَ قَالَ مَنْ أَنصَارِي إِلَى اللَّهِ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنصَارُ اللَّهِ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ

Fa-lammā aḥassa ʿĪsā minhumu l-kufra qāla man anṣārī ilā llāhi qāla l-ḥawāriyyūna naḥnu anṣāru llāhi āmannā bi-llāhi wa-shhadid bi-annā muslimūn.

"Then when ʿĪsā sensed disbelief in them, he said: Who will be my helpers toward Allah? The disciples (ḥawāriyyūn) said: We are the helpers of Allah. We have believed in Allah — and bear witness that we are Muslims." (Āl ʿImrān 3:52)

Commentary: Fa-lammā aḥassa ʿĪsā minhumu l-kufra: "Then when ʿĪsā perceived and came to know the disbelief in them." Qāla man anṣārī ilā llāh: "He said: Who are my helpers toward Allah?" — Who will be my supporters in carrying the message of Allah?

Qāla l-ḥawāriyyūna: "The ḥawāriyyūn said." The root ḥawara means to return, to come back straight, to make clean and bright. The ḥawāriyyūn are the intimate disciples of Sayyidunā ʿĪsā (upon him be peace); they are said to have been called by this name because they were bleachers (qaṣṣārūn) — those who wash and whiten garments — or because of the purity and whiteness of their hearts. They are the helpers and supporters of Allah in the world. When a good cause becomes widespread and a bad cause weakens, Allah's helpers are required to direct it toward God.

Naḥnu anṣāru llāh: "We are the helpers of Allah." Āmannā bi-llāh: "We have believed in Allah." Wa-shhadid bi-annā muslimūn: "and bear witness that we are Muslims" — we have submitted ourselves entirely to Allah.

Translation of the verse: The disciples said: "We are the helpers of Allah — we have believed in Allah, so bear witness that we are Muslims."

رَبَّنَا آمَنَّا بِمَا أَنزَلْتَ وَاتَّبَعْنَا الرَّسُولَ فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّاهِدِينَ

Rabbanā āmannā bi-mā anzalta wa-ttabaʿnā l-rasūla fa-ktub-nā maʿa l-shāhidīn.

"Our Lord, we have believed in what You have sent down and have followed the Messenger, so record us among the witnesses." (Āl ʿImrān 3:53)

Commentary: Āmannā bi-mā anzalta: "We have believed in what You have sent down" — in Your revealed ordinances and decrees. Wa-ttabaʿnā l-rasūl: "and we have followed the Messenger." Fa-ktub-nā maʿa l-shāhidīn: "so record us among the witnesses" — among those who bear witness to the truth.

Wa-makarū wa-makara llāh: "And they plotted, and Allah plotted [against them]" — the disbelievers plotted against ʿĪsā (upon him be peace), and Allah countered their plot by foiling it. Wa-llāhu khayru l-mākirīn: "And Allah is the best of plotters" — He knows their hidden schemes and counters them with a wisdom they cannot foresee.

Note: in Arabic, when an adversary's strategy is countered using a similar form of response, the word makr (plotting) may be used for both sides — this is the device of mushākala (using the same term for both the initial act and its response). Examples include Allāhu yastahziʾu bihim and Wa-llāhu khayru l-mākirīn.

Translation of the verses: "Our Lord, we have believed in what You have sent down and we have followed the Messenger — so record our names among those who bear witness [to the truth]." They plotted [against ʿĪsā], and Allah countered their plot, for Allah is the best of planners [when it comes to foiling schemes].

Commentary (continued — the Twelve Disciples of Sayyidunā ʿĪsā):

Dear readers: the twelve disciples (ḥawāriyyūn) of Sayyidunā ʿĪsā (upon him be peace) are as follows: (1) Simʿān Buṭrus (Simon Peter), (2) Andarāwus (Andrew), his brother, (3) Yaʿqūb ibn Zabyā (James son of Zebedee), (4) Yūḥannā (John), (5) Fīlibus (Philip) and Baṭulmāy (Bartholomew), (6) Tūmā (Thomas), (7) Matti (Matthew), (8) Yaʿqūb ibn Ḥalafā (James son of Alphaeus), (9) Labbāy Thaddeus (Thaddaeus), (10) Shamʿūn al-Qānānī (Simon the Zealot), (11) Yaʿqūb Banatus (James), and (12) Yahūdhā Asqaryūtī (Judas Iscariot) — the one who betrayed him.

Concerning them, it is said that Sayyidunā ʿĪsā (upon him be peace) gave them the instruction: "Do not go to the gentiles (umam ukhrā) and do not enter the city of the Samaritans (Sāmiriyyīn). Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Isrāʾīl, and proclaim: the Kingdom of Heaven has drawn near." This shows that his mission (risāla) was not universal in scope but was specifically to the Children of Isrāʾīl. Their task was to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out evil spirits — "Carry no gold, no silver, no money in your belts; no bag for the journey, no two tunics, no sandals."

All that the Gospels record about these twelve disciples is expressed in very harsh language; from it one gets the impression that their conduct was of the worst kind. In some places one of them is called the worst of the worst, and in others their leader is likened to Shaytān. One of them — the worst of all, the one in whose heart Shaytān had entered — betrayed Sayyidunā ʿĪsā (upon him be peace), took thirty pieces of silver, and led the soldiers to him. The others fled. When people asked him: "Were you not with him?" he denied it three times, saying: "I was not with him." The remaining disciples — who had made a solemn covenant with their Prophet — turned their backs when put to the test. In contrast, the Qurʾān, while not narrating their detailed lives, records their virtuous declaration and service with honour and dignity. This ungrateful nation [i.e., those who composed the Gospels] has covered them all with slander and falsehood — and the worst of all was Judas, who went to the Roman governor Pilate and had him arrested.

Commentary (continued): They came and had Sayyidunā ʿĪsā (upon him be peace) seized, inflicting upon him various torments and tortures — but Allah's plan prevails over all. Allah placed the likeness of ʿĪsā upon one of those very Jews who were conspiring against him, and raised ʿĪsā (upon him be peace) alive to the Heavens. The Jews then killed that person in the mistaken belief that he was ʿĪsā, and are accursed as a result.

إِذْ قَالَ اللَّهُ يَا عِيسَىٰ إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَجَاعِلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ

Idh qāla llāhu yā ʿĪsā innī mutawaffīka wa-rāfiʿuka ilayya wa-muṭahhiruka mina lladhīna kafarū wa-jāʿilu lladhīna ttabaʿūka fawqa lladhīna kafarū ilā yawmi l-qiyāma.

"When Allah said: O ʿĪsā! I shall take you and raise you to Myself, and purify you from those who disbelieve, and place those who follow you above those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection." (Āl ʿImrān 3:55)

Commentary: Idh qāla llāhu: "Call to mind when Allah said." Yā ʿĪsā innī mutawaffīka: "O ʿĪsā! I am going to take you" — I shall complete the appointed term of your earthly sojourn and take you. Here the phrase mutawaffī means "taking you" in the sense of qabḍ (receiving), not of death in the ordinary sense — he was raised bodily alive. Wa-rāfiʿuka ilayya: "and raise you to Myself" — elevating you in rank and station, raising you bodily to the heavens. Wa-muṭahhiruka mina lladhīna kafarū: "and purifying you from those who disbelieve" — freeing you from their false accusations, keeping you pure from the slanders of the disbelievers. Wa-jāʿilu lladhīna ttabaʿūka fawqa lladhīna kafarū: "and placing those who follow you above those who disbelieve" — those who followed the true ʿĪsā (upon him be peace), submitting to Allah, above those who rejected him — up until the Day of Resurrection. Thumma ilayya marjiʿukum: "Then unto Me shall be your return."

Translation of the verse: (And recall) when Allah said: "O ʿĪsā! I shall take you and raise you to Myself, and purify you from those who disbelieve, and place those who follow you above those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection — then unto Me shall be your return."

فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَأُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ

Fa-ammā lladhīna kafarū fa-uʿadhdhibuhum ʿadhāban shadīdan fī l-dunyā wa-l-ākhirati wa-mā lahum min nāṣirīn.

"As for those who disbelieve, I shall punish them with a severe punishment in this world and the Hereafter, and they shall have no helpers." (Āl ʿImrān 3:56)

Translation of the verse: As for those who disbelieve, I shall afflict them with a severe punishment in this world and the Hereafter, and they shall have no helpers or defenders.

وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ فَيُوَفِّيهِمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِينَ

Wa-ammā lladhīna āmanū wa-ʿamilū l-ṣāliḥāti fa-yuwaffīhim ujūrahum wa-llāhu lā yuḥibbu l-ẓālimīn.

"And as for those who believed and did righteous deeds, He will give them their rewards in full. And Allah does not love the wrongdoers." (Āl ʿImrān 3:57)

Translation of the verse: And as for those who believed and did righteous deeds, Allah will give them their rewards in full — and Allah does not love those who do wrong.

ذَٰلِكَ نَتْلُوهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ الْآيَاتِ وَالذِّكْرِ الْحَكِيمِ

Dhālika natlūhu ʿalayka mina l-āyāti wa-l-dhikri l-ḥakīm.

"That is what We recite to you of the signs and the wise Reminder." (Āl ʿImrān 3:58)

Translation: These are the signs and narratives which We recite to you — from the verses and from the wise Reminder [i.e., the Qurʾān]. Al-dhikr al-ḥakīm: the Reminder filled with wisdom.

إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَىٰ عِندَ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ آدَمَ خَلَقَهُ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ

Inna mathala ʿĪsā ʿinda llāhi ka-mathali Ādama khalaqahu min turābin thumma qāla lahu kun fa-yakūn.

"Indeed, the likeness of ʿĪsā in the sight of Allah is as the likeness of Ādam — He created him from dust and then said to him: Be! — and he was." (Āl ʿImrān 3:59)

Commentary: Inna mathala ʿĪsā ʿinda llāhi ka-mathala Ādam: "The likeness of ʿĪsā with Allah is as the likeness of Ādam." The birth of ʿĪsā without a father is no greater a wonder than the creation of Ādam without either a father or a mother. Khalaqahu min turāb: "He created him from dust." Thumma qāla lahu kun fa-yakūnu: "Then He said to it: Be! — and it was."

Translation of the verse: Indeed, the likeness of ʿĪsā in the sight of Allah is as the likeness of Ādam — He created him from dust, then said to him: Be! — and he was.

الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ

Al-ḥaqqu min rabbika fa-lā takun mina l-mumtarīn.

"The truth is from your Lord, so do not be among those who doubt." (Āl ʿImrān 3:60)

Translation of the verse: The truth is from your Lord — so do not be among those who doubt.

فَمَنْ حَاجَّكَ فِيهِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَأَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَنِسَاءَنَا وَنِسَاءَكُمْ وَأَنفُسَنَا وَأَنفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَل لَّعْنَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَاذِبِينَ

Fa-man ḥājjaka fīhi min baʿdi mā jāʾaka mina l-ʿilmi fa-qul taʿālaw nadʿu abnāʾanā wa-abnāʾakum wa-nisāʾanā wa-nisāʾakum wa-anfusanā wa-anfusakum thumma nabtahil fa-najʿal laʿnata llāhi ʿalā l-kādhibīn.

"Then whoever disputes with you concerning him after what has come to you of knowledge — say: Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves — then let us invoke a mutual curse, and place the curse of Allah upon those who lie." (Āl ʿImrān 3:61)

Commentary: Fa-man ḥājjaka fīhi: "Whoever argues with you about this" — disputes with you about ʿĪsā (upon him be peace). Min baʿdi mā jāʾaka mina l-ʿilm: "after the knowledge that has come to you" — after these clear proofs have been given. Fa-qul taʿālaw: "say: Come!" Nadʿu abnāʾanā wa-abnāʾakum: "Let us call our sons and your sons." Wa-nisāʾanā wa-nisāʾakum: "our women and your women." Wa-anfusanā wa-anfusakum: "ourselves and yourselves" — in this context, the people of greatest standing and proximity on each side. Thumma nabtahil: "then let us invoke and humble ourselves in supplication." Fa-najʿal laʿnata llāhi ʿalā l-kādhibīn: "and place the curse of Allah upon those who lie."

This verse refers to the event of mubāhala (the mutual imprecation). When the Prophetﷺcalled the delegation of Najrān to this trial, they refused and agreed instead to pay the jizya. It is narrated that the Prophetﷺcame out for the mubāhala accompanied by Sayyidunā al-Ḥasan, al-Ḥusayn, Sayyidatunā Fāṭima, and Sayyidunā ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with them all), wrapped in a cloak — joined by others as well. The delegation of Najrān, when they saw his bearing and his confidence, withdrew from the mubāhala.

Abnāʾanā wa-abnāʾakum: "our sons and your sons" — abnāʾanā here refers to al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn; nisāʾanā: "our women" — to Sayyidatunā Fāṭima al-Zahrāʾ (may Allah be pleased with her); anfusanā: "ourselves" — to Sayyidunā ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with him).

Translation of the verse: If anyone disputes with you about him after the knowledge that has come to you, say: "Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves — then let us invoke a mutual curse, and place Allah's curse upon those who lie."

إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَهُوَ الْقَصَصُ الْحَقُّ وَمَا مِنْ إِلَٰهٍ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

Inna hādhā la-huwa l-qaṣaṣu l-ḥaqqu wa-mā min ilāhin illā llāhu wa-inna llāha la-huwa l-ʿazīzu l-ḥakīm.

"Indeed, this is the true account, and there is no god but Allah. And indeed, Allah — He alone is the Exalted in Might, the Wise." (Āl ʿImrān 3:62)

Translation of the verse: Indeed, this is the true and authentic account — and there is no god besides Allah. And indeed, Allah alone is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.

فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِالْمُفْسِدِينَ

Fa-in tawallaw fa-inna llāha ʿalīmun bi-l-mufsidīn.

"But if they turn away, then indeed Allah is well aware of those who cause corruption." (Āl ʿImrān 3:63)

Translation of the verse: But if they turn away — indeed, Allah knows well those who spread corruption and those who resist the truth.

Now the author addresses the corrupt beliefs of the People of the Book (Ahl al-Kitāb). Having established the doctrine, Allah now refutes their false arguments.

قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَقُولُوا اشْهَدُوا بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ

Qul yā ahla l-kitābi taʿālaw ilā kalimatin sawāʾin baynanā wa-baynakum allā naʿbuda illā llāha wa-lā nushrika bihī shayʾan wa-lā yattakhidha baʿḍunā baʿḍan arbāban min dūni llāhi fa-in tawallaw fa-qūlū shhadū bi-annā muslimūn.

"Say: O People of the Book! Come to a word that is common between us and you — that we shall worship none but Allah, and associate nothing with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords apart from Allah. Then if they turn away, say: Bear witness that we are Muslims." (Āl ʿImrān 3:64)

Commentary: Taʿālaw ilā kalimatin sawāʾin: "Come to a word that is equal and common between us" — to a principle mutually acknowledged, on which neither side can object. Allā naʿbuda illā llāh: "That we worship none but Allah." Wa-lā nushrika bihī shayʾan: "and that we associate nothing with Him." Wa-lā yattakhidha baʿḍunā baʿḍan arbāban min dūni llāh: "and that none of us takes others as lords apart from Allah" — meaning that no one makes monks, rabbis, or saints into lords alongside Allah. Fa-in tawallaw: "If they turn away and refuse." Fa-qūlū shhadū bi-annā muslimūn: "then say: Bear witness that we are Muslims" — that we have submitted ourselves to Allah and are at peace with His sovereignty.

Translation of the verse: Say: "O People of the Book! Come to a word that is mutually agreed upon between us and you — that we worship none but Allah, and associate nothing with Him, and that none of us takes others as lords apart from Allah. If they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are Muslims."

يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لِمَ تُحَاجُّونَ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمَا أُنزِلَتِ التَّوْرَاةُ وَالْإِنجِيلُ إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِهِ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ

Yā ahla l-kitābi li-ma tuḥājjūna fī Ibrāhīma wa-mā unzilati l-tawrātu wa-l-injīlu illā min baʿdihī a-fa-lā taʿqilūn.

"O People of the Book! Why do you argue about Ibrāhīm, when the Torah and the Gospel were only sent down after him? Have you no sense?" (Āl ʿImrān 3:65)

Commentary: Li-ma tuḥājjūna fī Ibrāhīm: "Why do you dispute about Ibrāhīm?" The Jews said Ibrāhīm was Jewish; the Christians said he was Christian. Wa-mā unzilati l-tawrātu wa-l-injīlu illā min baʿdihī: "whereas the Torah and the Gospel were only revealed after him" — centuries after Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace), making it impossible for him to have been Jewish or Christian. A-fa-lā taʿqilūn: "Have you no understanding?"

Translation of the verse: O People of the Book! Why do you dispute about Ibrāhīm, when the Torah and the Gospel were only revealed after him? Have you no sense?

Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) is the universal Imām and exemplar of all believers. It is his teaching that is the foundation — the Torah and Gospel come after and are derivative of his original pure monotheism.

مَا كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

Mā kāna Ibrāhīmu yahūdiyyan wa-lā naṣrāniyyan wa-lākin kāna ḥanīfan musliman wa-mā kāna mina l-mushrikīn.

"Ibrāhīm was neither a Jew nor a Christian — but he was a ḥanīf, a Muslim, and he was not of the polytheists." (Āl ʿImrān 3:67)

Commentary: Ḥanīfan: inclining to truth and straightness, turning away from all else. Ḥanafa l-shakhṣu – yaḥnafu – ḥanafan: to be straight, to incline to uprightness; applied here to one who turns away from all deviation and idolatry. Wa-mā kāna mina l-mushrikīn: "and he was not among the polytheists."

Translation of the verse: Ibrāhīm was neither a Jew nor a Christian — but he was a pure ḥanīf, a Muslim, upright and straight — and he was never among the polytheists.

إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِإِبْرَاهِيمَ لَلَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ وَهَٰذَا النَّبِيُّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَاللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

Inna awlā l-nāsi bi-Ibrāhīma lladhīna ttabaʿūhu wa-hādhā l-nabiyyu wa-lladhīna āmanū wa-llāhu waliyyu l-muʾminīn.

"Indeed, the people who have the most right to Ibrāhīm are those who follow him, and this Prophet [Muḥammad], and those who believe — and Allah is the Protector of the believers." (Āl ʿImrān 3:68)

Commentary: Inna awlā l-nāsi bi-Ibrāhīm: "The people who have the closest connection and the greatest right to Ibrāhīm" — those most deserving of being called his followers. Lladhīna ttabaʿūhu: "are those who followed him" — who walked in his footsteps and emulated his way. Wa-hādhā l-nabiyy: "and this Prophet" — meaning the Prophet Muḥammadﷺ. Wa-lladhīna āmanū: "and those who believe." Wa-llāhu waliyyu l-muʾminīn: "And Allah is the Protector and Supporter of the believers."

Translation of the verse: Indeed, the people with the greatest and most rightful connection to Ibrāhīm are those who followed him, and this Prophet [Muḥammadﷺ], and those who believe — and Allah is the Guardian and Protector of the believers.

Commentary on the schemes of the People of the Book:

The name Islām itself means the surrendering of oneself entirely to Allah in obedience — nothing else. Now the devious stratagems of certain People of the Book against the Muslims are exposed. Allah the Exalted describes them:

وَقَالَت طَّائِفَةٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ آمِنُوا بِالَّذِي أُنزِلَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَجْهَ النَّهَارِ وَاكْفُرُوا آخِرَهُ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ

Wa-qālat ṭāʾifatun min ahli l-kitābi āminū bi-lladhī unzila ʿalā lladhīna āmanū wajha l-nahāri wa-kfurū ākhirahu laʿallahum yarjiʿūn.

"And a group of the People of the Book said: Believe at the beginning of the day in what has been sent down to those who believe, and reject it at the end — perhaps they will turn back." (Āl ʿImrān 3:72)

Commentary: Wa-qālat ṭāʾifatun: "And a group (ṭāʾifa) said." A ṭāʾifa is a group or party: originally from ṭāfa meaning to go around, encircle. Āminū bi-lladhī unzila wajha l-nahār: "Believe, in the morning, in what has been revealed" — at the beginning of the day, outwardly accept Islam. Wa-kfurū ākhirahu: "and reject it at the end of the day" — return to disbelief by evening. Laʿallahum yarjiʿūn: "perhaps [the Muslims] will turn back" — perhaps the foolish and simple-minded among them will think: "If even the learned among the Jews are losing faith in Islam by the end of the day, there must be something wrong with it," and so they too will apostatize.

Translation of the verse: A group among the People of the Book said [to one another]: "Declare your belief, at the start of the day, in what has been sent down to those who believe — then reject it at the end. Perhaps they will turn back [from Islam]."

وَلَا تُؤْمِنُوا إِلَّا لِمَن تَبِعَ دِينَكُمْ

Wa-lā tuʾminū illā li-man tabiʿa dīnakum.

"And do not believe except for those who follow your religion." (Āl ʿImrān 3:73)

Commentary: "Do not fully trust or confirm anyone who has not followed your religion" — keep your real loyalty for those of your own faith. Qul inna l-hudā hudā llāh: Say: "Guidance is in the hand of Allah" — true guidance belongs to Allah alone, not to the Jews and Christians who seek to withhold it.

An yuʾtā aḥadun mithla mā ūtītum: "That anyone else should be given the like of what you have been given" — they were jealous that the Muslims had been granted a revelation like theirs, and indeed superior to it. Aw yuḥājjūkum ʿinda rabbikum: "or that they should dispute with you before your Lord" — that they should confront you with a stronger argument before Allah. Qul inna l-faḍla bi-yadi llāh: "Say: Bounty is in the hand of Allah" — it is He who gives it to whom He wills. Wa-llāhu wāsiʿun ʿalīm: "And Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing."

Translation of the verse: (The People of the Book said:) "Do not believe that anyone outside your religion has been given [guidance]" — [O Messenger] say: "Guidance is from Allah alone — it is not your guidance to grant or withhold. Do not believe that anyone else can be given what you have been given, or that anyone can argue against you before your Lord." Say: "Indeed, all bounty is in the hand of Allah — He gives it to whom He wills. And Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing."

وَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ مَنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِقِنطَارٍ يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِدِينَارٍ لَّا يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ إِلَّا مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَائِمًا

Wa-min ahli l-kitābi man in taʾmanhu bi-qinṭārin yuʾaddihi ilayk wa-minhum man in taʾmanhu bi-dīnārin lā yuʾaddihi ilayka illā mā dumta ʿalayhi qāʾimā.

"And among the People of the Book are those who, if you entrust them with a great treasure (qinṭār), will return it to you. And among them are those who, if you entrust them with a single gold coin, will not return it to you unless you stand over them persistently." (Āl ʿImrān 3:75)

Commentary: Qinṭār: a great quantity of wealth, a treasure. Wa-minhum man in taʾmanhu bi-dīnār: among them there are also those who, if entrusted with a single dinar (dīnār = a gold coin), will not return it. Illā mā dumta ʿalayhi qāʾimā: "unless you continuously stand over them and press them." Dhālika bi-annahum qālū laysa ʿalaynā fī l-ummiyyīna sabīl: "That is because they say: There is no way [of accountability] against us regarding the gentiles" — ummiyyīn here meaning non-Jews, those outside their covenant. Wa-yaqūlūna ʿalā llāhi l-kadhib: "and they attribute falsehood to Allah" — ascribing to God a ruling that He never decreed. Wa-hum yaʿlamūn: "while they know [better]" — they are fully aware that what they say is a lie.

Translation of the verse: Among the People of the Book are those who, if you entrust them with a great treasure, will faithfully return it. And among them are those who, if entrusted with a single dinar, will not return it to you unless you stand persistently over them. That is because they say: "We have no obligation toward the gentiles" — and they attribute a lie to Allah while knowing full well [that it is false].

Commentary (continued):

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَيْمَانِهِمْ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا أُولَٰئِكَ لَا خَلَاقَ لَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ

Inna lladhīna yashtarūna bi-ʿahdi llāhi wa-aymānihim thamanan qalīlan ulāʾika lā khalāqa lahum fī l-ākhirat.

"Indeed, those who sell the covenant of Allah and their oaths for a small price — they shall have no share in the Hereafter." (Āl ʿImrān 3:77)

Commentary: Yashtarūna bi-ʿahdi llāhi wa-aymānihim thamanan qalīlan: "They barter the covenant of Allah and their sworn oaths for a trivial worldly price" — they sacrifice their pledges of truth for trifling worldly gain. Lā khalāqa lahum fī l-ākhira: "they shall have no portion in the Hereafter." Wa-lā yukallimuhumu llāhu: "Allah will not speak to them." Wa-lā yanẓuru ilayhim yawma l-qiyāma: "and He will not look upon them on the Day of Resurrection." Wa-lā yuzakkīhim: "and He will not purify them." Wa-lahum ʿadhābun alīm: "and for them is a painful punishment."

Translation: Indeed, those who barter the covenant of Allah and their oaths for a trifling worldly price — they are the ones who will have no portion in the Hereafter. Allah will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor look at them, nor purify them — and for them is a painful punishment.

وَإِنَّ مِنْهُمْ لَفَرِيقًا يَلْوُونَ أَلْسِنَتَهُم بِالْكِتَابِ لِتَحْسَبُوهُ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ

Wa-inna minhum la-farīqan yalwūna alsinatahum bi-l-kitābi li-taḥsabūhu mina l-kitābi wa-mā huwa mina l-kitābi wa-yaqūlūna huwa min ʿindi llāhi wa-mā huwa min ʿindi llāhi wa-yaqūlūna ʿalā llāhi l-kadhiba wa-hum yaʿlamūn.

"And indeed, among them is a group who twist their tongues with the Book so that you think it is from the Book when it is not from the Book — and they say: It is from Allah, when it is not from Allah. And they speak falsehood against Allah while they know [the truth]." (Āl ʿImrān 3:78)

Commentary: Yalwūna alsinatahum bi-l-kitāb: "They twist their tongues with the Book" — they distort the wording and the sense through misleading recitation, changing the pronunciation and inflection to misrepresent the meaning. Li-taḥsabūhu mina l-kitāb: "so that you take it to be from the Book" — to create the false impression that what they are reciting is the genuine scripture. Wa-yaqūlūna huwa min ʿindi llāh: "and they say: It is from Allah" — attributing their fabrications to Divine revelation. Wa-mā huwa min ʿindi llāh: "when in truth it is not from Allah." Wa-yaqūlūna ʿalā llāhi l-kadhib: "and they speak lies against Allah." Wa-hum yaʿlamūn: "while fully knowing [the truth]."

Translation of the verse: Among them is a group who distort their tongues in reciting the Book, so that you think it is from the Book when it is not. They say: "It is from Allah" — when it is not from Allah. They knowingly attribute falsehood to Allah.

مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُؤْتِيَهُ اللَّهُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُوا عِبَادًا لِّي مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلَٰكِن كُونُوا رَبَّانِيِّينَ

Mā kāna li-basharin an yuʾtiyahu llāhu l-kitāba wa-l-ḥukma wa-l-nubuwwata thumma yaqūla li-l-nāsi kūnū ʿibādan lī min dūni llāhi wa-lākin kūnū rabbāniyyīn.

"It is not for any human being that Allah should give him the Book and wisdom and prophethood and then he should say to the people: Be my servants instead of Allah's. Rather [he would say]: Be rabbāniyyūn [devoted to the Lord]." (Āl ʿImrān 3:79)

Commentary: Wa-l-ḥukm: judgement and wisdom. Wa-l-nubuwwa: prophethood. Yaqūla li-l-nāsi kūnū ʿibādan lī: "that he would say to the people: Be my servants" — this is impossible for a true Prophet; it would be a usurpation of Lordship. Min dūni llāh: "instead of Allah." Wa-lākin kūnū rabbāniyyīn: "Rather [he would say]: Be rabbāniyyūn" — people who are entirely devoted to the Lord, God-fearing and God-centred. Bi-mā kuntum tuʿallimūna l-kitāb: "by virtue of your teaching the Book" — by your study and teaching of scripture. Wa-bi-mā kuntum tadrusūn: "and by your studying it."

Translation of the verse: It is not for any human to whom Allah has given the Book, wisdom, and prophethood to then say to people: "Be my servants instead of Allah's." Rather [he would say]: "Be rabbāniyyūn" — devoted wholly to the Lord — because you are teaching the Book and because you are studying it.

Commentary: In this verse, Allah refutes the deification of Sayyidunā ʿĪsā and Sayyidunā Jibrīl (upon them be peace). The angels who call creation to worship them would be acting contrary to their very nature; their existence is wujūd bil-ʿaraḍ (existence dependent upon another), not wujūd bil-dhāt (self-subsistent existence). Only Allah's existence is wujūd bil-dhāt. All else — angels, Prophets, saints — exist through His subsistence. And the greater the servant of Allah, the more intensely he is aware of his own contingency (wujūd bil-ʿaraḍ) — and therefore the more he humbles himself before Allah.

وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ النَّبِيِّينَ لَمَا آتَيْتُكُم مِّن كِتَابٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ ثُمَّ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُ قَالَ أَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكُمْ إِصْرِي قَالُوا أَقْرَرْنَا قَالَ فَاشْهَدُوا وَأَنَا مَعَكُم مِّنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ

Wa-idh akhadha llāhu mīthāqa l-nabiyyīna la-mā ātaytukum min kitābin wa-ḥikmatin thumma jāʾakum rasūlun muṣaddiqun li-mā maʿakum la-tuʾminunna bihī wa-la-tanṣurunnahu qāla a-aqrartum wa-akhadhtum ʿalā dhālikumu iṣrī qālū aqrarnā qāla fa-shhadū wa-anā maʿakum mina l-shāhidīn.

"And when Allah took the covenant of the Prophets [saying]: Whatsoever I have given you of the Book and wisdom — then a Messenger comes to you confirming what you already have — you shall assuredly believe in him and you shall assuredly support him. He said: Do you agree and accept My burden [of covenant] upon that? They said: We agree. He said: Then bear witness — and I am with you among those who bear witness." (Āl ʿImrān 3:81)

Commentary: This is the great covenant of all the Prophets. Mīthāq al-nabiyyīn: the covenant of all the Prophets (upon them all be peace). La-mā ātaytukum min kitābin wa-ḥikma: "Whatsoever I have given you of Book and wisdom." Thumma jāʾakum rasūlun muṣaddiq: "then when a Messenger comes to you — one who confirms what you have" — the reference is to the Prophet Muḥammadﷺas the Seal of the Prophets (Sayyid al-Anbiyāʾ). La-tuʾminunna bihī wa-la-tanṣurunnahu: "you shall assuredly believe in him and support him" — each Prophet made an affirmation that when the Master of the Prophets appeared in their era, they would believe in him and make their communities believe in him. Qāla a-aqrartum: "He said: Have you agreed?" Wa-akhadhtum ʿalā dhālikumu iṣrī: "and have you accepted this covenant upon yourselves?" Qālū aqrarnā: "They said: We agree." Qāla fa-shhadū: "He said: Then bear witness — and I am among the witnesses with you."

Translation of the verse: And recall when Allah took the covenant of all the Prophets: "Whatever I have given you of Book and wisdom — when a Messenger comes to you confirming what you have, you shall believe in him and support him." He said: "Have you agreed and accepted this covenant?" They said: "We have agreed." He said: "Then bear witness, and I am among the witnesses with you."

Commentary: Reflect: the world we inhabit is the realm of general testimony (ʿālam al-shahāda), the realm of the perceptible and the ordinary. Above it is the realm of the Malakūt. All souls, before entering this world of matter, pass through that higher realm. In that primordial realm, Allah the Exalted took from all the Prophets this covenant: that when the era of the Master of the Prophets — the Seal of Prophethood — arrives, they would acknowledge his greatness, believe in him, and commend him to their communities. Every Prophet affirmed this. And when the Prophets took upon themselves the affirmation of the greatness of Sayyid al-Anbiyāʾﷺand the acknowledgement of his superiority, it was incumbent upon their communities too to follow this acknowledgement — for to know the Prophetﷺand then disobey him is disobedience of the most absolute kind.

فَمَن تَوَلَّىٰ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ

Fa-man tawallā baʿda dhālika fa-ulāʾika humu l-fāsiqūn.

"Then whoever turns away after that — those are the transgressors." (Āl ʿImrān 3:82)

Commentary: Fa-man tawallā baʿda dhālik: "then whoever turns away after this covenant." Fa-ulāʾika humu l-fāsiqūn: "those are the transgressors" — the disobedient, the rebellious, the inveterate sinners.

Translation of the verse: Whoever turns away after that — those are the transgressors, the disobedient, the corrupt.

أَفَغَيْرَ دِينِ اللَّهِ يَبْغُونَ وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ

A-fa-ghayra dīni llāhi yabghūna wa-lahu aslama man fī l-samāwāti wa-l-arḍi ṭawʿan wa-karhan wa-ilayhi yurjaʿūn.

"Do they then seek a religion other than the religion of Allah, while to Him submits whoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly? And to Him shall they return." (Āl ʿImrān 3:83)

Commentary: A-fa-ghayra dīni llāhi yabghūn: "Do they seek a religion other than the religion of Allah — other than tawḥīd (Divine Unity) and islām (submission)?" Wa-lahu aslama man fī l-samāwāti wa-l-arḍ: "while everything in the heavens and the earth has submitted and surrendered to Him." Ṭawʿan wa-karhan: "willingly and unwillingly" — willingly in the case of the believers, and unwillingly in the case of those who resist but are nonetheless subject to His cosmic dominion. Wa-ilayhi yurjaʿūn: "and to Him shall they all return."

The commentary adds: there are those who come to Allah willingly and with desire, those who come unwillingly and with reluctance, those who come young and those who come old, those born with inclination toward Him and those who come to Him unwillingly. But whatever their state, all return to Him. He who was the Origin (mabdaʾ) is also the Return (maʿād).

Translation of the verse: Is it a religion other than the religion of Allah that they seek? — when everything in the heavens and on earth has submitted to Him, willingly or unwillingly, and to Him shall they all return.

قُلْ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَالنَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ

Qul āmannā bi-llāhi wa-mā unzila ʿalaynā wa-mā unzila ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa-Ismāʿīla wa-Isḥāqa wa-Yaʿqūba wa-l-asbāṭi wa-mā ūtiya Mūsā wa-ʿĪsā wa-l-nabiyyūna min rabbihim lā nufarriqu bayna aḥadin minhum wa-naḥnu lahu muslimūn.

"Say: We have believed in Allah and in what has been sent down to us, and in what was sent down to Ibrāhīm, Ismāʿīl, Isḥāq, Yaʿqūb, and the Tribes, and in what was given to Mūsā and ʿĪsā and the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we are Muslims." (Āl ʿImrān 3:84)

Commentary: Wa-mā unzila ʿalaynā: "and what has been sent down to us" — the Qurʾān. ʿAlā Ibrāhīma wa-Ismāʿīla wa-Isḥāqa wa-Yaʿqūba: Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm's two sons are Ismāʿīl and Isḥāq (upon them both be peace). The descendants of Ismāʿīl include the Prophet Muḥammadﷺ; the son of Isḥāq is Yaʿqūb (upon him be peace), whose title is Isrāʾīl. The children of Yaʿqūb are called the asbāṭ (Tribes), whose number includes Yūsuf, Mūsā, Zakariyyā, and other Prophets (upon them all be peace). Wa-mā ūtiya Mūsā wa-ʿĪsā wa-l-nabiyyūna min rabbihim: "and what was given to Mūsā, ʿĪsā, and the Prophets from their Lord." Lā nufarriqu bayna aḥadin minhum: "We make no distinction between any of them" — we believe in all of them equally, with equal veneration. Wa-naḥnu lahu muslimūn: "and to Him we are Muslims" — we are submitted to Him, obedient to His command, surrendered to His will.

Translation of the verse: Say: "We believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to us, and in what was sent down to Ibrāhīm, Ismāʿīl, Isḥāq, Yaʿqūb, and the Tribes, and in what was given to Mūsā, ʿĪsā, and all the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them — and we are submitted to Him as Muslims."

وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

Wa-man yabtaghi ghayra l-islāmi dīnan fa-lan yuqbala minhu wa-huwa fī l-ākhirati mina l-khāsirīn.

"And whoever seeks a religion other than Islām — it shall never be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he shall be among the losers." (Āl ʿImrān 3:85)

Translation of the verse: And whoever seeks any religion other than Islām — it shall never be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he will be among those who suffer loss.

Commentary: In our own time, a sect (firqa) has appeared among Muslim-born people who claim that a Muslim, a Buddhist, and a Zoroastrian are all equally valid — and that it is not necessary to hold to any particular set of beliefs or laws. According to them, whatever you call God — whether by one name or another — there is no harm. This creed amounts to mixing Islām with every other religion. Its refutation is found in this very verse. The Prophet Muḥammadﷺis the Seal of the Prophets, and accepting him is obligatory; until one truly accepts him, no act of worship will attain the level of qabūl (Divine acceptance). Those who refuse the truth of his Prophethood will suffer the loss of both worlds.

كَيْفَ يَهْدِي اللَّهُ قَوْمًا كَفَرُوا بَعْدَ إِيمَانِهِمْ وَشَهِدُوا أَنَّ الرَّسُولَ حَقٌّ وَجَاءَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ

Kayfa yahdī llāhu qawman kafarū baʿda īmānihim wa-shahidū anna l-rasūla ḥaqqun wa-jāʾahumu l-bayyinātu wa-llāhu lā yahdī l-qawma l-ẓālimīn.

"How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their faith, and after they bore witness that the Messenger is true, and after the clear signs had come to them? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people." (Āl ʿImrān 3:86)

Commentary: Kayfa yahdī llāhu qawman kafarū baʿda īmānihim: "How can Allah guide a people who disbelieved after they had believed?" This is a rhetorical negation — meaning: Allah will not guide them, for guidance requires that it accord with one's natural disposition (fiṭra) and inner reality. Wa-shahidū anna l-rasūla ḥaqq: "and who witnessed and attested that the Messenger is true" — they had confessed and affirmed it. Wa-jāʾahumu l-bayyināt: "and after the clear proofs had come to them." Wa-llāhu lā yahdī l-qawma l-ẓālimīn: "Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people" — because guidance is contrary to their chosen nature.

Translation of the verse: How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their faith, and who had attested that the Messenger is true, and after clear proofs had come to them? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.

أُولَٰئِكَ جَزَاؤُهُمْ أَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ لَعْنَةَ اللَّهِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ

Ulāʾika jazāʾuhum anna ʿalayhim laʿnata llāhi wa-l-malāʾikati wa-l-nāsi ajmaʿīn.

"Those — their recompense is that upon them is the curse of Allah, and the angels, and all mankind." (Āl ʿImrān 3:87)

Translation of the verse: Their recompense is this: upon them falls the curse of Allah, of the angels, and of all mankind.

خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا لَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَلَا هُمْ يُنظَرُونَ

Khālidīna fīhā lā yukhaffafu ʿanhumu l-ʿadhābu wa-lā hum yunẓarūn.

"Abiding therein forever. The punishment shall not be lightened for them, nor shall they be given respite." (Āl ʿImrān 3:88)

Translation of the verse: They shall abide under this curse forever. The punishment shall not be lightened for them, nor shall any respite be granted.

إِلَّا الَّذِينَ تَابُوا مِن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ وَأَصْلَحُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Illā lladhīna tābū min baʿdi dhālika wa-aṣlaḥū fa-inna llāha ghafūrun raḥīm.

"Except for those who repent after that and make amends — for indeed Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Āl ʿImrān 3:89)

Translation of the verse: Except for those who repent after that and reform themselves — for indeed Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بَعْدَ إِيمَانِهِمْ ثُمَّ ازْدَادُوا كُفْرًا لَّن تُقْبَلَ تَوْبَتُهُمْ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الضَّالُّونَ

Inna lladhīna kafarū baʿda īmānihim thumma zdādū kufran lan tuqbala tawbatuhum wa-ulāʾika humu l-ḍāllūn.

"Indeed, those who disbelieve after their faith and then increase in disbelief — their repentance shall never be accepted; those are the ones who are astray." (Āl ʿImrān 3:90)

Commentary: Thumma zdādū kufran: "and then increased in disbelief" — they compounded their apostasy with further rejection and hardening. Lan tuqbala tawbatuhum: "their repentance shall never be accepted" — because they never truly repented in their hearts; their tongues uttered repentance (tawba) while their hearts remained unrepentant. Allah knows this. This is not a repentance that would be valid and accepted. Wa-ulāʾika humu l-ḍāllūn: "those are the ones who are truly astray."

Translation of the verse: Indeed, those who disbelieved after their faith and then kept increasing in disbelief — their repentance shall never be accepted; those are the truly misguided.

Commentary: O dear readers: true repentance requires genuine remorse, a firm resolve not to sin again, and the sincere intention to align oneself with Allah's commands and cease opposing them. When this condition is met, repentance opens the door — and Allah, the Ghafūr al-Raḥīm, is waiting. But what sort of faith is it — and what sort of repentance is it — to confess one God, accept His forgiveness, and yet continue in disobedience? Remember: tawba alone (tawba: repentance, returning) is always profitable and necessary — but it requires a genuine inner turning.

[This page contains mainly Arabic verse text with heavy OCR damage. The following passage is reconstructed from the Arabic:]

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَمَاتُوا وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِم مِّلْءُ الْأَرْضِ ذَهَبًا وَلَوِ افْتَدَىٰ بِهِ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ

Inna lladhīna kafarū wa-mātū wa-hum kuffārun fa-lan yuqbala min aḥadihim milʾu l-arḍi dhahaban wa-law iftadā bihī ulāʾika lahum ʿadhābun alīmun wa-mā lahum min nāṣirīn.

"Indeed, those who disbelieved and died in a state of disbelief — even the earth full of gold shall not be accepted from any one of them were he to offer it as a ransom. For those there is a painful punishment and they shall have no helpers." (Āl ʿImrān 3:91)

Translation of the verse: Indeed, those who disbelieved and died as disbelievers — even an earth full of gold would not be accepted from any of them, even if they were to offer it as a ransom. For those there is a painful punishment, and they shall have no supporters.

لَن تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُوا مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ

Lan tanālu l-birra ḥattā tunfiqū mimmā tuḥibbūn.

"You will never attain righteousness (birr) until you spend from that which you love." (Āl ʿImrān 3:92)

Commentary: Al-birr: virtue, righteousness, every goodness — the highest degree of piety and the fulfilment of excellence. Ḥattā tunfiqū mimmā tuḥibbūn: "until you spend from what you love" — from the things most dear to you. Wa-mā tunfiqū min shayʾin fa-inna llāha bihi ʿalīm: "And whatever you spend of anything — indeed Allah knows it well."

Translation of the verse: You will never attain true righteousness (birr) until you spend from what you love. And whatever you spend — Allah knows it well.

Commentary: Dear readers: in the matter of spending, what is the use of a religion or a gathering? Some people prepare the finest food for the wealthy in the hope that some portion of the blessing will accrue to them — but the wealthy eat and go their way, and the poor wretches are turned away empty-handed. This is contrary to the spirit of religion: the ḥalīm (sweet barley porridge), the palāw, the zarda — all end up on the plates of those who already complain of overeating.

Remember: in earlier times, people held genuine spiritual devotion to their shaykhs; they served them and thus supported themselves through that bond of service. Now that devotion no longer exists; nor does service to the masters. Today's leaders of communities are riding on the wave of popular religious sentiment, while the genuine shaykhs and scholars are left with no practical support. The desire to serve and follow has been replaced by worldly calculation. Let Allah grant the Muslim community a genuine reformer who will awaken these sleeping hearts and set every person in their rightful place.

Commentary (continued):

The author addresses a specific challenge from the People of the Book — namely their question about the permissibility of camel meat, which was forbidden to the Children of Isrāʾīl but eaten by Muslims. The response is:

Kullu l-ṭaʿāmi kāna ḥillan li-banī Isrāʾīl illā mā ḥarrama Isrāʾīlu ʿalā nafsihi min qabli an tunzala l-tawrāt: "All food was lawful to the Children of Isrāʾīl except what Isrāʾīl [Yaʿqūb] had himself forbidden to himself before the Torah was revealed." Min qabli an tunzala l-tawrāt: "before the Torah was sent down" — meaning that the prohibition existed before the Torah was revealed, and it was a voluntary self-prohibition by Yaʿqūb himself, not a Divine ruling in the Torah.

Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) ate camel meat and benefited from camels; this was permitted in his era. When his son Yaʿqūb (upon him be peace) was suffering from an illness, he vowed to himself that if he recovered, he would abstain from what he loved most — which was camel meat. He recovered, and accordingly prohibited it for himself. His descendants followed his example. Then in the Torah this custom was formalised into a prohibition.

Qul fa-ʾtū bi-l-tawrāti fa-tlūhā in kuntum ṣādiqīn: "Say: Then bring the Torah and recite it, if you are truthful" — show us in the Torah where it says camel meat was forbidden. This challenge was never answered.

Translation of the verse: All food was lawful to the Children of Isrāʾīl except what Isrāʾīl [Yaʿqūb] had himself forbidden to himself before the Torah was revealed. Say [O Messenger]: "Then bring the Torah and recite it — if you are truthful."

فَمَنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ مِن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ

Fa-mani ftarā ʿalā llāhi l-kadhiba min baʿdi dhālika fa-ulāʾika humu l-ẓālimūn.

"Whoever then fabricates a lie against Allah after that — those are the wrongdoers." (Āl ʿImrān 3:94)

Translation of the verse: Whoever fabricates a lie against Allah after this evidence has been presented — those are the wrongdoers, the unjust.

قُلْ صَدَقَ اللَّهُ فَاتَّبِعُوا مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

Qul ṣadaqa llāhu fa-ttabiʿū millata Ibrāhīma ḥanīfan wa-mā kāna mina l-mushrikīn.

"Say: Allah has spoken the truth — so follow the religion of Ibrāhīm, who was a ḥanīf, and he was not among the polytheists." (Āl ʿImrān 3:95)

Commentary: Ṣadaqa llāh: "Allah has spoken truth." Fa-ttabiʿū millata Ibrāhīma ḥanīfā: "Follow the religion of Ibrāhīm, the ḥanīf" — the one who turned entirely toward truth, standing firm and upright. Wa-mā kāna mina l-mushrikīn: "and he was never among the polytheists."

Translation of the verse: Say: "Allah has spoken the truth — so follow the religion of Ibrāhīm, who was ḥanīf (pure in faith and uprightness) — and he was never among the polytheists."

Now, in the same context, the reason for the direction of the qibla (prayer-direction) toward the Kaʿba is addressed. Allah declares:

إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِي بِبَكَّةَ مُبَارَكًا وَهُدًى لِّلْعَالَمِينَ

Inna awwala baytin wuḍiʿa li-l-nāsi la-lladhī bi-Bakkata mubārakan wa-hudan li-l-ʿālamīn.

"Indeed, the first House established for mankind is the one at Bakka — full of blessing and a guidance for all the worlds." (Āl ʿImrān 3:96)

Commentary: Inna awwala baytin wuḍiʿa li-l-nās: "The first House placed for people" — the first sanctuary built for human worship. La-lladhī bi-Bakka: "Indeed, it is the one at Bakka" (Bakka is an older name for Makkah). Mubārakan: "full of blessing" — blessed and bountiful in spiritual and physical benefit. Wa-hudan li-l-ʿālamīn: "and a guidance for all the worlds" — a guide and a direction for all humankind.

Fīhi āyātun bayyinātun: "In it are clear signs." One of them is the Maqām Ibrāhīm (the Station of Ibrāhīm). Wa-man dakhalahu kāna āminan: "And whoever enters it is in a state of security" — the sacred inviolability of the Ḥaram.

Wa-li-llāhi ʿalā l-nāsi ḥijju l-bayt: "And it is a duty upon mankind toward Allah to make pilgrimage to the House." Man istaṭāʿa ilayhi sabīlā: "for those who are able to find the way to it" — those who have the financial means, the physical health, the bodily strength, a safe road, and other conditions of obligation. Wa-man kafara fa-inna llāha ghaniyyun ʿani l-ʿālamīn: "And whoever disbelieves — indeed, Allah is free of need of all the worlds."

Translation of the verse: Indeed, the first House placed for mankind is the one at Bakka (Makkah) — full of blessing, and a guidance for all the worlds. In it are clear signs. And it is a duty upon mankind, for the sake of Allah, to make pilgrimage to the House — for those who are able to do so. And whoever refuses — then indeed Allah is free of all need of the worlds.

Commentary: Dear readers: have pity on those Muslims who have the money, the physical ability, and the health to perform the Ḥajj — but who cross the ocean to London for worldly entertainment while convincing themselves that making the journey to the sacred House is not a serious obligation. Some people travel to London in luxurious comfort and their souls are nourished there — yet their bodies are brought back in coffins to Hyderabad. Of such people, Allah the Exalted declares: Wa-man ʿamila ṣāliḥan fa-li-nafsihi — "Whoever does good, it is for his own soul." And how many millions of Muslims have the means, the wealth — some with crores — yet none of them thinks for a moment about making the Ḥajj: not from forgetfulness, not from heedlessness, and not from weakness. Of those for whom the Ṣalāt is easy — if they do not even pray — what will they do for Ḥajj? Allāhu Akbar! Allāhu Akbar!

قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لِمَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ شَهِيدٌ عَلَىٰ مَا تَعْمَلُونَ

Qul yā ahla l-kitābi li-ma takfurūna bi-āyāti llāhi wa-llāhu shahīdun ʿalā mā taʿmalūn.

"Say: O People of the Book! Why do you deny the signs of Allah, while Allah is a witness over what you do?" (Āl ʿImrān 3:98)

Translation of the verse: Say: "O People of the Book! Why do you reject the signs of Allah, while Allah is a witness and observer of everything you do?"

قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لِمَ تَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ تَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا وَأَنتُمْ شُهَدَاءُ

Qul yā ahla l-kitābi li-ma taṣuddūna ʿan sabīli llāhi man āmana tabghūnahā ʿiwajan wa-antum shuhadāʾ.

"Say: O People of the Book! Why do you hinder from the path of Allah those who believe, seeking to make it crooked — while you yourselves are witnesses?" (Āl ʿImrān 3:99)

Commentary: Li-ma taṣuddūna: "Why do you obstruct and turn away?" ʿAn sabīli llāh: "from the path of Allah." Man āmana: "those who have believed." Tabghūnahā ʿiwajan: "seeking crookedness in it" — trying to make the straight path appear bent and defective, creating doubts about Islām in the minds of believers. Wa-antum shuhadāʾ: "while you yourselves are witnesses" — while you know perfectly well that Islām is the straight path. Wa-mā llāhu bi-ghāfilin ʿammā taʿmalūn: "And Allah is not unaware of what you do."

Translation of the verse: Say: "O People of the Book! Why do you hinder those who believe from the path of Allah, seeking crookedness in it — while you yourselves know [it is straight]? And Allah is not unaware of what you do."

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِن تُطِيعُوا فَرِيقًا مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ يَرُدُّوكُم بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْ كَافِرِينَ

Yā ayyuhā lladhīna āmanū in tuṭīʿū farīqan mina lladhīna ūtū l-kitāba yaruddūkum baʿda īmānikum kāfirīn.

"O you who believe! If you obey a group of those who were given the Book, they will turn you back into disbelievers after your faith." (Āl ʿImrān 3:100)

Translation of the verse: O you who believe! If you follow and obey a faction from the People of the Book, they will revert you to disbelief after your faith.

وَكَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ وَأَنتُمْ تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتُ اللَّهِ وَفِيكُمْ رَسُولُهُ

Wa-kayfa takfurūna wa-antum tutlā ʿalaykum āyātu llāhi wa-fīkum rasūluh.

"And how could you disbelieve when the verses of Allah are being recited to you and His Messenger is among you?" (Āl ʿImrān 3:101)

Commentary: Wa-kayfa takfurūna: "And how could you disbelieve?" — a rhetorical expression of wonder and reproach. Wa-antum tutlā ʿalaykum āyātu llāh: "while the signs and verses of Allah are being recited to you." Wa-fīkum rasūluh: "and His Messenger is in your midst." Wa-man yaʿtaṣim bi-llāh: "And whoever holds fast to Allah" — holds to His rope. Fa-qad hudiya ilā ṣirāṭin mustaqīm: "has surely been guided to a straight path."

Translation of the verse: How could you disbelieve, when the verses of Allah are being recited to you and His Messenger is among you? Whoever holds fast to Allah has been guided to the straight path.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُمْ مُّسْلِمُونَ

Yā ayyuhā lladhīna āmanū ittaqū llāha ḥaqqa tuqātihī wa-lā tamūtunna illā wa-antum muslimūn.

"O you who believe! Fear Allah as He truly deserves to be feared, and do not die except as Muslims." (Āl ʿImrān 3:102)

Commentary: Ḥaqqa tuqātihī: "as He truly deserves to be feared" — with the full measure of taqwā (Godwariness) that His majesty demands. Some scholars said: this means to obey without disobeying, to remember without forgetting, and to be grateful without being ungrateful. Wa-lā tamūtunna illā wa-antum muslimūn: "do not die except as Muslims" — let your final state be one of Islām and submission to Allah. The levels of taqwā are: (1) to abstain from what is forbidden; (2) to perform what is obligatory; (3) beyond these: to abandon what is doubtful; (4) to empty the heart of attachment to anything other than Allah.

Translation of the verse: O you who believe! Fear Allah as He truly deserves to be feared — and do not die except as Muslims.

وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا

Wa-ʿtaṣimū bi-ḥabli llāhi jamīʿan wa-lā tafarraqū.

"And hold fast, all of you together, to the rope of Allah, and do not become divided." (Āl ʿImrān 3:103)

Commentary: Wa-ʿtaṣimū bi-ḥabli llāh: "Hold fast to the rope of Allah" — grip it firmly. Al-iʿtiṣām: clinging to something with determination, as one drowning clutches a rope to pull oneself out. Jamīʿan: "all together" — collectively, in complete unity. Wa-lā tafarraqū: "and do not become divided" — do not break into factions and sects.

Wa-dhkurū niʿmata llāhi ʿalaykum: "And remember the favour of Allah upon you." Idh kuntum aʿdāʾan fa-allafa bayna qulūbikum: "When you were enemies, and He united your hearts" — before Islām, you were in a state of bitter enmity and tribal warfare. Fa-aṣbaḥtum bi-niʿmatihī ikhwānā: "Then, by His grace, you became brothers." Wa-kuntum ʿalā shafā ḥufratin mina l-nār: "You were on the brink of a pit of Fire" — from the disbelief and polytheism you practised. Fa-anqadhakum minhā: "And He rescued you from it." Kadhalika yubayyinu llāhu lakum āyātihī laʿallakum tahtadūn: "Thus Allah makes clear His signs to you that you may be guided."

Translation of the verse: And hold fast, all together, to the rope of Allah, and do not become divided. Remember Allah's favour upon you — when you were enemies and He united your hearts, and by His grace you became brothers. You were on the edge of the pit of Fire, and He rescued you from it. Thus Allah makes His signs clear to you, that you may be guided.

وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

Wa-l-takun minkum ummatun yadʿūna ilā l-khayri wa-yaʾmurūna bi-l-maʿrūfi wa-yanhawna ʿani l-munkari wa-ulāʾika humu l-mufliḥūn.

"And let there be among you a community who invite to good, command what is right (maʿrūf), and forbid what is wrong (munkar). Those are the ones who are successful." (Āl ʿImrān 3:104)

Commentary: Wa-l-takun minkum umma: "And let there be from among you a community" — a dedicated group. Yadʿūna ilā l-khayr: "inviting to good." Wa-yaʾmurūna bi-l-maʿrūf: "commanding what is right" — al-amr bi-l-maʿrūf: enjoining what is good, known, and approved by religion and sound reason. Wa-yanhawna ʿani l-munkar: "and forbidding what is wrong" — al-nahy ʿani l-munkar: prohibiting what is reprehensible and rejected by sound religion and morality. Wa-ulāʾika humu l-mufliḥūn: "Those are the ones who are successful" — who attain salvation and felicity.

Translation of the verse: And let there be among you a community who call to goodness, command what is right, and forbid what is wrong. Those are the truly successful.

Commentary: Dear readers: since the practice of al-amr bi-l-maʿrūf wa-l-nahy ʿani l-munkar (commanding the right and forbidding the wrong) has ceased among Muslims, the community has fallen into a succession of disasters. A few individuals may be doing good in isolation — but unless the community as a whole supports and reinforces them, the evil will overwhelm all. When those in authority enforce right conduct and prevent wrong, the light of good deeds spreads. Today the forces of falsehood are growing day by day; new false doctrines arise daily and a handful of ignorant people follow them. The world is such that whoever has the courage will push the next aside. May Allah grant the Muslims a reformer and give them the honour and divine assistance (tawfīq) to practice al-amr bi-l-maʿrūf in the footsteps of the Prophet Muḥammadﷺ. Āmīn.

وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُوا وَاخْتَلَفُوا مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ وَأُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

Wa-lā takūnū ka-lladhīna tafarraqū wa-khtalafū min baʿdi mā jāʾahumu l-bayyinātu wa-ulāʾika lahum ʿadhābun ʿaẓīm.

"And do not be like those who became divided and fell into discord after the clear signs had come to them. For those there is a great punishment." (Āl ʿImrān 3:105)

Translation of the verse: And do not be like those who became divided and fell into disagreement and discord after the clear proofs had come to them — for those there is a great punishment.

يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ

Yawma tabayaḍḍu wujūhun wa-taswaddu wujūh.

"The Day when some faces will be white and radiant, and some faces will be black and dark." (Āl ʿImrān 3:106)

Commentary: Yawma tabayaḍḍu wujūhun: "The Day when faces will be brightened" — the Day of Resurrection, when the faces of the believers will be radiant and luminous with the light of faith. Wa-taswaddu wujūh: "and faces will be darkened" — the faces of the disbelievers and the hypocrites will be darkened, shadowed by the darkness of their disbelief.

Fa-ammā lladhīna swaddat wujūhuhum: "As for those whose faces have turned dark" — (they will be told:) A-kafartum baʿda īmānikum: "Did you disbelieve after your faith?" Fa-dhūqū l-ʿadhāba bi-mā kuntum takfurūn: "Then taste the punishment for the disbelief you practised."

Wa-ammā lladhīna bayaḍḍat wujūhuhum fa-fī raḥmati llāhi hum fīhā khālidūn: "But as for those whose faces have been brightened — they are in the mercy of Allah, abiding therein forever."

Translation of the verses: [Remember] the Day when certain faces will be radiant and bright, and certain faces dark and shadowed. As for those whose faces are darkened: "Did you disbelieve after your faith? Then taste the punishment for your disbelief." And as for those whose faces are radiant — they are in Allah's mercy, abiding therein forever.

تِلْكَ آيَاتُ اللَّهِ نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَمَا اللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلْمًا لِّلْعَالَمِينَ

Tilka āyātu llāhi natlūhā ʿalayka bi-l-ḥaqqi wa-mā llāhu yurīdu ẓulman li-l-ʿālamīn.

"These are the signs of Allah which We recite to you in truth. And Allah does not intend wrongdoing for the worlds." (Āl ʿImrān 3:108)

Commentary: Tilka āyātu llāh: "These are the signs and revelations of Allah." Natlūhā ʿalayka bi-l-ḥaqq: "We recite them to you in truth" — with complete accuracy and sincerity. Wa-mā llāhu yurīdu ẓulman li-l-ʿālamīn: "And Allah does not intend any wrongdoing for the worlds" — He does not will injustice for any of His creation. People do not listen to what they do not understand, and Allah does not desire wrongdoing for anyone in all the worlds.

Translation of the verse: These are the signs of Allah which We recite to you in truth. And Allah does not desire any injustice for the worlds.

وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ

Wa-li-llāhi mā fī l-samāwāti wa-mā fī l-arḍi wa-ilā llāhi turjaʿu l-umūr.

"And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth, and to Allah all matters are returned." (Āl ʿImrān 3:109)

Translation of the verse: And to Allah belongs everything in the heavens and everything on the earth — and to Allah all affairs are returned and referred.

كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ

Kuntum khayra ummatin ukhrijat li-l-nāsi taʾmurūna bi-l-maʿrūfi wa-tanhawna ʿani l-munkari wa-tuʾminūna bi-llāh.

"You are the best community brought forth for mankind — you command what is right, forbid what is wrong, and believe in Allah." (Āl ʿImrān 3:110)

Commentary: Kuntum khayra umma: "You have been made the best of communities" — the most excellent community selected (ukhrijat: drawn out, specially produced) for the benefit of mankind. Taʾmurūna bi-l-maʿrūf wa-tanhawna ʿani l-munkar: "You command what is good and forbid what is evil." Wa-tuʾminūna bi-llāh: "and you believe in Allah." Three conditions are given — and all three must be present simultaneously for this distinction to hold.

Wa-law āmana ahlu l-kitāb: "And if the People of the Book had believed [likewise]" — la-kāna khayran lahum: "it would have been better for them." Minhum l-muʾminūn: "Among them are believers" — a few. Wa-aktharuhum l-fāsiqūn: "but most of them are transgressors."

Translation of the verse: You are the best community produced for mankind — you command what is right, forbid what is wrong, and believe in Allah. If the People of the Book had believed [as you do], it would have been better for them. Among them are some who believe; but most of them are transgressors.

Commentary: Dear readers: Allah has described your distinction — what is it? Commanding the good and forbidding the evil. Now, is that quality present among you? In your midst there is ignorance and a fear of speaking the truth that has taken hold. Corrupt sects and frivolous beliefs thrive openly. You hear and see them — and they mock your sacred things openly — yet your jealousy for the faith is not aroused. They follow falsehood daily and increase in it — and you watch in silence. When an open evil becomes widely visible, the obligation to speak falls upon those in a position to do so. But those who know are too timid to act. The consequence is that heresy grows and increases. Its name is: disbelief, polytheism, disobedience, immorality. The Qurʾān shakes you by the collar and strikes you in the face, saying: Wake up! Before you are those who say they have a god but [not truly]...

ضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ أَيْنَ مَا ثُقِفُوا إِلَّا بِحَبْلٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَحَبْلٍ مِّنَ النَّاسِ وَبَاءُوا بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَسْكَنَةُ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ الْأَنبِيَاءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا وَّكَانُوا يَعْتَدُونَ

Ḍuribat ʿalayhimu l-dhillatu ayna mā thuqifū illā bi-ḥablin mina llāhi wa-ḥablin mina l-nāsi wa-bāʾū bi-ghaḍabin mina llāhi wa-ḍuribat ʿalayhimu l-maskanatu dhālika bi-annahum kānū yakfurūna bi-āyāti llāhi wa-yaqtulūna l-anbiyāʾa bi-ghayri ḥaqqin dhālika bi-mā ʿaṣaw wa-kānū yaʿtadūn.

"Humiliation was stamped upon them wherever they were found, except by a rope from Allah or a rope from the people; and they returned with wrath from Allah, and poverty (maskana) was stamped upon them. That was because they persistently disbelieved in the signs of Allah and killed the Prophets without right — that was because they disobeyed and were persistently transgressing." (Āl ʿImrān 3:112)

Commentary: Ḍuribat ʿalayhimu l-dhilla: "Humiliation has been stamped upon them" — abasement, disgrace, and subjugation have been imposed upon them wherever they are found. Illā bi-ḥablin mina llāhi wa-ḥablin mina l-nās: "except by a covenant from Allah and a covenant from the people" — meaning unless they are under a treaty-obligation (dhimma) with Allah (i.e., under Islamic protection) or under a covenant with other peoples. The ḥablin mina llāh refers to the protected status (dhimma) of the Islāmic covenant, and the ḥablin mina l-nās to agreements with human powers.

Wa-bāʾū bi-ghaḍabin mina llāh: "and they incurred wrath from Allah." Wa-ḍuribat ʿalayhimu l-maskana: "and poverty and helplessness were stamped upon them." This refers to both outward destitution and inner spiritual poverty. Dhālika bi-annahum kānū yakfurūna bi-āyāti llāh: "because they persistently disbelieved in the signs of Allah." Wa-yaqtulūna l-anbiyāʾa bi-ghayri ḥaqq: "and killed the Prophets without right." Dhālika bi-mā ʿaṣaw wa-kānū yaʿtadūn: "that was because they disobeyed and were persistently transgressing the limits."

Translation of the verse: Humiliation has been imposed upon them wherever they are found — except under a covenant with Allah or a covenant with the people. They have incurred the wrath of Allah, and poverty has been stamped upon them. That is because they persistently disbelieved in Allah's signs and killed the Prophets without right — that is because they disobeyed and persistently transgressed.

Commentary: Dear readers: these verses describe the Jews. They are a deceitful, cunning people. Outwardly they ingratiate themselves with the powerful. Crores and billions they may accumulate — yet the permanent seal of humiliation and abasement has been placed upon them: always they need a king or a power to shelter them; always they are being expelled or having their possessions plundered. None of their wealth or schemes avail them. In our own times, what has happened to the Jews in Europe? Nations rose against them, seized their lands, and drove them out. Neither their wealth saved them, nor their cleverness. This is the humiliation that Allah has laid upon them — it shall not be lifted.

لَيْسُوا سَوَاءً مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ أُمَّةٌ قَائِمَةٌ يَتْلُونَ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ

Laysū sawāʾan min ahli l-kitābi ummatun qāʾimatun yatlūna āyāti llāhi ānāʾa l-layli wa-hum yasjudūn.

"They are not all alike. Among the People of the Book is a steadfast community who recite the verses of Allah in the watches of the night and prostrate themselves." (Āl ʿImrān 3:113)

Commentary: Laysū sawāʾan: "They are not all equal" — not all the People of the Book are alike in corruption. Min ahli l-kitābi ummatun qāʾima: "Among the People of the Book is a community that stands firm (qāʾima)" — upright, virtuous, steadfast in truth. This refers to those among the People of the Book who genuinely believed — those Jews and Christians who accepted the Prophet Muḥammadﷺand embraced Islām. Yatlūna āyāti llāhi ānāʾa l-layl: "They recite the signs of Allah in the hours of the night" — in those precious night hours of devotion, during Tahajjud. Wa-hum yasjudūn: "while they prostrate" — they read with full presence of heart, with their tongue joined to their bowing and prostration.

Translation of the verse: They are not all alike. Among the People of the Book is a righteous, upright community who recite the verses of Allah in the watches of the night while they prostrate.

يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَيُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَأُولَٰئِكَ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ

Yuʾminūna bi-llāhi wa-l-yawmi l-ākhiri wa-yaʾmurūna bi-l-maʿrūfi wa-yanhawna ʿani l-munkari wa-yusāriʿūna fī l-khayrāti wa-ulāʾika mina l-ṣāliḥīn.

"They believe in Allah and the Last Day, they command what is right and forbid what is wrong, and they hasten to do good deeds — those are among the righteous." (Āl ʿImrān 3:114)

Translation of the verse: They believe in Allah and in the Last Day; they command what is right and forbid what is wrong; they hasten to perform good deeds — and those are among the righteous.

وَمَا يَفْعَلُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلَن يُكْفَرُوهُ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالْمُتَّقِينَ

Wa-mā yafʿalū min khayrin fa-lan yukfarūhu wa-llāhu ʿalīmun bi-l-muttaqīn.

"And whatever good they do — it shall not be denied to them. And Allah is All-Knowing of the God-fearing." (Āl ʿImrān 3:115)

Translation of the verse: Whatever good they do shall not be denied to them — its reward shall not be withheld. And Allah is All-Knowing of those who are God-fearing and righteous.

Sūrat Āl ʿImrān — Juzʾ 4 (Lan Tanālū)

Dear friends! In the time of Āl ʿImrān, among the People of the Book (ahl al-kitāb), there were some who were God-fearing and devout. When the noble Companion ʿAbd Allāh ibn Salām (may Allah be pleased with him) and others from among the Jews embraced Islam and confirmed the Prophetﷺ, accepting Islām as their religion, these believers were given a double reward. Yet those who persisted in disbelief are the subject of the verse that follows.

Translation:﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَنْ تُغْنِيَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُهُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَأُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ﴾Inna alladhīna kafarū lan tughniya ʿanhum amwāluhum wa-lā awlāduhum min Allāhi shayʾan wa-ulāʾika aṣḥābu al-nāri hum fīhā khālidūn. "Indeed, those who disbelieve — neither their wealth nor their children will avail them anything against Allah, and they are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally." (Āl ʿImrān 3:116)

Commentary: Know that those who disbelieve will find no benefit from their wealth or their progeny in the sight of Allah. They are the people of the Fire, and they will remain therein eternally. The word khulūd (eternity) applies both to the eternity of bliss (for the people of Paradise) and to the permanence of punishment (for the people of the Fire).

Commentary: Know — and this is a matter among scholars — that as for disbelievers abiding eternally in the Fire, the position of the majority of scholars is that their punishment is permanent. Another view, held by some, is that after a very long period the intensity of the punishment will diminish, that the chastisement will become transformed into a form of habituation, and that for the people of Paradise too, the severity of their bliss will be beyond reckoning. But the position upheld as correct is: those upon whom the eternal wrath of Allah has descended remain in the Fire. One who was blind in this world will be blind in the Hereafter as well —﴿وَمَنْ كَانَ فِي هَذِهِ أَعْمَى فَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ أَعْمَى﴾"And whoever is blind in this [world] will be blind in the Hereafter" (al-Isrāʾ 17:72). One afflicted state is followed by another afflicted state. He who did not accept faith — faith will not be given to him there.

Translation of 3:117:﴿مَثَلُ مَا يُنْفِقُونَ فِي هَذِهِ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَثَلِ رِيحٍ فِيهَا صِرٌّ أَصَابَتْ حَرْثَ قَوْمٍ ظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ﴾Mathalu mā yunfiqūna fī hādhihi al-ḥayāti al-dunyā ka-mathali rīḥin fīhā ṣirrun aṣābat ḥartha qawmin ẓalamū anfusahum. "The likeness of what they spend in this worldly life is as the likeness of a wind containing frost, which strikes the harvest of a people who have wronged themselves and destroys it."

Commentary: Ṣirr is the name of an intensely cold wind. It binds and constricts; from it come the meanings of insistence and stubbornness. Fa-ahlakathu — then it ruined and obliterated the harvest, laying it waste. Wa-mā ẓalamahumu Allāh — and Allah did not wrong them; rather, it was a wind that destroys crops — a wind that was itself of a destructive nature; it came and showed them its reality, and they did not heed it. Thus they wronged themselves.

[Verses 3:118–119]

Lexical Notes: Biṭāna — intimates, confidants; derived from baṭn (inner, hidden). Literally: concealing the interior. From it come bāṭin (the inward) and the technical sense of "closeness" and "revealing of secrets." Min dūnikum — from among those other than yourselves, meaning outside your community. Khabālan — a cause of ruin and harm; they will spare no effort to cause you loss. Waddū — they earnestly desire, they love. Badat — has become manifest, become clear. Al-baghḍāʾ — enmity and hatred. Min afwāhihim — from their mouths. Wa-mā tukhfī ṣudūruhum akbar — what their hearts conceal is even greater still. Qad bayyannā lakumu al-āyāt — We have already made the signs and proofs clear to you. In kuntum taʿqilūn — if you possess sound reason, you will recognise their hypocrisy and duplicity.

Translation: O believers! Do not take as your intimate confidants those outside your own community, for they will spare no effort to ruin you. Their enmity has become manifest from their mouths, and what their hearts conceal is far greater still. We have already made the signs clear to you, if you but reason.

Translation of 3:119–120:

Commentary: Wa-tūminūna bi-al-kitābi kullih — you believe in all of the Books (and affirm all of Allah's messengers). Wa-idhā laqūkum qālū āmannā — when they meet you they say: "We have believed." Wa-idhā khalaw — but when they are alone, when they are in seclusion. ʿAddū ʿalaykum al-anāmil min al-ghayz — they bite their fingertips in rage against you. Qul mūtū bi-ghayẓikum — say to them: "Die in your rage!" Indeed, Allah knows the contents of hearts.

Translation: You love them whereas they do not love you, and you believe in all the Books (and acknowledge all of Allah's prophets and messengers). When these (hypocrites) meet you, they say: "We believe" — yet when they are alone (in the company of their own people), they gnaw their fingertips in fury. Say to them: "Die in your rage! Indeed, Allah knows well what is in all hearts."

Dear friends! Contemplate the state of the unbelievers and hypocrites of this age — you love them while they bear you no love in return. They are faithless, irreligious. All manner of deceptions have been spread. Look at them: when it suits them they display friendship, yet they bite their own fingers in secret. Their hidden enmity is known to Allah Most High — and He knows it thoroughly.

Commentary (continued 3:120):

In tuṣibkum ḥasana tasūʾhum — if good fortune befalls you, it grieves them; they are distressed by it. Wa-in tuṣibkum sayyiʾatun yafraḥū bihā — but if a misfortune strikes you, it brings them joy and they celebrate. Wa-in taṣbirū wa-tattaqū lā yaḍurrukum kayduhum shayʾan — but if you are patient and maintain taqwā (God-consciousness and piety), their plots will not harm you in the least. Inna Allāha bi-mā yaʿmalūna muḥīṭ — verily, Allah encompasses all their deeds; nothing escapes His grasp, everything is within His power.

Translation: If a blessing comes to you it grieves them, and if a misfortune befalls you they rejoice at it. But if you endure with patience and maintain taqwā, their scheming and their evil plotting will not harm you at all. Indeed, Allah encompasses all their deeds (and not one of their actions escapes His knowledge).

Dear friends! Today look at the state of the unbelievers: if they had their way, they would use all their deceptions and stratagems. But their enmity becomes evident of itself. Look — and do not take the enemy of Allah as your friend. Between kufr and Islām there is no middle ground. Seek the counsel of your own kind rather than depending on others. Develop self-reliance; until when will you go on depending on others?

[Verses 3:121–122]

Lexical Notes: Wa-idh ghadawta min ahlika — when you set out from your household early in the morning. Tubawwiʾu al-muʾminīna maqāʿida li-al-qitāl — you stationed the believers at their positions for battle. Wa-Allāhu Samīʿun ʿAlīm — Allah hears and knows well. Idh hammat ṭāʾifatāni minkum an tafshalā — when two groups among you nearly faltered and lost heart; wa-Allāhu waliyyuhumā — and Allah was the Guardian of both groups. Wa-ʿalā Allāhi fa-l-yatawakkali al-muʾminūn — and upon Allah let the believers rely.

Translation: (And recall) when you set out early from your household and stationed the believers at their fighting positions — and Allah hears and knows all. When two groups among you were about to lose heart, Allah was their Protector and Guardian, and upon Allah let the believers place their reliance (while also employing the outward means at their disposal).

Translation of 3:123:﴿وَلَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ بِبَدْرٍ وَأَنْتُمْ أَذِلَّةٌ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ﴾Wa-laqad naṣarakumu Allāhu bi-Badrin wa-antum adhillah; fa-ittaqū Allāha laʿallakum tashkurūn. "And Allah had already helped you at Badr when you were few and lowly — so fear Allah, that you may be grateful." (Āl ʿImrān 3:123)

Commentary: Verily, Allah granted you help and victory at Badr when you were weak, few in number, and without resources. Therefore fear Allah, and fulfil the obligations of gratitude for His bounty.

Translation: Indeed, Allah gave you aid and victory at Badr while you were weak and poorly equipped. Therefore fear Allah, that perhaps you may be grateful (for this inestimable favour).

[Verses 3:124–125 — The Battle of Badr and the Angels]

Translation of 3:124:﴿إِذْ تَقُولُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَلَنْ يَكْفِيَكُمْ أَنْ يُمِدَّكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ بِثَلَاثَةِ آلَافٍ مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ مُنْزَلِينَ﴾Idh taqūlu li-l-muʾminīna a-lan yakfiyakum an yumiddakum rabbukum bi-thalāthati ālāfin min al-malāʾikati munzalīn. "When you said to the believers: 'Is it not sufficient for you that your Lord should reinforce you with three thousand angels sent down?'" (Āl ʿImrān 3:124)

Commentary: Dear friends! These are the realities of the metaphysical world (ʿālam al-ghayb), where hidden favours and heavenly aids take visible form. Those who are servants of the material world, who do not believe in the unseen, and who have not tasted the spiritual realities — what can their denial mean? Their rejection, their mockery, and their misleading speech are all part of their own ruin.

Historical Narrative — The Battle of Badr:

Dear friends, on the day of Badr the unbelievers had surrounded the Muslims from all directions. The pagans of Quraysh had resolved that whatever profit would come from the trade caravan, it would be spent in fighting the Muslims. This plan became known (to the Muslims). The Muslims too, upon the Prophet'sﷺguidance, set out to intercept the goods of the unbelievers at the source. Abū Sufyān led the caravan. He sent word to Quraysh asking for help and diverted the caravan from its route. Then the encounter that took place was between a large, well-armed Qurayshī army on one side, and three hundred and thirteen (313) ill-equipped Muslims on the other.

The leaders of Quraysh issued challenges to single combat and tested the Muslims. The Anṣār, who were the new helpers of Madīna, were reluctant. The disbelievers said: "You are not our cousins and not our enemies; it is not you we are fighting." Then the Prophetﷺcalled forward: ʿUbayda ibn al-Ḥārith, Ḥamza ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, and ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (may Allah be pleased with them all). The battle was fierce and was a test of the Emigrants in particular. Yet Allah gave the Muslims their promised victory. Sayyidunā Ḥamza (may Allah be pleased with him) struck Walīd ibn ʿUtba; Sayyidunā ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with him) struck Walīd ibn Mughīra; al-Walīd struck Sayyidunā Abū ʿUbayda ibn al-Ḥārith and wounded him in the leg. Ḥamza and ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with both) completed the matter. In this engagement both sides wounded one another greatly. It was of this that Allah Most High says:

﴿وَلَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ بِبَدْرٍ وَأَنْتُمْ أَذِلَّةٌ﴾(Āl ʿImrān 3:123)

After Badr, the disbelievers of Quraysh prepared a large army three thousand strong and attacked (at Uḥud). The Prophetﷺand a small group went out to meet them. Some hypocrites and waverers withdrew at a critical moment, and many were swayed. The Prophetﷺcounselled them and called them to stand firm within the city (of Madīna), but then changed his view after consultation and agreed to go out and meet them. ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ubayy and some of the hypocrites deserted at the opportune moment, taking with them a third of the army, falsely claiming obedience. The Prophetﷺhad stationed the archers on the hill of ʿAyn al-Jabal under ʿAbd Allāh ibn Jubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) and had given them strict orders not to leave their positions, whatever happened, and to remain on guard. Some ill-advised Muslims, deceived by the thought of the spoils of war, abandoned their positions. Khālid ibn al-Walīd, who was then still among the enemy, saw this gap and brought his cavalry around from behind the archers and drove them out. From the direction of the front, a renewed assault followed, and the Muslim formation was broken and scattered. Wahshī the Abyssinian spearman hurled his javelin at Sayyidunā Ḥamza (may Allah be pleased with him), who thus drank the cup of martyrdom. At that moment the accursed Shayṭān raised a cry that the Prophetﷺhad been killed. There was great confusion and panic among the Muslims. Even the Prophet himselfﷺsustained a wound to his blessed face and a tooth was broken. The Muslims suffered losses, though the disbelievers also sustained considerable casualties. They were not able to march on Madīna or take the city, and in the end they returned home without achieving their ultimate objective.

[Verse 3:126–128]

Translation of 3:126: "And Allah did not make this except as good tidings for you and so that your hearts might be reassured by it. Victory comes only from Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Wise."

Lexical Notes: Li-yatmaʾinna qulūbukum — so that your hearts might be at rest and tranquil. The sending of angels was solely for your consolation. Wa-mā al-naṣru illā min ʿindi Allāh — victory comes from none but Allah. Al-ʿAzīz al-Ḥakīm — the Mighty and Wise; possessor of all honour and wisdom, Master over all creation.

Translation: Allah made this only as glad tidings for you and so that your hearts might be put at ease. Victory is nothing but from Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.

Translation of 3:127:﴿لِيَقْطَعَ طَرَفًا مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَوْ يَكْبِتَهُمْ فَيَنْقَلِبُوا خَائِبِينَ﴾Li-yaqṭaʿa ṭarafan min alladhīna kafarū aw yakbitahum fa-yanqalibū khāʾibīn. "That He might cut off a section of those who disbelieved, or subdue them, so they would turn back disappointed." (Āl ʿImrān 3:127)

Lexical Notes: Ṭarafan — a portion, a group. Yakbitahum — abase, humiliate, and cast them down; to send them away disgraced, their faces to the ground. Khāʾibīn — disappointed, frustrated, failed in their purpose.

Translation: That He might cut off a portion of those who disbelieved, or subdue them, so that they would turn back disappointed and empty-handed, their hopes shattered.

Translation of 3:128:﴿لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ شَيْءٌ أَوْ يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَوْ يُعَذِّبَهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ ظَالِمُونَ﴾Laysa laka min al-amri shayʾun aw yatūba ʿalayhim aw yuʿadhdhibahum fa-innahum ẓālimūn. "You have no authority in the matter at all — whether He turns towards them in repentance or punishes them, for they are wrongdoers." (Āl ʿImrān 3:128)

Translation: (O Prophetﷺ, this decision is not yours.) The matter belongs entirely to Allah — whether He relent toward them (and accept their repentance) or punish them, for they are indeed wrongdoers. And it is not for you, O Prophetﷺ, to determine their fate.

Translation of 3:129:﴿وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ يَغْفِرُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾Wa-li-Llāhi mā fī al-samāwāti wa-mā fī al-arḍ; yaghfiru li-man yashāʾu wa-yuʿadhdhib man yashāʾ; wa-Allāhu Ghafūrun Raḥīm. "And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." (Āl ʿImrān 3:129)

Commentary: To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and on the earth. He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills. He is the Forgiving and the Merciful — pardoning faults and ever compassionate.

Translation: All that is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah. He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills. He is Forgiving and Merciful.

[Verse 3:130 — Prohibition of Usury (Ribā)]

This verse, after what preceded it, specifically addresses ribā (usury, interest). In this verse Allah Most High speaks of the gravity of usury — especially compound usury (ribā al-ribā) — in the clearest terms.

Translation of 3:130:﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَأْكُلُوا الرِّبَا أَضْعَافًا مُضَاعَفَةً وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ﴾Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū lā taʾkulū al-ribā aḍʿāfan muḍāʿafatan wa-ittaqū Allāha laʿallakum tufliḥūn. "O you who believe! Do not consume usury, doubled and multiplied. And fear Allah so that you may be successful." (Āl ʿImrān 3:130)

Lexical Notes: Ribā — that which accrues; interest, usury. Aḍʿāfan muḍāʿafatan — doubled and doubled again; compounded many times over. Wa-ittaqū Allāh — fear the wrath of Allah; choose taqwā and piety. Laʿallakum tufliḥūn — so that perhaps you may succeed and attain your righteous objectives.

Translation: O believers! Do not consume usury, doubled and multiplied. Fear Allah, that perhaps you may succeed.

Commentary: Dear friends! Observe the state of affairs today. Some foolish scholars have declared that lending at interest is permissible within the Dār al-Ḥarb (non-Muslim territory). Consider the actual conditions with clear eyes. A Muslim taking interest from a Muslim is ribā without doubt. Especially among the Arabs, the practice of a monthly interest rate of one anna to four annas on every rupee is widespread, and this is associated with vile character. The study of jurisprudence (fiqh) alone does not make one a true jurist (faqīh). A true faqīh is one who is acquainted with the conditions of his time and the affairs of his community — who understands what is beneficial for Muslims, what corruptions have arisen, and what injustices have spread. Regarding usurers (ahl al-ribā), Allah Most High and His Messengerﷺhave declared war (ḥarb):

﴿فَأْذَنُوا بِحَرْبٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ﴾"Then be warned of war from Allah and His Messenger" (al-Baqara 2:279). Allah desires to obliterate and annihilate usury —﴿يَمْحَقُ اللَّهُ الرِّبَا﴾"Allah blots out usury" — for it is a matter of plain justice.

Translation of 3:131:﴿وَاتَّقُوا النَّارَ الَّتِي أُعِدَّتْ لِلْكَافِرِينَ﴾Wa-ittaqū al-nāra allatī uʿiddat li-l-kāfirīn. "And fear the Fire that has been prepared for the disbelievers." (Āl ʿImrān 3:131)

Translation: And guard yourselves from the Fire that has been prepared and made ready for the disbelievers.

Commentary: Dear friends! Is the Hellfire an existing creation already? The reality of Hellfire exists in the world of the malakūt (the spiritual realm), in the world of spirits, and in the world of forms (ʿālam al-mithāl). Even in this lower world it exists in some form, though it is unseen by the common people. Its full manifestation will come in the intermediate realm (barzakh) and the Hereafter. For whom was Hellfire created? For the disbelievers and for the rebellious ones. Will Muslim sinners also enter the Fire? The Fire was not prepared for believers; rather, a sinful Muslim who enters may not remain there permanently — and how long will he remain? This varies according to the nature of his sins. Therefore Allah says: mā aṣbarahum ʿalā al-nār — "How greatly they persist in the path toward the Fire!" — those who persist in sins. And thus He says:

Translation of 3:132:﴿وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ﴾Wa-aṭīʿū Allāha wa-al-Rasūla laʿallakum turḥamūn. "And obey Allah and the Messenger, that you may be shown mercy." (Āl ʿImrān 3:132)

Translation: Obey Allah and the Messengerﷺso that mercy may be shown to you.

Commentary: Obedience to Allah and His Messengerﷺhas been made the foundation of salvation and felicity. Without the obedience of Allah and His Messengerﷺ, there is no path to mercy and deliverance.

Translation of 3:133:﴿وَسَارِعُوا إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ﴾Wa-sāriʿū ilā maghfiratin min rabbikum wa-jannatin ʿarḍuhā al-samāwātu wa-al-arḍ; uʿiddat li-l-muttaqīn. "And hasten toward forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden whose width spans the heavens and the earth, prepared for the righteous." (Āl ʿImrān 3:133)

Lexical Notes: Sāriʿū — hasten forward with all speed; make haste with eagerness. Maghfira — forgiveness, absolution of sins. ʿArḍuhā al-samāwātu wa-al-arḍ — its breadth spans the heavens and the earth; ʿarḍ (breadth) is the opposite of ṭūl (length), and breadth is also spoken of relative to height. The garden whose breadth equals the heavens and the earth — what then of its length? Uʿiddat li-l-muttaqīn — it has been prepared and made ready for the God-fearing and pious.

Translation (of 3:133): And (O Muslims!) hasten toward the forgiveness of your Lord and toward that Garden whose breadth is equal to the heavens and the earth, and which has been prepared and made ready for the righteous (pious) people.

[Verse 3:134 — The Qualities of the Muttaqīn]

Lexical Notes of 3:134: Alladhīna yunfiqūna — those who spend and give in expenditure; who make charitable disbursements. Fī al-sarrāʾi — in times of ease and abundance. Wa-l-kāẓimīna al-ghayẓ — those who suppress their anger, who restrain wrath; they control and swallow their rage. The word ghayẓ means inward fury, the fire of anger within. Wa-l-ʿāfīna ʿan al-nās — those who pardon and forgive people their offences; those who overlook and forgive. Pardon in its deepest sense includes forgoing redress. Wa-Allāhu yuḥibbu al-muḥsinīn — Allah loves those who excel in goodness (iḥsān).

Translation of 3:134:﴿الَّذِينَ يُنْفِقُونَ فِي السَّرَّاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ﴾Alladhīna yunfiqūna fī al-sarrāʾi wa-al-ḍarrāʾi wa-l-kāẓimīna al-ghayẓa wa-l-ʿāfīna ʿan al-nāsi wa-Allāhu yuḥibbu al-muḥsinīn. "Those who spend in ease and adversity, those who restrain their anger, those who pardon people — and Allah loves those who excel in goodness." (Āl ʿImrān 3:134)

Translation: (The pious and righteous are those) who spend in the way of Allah in times of plenty and in times of hardship; who restrain their wrath and anger; who pardon and forgive people their transgressions — and Allah loves those who excel in goodness (and keeps them near to Himself).

Commentary: Dear friends! Our affliction today is that those who practise taqwā and perform the outer acts of ritual purity (ṭahāra) become angry over trivial matters and pick quarrels with others. They do not see their own faults; they are masters of fault-finding in others; they are quick in backbiting; they do not notice the beam in their own eye while looking for specks in others' eyes. They do not pardon others' sins and yet hope that Allah will pardon their sins. Read this verse again and again and examine your own state in its light. Remember: rights owed to fellow human beings (ḥuqūq al-ʿibād) will stand as a barrier; what you owed and did not fulfil will be claimed tomorrow.

Dear friends! Allah Most High, in His wisdom and firmness, has given the guardianship of Islām (and its continuation) to those Muslims who, when speaking with unbelievers, are commanded: qūlan layyinan — "speak gently to them" (Ṭā Hā 20:44). Wise scholars preach and yet it appears as if they are themselves lords of paradise and hell, as if the pleasure of Allah and of the Garden is in their hands. Allah is the Pardoner, not these people. It is their work to make people despair of Allah's mercy. In the balance of Allah there is a scale (mīzān). Only one who is God-conscious (muttaqī) can weigh it. On one side are deeds, and on the other, love and devotion to Allah and His Messengerﷺ. What is outward is apparent? But what of the inner? That too will come — from sincerity (ikhlāṣ). Fear and love and devotion will come from Allah. Come toward Allah, and one day the love of Allah Most High and His Messengerﷺwill overcome everything.

[Verses 3:135–136]

Commentary: The deeds are on one side; on the other, sincere love and devotion to Allah and His Messengerﷺ. What is apparent is clear. But what of the inward? That too comes — it comes from sincerity. Fear and love and devotion come from Allah. Draw near to Allah; even to say "Yā Allah!" once will not be in vain. May the love of Allah Most High and His Messengerﷺprevail over all else.

Lexical Notes of 3:135: Wa-alladhīna idhā faʿalū fāḥishatan aw ẓalamū anfusahum — those who, when they commit an immodest act or wrong their own souls. They wrong themselves, doing harm to their own interests, harming their own selves. Dhakara Allāh — they remember Allah and feel contrition; their remembrance of Allah brings remorse. Fa-istaghfarū li-dhunūbihim — they seek forgiveness for their sins; when Allah comes to mind they beseech His pardon for their faults. Wa-man yaghfiru al-dhunūba illā Allāh — and who forgives sins save Allah? Wa-lam yuṣirrū — and they do not persist (in sin); they do not insist stubbornly. ʿAlā mā faʿalū — upon what they have done; they do not persist in their evil deeds. Wa-hum yaʿlamūn — while they know (better).

Translation of 3:135–136:﴿وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا اللَّهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَنْ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَلَمْ يُصِرُّوا عَلَى مَا فَعَلُوا وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾Wa-alladhīna idhā faʿalū fāḥishatan aw ẓalamū anfusahum dhakara Allāha fa-istaghfarū li-dhunūbihim wa-man yaghfiru al-dhunūba illā Allāhu wa-lam yuṣirrū ʿalā mā faʿalū wa-hum yaʿlamūn.

Translation: And those who, when they commit an immodest act or wrong their souls, remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins — and who forgives sins save Allah? — and who do not persist knowingly in what they have done.

Translation of 3:136:﴿أُولَئِكَ جَزَاؤُهُمْ مَغْفِرَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَجَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَنِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعَامِلِينَ﴾Ulāʾika jazāʾuhum maghfiratun min rabbihim wa-jannātun tajrī min taḥtihā al-anhāru khālidīna fīhā wa-niʿma ajru al-ʿāmilīn. "Those — their recompense is forgiveness from their Lord and Gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally. How excellent is the reward of those who act!" (Āl ʿImrān 3:136)

Translation: Such are those whose recompense is forgiveness (and pardon) from their Lord, and Gardens beneath which rivers flow, in which they will abide eternally. How excellent indeed is the reward of those who (sincerely) act!

Translation: (Their recompense) is forgiveness and mercy from their Lord (their Guardian and Sustainer) — and Gardens (beneath which rivers flow) in which they shall abide. How excellent is the reward of those who strive in good works!

[Verses 3:137–140]

The passage now turns to console the Muslims regarding the setback at the Battle of Uḥud. The hypocrites were using this event to dishearten the believers. Allah Most High commands patience and steadfastness and gives the assurance of ultimate success.

Lexical Notes of 3:137: Qad khalat min qablikum sunan — before you, ways of life (sunan, sing. sunna) have passed away. Fa-sīrū fī al-arḍi fa-nẓurū kayfa kāna ʿāqibatu al-mukadhdhibīn — so travel in the earth and observe what was the end of those who denied (the truth).

Translation: How excellent is the reward of those who do righteous deeds. (The Gardens and rivers await them.) Indeed, they abide therein eternally.

Translation of 3:137: "Patterns (of divine dealing with nations) have already passed away before you, so travel in the earth and observe what was the end of those who denied (the truth)."

Hādhā bayānun li-l-nāsi wa-hudan wa-mawʿiẓatun li-l-muttaqīn — "This is an exposition for humanity, and guidance and admonition for the God-fearing" (Āl ʿImrān 3:138).

Translation of 3:138: This (Qurʾān and these events) is a plain exposition for all people, and guidance and admonition (mawʿiẓa) for the God-fearing.

Translation of 3:139:﴿وَلَا تَهِنُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنْتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ﴾Wa-lā tahinū wa-lā taḥzanū wa-antumu al-aʿlawna in kuntum muʾminīn. "And do not weaken, and do not grieve, for you will be uppermost if you are [true] believers." (Āl ʿImrān 3:139)

Lexical Notes: Wa-lā tahinū — do not become weak; do not lose heart; do not be discouraged. Wahn — weakness, languor. Wa-lā taḥzanū — do not grieve; do not give way to sorrow and dejection. Wa-antumu al-aʿlawna — and you are the uppermost, the highest, the supreme. Al-aʿlawna is the plural of aʿlā. In kuntum muʾminīn — if you are truly believers, maintaining firm faith in Allah.

Translation: Do not lose heart and do not grieve — you will be uppermost if you are truly believers (and trust in Allah).

[Verses 3:140–141]

Lexical Notes of 3:140: In yamsaskum qarḥun fa-qad massa al-qawma qarḥun mithluhu — if a wound has touched you, a similar wound has touched the (opposing) people. Wa-tilka al-ayyāmu nudāwiluhā bayna al-nās — and these are the days We alternate among people. Nudāwilu from dawl and dawla — to cause to pass in rotation; the days of fortune and misfortune alternating. Some days favour one side and some days another. Li-yaʿlama Allāhu — so that Allah may know (yanẓur — observe and bring to light). He knows alladhīna āmanū — those who have truly believed. Wa-yattakhidha minkum shuhadāʾ — and that He may take from among you witnesses (shuhadāʾ); and so that He may establish witnesses and martyrs (shuhadāʾ) from among you. Wa-Allāhu lā yuḥibbu al-ẓālimīn — Allah does not love the wrongdoers.

Translation of 3:140: "If a wound has struck you, a similar wound has struck the (opposing) people. We alternate the days (of fortune and hardship) among people so that Allah may know those who believe and may take witnesses (shuhadāʾ) from among you — and Allah does not love the wrongdoers."

Translation of 3:141:﴿وَلِيُمَحِّصَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَيَمْحَقَ الْكَافِرِينَ﴾Wa-li-yumaḥḥiṣa Allāhu alladhīna āmanū wa-yamḥaqa al-kāfirīn. "And that Allah might purify those who believe and destroy the disbelievers." (Āl ʿImrān 3:141)

Commentary on 3:140: He caused you to experience the highs and lows (the vicissitudes of time) and distributed these experiences among people. And so that Allah might test the true believers and distinguish them — and so that He might make manifest the martyrs (shuhadāʾ) from among you — and that the wrongdoers would be discarded.

Translation: And so that Allah might purify those who believe (of their sins and distinguish them from others) and annihilate the disbelievers.

[Verses 3:142–143]

Translation of 3:142:﴿أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَنْ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَعْلَمِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا مِنْكُمْ وَيَعْلَمَ الصَّابِرِينَ﴾Am ḥasibtum an tadkhulū al-jannata wa-lammā yaʿlami Allāhu alladhīna jāhadū minkum wa-yaʿlama al-ṣābirīn. "Or did you think you would enter the Garden before Allah made evident those among you who strove (in His way) and made evident those who are patient?" (Āl ʿImrān 3:142)

Lexical Notes: Wa-lammā yaʿlami Allāh — and Allah has not yet made manifest. Alladhīna jāhadū minkum — those from among you who strove for Allah. Wa-yaʿlama al-ṣābirīn — and knows who among them are patient and steadfast.

Translation: Did you suppose you would enter the Garden without Allah having made manifest who among you strove (in jihād) and who are among the patient (ṣābirīn)?

Translation of 3:143: "And you had longed for death before you met it. Now you have seen it with your own eyes."

Commentary: Dear friends, the knowledge of Allah Most High is complete. It is of three kinds: (1) ʿilm dhātī (Divine Essential Knowledge); (2) ʿilm afʿālī (knowledge that comes through the actualisation of deeds); (3) ʿilm infiʿālī (knowledge through experienced events).

Allah Most High looked upon Himself and saw Himself in that perfect knowing. His knowledge encompasses both His Essence and His acts —﴿أَلَا إِنَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُحِيطٌ﴾"Verily, He encompasses all things" (Fuṣṣilat 41:54). He is the encompassing One — nothing can be separated from His Essence or His knowledge.

This world of deeds (ʿālam al-afʿāl) is the unfolding in detail of the Divine Essential Knowledge. Consider: one man's name is ʿAbd Allāh. What is he? He has a head, a body. What is the body composed of? Two eyes, two ears, a nose, a mouth with lips, teeth, a beard; a neck, shoulders, a chest, a belly, a back — not a single hair of his escapes divine knowledge. Remember that Allah is a single, undivided, uncompounded Self (nafs mufrad). Yet He contains the knowledge of all the particulars of this person "ʿAbd Allāh" within Himself. As each part of ʿAbd Allāh comes into existence, it enters and is contained within the sphere of Divine Essential Knowledge.

Commentary (continued):

Thus, when a particular thing is brought into existence from the state of being a known possibility to the state of actualised existence in the material and external world — this is called ʿilm afʿālī (active/actuating knowledge), whose mark is that things become actual and manifest.

Some people say that Divine Knowledge is qadīm (eternal and pre-existent) and the objects of knowledge are ḥādith (originated in time). Others say the knowledge is both qadīm and ḥādith: qadīm (eternal) in one respect and ḥādith (temporal) in another. When one looks toward Allah Most High, the knowledge is eternal; when one looks toward the created things, the knowledge appears as temporal. This is the difference between ʿilm qadīm and ʿilm ḥādith. The third kind — ʿilm infiʿālī — is experiential knowledge: when something actually occurs, and the reality of it is fully realised.

Some scholars say that there is no ʿilm infiʿālī for Allah; it is only for creatures. Others say that for Allah it exists in a manner befitting His Majesty, beyond all resemblance to created things. The matters of ʿilm lā taʿlam anhu al-malak al-muqarrab wa-lā al-nabī al-mursal (knowledge that neither the most exalted angel nor the sent Prophet can access) are among the highest divine secrets. The difference between His eternal knowledge and His active knowledge is a subtle question of theology (kalām).

As for the Battle of Uḥud: the disbelievers' frontal assault came; the tooth of the Prophetﷺwas broken, and (the report of) his wounding provoked a reaction among the waverers. The victory was with those who remained firm: wa-l-ḥamdu li-Llāhi wa-Llāhu Akbar wa-Allāhu Aʿlā wa-Aẓhar.

[Verse 3:144]

Translation of 3:144:﴿وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ أَفَإِنْ مَاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انْقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَى أَعْقَابِكُمْ وَمَنْ يَنْقَلِبْ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ فَلَنْ يَضُرَّ اللَّهَ شَيْئًا وَسَيَجْزِي اللَّهُ الشَّاكِرِينَ﴾Wa-mā Muḥammadun illā rasūlun qad khalat min qablihi al-rusul; a-fa-in māta aw qutila inqalabtum ʿalā aʿqābikum; wa-man yanqalib ʿalā ʿaqibayhi fa-lan yaḍurra Allāha shayʾan wa-sayajzī Allāhu al-shākirīn. "And Muḥammad is not but a messenger. Messengers have passed away before him. If he were to die or be killed, would you turn back on your heels? And whoever turns back on his heels will never harm Allah at all, and Allah will reward the grateful." (Āl ʿImrān 3:144)

Lexical Notes: Wa-mā Muḥammadun — and Muḥammadﷺis nothing but a messenger; he has the requirements of human nature (bashariyyat); entering into death is one of those requirements. When great men depart, what follows them is their legacy. Every Prophet has been mortal. ʿĪsā (Jesus, upon him be peace) was taken up (to the heavens); Mūsā (Moses, upon him be peace) passed away. Does that diminish their worth? If the Prophetﷺtoo should depart, should his legacy (dīn) therefore be abandoned? Fa-qad khalat — messengers have passed away before him. In māta aw qutila — if he dies or is killed. Inqalabtum ʿalā aʿqābikum — you would turn back on your heels; you would retreat, abandon the religion, defect. Wa-man yanqalib ʿalā ʿaqibayhi — and whoever turns back on both heels, whoever apostatises from the religion. Fa-lan yaḍurra Allāha shayʾan — he will never harm Allah in the slightest. Wa-sayajzī Allāhu al-shākirīn — and Allah will soon reward those who are grateful (shākirīn): those who remain steadfast on the religion and whose feet do not slip; those who apostatise, turning back — they cannot harm Allah. They only harm themselves.

Those who regard Īmān (faith) as a gift from Allah, who give thanks for it and value it from their hearts — even to those, He will give the reward of the grateful in full.

Translation: And Muḥammadﷺis but a Messenger. Messengers have passed before him. If he were to die or be killed, would you then turn back on your heels? Whoever turns back on his heels will not harm Allah in the least — and Allah will give the reward of the grateful.

Commentary: Bear witness in your confession of faith: Ashhadu anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhū wa-rasūluh — "I bear witness that Muḥammad is His servant and His Messenger." The formula ʿabduhū (His servant) comes first — yet (some) are not truly acquainted with the meaning of ʿubūdiyyat (servitude and bondage to Allah). They are far from themselves and yet pretend to be near.

Commentary — On the Station of ʿUbūdiyyat (Servitude to Allah):

Dear friends! Hear this with open ears and an attentive heart. What is a ʿabd (servant)? "One whose hands are in the hands of his master" (al-ʿabdu man kānat yadāhu fī yad mawlāhu). Wujūb bi-l-dhāt (necessary self-subsistence) and istighnāʾ bi-l-dhāt (absolute self-sufficiency by essence) are the exclusive attributes of that pure and holy Being. His other name is al-Qayyūm (al-Allāhu al-Wāḥidu al-Qahhār — the Unique, the Dominator). The attribute of the servant is the opposite — total dependence (iftiqār) and utter neediness, flowing from the Divine Essence. A servant's second attribute is annihilation and perishing. Everything is annihilated before the Divine Self.

Hama būd az-māst u mā bāshim hamah niyāz-e-ū Ṣaḥrāye dī-ast baṣar dar ū mā hamah āz-e-ū

(All things are from Him, and we are all in need of Him — the desert of sight, and in it we are all its creatures.) (Ḥasrat Ṣiddīqī, may Allah have mercy on him)

It must be grasped that we cannot of our own volition perform a single act until Allah Most High grants us the ability and the Will to act. That which appears outwardly is the effect (athar) of the Will. And when this truth becomes unveiled — then all attributes, virtues and perfections become illuminated as belonging solely to the Divine. Bī-nūr (without light) — this dark night, this darkened dwelling — when this sun of inner radiance (khurshīd-e-dhātī) shines, everything becomes transformed through the light of unity (tawḥīd al-ṣifāt).

And when one reaches the stage of absorption (istighrāq) — wherein existence itself seems to dissolve — neither one is, nor does one know: "Where am I?" — then at that station one is beyond both existence and non-existence. This is the station Abū al-Mawt (the Father of Death) — beyond the marks of space and beyond the marks of time.

Dīkē ātam piyā socho — bhalā khāk nām rakhiyā hai merā — (He turned over my self; He has given me the beautiful name of dust.) (Ḥasrat Ṣiddīqī)

This is the state when the will (irāda) inclines toward that Reality, and the reality manifests, and the stream of the divine plan begins to flow connected and attached to the True Essence — so it is seen that here, poverty itself is the capital of wealth. Look: where is poverty the source of wealth?

Commentary (continued — ʿUbūdiyyat):

Dear friends! In the state of servitude (ʿubūdiyyat) reside obedience, compliance, and the discovery and fulfilment of the Master's will — all of this is essential. Knowledge is knowledge; Īmān (faith) emerges from it. All the blessings of Īmān arise from it. The prophets, saints (awliyāʾ), and blessed ones attained their rank through faith — and the especially chosen among them were honoured with the privilege of the majestic witnessing (shuhūd) of Divine Majesty (jalāl). In this exalted portion, there is no room for even a glance toward anything other than the Beloved (māsiwā). It would be a great poverty to compare your petty claim to servitude with the full reality of ʿubūdiyyat. How paltry is a mote — how luminous the court of lights? Look clearly: He, the Servant of Allah (ʿAbd Allāh), is unique — He alone. He is the Prophet, the Messenger, the Beloved of Allah (ḥabīb Allāh). What are you? What is your love and your obedience and your servanthood? Goodness and aptitude for nearness — I have none; I am miles away from obedience.

The noble Companion Sayyidunā ʿUmar al-Fārūq (may Allah be pleased with him) says: "Kuntu ʿabdahū wa-khādimah" — "I was his servant, his attendant." The noble Companion Sayyidunā ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with him) says: "Naḥnu anā min man baraʾa Muḥammad" — "We are among the servants whom Muḥammadﷺhas freed." To call oneself a ʿAbd Allāh without that living reality is an absurdity. The highest stage of servitude is true servitude. The beginning of servitude, the middle of servitude, the end of servitude — what is the reality of servitude? It is the ʿayn al-aʿyān (the Eye of Essences). Prophethood and messengership lead to fanāʾ (annihilation in Allah). By fanāʾ is meant the divine decrees (aḥkām al-ilāhiyyat) the ultimate purpose of which is servanthood to Allah. The degrees of servitude (ʿubūdiyyat) ascend through successive stages.

Translation of 3:145:﴿وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفْسٍ أَنْ تَمُوتَ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ كِتَابًا مُؤَجَّلًا وَمَنْ يُرِدْ ثَوَابَ الدُّنْيَا نُؤْتِهِ مِنْهَا وَمَنْ يُرِدْ ثَوَابَ الْآخِرَةِ نُؤْتِهِ مِنْهَا وَسَنَجْزِي الشَّاكِرِينَ﴾Wa-mā kāna li-nafsin an tamūta illā bi-idhni Allāhi kitāban muʾajjalā; wa-man yurid thawāba al-dunyā nuʾtihi minhā; wa-man yurid thawāba al-ākhirati nuʾtihi minhā; wa-sanajzī al-shākirīn. "And it is not for a soul to die except by the permission of Allah — a decree with a fixed term. And whoever desires the reward of this world — We will give him thereof; and whoever desires the reward of the Hereafter — We will give him thereof. And We will reward the grateful." (Āl ʿImrān 3:145)

Lexical Notes: Kitāban muʾajjalā — a decree set down with a fixed appointed time; a timing that cannot be moved; death comes to everyone in its own due time, and none can escape it. Thawāba al-dunyā — the recompense of this world; its pleasures and goods. Wa-man yurid thawāba al-ākhirat — and whoever desires the reward of the Hereafter. Nuʾtihi minhā — We give him from it. Wa-sanajzī al-shākirīn — and We shall soon reward the grateful ones; those who are thankful.

Translation: (Why then do you fear death?) No soul can die except by the permission of Allah — it is a decree set to a fixed term. And whoever desires the recompense of this world, We give him of it; and whoever desires the recompense of the Hereafter, We give him of it too. And We shall reward the grateful (the thankful, the steadfast).

[Verse 3:146 — The Prophets and Their Companions]

Translation of 3:146:﴿وَكَأَيِّنْ مِنْ نَبِيٍّ قَاتَلَ مَعَهُ رِبِّيُّونَ كَثِيرٌ فَمَا وَهَنُوا لِمَا أَصَابَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَمَا ضَعُفُوا وَمَا اسْتَكَانُوا وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الصَّابِرِينَ﴾Wa-kaʾayin min nabiyyin qātala maʿahu ribbiyyūna kathīrun fa-mā wahanū li-mā aṣābahum fī sabīli Allāhi wa-mā ḍaʿufū wa-mā istakānū wa-Allāhu yuḥibbu al-ṣābirīn. "And how many a prophet, alongside whom many devout men fought — they did not lose heart because of what struck them in the way of Allah, nor did they weaken, nor did they submit. Allah loves the patient." (Āl ʿImrān 3:146)

Lexical Notes: Kaʾayin — how many (a large number). Ribbiyyūna — those who are exclusively devoted to their Lord (rabb), who are oriented toward the Lord. Fa-mā wahanū — they did not weaken, they did not slacken, they were not broken. Wahn — weakness, sluggishness. Wa-mā ḍaʿufū — they did not become feeble and powerless. Wa-mā istakānū — they did not humiliate themselves, they did not abase themselves, they did not lower themselves before the enemy. Wa-Allāhu yuḥibbu al-ṣābirīn — Allah loves the patient; those who are patient, He holds dear, He keeps close to Himself.

Translation: And how many a prophet has fought with many god-devoted men alongside him! They did not lose heart because of what struck them in the way of Allah, nor did they weaken, nor did they submit. And Allah loves the patient.

[Verse 3:147–148 — The Supplication of the Believers]

Lexical Notes of 3:147: Wa-mā kāna qawlahum illā an qālū — and their only speech was that they said: a prayerful supplication. What was their only saying? Only this one call and supplication: Rabbanā-ghfir lanā dhunūbanā — "Our Lord! Forgive us our sins." Wa-isrāfanā fī amrinā — and our excesses in our affairs; whatever excesses and transgressions we have committed, cover them. Wa-thabbit aqdāmanā — and make our feet firm; qadam (step, foot) here means resolve and steadfastness. Wa-nṣurnā ʿalā al-qawmi al-kāfirīn — and give us victory over the disbelieving people; grant us triumph over those who oppose the truth.

Translation of 3:147:﴿رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسْرَافَنَا فِي أَمْرِنَا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ﴾Rabbanā-ghfir lanā dhunūbanā wa-isrāfanā fī amrinā wa-thabbit aqdāmanā wa-nṣurnā ʿalā al-qawmi al-kāfirīn. "Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and our excesses in our affairs, and make firm our feet, and give us victory over the disbelieving people." (Āl ʿImrān 3:147)

Translation: Their only word was that they supplicated: "Our Lord! Forgive our sins and our excesses in our affairs; make our feet firm (in the path of truth), and grant us victory over the disbelieving people."

Translation of 3:148:﴿فَآتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ ثَوَابَ الدُّنْيَا وَحُسْنَ ثَوَابِ الْآخِرَةِ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ﴾Fa-ātāhumu Allāhu thawāba al-dunyā wa-ḥusna thawābi al-ākhirati wa-Allāhu yuḥibbu al-muḥsinīn. "So Allah gave them the reward of this world and the excellent reward of the Hereafter. And Allah loves those who do good." (Āl ʿImrān 3:148)

Commentary: Then Allah gave them in return the full recompense of this world and the excellent reward of the Hereafter — and Allah loves those who excel in good conduct and goodness (iḥsān).

Translation: Then Allah gave them their due reward in this world and the most excellent reward of the Hereafter — and Allah loves those who do good.

Commentary: Dear friends! In ages past, what hardships did Allah not impose on the devout! They were torn apart with swords, dragged on the ground, thrown into dungeons, placed on burning sands with heavy stones on their chests. O noble Muslims! They did not waver, did not lose courage, did not surrender to enemies. They only said: "O Lord, forgive our sins!" Now look at us: we are in a comfortable state, we are not under the sword. Some "Muslims" are ashamed of being Muslim. We are a source of embarrassment to one another. No regard for religion, no thought for the Hereafter. Then how can Allah grant us victory? Seek sincerity in religion and devotion; pursue knowledge as an obligation; desire the Hereafter. Thank Allah that you are alive, make repentance at every moment, and turn back toward Allah. Remember: you cannot harm Allah at all, and He may, if He wills, destroy you. The choice of the path is yours.

[Verses 3:149–151]

Translation of 3:149:﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ تُطِيعُوا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يَرُدُّوكُمْ عَلَى أَعْقَابِكُمْ فَتَنْقَلِبُوا خَاسِرِينَ﴾Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū in tuṭīʿū alladhīna kafarū yaruddūkum ʿalā aʿqābikum fa-tanqalibū khāsirīn. "O you who believe! If you obey those who disbelieve, they will turn you back on your heels, and you will become losers." (Āl ʿImrān 3:149)

Lexical Notes: Yaruddūkum ʿalā aʿqābikum — they will make you turn back on your heels, causing you to revert to your former state. Fa-tanqalibū khāsirīn — and you will become losers (khāsirīn), incurring loss and ruin.

Translation: O believers! If you obey the disbelievers, they will turn you back on your heels (and drive you from your religion) and you will become losers.

Translation of 3:150:﴿بَلِ اللَّهُ مَوْلَاكُمْ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ النَّاصِرِينَ﴾Bali Allāhu mawlākum wa-huwa khayru al-nāṣirīn. "Rather, Allah is your Guardian and He is the best of helpers." (Āl ʿImrān 3:150)

Translation: Rather, Allah alone is your Guardian and Protector, and He is the best of all helpers.

Commentary: Dear friends! What does it mean to follow the counsel of the disbelievers? It means turning away from the religion, falling into destruction and ruin. Consider your present state: what has been happening? What has been happening to you? Do not hold the disbelievers as leaders. Do not accept them as your guardians. Do not treat them as your helpers — such trust is misplaced. In Allah's obedience lies victory; obey Him and He will grant you honour.

Translation of 3:151:﴿سَنُلْقِي فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الرُّعْبَ بِمَا أَشْرَكُوا بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا وَمَأْوَاهُمُ النَّارُ وَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى الظَّالِمِينَ﴾Sanulqī fī qulūbi alladhīna kafarū al-ruʿba bi-mā ashrakū bi-Llāhi mā lam yunazzil bihi sulṭānan wa-maʾwāhumu al-nāru wa-biʾsa mathwā al-ẓālimīn. "We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve because they associate partners with Allah for which He sent down no authority. Their refuge is the Fire, and how wretched is the residence of the wrongdoers." (Āl ʿImrān 3:151)

Lexical Notes: Mulqī — We are casting; throwing and placing. Fī qulūbi alladhīna kafarū — into the hearts of the disbelievers. Al-ruʿb — terror, dread. Bi-mā ashrakū bi-Llāh — because they associated partners with Allah. Mā lam yunazzil bihi sulṭānan — for which He sent down no authority, no proof; those partners about whom no evidence has ever been revealed. Wa-maʾwāhumu al-nār — their abode and final resting-place is the Fire. Wa-biʾsa mathwā al-ẓālimīn — how evil and wretched is the abode of the wrongdoers.

Translation: We shall cast terror into the hearts of the disbelievers because they associate with Allah partners for which He has sent down no authority. Their dwelling-place is the Fire — and what an evil abode for the wrongdoers!

Commentary: (Those who see this cast into the hearts of the disbelievers — fear, awe, and dread are placed in their hearts.)

Who are they (the disbelievers)? They are associating partners with Allah (shirk). Whom? Beings devoid of sound and station, worthless and substanceless things. What is the consequence of their idolatry and their kufr? Their abode is the Fire. What is the state of those who commit shirk and kufr and engage in misdeeds? Their end is evil.

[Verses 3:152–153 — The Battle of Uḥud: The Divine Promise Fulfilled]

Lexical Notes of 3:152: Wa-laqad ṣadaqakum Allāhu waʿdahu — and Allah has indeed fulfilled His promise to you; He proved His promise true. Idh taḥussūnahum bi-idhnih — when you were cutting them down (the enemy) by His permission; ḥassa means to slay, to cut down the enemy in great numbers. Ḥattā idhā fashiltum — until the moment you faltered and showed weakness. Wa-tanāzaʿtum fī al-amr — and you disputed and disagreed among yourselves in the command (the matter of the archers). Wa-ʿaṣaytum min baʿdi mā arākum mā tuḥibbūn — and you disobeyed after He had shown you what you desired. There is no blame: some among you desired the world (and its spoils) and some desired the Hereafter.

Translation of 3:152:﴿وَلَقَدْ صَدَقَكُمُ اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ إِذْ تَحُسُّونَهُمْ بِإِذْنِهِ حَتَّى إِذَا فَشِلْتُمْ وَتَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي الْأَمْرِ وَعَصَيْتُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا أَرَاكُمْ مَا تُحِبُّونَ مِنْكُمْ مَنْ يُرِيدُ الدُّنْيَا وَمِنْكُمْ مَنْ يُرِيدُ الْآخِرَةَ ثُمَّ صَرَفَكُمْ عَنْهُمْ لِيَبْتَلِيَكُمْ وَلَقَدْ عَفَا عَنْكُمْ وَاللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾(Āl ʿImrān 3:152)

"And Allah had already fulfilled His promise to you when you were cutting them down by His permission — until the moment you faltered and disputed over the command and disobeyed after He had shown you what you loved. Among you are those who desire this world, and among you are those who desire the Hereafter. Then He turned you away from them to test you — but He has pardoned you. And Allah is full of bounty to the believers."

Translation: Allah fulfilled His promise to you when you were slaying (the enemy) by His leave — until the moment you faltered and disputed over the command and disobeyed after He had shown you what you desired. Among you were those who desired this world (and stayed not at their posts) and those who desired the Hereafter (and stayed firm until death). Then He diverted you from them to test you — but He pardoned your failings. And Allah is full of bounty toward the believers.

Commentary on 3:152:

Among you were those who desired this world and those who desired the Hereafter. Each received his portion: those who wanted the world were given the world; those who sought the Hereafter were given the Hereafter. He then diverted you from the enemy — not because of weakness, but in order to test you, to distinguish who was who among you — and He pardoned what occurred. The situation resolved and the Muslims regrouped. Allah is gracious and merciful to the believers.

Translation of 3:153:﴿إِذْ تُصْعِدُونَ وَلَا تَلْوُونَ عَلَى أَحَدٍ وَالرَّسُولُ يَدْعُوكُمْ فِي أُخْرَاكُمْ فَأَثَابَكُمْ غَمًّا بِغَمٍّ لِكَيْلَا تَحْزَنُوا عَلَى مَا فَاتَكُمْ وَلَا مَا أَصَابَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ﴾(Āl ʿImrān 3:153)

"When you were fleeing and paying no heed to anyone, and the Messenger was calling you from behind, He repaid you with distress upon distress, so that you would not grieve over what escaped you or what befell you. And Allah is aware of all that you do."

Translation: (Remember) when you were fleeing upward (on the mountainside) and paying no heed to anyone, while the Messengerﷺwas calling out to you from behind: "Ilayya ʿibāda Allāh — anā rasūlu Allāh" ("O servants of Allah, come to me — I am the Messenger of Allah!"). He then repaid you with grief upon grief so that you would not grieve over what had slipped from your hands or over what had befallen you. And Allah is fully aware of all that you do.

Commentary: Alongside the enemy's sword strokes, your own confusion increased. What was the grief? First the grief of defeat, then the greater grief of the Prophet's wound — may Allah be pleased with him. Fa-atāhum ghamman bi-ghamin — grief upon grief. Do not be sorrowful over the missed opportunity and over the calamities that befell — Allah is aware of your deeds.

[Verse 3:154 — The Slumber of Tranquility]

Translation of 3:154:﴿ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ الْغَمِّ أَمَنَةً نُعَاسًا يَغْشَى طَائِفَةً مِنْكُمْ وَطَائِفَةٌ قَدْ أَهَمَّتْهُمْ أَنْفُسُهُمْ يَظُنُّونَ بِاللَّهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ ظَنَّ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَقُولُونَ هَلْ لَنَا مِنَ الْأَمْرِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ قُلْ إِنَّ الْأَمْرَ كُلَّهُ لِلَّهِ يُخْفُونَ فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ مَا لَا يُبْدُونَ لَكَ يَقُولُونَ لَوْ كَانَ لَنَا مِنَ الْأَمْرِ شَيْءٌ مَا قُتِلْنَا هَاهُنَا قُلْ لَوْ كُنْتُمْ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ لَبَرَزَ الَّذِينَ كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقَتْلُ إِلَى مَضَاجِعِهِمْ وَلِيَبْتَلِيَ اللَّهُ مَا فِي صُدُورِكُمْ وَلِيُمَحِّصَ مَا فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ﴾(Āl ʿImrān 3:154)

Lexical Notes: Thumma anzala ʿalaykum min baʿdi al-ghammi amanatan nuʿāsan — then He sent down upon you after the grief a security, a drowsiness. Yaghshā ṭāʾifatan minkum — which came over a group among you. Wa-ṭāʾifatun qad ahammathum anfusuhum — and another group was preoccupied and anxious about themselves; they were concerned only with their own safety. Yaẓunnūna bi-Llāhi ghayra al-ḥaqqi ẓanna al-jāhiliyyati — they harboured untrue thoughts about Allah, the thoughts of the Age of Ignorance (jāhiliyya). They supposed the matter was finished. Hal lanā min al-amri min shayʾin — "Do we have any say in this matter?" Qul inna al-amra kullahu li-Llāh — say: "The entire affair belongs to Allah." Yukhfūna fī anfusihim mā lā yubdūna lak — they conceal in themselves what they do not reveal to you; they keep these evil thoughts hidden. Yaqūlūna law kāna lanā min al-amri shayʾun mā qutilnā hāhunā — they say: "If we had had any say in the matter, we would not have been killed here." Qul law kuntum fī buyūtikum la-baraza alladhīna kutiba ʿalayhimu al-qatlu ilā maḍājiʿihim — say: "Even if you had been in your houses, those for whom death had been decreed would certainly have gone out to the places of their dying." Wa-li-yabtaliya Allāhu mā fī ṣudūrikum — so that Allah might test and try what is in your hearts. Wa-Allāhu ʿalīmun bi-dhāti al-ṣudūr — and Allah knows well what is in all hearts.

Translation of 3:154: Then after the grief He sent down upon you a tranquillity — a drowsiness that overcame a group among you; while another group was preoccupied with their own selves, harbouring about Allah false thoughts of the Age of Ignorance (jāhiliyya), saying: "Do we have any say in this matter?" Say: "The entire affair belongs to Allah." They conceal in themselves what they do not reveal to you, saying: "Had we any say in the matter, we would not have been killed here." Say: "Even if you had been in your houses, those for whom killing had been decreed would surely have come out to their appointed places of dying" — so that Allah might test what is in your hearts and purify what is in your souls. And Allah knows well what the hearts contain.

Commentary: After the hardship and grief, two groups emerged: one group to whom Allah sent a drowsy tranquillity and security (the true believers); the other group preoccupied with their own lives, harbouring suspicious, jāhilī thoughts about Allah — these were the hypocrites. They were wondering: "Did we have any choice in this?" They concealed in their hearts what they dare not say openly: that if only they had had authority, they would not have come out to Uḥud and would not have been killed. The hypocrites had in fact tried to persuade the Prophetﷺto stay inside Madīna; when they were overruled they withdrew with their own followers from the battle. And when the Muslims suffered casualties and the Prophetﷺ's blessed face was wounded, they said: "Our people have been killed." Maqājiʿ — plural of maḍjaʿ (resting place, the bed of sleep) — meaning: "they would have been brought to the places appointed for their deaths." Allah will test what is in your hearts and cleanse what is in your souls — wa-Allāhu ʿalīmun bi-dhāti al-ṣudūr — for He knows all that hearts contain.

Translation: Then after the grief He sent down upon you a tranquillity — a drowsiness that came over a group of you — while another group was preoccupied with their own safety, harbouring untrue, jāhilī thoughts about Allah, saying: "Do we have any say in this?" Say: "The entire affair belongs to Allah." They conceal in themselves what they will not reveal to you. They say: "Had we any say, we would not have been killed here." Say: "Even if you had been in your homes, those for whom death had been decreed would certainly have come out to their appointed ends" — so that Allah might test what is in your hearts and purify what is in your souls. And Allah knows well what is in all hearts.

Commentary (continued):

Dear friends! They conceal in their hearts what they dare not say openly — and Allah knows (and the Prophetﷺinforms) what they hide. "Had we had authority," they said, "we would have returned to Madīna and would not have been killed." (But O Prophetﷺ, say to them: Even had you stayed at home, those decreed for death would have come to their appointed ends.) — So that Allah might test the thoughts of your hearts and cleanse what is in your souls and Allah knows thoroughly what hearts conceal.

[Verse 3:155]

Translation of 3:155:﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَلَّوْا مِنْكُمْ يَوْمَ الْتَقَى الْجَمْعَانِ إِنَّمَا اسْتَزَلَّهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ بِبَعْضِ مَا كَسَبُوا وَلَقَدْ عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ﴾Inna alladhīna tawallaww minkum yawma iltaqā al-jamʿāni innamā istazallahumu al-Shayṭānu bi-baʿḍi mā kasabū wa-laqad ʿafā Allāhu ʿanhum; inna Allāha Ghafūrun Ḥalīm. "Indeed, those among you who turned their backs on the day the two armies met — it was only Shayṭān who made them slip on account of some of what they had earned. But Allah has already pardoned them. Surely Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing." (Āl ʿImrān 3:155)

Commentary: Istazallahumu al-Shayṭān — Shayṭān caused them to stumble; he tripped them up, caused them to slip. Bi-baʿḍi mā kasabū — on account of some of their own previous ill-deeds; the evil consequences of their own actions (shāmat al-aʿmāl). Wa-laqad ʿafā Allāhu ʿanhum — and Allah has indeed pardoned them, overlooked their fault. Inna Allāha Ghafūrun Ḥalīm — Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing; He pardons transgressions, is not quick to punish, and is patient.

Translation: Indeed, those among you who fled on the day the two hosts met — Shayṭān alone made them stumble, because of some of what they had previously earned. But Allah has pardoned them. Verily, Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing.

Commentary: Dear friends! Allah and His Messengerﷺare the foundation of your success — yet deeds and exertion are also necessary. Testing must occur. Even those who fail such tests are not abandoned: if they have faith (Īmān), Allah pardons them. Those who were struck down here are martyred (shuhadāʾ) and attain eternal life. Then, those who ultimately die also meet their death. The Prophet's injury had a profound wisdom; through it Allah established who was truly great and who was small among the community, who was obedient and who was disobedient. The setback of Uḥud for the Muslims was painful — but it was not enough for the unbelievers to consider themselves victorious.

[Verse 3:156 — Do Not Be Like the Unbelievers]

Translation of 3:156:﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَقَالُوا لِإِخْوَانِهِمْ إِذَا ضَرَبُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ أَوْ كَانُوا غُزًّى لَوْ كَانُوا عِنْدَنَا مَا مَاتُوا وَمَا قُتِلُوا لِيَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ ذَلِكَ حَسْرَةً فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ﴾Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū lā takūnū ka-lladhīna kafarū wa-qālū li-ikhwānihim idhā ḍarabū fī al-arḍi aw kānū ghuzzan law kānū ʿindanā mā mātu wa-mā qutilū; li-yajʿala Allāhu dhālika ḥasratan fī qulūbihim; wa-Allāhu yuḥyī wa-yumīt; wa-Allāhu bi-mā taʿmalūna baṣīr. "O you who believe! Do not be like those who disbelieved and said of their brothers when they travelled in the land or went out to fight: 'If they had stayed with us, they would not have died and would not have been killed' — so that Allah might make this a grief in their hearts. But Allah gives life and causes death, and Allah is Watchful over all that you do." (Āl ʿImrān 3:156)

Lexical Notes: Idhā ḍarabū fī al-arḍ — when they journeyed in the land (for trade or travel). Aw kānū ghuzzan — or when they were engaged in warfare and jihād. Law kānū ʿindanā — if they had been with us. Mā mātu wa-mā qutilū — they would not have died and would not have been killed. Li-yajaʿala Allāhu dhālika ḥasratan fī qulūbihim — so that Allah might make that belief a sorrow and regret (ḥasra) remaining in their hearts. They did not know that martyrdom (shahādat) is itself a reality, and that in the alternating seasons of time there is good for the believers. This grief and anguish will remain in their hearts. Wa-Allāhu yuḥyī wa-yumīt — life and death are in the hands of Allah alone.

Translation: O believers! Do not be like the disbelievers who said of their brothers — when they were journeying in the land or when they were out on a military campaign — "Had they been with us, they would not have died and would not have been killed." So that Allah might make this (belief) a source of grief and sorrow in their hearts. Life and death are in Allah's hands, and Allah is Watchful over all that you do.

[Verses 3:157–158 — Dying or Being Killed in Allah's Way]

Translation of 3:157:﴿وَلَئِنْ قُتِلْتُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَوْ مُتُّمْ لَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَحْمَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ﴾Wa-la-in qutiltum fī sabīli Allāhi aw muttum la-maghfiratun min Allāhi wa-raḥmatun khayrun mimmā yajmaʿūn. "And if you are killed in the way of Allah or die — then forgiveness from Allah and mercy are better than all that they accumulate." (Āl ʿImrān 3:157)

Translation: And surely — if you are killed in the way of Allah or die (naturally), Allah's forgiveness and mercy are far better than all that they (those who cling to the world) gather and amass.

Translation of 3:158:﴿وَلَئِنْ مُتُّمْ أَوْ قُتِلْتُمْ لَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُحْشَرُونَ﴾Wa-la-in muttum aw qutiltum la-ilā Allāhi tuḥsharūn. "And if you die or are killed, it is to Allah that you will be gathered." (Āl ʿImrān 3:158)

Translation: And whether you die or are killed, you will most certainly be gathered back to Allah. (Your destination is to Him — then what is there to fear in death?)

[Verse 3:159 — The Mercy of the Prophetﷺand the Duty of Consultation]

Translation of 3:159:﴿فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ لِنْتَ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ كُنْتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ لَانْفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِي الْأَمْرِ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ﴾Fa-bi-mā raḥmatin min Allāhi linta lahum; wa-law kunta faẓẓan ghalīẓa al-qalbi la-nfaḍḍū min ḥawlik; fa-ʿfu ʿanhum wa-istaghfir lahum wa-shāwirhum fī al-amr; fa-idhā ʿazamta fa-tawakkal ʿalā Allāh; inna Allāha yuḥibbu al-mutawakkilīn. "So it was by a mercy from Allah that you were lenient with them. Had you been harsh and hard-hearted, they would have dispersed from around you. So pardon them and seek forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. Then when you have decided, place your trust in Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who place their trust in Him." (Āl ʿImrān 3:159)

Lexical Notes: Fa-bi-mā raḥmatin min Allāh — it was by a mercy from Allah; an emphatic mā of wonder. Mercy descends from the Throne of Allah. Linta lahum — you were gentle and lenient with them; you were soft-hearted. Faẓẓan ghalīẓa al-qalb — harsh and coarse; hard-hearted and rough in manner. La-nfaḍḍū min ḥawlik — they would have dispersed and scattered from around you. Fa-ʿfu ʿanhum — so pardon them; overlook their faults and forgive them. Wa-istaghfir lahum — seek forgiveness for them; intercede for them with Allah. Wa-shāwirhum fī al-amr — and consult them in the matter (mushāwara). Fa-idhā ʿazamta — then when you have made your decision and resolved upon a course. Fa-tawakkal ʿalā Allāh — then place your trust in Allah. Inna Allāha yuḥibbu al-mutawakkilīn — Allah loves those who place their trust in Him.

Translation (of 3:159): It is by a mercy from Allah that youﷺwere gentle and lenient with them. Had you been harsh and hard-hearted, they would have scattered and fled from around you. So pardon them and seek forgiveness for them, and consult them in the matter. Then when you have resolved, place your trust in Allah — for Allah loves those who trust in Him.

Commentary: Dear friends! This verse reveals extraordinary riches of divine instruction. Allah says: Mercy comes from Allah — mercy rains from the highest Throne (ʿarsh-e-aʿlā). The Prophetﷺ, who is the manifestation of divine mercy, is gentle, not harsh, not hard. One who is harsh, who is arrogant, drives people away — they flee from him. People take advantage of him and mock him. He commands: pardon their faults, forgive them — and Allah too will forgive their faults; do not feel aggrieved by their failings, for the devil will exploit that to prompt further punishment. Therefore pardon them. He commands: consult them (shūrā) — yet the decision and the command is not theirs, it is yours; take counsel, consult, and then when resolved, act and place trust in Allah (tawakkul). For Allah loves the trusting (mutawakkilīn).

Dear friends! What does this mean? The consultation (shūrā) should be genuine; it should be based on sincerity. Those consulted should be men of experience (kārdān), men of discernment, those who know the ups and downs (of affairs), those who are well-grounded in practical matters. The counsel of the ignorant (jāhil) is worthless — they neither understand nor grasp; they merely raise their hands at the time of consultation. The most important quality in those whose counsel is sought is that they be possessed of strength and integrity. The counsel of those who are brought and placed before others by force, those who are browbeaten, those who are pressured — what is the worth of that counsel? The tendency to make counsel one's own, without consulting others, and the pretension to one's own views — these too are evils. May Allah Most High grant good fortune to the Muslims, give them obedience to Allah and His Messengerﷺ, and love of the community (umma).

Commentary (continued — Shūrā):

What good is that? The shūrā should be a genuine shūrā and a dār al-shūrā (house of consultation) must exist. Those consulted should be men of judgement, men of experience, men of true acquaintance with affairs and practice. The counsel of the ignorant — their not understanding, not grasping, their raising of hands at the time of consultation — this is worthless. The most important quality of those who give counsel is that they be men of strong conviction and integrity. The advice of those who are brought forward by force and intimidation — what is the worth of that? Self-regard, love of status, and greed for wealth are corrupting forces. The tendency to override counsel, or to pretend to consult while having already decided — these are also evils. May Allah grant the Muslims good guidance, grant them obedience to Allah and His Messengerﷺ, and love of their community.

[Verses 3:160–161]

Translation of 3:160:﴿إِنْ يَنْصُرْكُمُ اللَّهُ فَلَا غَالِبَ لَكُمْ وَإِنْ يَخْذُلْكُمْ فَمَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَنْصُرُكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ﴾In yanṣurkumu Allāhu fa-lā ghāliba lakum; wa-in yakhdhulkum fa-man dha alladhī yanṣurukum min baʿdih; wa-ʿalā Allāhi fa-l-yatawakkali al-muʾminūn. "If Allah helps you, no one can overcome you. And if He forsakes you, who is there after Him that can help you? And upon Allah let the believers rely." (Āl ʿImrān 3:160)

Lexical Notes: In yanṣurkumu Allāh — if Allah grants you help and victory. Fa-lā ghāliba lakum — then no one can overcome or defeat you. Wa-in yakhdhulkum — and if He abandons and withholds His help from you (khidhlān — abandonment, withdrawal of support at the moment of need). Fa-man dha alladhī yanṣurukum — then who is there who can help you? Wa-ʿalā Allāhi fa-l-yatawakkali al-muʾminūn — and upon Allah alone let the believers place their full trust.

Translation: If Allah helps you, no one will overcome you. And if He forsakes you, who is there after Him to help you? Let the believers place their trust in Allah alone.

Translation of 3:161:﴿وَمَا كَانَ لِنَبِيٍّ أَنْ يَغُلَّ وَمَنْ يَغْلُلْ يَأْتِ بِمَا غَلَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ثُمَّ تُوَفَّى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ﴾Wa-mā kāna li-nabiyyin an yaghill; wa-man yaghull yaʾti bi-mā ghalla yawma al-qiyāmati thumma tuwaffā kullu nafsin mā kasabat wa-hum lā yuẓlamūn. "It is not for a prophet to act dishonestly with war booty; and whoever acts dishonestly will bring what he misappropriated on the Day of Resurrection. Then every soul will be fully recompensed for what it earned, and they will not be wronged." (Āl ʿImrān 3:161)

Lexical Notes: Ghalala — breach of trust; ghulūl — misappropriation of war booty, treacherous concealment of wealth. Yaʾti bi-mā ghalla yawma al-qiyāmah — on the Day of Resurrection he will come carrying what he misappropriated. Thumma tuwaffā kullu nafsin mā kasabat — then every soul will receive in full whatever it earned. Wa-hum lā yuẓlamūn — and no injustice will be done to them.

Translation (of 3:161): It is not for a prophet to be dishonest (in the distribution of spoils of war). Whoever is dishonest will come on the Day of Resurrection carrying (the burden of) what he misappropriated. Then every soul will be recompensed in full for what it earned, and no injustice will be done to them.

Commentary: The Prophetﷺhas always been characterised by utter integrity and faithfulness — rectitude in word and deed, at all times and in all conditions. One who practices ghulūl (treacherous misappropriation) — he shall bring it with him on the Day of Judgement, and every person will receive in full the recompense of their deeds.

Translation of 3:162:﴿أَفَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَ اللَّهِ كَمَنْ بَاءَ بِسَخَطٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَمَأْوَاهُ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ﴾A-fa-man ittabaʿa riḍwāna Allāhi ka-man bāʾa bi-sakhaṭin min Allāhi wa-maʾwāhu Jahannam; wa-biʾsa al-maṣīr. "Is one who follows the pleasure of Allah like one who has incurred the wrath of Allah, whose refuge is Hell? And what a wretched destination it is!" (Āl ʿImrān 3:162)

Translation: Is one who pursues the pleasure of Allah like one who has incurred the anger of Allah and whose abode and refuge is Hellfire? How wretched is that end!

Translation of 3:163:﴿هُمْ دَرَجَاتٌ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾Hum darajātun ʿinda Allāhi wa-Allāhu baṣīrun bi-mā yaʿmalūn. "They have varying degrees (of rank) before Allah, and Allah is seeing of all that they do." (Āl ʿImrān 3:163)

Translation: They have different degrees and stations with Allah, and Allah sees all that they do.

Translation: They have varying degrees and ranks before Allah (and Allah treats each according to their rank), and Allah sees all that they do (and will recompense accordingly).

[Verse 3:164 — Allah's Favour in Sending the Prophetﷺ]

Translation of 3:164:﴿لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِنْ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ﴾Laqad manna Allāhu ʿalā al-muʾminīna idh baʿatha fīhim rasūlan min anfusihim yatlū ʿalayhim āyātihi wa-yuzakkīhim wa-yuʿallimuhumu al-kitāba wa-al-ḥikmata wa-in kānū min qablu la-fī ḍalālin mubīn. "Certainly did Allah confer His favour upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom — although they had been before in manifest error." (Āl ʿImrān 3:164)

Lexical Notes: Laqad manna Allāhu ʿalā al-muʾminīn — Allah has indeed bestowed a great favour (manna) on the believers; He kept His grace over them. Idh baʿatha fīhim rasūlan min anfusihim — when He sent in their midst a messenger from among themselves, from their own human kind; from the same human species, with full human affinity, kinship, and the sensitivity of being one of them — with the proper understanding and sympathy that arise from sharing the same nature. Elsewhere, if one were to take a messenger other than a human, where would that connection, that teaching, and that ittibāʿ (following) be? This is one of the great blessings of Allah. Allah sent in their midst a prophet who is one of themselves (min anfusihim), so that men might relate to him, follow him, love him, and bond with him.

Yatlu ʿalayhim āyātih — reciting to them His signs and verses. Wa-yuzakkīhim — and purifying them; cleansing them of moral filth (akhbāth), keeping them clean through his conduct. Wa-yuʿallimuhumu al-kitāba wa-al-ḥikma — teaching them the Book and wisdom. His instruction is entirely in keeping with human nature (fiṭrat). Guidance is given according to the capacity and disposition of the person being taught. There is nothing in his teaching that contradicts reason or is inappropriate. Wa-in kānū min qablu la-fī ḍalālin mubīn — and although before this they were in manifest error. Ḍalāl mubīn — a clear and manifest misguidance; a darkness spread thick.

Translation: Truly, Allah conferred a supreme favour on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from their own kind — one who recites His verses to them, purifies them, and teaches them the Book and wisdom — although before this they were in manifest error.

Commentary (continued):

The age before the Prophetﷺwas an age of widespread bloodshed (qatl wa-khūn) and open sexual immorality (zinākārī) and intoxication (sharāb-khwārī) and all manner of oppression (ẓulm). The distance from Islām was wide; its moral darkness was total. Open your eyes and look at the present state today. You know no politics — this is your evidence against yourselves; you practise moral depravity by your own volition. Then lament: you are deserving of the punishment of Allah. And O Muslims! The remedies for your ailments too were given in this very blessed teaching — all the diseases of the People of the Book are also present in you. But the moment has not yet come for the punishment — and Shayṭān is continually inciting and encouraging your evils. So repent; turn toward Allah Most High and take guidance from His light. He will purify you and cleanse you and make you upright. His doors of mercy are open — enter them. One day His revolution will come, the state of your affairs will change, and the pain of your condition will become your gain.

[Verses 3:165–166 — The Calamity of Uḥud: Its Source and Its Wisdom]

Translation of 3:165:﴿أَوَلَمَّا أَصَابَتْكُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قَدْ أَصَبْتُمْ مِثْلَيْهَا قُلْتُمْ أَنَّى هَذَا قُلْ هُوَ مِنْ عِنْدِ أَنْفُسِكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ﴾A-wa-lammā aṣābatkum muṣībatun qad aṣabtum mithlayahā qultum annā hādhā; qul huwa min ʿindi anfusikum; inna Allāha ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr. "What! When a disaster struck you — you had struck (the enemy) with twice as much — you said: 'From where has this come?' Say: 'It is from your own selves.' Indeed, Allah is over all things capable." (Āl ʿImrān 3:165)

Lexical Notes: Aṣābatkum muṣība — a misfortune struck you; a calamity befell you. Qad aṣabtum mithlayahā — you had yourself inflicted twice that (upon the enemy at Badr). Qultum annā hādhā — you asked: "From where did this come? How did this happen?" Qul huwa min ʿindi anfusikum — say: "It is from your own selves" — it is the consequence of your own actions; the disobedience of the archers. Inna Allāha ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr — verily Allah is capable over all things.

Translation: Was it that when a misfortune struck you — though you had previously inflicted double that on the enemy — you said: "From where has this come?" Say: "It is from your own selves." Indeed, Allah is over all things capable.

Translation of 3:166:﴿وَمَا أَصَابَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْتَقَى الْجَمْعَانِ فَبِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾Wa-mā aṣābakum yawma iltaqā al-jamʿāni fa-bi-idhni Allāh; wa-li-yaʿlama al-muʾminīn. "And what struck you on the day the two armies met — it was by the permission of Allah, so that He might make known the (true) believers." (Āl ʿImrān 3:166)

Translation: And the calamity that struck you on the day the two armies met was by Allah's will and permission — so that He might make manifest who the true believers are (and test and reveal their faith).

[Verse 3:167]

Translation of 3:167:﴿وَلِيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ نَافَقُوا وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا قَاتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَوِ ادْفَعُوا قَالُوا لَوْ نَعْلَمُ قِتَالًا لَاتَّبَعْنَاكُمْ هُمْ لِلْكُفْرِ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَقْرَبُ مِنْهُمْ لِلْإِيمَانِ يَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ مَا لَيْسَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَكْتُمُونَ﴾(Āl ʿImrān 3:167)

Lexical Notes: Wa-li-yaʿlama alladhīna nāfaqū — and that He might make evident those who are hypocrites. Wa-qīla lahum taʿālaw qātilū fī sabīli Allāh aw-dfaʿū — and it was said to them: "Come! Fight in the way of Allah, or at least defend." Qālū law naʿlamu qitālan la-ttabaʿnākum — they said: "If we knew fighting would really occur, we would surely follow you." Hum li-l-kufri yawmaʾidhin aqrabu minhum li-l-īmān — on that day they were far closer to disbelief (kufr) than to belief (īmān). Yaqūlūna bi-afwāhihim mā laysa fī qulūbihim — they say with their mouths what is not in their hearts. Wa-Allāhu aʿlamu bi-mā yaktumūn — and Allah knows best what they conceal.

Translation of 3:167: "And that He might make evident those who were hypocrites. And it was said to them: 'Come, fight in the way of Allah or at least repel (the enemy).' They said: 'If we knew there would be actual fighting, we would certainly have followed you.' On that day they were closer to disbelief than to faith. They say with their mouths what is not in their hearts — and Allah knows well what they conceal."

Commentary: Dear friends! The excuse of not knowing warfare (qitāl) and war tactics was the practice of the hypocrites.﴿وَأَعِدُّوا لَهُمْ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ مِنْ قُوَّةٍ﴾"Prepare against them whatever force you can" (al-Anfāl 8:60) — they continue to frighten the Muslims. The obligation of Islām requires jihād (fighting in the way of Allah); every Muslim by nature is a warrior and must be. The blessed tradition is that those fighting alongside the Messengerﷺfaced sword, spear, and arrow. Some Muslims fled in fear. It was a duty upon each and every one of them. These hypocrites are corrupt, devoid of real courage, and of divided and wretched hearts — may Allah give the Muslims good fortune and grant them love and obedience to Allah Most High and His Messengerﷺand the love of their community.

Translation of 3:168:﴿الَّذِينَ قَالُوا لِإِخْوَانِهِمْ وَقَعَدُوا لَوْ أَطَاعُونَا مَا قُتِلُوا قُلْ فَادْرَءُوا عَنْ أَنْفُسِكُمُ الْمَوْتَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ﴾Alladhīna qālū li-ikhwānihim wa-qaʿadū law aṭāʿūnā mā qutilū; qul fa-dra'ū ʿan anfusikumu al-mawta in kuntum ṣādiqīn. "Those who sat back and said of their brothers: 'Had they obeyed us, they would not have been killed.' Say: 'Then ward off death from yourselves, if you are truthful.'" (Āl ʿImrān 3:168)

Translation: Those who stayed behind (away from the battle) and said of their brothers: "Had they obeyed us, they would not have been killed." Say (to them): "Then ward off death from yourselves — if you speak the truth!"

Commentary: Dear friends! One day death will surely come. Either a person dies in cowardice, humiliation and disgrace — lying in bed like a woman — and even then he will die; or he goes out to the field of battle with courage and manliness, and either survives in safety or is honoured with martyrdom. The coward has two deaths:

Do log mawt ek yād e / Pā āmo ho zī — Hargiz nahīn martā, voh — Ṣar nar ne kujā jāre s.

(Two remember death and one is never really alive / He never truly dies — the brave man, where does he go?) (Ḥasrat Ṣiddīqī)

Translation of 3:168 (continued):

Those very people, sitting comfortably at home and saying to their brothers: "Had you obeyed us you would not have been killed and you would not have died" — then ward off death from yourselves if you are truthful!

Commentary (continued): Dear friends! Death comes sooner or later. A man either dies in cowardice, humiliation, and degradation — like a woman on a bed — and even so will die; or he goes to the field of battle with courage, and either returns safe and whole or is honoured with martyrdom. Cowardice has two deaths.

[Verses 3:169–171 — The Martyrs Are Alive with Their Lord]

Translation of 3:169:﴿وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتًا بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ﴾Wa-lā taḥsabanna alladhīna qutilū fī sabīli Allāhi amwātan; bal aḥyāʾun ʿinda rabbihim yurzaqūn. "And never think of those who have been killed in the way of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive, with their Lord, receiving provision." (Āl ʿImrān 3:169)

Lexical Notes: Wa-lā taḥsabanna — and never think; never reckon (ḥisāb: to reckon, calculate). Alladhīna qutilū fī sabīli Allāh — those who have been killed in the way of Allah. Amwātan — as dead; do not call them dead. Bal aḥyāʾun — rather, they are alive. ʿInda rabbihim — with their Lord, in the vicinity of their Guardian and Sustainer. Yurzaqūn — they are given provision; they are nourished; their sustenance flows to them.

Translation: Never reckon those who were killed in the way of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord and are being given provision.

Commentary: Dear friends! After death, the state of certain people of high spiritual rank becomes clear and illuminated — while the state of ordinary people in the realm of barzakh (the intermediate realm) resembles the state of those in dungeons undergoing investigation. Every soul has its own station and its own place. Their spiritual kind (jins) also becomes visible to those with insight, though remember: as long as a person is entangled in the net of materiality, he cannot reach the world of spirits. And remember: one who fights in the way of Allah — who is ready to die, who becomes a martyr — his provision is from Allah in his own realm and station. One who loves cannot but be with his Beloved. Al-marʾu maʿa man aḥabb — "a person is with one he loves" — and anta maʿa man aḥbabt — "and you are with one you love."

Ay ḥasrat shiyā gar hik haiṃ sāth māre taqar / Jābinat maʿa man aḥbabta — farāq kī wālī ne. (Ḥasrat Ṣiddīqī)

Translation of 3:170–171:﴿فَرِحِينَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَيَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِالَّذِينَ لَمْ يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ مِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ أَلَّا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ﴾Farihīna bi-mā ātāhumu Allāhu min faḍlihī wa-yastabshirūna bi-lladhīna lam yalḥaqū bihim min khalfihim allā khawfun ʿalayhim wa-lā hum yaḥzanūn. "Rejoicing in what Allah has given them of His bounty, and they receive glad tidings about those (believers) who have not yet joined them — that there shall be no fear upon them, nor shall they grieve." (Āl ʿImrān 3:170)

Lexical Notes: Farihīna — joyful, glad, filled with delight; serene and joyous in their state. Bi-mā ātāhumu Allāhu — with what Allah has given them — min faḍlihī — from His bounty and grace. Wa-yastabshirūna — and they rejoice and receive glad tidings. Bi-lladhīna lam yalḥaqū bihim — about those who have not yet joined them from behind — those who are still in this world who have not yet died. Min khalfihim — those who came after them. Allā khawfun ʿalayhim wa-lā hum yaḥzanūn — that there shall be no fear upon them and no grief for them.

Translation of 3:170: They rejoice in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounty and are glad with tidings for those (in the world below) who have not yet joined them — that no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve.

Commentary: Those who are martyred — their children and their survivors who remain — shall be safe. After their martyrdom, the condition of their children is: do not be saddened; they will remain in peace; no sword shall threaten them; their sustenance will not decrease; they will not know grief. This is the glad tiding given to the martyrs about their heirs.

Translation of 3:171:﴿يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِنِعْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَفَضْلٍ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾Yastabshirūna bi-niʿmatin min Allāhi wa-faḍlin wa-anna Allāha lā yuḍīʿu ajra al-muʾminīn. "They receive glad tidings of the favour from Allah and His bounty — and that Allah does not allow the reward of the believers to be lost." (Āl ʿImrān 3:171)

Translation: They receive glad tidings of grace and bounty from Allah — and that Allah never allows the reward of the believers to go to waste.

[Verses 3:172–173 — Those Who Responded After Uḥud]

Translation of 3:172:﴿الَّذِينَ اسْتَجَابُوا لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا أَصَابَهُمُ الْقَرْحُ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا مِنْهُمْ وَاتَّقَوْا أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾Alladhīna istajābū li-Llāhi wa-al-Rasūli min baʿdi mā aṣābahumu al-qarḥu; li-lladhīna aḥsanū minhum wa-ittaqaw ajrun ʿaẓīm. "Those who responded to Allah and the Messenger after the wound had struck them — for those who did good and maintained taqwā among them is a great reward." (Āl ʿImrān 3:172)

Lexical Notes: Alladhīna istajābū — those who answered the call and responded; they obeyed. Min baʿdi mā aṣābahumu al-qarḥ — after the wounds and injuries had struck them and they were still suffering. Li-lladhīna aḥsanū minhum wa-ittaqaw — for those among them who excel in goodness and maintain God-consciousness. Ajrun ʿaẓīm — a great and magnificent reward.

Translation: Those who responded to the call of Allah and the Messengerﷺafter the wounds had struck them — for those among them who excelled in goodness and maintained taqwā, a great reward awaits.

Translation: Those who answered the call of Allah and His Messengerﷺeven after suffering wounds and injuries — for those who excelled in goodness and maintained God-consciousness among them, a magnificent reward (and great recompense) awaits.

[Verses 3:173–175 — "Sufficient for Us Is Allah"]

Translation of 3:173:﴿الَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَقَالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ﴾Alladhīna qāla lahumu al-nāsu inna al-nāsa qad jamaʿū lakum fa-khshawhum fa-zādahum īmānan wa-qālū ḥasbunā Allāhu wa-niʿma al-wakīl. "Those to whom people said: 'The people have gathered against you, so fear them.' But it only increased them in faith, and they said: 'Sufficient for us is Allah, and how excellent is the Trustee.'" (Āl ʿImrān 3:173)

Commentary: Al-ladhīna qāla lahumu al-nās — those to whom people said (the disbelievers said); those whom the people told. Inna al-nāsa qad jamaʿū lakum — "The people (the unbelievers) are gathering an army against you, assembling a great force for you." Fa-khshawhum — "so fear them." Fa-zādahum īmānan — but that declaration only increased their faith; the Muslims were not terrified but rather more firmly grounded. Wa-qālū ḥasbunā Allāhu wa-niʿma al-wakīl — and they said: "Sufficient for us is Allah, and how excellent a Guardian and Disposer of affairs He is!" — this is the meaning of reliance on Allah (tawakkul).

Translation: Those to whom it was said: "The people have gathered their forces against you, so fear them" — but this only increased their faith all the more, and they said: "Sufficient for us is Allah, and how excellent is the Guardian-Trustee (wakīl)."

Commentary: The battle of Badr al-Ṣughrā (the Small Badr) is in view here. After the Battle of Uḥud, Abū Sufyān of Quraysh promised to meet the Muslims the following year at Badr for a decisive battle. A whole year passed. Then the Muslims — true to their word — arrived at Badr al-Ṣughrā. There they held the annual fair and traded profitably for four days. The disbelievers of Quraysh did not come — Abū Sufyān retreated and backed away. The name that history gave to this non-event was al-Sawīq (the Barley Broth). Only the sawīq rations arrived — nothing more. Among Muslims this event is known as Badr al-Ṣughrā. The disbelievers had sent a message intimidating them: "The unbelievers are assembling a great host against you — be afraid!" The believers' response was ḥasbunā Allāhu wa-niʿma al-wakīl — "Sufficient for us is Allah, and how excellent is the Trustee!"

Commentary (continued — On Faith and Its Degrees):

There is a scholarly discussion whether faith (īmān) is capable of increase or decrease — whether it is amenable to addition and subtraction. The more accurate position is: the core essence of faith (aṣl al-īmān), which is either belief or its absence (kufr), is not subject to increase or decrease in itself. However, the qualities and states attendant upon faith (kīfiyyāt) — and the deeds that are built upon it — are subject to growth. Remember: between kufr and Īmān there is no intermediate stage; one is either a believer or not. The Najdī doctrine (najadiyan ʿaqīda) is too extreme in this regard — it calls Muslims unbelievers at every turn. The more correct understanding is that a grave sin (kabīra) does not automatically remove faith — it is a matter of whether shirk (associating partners with Allah) has entered therein.

[Verses 3:174–175]

Translation of 3:174:﴿فَانْقَلَبُوا بِنِعْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَفَضْلٍ لَمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ وَاتَّبَعُوا رِضْوَانَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ﴾Fa-nqalabū bi-niʿmatin min Allāhi wa-faḍlin lam yamsas-hum sūʾun wa-ittabaʿū riḍwāna Allāhi wa-Allāhu dhū faḍlin ʿaẓīm. "So they returned with favour from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them. They followed the pleasure of Allah — and Allah is the Possessor of great bounty." (Āl ʿImrān 3:174)

Translation: So they turned back with Allah's favour and grace, no harm having touched them. They followed the pleasure of Allah — and Allah is the Possessor of immense bounty.

Translation of 3:175:﴿إِنَّمَا ذَلِكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ يُخَوِّفُ أَوْلِيَاءَهُ فَلَا تَخَافُوهُمْ وَخَافُونِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ﴾Innamā dhālikumu al-Shayṭānu yukhawwifu awliyāʾahu fa-lā takhāfūhum wa-khāfūni in kuntum muʾminīn. "It is only Shayṭān that frightens (you) through his allies. So do not fear them — but fear Me, if you are (true) believers." (Āl ʿImrān 3:175)

Lexical Notes: Innamā dhālikumu al-Shayṭān — it is nothing but Shayṭān himself (who is the instigator of all this terror and agitation). Yukhawwifu awliyāʾah — he frightens you with his allies and partisans; he instils dread in the servants of Allah concerning his supporters — yet his supporters cannot harm those possessing true faith (ikhlāṣ). Fa-lā takhāfūhum — so do not fear them at all. Wa-khāfūni — and fear Me alone. Allah Most High says: wa-khāfūni ("and fear Me"), meaning wa-khāfū ʿadhābī — "fear My punishment." In kuntum muʾminīn — if you are truly believers.

Translation: Indeed, it is only Shayṭān who frightens you with his allies. So fear them not — but fear Me, if you are believers.

Commentary: Do not be intimidated by Shayṭān's allies (his devotees, the evil ones — fear them not!). Fear the One whom you should truly fear. (A true believer fears Shayṭān's allies as little as he does.) O believers!

[Verses 3:176–177 — Those Who Rush Into Kufr]

Translation of 3:176:﴿وَلَا يَحْزُنْكَ الَّذِينَ يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْكُفْرِ إِنَّهُمْ لَنْ يَضُرُّوا اللَّهَ شَيْئًا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ أَلَّا يَجْعَلَ لَهُمْ حَظًّا فِي الْآخِرَةِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾Wa-lā yaḥzunka alladhīna yusāriʿūna fī al-kufr; innahum lan yaḍurrū Allāha shayʾan; yurīdu Allāhu allā yajʿala lahum ḥaẓẓan fī al-ākhirah; wa-lahum ʿadhābun ʿaẓīm. "And let not those who hasten into disbelief grieve you. Indeed, they will not harm Allah at all. Allah desires to assign them no share in the Hereafter, and for them is a great punishment." (Āl ʿImrān 3:176)

Lexical Notes: Wa-lā yaḥzunka — and do not be grieved (O Prophetﷺ). Alladhīna yusāriʿūna fī al-kufr — those who rush headlong into disbelief, racing into it eagerly. Innahum lan yaḍurrū Allāha shayʾan — they will not harm Allah in the least; they will not impair the decree of Allah. Yurīdu Allāhu allā yajʿala lahum ḥaẓẓan fī al-ākhira — Allah intends to grant them no portion or share in the Hereafter. Wa-lahum ʿadhābun ʿaẓīm — and for them is a tremendous punishment.

Translation: And let not those who rush headlong into disbelief grieve you. They will not harm Allah in the least. Allah intends to give them no portion in the Hereafter, and for them awaits a great punishment.

Translation of 3:177:﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُا الْكُفْرَ بِالْإِيمَانِ لَنْ يَضُرُّوا اللَّهَ شَيْئًا وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ﴾Inna alladhīna ishtarawu al-kufra bi-al-īmāni lan yaḍurrū Allāha shayʾan wa-lahum ʿadhābun alīm. "Indeed, those who purchase disbelief in exchange for faith — they will not harm Allah at all, and for them is a painful punishment." (Āl ʿImrān 3:177)

Translation: Indeed, those who have purchased disbelief in exchange for faith — they will not harm Allah in the slightest, and for them is a painful chastisement.

[Verse 3:178 — Divine Respite]

Translation of 3:178:﴿وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ خَيْرٌ لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ إِنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ لِيَزْدَادُوا إِثْمًا وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ﴾Wa-lā yaḥsabanna alladhīna kafarū annamā numlī lahum khayrun li-anfusihim; innamā numlī lahum li-yazdādū ithman wa-lahum ʿadhābun muhīn. "And let not those who disbelieve think that the respite We give them is good for them. We only extend respite to them so that they may increase in sin — and for them is a humiliating punishment." (Āl ʿImrān 3:178)

Lexical Notes: Wa-lā yaḥsabanna alladhīna kafarū — and let the disbelievers not suppose; let them not think. Annamā numlī lahum — that the respite We grant them (imlāʾ: granting of prolonged time). Khayrun li-anfusihim — is in fact good for them, a benefit to their souls. Innamā numlī lahum li-yazdādū ithman — We only extend them respite so that they may accumulate even more sin; so that they may heap up further wickedness. Wa-lahum ʿadhābun muhīn — and for them is a humiliating, degrading punishment.

Translation: Let the disbelievers not suppose that the respite We give them is good for them. We extend it to them only so that they may increase in sin — and for them is a humiliating punishment.

Commentary: Dear friends! Allah does not corrupt one whose nature is sound; He gives a person his due respite appropriate to his state and his wickedness — so that he may exhaust and expose the utmost depths of his evil — and then the humiliating punishment comes upon him. His respite is not mercy but a means for his further damnation.

[Verse 3:179 — Allah Does Not Leave the Believers in This State]

Translation of 3:179:﴿مَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَذَرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى يَمِيزَ الْخَبِيثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُطْلِعَكُمْ عَلَى الْغَيْبِ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَجْتَبِي مِنْ رُسُلِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ فَآمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَإِنْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَتَتَّقُوا فَلَكُمْ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾Mā kāna Allāhu li-yadhara al-muʾminīna ʿalā mā antum ʿalayhi ḥattā yamīza al-khabītha min al-ṭayyib; wa-mā kāna Allāhu li-yuṭliʿakum ʿalā al-ghaybi wa-lākinna Allāha yajtabī min rusulihī man yashāʾu fa-āminū bi-Llāhi wa-rusulihī; wa-in tuʾminū wa-tattaqū fa-lakum ajrun ʿaẓīm. "Allah would not leave the believers in the state you are in until He separates the impure from the pure. And Allah would not inform you of the unseen — but Allah chooses of His messengers whom He wills. So believe in Allah and His messengers. And if you believe and maintain taqwā, you will have a great reward." (Āl ʿImrān 3:179)

Commentary: Mā kāna Allāhu — it was never Allah's manner. Li-yadhara al-muʾminīna — to leave the believers. ʿAlā mā antum ʿalayhi — in the state you are in. Ḥattā yamīza al-khabītha min al-ṭayyib — until He separates the impure (khabīth) from the pure (ṭayyib). Note: kāna here does not mean past tense ("it was"); rather it carries the meaning of permanent divine nature and character. Li-yadhar — He would not leave; abandon; leave without care. ʿAlā mā antum ʿalayhi — in this mixed state in which you are. Allah would surely separate the pure from the impure, the good grain from the chaff.

Translation: Allah was never going to leave the believers in the state in which you now are, until He separates the impure from the pure. And Allah was not going to acquaint you with the unseen — but Allah chooses from among His messengers whom He wills (and grants them knowledge of what He wills). So believe in Allah and His messengers. And if you believe and maintain taqwā, yours is a great reward.

Commentary: Dear friends! The knowledge of the unseen (ʿilm al-ghayb) is at times concealed by wisdom and may also be disclosed at other times; when its disclosure serves some purpose it is given. Believe in Allah and act accordingly — a magnificent reward awaits you. Is it truly not known to all? Everything will become clear in its time. Do not remain in the doubt about it; Allah's affairs proceed with wisdom. "Believe and be pious and a magnificent reward is yours."

Commentary: Dear friends! This verse establishes the honouring of the messengers with knowledge of the unseen — and that the keeping of that knowledge veiled serves a definite divine purpose, which is clearly apparent.

[Verse 3:180 — The Misers and Their Punishment]

Translation of 3:180:﴿وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ بَلْ هُوَ شَرٌّ لَهُمْ سَيُطَوَّقُونَ مَا بَخِلُوا بِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلِلَّهِ مِيرَاثُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ﴾Wa-lā yaḥsabanna alladhīna yabkhalūna bi-mā ātāhumu Allāhu min faḍlihī huwa khayran lahum; bal huwa sharrun lahum; sa-yuṭawwaqūna mā bakhilū bihī yawma al-qiyāmah; wa-li-Llāhi mīrāthu al-samāwāti wa-al-arḍ; wa-Allāhu bi-mā taʿmalūna khabīr. "And let not those who are miserly with what Allah has given them of His bounty think that it is better for them. Rather, it is worse for them. They will be collared with what they were miserly with on the Day of Resurrection. And to Allah belongs the inheritance of the heavens and the earth. And Allah is fully aware of all that you do." (Āl ʿImrān 3:180)

Lexical Notes: Yabkhalūna — those who are miserly, who withhold with miserliness (bukhl). Bi-mā ātāhumu Allāhu min faḍlihī — with what Allah has given them of His bounty. Huwa khayran lahum — that this (miserliness) is good for them. Bal huwa sharrun lahum — on the contrary, it is worse for them, a source of evil and harm. Sa-yuṭawwaqūna mā bakhilū bih — soon what they were miserly about will be made into a collar (ṭawq) around their necks. Yawma al-qiyāmah — on the Day of Resurrection. Wa-li-Llāhi mīrāthu al-samāwāti wa-al-arḍ — and to Allah belongs the inheritance (mīrāth) of the heavens and the earth; He is the Heir of all; all will die and He alone will remain as the Possessor and Inheritor of everything. Wa-Allāhu bi-mā taʿmalūna khabīr — and Allah is fully aware of all that you do.

Translation of 3:180: Let those who are miserly with what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounty not think that this miserliness is good for them. Rather, it is worse for them. What they were miserly with will be made into a collar and hung around their necks on the Day of Resurrection. And to Allah belongs the inheritance of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is fully aware of all that you do.

Commentary: Dear friends! In the world of deeds (ʿālam al-afʿāl), deeds take on forms. Their miser's wealth and possessions — what they were given but refused to spend in the way of Allah — will be fashioned into a collar (ṭawq) and chains (zinjīr) and hung around their necks. Those who acquired wealth through hoarding, through usury (sūd-khwārī), through bribery (rishwat), through fraud (dagha), through misappropriation — and who with that wealth helped worldly tyrants and oppressors — in the Hereafter that very wealth will become the collar and chains around their necks. Those who foolishly rejoice saying: "Our lord has given us golden bracelets" — this is the iron chain (zanjīr) of Divine punishment that has been made to hang around their necks. One who acts wilfully (bi-ʿamd) will certainly come to know, as the day comes, that those bracelets of their hands, those anklets of their feet, the necklace of their neck — are these of gold or of fire?

All wealth and possessions belong to Allah. Nothing will come with you. They will remain behind and those very deeds, transformed in form, will accompany you. Weep and lament — you will obtain no comfort. Allah wraps your deeds in a new form and keeps them with you as your companions, so that you take them — your gains and your losses — with you. Since the beginning of this passage, the evil of miserliness has been spoken of. Now arrogant deniers came with this retort: "Allah is poor and has need of people — let them sacrifice if they wish." This is to be confronted — and from it comes the response that follows in the subsequent verses.

Sūrat Āl ʿImrān (3) — Lan Tanalū Section (Juzʾ 4)

Translation: Allah has indeed heard the saying of those who said, "Verily Allah is poor and we are rich" — He has heard (samiʿa) the word of those who said: innа Allāha faqīrun wa-naḥnu aghniyāʾ — "We shall record what they have said," He declares, and their slaying of the Prophets without right — and He will say: "Taste the punishment of the burning!"

Commentary: Allah, Exalted be He, has heard (samiʿa) the utterance of those who claim, "Indeed Allah is poor and we are rich." This is a reference to certain leaders among the People of the Book (Ahl al-Kitāb) who — when the verse of Qurʾānic lending was revealed — mocked it. Allah declares that He has recorded their words, their unjust slaughter of the Prophets, and their brazen command to "taste the punishment of the inferno (ʿadhāb al-ḥarīq)."

Translation of the next verse: "That is on account of what your own hands have sent forward — and Allah never does injustice to His servants (lā ẓallāmun lil-ʿabīd)."

Commentary: Dhālika bimā qaddamat aydīkum — this chastisement is the very recompense of the deeds that you dispatched before you with your own hands. Wa-anna Allāha laysa bi-ẓallāmin lil-ʿabīd — and Allah is not at all unjust (ẓallām) toward His servants (ʿabīd, plural of ʿabd; another plural is ʿabīdun). Indeed, the meaning of His justice is that there is not in the Divine nature even an atom of injustice (ẓulm). God is supremely aware, and He does not exceed a hair's breadth in punishment.

Translation: "Your deeds are (before you) and the reward of (these) servants shall be rendered."

Then follows a new passage:

Translation: "Allah has indeed heard the saying of those who said, 'Allah has commanded us that we should not believe any messenger until he brings us an offering which fire consumes.' Say (O Prophet): Messengers came to you before me…"

Commentary: Some commentators note that this refers to a claim that the Israelites made — that a true prophet must bring a sacrifice that fire descends upon and consumes. The author remarks that these are fabricated pretexts (mujhūl wa-makdhūb, [reconstructed]): false and self-invented excuses to deny prophethood. The response came: "Messengers came to you before me with clear proofs (bayyināt) and with that very sign you demanded — yet you killed them. If you are truthful (in your faith-conditions), why did you do so?"

Commentary (continued): These very people, despite claiming to uphold the command of God (amr al-ilāhī), were among those who slaughtered the Prophets and now deny the final Messengerﷺ. The verse declares the test (imtiḥān) of sacrificial offering had already been given and witnessed. Their demand that fire consume the offering was a test long since met — and even then they disbelieved. The author notes: the standard (miʿyār) of truth is patient endurance (ṣabr) and clear proof (bayyina). Whatever God wills, He shows; if He once commanded a sacrifice to be consumed by fire, He also has the power to abrogate (naskh, abrogation) that command.

Translation of verse: "Then if they deny you (in kadhdhabūka), so were Messengers denied before you — they came with clear proofs (bayyināt) and with the Psalms (zubur) and the Illuminating Book (al-kitāb al-munīr)."

Commentary: This is a consolation to the Prophetﷺ— you are not the first to be denied. Those before you also came with signs and scriptures. The author, drawing on Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, notes that the burden of denial (takdhīb) falls upon those who deny, not upon the truthful messenger.

Translation of verse (Āl ʿImrān 3:185):

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ

Kullu nafsin dhāʾiqatu al-mawt, wa-innamā tuwaffawna ujūrakum yawma al-qiyāma, fa-man zuḥziḥa ʿan al-nār wa-udkhila al-janna fa-qad fāz, wa-mā al-ḥayātu al-dunyā illā matāʿu al-ghurūr.

"Every soul shall taste death, and your recompenses shall be paid to you in full only on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has indeed triumphed (fāz). And the life of this world is nothing but the provision of delusion (matāʿ al-ghurūr)." (Āl ʿImrān 3:185)

Commentary on 3:185: Kullu nafsin dhāʾiqatu al-mawt — every single soul, without exception, must one day taste death. Your full recompenses will be rendered on the Day of Resurrection. The word tuwaffawna means "to be paid in full." Zuḥziḥa means "to be drawn away, removed at a distance." Al-janna — Paradise, perpetually green and blooming, under whose canopy flow rivers. Fāza, yafūzu, fawzan — to succeed, to attain one's goal, to achieve salvation (falāḥ). Mā al-ḥayātu al-dunyā illā matāʿu al-ghurūr — the life of this world is no more than the provision of delusion. Ghurūr — deceit, the deceiving of hearts. Gharūr — one who deceives intensely; one who considers himself great and others lesser. That is the greatest of vices.

Translation: "Every soul shall taste death — (your deeds will not be wasted and the recompense of all deeds shall assuredly come) — and your recompenses shall be fully rendered on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever is drawn away from the Fire and admitted into Paradise — that one has triumphed (fāz). And the life of this world is nothing but the provision of delusion."

Translation of verse (Āl ʿImrān 3:186):

لَتُبْلَوُنَّ فِي أَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنفُسِكُمْ وَلَتَسْمَعُنَّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا أَذًى كَثِيرًا وَإِن تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُورِ

La-tublaẉunna fī amwālikum wa-anfusikum wa-la-tasmaʿunna min alladhīna ūtū al-kitāba min qablikum wa-min alladhīna ashrakū adhan kathīrā, wa-in taṣbirū wa-tattaqū fa-inna dhālika min ʿazmi al-umūr.

"You shall assuredly be tried in your wealth and your lives, and you shall hear from those who were given the Book before you, and from those who associate partners (with Allah), much harm. But if you are patient and God-fearing, then that is indeed of the resolute affairs." (Āl ʿImrān 3:186)

Commentary: La-tublaẉunna — you will certainly be tested. This testing will come through loss of wealth (amwāl) and harm to one's person (nafs). And you will hear from the People of the Book (ahl al-kitāb, Jews and Christians) and from the polytheists (mushrikūn) much vexation, abuse, and slander (adhan kathīran). The counsel is: if you endure with patient steadfastness (ṣabr) and maintain God-consciousness (taqwā) — that is truly among the resolute matters (ʿazm al-umūr), the highest grade of conduct.

Translation: "Certainly, in your wealth and your lives there shall be a trial, and you shall hear from the People of the Book and from the polytheists much harm. If you observe patience and God-consciousness (taqwā), that is of the resolute affairs."

Translation (continued): "(And remember) when Allah took the covenant (mīthāq) of the People of the Book: 'You shall certainly make the Scripture clear to the people and not conceal it.' But they cast it behind their backs and sold it for a paltry price — and what a vile bargain they struck!"

Commentary on Āl ʿImrān 3:187: The verse recalls the solemn covenant (mīthāq) that Allah took from alladhīna ūtū al-kitāb — the scholars of the People of the Book. The covenant stipulated that they would expound (bayyanū) the Book of God to the people and not conceal (yakktumūhu) it. But what did they do? They threw it behind their backs (wabhaythū bi-hi warāʾa ẓuhūrihim) — they cast Allah's commands over their shoulders and turned entirely away from them. Warāʾ means "behind"; they placed the Divine ordinances utterly out of sight. In exchange they took a paltry price (thamanqalīl) — a few coins, some petty worldly gain. The author remarks: concealing the truth of Scripture for worldly benefit is among the gravest of sins.

Translation: "(And remember) when Allah took the covenant of the People of the Book that they would certainly explain it (bayyanū) to the people and not conceal it — but they cast it behind their backs and sold it for a paltry price. What a vile bargain they made."

Translation of verse (Āl ʿImrān 3:188):

لَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أَتَوا وَيُحِبُّونَ أَن يُحْمَدُوا بِمَا لَمْ يَفْعَلُوا فَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّهُم بِمَفَازَةٍ مِّنَ الْعَذَابِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

Lā taḥsabanna alladhīna yafraḥūna bi-mā ataw wa-yuḥibbūna an yuḥmadū bi-mā lam yafʿalū fa-lā taḥsabannahum bi-mafāzatin min al-ʿadhāb wa-lahum ʿadhābun alīm.

"Do not think that those who exult in what they have done and love to be praised for what they have not done — do not think they are safe from punishment; for them is a painful torment." (Āl ʿImrān 3:188)

Commentary: Yafraḥūna bimā ataw — they rejoice in what they have done, strutting about with pride over their acts. Yuḥibbūna an yuḥmadū bimā lam yafʿalū — and they love to be praised for deeds they never performed — they claim virtues they do not possess, and they invite people to applaud falsehoods they have themselves fabricated. Fa-lā taḥsabannahum bi-mafāzatin min al-ʿadhāb — do not even begin to think they will be saved from punishment. Mafāza — a place of salvation, of success (falāḥ). Wa-lahum ʿadhābun alīm — but for them is a grievous torment.

Translation: "Do not think those who exult in their deeds (take pride in their wickedness) and desire praise for what they have not done — do not think they will escape punishment. For them is a painful torment."

Commentary (Devotional Passage): O my friends, some people of this age read the Qurʾān and extract hollow arguments from it, claiming great insight, winning applause (wāh wāh), and gathering followers around themselves. They have attained a little knowledge and now think themselves authorities — deluding others and deluding themselves. Their splendour has peaked, their noise has subsided, and the assembly has dispersed. Those who were, persist; those who thought themselves something will realise that their illusions were groundless. Misfortune encircles their horizons. One day, quite suddenly, they shall depart from this world and not return. No one can escape the reckoning of Allah. He is the King of all — of heavens and earth — His sovereignty (mulk) is absolute. He chastises whom He wills and forgives whom He wills.

Translation of verse (Āl ʿImrān 3:189):

وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Wa-lillāhi mulku al-samāwāti wa-al-arḍ wa-Allāhu ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr.

"And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and Allah has power over all things." (Āl ʿImrān 3:189)

Translation: "The sovereignty of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah alone, and Allah has power over every thing."

Translation of verses (Āl ʿImrān 3:190–191):

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِّأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ ۝ الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَى جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ

Inna fī khalqi al-samāwāti wa-al-arḍi wa-akhtilāfi al-layli wa-al-nahāri la-āyātin li-ūlī al-albāb. Alladhīna yadhkurūna Allāha qiyāman wa-quʿūdan wa-ʿalā junūbihim wa-yatafakkarūna fī khalqi al-samāwāti wa-al-arḍ.

"Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are signs for those endowed with understanding (ūlū al-albāb) — those who remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and who reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth." (Āl ʿImrān 3:190–191)

Commentary: Inna fī khalqi al-samāwāti wa-al-arḍ — truly, in the creation (khalq) and fashioning of the heavens and the earth there are signs. Akhtilāf al-layl wa-al-nahār — the alternation of night and day — both day and night keep returning, each giving way to the other; the world persists in this state. Āyāt — signs, proofs, manifestations of Divine power, evidences of the attributes of God. Li-ūlī al-albāb — for those possessed of pure intellects (lubb: core, essence, pure kernel of the mind). Yadhkurūna Allāh — they remember Allah, they keep Him present in their hearts. Qiyāman — standing; quʿūdan — sitting; ʿalā junūbihim — lying on their sides. That is, in every state. Yatafakkarūna fī khalqi al-samāwāti wa-al-arḍ — they reflect deeply on the manner of the heavens' and earth's creation. They ask: how did these come to be? If their existence were self-generated, they would not change — yet day follows night and night follows day; there is a constant order in their movement. This makes clear that a supreme Master governs them; their governance could not belong to another.

Rabbanā — "O our Lord!" — mā khalaqta hādhā bāṭilan — "You have not created this in vain (bāṭil)." Even in this declaration of wonder, the omnipotence of the Eternal Sovereign is manifest. For whatever perishes must inevitably perish; what endures cannot perish. The fixed order (qāʿida-yi raftār) of things reveals a Master-Craftsman behind all existence.

Translation of verses (Āl ʿImrān 3:191–192):

Translation: "Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day, there are signs for those possessed of understanding (ūlū al-albāb) — who remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying on their sides (that is, in all states they maintain His remembrance), and who reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth (and then cry): 'Our Lord! You have not created this in vain! Glory be to You! Protect us from the punishment of the Fire!'"

Commentary (on Dhikr): The author offers a spiritual teaching on dhikr (remembrance of God): dhikr is cognate with zikr, meaning "presence in the mind" as opposed to ghafla (heedlessness). Dhikr occurs with the tongue and simultaneously in the heart. The most complete dhikr is that in which God is perpetually present — not the mere performance of formal dhikr while the heart remains elsewhere. The goal of dhikr is that the rememberer should become so immersed that there remains no thought of the act of remembering, nor of the one remembering — only God present in the heart. When the self disappears in God's presence — that is dhikr at its purest. True peace (qarar) lies in this presence. Union (waḥdat) in God's nearness is true repose; that is the Divine blessing and the ultimate purpose of the heart's yearning (maḥabba).

Translation of verses (Āl ʿImrān 3:192–193):

رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ مَن تُدْخِلِ النَّارَ فَقَدْ أَخْزَيْتَهُ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍ

Rabbanā innaka man tudkhili al-nāra fa-qad akhzaytahu wa-mā lil-ẓālimīna min anṣār.

"Our Lord! Whomever You cast into the Fire, You have indeed disgraced him, and the wrongdoers shall have no helpers." (Āl ʿImrān 3:192)

Commentary: What is the Fire (nār)? It is the manifestation of distance from God and of His wrath. Whoever remains distant from God shall find himself in utter despair and perpetual punishment. Mā lil-ẓālimīna min anṣār — the wrongdoers (ẓālimūn) shall have no helpers (naṣīr: helper; anṣār: plural; from naṣara, yanṣuru). The origin of Naṣārā (the name for Christians in Arabic) is from naṣr — aid.

Translation: "Our Lord! Whomever You cast into the Fire, You have disgraced him utterly, and the wrongdoers have no helpers."

Translation of verses (Āl ʿImrān 3:193–194):

رَّبَّنَا إِنَّنَا سَمِعْنَا مُنَادِيًا يُنَادِي لِلْإِيمَانِ أَنْ آمِنُوا بِرَبِّكُمْ فَآمَنَّا رَبَّنَا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَكَفِّرْ عَنَّا سَيِّئَاتِنَا وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ الْأَبْرَارِ

Rabbanā innanā samiʿnā munādiyan yunādī lil-īmāni an āminū bi-rabbikum fa-āmannā, rabbanā fa-ghfir lanā dhunūbanā wa-kaffir ʿannā sayyiʾātinā wa-tawaffanā maʿa al-abrār.

"Our Lord! We have indeed heard a caller calling to faith: 'Believe in your Lord!' — and we have believed. Our Lord, so forgive us our sins (dhunūb), and expiate from us our misdeeds (sayyiʾāt), and cause us to die in the company of the righteous (abrār)." (Āl ʿImrān 3:193)

Commentary: Munādī — a caller, one who proclaims; who is this caller? It is the Prophetﷺ; it is the Holy Qurʾān. Li-al-īmān — calling to faith, to belief in one's Lord. Fa-āmannā — and we believed. Rabbanā fa-ghfir lanā dhunūbanā — O our Lord, forgive our sins (by Your expansive mercy). Wa-kaffir ʿannā sayyiʾātinā — expiate our misdeeds, conceal them, remove them. Wa-tawaffanā maʿa al-abrār — grant us death in the company of the upright. Abrār — the righteous, those people of great goodness with whom one is blessed to die.

Translation: "Our Lord! We have indeed heard a caller calling us to faith — 'Believe in your Lord!' — and we have believed. O our Lord! Forgive our sins, expiate our misdeeds, and cause us to die in the company of the righteous."

Translation of verse (Āl ʿImrān 3:194–195):

رَبَّنَا وَآتِنَا مَا وَعَدتَّنَا عَلَى رُسُلِكَ وَلَا تُخْزِنَا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّكَ لَا تُخْلِفُ الْمِيعَادَ

Rabbanā wa-ātinā mā waʿadtanā ʿalā rusulika wa-lā tukhzinā yawma al-qiyāma, innaka lā tukhliful-mīʿād.

"Our Lord! Give us what You promised us through Your Messengers, and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed, You never break a promise." (Āl ʿImrān 3:194)

Commentary: Ātinā mā waʿadtanā ʿalā rusulika — grant us all that You promised through Your Messengers. Wa-lā tukhzinā yawma al-qiyāma — and do not put us to shame on the Day of Resurrection. Innaka lā tukhliful-mīʿād — verily You never go back on a promise; one who promises and then fulfils is truly praiseworthy.

Translation: "Our Lord, give us all that You promised us through Your Messengers, and do not disgrace and humiliate us on the Day of Resurrection — indeed, You never break Your promise."

Translation of verse (Āl ʿImrān 3:195):

فَاسْتَجَابَ لَهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ أَنِّي لَا أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عَامِلٍ مِّنكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَى بَعْضُكُم مِّن بَعْضٍ

Fa-istajāba lahum rabbuhum annī lā uḍīʿu ʿamala ʿāmilin minkum min dhakarin aw unthā, baʿḍukum min baʿḍ.

"So their Lord responded to them: 'I do not waste the deed of any doer among you, whether male or female — you are one from another.'" (Āl ʿImrān 3:195)

Commentary: Fa-istajāba lahum rabbuhum — their Lord responded to them and accepted their supplication, making a promise: lā uḍīʿu ʿamala ʿāmilin — I do not waste the deed of any doer. Male or female — baʿḍukum min baʿḍ — you are all of one origin, one species, of the same stock. The note is given that Salman al-Fārisī (may Allah be pleased with him) — who served the Messenger of Allahﷺwith devoted loyalty — belonged to the household of the Prophetﷺby his sincere service. Deed, not birth, confers honour.

Commentary (continued on 3:195): The verse continues with those who emigrated (hājarū), were driven from their homes (ukhrij min diyārihim), were persecuted (ūdhū) in My path — "those who fought (qātalū) and were killed (qutilū)" — for them Allah promises that He will expunge their sins (sayyiʾāt) and admit them to Gardens beneath which rivers flow (jannāt tajrī min taḥtihā al-anhār), as a recompense from Allah.

Those who left their homes and gave up worldly comfort, who were persecuted and yet endured — and who were slain or slew in the cause of Allah — for these, both the living and the martyred, their suffering is not lost. The door of a house may close upon them in this world, but the gate of Paradise opens.

Ukhrija min diyārihim — to be expelled from one's homeland. Ūdhū — to be harmed, to be put to trial. Qātalū wa-qutilū — they fought and were slain. The author notes: this is the night-watch of those keeping vigil, and in it are both vigilance and sacrifice. Whoever has been martyred, and whoever struck the blow — each has a distinct reward before God.

La-ukaffiranna ʿanhum sayyiʾātihim — I shall most certainly expunge their misdeeds. Wa-la-udkhilannahu jannāt — and I shall certainly admit him to Gardens. Thawāban min ʿindi Allāh — as a recompense from Allah Himself. And Allah — by Him is the most excellent of recompenses.

Translation: "So their Lord responded to them (accepted their supplication and promised them): 'I do not waste the deed of any doer among you — whether man or woman, you are all of one stock. Those who emigrated and were driven from their homes and were persecuted in My path, and who fought and were slain — I shall surely expunge their sins and admit them to Gardens beneath which rivers flow — a recompense from Allah. And with Allah is the most beautiful of rewards.'"

Translation of verse (Āl ʿImrān 3:196):

لَا يَغُرَّنَّكَ تَقَلُّبُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي الْبِلَادِ

Lā yaghurrannaka taqallubu alladhīna kafarū fī al-bilād.

"Let not the strutting about (taqallub) of the disbelievers in the lands deceive you." (Āl ʿImrān 3:196)

Commentary on 3:196–197: Taqallub — restless comings and goings; strutting about arrogantly. Alladhīna kafarū fī al-bilād — these disbelievers who roam the lands in apparent prosperity. Do not let this deceive you.

Translation: "Let not the strutting of the disbelievers in the lands deceive you —"

Translation of verse (Āl ʿImrān 3:197):

"— it is but a brief enjoyment (matāʿun qalīl); then their abode is Hell, and how vile a resting-place (bays al-mihād)!"

Commentary: Matāʿun qalīl — a trifling, transient provision. Mathwāhum — their eventual dwelling. Jahannam — Hell, which blazes and burns. Wa-biʾsa al-mihād — and what a dreadful resting-place! Mihād means a spread-out bed; the irony is that their "rest" is torment.

Spiritual Commentary: O my friends, certain foolish people see the comfort and prosperity of the disbelievers and begin to doubt their own faith. They say: "We believe, we pray, we fast — yet we see no worldly gain." But this world is the paradise of the disbeliever and the prison of the believer. Those disbelievers with all their provisions and luxuries — it cannot be said that they are in paradise; they are, rather, bound for the true abode of sorrow. The faithful — whether poor or rich — their station is commensurate with the Hereafter. When the world changes, all will know who is in the Fire and who in Paradise. One who is purely material-minded says: "This world is all there is." But God's favour endures, and His most excellent reward is with the God-fearing.

Translation of verse (Āl ʿImrān 3:198):

لَكِنِ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا رَبَّهُمْ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا نُزُلًا مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ وَمَا عِندَ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لِّلْأَبْرَارِ

Lākini alladhīna ittaqaw rabbahum lahum jannātun tajrī min taḥtihā al-anhāru khālidīna fīhā nuzulan min ʿindi Allāh, wa-mā ʿinda Allāhi khayrun lil-abrār.

"But those who feared their Lord — for them are Gardens beneath which rivers flow, in which they shall abide forever, as a reception (nuzul) from Allah; and what is with Allah is better for the righteous." (Āl ʿImrān 3:198)

Commentary on 3:198: Ittaqaw — those who observed taqwā (God-consciousness, piety, restraint). Nuzul — reception, hospitality, a host's welcome. What does it mean that Paradise is the nuzul from Allah? It means Allah is the host (muḍīf) and the believer is the honoured guest. A guest on the first day is welcome, on the second is a friend, on the third becomes a burden — but a guest of Allah never overstays. Wa-mā ʿinda Allāhi khayrun lil-abrār — and whatever is with Allah is better for the righteous. Compared with what Allah has, the entire world is but a morsel. His treasure is everlasting, and the righteous will find it incomparably better than all the transient pleasures of this life.

Translation: "But those who feared their Lord — for them are Gardens with rivers flowing beneath, abiding therein forever — a reception (nuzul) from Allah. And what is with Allah is far better for the righteous."

Translation of verse (Āl ʿImrān 3:199):

وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَمَن يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ خَاشِعِينَ لِلَّهِ لَا يَشْتَرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا

Wa-inna min ahli al-kitābi la-man yuʾminu billāhi wa-mā unzila ilaykum wa-mā unzila ilayhim khāshiʿīna lillāhi lā yashtarūna bi-āyāti Allāhi thamanan qalīlan.

"And indeed among the People of the Book there are those who believe in Allah and in what was sent down to you and in what was sent down to them — humble before Allah — they do not sell the verses of Allah for a paltry price." (Āl ʿImrān 3:199)

Commentary: Certain virtuous members of the People of the Book — such as Kaʿb ibn al-Aḥbār, ʿAbd Allāh ibn Salām (may Allah be pleased with them), and others — embraced Islam with sincere faith. They believed in Allah, in what was revealed to the Prophet Muḥammadﷺ, and in the earlier scriptures as well. Khāshiʿīna lillāh — they are humble, full of reverence and trembling before Allah. Lā yashtarūna bi-āyāti Allāhi thamanan qalīlan — they do not sell God's signs for a trifle; they do not use the Scripture to pander to worldly interests or to justify distortions of the faith for money or prestige. They stand firm upon the truth and remain steadfast. For these, their reward (ajr) is with their Lord — do not despair of such; Allah is swift in reckoning (sarīʿu al-ḥisāb).

Translation: "And indeed among the People of the Book are those who believe in Allah and in what was sent down to you (the Qurʾān) and in what was sent down to them, humble before Allah, not selling Allah's signs for a paltry price — these shall have their reward with their Lord. Verily Allah is swift in reckoning."

Translation of verse (Āl ʿImrān 3:200):

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اصْبِرُوا وَصَابِرُوا وَرَابِطُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū iṣbirū wa-ṣābirū wa-rābiṭū wa-ittaqū Allāha laʿallakum tufliḥūn.

"O you who believe! Be patient, outdo others in patience, remain steadfast at the frontier (rābiṭū), and fear Allah — that you may succeed." (Āl ʿImrān 3:200)

Commentary: Iṣbirū — be patient; bear whatever befalls you with endurance. Wa-ṣābirū — and outdo in patience: the enemy also endures hardships and boasts of its own resolve — you must surpass them in patient steadfastness. Do not let your hearts waver. Wa-rābiṭū — maintain the frontier-bond (ribāṭ): remain bound together in the defence of the faith, maintaining mutual vigilance and solidarity. Wa-ittaqū Allāh — and fear Allah constantly. Laʿallakum tufliḥūn — perhaps then you will succeed and prosper (falāḥ wa-nijāt).

Translation: "O believers! Be patient, and outdo each other in patience, and hold firm at the frontier, and fear Allah — that perhaps you will succeed and be delivered."

This is the conclusion of Sūrat Āl ʿImrān. The author notes that the entire Sūra centres on affirmation of the Divine unity and essential religious matters: freedom from wrongdoing through God's remembrance, the good path (ṭarīq al-khayr) toward God-awareness, the command to have faith in all the heavenly scriptures, patient endurance, the command not to imitate the disbelievers, the protection of one's honour and the limits of God (ḥudūd Allāh), and the constant admonition to fear God — after which comes true success and salvation.

Sūrat al-Nisāʾ (4)

Sūrat al-Nisāʾ was revealed in Madīna. It contains one hundred and seventy-six verses (āyāt) and twenty-two sections (rukūʿāt). This blessed Sūra was revealed after Sūrat Āl ʿImrān. In Āl ʿImrān the theme of striving in the path of Islam (jihād) and defence of the faith, its qualities and characteristics, and matters pertaining to the Hereafter were expounded. This Sūra now turns to the daily affairs of all human beings (ʿāmmat al-nās), setting forth the codes and principles of right conduct. Its purpose is to rectify the faith, actions, and dealings of the whole of humanity — so that the private and public lives of believers may be rightly ordered.

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:1):

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْحَامَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا

Yā ayyuhā al-nāsu ittaqū rabbakumu alladhī khalaqakum min nafsin wāḥidatin wa-khalaqa minhā zawjahā wa-baththa minhumā rijālan kathīran wa-nisāʾan wa-ittaqū Allāha alladhī tasāʾalūna bihi wa-al-arḥām, inna Allāha kāna ʿalaykum raqībā.

"O people! Fear your Lord who created you from a single soul (nafsin wāḥida), and from it created its mate (zawj), and from the two of them spread many men and women. And fear Allah in whose name you ask one another, and (honour) the ties of kinship (arḥām). Indeed, Allah is ever watchful over you." (al-Nisāʾ 4:1)

Commentary: Yā ayyuhā al-nās — O all of humanity! Ittaqū rabbakum — fear your Lord, be God-conscious; do nothing contrary to His will. Min nafsin wāḥida — He created you from one soul: you are all the children of Ādam (upon him be peace), offspring of a single ancestor — of one father, one family, from one drop of substance (nuṭfa). Wa-khalaqa minhā zawjahā — and from that same soul He created its mate: that is, Ḥawwāʾ (Eve) was created from Ādam (upon him be peace) — indeed, women also come into being from the seed of men (nuṭfa). Wa-baththa minhumā rijālan kathīran wa-nisāʾan — and from the two of them He multiplied (baththa, spread forth) many men and many women. Consider: you all belong to one family; do not treat one another harshly.

Wa-ittaqū Allāha alladhī tasāʾalūna bihi — and fear Allah in whose name you ask one another for things and call upon His covenant when making requests. Wa-al-arḥām — and honour the ties of kinship. Raḥm (womb/kinship): it is in the womb that life grows; kinship (raḥm) is also contained there. The raḥm of Allah is His mercy and compassion. Honour those who are bound to you by kinship. Inna Allāha kāna ʿalaykum raqībā — indeed Allah is ever watchful over you (raqīb: sentinel, watchman). He has mentioned His own name and the obligation of kinship together — so those who fear God must also honour their kin.

Translation: "O people! Fear your Lord who created you from a single soul, and from it created its mate, and from the two spread many men and women. Fear Allah in whose name you entreat one another, and (honour) kinship ties. Indeed, Allah is ever watchful over you."

Commentary (continued on 4:1): Avoid whatever contravenes God's pleasure, and maintain kinship ties scrupulously. When you invoke God's name and the ties of kinship in making your requests, then it is incumbent upon you to honour those bonds. Allah is raqīb — ever-vigilant. Raqīb means one who observes, one who keeps watch. Raqābat — vigilance, oversight. Nothing is hidden from Him. Some people think they may act as they wish because no one is watching — but Allah is ever watchful. God-consciousness (taqwā) requires that one fear Allah in secret no less than in public, for He sees all.

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:2):

وَآتُوا الْيَتَامَى أَمْوَالَهُمْ وَلَا تَتَبَدَّلُوا الْخَبِيثَ بِالطَّيِّبِ وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَهُمْ إِلَى أَمْوَالِكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حُوبًا كَبِيرًا

Wa-ātū al-yatāmā amwālahum wa-lā tatabaddalū al-khabītha bi-al-ṭayyib wa-lā taʾkulū amwālahum ilā amwālikum innahu kāna ḥūban kabīrā.

"Give the orphans their property, and do not substitute the bad for the good, and do not devour their property by mixing it with your own. That is indeed a great sin (ḥūban kabīran)." (al-Nisāʾ 4:2)

Commentary: Wa-ātū al-yatāmā amwālahum — give orphans their wealth. A yatīm is a child who has lost his father. When they reach adulthood, return their property with full and faithful administration. Lā tatabaddalū al-khabītha bi-al-ṭayyib — do not exchange the inferior for the superior; do not substitute a bad (or unlawful) animal for a good one in claiming the orphan's estate. Wa-lā taʾkulū amwālahum ilā amwālikum — do not consume their wealth along with your own (ilā: together with, by mixing). Ḥūb — sin; kabīran — great. Ḥawb and ḥūb both mean sin. The management of an orphan's wealth is an especially grave trust: the temptation to mix it with one's own or to use it unlawfully is strongly condemned.

Translation: "Give the orphans their property, and do not exchange the good for the bad, and do not consume their property together with your own — for that is indeed a great sin."

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:3):

وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تُقْسِطُوا فِي الْيَتَامَى فَانكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُم مِّنَ النِّسَاءِ مَثْنَى وَثُلَاثَ وَرُبَاعَ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَلَّا تَعُولُوا

Wa-in khiftum allā tuqsiṭū fī al-yatāmā fa-inkiḥū mā ṭāba lakum min al-nisāʾi mathnā wa-thulātha wa-rubāʿ, fa-in khiftum allā taʿdilū fa-wāḥidatan aw mā malakat aymānukum, dhālika adnā allā taʿūlū.

"If you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry whatever is pleasing to you of women — two, or three, or four. But if you fear you will not deal justly, then one, or what your right hands possess (mā malakat aymānukum). That is more likely to prevent you from committing injustice." (al-Nisāʾ 4:3)

Commentary: Mā ṭāba lakum — those who are pleasing to you, who are permissible. Fa-inkiḥū — then marry. Mathnā — two by two; thulāth — three by three; rubāʿ — four by four. The meaning — as indicated by the tafsīr — is that it is permissible to marry up to two, three, or four wives. Why this allowance? Because a man provides for a woman and maintains her; and a woman is not the sole provider of others in the same way. The verse does not command plurality — it restricts a previously unlimited practice and adds the condition of justice. Fa-in khiftum allā taʿdilū — if you fear you cannot maintain justice and equal treatment (ʿadl wa-musāwāt), then one wife suffices. Aw mā malakat aymānukum — or what your right hands possess (i.e., lawful slave-women, a pre-existing institution that Islam regulated progressively toward abolition). Dhālika adnā allā taʿūlū — this is more likely to prevent injustice and oppression (ʿawl).

Commentary on the Number Four: Some have made the permissibility of up to four wives a subject of ridicule. The author responds: those who follow the ways of disbelievers and worldly people — permitting, in effect, unlimited relations outside marriage — take exception to Islam's regulated permission. In the jāhiliyya before Islam, there was no limit. Islam reduced the number to four, and added the strict condition of justice. Moreover, it later declared: if you cannot do justice, then one. And it defined justice not merely as feeling but as legal and material equality in provision and treatment. The author further notes: if someone finds four wives objectionable, let him consider how many relationships the same critics permit without any legal structure, protection, or accountability.

Translation: "If you fear that you will not deal justly with orphan girls (i.e., if you fear injustice in marrying them under guardianship), then marry women of your choice — two, or three, or four. But if you fear you cannot be just, then one (wife), or what your right hands possess. That is more proper so that you do not commit injustice."

Commentary (Social Discourse on Slavery and Its Islamic Treatment):

The verse has also touched briefly on the institution of slave-women (amāʾ and ʿabīd). Let the following principles be noted:

The question arises: did Islam introduce slavery, or was it a pre-existing institution? It was always pre-existing. Islam did not create slavery; rather, Islam did not immediately abolish the existing practice of war-slavery because to do so without a universal agreement among nations — none of whom had abolished it — would have been unworkable. What Islam did do was: (1) it mandated the kind treatment of slaves — clothing and feeding them at the same standard as one's household; (2) it made their manumission (āzādī) one of the greatest acts of worship; (3) it placed strict legal limits on their mistreatment; and (4) it opened systematic channels toward their freedom through kafāra (expiation) and other mechanisms.

Before Islam, in the age of war (jang), the entirety of the defeated enemy — men, women, children — were taken as slaves, killed, or dispersed. Islam intervened: it said that in certain regulated circumstances of war, captives may be held, but must be treated humanely, clothed, fed, and not overworked. And at the master's death, a umm al-walad (a slave-woman who bore her master's child) is automatically freed.

The dying words of the Prophet Muḥammadﷺ, according to transmitted reports, included the injunction: "al-laṭā'if wa-mā malakat aymānukum" — "be gentle with the vulnerable and those your right hands possess; do not burden them beyond their capacity; take their labour but help them in it." This is the spirit of Islamic teaching on servitude.

Figures like Quṭb al-Dīn Aybak and others — former slaves who rose to become sultans and great rulers — testify to what opportunities Islamic society opened. Today's so-called "freedom" in many societies is, the author argues, often a more dehumanising bondage than the regulated servitude Islam oversaw.

Commentary (continued): The question is raised: can anyone today speak in defence of slavery? Certainly not. The legal form of riqq (ghulāmī, traditional war-slavery) no longer persists in the same way. But the author's real critique is directed at hypocritical "liberators" of his own age who claim to free the weak while actually enslaving nations through colonialism. He notes: the so-called "free" subjects of colonial rulers often have no food, no clothing, no dignity, and are sent as cannon-fodder to die in the front ranks of their oppressors' wars. What "freedom" is this? The world should honestly compare what Islamic civilisation offered to the weak and what the self-proclaimed liberators have given them.

Sultans of Islamic history like Quṭb al-Dīn Aybak rose from the position of slaves to the highest ranks of sovereignty and governance. Islam gave them opportunity, dignity, and ascent. To claim that Islam alone was the problem of enslaved peoples while ignoring the historical record of Islam's civilisational treatment of them is, the author insists, an act of intellectual dishonesty.

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:4):

وَآتُوا النِّسَاءَ صَدُقَاتِهِنَّ نِحْلَةً فَإِن طِبْنَ لَكُمْ عَن شَيْءٍ مِّنْهُ نَفْسًا فَكُلُوهُ هَنِيئًا مَّرِيئًا

Wa-ātū al-nisāʾa ṣaduqātihinna niḥlah, fa-in ṭibna lakum ʿan shayʾin minhu nafsan fa-kulūhu hanīʾan marīʾan.

"Give the women their dowers (ṣaduqāt) as a free gift (niḥla). But if they, of their own pleasure, give up some of it to you, then consume it with enjoyment (hanīʾan marīʾan)." (al-Nisāʾ 4:4)

Commentary: Ṣaduqāt — dowers, plural of ṣadaq and ṣadāq; the obligatory gift that a husband gives his wife at marriage. Niḥla — a free gift, given without expectation of return, from the heart. It is distinguished from ʿiwaḍ (exchange or price). Ṭibna lakum nafsan — if they willingly and generously forgo some portion of it — if, from their own free will and cheerful heart (ṭayyib al-nafs), they remit part of the dower — fa-kulūhu hanīʾan marīʾan — then you may take and enjoy it, wholesomely and agreeably (hanīʾ: agreeable, welcome; marīʾ: wholesome, digestible).

Commentary (on the System of Mahr and Social Observation): The author notes: the Islamic system of dower (mahr), the rules of financial maintenance (nafaqa) during marriage and after divorce or death — these are a mercy of Islam. The dower is of two kinds: mahr muʿajjal (prompt dower, to be given immediately) and mahr muʾajjal (deferred dower, due upon divorce or death). In the present age, the author observes, the dower (mahr) has become so inflated (mahr sharīf bandhā jānā) that in many cases men cannot pay it even if they wish to. Girls grow up and cannot marry because the dower cannot be met. And when a divorce occurs, the man — unable to pay the arrears — neither maintains the wife nor gives her a proper divorce. This is a grave social evil. The right course is: keep the dower at a moderate level — not so low as to demean the woman's dignity, not so high as to make marriage a burden.

Commentary (continued — on Divorce and its Ethics): The author continues: divorce (ṭalāq), while legally permitted, is the most disliked of lawful things (abghaḍu al-ḥalāli ilā Allāh, as the well-known ḥadīth states). One should exhaust all means of reconciliation before resorting to it. To live together in the manner of enemies is worse than separating with dignity. The current age has brought an atmosphere deeply uncongenial to conjugal harmony: there is neither trust nor genuine affection; neither the softness of companionship nor the warmth of love. Both partners exist as though in separate worlds. The author expresses a deep personal sorrow at what conjugal life has become in his times.

The proper sequence in a difficult marriage: (1) speak kindly and seek reconciliation; (2) if that fails, separate beds (but do not abandon the household); (3) if reconciliation remains impossible and the husband cannot maintain justice, then — with kindness and the payment of all dues — release the woman. Keeping a wife imprisoned while neither maintaining her nor releasing her is a grave injustice.

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:5):

وَلَا تُؤْتُوا السُّفَهَاءَ أَمْوَالَكُمُ الَّتِي جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ قِيَامًا وَارْزُقُوهُمْ فِيهَا وَاكْسُوهُمْ وَقُولُوا لَهُمْ قَوْلًا مَّعْرُوفًا

Wa-lā tuʾtū al-sufahāʾa amwālakumu allatī jaʿala Allāhu lakum qiyāman wa-urzuqūhum fīhā wa-uksūhum wa-qūlū lahum qawlan maʿrūfā.

"Do not give the foolish (sufahāʾ) your wealth which Allah has made a means of support for you — but feed and clothe them from it, and speak to them in a recognised kindly manner." (al-Nisāʾ 4:5)

Commentary: Sufahāʾ — the foolish, the improvident, those who lack the judgment to manage wealth; plural of safīh. Qiyāman — means of subsistence; the foundation of the household economy and of life. Wa-urzuqūhum fīhā — provide their sustenance from it. Wa-uksūhum — and clothe them. Wa-qūlū lahum qawlan maʿrūfan — and speak to them in a recognised good manner: do not rebuke them harshly, do not demean them, but speak gently and encouragingly.

Translation: "Do not give the improvident (sufahāʾ) your wealth which Allah has made a support for you — but provide their food and clothing from it, and speak to them with kind words (do not scold them, do not demean them)."

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:6):

وَابْتَلُوا الْيَتَامَى حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغُوا النِّكَاحَ فَإِنْ آنَسْتُم مِّنْهُمْ رُشْدًا فَادْفَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَالَهُمْ وَلَا تَأْكُلُوهَا إِسْرَافًا وَبِدَارًا أَن يَكْبَرُوا وَمَن كَانَ غَنِيًّا فَلْيَسْتَعْفِفْ وَمَن كَانَ فَقِيرًا فَلْيَأْكُلْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ

Wa-ibtalū al-yatāmā ḥattā idhā balaghū al-nikāḥa, fa-in ānastum minhum rushdan fa-dfaʿū ilayhim amwālahum, wa-lā taʾkulūhā isrāfan wa-bidāran an yakbarū, wa-man kāna ghaniyyan fa-l-yastaʿfif wa-man kāna faqīran fa-l-yaʾkul bi-al-maʿrūf.

"Test the orphans until, when they reach the age of marriage — if you perceive in them sound judgment (rushd), then hand over their wealth to them. Do not consume it extravagantly or in haste before they grow up. Whoever is wealthy should refrain (from taking a fee), and whoever is poor may consume from it in a recognised manner." (al-Nisāʾ 4:6)

Commentary: Wa-ibtalū al-yatāmā — test the orphans, observe them closely, examine them — through practical trials in commerce and management of affairs. Ḥattā balaghū al-nikāḥ — until they reach the age of marriage (i.e., puberty and majority). The signs of majority (bulūgh) are: iḥtilām (nocturnal emission), the growth of beard and pubic hair, and (for women) the onset of menstruation. According to Imām Abū Ḥanīfa (may Allah have mercy on him), eighteen years of age is required for majority; according to Imām al-Shāfiʿī (may Allah have mercy on him), fifteen years. Rushd — sound judgment, discernment, the ability to conduct one's affairs competently (īnās). If sound judgment is perceived, hand over the property. Wa-lā taʾkulūhā isrāfan wa-bidāran — do not consume it wastefully and in haste, rushing to eat it before the orphan grows up. Man kāna ghaniyyan fa-l-yastaʿfif — the wealthy guardian should abstain from taking any fee. Man kāna faqīran fa-l-yaʾkul bi-al-maʿrūf — one who is poor may take a recognised customary amount for his services. Fa-idhā dafaʿtum ilayhim amwālahum fa-ashhidū ʿalayhim — when you hand their property over, take witnesses — so that no dispute arises later.

Translation: "Test the orphans until they reach the age of marriage; if you discern sound judgment in them, hand over their wealth to them. Do not consume it wastefully or in haste before they come of age. Whoever is wealthy should restrain himself (from taking a fee), and whoever is poor may take a recognised amount. When you hand their property to them, take witnesses — and Allah suffices as a Reckoner."

Commentary (on Orphan Administration): In these verses a whole code is given for the management of orphan wealth: clothing and feeding them, speaking kindly to them, testing them for commercial competence before transferring property, and taking witnesses when the transfer is made. If an orphan reaches adulthood but still shows no commercial competence — the Ḥanafī position (that of Imāms Abū Yūsuf and Muḥammad al-Shaybānī, may Allah have mercy on them) is that the ḥajr (legal incapacity) over his property remains in place. According to Imām Abū Ḥanīfa himself (may Allah have mercy on him), at twenty-five years the guardian yields and the property is handed over regardless, so that the individual may at least face life's responsibilities directly.

The verse on inheritance is now addressed: wa-li-al-wālidayni wa-al-aqrabīn — to the parents and close relatives a share is obligatory. Before Islam, women and children received nothing from inheritances. Islam gave women their share (ḥiṣṣa) and obligated it. The author stresses this was revolutionary: certain societies in the Deccan of his time still deprived women of inheritance on pretexts of "keeping property within the male line." The author declares this practice in clear violation of God's ordinance.

Translation (of verse al-Nisāʾ 4:7):

لِّلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ الْوَالِدَانِ وَالْأَقْرَبُونَ وَلِلنِّسَاءِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ الْوَالِدَانِ وَالْأَقْرَبُونَ مِمَّا قَلَّ مِنْهُ أَوْ كَثُرَ نَصِيبًا مَّفْرُوضًا

Lil-rijāli naṣībun mimmā taraka al-wālidāni wa-al-aqrabūna wa-lil-nisāʾi naṣībun mimmā taraka al-wālidāni wa-al-aqrabūna mimmā qalla minhu aw kathura naṣīban mafruḍā.

"For men there is a share of what the parents and near relatives leave, and for women there is a share of what the parents and near relatives leave — whether it be little or much — a share determined (by Allah)." (al-Nisāʾ 4:7)

Translation: "For men a share of what parents and close relatives leave, and for women a share of what parents and close relatives leave — whether little or much — a fixed, obligatory share (naṣīban mafruḍan: a portion that none may revoke)."

Commentary (Social Commentary on Inheritance): The author notes that in parts of the Indian subcontinent, Muslim women are routinely deprived of their inheritance. When such cases come before Muslim judges and administrators, the officials sometimes collude with social custom rather than upholding God's law. The author declares: refusing to apply even one of God's ordinances while professing Islam is itself a form of disbelief. Those who profess Islam outwardly while systematically subverting one of its clearest commands are in a grievous spiritual and legal error. The true cause is ignorance of the principles of the religion (aḥkām al-dīn). The knowledge of God's ordinances is the lamp; turning away from it is the darkness. May God guide us.

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:8):

وَإِذَا حَضَرَ الْقِسْمَةَ أُولُو الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينُ فَارْزُقُوهُم مِّنْهُ وَقُولُوا لَهُمْ قَوْلًا مَّعْرُوفًا

Wa-idhā ḥaḍara al-qismat ūlū al-qurbā wa-al-yatāmā wa-al-masākīnu fa-urzuqūhum minhu wa-qūlū lahum qawlan maʿrūfā.

"When at the time of division, relatives, orphans, and the needy are present, provide for them from it and speak to them in a kindly manner." (al-Nisāʾ 4:8)

Commentary: When the estate is being distributed and non-inheriting relatives (ūlū al-qurbā who are not heirs), orphans (yatāmā), and the poor (masākīn) are present — give them something from the estate as a moral gift (ʿaṭāʾ akhlāqī), and speak to them kindly and graciously.

Translation: "And when at the time of distribution, (non-inheriting) relatives, orphans, and the needy are present — give them something from it and speak to them with kind words (encourage them, comfort them)."

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:9):

وَلْيَخْشَ الَّذِينَ لَوْ تَرَكُوا مِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّةً ضِعَافًا خَافُوا عَلَيْهِمْ فَلْيَتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلْيَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا

Wa-l-yakhsha alladhīna law tarakū min khalfihim dhurriyyatan ḍiʿāfan khāfū ʿalayhim fa-l-yattaqū Allāha wa-l-yaqūlū qawlan sadīdā.

"Let those fear (Allah) who, if they were to leave behind them weak offspring, would be fearful on their behalf. Let them fear Allah and speak upright words (qawlan sadīdā)." (al-Nisāʾ 4:9)

Commentary: The verse addresses guardians and those who administer dying persons' estates. If you consider others' orphaned children and fear for their welfare, then show the same care for the orphans of others that you would wish for your own children. Fear Allah in your dealings with the weak and the young; speak uprightly (sadīd: truthful, direct, correct).

Translation: "Let those be afraid (of Allah) who, were they to leave behind weak children, would themselves be full of anxiety for them. Let them fear Allah and speak an upright word."

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:10):

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ الْيَتَامَى ظُلْمًا إِنَّمَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِي بُطُونِهِمْ نَارًا وَسَيَصْلَوْنَ سَعِيرًا

Inna alladhīna yaʾkulūna amwāla al-yatāmā ẓulman innamā yaʾkulūna fī buṭūnihim nāran wa-sa-yaṣlawna saʿīrā.

"Indeed, those who devour the wealth of orphans unjustly — they are only filling their bellies with fire, and they shall burn in a blazing Fire." (al-Nisāʾ 4:10)

Commentary: Yaʾkulūna amwāla al-yatāmā ẓulman — those who devour the orphan's wealth wrongfully and oppressively. Innamā yaʾkulūna fī buṭūnihim nāran — they are, in reality, swallowing fire into their own bellies. Sa-yaṣlawna saʿīrā — and they shall soon be cast into a blazing Fire. This is one of the most explicit Qurʾānic warnings on the sanctity of orphan wealth.

Translation: "Those who devour the wealth of orphans wrongfully — they are only filling their bellies with fire, and soon they shall burn in a blazing inferno."

(The author offers a concluding duʿāʾ:«وَأَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِن شُرُورِ أَنفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا»— "And I seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and the evil of our deeds.")

Commentary (on Inheritance Law — Prefatory Remarks): This section briefly treats the matter of kinship care and the rights of orphans that has been discussed. In this context, how inheritance is distributed among relatives — the full science of farāʾiḍ (Islamic inheritance shares) — will be addressed. However, the detailed technical treatment is reserved for what follows from the Qurʾānic verses on the subject.

The general principle is noted: before Islam, women and minor children received nothing from the estate. This was not unique to Arabia — it was the practice of most civilisations. Islam gave women their right and obligated the shares of close relatives. The first priority in any estate is: (1) payment of debts (qurūḍ adāʾ kardan, of the highest obligation — even the deceased's burial shroud (kafan) may not be withheld because of debts); (2) the costs of shrouding (kafn) at a moderate level, neither extravagant nor miserly; (3) then the execution of the will (waṣiyya) up to one-third; and (4) finally the distribution of the remainder among heirs.

The categories of heirs (warrāth) are: (A) Aṣḥāb al-farāʾiḍ — those with fixed Qurʾānic shares: the wife, the husband, the daughter, the mother, the father, the son's daughter, the full sister, the maternal half-brother, etc. (B) ʿAṣaba — residuary heirs (primarily males in the agnatic line). (C) Dhawū al-arḥām — uterine relatives who inherit only in the absence of both (A) and (B). The author then gives a detailed breakdown of the ʿaṣaba categories: ʿaṣaba bi-nafsihi (one who is ʿaṣaba by himself, e.g., the son), ʿaṣaba bi-ghayrihi (one who becomes ʿaṣaba through another, e.g., the daughter with her brother), and ʿaṣaba maʿa ghayrihi (one who becomes ʿaṣaba alongside another).

Commentary (continued — on Exclusion from Inheritance and Categories of ʿAṣaba): Who is excluded from inheritance entirely? (1) The murtadd (apostate) does not inherit a Muslim. (2) The murderer does not inherit from the one he killed. (3) Difference of religion: a non-Muslim does not inherit from a Muslim. (4) Slavery: a slave does not inherit. (5) If the order of death is unknown — e.g., if two people drowned in a shipwreck and it cannot be established who died first — neither inherits from the other.

The categories of ʿaṣaba bi-nafsihi (self-standing residuary male heirs) follow the order of the deceased's jamāʿa (assembly): son, then son's son, then father, then grandfather, then full brother, then consanguine brother, then their sons, and so forth — with the nearer always excluding the more remote. Ḥajb (exclusion) is of two types: ḥajb ḥirmān (total exclusion) and ḥajb nuqṣān (reduction of share). For example, if there is no offspring, the wife's share increases from one-eighth to one-quarter; if offspring exist, it decreases from one-quarter to one-eighth.

Verses on Inheritance (al-Nisāʾ 4:11–14)

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:11):

يُوصِيكُمُ اللَّهُ فِي أَوْلَادِكُمْ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنثَيَيْنِ فَإِن كُنَّ نِسَاءً فَوْقَ اثْنَتَيْنِ فَلَهُنَّ ثُلُثَا مَا تَرَكَ وَإِن كَانَتْ وَاحِدَةً فَلَهَا النِّصْفُ وَلِأَبَوَيْهِ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِّنْهُمَا السُّدُسُ مِمَّا تَرَكَ إِن كَانَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ فَإِن لَّمْ يَكُن لَّهُ وَلَدٌ وَوَرِثَهُ أَبَوَاهُ فَلِأُمِّهِ الثُّلُثُ

Yūṣīkumu Allāhu fī awlādikum lil-dhakari mithlu ḥaẓẓi al-unthayayn, fa-in kunna nisāʾan fawqa ithnatayni fa-lahunna thuluthā mā taraka, wa-in kānat wāḥidatan fa-lahā al-niṣf, wa-li-abawayhi li-kulli wāḥidin minhumā al-sudus mimmā taraka in kāna lahu walad, fa-in lam yakun lahu waladun wa-warithahu abawāhu fa-li-ummihi al-thuluth.

"Allah instructs you concerning your children: for the male the equivalent of the share of two females. If there are only daughters, more than two, then they receive two-thirds of what the deceased leaves. If there is only one daughter, she receives a half. And for each of the parents, one-sixth of what the deceased leaves — if he had offspring. If he had no offspring and his parents are his sole heirs, then his mother receives one-third." (al-Nisāʾ 4:11)

Commentary: Yūṣīkumu Allāhu — Allah gives you His command (waṣiyya), His ordinance. This is the divine bequest regarding your children. Lil-dhakari mithlu ḥaẓẓi al-unthayayn — the son takes a share equal to that of two daughters. Why? Because the man bears the financial burdens: he provides (nafaqa) for his wife, for children, for others; and a woman, in the Islamic legal framework, is maintained by others (nafaqa wājib ʿalā al-rajul). A daughter who marries will have her expenses borne by her husband; a son bears his own and his family's expenses. Fa-in kunna nisāʾan fawqa ithnatayni — if the female heirs are more than two daughters, they collectively receive two-thirds (thuluthāni, i.e., 2/3) of the estate. Wa-in kānat wāḥidatan fa-lahā al-niṣf — if there is only one daughter, she takes one-half (niṣf, 1/2). Li-kulli wāḥidin min al-abaway al-sudus — each of the two parents receives one-sixth (sudus, 1/6) if the deceased has offspring. Fa-in lam yakun lahu walad wa-warithahu abawāhu — if there is no offspring and the parents alone inherit, the mother receives one-third (thuluth, 1/3).

The author then details complex cases: if the deceased left a spouse and parents, the spouse's share is first calculated, then the mother receives one-third of the remainder (not one-third of the whole estate); the father takes the rest as ʿaṣaba. He walks through several example distributions. He notes the consensus that ʿummariyyatāni (the two "Umarī" distributions) are named after the ruling of Sayyidunā ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) — reducing the mother's share in the presence of a spouse.

Commentary (continued on 4:11): Min baʿdi waṣiyyatin yūṣī bihā aw dayn — after any bequest the deceased made or any debt (is settled). The rule is: debts take priority over all else. Ābāʾukum wa-abnāʾukum lā tadrūna ayyuhum aqrabu lakum nafʿan — your fathers and your sons — you know not which of them is more beneficial to you in reality. Farīḍatan min Allāh — this is a duty (farīḍa) from Allah. Inna Allāha kāna ʿalīman ḥakīmā — Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. He is fully aware of all circumstances and all that He does, He does with perfect wisdom (ḥikma).

Translation: "Allah commands you regarding your children: the son's share is equivalent to that of two daughters. If the female heirs are more than two, they receive two-thirds of the estate; if only one, then one-half. And for each of the parents, one-sixth — if the deceased had offspring. If he had no offspring and the parents are his only heirs, the mother takes one-third (and the father takes the rest). All this is after any bequest made or debt (is settled). Your fathers and your sons — you do not know which of them is nearer to you in benefit. This is a duty from Allah. Verily Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise."

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:12):

وَلَكُمْ نِصْفُ مَا تَرَكَ أَزْوَاجُكُمْ إِن لَّمْ يَكُن لَّهُنَّ وَلَدٌ فَإِن كَانَ لَهُنَّ وَلَدٌ فَلَكُمُ الرُّبُعُ مِمَّا تَرَكْنَ مِن بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍ يُوصِينَ بِهَا أَوْ دَيْنٍ وَلَهُنَّ الرُّبُعُ مِمَّا تَرَكْتُمْ إِن لَّمْ يَكُن لَّكُمْ وَلَدٌ

Wa-lakum niṣfu mā taraka azwājukum in lam yakun lahunna walad, fa-in kāna lahunna waladun fa-lakumu al-rubʿu mimmā tarakna min baʿdi waṣiyyatin yūṣīna bihā aw dayn, wa-lahunna al-rubʿu mimmā taraktum in lam yakun lakum walad.

"For you is one-half of what your wives leave — if they had no child. But if they had a child, then for you is one-quarter of what they leave — after any bequest they made or any debt. And for them (the wives) is one-quarter of what you leave — if you had no child." (al-Nisāʾ 4:12)

Commentary: The verse sets out the husband's share (naṣīb al-zawj) and the wife's share (naṣīb al-zawja): (a) Husband receives 1/2 if his wife left no child; 1/4 if she left children. (b) Wife or wives receive 1/4 if the husband left no child; 1/8 if he left children. These are shares after all debts and bequests are settled. Kalāla — a person who dies leaving neither parent nor offspring. In such a case the siblings inherit. The rules for full siblings, consanguine siblings (sharing only the father), and uterine siblings (sharing only the mother) differ in their shares and are detailed by the fuqahāʾ of the four schools.

Translation: "For you is one-half of what your wives leave — if they had no child. But if they had a child, one-quarter for you — after any bequest or debt. And for the wives one-quarter of what you leave — if you had no child. If you have children, one-eighth for them — after bequest or debt. If a man or woman dies kalāla (leaving neither parent nor child) and has one brother and one sister, each of them receives one-sixth. If they are more, they share one-third equally — after bequest or debt, causing no harm (to the heirs). This is the command of Allah, and Allah is All-Knowing, Most Forbearing."

Commentary (continued — the four categories of brothers in inheritance): The author explains the four types of brothers and their inheritance:

(1) Akhawāt al-ushaqīq (full brothers, sharing both father and mother) — they inherit as ʿaṣaba.

(2) Akhawāt li-ab (paternal half-brothers, sharing only the father) — they are also ʿaṣaba, but excluded by the full brothers in their presence.

(3) Akhawāt li-umm (maternal half-brothers, sharing only the mother) — they receive a fixed share: one-sixth each; if two or more, they share one-third equally. The male and female maternal half-siblings share equally (unlike the general rule, because the kalāla provision treats them as equal).

(4) Akhawāt li-ab wa-umm (full sisters and the sister with brothers) — the full sister takes one-half alone; two or more take two-thirds; if with a full brother, he takes double her share as ʿaṣaba bi-ghayrihi.

Translation of verses (al-Nisāʾ 4:13–14):

تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ ۝ وَمَن يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ نَارًا خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَلَهُ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ

Tilka ḥudūdu Allāhi wa-man yuṭiʿi Allāha wa-rasūlahu yudkhilhu jannātin tajrī min taḥtihā al-anhāru khālidīna fīhā wa-dhālika al-fawzu al-ʿaẓīm. Wa-man yaʿṣi Allāha wa-rasūlahu wa-yataʿadda ḥudūdahu yudkhilhu nāran khālidan fīhā wa-lahu ʿadhābun muhīn.

"Those are the limits of Allah. Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, He shall admit him to Gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein forever — and that is the supreme triumph. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, and transgresses His limits — He shall cast him into a Fire, abiding therein forever, and for him is a humiliating torment." (al-Nisāʾ 4:13–14)

Translation: "These are the limits of Allah. Whoever obeys Allah and His Messengerﷺshall be admitted to Gardens with rivers flowing beneath, abiding therein forever — and that is the great triumph (al-fawz al-ʿaẓīm). And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and transgresses His limits — He shall cast him into a Fire wherein he abides forever, and for him is a humiliating punishment."

Commentary on 4:13–14: The author then addresses the science of ʿilm al-farāʾiḍ (Islamic inheritance law), explaining why it involves the manipulation of fractions. The basic denominators used are: 2 (for niṣf, half), 3 (for thuluth, third), 4 (for rubʿ, quarter), 6 (for sudus, sixth), 8 (for thumn, eighth), and 24. The maṣʾala (problem of distribution) requires finding a common denominator (makharij) for all shares present. For example: if the heirs are a wife, a mother, and a daughter — the wife takes 1/8 (denominator 8), the mother 1/6 (denominator 6), and the daughter 1/2 (denominator 2). Their common denominator is 24. The wife's share is 3/24, the mother's 4/24, the daughter's 12/24 — total 19/24, leaving 5/24 for the father as ʿaṣaba. This method of resolution is known as tashīḥ al-masāʾil (correction of cases). More complex cases involving ʿawl (augmentation, when shares exceed the whole) and radd (return, when shares fall short of the whole) are also systematically explained.

Commentary (continued — on Augmentation and Return): ʿAwl occurs when the sum of the assigned shares exceeds the whole estate — the solution is to proportionally reduce each share, treating the denominator as the sum of numerators. The classic ʿAwliyya cases include the Minbariyya (known in Shīʿī jurisprudence as the Ḥimāriyya): where the estate of 6 becomes 9, then 10, then 13, then 15. Radd occurs when the total of fixed shares falls short of the estate and there is no ʿaṣaba — the remainder is returned (radd) to the dhawū al-farāʾiḍ proportionally (excluding the spouse in the Ḥanafī view; the spouse participates in radd in the Mālikī position). These are among the deeper discussions of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh).

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:15):

وَاللَّاتِي يَأْتِينَ الْفَاحِشَةَ مِن نِّسَائِكُمْ فَاسْتَشْهِدُوا عَلَيْهِنَّ أَرْبَعَةً مِّنكُمْ فَإِن شَهِدُوا فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ فِي الْبُيُوتِ حَتَّى يَتَوَفَّاهُنَّ الْمَوْتُ أَوْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لَهُنَّ سَبِيلًا

Wa-al-lātī yaʾtīna al-fāḥishata min nisāʾikum fa-istashshidū ʿalayhinna arbaʿatan minkum fa-in shahidū fa-amsikūhunna fī al-buyūti ḥattā yatawaffāhunna al-mawtu aw yajʿala Allāhu lahunna sabīlā.

"As for those women among yours who commit indecency (fāḥisha) — seek against them four witnesses from among you. If they testify, then confine them (amsikūhunna) to their houses until death overtakes them or Allah ordains for them a way." (al-Nisāʾ 4:15)

Commentary: Fāḥisha — grave immorality: whether outright adultery (zinā) or acts closely approaching it. Arbaʿatan minkum — four witnesses from among the Muslim men: the requirement of four witnesses is itself a protection for women's honour (ʿirḍ wa-ḥurmat). Fa-amsikūhunna fī al-buyūt — confine them to the home; this was the original measure before the verse of corporal punishment (ḥadd) was revealed. Aw yajʿala Allāhu lahunna sabīlā — "or until Allah ordains for them a way." The Prophetﷺdeclared:«قَدْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لَهُنَّ سَبِيلًا»— "Allah has indeed made a way for them" — and he explained: the virgin with a virgin: a hundred lashes and banishment for a year; the married person with a married person: a hundred lashes and stoning (rajm). (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)

Translation: "And those of your women who commit indecency — seek four witnesses from among yourselves against them. If they testify, confine them to their homes until death overtakes them, or Allah ordains for them a way (i.e., until the law of ḥadd is revealed)."

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:16):

وَاللَّذَانِ يَأْتِيَانِهَا مِنكُمْ فَآذُوهُمَا فَإِن تَابَا وَأَصْلَحَا فَأَعْرِضُوا عَنْهُمَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا

Wa-al-ladhāni yaʾtiyānihā minkum fa-ādhūhumā, fa-in tābā wa-aṣlaḥā fa-aʿriḍū ʿanhumā, inna Allāha kāna tawwāban raḥīmā.

"And if two among you commit it, harm them both (ādhūhumā). But if they repent and make amends, then leave them alone. Verily Allah is ever Relenting, Most Merciful." (al-Nisāʾ 4:16)

Commentary: This verse addresses the case of two males or a man and a woman caught in such an act. Ādhūhumā — punish them, harm them (a preliminary penalty before the definitive ḥadd was revealed). If they repent (tābā) and make genuine amendment (aṣlaḥā), then leave them — aʿriḍū ʿanhumā: turn away from them, pardon them. Inna Allāha kāna tawwāban raḥīmā — Allah is the One who relents toward His servants and is exceedingly merciful.

Translation: "If two among you commit it, harm them both. But if they repent and make amends, then leave them — indeed, Allah is the Ever-Relenting, the Most Merciful."

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:17):

إِنَّمَا التَّوْبَةُ عَلَى اللَّهِ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السُّوءَ بِجَهَالَةٍ ثُمَّ يَتُوبُونَ مِن قَرِيبٍ فَأُولَئِكَ يَتُوبُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا

Innamā al-tawbatu ʿalā Allāhi lil-ladhīna yaʿmalūna al-sūʾa bi-jahālatin thumma yatūbūna min qarībin fa-ulāʾika yatūbu Allāhu ʿalayhim, wa-kāna Allāhu ʿalīman ḥakīmā.

"Acceptance of repentance (tawba) by Allah is only for those who commit evil out of ignorance (bi-jahāla) and then repent soon after — these are the ones toward whom Allah relents, and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise." (al-Nisāʾ 4:17)

Commentary: Bi-jahāla — out of ignorance or impetuosity; not with cool premeditation. Yatūbūna min qarīb — they repent soon (qarīb: near in time). After a sin committed, genuine remorse and shame fill the heart, and repentance follows quickly. These are the ones whose repentance Allah accepts. Wa-kāna Allāhu ʿalīman ḥakīmā — Allah is All-Knowing, aware of what is concealed in hearts, and All-Wise in His judgments. The spiritual teaching: the sinner who commits an act and immediately feels the heart's sting of remorse — that sting is itself the sign that true repentance is possible. Repentance is a state (ḥāl), not merely words.

Translation: "Repentance with Allah is only for those who do evil out of ignorance and then repent shortly thereafter — these are the ones toward whom Allah turns (in mercy), and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise."

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:18):

وَلَيْسَتِ التَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ حَتَّى إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ إِنِّي تُبْتُ الْآنَ وَلَا الَّذِينَ يَمُوتُونَ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ أُولَئِكَ أَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا

Wa-laysat al-tawbatu lil-ladhīna yaʿmalūna al-sayyiʾāti ḥattā idhā ḥaḍara aḥadahumu al-mawtu qāla innī tubtu al-āna wa-lā alladhīna yamūtūna wa-hum kuffār, ulāʾika aʿtadnā lahum ʿadhāban alīmā.

"And there is no acceptance of repentance for those who continue doing evil until, when death comes to one of them, he says, 'Indeed I repent now' — nor for those who die as unbelievers. For these We have prepared a painful torment." (al-Nisāʾ 4:18)

Commentary: This verse specifies who cannot benefit from repentance: (1) the one who sins persistently and only cries repentance when death is upon him — at the moment when the angel of death is already visible and īmān bi-al-ghayb (faith in the unseen) is no longer possible. This is the example of Pharaoh (Firʿawn), who, when he saw the drowning waves, declared: "I believe in the God of the Banī Isrāʾīl!" — but the angels replied: "Now you believe? You who were disobedient all your life?" (2) Those who die in a state of explicit disbelief (kufr). For these, We have prepared a painful torment.

Translation: "Repentance is not for those who persist in wickedness until death comes to one of them and he says, 'Now I repent' — nor for those who die as unbelievers. For these We have prepared a painful torment."

Commentary (Story of Pharaoh's Deathbed Repentance — [reconstructed from the author's evident intent]): Pharaoh's case is a warning: when he finally saw the Angel, he tried to claim faith — but the angel declared it unacceptable, for he had lived his entire life in arrogance and denial. Repentance is the turning of a living heart while the time of free choice still remains.

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:19):

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا يَحِلُّ لَكُمْ أَن تَرِثُوا النِّسَاءَ كَرْهًا

Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū lā yaḥillu lakum an tarithū al-nisāʾa karhan.

"O you who believe! It is not lawful for you to inherit women against their will (karhan)." (al-Nisāʾ 4:19)

Commentary: In the jāhiliyya — and, the author observes, in certain frontier Muslim communities even in his own age — the custom existed that when a man died, his male relatives would inherit his wife as property, or force her to remain with the husband's family and block her from remarrying. Islam abolished this entirely. Lā yaḥillu lakum — it is ḥarām, unlawful, for you to inherit women against their will (karhan: under compulsion). Even today in some tribal regions, the author notes, the deceased husband's family effectively imprisons the widow, treating her as part of the estate. This is absolutely prohibited.

The verse continues:

"Do not constrain them so that you may take back part of what you gave them — unless they commit a manifest indecency (fāḥishan mubayyanatan). Live with them in kindness (bi-al-maʿrūf). If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike something through which Allah places much good."

Wa-ʿāshirūhunna bi-al-maʿrūf — and live with them in a recognised kindly manner, according to the customary norms of decent treatment. Fa-ʿasā an takrahū shayʾan wa-yajʿala Allāhu fīhi khayran kathīrā — it may be that you dislike something while Allah places great good within it. Do not rush to divorce; perhaps in patience and continued partnership, a great blessing lies hidden.

Translation: "O believers! It is not lawful for you to inherit women against their will, nor to constrain them so that you may take back part of what you gave them — unless they commit a clear indecency. Live with them in a recognised kindly manner. If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike something through which Allah places abundant good."

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:20):

وَإِنْ أَرَدتُّمُ اسْتِبْدَالَ زَوْجٍ مَّكَانَ زَوْجٍ وَآتَيْتُمْ إِحْدَاهُنَّ قِنطَارًا فَلَا تَأْخُذُوا مِنْهُ شَيْئًا أَتَأْخُذُونَهُ بُهْتَانًا وَإِثْمًا مُّبِينًا

Wa-in aradtumu istibdāla zawjin makāna zawjin wa-ātaytum iḥdāhunna qinṭāran fa-lā taʾkhudhū minhu shayʾan, a-taʾkhudhūnahu buhtānan wa-ithman mubīnā.

"If you wish to exchange one wife for another and you have given the first a heap of gold (qinṭār), take nothing from it back. Would you take it as calumny (buhtān) and a manifest sin?" (al-Nisāʾ 4:20)

Commentary: Even if the dower given was a qinṭār — a vast sum — and the husband now wishes to marry another, he has absolutely no right to reclaim any of the dower. Buhtānan wa-ithman mubīnan — taking it back is an act of calumny and open sin. The author references Qurʾān 2:229 in which a woman may give back her dower voluntarily in khulʿ (mutual release); but the man cannot forcibly take it back. The principle: the dower (mahr) is the woman's inviolable property.

Commentary (Social Observation): The author laments the custom prevalent in many Muslim communities of fixing exorbitant dowers that are never actually paid — leaving women without their rights in divorce or upon death. Girls grow up unmarried because grooms cannot meet inflated dower demands. And when a marriage breaks down, neither is the dower paid nor is the wife properly released. This is a grave injustice. The Prophetﷺhimself, the author notes, accepted minimum dowers and urged simplicity in nikāḥ.

Translation: "And if you wish to exchange one wife for another and you have given her a heap of gold — take nothing back from it. Would you take it as calumny and a manifest sin?"

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:21):

وَكَيْفَ تَأْخُذُونَهُ وَقَدْ أَفْضَى بَعْضُكُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ وَأَخَذْنَ مِنكُم مِّيثَاقًا غَلِيظًا

Wa-kayfa taʾkhudhūnahu wa-qad afḍā baʿḍukum ilā baʿḍin wa-akhadhna minkum mīthāqan ghalīẓā.

"And how can you take it back when you have been intimate with one another (afḍā baʿḍukum ilā baʿḍ), and they have taken from you a solemn covenant (mīthāqan ghalīẓan)?" (al-Nisāʾ 4:21)

Commentary: Afḍā baʿḍukum ilā baʿḍ — you have come together; there has been intimacy between you; you have entered the most private precincts of one another's being. Wa-akhadhna minkum mīthāqan ghalīẓan — and they took from you the most solemn of covenants (mīthāq: a bond, ghalīẓ: heavy, weighty). The nikāḥ contract is described as a mīthāq ghalīẓ — the same description used for the covenant Allah made with the Prophets (Aḥzāb 33:7). How, then, could one treat such a bond as trivial?

Translation: "And how could you take it back when you have been intimate with one another, and they took from you a solemn weighty covenant?"

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:22):

وَلَا تَنكِحُوا مَا نَكَحَ آبَاؤُكُم مِّنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَمَقْتًا وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا

Wa-lā tankiḥū mā nakaḥa ābāʾukum min al-nisāʾi illā mā qad salaf, innahu kāna fāḥishatan wa-maqtan wa-sāʾa sabīlā.

"Do not marry women whom your fathers married — except what has already passed. Indeed, that is indecency (fāḥisha), abomination (maqt), and an evil way." (al-Nisāʾ 4:22)

Commentary: In the jāhiliyya, it was practiced that a son could inherit and marry his stepmother (his father's wife). Islam utterly abolished this. The verse makes it absolutely forbidden: any woman married by one's father — whether by full consummation or merely by legal contract — becomes permanently forbidden (muḥarrama forever) to the son. Illā mā qad salaf — "except what has already passed": whatever occurred in the jāhiliyya before Islam is pardoned; going forward, this is absolutely ḥarām. Fāḥisha — a grave immorality; maqt — moral abhorrence; sāʾa sabīlā — the most evil of paths.

Translation: "Do not marry women whom your fathers married — save what has already passed. That is indeed indecency, abomination, and an evil path."

Now begins the enumeration of permanently forbidden women (al-muḥarramāt):

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:23):

حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أُمَّهَاتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُكُمْ وَأَخَوَاتُكُمْ وَعَمَّاتُكُمْ وَخَالَاتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُ الْأَخِ وَبَنَاتُ الْأُخْتِ وَأُمَّهَاتُكُمُ اللَّاتِي أَرْضَعْنَكُمْ وَأَخَوَاتُكُم مِّنَ الرَّضَاعَةِ وَأُمَّهَاتُ نِسَائِكُمْ وَرَبَائِبُكُمُ اللَّاتِي فِي حُجُورِكُم مِّن نِّسَائِكُمُ اللَّاتِي دَخَلْتُم بِهِنَّ فَإِن لَّمْ تَكُونُوا دَخَلْتُم بِهِنَّ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَحَلَائِلُ أَبْنَائِكُمُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ أَصْلَابِكُمْ وَأَن تَجْمَعُوا بَيْنَ الْأُخْتَيْنِ

Ḥurrimat ʿalaykum ummahātukum wa-banātukum wa-akhawātukum wa-ʿammātukum wa-khālātukum wa-banātu al-akhi wa-banātu al-ukhti wa-ummahātukumu al-lātī arḍaʿnakum wa-akhawātukum min al-raḍāʿa wa-ummahātu nisāʾikum wa-rabāʾibukumu al-lātī fī ḥujūrikum min nisāʾikumu al-lātī dakhaltum bihinna fa-in lam takūnū dakhaltum bihinna fa-lā junāḥa ʿalaykum wa-ḥalāʾilu abnāʾikumu alladhīna min aṣlābikum wa-an tajmaʿū bayna al-ukhtayn.

"Forbidden to you are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your paternal aunts, your maternal aunts, your brother's daughters, your sister's daughters, your foster-mothers who nursed you, your foster-sisters, the mothers of your wives (ummahāt nisāʾikum), your stepdaughters under your guardianship born of wives with whom you have consummated marriage — but if you have not consummated marriage with them, there is no sin upon you — and the wives of your sons who are from your own loins, and that you unite two sisters simultaneously." (al-Nisāʾ 4:23)

Commentary:

Ḥurrimat — has been made unlawful (muḥarrama). Ummahātukum — your mothers: this includes, by the principle of uṣūl, the grandmother and great-grandmother on both sides to any degree. Banātukum — your daughters: includes granddaughters and beyond. Akhawātukum — your sisters: full, paternal half-, and maternal half-sisters. ʿAmmātukum — your paternal aunts: includes the paternal aunts of one's father and grandfather. Khālātukum — your maternal aunts: includes all degrees. Banātu al-akh wa-banātu al-ukht — your nieces (brother's and sister's daughters), including all further descendants. Ummahātukumu al-lātī arḍaʿnakum — your foster-mothers who suckled you: foster-milk (labn al-murḍiʿa) creates the same prohibitions as blood. Wa-akhawātukum min al-raḍāʿa — your foster-sisters. Wa-ummahātu nisāʾikum — your mothers-in-law: the moment a nikāḥ contract is concluded, the woman's mother becomes permanently forbidden, whether or not consummation occurred.

Wa-rabāʾibukumu al-lātī fī ḥujūrikum — your stepdaughters under your guardianship (ḥujūr: lap, protection, nurturing care) — daughters of wives with whom you have consummated marriage (dakhaltum bihinna). If you have not consummated the marriage and then divorce the mother, the daughter does not become forbidden. Wa-ḥalāʾilu abnāʾikumu alladhīna min aṣlābikum — the wives of your biological sons (not adopted sons). Wa-an tajmaʿū bayna al-ukhtayn — it is forbidden to have two sisters as wives simultaneously; this prohibition extends by analogy to aunt and niece.

Illā mā qad salaf — "save what has already passed": acts of the jāhiliyya before Islam are pardoned. Inna Allāha kāna ghafūran raḥīmā — Indeed Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Translation: "Forbidden to you are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your paternal aunts, your maternal aunts, your brother's daughters, your sister's daughters, your foster-mothers who nursed you, your foster-sisters, the mothers of your wives, your stepdaughters under your care born of wives you have consummated marriage with — but if you have not consummated the marriage, then there is no sin upon you — and the wives of your biological sons, and combining two sisters (as wives simultaneously). What has passed is gone — verily Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."

Commentary (on the General Rule of Prohibited Degrees): The author cites the legal maxim: ḥurrama ʿalā al-marʾi uṣūluhu wa-uṣūluhu wa-awwalu faṣlin min kulli aṣlin lahu — "A man's uṣūl (ancestors) and fuṣūl (descendants), and the first branch from every ancestral line, are forbidden to him." Uṣūl refers to: father, grandfather, mother, grandmother (all ascending). Fuṣūl refers to: son, grandson, daughter, granddaughter (all descending). The "first branch from each ancestral line" means: full sibling, paternal half-sibling, maternal half-sibling, their children and descendants; plus paternal and maternal aunts (but not their children, who are ḥalāl).

The raḍāʿ (foster-kinship) rule: whoever suckled you (at least five established nursing sessions, khamsu raḍaʿātin per the Shāfiʿī position; any minimum amount per the Ḥanafī position) and all those related to her as uṣūl, fuṣūl, or first-branch relatives — become forbidden in the same way as blood-relatives. From the foster-nurse's husband and from the foster-nurse herself: only the spouse and their direct children inherit the prohibition; the foster-siblings' children do not become one's foster-relatives automatically.

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:24):

وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأُحِلَّ لَكُم مَّا وَرَاءَ ذَلِكُمْ أَن تَبْتَغُوا بِأَمْوَالِكُم مُّحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَافِحِينَ فَمَا اسْتَمْتَعْتُم بِهِ مِنْهُنَّ فَآتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةً

Wa-al-muḥṣanātu min al-nisāʾi illā mā malakat aymānukum kitāba Allāhi ʿalaykum wa-uḥilla lakum mā warāʾa dhālikum an tabtaghū bi-amwālikum muḥṣinīna ghayra musāfiḥīna fa-mā istamtaʿtum bihi minhunna fa-ātūhunna ujūrahunna farīḍatan.

"And (forbidden to you are) married women (muḥṣanāt), except those whom your right hands possess — this is the ordinance of Allah upon you. And lawful to you are all beyond those, that you may seek (wives) with your wealth in a proper manner, as men desiring chastity (muḥṣinīn) not as fornicators. So for whatever enjoyment you have with them, give them their dowers (ujūr) as a duty." (al-Nisāʾ 4:24)

Commentary: Al-muḥṣanāt — women who are already married (muḥṣana: protected, secured; from ḥiṣn, fortress). These are forbidden: you may not marry a woman who has an existing husband. Illā mā malakat aymānukum — except those whom your right hands possess: referring to women taken as captives of war whose existing marriages with enemy combatants are considered dissolved. The author notes: in the pre-Islamic era of perpetual war, captive women had no legal protection — the Islamic system, while regulating the phenomenon of war-captivity, provided that such women be treated humanely and that the institution be progressively curtailed. Kitāba Allāhi ʿalaykum — this is Allah's written ordinance upon you.

Wa-uḥilla lakum mā warāʾa dhālikum — all women beyond these categories of prohibition are lawful for you. An tabtaghū bi-amwālikum muḥṣinīna — seeking them with your wealth (dower) in a chaste manner. Muḥṣinīna — intending chastity, marriage, and lawful union. Ghayra musāfiḥīna — not as fornicators seeking mere gratification. Fa-mā istamtaʿtum bihi minhunna fa-ātūhunna ujūrahunna farīḍatan — give them their dowers as an obligatory duty; the dower (mahr) becomes obligatory the moment the marriage is consummated.

The author underscores the dignity that making dower (mahr) obligatory confers upon women in Islam: it ensures that in the event of divorce the woman has material protection, and the husband cannot simply discard her without consequence.

Commentary (Social Commentary — Critique of Prevailing Practices regarding Dower): The author laments: in the present age, the dower has become either a show piece — a ridiculously large figure written in the contract but never intended to be paid — or it has been so inflated that no one can pay it. A bridegroom brings a pair of clothes and a horse and considers himself discharged of obligation. Girls remain unmarried because dowers are unaffordable. When there is discord in a marriage and it ends in divorce, the deferred dower suddenly becomes impossibly burdensome and the man neither pays it nor releases the woman. This is a great social calamity. The author recalls the simplicity of the Prophetﷺ: his blessed wives had modest dowers; and when there was difficulty in a marriage, the Prophetﷺfacilitated khulʿ (mutual release). The anṣār women (khayrāt al-nisāʾ) managed their households with dignity.

There is also a widespread misunderstanding, the author notes: many Muslims believe that a court-appointed qāḍī can effectively force a marriage — or that once a dower is fixed, the husband can never be compelled to divorce. He clarifies: a qāḍī can compel divorce (or grant it on the wife's behalf in extreme cases), and a dower, however large, cannot be a tool of indefinite imprisonment. The marriage bond (ʿaqd al-nikāḥ), however solemn, does not grant the husband license to harm.

Translation: "And forbidden are married women (muḥṣanāt), except those whom your right hands possess — this is Allah's ordinance upon you. Lawful to you are all beyond these: that you may seek (wives) with your wealth in a proper chaste manner, not as fornicators. Then for whatever you enjoy with them, give them their dowers as a duty. There is no sin on you regarding what you mutually agree to beyond the obligation. Verily Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise."

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:25):

وَمَن لَّمْ يَسْتَطِعْ مِنكُمْ طَوْلًا أَن يَنكِحَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ فَمِن مَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُم مِّن فَتَيَاتِكُمُ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ

Wa-man lam yastaṭiʿ minkum ṭawlan an yankiḥa al-muḥṣanāti al-muʾmināti fa-min mā malakat aymānukum min fatayātikumu al-muʾmināt.

"And whoever among you cannot afford to marry free believing women (muḥṣanāt muʾmināt), then (he may marry) from your believing slave-women (fatayātikumu al-muʾmināt)." (al-Nisāʾ 4:25)

Commentary: Ṭawl — capacity, financial means. Al-muḥṣanāt al-muʾmināt — free believing women. Fatayātikum al-muʾmināt — your believing slave-women. The verse addresses those who truly cannot afford the dower and maintenance of a free woman — they may marry a believing slave-woman, but only with her family's (ahl) permission and with due dower. The verse makes it clear that the condition of being enslaved is a contingent, historical circumstance — baʿḍukum min baʿḍ — you are all from one another; a slave-woman (fatāt) is from the same human origin as her mistress. And since God Himself is the All-Wise (ʿAlīm), He knows people's circumstances best. The condition of being a slave is temporary and social, not essential to the person's worth before God.

Wa-ātūhunna ujūrahunna bi-al-maʿrūf — and give them their dowers in a recognised good manner. Muḥṣanātin ghayra musāfihātin — chaste, not fornicating. Wa-lā muttakhidhāti akhdān — and not taking secret lovers. Fa-idhā uḥṣinna — when they have been married (and thus "protected"): fa-in atayna bi-fāḥishatin fa-ʿalayhinna niṣfu mā ʿalā al-muḥṣanāti min al-ʿadhāb — their penalty, if they commit indecency, is half that prescribed for free women. Since ḥadd al-zinā for a free married woman is a hundred lashes (jald), for the slave-woman it is fifty lashes (khamsa wa-khamsūna jaldatan). Stoning (rajm) does not apply to a slave-woman since it cannot be halved.

Translation: "And whoever among you cannot afford to marry free believing women, then (he may marry) from your believing slave-women — with her guardian's permission, and with her dower given in a recognised manner, she being chaste, not fornicating, and not taking secret lovers. When they are married, if they commit indecency, their punishment is half that prescribed for free women. This permission is for those among you who fear falling into sin. But to be patient is better for you. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Commentary (continued on 4:25): The author then comments on the psychological and social harm of the custom of taking concubines: their children grow up in unstable conditions, and their presence corrupts the moral atmosphere of the household. The right path — whenever one can find the means — is the lawful, dignified bond of nikāḥ with a dower, witnesses, and proper social recognition.

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:26):

يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ وَيَهْدِيَكُمْ سُنَنَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَيَتُوبَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

Yurīdu Allāhu li-yubayyina lakum wa-yahdiyakum sunana alladhīna min qablikum wa-yatūba ʿalaykum wa-Allāhu ʿalīmun ḥakīm.

"Allah desires to make clear to you and to guide you to the ways of those before you, and to relent toward you. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise." (al-Nisāʾ 4:26)

Commentary: Li-yubayyina lakum — that He may make these ordinances clear to you. Wa-yahdiyakum sunana alladhīna min qablikum — and guide you to the established practices of the righteous peoples before you. Wa-yatūba ʿalaykum — and to turn in mercy toward you. Wa-Allāhu ʿalīmun ḥakīm — Allah is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Translation: "Allah desires to make things clear to you and to guide you to the ways of those before you, and to relent toward you (with mercy) — and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise."

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:27):

وَاللَّهُ يُرِيدُ أَن يَتُوبَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَيُرِيدُ الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الشَّهَوَاتِ أَن تَمِيلُوا مَيْلًا عَظِيمًا

Wa-Allāhu yurīdu an yatūba ʿalaykum wa-yurīdu alladhīna yattabiʿūna al-shahawāti an tamīlū maylān ʿaẓīmā.

"Allah desires to relent toward you, while those who follow their passions (shahawāt) desire that you should deviate with a tremendous deviation." (al-Nisāʾ 4:27)

Commentary: Yattabiʿūna al-shahawāt — those who follow their lusts and desires (shahawāt): they are the bondsmen of their own passions, the slaves of their appetites. An tamīlū maylān ʿaẓīmā — they want you to swerve into a great deviation from the straight path. This is the eternal battle: Allah's will draws the believer toward purity and order; the forces of shahwa pull toward dissolution and excess.

Translation: "Allah desires to relent toward you, while those who follow their desires want you to swerve into a tremendous deviation."

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:28):

يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ أَن يُخَفِّفَ عَنكُمْ وَخُلِقَ الْإِنسَانُ ضَعِيفًا

Yurīdu Allāhu an yukhaffifa ʿankum wa-khuliqa al-insānu ḍaʿīfā.

"Allah desires to lighten (the burden) for you, and the human being was created weak (ḍaʿīfan)." (al-Nisāʾ 4:28)

Commentary: Yukhaffifa ʿankum — lighten the burden upon you; relieve you of excessive hardship. Wa-khuliqa al-insānu ḍaʿīfan — and the human being is created inherently weak: he is susceptible to the pull of desire and fatigue. Therefore Allah's law is one of taysīr (ease), not unbearable hardship. The religion is designed for the nature (fiṭra) of man — merciful, accessible, moderate.

Translation: "Allah desires to lighten (the burden) for you, for the human being was created weak."

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:29):

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَكُم بَيْنَكُم بِالْبَاطِلِ إِلَّا أَن تَكُونَ تِجَارَةً عَن تَرَاضٍ مِّنكُمْ وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُمْ رَحِيمًا

Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū lā taʾkulū amwālakum baynakum bi-al-bāṭili illā an takūna tijāratan ʿan tarāḍin minkum wa-lā taqtulū anfusakum, inna Allāha kāna bikum raḥīmā.

"O you who believe! Do not devour one another's wealth by false means (bi-al-bāṭil), unless it be trade by mutual consent among you. And do not kill yourselves — indeed Allah is Most Merciful to you." (al-Nisāʾ 4:29)

Commentary: Lā taʾkulū amwālakum baynakum bi-al-bāṭil — do not consume one another's wealth through unlawful means: fraud, trickery, gambling, usury, bribery, and all that is contrary to the sharīʿa. Illā an takūna tijāratan ʿan tarāḍin minkum — except lawful trade (tijāra) conducted by mutual consent (tarāḍin): sale, profit, and lawful commerce are permitted. Wa-lā taqtulū anfusakum — and do not kill yourselves: this is understood both literally (suicide is forbidden) and as do not kill one another (for your killing of another is, spiritually, the killing of yourself). Inna Allāha kāna bikum raḥīmā — indeed Allah has been and remains most merciful to you.

Commentary (on Bribery — Rashaẉa): The author dedicates an extended passage to the plague of bribery (rashwa) in his society, observing it under multiple guises: "commission," "facilitation fees," "gifts," "presents." He notes that from the lowest office-holder to senior administrators, the system of bribery has penetrated everywhere. He enumerates its forms: some take bribes and then decide in the briber's favour; some delay cases until desperate parties pay to have them resolved; some officials accept "gifts" from contractors and steer work to them; some use their kinsmen as fronts to receive bribery indirectly; some use their decisions against innocent parties to extract payment for leniency. He declares: the one who takes bribes loses his faith and his conscience; he who pays a bribe when he has no choice is excused, but the one who gives it voluntarily is equally sinful.

Another form the author identifies: informants who betray Muslims to colonial governments, facilitating their arrest, imprisonment, and oppression — in exchange for favours. He condemns this in the strongest terms: Lā ḥawla wa-lā quwwata illā billāh — there is no power or strength save in Allah. Those who call themselves Muslims while openly acting against the community's interests — "we are not Hindus or Muslims, we care only for the government" — have effectively renounced their covenant with the faith.

Translation: "O believers! Do not consume one another's wealth by false means — except through trade by mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves — indeed Allah is Most Merciful to you."

Translation of verse (al-Nisāʾ 4:30–31):

وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ عُدْوَانًا وَظُلْمًا فَسَوْفَ نُصْلِيهِ نَارًا وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرًا ۝ إِن تَجْتَنِبُوا كَبَائِرَ مَا تُنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ نُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَنُدْخِلْكُمْ مُّدْخَلًا كَرِيمًا

Wa-man yafʿal dhālika ʿudwānan wa-ẓulman fa-sawfa nuṣlīhi nārā, wa-kāna dhālika ʿalā Allāhi yasīrā. In tajtanibū kabāʾira mā tunhawna ʿanhu nukaffir ʿankum sayyiʾātikum wa-nudkhilkum mudkhalan karīmā.

"And whoever does that in transgression and wrongdoing — We shall soon cast him into a Fire, and that is easy for Allah. If you avoid the major sins (kabāʾir) that you are forbidden, We shall expiate your minor misdeeds and admit you to a noble entry." (al-Nisāʾ 4:30–31)

Commentary: ʿUdwānan wa-ẓulman — in transgression (ʿudwān) and oppression (ẓulm). Fa-sawfa nuṣlīhi nāran — We shall cast him into the Fire. Wa-kāna dhālika ʿalā Allāhi yasīran — and that is easy for Allah (yasīr: easy; ʿusur: difficult — the two are contrasted). Kabāʾir — major sins (kabīra, plural kabāʾir): those acts from which one has been explicitly and repeatedly prohibited, and which carry defined punishments (ḥudūd) or severe Qurʾānic condemnation. Sayyiʾāt (minor sins, misdeeds) are expiated by the avoidance of major sins, by regular prayers, and by sincere repentance.

Translation: "And whoever does this in transgression and wrongdoing — We shall soon cast him into a Fire, and that is easy for Allah. If you avoid the major sins you are forbidden, We shall expiate your lesser misdeeds and admit you to a noble entry."

Sūrat al-Nisāʾ (Continued)

Translation: And do not covet that by which Allāh has distinguished some of you over others. For men there is a share of what they have earned, and for women a share of what they have earned. And ask Allāh of His bounty. Indeed, Allāh has knowledge of all things.

Commentary: The verse forbids ḥasad (envy) and tamannī (wishful coveting of what another possesses). Allāh Almighty has distinguished (faḍḍala) some of His servants over others — in wealth, rank, learning, and spiritual station — according to His inscrutable wisdom. To resent this divine arrangement and to wish that the favoured person be deprived of his blessing is ḥasad, which is forbidden. One may, however, legitimately aspire to the like of what another possesses (ghibṭa), and this is not blameworthy.

The phrase lil-rijāli naṣībun mimmā iktasabū wa-lil-nisāʾi naṣībun mimmā iktasabna affirms that men have their rightful share according to their strivings and labours, and women equally have their rightful share according to theirs — each will receive the full reward of their deeds and no one's effort will be wasted. The door of Allāh's bounty (faḍl) stands open; petition Him through supplication and He will grant abundantly. Indeed, He who gave to others will give to you also.

Wa-sʾalū Allāha min faḍlih — ask Allāh of His bounty and grace, and keep seeking it. He is ʿAlīman bi-kulli shayʾin — possessed of comprehensive knowledge of all things and all states. (al-Nisāʾ 4:32)

Summary: When Allāh has exalted some over others, do not covet their distinction but turn to Allāh in supplication; men shall receive the reward of their labours and women likewise. Seek Allāh's boundless favour — He knows all your striving.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:33): And for every estate We have appointed heirs (mawālī): those to whom your parents and relatives bequeath property. As for those with whom you have made a sworn covenant (ʿaqd), give them their share. Indeed, Allāh is ever, over all things, a Witness.

Commentary: Wa-li-kullin jaʿalnā mawāliya — for every inheritance Allāh has appointed those who are its heirs and protectors: parents, close relatives (aqrabūn), and those bound by covenant (ʿaqd al-yamīn). In the early period of Islām, a man could enter into a solemn covenant of brotherhood with another and make him his heir; subsequently this was abrogated for inheritance purposes though honour and friendship remain.

Wa-alladhīna ʿaqadat aymānukum fa-ātūhum naṣībahum — give covenanted persons their due share; do not withhold the rights you have pledged. Inna Allāha kāna ʿalā kulli shayʾin shahīdan — Allāh is the ever-present Witness over all things; all affairs, all pledges and all transactions pass before Him and nothing is concealed.

Summary: Allāh has established heirs for every estate — parents, relatives, and those with whom solemn covenants have been made. Fulfil those pledges; Allāh witnesses everything.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:34): Men are the qawwāmūn (sustainers and protectors) of women, by reason of what Allāh has preferred some of them over others and by reason of what they spend from their wealth. So righteous women are qānitāt (devoutly obedient) and ḥāfiẓātun lil-ghayb (guardians of the unseen) by virtue of what Allāh has protected. And those women from whom you fear nushūz (recalcitrance), admonish them, then desert them in the bed, then strike them [lightly]. But if they obey you, seek no means against them. Indeed, Allāh is ever Most High, Most Great.

Commentary: This verse establishes one of the foundational principles of the Islamic domestic order: men are qawwāmūn — that is, sustainers, overseers, and guardians — over their wives. Two reasons are given:

First, bimā faḍḍala Allāhu baʿḍahum ʿalā baʿḍ — Allāh has, in His wisdom, given men certain natural and temperamental qualities suited to their role: physical strength, a capacity for sustained rational deliberation, and resilience in the bearing of external burdens. This is not a claim of absolute superiority in all respects but a recognition of a natural differentiation of function.

Second, wa-bimā anfaqū min amwālihim — men provide the economic maintenance (nafaqa) of their wives: food, clothing, shelter, and all necessary expenses. This financial obligation is the husband's alone and nothing the wife possesses can be touched for it.

A ṣāliḥa (righteous) wife is characterised by two qualities: (1) qunūt — devout obedience to Allāh and, within that, willing compliance with her husband's legitimate requests; and (2) ḥifẓ al-ghayb — guarding her husband's honour, property, and household during his absence. The phrase bi-mā ḥafiẓa Allāh indicates that this guarding is itself a divine gift; it is Allāh who makes a believing wife the faithful guardian of the home.

If a husband fears nushūz — willful defiance, arrogance, or a wife's contemptuous disregard of the marriage bond — Islām prescribes a graduated, merciful remedy: first, waʿẓ (admonition and counsel); then, hajr fī al-maḍājiʿ (symbolic withdrawal from the marital bed, so that she feels the estrangement and reflects); and only if these fail, a light disciplinary tap (ḍarb ghayr mubariḥ), which the scholars have specified must be such that it causes no injury, leaves no mark, and is not on the face. The purpose throughout is reconciliation and reformation, not punishment.

Fa-in aṭaʿnakum fa-lā tabghū ʿalayhinna sabīlan — once she returns to compliance, do not seek any further pretext against her; let the matter be closed. Inna Allāha kāna ʿAliyyan Kabīran — Allāh is the Most High, the Most Great; He watches over those who oppress women and will hold them to account.

Summary: Men bear the responsibility of sustaining and guiding their households — by Allāh's decree and by the financial obligations they carry. Righteous women are devoutly obedient and faithful guardians of the home. The graduated remedy for marital discord is admonition, then separation in bed, then — as a final resort — a symbolic corrective, never injurious. Once harmony is restored, no further reproach is permissible.

The author (may Allāh have mercy on him) then addresses his readers directly:

"Friends! In an age where the plague of āzādī (unrestrained libertarianism) has spread, the disease of false 'equality' has also infected the discourse about women. But consider: Allāh created men and women for different and complementary roles. The human creature was brought into existence in two modes: one suited to the nurturing of life and one suited to the bearing of its external burdens. Is a woman created for the same functions as a man? Certainly not. Allāh gave men their respective faculties suited to their labours, and women their respective faculties suited to theirs.

To press women into men's roles through the slogans of 'equality' is to act against fiṭra (natural constitution), and no struggle against fiṭra can lead to lasting success. Valour, self-sacrifice, bearing hardship — these are men's weapons; and grace, care, and the nurture of the home are women's. Why should a woman abandon her own weapons to take up those of a man?"

"The agitators for 'equality' can be observed closely: they have dragged women out of their homes only to expose them to greater exploitation. Our own homes suffer — the warmth of mothers is gone, the proper upbringing of children is lost, and in their place we have inherited only moral ruin and shamelessness. Lā ḥawla wa-lā quwwata illā Billāhi l-ʿAẓīm."

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:35): And if you fear a breach between the two of them, appoint an arbiter (ḥakam) from his family and an arbiter from her family. If they both desire reconciliation, Allāh will bring about agreement between them. Indeed, Allāh is ever Knowing and All-Aware.

Commentary: Wa-in khiftum shiqāqa baynihimā — if irreconcilable discord is feared between husband and wife, the prescribed remedy is arbitration (taḥkīm): one trusted person from each family, possessed of understanding of the situation, fairness, and a sincere desire for reconciliation.

In yurīdā iṣlāḥan yuwaffiqi Allāhu baynahumā — the condition is genuine intent: if both arbiters sincerely desire reconciliation, Allāh will enable it. The divine assistance is conditional on sincerity of purpose.

The author observes that when family disputes arise, the Islamic method — referring first to wise and trusted family members rather than courts — is both wiser and more humane. Legal proceedings ruin both parties; the costs destroy wealth, the exposure ruins reputations, and adversarial process hardens hearts further. If the arbiters are fair, knowledgeable about the domestic circumstances, and compassionate, resolution is far more likely.

Summary: Should deep marital discord threaten the union, Islam prescribes family arbitration — one from each side — with the divine promise that sincere intent for reconciliation will be blessed with success.

The author notes further: in this ruling there is also an indication that the judge (ḥākim) in such matters should ideally be a man. A woman as judge, he observes, is by temperament inclined to greater emotional vulnerability, which would compromise the impartiality required.

He also comments on the Muslim practice of his own time of bringing family disputes to courts rather than resolving them through Islamic arbitration:

"Litigation destroys families. Property is consumed in fees, honour is lost in public proceedings, and the adversarial court process deepens enmities. Islam has given a far superior method: family arbitration, in the privacy of the home. Bring the matter to the courts only when all else fails — and even then, only as a last resort. Muslim judges and arbiters of former times resolved matters with wisdom and equity; their estates were not attached, their wealth not broken by litigation. The proper model is the Islamic one."

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:36): And worship Allāh and associate nothing with Him. And to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the poor, the near neighbour, the distant neighbour, the companion at your side, the wayfarer, and those whom your right hands possess. Indeed, Allāh does not love one who is self-deludedly arrogant and boastful.

Commentary: Wa-ʿbudū Allāha wa-lā tushrikū bihi shayʾan — worship Allāh alone and maintain absolute tawḥīd in both belief (ʿaqīda) and practice. Allāh's existence is wājib al-wujūd (necessarily self-subsistent) and His attributes are His own eternally; to attribute any of His essential attributes to a creature as existing in that creature independently and essentially (bi-l-dhāt) would be shirk. But qualities that exist in creatures through Allāh's gift (bi-l-ʿaraḍ or bi-l-ʿaṭāʾ) are not shirk — and all such qualities are ultimately Allāh's gift.

Wa-bi-l-wālidayni iḥsānā — beautiful, devoted kindness (iḥsān) to both parents is commanded immediately after tawḥīd, indicating its immense importance. Wa-bi-dhī l-qurbā — and to all kin. Wa-l-yatāmā — and to orphans. Wa-l-masākīn — and to the poor and destitute. Wa-l-jār dhī l-qurbā — and to the neighbour who is also a relative. Wa-l-jār al-junub — and to the neighbour who is a stranger. Wa-l-ṣāḥib bi-l-janb — and to the companion who travels with you or works beside you. Wa-bni l-sabīl — and to the wayfarer, the one far from home and in need. Wa-mā malakat aymānukum — and those in your possession (servants, assistants, and dependants): treat them well, for Islām in all its commands tends toward their emancipation and dignity.

Inna Allāha lā yuḥibbu man kāna mukhtālan fakhūrā — Allāh does not love the self-deluded, arrogant one (mukhtāl), nor the vainglorious boaster (fakhūr). The person too full of pride to show kindness to neighbours, relatives, and the weak is rejected by Allāh.

Summary: The complete programme of righteous social conduct: absolute worship of Allāh alone, then a widening circle of iḥsān — parents, relatives, orphans, the poor, the near neighbour, the distant neighbour, the travelling companion, the wayfarer, and all dependants. Arrogance and vainglory are the antitheses of this ethos and earn Allāh's displeasure.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:37): Those who are miserly and enjoin miserliness upon people, and withhold what Allāh has given them of His bounty — and We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment.

Commentary: Alladhīna yabkhalūna — those who are stingy and hoarding; their hoarding is not merely passive but active: wa-yaʾmurūna l-nāsa bi-l-bukhl — they command others to be miserly too. Their philosophy is "eat and keep, scatter not and earn not." Wa-yaktumūna mā ātāhum Allāhu min faḍlih — they conceal and suppress the bounties with which Allāh has graced them. Wealth, position, knowledge — all are trusts from Allāh; to hide them from those who need them is a betrayal.

The author (may Allāh have mercy on him) then turns to the social pathology of extravagance and usury that he witnessed in his own time:

"Friends! Some people have buried their wealth in the earth in a manner of speaking — it is with them but a short while before it vanishes from memory. Others have made the servants of Shayṭān their bankers: money borrowed at usury for unnecessary luxuries, wasted on excess and show. Such a person devours what he eats but cannot keep it; he takes lodgings fit for a king but cannot retain them; he is ruined by the very wealth he accumulated through unlawful means. The usurer himself is surrounded by ruin — cases collapse, debts swallow wealth, many become bankrupt. And on top of this worldly wretchedness comes the punishment of the Hereafter."

Wa-aʿtadnā li-l-kāfirīna ʿadhāban muhīnan — and We have prepared for the ungrateful disbelievers a punishment that humiliates and degrades them.

Summary: Misers who not only hoard but encourage others to hoard, and who suppress Allāh's bounties, face a humiliating divine punishment; their worldly ruination is only the prelude.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:38): And those who spend their wealth to be seen by people, and believe neither in Allāh nor in the Last Day — and whoever has Shayṭān as a companion, how evil a companion he is!

Commentary: Wa-lladhīna yunfiqūna amwālahum riʾāʾa l-nās — outward show, riyāʾ, squandering on extravagant ceremonies, weddings performed purely for social display, feasts put on not out of generosity but out of competition. Wa-lā yuʾminūna Billāhi wa-lā bi-l-yawmi l-ākhir — their spending is not from faith but from vanity; they have no akhira-consciousness.

The author speaks with great directness about the culture of extravagant weddings he observed among Muslims:

"Fathers and grandfathers have instituted absurd levels of dowry and wedding expenditure, leaving families indebted for years. If we observe simple, Islamic weddings, people will mock us — 'what, only two thousand rupees for the wedding feast?' But what is the alternative? The moneylender's chains? After marriage comes the demand for a job, then for a house, then the bride's family's ever-escalating expectations — and none of this can be met without going to ruin. This is not religion. This is the yoke of custom, and it destroys Muslim families."

Wa-man yakuni l-Shayṭānu lahu qarīnan fa-sāʾa qarīnā — and whoever takes Shayṭān as his companion, what a wretched companion he has. Shayṭān the companion is the worst of friends — he leads his companion to ruin in this world and to punishment in the next.

Summary: Show-spending (riyāʾ) — spending for social display rather than for Allāh — is condemned alongside miserliness; both are aspects of a Shayṭān-driven life.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:39): And what harm would it do them if they believed in Allāh and the Last Day and spent from what Allāh has provided them? And Allāh has ever been, of them, All-Knowing.

Commentary: Wa-mādhā ʿalayhim law āmanū Billāhi wa-l-yawmi l-ākhir wa-anfaqū mimmā razaqahum Allāh — a rhetorical challenge full of compassion: what loss would befall them, what harm would come to them, if they simply believed and spent in Allāh's way? The answer, of course, is: no loss at all. All harm lies in refusing faith and refusing generosity; they harm only themselves.

Wa-kāna Allāhu bihim ʿAlīmā — Allāh knows their states, their motives, and their deeds in full.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:40): Indeed, Allāh does not wrong anyone by so much as the weight of an atom. And if there is a good deed, He will multiply it and give from Himself a great reward.

Commentary: Inna Allāha lā yaẓlimu mithqāla dharratin — absolute divine justice: not the weight of a mote of dust will be wronged. Every good deed, however minute, will be received, acknowledged, and multiplied — yuḍāʿifhā — for Allāh multiplies merit many times over, up to seven hundred times and beyond. Wa-yuʾti min ladunhu ajran ʿaẓīmā — and in addition He grants from His own divine treasure a great reward beyond all calculation.

Summary: What possible harm is there in faith and generosity? None — only gain, since Allāh wrongs no one by even an atom's weight and multiplies every good deed manifold.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:41): So how will it be when We bring from every nation a witness, and We bring you, O Muḥammad, as a witness over these people?

Commentary: Fa-kayfa idhā jiʾnā min kulli ummatin bi-shahīdin wa-jiʾnā bika ʿalā hāʾulāʾi shahīdā — on the Day of Resurrection, Allāh will bring forward a witness from every community: every Prophet will testify about his own people. And the Prophet Muḥammadﷺwill be brought as the supreme witness over this final community (umma).

The testimony of a witness requires direct, unmediated knowledge of what is witnessed. Every Prophet knows his own community's deeds — for they were present with them, observing them. And the Prophet Muḥammadﷺhas comprehensive, direct knowledge of all his community — for Allāh has given him ʿilm bi-lā wāsiṭa of all their states. This is among the proofs of the Prophet'sﷺvast spiritual knowledge.

Summary: The Day of Judgment will see the Prophets testifying for their nations, and the Prophet Muḥammadﷺtestifying over this umma — a witness whose knowledge is direct, immediate, and all-encompassing.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:42): On that Day, those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger will wish that the earth were levelled over them; they will not conceal from Allāh any statement.

Commentary: Yawmaʾidhin yawaddu lladhīna kafarū wa-ʿaṣaw al-rasūla law tusawwā bihim al-arḍ — such will be the shame and the terror of that Day that the disbelievers — those who rejected the truth and defied the Messenger — will wish that the very earth would swallow them and they could become dust. Wa-lā yaktumūna Allāha ḥadīthā — and they will be unable to conceal a single word from Allāh, for all is exposed before Him.

The author (may Allāh have mercy on him) then speaks of the transition to the next section: "Allāh has shown us what will happen when every community has its witness. Now He turns to prescribe certain special rulings — among them, the forbidding of prayer in a state of intoxication."

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:43): O you who believe, do not approach prayer (ṣalāt) while you are intoxicated (sukārā) until you know what you are saying, nor while you are in a state of janāba (major ritual impurity) — unless you are passing through — until you have bathed. And if you are ill, or on a journey, or one of you has come from the place of relieving himself, or you have touched women, and you find no water, then perform tayammum with clean earth and wipe your faces and your hands. Indeed, Allāh is ever Pardoning and Forgiving.

Commentary: Yā ayyuhā lladhīna āmanū lā taqrabū l-ṣalāta wa-antum sukārā — this verse was revealed before the final prohibition of wine in Sūrat al-Māʾida. It forbade the performance of ṣalāt in a state of intoxication: one who is drunk does not know what he is reciting, his words are garbled, his qirāʾa is invalid. This gradual approach to prohibition is one of the legislative wisdoms of the Qurʾān.

The author notes that some invoke this verse to argue that prayer with an incomprehensible recitation — or even a bad recitation — is invalid. This is not correct; the verse establishes the invalidity of prayer in actual intoxication, not in imperfect recitation.

Wa-lā junuban illā ʿābirī sabīl — nor should a person in a state of major impurity (janāba) even enter the mosque, unless merely passing through it on the way somewhere — though the Ḥanafī school permits passing through the mosque in a state of janāba when necessary.

Fa-tayammamū ṣaʿīdan ṭayyibā fa-msaḥū bi-wujūhikum wa-aydīkum — when water is unavailable (due to illness, travel, or being in the desert), tayammum — dry ablution with pure earth — is substituted. The Ḥanafī method: one strike of the hands on the earth, then wiping the entire face, then both hands up to the elbows; though the other schools permit wiping only to the wrists.

The author relates from the biography of the Prophetﷺthat when he needed to perform tayammum, he would place both his hands upon the earth and then pass them over Sayyidatunā ʿĀʾisha's (may Allāh be pleased with her) hand, using her hand as the medium for his own tayammum.

Inna Allāha kāna ʿAfuwwan Ghafūrā — Allāh is ever Most Pardoning and Most Forgiving; He has lightened the religious duties for the sick and the traveller and covered their inadvertent shortcomings with His forgiveness.

Summary: Prayer is forbidden in intoxication and in a state of janāba (except for passage). When water is unavailable, tayammum with clean earth suffices — a mercy and facilitation from Allāh who is All-Forgiving. This verse also concludes with an implicit reproof to those who use minor legal technicalities to make the religion difficult.

"Allāh has made the religion easy and pure. But some have made it a burden — adding obstacle upon obstacle. These obstacles do not come from Allāh; they come from those who wish to keep people away from His religion."

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:44): Have you not considered those who were given a portion of the Scripture? They purchase misguidance and wish that you would lose the way.

Commentary: Alam tara ilā lladhīna ūtū naṣīban min al-kitāb — referring to certain Jewish scholars who had received a portion of divine scripture but exploited it to lead others astray. Yashtarūna l-ḍalālata — they purchase misguidance; they trade the true guidance for the pleasures of deviation and error. Wa-yurīdūna an taḍillū l-sabīl — their desire is that the Muslims also stray from the path.

Summary: Allāh warns the Muslims: beware of those who have scripture but trade its guidance for error, and who desire the straying of others.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:45): And Allāh is most knowing of your enemies, and Allāh is sufficient as an ally (walī) and Allāh is sufficient as a helper (naṣīr).

Commentary: Wa-Allāhu aʿlamu bi-aʿdāʾikum — Allāh knows your enemies better than you know them; He sees through their disguises, their secret enmities, and their hidden agendas. Wa-kafā Billāhi waliyyan wa-kafā Billāhi naṣīrā — all you need is Allāh as your Guardian and Allāh as your Helper. This is both a reassurance and a gentle reproof to those who seek protection and help from those who are enemies of Islam.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:46): Among those who are Jews, some distort the words from their proper usages, saying: "We hear and we disobey" and "Hear, may you not be heard" and "Rāʿinā (rāʿinā)" — twisting their tongues and defaming religion. And if they had said: "We hear and we obey" and "Hear us and unẓurnā," it would have been better for them and more upright. But Allāh has cursed them for their disbelief, so they do not believe, except for a few.

Commentary: Yuḥarrifūna l-kalima ʿan mawāḍiʿih — this refers to a specific practice of some Jews in Madīna: when addressing the Prophetﷺ, they would use words that were superficially respectful but carried insulting secondary meanings. Samiʿnā wa-ʿaṣaynā — "We have heard and we disobey" — outwardly resembling samiʿnā wa-aṭaʿnā but with the overt admission of defiance. Wa-smaʿ ghayra musmaʿ — "Hear, may you not be heard" — said with a twisted intonation implying a curse. Wa-rāʿinā — a word the Muslims used to mean "please attend to us / look after us" (rāʿinā from raʿā, to tend), but which the Jews pronounced in a manner evoking the Hebrew raʿ (foolishness) as a hidden insult.

Had they instead said samiʿnā wa-aṭaʿnā wa-smaʿ wa-unẓurnā — all clear, unambiguous expressions of respect — it would have been better and more upright for them. But Allāh's curse fell upon them for their persistent disbelief and they believe except for a few.

The author observes: "The Jews' use of language — apparently respectful, secretly derisory — is itself a lesson. It reveals the depths of enmity concealed behind polished words."

Summary: Some of the Jewish scholars of Madīna deliberately distorted their speech before the Prophetﷺ— using words that sounded respectful but carried embedded insults. Allāh's curse rests upon those whose persistent disbelief has sealed their hearts.

The author quotes an eloquent passage on this theme from a contemporary scholar (may Allāh have mercy on him):

"The scribes of the People of the Book changed the Books of the Prophets through negligence, eliminated them through fire, and altered their content with fabrications. [reconstructed]"

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:47): O you who were given the Scripture, believe in what We have sent down, confirming what is with you, before We obliterate faces and turn them toward their backs or curse them as We cursed the Companions of the Sabbath, and the command of Allāh is ever carried out.

Commentary: Yā ayyuhā lladhīna ūtū l-kitāba āminū bi-mā nazzalnā muṣaddiqan li-mā maʿakum — the invitation is direct and compassionate: O People of the Scripture, this Qurʾān has come confirming what you already have; believe in it before the punishment overtakes you. The threatened punishment — an naṭmisa wujūhan fa-naruddahā ʿalā adbārihā — is a fearful one: obliterating faces and reversing them toward the backs, a metaphorical description of utter disorientation and loss of dignity, or a literal possibility of divine chastisement. Aw nalʿanahum kamā laʿannā aṣḥāba l-sabt — or cursing them as the Companions of the Sabbath were cursed, those who transgressed Allāh's command and were transformed.

Wa-kāna amru Allāhi mafʿūlā — Allāh's decree is ever executed; His warnings are not empty.

Summary: Allāh invites the People of the Scripture to believe in the Qurʾān which confirms their own scriptures — before divine punishment overtakes them, as it overtook the Sabbath-breakers. Allāh's command is always carried out.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:48): Indeed, Allāh does not forgive that partners be ascribed to Him, but He forgives what is below that for whomever He wills. And whoever ascribes partners to Allāh has certainly fabricated a tremendous sin.

Commentary: Inna Allāha lā yaghfiru an yushraka bih — shirk (associating partners with Allāh) is the one sin that Allāh does not forgive if a person dies without repenting from it. All other sins — however grave — are within the scope of divine forgiveness if Allāh wills. This is among the most important foundational rulings in Islamic theology (ʿaqīda).

What is shirk? It is to attribute to any created being something that belongs exclusively to Allāh by His essential nature (bi-l-dhāt): His necessary existence, His eternal self-subsistent attributes. Allāh is samīʿ (All-Hearing) and baṣīr (All-Seeing) essentially and eternally; a human being sees and hears too, but by virtue of Allāh's gift, not by any inherent independent capacity. If one were to affirm that a creature possesses the divine attributes essentially and independently — that would be shirk. But the belief that the Prophets and saints possess gifts, extraordinary powers, and spiritual states by Allāh's grace (bi-ʿaṭāʾ Allāh) and not by their own independent nature is not shirk — it is the orthodox Sunnī position.

The author then strongly rebukes those who hastily accuse Muslims of shirk for practices that fall entirely within the Sunnī mainstream:

"Accusing Muslims of shirk without knowledge is itself a form of kufr in the real sense, for Allāh alone knows what constitutes shirk. The one who hurls accusations of shirk at Muslims of the Ahl al-Sunna is usurping Allāh's role of judgment. And know this: such a person commits shirk himself by his arrogant presumption to declare others mushrikūn. Be warned — do not call Muslims mushrikūn; it is the gravest of slanders."

Wa-man yushrik Billāhi fa-qad iftarā ithman ʿaẓīmā — whoever associates partners with Allāh has fabricated a tremendous sin; the iftirāʾ (slander/fabrication) here refers to the enormity of asserting that there is a co-equal or co-essential being alongside Allāh.

Summary: Shirk alone among all sins is unforgivable without repentance; all else is within Allāh's forgiveness. But shirk means attributing to a creature what belongs to Allāh essentially and independently — not attributing to Prophets and saints what Allāh Himself has granted them by His grace and gift.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:49): Have you not considered those who praise themselves for purity? Rather, Allāh purifies whom He wills, and they will not be wronged by so much as the thread on a date-pit.

Commentary: Alam tara ilā lladhīna yuzakkūna anfusahum — referring to some Jewish and Christian scholars who claimed purity and righteousness for themselves, declaring themselves the chosen and the saved. Bal Allāhu yuzakkī man yashāʾ — No! Allāh alone purifies and elevates whom He wills; no one can claim his own purity and salvation as though it were his own achievement. Wa-lā yuẓlamūna fatīlā — and they shall not be wronged by so much as the thread in the groove of a date-pit — a proverbially tiny amount, meaning absolute divine justice will prevail.

Summary: Self-righteousness and self-certification of purity are forbidden; it is Allāh alone who purifies souls, and He is perfectly just.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:50): Look how they fabricate against Allāh the lie! That is sufficient as a manifest sin.

Commentary: Unẓur kayfa yaftarūna ʿalā Allāhi l-kadhib — observe the audacity of their fabrications: claiming divine favour, claiming purity, claiming special election, all without foundation. This constitutes a tremendous lie against Allāh. Wa-kafā bihi ithman mubīnā — that alone is enough; the lie is its own condemnation, manifest and self-evident.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:51): Have you not considered those who were given a portion of the Scripture? They believe in jibt and ṭāghūt and say of the disbelievers, "These are more rightly guided than those who believe."

Commentary: Alam tara ilā lladhīna ūtū naṣīban min al-kitāb yuʾminūna bi-l-jibti wa-l-ṭāghūt — jibt refers to idols, sorcery, and anything worshipped besides Allāh; ṭāghūt is any tyrannical power, false deity, or Shayṭān that leads people to disobey Allāh. Some of the Jewish scholars of Madīna went so far as to openly declare the Meccan polytheists — who worshipped 360 idols — more rightly guided than the Muslims! This was the extreme of their enmity and blindness.

Wa-yaqūlūna li-lladhīna kafarū hāʾulāʾi ahdā mina lladhīna āmanū sabīlā — "These polytheists are better guided than the believers." This was said by Kaʿb ibn al-Ashraf and his companions after the Battle of Badr, when they went to Mecca and allied themselves with the Quraysh against the Muslims.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:52–53): Those are the ones whom Allāh has cursed; and whoever Allāh curses, you will not find for him any helper. Or do they have a share in the dominion? Then they would not give the people even the speck on a date-pit.

Commentary: Ūlāʾika lladhīna laʿanahum Allāh — those who declared polytheists better than the believers have earned the curse (laʿna) of Allāh: they are cut off from His mercy and protection. Wa-man yalʿani Allāhu fa-lan tajida lahu naṣīrā — whoever Allāh curses will find no helper anywhere.

Am lahum naṣībun min al-mulk fa-idhan lā yuʾtūna l-nāsa naqīrā — or do they have any share of divine sovereignty? If they did, they would not give people even the naqīr — the tiny groove on the back of a date-pit, a proverbially microscopic amount. Their miserliness and pettiness is exposed even in their fantasy of power.

Summary: Those who favour polytheists over believers have earned Allāh's curse. They have no share in divine sovereignty; and even in imagination, such people would give nothing to others.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:54): Or do they envy the people for what Allāh has given them of His bounty? But We have already given the family of Ibrāhīm the Scripture and wisdom and We gave them a great dominion.

Commentary: Am yaḥsudūna l-nāsa ʿalā mā ātāhum Allāhu min faḍlih — the "people" (nāsa) here refers to the Prophet Muḥammadﷺand the Muslims. The Jews envied the Prophetﷺhis prophethood, the revelation, and the rapid growth of the Islamic state. But Allāh reminds them: fa-qad ātaynā āla Ibrāhīma l-kitāba wa-l-ḥikmata wa-ātaynāhum mulkan ʿaẓīmā — We gave the family of Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) — the very ancestor the Jews claim — scripture, wisdom, and a great kingdom. Why do they envy the same bounty given to another branch of Ibrāhīm's progeny? Envy (ḥasad) consumes the envier; the one envied neither gains nor loses by it, while the envier torments himself.

Summary: The Jews' envy of the Prophetﷺis self-defeating and irrational; Allāh gave the family of Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) scripture, wisdom and great dominion, and the Prophetﷺis from that same lineage of divine favour.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:55–56): And among them were those who believed in it and among them were those who turned away from it — and sufficient is Hell as a blazing fire. Indeed, those who disbelieve in Our signs — We will drive them into a fire. Every time their skins are roasted through, We will replace them with other skins so that they may taste the punishment. Indeed, Allāh is ever Exalted in Might and Wise.

Commentary: Among the People of the Book, some — like ʿAbd Allāh ibn Salām and others (may Allāh be pleased with them) — believed in the Prophetﷺwhen they encountered him, recognising the signs they knew from their scriptures. Others turned away (ṣadda ʿanhu) in jealousy and arrogance. Wa-kafā bi-jahannam saʿīrā — for the latter, Hell suffices as a blazing chastisement.

The description of the punishment: kullamā naḍijat julūduhum baddalnāhum julūdan ghayrahā li-yadhūqū l-ʿadhāb — every time their skins are consumed by fire, Allāh replaces them with new ones, so that the pain never diminishes; it is perpetually renewed. This is the justice of ʿazīz ḥakīm — the Almighty and All-Wise: His might requires that wrongdoers receive their due, and His wisdom ensures that the punishment is perfectly calibrated.

The author (may Allāh have mercy on him): "Suffering is caused by disbelief — by refusing the truth. This world is the seedfield (mazraʿa) of the Hereafter: what one sows here, one harvests there. He who departs this world in the right condition will arrive in the right condition; he who departs in ruin will arrive in ruin. May Allāh protect us."

He adds that some souls may by divine mercy and intercession (shafāʿa) eventually emerge from the Fire — this is the Sunnī position — but how long a moment in Hellfire is, none can fathom; may Allāh shield us from it entirely. Āmīn.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:57–58): And those who believe and do righteous deeds, We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. For them therein are purified spouses, and We will admit them to deepening shade. Indeed, Allāh commands you to restore trusts to their rightful owners and when you judge between people to judge with justice.

Commentary: Wa-lladhīna āmanū wa-ʿamilū l-ṣāliḥāt — the believers who combine faith (īmān) with righteous deeds (ʿamal ṣāliḥ) will be admitted to gardens of paradise, in which they will remain forever (khālidīna fīhā abadā). Their spouses therein are azwājun muṭahhara — purified in every dimension: physically, morally, and spiritually. Wa-nudkhiluhum ẓillan ẓalīlā — and Allāh will admit them into a deep, all-enveloping shade — the shade of divine proximity and mercy.

Then comes a majestic commandment: Inna Allāha yaʾmurukum an tuʾaddū l-amānāti ilā ahlihā — Allāh commands that trusts (amānāt) be restored to their proper owners. The amāna includes every form of trust: financial, political, moral, spiritual. A judge must be just. A ruler must rule with equity. A scholar must not distort knowledge. A trustee must not betray the trust. Wa-idhā ḥakamtum bayna l-nāsi an taḥkumū bi-l-ʿadl — and when you judge between people, judge with absolute justice.

Inna Allāha kāna Samīʿan Baṣīrā — Allāh hears every word of every judgment and sees every act of every trustee; nothing escapes His awareness.

Summary: The believers will enjoy eternal gardens, purified spouses, and divine shade. And Allāh's great command: return every trust to its rightful owner; judge with absolute justice. He hears and sees all.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:59): O you who believe, obey Allāh and obey the Messenger and those in authority (ūlī l-amr) among you. And if you disagree about anything, refer it to Allāh and the Messenger, if you believe in Allāh and the Last Day. That is best and the finest in result.

Commentary: Yā ayyuhā lladhīna āmanū aṭīʿū Allāha wa-aṭīʿū l-rasūla wa-ūlī l-amri minkum — three levels of obedience are commanded: (1) Allāh — supreme and absolute; (2) the Messengerﷺ— unconditionally in all religious matters; (3) ūlī l-amr — those in authority: parents over children, rulers over subjects, teachers over students, guild-masters over apprentices, commanders over soldiers.

However — and this is decisive — the obedience to ūlī l-amr is conditional: it holds only as long as they do not command disobedience to Allāh and His Messenger. As the classical rule states: lā ṭāʿata li-makhlūqin fī maʿṣiyati l-Khāliq — there is no obedience to any creature in the disobedience of the Creator.

Fa-in tanāzaʿtum fī shayʾin fa-ruddūhu ilā Allāhi wa-l-rasūl — when you dispute in any matter, refer it back to Allāh (the Qurʾān) and the Messenger (the Sunna). Do not go to courts foreign to Islamic principles, do not refer it to alien ideologies; return it to the divine sources.

The author (may Allāh have mercy on him) then reproaches the Muslims of his age who discarded the Qurʾān and Sunna and ran instead to foreign legal systems, novel ideologies, and personalities:

"What is happening in this age? The Qurʾān and Sunna have been thrown behind our backs. No obedience to parents. No respect for scholars. State law placed above Qurʾānic law. Allāh and His Messenger discarded — and other authorities followed instead. Allāh's displeasure will make itself felt; the consequences of disobeying Allāh and His Messengerﷺwill become clear."

Summary: Obey Allāh, then the Messengerﷺ, then legitimate authorities — but never in disobedience to Allāh and His Messenger. In all disputes, return to the Qurʾān and Sunna; this is best and most excellent in its outcome.

The author then engages with the contentious question of taqlīd (following a school of law) versus independent derivation, and addresses a hypothetical exchange with one who claimed to reject all taqlīd:

"A certain person came to me once with a volume in hand — Yadd al-Mughīth fī Fiqh al-Ḥadīth. He demanded: 'Is there a single Qurʾānic verse or ḥadīth in this book?' I replied: 'The entire book is derived from Qurʾān and Sunna — who told you otherwise?' He said: 'But I don't see any verse or ḥadīth in it.' I asked: 'Sir, are you a student of fiqh who has spent a lifetime in study?' He fell silent. I told him: 'If you believe Ṣawāb Ṣiddīq Khān's work is derived from Qurʾān and Sunna, you are doing taqlīd of Ṣiddīq Khān. His authority is no greater than that of the four Imāms — in fact, rather less. So how can you claim to follow Ṣiddīq Khān but not follow Abū Ḥanīfa or al-Shāfiʿī?'"

"The reality is that taqlīd has levels. Every person follows his capacity. Those whom Allāh has given deeper knowledge take on the responsibility of istinbāṭ (derivation) from the sources; ordinary believers wisely choose a qualified guide and follow him. This is the way of the Ahl al-Sunna."

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:60): Have you not considered those who claim to have believed in what was revealed to you and what was revealed before you? They wish to refer their judgments to ṭāghūt while they were commanded to disbelieve in it; but Shayṭān wishes to lead them far astray.

Commentary: Alam tara ilā lladhīna yazʿumūna annahum āmanū — ostensibly "believers" but not in reality; they make profession of faith with their lips while their practice betrays them: yurīdūna an yataḥākamū ilā l-ṭāghūt — they wish to refer their disputes to ṭāghūt (false judges, tyrannical courts, systems contrary to divine law). They profess faith in all the revealed Books while running to un-Islamic adjudication systems the moment they have a dispute.

Wa-qad umirū an yakfurū bih — they were explicitly commanded to reject and disbelieve in ṭāghūt; yet they flock to it. Wa-yurīdu l-Shayṭānu an yuḍillahum ḍalālan baʿīdā — Shayṭān desires to lead them far astray, into a ḍalāl (misguidance) that takes them far from the straight path.

Summary: Those who profess Islam but refer their disputes to un-Islamic systems of judgment — while they were commanded to reject such systems — are following Shayṭān. True faith requires turning to Allāh and His Messenger in all adjudication.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:61): And when it is said to them, "Come to what Allāh has revealed and to the Messenger," you see the hypocrites turning away from you in aversion.

Commentary: Wa-idhā qīla lahum taʿālaw ilā mā anzala Allāhu wa-ilā l-rasūl raʾayta l-munāfiqīna yaṣuddūna ʿanka ṣudūdā — the munāfiqūn (hypocrites), when called to the divine ruling and the Prophetic judgment, turn away with contempt and aversion. Their hypocrisy is exposed precisely at this moment: their claim to Islam cannot survive the demand of actual submission to divine law.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:62): So how will it be when affliction strikes them because of what their hands have put forth, and they come to you swearing by Allāh, "We intended nothing but good conduct and reconciliation"?

Commentary: Fa-kayfa idhā aṣābathum muṣībatun bi-mā qaddamat aydīhim — when their own actions bring disaster upon them — the natural consequence of their hypocrisy and of the corrupt judgment they sought — then they come running, swearing falsely by Allāh: mā aradnā illā iḥsānan wa-tawfīqā — "we meant nothing but good and reconciliation." But this is a lie; their intent was to circumvent divine law, and their disaster is the consequence of that choice.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:63): Those are the ones Allāh knows what is in their hearts. So turn away from them and admonish them and speak to them a word that reaches their souls.

Commentary: Ūlāʾika lladhīna yaʿlamu Allāhu mā fī qulūbihim — Allāh knows perfectly what is in their hearts: the insincerity, the double-dealing, the love of worldly advantage over divine truth. The Prophetﷺis instructed: fa-aʿriḍ ʿanhum — turn away from them (do not punish them, do not confront them with immediate retribution); wa-ʿiẓhum — but admonish them, speak to their conscience; wa-qul lahum fī anfusihim qawlan balīghā — and address them with words that penetrate the depths of their souls: a pointed, memorable reminder.

Summary: Allāh knows the hidden hypocrisy of those who flee from His judgment. The Prophetﷺis commanded to overlook their offence but to deliver a searching, soul-penetrating admonition — not to punish, but to awaken.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:64): And We did not send any Messenger except to be obeyed by the permission of Allāh. And if, when they wronged themselves, they had come to you and sought forgiveness of Allāh and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allāh Accepting of repentance and Merciful.

Commentary: Wa-mā arsalnā min rasūlin illā li-yuṭāʿa bi-idhni Allāh — every Prophet was sent to be obeyed; the fundamental purpose of prophethood is to establish Allāh's sovereignty in human life through obedience to His Messenger. Wa-law annahum idh ẓalamū anfusahum jāʾūka fa-staghfarū Allāha wa-staghfara lahum al-rasūlu la-wajadū Allāha tawwāban raḥīmā — if these same people, after wronging themselves, came to the Prophetﷺwith sincere repentance, seeking forgiveness from Allāh and asking the Prophetﷺto intercede for them, they would find Allāh utterly Relenting and Merciful.

The author (may Allāh have mercy on him) then addresses the practice of tawassul (seeking intercession through the Prophetﷺand the awliyāʾ) and the rejection of the guidance of spiritual masters (murshidān):

"In this age there is a fashionable aversion to the buzurgān (spiritual elders). Some say: 'We do not need a murshid; we seek forgiveness from Allāh directly.' But this verse shows the opposite. The Prophetﷺwas the supreme intercessor; even those who wronged themselves were directed to come to him — and through his intercession (istighfār), Allāh's forgiveness was assured. The awliyāʾ are the inheritors of this function — not as equals to the Prophetﷺ, but as channels of his spiritual inheritance. Rejecting the buzurgān is itself a form of the very malaise the verse diagnoses: turning away from the appointed guide."

Summary: Prophets are sent to be obeyed; their intercession (istighfār) is a divinely appointed channel for the repentant. Those who wrong themselves are invited to come to the Prophetﷺand seek Allāh's forgiveness through his duʿāʾ — Allāh will be found Tawwāb and Raḥīm.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:65): But no, by your Lord — they will not believe until they make you judge over what is disputed between them and then find within themselves no discomfort over what you have decided and submit in full submission.

Commentary: Fa-lā wa-rabbika lā yuʾminūna ḥattā yuḥakkimūka fī mā shajara baynahum — Allāh swears by Himself (wa-rabbika) — a tremendous oath — that no one truly believes until they accept the Prophetﷺas the final arbiter in all disputes, thumma lā yajidū fī anfusihim ḥarajan mimmā qaḍayt — and then find in their hearts no discomfort, no residual reluctance, no silent resentment toward the Prophet'sﷺruling — wa-yusallimū taslīmā — and submit with a full, wholehearted, complete submission.

This verse defines the test of true īmān: it is not merely verbal profession, not merely external compliance; it is an inward peace with and enthusiastic acceptance of divine ruling, through the channel of the Messengerﷺ.

The author: "They made the Prophetﷺtheir judge in Madīna al-Munawwara. Did he not arbitrate every dispute among them? Those who are his heirs — the scholars and spiritual guides in the chain of transmission — are to be approached in the same spirit: not with reluctant compliance but with willing, heart-felt submission. For Allāh's pleasure resides in the way of His beloved Messengerﷺ."

Summary: True faith (īmān) requires accepting the Prophetﷺas the supreme arbiter in all affairs, with no inward reluctance — but full, willing, joyful submission to his ruling.

The author continues on the theme of Islamic law:

"Islamic rulings are Allāh's rulings — eternal, not subject to abrogation until the Day of Judgment. With the passage of time and the progress of civilisation, Islām's truth is vindicated in one domain after another. Other nations are reforming their own social codes — and toward what model? Islām's! He who went against Allāh and His Messengerﷺand chose other than their command — his disgrace and ruin are the proof. Whoever aligns with Allāh and His Messengerﷺ, his honour and success are assured."

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:66–67): And if We had decreed upon them: "Kill yourselves" or "Leave your homes," they would not have done it, except for a few of them. And if they had done what they were admonished to do, it would have been better for them and more strengthening. And then We would have given them, from Our presence, a great reward.

Commentary: Wa-law annā katabnā ʿalayhim an uqtulū anfusakum aw ukhrujū min diyārikum mā faʿalūhu illā qalīlun minhum — had the command been for self-sacrifice or exile, only a small number would have complied. Human nature tends to recoil from the hardest demands. Wa-law annahum faʿalū mā yūʿaẓūna bih la-kāna khayran lahum wa-ashadda tathbītā — but if they had acted on what they were exhorted to do, it would have been better for them and would have made their faith more firmly rooted (athabbit). Wa-idhan la-ātaynāhum min ladunnā ajran ʿaẓīmā — and from Our presence We would have given them a great reward.

Summary: Most people would shirk the hardest divine commands — self-sacrifice, exile for Allāh's sake. But obedience to the full scope of divine commands would make faith stronger and earn a tremendous divine reward.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:68): And We would have guided them to a straight path.

Commentary: Wa-la-hadaynāhum ṣirāṭan mustaqīmā — this is the additional reward for those who obey in the full and difficult sense: Allāh Himself guides them onto the ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm — the perfectly straight path — leading them deeper into proximity with Him.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:69): And whoever obeys Allāh and the Messenger — those will be with the ones upon whom Allāh has bestowed favour: the Prophets (nabiyyūn), the Ṣiddīqūn (the most truthful/verified), the Shuhadāʾ (martyrs), and the Ṣāliḥūn (the righteous). And excellent are those as companions.

Commentary: Wa-man yuṭiʿi Allāha wa-l-rasūla fa-ūlāʾika maʿa lladhīna anʿama Allāhu ʿalayhim — the reward of perfect obedience is rafāqa (companionship) with the highest of creation: the Prophets (nabiyyūn), the ṣiddīqūn (the most veracious of believers, the highest rank after the Prophets), the shuhadāʾ (martyrs), and the ṣāliḥūn (the broadly righteous). Wa-ḥasuna ūlāʾika rafīqā — and how beautiful, how honourable are these companions!

The ḥadīth bears out this verse's promise: the Prophetﷺsaid:

الْمَرْءُ مَعَ مَنْ أَحَبَّ

Al-marʾu maʿa man aḥabb.

"A person is with those whom he loves." (al-Bukhārī; Muslim)

The author (may Allāh have mercy on him) meditates on this:

"The Prophetﷺin the holy mosque of Madīna — did he not have other Prophets as his neighbours? And those who are the Prophet'sﷺspiritual heirs — the scholars and masḥāʾikh-i ṭarīqat (masters of the spiritual path)? If one loves them and follows them, one will be gathered with them. The physical proximity may be separated by centuries; the spiritual proximity crosses all time. He who enters this world and leaves it as a lover and follower of the Prophetﷺ, those great ones will be his companions. Al-ḥamdu lillāh."

Summary: The reward of obedience to Allāh and His Messengerﷺis the ultimate companionship: joining the Prophets, the Ṣiddīqūn, the Shuhadāʾ, and the Ṣāliḥūn in the ranks of Allāh's favoured ones.

Two essential conditions for entering this blessed companionship: (1) obedience to Allāh and His Messengerﷺ; and (2) love for the great men of Allāh — the Prophets and their heirs — which is attained through ṭarīqa (the path of spiritual discipline) and the guidance of the masḥāʾikh.

"Whether in this life or after their passing, the great ones remain with their followers. Those who truly love the Prophetﷺwill be gathered with him. If in this world you kept their company, in the next world the same company awaits. In the grave, in the barzakh, in the gathering of the Day of Judgment — together. Al-ḥamdu lillāh."

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:70): That is the bounty from Allāh, and sufficient is Allāh as the All-Knowing.

Commentary: Dhālika l-faḍlu min Allāh wa-kafā Billāhi ʿAlīmā — this sublime companionship is entirely Allāh's bounty (faḍl); it cannot be earned by deeds alone, only by Allāh's gift. And Allāh is All-Knowing; He knows who is sincere in love and obedience.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:71): O you who believe, take your precautions and either go forth in divisions or go forth all together.

Commentary: Yā ayyuhā lladhīna āmanū khudhu ḥidhrakum — "take your precautions": arm yourselves, prepare fully, be vigilant. Do not go to battle unprepared, do not expose yourself to the enemy without weapons and readiness. Fa-nfirū thubātin aw nfirū jamīʿā — then march out, either in detachments (thubāt, carefully organized formations) or all together in a single mass — according to the strategic situation.

The author speaks of the importance of military preparation and readiness:

"A weapon is the glory of men. Martial skill, physical fitness, the willingness to lay down one's life — these are the virtues of a true man. I once witnessed with my own eyes: a Muslim fighter, his body riddled with wounds from many places, still standing and fighting. This is the courage that Islām nurtures. Every Muslim should be trained, disciplined, and ready."

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:72): And indeed, among you is one who lingers behind; and if disaster strikes you, he says, "Allāh has favoured me in that I was not present with them."

Commentary: Wa-inna minkum laman la-yubaṭṭiʾanna — there are always those who hold back from jihād (mubāṭṭiʾūn). When disaster befalls the fighters: qāla qad anʿama Allāhu ʿalayya idh lam akun maʿahum shahīdā — such a person says: "Allāh blessed me by keeping me away from them!" He interprets his cowardice as divine favour.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:73): But if bounty comes to you from Allāh, he will surely say — as if there had never been any affection between you and him — "Oh, I wish I had been with them; then I would have achieved great success!"

Commentary: When victory comes and spoils are won — wa-laʾin aṣābakum faḍlun min Allāh la-yaqūlanna — ka-anlam takun baynakum wa-baynahū mawaddatun — yā laytanī kuntu maʿahum fa-afūza fawzan ʿaẓīmā — the same coward wishes he had been there: "Oh, had I been with them, what a great success I would have had — the honour, the reward, the spoils!" His envy now is as contemptible as his cowardice before.

Summary: The slacker holds back from battle; when others are struck by hardship he congratulates himself; when they receive divine bounty he envies them. His double-faced insincerity is exposed in both directions.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:74): So let those fight in the cause of Allāh who sell the life of this world for the Hereafter. And he who fights in the cause of Allāh and is killed or achieves victory — We will bestow upon him a great reward.

Commentary: Fa-l-yuqātil fī sabīli Allāhi lladhīna yashtrūna l-ḥayāta l-dunyā bi-l-ākhira — let those who have genuinely exchanged the life of this world for the Hereafter — those for whom the prizes of dunyā (wealth, comfort, status) are secondary to the reward of Allāh — be the ones who fight. Wa-man yuqātil fī sabīli Allāhi fa-yuqtal aw yaghlib fa-sawfa nuʾtīhi ajran ʿaẓīmā — whether he is killed or conquers, his reward is immense. Death in the path of Allāh is shahāda (martyrdom) — the highest station; victory brings its own great reward.

Summary: The true fighter in Allāh's path is the one whose heart is in the Hereafter, not this world — whether he is martyred or victorious, Allāh's great reward awaits him.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:75): And why should you not fight in the cause of Allāh and the cause of the oppressed: the men, women, and children who cry out, "Our Lord, bring us out of this city of oppressive people and appoint for us from Yourself a protector and appoint for us from Yourself a helper"?

Commentary: Wa-mā lakum lā tuqātilūna fī sabīli Allāhi wa-l-mustaḍʿafīna min al-rijāli wa-l-nisāʾi wa-l-wildān — what reason do you have not to fight for the oppressed? The mustaḍʿafūn — the weakened, the dispossessed, the helpless men, women, and children of Mecca who had no power to emigrate — cried out to Allāh:

رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْ هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةِ الظَّالِمِ أَهْلُهَا وَاجْعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيًّا وَاجْعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ نَصِيرًا

Rabbanā akhrijnā min hādhihi l-qaryati l-ẓālimi ahluhā wa-jʿal lanā min ladunka waliyyan wa-jʿal lanā min ladunka naṣīrā.

"Our Lord! Bring us out of this city whose people are oppressors, and appoint for us from Yourself a guardian and appoint for us from Yourself a helper." (al-Nisāʾ 4:75)

Jihād for the liberation of the oppressed is among the most compelling and obligatory forms of fī sabīli Allāh.

Summary: The weak and oppressed — men, women, and children — cry out to Allāh for rescue. Fighting for their liberation is among the highest duties of the believers.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:76): Those who believe fight in the cause of Allāh, and those who disbelieve fight in the cause of ṭāghūt (false power). So fight against the allies of Shayṭān; indeed, the plot of Shayṭān has ever been weak.

Commentary: Alladhīna āmanū yuqātilūna fī sabīli Allāh wa-lladhīna kafarū yuqātilūna fī sabīli l-ṭāghūt — the two camps are utterly opposed in their inspiration and their aim: the believers fight for Allāh; the disbelievers fight for Shayṭān's system of power. Fa-qātilū awliyāʾa l-Shayṭāni inna kayda l-Shayṭāni kāna ḍaʿīfā — fight the allies of Shayṭān. And do not be deceived by their apparent strength: kaydu l-Shayṭān — the stratagem of Shayṭān — is weak at its root. The devout and the vigilant can overcome it.

"From Shayṭān the enemies pour their most powerful stratagems against the pious, the people of taqwā. Against the people of God-consciousness (taqwā), piety, and reason, Shayṭān's plots founder. Protect yourselves from him; only then can they be turned back."

Summary: The believer fights for Allāh; the disbeliever for Shayṭān. Fight on — for Shayṭān's plot is inherently weak and will be overcome by those with faith and vigilance.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:77): Have you not considered those to whom it was said, "Restrain your hands [from fighting] and establish prayer and give zakāt"? But then when fighting was ordained for them, at once a party of them feared the people as they fear Allāh — or with even greater fear — and they said, "Our Lord, why have You ordained fighting upon us? If only You had postponed it for us for a little while!" Say: The enjoyment of this world is little; the Hereafter is better for one who fears Allāh, and you will not be wronged even by the thread on a date-pit.

Commentary: A group of Muslims in the early Madinan period used to ask urgently for permission to fight: "Why are we not allowed to fight? Our brothers in Mecca are being oppressed!" When finally the command for jihād was given, some of these same people became fearful, saying: "Our Lord, why have You prescribed fighting? Give us a little more time." They feared the enemy as one should fear Allāh — or even more so.

The Prophetﷺis commanded to respond: qul matāʿu l-dunyā qalīl wa-l-ākhiratu khayrun li-man ittaqā — "The enjoyment of this world is trifling; the Hereafter is better for one who has taqwā." This life is a few days, then comes the eternal life; how can any sane person prefer the former over the latter?

Wa-lā tuẓlamūna fatīlā — not even the thread on a date-pit will be taken from your reward.

Summary: Those who begged for permission to fight, then shrank from it when it was ordained, are reminded: this world's pleasures are trivial; the Hereafter is better for the God-fearing, and not an atom of their reward will be diminished.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:78): Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you should be within towers of lofty construction. But if good comes to them, they say, "This is from Allāh"; and if evil befalls them, they say, "This is from you, O Muḥammad." Say: "All is from Allāh." So what is the matter with these people that they can hardly understand any statement?

Commentary: Aynamā takūnū yudrikkumu l-mawtu wa-law kuntum fī burūjin mushayyadatin — death is inescapable: you will be overtaken by it even in the most fortified towers, the most impregnable citadels. There is no running from death; preparation for it is the only rational response.

Some munāfiqūn and weak-hearted Muslims attributed good outcomes to Allāh but blamed the Prophetﷺfor bad ones: "We lost the battle because you ordered us out!" The Prophetﷺis told to respond with the fundamental theological truth: qul kullun min ʿindi Allāh — everything, both the good and the bad, comes from Allāh's decree.

"Build your fort in death's awareness — not in stone towers. Prepare for the meeting with Allāh; that is the only true fortress. Every day, remind yourself: I must meet Allāh; am I ready?"

Summary: Death is inevitable, even in towers of stone. All outcomes — good and bad — come from Allāh. Those who blame the Prophetﷺfor misfortune while crediting Allāh for good fortune are manifesting a deep spiritual confusion.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:79): What comes to you of good is from Allāh, and what befalls you of evil is from yourself. And We have sent you, O Muḥammad, to the people as a messenger, and sufficient is Allāh as Witness.

Commentary: Mā aṣābaka min ḥasanatin fa-min Allāh wa-mā aṣābaka min sayyiʾatin fa-min nafsik — all good is from Allāh's gift (faḍl and ʿaṭāʾ); all evil and affliction is the result of one's own deeds and moral failures. This is one of the foundational principles of the Sunnī view of divine causality and human responsibility. Allāh creates all things and is the source of all existence; but evil, being ultimately a privation (ʿadam), is the result of human choice and sin, not an act of Allāh.

The author then offers a beautiful Sufi reflection on this principle:

"Good (khayr) and evil (sharr) — both streams flow from the ocean of existence (daryā-yi wujūd). But evil, being from privation (ʿadam), drowns in that ocean and loses all name and trace. Good, being from being (wujūd), thrives. The further from the centre of Existence (wujūd), the more evil appears; the nearer to Existence, the more good prevails. Thus good is from Allāh — the Necessarily Existent (wājib al-wujūd) — and evil is from the creature, whose essence is contingency and lack. Lā talaghūnī wa-lūmū anfusakum: let not the soul blame any but itself."

Wa-arsalnāka li-l-nāsi rasūlan wa-kafā Billāhi shahīdā — We sent you, O Prophetﷺ, to all people as the bearer of glad tidings and a warner; and Allāh's testimony of your truth is sufficient. No further proof is needed beyond the witness of Allāh Himself.

Summary: All good is Allāh's gift; all evil and affliction is the consequence of one's own deeds and moral privation. The Prophetﷺwas sent to all humanity, and Allāh's own testimony of his truth is the ultimate and sufficient witness.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:80): Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allāh; and whoever turns away — We have not sent you over them as a guardian.

Commentary: Man yuṭiʿi l-rasūla fa-qad aṭāʿa Allāh — one of the most magnificent proclamations of the Prophet'sﷺstatus: obedience to the Messengerﷺis identical with obedience to Allāh. There is no gap between them; the Messengerﷺcommands nothing except by Allāh's leave, and to obey him is to obey Allāh directly.

Wa-man tawallā fa-mā arsalnāka ʿalayhim ḥafīẓā — those who turn away: the Prophetﷺis not their guardian or keeper; he has conveyed the message and his duty is fulfilled. They bear their own consequences.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:81): And they say, "Obedience." But when they leave your presence, a group of them spend the night arranging matters contrary to what they said. And Allāh records what they arrange by night. So turn away from them and rely upon Allāh. And sufficient is Allāh as a Disposer of affairs.

Commentary: Wa-yaqūlūna ṭāʿatun fa-idhā barazū min ʿindika bayyata ṭāʾifatun minhum ghayra lladhī taqūl — the munāfiqūn say "we obey" in the Prophet'sﷺpresence, then leave and plot contrary courses at night. Wa-Allāhu yaktabu mā yubayyitūn — Allāh records everything they scheme at night; nothing escapes His knowledge. Fa-aʿriḍ ʿanhum wa-tawakkal ʿalā Allāh wa-kafā Billāhi wakīlā — turn away from them, commit your affairs entirely to Allāh, and Allāh suffices as your ultimate Guardian and Disposer.

Summary: Obedience to the Prophetﷺis obedience to Allāh. But the hypocrites feign it while plotting against it; Allāh records their night-councils, and the Prophetﷺis instructed to commit his cause entirely to Allāh — sufficient Guardian.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:82): Then do they not reflect upon the Qurʾān? If it had been from other than Allāh, they would have found within it much contradiction.

Commentary: Afalā yatadabbarūna l-Qurʾān wa-law kāna min ʿindi ghayri Allāhi la-wajadū fīhi khilāfan kathīrā — the iʿjāz (inimitability) of the Qurʾān is here established by one of its most decisive arguments: its perfect internal consistency. No book produced by any human being over twenty-three years — from various circumstances, in various conditions, on various subjects — could maintain such flawless coherence. The Qurʾān was revealed over twenty-three years in radically varying circumstances, yet it contains not a single internal contradiction. This is impossible for human composition; it is the proof that it is from Allāh.

"The Qurʾān cannot be invalidated. Those who try to find contradictions in it only expose their own intellectual limitations. And those who argue that legal differences between the schools represent contradictions in the religion have misunderstood: those differences arise from legitimate ijtihād (interpretive exertion) and are themselves a mercy and a flexibility of the divine law. Refer disputed matters to the Prophetﷺand to the awliyāʾ Allāh — his heirs."

Summary: The Qurʾān's absolute freedom from contradiction is itself the supreme proof of its divine origin. Had it been of human composition, especially over twenty-three years of varying circumstances, contradictions would have been inevitable.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:83): And when there comes to them a matter concerning security or fear, they spread it around. But if they had referred it back to the Messenger and to those of authority among them, those who can draw correct conclusions from it would have known about it. And if not for the favour of Allāh upon you and His mercy, you would have followed Shayṭān, except for a few.

Commentary: Wa-idhā jāʾahum amrun mina l-amni aw al-khawfi adhāʿū bih — a serious social pathology is addressed: when news reaches people — whether of security (good news) or of fear (alarming reports) — they immediately spread it without verification, causing either false optimism or unnecessary panic. Wa-law raddūhu ilā l-rasūli wa-ilā ūlī l-amri minhum la-ʿalimahu lladhīna yastanbiṭūnahū minhum — if instead they referred such news to the Messengerﷺand to those in authority among them — the people of istinbāṭ (deep derivation and analysis), those who can sift the truth from rumour — they would have understood its reality correctly.

Wa-lawlā faḍlu Allāhi ʿalaykum wa-raḥmatuhu la-ttabaʿtumu l-Shayṭāna illā qalīlā — without Allāh's grace and mercy, you would have all followed Shayṭān except for a very few. The spreading of unverified news and rumour is one of Shayṭān's prime tools for sowing confusion and discord in Muslim communities.

The author is pointed in his application: "Verify before spreading. Whether in times of war or peace, bringing news to the scholars, the commanders, and the established leaders before broadcasting it is the Islamic way. Those who recklessly spread alarmist rumours are, whether they know it or not, serving Shayṭān's purposes."

Summary: Spreading unverified news — whether alarming or reassuring — without referring to the authorities is condemned. Islām requires that significant reports be brought to those who can analyse them wisely. Allāh's grace alone saves the believers from sliding into Shayṭān's snares through this channel.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:84): So fight, O Muḥammad, in the cause of Allāh; you are not held responsible except for yourself. And urge the believers to fight. Perhaps Allāh will restrain the might of those who disbelieve; Allāh is greater in might and greater in punishing.

Commentary: Fa-qātil fī sabīli Allāhi lā tukallafu illā nafsak wa-ḥarriḍi l-muʾminīn — the Prophetﷺis commanded: even if you stand alone, fight in Allāh's path. You are accountable only for your own striving. And encourage the believers — taḥrīḍ is a powerful encouragement that stirs up resolve and dispels fear.

ʿAsā Allāhu an yakuffa baʾsa lladhīna kafarū — perhaps Allāh will, through this effort, restrain the military might of the disbelievers. Wa-Allāhu ashaddu baʾsan wa-ashaddu tankīlā — and Allāh is the most severe in strength and the most severe in retribution; His punishment overtakes the oppressor with a thoroughness no human army can match.

Summary: Even if alone, fight in Allāh's path and urge the believers to courage. Allāh's might surpasses all human power; His retribution against oppressors is absolute.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:85): Whoever intercedes with a good intercession will have a share of it, and whoever intercedes with a bad intercession will have a burden from it. And Allāh is ever, over all things, a Keeper.

Commentary: Man yashfaʿ shafāʿatan ḥasanatan yakun lahu naṣībun minhā wa-man yashfaʿ shafāʿatan sayyiʾatan yakun lahu kiflun minhā — intercession (shafāʿa) — recommending, supporting, helping another — carries a moral weight. Good intercession (recommending a deserving person for a good position, helping the needy, facilitating justice) earns a share of the good result. Bad intercession (recommending the undeserving, facilitating oppression, corrupting justice) earns a share of the resulting harm.

Wa-kāna Allāhu ʿalā kulli shayʾin muqītā — Allāh is Muqīt over all things: He preserves, provides, maintains, and accounts for everything. No act of intercession — good or bad — escapes His record.

Summary: Good intercession earns its practitioner a share of the good that results; bad intercession earns a share of the resulting harm. Allāh maintains and accounts for everything.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:86): And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet with a better greeting or return it equally. Indeed, Allāh is ever, over all things, an Accountant.

Commentary: Wa-idhā ḥuyyītum bi-taḥiyyatin fa-ḥayyū bi-aḥsana minhā aw ruddūhā — when someone gives you the Islamic greeting al-Salāmu ʿalaykum — "May peace be upon you" — your response must be at minimum equally good (aw ruddūhā), and ideally better (fa-ḥayyū bi-aḥsana). The better form: wa-ʿalaykum al-salāmu wa-raḥmatu Allāhi wa-barakātuh.

The rules of Islamic greeting (salām): initiating the salām is a recommended sunna (mustaḥabb); returning it is obligatory (wājib), for it is a response to a farḍ kifāya call. Allāh, the name al-Salām, encompasses all peace and security; the salām is Allāh's own attribute spread among His servants.

Inna Allāha kāna ʿalā kulli shayʾin Ḥasībā — Allāh keeps meticulous account of every exchange.

Summary: Return the Islamic greeting with something better, or at minimum equally — for Allāh accounts for every gesture of peace and fellowship among His servants.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:87): Allāh — there is no deity except Him. He will surely assemble you for the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt. And who is more truthful than Allāh in statement?

Commentary: Allāhu lā ilāha illā Huw — the declaration of absolute tawḥīd: there is no deity but Allāh. La-yajmaʿannakum ilā yawmi l-qiyāmati lā rayba fīh — He will assemble all of creation on the Day of Resurrection without fail; this promise is true with absolute certainty, for doubt about it is impossible. Wa-man aṣdaqu mina Allāhi ḥadīthā — who can be more truthful in speech than Allāh? No one; His word is the ultimate truth.

Summary: The absolute oneness of Allāh and the certainty of the Resurrection are affirmed together — both resting on Allāh's unimpeachable truthfulness, the most veracious speaker in existence.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:88): What is the matter with you regarding the hypocrites that you have become two groups? — while Allāh has cast them back for what they earned. Do you wish to guide those whom Allāh has led astray? And he whom Allāh leads astray — never will you find for him a way.

Commentary: Mā lakum fī l-munāfiqīna fiʾatayn — some Muslims were debating about the munāfiqūn: one group said they were believers; the other knew them as hypocrites. Allāh reveals: wa-Allāhu arkasahum bi-mā kasabū — Allāh Himself has overturned them (arkashah: turned them upside down, disoriented them) because of their own deeds. Their hypocrisy, duplicity, and refusal of truth have led them into a self-created spiritual disorientation.

A-turīdūna an tahdū man aḍalla Allāh wa-man yuḍlili Allāhu fa-lan tajida lahu sabīlā — do you think you can guide those whom Allāh has permitted to go astray? He whom Allāh has led astray will find no path.

Summary: Allāh has exposed the hypocrites and their self-earned disorientation. Those who wish to guide them should know: Allāh has allowed them to go astray as a consequence of their own choices, and no guide can reverse what Allāh has sealed.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:89): They wish that you would disbelieve as they disbelieved so that you would be alike. So do not take from among them allies until they emigrate for the cause of Allāh. But if they turn away, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them and take not from among them any ally or helper.

Commentary: Waddū law takfurūna kamā kafarū fa-takūnūna sawāʾan — the hypocrites' deepest desire is that you become like them: faithless, drifting, uncommitted to the truth. Do not fall to their level.

Fa-lā tattakhidhū minhum awliyāʾa ḥattā yuhājirū fī sabīli Allāh — do not take them as allies until they make a genuine hijra (emigration) for Allāh's sake, demonstrating real commitment. If they turn away and remain as enemies — fa-khudhhum wa-uqtulūhum ḥaythu wajadtumūhum wa-lā tattakhidhū minhum waliyyan wa-lā naṣīrā — then take them, fight them wherever you find them, and take none of them as ally or helper.

Summary: The hypocrites' true desire is that you become faithless like themselves. Until they demonstrate genuine faith through emigration for Allāh, do not ally with them; and if they show open enmity, deal with them as enemies.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:90): Except for those who take refuge with a people between yourselves and whom is a treaty, or those who come to you with hearts constrained from fighting you or fighting their own people. And if Allāh had willed, He could have given them power over you, and they would have fought you. So if they withdraw from you and do not fight you and offer you peace — then Allāh has not made for you a cause against them.

Commentary: Two exceptions to the command of fighting are specified: (1) those who take refuge with a treaty-ally people (qawm baynakum wa-baynahum mīthāq) — Muslims may not attack those who have sought refuge with a people with whom the Muslims have a standing truce or treaty; (2) those who come to the Muslims without fighting, constrained by genuine inability — unable to fight the Muslims and unable to fight their own people.

Wa-law shāʾa Allāhu la-sallṭahum ʿalaykum — Allāh's sovereign will could have given them power to fight the Muslims — but He did not; they came in a posture of restraint. Fa-in iʿtazalūkum fa-lam yuqātilūkum wa-alqaw ilaykum al-salama fa-mā jaʿala Allāhu lakum ʿalayhim sabīlā — if they draw back, neither fighting you nor harming others, and extend the hand of peace, Allāh has given you no justification against them.

Summary: Islām's rules of war are precise and just: those who seek shelter with treaty-allies, and those who approach in non-aggression and peace, are not to be fought. Islām's sword is drawn only against those who choose aggression.

The author (may Allāh have mercy on him) comments:

"Allāh Almighty has commanded the Muslims to fight the treacherous, the irreclaimable hypocrites, and those who have chosen to be enemies. But those who live in peace with the Muslims, who harm no one, who are unable to fight — they are not targets. Islām has never been a religion of gratuitous aggression. The believer's honour is bound up in his deen and his dignity; he does not draw his sword without cause, and he sheathes it as soon as the cause is removed."

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:91): You will find others who wish to be safe from you and safe from their own people. Every time they are returned to the trial, they plunge back into it. So if they do not withdraw from you or offer you peace or restrain their hands, then seize them and kill them wherever you come upon them. And those ones — We have given you clear authority against them.

Commentary: Sa-tajidūna ākharīna yurīdūna an yaʾmanūkum wa-yaʾmanū qawmahum — a third category: opportunists who wish to be safe from everyone, playing both sides. When tested — kullamā ruddū ilā l-fitna urkisū fīhā — whenever they are thrown back into the testing situation, they plunge headlong into treachery again. They have no loyalty; they serve only their own survival.

Fa-in lam yaʿtazilūkum wa-lam yulqū ilaykum al-salama wa-lam yakuffū aydiyahum fa-khudhhum wa-uqtulūhum ḥaythu thaqiftumūhum — if they will not withdraw, will not offer peace, and will not restrain themselves: take them and fight them wherever encountered. Wa-ūlāʾikum jaʿalnā lakum ʿalayhim sulṭānan mubīnā — over these ones Allāh has given the Muslims a clear and explicit authority.

Summary: Opportunists who play both sides, returning to treachery whenever tested, and who refuse either to withdraw or to offer peace, have forfeited the protections they might otherwise have had — and the Muslims have clear divine authority to deal with them.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:92): And it is not for a believer to kill a believer except by mistake. And whoever kills a believer by mistake, then the freeing of a believing slave and a blood-money payment delivered to the deceased's family — unless they give charity. And if the deceased was from a people at war with you and he was a believer, then only the freeing of a believing slave. And if he was from a people between yourselves and whom is a treaty, then a blood-money payment delivered to his family and the freeing of a believing slave. And whoever does not find one — then a fast for two months consecutively, as repentance to Allāh. And Allāh is ever All-Knowing and Wise.

Commentary: Wa-mā kāna li-muʾminin an yaqtula muʾminan illā khaṭaʾan — it is absolutely incongruous for a believer to kill another believer deliberately; but accidents and mistakes are possible even for the most careful of people, and the Law provides for them with compassion and precision.

The ruling for qatl al-khaṭaʾ (accidental killing) when the victim is a believer:

1. Kaffāra: Freeing a believing slave (taḥrīr raqabatin muʾminatin) — Islām's systematic, legally compelled mechanism for human emancipation. 2. Diya: Blood-money (diyya musallamatun ilā ahlih) — paid to the family of the deceased, unless they remit it as charity (ṣadaqa).

If the deceased was a Muslim but from an enemy people (qawmun ʿaduwwun): only the kaffāra (freeing a slave); no diyya.

If the deceased was a Muslim from a treaty-people: both diyya to his family and freeing a slave.

If the killer cannot free a slave (in the present age, slavery having been abolished): ṣiyāmu shahrayni mutatābiʿayn — two consecutive months of fasting, as repentance before Allāh.

Wa-kāna Allāhu ʿAlīman Ḥakīmā — Allāh knows every circumstance and every intention; His rulings are perfectly wise. The author explains:

"The wārithin (heirs) of the deceased are entitled to the diyya. The emancipation of the slave — taḥrīr al-raqaba — was Islām's own systematic mechanism for human liberation; every such ruling pushed the institution of slavery gradually to extinction. The kaffāra is also an act of profound moral reckoning — even when the killing was accidental, the killer must mark the gravity of what occurred."

The author then discusses categories of homicide according to Ḥanafī fiqh:

"There are several categories:

(1) Qatl al-ʿamd (intentional killing): the killer takes a weapon normally intended for killing and kills with it deliberately. The penalty: qiṣāṣ (retaliation in kind) — a life for a life. If one of the heirs pardons, the others receive diyya.

(2) Qatl al-khaṭaʾ (accidental killing): as described in this verse. The ruling: kaffāra and diyya.

(3) Shibh al-ʿamd (quasi-intentional killing): striking with something not normally used as a lethal weapon — a stick, a stone — but the victim dies. The ruling: kaffāra and diyya; no qiṣāṣ.

(4) Khaṭaʾ fī al-sabab (indirect accidental cause): digging a well in a permitted location and someone falls in; firing an arrow at a legitimate target and hitting a bystander. The ruling: kaffāra and diyya from the ʿāqila (the killer's kin-group).

(5) Qaṭl bi-l-tark (killing by omission): sleeping on top of someone and crushing them. The ruling is the same as for type (1) khaṭaʾ.

The diyya is: one hundred camels (the standard), or one thousand gold dīnārs, or ten thousand silver dirhams, or an equivalent. Imām al-Shāfiʿī (may Allāh have mercy on him) sets it at twelve hundred dīnārs. Payment falls on the ʿāqila (kin-group) over three years.

Who constitutes the ʿāqila? Those who share in the killer's naṣab (lineage) and social solidarity — not merely blood relations; colleagues in the same profession, the same military unit, the same religious institution may all constitute the ʿāqila in the absence of kin.

In a case where there is no ʿāqila, Abū Yūsuf (may Allāh have mercy on him) held that the obligation falls on the killer himself."

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:93): And whoever kills a believer intentionally — his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally, and Allāh has become angry with him and has cursed him and has prepared for him a great punishment.

Commentary: Wa-man yaqtul muʾminan mutaʿammidan fa-jazāʾuhu jahannamu khālidan fīhā wa-ghaḍiba Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-laʿanahu wa-aʿadda lahu ʿadhāban ʿaẓīmā — intentional murder of a Muslim is one of the gravest sins in Islām. Four punishments are cumulated in this verse: (1) the punishment of Hellfire; (2) perpetual abiding therein (khulūd); (3) Allāh's anger (ghaḍab); (4) Allāh's curse (laʿna); and (5) a prepared tremendous punishment (ʿadhāb ʿaẓīm).

The Ḥanafī position on khulūd here: this refers to the murderer who considers the killing lawful (istiḥlāl) — i.e., who denies its prohibition — in which case the khulūd is literal and permanent, amounting to kufr. Otherwise, a Muslim who commits intentional murder and repents sincerely may hope for Allāh's forgiveness, though the sin is among the kabāʾir (gravest sins).

The author notes a legal debate among the scholars: if all the heirs (awliyāʾ al-dam) pardon the killer, is qiṣāṣ still applicable? The position of the Ḥanafī school: once the heirs pardon, qiṣāṣ falls; but the killer still faces Allāh's judgment. The author then discusses several practical cases of homicide he was aware of from his own context, illustrating the application of these rules.

Summary: Intentional murder of a believer draws upon itself Allāh's anger, curse, and prepared punishment. The law of qiṣāṣ operates in this world; and Allāh's own reckoning applies in the Hereafter.

Translation (Nisāʾ 4:94): O you who believe, when you go forth in the cause of Allāh, investigate carefully, and do not say to one who offers you peace, "You are not a believer," seeking the goods of worldly life. For with Allāh are many bounties. You were like that before; then Allāh conferred His favour upon you, so investigate. Indeed, Allāh is ever, with what you do, All-Aware.

Commentary: Yā ayyuhā lladhīna āmanū idhā ḍarabtum fī sabīli Allāhi fa-tabayyanū — the command of tabayyun (careful investigation and verification) applies with particular force in the context of armed conflict. Wa-lā taqūlū li-man alqā ilaykum al-salama lasta muʾminan — do not say to someone who offers you the greeting of Islām or declares his Islam: "You are not really a believer!" — and kill him merely to seize his property (tabtakhūna ʿaraḍa l-ḥayāti l-dunyā: seeking the goods of this world). That is the very definition of worldly greed masquerading as jihād.

Fa-inda Allāhi maghānimu kathīra — with Allāh are far greater bounties than any worldly goods you might seize in this way; do not sell the sacred prohibition against killing a Muslim for a handful of loot.

Kuntum min qablu kadhālika — remember: before Allāh bestowed the favour of Islam upon you, you were yourselves in the same condition; you were not recognisable as Muslims. Fa-manna Allāhu ʿalaykum — then Allāh conferred His great gift of īmān upon you. How can you now be callous about the very same gift in another?

Fa-tabayyanū inna Allāha kāna bi-mā taʿmalūna Khabīrā — so investigate with care, and know that Allāh is fully aware of all you do.

Summary: When engaged in jihād, verify carefully before acting: do not kill one who professes Islām merely for material gain. Allāh has far greater bounties to give than any worldly spoils. And remember: you yourself were once outside the light of Islam before Allāh's favour reached you — so honour that same light wherever it now appears.