Indexed OCR Text

44
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 18-19
Nuh (and other prophets) - 42:13.
This tells us that the din of all our blessed prophets was one and
the same, that is, belief in the most perfect Being and Attributes of
Allah, in His being free of all shortcomings and that He alone is wor-
thy of worship, believing in this from the depth of one's heart and con-
firming it verbally; belief in the Day of Judgement, in the final reckon-
ing of deeds, the reward and the punishment and in Paradise and Hell
and in every prophet and messenger sent by Him and in all command-
ments and injunctions brought by them, believing all this in one's
heart and confirming such belief verbally as well.
Now the real meaning of the word, Islam is to submit oneself to
Allah and be obedient to His commands. Given this meaning, those
who believed in the prophets and messengers of their time and were
obedient to the commands of Allah they brought to them, were all enti-
tled to be called Muslims, and their religion was Islam. It was in this
sense of the word that Sayyidna Nuh said: ◌َوَأُمِرُّتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْحُكْلِمِين (I have
been commanded that I be from among the Muslims - 10:72) and there-
fore, Sayyidna Ibrahim WJI ale described himself and his community as
Muslims when he said : ◌َرَنَا وَاجْعَلُنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِنُ ذُرِّبَيِّنَا أُمَّةٌ مُسُلِمَةٌ لَّك (Our Lord,
make us Muslims, the submitting ones to Thee, and from our progeny
a community of Muslims submitting to Thee - 2:128). And it was in this
very sense of the word that the disciples of Sayyidna 'Isa WILL said:
342 ECKA, (And bear witness that we are Muslims - 3:52)
Sometimes this word is applied particularly to the din and shariah,
the religion and the law brought finally by the last among the proph-
ets, Sayyidna Muhammad al-Mustafa صلى الله عليه وسلم .This law abrogated
all previous ways in religion and this shall sustain right through the
Day of Judgment. Given this meaning of the word Islam, it becomes
particular to the religion brought by the prophet of Islam and to the
large community of his followers. In a well-known hadith of Jibra'il,
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has explained Islam in this very man-
ner.
The word, 'Al-Islam' as it appears in the verse here carries the like-
lihood of both meanings. If the first meaning is taken, it would mean
that the only religion acceptable with Allah is Islam, that is, becoming
obedient in complete submission to the commands of Allah, believing

45
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 18-19
in all prophets of all times and in whatever commandments they
brought, by acting accordingly. Although, the religion brought by Ha-
drat Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم has not been specially identified here,
yet, in persuance of the general rule, once the last among the line of
prophets had been sent, the belief and practice of all injunctions he
brought becomes binding, and inclusive under this rule. As such, the
outcome will be that the religion acceptable during the period of
Sayyidna Nuh was what he brought; during the period of Sayyidna
Ibrahim, what he brought. Similarly, the Islam of the period of
Sayyidna Musa was what came in the form of the tablets of Torah and
the teachings of Moses and the Islam of the period of Sayyidna 'Isa was
what came as Injil and the teachings of Jesus, WI +Le. At the end of
this chain of prophets, the Islam of the period of Sayyidna Muhammad
the last among the prophets, shall be what took shape , صلى الله عليه وسلم
on the pattern given by the Qur'an and Sunnah.
Now if we take the second meaning of Islam, that is, the Shari'ah
the way and law brought by the last of the prophets صلى الله عليه وسلم , the
verse would come to mean that in this period of time only that religion
of Islam which is true to the teachings of the noble prophet @ is the
one acceptable. No doubt, previous religions too, during their age of
currency, were known as Islam, but they are now abrogated. So, the
end-result is the same both ways, that is, during the age of every
prophet, the religion acceptable in the sight of Allah is that particular
Islam which conforms to the revelation and teachings credited to that
prophet. No religion, other than this, even if it be a previously abrogat-
ed one, is acceptable and certainly not deserving of being called
"Islam" at a later stage. The Shari'ah of Sayyidna Ibrahim was the Is-
lam of his times. When the time of Sayyidna Musa came, the abrogated
laws of that code did not remain the Islam of his time. Similarly, any
laws of Moses abrogated during the time of Sayyidna 'Isa were not to
be labelled as Islam any more. It is exactly like this when laws and in-
junctions of previous religious codes were abrogated during the time of
the Last of the prophets , they no more remained valid as Islam.
Therefore, whatever meaning of Islam is taken, general or particular,
in relation to the community being addressed by the Holy Qur'an, the
outcome of both is nothing but that, following the appearance of the
noble Prophet , the only religion which shall be deserving of the

46
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 18-19
name, Islam, will be the one that conforms to the Qur'an and the
teachings of the blessed recepient of revelations and that alone shall
be acceptable in the sight of Allah. Since no other religion is acceptable
to Allah, it cannot become a source of salvation either. This subject has
appeared in the Holy Qur'an in many verses separately. The exact
words used in one such verse are:ُوَمَنُ ◌َيْتَغِ غَبُرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِيْنًا فَلَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِن that is,
whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from
him (and what is done under its dictates shall be wasted).
Salvation in our times depends on Islam:
Even good deeds and morals from a non-Muslim are not
acceptable.
These verses have very clearly hit at the root of the atheistic ap-
proach which endeavours to bracket Islam and disbelief (kufr) on the
same footing in the name of tolerance preached by Islam, thereby
claiming that every faith of the world - Judaism, Christianity, even pa-
ganism - can each become the source of salvation, on condition that its
followers perform good deeds and observe good morals. This, in reality
is a veiled attempt to demolish a principle of Islam and to prove that
Islam is nothing of substance. It is something limpid and imaginary
which could be moulded to fit into whatever religion one chooses, even
if it is kufr or disbelief! The verses of the Holy Qur'an, those appearing
here and a large number of others, have very explicitly stressed that
the light and darkness cannot be the same. Similarly, it is grossly ab-
surd and impossible that Allah would like disobedience to and rebel-
lion against Him just as He likes obedience and submission. Whoever
denies even one basic principle of Islam, he is, without any shadow of
doubt, a rebel to Allah and the enemy of His Messengers, no matter
how impressing he may appear in his other deeds and formal morality.
Salvation in the Hereafter depends, first of all, on obedience to Allah
and His Messenger. Whoever remains deprived of it, not one of his
deeds is credible. The Holy Qur'an says for such people:
فَلَ نُقِيمُ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَزْنَاً
We shall not assign weight to their deeds on the Day of Judge-
ment - 18:105.
In verse 19:ُروَمَا اخْتَلَفَ الَّذِيْنَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَاب ◌ِلَّمِنُ بَعْدِ مَا بَجَآءُ هُمْ الْعِلْمُ بَعْيَّا بَيْنَهُم after declar-
ing that 'the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam', the text moves on

47
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 20
to explain why the people of the Book went about disputing the pro-
phethood of Sayyidna Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and challenging Islam
as false. They did this, not because they had any doubts in this connec-
tion for they knew the truth of the matter through their own scrip-
tures, but because they were scared of losing their ground against
Muslims. So, it was their malice towards Muslims, their love for power
and influence and their arrogant self-image as traditional leaders
which drove them to these altercations.
Finally, it was said:ِوَمَنْ يَكُتُ بِيَاتِ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ سُوعُ الْحِسَاب that is, 'whoever de-
nies the verses of Allah (as the people of the Book did), then, Allah is
swift at reckoning'. The swiftness of this reckoning can be well ima-
.. gined as it starts initially soon after death when man passes into the
state known as 'barzakh'. But the detailed accounting for one's deeds
shall take place on the Day of Judgement when he will have to account
for his doings in the minutest detail. Then, the penchant for disputing
truth will be exposed. The people who denied the truth will discover
their worth and the punishment it calls for shall become known to
them.
Verse 20
فَإِنْ حَاجُوْنَ فَقُلُ أَسْلَمْتُ وَجُهِىَ لِلْهِ وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِ* وَقُلْ لِلَِّيْنَ
أُوتُوا الْكِتْبَ وَالْأُمِّبِّنَ ◌َ آَسْلَمْتُمُ، فَإِنْ أَسْلَمُوْا فَقَدِ اهْتَدَواج
وَإِنْ تَوَلَّهًا فَتَّاَ عَلَيْكَ الْبَلْغُ، وَاللّهُ بَصِيٌْ بِالْعِبَادِ ﴿ ٢﴾
Then, if they argue with you, say: "I have submitted
myself to Allah, and (so did) those who have followed
me." And say to those who have been given the Book,
and to the unlettered: "Do you submit?" If they submit,
they will be on the right path. And if they turn back,
then you have only to convey. And Allah is watchful
over His servants. [20]
The Surah began with the confirmation of Divine Oneness and the
refutation of Trinity. Answered here are argumentations in which the
disbelievers and deniers among the people of the Book persist - even
after the truth of Islam has been proved conclusively. The advice
against such ongoing and unnecessary disputations is that the accep-
tance or rejection of disputers should be of no use to a believer who

48
Surah 'Al-Imran 3 : 21-22
simply has to declare that he and those with him have entered the fold
of Islam being in no doubt about its truth. The Holy Prophet @ was
entrusted with the mission of calling the people of the Book, the Jews
and Christians, and the disbelievers of Arabia to submit to Allah and
embrace Islam which will be for their own good for they will be on the
right path. In case they continue to maintain their hostile attitude, the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has been comforted here by saying that his
duty is only limited to conveying the message of Allah and His com-
mandments. That the message does not seem to get across to them, as
they elect to reject rather than accept, should really not be a matter of
concern for him. This is something Allah will take care of in His own
way for He is in full sight of what His servants are doing.
Verses 21 - 22
إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِاِيتِ اللهِ وَيَقْتُلُوْنَ النَّبِبْنَ بِغَيْرٍ حَقٍّ
وَيَقْتُلُونَ الَّذِّيْنَ يَأُمُوهُنَ بِالْقِسْطِ مِنَ النَّاسِ" فَبَشِّرُهُمُ بِعَذَابٍ
اَلِيْمِ ﴿٢١) أُولِكَ الَّذِيْنَ حَبِطَتُ اعْمَالُهُمْ فِى الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ
وَمَالَهُمْ قِرُ تُصِرِيْنَ ﴿٢٢﴾
Surely, those who disbelieve the verses of Allah and
slay the prophets unjustly and, from people, slay those
who bid justice, to them give tidings of a painful
punishment. [21] Those are the ones whose deeds have
gone waste in this world, and in the Hereafter, and for
them there are no helpers. [22]
In the earlier part of the Surah, the text mostly beamed at the
Christians. In verse 20, 'those who have been given the Book' includes
both Christians and Jews. Now, verses 21-22 here, talk about some of
the unusual doings of Jews. Ruh al-Ma'ani while commenting on this
verse reports a hadith from the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم as narrated
by Ibn Abi Hatim. While explaining this verse, he said that Bani Isra'il
slew forty three prophets at one and the same time. One hundred and
seventy pious elders stood up asking them to uphold justice. They slew
them as well on the same day. (Bayan al-Qur'an)
In verse 21, 'those who disbelieve the verses of Allah' refers to Jews
who did not believe in the Injil and the Qur'an. 'Slay the prophets

49
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 23-25
unjustly' means that they know that they are doing so without justice.
"Those who bid justice' are people who teach moderation in deeds and
morals.
Because of this whole set of their terrible deeds, verse 22 says that
all their good deeds have gone waste both here and there, and when
they are punished, they will find no one to assist them.
Verses 23 - 25
اَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِيْنَ أُوتُوا نَصِئْبًا مِنَ الْكِتْبِ يُدُعَوُّنَ إلی کِتْبٍ
اللَّهِ لِبَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَتَوَلْى فَرِيْقُ قِنْهُمْ وَهُمُ مُّعُرِضُونَ ﴿٢٢)
ذُلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا لَنْ تَسَنَا النَّارُ إِلَّ أَيَّامًا تَعُدُوُدْتٌٍ وَغَرَّهُمْ
فِىُّ دِيْنِهِمْ تَّا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ ﴿٢٤﴾ فَكَيُّفَ إِذَا جَمَعُنُهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ
لَرَبُّبَ فِيْءٍ وَوُفِّيَتُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا كَسَبَتُ وَهُمُ لَا يُظْلَمُوُنَ
٢٥٠
Did you not see those who have been given a share
from the Book? They are invited to the Book of Allah in
order that it may decide between them. Then, a group
from them goes back turning their faces away. [23] That
is because they have said: "The Fire shall not touch us
except for a few days." And deceived they are in their
faith by what they have been forging. [24] Then, how
(will it be) when We gather them on a day in which
there is no doubt, and everybody will be paid, in full,
for what he has earned. And they shall not be
wronged.[25]
While dealing with the subject of Jews, as in verses 21-22, the text
goes on to censure a particular claim of theirs in the present verse.
The address is to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and the reference is to
the Torah given to the Jews who would have found it enough for them
if they were really looking forward to guidance. But they elect to be in-
different because they say and believe that the fire of Hell will not
touch them except for a few days, after which, according to their sup-
position, they would be forgiven. This, it has been said, is self-
deception caused by what they have been forging for themselves like

50
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 26-27
their belief that they were the progeny of prophets and therefore, they
will escape punishment in the fire of Hell.
Jews contended that they had worshipped the calf for 40 days and
so they will incur punishment, if any, for the same period only.
Verses 26 - 27
قُلِ اللُّهَُ مِلِكَ الُْكِ تُؤتِى الْمُلُكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتَنْزِعُ الْمُكَ مَنُ
تَشَاءُ وَ تُعِزُّمَنْ تَشَاءُ: وَتُذِلُّ مَنُ تَشَاءُهُ بِيَدِكَ الُخَُّهُ إِنَّكَ
عَلَى كُلِّ شَىءٍ قَدِيْرٌ ﴿٢٦) تُوْلِعُ الَّيْلَ فِى النَّهَارِ وَ تُؤْلِجُ
النَّهَارَ فِى الَّيُّلِ، وَتُخْرِجُ الْحَمْىِّ مِنَ الْتِ وَتُغْرِجُ الْمُِّنْتَ مِنَ
الْحُيّ، وَتَرْزُقُ مَنْ تَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ ﴿٢٧﴾
Say: "O Allah, O Lord of the Kingdom, You give
kingdom to whom You will, and take kingdom away
from whom You will; and You bestow honour on whom
You will, and bring disgrace to whom You will. In your
hand lies the good. You are surely powerful over
everything. [26] You make the night enter into the day,
and make the day enter into the night; and You bring
the living out from the dead, and bring the dead out
from the living, and You give to whom You will without
measure." [27]
In these verses, Muslims have been taught and prompted to make
a particular prayer which, in a subtle way, gives an indication that
they are going to overpower disbelievers. This has its proof in the
background in which these verses were revealed. When the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم promised that Byzantine and Persia will be tak-
en, the hypocrites and the Jews laughed at the idea. Thereupon, this
verse was revealed. I
Commentary
The background of Revelation:
An episode from the Battle of Khandaq
The recurring defeat of the disbelievers of Makkah at Badr and
Uhud and their general failure to register any gains in their hostility
1. Ruh al-Ma'ani from al-Wahidi, from Ibn 'Abbas and Anas Las 11 ;

51
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 26-27
against Muslims coupled with the growing strength of Muslims and
the rise of Islam had made them very nervous, almost reckless. The
whole thing ended up in a conspiracy. The disbelievers of Arabia, the
Jews and the Christians all joined in a united front against Muslims
and resolved to attack Madinah and fight a conclusive battle. This
they did, determined to eradicate Islam and Muslims from the face of
the earth. The battle is called 'al-Ahzab' in the Qur'an, and 'Khandaq
in history, because the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had decided in con-
sultation with his Companions that a khandaq or trench be dug
around parts of Madinah to block the unhindered attack of the enemy
during this battle.
According to narrations in al-Baihaqi, Abu Nu'aim and Ibn Khuzai-
mah, when the task of digging the trench was entrusted to the Islamic
army, the plan was to allot the digging of a forty hand-span long
trench to a group of ten men each. This trench was several miles long
and fairly deep and wide, so that the enemy would find it impossible to
cross over. Then, the digging had to be completed in the shortest possi-
ble time which made the noble Companions put in whatever time and
energy they had in this effort, so much so that they found it difficult to
leave the job and take time for even the most pressing of their needs.
They were working non-stop on hungry stomachs. Surely, a modern
army engineering service with its latest equipment would have not
found this kind of job any easier to handle. Here, it was the power of
faith which made the completion of this difficult assignment possible.
The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was taking part in this digging op-
eration as an individual like everybody else. By chance, the diggers
came upon a huge rock in a certain part of the trench. Those who were
assigned to dig that part of the trench tried their best to break it apart
but they became helpless and gave up. They asked Sayyidna Salman
al-Farisi رضى الله عنه to go to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ,tell him
about the problem and seek his instructions in this connection. The
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم immediately came at the spot, took the pick-
axe in his blessed hands and struck at the rock. The rock was shat-
tered into pieces and from it rose a streak of light which illuminated
the area far and wide. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: 'In this
light, I see the palaces and buildings of Hirah in the country of Persia.

52
Surah 'Al-Imran 3 : 26-27
He struck again and a second beam of light rose. He said: 'In this light,
I was shown the red palaces and buildings of the Byzantinians.' When
he struck the third time and the flame beamed its light around, he
said: 'In this I was shown the great palaces of San'a in Yemen.' Then,
he said: 'I share the good news given by Jibra'il with you that my com-
munity of Muslims will prevail over all these countries.
When the hypocrites of Madinah heard about it, they found an oc-
casion to ridicule Muslims - 'just look at these people, here they are all
scared of the enemy, digging trenches without eating and resting, not
knowing for sure if their own lives will be safe, yet they are dreaming
of running over Persia, Byzantine and Yemen!' It was in answer to a
people so unfair and unjust that Allah Almighty revealed the verse:
قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِى الْكَ مِنْ تَشَاءُ وَتَنْزِعُ الْمُلُكَ مِنُ تَشَاءُ وَيُعِزُّ مَنْ
تَشَاءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ بِيَدِكَ الْخَرُِّنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيُ
Say: "O Allah, O Lord of the Kingdom, You give kingdom to
whom You will, and take kingdom away from whom You will;
and You bestow honour on whom You will, and bring disgrace
to whom You will. In Your hand lies the good. You are surely
powerful over everything." (3 : 26)
Appearing in the form of a prayer, this verse so eloquently brings
into focus the most perfect power of Allah as it manifests itself in the
rise and fall of nations and in the revolutions that rock countries. At
the same time it gives a hint that the prophecy made by the Holy
Prophet af will come to pass and Persia and Byzantine will fall to
Muslims. Here, enemies of Islam have been warned that they have not
learnt their lesson from the rise and fall of past wielders of power for
they judge events and personalities from the material angle while the
truth is that all powers and governments of the world are in the hands
of the most pristine power of Allah, the One in whose hands lies all
honour and disgrace. There is no doubt that He is capable of making
the poor and the meek sit on thrones and wrest power from kings and
monarchs. Why then, should it be difficult for him to choose these
ragged believers digging trenches to rule over Persia, Syria, Iraq and
Yemen?
Things usually considered bad may ultimately
prove not to be that bad:
Towards the end of the verse, the expression Fulde translated as

53
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 26-27
'in Your hand lies the good' needs some explanation. It will be noticed
that in the earlier part of the verse both giving and taking of power
and bestowing of honour and bringing of disgrace were mentioned side
by side. It would have seemed in keeping with the occasion if the word,
'sharr' (evil) would have been coupled with 'khair' (good). But, the text
elects to use the word, 'khair' (good) alone and thereby points out to
something real and significant in human affairs. The point worth not-
ing is that a person or a people may regard something as unwelcome,
and it may even be so for that particular person or people, but looked
at from the wider angle of the whole community of nations, it may not
be really evil. The Arab poet, Mutanabbi has put it very succinctly
when he said:
مَصَائِبُ قَوْمٍ عِنْدَ قَوْمٍ فَوَائِدْ
The calamities of one group are the gains of another.
In short, the evil of things we regard as evil is partial. Looked at
from its relationship to the Creator of the Universe and the Lord of all
there is, and viewed in the perspective of the totality of the world of
our experience, nothing is really evil or bad as such. So given the wis-
dom, the power and the consideration of the created universe as a
vhole, everything is good, 'khair' as the verse sees sufficient to say.
The second verse (27) demonstrates that Allah controls all spaces
and heavenly bodies and employs the sun and the moon to make the
days longer than nights and the nights longer than the days at His
will and command.
Mentioned after that is His unrivalled power of 'bringing the liv-
ing out from the dead' such as, a chick from an egg, or a human infant
from the sperm, or a tree from a seed and of 'bringing the dead out
from the living' such as eggs from birds and beasts, sperm from hu-
mans or fruit from trees and dried grain from plants.
If we were to take 'the living' and 'the dead' in a broad and general
sense, this will become inclusive of the learned and the ignorant, the
perfect and the imperfect and the believer and the disbeliever (the
Muslim and the Kafir). It only goes to show that Allah's perfect power
exercises absolute control over all phenomena, both physical and spiri-
tual, through which He can make a Muslim out of a Kafir, a perfect

-
54
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 28-30
believer out of a staunch disbeliever, a scholar out of an ignorant per-
son - if He so wills. And if He so wills, He can let a believer turn into a
disbeliever or a rustic into a scholar. He brought Ibrahim out of an
idol-worshipper. He let the son of Prophet Nuh remain an infidel.
Strange but true, the son of an 'alim (scholar) can remain illiterate
and the son of someone illiterate can become an 'alim.
A discerning reader will not fail to notice the eloquent order in
which Allah's most perfect power that reigns and runs the universe
from the cosmos to the soul of man has been demonstrated so
effectively.
The special merit of this verse:
Imam al-Baghawi reports a hadith from the Holy Prophet & in
which he said: It is Allah's promise that anyone who recites, after eve-
ry Şalah, the Surah al-Fatihah, Ayah al-Kursi, two verses of 'Al-'Imran,
that is ◌َ2:18) شَهِدُ اللّهُ أنَّهَ لاَ إلهَ إلاَّهُو) and the present verse from ◌ِقُلِ اللَّهُمّ مَالِكَ الْمُك to
L 2(26-27), He will make his abode in Paradise, and have him
placed in the Sacred Enclosure, and bless him with His mercy seventy
times every day, and fulfil seventy of his needs, and protect him
against every envier and enemy and make him prevail over them.
Verses 28 - 30
لاَ يَتَّخِذِ الْمُؤْمِنُوُّنَ الْكِفِرِيْنَ آؤُلِيَاءَ مِنْ دُوْنِ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَمَنُّ
يَتَّفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَ اللّهِ فِىٌ شَىْءٍ إِلَّ أَنْ تَتَّقُوا مِنْهُمْ
تُقْنَةً وَيُحَذِّرُكُمْ اللّهُ نَفْسَنَّ وَ إِلَى اللهِ المُصِيْرُ ﴿٢٨﴾ قُلُ إِنْ
تُخُفُوا مَا فِىْ صُدُوُرِكُمْ آَهُ تُبْدُوُهُ يَعْلَمْهُ اللّهُ، وَيَعْلَمُ مَافِئْ
السَّمُوْتِ وَمَا فِى الْأَرْضِ* وَاللهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴿٢٩)
يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّنَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ تُحْضَرَّاهُ وَّمَا عَمِلَتْ
مِنْ سُؤٍَّ تَوَدُّلَوْ أَنَّ بَيْتَهَا وَبَيْنَةَ أَهَدًا بَعِيِّدًا* وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللهُ
نَفْسَةُ، وَاللَّهُ رَءُوْفٌّ بِالْعِبَادِ ﴿ ٣﴾
The believers must not take the disbelievers as friends
instead of the believers. And whoever does that has no
relation with Allah whatsoever, unless you guard

55
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 28-30
yourselves against an apprehension from them. And Al-
lah warns you of Himself and to Allah is the return. [28]
Say: "Whether you conceal what is in your hearts or re-
veal it, Allah will know it." And He knows what is in the
heavens and what is in the earth. And Allah is powerful
over everything. [29] On the day, when everybody shall
find brought before him whatever good he did and
whatever evil he did, he will wish that there were a
long distance between him and that (day). And Allah
warns you of Himself. And Allah is compassionate to
(His) servants. [30]
Commentary
In these verses, Muslims have been instructed not to take disbe-
lievers as their friends. Those who act against this instruction have
been sternly warned: Those who take them as friends will find that
their bond of love and friendship with Allah has been cut off. Any emo-
tionally involved friendship that comes from the heart is absolutely
forbidden (Haram). However, a formal friendship at the level of mutual
dealings is, no doubt, permissible; but, that too is not favoured if un-
necessary.
Verses dealing with this subject have appeared at many places in
the Holy Qur'an with varying shades of meaning. It was said in Surah
al-Mumtahinah:
◌َيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُّرًا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُِّى وَعَدُّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ تُلُقُوْنَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِالْمُؤَدَّةِ،
O. those who believe, do not take My enemy and your enemy
as friends having love for them. (60:1)
Then, towards the end it was said:
وَمَنْ يَّفْعَلُهُ مِنْكُمْ فَقَدٌ ضَلَّ سَوَاءَ التَِّيْلِ
And whoever from among you does this he has gone astray
from the right path. (60:1)
Elsewhere it was said:
◌ََّيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْيَهُوُدَ وَالنَّصَارِى أَوْلِيَاءَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ
وَمَنْ يَّتَوَلَّهُمْ مِنْكُمْ فَإِنَّهَ مِنْهُمُ
O those who believe, do not take Jews or Christians as friends
(for) they are friends among themselves. And whoever has
friendship with them, he is one of them. (5:51)

56
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 28-30
And it appears in Surah al-Mujadalah:
لَا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْأُخِرِ بُوَأَدُوْنَ مَنْ حَاذَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُوْلَهُ وَلَوْ
كَانُواْ بَاءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَاءَ هُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَانَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَّهُمُ
You shall not find those who believe in Allah and in the Here-
after having friendship with those who have enmity with Al-
lah and His messenger, even though they may be their fathers
or sons or brothers or members of their tribe. (58:22)
Relations with disbelievers
In verses cited above and in many other verses of the Holy Qur'an,
Muslims have been strongly prevented from 'Muwalat' with non-
Muslims, that is, from indulging in relations based on love and friend-
ship. Looking at these clear instructions, non-Muslims who are not
aware of the true intention and application of this rule start thinking
that the religion of Muslims does not seem to have any place for tolera-
tion or bilateral relations or even common courtesy.
On the other hand, there are a large number of verses from the
Holy Qur'an, the words and acts of the noble Prophet , the practice
of the rightly-guided Khulafa' and other revered Companions, which
bring to light injunctions and actual modes of dealing with non-
Muslims by way of favour, compassion, generosity, sympathy and con-
cern, which has little or no parallel in world history. A superficial look
on these different attitudes may sense a sort of contradiction therein.
But, this feeling is a result of only a cursory study of the true teach-
ings of the Qur'an. If we collect all verses of the Qur'an, relating to this
subject which appear at several different places and study them all to-
gether, we shall find nothing which could bother non-Muslims nor
shall there remain any doubt of contradiction in the text of the Qur'an
and Hadith. With this need in view, given below is a full explanation of
this point which will, hopefully, bring forth the distinction between
various shades of friendship and the reality behind each of them. In
addition to this, we shall also get to know what levels of friendship are
permissible or impermissible and also the reasons why a certain level
has been disallowed.
The truth of the matter is that there are different degrees or steps
or levels in relations between two persons or groups. The first degree

57
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 28-30
of such relations comes from the heart, that of affection and love in-
volving intense emotional commitment. This is called Muwalat or close
friendship. This sort of friendship is restricted to true Muslims. A
Muslim is not permitted to have this kind of relationship with a non-
Muslim.
The second degree is that of Muwasat, which means relationship
based on sympathy, kindness and concern. It includes charitable help
and support, condolence and consolation and any well-meaning atti-
tude of wishing well. Barring disbelievers who are at war with Mus-
lims, this kind of relationship is permissible with all other non-
Muslims. A detailed explanation of this approach has appeared in Su-
rah al-Mumtahinah (60:8) :
لَيَتْهُكُمُ اللهُ عَنِ الَّذِيْنَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُؤُكُمْ فِى الدِّيْنِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوْكُمُ مِنُ دِيَارِكُمُ اَنُ
تَبَرُّوُهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُؤْا إِلَيْهِمْ
Allah does not forbid you from treating those who do not fight.
you on your faith, nor have they driven you out of your homes,
with benevolence and equity.
The third degree is that of Mudarat which means relations based
on customary cordiality, adequacy in courtesy, pleasant and friendly
behaviour and mannerly politeness. This too is permissible with all
non-Muslims, specially so, when the objective is to present them with
some beneficial aspect of the Faith, or when they are guests, or the
purpose is to stay safe from any possible harm coming through them.
The words, LEP& p;fil (unless you guard yourselves against an ap-
prehension from them) appearing in this verse mean this degree of
Mudarat which, in other words, means that Muwalat or friendship with
disbelievers is not permissible except when you are in a situation
where you want to defend yourself against them. Since Mudarat or
sympathetic relations somewhat resemble Muwalat or friendship, it
was exempted from the category of Muwalat . (Bayan al-Qur'an)
The fourth degree is that of Mu'amalat or dealings. It means deal-
ings and transactions in business or employment or wages or industry
or technology. These too are permissible with non-Muslims, except
when such dealings harm the general body of Muslims. The continued
practice of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم , the rightly-guided Khulafa'

58
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 28-30
and other Companions prove it so. It is on this basis that Muslim jur-
ists have prohibited the sale of arms to disbelievers who are at war
with Muslims. However, trade and activities allied to it have been per-
mitted. Also allowed is having them as employees or being employed
in their plants and institutions.
To sum up, as for the four degrees of relations with non-Muslims,
we now know that friendship which binds a Muslim in very close ties
with non-Muslims is not permissible under any condition. Relations
based on benevolence, humane interest and concern are permitted
with all but the belligerent ones. Similarly, politeness and friendly
treatment is also permissible when the purpose is to entertain a guest,
convey Islamic teachings to non-Muslims or to stay safe against being
hurt or harmed by them.
Now, let us look at what our noble Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم , who
graced this world as the universal mercy, did for non-Muslims. He
demonstrated such compassion, generosity and politeness while deal-
ing with them that it would be difficult to find its example in the world
history. When Makkah was in the grip of famine, he personally went
out to help his enemies who had made him leave his home town. Then,
came the conquest of Makkah. All these enemies fell under his power
and control. He set all of them free saying : ◌َلا تَتُرِيُبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوم which means -
'Not only that you are being given amnesty this day, we are not cen-
suring you at all for your past tyranny against us either.' When non-
Muslim prisoners of war were presented before him, he treated them
with such tenderness which many cannot claim to have done even in
respect of their children. The disbelievers inflicted on him all sorts of
injuries and pain but he never raised his hand in revenge. He did not
even wish ill of them. A delegation from the tribe of Banu Thaqif who
had not embraced Islam upto that time came to visit him. They were
given the honour of staying in the Mosque of the Prophet, a place re-
garded by Muslims as most honourable.
Sayyidna 'Umar ar Al », gave stipends and allowances to needy
non-Muslim dhimmis, an elegant conduct the examples of which are
spread all over in the accounts of dealings credited to the
rightly-guided Khulafa' and the noble Companions. Let us bear in
mind that all these were in one or the other form of Mu'wasat (concern)

59
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 28-30
or Mudarat (cordiality) or Mu'amalat (dealings). It had nothing to do
with Muwalat or close and intimate friendship which had been
forbidden.
The aforesaid explanations clarify two things: firstly, Islam teaches
its adherents all possible tolerance, decency and benevolence while
dealing with non-Muslims; secondly, the superficial contradiction
sensed with regard to the verse forbidding friendship with
non-Muslims stands removed.
However, there is a possible question which still remains unan-
swered. The question is: 'Why has the Qur'an chosen to so strongly
block close friendship with disbelievers, so much so that it has not al-
lowed it in favour of any disbeliever under any condition? What is the
wisdom behind it? One of the reasons, a particular one, is that Islam
does not see man existing in this world like common animals or jungle
trees and blades of grass which sprout, grow, flourish and die and that
is the end of it. Instead of that, man's life in this world is a purposeful
life. All stages and phases of his life, that is, his eating, drinking,
standing, sitting, sleeping, waking, even his living and dying, all re-
volve around a central purpose. As long as what he does conforms to
this purpose, all he does is correct and sound. If these are against that
purpose, then, they are all wrong. The poet-sage Rumi said it so well:
زندگی از بهر ذکر و بندگی ست
ے عبادت زندگی شرمندگی ست
The purpose of life is to remember the Creator and serve Him well
Life without that devotion is nothing but shame
In his view and in the view of all right-minded people, when man
abandons this purpose, he does not remain the human being he was
created to be:
آنچه می بینی خلاف آدم اند
ـيستند آدم غلاقٍ آدم اند
What you see is a crowd of anti-men
They are not men, they are just the shell of men
The Holy Qur'an has made human beings declare this purpose as
قُلُ إِنَّ صَلَاتِيُ وَنُسُكِىٌ وَ مَحْيَاىَ وَعَمَتِىٌ لِلّهِ : their solemn creed in the following words

60
-
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 28-30
(My prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for Al-
lah, the Lord of the Worlds." (6:162)
Now, when it stands established that the purpose of man's life is to
obey and worship Allah, the Lord of the worlds, everything else includ-
ing all affairs of life in this world -- business, government, politics, per-
sonal and social relations -- must invariably follow this purpose. It fol-
lows, therefore, that those who are against this purpose are the worst
enemies of man. Since Satan is the foremost in this enmity, the Holy
Qur'an says: ،إِنَّ الشَّيْطُنَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُرُهُ عَدَّا (Surely, Satan is your enemy, So
take him as enemy. 35:6).
Thus, those who follow the alluring dictates of the Satan and op-
pose the injunctions of Allah brought by the blessed prophets >JI+
can hardly be the kind of people to deserve deep love and friendship
based on close ties and any degree of intimacy. It is just not possible
for a person who has a definite purpose in life, and who has all his
friendships and enmities, agreements and disagreements subservient
to this central purpose, to do something like this. The same subject
has been stated in a hadith from al-Bukhari and Muslim in which the
مَنْ أَحَبَ لِلْهِ وَأَبُغَضَ لِلهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَكُمَلَ : Holy Prophet * has been reported to have said
.33)(Whoever loves for the sake of Allah and hates for the sake of Al-
lah alone, has perfected his faith) (Bukhari and Muslim). From here we
know that 'Iman or faith remains incomplete unless man subordinates
his love and friendship and his hatred and enmity to Allah Almighty.
Therefore, any deep emotional commitment by a true Muslim in the
known forms of love and friendship has to be exclusively for one who is
with him all the way in the pursuit of this noble purpose and certainly
obedient to what his Lord has commanded him to do. This is why the
Holy Qur'an has, in verses cited at the beginning of the commentary,
said that the one who maintains relations based on deep love and
friendship with disbelievers is one of them.
The last verse (30) says that 'Allah warns you of Himself lest you
should indulge in friendship with disbelievers for the sake of fleeting
interests and objectives and thus invite the anger of Allah. And since
close friendship (Muwalat) relates to the heart and the affairs of the
heart are known to none but Allah, it is possible that a person may ac-
tually be intensely in love for and friendship with disbelievers, but

61
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 31-32
may deny it verbally. Therefore, the earlier verse (29) has already cov-
ered it by saying: "whether you conceal what is in your hearts, or dis-
close it, Allah shall know it." No denial or false claim is tenable before
Him.
Verses 31 - 32
قُلْ إِنْ كُتُهُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِىٌ يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ وَيَغْفِرْلَكُمْ
ذُنُوبَكُمُ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ ﴿٣١) قُلُ أَطِيُعُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُوْلَةَ
فَإِنُ تَوَلَّؤًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْكُفِرِيْنَ ﴿١٣٢
Say (O Prophet ): "If you do love Allah, follow me; Allah
shall love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is
Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful." [31]
Say: "Obey Allah and the Messenger." Then, should they
turn back, Allah does not love the disbelievers." [32]
Sequence
In previous verses, there was affirmation of Allah's Oneness and
the condemnation of disbelief in it. Affirmed now is the belief in pro-
phethood as well as the necessity of following the Messenger so that
we stand informed that the rejection of prophethood or refusal to obey
the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is also an act of disbelief (kufr) like the rejec-
tion of the Oneness of Allah.
Commentary
Love is something secret. Whether or not a person loves another
person, or loves less or more, are questions which cannot be answered
precisely. There is no measure or yard-stick to determine the truth of
the matter except that one makes an educated guess based on visible
conditions and dealings, for love leaves traces and signs which could
help in recognizing it as such. Now, in these verses, Allah Almighty
tells those who claimed that they loved Allah and hoped to be loved by
Him above the real criterion of His love. In other words, if a person liv-
ing in the world of today claims that he loves his Creator and Master,
then, he must test it on the touch-stone of his obedience to the Mes-
senger, that is, match it against the frequency and quality of where
and how he has been following him. Once this is done, the genuine and
the fake of it will be exposed right there. How much true a person

62
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 35-36
turns out to be in his claim will be visible from how much he makes it
a point to follow the noble prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ,using the guidance
brought by him as the guiding force in his life. The same test will show
that the weaker a person is in his claim, so equally weak he shall be in
his obedience to the prophet.
The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said:
He who obeyed Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم obeyed Allah and he
who disobeyed Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم disobeyed Allah. (Tafsir
Mazharī, v.2)
Verses 33 - 34
إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَلَى آدَمَ وَنُوْحًا وَالَ إِبْهِيْمَ وَالَ عِمُرْنَ عَلَى الْعُلَمِيْنَ
﴿٣٣) ذُرِّيَّةً بَعْضُهَا مِنْ بَعْضٍ* وَاللَّهُ سَمِيْعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿٣٤﴾
Verily, Allah has chosen Adam and Nuh and the House of Ib-
rahim and the House of 'Imran over the worlds, [33] some of
them being a progeny of the others. And Allah is All-Hearing,
All-Knowing. [34]
In these verses a reference has been made to some past prophets to
comfort the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم since disbelievers did not obey
him because they doubted his prophethood. It is for their guidance
that names of some past prophets have been cited to help remove such
doubts. However, these prophets have been referred to very briefly as
the main purpose is to mention Sayyidna 'Isa WJI ue which follows im-
mediately because he will come again to this world and will work with
the followers of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ,therefore. it is neces-
sary for the Muslims to know his identification.
Verses 35 - 36
إِذْ قَالَتِ امْرَاتُ عِمْرُنَ رَتٍ إِنِّى نَذَرُتُ لَكَ مَا فِىٌ بَطْنِىُ
مُحَتَّرًا فَتَقَبَّلُ مِنِّئُ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيْعُ الْعَلِكُمُ ﴿٣٥﴾ فَلَمَّا
وَضَعَتُهَا قَالَتُ رَتٍّ إِنِّيٌ وَضَعْتُهَا أُنْتُىِّ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا
وَضَعَتُّهُ وَلَيْسَ الذَّكَرْ كَالْأُنِْىءُ وَإِنّىٌ سَقَيْتُهَا مَرْيَمَ وَإِنٌِّ

63
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3: 37
أُعِيْذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّنَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطِنِ الرَّحِيمِ .
When 'Imran's wife said: "O my Lord, I have vowed
what is in my womb to be exclusively for You. So, ac-
cept (it) from me. You, certainly You, are the All-
Hearing, the All-Knowing." [35]
So, when she delivered her, she said: "O my Lord, I have
delivered her, a female child" - and Allah knows better
what she has delivered, and the male is not like the fe-
male - "and I have named her Maryam, and I place her
and her progeny under Your shelter against Satan, the
rejected." [36]
Commentary:
In the religious code of earlier prophets, there was a method of
worship through which a child, out of one's children, could be freed
from all worldly services and devoted exclusively for Allah. Following
this practice, the mother of Sayyidah Maryam made a vow during her
pregnancy that she would let the newborn serve Baitul-Maqdis in the
way of Allah and that she would not put the child on worldly chores.
Sayyidah Maryam's mother thought that she will deliver a male child.
But, when she delivered a girl, she was full of remorse thinking that a
girl would not be able to do this duty. But Allah Almighty, out of His
consideration for the sincerity of Sayyidah Maryam's mother, accepted
that very girl and thereby made her status distinct from any other girl
of the world.
From here we learn that a mother holds a certain measure of guar-
dianship over her child in respect of his or her education and training,
for Sayyidah Maryam's mother would have never vowed if the mother
had no right of guardianship over her child. Similarly, it proves that a
mother too has the right to give a name to her child. (al-Jaşsas)
Verse 37
فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُوُلٍ حَسَنٍ وَآَنْقَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنَا وَكَفَّلَهَا
زَكَرَتَّاجُ كُلّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَيَّا الْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِنْدَهَا رِزْقَاء
قَالَ لِمَرْيَمُ أَنْىٌ لَكِ هذَا﴾ قَالَتُ هُوَ مِنُ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ* إِنَّ اللَّهَ
يَرُزُقُ مَنْ تَشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ ﴿٣٧﴾