Indexed OCR Text

104
Surah 'Al-Imran 3 : 81-84
give you a book and wisdom ... (3:81)
The purpose and place of the pledge
To answer as to where did this third pledge take place, it can be
said that it either took place in the spiritual world on a metaphysical
plane or in our physical world by means of revelation. Both are prob-
able. (Bayan al-Qur'an)
As for the meaning of Mithaq (pledge) the Holy Qur'an has itself
mentioned its contents. However, with regard to the relevant subject
of this pledge, sayings differ. Sayyidna 'All and Ibn 'Abbas Las Alle,
say that this was about the Last Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم . It means that
Allah Almighty had taken this pledge from all prophets solely in re-
spect of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم .The pledge was that they should, if
they appear in his blessed time, believe in him, give him help and sup-
port, and leave behind instructions for their respective communities to
do the same.
Ța'wus, Hasan al-Basri and Qatadah (A) +)) say that this pledge
was taken from the prophets so that they help and support each other
mutually. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)
This later statement can also be substantiated from what Allah Al-
mighty has said in Surah al-Ahzab:
وَإِذْ آَخَذُنَا مِنَ النَّبِيْنَ مِيْثَاقَهُمْ وَمِنُّكَ وَمِنُ نَّوْجِ وَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَ مُسُى وَ عِيْسَى
ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ وَآَخَذُنَا مِّنُهُمُ مِيْثَاقًا غَلِيُظًا (الاحزاب)
And when We took from the prophets their pledge, and from
you, and from Nuh and Ibrahim and Musa and 'Isa son of Mar-
yam - and We took from them a firm pledge. (33:7)
This is because the pledge was taken in order that they support
and attest each other. (Tafsir Ahmadi)
In reality, there is no contradiction in the two explanations cited
above, therefore, both can be brought to bear on the meaning. (Tafsir Ibn
Kathir)
There may be a doubt here. One may say that Allah Almighty is
All-Knowing and All-Aware. He certainly knows that Muhammad
will not be appearing in this world during the presence of any prophet.
If so, asking prophets to believe in him seems to be of no use. But, a

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Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 81-84
little deliberation would bring its usefulness into clear focus. One will
realize that the moment they declare a firm intention to believe, as
commanded by Allah Almighty, in the prophethood of Sayyidna Mu-
hammad صلى الله عليه وسلم , the paradigm of most sublime attributes, it will
be right from that point of time that they will become entitled to Di-
vine blessings. (Sawi vide Jalalayn)
The final and universal prophethood
In verse 81 beginning with the words: ◌َوَإِذُ اَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيْثَانَ النَّبِّيْن (And when
Allah made the prophets take pledge:), it has been clearly stated that
Allah Almighty took a firm pledge from all prophets, which was:
When, during your lifetime there comes another prophet - who will
certainly reaffirm the message of past prophets and their books - then,
it is necessary for the prophet who is present at that time that he not
only believes personally in the veracity and prophethood of the new
prophet but also instructs others to do so. From this absolute rule set
by the Qur'an, it becomes very clear that Allah Almighty must have
taken a pledge from the prophets about Sayyidna Muhammad g as
well, quite similar to what 'Allamah al-Subki has stated in his treatise
entitled التعظيم والمنة فى لتومن به ولتنصرنه .He says: 'In this verse, the word, rasul
(messenger) refers to Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم ; and there has never
been a prophet from whom Allah Almighty had not taken the pledge to
believe in his prophethood and provide help and support to him; and
there has not been one single prophet who did not bequeath to his
community the legacy of believing in and helping and supporting him;
and, if the noble prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had appeared during the times
of the prophets, it is he who would have been the prophet to (be obeyed
by) all of them, and all of them would have been part of his
community.'
This tells us that his status is not restricted to his being simply the
prophet of his community; he is the prophet of prophets as well. So, he
himself says in a hadith: 'If Musa (Moses) was living today, he too
would have had no option but to follow me.'
At yet another occasion, he said: 'When 'Isa WJILL (Jesus) will
come, he too will act in accordance with the noble Qur'an and the rules
set forth by your prophet'. (Tafsir ibn Kathir)
Thus, from here we learn that his prophethood is 'universal and in-

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Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 85
clusive' and that all previous religious codes stand absorbed in his
Shari'ah. What is being said here also brings into a bright focus the
correct meaning of his saying : بُعِنْتُ إِلَى النَّاس كافَّة (I have been sent to all hu-
man beings). It shows that taking this hadith to mean that his pro-
phethood extends from his time to the Day of Judgement is not correct.
Instead, the time duration of his prophethood is so extensive that it
begins before the prophethood of Sayyidna Adam WJILL as the Holy
كنت نبيا وآدم بين الروح والجسد :has himself said in a hadith صلى الله عليه وسلم Prophet
(I was a prophet even when Adam was in a state between spirit and
body). That he will be the first to step forward for intercession on the
Day of Resurrection, and that the entire progeny of Adam WILde will
assemble under his flag and that he led the prayers at a congregation
of all prophets in Bayt al-Maqdis on the Night of Ascenst (Mi'raj) are
all signs of this leadership which is great and universal.
Verse 85
وَمَنْ تَّبَِّغْ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِيْنًا فَلَنُ ◌ُقُبَلَ مِنْهٌ وَهُوَ فِى الْآخِرَةِ
مِنَ الْخُسِرِينَ ﴿٨٥﴾
And whoever seeks a faith other than Islam, it will nev-
er be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, is
among the losers. [85]
Commentary
The literal meaning of 'Islam' is 'submission and obedience.' As a
term 'Islam' stands for submission to that particular religion which Al-
lah Almighty has sent through his prophets to guide human beings,
because fundamental principles are the same in the religious codes of
. عليهم السلام all prophets
Correspondingly, there are occasions when 'Islam' is used in that
general sense, while there are other occasions when it is used exclu-
sively to identify the Last Shari'ah which was revealed to the Last of
the Prophets >JI+Le . Both these kinds of application are present in
the Holy Qur'an. That the past prophets called themselves 'Muslim'
and their communities, the 'Muslim' community, stands proved under
the authority of several wordings of the Qur'anic text. Concurrently,
this name has also been used as a particular name of the community
the Last of the Prophets:

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Surah 'Al-'Imran 3: 85
هُوَ سَتَاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَفِىْ هُذَا
It was He who named you Muslims before, and in this
(Qur'an). (22:78)
In short, every Divine religion which came through a prophet is
also called 'Islam'. Then, it is also used as a particular title for the
Muslim community. Now, the question is as to which sense does the
word, 'Islam', carry at this place in the Holy Qur'an?
The correct position is that, no matter which of the two meanings
is taken, it does not make much of a difference in terms of the out-
come, since the name of 'Islam' given to the religion of past prophets
was for a limited group of people and a specified period of time.
That was the 'Islam' of that time. Restricted to the specific group or
community, that 'Islam' was not meant to serve as a universal code for
all times to come. As such when a particular prophet departed and
was replaced by another prophet, 'Islam' (i.e. the specific code) of that
time ceased to be operative. The 'Islam' of the said time was to be what
the new prophet presented. Obviously, there was no difference be-
tween these different codes in so far as the fundamentals are con-
cerned, however, the subsidiary injunctions might differ. As for the
'Islam' given through the last Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم , it will remain un-
abrogable and will serve as a permanent code right upto the Day of
Judgment. And, in accordance with the cited rule, all previous relig-
ions stand abrogated after the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has been
sent.
Now, they are not Islam as such anymore. Instead, Islam is the
name of that particular religion which has reached us through the
Holy Prophet, Muhammad al-Mustafa صلى الله عليه وسلم .Therefore, it ap-
pears in authentic ahadith that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
'Had Musa been living this day, following me would have been incum-
bent upon him too.' In yet another hadith, he has been reported to have
said that 'Isa, when he appears close to the Day of Resurrection, he
too, inspite of holding his distinction and office of prophethood, would
follow no other religious code except that of his (the Prophet of Islam).
Therefore, at this place, no matter what sense is taken of Islam -
the general or the particular - the outcome of both is the same, that is,

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Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 86-91
after the coming of the Last of the Prophets, >JI +Je, only that relig-
ion, and that alone, will be termed as Islam which has come to the
world through him. On belief in that alone depends the salvation
(najat) of all human beings for it is their indispensable need. This ex-
plains what has been said in the present verse: 'Whoever seeks a faith
other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him.'
Details about this subject have already appeared under the com-
mentary on the verse (3:19).
Verses 86 - 91
كَيْفَ يَهْدِى اللّهُ قَوْمًا كَفَرُوا بَعْدَ إِيمَانِهِمٌ وَشَهِدُوُاَ آَنَّ
الرَّسُلَ حَقٌ وَّجَآءَ هُمُ الْبَيِّنْتُ، وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الظُّلِيْنَ
(٨٦) أُوَلِكَ جَزَاءُ هُمْ أَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ لَعْنَةَ اللّهِ وَالْمُلْفِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ
أَجْمَعِيْنَ ﴿٨٧) خْلِدِيْنَ فِيْهَاءَ لَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَلَاَ هُمُ
يُظَرُّونَ (٨٨) إِلَ الَّذِيْنَ تَابُوا مِنُ بَعْدِ ذْلِكَ وَأَصْلَكُوْ اْ فَإِنَّ
اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ (٨٩) إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا بَعْدَ إِبْمَانِهِمْ ثُمّ
ازْدَادُوا كُفْرًّا لَنْ تُقْبَلَ تَوْبَُّهُمْ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الضَّالَّوُنَ ﴿١٠) إِنَّ
الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا وَمَاتُؤْا وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ فَلَنْ تُقْبَلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِمْ مِلُُّ
الْأَرْضِ ذَهَبًا وَلَوِ افْتَدِى بِهِ* أُولَئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ اَلِيُمْ وَمَالَهُمْ
مِنُ نْصِرِيْنَ ﴿٩١)
How shall Allah give guidance to a people who disbe-
lieved after they had accepted Faith and testified that
the Prophet is true and the clear signs had come to
them? And Allah does not give guidance to the unjust
people.[86] The punishment of such people is that upon
them is the curse of Allah, and of the angels and of the
human beings altogether. [87]
They remain under it forever. Neither will the punish-
ment be lightened for them, nor will they be given res-
pite, [88] except those who repent afterwards and mend
their ways; then, Allah is All-Forgiving, Very-

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Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 92
Merciful.[89]
Those who disbelieve after having accepted Faith and
then increase in disbelief, their repentance shall never
be accepted. And they are the ones who have lost the
right path. [90]
Those who disbelieve and die as disbelievers, even an
Earth-full of gold shall never be accepted from any of
them, even if one were to offer it as ransom. They are
the ones for whom there is a painful punishment, and
for them there are no helpers. [91]
Commentary
The removal of a doubt:
On a superficial view of the verse ◌ُكَيُفَ يَهُدِى اللَّه :'How shall Allah give
guidance ... ' (86), there emerges a doubt that whoever turns an apostate
receives no guidance afterwards, although, the fact is contrary to this.
There are many who, after having become apostates, re-embrace the
faith and become recipients of guidance.
The answer is that the withholding of guidance mentioned here is
in accordance with common usage. For instance, some criminal when
punished by a certain ruler may say, 'I have been given a special treat-
ment by the ruler with his own hands.' And in answer to him, it is
said: 'Why are we going to give a special treatment to such a criminal?'
That is, there is just no special treatment called for in this case, while
it does not mean that such a person cannot, in any way, become de-
serving of special treatment even if he behaved well. (Bayan al-Qur'an)
Verse 92
لَنْ تَالُوا الْبِرَ حَتْى ◌ُنْفِقُوْا ◌ِمَا تُحِبُّونَ وَمَا تُنْفِقُوا مِنُ شَىْءٍ
فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ ﴿١٢)
You shall never attain righteousness unless you spend
from what you love. And whatsoever you spend, Allah
is fully aware of it. [92]
Sequence of Verses
In the previous verse (91), it was said that charity from disbelievers
and deniers was not acceptable with Allah. In this verse, believers
have been told about acceptable charity and the etiquette governing it.

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Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3: 92
Commentary
Let us first understand what : birr means and what it really sig-
nifies so that the whole sense of the verse becomes clear in our minds.
The literal and real meaning of the word » : birr is the perfect ful-
fillment of someone's rights. It is also used in the sense of charity, per-
formance of good deeds and nice conduct. The word „ : barr and ju :
barr is used for a person who fulfills, fully and totally, all rights due on
him. The expression every (good to my mother - 19:32) and Rulety (good
to his father and mother - 19:14) has been used in the Qur'an in this
very sense. It has been used there as a personal attribute of prophets
who fulfilled the rights of their parents fully and perfectly.
The plural form of this very word „ : barr is ,In : abrar which has
been used frequently in the Qur'an. It has been said:
إِنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ يَشْتَبُونَ مِنْ كَأْسٍ كَانَ مِزَّاجُهَا كَانُوْرًّا
Surely the righteous shall drink of a cup the mixture of which
is camphor - 76:5.
Again at another place it is said:
إِنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ لَفِىُ نَعِيْمٍ عَلَى الْآَرَآئِكِ يَنْظُرُونَ
Surely the righteous shall be in bliss, upon furnished thrones
gazing - 83:22,23.
.
yet again there is:
وَإِنَّ الْفُجَّارَ لَفِى جَحِيم
And surely, the sinners shall be in hell ablaze - 82:14.
The last verse above also tells us that the antonym of _ : birr is ,s : fu-
jur (disobedience, sinfulness).
In al-Adab al-Mufrad of Imam al-Bukhari and in Ibn Majah and the
Musnad of Ahmad, it has been reported from Sayyidna Abu Bakr Ji,
said: 'Stick to speaking the truth صلى الله عليه وسلم that the Holy Prophet عنه
because truth is a companion of y : birr (righteousness) and both these
are in Paradise; and abstain from lying because that is a companion of
fujur (sin) and both these are in Hell.'
The verse 177 of Surah al-Baqarah (2) says:

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Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 92
لَيْسَ الْبَّ انْ تُوَلَّوْا وُجُرُهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ، وَلكِنَّ الْبِّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللهِ
وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ
Righteousness is not that you turn your faces to the East and
the West; but righteousness is that one believes in Allah and
the last Day ... 2:177.
After giving a list of good deeds in this verse, all of them have been
classed as y : birr (righteousness). The subject verse also tells us that,
of the wide range of righteous deeds, the most preferred form of right-
eousness is to spend the most cherished things in the way of Allah.
The verse further tells us 'you can never claim to have righteousness
unless you spend out of what you hold dear.' Thus the meaning is that
the perfect fulfillment of the the rights of Allah Almighty and a total
self-unburdening from it cannot come to pass unless we spend in the
way of Allah what we hold dear to our hearts. This very perfect fulfill-
ment of due rights has also been translated as 'perfect good' or
'excellence in doing good' or 'the great merit'. To sum up, the sense
here is that entering the ranks of the 'abrar' (the righteous) depends
on sacrificing in the way of Allah that which one holds dear.
The enthusiastic obedience of Şahabah
The noble Companions رضى الله عنهم أجمعين who were the first address-
ees of the Qur'anic injunctions and the direct disciples of the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم really loved to carry out the injunctions of the
Qur'an in letter and spirit. When this verse was revealed, each one of
them surveyed as to what they loved most out of what they had. Con-
sequently, requests started coming before the Holy Prophet - that
these be spent in the way of Allah. Sayyidna Abu Talhah e Ul ya, was
the richest person among the Ansar (the helping residents) of Madi-
nah. He was the owner of a fruit farm located right across the mosque
of the Holy Prophet -صلى الله عليه وسلم . It had a well called Bi'r Ha'. Now, in
place of this farm, there is, in front of Bab al-Majidi, a building known
as Istifa Manzil where pilgrims to Madinah stay. But, in a corner
north-east from it, this Bi'r Ha' still exhists by the same name.1 The
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to visit this farm once in a while and
1. This building and well have now been demolished due to the extension of
the Mosque. (Translator)

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Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 92
drink water drawn from Bi'r Ha'. He liked the water from this well.
This farm belonging to Sayyidna Talhah was very precious, fertile,
and the dearest of all that he owned. After the revelation of this verse,
he presented himself before the Holy Prophet & and said: 'I hold Bi'r
Ha' the dearest of all that I own. I wish to 'spend' it in the way of Al-
lah. I request you to use it for whatever purpose you like.' He said:
'That farm is a high-yield property. I think it is appropriate that you
distribute it among your kith and kin.' Sayyidna Abu Talhah, accept-
ing the suggestion made by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم distributed
it among his relatives and cousins (al-Bukhari and Muslim). This hadith
also tells us that charity is not restricted to spending on the poor and
the needy, but it is equally charitable and meritorious to give it to
one's own family and relatives.
Sayyidna Zayd ibn Haritha aus Ul », came with a horse and said
that he loved it more than anything else he owned and that he wanted
to 'spend' it in the way of Allah. The Holy Prophet صلى اللّه عليه وسلم accept-
ed it. But, after having taken it from him, he gave it to his son Sayyid-
na Usamah de JI », . Zayd ibn Haritha was somewhat disappointed
about that thinking that his charity has found its way back into his
own home. But, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم comforted him by say-
ing: 'Allah Almighty has accepted this charity of yours'. (Tafsir Mazhari
vide Ibn Jarir, and others)
Sayyidna 'Umar ar Algo, had a bond-maid he liked most. He freed
her for the sake of Allah.
Similarly, Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar had a bond-maid he loved.
He freed her in the name of Allah.
In short, the gist of the verse under reference is that the complete
fulfillment of the rights of Allah, the perfect good and excellence in do-
ing good can be achieved only when a person spends something out of
his dearest belongings in the way of Allah. Worthy of our attention
and retention are some of the following aspects highlighted in this
verse:
The word birr in this verses is inclusive of all charity,
obligatory or voluntary:
1. First of all, this verse motivates spending in the way of Allah.

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Surah 'Al-'Imran 3: 92
Some commentators take this to mean obligatory charity such as za-
kah while others take this to be voluntary (Nafl: supererogatory) chari-
ty. But, according to a consensus of respected researchers in the field,
it has been established that its sense is general and includes both
obligatory and voluntary charities. Then there are the recorded actions
of the noble Companions, as cited above, which bear witness that these
charitable initiatives taken by them were voluntary.
Therefore, the sense of the verse is that you give in the way of Al-
lah whatever it may be, the obligatory zak ah or the voluntary charity,
but that perfect excellence and merit will blossom out from them only-
when you spend in the way of Allah what you like and love. Not that
. you pick out the spare, the useless or worthless things as if you were
trying to get rid of the burden of charity and as if it was some sort of
punitive tax on you. This subject has been taken up more clearly in an-
other verse of the Qur'an which is as follows:
◌َيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُاْ أَنْفِقُوا مِنْ طَيِّبْتِ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ وَرَِّا آَخْرَجُنَا لَكُمُ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ
وَ لاَ تَيَتَّبُوا الْخَبِثَ مِنْهُ تُنْفِقُونَ وَلَسُتُّمُ بِأُخِذِيُهِ إِلَّ أَنْ تُغْمِضُوا فِيْهِ
O those who believe, spend of the the good things you have
earned and of what We have brought forth for you from the
earth and do not opt for a bad thing spending only from there
while you are not going to accept it at all unless you close your
eyes to it ... - 2:267.
So, the outcome is that picking out the bad and the useless to give
in charity is unacceptable; contrary to that is the acceptable charity
which earns full merit and which is nothing but what is spent out of
one's dear belongings.
Moderation in charity:
2. The second ruling comes out of the hint made in the word .
(from what) in the verse. That is, the purpose is not to spend away
everything one likes and loves en masse in the way of Allah. Instead,
the purpose is to spend whatever has to be spent from the good things.
Spending in this way will bring the full reward of charity.
In charity, what counts is sincerity:
3. The third ruling is that spending the cherished is not tied to
spending something of high value. Instead, by spending what one likes

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and holds dear, no matter how small it may be in quantity or cost, one
would still become deserving of this 'birr' or righteousness. Hasan al-
Basri says, 'Whoever spends sincerely for the good pleasure of Allah,
even if that be a single date-fruit alone, that too is good enough to
make one deserving of the great merit and perfect righteousness prom-
ised in the verse.'
Alternative for those who have nothing to spend:
4. On the outside, it appears from the verse that poor people who
do not have much to spend will remain deprived of the great good and
righteousness mentioned here. It is because it has been said in the
verse that this great good cannot be achieved without spending one's
cherished belonging while the poor and the needy just do not have
anything through which they could reach the station of righteousness.
But, a little deliberation would show that the verse does not mean that
those who wish to have the great good and the great merit cannot
achieve that by any means other than that of spending out of their
cherished possessions. Contrary to that, the fact is that this great good
can be achieved by some other means as well, such as, 'Ibadah, Dhikr,
Tilawah of the Qur'an and abundance of nawafil. Therefore, the poor
and the needy can also become the recipients of this great good
through other means as it has been clearly explained in Hadith narra-
tions.
What is meant by things you love?
5. This is the fifth question. Another verse of the Qur'an tells us
that something liked and loved means that the thing is working for
him and that he needs it, not that it be spare and useless. The Holy
Qur'an says: وُطْعِمُوْنَ الطَّعَامَ عَلى حٍُّ مِسْكِينًا which means that "the favoured
servants of Allah feed the poor although they need it themselves."
(76:08) Similarly, in yet another verse, this subject has been further
clarified as follows: ◌ٌوُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَلَؤُ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَة They (the favoured ser-
vants of Allah) prefer others over their ownselves even though they
themselves are in need. (59:09)
Spending the extra and the spare too is not devoid of merit:
6. The sixth ruling given in this verse is that entry into the fold of
perfect good, great merit and ranks of the righteous depends on spend-
ing one's cherished possessions in the way of Allah. But, it does not

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necessarily follow that there is just no merit in store for one who does
spend out of what is extra to his needs. On the contrary, as it is said
towards the end of the verse:ُوَمَا تُفِّقُوا مِنْ شَىْءٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِم عَلِيُّه that is, 'And what-
soever you spend, Allah is fully aware of it,' the sense of the text in the
verse is that while the achievement of the perfect good and entry into
the ranks of the righteous, no doubt, depends on spending cherished
possessions specially; however, no charity is devoid of merit irrespec-
tive of whether one spends the cherished or the extra. But, what is cer-
tainly undesirable and prohibited is getting into the habit of always
picking out the extra and the bad to spend in the way of Allah. But, a
person who not only spends good things he likes in charity but also
gives away things which are extra to his needs, e.g., left-over food or
used clothing, defective utensils or articles in use, does commit no sin
by including these in his acts of charity. He would definitely earn a re-
ward for those too. As far as spending of cherished possessions is con-
cerned, he would thereupon achieve the great good and find his entry
into the ranks of the righteous as well.
Also stated in this last sentence of the verse is that Allah is fully
aware of the real quality of what man spends and knows whether or
not it is dear to him, and if he is spending it for the good pleasure of
Allah, or for pretense and publicity. The mere verbal claim by some-
body that he is spending what he cherishes in the way of Allah is not
enough for this purpose. Keeping vigil over him is the One, the all-
Knowing, the all-Aware who is cognizant of the secrets of the heart -
He is watching and knows what is the true worth of the spending in
His way.
Verses 93 - 95
كُلُّ الطَّعَامِ كَانَ حِلَّ لِبَنِىٌّ إِسْرَاء يُلَ إِلَّمَا حَرَّمَ إِسْرَاءِيُلُ
عَلَى نَفْسِهٍ مِنْ قَبْلٍ أَنْ تُنَزَّلَ التَّوْرُسُهُ، قُلُ قَأْتُوا بِالتَّوْرِيةِ
فَاتُلُؤُهَا إِنَّ كُنُهُمْ صُدِقِيْنَ ﴿١٣﴾ فَمَنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ
الْكَذِبَ مِنْ بَعُدٍ ذَلِكَ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّلِعُونَ ﴿١٤) قُلُ صَدَقَ
الََُّّ فَاتَّبِعُوا مِلَّةَ إِبْرُهِيْمَ حَنِيفًا، وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ

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Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 93-95
Every (kind of) food was lawful for the children of
Isra'il, except what Isra'il had made unlawful for himself
well before the Torah was revealed. Say, "Then, bring
the Torah and recite it, if you are true." [93]
Then, after all this, those who forge the lie and attrib-
ute it to Allah, they are the transgressors. [94]
Say, "Allah has spoken the truth. So, follow the Faith of
Ibrahim, the upright -- and he was not one of the asso-
ciators." [95]
Commentary
In the verses appearing above, there is a continuity of arguments
against positions taken by the people of the Book. At some places, it
concerns Jews and at others, the Christians. One such argument,
which has been reported in Ruh al-Ma'ani on the authority of Wahidi
and al-Kalbi, recounts the incident when the Holy Prophet & stated
his adherence to the community of Abraham with reference to all fun-
damentals of the religious code, and most of the subsidiaries, the Jews
objected by saying: 'You eat camel meat and partake of its milk al-
though these were unlawful for Abraham.' The Holy Prophet g said:
'No, this was lawful for him.' The Jews said: 'All that we consider un-
lawful has continued to be unlawful since the days of Naoh and Abra-
ham to the point that this unlawfulness reached us.' Thereupon, Allah
Almighty revealed the verse :َكُلُّ الطَعَامِ كَانَ حِلَّ لِّبُنِيٌ إِحْرَائِيل :'Every (kind of) food
was lawful for the children of Isra'il - 93' to refute the Jewish claim in
which it is said that before the revelation of Torah, all things were
· lawful for the children of Isra'il except the camel meat which Isra'il
(Jacob) JI Le himself had denied to eat for a particular reason, and
then it remained unlawful for his progeny also.
The fact, as narrated by Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas in an authentic re-
port, is that Jacob suffered from Sciatica. He had taken a vow that he
would abandon what he liked most in what he ate if Allah Almighty
cured him of the disease. He was cured and camel meat was what he
liked most, so he abandoned it. (See Al-Hakim and al-Tirmidhi as quoted by
Ruh al-Ma'ani). Then, it so happened that this prohibition which started
because of a vow continued among the Bani Isra'il as a divine injunc-

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Borah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 96
Hon. It seems their code recognized a vow as a cause of unlawfulness
of something lawful, like in our own Shari'ah, a vow may make the
permissible acts as obligatory. However, a vow or pledge which ren-
ders things unlawful is, in reality, an oath which is not permissible in
our Shari'ah. In fact, in such a case, it is obligatory to break the oath
and make amends by making Kaffarah. This is in accordance with
what Allah Almighty has said in the verse w' It':22 ( ... why do
you forbid what Allah has made lawful for you? - 66:1) (See al-Tafsir al-
Kabir)
Verse 96
إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ تُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِىُ بِبَكَّةَ مُجْرَكًا وَهُدِّى
لِّلْعَلَمِيْنَ ﴿٩٦﴾
The first house set up for the people is surely the one
in Makkah having blessings and guidance for all
worlds. [96]
Commentary:
The above verse points out to the distinction and superiority of the
House of Allah, the Ka'bah, as compared to the houses, and even
mosques, of the whole world. There are several reasons for this status,
which have been mentioned in this verse, namely:
1. Among the true houses of worship in this world, the Ka'bah en-
joys the distinction of being the first.
2. It is full of blessings.
3. It is a source of guidance for the entire world.
The gist of the words used in the verse is that the first House des-
ignated for people by Allah is none other than the one which is in
Makkah. It means that the Ka'bah of Makkah is the first House of
Worship in this world. One possible interpretation of this phrase may
be that the first house of all the houses of the world was made for Di-
vine worship exclusively, in which case, there would have been no
place of worship or place of residence prior to it. Adam JI ude was a
prophet of Allah. Given his stature and the eminent position as Allah's
vicegerent, it is likely that he, soon after his appearance on the earth,
elected to first build the House of Allah even before building his own

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Surah 'Al-Imran 3: 96
residence. It is for this reason that Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, Mu-
jahid, Qatadah and others from among the Companions and their suc-
cessors are of the opinion that the Ka'bah is the first house of the
world. Then, it is also possible that houses where people lived may
have already been made earlier but this may have been the first ever
House made exclusively for worship. This very view has been reported
. رضى الله عنه from Sayyidna 'All
Al-Baihaqi, in his book, Dala'il al-Nubuwwah, has reported on the
authority of Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al'As de Una, that the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: 'After the arrival of Sayyidna Adam
and Sayyidah Hawwa' >JI Lule into the mortal world, Allah Almighty
commanded them through angel Jibra'll that they should build the
House of Allah (the Ka'bah). After they had fulfilled the command,
they were asked to go round it (in tawaf). They were told that they
were the first among people and this house was the first House (of
worship) appointed for people (Ibn Kathir).
As it appears in some reports, this structure of the Ka'bah built by
Sayyidna Adam was there upto the time of Sayyidna Nuh. It collapsed
during the Flood and its traces were obliterated. Following that, it was
re-built by Sayyidna Ibrahim WILL on the same foundations. When
the structure collapsed again due to some accident, a group from the
tribe of Jurhum raised it once again. When yet another collapse came,
the Amalkites rebuilt it. When it collapsed close to the early period of
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم , the Quraysh built it all over again in
which the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself participated and helped
place the Black Stone with his blessed hands. But, the structure raised
by the Quraysh was a little different from the original foundation laid
down by Sayyidna Ibrahim in as much as they had left out a section of
the House of Allah which is known as Hatim. There were two doors in
the original Abrahamic structure of the Ka'bah, one for entry and an-
other on the back for exit. The Quraysh retained just the one door in
the east (for entry and exit).
The third change they made was to raise the level of the entry door
much higher than the ground level of the House of Allah so that every-
body could not go in there easily; this was to restrict the entry only to
صلى الله عليه وسلم those who were permitted by Quraysh. The Holy Prophet

119
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 96
said to Sayyidah 'A'ishah Lidl, : 'I wish I could demolish the
present structure and raise it all over again exactly in accordance with
the Abrahimic foundation. By doing this I shall be correcting the arbi-
trary deviation from the Abrahimic foundation made by the Quraysh,
but this action is likely to create a misunderstanding among Muslims
who are new and whose knowledge is not yet perfect, therefore, I shall
leave it as it is for the time being.'The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did
not live for very long to implement his wishes in his lifetime.
But, Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn Zubayr ae All (+) , the nephew of Sayyi-
dah 'A'ishah رضى الله عنها had heard this saying of the Holy Prophet .
When he came to rule Makkah al-Mukarramah following the Khulafa
al-Rashidin, he had the structure of the House of Allah demolished and
had it rebuilt in accordance with the saying of the Holy Prophet and
the original foundation of Sayyidna Ibrahim WJI Je . He ruled Makkah
al-Mu'azzamah for a brief period only. The tyrant of the Muslim com-
munity, Hajjaj ibn Yusuf invaded Makkah and Hadrat 'Abdullah was
martyred. After assuming control of the government, and abhorrent as
he was to the idea that this feat of 'Abdullah ibn Zubayr remains a
source of fame for the martyred ruler, he started a smear campaign
that 'Abdullah ibn Zubayr was wrong in what he did and that the
Ka'bah should be kept the way it was left to posterity by the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم .Using this excuse, he once again demolished the
structure of the House of Allah and had it built anew similar to the
one made earlier by the Quraysh during the days of Jahiliyyah. Some
Muslim rulers who succeeded Hajjaj ibn Yusuf intended, on the
strength of the aforementioned hadith, to rebuild the House of Allah
all over again in accordance with the hadith of the Holy Prophet .
But, the master-jurist of that period, Sayyidna Imam Malik ibn Anas
gave a fatwa to the effect that re-demolishing and re-building the
House of Allah at this stage will render the House of Allah a plaything
in the hands of rulers who will follow. Every ruler who comes next will
do exactly this to earn fame for himself. Therefore, it is appropriate
that it be left the way it is. The entire ummah accepted it. This is the
reason why the structure built by Hajjaj ibn Yusuf is what remains
even to this day. There have been damages, dilapidations and the pro-
cess of repairs has continued ever since.

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Surah 'Al-Imran 3 : 96
These narrations, first of all, tell us that the Ka'bah is the first
house of the world, or at least, the first house of worship. While the
Holy Qur'an does mention that the House of Allah was built by Sayyid-
na Ibrahim and Isma'il following His will and command, there are si-
multaneous indicators suggesting that these revered prophets did not
go through the initial layout for its construction. Instead, they built it
in accordance with previous foundations, because the real foundation
of the Ka'bah was already there. From what is said in the Holy Qur'an,
i.e. ◌ٌوَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ اِبْرَاهِيُمْ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسُمْعِيْل (and when Ibrahim was raising up the
foundations of the House along with Isma'il - 2:127) we get an indica-
tion that 'the Qawa'id or the foundations of the House of Allah were al-
ready there. It appears in Surah al-Hajj :ِوَإِنْ بُوَّأَنَاَ لِإِ بْرَاهِيمَ مَكَانَ الْبَيْت (and when
we settled for Ibrahim the site of the House - 22:26)
This too is suggestive of the fact that the site of the House of Allah
had continued as pre-determined since earlier times. The first verse
lends support to the view that its foundations were already there.
When Sayydina Ibrahim WIL was commanded to build the
House of Allah, as in some reports, he was led by an angel on to the
site of the Ka'bah and its previously existing foundations hidden under
sand dunes.
In any case, the verse under reference does prove one of the merits
of the Ka'bah, that is, it is the first ever house or place of worship. It
has been reported in a hadith from the Sahihayn that Sayyidna Ab
Dharr رضى الله عنه asked the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ,'Which is the
first ever masjid in the world?' He said, 'al-Masjid al-Haram.' He sub-
mitted again, 'Which masjid comes after that?' He said, 'Masjid Bayt
al-Maqdis.' He asked once again, 'What time span separates their
building?' He said, 'Forty years.'
In this hadith, it is in relation to the new edifice of the House of Al-
lah that the intervening period between its construction and the initial
construction of Bayt al-Maqdis has been determined. As a matter of
fact, there are reports which prove that the initial construction of Bayt
al-Maqdis was undertaken by Sayyidna Ibrahim > __ forty years af-
ter the construction of the Ka'bah. Then comes the construction of
Bayt al-Maqdis by Sayyidna Sulayman WJI ale . This too was not a
new structure with new foundations, like the Ka'bah. Instead, Sayyid-

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Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3: 96
na Sulayman JI Lle rebuilt it on the original Abrahimic foundations.
Thus, there remains no contradiction between reports.
The Ka'bah has always been an object of reverence and respect.
This fact is pointed out in the expression Que, (set up for the people)
in this verse under discussion hinted therein is that the respect and
honour in which this House of worship is held will not be limited to a
particular nation or group. Instead, the whole humanity will hold it in
respect. Allah Almighty has placed a built-in aura of dignity and awe
in its presence which draws in the hearts of people automatically.
Here, the word 'Bakkah' means 'Makkah al-Mu'azzamah'. It does
not matter whether you say that the letter 'mim' has been substituted
for 'ba' since, in common Arab usage, 'mim' is substituted for 'ba, or
simply say that 'Bakkah' is an alternate name for 'Makkah'.
The Blessings of the Ka'bah
The second merit of Baytullah (the Ka'bah) stated here in this
verse is that it is blessed. The word, 'mubarak' has been derived from
'barakah' which means 'to grow' and 'to sustain'. You can look at this
growth factor from two angles. Something may grow in a way that it
visibly increases in quantity, but the other possible way of growing is
that it adds nothing noteworthy to its quantity, yet it turns out to be
so useful in so many situations that it would have usually needed
much more to do the same job. In that sense this too could be regarded
as 'growth' or 'increase'.
The Ka'bah is full of blessings outwardly and inwardly. The out-
ward blessings it has are quite obvious. Inspite of Makkah and its en-
virons being a desert, dry and barren, all sorts of fruits and vegetables
and items of need are available in all seasons and at all times. Not
only that these are enough for the people of Makkah, it is much more
than that. These suffice for all visitors from everywhere in the world.
And everyone knows the volume of visitors, specially during the Hajj
season, when hundreds and thousands of people from the farthest cor-
ners of the world assemble there whose count outnumbers the resi-
dents of Makkah by at least four or five times. This huge multitude of
people stays there, not for a few days, but for months together. Even,
apart from the Hajj season, there is hardly a time of the year when
thousands of people from outside do not come in and go out of here. It

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Surah'Al-‘Imran 3: 96
may be noted that, during the Hajj season particularly when hundreds
and thousands of people from outside assemble there, it has never
happened that articles of use could have gone out of the market and
become unavailable. Even, animals of sacrifice which are slaughtered
there by each and every person, at least on the average of one per per-
son, and there are some who sacrifice more, are always available
there. It is not that special arrangements are made to import these
مُجُبِى إِلَيْهِ ثَمَرَاتٌ مكُلِ .from other countries. In the words of the Holy Quran, i.e
(Brought toward it are fruits of everything - 28:57), there is a clear
indication of this phenomena.
This was a view of the outward blessings which, of course, are not
the ultimate objective. The spiritual, the inward blessings are so nu-
merous that it is impossible to count them. There are important
'ibadat, the acts of worship, which are special to the Ka'bah. The great
reward and the spiritual blessings that come from them totally revolve
around the Baytullah, such as the Hajj and 'Umra. Then, there are
some other 'ibadat the merit of which increases several degrees when
done in al-Masjid al-Haram. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said
that a man offering salah at his home will get thawab for one salah;
and if he does that in the masjid of his locality, he will get the reward
for twenty five salahs; and one who does that in a Jami' (big congrega-
tional mosque) will get the reward for five hundred salahs; and should
he offer his salah in al-Masjid al-Aqsa, he will get the reward for one
thousand salahs; and in my Masjid, he gets the thawab for fifty thou-
sand salahs, while in al-Masjid al-Haram, that of one hundred thou-
sand salahs. (This narration has been reported by Ibn Majah and Tahawi and
others).
As far as the merits of Hajj are concerned, Muslims generally know
the Hadith which declares that a Muslim who performs his Hajj obliga-
tions correctly is so cleansed of his past sins as if he was born on that
day, all pure and pristine. Obviously, all these are spiritual blessings
of the Baytullah. These very blessings have been identified by the
word مدى towards the end of the verse: ◌َمُبَارَكًا وَّهُدًى لِلْعَالمِين (having blessings
and guidance for all worlds).

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Sarah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 97
Verse 97
فِيْهِ التَّ بَيِّنْتُ مَّقَامُ إِبْرِهِيُمٍْ وَمَنْ دَخَلَهُ كَانَ امِنَاء وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى
النَّاسِ حُِ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيْلًا وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ
اللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ عَنِ الْعُلَمِيْنَ ﴿٩٧)
In it there are clear signs: The station of Ibrahim! And
whoever enters there is secure. And as a right of Allah,
it is obligatory on the people to perform Hajj of the
House -- whoever has the ability to manage (his) way
to it. And if one disbelieves, then Allah is independent
of all the worlds. [97]
Commentary
Three distinctions of Baytullah
Related in this verse are distinctions and merits of the House of Al-
lah, that is, the Ka'bah. Firstly, it has many signs of Allah's power,
one of them being the station of Ibrahim (Maqamu Ibrahim). Secondly,
one who enters there becomes a recepient of peace and remains pro-
tected; he cannot be killed by anybody. Thirdly, it is obligatory on all
Muslims around the world that they make the Hajj of the House of
Allah, subject to the condition that one has the means and the ability
to reach as far as there.
The signs of Allah's Power:
Since the time the foundations of Baytullah were laid out, Allah
Almighty has, because of its enormous blessings provided protection to
the people of Makkah against enemy attacks: When Abrahah invaded
Makkah with his army of elephants, Allah Almighty, in His most per-
fect power, destroyed them through birds. Those who enter the sacred
precincts of Makkah, men and women, even animals, stand protected.
When there is rainfall on a certain side of Baytullah, it has been
observed that countries situated on that side are favoured with sub-
stantial rainfalls. Another unusual sign relates to the Jamarat, the
granite pillars on which every pilgrim throws seven pebbles each, eve-
ryday for three days. A couple of million or more pilgrims go there eve-
ry year. Had these pebbles remained there, the Jamarat would have
been buried under a mountain of pebbles. The fact is that any huge de-