3-81 And when Allah made a covenant through the prophets: Certainly what I have given you of Book and Wisdom — then a Messenger comes to you verifying that which is with you, you shall believe in him, and you shall aid him. He said: Do you affirm and accept My compact in this (matter)? They said: We do affirm. He said: Then bear witness, and I (too) am of the bearers of witness with you.a
وَإِذ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ ميثاقَ النَّبِيّينَ لَما آتَيتُكُم مِن كِتابٍ وَحِكمَةٍ ثُمَّ جاءَكُم رَسولٌ مُصَدِّقٌ لِما مَعَكُم لَتُؤمِنُنَّ بِهِ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُ ۚ قالَ أَأَقرَرتُم وَأَخَذتُم عَلىٰ ذٰلِكُم إِصري ۖ قالوا أَقرَرنا ۚ قالَ فَاشهَدوا وَأَنا مَعَكُم مِنَ الشّاهِدينَ (۸۳)
3-81a: ميثاقَ النَّبِيّينَ – The combination of ميثاقَ (covenant) with its extension النَّبِيّينَ (prophets) can be interpreted in two ways. Either prophets are the ones making the covenant and the meaning of ميثاقَ النَّبِيّينَ is the covenant that prophets made, or the prophets are the ones taking the covenant and ميثاقَ النَّبِيّينَ is the covenant that the prophets took (from their followers), just as ميثاقَ اللّٰه can be said of a covenant with which Allah binds. In another place in the Quran, it is stated: ميثاقَهُ الَّذي واثَقَكُم بِهِ (…His covenant with which he bound you…) (5:7) where ميثاقَ is the covenant of Allah or the promise that Allah took from them. Since the prophets were not going to live till the time of the Holy Prophet and the deceased is not obligated, the second meaning is likely what is meant. So, the arrangement will be: إِذ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ ميثاقَ الذی و ثقه النبیون علےٰ اممھم (A covenant that prophets entrusted to their nations) and this is what Ibn Abbas understood as its meaning. When Ibn Abbas was told that a certain person reads it as: ميثاقَ الذی اوتو الکتاب (This is actually a commentary of the original words), he stated: انما اخذ اللَّه میثاق النبییّن علےٰ اممھم (Allah took a covenant through the prophets with their people). Some take النبییّن to have an omitted possessive noun of امم النبیٖن and the meaning would be when Allah took a covenant from the nations of various prophets. Another structure could be the one that is described in the translation, namely the covenant that was taken from the nations through their prophet. Another similar example exists in the Quran: أَلَم يُؤخَذ عَلَيهِم ميثاقُ الكِتابِ (Was not a promise taken from them in the Book) (7:169) where the promise mentioned is the one that is in the Book or which was taken through the Book. Most scholars such as Imam Razi take the view that the covenant mentioned here is the one that the prophets took from their followers. المراد ان الانبیاء کانوا یاخذون المیثاق من اممھم بانه اذ ابعث محمد فانه بجب علیھم ان یومنوا به و ان ینصروہ و ھذا قول کثیر من العلماء (What is meant is that the prophets used to take a covenant from their nations to believe in Muhammad and help him, and this is the saying of many scholars).
لَما – can be interpreted here in two ways. Either ما is a relative pronoun and لام is for the beginning and the meaning becomes that which I gave you from the Book and Wisdom. Or ما is inclusive. meaning promise and أَخَذ ميثاقَ is taken as an oath and لَتُؤمِنُنَّ بِهِ as a response to the oath. The reply to the promise or the need to separately mention the reward for the promise is not needed because the response to the oath already preceded in the verse.
أَخَذتُم – the meaning here is قبلتم that is you accepted, as in: اوتیتم ھٰذا فخذوہ .
إِصري – The literal meaning of إِصر was explained in 2-286b as الثقل و الشد that is a burden and tied tightly. Its meaning also includes the sin of breaking covenants or vows (See 2-286b) and إِصر is also breaking a vow that was affirmed which inhibits the breaker from any reward (R). It is possible that the meaning of إِصر here is just burden which is its real meaning and the connotation of أَخَذتُم إِصري would be do you accept this burden that I impose upon youof helping the promised Messenger. Accordingly in another place it is stated as a glorification of the Holy Prophet: يَضَعُ عَنهُم إِصرَهُم (…removes from them their burden…) (7:157) that is, by accepting this prophet, the burden that was placed on mankind to accept the Promised Prophet is removed for those who accept him.
All prophets prophesied the coming of the Holy Prophet: The real discussion is with the Ahle Kitab, and a case with rational arguments is made to them. In the last section their attention is drawn to the various prophecies regarding the advent of the Holy Prophet. It is now stated that prophecies regarding the advent of the Holy Prophet are not only met with in Jewish and Christian scriptures, but that Islam is the promised religion of all prophets. In this section, it is mentioned that the Holy Prophet by virtue of being the promised prophet by all prophets is the foremost of the prophets and the last one in advent. In the next section, it is stated that the Kaaba is the first house for God’s worship established on the earth, and it is also the last house of worship from the perspective that its benevolence and blessings are everlasting and will never end. In short, these two sections show the magnificence of Islam.
There is almost a consensus in the Muslim nation that the prophet about whom a covenant was made with all the prophets is the Holy Prophet. There is a narration from Ali in Ibn Jarir: لم یبعث اللَّه تعالی نبیاً اٰدم فمن بعدہ الا اخذہ علیه العھد فی محمد صلعم (From Adam to the end of time Allah has not raised a prophet from whom He did not make a covenant about Muhammad on him be peace). This statement is true.
Prophets sent to all nations: It is stated many times in the Quran that Allah raised in every nation and in every people a prophet and in some nations more than one messenger, but there is no doubt that all the messengers preceding the Holy Prophet were sent to specific nations. It was destined only for one Messenger to be raised for the entire world who was to come last and who was to gather all the people around one religion. Because this prophet had to unify all people around one religion, Allah took a covenant from all the nations through their prophets that when that prophet came, they must accept and join his religion. The objective of this is to remove all divisions based on nationhood and to create a brotherhood. The appearance of national prophets, however, to a certain extent accentuated and strengthened the fissures between nations because each nation looked only to its own prophet for guidance and was not concerned with the teachings of the prophets of other nations. Further as global interaction between nations was limited, nations were isolated in their countries, and the leadership requirement of the time was for each nation to have its own prophet. This era of national isolation was not going to last forever, hence it was necessary that when the time came of intercourse between nations being commonplace, then rather than individual national prophets, a single prophet for all the nations be raised. This is the reason why there is only one prophet who announced openly and frequently that he was sent to all the nations, and about whom it was stated that he was sent کافة للنّاس (for all the people). He eradicated all divisions between nations and announced to them the Divine commandments that were to initiate a new brotherhood. يا أَيُّهَا النّاسُ إِنّا خَلَقناكُم مِن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثىٰ وَجَعَلناكُم شُعوبًا وَقَبائِلَ لِتَعارَفوا ۚ إِنَّ أَكرَمَكُم عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتقاكُم (O mankind, surely We have created you from a male and a female, and made you tribes and families that you may know each other. Surely the noblest of you with Allah is the most dutiful of you). So because this Messenger had to gather all the nations to a common religion, a covenant was taken from all the nations to believe in this Messenger and to assist him. This covenant was taken from the nations through their prophet. This is the subject that is explained in this verse. There is also a reference to this in a hadith: انا اوّل النبیٖن خلقا واٰخر ھم بعثا because if the Holy Prophet had not been اوّل النبیٖن خلقا then how could a covenant be taken from all the prophets about him? He is the last prophet to be raised and so a covenant could be taken from all the prophets and for him to be a verifier of their truthfulness.
The most significant sign of the last Messenger is his verification of all the prophets of the world: The most significant sign of this prophet related here is that he is: مصدق لما معکم that is, he verifies that which is with the previous nations. This is a distinguishing sign which is found in this Arabian Messenger (may my mother and father be sacrificed for him) because this is the only Messenger who made it incumbent to believe in all the prophets of the world. Accordingly, this is repeatedly mentioned in the Quran. At the very beginning of the Quran, it is stated: يُؤمِنونَ بِما أُنزِلَ إِلَيكَ وَما أُنزِلَ مِن قَبلِكَ (…believe in that which has been revealed to thee and that which was revealed before thee…) (2:4) and later repeatedly stated: لا نُفَرِّقُ بَينَ أَحَدٍ مِن رُسُلِهِ (We make no difference between any of His messengers). Significantly, even here the distinguishing sign of this verifying Messenger is mentioned immediately as stated in verse 3:84: آمَنّا بِاللَّهِ وَما أُنزِلَ عَلَينا وَما أُنزِلَ عَلىٰ إِبراهيمَ وَإِسماعيلَ وَإِسحاقَ وَيَعقوبَ وَالأَسباطِ وَما أوتِيَ موسىٰ وَعيسىٰ وَالنَّبِيّونَ مِن رَبِّهِم لا نُفَرِّقُ بَينَ أَحَدٍ مِنهُم (We believe in Allah and that which is revealed to us, and that which was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and that which was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord; we make no distinction between any of them…) (3:84). It is clearly mentioned here that the Holy Prophet verifies the truthfulness of all the prophets of the world. In this way, the Quran has itself decided what is meant by رسول مصدق لما معکم because Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, is the only prophet in the world who verified all the prophets of the world and made it incumbent to believe in them.
The testimony of Jesus disciples for the Holy Prophet: The disciples of Jesus also affirmed that all the prophets of the world have testified to a Prophet who is “the like of Moses” and about whom there is a prediction in Deuteronomy 18:15-18. Accordingly, it is stated in Act 3:21-22, “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me, him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.” This clearly shows that the fulfilment of this prophecy was awaited even after Jesus. There has been only one person who claimed that he is the Prophet about whom all prophets have prophesied, and just as all the prophets have prophesied him, he has made it incumbent to believe in all prophets. If the Quran had started giving details, a voluminous book would have resulted just recounting the prophecies of prophets. Hence, after mentioning that a covenant was taken from all the prophets, a manifest way of recognizing the prophet is given: the prophet promised by all the prophets is the one who will testify to their prophethoods. There is no prophet other than the Holy Prophet who did this in the statement: وَإِن مِن أُمَّةٍ إِلّا خَلا فيها نَذيرٌ (And there is not a people but a warner has gone among them) (35:24). After mentioning this identifying sign, the prophecies of the progenitor of Bani Israel and of the last prophet of that line are elucidated with great clarity. This includes the prayer of Abraham: رَبَّنا وَابعَث فيهِم رَسولًا مِنهُم يَتلو عَلَيهِم آياتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الكِتابَ وَالحِكمَةَ وَيُزَكّيهِم (Our Lord, and raise up in them a Messenger from among them who shall recite to them Thy messages and teach them the Book and the Wisdom, and purify them) (2:129), and the prophecy of Jesus: وَمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسولٍ يَأتي مِن بَعدِي اسمُهُ أَحمَدُ (…and giving the good news of a messenger who will come after me, his name being Ahmad). (61:6). For the rest of the messengers, Quran simply mentions: يَجِدونَهُ مَكتوبًا عِندَهُم فِي التَّوراةِ وَالإِنجيلِ (…they find mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel) (7:157) and وَإِنَّهُ لَفي زُبُرِ الأَوَّلينَ (And surely the same is in the Scriptures of the ancients (26:186). The prophecies regarding the advent of the Holy Prophet are found in most Scriptures. So, if it is in a given scripture, it is not something that invalidates the proposition.
3-82 Whoever then turns back after this, these are the transgressors.
3-83 Seek they then other than Allah’s religion? And to Him submits whoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and to Him they will be returned.
فَمَن تَوَلّىٰ بَعدَ ذٰلِكَ فَأُولٰئِكَ هُمُ الفاسِقونَ
(۸۲)
أَفَغَيرَ دينِ اللَّهِ يَبغونَ وَلَهُ أَسلَمَ مَن فِي السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضِ طَوعًا وَكَرهًا وَإِلَيهِ يُرجَعونَ (۸۳)
3-83a يَبغونَ – The literal meaning of بغی is a desire to exceed moderation. See 2-90a. The religion of Islam teaches moderation and whoever leaves it and desires something else, exceeds moderation.
أَسلَمَ – The actual meaning of اسلام is obedience, and it is in this expansive sense that the word is used here, as is manifest from its use for all things created, whether in the earth or in the heavens.
طَوعًا وَكَرهًا – Both are verbal nouns which are in the present tense. The meaning is willingly or unwillingly. The meaning of طوع is to be obedient willingly and کرہ is its opposite.
This verse indicates the universal nature of Islam: The previous verse mentions that Islam is the religion of all mankind by virtue of being the promised religion of all previous prophets. This verse states that by its very nature Islam is a universal religion, not only for humans on this earth but also for مَن فِي السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضِ (whoever is in the heavens and the earth) because the meaning of Islam is obedience. In terms of religion, obedience to religious laws is Islam and in a general sense obedience to Divine laws is also Islam. So, Islam is the religion of everything that is created because in the entire cosmos nothing can exist that does not obey the Divine command. In other words, the existence of everything depends upon obeying the laws. So, in a real sense, Islam is a universal religion because starting from the tiniest atom to the largest orb everything is obeying the Divine laws.
The meaning of obeying willingly or unwillingly: The meaning of طَوعًا وَكَرهًا may be that nothing can escape Divine laws, no matter what. Although obedience is willing, even if things had the ability to choose to be obedient or not, and if they did not obey willingly, they still would have to follow Divine law. Another interpretation of طَوعًا وَكَرهًا is that the term mentions two kinds of obedience. The first set of things consist of those that cannot have a desire of disobedience as for example angels, the earth and heavens and their powers as stated in: أَتَينا طائِعينَ (We come willingly) (41:11). The bodily functions of humans obey laws in the same manner but in respect of those affairs that relate to choice and intention the obedience is کرہ meaning with rigor. That is the affair is not performed naturally and effort is required in its performance or کرہ means unhappily or unwillingly, in the sense that when an ungrateful person does not obey these laws willingly, the person still must obey them unwillingly. Obedience in these laws is of two types – those who follow these laws reap ease and happiness and those who do not end up with pain and sorrow. Thus, one who does not obey the law willingly has to obey it unwillingly in the form of suffering and afflictions which are a punishment. From this perspective, commentators have said طَوعًا is the obedience of believers and كَرهًا is the obedience of unbelievers (IK).
3-84 Say: We believe in Allah and that which is revealed to us, and that which was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and that which was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord; we make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we submit.a
قُل آمَنّا بِاللَّهِ وَما أُنزِلَ عَلَينا وَما أُنزِلَ عَلىٰ إِبراهيمَ وَإِسماعيلَ وَإِسحاقَ وَيَعقوبَ وَالأَسباطِ وَما أوتِيَ موسىٰ وَعيسىٰ وَالنَّبِيّونَ مِن رَبِّهِم لا نُفَرِّقُ بَينَ أَحَدٍ مِنهُم وَنَحنُ لَهُ مُسلِمونَ (۸۴)
3-84a: This verse reiterates that it is truly this Prophet who is the promised one of all the prophets, because he made it incumbent to believe in all the prophets.
3-85 And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.
وَمَن يَبتَغِ غَيرَ الإِسلامِ دينًا فَلَن يُقبَلَ مِنهُ وَهُوَ فِي الآخِرَةِ مِنَ الخاسِرينَ (۸۵)
3-85a: الخاسِرون – The diminution of capital is called خُسر or خسران (R).
Apostatizing from Islam is to spoil one’s nature: When the religion of Islam is the promised religion of all prophets, and when it verifies all prophets, and when by virtue of its meaning, it is the religion of every particle in the cosmos, then anyone who leaves such a perfect religion for an imperfect thing surely suffers a great loss. As خسران is the diminution of capital, such a person also wastes their capital. The capital of a person in terms of religion is their nature, and a hadith testifies: مولود یولد علی الفطرة (Every human child is born on Al-Fitrah (the natural religion)). So, any person who strays away from the way of Islam or complete obedience and wanders around from pillar to post spoils their nature.
Salvation and other religions: This verse is decisive concerning Islam as the only perfect way of salvation. The Quran concedes that there are good points in other religions and that all religions originated from God, but at the same time it acknowledges the fact that false doctrines have made their way into other religions which render them unable to cleanse people of sin and find salvation. This idea is further encapsulated in the hadith: من عمل عملًا لیس علیه امر نافھورد (Whoever does an act that is not commanded by us is a reprobate) (IK). It is therefore necessary for everyone to unite around the one religion that shows the path to salvation and frees from the slavery of sin, seeking to join humanity in a great brotherhood.
3-86 How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their believing, and (after) they had borne witness that the Messenger was true, and clear arguments had come to them? And Allah guides not the unjust people.a
كَيفَ يَهدِي اللَّهُ قَومًا كَفَروا بَعدَ إيمانِهِم وَشَهِدوا أَنَّ الرَّسولَ حَقٌّ وَجاءَهُمُ البَيِّناتُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ لا يَهدِي القَومَ الظّالِمينَ (۸۶)
3:86a: The Ahle Kitab’s refusal to accept the truthfulness of the Holy Prophet despite their observations: Although some have said that this verse mentions a particular group who apostatized after accepting Islam and joined the unbelievers of Makkah and mentions the name of the monk Abu Amir among them, the narrations of Hassan and Ibn Abbas make it evident that these verses refer to the Ahle Kitab and the context supports this assertion. The real addresses of this section are the Ahle Kitab, and despite the rational arguments and evidence about the truthfulness of Islam, they paid no heed to it. By كَفَروا بَعدَ إيمانِهِم is meant that they believed in previous prophets but refused to believe in the Holy Prophet, and شَهِدوا أَنَّ الرَّسولَ حَقٌّ indicates that they had witnessed with their own eyes the truthfulness of the Holy Prophet. This is further corroborated by: يَعرِفونَهُ كَما يَعرِفونَ أَبناءَهُم (…recognize him as they recognize their sons.) (2:146), and لِمَ تَكفُرونَ بِآياتِ اللَّهِ وَأَنتُم تَشهَدونَ (…why do you confound the truth with falsehood, and hide the truth while you know?) (3:70). By بَيِّناتُ are meant clear arguments, some of which are mentioned here in detail as well. The meaning of “Allah guides not the unjust people” is either that he does not guide them to the desired objective of guidance or that He does not make them successful. That is, He does not lead them to paradise or that He seizes from such unjust people the ability to be guided, and this is the direct result of their not reflecting on the arguments and of not accepting the truth despite having observed it.
3-87 As for these, their reward is that on them is the curse of Allah and the angels and of men, all together —
3-88 Abiding therein. Their chastisement shall not be lightened, nor shall they be respited—a
أُولٰئِكَ جَزاؤُهُم أَنَّ عَلَيهِم لَعنَةَ اللَّهِ وَالمَلائِكَةِ وَالنّاسِ أَجمَعينَ (۸۷)
خالِدينَ فيها لا يُخَفَّفُ عَنهُمُ العَذابُ وَلا هُم يُنظَرونَ (۸۸)
3-88a: See 2-159a for this curse. In both these places, this curse is stated to be hell and خالِدينَ فيها is added accordingly.
3-89 Except those who repent after that and amend, for surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.a
إِلَّا الَّذينَ تابوا مِن بَعدِ ذٰلِكَ وَأَصلَحوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفورٌ رَحيمٌ (۸۹)
3-89a: The door of forgiveness is always open: Islam does not propose a seal on the unbeliever’s heart that cannot be broken. After mentioning their excesses, their obduracy on unbelief, etcetera, and mention of their dangerous punishment, the Quran states that if the unbelievers repent sincerely and reform, then they will not be punished. But reform must go hand in hand with repentance. If it does, then protection is promised, that is Allah will safeguard them from the evil forces that motivated them to sin.
3-90 Those who disbelieve after their believing, then increase in disbelief, their repentance is not accepted, and these are they that go astray.a
إِنَّ الَّذينَ كَفَروا بَعدَ إيمانِهِم ثُمَّ ازدادوا كُفرًا لَن تُقبَلَ تَوبَتُهُم وَأُولٰئِكَ هُمُ الضّالّونَ (۹۰)
3-90a: Increase in disbelief: The meaning of ازدادوا كُفرًا is to obstinately hold on to disbelief because when one stubbornly holds on to disbelief, it grows stronger, or obstinate disbelief results in increasing the enmity of the disbeliever to the truth. Some people specify the reference here to be to Jews because they believed in Moses but rejected Jesus and then increased in disbelief by rejecting the Holy Prophet. But this is unnecessarily restricting the meaning, and all the Ahle Kitab are meant as mentioned previously. Their increase in disbelief is their increase in their opposition to truth. Even if such people sit in their homes and repent verbally, their repentance is not accepted because their actions belie their repentance and their desire to destroy the truth stays strong. Such repentance is meaningless. Another explanation given by Ibn Al-Anbari and Kaffal is that this description pertains to those previously mentioned as إِلَّا الَّذينَ تابوا and the purport is that if they return to disbelief after repentance and increase in disbelief then their previous repentance is not accepted.
3-91 Those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers, the earth full of gold will not be accepted from one of them, though he should offer it as ransom. These it is for whom is a painful chastisement, and they shall have no helpers.a
إِنَّ الَّذينَ كَفَروا وَماتوا وَهُم كُفّارٌ فَلَن يُقبَلَ مِن أَحَدِهِم مِلءُ الأَرضِ ذَهَبًا وَلَوِ افتَدىٰ بِهِ ۗ أُولٰئِكَ لَهُم عَذابٌ أَليمٌ وَما لَهُم مِن ناصِرينَ (۹۱)
3-91a: مِلءُ الأَرضِ – مِلءُ الشئ means مقدار مایملاء that is a quantity sufficient to fill something. The purport is gold enough to fill the earth.
Earthly assets will be of no benefit in the next world: There is clear indication in this verse that those Ahle Kitab who deviate from the religion of truth to earn earthly benefits suffer a loss so great that even if their efforts produced enough gold to fill the world, it would not be sufficient to make up for the loss from deviating from the true religion. The use of the term وَلَوِ افتَدىٰ بِهِ is not meant so much to show anger as to show disdain by rejecting something that is offered as ransom. In other words, it is stated that their ransom, even though it may be enough to fill the earth, will be of no use when their religious deeds are not accepted. The term مِن أَحَدِهِم is used to show that even if one person was to produce so much gold that it is equivalent of that which all people collectively produce, it still would not help them. The real purpose is to say that gold is nothing relative to good morals and spirituality.
Bayan-ul-Quran 