3-102 O you who believe, keep your duty to Allah, as it ought to be kept, and die not unless you are Muslims.
يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقاتِهِ وَلا تَموتُنَّ إِلّا وَأَنتُم مُسلِمونَ (۱۰۲)
3-102a: Rules for national success: After mentioning the perfection and distinguishing characteristics of Islam in the previous sections, this section now tells the Muslims the principles that need to be adhered to so that they become a successful nation. This section reveals three grand rules of success. The first one is: اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقاتِهِ (Keep your duty to Allah as it ought to be kept). The meaning of تقویٰ explained in 2-2b, that is, safeguarding the prescribed rights of Allah, or safeguarding the rights and responsibilities which Allah assigned to every person, both those indicated by shariah and those indicated by rational intelligence. Thus, it is essential for every individual in a nation to develop a sense of responsibility, and this is the first foundation stone for building success. It is not just sufficient that a sense of responsibility should be developed but by adding حَقَّ تُقاتِهِ it is further made clear that every individual must exert their utmost to fulfil this responsibility. The person who exerts as much as he can discharges his responsibility for safeguarding the prescribed rights of Allah because Allah states Himself: لا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفسًا إِلّا وُسعَها (Allah imposes not on any soul a duty beyond its scope) (2:286). The purport of اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقاتِهِ is what is stated elsewhere as: فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا استَطَعتُم (So keep your duty to Allah as much as you can) (64:16). Those who consider the former statement abrogated by the later statement are badly mistaken. A similar construction of the sentence is found in: جاهِدوا فِي اللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهادِهِ (Strive hard for Allah with due striving) (22:78). In both places, the purport is to strive to the utmost capacity of your strength and there is no requirement to perform unbearable assignments. The verse ends with: لا تَموتُنَّ إِلّا وَأَنتُم مُسلِمونَ and the advice here is that there should be no moment in your life when one should not be fully compliant with Allah’s command because the time of death is unknown. Further, اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقاتِهِ requires a person to be a Muslim and the meaning of Muslim is one who is fully submissive. Thus, a Muslim is one from whose tongue and hands other Muslims are safe.
3-103 And hold fast by the covenant of Allah all together and be not disunited.a And remember Allah’s favor to you when you were enemies, then He united your hearts so by His favor you became brethren. And you were on the brink of a pit of fire, then He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes clear to you His messages that you may be guided.b
وَاعتَصِموا بِحَبلِ اللَّهِ جَميعًا وَلا تَفَرَّقوا ۚ وَاذكُروا نِعمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيكُم إِذ كُنتُم أَعداءً فَأَلَّفَ بَينَ قُلوبِكُم فَأَصبَحتُم بِنِعمَتِهِ إِخوانًا وَكُنتُم عَلىٰ شَفا حُفرَةٍ مِنَ النّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِنها ۗ كَذٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُم آياتِهِ لَعَلَّكُم تَهتَدونَ (۱۰۳)
3-103a: حَبلِ اللَّهِ – حَبل is a rope, but metaphorically is used for every way a particular thing can be reached استعیر للوصل و لکل ما یتوصّل بهٖ الیٰ شئ (R). و الحبل العَھۡدُ و الذّمّة و الامان that is حَبل is also used for a covenant or a trust or security (LA). In a hadith about prayer, it is stated: یا ذالحَبلِ الشدید and Ibn al-Athir takes the meaning of حَبل to be the Quran or religion. The meaning of حَبلِ اللَّهِ according to Ibn Masud is the Quran (RM). Abu Said Khudri states the same meaning, citing a narration of the Holy Prophet: کتاب اللَّه حبل متین ممدود من السماء الی الارض (The Book of Allah is that strong rope which stretches from the heaven to the earth) (IK). In a report by Ali, the Holy Prophet warned that there would be great mischief, and he was asked what the way of salvation at the time would be. He said: کتابُ اللَّهِ فیهِ نَبَأ مُا قَبۡلکم و خبر ما بَعۡدَ کُمۡ و حُکمُ ما بَینکُم و ھُو حَبۡلُ اللَّهِ المتین (The Book of Allah which has information of what has gone before you and news about what is after you and a resolution of the contentions among you) (G).
تَفَرَّقوا – فَرۡق is opposite of جمع and تَفَرَّق is derived from فَرۡق and means the opposite of congregation. A party can survive with differences of opinion but not with disunity because in disunity two things get completely separated and interconnection between them ceases.
The second rule of success: In this verse, Allah has revealed to the Muslims the second rule of success, which is to stay united as a party. Even if there is a highly developed sense of personal responsibility in the individuals of a nation, it is not sufficient for success until the individuals develop a collective sense of togetherness. Great results can only be achieved if the whole nation strives together for a purpose. It is therefore revealed that along with individual awareness and effort, it is necessary that everyone should unite to perform a task. Thus, unity a nation is the second rule of success. This rule of unity would be incomplete if it did not specify the foundation on which this unity must rest. So in keeping with the best literary practice, it is stated that the basis of this Islamic unity is حَبلِ اللَّهِ , that is the Quran. This further shows that there will never be any dispute among the Muslims about the Quran and everyone will have the same Quran in their hands because the basis of unity can only rest on a thing about which there is no dispute. It is a grand testimony to the genuineness of Islam that even with the passage of fourteen hundred years, there is only one Quran, right down to vowel points, throughout the Muslim world regardless of whether one is a Sunni, Shia, Kharaji or any other sect. It is remarkable that a religion that is spread across the east, west, north and south, among different nations whose people do not understand each other’s language, customs, and conditions has the same Quran. Thus, where the Muslims are informed about the way for success, it is also made clear that there will never be any dispute among them about the Quran.
With the existence of this basis of unity, it is extremely sad if the Muslims remain disunited. They have available to them a solid foundation for unity, the like of which is not available to any other nation of the world. It is unfortunate for the Muslim ummah that some people abandoned this basis of unity and declared their own traditions as the real foundation of their belief, while knowing fully well that the traditions of one sect, for example those of the Shia, are unacceptable to other sects. It follows that when a foundation on which unity exists is substituted by a foundation where there is no consensus, the result will be disunity. Hence it is stated لا تَفَرَّقوا that is, this is the way to save yourself from being disunited.
What is the purport in declaring the Quran as the foundation of unity: The claim of the Quran is that it has collected within it all the necessary principles and commands required for religion and that the resolution of all conflicts is present within it. Hence, when the Quran is made the foundation of unity, all traditions of sects must be evaluated against the principles of the Quran, and those traditions found contrary to the Quran must necessarily be abandoned. This is a very straightforward way to maintain the unity of Muslims. The Quran should be the fountainhead of all our education and learning. Every Muslim, whether he or she knows anything else or not, should know the Quran. Unfortunately, what we see today is that Muslims do not know the Quran.
3-103b: شَفا – The brink of a well or of something else is called شَفا and it is used as an expression meaning flirting with destruction (R). شفة (lip) is smaller than شَفا.
نار – نار is used for a fire that is manifest to the senses and also simply for heat. It is also used for the fire of hell and for the fire of war (نار حرب) as in: أَوقَدوا نارًا لِلحَربِ (kindle a fire for war) (5:64) (R).
أَنقَذَ – أَنقَاذَ – is to be saved from destruction (R).
The Quran has the power to forge unity: In this part of the verse, the attention of the Muslims is drawn to the need for requiring the Quran to be the foundation of unity because Allah put such a power in it that it makes even sworn enemies into brothers. The animosities between the nations and tribes of Arabs spanned centuries and this enmity had become part of their DNA, so that they remained ready to fight with each other day or night. They were about to fall in a pit of fire and be destroyed but within a short period of twenty years, the Quran created such unity among them the like of which is not met with anywhere in the annals of history. It is a matter of intense regret that despite having such a holy Book with them, Muslims are embarked on a path of mutual self-destruction and annihilation. The first part of the verse claimed that the Quran can create unity among the Muslims while the second part provides the proof that it created unity among the warring tribes of Arabs.
3-104 And from among you there should be a party who invite to gooda and enjoin the right and forbid the wrong. And these are they who are successful.b
وَلتَكُن مِنكُم أُمَّةٌ يَدعونَ إِلَى الخَيرِ وَيَأمُرونَ بِالمَعروفِ وَيَنهَونَ عَنِ المُنكَرِ ۚ وَأُولٰئِكَ هُمُ المُفلِحونَ (۱۰۴)
3-104a: Third rule of success: the third rule of success given in this verse is to invite people to good. The use of the word مِنكُم shows that such a party must always exist in the nation and the reason for it is given elsewhere as: وَما كانَ المُؤمِنونَ لِيَنفِروا كافَّةً (And the believers should not go forth all together) (9:122), that is the whole nation cannot be involved with this task.
What is inviting to good? Its meaning is inviting to Islam or inviting to the Quran. In another place, Quran is called خَيرِ for which see 2:105 and note 105a.The meaning of خَيرِ is good, and all the ways to true goodness are in the Quran. The Divine command here is that there should always be a party among the Muslims who should continuously be engaged in inviting people to Islam. In the early period of Islam, every Muslim was imbued with the spirit of calling people to Islam so that each one of them was a missionary of Islam. It was with this spirit and enthusiasm that they spread out to different countries, towns, and islands to spread the message of Islam and in a short span of time, they brought about a grand revolution and planted the flag of Islam in far flung countries and towns. After this, a time came when the kings and noblemen lost their focus on inviting people to Islam and became captives of worldly pleasures. The attention of the scholars too shifted to inconsequential and minor differences. Even so, many godly people sidestepped these disputes and kept their focus on inviting people to Islam. Many such saints who have devoted followings of thousands today owe this fealty and honor to the service they performed for Islam. They were spiritual kings and when the worldly kings gave up on the task of inviting people to Islam, these spiritual kings took this task upon themselves. It is a matter of extreme regret that the successors of these saints today are exploiting the honorable names of their ancestors to generate a source of income for themselves. This income which often runs into large sums is used to enrich and sustain a luxurious lifestyle for a few. These successors are not only engrossed in the love of this world and are the forefront of temporal disputes but also are leading simple Muslims astray by introducing them to all kinds of degrading innovations. The work of calling to Islam is no part of their agenda. This pious Book, the Quran, gives numerous rules for the uplifting of the Islamic nation. Other nations take those rules and benefit from them and become successful, but the Muslims sadly do what is described in the Quran as: إِنَّ قَومِي اتَّخَذوا هٰذَا القُرآنَ مَهجورًا (my people treat this Quran as a forsaken thing) (25:30).
The importance of calling to Islam: Why does Allah give so much importance to the work of calling to Islam so that He feels it necessary to command that there should always be a party among the Muslims continuously engaged in calling people to Islam? Individuals of this party must have the sole objective of their life be the propagation of Islam and the glorification of the Words of Allah. Without such a party, Muslims cannot remain a living nation. The history of the world shows that those nations who stopped striving to increase their numbers for their development began to decline and degrade. Signs of life disappear from them until they become lifeless. People think that the decline of the Muslim nation took place because of the loss of their empire and rule, but the reality is that the decline of Muslims began when they turned their attention away from the work of calling people to Islam. The loss of their empires is merely one of its effects. When the Muslims once again turn their attention to calling people to Islam, the same success, magnificence, and glory will be their lot which is promised in: أُولٰئِكَ هُمُ المُفلِحونَ (these are they who are successful).
The Reformer of the Age establishes a party for calling people to Islam: At a time when most Muslims had become unmindful of calling people to Islam, Allah revealed to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian that he should prepare a party for this purpose, and also revealed to him in Persian: “Go forth rejoicing as your time has drawn near and the feet of the Muslims are planted firmly on an ever-higher minaret”. This is in fact the same promise as: أُولٰئِكَ هُمُ المُفلِحونَ given for perpetuity to the Muslims. Accordingly, Hazrat Mirza announced many times that his objective was calling people to Islam and glorifying the Word of Allah. The pledge that he took from those entering his party, and that which is taken now by his successors is: I will give preference to religion over this world. The purpose of this pledge is to prepare a party whose united purpose is the service of religion. Thus, he established a party which was a fulfilment of the command: وَلتَكُن مِنكُم أُمَّةٌ يَدعونَ إِلَى الخَيرِ . Every individual who becomes a member of this party in fact takes a vow that the purpose of his life will be to call people to Islam. It is obvious that without an organized party united around an objective nothing can be achieved. Those who create hurdles in the way of this work are not the well-wishers of Islam, because the more this party can progress the greater the work they can do in calling people to Islam.
3-104b: Two other things regarding calling people to Islam: There are two other things mentioned with calling people to Islam, namely enjoin the right and forbid the wrong. مَعروفِ is that work which human nature recognizes, that is good deeds, and مُنكَرِ is that which human nature repels, that is evil deeds. The highest depth of degradation of a nation is when no one stops its individuals when they see them doing evil deeds. The height of degradation of the Jewish nation is described as: كانوا لا يَتَناهَونَ عَن مُنكَرٍ فَعَلوهُ (They forbade not one another the hateful things they did). Although enjoining good and forbidding evil is the responsibility of every Muslim, it is especially specified in the qualities for those who call people to Islam. According to a narration by Ali, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is evil is the most excellent jihad. The Holy Prophet said that the one who enjoins what is right and forbids what is evil is the viceregent of God and His Messenger on earth. It was a distinguishing feature of Islam that the lowest could counsel and inform the highest about any mistake they made without fear of repercussion. A righteous person like Abu Bakr during his inaugural address as a Caliph said: فان زغت فقومونی (If I stray correct me). An old woman once corrected Umar Farooq by saying: یا ابن الخطاب اللّٰه یعطینا و انت تمنعنا (O Ibn Khatab! Allah gives us and you prohibit it) and then she cited from the Quran: وَآتَيتُم إِحداهُنَّ قِنطارًا فَلا تَأخُذوا مِنهُ شَيئًا (…and you have given one of them a heap of gold, take nothing from it) (4:20). Umar who had been advising against giving large dowries, at once retracted and praised the woman for her knowledge. Unfortunately, the condition of Muslims today is that in every quarter there is a pir or nepotist religious leader whose word is taken as a Divine command. Nobody can point out any shortcoming in him or that thing he said is wrong. Thus, along with abandoning the calling of people to Islam, they have also abandoned enjoining people what is right and forbidding what is wrong.
3-105 And be not like those who became divided and disagreed after clear arguments had come to them. And for them is a grievous chastisement.
وَلا تَكونوا كَالَّذينَ تَفَرَّقوا وَاختَلَفوا مِن بَعدِ ما جاءَهُمُ البَيِّناتُ ۚ وَأُولٰئِكَ لَهُم عَذابٌ عَظيمٌ (۱۰۵)
3-105a: The divisions and disagreement on principles of previous religions: This verse refers specifically to the situation with Jews and Christians but in fact it applies to all previous religions. Two things are mentioned separately, one that they dissented (تَفَرَّقوا ) and two that they differed (اختَلَفو ). By dissension is meant that they chose their own seperate ways and did not remain united on principles. Accordingly, all the religions that exist in the world are split into different factions which disagree on principles and excommunicate other factions from their religion. (Unfortunately, some Muslims despite agreement on principles foolishly term other Muslims with whom they differ on inconsequential issues heretics). And since اختَلَاف or difference is mentioned separately, this difference is from true knowledge– that is, all those factions profess something different from true knowledge (which is Islam). This is supported by ما جاءَهُمُ البَيِّناتُ (after clear arguments had come to them) which shows that the purport is differing from true knowledge. By بَيِّناتُ is meant testimony supporting the truth of Islam, some of which is already explained in this chapter.
3-106 On the day when (some) faces turn white and (some) faces turn black.a Then as to those whose faces are black: Did you disbelieve after your belief? So taste the chastisement because you disbelieved.b
يَومَ تَبيَضُّ وُجوهٌ وَتَسوَدُّ وُجوهٌ ۚ فَأَمَّا الَّذينَ اسوَدَّت وُجوهُهُم أَكَفَرتُم بَعدَ إيمانِكُم فَذوقُوا العَذابَ بِما كُنتُم تَكفُرونَ (۱۰۶)
3-106a: What is meant by faces being white and black: تَبيَضُّ وُجوهٌ وَتَسوَدُّ وُجوهٌ . The whiteness and blackness are colors used as symbols of honor and disgrace respectively. This is explained in Mufradat as: لمّا کانَ البَیاضُ اَفۡضَلَ لَونٍ عندھم ….عُبِّر عن الفضل والکرم بالبیاض حتٰی قیل لمن یَتَدنَّس بِمَعَابٍ ھوَ ابۡیَضُ الوجه (Because white is the most preferred color with Arabs). Hence white is synonymous with blessing and grace to the extent that if a person is not affected by some deformity, then the person is called ابۡیَضُ الوجه or the one with a white face. Further, the Mufradat states in the commentary on this verse: فا بیضاض الوجُوُہِ عبارۃ عن المَسَّرۃِ و اِسودا دھا عن الغم (The meaning of the whiteness of face is joy and happiness, and that of blackness is sorrow). There are two interpretations of this verse. One group adopts a metaphorical meaning as explained and the other group adopts the literal meaning of white and black. However, the Quran uses this expression in another place to explain its purport: وَإِذا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُم بِالأُنثىٰ ظَلَّ وَجهُهُ مُسوَدًّا (And when the birth of a daughter is announced to one of them, his face becomes black) (16:58). The face does not literally turn black but the meaning is it looks sorrowful. It is further stated that when Imam Hussain gave up his claim of leadership to Muawiya, a person said: یا مسود وجوہ المؤمنین (O you who have blackened the faces of believers). Even the literalist has taken the meaning here to be faces glowing and faces darkened.
3-106b: Who are meant by أَكَفَرتُم بَعدَ إيمانِكُم: There is no mention of hypocrites here, but of past people who dissented and differed from the religion of truth. The mention of their belief then must be to their belief in previous prophets and by disbelief would be their rejection of Islam. Some interpret بَعدَ إيمانِكُم (after your belief) to mean that after those matters were made manifest to them because after this manifestation, they should have believed.
3-107 And as to those whose faces are white, they shall be in Allah’s mercy. Therein they shall abide.
وَأَمَّا الَّذينَ ابيَضَّت وُجوهُهُم فَفي رَحمَةِ اللَّهِ هُم فيها خالِدونَ (۱۰۷)
3-107a: فَفي رَحمَةِ اللَّهِ – Instead of garden or paradise, the word used here is رَحمَةِ اللَّهِ to indicate the eternal nature of the blessing. It is true that the Mercy of Allah is the real garden of a believer. There is also an indication in this that a person does not enter heaven because of his own actions but because of the mercy and blessing of Allah.
3-108 These are the messages of Allah which We recite to thee with truth. And Allah desires no injustice to (His) creatures.
3-109 And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. And to Allah are all affairs returned.
وَلِلَّهِ ما فِي السَّماواتِ وَما فِي الأَرضِ ۚ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرجَعُ الأُمورُ (۱۰۸)
تِلكَ آياتُ اللَّهِ نَتلوها عَلَيكَ بِالحَقِّ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ يُريدُ ظُلمًا لِلعالَمينَ (۱۰۹)
Bayan-ul-Quran 