3-181 Allah has certainly heard the saying of those who said: Allah is poor and we are rich. We shall record what they say, and their killing the prophets unjustly, and We shall say: Taste the chastisement of burning.
لَقَد سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَولَ الَّذينَ قالوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ فَقيرٌ وَنَحنُ أَغنِياءُ ۘ سَنَكتُبُ ما قالوا وَقَتلَهُمُ الأَنبِياءَ بِغَيرِ حَقٍّ وَنَقولُ ذوقوا عَذابَ الحَريقِ (۱۸۱)
3-181a: ذوقوا – The meaning of ذوق is to taste with the mouth. In reality, ذوق is used for a few and not for many (R), but in the Quran, ذوق is used for punishment. In some places, this meaning can be seen with clarity from the context as in: وَلَنُذيقَنَّهُم مِنَ العَذابِ الأَدنىٰ دونَ العَذابِ الأَكبَرِ (And certainly We will make them taste the nearer punishment before the greater chastisement) (32:21), because the punishment of this world as compared to the punishment of the Hereafter is very small. In some other places, the word ذوق is used with an indication that a sample of the punishment of the Hereafter is tasted in this world as well.
الحَريقِ – The meaning of اَحۡرَق is burned and the meaning of حَريق is fire (R). The meaning of عَذابَ الحَريقِ is chastisement of burning or the chastisement of heart-burning.
Jewish mocking at Islamic fundraising: Jews were the great backers of the hypocrites, the subject of the previous verses. After the battle of Uhad, Jews became the biggest enemy of the Muslims, and like the hypocrites, they were an internal enemy because manifestly, they had an agreement with the Muslims. It is the Jews who are mentioned here as is clear from the reference to the killing of prophets. Muslims at the time were not a well-off community. The institution of zakat had been established, voluntary charity was strongly encouraged on top of that, special contributions were also required to fund the battles and the Muslims were generally not wealthy. Jews, on the other hand, were a wealthy community largely through usurious dealings. They mocked and sniggered that Allah was poor because His pious worshippers were in a needy state, and they, the Jews, were wealthy. They also mocked at the call for donations and financial sacrifices and said is God poor that He needs donations. They knew full well that the tradition of Allah is that believers must participate with their life and wealth to aid the cause. However, those who called themselves نَحنُ أَغنِياءُ were made to taste a little of عَذابَ الحَريقِ in this world when their wealthy status turned indigent. They were expelled from the city and were forced to leave their possessions behind. Allah out of His Grace gave abundantly to those whom they called indigent. One can only imagine the kind of heart-burning the Jews must have felt on seeing this change of fortune. This was a taste in this world of the coming عَذابَ الحَريقِ .
3-182 This is for that which your own hands have sent before, and because Allah is not in the least unjust to the servants.a
ذٰلِكَ بِما قَدَّمَت أَيديكُم وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَيسَ بِظَلّامٍ لِلعَبيدِ (۱۸۲)
3-182a: لَيسَ بِظَلّامٍ – ظَلَّام is in the superlative case, that is, one extremely unjust, but the negation of the superlative does not mean that God commits actions of a lesser unjust kind because the Quran states: وَلا يُظلَمونَ فَتيلً (and they will not be wronged a whit) (4:49) and إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَظلِمُ مِثقالَ ذَرَّةٍ (Surely Allah wrongs not the weight of an atom) (4:40). The use of the superlative case and its negation is obvious. The chastisement they are promised is of the harshest kind in which they would be burned and if the punishment was harsher than the crime then indeed it would be a grave injustice. Hence it is stated that if they are being given this severe chastisement, is it because Allah is gravely unjust? Most certainly not. It has been stated that the negation of many is not the negation of the basic premise. This is not true for all occasions, and in particular over here. There is a very fine explanation of this given in Ruh al-Maani. All the attributes of Allah are in the superlative case because each attribute is found in Him in its perfection. So, if ظلم was among His attributes, then it would have been ظَلَّام that is, very unjust. So, if there is an attribute which is not in its most perfect form then it is an attribute that does not exist in Him. If He is not ظَلَّام then it negates the existence of ظلم in Him.
عَبيدِ – One use of عبد is because of control and in that sense all humans are under His subjugation and control, as too are other things. A second use of عبد is by choice, that is as worshipper of God. The plural of عبد which is عَبيدِ is in the sense of the first meaning, that is why عبد in the meaning of slave also has the plural عَبيدِ because there too the master has control and the slave has no choice. عبد in the second sense takes the plural عباد and for this reason it is used to show endearment, as in: عِبادُ الرَّحمٰنِ (servants of the Beneficent) (25:63); عِبادِهِ الَّذينَ اصطَفىٰ (His servants who He has chosen) (27:59); أَسرِ بِعِبادي (Travel by night with My servants) (20:77); مِن عِبادِنا (Our servants) (18:65). In short, عَبيدِ is a word with a more encompassing meaning and the purport is that Allah is not unjust in his dealings whether with a pious person or an evil one.
3-183 Those who say: Allah has enjoined us that we should not believe in any messenger until he brings us an offering which is consumed by the fire. Say: Indeed there came to you messengers before me with clear arguments and with that which you demand. Why then did you try to kill them, if you are truthful?a
الَّذينَ قالوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَهِدَ إِلَينا أَلّا نُؤمِنَ لِرَسولٍ حَتّىٰ يَأتِيَنا بِقُربانٍ تَأكُلُهُ النّارُ ۗ قُل قَد جاءَكُم رُسُلٌ مِن قَبلي بِالبَيِّناتِ وَبِالَّذي قُلتُم فَلِمَ قَتَلتُموهُم إِن كُنتُم صادِقينَ (۱۸۳)
3-183a: قُربانٍ – It is that thing through which one seeks nearness to Allah (R), but in parlance has become synonymous with نسیکة (sacrificial slaughtering of animal) as here and in: قَرَّبا قُربانًا (offered an offering) (5:27).
Burnt offering: This verse mentions an objection of the Jews who said that they had been commanded not to accept any messenger except one who brings an offering consumed by the fire. There is no such command in the Torah. The Torah, however, contains a lot of commands about offerings and one kind of offering among the Jews is called burnt offering which is totally burnt in the fire. The prophets did not bring this offering with them, but it was out of the offerings that people made that some kinds of offerings were consigned totally to the fire as commanded in the Torah, some were partially consigned to the fire and the rest were eaten by the soothsayers. For details see Leviticus 6:9, 6:9, 6:14-16 and 6:26 etcetera. In short in the Mosaic Law some part of the offering was consumed by the fire.
A distinguishing feature of the Mosaic Law: The mention of قُربانٍ تَأكُلُهُ النّارُ makes it clear that the reference here is to the Mosaic Law or specifically to its practice of burnt offerings, and not to anything else. There is a detailed description in Surah Bakarah that when the Jews were called upon to believe in the Quran, their reply was that they believed in what was revealed to them and they did not accept the spiritual law given to another nation. It is the same objection that is being made here except that a distinguishing feature of the Mosaic Law is mentioned as its proxy. That distinguishing feature is the burning of part of the sacrificial offering. In Islam, no part of the sacrificial offering is burnt. In other words, the Islamic offering has abrogated the offering in the Mosaic Law. Their objection is responded to in the following way: Messengers have been coming to you (Jews) who being followers of the Mosaic Law commanded you to give burnt offerings. In addition, they brought with them manifest signs, that is miracles, yet you killed them. This shows that opposition to prophets has become part of your nature.
The signs, that is arguments and miracles, are mentioned separately from بِالَّذي قُلتُم and by so doing, it is shown that their demand for an offering that is consumed by the fire is not a demand for a miracle but is simply a matter of scriptural law. If this affair was meant to be a miracle, then بِالَّذي قُلتُم would not have been mentioned separately from بَيِّناتِ (signs).
Fire descending from the heaven: Some commentators have written that the offering was such that a white fire descended from the heaven and consumed the offering. The descending of fire from heaven is not mentioned either in the Quran or Hadith. However, there is a mention in one place in the Bible about fire descending from heaven but that was on a specific occasion. The requirement that the genuineness of an Israelite prophet be proven by a fire descending from the heaven to consume the offering is not proven from the Bible. It is only in II Chronicles that it is stated at the top of Chapter 7: “Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house”. But Solomon was not killed by the Bani Israel, nor did they try to kill him. In this verse, the words used are فَلِمَ قَتَلتُموهُم so the indication could not be to him.
3-184 But if they reject thee, so indeed were rejected before thee messengers who came with clear arguments and scriptures and the illuminating Book.a
فَإِن كَذَّبوكَ فَقَد كُذِّبَ رُسُلٌ مِن قَبلِكَ جاءوا بِالبَيِّناتِ وَالزُّبُرِ وَالكِتابِ المُنيرِ(۱۸۴)
3-184a: زُبُر – It is the plural of زَبُور and the meaning of زَبُور is a written book because the meaning of زَبَرَ is کتب that is written. Some have also described its meaning as engraving on a stone (LA) and زَبُور also means every book (LA). (زُبَر is the plural of زُبۡرۃ which is another word from the same root and means a big piece of iron as in: آتوني زُبَرَ الحَديدِ (Bring me blocks of iron) (18:96)). Metaphorically, the word is also used to mean to break something into pieces as in: فَتَقَطَّعوا أَمرَهُم بَينَهُم زُبُرًا (But they became divided into sects) (23:53) where the plural of زبرۃ has come as زُبۡر instead of زُبَر ). The meaning of زبرت الکتاب is also کَتَبۡتُهٗ کِتابةً عظیمةً (R) that is I wrote a hard writing to him. The meaning of زبُور is کلُّ کتابٍ غَلِیظٍ الکتابة (every book that is hard in writing).
المُنير – نور means light but it is of two kinds. One kind assists vision that is physical light and the other kind that assists discernment that is intrinsic light such as intellectual light or light to discern the Quran. Quran is called a corporeal light: قَد جاءَكُم مِنَ اللَّهِ نورٌ وَكِتابٌ مُبينٌ (Indeed, there has come to you from Allah, a Light and a clear Book) (5:15). The meaning of منیر is ذونور that is, light giving.
Zubur and Book: The prophets are said to have come with three things – with arguments and with the Zubur and the illuminating Book. By بَيِّناتِ is meant arguments in support of prophethood or miracles. The meaning of زَبُور as a Book has been explained above. It has been argued based upon there being a conjunction with a vowel point kasra between بَيِّناتِ and زَبُور that miracles are a separate affair and Zabur and the Illuminating Book are a different affair. It has already been established that Zabur means a Book and not something else, and this word has been used in the Quran for scripture or the Books of prophets as in: إِنَّهُ لَفي زُبُرِ الأَوَّلينَ (surely the same is in the Scriptures of the ancients) (26:196); أَم لَكُم بَراءَةٌ فِي الزُّبُرِ (or have you an immunity in the scriptures) (54:43). It is quite clear from these two citations that the meaning of زُبَر is the scriptures of prophets and not anything else. The question that arises is what was the need to bring this word in twice; first as زُبَر and then as كِتابِ المُنيرِ . Commentators have different views about this. Some have stated that by زُبَر is meant the lesser scriptures and by كِتابِ المُنيرِ is meant the Torah, the Gospel and the Psalms. Thus, some prophets were given smaller scriptures and to others Books of such magnificence as Torah, Gospel and Psalms. According to Qatada, by الكِتابِ المُنيرِ is meant the scriptures and sometimes a thing is repeated from a different angle, and الكِتابِ المُنيرِ is in the singular because all revealed Books are from one perspective a single Book. According to Zajjaj, every Book of wisdom has been termed زَبُور and the Books that contain the Divine Law or shariah have been called Book. It can also be said that there is a sense of severity and rigor in زَبُور and this severity is connected with transgression whereas in كِتابِ المُنيرِ, attention is drawn towards نور or spiritual light because it grants its followers a spiritual light. In short, a scripture is زَبُور from the perspective of its severity and كِتابِ المُنيرِ from the perspective of its spiritual light giving capability. The Psalms of David has specifically been referred to as زَبُور because the greater part of Psalms is severe in its exposition.
3-185 Every soul will taste of death. And you will be paid your reward fully only on the Resurrection day.a Then whoever is removed far from the Fire and is made to enter the Garden, he indeed attains the object. And the life of this world is nothing but a provision of vanities.b
كُلُّ نَفسٍ ذائِقَةُ المَوتِ ۗ وَإِنَّما تُوَفَّونَ أُجورَكُم يَومَ القِيامَةِ ۖ فَمَن زُحزِحَ عَنِ النّارِ وَأُدخِلَ الجَنَّةَ فَقَد فازَ ۗ وَمَا الحَياةُ الدُّنيا إِلّا مَتاعُ الغُرورِ (۱۸۵)
3-185a: The connection of this verse with the previous topic is that there is a mention in the prior verse of the hostile opponents of prophets. This hostility is generally not punished immediately hence these people think that they suffer no harm from this opposition. It is therefore stated that the full requital of every action certainly does not occur in this life but ever person must die, and Allah has ordained a raising after death and appointed a Day, for full and manifest requital. However, by using the word تُوَفَّونَ (fully reward), it has been indicated that partial requital takes place in this life as well. The hostile opponents of Islam are warned of a twofold punishment – a full punishment for their misdeeds in the next world, and a partial share of this punishment in this world.
3-185b: زحزح – According to some, its root is زحح and زحَّ (verbal noun زحزحة ) means to dislodge it from its place and separated it and removed it far away (R). According to others, زاح is derived from یزیح which means تاخَّر (to lag or fall behind) (LA).
فاز – The meaning of فوز is to achieve a good, successfully and safely, and its verbal noun is مفازۃ (R).
غرور – It is a verbal noun from غَرَرَ and the meaning of غَرَرۡتُ فُلاناً is found him remiss and obtained from him what was intended (R). غرور is the plural of غارّ and means one who deceives.
What is meant by the earthly life being a deception: This verse informs that one should not be misled in understanding the purpose of life. What is the measure of فوز (success) or the attainment of the purpose of life? It is to be far removed from hell and to be able to enter heaven, but some people consider this earthly life to be the purpose and objective of life. By الحَياةُ الدُّنيا here is not meant just living on earth because all kinds of people both good and bad live on earth and it is Allah who created humans and desired that they should live on earth for a time. As is apparent from the comparison that is made, the purport is that man’s animal life on this earth should not be considered the purpose and objective of life because this animal life will in any case come to an end. Whoever makes this the purpose and objective of life has indeed been deceived badly because when it comes to an end, such a person would be left emptyhanded. Wherever there is a censure of this life in Quran, it is in this meaning.
3-186 You will certainly be tried in your property and your persons. And you will certainly hear from those who have been given the Book before you and from the idolaters much abuse. And if you are patient and keep your duty, surely this is an affair of great resolution.a
لَتُبلَوُنَّ في أَموالِكُم وَأَنفُسِكُم وَلَتَسمَعُنَّ مِنَ الَّذينَ أوتُوا الكِتابَ مِن قَبلِكُم وَمِنَ الَّذينَ أَشرَكوا أَذًى كَثيرًا ۚ وَإِن تَصبِروا وَتَتَّقوا فَإِنَّ ذٰلِكَ مِن عَزمِ الأُمورِ (۱۸۶)
3-186a: عَزمِ الأُمورِ – For عَزم see note 2-227a. عَزمِ الأُمورِ means معزومات الامور that is affairs for which a great resolution should be made because these affairs are virtuous, honorable, and respectful. Stubbornness and obstinacy are not عَزم . An alternative meaning is those affairs about which Allah has made a firm decision and has made them obligatory.
A prophecy about the loss of life and property and abuse of Muslims in current times: Allah has mentioned two great trials for Muslims in this verse which were to come in the future. One is a trial through loss of property and life and the other is to hear the vituperations of the Ahle Kitab and polytheists. It is obvious that this verse was revealed after the battle of Uhad, hence the reference in this verse is not to the loss of life and property suffered by Muslims in the battle of Uhad, in the hijrah, and before that or for that matter in the battles afterwards. The reference here is also not to the abuses that the Muslims had to hear in Makkah from the polytheists and in Madinah from the Jews because this verse is from a period that came after this initial period of abuse and hence it refers to a future period. It is also manifestly clear that the number of losses of life and property that was suffered during and before the battle of Uhad and the amount of abusive talks that the Muslims had to hear up to the time of Uhad was far greater than what the Muslims had to bear during the remainder of the life of the Holy Prophet. In fact, after the battle of Uhad, Islam steadily gained in power and ultimately held sway over the whole of Arabia. The life and property trials, and toleration of abuses pertains to some future time. The mention of this prophecy following the events of the battle of Uhad is because even in the battle of Uhad, Muslims had to suffer significant loss of property and lives. In short, the purport is that Muslims have suffered considerable loss of property and life, but this is not the end, and they will suffer even greater losses in the future. In this way there is certainly a prophetical indication to the loss of property and life that Muslims have had to bear in the present time. It is for this reason that the listening to the abusive talk has been paired with the loss of life and property because both these features have teamed up in this era. As regards the loss of property and life, Muslim countries and lives were lost and eaten up in the colonial expansion of the imperialist powers. Wealth and countries were lost. Those expelled from their homes were martyred. Men, women, and children in thousands were slaughtered. Along with this, Muslims were subjected to vituperative attacks by Christians and polytheists directed against the Prophet of Islam and other sacred personalities. If the amount of filthy attacks against Islam and abusive magazines published are piled together, a mountain would be formed. This chapter is primarily about the Christians and the mention of the events of the battle of Uhad in between is as an example to illustrate that Islam has suffered through periods of great affliction before when its enemies thought that they had crushed Islam, but Islam has never been overcome and has ultimately prevailed. So, even now when Muslims are surrounded by difficulties, this verse is a consolation that Islam has not been overcome even now.
The remedy for these difficulties: The remedy for these difficulties is prescribed as patience and righteousness. Patience if of two types. One is not to lose courage in difficulties and second is to stand steadfast in obedience to Him and to abstain from what He has forbidden. تَتَّقوا is kept before patience to show that what is meant by تقویٰ is to safeguard oneself from the stratagems that are used in that time. It can also mean to safeguard rights.
3-187 And when Allah took a covenant from those who were given the Book: You shall explain it to men and shall not hide it. But they cast it behind their backs and took a small price for it. So evil is that which they buy.a
وَإِذ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ ميثاقَ الَّذينَ أوتُوا الكِتابَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنّاسِ وَلا تَكتُمونَهُ فَنَبَذوهُ وَراءَ ظُهورِهِم وَاشتَرَوا بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَليلًا ۖ فَبِئسَ ما يَشتَرونَ (۱۸۷)
3-187a: Ahle Kitab hiding their Book: In the previous verse, the loss of life and property of the Muslims and the use of abusive language against the sacred personalities of Islam by the Ahle Kitab was prophesied so that the Muslims may know that their God is not unaware of their difficulties. Along with this, attention is drawn to the covenants made with the Ahle Kitab that they will not hide the clear prophesies in their Books about the advent of the Holy Prophet. Despite clear commands to them to manifest these prophesies and not to hide them, the Ahle Kitab, merely for gaining wealth and honor in this world, took this small price for throwing the covenants and Books behind their back. As is the wont of the Quran, the objective is not just to accuse the Ahle Kitab but the objective is also to make the Muslims understand that a time will come even for them when they will not open the Book of Allah, the Honorable Quran, and explain it to people. Instead, the Muslims too will hide the Quran for the purpose of obtaining the temporary benefits of this life. Accordingly, when wealth, ease and governance came the way of Muslims, they abandoned the Quran and started pursuing this world.
The malaise of Muslims is not presenting and explaining the Quran: Two things are mentioned here separately, one is not to explain openly and the second is hiding it. Explaining the Book openly is that the implemental commands in the Book be presented for implementation. Instead, what has happened is that people start getting into nitty gritty details and delve into fables which have no mention or basis in Quran or start innovating strange points from their own mind, or distort the meanings of Quranic words to fit their preconceived beliefs. Finally, these fables and the non-obeyance of commands slowly removes the attention from the Quran which slowly recedes into hiding. This is the second charge and this is the condition of Muslims these days that apparently the Quran occupies an honorable position but in reality it is hidden in their life. After the charge of not explaining, the second charge is of concealment and this is a more serious charge and for this reason, لا تَكتُمونَهُ has been kept after لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ . Superficially, it would appear that concealment is the first stage and the non-explanation the second stage. A little reflection will show that even today, Muslims, despite the mounds of difficulties that surround them, are guilty of concealing the Quran. They turn their attention everywhere except towards the Quran. Hereditary religious leaders, religious scholars, and political leaders are generally negligent towards the Quran. They suggest many ways to take the Muslims out of their difficulties but what they do not suggest is the way of the Quran. Thus, in the mention of the Ahle Kitab, the real malaise of the Muslims is also disclosed.
لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنّاسِ – The exposition of the Quran is for لِلنّاسِ that is for the benefit of all people. Thus, on the one hand this includes the reform of the Muslims by exhorting them to walk in the ways of the Quran, on the other hand it also includes the presentation of the Truth to non-Muslims. Muslims are negligent of both these aspects but particularly of the later aspect. The Mujadid of the age spent a lifetime trying to wake up the Muslims to the realization that the real success of Islam was in taking the Quran to the non-Muslims but there are only a few who have heeded the call. Many ways for the success of Islam are tried, some fully and some partly, but people do not even try experimentally using the way of the Quran even though history tells us that this is the way that led to the success of Islam in the first place.
3-188 Think not that those who exult in what they have done, and love to be praised for what they have not done — think not them to be safe from the chastisement; and for them is a painful chastisement.a
لا تَحسَبَنَّ الَّذينَ يَفرَحونَ بِما أَتَوا وَيُحِبّونَ أَن يُحمَدوا بِما لَم يَفعَلوا فَلا تَحسَبَنَّهُم بِمَفازَةٍ مِنَ العَذابِ ۖ وَلَهُم عَذابٌ أَليمٌ (۱۸۸)
3-188a: The real portrayal in this verse is of the enemies of Islam whether Ahle Kitab or the hypocrites as is clear from the tradition. In this age, those people who have left no stone unturned to eradicate the grandeur of Islam are desirous of hearing their praise from the mouths of Muslims. The underlying lesson, however, is for the Muslims. The disease that has undermined the Muslims today is that there are only a few of them who work and when they do a little, they give themselves airs. Most, however, do no work but still expect to listen to songs of praise from people. Hereditary religious leaders, religious scholars, political leaders, except for a few, are all sunk in this mire. They are unafraid of the punishment of Allah but it will come to them.
3-189 And Allah’s is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. And Allah is Possessor of power over all things.a
وَلِلَّهِ مُلكُ السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلىٰ كُلِّ شَيءٍ قَديرٌ (۱۸۹)
3-189a: The opponents of Islam are told that by opposing the truth, they should not consider themselves successful.
Bayan-ul-Quran 