سُورَةُ آلِ عِمۡرَانَ
Reading Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies
Ayahs 141–150 of 200
وَلِيُمَحِّصَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَيَمْحَقَ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ
And that Allah may purify the believers [through trials] and destroy the disbelievers.
A part of this wisdom of changing fortunes is the purification of those who have faith from their sins, separating them from the hypocrites, and destroying and removing those who reject the truth.
أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَعْلَمِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ جَٰهَدُوا۟ مِنكُمْ وَيَعْلَمَ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ
Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while Allah has not yet made evident those of you who fight in His cause and made evident those who are steadfast?
Did you think, O believers, that you would enter Paradise before such trials and tests that prove which of you really struggle for the sake of Allah and are patient with the trials they are given?
وَلَقَدْ كُنتُمْ تَمَنَّوْنَ ٱلْمَوْتَ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَلْقَوْهُ فَقَدْ رَأَيْتُمُوهُ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ
And you had certainly wished for martyrdom before you encountered it, and you have [now] seen it [before you] while you were looking on.
O believers, you wished to meet the disbelievers so that you could gain martyrdom for the sake of Allah, like your brothers did on the day of Badr, before you saw the severity and ways of death. Now on the day of Uḥud you have seen what you wished for with your own eyes.
وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌۭ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ ٱلرُّسُلُ ۚ أَفَإِي۟ن مَّاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ ٱنقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَىٰٓ أَعْقَٰبِكُمْ ۚ وَمَن يَنقَلِبْ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ فَلَن يَضُرَّ ٱللَّهَ شَيْـًۭٔا ۗ وَسَيَجْزِى ٱللَّهُ ٱلشَّٰكِرِينَ
Muhammad is not but a messenger. [Other] messengers have passed on before him. So if he was to die or be killed, would you turn back on your heels [to unbelief]? And he who turns back on his heels will never harm Allah at all; but Allah will reward the grateful.
Muhammad is only a Messenger like the messengers of Allah who came before him, who died or were killed. If he were to die or be killed would you turn back from your faith, and stop fighting? Whoever among you turns back from his faith will not harm Allah in any way. He is the Strong, the Victorious. Such a person only harms himself by exposing himself to loss in this world and the Afterlife. Allah will reward those who are thankful to Him by making them firm in their faith and in struggling for His sake.
وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفْسٍ أَن تَمُوتَ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ كِتَٰبًۭا مُّؤَجَّلًۭا ۗ وَمَن يُرِدْ ثَوَابَ ٱلدُّنْيَا نُؤْتِهِۦ مِنْهَا وَمَن يُرِدْ ثَوَابَ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ نُؤْتِهِۦ مِنْهَا ۚ وَسَنَجْزِى ٱلشَّٰكِرِينَ
And it is not [possible] for one to die except by permission of Allah at a decree determined. And whoever desires the reward of this world - We will give him thereof; and whoever desires the reward of the Hereafter - We will give him thereof. And we will reward the grateful.
No person can die except by the divine decree of Allah, when the time Allah has written for them has come to an end and their set time of death has arrived: their life will not be made longer or shorter. Whoever desires worldly gain through what they do, Allah will give them of it, according to what He has decreed for them, and they will have no share in the Afterlife. Yet whoever desires the reward of Allah in the Afterlife through what they do, Allah will give them its reward, and He will give a great reward to those who are thankful to their Lord.
وَكَأَيِّن مِّن نَّبِىٍّۢ قَٰتَلَ مَعَهُۥ رِبِّيُّونَ كَثِيرٌۭ فَمَا وَهَنُوا۟ لِمَآ أَصَابَهُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا ضَعُفُوا۟ وَمَا ٱسْتَكَانُوا۟ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ
And how many a prophet [fought and] with him fought many religious scholars. But they never lost assurance due to what afflicted them in the cause of Allah, nor did they weaken or submit. And Allah loves the steadfast.
Many of Allah’s prophets fought with many groups of their followers. They were not cowardly about fighting because of death and wounds that they received for Allah’s sake; and they did not weaken in fighting the enemy or surrender to them, but they were patient and firm. Allah loves those who are patient with hardship and misfortune for His sake.
وَمَا كَانَ قَوْلَهُمْ إِلَّآ أَن قَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسْرَافَنَا فِىٓ أَمْرِنَا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ
And their words were not but that they said, "Our Lord, forgive us our sins and the excess [committed] in our affairs and plant firmly our feet and give us victory over the disbelieving people."
When they were given these trials, these patient people asked Allah to forgive them for their disobedience and for overstepping the limits in what they did, to make their feet firm when they meet their enemy, and to help them against those who disbelieved in Him.
فَـَٔاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ثَوَابَ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَحُسْنَ ثَوَابِ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
So Allah gave them the reward of this world and the good reward of the Hereafter. And Allah loves the doers of good.
So, Allah gave them the reward of this life by giving them victory and strength, and gave them the most excellent reward of the Afterlife, where they will receive His favour, and live in bliss eternally in Paradise. Allah loves those who always try to do their best in their worship and transactions.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِن تُطِيعُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يَرُدُّوكُمْ عَلَىٰٓ أَعْقَٰبِكُمْ فَتَنقَلِبُوا۟ خَٰسِرِينَ
O you who have believed, if you obey those who disbelieve, they will turn you back on your heels, and you will [then] become losers.
O you who have faith in Allah and follow His Messenger, if you obey the disbelieving Jews, Christians and idolaters in the misguidance they instruct you in, then you will return after your faith back to the disbelief you were upon, and you will become losers in this world and in the Afterlife.
بَلِ ٱللَّهُ مَوْلَىٰكُمْ ۖ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ ٱلنَّٰصِرِينَ
But Allah is your protector, and He is the best of helpers.
These disbelievers will not help you if you obey them; rather, Allah is your helper against your enemies. So, obey Him, for He, may He be glorified, is the best of helpers, and you will not need anyone apart from Him.
Commentary: Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.
