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3. Aal-i-Imraan

The Family of Imraan · Medinan · 200 ayahs

سُورَةُ آلِ عِمۡرَانَ

Reading Tazkirul Quran by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Ayahs 81–90 of 200

81

وَإِذْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِيثَٰقَ ٱلنَّبِيِّۦنَ لَمَآ ءَاتَيْتُكُم مِّن كِتَٰبٍۢ وَحِكْمَةٍۢ ثُمَّ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌۭ مُّصَدِّقٌۭ لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِۦ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُۥ ۚ قَالَ ءَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكُمْ إِصْرِى ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ أَقْرَرْنَا ۚ قَالَ فَٱشْهَدُوا۟ وَأَنَا۠ مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلشَّٰهِدِينَ

And [recall, O People of the Scripture], when Allah took the covenant of the prophets, [saying], "Whatever I give you of the Scripture and wisdom and then there comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you, you [must] believe in him and support him." [Allah] said, "Have you acknowledged and taken upon that My commitment?" They said, "We have acknowledged it." He said, "Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses."

Discovering God is to find an eternal reality. It is to become a co-traveller or a travelling companion of the whole universe. Those who find God in this way, can rise above all kinds of prejudices. They recognize truth in all situations, whether the call of truth comes through an ‘Israelite prophet’ or an ‘Ishmaelite prophet’. But those who lead their lives on the level of community-oriented thinking can recognize the truth only when it comes to them from a member of their own community. If God selects as His messenger someone from outside their community, then the message he brings does not lodge in their minds, not even when their own hearts bear witness to the veracity of that message. Even if such ‘believers’ regard themselves as true believers, they will find their names deleted from the list of believers in the Hereafter. This is because they recognized the truth only in relation to their community rather than in relation to God. Not acknowledging a message of truth, which has been testified to by their own hearts, is the worst crime in the eyes of God. Such people will be condemned in the Hereafter and all creatures will join in this condemnation.

Aal-i-Imraan 3:81Listen in Qur'an →
82

فَمَن تَوَلَّىٰ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْفَٰسِقُونَ

And whoever turned away after that - they were the defiantly disobedient.

Discovering God is to find an eternal reality. It is to become a co-traveller or a travelling companion of the whole universe. Those who find God in this way, can rise above all kinds of prejudices. They recognize truth in all situations, whether the call of truth comes through an ‘Israelite prophet’ or an ‘Ishmaelite prophet’. But those who lead their lives on the level of community-oriented thinking can recognize the truth only when it comes to them from a member of their own community. If God selects as His messenger someone from outside their community, then the message he brings does not lodge in their minds, not even when their own hearts bear witness to the veracity of that message. Even if such ‘believers’ regard themselves as true believers, they will find their names deleted from the list of believers in the Hereafter. This is because they recognized the truth only in relation to their community rather than in relation to God. Not acknowledging a message of truth, which has been testified to by their own hearts, is the worst crime in the eyes of God. Such people will be condemned in the Hereafter and all creatures will join in this condemnation.

Aal-i-Imraan 3:82Listen in Qur'an →
83

أَفَغَيْرَ دِينِ ٱللَّهِ يَبْغُونَ وَلَهُۥٓ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ طَوْعًۭا وَكَرْهًۭا وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ

So is it other than the religion of Allah they desire, while to Him have submitted [all] those within the heavens and earth, willingly or by compulsion, and to Him they will be returned?

Discovering God is to find an eternal reality. It is to become a co-traveller or a travelling companion of the whole universe. Those who find God in this way, can rise above all kinds of prejudices. They recognize truth in all situations, whether the call of truth comes through an ‘Israelite prophet’ or an ‘Ishmaelite prophet’. But those who lead their lives on the level of community-oriented thinking can recognize the truth only when it comes to them from a member of their own community. If God selects as His messenger someone from outside their community, then the message he brings does not lodge in their minds, not even when their own hearts bear witness to the veracity of that message. Even if such ‘believers’ regard themselves as true believers, they will find their names deleted from the list of believers in the Hereafter. This is because they recognized the truth only in relation to their community rather than in relation to God. Not acknowledging a message of truth, which has been testified to by their own hearts, is the worst crime in the eyes of God. Such people will be condemned in the Hereafter and all creatures will join in this condemnation.

Aal-i-Imraan 3:83Listen in Qur'an →
84

قُلْ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسْمَٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَٱلْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَٱلنَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ مُسْلِمُونَ

Say, "We have believed in Allah and in what was revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Descendants, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [submitting] to Him."

Not acknowledging any truth external to their community appears to be a bid to save their faith. But in actuality it destroys their faith. God’s true believer lives on God’s continuous inspiration, so that one who confines himself to self-worship and community-worship will be blocking all paths to God’s blessing entering into him. After being deprived of God’s inspiration, what will there be left with which to nurture his faith?

Aal-i-Imraan 3:84Listen in Qur'an →
85

وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ ٱلْإِسْلَٰمِ دِينًۭا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ مِنَ ٱلْخَٰسِرِينَ

And whoever desires other than Islam as religion - never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.

Not acknowledging any truth external to their community appears to be a bid to save their faith. But in actuality it destroys their faith. God’s true believer lives on God’s continuous inspiration, so that one who confines himself to self-worship and community-worship will be blocking all paths to God’s blessing entering into him. After being deprived of God’s inspiration, what will there be left with which to nurture his faith?

Aal-i-Imraan 3:85Listen in Qur'an →
86

كَيْفَ يَهْدِى ٱللَّهُ قَوْمًۭا كَفَرُوا۟ بَعْدَ إِيمَٰنِهِمْ وَشَهِدُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱلرَّسُولَ حَقٌّۭ وَجَآءَهُمُ ٱلْبَيِّنَٰتُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief and had witnessed that the Messenger is true and clear signs had come to them? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.

Not acknowledging any truth external to their community appears to be a bid to save their faith. But in actuality it destroys their faith. God’s true believer lives on God’s continuous inspiration, so that one who confines himself to self-worship and community-worship will be blocking all paths to God’s blessing entering into him. After being deprived of God’s inspiration, what will there be left with which to nurture his faith?

Aal-i-Imraan 3:86Listen in Qur'an →
87

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ جَزَآؤُهُمْ أَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ لَعْنَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ

Those - their recompense will be that upon them is the curse of Allah and the angels and the people, all together,

Not acknowledging any truth external to their community appears to be a bid to save their faith. But in actuality it destroys their faith. God’s true believer lives on God’s continuous inspiration, so that one who confines himself to self-worship and community-worship will be blocking all paths to God’s blessing entering into him. After being deprived of God’s inspiration, what will there be left with which to nurture his faith?

Aal-i-Imraan 3:87Listen in Qur'an →
88

خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا لَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابُ وَلَا هُمْ يُنظَرُونَ

Abiding eternally therein. The punishment will not be lightened for them, nor will they be reprieved.

Not acknowledging any truth external to their community appears to be a bid to save their faith. But in actuality it destroys their faith. God’s true believer lives on God’s continuous inspiration, so that one who confines himself to self-worship and community-worship will be blocking all paths to God’s blessing entering into him. After being deprived of God’s inspiration, what will there be left with which to nurture his faith?

Aal-i-Imraan 3:88Listen in Qur'an →
89

إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ تَابُوا۟ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ وَأَصْلَحُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌ

Except for those who repent after that and correct themselves. For indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

Not acknowledging any truth external to their community appears to be a bid to save their faith. But in actuality it destroys their faith. God’s true believer lives on God’s continuous inspiration, so that one who confines himself to self-worship and community-worship will be blocking all paths to God’s blessing entering into him. After being deprived of God’s inspiration, what will there be left with which to nurture his faith?

Aal-i-Imraan 3:89Listen in Qur'an →
90

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بَعْدَ إِيمَٰنِهِمْ ثُمَّ ٱزْدَادُوا۟ كُفْرًۭا لَّن تُقْبَلَ تَوْبَتُهُمْ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلضَّآلُّونَ

Indeed, those who reject the message after their belief and then increase in disbelief - never will their [claimed] repentance be accepted, and they are the ones astray.

Not acknowledging any truth external to their community appears to be a bid to save their faith. But in actuality it destroys their faith. God’s true believer lives on God’s continuous inspiration, so that one who confines himself to self-worship and community-worship will be blocking all paths to God’s blessing entering into him. After being deprived of God’s inspiration, what will there be left with which to nurture his faith?

Aal-i-Imraan 3:90Listen in Qur'an →

Commentary: Tazkirul Quran by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.