Verses 71–77
3. Aal-i-Imraan · The Family of Imraan
Madinan200 verses
يَٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ لِمَ تَلْبِسُونَ ٱلْحَقَّ بِٱلْبَٰطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُونَ ٱلْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
3:71O People of the Book! Why do you mix the truth with falsehood, and conceal the truth while you know [it]?
وَقَالَت طَّآئِفَةٌۭ مِّنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَجْهَ ٱلنَّهَارِ وَٱكْفُرُوٓا۟ ءَاخِرَهُۥ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ
3:72A group of the People of the Book say, ‘Believe in what has been sent down to the faithful at the beginning of the day, and disbelieve at its end, so that they may turn back [from their religion].’
وَلَا تُؤْمِنُوٓا۟ إِلَّا لِمَن تَبِعَ دِينَكُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ ٱلْهُدَىٰ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ أَن يُؤْتَىٰٓ أَحَدٌۭ مِّثْلَ مَآ أُوتِيتُمْ أَوْ يُحَآجُّوكُمْ عِندَ رَبِّكُمْ ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ ٱلْفَضْلَ بِيَدِ ٱللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ
3:73And [they say,] ‘Do not believe anyone except him who follows your religion.’ Say, ‘Indeed [true] guidance is the guidance of Allah.’ [They also say.] ‘[Do not believe] that anyone may be given the like of what you were given, or that he may argue with you before your Lord.’ Say, ‘Indeed all grace is in Allah’s hand; He grants it to whomever He wishes, and Allah is all-bounteous, all-knowing.1
يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلْفَضْلِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
3:74He singles out for His mercy whomever He wishes, and Allah is dispenser of a great grace.’
۞ وَمِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ مَنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِقِنطَارٍۢ يُؤَدِّهِۦٓ إِلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِدِينَارٍۢ لَّا يُؤَدِّهِۦٓ إِلَيْكَ إِلَّا مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَآئِمًۭا ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا۟ لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِى ٱلْأُمِّيِّۦنَ سَبِيلٌۭ وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ
3:75Among the People of the Book is he who if you entrust him with a quintal will repay it to you, and among them is he who, if you entrust him with a dinar will not repay it to you unless you stand persistently over him. That is because they say, ‘We have no obligation to the non-Jews.’ But they attribute lies to Allah, and they know [it].2
بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِعَهْدِهِۦ وَٱتَّقَىٰ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
3:76Yes, whoever fulfills his commitments and is wary of Allah—Allah indeed loves the Godwary.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ ٱللَّهِ وَأَيْمَٰنِهِمْ ثَمَنًۭا قَلِيلًا أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ لَا خَلَٰقَ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ وَلَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَلَا يَنظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ
3:77There shall be no share in the Hereafter for those who sell Allah’s covenant and their oaths for a paltry gain, and on the Day of Resurrection Allah will not speak to them nor will He [so much as] look at them, nor will He purify them, and there is a painful punishment for them.3
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 72
1.After their failure, Jews started plotting openly and decided to swear by Islam in the morning with the Muslims and disbelieve in the evening, so that Muslim will opine that there are some defects in Islam due to which they have disbelieved.. It was due to this strategy, the Jews informed their people not to trust the people of other sects and not to consider them as righteous except those of the community and not inform the Muslims about the truth of whatever is given in the Holy book. If they would be knowledgeable about the Apostleship they would gain predominance over them. Do not pay back to Arabs their entrusted things, this is due to the truth that they are the followers of Allah and everything is lawful for them. But Allah exposed their plots and nothing remained in their shares except dishonor and disgrace.
Verse 75
2.Allah has given more importance to trustworthiness. Our Holy prophet (s.a.w.s.) has said that all the matter of the unlearned people, I shall return except entrusted things as long as I live. Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) has stated - no excuse will be accepted for the following three things (i) Fulfillment of the promise to anyone (ii) Behave kindly with the parents (iii) Return back the entrusted things
3.It is said: All deeds are not apparent and all the rights do not abstain on mercy but have to be taken away by force. Jews remain unchanged, so it is your duty to be prepared to reacquire your entrusted things from them and take it by force. I wish, Muslims use their senses and try to get back their shares.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
- 1
This Eimaan (faith) is in the meaning of trust and that is why it has become transitive due through Laam and it is the saying of the Jews and not that of the Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.s.). As some commentators have seen the possibility that ‘Ainyoota’ is the completion of the utterance of the Jews only. From which their aim was that no one could be a Prophet (s.a.) except Bani Israel and no one has received the argument by which the Jews could become handicapped.
- 2
The greatest example of communal exploitation was that the Jews had considered it their right to usurp all the property of Arabs. That there would be no accountability of their rights.
- 3
That is He would not speak with kindness, otherwise He would definitely express anger and rage and in any case issue the command for Hell.
Benefit: In the 77th ayat Samane Qaleel does not denote a small price that it should go out of the ambit of the crime of denying something at more than its actual price. Its aim is that whatever price is fixed in exchange of the divine covenant, it would be less and it is worthless, and ill the background it is also made clear that punishment of breaking the covenant is laterally opposite to remaining on the covenant that those who remain firm on the covenant have a share in the Hereafter. God will converse with them and look at them with mercy and keep them safe from the painful chastisement and one who breaks the covenant is just the opposite of this.