In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
Summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.
Abridged by Dr. 'Aqil ibn Salim al-Shammari.
Surah Al 'Imran.
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
“All food was lawful unto the Children of Israel, save that which Israel forbade himself, (in days) before the Torah was revealed. Say: Produce the Torah and read it (unto us) if ye are truthful.” (3:93)
“All food was lawful unto the Children of Israel, save that which Israel forbade himself, (in days) before the Torah was revealed. Say: Produce the Torah and read it (unto us) if ye are truthful.” (3:93)
“All food was lawful unto the Children of Israel, save that which Israel forbade himself, (in days) before the Torah was revealed. Say: Produce the Torah and read it (unto us) if ye are truthful.” (3:93)
“All food was lawful unto the Children of Israel, save that which Israel forbade himself, (in days) before the Torah was revealed. Say: Produce the Torah and read it (unto us) if ye are truthful.” (3:93)
Say, "Bring the Torah and recite it,
if you are truthful."
“All food was lawful unto the Children of Israel, save that which Israel forbade himself, (in days) before the Torah was revealed. Say: Produce the Torah and read it (unto us) if ye are truthful.” (3:93)
“All food was lawful unto the Children of Israel, save that which Israel forbade himself, (in days) before the Torah was revealed. Say: Produce the Torah and read it (unto us) if ye are truthful.” (3:93)
except what their forefather Israel had forbidden for himself,
without Allah having forbidden that upon him
in any revelation or scripture prior to the Torah,
until the Torah was revealed.
Then Allah prohibited therein whatever He willed,
and made lawful for them therein whatever He pleased.
Say, O Muhammad, to them:
"Bring the Torah and recite it,
so it becomes clear to anyone unaware of their falsehood,
if you are justified in your claim."
“And whoever shall invent a falsehood after that concerning Allah, such will be wrong-doers.” (3:94)
“And whoever shall invent a falsehood after that concerning Allah, such will be wrong-doers.” (3:94)
"So whoever invents a lie against Allah—whether from us or from you—
after you have brought the Torah,
then whoever does that, it is they who are the disbelievers,
uttering falsehood against Allah."
Say, "Allah has spoken the truth."
“Say: Allah speaketh truth. So follow the religion of Abraham, the upright. He was not of the idolaters.” (3:95)
"And he was never of the polytheists."
Say, O Muhammad:
"Allah has spoken the truth in what He informed us of,
that Allah did not forbid Israel
nor his descendants the sciatic nerve,
nor the flesh and milk of camels;
rather, it was merely something Israel had forbidden for himself.
So if you, O Jews, are truthful in your claim
that you adhere to the religion with which Allah is pleased
for His prophets and messengers,
then follow the creed of Abraham,
for he was steadfastly upright upon Islam
and its laws,
and he never associated anyone from His creation in worship with Him,
nor was he ever counted among the polytheists
or their allies."
“Lo! the first Sanctuary appointed for mankind was that at Becca, a blessed place, a guidance to the peoples;” (3:96)
"To that which is at Bakkah, blessed,
blessed and a guidance for the worlds."
Truly, the first house blessed and a guidance, established for the worship of Allah,
and a sanctuary for people's devotions, their rites, and the circuit of the circumambulators,
is indeed the House crowded with people performing their circumambulation during their Hajj and Umrah.
“Wherein are plain memorials (of Allah's guidance); the place where Abraham stood up to pray; and whosoever entereth it is safe. And pilgrimage to the House is a duty unto Allah for mankind, for him who can find a way thither. As for him who disbelieveth, (let him know that) lo! Allah is Independent of (all) creatures.” (3:97)
“Wherein are plain memorials (of Allah's guidance); the place where Abraham stood up to pray; and whosoever entereth it is safe. And pilgrimage to the House is a duty unto Allah for mankind, for him who can find a way thither. As for him who disbelieveth, (let him know that) lo! Allah is Independent of (all) creatures.” (3:97)
“Wherein are plain memorials (of Allah's guidance); the place where Abraham stood up to pray; and whosoever entereth it is safe. And pilgrimage to the House is a duty unto Allah for mankind, for him who can find a way thither. As for him who disbelieveth, (let him know that) lo! Allah is Independent of (all) creatures.” (3:97)
“Wherein are plain memorials (of Allah's guidance); the place where Abraham stood up to pray; and whosoever entereth it is safe. And pilgrimage to the House is a duty unto Allah for mankind, for him who can find a way thither. As for him who disbelieveth, (let him know that) lo! Allah is Independent of (all) creatures.” (3:97)
“Wherein are plain memorials (of Allah's guidance); the place where Abraham stood up to pray; and whosoever entereth it is safe. And pilgrimage to the House is a duty unto Allah for mankind, for him who can find a way thither. As for him who disbelieveth, (let him know that) lo! Allah is Independent of (all) creatures.” (3:97)
In it are clear signs of Allah's supreme power
and the relics of His close friend, Abraham;
among them is the footprint of His close friend Abraham, peace be upon him,
on the stone upon which he stood.
And whoever enters it among people seeking sanctuary shall be safe.
It is a mandatory obligation owed to Allah by everyone accountable who is able
to find a way to the pilgrimage of His Sacred House,
to perform Hajj to it according to one's capacity.
And whoever denies what Allah made obligatory upon him regarding the pilgrimage to His House,
rejecting and disbelieving in it,
then Allah is entirely free of need of him, his pilgrimage, and his deeds,
and free of need of all His creation among jinn and mankind.
Say, "O People of the Book, why do you disbelieve in the verses of Allah?"
“Say: O People of the Scripture! Why disbelieve ye in the revelations of Allah, when Allah (Himself) is Witness of what ye do?” (3:98)
O assembly of Jews,
why do you reject the proofs of Allah that He granted to Muhammad,
while you know full well his truthfulness?
“Say: O People of the Scripture! Why drive ye back believers from the way of Allah, seeking to make it crooked, when ye are witnesses (to Allah's guidance)? Allah is not unaware of what ye do.” (3:99)
"Why do you hinder from the way of Allah those who believe,
seeking to make it crooked?"
“Say: O People of the Scripture! Why drive ye back believers from the way of Allah, seeking to make it crooked, when ye are witnesses (to Allah's guidance)? Allah is not unaware of what ye do.” (3:99)
"And Allah is not unaware of what you do."
O assembly of Jews,
why do you lead astray from the path of Allah and His clear course which He ordained for His prophets
anyone who believes in Allah and His Messenger,
seeking to make Allah's religion deviant from its established way and straightness,
while you are witnesses that what you hinder people from is the truth,
which you know and find written in your scriptures?
And Allah is not unaware of the deeds you commit that do not please Him,
whether He hastens your punishment,
or delays that for you until you meet Him.
O you who have believed,
“O ye who believe! If ye obey a party of those who have received the Scripture they will make you disbelievers after your belief.” (3:100)
"they would turn you back..."
“O ye who believe! If ye obey a party of those who have received the Scripture they will make you disbelievers after your belief.” (3:100)
O you who have believed in Allah and His Messenger,
if you obey a group from those who falsely claim adherence to the Scripture among the people of the Torah and the Gospel,
accepting what they instruct you to do,
they will mislead you and turn you back, after your belief in your Lord's Messenger,
into deniers of the truth that you had believed and affirmed.
“How can ye disbelieve, when it is ye unto whom Allah's revelations are recited, and His messenger is in your midst? He who holdeth fast to Allah, he indeed is guided unto a right path.” (3:101)
“How can ye disbelieve, when it is ye unto whom Allah's revelations are recited, and His messenger is in your midst? He who holdeth fast to Allah, he indeed is guided unto a right path.” (3:101)
“How can ye disbelieve, when it is ye unto whom Allah's revelations are recited, and His messenger is in your midst? He who holdeth fast to Allah, he indeed is guided unto a right path.” (3:101)
And how could you disbelieve, O believers,
when the proofs of Allah revealed in His Book are being recited to you,
and among you is His Messenger?
So what possible excuse do you have before your Lord for turning back upon your heels?
And whoever holds firmly to the ties of Allah and adheres to His religion and obedience,
has indeed been guided to a clear way and a straight, uncrooked path.
O assembly of those who believe in Allah and His Messenger,
fear Allah as He truly deserves to be feared,
and do not die except while submitting to your Lord in obedience,
sincere to Him in divinity and worship.
"And He united your hearts,
so by His favor you became brothers,
so by His favor you became brothers,"
“And hold fast, all of you together, to the cable of Allah, and do not separate. And remember Allah's favour unto you: How ye were enemies and He made friendship between your hearts so that ye became as brothers by His grace; and (how) ye were upon the brink of an abyss of fire, and He did save you from it. Thus Allah maketh clear His revelations unto you, that haply ye may be guided,” (3:103)
“And hold fast, all of you together, to the cable of Allah, and do not separate. And remember Allah's favour unto you: How ye were enemies and He made friendship between your hearts so that ye became as brothers by His grace; and (how) ye were upon the brink of an abyss of fire, and He did save you from it. Thus Allah maketh clear His revelations unto you, that haply ye may be guided,” (3:103)
"and He saved you from it."
“And hold fast, all of you together, to the cable of Allah, and do not separate. And remember Allah's favour unto you: How ye were enemies and He made friendship between your hearts so that ye became as brothers by His grace; and (how) ye were upon the brink of an abyss of fire, and He did save you from it. Thus Allah maketh clear His revelations unto you, that haply ye may be guided,” (3:103)
And hold fast to the ties of Allah, all together,
and adhere firmly to the religion of Allah which He commanded you to follow;
and do not divide yourselves away from Allah's religion and His covenant that He pledged to you in His Book,
which requires affection and unity.
Remember, O believers, the favor of Allah upon you,
when you were enemies, killing one another,
so Allah united your hearts through Islam,
and through Allah's uniting of you, you became truly loving brothers,
harboring neither malice nor mutual envy.
And you, O assembly of believers, were upon the very edge of the pit of Hellfire,
on account of the disbelief you were upon,
but Allah saved you from it through faith.
Just as your Lord has clarified for you what He commanded and what He forbade,
and the state you were once in compared to what you have now become,
He likewise clarifies all His proofs for you in His revelation,
so that you may be guided to the path of rectitude.
“And there may spring from you a nation who invite to goodness, and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency. Such are they who are successful.” (3:104)
“And there may spring from you a nation who invite to goodness, and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency. Such are they who are successful.” (3:104)
"and forbidding what is wrong;
and it is they who are the successful."
And let there be among you, O believers, a community that calls the people to Islam and its laws that Allah ordained for His servants,
commanding the people to follow Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and his religion that he brought from Allah,
and forbidding disbelief in Allah and the denial of Muhammad;
and it is they who are the triumphant with Allah, abiding forever in His gardens and bliss.
“And be ye not as those who separated and disputed after the clear proofs had come unto them. For such there is an awful doom,” (3:105)
“And be ye not as those who separated and disputed after the clear proofs had come unto them. For such there is an awful doom,” (3:105)
And do not be, O assembly of believers, like those among the People of the Book who divided,
and differed concerning the religion of Allah, His commands, and His prohibitions,
after clear proofs had come to them from Allah's evidences and the knowledge of the truth therein;
so they deliberately opposed it and violated His covenant and pledge.
And for those, there is a tremendous punishment from Allah.
“On the Day when (some) faces will be whitened and (some) faces will be blackened; and as for those whose faces have been blackened, it will be said unto them: Disbelieved ye after your (profession of) belief? Then taste the punishment for that ye disbelieved.” (3:106)
As for those whose faces turn black: "Did you disbelieve after your belief?"
“On the Day when (some) faces will be whitened and (some) faces will be blackened; and as for those whose faces have been blackened, it will be said unto them: Disbelieved ye after your (profession of) belief? Then taste the punishment for that ye disbelieved.” (3:106)
“And as for those whose faces have been whitened, in the mercy of Allah they dwell for ever.” (3:107)
For those, there is a tremendous punishment on a Day when some faces turn white and other faces turn black.
As for those whose faces turn black, it will be said to them: "Did you reject Allah's oneness and His covenant
and His pledge that you solemnly affirmed, after you had believed in it?
So taste the punishment for what you used to deny in the worldly life of the covenant Allah had taken from you."
But as for those whose faces turn white, among those who remained steadfast upon Allah's covenant and never altered His religion,
they will be in Allah's garden, abiding therein eternally.
“These are revelations of Allah. We recite them unto thee in truth. Allah willeth no injustice to (His) creatures.” (3:108)
These are the admonitions of Allah, His lessons, and His proofs which We recite to you and narrate with truth and certainty.
And Allah, O Muhammad, in blackening the faces of these and whitening the faces of those, never intends to place anything where it does not belong.
“Unto Allah belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth; and unto Allah all things are returned.” (3:109)
And to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, and to Allah is the ultimate return of all His creation—the righteous and the wicked;
so He will recompense each according to what they rightfully deserve from Him, without wronging anyone in the least.
“Ye are the best community that hath been raised up for mankind. Ye enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency; and ye believe in Allah. And if the People of the Scripture had believed it had been better for them. Some of them are believers; but most of them are evil-livers.” (3:110)
“Ye are the best community that hath been raised up for mankind. Ye enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency; and ye believe in Allah. And if the People of the Scripture had believed it had been better for them. Some of them are believers; but most of them are evil-livers.” (3:110)
“Ye are the best community that hath been raised up for mankind. Ye enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency; and ye believe in Allah. And if the People of the Scripture had believed it had been better for them. Some of them are believers; but most of them are evil-livers.” (3:110)
You are the best of communities that have passed and brought forth for mankind:
you enjoin faith in Allah and His Messenger, and acting in accordance with His laws;
and you forbid associating partners with Allah and practicing what He forbade;
and you believe in Allah, devoting monotheism and worship sincerely to Him.
And had the people of the Torah and the Gospel among the Jews and Christians believed in Muhammad, peace be upon him,
it would surely have been better for them with Allah in their immediate worldly life and their ultimate Hereafter.
Among the Jews and Christians are the believers who affirmed the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
and followed what he brought them from Allah,
while most of them have transgressed beyond following what is in the Torah and the Gospel,
since both scriptures contain the description and character of Muhammad, peace be upon him.
“They will not harm you save a trifling hurt, and if they fight against you they will turn and flee. And afterward they will not be helped.” (3:111)
These transgressive renegades from the People of the Book will never harm you, O people of faith, through their disbelief and rejection,
though they will cause you annoyance through their polytheism and making you hear their disbelief;
yet they will not harm you thereby, and if the People of the Book fight you, they will be defeated by you,
turning their backs in flight, and then Allah will not grant them victory over you.
“Ignominy shall be their portion wheresoever they are found save (where they grasp) a rope from Allah and a rope from men. They have incurred anger from their Lord, and wretchedness is laid upon them. That is because they used to disbelieve the revelations of Allah, and slew the prophets wrongfully. That is because they were rebellious and used to transgress.” (3:112)
“Ignominy shall be their portion wheresoever they are found save (where they grasp) a rope from Allah and a rope from men. They have incurred anger from their Lord, and wretchedness is laid upon them. That is because they used to disbelieve the revelations of Allah, and slew the prophets wrongfully. That is because they were rebellious and used to transgress.” (3:112)
“Ignominy shall be their portion wheresoever they are found save (where they grasp) a rope from Allah and a rope from men. They have incurred anger from their Lord, and wretchedness is laid upon them. That is because they used to disbelieve the revelations of Allah, and slew the prophets wrongfully. That is because they were rebellious and used to transgress.” (3:112)
“Ignominy shall be their portion wheresoever they are found save (where they grasp) a rope from Allah and a rope from men. They have incurred anger from their Lord, and wretchedness is laid upon them. That is because they used to disbelieve the revelations of Allah, and slew the prophets wrongfully. That is because they were rebellious and used to transgress.” (3:112)
That was because they persistently disobeyed and used to transgress.
Ignominy was struck upon them wherever they were found, except under a covenant from Allah and a treaty from the people;
and they drew upon themselves the wrath of Allah, bearing it,
and they were overwhelmed with the humiliation of destitution and the abasement of poverty,
in retribution for having rejected Allah's signs, proofs, and evidences,
and for killing His prophets unjustly, out of oppression and transgression.
We inflicted that upon them because of their disbelief, their slaying of the prophets, their disobedience to their Lord, and their transgression against their Lord's command.
Summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.