Surat Al `Imran (181-190)

{لَقَدْ سَمِعَ اللهُ قَوْلَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللهَ فَقِيرٌ وَنَحْنُ أَغْنِيَاءُ سَنَكْتُبُ مَا قَالُوا وَقَتْلَهُمُ الأَنْبِيَاءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَنَقُولُ ذُوقُوا عَذَابَ الحَرِيقِ} [آل عمران: 181]

181- Verily, Allah had heard the saying of the Jews when they said that Allah is poor, but we are rich. They said that when Allah asked His Servants to spend of their money to save it for them and reward them for it the best reward on the Day of the Recompense. Allah (Exalted be He) says: "Who is he that will lend Allâh a goodly loan so that He may multiply it to him many times? And it is Allâh that decreases or increases (your provisions), and to Him you shall return." {Al Baqarah: 245}. The Jews said: "O Muhammad, your Lord became poor because He asked His Servants for loan!" They said that in defy and in bad manners with the Lord of the universe.

Allah (Glory be to Him) threatened them with that awaits them saying: We shall write down their saying and shall punish them for that. It is not forgotten or neglected and We shall reckon them for other major sins they committed such as killing the Prophets of Allah. They are boasting of these deniable crimes which give the willies to the bodies and denied by the pure nature. We shall punish them for that the worst; a terrible great torment which none knows its power but Allah.

{ذَلِكَ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَأَنَّ اللهَ لَيْسَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِلْعَبِيدِ} [آل عمران: 182]

182- That terrible punishment is because of the terrible actions that the Jews have done. It is a true punishment that does not bear neither oppression nor cruelty. Allah does not oppress His Servants because He does not inflict them with a punishment that they do not deserve, despite the fact that they disobeyed their Lord.

{الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللهَ عَهِدَ إِلَيْنَا أَلَّا نُؤْمِنَ لِرَسُولٍ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَنَا بِقُرْبَانٍ تَأْكُلُهُ النَّارُ قُلْ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِنْ قَبْلِي بِالبَيِّنَاتِ وَبِالَّذِي قُلْتُمْ فَلِمَ قَتَلْتُمُوهُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ} [آل عمران: 183]

183- They are the Jews who claimed that Allah took a promise from them, as was written in their scriptures, not to believe in a prophet until he brings a miracle that if one of his followers gives an acceptable charity, a fire from the heaven will come down to eat it up as a sign for accepting it.

Say to them: Allah sent you prophets before me and had those miracles that you mentioned but you did not accept them, so why did you denied them and killed them if you were truthful in your claim that you follow the truth and obey the messengers?

{فَإِنْ كَذَّبُوكَ فَقَدْ كُذِّبَ رُسُلٌ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ جَاءُوا بِالبَيِّنَاتِ وَالزُّبُرِ وَالكِتَابِ المُنِيرِ} [آل عمران: 184]

184- If they denied you and did not follow what you came with, do not be sad because they did the same with the previous prophets. They also denied the miracles, the divine orders, and the revealed Scriptures.

{كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ المَوْتِ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ فَمَنْ زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ وَمَا الحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الغُرُورِ} [آل عمران: 185]

185- O Prophet, do not be sad because each soul will die for sure and then their final destination will be to an abode in which the pious will be distinguished from the disobedient. Allah will reward or punish the creatures for their actions, whether abundant or little, big or small, and no one will be oppressed an atom of actions.

So, those who will be saved from Fire and enter Paradise, they have won. Indeed, the pleasures and adornments of the world are little and will vanish.

{لَتُبْلَوُنَّ فِي أَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنْفُسِكُمْ وَلَتَسْمَعُنَّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا أَذًى كَثِيرًا وَإِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الأُمُورِ} [آل عمران: 186]

186- The polytheists and the Jews were harming the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions when they came to the Madinah, therefore, they were commanded to forgive and observe patience. O Muslims, you shall be tested in your monies by reducing them and in your selves by diseases and injuries; the polytheists took their monies and tortured them in Makkah. You will also hear from the Jews, the Christians, and the polytheists a lot of bad words and insults such as insulting the religion, contempt, mockery, and exhortation to kill you. However, if you observed patience for their harm, forgave them, and busied yourselves in obeying Allah and seeking His Pleasures, that will be from the best things so as to fear Allah and frighten them.

{وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللهُ مِيثَاقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الكِتَابَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَكْتُمُونَهُ فَنَبَذُوهُ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ وَاشْتَرَوْا بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا فَبِئْسَ مَا يَشْتَرُونَ} [آل عمران: 187]

187- Allah took the covenant and the charter from the People of the Scriptures that they should explain to the people the matter of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as their prophets taught them and as was written in their Scriptures and not to conceal it so as to know him when Allah sends him. However, they refused to follow this, lost it, did not act according to it, and replaced it with taking presents, accepting invitations, and taking bribery; a vile worldly return for a great matter that will lead to stray nations and generations throughout history. How bad is their trade and how bad is that they bought!

Qatadah (May Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said: That was a covenant that has been taken by Allah from the people of knowledge, so anyone knows something should teach it and beware of concealing knowledge.

Ibn Kathir said: this Ayah bears a warning for the scholars to follow the bad example of those people who concealed the knowledge because they shall have the same result.

{لَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أَتَوْا وَيُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يُحْمَدُوا بِمَا لَمْ يَفْعَلُوا فَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّهُمْ بِمَفَازَةٍ مِنَ العَذَابِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ} [آل عمران: 188]

188- Do not think that those people who are joyful of the bad actions they did and would like to show to the people that what they have done was the right, such as the Jews used to do when they were asked about the knowledge that was in their hands, will be safe from the punishment of Allah. They mislead the people, answer in lie and deviation, and ask for people's thanking for their faith and honesty in conveying knowledge and Allah shall torture them painfully for that.

{وَللهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَاللهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ} [آل عمران: 189]

189- Know that everything that is in heavens and on earth belong to Allah and He is the Only Disposer in whatever proper way He likes. He is the All-Able for everything and nothing fails Him in what He willed, so fear Him, obey Him, and beware of His Punishment and Wrath.

{إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآَيَاتٍ لِأُولِي الأَلْبَابِ} [آل عمران: 190]

190- Verily, the creation of the heavens with their high altitude, wideness, stars, planets, their delicate system of its moving, the perfection of their systems, their general phenomena, and the creation of the earth and what therein of livings, different kinds of plants, high mountains, wide seas, minerals and benefits are signs to the oneness of Allah. Also the alteration of day and night, the difference of their nature according to the rise and sunset of the sun or the increase of one of them and the decrease of the other are also sings for the oneness of Allah for the people who can understand these things, realize their facts, divorce themselves of illusion and imitation. As a result, they thought, believed, considered, certified, and surrendered to the truth.