SURAH AL-IMRAN (AYAH 101 to 110)

(VERSES 101 TO 115 ARE CLOSELY RELATED TO EACH OTHER)

وَكَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ وَأَنْتُمْ تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتُ اللَّهِ وَفِيكُمْ رَسُولُهُ ۗ وَمَنْ يَعْتَصِمْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ هُدِيَ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ {3:101}

[Q3:101] Wa kaifa takfuroona wa antum tutlaa 'alaikum Aayaatul laahi wa feekum Rasooluh; wa mai ya'tasim baillaahi faqad hudiya ilaa Siraatim Mustaqeem.

[Q3:101] But how can you disbelieve while it is you to whom the communications of ALLAH (SWT) are recited, and among you is His Messenger? And whoever holds fast to ALLAH (SWT), he indeed is guided to the right path.
[Q3:101] Dan bagaimana kamu akan menjadi kafir padahal kepada kamu dibacakan ayat-ayat ALLAH (SwT) (Al-Quran) dan dalam kalangan kamu ada RasulNya (Muhammad s.a.w)? Dan sesiapa berpegang teguh kepada (agama) ALLAH (SwT), maka sesungguhnya dia telah beroleh petunjuk hidayat ke jalan yang betul (lurus).

No rational and intelligent person can remain a disbeliever after the arrival of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) in this world with the Qur’an.

SO LONG AS THE PEOPLE HOLD FAST TO THE QUR’AN AND HIS AHLUL BAYT, THE TWO WEIGHTY THINGS (see hadith al thaqalayn) they will not go back to paganism.

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(3:101) How can you disbelieve when you are the ones to whom the signs of Allah are recited and amidst you is His Messenger? Whoever holds fast to Allah will certainly be guided to the straight way.

SECTION 11

To hold fst to the Cord of ALLAH

Belivers in the Truth to be firmly united---To invite to goodness (Amr bil Ma’roof) to enjoun what is right---and to forbid evil (Nahya-anil Munkar).

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ {3:102}

[Q3:102] Yaaa ayyuhal lazeena aamanut taqul laaha haqqa tuqaatihee wa laa tamoontunna illaa wa antum muslimoon.
[Q3:102] O’ you who believe! Be careful of (your duty to) ALLAH (SWT) with the care which is due to Him, and do not die unless you are Muslims.

[Q3:102] Wahai orang-orang yang beriman! Bertakwalah kamu kepada ALLAH (SwT) dengan sebenar-benar takwa dan jangan sekali-kali kamu mati melainkan dalam keadaan Islam.

Ittaqullah means “to safeguard oneself with awareness of the boundaries (physical, moral and spiritual laws) laid down by ALLAH (SWT) so as to keep clear of sins and transgressions”. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR "FEAR" IN ISLAM. Please refer to the commentary of Fatihah 1:1 to 4; Baqarah 2:2; Ali Imran 3:31. 

Ø  Taqwa means piety or to ward off evil and take refuge with ALLAH (SWT), not out of fear, BUT BECAUSE of the awareness AND insight of the consequences if one breaks OR tampers with the laws made and enforced by ALLAH (SWT) FOR THE BENEFIT AND WELFARE OF MANKIND.

Ø  Haqqa tuqatihi means it is the duty of the creature to be aware of the creator's will and command. It is His prerogative that His creatures should, willingly or unwillingly, obey Him and carry out His commands.

Ø  Wa antum muslimun means full of faith, perfect in conduct, and strict in the observance of the law, which is possible when one surrenders and submits oneself unconditionally to ALLAH (SWT).

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(3:102) Believers! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and see that you do not die save in the state of submission to Allah. *82

*82. They should remain steadfast in their obedience and loyalty to God. 

وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا ۚ وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنْتُمْ أَعْدَاءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُمْ بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا وَكُنْتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِنَ النَّارِ فَأَنْقَذَكُمْ مِنْهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ {3:103}

[Q3:103] Wa'tasimoo bi Hablil laahi jamee'anw wa laa tafarraqoo; wazkuroo ni'matal laahi alaikum iz kuntum a'daaa'an fa allafa baina quloobikum fa asbah tum bini'matiheee ikhwaananw wa kuntum 'alaa shafaa hufratim minan Naari fa anqazakum minhaa; kazaalika yubaiyinul laahu lakum aayaatihee la'allakum tahtadoon.
[Q3:103] And hold fast by the covenant of ALLAH (SWT) all together and be not disunited, and remember the favor of ALLAH (SWT) on you when you were enemies, then He united your hearts so by His favour you became brethren; and you were on the brink of a pit of fire, then He saved you from it, thus does ALLAH (SWT) make clear to you His communications that you may follow the right way.

[Q3:103] Dan berpegang teguhlah kamu sekalian kepada tali ALLAH (SwT) (agama Islam) dan janganlah kamu bercerai-berai dan kenanglah nikmat ALLAH (SwT) kepada kamu ketika kamu bermusuh-musuhan (semasa jahiliah dahulu), lalu ALLAH (SwT) menyatukan di antara hati kamu (sehingga kamu bersatu-padu dengan nikmat Islam), maka menjadilah kamu dengan nikmat ALLAH (SwT) itu orang-orang Islam yang bersaudara dan kamu dahulu telah berada di tepi jurang Neraka (disebabkan kekufuran kamu semasa jahiliah), lalu ALLAH (SwT) selamatkan kamu dari Neraka itu (disebabkan nikmat Islam juga). Demikianlah ALLAH (SwT) menjelaskan kepada kamu ayat-ayat keteranganNya, supaya kamu mendapat petunjuk hidayatNya. 

"Hold fast, all of you together, to the cord of ALLAH (SWT)" -gives a mental impression that a rope is hanging from the heaven so that those who are lying down on the ground (earth) may climb up, by holding it, in the presence of the Lord to seek His nearness.

Ü  Abu Sa-id Khudri reports that he heard the HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) saying:

I leave behind me, among you, two ropes. If my people hold fast to these two ropes, after me, they shall not go astray. They are the book of ALLAH (SWT), hung from the heaven unto the earth, and my Ahlul Bayt. One of them is greater than the other. Be it known that these two shall never be separated from each other; and joined together, they shall meet me at the spring of Kawthar.

(Tafsir Kabir and Durr al Manthur) The other similar declaration of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), known as hadith al thaqalayn. 

Ü  The HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) has also said:

My Ahlul Bayt, among you, are like the ark of Nuh. He who sails on it will be safe, but he who holds back shall perish.

There are several traditions of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), which confirm, beyond doubt, [*] that Muhammad and ali Muhammad were the natiq Qur’an AND [*] the revealed book of ALLAH (SWT) is the samit Qur’an (see commentary of al Baqarah 2:2).

©  The HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) has said:

Verily the Qur’an has been revealed in seven letters. There is no letter which has not an evident and a latent meaning; and verily Ali knows the evident as well as the latent. (Itiqan-Sahih Bukhari)

Also refer to urwatil wuthqa in al Baqarah 2:256.

THE HOLDING FAST TO THE BOOK OF ALLAH (SWT) AND "MUHAMMAD AND ALI MUHAMMAD" MEANS TOTAL ATTACHMENT WITH AND DEVOTION TO THEM BECAUSE ALL GOOD GENERATES FROM THIS ACT WHICH ENABLES MAN TO RISE UPWARD AND REACH NEARNESS TO ALLAH (SWT). THE LIFE OF THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) AND HIS AHLUL BAYT IS THE BEST EXAMPLE OF THE TEACHINGS OF THE QUR’AN.

v  "Do not become disunited"-THOSE WHO RELY ON AND MAKE USE OF THEORIES AND METHODS FORMULATED AND PUT IN PRACTICE BY MORTAL MEN, by avoiding or neglecting the commandments of [1] ALLAH (SWT) AND [2] the teachings of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) and his Ahlul Bayt, are bound to go astray and create discord and disagreement among the united community of the believers.

THIS SENTENCE WARNS THE MUSLIMS [1] NOT TO MISINTERPRET THE VERSES OF THE QUR’AN OR [2] HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT THE AUTHORITY OF THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) AND HIS AHLUL BAYT TO EXPLAIN THE TRUE MEANINGS OF THE WORD OF ALLAH (SWT), BECAUSE THESE TWO ARE THE INSEPARABLY INTERWOVEN CORD OF ALLAH (SWT); else they will be divided into several sects. SO TO REMAIN ON THE RIGHT PATH SHOWN BY THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) FOLLOW HIM AND HIS AHLUL BAYT IN LETTER AND SPIRIT.

Ø  In Minhaj al Sadiqin it is written that once, Jalut, the chief rabbi, along with some of his very learned disciples, came to Ali ibne Abi Talib to prove that Islam was not a true religion of ALLAH (SWT).

The first question Ali asked was:

"Do you know the number of sects the followers of Musa were divided into after his departure?"

"I will have to refer to the book", he replied.

"You are a rabbi, yet do not know what is written in your book. What will you do if your book is lost?" Ali asked.

Jalut referred to his book and said that there were 45 sects.

"You are wrong. I know the Tawrat and the Injil. The followers of Musa were divided into 71 sects, out of which only one is on the right path. Also the followers of Isa were divided into 71 sects, out of which only one is on the right path. The followers of our prophet will be divided into 73 sects, out of which only one will be on the right path and the rest will be among the losers."

Earlier the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) had also said the same about his and Musa's followers. When asked as-to which sect of his followers is on the right path, he put his hand on the shoulder of Ali and said:

"This man and his descendants and their followers." Then he recited this verse.

"You became brothers by His grace" -Deadly warfare in pre-islamic Arabia has been proverbial, and pagan Arabia, divided into hostile clans and tribes, presented the sight of a veritable armed camp. In the time of ignorance, hostility was embittered with the rancour of civil faction. The recital of an obsolete feud, in prose or verse, was sufficient to rekindle the same passion among the descendants of the hostile tribes. IN PRIVATE LIFE, every man, at best every family, was the judge and avenger of its own cause. A petty affront or unpremeditated blow involved whole tribes and tracts of country in protracted and bloody strife.

¥  It was the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) who introduced and implanted into the anarchical society of his time SENTIMENTS OF BROTHERHOOD, sense of meaningful life and consciousness of rights and duties towards one another.

·         In this way the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) united together classes and tribes that hitherto had been continually at feud with one another. Within a brief span of time, he called forth out of uncompromising material a nation never united before, bound in common faith, suppressing every distinction of race and kindred, and regarding each other as brothers, by active efforts and the immaculate pattern of his personal way of life, which mere preaching could never accomplish.

·         It was the genius of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) which not only united wild enemies to create a universal brotherhood composed of all men of every race, who would obey and worship one ALLAH (SWT) and follow the teachings and guidance of His prophet, but also made them vie with each other in generous emulation of courage and fidelity.

"Haply or so that" indicate that the creation of brotherhood was not an end in itself, BUT IT WAS a pre-requisite to follow the true guidance kept alive through the holy Ahlul Bayt, in every age, till the Day of Resurrection.

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(3:103) Hold fast together to the cable of Allah *83 and be not divided. Remember the blessing that Allah bestowed upon you: you were once enemies then He brought your hearts together, so that through His blessing you became brothers. You stood on the brink of a pit of fire and He delivered you from it. *84 Thus Allah makes His signs clear to you that you may be guided to the right way. *85

*83. The expression 'cable of Allah', in this verse, refers to the 'religion of God'. The reason for use of the word 'cable' (habl) is that it both establishes a bond between man and God and joins all believers together. To take a firm hold on this cable means that the believers should attach profound importance to their religion: this should always be the centre of their concerns; they should continually strive to establish it; and the common desire to serve it should make them co-operate with each other.
As soon as Muslims turn their attentions away from the fundamental teachings of their religion and lose sight of establishing its hegemony in life they begin to concern themselves with matters of secondary importance. And, just as they rent the communities of the former Prophets, enticing people away from their true objective in life, so schisms and dissensions are bound to plague their lives. If Muslims do this they are bound to suffer indignity and disgrace both in this world and the Next as happened with the followers of the previous Prophets.
*84. This refers to the state of the Arabs on the eve of the advent of Islam. There were animosities among the tribes which regularly broke out into fighting; every now and then there was much bloodshed. Things had reached a point that the entire Arabian nation seemed to be on the verge of destroying itself. It was due to the blessings of Islam alone that it was saved from being consumed by the fire to which this verse alludes. The people of Madina had embraced Islam some three or four years before these verses were revealed. They had witnessed the blessing of Islam as it unified into one brotherhood the Aws and Khazraj, two tribes which had long been sworn enemies. Moreover, both tribes treated the migrants from Makka in a spirit of sacrifice and love seldom seen even among members of the same family.
*85. If they had eyes to see they could conclude for themselves whether their salvation lay in adhering firmly to this religion or in abandoning it and reverting to their former state; i.e. decide whether their true well-wishers were God and His Messenger or those Jews, polytheists and hypocrites who strove to plunge them back into their former state. 

وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ ۚ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ {3:104}

[Q3:104] Waltakum minkum ummatuny yad'oona ilal khairi wa yaamuroona bilma'roofi wa yanhawna 'anil munkar; wa ulaaa'ika humul muflihoon.

[Q3:104] And from among you there should be a party who invite to good and enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong, and these it is that shall be successful.

[Q3:104] Dan hendaklah ada di antara kamu satu puak yang menyeru (berdakwah) kepada kebajikan (mengembangkan Islam) dan menyuruh berbuat segala perkara yang baik, serta melarang daripada segala yang salah (buruk dan keji) dan mereka yang bersifat demikian ialah orang-orang yang berjaya.

Since the duty of enjoining the right (amr bil ma-ruf) and forbidding the wrong (nahya anil munkar) entails conditions WHICH EVERY MUSLIM CANNOT FULFIL, the Qur’an while addressing the entire Muslim people, POINTS OUT A SELECT GROUP FROM AMONG THE COMMUNITY, EACH MEMBER OF WHICH HAS BEEN THOROUGHLY PURIFIED BY THE CREATOR HIMSELF (Ahzab 33:33) for this divine mission- Muhammad and ali Muhammad.

v  "My Ahlul Bayt are like the ark of Nuh. Whoso sails on it is saved, and he who stays back is drowned and lost", said the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad).

THE MUSLIMS ARE WARNED NOT TO SPLIT INTO SECTS, HOSTILE TO EACH OTHER, like the Jews and the Christians, who, moved by self-interest and other ignoble motives, made amendments and corrupted the words of ALLAH (SWT) and His messengers, Musa and Isa, BUT the Muslims paid no attention,

»    AND, after the departure of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), INSTEAD OF FOLLOWING THE QUR’AN AND HIS AHLUL BAYT, RELIED UPON the guidance and leadership of those who neither were chosen by ALLAH (SWT) and His Prophet, nor deserved to lead the ummah on the strength of their learning and character,

µ  OTHERWISE they would have been selected in the party of ALLAH (SWT) which represented Him in mubahalah (Ali Imran 3:61),

µ  OR WOULD have been included in ayah al tat-hir (Ahzab 33:33).

IT IS A HISTORICAL FACT THAT SUCH SELF-PROCLAIMED LEADERS ENACTED LAWS AND MADE JUDGEMENTS, IN THE NAME OF IJTIHAD, against the teachings of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) and the book of ALLAH (SWT), BECAUSE of which the Muslim ummah was divided into many sects.

·         There is a great punishment for such mujtahids and their followers on the day of judgement.

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(3:104) And from among you there must be a party who invite people to all that is good and enjoin the doing of all that is right and forbid the doing of all that is wrong. It is they who will attain true success.

وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُوا وَاخْتَلَفُوا مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ ۚ وَأُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ {3:105}

[Q3:105] Wa laa takoonoo kallazeena tafarraqoo wakhtalafoo mim ba'di maa jaaa'ahumul baiyinaat; wa ulaaa'ika lahum 'azaabun 'azeem.
[Q3:105] And be not like those who became divided and disagreed after clear arguments had come to them, and these it is that shall have a grievous chastisement.

[Q3:105] Dan janganlah kamu menjadi seperti orang-orang (Yahudi dan Nasrani) yang telah berceri-berai dan berselisihan (dalam agama mereka) sesudah datang kepada mereka keterangan-keterangan yang jelas nyata (yang dibawa oleh Nabi-nabi ALLAH (SwT)) dan mereka yang bersifat demikian, akan beroleh azab seksa yang besar. 

(see commentary for verse 104)

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(3:105) Do not be like those who fell into factions and differed among themselves *86 after clear signs had come to them. A mighty chastisement awaits them on the Day when some faces will turn bright and ther faces will turn dark. Those whose faces have turned dark will be told: 'Did you fall into unbelief after you had been blessed with belief? Taste, then, chastise- ment for your unbelief.' And those whose faces have turned bright, they will be in the mercy of Allah, and therein they shall abide. These are the mes sages of Allah which We recite to you in truth, and Allah desires no wrong *87 to the people of the world. To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth, and to Allah are all matters referred for decision.

*86. The reference is to those communities which received clear and straightforward teachings of the true religion but who had abandoned the fundamentals, forming separate sects around trivial and subsidiary questions; they became so engrossed in quarrelling over superfluous and insignificant questions that they lost sight of the mission God had entrusted to them, and even lost interest in those fundamentals of belief and righteous conduct which are essential for man's salvation and felicity. 

يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ ۚ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ اسْوَدَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ أَكَفَرْتُمْ بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْ فَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ{3:106}

[Q3:106] Yawma tabyaddu wujoohunw wa taswaddu wujooh; faammal lazeenas waddat wujoohum akafartum ba'da eemaanikum fazooqul 'azaaba bimaa kuntum takfuroon.

[Q3:106] On the day when (some) faces shall turn white and (some) faces shall turn black; then as to those whose faces turn black: Did you disbelieve after your believing? Taste therefore the chastisement because you disbelieved.

[Q3:106] (Ingatlah akan) hari (kiamat yang padanya) ada muka (orang-orang) menjadi putih berseri dan ada muka (orang-orang) menjadi hitam legam. Adapun orang-orang yang telah hitam legam mukanya, (mereka akan ditanya secara menempelak): Patutkah kamu kufur ingkar sesudah kamu beriman? Oleh itu rasalah azab seksa Neraka disebabkan kekufuran kamu itu.

ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT the face of the believers (who followed the teachings of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) in letter and spirit) will shine bright with the radiance of joy.

Ä  And (as Hasan al Basari has also said) the faces of those turncoats who went back to infidelity after their profession of faith (by rejecting the teachings of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) and his Ahlul Bayt and introducing their own theories) shall turn black with gloom of fear, BECAUSE they had disobeyed the instructions of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) to obey his Ahlul Bayt and follow their guidance.  

       THEY DID SO in order to fulfil their ambition to rule over vast lands and multitude of people, as they desired. They shall be thrown into the fire with contempt.

Also refer to Yunus 10:27 and Zumar 39:60. The believers (mentioned above) shall be in ALLAH (SWT)'s mercy, therein (in its eternal bliss) they shall abide for ever.

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(3:106) On the Day when some faces will turn bright and ther faces will turn dark. Those whose faces have turned dark will be told: 'Did you fall into unbelief after you had been blessed with belief? Taste, then, chastisement for your unbelief.

وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ ابْيَضَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ فَفِي رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ {3:107}

[Q3:107] Wa ammal lazeenabyadd at wujoohuhum fafee rahmatil laahi hum feehaa khaalidoon.

[Q3:107] And as to those whose faces turn white, they shall be in ALLAH (SWT)'s mercy; in it they shall-abide.

[Q3:107] Adapun orang-orang yang telah putih berseri mukanya, maka mereka berada dalam limpah rahmat ALLAH (SwT) (Syurga), mereka kekal di dalamnya. 

(see commentary for verse 106)

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(3:107) And those whose faces have turned bright, they will be in the mercy of Allah, and therein they shall abide.

تِلْكَ آيَاتُ اللَّهِ نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ بِالْحَقِّ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلْمًا لِلْعَالَمِينَ {108}

[Q3:108] Tilka Aayaatul laahi natloohaa 'alaika bilhaqq; wa mal laahu yureedu zulmallil 'aalameen.
[Q3:108] These are the communications of ALLAH (SWT) which We recite to you with truth, and ALLAH (SWT) does not desire any injustice to the creatures.

[Q3:108] Itulah ayat-ayat keterangan ALLAH (SwT), kami bacakan ia kepadamu (wahai Muhammad) dengan benar dan (ingatlah), ALLAH (SwT) tidak berkehendak melakukan kezaliman kepada sekalian makhlukNya.

HIS JUDGEMENT SHALL BE, IN EVERY INSTANCE, ABSOLUTELY JUST AND EQUITABLE. Each shall get the recompense earned in this life.

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(3:108) These are the messages of Allah which We recite to you in truth, and Allah desires no wrong to the people of the world.

*87. Since God does not want to subject people to any wrong He illuminates the straight path of their salvation, and forewarns them of the matters for which they will be asked to render an account in the Hereafter. It is clear that if people abandon the path of rectitude they wrong no one but themselves. 

وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۚ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ {3:109}

[Q3:109] Wa lillaahi maa fissamaawaati wa maa fil ard; wa ilal laahi turja’ul umoor.

[Q3:109] And whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is ALLAH (SWT)'s; and to ALLAH (SWT) all things return

[Q3:109] Dan bagi ALLAH (SwT) jualah hak milik segala yang ada di langit dan yang ada di bumi, dan kepada ALLAH (SwT) jualah dikembalikan segala urusan.

TO ALLAH (SWT) ALL MATTERS SHALL RETURN BECAUSE He is the sole judge and arbiter, the Lord of the worlds, the omnipotent almighty; NONE IS HIS CO-PARTNER; NONE IS COMPARABLE TO HIM.

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(3:109) To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth, and to Allah are all matters referred for decision.

SECTION 12

Muslims raised for the welfare of mankind

Muslims raised for the welfare of mankind as a whole---The Muslims notto fear the Jews---The strength of the Jews shall be a failure---Muslims not to take the Jews as their friends.

كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ ۗ وَلَوْ آمَنَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ ۚ مِنْهُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ {3:110}

[Q3:110] Kuntum khaira ummatin ukhrijat linnaasi taamuroona bilma'roofi wa tanhawna 'anil munkari wa tu'minoona billaah; wa law aamana Ahlul Kitaabi lakaana khairal lahum minhumul mu'minoona wa aksaruhumul faasiqoon.

[Q3:110] You are the best of the nations raised up for (the benefit of) men; you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in ALLAH (SWT); and if the followers of the Book had believed it would have been better for them; of them (some) are believers and most of them are transgressors.

[Q3:110] Kamu (wahai umat Muhammad) adalah sebaik-baik umat yang dilahirkan bagi (faedah) umat manusia, (kerana) kamu menyuruh berbuat segala perkara yang baik dan melarang daripada segala perkara yang salah (buruk dan keji) serta kamu pula beriman kepada ALLAH (SwT) (dengan sebenar-benar iman) dan kalaulah Ahli Kitab (Yahudi dan Nasrani) itu beriman (sebagaimana yang semestinya), tentulah (iman) itu menjadi baik bagi mereka. (Tetapi) di antara mereka ada yang beriman dan kebanyakan mereka orang-orang yang fasik.

Khayra ummatin means the best group of people. As has been said in verse 104 of this surah that there is a select group of people who call others to virtue and enjoin that which is good (amr bil ma-ruf) AND forbid evil (nahya anil munkar), in this verse also the entire Muslim people are addressed through the best group of people who enjoin good and forbid evil BECAUSE enjoining good and forbidding evil entails conditions in which the whole community cannot share.

ä  THE TORTURERS OF THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD)'S Daughter, Bibi Fatimah Zahra, and the persecutors and the murderers of the holy Imams (from Imam Ali Murtada to Imam Hasan Askari) were Muslims.

1.        Mu-awiyah bin abu Sufyan persecuted Imam Hasan and poisoned him through a woman.

2.        Yazid bin Mu-awiyah bin Abu Sufyan killed Imam Husayn, his sons and relatives and friends, including his 6 months old son, Ali Asghar, in Karbala; and thereafter imprisoned and tortured the ladies and the children of the house of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) for several months.

3.        Almost all the Umayyid and Abbaside caliphs were drunkards and libertines. They killed all the holy Imams of the Ahlul Bayt, from Imam Ali bin Husayn to Imam Hasan bin Ali, and some of them desecrated the holy Kabah and the holy masjid nabawwi.

ä  The torturers, persecutors and murderers, mentioned above, are not only considered Muslims BUT RESPECTED as the khalifatul muslimin or khalifatur rasul by the majority of the Muslims

EXCEPT the followers of Muhammad and ali Muhammad (Shi-as) who acknowledge the Ahlul Bayt only as the best group of people,

1.        BECAUSE OF their learning, knowledge and wisdom AND

2.        BECAUSE OF their highmindedness, generosity, bravery, justice and refinement of character----a true reflection of the way of life of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad).

The abominable features of the "heroes of the Muslims", described in "Stanley's lectures on Eastern Church" and "Albiruni's India", have been driving away the seekers of truth, among nonmuslims, from the religion of Islam.

      BUT when some of them happen to come across the life accounts of the khayra ummatin (the best group of people), the Ahlul Bayt, they willingly come into the fold of Islam. Even the worst enemies of Islam have greatly praised the irresistible glory of the godly members of the family of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad).

IN THE LIGHT OF THE QUR’ANIC VERSES AND TRADITIONS OF THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), mentioned in the commentary of various relevant verses in this book, the Ahlul Bayt are the "best group of people"

1. Thoroughly purified by ALLAH (SWT) Himself (Ahzab 33:33),

2. Inseparably attached with the Qur’an,

3. Flesh and blood of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad),

4. Who are from him and he is from them (reflecting one and the same light of ALLAH (SWT)).

THEREFORE, TO HARASS THEM IS TO HARASS ALLAH (SWT) AND THE PROPHET OF ALLAH (SWT), FOR WHICH ALLAH (SWT) CURSES SUCH PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD AND THE HEREAFTER (AHZAB 33:57); AND TO MAKE LESS THEIR STATUS OR TO BRING OTHERS TO THEIR POSITION EARNS THE WRATH OF ALLAH (SWT) (FATIHAH 1:7).

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(3:110) You are now the best people brought forth for (the guidance and reform of) mankind. *88 You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah. Had the People of the Book *89 believed it were better for them. Some of them are believers but most of them are transgressors.

*88. This is the same declaration that was made earlier (see verse 2: 143 above). The Arabian Prophet (peace be on him) and his followers are informed that they are being assigned the guidance and leadership of the world, a position the Israelites had been relieved of because they had shown themselves unsuitable. The Muslims were charged with this responsibility because of their competence. They were the best people in terms of character and morals and had developed in theory and in practice the qualities essential for truly righteous leadership, namely the spirit and practical commitment to promoting good and suppressing evil and the acknowledgement of the One True God as their Lord and Master. In view of the task entrusted to them, they had to become conscious of their responsibilities and avoid the mistakes committed by their predecessors (see Surah 1, nn. 123 and 144 above). 
*89. 'People of the Book' refers here to the Children of Israel.