SURAH AL-IMRAN (AYAH 141 to 150)

وَلِيُمَحِّصَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَيَمْحَقَ الْكَافِرِينَ {3:141}

[Q3:141] Wa liyumahhisal laahul lazeena aamanoo wa yamhaqal kaafireen.
[Q3:141] And that He may purge those who believe and deprive the unbelievers of blessings. 

[Q3:141] Dan juga supaya ALLAH (SwT) membersihkan orang-orang yang beriman (dari dosa-dosa mereka) dan membinasakan orang-orang yang kafir. 

(see commentary for verse 140)

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(3:141) and makes men go through trials in order that He might purge the believers and blot out those who deny the Truth.

أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَنْ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَعْلَمِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا مِنْكُمْ وَيَعْلَمَ الصَّابِرِينَ {3:142}

[Q3:142] Am hasibtum an tadkhulul Jannnata wa lammaa ya'lamil laahul lazeena jaahadoo minkum wa ya'lamas saabireen.

[Q3:142] Do you think that you will enter the garden while ALLAH (SWT) has not yet known those who strive hard from among you, and (He has not) known the patient. 

[Q3:142] Adakah kamu menyangka bahawa kamu akan masuk Syurga padahal belum lagi nyata kepada ALLAH (SwT) (wujudnya) orang-orang yang berjihad (yang berjuang dengan bersungguh-sungguh) di antara kamu dan (belum lagi) nyata (wujudnya) orang-orang yang sabar (tabah dan cekal hati dalam perjuangan)? 

(see commentary for verse 140)

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(3:142) Did you think that you would enter Paradise even though Allah has not yet seen who among you strove hard in His way and remained steadfast?

وَلَقَدْ كُنْتُمْ تَمَنَّوْنَ الْمَوْتَ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَلْقَوْهُ فَقَدْ رَأَيْتُمُوهُ وَأَنْتُمْ تَنْظُرُونَ {3:143}

[Q3:143] Wa laqad kuntum tamannnawnal mawta min qabli an talqawhu faqad ra aitumoohu wa antum tanzuroon.

[Q3:143] And certainly you desired death before you met it, so indeed you have seen it and you look (at it)

[Q3:143] Dan sesungguhnya kamu telah mengharap-harapkan mati Syahid (dalam perang Sabil) sebelum kamu menghadapinya. Maka sesungguhnya kamu (sekarang) telahpun menyaksikannya dan kamu sedang melihatnya (dengan mata kepala sendiri). 

Persons who were not at Badr desired to be present with the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) at another battle in order to gain the distinction (of being known as victors or martyrs) obtained by the heros of Badr.

Ü  When they had seen the battle of Uhad and brought back their slain and wounded relatives, they indulged in lamentation and felt miserable.

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(3:143) You previously longed for death (in the way of Allah): now you have faced it, observing it with your own eyes. *102

*102. This is with reference to those Companions who had urged the Prophet to go out of Madina and take on the enemy there because of their ardent desire for martyrdom. (See Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat, vol. 2, p. 38 - Ed.) 

SECTION 15

Preseverance and patience in suffering---enjoined

To be steadfast in faith and to be patient in suffering---Warning to the companions of the Apostle of ALLAH against giving way in the events of trials and turning their backs upon their heels.

وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ ۚ أَفَإِنْ مَاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انْقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَىٰ أَعْقَابِكُمْ ۚ وَمَنْ يَنْقَلِبْ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ فَلَنْ يَضُرَّ اللَّهَ شَيْئًا ۗ وَسَيَجْزِي اللَّهُ الشَّاكِرِينَ {3:144}

[Q3:144] Wa maa Muhammadun illaa Rasoolun qad khalat min qablihir Rusul; afa'im maata aw qutilan qalabtum 'alaaa a'qaabikum; wa mai yanqalib 'alaa aqibihi falai yadurral laaha shai'aa; wa sayajzil laahush shaakireen.
[Q3:144] And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; the messengers have already passed away before him; if then he dies or is killed will you turn back upon your heels? And whoever turns back upon his heels, he will by no means do harm to ALLAH (SWT) in the least and ALLAH (SWT) will reward the grateful.

[Q3:144] Dan Muhammad itu tidak lain hanyalah seorang Rasul yang sudahpun didahului oleh beberapa orang Rasul (yang telah mati atau terbunuh). Jika demikian, kalau dia pula mati atau terbunuh, (patutkah) kamu berbalik (berpaling tadah menjadi kafir)? Dan (ingatlah), sesiapa yang berbalik (menjadi kafir) maka dia tidak akan mendatangkan mudarat kepada ALLAH (SwT) sedikitpun dan (sebaliknya) ALLAH (SwT) akan memberi balasan pahala kepada orang-orang yang bersyukur (akan nikmat Islam yang tidak ada bandingannya itu).

Muhammad (literally means a man praised much, or repeatedly, or time and again; endowed with divine wisdom) to the end of his life claimed for himself the title of "the prophet of ALLAH (SWT)" only. "Your comrade neither errs, nor is deceived, nor does he speaks of his own desire, it is but a revelation revealed", says the Qur’an in al Najm 53:2 to 5.

Ü  Those who had run away from the battlefield returned to Madina after three days and told the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) that they took to flight BECAUSE they heard a cry announcing his death. IN REPLY THIS VERSE WAS REVEALED.

TRUTH, AT ALL EVENTS, REMAINS POSITIVE AND RELIABLE. THEREFORE, if the messenger of ALLAH (SWT) departs from this world there is no excuse to turn on one's heels and forsake his teachings. 1. He who does so hurts himself. 2. Those who ran away from the battle of Uhad have been referred to in this verse. See commentary of verses 121 and 122 of this surah.

v  Some of the companions said, "Had he been a prophet, he would not have been killed, return therefore to your brethren and your ancestral religion".

Anas bin Nadar exhorted the fleeing deserters not to give up the fight because the ALLAH (SWT) of Muhammad is ever-living and eternal, even if the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) was no more among them.

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(3:144) Muhammad is no more than a Messenger, and Messengers have passed away before him. If, then, he were to die or be slain will you turn about on your heels? *103 Whoever turns about on his heels can in no way harm Allah. As for the grateful ones, Allah will soon reward them.

*103. When the rumour of the Prophet's martyrdom spread during the battle, it disheartened most of the Companions. The hypocrites who were in the Muslim camp began to advise the believers to approach 'Abd Allah b. Ubayy so that he might secure protection for them from Abu Sufyan. Some went so far as to say that had Muhammad really been the Messenger of God he would not have been put to death, and for that reason they counselled people to revert to their ancestral faith. It is in this context that the Muslims are now told that if their devotion to the truth is wholly bound up with the person of Muhammad (peace be on him), and if their submission to God is so lukewarm that his demise would cause them to plunge back into the disbelief they had cast off, then they should bear in mind the fact that Islam does not need them. 

وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفْسٍ أَنْ تَمُوتَ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ كِتَابًا مُؤَجَّلًا ۗ وَمَنْ يُرِدْ ثَوَابَ الدُّنْيَا نُؤْتِهِ مِنْهَا وَمَنْ يُرِدْ ثَوَابَ الْآخِرَةِ نُؤْتِهِ مِنْهَا ۚ وَسَنَجْزِي الشَّاكِرِينَ {3:145}

[Q3:145] Wa maa kaana linafsin an tamoota illaa bi iznillaahi kitaabam mu'ajjalaa; wa mai yurid sawaabad dunyaa nu'tihee minhaa wa mai yurid sawaabal Aakhirati nu'tihee minhaa; wa sanajzish shaakireen.

[Q3:145] And a soul will not die but with the permission of ALLAH (SWT) the term is fixed; and whoever desires the reward of this world, I shall give him of it, and whoever desires the reward of the hereafter I shall give him of it, and I will reward the grateful.

[Q3:145] Dan (tiap-tiap) makhluk yang bernyawa tidak akan mati melainkan dengan izin ALLAH (SwT), iaitu ketetapan (ajal) yang tertentu masanya (yang telah ditetapkan oleh ALLAH (SwT)) dan (dengan yang demikian) sesiapa yang menghendaki balasan dunia, kami berikan bahagiannya dari balasan dunia itu dan sesiapa yang menghendaki balasan akhirat, kami berikan bahagiannya dari balasan akhirat itu dan Kami pula akan beri balasan pahala kepada orang-orang yang bersyukur.

NO ONE CAN DIE UNLESS ALLAH (SWT) DISPENSES, OR HIS APPOINTED TERM EXPIRES. Death shall come neither before nor after that time. It is not possible to delay death by keeping away from battle. Verse 62:8 of al Jumu-ah also confirms this fact.

µ  Those who desire benefits of this world shall be deprived of their portion in the hereafter, BECAUSE THEY DO NOT SACRIFICE THEIR LIVES, PROPERTY AND THAT WHICH THEY HOLD DEAR, IN THE CAUSE OF ALLAH (SWT).

µ  Those who are thankful for ALLAH (SWT)'s bounties and never hesitate to put at ALLAH (SWT)'s disposal everything they receive from Him, shall be rewarded.

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(3:145) It is not given to any soul to die except with the leave of Allah, and at an appointed time. *104 And he who desires his reward in this world, We shall grant him the reward of this world; and he who desires the reward of the Other World, *105 We shall grant him the reward of the Other World. And soon shall We reward the ones who are grateful. *106

*104. The purpose of this directive is to bring home to the Muslims that it would be futile for them to try to flee from death. No one can either die before or survive the moment determined for death by God. Hence one should not waste one's time thinking how to escape death. Instead, one should take stock of one's activities and see whether one's efforts have either been directed merely to one's well-being in this world or to well-being in the Hereafter. 
*105. The word thawab denotes recompense and reward. The 'reward of this world' signifies the totality of benefits and advantages which a man receives as a consequence of his actions and efforts within the confines of this world. The 'reward of the Other World' denotes the benefits that a man will receive in the lasting World to Come as the fruits of his actions and efforts. From the Islamic point of view, the crucial question bearing upon human morals is whether a man keeps his attention focused on the worldly results of his endeavours or on the results which will acrue to him in the Next World. 
*106. The 'ones who are grateful' are those who fully appreciate God's favour in making the true religion available to them, and thereby intimating to them knowledge of a realm that is infinitely vaster than this world. Such people appreciate that God has graciously informed them of the truth so that the consequences of human endeavour are not confined to the brief span of earthly life but cover a vast expanse, embracing both the present life and the much more important life of the Hereafter.
A grateful man is he who, having gained this breadth of outlook and having developed this long-range perception of the ultimate consequences of things, persists in acts of righteousness out of his faith in God and his confidence in God's assurance that they will bear fruit in the Hereafter. He does so even though he may sometimes find that, far from bearing fruit, righteousness leads to privation and suffering in this world. The ungrateful ones are those who persist in a narrow preoccupation with earthly matters. They are those who disregard the evil consequences of unrighteousness in the Hereafter, seizing everything which appears to yield benefits and advantages in this world, and who are not prepared to devote their time and energy to those acts of goodness which promise to bear fruit in the Hereafter and which are either unlikely to yield earthly advantages or are fraught with risks. Such people are ungrateful and lack appreciation of the valuable knowledge vouchsafed to them by God. 

وَكَأَيِّنْ مِنْ نَبِيٍّ قَاتَلَ مَعَهُ رِبِّيُّونَ كَثِيرٌ فَمَا وَهَنُوا لِمَا أَصَابَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَمَا ضَعُفُوا وَمَا اسْتَكَانُوا ۗ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الصَّابِرِينَ{3:146}

[Q3:146] Wa ka aiyim min Nabiyyin qaatala ma'ahoo ribbiyyoona kaseerun famaa wahanoo limaaa Asaabahum fee sabeelil laahi wa maa da'ufoo wa mas takaanoo; wallaahu yuhibbus saabireen.
[Q3:146] And how many a prophet has fought with whom were many worshippers of the Lord; so they did not become weak-hearted on account of what befell them in ALLAH (SWT)'s way, nor did they weaken, nor did they abase themselves; and ALLAH (SWT) loves the patient.

[Q3:146] Dan berapa banyak dari Nabi-nabi (dahulu) telah berperang dengan disertai oleh ramai orang-orang yang taat kepada ALLAH (SwT), maka mereka tidak merasa lemah semangat akan apa yang telah menimpa mereka pada jalan (agama) ALLAH (SwT) dan mereka juga tidak lemah tenaga dan tidak pula mahu tunduk (kepada musuh) dan (ingatlah), ALLAH (SwT) sentiasa Mengasihi orang-orang yang sabar.

Many a prophet has fought, with a number of godly men beside him, against the infidels, in the cause of ALLAH (SWT), and disasters befell them BUT their zeal did not diminish in the least, nor did they humble themselves before the enemy. THEREFORE, He helped them and exalted their position.

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(3:146) Many were the Prophets on whose side a large number of God-devoted men fought: they neither lost heart for all they had to suffer in the way of Allah nor did they weaken nor did they abase themselves. *107 Allah loves such steadfast ones.

*107. They did not surrender to the followers of falsehood merely because of their numerical inferiority and lack of resources. 

وَمَا كَانَ قَوْلَهُمْ إِلَّا أَنْ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسْرَافَنَا فِي أَمْرِنَا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ {3:147}

[Q3:147] Wa maa kaana qawlahum illaa an qaaloo Rabbanagh fir lanaa zunoobanaa wa israafanaa feee amirnaa wa sabbit aqdaamanaa wansurnaa 'alal qawmil kaafireen.

[Q3:147] And their saying was no other than that they said: Our Lord! Forgive us our faults and our extravagance in our affair and make firm our feet and help us against the unbelieving people.

[Q3:147] Dan tidaklah ada yang mereka ucapkan (semasa berjuang), selain daripada berdoa dengan berkata: Wahai Tuhan kami! Ampunkanlah dosa-dosa kami dan perbuatan kami yang melampau dalam urusan kami dan teguhkanlah tapak pendirian kami (dalam perjuangan) dan tolonglah kami mencapai kemenangan terhadap kaum yang kafir. 

Verse 147 IS THE PRAYER OF EVERY PROPHET. **Pure and sincere, **far from any faltering in act and deed, **the godly and pious, in the **fervour of their prayers and **purity of their hearts, in order to humble themselves before ALLAH (SWT), ascribe excesses to themselves.

ß  BY REASON OF **THEIR STEADFASTNESS AND **THEIR ASKING FORGIVENESS AND **SEEKING REFUGE WITH ALLAH (SWT), ALLAH (SWT) GRANTS THEM VICTORY AGAINST INFIDELS, glorifies their mission and enhances their reputation in this world, and gives an excellent reward in the hereafter, which alone is of consequence with ALLAH (SWT).

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(3:147) And all they said was this: 'Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, and our excesses, and set our feet firm, and succour us against those who deny the Truth.'

فَآتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ ثَوَابَ الدُّنْيَا وَحُسْنَ ثَوَابِ الْآخِرَةِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ {3:148}

[Q3:148] Fa aataahumul laahu sawaabad dunyaa wa husna sawaabil Aakhirah; wallaahu yuhibbul muhsineen.
[Q3:148] So ALLAH (SWT) gave them the reward of this world and better reward of the hereafter and ALLAH (SWT) loves those who do good (to others).

[Q3:148] Oleh itu ALLAH (SwT) memberikan mereka pahala dunia (kemenangan dan nama yang harum), dan pahala akhirat yang sebaik-baiknya (nikmat Syurga yang tidak ada bandingannya). Dan (ingatlah), ALLAH (SwT) sentiasa mengasihi orang-orang yang berbuat kebaikan. 

(see commentary for verse 147)

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(3:148) Thereupon Allah granted them the reward of this world as well as a better reward of the World to Come. Allah loves those who do good.

SECTION 16

Delinquency and Dreadsome Muslims in the Battle of Ohod

Dread and delinquency on the part of some Muslims the causes of the misfortune in the Battle of Ohod---after the promise victory---The deliquents murmuring.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ تُطِيعُوا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يَرُدُّوكُمْ عَلَىٰ أَعْقَابِكُمْ فَتَنْقَلِبُوا خَاسِرِينَ {3:149}

[Q3:149] Yaaa 'aiyuhal lazeena aamanoo in tutee'ullazeena kafaroo yaruddookum 'alaaa a'qaabkum fatanqaliboo khaasireen.

[Q3:149] O’ you who believe! If you obey those who disbelieve they will turn you back upon your heels, so you will turn back losers.

[Q3:149] Wahai orang-orang yang beriman! Jika kamu taatkan orang-orang yang kafir nescaya mereka akan menolak kamu kembali kepada kekufuran, lalu jadilah kamu orang-orang yang rugi.

When the Jews of Bani Qaynqa were plotting to create hostility between the two Muslim tribes (Aus and Khazraj) this verse was revealed. IT IS A WARNING TO THE MUSLIMS "not to pay attention to the disbelievers because they will make you turn on your heels; and you will be the losers.

õ  ALLAH (SWT) IS YOUR GUARDIAN AND HE IS THE BEST OF HELPERS (if you are sincere and stead fast in your faith and have implicit confidence in His guardianship and in His help)".

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(3:149) Believers! If you follow those who deny the Truth, they will drive you back on your heels, *108 and you will turn about, losers.

*108. That is, they would push them back into the same state of unbelief from which they had extricated themselves. Since the Battle of Uhud the hypocrites and the Jews had constantly propagated the idea that, had Muhammad been a true Prophet, he would not have suffered the reverse that he encountered in that battle. This reverse was offered as proof that Muhammad (peace be on him) was an ordinary person whose fortunes varied, like those of other men, between victory and defeat. They further contended that the support and patronage of God which Muhammad claimed to enjoy was a sham. 

بَلِ اللَّهُ مَوْلَاكُمْ ۖ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ النَّاصِرِينَ {3:150}

[Q3:150] Balil laahu mawlaakum wa Huwa khairun naasireen. 

[Q3:150] Nay! ALLAH (SWT) is your Patron and He is the best of the helpers.

[Q3:150] (Janganlah kamu taatkan mereka!) Bahkan (taatlah kepada) ALLAH (SwT) Pelindung kamu dan Dialah sebaik-baik Penolong. 

(see commentary for verse 149)

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(3:150) But Allah is your Protector, and He is the best of helpers.