Tafsir of Al Imran 3:128

Al 'Imran (The Family of Imran): Verse 128

لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ شَيْءٌ... (Not for you is any part of the matter...)

Issue 1: The Occasion of Revelation (Sabab al-Nuzul)

There are two main opinions regarding the occasion of revelation for this verse:

Opinion 1 (The Famous View): It was revealed concerning the Battle of Uhud. Those who hold this view differ on the specific context:

1. Cursing the Disbelievers: It is narrated that 'Utbah ibn Abi Waqqas wounded the Prophet (PBUH) and broke his incisor. As the Prophet (PBUH) wiped blood from his face, Salm, the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah, was washing it off, saying: "How can a people succeed who have stained the face of their Prophet with blood while he calls them to their Lord?" The Prophet (PBUH) then intended to curse them when this verse was revealed.
2. Cursing Specific Leaders: It is narrated from Salim ibn 'Abdullah, from his father 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, that the Prophet (PBUH) cursed certain individuals (Abu Sufyan, Al-Harith ibn Hisham, Safwan ibn Umayyah). Then this verse was revealed: {Or that He may turn to them in forgiveness}, and Allah indeed turned to them in forgiveness, and their Islam became good.
3. Vengeance for Hamzah: When the Prophet (PBUH) saw the mutilation of his uncle Hamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, he said: "I will mutilate thirty of them in kind." This verse was then revealed.

Al-Qaffal stated that all these events occurred on the day of Uhud, so it is permissible for the verse to encompass all these possibilities.

Opinion 2: It was revealed concerning another incident: The Prophet (PBUH) sent a group of his best companions to the people of Bi'r Ma'unah to teach them the Qur'an. 'Amir ibn al-Tufayl attacked them with his army and killed them all. The Prophet (PBUH) grieved intensely over this and cursed the disbelievers for forty days, whereupon this verse was revealed. This view is attributed to Muqatil, but it is considered weak because most scholars agree the verse relates to Uhud, and introducing an unrelated story disrupts the context of the surrounding verses.

A Third Possibility (Related to Uhud): The Prophet (PBUH) intended to ask forgiveness for the Muslims who disobeyed him and fled, and simultaneously curse them, but Allah prevented him from doing so. This view is narrated from Ibn 'Abbas. (All these possibilities stem from the premise that the verse relates to Uhud.)

Issue 2: The Apparent Contradiction and the Prophet's Infallibility

The apparent meaning of the verse suggests that the Prophet (PBUH) was intending to do something, and this verse served as a prohibition against it. This raises a dilemma:

1. If the intended action was by Allah's command, how could Allah forbid him from it?
2. If it was not by Allah's command or permission, how is this consistent with the verse: {Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination} (An-Najm: 3)?
3. Furthermore, the verse implies the infallibility of the Prophets (PBUH). If the prohibited action was good, why did Allah forbid it? If it was bad, how could an infallible person intend to do it?

Answers to the Dilemma:

1. Prohibition does not imply prior action: A prohibition does not necessarily mean the Prophet (PBUH) was actively engaged in the forbidden act. Allah said to the Prophet (PBUH): {If you associate others [with Allah in worship], then surely your deeds will become worthless} (Az-Zumar: 65), yet the Prophet (PBUH) never committed Shirk. Similarly, Allah commanded him: {O Prophet, fear Allah} (Al-Ahzab: 1), which does not imply he was not fearing Allah. And: {And do not obey the disbelievers}, which does not imply he obeyed them. The benefit of this prohibition was that when intense grief and anger arose (due to the mutilation of Hamzah and the killing of Muslims), which might lead a person to inappropriate speech or action, Allah explicitly forbade this to reinforce his infallibility and purity.
2. Leaving the Best for the Better: Perhaps the Prophet (PBUH) intended an action that was permissible but less optimal than an alternative. Allah guided him to choose the best course. This is analogous to: {And if you punish, punish with the like of that with which you were harmed. But if you are patient—it is better for the patient. And be patient, and your patience is not but by Allah} (An-Nahl: 126-127). Allah first permitted retaliation (the like for like), then indicated that patience is superior, and finally commanded patience definitively: {And be patient, and your patience is not but by Allah}.
3. Seeking Permission: Perhaps the Prophet (PBUH), when his heart inclined toward cursing them, sought permission from his Lord, and Allah responded by forbidding it. In this case, the prohibition does not impugn his infallibility.

Issue 3: The Meaning of "Not for you is any part of the matter"

There are two interpretations:

1. Relating to the Incident: It means: "You have no say concerning the outcome of this specific event/matter." Commentators offered variations:
   • You have no say regarding the welfare of My servants except what I reveal to you.
   • You have no say in the matter of their destruction, as Allah knows the true interests—perhaps they will repent.
   • You have no say in whether Allah forgives them or punishes them.
2. Relating to Command/Authority (The Opposite of Prohibition): It means: "You have no authority in creation except when it aligns with My command." This is like His saying: {To Him belongs the judgment} (Al-An'am: 62) and {To Allah belongs the command before and after} (Ar-Rum: 4).

In both interpretations, the purpose is to prevent the Prophet (PBUH) from any action or speech except by His permission and command. This guides him to the highest degree of servitude.

Why the Prohibition on Cursing?

Scholars differed on the wisdom behind forbidding the curse:

• Future Good: Allah might know that some of those disbelievers will repent, or that even if they do not repent, they will father a righteous Muslim child. In such cases, Allah's mercy dictates that He should grant them respite until they repent or until that righteous child is born. If the Prophet (PBUH) cursed them and the curse was accepted, this purpose would be lost. If the curse was not accepted, it would appear as if the Prophet (PBUH) was being slighted. Therefore, Allah forbade him from cursing and commanded him to delegate everything to Allah's knowledge.
• Manifesting Servitude: The purpose is to demonstrate the limitation of servitude and that the servant should not delve into the secrets of Allah's dominion and majesty. (This latter view is preferred by the author as being most consistent with the principles establishing the reality of Lordship and Servitude.)

Issue 4: The Connection of "Or that He may turn to them in forgiveness"

1. Conjunction (Connected to the Preceding): The word 'aw (or) is conjunctive, meaning the preceding options are: "to cut off a party of the disbelievers, or to humiliate them, or that He may turn to them in forgiveness, or that He may punish them." In this view, the phrase {Not for you is any part of the matter} acts as an extraneous statement inserted between the connected clauses, similar to saying: "I struck Zayd; know that, 'Amr," before continuing the main thought.
2. Exception/Until (Hatta/Illa): The meaning of 'aw here is "until" or "except that," as in: "I will certainly pursue you until you give me my right." The meaning of the verse then becomes: "You have no say in their matter except that Allah turns to them in forgiveness (and you rejoice in their state), or that He punishes them (and you find satisfaction in that)."

Issue 5: The Meaning of "Or that He may turn to them in forgiveness"

Our scholars (Ash'ari school) interpret this as Allah creating repentance within them. This means creating regret for past actions and creating the resolve not to repeat them in the future.

Our scholars confirm this interpretation with rational proof: Regret is the occurrence of a will in the heart related to abandoning a past action and committing to its absence in the future. The occurrence of wills and aversions in the heart cannot be the act of the servant, because the servant's action is preceded by will. If the will itself were the servant's act, that will would require another will to bring it about, leading to infinite regress (which is impossible). Therefore, the occurrence of wills and aversions in the heart must be by Allah's initial creation and formation. Since repentance consists of regret and resolve—both being types of wills and aversions—repentance cannot occur for the servant except by Allah's creation. This rational proof aligns with the apparent meaning of the Qur'an: {Or that He may turn to them in forgiveness}.

The Mu'tazilah, however, interpret this phrase as either Allah performing Lutf (subtle guidance) or accepting the servant's repentance.

Issue 1: Justification for the Prohibition

1. If the purpose of the verse was to forbid cursing the disbelievers, the statement is sound, as Allah calls them wrongdoers because polytheism is a great injustice ({Indeed, association with Allah is a great injustice} [Luqman: 13]).
2. If the purpose was to forbid cursing the Muslims who disobeyed him, the statement is also sound, because whoever disobeys Allah has wronged himself.

Issue 2: The Nature of the Punishment

The punishment mentioned in this verse could refer to the punishment of this world (killing and captivity) or the punishment of the Hereafter. In either case, knowledge of this is delegated to Allah.

Issue 3: The Function of the Statement

The phrase {For they are wrongdoers} is an independent clause, but its purpose is to provide the rationale for the appropriateness of the punishment. The meaning is: "Or He may punish them, for if He punishes them, it is only because they are wrongdoers."