Tafsir of Al Imran 3:163

Surah Al 'Imran (3): Verse 163

{هُمْ دَرَجَاتٌ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ} (They are ranks/degrees with Allah, and Allah is Seeing of what they do.)

The First Issue: The Implied Meaning of "Ranks" (Darajāt)

The implied meaning of the statement is: "They have ranks with Allah." However, the omission (of "have") is eloquent because the difference in their deeds has rendered them like things that are inherently different in their very essence. Thus, this metaphorical usage is more powerful than the literal truth.

Philosophers state that human souls differ in their essence and reality: some are intelligent, some are dull, some are luminous and radiant, some are murky and dark, some are noble, and some are base. The difference in these qualities is not due to variations in bodily temperaments but due to the difference in the essences of the souls themselves.

This is supported by the Prophet's saying: "People are like mines, like the mines of gold and silver," and, "Souls are mustered troops." If this is established, then it is proven that people are ranks in themselves, not merely that they have ranks.

The Second Issue: The Referent of the Pronoun "Hum" (They)

The pronoun {هُمْ} (They) refers back to the word {مَنْ} (whoever) in the preceding verse: {أَفَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَ اللَّهِ} (Is he who follows the pleasure of Allah...). Since the word {مَنْ} implies a plural meaning, it is correct for the pronoun {هُمْ} to refer back to it.

A parallel example is: {أَفَمَنْ كَانَ مُؤْمِنًا كَمَنْ كَانَ فَاسِقًا لَا يَسْتَوُونَ} (Is he who is a believer like he who is a transgressor? They are not equal). Here, {يَسْتَوُونَ} (They are equal) is a plural form referring back to {مَنْ}.

The Third Issue: Possible Referents for "Hum"

The pronoun {هُمْ} refers to something previously mentioned. Both those who followed the pleasure of Allah and those who incurred the wrath of Allah have been mentioned. Therefore, this pronoun could refer to:

1. The first group (those who followed Allah's pleasure).
2. The second group (those who incurred Allah's wrath).
3. Both groups combined.

The First View: That {هُمْ} refers to {مَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَ اللَّهِ} (whoever follows the pleasure of Allah). The meaning is: Is he who follows the pleasure of Allah equal [to the other]? No, rather, they are ranks with Allah according to their deeds.

Evidence supporting this view:

1. Customarily, the term darajāt (ranks/degrees) is used for those deserving reward, while darakāt (levels/depths) is used for those deserving punishment.
2. Allah described those who incurred His wrath by stating their destination is Hellfire. Therefore, {هُمْ دَرَجَاتٌ} must be a description of those who followed Allah's pleasure.
3. The Quranic custom is generally to attribute blessings and mercy to Allah (e.g., "Your Lord has decreed mercy upon Himself"), while punishments are not directly attributed to Him (e.g., "Prescribed for you is retaliation"). Since Allah attributes these ranks to Himself ("They are ranks with Allah"), we know this describes the people of reward.
4. This is confirmed by the verse: {انظُرْ كَيْفَ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ وَلَلْآخِرَةُ أَكْبَرُ دَرَجَاتٍ وَأَكْبَرُ تَفْضِيلًا} (See how We have preferred some of them over others. But the Hereafter is greater in degrees and greater in preference).

The Second View: That {هُمْ دَرَجَاتٌ} refers to {مَنْ بَاءَ بِسَخَطٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ} (whoever incurred the wrath of Allah). The argument is that the pronoun refers to the nearest antecedent, which is the view of Al-Hasan. He said the meaning is that the people of Hell vary in their levels of torment, similar to: {وَلِكُلٍّ دَرَجَاتٌ مِمَّا عَمِلُوا} (And for all are degrees according to what they did). A Hadith states that the person suffering the lightest punishment in Hell will have two sandals of fire placed on him, the heat of which will boil his brain, and he will cry out, "O Lord, is anyone else suffering torment like mine?"

The Third View: That {هُمْ} refers to all people (both groups). This is because the ranks of the people of reward vary, and the ranks of the people of punishment also vary, corresponding to the variation in the deeds of creation. Since Allah says: {فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ * وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ} (So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it), their ranks in punishment and reward must vary according to the variation in their deeds of obedience and sin.

The Fourth Issue: The Meaning of "With Allah" ({عِنْدَ اللَّهِ})

{عِنْدَ اللَّهِ} means "in the judgment of Allah and His knowledge." It is like saying, "This issue, according to Al-Shafi'i, is such, and according to Abu Hanifa, is such." This clarifies the error in the reasoning of the Anthropomorphists (Mushabbihah) who use verses like {وَمَنْ عِنْدَهُ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ} (And those near Him are not too proud to worship Him) and {عِنْدَ مَلِيكٍ مُقْتَدِرٍ} (In the presence of a Sovereign, Potent).

The purpose of this statement is that since Allah mentioned that He will recompense everyone according to their deeds—which is only possible if He knows all the actions of His servants in detail, free from conjecture or doubt—He follows it by clarifying His omniscience to confirm that meaning.

Regarding the preceding verses (Al 'Imran 161-162): Muhammad ibn Ishaq, the author of Al-Maghazi, offered another interpretation for {وَمَا كَانَ لِنَبِيٍّ أَنْ يَغُلَّ} (It is not for a prophet to commit ghulūl [breach of trust/embezzlement]). He said it means: A prophet should not conceal from the people what Allah sent him with, out of desire for people's approval or fear of them.

Then, regarding {أَفَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَ اللَّهِ}, he interpreted it as: Whoever preferred the pleasure of Allah over the pleasure of people, and the wrath of Allah over the wrath of people, is like {كَمَنْ بَاءَ بِسَخَطٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ} (whoever incurred the wrath of Allah), meaning he preferred the wrath of people over the wrath of Allah, and the pleasure of people over the pleasure of Allah.

The coherence of the structure under this interpretation is that after Allah commanded the Prophet: {فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِي الْأَمْرِ} (So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter), He clarified that this command is only valid if it aligns with the religion. If it contradicts the religion, it is impermissible. How, then, can there be equality between one who follows Allah's pleasure and obedience, and one who follows the pleasure of people? This interpretation is plausible because we established that ghulūl linguistically means hidden treachery, whereas restricting this term specifically to treachery regarding spoils of war is a later convention.

{لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِنْ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ} (Allah has certainly conferred favor upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom, although they were previously in manifest error.)