Al Imran: (193) Our Lord, indeed we have heard...

In this verse, there are several issues:

Issue 1: Regarding the Caller (Munādī)

There are two main opinions:

1. It refers to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH): This is the view of the majority. The evidence is in verses like:
   • "{Invite to the way of your Lord}" (An-Nahl: 125)
   • "{And as a caller to Allah by His permission}" (Al-Ahzab: 46)
   • "{I call to Allah}" (Yusuf: 108)

2. It refers to the Qur'an: Proponents argue that just as Allah recounted the saying of believing Jinn: "{Say: It has been revealed to me that a group of the Jinn listened and said, 'Indeed, we have heard a Qur'an guiding to the right course...'" (Al-Jinn: 1-2)}, similarly, this verse refers to the believers among mankind hearing the Qur'an. They argue this interpretation is preferable because not everyone met the Prophet (PBUH), but everyone heard and understood the Qur'an. Although this is metaphorical, it is a common metaphor because the Qur'an contains guidance (Rushd), and anyone who contemplates it reaches guidance (if Allah grants success), making it seem as if the Qur'an itself calls out and summons through its proofs. This is similar to how Hell is described: "{It calls whoever turned his back and fled}" (Al-Ma'arij: 17), because that is their destination. Eloquent speakers and poets also describe Time (Dahr) as calling and admonishing, meaning the changes and events of time serve as admonitions, as the poet said:

Issue 2: Regarding the phrase "{...a caller calling to faith}" (yunādī lil-īmān)

There are several interpretations for the preposition lām (li):

1. The lām means ilā (to/towards): Similar to verses like: "{Then they return to what they were forbidden from}" (Al-Mujadilah: 3), "{Then they say what they said}" (Al-Mujadilah: 8), "{...that your Lord has inspired to it}" (Az-Zalzalah: 5), and "{All praise is due to Allah, Who has guided us to this}" (Al-A'raf: 43). One says da'āhu li-kadha (he called him for such-and-such) and da'āhu ilā kadha (he called him towards such-and-such). The reason both prepositions can substitute for each other is that both the meaning of finality/destination (intihā’ al-ghāyah) and specification/exclusivity (ikhtiṣāṣ) are present.

2. It is a case of fronting and deferral (Taqdīm wa Ta’khīr): According to Abu 'Ubaydah, the meaning is: "We heard a caller calling for faith, saying, 'Believe!'" Similar to saying: "The Emir's caller came to us, announcing such and such."

3. The lām is the lām al-ajal (the lām of purpose): The meaning is: "We heard a caller whose call was so that people might believe." This is like: "{And We did not send any messenger except to be obeyed by permission of Allah}" (An-Nisa: 64).

Issue 3: Regarding the structure "{We heard a caller calling}" (sami'nā munādiyan yunādī)

This structure is analogous to saying: "I heard a man saying such-and-such," or "I heard Zayd speaking." The verb (hearing) is applied to the person (the caller/man), and the object heard (the call/speech) is omitted because the caller is described by what is heard, making it a circumstantial clause (ḥāl) that suffices without explicitly mentioning the sound. Alternatively, one could say, "I heard the speech of so-and-so."

Issue 4: Regarding the combination of "caller" and "calling"

Question: What is the benefit of combining munādī (caller) and yunādī (calling)?

Answer: Mentioning the calling generally, and then specifying it with "to faith" (lil-īmān), serves to magnify the status of the caller. There is no caller greater than one who calls to faith. This is similar to saying: "I passed by a guide guiding to Islam." If "caller" is mentioned generally, the mind might assume a caller to war, extinguishing a fire, aiding the distressed, or dealing with some calamity. Similarly, a "guide" might be one who guides to the road or to sound judgment. But when you say, "calling to faith" or "guiding to Islam," you elevate and magnify the status of the caller and the guide.

Issue 5: Regarding the phrase "{And when it was revealed...}" (wa idhā unzilat)

There is an omission or implication here. The meaning is: "[We heard the call] 'Believe!' or 'Believe that...'." Then Allah recounts that after this, they said: "{Our Lord, forgive us our sins and wipe out our misdeeds and cause us to die with the righteous}."

In this supplication, there are several issues:

They requested three things from Allah:

1. Forgiveness of sins (maghfirat adh-dhunūb).
2. Wiping out misdeeds (takfīr as-sayyi’āt).
3. That their death be with the righteous (tawaffanā ma' al-abrār).

Regarding Forgiveness and Wiping Out: Linguistically, maghfirah (forgiveness) is covering and concealing. Takfīr (wiping out/expiation) is also covering. It is said a man is mukaffar bi-s-silāḥ (covered in armor). Kufr (disbelief) is derived from this root, meaning covering. The poet Labīd said:

Thus, linguistically, maghfirah and takfīr mean the same thing.

However, the exegetes mentioned several views:

1. They mean the same thing, and the repetition is for emphasis, as persistence and exaggeration in supplication are recommended.
2. The first refers to past sins, and the second refers to future sins (that might occur after the supplication).
3. Maghfirah refers to what is removed through repentance, while takfīr refers to what is expiated by great acts of obedience.
4. Maghfirah refers to what one commits knowingly as a sin, while takfīr refers to what one commits unknowingly as a sin.

Regarding "{...and cause us to die with the righteous}": There are two points of discussion:

1. Al-Abrār (the righteous) is the plural of barr or bārr, like rabb and arbāb, or ṣāḥib and aṣḥāb.
2. Al-Qaffāl mentioned two views regarding this companionship (ma'iyyah):
   • That their death with them means dying upon the like of their deeds, so they will be in their ranks on the Day of Judgment. (e.g., "I agree with Al-Shafi'i on this issue," meaning I share his view).
   • It means being a participant with them in a certain measure. (e.g., "So-and-so is among those given thousands in allowance," meaning he shares in receiving a thousand).
   • It means being counted among the followers and adherents of the righteous, as in: "{...then those will be with those upon whom Allah has bestowed favor, from the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous}" (An-Nisa: 69).

Our scholars used this verse (referring to verse 16: "{Our Lord, forgive us our sins}") as evidence for the attainment of pardon without explicit repentance. The argument is twofold:

1. They requested forgiveness of sins without mentioning repentance, indicating they sought absolute forgiveness. Allah answered them, as stated at the end of the passage: "{Then their Lord responded to them}" (Al-Imran: 195). This explicitly shows that Allah may pardon sins even if repentance is not present.
2. They made this request after affirming their faith (hearing the caller). The fā’ (then) in "{Then forgive us our sins}" (fa-ghfir lanā) is the fā’ of consequence/result. This indicates that faith itself is a cause for making a good request for forgiveness from Allah. Since Allah responded by saying, "{Then their Lord responded to them}," this verse proves that mere faith is a cause for attaining forgiveness—either immediately (by pardoning them and not entering them into the Fire) or eventually (by entering them into the Fire for a period, then pardoning them and bringing them out). Thus, the verse proves the attainment of pardon through these two avenues.

Our scholars used this verse as evidence that the intercession of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) for those who commit major sins will be accepted on the Day of Judgment.

The reasoning is: These believers requested absolute forgiveness from Allah without qualifying it with repentance, and Allah accepted their request and granted them what they asked. If Allah accepts the intercession of believers for the pardon of sins, then accepting the intercession of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) for this purpose is even more fitting.

Type Four: Their Supplication (Continued)