Tafsir of Al Imran 3:195

Āl 'Imrān: 195

فَاسْتَجَابَ لَهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ (So their Lord responded to them.)

Know that Allāh, the Exalted, first recounted how they recognized Him through evidence, which is His saying:

{Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth...} (Al-Baqarah: 164) up to His saying: {...are signs for those who possess intellect.} (Āl 'Imrān: 190).

Then, He recounted their persistence in remembrance (Dhikr), which is His saying:

{Those who remember Allāh while standing...}

And their contemplation (Tafakkur), which is His saying:

{...and reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth.}

Then, He recounted their praise of Allāh, which is their saying:

{Our Lord, You did not create this in vain. Exalted are You...} (Āl 'Imrān: 191).

Then, He recounted that after the praise, they engaged in supplication (Du'ā'), which is from their saying:

{...so protect us from the punishment of the Fire.} (Āl 'Imrān: 191) up to His saying: {Indeed, You do not fail in Your promise.} (Āl 'Imrān: 194).

In this verse, He clarified that He responded to their supplication by saying: {So their Lord responded to them}.

There are several issues (Masā'il) in the verse:

This verse serves as an indication that the acceptance of supplication is conditional upon these preceding actions (recognition, remembrance, reflection, praise, and supplication). Since fulfilling these conditions is rare, the person whose supplication is answered is consequently rare and esteemed.

The author of Al-Kashshāf said: It is said both istajābahū (He responded to them) and istajāba lahum (He responded for them). The poet said:

"A farewell call, 'O He who answers the call!' But no answerer responded to him at that time."

And Allāh, the Exalted, said:

{O you who have believed, respond to Allāh and the Messenger...} (Al-Anfāl: 24).

The phrase {أَنِّي} (Annī) is read in two ways:

1. With Fatḥa (A): The meaning is "because I..." (bi-annī).
2. With Kasra (I): Intending the meaning of speech, i.e., "saying, 'I...'" (qawlī, annī).

It is also read as {لَا أُضَيِّعُ} (lā uḍayyi'u) with Tashdīd (doubling the ḍād).

Regarding the particle {مِنْ} (min) in {مِنْ ذَكَرٍ} (from any male):

1. It is for specification (Tabyīn), like His saying: {So shun the impurity of idols...} (Al-Hajj: 30).
2. It is an emphatic particle for negation, meaning: No doer, whether male or female, performs an action.

Know that what is not meant is that the action itself will not perish, because every action, once it occurs, vanishes and ceases to exist. Rather, what is meant is that the reward of the action will not perish. "Letting perish" (Iḍā'ah) is an expression for withholding the recompense.

Therefore, the phrase {لَا أُضِيعُ} (lā uḍī'u - I will not let perish) is a negation of a negation, which results in affirmation. The meaning becomes: I will deliver the reward of all their deeds to you.

If what we have stated is established, then the verse indicates that none of the believers will remain eternally in the Fire. The proof is that through their faith, they earned a reward, and through their sin, they earned punishment. Both must reach them according to this verse. Combining both (eternal punishment and eternal reward) is impossible. Thus, either the reward precedes the punishment and then transfers to punishment (which is false by consensus), or the punishment precedes and then transfers to the reward, which is the desired conclusion.

The majority of commentators interpreted the verse as Allāh accepting that He will recompense them for their deeds and obedience and deliver the reward of those deeds to them.

Objection: The people first requested forgiveness of sins, and secondly, the granting of reward. His saying: {I will not let perish the deed of any of you who does good} is an answer regarding the granting of reward. Where is the answer regarding the request for forgiveness of sins?

Response: It is not necessary that the removal of punishment results in the granting of reward. However, the granting of reward necessitates the cessation of punishment. Thus, His saying: {I will not let perish the deed of any of you who does good} serves as an answer to their request concerning what they sought.

I have another interpretation of the verse: that what is meant by {أَنِّي لَا أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عَامِلٍ مِنْكُمْ} is: I will not let your supplication perish. Not letting the supplication perish is an expression for answering the supplication. Therefore, the meaning is: Your supplication has been answered in everything you requested and asked for.

As for His saying: {مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَى} (whether male or female), the meaning is that there is no disparity in the response or the reward between the male and the female, provided both adhere equally to obedience. This indicates that merit in matters of religion is based on deeds, not on other attributes of the doers. Being male or female, or belonging to a humble or noble lineage, has no effect in this regard. This is similar to His saying: {It is not by your wishes nor the wishes of the People of the Scripture. Whoever does evil will be recompensed for it...} (An-Nisā': 123).

It is narrated that Umm Salamah said: "O Messenger of Allāh, I hear Allāh mentioning men in the context of Hijrah (migration) but not women." Then this verse was revealed.

Regarding His saying: {بَعْضُكُمْ مِنْ بَعْضٍ} (some of you are from others), there are interpretations: The best interpretation is that {مِنْ} (min) means kāf (like/as), meaning: some of you are like others in reward for obedience and punishment for disobedience.

Al-Qaffāl said: This is like the saying, "So-and-so is from me," meaning he is upon my disposition and way. Allāh said: {So whoever drinks from it, he is not of me, and whoever does not taste it - indeed, he is of me...} (Al-Baqarah: 249). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: (Whoever deceives us is not one of us) and (He is not one of us who raises a weapon against us). Therefore, {بَعْضُكُمْ مِنْ بَعْضٍ} means some of you are similar to others in deserving reward for obedience and punishment for disobedience, so how could disparity enter into this?

Then Allāh, the Exalted, said: {فَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا وَأُخْرِجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ وَأُوذُوا فِي سَبِيلِي وَقَاتَلُوا وَقُتِلُوا لَأُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَلَأُدْخِلَنَّهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ} (But those who emigrated and were driven out from their homes and were harmed in My cause and fought and were killed—I will surely remove from them their misdeeds and will surely admit them into gardens beneath which rivers flow.)

• {الَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا} (Those who emigrated): Refers to those who chose to migrate from their homelands in service of the Messenger (PBUH).
• {وَأُخْرِجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ} (and were driven out from their homes): Refers to those whom the disbelievers forced to leave. Undoubtedly, the rank of the former group is superior because they chose to serve the Prophet (PBUH) and remain close to him by choice, making them better.
• {وَأُوذُوا فِي سَبِيلِي} (and were harmed in My cause): Meaning, because of Me and for My sake.
• {وَقَاتَلُوا وَقُتِلُوا} (and fought and were killed): The fighting precedes the killing.

Regarding the readings of Qātalū and Qutilū:

1. Nāfi', 'Āṣim, and Abū 'Amr read: {وَقَاتَلُوا} (with alif) first, and {وَقُتِلُوا} (light tashdīd) second. Meaning: They fought alongside him until they were killed.
2. Ibn Kathīr and Ibn 'Āmir read: {وَقَاتَلُوا} first, and {وَقُتِّلُوا} (heavy tashdīd) second. It is said the Tashdīd is for exaggeration or repeated killing among them, like {gates opened for them} (Ṣād: 50). It is also said it means they were cut off (from life), according to Al-Ḥasan.
3. Ḥamzah and Al-Kisā'ī read: {وَقُتِلُوا} (without alif) first, and {وَقَاتَلُوا} (with alif) second. There are several interpretations for this:
   • The wāw (and) does not necessitate sequence, as in {Prostrate and bow down} (Āl 'Imrān: 43).
   • It follows the expression: "We have killed, by the Lord of the Ka'bah," when signs of killing appeared, or when his people and clan were killed.
   • It implies the omission of Qad (indeed), meaning: They were killed, and they fought.

Allāh promised three things to those who did this:

1. Wiping out misdeeds and forgiving sins: This is His saying: {لَأُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ} (I will surely remove from them their misdeeds). This is what they requested by saying: {So forgive us our sins and remove from us our bad deeds...} (Āl 'Imrān: 193).
2. Granting immense reward: This is His saying: {وَلَأُدْخِلَنَّهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ} (and will surely admit them into gardens beneath which rivers flow). This is what they requested by saying: {And give us what You promised us through Your messengers...}.
3. That this reward will be a great reward accompanied by honor and reverence: This is His saying: {مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ} (from Allāh). This relates to what they said: {And do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection}. Since Allāh is the Great One whose greatness has no end, when the great sovereign tells his servant, "I will bestow upon you a robe from Myself," it indicates that this robe is of the utmost honor.

The word {ثَوَابًا} (thawāban) is an emphatic Maṣdar (verbal noun). The meaning is: I will surely reward them a reward from Allāh, meaning: I will reward them with a reward or a recompense from Allāh, because His saying {I will surely remove... and I will surely admit them} carries the meaning of "I will surely reward them."

Then He said: {وَاللَّهُ عِنْدَهُ حُسْنُ الثَّوَابِ} (And Allāh—with Him is the best of rewards). This is an emphasis that this reward is of the highest honor. Since Allāh is capable of all things, knowledgeable of all things, and independent of all needs, He must be of the utmost generosity, bounty, and benevolence; thus, the best reward is with Him.

It is narrated from Ja'far al-Ṣādiq that whoever is troubled by a matter says "Our Lord" five times, and Allāh saves him from what he fears and grants him what he desires. He then recited this verse, saying: "Because Allāh recounted that they said 'Our Lord' five times, then He informed that He responded to them."

{لَا يَغُرَّنَّكَ تَقَلُّبُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي الْبِلَادِ} (Let not the free movement of those who disbelieve throughout the land deceive you.)

{مَتَاعٌ قَلِيلٌ} (It is but a brief enjoyment.)

{ثُمَّ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ} (Then their refuge will be Hell, and wretched is the resting place.)