Tafsir of Al Imran 3:10-12

"Indeed, those who disbelieve..."

Regarding the word min (from) in the phrase "from Allah" (min Allāh): It is like the min in the verse: "And indeed, conjecture avails nothing against the truth" (An-Najm: 28). The meaning is: [Their wealth and children] will not avail them anything against the mercy of Allah or against the obedience of Allah.

"Anything" (shay’an): Meaning: in place of His mercy and obedience, and in place of the truth. From this is the saying: "And the wealth of the possessor of wealth does not avail him against You," meaning his wealth and his share of the world do not avail him anything in place of Your obedience, Your worship, and what is with You. Similar in meaning is the verse: "And it is not your wealth or your children that bring you nearer to Us in position" (Saba’: 37).

Note: It is also recited as "wuqūd" (with a damma), meaning the fuel of it.

"Those who disbelieve": Those who disbelieved in the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). According to Ibn Abbas, they are the [tribes of] Qurayza and Nadir.

"The custom" (al-da’b): A verbal noun derived from da’aba in work, meaning to toil. It is used here to denote the state and condition a person is accustomed to. The kaf (in ka-da’bi) is in the nominative position; the estimation is: "The custom of these disbelievers is like the custom of those before them, from the people of Pharaoh and others."

It is also permissible for the kaf to be in the accusative position, linked to "will not avail" or "fuel." That is: "It will not avail them, just as it did not avail those before them," or "They will be fueled by the Fire just as those were fueled." You say: "You oppress people ka-da’bi (like the custom of) your father," meaning: "like the oppression of your father and how he used to oppress them."

"They denied Our signs": This is an explanation of their "custom"—what they did and what was done to them—as an answer to an implied question regarding their state.

"Say to those who disbelieve": They are the polytheists of Mecca.

"You will be overcome": Meaning on the day of Badr. It is also said they are the Jews. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was victorious at Badr, they said: "By Allah, this is the unlettered Prophet whom Moses gave us glad tidings of," and they intended to follow him. Some said: "Do not be hasty until we see another battle." When the day of Uhud came, they doubted.

It is said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) gathered them after the battle of Badr in the market of Banu Qaynuqa and said: "O assembly of Jews, beware of what befell Quraysh, and accept Islam before what befell them befalls you. You know that I am a sent Prophet." They replied: "Do not let it deceive you that you encountered a people inexperienced in war, and you found an opportunity against them. If you were to fight us, you would know that we are the real men." Thus, this was revealed.

It is also recited as "they will be overcome and gathered" (sayughlabūna wa-yuhsharūna) with the ya (third person), similar to the verse: "Say to those who disbelieve, if they cease, they will be forgiven" (Al-Anfal: 38), based on the command: "Say to them my words: 'They will be overcome and gathered.'"

If you ask: What is the difference in meaning between the two recitations? I say: The meaning of the recitation with the ta (second person) is a command to inform them of what will happen to them regarding defeat and being gathered into Hell; it is a report in the sense of "You will be overcome and gathered," which is the very thing threatened. The meaning of the recitation with the ya (third person) is a command to relate to them what He has informed you of regarding their threat, using His own words, as if He said: "Deliver to them this statement which is My word to you: 'They will be overcome and gathered.'"