Discover the Holy Quran, Surah 3. Al'Imran Verses 141-161

[taul]

---In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.


141- Allah's object also is to purge those that are in Faith and to deprive of blessing Those that resist Faith.

142- Did ye think that ye would enter Heaven without Allah testing those of you who fought hard (In His Cause) and remained steadfast?

143- Ye did indeed wish for death before ye met him: Now ye have seen him with your own eyes, (And ye flinch!)

144- Muhammad is no more than an apostle: many Were the apostle that passed away before him. If he died or were slain, will ye then Turn back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah. but Allah (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those who (serve Him) with gratitude.

145- Nor can a soul die except by Allah.s leave, the term being fixed as by writing. If any do desire a reward in this life, We shall give it to him; and if any do desire a reward in the Hereafter, We shall give it to him. And swiftly shall We reward those that (serve us with) gratitude.

146- How many of the prophets fought (in Allah.s way), and with them (fought) Large bands of godly men? but they never lost heart if they met with disaster in Allah.s way, nor did they weaken (in will) nor give in. And Allah loves those who are firm and steadfast.

147- All that they said was: "Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and anything We may have done that transgressed our duty: Establish our feet firmly, and help us against those that resist Faith."

148- And Allah gave them a reward in this world, and the excellent reward of the Hereafter. For Allah Loveth those who do good.

149- O ye who believe! If ye obey the Unbelievers, they will drive you back on your heels, and ye will turn back (from Faith) to your own loss.

150- Nay, Allah is your protector, and He is the best of helpers.

151- Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers, for that they joined companions with Allah, for which He had sent no authority: their abode will be the Fire: And evil is the home of the wrong-doers!

152- Allah did indeed fulfill His promise to you when ye with His permission Were about to annihilate your enemy, -until ye flinched and fell to disputing about the order, and disobeyed it after He brought you in sight (of the booty) which ye covet. Among you are some that hanker after this world and some that desire the Hereafter. Then did He divert you from your foes in order to test you He forgave you: For Allah is full of grace to those who believe.

153- Behold! ye were climbing up the high ground, without even casting a side glance at any one, and the Messenger in your rear was calling you back. There did Allah give you one distress after another by way of requital, to teach you not to grieve for (the booty) that has escaped you and for (the ill) that had befallen you. For Allah is well aware of all that ye do.

154- After (the excitement) of the distress, He sent down calm on a band of you overcome with slumber, while another band was stirred to anxiety by their own feelings, Moved by wrong suspicions of Allah. suspicions due to ignorance. They said: "What affair is this of ours?" Say thou: "indeed, this affair is wholly Allah.s" They hide in their minds what they dare not reveal to thee. They say (to themselves): "If we had had anything to do with this affair, We should not have been in the slaughter here." Say: "Even if you had remained in your homes, those for whom death was decreed would certainly have gone forth to the place of their death"; but (all this was) that Allah might test what is in your breasts and purge what is in your hearts. For Allah knoweth well the secrets of your hearts.

155- Those of you who turned back on the day the two hosts Met,-it was Satan who caused them to fail, because of some (evil) they had done. But Allah Has blotted out (their fault): For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Forbearing.

156- O ye who believe! Be not like the Unbelievers, who say of their brethren, when they are travelling through the Earth or engaged in fighting: "If they had stayed with us, they would not have died, or been slain." This that Allah may make it a cause of sighs and regrets in their hearts. It is Allah that gives Life and Death, and Allah sees well all that ye do.

157- And if ye are slain, or die, in the way of Allah, forgiveness and mercy from Allah are far better than all they could amass.

158- And if ye die, or are slain, Lo! it is unto Allah that ye are brought together.

159- It is part of the Mercy of Allah that thou dost deal gently with them Wert thou severe or harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about thee: so pass over (Their faults), and ask for (Allah's) forgiveness for them; and consult them in affairs (of moment). Then, when thou hast Taken a decision put thy trust in Allah. For Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).

160- If Allah helps you, none can overcome you: If He forsakes you, who is there, after that, that can help you? in Allah, then, Let believers put their trust.

161- No prophet could (ever) be false to his trust. If any person is so false, He shall, on the Day of Judgment, restore what he misappropriated; then shall every soul receive its due,-whatever it earned, - and none shall be dealt with unjustly.


May Allah make us those who believe and put their trust in Allah. Ameen

 

[patriot]

3:141 This is how God enables the true believers to emerge stronger after every challenge and causes the rejecters of Divine Laws to wither away.

3:142 Do you think that you would enter Paradise without God distinguishing those among you who strive, and without distinguishing the steadfast? [2:214]

3:143 For, indeed, you used to long for death (in the Cause of God) before you faced it. And now you have seen it with your own eyes.
[A life of honor in this world belongs to those who have conquered the fear of death, and death is the gateway to eternal life. 2:94, 2:243]

3:144 Remember that Muhammad is only a Messenger. The messengers before him have passed on. So, if he died or were slain, would you turn about on your heels? But anyone who turns about his heels, would not, in the least, harm God. And God will soon reward those who remain appreciative (for the Guidance).
[The System the Prophet has established is to become a Beacon of Light for all humanity. The believers will reap the fruit of the Benevolent System here and then, get rewarded in the Hereafter. 3:101, 3:185, 35:10]

3:145 No one dies except by Gods Leave, at a term appointed by His Laws. Whoever seeks the rewards of this world, We give him thereof, and whoever seeks the returns of the Hereafter, We shall grant him thereof. We will soon reward those who are appreciative (for serving Him).
[Being appreciative (Shaakir) is not confined to verbal proclamations. It involves sharing Divine Bounties with the society and individuals. The Quran shows humans the Way to success in both worlds. 3:148, 17:18-20, 24:55, 28:77]

3:146 Many a Prophet fought, - and with them numerous devotees of their Lord, without wavering under adversity, in the Cause of God, nor did they hesitate or become discouraged. Know that God loves those who are determined to achieve a noble objective.
[Wa = And = Since = Witness = Or = For = Then = As a continuum, it may be understood as 'know', 'remember'. Saabir = Steadfast = Persevering = Determined = Patient in ease and adversity]

3:147 Their resolve was their utterance, "Our Lord! Protect us from trailing behind in our mission and from wasting our efforts. Make us firm in our stand, and help us against the disbelieving folk."

3:148 So, God gave them excellent returns in this world; and better are the returns of the Hereafter. Remember that God loves the benefactors of humanity.

3:149 O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! If you heed the rejecters of the Divine System, they will make you turn back on your heels, and you will turn back to your own loss.

3:150 Remember, only God is your Maula (Master), and He is the Best of helpers.

3:151 (True belief removes fear and grief 2:38.) We shall cause dread in the hearts of those who defy the Divine Laws since they choose masters besides God. For this, He has revealed no Authority, and granted power to none contrary to His Laws. Fire is their resting place, and miserable is the ultimate home of those who hurt themselves by relegating the Truth. (The last line defines Zaalimeen in the context.)

3:152 Indeed, God fulfilled His promise to you when you routed them by following His Law - until you wavered and disputed among yourselves about the situation, and disobeyed after He had shown you what you so much loved. (You were winning the battle of Uhud,) but then some of you (were distracted by the spoils of war and) desired the world, while others rightly kept in focus the lasting success in the Hereafter. He then disengaged you from defeating them to let you go through trying circumstances. But He absolved your imperfections (as you realized your fault and stood firm again). For, God is full of Bounty for the true believers.

3:153 Recall when you rushed after the spoils, caring for none, and the Messenger, in your rear, was calling out to you. So He caused you to suffer grief upon grief to teach you a lesson. Grieve not over what you lose, nor over a calamity that befalls you. For, God is well Aware of all you do.

3:154 After the setback, He sent down upon you calm that pacified some of you - Whereas another group was unduly anxious within themselves, holding wrong assumptions about God, the assumptions of ignorance. (They were hypocrites worried for their lives.) They said, Do we have any control? Tell them, All control belongs to, and derives from, God. You can control events only within the framework of His Laws. These (hypocrites) concealed within themselves what they did not reveal to you. They said, If we had nothing to do with this battle we would not have been harmed. Say, Had you stayed in your homes, those destined to be killed would have crawled themselves to the circumstance of death. God thus lets you test your real convictions so that you emerge stronger after every challenge deep down in your hearts. God is Aware of your psyche and what is deep down in the hearts.

3:155 Those of you, who turned back on that day when the two armies clashed, it was their selfish desire which caused them to backslide. This happened because of some errors they had done. Now God has pardoned them (since their good outweighed their shortcomings). Indeed, God is Absolver of imperfections, Most Clement.

3:156 O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! Do not be like disbelievers who (regretfully) say of their brethren who went forth or fought in the battle, "If they had stayed (home) with us, they would not have died nor been killed. God creates anguish in the hearts for this kind of attitude. (Fear of death takes away "life" out of life.) For, it is God Who gives life and causes death, and God is Seer of your actions.

3:157 And if you are slain or die in God's Cause, then an eternally preserved life (God's maghfirah) and His Grace are better than whatever one could amass.

3:158 For, indeed, whether you die or are slain, life goes on to its Destination - it is surely unto God that you will be gathered, and every step of yours is heading toward Him.

3:159 It is God's Mercy that you (O Messenger) are lenient and compassionate with people. For, if you were harsh and stern of heart, they would have broken away from you. So, pardon them, arrange for their security, and consult with them in matters of public interest. Then, once you have taken a decision, put your trust in God. Surely, God loves those who do their best and then trust in God.

3:160 Remember, when God helps you, none can overcome you. But if He forsakes you (for your forsaking Him), who is there to help you thereafter? In God, then, let the believers put their trust. [He is Trustworthy since He never changes His Laws.]

3:161 It is inconceivable that a Prophet could ever act dishonestly. Anyone who acts dishonestly will have to account for it on the Day of Resurrection. Then every self will be paid in full what it has earned, and they will not face any injustice.