3. Sura al-Imran
Medina 89 [200 verses]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
يَا
أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ
آمَنُواْ ...
3: 156. O ye who believe!
... لاَ تَكُونُواْ كَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَقَالُواْ لإِخْوَانِهِمْ إِذَا ضَرَبُواْ فِي الأَرْضِ ...
be not like the unbelievers, who say of their brethren, when they are travelling through the earth or engaged in fighting:
... أَوْ كَانُواْ غُزًّى لَّوْ كَانُواْ عِندَنَا مَا مَاتُواْ وَمَا قُتِلُواْ...
"If they had stayed with us, they would not have died, or been slain.
...لِيَجْعَلَ اللّهُ ذَلِكَ حَسْرَةً فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ ...
This that Allah may make it a cause of sighs and regrets in their hearts.
...وَاللّهُ يُحْيِـي وَيُمِيتُ وَاللّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ ﴿١٥٦﴾
It is Allah that gives life and death, and Allah sees well all that ye do.
C469. It is want of faith that makes people afraid
- of meeting death,
- of doing their duty when it involves danger, as in traveling in order to earn an honest living, or fighting in a sacred cause.
Such fear is part of the punishment for want of faith.
If you have faith, there is no fear in meeting death, for it brings you nearer to your goal, nor in meeting danger for a sufficient cause, because you know that the keys of life and death are in Allah's hands. Nothing can happen without Allah's Will.
If it is Allah's Will that you should die, your staying at home will not save you. If it is His Will that you should live, the danger you incur in a just cause brings you glory.
Supposing it is His Will that you should lose your life in the danger, there are three considerations that would make you eager to meet it:
1. dying in doing your duty is the best means of reaching Allah's Mercy;
2. the man of faith knows that he is not going to an unknown country of which he has no news; he is going nearer to Allah; and
3. he is being "brought together" unto Allah; i.e., he will meet all his dear ones in faith: instead of the separation which the souls without faith fear, he looks forward to a surer reunion than is possible in this life.
Other Versions:
3: 156
Asad O you who have attained to faith! Be not like those who are bent on denying the truth and say of their brethren [who die] after having set out on a journey to faraway places [note 118] or gone forth to war, “Had they but remained with us, they would not have died,” or , “they would not have been slain” – for God will cause such thoughts to become [note 119] a source of bitter regret in their hearts, since it is God who grants life and deals with death. And God sees all that you do.
Pickthall O ye who believe! Be not as those who disbelieved and said of their brethren who went abroad in the land or were fighting in the field: If they had been (here) with us they would not have died or been killed; that Allah may make it anguish in their hearts. Allah giveth life and causeth death; and Allah is Seer of what ye do.
Transliteration Ya_ ayyuhal lazina a_manu_ la_ taku_nu_ kallazina kafaru_ wa qa_lu_ li ikhwa_nihim iza_ darabu_ fil ardi au ka_nu_ guzzal lau ka_nu_ 'indana_ ma_ ma_tu_ wa ma_ qutilu_, liyaj'alalla_hu za_lika hasratan fi qulu_bihim, walla_hu yuhyi wa yumit(u), walla_hu bima_ ta'malu_na basir(un).
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8. [al-Anfal, Medina 88, after Badr 2H]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
إِنَّ
الَّذِينَ
آمَنُواْ وَهَاجَرُواْ
وَجَاهَدُواْ
بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ
وَأَنفُسِهِمْ
فِي سَبِيلِ
اللّهِ...
8: 72. Those who believed, and adopted exile, and fought for the faith, with their property and their persons, in the Cause of Allah,
...وَالَّذِينَ آوَواْ وَّنَصَرُواْ أُوْلَـئِكَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاء بَعْضٍ...
as well as those who gave (them) asylum and aid - these are (all) friends and protectors, one of another.
C1239. The reference is to the Muhajirin and the Ansar, the Emigrants and the Helpers, the people who forsook their homes and adopted voluntary exile from Makkah in company with their beloved Leader, and their good friends in Madinah, who gave them asylum and every kind of assistance, moral and material.
Under the magnetic personality of the Holy Prophet these two groups became like blood-brothers, and they were so treated in matters of inheritance during the period when they were cut off from their kith and kin.
...وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَلَمْ يُهَاجِرُواْ مَا لَكُم مِّن وَلاَيَتِهِم مِّن شَيْءٍ حَتَّى يُهَاجِرُواْ...
As to those who believed but came not into exile, ye owe no duty of protection to them until they come into exile;
C1240. The Believers (Muslims) were entitled to all assistance in matters of religion. But if they were not strong enough to suffer voluntary exile on behalf of the Cause and make the personal sacrifices which their more ardent brethren in faith made, they could not reasonably ask for political or military assistance or protection.
...وَإِنِ اسْتَنصَرُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ فَعَلَيْكُمُ النَّصْرُ إِلاَّ عَلَى قَوْمٍ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُم مِّيثَاقٌ...
But if they seek your aid in religion,it is your duty to help them, except against a people with whom ye have a treaty of mutual alliance:
C1241. If a community suffers voluntary exile on account of persecution and oppression, and some of its weaker brethren stay behind, holding fast to faith but not prepared for the higher sacrifice, the exiles have still a duty to help their weaker brethren in matters of religion.
The exiles, being at open war against the State which oppressed them, would be free to fight against such State. But if the weaker brethren are in a State in mutual alliance with the Community, the Community cannot in honour interfere with that State, whether it is Muslim or not.
Presumably the alliance implies that the grievances of the weaker brethren will be redressed by the State itself. But it is not honourable to embarrass your own ally.
...وَاللّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ ﴿٧٢﴾
and (remember) Allah seeth all that ye do.
8: 72
Asad Behold, as for those who have attained to faith, and who have forsaken the domain of evil [note 77] and are striving hard, with their possessions and their lives, in God’s cause, as well as those who shelter and succor [them] note 78 – these are [truly] the friends and protectors of one another……….
Pickthall Lo! those who believed and left their homes and strove with their wealth and their lives for the cause of Allah, and those who took them in and helped them; these are protecting friends one of another. And those who believed but did not leave their homes, ye have no duty to protect them till they leave their homes; but if they seek help from you in the matter of religion then it is your duty to help (them) except against a folk between whom and you there is a treaty. Allah is Seer of what ye do.
Transliteration Innal lazina a_manu_ wa ha_jaru_ wa ja_hadu_ bi amwa_lihim wa anfusihim fi sabililla_hi wallazina a_waw wa nasaru_ ula_'ika ba'duhum auliya_'u ba'd(in), wallazina a_manu_ wa lam yuha_jiru_ ma_ lakum miw wala_yatihim min syai'in hatta_ yuha_jiru_, wa inistansaru_kum fid dini fa 'alaikumun nasru illa_ 'ala_ qaumim bainakum wa bainahum misa_q(un), walla_hu bima_ ta'malu_na basir(un).