3. Sura al-Imran

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللّهِ وَأَيْمَانِهِمْ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلاً ...

3: 77. As for those who sell the faith they owe to Allah and their own plighted word for a small price,

C412. All our duties to our fellow creatures are referred to the service and faith we owe to Allah. But in the matter of truth an appeal is made to our self-respect as responsible beings: is it becoming that we should be false to our own word, to ourselves?

And then we are reminded that the utmost we can gain by falsifying Allah's word or being untrue to ourselves is but a miserable price. We get at best something very paltry as the price for selling our very souls.

... أُوْلَـئِكَ لاَ خَلاَقَ لَهُمْ فِي الآخِرَةِ...

they shall have no portion in the hereafter:

...وَلاَ يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللّهُ وَلاَ يَنظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلاَ يُزَكِّيهِمْ ...

nor will Allah (deign to) speak to them or look at them on the Day of Judgment, nor will He cleanse them (of sin);

C413. Even on sinners -ordinary sinners- Allah will look with compassion and mercy: He will speak words of kindness and cleanse them of their sins.

But those who are in active rebellion against Allah and sin against their own light, -what mercy can they expect?

...وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿٧٧﴾

they shall have a grievous penalty.

وَإِنَّ مِنْهُمْ لَفَرِيقًا يَلْوُونَ أَلْسِنَتَهُم بِالْكِتَابِ لِتَحْسَبُوهُ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ...

3: 78. There is among them a section who distort the Book with their tongues; (as they read) you would think it is a part of the Book, but it is no part of the Book;

...وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللّهِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللّهِ...

and they say, "That is from Allah,"

but it is not from Allah:

...وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٧٨﴾

it is they who tell a lie against Allah, and (well) they know it!

مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُؤْتِيَهُ اللّهُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ...

3: 79. It is not (possible) that a man, to whom is given the Book, and Wisdom, and the prophetic office,

...ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُواْ عِبَادًا لِّي مِن دُونِ اللّهِ ...

should say to people: "Be ye my worshippers rather than Allah's;

C414. It is not in reason or in the nature of things that Allah's messenger should preach against Allah.

Jesus came to preach and convey the true message of Allah. (R).

...وَلَـكِن كُونُواْ رَبَّانِيِّينَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْكِتَابَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ ﴿٧٩﴾

on the contrary (he would say): "Be ye worshippers of Him Who is truly the Cherisher of all, for ye have taught the Book and ye have studied it earnestly."

وَلاَ يَأْمُرَكُمْ أَن تَتَّخِذُواْ الْمَلاَئِكَةَ وَالنِّبِيِّيْنَ أَرْبَابًا...

3: 80. Nor would he instruct you to take angels and prophets for Lords and Patrons.

C415. Jesus was a prophet, and the Holy Spirit "with which he was strengthened" was the Angel who brought the revelations to him.

...أَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْكُفْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ أَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ ﴿٨٠﴾

What! would he bid you to unbelief after ye have bowed your will (to Allah in Islam)?

Other versions:

3: 77 [al-i’Imran, Medina 89 ]

Asad Behold, those who barter away their bond with God and their own pledges for a trifling gain – they shall not partake in the blessings of the life to come; and God will neither speak unto them nor look upon them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He cleanse them of their sins; and grievous suffering awaits them.

Yusuf Ali As for those who sell the faith they owe to Allah and their own plighted word for a small price they shall have no portion in the hereafter: nor will Allah (deign to) speak to them or look at them on the Day of Judgment nor will He cleanse them (of sin); they shall have a grievous penalty.

Pickthall Lo! those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allah's covenant and their oaths, they have no portion in the Hereafter. Allah will neither speak to them nor look upon them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He make them grow. Theirs will be a painful doom.

Transliteration Innal lazina yasytaru_na bi'ahdilla_hi wa aima_nihim samanan qalilan ula_'ika la_ khala_qa lahum fil a_khirati wa la_ yukallimuhumulla_hu wa la_ yanzuru ilaihim yaumal qiya_mati wa la_ yuzakkihim, wa lahum 'aza_bun alim(un).

[ Ruby’s note – The group of people indicated here may be from the time of Prophet Muhammad (the people of the Book in particular), however, this group exists among the followers of all brands of faith and exists in every society and in every period. These people are the worst: knowingly they change the truth for some worldly gain, they deliberately hide or distort the Message from God for a trifling gain, that is to retain power and influence in a society, to pursue vested interests or to receive favors from the powerbrokers, etc., they distort and deliberately hide God’s Truth knowingly. This is group who are in a seat of authority in a society that is why they are capable of changing the truth or God Message, namely the clergy or theologians in a society. One cannot break Bond with God or betray God in a state of ignorance or without intention. Neither one can help achieve this kind of distortion in a society without being in a place of importance and authority. This has to be done in a state of knowing the truth and then selling the truth for lies for some worldly gain, a deliberate action to defy or betray God. This group is responsible, down through the ages, for all the distortions of religion in the past and they are responsible for all the dissention and division, and all the clashes and disharmony that exist among humankind. The truth is that there is One God and therefore there is One religion and there is one Humanity. But due to the evilness and irresponsibility of these people, this truth become lost and humankind remain divisive. Their betrayal is not only with God but with their fellow human beings to let them live in falsehood and go astray. This is group that is responsible for such heinous and despicable actions. Therefore, this is one of the HIGHEST evilness and sin before God. They have completely lost their soul deserving this

[ Ali’s notes - 412 All our duties to our fellow creatures are referred to the service and faith we owe to Allah. But in the matter of truth an appeal is made to our self-respect as responsible beings: is it becoming that we should be false to our own word, to ourselves? And then we are reminded that the utmost we can gain by falsifying Allah's word or being untrue to ourselves is but a miserable price. We get at best something very paltry as the price for selling our very souls. (3.77)

413 Even on sinners-ordinary sinners-Allah will look with compassion and mercy: He will speak words of kindness and cleanse them of their sins. But those who are in active rebellion against Allah and sin against their own light,-what mercy can they expect? (3.77) ]

3: 78

Yusuf Ali There is among them a section who distort the Book with their tongues; (as they read) you would think it is a part of the Book but it is no part of the Book; and they say "That is from Allah" but it is not from Allah: it is they who tell a lie against Allah and (well) they know it!

Pickthall And Lo! there is a party of them who distort the Scripture with their tongues, that ye may think that what they say is from the Scripture, when it is not from the Scripture. And they say: It is from Allah, when it is not from Allah; and they speak a lie concerning Allah knowingly.

Transliteration Wa inna minhum la fariqay yalwu_na alsinatahum bil kita_bi litahsabu_hu minal kita_bi wa ma_ huwa minal kita_b(i), wa yaqu_lu_na huwa min 'indilla_hi wa ma_ huwa min 'indilla_h(i), wa yaqu_lu_na 'alalla_hil kaziba wa hum ya'lamu_n(a).

3: 79

Asad It is not conceivable that a human being unto whom God had granted revelation, and sound judgment, and prophet-hood, should therefore have said unto people, “Worship me beside God”………

Yusuf Ali It is not (possible) that a man to whom is given the Book and Wisdom and the prophetic office should say to people: "Be ye my worshippers rather than Allah's; on the contrary (he would say): "Be ye worshippers of Him Who is truly the Cherisher of all for ye have taught the Book and ye have studied it earnestly."

Pickthall It is not (possible) for any human being unto whom Allah had given the Scripture and wisdom and the Prophethood that he should afterwards have said unto mankind: Be slaves of me instead of Allah; but (what he said was): Be ye faithful servants of the Lord by virtue of your constant teaching of the Scripture and of your constant study thereof.

Transliteration Ma_ ka_na libasyarin ay yu'tiyahulla_hul kita_ba wal hukma wan nubuwwata summa yaqu_la linna_si ku_nu_ 'iba_dal li min du_nilla_hi wa la_kin ku_nu_ rabba_niyyina bima_ kuntum tu'allimu_nal kita_ba wa bima_ kuntum tadrusu_n(a).

3: 80

Yusuf Ali Nor would he instruct you to take angels and prophets for Lords and Patrons. What! Would he bid you to unbelief after ye have bowed your will (to Allah in Islam)?

Pickthall And he commanded you not that ye should take the angels and the Prophets for lords. Would he command you to disbelieve after ye had surrendered (to Allah)?

Transliteration Wa la_ ya'murakum an tattakhizul mala_'ikata wan nabiyyina arba_ba_(n), aya'murukum bil kufri ba'da iz antum muslimu_n(a).