Muslims raised for the welfare of mankind as a whole, The Muslims not to fear the Jews, The strength of the Jews shall be a failure, Muslims not to take the Jews as their friends.

Aal ’Imran Verses 110 – 120

كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَلَوْ آمَنَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ مِنْهُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ

“Ye are the best1group2that hath been brought forth for mankind3: Ye enjoin goodness4and ye forbid evil5, and ye believe in God; And if the people of the Book had (also) believed (similarly) it had surely been better for them; of them (only some) are believers and most of them are perverse6.” (3:110)

لَنْ يَضُرُّوكُمْ إِلَّا أَذًى وَإِنْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ يُوَلُّوكُمُ الْأَدْبَارَ ثُمَّ لَا يُنْصَرُونَ

“Never shall they harm you except slight injury; and if they fight with you, they shall turn their backs to you; then they shall not be helped.” (3:111)

ضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ أَيْنَ مَا ثُقِفُوا إِلَّا بِحَبْلٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَحَبْلٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَبَاءُوا بِغَضَبٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَسْكَنَةُ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ الْأَنْبِيَاءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوْا وَكَانُوا يَعْتَدُونَ

“Abasement is made to cleave to them wherever they are found, except under a covenant7with God and a covenant with men, and they have drawn down the wrath of God (on them): (Besides) humiliation is stamped upon them; This because they used to disbelieve in the signs of God, and slew the prophets unjustly; This because they disobeyed and used to transgress8.” (3:112)

لَيْسُوا سَوَاءً مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ أُمَّةٌ قَائِمَةٌ يَتْلُونَ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ

“They are not alike; of the people of the Book, is a group9(so) upright (in faith) that they recite the signs of God all along the night, and prostrate themselves in adoration.” (3:113)

يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَأُولَٰئِكَ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ

“They10believe in God and in the Last Day (of Resurrection), and enjoin goodness and forbid evil, and hasten to do good deeds; and these are of the righteous ones.” (3:114)

وَمَا يَفْعَلُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلَنْ يُكْفَرُوهُ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالْمُتَّقِينَ

“And whatever good they do; they shall not be denied (the meed); God knoweth The pious ones.” (3:115)

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَنْ تُغْنِيَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُهُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَأُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

“But as for those who disbelieve, never shall their possessions11nor their children, avail them anything, against God; They shall be the inmates of the Hell-fire, therein they shall abide12.” (3:116)

مَثَلُ مَا يُنْفِقُونَ فِي هَٰذِهِ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَثَلِ رِيحٍ فِيهَا صِرٌّ أَصَابَتْ حَرْثَ قَوْمٍ ظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ فَأَهْلَكَتْهُ وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَلَٰكِنْ أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ

“The likeness of what they13spend in this life of the world is like that of a freezing wind, which smiteth upon the tilth of a people who have wronged themselves and destroyed it; God did no injustice to them, it was they who are doing injustice to themselves.” (3:117)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا بِطَانَةً مِنْ دُونِكُمْ لَا يَأْلُونَكُمْ خَبَالًا وَدُّوا مَا عَنِتُّمْ قَدْ بَدَتِ الْبَغْضَاءُ مِنْ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَمَا تُخْفِي صُدُورُهُمْ أَكْبَرُ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الْآيَاتِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

“O’ ye who have believed! take not intimates14, other than your fellow-believers, They15will not fail to corrupt16you; they wish what distresseth you (the most); Their spite hath already shewn itself out of their mouths, but that which is concealed in their breasts17is greater still; indeed We have made clear the signs unto you, if ye would understand18.” (3:118)

هَا أَنْتُمْ أُولَاءِ تُحِبُّونَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِبُّونَكُمْ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْكِتَابِ كُلِّهِ وَإِذَا لَقُوكُمْ قَالُوا آمَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوْا عَضُّوا عَلَيْكُمُ الْأَنَامِلَ مِنَ الْغَيْظِ قُلْ مُوتُوا بِغَيْظِكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ

“Lo! Ye are those who love them, but they love you not though ye believe in the entire Book, and when they meet you, they say: “We believe”; but when they are apart, they bite their finger’s ends at you in rage against you; Say (O’ Apostle Muhammad!)” “Die ye in your rage;” Verily God well-knoweth whatever is in (people’s) breasts19.” (3:119)

إِنْ تَمْسَسْكُمْ حَسَنَةٌ تَسُؤْهُمْ وَإِنْ تُصِبْكُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَفْرَحُوا بِهَا وَإِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْئًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ

“If any good (even) toucheth, you it grieveth them, and if ill afflicteth you, they rejoice at it; But if ye be patient and guard yourselves (against evil) their craft20shall not harm you; for verily whatever they do, God is comprehensive of (it).” (3:120)

Commentary

Verse 110

‘Khair al-Ummah’,i.e., The best people. This can never be applied to the Muslims as a whole.

If there had been thousands of such verses, none could ever draw the inference that the definition applies to the Muslims as a people as a whole, for among the Muslims had been the assassins of the Holy Lady of Light, Fatimah az-Zahra’, and the others who had inflicted upon her the miseries which she and her holy issues suffered in this World. The assassins of the Holy Imams, (‘Ali and his sons) also called themselves Muslims. Could any sensible man on earth ever imagine those who enacted the heart-rending tragedy of Karbala, in which were butchered, the Holy Imam Husayn, his sons, his kith and kin and his friends, and in which even the six months old thirsty babe ‘Ali al-Asghar was made the target of a heartless archer, and was killed, and after which brutal massacre, the Fourth Holy Imam, ‘Ali Zayn Al-’Abidin, the eldest son of Husayn, and the godly ladies and the children of the family of the Holy Prophet were taken as captives and were subjected to the torturous imprisonment, to be, in any sense of the expression of the term called as the ‘Best People?’

Was not Yazid and the other assassins of the Holy Imams who in fact were the brutes in human form, counted among the Muslims? Was not the Holy ‘Ka’ba’ levelled to the ground, and on the roof of the same holiest of the holy places, the Greatest Sanctuary of Islam, was held a drinking party, and was not the Holy Prophet’s Mosque at Madina desecrated with the refuse of the horses and mules? Was hot all this done by those who called themselves Muslims, and even posed as the religious heads calling themselves as the ‘Kalifs’? Could such a horde of the brutes of the deputies of the devils, be ever termed as the ‘Best People?’ The criminal traits of the monarchs and their deputies who called themselves Muslims, have been depicted in Al-Beruni’s India. It was the conduct of the hordes of these devils that became the cause of the Emperor Vladimir of Russia giving up the idea of embracing Islam, who in spite of his being inclined to embrace Islam, subsequently getting disgusted by the character and the conduct of those who called themselves Muslims gave up the idea. The character of such Muslims are detailed in ‘Stanley’s Lectures on Eastern Church.

The details are simply disgraceful. There is one thing which must necessarily be arid here, that is what the Russian Emperor did was also wrong, for if he sincerely wanted to embrace the truth, he must receive it from the one from God (the Holy Prophet), who presented it to mankind. If the Emperor, instead of studying the character of the Muslims, had studied the godly personalities of the Holy Prophet and his Holy Ahl Al-Bayt, the ‘Khair al-Ummah’ the ‘Best People’ referred to in this Verse, he would surely have been guided aright. The divinity which radiates from these men of God, never fails to enlighten everyone who approaches them and gets duly attached to them. Hence the Verse can apply only to those who were endowed with the excellence of the divine qualities of every kind of conceivable goodness which the Holy Prophet possessed. The divinity which radiates from these holy ones is so irresistible that even the worst enemies of Islam could not help adoring the godly beings as the Best of the people with regard to their godly conduct and character.

Those whom this Verse can only be applied to, are the people described by the Verse 33:33 in which mankind has been informed in clear cut words as to who are those who have been purified by God Himself. Thus, this distinguished group could be none else other than those free from every kind of impurity, external as well as internal. The Best group of men were those whom the Holy Prophet openly showed to the world, presenting them as the truthful and the holy ones besides him, at the historic ‘Mubahila’ in the challenge against the Christians of ‘Najran’, in response to the Divine Command in 3:61.

The Best of the group of men can only be those who are referred to in the Holy Qur’an in Verses:

1. Verses 48:2, 49:15 - The Truthful ones-whom the faithful have been ordained by God to be attached to.

2. Verses 16:89, 2:143 - Those who will be called by the Lord on the Day of Judgment to bear witness.

3. Verses 16:89, 2:l77 - Those who possess the qualities referred to in this Verse, to the maximum limits possible.

4. Verse 76:7 - Those described in this Verse.

5. Verse 66:4 - Among whom was the one (‘Ali Ibn Abu Talib) praised in this Verse.

Besides, if the Verse is intelligently read, it leaves no room for any doubt about the correct personnel of the ‘Khair al-Ummah’ for the Verse itself gives the two essential qualifications of the distinguished group. It says that they are those who would always invite mankind to what is fair and prevent or preach abstinence from what is unfair, i.e., evil. These godly qualities can never be in any one save those who are purified by God Himself for the guidance of mankind21. Besides the Best Group can only be of those who are always with the Holy Qur’an, never separated from it, at any time in their lives, and Holy Prophet has openly declared that they are the Holy Ahl Al-Bayt with whom the Holy Book has been left22.

Thus, by the term ‘Best Group’ referred to in this Verse are meant only the ‘Ahl Al-Bayt’ and never the Muslims as a whole which multitude or mass consists of people of all sorts of questionable characters. It is for this reason the Shia School which follows the Islam-Original, is attached to the Holy Ahl Al-Bayt and not to any others-who were not faithful to these holy ones.

Verse 111

This Verse is a very significant prophecy which was remarkably fulfilled. The Jews who were a well-settled and who were a very powerful force at Madina, were in sworn alliance with the polytheistic tribes at Mecca. Though the Muslims were a microscopic, small community almost unarmed and unequipped yet whenever they were attacked, they put forth such a wonderful fight that the enemy had to fly away from the battlefields with heaviest and irreparable loss of property and life. The polytheists who were the sworn allies, never helped the Jews. This Verse is a prophecy of the miraculous success they were divinely destined to gain over their enemies.

Those who do not want to credit any godliness to the Holy Prophet, attribute this aspect to the mere foresight of the Apostle of God and not to the heavenly aid, and those who do not relish the credit of every such wonderful and unexpected success of the Muslims to the miraculous valour and strength of ‘Ali, quietly pass over this Verse without any reference as to, at whose godly hands the miraculous victory was granted to the Muslims when they were sure of being completely crushed or totally wiped out of existence for ever. One of the reasons for avoiding the praise of ‘Ali’s services, might be the fear of the automatic reflection upon the disservices of the other companions of the Holy Prophet.

While mentioning about the valour of ‘Ali, they will have to refer to the cowardice of the others who later on became the leading personalities in the religious field and who ruled the destiny of the people. If they say out how ‘Ali stood fast and won the battle the question would automatically be raised as to what happened to the companions of the Holy Prophet, when it will have to be necessarily declared that they had fled away deserting the Holy Prophet in the midst of the enemy.

Verse 112

This is another, still more significant prophecy, which is being remarkably fulfilled even to this day. The Jews as long as they exist with their characteristic Jewish nature shall ever be a humiliated nation. The ‘Habl’ or the ‘Rope’ here means the Covenant.

According to the sixth Holy Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad As-Sadiq the Rope from God is the Holy Qur’an and the Rope from the people means the First Holy Imam ‘Ali Ibn Abu Talib.

The character of the Jews, in regards to their killing the apostles of God without any cause, for the crime, is repeatedly mentioned23. It is mostly for this native trait of their personality as a people they are more detested than the other disbelievers. The reference to the treacherous character of the Jews frequently given in the Holy Qur’an is not purposeless. It is obviously prophetic to say that even so the Muslims will behave, discarding the Rope from God, the Holy Qur’an and the Rope from man the Imam, and killing the holy ones as the Jews killed the apostles of God.

Verse 113-115

Islam recognizes the goodness in the true adherents of the other religions so long as they are not adamant and arrogant against the truth, i.e., Islam. The Holy Qur’an bears testimony to the catholicity of the Islamic value or assessment of righteousness which will surely be rewarded but no amount of righteousness in any disbeliever in the basic truth about God revealed by (Islam), will be of any avail against the punishment for the indolence in rejecting the truth or opposing it or obstructing the others from embracing it.

This is clear evidence of the fairness of Islam to goodness, be that even in its declared enemies provided, it is genuine-and giving way to the truth when it becomes available.

Verse 116-117

The Holy Qur’an has repeatedly prophesied about the failure of the enemies of Islam. The similitude given in these verses is comparable to that given in 68:17-33.

Verse 118-119

These two verses lay down the caution to be observed against the enemies and their relations, regarding the toleration desirable to be exercised with those of the enemies who have not taken any initiative or joined any offensive against the Muslims. It is a warning as well, against close and intimate relations with those who are hostile to Islam and Muslims24.

Verse 120

This is another prophecy with the assurance that the deceitful plans of the enemies will not be of any detriment to the Muslims-but the condition being that the Muslims should be patient and guard themselves against evil (practice piety).

• 1. Outstanding, Leading-in all the excellence of every Virtue and godliness. These can be no others save the holy Ahl Al-Bayt whom God Himself has purified as in Verse 33:33. Not the ordinary Muslims or any others.
• 2. Refer to Verse 3:104.
• 3. For the welfare of mankind.
• 4. What is fair.
• 5. What is unfair.
• 6. Ar. ‘Fasiq’.
• 7. Cord or rope.
• 8. Refer to Verse 3:103.
• 9. Refer to Verse 2:62. Those who sincerely followed the other prophets and eagerly waited for the Holy Prophet Muhammad and embraced Islam and were sincere believers.
• 10. The group referred to in Verse 3:112. See also Verse 2:62.
• 11. A warning to those puffed with worldly prosperity and proud of their flourishing families.
• 12. Refer to Verses 3:178, 9:34.
• 13. Refer to Verses 3:115, 68:17-35. No amount of charity without the right belief can be of any avail to anyone.
• 14. Friend.
• 15. Those other than believers.
• 16. To make mischief, to harm, cause trouble.
• 17. Hearts.
• 18. Refer to Verses 6:7-9.
• 19. Refer to Verse 14:9.
• 20. Scheme-Plotting.
• 21. Refer to Verse 33:33.
• 22. See Hadith ath-Thaqalayn.
• 23. See Verses 2:61 and 3:21.
• 24. Refer to Verses 9:16; 60:8-9.