Prayer for the promised triumph, The predicted triumph.

Aal ’Imran Verses 190 – 200

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ

“Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth a nd the alternation of the night and the day, there are signs for men who possess wisdom.” (3:190)

الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

“Those who remember God standing, and sitting and reclining on their sides and think (seriously) in the creation of the heaven and the earth, saying “O’ Our Lord! Thou hast not created (all) this in vain! Glory be to Thee! Save us then from the torment of the (Hell) fire.”” (3:191)

رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ مَنْ تُدْخِلِ النَّارَ فَقَدْ أَخْزَيْتَهُ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنْصَارٍ

“O’ Our Lord! Whomsoever Thou causeth to enter the (Hell) fire, surely, Thou hast put him to disgrace; there is not, for the unjust, any of the helpers.” (3:192)

رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا سَمِعْنَا مُنَادِيًا يُنَادِي لِلْإِيمَانِ أَنْ آمِنُوا بِرَبِّكُمْ فَآمَنَّا رَبَّنَا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَكَفِّرْ عَنَّا سَيِّئَاتِنَا وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ الْأَبْرَارِ

“O’ Our Lord! We have indeed heard the voice of a Crier1(Apostle), calling (us) unto faith, saying “Believe ye in your Lord!” and we did believe. O’ Our Lord! therefore “Forgive us then our sins and remove away from us our evil deeds, and cause2us to die with the virtuous ones.3”” (3:193)

رَبَّنَا وَآتِنَا مَا وَعَدْتَنَا عَلَىٰ رُسُلِكَ وَلَا تُخْزِنَا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّكَ لَا تُخْلِفُ الْمِيعَادَ

“O’ Our Lord! and give us what Thou didst promise us through thy apostles, and disgrace us not on the Day of Resurrection; Verily, Thou breakest not Thy promise.” (3:194)

فَاسْتَجَابَ لَهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ أَنِّي لَا أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عَامِلٍ مِنْكُمْ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَىٰ بَعْضُكُمْ مِنْ بَعْضٍ فَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا وَأُخْرِجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ وَأُوذُوا فِي سَبِيلِي وَقَاتَلُوا وَقُتِلُوا لَأُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَلَأُدْخِلَنَّهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ ثَوَابًا مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ عِنْدَهُ حُسْنُ الثَّوَابِ

“So their Lord did respond to them (saying) “I will not suffer the work of any of you that worketh to be lost, be he male or female4, the one of you being from the other, They, therefore, who did migrate and were turned out of their homes and suffered in My way and who fought and were slain, I will most certainly blot out their sins from them, and I will most certainly admit them into gardens beneath which flow streams; A reward from God! and God! Verily with Him (only) is the Excellent Reward5.” (3:195)

لَا يَغُرَّنَّكَ تَقَلُّبُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي الْبِلَادِ

“Let not deceive6thee7the (prosperous) going about8of those who disbelieve in the cities9.” (3:196)

مَتَاعٌ قَلِيلٌ ثُمَّ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ

“A brief enjoyment (it is)! Thereafter their abode is Hell and how bad the resting place (it is)!” (3:197)

لَٰكِنِ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا رَبَّهُمْ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا نُزُلًا مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ وَمَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لِلْأَبْرَارِ

“But as to those who fear (the wrath of) their Lord, for them are the gardens beneath which flow the rivers, therein shall they abide for ever. Such is their reception10with God; and whatever is with God is the best for the righteous ones.” (3:198)

وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَمَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ خَاشِعِينَ لِلَّهِ لَا يَشْتَرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ

“And Verily among the people of the Book are those who believe in God, and in what11hath been sent down unto you and in what hath been sent down unto them, humbling12themselves before God, They sell not the signs of God for a mean price; These! for them is their recompense with their Lord; aye! God is quick in reckoning.” (3:199)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اصْبِرُوا وَصَابِرُوا وَرَابِطُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

“O’ ye who believe! be patient and vie13with, in endurance and be ever-garrisoned14; and fear (the wrath of) God, that ye may be successful.” (3:200)

Commentary

Verse 190

Though the attention insisted towards the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the change with night and day, seem to be very simple but the awakened mind, particularly of the scientists with the knowledge of the heavenly bodies and the constellations and those who are busy in their study of the deposits of the earth etc., know the significance of this drawing of the attention towards the factors mentioned in this Verse.

Verse 191

Mark the high position of the sincerity and the adoration these worshippers have, in the view of God that the words of their utterance of His glory, have been absorbed as it were in the revelation. They remain so much wholly engrossed in remembering the Lord that every moment of their lives in whatever activity they may be, they are mindful of God’s glory, and they adorn it celebrating its praise which is commended in this Verse.

Verse 192-194

These verses contain the words of the prayer of those mentioned in the preceding Verse.

Verse 195

There is no distinction of sex in according the reward for righteousness. A righteous one shall be duly rewarded. This part of the Verse indicates that men and women both are equally required to shun evil and be righteous. Hinduism has its reservation about the position of woman in the spiritual life. Islam recognizes perfect equality of both sexes In regards to their responsibility to be good- according to the natural assignments-and native endowments.

Verse 200

The concluding Verse of this chapter gives out the keynotes to the success of the journey of the human soul through this world towards salvation.

To be ready to defend against any surprise attack from the enemy. Ar. ‘Raabita’-to participate in garrisoning the Muslim frontiers against possible attack from the disbelievers. A duty of ‘Jehad’ commended by the Holy Prophet. This could be done by turns. The minimum period of stay for each Muslim is three days and the maximum is forty days. (A.P.)

• 1. The Holy Prophet Muhammad.
• 2. Fulfil or conclude the term of life.
• 3. Refer to Verses 23:109; 40:7; 3:16.
• 4. Men and Women equally rewardable and punishable for the good and the evil they do in this life.
• 5. Refer to Verse 16:96.
• 6. Enamour.
• 7. Address to the Muslims i.e. those who follow thee.
• 8. In glamour and pride.
• 9. The prosperous one in the cities. A warning sounded to the people through the Holy Prophet against getting misled by the prosperity of the disbelievers.
• 10. Entertainment.
• 11. The Holy Qur’an.
• 12. Ar. ‘Khusho’.
• 13. Excel each other in patience.
• 14. To be ever ready to defend against any surprise attack from the enemy (the disbelievers). Ar. ‘Rabita’- To participate in garrisoning the Muslim frontiers against the possible attack from the disbelievers-A duty of ‘Jehad’ commended - This could be done by turns- The minimum period of stay for each Muslim is three days and the maximum forty days. This indicates the state of risk and the danger in which the early Muslims were.