Those who slay the apostles of God and those who enjoin justice (the successors to the apostles i.e., the Holy Imams) shall be punished and their deeds shall become null on the Day of Judgment, To God alone belongs the kingdom and He alone bestows the kingdom upon whomsoever He wills and takes it away from whomsoever He wills.

Aal ’Imran Verses 21 - 30

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ النَّبِيِّينَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَيَقْتُلُونَ الَّذِينَ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْقِسْطِ مِنَ النَّاسِ فَبَشِّرْهُمْ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

“Verily1to those who deny the signs of God, and unjustly slay the apostles, and slay2those among men who enjoin justice, give tidings to them of a painful chastisement” (3:21).

أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِنْ نَاصِرِينَ

“These are they whose works come to naught in this world and in the next; and for them there shall not be any helper” (3:22).

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا نَصِيبًا مِنَ الْكِتَابِ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَىٰ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّىٰ فَرِيقٌ مِنْهُمْ وَهُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ

“Hast thou not (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!) 3seen those (the Jews) who have been given a portion4of the Book, when they are summoned unto the Book of God that it may judge between them, then a faction of them turn back while they are those who withdraw5” (3:23).

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا لَنْ تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلَّا أَيَّامًا مَعْدُودَاتٍ ۖ وَغَرَّهُمْ فِي دِينِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ

“This, because they say “The (Hell) fire shall by no means touch us but for (some) numbered6days, and deceiveth them in the matter of their religion what they have forged7“ (3:24).

فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جَمَعْنَاهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ وَوُفِّيَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ

“How then (will it be with them) when We shall gather them together for the Day (of Judgment) about which there is no doubt; and every soul shall be paid in full8that which it hath earned, and they shall not be wronged?” (3:25).

قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتَنْزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّنْ تَشَاءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ ۖ بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

“Say (O’ Apostle Muhammad!) “O’ God! Master of the Kingdom, Thou givest the kingdom9unto whomsoever Thou likest and takest away the kingdom from whomsoever Thou likest! Thou exaltest whomsoever Thou likest and abasest whomsoever Thou likest; in Thine hands is all good; verily Thou art over all things Mighty” (3:26).

تُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَتُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِ ۖ وَتُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَتُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ ۖ وَتَرْزُقُ مَنْ تَشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ

“Thou causest the night to pass into the day, and Thou causest the day to pass into the night, Thou bringest forth the living out of the dead, and Thou bringest forth the dead out of the living, and Thou givest sustenance to whomsoever Thou likest, without measure” (3:27).

لَا يَتَّخِذِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الْكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِنْ دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۖ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَ اللَّهِ فِي شَيْءٍ إِلَّا أَنْ تَتَّقُوا مِنْهُمْ تُقَاةً ۗ وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ ۗ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ الْمَصِيرُ

“Let10not the believers take the disbelievers as their friends11rather than the believers, whoso shall do then nothing12of God is his, except (when) ye (have to) guard yourselves against (them) for fear from them13; but cautioneth14you of Himself; for unto God is the end of your (life) journey” (3:28).

قُلْ إِنْ تُخْفُوا مَا فِي صُدُورِكُمْ أَوْ تُبْدُوهُ يَعْلَمْهُ اللَّهُ ۗ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

“Say (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!) whether ye conceal what is in your hearts or manifest it, God knoweth it; and knoweth He all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth; and verily God hath power over all things” (3:29).

يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مُحْضَرًا وَمَا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ سُوءٍ تَوَدُّ لَوْ أَنَّ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُ أَمَدًا بَعِيدًا ۗ وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ رَءُوفٌ بِالْعِبَادِ

“(Remember)15the 16Day (of Judgment) when every soul shall find present whatever it hath wrought of good; and whatever it hath wrought of evil; it will wish that wide were the interval17between it18, and himself; But God cautioneth19you of Himself; and God is affectionate to His (faithful) servants” (3:30).

Commentary

Verse 21

Reference to the Jews who were notorious for slaying apostles of God and the righteous ones20 which they themselves admit21. The reference here seems to point out the Jewish plans to kill the Holy Prophet.

30. “And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

31. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

32. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

33. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

34. Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in. your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city22.

35. That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and altar23.

This verse puts under the same category three criminal classes of the rebels:

1. ‘Kafir’ the disbelievers in the signs of God.

2. The murderers of the apostles of God.

3. The murderers of the advocates of Justice. (A.P.)

Verse 22

It is a prophetic declaration consisting also of admonition, meaning all their plans in this world will be frustrated and all their good deeds, if there be any, will be of no avail in the life after death and on the Day of Requital.

Good deeds of righteousness of anyone, be he a believer or an unbeliever, will never go without the due recompense, both in the present life and in the hereafter. The reward may be possible in case of unbelief or disbelief owing to ignorance or indolence. But those who deliberately hated and wantonly killed the Holy Apostles of God and the other godly beings like the Holy Imams who were no less in their holiness than the Apostles, can never hope for any value to be assessed for any of their goodness in any matter whatsoever. This factor should be noted in regard to the fate of the assassins of the Holy Prophet and the Holy Ahl Al-Bayt.

These are such unpardonable heinous crimes which reduce even the good deeds of the criminals, if there be any, to naught. These crimes are so inter-related that each of them leads to the other to which Hazrat

Zainab the daughter of Ali referred to in her courageous sermon in the court of Yazid after the martyrdom of her brother, the Holy Imam Husayn, when she quoted the verse 30:10 in condemning Yazid’s denial of the revelation and the prophethood, saying: -

‘Played only a Hashimite with the kingdom’

Otherwise, neither was anything revealed

Nor did any angel descend. (A.P.)

Verse 23

A portion of the Book, God’s revelation of His will regarding disciplining the human soul to qualify it for higher levels of spirituality, through all the ages, is “The Book” The Law of Moses and the Evangel of Jesus were only portions of the revelation, i.e., a partial exposure of the glory of the truth, the whole or the complete or the perfect form of which was fulfilled in the Holy Qur’an which is par excellence the ‘Book of God’. This fact is borne out by the declaration by the Holy Apostle Jesus24.

“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

“How be it when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come” John 16/12 and 13.

It is reported that in a dispute about the punishment for adultery in the early state of the revelation of the Holy Qur’an, a wealthy married man and a woman were caught committing the act. The Jewish priests were not inclined to punish them with stoning to death as was prescribed in the Law of Moses. They thought to somehow avoid punishing according to Law, and wanted to consult the Holy Prophet, thinking him to be unlearned and uninformed of their scripture. The Holy Prophet gave the decree as per the Law of Moses. The Jews said that it was not in the Law. The Holy Prophet called for their scripture and in spite of it being corrupted and tampered by the Jews, the punishment as decreed by the Holy Prophet was found in it. In the extant version of the Law of Moses (Leviticus 20/10-21):

10. “And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death”.

11. “And the man that Heth with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them”.

12. “And if a man lie with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them”

13. “If a man also lie with mankind, as he Heth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them”.

14. “And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they: that there be no wickedness among you”.

15. “And if a man He with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast”.

16. “And if a woman approach unto any beast, and He down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them”.

17. “And if a man shall take his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity”.

18. “And if a man shall He with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness; he hath’ discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among their people”.

19. “And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister, nor of thy father’s sister: for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity”.

20. “And if a man shall He with his uncle’s wife, he hath uncovered his uncle’s nakedness: they shall bear their sin: they shall die childless”

21. “And if a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother’s nakedness; they shall be childless” O.T. Lev. 20/10-21.

In John 8/5 it is clearly said that the law of Moses prescribes stoning the adulterer man or woman.

• They say unto him Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

• Now Moses in the Law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? John 8/5.

But the Bible of the Church has some peculiar statement in Verse 7 of the same chapter 8 of John saying: -

• They say unto him. Master this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

• Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

• “This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not”

• “So, when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” John 8/7.

This is obviously an amendment added to the story by some unauthorised hand otherwise Jesus could never have said it for it is paradoxical and diametrically opposed to what Jesus himself says in 5/17, 18 of Math:

• “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

• “For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” Math.

and in 20/22 of Lev:

• “Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spew you not out”

In the above verse Moses speaks of the definite command about the fulfilment of statutes or the laws enforced by him. How could Jesus who had come to fulfil the law, break it.

It is to be noted that the law punishing adultery has been explained in Leviticus so openly that today it sounds very crude but the people of the age of Moses needed such explicit explanations. But note the decent and the polished language used by the Holy Qur’an 24:2, laying a universal law in the most comprehensive way to punish the crime of adultery.

But John 8/5 gives stoning to death as the correct punishment. Thus, even the corrupt forms of the Jewish scripture sometimes give out the truth declared in the Holy Qur’an. In Safi, is related that once the Holy Prophet entered a school of the Jews. The Jews asked him as to what religion he followed to which he replied that he followed the religion of Abraham. The Jews said that Abraham was a Jew. The Holy Prophet invited them to refer to even the distorted records of their own scripture, the Law, but they did not agree, for even in the corrupted form of their holy scriptures, were available the information about the faith of Abraham and the prophecies about the advent of the Holy Prophet.

Verse 24

In continuation of the same line of argument, the verse condemns the people of the Book who seek judicial favour other than what is established by the scripture. The mental background for this rebellious tendency of the people of the Book, is the fanciful belief that the ultimate salvation rests in the mere declaration of the faith, for misdeeds and wrong actions, if there be any punishment, it would be only temporary.

This concocted fanciful vanity will disappear with reference to what is said in the preceding verse of the interrelation of the action and the notion. (A.P.)

Verse 25

Everyone, be he a believer or disbeliever, shall be recompensed for whatever one has wrought in the present life25. This proves that a believer shall not be convicted to hell for all times for the reward for his true faith in God, he can never have in the hell or before it. Hence it is quite reasonable that a believer might be committed to hell for his sins but must be relieved from it to receive also the reward for his faith; for once one is rewarded, it will not be becoming to convict him afterwards to suffer any punishment. Punishment may go before a reward, and not a reward before the punishment.

Verse 26

As already pointed out from the beginning of this sura, the Quranic aim is to make man in his thinking, alive to the fact that God is the sole and the ultimate authority in both the realms, of creation as well as legislation. Hence Islam means absolute submission to His will, and can be the only religion acceptable to Him, and the only means of salvation for man. Everything is the outcome of His creation and is held by Him as subservient to Him. The whole idea is summed up here, and man is enjoined to be mindful and to confess praying to Him in the words of this verse, and it has been recommended by the Holy Prophet and the Holy Imams, the repetition of this formula on every occasion of distress.

The only point to be noted here is that the kingdom and the glory mentioned here should be taken as to mean both de facto and de jure. God’s kingdom from the legal and the de jure point of view may be with some, and from the de facto point of view with the others. It is not necessary if the temporal kingdom and the worldly glory is with one, he should from the legal and the de jure point of view also to be entitled to it, and be the deserving one, as some of the fatalist schools of the theologians have inclined towards this.

So far, the history records the first person who expressed this view of the de facto and the de jure being one and the same, was Yazeed Ibn Mu’awiyah who in his argument with Ali Ibn Al-Husayn when along with the ladies brought to his court after the martyrdom of Husayn, quoted this passage in support of his right to the throne. In reply to the Holy Lady Zainab, the daughter of Ali, refuted the argument quoting the verse of the Holy Qur’an. The temporary triumph and glory given to any tyrant, does not mean also that he legally deserved it and it is only a trial otherwise the divine kingdom and glory is always with those chosen ones who surpass all, in their submission to God26.

The following passage from the prayer of the fourth Holy Imam Ali Ibn Al-Husayn regarding the right of leading the Friday Prayers supports this argument.

O’ My Lord this status of occupying the pulpit belongs to Thy Vicegerents, the chosen ones. This was the place of Thine trusted ones. This was the lofty and the exalted position Thou hast assigned to them which has been usurped by the others. And Thou hast destined this for the reason known only to Thee. Thou hast given them (the usurpers) the chance to the extent that Thy chosen ones, Thy Vicegerents, seem to be defeated and overpowered and deprived, and their right they (Thy chosen ones) see Thy commandments altered, Thy Book thrown away. Thy ordinances have been distorted and misused against the spirit of Thy purpose and the tradition of Thy Apostle (Muhammad) forsaken” Besides, the view that whoever possessed the power has the right to rule, or in other words might is right, then usurpation will have no meaning at all. (A.P.)

Verse 27

These verses aim at preparing the hearts of the Muslims, the sincere believers in God’s Omnipotence and His most supreme authority, by inculcating in them the conviction that God and God alone can do and undo things, conceivable and inconceivable by any human mind, and thus create complete resignation to His independent will, for man to hope for everything easy or difficult, only from God and from none else. It is then the grace of God abounds, and the All-Merciful Providence does its work.

Ibn Abbas says that this verse contains the secret greatest name of God, i.e., ‘Isme-Aazam.’ If any one were to pray to God reciting these verses with full concentration in the spirit of the expression of this verse, his prayer is sure to be granted. There is to be a recognition of God’s absolute sovereignty and His exclusive right to bestow on whosoever He likes, irrespective of any claim or desert for the same on the part of one so favoured, so that there should be no murmur or grudge on that account. None has any right or any claim of any kind whatsoever upon God. All that one can do is to pray to God for the fulfilment of his desires with full conviction that He and He alone and none else can grant it. Nothing is impossible for Him.

Verse 28

Muslims holding belief in the one true God, as diametrically opposed to the polytheistic and the other beliefs in the false fanciful deities, are forbidden to look to the disbelievers as their friends or guardians, to guard their interest or for help of any kind. This ordinance does not forbid any dealing with the disbelievers in the course of ordinary business, in the day-to-day life, or living in harmony with them in the social structure of citizenship. What is meant here is love which means extraordinary attachment beyond the necessity of the ordinary life.

‘Aulia’ is the plural of ‘Wali’ meaning a friend or a guardian or one who holds a command or be in charge of others’ affairs. It indicates nearness in respect of places, relationship, religion, friendship, help and belief, faith etc. The meaning of the word comprehends all relationship of nearness in every respect and of every kind, i.e., the intimacy or relationship in which one’s interest is entrusted to the other.

It is a well-known fact that union between two souls is always amenable to change of even religious feelings and even convictions of one in favour of another. By constant association and alliance with the idolaters with intense love active between them, let that be for any objective whatsoever, the one of them who may be once a strict monotheist may gradually lose his horror for idolatry and ultimately not dislike it at all. Love is always subject to the effects of close association and intimacy. When one loves a man, he is apt to love everything concerned with him, not only his relations but also his conduct, character and habits and even his religion.

It is obvious that a man of faith and a true believer would never make friendship with, or seek help from his opponent in faith, and in case it is done, it would mean nothing but diversion from his faith. The question is that whether in certain circumstances a faithful can make friendship with his opponent in faith and seek his help to save his life and property or not. This is the question of ‘Taqiah’ which has already been dealt with.

Here it is enough to note the difference between ‘Taqiah’ and ‘Nifaq.’ ‘Taqiah’ means to hide one’s faith to save his life and property in the interest of the faith, whereas ‘Nifaq’, i.e., hypocrisy is to pretend to believe what actually one does not, for worldly gains see 16:106, for details refer to ‘Fiqh.’ ‘Nifaq’ is condemned throughout Qur’an and see the note on it. However, this point should be remembered that whether one hides what is in his heart or expresses it, God and His pleasure should be the object. (A.P.)

Under such a state of advanced attachment man loses his sense of reasoning and the conscience in him becomes totally blind.

It is with this natural phenomenon active in the human personality ‘Tawalla’ or attachment to the divine personalities has been prescribed as one of the cardinal doctrines of the practice of the original faith, Islam, now called ‘Shi’ism.’

The proviso ‘except that ye fear them’ is a very important factor in this verse to be noted with reference to the rationalistic view of the practical life in a human society. In case of genuine fear, or a real danger to life, permission is given for a timely compromising degree of friendship with the unbelievers by appearing to be with them in everything and even in their religious views, but having the real faith in the truth always intact at heart. This is called ‘Tiqiya’, i.e., guarding one’s self in a helpless situation against an unprovoked danger to life or the risk of any heavy loss. It is criticised, why not suffer such a fate, openly surrendering life for the sake of faith? This may appeal to sentimentalism, but true Islam (Shi’ism) does not want to swell the number of mere martyrs for its sake. It does not want to leave room for its enemies to slaughter all helpless ones among the faithful. It wants the true believer to somehow live with his heart always attached to the truth I if that alone be the only alternative left and live to serve the cause of truth with his own safety in this world.

‘God cautioneth you of Himself’. In a Sunni tradition, The 6th Holy Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq is reported to have said on this verse that ‘God who knows all that is in the heart (As stated in the previous verses), wants to see nothing in the hearts but Himself (His love). So he warns people to see that they do not allow anything else to have possession of it. The idea is that heart is given to man to be a receptacle of divine emotions only, and is virtually a property of God, which he is constantly keeping His eye over. Anything of personal attachment (which is not based on divine command) is to be felt as abominable as a wrongful misappropriation of what rightly belongs to another27.

Verse 29

It is for everyone to beware that nothing is hidden from the All-Knowing Lord. All the actions and droughts of everyone, hidden as well the manifest, are equally known to God. No thought or action can ever be concealed from the knowledge of God.

Verse 30

Man’s wish would be that by repentance he had cast away his sins long, long ago and they should have gone into oblivion.

Cautioning man against the retribution of God, is to make man to have God and His pleasure as the ultimate object of all the actions of his life. (A.P.)

• 1. Refer to Verses. 2:61 and 3:111.
• 2. Applicable to the assassins and their persecutors of the Holy Imams of the Ahl Al-Bayt the successors to the Last Apostle of God The Holy Prophet.
• 3. Considered.
• 4. Rut. John 16/5-14.
• 5. Withdraw i.e. arrogantly persist on infidelity.
• 6. Counted.
• 7. Applicable to the modern days irreligious arrogants and their conjectures.
• 8. Fully repaid according to the merit and the demerit of one’s own faith and deeds.
• 9. Refer to: 2:269, 2:258, 3:73.
• 10. Refer to: 16:106.
• 11. Verse 29, referring to Prophet Muhammad (S).
• 12. A guidance and grace.
• 13. The principal underlaying taqiyyah.
• 14. Hence hiding the faith at heart under the sanction of Verse 29 is not objectionable for God knoweth what is at heart and what is expressed.
• 15. Or “On”.
• 16. Refer to 2:281.
• 17. Distance.
• 18. Evil.
• 19. Refer to: Verse 28.
• 20. Vide 2:27.
• 21. Math. 23/30-35
• 22. Refer to: 2:61, 3:21, 3:112.
• 23. Math. 23/30-35.
• 24. John 16/12 and 13.
• 25. See note on Verse 21.
• 26. Vide: 2:247, 3:177, 3:178, 4:54, 63:7.
• 27. B.H. Vol. II.