سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 110
كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ ۗ وَلَوْ ءَامَنَ أَهْلُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُم ۚ مِّنْهُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ ﴿110﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
You [true believers in Islâmic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) and his Sunnah] are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Ma‘rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm has ordained) and forbid Al-Munkar (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islâm has forbidden), and you believe in Allâh. And had the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) believed, it would have been better for them; among them are some who have faith, but most of them are Al-Fâsiqûn (disobedient to Allâh - and rebellious against Allâh’s Command).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
You are
خَيْرَ
khayra
(the) best
أُمَّةٍ
ummatin
(of) people
أُخْرِجَتْ
ukh'rijat
raised
لِلنَّاسِ
lilnnāsi
for the mankind
تَأْمُرُونَ
tamurūna
enjoining
بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ
bil-maʿrūfi
the right
وَتَنْهَوْنَ
watanhawna
and forbidding
عَنِ
ʿani
[from]
ٱلْمُنكَرِ
l-munkari
the wrong
وَتُؤْمِنُونَ
watu'minūna
and believing
بِٱللَّهِ ۗ
bil-lahi
in Allah
وَلَوْ
walaw
And if
ءَامَنَ
āmana
believed
أَهْلُ
ahlu
(the) People
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ
l-kitābi
(of) the Book
لَكَانَ
lakāna
surely would have been
خَيْرًۭا
khayran
good
لَّهُم ۚ
lahum
for them
مِّنْهُمُ
min'humu
Among them
ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ
l-mu'minūna
(are) [the] believers
وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ
wa-aktharuhumu
but most of them
ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ
l-fāsiqūna
(are) defiantly disobedient
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
110. 1. In this verse, the Muslim Ummah has been declared the 'best nation,' and its reason has also been stated, which is enjoining good, forbidding evil, and faith in Allah. That is, if this Ummah continues to possess these distinguishing characteristics, it is the best nation; otherwise, it can be deprived of this distinction. After this, the condemnation of the People of the Book also seems intended to clarify the same point: whoever does not enjoin good and forbid evil will also be considered similar to the People of the Book. Their characteristic has been described: they do not stop each other from evil, and here in this very verse, the majority of them have been called transgressors. Is enjoining good and forbidding evil an individual obligation or a collective obligation? According to most scholars, it is a collective obligation. That is, it is the responsibility of the scholars to fulfill this obligation because only they have the correct knowledge of what is legally good and evil. By their fulfillment of the duty of preaching and inviting, this obligation is lifted from other individuals. Just as jihad, in normal circumstances, is also a collective obligation, meaning that its fulfillment by one group suffices for the obligation.
110. 2. Like Abdullah bin Salam (RA) and others who became Muslim. However, their number was very small. Therefore, in مِنْهمْ, مِنْ is for denoting a part.
110. 2. Like Abdullah bin Salam (RA) and others who became Muslim. However, their number was very small. Therefore, in مِنْهمْ, مِنْ is for denoting a part.
