سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 164
لَقَدْ مَنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ يَتْلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا۟ مِن قَبْلُ لَفِى ضَلَـٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ ﴿164﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Indeed Allâh conferred a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) from among themselves, reciting unto them His Verses (the Qur’ân), and purifying them (from sins by their following him), and instructing them (in) the Book (the Qur’ân) and Al-Hikmah [the wisdom and the Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم (i.e. his legal ways, statements, acts of worship)], while before that they had been in manifest error.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
لَقَدْ
laqad
Certainly
مَنَّ
manna
bestowed a Favor
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
عَلَى
ʿalā
upon
ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
l-mu'minīna
the believers
إِذْ
idh
as
بَعَثَ
baʿatha
He raised
فِيهِمْ
fīhim
among them
رَسُولًۭا
rasūlan
a Messenger
مِّنْ
min
from
أَنفُسِهِمْ
anfusihim
themselves
يَتْلُوا۟
yatlū
reciting
عَلَيْهِمْ
ʿalayhim
to them
ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ
āyātihi
His Verses
وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ
wayuzakkīhim
and purifying them
وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ
wayuʿallimuhumu
and teaching them
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ
l-kitāba
the Book
وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ
wal-ḥik'mata
and the wisdom
وَإِن
wa-in
although
كَانُوا۟
kānū
they were
مِن
min
from
قَبْلُ
qablu
before (that)
لَفِى
lafī
certainly in
ضَلَـٰلٍۢ
ḍalālin
(the) error
مُّبِينٍ
mubīnin
clear
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.
164. 1 Allah Almighty is describing the fact that the Prophet is from among humans and mankind as a favor, and indeed this is a great favor: firstly, he will convey Allah’s message in the language and dialect of his own people, which will be easy for everyone to understand; secondly, people will be familiar and close to him because of being of the same kind; thirdly, it is possible for a human to follow a human, but it is not within his capacity to follow angels, nor can an angel comprehend the depths and subtleties of human intuition and consciousness. Therefore, if the messenger were from among the angels, he would be deprived of all those qualities that are extremely necessary for preaching and invitation. That is why all the prophets who have come were all humans. The Quran has explained their humanity in detail. (وَمَآ اَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ اِلَّا رِجَالًا نُّوْحِيْٓ اِلَيْهِمْ مِّنْ اَهْلِ الْقُرٰى) 12:19 “We did not send before you ﷺ any messengers except men to whom We revealed.” (وَمَآ اَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِيْنَ اِلَّآ اِنَّهُمْ لَيَاْكُلُوْنَ الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشُوْنَ فِي الْاَسْوَاقِ) (25:20" We did not send before you any messengers except that they ate food and walked in the markets. "۔ And the Prophet ﷺ himself was made to say (قُلْ اِنَّمَآ اَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوْحٰٓى اِلَيَّ اَنَّمَآ اِلٰــهُكُمْ اِلٰهٌ وَّاحِدٌ) (حٰم السجدۃ :6) “Say: I am only a human like you, but it is revealed to me.” Today, many people do not understand this and fall into deviation.
164. 2 In this verse, three important objectives of prophethood have been mentioned: 1. Recitation 2. Purification 3. Teaching of the Book and Wisdom. Teaching of the Book automatically includes recitation; teaching is only possible with recitation, and the concept of teaching without recitation does not exist. Despite this, recitation has been mentioned separately as an objective, which clarifies the point that recitation in itself is a sacred and virtuous act, whether the reader understands its meaning or not. Trying to understand the meanings and messages of the Quran is certainly necessary for every Muslim. But until this objective is achieved or until one attains such understanding, neglect or avoidance of Quranic recitation is not permissible. Purification refers to the correction of beliefs, actions, and morals. Just as he ﷺ turned them away from polytheism and set them upon monotheism, likewise he elevated a nation of extremely ill-mannered and ill-tempered people to the heights of morality and character. According to most commentators, wisdom refers to hadith.
164. 2 This is “an” (lightened) from “inna” (heavy), meaning it carries the sense of (indeed, certainly, without a doubt).
164. 2 In this verse, three important objectives of prophethood have been mentioned: 1. Recitation 2. Purification 3. Teaching of the Book and Wisdom. Teaching of the Book automatically includes recitation; teaching is only possible with recitation, and the concept of teaching without recitation does not exist. Despite this, recitation has been mentioned separately as an objective, which clarifies the point that recitation in itself is a sacred and virtuous act, whether the reader understands its meaning or not. Trying to understand the meanings and messages of the Quran is certainly necessary for every Muslim. But until this objective is achieved or until one attains such understanding, neglect or avoidance of Quranic recitation is not permissible. Purification refers to the correction of beliefs, actions, and morals. Just as he ﷺ turned them away from polytheism and set them upon monotheism, likewise he elevated a nation of extremely ill-mannered and ill-tempered people to the heights of morality and character. According to most commentators, wisdom refers to hadith.
164. 2 This is “an” (lightened) from “inna” (heavy), meaning it carries the sense of (indeed, certainly, without a doubt).
