سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 81
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِيثَـٰقَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ لَمَآ ءَاتَيْتُكُم مِّن كِتَـٰبٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ ثُمَّ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِۦ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُۥ ۚ قَالَ ءَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكُمْ إِصْرِى ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ أَقْرَرْنَا ۚ قَالَ فَٱشْهَدُوا۟ وَأَنَا۠ مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ ﴿81﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And (remember) when Allâh took the Covenant of the Prophets, saying: "Take whatever I gave you from the Book and Hikmah (understanding of the Laws of Allâh), and afterwards there will come to you a Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) confirming what is with you; you must, then, believe in him and help him." Allâh said: "Do you agree (to it) and will you take up My Covenant (which I conclude with you)?" They said: "We agree." He said: "Then bear witness; and I am with you among the witnesses (for this)."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذْ
wa-idh
And when
أَخَذَ
akhadha
took
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
مِيثَـٰقَ
mīthāqa
covenant
ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ
l-nabiyīna
(of) the Prophets
لَمَآ
lamā
Certainly, whatever
ءَاتَيْتُكُم
ātaytukum
I (have) given you
مِّن
min
of
كِتَـٰبٍۢ
kitābin
(the) Book
وَحِكْمَةٍۢ
waḥik'matin
and wisdom
ثُمَّ
thumma
then
جَآءَكُمْ
jāakum
comes to you
رَسُولٌۭ
rasūlun
a Messenger
مُّصَدِّقٌۭ
muṣaddiqun
confirming
لِّمَا
limā
that which
مَعَكُمْ
maʿakum
(is) with you
لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ
latu'minunna
you must believe
بِهِۦ
bihi
in him
وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُۥ ۚ
walatanṣurunnahu
and you must help him
قَالَ
qāla
He said
ءَأَقْرَرْتُمْ
a-aqrartum
Do you affirm
وَأَخَذْتُمْ
wa-akhadhtum
and take
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
on
ذَٰلِكُمْ
dhālikum
that (condition)
إِصْرِى ۖ
iṣ'rī
My Covenant
قَالُوٓا۟
qālū
They said
أَقْرَرْنَا ۚ
aqrarnā
We affirm
قَالَ
qāla
He said
فَٱشْهَدُوا۟
fa-ish'hadū
Then bear witness
وَأَنَا۠
wa-anā
and I (am)
مَعَكُم
maʿakum
with you
مِّنَ
mina
among
ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ
l-shāhidīna
the witnesses
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.
81. 1. That is, it was taken as a promise from every prophet that if another prophet comes during his lifetime and period of prophethood, it would be necessary to believe in him and to help him. When it is necessary for the prophet himself to believe in the new prophet who comes during his own presence, then for their communities, believing in that new prophet is all the more necessary. Some commentators have taken this very meaning. That is, regarding Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, a covenant was taken from all the prophets that if he comes during their time, they must end their own prophethood and believe in him. However, the fact is that the second meaning is automatically included within the first meaning, so in terms of the words of the Quran, the first meaning is more Sahih. Even according to this meaning, it is clear that after the radiant lamp of the prophethood of Muhammad, no other prophet’s lamp can be lit, as it is mentioned in the hadith that once Umar ؓ was reading pages of the Torah, and the Prophet ﷺ became angry upon seeing this and said, “By Him in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad ﷺ, if Musa ؑ were to come alive and you were to follow him, leaving me, you would surely go astray.” (Musnad Ahmad, as quoted in Ibn Kathir) In any case, now until the Day of Judgment, only Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, is obligatory to follow, and salvation depends solely on obedience to him, not on blind imitation of any imam or allegiance to any elder. When the authority of any prophet can no longer prevail, how can anyone else be deserving of unconditional obedience? “Isr” means covenant and responsibility.
