سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 103
وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟ بِحَبْلِ ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا۟ ۚ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَآءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِۦٓ إِخْوَٰنًا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ ﴿103﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allâh (i.e. this Qur’ân), and be not divided among yourselves, and remember Allâh’s Favour on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His Grace, you became brethren (in Islâmic Faith), and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allâh makes His Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.,) clear to you, that you may be guided.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟
wa-iʿ'taṣimū
And hold firmly
بِحَبْلِ
biḥabli
to (the) rope
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
جَمِيعًۭا
jamīʿan
all together
وَلَا
walā
and (do) not
تَفَرَّقُوا۟ ۚ
tafarraqū
be divided
وَٱذْكُرُوا۟
wa-udh'kurū
And remember
نِعْمَتَ
niʿ'mata
(the) Favor
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
عَلَيْكُمْ
ʿalaykum
on you
إِذْ
idh
when
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you were
أَعْدَآءًۭ
aʿdāan
enemies
فَأَلَّفَ
fa-allafa
then He made friendship
بَيْنَ
bayna
between
قُلُوبِكُمْ
qulūbikum
your hearts
فَأَصْبَحْتُم
fa-aṣbaḥtum
then you became
بِنِعْمَتِهِۦٓ
biniʿ'matihi
by His Favor
إِخْوَٰنًۭا
ikh'wānan
brothers
وَكُنتُمْ
wakuntum
And you were
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
on
شَفَا
shafā
(the) brink
حُفْرَةٍۢ
ḥuf'ratin
(of) pit
مِّنَ
mina
of
ٱلنَّارِ
l-nāri
the Fire
فَأَنقَذَكُم
fa-anqadhakum
then He saved you
مِّنْهَا ۗ
min'hā
from it
كَذَٰلِكَ
kadhālika
Thus
يُبَيِّنُ
yubayyinu
makes clear
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
لَكُمْ
lakum
for you
ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ
āyātihi
His Verses
لَعَلَّكُمْ
laʿallakum
so that you may
تَهْتَدُونَ
tahtadūna
(be) guided
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 103) ➊ {وَ اعْتَصِمُوْا بِحَبْلِ اللّٰهِ جَمِيْعًا … :} After advising the believers to stay away from obeying the People of the Book, now here some fundamental principles are being commanded, adherence to which can protect a person from all kinds of tribulations, that is, to fear Allah as He should be feared, hold firmly to the rope of Allah, and do not become divided, and remember Allah’s blessing, that is, the instilling of affection in hearts.
➋ By the rope of Allah is meant the Quran; in reality, this is a metaphor: if some people fall from the height of a mountain into a deep pit, then to rescue them, a rope is thrown down from above. Now, those who together hold firmly to this rope will come up with it, and the others will remain in the pit. In the same way, Allah has sent down the Quran from the heavens to rescue from the pit of misguidance, along with which He has also sent divine revelation, that is, the Sunnah of the Messenger. Muslims can also be saved from the current sectarianism only in this way: by making the Noble Quran their code of conduct, abandoning personal opinions and views, understanding the Quran in the light of the Sunnah, and acting upon it, and not adopting groupings by giving the statements and fatwas of the shaykhs and imams the status of Quran and Sunnah.
➌ {اِذْ كُنْتُمْ اَعْدَآءً … :} Before Islam, not only the Aws and Khazraj but all the Arabs were involved in disbelief, polytheism, and mutual enmities. This is described here as being on the edge of the pit of fire. The purpose is that through Islam, Allah saved you from falling into the fire and created brotherhood instead of enmity. If you want to estimate the extent of this enmity, study Surah Al-Anfal (62, 63).
➋ By the rope of Allah is meant the Quran; in reality, this is a metaphor: if some people fall from the height of a mountain into a deep pit, then to rescue them, a rope is thrown down from above. Now, those who together hold firmly to this rope will come up with it, and the others will remain in the pit. In the same way, Allah has sent down the Quran from the heavens to rescue from the pit of misguidance, along with which He has also sent divine revelation, that is, the Sunnah of the Messenger. Muslims can also be saved from the current sectarianism only in this way: by making the Noble Quran their code of conduct, abandoning personal opinions and views, understanding the Quran in the light of the Sunnah, and acting upon it, and not adopting groupings by giving the statements and fatwas of the shaykhs and imams the status of Quran and Sunnah.
➌ {اِذْ كُنْتُمْ اَعْدَآءً … :} Before Islam, not only the Aws and Khazraj but all the Arabs were involved in disbelief, polytheism, and mutual enmities. This is described here as being on the edge of the pit of fire. The purpose is that through Islam, Allah saved you from falling into the fire and created brotherhood instead of enmity. If you want to estimate the extent of this enmity, study Surah Al-Anfal (62, 63).
