سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 104
وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى ٱلْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ ۚ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿104﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islâm), enjoining Al-Ma‘rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm orders one to do) and forbidding Al-Munkar (polytheism and disbelief and all that Islâm has forbidden). And it is they who are the successful.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلْتَكُن
waltakun
And let there be
مِّنكُمْ
minkum
among you
أُمَّةٌۭ
ummatun
[a] people
يَدْعُونَ
yadʿūna
inviting
إِلَى
ilā
to
ٱلْخَيْرِ
l-khayri
the good
وَيَأْمُرُونَ
wayamurūna
[and] enjoining
بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ
bil-maʿrūfi
the right
وَيَنْهَوْنَ
wayanhawna
and forbidding
عَنِ
ʿani
from
ٱلْمُنكَرِ ۚ
l-munkari
the wrong
وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ
wa-ulāika
and those
هُمُ
humu
they
ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ
l-muf'liḥūna
(are) the successful ones
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 104) {وَ لْتَكُنْ مِّنْكُمْ اُمَّةٌ …:} That is, the way to hold firmly to the rope of Allah and to avoid discord and misguidance is that a group among you should continue to perform the duty of enjoining good and forbidding evil. As long as such a group remains established, people will remain on guidance. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever among you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; if he is not able, then with his tongue; and if he is not able, then with his heart—and that is the weakest of faith.” [ مسلم، الإیمان، باب بیان کون النھی عن المنکر… : ۴۹، عن أبی سعید الخدری رضی اللہ عنہ ] Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: “From this verse, it is understood that it is obligatory upon Muslims that a group should remain established for jihad and for upholding the religion (to adhere to and enforce it), so that no one acts against the religion, and those who are established upon this task are the successful ones. And that no one should have the attitude of ‘Moses with his own religion, Jesus with his own religion’—this is not the way of a Muslim.” (Mawduh)
This exegesis is in the case of taking {’’مِنْكُمْ ‘‘} in {’’مِنْ‘‘} to mean “some,” as is generally understood in «وَ لْتَكُنْ مِّنْكُمْ اُمَّةٌ » where {’’مِنْ‘‘} is taken for partiality. According to this interpretation, it is sufficient for a group among the Muslims to enjoin good and forbid evil. However, from the statement of Allah «وَ اُولٰٓىِٕكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُوْنَ», it is understood that enjoining good and forbidding evil is obligatory upon every individual of the Ummah, because at the end it is said that only those are successful who perform this duty, and it is obvious that every Muslim needs success. Therefore, here {’’ مِنْكُمْ ‘‘} in {’’مِنْ‘‘} will have to be considered explanatory, and the meaning will be: O Muslims! It is necessary that you should constitute a community who enjoin good. Ibn Juzayy said: {’’ وَ قَوْلُهُ ’’ مِنْكُمْ ‘‘ دَلِيْلٌ عَلٰي اَنَّهُ فَرْضُ كَفَايَةٍ لِاَنَّ مِنْ لِلتَّبْعِيْضِ وَ قِيْلَ اِنَّهَا لِبِيَانِ الْجِنْسِ وَالْمَعْنَي كُوْنُوْا أُمَّةً ‘‘} “That is, one opinion is that {’’ مِنْ ‘‘ } is for the explanation of the genus, and the meaning is that all of you should become such a community who…” as He said: «فَاجْتَنِبُوا الرِّجْسَ مِنَ الْاَوْثَانِ » [ الحج : ۳۰ ] “So avoid the filth which are idols.” Ibn Juzayy says: { ’’ مِنْ‘‘ ”لِبِيَانِ الْجِنْسِ كَأَنَّهُ قَالَ الرِّجْسُ هُوَ الْأَوْثَانُ“} that is, {’’ مِنْ‘‘} is for the genus, and by “filth” is meant idols. [ التسہیل لابن جُزی ]
This exegesis is in the case of taking {’’مِنْكُمْ ‘‘} in {’’مِنْ‘‘} to mean “some,” as is generally understood in «وَ لْتَكُنْ مِّنْكُمْ اُمَّةٌ » where {’’مِنْ‘‘} is taken for partiality. According to this interpretation, it is sufficient for a group among the Muslims to enjoin good and forbid evil. However, from the statement of Allah «وَ اُولٰٓىِٕكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُوْنَ», it is understood that enjoining good and forbidding evil is obligatory upon every individual of the Ummah, because at the end it is said that only those are successful who perform this duty, and it is obvious that every Muslim needs success. Therefore, here {’’ مِنْكُمْ ‘‘} in {’’مِنْ‘‘} will have to be considered explanatory, and the meaning will be: O Muslims! It is necessary that you should constitute a community who enjoin good. Ibn Juzayy said: {’’ وَ قَوْلُهُ ’’ مِنْكُمْ ‘‘ دَلِيْلٌ عَلٰي اَنَّهُ فَرْضُ كَفَايَةٍ لِاَنَّ مِنْ لِلتَّبْعِيْضِ وَ قِيْلَ اِنَّهَا لِبِيَانِ الْجِنْسِ وَالْمَعْنَي كُوْنُوْا أُمَّةً ‘‘} “That is, one opinion is that {’’ مِنْ ‘‘ } is for the explanation of the genus, and the meaning is that all of you should become such a community who…” as He said: «فَاجْتَنِبُوا الرِّجْسَ مِنَ الْاَوْثَانِ » [ الحج : ۳۰ ] “So avoid the filth which are idols.” Ibn Juzayy says: { ’’ مِنْ‘‘ ”لِبِيَانِ الْجِنْسِ كَأَنَّهُ قَالَ الرِّجْسُ هُوَ الْأَوْثَانُ“} that is, {’’ مِنْ‘‘} is for the genus, and by “filth” is meant idols. [ التسہیل لابن جُزی ]
