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 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.
(Ayah110) ➊ {كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ اُمَّةٍ … :} That is, this ummah is better than every other ummah in these two qualities: enjoining good, that is, jihad, and faith, that is, strict adherence to monotheism. No other religion has such strict adherence to these. (Muwaddih) Before these two qualities, another quality is also mentioned, and that is {’’اُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ ‘‘}—that this ummah has been created for the welfare and reform of people. Remember! By enjoining good and forbidding evil is meant jihad, whether by hand, tongue, or heart. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) explained this verse by saying: [ خَيْرَ النَّاسِ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْتُوْنَ بِهِمْ فِي السَّلاَسِلِ فِيْ أَعْنَاقِهِمْ حَتّٰي يَدْخُلُوْا فِي الإِسْلاَمِ ] [ بخاری، التفسیر، باب : «کنتم خیر أمۃ أخرجت للناس» : ۴۵۵۷ ] "You are the best of all people for the people, as you bring them with chains around their necks until they enter Islam." Muawiyah bin Haydah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You are completing seventy (70) nations, of which you are the best and most honorable in the sight of Allah." [ أحمد : 447/4، ح : ۲۰۰۳۷۔ ترمذی، التفسیر، باب ومن سورۃ آل عمران : ۳۰۰۱ و حسنہ الألبانی ]
➋ Some people command good and say that by this, people will automatically leave evil; if that were so, there would be no command to forbid evil, and the greatest evil—shirk and disbelief—would not be obligatory to stop by the tongue and to fight (qital).
➌ {وَ تُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِاللّٰهِ :} That is, in enjoining good and forbidding evil, you do not care about the worldly losses that may occur in your business.
➍ {خَيْرَ اُمَّةٍ:} One meaning has already passed, that this ummah is better than all other ummahs, and the second meaning is that this address is to the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), that you are the best among the entire ummah of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), because enjoining good and forbidding evil (jihad) and faith in Allah (pure monotheism) are found in you to the highest degree. This shows the virtue of the Companions, and dust be upon the mouths of those who declare them disbelievers. In summary, both meanings are correct in terms of the words, and in reality, it is so.
➎ The quality of being the best ummah is conditional upon a few conditions: the welfare and reform of people, enjoining good and forbidding evil (jihad), and faith in Allah (pure monotheism). When these things no longer remain in this ummah, it will be deprived of the quality of being the best ummah, just as it is mentioned about the Jews: «كَانُوْا لَا يَتَنَاهَوْنَ عَنْ مُّنْكَرٍ فَعَلُوْهُ » [ المائدۃ : ۷۹ ] "They did not forbid one another from the evil they used to do." Just as is now the case with this ummah.
➏ {وَ لَوْ اٰمَنَ اَهْلُ الْكِتٰبِ … :} In this verse, the People of the Book are encouraged to accept Islam, and it is expressed that some among them are believers, but most are defiantly disobedient, and this is Allah's will, whose wisdom He alone knows, as He said: «وَ مَاۤ اَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَ لَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِيْنَ » [ یوسف : ۱۰۳ ] "And most people, even if you strive [for it], will not be believers." This also refutes democracy, of whatever kind it may be.
➋ Some people command good and say that by this, people will automatically leave evil; if that were so, there would be no command to forbid evil, and the greatest evil—shirk and disbelief—would not be obligatory to stop by the tongue and to fight (qital).
➌ {وَ تُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِاللّٰهِ :} That is, in enjoining good and forbidding evil, you do not care about the worldly losses that may occur in your business.
➍ {خَيْرَ اُمَّةٍ:} One meaning has already passed, that this ummah is better than all other ummahs, and the second meaning is that this address is to the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), that you are the best among the entire ummah of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), because enjoining good and forbidding evil (jihad) and faith in Allah (pure monotheism) are found in you to the highest degree. This shows the virtue of the Companions, and dust be upon the mouths of those who declare them disbelievers. In summary, both meanings are correct in terms of the words, and in reality, it is so.
➎ The quality of being the best ummah is conditional upon a few conditions: the welfare and reform of people, enjoining good and forbidding evil (jihad), and faith in Allah (pure monotheism). When these things no longer remain in this ummah, it will be deprived of the quality of being the best ummah, just as it is mentioned about the Jews: «كَانُوْا لَا يَتَنَاهَوْنَ عَنْ مُّنْكَرٍ فَعَلُوْهُ » [ المائدۃ : ۷۹ ] "They did not forbid one another from the evil they used to do." Just as is now the case with this ummah.
➏ {وَ لَوْ اٰمَنَ اَهْلُ الْكِتٰبِ … :} In this verse, the People of the Book are encouraged to accept Islam, and it is expressed that some among them are believers, but most are defiantly disobedient, and this is Allah's will, whose wisdom He alone knows, as He said: «وَ مَاۤ اَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَ لَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِيْنَ » [ یوسف : ۱۰۳ ] "And most people, even if you strive [for it], will not be believers." This also refutes democracy, of whatever kind it may be.
