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 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 164) ➊ {لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللّٰهُ …:} Allah Almighty is describing the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) being a human and from among 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, being of the same kind, will be familiar with him and close to him; and thirdly, it is possible for a human to follow another human, i.e., a man, but it is not within his capacity to follow angels, nor do angels possess the weaknesses and needs found in humans, 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 necessities that are essential for preaching and invitation. That is why all the prophets who came were humans. The Noble Qur’an has explained their humanity in detail, for example, see Surah Yusuf (109), Surah Al-Furqan (20), Surah Ha Mim As-Sajdah (6), and the last verse of Surah Al-Kahf.
➋ In the above verse, when it was stated that embezzlement and betrayal are far removed from the dignity of a prophet, and that prophethood and betrayal cannot coexist, in this verse, the same is further emphasized: that you (O Prophet) have been sent with a pure and lofty objective, which is that he recites His verses to you, teaches you the Book and wisdom (Sunnah), and purifies you from vices. Then, towards such a pure personality, who has been sent for the attainment of such a great purpose, how can any sensible person attribute embezzlement to him, or how can it even occur to anyone’s mind that he could commit a major and reprehensible act like betrayal? The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has declared this sin to be a major one in many ahadith; even in the hadith of Ibn Lutbiyyah, the gifts given to rulers were counted as embezzlement. [ بخاری، الحیل، باب احتیال العامل… : ۶۹۷۹ ] { ”وَ اِنْ كَانُوْا“ } This was originally { ”وَ اِنَّهُمْ كَانُوْا“ }, the proof of which is the presence of the emphatic “lam” in {”لَفِيْ ضَلٰلٍ مُّبِيْنٍ“}.
➋ In the above verse, when it was stated that embezzlement and betrayal are far removed from the dignity of a prophet, and that prophethood and betrayal cannot coexist, in this verse, the same is further emphasized: that you (O Prophet) have been sent with a pure and lofty objective, which is that he recites His verses to you, teaches you the Book and wisdom (Sunnah), and purifies you from vices. Then, towards such a pure personality, who has been sent for the attainment of such a great purpose, how can any sensible person attribute embezzlement to him, or how can it even occur to anyone’s mind that he could commit a major and reprehensible act like betrayal? The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has declared this sin to be a major one in many ahadith; even in the hadith of Ibn Lutbiyyah, the gifts given to rulers were counted as embezzlement. [ بخاری، الحیل، باب احتیال العامل… : ۶۹۷۹ ] { ”وَ اِنْ كَانُوْا“ } This was originally { ”وَ اِنَّهُمْ كَانُوْا“ }, the proof of which is the presence of the emphatic “lam” in {”لَفِيْ ضَلٰلٍ مُّبِيْنٍ“}.
