سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 179
مَّا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَذَرَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَنتُمْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّىٰ يَمِيزَ ٱلْخَبِيثَ مِنَ ٱلطَّيِّبِ ۗ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُطْلِعَكُمْ عَلَى ٱلْغَيْبِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَجْتَبِى مِن رُّسُلِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ ۖ فَـَٔامِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦ ۚ وَإِن تُؤْمِنُوا۟ وَتَتَّقُوا۟ فَلَكُمْ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿179﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Allâh will not leave the believers in the state in which you are now, until He distinguishes the wicked from the good. Nor will Allâh disclose to you the secrets of the Ghaib (unseen), but Allâh chooses of His Messengers whom He wills. So believe in Allâh and His Messengers. And if you believe and fear Allâh, then for you there is a great reward.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
مَّا
mā
Not
كَانَ
kāna
is
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
لِيَذَرَ
liyadhara
to leave
ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
l-mu'minīna
the believers
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
on
مَآ
mā
what
أَنتُمْ
antum
you (are)
عَلَيْهِ
ʿalayhi
in [it]
حَتَّىٰ
ḥattā
until
يَمِيزَ
yamīza
He separates
ٱلْخَبِيثَ
l-khabītha
the evil
مِنَ
mina
from
ٱلطَّيِّبِ ۗ
l-ṭayibi
the good
وَمَا
wamā
And not
كَانَ
kāna
is
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
لِيُطْلِعَكُمْ
liyuṭ'liʿakum
to inform you
عَلَى
ʿalā
about
ٱلْغَيْبِ
l-ghaybi
the unseen
وَلَـٰكِنَّ
walākinna
[and] but
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
يَجْتَبِى
yajtabī
chooses
مِن
min
from
رُّسُلِهِۦ
rusulihi
His Messengers
مَن
man
whom
يَشَآءُ ۖ
yashāu
He wills
فَـَٔامِنُوا۟
faāminū
so believe
بِٱللَّهِ
bil-lahi
in Allah
وَرُسُلِهِۦ ۚ
warusulihi
and His Messengers
وَإِن
wa-in
and if
تُؤْمِنُوا۟
tu'minū
you believe
وَتَتَّقُوا۟
watattaqū
and fear (Allah)
فَلَكُمْ
falakum
then for you
أَجْرٌ
ajrun
(is a) reward
عَظِيمٌۭ
ʿaẓīmun
great
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 179) ➊ {مَا كَانَ اللّٰهُ لِيَذَرَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ …:} Thus, in the Battle of Uhud, disbelief and hypocrisy and faith and sincerity became separated and apparent. Razi writes: “This verse is also related to the story of Uhud. Thus, in this incident, the killing and defeat, and then after that, the Muslims going out in response to Abu Sufyan’s challenge, etc., all were such events through which disbelief and hypocrisy and faith and sincerity became separated and apparent, and the distinction between the believer and the hypocrite became clear. Since the mingling of the hypocrites with the believers was against divine wisdom, therefore all these events took place.”
➋ {وَ مَا كَانَ اللّٰهُ لِيُطْلِعَكُمْ عَلَى الْغَيْبِ:} That is, if Allah Almighty does not make the conditions of the sincere believers and the hypocrites and their inner and outer states apparent through such trials, then you do not possess any knowledge of the unseen by which these things would become clear to him and you would know who is a believer and who is a hypocrite. Nor can each of you be informed of the unseen, nor can any of you be informed of the entire unseen.
➌ {وَ لٰكِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَجْتَبِيْ …:} Yes, however, Allah Almighty informs as much of the unseen as He wills whatever He wills among His messengers, and what He does not will, He does not inform. Now, He informed about some of the hypocrites and did not inform about some, as He said: «وَ مِمَّنْ حَوْلَكُمْ مِّنَ الْاَعْرَابِ مُنٰفِقُوْنَ وَ مِنْ اَهْلِ الْمَدِيْنَةِ مَرَدُوْا عَلَى النِّفَاقِ لَا تَعْلَمُهُمْ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ » [ التوبۃ : ۱۰۱] “And among those around you of the Bedouins are some hypocrites, and among the people of Madinah as well who persist in hypocrisy; you do not know them, We know them.” From this, it is known that Allah Almighty informs His chosen messengers of some matters of the unseen, which they need as proof of prophethood, but they do not become Knower of the unseen by this; the Knower of the unseen is only Allah Almighty. See also Surah Al-An’am (59), Surah An-Naml (65), and Surah Al-Jinn (26 to 28).
➍ {فَاٰمِنُوْا بِاللّٰهِ وَ رُسُلِهٖ :} It is not the job of the Muslims to demand from the Messenger to tell them matters of the unseen according to their own wishes. Their job is to believe in Allah and His messengers, and if they believe and adopt piety, then for them is a great reward.
➋ {وَ مَا كَانَ اللّٰهُ لِيُطْلِعَكُمْ عَلَى الْغَيْبِ:} That is, if Allah Almighty does not make the conditions of the sincere believers and the hypocrites and their inner and outer states apparent through such trials, then you do not possess any knowledge of the unseen by which these things would become clear to him and you would know who is a believer and who is a hypocrite. Nor can each of you be informed of the unseen, nor can any of you be informed of the entire unseen.
➌ {وَ لٰكِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَجْتَبِيْ …:} Yes, however, Allah Almighty informs as much of the unseen as He wills whatever He wills among His messengers, and what He does not will, He does not inform. Now, He informed about some of the hypocrites and did not inform about some, as He said: «وَ مِمَّنْ حَوْلَكُمْ مِّنَ الْاَعْرَابِ مُنٰفِقُوْنَ وَ مِنْ اَهْلِ الْمَدِيْنَةِ مَرَدُوْا عَلَى النِّفَاقِ لَا تَعْلَمُهُمْ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ » [ التوبۃ : ۱۰۱] “And among those around you of the Bedouins are some hypocrites, and among the people of Madinah as well who persist in hypocrisy; you do not know them, We know them.” From this, it is known that Allah Almighty informs His chosen messengers of some matters of the unseen, which they need as proof of prophethood, but they do not become Knower of the unseen by this; the Knower of the unseen is only Allah Almighty. See also Surah Al-An’am (59), Surah An-Naml (65), and Surah Al-Jinn (26 to 28).
➍ {فَاٰمِنُوْا بِاللّٰهِ وَ رُسُلِهٖ :} It is not the job of the Muslims to demand from the Messenger to tell them matters of the unseen according to their own wishes. Their job is to believe in Allah and His messengers, and if they believe and adopt piety, then for them is a great reward.
