سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 182
ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَيْسَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ ﴿182﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
This is because of that (evil) which your hands have sent before you. And certainly, Allâh is never unjust to (His) slaves.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
That
بِمَا
bimā
(is) because
قَدَّمَتْ
qaddamat
(of what) sent forth
أَيْدِيكُمْ
aydīkum
your hands
وَأَنَّ
wa-anna
and that
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
لَيْسَ
laysa
is not
بِظَلَّامٍۢ
biẓallāmin
unjust
لِّلْعَبِيدِ
lil'ʿabīdi
to (His) slaves
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 182) {وَ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ لَيْسَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيْدِ:} A question arises here that {”ظَلاَّمٌ“} is an intensive form, which means "one who does a lot of injustice." Apparently, the meaning would be "Allah is not one who does a lot of injustice to the servants," as if He could do a little injustice. One answer to this has been given by the late Ustadh Maulana Muhammad Abduh, may Allah have mercy on him: "With this intensive form, the negation of injustice from Allah means that if (God forbid) even an atom's weight of injustice were to be committed by Allah, He would be considered { ”ظَلاَّمٌ“ }, and Allah's essence is pure from injustice." This answer is good, but an even stronger answer is that sometimes when negation comes with an intensive form, it does not mean the negation of the intensity, but rather the negation itself is intensified. That is why it has been translated as "Allah does not do even a little bit of injustice to the servants." As Tarafah has said:
{وَلَسْتُ بِحَلاَّلِ التِّلَاعِ مَخَافَةً ¤ وَلٰكِنْ مَتٰي يَسْتَرْفِدِ الْقَوْمُ أَرْفِدِ}
According to the apparent words, the translation would be, "And I am not one who climbs the hills a lot out of fear, but when my people ask me for a gift, I give it." But here it does not mean that I do not climb a lot, rather it means that I do not climb the hills at all. The proof is that I give when asked for a gift. See "Al-Bahr Al-Muheet" and "Al-Lubab," etc.
{وَلَسْتُ بِحَلاَّلِ التِّلَاعِ مَخَافَةً ¤ وَلٰكِنْ مَتٰي يَسْتَرْفِدِ الْقَوْمُ أَرْفِدِ}
According to the apparent words, the translation would be, "And I am not one who climbs the hills a lot out of fear, but when my people ask me for a gift, I give it." But here it does not mean that I do not climb a lot, rather it means that I do not climb the hills at all. The proof is that I give when asked for a gift. See "Al-Bahr Al-Muheet" and "Al-Lubab," etc.
