سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 31
قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحْبِبْكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿31﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم to mankind): "If you (really) love Allâh then follow me (i.e. accept Islâmic Monotheism, follow the Qur’ân and the Sunnah), Allâh will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قُلْ
qul
Say
إِن
in
If
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you
تُحِبُّونَ
tuḥibbūna
love
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
فَٱتَّبِعُونِى
fa-ittabiʿūnī
then follow me
يُحْبِبْكُمُ
yuḥ'bib'kumu
will love you
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
وَيَغْفِرْ
wayaghfir
and He will forgive
لَكُمْ
lakum
for you
ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ
dhunūbakum
your sins
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
غَفُورٌۭ
ghafūrun
(is) Oft-Forgiving
رَّحِيمٌۭ
raḥīmun
Most Merciful
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 31){قُلْ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّوْنَ اللّٰهَ فَاتَّبِعُوْنِيْ …: } The Jews, Christians, and polytheists all claimed to love Allah. In this verse, Allah commanded His Messenger (peace be upon him) to say to them: If you love Allah, then there is only one way for your claim to be true: accept me as a Prophet and follow me. By doing so, not only will your love for Allah be accepted, but Allah will also love you, you will become beloved to Allah, and He will forgive your sins. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: “Whoever claims to love someone should love in the way the beloved desires, not in the way he himself wishes, and only in this way will the beloved love him.” (Mawdhih) This address also applies to Muslims: if you claim to love Allah, then verbal expression of love is not enough; rather, follow me in all your words and actions. Allah’s love cannot be attained through self-invented ways; that is why there is severe condemnation of innovation (bid‘ah) in the hadith.
