سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 55
إِذْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَـٰعِيسَىٰٓ إِنِّى مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَىَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَجَاعِلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَىَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ فِيمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ ﴿55﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And (remember) when Allâh said: "O ‘Îsâ (Jesus)! I will take you and raise you to Myself and clear you [of the forged statement that ‘Îsâ (Jesus) is Allâh’s son] of those who disbelieve, and I will make those who follow you (Monotheists, who worship none but Allâh) superior to those who disbelieve [in the Oneness of Allâh, or disbelieve in some of His Messengers, e.g. Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, ‘Îsâ (Jesus), Mûsâ (Moses), etc., or in His Holy Books, e.g. the Taurât (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel), the Qur’ân] till the Day of Resurrection. Then you will return to Me and I will judge between you in the matters in which you used to dispute."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِذْ
idh
When
قَالَ
qāla
said
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
يَـٰعِيسَىٰٓ
yāʿīsā
O Isa
إِنِّى
innī
Indeed, I
مُتَوَفِّيكَ
mutawaffīka
(will) take you
وَرَافِعُكَ
warāfiʿuka
and raise you
إِلَىَّ
ilayya
to Myself
وَمُطَهِّرُكَ
wamuṭahhiruka
and purify you
مِنَ
mina
from
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
كَفَرُوا۟
kafarū
disbelieve[d]
وَجَاعِلُ
wajāʿilu
and I will make
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
ٱتَّبَعُوكَ
ittabaʿūka
follow[ed] you
فَوْقَ
fawqa
superior
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
(to) those who
كَفَرُوٓا۟
kafarū
disbelieve[d]
إِلَىٰ
ilā
on
يَوْمِ
yawmi
(the) Day
ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۖ
l-qiyāmati
(of) [the] Resurrection
ثُمَّ
thumma
Then
إِلَىَّ
ilayya
to Me
مَرْجِعُكُمْ
marjiʿukum
(is) your return
فَأَحْكُمُ
fa-aḥkumu
and I will judge
بَيْنَكُمْ
baynakum
between you
فِيمَا
fīmā
about what
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you were
فِيهِ
fīhi
[in it]
تَخْتَلِفُونَ
takhtalifūna
differing
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.
(Ayah55) ➊ The meaning of {مُتَوَفِّيْكَ وَ رَافِعُكَ اِلَيَّ:} and { ’’ وَفَي يَفِيْ‘‘ } is to fulfill or to complete. The meaning of {’’اِسْتَوْفَي‘‘} and {’’ تَوَفّٰي‘‘ } is to take in full. The meaning of {’’ اِسْتَوْفَيْتُ مِنْهُ وَ تَوَفَّيْتُ‘‘} is “I have taken full right from him.” On this basis, the meaning of {”مُتَوَفِّيْكَ“} is “I am the one who will take you in full,” and this can only happen if ‘Isa (peace be upon him) was raised up with both soul and body. Some have interpreted it as “I will cause you to die (at the appointed time),” and I have translated it as “the one who will seize you.” Both meanings are included in this. Although in the Qur’an, the meaning of {’’ تَوَفِّيْ ‘‘} is also to make someone sleep, as He said: «وَ هُوَ الَّذِيْ يَتَوَفّٰىكُمْ بِالَّيْلِ » [الأنعام: ۶۰ ] “And He is the One who seizes you at night (puts you to sleep),” and He said: «اَللّٰهُ يَتَوَفَّى الْاَنْفُسَ حِيْنَ مَوْتِهَا وَ الَّتِيْ لَمْ تَمُتْ فِيْ مَنَامِهَا » [الزمر : ۴۲ ] “Allah seizes the souls at the time of their death and those who do not die, in their sleep.”
Shaykh al-Islam Imam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) has written in {’’ اَلْجَوَابُ الصَّحِيْحُ ‘‘} that in the Arabic language, the meanings of { ’’تَوَفِّيْ‘‘} are {’’اِسْتِيْفَاءٌ ‘‘} and seizing, and this can be in the form of sleep or in the form of death, and it also comes in the meaning of {’’ تَوَفِّي الرُّوْحِ مَعَ الْبَدَنِ جَمِيْعًا ‘‘} (taking both soul and body), and in this verse, this is the intended meaning. In summary, in this verse, by «مُتَوَفِّيْكَ وَ رَافِعُكَ اِلَيَّ », what is meant is the ascension of ‘Isa (peace be upon him) with his body towards the heavens, as He said: «وَ رَافِعُكَ اِلَيَّ » “And I am the one who will raise you to Myself.” Elsewhere, Allah Almighty has negated the killing and crucifixion of ‘Isa (peace be upon him) and, without using the word {’’تَوَفِّيْ‘‘}, said: «بَلْ رَّفَعَهُ اللّٰهُ اِلَيْهِ » [النساء : ۱۵۸] “Rather, Allah raised him to Himself.”
➋ {وَ جَاعِلُ الَّذِيْنَ اتَّبَعُوْكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْۤا:} The Christians were the first followers of ‘Isa (peace be upon him), after them are the Muslims, so they have always been dominant. (Muwaddih) Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes that by them, only the Christians may be meant, and the meaning is that the Jews, who deny the Messiah (peace be upon him), the Christians will always be dominant over them. (Ibn Kathir)
It also means that near the Day of Judgment, when the Messiah (peace be upon him) will come, his followers, the Muslims, will be dominant over all the disbelievers.
Shaykh al-Islam Imam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) has written in {’’ اَلْجَوَابُ الصَّحِيْحُ ‘‘} that in the Arabic language, the meanings of { ’’تَوَفِّيْ‘‘} are {’’اِسْتِيْفَاءٌ ‘‘} and seizing, and this can be in the form of sleep or in the form of death, and it also comes in the meaning of {’’ تَوَفِّي الرُّوْحِ مَعَ الْبَدَنِ جَمِيْعًا ‘‘} (taking both soul and body), and in this verse, this is the intended meaning. In summary, in this verse, by «مُتَوَفِّيْكَ وَ رَافِعُكَ اِلَيَّ », what is meant is the ascension of ‘Isa (peace be upon him) with his body towards the heavens, as He said: «وَ رَافِعُكَ اِلَيَّ » “And I am the one who will raise you to Myself.” Elsewhere, Allah Almighty has negated the killing and crucifixion of ‘Isa (peace be upon him) and, without using the word {’’تَوَفِّيْ‘‘}, said: «بَلْ رَّفَعَهُ اللّٰهُ اِلَيْهِ » [النساء : ۱۵۸] “Rather, Allah raised him to Himself.”
➋ {وَ جَاعِلُ الَّذِيْنَ اتَّبَعُوْكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْۤا:} The Christians were the first followers of ‘Isa (peace be upon him), after them are the Muslims, so they have always been dominant. (Muwaddih) Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes that by them, only the Christians may be meant, and the meaning is that the Jews, who deny the Messiah (peace be upon him), the Christians will always be dominant over them. (Ibn Kathir)
It also means that near the Day of Judgment, when the Messiah (peace be upon him) will come, his followers, the Muslims, will be dominant over all the disbelievers.
