سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 75
۞ وَمِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ مَنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِقِنطَارٍ يُؤَدِّهِۦٓ إِلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِدِينَارٍ لَّا يُؤَدِّهِۦٓ إِلَيْكَ إِلَّا مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَآئِمًا ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا۟ لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِى ٱلْأُمِّيِّـۧنَ سَبِيلٌ وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿75﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is he who, if entrusted with a Qintâr (a great amount of wealth, etc.), will readily pay it back; and among them there is he who, if entrusted with a single silver coin, will not repay it unless you constantly stand demanding, because they say: "There is no blame on us to betray and take the properties of the illiterates (Arabs)." But they tell a lie against Allâh while they know it.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ وَمِنْ
wamin
And from
أَهْلِ
ahli
(the) People
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ
l-kitābi
(of) the Book
مَنْ
man
(is he) who
إِن
in
if
تَأْمَنْهُ
tamanhu
you entrust him
بِقِنطَارٍۢ
biqinṭārin
with a great amount of wealth
يُؤَدِّهِۦٓ
yu-addihi
he will return it
إِلَيْكَ
ilayka
to you
وَمِنْهُم
wamin'hum
And from them
مَّنْ
man
(is he) who
إِن
in
if
تَأْمَنْهُ
tamanhu
you entrust him
بِدِينَارٍۢ
bidīnārin
with a single coin
لَّا
lā
not
يُؤَدِّهِۦٓ
yu-addihi
he will return it
إِلَيْكَ
ilayka
to you
إِلَّا
illā
except
مَا
mā
that
دُمْتَ
dum'ta
you keep constantly
عَلَيْهِ
ʿalayhi
over him
قَآئِمًۭا ۗ
qāiman
standing
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
That
بِأَنَّهُمْ
bi-annahum
(is) because they
قَالُوا۟
qālū
said
لَيْسَ
laysa
Not
عَلَيْنَا
ʿalaynā
on us
فِى
fī
concerning
ٱلْأُمِّيِّـۧنَ
l-umiyīna
the unlettered people
سَبِيلٌۭ
sabīlun
any [way] (accountability)
وَيَقُولُونَ
wayaqūlūna
And they say
عَلَى
ʿalā
about
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
ٱلْكَذِبَ
l-kadhiba
the lie
وَهُمْ
wahum
while they
يَعْلَمُونَ
yaʿlamūna
know
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 75) ➊ {وَ مِنْ اَهْلِ الْكِتٰبِ مَنْ اِنْ تَاْمَنْهُ بِقِنْطَارٍ يُّؤَدِّهٖۤ اِلَيْكَ:} Observe the justice of Allah Almighty that even during the condemnation of the People of the Book, if there was any virtue among some of their people, He acknowledged it. The condemnation was only for those who deserved it. The best example of those who returned a treasure held in trust is the detailed incident mentioned in Sahih Bukhari, in which a man from the Children of Israel borrowed a thousand dinars from another Israelite, and when he could not find a boat to deliver it, he placed it in a piece of wood and entrusted it to the sea, and later himself brought the money as well. But the other also demonstrated trustworthiness and informed that he had received the money sent in the wood. [بخاری، الکفالۃ، باب الکفالۃ فی القرض … : ۲۲۹۱ ]
➋ {وَ مِنْهُمْ مَّنْ اِنْ تَاْمَنْهُ بِدِيْنَارٍ لَّا يُؤَدِّهٖۤ اِلَيْكَ …:} According to them, the reason for not returning even a single dinar without standing over their heads is that, as they say, there will be no accountability upon us for consuming the wealth of the unlettered (Arabs). Allah Almighty said that they are deliberately fabricating a lie against Allah, because Allah Almighty has never commanded betrayal in trust, whether it is an Israelite or an Arab. Rather, Islam has not permitted taking the wealth of any dhimmi without permission, nor has it allowed consuming the wealth of any harbi disbeliever through betrayal. Thus, it is said: «اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَاْمُرُكُمْ اَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الْاَمٰنٰتِ اِلٰۤى اَهْلِهَا » [النساء : ۵۸ ] “Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due.” It is unfortunate that, like the Jews, some Muslims also say in the lands of the disbelievers that dealing in interest is permissible in Dar al-Harb, and Dar al-Harb is also defined according to their own wishes, whether there is war with them or not.
➌ One of our merchant friends argued from this verse that no matter how much a person is unwilling to return a loan, if you keep demanding it from him repeatedly, eventually you will get your money back, provided that you neither fight with him nor give him an opportunity to fight, because then repeated demands are no longer possible. He said this is his experience.
➋ {وَ مِنْهُمْ مَّنْ اِنْ تَاْمَنْهُ بِدِيْنَارٍ لَّا يُؤَدِّهٖۤ اِلَيْكَ …:} According to them, the reason for not returning even a single dinar without standing over their heads is that, as they say, there will be no accountability upon us for consuming the wealth of the unlettered (Arabs). Allah Almighty said that they are deliberately fabricating a lie against Allah, because Allah Almighty has never commanded betrayal in trust, whether it is an Israelite or an Arab. Rather, Islam has not permitted taking the wealth of any dhimmi without permission, nor has it allowed consuming the wealth of any harbi disbeliever through betrayal. Thus, it is said: «اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَاْمُرُكُمْ اَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الْاَمٰنٰتِ اِلٰۤى اَهْلِهَا » [النساء : ۵۸ ] “Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due.” It is unfortunate that, like the Jews, some Muslims also say in the lands of the disbelievers that dealing in interest is permissible in Dar al-Harb, and Dar al-Harb is also defined according to their own wishes, whether there is war with them or not.
➌ One of our merchant friends argued from this verse that no matter how much a person is unwilling to return a loan, if you keep demanding it from him repeatedly, eventually you will get your money back, provided that you neither fight with him nor give him an opportunity to fight, because then repeated demands are no longer possible. He said this is his experience.
