سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 80
وَلَا يَأْمُرَكُمْ أَن تَتَّخِذُوا۟ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ أَرْبَابًا ۗ أَيَأْمُرُكُم بِٱلْكُفْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ أَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ ﴿80﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Nor would he order you to take angels and Prophets for lords (gods). Would he order you to disbelieve after you have submitted to Allâh’s Will? (Tafsir At-Tabarî).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَا
walā
And not
يَأْمُرَكُمْ
yamurakum
he will order you
أَن
an
that
تَتَّخِذُوا۟
tattakhidhū
you take
ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ
l-malāikata
the Angels
وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ
wal-nabiyīna
and the Prophets
أَرْبَابًا ۗ
arbāban
(as) lords
أَيَأْمُرُكُم
ayamurukum
Would he order you
بِٱلْكُفْرِ
bil-kuf'ri
to [the] disbelief
بَعْدَ
baʿda
after
إِذْ
idh
[when]
أَنتُم
antum
you (have become)
مُّسْلِمُونَ
mus'limūna
Muslims
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 80) ➊ { وَ لَا يَاْمُرَكُمْ …:} And it is not for a Prophet to command you to take the angels and the Prophets as lords. This is clear disbelief, so how could a Messenger command you to disbelief after you have become Muslims?
➋ In this verse, there is a criticism of the behavior of the Jews and Christians, who exaggerated so much in the veneration of the Prophets and angels that they placed them at the rank of the Lord Almighty. They built structures over the graves of Prophets and righteous people and made their images in them. It is narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that Umm Habibah and Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with them both) mentioned a church (place of worship) which they had seen in Abyssinia, in which there were images. They mentioned this to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), so he said: "Their condition was that when a righteous man among them died, they would build a mosque over his grave and make these images in it. These people will be the worst of creation in the sight of Allah on the Day of Resurrection." [بخاری، مناقب الأنصار، باب ھجرۃ الحبشۃ : ۳۸۷۳ ] Now you will see this scene in every city of the Muslims and almost every neighborhood. Whereas the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade plastering graves, building structures over them, or sitting on them (as a caretaker). [مسلم، الجنائز، باب النھی عن تجصیص القبر والبناء علیہ : ۹۷۰، عن جابر رضی اللہ عنہ ] Rather, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) to erase every image and level every high grave. [مسلم، الجنائز، باب الأمر بتسویۃ القبر : ۹۶۹ ]
Ustadh Muhammad Abduh (may Allah have mercy on him) writes that from this verse: «اَيَاْمُرُكُمْ بِالْكُفْرِ» it is proven that worship of any Prophet or angel is clear disbelief, and any teaching or philosophy that teaches servitude to anyone other than Allah Almighty, or places any Prophet or saint at the rank of the Lord Almighty, can never be the teaching of Allah Almighty or His Prophet. In {”اَيَاْمُرُكُمْ“} there is a rhetorical question of denial, meaning it is not possible, because Prophets are sent to teach people the worship of Allah and to make them Muslims, not to make them disbelievers. (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir)
➋ In this verse, there is a criticism of the behavior of the Jews and Christians, who exaggerated so much in the veneration of the Prophets and angels that they placed them at the rank of the Lord Almighty. They built structures over the graves of Prophets and righteous people and made their images in them. It is narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that Umm Habibah and Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with them both) mentioned a church (place of worship) which they had seen in Abyssinia, in which there were images. They mentioned this to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), so he said: "Their condition was that when a righteous man among them died, they would build a mosque over his grave and make these images in it. These people will be the worst of creation in the sight of Allah on the Day of Resurrection." [بخاری، مناقب الأنصار، باب ھجرۃ الحبشۃ : ۳۸۷۳ ] Now you will see this scene in every city of the Muslims and almost every neighborhood. Whereas the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade plastering graves, building structures over them, or sitting on them (as a caretaker). [مسلم، الجنائز، باب النھی عن تجصیص القبر والبناء علیہ : ۹۷۰، عن جابر رضی اللہ عنہ ] Rather, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) to erase every image and level every high grave. [مسلم، الجنائز، باب الأمر بتسویۃ القبر : ۹۶۹ ]
Ustadh Muhammad Abduh (may Allah have mercy on him) writes that from this verse: «اَيَاْمُرُكُمْ بِالْكُفْرِ» it is proven that worship of any Prophet or angel is clear disbelief, and any teaching or philosophy that teaches servitude to anyone other than Allah Almighty, or places any Prophet or saint at the rank of the Lord Almighty, can never be the teaching of Allah Almighty or His Prophet. In {”اَيَاْمُرُكُمْ“} there is a rhetorical question of denial, meaning it is not possible, because Prophets are sent to teach people the worship of Allah and to make them Muslims, not to make them disbelievers. (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir)
