سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 110
كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ ۗ وَلَوْ ءَامَنَ أَهْلُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُم ۚ مِّنْهُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ ﴿110﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
You [true believers in Islâmic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) and his Sunnah] are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Ma‘rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm has ordained) and forbid Al-Munkar (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islâm has forbidden), and you believe in Allâh. And had the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) believed, it would have been better for them; among them are some who have faith, but most of them are Al-Fâsiqûn (disobedient to Allâh - and rebellious against Allâh’s Command).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
You are
خَيْرَ
khayra
(the) best
أُمَّةٍ
ummatin
(of) people
أُخْرِجَتْ
ukh'rijat
raised
لِلنَّاسِ
lilnnāsi
for the mankind
تَأْمُرُونَ
tamurūna
enjoining
بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ
bil-maʿrūfi
the right
وَتَنْهَوْنَ
watanhawna
and forbidding
عَنِ
ʿani
[from]
ٱلْمُنكَرِ
l-munkari
the wrong
وَتُؤْمِنُونَ
watu'minūna
and believing
بِٱللَّهِ ۗ
bil-lahi
in Allah
وَلَوْ
walaw
And if
ءَامَنَ
āmana
believed
أَهْلُ
ahlu
(the) People
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ
l-kitābi
(of) the Book
لَكَانَ
lakāna
surely would have been
خَيْرًۭا
khayran
good
لَّهُم ۚ
lahum
for them
مِّنْهُمُ
min'humu
Among them
ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ
l-mu'minūna
(are) [the] believers
وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ
wa-aktharuhumu
but most of them
ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ
l-fāsiqūna
(are) defiantly disobedient
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
110. (O Muslims! At this time) you are the best community raised for the benefit of mankind: you enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah [99]. If the People of the Book had believed [100], it would have been better for them. Some of them are believers, but most of them are defiantly disobedient.
[99]
The Importance of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil:
Reflect that having faith in Allah is prior to all other deeds and actions. However, the mention of enjoining good and forbidding evil has been made first solely to clarify the importance of enjoining good and forbidding evil. Along with this, it has also been clarified that O Muslims! You are the best nation only because you forbid evil deeds and enjoin good deeds. In other words, this means that as long as Muslims continue to enjoin good and forbid evil, they will remain the best nation, and when they become negligent in this duty, they will no longer be the best nation. Evil deeds include disbelief, polytheism, innovations, vile customs, immorality and wickedness of all kinds, indecency, and irrational matters, and the duty to prevent them is incumbent upon every Muslim individually as well as collectively upon the Muslim Ummah. Everyone must fulfill this duty according to their own status and ability. Thus, it is mentioned in an authentic hadith that when any one of you sees an evil, he should remove it with his hand, and if he cannot do so, then with his tongue, and if he cannot do even that, then at least he should consider it evil in his heart, and this is the weakest level of faith. [مسلم۔ كتاب الايمان۔ باب كون النهي عن المنكر من الايمان] And good deeds refer to pure monotheism, fulfillment of the pillars of Islam, participation in jihad with wealth and self, avoidance of innovations, fulfillment of the rights of relatives, and showing kindness, brotherhood, sympathy, and goodwill to all Muslims, etc.
[100]
The Excellence of the Muslim Ummah:
There was a time when Allah Almighty granted the Children of Israel excellence over all the worlds. But not only did they abandon the duty of enjoining good and forbidding evil, they themselves became involved in numerous major crimes, so Allah Almighty took away from them the responsibility of leadership and guidance of the whole world and entrusted it to the Muslim Ummah. Now the excellence that they had was given to the Muslim Ummah, and the clear sign of this change in leadership was the change of Qiblah. Therefore, the Jews were never as agitated over anything as they were over the change of Qiblah. And this excellence is Allah’s gift; He gives it to whomever He deems appropriate. Thus, Abdullah bin Umar ؓ says that the Noble Prophet ﷺ said: Your position in comparison to the previous peoples (Jews and Christians) is like the time from Asr until sunset. The people of the Torah were given the Torah. They worked from morning until noon, then became tired, so they were each given one qirat. The people of the Gospel were given the Gospel, they worked until the Asr prayer, then became tired, and they too were each given one qirat. Then we Muslims were given the Quran. We worked from Asr until sunset (and completed the work), so we were given two qirats each. Now the People of the Book said: “O Lord! You gave them two qirats each and us one each, even though we did more work than them.” Allah the Exalted replied to them: “Did I reduce any of the wages I had agreed with you?” They said: “No.” Allah Almighty said: “Then this is My grace; I give whatever I wish to whomever I wish.” [بخاري، كتاب مواقيت الصلٰوة باب من ادرك ركعة من العصر قبل المغرب] In this verse, the People of the Book are being told that if they had believed, they could have been saved from the disgrace and humiliation that has become their destiny. If they had joined the best of nations, their honor would have increased in this world and they would have received double reward in the Hereafter. But after the truth became clear, the majority of them persisted in disobedience and only harmed themselves.
[99]
The Importance of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil:
Reflect that having faith in Allah is prior to all other deeds and actions. However, the mention of enjoining good and forbidding evil has been made first solely to clarify the importance of enjoining good and forbidding evil. Along with this, it has also been clarified that O Muslims! You are the best nation only because you forbid evil deeds and enjoin good deeds. In other words, this means that as long as Muslims continue to enjoin good and forbid evil, they will remain the best nation, and when they become negligent in this duty, they will no longer be the best nation. Evil deeds include disbelief, polytheism, innovations, vile customs, immorality and wickedness of all kinds, indecency, and irrational matters, and the duty to prevent them is incumbent upon every Muslim individually as well as collectively upon the Muslim Ummah. Everyone must fulfill this duty according to their own status and ability. Thus, it is mentioned in an authentic hadith that when any one of you sees an evil, he should remove it with his hand, and if he cannot do so, then with his tongue, and if he cannot do even that, then at least he should consider it evil in his heart, and this is the weakest level of faith. [مسلم۔ كتاب الايمان۔ باب كون النهي عن المنكر من الايمان] And good deeds refer to pure monotheism, fulfillment of the pillars of Islam, participation in jihad with wealth and self, avoidance of innovations, fulfillment of the rights of relatives, and showing kindness, brotherhood, sympathy, and goodwill to all Muslims, etc.
[100]
The Excellence of the Muslim Ummah:
There was a time when Allah Almighty granted the Children of Israel excellence over all the worlds. But not only did they abandon the duty of enjoining good and forbidding evil, they themselves became involved in numerous major crimes, so Allah Almighty took away from them the responsibility of leadership and guidance of the whole world and entrusted it to the Muslim Ummah. Now the excellence that they had was given to the Muslim Ummah, and the clear sign of this change in leadership was the change of Qiblah. Therefore, the Jews were never as agitated over anything as they were over the change of Qiblah. And this excellence is Allah’s gift; He gives it to whomever He deems appropriate. Thus, Abdullah bin Umar ؓ says that the Noble Prophet ﷺ said: Your position in comparison to the previous peoples (Jews and Christians) is like the time from Asr until sunset. The people of the Torah were given the Torah. They worked from morning until noon, then became tired, so they were each given one qirat. The people of the Gospel were given the Gospel, they worked until the Asr prayer, then became tired, and they too were each given one qirat. Then we Muslims were given the Quran. We worked from Asr until sunset (and completed the work), so we were given two qirats each. Now the People of the Book said: “O Lord! You gave them two qirats each and us one each, even though we did more work than them.” Allah the Exalted replied to them: “Did I reduce any of the wages I had agreed with you?” They said: “No.” Allah Almighty said: “Then this is My grace; I give whatever I wish to whomever I wish.” [بخاري، كتاب مواقيت الصلٰوة باب من ادرك ركعة من العصر قبل المغرب] In this verse, the People of the Book are being told that if they had believed, they could have been saved from the disgrace and humiliation that has become their destiny. If they had joined the best of nations, their honor would have increased in this world and they would have received double reward in the Hereafter. But after the truth became clear, the majority of them persisted in disobedience and only harmed themselves.
