سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 111
لَن يَضُرُّوكُمْ إِلَّآ أَذًى ۖ وَإِن يُقَـٰتِلُوكُمْ يُوَلُّوكُمُ ٱلْأَدْبَارَ ثُمَّ لَا يُنصَرُونَ ﴿111﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
They will do you no harm, barring a trifling annoyance; and if they fight against you, they will show you their backs, and they will not be helped.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
لَن
lan
Never
يَضُرُّوكُمْ
yaḍurrūkum
will they harm you
إِلَّآ
illā
except
أَذًۭى ۖ
adhan
a hurt
وَإِن
wa-in
And if
يُقَـٰتِلُوكُمْ
yuqātilūkum
they fight you
يُوَلُّوكُمُ
yuwallūkumu
they will turn (towards) you
ٱلْأَدْبَارَ
l-adbāra
the backs
ثُمَّ
thumma
then
لَا
lā
not
يُنصَرُونَ
yunṣarūna
they will be helped
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.
111. They can do you no harm except for a little annoyance [101]. If they fight you, they will turn their backs and flee, and then they will not be helped from anywhere.
[101] That is, they can only abuse, speak ill, conspire against you, spread false propaganda, and engage in other acts of harassment, and such actions are usually done by a party that is mentally defeated. As for coming forward like brave men to face you, they do not have the strength for that, and if they do, they will be badly beaten and will flee. And at that time, even the hypocrites who make deals with them and promise to come to their aid will not be able to help them. This prophecy regarding the People of the Book was fulfilled word for word.
The Fate of the Jews:
First, the Jewish tribe of Banu Qaynuqa was exiled. Then Banu Nadir, and when it was the turn of Banu Qurayza, they were killed and taken as slaves. Then, after being defeated at Khaybar, they remained as tenant farmers, and eventually, Hazrat Umarؓ expelled them from there. The Christians of Najran accepted to pay jizya and began to live as dhimmis. In short, in every field, these people suffered defeat and were humiliated and disgraced. Then, would it not have been better for them to accept Islam and live an honorable life, sharing equally in all the rights of the Muslims?
[101] That is, they can only abuse, speak ill, conspire against you, spread false propaganda, and engage in other acts of harassment, and such actions are usually done by a party that is mentally defeated. As for coming forward like brave men to face you, they do not have the strength for that, and if they do, they will be badly beaten and will flee. And at that time, even the hypocrites who make deals with them and promise to come to their aid will not be able to help them. This prophecy regarding the People of the Book was fulfilled word for word.
The Fate of the Jews:
First, the Jewish tribe of Banu Qaynuqa was exiled. Then Banu Nadir, and when it was the turn of Banu Qurayza, they were killed and taken as slaves. Then, after being defeated at Khaybar, they remained as tenant farmers, and eventually, Hazrat Umarؓ expelled them from there. The Christians of Najran accepted to pay jizya and began to live as dhimmis. In short, in every field, these people suffered defeat and were humiliated and disgraced. Then, would it not have been better for them to accept Islam and live an honorable life, sharing equally in all the rights of the Muslims?
