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Surah Ali 'Imran, Ayah 156 (3:156)

آلِ عِمْرَان

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَقَالُوا۟ لِإِخْوَٰنِهِمْ إِذَا …

Quran 3:156 is ayah 156 of Surah Ali 'Imran (“Family of Imran”), a Medinan surah of 200 ayahs. It is in Juz 4, on page 70 of the Madani Mushaf.

3:156
يَٰٓأَيُّهَاٱلَّذِينَءَامَنُوا۟لَاتَكُونُوا۟كَٱلَّذِينَكَفَرُوا۟وَقَالُوا۟لِإِخْوَٰنِهِمْإِذَاضَرَبُوا۟فِىٱلْأَرْضِأَوْكَانُوا۟غُزًّىلَّوْكَانُوا۟عِندَنَامَامَاتُوا۟وَمَاقُتِلُوا۟لِيَجْعَلَٱللَّهُذَٰلِكَحَسْرَةًفِىقُلُوبِهِمْ ۗوَٱللَّهُيُحْىِۦوَيُمِيتُ ۗوَٱللَّهُبِمَاتَعْمَلُونَبَصِيرٌ١٥٦
yāayyuhā alladhīna āmanū lā takūnū ka-alladhīna kafarū waqālū li-ikh'wānihim idhā ḍarabū fī l-arḍi aw kānū ghuzzan law kānū ʿindanā mā mātū wamā qutilū liyajʿala l-lahu dhālika ḥasratan fī qulūbihim wal-lahu yuḥ'yī wayumītu wal-lahu bimā taʿmalūna baṣīrun

O you who have believed, do not be like those who disbelieved and said about their brothers when they traveled through the land or went out to fight, "If they had been with us, they would not have died or have been killed," so Allāh makes that [misconception] a regret within their hearts. And it is Allāh who gives life and causes death, and Allāh is Seeing of what you do.(156)

Word by word

  1. يَٰٓأَيُّهَاyāayyuhāO you
  2. ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnawho
  3. ءَامَنُوا۟āmanūbelieve[d]
  4. لَاlā(Do) not
  5. تَكُونُوا۟takūnūbe
  6. كَٱلَّذِينَka-alladhīnalike those who
  7. كَفَرُوا۟kafarūdisbelieved
  8. وَقَالُوا۟waqālūand they said
  9. لِإِخْوَٰنِهِمْli-ikh'wānihimabout their brothers
  10. إِذَاidhāwhen
  11. ضَرَبُوا۟ḍarabūthey traveled
  12. فِىfīin
  13. ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍithe earth
  14. أَوْawor
  15. كَانُوا۟kānūthey were
  16. غُزًّىghuzzanfighting
  17. لَّوْlawIf
  18. كَانُوا۟kānūthey had been
  19. عِندَنَاʿindanāwith us
  20. مَاmānot
  21. مَاتُوا۟mātūthey (would have) died
  22. وَمَاwamāand not
  23. قُتِلُوا۟qutilūthey (would have) been killed
  24. لِيَجْعَلَliyajʿalaSo makes
  25. ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
  26. ذَٰلِكَdhālikathat
  27. حَسْرَةًḥasratana regret
  28. فِىfīin
  29. قُلُوبِهِمْ ۗqulūbihimtheir hearts
  30. وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuAnd Allah
  31. يُحْىِۦyuḥ'yīgives life
  32. وَيُمِيتُ ۗwayumītuand causes death
  33. وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuand Allah
  34. بِمَاbimāof what
  35. تَعْمَلُونَtaʿmalūnayou do
  36. بَصِيرٌbaṣīrun(is) All-Seer

Tafsir (commentary) of 3:156

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

This commentary explains ayahs 3:156–158 together.

Prohibiting the Ideas of the Disbeleivers about Death and Predestination

Allah forbids His believing servants from the disbelievers' false creed, seen in their statement about those who died in battle and during travel; "Had they abandoned these trips, they would not have met their demise." Allah said,

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تَكُونُواْ كَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَقَالُواْ لإِخْوَنِهِمْ

(O you who believe! Be not like those who disbelieve (hypocrites) and who say to their brethren), about their dead brethren,

إِذَا ضَرَبُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ

(when they travel through the earth) for the purpose of trading and otherwise,

أَوْ كَانُواْ غُزًّى

(or go out to fight), participating in battles,

لَّوْ كَانُواْ عِنْدَنَا

("If they had stayed with us,") in our area,

مَا مَاتُواْ وَمَا قُتِلُواْ

("they would not have died or been killed,") they would not have died while traveling or been killed in battle. Allah's statement,

لِيَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ ذَلِكَ حَسْرَةً فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ

(so that Allah may make it a cause of regret in their hearts. ) means, Allah creates this evil thought in their hearts so that their sadness and the grief they feel for their loss would increase. Allah refuted them by saying,

وَاللَّهُ يُحْيىِ وَيُمِيتُ

(It is Allah that gives life and causes death.) for the creation is under Allah's power, and the decision is His Alone. No one lives or dies except by Allah's leave, and no one's life is increased or decreased except by His decree.

وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ

(And Allah is All-Seer of what you do,) for His knowledge and vision encompasses all His creation and none of their affairs ever escapes Him. Allah's statement,

وَلَئِنْ قُتِلْتُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَوْ مُتُّمْ لَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرَحْمَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ

(And if you are killed or die in the way of Allah, forgiveness and mercy from Allah are far better than all that they amass.) 3:157, indicating that death and martyrdom in Allah's cause are a means of earning Allah's mercy, forgiveness and pleasure. This, indeed, is better than remaining in this life with its short lived delights. Furthermore, whoever dies or is killed will return to Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored, and He will reward him if he has done good deeds, or will punish him for his evil deeds. Allah said,

وَلَئِنْ مُّتُّمْ أَوْ قُتِلْتُمْ لإِلَى الله تُحْشَرُونَ

(And whether you die or are killed, verily, unto Allah you shall be gathered.) 3:158.

Read the full Surah Ali 'Imran