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Surah Ali 'Imran, Ayah 81 (3:81)

آلِ عِمْرَان

وَإِذْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِيثَٰقَ ٱلنَّبِيِّۧنَ لَمَآ ءَاتَيْتُكُم مِّن كِتَٰبٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ ثُمَّ جَآءَكُمْ …

Quran 3:81 is ayah 81 of Surah Ali 'Imran (“Family of Imran”), a Medinan surah of 200 ayahs. It is in Juz 3, on page 60 of the Madani Mushaf.

3:81
وَإِذْأَخَذَٱللَّهُمِيثَٰقَٱلنَّبِيِّۧنَلَمَآءَاتَيْتُكُممِّنكِتَٰبٍوَحِكْمَةٍثُمَّجَآءَكُمْرَسُولٌمُّصَدِّقٌلِّمَامَعَكُمْلَتُؤْمِنُنَّبِهِۦوَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُۥ ۚقَالَءَأَقْرَرْتُمْوَأَخَذْتُمْعَلَىٰذَٰلِكُمْإِصْرِى ۖقَالُوٓا۟أَقْرَرْنَا ۚقَالَفَٱشْهَدُوا۟وَأَنَا۠مَعَكُممِّنَٱلشَّٰهِدِينَ٨١
wa-idh akhadha l-lahu mīthāqa l-nabiyīna lamā ātaytukum min kitābin waḥik'matin thumma jāakum rasūlun muṣaddiqun limā maʿakum latu'minunna bihi walatanṣurunnahu qāla a-aqrartum wa-akhadhtum ʿalā dhālikum iṣ'rī qālū aqrarnā qāla fa-ish'hadū wa-anā maʿakum mina l-shāhidīna

And [recall, O People of the Scripture], when Allāh took the covenant of the prophets, [saying], "Whatever I give you of the Scripture and wisdom and then there comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you, you [must] believe in him and support him." [Allāh] said, "Have you acknowledged and taken upon that My commitment?" They said, "We have acknowledged it." He said, "Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses."(81)

Word by word

  1. وَإِذْwa-idhAnd when
  2. أَخَذَakhadhatook
  3. ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
  4. مِيثَٰقَmīthāqacovenant
  5. ٱلنَّبِيِّۧنَl-nabiyīna(of) the Prophets
  6. لَمَآlamāCertainly, whatever
  7. ءَاتَيْتُكُمātaytukumI (have) given you
  8. مِّنminof
  9. كِتَٰبٍkitābin(the) Book
  10. وَحِكْمَةٍwaḥik'matinand wisdom
  11. ثُمَّthummathen
  12. جَآءَكُمْjāakumcomes to you
  13. رَسُولٌrasūluna Messenger
  14. مُّصَدِّقٌmuṣaddiqunconfirming
  15. لِّمَاlimāthat which
  16. مَعَكُمْmaʿakum(is) with you
  17. لَتُؤْمِنُنَّlatu'minunnayou must believe
  18. بِهِۦbihiin him
  19. وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُۥ ۚwalatanṣurunnahuand you must help him
  20. قَالَqālaHe said
  21. ءَأَقْرَرْتُمْa-aqrartumDo you affirm
  22. وَأَخَذْتُمْwa-akhadhtumand take
  23. عَلَىٰʿalāon
  24. ذَٰلِكُمْdhālikumthat (condition)
  25. إِصْرِى ۖiṣ'rīMy Covenant
  26. قَالُوٓا۟qālūThey said
  27. أَقْرَرْنَا ۚaqrarnāWe affirm
  28. قَالَqālaHe said
  29. فَٱشْهَدُوا۟fa-ish'hadūThen bear witness
  30. وَأَنَا۠wa-anāand I (am)
  31. مَعَكُمmaʿakumwith you
  32. مِّنَminaamong
  33. ٱلشَّٰهِدِينَl-shāhidīnathe witnesses

Tafsir (commentary) of 3:81

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

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

This commentary explains ayahs 3:81–82 together.

Taking a Pledge From the Prophets to Believe in Our Prophet, Muhammad ﷺ

Allah states that He took a pledge from every Prophet whom He sent from Adam until `Isa, that when Allah gives them the Book and the Hikmah, thus acquiring whatever high grades they deserve, then a Messenger came afterwards, they would believe in and support him. Even though Allah has given the Prophets the knowledge and the prophethood, this fact should not make them refrain from following and supporting the Prophet who comes after them. This is why Allah, the Most High, Most Honored, said

وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَـقَ النَّبِيِّيْنَ لَمَآ ءَاتَيْتُكُم مِّن كِتَـبٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ

(And (remember) when Allah took the covenant of the Prophets, saying: "Take whatever I gave you from the Book and Hikmah.") meaning, if I give you the Book and the Hikmah,

ثُمَّ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُ قَالَ ءَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَى ذلِكُمْ إِصْرِى

("and afterwards there will come to you a Messenger confirming what is with you; you must, then, believe in him and help him." Allah said, "Do you agree (to it) and will you take up Isri")

Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Ar-Rabi`, Qatadah and As-Suddi said that `Isri' means, "My covenant." Muhammad bin Ishaq said that,

إِصْرِى

(Isri) means, "The responsibility of My covenant that you took," meaning, the ratified pledge that you gave Me.

قَالُواْ أَقْرَرْنَا قَالَ فَاشْهَدُواْ وَأَنَاْ مَعَكُمْ مِّنَ الشَّـهِدِينَفَمَنْ تَوَلَّى بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ

(They said: "We agree." He said: "Then bear witness; and I am with you among the witnesses." then whoever turns away after this,") from fulfilling this pledge and covenant, c

فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْفَـسِقُونَ

(they are the rebellious.) `Ali bin Abi Talib and his cousin `Abdullah bin `Abbas said, "Allah never sent a Prophet but after taking his pledge that if Muhammad ﷺ were sent in his lifetime, he would believe in and support him." Allah commanded each Prophet to take a pledge from his nation that if Muhammad were sent in their time, they would believe in and support him. Tawus, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and Qatadah said, "Allah took the pledge from the Prophets that they would believe in each other", and this statement does not contradict what `Ali and Ibn `Abbas stated.

Therefore, Muhammad ﷺ is the Final Prophet until the Day of Resurrection. He is the greatest Imam, who if he existed in any time period, deserves to be obeyed, rather than all other Prophets. This is why Muhammad ﷺ led the Prophets in prayer during the night of Isra' when they gathered in Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). He is the intercessor on the Day of Gathering, when the Lord comes to judge between His servants. This is Al-Maqam Al-Mahmud (the praised station) refer to 17:79 that only Muhammad ﷺ deserves, a responsibility which the mighty Prophets and Messengers will decline to assume. However, Muhammad ﷺ will carry the task of intercession, may Allah's peace and blessings be on him.

Read the full Surah Ali 'Imran