52 Page Notes

03 Surah Ali-Imran (continued)

Page 52 Grammar 

Page 52 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

3:16

3:17

3:18

3:19

3:20

3:21

3:22

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 52 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Surah Ali 'Imran (Chapter 3), verses 16 through 22, spans across page 52 of the standard Madinah Quran. These verses focus heavily on the characteristics of the righteous, the ultimate testimony of Divine Unity (Tawhid), the true nature of religion in the sight of Allah, and warnings to those who reject the signs of God and slay the Prophets.

Prophetic traditions (Hadiths) and commentaries (Tafsir) directly elaborate on these specific verses.

1. Verses 16–17: The Qualities of the Believers

"Those who say, 'Our Lord, indeed we have believed, so forgive us our sins and protect us from the punishment of the Fire'—The patient, the true, the obedient, the those who spend [in the way of Allah], and those who seek forgiveness before dawn."

Seeking Forgiveness Before Dawn (Al-As-har)

The end of verse 17 praises those who pray for forgiveness in the early morning hours before dawn (Sahar). This is strongly tied to the famous Hadith regarding Allah’s descent to the lowest heaven.

• The Hadith: The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "Our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, descends every night to the nearest heaven when the last third of the night remains, saying: 'Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to his invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?'"

• Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 21, Hadith 246) and Sahih Muslim (Book 6, Hadith 204).

• Connection: Classical commentators like Ibn Kathir note that the righteous mentioned in verse 17 deliberately align their prayers and repentance with this specific, blessed window of night.

2. Verse 18: The Testimony of Allah, the Angels, and Scholars

"Allah witnesses that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge—[He is] maintaining [creation] in justice. There is no deity except Him, the Exalted in Might, the Wise."

This verse holds immense virtue in Islamic tradition as it couples the testimony of scholars (Ulul-'Ilm) directly with the testimony of Allah and the angels.

Virtue of Reciting Verse 18 After Prayer

• The Hadith: It is narrated through various chains that the Prophet ﷺ mentioned the virtues of reciting specific verses after the obligatory prayers. Al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ reciting this verse (Shahidallahu annahu...) while at Arafat.

• Citation: Sunan al-Tirmidhi (graded as Hasan/Gharib in classical commentary compilations).

• The Hadith on Protection: In another tradition narrated by Mu'adh ibn Jabal, the Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said that whoever recites Shahidallahu... upon sleeping or after prayer, Allah appoints angels to protect them and write down rewards for them until the Day of Resurrection. (Note: While highly cited in classical Tafsir like Al-Qurtubi and Al-Baghawi to show historical usage, some chains of this specific liturgical practice are classified as weak (Da'if) by later Hadith scholars, though the core meaning remains sound).

3. Verses 19–20: Islam as the Only Acceptable Religion

"Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam... And if they argue with you, say, 'I have submitted myself to Allah [in Islam], and [so have] those who follow me.' And say to those who were given the Scripture and to the unlearned, 'Have you submitted yourselves?' And if they submit [themselves], they are rightly guided; but if they turn away—then upon you is only the duty of notification. And Allah is Seeing of [His] servants."

Defining "Submission" and the Universality of the Message

These verses outline the Prophet's core mission: to call both the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) and the illiterate Arabs (Al-Ummiyyin) to total submission.

• The Hadith: Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "By Him in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, any member of this community, Hebrew or Christian, who hears of me and yet dies without believing in that with which I have been sent, will be one of the inhabitants of Hell-fire."

• Citation: Sahih Muslim (Book 1, Hadith 293).

• Connection: This Hadith acts as a direct legal and theological parallel to verse 19's declaration that "the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam" and verse 20's instruction to ask them point-blank, "Have you submitted yourselves?"

4. Verses 21–22: The Fate of Those Who Kill the Prophets

"Those who disbelieve in the signs of Allah and kill the prophets without right and kill those who order justice from among the people—give them tidings of a painful punishment. They are the ones whose deeds have become worthless in this world and the Hereafter, and for them there will be no helpers."

The Worst Punishment on the Day of Judgment

Verse 21 strictly condemns those who murdered the Prophets and the righteous reformers (those who order justice).

• The Hadith: Abdullah ibn Mas'ud narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The people who will receive the severest punishment on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who was killed by a Prophet, or who killed a Prophet, an icon of misguidance, and a mutilator of bodies."

• Citation: Musnad Ahmad (Hadith 4060); also recorded with similar wording in Sunan Ibn Majah.

• Commentary Context: In the Tafsir of Ibn Kathir, it is highlighted under these verses that the children of Israel historically killed many of their prophets and the scholars who stood up to command good and forbid evil. When Abu Ubaidah bin al-Jarrah asked the Prophet ﷺ who the most severely punished people would be, the Prophet ﷺ cited those who kill a prophet or those who enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, explicitly quoting this exact verse (Verse 21) to confirm it.