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Al-Imran - 3:21
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Chastising the Jews for Their Disbelief and for Killing the Prophets and Righteous People
Allah says;
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِأيَاتِ اللّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ النَّبِيِّينَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ
Verily, those who disbelieve in the Ayat of Allah and kill the Prophets without right,
This Ayah chastises the People of the Book for the transgression and prohibitions they committed by their denials in the past and more recent times, of Allah's Ayat and the Messengers.
They did this due to their defiance and rejection of the Messengers, denial of the truth and refusal to follow it. They also killed many Prophets when they conveyed to them what Allah legislated for them, without cause or criminal behavior committed by these Prophets, for they only called them to the truth.
وَيَقْتُلُونَ الِّذِينَ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْقِسْطِ مِنَ النَّاسِ
And kill those men who order just dealings,
thus, demonstrating the worst type of arrogance.
Indeed, the Prophet said,
الْكِبْرُ بَطَرُ الْحَقِّ وَغَمْطُ النَّاس
Kibr (arrogance) is refusing the truth and degrading people.
This is why when they rejected the truth and acted arrogantly towards the creation, Allah punished them with humiliation and disgrace in this life, and humiliating torment in the Hereafter.
Allah said,
فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
then announce to them a painful torment.
meaning, painful and humiliating.
Al-Imran - 3:22
أُولَـيِكَ الَّذِينَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالاخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ
They are those whose works will be lost in this world and in the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers.
Al-Imran - 3:23
Chastising the People of the Book for Not Referring to the Book of Allah for Judgment
Allah says;
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوْتُواْ نَصِيبًا مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى كِتَابِ اللّهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّى فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ وَهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ
Have you not seen those who have been given a portion of the Scripture! They are being invited to the Book of Allah to settle their dispute, then a party of them turned away, and they are averse.
Allah criticizes the Jews and Christians who claim to follow their Books, the Tawrah and the Injil, because when they are called to refer to these Books where Allah commanded them to follow Muhammad, they turn away with aversion.
This censure and criticism from Allah was all because of their defiance and rejection.
Al-Imran - 3:24
Allah said next,
ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُواْ لَن تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلاَّ أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَاتٍ
This is because they say: "The Fire shall not touch us but for a number of days."
meaning, what made them dare to challenge and defy the truth is their false claim that Allah will only punish them for seven days in the Fire, a day for every one thousand years in this life.
We mentioned this subject in the Tafsir of Surah Al-Baqarah.
Allah then said,
وَغَرَّهُمْ فِي دِينِهِم مَّا كَانُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ
And that which they used to invent regarding their religion has deceived them.
meaning, what caused them to remain on their false creed is that they deceived themselves, believing that the Fire will only touch them for a few days for their errors. However, it is they who have invented this notion, and Allah did not grant them authority to support this claim.
Al-Imran - 3:25
Allah said, while threatening and warning them,
فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جَمَعْنَاهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ لاَّ رَيْبَ فِيهِ
How (will it be) when We gather them together on the Day about which there is no doubt (i. e. the Day of Resurrection).
meaning, what will their condition be like after they have uttered this lie about Allah, rejected His Messengers and killed His Prophets and their scholars who enjoined righteousness and forbade evil. Allah will ask them about all this and punish them for what they have done.
This is why Allah said,
فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جَمَعْنَاهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ لاَّ رَيْبَ فِيهِ
(How (will it be) when We gather them together on the Day about which there is no doubt.) meaning, there is no doubt that this Day will come,
وَوُفِّيَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
And each person will be paid in full what he has earned And they will not be dealt with unjustly.
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