Verse 3:11 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

7 هُوَ ٱلَّذِیۤ أَنزَلَ عَلَیۡكَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ مِنۡهُ ءَایَـٰتࣱ مُّحۡكَمَـٰتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَـٰبِهَـٰتࣱۚ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِینَ فِی قُلُوبِهِمۡ زَیۡغࣱ فَیَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَـٰبَهَ مِنۡهُ ٱبۡتِغَاۤءَ ٱلۡفِتۡنَةِ وَٱبۡتِغَاۤءَ تَأۡوِیلِهِۦۖ وَمَا یَعۡلَمُ تَأۡوِیلَهُۥۤ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُۘ وَٱلرَّ ٰسِخُونَ فِی ٱلۡعِلۡمِ یَقُولُونَ ءَامَنَّا بِهِۦ كُلࣱّ مِّنۡ عِندِ رَبِّنَاۚ وَمَا یَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّاۤ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبِ ۝٧ huwa alladhī anzala ʿalayka l-kitāba min'hu āyātun muḥ'kamātun hunna ummu l-kitābi wa-ukharu mutashābihātun fa-ammā alladhīna fī qulūbihim zayghun fayattabiʿūna mā tashābaha min'hu ib'tighāa l-fit'nati wa-ib'tighāa tawīlihi wamā yaʿlamu tawīlahu illā l-lahu wal-rāsikhūna fī l-ʿil'mi yaqūlūna āmannā bihi kullun min ʿindi rabbinā wamā yadhakkaru illā ulū l-albāb it is He who has sent this Scripture down to you [Prophet]. Some of its verses are definite in meaning- these are the cornerstone of the Scripture- and others are ambiguous. The perverse at heart eagerly pursue the ambiguities in their attempt to make trouble and to pin down a specific meaning of their own: only God knows the true meaning. Those firmly grounded in knowledge say, ‘We believe in it: it is all from our Lord’- only those with real perception will take heed 8 رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغۡ قُلُوبَنَا بَعۡدَ إِذۡ هَدَیۡتَنَا وَهَبۡ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحۡمَةًۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡوَهَّابُ ۝٨ rabbanā lā tuzigh qulūbanā baʿda idh hadaytanā wahab lanā min ladunka raḥmatan innaka anta l-wahāb ‘Our Lord, do not let our hearts deviate after You have guided us. Grant us Your mercy: You are the Ever Giving 9 رَبَّنَاۤ إِنَّكَ جَامِعُ ٱلنَّاسِ لِیَوۡمࣲ لَّا رَیۡبَ فِیهِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا یُخۡلِفُ ٱلۡمِیعَادَ ۝٩ rabbanā innaka jāmiʿu l-nāsi liyawmin lā rayba fīhi inna l-laha lā yukh'lifu l-mīʿād Our Lord, You will gather all people on the Day of which there is no doubt: God never breaks His promise.’ 10 إِنَّ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَن تُغۡنِیَ عَنۡهُمۡ أَمۡوَ ٰلُهُمۡ وَلَاۤ أَوۡلَـٰدُهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ شَیۡءࣰاۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمۡ وَقُودُ ٱلنَّارِ ۝١٠ inna alladhīna kafarū lan tugh'niya ʿanhum amwāluhum walā awlāduhum mina l-lahi shayan wa-ulāika hum waqūdu l-nār Neither their possessions nor their children will be any use to the disbelievers against God. The disbelievers will be fuel for the Fire

11 كَدَأۡبِ ءَالِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَٱلَّذِینَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡۚ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِءَایَـٰتِنَا فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ شَدِیدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ ۝١١ kadabi āli fir'ʿawna wa-alladhīna min qablihim kadhabū biāyātinā fa-akhadhahumu l-lahu bidhunūbihim wal-lahu shadīdu l-ʿiqāb just as Pharaoh’s people and their predecessors denied Our revelations, and God punished them for their sins: God is severe in punishing

12 قُل لِّلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ سَتُغۡلَبُونَ وَتُحۡشَرُونَ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَۖ وَبِئۡسَ ٱلۡمِهَادُ ۝١٢ qul lilladhīna kafarū satugh'labūna watuḥ'sharūna ilā jahannama wabi'sa l-mihād [Prophet], say to the disbelievers, ‘You will be defeated and driven together into Hell, a foul resting place 13 قَدۡ كَانَ لَكُمۡ ءَایَةࣱ فِی فِئَتَیۡنِ ٱلۡتَقَتَاۖ فِئَةࣱ تُقَـٰتِلُ فِی سَبِیلِ ٱللَّهِ وَأُخۡرَىٰ كَافِرَةࣱ یَرَوۡنَهُم مِّثۡلَیۡهِمۡ رَأۡیَ ٱلۡعَیۡنِۚ وَٱللَّهُ یُؤَیِّدُ بِنَصۡرِهِۦ مَن یَشَاۤءُۚ إِنَّ فِی ذَ ٰلِكَ لَعِبۡرَةࣰ لِّأُو۟لِی ٱلۡأَبۡصَـٰرِ ۝١٣ qad kāna lakum āyatun fī fi-atayni l-taqatā fi-atun tuqātilu fī sabīli l-lahi wa-ukh'rā kāfiratun yarawnahum mith'layhim raya l-ʿayni wal-lahu yu-ayyidu binaṣrihi man yashāu inna fī dhālika laʿib'ratan li-ulī l-abṣār You have already seen a sign in the two armies that met in battle, one fighting for God’s cause and the other made up of disbelievers. With their own eyes [the former] saw [the latter] to be twice their number, but God helps whoever He will. There truly is a lesson in this for all with eyes to see.’ 14 زُیِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ ٱلشَّهَوَ ٰتِ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَاۤءِ وَٱلۡبَنِینَ وَٱلۡقَنَـٰطِیرِ ٱلۡمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَبِ وَٱلۡفِضَّةِ وَٱلۡخَیۡلِ ٱلۡمُسَوَّمَةِ وَٱلۡأَنۡعَـٰمِ وَٱلۡحَرۡثِۗ ذَ ٰلِكَ مَتَـٰعُ ٱلۡحَیَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡیَاۖ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُۥ حُسۡنُ ٱلۡمَءَابِ ۝١٤ zuyyina lilnnāsi ḥubbu l-shahawāti mina l-nisāi wal-banīna wal-qanāṭīri l-muqanṭarati mina l-dhahabi wal-fiḍati wal-khayli l-musawamati wal-anʿāmi wal-ḥarthi dhālika matāʿu l-ḥayati l-dun'yā wal-lahu ʿindahu ḥus'nu l-maāb The love of desirable things is made alluring for men- women, children, gold and silver treasures piled up high, horses with fine markings, livestock, and farmland- these may be the joys of this life, but God has the best place to return to 15 ۞ قُلۡ أَؤُنَبِّئُكُم بِخَیۡرࣲ مِّن ذَ ٰلِكُمۡۖ لِلَّذِینَ ٱتَّقَوۡا۟ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ جَنَّـٰتࣱ تَجۡرِی مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِینَ فِیهَا وَأَزۡوَ ٰجࣱ مُّطَهَّرَةࣱ وَرِضۡوَ ٰنࣱ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِۗ وَٱللَّهُ بَصِیرُۢ بِٱلۡعِبَادِ ۝١٥ qul a-unabbi-ukum bikhayrin min dhālikum lilladhīna ittaqaw ʿinda rabbihim jannātun tajrī min taḥtihā l-anhāru khālidīna fīhā wa-azwājun muṭahharatun wariḍ'wānun mina l-lahi wal-lahu baṣīrun bil-ʿibād [Prophet], say, ‘Would you like me to tell you of things that are better than all of these? Their Lord will give those who are mindful of God Gardens graced with flowing streams, where they will stay with pure spouses and God’s good pleasure- God is fully aware of His servants