Verse 3:148 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

144 وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولࣱ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِن قَبۡلِهِ ٱلرُّسُلُۚ أَفَإِی۟ن مَّاتَ أَوۡ قُتِلَ ٱنقَلَبۡتُمۡ عَلَىٰۤ أَعۡقَـٰبِكُمۡۚ وَمَن یَنقَلِبۡ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَیۡهِ فَلَن یَضُرَّ ٱللَّهَ شَیۡءࣰاۗ وَسَیَجۡزِی ٱللَّهُ ٱلشَّـٰكِرِینَ ۝١٤٤ wamā muḥammadun illā rasūlun qad khalat min qablihi l-rusulu afa-in māta aw qutila inqalabtum ʿalā aʿqābikum waman yanqalib ʿalā ʿaqibayhi falan yaḍurra l-laha shayan wasayajzī l-lahu l-shākirīn Muhammad is only a messenger before whom many messengers have been and gone. If he died or was killed, would you revert to your old ways? If anyone did so, he would not harm God in the least. God will reward the grateful 145 وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفۡسٍ أَن تَمُوتَ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِ كِتَـٰبࣰا مُّؤَجَّلࣰاۗ وَمَن یُرِدۡ ثَوَابَ ٱلدُّنۡیَا نُؤۡتِهِۦ مِنۡهَا وَمَن یُرِدۡ ثَوَابَ ٱلۡءَاخِرَةِ نُؤۡتِهِۦ مِنۡهَاۚ وَسَنَجۡزِی ٱلشَّـٰكِرِینَ ۝١٤٥ wamā kāna linafsin an tamūta illā bi-idh'ni l-lahi kitāban mu-ajjalan waman yurid thawāba l-dun'yā nu'tihi min'hā waman yurid thawāba l-ākhirati nu'tihi min'hā wasanajzī l-shākirīn No soul may die except with God’s permission at a predestined time. If anyone strives for the rewards of this world, We will give him some of them. If anyone strives for the rewards of the Hereafter, We will give him some of them: We will reward the grateful 146 وَكَأَیِّن مِّن نَّبِیࣲّ قَـٰتَلَ مَعَهُۥ رِبِّیُّونَ كَثِیرࣱ فَمَا وَهَنُوا۟ لِمَاۤ أَصَابَهُمۡ فِی سَبِیلِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا ضَعُفُوا۟ وَمَا ٱسۡتَكَانُوا۟ۗ وَٱللَّهُ یُحِبُّ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِینَ ۝١٤٦ waka-ayyin min nabiyyin qātala maʿahu ribbiyyūna kathīrun famā wahanū limā aṣābahum fī sabīli l-lahi wamā ḍaʿufū wamā is'takānū wal-lahu yuḥibbu l-ṣābirīn Many prophets have fought, with large bands of godly men alongside them who, in the face of their sufferings for God’s cause, did not lose heart or weaken or surrender: God loves those who are steadfast 147 وَمَا كَانَ قَوۡلَهُمۡ إِلَّاۤ أَن قَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَا ٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسۡرَافَنَا فِیۤ أَمۡرِنَا وَثَبِّتۡ أَقۡدَامَنَا وَٱنصُرۡنَا عَلَى ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِینَ ۝١٤٧ wamā kāna qawlahum illā an qālū rabbanā igh'fir lanā dhunūbanā wa-is'rāfanā fī amrinā wathabbit aqdāmanā wa-unṣur'nā ʿalā l-qawmi l-kāfirīn All they said was, ‘Our Lord, forgive us our sins and our excesses. Make our feet firm, and give us help against the disbelievers,’

148 فَءَاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ثَوَابَ ٱلدُّنۡیَا وَحُسۡنَ ثَوَابِ ٱلۡءَاخِرَةِۗ وَٱللَّهُ یُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِینَ ۝١٤٨ faātāhumu l-lahu thawāba l-dun'yā waḥus'na thawābi l-ākhirati wal-lahu yuḥibbu l-muḥ'sinīn and so God gave them both the rewards of this world and the excellent rewards of the Hereafter: God loves those who do good

149 یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوۤا۟ إِن تُطِیعُوا۟ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ یَرُدُّوكُمۡ عَلَىٰۤ أَعۡقَـٰبِكُمۡ فَتَنقَلِبُوا۟ خَـٰسِرِینَ ۝١٤٩ yāayyuhā alladhīna āmanū in tuṭīʿū alladhīna kafarū yaruddūkum ʿalā aʿqābikum fatanqalibū khāsirīn You who believe, if you obey the disbelievers, they will make you revert to your old ways and you will turn into losers 150 بَلِ ٱللَّهُ مَوۡلَىٰكُمۡۖ وَهُوَ خَیۡرُ ٱلنَّـٰصِرِینَ ۝١٥٠ bali l-lahu mawlākum wahuwa khayru l-nāṣirīn No indeed! It is God who is your protector: He is the best of helpers 151 سَنُلۡقِی فِی قُلُوبِ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱلرُّعۡبَ بِمَاۤ أَشۡرَكُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ مَا لَمۡ یُنَزِّلۡ بِهِۦ سُلۡطَـٰنࣰاۖ وَمَأۡوَىٰهُمُ ٱلنَّارُۖ وَبِئۡسَ مَثۡوَى ٱلظَّـٰلِمِینَ ۝١٥١ sanul'qī fī qulūbi alladhīna kafarū l-ruʿ'ba bimā ashrakū bil-lahi mā lam yunazzil bihi sul'ṭānan wamawāhumu l-nāru wabi'sa mathwā l-ẓālimīn We will strike panic into the disbelievers’ hearts because they attribute partners to God although He has sent no authority for this: their shelter will be the Fire- how miserable is the home of the evildoers 152 وَلَقَدۡ صَدَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَعۡدَهُۥۤ إِذۡ تَحُسُّونَهُم بِإِذۡنِهِۦۖ حَتَّىٰۤ إِذَا فَشِلۡتُمۡ وَتَنَـٰزَعۡتُمۡ فِی ٱلۡأَمۡرِ وَعَصَیۡتُم مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ مَاۤ أَرَىٰكُم مَّا تُحِبُّونَۚ مِنكُم مَّن یُرِیدُ ٱلدُّنۡیَا وَمِنكُم مَّن یُرِیدُ ٱلۡءَاخِرَةَۚ ثُمَّ صَرَفَكُمۡ عَنۡهُمۡ لِیَبۡتَلِیَكُمۡۖ وَلَقَدۡ عَفَا عَنكُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو فَضۡلٍ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِینَ ۝١٥٢ walaqad ṣadaqakumu l-lahu waʿdahu idh taḥussūnahum bi-idh'nihi ḥattā idhā fashil'tum watanāzaʿtum fī l-amri waʿaṣaytum min baʿdi mā arākum mā tuḥibbūna minkum man yurīdu l-dun'yā waminkum man yurīdu l-ākhirata thumma ṣarafakum ʿanhum liyabtaliyakum walaqad ʿafā ʿankum wal-lahu dhū faḍlin ʿalā l-mu'minīn God fulfilled His promise to you: you were routing them, with His permission, but then you faltered, disputed the order, and disobeyed, once He had brought you within sight of your goal- some of you desire the gains of this world and others desire the world to come- and then He prevented you from [defeating] them as a punishment. He has now forgiven you: God is most gracious to the believers