Surah Al-Imran >> Currently viewing Surah Imran Ayat 181 (3:181)

Surah Al-Imran Ayat 181 in Arabic Text

لَّقَدۡ سَمِعَ ٱللَّهُ قَوۡلَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ فَقِيرٞ وَنَحۡنُ أَغۡنِيَآءُۘ سَنَكۡتُبُ مَا قَالُواْ وَقَتۡلَهُمُ ٱلۡأَنۢبِيَآءَ بِغَيۡرِ حَقّٖ وَنَقُولُ ذُوقُواْ عَذَابَ ٱلۡحَرِيقِ
Laqad sami’al laahu qawlal lazeena qaalooo innal laaha faqeerunw wa nahnu aghniyaaa’; sanaktubu maa qaaloo wa qatlahumul Ambiyaa’a bighairi haqqinw wa naqoolu zooqoo ‘azaabal Hareeq

English Translation

Here you can read various translations of verse 181

Sahih International
Allah has certainly heard the statement of those [Jews] who said, “Indeed, Allah is poor, while we are rich.” We will record what they said and their killing of the prophets without right and will say, “Taste the punishment of the Burning Fire.

Yusuf Ali
Allah hath heard the taunt of those who say: “Truly, Allah is indigent and we are rich!”- We shall certainly record their word and (their act) of slaying the prophets in defiance of right, and We shall say: “Taste ye the penalty of the Scorching Fire!

Abul Ala Maududi
Allah has heard the saying of those who said: ‘Allah is poor, and we are rich. We shall record what they have said, and the fact of their slaying the Prophets unjustly, and we shall say to them: Taste now the torment of the Fire.

Muhsin Khan
Indeed, Allah has heard the statement of those (Jews) who say: “Truly, Allah is poor and we are rich!” We shall record what they have said and their killing of the Prophets unjustly, and We shall say: “Taste you the torment of the burning (Fire).”

Pickthall
Verily Allah heard the saying of those who said, (when asked for contributions to the war): “Allah, forsooth, is poor, and we are rich!” We shall record their saying with their slaying of the prophets wrongfully and We shall say: Taste ye the punishment of burning!

Dr. Ghali
Indeed Allah has already heard the saying of the ones who said, “Surely Allah is poor and we are rich.” We will write down what they have said, and their killing of the Prophesiers (i.e., the prophets) untruthfully, (i.e. without right) and We will say, “Taste the torment of the burning.”

Abdel Haleem
God has certainly heard the words of those who sneer, ‘So God is poor, while we are rich’. We shall record everything they say––as well as their killing of prophets in defiance of all that is right- and We shall say to them, ‘Taste the torment of the scorching fire.

Muhammad Junagarhi
یقیناً اللہ تعالیٰ نے ان لوگوں کا قول بھی سنا جنہوں نے کہا کہ اللہ تعالیٰ فقیر ہے اور ہم تونگر ہیں ان کے اس قول کو ہم لکھ لیں گے۔ اور ان کا انبیا کو بلا وجہ قتل کرنا بھی، اور ہم ان سے کہیں گے کہ جلنے واﻻ عذاب چکھو!

Quran 3 Verse 181 Explanation

For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Imran ayat 181, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.

Ala-Maududi

(3:181) Allah has heard the saying of those who said: ‘Allah is poor, and we are rich.[128] We shall record what they have said, and the fact of their slaying the Prophets unjustly, and we shall say to them: Taste now the torment of the Fire.


128. This statement was made by the Jews. On the revelation of the Qur’anic verse (2: 245): ‘Who of you will lend Allah a goodly loan?’, the Jews began to ridicule it and said: ‘Look, God has now gone bankrupt and has begun to beg of His creatures for loans.’ (For this statement made by the Jews see the Tradition mentioned by Ibn Kathir in his comments on this verse – Ed.)

Ibn-Kathir

181. Indeed, Allah has heard the statement of those who say: “Truly, Allah is poor and we are rich!” We shall record what they have said and their killing of the Prophets unjustly, and We shall say: “Taste you the torment of the burning (Fire).” 182. This is because of that which your hands have sent before you. And certainly, Allah is never unjust to (His) servants. 183. Those who said: “Verily, Allah has taken our promise not to believe in any Messenger unless he brings to us an offering which the fire (from heaven) shall devour. ” Say: “Verily, there came to you Messengers before me, with Al-Bayinat and even with with what you speak of; why then did you kill them, if you are truthful” 184. Then if they reject you, so were Messengers rejected before you, who came with Al-Bayinat and the Scriptures and the Book of Enlightenment.


Allah Warns the Idolators

Sa`id bin Jubayr said that Ibn `Abbas said, “When Allah’s statement,

﴿مَّن ذَا الَّذِى يُقْرِضُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضَاعِفَهُ لَهُ أَضْعَافًا كَثِيرَةً﴾

(Who is he that will lend to Allah a goodly loan so that He may multiply it to him many times) ﴿2:245﴾ was revealed, the Jews said, `O Muhammad! Has your Lord become poor so that He asks His servants to give Him a loan’ Allah sent down,

﴿لَّقَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ فَقِيرٌ وَنَحْنُ أَغْنِيَآءُ﴾

(Indeed, Allah has heard the statement of those (Jews) who say: “Truly, Allah is poor and we are rich!”) ﴿3:181﴾.”

This Hadith was collected by Ibn Marduwyah and Ibn Abi Hatim.

Allah’s statement,

﴿سَنَكْتُبُ مَا قَالُواْ﴾

(We shall record what they have said) contains a threat and a warning that Allah followed with His statement,

﴿وَقَتْلِهِمُ الاٌّنْبِيَآءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ﴾

(and their killing of the Prophets unjustly,)

This is what they say about Allah and this is how they treat His Messengers. Allah will punish them for these deeds in the worst manner,

﴿لَّقَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ فَقِيرٌ وَنَحْنُ أَغْنِيَآءُ سَنَكْتُبُ مَا قَالُواْ وَقَتْلَهُمُ الاٌّنبِيَاءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَنَقُولُ ذُوقُواْ عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ – ذلِكَ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَيْسَ بِظَلَّـمٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ ﴾

(and We shall say: “Taste you the torment of the burning (Fire).” This is because of that which your hands have sent before you. And certainly, Allah is never unjust to (His) servants.)

They will be addressed like this as a way of chastising, criticism, disgrace and humiliation.

Allah said,

﴿الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَهِدَ إِلَيْنَا أَلاَّ نُؤْمِنَ لِرَسُولٍ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَنَا بِقُرْبَانٍ تَأْكُلُهُ النَّارُ﴾

(Those (Jews) who said: “Verily, Allah has taken our promise not to believe in any Messenger unless he brings to us an offering which the fire (from heaven) shall devour.”)

Allah refuted their claim that in their Books, Allah took a covenant from them to only believe in the Messenger whose miracles include fire coming down from the sky that consumes the charity offered by a member of the Messenger’s nation, as Ibn `Abbas and Al-Hasan stated. Allah replied,

﴿قُلْ قَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِّن قَبْلِى بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ﴾

(Say: “Verily, there came to you Messengers before me, with Al-Bayinat…”) with proofs and evidence,

﴿وَبِالَّذِى قُلْتُمْ﴾

(and even with what you speak of) a fire that consumes the accepted charity, as you asked,

﴿فَلِمَ قَتَلْتُمُوهُمْ﴾

(why then did you kill them) Why did you meet these Prophets with denial, defiance, stubbornness and even murder,

﴿إِن كُنتُمْ صَـدِقِينَ﴾

(if you are truthful), if you follow the truth and obey the Messengers.

Allah then comforts His Prophet Muhammad ,

﴿فَإِن كَذَّبُوكَ فَقَدْ كُذِّبَ رُسُلٌ مِّن قَبْلِكَ جَآءُوا بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ وَالزُّبُرِ وَالْكِتَـبِ الْمُنِيرِ ﴾

(Then if they reject you, so were Messengers rejected before you, who came with Al-Baiyyinat and the Scripture, and the Book of Enlightenment.) meaning, do not be sad because they deny you, for you have an example in the Messengers who came before you. These Messengers were rejected although they brought clear proofs, plain evidence and unequivocal signs,

﴿وَالزُّبُرِ﴾

(and the Zubur), the divinely revealed Books that were sent down to the Messengers,

﴿وَالْكِتَـبِ الْمُنِيرِ﴾

(and the Book of Enlightenment) meaning the clarification and best explanation.

Quick navigation links

Surah Imran
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 . 8 . 9 . 10 . 11 . 12 . 13 . 14 . 15 . 16 . 17 . 18 . 19 . 20 . 21 . 22 . 23 . 24 . 25 . 26 . 27 . 28 . 29 . 30 . 31 . 32 . 33 . 34 . 35 . 36 . 37 . 38 . 39 . 40 . 41 . 42 . 43 . 44 . 45 . 46 . 47 . 48 . 49 . 50 . 51 . 52 . 53 . 54 . 55 . 56 . 57 . 58 . 59 . 60 . 61 . 62 . 63 . 64 . 65 . 66 . 67 . 68 . 69 . 70 . 71 . 72 . 73 . 74 . 75 . 76 . 77 . 78 . 79 . 80 . 81 . 82 . 83 . 84 . 85 . 86 . 87 . 88 . 89 . 90 . 91 . 92 . 93 . 94 . 95 . 96 . 97 . 98 . 99 . 100 . 101 . 102 . 103 . 104 . 105 . 106 . 107 . 108 . 109 . 110 . 111 . 112 . 113 . 114 . 115 . 116 . 117 . 118 . 119 . 120 . 121 . 122 . 123 . 124 . 125 . 126 . 127 . 128 . 129 . 130 . 131 . 132 . 133 . 134 . 135 . 136 . 137 . 138 . 139 . 140 . 141 . 142 . 143 . 144 . 145 . 146 . 147 . 148 . 149 . 150 . 151 . 152 . 153 . 154 . 155 . 156 . 157 . 158 . 159 . 160 . 161 . 162 . 163 . 164 . 165 . 166 . 167 . 168 . 169 . 170 . 171 . 172 . 173 . 174 . 175 . 176 . 177 . 178 . 179 . 180 . 181 . 182 . 183 . 184 . 185 . 186 . 187 . 188 . 189 . 190 . 191 . 192 . 193 . 194 . 195 . 196 . 197 . 198 . 199 . 200

surah al-imran ayat 181
surah al-imran ayat 182
surah al-imran ayat 183
surah al-imran ayat 184
surah al-imran ayat 185

skip_previous play_arrow skip_next
0:00/0:00
volume_up