Tafseer of The Family of Imraan · Aal-i-Imraan · 3:169
And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision,
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The discourse on the explanation of His statement, exalted be His praise: وَلا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتًا بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ (169) فَرِحِينَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ ("And do not think that those who have been killed in the path of Allah are dead; nay, they are alive with their Lord and are provided for (169), rejoicing over what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounty").
Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, means by "and do not think" (wa-lā taḥsabanna): and do not suppose. As in:
8204 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq: "and do not think," that is to say: and do not suppose.
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And His statement, "those who have been killed in the path of Allah" (alladhīna qutilū fī sabīli-llāh), means: those of the Companions (ṣaḥāba) of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who were killed at Uḥud, = "dead" (amwātan), He says: and do not deem them, O Muḥammad, to be dead, perceiving nothing, experiencing no delight and tasting no blessings, for they are alive with Me, enjoying My provision, rejoicing and gladdened over what I have bestowed upon them of My honoring and bounty, and with which I have endowed them of My abundant reward and gift, as in:
8205 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq = and Yūnus ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ismāʿīl ibn ʿAyyāsh related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq = on the authority of Ismāʿīl ibn Umayya, on the authority of Abū al-Zubayr al-Makkī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: When your brethren were stricken at Uḥud, Allah placed their souls within the bodies of green birds, which descend to the rivers of Paradise (janna), eat of its fruits, and take refuge in lamps of gold in the shade of the Throne. When they found the pleasantness of their drink and their food and the excellence of their resting place, they said: O, would that our brethren knew what Allah has done for us! So that they would not develop an aversion to the jihād nor shrink back from battle! Then Allah, mighty and exalted, said: I shall convey it to them on your behalf. Thereupon Allah, mighty and exalted, sent down these verses upon His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
8206 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Jarīr ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd related to us = and Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us = both together said: Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of Abū al-Ḍuḥā, on the authority of Masrūq ibn al-Ajdaʿ, who said: We asked ʿAbdallāh ibn Masʿūd about these verses: "and do not think that those who have been killed in the path of Allah" to the end of the verse. He said: We did indeed inquire about it, and we were told: When your brethren were stricken at Uḥud, Allah placed their souls within the bodies of green birds, which descend to the rivers of Paradise, eat of its fruits, and take refuge in lamps of gold in the shade of the Throne. Then Allah turns to them with a glance and says: O My servants, what do you desire, that I may give you more? They say: Our Lord, nothing surpasses what You have given us! Paradise — we eat of it wherever we wish! — three times. Then He turns to them and says: O My servants, what do you desire, that I may give you more? They say: Our Lord, nothing surpasses what You have given us! Paradise — we eat of it wherever we wish! Except that we would prefer that our souls be returned into our bodies, and that You then bring us back to the world, that we may fight for You until we are killed for You once again.
8207 — Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā al-Maqdisī related to us, saying: Wahb ibn Jarīr related to us, saying: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of Abū al-Ḍuḥā, on the authority of Masrūq, who said: We asked ʿAbdallāh about this verse = and he mentioned something similar, and added to it: I have already decreed that they shall not return.
8208 — Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Ibn Abī ʿAdī related to us, on the authority of Shuʿba, on the authority of Sulaymān, on the authority of ʿAbdallāh ibn Murra, on the authority of Masrūq, who said: We asked ʿAbdallāh about the souls of the martyrs, and had it not been for ʿAbdallāh, no one would have informed us about that! He said: The souls of the martyrs are with Allah within the bodies of green birds, in lamps beneath the Throne; they roam freely in Paradise wherever they wish, and then return to their lamps. Then their Lord turns to them and says: What do you desire? They say: We desire to return to the world to be killed once again.
8209 — Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥīm ibn Sulaymān and ʿAbda ibn Sulaymān related to us, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq, on the authority of al-Ḥārith ibn Fuḍayl, on the authority of Maḥmūd ibn Labīd, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: The martyrs are at Bāriq = a river by the gate of Paradise = in a green dome = and ʿAbda said: "in a green meadow = their provision comes to them from Paradise, morning and evening".
8210 — Abū Kurayb related to us, and Yūnus ibn Bukayr informed us, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq, who said: Al-Ḥārith ibn Fuḍayl related to me, on the authority of Maḥmūd ibn Labīd, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, on the authority of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with something similar = except that he said: in a green dome = and he said: their provision comes to them therein.
8211 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, and Ibn Idrīs informed us, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq, who said: Al-Ḥārith ibn Fuḍayl related to me, on the authority of Maḥmūd ibn Labīd, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, on the authority of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, something similar.
8212 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq said, and al-Ḥārith ibn al-Fuḍayl al-Anṣārī related to me, on the authority of Maḥmūd ibn Labīd al-Anṣārī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: The martyrs are at Bāriq = a river by the gate of Paradise = in a green dome; their provision comes to them from Paradise, morning and evening.
8213 — Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: he likewise related to me = that is to say Ismāʿīl ibn ʿAyyāsh = on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, on the authority of al-Ḥārith ibn al-Fuḍayl, on the authority of Maḥmūd ibn Labīd, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, on the authority of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in a comparable manner.
8214 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq said, and one of my companions related to me, on the authority of ʿAbdallāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAqīl ibn Abī Ṭālib, who said: I heard Jābir ibn ʿAbdallāh say: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to me: "Shall I not bring you glad tidings, O Jābir? I said: Indeed, O Messenger of Allah! He said: Verily, your father — when he was stricken at Uḥud — Allah brought him back to life and then said to him: What do you wish, O ʿAbdallāh ibn ʿAmr, that I do for you? He said: O Lord, I would wish that You bring me back to the world, that I may fight for You and be killed once again."
8215 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: It was related to us that men of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: O, would that we knew what has happened to our brethren who were killed on the day of Uḥud! Thereupon Allah, blessed and exalted is He, sent down concerning this the Qurʾān: "and do not think that those who have been killed in the path of Allah are dead; nay, they are alive with their Lord and are provided for" = It was related to us that the souls of the martyrs recognize one another in the form of white birds that eat of the fruits of Paradise, and that their abodes are the Lote-Tree (al-Sidra).
8216 — It was related to me on the authority of ʿAmmār, and Ibn Abī Jaʿfar informed us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ, in a comparable manner = except that he said: they recognize one another in the form of green and white birds = and he also added: And it has been transmitted to us on the authority of some of them concerning His statement: "and do not think that those who have been killed in the path of Allah are dead; nay, they are alive," he said: They are the slain of Badr and Uḥud.
8217 — Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: Al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Qays ibn Makhrama, who said: They said: O Lord, is there no messenger for us who will inform the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on our behalf about what You have given us? Then Allah, blessed and exalted is He, said: I am your messenger, and He commanded Jibrīl, peace be upon him, to come with this verse: "and do not think that those who have been killed in the path of Allah" — the two verses.
8218 — Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: Al-Thawrī informed us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of ʿAbdallāh ibn Murra, on the authority of Masrūq, who said: We asked ʿAbdallāh about these verses: "and do not think that those who have been killed in the path of Allah are dead; nay, they are alive with their Lord and are provided for". He said: The souls of the martyrs are with Allah as green birds, with lamps suspended from the Throne; they roam freely in Paradise wherever they wish. He said: Then your Lord turns to them with a glance and says: Do you desire anything, that I may give you more of it? They say: Our Lord, do we not roam freely in Paradise in whatever part of it we wish! Then He turns to them a third time and says: Do you desire anything, that I may give you more of it? They say: That You return our souls into our bodies, that we may fight in Your path once again! Thereupon He fell silent toward them.
8219 — Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: Ibn ʿUyayna informed us, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ ibn al-Sāʾib, on the authority of Abū ʿUbayda, on the authority of ʿAbdallāh: that at the third time — when He said to them: Do you desire anything, that I may give you more of it? — they said: That You convey the greeting of peace to our Prophet on our behalf, and inform him that we are content and that contentment has been shown toward us.
8220 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, who said: Allah, blessed and exalted is He, said to His Prophet Muḥammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in order to spur the believers on toward the reward of Paradise and to make the being killed light for them: "and do not think that those who have been killed in the path of Allah are dead; nay, they are alive with their Lord and are provided for," that is to say: I have already brought them to life, so that they are provided for with Me in the refreshment of Paradise and its bounty, gladdened over what Allah has bestowed upon them of His reward for their jihād for His sake.
8221 — It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, who said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd ibn Sulaymān related to us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say: The Muslims asked their Lord to show them a day like the day of Badr, on which they would prove themselves excellently, on which martyrdom would be bestowed upon them, and on which Paradise and life in provision would be bestowed upon them. Then they met the polytheists (mushrikīn) on the day of Uḥud, and Allah took from among them martyrs, and they are those whom Allah mentioned when He said: "and do not think that those who have been killed in the path of Allah are dead" — the verse.
8222 — Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, who said: He mentioned the martyrs and said: "and do not think that those who have been killed in the path of Allah are dead; nay, they are alive with their Lord" up to His statement: وَلا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ("nor shall they grieve"). He asserted that the souls of the martyrs are within the bodies of green birds, in lamps of gold suspended from the Throne; they graze in Paradise morning and evening and spend the night in the lamps. When they roam freely, a herald calls out: What do you wish? What do you desire? They say: Our Lord, we are in that which our souls have desired! Then their Lord asks them once again: What do you desire? And what do you wish? They say: We are in that which our souls have desired! Then they are asked a third time, and they say what they had said: But we would wish that You return our souls into our bodies! On account of what they see of the excellence of the reward.
8223 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: ʿAbbād related to us, saying: Ibrāhīm ibn Maʿmar related to us, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, who said: The son of Adam continued to pursue praise until he became alive without dying. Then he recited this verse: "and do not think that those who have been killed in the path of Allah are dead; nay, they are alive with their Lord and are provided for".
8224 — Muḥammad ibn Marzūq related to us, saying: ʿUmar ibn Yūnus related to us, on the authority of ʿIkrima, who said: Isḥāq ibn Abī Ṭalḥa related to us, saying: Anas ibn Mālik related to me about the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, whom the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent to the people of Biʾr Maʿūna. He said: I do not know whether they were forty or seventy. He said: And over that water ʿĀmir ibn al-Ṭufayl al-Jaʿfarī held sway. That company of the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, set out until they came to a cave overlooking the water, and they sat down in it. Then they said to one another: Which of you will convey the message of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to the people of this water? Then said — I believe it was Ibn Milḥān al-Anṣārī —: I shall convey the message of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He set out until he came to one of their tribes, crouched down before the tents, and then said: O people of Biʾr Maʿūna, verily, I am the envoy of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to you; verily, I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muḥammad is His servant and His messenger, so believe in Allah and His messenger. Then a man came out from the lower part of the tent with a lance and thrust it into his side, so that it came out the other side. He said: Allah is the Greatest, I have succeeded, by the Lord of the Kaʿba! Then they followed his trail until they came upon his companions, and ʿĀmir ibn al-Ṭufayl killed them all together. = He said: Isḥāq said: Anas ibn Mālik related to me: Verily, Allah the Exalted sent down concerning them a Qurʾān, which, after we had recited it for a time, was then abrogated. And Allah sent down: "and do not think that those who have been killed in the path of Allah are dead; nay, they are alive with their Lord and are provided for".
8225 — Yaḥyā ibn Abī Ṭālib related to us, saying: Yazīd informed us, saying: Juwaybir informed us, on the authority of al-Ḍaḥḥāk, who said: When those of the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who were stricken on the day of Uḥud were stricken, they met their Lord, and He honored them, and they attained life, martyrdom, and the goodly provision. They said: O, would that there were between us and our brethren someone who would convey to them that we have met our Lord, that He is content with us and has made us content! Then Allah, blessed and exalted is He, said: I am your messenger to your Prophet and your brethren. Thereupon Allah, blessed and exalted is He, sent down upon His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: "and do not think that those who have been killed in the path of Allah are dead; nay, they are alive with their Lord and are provided for" up to His statement: وَلا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ("nor shall they grieve"). This, then, is the report that Allah conveyed to His Messenger and the believers of what the martyrs had said.
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And concerning the naṣb ending (accusative) of His statement "rejoicing" (fariḥīna), there are two views. The one is that it stands in the accusative as a ḥāl (circumstantial qualifier) derived from His statement "with their Lord". The other is that it is derived from His statement "they are provided for". And had it been in the nominative, by being connected to His statement — as though it read "nay, they are alive, rejoicing" — that would have been permissible.