The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 106
CH. 3 ĀL-E-‘IMRĀN PT. 4 قَابِمَةٌ يَتْلُونَ أَيْتِ اللهِ أَنَاءَ الَّيْلِ وَهُمْ there is a party who stand by يَسْجُدُونَ their covenant; they recite the word of Allah in the hours of night and prostrate themselves before Him. 399 يُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِاللهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ They believe in Allah and. 115 the Last Day, and "enjoin what بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ is good and forbid evil, and وَيُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَتِ ۖ وَأُولَبِكَ مِنَ الصَّلِحِينَ hasten, vying with one another, in good works. And these are among the righteous. وَمَا يَفْعَلُوْا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلَنْ يُكْفَرُوهُ And whatever good they. 116 وَاللهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالْمُتَّقِينَ do, they shall not be denied its due reward; and Allah well knows the God-fearing. 400 a3:105, 111; 9:71. 21:91; 23:62; 35:33. 28:85; 99:8. 399. Important Words: a party who stand by the امة قائمة covenant) may give a number of meanings besides the one given in the text e. g. : (1) a party of people who perform well the duties entrusted to them; (2) a people who stand up for Prayer in the latter part of the night, an act of worship highly commended both in the Quran and the sayings of the Holy Prophet. Commentary: The words, a party who stand by their covenant, refer to those among the Jews who embraced Islam (see the next verse and also 4:163). The view finds further support from the words, and prostrate themselves before Him, for (prostration) was 546 not included in the worship performed by Jews. The exhortation to Mary conveyed in the words, and prostrate thyself (3:44), was only an exceptional commandment specifically meant for her. 400. Commentary: The verse shows that Islam is not a national or tribal religion, but that whoever joins it, no matter from what nation or creed he comes, will receive the same reward as any other follower of the Faith, provided, of course, he acts righteously. In Islam, no preferential or prejudicial treatment is meted out to the members of any particular nationality. A Jew, and for that matter any other man, after embracing Islam, is on a par with an Arab Muslim.