The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 149
PT. 4 ĀL-E-‘IMRĀN CH. 3 الَّذِينَ قَالُوا لِإِخْوَانِهِمْ وَقَعَدُوا لَو It is these who said of their. 169 brethren, while they themselves أَطَاعُوْنَا مَا قُتِلُوا قُلْ فَادْر وَا عَنْ remained behind, If they had obeyed us, "they would not have been slain. ' Say, b‘Then avert death from yourselves, if you are truthful. '451 اَنْفُسِكُمُ الْمَوْتَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَدِقِينَ وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ Think not of those who. 170 have been slain in the cause of Allah, as dead. Nay, they are living, in the presence of their Lord, and are granted gifts from Him,452 اَمْوَاتًا بَلْ أَحْيَا عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ a3:155. 4:79. 2:155. 451. Commentary: The word (brethren) may refer to both the Muslims and the hypocrites. If taken to refer to the Muslims, the expression(said of their brethren) would either mean, "said concerning their brethren, the Muslims", or it would mean, "said to their brethren, the Muslims. " If, however, it is taken to refer to the hypocrites, the expression would mean, "said to their own brethren", i. e. talked among themselves. The expression, Then avert death from yourselves, embodies a prophecy about the destruction of the hypocrites. The clause would thus signify, "You stayed in your homes in order to save yourselves. Now, the time of your destruction has arrived. So protect yourselves if you can. " 452. Important Words: میت dead is the plural of) اموات 589 which besides meaning a dead person, also means: (1) one whose blood has not been avenged; (2) one who leaves behind no successors; (3) one stricken with sorrow and grief. See also 2:29. Commentary: According to the above three significations of the word (dead) the verse would mean: (1) that the blood of Muslim martyrs shall certainly be avenged; (2) that their place shall be taken by others equally zealous; (3) that these martyrs, though apparently dead, are leading happy lives in the presence of their Lord. As martyrs lay down their lives for the sake of God, therefore they are granted in the next world a special kind of life which is different from, and superior to, that of ordinary believers.