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Draft:Verse 169 of Sura Al-Imran

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Verse 169 of Sura Al-Imran
Verse's Information
SuraAl-Imran (Qur'an 3)
Verse169
Juz'4
Content Information
Cause of
Revelation		After the Battle of Uhud
Place of
Revelation		Medina
TopicTheological
AboutNot considering those killed in the way of God as dead
Related VersesQur'an 2:154, Qur'an 3:168, Qur'an 3:170


Qur'an 3:169 addresses the eternal life of martyrs and their reception of special blessings from Allah in Barzakh. According to its cause of revelation, this verse specifically pertains to the martyrs of the Battle of Uhud; however, given its broad scope, many scholars believe it encompasses all martyrs. Additionally, some interpretations suggest it applies to anyone killed in the path of God, even if the formal jurisprudential rulings of a martyr are not applied to them.

Introduction and Position

The inscription "Wa la tahsabanna alladhina qutilu..." installed inside the zarih of the Shrine of al-'Abbas (a)

Qur'an 3:169 is classified among the Madani verses of the Qur'an.[1] It is widely believed to have been revealed following the Battle of Uhud.[2] While Qur'an 3:168 condemns the hypocrites for their derogatory attitude toward the fallen at Uhud, verse 169 offers a profound counter-narrative: it commands believers not to consider those killed in the way of God as dead. Instead, they continue to live in another realm, enjoying divine blessings.[3]

In al-Tabarsi's al-Ihtijaj, it is recorded that Lady Zaynab (a) recited this verse to describe the Martyrs of Karbala during her famous sermon in the court of Yazid.[4] Furthermore, the verse "Wa la tahsabanna alladhina qutilu..." is inscribed on the interior of the zarih at the Shrine of al-'Abbas (a), having been installed in 2016.[5]

This verse is also frequently recited at memorial services[6] and featured in tributes dedicated to martyrs.[7]

Meaning of Slain in the Way of God

Some exegetes specifically identify the "slain in the way of God" as the martyrs of Uhud. Others extend this designation to include the martyrs of the Battle of Badr, and some also include those who fell in the Incident of Bi'r Ma'una.[9] While Tafsir-i namuna acknowledges the verse's immediate cause of revelation concerning the martyrs of Uhud, it argues—based on the verse's broader context and a hadith from Imam al-Baqir (a)—that it encompasses all martyrs.[10]

According to Tafsir al-Qummi, a hadith from Imam al-Sadiq (a) regarding this verse and the subsequent one ("Farihina bima atahum Allah min fadlih") identifies the Shi'as as primary subjects of the verse. The tradition states that upon entering Paradise and witnessing divine grace, they will share glad tidings with their brethren in faith.[11]

Sayyid 'Abd al-Husayn Tayyib (d. 1991), a prominent Shi'a exegete, similarly posits that this verse applies to anyone killed in the path of God, even if the formal jurisprudential rulings of a martyr are not applicable to them. This broad category includes the Imams, their companions, religious scholars, and devoted believers who sacrificed their lives for the faith, given that the verse explicitly employs the phrase "Maqtul fi sabil Allah" (slain in the way of God).[12]

Imam Khumayni also invoked this verse in a message honoring the martyrs of the Iran-Iraq War, stating: "If there were nothing else for the martyrs in the way of God except this verse, it would be sufficient to demonstrate their exalted station."[13]

Life of the Martyr after Death

The verse "Wa la tahsabanna alladhina qutilu..." has frequently been cited as scriptural evidence for the existence of the world of Barzakh.[14] Exegetes interpret the life attributed to martyrs in this verse as the life of Barzakh, distinguishing it from both material worldly existence and the ultimate life of Paradise in the Hereafter.[15]

Although the life of Barzakh is not exclusive to martyrs, the Qur'an specifically highlights them due to the extraordinary characteristics and abundant spiritual blessings associated with their intermediate state.[16] Furthermore, some scholars have argued for the permissibility of Tawassul (intercession) to martyrs and other friends of God (Awliya'), citing this verse's affirmation that martyrs remain alive.[17]

Notes

  1. ↑ Ṭabrsī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1382 Sh, vol. 2, p. 693.
  2. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i namūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 3, p. 168.
  3. ↑ Fayḍ al-Islām, Tarjuma wa tafsīr-i Qurʾān, 1378 Sh, vol. 1, pp. 148-149.
  4. ↑ Ṭabrsī, al-Iḥtijāj, 1403 AH, vol. 2, p. 309.
  5. ↑ "Awwalīn katība-yi ḍarīḥ-i Ḥaḍrat-i ʿAbbās (a)", Al-Kafeel Global Network.
  6. ↑ For example, see "Yādwāra-yi shuhadā-yi iṭṭilāʿāt-i Fārs", IQNA News Agency.
  7. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ṣaḥīfa-yi Imām, 1389 Sh, vol. 18, p. 325.
  8. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ṣaḥīfa-yi Imām, 1389 Sh, vol. 18, p. 325.
  9. ↑ Ṭabrsī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1382 Sh, vol. 2, p. 881.
  10. ↑ Ṭabrsī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1382 Sh, vol. 2, p. 881; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i namūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 3, p. 169.
  11. ↑ Qummī, Tafsīr al-Qummī, 1404 AH, vol. 1, p. 127.
  12. ↑ Ṭayyib, Aṭyab al-bayān, 1378 Sh, vol. 3, p. 425.
  13. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ṣaḥīfa-yi Imām, 1389 Sh, vol. 18, p. 325.
  14. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1417 AH, vol. 1, p. 349.
  15. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1417 AH, vol. 4, p. 72; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i namūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 3, p. 170.
  16. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i namūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 3, p. 170.
  17. ↑ Qarāʾatī, Tafsīr-i nūr, 1383 Sh, vol. 2, p. 195 and vol. 5, p. 194.

References

  • "Awwalīn katība-yi ḍarīḥ-i Ḥaḍrat-i ʿAbbās (a)", Al-Kafeel Global Network, Date of publication: 30 March 2016, Date of visit: 6 Mihr 1402 Sh.
  • Imām Khumaynī, Sayyid Rūḥ Allāh, Ṣaḥīfa-yi Imām, Tehran, Muʾassasa-yi Tanẓīm wa Nashr-i Āthār-i Imām Khumaynī, 1389 Sh.
  • Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn, al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Qom, Daftar-i Intishārāt-i Islāmī, 5th edition, 1417 AH.
  • Ṭabrsī, Aḥmad b. ʿAlī, al-Iḥtijāj ʿalā ahl al-lajāj, ed. Muḥammad Bāqir Khursān, Mashhad, Nashr-i Murtaḍā, 1st edition, 1403 AH.
  • Ṭabrsī, Faḍl b. Ḥasan, Majmaʿ al-bayān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, intro. Muḥammad Jawād Balāghī, Tehran, Nāṣir Khusraw, 3rd edition, 1382 Sh.
  • Ṭayyib, Sayyid ʿAbd al-Ḥusayn, Aṭyab al-bayān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Tehran, Intishārāt-i Islām, 2nd edition, 1378 Sh.
  • Fayḍ al-Islām, Sayyid ʿAlī Naqī, Tarjuma wa tafsīr-i Qurʾān, Tehran, Intishārāt-i Faqīh, 1st edition, 1378 Sh.
  • Qarāʾatī, Muḥsin, Tafsīr-i nūr, Tehran, Markaz-i Farhangī-yi Darshāyī az Qurʾān, 11th edition, 1383 Sh.
  • Qummī, ʿAlī b. Ibrāhīm, Tafsīr al-Qummī, ed. Sayyid Ṭayyib Mūsawī Jazāyirī, Qom, Dār al-Kitāb, 3rd edition, 1404 AH.
  • Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir, Tafsīr-i namūna, Tehran, Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 1st edition, 1374 Sh.
  • "Yādwāra-yi shuhadā-yi iṭṭilāʿāt-i Fārs", IQNA News Agency, Date of publication: 21 Dey 1391 Sh, Date of visit: 6 Mihr 1402 Sh.
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