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Qur'an 3:110

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Qur'an 3:110
Verse's Information
SuraSura Al 'Imran (Qur'an 3)
Verse110
Juz'4
Content Information
Place of
Revelation		Medina
TopicTheological, Jurisprudential
AboutIntroducing the best Umma
Related VersesQur'an 3:104 • Qur'an 49:13


Qur'an 3:110 characterizes Muslims as the paramount nation (Umma) created for the reform of human society, a distinction attributed to their practice of al-amr bi-l-ma'ruf wa al-nahy 'an al-munkar (enjoining the good and forbidding the wrong) and their unwavering faith in God. Some exegetes, notably al-Shaykh al-Tusi, contend that given the presence of criminals and hypocrites within the broader Muslim community, the epithet "best Umma" specifically designates the Ahl al-Bayt (a).

Abdullah Jawadi Amuli interprets the verse's audience as those who adhered to the command in Qur'an 3:104 to invite others to goodness and enjoin right conduct, aligning this perspective with Qur'an 49:13.

Jurists have invoked this verse to substantiate the obligation of al-amr bi-l-ma'ruf wa al-nahy 'an al-munkar, debating whether it constitutes a collective or individual obligation (wājib al-ʿaynī). Numerous narrations identify the Ahl al-Bayt (a) as the primary referent of this verse. In one such narration, Jabir b. Abd Allah al-Ansari inquired of Prophet Muhammad (s) regarding the verse's meaning; the Prophet responded with a detailed exposition on the luminous creation and virtues of the Ahl al-Bayt (a).

Introduction and Text

According to Tafsir-i nimuna, Qur'an 3:110 presents Muslims as the premier Umma brought forth for humanity's benefit, owing to their commitment to enjoining good, forbidding wrong, and maintaining faith in God.[1] Exegetes observe that the verse concludes with a reminder: had the People of the Book (Ahl al-Kitāb) embraced faith, they would have secured benefits in this world—such as safeguarding their lives—and salvation in the hereafter, escaping Hell for Paradise.[2] However, while a minority accepted Islam, the majority transgressed God's command and remained disbelievers.[3]

Identification and Reason for the Best Umma

Abdullah Jawadi Amuli asserts that Qur'an 3:110 extols those who fulfilled the mandate of Qur'an 3:104—specifically, enjoining the good, forbidding the wrong, and believing in God—identifying them as the exemplary nation established for the public good.[4] Conversely, exegetes like Shaykh al-Tusi, citing the existence of sinners and hypocrites within the general Umma, restrict this commendation to the Ahl al-Bayt (a).[5] Regarding the use of the past tense verb kuntum ("you were") rather than antum ("you are"), commentators suggest it may indicate that Muslims were designated as the best Umma in prior scriptures or in the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ). Alternatively, the past tense might be employed to emphasize the certainty of a future event, treating it as if it had already occurred.[6]

In a hadith, Imam Ali (a) referenced this verse to establish the superiority of Prophet Muhammad (s) over all prophets and the preeminence of the Muslim Umma over other nations.[7]

Some exegetes identify the "believers" among the People of the Book (minhum al-muʾminūn) as specific individuals, such as Abd Allah b. Salam and his companions from the Jews, and al-Najashi (the King of Abyssinia) and his companions from the Christians.[8]

Reason

From Jawadi Amuli's perspective, righteous deeds must align with the leader and the Proof (Hujja) of the age. He posits that the rigorous practice of enjoining the good and forbidding the wrong during the era of the greatest Prophet, Muhammad (s), rendered the Muslim Umma superior.[9] Nasir Makarem Shirazi attributes this superiority to the possession of the final and most complete divine religion.[10]

Audience of the Verse

Shi'a exegetes have proposed several interpretations regarding the intended audience of Qur'an 3:110:

  • The Muhajirun and Ansar of early Islam. This interpretation suggests the verse means "you were the best Umma in the past," potentially implying a decline in later generations. Critics argue that such a subtle reproach contradicts the verse's laudatory context.[11]
  • All Muslims during the era of the Prophet (s). Jawadi Amuli rejects this view due to the presence of hypocrites who, as described in Qur'an 9:67, enjoined wrong and forbade good.[12]
  • All Muslims across all times and places. This interpretation is dismissed due to the existence of oppressors and instigators of conflicts such as the Battles of Jamal, Siffin, Nahrawan, and the Event of Karbala.[13]
  • Those who obeyed the command in Qur'an 3:104 to invite to good. Jawadi Amuli favors this view, noting its consistency with Qur'an 49:13 and hadiths defining the best people as those possessing piety who enjoin the good.[14]

Ahl al-Bayt (a) as the Instance of the Best Umma

Multiple narrations identify the Ahl al-Bayt (a) as the specific instance and intended audience of this verse.[15] In one narration, Abd Allah b. Sinan recited this verse before Imam al-Sadiq (a). The Imam challenged the interpretation, asking: "Were you the best Umma while you killed the Commander of the Faithful (a), Imam al-Hasan (a), and Imam al-Husayn (a)?" When asked for the correct understanding, the Imam clarified that it refers to the Imams: "You are the best Imams brought forth for the people," citing the subsequent description: "you enjoin the good, forbid the wrong, and believe in God."[16]

Jurisprudential Applications

Qur'an 3:110 is frequently cited in discussions of Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh:

  • al-Shaykh al-Mufid posits that by praising the Umma for enjoining the good alongside faith in God, the verse indicates the obligation (wujūb) of al-amr bi-l-ma'ruf.[17]
  • Shaykh al-Tusi, Fadil al-Miqdad, and Ibn Shahrashub utilize this verse to argue that enjoining the good is an individual obligation (wājib ʿaynī).[18]
  • Sunni scholars have cited this verse to establish the authority of Consensus (ijmāʿ), interpreting it as the Umma's collective infallibility in avoiding wrong. In contrast, Shi'a scholars argue that the verse cannot refer to the entire Umma collectively due to the presence of major sinners and those who waged war against the rightful Imams.[19]

Notes

  1. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 3, p. 48.
  2. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1372 Sh, vol. 2, p. 811; Kāshānī, Zubdat al-tafāsīr, 1423 AH, vol. 1, p. 540.
  3. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1372 Sh, vol. 2, p. 811; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 3, p. 49.
  4. ↑ Javādī Āmulī, Tafsīr-i Tasnīm, 1388 Sh, vol. 15, pp. 333, 338-339.
  5. ↑ Shaykh al-Ṭūsī, al-Tibyān, vol. 2, p. 558; Rāwandī, Fiqh al-Qurʾān, 1405 AH, vol. 1, pp. 360-361.
  6. ↑ Shaykh al-Ṭūsī, al-Tibyān, vol. 2, p. 557; Rāwandī, Fiqh al-Qurʾān, 1405 AH, vol. 1, p. 360.
  7. ↑ Majlisī, Biḥār al-anwār, 1403 AH, vol. 16, p. 342.
  8. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1372 Sh, vol. 2, p. 811; Ḥusaynī, Tafsīr-i ithnā ʿasharī, 1363 Sh, vol. 2, p. 212.
  9. ↑ Javādī Āmulī, Tafsīr-i Tasnīm, 1388 Sh, vol. 15, p. 334.
  10. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 3, p. 48.
  11. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1372 Sh, vol. 2, p. 811; Javādī Āmulī, Tafsīr-i Tasnīm, 1388 Sh, vol. 15, pp. 337-339.
  12. ↑ Javādī Āmulī, Tafsīr-i Tasnīm, 1388 Sh, vol. 15, p. 338.
  13. ↑ Javādī Āmulī, Tafsīr-i Tasnīm, 1388 Sh, vol. 15, p. 338.
  14. ↑ Javādī Āmulī, Tafsīr-i Tasnīm, 1388 Sh, vol. 15, pp. 338-339.
  15. ↑ Majlisī, Biḥār al-anwār, 1403 AH, vol. 24, pp. 154-155; Baḥrānī, al-Burhān, 1374 Sh, vol. 1, pp. 344, 676.
  16. ↑ Majlisī, Biḥār al-anwār, 1403 AH, vol. 24, p. 154.
  17. ↑ al-Shaykh al-Mufīd, al-Muqniʿa, 1413 AH, p. 809.
  18. ↑ Shaykh al-Ṭūsī, al-Iqtiṣād, 1375 Sh, p. 147; Fāḍil al-Miqdād, Kanz al-ʿirfān, 1425 AH, vol. 1, p. 406; Ibn Shahrāshūb, Mutashābih al-Qurʾān, 1369 Sh, vol. 2, p. 187.
  19. ↑ Ibn ʿĀshūr, al-Taḥrīr wa l-tanwīr, n.d., vol. 3, p. 190; Javādī Āmulī, Tafsīr-i Tasnīm, 1388 Sh, vol. 15, p. 338.

References

  • Baḥrānī, Sayyid Hāshim al-. al-Burhān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Tehran: Bi'that Foundation, 1374 Sh.
  • Fāḍil al-Miqdād, Miqdād b. ʿAbd Allāh. Kanz al-ʿirfān fī fiqh al-Qurʾān. Qom: Mortazavi Publications, 1425 AH.
  • Ḥusaynī Shāh-ʿAbd al-ʿAẓīmī, Ḥusayn b. Aḥmad. Tafsīr-i ithnā ʿasharī. Tehran: Miqat Publications, 1363 Sh.
  • Ibn ʿĀshūr, Muḥammad b. Ṭāhir. al-Taḥrīr wa l-tanwīr. n.p, n.d.
  • Ibn Shahrāshūb, Muḥammad b. ʿAlī. Mutashābih al-Qurʾān wa mukhtalifuh. Qom: Dar Bidar, 1369 AH.
  • Javādī Āmulī, ʿAbd Allāh. Tafsīr-i Tasnīm. Edited by Abd al-Karim Abidini. Qom: Isra Publications, 1388 Sh.
  • Kāshānī, Mullā Fatḥ Allāh. Zubdat al-tafāsīr. Qom: Islamic Knowledge Foundation, 1423 AH.
  • Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir. Tafsīr-i nimūna. Tehran: Dar al-Kotob al-Islamiyya, 1374 Sh.
  • Majlisī, Muḥammad Bāqir al-. Biḥār al-anwār. Beirut: Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 1403 AH.
  • Rāwandī, Saʿīd b. Hibat Allāh. Fiqh al-Qurʾān fī sharḥ āyāt al-aḥkām. Edited by Sayyid Ahmad Husayni. Qom: Ayatollah Mar'ashi Najafi Library, 1405 AH.
  • Shaykh al-Mufīd, Muḥammad b. Muḥammad. al-Muqniʿa. Qom: Shaykh al-Mufid Congress, 1413 AH.
  • Shaykh al-Ṭūsī, Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan. al-Iqtiṣād al-hādī ilā ṭarīq al-rashād. Tehran: Chehel-Sotoon Library, 1375 Sh.
  • Shaykh al-Ṭūsī, Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan. al-Tibyān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Beirut: Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, n.d.
  • Ṭabrisī, Faḍl b. al-Ḥasan al-. Majmaʿ al-bayān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Tehran: Nasir Khusraw Publications, 1372 Sh.
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