Yet all of them are not alike. Among the people of the Book is a section upright, who recite the scriptures in the hours of the night and bow in adoration and pray,
All of them are not alike; among the People given the Book(s) are some who are firm on the truth – they recite the verses of Allah in the night hours and prostrate (before Him).
Yet they are not all alike; some of the People of the Book are a nation upstanding, that recite God's signs in the watches of the night, bowing themselves,
[But] they are not all alike: among the followers of earlier revelation there are upright people, who recite God's messages throughout the night, and prostrate themselves [before Him].
Not are they all alike. Of the people of the Book there are a community steadfast, reciting the revelations of Allah in the hours of night while they prostrate themselves.
Not all of them are alike; a party of the people of the Scripture stand for the right, they recite the Verses of Allah during the hours of the night, prostrating themselves in prayer.
They are not alike. Among the People of the Scripture is a community that is upright; they recite God’s revelations throughout the night, and they prostrate themselves.
Yet all are not alike: among the People of the Book there are upright people who recite the messages of Allah in the watches of the night and prostrate themselves in worship.
Not all of them are alike; a party of the People of the Scripture stand for the right, they recite the verses of Allah during the hours of the night, prostrating themselves in prayer.
They are not all alike. Of the People of the Scripture there is a staunch community who recite the revelations of Allah in the night season, falling prostrate (before Him).
Yet they are not all alike. Among the People of the Book is an upright nation; they recite Allah’s signs in the watches of the night and prostrate.
Yet they are not all alike. There are among the People of the Book an upstanding nation that recite the verses of Allah (the Koran) throughout the night and prostrate themselves,
They are not [all] the same; among the People of the Scripture is a community standing [in obedience], reciting the verses of Allah during periods of the night and prostrating [in prayer].
The People of the Book are not all the same. Some of them are straightforward. They recite the words of God in prostration at night.
They are not all alike; of the followers of the Book there is an upright party; they recite Allah's communications in the nighttime and they adore (Him).
Laysoo saw<u>a</u>an min ahli alkit<u>a</u>bi ommatun q<u>a</u>imatun yatloona <u>a</u>y<u>a</u>ti All<u>a</u>hi <u>a</u>n<u>a</u>a allayli wahum yasjudoon<b>a</b>
Yet they are not all alike. Of the People of the Book there are some who stand by their covenant; they recite the word of God during the night and prostrate themselves before Him,
Not all of them are alike: Of the People of the Book are a portion that stand (For the right): They rehearse the Signs of Allah all night long, and they prostrate themselves in adoration.
لَيْسُوا۟ سَوَآءً مِّنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ أُمَّةٌ قَآئِمَةٌ يَتْلُونَ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ءَانَآءَ ٱلَّيْلِ وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ
Having made clear what many of the People of the Scripture are like, Allah then explains that there is a group among them who are upright and stand by the truth – not all the People of the Scripture are the same. Rather, there is a group among them who follow the Religion of Allah: doing as Allah instructs and staying away from what He has prohibited, reading the verses of Allah in the hours of the night, and praying to Him. This group existed before the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent, and became Muslim when they met him and understood his message.
Having made clear what many of the People of the Scripture are like, Allah then explains that there is a group among them who are upright and stand by the truth – not all the People of the Scripture are the same. Rather, there is a group among them who follow the Religion of Allah: doing as Allah instructs and staying away from what He has prohibited, reading the verses of Allah in the hours of the night, and praying to Him. This group existed before the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent, and became Muslim when they met him and understood his message.
<p>In verse 110, it was said that among the people of the Book there are those who believe, yet most of them are disbelievers. Details appear in the present verse which gives a complementary profile of those who believed from among the people of the Book, and by becoming Muslims, they adopted the distinguishing hallmarks of the Faith that go to make believers the best of communities.</p><p>Soon after praising those who had embraced Islam from among the people of the Book, the text censures those of them who did not embrace Islam and insisted on retaining their stance of disbelief, not realizing that their wealth and their children will be unable to save them from the punishment of Allah and Hell shall be their eternal abode.</p><p>Verse 117 declares through a similitude that disbelievers simply waste what they spend in this worldly life, for belief in Islam is a pre-condition in order that such spendings be acceptable with Allah, of whatever sort they may be. The similitude stresses the fact that disbelievers inflict this injustice upon themselves when their spendings go to waste in this world and remain rewardless in the Hereafter. If they were not to wrong themselves, if they were to embrace Islam, they would have been like other Muslims who, on suffering a worldly loss, are compensated by Allah through reward and forgiveness of sins, as reported in ahadith.</p>
In verse 110, it was said that among the people of the Book there are those who believe, yet most of them are disbelievers. Details appear in the present verse which gives a complementary profile of those who believed from among the people of the Book, and by becoming Muslims, they adopted the distinguishing hallmarks of the Faith that go to make believers the best of communities.Soon after praising those who had embraced Islam from among the people of the Book, the text censures those of them who did not embrace Islam and insisted on retaining their stance of disbelief, not realizing that their wealth and their children will be unable to save them from the punishment of Allah and Hell shall be their eternal abode.Verse 117 declares through a similitude that disbelievers simply waste what they spend in this worldly life, for belief in Islam is a pre-condition in order that such spendings be acceptable with Allah, of whatever sort they may be. The similitude stresses the fact that disbelievers inflict this injustice upon themselves when their spendings go to waste in this world and remain rewardless in the Hereafter. If they were not to wrong themselves, if they were to embrace Islam, they would have been like other Muslims who, on suffering a worldly loss, are compensated by Allah through reward and forgiveness of sins, as reported in ahadith.
<h2 class="title">Virtues of the People of the Scriptures Who Embrace Islam</h2><p>Muhammad bin Ishaq and others, including Al-Awfi who reported it from Ibn Abbas, said;"These Ayat were revealed about the clergy of the People of the Scriptures who embraced the faith. For instance, there is Abdullah bin Salam, Asad bin Ubayd, Tha`labah bin Sa`yah, Usayd bin Sa`yah, and so forth.</p><p>This Ayah means that those among the People of the Book whom Allah rebuked earlier are not at all the same as those among them who embraced Islam.Hence Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لَيْسُواْ سَوَاء ...  </div><p>Not all of them are alike."Therefore, these two types of people are not equal, and indeed, there are believers and also criminals among the People of the Book, just as Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">... مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ أُمَّةٌ قَآئِمَةٌ ...</div><p>a party of the People of the Scripture stand for the right,for they implement the Book of Allah, adhere to His Law and follow His Prophet Muhammad.</p><p>Therefore, this type is on the straight path,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">... يَتْلُونَ آيَاتِ اللّهِ آنَاء اللَّيْلِ وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ </div><p>they recite the verses of Allah during the hours of the night, prostrating themselves in prayer.They often stand in prayer at night for Tahajjud, and recite the Qur'an in their prayer.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَيُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَأُوْلَـئِكَ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ </div><p>They believe in Allah and the Last Day; they enjoin Al-Ma`ruf and forbid Al-Munkar; and they hasten in (all) good works; and they are among the righteous. (3: 114)This is the same type of people mentioned at the end of the Surah;</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَمَن يُؤْمِنُ بِاللّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ خَاشِعِينَ لِلّهِ</div><p>And there are, certainly, among the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), those who believe in Allah and in that which has been revealed to you, and in that which has been revealed to them, humbling themselves before Allah. (3:199)Allah said here,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَا يَفْعَلُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلَن يُكْفَرُوْهُ ...  </div><p>And whatever good they do, nothing will be rejected of them;meaning, their good deeds will not be lost with Allah. Rather, He will award them the best rewards.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">... وَاللّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالْمُتَّقِينَ </div><p>for Allah knows well the Muttaqin (the pious).for no deed performed by any person ever escapes His knowledge, nor is any reward for those who do good deeds ever lost with Him.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ...  </div><p>Surely, those who disbelieve,Allah mentions the disbelieving polytheists:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">... لَن تُغْنِيَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلاَ أَوْلاَدُهُم مِّنَ اللّهِ شَيْئًا ...</div><p>neither their properties nor their offspring will avail them against Allah,meaning, nothing can avert Allah's torment and punishment from striking them.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">... وَأُوْلَـئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ </div><p>They are the dwellers of the Fire, therein they will abide.</p><h2 class="title">The Parable of What the Disbelievers Spend in This Life</h2><p>Allah gave a parable for what the disbelievers spend in this life, as Mujahid, Al-Hasan and As-Suddi said.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">مَثَلُ مَا يُنْفِقُونَ فِى هِـذِهِ الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَثَلِ رِيحٍ فِيهَا صِرٌّ</div><p>(The likeness of what they spend in this world is the likeness of a wind of Sir;) a frigid wind, as Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and others have said. `Ata' said that Sir, means, `cold and snow.' Ibn `Abbas and Mujahid are also reported to have said that Sir means, `fire'. This latter meaning does not contradict the meanings we mentioned above, because extreme cold weather, especially when accompanied by snow, burns plants and produce, and has the same effect fire has on such growth.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أَصَابَتْ حَرْثَ قَوْمٍ ظَلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ فَأَهْلَكَتْهُ</div><p>(It struck the harvest of a people who did wrong against themselves and destroyed it) 3:117, by burning. This Ayah mentions a calamity that strikes produce that is ready to harvest, destroying it by burning and depriving its owner of it when he needs it the most. Such is the case with the disbelievers, for Allah destroys the rewards for their good deeds in this life, just as He destroyed the produce of the sinner because of his sins. Both types did not build their work on firm foundations,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَلَـكِنْ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ</div><p>(And Allah wronged them not, but they wronged themselves.)</p>
Virtues of the People of the Scriptures Who Embrace IslamMuhammad bin Ishaq and others, including Al-Awfi who reported it from Ibn Abbas, said;"These Ayat were revealed about the clergy of the People of the Scriptures who embraced the faith. For instance, there is Abdullah bin Salam, Asad bin Ubayd, Tha`labah bin Sa`yah, Usayd bin Sa`yah, and so forth.This Ayah means that those among the People of the Book whom Allah rebuked earlier are not at all the same as those among them who embraced Islam.Hence Allah's statement,لَيْسُواْ سَوَاء ...  Not all of them are alike."Therefore, these two types of people are not equal, and indeed, there are believers and also criminals among the People of the Book, just as Allah said,... مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ أُمَّةٌ قَآئِمَةٌ ...a party of the People of the Scripture stand for the right,for they implement the Book of Allah, adhere to His Law and follow His Prophet Muhammad.Therefore, this type is on the straight path,... يَتْلُونَ آيَاتِ اللّهِ آنَاء اللَّيْلِ وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ they recite the verses of Allah during the hours of the night, prostrating themselves in prayer.They often stand in prayer at night for Tahajjud, and recite the Qur'an in their prayer.يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَيُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَأُوْلَـئِكَ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ They believe in Allah and the Last Day; they enjoin Al-Ma`ruf and forbid Al-Munkar; and they hasten in (all) good works; and they are among the righteous. (3: 114)This is the same type of people mentioned at the end of the Surah;وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَمَن يُؤْمِنُ بِاللّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ خَاشِعِينَ لِلّهِAnd there are, certainly, among the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), those who believe in Allah and in that which has been revealed to you, and in that which has been revealed to them, humbling themselves before Allah. (3:199)Allah said here,وَمَا يَفْعَلُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلَن يُكْفَرُوْهُ ...  And whatever good they do, nothing will be rejected of them;meaning, their good deeds will not be lost with Allah. Rather, He will award them the best rewards.... وَاللّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالْمُتَّقِينَ for Allah knows well the Muttaqin (the pious).for no deed performed by any person ever escapes His knowledge, nor is any reward for those who do good deeds ever lost with Him.إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ...  Surely, those who disbelieve,Allah mentions the disbelieving polytheists:... لَن تُغْنِيَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلاَ أَوْلاَدُهُم مِّنَ اللّهِ شَيْئًا ...neither their properties nor their offspring will avail them against Allah,meaning, nothing can avert Allah's torment and punishment from striking them.... وَأُوْلَـئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ They are the dwellers of the Fire, therein they will abide.The Parable of What the Disbelievers Spend in This LifeAllah gave a parable for what the disbelievers spend in this life, as Mujahid, Al-Hasan and As-Suddi said.مَثَلُ مَا يُنْفِقُونَ فِى هِـذِهِ الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَثَلِ رِيحٍ فِيهَا صِرٌّ(The likeness of what they spend in this world is the likeness of a wind of Sir;) a frigid wind, as Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and others have said. `Ata' said that Sir, means, `cold and snow.' Ibn `Abbas and Mujahid are also reported to have said that Sir means, `fire'. This latter meaning does not contradict the meanings we mentioned above, because extreme cold weather, especially when accompanied by snow, burns plants and produce, and has the same effect fire has on such growth.أَصَابَتْ حَرْثَ قَوْمٍ ظَلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ فَأَهْلَكَتْهُ(It struck the harvest of a people who did wrong against themselves and destroyed it) 3:117, by burning. This Ayah mentions a calamity that strikes produce that is ready to harvest, destroying it by burning and depriving its owner of it when he needs it the most. Such is the case with the disbelievers, for Allah destroys the rewards for their good deeds in this life, just as He destroyed the produce of the sinner because of his sins. Both types did not build their work on firm foundations,وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَلَـكِنْ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ(And Allah wronged them not, but they wronged themselves.)