Surah 3:164

"Certainly God bestowed favor on the believers when He raised up among them a messenger from among them, to recite His signs to them, and to purify them, and to teach them the Book and the wisdom, though before (this) they were indeed clearly astray."

Christian Footnotes (1)Islamic Commentaries (1)Manuscripts (48)

The Magnificent Blessing in the Advent of Our Prophet Muhammad Verses 3:164

Show Full Scripture Context (3:164) — 1 Verse

Verse 164

لَقَدۡ مَنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ إِذۡ بَعَثَ فِيهِمۡ رَسُولٗا مِّنۡ أَنفُسِهِمۡ يَتۡلُواْ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ وَيُزَكِّيهِمۡ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ وَإِن كَانُواْ مِن قَبۡلُ لَفِي ضَلَٰلٖ مُّبِينٍ

Certainly God bestowed favor on the believers when He raised up among them a messenger from among them, to recite His signs to them, and to purify them, and to teach them the Book and the wisdom, though before (this) they were indeed clearly astray.

Allah the Most High said:

Quoted Scripture

"Indeed Allah conferred a great favor on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from among themselves,"

Meaning, from their own kind, so that it is possible for them to speak with him, ask him questions, associate with him, and benefit from him. Just as Allah said:

Quoted Scripture

"And among His signs is that he created for them mates, that they may find rest in them"

Meaning; of their own kind. And Allah said;

{Say: "I am only a man like you. It has been revealed to me that your God is One God"} 18:110.

{And We never sent before you any of the Messengers but verily, they ate food and walked in the markets} 25:20.

{And We sent not before you any but men unto whom We revealed, from among the people of townships} 12:109, and,

{O you assembly of Jinn and mankind! "Did not there come to you Messengers from among you...?"} 6:130.

Allah's favor is perfected when His Messenger to the people is from their own kind, so that they are able to talk to him and inquire about the meanings of Allah's Word. This is why Allah said,

{reciting unto them His verses} 3:164, the Qur'an,

{and purifying them}, commanding them to do righteous works and forbidding them from committing evil. This is how their hearts will be purified and cleansed of the sin and evil that used to fill them when they were disbelievers and ignorant.

Quoted Scripture

"and instructing them (in) the Book and the Hikmah,"

the Qur'an and the Sunnah,

{while before that they had been}, before sending this Prophet, Muhammad,

Quoted Scripture

"in manifest error."

indulging in plain and unequivocal error and ignorance that are clear to everyone.

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 2, Page 312-313)

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.

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