كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ ۗ وَلَوْ ءَامَنَ أَهْلُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُم ۚ مِّنْهُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ 110
Translations
You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allāh. If only the People of the Scripture had believed, it would have been better for them. Among them are believers, but most of them are defiantly disobedient.
Transliteration
Kuntum khayra ummatin ukhrijat lilnnasi ta'muruna bilma'ruf wa tanhawna 'anil munkari wa tu'minuna billah. Wa law amana ahlu alkitabi lakana khayran lahum. Minhumu almu'minun wa akthharuhum alfasiqun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes that the Muslim Ummah is the best nation ever raised for humanity, distinguished by commanding good, forbidding evil, and believing in Allah. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this excellence is conditional upon fulfilling these three characteristics—it is not merely a status granted, but a responsibility to be maintained. The ayah then notes that while some People of the Book believe and would benefit from faith, most of them are transgressors, contrasting the obedience of the Muslim community with the general rejection by earlier peoples.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in Medina during the early Islamic period when the Muslim community was establishing itself as a distinct and cohesive body. It comes in the context of Surah Ali 'Imran's discussion of the relationship between Muslims and the People of the Book, following earlier verses about the nature of true belief and the rejection of the truth by many Jews and Christians of Medina.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best of you are those who are the best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3895). Additionally, the Prophet emphasized the importance of commanding good and forbidding evil: 'Whoever among you sees an evil must change it with his hand; if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart' (Sahih Muslim 49).
Themes
Key Lesson
The status of being 'the best community' is not a permanent privilege but a dynamic responsibility that depends on actively promoting righteousness and opposing wrongdoing while maintaining faith in Allah. Modern Muslims should understand that their honor is tied to their conduct and character, not merely to historical legacy, and must continuously strive to embody these three qualities to justify this noble distinction.