يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَيُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ 114
Translations
They believe in Allāh and the Last Day, and they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and hasten to good deeds. And those are among the righteous.
Transliteration
Yu'minūna billāhi wa-l-yawmi l-ākhiri wa-ya'murūna bi-l-ma'rūfi wa-yanhawna 'an al-munkari wa-yusāri'ūna fī l-khayarāti wa-ūlā'ika mina al-sālihīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the qualities of the righteous believers from the People of the Book (Ahl al-Kitab), particularly those who accepted Islam or maintained faith and good conduct. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, it enumerates five essential characteristics: belief in Allah and the Last Day, commanding good, forbidding evil, hastening to perform good deeds, and assures that such people are among the truly righteous (al-sālihīn). These verses came after discussing some of the People of the Book who believed, demonstrating that righteousness transcends communal identity and is defined by actions and sincere faith.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Medinan surah Ali 'Imran within a passage (3:110-115) discussing the relationship between Muslims and the People of the Book. The context follows verses about the superiority of the Muslim community while acknowledging that there were righteous individuals among the People of the Book who possessed these noble qualities.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best of deeds is to believe in Allah and His Messenger, and the worst of deeds is to associate partners with Allah' (Sahih Bukhari). Additionally, 'Whoever sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand, and if he cannot, then with his tongue, and if he cannot, then with his heart—and that is the weakest level of faith' (Sahih Muslim 49) relates to the command of good and forbidding evil mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
True righteousness is not merely a matter of belief in isolation, but manifests through active engagement in commanding goodness and preventing harm in society while consistently pursuing virtuous actions. This ayah reminds believers that spiritual identity is demonstrated through concrete ethical conduct and that sincere faith naturally impels one toward beneficial action in the community.
Related Ayahs
وَمَا كَانَ قَوْلَهُمْ إِلَّآ أَن قَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسْرَافَنَا فِىٓ أَمْرِنَا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
And their words were not but that they said, "Our Lord, forgive us our sins and the excess [committed] in our affairs and plant firmly our feet and give us victory over the disbelieving people."
ٱلَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ قِيَـٰمًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَـٰذَا بَـٰطِلًا سُبْحَـٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ
Who remember Allāh while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], "Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ ٱلْأَمْرِ شَىْءٌ أَوْ يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَوْ يُعَذِّبَهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ ظَـٰلِمُونَ
Not for you, [O Muḥammad, but for Allāh], is the decision whether He should [cut them down] or forgive them or punish them, for indeed, they are wrongdoers.
قُلْ يَـٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ تَعَالَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَآءٍۭ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِۦ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَقُولُوا۟ ٱشْهَدُوا۟ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ
Say, "O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable between us and you - that we will not worship except Allāh and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead of Allāh." But if they turn away, then say, "Bear witness that we are Muslims [submitting to Him]."