Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 3:31-32)

Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 3:31-32)

By: Mohammad Sobhanie

Loving God

بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ‎﴿٣١﴾‏ قُلْ أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ ۖ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْكَافِرِينَ ‎﴿٣٢﴾‏

3:31 Say, (O’ Mohammad), “If you should love Allah (SWT), then follow me, (so) Allah (SWT) will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”

3:32 Say, “Obey Allah (SWT) and the Messenger.” But if they turn away – then indeed, Allah (SWT) does not like the disbelievers.

Commentary: Allah’s(SWT)  Mercy extends unconditionally to all creations, including humans[1]. God has given us numerous blessings and favors from out of love, such as appointing us as God’s representatives on Earth and promising us eternal paradise in the Hereafter. People who acknowledge this kind of mercy foster the connection of love and affection that God has instilled in their hearts. It is uncommon to come across an individual who does not possess a shred of love toward God in their heart. So, how can we demonstrate our love for God (SWT)?

The verse states that the best way to show true love for Allah (SWT) is to obey the commands of the Prophet (PBUH):

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي … ‎﴿٣١﴾‏

3:31 Say, (O’ Mohammad), “If you should love Allah (SWT), then follow me, …

If you do so, Allah (SWT) will love you, and God will forgive your mistakes and errors. God’s love will be shown through blessings that are only given to those who are devoted to God:

… يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ‎﴿٣١﴾‏

3:31 …  (so) Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah (SWT) is Forgiving and Merciful.”

Verse 3:32 unequivocally states that obedience to the Prophet is equally essential as obedience to Allah (SWT). Furthermore, it explicitly states that anyone who disobeys the Prophet is deemed a disbeliever. This conclusion is a crucial aspect of the verse that must be noticed.

قُلْ أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ ۖ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْكَافِرِينَ ‎﴿٣٢﴾‏

3:32 Say, “Obey Allah (SWT) and the Messenger.” But if they turn away – then indeed, Allah (SWT) does not like the disbelievers.

True Devotion: It’s widely understood that if you genuinely love someone, you will try not to harm or disobey him intentionally. This also holds true for loving God – if you claim you love God, it’s important to work towards obeying God.

In the book “Ma’ani Al-Akhbar,” Imam Sadiq (AS) is quoted as saying: “He who sins does not love God.” Then the Imam (AS) recited the following famous poem [2]:

تَعْصِی الإِلهَ وَ أَنْتَ تُظْهِرُ حُبَّهُ *** هذا لَعَمْرُکَ فِی الْفِعالِ بَدِیعُ
لَوْ کانَ حُبُّکَ صادِقاً لاَ َطَعْتَهُ *** إِنَّ الْمُحِبَّ لِمَنْ یُحِبُّ مُطِیْعٌ:

Translation: You are sinning against God, yet you claim God’s love – Swear to my soul, this is a strange claim! If your love were sincere, you would have obeyed God’s command – because the one who loves another obeys his command.

[1] Verse 7:156, Al-A’raf (وَرَحْمَتِي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ ۚ)

[2] Tafseer-e-Namoona, Vol.3, P.514 (ما أَحَبَّ اللّهَ مَنْ عَصاه)