Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 3:75-76)

Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 3:75-76)

By: Mohammad Sobhanie

Traitors and Trustees of the People of the Book

بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

وَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ مَنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِقِنطَارٍ يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِدِينَارٍ لَّا يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ إِلَّا مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَائِمًا ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ سَبِيلٌ وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ ‎﴿٧٥﴾‏ بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِعَهْدِهِ وَاتَّقَىٰ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ ‎﴿٧٦﴾

3:75 And among the People of the Scripture is he who, if you entrust him with a great amount (of wealth), he will return it to you. And among them is he who, if you entrust him with a (single) silver coin, he will not return it to you unless you are constantly standing over him (demanding it). That is because they say: “The illiterates have no way against us.” And they tell a lie against Allah (SWT) while they know.

3:76 But yes, whoever fulfills his commitment and fears Allah (SWT) – then indeed, Allah (SWT) loves those who fear God.

Commentary: The Verses highlight the mindset of the People of the Book regarding trustworthiness. Some believed they were not obligated to return trust to their owner if the owner belonged to a different faith. This belief was rooted in the misconception that the People of the Book had no obligations to followers of other religions. However, many among the People of the Scripture understood the gravity of their moral duty to honor and return the trust to its rightful owner, irrespective of the owner’s religious affiliation.

For instance, “Abd Allah ibn Salam” (عبد اللّٰه بن سلام) and “Finhas bin Azura” (فنحاص بن عازورا), both of whom were Jewish residents of Medina. “Abd Allah ibn Salam” was a man of great trustworthiness. Once, he was entrusted with a significant amount of gold coins. He fulfilled his duty and returned them to their owner on time. God praised this act of integrity, inspiring others to follow suit. In contrast, “Finhas bin Azura,” when entrusted with a single dinar, failed to return it to its rightful owner, a stark reminder of the consequences of breaching trust. God admonished his breach of trust, serving as a cautionary tale.

Verse 3:75 reads: “And among the People of the Scripture (وَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ) is he who (مَنْ), if you entrust him with a great amount (of wealth) (إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِقِنطَارٍ), he will return it to you (يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ). And among them (وَمِنْهُم) is he who (مَّنْ), if you entrust him with a (single) silver coin (إِن تَأْمَنْهُ بِدِينَارٍ), he will not return it to you (لَّا يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ) unless you are constantly stand over him (demanding it) (إِلَيْكَ إِلَّا مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَائِمًا). “Qintar” (قِنطَارٍ) means a significant amount of wealth.

The Verse then explains that the latter group believed that the People of the Book would not be blamed for betraying trusts and usurping the property of the unlettered Arabs. The Verse reads: “That is because they say (ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا), ‘The illiterates have no way against us.” (لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ سَبِيلٌ). That is, the illiterates have no way to complain against God’s chosen servants on the Day of Judgment. “Al-Ummiyyeena” (الْأُمِّيِّينَ) means the illiterate, and it refers to the polytheists of Arabia who were illiterate.

The people of the Scripture were afflicted with self-conceit and arrogance. They believed they were the chosen children of God and God’s beloved [1] and the sole inheritors of Paradise [2], and God would be lenient on them on the Day of Judgment [3]. This belief in their own righteousness and superiority led them to see themselves as the absolute truth in God’s eyes, a dangerous form of self-righteousness.

Verse 3:75 indicates they were fully aware that the Scripture forbade betraying people’s trust. Yet, they chose to fabricate lies against God to justify their shameful act. The Verse reads: “And they tell a lie against Allah (SWT) (وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ) while they know (it) (وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ).”

Verse 3:76 states that the criterion for excellence and nobility is keeping promises, honoring trust, and acting with integrity. Indeed, God loves those who embody these virtues, not treacherous individuals who consider it acceptable to usurp people’s property and falsely ascribe their actions to God.

Verse 3:76 reads: “But yes (بَلَىٰ), whoever fulfills his commitment (مَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِعَهْدِهِ) and fears Allah (SWT) (وَاتَّقَىٰ) – then indeed, Allah (SWT) loves those who fear God. (فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ)”

The word “Balā” (بَلَىٰ) means “yes,” and it is used to give a positive response to a negative question. For instance, God says: “Am I not your Lord [4]?” They said: “Balā” (بَلَىٰ) -yes. Similarly, “Na’am” (نَعَمْ) means “yes,” and it is used to give a positive response to a positive question. For instance, God will ask, “Did you find what your Lord promised to be true? [5]” They said, “Na’an” (نَعَمْ) – yes.

[1] Al-Ma’ida, 5:18 (نَحْنُ أَبْنَاءُ اللَّهِ وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ)

[2] Al-Baqarah,2:111 (لَن يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا مَن كَانَ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَىٰ)

[3] Aal-i-Imran, 3:24 (لَن تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلَّا أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَاتٍ ۖ)

[4] Al-Araf, 7:172 (أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ ۖ قَالُوا بَلَىٰ)

[5] Al-Araf, 7:172 (فَهَلْ وَجَدتُّم مَّا وَعَدَ رَبُّكُمْ حَقًّا ۖ قَالُوا نَعَمْ)