3:21
As to those who deny the Signs of Allah and in defiance of right, slay the prophets, and slay those who teach just dealing with mankind, announce to them a grievous penalty.
According to Asad,
This passage obviously refers to a later phase of Jewish history. That the Jews actually did kill some of their prophets is evidenced, for instance, in the story of John the Baptist, as well as in the more general accusation uttered, according to the Gospel, by Jesus:
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee” (Matthew xxiii, 37).
See also Matthew xxiii, 34-35, Luke xi, 51 – both of which, refer to the murder of Zachariah –
and I Thessalonians ii, 15.
The implication of continuity in, or persistent repetition of, their wrongdoing transpires from the use of the auxiliary verb kanu in this context. (Surah 2 note 48)
Yahiya Emerick writes,
“II Chronicles 24:20-22 is the immediate reference here. The Christian New Testament echoes a similar sentiment where Jesus is quoted (referencing the incident in II Chronicles) as saying, “Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces…You who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you…” (See Matthew23:15, 25-31, 35, 37.)
Also see Jeremiah 7:9-11, 1 Kings 18:13, 19:10, I Thessalonians 2:15 and Lamentations 2:20 for other similar charges.
3:22-23
3:22
They are those whose works will bear no fruit in this world and in the Hereafter nor will they have anyone to help.
3:23
Hast thou not turned Thy vision to those who have been given a portion of the Book? They are invited to the Book of Allah, to settle their dispute, but a party of them Turn back and decline (The arbitration).
Muhammad Asad explains that the phrase in the verse referring to judging or deciding between people is understood as a reference to the Torah as a source of judgment in matters concerning earlier religious communities (Asad, 1980, p. 96).
Similarly, The Study Quran notes that the scholar al-Qurṭubī interpreted the verse as indicating that Muslims may consult and act upon the teachings of the Torah, provided that those teachings have not been superseded by the Qur’an or by prophetic traditions (ḥadīth). According to this interpretation, the laws revealed to earlier prophets may still hold relevance unless they have been explicitly abrogated by Islamic revelation. However, al-Qurṭubī also emphasized that such reliance would depend on the authenticity of the scriptural text, a determination that would have been known to the Prophet but may be difficult for later generations to verify. Although considerations such as abrogation (naskh) and textual alteration (taḥrīf) remain important in Islamic scholarship, these verses—along with passages such as Qur’an 5:43—have been understood by some commentators as indicating that earlier scriptures retain a degree of religious and spiritual significance for their respective communities (Nasr et al., 2015).
3:24-27
3:24
This because they say: “The Fire shall not touch us but for a few numbered days”: For their forgeries deceive them as to their own religion.
3:25
But how (will they fare) when we gather them together against a day about which there is no doubt, and each soul will be paid out just what it has earned, without (favour or) injustice?
3:26
Say: “O Allah! Lord of Power (And Rule), Thou givest power to whom Thou pleasest, and Thou strippest off power from whom Thou pleasest: Thou enduest with honour whom Thou pleasest,and Thou bringest low whom Thou pleasest: In Thy hand is all good. Verily, over all things Thou hast power.
The Power of Allah (God)
Abdullah Yusuf Ali explains that the central theme of the passage is the idea that all goodness ultimately lies within the will of God. From an Islamic perspective, the highest standard of goodness is defined by conformity to the divine will. For believers, understanding and submitting to God’s will provides clarity in distinguishing between good and evil. Evil is interpreted not as an independent force but as a deviation from or negation of God’s will, whereas goodness reflects alignment with the divine plan. Yusuf Ali further notes that this perspective encourages believers to remain patient in the face of hardship, recognizing that human beings cannot fully comprehend the entirety of God’s plan. Although the full scope of the divine design may remain beyond human understanding, faith assures believers that the ultimate outcome of God’s will is just and purposeful (Ali, 2006, p. 129).
3:27
“Thou causest the night to gain on the day, and thou causest the day to gain on the night; Thou bringest the Living out of the dead, and Thou bringest the dead out of the Living; and Thou givest sustenance to whom Thou pleasest, without measure.”
The Wonder of the Night and the Wonder of the Day
Quran 17:12:
(As in the life of humankind, “days” and “nights” alternate in the world, also.) We have made the night and the day two signs (manifesting the truth of God’s Power, Knowledge, and absolute sovereignty, and His grace on you). We have obscured the sign of the night (made itdark), and We have made the sign of the day illuminating (therefore, a means for you) to see, that you may seek bounty from your Lord, and that you may know the computation of (time) the years and the reckoning; We set out all things in clear detail.
Qur’an 17:12 – Signs of Night and Day
According to Ali Ünal, reports attributed to Ibn ʿAbbās interpret the “sign of the night” as the moon and the “sign of the day” as the sun. Some commentators explain the phrase “We have obscured the sign of the night” as suggesting that the moon may once have possessed a luminosity comparable to the sun but later lost that brightness through divine decree. Other interpretations propose that the verse refers to an earlier cosmic condition in which celestial bodies existed in a unified state before separating into the sun and its satellites. In this sense, the verse has been understood not only as describing the moon’s present condition but also as hinting at broader processes within the structure and destiny of the universe (Ünal, 2006).
Similarly, Sayyid Qutb explains that the alternation of day and night reflects a divinely established order that governs multiple aspects of human life. This rhythm shapes practical matters such as work, livelihood, and the measurement of time while also symbolizing the moral framework within which human actions are recorded and judged. Within this divine order, individuals remain personally accountable for their deeds. Qutb further emphasizes that divine justice operates through consistent principles: punishment is not imposed until guidance has been conveyed through messengers, and societies are destroyed only after widespread moral corruption—especially among influential members—has become dominant. The differing outcomes of those who seek worldly pleasures and those who pursue the Hereafter therefore unfold according to a purposeful and ordered system rather than by chance (Qutb, 2003).
Qur’an 6:95 – “Allah is the Cleaver of the Grain”
The Qur’an describes God as the One who splits the grain and seed, bringing life from what appears lifeless and producing the dead from the living (Qur’an 6:95). According to The Study Quran, the imagery of cleaving or splitting refers to the emergence of life from seeds or stones that appear inert. The act of splitting open the grain symbolizes the manifestation of life from a state that seems dead. This idea is also reflected in the divine name al-Fāṭir (“the Originator”), which derives from a root meaning “to split” or “to bring forth creation.” The verse is understood to refer both to the creation of life in this world and to the resurrection after death. Commentators further note that the cycle of life and death can be observed throughout creation—for example, in the process by which plants grow from seeds and produce new seeds after they die. This pattern reflects the broader theological concepts of mabdaʾ (origin) and maʿād (return), which describe the movement of beings between the beginning of creation and their ultimate return to God (Nasr et al., 2015).
References:
Abd-Allah, Muhamed. 323 Verses on Science in the Quran . Kindle Edition.
Asad, Muhammad (1980). The Message of the Quran.
Emerick, Yahiya. The Meaning of the Holy Qur’an in Today’s English (p. 827). Unknown. Kindle Edition.
Nasr, Hossein (2015). Study Quran
Qutb. In the Shade of the Quran. (Al Isra pg. 109-110).
Unal, Ali (2006). The Quran with Annotated Interpretation in Modern English.
Yusuf Ali, Abdullah. Translation and Commentary of the Quran. (Surah 3 verse 26).