wamā muḥammadun illā rasūlun qad khalat min qablihi l-rusulu afa-in māta aw qutila inqalabtum ʿalā aʿqābikum waman yanqalib ʿalā ʿaqibayhi falan yaḍurra l-laha shayan wasayajzī l-lahu l-shākirīna
Translation
Muḥammad is not but a messenger. [Other] messengers have passed on before him. So if he was to die or be killed, would you turn back on your heels [to unbelief]? And he who turns back on his heels will never harm Allāh at all; but Allāh will reward the grateful.
Verse 144 of Surah Ali ’Imran (3:144), a Medinan surah, is in juz 4, on page 68 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 71 reciters.
Listen to verse 144 of Surah Ali ’Imran
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Tafsir of verse 144
Al-Mukhtasar
Muhammad is only a Messenger like the messengers of Allah who came before him, who died or were killed. If he were to die or be killed would you turn back from your faith, and stop fighting? Whoever among you turns back from his faith will not harm Allah in any way. He is the Strong, the Victorious. Such a person only harms himself by exposing himself to loss in this world and the Afterlife. Allah will reward those who are thankful to Him by making them firm in their faith and in struggling for His sake.
Muhammad is no more than a messenger; there were messengers who passed away before him63. If he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heels64? Anyone who turns back on his heels will not harm Allah in the least, but Allah will reward those who are grateful.
Notes
[63] The laws of nature apply to them too.
[64] This smacks the faltering position that some Muslims took when it was rumored during the Battle of Uhud that Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) had met his death.
Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is no more than a Messenger, and indeed (many) Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels (as disbelievers)? And he who turns back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allâh; and Allâh will give reward to those who are grateful.
Muhammad is but a messenger, messengers (the like of whom) have passed away before him. Will it be that, when he dieth or is slain, ye will turn back on your heels? He who turneth back on his heels doth no hurt to Allah, and Allah will reward the thankful.
Muhammad is no more than a messenger: many Were the messenger that passed away before him. If he died or were slain, will ye then Turn back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah; but Allah (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those who (serve Him) with gratitude.
And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; the messengers have already passed away before him; if then he dies or is killed will you turn back upon your heels? And whoever turns back upon his heels, he will by no means do harm to Allah in the least and Allah will reward the grateful.
And in no way is Muhammad (anything) except a Messenger; the Messengers have already passed away before him. Then, will it be that, in case he dies or is killed, will you turn (Literally: turn (s) over on) on your heels? And whoever turns (Literally: turn (s) over on) on his heels, then he will never harm Allah in anything; and Allah will recompense the thankful.
فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ يَعْبُدُ مُحَمَّدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم فَإِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم قَدْ مَاتَ، وَمَنْ كَانَ يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ حَىٌّ لاَ يَمُوتُ، قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى {وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ…
وَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَالِمٍ عَنِ الزُّبَيْدِيِّ، قَالَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ أَخْبَرَنِي الْقَاسِمُ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ شَخَصَ بَصَرُ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ قَالَ…
لَمَّا قُبِضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ عِنْدَ امْرَأَتِهِ ابْنَةِ خَارِجَةَ بِالْعَوَالِي فَجَعَلُوا يَقُولُونَ لَمْ يَمُتِ النَّبِيُّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ إِنَّمَا هُوَ بَعْضُ مَا كَانَ…
Narrated by Ā’ishah
AuthenticMuttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim)Sahih al-Bukhari 2462
And Allāh created you from dust, then from a sperm-drop; then He made you mates. And no female conceives nor does she give birth except with His knowledge. And no aged person is granted [additional] life nor is his lifespan lessened but that it is in a register. Indeed, that for Allāh is easy.
Whoever desires the harvest of the Hereafter - We increase for him in his harvest [i.e., reward]. And whoever desires the harvest [i.e., benefits] of this world - We give him thereof, but there is not for him in the Hereafter any share.
Whoever should desire the immediate - We hasten for him from it what We will to whom We intend. Then We have made for him Hell, which he will [enter to] burn, censured and banished. …
Verses with similar wording
They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.
The Messiah, son of Mary, was not but a messenger; [other] messengers have passed on before him. And his mother was a supporter of truth. They both used to eat food. Look how We make clear to them the signs; then look how they are deluded.
