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Surah Ali ’Imran, Verse 169

سورة آل عمران، الآية ١٦٩

3:169 Juz 4 Hizb 7 Page 72 of the mushaf Medinan surah

Text of verse 3:169

وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أَمْوَٰتًۢا بَلْ أَحْيَآءٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ ۝١٦٩

Transliteration

walā taḥsabanna alladhīna qutilū fī sabīli l-lahi amwātan bal aḥyāon ʿinda rabbihim yur'zaqūna

Translation

And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allāh as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision,

Translation in another language
Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary Read in the surah

Verse 169 of Surah Ali ’Imran (3:169), a Medinan surah, is in juz 4, on page 72 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 71 reciters.

Listen to verse 169 of Surah Ali ’Imran

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Tafsir of verse 169

Al-Mukhtasar

Do not think, O Prophet, that those who have been killed struggling for the sake of Allah are dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord in His generosity, provided with blessings that we do not know about.

Tafsir of the whole Surah Ali ’Imran

Other translations of verse 169

Never think of those who are killed in Allah’s way as dead; rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision80,

Notes

[80] The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “When your brothers were killed in the Battle of Badr, Allah placed their souls in the (abdominal) cavities of green fowls, drinking from the rivers of Paradise, eating from its fruits and coming back at the end of the day to repose in chandeliers hung in the Shadow of the Majestic Throne. For all of this, they said: “Who would tell our brothers about us; that we are in Paradise being provided for so that they may not give up fighting in the way of Allah or cower in war?” Allah Almighty said: “I will tell them on your behalf”. Then He revealed: “Do not think that those who were killed in the way of Allah are dead. Nay but they are alive with their Lord being provided for”. [Abū Dāwūd: 2520, Ahmad: 2388; another version is found in Muslim: 1887]

Think not of those who are killed in the Way of Allâh as dead. Nay, they are alive, with their Lord, and they have provision.

Think not of those, who are slain in the way of Allah, as dead. Nay, they are living. With their Lord they have provision.

Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord;

And reckon not those who are killed in Allah's way as dead; nay, they are alive (and) are provided sustenance from their Lord;

And do not ever reckon the ones who have been killed in the way of Allah (as) dead; no indeed, they are alive in the Providence of their Lord, by Him provided.

Verse 169 word by word

  1. وَلَا walā And (do) not
  2. تَحْسَبَنَّ taḥsabanna think ح س ب
  3. ٱلَّذِينَ alladhīna (of) those who
  4. قُتِلُوا۟ qutilū are killed ق ت ل
  5. فِى fī in
  6. سَبِيلِ sabīli (the) way س ب ل
  7. ٱللَّهِ l-lahi (of) Allah
  8. أَمْوَٰتًۢا amwātan (as) dead م و ت
  9. بَلْ bal Nay
  10. أَحْيَآءٌ aḥyāon They are alive ح ي ي
  11. عِندَ ʿinda near ع ن د
  12. رَبِّهِمْ rabbihim their Lord ر ب ب
  13. يُرْزَقُونَ yur'zaqūna they are given provision ر ز ق

Hadiths that cite this verse

Authentic Sahih Muslim 1887

We asked 'Abdullah about the Qur'anic verse:" Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay, they are alive, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord.." (iii. 169). He said: We asked the meaning of the verse (from the Holy Prophet) who said: The souls, of the martyrs…

أَرْوَاحُهُمْ فِي جَوْفِ طَيْرٍ خُضْرٍ لَهَا قَنَادِيلُ مُعَلَّقَةٌ بِالْعَرْشِ تَسْرَحُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ شَاءَتْ ثُمَّ تَأْوِي إِلَى تِلْكَ الْقَنَادِيلِ فَاطَّلَعَ إِلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُمُ اطِّلاَعَةً فَقَالَ هَلْ…

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd + 2 other versions

Good (hasan) Hadith qudsi Sunan Abu Dawud 2520

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When your brethren were smitten at the battle of Uhud, Allah put their spirits in the crops of green birds which go down to the rivers of Paradise, eat its fruit and nestle in lamps of gold in the shade of the Throne. Then when they experienced the sweetness of their food…

‏ لَمَّا أُصِيبَ إِخْوَانُكُمْ بِأُحُدٍ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ أَرْوَاحَهُمْ فِي جَوْفِ طَيْرٍ خُضْرٍ تَرِدُ أَنْهَارَ الْجَنَّةِ، تَأْكُلُ مِنْ ثِمَارِهَا، وَتَأْوِي إِلَى قَنَادِيلَ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ مُعَلَّقَةٍ فِي ظِلِّ…

Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbās + 2 other versions

Good (hasan) Sunan Ibn Majah 190

"I head Jabir bin 'Abdullah say" 'When 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin )Haram) was killed on the Day of Uhud, the Messenger of Allah met me, and said: "O Jabir, shall I not tell you what Allah has said to your father?" Yahya said in his Hadith: "And he said: 'O Jabir, why do I see you broken-hearted?' I…

عَبْدِي تَمَنَّ عَلَىَّ أُعْطِكَ ‏.‏ قَالَ يَا رَبِّ تُحْيِينِي فَأُقْتَلُ فِيكَ ثَانِيَةً ‏.‏ فَقَالَ الرَّبُّ سُبْحَانَهُ إِنَّهُ سَبَقَ مِنِّي أَنَّهُمْ إِلَيْهَا لاَ يَرْجِعُونَ ‏.‏ قَالَ يَا رَبِّ فَأَبْلِغْ مَنْ…

Narrated by Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh + 3 other versions

Good (hasan) Sunan Ibn Majah 2800

“When ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin Haram was killed, on the Day of Uhud, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘O Jabir, shall I not tell you what Allah said to your father?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Allah does not speak to anyone except from behind a screen, but He spoke to your father face to face and said…

"‏ مَا كَلَّمَ اللَّهُ أَحَدًا إِلاَّ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ وَكَلَّمَ أَبَاكَ كِفَاحًا ‏.‏ فَقَالَ يَا عَبْدِي تَمَنَّ عَلَىَّ أُعْطِكَ ‏.‏ قَالَ يَا رَبِّ تُحْيِينِي فَأُقْتَلُ فِيكَ ثَانِيَةً ‏.‏ قَالَ إِنَّهُ سَبَقَ…

Narrated by Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh + 3 other versions

Authentic Sunan Ibn Majah 2801

“Think not of those as dead who are killed in the way of Allah. Nay, they are alive, with their Lord, and they have provision,”[3:169] that he said: “We asked about that, and (the Prophet (ﷺ)) said: ‘Their souls are like green birds that fly wherever they wish in Paradise, then they come back to…

"‏ أَرْوَاحُهُمْ كَطَيْرٍ خُضْرٍ تَسْرَحُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ فِي أَيِّهَا شَاءَتْ ثُمَّ تَأْوِي إِلَى قَنَادِيلَ مُعَلَّقَةٍ بِالْعَرْشِ فَبَيْنَمَا هُمْ كَذَلِكَ إِذِ اطَّلَعَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّكَ اطِّلاَعَةً فَيَقُولُ…

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd

Authentic Sahih al-Bukhari 2814

For thirty days Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) invoked Allah to curse those who had killed the companions of Bir- Mauna; he invoked evil upon the tribes of Ral, Dhakwan, and Usaiya who disobeyed Allah and His Apostle. There was reveled about those who were killed at Bir-Mauna a Qur'anic Verse we used to…

دَعَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى الَّذِينَ قَتَلُوا أَصْحَابَ بِئْرِ مَعُونَةَ ثَلاَثِينَ غَدَاةً، عَلَى رِعْلٍ وَذَكْوَانَ وَعُصَيَّةَ عَصَتِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ، قَالَ أَنَسٌ أُنْزِلَ فِي الَّذِينَ…

Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik + 1 other version

Other hadiths (4)

Verses related to verse 169

Verses with similar wording

They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.

  • Muhammad 47:4

    فَإِذَا لَقِيتُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَضَرْبَ ٱلرِّقَابِ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَثْخَنتُمُوهُمْ فَشُدُّوا۟ ٱلْوَثَاقَ فَإِمَّا مَنًّۢا بَعْدُ وَإِمَّا فِدَآءً حَتَّىٰ تَضَعَ ٱلْحَرْبُ أَوْزَارَهَا ذَٰلِكَ وَلَوْ يَشَآءُ ٱللَّهُ لَٱنتَصَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَلَٰكِن لِّيَبْلُوَا۟ بَعْضَكُم بِبَعْضٍ وَٱلَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَلَن يُضِلَّ أَعْمَٰلَهُمْ

    So when you meet those who disbelieve [in battle], strike [their] necks until, when you have inflicted slaughter upon them, then secure [their] bonds, and either [confer] favor afterwards or ransom [them] until the war lays down its burdens. That [is the command]. And if Allāh had willed, He could have taken vengeance upon them [Himself], but [He ordered armed struggle] to test some of you by means of others. And those who are killed in the cause of Allāh - never will He waste their deeds.

All similar verses of Surah Ali ’Imran

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