Al-Qur'an Surah Ali 'Imran Verse 179

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Allah is not to leave the believers in the state you are in, unless He separates the impure from the pure. Allah is not to inform you of the Unseen. But Allah selects from His messengers whom He wills. So, believe in Allah and His messengers. If you believe, and fear Allah, you will deserve a great reward.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Allah would not leave the believers in the condition you were in, until He distinguished the good from the evil ˹among you˺. Nor would Allah ˹directly˺ reveal to you the unseen,[[ i.e., the distinction between the true believers and hypocrites. ]] but He chooses whoever He wills as a messenger. So believe in Allah and His messengers. And if you are faithful and mindful ˹of Allah˺, you will receive a great reward.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Allah would not leave the believers in the state you are in, until He distinguishes the evil from the good, nor would Allah reveal to you [believers] the unseen, but Allah chooses from His messengers whom He wills. So believe in Allah and His messengers; if you believe and fear Allah, you will have a great reward.

A. J. Arberry

God will not leave the believers in the state in which you are, till He shall distinguish the corrupt from the good, and God will not inform you of the Unseen; but God chooses out of His Messengers whom He will. Believe you then in God and His Messengers; and if you believe and are godfearing, there shall be for you a mighty wage.

Abdul Haleem

Nor was it God’s aim to leave you as you were, with no separation between the bad and the good. God would not show you [people] what is hidden; God chooses as His messengers whoever He will. So believe in God and His messengers: if you believe and stay mindful of God, you will have a great reward.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Allah is not one to leave the believers in the state wherein ye are until He hath discriminated the impure from the pure. And Allah is not one to acquaint you with the Unseen, but Allah chooseth him whomsoever He willeth, of His apostles. Believe wherefore in Allah and His apostles; and if ye believe and fear, yours shall be a mighty hire.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which ye are now, until He separates what is evil from what is good nor will He disclose to you the secrets of the Unseen. But He chooses of His Messengers (For the purpose) whom He pleases. So believe in Allah. And His messengers; And if ye believe and do right, ye have a reward without measure.

Abul Ala Maududi

Allah will not let the believers stay in the state they are: He will set the wicked apart from the good. Allah is not going to disclose to you what is hidden in the realm beyond the reach of perception, but He chooses from among His Messengers whom He wills (to intimate such knowledge). Believe, then, in Allah and in His Messengers; and if you believe and be come God-fearing, yours will be a great reward.

Ahmed Ali

God will not leave the believers in the state they are in till He has sifted the evil from the good; nor will God reveal the secrets of the Unknown. He chooses (for this) from His apostles whom He will. So believe in God and the prophets, for if you believe and fear the displeasure of God your reward will be great.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Allah will not leave you, O People who Believe (the Muslims) in your present state, till He separates the evil from the good; and it does not befit Allah’s Majesty to give you, the common men, knowledge of the hidden, but Allah does chose from His Noble Messengers whomever He wills; so believe in Allah and His Noble Messengers; and if you believe and practice piety, for you is a great reward. (Allah gave the knowledge of the hidden to the Holy Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him.)

Ali Quli Qarai

Allah will not leave the faithful in your present state, until He has separated the bad ones from the good. Allah will not acquaint you with the Unseen, but Allah chooses whomever He wishes from His apostles. So have faith in Allah and His apostles; and if you are faithful and Godwary, there shall be a great reward for you.

Ali Ünal

It was not (the will) of God to leave the believers in the state you are now in (with the people of true faith indistinguishable from the hypocrites), until He distinguishes the corrupt from the pure. Nor was it (the will of God) that He would make you aware of the Unseen (so that you would know your future and have insight into the hearts of people). But (to that end) God chooses of His Messengers whom He wills (and completes the test to which He puts you in the world). So believe in God and His Messengers: if you (truly) believe and live in piety, keeping from disobedience to Him and to His Messenger, then there is for you a tremendous reward.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And Allâh is not going to leave (you), the believers, as you are, unless He has distinguished the corrupt from the good. Nor is Allâh going to reveal fully to (everyone of) you, the unseen; but Allâh chooses (for His Messages) such of His Messengers as He will. Believe, therefore in Allâh and His Messengers; and (remember) if you believe (truly) and guard against evil then there is for you a great reward.

English Literal

God was not to leave the believers on what you are on it until He distinguishes/separates the bad/malicious from the good , and God was not to show/inform you on the unseen , and but God chooses/purifies from His messengers, whom He wants/wills, so believe with God and His messengers, and if you believe and fear and obey, so for you (is) a great reward.

Faridul Haque

Allah will not leave you, O People who Believe (the Muslims) in your present state, till He separates the evil from the good; and it does not befit Allah’s Majesty to give you, the common men, knowledge of the hidden, but Allah does chose from His Noble Messengers whomever He wills; so believe in Allah and His Noble Messengers; and if you believe and practice piety, for you is a great reward. (Allah gave the knowledge of the hidden to the Holy Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him.)

Hamid S. Aziz

And let not those who hoard what Allah has given them of His Bounty think that it is best for them; nay, it is worse for them. What they hoard will be a collar round their necks on the Day of Resurrection. Allah´s is the heritage of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is informed of what you do.

Hilali & Khan

Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which you are now, until He distinguishes the wicked from the good. Nor will Allah disclose to you the secrets of the Ghaib (unseen), but Allah chooses of His Messengers whom He pleases. So believe in Allah and His Messengers. And if you believe and fear Allah, then for you there is a great reward.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And let not those who disbelieve think that our granting them respite is good for themselves. We grant them respite only that they may add to their sins; and for them is an humiliating chastisement.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

On no account will Allah leave the believers in the condition which you are in until He separates the evil from the good; nor is Allah going to make you acquainted with the unseen, but Allah chooses of His apostles whom He pleases; therefore believe in Allah and His apostles; and if you believe and guard (against evil), then you shall have a great reward.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

It is not (the purpose) of Allah to leave you in your present state till He shall separate the wicked from the good. And it is not (the purpose of) Allah to let you know the Unseen. But Allah chooseth of His messengers whom He will, (to receive knowledge thereof). So believe in Allah and His messengers. If ye believe and ward off (evil), yours will be a vast reward.

Muhammad Sarwar

God left the believers in their existing state for no other reason than to distinguish the evil-doers from the virtuous ones. God does not inform you of the unseen. He chooses for such information anyone of His Messengers that He wants. Have faith in God and in His Messengers. If you have faith and are pious, there will be a great reward for you.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Allah will not leave the believers in that which you are till He shall distinguish the evil from the good. Allah will not let you see the unseen. But Allah chooses from His Messengers whom He will. Therefore, believe in Allah and His Messengers, for if you believe and are cautious there shall be for you a great wage.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which you are now, until He distinguishes the wicked from the good. Nor will Allah disclose to you the secrets of the Unseen, but Allah chooses of His Messengers whom He wills. So believe in Allah and His Messengers. And if you believe and have Taqwa of Allah, then for you there is a great reward.

Wahiduddin Khan

On no account will God leave the believers in the condition in which they are now, until He separates the evil from the good. Nor will God reveal to you the unseen. But God chooses those of his messengers whom He will. Therefore, believe in God and His messengers, for if you have faith and guard yourselves against evil, you shall have a great reward.

Talal Itani

God will not leave the believers as you are, without distinguishing the wicked from the sincere. Nor will God inform you of the future, but God elects from among His messengers whom He wills. So believe in God and His messengers. If you believe and practice piety, you will have a splendid reward.

Tafsir jalalayn

It is not God's purpose to leave, to abandon, the believers in the state in which you, O people, are, where the sincere are intermingled with those otherwise, till He shall distinguish (read yamza or yumayyiza), [till] He separates, the evil one, the hypocrite, from the good, the believer, through the burdensome obligations that will reveal this [distinction] -- He did this on the Day of Uhud. And it is not God's purpose to apprise you of the Unseen, so that you could recognise the hypocrites from the others, before the distinguishing; but God chooses, He selects, of His messengers whom He will, apprising him of [some of] His Unseen, as when He apprised the Prophet (s) of the position of the hypocrites. So believe in God and His messengers; and if you believe and guard against, hypocrisy, then yours shall be a great wage.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

مَّا كَانَ اللّهُ لِيَذَرَ الْمُوْمِنِينَ عَلَى مَأ أَنتُمْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّىَ يَمِيزَ الْخَبِيثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ

Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which you are now, until He distinguishes the wicked from the good.

meaning, He allows a calamity to happen, and during this calamity His friend becomes known and His enemy exposed, the patient believer recognized and the sinful hypocrite revealed.

This Ayah refers to Uhud, since Allah tested the believers in that battle, thus making known the faith, endurance, patience, firmness and obedience to Allah and His Messenger that the believers had. Allah exposed the hypocrites in their defiance, reverting from Jihad, and the treachery they committed against Allah and His Messenger. This is why Allah said,
مَّا كَانَ اللّهُ لِيَذَرَ الْمُوْمِنِينَ عَلَى مَأ أَنتُمْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّىَ يَمِيزَ الْخَبِيثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ
(Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which you are now, until He distinguishes the wicked from the good).

Mujahid commented,

"He distinguished between them during the day of Uhud."

Qatadah said,

"He distinguished between them in Jihad and Hijrah."

Allah said next,

وَمَا كَانَ اللّهُ لِيُطْلِعَكُمْ عَلَى الْغَيْبِ

Nor will Allah disclose to you the secrets of the Unseen.

meaning, you do not have access to Allah's knowledge of His creation so that you can distinguish between the believer and the hypocrite, except by the signs of each type that Allah uncovers.

Allah's statement,

وَلَكِنَّ اللّهَ يَجْتَبِي مِن رُّسُلِهِ مَن يَشَاء

but Allah chooses of His Messengers whom He wills.

is similar to another Ayah,

عَـلِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَ يُظْهِرُ عَلَى غَيْبِهِ أَحَداً

إِلاَّ مَنِ ارْتَضَى مِن رَّسُولٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَسْلُكُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ رَصَداً

(He Alone is) the All-Knower of the Unseen, and He reveals to none His Unseen. Except to a Messenger (from mankind) whom He has chosen, and then He makes a band of watching guards (angels) to march before him and behind him. (72;26-27)

Allah then said,

فَأمِنُواْ بِاللّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ

So believe in Allah and His Messengers.

Obey Allah and His Messenger and adhere to the law that he legislated for you.

وَإِن تُوْمِنُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ فَلَكُمْ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ



and if you believe and fear Allah, then for you there is a great reward.
The Censure of Selfishness, and Warning Against it

Allah said