لَّقَدْ سَمِعَ ٱللَّهُ قَوْلَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ فَقِيرٌ وَنَحْنُ أَغْنِيَآءُ ۘ سَنَكْتُبُ مَا قَالُوا۟ وَقَتْلَهُمُ ٱلْأَنۢبِيَآءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَنَقُولُ ذُوقُوا۟ عَذَابَ ٱلْحَرِيقِ 181
Translations
Allāh has certainly heard the statement of those [Jews] who said, "Indeed, Allāh is poor, while we are rich." We will record what they said and their killing of the prophets without right and will say, "Taste the punishment of the Burning Fire.
Transliteration
Laqad sami'a Allahu qawla alladhina qalu inna Allaha faqeerun wa nahnu aghniyau. Sanaktubu ma qalu wa qatlahum al-anbiyaa bi-ghayri haqq wa naqulu dhuqu adhaba al-hareeq.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns the Jews who blasphemed by claiming Allah is poor while they are rich, a statement that denies Allah's absolute self-sufficiency (ghina) and their own dependence on Him. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, Allah promises to record both their false utterance and their crime of killing the prophets without justification, and they will taste the punishment of the Fire as recompense. The ayah emphasizes that Allah's hearing is comprehensive and that their arrogance and rejection of divine truth will not go unanswered.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in response to statements made by some of the Jewish scholars in Medina who mocked the poor Muslims and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), boasting of their wealth as a sign of Allah's favor while denying the Prophet's message. The broader context of Surah Ali 'Imran addresses disputes with the People of the Book regarding the nature of Allah and their rejection of the Prophet.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari (3:37:494) relates to the sin of killing prophets and righteous people, stating that such acts are among the gravest sins. Additionally, hadiths regarding the prohibition of arrogance and pride (Tirmidhi 2012) connect to the theme of those who boast of their wealth.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that true wealth and poverty are spiritual matters—Allah alone is self-sufficient, and all creatures are dependent on Him—and that arrogance in our material possessions and rejection of truth will inevitably lead to divine punishment. We should cultivate humility, recognize our dependence on Allah, and respect the message of the prophets.
Related Ayahs
وَكَأَيِّن مِّن نَّبِىٍّ قَـٰتَلَ مَعَهُۥ رِبِّيُّونَ كَثِيرٌ فَمَا وَهَنُوا۟ لِمَآ أَصَابَهُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا ضَعُفُوا۟ وَمَا ٱسْتَكَانُوا۟ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ
And how many a prophet [fought in battle and] with him fought many religious scholars. But they never lost assurance due to what afflicted them in the cause of Allāh, nor did they weaken or submit. And Allāh loves the steadfast.
ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَجَابُوا۟ لِلَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَآ أَصَابَهُمُ ٱلْقَرْحُ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ وَٱتَّقَوْا۟ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ
Those [believers] who responded to Allāh and the Messenger after injury had struck them. For those who did good among them and feared Allāh is a great reward -
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَيَقْتُلُونَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
Those who disbelieve in the signs of Allāh and kill the prophets without right and kill those who order justice from among the people - give them tidings of a painful punishment.
هُمْ دَرَجَـٰتٌ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بَصِيرٌۢ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ
They are [varying] degrees in the sight of Allāh, and Allāh is Seeing of whatever they do.