3:158Before
وَلَئِن مُّتُّمْ أَوْ قُتِلْتُمْ لَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ تُحْشَرُونَ ﴿١٥٨﴾
Wa la'im muttum 'aw qutiltumla ilal laahi tuhsharoon
And whether you die or are killed, unto Allah you will be gathered.
Quran 3:159, by mercy from Allah you were gentle
Surah Al-Imran, ayah 159: "So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you...." Read it in Arabic with transliteration and the Sahih International translation, with the ayah before and after it, and listen to it recited.
3:159This ayah
فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍۢ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ ٱلْقَلْبِ لَٱنفَضُّوا۟ مِنْ حَوْلِكَ ۖ فَٱعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَمْرِ ۖ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ ﴿١٥٩﴾
Fabimaa rahmatim minal laahi linta lahum wa law kunta fazzan ghaleezal qalbi lanfaddoo min hawlika fafu 'anhum wastaghfir lahum wa shaawirhum fil amri fa izaa 'azamta fatawakkal 'alal laah; innallaaha yuhibbul mutawak kileen
So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].
3:160After
إِن يَنصُرْكُمُ ٱللَّهُ فَلَا غَالِبَ لَكُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَخْذُلْكُمْ فَمَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَنصُرُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ ۗ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١٦٠﴾
Iny-yansurkumul laahu falaa ghaaliba lakum wa iny-yakhzulkum faman zal lazee yansurukum mim ba'dih; wa 'alal laahi falyatawakkalil mu'minoon
If Allah should aid you, no one can overcome you; but if He should forsake you, who is there that can aid you after Him? And upon Allah let the believers rely.
Arabic: Tanzil, Uthmani script. English: Sahih International. Audio: EveryAyah. Transliteration is a learning aid; read from the Arabic when you can.
Meaning and lessons
What Quran 3:159 means, in brief
This ayah was revealed after Uhud, when some of the Companions had disobeyed the Prophet's ﷺ orders. Allah says: it is by mercy from Him that you were gentle with them; had you been harsh and hard-hearted, they would have left you. So pardon them, ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter, and when you have decided, rely on Allah.
Ibn Kathir explains that the Prophet ﷺ consulted his Companions in matters such as Badr, Uhud and the Trench, to bring their hearts together, and that gentleness was part of his character, as Allah describes him in 9:128.
Summarised in our own words from Tafsir Ibn Kathir, on Quran 3:159. Translation of the ayah: Sahih International.
Lessons from this ayah
- Gentleness wins hearts; harshness drives people away.
- Consult people, then decide and rely on Allah.
- Forgive those who let you down, and pray for them.
Where Quran 3:159 is in the mushaf
Ayah 159 of Surah Al-Imran (آلِ عِمۡرَانَ), "The Family of Imraan", surah 3 of the Quran, a Medinan surah of 200 ayat revealed in Madinah. It is in juz 4 (para 4), hizb 7, on page 71 of the standard Madinah mushaf. People search for it as 3/159, 3 159 or Quran 3 159.
More verses on this theme: Quran verses about mercy, Quran verses about trust in Allah (tawakkul), Quran verses about forgiveness.
Questions
Good to know
What does Quran 3:159 say?
So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him]. (Sahih International)
What is Quran 3:159 about?
This ayah was revealed after Uhud, when some of the Companions had disobeyed the Prophet's ﷺ orders. Allah says: it is by mercy from Him that you were gentle with them; had you been harsh and hard-hearted, they would have left you. So pardon them, ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter, and when you have decided, rely on Allah.
Which surah and juz is 3:159 in?
It is in Surah Al-Imran, surah 3 of the Quran, in juz 4 (para 4), on page 71 of the Madinah mushaf.
What comes before and after 3:159?
The ayah before, 3:158, says: "And whether you die or are killed, unto Allah you will be gathered." The ayah after, 3:160, says: "If Allah should aid you, no one can overcome you; but if He should forsake you, who is there that can aid you after Him? And upon Allah let the believers rely."