لَاۤ اِكۡرَاهَ فِى الدِّيۡنِ​ۙ  قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشۡدُ مِنَ الۡغَىِّ​ۚ فَمَنۡ يَّكۡفُرۡ بِالطَّاغُوۡتِ وَيُؤۡمِنۡۢ بِاللّٰهِ فَقَدِ اسۡتَمۡسَكَ بِالۡعُرۡوَةِ الۡوُثۡقٰى لَا انْفِصَامَ لَهَا​​ ؕ وَاللّٰهُ سَمِيۡعٌ عَلِيۡمٌ‏ ﴿2:256﴾ اَللّٰهُ وَلِىُّ الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا يُخۡرِجُهُمۡ مِّنَ الظُّلُمٰتِ اِلَى النُّوۡرِ​ؕ  وَالَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡۤا اَوۡلِيٰٓـُٔهُمُ الطَّاغُوۡتُۙ يُخۡرِجُوۡنَهُمۡ مِّنَ النُّوۡرِ اِلَى الظُّلُمٰتِ​ؕ اُولٰٓـئِكَ اَصۡحٰبُ النَّارِ​​ۚ هُمۡ فِيۡهَا خٰلِدُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:257﴾

(2:256) There is no compulsion in religion.²⁸⁵The Right Way stands clearly distinguished from the wrong. Hence he who rejects the evil ones²⁸⁶ and believes in Allah has indeed taken hold of the firm, unbreakable handle. And Allah (Whom he has held for support) is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (2:257) Allah is the Guardian of those who believe, He brings them out of every darkness into light.²⁸⁷

And those who disbelieve, their guardians are the evil ones;²⁸⁸ they bring them out of light into all kinds of darkness. These are destined for the Fire, and there shall they abide. 

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Notes

285. Din here signifies the belief about God embodied in the above ‘Verse of the Throne’ and the entire system of life which rests upon it. The verse means that the system of Islam, embracing belief, morals and practical conduct cannot be imposed by compulsion. These are not things to which people can be yoked forcibly. 

286. Literally taghut means anvone who exceeds his legitimate limits. In the Qur’anic terminology, however, it refers to the creature who exceeds the limits of his creatureliness and arrogates to himself godhead and lordship. There are three stages of man’s transgression and rebellion against God. The first stage is that one acknowledges in principle that obedience to God is right, but disregards it in practice. This is fisq (transgression). The second stage is that one not only disobeys but also rejects obedience in principle, and thus either refuses to become the subject of anyone at all or adopts someone other than God as the object of service and devotion. This is kufr (infidelity). The third stage is that one not only rebels against one’s Lord but also imposes one’s own will (in disregard of the Will of God – Ed.) on God’s world and God’s creatures. Anyone who reaches such a point is termed taghut and no one can be a true believer in God unless the authority of such a taghut (evil one) is rejected.

287. The ‘darkness’ mentioned here means the darkness of Ignorance, which throws man off the path of salvation and well-being and directs his energies and efforts to wrong directions in defiance of reality. ‘Light’ here means the knowledge of Truth with the help of which man comes to know his own reality and that of the universe; this knowledge also shows him the purpose of his life, and thus leads him consciously, to adopt the Right Way. 

288. Here taghut see( n. 286) above has a plural connotation. It implies that by turning away from God a man is subjected not to the tyranny of one, but to the tyranny of many tawaghit (evil one). One of these is Satan, who throws up new temptations and allurements. Another potential taghut (transgressor) is man’s own animal self, which seeks to subjugate him to his appetites and desires. There are many more taghut in the world outside oneself ; one’s wife and children, one’s relatives, one’s family and one’s community, one’s friends and acquaintances, one’s social environment and one’s people, one’s leaders and guides, one’s government and rulers are all potential taghut, each one of whom seeks to have his purposes served. Man remains subjected to these innumerable masters throughout his life, not knowing precisely whom he should please and whose displeasure he should avoid.

اللّٰهُ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ الۡحَـىُّ الۡقَيُّوۡمُۚ  لَا تَاۡخُذُهٗ سِنَةٌ وَّلَا نَوۡمٌ​ؕ لَهٗ مَا فِى السَّمٰوٰتِ وَمَا فِى الۡاَرۡضِ​ؕ مَنۡ ذَا الَّذِىۡ يَشۡفَعُ عِنۡدَهٗۤ اِلَّا بِاِذۡنِهٖ​ؕ يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ اَيۡدِيۡهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡ​ۚ وَلَا يُحِيۡطُوۡنَ بِشَىۡءٍ مِّنۡ عِلۡمِهٖۤ اِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرۡسِيُّهُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضَ​​ۚ وَلَا يَـُٔوۡدُهٗ حِفۡظُهُمَا ​ۚ وَ هُوَ الۡعَلِىُّ الۡعَظِيۡمُ‏ ﴿2:255﴾

(2:255) Allah, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting by Whom all subsist, there is no god but He.²⁷⁸ Neither slumber seizes Him, nor sleep;²⁷⁹ to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth.²⁸⁰ Who is there who might intercede with Him save with His leave?²⁸¹

He knows what lies before them and what is hidden from them, whereas they cannot attain to anything of His knowledge save what He wills them to attain.²⁸² His Dominion²⁸³ overspreads the heavens and the earth, and their upholding wearies Him not. He is All-High, All-Glorious.²⁸⁴

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Notes

278. Irrespective of the number of gods or objects of worship set up by ignorant people, the fact remains that godhead in its entirety, belongs exclusively to the Eternal Being, Who is indebted to no one for His existence. In fact, He is not only self-existent, but upon Him rests the entire order of the universe. He alone wields all sovereign authority over His dominion. None shares either His attributes or His power and might, and no one has the same claims against the creatures as He. Hence, if anywhere in the heavens or the earth someone sets up anything or anybody as an object of worship and service (ilah) either instead of or in addition to the One True God this amounts to declaring war on reality. 

279. This is a refutation of the ideas of those who, in formulating their concepts of God, are inclined to consider God analogous to their own imperfect selves and hence ascribe to God the weaknesses characteristic of human beings. An instance at hand is the famous Biblical statement that God created the heavens and the earth in six days and on the seventh day He rested (see Genesis, chapters 1 and 2). 

280. To God belongs the heavens and the earth and everything therein. There is no one who shares anything with God in governance either of the heavens or of the earth. Any conceivable being other than God would necessarily be a part of the universe and thus belong to, and be a subject of, God rather than His partner and equal. 

281.This is a refutation of the ideas of those polytheists who consider either saints, angels or other beings to be so influential with God that if they were adamant in demanding something of Him, their demand would prevail. They are being told that, far from anyone having the power to impose his will on God, none – not even the greatest Prophets and the most highly esteemed angels – will dare utter one word in the majestic court of the Lord unless they are expressly permitted to do so. 

282. Here another blow is struck against polytheism. On the basis of the concept of God’s unlimited sovereignty and omnipotence it was stressed, in the foregoing verses, that no one shares independently in God’s governance of the universe, and no one is so powerful with God that his intercession would decisively influence His judgement. The same point is stressed here but in a different manner. It is pointed out that no one possesses the knowledge that would enable him to comprehend the order of the universe and the considerations underlying it, so no one can legitimately interfere in its governance. The knowledge of human beings, of jinn, of angels and of all other creatures is limited and imperfect. No one’s knowledge embraces all the facts of the universe. If someone did have the right to interfere even in only a part of the universe, and if his suggestions were of necessity to be put into effect, the entire order of the universe would be disrupted. Creatures are incapable of understanding what is best for them, and do not have the capacity to know how best the universe should be governed. It is God alone Who knows everything. 

283. The Arabic term kursi signifies sovereignty, dominion and authority.

(The word Kursi has been variously interpreted by Muslim scholars. The literal meaning is obvious; it signifies that which one sits on. Scholars have differed, however, as to whether the word has been used in the Qur’an literally or figuratively. They have also disagreed whether the Kursi and ‘Arsh Which occur in the Qur’an have one and the same meaning or are different. The main opinions expressed by the scholars are the following: (i) that Kursi signifies God’s knowledge, a view attributed to Ibn ‘Abbas; (ii) that it is identical with ‘Arsh (Throne), a view attributed to Hasan al-Basri; (iii) that it signifies God’s power (iv ) in opposition to such views a large number of scholars insist that Kursi should be considered a reality rather than be understood figuratively. In addition to many earlier scholars, this was vigorously championed by Ibn Taymiyah. It should be remembered, however, that Ibn Taymiyah and others who hold this opinion, side by side with affirming that Kursi is a reality, also emphasize that man has no knowledge about the nature and modality of Kursi and that it ought to be treated as something unique, being related to God Who is unique both in His essence and attributes. (See the commentaries of Alusi. Tabari, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir and Shawkani on this verse. See also Ibn Taymiyah, Majmu al-Fatawa 1bn Taymiyah, vol. 5, pp. 55-8 and vol. 6, pp. 584-5. It is interesting to note that Sayyid Qutb, (martyred 1386 A.H/966 C.E.), a contemporary of Mawdudi and one of the most influential Islamic thinkers of our time, has interpreted the verse exactly, as Mawdudi did – Ed.) 

284. This verse is generally known as the ‘Verse of the Throne’ and it provides in one piece a knowledge of God without parallel. 

The question that arises here is: What is the occasion for describing the Lord of the Universe and His attributes? In order to appreciate this one should rehearse the discourse beginning with( verse 243) and continuing up to this point. In this discourse the believers were urged to strive with their lives and belongings to establish the true faith and were warned to get rid of the weaknesses which had characterized the conduct of the Israelites. A fundamental fact about war – that victory and success do not depend upon superiority in either numbers or weapons – was then indicated. They depend rather on faith, fortitude, discipline and firm resolution. Thereafter the Divine wisdom underlying fighting was disclosed, namely that God removes one set of people by means of another in order to maintain the good administration of the world. For were one group’s dominance to be assured in perpetuity, the lives of all other human beings mould become miserable.

This was followed by the clarification of a misunderstanding which often arises in the minds of ignorant people. This misunderstanding arose from the false assumption that God had sent His Prophets so that all diversity and disagreement might come to an end. The people who accepted this premise, however, saw considerable diversity and disagreement, and were aware that falsehood existed side by side with Truth. They were agitated by the thought that this state of affairs might suggest helplessness on God’s part, that He had failed to stamp out the evils He wanted to. In reply to this it was pointed out that it was not God’s will to compel all human beings to follow one and the same way. Had it been so, man could not have deviated from the course set for him by God. This observation was followed by a passing reference to the subject with which the discourse opened. Finally, the point is made that no matter how many divergent beliefs, viewpoints, ways of life and conduct exist in actual life, the reality underlying the order of the universe is the one stated in this verse, and it remains unaffected by the misconceptions of people. On the other hand, however, it is not God’s purpose to compel people to accept it. Whoever accepts it will find it to his own benefit; whoever rejects it, will find the result harmful.

يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اَنۡفِقُوۡا مِمَّا رَزَقۡنٰكُمۡ مِّنۡ قَبۡلِ اَنۡ يَّاۡتِىَ يَوۡمٌ لَّا بَيۡعٌ فِيۡهِ وَلَا خُلَّةٌ وَّلَا شَفَاعَةٌ ​ ؕ وَالۡكٰفِرُوۡنَ هُمُ الظّٰلِمُوۡنَ‏﴿2:254﴾

(2:254) O you who believe! Spend out of what We have provided you²⁷⁶ before there comes a Day when there will be no buying and selling, nor will friendship and intercession be of any avail. Indeed those who disbelieve are the wrong-doers.²⁷⁷

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Notes

276. This means spending in the way of God. The instruction given here is that those who have adopted the cause of the true faith should undertake financial sacrifices for its sake. 

277. Here the expression ‘they who disbelieve’ signifies either those who refused to obey God and held their property to be clearer than God’s good pleasure, or those who did not believe in the Day of which they had been warned, or those who cherished the false i11usion that in the Hereafter they would somehow be able to secure their salvation and that their association with men devoted to God would stand them in good stead for they would intercede with God on their behalf.

تِلۡكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلۡنَا بَعۡضَهُمۡ عَلٰى بَعۡضٍ​ۘ مِنۡهُمۡ مَّنۡ كَلَّمَ اللّٰهُ​ وَرَفَعَ بَعۡضَهُمۡ دَرَجٰتٍ​ؕ وَاٰتَيۡنَا عِيۡسَى ابۡنَ مَرۡيَمَ الۡبَيِّنٰتِ وَاَيَّدۡنٰهُ بِرُوۡحِ الۡقُدُسِ​ؕ وَلَوۡ شَآءَ اللّٰهُ مَا اقۡتَتَلَ الَّذِيۡنَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَتۡهُمُ الۡبَيِّنٰتُ وَلٰـكِنِ اخۡتَلَفُوۡا فَمِنۡهُمۡ مَّنۡ اٰمَنَ وَمِنۡهُمۡ مَّنۡ كَفَرَ​ؕ وَلَوۡ شَآءَ اللّٰهُ مَا اقۡتَتَلُوۡا وَلٰـكِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَفۡعَلُ مَا يُرِيۡدُ‏﴿2:253﴾

(2:253) And these Messengers (who have been designated to guide people), We have exalted some of them above the others. Among them are such as were spoken to by Allah Himself, and some He exalted in other respects. And We granted Jesus, son of Mary, Clear Signs and supported him with the spirit of holiness. Had He willed, those who had seen these Clear Signs would not have fought one another thereafter. But (it was not the will of Allah to prevent people from disagreement by compulsion, hence) they differed among themselves whereby some attained faith and others denied the Truth. Yet had Allah so willed they would not have fought one another. Allah does whatever He wills.²⁷⁵

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Notes

275. The main cause of the differences which arose after people had received true knowledge through the Prophets, and which were even aggravated into feuds and wars, is not that God was helpless, and lacked the power to put an end to the fighting. Had He willed so, no one would have had the power to defy the teachings of the Prophets, to take the course of disbelief and rebellion against Him, and to spread mischief and corruption in His world. But it was not His will to deprive human beings of their free-will and choice, and to compel them to follow a particular course. He has created human beings on earth in order to test them and hence endowed them with the freedom to choose from the various alternative courses of belief and action. 

God did not appoint the Prophets as policemen to force people to faith and obedience. He sent them, instead, with reasonable arguments and clear signs in order to invite people to righteousness. Hence the cause of all the differences and wranglings and fighting which took place was that people, in exercising the free-will granted to them by God, followed divergent courses. In short, people follow divergent ways precisely because of God’s omnipotent will that men should have a choice. It would be a grave misunderstanding to hold that people follow different paths because God failed to persuade people to follow the path which He wanted them to choose.

تِلۡكَ اٰيٰتُ اللّٰهِ نَـتۡلُوۡهَا عَلَيۡكَ بِالۡحَـقِّ​ؕ وَاِنَّكَ لَمِنَ الۡمُرۡسَلِيۡنَ‏ ﴿2:252﴾

(2:252) These are the Signs of Allah which We recite to you in Truth, for indeed you are one of those entrusted with the Message. 

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Notes

وَلَمَّا بَرَزُوۡا لِجَـالُوۡتَ وَجُنُوۡدِهٖ قَالُوۡا رَبَّنَآ اَفۡرِغۡ عَلَيۡنَا صَبۡرًا وَّثَبِّتۡ اَقۡدَامَنَا وَانۡصُرۡنَا عَلَى الۡقَوۡمِ الۡکٰفِرِيۡنَؕ‏ ﴿2:250﴾فَهَزَمُوۡهُمۡ بِاِذۡنِ اللّٰهِ ۙ وَقَتَلَ دَاوٗدُ جَالُوۡتَ وَاٰتٰٮهُ اللّٰهُ الۡمُلۡكَ وَالۡحِکۡمَةَ وَعَلَّمَهٗ مِمَّا يَشَآءُ ​ؕ وَلَوۡلَا دَفۡعُ اللّٰهِ النَّاسَ بَعۡضَهُمۡ بِبَعۡضٍ لَّفَسَدَتِ الۡاَرۡضُ وَلٰـکِنَّ اللّٰهَ ذُوۡ فَضۡلٍ عَلَى الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ‏ ﴿2:251﴾

(2:250) And when they went forth against Goliath (Jalut) and his forces, they prayed: “Our Lord! Shower us with patience, and set our feet firm, and grant us victory over this unbelieving people.” (2:251) Thereupon by Allah’s leave they put the unbelievers to flight, and David killed Goliath,²⁷³ and Allah granted him dominion and wisdom, and imparted to him the knowledge of whatever He willed. And were it not that Allah repelled some people with another, the earth would surely be overlaid with mischief.²⁷⁴ But Allah is Bounteous to the people of the world (and thus extirpates mischief). 

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Notes

273. David was then in the early years of his youth. By chance he joined the army of Saul just when the mighty champion of the Philistine army had challenged the Israelite army to combat. None of the Israelites had the courage to take up the challenge. On seeing this, David took on Goliath in a duel and slew him. From then on, David could do no wrong in the eyes of the Israelites. Saul gave him the hand of his daughter in marriage and ultimately he became the ruler of the Israelites. (For details see 1 Samuel, chapters 17 and I8.) 

274. This enunciates the principle according to which God treats the nations as a part of the Divine system governing the world. He allows various nations to attain power and strength within certain limits. But when any nation begins to commit wrongs and exceed reasonable limits. God brings forth another nation as a counterweight, Were the dominion of one nation or party to endure for ever, and were its capacity to perpetrate wrongs granted in perpetuity, God’s earth would become full of corruption and wickedness.

فَلَمَّا فَصَلَ طَالُوۡتُ بِالۡجُـنُوۡدِۙ قَالَ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ مُبۡتَلِيۡکُمۡ بِنَهَرٍ​ۚ فَمَنۡ شَرِبَ مِنۡهُ فَلَيۡسَ مِنِّىۡ​ۚ وَمَنۡ لَّمۡ يَطۡعَمۡهُ فَاِنَّهٗ مِنِّىۡٓ اِلَّا مَنِ اغۡتَرَفَ غُرۡفَةً ۢ بِيَدِهٖ​​ۚ فَشَرِبُوۡا مِنۡهُ اِلَّا قَلِيۡلًا مِّنۡهُمۡ​ؕ فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَهٗ هُوَ وَالَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مَعَهٗ ۙ قَالُوۡا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا الۡيَوۡمَ بِجَالُوۡتَ وَجُنُوۡدِهٖ​ؕ قَالَ الَّذِيۡنَ يَظُنُّوۡنَ اَنَّهُمۡ مُّلٰقُوا اللّٰهِۙ کَمۡ مِّنۡ فِئَةٍ قَلِيۡلَةٍ غَلَبَتۡ فِئَةً کَثِيۡرَةً ۢ بِاِذۡنِ اللّٰهِ​ؕ وَاللّٰهُ مَعَ الصّٰبِرِيۡنَ‏ ﴿2:249﴾

(2:249) When Saul (Talut) set out with his forces he said: “Allah will try you with a river, and whoever drinks of it does not belong to me; he who refrains from tasting it – unless it be just a palmful – he indeed belongs to me.” Then all, except a few of them, drank their fill at the river.²⁷¹

But as soon as Saul (Talut) and the believers with him went forth across the river, they said: “Today we have no strength to face Goliath (Jalut) and his forces.”²⁷² But those who believed that they were bound to meet their Lord said: “How often has a small party prevailed against a large party by the leave of Allah.” Allah is with those who remain steadfast. 

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Notes

271. This may refer either to the river Jordan or to some other river or stream in that region. Saul wanted to take the Israelite army across the river. He was aware, however, that there was little moral discipline and restraint left in them. Hence he hit upon this device to distinguish the worthy from the worthyless. Those who could not endure thirst even for a short while, would not be expected to remain steadfast in their confrontation with an enemy at whose hands they had already taken a beating. 

272. These were presumable the people who had shown their impatience on the bank of the river. (See the preceding note – Ed.)

وَقَالَ لَهُمۡ نَبِيُّهُمۡ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ قَدۡ بَعَثَ لَـکُمۡ طَالُوۡتَ مَلِكًا ​ؕ قَالُوۡٓا اَنّٰى يَكُوۡنُ لَهُ الۡمُلۡكُ عَلَيۡنَا وَنَحۡنُ اَحَقُّ بِالۡمُلۡكِ مِنۡهُ وَلَمۡ يُؤۡتَ سَعَةً مِّنَ الۡمَالِ​ؕ قَالَ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ اصۡطَفٰٮهُ عَلَيۡکُمۡ وَزَادَهٗ بَسۡطَةً فِى الۡعِلۡمِ وَ الۡجِسۡمِ​ؕ وَاللّٰهُ يُؤۡتِىۡ مُلۡکَهٗ مَنۡ يَّشَآءُ ​ؕ وَاللّٰهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيۡمٌ‏ ﴿2:247﴾ وَقَالَ لَهُمۡ نَبِيُّهُمۡ اِنَّ اٰيَةَ مُلۡکِهٖۤ اَنۡ يَّاۡتِيَکُمُ التَّابُوۡتُ فِيۡهِ سَکِيۡنَةٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّکُمۡ وَبَقِيَّةٌ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ اٰلُ مُوۡسٰى وَاٰلُ هٰرُوۡنَ تَحۡمِلُهُ الۡمَلٰٓـئِكَةُ​ ؕ اِنَّ فِىۡ ذٰلِكَ لَاٰيَةً لَّـکُمۡ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ مُّؤۡمِنِيۡنَ‏ ﴿2:248﴾

(2:247) And their Prophet said to them: “Indeed Allah has sent forth Saul (Talut) as your king.”²⁶⁹ They said: “By what right shall he rule over us when we are more worthy than he to dominion, for he is not very wealthy?” He said: “Allah has chosen him over you and has endowed him abundantly with both intellectual and physical capacities. Allah indeed has the power to bestow dominion upon whomsoever He wills. Allah is All-Resourceful, All- Knowing.” (2:248) And their Prophet said to them: “The Sign of his dominion is that in his reign the Ark, wherein is inner peace for you, will be brought back to you, and the sacred relics left behind by the house of Moses and the house of Aaron borne by angels.²⁷⁰ Truly in that is a Sign for you, if indeed you are people of faith.” 

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Notes

269. In the Bible he is called Saul. He was a thirty-year-old Benjaminite youth. ‘There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he; from his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people’ (1 Samuel 9: 2). He went out in search of the lost asses of his father. During this search, he passed through the house of Samuel and God informed Samuel that this was the person who had been chosen to govern the people of Israel. Samuel brought Saul to his house, took a vial of oil, poured it on his head,. kissed him and said: ‘Has not the Lord anointed you to be the prince over His people of Israel? ‘ (1 Samuel 10: 1). Samuel later called the people of Israel together and proclaimed Saul to be their king (1 Samuel 10: 17). 

This was the second Israelite to be anointed by God’s command to a position of leadership. Earlier, Aaron had been anointed as the chief priest. The third case of anointment was that of David, and the fourth that of Jesus. There is no clear statement in the Qur’an regarding the designation of Talut (the Saul of the Bible) to prophethood. The mere fact of his being appointed a ruler does not necessarily warrant considering him a Prophet as well. 

270. The Biblical version of this incident is different from the Qur’anic one. The former sheds light, however, on certain details of the incident. It shows that during a military engagement the pagan Philistines had captured the ‘Ark of the covenant’. Terrified of the scourge and pestilence which spread wherever they carried the Ark, these pagans placed it on a cart driven by milk cows, and sent it off. (1 Samuel 5-6 – Ed.) Perhaps the Qur’an alludes to this when it mentions angels, since the cart was driverless and it was the angels who kept it in their custody and brought it to the Israelites. The Qur’anic statement, that in the Ark ‘lies inward peace for you’, can be understood in the light of the Biblical statements that the Israelites regarded the Ark as highly auspicious, and as an emblem of their triumph and victory. When they were deprived of it, they began to feel that they had been deprived of the mercy of God. The return of the Ark, therefore, had a highly salutary effect on them as it strengthened their sagging morale and raised their spirits. 

The Qur’anic mention of ‘the sacred relics left behind by the house of Aaron’ seems to allude to the Tablets of Law bequeathed to Moses on Mount Sinai. The Ark is also said to have contained the original copy of the Torah, which Moses himself had had transcribed and which he had himself handed over to the Levites. The Ark is also supposed to have contained a golden urn holding the manna (Hebrews 9: 2 ff – Ed.), in order that the coming generations might recall God’s benevolence to their forefathers during their wandering in the desert. The Ark also probably contained the rod of Moses which was one of the great miracles of God. (Hebrews 9: 5 mentions the rod of Aaron – Ed.)

مَنۡ ذَا الَّذِىۡ يُقۡرِضُ اللّٰهَ قَرۡضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضٰعِفَهٗ لَهٗۤ اَضۡعَافًا کَثِيۡرَةً  ​ؕ وَاللّٰهُ يَقۡبِضُ وَيَبۡصُۜطُ وَ اِلَيۡهِ تُرۡجَعُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:245﴾ اَلَمۡ تَرَ اِلَى الۡمَلَاِ مِنۡۢ بَنِىۡٓ اِسۡرَآءِيۡلَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مُوۡسٰى​ۘ اِذۡ قَالُوۡا لِنَبِىٍّ لَّهُمُ ابۡعَثۡ لَنَا مَلِکًا نُّقَاتِلۡ فِىۡ سَبِيۡلِ اللّٰهِ​ؕ قَالَ هَلۡ عَسَيۡتُمۡ اِنۡ کُتِبَ عَلَيۡکُمُ الۡقِتَالُ اَلَّا تُقَاتِلُوۡا ؕ قَالُوۡا وَمَا لَنَآ اَلَّا نُقَاتِلَ فِىۡ سَبِيۡلِ اللّٰهِ وَقَدۡ اُخۡرِجۡنَا مِنۡ دِيَارِنَا وَاَبۡنَآئِنَا ​ؕ فَلَمَّا کُتِبَ عَلَيۡهِمُ الۡقِتَالُ تَوَلَّوۡا اِلَّا قَلِيۡلًا مِّنۡهُمۡ​ؕ وَاللّٰهُ عَلِيۡمٌۢ بِالظّٰلِمِيۡنَ‏ ﴿2:246﴾

(2:245) Who of you will lend Allah a goodly loan²⁶⁷ which He will return after multiplying it for him manifold? For Allah has the power both to decrease and increase, and to Him will you be returned. (2:246) (O Messenger), have you thought of what happened with the elders of the Children of Israel after Moses? They asked one of their Prophets: “Set up for us a king so that we may fight in the way of Allah.”²⁶⁸ He said: “Would you possibly refrain from fighting if fighting is ordained for you?” They said: “And why would we not fight in the way of Allah when we have been torn from our homes and our children?” But when fighting was ordained for them they turned back, except a few of them. Allah is well aware of the wrong-doers.

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Notes

267. ‘Goodly loan’ signifies whatever one gives to another person selflessly, and from absolutely pure motives. God describes whatever man spends in this manner as a loan made to none other than Him, and He undertakes to repay that loan and to repay it several-fold. The stipulation, however. is that the loan should be a ‘goodly’ one; that is, it should not he tainted with selfish designs and should be given for the sake of God, to be spent for purposes pleasing to Him 

They said: ‘And why would we not fight in the way of Allah when we have been torn from our homes and our children?’ But when fighting was ordained for them they turned back, except a few of them. Allah is well aware of the wrong-doers.

268. This took place about a thousand years before Christ. At that time the Israelites were persecuted by the Amalekites who had deprived them of the greater part of Palestine. The Prophet Samuel, who was then ruling over the Israelites, was old. The elders of Israel, therefore, felt the need to appoint as their head someone else under whose leadership they could wage wars. By that time, however, the Israelites had become so deeply infected with Ignorance, and the customs and practices of non-Muslim nations had made such inroads into their lives that the distinction between a religious state committed to serving God and secular monarchy was lost on them. They consequently asked God to appoint a king rather than a religious ruler (khalifah) over them. The information contained in the Bible is as follows: 

Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. . . . Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, ‘Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint for us a king to govern us like all the nations.’ But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a king to govern us’. And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Hearken to the voice of the people in what they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. According to all the deeds which they have done to me, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you . . . ‘ So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking a king for him. He said, ‘These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you; he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots. And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plough his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make the implements of war and the equipments of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take you men-servants and maid-servants, and the best of your cattle and asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And on that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.’ But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said. ‘No! But we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.’ And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Hearken to their voice, and make them a king.’ Samuel then said to the men of Israel, ‘Go every man to his city.’ (1 Samuel 7: 15; 8: 4-22.) 

And Samuel said to the people ? ‘And when you saw that Nahash the king of Ammonites came against you, You said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us, when the Lord your God was your king. And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you. If you will fear the Lord and serve him and hearken to his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well; but if you will not hearken to the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king. Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which the Lord will do before your eyes. Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain; and you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.’ So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. And all the people said to Samuel, ‘Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for a king.’ And Samuel said to the people, ‘Fear not; you have done all this evil, yet do not turn aside front following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart, and do not turn aside after vain things which cannot profit or save, for they are vain. For the Lord will not cast away his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and right way?’ (1 Samuel 12: 6-23). 

These statements from Samuel make it clear that the demand to appoint a king was disagreeable to God and to His Prophet. It might be asked, however, why the Qur’an does not contain any denunciation of this demand of the elders of Israel. The reason is that to the purpose for which this incident has been cited the appropriateness and otherwise of the demand is irrelevant. The purpose here is to show the extent to which cowardice and self-indulgence had become part of Israelite life, and to show how the lack of moral restraint had come to characterize their conduct. It is these which ultimately led to their decline. The aim of the Qur’anic narrative is to enable Muslims to derive a lesson from this and to ensure that these weaknesses do not creep into their own lives.

اَلَمۡ تَرَ اِلَى الَّذِيۡنَ خَرَجُوۡا مِنۡ دِيَارِهِمۡ وَهُمۡ اُلُوۡفٌ حَذَرَ الۡمَوۡتِ فَقَالَ لَهُمُ اللّٰهُ مُوۡتُوۡا ثُمَّ اَحۡيَاھُمۡ​ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَذُوۡ فَضۡلٍ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَلٰـكِنَّ اَکۡثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَشۡکُرُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:243﴾ وَقَاتِلُوۡا فِىۡ سَبِيۡلِ اللّٰهِ وَاعۡلَمُوۡٓا اَنَّ اللّٰهَ سَمِيۡعٌ عَلِيۡمٌ‏  ﴿2:244﴾

(2:243) (O Messenger), have you thought of those who went forth from their homes for fear of death even though they were in their thousands?²⁶⁵ Allah said to them: “Die!” Then He restored them to life.²⁶⁶ Indeed Allah is Bounteous to mankind; but most people do not give thanks in return. (2:244) So fight in the Way of Allah and know well that Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. 

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Notes

265. Here begins a fresh discourse, in which Muslims are urged to struggle and make financial sacrifices for God’s cause. Moreover, they have been warned to avoid those forms of corruption which eventually led the Children of Israel into decline and degeneration. In order to appreciate this discourse it should be borne in mind that it was revealed when the Muslims had been driven out of Makka and had lived in Madina for year and a half. Exasperated by the wrongs to which the unbelievers subjected them, the Muslims had again and again asked the Prophet to permit them to fight. But when they were at long last asked to fight, some of them showed a degree of reluctance and disinclination see (verse 216 )above. Their attention is now drawn, therefore, to two incidents in the history of the Israelites from which the may learn their lesson. 

266. This refers to the exodus of the Israelites. Surah 5 see( verse 20 ff) ) gives some details of this incident. The Israelites had left Egypt in large numbers and were wandering in the desert, eager to find a home. But when at God’s command Moses ordered them to drive the Canaanites out of Palestine and conquer that land, they showed cowardice and refused to proceed. Eventually God let them wander about for forty years till one full generation of Israelites had died and been replaced by a new one reared in the tough conditions of desert life. It was only, then that God enabled the Israelites to overcome the Canaanites. Their former condition is described as death, whereas the later development is seen as their restoration to life.