يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا كُتِبَ عَلَيۡكُمُ الۡقِصَاصُ فِى الۡقَتۡلٰى  ؕ الۡحُرُّ بِالۡحُـرِّ وَالۡعَبۡدُ بِالۡعَبۡدِ وَالۡاُنۡثَىٰ بِالۡاُنۡثٰىؕ فَمَنۡ عُفِىَ لَهٗ مِنۡ اَخِيۡهِ شَىۡءٌ فَاتِّبَاعٌۢ بِالۡمَعۡرُوۡفِ وَاَدَآءٌ اِلَيۡهِ بِاِحۡسَانٍؕ ذٰلِكَ تَخۡفِيۡفٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّكُمۡ وَرَحۡمَةٌ  ؕ فَمَنِ اعۡتَدٰى بَعۡدَ ذٰلِكَ فَلَهٗ عَذَابٌ اَلِيۡمٌۚ‏ ﴿2:178﴾ وَ لَـكُمۡ فِى الۡقِصَاصِ حَيٰوةٌ يّٰٓـاُولِىۡ الۡاَلۡبَابِ لَعَلَّکُمۡ تَتَّقُوۡنَ‏  ﴿2:179﴾

(2:178) Believers! Retribution is prescribed for you in cases of killing:¹⁷⁶ if a freeman is guilty then the freeman; if a slave is guilty then the slave; if a female is guilty, then the female.¹⁷⁷

But if something of a murderer’s guilt is remitted by his brother¹⁷⁸ this should be adhered to in fairness,¹⁷⁹ and payment be made in a goodly manner. This is an alleviation and a mercy from your Lord; and for him who commits excess after that¹⁸⁰ there is a painful chastisement. (2:179) People of understanding, there is life for you in retribution¹⁸¹ that you may guard yourselves against violating the Law. 

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Notes

176. Retribution, that is, blood revenge, is based on the principle that what a person has done to others ought to be done to him. This does not mean that the murderer should be put to death in exactly the same manner as he killed but that the murderer should be subjected to the same act, i.e. killing, as that to which he subjected his victim. 

177. In pre-Islamic Arabia people tried to take blood revenge upon the murderer’s family and tribe, and the retaliation corresponded to the value placed on the blood of the victim. Their desire for revenge was not quenched merely by putting the murderer to death. They preferred to put to death tens and even hundreds of people to avenge the one life they had lost. If a respected member of their tribe was killed by an ordinary member of another, it was not deemed enough to put to death the actual murderer. They preferred to kill a man of the murderer’s tribe equal in standing to the victim, and even several members of the murderer’s tribe. However, if the victim was a man of humble standing from another tribe, and the murderer from their tribe happened to be a man of high standing, they were unwilling to permit the execution of the murderer. 

This attitude is not confined to the Ignorance of that bygone age. Even today those nations that are supposedly the most civilized will often proclaim, officially and quite brazenly, that if one of their citizens is killed they will execute scores of the killer’s compatriots. In addition we often hear that to avenge the murder of one person a large number of hostages belonging to a subject nation have been shot dead. One of the ‘civilized’ nations of the present century subjected the whole Egyptian nation to blood revenge because one of their officials, Sir Lee Stack, was killed by an Egyptian. The courts of justice of these so-called civilized nations have been known to refrain from passing the death sentence on convicted homicides when they happened to be members of the ruling nation while their victims belonged to the subject nation. It is iniquities such as these that God seeks to end by means of the directive contained in this verse. What God says here is that the killer ought to be put to death irrespective of his status and that of the victim. 

178. The very use of the word ‘brother’ in this context suggests that as a general rule one ought to incline towards leniency. Despite the bitterness felt towards someone who has shed the blood of, say, one’s father, the murderer is still one’s brother by virtue of being a member of the human family. Hence if one who has been wronged can overcome the vengeful spirit aroused by his erring brother’s deed, this attitude of forgiveness will be worthy of his humanity.

This verse also makes it clear that according to the Islamic penal law the question of homicide can be settled by the mutual consent of the two parties. It is the prerogative of the heirs of the victim to forgive the murderer, and if it is exercised not even a judge has the power to insist on carrying out the death sentence. In such a case, however, as the following verse mentions, the murderer will be made to pay blood money. 

179. The term ma’ruf occurs quite frequently in the Qur’an. It refers to conduct which is reckoned fair and equitable by the generality of disinterested people. The generally accepted usages and customs of life are called ‘urf and ma’ruf in Islamic terminology, and they are considered valid in all those matters not specifically regulated by the Shar’iah. 

180. Excess might consist of trying to avenge the blood of the murdered man even after his heirs have settled the matter and received blood money or of efforts on the part of the murderer to delay the payment of blood money thus repaying the heirs of the victim with ingratitude for their kindness and goodwill.

181. This refutes another notion of Ignorance, a notion ingrained in the minds of many people, both past and present. On the one hand there are some people who, entrenched in Ignorance, tend to exceed the limits of moderation in revenge. At the other end of the spectrum stand those who are opposed in principle to the concept of executing a murderer. They have conducted such intense, world-wide propaganda against the death penalty that it has become abhorrent to many people. In fact the impact of this propaganda has been so great that in many countries the death penalty has been abolished altogether. 

The Qur’an, however, addresses itself on this question to wise and intelligent people and cautions them against such immoderate leniency by proclaiming that the survival of human society rests on the application of the death penalty for homicide. A society which holds inviolable the lives of those who disregard the sanctity of human life is in fact rearing snakes and serpents. To save the life of one murderer is to risk the lives of many innocent human beings.

لَيۡسَ الۡبِرَّ اَنۡ تُوَلُّوۡا وُجُوۡهَكُمۡ قِبَلَ الۡمَشۡرِقِ وَ الۡمَغۡرِبِ وَلٰـكِنَّ الۡبِرَّ مَنۡ اٰمَنَ بِاللّٰهِ وَالۡيَوۡمِ الۡاٰخِرِ وَالۡمَلٰٓـئِکَةِ وَالۡكِتٰبِ وَالنَّبِيّٖنَ​ۚ وَاٰتَى الۡمَالَ عَلٰى حُبِّهٖ ذَوِى الۡقُرۡبٰى وَالۡيَتٰمٰى وَالۡمَسٰكِيۡنَ وَابۡنَ السَّبِيۡلِۙ وَالسَّآئِلِيۡنَ وَفِى الرِّقَابِ​ۚ وَاَقَامَ الصَّلٰوةَ وَاٰتَى الزَّکٰوةَ ​ ۚ وَالۡمُوۡفُوۡنَ بِعَهۡدِهِمۡ اِذَا عٰهَدُوۡا ۚ وَالصّٰبِرِيۡنَ فِى الۡبَاۡسَآءِ وَالضَّرَّآءِ وَحِيۡنَ الۡبَاۡسِؕ اُولٰٓـئِكَ الَّذِيۡنَ صَدَقُوۡا ؕ وَاُولٰٓـئِكَ هُمُ الۡمُتَّقُوۡنَ‏﴿2:177﴾

(2:177) Righteousness does not consist in turning your faces towards the east or towards the west;¹⁷⁵ true righteousness consists in believing in Allah and the Last Day, the angels, the Book and the Prophets, and in giving away one’s property in love of Him to one’s kinsmen, the orphans, the poor and the wayfarer, and to those who ask for help, and in freeing the necks of slaves, and in establishing Prayer and dispensing the Zakah. True righteousness is attained by those who are faithful to their promise once they have made it and by those who remain steadfast in adversity and affliction and at the time of battle (between Truth and falsehood). Such are the truthful ones; such are the God-fearing.

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Notes

175. Turning one’s face towards the east or the west is mentioned here only by way of illustration. The actual purpose of the verse is to emphasize that the observance of certain outward religious rites, the performance of certain formal religious acts out of conformism, and the manifestation of certain familiar forms of piety do not constitute that essential righteousness which alone carries weight with God and earns His recognition and approval.

اِنَّ الَّذِيۡنَ يَكۡتُمُوۡنَ مَآ اَنۡزَلَ اللّٰهُ مِنَ الۡکِتٰبِ وَ يَشۡتَرُوۡنَ بِهٖ ثَمَنًا قَلِيۡلًا ۙ اُولٰٓـئِكَ مَا يَاۡكُلُوۡنَ فِىۡ بُطُوۡنِهِمۡ اِلَّا النَّارَ وَلَا يُکَلِّمُهُمُ اللّٰهُ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيٰمَةِ وَلَا يُزَکِّيۡهِمۡ ۖۚ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ اَ لِيۡمٌ‏ ﴿2:174﴾اُولٰٓـئِكَ الَّذِيۡنَ اشۡتَرَوُا الضَّلٰلَةَ بِالۡهُدٰى وَالۡعَذَابَ بِالۡمَغۡفِرَةِ​ ۚ فَمَآ اَصۡبَرَهُمۡ عَلَى النَّارِ‏ ﴿2:175﴾ ذٰلِكَ بِاَنَّ اللّٰهَ نَزَّلَ الۡکِتٰبَ بِالۡحَـقِّؕ وَاِنَّ الَّذِيۡنَ اخۡتَلَفُوۡا فِى الۡكِتٰبِ لَفِىۡ شِقَاقٍۢ بَعِيۡدٍ‏ ﴿2:176﴾

(2:174) Those who conceal anything of the Book revealed by Allah and sell it away for a trifling gain are merely filling their bellies with Fire.¹⁷³ Allah will neither address them on the Day of Resurrection, nor shall He pronounce them “pure”.¹⁷⁴ A painful chastisement lies in store for them. (2:175) They are the ones who bought error in exchange for true guidance, and chastisement in exchange for forgiveness. How patient they are in enduring the Fire! (2:176) This is so because Allah revealed the Book with the Truth, but those who disagreed concerning the Book veered far away from the Truth. 

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Notes

173. This means that the blame for the growth of whole new codes consisting of superstitions, perverted customs, and unjustifiable taboos lay squarely on the shoulders of those religious scholars who had knowledge of the Scriptures but failed to transmit their knowledge to the common people. Moreover, later, when erroneous practices began to spread among them they remained mute spectators of this drama. Indeed, some of them kept wilfully silent about these matters thinking that their interests would be better served if the Scripture remained a sealed book and its injunctions were kept beyond the access of the common people. 

174. This is a refutation of the false claims made by their religious leaders and a clarification of the misconceptions regarding their positions and privileges which these leaders had been spreading among the common people. They spared no efforts to give the impression that they were sacred beings and that anyone who attached himself to them would necessarily earn God’s forgiveness through their intercession. Here God is telling them that He takes no notice of people who are unworthy to intercede for themselves, let alone able to intercede for others.

يٰٓاَ يُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا کُلُوۡا مِنۡ طَيِّبٰتِ مَا رَزَقۡنٰكُمۡ وَاشۡكُرُوۡا لِلّٰهِ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ اِيَّاهُ تَعۡبُدُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:172﴾ اِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيۡکُمُ الۡمَيۡتَةَ وَالدَّمَ وَلَحۡمَ الۡخِنۡزِيۡرِ وَمَآ اُهِلَّ بِهٖ لِغَيۡرِ اللّٰهِ​ۚ فَمَنِ اضۡطُرَّ غَيۡرَ بَاغٍ وَّلَا عَادٍ فَلَاۤ اِثۡمَ عَلَيۡهِ​ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِيۡمٌ‏﴿2:173﴾

(2:172) Believers! Eat of the pure things wherewith We have provided you for sustenance and give thanks to Allah¹⁷⁰ if it is Him that you serve. (2:173) He has made unlawful to you only carrion and blood and the flesh of swine and that over which there has been pronounced the name of anyone other than Allah’s.¹⁷¹ But he who is constrained (to eat of them) – and he neither covets them nor exceeds the indispensable limit incurs no sin: Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate.¹⁷²

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Notes

170. The believers are told that if by having believed they have committed themselves to following the Law of God as they claim then they should abandon all taboos and prohibitions imposed by the pundits and priests, by the rabbis and church fathers, by the monks and recluses, and by their own forefathers. Although they were required to abstain from whatever had been prohibited by God, they ought to feel no compunction with regard to consuming all that He had permitted. This has also been alluded to in the saying of the Prophet reported in a Tradition in the following words: ‘Whoever prays in our manner, turns towards our qiblah (in Prayer), and eats (the flesh) of our slaughtered (animals), that person is Muslim. (Bukhari, ‘K. al-Salah’, 28; ‘K. al-Adahi’, 12; Muslim, ‘K. al-Adahi’, 6; Nasai, ‘K. al-lman’, 9; ‘K. al-Dahaya’, 17 – Ed.) This means that in spite of praying and facing towards the qiblah, a person is not fully assimilated into Islam as long as he maintains the pre-Islamic taboos in matters of eating and drinking and holds on to the fetters of superstition forged by the victims of Ignorance. A person’s adherence to these taboos is indicative of the fact that the poison of Ignorance continues to flow in his veins. 

171. This applies to the flesh of an animal slaughtered in the name of anything and anyone other than God as well as to the food prepared as an offering to someone other than God. God alone is the master of everything – of the animal whose flesh we consume as well as of every other kind of food – and it is He Who has mercifully provided us with them. Hence, if it is appropriate to pronounce any name as an expression of gratitude, of consecration, it can only be the name of God. To use anyone else’s name means that we believe that there is some other being either instead of or in addition to God which deserves to be acknowledged as our Lord and Benefactor. 

172. This verse grants permission to use prohibited things with three stipulations. First, one must be in a state of extreme compulsion, for example, being gravely ill or being so hungry and thirsty that one’s very life is in danger, and a prohibited thing is all that is available to save one’s life. Second, the person concerned should have no inclination to violate the Law of God. Third, in consuming the prohibited thing one should not exceed the limits of bare necessity. If a few bites or a few drops are enough to save one’s life, one ought not to go beyond the absolute minimum.

وَاِذَا قِيۡلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوۡا مَآ اَنۡزَلَ اللّٰهُ قَالُوۡا بَلۡ نَـتَّبِعُ مَآ اَلۡفَيۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ اٰبَآءَنَا ؕ اَوَلَوۡ كَانَ اٰبَآؤُهُمۡ لَا يَعۡقِلُوۡنَ شَيۡـئًـا وَّلَا يَهۡتَدُوۡنَ‏﴿2:170﴾ وَمَثَلُ الَّذِيۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا كَمَثَلِ الَّذِىۡ يَنۡعِقُ بِمَا لَا يَسۡمَعُ اِلَّا دُعَآءً وَّنِدَآءً ؕ صُمٌّۢ بُكۡمٌ عُمۡـىٌ فَهُمۡ لَا يَعۡقِلُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:171﴾

(2:170) And when they are told: “Follow what Allah has revealed,” they say: “No, we shall follow what we found our forefathers adhering to.”¹⁶⁸ What! Even if their forefathers were devoid of understanding and right guidance?(2:171) Those who have refused to follow the Way of Allah resemble cattle; when the shepherd calls them they hear nothing except shouting and crying;¹⁶⁹ they are deaf, dumb and blind, and so they understand nothing. 

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Notes

168. The only possible argument and justification for these taboos was that they had been sanctified by the practice of their forefathers from whom they had allegedly come down generation after generation. Fickle-minded as they were, they deemed this argument to be sufficiently persuasive. 

169. This parable has two aspects. On the one hand, it suggests that these people are like herds of irrational animals, dumb cattle, that always follow their herdsmen, moving on as they hear their calls without understanding what they mean. (Thus these people follow their leaders even though they do not grasp where it is they are being led to – Ed.) On the other hand, it also suggests that when the Truth is preached to them they show such insensitivity to it that one may as well be addressing animals who merely comprehend sounds but are incapable of understanding their meaning. The expression lends itself to both interpretations.

يٰٓاَيُّهَا النَّاسُ كُلُوۡا مِمَّا فِى الۡاَرۡضِ حَلٰلًا طَيِّبًا  ۖ وَّلَا تَتَّبِعُوۡا خُطُوٰتِ الشَّيۡطٰنِؕ اِنَّهٗ لَـكُمۡ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِيۡنٌ‏ ﴿2:168﴾ اِنَّمَا يَاۡمُرُكُمۡ بِالسُّوۡٓءِ وَالۡفَحۡشَآءِ وَاَنۡ تَقُوۡلُوۡا عَلَى اللّٰهِ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:169﴾

(2:168) O people! Eat of the lawful and pure things in the earth and follow not in the footsteps of Satan.¹⁶⁶ For surely he is your open enemy; (2:169) he only commands you to do evil and commit acts of indecency and to ascribe to Allah the things concerning which you have no knowledge (that He really is their source).¹⁶⁷

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Notes

166. The demand made here is that they should violate all those taboos in matters of food and drink which have their basis in superstitious beliefs or irrational usages. 

167. The notion that all superstitious customs and taboos are God-given religious teachings is an example of satanic deception, pure and simple, since there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that they are from God.

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنۡ يَّتَّخِذُ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِ اَنۡدَادًا يُّحِبُّوۡنَهُمۡ كَحُبِّ اللّٰهِؕ وَالَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡٓا اَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّلّٰهِ ؕ وَلَوۡ يَرَى الَّذِيۡنَ ظَلَمُوۡٓا اِذۡ يَرَوۡنَ الۡعَذَابَۙ اَنَّ الۡقُوَّةَ لِلّٰهِ جَمِيۡعًا ۙ وَّاَنَّ اللّٰهَ شَدِيۡدُ الۡعَذَابِ‏ ﴿2:165﴾اِذۡ تَبَرَّاَ الَّذِيۡنَ اتُّبِعُوۡا مِنَ الَّذِيۡنَ اتَّبَعُوۡا وَرَاَوُا الۡعَذَابَ وَ تَقَطَّعَتۡ بِهِمُ الۡاَسۡبَابُ‏﴿2:166﴾ وَقَالَ الَّذِيۡنَ اتَّبَعُوۡا لَوۡ اَنَّ لَنَا كَرَّةً فَنَتَبَرَّاَ مِنۡهُمۡ كَمَا تَبَرَّءُوۡا مِنَّا ؕ كَذٰلِكَ يُرِيۡهِمُ اللّٰهُ اَعۡمَالَهُمۡ حَسَرٰتٍ عَلَيۡهِمۡؕ وَمَا هُمۡ بِخٰرِجِيۡنَ مِنَ النَّارِ‏ ﴿2:167﴾

(2:165) Yet there are some who take others as equals to Allah¹⁶³ and love them as Allah alone should be loved; but those who (truly) believe, they love Allah more than all else.¹⁶⁴

If only the wrong-doers were to perceive now – as they will perceive when they will see the chastisement – that all power belongs to Allah alone, and that Allah is severe in chastisement! (2:166) At that moment those who have been followed will disown their followers, and they will see the chastisement, and their resources will be cut asunder. (2:167) And the followers will then say: “Oh if only we might return again, we would disown them as they have disowned us?” ¹⁶⁵ Thus Allah will show them their works in a manner causing them bitter regrets. Never will they come out of the Fire. 

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Notes

163. There are certain attributes which belong exclusively to God. Moreover, there are certain duties that man owes to God by virtue of His being his Lord. The indictment of the Qur’an is that the people in question ascribe to others than God the attributes which are exclusively His and likewise consider others to be the rightful claimants of certain rights over man which belong only to God. To be Lord of the entire complex of causal relationships found in the universe, to dispense the needs and requirements of people, to deliver them from distress and affliction, to heed complaints and respond to lamentations and prayers, and having full knowledge of all that is apparent as well as all that is hidden, are the exclusive attributes of God. 

Furthermore, there are certain rights which God alone may claim: that His creatures should recognize Him alone as their Sovereign, prostrate themselves before Him alone in recognition of their bondage to Him, turn to Him alone for the fulfilment of their prayers, call Him alone for help and succour, place their trust is none save Him, centre their hopes and expectations only in His Munificence, and fear Him alone both in public and in private. 

In the same way, being the only Absolute Sovereign of the universe, it befits none save God to lay down what is permitted and what is prohibited for His subjects, to prescribe their rights and duties, to command them what to do and what not to do, to direct them as to how the energy and resources bestowed on them, by God, should be expended. 

Again, it is God alone Who can ask His subjects to acknowledge His sovereignty, to accept His commands as the source of law, to consider Him alone to be the Lord entitled to command men, to consider His commands supreme, and to turn to Him alone for correct guidance. Whoever either ascribes to any being other than God any of the aforementioned attributes or recognizes the claim of anyone save God to be entitled to any of the above-mentioned rights over His creatures is in fact setting up that being as a rival to God, and placing him on the same plane as God. By the same token, any individual or institution claiming to possess any of the exclusive attributes and rights of God (as mentioned above), is in fact claiming a position parallel and equal to that of God even though the claim to godhead may not have been categorically spelled out. 

164. True faith requires that a man should give absolute priority to seeking God’s good pleasure and should hold nothing too dear to sacrifice for the sake of God. 

165. Here particular reference is made to the dismal end of those so-called religious leaders who mislead people, and of their gullible followers who fall easy prey to their deception. This has been done in order to warn the Muslims to beware of the errors which misled former nations, and to impress upon them the need to develop the capacity to distinguish between true and spurious leaders so as to avoid being led by the latter.

اِنَّ فِىۡ خَلۡقِ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ وَاخۡتِلَافِ الَّيۡلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَالۡفُلۡكِ الَّتِىۡ تَجۡرِىۡ فِى الۡبَحۡرِ بِمَا يَنۡفَعُ النَّاسَ وَمَآ اَنۡزَلَ اللّٰهُ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مِنۡ مَّآءٍ فَاَحۡيَا بِهِ الۡاَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ مَوۡتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيۡهَا مِنۡ کُلِّ دَآ بَّةٍ وَّتَصۡرِيۡفِ الرِّيٰحِ وَالسَّحَابِ الۡمُسَخَّرِ بَيۡنَ السَّمَآءِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ لَاٰيٰتٍ لِّقَوۡمٍ يَّعۡقِلُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:164﴾

(2:164) (To guide) those who use their reason (to this Truth) there are many Signs in the structure of the heavens and the earth, in the constant alternation of night and day, in the vessels which speed across the sea carrying goods that are of profit to people, in the water which Allah sends down from the sky and thereby quickens the earth after it was dead, and disperse over it all manner of animals, and in the changing courses of the winds and the clouds pressed into service between heaven and earth.¹⁶²

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Notes

162. If a man were to observe the constant operation of this universe, reflect on it in a manner befitting a rational being, and think about it without either stubbornness or bias, he would find sufficient signs to convince him that this gigantic system is absolutely subservient to the will of the Omnipotent and Wise Being, Who alone wields all power and authority. Moreover, this system seems to be such as to rule out all possibility of any interference from others whether independent of the Creator of the universe or in partnership with Him. Since this One True God is the Lord of all creation and none else is in possession of any power or authority, none is entitled to any share in His godhead or overlordship.

اِنَّ الَّذِيۡنَ يَكۡتُمُوۡنَ مَآ اَنۡزَلۡنَا مِنَ الۡبَيِّنٰتِ وَالۡهُدٰى مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَا بَيَّنّٰهُ لِلنَّاسِ فِى الۡكِتٰبِۙ اُولٰٓـئِكَ يَلۡعَنُهُمُ اللّٰهُ وَ يَلۡعَنُهُمُ اللّٰعِنُوۡنَۙ‏ ﴿2:159﴾ اِلَّا الَّذِيۡنَ تَابُوۡا وَاَصۡلَحُوۡا وَبَيَّـنُوۡا فَاُولٰٓـئِكَ اَ تُوۡبُ عَلَيۡهِمۡۚ وَاَنَا التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيۡمُ‏ ﴿2:160﴾ اِنَّ الَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا وَمَاتُوۡا وَهُمۡ كُفَّارٌ اُولٰٓـئِكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ لَعۡنَةُ اللّٰهِ وَالۡمَلٰٓـئِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ اَجۡمَعِيۡنَۙ‏ ﴿2:161﴾خٰلِدِيۡنَ فِيۡهَا ۚ لَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنۡهُمُ الۡعَذَابُ وَلَا هُمۡ يُنۡظَرُوۡنَ‏  ﴿2:162﴾ وَاِلٰهُكُمۡ اِلٰهٌ وَّاحِدٌ  ۚ لَآ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ الرَّحۡمٰنُ الرَّحِيۡمُ‏ ﴿2:163﴾

(2:159) Those who conceal anything of the clear teachings and true guidance which We have sent down even though We have made them clear in Our Book, Allah curses such people and so do all the cursers,¹⁶⁰ (2:160) except those who repent and make amends and openly declare (what they had concealed). Such shall I pardon for I am Much- Relenting, Most Compassionate. (2:161) As for those who disbelieved¹⁶¹ and died disbelieving, surely the curse of Allah and of the angels and of all men is on them. (2:162) Thus shall they abide and their chastisement shall not be lightened, nor shall they be given respite. (2:163) Your God is One God, there is no god but He; the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. 

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Notes

160. The biggest failure of the Jews was that they kept the teachings contained in the Book of God confined to a limited class of people, the rabbis and professional theologians, instead of spreading them. They did not allow this knowledge to filter through even to the Jewish masses let alone the non-Jewish peoples of the world. Later, when errors and corruptions spread among them owing to widespread ignorance the Jewish theologians made no serious effort to root them out. Moreover, in order to maintain their hold on the Jewish masses they lent their tacit approval to every corrupting deviation from the true faith that gained currency.

The Muslims are being admonished to refrain from this kind of behaviour. The nation which has been charged with the guidance of the entire world is duty-bound to do its utmost to radiate true guidance, rather than keep it under lock and key as a miser hoards his money. 

161. The original meaning of kufr is to conceal. This lent the word a nuance of denial and it began to be used as an antonym of iman . Iman means to believe, to accept, and to recognize. Kufr, on the contrary, denotes refusal to believe, to deny, to reject. According to the Qur’an there are several possible forms of disbelief. One is to refuse either to believe in the existence of God, to acknowledge His sovereignty, to recognize Him as the only Lord of the Universe and of mankind or to recognize Him as the only Lord and the only object of worship and adoration. The second form of disbelief is when a man recognizes the existence of God but still refuses to accept His ordinances and directives as the only source of true guidance, and as the true law for his life. The third form of disbelief is when even though a man recognizes in principle that he ought to follow the guidance of God he refuses to believe in the Prophets who were the means of communicating God’s guidance to man. The fourth form of disbelief is to differentiate between one Prophet and another and, out of parochialism and bigotry, to accept some Prophets and reject others. The fifth form of disbelief is the refusal to recognize, either totally or partially, the teachings communicated by the Prophets, on God’s behalf, concerning the beliefs, the principles of morality, and the laws for fashioning human life. The sixth form of disbelief is where a person theoretically accepts all that he should accept but wilfully disobeys God’s ordinances and persists in this disobedience, and considers disobedience rather than obedience to God to be the true principle of life. 

All these modes of thought and action are forms of rebellion towards God and the Qur’an characterizes each of them as kufr. In addition, the term kufr is used at several places in the Qur’an in the sense of ingratitude and in this usage it signifies the exact opposite of shukr (gratitude). Gratefulness consists in feeling thankful to one’s benefactor, in duly recognizing the value of his benevolence, in making use of it in a manner pleasing to its bestower, and in being utterly loyal to him. Ingratitude denotes, on the contrary, that the man concerned has either failed to recognize the bounty of his benefactor, or considers it to be either the outcome of his own power and ability or else that of some other person’s favour or intercession. Another form of ingratitude consists in failing to recognize fully the worth of the bounty received and in either allowing it to be wasted or to be used in contravention of the will of the benefactor; this ingratitude includes infidelity and treachery towards the benefactor in disregard of his benevolence and kindness. This kind of kufr is known in ordinary language as ungratefulness.

اِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالۡمَرۡوَةَ مِنۡ شَعَآئِرِ اللّٰهِۚ فَمَنۡ حَجَّ الۡبَيۡتَ اَوِ اعۡتَمَرَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡهِ اَنۡ يَّطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا ؕ وَمَنۡ تَطَوَّعَ خَيۡرًا ۙ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ شَاكِرٌ عَلِيۡمٌ‏ ﴿2:158﴾

(2:158) Surely, al-Safa and al-Marwah are the symbols of Allah. Hence, whoever performs Hajj (Full Pilgrimage)¹⁵⁷ to the House (of Allah) or makes ‘Umrah (Minor Pilgrimage), will find that it is no sin for him to ambulate between the two.¹⁵⁸ And whoever does a good work voluntarily¹⁵⁹ should know that Allah is Appreciative, All-Knowing. 

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Notes

157. The pilgrimage to the Ka’bah along with a set of other rites on certain fixed dates of Dhu al-Hijjah is known as hajj. Pilgrimage at other times is known as ‘Umrah. 

158. Safa and Marwah are the names of two hillocks near the Holy Mosque in Makka. To run between these two hillocks was among the rites which God had taught Abraham in connection with hajj. Later, when Pagan Ignorance prevailed in Makka and the neighbouring regions, altars were built for Isaf at Safa and for Nai’lah at Marwah, and people began to circumambulate them. After the advent of the Prophet, when the light of Islam had spread to the people of Arabia, Muslims came to doubt whether running between Safa and Marwah was one of the original rites of Pilgrimage or was merely an invidious religious innovation of the Age of Ignorance. If it was in fact such, they feared they might be committing an act of polytheism. 

Moreover, we learn from a Tradition transmitted from ‘A’ishah that even in pre-Islamic times the people of Madina were not favourably disposed to this practice. Although they believed in al-Manat they did not believe in Isaf and Nai’lah. For these reasons, it was necessary, at the time of the change of the qiblah, to dispel popular misconceptions about this rite. It seemed necessary to tell people that running between these two hillocks was part of the original rites of Pilgrimage and that the sanctity, of Safa and Marwah, far from being an invidious innovation of the people of the Age of Ignorance, stemmed from the revealed Law of God.

159. It is best that one should perform this ritual obligation with wholehearted devotion. But if devotion is lacking one is not thereby exempt from fulfilling one’s obligation. One must perform this ritual if only out of a sense of duty.