Category Archives: Verse-by-Verse Analysis

Verse-by-Verse Analysis

Surah Abasa, 80:17-32

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قُتِلَ الۡاِنۡسَانُ مَاۤ اَكۡفَرَهٗؕ‏ ﴿80:17﴾ مِنۡ اَىِّ شَىۡءٍ خَلَقَهٗؕ‏ ﴿80:18﴾ مِنۡ نُّطۡفَةٍؕ خَلَقَهٗ فَقَدَّرَهٗ ۙ‏ ﴿80:19﴾ ثُمَّ السَّبِيۡلَ يَسَّرَهٗۙ‏ ﴿80:20﴾ثُمَّ اَمَاتَهٗ فَاَقۡبَرَهٗۙ‏ ﴿80:21﴾ ثُمَّ اِذَا شَآءَ اَنۡشَرَهٗؕ‏ ﴿80:22﴾ كَلَّا لَـمَّا يَقۡضِ مَاۤ اَمَرَهٗؕ‏﴿80:23﴾ فَلۡيَنۡظُرِ الۡاِنۡسَانُ اِلٰى طَعَامِهٖۤۙ‏﴿80:24﴾ اَنَّا صَبَبۡنَا الۡمَآءَ صَبًّا ۙ‏ ﴿80:25﴾ ثُمَّ شَقَقۡنَا الۡاَرۡضَ شَقًّا ۙ‏ ﴿80:26﴾ فَاَنۡۢبَتۡنَا فِيۡهَا حَبًّا ۙ‏ ﴿80:27﴾ وَّ عِنَبًا وَّقَضۡبًا ۙ‏ ﴿80:28﴾ وَّزَيۡتُوۡنًا وَّنَخۡلًا ؕ‏ ﴿80:29﴾ وَحَدَآئِقَ غُلۡبًا ۙ‏ ﴿80:30﴾وَّفَاكِهَةً وَّاَبًّا ۙ‏ ﴿80:31﴾ مَّتَاعًا لَّـكُمۡ وَلِاَنۡعَامِكُمۡؕ‏ ﴿80:32﴾

(80:17) Accursed8 be man!9, 10 How stubbornly he denies the Truth. (80:18) Out of what did Allah create him? (80:19) Out of a sperm-drop11 did He create him and then determined a measure for him,12 (80:20) and then made the course of life easy for him,13 (80:21) then He caused him to die and brought him to the grave,14 (80:22) and then, whenever He wishes, He will raise him back to life.15 (80:23) Nay, but man did not fulfil what Allah had enjoined upon him.16 (80:24) So let man just consider his food:17 (80:25) We poured water, pouring it in great abundance,18 (80:26) and cleaved the earth, cleaving it asunder;19 (80:27) then caused the grain to grow out of it, (80:28) together with grapes and vegetables, (80:29) and olives and palms, (80:30) and dense orchards, (80:31) and fruits and pastures – (80:32) all this as a provision for you and your cattle.20

Notes

8. From here the rebuke turns directly against the disbelievers, who were treating the message of the truth with scant attention. Before this, from the beginning of the Surah to verse 16, the address though apparently directed to the Prophet (peace be upon him), was actually meant to reprimand the disbelievers, as if to say: O Prophet (peace be upon him), why are you ignoring a seeker after truth and paying all your attention to those who are worthless from your mission’s point of view? They do not deserve that a great Prophet like you should present a sublime thing like the Quran before them. 

9. At all such places in the Quran, man does not imply every individual of the human race but the people whose evil traits of character are intended to be censured. At some places the word man is used because the evil traits are found in most of human beings, and at others for the reason that if the particular people are pin-pointed for censure, it engenders stubbornness. Therefore, admonition is given in general terms so as to be more effective. (For further explanation, see(E.N. 65 of Surah HaMim As- Sajdah); (E.N. 75 of Surah Ash-Shura). 

10. Another meaning can also be: What caused him to be inclined to kufr? Or, in other words: On what strength does he commit kufr. Kufr here means denial of the truth as well as ingratitude for the favors of one’s benefactor and also rebellious attitude against one’s Creator, Provider and Master. 

11. That is, let him first consider out of what he was created, where he was nourished and developed, by what way he came into the world, and from what helpless state he began his life in the world. Why does he forget his such beginning and becomes involved in conceit and haughtiness and why does he feel so puffed up as to resist his Creator and stand before Him as an adversary? (The same theme has been expressed in( Surah YaSeen, Ayats 77-78). 

12. That is, he was yet developing and taking shape in his mother’s womb when his destiny was set for him. It was determined what would be his sex, his color, his size; the extent and volume of his body, the extent to which his limbs would be sound or unsound, his appearance and voice, the degree of physical strength and mental endowments, what would be the land, the family, the conditions and environments in which he would take birth, develop and be molded into a specific person, what would be the hereditary influences and effects of the surroundings and the role and impact of his own self in the make-up of his personality, the part he would play in his life of the world, and how long he would be allowed to function on the earth. He cannot swerve even a hair-breadth from his destiny, nor can effect the slightest alteration in it. Then, how strange is his daring and stubbornness! He commits disbelief of the Creator before Whose destiny he is so helpless and powerless.

13. That is, He created all those means and provisions in the world, which he could utilize, otherwise all the capabilities of his body and mind would have remained useless, had not the Creator provided the means and created the possibilities on the earth to employ them. Furthermore, the Creator also gave him the opportunity to choose and adopt for himself whichever of the ways, good or evil, of gratitude or ingratitude, of obedience or disobedience that he pleased. He opened up both the ways before him and made each way smooth and easy so that he could follow any way that he liked. 

14. That is, not only in the matter of birth and destiny but also in the matter of death he is absolutely helpless before his Creator. Neither can he take birth by his choice nor die by his choice, nor can defer his death even by a moment. He dies precisely at the appointed time, in the appointed place, under the appointed circumstances that have been decreed for his death, and he is deposited in the type of grave destined for him whether it is the belly of the earth, the depths of the sea, a bonfire or the stomach of a beast. Nothing to say of the man. The whole world together cannot change the Creator’s decree in respect of any person. 

15. That is, he does not either have the power to refuse to rise up when the Creator may will to resurrect him after death. When he was first created, he was not consulted: he was not asked whether he wanted to be created or not. Even if he had refused, he would have been created. Likewise, his resurrection is also not dependent upon his will and assent that he may rise from death if he so likes, or refuse to rise if he does not like. In this matter, he is also absolutely helpless before the Creator’s will. Whenever He wills, He will resurrect him, and he will have to rise whether he likes it or not. 

16. He commanded him: Implies the duty that Allah has enjoined on every man in the form of natural guidance as well as the duty to which man’s own existence and every particle of the universe, from the earth to the heavens, and every manifestation of divine power are pointing, and also that duty which Allah has conveyed in every age through His Prophets and Books and disseminated through the righteous people of every period. (For explanation, see(E.N. 5 of Surah Ad-Dahr). In the present context the object is to express the meaning that on the basis of the truths stated in the above verses, it was man’s duty to have obeyed his Creator, but, contrary to this, he adopted the way of disobedience and did not fulfill the demand of his being His creature. 

17. That is, let him consider the food, which he regards as an ordinary thing, how it is created. Had God not provided the means for it, it was not in the power of man himself to have created the food on the earth in any way. 

18. This refers to rainwater. Water vapors are raised in vast quantities from the oceans by the heat of the sun, then they are turned into thick clouds, then the winds blow and spread them over different parts of the earth, then because of the coolness in the upper atmosphere the vapors turn back to water and fall as rain in every area in a particular measure. The water not only falls as rain directly on the earth but also collects underground in the shape of wells and fountains, flows in the form of rivers and streams, freezes on the mountains as snow and melts and flows into rivers in other seasons as well than the rainy season. Has man himself made all these arrangements? Had his Creator not arranged this for his sustenance, could man survive on the earth. 

19. Then We split the earth in clefts: Implies cleaving it in a way that the seeds, or seed-stones, or vegetable seedlings that man sows or plants in it, or which are deposited in it by winds or birds, or by some other means, should sprout up. Man can do nothing more than to dig the soil, or plough it, and bury in it the seeds that God has already created. Beyond this everything is done by God. It is He Who has created the seeds of countless species of vegetable; it is He Who has endowed these seeds with the quality that when they are sown in the soil, they should sprout up and from every seed, vegetable of its own particular species should grow. Again it is He Who has created in the earth the capability that in combination with water it should break open the seeds and develop and nourish every species of vegetable with the kind of food suitable for it. Had God not created the seeds with these qualities and the upper layers of the earth with these capabilities, man could not by himself have arranged any kind of food on the earth. 

20. That is, a means of sustenance not only for you but also for those animals from which you obtain items of food like meat, fat, milk, butter, etc. and which also perform countless other services for your living. You benefit by all this and yet you disbelieve in God Whose provisions sustain you.

Verse-by-Verse Analysis

Surah Abasa, 80:1-16

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عَبَسَ وَتَوَلّٰٓىۙ‏ ﴿80:1﴾ اَنۡ جَآءَهُ الۡاَعۡمٰىؕ‏ ﴿80:2﴾وَمَا يُدۡرِيۡكَ لَعَلَّهٗ يَزَّكّٰٓىۙ‏ ﴿80:3﴾ اَوۡ يَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنۡفَعَهُ الذِّكۡرٰىؕ‏ ﴿80:4﴾ اَمَّا مَنِ اسۡتَغۡنٰىۙ‏﴿80:5﴾ فَاَنۡتَ لَهٗ تَصَدّٰىؕ‏ ﴿80:6﴾ وَمَا عَلَيۡكَ اَلَّا يَزَّكّٰٓىؕ‏ ﴿80:7﴾ وَاَمَّا مَنۡ جَآءَكَ يَسۡعٰىۙ‏﴿80:8﴾ وَهُوَ يَخۡشٰىۙ‏ ﴿80:9﴾ فَاَنۡتَ عَنۡهُ تَلَهّٰى​ۚ‏﴿80:10﴾ كَلَّاۤ اِنَّهَا تَذۡكِرَةٌ ۚ‏ ﴿80:11﴾ فَمَنۡ شَآءَ ذَكَرَهٗ​ۘ‏ ﴿80:12﴾ فِىۡ صُحُفٍ مُّكَرَّمَةٍۙ‏ ﴿80:13﴾مَّرۡفُوۡعَةٍ مُّطَهَّرَةٍ ۭۙ‏ ﴿80:14﴾ بِاَيۡدِىۡ سَفَرَةٍۙ‏﴿80:15﴾ كِرَامٍۢ بَرَرَةٍؕ‏ ﴿80:16﴾

(80:1) He frowned and turned away (80:2) that the blind man came to him.1 (80:3) How could you know? Perhaps he would cleanse himself, (80:4) or he might be mindful and good counsel might avail him. (80:5) Now he who waxes indifferent, (80:6) you attend to him, (80:7) though you are not to blame if he would not cleanse himself. (80:8) But he who comes to you running, (80:9) and fears (Allah), (80:10) you pay no heed to him.2 (80:11) No indeed;3this is only a Reminder.4 (80:12) So whoso wills may give heed to it. (80:13) It is contained in scrolls highly honoured, (80:14) most exalted and purified,5 (80:15) borne by the hands of scribes, (80:16) noble6 and purified.7

Notes

1. The style of this first sentence is elegant and subtle. Although in the following sentences the Prophet (peace be upon him) has been directly addressed, which by itself shows that the act of frowning and turning aside had issued forth from him, the discourse has been opened in a manner as though it was not him but someone else who had so acted. By this style the Prophet (peace be upon him), by a subtle method, has been made to realize that it was an act unseemly for him. Had somebody familiar with his high morals witnessed it, he would have thought that it was not him but some other person who had behaved in that manner. 

The blind man referred to here implies, as we have explained in the Introduction, the well-known companion, Ibn Umm Maktum. Hafiz Ibn Abdul Barr in Al-Istiab and Hafiz Ibn Hajar in Al-Isbah have stated that he was a first cousin of the Prophet’s wife, Khadijah. His mother, Umm Maktum, and Khadijah’s father, Khuwailid, were sister and brother to each other. After one knows his relationship with the Prophet (peace be upon him), there remains no room for the doubt that he had turned away from him regarding him as a poor man having a low station in life, and attended to the high-placed people, for he was the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) brother-in-law and a man of noble birth. The reason why the Prophet (peace be upon him) had shown disregard for him is indicated by the word aama (blind man), which Allah Himself has used as the cause of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) inattention. That is, the Prophet (peace be upon him) thought that even if a single man from among the people whom he was trying to bring to the right path, listened to him and was rightly guided, be could become a powerful means of strengthening Islam. On the contrary, Ibn Umm Maktum was a blind man, who could not prove to be so useful for Islam because of his disability as could one of the Quraish elders on becoming a Muslim. Therefore, he should not interrupt the conversation at that time; whatever he wanted to ask or learn, he could ask or learn at some later time. 

2. This is the real point which the Prophet (peace be upon him) had overlooked in the preaching of Islam on that occasion, and for teaching him the same Allah first reproved him on his treatment of Ibn Umm Maktum, and then told him what really deserved to occupy his attention as preacher of the truth and what did not. There is a man whose apparent state clearly shows that he is a seeker after truth: he fears lest he should follow falsehood and invite Allah’s wrath; therefore, he comes all the way in search of the knowledge of the true faith. There is another man, whose attitude clearly reflects that he has no desire for the truth; rather on the contrary, he regards himself as selfsufficient, having no desire to be guided to the right way. Between these two kinds of men one should not see whose becoming a Muslim would be of greater use for Islam and whose becoming a believer could not be of any use in its propagation. But one should see as to who was inclined to accept the guidance and reform himself, and who was least interested in this precious bargain. The first kind of man, whether he is blind, lame, crippled or an indigent mendicant, who might apparently seem incapable of rendering any useful service in the propagation of Islam, is in any case a valuable man for the preacher to the truth. To him therefore he should attend, for the real object of this invitation is to reform the people, and the apparent state of the person shows that if he was instructed he would accept guidance. As for the other kind of man, the preacher has no need to pursue him, no matter how influential he is in society. For his attitude and conduct openly proclaim that he has no desire for reform; therefore, any effort made to reform him would be mere waste of time. If he has no desire to reform himself, he may not, the loss would be his, the preacher would not at all be accountable for it. 

3. That is, you should never do so: do not give undue importance to those who have forgotten God and become proud of their high worldly position. The teaching of Islam is not such that it should be presented solicitously before him who spurns it, nor should a man like you try to invite these arrogant people to Islam in a way as may cause them the misunderstanding that you have a selfish motive connected with them, and that your mission would succeed only if they believed, otherwise not, whereas the fact is that the truth is as self-sufficient of them as they are of the truth. 

4. The allusion is to the Quran. 

5. Purified: free from all kinds of mixtures of false ideas and thoughts, and presenting nothing but the pure truth. There is no tinge whatever in these scrolls of the impurities with which the other religious books of the world have been polluted. They have been kept pure and secure from all kinds of human speculation and evil suggestions. 

6. This refers to the angels who were writing the scrolls of the Quran under the direct guidance of Allah, were guarding them and conveying them intact to the Prophet (peace be upon him). Two words have been used to qualify them: karim, i.e. noble, and barara, i.e. virtuous. The first word is meant to say that they are so honored and noble that it is not possible that such exalted beings would commit even the slightest dishonesty in the trust reposed in them. The second word has been used to tell that they carry out the responsibility entrusted to them of writing down the scrolls, guarding them and conveying them to the Messenger with perfect honesty and integrity. 

7. If the context in which these verses occur, is considered deeply, it becomes obvious that here the Quran has not been praised for the sake of its greatness and glory but to tell the arrogant people, who were repudiating its message with contempt, plainly: The glorious Quran is too holy and exalted a Book to be presented before you humbly with the request that you may kindly accept it if you so please. For it does not stand in need of you as you stand in need of it. If you really seek your well-being, you should clear your head of the evil thoughts and submit to its message humbly; otherwise you are not so self-sufficient of this Book as this Book is self-sufficient of you. Your treating it with scorn and contempt will not affect its glory and greatness at all, rather your own pride and arrogance will be ruined on account of it.

Verse-by-Verse Analysis

Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:47-48

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يٰبَنِىۡٓ اِسۡرَآءِيۡلَ اذۡكُرُوۡا نِعۡمَتِىَ الَّتِىۡٓ اَنۡعَمۡتُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَاَنِّىۡ فَضَّلۡتُكُمۡ عَلَى الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ‏ ﴿2:47﴾ وَاتَّقُوۡا يَوۡمًا لَّا تَجۡزِىۡ نَفۡسٌ عَنۡ نَّفۡسٍ شَيۡـئًـا وَّلَا يُقۡبَلُ مِنۡهَا شَفَاعَةٌ وَّلَا يُؤۡخَذُ مِنۡهَا عَدۡلٌ وَّلَا هُمۡ يُنۡصَرُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:48﴾

(2:47) Children of Israel! Recall My favour which I bestowed upon you, exalting you above all nations.62 (2:48) Fear the Day when no one shall avail another, when no intercession will be accepted, when no one will be ransomed, and no criminal will receive any help.63

Notes

62. This refers to that period of human history when, of all nations, only the Children of Israel possessed that knowledge of Truth which comes from God alone. At that time they were entrusted with the task of directing the nations of the world to righteousness; they were expected to serve God and to invite the rest of the world to do the same. 

63. A major reason for the degeneration of the Israelites was the corruption of their beliefs about the After that since they were related to those venerable saints and pious men who had dedicated themselves entirely to the service of God in the past, the, would be forgiven by the grace of those great men. They believed that once they had bound themselves firmly to those men of God, it would become impossible for God to punish them. Such false reliance made them negligent of true religious piety and enmeshed them in a life of sin and wickedness. Hence, as well as reminding the Children of Israel of God’s favour upon them, it was necessary to refute all the false ideas which they cherished.

Verse-by-Verse Analysis

Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:45-46

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وَاسۡتَعِيۡنُوۡا بِالصَّبۡرِ وَالصَّلٰوةِ ​ؕ وَاِنَّهَا لَكَبِيۡرَةٌ اِلَّا عَلَى الۡخٰشِعِيۡنَۙ‏ ﴿2:45﴾ الَّذِيۡنَ يَظُنُّوۡنَ اَنَّهُمۡ مُّلٰقُوۡا رَبِّهِمۡ وَاَنَّهُمۡ اِلَيۡهِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:46﴾

(2:45) And resort to patience and Prayer for help.60 Truly Prayer is burdensome for all except the devout, (2:46) who realize that ultimately they will have to meet their Lord and that to Him they are destined to return.61

Notes

60. That is, if they feel difficulty in keeping to righteousness, the remedy lies in resorting to Prayer and patience. From these two attributes they will derive the strength needed to follow their chosen course. 

The literal meaning of ‘sabr’ is to exercise restraint, to keep oneself tied down. It denotes the will-power, the firm resolve and the control over animal desires which enables man to advance along the path of his choice – the path that satisfies his heart and conscience – in utter disregard of the temptations within, and of all obstacles and oposition without. The purpose of this directive is to urge man to develop this quality and to reinforce it from the outside by means of Prayer. 

61. This means that Prayer is an insufferable encumbrance and affliction for the man who tends not to want to obey, God and to believe in the After-life. For the man who, of his own violation, has to stand before God after death, it is failure to perform the Prayer, rather than its performance, that becomes intolerable.

Verse-by-Verse Analysis

Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:44-44

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اَتَاۡمُرُوۡنَ النَّاسَ بِالۡبِرِّ وَتَنۡسَوۡنَ اَنۡفُسَكُمۡ وَاَنۡتُمۡ تَتۡلُوۡنَ الۡكِتٰبَ​ؕ اَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:44﴾

(2:44) Do you enjoin righteousness on people and forget your own selves even though you recite the Scripture? Have you no sense? 

Verse-by-Verse Analysis

Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:40-43

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يٰبَنِىۡٓ اِسۡرَآءِيۡلَ اذۡكُرُوۡا نِعۡمَتِىَ الَّتِىۡٓ اَنۡعَمۡتُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَاَوۡفُوۡا بِعَهۡدِىۡٓ اُوۡفِ بِعَهۡدِكُمۡۚ وَاِيَّاىَ فَارۡهَبُوۡنِ‏ ﴿2:40﴾ وَاٰمِنُوۡا بِمَآ اَنۡزَلۡتُ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَكُمۡ وَلَا تَكُوۡنُوۡآ اَوَّلَ كَافِرٍۢ بِهٖ​ وَلَا تَشۡتَرُوۡا بِاٰيٰتِىۡ ثَمَنًا قَلِيۡلًا وَّاِيَّاىَ فَاتَّقُوۡنِ‏ ﴿2:41﴾ وَلَا تَلۡبِسُوا الۡحَـقَّ بِالۡبَاطِلِ وَتَكۡتُمُوا الۡحَـقَّ وَاَنۡتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:42﴾ وَاَقِيۡمُوا الصَّلٰوةَ وَاٰتُوا الزَّكٰوةَ وَارۡكَعُوۡا مَعَ الرّٰكِعِيۡنَ‏ ﴿2:43﴾

(2:40) Children of Israel!56 Recall My favour which I had bestowed on you, and fulfil your covenant with Me and I shall fulfil My covenant with you, and fear Me alone. (2:41) And believe in the Book which I have revealed and which confirms the Scripture you already have, and be not foremost among its deniers. Do not sell My signs for a trifling gain, 57and beware of My wrath. (2:42) Do not confound Truth by overlaying it with falsehood, nor knowingly conceal the Truth.58 (2:43) Establish Prayer and dispense Zakah (the Purifying Alms)59 and bow in worship with those who bow. 

Notes

56. ‘Israel’ means the slave of God. This was the title conferred on Jacob (Ya’qub) by God Himself. He was the son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham. His progeny are styled the ‘Children of Israel’. 

Turning to the Qur’anic text itself, it is noteworthy that the foregoing verses have been in the nature of introductory remarks addressed to all mankind. From the present section up to and including the fourteenth (verses 40 discourse, the reader should be particularly aware of the following purposes: 

The first purpose of this discourse is to invite those followers of the earlier Prophets who still had some element of righteousness and goodness to believe in the Truth preached by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) and to join hands in promoting the mission he championed. In these sections they are told that the Qur’an and the Prophet are bearers of the same message and mission preached by the earlier Prophets and Scriptures. 

The earlier communities were entrusted with the Truth in order that, as well as following it themselves, they might call others towards it and try to persuade them to follow it. But instead of directing the world in the light of this truth, they themselves failed to follow the Divine Guidance and sank into degeneracy. Their history and their contemporary religious and moral condition bore out this degeneration. 

They are also told that God has once again entrusted the same Truth to one of His servants and has appointed him to carry out the same mission as that of the earlier Prophets and their followers. What the Prophet has brought is, therefore, neither new nor foreign; it is their very own and they are asked to accept it as such. A fresh group of people has now arisen with the same mission they had, but which they failed to carry out. It is clearly their duty to support these people. 

The second purpose of this discourse is to leave no reasonable justification for the negative Jewish attitude towards Islam, and to expose fully the true state of the religious and moral life of the Jews. This discourse makes it clear that the religion preached by the Prophet was the same as that preached by the Prophets of Israel. So far as the fundamentals are concerned, nothing in the Qur’an differs from the teachings of the Torah. It is also established that the Jews failed glaringly to follow the guidance entrusted to them, even as they had failed to live up to the position of leadership in which they had been placed. This point is established by reference to events of irrefutable authenticity.

Moreover, the way in which the Jews resorted to conspiracies and underhand machinations designed to create doubts and misgivings, the mischievous manner in which they engaged in discussions, the acts of trickery in which they indulged in wilful opposition to the Truth, and the vile tactics which they employed in order to frustrate the mission of the Prophet, were all brought into sharp relief so as to establish that their formal, legalistic piety was a sham. What lay behind it was bigotry, chauvinism and self-aggrandizement rather than an honest search for and commitment to the Truth. The plain fact was that they did not want goodness to flourish.

This candid criticism of the Jews had several salutary effects. On the one hand, it made the situation clear to the good elements among the Jews. On the other, it destroyed the religious and moral standing of the Jews among the people of Madina, and among the pagans of Arabia as a whole. Moreover, it undermined the morale of the Jews to such an extent that from then on they could not oppose Islam with a firmness born of strong inner conviction. 

Third, the message addressed in the earlier sections to mankind as a whole is here elucidated with reference to a particular people. The example of the Jews is cited to show the tragic end that overtakes a people when it spurns Divine Guidance. The reason for choosing the Children of Israel as an example is that they alone, out of all the nations, constituted for four thousand years the continual embodiment of a tragedy from which many lessons could be learnt. The vicissitudes of fortune which visit a people, depending on whether they follow or refrain from following Divine Guidance, were all conspicuous in the history of this nation. 

Fourth, this discourse is designed to warn the followers of Muhammad (peace be on him) to avoid the same pitfalls as the followers of the earlier Prophets. While explaining the requirements of the true faith, it clearly specifies the moral weaknesses, the false concepts of religion, and the numerous errors in religious belief and practice which had made inroads among the Jews. The purpose is to enable Muslims to see their true path clearly and to avoid false ones. While studying the Qur’anic criticism of the Jews and Christians, Muslims should remember the Tradition from the Prophet in which he warned them that they would so closely follow the ways of the earlier religious communities that if the latter had entered a lizard’s burrow, so would the Muslims. The Prophet was asked: ‘Do you mean the Christians and Jews, O Messenger of God?’ The Prophet replied: ‘Who else?’ (See Bukhari, ‘Itisam’, 14; Muslim, “Ilm’, 6 – Ed.) This was not merely an expression of reproof. Thanks to the peculiar discernment and insight with which the Prophet was endowed, he knew the ways in which corruption encroaches upon the lives of the followers of the Prophets, and the different forms it assumes.

57. ‘Trifling gain’ refers to the worldly benefits for the sake of which they were rejecting God’s directives. Whatever one may gain in exchange for the Truth, be it all the treasure in the world, is trifling; the Truth is of supreme value. 

58. For the proper understanding of this verse we need to recall that in the time of the Prophet the Jews of Arabia were more learned than the Arabs. In fact, there were some Jewish scholars of Arabia whose fame had spread even beyond the confines of that land. For this reason the Arabs tended to be intellectually overawed by them. In addition, the influence of the Jews had become pervasive and profound by virtue of the pomp and pageantry of their religious rites, and the magical crafts and feats of exorcism for which they were famous. The people of Madina, in particular, were greatly under the spell of the Jews. These Jews made on them the sort of impression generally created on ignorant neighbours by a better educated, more refined and more conspicuously religious group.

It was natural in such circumstances that, when the Prophet began to preach his message, the ignorant Arabs should approach the Jews and ask their opinion of the Prophet and his teachings, particularly as the Jews also believed in Prophets and Scriptures. We find that this inquiry was often made by the Makkans, and continued to he addressed to the Jews after the Prophet arrived in Madina.

In reply to this query, however, the Jewish religious scholars never told the candid truth. It was impossible for them to say that the doctrine of monotheism preached by Muhammad was incorrect, that there was any error in his teachings regarding the Prophets, the Divine Scriptures, the angels and the Next Life and that there was any error in the principles of moral conduct which the Prophet propounded. At the same time, however, they were not prepared to make a straightforward affirmation of the truth of his teachings. In short, they neither categorically denied the Truth nor were prepared to accept it with open hearts. 

Instead, they tried to plant insidious doubts in the minds of everybody who enquired about the Prophet and his mission. They sought to create one misgiving after another, disseminated new slanders, and tried to engage people’s minds in all kinds of hypothetical problems so as to keep them in a state of doubt and uncertainty. They also tried to raise controversial issues which might keep people, including the followers of the Prophet, entangled in sterile debate. It is this attitude of the Jews to which the Qur’an alludes when it asks them not to overlay the truth with falsehood, not to suppress and conceal it by resorting to false propaganda and mischievous campaigns of slander, and not to attempt to deceive the world by mixing truth with falsehood. 

59. Prayer and Purifying Alms (Zakah) have always been among the most important pillars of the Islamic faith. Like other Prophets, the Prophets of Israel laid great stress upon them. The Jews had, however, become very negligent about these duties. Congregational Prayer had all but ceased among them; in fact, a great majority of the Jews did not perform Prayers even individually. They had also not only ceased to pay Purifying Alms, but some had even gone so far as to make their living out of interest.

Verse-by-Verse Analysis

Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:38-39

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قُلۡنَا اهۡبِطُوۡا مِنۡهَا جَمِيۡعًا ​​ۚ فَاِمَّا يَاۡتِيَنَّكُمۡ مِّنِّىۡ هُدًى فَمَنۡ تَبِعَ هُدَاىَ فَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:38﴾ وَالَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا وَكَذَّبُوۡا بِـاٰيٰتِنَآ اُولٰٓٮِٕكَ اَصۡحٰبُ النَّارِ‌‌ۚ هُمۡ فِيۡهَا خٰلِدُوۡنَ ﴿2:39﴾

(2:38) We said: “Get you down from here,53 all of you, and guidance shall come to you from Me: then, whoever will follow My guidance need have no fear, nor shall they grieve. (2:39) But those who refuse to accept this (guidance) and reject Our Signs as false54 are destined for the Fire where they shall abide for ever.”55

Notes

53. The reiteration of this statement is significant. We have been told above that Adam repented and that his repentance was accepted by God. This means that the stain of sin was washed away and therefore no stain remained 

On the contrary, God not only accepted Adam’s repentance but also honoured him by endowing him with prophethood so that he might he able to direct his children correctly. The repetition of the order to leave Paradise and go down to earth is aimed at driving home the point that earth was not created as a place of punishment for man. On the contrary, man was put on earth to serve as God’s vicegerent there. It was only to test man and thereafter to equip him for the performance of God’s vicegerency that man was placed temporarily in Paradise. See also( n. 48 above.) 

54. Ayat is the plural of ayah which means a ‘sign’ or ‘token’ which directs one to something important. In the Qur’an this word is used in four different senses. Sometimes it denotes a sign or indication. In certain other places the phenomena of the universe are called the ayat (signs) of God, for the reality to which the phenomena point is hidden behind the veil of appearances. At times the miracles performed by the Prophets are also termed ayat since they show that the Prophets were envoys of the Sovereign of the universe. Lastly, individual units of the Book of God are also called ayat because they point to the ultimate reality, and because the substantive contents of the Book of God, its phraseology, its style, its inimitable literary excellence are clear tokens of the attributes of the Author of the Book. The sense in which the word ayah has been used in a particular verse becomes evident from the context of its occurrence. 

55. This is a permanent directive from God to mankind which is valid from the beginning of life until the Day of Judgement. It is this which has been mentioned earlier as God’s covenant see (n. 31 above). 

It is not for man to prescribe the way of life which his fellow human beings should follow. In his double capacity as the subject and vicegerent of God, man is required to follow the way of life prescribed by his Lord. There are only two means of access to this way: either by direct revelation from God or by following one to whom God has revealed guidance. Nothing else can direct man to the way that enjoys God’s approval and good pleasure. Resorting to any other means in quest of salvation is not only fundamentally mistaken but tantamount to rebellion. 

The story of the creation of Adam and the origin of the human species occurs seven times in the Qur’an, once in the verses just mentioned. For other references see (7: 11 ff), (15: 26 ff)., (17: 61 ff)., (18: 50), (20: 116 ff)., (38: 71 ff). The story also occurs in the Bible in Genesis 1, 2 and 3. A comparative reading of the Qur’anic and Biblical versions will enable the perceptive reader to detect the differences between the two. 

The dialogue between God and the angels at the time of the creation of Adam is also mentioned in the Talmud. This account lacks the spiritual significance underlying the Qur’anic version. Indeed, the Talmudic version additionally contains the following oddity: when the angels ask why men are being created, God replies that they are being created so that good people may be born among them. God refrains from mentioning the bad people lest the angels disapprove the creation of man! (See Paul Isaac Hershon, Talmudic Miscellany, London, 1880, pp. 294

Verse-by-Verse Analysis

Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:37-37

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فَتَلَقّٰٓى اٰدَمُ مِنۡ رَّبِّهٖ كَلِمٰتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيۡهِ​ؕ اِنَّهٗ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيۡمُ‏ ﴿2:37﴾

(2:37) Thereupon Adam learned from his Lord some words and repented51 and his Lord accepted his repentance for He is Much-Relenting, Most Compassionate.52

Notes

51. This means that when Adam became conscious of his act of sin and wanted to return from his state of disobedience to that of obedience, and when he tried to seek remission for his sin from God, he was unable to find the words to use in his prayer to God. In His Mercy God taught him the words with which he could pray. 

The word tawbah basically denotes ‘to come back, to turn towards someone’. Tawbah, on the part of man, signifies that he has given up his attitude of disobedience and has returned to submission and obedience to God. The same word used in respect of God means that He has mercifully turned towards His repentant servant so that the latter has once more become an object of His compassionate attention.

52. The Qur’an refutes the doctrine that certain consequences necessarily follow from sins and that man must in all cases bear them. In fact this is one of the most misleading doctrines to have been invented by human imagination. If it were true it would mean that a sinner would never have the opportunity to have his repentance accepted. It is a mechanistic view of reward and punishment and thus prevents and discourages the sinner from trying to improve. 

The Qur’an, on the contrary, tells man that reward for good actions and punishment for bad ones rests entirely with God. The reward that one receives for good acts is not the natural consequence of those acts; it is rather due to the grace and benevolence of God and it is entirely up to Him to reward one or not. Likewise, punishment for evil deeds is not a natural and unalterable consequence of man’s acts. God has full authority to punish man for his sin as well as to pardon him. 

God’s grace and mercy, however, are interrelated with His wisdom. Since He is wise, He does not use His power arbitrarily. Hence, whenever God rewards a man for his good acts, He does so because the good was done with purity of intention and for the sake of pleasing God. And if God refuses to accept an act of apparent goodness, He does so because that act had merely the form or appearance of goodness, and was not motivated by the desire to please God. 

In the same way God punishes man for those sins which he commits with rebellious boldness, and which whet his appetite for more rather than lead him to repentance. Similarly, in His mercy God pardons those sins which are followed by genuine repentance and readiness on the part of the sinner to reform himself. There is no need for the criminal to despair of God’s grace and mercy, no matter how great a criminal he is. Nor is there any reason for even the most rabid disbeliever to despair, provided he recognizes his error, repents of his disobedience and is ready to replace his former disobedience with obedience.

Verse-by-Verse Analysis

Surah Al-Baqarah, 2: 36-36

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فَاَزَلَّهُمَا الشَّيۡطٰنُ عَنۡهَا فَاَخۡرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيۡهِ​ وَقُلۡنَا اهۡبِطُوۡا بَعۡضُكُمۡ لِبَعۡضٍ عَدُوٌّ ۚ وَلَـكُمۡ فِى الۡاَرۡضِ مُسۡتَقَرٌّ وَّمَتَاعٌ اِلٰى حِيۡنٍ‏ ﴿2:36﴾

(2:36) But Satan caused both of them to deflect from obeying Our command by tempting them to the tree and brought them out of the state they were in, and We said: “Get down all of you; henceforth, each of you is an enemy of the other,50 and on earth you shall have your abode and your livelihood for an appointed time.” 

Notes

50. This means that Satan is the enemy of man, and vice versa. That Satan is the enemy, of man is obvious enough, for he tries to drive him off the course of obedience to God and leads him to perdition, but one might wonder how man could be referred to as the enemy of Satan. The fact is that man’s essential humanity makes this enmity incumbent upon him. Man, however, is often deceived by Satan and befriends him owing to the temptations that he holds out to him. This kind of friendship does not mean that the basic, irreconcilable clash of interests between man and Satan has been resolved. It only means that one of the two (Satan) has defeated and successfully trapped the other (man).

Verse-by-Verse Analysis

Surah Al-Baqarah,2: 34-35

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وَاِذۡ قُلۡنَا لِلۡمَلٰٓـئِكَةِ اسۡجُدُوۡا لِاٰدَمَ فَسَجَدُوۡٓا اِلَّاۤ اِبۡلِيۡسَؕ اَبٰى وَاسۡتَكۡبَرَ  وَكَانَ مِنَ الۡكٰفِرِيۡنَ‏ ﴿2:34﴾ وَقُلۡنَا يٰٓـاٰدَمُ اسۡكُنۡ اَنۡتَ وَزَوۡجُكَ الۡجَـنَّةَ وَكُلَا مِنۡهَا رَغَدًا حَيۡثُ شِئۡتُمَا وَلَا تَقۡرَبَا هٰذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُوۡنَا مِنَ الظّٰلِمِيۡنَ‏  ﴿2:35﴾

(2:34) And when We ordered the angels: “Prostrate yourselves before Adam,” all of them fell prostrate,45 except Iblis.46 He refused, and gloried in his arrogance and became one of the defiers.47 (2:35) And We said: “O Adam, live in the Garden, you and your wife, and eat abundantly of whatever you wish but do not approach this tree48 or else you will be counted among the wrong-doers.”49

Notes

45. This signifies that all the angels whose jurisdiction embraces the earth and that part of the universe in which the earth is situated were ordered to devote themselves to man’s service. Since man had been invested with authority on earth the angels were told that whenever man wanted to make use of the powers with which he had been invested by God, and which God of His own will had allowed him to use, they should co-operate with him and enable him to do whatever to do, irrespective of right and wrong. 

This can be understood with reference to the manner in which government employees are required to work. When a sovereign appoints a governor or a magistrate, all government employees under his jurisdiction are duty not. But as soon as the sovereign indicates to those employees that the governor or magistrate should be barred from doing something, the effective authority of the governor or the magistrate comes to an abrupt end. In fact, were the sovereign to issue the order that the governor be dismissed or imprisoned, the same employees who until then had been moving to and fro at his bidding would not feel hesitant in putting hand on him and taking him to prison. 

God’s order to the angels to prostrate themselves before Adam was of a similar nature. It is possible that prostration signifies the fact of their becoming yoked to man’s service. At the same time it is also possible that they, were ordered to perform the act of prostration itself as a sign of the envisaged relationship between angels and man. In my view the latter seems more plausible.

46. Iblis literally means ‘thoroughly disappointed; utterly in despair’. In Islamic terminology the word denotes the jinn who, in defiance of God’s command, refused to obey and to yoke himself to the service of Adam and his progeny and asked God to allow him a term when he might mislead and tempt mankind to evil and error. He is also called al-Shaytan (Satan) 

In fact Satan (or Iblis) is not an abstract, impersonal force. Like human beings he is possessed of a specific personality. Moreover, one should not make the mistake of considering Satan an angel. Elsewhere the Qur’an itself clearly states that he was a jinn and jinn, as we know, are an independent species, distinct from the angels. See( Qur’an 18: 50.) 

47. These words seem to indicate that in committing disobedience Iblis was probably not alone. What seems to have been the case is that a section of the jinn was bent upon rebellion and the name of Iblis is mentioned only because he was their leader and the most noted among them for his rebellion. Another translation of this sentence could be: ‘? and he was of the defiers (kafirin)’. If this sense is correct, these words would signify that there was already a party of rebellious and recalcitrant jinn and that Iblis belonged to that party. In the Qur’an the word shayatin (satans) denotes these jinn and their offspring. Hence, whenever the context itself does not indicate that the term has been used for human beings who possess satanic attributes, the word ‘ Satans’ should be understood to signify these satanic jinn. 

48. This indicates that before man was sent to earth Moreover, for this kind of test Paradise was the best possible place. What God wanted to impress on man was that the only place that befits man’s station is Paradise, and that if man turns from the course of obedience to God as a result of Satanic allurements, he will remain deprived of it in the Next Life even as he was deprived of it once before. The only way he can recover his true status and reclaim the lost Paradise is by resisting effectively the enemy who is always trying to drive him off the course of obedience to God. 

49. The use of the word ‘wrong-doer’ is highly significant. ‘Wrong-doing’ consists in withholding someone’s rights and the wrong-doer is one who withholds those rights from their legitimate claimants. Anyone who disobeys God withholds three major rights. The first is what is due to God, for He has the right to be obeyed. Second, there are the rights of all those things which a man employs in disobeying God. The parts of his body, his mental energy, his fellow-beings, those angels who, under Divine dispensation, have been appointed to enable him to achieve his aims. both righteous and unrighteous, the material objects which he employs in his acts of disobedience – all these have a rightful claim upon him to be used in ways that please God. But when he uses them in ways which displease God he commits wrong against them all. Third, he wrongs his own self which has the right to be saved from perdition. By inviting punishment from God because of his disobedience he wrongs his own self as well. It is for these reasons that the word ‘wrong’ is often used in the Qur’an for sin, and the word ‘wrong-doer’ for sinner