Context from Tafheem: Having established the historical pattern of the Israelites’ covenant-breaking and the hardness of their hearts, this section delves deeper into the root causes. It exposes the role of their religious leadership in corrupting the divine message itself, their wishful thinking about evading punishment, and their contradictory behavior of accepting parts of the law while rejecting others. It concludes with a severe admonition about the consequences of such a fragmented faith.
سورة البقرة (Surah Al-Baqarah)
آية 75
القرآن: أَفَتَطْمَعُونَ أَن يُؤْمِنُوا لَكُمْ وَقَدْ كَانَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُ مِن بَعْدِ مَا عَقَلُوهُ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ
Translation: Do you (believers) still hope that they (the Jews) will believe in you, when a party of them used to hear the words of Allah and then distort them knowingly after they had understood them?
Explanation (Tafheemul Quran):
Maududi explains that this verse addresses the Muslims, particularly those who were optimistic about the Jews of Medina accepting Islam. It dashes that hope by pointing to a deep-rooted historical sin.
· “Hear the words of Allah”: This refers to their scholars and rabbis who received the Torah and its teachings.
· The Grave Crime: Instead of preserving it, they would “distort them” (yuharrifunahu) after having understood them.” Maududi clarifies this refers to both:
- Distortion of the Text (Tahrif Lafzi): Altering the words of scripture.
- Distortion of Meaning (Tahrif Ma’nawi): Misinterpreting clear verses to suit their desires.
· “Knowingly”: This was not error but deliberate, culpable corruption. Given this ingrained practice of tampering with revelation, how could they be expected to honestly accept the final, uncorrupted revelation (the Quran)?
آية 76
القرآن: وَإِذَا لَقُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قَالُوا آمَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَا بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ قَالُوا أَتُحَدِّثُونَهُم بِمَا فَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لِيُحَاجُّوكُم بِهِ عِندَ رَبِّكُمْ ۚ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
Translation: And when they meet those who believe, they say, “We believe.” But when they are alone with one another, they say, “Do you inform them of what Allah has revealed to you, so they may argue with you before your Lord? Have you no sense?”
Explanation:
This verse exposes their dual-faced behavior, similar to the hypocrites but with a specific twist.
· Outward Pretense: To Muslims, they claimed belief to avoid conflict.
· Private Conspiracy: Among themselves, their scholars warned each other not to reveal to Muslims the prophecies in their own scriptures about the coming of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). Their fear was that Muslims would use this evidence against them on the Day of Judgment. Maududi points out the absurdity: they were more concerned about losing an argument in the hereafter than about the truth itself. The rhetorical question “Have you no sense?” condemns this foolish prioritization.
آية 77
القرآن: أَوَلَا يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ
Translation: Do they not know that Allah knows what they conceal and what they declare?
Explanation: A fundamental reminder of divine omniscience. Their secret plots and concealed truths are fully known to God. Their attempt to hide evidence is futile before the One who is the ultimate Witness.
آية 78
القرآن: وَمِنْهُمْ أُمِّيُّونَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ الْكِتَابَ إِلَّا أَمَانِيَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ
Translation: And among them are unlettered ones who do not know the Scripture except [empty] wishes, and they are only assuming.
Explanation: Maududi distinguishes between the corrupt scholars and the common folk. The “unlettered ones” were ignorant of the actual scripture. Their “knowledge” was merely “wishes” (Amanni)—hearsay, folklore, and baseless traditions passed down by their leaders. Their religion was built on assumptions, not on a direct understanding of the divine text.
آية 79
القرآن: فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَكْتُبُونَ الْكِتَابَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ يَقُولُونَ هَٰذَا مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ لِيَشْتَرُوا بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا ۖ فَوَيْلٌ لَّهُم مِّمَّا كَتَبَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَوَيْلٌ لَّهُم مِّمَّا يَكْسِبُونَ
Translation: So woe to those who write the Scripture with their own hands, then say, “This is from Allah,” in order to exchange it for a small price. Woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they earn.
Explanation: This is one of the strongest condemnations in the Quran. Maududi explains it targets the rabbis and scribes who:
- Physically forged scripture: They literally wrote things with their own hands (adding to or altering texts).
- Attributed it to God: They passed off these forgeries as divine revelation.
- Motive: They did this “to exchange it for a small price”—for worldly gain like wealth, status, and political influence.
The double “Woe” (Wayl) emphasizes the severity of the crime—both for the act of forgery itself and for the ill-gotten gains they acquired through it.
آية 80
القرآن: وَقَالُوا لَن تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلَّا أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَةً ۚ قُلْ أَتَّخَذْتُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَهْدًا فَلَن يُخْلِفَ اللَّهُ عَهْدَهُ ۖ أَمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
Translation: And they say, “The Fire will never touch us except for a few numbered days.” Say, “Have you taken a covenant from Allah? For Allah will never break His covenant. Or do you say about Allah that which you do not know?”
Explanation: This exposes a false, self-serving doctrine they had invented. They believed that as descendants of Abraham, any punishment in Hell would be brief (e.g., 40 days). The Quran’s response is a logical challenge:
· Do you have a covenant from God guaranteeing this? If so, God never breaks His word.
· If not, then you are inventing lies against God, attributing to Him what you have no knowledge of. This condemns religious beliefs based on wishful thinking and tribal chauvinism rather than authentic revelation.
آية 81
القرآن: بَلَىٰ مَن كَسَبَ سَيِّئَةً وَأَحَاطَتْ بِهِ خَطِيئَتُهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
Translation: Yes [on the contrary], whoever earns an evil deed and is enveloped by his sin – those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally.
Explanation: Maududi states this verse categorically overturns their false belief. The true criterion is not lineage but deeds. “Whoever earns an evil deed” refers to the ultimate evil: Shirk (associating partners with God) and persistent Kufr (denial of truth). When one’s sin (like disbelief) “envelops” them—meaning it becomes their defining, unchanging state—their fate is eternal Hell. This aligns with the earlier principle (v.24, 39).
آية 82
القرآن: وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
Translation: But those who believe and do righteous deeds – those are the companions of Paradise; they will abide therein eternally.
Explanation: This reaffirms the positive, universal condition for salvation: true faith coupled with righteous action. This is the counterpart to verse 81, and together they present the only two eternal destinations.
آية 83
القرآن: وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لَا تَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَقُولُوا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّنكُمْ وَأَنتُم مُّعْرِضُونَ
Translation: And [recall] when We took the covenant from the Children of Israel, [enjoining upon them], “Do not worship except Allah; and to parents do good and to relatives, orphans, and the needy. And speak to people good [words] and establish prayer and give zakah.” Then you turned away, except a few of you, and you were refusing.
Explanation: The discourse returns to their covenant, specifying its core ethical and devotional content: pure monotheism, social responsibility (kindness to family, orphans, the poor), good speech, prayer, and charity. Maududi notes this is a microcosm of all divine law. Yet, they turned away from this comprehensive covenant, “except a few” righteous individuals among them. The majority were in a state of active refusal (mu’ridun).
آية 84
القرآن: وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَكُمْ لَا تَسْفِكُونَ دِمَاءَكُمْ وَلَا تُخْرِجُونَ أَنفُسَكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ ثُمَّ أَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَشْهَدُونَ
Translation: And [recall] when We took your covenant, [saying], “Do not shed your [i.e., each other’s] blood or evict one another from your homes.” Then you acknowledged [this] while you were witnessing.
Explanation: Another specific covenant is recalled: the prohibition against internal civil strife, murder, and exile among their own tribes. They had solemnly agreed to this.
آية 85
القرآن: ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ هَٰؤُلَاءِ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَتُخْرِجُونَ فَرِيقًا مِّنكُم مِّن دِيَارِهِمْ تَظَاهَرُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِالْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ وَإِن يَأْتُوكُمْ أُسَارَىٰ تُفَادُوهُمْ وَهُوَ مُحَرَّمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ إِخْرَاجُهُمْ ۚ أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ ۚ فَمَا جَزَاءُ مَن يَفْعَلُ ذَٰلِكَ مِنكُمْ إِلَّا خِزْيٌ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ أَشَدِّ الْعَذَابِ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ
Translation: Then, you are those [same ones] who kill one another and evict a party of your people from their homes, cooperating against them in sin and aggression. And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, although their eviction was forbidden to you. So do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part? Then what is the recompense for those who do that among you except disgrace in worldly life; and on the Day of Resurrection they will be sent back to the severest of punishment. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.
Explanation: This long verse is a masterful indictment of their hypocrisy and selective morality. Maududi unpacks it as follows:
· Breach of the Social Covenant: They were doing the very things they covenanted against—killing and exiling fellow Jews (likely in tribal conflicts).
· Contradictory Behavior: While unlawfully exiling people, they would later ransom captives from those conflicts, treating the symptom while perpetuating the disease. This exposed their moral inconsistency.
· The Core Accusation: “So do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part?” This is the defining sin. They accepted laws that suited them (like ransom) but rejected others (like the prohibition of civil strife). Religion cannot be a cafeteria; accepting divine authority must be total.
· The Dual Punishment: The consequence is “disgrace in worldly life” (the historical humiliation and subjugation they suffered) and “the severest punishment” in the Hereafter. Their actions are fully under God’s watch.
آية 86
القرآن: أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُا الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا بِالْآخِرَةِ ۖ فَلَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ
Translation: Those are the ones who have bought the worldly life [in exchange] for the Hereafter, so the punishment will not be lightened for them, nor will they be aided.
Explanation: Maududi presents this as the fitting conclusion. They made the “bankrupt trade” (a theme from verse 16). By choosing the fleeting gains of this world—tribal pride, wealth from forgery, political power—over the eternal rewards of the Hereafter, they have incurred a debt that cannot be reduced. They will find no relief and no helper on the Day of Judgment.
Summary from Tafheemul Quran Perspective (Verses 75-86):
This section, according to Maududi, provides a devastating analysis of a corrupted religious community:
- Corruption of the Source: The root evil is the deliberate distortion of divine revelation by religious elites for worldly gain.
- Hypocrisy and Concealment: They hide the truth even from themselves, fearing its implications more than seeking its guidance.
- Invented Doctrines: They create self-serving theologies (like brief punishment) based on wishful thinking, not revelation.
- Selective Obedience: The hallmark of their failure is accepting parts of the law while rejecting others, reducing religion to a tool for worldly ends.
- The Ultimate Loss: This path represents the worst trade: selling eternity for temporary, trivial gain, resulting in unmitigated punishment. The passage serves as a grave warning to the Muslim community to guard against all these maladies.
Messages from Quran 