Context from Tafheem: This brief but powerful section concludes the sustained historical and theological argument against the obstinacy of the Children of Israel. It shifts from recounting their past failures to stating an eternal, objective truth about the Quran and its inevitable impact, while also warning against a final, desperate form of corruption: seeking magic instead of guidance.
سورة البقرة (Surah Al-Baqarah)
آية 99
القرآن: وَلَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ ۖ وَمَا يَكْفُرُ بِهَا إِلَّا الْفَاسِقُونَ
Translation: And We have certainly sent down to you clear verses, and no one denies them except the defiantly disobedient.
Explanation (Tafheemul Quran):
Maududi explains that this is a pivotal, declarative statement addressing the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and, through him, the believers.
· “Clear Verses”: Refers to the Quranic revelations themselves, which are self-evident in their truth, wisdom, and miraculous nature. Their clarity leaves no room for honest doubt.
· The Only Deniers: Therefore, denial of these clear signs is not an intellectual stance but a moral one. Only “the defiantly disobedient” (al-Fasiqun) reject them. Fisq (disobedience) here implies willfully stepping outside the bounds of truth and righteousness. This categorically places those who reject the Quran, despite its clarity, in the category of moral transgressors, not sincere skeptics.
آية 100
القرآن: أَوَكُلَّمَا عَاهَدُوا عَهْدًا نَّبَذَهُ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُم ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
Translation: Is it not [true] that every time they took a covenant, a party of them threw it away? But, [in fact], most of them do not believe.
Explanation: Returning briefly to the Israelites’ pattern, this verse summarizes their historical character as covenant-breakers. Maududi notes that this is not just about past covenants but includes their current breach: the covenant inherent in their own scriptures to believe in the final Prophet. The conclusion is damning: “most of them do not believe.” Their disbelief is the norm, not the exception, stemming from this ingrained trait.
آية 101
القرآن: وَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ نَبَذَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
Translation: And when a messenger from Allah came to them confirming that which was with them, a party of those who had been given the Scripture threw the Scripture of Allah behind their backs as if they did not know [what it contained].
Explanation:
This verse vividly captures the essence of their betrayal regarding Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
· The Messenger Confirms Their Book: The coming of Muhammad (ﷺ) was the fulfillment of the prophecies within their own Torah.
· The Act of Rejection: Instead of embracing him, a party of their scholars “threw the Scripture of Allah behind their backs.” Maududi explains this as a metaphor for willful abandonment. They consciously disregarded the very truths in their own book that testified to the Prophet’s truthfulness.
· The Pretense: They acted “as if they did not know”—a pretense of ignorance that was utterly false, as their own knowledge condemned them. This highlights the depth of their dishonesty.
آية 102
القرآن: وَاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ ۖ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَانُ وَلَٰكِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ كَفَرُوا يُعَلِّمُونَ النَّاسَ السِّحْرَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَارُوتَ وَمَارُوتَ ۚ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلَا تَكْفُرْ ۖ فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِ ۚ وَمَا هُم بِضَارِّينَ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ ۚ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمُوا لَمَنِ اشْتَرَاهُ مَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَاقٍ ۚ وَلَبِئْسَ مَا شَرَوْا بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ
Translation: And they followed what the devils had recited during the reign of Solomon. It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic and that which was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut. But they do not teach anyone unless they say, “We are a trial, so do not disbelieve.” And they learn from them that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife. But they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah. And they learn what harms them and does not benefit them. But they certainly knew that whoever purchased it (magic) would have no share in the Hereafter. And wretched is that for which they sold themselves, if they only knew.
Explanation (Tafheemul Quran):
Maududi delves deeply into this complex verse, explaining it as an exposure of a final, corrupt avenue they pursued.
· Clearing Prophet Solomon: The verse begins by absolving Prophet Solomon of any involvement in magic. The corruption came from “the devils”—rebellious humans or jinn—who attributed magic to his reign to give it legitimacy.
· The Source of Corrupt Knowledge: This magic is linked to “that which was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut.” Maududi explains this as a test from God. These two angels were sent to teach people the difference between magic and true miracle, warning as they taught: “We are a trial, so do not disbelieve.” Their purpose was to distinguish those who would seek harmful sorcery from those who would seek refuge in God.
· The Evil Application: The Jewish tribes, instead of heeding the warning, learned from this knowledge specifically to cause harm—most vilely, “to cause separation between a man and his wife.” This highlights the malicious use they put such “knowledge” to, targeting the most sacred of social bonds.
· The Ultimate Futility and Loss:
· Magic has no real power except by God’s permissive will as a test.
· It is knowledge that harms and does not benefit.
· They knew that engaging in it forfeited any share in the Hereafter.
· Yet, they chose it, making another “wretched” trade of their souls. This represents the culmination of their deviation: abandoning prophetic guidance for sorcery.
آية 103
القرآن: وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَمَثُوبَةٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ ۖ لَّوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ
Translation: And if they had believed and feared Allah, then a reward from Allah would have been better, if they only knew.
Explanation: This verse serves as the poignant conclusion to the entire discourse from verse 40 onward. It presents the stark alternative they foolishly rejected.
· The Path Not Taken: “If they had believed and feared Allah (wa-ittaqaw)…” This is the essence of what was demanded of them: true faith coupled with God-consciousness (Taqwa).
· The Lost Reward: The consequence of that path would have been “a reward from Allah”—better than any worldly gain, power, or magic they pursued.
· The Final Lament: The phrase “if they only knew” echoes with regret. It underscores that their choices were born of spiritual ignorance. Had they possessed true insight, they would have seen that the path of belief and piety leads to the only true and lasting good.
Summary from Tafheemul Quran Perspective (Verses 99-103):
This concluding segment, per Maududi, drives home the final lessons:
- Clarity of the Proof: The Quran’s verses are unequivocally clear. Their rejection is therefore an act of willful transgression (Fisq), not intellectual confusion.
- The Pattern is Consistent: Their historical habit of covenant-breaking manifested in their ultimate betrayal: discarding their own scripture to avoid acknowledging the final Prophet.
- The Depth of Deviation: Their spiritual decline reached its nadir when they forsook divine guidance for the malicious practice of magic, knowingly choosing what harms their eternal soul.
- The Tragedy of the Choice: The entire tragic history boils down to a single, foolish trade: they exchanged the immense, divine reward for belief and piety for the worthless pursuits of tribal pride, worldly gain, and corrupt power. The final verse stands as an eternal reminder of this catastrophic miscalculation.
Messages from Quran 