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Surah 2. Al-Baqarah (104-129)
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يَا
أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تَقُولُواْ
رَاعِنَا وَقُولُواْ انظُرْنَا وَاسْمَعُوا ْوَلِلكَافِرِينَ
عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ﴿2:104﴾
(2:104) O Believers, *107
do not say. "Ra 'ina" but say, "Unzurna " and
listen *108
a to what is said; for the disbelievers deserve
a painful punishment.
*107. This and the following verses inform the
followers of the Prophet (peace be on him) of
the machinations of the Jews against Islam and
the Muslims, and dispel any doubts and
misgivings they tried to create in their minds.
Special attention is paid to the points raised
during controversial discussions between Muslims
and Jews. It is useful to note here that when
the Prophet (peace be on him) arrived in Madina
and the message of Islam began to spread the
Jews tried to engage Muslims in controversial
religious discussions. They raised all kinds of
involved and suspicion-provoking problems so as
to contaminate the simple and pure-hearted
Muslims with the spiritual diseases from which
they themselves suffered. Not only that, they
resorted to sly and deceptive talk in the
presence of the Prophet.
*108. When the Jews visited the Prophet they
tried to vent their spite by using ambiguous
expressions in their greetings and conversation.
They, used words which had double meanings, one
innocent and the other offensive. After using
quite proper expressions they would then whisper
some malicious words. Ostensibly they maintained
the decorum of respect and courtesy while
sparing no underhand means to insult the
Prophet. Later we shall encounter several
examples of this kind of behaviour. The
particular expression referred to here, and
which the Muslims were asked to avoid using
since it lent itself to abuse, was employed by
the Jews when in conversation with the Prophet,
whenever they wanted to request a short pause in
which to finish whatever they wanted to say.
They, used the expression ra'ina, which meant
'kindly indulge us' or ' kindly lend ear to us'.
It was possible, however, for the expression to
be used with quite a different shade of meaning.
In Hebrew, for instance, there is a word similar
to it which means: 'Listen, may you become
deaf.' In the same language it also means
arrogant, ignorant and fool. In actual
conversation it was also used on occasions when
one wanted to say: 'If you listen to me, 1 will
listen to you.' When it was pronounced with a
slight twist of the tongue it turned into ra'ina,
meaning 'our shepherd'.
It is because of the possibility of the word
being used in these different senses that
Muslims were asked to avoid it and to use
instead the straightforward expression unzurna,
meaning 'kindly favour us with your attention'
or 'kindly grant us a while to follow (what you
are saying)'. This advice was followed by the
admonition to listen attentively to what the
Prophet said, for the Jews used to ask for the
same thing to be repeated merely because they
did not pay proper attention to what the Prophet
said but instead were engrossed in their own
thoughts. If the Muslims were to heed what the
Prophet said, they would scarcely need to make
such requests.
مَّا
يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنْ أَهْلِ
الْكِتَابِ وَلاَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ أَن يُنَزَّلَ
عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَاللّهُ
يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِ مَن يَشَاء وَاللّهُ ذُو
الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ﴿2:105﴾
(2:105) The people who have rejected the message
of Truth, be they the people of the Book or the
mushriks, would never like that any good be sent
down to you from your Lord, but Allah chooses
for His mercy whom He wills, and Allah is Most
Bountiful.
مَا
نَنسَخْ مِنْ آيَةٍ أَوْ نُنسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ
مِّنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلِهَا أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ
اللّهَ عَلَىَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ﴿2:106﴾
(2:106) We bring a better verse or at least the
like of it for whatever we abrogate or cause it
to be forgotten. *109
*109. This is in response to a doubt which the
Jews tried to implant in the minds of the
Muslims. If both the earlier Scriptures and the
Qur'an were revelations from God, why was it -
they asked - that the injunctions found in the
earlier Scriptures had been replaced by new ones
in the Qur'an? How could the same God issue
divergent injunctions? Furthermore, they
expressed their amazement at the Qur'anic
indictment of the Jews and Christians for having
allowed part of the revelation to be forgotten
and lost, pointing out that it was impossible
that Divine revelation should be erased from
human memory.
In all this, their motive was not to know the
truth but to cast doubt on the Divine origin of
the Qur'an. In refutation God states that He
being the Absolute Sovereign has unlimited
authority both to abrogate previous injunctions
and to cause people to forget the injunctions He
wants them to forget. However, God ensures that
whatever He abrogates or causes to be erased
from people's memories is replaced by something
equally or even more beneficial.
أَلَمْ
تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللّهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالأَرْضِ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللّهِ مِن
وَلِيٍّ وَلاَ نَصِيرٍ﴿2:107﴾
(2:107) Do you not know that Allah has full
power over everything? Do you not know that the
sovereignty of the heavens and the earth belongs
to Allah alone and that you have neither any
protector nor helper beside Him?
أَمْ
تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَسْأَلُواْ رَسُولَكُمْ كَمَا
سُئِلَ مُوسَى مِن قَبْلُ وَمَن يَتَبَدَّلِ
الْكُفْرَ بِالإِيمَانِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاء
السَّبِيلِ﴿2:108﴾
(2:108) Would you then ask your Prophet such
questions as were asked of Moses in former
times? *110
In fact, anyone, who changes the way of belief
for that of disbelief, has surely swerved from
the Right way.
*110. The Jews, who were addicted to
hair-splitting arguments, instigated the Muslims
to ask the Prophet a great many questions. God,
therefore, cautioned the Muslims against
following the example of the Jews in this
matter, and admonished them against unnecessary
inquisitiveness. The Prophet himself often
warned the Muslims that excessive
inquisitiveness (which was devoid of religious
earnestness and the sincere desire to do God's
will) had been the ruin of earlier religious
communities. (Muslim, 'Faddil', 130; Bukhari,
'1'tisim', 2 - Ed.) He stressed that people need
not delve too deeply into questions left
unelucidated by God or His Messenger. It was
better to follow the injunctions which were
clearly laid down, abstain from things
prohibited, and avoid excessive inquiry about
far-fetched, hypothetical issues, attending
instead to questions of practical significance.
وَدَّ
كَثِيرٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَوْ
يَرُدُّونَكُم مِّن بَعْدِ إِيمَانِكُمْ كُفَّاراً
حَسَدًا مِّنْ عِندِ أَنفُسِهِم مِّن بَعْدِ مَا
تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الْحَقُّ فَاعْفُواْ
وَاصْفَحُواْ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ اللّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ
إِنَّ اللّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ﴿2:109﴾
(2:109) Many of the people of the Book desire to
turn you anyhow back to unbelief. They wish this
out of the envy of their hearts though the Truth
has become quite clear to them. Yet, you should
show forbearance and forgiveness to them' *111
till Allah Himself enforces His judgement.
*111. This means that one should neither allow
oneself to get angry at their spite and
hostility, nor waste one's valuable time by
engaging in useless debates and acrimonious
polemics. It is better to wait patiently and
observe how God deals with them. Instead of
wasting energy in frivolous pursuits such as
those menti~ above one should spend it in the
remembrance of God and in acts of goodness, for
it is these rather than barren controversies
that will benefit man in the Life to Come.
وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلاَةَ وَآتُواْ الزَّكَاةَ
وَمَا تُقَدِّمُواْ لأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ
تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ اللّهِ إِنَّ اللّهَ بِمَا
تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ﴿2:110﴾
(2:110) (Rest assured that) Allah has full power
over everything: establish the Salat and pay the
Zakat. you will find with Allah whatever good
you send forward for your future; Allah is
watching everything you do.
وَقَالُواْ لَن يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلاَّ مَن
كَانَ هُوداً أَوْ نَصَارَى تِلْكَ أَمَانِيُّهُمْ
قُلْ هَاتُواْ بُرْهَانَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ
صَادِقِينَ﴿2:111﴾
(2:111) They say, "None shall enter Paradise
unless he be a Jew or according to the
Christians) a Christian." These are their
wishful fancies. *112
Say to them, "Bring your proof, if you are right
in your claim."
*112. That is, all this is merely wishful
thinking, even though they express thoughts as
if they were really going to happen.
بَلَى
مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ
فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ وَلاَ خَوْفٌ
عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ﴿2:112﴾
(2:112) The fact is that no one has any special
claim to Paradise; whoever surrenders himself to
Allah in obedience and follows the Right Way,
shall get his reward from his Lord: there shall
be neither fear nor grief for such people.
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وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ لَيْسَتِ
النَّصَارَى عَلَىَ شَيْءٍ وَقَالَتِ
النَّصَارَى لَيْسَتِ الْيَهُودُ
عَلَى شَيْءٍ وَهُمْ يَتْلُونَ
الْكِتَابَ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ
لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ
فَاللّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ
الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كَانُواْ فِيهِ
يَخْتَلِفُونَ﴿2:113﴾
(2:113) The Jews say that the
Christians have nothing (of the
Truth) and the Christians say that
the Jews have nothing of it, though
both read the Scripture. And those
who have no knowledge of the
Scripture *113
also make similar claims. Allah will
surely give His judgement on the Day
of Resurrection in all the matters
in which they differ.
*113. The reference is to the
polytheists of Arabia.
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن مَّنَعَ
مَسَاجِدَ اللّهِ أَن يُذْكَرَ فِيهَا
اسْمُهُ وَسَعَى فِي خَرَابِهَا
أُوْلَـئِكَ مَا كَانَ لَهُمْ أَن
يَدْخُلُوهَا إِلاَّ خَآئِفِينَ لهُمْ
فِي الدُّنْيَا خِزْيٌ وَلَهُمْ فِي
الآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ﴿2:114﴾
(2:114) And who could be a greater
wrongdoer than the one who forbids
the mention of Allah's name in
places of worship and strives for
their ruin? Such people do not
deserve to enter the places of
worship, and, if they enter at all,
they should do so in fear; *114
for there is ignominy for them in
this world and an awful punishment
in the Hereafter.
*114. Places of worship should
properly remain in the custody of
devout and God-fearing people, so
that even if bad people did go there
they would be deterred from
committing misdeeds through fear of
punishment. This is a subtle
reference to the wrong perpetrated
by the unbelievers of Makka, who had
barred their own compatriots - the
Muslims - from worshipping in the
House of God.
وَلِلّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ
فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّواْ فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ
اللّهِ إِنَّ اللّهَ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ﴿2:115﴾
(2:115) The East and the West, all
belong to Allah: you will face Allah
in whichsoever direction you turn
your face: *115
Allah is All-Embracing and
All-Knowing. *116
*115. God is neither eastern nor
western. East and west, north and
south, and indeed all places and
directions are His, though He is not
confined to any particular place or
direction. Hence, if any place or
direction is fixed for worship this
does not mean that God dwells there.
Likewise, changes in the direction
of Prayer is not a proper subject
for controversy and dispute.
*116. That is, God is neither
limited, mean, narrow-minded, nor
poor in resources. All such notions
about God, which arise from
considering Him as essentially
similar to human beings, are
erroneous. God's realm is boundless
and so is His vision and the range
of His benevolence and mercy.
Moreover, God's knowledge is
all-embracing. He knows who
remembers Him, as well as where,
when and why he does that.
وَقَالُواْ اتَّخَذَ اللّهُ وَلَدًا
سُبْحَانَهُ بَل لَّهُ مَا فِي
السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ كُلٌّ لَّهُ
قَانِتُونَ﴿2:116﴾
(2:116) They say "Allah has adopted
a son." Allah is above such things.
As a matter of fact, whatever is in
the heavens and on the earth belongs
to Him and all are obedient to Him.
بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ
وَإِذَا قَضَى أَمْراً فَإِنَّمَا
يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ﴿2:117﴾
(2:117) He is the Creator of the
heavens and the earth: when He
decrees a thing, He merely says,
"Be," and there it is.
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ
لَوْلاَ يُكَلِّمُنَا اللّهُ أَوْ
تَأْتِينَا آيَةٌ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ
الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّثْلَ
قَوْلِهِمْ تَشَابَهَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ
قَدْ بَيَّنَّا الآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ
يُوقِنُونَ﴿2:118﴾
(2:118) The ignorant people say,
"Why does not Allah Himself talk to
us or why does not a Sign come to
us?" *117
The people before them also talked
like this, for all (who swerve from
the Right Path) have the same
mentality. *118
We have already shown clear Signs to
those who believe; *119
*117. What they meant was that God
should either appear before them
Himself, tell them plainly that the
Qur'an was a revelation from Him,
and proclaim His injunctions, or
cause them to see some extraordinary
sign that would convince them that
whatever Muhammad (peace be on him)
told them was from Him.
*118. The fact is that the misguided
people of the time of the revelation
of the Qur'an did not raise any
objection or make any demands
essentially different from those of
the misguided people of the past.
From the remote past till today,
error and misguidedness seem to have
the same character, so the same
doubts and objections are repeated
over and over again.
*119. The demand that God should
speak to them directly was too
absurd even to be answered. The
question dealt with here concerns
the demand for a sign that would
convince them of the Truth. In
response to this it is pointed out
that many signs do exist, but all
such signs are of profit only to
those who are inclined to believe.
As for those who are bent on
disbelief, what sign can be shown to
them, and to what avail?
إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ
بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا وَلاَ تُسْأَلُ
عَنْ أَصْحَابِ الْجَحِيمِ﴿2:119﴾
(2:119) (what greater Sign could
there be than that) We have sent you
with the knowledge of the Truth and
made you a bearer of good tidings
and a Warner? *120
Now, you are not responsible and
answerable for those who are bent
upon going to Hell.
*120. Why speak of other signs when
the most conspicuous sign of Truth
is the very person of Muhammad? Let
us recall his life before the
commencement of his prophethood, the
conditions existing in the area
where, and the people among whomn,
he was born, the manner in which he
was brought up and spent the first
forty years of his life, and then
his glorious achievements as a
Prophet. What further signs could we
want in support of his message?
وَلَن تَرْضَى عَنكَ الْيَهُودُ وَلاَ
النَّصَارَى حَتَّى تَتَّبِعَ
مِلَّتَهُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللّهِ
هُوَ الْهُدَى وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ
أَهْوَاءهُم بَعْدَ الَّذِي جَاءكَ
مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللّهِ
مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلاَ نَصِيرٍ﴿2:120﴾
(2:120) The Jews and the Christians
will never be satisfied with you, O
Muhammad, until you follow their
way. *121
Tell them plainly, "The right way is
shown by Allah." And if, after all
the' knowledge you have received,
you were to yield to their desires,
you shall find neither any friend
nor helper to protect you from
Allah's wrath.
*121. The cause of their
disconcertment with the Prophet
(peace be on him) was not that they
were earnest seekers after the Truth
which the Prophet had failed to make
clear to them. The real cause of
their unhappiness was that he had
not resorted to hypocrisy and
trickery, in regard to religious
matters, that unlike them he did not
pursue self-interest and
self-indulgence under the fagade of
godliness and piety, that he did not
twist religious principles and
injunctions without scruple, as the
Jews were wont to do in order to
make them suit their desires and
fancies, that he did not resort to
the chicanery and duplicity which
characterized the religious life of
the Jews. As a result, it was no use
trying to appease them. For unless
the Muslims were prepared to assume
the attitude and orientation of the
Jews and to follow all their errors
in belief and practice, there was no
question of their being able to
bring about any reconciliation with
them.
الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ
يَتْلُونَهُ حَقَّ تِلاَوَتِهِ
أُوْلَـئِكَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَمن
يَكْفُرْ بِهِ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ
الْخَاسِرُونَ﴿2:121﴾
(2:121) There are those, even among
the people of the Scripture, who
read the Book as it should be read
and believe in it sincerely; *122
as for those who reject it, they are
indeed the losers.
*122. This refers to the pious
element among the People of the
Book. Since these people read the
Book with sincerity and honesty of
purpose, they are inclined to accept
whatever they find to be true
according to it.
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يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ
اذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَتِيَ
الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ
عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنِّي
فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى
الْعَالَمِينَ﴿2:122﴾
(2:122) O children of
Israel, *123
remember that special
favour 1 bestowed upon
you, and that I exalted
you above all the
communities of the
world.
*123. A fresh subject is
now broached. In order
to appreciate it fully,
the following should be
clearly borne in mind:
(1) After Noah, Abraham
was the first Prophet
appointed by God to
spread the universal
message of Islam. At the
outset, he journeyed for
many years from Iraq to
Egypt, and from Syria
and Palestine to various
parts of Arabia inviting
people to serve and obey
God. Later he appointed
deputies in various
regions to carry on his
mission. He sent his
nephew Lot to
Transjordan, his son
Isaac to Syria and
Palestine, and his
eldest son Ishmael to
Arabia. Then he built,
in Makka, the shrine
called the Ka'bah which
subsequently, and under
God's own command, was
made the centre of the
prophetic mission.
(2) Abraham's progeny
descended in two main
branches. One of these,
the Children of Ishmael,
lived in Arabia. The
Quraysh and other
Arabian tribes belonged
to this branch of
Abraham's line. Even
those Arabian tribes
which were not related
to him by blood
identified themselves
with Abraham, since they
had been influenced in
varying degrees by his
religious ideas. The
other branch consisted
of the Children of
Isaac. In this branch
there arose a great
number of Prophets, for
example Jacob, Joseph,
Moses, David, Solomon,
John, and Jesus. Since
Jacob was called Israel,
his offspring came to be
known as the Children of
Israel. Other peoples
who accepted their faith
as a result of preaching
either lost their former
identity and became
assimilated with them,
or remained separate
from them ethnically but
identified with them
religiously. At the time
when decadence
flourished this branch
of the Abrahamic family
gave birth first to
Judaism, and
subsequently to
Christianity.*
(3) The true mission of
Abraham was to invite
people to obey God and
to mould the entire
system of individual and
collective life
according to Divine
Guidance. He was himself
obedient to God and
followed the teaching
received from Him, and
constantly strove to
spread it and make all
human beings live in
obedience to it. It was
because of this that he
was appointed the
religious leader and
guide of the whole
world. After his death,
the task of guiding the
world was entrusted to
the branch which had
issued from Isaac and
Jacob, and which came to
be known as the Children
of Israel. It is in this
branch that many
Prophets were born. It
was also this branch
which was given the
knowledge of the
Straight Way, and was
designated to lead all
the nations of the world
along that Way. It is of
this favour that God
again and again reminds
these people.
In the time of Solomon
this branch took
Jerusalem as the centre
of its mission.
Jerusalem maintained its
central position for all
devotees of God and
remained the qiblah
(direction) in which all
worshippers of God were
required to turn in
their Prayer.
(4) While addressing the
Children of Israel in
the last ten sections,
God set forth the
criminal record of the
Jews, exposed their
decadent state at the
time of the revelation
of the Qur'an, and made
it clear to them that
they had totally lacked
gratitude to God for His
favours and bounties.
Not only had they ceased
to guide the world, but
had turned away from
Truth and righteousness
to such an extent that
nearly all of them had
lost the capacity to do
good and to respond to
Truth.
(5) It is also intimated
that the religious
leadership of all
mankind is not an
exclusive privilege of
Abrahamic blood, but
rather the fruit of
Abraham's sincere
obedience and service to
God, to which he had
wholly consecrated
himself. Only those who
follow the way of
Abraham, and guide the
world along that way,
are therefore entitled
to the position of
guidance and leadership.
And since the Jews had
abandoned it and become
incapable of carrying
out the mission of
Abraham they were being
removed from that
position.
(6) At the same time it
is hinted that the
non-Israelite peoples
who identified
themselves with Abraham
through Moses and Jesus
had also veered from the
way of Abraham. The same
was true of the
polytheists of Arabia,
who felt proud of
belonging to Abraham and
Ishmael and based this
pride on lineage alone.
For, so far as their
faith and conduct were
concerned, they had not
even the remotest tie
with Abraham and
Ishmael. They did not
deserve, therefore, to
be entrusted with the
religious leadership of
the world.
(7) It is also made
clear that by God's will
a Prophet, for whose
advent Abraham and
Ishmael had once prayed,
was born in the other
branch of the Abrahamic
family, i.e. the
Ishmaelites. The way
propounded by this
Prophet is exactly the
same as that by Abraham,
Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob
and in fact all the
Messengers. His
followers also confirm
the truth of all those
designated in the past
to serve as God's
Messengers, and call
mankind to the same
message those Messengers
preached earlier. Thus,
leadership now naturally
devolves on those who
follow this Prophet.
(8) This proclamation of
a transfer of leadership
naturally called for the
proclamation of a change
in the direction of
Prayer. As long as the
Israelites held the
reins of the world's
religious leadership,
Jerusalem remained the
centre of the mission of
Islam and the qiblah of
truth-loving people. The
Arabian Prophet (peace
be on him) as well as
his followers had
accepted Jerusalem as
the qiblah until God
duly proclaimed the
removal of the Jews from
their position of
leadership. With this
proclamation Jerusalem
ceased to enjoy its
central position. So it
was proclaimed that from
then on the centre of
God's true religion
would be the place from
which the message of the
Prophet Muhammad (peace
be on him) had radiated.
Since in the past it had
been the centre of the
mission of Abraham
(peace be on him), it
was difficult even for
the polytheists and for
the People of the Book
to deny that the Ka'bah
had a greater right to
be made the qiblah.
There was thus every
reasonable ground for
the decision to change
the qiblah and its
opponents could only
object out of irrational
adamance.
(9) The proclamation
that the followers ef
the Prophet Muhammad
(peace be on him) had
been designated to the
religious leadership of
mankind, and that the
Ka'bah would now be the
focal point of man's
religious life, was
followed by directives
(beginning with verse
153 and continuing to
the end of the surah)
addressed to the
Muslims. These
directives were aimed at
enabling the Muslims to
acquit themselves
creditably of the duties
laid upon their
shoulders as the bearers
of this mission.
وَاتَّقُواْ يَوْماً لاَّ
تَجْزِي نَفْسٌ عَن
نَّفْسٍ شَيْئاً وَلاَ
يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ
وَلاَ تَنفَعُهَا
شَفَاعَةٌ وَلاَ هُمْ
يُنصَرُونَ﴿2:123﴾
(2:123) And dread the
Day when no one shall
avail anyone in any way;
nor shall any ransom be
accepted from anyone;
nor shall intercession
profit any body; nor
shall the offenders be
helped from any quarter.
وَإِذِ ابْتَلَى
إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ
بِكَلِمَاتٍ
فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ قَالَ
إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ
لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا قَالَ
وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي قَالَ
لاَ يَنَالُ عَهْدِي
الظَّالِمِينَ﴿2:124﴾
(2:124) Recall to mind
that when his Lord put
Abraham to test *124
in certain things and he
fulfilled all of them,
He said, "I am going to
make you the leader of
mankind." Abraham humbly
asked, "Does this
promise apply to my
descendants also?" He
replied, "My promise
does not apply to the
transgressors." *125
*124. At various places
the Qur'an enumerates
the severe tests through
which Abraham passed. It
was only after these had
been completed
successfully that he was
able to establish his
worthiness to serve as
the religious guide and
leader of all mankind.
From the moment when the
truth was revealed to
him till the moment he
died, his life was a
continuous tale of
sacrifice and suffering
for his cause. There is
no conceivable object of
man's love and
attachment in the world
which Abraham did not
sacrifice for the sake
of the truth. Likewise,
there is no conceivable
danger which
instinctively frightens
man which Abraham did
not encounter for the
sake of the Truth.
*125. This specifies
that God's promise of
the conferment of
leadership applied only
to those of Abraham's
offspring who were
righteous, and that the
wrong-doers were
naturally excluded. This
also makes it clear
that, just as the
promise did not apply to
the misguided
Israelites, it did not
apply to the
polytheistic
Ishmaelites.
وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا
الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً
لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْناً
وَاتَّخِذُواْ مِن
مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ
مُصَلًّى وَعَهِدْنَا
إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ
وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَن
طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ
لِلطَّائِفِينَ
وَالْعَاكِفِينَ
وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ﴿2:125﴾
(2:125) And remember
that We made this House
(the Ka'bah) the centre
nd sanctuary for mankind
and enjoined the people
to dedicate to worship
the place where Abraham
used to stand for
prayer, and We urged
Abraham and Ismail to
keep My House pure for
those who would go round
it and those who would
retire to it for
devotion and prayer and
for those who would bow
down and prostrate
themselves there in
worhsip. *126
*126. 'Purify My House'
does not merely mean
keeping it clean of dirt
and filth. The real
purity and cleanliness
of the House of God
rests in the fact that
in it the name of God
alone should be
glorified. If someone
declares in its sacred
precincts that anything
other than God is his
Lord, his object of
worship and adoration,
the dispenser of man's
needs and requirements,
the hearer of man's
supplications, then such
a person is guilty of
desecrating the House of
God.
This verse also contains
a hint as to the
evil-doing of the people
of the Quraysh. They
boasted that they were
the inheritors of the
legacy of Abraham and
Ishmael, but instead of
being faithful to that
legacy, they actually
trampled over it. So,
just as the Children of
Israel were excluded
from the promise made to
Abraham, so were the
polytheistic children of
Ishmael. (See also n.
125 above - Ed.)
وَإِذْ قَالَ
إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ
اجْعَلْ هَـَذَا بَلَدًا
آمِنًا وَارْزُقْ
أَهْلَهُ مِنَ
الثَّمَرَاتِ مَنْ آمَنَ
مِنْهُم بِاللّهِ
وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ
قَالَ وَمَن كَفَرَ
فَأُمَتِّعُهُ قَلِيلاً
ثُمَّ أَضْطَرُّهُ إِلَى
عَذَابِ النَّارِ
وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ﴿2:126﴾
(2:126) And remember
that Abraham prayed,
"Lord, make this city a
city of peace and
security, and provide
with every kind of fruit
those of its people, who
believe in Allah and the
Last Day'. Allah
answered, "As for the
disbelievers, I will
also provide them with
the necessities of life
in this world, *127
though in the Next World
I will drag them to the
torment of Hell, and
that is the worst
abode."
*127. (Here a
distinction is made
between honouring a
people by entrusting it
with the religious
leadership and guidance
of the world, and
bestowing on it an
abundant means of
livelihood - Ed.) When
Abraham enquired who
merited world leadership
it was made clear to him
that only his truly
believing and righteous
children, to the
exclusion of the
wrong-doing ones, were
worthy of it. This
occasioned God to
clarify that the
religious leadership of
the world was quite
distinct from its
livelihood. Men of faith
alone were entitled to
the former, whereas both
believers and
unbelievers would be
provided the latter. If
someone enjoys abundant
material wealth it
should not be
misconstrued to mean
that God is necessarily
pleased with him and
that he has been
designated by God to
provide religious
guidance to the world.
وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ
إِبْرَاهِيمُ
الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ
الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ
رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ
مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ
السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ﴿2:127﴾
(2:127) And remember
that when Abraham and
Ishmael were raising the
walls of the House, they
prayed, "Lord, accept
this service from us;
You are All-Hearing and
All-Knowing.
رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا
مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن
ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً
مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ
وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا
وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَآ إِنَّكَ
أَنتَ التَّوَّابُ
الرَّحِيمُ﴿2:128﴾
(2:128) Lord, make us
Your Muslims (submissive
servants) and also raise
from our offspring a
community which should
be Muslim (submissive to
Your Will). Show us the
ways of Your worship and
forbear our
shortcomings: You are
Forgiving and Merciful.
رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ
فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً
مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو
عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ
وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ
الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ
وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ إِنَّكَ
أَنتَ العَزِيزُ
الحَكِيمُ﴿2:129﴾
(2:129) Lord, raise up
from among them a
Messenger who shall
recite Your Revelations
to them and teach them
the Book and Wisdom and
purify their lives. *128
You art All-Powerful and
AllWise". *129
*128. The term
'purification' used here
embraces the
purification of beliefs
and outlook, morals,
habits and customs, and
social, cultural and
political life; the
purification of man's
life in its totality.
*129. This has been said
in order to indicate
that the advent of
Muhammad (peace be on
him) was in fact God's
response to the prayer
of Abraham (peace be on
him).
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