| Chapter 3 : Surah Al-'Imran |
(Revealed after Hijrah) Connection with the Preceding Surah Al 'Imran has a twofold connection with Al-Baqarah. First, there subsists a strong and deep link between the subject-matter of the whole of this Surah and that of the whole of Surah Al-Baqarah, and another link equally strong between the concluding portion of Al-Baqarah and the opening verses of this Surah. In fact, the order in the Qur'an is of two kinds. Either, the topic with which one Chapter is concluded is continued in the following Chapter, or the whole of the subject matter of the preceding Chapter is referred to in the next. This twofold connection also exists between AI-Baqarah and Al 'Imran. The connection of the whole subject-matter of Al 'Imran with that of Al-Baqarah mainly consists in a description of the causes that led to the transfer of Prophethood from the Mosaic to the Islamic Dispensation. This was the main theme of Al-Baqarah, and in explanation of it the degenerate condition of the Jews was dealt with at some length in that Surah. But in AI-Baqarah very little light was shed on Christianity, in which culminated the Mosaic Dispensation. This omission could have given rise to the seemingly legitimate doubt that though Judaism which constituted the beginning of the Mosaic Dispensation had become corrupt, its culmination, the Christian Faith, was still pure; and hence, apparently there was no necessity of introducing and establishing a new religion-Islam. To remove this doubt, the hollowness of the Christian dogmas has been exposed in the present Surah. Title Subject-Matter Next, the Surah proceeds to disabuse the minds of the enemies of Islam of the fondly-held illusion that their national usages and customs are superior to those of Muslims. Further, they are told that by holding wrong beliefs and resorting to evil practices they appear to ignore the law of cause and effect, which cannot be flouted with impunity. The Surah then develops the subject that the path to progress and prosperity for Muslims does not lie in imitating other peoples' ways and manners but in strictly following Islam and the Holy Prophet. After this a clear and detailed exposition of the real subject is taken in hand with a brief reference to the beginnings of Christianity, refutation of which is one of its main themes. Then attention of the People of the Book is drawn to the fact that when Muslims also believe in the truth of the Divine origin and source of their Faith, why should they fritter away their energies and resources in fighting with them; instead both should combine to preach to infidels the doctrine of the Oneness of God, on which they agree, and should keep within proper bounds their respective doctrinal differences. The Christians, then, are particularly warned that they cannot hope to continue to be the "Chosen Ones" of God and retain His grace and love if they refuse to accept the new Faith; they are asked how, after having already subscribed to the doctrine that Truth has always been revealed by God from time to time, can they with justification defy this principle? It is further stated that matters regarding which the People of the Book dispute and quarrel with Muslims are not of much weight, because originally some of them were regarded as permissible by their own forefathers. The subject is further developed that Muslims and Jews have a meeting-point in Abraham, and since it was Abraham who laid the foundations of the Ka'bah, why should the Israelites quarrel with Muslims on the basis of fancied and insubstantial differences? Then a note of warning is sounded to Muslims that the People of the Book have gone so far in opposition to them that, if the latter had their way, they would certainly lead them astray. But Muslims will not go astray because they are the recipients of God's favour. They will meet strong opposition and persecution from them which they should endure with steadfastness and should try to strengthen their connection with God and establish their mutual relations on a firmer basis because they will soon need to develop a united front when confronted with a severe attack from Christians. Before that time comes they should add to their numbers by conveying the Message of Islam to as many people as they possibly can. They are further warned against harbouring the delusion that, in the event of their fight with Christians, the Jews would help them. On the contrary, the latter would spare no pains to harass and oppress them. In spite of this warning against the Jews the Surah does not fail to recognize the good wherever it is found and says that all the People of the Book are not bad. There are also good people among them, but only those, who entertain bad designs against Islam, will come to grief. It is these with whom the Muslims should eschew all friendly contact to avoid being influenced by the latter's undesirable morals. Then a brief reference is made to the Battle of Badr. The Muslims are told that, just as in extremely adverse circumstances God protected and helped them against very heavy odds in that encounter and vouchsafed to them a clear victory over the idolaters of Mecca, the same will happen with regard to the People of the Book; God's mercy and grace will accompany them in opposition to the latter. The People of the Book depend for their power and material might on transactions based on interest. But the taking and giving of interest runs counter to good morals. By taking interest they oppress God's servants and by subscribing to the doctrine of Atonement and the dogma of the nonacceptance of repentance they declare God to be cruel like themselves. The believers are further enjoined to do their duty, make suitable sacrifices and employ properly the material means at their disposal, leaving the rest to God for the success of their life's mission. The Surah then enunciates a very sound principle, viz., that the Holy Prophet is but a Divine Messenger; if he should die or be killed in a battle (though in conformity with Divine promise this would never happen), Muslims should not lose heart and should entertain no doubt about the truth of Islam because Islam relies for its success and prosperity on no individual however exalted. Another rule of conduct to be observed in time of war is that the leaders of Muslims should behave with greater leniency than in ordinary times towards other Muslims and should have proper regard for their susceptibilities, so that the enemy may not get an opportunity to create discord and dissension among them. It is further enjoined that at such time all matters should be decided after mutual consultation. Then, Muslims are reminded of the great good God has done to them in that He has raised for them a great Messenger. They should follow him and eschew the path of the disturbers of peace. The Surah lays down the principle, viz., that those, who die while fighting for the cause of Truth, are entitled to special respect. By their death they receive eternal life and inspire their community, as it were, with a new life. Again, reference is made to the People of the Book saying that morally they have become so depraved that, while, on the one hand, they claim to be God's "Own Chosen People," on the other, they hesitate to spend their money in His way. Muslims are enjoined to take a lesson from this. The moral depravity of these people is further contrasted with their claim that they are commanded to give their allegiance only to that Messenger who should demand the greatest sacrifice of them. The Surah says that such Messengers did appear among them, but they refused to accept them. Next, the theme of sacrifice is developed and believers are told that it would be foolish on their part to be afraid of making sacrifices for national cause. They are then warned that their faith will be put to a severe test. They should not think that they will achieve success without passing through fire and blood. In the next few verses some special qualities and characteristics of true believers are mentioned and they are taught certain prayers which are essential for national progress and prosperity. The Surah concludes with the rules of conduct by observing which Muslims can achieve success and predominance in this life and the pleasure of God in the next.
مِنْ قَبْلُ هُدًى لِلنَّاسِ وَأَنْزَلَ الْفُرْقَانَ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ ذُو انْتِقَامٍ
هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ كُلٌّ مِنْ عِنْدِ رَبِّنَا وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلاَّ أُوْلُوا الأَلْبَابِ
قَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ آيَةٌ فِي فِئَتَيْنِ الْتَقَتَا فِئَةٌ تُقَاتِلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَأُخْرَى كَافِرَةٌ يَرَوْنَهُمْ مِثْلَيْهِمْ رَأْيَ الْعَيْنِ وَاللَّهُ يُؤَيِّدُ بِنَصْرِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً ِلأَوْلِي الأَبْصَارِ زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّهَوَاتِ مِنْ النِّسَاءِ وَالْبَنِينَ وَالْقَنَاطِيرِ الْمُقَنْطَرَةِ مِنْ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ وَالْخَيْلِ الْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَالأَنْعَامِ وَالْحَرْثِ ذَلِكَ مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَاللَّهُ عِنْدَهُ حُسْنُ الْمَآبِ قُلْ أَؤُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِخَيْرٍ مِنْ ذَلِكُمْ لِلَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَأَزْوَاجٌ مُطَهَّرَةٌ وَرِضْوَانٌ مِنْ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ
إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ الإِسْلاَمُ وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ إِلاَّ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمْ الْعِلْمُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ وَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ فَإِنْ حَاجُّوكَ فَقُلْ أَسْلَمْتُ وَجْهِي لِلَّهِ وَمَنْ اتَّبَعَنِي وَقُلْ لِلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ وَالأُمِّيِّينَ أَأَسْلَمْتُمْ فَإِنْ أَسْلَمُوا فَقَدْ اهْتَدَوا وَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلاَغُ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ النَّبِيِّينَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَيَقْتُلُونَ الَّذِينَ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْقِسْطِ مِنْ النَّاسِ فَبَشِّرْهُمْ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
أَلَمْ تَرَى إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا نَصِيبًا مِنْ الْكِتَابِ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّى فَرِيقٌ مِنْهُمْ وَهُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ
قُلْ اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتَنْزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّنْ تَشَاءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ تُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَتُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَتُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنْ الْمَيِّتِ وَتُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنْ الْحَيِّ وَتَرْزُقُ مَنْ تَشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ لاَ يَتَّخِذْ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الْكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِنْ دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فَلَيْسَ مِنْ اللَّهِ فِي شَيْءٍ إِلاَّ أَنْ تَتَّقُوا مِنْهُمْ تُقَاةً وَيُحَذِّرُكُمْ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ الْمَصِيرُ قُلْ إِنْ تُخْفُوا مَا فِي صُدُورِكُمْ أَوْ تُبْدُوهُ يَعْلَمْهُ اللَّهُ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مُحْضَرًا وَمَا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ سُوءٍ تَوَدُّ لَوْ أَنَّ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُ أَمَدًا بَعِيدًا وَيُحَذِّرُكُمْ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ وَاللَّهُ رَءُوفٌ بِالْعِبَادِ
إِذْ قَالَتْ امْرَأَةُ عِمْرَانَ رَبِّ إِنِّي نَذَرْتُ لَكَ مَا فِي بَطْنِي مُحَرَّرًا فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّي إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْهَا قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَضَعْتُهَا أُنْثَى وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا وَضَعَتْ وَلَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالأُنْثَى وَإِنِّي سَمَّيْتُهَا مَرْيَمَ وَإِنِّي أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنْ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍ وَأَنْبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِنْدَهَا رِزْقًا قَالَ يَا مَرْيَمُ أَنَّى لَكِ هَذَا قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ
فَنَادَتْهُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّي فِي الْمِحْرَابِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحْيَى مُصَدِّقًا بِكَلِمَةٍ مِنْ اللَّهِ وَسَيِّدًا وَحَصُورًا وَنَبِيًّا مِنْ الصَّالِحِينَ
قَالَ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ لِي آيَةً قَالَ آيَتُكَ أَلاَّ تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلاَّ رَمْزًا وَاذْكُرْ رَبَّكَ كَثِيرًا وَسَبِّحْ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالإِبْكَارِ
ذَلِكَ مِنْ أنْبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا كُنْتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يُلْقُونَ أَقْلاَمَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ يَكْفُلُ مَرْيَمَ وَمَا كُنْتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ إِذْ قَالَتْ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ يَامَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِنْهُ اسْمُهُ الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيهًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ وَمِنْ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ
قَالَتْ رَبِّ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لِي وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِي بَشَرٌ قَالَ كَذَلِكِ اللَّهُ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ إِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ
وَرَسُولاً إِلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنِّي قَدْ جِئْتُكُمْ بِآيَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ أَنِّي أَخْلُقُ لَكُمْ مِنْ الطِّينِ كَهَيْئَةِ الطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَأُبْرِئُ الأَكْمَهَ وَالأَبْرَصَ وَأُحْيِ الْمَوْتَى بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَأُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَةً لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنينَ وَمُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنْ التَّوْرَاةِ وَلأُحِلَّ لَكُمْ بَعْضَ الَّذِي حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَجِئْتُكُمْ بِآيَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِي
فَلَمَّا أَحَسَّ عِيسَى مِنْهُمْ الْكُفْرَ قَالَ مَنْ أَنْصَارِي إِلَى اللَّهِ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنْصَارُ اللَّهِ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ
إِذْ قَالَ اللَّهُ يَاعِيسَى إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنْ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَجَاعِلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ فِيمَا كُنْتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ
فَمَنْ حَاجَّكَ فِيهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنْ الْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَأَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَنِسَاءَنَا وَنِسَاءَكُمْ وَأَنْفُسَنَا وَأَنْفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَلْ لَعْنَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَاذِبِينَ
قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلاَّ نَعْبُدَ إِلاَّ اللَّهَ وَلاَ نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلاَ يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقُولُوا اشْهَدُوا بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ
هَاأَنْتُمْ هَؤُلاَءِ حَاجَجْتُمْ فِيمَا لَكُمْ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلِمَ تُحَاجُّونَ فِيمَا لَيْسَ لَكُمْ بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ
وَقَالَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ آمِنُوا بِالَّذِي أُنْزِلَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَجْهَ النَّهَارِ وَاكْفُرُوا آخِرَهُ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ وَلاَ تُؤْمِنُوا إِلاَّ لِمَنْ تَبِعَ دِينَكُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ الْهُدَى هُدَى اللَّهِ أَنْ يُؤْتَى أَحَدٌ مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيتُمْ أَوْ يُحَاجُّوكُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّكُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ الْفَضْلَ بِيَدِ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
وَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ مَنْ إِنْ تَأْمَنْهُ بِقِنطَارٍ يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ إِنْ تَأْمَنْهُ بِدِينَارٍ لاَ يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ إِلاَّ مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَائِمًا ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِي الأُمِّيِّينَ سَبِيلٌ وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَيْمَانِهِمْ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلاً أُوْلَئِكَ لاَ خَلاَقَ لَهُمْ فِي الآخِرَةِ وَلاَ يُكَلِّمُهُمْ اللَّهُ وَلاَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلاَ يُزَكِّيهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ وَإِنَّ مِنْهُمْ لَفَرِيقًا يَلْوُونَ أَلْسِنَتَهُمْ بِالْكِتَابِ لِتَحْسَبُوهُ مِنْ الْكِتَابِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنْ الْكِتَابِ وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَنْ يُؤْتِيَهُ اللَّهُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُوا عِبَادًا لِي مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلَكِنْ كُونُوا رَبَّانِيِّينَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْكِتَابَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ النَّبِيِّينَ لَمَا آتَيْتُكُمْ مِنْ كِتَابٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ ثُمَّ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُصَدِّقٌ لِمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِ وَلَتَنْصُرُنَّهُ قَالَ أَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكُمْ إِصْرِي قَالُوا أَقْرَرْنَا قَالَ فَاشْهَدُوا وَأَنَا مَعَكُمْ مِنْ الشَّاهِدِينَ
قُلْ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالأَسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَى وَعِيسَى وَالنَّبِيُّونَ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ لاَ نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ
كَيْفَ يَهْدِي اللَّهُ قَوْمًا كَفَرُوا بَعْدَ إِيمَانِهِمْ وَشَهِدُوا أَنَّ الرَّسُولَ حَقٌّ وَجَاءَهُمْ الْبَيِّنَاتُ وَاللَّهُ لاَ يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَمَاتُوا وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ فَلَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِمْ مِلْءُ الأَرْضِ ذَهَبًا وَلَوْ افْتَدَى بِهِ أُوْلَئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِنْ نَاصِرِينَ
كُلُّ الطَّعَامِ كَانَ حِلّا لِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِلاَّ مَا حَرَّمَ إِسْرَائِيلُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تُنَزَّلَ التَّوْرَاةُ قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِالتَّوْرَاةِ فَاتْلُوهَا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
فِيهِ آيَاتٌ بَيِّنَاتٌ مَقَامُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمَنْ دَخَلَهُ كَانَ آمِنًا وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنْ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنْ الْعَالَمِينَ
قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لِمَ تَصُدُّونَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ تَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا وَأَنْتُمْ شُهَدَاءُ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ
وَكَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ وَأَنْتُمْ تُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتُ اللَّهِ وَفِيكُمْ رَسُولُهُ وَمَنْ يَعْتَصِمْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ هُدِيَ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ
وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلاَ تَفَرَّقُوا وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنْتُمْ أَعْدَاءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُمْ بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا وَكُنْتُمْ عَلَى شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِنْ النَّارِ فَأَنْقَذَكُمْ مِنْهَا كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنْ الْمُنْكَرِ وَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ الْمُفْلِحُونَ
يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ اسْوَدَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ أَكَفَرْتُمْ بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْ فَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ
كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنْ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَلَوْ آمَنَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ مِنْهُمْ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ الْفَاسِقُونَ
ضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ الذِّلَّةُ أَيْنَ مَا ثُقِفُوا إِلاَّ بِحَبْلٍ مِنْ اللَّهِ وَحَبْلٍ مِنْ النَّاسِ وَبَاءُوا بِغَضَبٍ مِنْ اللَّهِ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ الْمَسْكَنَةُ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ الأَنبِيَاءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ ذَلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوْا وَكَانُوا يَعْتَدُونَ
يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنْ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَأُوْلَئِكَ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَنْ تُغْنِيَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلاَ أَوْلاَدُهُمْ مِنْ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَأُوْلَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ مَثَلُ مَا يُنْفِقُونَ فِي هَذِهِ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَثَلِ رِيحٍ فِيهَا صِرٌّ أَصَابَتْ حَرْثَ قَوْمٍ ظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ فَأَهْلَكَتْهُ وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمْ اللَّهُ وَلَكِنْ أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لاَ تَتَّخِذُوا بِطَانَةً مِنْ دُونِكُمْ لاَ يَأْلُونَكُمْ خَبَالاً وَدُّوا مَا عَنِتُّمْ قَدْ بَدَتْ الْبَغْضَاءُ مِنْ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَمَا تُخْفِي صُدُورُهُمْ أَكْبَرُ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمْ الآياتِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ هَاأَنْتُمْ أُوْلاَءِ تُحِبُّونَهُمْ وَلاَ يُحِبُّونَكُمْ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْكِتَابِ كُلِّهِ وَإِذَا لَقُوكُمْ قَالُوا آمَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوْا عَضُّوا عَلَيْكُمْ الأَنَامِلَ مِنْ الغَيْظِ قُلْ مُوتُوا بِغَيْظِكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ إِنْ تَمْسَسْكُمْ حَسَنَةٌ تَسُؤْهُمْ وَإِنْ تُصِبْكُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَفْرَحُوا بِهَا وَإِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا لاَ يَضُرُّكُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْئًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ
بَلَى إِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا وَيَأْتُوكُمْ مِنْ فَوْرِهِمْ هَذَا يُمْدِدْكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ بِخَمْسَةِ آلاَفٍ مِنْ الْمَلاَئِكَةِ مُسَوِّمِينَ
الَّذِينَ يُنْفِقُونَ فِي السَّرَّاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ وَالْعَافِينَ عَنْ النَّاسِ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا اللَّهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَنْ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَلَمْ يُصِرُّوا عَلَى مَا فَعَلُوا وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ أُوْلَئِكَ جَزَاؤُهُمْ مَغْفِرَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَجَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَنِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعَامِلِينَ
إِنْ يَمْسَسْكُمْ قَرْحٌ فَقَدْ مَسَّ الْقَوْمَ قَرْحٌ مِثْلُهُ وَتِلْكَ الأَيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَيَتَّخِذَ مِنْكُمْ شُهَدَاءَ وَاللَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِينَ
وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلاَّ رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ أَفَإِيْن مَاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انْقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَى أَعْقَابِكُمْ وَمَنْ يَنْقَلِبْ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ فَلَنْ يَضُرَّ اللَّهَ شَيْئًا وَسَيَجْزِي اللَّهُ الشَّاكِرِينَ وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفْسٍ أَنْ تَمُوتَ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ كِتَابًا مُؤَجَّلاً وَمَنْ يُرِدْ ثَوَابَ الدُّنْيَا نُؤْتِهِ مِنْهَا وَمَنْ يُرِدْ ثَوَابَ الآخِرَةِ نُؤْتِهِ مِنْهَا وَسَنَجْزِي الشَّاكِرِينَ وَكَأَيِّنْ مِنْ نَبِيٍّ قَاتَلَ مَعَهُ رِبِّيُّونَ كَثِيرٌ فَمَا وَهَنُوا لِمَا أَصَابَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَمَا ضَعُفُوا وَمَا اسْتَكَانُوا وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الصَّابِرِينَ وَمَا كَانَ قَوْلَهُمْ إِلاَّ أَنْ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسْرَافَنَا فِي أَمْرِنَا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ
سَنُلْقِي فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الرُّعْبَ بِمَا أَشْرَكُوا بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا وَمَأْوَاهُمْ النَّارُ وَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى الظَّالِمِينَ وَلَقَدْ صَدَقَكُمْ اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ إِذْ تَحُسُّونَهُمْ بِإِذْنِهِ حَتَّى إِذَا فَشِلْتُمْ وَتَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي الأَمْرِ وَعَصَيْتُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا أَرَاكُمْ مَا تُحِبُّونَ مِنْكُمْ مَنْ يُرِيدُ الدُّنْيَا وَمِنْكُمْ مَنْ يُرِيدُ الآخِرَةَ ثُمَّ صَرَفَكُمْ عَنْهُمْ لِيَبْتَلِيَكُمْ وَلَقَدْ عَفَا عَنْكُمْ وَاللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ تُصْعِدُونَ وَلاَ تَلْوُونَ عَلَى أَحَدٍ وَالرَّسُولُ يَدْعُوكُمْ فِي أُخْرَاكُمْ فَأَثَابَكُمْ غَمًّا بِغَمٍّ لِكَيْلاَ تَحْزَنُوا عَلَى مَا فَاتَكُمْ وَلاَ مَا أَصَابَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ الْغَمِّ أَمَنَةً نُعَاسًا يَغْشَى طَائِفَةً مِنْكُمْ وَطَائِفَةٌ قَدْ أَهَمَّتْهُمْ أَنْفُسُهُمْ يَظُنُّونَ بِاللَّهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ ظَنَّ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَقُولُونَ هَلْ لَنَا مِنْ الأَمْرِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ قُلْ إِنَّ الأَمْرَ كُلَّهُ لِلَّهِ يُخْفُونَ فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ مَا لاَ يُبْدُونَ لَكَ يَقُولُونَ لَوْ كَانَ لَنَا مِنْ الأَمْرِ شَيْءٌ مَا قُتِلْنَا هَاهُنَا قُلْ لَوْ كُنْتُمْ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ لَبَرَزَ الَّذِينَ كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمْ الْقَتْلُ إِلَى مَضَاجِعِهِمْ وَلِيَبْتَلِيَ اللَّهُ مَا فِي صُدُورِكُمْ وَلِيُمَحِّصَ مَا فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَلَّوْا مِنْكُمْ يَوْمَ الْتَقَى الْجَمْعَانِ إِنَّمَا اسْتَزَلَّهُمْ الشَّيْطَانُ بِبَعْضِ مَا كَسَبُوا وَلَقَدْ عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لاَ تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَقَالُوا ِلأَخْوَانِهِمْ إِذَا ضَرَبُوا فِي الأَرْضِ أَوْ كَانُوا غُزًّى لَوْ كَانُوا عِنْدَنَا مَا مَاتُوا وَمَا قُتِلُوا لِيَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ ذَلِكَ حَسْرَةً فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ يُحْيِ وَيُمِيتُ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِنْ اللَّهِ لِنْتَ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ كُنْتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ لاَنْفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِي الأَمْرِ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ إِنْ يَنْصُرْكُمْ اللَّهُ فَلاَ غَالِبَ لَكُمْ وَإِنْ يَخْذُلْكُمْ فَمَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَنْصُرُكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلْ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَمَا كَانَ لِنَبِيٍّ أَنْ يَغُلَّ وَمَنْ يَغْلُلْ يَأْتِ بِمَا غَلَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ثُمَّ تُوَفَّى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لاَ يُظْلَمُونَ
لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ يَتْلُوا عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمْ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِنْ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلاَلٍ مُبِينٍ أَوَلَمَّا أَصَابَتْكُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قَدْ أَصَبْتُمْ مِثْلَيْهَا قُلْتُمْ أَنَّى هَذَا قُلْ هُوَ مِنْ عِنْدِ أَنْفُسِكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
وَلِيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ نَافَقُوا وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا قَاتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَوْ ادْفَعُوا قَالُوا لَوْ نَعْلَمُ قِتَالاً لاَتَّبَعْنَاكُمْ هُمْ لِلْكُفْرِ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَقْرَبُ مِنْهُمْ لِلإِيمَانِ يَقُولُونَ بِأَفْواهِهِمْ مَا لَيْسَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَكْتُمُونَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا ِلأَخْوَانِهِمْ وَقَعَدُوا لَوْ أَطَاعُونَا مَا قُتِلُوا قُلْ فَادْرَءُوا عَنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ الْمَوْتَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
فَرِحِينَ بِمَا آتَاهُمْ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَيَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِالَّذِينَ لَمْ يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ مِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ أَلاَّ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
الَّذِينَ اسْتَجَابُوا لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا أَصَابَهُمْ الْقَرْحُ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا مِنْهُمْ وَاتَّقَوْا أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ الَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمْ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَقَالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ
وَلاَ يَحْزُنْكَ الَّذِينَ يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْكُفْرِ إِنَّهُمْ لَنْ يَضُرُّوا اللَّهَ شَيْئًا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ أَلاَّ يَجْعَلَ لَهُمْ حَظًّا فِي الآخِرَةِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ
وَلاَ يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ خَيْرٌ ِلأَنْفُسِهِمْ إِنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ لِيَزْدَادُوا إِثْمًا وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ مَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَذَرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى يَمِيزَ الْخَبِيثَ مِنْ الطَّيِّبِ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُطْلِعَكُمْ عَلَى الْغَيْبِ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَجْتَبِي مِنْ رُسُلِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ فَآمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَإِنْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَتَتَّقُوا فَلَكُمْ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ وَلاَ يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ بِمَا آتَاهُمْ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ بَلْ هُوَ شَرٌّ لَهُمْ سَيُطَوَّقُونَ مَا بَخِلُوا بِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلِلَّهِ مِيرَاثُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ لَقَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ فَقِيرٌ وَنَحْنُ أَغْنِيَاءُ سَنَكْتُبُ مَا قَالُوا وَقَتْلَهُمْ الأَنْبِيَاءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَنَقُولُ ذُوقُوا عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ
الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَهِدَ إِلَيْنَا أَلاَّ نُؤْمِنَ لِرَسُولٍ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَنَا بِقُرْبَانٍ تَأْكُلُهُ النَّارُ قُلْ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِنْ قَبْلِي بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَبِالَّذِي قُلْتُمْ فَلِمَ قَتَلْتُمُوهُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَمَنْ زُحْزِحَ عَنْ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلاَّ مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ لَتُبْلَوُنَّ فِي أَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنْفُسِكُمْ وَلَتَسْمَعُنَّ مِنْ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ وَمِنْ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا أَذًى كَثِيرًا وَإِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الأُمُورِ وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلاَ تَكْتُمُونَهُ فَنَبَذُوهُ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ وَاشْتَرَوْا بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلاً فَبِئْسَ مَا يَشْتَرُونَ لاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أَتَوا وَيُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يُحْمَدُوا بِمَا لَمْ يَفْعَلُوا فَلاَ تَحْسَبَنَّهُمْ بِمَفَازَةٍ مِنْ الْعَذَابِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَى جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَذَا بَاطِلاً سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا سَمِعْنَا مُنَادِيًا يُنَادِي لِلإِيمَانِ أَنْ آمِنُوا بِرَبِّكُمْ فَآمَنَّا رَبَّنَا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَكَفِّرْ عَنَّا سَيِّئَاتِنَا وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ الأَبْرَارِ
فَاسْتَجَابَ لَهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ أَنِّي لاَ أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عَامِلٍ مِنْكُمْ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَى بَعْضُكُمْ مِنْ بَعْضٍ فَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا وَأُخْرِجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ وَأُوذُوا فِي سَبِيلِي وَقَاتَلُوا وَقُتِلُوا لَأُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَلَأُدْخِلَنَّهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ ثَوَابًا مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ عِنْدَهُ حُسْنُ الثَّوَابِ
لَكِنْ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا رَبَّهُمْ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا نُزُلاً مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ وَمَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لِلأَبْرَارِ وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَمَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ خَاشِعِينَ لِلَّهِ لاَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلاً أُوْلَئِكَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ
363. The verse contains a strong refutation of the false doctrine of the divinity of Jesus. This doctrine being one of the principal topics dealt with in this Surah, the opening verses thereof fittingly refer to such attributes of God as cut at the very root of this doctrine. These attributes, i.e., the Ever-Living, the Self-subsisting and All-Sustaining, prove, on the one hand, that God, the Possessor of these attributes, should need no partner or helper; and on the other that Jesus, who was subject to the law of birth and death, and therefore was neither ever-living, nor self-subsisting and all-sustaining, could not be God. These attributes also prove the hollowness of the doctrine of Atonement which is a corollary to the above doctrine. Jesus, it is claimed by Christians; suffered death to atone for the sins of mankind. If that is so, he could not be God, for God is Ever-Living and cannot suffer death, permanent or temporary. It is futile to say that the death of Jesus meant only the separation of the god-Jesus from his physical habitat. The connection between the god-Jesus and his physical body was; according to Christian belief, in its very nature a temporary one and was bound to break one day, even if Jesus had not died on the Cross. So the mere breaking up of this connection could serve no useful purpose. It must be some other death which brought redemption to his sinful followers. That death, according to the Christians themselves, came upon Jesus when after his crucifixion he descended into Hades or Hell(Acts 2:31). Thus, far from being immune from death, which is God's exclusive prerogative, Jesus suffered death both in its literal and figurative sense. Similarly, the attributes, the Self-subsisting and All-Sustaining prove the falsity of the Christian doctrine. God, being Self-subsisting and All-Sustaining, should not only live by Himself without the support of any other being but all other beings should receive support from Him. But Jesus did not possess these attributes. Like other mortals, he was born of a woman, lived on food and drink, suffered pain and distress, asked others to pray for the alleviation of his sufferings, and finally, as Christians say, died on the Cross. The New Testament bears ample testimony to all these facts. But God being Ever-Living, Self- Subsisting and All-Sustaining is above all these physical weaknesses. 364. Haqqa means; it was or became just, proper, right, true; authentic, genuine, substantial or real; or it was or became an established or confirmed fact; or it was or became binding, incumbent or due (Lane). The expression Bil-Haqq signifies, (1) that the Qur’an comprises teachings which are based on eternal truths and are incapable of being successfully assailed; (2) that its first recipients are the people best suited to receive it; (3) that it has come in the fullness of time and fulfils all true human needs; (4) that it has come to stay and no effort on the part of its opponents can destroy or tamper with it. 365. The word, Taurat, is derived from Wara which means, he burnt; he concealed (Aqrab). Taurat is so called probably because in its pristine purity reading it and acting upon its teaching kindled in the heart of men the fire of Divine love. Possibly, the word also contains a hint that bright prophecies about the advent of the last Law-giving Prophet lie hidden in the Book. Taurat is the name applied to the five books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus; Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The name is also sometimes applied to the Ten Commandments. 366. Injil, which means, good news, is, according to Aqrab, a Greek word (un-derived from any Arabic root) from which the English word "Evangel" is derived. The Gospels were so called because they contained not only "good news" for those who accepted Jesus but also because they contained prophecies about the advent of the greatest Prophet whose coming Jesus had described as the coming of the Lord Himself (Matt. 21 :40). The word does not refer to the present four Gospels which were written by the followers of Jesus long after his crucifixion and which give merely an account of his life and teachings, but to the actual revelation received by Jesus. 367. Al-Furqan may refer to the Qur'an or to the heavenly Signs vouchsafed to the Holy Prophet which establish his truth. 368. As development of the child takes place in the womb of the mother, the offspring naturally is affected by her physical and moral condition. So Jesus, whose body like that of all other human beings was formed in the womb of a woman, could not escape being affected by the limitations and failings inherent in woman. This is why, in his discussion with the Christians of Najran; the Holy Prophet pointedly referred to the birth of Jesus as an argument to disprove his so-called divinity. He is reported to have said to them: "Do you not know that it was a woman who conceived Jesus, and then she was delivered of him just as a normal woman is delivered of a child" (Jarir, iii. 101)? 369. Muhkam means. (1) that which has been made secure from change or alteration: (2) that in which there is no ambiguity or possibility of doubt: (3) that which is clear in meaning and decisive in exposition and (4) a verse which embodies a teaching special to the Qur’an (Mufradat & Lane). 370. Umm means, (1) mother: (2) source or origin or basis of a thing; (3) anything which is a means of sustenance and support or of reformation and correction for another; (4) anything to which other things around it are linked (Aqrab & Mufradat). 371. Mutashabih is used about (1) that phrase. sentence or verse which is susceptible of different. though concordant. interpretations: (2) that whose parts resemble or are concordant with one another; (3) that whose true significance bears a similarity to a sense which is not meant; (4) that of which the true meaning is known only by referring it to what is termed Muhkam: (5) that which cannot be rightly understood without repeated consideration; (6) a verse which contains teaching corresponding to or resembling those contained in the previous revealed Scriptures (Mufradat). 372. Ta'wil means, (1) interpretation or explanation; (2) conjecture about the meaning of a speech or writing; (3) turning away a speech or writing from its right interpretation; (4) interpretation of a dream; (5) end, result or sequel of a thing (Lane). In this verse the word occurs twice; in the former place it gives the second or the third meaning, while in the latter it gives the first or the fifth meaning. 373. The verse lays down the golden rule that, in order to prove a controversial point, the decisive and clearly worded parts of a Scripture should be taken into consideration, and if these are found to contradict the construction put upon a certain ambiguous passage that passage should be so interpreted as to make it harmonize with the decisive and clearly worded parts of the text. According to the verse, the Qur’an has two sets of verses. Some are Muhkam (firm and decisive in meaning) and others Mutashabih (capable of different interpretations). The right way to interpret a Mutashabih verse is that only such interpretation of it should be accepted as agrees with the verses that are Muhkam. In 39:24 the whole of the Qur’an is called Mutashabih and in 11 :2 all the Quranic verses have been described as Muhkam. This should not be taken as contradicting the verse under comment, according to which some verses of the Qur'an are Muhkam and others Mutashabih. So far as the real significance of the Quranic verses is concerned the whole of the Qur'an is Muhkam, in that all its verses contain decisive and eternal truths. In another sense, however, the whole of the Qur'an is Mutashabih inasmuch as the Quranic verses have been so worded as to give at one and the same time, several meanings equally true and good. The Qur'an is also Mutashabih (mutually resembling) in the sense that there is no contradiction or inconsistency in it, its different verses supporting one another. But parts of it are certainly Muhkam and others Mutashabih fordifferent readers according to their knowledge, mental make up and natural capacities, as the present verse points out. As regards prophecies, those that are couched in plain and direct language, susceptible of only one meaning, would be regarded as Muhkam and those that are described in figurative or metaphorical language; capable of more than one interpretation, would be regarded as Mutashabih. The prophecies described in metaphorical language should, therefore, be interpreted in the light of the prophecies that are clearly and literally fulfilled and also in the light of the basic and fundamental principles of Islam. For Muhkam prophecies, the reader is referred to 58:22; whereas 28:86 contains a Mutashabih prophecy. The term Muhkam may also be applied to such verses as embody full and complete commandments while Mutashabih verses are those which give only part of a certain commandment, and are required to be read in conjunction with other verses to make a complete injunction. Muhkamat (decisive verses) generally deal with the Law and the doctrines of Faith, while Mutashabihat generally deal with topics of secondary importance or describe incidents in the lives of Prophets or the history of peoples and, while so doing, sometimes make use of idioms and phrases capable of different meanings. Such verses should not be so interpreted as to contradict the clearly worded tenets of the Faith. It may be noted here that the use of metaphors, the main basis of Mutashabih verses in religious Scriptures, is necessary in order to assure vastness of meaning in the fewest of words, to add beauty and grace to the style, and to provide for the people a trial without which spiritual development and perfection are not possible. 374. The right knowledge of the Qur'an is vouchsafed only to those who are pure of heart (56:80). 375. As all these verses have particular reference to Christians the word "disbelievers" occurring in the verse under comment may apply to them. 376. Da'b means, habit, custom or manner; case, affair or condition (Aqrab). 377. The verse refers to the Battle of Badr in which 313 ill-equipped and ill-armed Muslims inflicted a crushing defeat on a fully equipped and fully armed Meccan force-1000 strong. This fulfilled two prophecies-one contained in an earlier revelation of the Qur'an (54:45-49), and the other in the Bible (Isa. 21:13-17). In accordance with the biblical prophecy, about a year after the flight of the Holy Prophet from Mecca, the power of Kedar (the progenitor of the Meccans) was broken at Badr and their glory departed. The defeat of the infidels was as unexpected and complete as was the victory of the Muslims. Truly has the Battle of Badr been reckoned among the greatest battles of history. It virtually decided the fate of Arabia and established Islam on a very firm footing. 378. The clause points out that the Meccan army appeared to the Muslims to be less than their actual strength, i.e., only twice instead of thrice the number of the Muslims, as was actually the case. This was quite in harmony with Divine design that the few weak and ill equipped Muslims, seeing the full strength of the enemy, might not lose heart (8:45). What actually happened was that one-third of the Meccan army was behind a mound and the Muslims could see only two-thirds of them, i.e., 600 or twice as many as their own number. 379. Islam does not prohibit the use or seeking of the good things of this world; but it certainly condemns those who are wholly engrossed in them and make them the very object of their life. 380. Dhunub is the plural of Dhanb which means, a fault, a misdeed, an offence, a thing for which one is blameable. if one does it intentionally. It differs from Ithm in that Dhanb may be either intentional or committed through inadvertence, Ithm is peculiarly intentional. Or Dhanb means, such errors and mistakes as bring about a harmful result or make one liable to be called to account. Really, Dhanb signifies such failings or shortcomings as adhere to human nature, Just as Dhanab (tail, or in man, the corresponding part of the body) adheres to the body, i.e., natural failings and shortcomings in man (Lane & Mufradat). 381. The special marks of a true believer mentioned in this verse represent four stages of spiritual progress: (1) When a person embraces the true Faith, he generally is subjected to persecution; therefore, the first stage through which he has to pass is that of "patience and steadfastness." (2) When persecution comes to an end and he is free to act as he pleases, he carries into practice the teachings which he was unable fully to act upon before. This second stage relates to "living truthfully," i.e., living up to one's convictions. (3) When, as a result of faithfully carrying out the commandments of Faith, true believers attain power, even then humility does not take leave of them. They remain as "humble" in spirit as ever.(4) Nay, their sense of service increases all the more. They "spend" whatever Allah has given them for the welfare of fellow men. But, as the concluding words of the verse point out, all this time they continue to pray to God in the stillness of the night to forgive any falling short, on their part, 381A. The words also mean. in accordance with justice. 382. The one central and indisputable fact in nature and the basic principle of every true religion is Divine Unity. The whole creation and the consummate order pervading it bear undeniable testimony to this fundamental fact. The angels who are the bearers of the Message of truth to the Prophets, the Messengers of God; who propagate it in the world, and those good people who receive and imbibe true knowledge from God's Messengers, all add their testimony to the Divine testimony. Similarly, all are united in testifying to the falsehood of the idea of setting up gods with Allah, be it in the form of plurality, trinity, or duality of gods. 383. All religions inculcate belief in the Oneness of God and submission to His Will; yet it is only in Islam that the idea of submission to God's Will has found its consummation; for complete submission requires complete manifestation of God's attributes and it is in Islam alone that such manifestation has taken place. So of all religious systems Islam alone deserves to be called God's own religion in the real sense of the term. All true religions were indeed more or less Islam in their original form and their adherents Muslims in the literal sense of the term, but not till the time when religion became complete in all its different aspects was it given the name of Al-Islam, which was reserved for the final Dispensation perfected in the Qur'an. The verse further explains 2:63. 384. People of the Book and Ummiyyin (those who follow no revealed Book) comprise the whole of mankind. 386. If the People of the Book and those who follow no revealed Scripture were to surrender themselves to God, they would surely accept the Holy Prophet and be rightly guided, the former because clear prophecies are found in their Scriptures regarding him and the latter because of the combined testimony of nature, human conscience and common sense. 387. No Prophet of God; whatever circumstances faced him, ever failed in his mission. No amount of persecution or attempts to murder the Prophets ever succeeded in arresting or retarding the progress of their Faith. The history of Religion provides a standing testimony to this fact. 388. Disbelievers have no faith in retribution of the Hereafter; so, as a proof of the fact that their deeds will not avail them at all on the Day of Resurrection, they are told that in the present life also their efforts to destroy Islam will prove futile and this will be evidence of the fact that in the life to come also their works will be of no use to them. 389. (1) Prophecies contained in the Bible concerning the Holy Prophet which formed a portion of the Book; or (2) the genuine portion of the Bible, because only a portion of it had remained safe from interpolation and this alone could be called a part of the true Book; or (3) the Bible is but a portion of the Book as compared with the Quran which is the Book par excellence. 390. Both Jews and Christians persuaded themselves into believing that they would be safe against the punishment of the Hereafter, the Jews thinking themselves immune owing to their being the "Favored Ones" of God and the Christians deluding themselves with the idea that Jesus, the so-called son of God; had washed away all their sins with his supposed death on the Cross. 391. The verse constitutes an emphatic contradiction of the doctrine that the blood of any person, and not one's own good works, can bring about salvation. 392. See next verse for explanation of this verse. 393. "The day" may here represent the prosperity and power of a people and "the night" their decline and degradation. 394. This and the preceding verse point to the immutable Divine law that nations rise and fall as they conform to, or defy, the Will of God; Who is the Source of all power and glory. 395. With the accession of political power to Islam, as promised in the preceding verses; forging of political alliances became necessary for the Muslim State. The verse under comment embodies the guiding principle that no Muslim State should enter into treaty or alliance with a non-Muslim State which should in any way injure, or conflict with, the interests of other Muslim States. The interests of Islam should transcend all other interests. 396. Muslims are warned to be on their guard against the plots and machinations of disbelievers. The expression, except that you guard yourselves fully against them, refers not to the power of the enemy but to his cunning of which Muslims should always be on their guard. 397. Nafs means, a person's self: purpose; will or desire; punishment. etc. (Aqrab). 398. The verse emphatically declares that the goal to attain Divine love is now impossible of achievement except by following the Holy Prophet. It further removes the misunderstanding that may possibly arise from 2:63 that belief in the existence of God and in the Hereafter is alone sufficient for salvation. 399. 'Imran may possibly refer to two persons: (1) Amram of the Bible, who was a son of Kohath and a grandson of Levi. He was the father of Moses, Aaron and Miriam, Moses being the youngest of the three (Jew. Enc. under Amram; Exod. 6:18-20); (2) 'Imran, the father of Mary, mother of Jesus. This 'Imran was the son of Yoshhim or Yoshim (Jarir & Kathir). The Qur’an has chosen this name with a twofold purpose: (1) To include, besides Moses, a reference to Aaron. the elder brother of Moses, and (2) to use it as a sort of preamble for introducing the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and, through it, that of Jesus himself. The repetition of the name 'Imran in 3:36 also points to the same conclusion. It is significant that whereas the verse mentions the names of Adam and Noah singly and individually, it refers to Abraham and 'Imran as heads of families. This has been done to point out that the latter names include references to certain individuals from among their progeny. Thus the expression "family of Abraham" not only refers to Abraham personally but also to his sons and grandsons-Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. It may also include a reference to the Holy Prophet of Islam who was likewise descended from Abraham. Similarly, the words "family of 'Imran" refer to Aaron, Moses and Jesus. 'Imran himself is not included, as he was not a Prophet. 400. 'Imr, in the present verse is either the abbreviated form of Al 'Imran (the family of 'Imran, father of Moses) just as in 2:41 Isra'il is the abbreviated form of Bani Isra'il (the Children of Israel) or it refers to 'Imran, the father of Mary. 401. Muharrar means; emancipated; a child divorced from all worldly affairs and dedicated by its parents to the service of the Church (Lane & Mufradat). It was a custom among the Israelites that those persons who were dedicated to the service of the Church remained unmarried (Gospel of Mary, 5:6 & Bayan under 3:36). In this verse the mother of Mary whose name was Hanna (Enc. Bib.) has been spoken of as Imra'at Imran (woman of 'Imran) while in 19:29 Mary herself has been addressed as Ukht Harun (sister of Aaron). 'Imran (Amran) and Aaron were respectively the father and brother of Moses, while he had also a sister named Miriam. Being ignorant of Arabic idiom and Quranic style, Christian writers, who ascribe the authorship of the Qur'an to the Holy Prophet, think that in his ignorance he confused Mary, mother of Jesus, with Mary or Miriam, the sister of Moses. Thus they pretend to have discovered a serious anachronism in the Qur'an-an altogether absurd charge, inasmuch as quite a number of passages can be cited to show that the Qur'an considers Moses and Jesus as two Prophets separated from each other by a long line of Prophets (2:88; 5:45). It is on record that when the Holy Prophet sent Mughirah to Najran, the Christians of that place asked him: "Do you not read in the Qur'an Mary (mother of Jesus) being mentioned as the sister of Aaron. while you know that Jesus was born long time after Moses?' "I did not know the answer," says Mughirah, "and on my return to Medina I enquired about it of the Holy Prophet who answered, 'Why did you not tell them that the Israelites used to name their children after their deceased Prophets and saints (Tirmidhi). In fact, there is actually a tradition to the effect that the husband of Hanna and the father of Mary was known as 'Imran whose father (Mary's grandfather) had the name Yoshhim or Yoshim (Jarir & Kathir). Thus this 'Imran is different from the 'Imran who was the father of Moses and whose own father was Kohath (Exod. 6:18-20). The fact that Hanna's husband, or for that matter Mary's father, has been named Joachim in the Christian Scriptures (Gospel of the Birth of Mary & Enc. Brit. under Mary) should perplex no one as Joachim is the same as Yoshim, mentioned by Ibn Jarir as the father of 'Imran. The Christian Scriptures give the name of the grandfather instead of the father, which is a common practice. Besides, there are instances in the Bible of one person being known by two names. Gideon, for instance, was also called Jerubbaal (Judg. 7:l). So it should occasion no surprise if the second name of Jochim happened to be 'Imran. Moreover, like individuals, families, too, are sometimes known after the names of their distinguished ancestors. In the Bible the name 'Israel' sometimes stands for the Israelites (Deut. 6:3, 4) and Kedar for the Ishmaelites (Isa. 21 : 16; 42: 1 1). Similarly, Jesus has been called the son of David (Matt. 1:1). So the words Imra'at 'Imran may also mean Imra'at Al 'Imran, i.e., a woman from the family of 'Imran. This explanation finds further support from the fact that the words 21 'Imran (family of 'Imran) have been used by the Quran only two verses before. The word 21 (family) was dropped here owing to the nearness of reference. And it is admitted that Hanna, mother of Mary, who was the cousin of Elisabeth (John's mother) belonged to the House of Aaron and through him to that of 'Imran (Luke 1:5,36). The vow of Mary's mother seems to have been taken under the influence of the Essenes who were generally held in high esteem by the people of that time and who practiced celibacy and excluded women from their membership, and dedicated their lives to the service of religion and their fellow beings (Enc. Bib.; Jew. Enc.). It is remarkable that the teachings of the Gospels have much in common with those of the Essenes. It is also clear from the meaning of the word Muharrar that Mary's mother had vowed the dedication of her child to the service of the Church, and as such she intended her never to marry, which shows that Mary was meant to belong to the priestly class. This is why, elsewhere in the Qur'an, she is called the sister of Aaron and not of Moses (1 9:29); though both were real brothers; for whereas Moses was the founder of the Jewish Law, Aaron was the head of the Jewish priestly class (Enc. Bib.; Enc. Brit. under Aaron). Thus Man. mother of Jesus. was the sister of Aaron not in the sense that 2 , she was his real sister but because, like Aaron, she belonged to the priestly order. 402. Mary's mother had made the vow in the hope that she would be blessed with a son whom she would dedicate to the service of God. Instead a daughter was born to her. So she was naturally perplexed. 402A. The words, Allah knew best of what she was delivered, form a parenthetical clause spoken by God, whereas the following words, the male she desired to have was not like the female she was delivered of; may be taken to have been spoken either by God or by Mary's mother. Most probably they are God's words and mean, as rendered in the text, that the female child she had brought forth was superior to the male child she desired to have. lf taken to have been spoken by Mary's mother, they would mean that the female child she had given birth to could not be like the male child she desired to have, inasmuch as a boy only was fitted to do the special service to which she desired to dedicate him. The clause, I have named her Mary, contains an implied prayer to God to make the girl as exalted and as good and virtuous as the name Mary (meaning exalted or a pious worshipper) signified. 402B. Maryam was the mother of Jesus. She was probably named after the sister of Moses and Aaron, known as Mariam (later pronunciation, Miriam). The word, which is probably a compound one in Hebrew means; star of the sea; mistress or lady; exalted; pious worshipper (Cruden's Concordance; Kashshaf & Enc. Bib.). 402C. These words offer some difficulty. If Mary's mother intended her child to be dedicated to the service of God, she must have known that the child would remain unmarried for life. What is, then, the sense in offering prayer for the child's offspring? The most probable explanation is that God had told her in a vision that her daughter would grow up to womanhood and would have a child, whereupon she prayed that Mary and her child might both be granted God's protection. In spite of this, however, she appears to have left the future of Mary in God's hand and dedicated her, as she had originally intended, to the service of God (3:36; Gospel of the Birth of Mary). This must have been an exceptional case, for ordinarily only males were eligible for such dedication. The assumption that Mary's mother had a vision that her daughter would have a son finds mention in the Gospel of Mary (35) though perhaps in a somewhat different form. There was nothing unusual about the prayer of Hanna, Mary's mother, that Mary and her offspring might be protected from satanic influences. All pious parents are actuated by such a desire for their children and pray that they should grow up to lead good and virtuous lives. It is also to be noted that though Islam declares all Prophets of God to be safe from the influence of Satan, the Bible does not ascribe this protection to Jesus (Mark, 1 : 12, 13). 402D. Rajim, derived from Rajama, means: (1) One driven away from God's presence and mercy or one cursed; (2) forsaken and abandoned; (3) pelted with stones; (4) deprived of all goodness and virtue (Lane). 403. Zachariah or Zacharias was the name of an Israelite holy person whom the Qur'an presents as a Prophet (6536) but of whom the Bible speaks only as a priest (Luke, 15). The person presented as a Prophet by the Bible is Zechariah (mark the difference in spelling) of whom the Qur'an; however, makes no mention. Zachariah of the Qur'an was the father of Yahya, (John) who was a cousin of Jesus. 404. The gifts were evidently brought by worshippers visiting the place and there was nothing extraordinary in Mary's reply that the gifts were from Allah for every good thing that comes to man is really from God, He being the Final Giver. In fact, from a girl of Mary's religious upbringing any other reply would have been rather surprising. 405. The pious reply of the child made a deep impression on the mind of Zachariah and awakened in the depths of his soul the latent and natural desire of possessing a similarly virtuous child of his own. He prayed to God to be blessed with a child like Mary. The prayer was probably repeated over a length of period as it is mentioned in varying words in different parts of the Qur'an (3:39; 19:4-7; 21:90). 406. Yahya or John is the name of the Prophet who appeared before Jesus to serve as his harbinger in fulfillment of the biblical prophecy (Mal. 3:l and 4:5). The Hebrew form is Yohanna which in that language means, God has been gracious (Enc. Brit.). The name Yahya was given by God Himself. 407. John came in fulfillment of Malachi's prophecy, "Behold I will send you Elijah; the Prophet, before the great and terrible day of the Lord" (Mal. 45). 408. Ghulam means a youth (Lane). Zachariah's query was a spontaneous expression of innocent surprise at the Divine promise. It also contained a veiled prayer that he might live long enough to see the child born and grow up into a young man. 409. Zachariah was to abstain from speaking for three days, and, then, was the promise to be fulfilled. He was not deprived of his power of speech, as the Gospels seem to allege, as a punishment for his not believing the words of God (Luke, 1 :20-22). 410. The commandment about keeping silent was intended to afford Zachariah a suitable opportunity for passing his time in meditation and prayer-a condition particularly helpful in attracting Divine mercy and grace. Refraining from speech has also been found helpful, in some cases, in making one regain one's lost vitality and physical strength. This practice seems to have been in vogue among the Jews of those times. 411. The use of the word "angels" in the plural number has its own significance. If the mere conveying of a message was intended, only one angel could have acted as a message bearer. In the Quranic idiom the use of the plural number signifies that, as God intended to bring about, through Mary's son, a great change in the world, affecting various spheres of life, He ordered all the different angels connected with the relevant spheres to take part in conveying the message, thus calling upon all of them to help him in bringing about the desired change. 412. In this verse the word "chosen" has been used twice. In the first place it has been used in regard to Mary without reference to any other person, signifying her exalted position absolutely; while in the second place it has been used to express her high position in relation to other women of her time. According to the usage of the Qur’an; the expression Nisa' al-'alamin does not here refer to the women of all times and all ages, but only to the women of the specific time in which Mary lived. 413. Many of the facts which the Qur’an has brought to light regarding Mary are not found in the previous Scriptures. Hence, they are here spoken of as "things unseen." As narrated in the verses that follow, Mary had become pregnant, while leading a life of dedication in the Temple. The priests grew anxious when they came to know of the startling fact. They feared scandal and disputed among themselves and cast lots to decide as to who should take charge of Mary and arrange her disposal in marriage. One Joseph, a carpenter, as mentioned in the Gospels, was hit upon as a suitable person to be her husband and was persuaded to accept the awkward situation. All this was naturally done in secret and so it was a Ghaib (a thing unseen) which the Qur’an has brought to light. 414. Kalimah means, a word; a decree: a command (Mufradat). This word along with the word, Ruh, occurring together in 4: 172 makes it clear without a shadow of doubt that, far from establishing it, these words have been used to demolish and repudiate the doctrine of the so called divinity and sonship of Jesus. In it Jesus has been called Kalimat Allah because his words were helpful to the cause of Truth. Just as a person who helps the cause of Truth by his valor is called Saif Allah (the Sword of God) or Asad Allah (the Lion of God), so was Jesus called Kalimat Allah because also his birth did not take place through the agency of a male parent but by the direct "command" of God ( 19:22 ). Besides the literal meanings given above the Qur’an has used the word Kalimah in the following senses: (1) "a Sign" (66:13 & 8:8); (2) "punishment" (10:97); (3) "plan" or "design" (9:40): (4) "glad tidings" (7:138): (5) "creation of God" (18: 110); (6) "a mere word of mouth" or "a mere assertion" (23: 101). Taken in any of the above senses, the use of the word Kalimah about Jesus in no way gives to him a status higher than that of other Prophets. Moreover, if Jesus has been called Kalimah (word) in the Qur’an, the Holy Prophet has been called Dhikr, i.e., a book or a good speech (65:11,12), which evidently consists of many Kalimat (words). In fact, if Kalimat Allah is taken in the sense of "Word of God." the utmost we can say is that God expressed Himself through Jesus just as He expressed Himself through other Prophets. Words are nothing but a vehicle for the expression of thoughts. They do not form part of our being nor do they become incarnated. 415. Al-Masih is derived from Masaha which means; he wiped off the dirt from the thing with his hand; he anointed it with oil; he journeyed through the land; God blessed him (Aqrab). Masih, therefore, means (1) one anointed; (2) one who travels much; (3) one blessed. Al-Masih is the Arabic form of Messiah which represents the Hebrew Mashiah, i.e., Anointed One (Enc. Bib.; Enc. Rel. & Eth.). Jesus was given this name because he was to travel much. But if in pursuance of the Gospel narrative, his ministry be admitted to have been confined to only three years and his travels to only a few Palestinian or Syrian towns; the title of Masih in no way befits him. Recent historical research, however; has established the fact that after having recovered from the shock and the wounds of crucifixion, Jesus travelled far and wide in the East and finally reached Kashmir to give his message to the Lost Tribes of Israel who lived in those parts. See also 2000 where Jesus is spoken of as having been afforded shelter in a hilly tract of land. Masih as stated above also means "One Anointed." As the birth of Jesus was out of the ordinary and was liable to be looked upon as illegitimate, therefore, to remove this possible accusation, he was spoken of as "being anointed" with God's own anointment; even as all Prophets of God are anointed.416. 'Isa seems to be the inverted form of the Hebrew word Yasu’. Jesus is the Greek form of Josua and Jesua (Enc. Bib.). 417. Ibn Maryam is a surname of Jesus known in Arabic as Kunyah. Jesus has been called Ibn Maryam probably because, being born without the agency of a male parent, he could not but be known after his mother. 418. This expression also gives to Jesus no higher status than that of a righteous servant of God. All highly righteous people have been spoken of in the Qur’an as being granted nearness to God (56:11,12). 418A. Primary meaning of the word Mahd is the state or period of preparation when one is, as it were, being prepared and made smooth for the duties of ripe age. The fact that the two periods of Kuhulah and Mahd have been mentioned together shows that there is no intervening period between them. The entire period before Kuhulah (middle age) is Mahd. 418B. Kahl means, one of middle age or of the age when one's hair becomes intermixed with hoariness; or it means, one who is between thirty or thirty-four and fifty-one years of age or between 40 and 51 (Lane & Tha'labi). That Jesus spoke words of wisdom in his childhood has nothing miraculous or supernatural about it. Many intelligent and well brought up children speak like that. The whole sentence means that he would speak to people words full of extraordinary wisdom and spiritual knowledge, much beyond his years and experience, both in the period of preparation which is youth and in his middle age. The reference to the two distinct periods of Jesus's life may also be taken to hint that his speaking in the latter period would be of a different nature from that in the former. In the latter period he would speak to men as a Prophet of God. Thus the glad tidings given to Mary consisted in the fact that Jesus was not only destined to be an intelligent young man but was also to live to a ripe old age as a righteous servant of God. 419. The news of a son, however happy, in ordinary circumstances; must have greatly perplexed Mary who was not only still unmarried but was also meant to remain so for life. The verse reflects her justified perplexity. It also shows that Jesus had no father, as hinted in Mary's words, no man has touched me. Having been dedicated to the service of the Temple, Mary could not, consistently with her vow of celibacy, marry. If she was to marry and have children in due course, there was no occasion for her to be surprised when the birth of a child was announced to her by the angel in a vision. No normal girl would be surprised, if she were told in a vision that a son would be born to her; for she would naturally infer that the promised child would be born to her after marriage. In the Gospel of Mary, the vow of celibacy is clearly referred to. We have it in chapter 5 of the said Gospel that when the high priest made a general order that all the virgins living in the Temple who had reached their fourteenth year should return home, all other virgins complied with the order but "Mary, the virgin of the Lord" alone answered that she could not comply with it; and for this refusal of her she assigned the reason that both she and her parents had dedicated her to the service of the Lord, and that she had vowed virginity to the Lord, which vow she was resolved never to break (Gospel of Mary, 5:4, 5; 6). Mary's subsequent marriage with Joseph was thus contrary to the vow and against her own wish. She was, however, compelled by circumstances to marry when found with child. The priests had to arrange her marriage to avoid scandal. It does not, however, appear from the Gospels how Joseph was prevailed upon to consent, for he was obviously in the dark about her being pregnant at the time of marriage (Matt. 1:18,19). Presumably, some plausible excuse was found to justify the breaking of the vow. For a detailed account of the manner of the birth of Jesus see 1750-1755. 419A. The words "a Messenger to the Children of Israel" show that the mission of Jesus was confined to the House of Israel. He was not a World-Messenger (Matt. 105, 6; 15:24; 19:28. Acts, 3:25, 26; 13:46. Luke, 19:10; 22:28-30). 420. Khalaqa means; he measured, designed, fashioned or planned; God produced or created or brought into existence a thing or being without there being any previously existing pattern or model or similitude, i.e., he originated it (Lane & Lisan). 420A. Tin, means, clay; earth; mould; etc. Figuratively, al- Tin may signify such persons as possess docile natures suitable for being moulded into any good shape like pliable clay. 420B. Hai'ah means, form; fashion; garb; state; manner; mode or quality (Lane). 420C. Tair means, a bird. Metaphorically the word signifies a highly spiritual man who soars high into spiritual regions as Asad (literally a lion) is used for a brave man and Dabbah for a worthless person, a worm of the earth (34: 15). 420D. 'Ubri'u is derived from Bari'a which means, he was or became clear or free from a thing and signifies, I heal; I declare a person free from the defect attributed to him (Lane). 420E. Akmah means; one who cannot see at night; one born blind; one who becomes blind afterward; one deprived of reason and understanding (Mufradat). 420F. There is no mention in the Bible of the miracle which is popularly believed to have been performed by Jesus that he created birds. If Jesus had really created birds, there is no reason why the Bible should have omitted to mention this, particularly when the creating of birds was a miracle the like of which had never been shown before by any Messenger of God. The mention of such a miracle would certainly have established his great superiority over all other Prophets and would have lent some support to the claim to Divinity which has been foisted upon him by his later followers. Of the different meanings of Khalq-(1) measuring; determining; designing, (2) fashioning; making and creating, etc., it is in the former sense that this word has been used in this verse. In the sense of "creating," the act of Khalq has not been attributed in the Qur'an to any other being or thing except God (13:17; 16:21; 22:74; 25:4; 31:11; 12; 35:41 & 46:5). In the light of the above explanation, and keeping in view the figurative sense of the word "clay," the whole clause, I will fashion out for you a creation .... become a soaring being, would mean that if ordinary men of humble origin but possessing the inherent capacity for growth and development came into contact with him and accepted his Message; they would undergo a complete transformation in their lives. From men groveling in the dust and not seeing beyond their material cares and mundane concerns, they would become converted into birds soaring high into the lofty regions of the spiritual firmament. And this is exactly what happened. The humble and despised fishermen of Galilee, under the impact of the ennobling precept and example of their Master, began soaring high like birds, preaching to the world of Israel the Word of God. As for healing the blind and the leprous, it appears from the Bible that persons suffering from certain diseases (leprosy, etc.) were considered unclean by the Israelites and were not allowed to have social contact with other men. The word, "I declare to be free;" signify that the legal or social disabilities and disadvantages, under which persons suffering from such maladies labored, were removed by Jesus. Or that Jesus used to heal persons suffering from these diseases. The Prophets of God are spiritual physicians; they give eyes to those that have lost spiritual sight, and hearing to those who are spiritually deaf, and they restore to life those who are spiritually dead (Matt. 13:15). In this case the word Akmah would mean such a person as possesses the light of faith but being weak of resolve cannot stand trials. He sees in daytime, i.e., so long as there are no trials and the sun of faith shines forth unclouded, but when the night comes, i.e., when there are trials and sacrifices have to be made, he loses his spiritual vision and stands still (cf. 2:21). Similarly, the word Abras (leprous) would, in the spiritual sense, mean one who is imperfect in faith, having patches of diseased skin among healthy ones. The clause, I will quicken the dead, does not mean that Jesus actually brought the dead to life. Those actually dead are never restored to life in this world. Such a belief is diametrically opposed to the whole Quranic teaching (2:29; 23:100, 101; 21:96; 3959, 60; 40:12; 45:27). The marvelous moral transformation that God's Messengers bring about in the lives of their followers is termed " raising the dead to life," in spiritual terminology. 420G. The entire clause may mean that Jesus told his disciples what they should eat, i.e. ; what they should spend to meet their physical needs, and what they should store up i.e., what they should lay up as spiritual treasure in Heaven. In other words he told them that their earnings should be honestly and lawfully acquired and that they should spend their savings in the way of God, having no thought for the morrow which should be left to God (Matt. 6:25,26). 421. Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophecies of the previous Prophets contained in the Torah. But he brought no new Law, being a follower of Moses in this respect. He himself was conscious of this limitation of his authority (Matt. 5:17, 18). 421A. The expression does not refer to any change or modification in the Mosaic Law. The reference is only to those things which the Jews had themselves rendered unlawful for their use (4:161; 43:64). These two verses show that there were differences among the various sects of the Jews regarding the lawfulness or otherwise of certain things and that by their iniquities and transgressions they had deprived themselves of certain Divine blessings. Jesus thus came as a judge to decide in what matters the Jews had deviated from the right path and to tell them that the blessings of which they had been deprived would be restored to them, if they followed him (Kathir, Fath & Muhit). 422. Hawariyyun is the plural of Hawariyy which means; (1) a washerman; (2) one tried and found to be free from vice or fault (3) a person of pure and unsullied character; (4) one who advises or counsels or acts honestly and faithfully; (5) a true and sincere friend or helper; (6) a select friend and helper of a Prophet (Lane & Mufradat). 423. The Jews had planned that Jesus should die an accursed death on the Cross (Deut. 21:24), but God's plan was that he should be saved from that death. The plan of the Jews miscarried and God's plan was successful, because Jesus did not die on the Cross but came down from it alive, and died a natural death in Kashmir, full of years, and far away from the scene of his crucifixion. 424. Mutawaffi is derived from Tawaffa. They say Tawaffa Allahu Zaidan, i.e., God took away the soul of Zaid; namely He caused him to die. When God is the subject and a human being the object, Tawaffa has no other meaning than that of taking away the soul, whether in sleep or death. Ibn 'Abbas has translated Mutawaffi-ka as Mumitu-ka, i.e., I will cause thee to die (Bukhari). Similarly, Zamakhshari, an Arab linguist of great repute, says: "Mutawaffi-ka means, I will protect thee from being killed by the people and will grant thee full lease of life ordained for thee, and will cause thee to die a natural death, not being killed" (Kashshaf). In fact, all Arabic lexicographers are agreed on the point that the word Tawaffa as used in the aforesaid, manner, can bear no other interpretation and not a single instance from the whole Arabic literature can be cited of this word having been used in any other sense. Outstanding scholars and Commentators like (1) Ibn 'Abbas. (2) Imam Malik, (3) Imam Bukhari, (4) Imam Ibn Hazm, (5)lmam Ibn Qayyim, (6) Qatadah, (7) Wahhab and others are of the same view (Bukhari, ch. on Tafsir; Bukhari, ch. on Bad' al Khalq; Bihar; Al-Muhalla, Ma'ad, p. 19;bManthur ii.: Kathir). The word has been used in no less than 25 different places in the Qur'an and in no less than 23 of them the meaning is to take away the soul at the time of death. Only in two places the meaning is to take away the soul at the time of sleep; but here the qualifying word "sleep" or "night" has been added (6:61; 39:43). The fact cannot be denied that Jesus is dead. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said, "Had Moses and Jesus now been alive, they would have found themselves forced to follow me" (Kathir). He even fixed the age of Jesus at 120 year ('Ummal). The Qur'an, in as many as 30 verses, has completely demolished the absurd belief of the physical ascension of Jesus to. and his supposed life in heaven. 424A. Raf signifies raising the status and rank of a person and honoring him. When the Raf of a man is spoken of as being towards God, the meaning is invariably his spiritual ascension, because God not being material or confined to any place, no physical ascension to Him is possible. The word has been used in the Qur'an in this sense (24:37 & 35:11). The raising of Jesus is mentioned in the verse under comment in reply to the false claim of the Jews that he died an accursed death on the Cross. 424B. Ja'ala means; he made; he prepared or made; he appointed; he pronounced; he exalted (2: 144); he held, etc. (Lane). 425. Adam primarily stands for man, i.e., the sons of Adam generally. Jesus is thus declared to be like other mortals who have all been created from dust (40:68), and so there can be no Divinity about him. If; however; the word "Adam" be taken to refer to the progenitor of the human race, then the verse would be taken to point to the resemblance between Jesus and Adam in being born without the agency of a male parent. In this case, the fact that Jesus had a mother would not affect the likeness which; as stated above, need not be complete in all respects. 425A. Elsewhere, man is stated to have been born out of clay (6:3). The difference sought to be indicated by the use of 'dust' and 'clay' is that when the word 'dust' is used, the idea of revelation (heavenly water) is not implied, but where 'clay' is used the idea of revelation is also indicated. 426. The discussion on Christian doctrines with which this Surah deals has been brought to a close in this verse. The reference, as mentioned above, is to the Christian deputation from Najran which consisted of sixty persons and was headed by their chief, 'Abd al-Masih; known as AI-'Aqib. They met the Holy Prophet in his Mosque and the discussion on the doctrine of the so-called divinity of Jesus continued at some length. When the question had been fully discussed and the members of the deputation were found to be still insisting on their false doctrine, the Holy Prophet, in obedience to Divine command contained in the present verse, invited them, as a last resort, to join him in a sort of prayer-contest technically known as Mubahalah, i.e., invoking the curse of God on the holders of false beliefs. As, however, the Christians did not appear to be sure of their ground, they declined to accept the challenge, thus indirectly admitting the falsity of their doctrine (Zurqani). Incidentally, it may be mentioned that during the discussion with the Christian deputation from Najran the Holy Prophet allowed them to pray in his Mosque in their own way, which they did facing the East-an act of religious toleration unparalleled in the history of all religions (Zurqani).426A. This verse is wrongly considered by some to provide a basis for a compromise between Islam on the one hand and Christianity and Judaism on the other. It is argued that if these religions also teach and inculcate the doctrine of Divine Unity, then other Islamic teachings supposed to be of comparatively little importance could safely be left alone. It is unthinkable that the idea of compromise in matters of faith could ever have been encouraged, with a people who, in the immediately preceding verses, have been severely condemned for their false beliefs and who are so forcefully challenged to a prayer-contest to invoke the curse of God upon the holders of false beliefs. The Holy Prophet, while writing his missionary epistle to Heraclius, used this very verse, yet he forcefully invited the latter to accept Islam and threatened him with Divine punishment if he refused to do so (Bukhari). This shows beyond doubt that the mere fact of his believing in Divine Unity could not, according to the Holy Prophet, save Heraclius from God's punishment. In fact, the verse is intended to suggest an easy and simple method by which Jews and Christians can arrive at a right decision regarding the truth of Islam. The Christians, in spite of professing belief in the Unity of Godhead, believed in the divinity of Jesus; and the Jews, notwithstanding their claim to be strict monotheists, gave blind allegiance to their priests and divines, practically placing them in the position of God Himself. The verse exhorts both of them to come back to their original belief in the Oneness of God and give up the worship of false deities who stand in the way of their accepting Islam. Thus, instead of seeking a compromise with these Faiths, the verse virtually invites their followers to accept Islam by drawing their attention to the doctrine of the Oneness of God which being, at least in its outer form, the common fundamental doctrine of all, could serve as a meeting ground for further approach. Incidentally, it may be noted here that the letter, mentioned by Bukhari and other Muslim Traditionists as having been addressed by the Holy Prophet to Heraclius and some other rulers-Muqauqis, the King of Egypt being one of them-couched in the words of this verse and inviting them to accept Islam, has recently been discovered and found to contain the exact words quoted by Bukhari (R. Rel. vol. v. no. 8). This furnishes a strong proof of the essential authenticity of Bukhari and, for that matter, of other accepted works of Hadith. 427. The reference is either to the Quranic teaching or to the claim of the Jews and Christians about Abraham referred to in the preceding verse. 427A. The simplicity, straightforwardness and perfection of the religion of Islam very often create such strong feelings of appreciation in the hearts of the People of the Book that they feel irresistibly drawn towards it but, being inimical and jealous, their appreciation often takes the queer, though not unpsychological, course that they begin to wish that Muslims may become like themselves. Taking the word Dalalah in the sense of ruin (40:35) the expression Yudillunakum (lead you astray) may also be rendered as "lead you to ruin" and the next clause, but they lead astray none except themselves, may in that case mean that by seeking to ruin the Muslims, they only ruin themselves, because the rise of one's enemy signifies one's own fall. 427B. Rejection of God's Signs is a heinous crime for anyone, but it becomes still more heinous for him who is a direct witness thereof. 427C. By means of the Signs, mentioned in their Scriptures about the Holy Prophet, the People of the Book could easily know that Muhammad (peace and the blessings of God be on him) was indeed the Promised Prophet, yet because of enmity and jealousy they would not recognize him and would insist on mixing up truth with falsehood rather than accept the truth in its unalloyed purity. 428. The Jews were held in high esteem by the pagan Arabs for their religious learning. They took undue advantage of this and thought of a device to turn Muslims away from their Faith by outwardly embracing Islam in the early part of the day and giving it up in the latter part, seeking in this way to make the unlettered Arabs believe that something must have been seriously wrong with Islam, otherwise these learned men would not have so hurriedly given it up. But these foolish people made a completely wrong estimate of the invincible faith of the Companions of the Holy Prophet. 428A. If we are wrong in holding this view, then they should remove this misunderstanding by some Divine argument. 428B. ‘Grace' here may signify Prophet hood. 428C. (1) The clause; And obey none but him who follows your religion, constitutes continuation of the concluding clause of the preceding verse. Thereafter comes the parenthetical clause beginning with the words, Say, surely true guidance-the guidance of Allah-is that one may be given the like of that which has been given to you. Then comes again the speech of the Jews in the words, or they would argue with you before your Lord, the verse finally ending with the Divine commandment: Say, 'All bounty, etc.' This style is peculiar to the Qur'an and is intended to produce a good psychological effect. (2) According to another interpretation; only the words which in this case would be translated as "Say, the true guidance is the guidance of Allah," would be considered as being parenthetical and the following words, i.e., that one be given the like of that which has been given to you, ... before your Lord, would be taken to form part of the speech of the Jews. (3) Yet according to a third interpretation the speech of the Jews is taken to end with the words, obey none but him who follows your religion; the succeeding clauses being considered to be all Divine speech. 429. In the time of the Holy Prophet the idea had gained ground among the Jews that it was no sin to rob a Gentile (non-Jew) Arab of his possession and property because the latter followed a false religion. Possibly, the idea had its origin in the Jewish law of usury, which makes an invidious distinction between a Jew and a non-Jew regarding the giving and taking of interest (Exod. 22:25; Lev. 25:36, 37; Deut. 23:20). 430. God will not speak to them words of kindness nor will look upon them with mercy and compassion, nor will adjudge them as pure. 431. It is an allusion to an evil practice of some Jews in the time of the Holy Prophet. They would recite a passage in Hebrew in such a manner as would deceive the hearers into believing that it was the Torah that was being recited. The word "Book" used thrice in this verse means "a passage in Hebrew" in the first dace and "the Torah" in the last two. The passage is spoken of as "the Book" because the Jews tried to make it appear as such. 432. The expression ma Kana la-hu is used in three senses: (a) It does not become him to do so. (b) It is not possible for him to do so; or, it does not stand to reason that he should have done so; (c) he cannot possibly do so, i.e., it is physically impossible for him to do so. 432A. Rabbaniyyin is the plural of Rabbaniy which means, (1) one who devotes himself to religious service or applies himself to acts of devotion; (2) one who possesses knowledge of God; (3) one who is learned in religious lore, or a good or righteous man; (4) a teacher who begins to nourish people with the small matters of knowledge or science before taking the great ones; (5) a lord or master or a leader; (6) a reformer (Lane, Sibawaih & Mubarrad). 432B. The words, because you teach the Book and because you study it, show that it is the duty of all those who themselves have acquired spiritual knowledge that they should impart it to others and should not let men grope in the darkness of ignorance. 433. The expression Mithaq al-Nabiyyin may either signify the covenant of the Prophets with God or the covenant which God took from the people through their Prophets. The expression has been used here in the latter sense because another reading of the expression as supported by Ubayy bin Ka'b and 'Abd Allah bin Mas'ud is Mithaq Alladhina 'utu al-Kitab meaning, the covenant of those who were given the Book (Muhit). This rendering is also supported by the words that follow. i.e., and then there comes to you a Messenger fulfilling that which is with you. because it was to the people and not to their Prophets that the Messengers of God came. 433A. The word Musaddiq has been used here to denote the criterion by which a true claimant is distinguished from a false one. The word has been rightly translated here as "fulfilling," for it is only by "fulfilling" in his person the prophecies contained in the previous revealed Scriptures that a claimant can prove his truth. 433B. This verse is also considered to apply to other Prophets in general and to the Holy Prophet in particular. Both applications are correct. The verse lays down a general rule. The advent of every Prophet takes place in fulfillment of certain prophecies made by a previous Prophet in which he enjoins his followers to accept the next Prophet when he makes his appearance. If the Prophet comes in fulfillment of the prophecies contained in the Scriptures of one people only, as was the case with Jesus and other Israelite Prophets, then only that people are bound to accept and help him: but if the Scriptures of all religions predict the coming of a Prophet, as in the case of the Holy Prophet, then all nations are bound to accept him. The Holy Prophet appeared in fulfillment of the prophecies not only of the Israelite Prophets (Isa. 21:13-15. Deut. 18:18; 33:2. John 14:25, 26; 16:7-13) but also of the Aryan seers and Buddhist and Zoroastrian sages (Shafrang Dasatir, p. 188, Siraji Press, Delhi Jamaspi, published by Nizam al-Masha'ikh, Delhi, 1330 A.H.). 434. As in the physical world man must submit to the laws of nature-and he knows by experience that such submission is useful for him-it is only reasonable that, in spiritual matters also wherein he has been granted a certain amount of freedom, he should obey the laws and commands of Allah and thus win His pleasure to his own benefit. 435. The Jews refused to believe in non-Israelite Prophets as the words, obey none but him who follows your religion (3:74) show. The charge has been pressed home to them that while they rejected all but the Israelite Prophets, Islam requires its followers to believe in all the Prophets of God, irrespective of the country or the race or the community to which they belonged or of the time in which they lived. This constitutes Islam's great superiority over all other religions. 435A. The words do not mean that there is no difference of rank or status between various Prophets which view is contrary to 2:254. What they really signify is that there can be no discrimination between them as Divine Messengers. 436. Certainly a people, who at first believe in the truth of a Prophet and proclaim their belief openly in him and become witnesses of Heavenly Signs but afterwards reject him through fear of men or other worldly considerations, lose all title to be again guided to the right path. Or the verse may refer to those who believed in the former Prophets but rejected the Holy Prophet. 436A. Mere repentance and sorrow at past misdeeds is not sufficient to secure Divine forgiveness; an honest promise to eschew evil ways and a firm resolve to reform others also is needed for the purpose. 437. The verse does not mean that the repentance of apostates shall in no case be accepted because this inference runs counter to 3:90 according to which repentance is acceptable at every stage. Reference here is to those persons only who make a profession of repentance and, instead of reinforcing their profession by bringing about a real and practical change in their lives, actually increase in disbelief. 438. In order to attain true faith, which is the essence of all righteousness and is the highest form of good, one must be prepared to sacrifice everything that one holds dear. The highest stage of righteousness can be attained only by spending in the way of God that which one loves best. High morals (Birr) cannot be attained without imbibing a true spirit of sacrifice. 439. Certain foods which the Jews abstained from were allowed by Islam. One such thing was the sciatic nerve, to which reference is made in Gen. 32:32. Jacob suffered from sciatica, and, for medical reasons he forbade himself the sciatic nerve as food. This was his personal matter but the Israelites made it a rule of conduct to abstain from eating the sinew. 440. The name Israel was bestowed upon Jacob in a vision (Gen. 32:28). 441. Dhalika refers to the statement made in the preceding verse. To say that such and such parts of food were disallowed by God whereas He had not forbidden them, amounted to forging a lie against God. 442. By saying that Abraham was ever obedient to God, the verse hints that he did not prohibit the eating of any particular food of his own accord, as the Israelites have done. It purports to say that by differing from the Israelites in this matter, Islam does not go against the way and the practice of the Prophets of God, particularly that of Abraham. 443. Becca is the name given to the Valley of Mecca, the mim of Mecca being changed into ba'. These two letters are interchangeable as in Lazim and Lazib. The Qur'an here draws the attention of the People of the Book to the remote antiquity of the Ka'bah in order to point out that it is the real and original centre of God's religion; those adopted by Jews and Christians being of later origin. See also 2:128. 444. After alluding to the historical evidence in favor of the Ka'bah, the Qur'an proceeds to adduce three reasons to show that the Ka'bah is entitled to be adopted as the Qiblah or the Centre of God's religion for all times: (a) Abraham; the great Patriarch prayed here; (b) it gives peace and security; (c) it shall ever remain the Centre to which men from different countries and diverse nations will resort for Pilgrimage. 445. Shahid means, one who gives information of what he witnesses; one possessing much knowledge; a person slain in the way of God. When used about God the word signifies, He from Whose knowledge nothing is hidden (Lane). 446. The meaning is: 'You desire that there should appear crookedness in Islam;' or "you desire to pervert its tenets." 447. (1) Whoever preserves himself from sin by acting upon God's commandments; (2) whoever establishes a connection with Allah and cleaves firmly to Him. 448. As the hour of death is not known, one can be sure of dying in a state of resignation to God only when one remains continually in that condition; hence the expression signifies that one should always remain obedient to God. 449. Habl means, a rope or cord with which a thing is tied or made fast; a bond; a covenant or compact; an obligation by which one becomes responsible for the safety of a person or thing; alliance and protection (Lane). The Holy Prophet is reported to have said, 'The Book of God is the rope of Allah which has been extended from the heavens to the earth' (Jarir, iv. 30). 450. It will be hard to find a more disunited people than the Arabs before the Holy Prophet appeared among them, but, at the same time; human history fails to provide any example of the bond of loving brotherhood into which the Arabs were united by the noble teaching and example of their great Master. 451. The words "on the brink of a pit of fire" signify the internecine warfare in which the Arabs were constantly engaged and which was consuming their manpower. 452. Al-Khair here signifies Islam, because goodness in general is included in the word Ma'ruf occurring immediately after it. 453. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said, 'If anyone of you sees anything evil, let him remove it with his hand. If he cannot do so with his hand, then let him forbid it with his tongue. If he cannot do even that, then let him at least hate it in his heart, and that is the weakest kind of faith' (Muslim). 454. The verse refers to disunity and dissensions among the People of the Book in order to bring home to Muslims the dangers of discord and disagreement. 455. The Qur'an has explained "whiteness" and "blackness" as emblematic of "happiness" and "sorrow" respectively (3:107, 108; 75:23-25; 80:39-41). When a person does a deed for which he is praised, the Arabs say of him: Ibyadda Wajhu-hu, i.e., the face of such a one has become white. And when he does a deed for which he is reproached, it is said of him Iswadda Wajhu-hu, i.e., his face has become black. 456. The expression Bi'l-Haqq (lit. 'with truth' and translated as, comprising the truth) signifies, firstly; that these Signs or words of God are full of truth; secondly, they have come as a matter of right, i.e., you had a right to receive them; thirdly, this was the proper time for their revelation. See also 364. 457. The verse not only claims that the Muslims are the best people-a big claim indeed-but also gives reasons for it: (1) They have been raised for the good of all mankind; and (2) it is their duty to enjoin good and forbid evil and believe in one God. The glory of the Muslims is subject to and governed by these two conditions. 458. The verse contains an important and far-reaching prophecy regarding the Jews, viz., that they are for ever doomed to disgrace and humiliation and to live in subjection to others. The history of the Jewish people from the time of the Holy Prophet up to the present day bears eloquent testimony to the truth of this awful prophecy. In all countries and in all ages, the present age of enlightenment and toleration not excepted, the Jews have been the victim of bitter persecution and have been subjected to diverse kinds of disgrace and humiliation. The establishment of the State of Israel is but a temporary phase in the life of Jewry. 459. The words Ummatun Qa'imatun may also mean: (1) A party or people who perform fully and faithfully their duties; (2) a people who stand up for Prayer in the latter part of the night. The words refer only to those Jews who had embraced Islam. 460. Islam is not a national or tribal religion. Whoever joins it, no matter what community or creed he comes from, receives the same reward as any other follower of the Faith, provided, of course, he acts righteously. No prejudicial treatment is meted out to the members of any particular nationality. A Jew, and for that matter any other person, after embracing Islam is on par with an Arab Muslim. 461. The idea underlying this verse is that the efforts of the disbelievers against Islam will recoil on themselves. Whatever they do or spend with a view to injuring the cause of Islam will only injure themselves. 462. Khabal means; corruption whether of body or reason or actions; loss or deterioration; ruin or destruction; fatal poison (Aqrab). 463. They love to see you fall into calamity or misfortune; to perish or to become weak and broken; or they love to see that you deviate from the path of righteousness and take to a life of sin. 464. As borne out by the context, the words "while they do not believe in the Book, all of it" or similar words should be taken to be understood after the words, you believe in the Book, all of it. 465. The words, Perish in your rage; have been addressed to such Jews as are the enemies of Islam and seek to destroy it. 466. God will bring to naught all their doings and will destroy them. Muslims should not therefore fear them. All machinations of the enemies of Islam are known to God, and He will frustrate them. 467. The reference is to the Battle of Uhud. In order to wipe out the humiliation of their defeat at Badr, the Quraish of Mecca, in the third year of the Hijrah marched against Medina with a well-equipped army of 3,000 seasoned warriors. Much against his own wish the Holy Prophet with a force of 1 ;000 including 300 followers of 'Abd Allah b. Ubayy; the notorious Hypocrite who afterwards defected, marched out of Medina to meet the enemy. The encounter took place near Uhud. 468. The two parties were the two tribes of Banu Salimah and Banu Harithah, belonging respectively to Khazraj and Aus (Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghszi). The verse indicates that they did not actually show cowardice, but seeing that by the defection of 'Abd Allah's 300 followers, the small Muslim army had been further greatly depleted, they only thought of deserting but in fact did not do so. 469. Badr is the name of a place on the route between Mecca and Medina. It takes its name from a spring which belonged to a man named Badr. The Battle of Badr referred to here took place near this place. 470. As mistakenly understood these words do not refer to the Battle of Badr which has been mentioned in the preceding verse only incidentally in order to cite an illustration of how God helped the steadfast Muslims in time of danger. The number of angels sent at the Battle of Badr was, according to 8: 10, one thousand as the number of the enemy was then one thousand. In the Battle of Uhud the number of the enemy was 3,000, so the Muslims were also promised the help of 3,000 angels. The fulfillment of the present promise is referred to in 3:153. 471. The word bala also denotes a connection between the verses and supplies the answer to the question in 3:125, viz., Will it not suffice you? Thus the meaning would be: "Yes, it will suffice us, and so will suffice a force of 5,000 angels if the enemy were to return to the attack at this very moment." 472. The words signify that if the disbelievers returned to the attack at once, without giving the Muslims any time to recoup themselves, God would help them with 5,000 angels. The difference in the number of angels-in the preceding verse the number mentioned being 3,000-was due to the later greatly weakened condition of the Muslims. They were at that time exhausted and badly mauled and, therefore, needed greater help. After having gone to some distance towards Mecca the Quraish decided to return and attack the Muslims again. When the Holy Prophet came to know of this, on the day following the battle, he gave immediate orders to march and directed that only those of his followers who had taken part in the Battle of Uhud should go with him. The Muslims went as far as Hamra' al-Asad, a place about eight miles from Medina. The Meccans were, however, so overawed by this unexpectedly bold and prompt appearance of the Holy Prophet and his followers that they decided to retreat hastily to Mecca. This was due to the fear which the angels had cast into their hearts. Otherwise there was no reason for them to flee from Muslims upon whom they had inflicted so heavy a loss only a day before and who, besides being very much reduced in number, were greatly exhausted and were suffering from grievous wounds as a result of the previous day's fighting. 473. Musawwimin is derived from Sawwama. They say Sawwama 'Alaihim; i.e., he suddenly and vehemently attacked them and wrought havoc among them (Aqrab). 474. The angels helped Muslims on the one hand, by strengthening their hearts; and, on the other, by filling the hearts of their enemies with awe and fear. If God had so willed, a single angel would have been enough to help the Muslims at Uhud, but He promised to send as many as five thousand of them. This constituted a veiled hint that a large number of the hidden forces of nature would work in their favor. It may incidentally be noted that some believers, and even some disbelievers, are reported to have actually seen angels in the Battle of Badr (Jarir, iv. 47). See also 8:10. 475. When the Holy Prophet learnt that the Meccans were contemplating an immediate attack on Medina, he marched against them. The Meccans fled in disgrace and abasement. 476. This verse is erroneously considered to contain an admonition to the Holy Prophet for his having prayed to God to destroy the Meccans. There is no mention of any such prayer here, nor was there any occasion for such a one. In fact, a Prophet never prays for the destruction of any people without the permission of God. The verse is meant only as an answer to those who attributed the reverse of Muslims at Uhud to the alleged error of their leaving the city against the advice of experienced men. It says that the temporary reverse was brought about by the supreme wisdom of God and that the Holy Prophet had nothing to do with the matter. One good result of this reverse was that many disbelievers were guided to Islam, among them being the famous Khalid. They saw how God had helped the Holy Prophet in the hour of distress and how He had afforded him protection although, at one time, he was left all by himself in the battle. 477. The words Ad'afan Muda'afah are not used here as a qualifying phrase to restrict the meaning of Riba (interest) so as to confine it to a particular kind of interest. They are used as a descriptive clause to point to the inherent nature of Riba (interest) which continually goes on increasing. The charging of interest, although now legalized by Christian nations; was prohibited by Moses (Exod. 22:25; Lev. 25:36, 37; Deut. 23:19, 20). The verse does not mean that interest is permissible at a moderate rate; only a high rate having been disallowed. All interest is prohibited, whether moderate or excessive; and the words Ad'afan Muda'afah rendered as, involving multiple additions, have been added only to point to the practice actually in vogue in the time of the Holy Prophet. Thus the extreme limit has been mentioned merely to bring out its heinousness, otherwise; all interest is prohibited, as clearly stated in 2:276-281. Mention of the commandment about the prohibition of interest while dealing with the subject of war is significant. In 2:280 also prohibition of interest has been mentioned in connection with the subject of war. This shows that war and interest are closely related to each other-a fact amply borne out by the wars of modern times. As a matter of fact, interest is one of the causes of war, and also helps to prolong it. 478. In 2:276 also the prohibition of interest has been followed by a warning against fire. Evidently, it is the fire of war that is primarily meant here. The word "disbelievers," besides being general, may here mean those who disobey the Divine commandment about interest. 479. 'Ard means, (1) price or value of a thing in a form other than money; (2) breadth or width; (3) vastness (Aqrab). 479A. This verse is an answer to those who, obsessed by their present environments, think that commerce and trade cannot be carried on without interest. It says that by following the teachings of Islam Muslims can and will enjoy all sorts of benefits. The verse constitutes an invitation to Muslims to follow the commandments of Islam. It also signifies that Paradise will comprise both heavens and earth, i.e., the believers will be in Paradise both in this life and in the life to come. A well-known saying of the Holy Prophet throws interesting light on the nature of Paradise and Hell. When asked, "If Paradise encompasses both the heavens and the earth, where is Hell," the Prophet replied, "Where is night when the day comes" (Kathir)? He is further reported to have said that the smallest reward of Paradise will be as great as the space between heaven and earth. This also shows that Paradise is a spiritual state and not a particular physical place. 480. A man is said to exercise the quality of 'Afw when he obliterates from his mind, or totally forgets, the sins or offences committed against him by others. When used with reference to God, it signifies not only obliteration of sins but also of all traces thereof. 481. The verse mentions three stages of 'Afw. In the first stage a believer, when offended against, restrains or suppresses his anger. In the second stage, he goes a step further and grants forgiveness and free pardon to the offender. In the third stage, he not only grants the offender complete pardon, but also does an additional act of kindness to him and bestows some favor upon him. These three stages-suppression of anger, pardoning; and doing of good-are well illustrated by an incident in the life of Hasan, son of 'Ali and a grandson of the Holy Prophet. A slave of his once committed an offence and Hasan became very angry and was about to punish him when the slave recited the first part of the verse, i.e., those who suppress anger. Hearing these words, Hasan withheld his hand. Then the slave recited the words, and pardon men, upon which Hasan promptly pardoned him. The slave then recited, and Allah loves those who do good. In obedience to this Divine command Hasan was so moved that he at once set him free (Bayan, i. 366). 482. When good men happen to be guilty of a moral lapse, they do not seek to justify their conduct but frankly confess their guilt, and try to reform. 483. When a man truly turns to God after having committed a sin, and sincerely repents of his misdeeds, he is not only forgiven by God, but God leads him to higher stages of spiritual progress and promises him Heaven. 484. Sunan is the plural of Sunnah which means; (1) way, course or rule of conduct; (2) way of acting instituted or pursued by a people and followed by others after them; (3) character, conduct, nature or disposition; (4) religious law or dispensation (Taj). 485. The pronoun Hadha may refer to the Qur'an, or the verse immediately preceding, or to the subject of repentance discussed in the foregoing verses. 486. In means; if; not; verily; because; when; etc. (Lane). 487. The verse embodies a very important principle how a nation or an individual can become and remain strong, the words "slacken not" being related to future dangers and "grieve not" to past errors and misfortunes. Nations decline and fall only when, either through lack of true realization of their responsibilities they begin to slacken in their efforts, or through brooding over the past, they give way to despair. The verse warns against both these dangers. 488. Elsewhere (3:166); it is said that Muslims inflicted upon disbelievers an injury double of what they themselves had suffered. This refers to the Battle of Badr, when seventy Meccans were killed and seventy were taken prisoner, thus making a total of 140. In the Battle of Uhud, on the other hand, seventy Muslims were killed, but not one of them was taken prisoner. Thus Muslims had inflicted on the disbelievers a double injury in the Battle of Badr compared with what they themselves suffered in the Battle of Uhud. Taking into account, however, only those killed in the two battles, the loss of Muslims and disbelievers has been spoken of in the present verse as similar. Or the verse might be taken to refer to the nature or quality of the misfortune, which was alike in both cases. In that case verse 166 below might be taken to refer to the quantity and the present verse to the quality of the loss.488A. "Days of prosperity" or " days of misfortune." 489. God being Omniscient does not stand in need of adding to His knowledge. It is only the act of distinguishing between two things that is meant here. Knowledge ('llm) is of two kinds. One kind of knowledge consists in knowing a thing before it comes into existence; and the other in knowing when, and as, it actually comes into existence. Here it is the latter kind of knowledge that is meant. 490. The Faithful bear witness to the truth of Islam by their steadfastness and by the noble example they set in time of misfortune. 491. The reverse suffered by Muslims at Uhud served as a sort of atonement for their lapse. Besides, the battle made some disbelievers realize that Islam was God's own religion. The very Meccans who took a leading part against the Muslims in that battle became converted to Islam not long after the battle. Islam had conquered their hearts, "destroying" their erstwhile disbelief. 492. It is trials and afflictions which test the mettle of a man; and there can be no spiritual advance or purification without them. 493. "Death here stands for war, for the result of war is death. War, as it were, meant death for the Muslims, who were extremely weak, both in equipment and numbers compared with their powerful enemy. In the Battle of Uhud the Holy Prophet proposed to fight the enemy from inside Medina, but some of his Companions, particularly those, who had not taken part in the Battle of Badr, said, "We had longed for this day. Let us go out to fight our enemies, lest they think we are cowards" (Zurqani, i.22). It is to this desire of the Muslims that reference is made in the words, you used to wish for such a death. 494. A false report was spread at Uhud that the Holy Prophet had been killed. The verse refers to that incident and purports to say that although the report was untrue; yet even if it had been true and the Prophet had in fact been killed, that should not have made the Faithful waver in their faith. Muhammad was only a Prophet; and as other Prophets before him had died, so would he. But the God of Islam is Ever Living. It is on record that when the Holy Prophet died, 'Umar stood up in the Mosque at Medina with a drawn sword in his hand and said, "Whoever will say that the Prophet of God is dead, I will cut off his head. He is not dead, but has gone to his Lord (he has ascended to heaven), even as Moses had gone to his Lord, and he would come back and punish the Hypocrites." Abu Bakr coming on the scene firmly told 'Umar to sit down and addressing the Muslims who had gathered in the Mosque, recited this very verse which convinced them that the Prophet was really dead and so they were overwhelmed with grief. The verse incidentally establishes the fact that all the Prophets before the Holy Prophet, had died; for if any of them had been alive, the verse could not have been quoted as proof of the Holy Prophet's death. In fact, Islam does not depend for its life on any individual, however great. God is its Revealer and its Protector and Guardian. But the verse should not be understood to mean that the Holy Prophet could ever be killed in war or at the hand of an assassin. He was promised Divine protection from all harm to his life (5:68). The enemy had rejoiced when the false report went round that the Prophet was dead. But it proved a blessing in disguise for Muslims. It prepared them for the great strain which his actual death was to bring upon them later. But for this experience, it would have proved unbearable for them. 495. Ribbiyyun is the plural of Ribbiyy which is derived from Rabba for which see 1:2. Ribbiyy means, one related to Ribbah, i.e., a company or a large company or a numerous company. Thus the word means; those forming a large company or a large body of persons. The word also signifies learned, pious and patient men (Lane). 496. The rewards of the next life are of various degrees, and such believers, as have been described above, will get the best of them. The word Husna rendered as "excellent" does not necessarily indicate superlative degree but is also used to express an intensified sense absolutely. 497. Muslims are not enjoined to eschew dealings with all non-Muslims; they are warned against following only such disbelievers as are the active enemies of Islam. 498. Idolatry springs from superstition and fear; and one possessed of superstition and fear can never be truly brave. 499. The "promise" refers to the general promise of victory and success repeatedly given to Muslims, particularly in 3: 124-126. 500. The verse refers to the party of archers posted in the rear of the Muslim army at Uhud, and points out that they could not resist the temptation of taking part in actual fighting and in sharing the booty, and their failure to control that desire was an act of cowardice on their part. It is indeed the heart which is the seat of true bravery and courage. 501. The "order" may refer either to the order of the Holy Prophet given to the party of archers on the hill not to leave their station without his permission, or to its import and significance, i.e., whether the Holy Prophet had really meant them to stay there even after the battle had been won; some saying that he did mean it and others alleging that he did not. 502. Muslims stationed at the hill paid no heed to their leader, 'Abd Allah b. Jubair, who, in compliance with the order of the Holy Prophet, told them not to quit the place, even if victory was within sight. They could not control themselves, and the result was that their act caused great suffering to Muslims. 503. The words refer to those archers who quitted the place at which they had been stationed. The Arabic clause may also signify that some members of the party desired the present world, i.e., taking part in the fighting and collecting the booty, while others (viz., 'Abd Allah b. Jubair and those of his comrades who did not quit their posts) desired the Hereafter, i.e., they thought of the ultimate consequence of disobeying the command of the Holy Prophet. Some were short-sighted, while others were far-sighted. 504. The words refer to the incident which happened when in the Battle of Uhud the Muslims were attacked from both the rear and the front and their ranks were broken and many of them fled in confusion in different directions. At first, when they heard that the enemy was coming from behind, they turned back to attack him, but it so happened that at that time a large body of Muslims was also coming from that direction. In the confusion those Muslims were mistaken for the enemy and were attacked. So great was the confusion and the panic that even the voice of the Holy Prophet was not heeded. 505. The Holy Prophet had stationed a party of archers at the hill. They abandoned their positions prematurely, thinking that the battle had been won. Consequently, the victory which was almost within the grasp of the Muslims became converted into a near defeat. It naturally caused a sorrow to them. This was the first sorrow. The second or the later sorrow was that which they felt at the unfounded report of the death of the Holy Prophet. God so designed that the sorrow pertaining to the unfounded report of the Prophet's death (the later sorrow) should come after the sorrow of the reverse which the Muslims had suffered (the first sorrow), in order that the later sorrow should remove the effect of the former sorrow at seeing that the Holy Prophet was safe. The words Ghamman bi-Ghammin also mean, sorrow upon sorrow. 505A. The words "what escaped you" signify, the victory which was almost within the grasp of the Muslims and "what befell you" signify the reverse they suffered and the loss of Muslims killed. 506. The reference in the verse is again to the Battle of Uhud. Abu Talhah says, "I lifted my head on the day of Uhud and began to look about, and saw that there was none among us on that day whose head had not bent down on account of slumber" (Kathir ii. 303). As sleep or slumber is a sign of mental peace and tranquility, the Qur'an refers to the incident as a Divine favor. The incident evidently occurred when the battle was practically over and the Muslims had returned to the neighboring hill. 506A. The reference is to the Hypocrites who had remained behind at Medina. They were more concerned about their own security than about the honor of Islam and the security of the Holy Prophet and the Muslims. The words, we should not have been killed here, occurring a few lines further; mean, "If we had any voice in the determination of affairs and if our advice had been accepted, we, i.e., our brethren, would not have been killed in the battle;" the insinuation being that the Muslims were foolish enough to march to the battlefield against heavy odds, while they (the Hypocrites) had wisely refrained from going with them. According to Quranic idiom the slaying of one's self sometimes signifies the slaying of one's brethren or companions (2:55, 86). 506B. Qatl has been used here in the sense of, Qital, i.e., fighting (Muhit & Kashshaf). See 2:192 and Jarir under 3:155. 506C. The word "death-beds" has been used in order to point to the abject cowardice of the Hypocrites on the one hand; and the steadfast devotion of the believers on the other. It reminds the Hypocrites that while they had deserted and returned to Medina, thinking that fighting in the circumstances was sure death, such was the firm faith of the believers that even if they (the Hypocrites) had kept back from the very beginning they (the believers) would have cheerfully gone forth to the battlefield-or the place of death, as it was thought to be. All this happened that God might purify the Faithful. 507. The reference is again to the Battle of Uhud. 507A. The word "stumble," mentioned in the verse, refers to the disobeying of the orders given to the party stationed at the hill or the running away of some Muslims from the battlefield. 508. The words seem to contain an implied praise for the archers at the hill who misinterpreting the Holy Prophet's orders left their post, meaning that only "certain" of their misdeeds had brought them this temporary disgrace, otherwise they were really loyal and obedient to the Holy Prophet. 509. When they travel in the land in the cause of God. 510. The object of disbelievers was to frighten the Muslims in order to make them keep away from fighting, but the Muslims, far from being discouraged by such warnings, became all the more firm in their resolve to fight the disbelievers. This filled the disbelievers with regret for having made the effort which produced a result opposite to that which they had desired. 511. He who fights and lays down his life in the cause of Truth should not be regarded as dead, because he gives his life for the sake of Him Who is the Controller of all life. He may be regarded as physically dead; spiritually he lives for ever (2:155). 512. Whereas; hypocrites are afraid of death because of the wealth and property which they have to leave behind, the believers, killed in the cause of Allah; will get what is incomparably greater than what hypocrites are greedily hoarding up, or what Muslims themselves may have collected in the form of wealth and other worldly things. 513. The pronoun "you" includes both hypocrites and believers; for all will be gathered unto God for reward or punishment, as the case may be. 514. The words give an insight into the beautiful character of the Holy Prophet, of which the most effable and prominent trait was his all-comprehensive mercy. He was full of the milk of human kindness and was not only kind towards his Companions and followers but was also full of mercy and sympathy for his enemies who were always on the lookout to stab him in the back. It is on record that he took no action against those treacherous Hypocrites who had deserted him in the Battle of Uhud. He even consulted them in affairs of State. 515. Besides other things Islam is unique in this respect that it has included the institution of Mushawarah (consultation) in its basic principles. It has made it binding upon the Head of the Muslim State that he should consult Muslims in all important affairs of the State. The Holy Prophet used to consult his followers in all important matters, as he did before the battles of Badr, Uhud. and Ahzab, and also when a false accusation was brought against his noble wife 'A'ishah. Abu Hurairah says: "The Holy Prophet was most solicitous in consulting others in all matters of importance" (Manthur ii. 90). 'Umar, the Second Successor of the Holy Prophet, is reported to have said: "There is no Khilafat without consultation" (Izalat al-Khifa' 'an Khilafat al-Khulafa'). Thus the holding of consultation in important matters is a basic injunction of Islam and is binding on both spiritual and temporal Muslim Chiefs. The Khalifah or the Head of the Muslim State must seek the advice of representative Muslims though the final decision may rest with him. The Islamic Shura or Mushawarah is not a parliament in the sense in which the word is understood in the West. The Head of the Muslim State enjoys a certain discretion in rejecting the advice tendered to him. But he should not lightly use this discretion and should respect the advice of the majority. 516. The expression, Min Ba'dihi, translated as, "beside Him," literally means, "after Him" and may be rendered as "in opposition to Him." 517. The archers stationed by the Holy Prophet at the hill of Uhud to protect the rear of the Muslim army left their posts (not all of them) when they saw the Meccan army in full flight. They thought that by leaving the hill at that stage they were not contravening the spirit of the Prophet's orders, which were to the effect that they were not to leave their posts in any circumstances. They further thought that as, according to Arab custom a soldier was entitled to the possession of the booty he laid his hand on during the fight they might be deprived of their share of the spoils of war if they stuck to their posts. This precipitate action of the archers implied an apprehension on their part that the Holy Prophet might ignore their right to the booty. It is this apprehension that is condemned here. But no imputation of actual faithlessness to the Holy Prophet is implied. The verse simply purports to say that it was far from the Holy Prophet to ignore the rights to the booty of those whom he himself had stationed at a certain place. 518. Undaunted by the defection of the Hypocrites at Uhud, which considerably weakened the ranks of Muslims, the Holy Prophet proceeded to fight the enemies of Islam. The Hypocrites, on the other hand. by their act of desertion, drew upon themselves the wrath of God. 519. The words, Hum Darajatun, mean "they are possessors of ranks;" the word, 'ulu, is understood before the word Darajat. 520. The words are intended to awaken in the hearts of Muslims a desire to follow the example of the Holy Prophet, who was like them and was one of them. 521. The words refer to the Battle of Badr, when 70 Meccans were killed and 70 taken prisoner. At Uhud, 70 Muslims were killed, none being taken prisoner. Thus the Muslims had already inflicted a double loss on the Meccans. 522. As for the real cause of man's actions, both the good and evil ones are said to emanate from him, because he is their author, but as it is God Who, as the final Judge, brings about the results of those actions, whether good or bad, they can equally be said to proceed from Him (4:79). In this sense, both the good and evil results of man's actions would be attributed to God. 523. Trials and tribulations are intended to distinguish true believers from those weak of faith. In this way, the sufferings of the Muslims at Uhud proved a blessing in disguise. They served to distinguish the true believers from the Hypocrites who had so far remained mixed up with true believers. 524. The particle au rendered as "and" literally means "or" and is equivalent to "in other words," or "what is the same thing as" etc. 525. The expression, Lau Na'lamu Qitalan; may mean: (1) If we knew that there would be fighting, i.e., we knew that there would be no fighting and that the Muslims would at once run away before their very powerful enemy without giving fight. (2) If we knew it to be a fight, i.e., it was no fight in which the Muslims were going to be engaged but rather their certain destruction in view of the appalling difference between the numbers and equipment of the opposing forces. (3) If we knew how to fight. In this case, the words may be taken to have been spoken ironically, signifying: "We are unaware of the art of war; if we had been acquainted with it, we would have fought along with you.'' The allusion in the verse is obviously to the defection at Uhud of a party of 300 Hypocrites under their leader 'Abd Allah b. Ubayy, who deserted the Muslims and went back to Medina. 526. The words "said of their brethren" may mean "said concerning their brethren," i.e., Muslims; or "talked among themselves about the Muslims." 527. Amwat is the plural of Mayyit which, besides meaning a dead person, signifies, (1) one whose blood has not been avenged; (2) one who leaves behind no successors; (3) one stricken with sorrow and grief. 528. The martyrs are glad that their brethren, who are left behind in the world and will follow them later, will soon triumph over their enemies, i.e., after death the veils are removed and the martyrs are given the knowledge of the victories in store for the Muslims. They receive good tidings concerning their brethren, i.e., the angels of God keep them informed of the later successes and victories of Islam. 529. The reference here and in the next verse is to the two expeditions which the Holy Prophet led against the Meccans after the Battle of Uhud. The first was undertaken on the day immediately following the battle. When the Meccans withdrew from Uhud, they were taunted by some Arab tribes for having brought no booty and no prisoners of war from a battle in which they claimed to have won a victory. They, therefore, thought of returning to Medina with a view to re-attacking the Muslims and completing their victory. The Holy Prophet had anticipated their return; so he called upon those of his Companions who had taken part in the Battle of Uhud to join him in the expedition against them and on the following day he left Medina with 250 men. When the Meccans heard of this, they lost heart and fled. The Holy Prophet went as far as Hamra' al-Asad, a distance of about eight miles from Medina on the route to Mecca and seeing that the enemy had fled; returned to Medina. The second expedition came a year later. Before leaving the battlefield of Uhud, Abu Sufyan, commander of the Meccan army, had promised the Muslims another engagement next year at Badr. But the ensuing year being a year of famine, he could not carry out his boast. But he sent Nu'aim b. Mas'ud to Medina to intimidate the Muslims by spreading false rumors of great preparations having been made by the Meccans. This clumsy ruse; however, completely failed to frighten the Muslims, who came to Badr at the appointed time; only to find that the Meccans had not come. This expedition is known as the expedition of Badr al-Sughra (the Smaller Badr) to distinguish it from the great Battle of Badr which had taken place about two years earlier. 530. The reference is to the false rumors spread by Nu'aim b. Mas'ud. 531. The Muslims returned from Badr al-Sughra after making great profit by trading at the annual fair held there. This is hinted in the word "bounty." 532. The words mean: (1) Satan tries to make believers fear disbelievers who are his friends. (2) By his plans Satan succeeds in frightening only his friends, the disbelievers. 533. Those who try to harm Islam or the Holy Prophet and his followers, in reality, try to harm God Himself, because the cause of the Holy Prophet is God's own cause. 534. The particle Lam in the expression Liyazdadu is Lam 'aqibah denoting result. 535. The verse signifies that the trials and tribulations through which Muslims have so far passed would not end soon. There are yet many more in store for them, and they will continue to come till true believers are completely distinguished from hypocrites and those weak of faith. 536. The words do not mean that some of the Messengers are chosen and others are not. They mean that of the persons whom God ordains as His Messengers. He chooses the one most suited for the particular age in which he is raised. 537. Mirath rendered as "heritage" here signifies "ownership." The word also means, portion allotted to one. See 23:12 where it is stated "those who shall inherit Paradise." Paradise is not inherited by anyone: it is only received as an allotted portion from God. 538. When the Jews were called upon to spend their wealth in the cause of Allah (3: 181), they taunted the Muslims by saying, 'Is Allah poor and we rich?' These words also express the inward feelings of those niggardly persons who join a new movement but find it hard to comply with its ever growing monetary demands. 539. The verse answers the objection of the Jews about the burnt offerings by saying that the observance of the law regarding such offerings was no criterion to test the truth of a Prophet, because that could easily be done by an impostor. It was only "clear signs" that demonstrated and established the truth of a claimant. But even if observance of burnt offerings was the criterion of a true Prophet, the Jews had no right to raise an objection. The charge is driven home to them in the words, "Why did they reject those Prophets who strictly conformed to that law?' 540. Zabur means; a writing or a book of wisdom and science, not containing legal statutes; ordinances or commandments, particularly the Book of David containing the Psalms (Lane). 541. The Torah which all the Israelite Prophets followed though they had also their separate revelations containing warnings and words of wisdom. 542. Death is the most certain phenomenon in nature and yet man's attitude towards it is of complete disregard and indifference. Worldly life has been here called a vain and illusory thing, because, on the face of it; it appears to be a very attractive and sweet thing, but when one becomes engrossed in seeking its pleasures and profits, one finds it bitter and deceptive. 543. Tests and trials serve a fourfold purpose: (1) They distinguish the waverers and the weak of faith from the sincere and steadfast votaries. (2) They are a means of spiritual advancement for those sincere in faith. (3) Those going through a trial come to know the strength or weakness of their own faith and are thus enabled to shape their conduct accordingly. (4) Trials also establish the title to reward of those deserving it. 544. The reference here is to no particular covenant but to a general covenant taken from 545. Mafazah means, a place or state of security or escape; a means of success and prosperity (Aqrab). 546. The lesson implied in the creation of the heavens and the earth and in the alternation of night and day is that man has been created both for spiritual and temporal progress; and that if he acts righteously, his period of darkness and affliction must needs be followed by one of sunshine and happiness. 547. The grand system to which an allusion has been made in the previous verse could certainly not have been brought into being without a definite purpose. The whole universe having been created to serve man, the creation of man himself must have a great purpose. When man ponders over the spiritual implication of the physical phenomenon of the creation of the universe and the consummate order that pervades it, he is deeply impressed by the great wisdom of the Creator, and from the inmost depths of his being rises the cry: Our Lord, Thou hast not created this universe in vain. 548. Dhunub, which generally refers to natural human weaknesses and ordinary mistakes and omissions; may represent those dark recesses of the heart where the heavenly light does not properly reach; while Sayyi'at; which is a comparatively stronger word, may mean the clouds of dust which hide the light of the sun from our view. See also 2:82 & 3.17. 549. As this Surah mainly deals with Christian doctrines and ideals and with their way of life, and as Christianity, in spite of the claims of the Christian Church to the contrary, gives woman a status definitely inferior to that of man, the insistence on the equality of the status of woman with that of man in the spiritual sphere forms a befitting sequel to it. The words, you are from one another, are intended to emphasize this equality of status of both men and women. 550. The verse; apart from its relevance to the time of the Holy Prophet, is appropriately applicable also to the present dazzling material progress of Christian nations in all departments of life, and warns Muslims against being deceived or overawed by the glamour of this transitory and fleeting progress. 551. The prosperity of Christian nations is only temporary, and the verse hints at the dreadful punishment which is in store for them and which has now actually begun to overtake them. 552. Nuzul; a noun-infinitive from Nazala which means, he alighted; he lodged or settled in a place; signifies (1) a place where guests are lodged; (2) food prepared for guests (Lane). 553. The words, Allah is Swift in settling account; when used in regard to disbelievers, mean that God is Swift in taking account and dealing out punishment; but when used about believers they mean that God is quick in settling accounts and giving rewards. 554. Rabitu means, persevere in fighting against your enemy or tie your horses in readiness at the frontiers; or apply yourselves constantly and assiduously to the obligations of your religion; or be mindful of the times of Prayer (Lane). 555. The five requisites of success mentioned in the verse are: (1) Exercise of patience and steadfastness; (2) showing greater patience and greater steadfastness than the enemy; (3) applying oneself constantly and assiduously to the service of one's religion and community; (4) keeping vigilant watch at the frontiers both for the purpose of defense and attack; and (5) leading a life of righteousness. Ribat also signifies the human heart. Thus believers are enjoined to be always in a state of readiness to fight internal and external enemies.
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