| Chapter 20 : Surah Thaha |
(Revealed before Hijrah) Date of Revelation and Context Subject-Matter Next, mention is made of Divine punishment that would overtake Christian nations for their sins and iniquities after they had enjoyed material prosperity for a thousand years. Of these the last three centuries would be marked by uniform progress and prosperity of a very high order. This would make them disdainfully ignore the Divine warning that a dreadful fate was in store for them. The Surah emphatically declares that this event will certainly come to pass and Christian nations of the West will be seized with a terrible visitation; lofty mountains shall crumble and become like scattered dust (vv. 106, 107). Then the subject with which the Surah has opened is rehearsed, viz., that the Qur'an easily yields to understanding and comprehension because it has been revealed in the national tongue of the people who are its first addressees. Like the Christian Scriptures it usually does not talk in parables and metaphors, thus leaving the subject confused and lacking in clarity, but explains its teaching in an easily comprehensible language. The importance of the Law is driven home by strong and forceful arguments and it is shown to be not an unmitigated curse but a great Divine blessing. Then mention is made of the expulsion of Adam from "the garden." This incident on which the whole fabric of the Christian doctrine of atonement stands is either misunderstood or deliberately misinterpreted and misrepresented by Christians. The truth is that the birth of Adam took place according to a fixed Divine plan, and Divine plans never miscarry or fail in their object. While according to the Bible, God created Adam in His own image (Gen. 1:27) and then, beguiled by Eve, Adam fell into sin, the Qur'an declares that having been created in God's own image and likeness, Adam could not possibly have been guilty of any such fall. It describes him as only having slipped into an inadvertent lapse (v. 116). The Surah ends with a stern warning to disbelievers that Signs and miracles of their own devising will never be shown to them and that if, in spite of having seen many heavenly Signs, they still persisted in denying the Divine Message, they will be punished as were punished the disbelievers of the former Messengers of God.
أَنْ اقْذِفِيهِ فِي التَّابُوتِ فَاقْذِفِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ فَلْيُلْقِهِ الْيَمُّ بِالسَّاحِلِ يَأْخُذْهُ عَدُوٌّ لِي وَعَدُوٌّ لَهُ وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِنِّي وَلِتُصْنَعَ عَلَى عَيْنِي إِذْ تَمْشِي أُخْتُكَ فَتَقُولُ هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى مَنْ يَكْفُلُهُ فَرَجَعْنَاكَ إِلَى أُمِّكَ كَيْ تَقَرَّ عَيْنُهَا وَلاَ تَحْزَنَ وَقَتَلْتَ نَفْسًا فَنَجَّيْنَاكَ مِنْ الْغَمِّ وَفَتَنَّاكَ فُتُونًا فَلَبِثْتَ سِنِينَ فِي أَهْلِ مَدْيَنَ ثُمَّ جِئْتَ عَلَى قَدَرٍ يَامُوسَى
فَأْتِيَاهُ فَقُولاَ إِنَّا رَسُولاَ رَبِّكَ فَأَرْسِلْ مَعَنَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلاَ تُعَذِّبْهُمْ قَدْ جِئْنَاكَ بِآيَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَالسَّلاَمُ عَلَى مَنْ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدَى
الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمْ الأَرْضَ مَهْدًا وَسَلَكَ لَكُمْ فِيهَا سُبُلاً وَأَنزَلَ مِنْ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِنْ نَبَاتٍ شَتَّى
قَالَ آمَنْتُمْ لَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ آذَنَ لَكُمْ إِنَّهُ لَكَبِيرُكُمْ الَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمْ السِّحْرَ فَلَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ مِنْ خِلاَفٍ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ فِي جُذُوعِ النَّخْلِ وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ أَيُّنَا أَشَدُّ عَذَابًا وَأَبْقَى قَالُوا لَنْ نُؤْثِرَكَ عَلَى مَا جَاءَنَا مِنْ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالَّذِي فَطَرَنَا فَاقْضِ مَا أَنْتَ قَاضٍ إِنَّمَا تَقْضِي هَذِهِ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا
وَلَقَدْ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى مُوسَى أَنْ أَسْرِ بِعِبَادِي فَاضْرِبْ لَهُمْ طَرِيقًا فِي الْبَحْرِ يَبَسًا لاَ تَخَافُ دَرَكًا وَلاَ تَخْشَى
يَابَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ قَدْ أَنجَيْنَاكُمْ مِنْ عَدُوِّكُمْ وَوَاعَدْنَاكُمْ جَانِبَ الطُّورِ الأَيْمَنَ وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَى كُلُوا مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَلاَ تَطْغَوْا فِيهِ فَيَحِلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ غَضَبِي وَمَنْ يَحْلِلْ عَلَيْهِ غَضَبِي فَقَدْ هَوَى
فَرَجَعَ مُوسَى إِلَى قَوْمِهِ غَضْبَانَ أَسِفًا قَالَ يَاقَوْمِ أَلَمْ يَعِدْكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ وَعْدًا حَسَنًا أَفَطَالَ عَلَيْكُمْ الْعَهْدُ أَمْ أَرَدْتُمْ أَنْ يَحِلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ غَضَبٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُمْ مَوْعِدِي قَالُوا مَا أَخْلَفْنَا مَوْعِدَكَ بِمَلْكِنَا وَلَكِنَّا حُمِّلْنَا أَوْزَارًا مِنْ زِينَةِ الْقَوْمِ فَقَذَفْنَاهَا فَكَذَلِكَ أَلْقَى السَّامِرِيُّ
وَلَقَدْ قَالَ لَهُمْ هَارُونُ مِنْ قَبْلُ يَاقَوْمِ إِنَّمَا فُتِنتُمْ بِهِ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ الرَّحْمَنُ فَاتَّبِعُونِي وَأَطِيعُوا أَمْرِي
قَالَ يَبْنَؤُمَّ لاَ تَأْخُذْ بِلِحْيَتِي وَلاَ بِرَأْسِي إِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تَقُولَ فَرَّقْتَ بَيْنَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِي
قَالَ بَصُرْتُ بِمَا لَمْ يَبْصُرُوا بِهِ فَقَبَضْتُ قَبْضَةً مِنْ أَثَرِ الرَّسُولِ فَنَبَذْتُهَا وَكَذَلِكَ سَوَّلَتْ لِي نَفْسِي قَالَ فَاذْهَبْ فَإِنَّ لَكَ فِي الْحَيَاةِ أَنْ تَقُولَ لاَ مِسَاسَ وَإِنَّ لَكَ مَوْعِدًا لَنْ تُخْلَفَهُ وَانظُرْ إِلَى إِلَهِكَ الَّذِي ظَلَلْتَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِفًا لَنُحَرِّقَنَّهُ ثُمَّ لَنَنسِفَنَّهُ فِي الْيَمِّ نَسْفًا
فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ وَلاَ تَعْجَلْ بِالْقُرْآنِ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يُقْضَى إِلَيْكَ وَحْيُهُ وَقُلْ رَبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا
فَأَكَلاَ مِنْهَا فَبَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْآتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِنْ وَرَقِ الْجَنَّةِ وَعَصَى آدَمُ رَبَّهُ فَغَوَى
قَالَ اهْبِطَا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ مِنِّي هُدًى فَمَنْ اتَّبَعَ هُدَايَ فَلاَ يَضِلُّ وَلاَ يَشْقَى
أَفَلَمْ يَهْدِ لَهُمْ كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُمْ مِنْ الْقُرُونِ يَمْشُونَ فِي مَسَاكِنِهِمْ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآياتٍ ِلأَوْلِي النُّهَى
فَاصْبِرْ عَلَى مَا يَقُولُونَ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ غُرُوبِهَا وَمِنْ آنَاءِ اللَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْ وَأَطْرَافَ النَّهَارِ لَعَلَّكَ تَرْضَى وَلاَ تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ إِلَى مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِنْهُمْ زَهْرَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنيَا لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ وَرِزْقُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى
وَلَوْ أَنَّا أَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ بِعَذَابٍ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ لَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا لَوْلاَ أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولاً فَنَتَّبِعَ آيَاتِكَ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ نَذِلَّ وَنَخْزَى
1807. Ta Ha is a combination of ta and ha. In the dialect of 'Akk, an Arab tribe, it means; 'O my beloved,' or 'O perfect man.' The author of Kashshaf interprets it as 'O you.' By some, the expression is interpreted as, 'Be thou at rest' (Bayan & Lisan). The expression points to the fact that the Holy Prophet was gifted, in the fullest measure, with all those natural faculties; qualities and attributes which contribute to the building up of a man's full moral stature. The Holy Prophet was indeed a complete and perfect man, a perfect human specimen, in the fullest sense of the word. See also 2343 and 3091. 1808. The verse contains a message of comfort and hope for the Holy Prophet and Muslims. It purports to say that it is incompatible with the perfect and unerring Quranic revelation that its bearer should fail in his mission. The cause of the Holy Prophet, therefore, must triumph. The verse also refutes the Christian dogma that the Law or the Shari'ah is a curse. There is nothing in the Qur'an which is repugnant to human nature and which, if acted upon, should put man into trouble. 1809. Briefly; "The Throne" represents the transcendent attributes of God, i.e., the attributes which are technically known as Sifat Tanzihiyyah. These attributes, which are eternal and unchangeable and are God's exclusive prerogatives, are manifested through His other attributes which are known as Sifat Tashbihiyyah, i.e.; such attributes as are found moreor less in human beings also. The former attributes, i.e., transcendent attributes, are said to constitute God's Throne and the latter attributes are the bearers of His Throne. See also 986 & 1233. 1810. The word Sirr (secret thoughts) signifies the thoughts that lie hidden in man's breast which he alone knows, and Akhfa (more hidden) comprises all those ideals, ideas and ambitions of a person which lie hidden in the womb of futurity and have never crossed his mind. 1811. The verse contains the quintessence and kernel of the Quranic revelation referred to in v. 3, above. It is that God exists. He is One. He possesses all perfect attributes and is completely free from all conceivable defects and imperfections and, therefore, He alone is entitled to our worship and adoration. 1812. Against all accepted canons of history Freud in his "Moses and Monotheism" has adumbrated quite a novel theory that Moses was not an Israelite and that he did not belong to the Hebrew stock and also that the Israelites never settled in Egypt. He has advanced the following arguments in support of this strange claim: (1) That Moses is an Egyptian name. (2) That the idea of the Oneness of God was originally Egyptian, having been first conceived and adopted by an ancient Egyptian king; named Ikhnaten (or Akhenaten). (3) That Moses, himself being an Egyptian; borrowed it from the Egyptians and preached it among the Israelites. (4) That because Moses was an Egyptian he could not properly express himself in Hebrew. All these arguments possess no basis in fact. Moses is certainly a Hebrew word, having derivation both in Hebrew and Arabic. But even if the name Moses was of Egyptian origin, it does not follow that the man Moses also was an Egyptian. As the Israelites were a subject race in Egypt, living under the rule of the Pharaohs, it seems quite plausible that they had adopted Egyptian names. The members of a subject race generally feel a particular delight in adopting the names and imitating the customs, modes of living and dress etc., of their rulers. The argument that the idea of the Oneness of God was originally Egyptian; having been first conceived and adopted by Akhenaten, an ancient Egyptian king, and preached by him among the Israelites, is equally wrong. It is unreasonable to suppose that a certain concept is the monopoly of one people. Different peoples may independently form similar ideas without having borrowed them from one another. But even supposing that the idea of God's Unity is of Egyptian origin, the inference cannot be justified that Moses was an Egyptian. If an American or a German can borrow an idea from an Englishman and vice versa, why cannot an Israelite borrow an idea from an Egyptian? The truth is that the idea of God's Oneness was neither conceived by Egyptians nor by Syrians or any other people. It has its origin in Divine revelation. Further, Freud bases his claim that Moses was an Egyptian on Exod. 4:10 where it is stated that he was slow of speech and could not adequately express himself, and arbitrarily draws the conclusion that Moses was slow of speech in Hebrew. On the contrary, the fact is, and both the Qur'an and the Bible lend support to it; that when commanded by God to go to Pharaoh and preach his mission to him, Moses requested to be excused on the plea of his inability to express himself adequately. This, if any thing, shows that Moses could not freely express himself in the tongue which Pharaoh spoke and understood, i.e., the Egyptian tongue, and therefore he was not an Egyptian. In fact, the linguistic evidence of Hebrew and Arabic, combined with the evidence of Jewish history and tradition and added to the account of Moses as given in the Bible and the Qur'an-all go to substantiate and support the contention that Moses was not an Egyptian nor was his name of Egyptian origin. 1813. The verse refers to a vision of Moses, and visions are of two kinds: (a) The visions that concern only the Prophet who sees such a one. In such visions the Divine manifestation remains confined to the Prophet concerned. (b) The visions in which Divine manifestation extends also to the Prophet's people. Moses meant to say that if the vision that he had seen was the manifestation of the latter class, then he would be given a new Shari'ah for his people, but if it were of the former kind, he would receive some guidance for his own spiritual advancement. 1814. As stated above it was a vision that Moses had seen, and "shoes" in the language of visions signify worldly relations such as wife, children, friends, etc. The words 'Thy two shoes' signify 'thy relations with thy family and those with thy community.' Thus at the time of close communion with God Moses was commanded to banish from his mind all thoughts of wife and children and of other worldly connections. Taken literally, the verse would mean that because Moses was in a sacred place he was bidden to take off his shoes. 1815. Akhfa al-Shaia' means; he concealed the thing; he removed its covering or manifested it (Lane). 1816. Ma'arib (uses) is the plural of Ma'ribah, which is derived from ariba. They say Ariba Ilaihi, i.e., he wanted it and sought it; and Ma'arib means, wants; uses, needs, requirements, purposes (Lane). 1816A. The rod did not actually turn into a serpent but was merely made to appear like one. It, therefore, contradicted or contravened no law of nature. The miracle was intended, besides providing a very powerful proof in support of Moses, to comfort him that his people would not remain permanently wedded to idolatry and other evil practices but, the instant they came under his fostering care, they would again become his good and God-fearing companion; 'Asa signifying a community (Lane). See also 1023. 1817. Yad means, hand or arm and figuratively signifies favor, beneficence; power, authority; help, protection; community, party (Aqrab). 1818. One of the meanings of Yad (hand) being a community or people, the expression in the text contains an injunction for Moses that he should always keep his people close to him and under his fostering care. If he did so they would become highly righteous men, radiating spiritual light and would be free from all moral evils. Yad Baida' may also signify clear and strong arguments. Moses was endowed with strong and solid arguments to prove his case. See also 7:109; and 26:34. 1819. Sign of the rod was one of the greatest heavenly Signs given to Moses. When Moses was entrusted with Prophet hood, the Sign of the rod appeared (20:19). When he went to preach his Message to Pharaoh it was again the miracle of the rod that was shown to him and the sorcerers (20:70-74). When the Israelites wanted water, he was ordered to strike the rock with his rod (2:61), and when he had to cross the sea, God commanded him to strike it with his rod (26:64). 1820. Moses did not feel himself equal to the great task entrusted to him. He asked for a helper to assist him. The Holy Prophet to whom an infinitely heavier and more onerous task was entrusted never prayed to be given an assistant. He alone, unassisted and unhelped, discharged fully and completely the responsibility of raising a people, sunk deep into the depths of moral turpitude, to the highest pinnacle of spiritual glory. 1821. Ma being Masdariyyah, the verb following it imparts to it an intensiveness of meaning. The expression ma yuha thus means, an important revelation; or what was necessary to be revealed at that time. 1822. ‘Ain means (1) the eye; (2) inmates of a house; (3) protection (Lane). As Moses was to have been entrusted with the great and difficult task of delivering a people, held in bondage for long by a cruel and powerful monarch, it was necessary that he should have received the requisite training for the great mission under royal tutors and teacher. So it was in fulfillment of this Divine plan that Moses found his way into Pharaoh’s own house. 1823. The sojourn of Moses among the people of Midian fulfilled yet another Divine plan. As he was destined to live with the Israelites in the deserts and forests of the Valley of Sinai, he was made to become used to a hard life by living for several years in Midian. 1824. The verse teaches a two-fold lesson to a religious teacher or preacher. He should use gentle language when preaching. He should also show due respect to those whom God has endowed with worldly honor or has placed in the seat of authority. 1825. The verse means that there exists perfect order in the world and that God has endowed everything with properties which are best suited to its particular requirements and needs, and by making proper use of which it can attain its fullest development. 1826. Moses's reply to Pharaoh's query contained in the previous verse seemed to have entirely confounded the latter, so he adroitly turned away from the subject which he himself had started and put Moses a new question, asking him whether his God knew anything about the former generations who were dead and gone, meaning how they would fare when they had not had the benefit of receiving guidance from him (Moses). Thus in a subtle manner Pharaoh sought to incite his people against Moses by making an oblique hint that he (Moses) had insinuated that their forefathers were bereft of Heavenly guidance and, therefore, were deserving of Divine punishment. 1827. Moses gives a crushing reply to Pharaoh's evasive tactics. He tells Pharaoh that he should not bother about the former generations. God knew all about them and every detail concerning them was well-preserved in His knowledge and on the Day of Resurrection He would requite them all according to their deeds and actions, taking into consideration their particular conditions and circumstances. 1828. This verse seems to refer to an insidious device of Pharaoh. He told his people that Moses who was a foreigner in Egypt was seeking to turn the ruling dynasty out of Egypt by his clever maneuvers. 1829. There seems a curious analogy here between Moses and the Holy Prophet, viz., that whereas the contest between Moses and the magicians in which they were fully and finally routed took place at the time of Duha; the Holy Prophet also entered Mecca as conqueror at the time of Duha which marked the final defeat of disbelief and idolatry in Arabia. 1830. The expression, Jama'a Kaida-hu, besides the meaning given in the text, may also mean: He mustered all his designs; he contrived all sorts of plans; he did all that he could do. 1831. The verse lays down an infallible criterion to test the truth of a claimant to Divine revelation, viz., that a forger of lies against God, though he may appear to progress and prosper for a short while, ultimately perishes and comes to a miserable and ignoble end. This is a truth writ large on the pages of all religious history. 1831A. Tariqah means, way of life; ideal; institution, tradition (Lane). 1832. God's Prophets never take the offensive. They wait till they are attacked and then they defend themselves. 1833. The cords and staves of the magicians appeared to Moses only as though they ran about. Actually they did nothing of the kind. The forces of evil at first appear to carry the day for a short while, but they soon come to grief. 1834. Moses was not afraid of the cords and staves of the magicians. The Prophets of God stand on a rock of certainty and are never afraid of anything. Moses only feared lest the people should be led astray by the antics of the magicians. 1835. The verse makes it clear that it was the rod of Moses and not anything else which "swallowed" that which the sorcerers had wrought, and which undid their sorcery. The rod of Moses wielded with the spiritual force of a great Divine Prophet and thrown at the command of Almighty God exposed the deception that the sorcerers had wrought on the spectators by their tricks. Elsewhere in the Qur'an, the staves and cords of the sorcerers have been described as their lies (7:118). 1835A. Ata al-Shai'a means, he did the thing (Lane). 1835B. The particle min also means, on account of, or because of and Khilaf means, opposition (Lane). 1836. Mark the wonderful change that true faith works in man. The greedy and materialistic sorcerers who only a short while ago were asking for reward from Pharaoh, in the form of money, position or honor (7:114), became quite indifferent even to the most horrible form of death with which he threatened them when they had found and accepted the truth. 1837. Death delivers man from pain. So the sinners will not die in Hell and will continue to suffer its torment. Neither will they live therein, because real life consists in the enjoyment of Divine love, and they will be deprived of it. Or, the verse may mean that the sinners will be completely deprived of all comfort and happiness and this condition is described here as worse than death. 1838. Against all unimpeachable historical data, most extraordinary theories have been propounded about the Israelites, viz., (a) they never lived in Egypt; because no reference to them is to be found in the old Egyptian historical records. (b) In the fifth year of the reign of Pharaoh Meneptah (or Merenptah) when Moses is said to have taken the Israelites out of Egypt, some Israelite tribes were actually living in Canaan, therefore the theory that Moses had taken the Israelites out of Egypt to Canaan during his reign and that they settled there some fifty years later is all wrong. The propounders of these strange theories seem to forget that the Israelites were foreigners in Egypt and were a subject race and had lived the miserable life of serfs and slaves under their cruel rulers. How could such people be considered worthy of any notice being taken of them by historians? When even in this 20th century historians cannot find it easy to prepare a well-connected and harmonious narrative about a people from the remnants of its ruined civilization, it was much more difficult for historians in the remote past to reconstruct a consistent record from the fragmentary accounts of a people who lived in the hoary past and who were treated like beasts of burden by their rulers. As to the doubtful theory that certain Israelite tribes were found to be living in Canaan in the 5th year of the reign of Pharaoh Meneptah, it cannot disprove the fact that other Israelite tribes had remained behind in Egypt. Is it not possible that some of these tribes might have left Egypt for Canaan sometime before all of them were taken out of it by Moses? It is strange that on the one hand these very writers say that Moses is an Egyptian name and that some of the Israelites also had Egyptian names, and on the other that they never went to Egypt. Moreover, the Bible gives a detailed and well connected story of the Israelites having lived in Egypt. There was no compelling reason for the writers of the Bible to have done so, especially when the Israelites had lived there only as slaves and worse than beasts of burden. No people would feel any urge or pride in forging and falsely inventing such a miserable record of shame and sorrow of themselves. The biblical details with regard to the customs, culture and mode of life of the Pharaohs of that time is another proof of the fact that the Israelites had lived there. The Bible had no interest in the Pharaoh dynasty of Egypt apart from the fact that they were rulers of the Israelites. Besides, as stated by ancient Greek historians, the Egyptians themselves had admitted that the Israelites had lived in Egypt for a long time and later on had left this country. The present Egypt, however, should not be confused with the territory which in ancient times was also known as Egypt, but which formed a part of northern Syria or northern Arabia. The date of the Exodus has also been much contested and there seems to be considerable difficulty in determining its exact date from the biblical records alone. The theory, largely prevalent, which receives much support from historical data, archaeological research and Hebrew tradition is that the Exodus occurred in the Nineteenth Dynasty (1328-1202 B.C.), in the reign of Merenptah II or Meneptah II (1234-1214 B.C.) and still seems to be the most probable one. The Exodus appears to have taken place about 1230 B.C. According to this view the Pharaoh of the Oppression was Rameses II, and his successor Merenptah II, the Pharaoh of the Exodus ("Peake's Commentary on the Bible" pp. 119, 955, 956). See also "The Larger Edition of the Commentary" pp. 1646-1647. 1839. The Israelites had lived long in bondage under the heartless tyranny of the Pharaohs and consequently had come to lose all those manly qualities that go to make a people hardy, brave and courageous. According to the Divine scheme of things, they were destined to conquer and rule over Canaan. Therefore, after Moses had taken them out of Egypt, they were made to live in the arid and barren region of Sinai in order that they might become used to an open and hard life and thus acquire and develop those qualities which were so essential for a great future that lay in store for them. But having lived in bondage for a long time, they had lost all initiative and had become used to a life of lethargy and lassitude. So when they saw that they would have to live in the wilderness where no amenities of life were to be found and even food was lacking, they were utterly dismayed and fretted and fumed and quarreled with Moses saying, 'Would to God, we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger' (Exod. 16:3). God heard their murmurings and commanded Moses to tell those ungrateful people, 'As even ye shall eat flesh; and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord; your God.' And how this Divine promise was fulfilled has been fully described in the Bible (Exod. 16: 12-1 5). See also 98 & 99. 1841. Samiri may be a relative noun from Samirah (the Samaritans), a people said to be one of the tribes of the Children of Israel; or a sect of the Jews, differing from them in many of their institutions. Properly speaking, they were inhabitants of Samaria. The name is now restricted to a small tribe of people living in Nablus and calling themselves "Bene Yisrael." Their history as a distinct community began with the taking of Samaria by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. (Lane & Jew. Enc.). 1842. Whereas the Qur'an in this verse says that the Egyptians gave the Israelites jewels of gold and silver of their own accord, the Bible accuses them of having despoiled the Egyptians of their ornaments (Exod. 12:36). But, as generally is the case, in this respect also, the Bible has contradicted itself. At another place (Exod. 12:33) it says that the Egyptians themselves gave the ornaments to the Israelites and insisted that they should leave Egypt forthwith. Reason and common sense support the Quranic statement. 1843. The Israelites had lived in Egypt under bondage for a long time and during their bondage they had adopted many of the customs, ways of life and religious rites of their rulers, the Egyptians, who worshipped the cow (Enc. Rel. & Ethics; vol. I, p. 507). In this way they had developed a great liking for the cow, and taking advantage of Moses's absence the Samiri led them into cow-worship. 1844. The calf is denounced and condemned as a deity because it does not speak to its votaries. Of what use is that god who does not answer the prayer of his worshippers (21 :66, 67)? He is as dead as a log of wood. The difference between a living and a lifeless god is that the One speaks to His votaries and hears their supplications, while the other does not. The God of Islam has not ceased to speak to His true worshippers. He still speaks to them as He spoke to Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them all) and will continue to do so till the end of time. 1845. The Qur'an here contradicts the Bible and clears Aaron of the charge of having made a molten calf for the Israelites to worship (Exod. 32:4). It says that not only did Aaron not fashion the calf for them, on the other hand he prohibited them from worshipping the one which the Samiri had made for them. The charge has been dismissed as unfounded by Christian writers themselves (Enc. Brit. under "The Golden Calf"). 1846. Khafb means, object; design; case or plea; business; affair; etc. (Lane). The whole sentence also means, what thou hast to say (Lane). 1847. The words may also mean, 'My mental perception was clearer than that of the Israelites.' The Samiri means to say that he had followed Moses and had accepted his teachings intelligently and not blindly like them. But when Moses went to the Mount, he threw away the cloak of expediency and discarded what little of his teachings (athar, meaning remains or relics of knowledge transmitted or handed down from the former generations, i.e., teachings) he had accepted and that was what his mind suggested to him. 1848. The words 'Touch me not' may signify: (a) That the Samiri was punished with a rigorous social boycott for having misled the Israelites into calf-worship. (b) That he was afflicted with some contagious skin disease so that people avoided contact with him. (c) That he suffered from hypochondriacs and consequently shunned the company of men. 1849. The allusion in this verse primarily seems to be to the Western Christian nations who have blue eyes and are spiritually blind and possess an undying hatred for Islam. 1850. "Ten days" here signifies ten centuries. The reference is to the ten centuries after the Hijrah during which the European nations remained almost in a state of dormancy. It was in the beginning of the 17th century, about one thousand years after the Holy Prophet began to preach his mission in the beginning of the 7th century A.D.; that the nations of Europe came out of their hibernation and began to spread over the world and conquer it. 1850A. Tariqat al-Qaum means, best or most upright of the people (Aqrab). Yaum here signifies one thousand years referred to in 22:48 and corresponds to 'ten days' of the preceding verse; i.e., ten centuries or a thousand years. Yaum also means time absolutely. In this sense of the word the disbelievers, when they are seized with Divine punishment, are depicted as saying that the time of their prosperity and progress was but a day, i.e., very short. 1851. The reference in the word al-Jibal (mountains) here is to the powerful Christian nations of the West. The prophecy in this verse is in regard to their complete destruction. The decline of the West has already begun. The last two World Wars have greatly weakened it (Spengler's "Decline of the West" & Toynbee's "A Study of History"). See also 1666. 1852. The allusion seems to be to the rise of Socialism and Democracy when great and powerful empires will be swept away and there will be a general leveling up of the social and economic conditions of different sections of human society. 1854. The words 'all that is behind them' refer to great accomplishments they will have already made, and the words 'that is before them' refer to the great achievements they will aspire to make in the future. 1854A. Wujuh means, great leaders (Aqrab). 1855. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said, 'Seek knowledge though it may be found in a country as far away as China' (Saghir, vol. I). Elsewhere in the Qur'an; knowledge has been styled as 'God's great grace' (2:270 & 4:114). Knowledge is of two kinds: (a) That which is vouchsafed to man through revelation and which has found its perfect manifestation in the Qur'an. (b) That which man acquires by his own effort and labor. 1856. The verse shows that Adam's lapse was only an error of judgment. It was inadvertent and involuntary and not at all intentional or deliberate. To err is human. 1857. Adam is warned that if he succumbed to the blandishments held out to him by Iblis and accepted his advice, he would become deprived of Jannah, i.e., life of bliss and spiritual contentment which he formerly enjoyed. 1858. Reference in this and the preceding verse seems to be to the amenities and comforts which are the concomitants of civilized life. These two verses point to the fact that to provide food, clothing and shelter to its people-their primary necessities of life-is the first duty of a civilized government and that a society can only be called civilized when all its members are adequately provided with these necessities. Mankind will continue to suffer from social upheavals, and the moral tone of human society will never really improve unless economic inequalities of such a serious nature; that some sections of society roll in wealth and others die of starvation, are done away with. Adam is told here that he will live in a place where amenities and necessities of life will be adequately available to all its inhabitants. This state of affairs has been described elsewhere in the Qur'an in the words, and eat there from plentifully wherever you will (2:36). The verse under comment also shows that with Adam began a new social order and that he laid the foundations of a kingdom which ushered in the era of social progress of man. 1859. There exists in the world no such tree as 'the tree of eternity.' The 'tree,' as mentioned here and elsewhere in the Qur'an, was a certain family or tribe from which Adam was bidden to keep aloof because its members were his enemies. 1860. AS a result of acceptance by Adam of Satan's suggestions a split occurred among his people which caused him much distress and mental anguish. Adam and Eve discovered that by acting upon the evil suggestions of Satan, they had made a grievous mistake and had involved themselves in great trouble. The verse does not mean that their weakness became known to other people but that only Adam and Eve themselves became conscious of it. 1861. Waraq also meaning young lads of a community (Lane), the verse purports to say that as Satan had succeeded in causing a split in Adam's community and some of the morally weak members had gone out of its fold, Adam gathered together the youth and other righteous and good members of the community and with their help began to reorganize his people. According to the Bible, Adam used fig leaves (Gen. 3:6; 7), which in the language of visions signify young righteous and pious people. 1862. The verse shows that Adam's act of disobedience was inadvertent and accidental, for an act of deliberate disobedience could not have been followed by the great honor of his being selected by God for His special favor. 1863. The words, 'both of you,' signify two groups of people, i.e.. the followers of Adam and the followers of Satan. The words, kum (you) and Jamf' (all of you), also show that the verse refers not to two persons but to two groups of persons or to two parties. This is also clear from 7:25 where the plural number Ihbitu (go forth all of you) has been used instead of lhbitu (go forth both of you). It appears that Adam emigrated from Iraq, the land of his birth; to a neighboring country. The emigration was perhaps a temporary one, and he must have returned to his native land not long after. The words, a provision for a time (7:25), contain a hint about the emigration being a temporary one. 1864. A person, who consigns God to oblivion in this life and leads a life which obstructs or impedes his spiritual development and thus deprives himself of heavenly light, will be born blind at the time of his second birth in the life after. This will be because his soul in this life which will serve as a body for the more spiritually developed soul in the next world had become blind, because he had led a life of sin in this world. 1865. In answer to the disbeliever's protestation as to why he was raised up blind while he was possessed of sight in the former life, God would say that he had become spiritually blind in his worldly life on account of his having led a life of sin; and as his soul was to serve as a body for another much more spiritually developed soul in the life after, therefore he was born blind in the Hereafter. The verse may also mean that as a disbeliever does not develop in him Divine attributes and remains a stranger to them, so when on the Day of Resurrection those attributes will be manifested in all their splendor and glory, he, being a stranger to them, will not be able to recognize them, and thus will stand like a blind man; having no recollection or remembrance of them. 1866. The reference is to the Divine declaration contained in the verse, 'My mercy encompasses all things' (7:157). God in His infallible wisdom has decreed that His mercy will continue to transcend all His other attributes. 1867. The glorification of God at the hours mentioned in the verse may signify the hours of the five daily Prayers; the words, before the rising of the sun, signifying the Morning (Fajr) Prayer; and the words, before its setting, the Late-afternoon ('Asr) Prayer; and the expression, and glorify Him in the hours of the night, signifying the Evening Prayer (Maghrib) and Night Prayer ('Isha'), while the words, parts of the day, Signifying the Afternoon (Zuhr) Prayer. 1868. All international jealousies sand rivalries which result in wars and consequently in much human misery and bloodshed are the result, direct or indirect; of mad hunger for material wealth and physical comforts. Muslims are warned not to cast covetous looks on the wealth of other people.
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