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Surah Al Imran In Arabic

Surah Ali Imaran Transliteration

Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem

1. Alif-Laam-Meeem
2. Allaahu laaa ilaaha illaa Huwal Haiyul Qaiyoom
3. Nazzala ‘alaikal Kitaaba bilhaqqi musaddiqal limaa baina yadaihi wa anzalat Tawraata wal Injeel
4. Min qablu hudal linnaasi wa anzalal Furqaan; innallazeena kafaroo bi Aayaatil laahi lahum ‘azaabun shadeed; wallaahu ‘azeezun zun tiqaam
5. Innal laaha laa yakhfaa ‘alaihi shai’un fil ardi wa laa fis samaaa’
6. Huwal lazee yusawwirukum fil arhaami kaifa yashaaa’; laa ilaaha illaa Huwal ‘Azeezul Hakeem
7. Huwal lazeee anzala ‘alaikal Kitaaba minhu Aayaatum Muh kamaatun hunna Ummul Kitaabi wa ukharu Mutashaabihaatun fa’ammal lazeena fee quloobihim zaiyghun fa yattabi’oona ma tashaabaha minhubtighaaa ‘alfitnati wabtighaaa’a taaweelih; wa maa ya’lamu taaweelahooo illal laah; warraasikhoona fil ‘ilmi yaqooloona aamannaa bihee kullum min ‘indi Rabbinaa; wa maa yazzakkaru illaaa ulul albaab
8. Rabbanaa laa tuzigh quloobanaa ba’da iz hadaitanaa wa hab lanaa mil ladunka rahmah; innaka antal Wahhaab
9. Rabbanaaa innaka jaami ‘un-naasi li Yawmin laa raiba feeh; innal laaha laa yukhliful mee’aad (section 1)
10. Innal lazeena kafaroo lan tughniya ‘anhum amwaaluhum wa laaa awlaaduhum minal laahi shai’anw wa ulaaa’ika hum waqoodun Naar
11. Kadaabi Aali Fir’awna wallazeena min qablihim; kazzaboo bi Aayaatinaa fa akhazahumul laahu bizunoo bihim; wallaahu shadeedul ‘iqaab
12. Qul lillazeena kafaroosatughlaboona wa tuhsharoona ilaa jahannam; wa bi’sal mihaad
13. Qad kaana lakum Aayatun fee fi’atainil taqataa fi’atun tuqaatilu fee sabeelil laahi wa ukhraa kaafiratuny yarawnahum mislaihim ra’ yal ‘ayn; wallaahu yu’ayyidu bi nasrihee mai yashaaa’; innaa fee zaalika la ‘ibratal li ulil absaar
14. Zuyyina linnaasi hubbush shahawaati minannisaaa’i wal baneena walqanaateeril muqantarati minaz zahabi walfiddati walkhailil musawwamati wal an’aami walhars; zaalika mataa’ul hayaatid dunyaa wallaahu ‘indahoo husnul ma-aab
15. Qul a’unabbi ‘ukum bikhairim min zaalikum; lillazeenat taqaw ‘inda Rabbihim jannaatun tajree min tahtihal anhaaru khaalideena feehaa wa azwaajum mutahharatunw wa ridwaanum minal laah; wallaahu baseerum bil’ibaad
16. Allazeena yaqooloona Rabbanaaa innanaaa aamannaa faghfir lanaa zunoobanaa wa qinaa ‘azaaban Naar
17. Assaabireena wassaa diqeena walqaaniteena walmunfiqeena walmus taghfireena bil as-har
18. Shahidal laahu annahoo laa ilaaha illaa Huwa walmalaaa’ikatu wa ulul ‘ilmi qaaa’imam bilqist; laaa ilaaha illaa Huwal ‘Azeezul Hakeem
19. Innad deena ‘indal laahil Islaam; wa makhtalafal lazeena ootul Kitaaba illaa mim ba’di maa jaaa’ahumul ‘ilmu baghyam bainahum; wa mai yakfur bi Aayaatil laahi fa innal laaha saree’ul hisaab
20. Fa in haaajjooka faqul aslamtu wajhiya lillaahi wa manit taba’an; wa qul lillazeena ootul Kitaaba wal ummiyyeena ‘a-aslamtum; fa in aslamoo faqadih tadaw wa in tawallaw fa innamaa ‘alaikal balaagh; wallaahu baseerum bil ‘ibaad (section 2)
21. Innal lazeena yakfuroona  bi Aayaatil laahi wa yaqtuloonan Nabiyyeena bighairi haqqinw wa yaqtuloonal lazeena ya’muroona bilqisti minannaasi fabashirhum bi’azaabin aleem
22. Ulaaa’ikal lazeena habitat a’maaluhum fid dunyaa wal Aaakhirati wa maa lahum min naasireen
23. Alam tara ilal lazeena ootoo naseebam minal Kitaabi yud’awna ilaa Kitaabil laahi liyahkuma bainahum summa yatawallaa fareequm minhum wa hum mu’ridoon
24. Zaalika bi annahum qaaloo lan tamassanan naaru illaaa ayyaamam ma’doodaatinw wa gharrahum fee deenihim maa kaanoo yaftaroon
25. Fakaifa izaa jama’naahum li Yawmil laa raiba fee wa wuffiyat kullu nafsim maa kasabat wa hum laa yuzlamoon
26. Qulil laahumma Maalikal Mulki tu’til mulka man tashaaa’u wa tanzi’ul mulka mimman tashhaaa’u wa tu’izzu man tashaaa’u wa tuzillu man tashaaa’u biyadikal khairu innaka ‘alaa kulli shai’in Qadeer
27. Toolijul laila fin nahaari wa toolijun nahaara fil  laili wa tukhrijul haiya minalmaiyiti wa tukhrijul maiyita minal haiyi wa tarzuqu man tashaaa’u bighari hisaab
28. Laa yattakhizil mu’minoonal kaafireena awliyaaa’a min doonil mu’mineena wa mai yaf’al zaalika falaisa minal laahi fee shai’in illaaa an tattaqoo minhum tuqaah; wa yuhazzirukumul laahu nafsah; wa ilal laahil maseer
29. Qul in tukhfoo maa fee sudoorikum aw tubdoohu ya’lamhul laah; wa ya’lamu maa fis samaawaati wa maa fil ard; wallaahu ‘alaa kulli shai’in Qadeer
30. Yawma tajidu kullu nafsim maa’amilat min khairim muhdaranw wa maa ‘amilat min sooo’in tawaddu law anna bainahaa wa bainahooo amadam ba’eedaa; wa yuhazzirukumul laahu nafsah; wallaahu ra’oofum bil’ibaad (section 3)
31. Qul in kuntum tuhibboonal laaha fattabi’ oonee yuhbibkumul laahu wa yaghfir lakum zunoobakum; wallaahu Ghafoorur Raheem
32. Qul atee’ul laaha war Rasoola fa in tawallaw fa innal laaha laa yuhibbul kaafireen
33. Innal laahas tafaaa Aadama wa Noohanw wa Aala Ibraaheema wa Aala Imraana ‘alal ‘aalameen
34. Zurriyyatam ba’duhaa mim ba’d; wallaahu Samee’un ‘Aleem
35. Iz qaalatim ra atu ‘Imraana Rabbi innee nazartu laka maa fee batnee muharraran fataqabbal minnee innaka Antas Samee’ul ‘Aleem
36. Falammaa wada’at haa qaalat Rabbi innee wada’tuhaaa unsaa wallaahu a’lamu bimaa wada’at wa laisaz zakaru kalunsaa wa innee sammaituhaa Maryama wa innee u’eezuhaa bika wa zurriyyatahaa minash Shaitaanir Rajeem
37. Fataqabba lahaa Rabbuhaa biqaboolin hasaninw wa ambatahaa nabaatan hasananw wa kaffalahaa Zakariyyaa kullamaa dakhala ‘alaihaa Zakariyyal Mihraaba wajada ‘indahaa rizqan qaala yaa Maryamu annaa laki haazaa qaalat huwa min ‘indil laahi innal laaha yarzuqu mai yashaaa’u bighairi hisaab
38. Hunaaalika da’aa Zakariyyaa Rabbahoo qaala Rabbi hab lee mil ladunka zurriyyatan taiyibatan innaka samee’ud du’aaa’
39. Fanaadat hul malaaa’ikatu wa huwa qaaa’imuny yusallee fil Mihraabi annal laaha yubashshiruka bi Yahyaa musaddiqam bi Kalimatim minal laahi wa saiyidanw wa hasooranw wa Nabiyyam minas saaliheen
40. Qaala Rabbi annaa yakoonu lee ghulaamunw wa qad balaghaniyal kibaru wamraatee ‘aaqirun qaala kazaalikal laahu yaf’alu maa yashaaa’
41. Qaala Rabbij ‘al leee Aayatan qaala Aaayatuka allaa tukalliman naasa salaasata ayyaamin illa ramzaa; wazkur Rabbaka kaseeranw wa sabbih bil’ashiyyi wal ibkaar(section 4)
42. Wa iz qaalatil malaaa’ikatu yaa Maryamu innal laahas tafaaki wa tahharaki wastafaaki ‘alaa nisaaa’il ‘aalameen
43. Yaa Maryamu uqnutee li Rabbiki wasjudee warka’ee ma’ar raaki’een
44. Zaalika min ambaaa’il ghaibi nooheehi ilaik; wa maa kunta ladaihim iz yulqoona aqlaamahum ayyuhum yakfulu Maryama wa maa kunta ladaihim iz yakhtasimoon
45. Iz qaalatil  malaaa’ikatu yaa Maryamu innal laaha yubashshiruki bi Kalimatim minhus muhul Maseehu ‘Eesab nu Maryama wajeehan fid dunyaa wal Aakhirati wa minal muqarrabeen
46. Wa yukallimun naasa filmahdi wa kahlanw wa minassaaliheen
47. Qaalat Rabbi annaa yakoonu lee waladunw wa lam yamsasnee basharun qaala kazaalikil laahu yakhluqu maa yashaaa’; izaa qadaaa amran fa innamaa yaqoolu lahoo kun fayakoon
48. Wa yu’allimuhul Kitaaba wal Hikmata wat Tawraata wal Injeel
49. Wa Rasoolan ilaa Baneee Israaa’eela annee qad ji’tukum bi Aayatim mir Rabbikum annee akhluqu lakum minatteeni kahai ‘atittairi fa anfukhu feehi fayakoonu tairam bi iznil laahi wa ubri’ul akmaha wal abrasa wa uhyil mawtaa bi iznil laahi wa unabbi’ukum bimaa taakuloona wa maa taddakhiroona fee buyootikum; inna fee zaalika la Aayatal lakum in kuntum mu’mineen
50. Wa musaddiqal limaa baina yadaiya minat Tawraati wa liuhilla lakum ba’dal lazee hurrima ‘alaikum; wa ji’tukum bi Aayatim mir Rabbikum fattaqul laaha wa atee’oon
51. Innal laaha Rabbee wa Rabbukum fa’budooh; haazaa Siraatum Mustaqeem
52. Falammaaa ahassa ‘Eesaa minhumul kufra qaala man ansaaree ilal laahi qaalal Hawaariyyoona nahnu ansaarul laahi aamannaa billaahi washhad bi annaa muslimoon
53. Rabbanaaa aamannaa bimaaa anzalta wattaba’nar Rasoola faktubnaa ma’ash shaahideen
54. Wa makaroo wa makaral laahu wallaahu khairul maakireen (section 5)
55. Iz qaalal laahu yaa ‘Eesaaa innee mutawaffeeka wa raafi’uka ilaiya wa mutah hiruka minal lazeena kafaroo wa jaa’ilul lazeenattaba ooka fawqal lazeena kafarooo ilaa Yawmil Qiyaamati summa ilaiya marji’ukum fa ahkumu bainakum feemaa kuntum feehi takhtaliifoon
56. Fa ammal lazeena kafaroo fa u’az zibuhum ‘azaaban shadeedan fiddunyaa wal Aakhirati wa maa lahum min naasireen
57. Wa ammal lazeena aamanoo wa ‘amilus saalihaati fa yuwaffeehim ujoorahum; wallaahu laa yuhibbuz zaalimeen
58. Zaalika natloohu ‘alaika minal Aayaati wa Zikril Hakeem
59. Inna masala ‘Eesaa ‘indal laahi kamasali Aadama khalaqahoo min turaabin summa qaala lahoo kun fayakoon
60. Alhaqqu mir Rabbika falaa takum minal mumtareen
61. Faman haaajjaka feehi mim ba’di maa jaaa’aka minal ‘ilmi faqul ta’aalaw nad’u abnaaa’anaa wa abnaaa’akum wa nisaaa’anaa wa nisaaa’akum wa anfusanaa wa anfusakum summa nabtahil fanaj’al la’natal laahi ‘alal kaazibeen
62. Innaa haazaa lahuwal qasasul haqq; wa maa min ilaahin illal laah; wa innal laahaa la Huwal ‘Azeezul Hakeem
63. Fa in tawallaw fa innal laaha’aleemun bil mufsideen (section 6)
64. Qul yaa Ahlal Kitaabi ta’aalaw ilaa Kalimatin sawaaa’im bainanaa wa bainakum allaa na’buda illal laaha wa laa nushrika bihee shai’anw wa laa yattakhiza ba’dunaa ba’dan arbaabam min doonil laah; fa in tawallaw faqoolush hadoo bi annaa muslimoon
65. Yaaa Ahlal Kitaabi limaa tuhaaajjoona feee Ibraaheema wa maaa unzilatit Tawraatu wal Injeelu illaa mim ba’dih; afala ta’qiloon
66. Haaa antum haaa’ulaaa’i haajajtum feemaa lakum bihee ‘ilmun falima tuhaaajjoonaa feemaa laisa lakum bihee ‘ilm; wallaahu ya’lamu wa antum laa ta’lamoon
67. Maa kaana Ibraaheemu Yahoodiyyanw wa laa Nasraa niyyanw wa laakin kaana Haneefam Muslimanw wa maa kaana minal mushrikeen
68. Innaa awlan naasi bi Ibraaheema lallazeenat taba ‘oohu wa haazan nabiyyu wallazeena aamanoo; wallaahu waliyyul mu’mineen
69. Waddat taaa’ifatum min Ahlil Kitaabi law yudil loonakum wa maa yudilloona illaaa anfusahum wa maa yash’uroon
70. Yaaa Ahlal Kitaabi lima takfuroona bi Aayaatil laahi wa antum tash hadoon
71. Yaaa Ahalal Kitaabi lima talbisoonal haqqa bilbaatili wa taktumoonal haqqa wa antum ta’lamoon (section 7)
72. Wa qaalat taaa’ifatum min Ahlil Kitaabi aaminoo billazeee unzila ‘alal lazeena aamanoo wajhan nahaari wakfurooo aakhirahoo la’alla hum yarji’oon
73. Wa laa tu’minooo illaa liman tabi’a deenakum qul innal hudaa hudal laahi ai yu’taaa ahadum misla maaa ooteetum aw yuhaaajjookum ‘inda Rabbikum, qul innal fadla biyadil laah; yu’teehi mai yashaaa’; wallaahu Waasi’un ‘Aleem
74. Yakhtassu birahmatihee mai yashaaa’; wallaahu zulfadlil ‘azeem
75. Wa min Ahlil Kitaabi man in ta’manhu biqintaariny yu’addihee ilaika wa minhum man in ta’manhu bi deenaarin laa yu’addiheee ilaika illaa maa dumta ‘alaihi qaaa’ imaa; zaalika biannahum qaaloo laisa ‘alainaa fil ummiyyeena sabeelunw wa yaqooloona ‘alal laahil kaziba wa hum ya’lamoon
76. Balaa man awfaa bi’ahdihee wattaqaa fainnal laaha yuhibbul muttaqeen
77. Innal lazeena yashtaroona bi’ahdil laahi wa aymaanihim samanan qaleelan ulaaa’ika laa khalaaqa lahum fil Aakhirati wa laa yukallimuhumul laahu wa laa yanzuru ilaihim Yawmal Qiyaamati wa laa yuzakkeehim wa lahum ‘azabun ‘aleem
78. Wa inna minhum lafaree qany yalwoona alsinatahum bil Kitaabi litahsaboohu minal Kitaab, wa maa huwa minal Kitaabi wa yaqooloona huwa min ‘indillaahi wa maa huwa min ‘indillaahi wa yaqooloona ‘alal laahil kaziba wa hum ya’lamoon
79. Maa kaana libasharin ai yu’tiyahul laahul Kitaaba walhukma wan Nubuwwata summa yaqoola linnaasi koonoo ‘ibaadal lee min doonil laahi wa laakin koonoo rabbaaniy yeena bimaa kuntum tu’allimoonal Kitaaba wa bimaa kuntum tadrusoon
80. Wa laa yaamurakum an tattakhizul malaaa ‘ikata wan Nabiyyeena arbaabaa; a yaamurukum bilkufri ba’da iz antum muslimoon (section 8)
81. Wa iz akhazal laahu meesaaqan Nabiyyeena lamaaa aataitukum min Kitaabinw wa Hikmatin summa jaaa’akum Rasoolum musaddiqul limaa ma’akum latu’minunna bihee wa latansurunnah; qaala a’aqrartum wa akhaztum alaa zaalikum isree qaalooo aqrarnaa; qaala fashhadoo wa ana ma’akum minash shaahideen
82. Faman tawallaa ba’da zaalika fa ulaaa’ika humul faasiqoon
83. Afaghaira deenil laahi yabghoona wa lahooo aslama man fis samaawaati wal ardi taw’anw wa karhanw wa ilaihi yurja’oon
84. Qul aamannaa billaahi wa maaa unzila ‘alainaa wa maaa unzila ‘alaaa Ibraaheema wa Ismaa’eela wa Ishaaqa wa Ya’qooba wal Asbaati wa maaa ootiya Moosaa wa ‘Eesaa wan Nabiyyoona mir Rabbihim laa nufarriqu baina ahadim minhum wa nahnu lahoo muslimoon
85. Wa mai yabtaghi ghairal Islaami deenan falany yuqbala minhu wa huwa fil Aakhirati minal khaasireen
86. Kaifa yahdil laahu qawman kafaroo ba’da eemaanihim wa shahidooo annar Rasoola haqqunw wa jaaa’ahumul baiyinaat; wallaahu laa yahdil qawmaz zaalimeen
87. Ulaaa’ika jazaaa’uhum anna ‘alaihim la’natal laahi walmalaaa’ikati wannaasi ajma’een
88. Khaalideena feehaa laa yukhaffafu ‘anhumul ‘azaabu wa laa hum yunzaroon
89. Illal lazeena taaboo mim ba’di zaalika wa aslahoo fa innal laaha Ghafoorur Raheem
90. Innal lazeena kafaroo ba’da eemaanihim summaz daadoo kufral lan tuqbala tawbatuhum wa ulaaa’ika humud daaalloon
91. Innal lazeena kafaroo wa maatoo wa hum kuffaarun falany yuqbala min ahadihim mil’ul ardi zahabanw wa lawiftadaa bih; ulaaa ‘ika lahum ‘azaabun aleemunw wa maa lahum min naasireen(section 9) (End Juz 3)
92. Lan tanaalul birra hattaa tunfiqoo mimmaa tuhibboon; wa maa tunfiqoo min shai’in fa innal laaha bihee ‘Aleem
93. Kullut ta’aami kaana hillal li Baneee Israaa’eela illaa maa harrama Israaa’eelu ‘alaa nafsihee min qabli an tunazzalat Tawraah; qul faatoo bit Tawraati fatloohaaa in kuntum saadiqeen
94. Famanif taraa ‘alal laahilkaziba mim ba’di zaalika fa ulaaa’ika humuz zaalimoon
95. Qul sadaqal laah; fattabi’oo Millata Ibraaheema Haneefanw wa maa kaana minal mush rikeen
96. Inna awwala Baitinw wudi’a linnaasi lallazee bi Bakkata mubaarakanw wa hudal lil ‘aalameen
97. Feehi Aayaatum baiyinaatum Maqaamu Ibraaheema wa man dakhalahoo kaana aaminaa; wa lillaahi ‘alan naasi Hijjul Baiti manis tataa’a ilaihi sabeelaa; wa man kafara fa innal laaha ghaniyyun ‘anil ‘aalameen
98. Qul yaaa Ahlal Kitaabi lima takfuroona bi Aayaatillaahi wallaahu shaheedun ‘alaa maa ta’maloon
99. Qul yaaa Ahlal Kitaabi lima tusuddoona ‘an sabeelil laahi man aamana tabghoonahaa ‘iwajanw wa antum shuhadaaa’; wa mallaahu bighaafilin ‘ammaa ta’maloon
100. Yaaa ayyuhal lazeena aamanoo in tutee’oo fareeqam minal lazeena ootul Kitaaba yaruddookum ba’da eemaanikum kaafireen
101. Wa kaifa takfuroona wa antum tutlaa ‘alaikum Aayaatul laahi wa feekum Rasooluh; wa mai ya’tasim billaahi faqad hudiya ilaa Siraatim Mustaqeem(section 10)
102. Yaaa ayyuhal lazeena aamanut taqul laaha haqqa tuqaatihee wa laa tamootunna illaa wa antum muslimoon
103. Wa’tasimoo bi Hablil laahi jamee’anw wa laa tafarraqoo; wazkuroo ni’matal laahi alaikum iz kuntum a’daaa’an fa allafa baina quloobikum fa asbah tum bini’matiheee ikhwaananw wa kuntum ‘alaa shafaa hufratim minan Naari fa anqazakum minhaa; kazaalika yubaiyinul laahu lakum aayaatihee la’allakum tahtadoon
104. Waltakum minkum ummatuny yad’oona ilal khairi wa ya’muroona bil ma’roofi wa yanhawna ‘anil munkar; wa ulaaa’ika humul muflihoon
105. Wa laa takoonoo kallazeena tafarraqoo wakhtalafoo mim ba’di maa jaaa’ahumul baiyinaat; wa ulaaa’ika lahum ‘azaabun ‘azeem
106. Yawma tabi yaddu wujoohunw wa taswaddu wujooh; fa-ammal lazeenas waddat wujoo hum akafartum ba’da eemaanikum fazooqul ‘azaaba bimaa kuntum takfuroon
107. Wa ammal lazeena bi yaddat wujoohuhum fafee rahmatil laahi hum feehaa khaalidoon
108. Tilka Aayaatul laahi natloohaa ‘alaika bilhaqq; wa mal laahu yureedu zulmallil ‘aalameen
109. Wa lillaahi maa fissamaawaati wa maa fil ard; wa ilal laahi turja’ul umoor(section 11)
110. Kuntum khaira ummatin ukhrijat linnaasi ta’muroona bilma’roofi wa tanhawna ‘anil munkari wa tu’minoona billaah; wa law aamana Ahlul Kitaabi lakaana khairal lahum minhumul mu’minoona wa aksaruhumul faasiqoon
111. Lai yadurrookum ‘illaaa azanw wa ai yuqaatilookum yuwallookumul adbaara summa laa yunsaroon
112. Duribat ‘alaihimuz zillatu aina maa suqifooo illaa bihablim minal laahi wa hablim minan naasi wa baaa’oo bighadabim minallaahi wa duribat ‘alaihimul maskanah; zaalika bi-annahum kaanoo yakfuroona bi Aayaatil laahi wa yaqtuloonal Ambiyaaa’a bighairi haqq; zaalika bimaa ‘asaw wa kaanoo ya’tadoon
113. Laisoo sawaaa’a; min Ahlil Kitaabi ummatun qaaa’imatuny yatloona Aayaatil laahi aanaaa’al laili wa hum yasjudoon
114. Yu’minoona billaahi wal Yawmil Aakhiri wa ya’muroona bilma’roofi wa yanhawna ‘anil munkari wa yusaari’oona fil khairaati wa ulaaa’ika minas saaliheen
115. Wa maa yaf’aloo min khairin falai yukfarooh; wallaahu ‘aleemun bilmuttaqeen
116. Innal lazeena kafaroo lan tughniya ‘anhum amwaaluhum wa laaa awlaaduhum minal laahi shai’anw wa ulaaa’ika Ashaabun Naar; hum feehaa khaalidoon
117. Masalu maa yunfiqoona fee haazihil hayaatid dunyaa kamasali reehin feehaa sirrun asaabat harsa qawmin zalamooo anfusahum fa ahlakath; wa maa zalamahumul laahu wa laakin anfusahum yazlimoon
118. Yaaa ayyuhal lazeena aamanoo laa tattakhizoo bitaanatam min doonikum laa ya’loonakum khabaalanw waddoo maa ‘anittum qad badatil baghdaaa’u min afwaahihim; wa maa tukhfee sudooruhum akbar; qad baiyannaa lakumul Aayaati in kuntum ta’qiloon
119. Haaa antum ulaaa’i tuhibboonahum wa laa yuhibboonakum wa tu’minoona bil kitaabi kullihee wa izaa laqookum qaalooo aamannaa wa izaa khalaw ‘addoo ‘alaikumul anaamila minal ghaiz; qul mootoo bighai zikum; innal laaha ‘aleemum bizaatis sudoor
120. In tamsaskum hasanatun tasu’hum wa in tusibkum saiyi’atuny yafrahoo bihaa wa in tasbiroo wa tattaqoo laa yad urrukum kaiduhum shai’aa; innal laaha bimaa ya’maloona muheet (section 12)
121. Wa iz ghadawta min ahlika tubawwi’ul mu’mineena maqaa’ida lilqitaal; wallaahu samee’un ‘aleem
122. Iz hammat taaa’ifataani minkum an tafshalaa wallaahu waliyyuhumaa; wa ‘alal laahi falyatawakkalil mu’minoon
123. Wa laqad nasarakumul laahu bi-Badrinw wa antum azillatun fattaqul laaha la’allakum tashkuroon
124. Iz taqoolu lilmu’mineena alai yakfiyakum ai-yumiddakum Rabbukum bisalaasati aalaafim minal malaaa’ikati munzaleen
125. Balaaa; in tasbiroo wa tattaqoo wa ya’tookum min fawrihim haazaa yumdidkum Rabbukum bikhamsati aalaafim minal malaaa’ikati musawwimeen
126. Wa maa ja’alahul laahu illaa bushraa lakum wa litatma’inna quloobukum bih’ wa man-nasru illaa min ‘indilllaahil ‘Azeezil Hakeem
127. Laiyaqta’a tarafam minal lazeena kafarooo aw yakbitahum fayanqaliboo khaaa’ibeen
128. Laisa laka minal amrishai’un aw yatooba ‘alaihim aw yu’az zi bahum fa innahum zaalimoon
129. Wa lillahi maa fissamaawaati wa maa fil-ard; yaghfiru limai-yashaaa’u wa yu’azzibu mai-yashaaa’; wallaahu Ghafoorur Raheem (section 13)
130. Yaaa ayyuhal lazeena aamanoo la takulu ribaaa ad’aafam mudaa’afatanw wattaqul laaha la’allakum tuflihoon
131. Wattaqun Naaral lateee u’iddat lilkaafireen
132. Wa atee’ul laaha war Rasoola la’allakum turhamoon
133. Wa saari’ooo ilaa maghfiratim mir Rabbikum wa Jannatin arduhassamaawaatu wal ardu u’iddat lilmuttaqeen
134. Allazeena yunfiqoona fissarraaa’i waddarraaa’i wal kaazimeenal ghaiza wal aafeena ‘anin-naas; wallaahu yuhibbul muhsineen
135. Wallazeena izaa fa’aloo faahishatan aw zalamooo anfusahum zakarul laaha fastaghfaroo lizunoobihim; wa mai yaghfiruz zunooba illal laahu wa lam yusirroo ‘alaa maa fa’aloo wa hum ya’lamoon
136. Ulaaa’ika jazaaa’uhum maghfiratum mir Rabbihim wa Jannaatun tajree min tahtihal anhaaru khaalideena feeha; wa ni’ma ajrul ‘aamileen
137. Qad khalat min qablikum sunanum faseeroo fil ardi fanzuroo kaifa kaana ‘aaqiba tul mukazzibeen
138. Haazaa bayaanul linnaasi wa hudanw wa maw’izatul lilmuttaqeen
139. Wa laa tahinoo wa laa tahzanoo wa antumul a’lawna in kuntum mu’mineen
140. Iny-yamsaskum qarhum faqad massal qawma qarhum misluh; wa tilkal ayyaamu nudaawiluhaa bainan naasi wa liya’lamal laahul lazeena aamanoo wa yattakhiza minkum shuhadaaa’; wallaahu laa yuh ibbuz zaalimeen
141. Wa liyumahhisal laahul lazeena aamanoo wa yamhaqal kaafireen
142. Am hasibtum an tadkhulul Jannnata wa lammaa ya’lamil laahul lazeena jaahadoo minkum wa ya’lamas saabireen
143. Wa laqad kuntum tamannnawnal mawta min qabli an talqawhu faqad ra aitumoohu wa antum tanzuroon (section 14)
144. Wa maa Muhammadun illaa Rasoolun qad khalat min qablihir Rusul; afa’im maata aw qutilan qalabtum ‘alaaa a’qaabikum; wa mai yanqalib ‘alaa aqibaihi falai yadurral laaha shai’aa; wa sayajzil laahush shaakireen
145. Wa maa kaana linafsin an tamoota illaa bi iznillaahi kitaabam mu’ajjalaa; wa mai yurid sawaabad dunyaa nu’tihee minhaa wa mai yurid sawaabal Aakhirati nu’tihee minhaa; wa sanajzish shaakireen
146. Wa ka aiyim min Nabiyyin qaatala ma’ahoo ribbiyyoona kaseerun famaa wahanoo limaaa Asaabahum fee sabeelil laahi wa maa da’ufoo wa mas takaanoo; wallaahu yuhibbus saabireen
147. Wa maa kaana qawlahum illaa an qaaloo Rabbanagh fir lanaa zunoobanaa wa israafanaa feee amrinaa wa sabbit aqdaamanaa wansurnaa ‘alal qawmil kaafireen
148. Fa aataahumul laahu sawaabad dunyaa wa husna sawaabil Aakhirah; wallaahu yuhibbul muhsineen (section 15)
149. Yaaa ‘aiyuhal lazeena aamanoo in tutee’ullazeena kafaroo yaruddookum ‘alaaa a’qaabikum fatanqaliboo khaasireen
150. Balil laahu mawlaakum wa Huwa khairun naasireen
151. Sanulqee fee quloobil lazeena kafarur ru’ba bimaaa ashrakoo billaahi maa lam yunazzil bihee sultaana wa ma’wahumun Naar; wa bi’sa maswaz zaalimeen
152. Wa laqad sadaqakumul laahu wa’dahooo iz tahussoo nahum bi iznihee hattaaa izaa fashiltum wa tanaaza’tum fil amri wa ‘asaitum mim ba’di maaa araakum maa tuhibboon; minkum mai yureedud dunyaa wa minkum mai yureedul Aakhirah; summa sarafakum ‘anhum  liyabtaliyakum wa laqad ‘afaa ‘ankum; wallaahu zoo fadlin ‘alal mu’mineen
153. Iz tus’idoona wa laa talwoona ‘alaaa ahadinw war Rasoolu yad’ookum feee ukhraakum fa asaabakum ghammam bighammil likailaa tahzanoo ‘alaa maa faatakum wa laa maaa asaabakum; wallaahu khabeerum bimaa ta’maloon
154. Summa anzala ‘alaikum mim ba’dil ghammi amanatan nu’aasai yaghshaa taaa’ ifatam minkum wa taaa’ifatun qad ahammat-hum anfusuhum yazunnoona billaahi ghairal haqqi zannal jaahiliyyati yaqooloona hal lanaa minal amri min shai’; qul innal amra kullahoo lillaah; yukhfoona fee anfusihim maa laa yubdoona laka yaqooloona law kaana lanaa minal amri shai’ummaa qutilnaa haahunaa; qul law kuntum fee buyootikum labarazal lazeena kutiba ‘alaihimul qatlu ilaa madaaji’ihim wa liyabtaliyal laahu maa fee sudoorikum wa liyumah hisa maa fee quloobikum; wallaahu ‘aleemum bizaatis sudoor
155. Innal lazeena tawallaw minkum yawmal taqal jam’aani innamas tazallahumush Shaitaanu biba’di maa kasaboo wa laqad ‘afal laahu ‘anhum; innnal laaha Ghafoorun Haleem (section 16)
156. Yaaa ayyuhul lazeena aamanoo laa takoonoo kallazeena kafaroo wa qaaloo li ikhwaanihim izaa daraboo fil ardi aw kaanoo ghuzzal law kaanoo ‘indanaa maa maatoo wa maa qutiloo liyaj’alal laahu zaalika hasratan fee quloobihim; wallaahu yuhyee wa yumeet; wallaahu bimaa ta’maloona Baseer
157. Wa la’in qutiltum fee sabeelil laahi aw muttum lamaghfiratum minal laahi wa rahmatun khairum mimmaa yajma’oon
158. Wa la’im muttum ‘aw qutiltum la il allahi tuhsharoon
159. Fabimaa rahmatim minal laahi linta lahum wa law kunta fazzan ghaleezal qalbi lanfaddoo min hawlika fa’afu ‘anhum wastaghfir lahum wa shaawirhum fil amri fa izaa ‘azamta fatawakkal ‘alal laah; innallaaha yuhibbul mutawak kileen
160. Iny-yansurkumul laahu falaa ghaaliba lakum wa iny-yakhzulkum faman zal lazee yansurukum min ba’dih; wa ‘alal laahi falyatawakkalil mu’minoon
161. Wa maa kaana li Nabiyyin ai yaghull; wa mai yaghlul ya’tibimaa ghalla Yawmal Qiyaamah; summa tuwaffaa kullu nafsim maa kasabat wa hum laa yuzlamoon
162. Afamanit taba’a Ridwaanal laahi kamam baaa’a bisakhatim minal laahi wa ma’waahu Jahannam; wa bi’sal maseer
163. Hum darajaatun ‘indal laah; wallaahu baseerum bimaa ya’maloon
164. Laqad mannal laahu ‘alal mu’mineena iz ba’asa feehim Rasoolam min anfusihim yatloo ‘alaihim Aayaatihee wa yuzakkeehim wa yu’allimu humul Kitaaba wal Hikmata wa in kaanoo min qablu lafee dalaalim mubeen
165. Awa lammaaa asaabatkum museebatun qad asabtum mislaihaa qultum annaa haazaa qul huwa min ‘indi anfusikum; innal laaha ‘alaa kulli shai’in Qadeer
166. Wa maa asaabakum yawmal taqal jam’aani fabi iznil laahi wa liya’lamal mu’mineen
167. Wa liya’lamal lazeena naafaqoo; wa qeela lahum ta’aalaw qaatiloo fee sabeelil laahi awid fa’oo qaaloo law na’lamu qitaalallat taba’naakum; hum lilkufri yawma’izin aqrabu minhum lil eemaan; yaqooloona bi afwaahihim maa laisa fee quloobihim; wallaahu a’lamu bimaa yaktumoon
168. Allazeena qaaloo li ikhwaanihim wa qa’adoo law ataa’oonaa maa qutiloo; qul fadra’oo’an anfusikumul mawta in kuntum saadiqeen
169. Wa laa tahsabannal lazeena qutiloo fee sabeelillaahi amwaata; bal ahyaaa’un ‘inda Rabbihim yurzaqoon
170. Fariheena bimaaa aataa humul laahu min fadlihee wa yastabshiroona billazeena lam yalhaqoo bihim min khalfihim allaa khawfun ‘alaihim wa laa hum yahzanoon
171. Yastabshiroona bini’matim minal laahi wa fad linw wa annal laaha laa yudee’u ajral mu’mineen (section 17)
172. Allazeenas tajaaboo lil laahi war Rasooli mim ba’di maaa asaabahumulqarh; lillazeena ahsanoo minhum wattaqaw ajrun ‘azeem
173. Allazeena qaala lahumun naasu innan naasa qad jama’oo lakum fakhshawhum fazaadahum emaananw wa qaaloo hasbunal laahu wa ni’malwakeel
174. Fanqalaboo bini’matim minal laahi wa fadlil lam yamsashum sooo’unw wattaba’oo ridwaanal laah; wallaahu zoo fadlin ‘azeem
175. Innamaa zaalikumush Shaitaanu yukhawwifu awliyaaa’ahoo falaa takhaafoohum wa khaafooni in kuntum mu’mineen
176. Wa laa yahzunkal lazeena yusaari’oona fil Kufr; innahum lai yadurrul laaha shai’aa; yureedul laahu allaa yaj’ala lahum hazzan fil Aakhirati wa lahum ‘azaabun ‘azeem
177. Innal lazeenash tarawul kufra bil eemaani lai yadurrul laaha shai’anw wa lahum ‘azaabun aleem
178. Wa laa yahsabannal lazeena kafarooo annamaa numlee lahum khairulli anfusihim; innamaa numlee lahum liyazdaadooo ismaa wa lahum ‘azaabum muheen
179. Maa kaanal laahu liyazaral mu’mineena ‘alaa maaa antum ‘alaihi hattaa yameezal khabeesa minat taiyib; wa maa kaanal laahu liyutli’akum ‘alal ghaibi wa laakinnal laaha yajtabee mir rusulihee mai yashaaa’; fa aaminoo billaahi wa Rusulih; wa in tu ‘minoo wa tattaqoo falakum ajrun ‘azeem
180. Wa laa yahsabannal lazeena yabkhaloona bimaa aataahumul laahu min fadilhee huwa khairal lahum bal huwa sharrul lahum sayutaw waqoona maa bakhiloo bihee Yawmal Qiyaamah; wa lillaahi meeraasus samaawaati wal ard; wallaahu bimaa ta’maloona Khabeer (section 18)
181. Laqad sami’al laahu qawlal lazeena qaalooo innal laaha faqeerunw wa nahnu aghniyaaa’; sanaktubu maa qaaloo wa qatlahumul Ambiyaa’a bighairi haqqinw wa naqoolu zooqoo ‘azaabal Hareeq
182. Zaalika bimaa qaddamat aideekum wa annal laaha laisa bizallaamil lil’abeed
183. Allazeena qaalooo innal laaha ‘ahida ilainaaa allaa nu’mina liRasoolin hatta ya’tiyanaa biqurbaanin ta kuluhun naar; qul qad jaaa’akum Rusulum min qablee bilbaiyinaati wa billazee qultum falima qataltumoohum in kuntum saadiqeen
184. Fa in kaz zabooka faqad kuz ziba Rusulum min qablika jaaa’oo bilbaiyinaati waz Zuburi wal Kitaabil Muneer
185. Kullu nafsin zaaa’iqatul mawt; wa innamaa tuwaffawna ujoorakum Yawmal Qiyaamati faman zuhziha ‘anin Naari wa udkhilal Jannata faqad faaz; wa mal hayaatud dunyaaa illaa mataa’ul ghuroor
186. Latublawunna feee amwaalikum wa anfusikum wa latasma’unna minal lazeena ootul Kitaaba min qablikum wa minal lazeena ashrakooo azan kaseeraa; wa in tasbiroo wa tattaqoo fa inna zaalika min ‘azmil umoor
187. Wa iz akhazal laahu meesaaqal lazeena ootul Kitaaba latubaiyinunnahoo linnaasi wa laa taktumoona hoo fanabazoohu waraaa’a zuhoorihim washtaraw bihee samanan qaleelan fabi’sa maa yashtaroon
188. Laa tahsabannal lazeena yafrahoona bimaaa ataw wa yuhibbona ai yuhmadoo bimaa lam yaf’aloo falaa tahsabunnahum bimafaazatim minal ‘azaabi wa lahum ‘azaabun aleem
189. Wa lillaahi mulkus samaawaati wal ard; wallaahu ‘alaa kulli shai’in Qadeer (section 19)
190. Inna fee khalqis samaawaati wal ardi wakhtilaafil laili wannahaari la Aayaatil liulil albaab
191. Allazeena yazkuroonal laaha qiyaamanw-wa qu’oodanw-wa ‘alaa juno obihim wa yatafakkaroona fee khalqis samaawaati wal ardi Rabbanaa maa khalaqta haaza baatilan Subhaanaka faqinaa ‘azaaban Naar
192. Rabbanaaa innaka man tudkhilin Naara faqad akhzai tahoo wa maa lizzaalimeena min ansaar
193. Rabbanaaa innanaa sami’naa munaadiyai yunaadee lil eemaani an aaminoo bi Rabbikum fa aamannaa; Rabbanaa faghfir lanaa zunoobanaa wa kaffir ‘annaa saiyi aatina wa tawaffanaa ma’al abraar
194. Rabbanaa wa aatinaa maa wa’attanaa ‘alaa Rusulika wa laa tukhzinaa Yawmal Qiyaamah; innaka laa tukhliful mee’aad
195. Fastajaaba lahum Rabbuhum annee laaa Udee’u ‘amala ‘aamilim minkum min zakarin aw unsaa ba’dukum min ba’din fal lazeena haajaroo wa ukhrijoo min diyaarihim wa oozoo fee sabeelee wa qaataloo wa qutiloo la ukaffiranna ‘anhum saiyi aatihim wa la udkhilanna hum Jannnatin tajree min tahtihal anhaaru sawaabam min ‘indil laah; wallaahu ‘indahoo husnus sawaab
196. Laa yaghurrannaka taqal lubul lazeena kafaroo fil bilaad
197. Mataa’un qaleelun summa ma’waahum Jahannam; wa bi’sal mihaad
198. Laakinil lazeenat taqaw Rabbahum lahum Jannnaatun tajree min tahtihal anhaaru khaalideena feehaa nuzulammin ‘indil laah; wa maa ‘indal laahi khairul lil abraar
199. Wa inna min Ahlil Kitaabi lamai yu’minu billaahi wa maaa unzila ilaikum wa maaa unzila ilaihim khaashi ‘eena lillaahi laa yashtaroona bi Aayaatil laahi samanan qaleelaa; ulaaa’ika lahum ajruhum ‘inda Rabbihim; innal laaha saree’ul hisaab
200. Yaaa aiyuhal lazeena aamanus biroo wa saabiroo wa raabitoo wattaqul laaha la’allakum tuflihoon (section 20)

Translation

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

1. Lam. Mim.
2. Allah! There is no god save Him, the Alive, the Eternal.
3. He hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture with truth, confirming that which was (revealed) before it, even as He revealed the Torah and the Gospel.
4. Aforetime, for a guidance to mankind; and hath revealed the Criterion (of right and wrong) . Lo! those who disbelieve the revelations of Allah, theirs will be a heavy doom. Allah is Mighty, Able to Requite (the wrong) .
5. Lo! nothing in the earth or in the heavens is hidden from Allah.
6. He it is Who fashioneth you in the wombs as pleaseth Him. There is no Allah save Him, the Almighty, the Wise.
7. He it is Who hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture wherein are clear revelations – they are the substance of the Book – and others (which are) allegorical. But those in whose hearts is doubt pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical seeking (to cause) dissension by seeking to explain it. None knoweth its explanation save Allah. And those who are of sound instruction say: We believe therein; the whole is from our Lord; but only men of understanding really heed.
8. Our Lord! Cause not our hearts to stray after Thou hast guided us, and bestow upon us mercy from Thy Presence. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Bestower.
9. Our Lord! Lo! it is Thou Who gatherest mankind together to a Day of which there is no doubt. Lo! Allah faileth not to keep the tryst.
10. (On that Day) neither the riches nor the progeny of those who disbelieve will aught avail them with Allah. They will be fuel for Fire.
11. Like Pharaoh’s folk and those who were before them, they disbelieved Our revelations and so Allah seized them for their sins. And Allah is severe in punishment.
12. Say ( O Muhammad) unto those who disbelieve: Ye shall be overcome and gathered unto Hell, an evil resting-place.
13. There was a token for you in two hosts which met: one army fighting in the way of Allah, and another disbelieving, whom they saw as twice their number, clearly, with their very eyes. Thus Allah strengtheneth with His succour whom He will. Lo! herein verily is a lesson for those who have eyes.
14. Beautified for mankind is love of the joys (that come) from women and offspring; and stored-up heaps of gold and silver, and horses branded (with their mark) , and cattle and land. That is comfort of the life of the world. Allah! With Him is a more excellent abode.
15. Say: Shall I inform you of something better than that? For those who keep from evil, with their Lord, are Gardens underneath which rivers flow wherein they will abide, and pure companions, and contentment from Allah. Allah is Seer of His bondmen,
16. Those who say: Our Lord! Lo! we believe. So forgive us our sins and guard us from the punishment of Fire;
17. The steadfast, and the truthful, and the obedient, those who spend (and hoard not) , those who pray for pardon in the watches of the night.
18. Allah (Himself) is Witness that there is no Allah save Him. And the angels and the men of learning (too are witness) . Maintaining His creation in justice, there is no Allah save Him the Almighty, the Wise.
19. Lo! religion with Allah (is) the Surrender (to His Will and Guidance) . Those who (formerly) received the Scripture differed only after knowledge came unto them, through transgression among themselves. Whoso disbelieveth the revelations of Allah (will find that) lo! Allah is swift at reckoning.
20. And if they argue with thee, ( O Muhammad) , say: I have surrendered my purpose to Allah and (so have) those who follow me. And say unto those who have received the Scripture and those who read not: Have ye (too) surrendered? If they surrender, then truly they are rightly guided, and if they turn away, then it is thy duty only to convey the message (unto them) . Allah is Seer of (His) bondmen.
21. Lo! those who disbelieve the revelations of Allah, and slay the prophets wrongfully, and slay those of mankind who enjoin equity: promise them a painful doom.
22. Those are they whose works have failed in the world and the Hereafter; and they have no helpers.
23. Hast thou not seen how those who have received a portion of the Scripture invoke the Scripture of Allah (in their disputes) that it may judge between them; then a faction of them turn away, being opposed (to it) ?
24. That is because they say: The Fire will not touch us save for a certain number of days. That which they used to invent hath deceived them regarding their religion.
25. How (will it be with them) when We have brought them all together to a Day of which there is no doubt, when every soul will be paid in full what it hath earned, and they will not be wronged.
26. Say: O Allah! Owner of Sovereignty! Thou givest sovereignty unto whom Thou wilt, and Thou withdrawest sovereignty from whom Thou wilt. Thou exaltest whom Thou wilt, and Thou abasest whom Thou wilt. In Thy hand is the good. Lo! Thou art Able to do all things.
27. Thou causest the night to pass into the day, and Thou causest the day to pass into the night. And Thou bringest forth the living from the dead, and Thou bringest forth the dead from the living. And Thou givest sustenance to whom Thou choosest, without stint.
28. Let not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers. Whoso doeth that hath no connection with Allah unless (it be) that ye but guard yourselves against them, taking (as it were) security. Allah biddeth you beware (only) of Himself. Unto Allah is the journeying.
29. Say, ( O Muhammad) : Whether ye hide that which is in your breasts or reveal it, Allah knoweth it. He knoweth that which is in the heavens and that which is in the earth, and Allah is Able to do all things.
30. On the Day when every soul will find itself confronted with all that it hath done of good and all that it hath done of evil (every soul) will long that there might be a mighty space of distance between it and that (evil) . Allah biddeth you beware of Him. And Allah is Full of Pity for (His) bondmen.
31. Say, ( O Muhammad, to mankind) : If ye love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
32. Say: Obey Allah and the messenger. But if they turn away, lo! Allah loveth not the disbelievers (in His guidance) .
33. Lo! Allah preferred Adam and Noah and the Family of Abraham and the Family of ‘Imran above (all His) creatures.
34. They were descendants one of another. Allah is Hearer, Knower.
35. (Remember) when the wife of ‘Imran said: My Lord! I have vowed unto Thee that which is in my belly as a consecrated (offering) . Accept it from me. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Hearer, the Knower!
36. And when she was delivered she said: My Lord! Lo! I am delivered of a female – Allah knew best of what she was delivered – the male is not as the female; and lo! I have named her Mary, and lo! I crave Thy protection for her and for her offspring from Satan the outcast.
37. And her Lord accepted her with full acceptance and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth; and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah went into the sanctuary where she was, he found that she had food. He said: O Mary! Whence cometh unto thee this (food) ? She answered: It is from Allah. Allah giveth without stint to whom He will.
38. Then Zachariah prayed unto his Lord and said: My Lord! Bestow upon me of Thy bounty goodly offspring. Lo! Thou art the Hearer of Prayer.
39. And the angels called to him as he stood praying in the sanctuary: Allah giveth thee glad tidings of (a son whose name is) John, (who cometh) to confirm a word from Allah lordly, chaste, a prophet of the righteous.
40. He said: My Lord! How can I have a son when age hath overtaken me already and my wife is barren? (The angel) answered: So (it will be) . Allah doeth what He will.
41. He said: My Lord! Appoint a token for me. (The angel) said: The token unto thee (shall be) that thou shalt not speak unto mankind three days except by signs. Remember thy Lord much, and praise (Him) in the early hours of night and morning.
42. And when the angels said: O Mary! Lo! Allah hath chosen thee and made thee pure, and hath preferred thee above (all) the women of creation.
43. O Mary! Be obedient to thy Lord, prostrate thyself and bow with those who bow (in worship) .
44. This is of the tidings of things hidden. We reveal it unto thee (Muhammad) . Thou wast not present with them when they threw their pens (to know) which of them should be the guardian of Mary, nor wast thou present with them when they quarrelled (thereupon) .
45. (And remember) when the angels said: O Mary! Lo! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a word from him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, illustrious in the world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near (unto Allah) .
46. He will speak unto mankind in his cradle and in his manhood, and he is of the righteous.
47. She said: My Lord! How can I have a child when no mortal hath touched me? He said: So (it will be) . Allah createth what He will. If He decreeth a thing, He saith unto it only: Be! and it is.
48. And He will teach him the Scripture and wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel,
49. And will make him a messenger unto the Children of Israel, (saying) : Lo! I come unto you with a sign from your Lord. Lo! I fashion for you out of clay the likeness of a bird, and I breathe into it and it is a bird, by Allah’s leave. I heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I raise the dead, by Allah’s leave. And I announce unto you what ye eat and what ye store up in your houses. Lo! herein verily is a portent for you, if ye are to be believers.
50. And (I come) confirming that which was before me of the Torah, and to make lawful some of that which was forbidden unto you. I come unto you with a sign from your Lord, so keep your duty to Allah and obey me.
51. Lo! Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path.
52. But when Jesus became conscious of their disbelief, he cried: Who will be my helpers in the cause of Allah? The disciples said: We will be Allah’s helpers. We believe in Allah, and bear thou witness that we have surrendered (unto Him) .
53. Our Lord! We believe in that which Thou hast revealed and we follow him whom Thou hast sent. Enrol us among those who witness (to the truth) .
54. And they (the disbelievers) schemed, and Allah schemed (against them) : and Allah is the best of schemers.
55. (And remember) when Allah said: O Jesus! Lo! I am gathering thee and causing thee to ascend unto Me, and am cleansing thee of those who disbelieve and am setting those who follow thee above those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection. Then unto Me ye will (all) return, and I shall judge between you as to that wherein ye used to differ.
56. As for those who disbelieve I shall chastise them with a heavy chastisement in the world and the Hereafter; and they will have no helpers.
57. And as for those who believe and do good works, He will pay them their wages in full. Allah loveth not wrong-doers.
58. This (which) We recite unto thee is a revelation and a wise reminder.
59. Lo! the likeness of Jesus with Allah is as the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust, then He said unto him: Be! and he is.
60. (This is) the truth from thy Lord ( O Muhammad) , so be not thou of those who waver.
61. And whoso disputeth with thee concerning him, after the knowledge which hath come unto thee, say (unto him) : Come! We will summon our sons and your sons, and our women and your women, and ourselves and yourselves, then we will pray humbly (to our Lord) and (solemnly) invoke the curse of Allah upon those who lie.
62. Lo! This verily is the true narrative. There is no Allah save Allah, and lo! Allah, He verily is, is the Mighty, the Wise.
63. And if they turn away, then lo! Allah is Aware of (who are) the corrupters.
64. Say: O People of the Scripture! Come to an agreement between us and you: that we shall worship none but Allah, and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for lords beside Allah. And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are they who have surrendered (unto Him) .
65. O People of the Scripture! Why will ye argue about Abraham, when the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed till after him? Have ye then no sense?
66. Lo! ye are those who argue about that whereof ye have some knowledge: Why then argue ye concerning that whereof ye have no knowledge? Allah knoweth. Ye know not.
67. Abraham was not a Jew, nor yet a Christian; but he was an upright man who had surrendered (to Allah) , and he was not of the idolaters.
68. Lo! those of mankind who have the best claim to Abraham are those who followed him, and this Prophet and those who believe (with him) ; and Allah is the Protecting Guardian of the believers.
69. A party of the People of the Scripture long to make you go astray; and they make none to go astray except themselves, but they perceive not.
70. O People of the Scripture! Why disbelieve ye in the revelations of Allah, when ye (yourselves) bear witness (to their truth) ?
71. O People of the Scripture! Why confound ye truth with falsehood and knowingly conceal the truth?
72. And a party of the People of the Scripture say: Believe in that which hath been revealed unto those who believe at the opening of the day, and disbelieve at the end thereof, in order that they may return;
73. And believe not save in one who followeth your religion – Say ( O Muhammad) : Lo! the guidance is Allah’s Guidance – that anyone is given the like of that which was given unto you or that they may argue with you in the presence of their Lord. Say ( O Muhammad) : Lo! the bounty is in Allah’s hand. He bestoweth it on whom He will. Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing.
74. He selecteth for His mercy whom He will. Allah is of Infinite Bounty.
75. Among the People of the Scripture there is he who, if thou trust him with a weight of treasure, will return it to thee. And among them there is he who, if thou trust him with a piece of gold, will not return it to thee unless thou keep standing over him. That is because they say: We have no duty to the Gentiles. They speak a lie concerning Allah knowingly.
76. Nay, but (the chosen of Allah is) he who fulfilleth his pledge and wardeth off (evil) ; for lo! Allah loveth those who ward off (evil) .
77. Lo! those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allah’s covenant and their oaths, they have no portion in the Hereafter. Allah will neither speak to them nor look upon them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He make them grow. Theirs will be a painful doom.
78. And lo! there is a party of them who distort the Scripture with their tongues, that ye may think that what they say is from the Scripture, when it is not from the Scripture. And they say: It is from Allah, when it is not from Allah; and they speak a lie concerning Allah knowingly.
79. It is not (possible) for any human being unto whom Allah had given the Scripture and wisdom and the prophethood that he should afterwards have said unto mankind: Be slaves of me instead of Allah; but (what he said was): Be ye faithful servants of the Lord by virtue of your constant teaching of the Scripture and of your constant study thereof.
80. And he commanded you not that ye should take the angels and the prophets for lords. Would he command you to disbelieve after ye had surrendered (to Allah)?
81. When Allah made (His) covenant with the prophets, (He said): Behold that which I have given you of the Scripture and knowledge. And afterward there will come unto you a messenger, confirming that which ye possess. Ye shall believe in him and ye shall help him. He said: Do ye agree, and will ye take up My burden (which I lay upon you) in this (matter)? They answered: We agree. He said: Then bear ye witness. I will be a witness with you.
82. Then whosoever after this shall turn away: they will be miscreants.
83. Seek they other than the religion of Allah, when unto Him submitteth whosoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and unto Him they will be returned.
84. Say ( O Muhammad): We believe in Allah and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and that which was vouchsafed unto Moses and Jesus and the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and unto Him we have surrendered.
85. And whoso seeketh as religion other than the Surrender (to Allah) it will not be accepted from him, and he will be a loser in the Hereafter.
86. How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief and (after) they bore witness that the messenger is true and after clear proofs (of Allah’s Sovereignty) had come unto them. And Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.
87. As for such, their guerdon is that on them rests the curse of Allah and of angels and of men combined.
88. They will abide therein. Their doom will not be lightened, neither will they be reprieved;
89. Save those who afterward repent and do right. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
90. Lo! those who disbelieve after their (profession of) belief, and afterward grow violent in disbelief: their repentance will not be accepted. And such are those who are astray.
91. Lo! those who disbelieve, and die in disbelief, the (whole) earth full of gold would not be accepted from such an one if it were offered as a ransom (for his soul). Theirs will be a painful doom and they will have no helpers.
92. Ye will not attain unto piety until ye spend of that which ye love. And whatsoever ye spend, Allah is Aware thereof.
93. All food was lawful unto the Children of Israel, save that which Israel forbade himself, (in days) before the Torah was revealed. Say: Produce the Torah and read it (unto us) if ye are truthful.
94. And whoever shall invent a falsehood after that concerning Allah, such will be wrong-doers.
95. Say: Allah speaketh truth. So follow the religion of Abraham, the upright. He was not of the idolaters.
96. Lo! the first Sanctuary appointed for mankind was that at Becca, a blessed place, a guidance to the peoples;
97. Wherein are plain memorials (of Allah’s guidance); the place where Abraham stood up to pray; and whosoever entereth it is safe. And pilgrimage to the House is a duty unto Allah for mankind, for him who can find a way thither. As for him who disbelieveth, (let him know that) lo! Allah is Independent of (all) creatures.
98. Say: O People of the Scripture! Why disbelieve ye in the revelations of Allah, when Allah (Himself) is Witness of what ye do?
99. Say: O People of the Scripture! Why drive ye back believers from the way of Allah, seeking to make it crooked, when ye are witnesses (to Allah’s guidance)? Allah is not unaware of what ye do.
100. O ye who believe! If ye obey a party of those who have received the Scripture they will make you disbelievers after your belief.
101. How can ye disbelieve, when it is ye unto whom Allah’s revelations are recited, and His messenger is in your midst? He who holdeth fast to Allah, he indeed is guided unto a right path.
102. O ye who believe! Observe your duty to Allah with right observance, and die not save as those who have surrendered (unto Him)
103. And hold fast, all of you together, to the cable of Allah, and do not separate. And remember Allah’s favour unto you: How ye were enemies and He made friendship between your hearts so that ye became as brothers by His grace; and (how) ye were upon the brink of an abyss of fire, and He did save you from it. Thus Allah maketh clear His revelations unto you, that haply ye may be guided,
104. And there may spring from you a nation who invite to goodness, and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency. Such are they who are successful.
105. And be ye not as those who separated and disputed after the clear proofs had come unto them. For such there is an awful doom,
106. On the Day when (some) faces will be whitened and (some) faces will be blackened; and as for those whose faces have been blackened, it will be said unto them: Disbelieved ye after your (profession of) belief? Then taste the punishment for that ye disbelieved.
107. And as for those whose faces have been whitened, in the mercy of Allah they dwell for ever.
108. These are revelations of Allah. We recite them unto thee in truth. Allah willeth no injustice to (His) creatures.
109. Unto Allah belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth; and unto Allah all things are returned.
110. Ye are the best community that hath been raised up for mankind. Ye enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency; and ye believe in Allah. And if the People of the Scripture had believed it had been better for them. Some of them are believers; but most of them are evil-livers.
111. They will not harm you save a trifling hurt, and if they fight against you they will turn and flee. And afterward they will not be helped.
112. Ignominy shall be their portion wheresoever they are found save (where they grasp) a rope from Allah and a rope from men. They have incurred anger from their Lord, and wretchedness is laid upon them. That is because they used to disbelieve the revelations of Allah, and slew the prophets wrongfully. That is because they were rebellious and used to transgress.
113. They are not all alike. Of the People of the Scripture there is a staunch community who recite the revelations of Allah in the night season, falling prostrate (before Him).
114. They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency, and vie one with another in good works. These are of the righteous.
115. And whatever good they do, they will not be denied the meed thereof. Allah is Aware of those who ward off (evil).
116. Lo! the riches and the progeny of those who disbelieve will not avail them aught against Allah; and such are rightful owners of the Fire. They will abide therein.
117. The likeness of that which they spend in this life of the world is as the likeness of a biting, icy wind which smiteth the harvest of a people who have wronged themselves, and devastateth it. Allah wronged them not, but they do wrong themselves.
118. O ye who believe! Take not for intimates others than your own folk, who would spare no pains to ruin you; they love to hamper you. Hatred is revealed by (the utterance of) their mouths, but that which their breasts hide is greater. We have made plain for you the revelations if ye will understand.
119. Lo! ye are those who love them though they love you not, and ye believe in all the Scripture. When they fall in with you they say: We believe; but when they go apart they bite their finger-tips at you, for rage. Say: Perish in your rage! Lo! Allah is Aware of what is hidden in (your) breasts.
120. If a lucky chance befall you, it is evil unto them, and if disaster strike you they rejoice thereat. But if ye persevere and keep from evil their guile will never harm you. Lo! Allah is Surrounding what they do.
121. And when thou settedst forth at daybreak from thy housefolk to assign to the believers their positions for the battle, Allah was Hearer, Knower.
122. When two parties of you almost fell away, and Allah was their Protecting Friend. In Allah let believers put their trust.
123. Allah had already given you the victory at Badr, when ye were contemptible. So observe your duty to Allah in order that ye may be thankful.
124. When thou didst say unto the believers: Is it not sufficient for you that your Lord should support you with three thousand angels sent down (to your help)?
125. Nay, but if ye persevere, and keep from evil, and (the enemy) attack you suddenly, your Lord will help you with five thousand angels sweeping on.
126. Allah ordained this only as a message of good cheer for you, and that thereby your hearts might be at rest – Victory cometh only from Allah, the Mighty, the Wise –
127. That He may cut off a part of those who disbelieve, or overwhelm them so that they retire, frustrated.
128. It is no concern at all of thee (Muhammad) whether He relent toward them or punish them; for they are evil-doers.
129. Unto Allah belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. He forgiveth whom He will, and punisheth whom He will. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
130. O ye who believe! Devour not usury, doubling and quadrupling (the sum lent). Observe your duty to Allah, that ye may be successful.
131. And ward off (from yourselves) the Fire prepared for disbelievers.
132. And obey Allah and the messenger, that ye may find mercy.
133. And vie one with another for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who ward off (evil);
134. Those who spend (of that which Allah hath given them) in ease and in adversity, those who control their wrath and are forgiving toward mankind; Allah loveth the good;
135. And those who, when they do an evil thing or wrong themselves, remember Allah and implore forgiveness for their sins – Who forgiveth sins save Allah only? – and will not knowingly repeat (the wrong) they did.
136. The reward of such will be forgiveness from their Lord, and Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide for ever – a bountiful reward for workers!
137. Systems have passed away before you. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequence for those who did deny (the messengers).
138. This is a declaration for mankind, a guidance and an admonition unto those who ward off (evil)
139. Faint not nor grieve, for ye will overcome them if ye are (indeed) believers.
140. If ye have received a blow, the (disbelieving) people have received a blow the like thereof. These are (only) the vicissitudes which We cause to follow one another for mankind, to the end that Allah may know those who believe and may choose witnesses from among you; and Allah loveth not wrong-doers.
141. And that Allah may prove those who believe, and may blight the disbelievers.
142. Or deemed ye that ye would enter paradise while yet Allah knoweth not those of you who really strive, nor knoweth those (of you) who are steadfast?
143. And verily ye used to wish for death before ye met it (in the field). Now ye have seen it with your eyes!
144. Muhammad is but a messenger, messengers (the like of whom) have passed away before him. Will it be that, when he dieth or is slain, ye will turn back on your heels? He who turneth back on his heels doth no hurt to Allah, and Allah will reward the thankful.
145. No soul can ever die except by Allah’s leave and at a term appointed. Whoso desireth the reward of the world, We bestow on him thereof; and whoso desireth the reward of the Hereafter, We bestow on him thereof. We shall reward the thankful.
146. And with how many a prophet have there been a number of devoted men who fought (beside him). They quailed not for aught that befell them in the way of Allah, nor did they weaken, nor were they brought low. Allah loveth the steadfast.
147. Their cry was only that they said: Our Lord! forgive us for our sins and wasted efforts, make our foothold sure, and give us victory over the disbelieving folk.
148. So Allah gave them the reward of the world and the good reward of the Hereafter. Allah loveth those whose deeds are good.
149. O ye who believe! if ye obey those who disbelieve, they will make you turn back on your heels, and ye turn back as losers.
150. But Allah is your Protector, and He is the Best of Helpers.
151. We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve because they ascribe unto Allah partners, for which no warrant hath been revealed. Their habitation is the Fire, and hapless the abode of the wrong-doers.
152. Allah verily made good His promise unto you when ye routed them by His leave, until (the moment) when your courage failed you, and ye disagreed about the order and ye disobeyed, after He had shown you that for which ye long. Some of you desired the world, and some of you desired the Hereafter. Therefore He made you flee from them, that He might try you. Yet now He hath forgiven you. Allah is a Lord of Kindness to believers.
153. When ye climbed (the hill) and paid no heed to anyone, while the messenger, in your rear, was calling you (to fight). Therefor He rewarded you grief for (his) grief, that (He might teach) you not to sorrow either for that which ye missed or for that which befell you. Allah is Informed of what ye do.
154. Then, after grief, He sent down security for you. As slumber did it overcome a party of you, while (the other) party, who were anxious on their own account, thought wrongly of Allah, the thought of ignorance. They said: Have we any part in the cause? Say ( O Muhammad): The cause belongeth wholly to Allah. They hide within themselves (a thought) which they reveal not unto thee, saying: Had we had any part in the cause we should not have been slain here. Say: Even though ye had been in your houses, those appointed to be slain would have gone forth to the places where they were to lie. (All this hath been) in order that Allah might try what is in your breasts and prove what is in your hearts. Allah is Aware of what is hidden in the breasts (of men).
155. Lo! those of you who turned back on the day when the two hosts met, Satan alone it was who caused them to backslide, because of some of that which they have earned. Now Allah hath forgiven them. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Clement.
156. O ye who believe! Be not as those who disbelieved and said of their brethren who went abroad in the land or were fighting in the field: If they had been (here) with us they would not have died or been killed: that Allah may make it anguish in their hearts. Allah giveth life and causeth death; and Allah is Seer of what ye do.
157. And what though ye be slain in Allah’s way or die therein? Surely pardon from Allah and mercy are better than all that they amass.
158. What though ye be slain or die, when unto Allah ye are gathered?
159. It was by the mercy of Allah that thou wast lenient with them ( O Muhammad), for if thou hadst been stern and fierce of heart they would have dispersed from round about thee. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult with them upon the conduct of affairs. And when thou art resolved, then put thy trust in Allah. Lo! Allah loveth those who put their trust (in Him).
160. If Allah is your helper none can overcome you, and if He withdraw His help from you, who is there who can help you after Him? In Allah let believers put their trust.
161. It is not for any prophet to embezzle. Whoso embezzleth will bring what he embezzled with him on the Day of Resurrection. Then every soul will be paid in full what it hath earned; and they will not be wronged.
162. Is one who followeth the pleasure of Allah as one who hath earned condemnation from Allah, whose habitation is the Fire, a hapless journey’s end?
163. There are degrees (of grace and reprobation) with Allah, and Allah is Seer of what they do.
164. Allah verily hath shown grace to the believers by sending unto them a messenger of their own who reciteth unto them His revelations, and causeth them to grow, and teacheth them the Scripture and wisdom; although before (he came to them) they were in flagrant error.
165. And was it so, when a disaster smote you, though ye had smitten (them with a disaster) twice (as great), that ye said: How is this? Say (unto them, O Muhammad): It is from yourselves. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things.
166. That which befell you, on the day when the two armies met, was by permission of Allah; that He might know the true believers;
167. And that He might know the hypocrites, unto whom it was said: Come, fight in the way of Allah, or defend yourselves. They answered: If we knew aught of fighting we would follow you. On that day they were nearer disbelief than faith. They utter with their mouths a thing which is not in their hearts. Allah is Best Aware of what they hide.
168. Those who, while they sat at home, said of their brethren (who were fighting for the cause of Allah): If they had been guided by us they would not have been slain. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Then avert death from yourselves if ye are truthful.
169. Think not of those, who are slain in the way of Allah, as dead. Nay, they are living. With their Lord they have provision.
170. Jubilant (are they) because of that which Allah hath bestowed upon them of His bounty, rejoicing for the sake of those who have not joined them but are left behind: That there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.
171. They rejoice because of favour from Allah and kindness, and that Allah wasteth not the wage of the believers.
172. As for those who heard the call of Allah and His messenger after the harm befell them (in the fight); for such of them as do right and ward off (evil), there is great reward.
173. Those unto whom men said: Lo! the people have gathered against you, therefor fear them. (The threat of danger) but increased the faith of them and they cried: Allah is Sufficient for us! Most Excellent is He in Whom we trust!
174. So they returned with grace and favour from Allah, and no harm touched them. They followed the good pleasure of Allah, and Allah is of Infinite Bounty.
175. It is only the devil who would make (men) fear his partisans. Fear them not; fear Me, if ye are true believers.
176. Let not their conduct grieve thee, who run easily to disbelief, for lo! they injure Allah not at all. It is Allah’s Will to assign them no portion in the Hereafter, and theirs will be an awful doom.
177. Those who purchase disbelief at the price of faith harm Allah not at all, but theirs will be a painful doom.
178. And let not those who disbelieve imagine that the rein We give them bodeth good unto their souls. We only give them rein that they may grow in sinfulness. And theirs will be a shameful doom.
179. It is not (the purpose) of Allah to leave you in your present state till He shall separate the wicked from the good. And it is not (the purpose of) Allah to let you know the Unseen. But Allah chooseth of His messengers whom He will, (to receive knowledge thereof). So believe in Allah and His messengers. If ye believe and ward off (evil), yours will be a vast reward.
180. And let not those who hoard up that which Allah hath bestowed upon them of His bounty think that it is better for them. Nay, it is worse for them. That which they hoard will be their collar on the Day of Resurrection. Allah’s is the heritage of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is Informed of what ye do.
181. Verily Allah heard the saying of those who said, (when asked for contributions to the war): “Allah, forsooth, is poor, and we are rich!” We shall record their saying with their slaying of the prophets wrongfully and We shall say: Taste ye the punishment of burning!
182. This is on account of that which your own hands have sent before (you to the judgment). Allah is no oppressor of (His) bondmen.
183. (The same are) those who say: Lo! Allah hath charged us that we believe not in any messenger until he bring us an offering which fire (from heaven) shall devour. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Messengers came unto you before me with miracles, and with that (very miracle) which ye describe. Why then did ye slay them? (Answer that) if ye are truthful!
184. And if they deny thee, even so did they deny messengers who were before thee, who came with miracles and with the Psalms and with the Scripture giving light.
185. Every soul will taste of death. And ye will be paid on the Day of Resurrection only that which ye have fairly earned. Whoso is removed from the Fire and is made to enter paradise, he indeed is triumphant. The life of this world is but comfort of illusion.
186. Assuredly ye will be tried in your property and in your persons, and ye will hear much wrong from those who were given the Scripture before you, and from the idolaters. But if ye persevere and ward off (evil), then that is of the steadfast heart of things.
187. And (remember) when Allah laid a charge on those who had received the Scripture (He said): Ye are to expound it to mankind and not to hide it. But they flung it behind their backs and bought thereby a little gain. Verily evil is that which they have gained thereby.
188. Think not that those who exult in what they have given, and love to be praised for what they have not done – Think not, they are in safety from the doom. A painful doom is theirs.
189. Unto Allah belongeth the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. Allah is Able to do all things.
190. Lo! In the creation of the heavens and the earth and (in) the difference of night and day are tokens (of His Sovereignty) for men of understanding,
191. Such as remember Allah, standing, sitting, and reclining, and consider the creation of the heavens and the earth, (and say): Our Lord! Thou createdst not this in vain. Glory be to Thee! Preserve us from the doom of Fire.
192. Our Lord! Whom Thou causest to enter the Fire: him indeed Thou hast confounded. For evil-doers there will be no helpers.
193. Our Lord! Lo! we have heard a crier calling unto Faith: “Believe ye in your Lord!” So we believed. Our Lord! Therefor forgive us our sins, and remit from us our evil deeds, and make us die the death of the righteous.
194. Our Lord! And give us that which Thou hast promised to us by Thy messengers. Confound us not upon the Day of Resurrection. Lo! Thou breakest not the tryst.
195. And their Lord hath heard them (and He saith): Lo! I suffer not the work of any worker, male or female, to be lost. Ye proceed one from another. So those who fled and were driven forth from their homes and suffered damage for My cause, and fought and were slain, verily I shall remit their evil deeds from them and verily I shall bring them into Gardens underneath which rivers flow – A reward from Allah. And with Allah is the fairest of rewards.
196. Let not the vicissitude (of the success) of those who disbelieve, in the land, deceive thee ( O Muhammad).
197. It is but a brief comfort. And afterward their habitation will be hell, an ill abode.
198. But those who keep their duty to their Lord, for them are Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will be safe for ever. A gift of welcome from their Lord. That which Allah hath in store is better for the righteous.
199. And lo! of the People of the Scripture there are some who believe in Allah and that which is revealed unto you and that which was revealed unto them, humbling themselves before Allah. They purchase not a trifling gain at the price of the revelations of Allah. Verily their reward is with their Lord. Lo! Allah is swift to take account.
200. O ye who believe! Endure, outdo all others in endurance, be ready, and observe your duty to Allah, in order that ye may succeed.

[From Holy Quran Translation by Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall]

This is the first section of Surah ‘A1-` Imran, the third Surah of the Holy Qur’an. It will be recalled that at the end of the Surah Al-Fatihah a prayer for guidance to the straight path was made. After that, by be-ginning the Surah Al-Baqarah with الم ﴿١﴾ ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَ‌يْبَ فِيهِ (This Book which has no doubt in it), it was pointed out that the prayer made in Su-rah Al-Fatihah for guidance to the straight path has been accepted and Al¬lah Almighty has sent down this Qur’an which provides guidance to the straight path.

Then came many injunctions of the Islamic law tak¬en up briefly or in details. As a corollary to this, frequent mention was made of the hostility of the disbelievers and the need to confront them. Towards the end, this sequence was concluded with (Help us, then, against disbelieving people) – in the mode of prayer. Since the prayer was made in order that Muslims could confront and prevail over the disbelievers, it was in consonance with that prayer that, in the following Surah ‘Al-` Imran, the text deals with the modal¬ities of dealing with disbelievers, as well as, with the need to carry out Jihad against them, verbally and physically. This is, so to speak, an elaboration and extension of فَانصُرْ‌نَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِ‌ينَ (Help us, then, against disbelieving people).

A Summary of Meanings

These first five verses of Surah ‘Al-` Imran explain the doctrine of توحید tauhid, the Oneness of Allah, which is the basic point of difference between Islam and other religions and between a disbeliever and a true Muslim. Those who believe in the Oneness of Allah (and in all His prophets (عليهم السلام) are Muslims and those who do not so believe are known as disbelievers or non-Muslims.

Tauhid توحيد a consistent belief preached by all prophets (عليهم السلام)

Verse 2 gives a reported proof in some detail. The agreement of a large number of people on a certain principle from the very beginning of humanity may be taken as a natural proof of its reality, if they belong to different times and places, having no means of communicating with each other.

Keeping this in view, we see that Sayyidna Adam (عليه السلام) was the first prophet who presented the message of توحید tauhid before human be¬ings. That the message would remain effective after him through his progeny is not difficult to conceive. But, after a passage of time when the ways of the progeny of Sayyidna Adam (عليه السلام) shifted away from the original message, there comes Sayyidna Nuh (Noah) (عليه السلام) who calls people towards the same principle. After a long passage of time, Sayyidna Ibrahim, Ismail, Ishaq and Yaqub (عليهم السلام) born in Iraq and Syria rise with the same call. Then follow Sayyidna Musa, Harun and other prophets (عليهم السلام) in that order who all subscribe to the same principle of توحید tauhid and invite people to the same. Then, after another long passage of time, Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) rises with the same call. In the end, it is Sayyidna Muhammad al-Mustafa (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) who graces the world with the common call of all prophets.

This is the golden chain of prophets from Sayyidna Adam (عليه السلام) to the Last of the Prophets (عليهم السلام) upto whose time some one hundred and twenty four thousand blessed prophets were born in different peri¬ods, speaking different languages, living in different countries. A11 of them told and taught the same truth. Most of them did not even have the chance to meet each other. They were in an age when, communica¬tion through writing was not in vogue, which could make it possible for one prophet to have access to the books and writings of another and might help him to pick up the call of the earlier prophets as his own. Instead, what happened is that everyone from among them ap¬peared centuries apart from each other, and had no source of informa¬tion about other prophets, except the revelation received by him from Allah Almighty. The consensus of such a large group of persons con¬sisting of not less than one hundred and twenty four thousand men of different times and places may be enough for establishing the princi¬ple, even regardless of their intrinsic trustworthiness. But when one looks at the personal qualities of the noble prophets, and at the high¬est possible standards of truth and justice set by them, one has to be¬lieve that their message is true and their call authentic.

It is narrated in some ahadith that some Christians came to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and engaged him in a conversation about religion. The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، by the will of Allah, present¬ed these two verses as arguments confirming the Oneness of Allah. The Christians had no answer to refute them.

Lastly, while referring to the absolute power and wisdom of Allah Almighty, verse 6 invites one’s attention to the fact that Allah shapes all men and women in the wombs of their mothers according to His su¬preme wisdom which has created billions of men and women with clear distinguishable features establishing the identity of each individ¬ual distinct from all others. He is, therefore, the only One who should be worshipped.

The first verse of this section presents a rational proof of the Oneness of Allah; the second verse, the reported proof 1, followed by an answer to some doubts nursed by dis¬believers towards the later part.

1. In the terminology of Islamic theology, a proof based on rational argument is called rational proof while a proof based on a verse of divine book or on a declaration made by an authority or a report narrated by a trustworthy person is called a reported proof.

The first word, Alif Lam Mim (الم ) at the head of the first verse be-longs to the special set of words used by the Qur’an which are words of hidden meaning and are known as Mutashabihat متشبھات ، the real meaning of which is a secret between Allah and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، and the details of which appear a little later in the section. In the words لا إله إلا ھو (Allah: there is no god but He) which follow immediately, the doctrine of the Oneness of Allah has been put forth as a categorical declaration. It means that there is absolutely nothing worthy of wor¬ship other than Allah.

Then come the words الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ (the Alive, the All-Sustaining) which lay out a rational proof of the Oneness of Allah. The essence of the argument is that worship means to present oneself before somebody in utter submission and humility. It, therefore, requires that the one who is being worshipped must occupy the highest point of honour and power and who has to be most perfect from all angles. From this it is obvious that anything which cannot sustain its own being, rather is dependent upon somebody else for its very existence, could hardly claim to have any honour or power in its own right. Therefore, it is crystal clear that all things in this world which have no power to come into being by themselves, nor can they sustain it – be they idols carved in stone, or water, or trees, or angels and apostles – none of them is worthy of worship. The only Being worthy of worship is the One who has always been Alive and Present and shall always live and sustain. Such a Being is none but Allah; there is none worthy of worship but Him.

Verse 3 which follows carries the reported proof of the Oneness of Allah. Briefly stated, it means that the principle of توحید tauhid as de-scribed in the Holy Qur’an is not something peculiar to the Qur’an or the Prophet of Islam. On the contrary, Allah Almighty has sent Scrip-tures such as the Torah and the Injil, and His prophets, in earlier times. And this was they all professed and this was they all brought as the message. When the Qur’an came, it simply confirmed their truth. It did not present any new claim which could pose problems for people in its understanding or acceptance.

The last two verses further fortify the doctrine of توحید tauhid on the ground that the attributes of encompassing knowledge and unlimited power are strong proofs of His being the One who possesses the eter¬nal, and all-encompassing knowledge and whose power controls every-thing, and that He is the only One who rightly deserves to be wor-shipped. Anyone having imperfect knowledge and limited power can-not be entrusted with this exalted station.

(1.) Whenever the Holy Qur’an speaks of the ‘Torah and the Injil’ it refers to the original books revealed to the prophets Moses and Jesus (عليه السلام) . This should not, therefore, be confused. With the present Old and New testaments.

Moving from the affirmation of the principle of Allah’s Oneness, the text now answers some doubts raised against it. As stated briefly a little earlier, this verse was revealed in a specific background. Once a group of Christians came to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and started talking about religion. The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، refuted their doctrine of Trinity in details and proved the Oneness of Allah with ref¬erence to the eternal existence, the perfect power, the all encompassing knowledge; and the most unique creativity of Allah Almighty who had to be One and indivisible.

 The Christians had to ac¬cept these premises and once توحید tauhid was proved, the converse, that is, the belief in Trinity was also proved untenable. The Christians then expressed their doubts about some words of the Holy Qur’an in which Sayyidna ‘Isa (عليه السلام) i.e. Jesus Christ has been called ‘Ruhullah روحُ اللہ ‘ (the Spirit of Allah) or ‘Kalimatullah کلیمُ اللہ ‘ (the Word of Allah), which according to them led to prove that Sayyidna ` Isa (رض) had a share in the divinity of Allah.

Through this verse, Allah Almighty has put an end to these doubts by saying that such expressions are in the category of Mutashabihat where the outward meaning is not intended; they are, rather, a secret between Allah and His Messenger, the reality of which cannot become manifest to others for whom it is not even appropriate to go about de¬termining the possible meanings of these words. One has to have faith in them by believing that whatever Allah Almighty has elected to mean through them is the truth. It is not permissible to dig deeper and mount further researches in this direction.

Meaning of Muhkamat and Mutashabih متشبھات

Allah Almighty has, by Mentioning Muhkamat محکمات and : Mutashabihat متشبھات right there in the beginning, pointed out towards a gen¬eral principle which, if understood, could eradicate many doubts and disputes. The principle is that the Holy Qur’an has two kinds of verses; one is known as the Muhkamat محکمات (of established meaning) and the other as the Mutashabihat متشبھات (whose definite meanings are unknown).

 Muhkamat محکمات is the name of verses the meaning of which is open and clear to one who knows the rules of Arabic grammar fairly well. But when the meanings and explanations of particular verses are not clear to such’ a person, then, such verses are called the Mutashabihat متشبھات . (Mazhari, v2)

Allah Almighty has called the first kind of verses, that is, the Muh¬kamat محکمات ` Umm al-Kitab اُمُ الکتاب ‘ (which has been translated literally as ‘mother verses’ ) meaning thereby that such verses are the very root and essence of all teachings, and the meanings and explanations of which are free of doubt or ambiguity.

Since the exact intention of the second kind of verses, that is, the Mutashabihat متشبھات remains ambiguous and uncertain, therefore, the cor¬rect method of their interpretation would be to harmonize them with the first kind, that is, the Muhkamat محکمات . Then, the rule is that any inter¬pretation of the Mutashabihat متشبھات which goes against the first kind should be rejected absolutely and only that interpretation should be given cre¬dence which is not against the verses of established meaning (Muhkamat محکمات). For example, the Holy Qur’an has clarified the position of Sayyidna Isa (عليه السلام) (Jesus Christ) by saying إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ (he is nothing but a servant upon whom We have bestowed Our blessing 43:59), or as elsewhere in the Qur’an, by إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَىٰ عِندَ اللَّـهِ كَمَثَلِ آدَمَ خَلَقَهُ مِن تُرَ‌ابٍ (the example of ` Isa before Allah is like that of Adam whom He created from clay – 3:59).

These and several other verses like them show it clearly that Sayy¬idn ` Isa Masih, (عليه السلام) is a chosen servant of Allah created by Him. Therefore, the claim of Christians investing him with godhood and son ship is not correct.

Now, if someone closes his eyes towards all these verses which have an established meaning and unnecessarily coils with the expres¬sions, كَلِمَۃ اللَّـهِ (the Word of Allah) and رُ‌وحٌ مِّنْهُ (a spirit from Him) and their likes from the category of Mutashabihat متشبھات (verses whose definite mean¬ings cannot be ascertained) and starts deducing from them meanings which are against the Muhkamat محکمات of Qur’an and other consistent statements, then, that would be a simple case of going astray and being ob-stinate.

The real meanings of Mutashabihat متشبھات are known to Allah alone. It is He who, in His mercy and favour, informs anyone He chooses of what-ever part of the unknown He wills. Therefore, it is not correct to try and impose a certain meaning based on one’s personal opinion.

The purpose of the statement, فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ’now those who have crookedness in their hearts…’ is that people who are gentle in nature do not go about investigating much about Mutashabihat متشبھات . Instead, they accept these verses and simply believe in them taking these as the true Word of Allah. They realise that He, due to some wise considera¬tion of His, did not reveal to us their meaning. This approach is, indeed, the safest and the most cautious. But, quite contrary to this, there still are people with crookedness in their hearts. They, with eyes closed, go on investigating and deliberating on Mutashabihat متشبھات to justify meanings that suit their fancies so that they can lead people astray. For such people, stern warnings have appeared in the Qur’an and Hadith.

Sayyidah ` A’ishah (رض) says that the Messenger of Allah said: When you see people busy investigating into the Mutashabihat متشبھات ، stay away from them because these are the same people Allah has talked about (in the Qur’an). (Bukhari)

In another hadith, he said: I have three apprehensions about my people (ummah): (1) That they become wealthy and start to envy each other resulting in rifts and bloodshed; (2) that the Book of Allah is tri¬fled with (that is, even the uninitiated and ignorant claim its perfect understanding through translations) and that which is not supposed to be understood (Mutashabihat متشبھات) becomes the very object of deliberations and investigations although Allah alone is the One who knows their meaning; (3) that they allow their knowledge, once it has increased, go to waste by forsaking efforts to increase it further. (Ibn Kathir with refer¬ence to Tabarani)

Who are the ones ‘well grounded’ in knowledge as identified towards the end of the verse وَالرَّ‌اسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ ? Muslims scholars have offered different explanations in this connection. The weightier position is that the reference here is to ahl al-sunnah wa al jama’ ah اہل السنۃ والجماعت ، the main body of Muslims who give credence only to that interpreta¬tion and explanation of the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah which has been authentically reported from the blessed Companions (رض) ، the righteous generations following them and upon which there is the consensus of the Muslim community, and who believe that the Muhhamat (verses of established meaning) of Qur’an are its axis and centre, and who, humbly confessing their limitations of knowledge and insight, leave to Allah the real meanings of Mutashabihat متشبھات which are beyond their compre-hension and conceptualization.

 They are never proud of their knowl¬edge, howsoever perfect it may be, nor of the strength of their faith. In-stead of that, they constantly pray to Allah seeking steadfastness from Him, and His grace and mercy. They do not have mischief-prone temperaments which would instigate them to follow Mutashabihat متشبھات alone as the object of their intellectual pursuit. They take both, the Muhkamat محکمات and the Mutashabihat متشبھات ، to be the truth because they firmly believe that both kinds of verses have emanated from one single source. But, the need to find out the meanings of the Muhkamat محکمات was, of course, useful and essential for us. This Allah Almighty has not kept secret. The meanings of such verses have been made very open and clear. Since Allah Almighty has elected not to disclose the meanings of Mutashabihat متشبھات to us due to some wise consideration of His, it is simply not necessary for us to find it out. That we believe in them as they are is quite sufficient. (Abridged from Mazhari)

Sequence

In the previous verses, the disbelievers were informed that they will be overcome. Now, cited in this verse is an example of how the prophecy has been fulfilled.

Commentary

This verse refers to the Battle of Badr in which the disbelievers had about 1000 men, 700 camels and 100 horses, while the Muslim mujahidin were just over 300, having a total of 70 camels, 2 horses, 6 armours and 8 swords. The encounter was certainly strange as each combating group saw the opponent being twice its own numbers. The sighting of so many Muslims inspired awe in the hearts of the disbe¬lievers, while Muslims who saw the disbelievers as twice of them turned to Allah more fervently. They had hopes of Allah’s help, and ul¬timate victory, because they had placed their total trust in Allah, were steadfast and sincerely believed in the promise of Allah revealed to them in the following words:

If there be among you a hundred patient one, they shall over-come two hundred. (8:66)

If the actual number of disbelievers which was three times more than their own were to be realized by Muslims, they may have been overawed. This state of sighting the numbers of the other group as twice its own was at a particular time. At another time each of the two combating groups felt the other one as low in numbers, as it would ap¬pear later in Surah al-Anfal.

To sum up, it can be safely said that making a small group of peo¬ple with very little to fight against a much stronger group and score a victory, as prophesied in Makkah, is an unusual event full of lessons for the observant and the discerning.

Sequence

That the hostility of disbelievers should be countered with Jihad against them was the theme in several previous verses. Now, in these verses the text explains the reason why the disbelievers indulge in hostility against Islam and Muslims. The reason for this and for all evil deeds is, in fact, the love of the worldly life. There are all sorts of people who line up against the truth – some driven by greed for wealth or power, some goaded by lust and some in defence of false ancestral customs: All this is just to grab a share in the temporal enjoyments of the present life which has been described in these verses.

The limits of one’s love for worldly enjoyments

The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has said: حُبُّ الدئنیا راس کُلِّ خَطِیٔۃ It means that the love of دنیا dunya (worldly life or worldly enjoyments) is the main source of all errors. The first verse here names some of the most de-sired things and says that they have been made to look attractive and therefore, people go after them enticed by their glamour brushing aside any concerns for the life to come, if there be any.

It will be noted that things named here are the center of attraction for human beings, out of which, women come first and then the chil¬dren. For whatever man goes about procuring is because of the needs of his family – wife and children – to share it with him. Then come oth¬er forms of wealth and possessions – gold, silver, cattle and tillage – which attract people secondarily.

Why has man been made in a way that he is temperamentally at¬tracted to these things? The answer is that Allah has done so in His ultimate wisdom. Let us consider:

1. If man was not naturally inclined to and even enamoured with these things, all worldly business would have gone topsy-turvy. Why would someone sweat on farms and fields? Why would a wage-earner or an entrepreneur burn themselves out in an industry, or a business-man would put his capital and labour in buying and selling things? The secret was that the people of the world were made to grow and survive through this instinctive love for such things whereby they would go about collecting and preserving these. The worker goes out to earn some money. The well-to-do goes out to hire a worker for his job. The trader brings forth his best merchandise for display waiting for a customer to earn something from. A customer goes to the shopping mall to buy things he needs to live or be happy with. If we think about it, we shall realize that it was the love for what is desirable in this mortal world which brought them out of their homes, and in this silent process, gave the world a strong and ongoing social system.

There is yet another element of wisdom behind it. If man had no liking for the blessings he finds in the mortal world, he would obvious¬ly have no taste or desire for blessings promised in the world to come. That being the case, why would he ever take the trouble of doing what is good and thus become deserving of Paradise, and not doing what is evil and thus become safe from Hell?

There is still another element of wisdom which is more significant for consideration here. Is it not that man, with love for these things in his heart, has been put to a test as to who becomes engrossed in the enjoyments of the present life and forgets the life to come, and who comes to realize the real and temporal nature of these things, shows concern for them only in proportion to his needs, and then channels all his efforts into deeds that would make his next life good and safe? The wisdom behind the adornment of such things has been pointed out elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an:

We made whatever there is on the earth its adornment so that We can test as to who among them acts best. (18:7)

The verse cited above clearly shows that the glamourizing of sue} desirable things is an act of God based on many wise considerations. However, as for verses where such glamorization of things has been attributed to شیطان Satan – for example, زَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ (the شیطان Satan has made their deeds look attractive to them – 8:48; 16:63; 27:24; 29:38.) – there the reference is to things that are evil, religiously and rationally; or, the reference is to a false sense of adornment which is evil because it transgresses the limits set by Allah: Otherwise, it is not absolutely bad to adorn the lawful things. In fact, there may be a few benefits in do¬ing so. Therefore, this act of placing attraction in things in some verses has been attributed to Allah, as stated above.

Let us summarize our discussion so far and see how it works for us in our practical life. We now know that Allah created, in His grace and wisdom, all good things of life in this world, made them look attractive and – worthy of man’s effort to acquire them so that man can be tested. This is one of Allah’s many acts of wisdom to see whether the man gets swayed by the glamour of the fleeting enjoyment of things, or remem¬bers the Creator of these things, or the man forgets the very Creator of his own being as well. Aided by this realization, does man make these things a medium through which to know and love Allah; or, is it that he would elect to get totally lost in the love for these known transitory things, and forget all about the real Master and Creator before Whom he must appear on the Last Day and account for whatever he did.

On the one hand is a person who has the best of both worlds. He enjoys the blessings of the present life and uses its means for success in the life to come. For him, the enjoyments of the mortal world did not become a road-block; rather, they proved to be the milestones which led him safely into a prosperous Hereafter. But, for the other person these very things became the causes that led him to squander his chance of having a good life in the Hereafter, and also became the very cause of perennial punishment. Frankly, if we were to look a little deeper, we would realize that these things become a sort of punish¬ment for him right here in this world as well. For such people, the Holy Qur’an says:

So, their wealth and children should not attract you. Allah wants to punish them with these in this lowly life – 9:55.

Thus, the lesson is that we can seek good things of life with moderation and even store them in accordance with our genuine needs. In this lies the ultimate good of this life and the life to come. Using them in prohibited ways, or indulging in them so excessively that one forgets the post-death reality of آخرۃ Akhirah is nothing but self-destruction. The poet-sage, Maulana Rumi has illustrated this very eloquently when he said;

He says that things of this world with which we surround ourselves are like water, and the heart of man is like a boat in it. As long as the water remains beneath and around the boat, it is good and helpful, and certainly guarantees the very purpose of its being there. But, if water gets into the boat, it makes the boat capsize and destroys all that was in it. Similarly, man’s wealth and possessions are means of convenience for his role in this world and in the life to come – provided that they do not enter into his heart, sit there, and kill it in the pro¬cess.

Therefore, the verse under discussion, immediately after men¬tioning some especially desirable things of the world, presents the es¬sential guideline for human beings by saying:

That is an enjoyment of the worldly life. And with Allah lies the beauty of the final resort. (3:14)

In other words, it means that all these things are there simply to serve a purpose in man’s mortal life in the present world and certainly not to have him fall in love with things for their own sake, for the real beauty of the experience lies in one’s ultimate resort with Allah in blissful eternity enjoying what would never perish, diminish or weaken.

In the second verse that follows (15), the same subject has been fur¬ther cleared by saying:

Say: “Shall I not tell you what is far better than that? For those who fear Allah, there are with their Lord gardens be¬neath which rivers flow, where they shall live forever, and wives purified, and approval from Allah. And Allah is watch¬ful over His servants.”

Here, the address is to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) who is being asked to tell those who become obsessed with imperfect and perishable blessings they find in the present life that he is in a position to lead them on to far better blessings. These shall be the lot of those who fear Allah and are obedient to Him. These blessings are, ‘gardens beneath which rivers flow, wives purified and favours from Allah’ – the last be¬ing the ultimate man can and should aspire for.

It will be recalled that in the preceding verse (14), the total count of blessings that infatuate man was given as six women, children, heaps of gold and silver, fine horses, cattle and tillage. As compared to that, only three blessings of the Hereafter, that is, the gardens of Par-adise, wives purified and the approval from Allah have been identified. Out of the rest, children were not mentioned because man loves chil¬dren during his life in the world as children help and strengthen him in what he does and through them his name lives on. But, in the Here-after he would not need such help, nor would he ‘die’ in which case he may have to look for an heir. Apart from this, whoever has children would have them all in the Paradise. Whoever has no children in the mortal world would, to begin with, just not have the desire to have them in the Paradise. Should someone desire that he may have chil¬dren, Allah Almighty would bless him with children. According to a ha¬dith in Jami` al-Tirmidhi, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: ‘If a dweller of Paradise wishes to have children, the process of pregnancy, birth and growth of the child will be completed in no time and he would have what he wished for.’

Similarly, gold and silver were not mentioned in relation to the Paradise because gold and silver are needed in the mortal world as material things are bought against them or anything else one-needs can be procured through them. In the Hereafter, there will be just no need to buy anything or sell anything or pay for anything. Instead of that, whatever the dweller of Paradise needs will be instantly provid¬ed. Incidentally, the Paradise itself is not without gold and silver.

Some sayings of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) mention that some places of Paradise will have bricks of gold and silver masoned one after the other. Howev¬er, in view of the uniqueness of that life; gold and silver were not considered worth mentioning.

Now the horses. In the world of our experience, horses help cover distances. In the other world, there is no travel and no riding but, sound hadith reports do prove that fine horses will be presented before the dwellers of Paradise on Fridays which they will ride to go and meet friends and relatives. As is evident, horses were not worth men¬tioning in this context, which is also true about cattles and farms and their produce. The services they provide have already been provided in the Paradise by Allah Almighty without their medium.

However, should there be someone there who for some unnecessary reason wishes to try farming, he will have his wish granted. As it ap¬pears in some reports in al-Tabarani, everything needed for farming will be assembled instantly for such a person. Thereafter the whole process of ploughing, seeding, ripening and cutting will be accomplished in no time and he will have what he wished for before him. So, among the blessings of the آخرۃ Akhirah, the mention of ‘wives purified’ was considered sufficient because the Holy Qur’an has another promise for the people of Paradise: وَلَهُم مَّا يَشْتَهُونَ ﴿٥٧﴾ And for them there is what they wish for). After such a comprehensive declaration, there remains no need to individually mention any particular blessing. Those that have been mentioned are blessings already there without any need to ask for these.

The last and most important messing mentioned is the approval of Allah Almighty something one cannot easily conceptualize – after which there is no danger of displeasure from Allah. According to a hadith, when the people of Paradise would have settled down there, hap¬py and content without having any desire remaining unfulfilled, Allah Almighty will speak to them asking if they are happy and if they need anything. They will say: Our Lord, You have given us everything, what else could we ever need. Allah Almighty would say: Now I give you the greatest of all blessings – you all have My approval that I will never be displeased with you, and nearness forever.

Since the danger of Allah’s displeasure does not exist in Paradise, there is also no danger that the blessings of Paradise will ever be taken back or reduced.

It is the very subject of these verses that the Holy Prophet  has summarized in the following hadith:

‘Wordly life is cursed and cursed is what is in there, except what is used to seek the pleasure of Allah’. According to another narration: ‘ except the Dhikr (Remembrance) of Allah and what Allah likes and except ` Alim عالِم (religious scholar) and Talib ilm طالب العلم (student in religion).’

This hadith has been reported by Ibn Majah and al-Tabarani on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah (رض) .

The subject of توحید Tauhid (Oneness of Allah) which began with the opening of Surah ‘Al-` Imran reappears in the first verse in a very spe¬cial manner. Out of the three witnesses mentioned here, the evidence of Allah Almighty is in a figurative sense. It means that the being and the attributes of Allah and the manifestations of His power and crea¬tivity all over are open signs of His Oneness. Then there are the Mes¬sengers and Books sent by Allah, all confirming. that truth. The second testimony mentioned is that of angels who are close to Allah. They carry out His instructions and bear testimony (knowing and seeing) that Allah alone is worthy of worship.

The third witness is that of the men of knowledge. This expression, ulul` ilm, means the blessed prophets and men who have the knowledge of Islam. Imam al-Ghazali and Ibn Kathir رحمۃ اللہ علیہم find this a matter of great honour for ` Ulama for Allah has mentioned their witness along with His, and that of angels. It is also possible that the term, ulul` ilm (the men of knowledge) may, in an absolute sense, be referring to those who, by conducting an inquiry based on sound intellectual prin¬ciples, or by deliberating into this universe, could acquire the knowl-edge of the unity of Allah Almighty – even if they are not ` alim or ‘men of knowledge’ in the traditional sense, whose knowledge is acquired under a formal discipline from Islam’s own original sources. The next verse (19) clearly settles that the only faith’ (دین din) acceptable to Allah is Islam. Thus, totally excluding any other faith or religion as acceptable to Allah, the verse completes the subject of Allah’s Oneness, any oppo¬sition to which is doomed.

Related considerations

Merits of the verse meaning “Allah bears witness”

The verse beginning with شَهِدَ اللَّـهُ : ‘shahidal-lahhu’ has a special ele¬gance. Imam al-Baghawi (رح) ، the renowned mufassir reports that two lead¬ing Jewish scholars came to Madinah from Syria. With the township of Madinah before them, they started talking to each other about the looks of the place which matched the prophecy in Torah that the last of the prophets would be living here. Later, they came to know that someone very pious lives here and whom people refer to as the proph¬et. They went to see the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) sight of him reminded them of all attributes which Torah had predicted he would have. They presented themselves before him and said: “You are Muhammad?” He said: “Yes.” Again, they said: “You are Ah¬mad?” He said: “Yes, I am Muhammad and Ahmad.” Then they said: We are going to ask you a question. If you answer it correctly, we shall embrace Islam.” He (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: “Go ahead and ask.” They asked: “Which is the greatest witness in the Book of Allah?” This verse of شَهِدَہ ‘shahadah’ (witness) was revealed as an answer to this question. He recited it for them. Both of them embraced Islam immediately.

According to a hadith in the Musnad of Ahmad, when the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) recited this verse in ` Arafat, he said right after that:

And to that, 0 my Lord, I too am a witness. (Ibn Kathir)

And a narration from Imam al-A’mash (رح) says: Whoever recites this verse and then says: و انا علیٰ ذلک من الشٰھدین یا رَبِّ ; (And to that, 0 my Lord, I too am a witness), Allah Almighty will say to the angels on the Last Day: ‘My servant has made a promise while I am the Foremost to keep a promise when I make it, so let my servant be admitted into Para¬dise.’ (Ibn Kathir)

Another hadith from Sayyidna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (رض) narrates that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: ‘Whoever recites Ayah al-Kursi (2:255) and the Ayah : شَهِدَ اللَّـهُ Shahidal-lahu (3:18) and قُلِ اللَّـهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ : Qulil-lahumma malik al-mulki upto بِغَيْرِ‌ حِسَابٍ bighairi hisab (3:26, 27), Allah Almighty will forgive all his sins, admit him to Paradise and take care of seventy (i.e. plenty) of his needs, the simplest of these being his forgiveness.’ (Ruh a1-Ma` ani with reference to Dailami)

Din دین and Islam اسلام : An Explanation of the Two words:

The word, Din (دین) has more than one meaning in the Arabic lan¬guage, one of them being ‘the way’. In the terminology of the Qur’an, the word, Din دین is used to stand for principles and injunctions which are common to all prophets (عليهم السلام) from Sayyidna Adam (عليه السلام) to the last of the prophets, Sayyidna Muhammad al-Mustafa (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . The words, ‘shari’ah (شریعہ) or ‘al-minhaj’ (المنھاج) or the word, ‘madhhab’ (مذھب) from among the later-day terms, are used to cover subsidiary injunctions, which have been different during different ages and different commu¬nities. The Holy Qur’an says:

Allah made you follow the same religion with which He bound Nuh (and other prophets) – 42:13.

This tells us that the دین din of all our blessed prophets (عليهم السلام) was one and the same, that is, belief in the most perfect Being and Attributes of Allah, in His being free of all shortcomings and- that He alone is wor¬thy of worship, believing in this from the depth of one’s heart and confirming it verbally; belief in the Day of Judgment, in the final reckon¬ing of deeds, the reward and the punishment and in Paradise and Hell and in every prophet and messenger sent by Him and in all command-ments and injunctions brought by them, believing all this in one’s heart and confirming such belief verbally as well.

Now the real meaning of the word, اسلام Islam is to submit oneself to Allah and be obedient to His commands. Given this meaning, those who believed in the prophets and messengers of their time and were obedient to the commands of Allah they brought to them, were all enti¬tled to be called Muslims, and their religion was Islam. It was in this sense of the word that Sayyidna Nuh (عليه السلام) said: وَأُمِرْ‌تُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِين I have been commanded that I be from among the Muslims 10:72) and therefore, Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) described himself and his community as Muslims when he said: رَ‌بَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّ‌يَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ (Our Lord, make us Muslims, the submitting ones to Thee, and from our progeny a community of Muslims submitting to Thee – 2:128). And it was in this very sense of the word that the disciples of Sayyidna ‘Isa (عليه السلام) said: وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ (And bear witness that we are Muslims – 3:52)

Sometimes this word is applied particularly to the din دین and Shari` ah, the religion and the law brought finally by the last among the proph¬ets, Sayyidna Muhammad al-Mustafa (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) This law abrogated all previous ways in religion and this shall sustain right through the Day of Judgment. Given this meaning of the word Islam, it becomes particular to the religion brought by the prophet of Islam and to the large community of his followers. In a well-known hadith of Jibra’il (عليه السلام) ، the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has explained Islam in this very man¬ner.

The word, الاسلام ‘Al-Islam’ as it appears in the verse here carries the likelihood of both meanings. If the first meaning is taken, it would mean that the only religion -acceptable with Allah is Islam, that is, becoming obedient in complete submission to the commands of Allah, believing in all prophets of all times and in whatever commandments they brought, by acting accordingly. Although, the religion brought by Hadhrat Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has not been specially identified here, yet, in pursuance of the general rule, once the last among the line of prophets had been sent, the belief and practice of all injunctions he brought becomes binding, and inclusive under this rule. As such, the outcome will be that the religion acceptable during the period of Sayyidna Nuh (عليه السلام) was what he brought; during the period of Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) ، what he brought. Similarly, the Islam of the period of Sayyidna Musa was what came in the form of the tablets of Torah and the teachings of Moses and the Islam of the period of Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) was what came as Injil and the teachings of Jesus (عليه السلام) ، At the end of this chain of prophets, the Islam of the period of Sayyidna Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) the last among the prophets (عليهم السلام) ، shall be what took shape on the pattern given by the Qur’an and Sunnah.

Now if we take the second meaning of Islam, that is, the Sharl’ah the way and law brought by the last of the prophets the verse would come to mean that in this period of time only that religion of Islam which is true to the teachings of the noble Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) is the one acceptable. No doubt, previous religions too, during their age of currency, were known as Islam, but they are now abrogated. So, the end-result is the same both ways, that is, during the age of every prophet, the religion acceptable in the sight of Allah is that particular Islam which conforms to the revelation and teachings credited to that prophet. No religion, other than this, even if it be a previously abrogat¬ed one, is acceptable and certainly not deserving of being called “Islam” at a later stage.

The Shari` ah of Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) was the Islam of his times. When the time of Sayyidna Musa (عليه السلام) came, the abrogated laws of that code did not remain the Islam of his time. Similarly, any laws of Moses (عليه السلام) abrogated during the time of Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) were not to be labeled as Islam any more. It is exactly like this when laws and injunctions of previous religious codes were abrogated during the time of the Last of the prophets (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، they no more remained valid as Islam. Therefore, whatever meaning of Islam is taken, general or particular, in relation to the community being addressed by the Holy Qur’an, the outcome of both is nothing but that, following the appearance of the noble Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، the only religion which shall be deserving of the Surah ‘Al-` Imran 3.18-19 name, Islam, will be the one that conforms to the قُرآن and the teachings of the blessed recipient of revelations and that alone shall be acceptable in the sight of Allah. Since no other religion is acceptable to Allah, it cannot become a source of salvation either. This subject has appeared in the Holy Qur’an in many verses separately. The exact words used in one such verse are: وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ‌ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ That is, whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him (and what is done under its dictates shall be wasted).

Salvation in our times depends on Islam:

Even good deeds and morals from a non-Muslim are not acceptable.

These verses have very clearly hit at the root of the atheistic ap¬proach which endeavours to bracket Islam and disbelief (kufr) on the same footing in the name of tolerance preached by Islam, thereby claiming that every faith of the world Judaism, Christianity, even pa¬ganism can each become the source of salvation, on condition that its followers perform good deeds and observe good morals. This is a veiled attempt to demolish a principle of Islam and to prove that reality Islam is nothing of substance. It is something limpid and imaginary which could be moulded to fit into whatever religion one chooses, even if it is kufr or disbelief The verses of the Holy Qur’an, those appearing here and a large number of others, have very explicitly stressed that the light and darkness cannot be the same. Similarly, it is grossly absurd and impossible that Allah would like disobedience to and rebellion against Him just as He likes obedience and submission. Whoever denies even one basic principle of Islam, he is, without any shadow of doubt, a rebel to Allah and the enemy    of how impressing he may appear in his other deeds and formal morality. Salvation in the Hereafter depends, first of all, on obedience to Allah and His Messenger. Whoever remains deprived of it, not one of his deeds is credible. The Holy Qur’an says for such people:

We shall not assign weight to their deeds on the Day of Judgment – 18:105.

In verse 19: وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ after declaring that ‘the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam’, the text moves on to explain why the people of the Book went about disputing the pro¬phethood of Sayyidna Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، and challenging Islam as false. They did this, not because they had any doubts in this connec¬tion for they knew the truth of the matter through their own scrip¬tures, but because they were scared of losing their ground against ‘Muslims. So, it was their malice towards Muslims, their love for power and influence and their arrogant self-image as traditional leaders which drove them to these altercations.

Finally, it was said: وَمَن يَكْفُرْ‌ بِآيَاتِ اللَّـهِ فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ سَرِ‌يعُ الْحِسَابِ that is, ‘whoever de¬nies the verses of Allah (as the people of the Book did), then, Allah is swift at reckoning’. The swiftness of this reckoning can be well ima¬gined as it starts initially soon after death when man passes into the state known as ‘barzakh برزخ ‘. But the detailed accounting for one’s deeds shall take place on the Day of Judgment when he will have to account for his doings in the minutest detail. Then, the penchant for disputing truth will be exposed. The people who denied the truth will discover their worth and the punishment it calls for shall become known to them.

In these verses, Muslims have been taught and prompted to make a particular prayer which, in a subtle way, gives an indication that they are going to overpower disbelievers. This has its proof in the background in which these verses were revealed. When the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) promised that Byzantine and Persia will be tak¬en, the hypocrites and the Jews laughed at the idea. Thereupon, this verse was revealedI.

1. Ruh al-Ma’ ani from al-Wahidi, from Ibn ` Abbas and Anas (رض)

The background of Revelation:

An episode from the Battle of Khandaq

The recurring defeat of the disbelievers of Makkah at Badr and Uhud and their general failure to register any gains in their hostility against Muslims coupled with the growing strength of Muslims and the rise of Islam had made them very nervous, almost reckless. The whole thing ended up in a conspiracy. The disbelievers of Arabia, the Jews and the Christians all joined in a united front against Muslims and resolved to attack Madinah and fight a conclusive battle. This they did, determined to eradicate Islam and Muslims from the face of the earth. The battle is called ‘al-Ahzab’ in the Qur’an, and ‘Khandaq خندق in history, because the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) had decided in consultation with his Companions (رض) that a khandaq خندق or trench be dug around parts of Madinah to block the unhindered attack of the enemy during this battle.

According to narrations in al-Baihaqi, Abu Nu’aim and Ibn Khuzai¬mah, when the task of digging the trench was entrusted to the Islamic army, the plan was to allot the digging of a forty hand-span long trench to a group of ten men each. This trench was several miles long and fairly deep and wide, so that the enemy would find it impossible to cross over. Then, the digging had to be completed in the shortest possible time which made the noble Companions (رض) put in whatever time and energy they had in this effort, so much so that they found it difficult to leave the job and take time for even the most pressing of their needs. They were working non-stop on hungry stomachs. Surely, a modern army engineering service with its latest equipment would have not found this kind of job any easier to handle. Here, it was the power of faith which made the completion of this difficult assignment possible.

 The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was taking part in this digging op¬eration as an individual like everybody else. By chance, the diggers came upon a huge rock in a certain part of the trench. Those who were assigned to dig that part of the trench tried their best to break it apart but they became helpless and gave up. They asked Sayyidna Salman al-Farisi to go to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، tell him about the problem and seek his instructions in this connection. The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) immediately came at the spot, took the pick-axe in his blessed hands and struck at the rock. The rock was shat-tered into pieces and from it rose a streak of light which illuminated the area far and wide. The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: In this light, I see the palaces and buildings of Hirah in the country of Persia. He struck again and a second beam of light rose. He said: ‘In this light, I was shown the red palaces and buildings of the Byzantinians.’ When he struck the third time and the flame beamed its light around, he said: ‘In this I was shown the great palaces of San’a in Yemen.’ Then, he said: ‘I share the good news given by Jibra’il. (عليه السلام) with you that my com¬munity of Muslims will prevail over all these countries.’

When the hypocrites of Madinah heard about it, they found an oc¬casion to ridicule Muslims – ‘just look at these people, here they are all scared of the enemy, digging trenches without eating and resting, not knowing for sure if their own lives will be safe, yet they are dreaming of running over Persia, Byzantine and Yemen!’ It was in answer to a people so unfair and unjust that Allah Almighty revealed the verse:

Say: “0 Allah, 0 Lord of the Kingdom, You give kingdom to whom You will, and take kingdom away from whom You will; and You bestow honour on whom You will, and bring disgrace to whom You will. In Your hand lies the good. You are surely powerful over everything.” (3 : 26)

Appearing in the form of a prayer, this verse so eloquently brings into focus the most perfect power of Allah as it manifests itself in the rise and fall of nations and in the revolutions that rock countries. At the same time it gives a hint that the prophecy made by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) will come to pass and Persia and Byzantine will .fall to Muslims. Here, enemies of Islam have been warned that they have not learnt their lesson from the rise and fall of past wielders of power for they judge events and personalities from the material angle while the truth is that all powers and governments of the world are in the hands of the most pristine power of Allah, the One in whose hands lies all honour and disgrace. There is no doubt that He is capable of making the poor and the meek sit on thrones and wrest power from kings and monarchs. Why then, should it be difficult for him to choose these ragged believers digging trenches to rule over Persia, Syria, Iraq and Yemen?

Things usually considered bad, may ultimately prove not to be that bad:

Towards the end of the verse, the expression بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ‌ translated as ` in Your hand lies the good’ needs some explanation. It will be noticed that in the earlier part of the verse both giving and taking of power and bestowing of honour and bringing of disgrace were mentioned side by side. It would have seemed in keeping with the occasion if the word, شر ‘sharr’ (evil) would have been coupled with ‘khair’ (good). But, the text elects to use the word, ‘khair’ (good) alone and thereby points out to something real and significant in human affairs. The point worth not¬ing is that a person or a people may regard something as unwelcome, and it may even be so for that particular person or people, but looked at from the wider angle of the whole community of nations, it may not be really evil. The Arab poet, Mutanabbi has put it very succinctly when he said:

The calamities of one group are the gains of another.

In short, the evil of things we regard as evil is partial. Looked at from its relationship to the Creator of the Universe and the Lord of all there is, and viewed in the perspective of the totality of the world of our experience, nothing is really evil or bad as such. So given the wis-dom, the power and the consideration of the created universe as a whole, everything is good, ‘khair’ as the verse sees sufficient to say.

Commentary

In these verses, Muslims have been instructed not to take disbe¬lievers as their friends. Those who act against this instruction have been sternly warned: Those who take them as friends will find that their bond of love and friendship with Allah has been cut off. Any emo¬tionally involved friendship that comes from the heart is absolutely forbidden (Haram). However, a formal friendship at the level of mutual dealings is, no doubt, permissible; but, that too is not favoured if un¬necessary.

Verses dealing with this subject have appeared at many places in the Holy Qur’an with varying shades of meaning. It was said in Surah al-Mumtahinah:

1. those who believe, do not take My enemy and your enemy as friends having love for them. (60:1)

Then, towards the end it was said:

And whoever from among you does this he has gone astray from the right path. (60:1)

Elsewhere it was said:

0 those who believe, do not take Jews or Christians as friends (for) they are friends among themselves. And whoever has friendship with them, he is one of them. (5:51)

And it appears in Surah al-Mujadalah:

You shall not find those who believe in Allah and in the Here-after having friendship with those who have enmity with Al¬lah and His messenger, even though they may be their fathers or sons or brothers or members of their tribe. (58:22)

Relations with disbelievers

In verses cited above and in many other verses of the Holy Qur’an, Muslims have been strongly prevented from ‘Muamlat’ with non-Muslims, that is, from indulging in relations based on love and friendship. Looking at these clear instructions, non-Muslims who are not aware of the true intention and application of this rule start thinking that the religion of Muslims does not seem to have any place for tolera¬tion or bilateral relations or even common courtesy.

On the other hand, there are a large number of verses from the Holy Qur’an, the words and acts of the noble Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، the practice of the rightly -guided Khulafa’ and other revered Companions, which bring to light injunctions and actual modes of dealing with non-Muslims by way of favour, compassion, generosity, sympathy and con¬cern, which has little or no parallel in world history. A superficial look on these different attitudes may sense a sort of contradiction therein. But, this feeling is a result of only a cursory study of the true teach¬ings of the Qur’an. If we collect all verses of the Qur’an, relating to this subject which appear at several different places and study them all to¬gether, we shall find nothing which could bother non-Muslims nor shall there remain any doubt of contradiction in the text of the Qur’an and Hadith. With this need in view, given below is a full explanation of this point which will, hopefully, bring forth the distinction between various shades of friendship and the reality behind each of them. In addition to this, we shall also get to know what levels of friendship are permissible or impermissible and also the reasons why a certain level has been disallowed.

The truth of the matter is that there are different degrees or steps or levels in relations between two persons or groups. The first degree of such relations comes from the heart, that of affection and love in¬volving intense emotional commitment. This is called Muwalat or close friendship. This sort of friendship is restricted to true Muslims. A Muslim is not permitted to have this kind of relationship with a non-Muslim.

The second degree is that of Muwasat, which means relationship based on sympathy, kindness and concern. It includes charitable help and support, condolence and consolation and any well-meaning attitude of wishing well. Barring disbelievers who are at war with Mus¬lims, this kind of relationship is permissible with all other non-Muslims. A detailed explanation of this approach has appeared in Surah al-Mumtahinnah (60:8)

Allah does not forbid you from treating those who do not fight you on your faith, nor have they driven you out of your homes, with benevolence and equity.

The third degree is that of Mudarat which means relations based on customary cordiality, adequacy in courtesy, pleasant and friendly behaviour, and mannerly politeness. This too is permissible with all non-Muslims, especially so, when the objective is to present them with some beneficial aspect of the Faith, or when they are guests, or the purpose is to stay safe from any possible harm coming through them. The words, إِلَّا أَن تَتَّقُوا مِنْهُمْ تُقَاةً ( (unless you guard yourselves against an ap¬prehension from them) appearing in this verse mean this degree of Mudarat which, in other words, means that Muwalat or friendship with disbelievers is not permissible except when you are in a situation where you want to defend yourself against them. Since Mudarat or sympathetic relations somewhat resemble Muwalat or friendship, it was exempted from the category of Muwalat. (Bayan al-Qur’n)

The fourth degree is that of Mu` amalat or dealings. It means dealings and transactions in business or employment or wages or industry or technology. These too are permissible with non-Muslims, except when such dealings harm the general body of Muslims. The continued practice of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) the rightly-guided Khulafa’ and other Companions prove it so. It is on this basis that Muslim jur¬ists have prohibited the sale of arms to disbelievers who are at war with Muslims. However, trade and activities allied to it have been permitted. Also allowed is having them as employees or being employed in their plants and institutions.

To sum up, as for the four degrees of relations with non-Muslims, we now know that friendship which binds a Muslim in very close ties with non-Muslims is not permissible under any condition. Relations based on benevolence, humane interest and concern are permitted with all but the belligerent ones. Similarly, politeness and friendly treatment is also permissible when the purpose is to entertain a guest, convey Islamic teachings to non-Muslims or to stay safe against being hurt or harmed by them.

Now, let us look at what our noble Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، who graced this world as the universal mercy, did for non-Muslims. He demonstrated such compassion, generosity and politeness while deal¬ing with them that it would be difficult to find its example in the world history. When Makkah was in the grip of famine, he personally went out to help his enemies who had made him leave his home town. Then, came the conquest of Makkah. All these enemies fell under his power and control.

He set all of them free saying: لَا تَثْرِ‌يبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ which means – Not only that you are being given amnesty this day, we are not cen¬suring you at all for your past tyranny against us either.’ When non-Muslim prisoners of war were presented before him, he treated them with such tenderness which many cannot claim to have done even in respect of their children. The disbelievers inflicted on him all sorts of injuries and pain but he never raised his hand in revenge. ` He did not even wish ill of them. A delegation from the tribe of Bano Thaqif who had not embraced Islam upto that time came to visit him. They were given the honour of staying in the Mosque of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، a place re¬garded by Muslims as most honourable.

Sayyidna ` Umar (رض) gave stipends and allowances to needy non-Muslim dhimmis ذِمِّی ، an elegant conduct the examples of which are spread all over in the accounts of dealings credited to the rightly -guided Khulafa’ and the noble Companions. Let us bear in mind that all these were in one or the other form of Mu` wasat (concern) or Mudarat (cordiality) or Mu’amalat (dealings). It had nothing to do with Muwalat or close and intimate friendship which had been forbidden.

The aforesaid explanations clarify two things: firstly, Islam teaches its adherents all possible tolerance, decency and benevolence while dealing with non-Muslims; secondly, the superficial contradiction sensed with regard to the verse forbidding friendship with non-Muslims stands removed.

However, there is a possible question which still remains unan¬swered. The question is: °Why has the Qur’an chosen to so strongly block close friendship with disbelievers, so much so that it has not al-lowed it in favour of any disbeliever under any condition? at is the wisdom behind it? One of the reasons, a particular one, is that Islam does not see man existing in this world like common animals or jungle trees and blades of grass which sprout, grow, flourish and die and that is the end of it. Instead of that, man’ s life in this world is a purposeful life. All stages and phases of his life, that is, his eating, drinking, standing, sitting, sleeping, waking, even his living and dying, all re¬volve around a central purpose. As long as what he does conforms to this purpose, all he does is correct and sound. If these are against that purpose, then, they are all wrong. The poet-sage Rumi said it so well:

The purpose of life is to remember the Creator and serve Him well Life without that devotion is nothing but shame

In his view and in the view of all right-minded people, when man abandons this purpose, he does not remain the human being he was created to be:

What you see is a crowd of anti-men

They are not men, they are just the shell of men

The Holy Qur’an has made human beings declare this purpose as their solemn creed in the following words:

(My prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for Al¬lah, the Lord of the Worlds.” (6:162)

Now, when it stands established that the purpose of man’s life is to obey and worship Allah, the Lord of the worlds, everything else including all affairs of life in this world — business, government, politics, per¬sonal and social relations — must invariably follow this purpose. It follows, therefore, that those who are against this purpose are the worst enemies of man. Since Satan is the foremost in this enmity, the Holy Qur’an says: إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّا (Surely, Satan is your enemy, so take him as enemy. 35:6).

Thus, those who follow the alluring dictates of the Satan and op-pose the injunctions of Allah brought by the blessed prophets (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) can hardly be the kind of people to deserve deep love and friendship based on close ties and any degree of intimacy. It is just not possible for a person who has a definite purpose in life, and who has all his friendships and enmities, agreements and disagreements subservient to this central purpose, to do something like this. The same subject has been stated in a hadith from al-Bukhari and Muslim in which the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has been reported to have said: من احَبَّ للہ وابغض للہ فقدِ استکملَ (Whoever loves for the sake of Allah-and hates for the sake of Al¬lah alone, has perfected his faith) (Bukhari and Muslim). From here we know that ایمان ‘Iman or faith remains incomplete unless man subordinates his love and friendship and his hatred and enmity to Allah Almighty. Therefore, any deep emotional commitment by a true Muslim in the known forms of love and friendship has to be exclusively for one who is with him all the way in the pursuit of this noble purpose and certainly obedient to what his Lord has commanded him to do. This is why the Holy Qur’an has, in verses cited at the beginning of the commentary, said that the one who maintains relations based on deep love and friendship with disbelievers is one of them.

The last verse (30) says that ‘Allah warns you of Himself lest you should indulge in friendship with disbelievers for the sake of fleeting interests and objectives and thus invite the anger of Allah. And since close friendship (Muwalat) relates to the heart and the affairs of the heart are known to none but Allah, it is possible that a person may ac¬tually be intensely in love for and friendship with disbelievers, but may deny it verbally. Therefore, the earlier verse (29) has already cov¬ered it by saying: “whether you conceal what is in your hearts, or dis¬close it, Allah shall know it.” No denial or false claim is tenable before Him.

Commentary

1. While looking at the first sentence of this verse هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِ‌يَّا رَ‌بَّهُ (Thereupon, Zakariyya (عليه السلام) prayed to his Lord) – we should bear in mind that Sayyidna Zakariyya (عليه السلام) had no offspring upto that time. He had grown old and one usually does not have children in that age, although he firmly believed that Allah, in His ultimate power, could change the usual phenomenon and bless him with an offspring even at his ad¬vanced age. But he had not personally witnessed the unusual divine acts – such as he did when he saw unusual and out-of-season eatables provided for Sayyidah Maryam and that was why he did not have the courage to extend his hand of prayer for an offspring. Now when he saw the miracle with his own eyes, he was persuaded for such prayer under the belief that Allah, who can provide a servant with out-of season fruits, would also bless him with an offspring, even in this late age, and so he prayed.
2. The second sentence of the verse – ‘He said: قَالَ رَ‌بِّ هَبْ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّ‌يَّةً طَيِّبَةً “O my Lord, grant me from Your own (power) a goodly progeny.”‘ – tells us that making prayers to have children is a blessed practice of the prophets and the righteous.

In another verse Allah Almighty has said: وَلَقَدْ أَرْ‌سَلْنَا رُ‌سُلًا مِّن قَبْلِكَ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ “And We sent messengers before you and provided them with wives and children”- (13:38).It means that children are among the blessings of Allah which were bestowed on the Holy Prophet as well as on other prophets.

Now, should someone try to stop the birth of children, by any means, he will not only rebel against nature but will also deprive him-self of having acted in harmony with the common and agreed practice of prophets (عليهم السلام) The Holy Prophet of Islam (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has given great importance to the question of marriage and children, so much so that he did not allow anyone to avoid married life and children inspite of his capability, and refused to take such a person as a member of his community of followers. He said:

(1)          Marriage is my sunnah (way).

(2)          So, whoever turns away from my sunnah, he is not from me.

(3)          Therefore, marry a woman who is loving and fertile, for I shall compete with other communities on the basis of your numbers.

In another verse, Allah Almighty praises those who pray before Him to have a wife in marriage, have children and have them grow good and righteous. He says:

وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَ‌بَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّ‌يَّاتِنَا قُرَّ‌ةَ أَعْيُنٍ

And those who say: ‘0 our Lord, bless us with such among our wives and our children as be the delight of our eyes. (25:74)

Hasan al-Basri, (رح) says that the Qur’anic expression – قُرَّ‌ةَ أَعْيُنٍ ‘qurrata a` yun’ (literally: coolness or luster of the eyes; meaning someone dearly loved and cherished) – here means that the maker of prayer sees his children and wife devoted in obedience to Allah.

It appears in a hadith that Umm Sulaym (رض) requested the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) to pray for his attendant, Sayyidna Anas (رض) . He made the following prayer for him:

الھم اَکثِر ماله و ولدہ وبارک له فيما أعطيته

0 Allah, increase his wealth and his children and make him prosper in what You have bestowed on him.

It was the outcome of this very prayer that Sayyidna Anas (رض) had about a hundred children and was also blessed with an ample measure of wealth.

Following blessed predictions mentioned earlier, Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) was born with all promised signs. As a messenger sent to Bani Isra` il, he presented his call to them supported by miracles to prove his prophethood. But, the Bani Isra’il were adamant and kept on rejecting him as a prophet, even going to the limit of being physically hostile to him.

The text now identifies the very first followers of Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) brings to light their real creed, expressed first before their prophet and then (in verse 53), reiterated it in the form of a prayer before their Lord.

Commentary

The word, حواری ‘hawariyy (singular of حواریون ‘al-hawariyyun’ ) appearing in verse 52 (translated as the disciples’ ), is a derivation from حوار hawar which lexi¬cally means whiteness. In the religious terminology, the title of حواری ‘Ihawariyy’ has been given to the sincere disciples or companions of Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) r either because of their sincerity or the purity of their heart, or because of their white dress. Likewise, the Companions of the Holy Prophet (عليه السلام) have been called, صاحبی sahabiyy (plural, sahabah).

Some commentators have given the number of the disciples as twelve. Incidentally, the word ‘hawariyy’ is also, at times, used in the absolute sense of ‘helper’ or ‘supporter’. It is in this very sense that it was said in a hadth: “Every prophet has a hawariyy, that is, a sincere companion; Zubair is my hawariyy’ (Tafsir al-Qurtubi)

An Important Note:

Verse 52 states that Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) looked for helpers in the way of Allah only when he sensed hostility from disbelievers, and not at the initial stage of his call. As obvious, he had risen to the task all alone obeying the command of his Lord without worrying about setting up a ‘party’ in advance. When came the need, he found a group around him. A little thought here would show that every worthy mission demands such determination and courage.

Commentary

In these verses the miraculous event of the Ascension of Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) (Jesus Christ) has been mentioned. “And they made a move” refers to the evil designs of the Jews who planned to arrest him and to get him crucified.

The next sentence i.e. “and Allah made a move” refers to the plan designed by Allah Almighty to save his prophet ` Isa (عليه السلام) from their ill designs. They sent one of them to Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) to arrest him and Allah changed his face totally and made him resemble Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) and raised Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) to heavens, while that person was crucified under the mistaken identity. How Allah had planned to save ` Isa (عليه السلام) from their clutches was disclosed to him when his enemies came to arrest him. The details of these disclosures have been men¬tioned in verse 55.

Explanation of important words in the verse

Some sects which deny, contrary to the belief of the entire Muslim community, the Ascension of Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) (Jesus Christ), his being alive in the heavens and his descension towards the later times, have worked through the words and meanings of these verses to open doors of distortion in the Qur’anic text. Therefore, it seems appropriate that these words be explained in some details.

Let us begin with وَاللَّـهُ خَيْرُ‌ الْمَاكِرِ‌ينَ translated as and Allah is the best of those who make moves’. The word, مکر makr in Arabic denotes a subtle and secret move or plan. If this is for a good purpose, it is good; and if this is for a bad purpose, it is bad. It was why the restriction of saiyy سِّٰی : evil) was placed with مکر makr (: move, plan) in: وَلَا يَحِيقُ الْمَكْرُ‌ السَّيِّئُ إِلَّا (And evil plan besets none but its perpetrator – 35:43).

The Qur’anic word, مکر makr, is used exclusively for conspiracy, evil plan and strategy in the everyday idiom of the Urdu language (in which this commentary was originally written), therefore, it should not be equated with the Arabic usage. This is the reason why Allah has been called: خَيْرُ‌ الْمَاكِرِ‌ينَ ‘Khair al-Makirin’ here.

The verse means that the Jews started making a series of conspira¬cies and secret schemes against Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) going to the limit of convincing the ruler of the time that he was a heretic (God forbid) all bent upon changing the Torah and was going to make apostates of everybody. The ruler ordered the arrest of Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) . While this was the scene on one side, the subtle and secret move made by Allah Almighty was countering their evil plans more effectively, which has been mentioned in the verses coming next.

The word, مُتَوَفِّيكَ ‘Mutawaffi’ in إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ takes ‘tawaffi’ as its verbal noun with its root being ‘wafyun.’ Lexically, the word means ‘to take in full’. This being its real meaning, its derivations wafa, ifa’ and ‘istifa’ are used to convey that sense. In fact, the real meaning of tawaffi is ‘to take in full’ which is universally confirmed by all lexicons of the Arabic language. Since man completes his appointed time at the hour of death and the spirit or soul given by Allah is taken back fully and con¬clusively, it is in that context that this word is also used figuratively in the sense of death. A simple form of death is the daily sleep of human beings. For this too, the Holy Qur’an uses the same word when it says:

‘Allah takes away lives of the living at the time of their death and of those that do not die, in their sleep’. (39:42)

Hafiz Ibn Taimiyyah says in al-Jawab al-Sahih

Al-tawaffi, in the Arabic language, means: to exact fully or take in full. It takes three forms; the first: to take in sleep; the second: to take in death; and the third: to take the soul and the body all together.

In Kulliyat Abu al-Baqa’, it is said:

Al-tawaffi is putting to death and exacting of the soul in com¬mon usage while, in the classical usage, it is taking in full and the exacting of the due right.

Therefore, the majority of scholars have translated the word, ‘mutawaffika’ in the verse under study in the sense of ‘taking in full’. This means that Allah will not leave Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) in the hands of the Jews, rather He would take him away which would be in the form that he would be risen unto Him in the heavens.

This is how the words ‘I am to take you in full’ have been interpret¬ed by the majority of the scholars. However, some authentic commen¬tators of the Holy Qur’an have interpreted these words in the sense of ‘giving death’ also, but they do not mean that the death of Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) will occur at the hands of his enemies. The true meaning of the verse, according to these commentators is as follows:

Allah Almighty said two things to comfort Jesus at a time when the Jews were bent on killing him. One: That his death will come, not at their hands in the form of killing, but that it would be a natural death. Two: In order to rescue him from the evil designs of those peo¬ple, Allah Almighty will, at that time, raise Jesus towards Him. This explanation is exactly what has been reported from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas (رض) as quoted by al-Suyuti in his al-Durr al-Manthur on the authority of several narrators.

The gist of this tafsir or explanation is that tawaffi does mean giving death, but there is the element of precedence and sequence in the words used. The fact of وَرَ‌افِعُكَ (I shall raise you) will come first and that of مُتَوَفِّيكَ (I shall give you death) later. Now at this point, the wisdom behind mentioning the phenomenon of the earlier lies in the hint that it gives about the events which are to come later on. It means that rais¬ing towards Allah will not last forever; it would be temporary and then, he would return to the mortal world and prevail over enemies and later on, death will come to him in a natural way.

Thus, the event of his return from heaven and his death after hav¬ing established his victory in the world was not only a miracle but a consummation of the honour and integrity of Jesus (عليه السلام) . In addi¬tion to that, the unfounded Christian belief in the divinity of Jesus was also refuted. Had it not been so, the event of Jesus being raised towards the heavens alive would have further strengthened their false belief that he too was Living and Eternal like Allah. Therefore, by in¬troducing the word (pointing out to his death) first, all those mis-conceptions which might have arisen from ‘raising of Jesus’ have been refuted in advance.

The reality is that disbelievers and polytheists have always been vehemently opposed to prophets, And parallel to that there has been the customary practice of Allah – when a people unto whom a prophet has been sent stick to their own opinion, do not listen to the prophet and do not believe in him even after having witnessed the mir¬acles, then, one of the following two counter-actions were taken: Either those people were annihilated through some natural calamity as was done with ` Ad and Thamud and the peoples of Prophets لوط Lut and صالح Salih (عليهما السلام) or, alternatively Allah would instruct His prophet to migrate from the habitat of disbelievers and go to some other place. It was there that they were provided with such power and glory that they fi¬nally achieved victory against the people whom they were sent to. For example Prophet Ibrahim, (عليه السلام) migrated from Iraq and sought refuge in Syria. Similarly, Prophet Musa (عليه السلام) (Moses) migrated from Egypt and came to Madyan. Finally, the Last prophet, Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) migrated from Makkah and came to Madinah. It was from there that he finally attacked Makkah and conquered it. This raising of Jesus to the heavens to outmaneuver the threatening designs of the Jews was, in fact, an act of emigration in its own way following which he would return to this world and achieve total victory over the Jews.

Now comes the question as to why this emigration of his, quite sep¬arate from the rest, has the heavens as the destination? So, for that matter, Allah Almighty has Himself said about him that his case is like that of Adam (عليه السلام) . The way in which Adam’s birth differs from the normal birth of the rest of creation, (i.e., without a father and a mother) so it is that the birth of Jesus (عليه السلام) took a miraculous form different from the normal birth of human beings; and his death too, taking a unique and unmatched form, will materialize after hundreds of years following his return to the world — unprecedented indeed. Why then, should one be surprised if his emigration too follows some such unique pattern?

These marvels of nature led the ignorant among Christians into believing and declaring that he was God, while deliberation into the various aspects of these very marvels, are clear proofs of his servitude as a human being to God, obedience to the Divine will and the demon¬stration of human traits. It is for this reason that the Holy Qur’an has made a pointed reference to the refutation of belief in the Godhood of Jesus (عليه السلام) on all such occasions. The raising towards the heavens would have made this doubt all the more strong. Therefore, by bringing the word mutawaffika (I am to take you in full) earlier, this doubt was totally eliminated. Thus we come to realize that this verse, no doubt, aims at negating the Jewish plans since they were all set to crucify and kill Jesus, and that Allah Almighty made their plans come to nothing. Moreover, this precedence and sequence of words became the mode of refuting the Christians as well, that Jesus (عليه السلام) was no God who was never to die but that a time will come when he too will meet his death.

In his Tafsir Imam al-Razi (رح) has said that such precedence and se¬quence occurs frequently in the noble Qur’an in order to cover similar expedient considerations under which an event due later has been mentioned first while an event due earlier has been placed after that. (al-Tafsir al-Kabir, v. 2, p. 48)

As for رَ‌افِعُكَ إِلَيَّ (And I shall raise you towards Me), the meaning is clear. Addressing Jesus (عليه السلام) here, it has been said: ‘I shall raise you towards Me’. Everyone knows that Jesus is not the name of just the spirit but that of the spirit and the body of Jesus. Now taking the rais¬ing of Jesus (عليه السلام) in the sense that the act of raising was spiritual only, and not physical, is all wrong. As far as the word, raf رَ‌فِعُ raising) is con¬cerned, there are occasions when it is also used to indicate raising of ‘ranks as it appears in the following verses of the noble Qur’an:

And raised some of you in ranks over others (6:165).

… and Allah will raise up in rank those of you who believe and those who have been given knowledge (58:11).

So, it is obvious that the word, رَ‌فِعُ raf: raising; in the sense of the raising of rank or status has been used figuratively in view of the context of the aforementioned verses. There is no reason here to ignore the real meaning and go by that which is figurative. Moreover, by us¬ing the word, إِلَيَّ ila: (towards) alongwith the word, raf (رَ‌فِعُ : raising), at this particular place, the possibility of such a figurative meaning has been totally eliminated. What is said in this verse is رَ‌افِعُكَ إِلَيَّ : rafi` uka ilaiyya: I shall raise you towards Me. Then there is the verse from Surah al-Nis-a’ (4:158), which refutes the belief of Jews; there too, what was said وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًا بَل رَّ‌فَعَهُ اللَّـهُ إِلَيْهِ ; that is, the Jews certainly did not kill Jesus (عليه السلام) ، instead, Allah raised him towards Himself. This later expres¬sion is used for nothing but the raising alive of the spirit and the body.

In the verse under reference, Allah Almighty made five promises to ` (عليه السلام) vis-a-vis the Jews:

1. The first promise was that his death will not come at the hands of the Jews through killing. It will be a natural death coming at its ap¬pointed time and that appointed time will come close to the Day of Doom, when ` Isa (عليه السلام) will come down from the heavens onto the earth as reported in details in sound ahadith transmitted through un¬broken chains, part of which will appear later.
2. The second promise was to raise him towards the heavens in the existing situation. This was fulfilled right then. The report of this ful¬fillment was given in Surah al-Nisa’ (4:158) by saying:

Certainly, the Jews did not kill him, instead; Allah Almighty raised him towards Himself.

1. The third promise was: وَمُطَهِّرُ‌كَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُ‌وا ، that is, to have him cleansed of false accusations brought on him by his enemies. That promise was fulfilled when the last of the prophets (عليهم السلام) came and refuted all false accusations of the Jews. For instance, the Jews threw slanders on the parentage of Sayyidna lsa (عليه السلام) because of his having been born without a father. The noble Qur’an refuted this slander by declaring that he was born without a father because such was the power and will of Allah. And that too does not call for much of a surprise. More surprising is the birth of Adam (عليه السلام) since he was born without both a father and a mother.
2. The Jews accused Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) of claiming to be God.

There are many verses in the noble Qur’an in which, contrary to this accusation, Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) has been reported to have’ publicly confessed his being human and a servant and bondsman of Allah. The fourth promise appears in وَجَاعِلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُ‌وا (and placed those who follow you above those who disbelieve) which means that his followers will be made to overcome those who deny and oppose him. This promise was fulfilled in the sense that following here means the belief in and confession of the prophethood of Sayyidna ` Isa۔ (عليه السلام) The belief in and the practice of all injunctions ascribed to him is not a pre-condition. Thus the Christians and the Muslims both fall in this category as they believe in the prophethood and messenger-ship of Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) .

However, this is a different matter that holding this much of belief is not enough to bring forth salvation in the Hereafter. Instead, the salvation in the Hereafter depends on believing in all injunctions brought by Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) . One of the instruc¬tions given by Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) was that his followers should be¬lieve and have faith in the last of the Prophets ((صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)), who would come after Jesus departs. The Christians did not follow this in¬struction in matters of faith and belief, therefore, they deprived themselves of salvation in the Hereafter while Muslims acted in accordance with that too, therefore, they became deserving of salvation in the Hereafter۔ But, part of the promise which relates to having dominant authority over Jews was dependent on the prophethood of Sayyidna ` tsa (عليه السلام) only. That dominance in the world has always been the ‘fate of Christians and Muslims vis-a-vis the Jews, and surely, so shall it be through the Day of Judgment.

From the time when Allah Almighty made this promise right upto now, it has always been the case that the Christians and Muslims have dominated the Jews. The world has seen the establishment of their empires. The existence of the present state of Israel cannot make the truth of this position doubtful for several reasons. To begin with, and in reality, this state is no more than a manifestation of the mili¬tary might of Russia and the Christians of Euro-American origin which they have established and maintained against Muslims. As soon as Russia, America and countries of Europe withdraw their patronage, the world will itself witness the instant collapse of this state and its disappearance from the map of the world. Therefore, people who can see the reality do realise the actual position of Israel or the Govern¬ment of the Jews. It is by no means a manifestation of the domination of Jews. If, just for the sake of argument, it is taken to be their own state, even then, who would – in his right frame of mind – deny that, given the totality of Christians and Muslims, they are wielders of less¬er influence and are much subjugated with fear. Even if we were to leave this aspect aside, we know that a temporary domination by the Jews close to the Day of Judgment has been reported in the authentic reports of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) Now if this world is destined to exist for any considerable period of time and if the Day of Judgment is close, that domination too is not contrary to the reports which Mus¬lims consider authentic. Moreover, such short-lived occupation cannot be given the name of a state or government especially when it is based on -a conspiracy hatched by the Christians and the communists.

5. The fifth promise, that of giving a decision in respect of such con¬flicts in faith on the Day of Judgment will certainly be fulfilled on its appointed time as it has been indicated in the verse:

Then, to Me is your return, whereupon I shall judge between you. (3:55)

JESUS: The question of his life and second coming:

The Jews are the only people in the world who say that Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) was crucified, killed and buried following which he never returned to life. What happened really and truly has been clarified in verse 158 of Surah al-Nis-a’ in the Holy Qur’an. Then, in وَمَكَرُ‌وا وَمَكَرَ‌ اللَّـهُ (And they made a move, and Allah made a move.) of the present verse, it has been pointed out that Allah Almighty made the sinister move of the enemies of ` Isa recoil upon those who had gone into the house to kill Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) . It was one of them that Allah Almighty changed to look exactly like Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) and then He raised Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) alive onto the heavens. The words of the verse are as follows:

And they did not kill him and they did not crucify him, but they were deluded by resemblance (4:157).

Details regarding this will appear under the commentary on Surah al-Nis-a’.

The Christians said that Jesus was, no doubt, killed on the cross but was brought back to life once again and raised onto the heavens. The verse under reference has refuted this false notion as well. It is stressed here that similar to the Jews who were rejoicing after killing their own man, the Christians fell a victim to the same mistaken iden¬tity by believing that it was Jesus who got killed on the Cross, and as such, the Christians too became the victims of mistaken identity. This is obvious from the Qur’anic statement شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ (they were deluded by re-semblance) just like the Jews were deceived by mistaken identity.

As opposed to the view of these two groups, there is the Islamic belief, stated here in this verse and in several other verses clearly, which says that Allah Almighty raised him alive onto the heavens in order to rescue him from the Jews. He was not to be killed and he was not to be crucified. He is in the heavens alive and it will be close to the Day of Judgment when he shall come down from the heavens, lead the Muslims to victory over the Jews, and finally, he will die a natural death.

There is a consensus of the entire Muslim community on this belief. Hafiz ibn Hajr, in his Talkhis al-Habir, has reported this consen¬sus (page 319). This belief, and the consensus of the community on it, stands proved on the authority of several verses of the Holy Qur’an and reports from متواتر mutawatir ahadith transmitted through an unbroken chain of reporting. However, this is not the place for its detailed dis¬cussion, and not necessary either. The reason being that scholars of the community have already taken up this question in special books with full clarity giving detailed answers to those who dispute in the Ascension of the Christ. For instance, the Arabic work, ` Aqidatul islam fi Hayati ` Isa (عليه السلام) by Hujjatu l’Is1am Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Anwar Shah al-Kashmiri, Hayat-e-` Isa (عليه السلام) (the Life of Jesus) in Urdu by Hadrat Maulana Badr ` Alam Muhajir Madani, Hayat-e-Masih (عليه السلام) in Urdu by Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Idris and hundreds of other books or essays dealing with this question have been widely pub¬lished and circulated. While carrying out the orders of his respected teacher, Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Anwar Shah al-Kashmiri, this writer had collected more than one hundred متواتر mutawatir ahadith identified by him which prove in an undeniable manner that Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) was raised alive and that he will return close to the Day of Judgment. This collection in book form and entitled, Al-Tasrih bima Tawatara fi Nuzul al-Masih has been recently published from Beirut with marginal notes and commentary by ` Allama ` Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah, a revered scholar of Allepo, Syria.

Hafiz ibn Kathir while explaining the verse وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِّلسَّاعَةِ of Surah Al-Zukhruf (43:61) has said:

There are ahadith from the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) nar¬rated in an uninterrupted succession, that he proclaimed the coming of ` Isa (عليه السلام) ، before the Day of Judgment as a just leader.

At this stage I would like to draw the attention of the reader to a point which, if noticed even with a small measure of sanity and justice would leave no room for any doubt regarding this question. The point is that in the eleventh section of Surah ‘Al-` Imran, Allah Almighty while referring to past prophets deemed it sufficient to refer to prophets Adam, Nuh, ‘Al-Ibrahim and ‘Al-` Imran (عليهم السلام) briefly in one single verse. After that, it was in nearly three sections and twenty two verses that refer-ence was made to Sayyidna ‘Isa (عليه السلام) and his family with meticulous detail something which has not been made in that manner even in re¬spect of the Last of the prophets (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) to whom the Qur’an was revealed.

Note the detailed mention of the grandmother of Jesus (عليه السلام) ، her pledge, the birth of his mother, her name, her upbringing, the conceiv¬ing of Jesus by his mother then the detailed narrative of his birth, fol¬lowed by the description of what his mother ate and drank, after child birth, her return to the family with the newborn child, their blames and curses, first the gift of eloquence to the newborn as his miracle, then his growing up and call to his people, opposition faced and the help of disciples, the hostile attempts by the Jews to trap and kill him, his being raised alive onto the heavens – then complete details of his additional traits, his looks, physique, dress and its likes – these are accounts which have not been taken up in the whole spectrum of the Qur’an and Hadith in respect of any prophet or messenger with that much of detail. This point is an open invitation to everyone to think as to why did this happen and what was the wisdom behind it.

Even a moment’s reflection here makes it clear that the Last of the prophets (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) being the final prophet and messenger with no apostle to come after him, took special care to guide his community about conditions that it was going to face right through the Day of Judgment. He therefore, took upon himself to identify those who would be worthy of the community’s following. He, as a matter of prin¬ciple, described them with a profile of their general qualities. There were other blessed people whom he identified by name and emphati¬cally asked the community to follow them. Other than these, he also marked out the astray and the deviating who posed a danger to the faith of the community.

Of the mischief-makers who were to come after the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) the most notorious was Dajjal (the anti-Christ) the imposter of the Messiah, whose disturbing wickedness was terribly deviation-prone. Therefore, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) related many details of his profile, attending conditions and distinguishing traits, so that there remains no room for the community to doubt about his being a mischief monger whenever he appears. Similarly, among the lat¬er day religious reformers and power-worthy elders, Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) is the most distinguished whom Allah Almighty blessed with the station of prophethood, kept him alive in the heavens to come to the rescue of the Muslim community during the wicked period of Dajjal (anti-Christ) and appointed him to kill Dajjal close to the Day of Judgment. This is why it was deemed necessary that the community should be given the most clear indications of his person and qualities as well, so that no human being remains in doubt while identifying Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) when he comes, the second time.

There are many elements of wisdom in this treatment.

Firstly, should the community find it difficult to identify ` Isa (Jesus Christ) (عليه السلام) the very purpose of his coming will be negated. If the Muslim community will not identify and cooperate with him, how could he help and support them? Secondary, although Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) will not come into the world at that time designated as Prophet (عليه السلام) ، but he would come to lead the Muslim community as the Khalifa (vice-regent) the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، the personal station of prophethood that he has will not be taken from him. Instead, he would be like the governor of a province or state who continues to hold that position even if he has gone out to visit some other province or state for some reason. Therefore, even though he is not as a governor in that province, the office of the governorship has not been ipso facto taken away from him. Similarly, Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) will not be without his attribute of prophethood at that time, and the way the rejection of his prophethood was infidelity earlier, so infidelity it shall be at that time. Now the Muslim community which has already nursed and shown its faith in his prophethood as based on the guidance of the Qur’an would fall into the grievous error of rejection, if it fails to recognize him when he comes. So, clarifying his signs and attributes in a greater measure was extremely necessary.

Thirdly, since the event of the coming of Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) will take place towards the later years of this mortal world, chances were – given the ambiguity in his marks of identification that some other person could come up with the claim of being Messiah, the son of Mary, in which case, these indicators will serve well to refute and reject any such claim. This is what happened in pre-partition India where Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian claimed that he was the promised Messiah. The scholars of the Muslim community refuted his claim on the basis of these very much cited indicators.

In short, here and at other places, the very fact of such detailed description concerning Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) is in itself indicating that his reappearance is due close to the Day of Judgment and that he would return to the world. This humble writer has taken up this subject in full details in his Urdu treatise entitled مسیح موعود کی پہچان Masih Maw` ud ki pah¬chan (Identifying the Promised Messiah) which may be consulted for these details.

The event of Mubahala and the refutation of heretics.

The background of these verses is that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ultimatum to the Christians of Najran which included three options in the order given below:

1. Accept Islam, or
2. Pay jizya جزیہ (a levy on free non-Muslims under Muslim rule), or
3. Get ready for a war.

After mutual consultation, the Christians sent a delegation to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) consisting of Shurahbil ` Abdullah b. Shurahbil and Jabbar ibn Fayd to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ۔ They came and began their talks on religious issues. When they, in their effort to prove the godhood of Jesus (عليه السلام) ، took their debate to the extremes of dis¬pute, that was the moment this verse of Mubahala was revealed. Thereupon, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) invited the Christians to join in the Mubahala confrontation (a form of resolving disputes by praying to Allah, the details of which shall shortly be discussed) and quite readily, he himself came out with Sayyidah Fatimah (رض) Sayyidna  Ali (رض) and their sons, Hasan and Husain (رض) along with him all set for the مُباھلہ Mubahalah. Looking at this, Shurahbil said to his two comrades: ‘Look, you already know that he is a prophet of Allah and getting into a Mubahalah confrontation with a prophet means certain death and destruction for us. So find out some other way to get out of this fix.’ His comrades asked him as to what he thought it could be. Shurahbil said: ‘I think the best solution is to opt for a truce as advised by the prophet’. So, on this everybody agreed. As a result, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) made peace by fixing a levy on them which was accepted by them as well. (Tafsir ibn Kathir).

The Meaning of Mubahalah

As stated earlier, verse 61 has instructed the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) to invite his opponents (Christians) to Mubahalah which literally means ‘mutual prayer’ but in the terminology of Islamic Shari’ah it refers to a particular form of resolving religious disputes. When the argumenta¬tions from both sides fail to resolve a religious issue, the parties jointly pray Allah to cast His curse on whichever of the two parties is parties is false. Since curse means ‘moving someone far away from the divine mercy’, – and moving far away from mercy is being close to divine wrath–therefore, the essence of the meaning is: Wrath be on the liar. As such, whoever is the liar shall face the evil consequences whereupon the truth will become evident before the disbelievers as well. Invocation in this manner is called ‘Mubahalah’.

Originally, the Mubahalah can be carried out by the disputants only; they can simply get together and pray. It is not necessary that all their family members are assembled. However, if all the family members participate in the Mubahalah, it becomes more effective. (That is why the Holy Prophet JJ was instructed to invite the family members of both sides).

‘Son’ includes grandson

In verse 61 the words ‘our sons’ does not mean ‘our’ sons as of the loins only. Instead, the sense is general. They may be sons or grandsons, because this is how the word is used in common usage. Therefore, the grandsons of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، namely Sayyidna Hasan and Sayyidna Husain (رض) as well as Sayyidna ` Ali (رض) the son-in-law of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) are all included in the words: ‘our sons’.

Sayyidna ` Ali (رض) has another additional reason for being included in the ‘sons’ of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) because he had grown up under the patronage of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) who had treated him like his own son.

It is, therefore, evident that Sayyidna ` Ali (رض) is included in the words: ‘our sons’. Some Shiites have claimed that since he was not the son of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) he could not be referred to by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) as ‘our son’. Through this notion the Shiites conclude that Sayyidna ` Ali (رض) was included in the words ‘ourselves’, therefore, he was the immediate successor of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) .

The fallacy of this argument is evident from what has been discussed above.

Commentary

The literal meaning of ‘Islam’ is ‘submission and obedience.’ As a term ‘Islam’ stands for submission to that particular religion which Allah Almighty has sent through his prophets (عليهم السلام) to guide human beings, because fundamental principles are the same in the religious codes of all prophets (عليهم السلام) .

Correspondingly, there are occasions when ‘Islam’ is used in that general sense, while there are other occasions when it is used exclusively to identify the Last Shari’ah which was revealed to the Last of the Prophets (عليه السلام) . Both these kinds of application are present in the Holy Qur’an. That the past prophets called themselves ‘Muslim’ and their communities, the ‘Muslim’ community, stands proved under the authority of several wordings of the Qur’anic text. Concurrently, this name has also been used as a particular name of the community the Last of the Prophets:

It was He who named you Muslims before, and in this (Qur’an). (22:78)

In short, every Divine religion which came through a prophet is also called ‘Islam’. Then, it is also used as a particular title for the Muslim community. Now, the question is as to which sense does the word, ‘Islam’, carry at this place in the Holy Qur’an?

The correct position is that, no matter which of the two meanings is taken, it does not make much of a difference in terms of the outcome, since the name of ‘Islam’ given to the religion of past prophets was for a limited group of people and a specified period of time.

That was the ‘Islam’ of that time. Restricted to the specific group or community, that ‘Islam’ was not meant to serve as a universal code for all times to come. As such when a particular prophet departed and was replaced by another prophet, ` Islam’ (i.e. the specific code) of that time ceased to be operative. The ‘Islam’ of the said time was to be what the new prophet presented. Obviously, there was no difference be¬tween these different codes in so far as the fundamentals are con-cerned, however, the subsidiary injunctions might differ. As for the ‘Islam’ given through the last Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) it will remain un¬abrogable and will serve as a permanent code right upto the Day of Judgment. And, in accordance with the cited rule, all previous religions stand abrogated after the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) as been sent.

Now, they are not Islam as such anymore. Instead, Islam is the name of that particular religion which has reached us through the Holy Prophet, Muhammad al-Mustafa (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . Therefore, it appears in authentic ahadith that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: ‘Had Musa been living this day, following me would have been incum¬bent upon him too.’ In yet another hadith, he has been reported to have said that ` Isa (عليه السلام) ، when he appears close to the Day of Resurrection, he too, inspite of holding his distinction and office of prophethood, would follow no other religious code except that of his (the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) of Islam).

Therefore, at this place, no matter what sense is taken of Islam – the general or the particular – the outcome of both is the same, that is, after the coming of the Last of the Prophets (عليهم السلام) ، only that relig¬ion, and that alone, will be termed as Islam which has come to the world through him. On belief in that alone depends the salvation نجات (najat) of all human beings for it is their indispensable need. This ex-plains what has been said in the present verse: ‘Whoever seeks a faith other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him.’

Details about this subject have already appeared under the commentary on the verse (3:19).

Sequence of Verses

In the previous verse (91), it was said that charity from disbelievers and deniers was not acceptable with Allah. In this verse, believers have been told about acceptable charity and the etiquette governing it.

Commentary

Let us first understand what بِرّ. : birr means and what it really signifies so that the whole sense of the verse becomes clear in our minds.

The literal and real meaning of the word birr is the perfect fulfillment of someone’s rights. It is also used in the sense of charity, per¬formance of good deeds and nice conduct. The word: barr and barr بار is used for a person who fulfills, fully and totally, all rights due on him. The expression وَبَرًّ‌ا بِوَالِدَتِي (good to my mother – 19:32) and وَبَرًّ‌ا بِوَالِدَيْهِ (good to his father and mother – 19:14) has been used in the Qur’an in this very sense. It has been used there as a personal attribute of prophets who fulfilled the rights of their parents fully and perfectly.

Theplural form of this very word برّ : barr is ابرار : abrar which has been used frequently in the Qur’an. It has been said:

Surely the righteous shall drink of a cup the mixture of which is camphor – 76:5.

Again at another place it is said:

Surely the righteous shall be in bliss, upon furnished thrones

gazing 83:22, 23.

Yet again there is:

And surely, the sinners shall be in hell ablaze – 82:14.

The last verse above also tells us that the antonym of بِرّ :birr is  فجور :fujur (disobedience, sinfulness).

In al-Adab al-Mufrad of Imam al- Bukhari (رح) and in Ibn Majah and Musnad of Ahmad, it has been reported from Sayydna Abu Bakr (رض) that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: ‘Stick to speaking the truth because truth is a companion of بِرّ : birr (righteousness) and both these are in Paradise; and abstain from lying because that is a companion of fujur (sin) and both these are in Hell.’

The verse 177 of Surah al-Baqarah (2) says:

لَّيْسَ الْبِرَّ‌ أَن تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِ‌قِ وَالْمَغْرِ‌بِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ‌ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّـهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ‌ Righteousness is not that you turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteousness is that one believes in Allah and the last Day… 2:177.

After giving a list of good deeds in this verse, all of them have been classed as بِرّ birr (righteousness). The subject verse also tells us that, of the wide range of righteous deeds, the most preferred form of right¬eousness is to spend the most cherished things in the way of Allah. The verse further tells us ‘you can never claim to have righteousness unless you spend out of what you hold dear.’ Thus the meaning is that the perfect fulfillment of the rights of Allah Almighty and a total – self-unburdening from it cannot come to pass unless we spend in the way of Allah what we hold dear to our hearts. This very perfect fulfill¬ment of due rights has also been translated as ‘perfect good’ or ‘excellence in doing good’ or ‘the great merit’. To sum up, the sense here is that entering the ranks of the ‘abrar’ (the righteous) depends on sacrificing in the way of Allah that which one holds dear.

The enthusiastic obedience of ha-bah

The noble Companions (رض) ، who were the first address¬ees of the Qur’anic injunctions and the direct disciples of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) really loved to carry out the injunctions of the Qur’an in letter and spirit. When this verse was revealed, each one of them surveyed as to what they loved most out of what they had. Con¬sequently, requests started coming before the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) that these be spent in the way of Allah. Sayyidna Abu Talhah (رض) was the richest person among the انصار Ansar (the helping residents) of Madi¬nah. He was the owner of a fruit farm located right across the mosque of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . It had a well called بیر حاء Bi’r Ha’.

Now, in place of this farm, there is, in front of Bab al-Majidi, a building known as Istifa Manzil where pilgrims to Madinah stay. But, in a corner north-east from it, this Bi’r Ha’ still exhists by the same name.l The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) used to visit this farm once in a while and drink water drawn from Bi’r Ha’. He liked the water from this well. This farm belonging to Sayyidna Talhah (رض) was very precious, fertile, and the dearest of all that he owned. After the revelation of this verse, he presented himself before the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and said: ‘I hold Bi’r Ha’ the dearest of all that I own. I wish to ‘spend’ it in the way of Allah. I request you to use it for whatever purpose you like.’ He (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: ‘That farm is a high-yield property. I think it is appropriate that you distribute it among your kith and kin.’ Sayyidna Abu Talhah (رض) ، accept¬ing the suggestion made by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) distributed it among his relatives and cousins (al-Bukhri and Muslim). This hadith also tells us that charity is not restricted to spending on the poor and the needy, but it is equally charitable and meritorious to give it to one’s own family and relatives.

1. This building and.well have now been demolished due to the extension of the Mosque. (Translator)

Sayyidna Zayd ibn Haritha (رض) came with a horse and said that he loved it more than anything else he owned and that he wanted to ‘spend’ it in the way of Allah. The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) accepted it. But, after having taken it from him, he gave it to his son Sayyidna Usamah (رض) . Zayd ibn Haritha was somewhat disappointed about that thinking that his charity has found its way back into his own home. But, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) comforted him by say¬ing: ‘Allah Almighty has accepted this charity of yours’. (Tafsir Mazhari vide Ibn Jarir, and others)

Sayyidna ` Umar (رض) also, had a bond-maid he liked most. He freed her for the sake of Allah.

Similarly, Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar (رض) had a bond-maid he loved. He freed her in the name of Allah.

In short, the gist of the verse under reference is that the complete fulfillment of the rights of Allah, the perfect good and excellence in do¬ing good can be achieved only when a person spends something out of his dearest belongings in the way of Allah. Worthy of our attention and retention are some of the following aspects highlighted in this verse:

The word birr in this verses is inclusive of all charity, obligatory, or voluntary:

1. First of all, this verse motivates spending in the way of Allah. Some commentators take this to mean obligatory charity such as zakah while others take this to be voluntary (Nafl: supererogatory) chari¬ty. But, according to a consensus of respected researchers in the field, it has been established that its sense is general and includes both obligatory and voluntary charities. Then there are the recorded actions of the noble Companions, as cited above, which bear witness that these charitable initiatives taken by them were voluntary.

Therefore, the sense of the verse is that you give in the way of Allah whatever it may be, the obligatory zakah or the voluntary charity, but that perfect excellence and merit will blossom out from them only-when you spend in the way of Allah what you like and love. Not, that you pick out the spare, the useless or worthless things as if you were trying to get rid of the burden of charity and as if it was some sort of punitive_ tax on you. This subject has been taken up more clearly in an-other verse of the Qur’an which is as follows:

0 those who believe, spend of the the good things you have earned and of what We have brought forth for you from the earth and do not opt for a bad thing spending only from there while you are not going to accept it at all unless you close your eyes to it… – 2:267.

So, the outcome is that picking out the bad and the useless to give in charity is unacceptable; contrary to that is the acceptable charity which earns full merit and which is nothing but what is spent out of one’s dear belongings.

Moderation in charity:

2. The second ruling comes out of the hint made in the word t:,. (from what) in the verse. That is, the purpose is not to spend away everything one likes and loves en masse in the way of Allah. Instead, the purpose is to spend whatever has to be spent from the good things. Spending in this way will bring the full reward of charity.

In charity, what counts is sincerity:

3. The third ruling is that spending the cherished is not tied to spending something of high value. Instead, by spending what one likes and holds dear, no matter how small it may be in quantity or cost, one would still become deserving of this ‘birr’ or righteousness. Hasan al-Basri (رح) says, ‘Whoever spends sincerely for the good pleasure of Allah, even if that be a single date-fruit alone, that too is good enough to make one deserving of the great merit and perfect righteousness promised in the verse.’

Alternative for those who have nothing to spend:

4. On the outside, it appears from the verse that poor people who do not have much to spend will remain deprived of the great good and righteousness mentioned here. It is because it has been said in the verse that this great good cannot be achieved without spending one’s cherished belonging while the poor and the needy just do not have anything through which they could reach the station of righteousness. But, a little deliberation would show that the verse does not mean that those who wish to have the great good and the great merit cannot achieve that by any means other than that of spending out of their cherished possessions. Contrary to that, the fact is that this great good can be achieved by some other means as well, such as, ` Ibadah, Dhikr, Tilawah of the Qur’an and abundance of nawafil. Therefore, the poor and the needy can also become the recipients of this great good through other means as it has been clearly explained in Hadith narrations.

What is meant by things you love?

5. This is the fifth question. Another verse of the Qur’an tells us that something liked and loved means that the thing is working for him and that he needs it, not that it be spare and useless. The Holy Qur’an says: وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينًا ‘which means that “the favoured servants of Allah feed the poor although they need it themselves.” (76:08) Similarly, in yet another verse, this subject has been further clarified as follows: وَيُؤْثِرُ‌ونَ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ They (the favoured servants of Allah) prefer others over their ownselves even though they themselves are in need. (59:09)

Spending the extra and the spare too is not devoid of merit:

6. The sixth ruling given in this verse is that entry into the fold of perfect good, great merit and ranks of the righteous depends on spend¬ing one’s cherished possessions in the way of Allah. But, it does not necessarily follow that there is just no merit in store for one who does spend out of what is extra to his needs. On the contrary, as it is said towards the end of the verse:`) وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ‌ فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ that is, And what¬soever you spend, Allah is fully aware of it,’ the sense of the text in the verse is that while the achievement of the perfect good and entry into the ranks of the righteous, no doubt, depends on spending cherished possessions specially; however, no charity is devoid of merit irrespec¬tive of whether one spends the cherished or the extra. But, what is cer¬tainly undesirable and prohibited is getting into the habit of always picking out the extra and the bad to spend in the way of Allah. But, a person who not only spends good things he likes in charity but also gives away things which are extra to his needs; e.g., left-over food or used clothing, defective utensils or articles in use, does commit no sin by including these in his acts of charity. He would definitely earn a re-ward for those too. As far as spending of cherished possessions is con¬cerned, he would thereupon achieve the great good and find his entry into the ranks of the righteous as well.

Also stated in this last sentence of the verse is that Allah is fully aware of the real quality of what man spends and knows whether or not it is dear to him, and if he is spending it for the good pleasure of Allah, or for pretense and publicity. The mere verbal claim by some-body that he is spending what he cherishes in the way of Allah is not enough for this purpose. Keeping vigil over him is the One, the all-Knowing, the all-Aware who is cognizant of the secrets of the heart – He is watching and knows what is the true worth of the spending in His way.

Commentary

In the verses appearing above, there is a continuity of arguments against positions taken by the people of the Book. At some places, it concerns Jews and at others, the Christians. One such argument, which has been reported in Ruh al-Ma’ani on the authority of Wahidi and al-Kalbi, recounts the incident when the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) stated his adherence to the community of Abraham (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) with reference to all fun¬damentals of the religious code, and most of the subsidiaries, the Jews objected by saying: ‘You eat camel meat and partake of its milk although these were unlawful for Abraham (عليه السلام) .’ The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: ‘No, this was lawful for him.’ The Jews said: ‘All that we consider un¬lawful has continued to be unlawful since the days of Naoh and Abra¬ham (عليهما السلام) to the point that this unlawfulness reached us.’ Thereupon, Allah Almighty revealed the verse: كُلُّ الطَّعَامِ كَانَ حِلًّا لِّبَنِي إِسْرَ‌ائِيلَ ٍ ‘Every (kind of) food was lawful for the children of Isra’il – 93’ to refute the Jewish claim in which it is said that before the revelation of Torah, all things were lawful for the children of Isra’il except the camel meat which Isra’il (عليه السلام) (Jacob)                himself had denied to eat for a particular reason, and then it remained unlawful for his progeny also.

The fact, as narrated by Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas (رض) in an authentic re-port, is that Jacob suffered from Sciatica. He had taken a vow that he would abandon what he liked most in what he ate if Allah Almighty cured him of the disease. He was cured and camel meat was what he liked most, so he abandoned it. (See Al-Hakim and al-Tirmidhi as quoted by Ruh a1-Ma` ni). Then,* it, so happened that this prohibition which started because of a vow continued among the Bani Isra’il as a divine injunction. It seems their code recognized a vow as a cause of unlawfulness of something lawful, like in our own Shari’ah, a vow may make the permissible acts as obligatory. However, a vow or pledge which renders things unlawful is, in reality, an oath which is not permissible in our Shari` ah. In fact, in such a case, it is obligatory to break the oath and make amends by making کفارہ Ka ffarah. This. Is in accordance with what Allah Almighty has said in the verse لِمَ تُحَرِّ‌مُ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّـهُ لَكَ why do you forbid what Allah has made lawful for you? – 66:1) (See al-Tafsir al Jabir)

Commentary:

The above verse points out to the distinction and superiority of the House of Allah, the Ka’bah, as compared to the houses, and even mosques, of the whole world. There are several reasons for this status, which have been mentioned in this verse, namely:

1. Among the true houses of worship in this world, the Ka’bah enjoys the distinction of being the first.
2. It is full of blessings.
3. It is a source of guidance for the entire world.

The gist of the words used in the verse is that the first House designated for people by Allah is none other than the one which is in Makkah al-Mukarramah. It means that the Ka’bah of Makkah al-Mukarramah is the first House of Worship in this world. One possible interpretation of this phrase may be that the first house of all the houses of the world was made for Divine worship exclusively, in which case, there would have been no place of worship or place of residence prior to it. Adam (عليه السلام) was a prophet of Allah. Given his stature and the eminent position as Allah’s vicegerent, it is likely that he, soon after his appearance on the earth, elected to first build the House of Allah even before building his own residence. It is for this reason that Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar, Mu¬jahid, Qatadah and others (رض) from among the Companions and their successors are of the opinion that the Ka` bah is the first house of the world. Then, it is also possible that houses where people lived may have already been made earlier but this may have been the first ever House made exclusively for worship. This very view has been reported from Sayyidna ` Ali (رض)

Al-Baihaqi, in his book, Dala’il al-Nubuwwah دلایٔل النبوہ ، has reported on the authority of Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Amr ibn al’As that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، said: ‘After the arrival of Sayyidna Adam and Sayyidah Hawwa’ (علیہا السلام) into the mortal world, Allah Almighty commanded them through angel Jibra’il (عليه السلام) that they should build the House of Allah (the Ka’bah). After they had fulfilled the command, they were asked to go round it (in tawaf). They were told that they were the first among people and this house was the first House (of worship) appointed for people (Ibn Kathir).

As it appears in some reports, this structure of the Ka’bah built by Sayyidna Adam (عليه السلام) was there upto the time of Sayyidna Nuh (عليه السلام) . It collapsed during the Flood and its traces were obliterated. Following that, it was re-built by Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) on the same foundations. When the structure collapsed again due to some accident, a group from the tribe of Jurhum raised it once again. When yet another collapse came, the Amalkites rebuilt it. When it collapsed close to the early period of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، the Quraysh built it all over again in which the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) himself participated and helped place the Black Stone with his blessed hands. But, the structure raised by the Quraysh was a little different from the original foundation laid down by Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) in as much as they had left out a section of the House of Allah which is known as حطیم Hatim. There were two doors in the original Abrahamic structure of the Ka’bah, one for entry and another on the back for exit. The Quraysh retained just the one door in the east (for entry and exit).

The third change they made was to raise the level of the entry door much higher than the ground level of the House of Allah so that everybody could not go in there easily; this was to restrict the entry only to those who were permitted by Quraysh. The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) Said to Sayyidah ` A’ishah (رض) : ‘I wish I could demolish the present structure and raise it all over again exactly in accordance with the Abrahimic foundation. By doing this I shall be correcting the arbitrary deviation from the Abrahimic foundation made by the Quraysh, but this action is likely to create a misunderstanding among Muslims who are new and whose knowledge is not yet perfect, therefore, I shall leave it as it is for the time being.’ The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) did not live for very long to implement his wishes in his lifetime.

But, Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Zubayr (رض) the nephew of Sayyidah ` A’ishah (رض) had heard this saying of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . When he came to rule Makkah al-Mukarramah following the Khulafa al-Rashidin, he had the structure of the House of Allah demolished and had it rebuilt in accordance with the saying of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and the original foundation of Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) . He ruled Makkah al-Mu` azzamah for a brief period only. The tyrant of the Muslim com¬munity, Hajjaj ibn Yusuf invaded Makkah and Hadrat ` Abdullah (رض) was martyred. After assuming control of the government, and abhorrent as he was to the idea that this feat of ` Abdullah ibn Zubayr (رض) remains a source of fame for the martyred ruler, he started a smear campaign that ` Abdullah ibn Zubayr (رض) was wrong in what he did and that the Ka` bah should be kept the way it was left to posterity by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . Using this excuse, he once again demolished the structure of the House of Allah and had it built anew similar to the one made earlier by the Quraysh during the days of Jahiliyyah. Some Muslim rulers who succeeded Hajjaj ibn Yusuf intended, on the strength of the aforementioned hadith, to rebuild the House of Allah all over again in accordance with the hadith of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . But, the master-jurist of that period, Sayyidna Imam Malik ibn Anas (رح) gave a fatwa to the effect that re-demolishing and re-building the House of Allah at this stage will render the House of Allah a plaything in the hands of rulers who will follow. Every ruler who comes next will do exactly this to earn fame for himself. Therefore, it is appropriate that it be left the way it is. The entire ummah accepted it. This is the reason why the structure built by Hajjaj ibn Yusuf is what remains even to this day. There have been damages, dilapidations and the pro¬cess of repairs has continued ever since.

These narrations, first of all, tell us that the Ka’bah is the first house of the world, or at least, the first house of worship. While the Holy Qur’an does mention that the House of Allah was built by Sayyidna Ibrahim and Ismail following His will and command, there are si¬multaneous indicators suggesting that these revered prophets did not go through the initial layout for its construction. Instead, they built it in accordance with previous foundations, because the real foundation of the Ka’bah was already there. From what is said in the Holy Qur’an, وَإِذْ يَرْ‌فَعُ إِبْرَ‌اهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ (and when Ibrahim (عليه السلام) was raising up the foundations of the House along with Ismail (عليه السلام) 2:127) we get an indica¬tion that the Qawa` id or the foundations of the House of Allah were already there. It appears in Surah al-Hajj: وَإِذْ بَوَّأْنَا لِإِبْرَ‌اهِيمَ مَكَانَ الْبَيْتِ (and when we settled for Ibrahim the site of the House – 22:26)

This too is suggestive of the fact that the site of the House of Allah had continued as pre-determined since earlier times. The first verse lends support to the view that its foundations were already there.

When Sayydina Ibrahim (عليه السلام) was commanded to build the House of Allah, as in some reports, he was led by an angel on to the site of the Ka’bah and its previously existing foundations hidden under sand dunes.

In any case, the verse under reference does prove one of the merits of the Ka’bah, that is, it is the first ever house or place of worship. It has been reported in a hadith from the Sahihayn that Sayyidna Ab Dharr (رض) asked the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ‘Which is the first ever masjid in the world?’ He (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, ‘al-Masjid al-Haram.’ He submitted again, ‘Which masjid comes after that?’ He (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, ‘Masjid Bayt al-Maqdis.’ He asked once again, ‘What time span separates their building?’ He (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, ‘Forty years.’

In this hadith, it is in relation to the new edifice of the House of Al¬lah that the intervening period between its construction and the initial construction of Bayt al-Maqdis has been determined. As a matter of fact, there are reports which prove that the initial construction of Bayt al-Maqdis was undertaken by Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) forty years af¬ter the construction of the Ka’bah. Then comes the construction of Bayt al-Maqdis by Sayyidna Sulayman (عليه السلام) This too was not a new structure with new foundations, like the Ka’bah. Instead, Sayyidna Sulayman (عليه السلام) rebuilt it on the original Abrahimic foundations. Thus, there remains no contradiction between reports.

The Ka` bah has always been an object of reverence and respect. This fact is pointed out in the expression وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ (set up for the people) in this verse under discussion hinted therein is that the respect and honour in which this House of worship is held will not be limited to a particular nation or group. Instead, the whole humanity will hold it in respect. Allah Almighty has placed a built-in aura of dignity and awe in its presence which draws in the hearts of people automatically.

Here, the word ‘Bakkah’ means ‘Makkah al-Mu’azzamah’. It does not matter whether you say that the letter ‘mim’ has been substituted for ‘ba since, in common Arab usage, ‘mim’ is substituted for ‘ba’, or simply say that ‘Bakkah’ is an alternate name for ‘Makkah’.

The Blessings of the Ka’bah

The second merit of بیت اللہ Baytullah (the Ka’bah) stated here in this verse is that it is blessed. The word, ‘mubarak’ has been derived from ‘barakah’ which means ‘to grow’ and ‘to sustain’. You can look at this growth factor from two angles. Something may grow in a way that it visibly increases in quantity, but the other possible way of growing is that it adds nothing noteworthy to its quantity, yet it turns out to be so useful in so many situations that it would have usually needed much more to do the same job. In that sense this too could be regarded as ‘growth’ or ‘increase’.

The Ka’bah is full of blessings outwardly and inwardly. The outward blessings it has are quite obvious. Inspite of Makkah and its en¬virons being a desert, dry and barren, all sorts of fruits and vegetables and items of need are available in all seasons and at all times. Not only that these are enough for the people of Makkah, it is much more than that. These suffice for all visitors from everywhere in the world. And everyone knows the volume of visitors, especially during the Hajj season, when hundreds and thousands of people from the farthest cor¬ners of the world assemble there whose count outnumbers the resi-dents of Makkah by at least four or five times. This huge multitude of people stays there, not for a few days, but for months together. Even, apart from the Hajj season, there is hardly a time of the year when thousands of people from outside do not come in and go out of here. It may be noted that, during the Hajj season particularly when hundreds and thousands of people from outside assemble there, it has never happened that articles of use could have gone out of the market and become unavailable. Even, animals of sacrifice which are slaughtered there by each and every person, at least on the average of one per per-son, and there are some who sacrifice more, are always available there. It is not that special arrangements are made to import these from other countries. In the words of the Holy Qur’n,  يُجْبَىٰ إِلَيْهِ ثَمَرَ‌اتُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ (Brought toward it are fruits of everything – 28:57), there is a clear indication of this phenomena.

This was a view of the outward blessings which, of course, are not the ultimate objective. The spiritual, the inward blessings are so nu¬merous that it is impossible to count them. There are important ` ibadat, the acts of worship, which are special to the Ka’bah. The great reward and the spiritual blessings that come from them totally revolve around the بیت اللہ Baytullah, such as the Hajj and ` Umra. Then, there are some other ` ibadat the merit of which increases several degrees when done in al-Masjid al-Haram. The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has said that a man offering salah at his home will get thawab for one salah; and if he does that in the masjid of his locality, he will get the reward for twenty five salahs; and one who does that in a Jami` جامعہ big congrega¬tional mosque) will get the reward for five hundred salahs; and should he offer his salah in al-Masjid al-Aqsa, he will get the reward for one thousand salahs; and in my Masjid, he gets the thawab for fifty thousand salahs, while in al-Masjid al-Haram, that of one hundred thousand salahs. (This narration has been reported by Ibn Majah and Tahawi and others).

As far as the merits of Hajj are concerned, Muslims generally know the Hadith which declares that a Muslim who performs his Hajj obliga¬tions correctly is so cleansed of his past sins as if he was born on that day, all pure and pristine. Obviously, all these are spiritual blessings of the بیت اللہ Baytullah. These very blessings have been identified bythe word ھدی towards the end of the verse: مُبَارَ‌كًا وَهُدًى لِّلْعَالَمِينَ (having blessings and guidance for all worlds).

Three distinctions of بیت اللہ Baytullah

Related in this verse are distinctions and merits of the House of Al¬lah, that is, the Ka` bah. Firstly, it has many signs of Allah’s power, one of them being the station of Ibrahim مقام ابراھیم (Maqamu Ibrahim). Secondly, one who enters there becomes a recipient of peace and remains pro¬tected; he cannot be killed by anybody. Thirdly, it is obligatory on all Muslims around the world that they make the Hajj of the House of Allah, subject to the condition that one has the means and the ability to reach as far as there.

The signs of Allah’s Power:

Since the time the foundations of بیت اللہ Baytullah were laid out, Allah Almighty has, because of its enormous blessings provided protection to the people of Makkah against enemy attacks. When Abrahah invaded Makkah with his army of elephants, Allah Almighty, in His most perfect power, destroyed them through birds. Those who enter the sacred precincts of Makkah, men and women, even animals, stand protected.

When there is rainfall on a certain side of بیت اللہ Baytullah, it has been observed that countries situated on that side are favoured with sub¬stantial rainfalls. Another unusual sign relates to the Jamarat, the granite pillars on which every pilgrim throws seven pebbles each, eve¬ryday for three days. A couple of million or more pilgrims go there eve¬ry year. Had these pebbles remained there, the Jamarat would have been buried under a mountain of pebbles. The fact is that any huge deposits of pebbles are not visible there after the passage of three days of Hajj, except some scattered pebbles the cause of which is, as stated by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، that angels pick up these pebbles and the pebbles left there belong to people whose Hajj is not accepted for some reason. This is why it is forbidden to pick up pebbles lying near the Jamarat and throw them on the pillars, as part of Hajj rites, since they are from the unaccepted ones.

In his comments on this phenomenon, Shaykh Jalal al-Din alSuyuti has said in الخصایٔص الکبرا al-Khasaa’is al-Kubra that there are some miracles of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) which still live and stand, and shall con¬tinue right through to the Day of judgment and everyone shall see them. One of these, of course, is the unmatched presence of the Holy Qur’an itself which cannot be matched even if the whole world joined its forces. This inability persists all the same as it was during the blessed days of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and shall continue to persist like that right through to the Day of Judgment. Every Mus¬lim, no matter of what period of time, shall be able to challenge the whole world: فَأْتُوا بِسُورَ‌ةٍ مِّثْلِهِ (Then, produce a Surah like it -10:38).

So is the miracle of Jamarat as stated above. Similarly there is the statement of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) in respect of Jamarat. He has stated that pebbles thrown on these pillars are picked up by the angels in a manner invisible to mankind. The few pebbles left belong to those un¬fortunate people whose pilgrimage is not accepted by Allah. The Prophet’s statement has stood the test of time for centuries in a row and it will continue upto the Great Day. This is one of the continuing miracles of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and a major sign of Allah in respect of the revered house of Ka’bah.

The Station of Ibrahim:

From among the signs associated with the Ka’bah there is the great sign – The Maqamu Ibrahim’ which has been mentioned separ¬ately in its own right. The Station of Ibrahim is the name of the stone on which Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) stood while building the edifice of بیت اللہ Baytullah (the Ka’bah). There are narrations reporting that the stone raised itself along with the rising level of construction and came down automatically when so required. The footprints of Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) are still there on this stone. Obviously Obviously, that an inert and unconscious stone is invested with sudden intelligent volition to re¬spond to functional needs and elevate itself, or come down, or that it is given the ability to assume the plasticity of wax and let a perfect print of feet appear on its surface, are all signs of the most perfect power of Allah reflecting the superior merit of بیت اللہ Baytullah.

This stone used to be on the ground close to the door of the بیت اللہ Baytullah. When came the Qur’anic command: وَاتَّخِذُوا مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَ‌اهِيمَ مُصَلًّى (And make the station of Ibrahim a place of prayer – 2:125), this stone was removed from there, considering the convenience of those who made tawaf, and placed in front of the بیت اللہ Baytullah, but at some distance outside the مطاف ma-taf (the area where طواف طواف awaf is made) close to Bi’r Zamzam (the well of Zamzam, the original site of which is now marked with a black marble circle on the floor of the بیت اللہ Baytullah with the legend inlaid in Arabic). Later, it was secured in a small structure behind which the two post¬-tawaf raka` at were offered. The present position is that the station of Ibrahim has been placed securely in a strong metal-crystal casing, but it is the particular stone inside it which is the Maqamu Ibrahim’. Of¬fering the post-Tw‘af salah comprising two raka` at behind or close to it is more merit-worthy. But the appellation, Maqamu Ibrahim’ taken in a literal sense, covers the entire al-Masjid al-Haram, the Sacred Mosque. Therefore, Muslim jurists have ruled that offering the two raka’at after Twaf anywhere within the Sacred Mosque would satisfy one’s obligation.

‘Whoever enters بیت اللہ Baytullah is secure’:

The second peculiarity of the Ka’bah mentioned in the verse is that ‘whoever enters it is secure’. This statement has different aspects. Firstly, it is true in the legal sense, for Allah Almighty has ordained that one who enters there should not be molested or killed; even, if a person kills someone or commits some other crime and goes into the sanctuary, he too should not be punished in there. Instead of that, he should be compelled to come out of the حرم Haram and when he does come out of the حرم Haram, the punishment due will then be given. This is how an entrant to حرم Haram gets the protection of Divine law.

The second form of security provided to the entrants of حرم Haram is factual. In the very design of Divine creation, Allah Almighty has caused awe and reverence for بیت اللہ Baytullah to take roots in the hearts of people. Even the Arab tribes of جاھلیہ Jahiliyyah, inspite of all their evil prac¬tices, were ready to sacrifice their lives to uphold the honour of بیت اللہ Baytul¬lah. That they were all too wild and warring is well-known, yet they held the حرم Haram in such esteem that a son whose father was killed would say nothing to the killer and quietly move away from him in-spite of his burning rage for revenge.

The only time fighting was allowed within the حرم Haram area was for a few hours through a revelation from Allah Almighty. The occasion was the conquest of Makkah and the permission was restricted to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) in order that he could cleanse the بیت اللہ Baytullah and serve an important objective of faith. Soon after the conquest, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) made an express announcement to this ef¬fect and stressed that the original unlawfulness of fighting in the حرم Har¬am continues to be valid for ever.

As far as the case of Hajjaj ibn Yusuf is concerned who, after the time of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، took armed action against Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Zubayr (رض) in Makkah, resorting to kill¬ings and terror. Since his action was a grave sin and a flagrant viola¬tion of law and Ka’bah’s sanctity, in the sight of the entire community which hated him for what he did, therefore, it does not affect the divine declaration of Ka` bah’s sanctity. It is also difficult to say that he violated the built-in sanctity of بیت اللہ Baytullah as such intentionally, for Hajjaj himself did not believe in the lawfulness of this action of his; he knew that he was committing a serious crime but he became over¬whelmed by political and administrative considerations.

However, the truth is that the Muslim community at large has always held the حرم Haram and بیت اللہ Baytullah in the highest possible esteem and has always regarded fighting or quarrelling in the sacred pre¬cincts as one of the most ugly sins. This is a unique mark of بیت اللہ Baytullah, universally and exclusively.

The obligation of Hajj: A Distinction of بیت اللہ Baytullah

Allah Almighty has made the Hajj of بیت اللہ Baytullah an obligation sub¬ject to the condition that one has the necessary means and ability to reach there. Having ‘means’ can be explained by saying that one should have resources surplus to his basic needs which could help him take care of the cost of travel, to بیت اللہ Baytullah and back home, and the expenses incurred during stay in the Holy Land. It is also necessary that his ‘means’ should be good enough to cover the expenses of his family until his return, for this is an standing obligation on him. Then, one should not be physically handicapped, being unable to see, or use hands and feet, for a handicapped person would not have the ability to go that far and complete the many requirements of the Hajj.

As women are not legally permitted to travel without a محرم Mahram (marriage with whom is prohibited), they would be considered ‘able’ to embark on their Hajj if they are travelling with a محرم Mahram making his Hajj whether the محرم Mahram is bearing his own expenses or the woman pays for his expenses as well. Similarly, the route taken to reach the Hajj site should also be secure since this too is part of the condition of ‘ability’. If peaceful conditions do not exist on the Hajj route and there is an acute danger to life and property, then, it would mean an ab¬sence of the ‘ability’ to perform Hajj.

Literally, Hajj means ‘to intend’. What it means in terms of prescribed religious observance is already stated in the Holy Qur’an it-self, that is, the طواف tawaf of the Ka` bah, the stay in ` Arafat, and in Muzda¬lifah. Remaining details have been made clear by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) through his words and deeds. So, after the announcement that the Hajj of بیت اللہ Baytullah is an obligation, it was said:

And if one disbelieves, then Allah is independent of all the worlds.

Included here, undoubtedly, is the person who intentionally rejects the belief that Hajj is obligatory. It is obvious that such a person can-not be considered a Muslim. He is a disbeliever indeed, for the descrip¬tion: “And if one disbelieves” fits him clearly and comprehensively. Then, comes the case of one who does believe that Hajj is an obligation, yet he does not, inspite of having the means and the ability, perform it. He too, in a way, is no less a denier of the Divine command. In his case, the words: “and if one disbelieves” will apply in the form of admo¬nition and warning since this person is acting like disbelievers who do not perform Hajj. In the process, such a person acts just like one of them.

This is why Muslim jurists, رحمہم اللہ have said that this is a severe warning to those who do not perform Hajj inspite of having the means and the ability to do so and thus, by this heedless act of theirs, they become the likes of disbelievers. Let us seek refuge with Allah from such a fate.

The first principle appears in the first of the two verses. The second principle follows in the second verse. The first principle stated in the said verse is that one must ‘fear Allah’, that is, one should orga¬nize and manage his life with a full sense of responsibility before Allah, avoiding all that is forbidden or undesirable, doing so in a manner ‘which is His due’.

What تقویٰ Taqwa is?

In Arabic, the word, تقویٰ ‘Taqwa’ is used to denote avoidance and abstinence. It is translated as ‘fear’ in the sense that things one is asked to abstain from are nothing but things that cause fear, or alert one to the danger of Divine retribution.

تقویٰ Taqwa has its own degrees, the lowest is to avoid کفر Kufr and شرک Shirk, that is, disbelieving in Allah and His Message and attributing part¬ners to His Divinity. In this sense, every Muslim can be counted as مُتَّقی Muttaqi (one who has the quality of تقوی Taqwa ), even if he is involved in sins. At several places in the Holy Qur’an, the words, مُتَّقین ‘Muttaqin’ (plural of مُتَّقی Muttaqi and تقویٰ ‘Taqwa ‘ have been used in that sense as well. What is really desirable falls under the second degree of تقویٰ Taqwa , that is, to avoid that which is disliked by Allah and His Messenger. The merits and blessings of تقویٰ Taqwa enumerated in the Qur’an and Iiadith have been promised on this degree of avoidance and abstinence.

As far as the third degree of تقویٰ Taqwa is concerned, this is a high station destined for prophets, (عليهم السلام) ، their devoted deputies and men of Allah, for it is not within the grasp of everybody. To stand guard over one’s heart against the onslaught of what does not relate to Allah, and to keep it filled with the remembrance of Allah and the desire to seek His pleasure, are great assignments.

The meaning of تقویٰ Taqwa ‘as due’

While giving a directive to attain تقویٰ ‘Taqwa ‘ the Holy Qur’an has qualified the word of تقویٰ Taqwa with (a fear which is His due) which mean: that one should seek to attain a degree of تقویٰ Taqwa which it inherently deserves.

This has been explained by the blessed Companions, ` Abdullah ibn Masud, Rabi’, Qatadah and Hasan al-Basri (رض) in the following words:

‘A fear which is His due’ means that one obeys, then does not disobey; remembers then does not forget; and is grateful, then does not become ungrateful.’ (Al-Bahr Al-Muhit)

The above explanation has also been reported with its chain of authorities ascending to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) himself.

Major commentators have explained the sense of the above report differently. For instance, some say that the due fear of Allah means that, in obedience to Allah, one should dismiss all derogatory criticism, no matter where it comes from, always standing firm on what is just, even if, by being just, he has to hurt his own self, or his children, or his parents. Some say, that one can never hope to achieve تقویٰ ’ Taqwa as due’ unless he protects his tongue.

There is another verse in the Holy Qur’an where it is said:

Fear Allah as much as you can. (64:16)

According to the blessed Companions, Ibn ` Abbas and Tawus (رض) ، this is really nothing but an explanation of حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ (a fear which is His due). It means that should one be doing his best, using all his attention and energy to guard against evil, the obligation of Taqwa shall stand fulfilled. If one, who has already done everything he could, happens to fall a victim to something impermissible, that would not be considered being against تقویٰ ‘Taqwa as due’.

The statement which follows immediately: وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ (and let not yourself die save as Muslims) tells us that تقویٰ Taqwa is, in reality, the whole of Islam since the total obedience to Allah and His Messenger, and the total avoidance of disobedience both to Allah and His Messenger is what تقویٰ Taqwa is all about; and this is what Islam is.

The command in the verse, ‘and let not yourself die save as Muslims’ raises a possible doubt as man does not control death, it may come anytime, anywhere. This doubt is removed when we consider the

‘As you live, so shall you die; and as you die, so shall you be raised.’

Therefore, anyone who is determined to live his entire life by the tenets of Islam, and to the best of his determination and ability, acts accordingly, his death will definitely come, God willing, on a state of Islam. Now, about some hadith narrations where it is said that there will be people who may have spent a life-time of good deeds, yet the entire roster of such deeds shall go waste because of something awful they did later. Such fate can befall those people only who did not act with sincerity and steadfastness from the very beginning. And Allah knows best.

UNITY: The second principle of collective Muslim strength:

In the second verse, 103: وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا (And hold on to the cord of Allah, all of you), the golden principle of unity has been presented with great eloquence and wisdom, for the principle, being the only effective binding factor, has been identified before the command to unite was given, following which, came the prohibition of disunity and chaos.

Elaborating this a little, it can be said that unity is something good and desirable, a premise generally approved by all human beings, no matter what place, time, religion or life style they adhere to. A person, who considers fights and disputes as something useful, and good in themselves, would be hard to find anywhere. This is why all groups and parties around the world invariably ask people to unite, but expe¬rience shows that all is not well in world affairs. No doubt, everybody agrees that unity is useful, and necessary, yet humanity is divided apart in sects, groups and parties. Then, there is a whole chain of sects within sects and parties within parties, reaching the limits of absur¬dity where even the unity of two people, in the real sense, has become a myth. A few people get together, agree on something under the driving force of temporary objectives; then, no sooner do interests get served, or remain unrealized, unity evaporates in thin air, and instead, there remains the fall-out of mutual bickering and hostility.

With a little deliberation, it will become clear that every group, every sect, almost every person would like to unite people on some self-made programme, while the position is that other people have their own self-made programmes. So, rather than agree with them, they invite others to line up under their programme. Therefore, all calls for unity end up in break-ups and chaos among parties and persons. Thus, stuck in this quagmire of differences, humanity at large is the loser.

Therefore, the Holy Qur’an has not stopped at giving sermons on unity and order, instead, it has also come forward with a just principle which would help achieve and sustain the desired state of affairs in the world, something in which no group should find a ground for differences. The truth of the matter is that imposing a system or programme conceived by one or some members of the human race on other human beings, and hoping that all of them will accept it unani¬mously, is simply against commonsense, and justice, and is nothing but cheeky self-deception. However, the system and the programme given by the Creator-Sustainer of all the worlds, the رَ‌بِّ الْعَالَمِينَ Rabb al-` Alamin, is something all human beings should naturally agree upon. No rational human being can deny it on principle.

Now, the only possible inroad to difference here can show up in the actual identification of the system given by the Sovereign of Sovereigns, the رَ‌بِّ Rabb, the Lord. Which is it? The Jews say it is the system of the Torah, the Christians say it is the system of the Evangel; both say it was sent by God and it is necessary to act upon it. The approach goes as far as even the poly-theists, who have groups among them attributing their respective religious rites to none but god.

But, if man could rise a little above his group prejudice and the blind following of forefathers, using his own God-given reason, he would stand face to face with the reality without any frills; the reality that the Last of the Prophets, (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، has come with the last message of Allah Almighty in the form of the Holy Qur’an and that, at this point of time, there is no other system or living pattern acceptable in the sight of Allah Almighty. Leaving this wider focus aside, we can turn to the first and present addressees of the Qur’an, the Muslims who believe that in the world as we have found it, the Holy Qur’an is the only way of life revealed by Allah Almighty without any shadow of doubt in it, and since Allah Almighty has Himself taken the responsi¬bility of protecting it, there is just no possibility of interpolation or change in it right through to the Day of Judgment.

With this position in view, I leave the part of the subject dealing with non-Muslim groups for some other occasion and say to Muslims alone who, being believers in the Qur’an, have no other alternative line of action except this. If different parties among Muslims were to unite on the system of the Holy Qur’an, thousands of their differences based on group, race and country would be resolved instantly, which block the road to human progress. Whatever difference may remain among Muslims, would possibly be in the understanding and the interpretation of the Qur’an. If such difference stays within limits, it is neither blame-worthy nor harmful to collective human living. In fact, the existence of such difference of opinion among the learned is natural. Therefore, exercising restraint and observing limits should not be so difficult to manage. Contrary to this, if our parties were to go on fighting in complete disregard to the Qur’an then, they would not be left with any possibility of correction. It is this chronic dissension and disorder which the Holy Qur’an has sternly forbidden, and it is because of this abandonment of a great Qur’anic principle that our community at large is wasting its potential by succumbing to chaos and factionalism. The Holy Qur’an, in the present verse, shows us the way as to how we can eliminate this tendency to become divided when it says:

And hold on to the cord of Allah, all of you.

Here, حَبْلِ اللَّـهِ (the cord of Allah) means the Holy Qur’an. The blessed Companion, ` Abdullah ibn Masud (رض) is the narrator of the hadith in which the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has been reported to have said:

The Book of Allah is the cord of Allah, extended from the heavens to the earth.

In another narration of the hadith by the noble Companion, Zayd ibn Arqam (رض) ، the words are: حبل اللہ ہو القرآن : The cord of Allah is the Qur’an (Ibn Kathir).

In Arabic usage, the word, حبل ‘habl’ also means ‘covenant’ and, in an absolute sense, it covers everything that can be used as a connecting link. The metaphor of ‘cord’ has been used for the Qur’an or the Faith to suggest that this is the connecting link which, on one side, estab¬lishes the lines of communion between those who believe and their Lord, while, on the other side, it brings all those who believe close together, forming one group.

In short, this one statement of the Qur’an is full of wise rules of conduct. To begin with, it can be said that man must firmly act in accordance with the way of life revealed by Allah Almighty, that is, the Holy Qur’an. Then comes the unity of action, that is, all Muslims should join hands to act in accordance with it. The result will be that Muslims will become united and organized as if they were a group holding on to the same cord firmly, turning the whole group into a powerful single body. The Holy Qur’an has explained this mystique of Muslim unity more clearly in another verse where it was said:

Surely, those who believe and do good deeds, among them the X11-Merciful Allah shall create (mutual) affection. (19:96)

Also present here is a subtle analogy focused on Muslims holding fast to the Book of Allah. Their effort resembles the effort of those who would grip a strong rope while climbing and thus remain protected against a fall. So, the hint is: If Muslims keep holding on to the Book of Allah with their total strength, all in unison, no شیطان satan will ever succeed in dividing them. As a result, like their individual life, the collective strength of the Muslim community as well shall become stable and impregnable. Keeping a firm grip on the Qur’an is some-thing which helps in uniting scattered forces through which a dead nation gets new life. God forbid, if Muslims break away from it, it is certain that their national and collective life will be ruined, and when this happens, their individual life is not likely to fare any better.

Islam is the only source of the Muslim Unity

Unity and agreement need a centre of attraction or a common idea. This idea of a centre has been different with different peoples of the world. Somewhere it was race and tribal affinity. For instance, among the tribal complex of Arabia, Quraysh was one nation and Banu Tamim another. There were other places where colour was the criterion, with black people taken as one nation, and the white people as another. There were still other places where the geographical or lingual factor was the centre of unity making Indian one nation and the Arab, another. Then there were areas where people rallied around ancestral customs drawing a line between those who follow these customs and those who do not, for instance, the Arya Samajists in India.

The Holy Qur’an, bypassing all these, made the Book of Allah basis of unity, that is, the system revealed by Allah Almighty. In a single stroke, it declared that Muslims are a nation attached to حبل للہ ‘Hablillah’, the cord of Allah, and those who disbelieve are another nation, not attached to this strong ‘cord’ or ‘rope’. The statement: خَلَقَكُمْ فَمِنكُمْ كَافِرٌ‌ وَمِنكُم مُّؤْمِنٌ (It is He who created you. So, some of you are infidels and some of you are believers) means just this. So, the unifying factors of geog-raphy, race, tribe or language do not deserve to be the centre of affinity for man generally has no control over them. One cannot have them by personal effort or choice. Black cannot become white, a Qurayshi cannot become a Tamimi, an Indian cannot become an Arab. Such unities can exist in a very limited frame; they can never claim to have assembled the whole humanity under their umbrella hoping to have the entire world gathered on a united platform. This is why the Holy Qur’an has made the Divinely revealed way of life as the centre of unity, something one can elect to have for himself. Everyone from the East or the West, black or white, speaking Arabic or English or any other language, coming from any family, any tribe, any human group, can freely make this centre of unity his own as the most rational and correct choice available. Then, humankind can come close together around this centre and become brothers and sisters to one another.

What is needed is a little impartial thinking, a slight rising above custom, prejudice and habit, as a result of which, the seeker shall be striking the best bargain of his life. Hopefully, he will discover for himself the way of life revealed by Allah Almighty, understand it, and follow it holding fast on to this strong medium of communion with Allah. As a result of this, the whole humanity will become beneficially concentric, having the centre of God-given guidance in common. Consequently, every individual member of this great brotherhood will be able to tune his deeds, material and spiritual, to the jointly accepted way of life from Allah.

Here is the principle, wise and correct, of which Muslims can be proud, and confident when inviting others to join in. Unfortunately, conspiracies hatched by the Europeans, for centuries to crush the Muslim unity have succeeded in dividing the ranks of those who claim to be Muslims.

Now they have themselves accepted the differences of race, language and nationalities as the dividing forces, and the link of Muslim unity stands severed by the concept of Arabs and Non-Arabs, Indians and non-Indians etc. The Holy Qur’an proclaims a universal reality, loudly and openly, time and again, that these distinctions are ill-founded and divisive and any unity based on them shall remain irrational and false. A centricity is not the solution for Muslims who have no choice but to ‘hold on to the cord of Allah’, all of them, as a way of life. This has given them a place of honour earlier, and if there is yet another success destined for them, this is how it would come again.

Before we move on to the second part of the verse, let us remember the two distinct instructions given to Muslims in this verse, that is, they should first live by the system prescribed for them by Allah Almighty, then, they should hold fast to the cord of Allah’ all together. This is how the Muslim ummah gained ascendance in the past and there is no reason why, it will not rise again.

This far the discussion revolved around the positive aspect of unity among Muslims. The text now takes up the negative aspect when it says: وَلَا تَفَرَّ‌قُوا (And’be not divided). This is another example of the pecu¬liarly wise style of the Holy Qur’an when it would highlight the posi¬tive aspect first, then identify the negative, and forbid the later. In another verse, it was said:

وَأَنَّ هَـٰذَا صِرَ‌اطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ ۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّ‌قَ بِكُمْ عَن سَبِيلِهِ ۚ Surely, this is the straight path, so, follow it. And do not follow (other) ways which will cause you to become separated from His way. (6:153)

Since disunity is the first and the last reason behind the destruction of a nation, therefore, the Holy Qur’an has repeatedly forbidden it in various ways. It has been said in another verse:

Those who have made divisions in their religion and become sects, you have nothing to do with them. (6:159)

Also narrated in the Holy Qur’an are events concerning communi¬ties led by their prophet’s (عليهم السلام) communities which fell into temporal and eternal disgrace because of their mutual disputes and disunity which turned them away from the honest pursuit of their central purpose of life.

The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has said that there are three things Allah Almighty has liked for you while there are three others He has disliked. The ones He has liked are as follows:

1. That your worship should be for Allah alone and that you should not attribute partners to His divinity.
2. That you should hold on to the Book of Allah firmly and avoid disunity.
3. That you should have goodwill for those in authority from among you.

The three things which cause Allah’s displeasure are:

1. Unnecessary argumentation.
2. Needless asking.
3. Wastage of resources. (Ibn Kathir from Abi Hurairah)

Differences and their Limits

A question that remains unanswered is: Is every difference to be despised or is there a sort of difference which can be called un-blame¬worthy? The answer is: Every difference is not blameworthy or despi¬cable. A blameworthy difference is one in which individuals and groups stay away from the Qur’an and think in terms of their whims and wishes. But, should it be that everyone stays united in and around the Qur’an and at the same time, continues to accept the explanation and detail coming from the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and then, on the basis of God-given natural ability and intellectual quality, expresses differences in opinion about subsidiaries of religion, in which case, this difference will be natural and Islam does not forbid it. The difference among the blessed Companions and their Successors and among leading juristic authorities was of this nature. It was nothing but this difference that was called a ‘mercy’ for the commu¬nity. However, if these very subsidiary debates were to be invested with the status of the mainstream of religion, and differences arising out of them were to become a cause of controversy, confrontation, insult and vilification, then, this too will be considered blameworthy.

The Blessing of Brotherhood

The text, after making the two aspects of unity clear, points out to the conditions prevailing among pre-Islam Arabs. Because of tribal rivalries, incessant warfare and long-drawn blood feuds, the entire nation was on the brink of total ruin. What saved them from the fire of hatred was nothing but these blessings of Islam. So, it was said:

And remember the blessing of Allah upon you: When you were enemies to each other, and He brought your hearts together, then you, with His grace, became brothers. And you were at the brink of a pit of the Fire, then, He saved you from it. (103)

In other words, by erasing out deep-seated enmities going back to centuries, Allah Almighty made them brothers to each other through the benediction of Islam and the noble Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . This made their life worth living, materially and spiritually, establishing between them such exemplary friendship that even their enemies found it awesome. Where in the whole wide world would they have found this brotherly unity, this enormous blessing of Allah, even if they were to spend the combined treasures of the world?

If we recollect what was said in the opening remarks under these verses, we can see very clearly that the present verse helps eliminate the mischief engineered by the wicked when they tried to disunite the tribes of Aws and Khazraj by reminding them of their past feuds. The lesson is: Once in Islam, division is unthinkable.

Unity among Muslims depends on obedience to Allah:

The above statement of the Holy Qur’an unravels yet another mystery. We now know that, in reality, Allah Almighty is the Master of hearts. Activating mutual love and consideration in the hearts of a people is purely a Divine blessing. Obvious along with it is the fact that one can become deserving of the blessings of Allah only through obedi¬ence to Him. With disobedience and sin, one cannot hope to have this reward.

It also follows from here that for Muslims, if they desire to have a stable organization among them, and unity, the only alternative open is that they should make obedience to Allah their life style. This point has been hinted at towards the end of the verse where it was said:

This is how Allah makes His signs clear to you, so that you may take the right path. (103)

Commentary

In the previous verses (102 – 103), Muslims were given two principles which guarantee their collective wellbeing. If everyone practiced Taqwa and made Islam his linkage with Allah,-the result will be that individual life will be corrected and the collective strength of Muslims will come in its wake.

In the present verses’: وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ (104 – 105), yet another dimension of the proposed system has been added. It has been said here that Muslims are not to rest at the correction of what they think and do individually; but they should, along with that, be affectionately concerned with the good of other brothers and sisters in faith. By doing so, the whole community shall have the benefit of keeping its stance correct at all times, and at the same time, this will guarantee closer mutual cooperation and unity.

Collective well-being of Muslims depends on two things: These are:

L Self-correction through Taqwa and a firm hold on the ‘cord of Allah’ through the Qur’an and the Faith.

2. The correction of others through call دعوۃ (da’wah) and positive propagation.

The second article of guidance appears in the opening verse which says: and there has to be a group of people from among you …’ So, the gist of the previous and the present verses is that one must correct his or her deeds and morals in the light of what Allah Almighty has sent as the Law, and with it, one must be concerned that other Muslim brothers and sisters do the same. The subject appears in Surah al-` Asr:

Except those who believe and do good deeds and invite each

other to truth and invite each other to patience. (103:2, 3)

In order that Muslims have a firm bond of unity, they must relate to Allah, and in order that this bond stays firm through the ages, it is necessary that Muslims consider it their obligation to enjoin what is good in accordance with the dictates of the Qur’an and the Sunnah on their brothers and sisters in faith, and to stop them from what is not good. The purpose is that ‘the cord of Allah’ should not slip out of one’s hands. This was succinctly illustrated by my well-known teacher, Shaykh al-Islam, Maulana Shabbir Ahmad ` Uthmani (رح) who said:

“There is no way this ‘cord of Allah’ can break. That one loses his hand-hold on it is, of course, possible.”

It is to offset this danger that the Holy Qur’an asks Muslims to go on educating other brothers and sisters in faith exhorting them to good deeds and holding them back from the bad ones. This will become a collective effort to stay with Allah and His commands and collective will be their gains in this mortal world and in the Hereafter. There are other proofs in the Holy Qur’an which show that the responsibility of mutual self-correction has been placed on the shoulders of each Muslim.

Cited above, you have seen the statement made in Su-rah al-‘Mr. Elsewhere, in this very Surah ` Al-` Imran, it is said:

You are the best Ummah raised for mankind. You bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair. (3:110)

As is clear, here too, the obligation – to bid the Fair and forbid the_ Unfair’ – has been assigned to the whole community. That they discharge this responsibility is the reason that they are placed higher over other communities. Similarly, there are a large number of sayings of the Holy Prophet   صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم in this connection. As narrated in Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has said:

By Him in whose hands is my life, you must bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair lest Allah inflicts upon you a severe punish-ment; you shall then pray to Him (for mercy) but your prayer shall not be answered.

In another hadith, the Holy Prophet  (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)  said:

Whoever from among you sees that an evil is being committed then, he should change it with his hands. And if he is unable to do that, then, with his spoken word. And if he is unable to do even that, then, with his heart (i.e., abhor it taking it to be evil) and this is the weakest degree of faith.

All these citations leave no doubt about the fact that the duty of bidding the Fair and forbidding the Unfair falls on every individual of the community. The liability will, however, be proportionate to everyone’s ability, which is true in the case of all other Islamic injunc¬tions. You may have noticed in the hadith just quoted above that the obligation varies with ability.

Now, each function requires a different ability. First of all, the ability to bid the Fair depends on a correct knowledge of the Fair and the Unfair as such. One who cannot distinguish between the two or does not have a full knowledge of his undertaking would not be the right person to go out to others to bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair. Obviously, this would create disorder instead of discipline. It is quite possible that such a person may, because of his lack of knowledge, forbid something Fair or bid something Unfair. So, one who does not know the Fair and the Unfair is obligated to find it out, get to learn the معروف Ma` ruf and منکر Munkar as determined by the Shari` ah of Islam and then he can go ahead and make these known to others as part of his community service. Let this be clear that until such time that one has acquired the prerequisites of this mission, it is not permissible for him to stand up for this service. These days there are places where many ignorant enthusiasts would stand and deliver a sermon without knowing the Qur’an or the Hadith, or worse still, sections of common people would use hearsay to pick up arguments with others as to how something should or should not be done. This method is not proper to correct the Muslim society. Indeed it will result in more disputes and bring destruction to it.

Similarly, it is also included in ‘to bid the Fair’ that there be no formidable danger or unbearable harm likely to affect the person involved. Therefore, it was said in the hadith quoted above that one should stop sin with his hands, that is, by this strength. If he is unable .to do so, let him do it with his tongue. If he is unable to do so with his tongue, he should at the least consider it bad in his heart. It is obvious that ‘not being able to stop it with his tongue’ does not just mean that this person’s tongue cannot move. It simply means that he strongly apprehends that, should he open his mouth and speak the truth, his life will be taken or he will be subjected to some other serious injury or loss. In such a case, this person will not be taken as ‘able’ and he will not be called a sinner for the abandonment of bidding the Fair and forbidding the Unfair. It would be an entirely different matter, if he elects to stake his life and property in the way of Allah, bear all losses and still goes ahead and bids the Fair and forbids the Unfair, which is something many blessed Companions and their Successors have been reported to have done. This is determination at its highest, and a feat of great merit which raised their status in this world and in the Here-after. But, what they did was not obligatory on them.

The nature of this obligation requires that one bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair in what is necessary; this would be obligatory. If done in what is commendable; the act too would remain commendable. For instance, the five salats are obligatory, therefore, giving good counsel to the non-performer of salah will become necessary on everyone. The nawafil (optional prayers) are classed as commendable or desirable, therefore, giving good counsel on these will be commendable. Here, etiquette would require that while advising someone to do a commendable act, soft language and attitude must be adopted in all cases. Similarly, while inviting to an obligatory act, one should start with softness. However, he may resort to firmness in attitude if one rejects the soft call outright. It is common sight these days that people tend to object in case of what is commendable or indifferent rather strongly, but remain silent when people abandon what is obligatory.

In addition to this, this obligation will become operative for everybody when one actually sees something forbidden being done before his eyes. For instance, there is a person who is seeing that a Muslim is drinking wine, or stealing or raping, he will then be obligated with the duty to stop it to the best of his ability. If all this is not happening before his eyes, he is not liable to discharge this duty. Rather, this is the duty of the Islamic government to inquire into the crime, investigate and punish the criminal.

The words of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، من رای منکم منکراً (Whoever from among you sees that an evil is being committed) point out to this principle.

Then comes another level of this function – that there be a dedi¬cated group among Muslims devoted exclusively to the mission of calling people to the Faith and giving them right guidance towards it. Its single mandate and activity should be that it keeps calling people to the Qur’an and the Sunnah through word and deed. When it sees people less inclined towards what is good, or sees them indulging in evils, it should not fall short of pointing out what is good and preventing people from taking to the evil, of course, according to its ability. It should be realized that this great mission can be carried out fully and effectively only when the performers have a complete knowl¬edge of questions involved, as well as, when they are conversant with methods that go to make the call effective in the light of Sunnah. It is for this reason that a particular group of Muslims has been charged with this responsibility as they are likely to take care of all ramifications of this effort.

So, in the present verse:

it has been said: And there has to be a group of people from among you who call towards the good and bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair.

The first part of the verse’ وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ translated as (And there has to be a group of people from among you) gives a hint that the presence of this group is necessary. In case, a government does not shoulder this responsibility, it will become obligatory on Muslims that they should establish and operate such a group, because the vital role of the Ummah depends on the existence of such a group. What are the major features of this group? The Qur’anic answer is يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْر (who call towards the good). It means that this call of theirs shall be their primary objective. What does خیر ‘khayr’ or ‘good’ mean? The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has himself explained it by saying: الخیر ھو اتباع القرآن و سُنَّتی that is, ‘khayr’ means following the Qur’an and my Sunnah. (Ibn Kathir)

Seen in a restricted sense, ‘to bid the Fair and to forbid the Unfair’ could have been taken to mean that doing so shall be needed only on special occasions when the evil or ‘the Unfair’ منکرات (munkarat) are seen being committed. But, the expression يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْر who call towards the good) in the beginning makes it clear that the function of this group wi11 be to call towards the good, even when evil practices are not seen, or time may not have come to perform something obligatory.

For example, it is known that in the period between sunrise and Zawal (noon) no salah is prescribed by the Sharl’ah. But this group shall continue even in this period, to exhort people to perform salah when it is due. Or, take fasting which may not be due at a particular time, the month of Ramadan being far away, but that group will not shelve its duty and become complacent. Instead, it will keep reminding people about the month of Ramadan in advance, stressing on them that fasting will be obligatory at that time. In short, calling people to good will be the intrinsic duty of this group for all times to come.

Then, this ‘call towards good’ has two sub-levels:

1. Calling non-Muslims towards ‘khayr’, that is, Islam. This involves all Muslims. It means that every Muslim, in general, and this group, in particular, is responsible for giving the call of Islam, both by words and acts, to all peoples of the world. Therefore in a verse which enjoins jihad on Muslims, the true Muslims have been defined and praised in the following words:

that is, ‘true Muslims are those who when We endow them with authority in a land the first thing they do is to establish a system of obedience to Allah on His earth, of which salah is an outward expres¬sion, and raise their financial system on principles governed by zakah, and they make the bidding of the Fair and the forbidding of the Unfair their very purpose of life.’ (22:41)

Only if, the Muslim community of today were to take to extending their call towards good to other peoples as their objective, all ills that have crept into our social frame through the blind following of non Muslim nations shall cease to exist. When a community resolves to unite for this great objective and becomes sure that it has to forge ahead among the nations of the world and that the responsibility of teaching and training them falls on its shoulders, will find that all its disunities have disappeared and there remains nothing but that wonderful goal in sight. The secret of the successes achieved by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and his noble Companions (رض) lies hidden behind this effort. It appears in a hadith that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)

recited this verse وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ (And there has to be a group of people from among you) and then said: This special group is the group of the noble Companions (Ibn Jarir). This is because each individual from among these blessed souls considered himself personally charged with the responsibility of calling people to good..

2. The second sub-level of this noble function is to call Muslims themselves towards the good. This means that تبلیغ tabligh or the act of conveying the message of Allah should be done by all Muslims gener¬ally, and by the special group particularly, among Muslims, fulfilling the duty of دعوۃ da’wah imposed by the Qur’an.

Again this call takes two forms as given below:

a).           The first form will be that of a general and open call to good through which all Muslims will be educated into necessary injunctions and morals which have to be followed in Islam.

b).          The second call would be particular and selective through which the objective will be to produce experts in the Muslim commu¬nity, experts in the sciences of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Another verse of the Holy Qur’an leads in this direction:

So, why should it not be that a group from every section of them goes forth, so that they may acquire perfect under-standing of the Faith, and so that they may warn their people . when they return to them, that they may be cautious. (9:122)

Further on, this responsibility-bearing group has been identified as carrying the additional distinction وَيَأْمُرُ‌ونَ بِالْمَعْرُ‌وفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ that is, ‘they bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair’.

The word, معروف ‘ma` ruf literally means ‘recognized’ but as a Qur’anic term it includes all good enjoined by Islam, and promoted by all prophets (عليهم السلام) during their respective ages. Since what is good is known and recognized, it has been referred to as معروف ‘ma` ruf .

Similarly, the word, منکر ‘munkar’ literally means ‘non-recognized” or alien”, but as a Qur’anic term it includes all evils and disorders about which it is well-known and recognized that the Holy Prophet declared them to be impermissible.

Keeping this in view, another point is worth-consideration. The Holy Qur’an could have used the word ‘wajib’ (what is obligating) instead of معروف ‘ma` ruf, and the word معاصی ‘ma` asi (sins) instead of ‘munkar’., but it did not do so. The selection of the words معروف ‘ma’ ruf and منکر ‘munkar’ maybe indicative of the principle that the subject of bidding the Fair and forbidding the Unfair1 must be an act which is recognized by the entire Muslim Ummah as ‘fair’ or ‘unfair’ without any difference of interpre¬tation. As for the rules deduced through اجتہاد ijtihad, which have always been open for the different interpretations offered by the capable Muslim jurists, they should not be made an issue during the process of الامر بالمعروف والنھیٰ عن المنکر : ‘bidding the fair and forbidding the unfair” It is a pity that such a wise Qur’anic principle is being generally neglected in the Muslim community, and the Muslims are made to fight each other on the secondary issues which can admit different interpretations. People tend to consider such efforts as some feat of piety while the evils which are held by the entire ummah unanimously as sins and are being committed in the community receive much less attention and often go unchecked.

1. It means that if a recognized school of Islamic jurisprudence, such as Hanafi school adopting a particular interpretation of Islamic law, has held an act as ‘fair’, the holders of an opposite view like Sh’afi’ites should not blame or reproach the former for their action, and vice versa. (editor)

Towards the conclusion of the verse, the commendable end of the group described therein has been enshrined in the following words:

And it is these who are successful.

It simply means that, in reality, success is achieved by such people alone.

Primarily, this description applies to the great group of the Companions of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . They were the ones who rose with the great objective of calling towards the good and of curbing what was bad and in a very brief period of time conquered the entire world of their time. There were power centers of Byzantine and Persia which could not stop them and they went ahead teaching lessons in morality and purity and ushering around the light of right¬eousness and Godliness wherever they went.

Having established that Muslims have a distinct mission to convey and preach the God-oriented message of good, the text moves on to warn Muslims with the words:

And do not be like those who became divided and fell into disputes after clear signs had come to them. (105)

It means that Muslims should not be like Jews and Christians who, even after clear injunctions of Allah Almighty had reached them, became divided in the implementation of the basic code of faith simply because they preferred to follow the dictates of their desires. Thus, thrown in violent mutual disputations, vocal and physical, they brought Divine punishment upon themselves. This verse is, in fact, a complement of وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا 103) where Muslims were asked to seek unity and strength by attaching themselves to Allah’s commands, individually and collectively, which helps make an entire community act like one body, one person, one entity. Then comes the perpetual mission of دعوۃ da’wah, the act of calling people to good, the process of bidding the Fair and forbidding the Unfair. These nurture and strengthen that unity. After that, by saying وَلَا تَفَرَّ‌قُوا (and be not divided) in verse 103 and وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّ‌قُوا ; (And do not be like those who became divided) in the present verse, Muslims have been asked to learn a lesson from past communities which were destroyed by mutual dissensions with the good counsel that they should do their best to stay safe against this disease.

The type of divisiveness censured in this verse is a division that shows up because of arrogant and egotistic self-assertiveness, be it in the fundamentals of religion or in its subsidiaries. The statement after clear signs had come to them’ is an obvious indicator towards this explanation. The truth is that all fundamentals of religion are dear. Even some subsidiaries are so clear that they allow no margin of disagreement, unless of course, there be a selfish motive behind it.

However, there are subsidiary issues not so definite and clear. They may have no clear support from the texts of the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah, (rather they are deduced by the scholars on the basis of analogy) or the text on which they are based is open to different inter¬pretations. The resulting difference of opinion in the understanding of these subsidiaries is not included in the sense of this verse. The well known authentic hadith narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim from the blessed Companion, ` Amr ibn al’As (رض) ، is more than enough to permit it. In this hadith the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has said that one who does اجتھاد Ijtihad (conducting a competent inquiry within the framework provided by the Sharl’ah to resolve a religious issue) and comes up with a ruling which is correct, he gets a twofold reward; and if he makes a mistake in his اجتھاد Ijtihad, he gets one reward.

This tells us that an made by a competent scholar even if it turns out to be erroneous, is still worthy enough for a reward provided utmost effort has been made. How can this be regarded as blame-worthy? So, the difference of opinion resulting from اجتھاد Ijtihad undertaken by the blessed Companions (رض) and the great Imams رحمۃ اللہ علیہم has absolutely no connection with the present verse. According to Sayyidna Qasim ibn Muhammad and ` Umar ibn ` Abdul-Aziz رحمۃ اللہ علیہما ، the difference of opinion among the noble Companions (رض) is a source of mercy and ease for people (as in Ruh a1-Ma` ani from al-Baihaqi and al-Mudkhal).

Ruling on difference of opinion

Let us have a clear understanding of a serious matter of principle which arises out of this discussion. When we talk about differences in اجتھاد Ijtihad, we mean an اجتھاد Ijtihad which is permissible under the Sharah of Islam. (There is no such thing as an اجتھاد Ijtihad outside the ramifications of the Shari` ah). In a Shari` ah -based اجتھاد Ijtihad, one or the other Imam may elect a view to stand by according to his line of thought, but the fact shall remain that, in the sight of Allah, only one of these views is true while other views are not so true. But again, the decision as to which is true and which is not rests with Allah Almighty, who will bestow, on the Day of Resurrection, a twofold reward on the Imam and ` Alim who arrives at the correct ruling through his Ijtihad. Also rewarded on this Day, wi11 be the one whose Ijtihad was not correct. In short, nobody except Allah has the right to sit on judgment in the difference of interpretation and say that this is true and that is false. However, to the best of one’s understanding and insight whichever side one thinks is closest to the Qur’an and the Sunnah he may say that, as far as he thinks, his choice is correct, although the possibility of its being incorrect cannot be ruled out and that which is the opinion on the other side, different from his chosen option is regarded as incor¬rect, with the possibility of that it may be correct in the sight of Allah. This is something all leading Imams of Fiqh, the masters of Muslim jurisprudence, agree upon.

So, the rule becomes clear that no side taken in a difference of interpretations is منکر ‘munkar’ or ‘unfair’ and open to objection. Thus it will not be subjected to reproach under the authority of يَأْمُرُ‌ونَ بِالْمَعْرُ‌وفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ‌ (Bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair), More so, when it is not unfair, raising an objection against what does not fall under the ‘Unfair’ would itself be regarded as unfair. This must be avoided. This is a rule most educated people do not fully comprehend these days or simply neglect it. They do not desist from abusing and verbally attacking others who think otherwise with all sorts of derogatory remarks and fretting. Inevitably, this leads to internecine confronta¬tion and rampant disunity among Muslims, a phenomenon visible all over the Muslim world.

It has been already said that a difference of interpretation, if it corresponds to the principles of Ijtihad, does not go against the injunc¬tion وَلَا تَفَرَّ‌قُوا (and be not divided) and, therefore, it is not blameworthy. But, the way this difference is being handled these days, when quar¬relsome debates around the tertiary subjects are being nursed as if they were the very basis of Muslim faith. Unfortunately this is what results in mutual confrontation and abuse. It can be said without any shade of doubt that this behaviour is certainly an open violation of the same Qur’anic injunction وَلَا تَفَرَّ‌قُوا (and be not divided). It is, most certainly; -objectionable and totally contrary to the way of our learned elders, the blessed Companions and their Successors. There is no precedent for this type of behaviour among the early scholars (the Companions and their disciples) who were the best of our community.

That anyone was ever blamed on the basis of difference of opinion in matters of interpretation in this manner is something unheard of. For instance, Imam Shafi` i (رح) and other Imams, may Allah have mercy on them all, rule that in a salah offered in a congregation behind an imam, all those offering their prayer behind him must recite the Surah al-Fatihah as an obligation. Given this ruling anyone who does not fulfill this obligation will not have offered his salah at all. Parallel to this is the view of Imam Abu Hanifah , may Allah have His mercy on him, according to whom it is not permissible for one who prays behind an imam to recite his own Surah al-Fatihah, therefore, the Hanafiyah do not recite it while offering prayers in a congregation behind an imam. But, nowhere during the entire history of Muslim community there is any report saying that the followers of the Shafi` i school considered Hanafiyah as the deserters of the obligation of salah or that their prayers are not complete. They have never been blamed or criti¬cised in the manner one would criticise and attack the evil acts forbidden by the Shari` ah.

Imam ibn ` Abd al-Barr (رح) has, mentioned the attitude of the early scholars and the revered elders in the following words:

Those who are entitled to give fatwa, have always been issuing fatwas. One of them would rule (concerning injunctions not covered under the texts) that something is lawful while the other will rule it to be unlawful. But, the latter takes the former doomed to perdition, nor does the former think that the later is doomed to perdition. (Jami’ Bayan al-` Ilm, p. 80)

An important note of caution

All this discussion about Ijtihad relates to the one carried out under the standard rules governing it. The very first condition is that Ijtihad can be resorted to in questions and issues about which there is no categorical decision available in the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Or, it may be that such decision is not clear and susceptible to more than one interpretation. Or, it is possible that a combination of some verses of the Qur’an and some narrations of the hadith may be apparently contradictory. In situations such as this, only those who possess the necessary pre-requisites to carry out Ijtihad will be entitled to do so. Ijtihad is no easy matter. It requires the most perfect expertise (in the real and full sense of the term) of all disciplines related to the Qur’an and the Hadith, a comprehensive and perfect knowledge of the Arabic language, and a comprehensive knowledge of the sayings of the blessed Companions and their Successors. Therefore, anyone who dabbles in questions which have been settled by authoritative texts and comes up with opinions contrary to those of leading authorities, then this difference of opinion will not fall under the category of Ijtihad as envisaged by the Shari` ah..

This will also be true about the person who does not fulfill the conditions of Ijtihad. What he says does not affect the question at all. This tendency has unfortunately become fairly visible in Muslim socie¬ties. Those who consider themselves educated (in modern sciences) have started to express their personal opinions relating to matters that have been settled in the Qur’an and Sunnah. This is ignorance at its ugliest. These are issues where even Imams and مجتھدین mujtahids would not dare speak. How can the exercise of so called Ijtihad be acceptable from a person who does not even possess the knowledge of Islamic sciences let alone the highest level of learning required for Ijtihad.

Commentary

The meaning of ‘bright’ and ‘dark’ faces:

This expression appears in the Holy Qur’an at several places, for instance:

On the day of Doom, you shall see those who lied against Allah (with) their faces blackened. (39:60)

وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُّسْفِرَ‌ةٌ ﴿38﴾ ضَاحِكَةٌ مُّسْتَبْشِرَ‌ةٌ ﴿39﴾ وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَ‌ةٌ ﴿40﴾ تَرْ‌هَقُهَا قَتَرَ‌ةٌ ﴿41﴾

Some faces on that day shall shine, laughing, joyous. Some faces on that day shall be dusty, overspread with darkness. (80:38-41)

Faces on that day shall be radiant, looking towards their Lord. (75:22)

In these verses, several words such as, بْيَضُّ ‘bayad’, اسْوَدَّ ‘sawad’, غَبَرَ‌ةٌ ‘ghabarah’, قَتَرَ‌ةٌ ‘qatarah’, and نَّاضِرَ‌ةٌ ‘nadirah’, have been used to carry the same sense. In the English translation, where applicable, they appear in italics. According to the majority of commentators, ‘brightness’ signi¬fies the brightness of the light of Faith, that is, the faces of believers shall be resplendent with the light of Faith, fresh and smiling due to happiness (as a result of rewards bestowed upon them by Allah). ‘Darkness’ signifies the darkness of disbelief, that is, the faces of the disbelievers will be covered with the gloomy anguish of disbelief and the added soot of sin and transgression would turn them still darker.

Who are these people?

Commentators have explained the identity of the people with ‘bright and ‘dark’ faces variously. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas (رض) ، says that the faces of the followers of Sunnah shall be ‘bright’ and those of the followers of Bid’ah (innovation in the revealed Faith, not intended by Allah and His Messenger, nor by his learned dark Companions). Hadrat ` Ata’ (رح) says that the faces of the Muhajirin and Ansar shall be ‘bright’ and the faces of the Bani Qurayzah and Bani Nadir shall be ‘dark’ (Qurtubi).

Imam Tirmidhi narrates a hadith from Sayyidna Abu Umamah (رض) which identifies these as relating to the Khawarij, )the oldest sect of rebels), that is, the ‘dark’ faces shall belong to the Khawarij, and the ‘bright’ faces to those whom they shall kill. The hadith is given below:

When Sayyidna Abu Umamah (رض) was asked if he had heard the hadith from the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، he replied, while counting on his fingers, that he would not have narrated this hadith had he not heard it from the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) seven times (Tirmidhi).

Sayyidna ` Ikrimah (رض) says that ‘dark’ faces shall belong to those from among the people of the Book who did confirm the coming of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) before he was ordained. But when he had been given prophethood they did not accept and support him. On the contrary, they started falsifying him (Qurtubi)

There are other explanations as well, other than those cited above, but they all lead to the same conclusion, and are not contradictory. Imam al-Qurtubi has said in his Tafsir that the expression يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ in the verse means that the faces of sincere Muslims shall be ‘bright’ but the faces of all those who may have altered their religion, or may have become apostates and disbelievers, or may be concealing their hypocrisy in their hearts, shall be ‘dark’.

Some special notes:

In the verse Allah Almighty has mentioned the بْيَضُّ bayyad first, and the سْوَدُّ sawed or darkness after it. But, in the verse which follows: فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ اسْوَدَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ (As for those whose faces turn dark), sawed or darkness has been made to appear before بْيَضُّ bayyad or brightness, although the sequence of ‘the original statement required that the mention of brightness appear first at this place as well. This reversal of the order seems to indicate that Allah Almighty has pointed out to His main purpose of creation. That purpose is to bless His creation with His mercy; punishment is not the objective. So, those with bright faces come first as they deserve the mercy and merit from their Lord. People with dark, anguished faces were mentioned later as the ones who deserve punishment. Towards the close of the verse, the statement ففی رحمۃ اللہ (They rest in Allah’s mercy) is meant to stress upon the great mercy of the Creator. One cannot miss observing that those deserving of mercy were identi¬fied immediately at the beginning of the verse and again, at the end of the verse, and very affectionately indeed. The mention of those whose faces shall turn dark remains in between. All this points out to His limitless, endless mercy, clearly suggesting that human beings were certainly not created to serve as an exhibit or manifestation of Divine punishment; instead, they were created to flourish under the sunshine of Allah’s mercy.

About the statement, فی رحمۃ اللہ ‘they shall rest in Allah’s mercy’, the blessed Companion Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas (رض) says that ‘rahmah’ or ‘mercy’ in the verse means جَنَّت ‘Jannah’ or ‘paradise’. Here too, the wisdom behind giving the name ‘mercy’ to ‘paradise’ is, quite obviously, that man, no matter how worshipful and pious he may be, shall not enter Paradise unless it be through the sole mercy of Allah Almighty. The reason is that being devoted in acts of worship is no feat of human excellence as such. On the contrary, the very ability to do so is, in itself, a gift of Allah. So, عبادہ ‘ibadah’ or worship does not, in itself, create an inherent right to enter Paradise. It is Allah’s mercy alone through which one can enjoy the bliss of Paradise. (al-Tafsir al-Kabir)

Sequence

In previous verses, Muslims were asked to take special care in order to remain steadfast in their faith, bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair. In the present verse, it has been further emphasised that these are the very reasons why Allah Almighty has conferred upon the Ummah of Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, the status of خیر الامم ‘Khayr al-Umam’, the best of communities, dignified and elevated, when it does what it has been charged to do.

Why the best of communities?

The Holy Qur’an has, in different verses, given several reason for declaring the Ummah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) as the best Ummah, the most important of which has appeared in Surah al-Baqarah, that is:

And in the same way We made you a moderate Ummah (community). (2:143)

A detailed explanation of this verse can be seen in Volume I of this commentary. This portion deals with the major reason why the Ummah of Muhammad i has been called the best of human communities. There it has been pointed out that moderation is its great characteristic and that it is visible in all department of its collec¬tive life.

In this particular verse, another reason has been given. The reason is that this community has been raised for the sole purpose of dispensing good to all beings created by Allah. It has been actually charged with the function of remaining concerned with their spiritual and moral reformation. Seen in the perspective of past communities, it was this community which contributed most in the mission of ‘bidding the Fair and forbidding the Unfair’, even though this was already enjoined upon past communities as mentioned in authentic ahadith. However, to begin with, several past communities did not have Jihad as a religious obligation, in which case, the mission of ‘bidding the Fair’ could only be carried out by heart and tongue only. Available with the followers of Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) is a third option of ‘bidding the Fair’, that of the power of the hand, which also includes all sorts of Jihad. Then, the enforcement of Islamic laws through the agency of the government is also a part of it. In the case of other communities, distinguishing features of religion were gradually obliterated by general inertia. The obligation of أْمرْ بِالْمَعْرُ‌وف amr bi l’ma` ruf, the ordained mission of bidding the Fair, also stood totally forsaken. As far as this Ummah of his is concerned, the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) made this prophecy:

In this Ummah, there shall be right through the day of Doom, a group of people which will remain firm and stick to (the task of) bidding the Fair and forbidding the Unfair.

The second distinguishing feature of this community is that they ‘believe in Allah’ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّـهِ ‘ At this point one may ask why should this be a distinguishing feature of the Muslim community as belief in Allah has been the common factor between all past prophets (عليهم السلام) and their communities. The answer is clear. No doubt, belief as such is common to all, but the degrees of perfection in belief differ. The degree of pref-erence given to the community of Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has a class of its own as compared to past communities.

Towards the end of the verse, it has been said about the people of the Book that there are some Muslims among them. This refers to those who had confirmed the prophethood of our Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) such as, Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Sal-am (رض) and others.

Commentary

These verses were revealed in a particular background. There were Jewish settlements around Madinah. They had old friendly ties with the tribes of Aws and Khazraj. Individuals from these tribes were also on friendly terms with other individuals from the Jewish settlements. In their tribal capacity too, Aws and Khazraj were to the Jews their neighbours and allies. When these two tribes embraced Islam, they continued to maintain their old ties with them. Individuals from these tribes saw no problems in meeting their old Jewish friends with the same love and sincerity. But, Jews were so hostile to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and the religion brought by him that they were unwilling to be sincere and loving to anyone who had said yes to the prophetic call and had embraced Islam. So, they outwardly went along with the same old relationships with’the Ansars of Madinah, but inwardly they had turned into their enemies. The apparent friendship they had allowed to remain became their cover which they utilized in their sinster efforts to foment trouble among Muslims so that their unity could be disintegrated. They even went to the limit of banking on this feigned friendship with Muslims to find out their organizational secrets and pass them on to the enemies.

It is this hypocritical behaviour of theirs which Allah Almighty has asked Muslims to guard against. We have been given an important rule of conduct when it was said:

0 those who believe, do not take anyone as insider but from your own selves.

The word, بِطَانَةً bitanah used here means a friend, confidant, one with whom secrets are shared. The lining or inside part of a dress which stays close to the body is also known as بِطَانَةً bitanah. Derived from بِطَنَ batn (inside), it is used in everything opposed to ظھر zahr (outside). That which is outside is ظھر zahr and that which is inside is بِطَنَ batn. In garments, the outer part is ظھارہ ziharah and the inner part touching the body such as a lining is called بِطَانَةً bitanah. [ There is an expression in English – ‘hand in glove’- which comes close to this sense, even if partly. It means ‘to be on very intimate terms’.]

Similarly, the expression, bitanatu-th’thawb (بِطَانَةً الثوب) lends the meta¬phor of friend, confidant, one who comes to know internal secrets and that is how the word, بِطَانَةً bitanah is used to carry that sense. The well-known, and quite reliable lexicon of Arabic, لسان العرب Lisan al-Arab explains بِطَانَةً bitanah as follows:

It means that a person’s بِطَانَةً bitanah is one who knows his secrets, has access to his affairs in which he seeks his advice. Raghib al-Isfahani (رح) in his Mufradat and al-Qurtubi (رح) in his Tafsir have given the same meaning. (The word, بِطَانَةً ‘bitanah’, translated here as ‘insider’ is an effort to cover some of these important shades of meaning.)

So, it has been enjoined upon Muslims through this verse that they should not take persons other than those from their own community as confidants and advisers, in a way that leads one into spilling the sensi¬tive secrets of one’s own government, community or state. No doubt, under the shade of its universal mercy, Islam has given unusual instructions to Muslims in order that they treat non-Muslims with compassion, goodwill, beneficence, kindliness and tolerance, and not leaving it at that, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has put these in actual practice in all affairs concerning non-Muslims. But, at the same time, and in perfect wisdom, binding instructions were given so as to make sure that the organized body of Muslims and its particular hall-marks stay protected. A Muslim cannot be permitted to go beyond a certain limit when developing or promoting relations (unilateral, bi¬lateral or multi-lateral) with those who disbelieve in or practice hostility against the Law of Islam. This is so because such an action throws the doors of harm and danger open both for the individuals and the community. This arrangement is clear, reasonable, appropriate, and very necessary to give secure frontiers to the individuals as well as to the Muslim state.

About non-Muslims resident in Islamic states or those tied with Muslims through a treaty, the teachings of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and his most emphatic instructions for their protection are all part of the Islamic law. The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has said:

Whoever harms a Dhimmi (protected non-Muslim), I shall be his opponent on the Day of Judgment and I always defeat the one whom I oppose. (Reported by Ibn Masud)

In another hadith, he said:

My Lord has prohibited me to wrong the one protected by a treaty, or anyone other than him. (narrated by Sayyidna ` AIi (رض) )

In yet another hadith, he said:

Beware, whoever wrongs a non-Muslim protected by treaty, or usurps his right, or obligates him to do what is beyond his power, or takes from him something without his genuine consent, then, I shall be the advocate for him (the said non-Muslim) on the Day of Judgment.

Side by side with these concessions and considerations for non-Muslims, instructions were given to Muslims that they should protect their distinct group cohesion by not trusting enemies of Islam and Muslims with their secrets. Ibn Abi Hatim (رض) narrates that Sayyidna ` Umar ibn Al-Khattab (رض) was asked to appoint a young non-Muslim as the chief manager and scribe in his office since he was very good at that. Thereupon, he said:

If I were to take him in, in that case, I will be taking an insider from among non-Muslims (which is against the Qur’anic authority).

Imam al-Qurtubi (رح) ، famous scholar and commentator of the fifth century says, with marked pensive longing, that contravention of this teaching of the Qur’an has produced evil results for Muslims:

Things have so changed these days that Jews and Christians were trusted with secrets and considered trustworthy through which they were able to prevail over the ignorant rich, the rulers and the chiefs.

Even today, in a state established under a particular ideology, a person who does not subscribe to this ideology cannot be admitted into the inner echelons of power as a confidant. In Russia and China, a person who does not believe in communism is not given any respon¬sible office or, farther still, trusted with state secrets. A close study of the decline of Muslim states would reveal several reasons behind it. One of the oft-repeated ones will be that Muslims had entrusted their sensitive affairs in the hands of non-Muslim confidants. This policy was an active factor in the decline of the Ottoman Caliphate as well.

The reason why this command has been given is explained soon after. Starting from لَا يَأْلُونَكُمْ خَبَالًا (they would spare no effort to do you mischief) and ending at إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ (provided that you understand), the text warns Muslims that they should not take anyone other than their own Muslim brothers as insiders on their affairs, for no other group, be they Jews, Christians, hypocrites or other disbelievers, could be their genuine well-wishers. Contrary to that, they are always on the lookout for opportunities to hoodwink and hurt them materially and spiritually. They are always plotting to harm them in this worldly life as well as to take them away from the enjoined pursuits of their Faith. All this is what the Muslims can see for themselves, but the venom that lies hidden in their hearts is far too fatal. However there are times when they are enraged with their deceptive cool front thrown off and the fangs of their deep hostility become clearly visible. Why would an intelligent person take such people as his confidant? Allah Almighty has pointed out who they are and what has to be done about them. Now it is upto him who understands what is involved here.

The sentence وَدُّوا مَا عَنِتُّمْ ; (they want you to be in trouble) is a perfect mirror of the mentality of disbelievers. Here, the in-depth teaching is that no non-Muslim can ever be the real friend and well-wisher of Muslims.

Sequence

In the previous verses, it was said that no power could harm Muslims if they observed patience and fear of Allah (sabr and Taqwa ). Now, the temporary setback faced by Muslims during the battle of Uhud was due to their failure to observe these rules of conduct fully. The present verses remind Muslims of what happened during the battle of Uhud, and also, of their victory at the battle of Badr.

Commentary

Before we proceed to explain these verses, it is appropriate that we have before us a sequence of events that came to pass at Uhud.

The background of the Battle of Uhud:

It was the month of Ramadan, Hijrah year 2, when the Quraysh

army and Muslim mujahidin fought a battle at Badr in which 70 well-known kuffar (disbelievers) of Makkah were killed and an equal number was taken prisoners. This defeat, disastrous and disgraceful as it was, and really the first installment of Divine punishment, incensed the Quraysh; their search for revenge knew no bounds. The relatives of Quraysh chiefs who were killed at Badr, appealing to the traditional Arab pride, resolved that they would not rest until they have avenged their defeat at Badr at the hands of the Muslims. They proposed to Makkans that the sale proceeds from things brought in by their trade caravan from Syria should be spent on nothing but this war so that they can avenge the slaying of their comrades by Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and his companions. To this, everybody agreed and it was in the Hijrah year 3 that the Quraysh, along with several other tribes as well, marched out to mount an attack on Madinah. The invading force included even women so that they could appeal to the sense of honour their men had and implore them not to retreat, if they ever did.

When this armed force of three thousand strong, all laced with weapons and other logistics, pitched up its tents near the mountain of Uhud, about three or four miles outside Madinah, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) went into consultation with Muslims. In his blessed opinion, warding off the enemy by staying in Madinah was easy and more likely to succeed. This was the first time that the leader of the hypocrites, ` Abdullah ibn Ubayy, who outwardly went along with Muslims, was asked to give his opinion, which turned out to be the same as that of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . But, some zealous Muslims, who were unable to take part in the Badr encounter and were intensely eager to lay down their lives in the cause of Islam, insisted that they should go out and fight the enemy in the open so that the enemy does not take them to be cowards. To this, the majority turned.

In the meantime, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) went to his house and when he came out, he had his armour on. At that point of time, some people thought that they had forced him, against his opinion, to lead the fight outside Madinah in the open. Realizing what they did was wrong, they submitted to him that he could act according to his opinion and stay in Madinah. The answer was: ‘It does not behoove a prophet, once he has put on his armour and taken up his arms, to put them off without fighting.’ This one sentence is sufficient to clarify the difference between a prophet and a non-prophet. A prophet cannot show weakness in that capacity. Then, here lies a lesson for the community as well.

When the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) left Madinah on his way to confront the enemy, he had about a thousand men with him, but the hypocrite ` Abdullah ibn Ubayy broke off enroute with about three hundred men, saying: ‘When my advice was rejected and action was taken on the advice of others, why should we fight and why should we endanger our lives?’ Obviously, most of his comrades were hypocrites, yet there were some Muslims too who swallowed the bait and tugged along with them.

Finally, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) reached the battlefield with a total of seven hundred mujahidin. He personally took charge of the action area setting up all arrangements in a formal military manner. The formations of his men were so placed that the mount of Uhud remained on their rear. Sayyidna Mus` ab ibn ` Umayr (رض) was made the standard-bearer and Sayyidna Zubayr ibn ` Awwam (رض) ، the commander of the mounted troops. Sayyidna Hamzah (رض) was given the command of the unarmoured. On the rear, there was some likelihood that the enemy may cut his way in from that side. So, he positioned a company of fifty archers (arrow-shooters) on a hillock in the rear and ordered them to stand on guard against any attack from that side. They were specifically instructed not to bother about the fighting down the hill, irre¬spective of whether they win or lose, and were told that they just do not have to move from their appointed place.

The command of the company of archers was given to Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Jubayr (رض) . As for the Quraysh, they had gone through the battle of Badr and they too went into battle formations in an orderly manner.

Battle of Uhud1

When the battle started, Muslims had an upper hand right from the beginning, so much so that the enemy forces went into total disarray. Muslims thought they had won and turned toward the spoils. At this point, the archers who were appointed by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) to guard the rear also noticed that the enemy was on the run and they too started coming down from the mountain leaving their assigned battle station. Their commander, Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Jubayr (رض) reminded them of the emphatic command of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) not to move from their place of duty and, tried his best to stop them. But, except a few, others took the plea that as the order was tied with time they should now go and be with the rest. Khalid ibn Walid, who had not yet embraced Islam, was commanding a company of Makkan disbelievers. Making timely use of this opportunity, he went round the hill, went up through a pass and made a surprise attack. Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Jubayr (رض) and the small number of men left with him tried their best to stop them but they were unable to do so and the chargers were able to pounce on Muslim forces down the hill all of a sudden. This situation made the running enemy turn back and reinforce the attack.

The fate of the battle was totally reversed. Muslims were so confused with this unexpected turn of the battle that a major portion of them scattered away from the battle field. However, some Companions (رض) were still holding on resolutely. In the meantime, a rumour went round that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has met his shahadah (martyrdom). This shattered the nerves of his Companions (رض) and most of them lost heart. At that time, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was in the midst of about ten or twelve very devoted Companions (رض) . He was injured. Defeat was about to come when, in the right moment, the Companions (رض) scattered on the battlefield came to know that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was alive. They regrouped themselves around him and moved him away towards the hill safely.

1. The strategy used in this battle shows that the Prophet of Islam was not only a perfect leader and teacher, but also a creative military strategist, something not known in the world of that time. Comparing the battle plans of the two camps, Tom Under, a twentieth century historian says in his book, The Life of Muhammad that his opponents had courage and bravery but it was he who broke new ground in the management of warfare. The Makkan disbelievers fought recklessly and haphazardly while he used great foresightedness, strict discipline and efficient organization as additional assets.

This defeat which made Muslims terribly upset was temporary, and there were causes behind it. The Holy Qur’an comments on each cause in extremely measured words and exhorts Muslims to be cautious in the future.

Lessons from the events of Uhud اُحُد :

The events of the battle of Uhud have in them a treasure of good advice and wise guidance for all Muslims. It will be recalled that the Qurayshi disbelievers had brought women with them so that they could excite them to fight and, in case of a retreat, put them to shame and exhort them to go back into the battle. The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) saw that Hindah, the wife of Abu Sufyan, was leading a group of women who were chanting poetical compositions to arouse the fighting passions of their men. They were saying:

that is, ‘if you fight right on and win, we shall embrace you and make a soft bed for you, but, if you turn back, we shall make you miss our love.’

In contrast, the Holy Prophet may Allah bless him, was saying this in his prayer:

that is, ‘0 Allah, from Thee I draw my strength and for Thee and in Thy name, I attack and fight. Sufficient for me is Allah, the only one good to trust.’

This prayer, every word in it, is demonstrating how Muslims should strengthen their connection with Allah not only in peace, but also in war, a pattern of behaviour which is drawing a line of clear distinction between Muslims and other nations.

2. Victory in war comes from Allah and not from piles of hardware.

Let us look at this lesson through the tightly-held frame of this battle. Isn’ t it that the noble Companions (رض) ، may Allah be pleased with them all, left behind them indelible marks of gallantry, sacrifice and dedica¬tion, the class of which would be difficult to match in history? Sayy¬idna Abu Dujanah (رض) had turned his body into a shield for his beloved Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) taking all incoming arrows on his back. Sayyidna Talhah (رض) had his body all perforated with arrow-heads, but he still did not leave his blessed master unprotected. Sayyidna Anas ibn al-Nadir (رض) ، the uncle of Sayyidna Anas ibn Malik (رض) was absent from the battle of Badr which he regretted very much and longed to make amends whenever he could get the first opportunity to take part in a Jihad in the company of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) .

A little later, came the battle of Uhud and Sayyidna Anas ibn al-Nadir (رض) was in it. When Muslims had scattered away and the disbe¬lievers of Quraysh were coming in overwhelming strength, he started to mount his charge, sword in hand, when he met Sayyidna Sa’d (رض) who was going with the group of those who had scattered away from the battlefield. He called out to him, “0 Sa’d, where are you going? I smell the scent of Paradise in this valley of Uhud.’ Saying this, he charged ahead and it was after a tough fight that he finally laid his life in the way of Allah. (Ibn Kathir)

Sayyidna Jabir (رض) says, “when Muslims became scattered, there were only eleven Companions left with the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) Sayyidna Talhah (رض) being one of them. The forces of Quraysh were surging forward. The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, ‘Who is going to take care of them?’ Sayyidna Talhah (رض) responded immediately, ‘I shall do that, 0 Messenger of Allah.’ Another Companion, an Ansari, said, ‘I am at your service.’ He asked the Ansari Companion to go, who fought, and fell a martyr. Then came another pressure wave. He (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) asked the same question again. Sayyidna Talhah (رض) offered himself as before. He was all impatient to hear the command of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) that he could go ahead. He, once again, sent some other Ansari Companion and Sayyidna Talliah’s wish remained unfulfilled. Thus, it was seven times that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) asked the question and every time Sayyidna Talhah (رض) was not permitted to go while other Companions were permitted to go and meet their shahadah (martyrdom).

3. Muslims were few in number, yet they won at Badr. Comparatively, they were more in number at Uhud, yet they lost. Here too, for Muslims there is a lesson to learn: Muslims should not rely on their numerical or material strength, military hardware or logistic support, but they should make sure that they take victory as something which comes by the grace of Allah Almighty and therefore, they must always watch out that their relationship with Allah remains strong.

What happened at the battle of Yarmuk یرموک is worth remembering. The officer-in-command at the war front wrote to Sayyidna ` Umar, the Khalifah at Madinah, requesting reinforcements in view of a reduced number of fighters. The reply that he gave is reproduced below:

“Your letter reached me. You have requested reinforcements and I direct you to One who is most-powerful support-wise and most-protecting army-wise, that is, Allah, the Mighty, the Exalted. So, seek help from Him – because Muhammad, may Allah bless him, was helped on the day of Badr despite their being fewer in numbers as compared of yours. So, when this letter of mine reaches you – fight. And do not turn back to me.” (Ibn Kathir, with reference to the Musnad of Ahmad)

The narrator says, when they received this letter, they mounted an attack in the name of Allah, all of a sudden, against the formidable forces of disbelievers who were defeated. Sayyidna ` Umar (رض) knew that victory or defeat for Muslims does not depend upon numbers. Instead, it depends upon trust in Allah, and on His help. This fact has been clearly stated by the Holy Qur’an with reference to the battle of Hunayn حُنَيْنٍ :

‘ (Remember) the day of Hunayn when you became proud about your numbers, then, nothing worked to your advantage. (9:25)

Now, let us turn to the explanation of these verses:

1. Verse 121 begins with the words, وَإِذْ غَدَوْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ (When you left your house in the morning in order to place the believers in positions for fighting).

This is an example of the miraculous style of the Holy Qur’an, especially when it reports events. It does not describe any event in its total detail as a matter of general principle. Events or their details are taken up only when they carry with them implied points of guid¬ance. For instance, a particular secondary detail, such as the time of leaving the house, has been identified through the word, غَدَوْتَ (‘ghadawta’ ); and hadith narrations prove that this morning was that of the seventh of Shawwal, Hijrah year 3.

Then comes the description of the point from where this expedition started. The word مِنْ أَهْلِكَ , indicates that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was with his family at that time and when the time came to leave, he left, leaving his family behind him, even though this attack was aimed at Madinah. These secondary details have guidance built in them. When there is the command of Allah, it is expected that the love of family and home should not stop one from obeying it. It will be noticed that details of what happened between the period of leaving the house and reaching the war front remain undescribed. Instead, the first thing done on the war front has been described as تُبَوِّئُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَقَاعِدَ لِلْقِتَالِ the placing of believers in positions for fighting.

The verse ends with the words, وَاللَّـهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ (And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing). By reminding Muslims of these attributes of Allah, it has been pointed out that everything said by the two parties at that time was all in the knowledge of Allah Almighty. and abso¬lutely nothing of what happened to the two of them remains hidden from Him, and so shall it be with the end of the war; that too, is not hidden from Him.

Next comes verses 122 beginning with the words إِذْ هَمَّت طَّائِفَتَانِ مِنكُمْ أَن تَفْشَلَا (When two of your groups tended to lose heart while Allah was their guardian). These ‘two groups’ refer to the Bani Harithah of the tribe of Aws and Bani Salamah of the tribe of Khazraj. These ‘two groups lost the courage to fight when they saw the hypocrite, ` Abdullah ibn Ubayy and his men breaking away. But, Allah, in his grace, helped them come out of this state of apprehensiveness. Here, the fact was that their weakness was caused by the thought, and certainly not because of any weakness in faith. Ibn Hisham, the famous historian of Muslim battles has made this very clear. Then, the very Qur’anic statement, وَاللَّـهُ وَلِيُّهُمَا (while Allah was their guardian) is a testimony to their perfect faith. Therefore, some elders from these two tribes used to say: “No doubt, the verse contains a complaint against us, but at the same time it bears a good news for us in the words: وَاللَّـهُ وَلِيُّهُمَا ; (while Allah was their guardian).

3. Towards the end of the verse, it has been said: وَعَلَى اللَّـهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ “And it is in Allah alone that the believers must place their trust.” Here, it has been made clear that Muslims should not rely on their superiority in men and materials. Not that they have to ignore material needs of the combat; of course, they should have whatever they can get together subject to their means, but the crucial thing is that they must place their total trust in Allah, and Allah alone. The apprehension of weak¬ness that overtook Banu Harithah and Banu Salamah was caused by this material lack of strength. Therefore, توکل tawakkul or trust in Allah was suggested as the treatment of all sorts of apprehensions.

Tawakkul توکل is one of the superior human qualities. It does not mean that one should cut off all his connections with the effort to collect material support. On the contrary, one should collect what is obviously needed to the best of his ability, use it, and then, let Allah take care of the outcome. It is also necessary that one should not become proud of what has been collected as material assets, instead, “We trust in Allah” should be the sole concern. The good example of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) is before us. That he himself organized the fighting strength of Muslims during this Jihad, assembled weapons and other war materials to the best of his ability, prepared battle plans appropriate to the time and place. Once on the war front, he set up entrenchments with combat-ready Companions placed therein. These were all part of the material-functional management of the battle. By making use of these with his own blessed hands, our beloved master, the last and foremost of prophets, demonstrated that material facilities are also a blessing of Allah Almighty. Ignoring them or turning away from them cannot be called what توکل tawakkul is. Here, the attitude of a Muslim slightly differs from that of a non-Muslim. A Muslim would, given his ability and means, collect all sorts of necessary material support, yet when it comes to trust and tawakkul that he would place in none but Allah. The non-Muslim is bereft of this spiritual dimension for he relies on his brute material strength. The manifestation of this difference has been common sight throughout all Islamic battles.

4. The focus now turns to a particular battle where Muslims had demonstrated perfect توکل tawakkul and Allah Almighty had blessed them with support and success. The reference to the battle of Badr, in the following words, has appeared in this very context.

Commentary

In the previous verses, the battle of Badr was cited in relation to the battle of Uhud. Briefly stated there was the unseen support from Allah Almighty given to Muslims. In the present verses, some details of that support have been mentioned. Also stated is the wisdom behind the sending of angels.

One may naturally ask a question here. When Allah Almighty has endowed His angels with such power that just one of them could over-turn an entire habitation, very much like what happened with the land of the people of Lut (عليه السلام) which was overturned single-handedly by the angel Jibra’il (عليه السلام) ، why was it necessary to send out an army of angels? In addition to that, given the introduction of angels onto the battlefield, the obvious result should have been the total anni¬hilation of every single infidel.

The Holy Qur’an has, itself, given the answer in the verse وَمَا جَعَلَهُ اللَّـهُ إِلَّا بُشْرَ‌ىٰ. It means that the purpose behind the sending of angels was not really to help score a victory on the battlefield. Instead, the purpose was to give the believers the good news of victory to comfort them and to strengthen their hearts. This is very clear from the words إِلَّا بُشْرَ‌ىٰ (only that it be a good news) and لِتَطْمَئِنَّ قُلُوبُكُم (that your hearts may be at rest) in the text. Far more clear are the words of Surah a1-Anfal about this event فَثَبِّتُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا (So, make those who believe firm – 8:12). Here, the address is to the angels and they have been asked to see that Muslims do not get anxious and that their hearts stay firm.

How can hearts be made to stay firm? There are many possible ways, one of them could be through their spiritual input, something not too dissimilar to the direct beaming of attention as practiced by mystic shaykhs.

The possibility of doing this in several less complex forms also exists. For instance, they may simply assure the believers that angels are standing ready to help them – by appearing before them, by their voice signs or by some other method – as was witnessed in the battle of Badr where all these methods were used. In fact, in one exegetic expla¬nation of the verse فَاضْرِ‌بُوا فَوْقَ الْأَعْنَاق (So, strike over the necks – 8:12), this address is to the angels. According to some hadith narrations, when an angel decided to attack a disbeliever, the head of the disbeliever slid of his body all by itself.1 It has also been reported that some noble Companions heard the voice of Jibra’il (عليه السلام) saying, ‘Charge, Haizum!’2 Some of them saw some angels (Muslim). All these sensory experiences are part of the same chain of Divine support. Evidences prove that the angels of Allah did a few things to impress upon Muslims that the angels too are participating in fighting as a sort of assurance that His support through the angels is there. As said earlier, their objective was far from winning a war for the believers.

Their real mission was to comfort Muslims and to give their hearts strength. That the obligation of Jihad has been placed on men in this mortal world, and that is how they are enabled to deserve merits and ranks in the Hereafter, is a clear proof of this view. If Allah Almighty had willed that countries be conquered through armies of angels, the very name of disbelief and disbelievers would have been effaced from the face of the earth, not to say much about governments and empires. But, in this system of the material world, Allah Almighty has not just willed it so. Here, disbelief and faith, obedience and sin shall continue to exist side by side. The great divide shall come on the Day of Resurrection when the true and the false shall become all distinct.

1. From Sabi ibn Hanif vide Al-Hkim and Baihaqi.
2. The steed of Jibra’il (عليه السلام) .

The rationale of the promises:

Let us now turn to the promises of angelic help in the battle of Badr. The verse of Surah al-Anfal carries the promise of one thousand angels. In the present verse of Surah ‘Al-` Imran, the promise begins with three thousand, then goes up to five. What is the wisdom behind this?

The fact is that Muslims noticed the thousand-strong force of the enemy in the battle of Badr, as stated in Surah al-Anfal, and compared it with their total count of three hundred and thirteen, so they invoked the help of Allah Almighty against such heavy odds. Thereupon, came the promise of one thousand angels, implying thereby that the number of their enemy shall be matched by an identical number of angels. The words of the verse are:

When you were calling your Lord for help, so He responded to you (saying): I am going to support you with one thousand of the angels, one following the other. (8:9)

Even after this verse, the same purpose behind the sending of angels was made clear by saying:

“And Allah did it, only that it be a good news for you, and that your hearts may be at rest with it.”

Then comes the present verse of Surah ‘Al-` Imran. Here, the promise of three thousand angels was probably made due to the reports received by Muslims that Kurz ibn Jabir. Muharibi was marching towards the battlefield of Badr with his tribal forces in support of the disbelievers of Makkah (as in Ruh al-Ma` ani). The actual position in the confrontation was that the enemy forces were already three times larger than those of Muslims, who were somewhat disturbed by this news. Thereupon, a promise of three thousand angels was made so that the ratio is reversed and the number of Muslims goes three times higher than that of the enemy.

After that, right there towards the end of this verse, this number was increased, subject to conditions, to five thousand. The conditions were:

1. That Muslims shall hold on firmly to the great qualities of صبر sabr (patience) and تقوی Taqwa (fear of Allah).
2. That they come under enemy attack all of a sudden.

Out of these two conditions, the second one did not just materialize, therefore, the promise of the number, five thousand, did not remain effective. Granted that the second condition of the promise did not come to pass, major commentators and historians differ as to the actual fulfillment of the promise – was it in the form of five thousand or three thousand only? All these positions have been mentioned in Ruh al-Ma’ani.

From the verse لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ‌ شَيْءٌ (You have no authority in the matter) (128), the text returns to the main event of Uhud after a brief mention of the event of Badr in between. This verse was revealed in the background of the battle of Uhud where the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) lost one of his teeth, the lower right premolar, to be exact. His face injured, he is reported to have uttered: ‘How shall such people prosper, people who do this to their prophet, although that prophet is calling them towards God?’. Thereupon, this verse was revealed.

According to yet another story from the Sahih al-Bukhari, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has been reported to have invoked evil fate for some disbelievers, whereupon came the revelation of this verse in which the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has been counseled to remain patient and forbearing.1

1. Bayan al-Qura’n.

Commentary

In the previous verse, Muslims were commanded to abstain from interest-based dealings, a sin which deprives them of the quality of Taqwa, (the fear of Allah, the sense of responsibility before Him).

The present verses stress the positive aspects of Taqwa and complement the earlier subject along with the promise of reward for those who observe it. Worth remembering throughout one’s life is the second point which will serve him well if taken as the guiding light and the constant orientation. Allah Almighty has made it clear in these verses that the obedience to Allah and His Messenger does not become genuine and effective through lip-service alone. Instead, the obedient ones are known by what they are and what they do, by their traits of character and their deeds.

The obedience of Allah and His Messenger

The first verse, in a brief statement, presents a cardinal command of Faith in the following words: وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّـهَ وَالرَّ‌سُولَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْ‌حَمُونَ ﴿١٣٢﴾ (And obey Allah and the Messenger so that you may be blessed). Here, in order that one becomes deserving of Divine mercy, the obedience to Allah Almighty has been declared necessary and binding, and along with it, the obedience of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has been made equally necessary and binding. This is something not limited to this verse alone. It has been repeatedly stressed throughout the Holy Qur’an. The pattern of combining the command to obey Allah Almighty, imme¬diately followed by the command to obey the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، appears in the Qur’an again and again. These continued and constant statements of the Holy Qur’an are there to remind human beings that these are the basic principles of Islam and ‘Iman. The first part of the Faith is to affirm and declare the existence of God (Allah), His Oneness, and that man is there to worship and obey Him. The second part is the confirmation of His Messenger (عليه السلام) ، and of obedience to him.

Also worth noting are the statements of the Holy Qur’an which prove that, whatever the noble Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) says is by Divine permission and not on his own. The Holy Qur’an says:

And he (the messenger) does not speak out of his own desire. It is not but a revelation revealed (to him) (53:3)

From this, we arrive at the conclusion that the obedience to the Messenger is the very same as the obedience to Allah. It is nothing separate from it. In Surah Al-Nis-a’ (4:80), the Holy Qur’an has made it more clear in the following words:

And whoever obeys the Messenger, he surely obeys Allah. (4:80)

With this in view, the question is: Why have the two ‘obediences’ been stated separately? What purpose does it serve? Specially so, when this appears as a consistent feature in the Holy Qur’an where we see both ‘obediences’ being commanded side by side.

To unfold the secret, we can say that Allah Almighty sent a Book to guide man in this world, and a Messenger. The Messenger was charged with the following duties:

(1)          That he convey to people the verses of the Holy Qur’an precisely and exactly in the form they were spoken when revealed.

(2)          That he should cleanse people of outward and inward impurities.

(3)          That he should teach the community, not only the contents of the Book, but also its purpose.

(4)          That he should teach people wisdom along with the Book.

This subject appears at several places in the Holy Qur’an almost identically in the form of:

… who recites to them His verses and makes them pure and teaches them the Book and the wisdom …

This tells us that the obligatory functions of the Messenger are not simply limited to conveying the Qur’an to the people. There is more to it in that the Messenger is also responsible for teaching the Book, and clarifying its message. Also obvious is the fact that the addressees of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) were the eloquent people of Arabia who had command over the finer points of the Arabic language. Teaching of the Holy Qur’an to them could never mean that they were to be taught the literal meaning of the Qur’anic words, for they themselves understood all that perfectly well. Instead, the purpose of this teaching and clarification was, and could be nothing else, that an injunction of the Qur’an stated briefly or in a summary form should be clarified and elaborated upon by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and communicated to people with the help of a revelation which did not form a part of the Qur’an (wahy ghayr al-matluww’: the un-recited revelation). On the other hand, this was inspired into his blessed heart. The verse of the Holy Qur’an إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ ﴿٤﴾ (It is not but a revelation revealed) cited a little earlier, points in this direction.

Let us understand this through some instances. There are a good many occasions in the Holy Qur’an where the text does not go beyond saying: وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ (Establish the salah and pay the zakah). Even if units of prayer come to be mentioned, such as qiyam, ruku` and sajdah, they remain totally undefined. The modality, outward and inward, is just not there. It was angel Jibra’il (عليه السلام) who came as commanded by Allah and taught all the details through demonstration before the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . This was how the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) conveyed the word and the deed to the people of his Ummah.

There are details about the payment of zakah: What are thresholds? How much has to be paid on each threshold? What part of a person’s possessions is zakatable? What part is non-zakatable? How much from threshold resources goes zakat-free? All such details were given by the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . He even had these committed to writing as executive orders and passed on to several Companions .

Take yet another example. They Holy Qur’an says:

(And do not eat up each other’s property by false means – 2:188).

Now there are deals and transactions of all sorts, such as buying and selling, rentals, tenancy, wages and many more. What forms are unjust, inequitable or harmful to public interest, and therefore, باطل batil or false? All these details were given to the community by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) by the leave of Allah. Similarly, this is true about all legal rulings of Islamic Law.

Since all such details were conveyed to the community by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) in fulfillment of his prophetic mission and under the guidance of Divine revelation, and since these details do not appear in the Holy Qur’an, there was the likelihood that the unini¬tiated may be deceived into believing that these detailed rulings were not given by Allah Almighty and, therefore, they do not have to be carried out necessarily as part of one’s obedience to Allah. It is for this reason that Allah Almighty has made the obedience of the messenger binding along with the obedience to Him, at various places in the Qur’an, repeatedly. As such, the obedience of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) is really nothing but the obedience of Allah Almighty, but, given its external appearance and detailed description, it is somewhat different from that. In view of this, it has been emphasised time and again that orders given by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) should be obeyed as if they were the very orders of Allah the obedience of which was manda¬tory. These may be therein the Qur’an, open and clear, or may just not be there. They were still equally `.finding on the community.

This was a matter of crucial importance, not limited to someone falling in doubt. In fact, there were chances that the enemies of Islam would find an excuse to inject chaos in a basic Islamic principle, and thereby make an effort to lead Muslims away from the right path. Therefore, the Holy Qur’an has dealt with this subject in a variety of ways, in addition to its literal stress on the obedience to the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . It has informed the blessed community of Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) that his duties include not only the teaching of the Book but also the added teaching of wisdom, pointing out to the fact that there are elements other than the words of the Book, which are also included in his teachings. That part too, identified as wisdom, has to be followed by Muslims as a matter of obligation.

As said earlier, the Holy Qur’an used a variety of ways to focus on the same subject. For instance, it was said: لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ which means that the purpose behind sending the Messenger is that he should explain for people the meanings and objectives of the verses revealed to him. (16:44) Then, there is the oft-quoted verse:

Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you, refrain from it (59:7).

All these ramifications have been placed there lest there comes a person saying: ‘We have been obligated to follow only that which appears in the Qur’an; what we do not find in the Qur’an, to that we are not obligated.’ Perhaps, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) had fore-seen the problems which were to arise later when some people, in order to get rid of the teachings and explanations of the Messenger of Allah, would say ‘For us, the Book of Allah is sufficient.’ The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has described this possibility in a hadith, very clearly. The hadith has been reported by al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, al-Baihaqi and Imam Ahmad in the following words:

… Lest I find one of you, reclining on his coach making comments on an order from my orders in which I bid something or forbid something, saying, ‘This we do not know. We only follow what we find in the Book of Allah’.

Conclusion:

In short, the repeated stress on the obedience of the Messenger alongwith the obedience of Allah Almighty, as well as, specific instruc¬tions to follow the dictates of the Messenger at various places are there to counter the dangerous ignorance of a person who may venture to separate the details of Qur’anic injunctions described by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and available in the treasure-house of his ahadith, making it look like something foreign to the obedience of Allah, and consequently may hasten to reject them. The reality is that ‘ they cannot be separated:

What he said was said by Allah

Voiced, though, it was by a slave of Allah

Race towards forgiveness, towards Paradise:

The first command was: ‘Obey the Messenger’. (132) The second command is: ‘Race one another towards Forgiveness from your Lord and towards Paradise.’ (133) Here, Forgiveness stands for the means of obtaining forgiveness, that is, good deeds which bring forth forgiveness. There are several exegetic views reported from the blessed Companions and their immediate successors. Though expressed differ¬ently, they convey the same theme. Out of the noble Companions and their successors, may Allah be pleased with them all, Sayyidna ` Ali (رض) explained it as the fulfillment of obligations’, Ibn ` Abbas (رض) as ‘Islam’, Abu al-‘Aliyah (رض) as ‘Hijrah’, Anas ibn Malik (رض) as ‘al-Takbir al-Uula (the first call of Allahu Akbar in salah) ‘, Said ibn Jubayr (رض) as ‘perfection of obedience’, Dahhak (رض) as ‘Jihad’ and ` Ikrimah (رض) as ‘Taubah (repentance) ‘. The outcome of all these sayings is that Forgiveness covers all good deeds which become the means of obtaining Divine forgiveness.

At this point two things need our attention. First comes the resolution of an apparent contradiction which may be felt when one notices that the present verse carries a command to race one another towards Forgiveness and Paradise, while through another verse: لَا تَتَمَنَّوْا مَا فَضَّلَ اللَّـهُ بِهِ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ (And do not covet something by which Allah has made some of you excel some others – 4:32), the very seeking of other merits and ranks has been prohibited.

The answer is that فضایٔل fada’il (merits, ranks, virtues) are of two kinds. The first kind relates to that which cannot be achieved by man, being beyond one’s power and control. We can call these ‘non-electable.’ For example, colour or beauty or birth in a morally high family cannot be chosen and acquired. The other kind is something man can achieve by effort. These can be called voluntary or ‘electable’. So, the reason why the effort to acquire non-electable merits, even its very desire, has been prohibited for the simple reason that they have been given to His created beings by Allah Almighty Himself in His infinite wisdom. It is something beyond human effort. Why run after them? All such efforts will lead to nothing but envy and malice. Let him who has been given a particular colour of his skin keep desiring to have some other colour. What is he going to get out of his desire? Nothing. However, there is a vast range of merit worthy deeds. One could, and would, make his mark there. That is why we have been asked to accelerate our efforts in that direction. This is not something restricted to one verse. The exhortation appears in several verses. Somewhere it is said: فَاسْتَبِقُوا الْخَيْرَ‌اتِ (Try to get ahead of one another in good deeds – 2:148, 5:48). Elsewhere, it is said: فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ الْمُتَنَافِسُونَ (And in this, then, aspire the aspirers.) (83:26)

Let us consider the advice of the sage who said: ‘If one has a natural or physical handicap which is beyond his power to correct, he should remain contended (with his handicap) and unaffected by the achievements of others. He should go on doing what he does. For, if he were to pine over his handicap and envy the achievements of others, he would be unable to perform to his capability, and ultimately, he would end up doing nothing or very little.’

The second point worth considering is that Allah Almighty has mentioned ‘Forgiveness’ first and the ‘Paradise’ after it. May be, this is to suggest that entry into Paradise is impossible without Divine Forgiveness. The reason is obvious. Man may spend a life-time doing good and abstaining from the evils. Still the aggregate of his good deeds cannot pay the price of Paradise. What will take him to Paradise is only Forgiveness of His Lord, and His grace. The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has said:

Strive to be straight and true, take the middle course and seek glad tidings (of Allah’s grace), for one’s deeds shall not take anyone into the Paradise’. People said: ‘Not even yours, 0 Messenger of Allah?’ He said: ‘Not even mine, unless it is that Allah covers me up with His mercy.’ (al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib, with reference to al-Bukhari and Muslim).

In short, our deeds are not the price of Paradise. But, as is the customary practice of Allah, He does bestow His grace upon a servant who does what is good. In fact, one who is given the very ability to do good deeds is really given the signal that Allah is pleased with him. So, let none of us be tardy in the performance of what is good. Since Divine forgiveness is the primary factor in one’s entry into the Paradise, the text takes this importance into consideration and does not present forgiveness in the absolute sense. It has, rather, elected to say: مَغْفِرَ‌ةٍ مِّن رَّ‌بِّكُمْ (Forgiveness from your Lord.). By doing so, the text highlights Allah’s attribute as the Lord, showing thereby His added grace and mercy for His servants.

The second object towards which man is being asked to hasten is Paradise. It has been said here that the Paradise is as wide as whole of the heavens and the earth. Since human mind cannot conceive any greater vastness than that of the heavens and the earth within the confines of his experience, the Paradise has been likened to them. This is a manner of saying that Paradise is very vast, so vast that it can accommodate the entire heavens and the earth in its vastness.

When the width of the Paradise is so great who can imagine its length which should be even greater?

All the above discussion is based on the assumption that the Arabic word عرض ) ’ ard) means ‘width’. However, there is another possible interpretation adopted by some commentators. According to them the word “ard’ is also used in the meaning of ‘price’. If the word is taken here in this sense, the verse would mean that Paradise is not an ordinary commodity; the entire heavens and the earth are its price.

With such an object of unimaginable worth and magnitude, what else should one do but hasten towards it.

Al-Itazi in his ‘al-Tafsir al-Kabir’ explains this point as follows:

Abu Muslim says that ` al-ard’ in this verse means that which is offered against the object of sale as its price. In other words, if a price were to be put on Paradise, the heavens and the earth together with whatever is in them will be its price. The purpose is to demonstrate the most exalted status of the Para¬dise which remains unmatched by anything in its greatness.

Another statement about the Paradise is given in the end by: اُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ (It has been prepared for the God-fearing.) This tells us that Paradise has already been created. Clear indicators in the Qur’an and Hadith seem to suggest the existence of Paradise on the seventh heaven which is its surface.

Commentary

God-fearing Muslims can be identified by the traits of their character and the marks of their manner. So many benefits lie hidden behind their example and practice. This is the subject of the present verses.

Allah Almighty has made God-fearing Muslims to live as models for others. For instance, the Holy Qur’an has, at so many places, emphasised the need to seek guidance and benefit from the company of the men of Allah. The verse: صِرَ‌اطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ (the path of those whom You have blessed – 1:6) from Surah al-Fatihah clearly indicates that the straight and correct path of Faith has to be learnt from these very favoured servants of Allah. Then, there is the exhortation: كُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ (be with the truthful – 9:119) which shows how useful the company of such people really is. But there are all sorts of people in the world, including the clever ones who would pose as good and try to impersonate the genuine ones. For this reason, it was necessary to draw a fine line of distinction between the true and the false and to show how the favoured men of Allah can be identified by their special traits of character. Once this is known, people would abstain from wrong leaders and guides and would use the God-given guidance to first become sure of the true ones and then follow them.

By having identified the traits and marks of God-fearing Muslims, and having stated that they are the ones deserving of ultimate success and of elevated stations in Paradise, the righteous have been given a good news (of receiving the same reward, if they follow them) and the evil-doers are exhorted and persuaded to mend themselves and follow the God-fearing.

This is exactly what has been hinted at in هَـٰذَا بَيَانٌ لِّلنَّاسِ وَهُدًى وَمَوْعِظَةٌ لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿١٣٨﴾ (This is a declaration for mankind, and a guidance, and a lesson for the God-fearing – 3:138), appearing towards the end of these verses. While describing the traits and marks of the God-fearing, the qualities relating to human rights and social behaviour have been mentioned first, and the qualities relating to the rights of Allah after them. This is to indicate that the rights of Allah, despite their supreme status above all rights, are not meant to benefit Allah in any way. Allah does not need any of them, nor does He stand to suffer in any way what¬soever, if they are not fulfilled.

His Being is absolutely free of all these concerns. The one who worships Him is the one who gains. Moreover He is Very-Merciful, therefore, whenever a person falls short in the fulfillment of His rights, he may regret any time for what he did, turn to Him and repent genuinely and sincerely, whereby all his sins can be instantly forgiven from that eternal fountain of Mercy and Nobility. Contrary to this, there is the case of the rights of the servants of Allah – man has to fulfill these. In addition to that, if A has rights against B and B does not fulfill those rights, naturally A runs into loss. It is not that easy to forgive and forget loss suffered by one human being at the hands of the other. Therefore, Huququl-ibad حُقُوقُ العِبَاد or the rights of the servants of Allah have particular importance of their own.

Moreover, the correct balance in our universal order and the reformed pattern of our human society hinges on the fulfillment of mutual rights. A slight shortfall in this direction can trigger disorders, fights and wars. Conversely, should high morals be inculcated and practiced, even enemies would turn into friends. Feuds raging through centuries can subside into peace and bliss. This is one more reason why traits and marks relating to human rights have been taken up first.

Verse 134 announces the first of these traits as follows:

The habit of spending in the way of Allah in prosperity and adversity:

The verse reads: الَّذِينَ فِي السَّرَّ‌اءِ وَالضَّرَّ‌اءِ ; (Those who spend in the way of Allah in prosperity and adversity). It mean, that they are so used to spending for the good pleasure of Allah that they do spend whatever they can under all conditions, be it prosperity or adversity – more from more and less from less. Three points of guidance emerge from this statement:

1. That those poor should not consider themselves to be totally free from the obligation of spending in the way of Allah. By doing so, they may be depriving themselves of the open opportunity to spend in His way, for the status of spending one dollar out of a thousand dollars is the same with Allah Almighty as is the status of spending one penny out of a thousand pennies. For all practical purposes, the way the owner of a thousand dollars does not find it all that difficult to spend one dollar in the way of Allah, very similarly, the owner of a thousand pennies should not really be hurt by spending one penny.
2. On the other hand, the point made here is that those who keep on spending within the limitations of their capacity to spend, especially when their circumstances are straightened, would discover to their delight that, by doing so, the blessed style of giving and the wonderful habit of sharing with others less fortunate has come to stay and that it will not go extinct. May be, the very benedictory quality of such conduct draws mercy from Allah Almighty and He, in His infinite grace, bestows on such a person new openings and new increases in his means of sustenance.
3. Yet another beneficial aspect of this guidance is worthy of serious notice. Think of one who is in the habit of spending what he has on other human beings, making it possible for them to benefit through his efforts, helping the poor, the needy and the deprived. It is obvious that such a person would never even think of usurping the rights of others against their wishes.

So, the core of this quality of character is that true Muslims, the God-fearing and the favoured servants of Allah, are always on the lookout for opportunities to pass on benefits to other human beings irre¬spective of their being rich or poor. There was an occasion when Sayyidah ` A’ishah (رض) ، may Allah be pleased with her, gave away one, just one piece of grape in charity because she had absolutely nothing with her at that time. According to another early report, there was a time when she gave one onion in charity. The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has said:

Guard yourself against the Fire even if it be by giving a piece of date in charity and do not turn back one who begs empty-handed even if it be by giving a cloven hoof from a goat.

In a hadith reported by Imam al-Razi (رح) in his al-Tafsir al-Kabir it is said that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، on a certain day, exhorted people to spend in charity. In response, those who had gold and silver with them lost no time in giving these out in charity. Somebody brought date-flakes because he had nothing else to give away. The date-flakes were accepted and given in charity. Then came another person who said: ‘0 Messenger of Allah, I have nothing to spend in charity, however, I am known as a man of honour among my people, so I give my sense of honour in charity, after which I shall never be angry with a person in future, no matter how much he insults me’.

The teachings of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and the way they were understood and practiced by the noble Companion, may Allah be pleased with them all, make it obvious that spending in the way of Allah is not limited to the well-to-do and the wealthy. This quality of character can also be possessed by the poor and the less fortunate. They too can have that great attribute by spending in the way of Allah a little of whatever they can in proportion to their respective capaci-ties.

Not By Wealth Alone: Other Options of Spending in the Way of Allah:

It is important to note at this point that the Holy Qur’an uses the word يُنفِقُونَ which means that they spend in the way of Allah under all conditions, of prosperity and of adversity. However, it does not determine the ‘what’ of spending. The generality of the statement here seems to suggest that it includes not only money, but everything else that can be ‘spent’. For example, one who ‘spends’ his time and labour in the way of Allah, he too shall be credited with the quality of انفاق فی سبیل اللہ infaq fi sabilillah or spending in the way of Allah. The hadith quoted above supports this view.

The Wisdom behind the mention of prosperity and adversity:

May be, these are the two conditions of life in which man habitually tends to forget Allah. He will do that when very rich and upto the neck in luxury. He could also do that, fairly often, when worrying about his adversity. So, the verse clearly settles that the favoured servants of Allah are unique in their character who never forget Allah, neither in luxury nor in distress.

How aptly the last Moghul Emperor of Dehli, Bahadur Shah Zafar made this Qur’anic idea the subject of his poetry when he said:

‘0 Zafar, not much of a man is he, no matter how wise he be,

He who does not remember Allah when wealthy, he who does not fear Allah when angry.

From Rage and Revenge to Forgiveness and Favour:

This leads us to the next hallmark of a true Muslim. It has been said that they, if hurt by someone, do not flare up in anger and do not lose their self-control. Going a step further, they do not submit to the dictates of their anger and do not go for revenge. Not only that, they simply surrender their option of taking revenge and actually forgive the wrongdoer from the depths of their heart. Not stopping at this high enough moral achievement, they rise still higher by doing good to the person who had caused pain to them. This one quality of character seems to be a combination of almost three qualities to subdue anger, to forgive the offender, and then, being good to him. All these three things have been so eloquently identified in the present verse (134):

and those who subdue anger and forgive people. And Allah loves those who do good…

While explaining this verse, Imam al-Baihaqi (رح) has narrated an amazing episode from the life of Hadrat Zainul` abidin) ibn Sayyidna Husain (رض) . The report says that his maid was helping him in his wudu (ablution) when, all of a sudden, the water-pitcher slipped out of her hands spilling water all over Hadhrat ` Ali (Zainul` abidin) ibn Sayyidna Husain (رض) ۔ His clothes got wet. It was natural that he would be angry.. The maid sensed the impending danger and lost no time in reciting the following verse of the Qur’an: وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ ۗ (…and those who suppress anger and forgive people). Hearing this, the venerated scion of the Prophet’s household lost whatever rash of anger he may have felt. He became totally silent. The maid then recited the second sentence of the verse: اللَّـهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ And Allah loves those who do good). Since this sentence implicitly instructs people to be good to others and thus be loved by Allah, so Hadrat ` Ali (Zainul` abidin) ibn Sayyidna Husain (رض) once he heard it, said: ‘All right, go. I give you your freedom.’ (Ruh al-Ma` ni with reference to Baihaqi)

Forgiving people their mistakes and shortcomings is a quality that ranks very high in human morals. Besides, its merit in the life-to-come is much, higher. In hadith, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has ‘been reported to have said:

“On the Day of Resurrection, a proclamation will go forth from Allah Almighty asking if anyone had any rights due to Him. If so, let him stand. Those who shall rise on that occasion will be the ones who would have forgiven the injustices done to them by people in their life on earth.”

In yet another hadith, it has been said:

“Anyone who likes to have lofty palaces in Paradise and wishes to have his ranks elevated, should forgive the one who has done injustice to him and present gifts to the one who has never given him anything and join up with the one who has severed relations with him.”

At another place in the Holy Qur’an, the text is far clearer when it teaches the great moral of doing good to those who do evil and establishes how enemies turn into friends through this noble method. There it was said:

Repel evil with what is best, then the one, between whom and you there is enmity, shall become as if he was a fast friend. (41:34)

This was the supreme measure of the moral training given to His noble Messenger by Allah Almighty. The guideline given to him was:

Join with him who severs relations with you and forgive him who does injustice to you and do good to him who is bad to you.

The moral grandeur of the Holy Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is unique and eminent. We can only think of the blessing of his teachings which so successfully ingrained even in his servants morals and traits of character similar to his own. Being the distinctive feature of a true Islamic society, there are hundreds and thousands of models visible in the lives of the Companions, their successors and among the venerated elders of the Muslim community.

There is an apt incident in the life of the great Imam Abu Hanifah (رح) . Someone accosted him in a busy market place and heaped all sorts of insults and invectives on him. The great Imam controlled his anger and said nothing to him. He went home, took out a considerable quan¬tity of gold and silver coins, put them in a gift-wrapped tray and went out to the home of his confronter. He knocked at his door. When this person came out, he presented this tray full of coins before him saying: ‘Today, you did something very good to me. You gave me (something) of your good deeds (that you had done). It is in gratitude of this great favour of yours that I am presenting this gift to you.’ The Imam’s unusual conduct naturally affected the man. He repented and got rid of his bad habit forever. After asking for Imam’s forgiveness, he entered into his circle as a disciple and finally became a great scholar.

Once again, Muslims are being consoled through these verses about what happened to them at the Battle of Uhud. They are being told that, under the customary practice of Allah, the disbelievers are the ultimate losers; it does not matter if Muslims have not scored a victory at this time because of their strategic mistake, but should they stick to the demands of their Faith, that is, perseverance and fear of Allah, it will be the disbelievers who shall be the ultimate losers.

Commentary:

The Battle of Uhud has been fully described earlier in this Surah through which we already know that the initial success of the Muslim army turned into a defeat in this Jihad because of some of their own shortcomings, although they had already scored an earlier victory (at Badr). Seventy noble Companions (رض) sacrificed their lives on this occa¬sion. The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was hurt. But, inspite of all this, Allah Almighty let the balance of the Battle tilt in favour of Muslims and the enemy retreated.

This temporary defeat and setback came because:

1. The Muslim archers could not abide by the standing orders given to them by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) due to a difference of opinion. Some favoured holding on to the position they already held; others saw no need to stay there and opted for the collection of spoils with everybody else.
2. The news that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has been martyred on the battlefield weakened their resolve to fight.
3. The difference came up in something very serious, that is, the explicit command of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، the obedience to which was mandatory.

So, these three mistakes by Muslims resulted in a temporary setback. No doubt, this temporary setback was later on turned into final victory for them, yet Muslim mujahidin were virtually torn apart with wounds. Dead bodies of their most valiant fighters were strewn before their eyes. Even the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was wounded by the merciless enemy. Disappointed, dismayed, they were also terribly shocked over their own mistakes. In short, Muslims were on the horns of a dilemma. They were pining over the past and there was acute danger that they may become weak in the future and the duty of leading the people of the world entrusted to them may be hampered. In order to cover these two gaps, the Holy Qur’an came up with the declaration:

And do not lose heart and do not grieve, and you are the upper-most if you are believers. (139)

So, the message given to Muslims in the opening verse under comment is: Do not let weakness or inertia come near you in the future and do not pine over what has gone by. Finally, it is you who shall prevail, if you hold on to the path of faith and belief, having total confi¬dence in the promises made by Allah Almighty, never ever turning your backs on obedience to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and Jihad in the way of Allah.

In other words, the object was to impress upon Muslims that they should not waste their time and energy by feeling sorry for whatever mistakes they have made in the past. Instead, they should devote to ways and means which make things right for them in the future. For success after failure, strong faith and an unflinching obedience to the Messenger of Allah are certain guarantees of a bright future. If Muslims persist with these qualities, they are bound to be victorious ultimately.

This call of the Qur’an made broken hearts throb again. Sulking bodies were aglow with a fresh spirit. Just- imagine how Allah Almighty groomed the men carrying His message and gave Muslims for all times to come a principle and a rule of procedure whereby it was made necessary that Muslims should never shed tears over dead issues. Instead, they should do all they can to get together the means to strength and power. Then, right along with it, it was made very clear that supremacy and glory can be achieved through one, and only one, basic source, which is, having faith and fulfilling its demands. The demands of Faith include among other things, preparations which must be made in view of an impending war. It means that it is neces¬sary to consolidate military power, assemble and make ready all rele¬vant hardware, and harness all other means to that end, of course, in proportion to ability and capacity. The events of the Battle of Uhud, from the beginning to the end, are a testimony to all these considera¬tions.

Commentary

Related to the battle of Uhud, these verses recount events which have a particular significance of their own for several reasons. As such, the Holy Qur’an devotes four to five sections of the Surah ‘Al ` Imran to the sequence of victory and defeat at the battle of Uhud and to the natural points of guidance underlying these.

In the first verse out of those appearing above, the warning which is rather frightening, given to the noble Companions on an act of indis¬cretion by some of them, actually settles a matter of principle. A little deliberation shows that there was a secret behind the temporary debacle suffered by the Muslims, the wounding of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، the spreading of the news that he had passed away and that some Companions lost heart because of it: that secret was nothing but that Muslims should come to understand this basic principle and become practically firm when the challenge comes.

This principle of Islam was bipolar. First of all it must be fully realized that Islam gives great importance to the unique respect and love given to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، so much so that it has been made an integral part of Faith and the slightest deviation or weakness in this delicate matter has been equated with straight kufr, disbelief or infidelity. Then, at the same time, it was equally important to ensure that Muslims should not fall a prey to the same disease that afflicted the Nazarenes and Chris¬tians. They exaggerated the respect and love due to Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) by taking it to the extremes, invested him with partnership in the divinity of Allah Almighty and started to worship him.

When, at the time of the temporary setback suffered by Muslims at the battle of Uhud, someone started the rumour that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) had passed away, the agony that seized the noble Companions (رض) a very direct, very natural reaction indeed – is something everybody cannot experience or reckon even in its most modest measure. Only he who has the knowledge of and feeling for the supreme love and devo¬tion the noble Companions had for the prophet could come close to guessing the kind of agony and distress faced by them at that time. It really takes the full knowledge and realization of the sacrifices made by these blessed souls who, out of their unflinching devotion and love for their most dear mentor and the messenger of Allah, staked every-thing they had – money, property, children and their very lives for his sake, considering their sacrifices as the most desirable achievement of this mortal life, and proving it by their deeds.

Just imagine what would have happened to these devotees of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) when this shocking news came to them, specially so when the battle was in full cry, defeat was looming large after the initial victory, Muslims were losing ground and in this heat of the moment, they come to know the passing away of someone who was the very pivot of their struggle and the symbol of all their hopes.

The natural outcome of this situation was that a large group of the noble Companions (رض) started retreating from the battlefield in a state of confusion. This retreat from the battlefield was no doubt a result of fleeting confusion and in the least, without any indication of turning away from Islam. The truth of the matter was that Allah Almighty intended to mould into a group the Companions of His Messenger who were pious and angelic and who could become role models for the whole world. It was for this reason that an ordinary mistake by them was considered to be very serious. Therefore they were addressed on their retreating away from the battlefield in a fashion similar to what it would have been, had they deserted the fold of Islam. With this expressing of wrath, warning was given that all obligations of Faith, Worship and Jihad are for Allah who is Living and Eternal. Even if the news that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) had been martyred on the battlefield were to be true, that would have been something which was to come to pass when appointed. Losing heart and abandoning the dictates of Faith were responses that did not behoove those in their position. Therefore, it was said:

And Muhammad is but a messenger, there have been messen¬gers before him. So, if he dies or is killed. would you turn back on your heels? And whoever turns back on his heels can never harm Allah at all. And Allah shall soon reward the grateful.

Here, Muslims are being warned that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . is going to leave this mortal world on one or the other day but they have to hold on to the Faith firmly after him as well, in the same measure as they did during his blessed times. From here, we also come to know that the injury caused to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) during that temporary setback and the news of his passing away on the battlefield was concealed divine arrangement through which all that could happen to the noble Companions (رض) after him was revealed during his very life-time so that any slip in their conduct of affairs could be corrected in the very words of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) as a result of which it could be ensured that these ardent lovers and devotees of the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) do not lose their coolness under exacting conditions, especially when this event of the passing away of the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) does actually take place. This is exactly what happened later on when the noble Companions (رض) ، even the greatest among them, were overwhelmed with the severest emotional shock at the time of his passing away. At this juncture, it was Sayyidna Abu Bakr (رض) ، may Allah be pleased with him, who used the authority of Qur’anic verses such as these to explain the situation to them as a result of which all of them were able to accept the truth and control their emotions.

Connected with previous verses where Muslims were admonished for some of their shortcomings during the battle of Uhud, the present verses cite examples set by men of Allah from earlier communities showing how steadfast they were on the battlefield, something which should be emulated by the present addressees.

The explanation of some words:

1. رِ‌بِّيُّونَ Ribbiyun): a derivation from Rabb (رَبّ ) like Rabbani (رَبّانی) meaning ‘of the رَبّ Rabb or Lord’ which has been rendered as men of Allah in the present translation. According to Ruh al-Ma‘ani, here the use of the vowel sound ‘i’ in place of ‘a’ is irregular. Some commenta¬tors take رِ‌بِّيُّونَ ‘Ribbiyun’: to mean ‘many groups’. In their view, this is derived from the word, ‘Ribbah’ (رَبّہ) which means ‘the group’. Now, as to who is meant here by رِ‌بِّيُّونَ ‘Ribbiyun’: (men of Allah), it has been reported from Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas (رض) and Iiasan al-Basri that this refers to ` ulama’ (religious scholars) and ‘fuqaha’ (juriconsults). (Ruh a1-Ma` ani).
2. ‘Istakanu’ (اسْتَكَانُوا) has been derived from ‘istakanah’ (اسْتَكَانُہ) and means ‘to be subdued and rendered weak and immobile’ (Baydawi).
3. ‘Wahanu’ (وَهَنُوا) has been derived from ‘wahn’ (‘ وَهنُ ) and means ‘to lose heart under suffering’ or ‘wilt under pressure.’

Commentary

After citing the example of men of Allah fighting along with previous prophets who remained undeterred and un-weakened against, heavy odds, the Holy Qur’an mentions another great quality of the men of Allah who, inspite of their own sacrificing conduct, kept praying to Allah Almighty to:

1. Forgive their past sins,
2. Condone any shortcomings that may have crept in during their present Jihad efforts,
3. Enable them to remain steadfast and
4. Make them prevail over enemies.

These prayers carry some important guidelines for Muslims by implication.

Never be proud of a good deed

A true Muslim who knows things as they are is not supposed to wax proud of what he accomplishes by way of a good deed. No matter how great the accomplishment or how exacting the struggle in the way of Allah, he just does not have the, right to pat himself on his back, for his very accomplishment of a good deed, in all reality, is the direct outcome of nothing but the grace and mercy of Allah Almighty. In fact, no good deed can even issue forth without it. It appears in a hadith:

Had it not been for the grace and mercy of Allah, we would have not received guidance in the straight path, nor we would have been able to pay zakah and perform salah.

Seek Forgiveness from Allah under all conditions:

As for a good deed one gets the ability to perform, the truth lies in realizing that it is not within one’s control to perform that deed exactly in accordance with the demands of the supreme magnificence of the One who holds the reins of the Creation and Command in His hands. No matter how hard one tries to do things correctly but falling short is inevitable, especially when it comes to doing things as is the due and right of Allah. Therefore, the seeking of forgiveness is also necessary during the very course of such a deed.

Pray for steadfastness and consistency in good deeds:

It is not possible to predict the continuity of a good deed. Who can say for sure that he will be given the ability to go on doing his good deed in the future also just as he is doing it now? All this is a matter of what is known as Taufiq, the God-given ability to perform what is good. Therefore, we should repent over any shortcomings in what we are doing in the present and pray that Allah makes us steadfast and persistent in the future. For a true Muslim, this prayer should become his second nature.

It should be noted that the prayer for the forgiveness of past sins, appearing first, is a subtle hint to the fact that pain caused or defeat suffered in this mortal life is, more than often, a reflection of one’s past sins which can be cured through repentance and seeking of forgiveness.

The last verse promises a good reward for the men of Allah in this world as well as in the other. It means that, right here in this mortal world, Allah Almighty gives them ultimate supremacy over the enemies and grants them success in their mission. Then comes the reward in the Hereafter. That reward is certainly the real one, an ideal state of peace and happiness which will never fade out. This factor has been pointed out by the addition of the word حُسن : (husn: beauty) before ‘return in the Hereafter’ which makes it read:

وَحُسْنَ ثَوَابِ الْآخِرَ‌ةِ ۗ

And the better reward in the Hereafter. (148)

The High Station of the Noble Companions:

As obvious, the noble Companions made an error of judgement during the battle of Uhud which forms the subject of admonition and correction in the previous continuity of verses. But, equally worth noticing here are the graces of Allah Almighty showered on the noble Companions side by side with the element of warning. To begin with, by saying لِيَبْتَلِيَكُمْ (so that He may test you) it was made clear that this temporary setback did not come as punishment, rather, it was to test them. Then, comes the statement, وَلَقَدْ عَفَا عَنكُمْ which very clearly proclaims: And, of course, We have forgiven you.’

Did the Noble Companions tilt towards the material?

As stated in the verses, the noble Companions were split in two groups at that time; some sought the mundane while others sought the Hereafter. The question is as to what was done by these revered Companions which identifies them with the seekers of the mundane. Obviously, it was their intention to go and collect spoils which has been equated with the seeking of the mundane. Let us now figure out the reality. If they had held on to their assigned post of duty and, as a result, had not taken part in the collection of spoils, would it have made their due share in the spoil any lesser? And, did their participa¬tion entitle them to some larger share? The Law of Spoils as authenti¬cally proved by the Qur’an and Hadith is common knowledge. They, as the first observers of the operation of the Law, knew it beyond doubt that their due share in the spoils was under no condition subject to being more or less. The fact was that their share in the spoils would have remained the same whether they helped in the collection of spoils or remained on guard at the appointed place of duty.

Keeping this in view, it is obvious that their action cannot be classed as the unqualified pursuit of the material. Instead of that, it is participation in what مجاہدین mujahidin are supposed to do. However, given the workings of human nature, the thought of spoils entering their hearts at that time is not totally unimaginable. But, Allah Almighty has His ways with people; He very much likes to see the hearts of the Companions of His Messenger clean and untouched even by the remotest idea of any tilt towards material possession. So, this very idea of going to possess things of دنیا dunya has been equated with ‘seeking of the mundane’ which explains the element of divine distaste for the action.

These verses form part of the several previous verses relating to the battle of Uhud. The first verse here mentions the sorrows of the sahabah, the noble Companions (رض) of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . The long succeeding verse describes the antidote. The third verse reiter¬ates that the form of defeat they faced was no punishment. It was a test to separate the true and sincere Muslims from the hypocrites. Finally comes the repeated proclamation that the mistake made by the noble Companions has been forgiven.

Commentary:

In the first verse here, the Holy Qur’an describes the exit of the Companions from the battlefield, their inability to come back even when called by the Holy Prophet in person, the conse¬quent grief that afflicted him because of their conduct and, later on, the incidence of the Companions feeling sorry for the sorrow they brought on their master. According to hadith narrations, when Sayy¬idna Ka’b ibn Malik (رض) called out to them, Muslims heard his call and reassembled.

The author of Ruh al-Ma’ani resolves this by saying that the first call came from the Messenger of Allah himself which could not be heard by the Companions and they kept going the way they were going. That was the time when Sayyidna Ka’b ibn Malik (رض) called. Every-body heard him and reassembled.

In Bay-an al-Qur’an, Maulana Ashraf Thanavi (رح) has said that the real reason for this confusion was the news that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has fallen a martyr on the battlefield. When he called, there was obvi¬ously no refutation of the news with the call. Even if his voice can be taken to have reached the retreating Companions, the possibility remains that it was not recognized. Finally, when Sayyidna Ka’b ibn Malik (رض) called out, his call included a refutation of this news mentioning the fact that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was alive. On hearing this, everybody took a sigh of relief and reassembled. As far as the displeasure of Allah and the sorrow of His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) are concerned, these can be explained by saying – if they had stayed unagitated and firm, they could have recognized the calling voice.

The Hardships at Uhud: A Test, not Punishment:

The noble Companions as evident from: وَلِيَبْتَلِيَ اللَّـهُ مَا فِي صُدُورِ‌كُمْ (154), were actually tested through their sufferings at the battle of Uhud. This was no punishment. The objective was to make true and sincere Muslims distinct from the hypocrites. The mode was a ‘test of inner qualities’.

The eloquent Qur’anic expression أَثَابَكُمْ (He awarded you sorrow), which is suggestive of punishment, can be resolved by saying that the outward form was, no doubt, that of punishment but the real purpose was a sort of affectionate correction, something similar to a well-meaning reprimand from a father to his son or a teacher to his student. In common usage, this can be called a punishment of some sort, but this is, in all reality, a form of training and correction. This is very different from a pure legal punishment.

Why did Muslims suffer at Uhud?

The last part of verse 154 beginning with لِيَبْتَلِيَكُمْ (so that Allah may test) seems to indicate that the cause of hardships faced by Muslims was this wise divine arrangement. But, the statement: إِنَّمَا اسْتَزَلَّهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ بِبَعْضِ مَا كَسَبُوا in the verse (155) following immediately seems to suggest that some past mistake of theirs is the cause of this Satanic effect.

The answer is that the particular past mistake was the obvious reason which gave Satan the incentive to make them slip once again, an effort in which the شیطان Satan incidentally succeeded. But there was much more to it; there were wise arrangements made by the Creator behind this slip and its outcome. These have been covered under the expression لِيَبْتَلِيَكُمْ :’so that Allah may test’. In Ruh al-Ma’ani, a report from Zajjaj says that the Satan made them recall some of their sins in the presence of which they hesitated to appear before their Lord. So they moved away from Jihad hoping to fight later on following personal correction and thus meet Allah as martyrs in Jihad.

One sin becomes the Cause of another:

From the last verse we discover that one sin drags in yet another sin, very much like one good deed which pulls in- another good deed. In other words, all deeds – good and bad – have a sort of magnetic pull of their own. When a person accomplishes a good deed, experience shows that other good deeds become easy on him. His very heart starts desiring to do what is good and righteous. Similarly, a person who commits a sin finds that it has cleared the way for other sins. His very heart starts desiring to do what is sinful. Therefore, some elders say: ان من جزاء الحسنۃ الحسنۃ بعدھا ، وان من جزاء السیٔۃ السیٔۃ بعدھا the ready reward of a good deed is another good deed which a person is enabled to accomplish and the ready punishment of an evil deed is another evil deed the way to which has been cleared by the first.’

In Masa’ilus-Suluk, Maulana Ashraf ` Ali Thanavi (رح) has said: As explained in hadith, sin makes the heart dark and when the heart goes dark, Satan شیطان prevails.’

The position of the Noble Companions (رض) in the sight of Allah Almighty :

As briefly stated earlier, the mistakes made by some. noble Companions (رض) at the battle of Uhud were intrinsically serious. The majority from among the fifty Companions who were commanded by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) to guard a hill-top strategic point, with clear instruction not to leave their duty-post, no matter what happens at the battle front underneath, moved away from their assigned place. Granted that the reason for their abandonment of the post of duty was an erroneous independent judgment, as they thought their side had won the battle. The order to guard their post, according to their view, had been carried out, therefore, they thought, they could go down and join in with the rest of Muslims. But, in reality, their action was in clear contravention of definite instructions given by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) .

This mistake of theirs motivated them to leave the battlefield, no matter how this is explained, as reported earlier from Zajjaj. Moreover, this retreat from the battlefield took place while the Messenger of Allah was with them unmoved from the front line and calling them back from behind them. If this situation is viewed without reference to personalities and circumstances that action would certainly be classed as a very serious breach of conduct in a military encounter. In fact, of the many blames imputed to various Companions under the unfortu¬nate genre of Mushajarat (the mutual quarrels and armed confronta¬tions between the noble Companions which took place after the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)) this would be rated as the most serious.

But, something more worthy of consideration is what Allah Almighty has done in their case inspite of all their mistakes. Stated right here in the present verses, is how their grief was physically changed into tranquility through drowsiness. Then, they were told that their suffering was no punishment; it was a matter of test. Then came the clearly worded proclamation of forgiveness for them. It will be recalled that these have appeared earlier, yet they have been reaf¬firmed here. There is an element of wisdom behind this repetition. The first time it was said, the purpose was to comfort the noble Compan¬ions themselves. Incidentally, here is a refutation of what the hypo-crites said to Muslims. They chided them for not acting on their advice, as a result of which they (the Muslims) suffered all those hardships.

In short, all these related verses make it very clear that the Companions of the Messenger of Allah hold a unique position of affec¬tion in His sight inspite of such serious mistakes made by them. Not only that they have been pardoned and forgiven but actually they have been blessed with much more. They have been made special recipients of Allah’s grace and mercy. This is what comes from Allah Almighty Himself through the authentic words of the Holy Qur’an. A similar case, as reported in hadith, relating to Sayyidna Hatib ibn Abi Bilta’ah (رض) was brought before the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . He had written a letter to the mushrikin (disbelievers) of Makkah in which he had passed on information about Muslims living in Madinah. When the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was told about it through a revelation, the letter was intercepted. The noble Companions (رض) were very angry with Sayyidna Hatib ibn Abi Bilta’ah (رض) for what he had done. Sayyidna ` Umar, may Allah be pleased with both of them, asked for permission to behead that ‘hypocrite’. But, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) knew that Hatib was no hypocrite; he was a true, sincere Muslim but he had made a mistake inadvertently. So, he forgave him his mistake and declared that he was one of the people (veterans) of Badr and, perhaps, Allah Almighty has enforced general pardon for all participants of Badr, (This narration appears in all authentic books of ahadith).

The Noble Companions (رض) : Lesson for Muslims

It is based on this affirmation that the followers of Sunnah and Jama` ah (ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah: Muslims who adhere to the practice of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and that of his blessed Companions (رض)  find the confirmation of their belief and practice. That is, even though the noble Companions are not above sin, for sins can be and have been committed by them, but despite this, it is not permissible for the Muslim community to ascribe any evil or defect to them in a derogatory manner. When Almighty and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) forgave such serious slips and errors coming from them and dealt with them generously and mercifully and gave them the great station of (رض) و رضوا عنہ ‘may Allah be pleased with them and may they be pleased with Allah,’ how can anyone claim to have the right to talk about anyone of them in a derogatory manner?

This is why Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar (رض) on hearing somebody satirize Sayyidna ` Uthman al-Ghani (رض) and some noble Companions (رض) by saying that they had run away from the battlefield, the reference being to this incidence at Uhud, said, ‘Nobody has the right to criticize that which Allah has expressly proclaimed to have been forgiven (Sahih al-Bukhari).

Therefore, all doctrinal source-books of the ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama` ah unanimously agree that it is wajib or necessary to honour the position of the noble Companions and to abstain from criticizing, mocking or speaking ill of them. It appears in al-` Aqa` id an-Nasfiyah:

It is necessary that one should not talk about the Companions except in a good manner.

In Sharh al-Musamarah, Ibn Humam has said:

The belief of the followers of the Sunnah is that all Companions were purified and that they be remembered with praise.

This is what appears in Sharh Muwaqif:

It is obligatory to honour the Companions, all of them; and avoiding satire or criticism against them is equally manda¬tory.

Abridged below is what Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah (رح) has said in al-‘Aqidatul Wasitiyah:

“It is a cardinal belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah that Muslims must refrain from accusing or criticizing any Companion of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) in the matter of disagreements or armed conflicts which may have come up among them. There is a reason for this. Most of the narrations imputing drawbacks in them which have crept into history are a pack of lies planted by enemies. They simply have no truth in them. Then, there are others in which the reality has been reversed by additions and alterations. Even if, there was some truth about something, that has to be taken as the independent judgment of the Companions in which they have no choice. Going a step further, we can assume a situation where they may not be helpless but be capable of using their choice, then, what works there is the Divine Law إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ that is, good deeds make up for the bad ones. And it is more than obvious that nobody can claim equality with them in the matter of good deeds. The good they did cannot be matched by the good done by anybody else. Similarly, nobody else can be more deserving of the mercy and forgiveness of Allah Almighty as compared to them. Therefore, nobody has the right to sit on judgment against them and call their deeds to account and in that process, criticise or speak ill of them.”

Even though, the mistake made by Muslims and the abandonment of the battle front by them had caused grief to the Holy Prophet, he did not reproach them for this because of his high morals and his natural way of forgiving and forgetting. He did not even deal with them sternly as may have been in order. But, Allah Almighty willed to see that the Companions (رض) of His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) are comforted and the sense of shock and shame they had for their mistake is washed away. So, in this verse, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) is being asked to deal with them more gently and affectionately and consult with them in matters of concern.

The traits of a patron

The Companions (رض) of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) loved him far beyond the concerns of their own lives and belongings. When they made a mistake acting against his express instructions, there were two dangers. Firstly, it could further increase their sense of shock and affect their normal emotional-rational response. They could even lose hope of mercy, especially when they realized what mistake they had made and how disobedient they had been to the command of their leader. This danger was already eliminated in the previous verse where ‘We awarded you sorrow for sorrow’ means that the return of this mistake has already been given right here in this mortal world and the account in the Hereafter lies clean.

Secondly, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was hurt as a result of this mistake, physically. The spiritual discomfort was already there. It was likely that these two factors may contribute to making the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)  unhappy with his Companions which, in turn, may become a hindrance in his mission to teach and train them. In order to counter this likelihood, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was asked to forgo their mistake, forgive their shortcoming from the depth of his heart and deal with them gently and affectionately in the future as well.

The subject has been taken up with unusual delicacy of style in the Holy Qur’an which, as a corollary, covers some important points of guidance.

1. The diction used to convey the related command to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) is eloquently suggestive of his personal praise, as well as that of his unique human majesty, that is, he has these attrib¬utes in him already built in.
2. The addition of فَبِمَا رَ‌حْمَة (So, it was through mercy from Allah) before the statement is there to affirm that the presence of such attrib¬utes of perfection in his person is but through Divine mercy. This is no personal perfection in its own right. Then, by placing the word, رَ‌حْمَة ‘rahmah’ (mercy) in an indefinite form, hint has been made towards the great and extensive spread of Allah’s mercy which, in turn, makes it very obvious that this mercy is not restricted to the noble Compan-ions only, but extends in full to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) himself for Allah has made him identified with such perfect attributes.
3. The third point made here establishes that the presence of the qualities of gentle manners, good morals, forgiveness and generosity in him serve a purpose. Had these been not there in him, the mission of educating human beings with which he is charged would have never been accomplished as desired. Rather than seek to correct and raise the level of their morals in his company, people would have run away from him.

The Etiquette of دعوہ Da’wah:

By combining elements cited above, there emerges a set of distinct qualities necessary for preaching, no matter what form it takes. Anyone who embarks on the mission of inviting people to Allah, explaining His guidance and calling people towards the right conduct in their best interest, must first inculcate these qualities in him. The reason is obvious. When a possible ‘rough’ or ‘hard-hearted’ approach, even if it happens to come from the very dear Messenger of Allah Almighty, has not been considered fit, who else can dare to gather people created by Allah around him with hostility and negative morals and still hope to seek a change in their behaviour.

In this verse, Allah Almighty has said: ‘Had you been rough and hard-hearted, they would have dispersed from around you.’ This indicates that harshness, in conduct or language, is sheer poison for a da’wah worker or a leader conveying Allah’s message to people. This is a sure way to undo what one intends to achieve.

Then, the verse says: ‘So, pardon them’. This indicates that a da’wah worker or reformer of people should never punish them for their mistakes. Instead, he should forgive and forgo. It is important that he does not get excited or angry when his listeners speak ill of him. The truth is that he should rise higher and treat his tormentors with compassion and leniency.

Soon, after that, the verse says: ‘And seek forgiveness for them’. This seeking of forgiveness for them from Allah Almighty points out to an unusual rule of behaviour. Not only that he should remain patient in what is painful, the Messenger is being asked not to forget seeking their good with utmost sincerity. The best that can be wished for them is their salvation in the life-to-come, the good that waits for them in Akhirah. So, the Messenger is being asked to pray for their forgiveness in order that Allah spares them from His punishment.

Finally, it has been said: وَشَاوِرْ‌هُمْ فِي الْأَمْرِ‌ :’And consult them in the matter’ which means that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) is to seek their advice in matters of concern so that they are fully satisfied and emotionally at peace, as the Messenger of Allah, by following this instruction, will be giving an external form to his intention of doing what is good for them. Thus, the act of his asking them to sit in consul¬tations with him will become an act of mollifying grace.

After having asked the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) to consult with his Companions (رض) ، the verse concludes with the instruction on final decision-making. As regards consultation, the Holy Qur’an has given clear injunctions at two places. The first one appears right here in the verse under commentation while the second one appears in a verse of Surah al-Shura (42:38) where one of the qualities of true Muslims has been identified وَأَمْرُ‌هُمْ شُورَ‌ىٰ بَيْنَهُمْ , ‘ (Every matter of theirs is settled by mutual consultation). There are places where the instruction to consult appears secondarily, for instance, under injunctions relating to suck-ling in Sarah al-Baqarah (2:233) where it is said: عَن تَرَ‌اضٍ مِّنْهُمَا وَتَشَاوُرٍ‌ (Now, if they want to wean, by mutual consent, and consultation, there is no sin on them). The matter of consultation involves some important problems and rulings, therefore, it needs to be explained in some detail which follows.

1. The Meaning of أَمْر : Matter and شُورَ‌ى: Consultation.

The word اَمَر amr is applied for several shades of meaning in the Arabic language. In common usage, it refers to any saying or doing which is of great importance. It is also used to mean an injunction, order, command, rule or authority, the last one being what is meant in the Qur’anic expression اُولی المر ‘ (uli l’amr). Then, the word is also applied to mean a particular attribute of Allah Almighty which finds mention in several verses of the Holy Qur’an, such as: أَلَا لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالْأَمْرُ‌ (Beware, for Him alone is the creation and the command – 7:54); إِلَيْهِ يُرْ‌جَعُ الْأَمْرُ‌ كُلُّهُ (To Him the whole matter shall be returned – 11:123), إِنَّ الْأَمْرَ‌ كُلَّهُ لِلَّـهِ (The whole thing belongs to Allah – 3:154); أَمْرُ‌هُ إِلَى اللَّـهِ (His matter is upto Allah – 2:275) and according to authentic scholars, the use of the word, amr, in قُلِ الرُّ‌وحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ‌ رَ‌بِّي (Say: The spirit is by a command of my Lord’ ) (17:85) carries the same meaning as identified in the verses appearing immediately above.

As far as the meaning of the word امر amr, in the Qur’anic verses: وشَاوِرْ‌هُمْ فِي الْأَمْرِ‌ (And consult them in the matter -3:159) and وَأَمْرُ‌هُمْ شُورَ‌ىٰ بَيْنَهُمْ (And a matter of theirs is (settled) by a consultation between themselves -42:38) is concerned, it can be said that there is the possibility to assign both the first as well as the second. If it is said that the word has been used here in the first sense while the second meaning is inclusive therein, that would not be something far-fetched since affairs relating to command and authority are all very important. Therefore, the word, امر amr as used in the verses quoted immediately above means every matter or affair which is particularly important irrespective of whether it belongs to the area of authority or mutual dealings.

The Arabic words, شُورَ‌ىٰ shura (counsel), مشورہ mashwarah (consultation) and مشاورت Mushawarat (mutual consultation) mean the soliciting of advice and counsel in something that needs deliberation. Therefore, the expres¬sion وشَاوِرْ‌هُمْ فِي الْأَمْرِ‌ in the present verse means that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has been commanded here to consult with or seek the advice of his noble Companions in matters that need deliberation, which include those of authority and government.

Similarly, the verse from Surah a1-Shura cited above – – means that in every important matter (which) needs deliberation, whether it belongs to the field of authority and government or to some-thing important other than these, the customary practice of true Muslims is that they work through mutual consultation.

2. The Status of Consultation in Islamic Law

From the statements of the Holy Qur’an cited above and from related ahadith of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، it becomes clear that mutual consultation in a matter likely to have more than one opinion, whether it be related to the concerns of authority or to an issue other than that, is a sunnah of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and the noble Companions (رض) and is a source of blessings in the mortal world and in the eternal life of the Hereafter. This view has the support of the Holy Qur’an and the Hadith. As far as matters which relate to people, such as the affairs of authority and government, are concerned seeking consultation in them is obligatory. (Ibn Kathir)

In his Shu` bul-‘Iman, al-Baihaqi (رح) has reported from Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar (رض) that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has said: ‘A person who intends to do something, then goes in consultation and comes up with a decision to do or not to do that, he gets from Allah Almighty guidance towards an option which is correct and beneficial.’

It appears in ahadith: ‘When your rulers are from the best among you and your rich people are generous and your affairs are decided through mutual consultation, then, to live on the surface of the earth is better for you. And should your rulers be the worst among you and your rich people be close-fisted and your affairs be entrusted to women, then, to be buried under the earth shall be better than your continuing to live.’

It means that, when the worship of desires overpowers you, so much so that you, ignoring all concerns of the good and the bad, the harmful and the beneficial, simply to seek the goodwill of a woman, entrust your affairs in her hands, then, for you, death is better than living through those times. Otherwise, seeking the opinion of a woman as well while making consultations is no taboo, and certainly not prohibited. This is proved by the consistent practice of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and his blessed Companions (رض) . In the verse from Sarah al-Baqarah (2:233) cited a little earlier, the Holy Qur’an has said: ‘Now, if they want to wean, by mutual consent, and consultation, there is no sin on them.’ Since this matter here concerns the woman, there-fore, consultation with the woman has been specially made binding on the man.

In a hadith, the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم has been reported to have said: المستشار مؤتمن اذا استشیرفلیشرہ بما ھو صانع لنفسه :’The person whose counsel is sought is a trustee. When he counsels, then, he must counsel with what he would propose to his ownself (to do otherwise is a breach of trust) ‘. This hadith has been reported with good authority from Sayy¬idna ` Ali (رض) by al-Tabarani in al-Mu’jam al-Awsat (see a1-Mazhari).

At this point, it is necessary to bear in mind that consultation is an act of Sunnah only in situations where some clear and categorical injunction from the Qur’an or Hadith does not exist. Otherwise, in the presence of a clear and categorical injunction of the Shari’ah, no consultation with anybody is needed. This is not permissible either. For example, if somebody went about consulting in – ‘should I make my salah or should I not?’ ‘Should I pay my zakah or should I not?’ or ‘Should I perform my Hajj or should I not?’ – then, this would be absurd. These are not things you consult about. They are absolutely mandatory under the Shari’ah of Islam. However, the option of making consultation about how to go for Hajj is open and one can seek advice on questions like – should he go this year, or next; should he go by sea, or by air; should he go by land, or by some other method.

The same holds true about zakah. One can consult about where and on whom it has to be spent, for the Shari’ ah has left these on the choice of the payer.

In a hadith, the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم has been reported to have explained this himself. Sayyidna ` Ali  رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہ says that he asked the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) : ‘If, after you, we are confronted by a situation the injunction for which has not been explicitly revealed in the Qur’an, and about which we have heard nothing from you as well, what are we supposed to do?’ The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: ‘For a matter like this, get together from among you pious men who are consistently devoted to the worship of their Lord and who have deep and extensive understanding of the Faith (fuqaha’ ) and decide the matter following their mutual counsel. Do not decide on the basis of someone’s solitary opinion.’

The first, out of the two things that we learn from this hadith is that consultation is not restricted to worldly affairs. Instead, the fact is that mutual consultation in situations where clear نصوص nu’ sus (plural of نص nass meaning textual authority) from the Qur’an and Hadith in matters governed by the injunctions of Shari’ ah do not exist is an act of Sunnah. We can say that mutual consultation will be an act of Sunnah if made in situations where textual authority from the Qur’an and Sunnah is not available. The second rule we learn is that advice should be taken from people who are known for their understanding of the’ Faith and devotion to their obligations to Allah (Ruh al-Ma` ani) Al Khatib al-Baghdadi, to whom the deduction given above is credited, has reported another hadith from Sayyidna Abu Hurairah (رض) which says: استرشدوا العاقل ولا تعصوہ فتندموا (Seek counsel from the wise person and do not act against it, otherwise you will regret.).

By putting the above two ahadith together, we learn that two quali¬ties are necessary for the members of the consultative council. Firstly, they should be wise, perceptive and advice-worthy, and secondly, they should be pious and devoted to ` ibadah. In other words, they should be deserving of giving advice and should be God-fearing in their conduct. If the matter to be discussed involves problems relating to Islamic Law, it is incumbent that they be faqih (juriconsult: expert in Islamic Law and Jurisprudence) as well.

Consultation of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) with his Companions

The verse under discussion here orders the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) to consult his Companions (رض) . This raises a certain difficulty here. Isn’ t it that he is the Messenger of Allah and the blessed recipient of revelation? Why, then, should he need to consult anyone? Since, every-thing can come to his knowledge through the medium of revelation from Allah Almighty, some scholars interpret this command to consult by saying that the Messenger of Allah was neither in need to be coun¬selled, nor anything he did depended on such counsel. The command to consult given to him is simply to honour the blessed Companions and mollify their broken hearts. But, Imam Abu Bakr al-Jassas (رح) does not agree with this view.

According to him this is not correct, for being involved in consultation – while knowing that one’s counsel will not be acted upon, nor would it affect any proceedings of the agenda – will make the whole thing ineffectual. If so, no heart will be mollified and no honour will be sustained. Instead, the truth of the matter is that a course of action to be taken by the Messenger of Allah is identified through revelation directly by Allah Almighty. This holds good in all general matters. But, there are certain matters which, under the dictates of the wisdom and mercy of Allah Almighty, are left to the opinion and discretion of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . It is in such matters alone where consultation is needed, and these are the kind of matters in which he has been commanded to seek consultation. The history of the consultative sittings of the Messenger of Allah confirms this view.

When the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) consulted with the Compan¬ions (رض) about the battle of Badr, they said that should he ask them to jump into a river, they would do just that; and if he commanded them to march to a far out place such as Bark al-Ghamad, they will be with him; and they would never act like the companions of Musa (عليه السلام) who said: فَاذْهَبْ أَنتَ وَرَ‌بُّكَ فَقَاتِلَا ‘Go, you and your Lord, and fight the disbelievers’ – 5:24; on the contrary, we shall fondly submit: ‘You lead the way, we shall fight the enemy with you, in front of you and in the rear and the right and the left.’

Similarly, he consulted them about the battle of Uhud asking them if they should defend Madinah by staying inside the city limits or should they go out of the city limits and confront the enemy in the open. The general opinion of the Companions was that they should do the latter and this was what he accepted to do. In the battle of خندق Khandaq, the question of accepting peace under the terms of a partic¬ular treaty came up for discussion. Sayyidna Sa’d ibn Mu’ adh and Sa’d ibn ` Ubadah (رض) opposed the proposed treaty on the grounds that it was inappropriate. It was the opinion of these two Companions that he finally accepted. When he went into consultations on a matter pertaining to Hudaybiyah, the opinion of Sayyidna Abu Bakr (رض) was the basis of his final decision. The Companions were also consulted following the incident of Ifk (false imputation against Sayyidah ` A’ishah (رض) but this and all other matters pointed out were those in which no particular position to be taken by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was determined through revelation.

To sum up, being a prophet, a messenger and a recipient of revela¬tion is not a bar against consultation. Moreover, in the case of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) it cannot be said that his seeking of counsel from the Companions was ever designed to please them artificially, or that it was virtually ineffectual in the conduct of affairs. On the contrary, the truth is that there were many occasions when he accepted the opinion of those present during consultation even if it happened to be against his own. In fact, in some situations where a particular line of action had not been determined for the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) through reve¬lation, and in its absence he had worked through consultation, there is great divine wisdom. The objective is that the practice of the Holy Prophet     صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم comes to be established for all future generations of Muslims.

Thus, the seeking of consultation as a Sunnah shall become binding on the whole ummah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) Imagine when he himself has not been left free of the need of consulta¬tion who else can claim to be free of such need? For this reason, the method of mutual consultation always continued to be operative during the blessed times of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and his noble Companions (رض) particularly in matters where there was no clear injunction in the Qur’an and Sunnah. When the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) passed away from this mortal world, the noble Companions continued following his practice. Still later, mutual consultation was resorted to as the modality to deduce rulings of Islamic Law in matters where clear injunction was not found in the Qur’an and Sunnah. This was actually the method taught by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) in answer to a question put by Sayyidna Ali (رض) .

4. The Status of Consultation in an Islamic State:

As stated earlier, the Holy Qur’an has given clear instructions about مشورہ mashwarah or consultation at two places. One appears right here in the verse under study; the other one comes up in verse 42:38 of Sarah al-Shura where one of the many qualities of true Muslims has been mentioned وَأَمْرُ‌هُمْ شُورَ‌ىٰ which means that their affairs are settled by mutual consultation. At both these places the word, امر amr (matter) has been mentioned along with مشورہ mashwarah (consultation). Discussed in detail earlier, the word, امر amr, signifies any important saying or doing, while at the same time, it is applied to injunction, rule or authority or government. No matter which of the two meanings is taken, consultation in the affairs of the government emerges as invari¬ably necessary, based on these verses. If one elects to take this to mean the affairs of the government, then, the necessity is all the more obvious. In case, the word is taken in its general sense, the affairs of a government being important and far-reaching in effect, would still be considered as affairs in which consultation will be inevitable. There-fore, it is one of the duties of the Muslim امر Amir, the chief executive of the community, that he should seek the counsel of those responsible for the affairs of the government in matters that are important. The verses of the Qur’an quoted above and the consistent practice of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and of the rightly-guided Caliphs is a clear proof of this requirement.

These two verses not only highlight the need for consultation very clearly, they also point out to some basic principles of Islam’s system of government, and its constitution. The Islamic government is a govern¬ment by consultation in which the امر amir or chief executive is chosen , by consultation and definitely not as a matter of family inheritance. It is a بر کہ barakah of Islamic teachings that this principle is recognized all over the world, in one or the other form, so much so that hereditary monar¬chies too are moving towards this arrangement, willingly or unwill¬ingly.

But, let us go back 1400 years in history when the super-powers were Cyrus and Ceaser. The common factor between them was that they both headed hereditary empires and the authority of government was vested in their own persons. Thus, one man ruled millions, not on the basis of ability or capacity, but on the strength of the cruel prin¬ciple of hereditary possession of sovereignty. This form of government, an insult to all human beings, was the way all over the world except Greece where the early teachings of a democratic order of life had yet to translate into principles that would go on to establish a stable government. Instead of that, these ideas relegated into a branch of Aristotelian philosophy. As opposed to this, Islam demolished the unnatural principle of government through heredity and gave the choice of appointing and dismissing the chief executive to the people – a power they could use through their representatives shouldering the responsibilities of the affairs of the state. The world, once stuck in the quagmire of traditional monarchy, came to know about this natural and just system through Islamic teachings and this happens to be the spirit of a system of government we now know as democracy.

But, modern democracies, since they appeared as a reaction to cruel monarchies, came out with an equal lack of moderation. They went on to give the masses the sense of being the absolute, the ulti¬mate entity, an unbridled sovereign of the system of government and the law of state, to the extent that their minds and hearts became alienated from the very concept of God, the Creator of the earth and the heavens and of all human beings, not to say much about the concept of His real Sovereignty and Rule, which comes as a result of that cardinal belief. Now the situation has reached a stage where their ‘democracy’ has started taking the restrictions imposed by Allah Almighty on public choice – which in itself was conferred on human beings by Him – as something of a burden, contrary to justice and equity (of their brand).

The way Islamic Law liberated the whole world from Cyruses, Ceasers and other despotic monarchies, it has also shown the way of God to western democracies trying to hide from Him behind secular curtains. Islam’s way is no more a secret. Its teachings clearly say that the rulers and the ruled, the governments and their peoples are all subject to the Law given by Allah Almighty. The masses, their repre¬sentative assemblies, law-making, appointment and removal of office-holders must operate within the parameters set by Allah Almighty. It is their duty to see that full consideration is given to ability and merit, in the choice of the chief executive, holders of offices and responsible positions. In addition to that, their honesty and trustworthiness should be weighed and tested. When it comes to selecting the chief executive of their government, they must select the one who is the best of all in knowledge, fear of Allah, honesty, trustworthiness, ability and political experience. Even this chief executive, elected though he may be, is not totally free, unchecked and despotic. He has to seek counsel from those who are capable of giving such counsel. The Holy Qur’an bears witness to this and so does the constant practice of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and of the great rightly-guided Caliphs, may Allah be pleased with them all. Who, else can claim to be more just than them?

Sayyidna ` Umar (رض) has said:

There is no Khilafah (Caliphate) unless it be with consulta

tion. (Kanzul-‘ummal vide Ibn Abi Shaybah)

Government by consultation is a basic Islamic requirement so much so that a chief executive .or head of the state, if he ever unfetters himself from the need for consultation or takes counsel from those who are not fit to give counsel from the point of view of the Shari’ah of Islam, has to be removed of necessity.

It appears in al-Bahr al-Muhit of Abi Hayyan: Ibn ` Atiyyah (رح) said that Consultation is one of the basic principles of Islamic Law and Faith. He who does not consult with those who know must be removed as a matter of obligation. This is what nobody differs about.

By making consultation mandatory, the blessings that would benefit the Islamic state and its citizens could be measured by what the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said about consultation. Ibn ‘Adi and al Baihaqi have reported from Sayyidna ibn ` Abbas (رض) that when this verse was revealed, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: ‘Allah and His Messenger do not need this consultation, but Allah Almighty has certainly made it a source of mercy for my community’ (Bayan al-Qur’an).

The purport is, if Allah Almighty had so willed, He would have conveyed everything to His Messenger through revelation. It was within His power not to leave any need for consultation in anything. But, it was in the best interest of the Muslim community that Allah Almighty helped establish the practice of consultation through His Messenger. This is why many matters were left without any mention and about which no particular revelation was sent down. About these, the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم          was instructed to seek consultation.

5. Consultation: Decision-Making after a difference of opinion:

What happens when opinions differ on a certain matter? Would it be decided on the contemporary parliamentary principle? Would the chief executive be compelled to enforce the decision of the majority? Or, would he have the right to take a course of action on the basis of powerful arguments and obvious welfare of the state, coming from any side, no matter whether in a majority or a minority? From the Holy Qur’an and Hadith and from the constant practice of the noble Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and his Companions, it cannot be proved that the امیر amir of Muslims, their head of the state is helplessly bound-by the decision of the majority. On the contrary, some hints from the Qur’an and clarifica¬tions from the Hadith and the practice of the Companions make it very evident that the امیر Amir can, in the event of a difference of opinion, use his discretion and go by any of the several courses of action, irrespec¬tive of the fact that it comes from the majority or the minority. There is no doubt that the امیر Amir will do his best to look into other opinions as well to satisfy himself fully, but should the majority come to agree, on one opinion, this could, at times, become a source of satisfaction to him.

A close look at this verse would show that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، after he has been commanded to seek counsel, is being told:    فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّـه …and once you have taken a decision, place your trust in Allah’. Here, the word عظم ، ` azm in عظمتَ “azamta’ meaning a firm decision, one way or the other, has been ascribed to the Holy Prophet . The text does not say عظمتم ، ` azamtum, a second person plural, which would have suggested the participation of the Companions in the final making and enforcing of the decision. This hint proves that, once the process of consultation has been completed, the decision and its enforcement is the valid prerogative of the chief executive. There were times when Sayyidna ` Umar ibn al-Khattab (رض) would give his decision based on the opinion of Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas (رض) ، if his opinion was weightier argument-wise, something done even when present there would be Companions more senior than Sayyidna ibn ` Abbas (رض) in age, learning and seniority. There were many occasions when the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has preferred the opinions of the revered شیخین Shaykhayn Abu-Bakr and ` Umar رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہما ، against the majority of other Companions to the limit that people thought this verse was revealed for consultation with these two only. Hakim reports from Sayyidna ibn ` Abbas in his Mustadrak:

Ibn ` Abbas says, that the pronoun in وشاورھم ‘shawirhum’ (consult them) refers to Abu Bakr and ` Umar (رض) (Ibn Kathir)

The narration of Kalbi is clearer than this:

Ibn ` Abbas says that this verse has been revealed for consulting with Abu Bakr and ` Umar. These two were special Companions of the Messenger of Allah and his Ministers and the patrons of Muslims. (Ibn Kathir)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, had once addressed Sayyidna Abu Bakr and ` Umar (رض) in the following words:

When you agree on an opinion, I do not decide against you.

(Ibn Kathir with reference to the Musnad of Ahmad)

A doubt and its answer:

It is not likely that someone objects to this procedure of decision-making saying that all this is against democracy, a model of one-man rule and that this system might hurt the rights of the masses.

The answer is that the Islamic system of government has already taken care of this problem, for it has not given the masses the absolute right to make anyone they wish the امیر amir of an Islamic state. On the contrary, the mandate given to them requires that they must select a person they think is the best of all in knowledge, conduct, functional ability, Godliness and honesty, and then elect him to be the امیر amir. Now a person who has been elected in view of such elegant qualities and attributes should certainly not be subjected to restrictions usually placed on the dishonest, the sinful and the debauch. Doing this would be against reason and justice, an act of discouragement to the genuine servant of people and a hindrance in the promotion of community-oriented action.

6. Do what you can, then place your trust in Allah:

At this point, especially at the conclusion of the verse, it is very important to bear in mind that this instruction has been given after having prescribed consultation in all important affairs including those of government. The crucial guideline given here is: Even after having made all preparations, when you finally decide to go ahead and do what has to be done, then that is the time when you do not simply (place your) trust in your reason, opinion, plans or preparedness but, instead of that, you should place your trust in Allah alone, for all these considered plans are in the direct control of the supreme Planner of all affairs and matters. With this in view, the less is said about human beings and their plans is better. Man himself is witness to the futility of his plans in the thousands of events in his life-time.

The statement, ‘And once you have taken a decision, place your trust in Allah’ also clarifies that placing one’s trust in Allah does not mean that the efforts to provide means and make plans should be abandoned. The fact is that placing one’s trust in Allah while leaving off means near at hand is contrary to the blessed practice of prophets, and against the teachings of the Holy Qur’an. However, if one sits idle dreaming about distant means and irrelevant concerns, or if one relies solely on means and plans as effective agents and ignores the Prime Causer of means and the Planner-par-Excellence of all affairs and plans, then this would certainly be against توکل tawakkul, the placing of trust in Allah.

Commentary:

The verse مَا كَانَ لِنَبِيٍّ أَن يَغُلَّ translated as, ‘And it is not (conceivable) for a prophet to misappropriate the spoils – 161’, has a particular back-ground of its revelation. As a corollary, the problem of ‘Ghulul’, that is, misappropriation in the spoils, comes into focus.

Misappropriation in the spoils: A sin which cannot be ascribed to any prophet by any stretch of imagination:

The background, as narrated by al-Tirmidhi, is that a sheet was found missing from the spoils collected in the battle of Badr. Some people said that the sheet may have been, perhaps, taken by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . If those who said that were hypocrites, the source speaks for itself. May be, this came from a less-initiated

Muslim thinking that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) had the right to do that. Thereupon, this verse was revealed which said that ghulul is a great sin to be punished severely on Doomsday and that the very thought of linking this sin to a prophet is an ugly audacity, .for prophets are free of all sins (: معصوم ma` sum).

The word, ghulul غُلُل is also used in the absolute sense for خیانہ khiyanah, a breach of trust, (misappropriation, pilferage and stealing). This is also applied particularly to misappropriation in the spoils as the crime of stealing from the spoils is far more serious as compared to common thefts and filching since spoils belong to the whole Muslim army as a matter of right. So, whoever steals from it steals from hundreds and thousands of people. Even if there comes the thought of making amends at some later stage, it would be very difficult to give back to everyone what was due to be given, or seek their forgiveness for the injustice done.

This is contrary to other types of thefts where the owner of the stolen property is known. In this case, there is the chance that one may repent, if Allah gives the ability to do so, and that which was stolen could be returned back to the owner, or one could, at the least, exonerate himself from the blame by seeking forgiveness from him. This is illustrated by what happened at one of the battles fought by Muslims. Someone who had secretly withheld a portion of wool from the spoils thought about it after the distribution of the spoils was over. He brought it before the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) hoping to return it. But he, inspite of being ‘mercy for the worlds’ and far more generous to his community than fathers and mothers could ever dream to be for their children, he returned it back to him saying: How can I distribute it over the whole army now? Now it is you who would present yourself with it on the Day of Doom.

Therefore, the punishment for ghulul or misappropriation is more severe as compared to common thefts. What else could be more severe for the misappropriator when he, before the eyes of the whole creation on the plains of resurrection and retribution, will find himself disgraced with what he had stolen all stacked on his neck? A narration from Sayyidna Abu Hurairah (رض) appearing in Al-Bukhari and Muslim reports that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: ‘Watch out, lest I see one of you with a camel loaded round his neck (and the announcement being made that this person had stolen a camel from the spoils). If this person asks me to intercede on his behalf, I shall tell him frankly that I had conveyed what Allah had commanded, now I cannot do anything about it.’

May Allah protect us from this disgrace of the Day we rise again which, according to some narrations, will be so hard on those who face it that they would wish to be sent to the fires of جھنم Jahannam in lieu of this terrible disgrace.

Misappropriation in Waqf properties and government Treasu¬ries comes under Ghulul: غلول

The same rule applies to mosques, religious schools and institu-tions, khanqahs and properties of اوقاف awqaf (endowments) since they represent the contribution of millions of Muslims. If an unfortunate misappropriator was to go about seeking to be forgiven for his evil act, how could he possibly go to each one of those millions. The same rule holds good for public or government treasury بیت المال (Bayt al-Mal) because all citizens of a country have a right in it. One who steals from it steals from everyone. But, the problem is that these very holdings are such that a single owner does not sit over them. The caretakers become negligent. Avenues of pilferage abound. It is in such moneys and prop¬erties that a lot of thefts and misappropriations have become rampant all over the world with most people heedless to the evil end that awaits them. They do not realize that this is a terrible burden to haul onto the plains of Resurrection, not to speak of the punishment of Hell that is bound to come as a result of this crime. Then, last but not the least, comes the sad deprivation from the promised intercession of the Messenger of Allah. Let us all seek refuge from such a fate!

The Prophet of Islam: a great blessing for the Humanity

Verse 164 speaks of the great favour Allah has shown to the Muslims by sending the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) towards them. The basic functions assigned to him are also mentioned in the same verse. These are the same functions which were attributed to him in the prayer of Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) as referred to by the Holy Qur’an in Surah al-Baqarah. The details of these functions have already been discussed in the first volume of this book under the said verse (2:129).

What is new in the present verse is the statement: ‘And Allah has surely conferred favour on the believers’. Two points about this state¬ment are worth mentioning here:

(1) The words on the believers’ in this verse apparently mean that the advent of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was a favour conferred on the Muslims only while at another place the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has been held as رَ‌حْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ :’the Mercy for all the worlds’ which includes both Muslims and non-Muslims. In order to resolve this apparent contradiction one must understand that the particularization of this quality with ‘believers’ in the present verse is very much like saying that the Holy Qur’an is ‘guidance for the God-fearing هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ while the fact that the Holy Qur’an is a guidance for the whole humanity is clearly proved by other verses of the Qur’an. However, there are places where this universal status of the Qur’an has been particularized to the God-fearing. There is a common reason operating at both places, that is, the beneficial coming of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) is a great blessing and a great favour for the Muslim and the non-Muslim alike, just as the Qur’an is a Book of Guidance for the entire humanity. But the true Muslims and the God-fearing are the only ones who derived the fullest benefit out of these. At some places, therefore, the blessing and the guidance were particularized with them.

(2) In order to explain the primary statement in the verse which declares that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) is the greatest possible blessing and favour for the believers or for the whole humanity, it can be said that the statement hardly needed any explanation. only if modern man was not all that blind to the spiritual side of life and, at the same time, was sacrificing every good thing for the sake of naked material gains. Had this not been so, every reasonable person would have found out the reality of this great blessing all by himself without anybody having to tell him about it. But, the problem is that modern man has turned out to be no more than the smartest animal among the animals of the world. Tell him about ‘favour’ and ‘blessing’ and he would immediately start seeing what fills his stomach and whets his desires. He has practically stopped thinking about the basic reality of his being which is رُوح ruh, his spirit. That something good should happen to it and that something can go wrong with it are concerns he pays no heed to, not in the least.

Therefore, there is the need to explain that man is not simply a being of bones and flesh. That is certainly not his reality. The reality of man is his رُوح ruh, the spirit which is contained within him. So far as this رُوح ruh is there in his body, man is what man is. His claims to humanity stand proved. He may be weak or he may be dying, nobody can dare usurp his property or take his rights away from him. But, once this رُوح ruh leaves his body, he ceases to be man, no matter how strong and well-built he may be with all parts of his body in their ideal form and shape. His ceasing to be what he was means that he now has no personal right in his own property and possessions. Prophets (عليهم السلام) come into the world to nurture the human spirit correctly, to make human beings out of men so that actions which issue forth from their bodies turn out to be beneficial to humanity and that they do not go about the world hurting other human beings like beasts and snakes. Instead of that, they should also think about their end and start working for the everlasting life of the Hereafter.

Our blessed Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) who leads the way among the great company of prophets has a unique majesty when it comes to the mission of making men real human beings. This was exactly what he did during his Makkan life. The men he turned out formed a society of human beings which stands way ahead of even the angels. Never had the earth, nor the heavens, seen such men, each one of them, a living miracle of the Messenger of Allah, may the blessings of Allah be upon him. What happens after them? The answer is that he left behind his own footprints, and theirs, as well as teachings and the methods to institute and promote, which can be followed and acted upon. Those who do so sincerely and honestly can still reach the stations that were reached by the noble Companions. These teachings are there for the entire humanity to benefit from. Therefore, his having graced this world and his being born generous is a great favour shown to the universal kingdom of human beings, though true Muslims are the ones who have reaped the fullest benefit from these blessings

Inci-dentally, there is another cause of comfort here in the martyrdom of Muslims in the battle, for Allah has conferred such rewards on them so that others should envy them. So, very appropriately, in وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ the special merits of martyrs have been taken up in the verse that follows (169).

The special merits and ranks of those who sacrifice their lives in the way of Allah

In addition to this statement of the Holy Qur’an, the merits of the martyrs have been taken up in great detail in sound ahadith. According to Imam Al-Qurtubi (رح) ، the shuhada’ (martyrs) have different ranks and states of being which should be taken into consideration while looking at descriptions in Hadith narrations.

The very first distinction of martyrs mentioned here is that they have not died; rather, they have begun to live eternally. At this point, it is worth noticing that their death and burial in a grave is something physically witnessed and realized by many, yet the Qur’an has, in several verses, clearly instructed that they should not be addressed or taken as dead. What does this mean? If this was supposed to be an interim state of life, after death and before resurrection, referred to as the state of برزخ Barzakh in Islamic terminology, that would not take us very far, for that is something commonly experienced by believers and disbelievers both, when the spirit continues to live after physical death and goes through a question-answer situation following which the true and the righteous among Muslims are welcomed to comfort and the disbelievers and the sinners are consigned to the punishment of the grave. This is proved by the Qur’an and Sunnah. Now, that the interim life of برزخ Barzakh is established as common to all, what is so special about شُھَدا shuhada’ (martyrs)?

The answer is given by this very verse where it is said that the شُھَدا shuhada’, i.e., those killed in the way of Allah, are blessed with provi¬sions of Paradise from Him, and it is obvious that رزق ‘rizq’ (provision or sustenance) is needed by and given to the living. From here we know that sustenance starts reaching the شھید shahid (martyr) immediately after the شھید shahid leaves the frame of his life in the mortal world. In this manner, the شھید shahid enters into a special type of life right away from that point of time, something which has a status distinct from that of ‘the dead’ of our common experience (Qurtubi).

There are no easy answers to questions such as – what is that distinct status and what is the nature of that life? The only answer is that its reality remains unknown to all except to the Creator of the universe; nobody has the power to know what is it – nor is there, for that matter, any need to know. Nevertheless, there are times when the effect of their special life does show up on their bodies buried in this world, that is, the earth they rest in does not eat them up but leaves them good and intact (Qurtubi). There have been many incidents where this phenomena has been physically witnessed.

Commentary:

The subject of the previous verse was the battle of Uhud connected with which is the battle of Hamra’ al-Asad which forms the subject of the present verse. Hamra’ al-Asad is a place eight miles away from Madinah.

The background of this event, mentioned briefly under introductory remarks about verse 151, is that the disbelievers of Makkah left the battlefield of Uhud, reached a certain distance where they realized that they had made a mistake by retreating. Since they had almost won the battle, they should have gone for the final assault and finished off the Muslim forces. The thought so gripped them that they started getting ready to march back to Madinah. But, Allah Almighty cast such awe and fear in their hearts that they found it more conven¬ient to march back home to Makkah. They still left a message with a passing group of travellers to Madinah asking them to give a warning to Muslims that they were coming back after them with all their awesome strength. The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) found this out through a revelation and he reached Hamra’ al-Asad in hot pursuit (Ibn Jarir, cited by Ruh al-Ma’ani).

It appears in Tafsir al-Qurtubi that, on the second day of Uhud, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) made an announcement before his muja¬hidin that they have to pursue the disbelievers but the attacking company will be composed of those who were active participants in yesterday’s battle. Two hundred مجاھدین mujahidin rose following this announcement.

A report in Sahih al-Bukhari states that seventy people stood up following the announcement by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) as to who was ready to go after the disbelievers. Among those were people who had been severely wounded in the battle a day earlier, some even had to be helped in walking. This blessed company marched to appre¬hend the disbelievers. When they reached Hamra’ al-Asad, they met Nu’aym ibn Masud who told them that Abu Sufyan has assembled together a much larger force once again and he is all set to invade Madinah and eliminate its people. Injury-ridden and much weakened Companions (رض) heard this disturbing news yet it was in one voice that they said: We do not know him حَسْبُنَا اللَّـهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ (Allah is sufficient for us and He is the best caretaker.)

On the one hand there was this news broken to Muslims so they get terrorized, but nothing of this sort happened to them. On the other hand, there was the instance of Ma’bad al-Khuza` i, a man from the tribe of Bahl Khuza` ah. He was on his way to Makkah. Though not a Muslim, he was a well-wisher of Muslims – his tribe was an ally of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . So, when he saw Abu Sufyan repenting his retreat from Madinah and all too resolved to go back and fight, he told Abu Sufyan: ‘You are making a mistake by thinking that Muslim forces have become weak. I have just passed by a huge army of theirs camped at Hamra’ al-Asad. Armed with an array of men and mate¬rials, they are about to set out in hot pursuit against you.’ This report from him put the awe of Muslim forces in his (Abu Sufyan) heart.

This event has been related in three verses (172-174) given above. It has been said in the first verse (172) that despite injuries and hardships from the Battle of Uhud, when Allah and His Messenger called them up for another Jihad, they were ready for that too. Worth noticing at this point is the fact that the Muslims being praised here had two distinguishing features. The first one appears in مِن بَعْدِ مَا أَصَابَهُمُ الْقَرْ‌حُ (even after they had received the wound) which means that those who responded to the call of Allah and His Messenger were people wounded at the Battle of Badr. Seventy of their brave companions had met their martyrdom on the battlefield while they themselves were riddled with injuries all over their bodies, yet when they were called to serve again, they immediately agreed to join the Jihad.

The second distinctive feature has been mentioned in the words: them who did good and feared Allah) which estab¬lished that these people were not simply some great achievers on the battlefield striving incessantly and staking their lives for a noble cause, but they also imbibed in their person the highest virtues of Ihsan (righteous conduct) and Taqwa (fear of Allah). Thus, this very blessed combination of virtues is the cause of their great reward.

Removing a doubt

Let there be no doubt about the word: مِنْهُمْ (literally of them’ ) used here. It should not be taken to mean that all these people were not armed with the virtues of Ihsan and Taqwa – only some of them were. The simple reason is that the preposition: مِن min (of, some of) used here is not divisive or partitive. It is, rather, doubtlessly narrative which is confirmed by the very opening words of this very verse: الَّذِينَ اسْتَجَابُوا (Those who responded to the call). From this, it is clear that such response and submission simply cannot materialize without having the qualities of Ihsan and Taqwa ingrained in one’s personality. That is why most commentators have declared that the preposition: مِن min (of, some of) has been used here in the narrative sense. In short, the essen¬tial meaning of the verse is that all these people had rewards waiting for them.

Striving to achieve something good even at the cost of one’s life is not enough unless there is total sincerity behind it

Anyway, this particular mode of address leads us to an essential rule of conduct which is: No matter how good is an effort made and no matter how many sacrifices of wealth and life one makes to achieve that end, it can be reward-worthy in the sight of Allah only when it is simultaneously backed by Ihsan and Taqwa. Therefore, the essence of the observation is that the deed undertaken must be for the good pleasure of Allah alone. Otherwise simple feats of bravery, some of which come even at the cost of one’s dear life, are just about no lesser among disbelievers as well.

In its ultimate reality, the command of the Messenger of Allah is the command of Allah.

In this event, it will be recalled that the command to pursue the disbelievers was given by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . This does not find mention in any verse of the Holy Qur’an. But, in this particular verse, when the obedience of those people is praised, the command was attributed to both Allah and His Messenger as evident from the words of the text: الَّذِينَ اسْتَجَابُوا لِلَّـهِ وَالرَّ‌سُولِ (172): ‘Those who responded to the call of Allah and the Messenger. This proves very clearly that the command which the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) gives is also the command of Allah even though it has not been mentioned in the Book of Allah.

As for those irreligious deviants who reject Hadith and belittle the status of the Messenger of Allah by restricting it to that of a courier (God forbid), a simple statement, that Allah Almighty has openly declared the command of the Messenger as His own, should be enough to understand the truth – if understanding is what they seek. This statement, moreover, also makes it clear that the Messenger can also by himself and at his discretion, set up rules in accordance with expe¬dient considerations, and all such rules have the same status as that enjoyed by the commandments of Allah.

The Definition of Ihsan

Mentioned several times during the comments given above, the word Ihsan generally means the performance of good deeds with the best of effort and discretion. However, the basic definition of Ihsan was given by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) himself as reported in the well-known ‘hadith of Jibra’il’. The actual words are:

That is, worship Allah as if you are seeing Him; and if it is not possible for you to (imagine that you) see Him, then, (imagine that) He sees you anyway.

The Definition of Taqwa

The word, Taqwa, has been interpreted variously but the most comprehensive definition is what was given by the blessed Companion Ubayy ibn Ka’b (رض) when Sayyidna ` Umar (رض) asked him as to what Taqwa really was. Sayyidna Ubayy ibn Ka’b (رض) said: ‘0 Commander of the Faithful, you may have certainly passed by pathways full of thorns, have you not?’ Sayyidna ` Umar (رض) said, ‘Several times, of course.’ Sayyidna Ubayy ibn Ka’b (رض) asked, ‘What did you do at that time?’ Sayyidna ` Umar (رض) said, ‘I folded the hang of my dress and walked carefully.’ Sayyidna Ubayy ibn Ka’b (رض) said, ‘Enough. You said it. This is what Taqwa means. This mortal world of ours is a bed of thorns, full of the thorns of sins, therefore, one should live in this world in a way that one does not get entangled in the thorns of sin. The name of this attitude to life is Taqwa, the highest capital gain one can dream of.’ The blessed Companion, Sayyidna Abu al-Darda’ (رض) used to recite the following verse quite often:

“People say, ` my gain’ and ‘my money’ while, really, the fear of Allah (Taqwa) is the best of what is gained.”

In the second verse (173), more praises have been showered on the noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all, who so coura¬geously stepped forward to join this Jihad. The words of the verse are:

– those to whom people said, “The people have gathered against you; so, fear them.” It increased them in Faith …

That is, blessed are such people who heard the news that the enemy has assembled a big fighting force against them and also the advice that they should fear them and avoid fighting – still, this news further increased the fervour of their faith. The reason is simple: When these blessed people had agreed to obey Allah and His Messenger, they had realized right from day one that the path they have chosen to travel on is full of dangers. There will be difficulties and impediments at every step. Their passage will not be easy. They will be stopped. Even armed efforts will be made to suppress their revolutionary movement. Thus, when these noble people came across such hardships, the power of their Faith increased to levels higher than before and, as a result, they worked harder, more selflessly, more than ever.

As obvious, the Faith of these noble souls was perfect from the very first day they had embraced Islam, therefore, the reference to the increase in Faith in these two verses (172-173) means the increase in the qualitative contents and end-results of Faith. Even this state of the Companions who readily responded to the call of Allah and His Messenger has been specially mentioned at this point by saying that they kept reciting: حَسْبُنَا اللَّـهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ (173) all along their march to the Jihad mission. The sentence means: Allah is all-sufficient for us and the best one to trust in.

Let us consider an important rule of conduct at this point. It is a fact and we know it too well that no one in this world can claim to have placed his trust in Allah, a degree more pronounced than the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) to and his noble Companions (رض) . But, the form and manner of such trust was different. He would never think of sitting back forsaking all physical means available and end up saying: Allah is all-sufficient for us – He will bless us with victory while we sit out and do nothing! No. This did not work like that. Instead, he gath¬ered the noble Companions together, infused a new fighting spirit in the hearts of those injured, prepared them for the Jihad, both materi¬ally and spiritually before marching out. It means that he collected and used all physical means which were available to him and it was only after that he said: ‘Allah is all-sufficient for us.’ This, then, is the most authentic form of Tawakkul (Trust in Allah) taught by the Holy Qur’an, personally practiced by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and this was what he made others around him do. All physical means which we have in the life of this world are blessings from Allah. Rejecting or abandoning them amounts to being ungrateful to Him. Placing trust in Allah after having forsaken available physical means is no Sunnah (established practice) of the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . However, if there be someone comprehensively overwhelmed by his state of being, he could be deemed as excusable while being unable to observe this precept of the Shari` ah. Otherwise, the most sound practice is no more than what has been curtly expressed in a Persian poetic line:

Before placing trust, do tie your camel.

The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has himself stated the meaning of this very verse: حَسْبُنَا اللَّـهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ (173) ‘Allah is all-sufficient for us, and the best one to trust in,’ while deciding a case reported in Hadith:

As reported by Sayyidna ` Awf ibn Malik (رض) ، a case involving two men came up for hearing before the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . He gave his verdict. The man who lost the case heard the verdict in perfect peace and started walking out with the words: حَسْبُنَا اللَّـهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ (Allah is all-sufficient for me, and the best one to trust in) on his lips. The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) asked: ‘Bring this man to me.’ He said to him:

Allah censures inaction but it is your duty to use means, following which, when you find yourself powerless against odds, then say: ‘Allah is all-sufficient for me, and the best one to trust in.’

The third verse (174) recounts the blessings which descended upon these noble Companions for their brave response to the call of Jihad and for saying: حَسْبُنَا اللَّـهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ (Allah is all-sufficient for us, and the best one to trust in). It was said:

So, they returned with bounty from Allah, and grace, with no evil having even touched them — and submitted to the pleasure of Allah.

Allah Almighty bestowed on them three blessings:

1. Such awe and terror was placed in the hearts of disbelievers that they ran away because of which the Companions remained protected against the rigours of fighting on the battlefield. Allah Almighty has used the very word نِعْمَة Ni’mah for what we refer to as blessing.
2. The second blessing conferred on them was the opportunity to engage in trading in the market of Hamra’al-Asad. The benefits yielded by such financial transactions were called فضل ‘Fadl’ or the bounty from Allah.
3. The third and the highest of the three blessings was the attain¬ment of the pleasure of Allah which these blessed souls received in Jihad in a special manner

حَسْبُنَا اللَّـهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ : Hasbunallahu wa ni` mal-wakil: A wonderful prayer for all of us

The blessings of this prayer cited by the Holy Qur’an were not limited to the Companions of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) in any restrictive sense. The fact is that anyone who recites this prayer devot¬edly with a genuine sense of faith will share in such blessings.

Muslim scholars and spiritual masters have said that one who recites this verse a thousand times with true faith, and prays, will find that Allah Almighty has not rejected his prayer. Reciting this verse under the stress of frustrations and difficulties is a proven panacea.

The fourth verse (175) tells Muslims that the real agent behind the report that the disbelievers are coming back is شیطان Satan himself who would love to see Muslims overawed. In other words, شیطان Satan is threat¬ening Muslims with the strength of his friends – his cohorts, the disbe¬lievers. Thus, one of the two objects of the verb يُخَوِّفُ yukhawwifu [ frightens (you)] has been left out in the text. The one mentioned is in اولیاہُ ‘auliya’ahu’ (of his friends) while the one understood but not mentioned is ‘you’ as it would be in يُخَوِّفُکم yukhawwifukum (frightens you).

In the end, the verse exhorts Muslims not to fear such threats. What is necessary is that Muslims must continue fearing Allah, the natural outcome of which will be that a true Muslim will always think twice before embarking on anything that means disobedience to Allah. The truth of the matter is that, with Allah’s help and support on ones’ side, no harm can come from any side.

The Fear of Allah: What does it mean?

The imperative in the present verse obligates Muslims that they must always keep fearing Allah. In another verse, يَخَافُونَ رَ‌بَّهُم مِّن فَوْقِهِمْ (They fear their Lord above them-16:50) those who do so have been praised. Some revered elders have explained it by saying that fearing Allah does not mean that one should be scared stiff or sit back in tears. Far from it, a God-fearing person is one who leaves everything which may become a source of Allah’s displeasure or punishment.

Abu ` Ali al-Daqqaq, may Allah’s mercy be upon him, says that Abu Bakr ibn al-Fuwarrak (رض) was sick so he paid him a visit. When Abu Bakr saw him, he was in tears. Abu ` Ali consoled him by saying that there was nothing to worry about, Allah Almighty will give him health soon enough. Abu Bakr corrected Abu ‘Ali’s impression and said that he was certainly not weeping because of any fear of death. What he really worried about was his fate after death lest he may be awarded some punishment then. (Qurtubi)

The previous verse (178) answered the question about disbelievers as to why they, being the detested ones in the sight of Allah, are in possession of all sort of wealth, property and other means of luxurious living?

The present verse (179), in sharp contrast, removes the doubt about true believers as to why they, being the favoured servants of Allah, are tested with all sorts of hardships? Being favoured required that they should have been the ones living in comfort surrounded by its para¬phernalia!

Commentary

The wisdom of making a believer distinct from a hypocrite through practical demonstration rather than through a revelation.

It has been said in this verse that Allah Almighty has His way of making a sincere believer distinct from a hypocrite through which He generates such situations of hardship as would expose the hypocrisy of the hypocrites practically. This distinction, though, could also be made by identifying hypocrites by name through a revelation. But, the later course was not taken because it would have not been wise. The whole range of wisdom behind what Allah does is known to Him alone. However, one wise consideration in the present context could be: If Muslims were told about a person being a hypocrite through revelation, they would have had no difficulty in dealing with them carefully, but this would have not provided them with a clearly demonstrated proof necessarily acceptable to the hypocrites – for, they would have still insisted: You are wrong. We are true Muslims.’

Contrary to this, the distinction was made practically. The introduction of hardship put the hypocrites to test in which they failed and ran away. Their hypocrisy was demonstrated and exposed practically and openly. Now they did not have the cheek to claim that they were true, sincere and believing Muslims.

The manner in which the hypocrites were exposed yielded yet another benefit for Muslims when their formal relationship was also severed with the hypocrites. Otherwise, maintaining a state of discord in the heart with a veneer of formal social dealing would have been equally harmful ethically.

The Unseen when communicated to anyone is no Knowledge of the Unseen as such

This verse tells us that Allah Almighty does not inform everyone about Unseen matters through the medium of revelation (Wahy). However, He does inform His chosen prophets in this manner. From this, let no one hasten to doubt that prophets too have become sharers in the Knowledge of the Unseen or the knower, of the Unseen! The reason is that the Knowledge of the Unseen which is particularly attributed to the being of Allah Almighty cannot be taken as being shared by any created being. Doing so is Shirk (the crime of ascribing partners to Allah). The particular Knowledge is fortified by two condi¬tions:

1. This should be intrinsic to the being, not given by anyone else.
2. This has to be all-comprehensive, encompassing all universes, the past and the future – a Knowledge that covers even the minutest particle without any possibility of anything remaining hidden from it. As for things of the Unseen the information of which is given to His prophets by Allah Almighty through the medium of revelation (Wahy), they are not, really, the Knowledge of the Unseen as such. They are, rather, news of the Unseen given to prophets, something about which the Holy Qur’an it self has used the expression أَنبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ (news or reports of the Unseen) at several places :

… a part of the news of the Unseen We reveal to you. (11:49)

The second verse (18) warns Jews against their grave act of effrontery and mentions its punishment. According to the background of the event, when the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) presented the Qur’anic injunctions relating to Zakah and Sadaqat (charities), the arrogant Jews started saying that Allah had surely become poor and needy while they were rich, or else why would He go about asking us to give? We seek refuge with Allah from such effrontery. Obviously, they would have hardly believed in the absurd statement they made but, in all likelihood, they would have said so to prove that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was, God forbid, false in his statement. Their argument was: If these verses of the Qur’an are true, then, it neces¬sarily follows that Allah be poor and needy! This absurd argument of theirs being false in itself was not worth responding to because the injunction of Allah Almighty was not for His benefit; it was, rather, for the benefit of the owners of wealth themselves in this world and the hereafter. But, it was termed as giving loan to Allah elsewhere because repayment of a loan is necessary and certain in the sight of every good person.

Similar is the case of charity given by someone, the repayment of which Allah Almighty takes upon Himself as if it was the payment of loan taken from someone. Anyone who believes in Allah Almighty as the Creator and Master of everything would never stoop to entertain the kind of doubt from these words of the verse which is there in the saying of the insolent Jews. For this reason, the Qur’an has certainly refrained from answering this doubt. Instead, it has simply restricted itself to announcing that they shall be appre-hended and punished for this effrontery of theirs, for having falsified the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and for having made fun of him. It was said that their insolent words will be put on record in ‘writing’ so that the final evidence goes against them on the Day of Judgmentand they are punished for what they did. Otherwise, Allah Almighty needs no writing.

Along with this act of effrontery committed by the Jews, yet another crime of theirs has been mentioned, that is, they not ‘only falsified the prophets and mocked at them, they even went to the limit of killing them! That such people could falsify and flout any prophet or messenger of Allah hardly remains surprising.

Staying emotionally satisfied with disbelief in and disobedi-ence to Allah is also an equally grave sin

Worth noticing at this point is the fact that those being addressed by the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and the Qur’an are the Jews of Madinah while the incident of the killing of prophets belongs to a time much earlier than theirs, that is, to the time of Sayyidna Yahya and Sayyidna Zakariyya, may peace be on them. Now, the question is: How is it that the crime of the killing of the prophets referred to in this verse was attributed to these addressees? The reason is: The Jews of Madinah were quite satisfied with this act committed by their Jewish predecessors; therefore, they too were counted as those who fall under the injunction governing killers of prophets.

Imam al-Qurubi (رح) has said in his Tafsir that ‘remaining satisfied with disbelief (kufr) is also included under disbelief and disobedience’ which is a major juristic ruling in Islam. A saying of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) explains it further. He said:

‘When a sin is committed on God’s earth, following which; the person who is present on the spot opposes that sin and considers it to be bad, then, such a person shall be deemed as not present there, that is, he is no accomplice in their sin. And, a person who, though not present physically yet is quite satisfied with this act of sinners, then, this person shall be considered, despite his absence (from the scene of sin), an accomplice in their sin.’

In the later part of the present verse (181) and in the third verse (182), the text recounts the punishment to be meted out to such loud-mouthed people by saying that they shall be consigned to the Hell to experience the taste of burning in fire which is but the outcome of their own deeds and certainly no injustice from Allah.

Thoughts of the Hereafter heal all sorrows and remove all doubts

The sixth verse (185) puts a sharp focus on the ultimate reality of things in a situation when sometime somewhere disbelievers come to enjoy ascendency one way or the other and they have all the luxury they can think of in this world. Contrary to this, Muslims have to face some hardships, some difficulties and a certain paucity of worldly means. There is nothing surprising about it and certainly no occasion to be grieved, for no follower of a faith or philosophy can ignore the reality of life that sorrow and happiness in this world are both short-lived. No living creature can escape death. As for the comfort and discomfort experienced in this world, they vanish, more than often, right there with relevant changes in circumstances – or, just in case, no change takes place during the life of this world, it is certain that everything will end with the knock of death. Therefore, worrying about this short-lived cycle of comfort and discomfort should not become the chronic concern of a wise person. One should, rather, have concern for what would happen after death.

So, the verse (185) tells us that every living being shall taste death and once in the Hereafter, there shall come the reward and punish¬ment of deeds which will be severe and long drawn as well. This is what a wise person should worry about and prepare for. Given this rule of conduct, one who stays away from Hell and finds entry into the Paradise is really the successful one. May be this happens at the very beginning as would be the case with the most righteous servants of Allah. Or, it may come to pass after having faced some punishment as would be the case with sinning Muslims. But, Muslims – all of them – will finally have their deliverance from Hell and the blessings of Para¬dise will become theirs for ever. This will be contrary to what happens to disbelievers – Hell will their eternal resting place. If they wax proud over their short-lived worldly gains, they are terribly deceived. That is why it was said at the end of the verse: ‘And the worldly life is nothing but an asset, full of illusion.’ Strange is the anatomy of this deception, for reckless material enjoyments here become the source of great hardships in the Hereafter and conversely, most of the hardships faced here become the treasure of the Hereafter.

People of Falsehood hurting people of Truth is a natural phenomena: Patience (Sabr) and piety (Taqwa) cure everything

The seventh verse (186) was revealed in the background of a partic¬ular event which has been briefly referred to a little earlier in verse (181). According to relevant details, when verse 245 of Surah al-Baqarah: مَّن ذَا الَّذِي يُقْرِ‌ضُ اللَّـهَ قَرْ‌ضًا حَسَنًا (who is the one who would give Allah a good loan) was revealed, it eloquently equated the giving of charities to the giving of loan to Allah thereby indicating that all givings in charity in the life of this world will be recompensed with a certainty like that of someone returning a loan taken. An ignorant or hostile Jew reacted by commenting in the following words: إِنَّ اللَّـهَ فَقِيرٌ‌ وَنَحْنُ أَغْنِيَاءُ (Allah is poor and we are rich). Sayyidna Abu Bakr (رض) was angry at his effrontery and slapped him. The Jew complained to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . Thereupon, the verse لَتُبْلَوُنَّ فِي أَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنفُسِكُمْ (Of course, you shall be tested in your wealth and yourselves) was revealed. This verse instructs Muslims that they should not show weakness when called to stake their wealth and life in the defence of their Faith or when they are hurt by the vituperations of the disbelievers, the polytheists and the people of the Book. All this is nothing but a trial for them. The best course for them is to observe restraint, be patient and keep to their real objective in life which is the achievement of the perfect state of Taqwa, (a state in which one fears Allah and remains answerable to Him all the time). In such a state Muslims should not worry about replying to the effrontery by antogonists.

In continuation of the description of evils practiced by the Jews mentioned in previous verses, the first of the present two verses (187, 188) takes up yet another evil practice of theirs. This is their habit of going back on solemn pledges and covenants – for Allah Almighty had taken pledge from the people of the Book that they would communicate the commandments of Allah appearing in the Torah freely, openly and universally and that they would not conceal any injunction out of their selfish ends. The people of the Book broke this covenant. They concealed injunctions. Not only that, they were audacious enough to show their pleasure about having acted in this manner and taking this deed of theirs as commendable.

Commentary

Concealing the Knowledge of Faith is forbidden and waiting or manipulating to be praised without practicing it is deplorable

The three verses cited above describe two crimes committed by scholars from the people of the Book along with their subsequent punishment.

As pointed out earlier, they were commanded to tell their people about injunctions revealed in the Book of Allah freely and openly without any effort. To curtail or hold back what was in there people. Although, they were explicitly instructed not to hide any commandment, yet they elected to ignore the pledge they had made, out of their worldly consid¬erations and personal greed. They did hide a good many command¬ments from their people.

Secondly, they had the problem of personally staying aloof from acting righteously while, at the same time, they had no qualms of conscience in wishing to be praised without acting the way they were expected to.

As for the incidence of hiding the commandments of the Torah, it has been reported in Sahih al-Bukhari on the authority of Sayyidna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (رض) . He narrates that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) asked the Jews about something mentioned in the Torah. They concealed the truth and told him something contrary to what was said in the Torah – and they left his company all pleased with their exercise in evil congratulating themselves on their deceit. Thereupon, this verse which carries a warning for them was revealed.

As for the other statement -‘they love to be praised for what they never did’ – it refers to the hypocrites among the Jews who would make excuses at the time of Jihad, sit home and celebrate how well they were able to dodge the hardships of Jihad. When the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) returned from Jihad, they would go to him, take false oaths and offer excuses and, on top of that, they would demand that this act of theirs be praised. (Sahih al-Bukhri)

The Holy Qur’an condemns them for both these attitudes. From here, we know that concealing the knowledge of Faith and the injunc¬tions of Allah and His Messenger is forbidden (Haram ). But this forbiddance applies to the kind of concealment which was practiced by the Jews for they used to conceal Divine injunctions to promote their own worldly interest and, in this process, they made people pay for it. However, if an injunction is not broadcast publicly due to some expe¬dient religious consideration, such an action would not fall under the purview of this ruling. This problem has been taken up by Imam al-Bukhari (رح) under a separate subject heading supported by relevant Hadith narrations. According to him, there are occasions when there is the danger that masses would fall prey to misunderstanding and disorder by publicising a certain injunction openly. If an injunction is allowed to remain unpublicised on the basis of such a danger, it does not matter.

The rule about doing a good deed is simple. If anyone does a good deed, then looks forward to be praised for it – or, worse still, takes elaborate steps to make this happen – then, despite having done what one did, this act will be deemed blameworthy under the Islamic legal-moral norms. And should one elect not to do that good deed at all, that would, then, be taken as far more blameworthy. As for the natural desire to do something good and thereby earn a fair name, it is not included under the purview of this ruling – unless, of course, if one does not make unusual projections to earn that fair name (Bayan al-Qur’an).

Verse 189 appearing immediately earlier particularly and strongly stressed upon Tauhid, the Oneness of Allah. So, the verse (190) which follows here, presents the proof of Tauhid and, along with it, mentions the merit of those who act strictly in accordance with the dictates of Tauhid and, by implication, it also motivates others to do the same.

In addition, the earlier mention of pain caused by the disbelievers bears congruity to the verses appearing presently. This can be under-stood in the background in which the disbelievers, out of hostility, requested the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) that he should turn Mount Safa into solid gold. Thereupon, this verse was revealed indicating that there were so many proofs confirming the Truth all around them – why would they not deliberate in them?

As for the reality of their request to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) it was not motivated to find out the Truth. Instead, it was out of hostility – so, they would have still not believed, even if their request was granted.

The background of Revelation

Commenting on the background of revelation concerning these verses, Ibn Hibban in his Sahih and Ibn ` Asakir in his History have reported that the Companion ` Ata ibn Abi Rabah (رض) went to Sayyidah ` A’ishah (رض) and said to her: ‘Of the things about the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، tell me what you saw as most unique out of the many states of his life.’ Thereupon, Sayyidah ` A’ishah (رض) said: ‘Which state are you talking about? In reality, everything about him was unique. Yet, I would tell you about one very unique event. It so happened that the noble Prophet, may Allah bless and protect him, came to me one night and entered into the comforter with me. Then, he said: ‘Allow me to worship my Lord.’ He rose from the bed, made وضو Wudu and stood up for Salah. And in this standing position of قیام Qiyam, he wept, so much so that his tears trickled down his blessed chest.

Then, he bent down for Ruk’ u رکوع and there too he wept. Then he did his Sajdah and kept weeping in the Sajdah very much like before. Then, he raised his head and continued weeping until came the morning. Sayyidna Bilal (رض) came in and informed him about the time of the صلاۃ الفجر Fajr Salah. Sayyidna Bilal (رض) says: I submitted: ‘my master, why do you weep like that? Is’nt it that Allah Almighty has forgiven you all your past and future sins?’ He said: ‘So then, should I not continue to be a grateful servant of Allah? And in offering this gratitude of mine, why should I not shed tears, especially tonight when Allah Almighty has revealed this blessed verse to me:

Surely, in the creation of the heavens and the earth… (190)

After that he said: “Ruined is the person who recited these verses but failed to deliberate therein.”

So, in order to deliberate into this verse, let us begin by answering some questions first.

What does ‘the creation of the heavens and the earth’ mean?

Since خَلْق Khalq is a verbal noun which signifies creation or origina¬tion, it means that there are, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, great signs of Allah Almighty. Therefore, all those Divinely created beings and things in the heavens and the earth also get to be included therein. Then, among these created beings there are king¬doms after kingdoms – each having different types and states – yet each and every such created being is comprehensively pointing out to its Creator. Then, going a little deeper, one would discover that ‘the heavens’ is inclusive of all heights and ‘the earth’ covers all lows. Thus, high or low, all dimensions owe their existence to Allah Almighty.

The different forms of ‘the alternation of the night and day’

Let us now determine the meaning of ‘the alternation of the night and day’. The word اخْتِلَاف ‘Ikhtilaf translated here as ‘alternation’ is derived from the Arabic usage: اَختلفِ فلان فلاناً (Such and such person arrived after such and such person). So, the Arabic expression translated as the alternation of the night and day’ means that the night goes and the day comes and when the day goes, night comes.

The word اخْتِلَاف Ikhtilaf translated here as ‘alternation’ could also be taken to mean increase or decrease. For example, during winter, the night is long and the day is short; while during the summer, the order is reversed. Similarly, the difference between the night and day is also mused by the difference in the geographical location of countries. For example, countries closer to the North Pole have longer days as compared to areas farther away from it. So, it should not be difficult to infer from each such phenomena the essential proof of the most perfect power of Allah Almighty.

What is the meaning of the word, آيت Ayat ?

Ayat (آيت) is the plural of Ayah (آیہ) and is used to express more than one single meaning. Miracles are known as آیت Ayat. It is also applied to the verses of the Holy Qur’an. It is also used in a third sense, that of proof and sign. Here, in the present context, this very third sense is what is intended – meaning that, in these manifestations, there are great signs of Allah, and the proofs of His power.

Wise are those who believe in Allah and always remember Him

To determine the meaning of the expression أُولِي الْأَلْبَاب ، we look into the word ‘albab’ which is the plural of لُب lub. Lexically, it means the essence. Since the essence of everything is its sum-total and the key to its nature and uses, therefore, human wisdom has been called lub, for wisdom is the essence of human nature. Thus, أَلْبَاب ‘albab’ means the people of wisdom’.

Now the problem before us is how to identify the people of wisdom because the whole world claims to be wise. Not even a moron would be ready to admit being devoid of wisdom, reason or sense. Therefore, the Holy Qur’an has told us about some signs which are, in fact, the most sound criterion of wisdom. The first such sign is Faith in Allah. Think of the knowledge which comes from the senses such as hearing, seeing, smelling and tasting and communication, something also found in non-rational animals. Now, it is the job of wisdom or reason to arrive, through signs, circumstantial evidence and proofs, at a particular conclusion which is beyond sense-perception and through which it may become possible to grasp the final link of the chain of causes.

Keeping this rule in view, just think about this universe around us. It should not be too difficult to realize that this wonderfully organised system – comprising the heavens and the earth and containing the whole of creation in between them which is further streamlined by the most deft management of everything, big or small, existing therein – certainly points out to a special Being that has to be the highest and the foremost in terms of Knowledge, Wisdom, Power and Authority. A Being who originated and fashioned all these components with the wisest of consideration and under Whose intention and will this whole system keeps operating. That Being, as obvious, can only be that of the most-exalted Allah. How well some spiritual master has put it in a few words:

Every blade of grass sprouting from the earth

Says: He is One; there are no partners in Him.

That human intentions and plans keep failing everywhere all the time is a matter of common experience. These cannot be called the prime movers and operators of this universal system. Therefore, the outcome of the deliberation into the creation of the heavens and the earth and into what has been created in them is, as wisdom dictates, living to know, obey and remember Allah. Anyone unmindful of it does not deserve to be classed as wise. Therefore, the Holy Qur’an has given the following sign of the wise:

That is, the wise are those who remember Allah – standing and sitting and (lying) on their sides (191).

In other words it means that they are engaged in the remembrance of Allah under all conditions and at all times.

From here we find out that the thing which our modern world takes as the criterion of reason and good sense is simply a deception. Catering to greed, some people take accumulation of money as their ideal of intelligence. There are others who love to equate human intel¬ligence with scientific inventions and electronic applications and for them, these are the power. But, real good sense lies in the message brought by the prophets and Messengers of Allah Almighty, for they, proceeding through knowledge and wisdom and advancing from the low to the high in the chain of causation, skipped the intermediary stages. Granted that human beings moved from raw materials to machines and science gave them access to power through utilization of energy generated in many ways.

But, higher intelligence demands that human beings take that real giant step farther ahead so that they can discover that the main agent of human accomplishment is certainly not the water or clay or iron or copper or some other material, not even the machines that generate power. This function was accomplished by none else but the One who created the fire, the water and the air through which human beings were enabled to control technology and energy:

Spreading the scent of musk is the function of Your tresses

But, those who love You have, out of expediency, ascribed the credit to the Chinese deer!

Let us understand this through the commonplace example of an ignorant dweller of some distant jungle who reaches a railway station and notices that such a huge railway train stops at the flash of a red flag while it starts moving at the flutter of a green one. Then, should he say that these red and green flags must have super power as they can stop and move such a powerful engine of the big train. Obviously, all sensible people would dismiss the ignoramus telling him that no power is vested in these flags. Instead, power rests with the person who is sitting in the engine room and stops or moves the train by watching these signals. But, someone smarter might reject the assumption that the engine driver had any instrinsic power to move or stop the train. His strength had nothing to do with it. He will go a step farther and attribute this power to the mechanical parts of the engine.

But, a scientist would bypass cold mechanics of the engine and ascribe the real power to the steam which has been generated in the engine through heat and water. But, that is as far as the so-called scientific thinking goes. At this point, comes the thinking of the prophets, may peace be upon them, who would be telling these tyrants of their intellect: If the ignoramus who took the flags or the driver or the engine parts as the respository of power was in error, so are those who take sources of energy powerful by themselves – intellectually, they too are in error! The prophets would ask them to take yet another step forward so that they could lay their hands on the lost end of this tangled ball of string. May be, by doing so, they could have access to the final link of the great chain of caused things and there they could find the answer that the ultimate master of all power is none else but the One who created all forces which were harnessed to achieve human models of power.

It is not difficult to deduce from what has been said here that those who get to know Allah and remember Him at all times and under all conditions are the only people who deserve to be called ‘the wise’. It is for this reason that the Holy Qur’an has defined the ‘People of Wisdom’ as … الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُ‌ونَ اللَّـهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ those who remember Allah standing and sitting, and (lying) on their sides.’

It is on this basis that Muslim jurists have answered the case of a deceased person who, before his death, made a will that his property be given to the wise. As to who will be given this property, they have ruled that those who will deserve this are abstaining scholars who do not seek unnecessary material resources and are averse to the blind pursuit of the worldly, for they are the wise ones in the real sense. (al-Durr al-Mukhtar, Mitabul-Wasiyyah)

Also worth attention at this point is the fact that the Shari` ah of Islam has not enjoined abundance in any other mode of worship except ذِکر Dhikr. But, about ذِکر Dhikr, the command is: وَاذْكُرُ‌وا اللَّـهَ كَثِيرً‌ا (Remember Allah remembering abundantly). The reason is that all modes of worship, other than ذِکر Dhikr, have some conditions and rules without observing which those acts of worship are not considered to have been duly performed. This is contrary to ذِکر Dhikr which can be performed at all times and under all conditions whether standing, sitting and lying with or without وضُو wudu. Perhaps, this verse is indicative of this element of wisdom.

The second sign of the people of wisdom given in this verse is that they deliberate in the creation of the heavens and the earth:

And ponder on the creation of the heavens and the earth – 191.

Here we need to determine the. meaning of this act of ‘pondering’ and the level at which it operates.

The Arabic words, فِکر Fikr and تَفَکُّر Tafakkur, literally mean to ponder, to deliberate and think about something which is an effort to arrive at its reality. From this verse we find out that this act of pondering is also an act of worship and very much like the ذِکر Dhikr (Remembrance) of Allah. The difference is that the objective of ذِکر Dhikr is the remembrance of the Being and Attributes of Almighty Allah while the objective of فِکر Fikr and تَفَکُّر Tafakkur or thinking and deliberation relates to His crea¬tions. This is because the perception of the reality of the Divine Being and the Attributes is beyond human reason. Deliberation of this aspect results in nothing but wonder. The great poet, Rumi said:

Expert watchers of the Court of the Being of the Covenant Found out nothing but that He is.

In fact, this is an area of inquiry where excessive deliberation in the Being and Attributes of Almighty Allah could, at times, cause one’s imperfect reason to stray into error. Therefore, the greatest among spiritual masters have emphatically advised:

Deliberate in the signs of Allah, but do not deliberate in Allah.

It means that there are signs in what Allah has created. One should think about these signs. But, one should not deliberate into the very Being and Attributes of Almighty Allah for that is beyond one’s reach. One can see everything in the light of the sun. But, should one wish to see the sun itself, his eyes would get dazzled. Who is Allah? What is He like? These are questions all wise thinkers and spiritual masters have answered by suggesting:

You do not have to mount an assault on every field of inquiry

For, there are places where you should simply surrender.

However, thinking about creation inevitably leads one to realize the presence of its Creator. Look at the enormous expanse of the sky above us with the sun, the moon and the many planets and stars bound with the solar and lunar system under firm and predetermined laws working so well for thousands of years without being serviced or refurbished in some workshop. Then, there is this earth of ours, its rivers and mountains holding many marvels of creation, the trees, animals and hidden minerals, and the air that circulates in between the heavens and the earth and the rains that come and the electricity generated therein. This whole system so elaborately set up leads every sane person who is willing to think and understand that there is some special Being which is far ahead of everyone in power and control. This is what معارفت Ma’rifat is, the stage of knowing, realizing. So, this kind of deliberation which leads to the discovery of the Divine is an act of worship, a great one indeed. For this reason, Hadrat Hasan Basri (رح) said: تَفَکَّرُ ساعۃ خير مِّن قيام ليلۃ (Ibn Kathir) which means: An hour spent in thinking about the signs of Allah is better and far more useful than a whole night standing in worship.

Hadrat ` Umar ibn ` Abdul-` Aziz (رح) has characterized this deliberation as a superior act of worship (Ibn Kathir).

Sayyidna Hasan ibn ` Amir (رض) said that he had heard from many noble Companions that deliberation is the light of faith.

Hadrat Abu Sulayman al-Darani said: When I go out from my house, everything I cast my glance on makes me realize that it contains one or the other blessing of Allah for me and that in its pres¬ence I have a good source of learning my lesson (Ibn Kathir). So, the knowers of the secrets of the self have always maintained:

Every blade of grass sprouting from the earth

Says: He is One and in Him there is no partner.

Hadrat Sufyan ibn ` Uyaynah has said: One who thinks a lot will under-stand reality, and who understands will arrive at sound knowledge, and who has sound knowledge is bound to act accordingly (Ibn Kathir).

Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar (رض) said: A pious man saw an ascetic sitting at a spot with a graveyard on one of his sides and a garbage dump on the other. The passing pious man remarked – You have two treasure troves before you, one of them is the human treasure known as graveyard and the other is the treasure of wealth and property turned into refuse and filth. These two treasures are enough to learn your lesson (Ibn Kathir).

Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar (رض) ، used to go out of the city into some wilderness with the express purpose of training and teaching his heart. When he reached there, he would ask the spot of land: Where are those who lived here? (ابن اھلک) ۔ After that he would answer his own question by saying: Everything must perish save the presence of His being (كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُ ) . (Ibn Kathir). This was how he summoned and preserved the remembrance of Afterlife in his heart.

Hadrat Bashar al-Hafi said: If people pondered over the greatness of Almighty Allah, it would have become impossible for them to remain sinful and disobedient.

Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) said: 0 you who were created weak, fear God wherever you are. Live in the world like a guest. Make prayer places your home. Let your eyes weep fearing God, let your body remain patient and let your heart keep reflecting. Used to this, worry not about tomorrow’s bread.

It is this kind of thoughtfulness and concern that these verses identify as the superior quality of wise people. Pondering over the creation of Almighty Allah, such people get to know their Creator and are personally convinced of the temporality of the physical world. This is a superb act of worship resplendent with the light of faith. Simi¬larly, those who ` see and experience the signs of Almighty Allah yet get entangled with the superficial glamour of what has been created – as a result of which they fail to know their real master – is rank heedless-ness and very much juvenile. Sages have warned that whoever fails to learn a lesson from the universe before his eyes will find that the ability of his heart to realize the truth has corroded in proportion to his heedlessness. The eager protagonists of scientific progress all too engrossed in their breakthroughs fail to pay heed to their own ulti¬mate fate. Consequently, the speed with which developments in scientific inquiry unfold the secrets of Allah’s creation is also the speed at which they are receding farther away from reality and God. Commenting on the post-industrial revolution thinking, Akbar of Alla¬habad, poet, humourist, said:

Europe has forgotten the Father in the Heaven For them,

electricity and steam are as good as God.

It is about such visionless people with the dead weight of education and culture on their backs, the Holy Qur’an says:

And there are so many signs in the heavens and the earth which these people pass by with faces turned askance paying no heed to them – 12:105 .

Now, as we move to the last part of this verse (191), مَا خَلَقْتَ هَـٰذَا بَاطِلًا (Our Lord, You have not created all this in vain), we can clearly see that this is the outcome of pondering over the signs of Allah’s power. It means that there is nothing purposeless in Allah’s creation. On the contrary, there are thousands of wise considerations behind it. Things have been harnessed to serve human beings with man being the user of resources in the whole universe. This should make human beings see that the universe has been created for their benefit and in their interest. Likewise, every human being has been created to obey and worship Allah. This is his or her purpose of life.

Further on, from verses 192 to 194, there appears a set of pleas and prayers from such people, people who realized that this universe is no exercise in futility and that is is brimming with open proofs of the great power and wisdom of its Creator. So, once they knew their Creator and Sustainer, they submitted before Him.

1. The first request they make is: فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ‌ Save us from the Fire.
2. The second request is: Save us from the disgrace of the Here-after for whoever is condemned to the Fire stands humiliated before the whole world. Some scholars have said that humiliation on the plains of Ressurection will be so disgraceful a punishment that one would wish to be cast into the (fire of) Hell but that the multitudes present on that fateful day do not get to hear about his or her misdeeds.
3. The third request is: We have heard the message given by the herald sent by You, that is, the message of the Messenger of Allah and we believed in him. So, forgive our major sins and expiate our shortcomings and misdeeds and give us death in the company of the righteous, that is, make us a part of their group.’

These three requests were aimed at safety against punishment and pain and loss. The fourth request is about promised blessings, the blessings of Paradise promised through the noble prophets. This prayer for blessings is being made with the added request that there be no disgrace on the Day of Judgment. In other words, the request is to be excused from the torturous procedure of accounting (for all of one’s deeds), disgrace (as a result of misdeeds) and then forgiveness (on account of Allah’s mercy). The prayer is for outright forgiveness for Allah does not go back on His word. What is the purpose of this submission and re-submission? The purpose is to say: 0 Allah, enable us to become deserving, and a beneficiary of this promise (made by You), and enable us to remain steadfast so that we breath our last in this world with faith in our heart (ایمان) and busy doing what is good in Your sight ( عمل صالح).

This is the last verse of Surah ‘Al-` Imran. The advice given here is quintessential for all Muslims.

Commentary

There are three things in the verse Muslims have been charged with. These are Sabr, Musabirah and Murabitah. The fourth element is Taqwa which is a necessary ingredient of all three. Their meanings are being given below.

Literally, the Arabic word ‘Sabr’ means ‘to hold’ or ‘to tie’. In the terminology of the Qur’an and Sunnah, Sabr’ is the effort made to control and defend one’s slippery self against what is temperamentally unpleasing. This ‘Sabr’ (roughly translated as ‘patience’ for want of an exact equivalent) takes three forms:

1. Patience with Duties: It means that everything commanded by Almighty Allah and His Messenger must be obediently pursued, no matter how burdensome the adherence to them may appear to be. The aim is to keep one’s self almost riveted to carry out injunctions despite hindrances.
2. Patience against Sins: It means holding the desiring self back from whatever has been prohibited by Allah and His Messenger, no matter how desirable and appealing it may be.
3. Patience in Distress: It means enduring in hardship and forbearing in pain and avoiding excessive anxiety. Such patience requires that all pain and comfort be taken to have come from Allah and from this realization comes the strength to keep one’s self under control.

The word, ‘Musabarah’ is a derivation from Sabr. It means staying firm and steadfast against the enemy.

The word, ‘Murabatah’ comes from ‘Rabt’. Root-wise, it means ‘to tie’ and it is for this reason that ‘Rabat’ and ‘Murabatah’ are taken to mean ‘to tie horses’ and ‘get ready for war’. The Holy Qur’an has used

‘Rabat’ in وَمِن رِّ‌بَاطِ الْخَيْلِ (of trained horses – 8:60) in that very sense. However, in the terminology of the Qur’an and Hadith, this word has been used in two senses:

1. To secure Islamic frontiers for which it is necessary to be armed with military hardware, conventional or modern, so that the enemy abstains from venturing against Islamic frontiers.
2. To be so observant of and bound by making Salah with Jama` ah that one starts looking forward to making the next Salah soon after having performed one.

Both these are highly acclaimed acts of worship in Islam. Out of their numerous merits, some are being given below:

Rabat: The Guarding of Islamic Frontiers

Staying along the Islamic frontiers to guard the area in battle-ready condition is known as ‘Rabat’ and ‘Murabatah’. It takes two forms. Firstly, there may be no danger of war breaking out, the border is secure and the duty is limited to being vigilant enough to ward off any impending threat. Under such condition, it is quite permissible for those on duty to start living there with their families and earn their living through farming or some such occupation. Under this condition, if the real intention is to guard and defend Islamic borders and living and earning there remains subservient to this intention, this person will get the reward for ‘staying in the way of Allah’ (رباط فی سبیل اللہ even if he never fights. But, anyone whose real intention is not to guard and defend Islamic frontiers but would simply be there to eke out a living – even if he gets the chance of guarding the borders casually – this person will not be considered as one who stays in the way of Allah’. The other eventuality may be that the border is threatened by possible enemy attack. Under such condition, keeping women and children close by is not correct; only those who can fight against the enemy should live there (Qurtubi).

There are countless merits in both these cases. In the Sahih of al-Bukhari, it has been reported from Sayyidna Sahl ibn Sad Sa` adi (رض) that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: Rabat for a day in the way of Allah is better than whatever there is in the whole world. In the Sahih of Muslim, it has been reported from Sayyidna Salman (رض) that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: Rabat for a day and night is better than fasting for a whole month and standing in prayers for the entire night. Should one die in that state, the daily reward for his act of staying in the way of Allah will continue to reach him forever. His sustenance will keep coming from Almighty Allah and he will stay protected against the Satan.

Abu Dawud reports from Fudalah ibn ` Ubayd that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: The roster of deeds credited to the person who dies ends with his death except in the case of a Murabit مُرَابِط (one who stays in the way of Allah) whose roster of good deeds goes on multiplying right through to the Day of Judgment and he remains covered against (the fear of punishment) on account of the scrutiny of deeds in his grave.

These narrations indicate that the act of staying in the way of Allah (Rabat) is superior even to every charity the benefit of which keeps going on and on صَدَقَہ جَارِیہ (Sadaqah Jariyah). This is because the reward for charity the benefits of which continue lasts only upto the time people keep benefiting from the endowment of house, land, book or library. Once this benefit stops reaching people, the incumbent reward also stops. But, the reward of the person who stays in the way of Allah is not going to stop until the Day of Judgment. The reason is that Muslims as a community can continue doing what is good only when they are well-protected against enemy attacks. Thus, the act of a person who stays on to defend Islamic frontiers becomes the cause of good deeds performed by all Muslim in a peaceful setting. Therefore, the reward of such رَبَاط فی سبيل اللہ Rabat fi sabilillah (staying in the way of Allah) will continue until the Day of Judgment. In addition to that, the reward for whatever other good deeds he used to do during his life in the world will continue without his having to actually do them. This is as it appears in ibn Majah in an authentic narration from Sayyidna Abu Hurairah (رض) where he reports that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said:

One who dies in a state of Rabat in the way of Allah, the reward of whatever good he used to do in his mortal life will continue and so will his sustenance and he will stay protected against Satan, and Allah will raise him on the Day of Qiyamah free from fear (Tafsir al-Qurtubi).

The merits mentioned in this narration are subject to the condition that the person meets his death while staying on the border to guard Islamic frontiers. But there are other reports which indicate that his post-death reward will still continue even if he were to return alive back to his family.

Sayyidna Ubayy ibn Ka’b (رض) narrates that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: The reward for sincerely guarding the weak border area of Muslims for one day, other than those of Ramadan, is superior to the reward for continuous fasting and nightly worship for one hundred years. Rabat for one day in Ramadan is superior to fasting and nightly worship for one thousand years (the narrator has expressed some doubt about the later). Then, he said: If Allah sends him back to his family in good health, no sin will be recorded in his name for a thousand years while good deeds will continue to be entered in his roster and the reward for his act of having stayed at the border to defend Islamic frontiers will keep coming to him until the Day of Judgment (Qurtubi).

Offering Salah with Jama` ah and waiting for the next is also ‘staying in the way of Allah’

Sayyidna Abu Salman ibn ‘Abdur-Rahman narrates that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: I tell you something because of which Almighty Allah would forgive your sins and raise your spiritual status. These are: Making Wudu precisely and perfectly despite chilly weather or pain or wound because of which the washing of body parts that must be washed while making wudu may appear to be hard to do; and going to the Masjid time and again more than often; and waiting to make the next Salah following the one already made. Then, he said ذلکم رباط : For you, this is the Rabat (staying to guard Islamic frontiers in the way of Allah).

After having reported this hadith, Imam al-Qurtubi (رح) has said that in the light of this hadith it can be hoped that a person who adheres to the practice of waiting between two prayers with congregation will receive the reward which has been mentioned in ahadith for Rabat in the way of Allah.

Special Note:

In this verse, Muslims have been instructed to remain patient which is possible any time under all conditions. Relevant details have appeared earlier. The second instruction given is to be more patient than others which is to be demonstrated while fighting disbelievers. The third instruction relates to a situation when an armed conflict with disbelievers is likely and there is the danger that fighting may erupt anytime. Finally comes the instruction to observe Taqwa (fear of Allah) which is the essence of everything one does and on which depends the Divine acceptance of what has been done. This set of instructions is the sum of almost all injunctions of the Shari` ah. May Almighty Allah give all of us the best of ability to act in accordance with these instructions.

[From Ma’ariful Quran English by Mufti Taqi Uthmani]