أَحْسَن

Important Words:

صبغة (religion) is derived from صبغ. They say صبغه i.e. he dyed or coloured it. صبغ یده فی الماء means, he immersed his hand in the water. صبغ یده بالعمل means, he laboured in work and became notable therein. اصطبغ بکذا means, he became dyed or coloured with it. صبغة means, dye or colour; kind or mode of a thing; religion; code of laws; baptism. صبغة الله means, God’s religion; the nature with which God has endowed men (Aqrab). Religion is called صبغة because it covers a man like a dye or colour.

Commentary:

In the verse the word صبغة (religion) is used as an object, the subject of which is understood. According to the rules of Arabic grammar, sometimes when it is intended strongly to induce a person to do a certain thing, the verb is omitted and only the object is mentioned. Therefore words like خذوا (adopt) or اتبعوا (follow) will be taken to be understood before the words صبغة الله and the clause would mean, "adopt or follow the religion which God wishes you to adopt or follow". This indeed is the true baptism which can make one acquire God’s attributes and become His living manifestation. Compare with it the Christian baptism which seeks to procure for a man forgiveness of sins and everlasting life by the mere act of immersing him in water or sprinkling it on him at his christening ceremony.

Commentary:

Islam does not view with favour such flight from the world as Christianity inculcates among its votaries. One should not deny one’s portion of the good things of the world. As a matter of fact at another place in the Quran the believers are enjoined to pray to God "to grant them the good things of this world as well as the good things of the world to come" (2:202), only the pursuit of the good things of this world should not make one neglect the seeking of the good things of the Hereafter. Islam is not a religion of monks and recluses but of pious and righteous men of the world.

2:83; 3:58; 13:30; 22:57; 30:16; 35:8; 42:23; 47:13.

Commentary:

This verse gives a brief but very apt description of a Mujahid,—a true striver in the way of God. High and noble ideals and consistent and constant effort to carry out those ideals into actual practice is what in Islamic terminology is called Jihad, and the person who possesses these noble ideals and lives up to them is a Mujahid in the true sense of the word.

Man’s good actions are of different degrees. Some are better than others, yet some others are of the noblest quality. The expression لیجزیھم أحسن الذی کانوا یعملون signifies that God will reward all the good works of the believers whether good, better or of the highest quality as if they belonged to the last degree, i.e. He will reward the good deeds of a believer, taking the best of them as the basis of reward.

8:25.

Commentary:

The reference in this and the next verse is to the two expeditions led by the Holy Prophet against the Meccans as a result of the Battle of Uhud. The first was undertaken on the day immediately following that battle. When the Meccans withdrew from Uhud, and took their way back to Mecca, they were, as narrated above, taunted by the Arab tribes for having brought no booty and no prisoners of war from a battle in which they claimed to have won a victory. The Meccans, thereupon, thought of returning to Medina with a view to re-attacking the Muslims and completing their victory. The Holy Prophet, who had also anticipated the return of the Meccans, at once called upon his Companions to join him in the pursuit of the enemy and most wisely restricted the call to only such able-bodied Muslims as had taken part in the Battle of Uhud. So on the following day, he left Medina with 250 men. When the Meccans heard of the Muslims advancing towards them, they lost heart and fled. The Holy Prophet went as far as Hamra’ul-Asad, a distance of about eight miles from Medina on the route to Mecca, and seeing that the enemy had fled, returned to Medina.

The second expedition came a year later. Before leaving the battlefield of Uhud, Abu Sufyan, commander of the Meccan army, had promised the Muslims another engagement next year at Badr. But the ensuing year being a year of famine, he could not keep his appointment. So he sent Nu‘aim bin Mas‘ud to Medina to terrify the Muslims by spreading false rumours of great preparations having been made by the Meccans. This clumsy ruse completely failed to frighten the Muslims, who came to Badr at the appointed time only to find that the Meccans had not appeared. The Muslims profited by this opportunity by taking part in trafficking at the great annual fair that used to be held there every year and returned prosperous as well as triumphant to Medina. This expedition is known in history as the expedition of Badras-Sughra, (i.e. the smaller Badr), to distinguish it from the great Battle of Badr which had taken place about two years earlier.

16:126; 23:97; 41:35.

Commentary:

The verse lays down a very sound principle to guide us in religious controversy and when preaching our Faith to others. We should begin our preaching by laying stress on those beliefs and religious principles which are common between us and our adversary. As an instance we are told that while talking to the "People of the Book" we should start with the two basic religious principles of the Unity of God and Divine revelation. In the form in which Islam has presented these two principles, it stands unique among all religions. Whereas according to Islam God revealed Himself to man in every age, the followers of other religions claim to have the exclusive privilege of being "God’s sons and His loved ones" (5:19). Islam also teaches that Prophets have been raised among all peoples (35:25), a principle which in its catholicity and broadmindedness finds no parallel in the teaching of any other religion.

4:84.

4:66.

Important Words:

اولی الامر (those in authority) is made up of two words: (1) اولی which is originally اولوا meaning, possessors of or possessing or having; and (2) امر meaning, rule, authority, command, affair or matter, etc. اولی الامر means: (1) those who possess or hold authority command or rule; and (2) the learned men who, as it were, possess authority in knowledge (Taj & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The word "obey" which has been repeated before the words "Allah" and "Messenger" has been omitted before the words, those who are in authority, in order to point out that obedience to the authority properly constituted by Law is in reality obedience to God and His Messenger.

The clause, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, means that in case of difference, the matter should be referred to the Quran and the authentic Sunnah and Hadith of the Holy Prophet. The injunction may either relate to differences between the rulers and the ruled or to those among the ruled themselves. In the former case, the significance is that if there is a matter on which disagreement arises between the rulers and the ruled, it should be decided in the light of the Quranic teaching, or failing that, in that of the authentic Sunnah and Hadith. If, however, the Quran, the Sunnah and Hadith are silent on the question, it should be left in the hands of those in whom is vested the authority to manage the affairs of Muslims; and the latter are enjoined to abide by their decision even if they do not see eye to eye with them, because true obedience consists in obeying against one’s will and judgement. The words, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, may also mean that in case of a difference between the people and those in authority, the former are enjoined to do as Allah and His Messenger have bidden them to do on such occasions, i.e. that in such a case they should obey those in authority.

Primarily, however, the words, if you differ, do not refer to any differences between the rulers and the ruled but to disagreements arising among the ruled themselves. In this case the injunction embodied in the verse is that in matters pertaining to discipline and administration, Muslims should obey those in authority, but in disputes and differences regarding social matters, etc. they should be guided by the Law of Islam and not by other laws. This is the interpretation which Ibn Kathir (iii. 130-31) has adopted and which is in keeping with the context. The next verse also refers only to disputes among the ruled, and not to those between rulers and ruled.

The words, those in authority, in their wider significance include even such non-Muslims as may happen to be in authority over Muslims. In this case the additional words منکم would not mean "from among you" but simply "among you", i.e. "over you". The practice of the Holy Prophet as well as his sayings make it clear that in secular matters Muslims should obey even such of their rulers as are not Muslims.

Important Words:

حییتم (when you are greeted) and تحیة (prayer) and حیوا are all derived from حیی i.e. he lived or he had life; or he was or became in good condition. حیاہ means, he greeted him with a prayer for long and good life; or he prayed for his life; or simply he prayed for him. حیاك الله means, may God prolong thy life or preserve thy life; or may He make thy life free from harm and evil; or may He honour thee and bestow favour on thee; or may He grant thee dominion and kingship. حیاہ بتحیة المؤمن means, he greeted him with the usual greetings of a believer, i.e. said السلام علیکم to him viz. peace be on you. تحیة means greeting or salutation or benediction; endless or everlasting life; freedom and security from all evils; also dominion and kingship (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse, besides being general in its significance, also draws the attention of Muslim to the great boons and blessings that have come to them through the Holy Prophet and tells them that they are now morally bound to return the good they have received, by helping him to the best of their power in the furtherance of the cause he holds so dear. This would be a token of gratitude for the numerous and manifold divine favours received by them through him. The Prophet’s message of life was a greeting on his part, so let the Faithful respond to it in a befitting manner.

The verse also enjoins on Muslims that they should greet and return each other’s greeting in a most becoming manner when they meet. This is a social and moral duty, the neglect of which will render one guilty of it accountable before God, as the concluding words of the verse point out.

The usual formula of greeting prescribed by Islam is السلام علیکم i.e. "peace be on you", to which are often added the words ورحمة الله وبرکاته "and God’s mercy and His blessings." Pious Muslims would often add to the formula some additional prayer in compliance with the injunction, greet ye with a better prayer or at least return it. But the verse is much more general in its significance and extends to all forms of greetings, wishes, prayers, etc.

The words, return it, signify that if one cannot respond with a better greeting, one should at least respond with a similar one.

2:132.

Important Words:

خلیل (special friend) is derived from خل. They say خل الشیء i.e. he bored a hole into the thing. خل فی دعائه means, he was particular in his prayer. خلیل means, a special and particular friend whose love penetrates your inner parts (Aqrab & Lane). See also 2:255.

Commentary:

This verse gives the essence of Islam which signifies submission to the Will of God and the devotion of one’s faculties and powers to His service (see also note on 2:113). Abraham has been held out to the People of the Book who revere him as a patriarch and to the Arabs who were proud of being descended from him, as an example who embodied in his person the essence of Islam by his full submission to the Will of God; and both these people are herein told that it is only the true observance of the teachings of Islam that can make one like Abraham—beloved of God and His special friend.

There is a hadith in which the Holy Prophet is reported to have said: "If I had taken anyone from among men as my خلیل (special friend whose love penetrates one’s heart), I would have certainly taken Abu Bakr as such. But such friendship is permissible with God alone Who is my خلیل" (Bukhari, ch. on Fada’il of the Holy Companions).

Important Words:

حکم (judgement) gives a number of meanings including judgement, rule, jurisdiction, dominion, government, ordinance, decree, law; also predica-ment (Lane). See also 2:130; 3:8; 4:36.

Commentary:

The verse does not mean, as may be wrongly inferred, that if a person believes and does good works, he can take any food. On the contrary, it purports to lay down a condition the observance of which can secure a person against using a forbidden food, i.e. a food which is calculated to do him physical or spiritual harm. The condition is that he should fear God and believe and do good works; and it is evident that those who really fear God and believe in Him and do good works can never think of eating forbidden food. Indeed, a person may eat anything, if his partaking of it leads to his becoming pious and God fearing; and it is clear that such food, the eating of which makes a person pious and God-fearing, cannot but be pure and clean, for it is only clean food which can bring about such a result.

Two important principles emerge from this verse: (a) that the things of this world having been made for the use and benefit of man are, as a rule, pure and clean; the forbidden things being only exceptions; (b) that clean and pure food exercises a beneficial influence on man’s spiritual development, while unclean and impure food produces an adverse effect upon it.

Moreover, the verse lays down three stages of spiritual progress for believers. In the first stage, believers fear God and believe and do good works, while in the second stage they fear God and believe, their belief being at this stage so strong as to become a natural and constant source of good works which become, as it were, part and parcel of their belief, and in the third and final stage they fear God and do good to others which is not possible without perfect belief and good works, the mention of both of which has consequently been here left out as being understood. Thus, the words "and do good works" have been omitted in the description of the second stage, while the words "and believe" have been replaced with the words "and do good" in the description of the third stage.

It should be noted that the expression اتقوا (fear God), which has been repeated three times in the verse under comment, is peculiar to the Arabic language and gives a very vast meaning, the root idea underlying the word being "to be ever watchful and to be ever taking God for shelter" (see 2:3). Similarly, the expression احسنوا (do good) is very vast in its significance, for which see 2:113.