كَٱلَّذِينَ

3:104; 6:160; 8:47.

Commentary:

The Quran does not merely give general philosophic teachings but actually refers to historical facts to bring home to the Faithful the gravity of the dangers that proved the ruin of peoples gone by. The verse, therefore, aptly refers to the dissensions of the People of the Book, and Muslims are enjoined to avoid them. The Holy Prophet says: "Whoso separates himself from the body of the Muslims even by the space of a span, throws off from his neck the rope of Muslim brotherhood (Dawud). Again, "whoso severs his connection (with the community of the Muslims) will be cast into the Fire" (Tirmidhi, ch. on Fitan).

Commentary:

The expression, when they travel in the land, means, when they travel in the land in the cause of God. This meaning is supported by the context.

The idea contained in the words, so that Allah may make it a cause of regret in their hearts, is that when Muslims refused to act upon the advice of disbelievers not to fight, and instead, came forth in large numbers to fight in the way of God, the disbelievers were naturally grieved at their failure to win them over to their way of thinking.

The interpretation of the clause, and Allah gives life and causes death, would vary according to the different meanings of the words موت (death) and حیاة (life) occurring in it. If the death referred to in the verse is taken in the sense of destruction, the clause would mean that with the death of a few Muslims, Islam would not go to ruin. God has decreed to vouchsafe victory to Muslims and the death in fighting of a number of the victorious army cannot possibly result in their destruction. If, however, death is here taken to mean "disgrace", then the clause would mean that God’s votaries and true servants never meet with disgrace because all honour is in His hands and He gives it to whomsoever He pleases. Truly speaking, he who fights and lays down his life in the cause of truth can in no sense be regarded as dead, because such a one gives his life for the sake of Him Who is the controller of all life and death. Such a person can never die; for though physically he may die, spiritually he lives forever. In this connection, see also 2:155.

2:94; 4:47.

Commentary:

True Muslims are here warned against following the example of hypocrites, who say they listen but they listen not.

18:106.

Important Words:

The word الذی in the clauseکالذی خاضوا (as they indulged in idle talk) has been variously explained. Either (1) it is in the sense of منor ما . being used as a plural and giving the sense of الذین; or (2) it has the wordخوض understood before it, the full clause being کخوض الذی خاضوہ i.e. like the idle talk in which they indulged; or (3) it has the word فوج or some similar word understood before it, the full clause in this case being کالفوج الذی خاضوا i.e. like the party which indulged in idle talk, etc. (Kashshaf & Shaukani).

Commentary:

The reference in the pronoun "you" in the words, before you, may be either to the hypocrites in general or to ‘Abdullah bin Ubayy (the leader of the hypocrites) and his close associates in particular. The words, those before you, are explained in the following verse.

Important Words:

بطرا (boastfully). بطر الرجل means, the man exulted or exulted excessively; or he behaved insolently and ungratefully; or he behaved with pride and boastfulness; or he became stupefied and confounded with his wealth (and power), bearing it in an evil manner and turning it to a wrong purpose; or he regarded a thing with hatred and dislike, without its deserving to be so regarded; or he walked with a proud and conceited gait (Lane).

Commentary:

Boastfulness and the desire to be seen of and praised by others have always been a source of weakness in man, and the verse condemns them in the strongest terms. Again, in the field of religion, true service lies in opposing the enemy not only with fervour and zeal but with a view to helping and advancing the cause of truth. Those who are truly brave do nothing from motives of selfishness or self-display; their only motive is to seek the pleasure of God. The verse gives a description of the Meccan army under Abu Jahl which came forth from Mecca in proud exultation, and the Muslims are warned against following their example.

19:52.

Commentary:

From the Bible (Num. 12:1-10) and other Jewish literature it appears that Moses was made the butt of serious calumnies, some of which were: (1) Korah induced a woman to bring against Moses a charge of illicit connection with her. (b) Having become jealous of Aaron’s increasing influence with his people, Moses sought to kill him. (3) Moses was a victim of leprosy and syphilis; and (4) Samiri charged him with idolatry.

The Holy Prophet bore very close resemblance to Moses. Similar allegations were bound to be made against him. God, however, cleared both these noble Prophets of the wicked charges brought against them by their enemies and thus nullified their nefarious designs.

32:19; 38:29; 39:10.

Important Words:

اجترحوا (commit) is derived from جرح which means, he worked or wrought with his hand; he earned. جرحه means, he wounded him. They say بئس ما جرحت یداک i.e. evil is that which thy hands have wrought. اجترح الشیءmeans, he earned the thing. اجترح الاثم means, he committed a sin (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse embodies an infallible criterion to judge between truth and falsehood and between belief and disbelief. It purports to say that believers and disbelievers are never equal in life or in death. While in life disbelievers, being pitted against truth, meet with defeat and discomfiture, when they die they leave behind no one to remember them or perpetuate their memory because their own sons and grandsons eventually come to believe in and accept the truth. On the contrary, the cause that is dear to the believers progresses and prospers and they are remembered with honour and respect after their death. The verse, in fact, gives a miniature description of the conditions of the followers of Islam and of its opponents, in this and the next life.

21:45.

2:75; 6:44.

Commentary:

The verse seems to refer to the latter-day Muslims when as a result of neglecting the teachings of Islam they will have become spiritually corrupt, morally depraved and politically impotent. The verse means to bring home to them the realization of their all-round degradation and makes to them a pathetic appeal. "Has not the time arrived yet," it seems to say to them, "now that they have sunk to the lowest depths of degradation, they should turn to God and act upon the teachings of their religion which once raised them to the highest peaks of greatness, grandeur and glory."

9:67.

Commentary:

Man forgets God in three ways: (1) He rejects the very belief in the existence of God. (2) He has no real, true or living belief in a Supreme Being before Whom he shall have to render an account of his deeds (3) Forgetfulness. The inevitable and never-failing consequence of consigning God to oblivion is that man gets involved in matters which bring about his moral degradation and spiritual downfall, ending with loss of peace of mind.