قَبۡلُ
Appears 70 times in Quran
Occurrences in Quran
Found 50 verses containing "قَبۡلُ".
لَقَدۡ وُعِدۡنَا ہٰذَا نَحۡنُ وَاٰبَآؤُنَا مِنۡ قَبۡلُ اِنۡ ہٰذَاۤ اِلَّاۤ اَسٰطِیۡرُ الۡاَوَّلِیۡنَ
23:84.
23:84.
23:84.
b
23:84.
b
23:84.
b
23:84.
وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَعَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ اَنَّ لَہُمۡ جَنّٰتٍ تَجۡرِیۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِہَا الۡاَنۡہٰرُ ۖ کُلَّمَا رُزِقُوۡا مِنۡہَا مِنۡ ثَمَرَۃٍ رِّزۡقًا ۙ قَالُوۡا ہٰذَا الَّذِیۡ رُزِقۡنَا مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۖ وَاُتُوۡا بِہٖ مُتَشٰبِہًا ۖ وَّلَہُمۡ فِیۡہَاۤ اَزۡوٰجٌ مُّطَہَّرَۃٌ ۖ وَّہُمۡ فِیۡہَا خٰلِدُوۡنَ
3:16, 134, 196, 199; 4:14, 58, 123; 5:13, 86; 7:44; 9:72, 89, 100; 10:10; 13:36; 22:15, 24; 25:11; 2:18; 47:16; 58:23; 61:13; 64:10.
3:16; 4:58.
古兰经» 教导说, 每一种被创造出来的东西, 为了它充分的发展都需要一个配偶。天园中, 正直的男女将有纯洁的配偶来完成他们的精神发展, 成全他们的幸福。他们将成为哪种配偶, 只是在后世才能真正认识。
这节经文简单描绘了信教者后世将受得的酬报。批评伊斯兰教的人对这一描绘提出了各种各样的异议。这种批评的基础是, 完全误解了伊斯兰教对后世赐福的教导。«古兰经» 着重地声言人们是无法知道那些赐福的性质的 (32:18)。相传穆圣曾经说过: “没有眼睛看到过它们, 也没有耳朵听到过它们, 也没有人们的头脑能想象它们” (布哈里)。自然会产生这样一个问题:为什么后世赐福的名称要用这个世界的物质东西来称呼?这是因为 «古兰经» 中的话不是仅对智力高的人们说的, 因此要用大家都能懂得的简单的语言。在描绘后世赐福时, «古兰经» 中用的一般都是这个世界上看来是好的东西的名称, 并告诉信教者他们将在后世以较好的形式来得到所有这些东西。为了显示这种重要对照, 才使用熟悉的用词, 否则, 在今世欢乐与来生赐福之间就会没有共同的东西。而且, 根据伊斯兰教教义, 将来的生命在这种意义上并不是精神的, 即:并不只是由内心状态组成的, 即使在将来的生命, 人的灵魂也还有一个身体, 不过那个身体不是物质的。人们可由梦境形成一些这种观念。一个人在梦中见到的许多景象不能称为内心的或纯精神的, 因为在那种状态下他也有身体。有时发现他自己在流着河水的天园中, 吃着果实、喝着牛奶。很难说梦中的情况只是内心的状态。在梦中快活地喝着牛奶, 无疑是一种经验, 但没有人能说这是他在这个世界上喝的物质的牛奶。来生的精神幸福不会只是我们今世享受的主的馈赠的主观现实。我们今生有的东西仅是人们在来生将看到的主的真实馈赐的一种表现。此外,”天园” 代表信仰,”河流” 代表善行。天园无河流则不能旺盛, 信仰也不可无善行。因此, 为达到灵魂的拯救, 信仰与善行不可分离。在后世, 天园将提醒信教者们今生的信仰而河流将提醒他们的善行。他们会知道, 信仰与善行不是徒劳的。如果从 “这是我们以前受赐的” 这句话中得出结论说: 在天园中信教者将会得到他们在今生享受的这样的果实, 那是错误的。因为, 正如已说明了的那样, 这两种赏赐并不是等同的。后世的果实, 实际上是他们自身信仰品质的形象。当他们在吃这些果实时, 他们立刻认识到也记起这是他们今生信仰的果实; 他们为了感激这种情况, 就说: “这是我们以前受赐的。” 这句话也可意味着,”这是过去答应给我们的东西。”
تَجْرِیْ مِنْ تَحْتِھَا الْاَنْھٰرُ سے مراد یہ ہے کہ وہ نہریں ان باغوں سے تعلق رکھتی ہیں اور یہ ظاہر ہے کہ جس شخص کا باغ ہوگا اس میں بہنے والی نہر بھی اسی کی ملکیت ہوگی۔ پس تَجْرِیْ مِنْ تَحْتِھَا الْاَنْھٰرُ کے الفاظ رکھ کر یہ بتانا مقصود ہے کہ جنت میں بہنے والی نہریں مومنوں کی ملکیت ہوں گی۔
اَزْوَاجٌ جوڑے یعنی ایسے وجود جن کے ساتھ مل کر ان کی تمام ترقیات اور تمام آرام مکمل ہوں گے۔ قرآن کریم سے معلوم ہوتا ہے کہ سوائے ذات باری کے ہر چیز ایک جوڑے کی محتاج ہے۔ اس قاعدہ کے تحت جنتی بھی جوڑے کے محتاج ہوں گے خواہ مرد ہوں خواہ عورتیں۔ باقی رہا یہ سوال کہ وہ جوڑے کس قسم کے ہوں گے یہ تفصیل اللہ تعالیٰ کے علم میں ہے انسان اس کو تفصیلاً اسی وقت معلوم کرے گا جب وہ جنت میں جائے گا۔
3:16, 134, 196, 199; 4:14, 58, 123; 5:13, 86; 7:44; 9:72, 89, 100; 10:10; 13:36; 22:15, 24; 25:11; 2:18; 47:16; 58:23; 61:13; 64:10.
3:16; 4:58.
The Qur’an teaches that every created thing stands in need of a mate for its full development. In Paradise righteous men and women will have pure mates for perfecting their spiritual development and completing their happiness. What kind of mates these will be, will be realized only in the Hereafter.
This verse gives a brief description of the rewards which the believers will have in the next world. Critics of Islam have raised all sorts of objections to this description. The criticism is based upon a complete misunderstanding of the Islamic teaching about heavenly blessings. The Qur’an emphatically declares that it is beyond human mind to comprehend their nature (32:18). The Holy Prophet is reported to have said: "No eye has seen them, nor has any ear heard of them, nor can the mind of man conceive of them" (Bukhari). The question naturally arises, why have the blessings of Heaven been given the names used for material things in this world? This is because the address of the Qur’an is not merely to those people who are intellectually advanced. Therefore, it has used simple words which can be understood by all. While describing the heavenly blessings, the Qur’an has used the names of things generally looked upon as good in this world, and believers are told that they would get all these thi
3:16, 134, 196, 199; 4:14, 58, 123; 5:13, 86; 7:44; 9:72, 89, 100; 10:10; 13:36; 22:15, 24; 25:11; 32:20; 47:16; 58:23; 61:13; 64:10.
3:16; 4:58.
Important Words:
بشر (give glad tidings) is derived from بشر (bashshara), i.e. he gave glad tidings, which again is derived from بشر(bashara). They say بشر i.e. he laid bare its skin. Thus البشرة means, the outer and visible part of the skin. So بشر(bashshara) means, he gave or imparted news which changed the colour of the listener. The word has generally come to be used in connection with good or happy news. But it is also sometimes used in connection with bad news (e.g. 3:22). بشیر means, one who announces good news to a people or a person. All Prophets are spoken of as بشیر and نذیر i.e. givers of good news to those who believe in them and givers of bad news to those who reject them (Aqrab & Mufradat).
الصالحات (good works) is the plural of الصالحة which is derived from the verb صلح (the opposite of فسد) meaning, he or it became good or suitable and proper. ھذا الشیء یصلح لك means, this thing is suitable to you or is fit or meet for you (Aqrab). So الصالحات would be used about all those deeds and actions which are not only good intrinsically but are also meet and suitable. See also under 2:12.
جنات (gardens) which is the plural of جنة (a garden) is derived from جن meaning, it veiled, concealed, or covered a thing. So جنة means, any garden having trees by which the ground is covered or concealed; an orchard or garden having luxuriousness and denseness of verdure (Aqrab & Lane). Heaven has been called جنة or garden, because: (1) the mercy of God will 'cover' its dwellers just as trees in an orchard cover the ground thereof; or (2) because the blessings of Heaven are 'hidden' from the eyes of man"; or again (3) because Heaven is like a garden in which the trees represent good faith and the streams good actions.
الانھار (streams) is the plural of نھر (nahr) or نھر (nahar). They say نھرالماء i.e. the water flowed on the earth and cut out a channel for itself. Thus نھر (nahr) or نھر (nahar) means, a channel through which a stream or a river flows; a stream or river itself. نھر (nahar) also means, abundance (Aqrab).
ازواج (mates) is the plural of زوج which signifies, anything that is one of a pair or couple; it does not mean a pair but only one of a pair, whether male or female (Aqrab). The word زوج also means, a comrade (Lane).
خالدون (shall abide) is derived fromخلد which means, he remained and lived on. خلدبمکان means, he stayed or abided in a place. خلود means, staying on, or living without change or deterioration for a long time but not necessarily forever (Aqrab & Mufradat).
Commentary:
This verse gives a brief description of the rewards which the believers will have in the next world.
Critics of Islam have raised all sorts of objections to this description. They say that: (1) The promise of such rewards is only an appeal to greed and a faith based upon greed is not worth the name. (2) The Quran promises material rewards to the believers and this is objectionable. (3) If the rewards of the next world are going to be material, then it must be supposed that the same body which one has in this life will be resurrected after death and this is against all reason, because this body perishes and the particles of one body are used in the making of several other bodies. To whom and to how many will then the same body be given in the next world? (4) Believers are promised wives in Heaven which shows that sex relations will continue in the next world. An appeal to sex is very objectionable for spiritual ends. Sex relations are necessary only for the continuation of the race in this world. Why should there be such a thing in the next? (5) The Quranic Paradise appears to be a place of luxury and sensual pleasures. There is thus nothing spiritual about the Islamic conception of the next life.
This criticism is based on a failure to understand the real Islamic teaching. The Quran has made it clear that in this life it is not possible for man to comprehend the nature of the rewards of the next. It says: No soul knows what joy of the eyes is kept hidden for them, as a reward for their actions (32:18). That is to say, whatever the Quran says about Heaven and Hell is only metaphorical. The descriptions are not to be taken in the sense in which they are ordinarily taken in this world. The Holy Prophet says of the blessings of the next world: "No eye has seen them, nor has any ear heard of them; nor can the mind of man form any conception of them" (Bukhari). If the blessings of the next life are to be like the joys of this life, we should be able to form some idea of them, no matter how remote they may be. The blessings of the next life, therefore, must be quite different from the blessings of this life.
At another place in the Quran we read: The similitude of the Heaven promised to the God-fearing is that through it flow streams; its fruit is everlasting, and so is its shade. That is the reward of those who are righteous, and the reward of the disbelievers is Fire (13:36). Now the fruit of this world is not everlasting, so in order to be everlasting the fruit of the next world as well as its streams will have to be taken as something other than material. Again we read: A similitude of the Paradise promised to the righteous: Therein are rivers of water which corrupts not; and rivers of milk of which the taste changes not; and rivers of wine, a delight to those who drink; and rivers of clarified honey (47:16). There is nothing material in this. About the wine of Heaven we read: Wherein there will be no intoxication, nor will they be exhausted thereby (37:48). Again, And their Lord will give them to drink a beverage that is pure (76:22). Thus, wine in Heaven will not only be pure itself but will purify the drinkers as well. Elsewhere the Quran says that the pure wine of Paradise will be tempered with Tasnim (83:28), which means 'abundance' and 'height '. In the cup of wine that will pass from hand to hand in Heaven God says there will be neither vanity nor sin (52:24). As against this, the wine of this world is described in the Quran as: Wine and the game of hazard and idols and divining arrows are only an abomination of Satan’s handiwork. So shun each one of them that you may prosper. Satan desires only to create enmity and hatred among you by means of wine and the game of hazard and to keep you back from the remembrance of Allah and from Prayer (5:91, 92). This proves that the wine of the next world is quite different; it is pure and purifying and nothing material.
The blessings of Heaven have indeed nothing in common with their counterparts of this world except the name. Ibn ‘Abbas, the Prophet’s cousin, also says the same thing (Jarir).
Now the question arises: Why have the blessings of Heaven been given the names used of material things in this world? This is so because Islam is meant for all kinds of people. It does not address only the intellectually advanced but also all others. Therefore it uses simple words which can be understood by all. The disbelievers used to say that the Prophet disallowed the good things of the world, and his followers were thus deprived of all blessings. Therefore, while describing the blessings in store for the Muslims, God used the names of things generally looked upon as good in this world and told the believers that they would get all these things in a better form. The water of this world spoils, but believers would have water in the next which will not spoil. Gardens are blessings but they decay; so believers will have gardens which will last forever. The unbelievers drank intoxicating wine which made them drunk and which dulled their senses; but the wine which the believers will get in Heaven will be pure and purifying. It is to bring out this important contrast that familiar words are used; otherwise there is nothing common between the delights of this world and the blessings of the next.
It may be added here that, according to Islam, the next life is not spiritual in the sense that it will just consist of a mental state and nothing else. Even in the next life the human soul will have a kind of body; only, it will not be material. One can glean some idea of this from the phenomenon of dreams. The Quran says: Allah takes the souls of human beings at the time of their death; and (He also takes the souls of), those that have not died, during their sleep. Then He retains those against which He has decreed death, and sends (back) the others till an appointed term. In that surely are signs for a people who reflect (39:43). Death and sleep resemble each other, the difference being that whereas in death the human soul is completely and permanently severed from the body, in sleep the severance is only temporary and partial. Now the scenes which a man witnesses in a dream cannot be called purely mental or spiritual, because he has a body also in his dreams and finds himself sometimes in gardens and streams, and eats fruits and drinks milk. It is hard to say that the contents of dreams are only mental states. The milk enjoyed in a dream is no doubt a real experience, but no one can say that it is the material milk found in this world. Dreams have a meaning of their own. For instance, eating mangoes in a dream symbolizes a righteous child or a righteous heart; eating grapes signifies love and fear of God; and eating bananas, a good and lawful subsistence which is also easy of attainment. In short, the spiritual blessings of the next life will not be a mere subjective realization of the gifts of God with which we become familiar in this world. As a matter of fact, what we enjoy here is just a representation of the real and true gifts of God which man will find in the next world.
Again, gardens represent faith; and streams, good actions. Gardens cannot prosper without streams, nor faith without good actions. Therefore faith and actions are inseparable for the attainment of salvation. In the next world, gardens will remind the believers of their faith in this life and streams will remind them of their good works. They will know, then, that their faith and good works have not gone in vain.
The flowing of streams or rivers beneath the gardens also implies that every person in Heaven will have a free and unrestricted enjoyment of his portion. In this world, a single stream often serves several gardens and there is the possibility of a quarrel over it; but in Heaven each garden will have its own stream exclusively meant for itself. See also 10:10.
It is wrong to conclude from the words, This is what was given us before, that in Heaven the believers will be given such fruit as they will have enjoyed in this world, because, as already explained, the two are not the same. The fruit of the next world will, in fact, be the image of the quality of their own faith. When they will eat it, they will at once recognize and remember that it is the fruit of the faith they had in this world; and it will be out of gratitude for this that they will say: This is what was given us before.
The expression rendered as, was given us, may also mean, 'was promised us'; and in this sense it would mean, this is what was promised to us in the world.
The word متشابھا (mutually resembling) refers to the resemblance between the acts of worship performed by believers in this world and the fruits thereof in Heaven. The acts of worship performed in this life will appear to believers as fruit in the next. The more sincere and the more appropriate a man’s worship, the more will he enjoy his portion of the fruit in Paradise and the better in quality will it be. It, therefore, lies in one’s own power to improve the quality of one’s fruit as one likes.
The expression, mutually resembling, also implies that in Paradise one spiritual food will completely harmonize with the other, so that the possibility of spiritual disease will be eliminated altogether. It also means that the food in Heaven will be suited to each and every individual and to his stage of progress and degree of development.
The words, they will abide, signify that the believers will go on abiding in Heaven and will not be subject to any change or decay. Man dies only when he cannot assimilate food or when someone kills him. But since the food of Paradise will be perfectly suited to every individual and since man will have pure and peaceful companions, death and decay will automatically disappear.
The Faithful will also have pure mates in Heaven. A good wife is a joy and a comfort. The Faithful try to have good wives in this world, and they will have good and virtuous company in the next. Yet these joys of Heaven are not physical.
A typical Christian comment on this subject is made by Sir William Muir: "It is very remarkable that the notices in the Coran of this voluptuous paradise are almost entirely confined to a time when, whatever the tendency of his desires, Mohammad was living chaste and temperate with a single wife of three score years of age. It is noteworthy that in the Medina Surahs, that is, in all the voluminous revelations of the ten years following the Hegira women are only twice referred to as constituting one of the delights of paradise and on both occasions in these simple words: 'And to them (believers) there shall be therein pure wives'. Was it that the soul of Mohammad had at that period no longings after what he had then to satiety the enjoyment of? Or that a closer contact with Jewish principles and morality repressed the budding pruriency of the revelation, and covered with merited confusion the picture of his sensual paradise which had been drawn at Mecca?" (Muir, page 76).
It is amazing how these Christian critics with pretensions to culture and learning will draw on sheer speculation to attack the honour of a Teacher who is held in the deepest reverence and devotion by many millions of men and women all over the world. They seem emboldened to do so, because Christians today hold political sway over the Muslims. A few centuries of power have made them forget that Muslims ruled over Christendom for a full 1,000 years, and during this time they never said anything unbecoming about Jesus. They respected Christian susceptibilities when Christians were quite unprotected and were much weaker than Muslims are today. Would to God Christians did not feel so elated!
Sir William conveniently ignores the fact that there are other things besides women which are mentioned in the Meccan chapters and to which there is no reference in the Medinite chapters. We read in the Meccan chapters that there will be wine, honey and rivers of milk in Paradise. Was the Holy Prophet deprived even of these things at Mecca that he should have compensated himself by imagining them in Paradise? Nothing could be more absurd than this. Personally the Holy Prophet was much better off at Mecca than he was at Medina. His rich wife Khadijah was then alive and she had placed all her wealth at his disposal. By the time he reached Medina, most of this wealth had been spent in good works and the Holy Prophet was left a poor man with little to live on. If the picture of Paradise was an imaged compensation for his wants, it should have emerged at Medina instead of at Mecca.
Supposing Sir William is right, cannot critics of Christianity say justifiably that Jesus imagined himself the king of the Jews because he was persecuted everywhere? Could they not also say that as Jesus saw nothing of sex life in this world, he remained obsessed with the idea of a second advent and imagined himself a bridegroom taking no less than five virgins for wives? In the words of the New Testament, he is reported to have said: "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For the foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps…And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out. But the wise answered, saying, Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you: go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut" (Matt. 25:1-10). A bridegroom surrounded by a bevy of virgins—is not this the Heaven of Jesus’ imagination?
But to revert to the subject; the disbelievers at Mecca used to taunt the Muslims about their poverty, saying they had nothing of the good things which they had, so God took over their own phrases and said that the rewards which believers would have in Paradise would be even better. When Islam was established at Medina, the disbelievers gave up their taunts. So God also dropped the earlier descriptions of Paradise. The descriptions in their deep significance, however, hold for all time.
At Mecca, moreover, it was necessary to explain and emphasize the basic belief of Islam. Therefore, greater detail of doctrine is found in the Meccan chapters, and as Paradise, the abode of believers in the afterlife, is an important item of belief, it is dealt with in detail in them. At Medina, on the contrary, practical matters like personal ethics and social legislation became more important. Therefore, greater attention was given to them in the Medinite chapters. The Meccan Surahs also abound in descriptions of Hell. What are they a compensation for?
Sir William Muir also suggests that the Holy Prophet changed his views about Paradise under the influence of the Jews and the Christians of Medina. But he forgets that the stock criticism made by Christian writers is that some Christian slaves had taught the Holy Prophet the Christian scriptures, the substance of which was incorporated in the Quran. Sir William himself alleges that the Holy Prophetlearnt Christianity from Suhaib, a Roman slave at Mecca (The Life of Mahomet, p.67). If the Holy Prophet at Mecca already knew the Christian teachings, he need not have waited for their influence until his arrival at Medina. In point of fact, in the Jewish and the Christian scriptures, there are no descriptions of Paradise. The Jews and the Christians have remained so engrossed in the affairs of this life that their Books do not say much about the life to come. The promises made by their Prophets about the next life have always been taken by them to pertain only to this life. It cannot be imagined that anybody could be influenced by such a teaching.
b
3:16, 134, 196, 199; 4:14, 58, 123; 5:13, 86; 7:44; 9:72, 89, 100; 10:10; 13:36; 22:15, 24; 25:11; 2:18; 47:16; 58:23; 61:13; 64:10.
c
3:16; 4:58.
29T
古兰经» 教导说, 每一种被创造出来的东西, 为了它充分的发展都需要一个配偶。天园中, 正直的男女将有纯洁的配偶来完成他们的精神发展, 成全他们的幸福。他们将成为哪种配偶, 只是在后世才能真正认识。
29U
这节经文简单描绘了信教者后世将受得的酬报。批评伊斯兰教的人对这一描绘提出了各种各样的异议。这种批评的基础是, 完全误解了伊斯兰教对后世赐福的教导。«古兰经» 着重地声言人们是无法知道那些赐福的性质的 (32:18)。相传穆圣曾经说过: “没有眼睛看到过它们, 也没有耳朵听到过它们, 也没有人们的头脑能想象它们” (布哈里)。自然会产生这样一个问题:为什么后世赐福的名称要用这个世界的物质东西来称呼?这是因为 «古兰经» 中的话不是仅对智力高的人们说的, 因此要用大家都能懂得的简单的语言。在描绘后世赐福时, «古兰经» 中用的一般都是这个世界上看来是好的东西的名称, 并告诉信教者他们将在后世以较好的形式来得到所有这些东西。为了显示这种重要对照, 才使用熟悉的用词, 否则, 在今世欢乐与来生赐福之间就会没有共同的东西。而且, 根据伊斯兰教教义, 将来的生命在这种意义上并不是精神的, 即:并不只是由内心状态组成的, 即使在将来的生命, 人的灵魂也还有一个身体, 不过那个身体不是物质的。人们可由梦境形成一些这种观念。一个人在梦中见到的许多景象不能称为内心的或纯精神的, 因为在那种状态下他也有身体。有时发现他自己在流着河水的天园中, 吃着果实、喝着牛奶。很难说梦中的情况只是内心的状态。在梦中快活地喝着牛奶, 无疑是一种经验, 但没有人能说这是他在这个世界上喝的物质的牛奶。来生的精神幸福不会只是我们今世享受的主的馈赠的主观现实。我们今生有的东西仅是人们在来生将看到的主的真实馈赐的一种表现。此外,”天园” 代表信仰,”河流” 代表善行。天园无河流则不能旺盛, 信仰也不可无善行。因此, 为达到灵魂的拯救, 信仰与善行不可分离。在后世, 天园将提醒信教者们今生的信仰而河流将提醒他们的善行。他们会知道, 信仰与善行不是徒劳的。如果从 “这是我们以前受赐的” 这句话中得出结论说: 在天园中信教者将会得到他们在今生享受的这样的果实, 那是错误的。因为, 正如已说明了的那样, 这两种赏赐并不是等同的。后世的果实, 实际上是他们自身信仰品质的形象。当他们在吃这些果实时, 他们立刻认识到也记起这是他们今生信仰的果实; 他们为了感激这种情况, 就说: “这是我们以前受赐的。” 这句话也可意味着,”这是过去答应给我们的东西。”
2
تَجْرِیْ مِنْ تَحْتِھَا الْاَنْھٰرُ سے مراد یہ ہے کہ وہ نہریں ان باغوں سے تعلق رکھتی ہیں اور یہ ظاہر ہے کہ جس شخص کا باغ ہوگا اس میں بہنے والی نہر بھی اسی کی ملکیت ہوگی۔ پس تَجْرِیْ مِنْ تَحْتِھَا الْاَنْھٰرُ کے الفاظ رکھ کر یہ بتانا مقصود ہے کہ جنت میں بہنے والی نہریں مومنوں کی ملکیت ہوں گی۔
3
اَزْوَاجٌ جوڑے یعنی ایسے وجود جن کے ساتھ مل کر ان کی تمام ترقیات اور تمام آرام مکمل ہوں گے۔ قرآن کریم سے معلوم ہوتا ہے کہ سوائے ذات باری کے ہر چیز ایک جوڑے کی محتاج ہے۔ اس قاعدہ کے تحت جنتی بھی جوڑے کے محتاج ہوں گے خواہ مرد ہوں خواہ عورتیں۔ باقی رہا یہ سوال کہ وہ جوڑے کس قسم کے ہوں گے یہ تفصیل اللہ تعالیٰ کے علم میں ہے انسان اس کو تفصیلاً اسی وقت معلوم کرے گا جب وہ جنت میں جائے گا۔
a
3:16, 134, 196, 199; 4:14, 58, 123; 5:13, 86; 7:44; 9:72, 89, 100; 10:10; 13:36; 22:15, 24; 25:11; 32:20; 47:16; 58:23; 61:13; 64:10.
b
3:16; 4:58.
32
Important Words:
بشر (give glad tidings) is derived from بشر (bashshara), i.e. he gave glad tidings, which again is derived from بشر(bashara). They say بشر i.e. he laid bare its skin. Thus البشرة means, the outer and visible part of the skin. So بشر(bashshara) means, he gave or imparted news which changed the colour of the listener. The word has generally come to be used in connection with good or happy news. But it is also sometimes used in connection with bad news (e.g. 3:22). بشیر means, one who announces good news to a people or a person. All Prophets are spoken of as بشیر and نذیر i.e. givers of good news to those who believe in them and givers of bad news to those who reject them (Aqrab & Mufradat).
الصالحات (good works) is the plural of الصالحة which is derived from the verb صلح (the opposite of فسد) meaning, he or it became good or suitable and proper. ھذا الشیء یصلح لك means, this thing is suitable to you or is fit or meet for you (Aqrab). So الصالحات would be used about all those deeds and actions which are not only good intrinsically but are also meet and suitable. See also under 2:12.
جنات (gardens) which is the plural of جنة (a garden) is derived from جن meaning, it veiled, concealed, or covered a thing. So جنة means, any garden having trees by which the ground is covered or concealed; an orchard or garden having luxuriousness and denseness of verdure (Aqrab & Lane). Heaven has been called جنة or garden, because: (1) the mercy of God will 'cover' its dwellers just as trees in an orchard cover the ground thereof; or (2) because the blessings of Heaven are 'hidden' from the eyes of man"; or again (3) because Heaven is like a garden in which the trees represent good faith and the streams good actions.
الانھار (streams) is the plural of نھر (nahr) or نھر (nahar). They say نھرالماء i.e. the water flowed on the earth and cut out a channel for itself. Thus نھر (nahr) or نھر (nahar) means, a channel through which a stream or a river flows; a stream or river itself. نھر (nahar) also means, abundance (Aqrab).
ازواج (mates) is the plural of زوج which signifies, anything that is one of a pair or couple; it does not mean a pair but only one of a pair, whether male or female (Aqrab). The word زوج also means, a comrade (Lane).
خالدون (shall abide) is derived fromخلد which means, he remained and lived on. خلدبمکان means, he stayed or abided in a place. خلود means, staying on, or living without change or deterioration for a long time but not necessarily forever (Aqrab & Mufradat).
Commentary:
This verse gives a brief description of the rewards which the believers will have in the next world.
Critics of Islam have raised all sorts of objections to this description. They say that: (1) The promise of such rewards is only an appeal to greed and a faith based upon greed is not worth the name. (2) The Quran promises material rewards to the believers and this is objectionable. (3) If the rewards of the next world are going to be material, then it must be supposed that the same body which one has in this life will be resurrected after death and this is against all reason, because this body perishes and the particles of one body are used in the making of several other bodies. To whom and to how many will then the same body be given in the next world? (4) Believers are promised wives in Heaven which shows that sex relations will continue in the next world. An appeal to sex is very objectionable for spiritual ends. Sex relations are necessary only for the continuation of the race in this world. Why should there be such a thing in the next? (5) The Quranic Paradise appears to be a place of luxury and sensual pleasures. There is thus nothing spiritual about the Islamic conception of the next life.
This criticism is based on a failure to understand the real Islamic teaching. The Quran has made it clear that in this life it is not possible for man to comprehend the nature of the rewards of the next. It says: No soul knows what joy of the eyes is kept hidden for them, as a reward for their actions (32:18). That is to say, whatever the Quran says about Heaven and Hell is only metaphorical. The descriptions are not to be taken in the sense in which they are ordinarily taken in this world. The Holy Prophet says of the blessings of the next world: "No eye has seen them, nor has any ear heard of them; nor can the mind of man form any conception of them" (Bukhari). If the blessings of the next life are to be like the joys of this life, we should be able to form some idea of them, no matter how remote they may be. The blessings of the next life, therefore, must be quite different from the blessings of this life.
At another place in the Quran we read: The similitude of the Heaven promised to the God-fearing is that through it flow streams; its fruit is everlasting, and so is its shade. That is the reward of those who are righteous, and the reward of the disbelievers is Fire (13:36). Now the fruit of this world is not everlasting, so in order to be everlasting the fruit of the next world as well as its streams will have to be taken as something other than material. Again we read: A similitude of the Paradise promised to the righteous: Therein are rivers of water which corrupts not; and rivers of milk of which the taste changes not; and rivers of wine, a delight to those who drink; and rivers of clarified honey (47:16). There is nothing material in this. About the wine of Heaven we read: Wherein there will be no intoxication, nor will they be exhausted thereby (37:48). Again, And their Lord will give them to drink a beverage that is pure (76:22). Thus, wine in Heaven will not only be pure itself but will purify the drinkers as well. Elsewhere the Quran says that the pure wine of Paradise will be tempered with Tasnim (83:28), which means 'abundance' and 'height '. In the cup of wine that will pass from hand to hand in Heaven God says there will be neither vanity nor sin (52:24). As against this, the wine of this world is described in the Quran as: Wine and the game of hazard and idols and divining arrows are only an abomination of Satan’s handiwork. So shun each one of them that you may prosper. Satan desires only to create enmity and hatred among you by means of wine and the game of hazard and to keep you back from the remembrance of Allah and from Prayer (5:91, 92). This proves that the wine of the next world is quite different; it is pure and purifying and nothing material.
The blessings of Heaven have indeed nothing in common with their counterparts of this world except the name. Ibn ‘Abbas, the Prophet’s cousin, also says the same thing (Jarir).
Now the question arises: Why have the blessings of Heaven been given the names used of material things in this world? This is so because Islam is meant for all kinds of people. It does not address only the intellectually advanced but also all others. Therefore it uses simple words which can be understood by all. The disbelievers used to say that the Prophet disallowed the good things of the world, and his followers were thus deprived of all blessings. Therefore, while describing the blessings in store for the Muslims, God used the names of things generally looked upon as good in this world and told the believers that they would get all these things in a better form. The water of this world spoils, but believers would have water in the next which will not spoil. Gardens are blessings but they decay; so believers will have gardens which will last forever. The unbelievers drank intoxicating wine which made them drunk and which dulled their senses; but the wine which the believers will get in Heaven will be pure and purifying. It is to bring out this important contrast that familiar words are used; otherwise there is nothing common between the delights of this world and the blessings of the next.
It may be added here that, according to Islam, the next life is not spiritual in the sense that it will just consist of a mental state and nothing else. Even in the next life the human soul will have a kind of body; only, it will not be material. One can glean some idea of this from the phenomenon of dreams. The Quran says: Allah takes the souls of human beings at the time of their death; and (He also takes the souls of), those that have not died, during their sleep. Then He retains those against which He has decreed death, and sends (back) the others till an appointed term. In that surely are signs for a people who reflect (39:43). Death and sleep resemble each other, the difference being that whereas in death the human soul is completely and permanently severed from the body, in sleep the severance is only temporary and partial. Now the scenes which a man witnesses in a dream cannot be called purely mental or spiritual, because he has a body also in his dreams and finds himself sometimes in gardens and streams, and eats fruits and drinks milk. It is hard to say that the contents of dreams are only mental states. The milk enjoyed in a dream is no doubt a real experience, but no one can say that it is the material milk found in this world. Dreams have a meaning of their own. For instance, eating mangoes in a dream symbolizes a righteous child or a righteous heart; eating grapes signifies love and fear of God; and eating bananas, a good and lawful subsistence which is also easy of attainment. In short, the spiritual blessings of the next life will not be a mere subjective realization of the gifts of God with which we become familiar in this world. As a matter of fact, what we enjoy here is just a representation of the real and true gifts of God which man will find in the next world.
Again, gardens represent faith; and streams, good actions. Gardens cannot prosper without streams, nor faith without good actions. Therefore faith and actions are inseparable for the attainment of salvation. In the next world, gardens will remind the believers of their faith in this life and streams will remind them of their good works. They will know, then, that their faith and good works have not gone in vain.
The flowing of streams or rivers beneath the gardens also implies that every person in Heaven will have a free and unrestricted enjoyment of his portion. In this world, a single stream often serves several gardens and there is the possibility of a quarrel over it; but in Heaven each garden will have its own stream exclusively meant for itself. See also 10:10.
It is wrong to conclude from the words, This is what was given us before, that in Heaven the believers will be given such fruit as they will have enjoyed in this world, because, as already explained, the two are not the same. The fruit of the next world will, in fact, be the image of the quality of their own faith. When they will eat it, they will at once recognize and remember that it is the fruit of the faith they had in this world; and it will be out of gratitude for this that they will say: This is what was given us before.
The expression rendered as, was given us, may also mean, 'was promised us'; and in this sense it would mean, this is what was promised to us in the world.
The word متشابھا (mutually resembling) refers to the resemblance between the acts of worship performed by believers in this world and the fruits thereof in Heaven. The acts of worship performed in this life will appear to believers as fruit in the next. The more sincere and the more appropriate a man’s worship, the more will he enjoy his portion of the fruit in Paradise and the better in quality will it be. It, therefore, lies in one’s own power to improve the quality of one’s fruit as one likes.
The expression, mutually resembling, also implies that in Paradise one spiritual food will completely harmonize with the other, so that the possibility of spiritual disease will be eliminated altogether. It also means that the food in Heaven will be suited to each and every individual and to his stage of progress and degree of development.
The words, they will abide, signify that the believers will go on abiding in Heaven and will not be subject to any change or decay. Man dies only when he cannot assimilate food or when someone kills him. But since the food of Paradise will be perfectly suited to every individual and since man will have pure and peaceful companions, death and decay will automatically disappear.
The Faithful will also have pure mates in Heaven. A good wife is a joy and a comfort. The Faithful try to have good wives in this world, and they will have good and virtuous company in the next. Yet these joys of Heaven are not physical.
A typical Christian comment on this subject is made by Sir William Muir: "It is very remarkable that the notices in the Coran of this voluptuous paradise are almost entirely confined to a time when, whatever the tendency of his desires, Mohammad was living chaste and temperate with a single wife of three score years of age. It is noteworthy that in the Medina Surahs, that is, in all the voluminous revelations of the ten years following the Hegira women are only twice referred to as constituting one of the delights of paradise and on both occasions in these simple words: 'And to them (believers) there shall be therein pure wives'. Was it that the soul of Mohammad had at that period no longings after what he had then to satiety the enjoyment of? Or that a closer contact with Jewish principles and morality repressed the budding pruriency of the revelation, and covered with merited confusion the picture of his sensual paradise which had been drawn at Mecca?" (Muir, page 76).
It is amazing how these Christian critics with pretensions to culture and learning will draw on sheer speculation to attack the honour of a Teacher who is held in the deepest reverence and devotion by many millions of men and women all over the world. They seem emboldened to do so, because Christians today hold political sway over the Muslims. A few centuries of power have made them forget that Muslims ruled over Christendom for a full 1,000 years, and during this time they never said anything unbecoming about Jesus. They respected Christian susceptibilities when Christians were quite unprotected and were much weaker than Muslims are today. Would to God Christians did not feel so elated!
Sir William conveniently ignores the fact that there are other things besides women which are mentioned in the Meccan chapters and to which there is no reference in the Medinite chapters. We read in the Meccan chapters that there will be wine, honey and rivers of milk in Paradise. Was the Holy Prophet deprived even of these things at Mecca that he should have compensated himself by imagining them in Paradise? Nothing could be more absurd than this. Personally the Holy Prophet was much better off at Mecca than he was at Medina. His rich wife Khadijah was then alive and she had placed all her wealth at his disposal. By the time he reached Medina, most of this wealth had been spent in good works and the Holy Prophet was left a poor man with little to live on. If the picture of Paradise was an imaged compensation for his wants, it should have emerged at Medina instead of at Mecca.
Supposing Sir William is right, cannot critics of Christianity say justifiably that Jesus imagined himself the king of the Jews because he was persecuted everywhere? Could they not also say that as Jesus saw nothing of sex life in this world, he remained obsessed with the idea of a second advent and imagined himself a bridegroom taking no less than five virgins for wives? In the words of the New Testament, he is reported to have said: "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For the foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps…And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out. But the wise answered, saying, Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you: go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut" (Matt. 25:1-10). A bridegroom surrounded by a bevy of virgins—is not this the Heaven of Jesus’ imagination?
But to revert to the subject; the disbelievers at Mecca used to taunt the Muslims about their poverty, saying they had nothing of the good things which they had, so God took over their own phrases and said that the rewards which believers would have in Paradise would be even better. When Islam was established at Medina, the disbelievers gave up their taunts. So God also dropped the earlier descriptions of Paradise. The descriptions in their deep significance, however, hold for all time.
At Mecca, moreover, it was necessary to explain and emphasize the basic belief of Islam. Therefore, greater detail of doctrine is found in the Meccan chapters, and as Paradise, the abode of believers in the afterlife, is an important item of belief, it is dealt with in detail in them. At Medina, on the contrary, practical matters like personal ethics and social legislation became more important. Therefore, greater attention was given to them in the Medinite chapters. The Meccan Surahs also abound in descriptions of Hell. What are they a compensation for?
Sir William Muir also suggests that the Holy Prophet changed his views about Paradise under the influence of the Jews and the Christians of Medina. But he forgets that the stock criticism made by Christian writers is that some Christian slaves had taught the Holy Prophet the Christian scriptures, the substance of which was incorporated in the Quran. Sir William himself alleges that the Holy Prophetlearnt Christianity from Suhaib, a Roman slave at Mecca (The Life of Mahomet, p.67). If the Holy Prophet at Mecca already knew the Christian teachings, he need not have waited for their influence until his arrival at Medina. In point of fact, in the Jewish and the Christian scriptures, there are no descriptions of Paradise. The Jews and the Christians have remained so engrossed in the affairs of this life that their Books do not say much about the life to come. The promises made by their Prophets about the next life have always been taken by them to pertain only to this life. It cannot be imagined that anybody could be influenced by such a teaching.
a
3:16, 134, 196, 199; 4:14, 58, 123; 5:13, 86; 7:44; 9:72, 89, 100; 10:10; 13:36; 22:15, 24; 25:11; 2:18; 47:16; 58:23; 61:13; 64:10.
b
3:16; 4:58.
46A
The Qur’an teaches that every created thing stands in need of a mate for its full development. In Paradise righteous men and women will have pure mates for perfecting their spiritual development and completing their happiness. What kind of mates these will be, will be realized only in the Hereafter.
47
This verse gives a brief description of the rewards which the believers will have in the next world. Critics of Islam have raised all sorts of objections to this description. The criticism is based upon a complete misunderstanding of the Islamic teaching about heavenly blessings. The Qur’an emphatically declares that it is beyond human mind to comprehend their nature (32:18). The Holy Prophet is reported to have said: "No eye has seen them, nor has any ear heard of them, nor can the mind of man conceive of them" (Bukhari). The question naturally arises, why have the blessings of Heaven been given the names used for material things in this world? This is because the address of the Qur’an is not merely to those people who are intellectually advanced. Therefore, it has used simple words which can be understood by all. While describing the heavenly blessings, the Qur’an has used the names of things generally looked upon as good in this world, and believers are told that they would get all these thi
۞ وَحَرَّمۡنَا عَلَیۡہِ الۡمَرَاضِعَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ فَقَالَتۡ ہَلۡ اَدُلُّکُمۡ عَلٰۤی اَہۡلِ بَیۡتٍ یَّکۡفُلُوۡنَہٗ لَکُمۡ وَہُمۡ لَہٗ نٰصِحُوۡنَ
20:41.
اس سے معلوم ہوتا ہے کہ موسیٰ علیہ السلام جس ٹوکرے میں تھے وہ بہتا بہتا پہلے کنارہ پر جا لگا تھا اور موسیٰ علیہ السلام کی بہن احتیاط سے بہت آہستہ آہستہ پیچھے رہی تھی۔ اس عرصہ میں فرعون کی بیٹی نے کئی دودھ پلانے والیاں بلا کے انہیں موسیٰ علیہ السلام کو دودھ پلانے کا حکم دیا۔ مگر موسیٰ علیہ السلام نے ان کا دودھ پینے سے انکار کر دیا۔ یہاں تک کہ الٰہی تدبیر کے مطابق وہ اپنی ماں کے پاس لوٹ آئے۔
20:41.
20:41.
a
20:41.
1
اس سے معلوم ہوتا ہے کہ موسیٰ علیہ السلام جس ٹوکرے میں تھے وہ بہتا بہتا پہلے کنارہ پر جا لگا تھا اور موسیٰ علیہ السلام کی بہن احتیاط سے بہت آہستہ آہستہ پیچھے رہی تھی۔ اس عرصہ میں فرعون کی بیٹی نے کئی دودھ پلانے والیاں بلا کے انہیں موسیٰ علیہ السلام کو دودھ پلانے کا حکم دیا۔ مگر موسیٰ علیہ السلام نے ان کا دودھ پینے سے انکار کر دیا۔ یہاں تک کہ الٰہی تدبیر کے مطابق وہ اپنی ماں کے پاس لوٹ آئے۔
a
20:41.
a
20:41.
وَلَمَّا جَآءَہُمۡ کِتٰبٌ مِّنۡ عِنۡدِ اللّٰہِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَہُمۡ وَکَانُوۡا مِنۡ قَبۡلُ یَسۡتَفۡتِحُوۡنَ عَلَی الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا فَلَمَّا جَآءَہُمۡ مَّا عَرَفُوۡا کَفَرُوۡا بِہٖ ۚ فَلَعۡنَۃُ اللّٰہِ عَلَی الۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ
یہاں فَاء کا ترجمہ چھوڑا گیا ہے کیونکہ اردو میں ایسے موقع پر کوئی لفظ استعمال نہیں ہوتا۔
2:147.
2:42, 92, 98, 102; 3:82; 4:48; 35:32; 46:13.
The verse signifies that Jews used to disclose to the pagan Arabs the fact that there were prophecies in their Scriptures about the advent of a Prophet who would spread the truth all over the world (Deut. 18: 18 & 28: 1-2). But when that Prophet actually appeared, even those of them who had seen the Signs of God being fulfilled in his person turned away from him. Or the meaning may be that before the advent of the Holy Prophet the Jews used to pray fervently to God to raise a Prophet who should cause the true Faith to triumph over false Faiths (Hisham, i. 150). But when the Prophet for whom they had prayed actually came and the ascendancy of truth over falsehood became manifest, they refused to accept him; consequently bringing on their heads the curse of God.
2:42, 92, 98, 102; 3:82; 4:48; 35:32; 46:13.
2:147.
Important Words:
یستفتحون (they prayed for victory) is derived from فتح meaning (1) he opened a thing, or he disclosed a thing; (2) he conquered or gained victory over. The word یستفتحون would, therefore, have two meanings: (1) they disclose; and (2) they ask or pray for victory (Aqrab).
Commentary:
According to the first meaning of یستفتحون the verse would signify that Jews used to disclose to the pagan Arabs the fact that there was foretold in their Scriptures the appearance of a Prophet who would spread the truth all over the world. But when that Prophet actually appeared, even those of them who had seen the signs of God fulfilled in his person turned away from him.
Taking the second meaning of the word, the verse would signify that before the advent of the Holy Prophet, the Jews used to pray fervently to God to raise a Prophet who would cause the true faith to triumph over the false ones (Hisham, i. 150). But when the Prophet for whom they prayed actually came and the ascendancy of truth over falsehood became manifest, they refused to accept him. This naturally brought on their heads the curse of God.
It may be repeated here that the word "curse" is not used in the Quran as abuse but as indicative of the actual state or condition of a person or a people. As explained under the preceding verse, the literal meaning of the word لعنة is "to be driven away from God" and hence all who stand in opposition to God and His Prophets incur لعنة and are spoken of as being under the curse of God; i.e. driven away from God’s presence and deprived of His mercy.
b
2:42, 92, 98, 102; 3:82; 4:48; 35:32; 46:13.
c
2:147.
2
یہاں فَاء کا ترجمہ چھوڑا گیا ہے کیونکہ اردو میں ایسے موقع پر کوئی لفظ استعمال نہیں ہوتا۔
a
2:42, 92, 98, 102; 3:82; 4:48; 35:32; 46:13.
b
2:147.
96
Important Words:
یستفتحون (they prayed for victory) is derived from فتح meaning (1) he opened a thing, or he disclosed a thing; (2) he conquered or gained victory over. The word یستفتحون would, therefore, have two meanings: (1) they disclose; and (2) they ask or pray for victory (Aqrab).
Commentary:
According to the first meaning of یستفتحون the verse would signify that Jews used to disclose to the pagan Arabs the fact that there was foretold in their Scriptures the appearance of a Prophet who would spread the truth all over the world. But when that Prophet actually appeared, even those of them who had seen the signs of God fulfilled in his person turned away from him.
Taking the second meaning of the word, the verse would signify that before the advent of the Holy Prophet, the Jews used to pray fervently to God to raise a Prophet who would cause the true faith to triumph over the false ones (Hisham, i. 150). But when the Prophet for whom they prayed actually came and the ascendancy of truth over falsehood became manifest, they refused to accept him. This naturally brought on their heads the curse of God.
It may be repeated here that the word "curse" is not used in the Quran as abuse but as indicative of the actual state or condition of a person or a people. As explained under the preceding verse, the literal meaning of the word لعنة is "to be driven away from God" and hence all who stand in opposition to God and His Prophets incur لعنة and are spoken of as being under the curse of God; i.e. driven away from God’s presence and deprived of His mercy.
a
2:147.
f
2:42, 92, 98, 102; 3:82; 4:48; 35:32; 46:13.
120
The verse signifies that Jews used to disclose to the pagan Arabs the fact that there were prophecies in their Scriptures about the advent of a Prophet who would spread the truth all over the world (Deut. 18: 18 & 28: 1-2). But when that Prophet actually appeared, even those of them who had seen the Signs of God being fulfilled in his person turned away from him. Or the meaning may be that before the advent of the Holy Prophet the Jews used to pray fervently to God to raise a Prophet who should cause the true Faith to triumph over false Faiths (Hisham, i. 150). But when the Prophet for whom they had prayed actually came and the ascendancy of truth over falsehood became manifest, they refused to accept him; consequently bringing on their heads the curse of God.
وَاِذَا قِیۡلَ لَہُمۡ اٰمِنُوۡا بِمَاۤ اَنۡزَلَ اللّٰہُ قَالُوۡا نُؤۡمِنُ بِمَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ عَلَیۡنَا وَیَکۡفُرُوۡنَ بِمَا وَرَآءَہٗ وَہُوَ الۡحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَہُمۡ ۗ قُلۡ فَلِمَ تَقۡتُلُوۡنَ اَنۡۢبِیَآءَ اللّٰہِ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ مُّؤۡمِنِیۡنَ
2:171.
3:113, 182.
2:171.
3:113, 182.
Commentary:
The verse means that whenever Islam is presented to Jews, they, far from reflecting over its claims, consider it enough to say that they will believe in what is sent to Israelite Prophets only, and not in the revelation of outsiders, although the revelation they reject on such flimsy grounds fulfils the prophecies contained in their own Scriptures about a new Book. Further, it is added that the statement that they would adhere to what was revealed to Israelite Prophets is absurd, seeing that they had opposed even their own Prophets in their time.
This verse also makes it clear what the word مصدقا means when followed by the preposition لام. The expression has been used as a proof of the truth of the Quran, and it is therefore clear that it conveys the sense of "fulfilling" and not that of "confirming". It is only the fulfilment of prophecies in the Bible that can serve as evidence of the truth of the Quran. In this connection, see also 2:42.
For the prophecies alluded to in this verse, i.e. the prophecies contained in the Bible about the Quran and the Holy Prophet, the reader is referred to Deut. 18:15-19; Acts 3:19-24; Deut. 33:2; Matt. 21:42-44; Isa. 21:13-17; 28:9-13; chap. 42; 62:2-4; Dan. 7; etc.
For a discussion of the words, why did you attempt to slay the Prophets, see under 2:62.
a
3:113, 182.
e
2:171.
a
2:171.
b
3:113, 182.
98
Commentary:
The verse means that whenever Islam is presented to Jews, they, far from reflecting over its claims, consider it enough to say that they will believe in what is sent to Israelite Prophets only, and not in the revelation of outsiders, although the revelation they reject on such flimsy grounds fulfils the prophecies contained in their own Scriptures about a new Book. Further, it is added that the statement that they would adhere to what was revealed to Israelite Prophets is absurd, seeing that they had opposed even their own Prophets in their time.
This verse also makes it clear what the word مصدقا means when followed by the preposition لام. The expression has been used as a proof of the truth of the Quran, and it is therefore clear that it conveys the sense of "fulfilling" and not that of "confirming". It is only the fulfilment of prophecies in the Bible that can serve as evidence of the truth of the Quran. In this connection, see also 2:42.
For the prophecies alluded to in this verse, i.e. the prophecies contained in the Bible about the Quran and the Holy Prophet, the reader is referred to Deut. 18:15-19; Acts 3:19-24; Deut. 33:2; Matt. 21:42-44; Isa. 21:13-17; 28:9-13; chap. 42; 62:2-4; Dan. 7; etc.
For a discussion of the words, why did you attempt to slay the Prophets, see under 2:62.
c
2:171.
d
3:113, 182.
اَمۡ تُرِیۡدُوۡنَ اَنۡ تَسۡـَٔلُوۡا رَسُوۡلَکُمۡ کَمَا سُئِلَ مُوۡسٰی مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۗ وَمَنۡ یَّتَبَدَّلِ الۡکُفۡرَ بِالۡاِیۡمٰنِ فَقَدۡ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ السَّبِیۡلِ
4:154.
اس جگہ ’’سمجھو کہ‘‘ کے الفاظ فَقَدْ کا ترجمہ ہے۔ فَاء اپنے بعد ایک محذوف پر دلالت کرتا ہے جو ظاہر کیا گیا ہے۔
4:154.
This verse mentions another artifice which the Jews employed to overthrow the mission of the Holy Prophet. They asked him absurd and silly questions as had no bearing on religion. This they did to inoculate Muslims with the spirit of stupid questioning, so that the dignity of faith should suffer and they may fall victim to doubts.
4:154.
Important Words:
سواء (right) is derived from سوی. They say سوی الرجل i.e. his affairs became straight and well. سواء means: (1) the central portion of a thing; (2) equal. سواء السبیل means, the straight or right portion of a way; or a straight or right way (Lisan & Aqrab).
Commentary:
This verse mentions another artifice which the Jews employed to overthrow the mission of the Holy Prophet. They asked him absurd and silly questions as had no bearing on religion. This they did to inoculate Muslims with the same spirit of stupid questioning, so that their hearts might gradually become estranged from the dignity of faith and give way to doubt. In warning Muslims against such a course, the Quran points out that the Jews had ruined themselves by putting similar questions to Moses, and that the Muslims should, therefore, beware of following their evil example. In fact, unnecessary and irrelevant questions in religious matters eventually lead one to loss of faith, for they tend to degrade religion to a plaything or a piece of idle philosophy.
As to the nature of questions put to Moses by the Israelites, the Quran refers to one in 4:154. Says God: The People of the Book ask thee to cause a Book to descend on them from heaven. They asked Moses a greater thing than this; they said, 'Show us Allah openly.' then a destructive punishment overtook them because of their transgression. Then they took the calf for worship after clear Signs had come to them, but We pardoned even that. And We gave Moses manifest authority. This verse gives us an indication as to the nature of the questions that were put to Moses, and Muslims are forbidden to put such questions to their Prophet.
c
4:154.
1
اس جگہ ’’سمجھو کہ‘‘ کے الفاظ فَقَدْ کا ترجمہ ہے۔ فَاء اپنے بعد ایک محذوف پر دلالت کرتا ہے جو ظاہر کیا گیا ہے۔
b
4:154.
115
Important Words:
سواء (right) is derived from سوی. They say سوی الرجل i.e. his affairs became straight and well. سواء means: (1) the central portion of a thing; (2) equal. سواء السبیل means, the straight or right portion of a way; or a straight or right way (Lisan & Aqrab).
Commentary:
This verse mentions another artifice which the Jews employed to overthrow the mission of the Holy Prophet. They asked him absurd and silly questions as had no bearing on religion. This they did to inoculate Muslims with the same spirit of stupid questioning, so that their hearts might gradually become estranged from the dignity of faith and give way to doubt. In warning Muslims against such a course, the Quran points out that the Jews had ruined themselves by putting similar questions to Moses, and that the Muslims should, therefore, beware of following their evil example. In fact, unnecessary and irrelevant questions in religious matters eventually lead one to loss of faith, for they tend to degrade religion to a plaything or a piece of idle philosophy.
As to the nature of questions put to Moses by the Israelites, the Quran refers to one in 4:154. Says God: The People of the Book ask thee to cause a Book to descend on them from heaven. They asked Moses a greater thing than this; they said, 'Show us Allah openly.' then a destructive punishment overtook them because of their transgression. Then they took the calf for worship after clear Signs had come to them, but We pardoned even that. And We gave Moses manifest authority. This verse gives us an indication as to the nature of the questions that were put to Moses, and Muslims are forbidden to put such questions to their Prophet.
b
4:154.
133
This verse mentions another artifice which the Jews employed to overthrow the mission of the Holy Prophet. They asked him absurd and silly questions as had no bearing on religion. This they did to inoculate Muslims with the spirit of stupid questioning, so that the dignity of faith should suffer and they may fall victim to doubts.
فَلَمَّا جَآءَہُمُ الۡحَقُّ مِنۡ عِنۡدِنَا قَالُوۡا لَوۡلَاۤ اُوۡتِیَ مِثۡلَ مَاۤ اُوۡتِیَ مُوۡسٰۤی ۚ اَوَلَمۡ یَکۡفُرُوۡا بِمَاۤ اُوۡتِیَ مُوۡسٰی مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۖ قَالُوۡا سِحۡرَانِ تَظٰہَرَا وَقَالُوۡۤا اِنَّا بِکُلٍّ کٰفِرُوۡنَ
6:125.
6:125.
6:125.
Commentary:
It is customary with disbelievers in the time of every Prophet that they demand from him signs and miracles which had been shown by a previous Prophet, while the disbelievers of that very Prophet had also rejected him in spite of the fact that he had shown the same miracles which disbelievers in the time of the later Prophet demanded. The verse exposes the absurdity of this worn out demand of disbelievers and purports to say that they demand from the Holy Prophet the same teachings which were given to Moses while the spiritual needs and requirements of the Holy Prophet’s time are different from those of Moses and, therefore, their demand is foolish. Yet when they are told that prophecies which were made by Moses have been fulfilled in the person of the Holy Prophet and that the teachings of the Quran in many respects support and corroborate the teachings of Torah, they say that both the Quran and the Torah are two pieces of magic that support each other.
a
6:125.
a
6:125.
2911
Commentary:
It is customary with disbelievers in the time of every Prophet that they demand from him signs and miracles which had been shown by a previous Prophet, while the disbelievers of that very Prophet had also rejected him in spite of the fact that he had shown the same miracles which disbelievers in the time of the later Prophet demanded. The verse exposes the absurdity of this worn out demand of disbelievers and purports to say that they demand from the Holy Prophet the same teachings which were given to Moses while the spiritual needs and requirements of the Holy Prophet’s time are different from those of Moses and, therefore, their demand is foolish. Yet when they are told that prophecies which were made by Moses have been fulfilled in the person of the Holy Prophet and that the teachings of the Quran in many respects support and corroborate the teachings of Torah, they say that both the Quran and the Torah are two pieces of magic that support each other.
b
6:125.
مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ہُدًی لِّلنَّاسِ وَاَنۡزَلَ الۡفُرۡقَانَ ۗ اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا بِاٰیٰتِ اللّٰہِ لَہُمۡ عَذَابٌ شَدِیۡدٌ ۗ وَاللّٰہُ عَزِیۡزٌ ذُو انۡتِقَامٍ
5:96; 14:48; 39:38.
2:54, 186; 8:42; 21:49; 25:2.
Al-Furqan may refer to the Qur’an or to the heavenly signs vouchsafed to the Holy Prophet which establish his truth.
2:54, 186; 8:42; 21:49; 25:2.
5:96; 14:48; 39:38.
Important Words:
ذوانتقام (Possessor of the power to requite). انتقام is the noun-infinitive from نقم i.e. he took vengeance. They say نقم منه or انتقم منه meaning, he wreaked vengeance on him; he punished him; he inflicted penal retribution on him for what he had done. نقمة and انتقام both mean, vengeance or penal retribution or punishment (Aqrab & Lane).
Commentary:
The words, and He has sent down the Discrimination, placed at the end of the verse refer to the Quran, the coming down of which has already been mentioned in the beginning of the verse. The idea has been repeated here to point out that the Quran has come to take the place of the previous scriptures, the word "Discrimination" also pointing to the same fact. The word may also refer to the heavenly signs vouchsafed to Islam to establish its truth.
For an explanation of the term مصدق (fulfilling) see 2:42.
After the coming down of the Quran as a "Discrimination" and as "fulfilling" what is in the previous scriptures, the persistent rejection of the Holy Prophet becomes indeed deserving of great punishment, and the verse points out that the God of Islam being "Mighty" and "Possessor of the power to requite", those who have rejected the truth must be prepared for divine requital.
e
2:54, 186; 8:42; 21:49; 25:2.
f
5:96; 14:48; 39:38.
223
اَلْفُرْقَانْ (Al-Furqan) 可能指«古兰经», 或指惠予穆圣创立其真理的安拉的迹象。
a
2:54, 186; 8:42; 21:49; 25:2.
b
5:96; 14:48; 39:38.
296
Important Words:
ذوانتقام (Possessor of the power to requite). انتقام is the noun-infinitive from نقم i.e. he took vengeance. They say نقم منه or انتقم منه meaning, he wreaked vengeance on him; he punished him; he inflicted penal retribution on him for what he had done. نقمة and انتقام both mean, vengeance or penal retribution or punishment (Aqrab & Lane).
Commentary:
The words, and He has sent down the Discrimination, placed at the end of the verse refer to the Quran, the coming down of which has already been mentioned in the beginning of the verse. The idea has been repeated here to point out that the Quran has come to take the place of the previous scriptures, the word "Discrimination" also pointing to the same fact. The word may also refer to the heavenly signs vouchsafed to Islam to establish its truth.
For an explanation of the term مصدق (fulfilling) see 2:42.
After the coming down of the Quran as a "Discrimination" and as "fulfilling" what is in the previous scriptures, the persistent rejection of the Holy Prophet becomes indeed deserving of great punishment, and the verse points out that the God of Islam being "Mighty" and "Possessor of the power to requite", those who have rejected the truth must be prepared for divine requital.
a
5:96; 14:48; 39:38.
b
2:54, 186; 8:42; 21:49; 25:2.
367
Al-Furqan may refer to the Qur’an or to the heavenly signs vouchsafed to the Holy Prophet which establish his truth.
لَقَدۡ مَنَّ اللّٰہُ عَلَی الۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ اِذۡ بَعَثَ فِیۡہِمۡ رَسُوۡلًا مِّنۡ اَنۡفُسِہِمۡ یَتۡلُوۡا عَلَیۡہِمۡ اٰیٰتِہٖ وَیُزَکِّیۡہِمۡ وَیُعَلِّمُہُمُ الۡکِتٰبَ وَالۡحِکۡمَۃَ وَاِنۡ کَانُوۡا مِنۡ قَبۡلُ لَفِیۡ ضَلٰلٍ مُّبِیۡنٍ
2:130, 152; 9:128; 63:3; 65:12.
The words are intended to awaken in the hearts of Muslims a desire to follow the example of the Holy Prophet, who was like them and was one of them.
2:130, 152; 9:128; 62:3; 65:12.
Commentary:
The expression, by raising among them a Messenger from among themselves, is intended to awaken in the hearts of Muslims a desire to follow the example of the Holy Prophet, who was like them and one of them. The Prophet was not only a man like them but was actually one of them. If he could rise to such spiritual heights, why could not they?
All Messengers of God are raised from among human beings and they possess the same faculties and are actuated by the same desires and aspirations as other human beings, and, therefore, they can serve as true models for their fellow beings. But a so-called "Son of God" does not possess the same desires and the same faculties as we have, and cannot, therefore, be a model for us. Our model should be from our own kind. He who is not of our kind, being a divine being, free from human passions and human weaknesses, cannot be held out to us as a model for imitation.
The verse also points to the fulfilment of the prayer of Abraham contained in 2:130, in which the different functions of the Promised Prophet have been mentioned just as they are mentioned here.
a
2:130, 152; 9:128; 63:3; 65:12.
289
这句话的意思是唤醒穆斯林心中以穆圣为模范的愿望, 而穆圣和他们一样, 也是他们中的一员。
a
2:130, 152; 9:128; 62:3; 65:12.
447
Commentary:
The expression, by raising among them a Messenger from among themselves, is intended to awaken in the hearts of Muslims a desire to follow the example of the Holy Prophet, who was like them and one of them. The Prophet was not only a man like them but was actually one of them. If he could rise to such spiritual heights, why could not they?
All Messengers of God are raised from among human beings and they possess the same faculties and are actuated by the same desires and aspirations as other human beings, and, therefore, they can serve as true models for their fellow beings. But a so-called "Son of God" does not possess the same desires and the same faculties as we have, and cannot, therefore, be a model for us. Our model should be from our own kind. He who is not of our kind, being a divine being, free from human passions and human weaknesses, cannot be held out to us as a model for imitation.
The verse also points to the fulfilment of the prayer of Abraham contained in 2:130, in which the different functions of the Promised Prophet have been mentioned just as they are mentioned here.
a
2:130, 152; 9:128; 63:3; 65:12.
520
The words are intended to awaken in the hearts of Muslims a desire to follow the example of the Holy Prophet, who was like them and was one of them.
فِیۡ بِضۡعِ سِنِیۡنَ ۗ لِلّٰہِ الۡاَمۡرُ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ وَمِنۡۢ بَعۡدُ ۚ وَیَوۡمَئِذٍ یَّفۡرَحُ الۡمُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ
3:155; 13:32.
3:155; 13:32.
Bid‘ denotes a variety of numbers such as five, seven, ten, etc. but is generally understood to signify from three to nine (Lane).
In order fully to appreciate the significance of this and the preceding two verses it is necessary to cast a cursory glance over the political conditions that obtained in the two great Empires that lay on the borders of Arabia—the Persian and the Roman Empires—shortly before the advent of the Holy Prophet of Islam. They were at war with each other. The first round had gone in favour of the Persians whose tide of conquest began in 602 AD., when in order to avenge the death of Maurice, his patron and benefactor, at the hands of Phocas, Chosroes II, started the war with Rome. For twenty years the Roman Empire was overrun by Persian armies as it had never been before. The Persians plundered Syria and Asia Minor and in 608 A.D. advanced to Chalcedon. Damascus was taken in 613. The surrounding country on which no Persian had ever set foot since the founding of the Empire was utterly and completely laid waste. In June 614 Jerusalem was also captured. The whole of Christendom was horrified by the news that tog
3:155; 13:32.
Important Words:
بضع (a few) is derived from بضع (bada‘a). They say بضعه i.e. he cut it; he cut it into pieces; he cut it length-wise. بضعmeans, a part or portion of the night; a time thereof. They say مضی بضع من اللیل i.e. a part of the night passed. The word also denotes a variety of numbers such as five, seven, ten, etc., but is generally understood to mean from three to nine. بضع رجال means from three to nine men. بضع سنین means, from three to nine years (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
In order fully to appreciate the significance of this and the preceding two verses it is necessary to cast a cursory glance over the political conditions that obtained in the two great Empires that lay on the borders of Arabia—the Persian and the Roman Empires—shortly before the advent of the Holy Prophet of Islam. They were at war with each other. The first round had gone in favour of the Persians whose tide of conquest began in 602 A.D., when in order to avenge the death of Maurice, his patron and benefactor, at the hands of Phocas, Chosroes II started the war with Rome. For twenty years the Roman Empire was overrun by Persian armies as it had never been before. The Persian armies plundered Syria and Asia Minor and in 608 A.D. advanced to Chalcedon. Damascus was taken in 613. The surrounding country on which no Persian had ever set foot since the founding of the Empire was utterly and completely laid waste. In June 614 Jerusalem was also captured. The whole of Christendom was horrified by the news that together with the Patriarch the Persians had carried off the cross of Christ. Christianity had been humbled in the dust. The flood of Persian conquest, however, did not stop with the capture of Jerusalem. Egypt was next conquered, Asia Minor again overrun, and the Persian armies were knocking at the very gates of Constantinople. The Romans could offer but little resistance as they were torn by internal dissensions. The humiliation of Heraclius was so complete that "Chosroes wanted to see him brought in chains to the foot of his throne and was not prepared to give him peace till he had abjured his crucified god and embraced the worship of the sun" (Historians’ History of the World, vol. 7, p. 159, vol. 8, pp. 94-95 & Enc. Brit. under "Chosroes" II & "Heraclius"). This state of affairs very much grieved the Muslims as they had much in common with the Romans who were the "People of the Book". But the Quraish of Mecca who, like the Persians, were idolaters, feigned to see in this discomfiture of Christian armies a happy augury for the overthrow and destruction of Islam. It was shortly after this complete debacle of Roman forces that in 616 A.D., came the revelation to the Holy Prophet which forms the subject-matter of the verse under comment and the two preceding verses. The verses possessed a twofold significance. They foretold, in circumstances then quite inconceivable, that the whole position would be completely reversed within the short space of eight or nine years and the erstwhile victorious Persian armies would suffer a crushing defeat at the hands of the utterly defeated, prostrated and humbled Romans. The Arabic word used in the verse to denote this period is بضع (bid‘un) which as shown under "Important Words," signifies a period from three to nine years. The significance of the prophecy embodied in the verses, however, lay in the fact that, within this short period, the foundations of the ultimate triumph of Islam and that of the defeat and discomfiture of the forces of disbelief and darkness would be firmly laid. The prophecy was fulfilled in circumstances beyond human calculation or comprehension. Regarding the extreme improbability of fulfilment of the prophecy under the prevailing circumstances, the following observation of Gibbon may be read with interest:
In the midst of the Persian triumphs he (the Holy Prophet) ventured to foretell that before many years should elapse victory would return to the banners of the Romans…At the time when this prediction is said to have been delivered, no prophecy could be more distant from its accomplishment, since the first twelve years of Heraclius announced the approaching dissolution of the Empire (Rise, Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. 5, p. 74).
After licking his wounds for several years, Heraclius was at last able to take the field against the Persians in 622, the year of the Holy Prophet’s Migration to Medina. In 624 he advanced into northern Media, where he destroyed the great fire-temple of Gandzak (Gazaca) and thus avenged the destruction of Jerusalem. This happened exactly within nine years, the period foretold in the verse, and to add to its importance and significance it happened in the year when the power of the Quraish also suffered a very serious reverse in the Battle of Badr, which recalled a Biblical prophecy foretelling the fading of the glory of Kedar (Isa. 21:17). In 627, Heraclius defeated the Persian army at Nineveh and advanced towards Ctesiphon. Chosroes fled from his favourite residence Dastgerd (near Baghdad), and after dragging on an inglorious existence was murdered by his own son, Siroes, on 19th February, 628. A.D.; and thus the Persian Empire, from the apparent greatness which it had reached a few years earlier sank into hopeless anarchy (Enc. Brit.).
The fulfilment of the prophecy was so remarkable and unforeseen that prejudiced Christian writers have been hard pressed to explain it away. Rodwell says that the vowel points of the Arabic expression سیغلبون were left undecided so that it would read either way, i.e. sa-yaghlibun meaning, "they will be victorious" or as sa-yughlabun meaning, "they will be defeated." He even adds that the ambiguity was intentional. The Rev. gentleman pretends not to understand this simple fact that the vowels of an expression which had been recited hundreds of times in daily Prayers and otherwise could hardly be left undecided. Mr. Wherry goes a step further. He says: "Our daily newspapers constantly forecast political events of this kind." The less said about this futile attempt to explain away and belittle the importance of this mighty prophecy, the better. If in the circumstances when Christianity lay humbled in the dust and Persian armies were knocking at the very gates of Constantinople and Heraclius had in vain sued for peace, a person situated as the Holy Prophet was, could forecast that within the short space of only eight or nine years the victors would become vanquished and the forces of Chosroes would receive a crushing defeat at the hands of the same Heraclius who only a few years back had very humbly but unsuccessfully sued for peace and the proud and mighty Persians would lie prostrate and exhausted, the forecast must indeed be considered to have proceeded from a superhuman source. What added to the remarkable character of the prophecy was the fact that the news of the victory of the Romans over the Persians reached the Muslims exactly at the time when they were themselves rejoicing over their own victory in the Battle of Badr.
The words: "Allah’s is the command before and after that," mean that it is God’s eternal and unalterable decree that disbelief is always defeated and humbled, and truth triumphs and progresses.
c
3:155; 13:32.
a
3:155; 13:32.
2991
Important Words:
بضع (a few) is derived from بضع (bada‘a). They say بضعه i.e. he cut it; he cut it into pieces; he cut it length-wise. بضعmeans, a part or portion of the night; a time thereof. They say مضی بضع من اللیل i.e. a part of the night passed. The word also denotes a variety of numbers such as five, seven, ten, etc., but is generally understood to mean from three to nine. بضع رجال means from three to nine men. بضع سنین means, from three to nine years (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
In order fully to appreciate the significance of this and the preceding two verses it is necessary to cast a cursory glance over the political conditions that obtained in the two great Empires that lay on the borders of Arabia—the Persian and the Roman Empires—shortly before the advent of the Holy Prophet of Islam. They were at war with each other. The first round had gone in favour of the Persians whose tide of conquest began in 602 A.D., when in order to avenge the death of Maurice, his patron and benefactor, at the hands of Phocas, Chosroes II started the war with Rome. For twenty years the Roman Empire was overrun by Persian armies as it had never been before. The Persian armies plundered Syria and Asia Minor and in 608 A.D. advanced to Chalcedon. Damascus was taken in 613. The surrounding country on which no Persian had ever set foot since the founding of the Empire was utterly and completely laid waste. In June 614 Jerusalem was also captured. The whole of Christendom was horrified by the news that together with the Patriarch the Persians had carried off the cross of Christ. Christianity had been humbled in the dust. The flood of Persian conquest, however, did not stop with the capture of Jerusalem. Egypt was next conquered, Asia Minor again overrun, and the Persian armies were knocking at the very gates of Constantinople. The Romans could offer but little resistance as they were torn by internal dissensions. The humiliation of Heraclius was so complete that "Chosroes wanted to see him brought in chains to the foot of his throne and was not prepared to give him peace till he had abjured his crucified god and embraced the worship of the sun" (Historians’ History of the World, vol. 7, p. 159, vol. 8, pp. 94-95 & Enc. Brit. under "Chosroes" II & "Heraclius"). This state of affairs very much grieved the Muslims as they had much in common with the Romans who were the "People of the Book". But the Quraish of Mecca who, like the Persians, were idolaters, feigned to see in this discomfiture of Christian armies a happy augury for the overthrow and destruction of Islam. It was shortly after this complete debacle of Roman forces that in 616 A.D., came the revelation to the Holy Prophet which forms the subject-matter of the verse under comment and the two preceding verses. The verses possessed a twofold significance. They foretold, in circumstances then quite inconceivable, that the whole position would be completely reversed within the short space of eight or nine years and the erstwhile victorious Persian armies would suffer a crushing defeat at the hands of the utterly defeated, prostrated and humbled Romans. The Arabic word used in the verse to denote this period is بضع (bid‘un) which as shown under "Important Words," signifies a period from three to nine years. The significance of the prophecy embodied in the verses, however, lay in the fact that, within this short period, the foundations of the ultimate triumph of Islam and that of the defeat and discomfiture of the forces of disbelief and darkness would be firmly laid. The prophecy was fulfilled in circumstances beyond human calculation or comprehension. Regarding the extreme improbability of fulfilment of the prophecy under the prevailing circumstances, the following observation of Gibbon may be read with interest:
In the midst of the Persian triumphs he (the Holy Prophet) ventured to foretell that before many years should elapse victory would return to the banners of the Romans…At the time when this prediction is said to have been delivered, no prophecy could be more distant from its accomplishment, since the first twelve years of Heraclius announced the approaching dissolution of the Empire (Rise, Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. 5, p. 74).
After licking his wounds for several years, Heraclius was at last able to take the field against the Persians in 622, the year of the Holy Prophet’s Migration to Medina. In 624 he advanced into northern Media, where he destroyed the great fire-temple of Gandzak (Gazaca) and thus avenged the destruction of Jerusalem. This happened exactly within nine years, the period foretold in the verse, and to add to its importance and significance it happened in the year when the power of the Quraish also suffered a very serious reverse in the Battle of Badr, which recalled a Biblical prophecy foretelling the fading of the glory of Kedar (Isa. 21:17). In 627, Heraclius defeated the Persian army at Nineveh and advanced towards Ctesiphon. Chosroes fled from his favourite residence Dastgerd (near Baghdad), and after dragging on an inglorious existence was murdered by his own son, Siroes, on 19th February, 628. A.D.; and thus the Persian Empire, from the apparent greatness which it had reached a few years earlier sank into hopeless anarchy (Enc. Brit.).
The fulfilment of the prophecy was so remarkable and unforeseen that prejudiced Christian writers have been hard pressed to explain it away. Rodwell says that the vowel points of the Arabic expression سیغلبون were left undecided so that it would read either way, i.e. sa-yaghlibun meaning, "they will be victorious" or as sa-yughlabun meaning, "they will be defeated." He even adds that the ambiguity was intentional. The Rev. gentleman pretends not to understand this simple fact that the vowels of an expression which had been recited hundreds of times in daily Prayers and otherwise could hardly be left undecided. Mr. Wherry goes a step further. He says: "Our daily newspapers constantly forecast political events of this kind." The less said about this futile attempt to explain away and belittle the importance of this mighty prophecy, the better. If in the circumstances when Christianity lay humbled in the dust and Persian armies were knocking at the very gates of Constantinople and Heraclius had in vain sued for peace, a person situated as the Holy Prophet was, could forecast that within the short space of only eight or nine years the victors would become vanquished and the forces of Chosroes would receive a crushing defeat at the hands of the same Heraclius who only a few years back had very humbly but unsuccessfully sued for peace and the proud and mighty Persians would lie prostrate and exhausted, the forecast must indeed be considered to have proceeded from a superhuman source. What added to the remarkable character of the prophecy was the fact that the news of the victory of the Romans over the Persians reached the Muslims exactly at the time when they were themselves rejoicing over their own victory in the Battle of Badr.
The words: "Allah’s is the command before and after that," mean that it is God’s eternal and unalterable decree that disbelief is always defeated and humbled, and truth triumphs and progresses.
c
3:155; 13:32.
2270
Bid‘ denotes a variety of numbers such as five, seven, ten, etc. but is generally understood to signify from three to nine (Lane).
2271
In order fully to appreciate the significance of this and the preceding two verses it is necessary to cast a cursory glance over the political conditions that obtained in the two great Empires that lay on the borders of Arabia—the Persian and the Roman Empires—shortly before the advent of the Holy Prophet of Islam. They were at war with each other. The first round had gone in favour of the Persians whose tide of conquest began in 602 AD., when in order to avenge the death of Maurice, his patron and benefactor, at the hands of Phocas, Chosroes II, started the war with Rome. For twenty years the Roman Empire was overrun by Persian armies as it had never been before. The Persians plundered Syria and Asia Minor and in 608 A.D. advanced to Chalcedon. Damascus was taken in 613. The surrounding country on which no Persian had ever set foot since the founding of the Empire was utterly and completely laid waste. In June 614 Jerusalem was also captured. The whole of Christendom was horrified by the news that tog
یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اِذَا ضَرَبۡتُمۡ فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ فَتَبَیَّنُوۡا وَلَا تَقُوۡلُوۡا لِمَنۡ اَلۡقٰۤی اِلَیۡکُمُ السَّلٰمَ لَسۡتَ مُؤۡمِنًا تَبۡتَغُوۡنَ عَرَضَ الۡحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنۡیَا فَعِنۡدَ اللّٰہِ مَغَانِمُ کَثِیۡرَۃٌ ۚ کَذٰلِکَ کُنۡتُمۡ مِّنۡ قَبۡلُ فَمَنَّ اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡکُمۡ فَتَبَیَّنُوۡۤا ۚ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ کَانَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ خَبِیۡرًا
یعنی اگر سلام کرنے پر بدظنی کرو اور اسے دھوکے باز قرار دو تو اس کے یہ معنے ہوں گے کہ آخرت پر تم دنیا کو ترجیح دیتے ہو اور چاہتے ہو کہ اسے کافر مُقَاتِل قرار دے کر اس کے اموال پر قبضہ کرلو۔
49:7.
When a people offers peace or shows a peaceful attitude towards Muslims, the latter are enjoined to respect that attitude and refrain from hostilities. Moreover, as the Muslim Community at Medina was surrounded by hostile tribes, they were enjoined to presume a person who greeted them with Islamic salutation, to be a Muslim unless proved otherwise by investigation.
That is to say, if you hold such a person to be a disbeliever without proper investigation, this would mean that you desire to kill him and take possession of his goods. Such conduct would show that you prefer worldly goods to God’s pleasure.
49:7.
Important Words:
السلام (peace) means the Islamic salutation of salam; peace; security; submission, etc. (Aqrab & Lane). See also 2:113, 209; 3:20.
مغانم (good things) is derived from غنم meaning, he got or took spoil, or got a thing as spoil; he acquired or gained a thing without difficulty or inconvenience. غنیمة or مغنم means, spoil, booty or plunder; the acquisition of a thing without difficulty or inconvenience; the thing so acquired; what is obtained from disbelievers in war (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
This verse does not mean that if any person greets a Muslim with the Islamic formula of salutation, he should be regarded as a believer. Many non-Muslims nowadays, and many Jews in the days of the Holy Prophet, greeted Muslims with the prescribed salutation but they cannot be, and indeed never were, regarded as Muslims merely on that ground. What the verse means is that when a people offers peace or shows a peaceful attitude towards Muslims, the latter should respect that attitude and refrain from hostility. The word سلام (peace) may also mean submission or security. Similarly, the word مومن (believer) may also be rendered as giver of security or offerer or afforder of peace.
The word مغانم (good things) does not mean only the spoils of war. It also means the good things of the world. In Bukhari(ch. on Tafsir) we have لحق ناس من المسلمین رجلا معه غنیمة له i.e. "some of the Muslims met a man who had with him some good things belonging to him." As explained under Important Words, any thing acquired without difficulty is also غنیمه.
The words کذالك کنتم (such were you) embody a very strong appeal to both sentiment and reason. The expression signifies that, like disbelievers, Muslims too were disbelievers at first, but God gave them time and opportunity and they were at last able to see the truth. So they should be patient with, and lenient to, others and give them time, so that they too may ponder over the truth and accept it if they choose.
d
49:7.
340
一个民族提出和平或向穆斯林表示友善态度时, 后者应该尊重那种态度, 克制敌对行动。而且, 由于麦地那的穆斯林社团在敌对部族的包围之中, 他们受到嘱咐: 凡是以伊斯兰教行礼的方式向他们招呼的人可以推定他是穆斯林, 不经过调查的证明, 不可决定他不是穆斯林。
1
یعنی اگر سلام کرنے پر بدظنی کرو اور اسے دھوکے باز قرار دو تو اس کے یہ معنے ہوں گے کہ آخرت پر تم دنیا کو ترجیح دیتے ہو اور چاہتے ہو کہ اسے کافر مُقَاتِل قرار دے کر اس کے اموال پر قبضہ کرلو۔
b
49:7.
563
Important Words:
السلام (peace) means the Islamic salutation of salam; peace; security; submission, etc. (Aqrab & Lane). See also 2:113, 209; 3:20.
مغانم (good things) is derived from غنم meaning, he got or took spoil, or got a thing as spoil; he acquired or gained a thing without difficulty or inconvenience. غنیمة or مغنم means, spoil, booty or plunder; the acquisition of a thing without difficulty or inconvenience; the thing so acquired; what is obtained from disbelievers in war (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
This verse does not mean that if any person greets a Muslim with the Islamic formula of salutation, he should be regarded as a believer. Many non-Muslims nowadays, and many Jews in the days of the Holy Prophet, greeted Muslims with the prescribed salutation but they cannot be, and indeed never were, regarded as Muslims merely on that ground. What the verse means is that when a people offers peace or shows a peaceful attitude towards Muslims, the latter should respect that attitude and refrain from hostility. The word سلام (peace) may also mean submission or security. Similarly, the word مومن (believer) may also be rendered as giver of security or offerer or afforder of peace.
The word مغانم (good things) does not mean only the spoils of war. It also means the good things of the world. In Bukhari(ch. on Tafsir) we have لحق ناس من المسلمین رجلا معه غنیمة له i.e. "some of the Muslims met a man who had with him some good things belonging to him." As explained under Important Words, any thing acquired without difficulty is also غنیمه.
The words کذالك کنتم (such were you) embody a very strong appeal to both sentiment and reason. The expression signifies that, like disbelievers, Muslims too were disbelievers at first, but God gave them time and opportunity and they were at last able to see the truth. So they should be patient with, and lenient to, others and give them time, so that they too may ponder over the truth and accept it if they choose.
a
49:7.
652
When a people offers peace or shows a peaceful attitude towards Muslims, the latter are enjoined to respect that attitude and refrain from hostilities. Moreover, as the Muslim Community at Medina was surrounded by hostile tribes, they were enjoined to presume a person who greeted them with Islamic salutation, to be a Muslim unless proved otherwise by investigation.
653
That is to say, if you hold such a person to be a disbeliever without proper investigation, this would mean that you desire to kill him and take possession of his goods. Such conduct would show that you prefer worldly goods to God’s pleasure.
یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اٰمِنُوۡا بِاللّٰہِ وَرَسُوۡلِہٖ وَالۡکِتٰبِ الَّذِیۡ نَزَّلَ عَلٰی رَسُوۡلِہٖ وَالۡکِتٰبِ الَّذِیۡۤ اَنۡزَلَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۚ وَمَنۡ یَّکۡفُرۡ بِاللّٰہِ وَمَلٰٓئِکَتِہٖ وَکُتُبِہٖ وَرُسُلِہٖ وَالۡیَوۡمِ الۡاٰخِرِ فَقَدۡ ضَلَّ ضَلٰلًۢا بَعِیۡدًا
2:5, 137; 4:163: 5:60.
4:151.
4:117.
O ye who profess to be believers show by your deeds and actions that your faith is genuine and firmly founded.
2:5, 137; 4:163; 5:60.
4:151.
4:117.
Commentary:
In the clause: O ye who believe, believe in Allah and His Messenger… the first-mentioned belief refers to lip-profession and the second to true and genuine belief which really matters. The words thus show that sometimes expressions like "O ye who believe" or "believers" may be used for those who profess to be believers in Islam but do not live up to its teachings by carrying out faithfully its precepts into practice. Their assertion is a mere lip-profession that carries no weight.
a
2:5, 137; 4:163: 5:60.
b
4:151.
c
4:117.
a
2:5, 137; 4:163; 5:60.
b
4:151.
c
4:117.
601
Commentary:
In the clause: O ye who believe, believe in Allah and His Messenger… the first-mentioned belief refers to lip-profession and the second to true and genuine belief which really matters. The words thus show that sometimes expressions like "O ye who believe" or "believers" may be used for those who profess to be believers in Islam but do not live up to its teachings by carrying out faithfully its precepts into practice. Their assertion is a mere lip-profession that carries no weight.
a
2:5, 137; 4:163: 5:60.
b
4:151.
c
4:117.
683
O ye who profess to be believers show by your deeds and actions that your faith is genuine and firmly founded.
وَرُسُلًا قَدۡ قَصَصۡنٰہُمۡ عَلَیۡکَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ وَرُسُلًا لَّمۡ نَقۡصُصۡہُمۡ عَلَیۡکَ ۚ وَکَلَّمَ اللّٰہُ مُوۡسٰی تَکۡلِیۡمًا
40:79.
The Qur’an mentions by name only 24 Prophets whereas according to a saying of the Holy Prophet as many as 124,000 Prophets appeared in the world (Musnad, v. 266). Elsewhere, the Qur’an says: There is not a people to whom a Warner has not been sent (35:25).
Besides the translation given in the text, the clause also means, "to Moses Allah spoke particularly or directly".
40:79.
Commentary:
The Quran mentions only 24 Prophets by name, whereas a saying of the Holy Prophet states that as many as 124,000 Prophets have appeared in the world (Musnad, v. 266). Elsewhere the Quran says: There is not a people to whom a warner has not been sent (35:25).
For an explanation of the clause, and Allah spoke to Moses particularly, see the preceding verse.
i
40:79.
362
«古兰经» 中另一处说: 每一个民族都有过传警告者 (35:25)。而按照穆圣的说法, 世界上降下的先知多达1,24,000位。 (مُسْنَدْ, Musnad, 穆斯纳德266节)
c
40:79.
628
Commentary:
The Quran mentions only 24 Prophets by name, whereas a saying of the Holy Prophet states that as many as 124,000 Prophets have appeared in the world (Musnad, v. 266). Elsewhere the Quran says: There is not a people to whom a warner has not been sent (35:25).
For an explanation of the clause, and Allah spoke to Moses particularly, see the preceding verse.
c
40:79.
707
The Qur’an mentions by name only 24 Prophets whereas according to a saying of the Holy Prophet as many as 124,000 Prophets appeared in the world (Musnad, v. 266). Elsewhere, the Qur’an says: There is not a people to whom a Warner has not been sent (35:25).
707A
Besides the translation given in the text, the clause also means, "to Moses Allah spoke particularly or directly".
قُلۡ سِیۡرُوۡا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ فَانۡظُرُوۡا کَیۡفَ کَانَ عٰقِبَۃُ الَّذِیۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۚ کَانَ اَکۡثَرُہُمۡ مُّشۡرِکِیۡنَ
16:37; 27:70; 40:83.
16:37; 27:70; 40:83.
16:37; 27:70; 40:83.
Commentary:
The verse warns disbelievers that their rejection of the Holy Prophet would lead them to ruin. The fact that the rejection and persecution of Divine Messengers has always resulted in the destruction of the rejecters is writ large on the pages of history.
a
16:37; 27:70; 40:83.
a
16:37; 27:70; 40:83.
3021
Commentary:
The verse warns disbelievers that their rejection of the Holy Prophet would lead them to ruin. The fact that the rejection and persecution of Divine Messengers has always resulted in the destruction of the rejecters is writ large on the pages of history.
a
16:37; 27:70; 40:83.
قُلۡ یٰۤاَہۡلَ الۡکِتٰبِ ہَلۡ تَنۡقِمُوۡنَ مِنَّاۤ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ اٰمَنَّا بِاللّٰہِ وَمَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ اِلَیۡنَا وَمَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ وَاَنَّ اَکۡثَرَکُمۡ فٰسِقُوۡنَ
7:127; 60:2.
7:127; 60:2.
Hal is an interrogative particle which, when followed by illa, may signify, as in the present verse, a negative statement. The words besides the meaning given in the text may also mean, "you do not find fault with us but because we believe." Sometimes it is used to express a positive statement as in 76:2.
7:127; 60:2.
Important Words:
ھل (do you?) is an interrogative particle which, when followed by الا (except or but), may be translated in the form of a negative statement. Thus the words ھل تنقمون منا الا ان آمنا may also be rendered as, "you do not find fault with us but because we believe". Sometimes it is used in the sense of ان (verily) to express a positive statement as ھل اتی علی الانسان حین من الدھر i.e.Surely, there has come upon man a period of time, etc.
تنقمون (you find fault with) is formed from نقم. They say نقم منه i.e. he punished or exacted vengeance on him. نقم منه کذاmeans, he criticized him, found fault with him and severely disliked him for such an evil deed of his. ما تنقم منا means, what fault do you find with us, or what blame do you bring against us while we have committed no offence? (Aqrab). See also 3:5.
Commentary:
The verse drives home to Jews and Christians their folly in persecuting Muslims and finding fault with them. It seems, in effect, to say to them that the only offence which has made Muslims deserving of their persecution and criticism is that they believe in all the Prophets and all the Books of God; while before the advent of Islam they disbelieved in all these things. A Muslim not only believes in the Holy Prophet and the Quran but also in Moses and Jesus and all other Prophets, and looks upon what was revealed to each one of them as of Divine origin. Thus, the verse administers a subtle but very effective rebuke to Christians and Jews, whose Prophets Islam calls upon its followers to respect and honour as true Messengers of God. The verse may equally apply to the opponents of every other Prophet, because the attitude of the rejecters of all Prophets of God and the reason for their persecuting believers are invariably the same.
e
7:127; 60:2.
a
7:127; 60:2.
690
Important Words:
ھل (do you?) is an interrogative particle which, when followed by الا (except or but), may be translated in the form of a negative statement. Thus the words ھل تنقمون منا الا ان آمنا may also be rendered as, "you do not find fault with us but because we believe". Sometimes it is used in the sense of ان (verily) to express a positive statement as ھل اتی علی الانسان حین من الدھر i.e.Surely, there has come upon man a period of time, etc.
تنقمون (you find fault with) is formed from نقم. They say نقم منه i.e. he punished or exacted vengeance on him. نقم منه کذاmeans, he criticized him, found fault with him and severely disliked him for such an evil deed of his. ما تنقم منا means, what fault do you find with us, or what blame do you bring against us while we have committed no offence? (Aqrab). See also 3:5.
Commentary:
The verse drives home to Jews and Christians their folly in persecuting Muslims and finding fault with them. It seems, in effect, to say to them that the only offence which has made Muslims deserving of their persecution and criticism is that they believe in all the Prophets and all the Books of God; while before the advent of Islam they disbelieved in all these things. A Muslim not only believes in the Holy Prophet and the Quran but also in Moses and Jesus and all other Prophets, and looks upon what was revealed to each one of them as of Divine origin. Thus, the verse administers a subtle but very effective rebuke to Christians and Jews, whose Prophets Islam calls upon its followers to respect and honour as true Messengers of God. The verse may equally apply to the opponents of every other Prophet, because the attitude of the rejecters of all Prophets of God and the reason for their persecuting believers are invariably the same.
c
7:127; 60:2.
762
Hal is an interrogative particle which, when followed by illa, may signify, as in the present verse, a negative statement. The words besides the meaning given in the text may also mean, "you do not find fault with us but because we believe." Sometimes it is used to express a positive statement as in 76:2.
قُلۡ یٰۤاَہۡلَ الۡکِتٰبِ لَا تَغۡلُوۡا فِیۡ دِیۡنِکُمۡ غَیۡرَ الۡحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوۡۤا اَہۡوَآءَ قَوۡمٍ قَدۡ ضَلُّوۡا مِنۡ قَبۡلُ وَاَضَلُّوۡا کَثِیۡرًا وَّضَلُّوۡا عَنۡ سَوَآءِ السَّبِیۡلِ
4:172.
بظاہر غلو ہمیشہ ناجائز ہوتا ہے لیکن اگر کوئی چیز بے انتہا خوبیوں والی ہو تو اس میں انسان اپنے ذہن میں اگر غلو سے بھی کام لیتا ہو تو بھی وہ ناجائز نہیں ہوتا۔ بلکہ ٹھیک ہوتا ہے اس میں اس طرف اشارہ ہے کہ دین اپنے اندر خدا کی طرف سے خوبیاں رکھتا ہے اور اگر کوئی شخص اس کی تعریف میں بظاہر غلو سے بھی کام لے‘ تب بھی وہ غلو جائز ہی ہوتا ہے۔ ناجائز نہیں ہوتا۔
4:172.
4:172.
Commentary:
The words ولاتقولوا (and say not or speak not) may be taken to be understood before the words غیرالحق (which have been translated in the text as "unjustly" but which also mean an untruth), for it is the false doctrines of Christians that, more than their actions, have contributed to the corruption of their faith and their spiritual degradation. In this case, the verse would read thus: "Say, O People of the Book, exceed not the limits in the matter of your religion and speak not an untruth."
The words, nor follow the evil inclinations of a people who went astray before, indicate that the doctrines of Trinity, Atonement and Sonship are really borrowed doctrines. Having borrowed them from the nations that "went astray before", early Christian religious leaders made such alterations in their own doctrines as made them acceptable to the heathen nations with whom they came in contact. Modern research into the sources of Christianity goes to establish the truth of this Quranic statement made more than thirteen hundred years ago (Enc. Bib., col. 4695 Enc. R. Eth., vol. ii, p. 143; vol. vii, p. 436).
b
4:172.
1
بظاہر غلو ہمیشہ ناجائز ہوتا ہے لیکن اگر کوئی چیز بے انتہا خوبیوں والی ہو تو اس میں انسان اپنے ذہن میں اگر غلو سے بھی کام لیتا ہو تو بھی وہ ناجائز نہیں ہوتا۔ بلکہ ٹھیک ہوتا ہے اس میں اس طرف اشارہ ہے کہ دین اپنے اندر خدا کی طرف سے خوبیاں رکھتا ہے اور اگر کوئی شخص اس کی تعریف میں بظاہر غلو سے بھی کام لے‘ تب بھی وہ غلو جائز ہی ہوتا ہے۔ ناجائز نہیں ہوتا۔
b
4:172.
708
Commentary:
The words ولاتقولوا (and say not or speak not) may be taken to be understood before the words غیرالحق (which have been translated in the text as "unjustly" but which also mean an untruth), for it is the false doctrines of Christians that, more than their actions, have contributed to the corruption of their faith and their spiritual degradation. In this case, the verse would read thus: "Say, O People of the Book, exceed not the limits in the matter of your religion and speak not an untruth."
The words, nor follow the evil inclinations of a people who went astray before, indicate that the doctrines of Trinity, Atonement and Sonship are really borrowed doctrines. Having borrowed them from the nations that "went astray before", early Christian religious leaders made such alterations in their own doctrines as made them acceptable to the heathen nations with whom they came in contact. Modern research into the sources of Christianity goes to establish the truth of this Quranic statement made more than thirteen hundred years ago (Enc. Bib., col. 4695 Enc. R. Eth., vol. ii, p. 143; vol. vii, p. 436).
a
4:172.
بَلۡ بَدَا لَہُمۡ مَّا کَانُوۡا یُخۡفُوۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۖ وَلَوۡ رُدُّوۡا لَعَادُوۡا لِمَا نُہُوۡا عَنۡہُ وَاِنَّہُمۡ لَکٰذِبُوۡنَ
آیت میں بَلْ کا لفظ ہے اور بَلْ عام طور پر پہلے مضمون کے ردّ کرنے کے لئے اور اصل حقیقت بیان کرنے کے لئے آتا ہے یہاں انہی معنوں میں استعمال ہو اہے۔
The words, has now become clear to them, signify that even the enemies of God’s Prophets have in their minds a certain consciousness of the truth of Divine Messengers; but owing to their bigotry and waywardness they try to suppress such thoughts. On the Day of Judgment, however, these latent thoughts of theirs, which they tried to hide in this life, would become apparent, and the truthfulness of the Prophets of which they had dim consciousness would become manifest.
Commentary:
The words, has now become clear to them, signify that even the enemies of God’s Prophets have in their minds a certain consciousness of the truth of the Divine Messengers; but owing to their bigotry, they try to suppress such thoughts and do not make them known to anyone. On the Day of Judgement, however, these latent thoughts which they tried to conceal would become apparent, and the truthfulness of the Prophets, of which they had dim consciousness, would become manifest.
The word "liars" at the end of the verse implies that, although disbelievers would desire to be sent back to this world so that they might believe in the Prophets and not reject them, yet if they were actually sent back to it, and the same circumstances in which they lived before were created again, even then they would again act as they had acted before rejecting the Prophets as they had rejected them before.
4
آیت میں بَلْ کا لفظ ہے اور بَلْ عام طور پر پہلے مضمون کے ردّ کرنے کے لئے اور اصل حقیقت بیان کرنے کے لئے آتا ہے یہاں انہی معنوں میں استعمال ہو اہے۔
776
Commentary:
The words, has now become clear to them, signify that even the enemies of God’s Prophets have in their minds a certain consciousness of the truth of the Divine Messengers; but owing to their bigotry, they try to suppress such thoughts and do not make them known to anyone. On the Day of Judgement, however, these latent thoughts which they tried to conceal would become apparent, and the truthfulness of the Prophets, of which they had dim consciousness, would become manifest.
The word "liars" at the end of the verse implies that, although disbelievers would desire to be sent back to this world so that they might believe in the Prophets and not reject them, yet if they were actually sent back to it, and the same circumstances in which they lived before were created again, even then they would again act as they had acted before rejecting the Prophets as they had rejected them before.
839
The words, has now become clear to them, signify that even the enemies of God’s Prophets have in their minds a certain consciousness of the truth of Divine Messengers; but owing to their bigotry and waywardness they try to suppress such thoughts. On the Day of Judgment, however, these latent thoughts of theirs, which they tried to hide in this life, would become apparent, and the truthfulness of the Prophets of which they had dim consciousness would become manifest.
وَوَہَبۡنَا لَہٗۤ اِسۡحٰقَ وَیَعۡقُوۡبَ ۚ کُلًّا ہَدَیۡنَا ۚ وَنُوۡحًا ہَدَیۡنَا مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۖ وَمِنۡ ذُرِّیَّتِہٖ دَاوٗدَ وَسُلَیۡمٰنَ وَاَیُّوۡبَ وَیُوۡسُفَ وَمُوۡسٰی وَہٰرُوۡنَ ۚ وَکَذٰلِکَ نَجۡزِی الۡمُحۡسِنِیۡنَ
29:28.
29:28.
Ayyub or Job is the hero of the Book of Job. He is mentioned in the Bible as living in the land of Uz. Some authorities say that this is Idumea or Arabia Deserta; others fix Mesopotamia as his native place. It appears that Uz was somewhere in the north of Arabia. It is said that Job lived there before the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. He thus lived before Moses or, as some say, he was a compatriot of Moses, having received his prophetic mission about 20 years before him. He was not an Israelite, having descended from Esau, the elder brother of Israel. He had a very chequered career, being "tried" by God in diverse ways; but he proved most faithful and righteous and was patient and steadfast in extreme adversity. He still lives in the memory of mankind as a paragon of patience (Jewish Enc. & Enc. of Islam).
29:28.
Important Words:
ایوب (Ayyub or Job), who is the hero of the Book of Job, is mentioned in the Bible as living in the land of Uz. Some authorities say that this is Idumea or Arabia Deserta; others fix Mesopotamia as his country. It appears that Uz was somewhere in the north of Arabia. It is said that Job lived there before the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. He thus lived before Moses or, as some say, he was a compatriot of Moses, having received his prophetic mission about 20 years before him. Job was not an Israelite, having been descended from Esau, the elder brother of Israel. He had a very chequered career, being "tried" by God in diverse ways; but he proved most faithful and righteous and was patient and steadfast in the extreme. He still lives in the memory of mankind as a paragon of patience (Jew. Enc. & Encyclopaedia of Islam).
داود (David or Dawud) has been taken to mean (1) beloved or friend; or (2) paternal uncle; or (3) best of all. King of Judah and Israel, David, who was of Israelite origin being from the tribe of Judah, was founder of the Judean dynasty at Jerusalem. The date of his reign is generally fixed at about 1010-970 B.C. He was a great warrior and a great statesman. His importance as the real builder of the Hebrew Kingdom can hardly be overestimated. Through him all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba became united and organized into a powerful nation whose kingdom extended from the Euphrates to the Nile. Towards the end of his life David had to suffer much at the hands of scheming slanderers, which deeply grieved him. He has poured out his grief in his celebrated Psalms (Enc. Brit. & Enc. Bib.). The Quran, however, absolves him from the charges imputed to him in the Bible (38:19-26).
سلیمان (Solomon) was the second son of David & Bath-Sheba and the third king of Israel. He reigned from about 971 to 931 B.C. He was called Jedidiah (beloved of Yehovah) by Nathan, the Prophet. But David was told by Yehovah that his son’s name should be Solomon (peaceful). These two names are predictive of the character of his reign, which was both highly prosperous and peaceful. Besides his principal names, Jedidiah and Solomon, various others are assigned to him such as Agur (he who girt his loins), Bin (he who built the temple), Jakeh (he who reigned over the world), Ithiel(he who understood the signs of God), and Ucal (he who could withstand them). The word سلیمان may have been derived from the root سلم. which means, he was or became safe, secure or in peace, or free from evils of any kind. The fact that he ruled for the long period of forty years shows that he must have consolidated firmly the kingdom he inherited from his father. He was a great monarch and a wise judge. He greatly extended and developed the trade and commerce of his country and contracted friendly alliances with foreign rulers. He was the master-builder among the Israelite kings and is best known for his building of the Temple at Jerusalem, which is known as the Temple of Solomon and which became the Qiblah of the Israelites for all time. In spite of the prosperity of his kingdom, Solomon’s reign was not altogether happy. Plots were hatched against him by secret societies to bring about his downfall. The Society of the Freemasons is also believed to have dated from his reign. He was followed by a worthless son (Enc. Bri., Enc. Bib. & Jew. Enc.). Like his father, David, Solomon was the victim of much calumny and slander from which the Quran has exonerated him (2: 103).
ھارون (Aaron), who belonged to the tribe of Levi, was the son of Amran and the elder brother of Moses who was three years younger than him, their sister Miriam being the eldest of the three. Aaron was the traditional founder and head of the Jewish priesthood and, in company with Moses, led the Israelites out of Egypt. Aaron and Moses were jointly commissioned to deliver the Israelites from the clutches of Pharaoh and to preach to them the message of the Oneness of God, though Moses was the senior Prophet and Aaron subordinate to him. While Moses was both the religious and secular head, Aaron represented only the priestly functions of his tribe. His duties were generally ministerial and not directive. Aaron was known for his eloquence and persuasive speech and was of a mild amiable disposition (Enc. Bib., Enc. Bri. & Jew. Enc.).
Commentary:
This and the succeeding verses tell us that not only Abraham but other Prophets also preached against شرك i.e. setting up associates with God.
The present verse mentions the descendants of Abraham to the second generation, naming a son (Isaac) and a grandson (Jacob or Israel). The name of Ishmael, the eldest son of Abraham, has been included in a separate group (6:87 below), and not in a subordinate position under Abraham.
The reader should note that the Prophets descended from Noah have been divided in the present and the succeeding two verses into three different groups and to each group has been added a separate description. The first group referred to in the present verse comprises David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses and Aaron—Prophets who were given power and prosperity, and who consequently were able to do good to human beings. Hence, members of this group have been designated as المحسنین or doers of good, for through their temporal power and prosperity they were able to do material good to humanity. David and Solomon were kings; Joseph and Job were blessed with prosperity after they had been tried with afflictions which they both bore with extraordinary patience. Moses and Aaron enjoyed supreme authority among their people.
The second group (for which see 6:86) consists of Zachariah, John, Jesus and Elias. None of these possessed temporal power or worldly goods; each lived a humble and lowly life, so much so that of Elias it is said that he was rarely seen and generally lived in the woods. Hence they have been differentiated in 6:86, as الصالحین i.e. virtuous. The first three comprising the second group were contemporaries; while Elias, though not a contemporary, bore a striking resemblance to John, who came in his spirit and power; so he also has been classed with this group.
The third group (mentioned in 6:87) consists of Ishmael, Elisha, Jonah and Lot. They had no worldly power, but God granted them grace and excellence. It has been alleged about them that they coveted power and riches. Of Ishmael, we read in the Bible: "He will be a wild man: his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him" (Gen. 16:12). In the Talmud, Ishmael is represented as having followed his father Abraham when the latter took Isaac out for sacrifice, rejoicing at the thought that he would inherit all the lands and herds. Of Elisha it is said that he caused a king, who did not obey him, to be slain so that he might thus gain political power. Jonah was displeased with God, because he was disgraced by the non-fulfilment of his prophecy, which, it is alleged, showed that he sought power for himself. Of Lot it is alleged that he coveted fertile pasture-lands and was always quarrelling with his kinsman, Abraham. Thus all these Prophets have been accused of coveting wealth and power. But the Quran declares all these charges to be false. These Prophets were a group of heavenly people enjoying spiritual communion with God. They had no need to be covetous or seekers of power; for, as stated in 6:87, God had "exalted" them above the people.
d
29:28.
a
29:28.
828
Important Words:
ایوب (Ayyub or Job), who is the hero of the Book of Job, is mentioned in the Bible as living in the land of Uz. Some authorities say that this is Idumea or Arabia Deserta; others fix Mesopotamia as his country. It appears that Uz was somewhere in the north of Arabia. It is said that Job lived there before the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. He thus lived before Moses or, as some say, he was a compatriot of Moses, having received his prophetic mission about 20 years before him. Job was not an Israelite, having been descended from Esau, the elder brother of Israel. He had a very chequered career, being "tried" by God in diverse ways; but he proved most faithful and righteous and was patient and steadfast in the extreme. He still lives in the memory of mankind as a paragon of patience (Jew. Enc. & Encyclopaedia of Islam).
داود (David or Dawud) has been taken to mean (1) beloved or friend; or (2) paternal uncle; or (3) best of all. King of Judah and Israel, David, who was of Israelite origin being from the tribe of Judah, was founder of the Judean dynasty at Jerusalem. The date of his reign is generally fixed at about 1010-970 B.C. He was a great warrior and a great statesman. His importance as the real builder of the Hebrew Kingdom can hardly be overestimated. Through him all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba became united and organized into a powerful nation whose kingdom extended from the Euphrates to the Nile. Towards the end of his life David had to suffer much at the hands of scheming slanderers, which deeply grieved him. He has poured out his grief in his celebrated Psalms (Enc. Brit. & Enc. Bib.). The Quran, however, absolves him from the charges imputed to him in the Bible (38:19-26).
سلیمان (Solomon) was the second son of David & Bath-Sheba and the third king of Israel. He reigned from about 971 to 931 B.C. He was called Jedidiah (beloved of Yehovah) by Nathan, the Prophet. But David was told by Yehovah that his son’s name should be Solomon (peaceful). These two names are predictive of the character of his reign, which was both highly prosperous and peaceful. Besides his principal names, Jedidiah and Solomon, various others are assigned to him such as Agur (he who girt his loins), Bin (he who built the temple), Jakeh (he who reigned over the world), Ithiel(he who understood the signs of God), and Ucal (he who could withstand them). The word سلیمان may have been derived from the root سلم. which means, he was or became safe, secure or in peace, or free from evils of any kind. The fact that he ruled for the long period of forty years shows that he must have consolidated firmly the kingdom he inherited from his father. He was a great monarch and a wise judge. He greatly extended and developed the trade and commerce of his country and contracted friendly alliances with foreign rulers. He was the master-builder among the Israelite kings and is best known for his building of the Temple at Jerusalem, which is known as the Temple of Solomon and which became the Qiblah of the Israelites for all time. In spite of the prosperity of his kingdom, Solomon’s reign was not altogether happy. Plots were hatched against him by secret societies to bring about his downfall. The Society of the Freemasons is also believed to have dated from his reign. He was followed by a worthless son (Enc. Bri., Enc. Bib. & Jew. Enc.). Like his father, David, Solomon was the victim of much calumny and slander from which the Quran has exonerated him (2: 103).
ھارون (Aaron), who belonged to the tribe of Levi, was the son of Amran and the elder brother of Moses who was three years younger than him, their sister Miriam being the eldest of the three. Aaron was the traditional founder and head of the Jewish priesthood and, in company with Moses, led the Israelites out of Egypt. Aaron and Moses were jointly commissioned to deliver the Israelites from the clutches of Pharaoh and to preach to them the message of the Oneness of God, though Moses was the senior Prophet and Aaron subordinate to him. While Moses was both the religious and secular head, Aaron represented only the priestly functions of his tribe. His duties were generally ministerial and not directive. Aaron was known for his eloquence and persuasive speech and was of a mild amiable disposition (Enc. Bib., Enc. Bri. & Jew. Enc.).
Commentary:
This and the succeeding verses tell us that not only Abraham but other Prophets also preached against شرك i.e. setting up associates with God.
The present verse mentions the descendants of Abraham to the second generation, naming a son (Isaac) and a grandson (Jacob or Israel). The name of Ishmael, the eldest son of Abraham, has been included in a separate group (6:87 below), and not in a subordinate position under Abraham.
The reader should note that the Prophets descended from Noah have been divided in the present and the succeeding two verses into three different groups and to each group has been added a separate description. The first group referred to in the present verse comprises David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses and Aaron—Prophets who were given power and prosperity, and who consequently were able to do good to human beings. Hence, members of this group have been designated as المحسنین or doers of good, for through their temporal power and prosperity they were able to do material good to humanity. David and Solomon were kings; Joseph and Job were blessed with prosperity after they had been tried with afflictions which they both bore with extraordinary patience. Moses and Aaron enjoyed supreme authority among their people.
The second group (for which see 6:86) consists of Zachariah, John, Jesus and Elias. None of these possessed temporal power or worldly goods; each lived a humble and lowly life, so much so that of Elias it is said that he was rarely seen and generally lived in the woods. Hence they have been differentiated in 6:86, as الصالحین i.e. virtuous. The first three comprising the second group were contemporaries; while Elias, though not a contemporary, bore a striking resemblance to John, who came in his spirit and power; so he also has been classed with this group.
The third group (mentioned in 6:87) consists of Ishmael, Elisha, Jonah and Lot. They had no worldly power, but God granted them grace and excellence. It has been alleged about them that they coveted power and riches. Of Ishmael, we read in the Bible: "He will be a wild man: his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him" (Gen. 16:12). In the Talmud, Ishmael is represented as having followed his father Abraham when the latter took Isaac out for sacrifice, rejoicing at the thought that he would inherit all the lands and herds. Of Elisha it is said that he caused a king, who did not obey him, to be slain so that he might thus gain political power. Jonah was displeased with God, because he was disgraced by the non-fulfilment of his prophecy, which, it is alleged, showed that he sought power for himself. Of Lot it is alleged that he coveted fertile pasture-lands and was always quarrelling with his kinsman, Abraham. Thus all these Prophets have been accused of coveting wealth and power. But the Quran declares all these charges to be false. These Prophets were a group of heavenly people enjoying spiritual communion with God. They had no need to be covetous or seekers of power; for, as stated in 6:87, God had "exalted" them above the people.
a
29:28.
869
Ayyub or Job is the hero of the Book of Job. He is mentioned in the Bible as living in the land of Uz. Some authorities say that this is Idumea or Arabia Deserta; others fix Mesopotamia as his native place. It appears that Uz was somewhere in the north of Arabia. It is said that Job lived there before the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. He thus lived before Moses or, as some say, he was a compatriot of Moses, having received his prophetic mission about 20 years before him. He was not an Israelite, having descended from Esau, the elder brother of Israel. He had a very chequered career, being "tried" by God in diverse ways; but he proved most faithful and righteous and was patient and steadfast in extreme adversity. He still lives in the memory of mankind as a paragon of patience (Jewish Enc. & Enc. of Islam).
ہَلۡ یَنۡظُرُوۡنَ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ تَاۡتِیَہُمُ الۡمَلٰٓئِکَۃُ اَوۡ یَاۡتِیَ رَبُّکَ اَوۡ یَاۡتِیَ بَعۡضُ اٰیٰتِ رَبِّکَ ۗ یَوۡمَ یَاۡتِیۡ بَعۡضُ اٰیٰتِ رَبِّکَ لَا یَنۡفَعُ نَفۡسًا اِیۡمٰنُہَا لَمۡ تَکُنۡ اٰمَنَتۡ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ اَوۡ کَسَبَتۡ فِیۡۤ اِیۡمٰنِہَا خَیۡرًا ۗ قُلِ انۡتَظِرُوۡۤا اِنَّا مُنۡتَظِرُوۡنَ
2:211; 16:34.
The "coming of angels" here refers to the punishment of the people through wars; because the coming of angels has been mentioned in connection with the battles that took place between Muslims and their enemies (3:125, 126 & 8:10).
The term "coming of the Lord" expresses complete destruction of the enemies of truth (2:211).
"The coming of the Signs" refers to earthly punishments such as famines, pestilences, calamities, etc.
2:211; 16:34.
Commentary:
The "coming of angels" here refers to the punishment of the people through wars; for, in the Quran the coming of angels has been mentioned in connection with the battles that took place between Muslims and their enemies (3:125, 126 & 8:10).
The term "coming of the Lord" with regard to disbelievers has been used in the Quran to express death and destruction (2:211). The words thus refer to the punishment of death that was to overtake the enemies of Islam in other ways than by war. In fact, when an offender is spoken of as having been summoned before God, it is only for punishment.
The "coming of the Signs" refers to punishments such as famines, pestilences, etc.
Finally, the verse makes it clear that believing at the time when a man is visited by punishment can do him no good. The verse mentions two conditions under which faith is of no avail: firstly, the faith of the man who believes at the time when he is overtaken by punishment; secondly, the faith of the man who has earned no good by his faith, i.e. he whose faith is not accompanied by good works and righteous deeds. The verse does not mean that faith will benefit nobody when the signs of God come. What it means is that at the time when the sign of punishment comes, faith will not avail those for whom this punishment is meant.
c
2:211; 16:34.
464
“天使的降临” 在这里指的是通过战争来惩罚民众; 因为谈到的天使与穆斯林对他们的敌人所进行的战役有关。(3:125, 126和8:10)。
465
“养主的光临” 这一用语表明真理的敌人被彻底毁灭。(2:211)
466
“一些迹象的降临” 指的是诸如饥馑、瘟疫、灾难、等现世的许多惩罚。
b
2:211; 16:34.
898
Commentary:
The "coming of angels" here refers to the punishment of the people through wars; for, in the Quran the coming of angels has been mentioned in connection with the battles that took place between Muslims and their enemies (3:125, 126 & 8:10).
The term "coming of the Lord" with regard to disbelievers has been used in the Quran to express death and destruction (2:211). The words thus refer to the punishment of death that was to overtake the enemies of Islam in other ways than by war. In fact, when an offender is spoken of as having been summoned before God, it is only for punishment.
The "coming of the Signs" refers to punishments such as famines, pestilences, etc.
Finally, the verse makes it clear that believing at the time when a man is visited by punishment can do him no good. The verse mentions two conditions under which faith is of no avail: firstly, the faith of the man who believes at the time when he is overtaken by punishment; secondly, the faith of the man who has earned no good by his faith, i.e. he whose faith is not accompanied by good works and righteous deeds. The verse does not mean that faith will benefit nobody when the signs of God come. What it means is that at the time when the sign of punishment comes, faith will not avail those for whom this punishment is meant.
c
2:211; 16:34.
934
The "coming of angels" here refers to the punishment of the people through wars; because the coming of angels has been mentioned in connection with the battles that took place between Muslims and their enemies (3:125, 126 & 8:10).
935
The term "coming of the Lord" expresses complete destruction of the enemies of truth (2:211).
936
"The coming of the Signs" refers to earthly punishments such as famines, pestilences, calamities, etc.
وَلَقَدۡ کَانُوۡا عٰہَدُوا اللّٰہَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ لَا یُوَلُّوۡنَ الۡاَدۡبٰرَ ۚ وَکَانَ عَہۡدُ اللّٰہِ مَسۡـُٔوۡلًا
此话指的是麦地那的犹太人曾与穆圣订立条约, 他们要站在他 (穆圣) 的一边同侵犯麦地那的任何敌人战斗。
The words refer to the treaty which the Jews of Medina had made with the Holy Prophet that they would fight on his side against any enemy who invaded Medina.
Commentary:
The words, "they had already covenanted with Allah," refer to the treaty that the Jews of Medina had made with the Holy Prophet that they would fight on his side against any enemy who invaded Medina. The verse holds out a solemn warning to these breakers of their plighted word that they will have to account for their treachery. The exact words of the above-mentioned treaty were:
و ان بینھم النصر علی من دھم یثرب
i.e. "and they take upon themselves to help the Holy Prophet against anyone who should attack Yathrib" (Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Part II, by Mirza Bashir Ahmad).
1025
此话指的是麦地那的犹太人曾与穆圣订立条约, 他们要站在他 (穆圣) 的一边同侵犯麦地那的任何敌人战斗。
3086
Commentary:
The words, "they had already covenanted with Allah," refer to the treaty that the Jews of Medina had made with the Holy Prophet that they would fight on his side against any enemy who invaded Medina. The verse holds out a solemn warning to these breakers of their plighted word that they will have to account for their treachery. The exact words of the above-mentioned treaty were:
و ان بینھم النصر علی من دھم یثرب
i.e. "and they take upon themselves to help the Holy Prophet against anyone who should attack Yathrib" (Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Part II, by Mirza Bashir Ahmad).
2340
The words refer to the treaty which the Jews of Medina had made with the Holy Prophet that they would fight on his side against any enemy who invaded Medina.
ہَلۡ یَنۡظُرُوۡنَ اِلَّا تَاۡوِیۡلَہٗ ۚ یَوۡمَ یَاۡتِیۡ تَاۡوِیۡلُہٗ یَقُوۡلُ الَّذِیۡنَ نَسُوۡہُ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ قَدۡ جَآءَتۡ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِالۡحَقِّ فَہَل لَّنَا مِنۡ شُفَعَآءَ فَیَشۡفَعُوۡا لَنَاۤ اَوۡ نُرَدُّ فَنَعۡمَلَ غَیۡرَ الَّذِیۡ کُنَّا نَعۡمَلُ ۚ قَدۡ خَسِرُوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَہُمۡ وَضَلَّ عَنۡہُمۡ مَّا کَانُوۡا یَفۡتَرُوۡنَ
26:103; 35:38; 39:59.
2:211; 6:159.
For the sake of convenience the word Ta’wil has been rendered here as fulfilment of warning. See also {372}.
2:211; 6:159.
26:103; 35:38; 39:59.
Important Words:
تاویل (fulfilment) means, revealing, disclosing, or expounding; interpretation; and issue, result or final sequel. The words ھل ینظرون الا تاویله mean, do they wait for aught save the result to which their case will come by the appearance of the promises and threats which it (the Book) has foretold (Lane). See also 3:8. For the sake of convenience the word has been rendered here as "fulfilment of warnings".
Commentary:
The verse constitutes at once a rebuke and a warning to the disbelievers. What are they waiting for, asks the verse, after they have been given such a Perfect Book as the Quran and such a Perfect Exemplar as the Holy Prophet, except that God’s promised punishment should overtake them?
a
26:103; 35:38; 39:59.
e
2:211; 6:159.
b
2:211; 6:159.
c
26:103; 35:38; 39:59.
953
Important Words:
تاویل (fulfilment) means, revealing, disclosing, or expounding; interpretation; and issue, result or final sequel. The words ھل ینظرون الا تاویله mean, do they wait for aught save the result to which their case will come by the appearance of the promises and threats which it (the Book) has foretold (Lane). See also 3:8. For the sake of convenience the word has been rendered here as "fulfilment of warnings".
Commentary:
The verse constitutes at once a rebuke and a warning to the disbelievers. What are they waiting for, asks the verse, after they have been given such a Perfect Book as the Quran and such a Perfect Exemplar as the Holy Prophet, except that God’s promised punishment should overtake them?
a
26:103; 35:38; 39:59.
d
2:211; 6:159.
983
For the sake of convenience the word Ta’wil has been rendered here as fulfilment of warning. See also {372}.
تِلۡکَ الۡقُرٰی نَقُصُّ عَلَیۡکَ مِنۡ اَنۡۢبَآئِہَا ۚ وَلَقَدۡ جَآءَتۡہُمۡ رُسُلُہُمۡ بِالۡبَیِّنٰتِ فَمَا کَانُوۡا لِیُؤۡمِنُوۡا بِمَا کَذَّبُوۡا مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۚ کَذٰلِکَ یَطۡبَعُ اللّٰہُ عَلٰی قُلُوۡبِ الۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ
3:185; 5:33.
3:185; 5:33.
The Qur’an does not give the entire history of bygone peoples but only the relevant parts of it. Nevertheless, no book of history contains more reliable information about the tribes of ‘Ad and Thamud than does the Qur’an, and students of history have admitted that what the Qur’an tells us is the only authentic and reliable information that we possess about these ancient peoples and all other stories current about them are so many myths.
The hearts of disbelievers are sealed up when they refuse to make use of their God-given power of reasoning and understanding.
3:185; 5:33.
Commentary:
The word القری (the towns) again refers here to ancient towns fallen into ruin. The Quran reverts to their mention in order to emphasize the seriousness of a Prophet’s rejection and to introduce the narration of yet another by-gone people, the rejecters of Moses.
By using the words, some of whose news, the verse makes it clear that the Quran has not given the entire history of by-gone peoples but only the relevant parts of it. Nevertheless, no book of history contains more reliable information about the peoples of ‘Ad and Thamud than does the Quran, and students of history have admitted that what the Quran tells us is the only authentic and reliable knowledge that we possess about these ancient peoples, and all other stories current about them may be only so many myths. As regards Lot, later Jewish writers have admitted that he was a Prophet of God, as the Quran represents him to be, though the Bible does not seem to accord him this rank.
The verse hints that as the Holy Prophet represents in his person all the Prophets that have gone before him, therefore his rejecters will be visited with all the various forms of punishment that befell the rejecters of former Prophets.
The opponents of God’s Prophets are in the habit of rejecting their claims on the basis of mere hearsay and make-believe. The result of such a hasty rejection is that the hearts of the rejecters become sealed and they become deprived of the power to understand the arguments and signs which God shows to establish the truth of His Messengers. The verse thus throws light on how the hearts or minds of disbelievers are sealed. They are sealed only when disbelievers refuse to make use of their God-given power of reasoning and understanding.
e
3:185; 5:33.
c
3:185; 5:33.
998
Commentary:
The word القری (the towns) again refers here to ancient towns fallen into ruin. The Quran reverts to their mention in order to emphasize the seriousness of a Prophet’s rejection and to introduce the narration of yet another by-gone people, the rejecters of Moses.
By using the words, some of whose news, the verse makes it clear that the Quran has not given the entire history of by-gone peoples but only the relevant parts of it. Nevertheless, no book of history contains more reliable information about the peoples of ‘Ad and Thamud than does the Quran, and students of history have admitted that what the Quran tells us is the only authentic and reliable knowledge that we possess about these ancient peoples, and all other stories current about them may be only so many myths. As regards Lot, later Jewish writers have admitted that he was a Prophet of God, as the Quran represents him to be, though the Bible does not seem to accord him this rank.
The verse hints that as the Holy Prophet represents in his person all the Prophets that have gone before him, therefore his rejecters will be visited with all the various forms of punishment that befell the rejecters of former Prophets.
The opponents of God’s Prophets are in the habit of rejecting their claims on the basis of mere hearsay and make-believe. The result of such a hasty rejection is that the hearts of the rejecters become sealed and they become deprived of the power to understand the arguments and signs which God shows to establish the truth of His Messengers. The verse thus throws light on how the hearts or minds of disbelievers are sealed. They are sealed only when disbelievers refuse to make use of their God-given power of reasoning and understanding.
a
3:185; 5:33.
1017
The Qur’an does not give the entire history of bygone peoples but only the relevant parts of it. Nevertheless, no book of history contains more reliable information about the tribes of ‘Ad and Thamud than does the Qur’an, and students of history have admitted that what the Qur’an tells us is the only authentic and reliable information that we possess about these ancient peoples and all other stories current about them are so many myths.
1018
The hearts of disbelievers are sealed up when they refuse to make use of their God-given power of reasoning and understanding.
وَاخۡتَارَ مُوۡسٰی قَوۡمَہٗ سَبۡعِیۡنَ رَجُلًا لِّمِیۡقٰتِنَا ۖ فَلَمَّاۤ اَخَذَتۡہُمُ الرَّجۡفَۃُ قَالَ رَبِّ لَوۡ شِئۡتَ اَہۡلَکۡتَہُمۡ مِّنۡ قَبۡلُ وَاِیّٰیَ ۖ اَتُہۡلِکُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ السُّفَہَآءُ مِنَّاۤ ۖ اِنۡ ہِیَ اِلَّا فِتۡنَتُکَ تُضِلُّ بِہَا مَنۡ تَشَآءُ وَتَہۡدِیۡ مَنۡ تَشَآءُ ۖ اَنۡتَ وَلِیُّنَا فَاغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَارۡحَمۡنَا ۖ وَاَنۡتَ خَیۡرُ الۡغٰفِرِیۡنَ
13:28.
زلزلہ تو طبعی طور پر آیا تھا‘ مگر قوم کے شرک کی وجہ سے حضرت موسیٰ علیہ السلام کو خیال ہوا کہ شاید ہمیں سزا دینے کے لئے آیا ہے۔
13:28.
The earthquake was a natural phenomenon. Moses feared that it was a Divine punishment for the sins of his people.
13:28.
Commentary:
This verse shows that the tablets were not broken as alleged by the Bible; for if they were broken, how could the very tablets have been taken up again. The word نسخة (writing) explained above also hints that Moses did not receive any written tablets from God but that he himself wrote them under divine inspiration.
The word سفھاء (the foolish) is used here not in the general sense but in the specific sense of the foolish in the ways of God, i.e. "ignorant", for every act of disobedience is born of ignorance, even if it is committed intentionally. Those, who were clever enough to render Aaron helpless, could not be called fools in the ordinary sense of the word. They are called سفھاء (fools) because they did not possess the sense and intelligence to understand the Word of God.
The incident of the calf proved to be the first occasion when the transgressors among the Israelites became distinguished from true believers, and the prophecy, Soon shall I show you the abode of the transgressors (7:146), was fulfilled.
b
13:28.
1
زلزلہ تو طبعی طور پر آیا تھا‘ مگر قوم کے شرک کی وجہ سے حضرت موسیٰ علیہ السلام کو خیال ہوا کہ شاید ہمیں سزا دینے کے لئے آیا ہے۔
a
13:28.
1045
Commentary:
This verse shows that the tablets were not broken as alleged by the Bible; for if they were broken, how could the very tablets have been taken up again. The word نسخة (writing) explained above also hints that Moses did not receive any written tablets from God but that he himself wrote them under divine inspiration.
The word سفھاء (the foolish) is used here not in the general sense but in the specific sense of the foolish in the ways of God, i.e. "ignorant", for every act of disobedience is born of ignorance, even if it is committed intentionally. Those, who were clever enough to render Aaron helpless, could not be called fools in the ordinary sense of the word. They are called سفھاء (fools) because they did not possess the sense and intelligence to understand the Word of God.
The incident of the calf proved to be the first occasion when the transgressors among the Israelites became distinguished from true believers, and the prophecy, Soon shall I show you the abode of the transgressors (7:146), was fulfilled.
d
13:28.
1057A
The earthquake was a natural phenomenon. Moses feared that it was a Divine punishment for the sins of his people.
مَّا کَانَ عَلَی النَّبِیِّ مِنۡ حَرَجٍ فِیۡمَا فَرَضَ اللّٰہُ لَہٗ ۖ سُنَّۃَ اللّٰہِ فِی الَّذِیۡنَ خَلَوۡا مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۚ وَکَانَ اَمۡرُ اللّٰہِ قَدَرًا مَّقۡدُوۡرًا
The reference in the words is to the Holy Prophet’s marriage with Zainab. The words show that his marriage took place in obedience to express Divine command.
Commentary:
The reference in the words, "that which Allah has made incumbent upon him," and "the command of Allah is a decree ordained," is to the Holy Prophet’s marriage with Zainab. The words show that this marriage took place in obedience to express Divine command.
3105
Commentary:
The reference in the words, "that which Allah has made incumbent upon him," and "the command of Allah is a decree ordained," is to the Holy Prophet’s marriage with Zainab. The words show that this marriage took place in obedience to express Divine command.
2358
The reference in the words is to the Holy Prophet’s marriage with Zainab. The words show that his marriage took place in obedience to express Divine command.
اَوۡ تَقُوۡلُوۡۤا اِنَّمَاۤ اَشۡرَکَ اٰبَآؤُنَا مِنۡ قَبۡلُ وَکُنَّا ذُرِّیَّۃً مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِہِمۡ ۖ اَفَتُہۡلِکُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ الۡمُبۡطِلُوۡنَ
7:39.
7:39.
7:39.
Commentary:
The appearance of a Prophet also debars the people of his time from urging the plea mentioned in the present verse, for then the truth is made manifest from falsehood and idolatry stands publicly condemned.
a
7:39.
a
7:39.
1062
Commentary:
The appearance of a Prophet also debars the people of his time from urging the plea mentioned in the present verse, for then the truth is made manifest from falsehood and idolatry stands publicly condemned.
a
7:39.
وَضَلَّ عَنۡہُمۡ مَّا کَانُوۡا یَدۡعُوۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۖ وَظَنُّوۡا مَا لَہُمۡ مِّنۡ مَّحِیۡصٍ
40:75.
40:75.
40:75.
Important Words:
مـحیص (place of escape) is derived from حاص. They say حاص عن الحق i.e. he deviated from the truth. حاص عن الشیء means, he turned away from the thing and became safe from it. مـحیص means, a place from which one turns away or aside; to which one flees; a place of refuge. ماعنه مـحیص means, there is no refuge from it (Lane & Aqrab).
c
40:75.
a
40:75.
3596
Important Words:
مـحیص (place of escape) is derived from حاص. They say حاص عن الحق i.e. he deviated from the truth. حاص عن الشیء means, he turned away from the thing and became safe from it. مـحیص means, a place from which one turns away or aside; to which one flees; a place of refuge. ماعنه مـحیص means, there is no refuge from it (Lane & Aqrab).
b
40:75.
وَاِنۡ یُّرِیۡدُوۡا خِیَانَتَکَ فَقَدۡ خَانُوا اللّٰہَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ فَاَمۡکَنَ مِنۡہُمۡ ۗ وَاللّٰہُ عَلِیۡمٌ حَکِیۡمٌ
Commentary:
The treacherous dealing mentioned here is that disbelievers should do evil in return for the kindness shown to them. As was the custom in Arabia, pre-Islamic Arabs used to slay their powerful enemies, whenever they fell into their hands. The verse, therefore, signifies that if the enemies of Islam proved treacherous, God would give Muslims power over them again; so it is not necessary for Muslims to put their prisoners to death as pre-Islamic Arabs used to do.
God knew that the time was soon coming when the disbelievers would embrace Islam, hence the injunction to spare their lives and to treat them with kindness, for was not God "All-Knowing, Wise"?
1159
Commentary:
The treacherous dealing mentioned here is that disbelievers should do evil in return for the kindness shown to them. As was the custom in Arabia, pre-Islamic Arabs used to slay their powerful enemies, whenever they fell into their hands. The verse, therefore, signifies that if the enemies of Islam proved treacherous, God would give Muslims power over them again; so it is not necessary for Muslims to put their prisoners to death as pre-Islamic Arabs used to do.
God knew that the time was soon coming when the disbelievers would embrace Islam, hence the injunction to spare their lives and to treat them with kindness, for was not God "All-Knowing, Wise"?
وَقَالَتِ الۡیَہُوۡدُ عُزَیۡرُۨ ابۡنُ اللّٰہِ وَقَالَتِ النَّصٰرَی الۡمَسِیۡحُ ابۡنُ اللّٰہِ ۖ ذٰلِکَ قَوۡلُہُمۡ بِاَفۡوٰہِہِمۡ ۖ یُضٰہِـُٔوۡنَ قَوۡلَ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۚ قٰتَلَہُمُ اللّٰہُ ۚ اَنّٰی یُؤۡفَکُوۡنَ
2:117; 5:18; 10:69.
عُزَيْر (‘Uzair) 即 Ezra (欧泽尔) 生活在伊撒降生前五世纪。他是塞雷阿 (Seraiah) (一个高贵祭司) 的后裔, 他自己也是祭司会的成员, 人家称他为欧泽尔大祭司。他是他那个时代最重要的显贵之一, 对犹太教的发展有深远影响。在以色列先知中, 他特别受尊敬。麦地那的犹太人和在哈德拉蒙特 (حَضَرْمَوْت, Hadarmaut) 的一个犹太教派相信他是安拉的儿子。拉比斯 (Rabbis) 把他的名字和几个重要的机构联系起来。里南 (Renan) 在他的 «以色列人民的历史» 一书的序言中评论说, 犹太教的正式创建时期可能只有从欧泽尔时代计算起。希伯来文学认为假如他们的经典不是已经由穆撒传达下来的话, 那么, 他可以称得起是这部经典的传达者。他和内赫米亚 (Nehemiah) 合作, 活到一百二十岁, 死在巴比伦尼亚 (Babylonia) (Jew. Enc. 和 Enc. Bib)。
2:117; 5:18; 10:69.
‘Uzair or Ezra lived in the fifth century B.C. He was a descendant of Seraiah, the high priest, and, being himself a member of the priestly order, was known as Ezra, the Priest. He was one of the most important personages of his day and exercised a far-reaching influence on the development of Judaism. He was especially honoured among the Prophets of Israel. The Jews of Medina and a Jewish sect in Hadramaut believed him to be the son of God. The Rabbis associate his name with several important institutions. Renan has remarked in the preface to his History of the People of Israel that the definite constitution of Judaism may be dated only from the time of Ezra. In Rabbinical literature he was considered worthy of being the vehicle of the Law, had it not been already given through Moses. He worked in collaboration with Nehemiah and died at the age of 120 in Babylonia (Jew. Enc. & Enc. Bib.).
2:117; 5:18; 10:69.
Important Words:
عزیر (‘Uzair or Ezra) may be taken to have been derived in Arabic from عزر. They say عزرہ i.e. he prevented him or forbade him; he taught him the obligatory statutes or ordinances of God; he aided or assisted him; he strengthened him; he treated him with reverence or honour (Lane). Ezra (a Hebrew name), perhaps abbreviated from Azariah, meaning "Yahwe (God) helps," was a descendant of Seraiah, the high priest, and being himself a member of the priestly order, was known also as Ezra the Priest. He was one of the most important personages of his day and had far-reaching influence on the development of Judaism. He was especially honoured among the Prophets of Israel. In fact, he marks the spring time in the national history of Judaism and is regarded and quoted as the type of person most competent and learned in the Law. The Rabbis associate his name with several important institutions. Renan has remarked in the preface to his History of the People of Israel that the definite constitution of Judaism may be dated only from the time of Ezra. In Rabbinical literature Ezra was considered worthy of being, the vehicle of the Law, had it not been given through Moses. According to tradition he died at the age of 120 in Babylonia. He worked in close collaboration with Nehemiah. Ezra lived in the 5th century B.C. (Jew. Enc. & Enc. Bib.).
یضاھئون (they imitate) is derived from ضاھی which is derived from ضھی. They say ضاھاہ or ضاھاہ i.e. he resembled or conformed with him or it; he imitated him; he was or became gentle, tender or courteous to him. The well-known saying of the Holy Prophet اشد الناس عذابا یوم القیامة الذین یضاھئون خلق اللّٰه means, "The most severely punished of mankind on the Day of Judgement will be those who imitate (by what they make) the creation of God," e.g. sculptors, etc. (Lane).
قاتلھم اللّٰه (Allah’s curse be on them). قاتل is from the root قتل. They say قتله i.e. he killed him; or he rendered him as one killed; or he attempted to kill him; or he cut off all connections with him. قاتله means, he fought or warred against him, قاتله اللّٰه means, may God curse him; or may He drive him from His mercy (Lisan & Aqrab), The expression also means, may God make war against him, which cannot result except in such a one being destroyed (Mufradat). See also 2:62.
Commentary:
After having dealt at some length with the idolatrous beliefs and practices of the pagans of Arabia, the Quran proceeds in this verse to deal with the polytheistic beliefs and practices of Jews and Christians. Those of the Jews who lived in Medina looked upon Ezra as the son of God. Similarly, a sect of Jews living at Hadramaut in the south of Arabia believed him to be the son of God. The remnants of this sect continued to linger till the end of the fourth century A.H. (Qastalani & Dawud, Zahiri). As this doctrine of the Jews, which appears to be sectional, was a later innovation and did not subsist long, present Jewish sources make no mention of it, but that does not affect the real situation. Elsewhere the Quran says that the Israelites were rather free in attributing sons to God (5:19).
This verse also shows that these blasphemous doctrines were not taught to Christians and Jews by their Prophets but were later borrowed by them from pagan sources. Incidentally, this claim of the Quran constitutes a proof of its Divine origin, because here it states a fact which was not known to the world even two centuries ago and has been only recently brought to light by modern research. A study of the origins of the Christian Faith has now established the fact that Jews and Christians borrowed their later doctrines from Babylonian and Roman pagan sources.
The words, Allah’s curse be on them, when spoken by man signify only an imprecation but, when spoken by God, they imply a prophecy of the destruction of the person or persons about whom they are uttered.
a
2:117; 5:18; 10:69.
564
عُزَيْر (‘Uzair) 即 Ezra (欧泽尔) 生活在伊撒降生前五世纪。他是塞雷阿 (Seraiah) (一个高贵祭司) 的后裔, 他自己也是祭司会的成员, 人家称他为欧泽尔大祭司。他是他那个时代最重要的显贵之一, 对犹太教的发展有深远影响。在以色列先知中, 他特别受尊敬。麦地那的犹太人和在哈德拉蒙特 (حَضَرْمَوْت, Hadarmaut) 的一个犹太教派相信他是安拉的儿子。拉比斯 (Rabbis) 把他的名字和几个重要的机构联系起来。里南 (Renan) 在他的 «以色列人民的历史» 一书的序言中评论说, 犹太教的正式创建时期可能只有从欧泽尔时代计算起。希伯来文学认为假如他们的经典不是已经由穆撒传达下来的话, 那么, 他可以称得起是这部经典的传达者。他和内赫米亚 (Nehemiah) 合作, 活到一百二十岁, 死在巴比伦尼亚 (Babylonia) (Jew. Enc. 和 Enc. Bib)。
a
2:117; 5:18; 10:69.
1190
Important Words:
عزیر (‘Uzair or Ezra) may be taken to have been derived in Arabic from عزر. They say عزرہ i.e. he prevented him or forbade him; he taught him the obligatory statutes or ordinances of God; he aided or assisted him; he strengthened him; he treated him with reverence or honour (Lane). Ezra (a Hebrew name), perhaps abbreviated from Azariah, meaning "Yahwe (God) helps," was a descendant of Seraiah, the high priest, and being himself a member of the priestly order, was known also as Ezra the Priest. He was one of the most important personages of his day and had far-reaching influence on the development of Judaism. He was especially honoured among the Prophets of Israel. In fact, he marks the spring time in the national history of Judaism and is regarded and quoted as the type of person most competent and learned in the Law. The Rabbis associate his name with several important institutions. Renan has remarked in the preface to his History of the People of Israel that the definite constitution of Judaism may be dated only from the time of Ezra. In Rabbinical literature Ezra was considered worthy of being, the vehicle of the Law, had it not been given through Moses. According to tradition he died at the age of 120 in Babylonia. He worked in close collaboration with Nehemiah. Ezra lived in the 5th century B.C. (Jew. Enc. & Enc. Bib.).
یضاھئون (they imitate) is derived from ضاھی which is derived from ضھی. They say ضاھاہ or ضاھاہ i.e. he resembled or conformed with him or it; he imitated him; he was or became gentle, tender or courteous to him. The well-known saying of the Holy Prophet اشد الناس عذابا یوم القیامة الذین یضاھئون خلق اللّٰه means, "The most severely punished of mankind on the Day of Judgement will be those who imitate (by what they make) the creation of God," e.g. sculptors, etc. (Lane).
قاتلھم اللّٰه (Allah’s curse be on them). قاتل is from the root قتل. They say قتله i.e. he killed him; or he rendered him as one killed; or he attempted to kill him; or he cut off all connections with him. قاتله means, he fought or warred against him, قاتله اللّٰه means, may God curse him; or may He drive him from His mercy (Lisan & Aqrab), The expression also means, may God make war against him, which cannot result except in such a one being destroyed (Mufradat). See also 2:62.
Commentary:
After having dealt at some length with the idolatrous beliefs and practices of the pagans of Arabia, the Quran proceeds in this verse to deal with the polytheistic beliefs and practices of Jews and Christians. Those of the Jews who lived in Medina looked upon Ezra as the son of God. Similarly, a sect of Jews living at Hadramaut in the south of Arabia believed him to be the son of God. The remnants of this sect continued to linger till the end of the fourth century A.H. (Qastalani & Dawud, Zahiri). As this doctrine of the Jews, which appears to be sectional, was a later innovation and did not subsist long, present Jewish sources make no mention of it, but that does not affect the real situation. Elsewhere the Quran says that the Israelites were rather free in attributing sons to God (5:19).
This verse also shows that these blasphemous doctrines were not taught to Christians and Jews by their Prophets but were later borrowed by them from pagan sources. Incidentally, this claim of the Quran constitutes a proof of its Divine origin, because here it states a fact which was not known to the world even two centuries ago and has been only recently brought to light by modern research. A study of the origins of the Christian Faith has now established the fact that Jews and Christians borrowed their later doctrines from Babylonian and Roman pagan sources.
The words, Allah’s curse be on them, when spoken by man signify only an imprecation but, when spoken by God, they imply a prophecy of the destruction of the person or persons about whom they are uttered.
b
2:117; 5:18; 10:69.
1176
‘Uzair or Ezra lived in the fifth century B.C. He was a descendant of Seraiah, the high priest, and, being himself a member of the priestly order, was known as Ezra, the Priest. He was one of the most important personages of his day and exercised a far-reaching influence on the development of Judaism. He was especially honoured among the Prophets of Israel. The Jews of Medina and a Jewish sect in Hadramaut believed him to be the son of God. The Rabbis associate his name with several important institutions. Renan has remarked in the preface to his History of the People of Israel that the definite constitution of Judaism may be dated only from the time of Ezra. In Rabbinical literature he was considered worthy of being the vehicle of the Law, had it not been already given through Moses. He worked in collaboration with Nehemiah and died at the age of 120 in Babylonia (Jew. Enc. & Enc. Bib.).
لَقَدِ ابۡتَغَوُا الۡفِتۡنَۃَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ وَقَلَّبُوۡا لَکَ الۡاُمُوۡرَ حَتّٰی جَآءَ الۡحَقُّ وَظَہَرَ اَمۡرُ اللّٰہِ وَہُمۡ کٰرِہُوۡنَ
Important Words:
قلبوالك الامور (devised plots against thee). قلبوا (qallabu) is the intensified form of قلب (qalaba). They say قلبه i.e. he turned it over or upside down; he altered or changed its or his mode or manner of being. قلبته بیدی (qallabtu-hu) means, I turned it over and over with my hand. قلب الفکر فی امر means, he turned over and over or revolved repeatedly in his mind, thoughts or considerations with a view to the attainment of some object in relation to an affair. قلب الامور means, he investigated, scrutinized or examined affairs and turned them over and over in his mind, meditating what he should do. So قلبوالك الامورmeans, they turned over and over in their minds affairs, meditating what they should do to thee; or they meditated or devised in relation to thee wiles, artifices, plots or stratagems; or they revolved ideas or opinions respecting the frustrating of thy affair (Lane).
Commentary:
This verse further explains what has been said in the previous verse, viz. that the hypocrites would have plotted to injure the cause of Islam in the very midst of battle, if they had marched forth with the Muslims because they were always on the lookout to create mischief and had already been plotting to bring the Holy Prophet to grief.
1205
Important Words:
قلبوالك الامور (devised plots against thee). قلبوا (qallabu) is the intensified form of قلب (qalaba). They say قلبه i.e. he turned it over or upside down; he altered or changed its or his mode or manner of being. قلبته بیدی (qallabtu-hu) means, I turned it over and over with my hand. قلب الفکر فی امر means, he turned over and over or revolved repeatedly in his mind, thoughts or considerations with a view to the attainment of some object in relation to an affair. قلب الامور means, he investigated, scrutinized or examined affairs and turned them over and over in his mind, meditating what he should do. So قلبوالك الامورmeans, they turned over and over in their minds affairs, meditating what they should do to thee; or they meditated or devised in relation to thee wiles, artifices, plots or stratagems; or they revolved ideas or opinions respecting the frustrating of thy affair (Lane).
Commentary:
This verse further explains what has been said in the previous verse, viz. that the hypocrites would have plotted to injure the cause of Islam in the very midst of battle, if they had marched forth with the Muslims because they were always on the lookout to create mischief and had already been plotting to bring the Holy Prophet to grief.
اِنۡ تُصِبۡکَ حَسَنَۃٌ تَسُؤۡہُمۡ ۖ وَاِنۡ تُصِبۡکَ مُصِیۡبَۃٌ یَّقُوۡلُوۡا قَدۡ اَخَذۡنَاۤ اَمۡرَنَا مِنۡ قَبۡلُ وَیَتَوَلَّوۡا وَّہُمۡ فَرِحُوۡنَ
یعنی وہ اس بات پر خوش ہوتے ہیں کہ ہماری تدبیر نے ہم کو بچا لیا اور مسلمانوں کی تدبیریں ان کے کام نہ آئیں۔
Important Words:
امرنا (our precaution). The word امر gives a number of meanings, e.g. command or decree; thing, affair or matter; condition, case or state, etc. (Lane). Here it signifies precaution (Kashshaf).
2
یعنی وہ اس بات پر خوش ہوتے ہیں کہ ہماری تدبیر نے ہم کو بچا لیا اور مسلمانوں کی تدبیریں ان کے کام نہ آئیں۔
1206A
Important Words:
امرنا (our precaution). The word امر gives a number of meanings, e.g. command or decree; thing, affair or matter; condition, case or state, etc. (Lane). Here it signifies precaution (Kashshaf).
وَالَّذِیۡنَ اتَّخَذُوۡا مَسۡجِدًا ضِرَارًا وَّکُفۡرًا وَّتَفۡرِیۡقًۢا بَیۡنَ الۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ وَاِرۡصَادًا لِّمَنۡ حَارَبَ اللّٰہَ وَرَسُوۡلَہٗ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۚ وَلَیَحۡلِفُنَّ اِنۡ اَرَدۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡحُسۡنٰی ۖ وَاللّٰہُ یَشۡہَدُ اِنَّہُمۡ لَکٰذِبُوۡنَ
63:2.
جب اسلام نے ترقی کی اور منافقین مایوس ہو گئے تو ان کو ابو عامر راہب نے پیغام بھیجا کہ مسلمانوں سے علیحدہ میرے لئے ایک جگہ بناؤ‘ وہاں مشورہ کرکے میں قیصر کے پاس جاؤں گا اور اس کا لشکر مدینہ پر چڑھا لاؤں گا۔ اس وقت مسجدنبویؐ کے علاوہ مدینہ کے کناروں پر ایک مسجد خالص مومنوں کی تھی۔ منافقوں نے ابوعامر کو چھپانے کے لئے ایک الگ مسجد بنائی اور رسول کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم کو اس میں نماز کرانے کی دعوت دی۔لیکن اللہ تعالیٰ نے آپ کو منع کر دیا۔ ابوعامر نے نادانی سے سمجھا کہ کسی شخص نے جاسوسی کر دی ہے اور وہ مدینہ چھوڑ کر بھاگ گیا۔ اس کا جانا مسلمانوں اور رومیوں میں جنگ کا موج
63:2.
The verse may refer to a plot hatched by one Abu ‘Amir, a Christian monk, an arch-enemy of Islam. After having utterly failed in his evil designs against Islam and seeing that it had become firmly established in Arabia after the Battle of Hunain, he fled to Syria, designing and hoping to enlist the help of the Byzantines against the Holy Prophet. From there he sent word to the Hypocrites of Medina that they should build a mosque in the suburb of Medina which should serve as a place of hiding for him and in which they should concoct schemes and hatch plots. But Abu ‘Amir did not live long enough to see his scheme materialise and died at Kunnisrin, a broken-hearted wretch. His accomplices built a mosque as designed by him and invited the Holy Prophet to bless it by saying his Prayers in it. The Holy Prophet was forbidden by Divine revelation to do so. He ordered the mosque which came to be known as Masjide-Dirar to be set on fire and razed to the ground.
63:2.
Important Words:
ارصادا (to prepare an ambush) is derived from. ارصد which again is derived from رصد. They say رصدہ i.e. he sat or lay in wait for him in the way; or he watched or waited for him. ارصد له الامر means, he prepared for him the thing or affair. ارصدہ علی کذاmeans, he charged him with the watching or guarding of such a thing. رصد or مرصد or مرصاد means, a place or way, etc. where one lies in wait, or watches, for an enemy. ارصاد therefore means, to prepare a place where one may wait, or lie in ambush, for the enemy (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
The verse refers to a plot hatched by one Abu ‘Amir, a member of the Khazraj tribe of Medina and an arch-enemy of Islam. After the Battle of Badr, Abu ‘Amir fled to Mecca and there incited the Meccans and other Arabs to avenge the defeat of Badr. He was with the Meccan army at Uhud. Learning that there were certain hypocrites in Medina, he entered into correspondence with them, with a view to plotting against Islam. It was his accomplices who built the so-called mosque at Quba, a suburb of Medina, to carry on their secret and mischievous propaganda against Islam. The building was completed when the Holy Prophet was about to leave for Tabuk. The builders of the "mosque" requested him to consecrate it by saying Prayers therein. The Holy Prophet, who so far knew nothing of their evil designs, promised to do so on his return from the expedition. But in the meantime, the present verse was revealed to him, and on his return to Medina he ordered the "mosque" (which has come to be known as مسجد ضرار i.e. the Harmful Mosque) to be set on fire and razed to the ground.
The reference in the words, and prepare an ambush for him who warred against Allah and His Messenger, is to Abu ‘Amir, who, since the Battle of Badr, had been inciting the Arabs against the Muslims and had personally taken part in the Battle of Uhud. He is also said to have been present at the Battle of the Ditch and Hunain. At last, he fled to Syria, designing and hoping, to enlist the help of the Greeks against Islam, but he died at Kinnisrin, an exiled wretch. Abu ‘Amir is reported to have prayed for the death of the Holy Prophet in the words: امات اللّٰه الکاذب منا طریدا وحیدا غریبا i.e. "May God make him who is the liar of us two die, driven away, alone and in exile." When the Holy Prophet heard of this prayer of Abu ‘Amir, he calmly exclaimed, "Let it be so." The prayer met with wonderful acceptance, proving that it was Abu ‘Amir himself who was the liar and not the Holy Prophet (Khamis, ii.144).
c
63:2.
5
جب اسلام نے ترقی کی اور منافقین مایوس ہو گئے تو ان کو ابو عامر راہب نے پیغام بھیجا کہ مسلمانوں سے علیحدہ میرے لئے ایک جگہ بناؤ‘ وہاں مشورہ کرکے میں قیصر کے پاس جاؤں گا اور اس کا لشکر مدینہ پر چڑھا لاؤں گا۔ اس وقت مسجدنبویؐ کے علاوہ مدینہ کے کناروں پر ایک مسجد خالص مومنوں کی تھی۔ منافقوں نے ابوعامر کو چھپانے کے لئے ایک الگ مسجد بنائی اور رسول کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم کو اس میں نماز کرانے کی دعوت دی۔لیکن اللہ تعالیٰ نے آپ کو منع کر دیا۔ ابوعامر نے نادانی سے سمجھا کہ کسی شخص نے جاسوسی کر دی ہے اور وہ مدینہ چھوڑ کر بھاگ گیا۔ اس کا جانا مسلمانوں اور رومیوں میں جنگ کا موج
a
63:2.
1256
Important Words:
ارصادا (to prepare an ambush) is derived from. ارصد which again is derived from رصد. They say رصدہ i.e. he sat or lay in wait for him in the way; or he watched or waited for him. ارصد له الامر means, he prepared for him the thing or affair. ارصدہ علی کذاmeans, he charged him with the watching or guarding of such a thing. رصد or مرصد or مرصاد means, a place or way, etc. where one lies in wait, or watches, for an enemy. ارصاد therefore means, to prepare a place where one may wait, or lie in ambush, for the enemy (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
The verse refers to a plot hatched by one Abu ‘Amir, a member of the Khazraj tribe of Medina and an arch-enemy of Islam. After the Battle of Badr, Abu ‘Amir fled to Mecca and there incited the Meccans and other Arabs to avenge the defeat of Badr. He was with the Meccan army at Uhud. Learning that there were certain hypocrites in Medina, he entered into correspondence with them, with a view to plotting against Islam. It was his accomplices who built the so-called mosque at Quba, a suburb of Medina, to carry on their secret and mischievous propaganda against Islam. The building was completed when the Holy Prophet was about to leave for Tabuk. The builders of the "mosque" requested him to consecrate it by saying Prayers therein. The Holy Prophet, who so far knew nothing of their evil designs, promised to do so on his return from the expedition. But in the meantime, the present verse was revealed to him, and on his return to Medina he ordered the "mosque" (which has come to be known as مسجد ضرار i.e. the Harmful Mosque) to be set on fire and razed to the ground.
The reference in the words, and prepare an ambush for him who warred against Allah and His Messenger, is to Abu ‘Amir, who, since the Battle of Badr, had been inciting the Arabs against the Muslims and had personally taken part in the Battle of Uhud. He is also said to have been present at the Battle of the Ditch and Hunain. At last, he fled to Syria, designing and hoping, to enlist the help of the Greeks against Islam, but he died at Kinnisrin, an exiled wretch. Abu ‘Amir is reported to have prayed for the death of the Holy Prophet in the words: امات اللّٰه الکاذب منا طریدا وحیدا غریبا i.e. "May God make him who is the liar of us two die, driven away, alone and in exile." When the Holy Prophet heard of this prayer of Abu ‘Amir, he calmly exclaimed, "Let it be so." The prayer met with wonderful acceptance, proving that it was Abu ‘Amir himself who was the liar and not the Holy Prophet (Khamis, ii.144).
a
63:2.
1217
The verse may refer to a plot hatched by one Abu ‘Amir, a Christian monk, an arch-enemy of Islam. After having utterly failed in his evil designs against Islam and seeing that it had become firmly established in Arabia after the Battle of Hunain, he fled to Syria, designing and hoping to enlist the help of the Byzantines against the Holy Prophet. From there he sent word to the Hypocrites of Medina that they should build a mosque in the suburb of Medina which should serve as a place of hiding for him and in which they should concoct schemes and hatch plots. But Abu ‘Amir did not live long enough to see his scheme materialise and died at Kunnisrin, a broken-hearted wretch. His accomplices built a mosque as designed by him and invited the Holy Prophet to bless it by saying his Prayers in it. The Holy Prophet was forbidden by Divine revelation to do so. He ordered the mosque which came to be known as Masjide-Dirar to be set on fire and razed to the ground.
سُنَّۃَ اللّٰہِ فِی الَّذِیۡنَ خَلَوۡا مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۖ وَلَنۡ تَجِدَ لِسُنَّۃِ اللّٰہِ تَبۡدِیۡلًا
17:78; 35:44; 48:24.
17:78; 35:44; 48:24.
17:78; 35:44; 48:24.
Commentary:
The verse purports to say that it is an invariable Divine practice that the enemies of truth fail in their wicked designs against it and come to grief in the long run. This has happened in the time of every Divine Reformer and Prophet.
a
17:78; 35:44; 48:24.
a
17:78; 35:44; 48:24.
3122
Commentary:
The verse purports to say that it is an invariable Divine practice that the enemies of truth fail in their wicked designs against it and come to grief in the long run. This has happened in the time of every Divine Reformer and Prophet.
a
17:78; 35:44; 48:24.
ثُمَّ بَعَثۡنَا مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِہٖ رُسُلًا اِلٰی قَوۡمِہِمۡ فَجَآءُوۡہُمۡ بِالۡبَیِّنٰتِ فَمَا کَانُوۡا لِیُؤۡمِنُوۡا بِمَا کَذَّبُوۡا بِہٖ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۚ کَذٰلِکَ نَطۡبَعُ عَلٰی قُلُوۡبِ الۡمُعۡتَدِیۡنَ
30:48; 40:24.
30:48; 40:24.
God does not arbitrarily seal up the hearts of disbelievers; it is the disbelievers who, by their own stubborn and unjustified refusal to listen to the Word of God, deprive themselves of the ability to see and accept the truth. They are themselves the architects of their evil destiny.
30:48; 40:24.
Commentary:
This verse makes it quite clear that it is not God Who arbitrarily seals up the hearts of disbelievers but it is the disbelievers themselves who, by their stubborn and unjustified refusal to listen to the word of God, become deprived of their power to see and accept the truth. They themselves are the architects of their evil destiny and not God Who only proclaims the things already brought about by their own persistent transgression. The act of sealing up the hearts of disbelievers is attributed to God because He is the Final Judge Who pronounces the verdict.
c
30:48; 40:24.
a
30:48; 40:24.
1348
Commentary:
This verse makes it quite clear that it is not God Who arbitrarily seals up the hearts of disbelievers but it is the disbelievers themselves who, by their stubborn and unjustified refusal to listen to the word of God, become deprived of their power to see and accept the truth. They themselves are the architects of their evil destiny and not God Who only proclaims the things already brought about by their own persistent transgression. The act of sealing up the hearts of disbelievers is attributed to God because He is the Final Judge Who pronounces the verdict.
a
30:48; 40:24.
1280
God does not arbitrarily seal up the hearts of disbelievers; it is the disbelievers who, by their own stubborn and unjustified refusal to listen to the Word of God, deprive themselves of the ability to see and accept the truth. They are themselves the architects of their evil destiny.
آٰلۡـٰٔنَ وَقَدۡ عَصَیۡتَ قَبۡلُ وَکُنۡتَ مِنَ الۡمُفۡسِدِیۡنَ
10:52.
10:52.
10:52.
Commentary:
The eloquent words, What! Now!, show that it is only in specified circumstances that faith proves to be of any avail. When truth becomes quite clear and there remains no doubt or ambiguity about it, faith loses all value. In fact, it is only effort and sacrifice that make a person deserving of reward, and where these are absent, man forfeits all title to it.
c
10:52.
a
10:52.
1364
Commentary:
The eloquent words, What! Now!, show that it is only in specified circumstances that faith proves to be of any avail. When truth becomes quite clear and there remains no doubt or ambiguity about it, faith loses all value. In fact, it is only effort and sacrifice that make a person deserving of reward, and where these are absent, man forfeits all title to it.
a
10:52.
وَجَآءَہٗ قَوۡمُہٗ یُہۡرَعُوۡنَ اِلَیۡہِ وَمِنۡ قَبۡلُ کَانُوۡا یَعۡمَلُوۡنَ السَّیِّاٰتِ ۚ قَالَ یٰقَوۡمِ ہٰٓؤُلَآءِ بَنَاتِیۡ ہُنَّ اَطۡہَرُ لَکُمۡ ۖ فَاتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ وَلَا تُخۡزُوۡنِ فِیۡ ضَیۡفِیۡۤ ۖ اَلَیۡسَ مِنۡکُمۡ رَجُلٌ رَّشِیۡدٌ
حضرت لوط علیہ السلام کی دو بیٹیاں اس شہر کے لوگوں میں بیاہی ہوئی تھیں (عہدنامہ قدیم پیدائش باب۱۹ آیت۱۵) مسلمان مفسر اس جگہ غلطی سے یہ معنے کرتے ہیں کہ میری لڑکیوں سے اپنی شہوت پوری کرو۔ اور میرے مہمانوں کو نہ چھیڑو۔ یہ ایک نہایت خطرناک خیال ہے اور ایک نبی کی ذات پر حملہ ہے۔ آیت کا مفہوم صاف ہے۔ ان لوگوں کو جیسا کہ قرآن مجید اور بائبل سے ثابت ہے یہ غصہ تھا کہ لوط علیہ السلام اجانب کو کیوں لائے۔ یہ خواہش نہ تھی کہ انہیں اپنی شہوت کا شکار بنائیں اور جیسا کہ بائبل کہتی ہے کہ دو لڑکیاں پہلے سے ان میں بیاہی ہوئی تھیں ان کی طرف اشارہ کرنا لوط علیہ السلام کو بیوقوف بنانا ہے۔
15:72.
The inhabitants of the two towns, Sodom and Gomorrah, had adopted the calling of the road and used to plunder wayfarers (Jew. Enc. under "Sodom"). Naturally they were constantly apprehensive of reprisals, particularly the inhabitants of Sodom who were practically in a state of war with their neighbours (Gen. 14). They would not welcome strangers into their town. Lot, like all Prophets of God, naturally would look after the comfort of the strangers and entertain them (15:71). His people, apprehensive as they were, had repeatedly warned him to give up that practice, so when he brought 'the messengers,' who were strangers, into his house they became infuriated and hastened to him with angry faces, because they thought they now had got a suitable opportunity to punish him for giving shelter to strangers in defiance of their repeated protests (15:68-71).
The verse signifies that in view of their past mischievous behaviour Lot feared lest his people should do any mischief and thus disgrace him in the presence of his guests. There is no reference here to any particular mischief. They were wicked people, therefore, Lot was naturally apprehensive that they might do him some kind of harm. He therefore said to them that if they really entertained fear that he might do them harm in league with the strangers, they had his daughters in their custody and they could wreak vengeance on him by punishing them. That was a better and purer course for them to adopt, for in that way they would also avoid the disgraceful act of insulting his guests. Or the meaning may be that, being a venerable old man of the town, Lot referred to their own wives as his daughters who, he said, were purer for them.
15:68.
7:81; 29:29.
15:72.
Important Words:
یھرعون (came running trembling with rage) is derived from ھرع. They say ھرع الیه (hara‘a) i.e. he went to him quickly and in a perturbed state of mind. ھرع الرجل (huria) or اھرع الرجل (ahra‘a) means, the man went quickly; and اھرع الرجل (uhri‘a) means, the man was made to tremble with rage, fear, cold or weakness; he was made to go fast. The Arabs say, اقبل الشیخ یھرع (yuhra‘u) i.e. the old man came fast and trembling or came running in a perturbed state of mind. (Aqrab).
Commentary:
In ancient times, generally every town had a separate government of its own, which was carried on by the chiefs of the place by mutual consultation as a sort of republic: or by a king whose authority was confined to one village or a number of villages. The two towns, Sodom and Gomorrah, with which Lot was connected had such a government. They possessed no established government in the modern sense of the word (Gen. ch. 14).
The inhabitants of these two towns had adopted the calling of the road and used to plunder wayfarers (Jew. Enc. under "Sodom"). A people who thus molested their neighbours naturally had to be on their guard against them and to be constantly apprehensive of reprisals. Besides, the people of Sodom were practically in a state of war with their neighbours (Gen. 14). Therefore they would not allow strangers to enter their towns, lest the latter should open the gates at night and let in the enemy. Lot, like all Prophets of God, being an hospitable man, naturally used to look after the comfort of strangers and entertain them (15:71). His people, apprehensive as they were, repeatedly warned him to give up that practice. So when, on this occasion, he brought strangers into his house, his townsmen became infuriated and hastened to him with angry faces, because they thought they now had a suitable opportunity to punish him for giving shelter to strangers in defiance of their protests.
Some commentators say that these visitors had come in the form of handsome boys and that Lot’s people came running to him with evil intent. But there is nothing in the context to warrant such an inference. On the contrary in 15:71 we read that on seeing the strangers with Lot, his people demanded of him why he had brought these strangers when they had already forbidden him to do so. If they had come with an evil intention, they should have rejoiced at the sight of the strangers and not been displeased at seeing them. Moreover, vv. 15:68-70 signify that Lot’s people rejoiced at having an opportunity to punish and disgrace him because he defied their protests. They were angry with him because he had brought in the strangers against their protests and were glad that they now had an opportunity to settle old scores with him once for all.
The words, before this too they used to do evil, show that in view of their past mischievous behaviour Lot feared lest his people should do any mischief and thus disgrace him in the presence of his guests. There is no reference here to any particular mischief. They were wicked people, therefore Lot was naturally afraid that they might do harm.
When the townsmen came to Lot running, he referred to his two daughters who had been married in the town and said, they are purer for you, meaning that if his people insulted his guests and turned them out, they would thereby disgrace themselves; but if they really entertained fear that he might do them harm in league with the strangers, they had his daughters in their custody and they could wreak vengeance on him by punishing them. That was a better and purer course for them to adopt, for in that way they would also avoid the disgraceful act of insulting the guests.
There can be nothing more absurd than to say that Lot offered his daughters to his wicked people to satisfy their lust. Even the meanest of men would not do such a shameful and dishonourable act; then how could a noble Prophet of God, who must possess a far greater sense of honour than ordinary men, stoop to such a mean course? The absurd story given in the Bible seems to be responsible for so stupid an interpretation of this Quranic verse by some commentators.
Some other commentators have suggested that Lot offered his daughters in marriage, but this explanation also seems unsatisfactory. It appears from the Bible that Lot had two daughters who were married. But if it be supposed that they were unmarried, they could be married only to two of the townsmen. How could then this offer give satisfaction to a large number of people? And how was it relevant to their demand?
There is, however, one explanation which seems plausible, if it be supposed that the people came with the intention which these commentators ascribe to them. A Prophet is, as it were, the father of his people, so he can speak of their women as his daughters.
So when Lot said to the people, "these are my daughters; they are purer for you," he, as a Prophet and an old man, must have referred to their own wives as his daughters, who, of course, were purer for them, He thus asked them to follow the lawful course rather than satisfy their lust unnaturally.
b
7:81; 29:29.
c
15:62.
1
حضرت لوط علیہ السلام کی دو بیٹیاں اس شہر کے لوگوں میں بیاہی ہوئی تھیں (عہدنامہ قدیم پیدائش باب۱۹ آیت۱۵) مسلمان مفسر اس جگہ غلطی سے یہ معنے کرتے ہیں کہ میری لڑکیوں سے اپنی شہوت پوری کرو۔ اور میرے مہمانوں کو نہ چھیڑو۔ یہ ایک نہایت خطرناک خیال ہے اور ایک نبی کی ذات پر حملہ ہے۔ آیت کا مفہوم صاف ہے۔ ان لوگوں کو جیسا کہ قرآن مجید اور بائبل سے ثابت ہے یہ غصہ تھا کہ لوط علیہ السلام اجانب کو کیوں لائے۔ یہ خواہش نہ تھی کہ انہیں اپنی شہوت کا شکار بنائیں اور جیسا کہ بائبل کہتی ہے کہ دو لڑکیاں پہلے سے ان میں بیاہی ہوئی تھیں ان کی طرف اشارہ کرنا لوط علیہ السلام کو بیوقوف بنانا ہے۔
b
15:68.
c
7:81; 29:29.
d
15:72.
1459
Important Words:
یھرعون (came running trembling with rage) is derived from ھرع. They say ھرع الیه (hara‘a) i.e. he went to him quickly and in a perturbed state of mind. ھرع الرجل (huria) or اھرع الرجل (ahra‘a) means, the man went quickly; and اھرع الرجل (uhri‘a) means, the man was made to tremble with rage, fear, cold or weakness; he was made to go fast. The Arabs say, اقبل الشیخ یھرع (yuhra‘u) i.e. the old man came fast and trembling or came running in a perturbed state of mind. (Aqrab).
Commentary:
In ancient times, generally every town had a separate government of its own, which was carried on by the chiefs of the place by mutual consultation as a sort of republic: or by a king whose authority was confined to one village or a number of villages. The two towns, Sodom and Gomorrah, with which Lot was connected had such a government. They possessed no established government in the modern sense of the word (Gen. ch. 14).
The inhabitants of these two towns had adopted the calling of the road and used to plunder wayfarers (Jew. Enc. under "Sodom"). A people who thus molested their neighbours naturally had to be on their guard against them and to be constantly apprehensive of reprisals. Besides, the people of Sodom were practically in a state of war with their neighbours (Gen. 14). Therefore they would not allow strangers to enter their towns, lest the latter should open the gates at night and let in the enemy. Lot, like all Prophets of God, being an hospitable man, naturally used to look after the comfort of strangers and entertain them (15:71). His people, apprehensive as they were, repeatedly warned him to give up that practice. So when, on this occasion, he brought strangers into his house, his townsmen became infuriated and hastened to him with angry faces, because they thought they now had a suitable opportunity to punish him for giving shelter to strangers in defiance of their protests.
Some commentators say that these visitors had come in the form of handsome boys and that Lot’s people came running to him with evil intent. But there is nothing in the context to warrant such an inference. On the contrary in 15:71 we read that on seeing the strangers with Lot, his people demanded of him why he had brought these strangers when they had already forbidden him to do so. If they had come with an evil intention, they should have rejoiced at the sight of the strangers and not been displeased at seeing them. Moreover, vv. 15:68-70 signify that Lot’s people rejoiced at having an opportunity to punish and disgrace him because he defied their protests. They were angry with him because he had brought in the strangers against their protests and were glad that they now had an opportunity to settle old scores with him once for all.
The words, before this too they used to do evil, show that in view of their past mischievous behaviour Lot feared lest his people should do any mischief and thus disgrace him in the presence of his guests. There is no reference here to any particular mischief. They were wicked people, therefore Lot was naturally afraid that they might do harm.
When the townsmen came to Lot running, he referred to his two daughters who had been married in the town and said, they are purer for you, meaning that if his people insulted his guests and turned them out, they would thereby disgrace themselves; but if they really entertained fear that he might do them harm in league with the strangers, they had his daughters in their custody and they could wreak vengeance on him by punishing them. That was a better and purer course for them to adopt, for in that way they would also avoid the disgraceful act of insulting the guests.
There can be nothing more absurd than to say that Lot offered his daughters to his wicked people to satisfy their lust. Even the meanest of men would not do such a shameful and dishonourable act; then how could a noble Prophet of God, who must possess a far greater sense of honour than ordinary men, stoop to such a mean course? The absurd story given in the Bible seems to be responsible for so stupid an interpretation of this Quranic verse by some commentators.
Some other commentators have suggested that Lot offered his daughters in marriage, but this explanation also seems unsatisfactory. It appears from the Bible that Lot had two daughters who were married. But if it be supposed that they were unmarried, they could be married only to two of the townsmen. How could then this offer give satisfaction to a large number of people? And how was it relevant to their demand?
There is, however, one explanation which seems plausible, if it be supposed that the people came with the intention which these commentators ascribe to them. A Prophet is, as it were, the father of his people, so he can speak of their women as his daughters.
So when Lot said to the people, "these are my daughters; they are purer for you," he, as a Prophet and an old man, must have referred to their own wives as his daughters, who, of course, were purer for them, He thus asked them to follow the lawful course rather than satisfy their lust unnaturally.
b
15:72.
1336
The inhabitants of the two towns, Sodom and Gomorrah, had adopted the calling of the road and used to plunder wayfarers (Jew. Enc. under "Sodom"). Naturally they were constantly apprehensive of reprisals, particularly the inhabitants of Sodom who were practically in a state of war with their neighbours (Gen. 14). They would not welcome strangers into their town. Lot, like all Prophets of God, naturally would look after the comfort of the strangers and entertain them (15:71). His people, apprehensive as they were, had repeatedly warned him to give up that practice, so when he brought 'the messengers,' who were strangers, into his house they became infuriated and hastened to him with angry faces, because they thought they now had got a suitable opportunity to punish him for giving shelter to strangers in defiance of their repeated protests (15:68-71).
1337
The verse signifies that in view of their past mischievous behaviour Lot feared lest his people should do any mischief and thus disgrace him in the presence of his guests. There is no reference here to any particular mischief. They were wicked people, therefore, Lot was naturally apprehensive that they might do him some kind of harm. He therefore said to them that if they really entertained fear that he might do them harm in league with the strangers, they had his daughters in their custody and they could wreak vengeance on him by punishing them. That was a better and purer course for them to adopt, for in that way they would also avoid the disgraceful act of insulting his guests. Or the meaning may be that, being a venerable old man of the town, Lot referred to their own wives as his daughters who, he said, were purer for them.
فَلَا تَکُ فِیۡ مِرۡیَۃٍ مِّمَّا یَعۡبُدُ ہٰٓؤُلَآءِ ۚ مَا یَعۡبُدُوۡنَ اِلَّا کَمَا یَعۡبُدُ اٰبَآؤُہُمۡ مِّنۡ قَبۡلُ ۚ وَاِنَّا لَمُوَفُّوۡہُمۡ نَصِیۡبَہُمۡ غَیۡرَ مَنۡقُوۡصٍ
Commentary:
The words, So be not in doubt concerning that which these people worship, have two meanings:
(1) Do not wonder at their worshipping gods other than Allah, i.e. do not think that it is impossible for these people to worship any other being beside God, for a man is apt to commit such folly in respect of beliefs which he inherits from his forefathers and to which he does not give his personal consideration. Taking the words in this sense, they will be understood to have been addressed to the people of the age and will be taken as speaking of the time when shirk (idol-worship) will have disappeared from the world and belief in the Unity of God will have prevailed everywhere. Thus the words contain a prophecy that a time will come when belief in the Unity of God will become so paramount that it will become difficult to believe that people were ever given to idolatry.
(2) Or the verse may be taken to be addressed to every reader of the Quran, who is told here not to think that those people who are associating gods with Allah will escape punishment, for they are following in the footsteps of their predecessors and when the latter were punished for their guilt, there is no reason why their successors should escape punishment. In this case the clause would read somewhat like this: "Be not in doubt concerning (the punishment of) that which these people worship."
1490
Commentary:
The words, So be not in doubt concerning that which these people worship, have two meanings:
(1) Do not wonder at their worshipping gods other than Allah, i.e. do not think that it is impossible for these people to worship any other being beside God, for a man is apt to commit such folly in respect of beliefs which he inherits from his forefathers and to which he does not give his personal consideration. Taking the words in this sense, they will be understood to have been addressed to the people of the age and will be taken as speaking of the time when shirk (idol-worship) will have disappeared from the world and belief in the Unity of God will have prevailed everywhere. Thus the words contain a prophecy that a time will come when belief in the Unity of God will become so paramount that it will become difficult to believe that people were ever given to idolatry.
(2) Or the verse may be taken to be addressed to every reader of the Quran, who is told here not to think that those people who are associating gods with Allah will escape punishment, for they are following in the footsteps of their predecessors and when the latter were punished for their guilt, there is no reason why their successors should escape punishment. In this case the clause would read somewhat like this: "Be not in doubt concerning (the punishment of) that which these people worship."
وَرَفَعَ اَبَوَیۡہِ عَلَی الۡعَرۡشِ وَخَرُّوۡا لَہٗ سُجَّدًا ۖ وَّقَالَ یٰۤاَبَتِ ہٰذَا تَاۡوِیۡلُ رُءۡیٰیَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ قَدۡ جَعَلَہَا رَبِّیۡ حَقًّا ۖ وَّقَدۡ اَحۡسَنَ بِیۡۤ اِذۡ اَخۡرَجَنِیۡ مِنَ السِّجۡنِ وَجَآءَ بِکُمۡ مِّنَ الۡبَدۡوِ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ اَنۡ نَّزَغَ الشَّیۡطٰنُ بَیۡنِیۡ وَبَیۡنَ اِخۡوَتِیۡۤ ۚ اِنَّ رَبِّیۡ لَطِیۡفٌ لِّمَا یَشَآءُ ۚ اِنَّہٗ ہُوَ الۡعَلِیۡمُ الۡحَکِیۡمُ
یعنی جو خواب میں دیکھا تھا کہ چاند‘ سورج اور ستارے میری وجہ سے سجدہ کر رہے ہیں۔ وہ بات پوری ہوگئی۔ اور آج آپ لوگ میرے مل جانے کی خوشی میں اللہ تعالیٰ کو سجدہ کر رہے ہیں۔
The words may mean that Joseph presented his parents to the King (Gen. 47: 2, 7) or that he made them sit on his own throne with the King’s permission. In olden times the ministers and deputies of kings also had their own thrones.
Joseph’s brothers and parents fell prostrate and thanked God for raising Joseph to such an eminent position. Thus Joseph was the cause, and not the object, of their prostration.
While mentioning God’s favours Joseph refers only to his being taken out of prison and makes no mention of being rescued from the well, lest his brothers should feel ashamed.
Commentary:
As the word رفع (raised) also means, "to present one to a person of high rank" (3:56), the verse is capable of two interpretations: Firstly, that Joseph presented his parents to the King, for in this case العرش (the throne) would signify the King. According to the Bible, Joseph presented his father and some of his brethren to Pharaoh (Gen. 47:2, 7). Secondly, it may mean that Joseph made his parents sit on his own throne, for in ancient times the deputies of kings also used to have their own thrones. Hence it is possible that Joseph made his parents and his brethren sit on his throne with Pharaoh’s permission.
The words خروا له سجدا do not mean that Joseph’s brothers and his parents fell prostrate before him. They only mean that they fell prostrate before God for Joseph i.e. they thanked God for raising Joseph to such an eminent position. Thus, Joseph was the cause and not the object of their prostration. See also 2:35.
The verse also throws some light on the sublime morals of God’s noble Prophets. Joseph’s brothers had left their home in search of food, but he speaks of their coming to him as a special favour of God to himself.
Again, while mentioning God’s favours he refers only to his being taken out of prison and makes no mention of being rescued from the well, lest his brothers might feel ashamed.
The word لطیف (Benignant) when applied to God, means, He Who takes care of His creatures through love or benevolence or Who benefits others with His love and kindness; He Who knows hidden things. See also 6:104.
2
یعنی جو خواب میں دیکھا تھا کہ چاند‘ سورج اور ستارے میری وجہ سے سجدہ کر رہے ہیں۔ وہ بات پوری ہوگئی۔ اور آج آپ لوگ میرے مل جانے کی خوشی میں اللہ تعالیٰ کو سجدہ کر رہے ہیں۔
1600
Commentary:
As the word رفع (raised) also means, "to present one to a person of high rank" (3:56), the verse is capable of two interpretations: Firstly, that Joseph presented his parents to the King, for in this case العرش (the throne) would signify the King. According to the Bible, Joseph presented his father and some of his brethren to Pharaoh (Gen. 47:2, 7). Secondly, it may mean that Joseph made his parents sit on his own throne, for in ancient times the deputies of kings also used to have their own thrones. Hence it is possible that Joseph made his parents and his brethren sit on his throne with Pharaoh’s permission.
The words خروا له سجدا do not mean that Joseph’s brothers and his parents fell prostrate before him. They only mean that they fell prostrate before God for Joseph i.e. they thanked God for raising Joseph to such an eminent position. Thus, Joseph was the cause and not the object of their prostration. See also 2:35.
The verse also throws some light on the sublime morals of God’s noble Prophets. Joseph’s brothers had left their home in search of food, but he speaks of their coming to him as a special favour of God to himself.
Again, while mentioning God’s favours he refers only to his being taken out of prison and makes no mention of being rescued from the well, lest his brothers might feel ashamed.
The word لطیف (Benignant) when applied to God, means, He Who takes care of His creatures through love or benevolence or Who benefits others with His love and kindness; He Who knows hidden things. See also 6:104.
1411
The words may mean that Joseph presented his parents to the King (Gen. 47: 2, 7) or that he made them sit on his own throne with the King’s permission. In olden times the ministers and deputies of kings also had their own thrones.
1412
Joseph’s brothers and parents fell prostrate and thanked God for raising Joseph to such an eminent position. Thus Joseph was the cause, and not the object, of their prostration.
1413
While mentioning God’s favours Joseph refers only to his being taken out of prison and makes no mention of being rescued from the well, lest his brothers should feel ashamed.
وَکَذٰلِکَ یَجۡتَبِیۡکَ رَبُّکَ وَیُعَلِّمُکَ مِنۡ تَاۡوِیۡلِ الۡاَحَادِیۡثِ وَیُتِمُّ نِعۡمَتَہٗ عَلَیۡکَ وَعَلٰۤی اٰلِ یَعۡقُوۡبَ کَمَاۤ اَتَمَّہَا عَلٰۤی اَبَوَیۡکَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ اِبۡرٰہِیۡمَ وَاِسۡحٰقَ ۚ اِنَّ رَبَّکَ عَلِیۡمٌ حَکِیۡمٌ
12:22, 102.
12:22, 102.
The name is explained in the Bible as 'the supplanter' (Gen. 27: 36). It is the prevalent critical opinion that Ya‘qub (Jacob) is really a shortened form of Ya‘akobel admitting several meanings such as 'God follows' or 'God rewards.' Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebekah and the grandson of Abraham and the traditional ancestor of the people of Israel and known as the Third Patriarch (Enc. Bib. & Jew. Enc.).
12:22, 102.
Important Words:
یعقوب (Jacob) may, be said to have been derived from عقب. They say عقبه i.e. he struck his heel; he came after him as though at his heel. The Bible says, "And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob," (Gen. 25:26) as if "one who takes hold by the heel." The name is also explained in the Bible as "the supplanter" (Gen. 27:36). It is the prevalent critical opinion that Ya‘akob (Jacob) is really a shortened form of Ya‘akob-el, admitting several explanations such as "God follows" or "God rewards." Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebekah and the grandson of Abraham and the traditional ancestor of the people of Israel (another name of Jacob) and known as the third Patriarch (Enc. Bib. & Jew. Enc.). See also 2:41.
Commentary:
The words, thy Lord shall choose thee, mean that God will deal with you (Joseph) according to your dream, and you will attain to the greatness which has been promised to you in the vision.
The expression, shall teach you the interpretation of things, is capable of two meanings: (a) what you have seen in the dream will come to pass (b) God will teach you how to interpret dreams.
By the word "favour" occurring in this verse is meant the boon of prophethood, which means that Joseph received the promise that God would bestow prophethood on him, and through him He would bestow distinction on Jacob’s family also. God would make them believe in Joseph and thus they would share with him the favours and blessings of God.
This verse also embodies a divergence from the Bible. According to the Quran, Jacob was pleased to hear of the dream of Joseph and held it as true. But the Bible says: "His father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?" (Gen. 37:10). Evidently there was no reason or occasion for Jacob to become angry with his son for having seen a dream in which he had no hand. No reasonable person, much less a Prophet of God, would act so unreasonably. Neither can it be said that Jacob thought Joseph was telling a lie and that really he had dreamt no dream, for the words which Jacob uttered when he heard of the dream i.e. "What is this dream that thou hast dreamed?" show that Jacob did believe that Joseph had really seen a dream. It is curious that the Bible contradicts itself in this very passage, for it says, "His brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying" (Gen. 37:11). The fact that Jacob "observed the saying" i.e. remembered it and bore it in mind, shows that he believed it to be a true dream and a genuine heavenly vision.
This incident furnishes a fourth point of similarity between Joseph and the Holy Prophet. Just as Jacob believed in the truth of Joseph’s dream, similarly, when Waraqah heard of the first revelation of the Holy Prophet, he accepted it as the true Word of God and even likened it to the revelation of Moses.
g
12:22, 102.
a
12:22, 102.
1511
Important Words:
یعقوب (Jacob) may, be said to have been derived from عقب. They say عقبه i.e. he struck his heel; he came after him as though at his heel. The Bible says, "And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob," (Gen. 25:26) as if "one who takes hold by the heel." The name is also explained in the Bible as "the supplanter" (Gen. 27:36). It is the prevalent critical opinion that Ya‘akob (Jacob) is really a shortened form of Ya‘akob-el, admitting several explanations such as "God follows" or "God rewards." Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebekah and the grandson of Abraham and the traditional ancestor of the people of Israel (another name of Jacob) and known as the third Patriarch (Enc. Bib. & Jew. Enc.). See also 2:41.
Commentary:
The words, thy Lord shall choose thee, mean that God will deal with you (Joseph) according to your dream, and you will attain to the greatness which has been promised to you in the vision.
The expression, shall teach you the interpretation of things, is capable of two meanings: (a) what you have seen in the dream will come to pass (b) God will teach you how to interpret dreams.
By the word "favour" occurring in this verse is meant the boon of prophethood, which means that Joseph received the promise that God would bestow prophethood on him, and through him He would bestow distinction on Jacob’s family also. God would make them believe in Joseph and thus they would share with him the favours and blessings of God.
This verse also embodies a divergence from the Bible. According to the Quran, Jacob was pleased to hear of the dream of Joseph and held it as true. But the Bible says: "His father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?" (Gen. 37:10). Evidently there was no reason or occasion for Jacob to become angry with his son for having seen a dream in which he had no hand. No reasonable person, much less a Prophet of God, would act so unreasonably. Neither can it be said that Jacob thought Joseph was telling a lie and that really he had dreamt no dream, for the words which Jacob uttered when he heard of the dream i.e. "What is this dream that thou hast dreamed?" show that Jacob did believe that Joseph had really seen a dream. It is curious that the Bible contradicts itself in this very passage, for it says, "His brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying" (Gen. 37:11). The fact that Jacob "observed the saying" i.e. remembered it and bore it in mind, shows that he believed it to be a true dream and a genuine heavenly vision.
This incident furnishes a fourth point of similarity between Joseph and the Holy Prophet. Just as Jacob believed in the truth of Joseph’s dream, similarly, when Waraqah heard of the first revelation of the Holy Prophet, he accepted it as the true Word of God and even likened it to the revelation of Moses.
b
12:22, 102.
1361
The name is explained in the Bible as 'the supplanter' (Gen. 27: 36). It is the prevalent critical opinion that Ya‘qub (Jacob) is really a shortened form of Ya‘akobel admitting several meanings such as 'God follows' or 'God rewards.' Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebekah and the grandson of Abraham and the traditional ancestor of the people of Israel and known as the Third Patriarch (Enc. Bib. & Jew. Enc.).
قَالَ ہَلۡ اٰمَنُکُمۡ عَلَیۡہِ اِلَّا کَمَاۤ اَمِنۡتُکُمۡ عَلٰۤی اَخِیۡہِ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۖ فَاللّٰہُ خَیۡرٌ حٰفِظًا ۖ وَّہُوَ اَرۡحَمُ الرّٰحِمِیۡنَ
Commentary:
In the words, Allah is the best Protector, Jacob administers a subtle rebuke to his sons by hinting to them that, after their tragic experience with Joseph, it is a pity that even now they should not rely on the protection of God but on their own power. He further hints that he had not entrusted Joseph to their care before, nor would he now entrust his brother to their protection. His trust now, as before, lay in God alone.
1566
Commentary:
In the words, Allah is the best Protector, Jacob administers a subtle rebuke to his sons by hinting to them that, after their tragic experience with Joseph, it is a pity that even now they should not rely on the protection of God but on their own power. He further hints that he had not entrusted Joseph to their care before, nor would he now entrust his brother to their protection. His trust now, as before, lay in God alone.
۞ قَالُوۡۤا اِنۡ یَّسۡرِقۡ فَقَدۡ سَرَقَ اَخٌ لَّہٗ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۚ فَاَسَرَّہَا یُوۡسُفُ فِیۡ نَفۡسِہٖ وَلَمۡ یُبۡدِہَا لَہُمۡ ۚ قَالَ اَنۡتُمۡ شَرٌّ مَّکَانًا ۖ وَّاللّٰہُ اَعۡلَمُ بِمَا تَصِفُوۡنَ
چونکہ چھوٹا بھائی آیا تھا۔ بھائیوں نے اس ڈر سے یوسفؑ کو چور قرار دے دیا کہ کہیں یوسفؑ پوچھ نہ بیٹھے کہ بڑے بھائی کو کیوں نہیں لائے۔
One sin leads to another. Joseph’s brothers had first sought to put him to death. Now quite unashamedly they hastened to accuse him of theft.
Commentary:
One sin leads to another. Joseph’s brothers had first sought to put him to death. Now quite unashamedly they hastened to accuse him of theft. Strangely enough, some commentators, instead of dismissing this baseless accusation as a malicious lie, start searching for some act of stealing in Joseph’s life and have gone so far as to declare that while a child he had stolen a few things from the house of his aunt.
The words, You seem to be in the worst condition, pathetically point to Joseph’s painful thought that, instead of repenting after their early lapse, his brothers had now become even more degenerate than before.
1
چونکہ چھوٹا بھائی آیا تھا۔ بھائیوں نے اس ڈر سے یوسفؑ کو چور قرار دے دیا کہ کہیں یوسفؑ پوچھ نہ بیٹھے کہ بڑے بھائی کو کیوں نہیں لائے۔
1577
Commentary:
One sin leads to another. Joseph’s brothers had first sought to put him to death. Now quite unashamedly they hastened to accuse him of theft. Strangely enough, some commentators, instead of dismissing this baseless accusation as a malicious lie, start searching for some act of stealing in Joseph’s life and have gone so far as to declare that while a child he had stolen a few things from the house of his aunt.
The words, You seem to be in the worst condition, pathetically point to Joseph’s painful thought that, instead of repenting after their early lapse, his brothers had now become even more degenerate than before.
1398
One sin leads to another. Joseph’s brothers had first sought to put him to death. Now quite unashamedly they hastened to accuse him of theft.
فَلَمَّا اسۡتَیۡـَٔسُوۡا مِنۡہُ خَلَصُوۡا نَجِیًّا ۖ قَالَ کَبِیۡرُہُمۡ اَلَمۡ تَعۡلَمُوۡۤا اَنَّ اَبَاکُمۡ قَدۡ اَخَذَ عَلَیۡکُمۡ مَّوۡثِقًا مِّنَ اللّٰہِ وَمِنۡ قَبۡلُ مَا فَرَّطتُّمۡ فِیۡ یُوۡسُفَ ۖ فَلَنۡ اَبۡرَحَ الۡاَرۡضَ حَتّٰی یَاۡذَنَ لِیۡۤ اَبِیۡۤ اَوۡ یَحۡکُمَ اللّٰہُ لِیۡ ۖ وَہُوَ خَیۡرُ الۡحٰکِمِیۡنَ
Najiyy means, (1) a secret; (2) one to whom a secret is confided; one who confers with another in private; (4) the act of conferring in private (Aqrab).
According to the Bible it was Judah, the fourth among the brothers, and not Reuben, the eldest of them, who refused to go back to his father without Benjamin. The word which the Qur’an has used is Kabir which means, 'big' or 'elder' and not Akbar which means, 'the eldest.' Judah, being the fourth son of Jacob, was indeed one of the bigger or elder brothers of Joseph. Moreover, Kabir does not only mean 'big' or 'elder' but also means 'leader' and 'great in estimation, rank or dignity,' and it is in this sense that the word has been used here and so applies to Judah and not to Reuben. Judah was more important than Reuben in the eyes of Jacob (Gen. 43: 8-10).
Important Words:
خلصوا (they retired) is derived from خلص which means: (1) it was or became clear or pure or unmixed. They say خلص من القومi.e. he retired or withdrew or went away from the people. The Quranic expression خلصوا نجیا means, they retired, conferring privately together (Lane).
نجیا (conferring together in private). نجى is derived from نجا and means: (1) a secret; (2) one to whom a secret is confided; (3) one who confers with another in private; (4) the act of conferring in private (Aqrab).
کبیر (leader) means, great in body or rank or nobility; big or full-grown; learned or most knowing; teacher or master; lord or chief; old or advanced in age, etc. (Lane). See also 11:4.
Commentary:
Christian critics of the Quran accuse it of being ignorant of even well-known facts of history, basing their criticism on the fact that it was Judah, the fourth among the brothers, and not Reuben, the eldest of them—as they take the word کبیر(leader) to mean—who declared that he would not go back to his father without Benjamin. It is strange that, whenever these self-styled judges of the Quran happen to come across any difference between the narrative of the Quran and that of the Bible, they complacently assume the Bible to be right, as if it is altogether free from anachronism and misstatements, while the fact is that it has been shown even by Christian writers themselves to occupy a very low place among reliable books of history. To doubt the authenticity of an historical fact related by the Quran merely on the basis that it does not agree with the Bible is, to say the least, simply capricious. But even assuming the present Biblical account to be correct, the Quranic account cannot be found fault with. The word which the Quran has used with respect to the brother who refused to go is کبیر which means, "big" or "elder" and not اکبر which means "the eldest." Judah, being the fourth son of Jacob, was indeed one of the big or elder brothers of Joseph.
Again, کبیر does not always mean "big" or "elder" but, as shown under Important Words, it also means "leader" and "great in estimation, rank or dignity," and it is in this sense that the word has been used here and applies to Judah and not to Reuben. For, according to the Bible, the misconduct of Judah’s three elder brothers had resulted in his taking precedence over them (Gen. 49:3-8). Of him Jacob said, "Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise…thy father’s children shall bow down before thee." (Gen. 49:8). That Judah was greater than Reuben in the eyes of Jacob is also apparent from the fact that, when Reuben offered his two sons as hostages for Benjamin, Jacob refused to send Benjamin (Gen. 42:37, 38), but when Judah said, "I will be surety for him," Jacob gave his consent (Gen. 43:9-10).
Jacob’s prediction of Judah’s superiority started the long feud which later separated Judah and Israel.
1580
Important Words:
خلصوا (they retired) is derived from خلص which means: (1) it was or became clear or pure or unmixed. They say خلص من القومi.e. he retired or withdrew or went away from the people. The Quranic expression خلصوا نجیا means, they retired, conferring privately together (Lane).
نجیا (conferring together in private). نجى is derived from نجا and means: (1) a secret; (2) one to whom a secret is confided; (3) one who confers with another in private; (4) the act of conferring in private (Aqrab).
کبیر (leader) means, great in body or rank or nobility; big or full-grown; learned or most knowing; teacher or master; lord or chief; old or advanced in age, etc. (Lane). See also 11:4.
Commentary:
Christian critics of the Quran accuse it of being ignorant of even well-known facts of history, basing their criticism on the fact that it was Judah, the fourth among the brothers, and not Reuben, the eldest of them—as they take the word کبیر(leader) to mean—who declared that he would not go back to his father without Benjamin. It is strange that, whenever these self-styled judges of the Quran happen to come across any difference between the narrative of the Quran and that of the Bible, they complacently assume the Bible to be right, as if it is altogether free from anachronism and misstatements, while the fact is that it has been shown even by Christian writers themselves to occupy a very low place among reliable books of history. To doubt the authenticity of an historical fact related by the Quran merely on the basis that it does not agree with the Bible is, to say the least, simply capricious. But even assuming the present Biblical account to be correct, the Quranic account cannot be found fault with. The word which the Quran has used with respect to the brother who refused to go is کبیر which means, "big" or "elder" and not اکبر which means "the eldest." Judah, being the fourth son of Jacob, was indeed one of the big or elder brothers of Joseph.
Again, کبیر does not always mean "big" or "elder" but, as shown under Important Words, it also means "leader" and "great in estimation, rank or dignity," and it is in this sense that the word has been used here and applies to Judah and not to Reuben. For, according to the Bible, the misconduct of Judah’s three elder brothers had resulted in his taking precedence over them (Gen. 49:3-8). Of him Jacob said, "Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise…thy father’s children shall bow down before thee." (Gen. 49:8). That Judah was greater than Reuben in the eyes of Jacob is also apparent from the fact that, when Reuben offered his two sons as hostages for Benjamin, Jacob refused to send Benjamin (Gen. 42:37, 38), but when Judah said, "I will be surety for him," Jacob gave his consent (Gen. 43:9-10).
Jacob’s prediction of Judah’s superiority started the long feud which later separated Judah and Israel.
1399A
Najiyy means, (1) a secret; (2) one to whom a secret is confided; one who confers with another in private; (4) the act of conferring in private (Aqrab).
1400
According to the Bible it was Judah, the fourth among the brothers, and not Reuben, the eldest of them, who refused to go back to his father without Benjamin. The word which the Qur’an has used is Kabir which means, 'big' or 'elder' and not Akbar which means, 'the eldest.' Judah, being the fourth son of Jacob, was indeed one of the bigger or elder brothers of Joseph. Moreover, Kabir does not only mean 'big' or 'elder' but also means 'leader' and 'great in estimation, rank or dignity,' and it is in this sense that the word has been used here and so applies to Judah and not to Reuben. Judah was more important than Reuben in the eyes of Jacob (Gen. 43: 8-10).
وَاَنۡذِرِ النَّاسَ یَوۡمَ یَاۡتِیۡہِمُ الۡعَذَابُ فَیَقُوۡلُ الَّذِیۡنَ ظَلَمُوۡا رَبَّنَاۤ اَخِّرۡنَاۤ اِلٰۤی اَجَلٍ قَرِیۡبٍ نُّجِبۡ دَعۡوَتَکَ وَنَتَّبِعِ الرُّسُلَ ۗ اَوَلَمۡ تَکُوۡنُوۡۤا اَقۡسَمۡتُمۡ مِّنۡ قَبۡلُ مَا لَکُمۡ مِّنۡ زَوَالٍ
63:11.
63:11.
63:11.
Commentary:
This verse speaks of the punishment that is to overtake disbelievers in the life to come. Whenever the Quran speaks of the punishment of the present life, it usually refers to the punishment of the next life also, for the former constitutes evidence of the latter.
The words, Did you not swear before this that you would have no fall? show that disbelievers were confident that their prosperity would endure forever. This led to their becoming haughty and arrogant.
d
63:11.
a
63:11.
1699
Commentary:
This verse speaks of the punishment that is to overtake disbelievers in the life to come. Whenever the Quran speaks of the punishment of the present life, it usually refers to the punishment of the next life also, for the former constitutes evidence of the latter.
The words, Did you not swear before this that you would have no fall? show that disbelievers were confident that their prosperity would endure forever. This led to their becoming haughty and arrogant.
d
63:11.
۞ وَاِذَا مَسَّ الۡاِنۡسٰنَ ضُرٌّ دَعَا رَبَّہٗ مُنِیۡبًا اِلَیۡہِ ثُمَّ اِذَا خَوَّلَہٗ نِعۡمَۃً مِّنۡہُ نَسِیَ مَا کَانَ یَدۡعُوۡۤا اِلَیۡہِ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ وَجَعَلَ لِلّٰہِ اَنۡدَادًا لِّیُضِلَّ عَنۡ سَبِیۡلِہٖ ۚ قُلۡ تَمَتَّعۡ بِکُفۡرِکَ قَلِیۡلًا ۖ اِنَّکَ مِنۡ اَصۡحٰبِ النَّارِ
17:68; 30:34; 39:50.
17:68; 30:34; 39:50.
11:10-11; 17:68; 30:34; 39:50.
b
17:68; 30:34; 39:50.
b
11:10-11; 17:68; 30:34; 39:50.
b
17:68; 30:34; 39:50.
وَقَالَ الشَّیۡطٰنُ لَمَّا قُضِیَ الۡاَمۡرُ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ وَعَدَکُمۡ وَعۡدَ الۡحَقِّ وَوَعَدتُّکُمۡ فَاَخۡلَفۡتُکُمۡ ۖ وَمَا کَانَ لِیَ عَلَیۡکُمۡ مِّنۡ سُلۡطٰنٍ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ دَعَوۡتُکُمۡ فَاسۡتَجَبۡتُمۡ لِیۡ ۖ فَلَا تَلُوۡمُوۡنِیۡ وَلُوۡمُوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَکُمۡ ۖ مَّاۤ اَنَا۠ بِمُصۡرِخِکُمۡ وَمَاۤ اَنۡتُمۡ بِمُصۡرِخِیَّ ۖ اِنِّیۡ کَفَرۡتُ بِمَاۤ اَشۡرَکۡتُمُوۡنِ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۗ اِنَّ الظّٰلِمِیۡنَ لَہُمۡ عَذَابٌ اَلِیۡمٌ
15:43; 16:100; 17:66.
15:43; 16:100; 17:66.
15:43; 16:100; 17:66.
Important Words:
مصرخکم (succour you) and مصرخی (succour me) are both derived from صرخ which means, he called or called out; or he cried or he cried out vehemently; he called or cried for aid or succour or, transitively, he succoured or aided someone. اصرخ also means, he succoured or aided; he came to the help of. مصرخ means, aiding or succouring; or an aider or succourer (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
By uttering the words, I cannot succour you, Satan disclaims the possession of any power to lead man astray. It is indeed true that Satan has no power over man. He is only an instrument for the manifestation of man’s weaknesses, just as angels are instruments for the manifestation of his good qualities. In reality man is led astray by his own baser self, for, as the verse puts it, Satan only calls and it is man who obeys. The function of Satan is merely to make evil suggestions, just as the function of angels is to make good suggestions. Angels cannot make a man good, nor can Satan make him bad. They only show the way, good or bad, and man does the rest.
It may appear paradoxical on Satan’s part to claim, as he has done in this verse, that he asserted the Unity of God and disclaimed association with Him. In a sense it is true, because he who is conscious of God’s glory and has actually witnessed it cannot be guilty of shirk (setting up equals to God). Shirk comes into being when man accepts Satan’s evil suggestions and disobeys God. Satan may thus be likened to arsenic. So long as arsenic does not enter the system of man in toxic quantity, it is a valuable drug, but when man makes a wrong use of it, it becomes a deadly poison. Similarly, before Satan enters the spiritual system of man he is but a test-question and nothing more. Indeed, Satan is only an agent deputed to expose human weaknesses and frailties.
But here arises a question. If Satan has no power over man, why will he be punished with Hellfire? This question is answered in 7:13, where Satan is represented as having been created of fire. How can a thing which is created of fire be said to be punished when cast into fire? A burning piece of coal is not tormented when thrown into a furnace. This is why perhaps some of the mystics in Islam have held the view that it is not Satan, but his manifestations and vicegerents that will be punished. Satan, they say, is but an agent meant to try the mettle of man and only performs his functions.
f
15:43; 16:100; 17:66.
a
15:43; 16:100; 17:66.
1677
Important Words:
مصرخکم (succour you) and مصرخی (succour me) are both derived from صرخ which means, he called or called out; or he cried or he cried out vehemently; he called or cried for aid or succour or, transitively, he succoured or aided someone. اصرخ also means, he succoured or aided; he came to the help of. مصرخ means, aiding or succouring; or an aider or succourer (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
By uttering the words, I cannot succour you, Satan disclaims the possession of any power to lead man astray. It is indeed true that Satan has no power over man. He is only an instrument for the manifestation of man’s weaknesses, just as angels are instruments for the manifestation of his good qualities. In reality man is led astray by his own baser self, for, as the verse puts it, Satan only calls and it is man who obeys. The function of Satan is merely to make evil suggestions, just as the function of angels is to make good suggestions. Angels cannot make a man good, nor can Satan make him bad. They only show the way, good or bad, and man does the rest.
It may appear paradoxical on Satan’s part to claim, as he has done in this verse, that he asserted the Unity of God and disclaimed association with Him. In a sense it is true, because he who is conscious of God’s glory and has actually witnessed it cannot be guilty of shirk (setting up equals to God). Shirk comes into being when man accepts Satan’s evil suggestions and disobeys God. Satan may thus be likened to arsenic. So long as arsenic does not enter the system of man in toxic quantity, it is a valuable drug, but when man makes a wrong use of it, it becomes a deadly poison. Similarly, before Satan enters the spiritual system of man he is but a test-question and nothing more. Indeed, Satan is only an agent deputed to expose human weaknesses and frailties.
But here arises a question. If Satan has no power over man, why will he be punished with Hellfire? This question is answered in 7:13, where Satan is represented as having been created of fire. How can a thing which is created of fire be said to be punished when cast into fire? A burning piece of coal is not tormented when thrown into a furnace. This is why perhaps some of the mystics in Islam have held the view that it is not Satan, but his manifestations and vicegerents that will be punished. Satan, they say, is but an agent meant to try the mettle of man and only performs his functions.
a
15:43; 16:100; 17:66.
وَالۡجَآنَّ خَلَقۡنٰہُ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ مِنۡ نَّارِ السَّمُوۡمِ
پہلے بتایا جا چکا ہے کہ خُلِقَ مِنْ فُـلَانٍ کے معنے عربی زبان میں یہ ہوتے ہیں کہ اس کی فطرت میں یہ بات رکھی گئی ہے۔ یہی معنے یہاں مراد ہیں کہ بڑے لوگوں میں سخت غصہ پیدا کیا گیا ہے۔ چنانچہ امراء میں عادتاً غصہ پیدا ہو جاتا ہے اور وہ اپنے خلاف بات نہیں سن سکتے۔
7:13; 38:77; 55:16.
A similar Quranic expression, man is made of haste (21:38)—shows that the verse under comment means that the jinn possessed a fiery nature and not that they were actually made of fire. Thus creation from clay or from fire are metaphors signifying a pliant and submissive nature or a fiery and inflammable temperament.
7:13; 38:77; 55:16.
Important Words:
الجان (the jinn) is derived from جن (janna). They say جنه i.e. it veiled, concealed or covered him. جان or الجان generally considered synonymous with جن (jinn) means, the father of the جن or جان is the quasi-plural noun of جن. The word جان also means, that which conceals or darkens; or that which becomes or remains concealed or hidden. It also means, a white serpent or a small white serpent, a species which is harmless and abounds in houses (Aqrab & Lane). See also 6:101, 129.
سموم (hot wind) is derived from سم . They say سمه i.e. he poisoned it or infected it with poison; or he perforated it; or he pierced or passed through it; he examined it and endeavoured to learn its depth. سمت الریح means, the hot wind scorched the things. سموم means, a hot wind; a hot wind which pierces the body; the flaming fire which has no smoke (Lane, Aqrab & Muhit).
Commentary:
Etymologically whatever hides or covers or darkens a thing, or whatever is concealed or invisible or becomes invisible is جن (jinn). According to the popular idea, however, the jinn are such beings as are invisible to us and are capable of being seen only when they disclose themselves to us. The belief in the existence of such spirits is widespread and has been found in all ages. Some include all invisible spirits in the category of angels and look upon the jinn as fallen angels.
The word jinn (see 6:101, 113; 7:13, 39, 180; 17:89; 18:51; 27:18, 40; 34:13, 42; 37:l.59; 41:26, 30; 46:19, 30; 51:57; 55:16, 40, 57, 75; 72:2, 6, 7; 114:7) has been used in different senses in the Quran as well as in the Traditions, all based upon the two basic meanings of the word, viz. (a) that which remains hidden or concealed; and (b) that which hides or conceals or covers. The word جن has been applied by the Quran to the following:
(1) Evil spirits which inspire evil thoughts in the minds of men. They are the agents of Satan and are, as it were, his incarnates (114:6, 7).
(2) Some imaginary beings whom the infidels worshipped but who existed nowhere in the world (34:42).
(3) The inhabitants of northern hilly tracts of Europe of white and red colour whom other peoples, such as Hindus and Jews, looked upon as beings separate from other human beings and who lived detached from the civilized people of Asia but who were destined to make great material progress in the latter days and to lead a great revolt against religion (55:16, 40, 57).
(4) Peoples belonging to alien religions and nationalities (34:13 & 2 Chron. 2:7-18).
(5) Savages and wild peoples who in pre-historic times, before man had morally developed enough to be given a revealed code of laws, lived in caves and hollows of the earth and were subject to no laws or rules of conduct. When, however, man became civilized after having been given a revealed Law, those among the last-mentioned class of men who obeyed it were called انسان (man) by the Quran while those who were of a fiery and rebellious temperament were called جن (jinn). In this sense these two classes of human beings viz. انسان (man) and جن (jinn) still exist and people continue to change from one class to the other according as they become law-abiding and civilized or throw off the yoke of law and defy it. For a fuller treatment of this subject the reader is referred to "Sair-e-Ruhani" and "Tafsir-e-Kabir" by Hadrat Khalifatul Masih II, the Second Successor to the Promised Messiah.
Now for the interpretation of the verse the words, And the jinn We had created before from the fire of hot wind,signify that the people whom God has given the name of jinn were only men of fiery temperament who, on account of their unruly nature, became easily excited and would not submit to anybody. In fact, before the birth of Adam, men were of this nature and disposition. Adam was the first man who achieved a high standard of moral and social perfection and this is why Divine revelation which intimately deals with morals and sociology was, first of all, given to him. So those who accepted Adam’s lead and joined the social system set up by him brought, as it were, a sort of death on their fiery temperament and received the imprint of God’s allegiance and were thus called "clayey" (see the preceding verse) because of their resemblance to clay, which easily submits to any kind of impression with which it is imprinted or any kind of shape which is given to it. But because the jinn preferred individual freedom to association in a social system and refused to give their allegiance to anybody, they were called "fiery" (the present verse), which means that, like the flame of fire, they broke all restraints and went out of control. And they were called jinn also because they lived underground.
The objection that it is putting a far-fetched interpretation on the words, And the jinn We had created before from the fire of hot wind, to say that they merely signify a fiery disposition, possesses no weight. The objection has been answered by the Quran itself where it uses similar expressions. In 21:38, for instance, it says خلق الانسان من عجل i.e. man is made of haste. Now all commentators of the Quran agree that these words simply mean that man is by nature hasty and not that there is any material substance called "haste" of which he is made.
It is also possible that in the earliest stages of his creation man was a fiery being but, as the result of a long process of evolution and develop-ment, he finally became a clayey one, and Adam may have been the leader or chief of those who were the first to attain full development in this process of evolution. This surmise finds an interesting analogy in the fact that the science of geology has proved that the earth too was, at first, a mass of hot fire which later became transformed into a clayey shell.
Finally, it may be noted that the popular belief that jinn, in the sense of invisible spirits, pay visits to men, play frolics with them, subject them to their control and take any kind of work they desire from them or, contrarily, help them to perform prodigious works etc., is a mere myth which has no foundation in fact, being at the same time contrary to the teachings of the Quran.
c
7:13; 38:77; 55:16.
661
«古兰经» 中类似的词句--------人 (的本质中) 有欲速的特性 (21:38)--------表明现在注释的这节经文中创造人或从火中创造人是种比喻, 象征柔顺的性格和急躁、易激动的性格。
1
پہلے بتایا جا چکا ہے کہ خُلِقَ مِنْ فُـلَانٍ کے معنے عربی زبان میں یہ ہوتے ہیں کہ اس کی فطرت میں یہ بات رکھی گئی ہے۔ یہی معنے یہاں مراد ہیں کہ بڑے لوگوں میں سخت غصہ پیدا کیا گیا ہے۔ چنانچہ امراء میں عادتاً غصہ پیدا ہو جاتا ہے اور وہ اپنے خلاف بات نہیں سن سکتے۔
a
7:13; 38:77; 55:16.
1734
Important Words:
الجان (the jinn) is derived from جن (janna). They say جنه i.e. it veiled, concealed or covered him. جان or الجان generally considered synonymous with جن (jinn) means, the father of the جن or جان is the quasi-plural noun of جن. The word جان also means, that which conceals or darkens; or that which becomes or remains concealed or hidden. It also means, a white serpent or a small white serpent, a species which is harmless and abounds in houses (Aqrab & Lane). See also 6:101, 129.
سموم (hot wind) is derived from سم . They say سمه i.e. he poisoned it or infected it with poison; or he perforated it; or he pierced or passed through it; he examined it and endeavoured to learn its depth. سمت الریح means, the hot wind scorched the things. سموم means, a hot wind; a hot wind which pierces the body; the flaming fire which has no smoke (Lane, Aqrab & Muhit).
Commentary:
Etymologically whatever hides or covers or darkens a thing, or whatever is concealed or invisible or becomes invisible is جن (jinn). According to the popular idea, however, the jinn are such beings as are invisible to us and are capable of being seen only when they disclose themselves to us. The belief in the existence of such spirits is widespread and has been found in all ages. Some include all invisible spirits in the category of angels and look upon the jinn as fallen angels.
The word jinn (see 6:101, 113; 7:13, 39, 180; 17:89; 18:51; 27:18, 40; 34:13, 42; 37:l.59; 41:26, 30; 46:19, 30; 51:57; 55:16, 40, 57, 75; 72:2, 6, 7; 114:7) has been used in different senses in the Quran as well as in the Traditions, all based upon the two basic meanings of the word, viz. (a) that which remains hidden or concealed; and (b) that which hides or conceals or covers. The word جن has been applied by the Quran to the following:
(1) Evil spirits which inspire evil thoughts in the minds of men. They are the agents of Satan and are, as it were, his incarnates (114:6, 7).
(2) Some imaginary beings whom the infidels worshipped but who existed nowhere in the world (34:42).
(3) The inhabitants of northern hilly tracts of Europe of white and red colour whom other peoples, such as Hindus and Jews, looked upon as beings separate from other human beings and who lived detached from the civilized people of Asia but who were destined to make great material progress in the latter days and to lead a great revolt against religion (55:16, 40, 57).
(4) Peoples belonging to alien religions and nationalities (34:13 & 2 Chron. 2:7-18).
(5) Savages and wild peoples who in pre-historic times, before man had morally developed enough to be given a revealed code of laws, lived in caves and hollows of the earth and were subject to no laws or rules of conduct. When, however, man became civilized after having been given a revealed Law, those among the last-mentioned class of men who obeyed it were called انسان (man) by the Quran while those who were of a fiery and rebellious temperament were called جن (jinn). In this sense these two classes of human beings viz. انسان (man) and جن (jinn) still exist and people continue to change from one class to the other according as they become law-abiding and civilized or throw off the yoke of law and defy it. For a fuller treatment of this subject the reader is referred to "Sair-e-Ruhani" and "Tafsir-e-Kabir" by Hadrat Khalifatul Masih II, the Second Successor to the Promised Messiah.
Now for the interpretation of the verse the words, And the jinn We had created before from the fire of hot wind,signify that the people whom God has given the name of jinn were only men of fiery temperament who, on account of their unruly nature, became easily excited and would not submit to anybody. In fact, before the birth of Adam, men were of this nature and disposition. Adam was the first man who achieved a high standard of moral and social perfection and this is why Divine revelation which intimately deals with morals and sociology was, first of all, given to him. So those who accepted Adam’s lead and joined the social system set up by him brought, as it were, a sort of death on their fiery temperament and received the imprint of God’s allegiance and were thus called "clayey" (see the preceding verse) because of their resemblance to clay, which easily submits to any kind of impression with which it is imprinted or any kind of shape which is given to it. But because the jinn preferred individual freedom to association in a social system and refused to give their allegiance to anybody, they were called "fiery" (the present verse), which means that, like the flame of fire, they broke all restraints and went out of control. And they were called jinn also because they lived underground.
The objection that it is putting a far-fetched interpretation on the words, And the jinn We had created before from the fire of hot wind, to say that they merely signify a fiery disposition, possesses no weight. The objection has been answered by the Quran itself where it uses similar expressions. In 21:38, for instance, it says خلق الانسان من عجل i.e. man is made of haste. Now all commentators of the Quran agree that these words simply mean that man is by nature hasty and not that there is any material substance called "haste" of which he is made.
It is also possible that in the earliest stages of his creation man was a fiery being but, as the result of a long process of evolution and develop-ment, he finally became a clayey one, and Adam may have been the leader or chief of those who were the first to attain full development in this process of evolution. This surmise finds an interesting analogy in the fact that the science of geology has proved that the earth too was, at first, a mass of hot fire which later became transformed into a clayey shell.
Finally, it may be noted that the popular belief that jinn, in the sense of invisible spirits, pay visits to men, play frolics with them, subject them to their control and take any kind of work they desire from them or, contrarily, help them to perform prodigious works etc., is a mere myth which has no foundation in fact, being at the same time contrary to the teachings of the Quran.
a
7:13; 38:77; 55:16.
1494
A similar Quranic expression, man is made of haste (21:38)—shows that the verse under comment means that the jinn possessed a fiery nature and not that they were actually made of fire. Thus creation from clay or from fire are metaphors signifying a pliant and submissive nature or a fiery and inflammable temperament.
وَقَدۡ کَفَرُوۡا بِہٖ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۖ وَیَقۡذِفُوۡنَ بِالۡغَیۡبِ مِنۡ مَّکَانٍۭ بَعِیۡدٍ
Commentary:
The verse means to say that disbelievers are making foolish conjectures about the failure of the Prophet’s mission. These conjectures being far removed from the source of "the unseen" or from reality, reason and truth are quite foolish and baseless.
3174
Commentary:
The verse means to say that disbelievers are making foolish conjectures about the failure of the Prophet’s mission. These conjectures being far removed from the source of "the unseen" or from reality, reason and truth are quite foolish and baseless.
وَحِیۡلَ بَیۡنَہُمۡ وَبَیۡنَ مَا یَشۡتَہُوۡنَ کَمَا فُعِلَ بِاَشۡیَاعِہِمۡ مِّنۡ قَبۡلُ ۚ اِنَّہُمۡ کَانُوۡا فِیۡ شَکٍّ مُّرِیۡبٍۭ
The opponents of Islam are here told that like the rejectors of the Prophets of yore they will also utterly fail to realize their heart’s desire— failure of the mission of the Holy Prophet.
Important Words:
اشیاعھم (the likes of them). اشیاع is the plural of شیعة which means, followers or helpers or partisans; any people that have combined in or for an affair. The Quranic expression کما فعل بأشیاعھم means, as was done with the likes of them; of the same persuasion as they; of the people that have passed (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
There could be no greater frustration for man in life than that he should fail to achieve the object of his desire, and it is exactly this frustration that has always been the lot of the rejecters of God’s Prophets in every age. The opponents of Islam are here told that like the rejecters of the Prophets of yore they will also utterly fail to realize their heart’s desire—the failure of the mission of the Holy Prophet.
3175
Important Words:
اشیاعھم (the likes of them). اشیاع is the plural of شیعة which means, followers or helpers or partisans; any people that have combined in or for an affair. The Quranic expression کما فعل بأشیاعھم means, as was done with the likes of them; of the same persuasion as they; of the people that have passed (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
There could be no greater frustration for man in life than that he should fail to achieve the object of his desire, and it is exactly this frustration that has always been the lot of the rejecters of God’s Prophets in every age. The opponents of Islam are here told that like the rejecters of the Prophets of yore they will also utterly fail to realize their heart’s desire—the failure of the mission of the Holy Prophet.
2406
The opponents of Islam are here told that like the rejectors of the Prophets of yore they will also utterly fail to realize their heart’s desire— failure of the mission of the Holy Prophet.
وَعَلَی الَّذِیۡنَ ہَادُوۡا حَرَّمۡنَا مَا قَصَصۡنَا عَلَیۡکَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۖ وَمَا ظَلَمۡنٰہُمۡ وَلٰکِنۡ کَانُوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَہُمۡ یَظۡلِمُوۡنَ
11:102; 16:34.
11:102; 16:34.
11:102; 16:34.
Commentary:
The verse warns Muslims that, like idolaters, the Jews also made lawful things unlawful and vice versa, and for this unlawful act they were punished by God, so they (the Muslims) should be on their guard against following their bad example.
The word "before" in the sentence We forbade before this all… refers to v. 116 above. The words, but they used to wrong themselves, signify that some other things such as the flesh of the cow and the fat of the goat were forbidden to them. But the prohibition was temporary and was prescribed as a punishment to the Jews for having made lawful for themselves things which God had made unlawful for them.
c
11:102; 16:34.
a
11:102; 16:34.
1919
Commentary:
The verse warns Muslims that, like idolaters, the Jews also made lawful things unlawful and vice versa, and for this unlawful act they were punished by God, so they (the Muslims) should be on their guard against following their bad example.
The word "before" in the sentence We forbade before this all… refers to v. 116 above. The words, but they used to wrong themselves, signify that some other things such as the flesh of the cow and the fat of the goat were forbidden to them. But the prohibition was temporary and was prescribed as a punishment to the Jews for having made lawful for themselves things which God had made unlawful for them.
c
11:102; 16:34.
یٰزَکَرِیَّاۤ اِنَّا نُبَشِّرُکَ بِغُلٰمِۣ اسۡمُہٗ یَحۡیٰی لَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّہٗ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ سَمِیًّا
3:40; 21:91.
19:66.
سَمِیّ (Samiyy) 的意思是, 在卓越地位、荣誉或优秀方面争取优势的竞争者;一种相似或相同的东西; 与其他一个人同姓名的人 (Lane)。这节经文并不是说, 在亚合亚 (Yahya, 施洗者, 约翰) 之前没有和他同姓名的人。«圣经» 中在他以前就有好几个人的名字叫约翰 («列王纪下» 25:23; «历代志下» 3:15; «伊斯拉记» 8:12)。它也不是说, 约翰在一切方面都是无可匹敌的。他自己也承认, “在我以后会有一个比我更强有力的人来到。他的鞋带我是配不上蹲下去解开的” («马可» 1:7)。这节经文只意示施洗者, 约翰在以下这一方面是无可匹敌的, 即他是作为另一先知伊撒的预告人而来到的第一个先知。而且他在以下这一方面也是无可伦比的, 即他是代表另一位先知以利亚 (Elijah) 的精神和力量而来到的第一位先知。
3:40; 21:91.
19:66.
Samiyy means, competitor or contender for superiority in eminence or glory or excellence; a like or an equal; a namesake of another (Lane). The verse does not mean that there had lived before Yahya (John) no man who was his namesake. From the Bible itself it appears that there had been several persons before him who were called John (II Kings, 25: 23; I Chronicles, 3: 15; Ezra, 8: 12). Nor does it mean that John was peerless and unequalled in every respect. He himself confesses that 'there cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose' (Mark, 1: 7). The verse only signifies that Yahya or John was peerless in this respect that he was the first Prophet to come as a precursor to another Prophet—Jesus. And he was peerless in this respect also that he was the first Prophet who came with the power and spirit of another Prophet—Elijah.
3:40; 21:91.
19:66.
Important Words:
سمیا (of that name) is derived from سمی. They say سما و سمی الرجل زیداً i.e. he named the man Zaid. سما means, it became high. سموت الیه ببصری means, I raised my eye towards him. سمی means, competitor or contender for superiority, in eminence or glory or excellence; a like or an equal; a namesake of another. ھو سمیک means, he is thy namesake or he is thy equal or like (Aqrab & Lane).
Commentary:
The two words غلام and یحیٰی used in this verse are very significant. The word غلام signifies three periods of one’s life i.e. childhood, youth and middle age. Applied to Yahya or John it embodied a prophecy that he shall not die in childhood but shall grow up to be a young man before the eyes of his father and shall live up to middle age and so it actually came to pass. Yahya lived up to middle age and then was killed by the order of Herod to satisfy the wish of a dancing girl. The word یحییٰ literally meaning, "he lives" or "he shall live," also implied a great prophecy, viz. that he will die the death of a martyr and thus will become immortalized. Of the martyrs the Quran says: Say not of those who are killed in the cause of Allah that they are dead; nay they are living; only you perceive not (2:155). Again it says: Think not of those who have been slain in the cause of Allah as dead. Nay, they are living in the presence of their Lord and are granted gifts from Him(3:170). Thus those who are killed in the way of God get everlasting life and so did Yahya or John. His ministry terminated in his imprisonment in the fortress of Machaerus, where he was executed by the order of Herod Antipas (Matt. 14:10 & 11). See also 3:40.
The words, We have not made anyone before him of that name, do not mean that there had lived before him no man whose name was John. From the Bible it appears that there had been several persons before him who were called John. (II Kings 25:23; I Chronicles 3:15; Ezra 8:12). Nor does the verse mean that John was peerless and was unequalled in every respect. He himself confesses that "there cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose" (Mark 1:7). The verse only signifies that in some respects Yahya had no equal, i.e. he enjoyed a partial superiority in some respects over other Israelite Prophets. Abraham, Moses and Jesus were Prophets of much higher spiritual status than John, the Baptist, who had come only to prepare the way for Jesus (Mark 1:3). Yahya was peerless only in this respect that he was the first Prophet to come as a precursor and harbinger to another Prophet—Jesus. And he was peerless in this respect also that he was the first Prophet who came with the power and spirit of another Prophet—Elias.
e
3:40; 21:91.
f
19:66.
796
سَمِیّ (Samiyy) 的意思是, 在卓越地位、荣誉或优秀方面争取优势的竞争者;一种相似或相同的东西; 与其他一个人同姓名的人 (Lane)。这节经文并不是说, 在亚合亚 (Yahya, 施洗者, 约翰) 之前没有和他同姓名的人。«圣经» 中在他以前就有好几个人的名字叫约翰 («列王纪下» 25:23; «历代志下» 3:15; «伊斯拉记» 8:12)。它也不是说, 约翰在一切方面都是无可匹敌的。他自己也承认, “在我以后会有一个比我更强有力的人来到。他的鞋带我是配不上蹲下去解开的” («马可» 1:7)。这节经文只意示施洗者, 约翰在以下这一方面是无可匹敌的, 即他是作为另一先知伊撒的预告人而来到的第一个先知。而且他在以下这一方面也是无可伦比的, 即他是代表另一位先知以利亚 (Elijah) 的精神和力量而来到的第一位先知。
a
3:40; 21:91.
b
19:66.
2152
Important Words:
سمیا (of that name) is derived from سمی. They say سما و سمی الرجل زیداً i.e. he named the man Zaid. سما means, it became high. سموت الیه ببصری means, I raised my eye towards him. سمی means, competitor or contender for superiority, in eminence or glory or excellence; a like or an equal; a namesake of another. ھو سمیک means, he is thy namesake or he is thy equal or like (Aqrab & Lane).
Commentary:
The two words غلام and یحیٰی used in this verse are very significant. The word غلام signifies three periods of one’s life i.e. childhood, youth and middle age. Applied to Yahya or John it embodied a prophecy that he shall not die in childhood but shall grow up to be a young man before the eyes of his father and shall live up to middle age and so it actually came to pass. Yahya lived up to middle age and then was killed by the order of Herod to satisfy the wish of a dancing girl. The word یحییٰ literally meaning, "he lives" or "he shall live," also implied a great prophecy, viz. that he will die the death of a martyr and thus will become immortalized. Of the martyrs the Quran says: Say not of those who are killed in the cause of Allah that they are dead; nay they are living; only you perceive not (2:155). Again it says: Think not of those who have been slain in the cause of Allah as dead. Nay, they are living in the presence of their Lord and are granted gifts from Him(3:170). Thus those who are killed in the way of God get everlasting life and so did Yahya or John. His ministry terminated in his imprisonment in the fortress of Machaerus, where he was executed by the order of Herod Antipas (Matt. 14:10 & 11). See also 3:40.
The words, We have not made anyone before him of that name, do not mean that there had lived before him no man whose name was John. From the Bible it appears that there had been several persons before him who were called John. (II Kings 25:23; I Chronicles 3:15; Ezra 8:12). Nor does the verse mean that John was peerless and was unequalled in every respect. He himself confesses that "there cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose" (Mark 1:7). The verse only signifies that in some respects Yahya had no equal, i.e. he enjoyed a partial superiority in some respects over other Israelite Prophets. Abraham, Moses and Jesus were Prophets of much higher spiritual status than John, the Baptist, who had come only to prepare the way for Jesus (Mark 1:3). Yahya was peerless only in this respect that he was the first Prophet to come as a precursor and harbinger to another Prophet—Jesus. And he was peerless in this respect also that he was the first Prophet who came with the power and spirit of another Prophet—Elias.
a
3:40; 21:91.
b
19:66.
1742
Samiyy means, competitor or contender for superiority in eminence or glory or excellence; a like or an equal; a namesake of another (Lane). The verse does not mean that there had lived before Yahya (John) no man who was his namesake. From the Bible itself it appears that there had been several persons before him who were called John (II Kings, 25: 23; I Chronicles, 3: 15; Ezra, 8: 12). Nor does it mean that John was peerless and unequalled in every respect. He himself confesses that 'there cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose' (Mark, 1: 7). The verse only signifies that Yahya or John was peerless in this respect that he was the first Prophet to come as a precursor to another Prophet—Jesus. And he was peerless in this respect also that he was the first Prophet who came with the power and spirit of another Prophet—Elijah.
قَالَ کَذٰلِکَ قَالَ رَبُّکَ ہُوَ عَلَیَّ ہَیِّنٌ وَّقَدۡ خَلَقۡتُکَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ وَلَمۡ تَکُ شَیۡـًٔا
3:41, 48; 19:22; 51:31.
3:41, 48; 19:22; 51:31.
3:41, 48; 19:22; 51:31.
Commentary:
The words, and indeed I created thee before, when thou wast nothing, primarily refer to the spiritual creation of Zachariah rather than to his physical creation. There seems to be no point in referring to an ordinary everyday physical phenomenon of the creation of one individual. If God had intended to refer to the phenomenon of physical creation, He would have referred to the creation of the whole universe and not to the creation of Zachariah alone. In fact, the present verse is an answer to the surprise of Zachariah expressed in the previous verses. Zachariah was promised the birth of a son in his extreme old age. The son was not to be an ordinary one but was to be possessed of great spiritual powers and to be peerless in respect of certain spiritual qualities. So the reference here is to the spiritual birth of Zachariah and to his great moral qualities.
The word "he" in the expression "he said", refers to the angel who brought the glad tidings to Zachariah. In verse 8 Zachariah is mentioned as having been addressed by God; in the present verse, however, he is described as having been addressed by one angel while in 3:40 it is stated that several angels called to him. These three statements seem to be mutually contradictory and the critics of Islam like Wherry have not failed to represent this fact as such. But in reality there is no such contradiction. According to the Quran when a Divine revelation of exceptional importance descends upon a Prophet of God, a number of angels, in accordance with the nature of its importance, are made to accompany it for its safeguarding (35:2) but only one angel representing all of them and on their behalf is entrusted with the duty to convey the Divine revelation to the Prophet. Thus the speaking of one angel means the speaking of all of them and therefore to say that one or many angels spoke to a Prophet makes no difference. Similarly, there is no contradiction in the words "God said" or "the angels said", because angels only speak to a Prophet as God’s representatives and as His servants convey to him the Divine Message.
b
3:41, 48; 19:22; 51:31.
a
3:41, 48; 19:22; 51:31.
2154
Commentary:
The words, and indeed I created thee before, when thou wast nothing, primarily refer to the spiritual creation of Zachariah rather than to his physical creation. There seems to be no point in referring to an ordinary everyday physical phenomenon of the creation of one individual. If God had intended to refer to the phenomenon of physical creation, He would have referred to the creation of the whole universe and not to the creation of Zachariah alone. In fact, the present verse is an answer to the surprise of Zachariah expressed in the previous verses. Zachariah was promised the birth of a son in his extreme old age. The son was not to be an ordinary one but was to be possessed of great spiritual powers and to be peerless in respect of certain spiritual qualities. So the reference here is to the spiritual birth of Zachariah and to his great moral qualities.
The word "he" in the expression "he said", refers to the angel who brought the glad tidings to Zachariah. In verse 8 Zachariah is mentioned as having been addressed by God; in the present verse, however, he is described as having been addressed by one angel while in 3:40 it is stated that several angels called to him. These three statements seem to be mutually contradictory and the critics of Islam like Wherry have not failed to represent this fact as such. But in reality there is no such contradiction. According to the Quran when a Divine revelation of exceptional importance descends upon a Prophet of God, a number of angels, in accordance with the nature of its importance, are made to accompany it for its safeguarding (35:2) but only one angel representing all of them and on their behalf is entrusted with the duty to convey the Divine revelation to the Prophet. Thus the speaking of one angel means the speaking of all of them and therefore to say that one or many angels spoke to a Prophet makes no difference. Similarly, there is no contradiction in the words "God said" or "the angels said", because angels only speak to a Prophet as God’s representatives and as His servants convey to him the Divine Message.
d
3:41, 48; 19:22; 51:31.