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Tafseer Suraha Buqra
Chapter 2 - Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow)
Ayahs 130-134
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Translation:
Who but a foolish man would forsake the faith of Abraham? We chose him in this world, and in the world to come he shall dwell among the righteous. When his Lord said to him: ‘Submit,’ he answered, ‘I have submitted to the Lord of the Worlds.’ Abraham enjoined the faith on his children, and so did Jacob, saying: ‘My children, God has chosen for you the true faith. Do not depart this life except as men who have submitted to Him.’ Or were you present when death came to Jacob? He said to his children: ‘What will you worship when I am gone?’ They replied: ‘We will worship your God and the God of your forefathers, Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac: the One God. To Him we will surrender ourselves.’ That was a nation which has passed away. Theirs is what they earned, and yours is what you have earned. You shall not be questioned about what they did.
Tafsir (Commentary):
The message taught by the Prophet Muhammad was exactly the same as had been taught by Abraham. But it was the Jews, those who prided themselves on being followers of Abraham, who led the opposition to the Prophet Muhammad. Why did the Jews act in this manner? The reason was that the religion that Muhammad taught, and which Abraham had taught before him, was the religion of Islam. Now, Islam means total submission to God, and it was this religion that Abraham handed down to his offspring. But the religion that the Jews practiced had nothing to do with total submission to God. Having lapsed into permissiveness and, unwilling to change this lifestyle, they had allowed their religion to degenerate into a series of hollow rituals, which they fondly believed would make it easy for them to enter paradise. In the religion that the Prophet Muhammad taught, however, one could gain salvation only by virtue of one’s actions. The Jews, for their part, thought that their affiliation to a nation of saints and prophets would be sufficient to earn them redemption. There was a world of difference then between Islam, the true religion of Abraham, and the religion that the Jews practiced and attributed to him. True religion means acceptance of divine guidance, as revealed to man through the Prophets, whereas the religion practiced by the Jews was based on their own national legacy, a collection of national traditions which had accumulated over the generations among the Jews, but had been distorted from the pure religion which God had revealed to His Prophets.
Attaching oneself to saints and prophets, living or dead, lulls one into a false sense of security. It leads one to imagine that just as one has been attached to them in this life, one will remain attached to them in the next. It makes one feel that their surplus of good deeds will make up for one’s own shortcomings. The Jews were so far gone in this form of wishful thinking that they had invented a dogma of ancestral salvation, pinning all their hopes on the holiness of their elders. But it is sheer self-deception to think that one person will receive the reward of another’s actions. In reality, everyone will reap the rewards, and bear the burden of punishment for his own actions. No one will be made to share in the reward, or punishment, which is awarded to another by virtue of his actions on earth.
One who submits to God finds that he has to face all forms of difficulties in this life. His worldly hopes and ambitions will not necessarily be fulfilled. Yet one who is firm in the faith will not be put off by such adversities; he will persevere, making sure that he leaves this world as a Muslim, so that he can look forward to God’s blessings in the next world.
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Ayahs 135-141
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Translation:
They say: ‘Accept the Jewish or the Christian faith and you shall be rightly guided.’ Say: ‘By no means! We believe in the faith of Abraham, the upright one. He was no polytheist.’ Say: ‘We believe in God and that which was revealed to us, and in what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the tribes; to Moses and Jesus and the other prophets by their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to God we have surrendered ourselves.’ If they believe as you have done, they shall be rightly guided; if they reject your faith, they shall surely be in schism. Against them, God is your all-sufficient defender. He hears all and knows all. We take on God’s own dye. And who has a better dye than God’s. And we are His worshippers. Say: ‘Would you dispute with us about God, Who is our Lord and your Lord? We shall both be judged by our actions. To Him alone we are devoted. Or do you claim that Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the tribes, were all Jews or Christians? Say: ‘Who knows better, you or God? And who is more unjust than one who hides a testimony which he has received from God? He is watching over your actions.’ That nation has passed away. Theirs is what they earned and yours what you have earned. You shall not be questioned about what they did.
Tafsir (Commentary):
The religion that the Prophet Muhammad taught was the religion of the Prophet Abraham, the very religion to which the Jews and the Christians claimed allegiance. Why was it, then, that they turned away from the Prophet Muhammad? The reason for this was that the religion taught by Muhammad, on whom be peace, taught people to take on the hue of God; to devote themselves to Him entirely. With the People of the Book, (i.e., Jews and Christians) religion had a different meaning. For them religion was a symbol of national pride. The message brought by the Arab prophet hurt their pride, so they turned against him.
Those who consider their own race superior to others cannot accept the truth when it manifests itself in some nation other than their own. They believe in prophets who come among their own people, but not in those from far-off places who come among other peoples. The only religion that they are acquainted with is communal religion. The only personalities that they acknowledge are those who belong to their own race. Those who look at religion as worship of God, on the other hand, recognize the truth of every piece of wisdom that God sends down, no matter who teaches it. For Jewish theologians to realize that Muhammad was God’s final messenger was not a matter of insuperable difficulty. There was nothing to prevent them from seeing the truth of his religion. They should have proclaimed what, deep down in their hearts, they knew to be true. But they did not accept him as the final prophet, as enjoined by God, for the simple reason that they were more concerned about their own position and prestige.
Just as the people of old received their just deserts as individuals, so will latter-day generations receive what they merit on their own account, for truth is an individual, not an ancestral matter. The mistake of the Jews was to think that contemporary and succeeding generations would be rewarded for the good deeds of their ancestors. The Christians had done the same. Their idea of original sin implied that sins were handed down from one generation to the next. Such beliefs have no basis in truth. Everyone will be rewarded by God according to his or her own personal actions; no one can be held responsible for the deeds of others.
If faith is to be of the kind which pleases God, it must be identical with the faith as believed by the Companions of the Prophet. What was so special about that faith was that it amounted to acceptance of the truth on an abstract level; it was belief in truth for the sake of truth. This had become a rarity in a society which, revering the words of the ancient prophets, regarded as truth whatever had been sanctified by centuries-old tradition. Continued belief in such “truthâ€ÂÂ, embellished as it was by myth and legend, became a matter of national pride; to regard it in any other light would have been to deny a great legacy from the past. Unlike the ancient prophets, who were great figures, enshrined in their nations’ history, the Prophet Muhammad came afresh to the world with no accumulation of tradition behind him to lend weight to his words. When truth stands on its own, unsupported by history or tradition, as it was in the time of the Prophet Muhammad, those who accept it do so for the pure and simple reason that it is the truth. This is the kind of belief that God recognizes and accepts. This is true faith; only faith of such strength and purity is acceptable to God.
Chapter 2 - Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow)
Ayahs 104-108
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Translation:
Believers, do not say to our Apostle ra’ina, but say undhurna. Take heed: the unbelievers shall be sternly punished. The unbelievers among the People of the Book, and the polytheists, resent that any blessings should have been sent down to you from your Lord. But God chooses whom He will for His mercy. And God’s grace is infinite. If We abrogate any verse or cause it to be forgotten, We will replace it by a better one or one similar. Do you not know that it is to God that the control over the heavens and the earth belongs, and that there is none besides Him to protect or help you? Would you rather demand of your Apostle that which was once demanded of Moses? He that barters faith for unbelief has surely strayed from the right path.
Tafsir (Commentary):
One who has been given knowledge of the truth from God has to face stiff opposition when he starts to impart his knowledge to others. One reason is that acceptance of truth entails negation of the self. People of position always find this hard, and none more so than the Jews, who considered prophethood to be their exclusive right. Unable to conceive of a prophet coming amongst another people, they tried various ploys to turn people away from the Arab Prophet. One of the theological objections that they raised to his teachings was on the subject of abrogation. Some of the Quranic injunctions differ from Mosaic law, they would say. Does God make mistakes in His revelations, that He sends down one commandment, and then replaces it with another? This shows that what the Prophet Muhammad teaches is not from God, but of his own creation. So intensive had this propaganda campaign become that even some simple-minded Muslims were affected, and started raising the question with the Prophet. Another gambit of the Jews was to sit in the Prophet’s company and, by playing on words, make a mockery of his teachings. For instance, instead of using the unambiguous Arabic word for “May we have your attentionâ€Ââ€â€Ã¢â‚¬ÂUndhurnaâ€Ââ€â€they would say “Raina.†“Raina,†when pronounced properly, has much the same meaning as “Undhurna,†but with the protraction of the second vowel, it becomes “Raeena,†meaning “our shepherd,†and with the protraction of the first it becomes “Raina,†which means idiot.
The Muslims were told therefore to avoid ambiguous words, and to be quite clear in their speech; words with a derisive shade of meaning should be especially eschewed. Furthermore, they were enjoined to pay close attention to what the Prophet said and to try to understand it on their own, without resorting to excessive questioning; receptiveness rather than obstinacy was to mark their attitude to his instruction. This was how to gain in faith, and it was the consolidation and strengthening of faith that had to be sought. The Prophet was the recipient of divine revelation. If one were in earnest about seeking to learn from him, one could share in his blessing. If, however, people were just jealousâ€â€why had it been granted to him rather than us?â€â€the good his words had to offer would remain for ever beyond his hearers’ reach.
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Ayahs 109-112
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Translation:
Many of the People of the Book wish, through selfish envy, to lead you back to unbelief, now that you have embraced the Faith and the truth has been made known to them. Forgive them and bear with them until God makes known His will. He has power over all things. Attend to your prayers and pay the poor-due. Whatever good you do shall be rewarded by God. He is watching over all your actions. They declare: ‘None but Jews and Christians shall be admitted to Paradise.’ Such are their wishful fancies. Say: ‘Let us have your proof, if what you say be true.’ Indeed, those that surrender themselves to God and do good works shall be rewarded by their Lord: they shall have nothing to fear or to regret.
Tafsir (Commentary):
Once the Jews had set their minds against the message of Islam as being worthless, they became alarmed by the heartfelt acclaim with which many were receiving it. They considered themselves the only ones qualified to pass decrees on truth and falsehood: how could others be allowed to believe in what they themselves had chosen to disbelieve? The first step that they took was to incite the polytheists to rise up against the Muslims. Secondly, they tried to mislead Muslim converts about their new religion, putting doubts into their minds in the hope that they would revert to the religion of their forefathers. It was only natural that this should provoke the Muslims, but God told them that this was not the time for violent reaction. It would be better to bear with them for a while, until decisive steps could be taken against them. If trust were placed in God alone, He would make this possible. Muslims should always be patient, since patience prevents one from taking negative retaliatory measures in the heat of the moment. They should be steadfast in prayers, for prayer brings one closer to God. They should never fail in the payment of Zakat (the poor-due), for a society in which the rich are willing to share with the poor will be based on compassion; there will be a real sense of togetherness among its members.
The Jews used to tell new Muslim converts that if they had to forsake their ancestral religion, they should become Jews or Christians. Being the descendants of saints and prophets throughout history, they were the ones who would go to heaven. But the Qur’an tells us that one does not deserve to enter heaven only by dint of belonging to a certain community. Everyone will be judged according to his own actions. National status is of no significance in the sight of God. To be sincere in one’s faith is to become so devoted to God that everything else assumes secondary importance. One will then be free of the prejudice, personal ties and material interests that are stumbling blocks on the road to truth; one will be free to respond positively to the call of truth when one hears it.
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Chapter 2 - Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow)
Ayahs 113-117
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Translation:
The Jews say that the Christians are misguided and the Christians say it is the Jews who are misguided. Yet both read the Scriptures. And the ignorant say the same of both. God will judge their disputes on the Day of Resurrection. Who is more unjust than those who seek to destroy the mosques of God and forbid mention of His name therein? It is not fitting that such men should themselves enter these mosques except in fear. They shall be held up to shame in this world and sternly punished in the next. To God belongs the east and the west. Whichever way you turn, there is the face of God. He is Omnipresent and All-Knowing. They say: ‘God has begotten a son.’ Glory be to Him. His is what the heavens and the earth contain; all things are obedient to Him. Creator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a thing, He need only say ‘Be,’ and it is.
Tafsir (Commentary):
The Jews thought that one had to be attached to saints and prophets to be on the right path. That was why they thought they were in the right and everyone else in the wrong. As for the Christians, they considered themselves unique in that God’s “beloved son†had been sent to them. Even the idolators of Mecca thought of themselves as superior to everyone else, basing their claim on the fact that they were guardians of God’s sacred House. Thus every nation had set its own religious standards, according to which they themselves inevitably appeared to be in the right, and everyone else in the wrong. Their actions, however, did not substantiate their claims. For one thing, they had become divided into sects, though all of them swore allegiance to the divine scriptures. They jumped at every opportunity to deny others the right to use places of worship. Though they would say that they were doing this to protect the sanctity of these places, in fact they were ruining them, for places of worship become worthless when people are denied the right to worship there. Everyone should enter into these places in a spirit of humility and trepidation, in consciousness of their own unworthiness rather than the unworthiness of others to join them. One who has the correct attitude will never deny the right to worship to those who come to do so; he will never persecute those who come to serve the Lord. When one is truly conscious of God’s greatness and one’s own helplessness before Him, one’s humility will show in one’s dealings with others: one will not seek to harm one’s fellow-men in any way, let alone deny them their fundamental right to worship God.
Another error into which the non-Muslims fell was to liken God to man. A human being, for instance, cannot be in two places at the same time, and, in consequence, people think that God is also to be found only in particular places. But God is everywhere. True, He has prescribed a direction for us to face when we worship, but this is just for the sake of practicality; it does not mean that God is to be found in one direction and not in another. Another outcome of this basic misconception of God’s nature is people’s attribution of a son to Him. But only those who have needs beget sons, and God is immune from all such imperfections and limitations. He is complete in Himself. Such beliefs do not come from God; man has invented them himself, and whoever makes up his own religion and pretends that it is from God is doomed to disgrace and perdition when he comes face to face with his Maker.
Chapter 2 - Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow)
Ayahs 118-121
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Translation:
The ignorant ask: ‘Why does God not speak to us or give us a sign?’ The same demand was made by those before them: their hearts are all alike. But to those whose faith is firm, We have already revealed Our signs. We have sent you with truth as a bearer of good tidings and a warner: you shall not be questioned about the people of hell. You will please neither the Christians nor the Jews unless you follow their faith. Say: ‘The guidance of God is the only guidance. And if, after all the knowledge you have been given, you yield to their desires, there shall be none to help or protect you from the wrath of God. Those to whom we have given the Book, and who read it as it ought to be read, truly believe in it; those who deny it shall assuredly be the losers.
Tafsir (Commentary):
All those whom God has sent to preach truth on earth have been confronted with a particular form of reaction. “If you are God’s envoy,†people say to them, “why are you not blessed with great worldly treasures?†These people can only think in worldly terms themselves, so they expect prophets to come up to their materialistic standards. They cannot conceive of someone who is not endowed with worldly grandeur being God’s messenger. This is the reason the prophets of God have had to face opposition throughout the ages. How, people think, could a great God, whose kingdom extends from the earth to the furthest expanse of the heavens, have chosen such an ordinary person as His messenger? The greatness of God Himself is indeed incorporated in the lives and teachings of His prophets, but in a spiritual, not a material, form. The prophets’ every word and deed are based on truth, and are manifestations of God’s signs. But such signs cannot be seen, so they do not become a part of the consciousness of materialistic people. Their minds are moulded in such a manner that they acknowledge only tangible, visible signs of greatness; the invisible, but intensely meaningful signs that God gives His prophets mean nothing to them.
In ancient times the Jews and Christians had been the true followers of divinely revealed religion on earth. When they went into decline, however, their religion took on a communal rather than a divine form: piety lay in belonging to their community and impiety in being separate from it; their sole criterion for judging between truth and falsehood was a person’s relation to his own community. This communal, sectarian attitude prevented them from accepting true, unadulterated religion when it came to them. True religion can be accepted only by those who are alive to their true, human natures. Those who have forsaken natural religion for artificial dogmas cannot be expected to respond when they are roused to the call of their own true natures.
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Chapter 2 - Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow)
Ayahs 122-124
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Translation:
Children of Israel, remember My favour which I have bestowed upon you and that I exalted you among the nations. Fear the day when no soul avails another; when neither ransom nor intercession shall be accepted from it, nor any help be given it. When his Lord put Abraham to the proof with certain commandments, and Abraham fulfilled them, He said: ‘I have appointed you a leader of mankind.’ ‘And what of my descendants?’ asked Abraham. ‘My covenant,’ said He, ‘does not apply to the evil-doers.
Tafsir (Commentary):
The Children of Israel were selected by God to perform a very special task: they were to call other nations to God, impressing on them the fact that they were answerable to Him for their actions. God sent innumerable prophets among them to help and guide them in the performance of this task—Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon, Zakaria and John the Baptist, to name just a few. After a while, however, the Children of Israel went into decline. They took their privileged position, which was in fact due solely to the lofty task that had been entrusted to them, to be an indication of ethnic superiority. They thus lost their right to be representatives of divine religion on earth. The coming of the Arab Prophet signified the replacement of the Children of Israel by the Children of Ishmael as God’s favoured people: it was they who were chosen to carry on the task of communicating God’s word to other nations of the world. Those among the Children of Israel who were truly pious and God fearing soon realized that the teachings of the Prophet of Islam came to him from God. They recognized that the word he preached emanated from the same source as had inspired the Prophets before him. Those who denied him were acting solely out of prejudice: they refused to accept that any other nation besides their own could be selected for God’s favor.
These people were warned, through the Arab Prophet, that in the next world the only things of any value would be true faith borne out by earnest actions. In this world one person is able to bear the burden of another; sometimes intercession is accepted; sometimes one can free oneself by giving compensation; sometimes a helper is at hand to see one through a difficult situation. In the next world, however, none of these things will be of any avail. There, God’s justice will apply to one and all equally for no ethnic group holds a monopoly over the next world. Take the example of the Prophet Abraham, forefather of both the Arabs and the Jews. He was granted leadership of mankind only after he had undergone very severe tests, and had shown himself to be faithful and true to God under all circumstances. What God had demanded of Abraham was the supreme sacrifice—his son’s life—and when God finally intervened before Abraham could actually kill his own son, it was because Abraham had demonstrated his perfect willingness to make any sacrifice demanded of him by God, no matter how great or how terrible. The rule that applied to Abraham applied to every generation: only those who proved themselves worthy would be granted a share in God’s covenant; those who did not would meet the same fate as any other offenders in God’s sight, regardless of the nation to which they belonged. One who was willing to make soul-searing sacrifices for God’s cause showed his utmost dedication to it: it was only just and natural, then, that he should become the leader of his people.
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Ayahs 122-124
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Translation:
Children of Israel, remember My favour which I have bestowed upon you and that I exalted you among the nations. Fear the day when no soul avails another; when neither ransom nor intercession shall be accepted from it, nor any help be given it. When his Lord put Abraham to the proof with certain commandments, and Abraham fulfilled them, He said: ‘I have appointed you a leader of mankind.’ ‘And what of my descendants?’ asked Abraham. ‘My covenant,’ said He, ‘does not apply to the evil-doers.
Tafsir (Commentary):
The Children of Israel were selected by God to perform a very special task: they were to call other nations to God, impressing on them the fact that they were answerable to Him for their actions. God sent innumerable prophets among them to help and guide them in the performance of this task—Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon, Zakaria and John the Baptist, to name just a few. After a while, however, the Children of Israel went into decline. They took their privileged position, which was in fact due solely to the lofty task that had been entrusted to them, to be an indication of ethnic superiority. They thus lost their right to be representatives of divine religion on earth. The coming of the Arab Prophet signified the replacement of the Children of Israel by the Children of Ishmael as God’s favoured people: it was they who were chosen to carry on the task of communicating God’s word to other nations of the world. Those among the Children of Israel who were truly pious and God fearing soon realized that the teachings of the Prophet of Islam came to him from God. They recognized that the word he preached emanated from the same source as had inspired the Prophets before him. Those who denied him were acting solely out of prejudice: they refused to accept that any other nation besides their own could be selected for God’s favor.
These people were warned, through the Arab Prophet, that in the next world the only things of any value would be true faith borne out by earnest actions. In this world one person is able to bear the burden of another; sometimes intercession is accepted; sometimes one can free oneself by giving compensation; sometimes a helper is at hand to see one through a difficult situation. In the next world, however, none of these things will be of any avail. There, God’s justice will apply to one and all equally for no ethnic group holds a monopoly over the next world. Take the example of the Prophet Abraham, forefather of both the Arabs and the Jews. He was granted leadership of mankind only after he had undergone very severe tests, and had shown himself to be faithful and true to God under all circumstances. What God had demanded of Abraham was the supreme sacrifice—his son’s life—and when God finally intervened before Abraham could actually kill his own son, it was because Abraham had demonstrated his perfect willingness to make any sacrifice demanded of him by God, no matter how great or how terrible. The rule that applied to Abraham applied to every generation: only those who proved themselves worthy would be granted a share in God’s covenant; those who did not would meet the same fate as any other offenders in God’s sight, regardless of the nation to which they belonged. One who was willing to make soul-searing sacrifices for God’s cause showed his utmost dedication to it: it was only just and natural, then, that he should become the leader of his people.
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Ayahs 125-126
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Translation:
We made the Kabah a resort and a sanctuary for mankind, saying: ‘Pray in the place where Abraham stood.’ We enjoined Abraham and Ishmael to cleanse Our House for those who walk around it, who meditate in it, and who bow down and prostrate themselves. ‘Lord,’ said Abraham, ‘make this a land of peace and feed its people with fruits, those of them that believe in God and the Last Day.’ ‘As for those that do not,’ He answered, ‘I shall let them prosper awhile and then drag them to the scourge of the Fire—an evil destination.
Tafsir (Commentary):
Every year, the Faithful come from all over the world to visit the House of God in Mecca, where no one is allowed to harm even the lowliest animate creature; for Mecca has been made into a sacred place of worship for all time. since people came to this place to remember God in an atmosphere of peace and solitude, it has to be cleansed of all impurities, and all activities that are contrary to its basic purpose are banned. Here the faithful bow and prostrate themselves, their greatest mark of respect for their Creator being the circumambulation of the Kabah.
In ancient times Arabia was the most arid land on earth: its sandy surfaces and barren rocks were totally unsuitable for any kind of cultivation. Worse, it was totally exposed to attack from the outside world. Four thousand years ago Abraham was commanded to take his family into an “uncultivable valley,†in that part of Arabia known as Hijaz, and settle them there. Without the slightest hesitation, Abraham bowed to the will of God. Once he had reached Mecca in accordance with the divine commandment, he asked his Lord to hear his prayer. “Make this town a place of peace,†he prayed, “and make special provision for the material needs of its denizens; for the land that they inhabit is uncultivable.†Abraham’s prayer was answered: the land of Hijaz has remained an abode of peace and plenty up to the present day.
The believer’s whole life should be an act of worship. In whatever far-off corner of the world he lives, he should at all times remember that, one day, he shall have to return to the Lord. He should cause no harm to one’s fellow men, and as for the earth he lives on, it should be thought of as a place of worship, and kept clean of all pollution. His life should be focused on God—it should revolve around Him alone.
Though the individual has to live in the world, his heart and mind should always be on God; his whole life should be that of submission to Him. True religion makes certain demands of everyone, sometimes even requiring that his children be taken to a place as arid and uncultivable as Abraham’s valley. Whatever is entailed, we should faithfully carry out God’s commandments and only then pray to God that He should make his efforts prosper. It may well be that God will make fountains gush forth from a dry desert, and lush crops spring forth from a barren land.
Whatever splendor and glory one is accorded in this life, these things in themselves do not signify that one is considered fit by God for the leadership of mankind. Everything given to man is a means of testing him and there is no one who is exempt from God’s trial. While leadership (imamat) indicates that one has been selected by God to represent Him in the nations of the world, its highest form is only for those who have been found fit by God to represent His divine religion on earth.
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Chapter 2 - Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow)
Ayahs 127-129
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Translation:
Abraham and Ishmael laid the foundations of the House with this prayer: ‘Accept this from us, Lord. You are the One that hears all and knows all. Lord, make us submissive to You; make of our descendants a nation that will submit to You. Teach us our rites of worship and turn to us mercifully; You are forgiving and merciful. Lord, send forth to them an apostle of their own people who shall declare to them your signs, and instruct them in the Book and in wisdom, and purify them of sin. You are the Mighty, the Wise One.
Tafsir (Commentary):
God ordained that the focal point of the worldwide Islamic mission should be in Hijaz: Mecca was to be the axis on which the struggle for truth on earth would rest. Almighty God chose Abraham and his family to establish this centre and make provision for its functioning. The words which Abraham and Ishmael (on whom be peace) uttered when they were building the house of God in Mecca were, in addition to being supplications to God, an indication of their unhesitating fidelity to God’s scheme of things. It is prayer of this kind that is most pleasing to God, so He accepted their prayer and a permanent fountain of spiritual life for the whole world, gushed forth from the barren desert of Arabia. The name of this fountain was Islam. As for the people who inhabited this desert, the offspring of Ishmael, God made them enthusiastic proponents of the Islamic cause: He enabled them to propagate His word far and wide. Through them, he informed mankind how they could please their Lord, so that He might turn to them in mercy. It was among the Children of Ishmael that the final prophet was sent, and for the first time in history, the entire prophetic pattern was recorded in history for posterity, so that future generations could follow it.
In the role of God’s messenger, the prophet’s first task is to interpret God’s signs, so that mankind may be brought to a proper understanding of their Creator’s power and glory. The signs of God are everywhere in the universe, but without guidance, man is blind to them. The prophet, with the wisdom which comes to him from enlightenment, and his awareness of God’s immanence in His creation throughout the universe, shares his divine insight with the human beings so that they may mould their lives in accordance with God’s will. He encourages his followers to join him on that sublime level of consciousness where truth is fully appreciated and falsehood is seen for what it is, where one is pleased only with what is pleasing to God. The wisdom of the prophets is equaled only by their purity, a state from which all incompatible elements have been banished, so that in a propitious atmosphere, they may reach their ultimate natural perfection. Their final aim is to fashion souls that are totally absorbed in the love of God; who serve no other besides Him; who have minds untarnished by complexes and prejudices; who derive their spiritual nourishment form the world around them—something which God Himself has made available to all without exception.
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Ayahs 130-134
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Translation:
Who but a foolish man would forsake the faith of Abraham? We chose him in this world, and in the world to come he shall dwell among the righteous. When his Lord said to him: ‘Submit,’ he answered, ‘I have submitted to the Lord of the Worlds.’ Abraham enjoined the faith on his children, and so did Jacob, saying: ‘My children, God has chosen for you the true faith. Do not depart this life except as men who have submitted to Him.’ Or were you present when death came to Jacob? He said to his children: ‘What will you worship when I am gone?’ They replied: ‘We will worship your God and the God of your forefathers, Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac: the One God. To Him we will surrender ourselves.’ That was a nation which has passed away. Theirs is what they earned, and yours is what you have earned. You shall not be questioned about what they did.
Tafsir (Commentary):
The message taught by the Prophet Muhammad was exactly the same as had been taught by Abraham. But it was the Jews, those who prided themselves on being followers of Abraham, who led the opposition to the Prophet Muhammad. Why did the Jews act in this manner? The reason was that the religion that Muhammad taught, and which Abraham had taught before him, was the religion of Islam. Now, Islam means total submission to God, and it was this religion that Abraham handed down to his offspring. But the religion that the Jews practiced had nothing to do with total submission to God. Having lapsed into permissiveness and, unwilling to change this lifestyle, they had allowed their religion to degenerate into a series of hollow rituals, which they fondly believed would make it easy for them to enter paradise. In the religion that the Prophet Muhammad taught, however, one could gain salvation only by virtue of one’s actions. The Jews, for their part, thought that their affiliation to a nation of saints and prophets would be sufficient to earn them redemption. There was a world of difference then between Islam, the true religion of Abraham, and the religion that the Jews practiced and attributed to him. True religion means acceptance of divine guidance, as revealed to man through the Prophets, whereas the religion practiced by the Jews was based on their own national legacy, a collection of national traditions which had accumulated over the generations among the Jews, but had been distorted from the pure religion which God had revealed to His Prophets.
Attaching oneself to saints and prophets, living or dead, lulls one into a false sense of security. It leads one to imagine that just as one has been attached to them in this life, one will remain attached to them in the next. It makes one feel that their surplus of good deeds will make up for one’s own shortcomings. The Jews were so far gone in this form of wishful thinking that they had invented a dogma of ancestral salvation, pinning all their hopes on the holiness of their elders. But it is sheer self-deception to think that one person will receive the reward of another’s actions. In reality, everyone will reap the rewards, and bear the burden of punishment for his own actions. No one will be made to share in the reward, or punishment, which is awarded to another by virtue of his actions on earth.
One who submits to God finds that he has to face all forms of difficulties in this life. His worldly hopes and ambitions will not necessarily be fulfilled. Yet one who is firm in the faith will not be put off by such adversities; he will persevere, making sure that he leaves this world as a Muslim, so that he can look forward to God’s blessings in the next world.
Chapter 2 - Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow)
Ayahs 135-141
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Translation:
They say: ‘Accept the Jewish or the Christian faith and you shall be rightly guided.’ Say: ‘By no means! We believe in the faith of Abraham, the upright one. He was no polytheist.’ Say: ‘We believe in God and that which was revealed to us, and in what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the tribes; to Moses and Jesus and the other prophets by their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to God we have surrendered ourselves.’ If they believe as you have done, they shall be rightly guided; if they reject your faith, they shall surely be in schism. Against them, God is your all-sufficient defender. He hears all and knows all. We take on God’s own dye. And who has a better dye than God’s. And we are His worshippers. Say: ‘Would you dispute with us about God, Who is our Lord and your Lord? We shall both be judged by our actions. To Him alone we are devoted. Or do you claim that Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the tribes, were all Jews or Christians? Say: ‘Who knows better, you or God? And who is more unjust than one who hides a testimony which he has received from God? He is watching over your actions.’ That nation has passed away. Theirs is what they earned and yours what you have earned. You shall not be questioned about what they did.
Tafsir (Commentary):
The religion that the Prophet Muhammad taught was the religion of the Prophet Abraham, the very religion to which the Jews and the Christians claimed allegiance. Why was it, then, that they turned away from the Prophet Muhammad? The reason for this was that the religion taught by Muhammad, on whom be peace, taught people to take on the hue of God; to devote themselves to Him entirely. With the People of the Book, (i.e., Jews and Christians) religion had a different meaning. For them religion was a symbol of national pride. The message brought by the Arab prophet hurt their pride, so they turned against him.
Those who consider their own race superior to others cannot accept the truth when it manifests itself in some nation other than their own. They believe in prophets who come among their own people, but not in those from far-off places who come among other peoples. The only religion that they are acquainted with is communal religion. The only personalities that they acknowledge are those who belong to their own race. Those who look at religion as worship of God, on the other hand, recognize the truth of every piece of wisdom that God sends down, no matter who teaches it. For Jewish theologians to realize that Muhammad was God’s final messenger was not a matter of insuperable difficulty. There was nothing to prevent them from seeing the truth of his religion. They should have proclaimed what, deep down in their hearts, they knew to be true. But they did not accept him as the final prophet, as enjoined by God, for the simple reason that they were more concerned about their own position and prestige.
Just as the people of old received their just deserts as individuals, so will latter-day generations receive what they merit on their own account, for truth is an individual, not an ancestral matter. The mistake of the Jews was to think that contemporary and succeeding generations would be rewarded for the good deeds of their ancestors. The Christians had done the same. Their idea of original sin implied that sins were handed down from one generation to the next. Such beliefs have no basis in truth. Everyone will be rewarded by God according to his or her own personal actions; no one can be held responsible for the deeds of others.
If faith is to be of the kind which pleases God, it must be identical with the faith as believed by the Companions of the Prophet. What was so special about that faith was that it amounted to acceptance of the truth on an abstract level; it was belief in truth for the sake of truth. This had become a rarity in a society which, revering the words of the ancient prophets, regarded as truth whatever had been sanctified by centuries-old tradition. Continued belief in such “truthâ€, embellished as it was by myth and legend, became a matter of national pride; to regard it in any other light would have been to deny a great legacy from the past. Unlike the ancient prophets, who were great figures, enshrined in their nations’ history, the Prophet Muhammad came afresh to the world with no accumulation of tradition behind him to lend weight to his words. When truth stands on its own, unsupported by history or tradition, as it was in the time of the Prophet Muhammad, those who accept it do so for the pure and simple reason that it is the truth. This is the kind of belief that God recognizes and accepts. This is true faith; only faith of such strength and purity is acceptable to God.
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Ayahs 142-143
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Translation:
The foolish will ask: ‘What has made them turn away from their qiblah Say: ‘The east and west are God’s. He guides whom He wills to the right path.’ We have made you a just nation, so that you may testify against mankind, and that your own Apostle may be a witness against you. We decreed your former qiblah only in order that We might know the Apostle’s true adherents and those who were to disown him. It was indeed a hard test, but not to those whom God has guided. And never would God make your faith fruitless. He is Compassionate and Merciful to men.
Tafsir (Commentary):
The qiblah is the direction in which Muslims face when they pray. This direction has to do with the form, rather than the reality, of worship. A qiblah is appointed so that prayer may assume an organized pattern. God can change it as He pleases, for every direction faces Him. The direction that He lays down is the one that we should face in our prayer, whatever direction it may be. Before the coming of Islam people had prayed towards Jerusalem. This old qiblah had come to be thought of as sacred and inviolable. In the second year after the Prophet’s emigration to Medina, he was commanded to alter the direction of prayer, and face Mecca instead of Jerusalem. Some people found this change difficult to accept. How, they thought, could another place be the qiblah when Jerusalem had held this position since time immemorial? The Jews used the change of the qiblah as an excuse for spreading all sorts of rumours about the Prophet. Previous prophets have always faced Jerusalem in their prayer, they said. How is it that this prophet has gone against them? This goes to show that the only purpose of his mission is to spite the Jews. Some poured scorn on Muhammad’s claim to prophethood. He seems to be in two minds about his own mission, they said. Sometimes he faces Jerusalem, sometimes Mecca. Others said: “Well, if the Kabah in Mecca is the real qiblah then all the prayers which Muslims have made towards Jerusalem have been wasted.â€
These were the sort of objections that Jews and hypocrites made. True believers, those who were not caught up in the externals of religion, did not let such things discountenance them. They realized that it is not the direction of prayer that really matters, it is God’s commandment. God can lay down any qiblah, whenever He likes. Whatever He prescribes should be followed. The commandment regarding the change of qiblah was revealed seventeen months after the Prophet’s emigration to Medina. The Prophet was praying along with a group of his companions at the time. As soon as God’s commandment became clear, all of them turned, as they were praying, from Jerusalem to Mecca—a 160 degree turn from north-west to south.
The change of qiblah was a sign that God had removed the Children of Israel from their position of spiritual leadership, and appointed the followers of Muhammad in their place. Now the Kabah would remain, until the end of time, a rallying-point for the call to divine religion, a centre for all true believers in God. The word Wast, translated above as “middle†also has connotations of intermediation. The word signifies that Muslims are intermediaries between God and man. It is for them to communicate the word of God to their fellow human beings, just as the Prophet of God communicated it to them. This is a responsibility that is always incumbent upon the Muslim community. Their success, both in this world and the next, depends upon how they discharge this responsibility.
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Ayahs 144-147
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Translation:
Indeed, We see you look repeatedly towards heaven. We will make you turn towards a qiblah that will please you. So turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque; wherever you are, turn your faces towards it. Those to whom the Book was given know this to be the truth from their Lord. God is not unmindful of what they do. But even if you gave those to whom the Book has been given every proof, they would not accept your qiblah, nor are you going to accept their qiblah nor would any of them accept the qiblah of the other. If, after all the knowledge you have been given, you yield to their desires, then you will surely become an evil-doer. Those to whom We gave the Book know Our apostle as they know their own sons. But some of them deliberately conceal the truth. This is the truth from your Lord: therefore never doubt it.
Tafsir (Commentary):
Not until the Prophet of Islam received divine revelation on a certain matter, did he change the pattern of previous prophets. Faithful to this principle, he initially made Jerusalem his qiblah, for prophets since the time of Solomon had prayed in that direction. The coming of Islam signaled the removal of the Jews from their position as torch-bearers of the true faith. The true faith had also to be separated and made distinct from Jewish tradition, so that it could appear in a new and unmistakably pure form. For this reason the Prophet was eagerly awaiting instructions to change the qiblah. In the second year after his emigration to Medina he received the commandment. The Prophets who had come among the Jewish people had been informed that one day God would alter the qiblah, and they had passed the knowledge on to the Jews. It was something, therefore, that Jewish theologians should have been expecting. Yet only a few of them, such as Abdullah ibn Salam and Mukhaireeq, confirmed the authenticity of this commandment and acknowledged that God had revealed the truth through the Prophet Muhammad. The reason for the majority’s refusal to follow the Prophet Muhammad was the fact that they were used to behaving as they saw fit. They had certain romantic notions about the special position occupied by their own people, and they had made these the bedrock of their life and creed. Those who give free rein to their own desires will never follow the path of reason. By denying God’s signs, they aspire, in their perversity, to the satisfactions that God wishes man to derive from their acceptance.
Whenever God reveals some truth to the world, he makes it absolutely clear that it is the truth. There can be no valid reason for people refusing to accept it. Those who do not make the truth their own, show that they have never come to know God, for, if they had, they would have recognized His word when they heard it. They summarily reject the truth, and think that these few words that they have deigned to utter are proof that they are standing on firm intellectual ground. But sooner or later they will see the weakness of their arguments and it will be borne in upon them that, all along, they had been laboring under a false sense of security.
Chapter 2 - Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow)
Ayahs 148-152
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Translation:
Each one has a goal towards which he turns. But wherever you be, emulate one another in good works. God will bring you all before Him. He has power over all things. Whichever way you depart, face towards the Sacred Mosque. This is surely the truth from your Lord. God is never heedless of what you do; whichever way you depart, face toward the Holy Mosque and wherever you are, face towards it, so that men will have no cause to reproach you, except the evil-doers among them. Have no fear of them; fear Me, so that I may perfect My favour to you and that you may be rightly guided. Indeed We have sent forth to you an apostle of your own people who will recite to you Our revelations and purify you of sin, who will instruct you in the Book and in wisdom and teach you that of which you had no knowledge. Remember Me, then, and I will remember you. Give thanks to Me and never deny Me.
Tafsir (Commentary):
When the House of God in Mecca was appointed as the qiblah, the People of the Book started discussing whether the east was God’s direction or the west. They saw the matter as one of direction alone, but there was more to it than that. The selection of the House of God as the qiblah was not merely the specification of a certain direction for prayer; it was a sign that the time had come for God to reveal His greatest favour to man. It had been decided a long time before, that, in answer to the prayer of Abraham and Ishmael (see 2:129), God would send a final Prophet to the world. The path to life everlasting was now being thrown open to all: God was consummating His favor to mankind. The bringing of religion to its final stage of perfection in Islam does not mean that previous religions were incomplete. They too were complete in themselves, but none of them was preserved in its original and authentic form. God had revealed true religion time and time again, but every time mankind rebelled against it and either distorted it or allowed it to fall into oblivion. Now it was revealed in its ultimate and indelible form. Divine religion had been allowed to deteriorate into a set of mythological tales; now it was incorporated into history in the form of solid facts. Up till then, no pattern of true religion had been preserved for posterity; now, in a permanent, dynamic and practicable form, it was placed before mankind. The change to Mecca was more than a change from one direction of worship to another; it was a clear indication that God’s design for the guidance of mankind had been perfected.
It was at the time of the construction of the House of God that Abraham and Ishmael prayed for a prophet to come among the people of Mecca. The prayer was answered, and the coming of the final prophet, whose focus would be Mecca, was decreed. God’s messengers who came to the world used to prophesy his coming.
Now that he had come the House of God in Mecca was made the qiblah for all nations. This was God’s sign, indicating that the prophet, whose coming had been anticipated, had finally arrived. As for the sincere—they needed no further proof, but even the conclusiveness of this sign was not enough to silence those who gave no thought to God. It is those who fear God who are guided on the path to Him. God remembers those who remember Him. Only those who are full of fear of Him are free of fear of all else besides Him.
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Chapter 2 - Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow)
Ayahs 153-157
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Translation:
Believers, fortify yourselves with patience and prayer. God is with the patient. Do not say that those who are slain in the cause of God are dead; they are alive, although you are not aware of them. We shall test your steadfastness with fear and hunger, with loss of life and property and crops. Give good news to those who endure with fortitude, who in adversity say: ‘We belong to God, and to Him we shall return.’ God’s blessing and mercy will be upon them; they are rightly guided.
Tafsir (Commentary):
One who has adopted religion in the real sense of the word has truly discovered God. He lives in a permanent state of thanksgiving and remembrance of his Lord. Happiness and bliss come with such a life, though they are only to materialize in full and in their true form only in the next eternal world. This world has not been created for reward: it has been created for the trial of man. Here obstacles have been placed in the path of those who seek to serve their Lord, so that the earnest can be distinguished from those who are lacking in zeal. These obstacles present themselves in the normal situations of life—human impulses, family requirements, worldly interests, temptation, social pressure—these are the things that provide the real test of life. First one has to realize in what manner one is being tested; then one has to avoid the pitfalls by remembering God and thanking Him for the blessings of life.
There is only one way to succeed in the trials of life, and that is through patience and prayer. This entails attaching oneself to God and conscientiously adhering to the path of truth, enduring all the setbacks that afflict one on the way. Those who do not waver from the path despite its difficulties—who stay with God even when no worldly benefit seems to accrue therefrom—these are the ones who will finally emerge successful from the trials of life. God has reserved the eternal blessings of the next life for those who show themselves willing to sacrifice this life for the next.
Those who make the greatest sacrifices are the dedicated souls who attempt to preach the word of God. Suffering and affliction are their lot because of their hearers’ negative response to the criticism and admonition which are inseparable from such preaching. There are few in this world who en*** being reproved and warned. The sincere preacher also incurs the animosity of mercenary individuals who have used the name of religion to set themselves up as preachers in order to provide themselves with an income. The sincerity of the true preacher being a threat to the statics of the worldly ‘preacher’ the former has to suffer the latter’s adverse reactions. Becoming a preacher of God’s word, then, is tantamount to putting one’s hand into a fire. One who takes this task upon himself is exposing himself to prejudice, economic ruin and even expulsion from his own land. He is placing both his life and property in the utmost peril. It is inevitable that one who follows God’s path will be persecuted in this world. But it is those who lose all for God’s sake who are the true finders; it is those who give their lives for Him who inherit life everlasting. For those who do not seek to make their paradise in this ephemeral world, God has prepared an eternal paradise in the next.
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Ayahs 158-162
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Translation:
Safa and Marwa are two of God’s beacons. It shall be no offence for the pilgrim or the visitor to the Sacred House to walk around them. And one who does good of his own accord should know that God is Appreciative and All-Knowing. Those that hide the clear proofs and the guidance We have revealed after We have proclaimed them in the Book, shall be cursed by God and shall be cursed by those who invoked damnation; except those that repent and mend their ways and make known the truth. Towards them I shall relent. I am the Relenting One, the Merciful. But the infidels who die unbelievers shall incur the curse of God, the angels, and all people. Under it they shall remain forever; their punishment shall not be lightened, nor shall they be given respite.
Tafsir (Commentary):
Abraham, on whom be peace, was a native of Iraq. Acting under God’s command, he took his wife Hajira and infant son Ishmael, and left them in the place now known as Mecca. No one lived there then, and there was no water. Thirst forced Hajira to go out in search of water. Distressed, she ran back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwa. After seven unsuccessful journeys, she returned to their dwelling. There she found a spring, now known as the spring of Zamzam, flowing from the ground. This was a symbolic event, showing us how Almighty God treats His servants. If one presses on in service of God, eventually reaching a stage where there is nothing but burning sand beneath one’s feet, then God in His mercy will cause a refreshing spring to gush forth from the dryness of the desert sands. When Muslims perform the pilgrimage to Mecca, they repeat Hajira’s historic quest between these hills, thus commemorating the profound relevance of the event to everyone who struggles in the path of God.
God’s signs were displayed so clearly in the Prophet Muhammad’s words and actions, that it was not difficult to see that he had been sent by God. Yet the Jewish intelligentsia denied him. They were prevented from believing by the fear that if they accepted an Arab prophet, their religious hegemony would come to an end. People would stop looking up to the Jews as their leaders. Old established religious traditions and the interests which come to be associated with them, (the Jews being the main beneficiaries) would be destroyed. They deemed it wise to conceal the truth, for they thought that they would lose their worldly status were they to accept it, but it would have been much wiser for them to have proclaimed it. They forgot that God’s servants are required to put truth before their worldly interests. One who becomes destitute for the Lord’s sake gains succour from the inexhaustible pastures of divine grace.
Still, the doors of God’s mercy are always open to His servants. He will always forgive one who comes to his senses and mends his erring ways, proclaiming the truth as God wishes it to be proclaimed. Only those who persevere in their disbelief until death will be deprived of His mercy.
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