Same as Verse No. 57

Same as Verse No. 57

“The category ‘Those who believe’appears to refer to those persons who had directly accepted Muhammed (PBH) as the messenger of Allah and the Quran as the message of Allah. Yahoodees are the followers of Musa (PBH) named after Yahuda the eldest son of Yaqoob (PBH). Nasara, plural of ‘Nasar’ meaning help’, are the Christians so named because they had helped Isa (PBH). The Sabaeans, according to some authorities were followers of ‘Zuboor’ revealed to Dawood (PBH), while others say that they were followers of Yahya (PBH) but later they drifted away from their original book and became star worshippers and angel worshippers. After mentioning these four communities it is clarified that to whichever community one may belong, if one believes in Allah and in the accountability of belief and deed after death and does good work then his reward is with Allah (SWT). Such a person will neither have any fear nor grief. Fear pertains to future and grief to past. Could there be a better definition of peace: ‘A fearless future and a griefless past.

One interpretation could be that this verse refers to

1. Follows of Muhammed (PBH) and

2. Jews, Christians and Sabarens who had strictly followed their respective messengers sent to them by Allah (SWT), till their book was valid i.e. till the coming of the next messenger of Allah (SWT). The second interpretation could be that the Jews and the Christian used to claim that they were the chosen communities of Allah (SWT) and no one else would enter paradise (Chapter: 2 Verses: 111 and 135, Chapter: 5 Verse 18). Therefore Allah (SWT) clarifies the position and states that you may call yourselves by any name, only those will be rewarded who believe in Him and the life after death and act righteously. Belief in angels, messengers of Allah (SWT) and the Divine books is obvious for one who believes in Allah (SWT) and the accountability in the life after death because this accountability depends on whether or not one has followed the instructions of Allah (SWT) communicated through angels to human messengers in the form of Divine books. This demands the acceptance of Muhammed (PBH) as the last messenger of Allah (SWT) and the Quran as the final Divine book, therefore only those will be successful who accept this fact and act accordingly. A third interpretation could be, that persons who had directly accepted Islam might have had a feeling of superiority over those Jews, Christians & Sabaeans who too had accepted Islam and were thus classed as converts. This wrong feeling of superiority of Muslims by birth over new converts to Islam is prevalent even today. Allah (SWT) therefore classifies that whatever might have been your past, to which ever community you might have belonged to earlier, now that you have accepted Islam under Prophet Muhammed (PBH) only those will be regarded as successful who believe in Allah and the life after death and act righteously i.e. implement the Quran in accordance with the instructions of Prophet Muhammed (PBH). Whatever be the possible interpretation, one thing is quite clear that now, paradise can be achieved only by believing and acting in accordance with the instructions given in the Quran the final Divine book and by Prophet Muhammed (PBH) the last messenger of Allah, because no religion other than Islam will be accepted by Allah (SWT) (Chapter: 3 Verses: 19 and 85). The word ‘Rafa’ means to raise. (Chapter: 2 Verse 127) or suspend overhead (Chapter: 13 Verse 2). For the same event the word ‘Nataqa’ is used elsewhere (Chapter: 7 Verse 171) which means to shake or ‘uproot’ or ‘Pull out’ (Ibn-I-Faras). The mountain was probably raised to convince the Bani Israel that Allah (SWT), Who is All powerful and Who has raised the mountain miraculously, has revealed the Torah to Musa (PBH) so that believing that Torah is His word they should take a pledge to strictly follow it, remembering and taking admonition from all that is written in it. The result of this would be their safety from punishment. But they broke the pledge and if Allah’s Grace and Mercy were not there on them, they would have been losers.”

“Same as Verse No. 62”

“Same as Verse No. 62”

” During the period of Prophet Dawood (PBH) some Israelites lived at Elath on the Red Sea. They were ordered not to fish on Sabbath (Saturday) as a mark of respect, but the fish used to come in great numbers on the night before Saturday and stay there throughout Sabbath to tempt them. Some Israelites used to dig ditches and cut canals from the sea for the fish to enter on Sabbath then they prevented them from going back to the sea by disconnecting the ditches and canals. They removed the fish on Sunday. They claimed that the fish had gathered on Friday and were caught on Sunday and not on Saturday. Therefore, as a mark of punishment they were transformed into apes. In many advertisements shown on our Television screen we see a motorcycle changing into a panther, a man’s face getting converted to a tiger’s face, one human face changing into another. All these changes take place within seconds but on a two-dimensional screen. Is it difficult for Allah (SWT), the Creator of the whole Universe, including man, to effect these changes instantly in three dimensions?

Modern scientific and technological progress is providing such a rich and convincing data to prove the truth of many facts reported in the Quran that it is difficult to deny them. Our predessor’s believed in the truth of the Quran without these proofs. Should we not have a stronger faith and should we not act more sincerely and vigorously to convey the truths contained in the Quran to the whole mankind? This instance of a sect of Bani Israel being changed to apes is an exemplary punishment for trying to dodge Allah (SWT). Others coming after them should learn a lesson from this happening and guard themselves from evil because Allah (SWT) is the Knower of the seen as well as the unseen and He is all powerful to bring about such or more severe punishments.”

“Same as Verse No. 65”

The order for slaughtering a cow appears to have been given for fulfilling two purposes.

1. Bani Israel had held the cow in such high esteem that they had moulded a calf for worship from their ornaments. Allah (SWT) probably wanted to totally wipe off this high esteem from their minds by ordering them to slaughter a cow, so that they could realize that they had worshipped something which they themselves could slaughter and which was helpless even to resist its own killing, leave alone helping others.

2. A person was murdered by someone and they were not able to find out the murderer, so they were ordered to strike the body of the murdered person with flesh of the slaughtered cow, when the murdered person miraculously came back to life and revealed the name of his murderer (Chapter: 2 Verses: 72, 73). When Musa (PBH) had informed the Bani Israel that Allah (SWT) wanted them to slaughter a cow they first asked him whether he was joking with them. This indicates that they were arrogant. It would have been the best for them to have obeyed the order of Allah (SWT) and slaughtered any cow. But they started asking questions about the qualities of the cow to be slaughtered. Each answer to their question made it more and more difficult for them to find the cow with the exact specifications. Finally, they slaughtered a cow which was middle aged, delightfully coloured bright yellow which was neither used for ploughing nor irrigating fields and which was sound and defectless, but they did this reluctantly. Bani Israel witnessed the dead man coming back to life and revealing the name of his murderer. This miracle is a clear proof that Allah (SWT) will raise the dead to life to take their account of deeds.

“Same as Verse No. 67”

“Same as Verse No. 67”

“Same as Verse No. 67”

“Same as Verse No. 67”

“Same as Verse No. 67”

“Same as Verse No. 67”

“We had seen earlier (Chapter: 2 Verse 60) that the word ‘Hajar’ was used for a porous rock which served the purpose of an acquifier from which twelve springs had gushed out (2:60). In this verse an associated word ‘Al Hijarah’ meaning a rock containing small pores is compared with human heart which contains pores full of blood which is pumped out when the heart contracts. One has to admire the selection of the most appropriate word to convey a specific meaning. Out of a number of words available in Arabic which could convey the meaning of a rock, the selection of the word ‘Al Hijarah’ conveys to the reader a true picture by comparison. A porous muscle ‘Qalb’ meaning heart is compared with a rock which in addition to being porous is also hard and rigid. The opposite of the word ‘Khaswatan’ translated as ‘hardness’ is ‘sharaha’ meaning open (Chapter: 39 Verse 22). Just as rocks, whose pores are closed, cannot absorb anything, similarly a heart whose pores are closed due to contraction cannot absorb anything. Besides a porous material already filled with something cannot absorb something else. In the case of rocks, it is physical rigidity and in the case of hearts it is rigidity in the abstract sense.

Bani Israel had seen a number of miracles but their hearts had become so hard that they did not absorb plain facts consequently they refused to believe in the truth. Even rocks sometimes succumb to internal pressure or external influences but the hearts of Bani Israel were harder. Through some porous rocks rivers gush out while others split due to external pressure of digging or drilling and water comes out of them in the form of wells still others fall down due to the fear of Allah. In the last case, we know for certain that rocks fall down due to the force of gravity of the earth as in the case of landslides. Combining these two facts from the Quran and science we can formulate an equation ‘Gravity’is equal to fear of Allah (Khashiyat-i- Allah)’The whole universe is held together due to the universal force of gravitation, this means that the whole universe is held together due to the fear of Allah. In the absence of this fear or the universal force of gravity, one cannot imagine the existence of the universe including us. Allah (SWT) knows everything, seen & unseen, consequently He is aware of all that is going on in the hearts and the actions that are motivated by their intentions.”

Allah (SWT) is giving a hint to Muslims that the Jews will not believe just for their sake. Some of them had heard the word of Allah (SWT) in the form of Torah, Zuboor and the Injeel and understood it. They knew from these sources about Prophet Muhammed (PBH) but they altered this information. Some of the Jews might have told the Muslims that they believed in the Prophethood of Muhammed (PBH) because it was written in their books. This might have prompted other Jews to object, because they felt that Muslims would argue with them on the day of resurrection before Allah (SWT) that even after having information about Prophet Muhammed (PBH) they did not accept him as the last messenger of Allah and the Quran revealed to him as the final message of Allah (SWT). Therefore Allah (SWT) is informing them that whether they hide or proclaim He knows everything.

“Same as Verse No. 75”

“Same as Verse No. 75”

“Some of the Jews did not even know how to read. Their religion was not based on their Divine book but on hearsay and guess work. Here is a clear hint to us that religion should be based on the Divine book and the teachings of the messenger of Allah i.e. The Quran and teachings of Prophet Muhammed (PBH). There were others who wrote the book with their hands and claimed that it was from Allah (SWT), this they did for pity gains. Allah (SWT) declares that theirs’will be a sorrowful state because of such acts. Without any authority from Allah (SWT) they made a statement that the fire would afflict them only for a counted number of days. In reply to this Allah (SWT) states that if they had made an agreement to this effect with Him then. He will not go against it, and questions them on their committing on His behalf without any knowledge. Then He gives His decision whoever earns evil and is encompassed by his misdeeds will be the inhabitant of the fire, staying in it, and those who believe and act in accordance with the instructions given in the Divine book and by the messenger of Allah, those will be the residents of paradise, they will stay therein.”

“Same as Verse No. 78”