تَحْتَ

58:23; 98:9.

Important Words:

السابقون (foremost) is the plural of السابق being derived from سبق. They say سبقه i.e. he got or went or came before him or ahead of him; he outstripped him in a race, etc. So سابق is one who outstrips others in faith and actions (Lane).

الاولون (the first) is the plural of الاول which is derived from وأل being the opposite of الآخر i.e. the last. اول means, the first; one preceding all others (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse mentions two distinctive qualifications of prominent believers: (1) السابقون i.e. those who are foremost in spiritual rank, outstripping others in faith and actions; and (2) الاولون i.e. those who are the first to believe, others only following them.

The Companions of the Holy Prophet are thus held up here as models for others, being both foremost in rank and the first to believe. Nay, even those, who sincerely followed in their footsteps, became the favoured ones of God. Incidentally, the verse also constitutes a forcible refutation of the Shia accusations against the first three Successors of the Holy Prophet and his prominent Companions.

Commentary:

As already pointed out جدار (the wall) represents the elders of the Jews i.e. Moses, Jesus (18:78) and Abraham of whom the Quran says, "and in the next he will surely be among the righteous" (2:131).

By کنز (treasure) is meant the treasure of divine knowledge which was vouchsafed to Moses and Jesus.

The verse purports to say that God preserved in the Quran the great treasure of spiritual knowledge which was vouchsafed to Moses and Jesus (98:4) and which was in danger of being lost because of the irreligiousness of the Jews and their engrossment in worldly affairs so that, when they awaken to a realization of truth, they may accept it.

The words, as a mercy from thy Lord, mean that the preservation by God of the imperishable part of the teachings of Moses and Jesus in the Quran was an act of mercy on His part because the Jews by their repeated rebellion and transgression had forfeited all title to Divine mercy. But despite their iniquities God had mercy on them and preserved their own treasures of spiritual knowledge in the Quran for their guidance.

The words, I did it not of my own accord, mean that the Holy Prophet had no hand in the preservation of this great treasure of divine knowledge. A reference to this fact has also been made in the words, "Nor does he speak of his own desire" (53:4).

After a perusal of the incidents mentioned in the preceding verses and their explanation it becomes abundantly clear that the Vision of Moses has been mentioned here to point to the following facts:

(a) That it was decreed and was in the fitness of things that the Holy Prophet should appear after Christians who constitute the second part of the Mosaic Dispensation had become corrupt.

(b) That because Islamic teaching was based on laws and principles which differed fundamentally from some principles of the Mosaic Law, true and real cooperation between Jews and Muslims was impossible, but salvation without subscribing to Islamic principles was also unthinkable.

(c) That Jews and Christians would refuse to accept the Holy Prophet and would follow their own separate course but they will have to give their allegiance to him in the long run.

(d) That, after a long and fatiguing journey and after having despaired of obtaining real peace and contentment of mind through their own unaided efforts, Jews and Christians would be compelled to take stock of their whole position with the result that they would realize that as their religion had long outlived its usefulness they should have given it up long before.

(e) That after the dawning of this realization upon them, the prophecies concerning them which have been preserved in the Quran will lead Jews and Christians to accept the Holy Prophet.

(f) That after having accepted Islam they will submit themselves to limitations and restrictions which it has imposed upon man to regulate his moral conduct, and that by subduing their unrestrained passions they will become resigned to Divine decree and thus will draw upon themselves God’s grace and will bathe in the sea of His Mercy.

In fact, the Isra’ of Moses constituted a beautiful prelude to the coming Islamic Dispensation which was to supplant the Mosaic Law.

Important Words:

تحتھا (beneath her). تحت means, beneath, below or under; the lower part. The word also signifies the low, base, vile or ignoble or depressed persons. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said, لا تقوم الساعة حتی تظھر التحوت و تھلک الوعول i.e. the hour of resurrection will not come until the low or depressed people prevail and the rich and high-placed persons perish; or as some say, until the treasures that are beneath the earth appear (Lane &Taj).

The word تحت meaning beneath, below and also the slope and declivity of a mountain (Lane), the verse signifies that the voice came to Mary from the side of the slope of the mountain where the fountain was and not from beneath her own body as is popularly believed. As a matter of fact Bethlehem is situated on a rock 2350 ft. above sea-level and is surrounded by very fertile valleys. There are fountains in this rock, one of which is known as the 'fountain of Solomon'. Another fountain is situated at a distance of about 800 yards to the southeast of the town. From these fountains water is supplied to the town of Bethlehem. The words of the verse only mean that the angel called to Mary from the side of the fountain which was situated in the slope (تحت) of the mountain.

Mary stood in need of water for drinking and for washing herself and the swaddling-clothes. So the voice of the angel indicated to her the direction where the fountain lay. One of the fountains was flowing at a distance of about 800 yards to the south-east of Bethlehem and Joseph and Mary, we are told, finding no accommodation in the town had to lie in the open field at some distance from the town.

The verse seems to point to a beautiful likeness which Jesus had with another Prophet of God—Ishmael. We are told that when Ishmael suffered from extreme pangs of thirst in the wilderness of Mecca and his mother Hagar in vain searched for water, the voice of the angel came to her saying that God had caused a fountain of water to flow from under the feet of Ishmael (Bukhari). The verse thus entitles Jesus to no particular distinction. Apart from the fatherless birth of Jesus the significance of which has been fully explained in the Introduction to the present Surah, Jesus possesses no distinction. He was only one of so many Divine Messengers.

2:285; 3:130; 5:19.

Important Words:

الثری (moist sub-soil) is derived from ثری (thariya). They say ثریت الارض i.e. the earth or land became moist and soft after drought or dryness. ثری means moisture; humidity of the earth; moist earth. The Arabs say یبس الثری بینھم i.e. the fresh, vigorous friendship between them withered—they became enemies after they were friends. The word also means, good or anything good. They say فلان قریب الثری i.e. such a one is a person from whom good is easy of attainment. تحت الثری means, what is beneath the earth (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse means to say that as the Quran has been revealed by God Whose dominion and control extend to all that is in the heavens and the earth, so all the celestial and terrestrial forces will be pressed into service to further the cause of Islam.

33:69; 38:62.

Commentary:

The word الذین means, two groups or sets of people, one from among the jinn and the other from among men.

Commentary:

The swearing of allegiance referred to in the verse took place at Hudaibiyyah under an acacia tree after a report had reached the Holy Prophet that in breach of ambassadorial usage or etiquette his envoy, ‘Uthman, had been killed at Mecca. It was, perhaps, not so much the reported murder of ‘Uthman as the violation of a sacred and time-honoured custom that exhausted the Prophet’s patience. He invited his followers to take a solemn oath at his hand that they would fight the Quraish to the last breath of their lives. The oath came to be known as Bai‘atur-Ridwan, which signified that those lucky people who had taken the oath had obtained God’s pleasure.

The words, "He knew what was in their hearts," mean that God was well conversant with the state of their minds, viz. that they were quite honest and sincere in their oaths and were anxious to vindicate their sincerity with their blood.

What greater proof could there be that "God sent down tranquillity on Muslims," than that, being only about 1500 in number and being far away from home, friendless and surrounded by hostile tribes and faced by a powerful enemy who was entrenched in his citadel, the Muslims were prepared to fight rather than agree to the proposed terms of the Treaty. The expression, "He rewarded them with a victory near at hand" refers to the victory of Khaibar. On his return from Hudaibiyyah the Prophet led an expedition against the Jews of Khaibar (a great hotbed of Jewish intrigue and conspiracy) with those Muslims who were with him at Hudaibiyyah. Judged by worldly standards of political strategy, and in view of the apparently humiliating terms of the Treaty and of the feeling of frustration that some of the Companions felt at those terms, the Holy Prophet should have been a beaten and embittered man, yet God has styled the Treaty "a clear victory" (v. 2), "a grand achievement" (v. 6); "a mighty reward" (v. 11); and "the completion and perfection of His favour on the Prophet" (v. 3). What was it that made this "humiliating" Treaty such a significant event in the annals of Islam? The answer is: Because it opened the floodgates of spiritual and political conquests for Islam. The signing of the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah was immediately followed by the conquest of Khaibar, a Jewish stronghold and a source of great danger and anxiety for Muslims. Besides, the Islamic Republic at Medina came to be recognized as an independent sovereign state, and within the brief space of three or four years the whole of Arabia was at the feet of the Holy Prophet, followed by a chain of victories which culminated in the defeat and destruction of the great and powerful Byzantine and Iranian Empires.