أَهْدَىٰ

Important Words:

الجبت (evil things) means: (1) an idol or idols; or the name of a certain idol belonging to the Quraish; (2) that which is worshipped instead of God, whatever it be; (3) that wherein there is no good; (4) a diviner or an enchanter or the like; (5) the Devil or Satan; (6) enchantment or magic (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The Muslims believed in all the Prophets mentioned in the Bible and also in the Divine origin of the Law that was given to Moses, yet so great was the hatred of Jews for them that they declared the idol-worshippers of Arabia, who rejected their Prophets as well as their Scriptures, to be better guided than Muslims. It is regrettable that some present-day Muslims also have the hardihood to say that it is better to renounce Islam than to accept Ahmad, the Promised Messiah, than whom there is no greater champion of Islam.

35:43.

6:22; 7:38; 10:18.

Commentary:

The words, better guided, are either intended to express a possible idea on the part of the Arabs that the "two peoples" mentioned above did not faithfully act on Divine teachings or they merely express a possible feeling of regret that whereas others were granted Divine guidance, they were not. It must be said to the credit of the Arabs that when the Quran was revealed to the Holy Prophet, those of them that accepted it did follow it much more faithfully than the "two peoples" referred to above or for that matter any other people. Thus, when the Holy Prophet was attacked by the Quraish of Mecca at Badr and he summoned a council of his followers to consult them, the latter told him without demur that they would not, like the companions of Moses, say to him, Go, thou and thy Lord, and fight and here we sit (5:25), but would fight in his front and fight at his back and fight on his right and fight on his left, meaning that the enemy would not be permitted to reach him except over their dead bodies (Bukhari, ch. on Maghazi).

28:86.

Important Words:

شاکلته (his own way). شاکلة is the feminine of شاکل which is synonymous with شکل (shaklun) which is the infinitive noun from شکل (shakala). It means, a likeness or resemblance; shape, form or form of a thing. They say ھذا علی شاکلة ابیه i.e. this is according to the likeness of his father. شاکلة also and more commonly means, a particular way, cause, mode or manner of acting or conduct; direction, side; motive, intention or purpose; creed; etc. The Quranic expression کل یعمل علی شاکلته means, everyone acts according to his particular way (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

Every man acts according to his own motives, way of thinking, aims and purposes. The aim and object of disbelievers is to attain worldly gains. Therefore when they suffer a worldly loss they give themselves up to despair. But a believer’s whole aim in life is to win God’s pleasure, so the loss of worldly wealth leaves him unperturbed. He faces all trials and hardships with a brave heart. The verse means to say that God treats men according to their motives and intentions. He takes into consideration not only the actions of man but also his intentions and motives. As all the efforts of disbelievers are for this world, they do not deserve to be the recipients of God’s help and favour. This and the preceding verse apply as much to the Jews as to the idolaters of Mecca.

Commentary:

The verse alludes to the very high position which both the Quran and the Torah hold among heavenly Scriptures, the Quran being par excellence the best among the revealed Books and the Torah standing only second to it. It further says to disbelievers that if the revelations of the Quran and the Torah do not satisfy them, then let them produce a Book which is better suited to be humanity’s guide and which has brought about greater transformation in the lives of men than these Books have done.

6:158.

Commentary:

The verse gives another argument to bring home to disbelievers the sense of the guilt of rejecting the Holy Prophet. It purports to say to them that they used to taunt the Jews and the Christians for rejecting their own Prophets and revelations; and, by assuming an air of superiority, used to say to the latter that if ever a Prophet of God appeared among them they would at once accept him. But now that the greatest of the Prophets has been raised among them, they are opposing and persecuting him.

Commentary:

The verse exposes the absurdity of the plea of disbelievers that they would not give up the time-honoured customs observed by their forefathers and the beliefs held by them. It means to say that if this plea were accepted as valid, then no reform could ever take place because it is only when people stick to false and foolish beliefs and fall into evil ways that a Divine Reformer is sent to guide them to the path of virtue and wean them away from their cherished beliefs? If, after the falsity of their beliefs is demonstrated to them, the disbelievers still persist in their perversity, how can a reformation take place? But such is the tragedy of human affairs that men would not easily accept truth and would rather continue to invent pleas and pretexts for rejecting it.

Commentary:

The verse means that disbelievers walk on the wrong path, hanging down their heads and grovelling in the darkness of doubt and disbelief, while believers, in the certainty of faith, go straight on the path of truth, holding their head high. Can the two be equal?