تِلْكَ

Important Words:

The words بالحق (lit. 'with truth' and translated as, while they comprise the truth) signify, firstly, that these Signs or words of God are full of truths; secondly, that they have come as a matter of right, i.e. you had a right to receive them; thirdly, that this was the proper time for their recital. See also 3:4.

The words, Allah wills not any wrong, mean that by calling upon mankind to accept the Holy Prophet, God does not intend to cause them harm; in fact, He desires to have mercy on them. The interests of mankind required that a Prophet should have been sent to them.

2:95; 62:7.

Important Words:

ھود (the Jews) has by some been looked upon as the plural of ھائد which is active participle from ھاد meaning, he repented and turned towards the truth or towards God. In this sense ھود would mean, a people who have turned to God with repentance. The word ھود is a proper name for the Jews. The original and commoner word, however, is الیھود or یھود from which, according to some, the letter یا has been dropped, leaving the word ھود (Aqrab). See also 2:63.

Commentary:

So far Christians were not separately addressed. But now the Quran mentions them along with the Jews, indicating that their case was no better than that of the latter, both being under the delusion that one could obtain salvation merely by becoming a Jew or a Christian. They forgot the fact that when God had established a fresh covenant, salvation could not be possible without conforming thereto. If, however, the Jews and the Christians were justified in their claims, they should advance some reasons or scriptural evidence to show that it was enough for the purposes of salvation to join their folds. And they could not do it, because in their very Scriptures was foretold the appearance of a Prophet whom they were enjoined to accept and whose rejection was stated to lead to estrangement from God.

Christianity, as well as Judaism, was meant for the guidance of the Israelites alone. The mission of Jesus was not meant for the whole world (Matt. 7:6; 10:6; 15:24; Mark 7:27). Though later on the followers of Jesus violated the limit imposed upon his mission and claimed universality for it, yet the hard fact remains that he was sent only for the Israelites, and his mission was to uplift that people alone. As other nations of the world are also the creation of God, it is therefore only right to believe that God must have made some arrangement for their guidance as well. Hence, it is quite unreasonable on the part of the Jews and Christians to hold that the door of salvation was closed against the followers of other faiths. Such a view would mean that God had confined salvation to certain tribes, to the exclusion of others, which is evidently absurd.

Islam, however, is not exposed to that objection. In the first place, it is not a tribal faith, but is universal in character. In the Quran, God enjoins the Holy Prophet to Say, O mankind! truly I am a Messenger to you all from Allah (7:159). Similarly, there is a saying of the Holy Prophet to the effect, "I have been sent for the whole mankind while the Prophets before me were sent to particular peoples only" (Musnad).

Secondly, unlike Judaism and Christianity, Islam does not hold Hell to be ever-lasting, but a place of reformation, where sinners will be purged of their sins to enable them to find their way ultimately to Heaven and enjoy the reward of whatever good deeds they had done in this world. On the other hand, Islam looks upon the bounties of Heaven to be everlasting. With Jews and Christians, it is only the wish that has been father to the thought and nothing else. Produce your proof, if you are truthful, says the Quran.

2:142.

Commentary:

The People of the Book are here warned that the fact that they are the descendants of God’s Prophets would not avail them in any way. Their forefathers reaped the rewards of their good deeds and won God’s favours; and if they also wish to become His favourites, they must perform similar deeds and show implicit obedience to God and complete submission to His will. The fact that they are descended from holy persons makes them all the more responsible.

See 2:135.

Commentary:

Jews and Christians are once more warned against relying upon those of their forefathers who won the pleasure of God by their good deeds. It is their own deeds and not those of others that will save them. Their own good actions alone can bring them salvation and not the fact that they are the descendants or followers of Abraham, Jacob, Moses or Jesus. No bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another, says the Quran (6:165).

Important Words:

رفث (going in unto) has a number of meanings: amatory talk, kissing, caressing, embracing, compressing, coition, etc.; in fact, everything that a man desires of his wife. When رفث is followed by the preposition الی it means, coition or going in unto one’s wife, and it is in this sense that the word has been used here. رفث also means, immodest, foul and lewd talk or speech (Lane).

تختانون (you have been acting unjustly) is derived from خان. They say خانه i.e. he acted unfaithfully or perfidiously towards him; he was not faithful to the trust reposed in him. اختانه is like خانه, giving the same meaning. It also means, he acted wrongfully or unjustly towards him. The Arabs say خانته رجلاه i.e. his feet or legs acted unfaithfully towards him, meaning he was unable to walk. تختانون انفسکم would, therefore, mean, you failed to give your souls (i.e. yourselves) their due either (1) by preventing them from their duty to God, or (2) by refusing them the satisfaction of their natural and lawful cravings. The former act is a sin, while the latter, though not a sin, may endanger one’s health or deprive one of just happiness. The word has been used in both these senses in the Quran. In 4:108, it has been used in the sense of "sin", while in the present verse it has been used in the sense of "depriving the soul of the gratification of its natural and just desires".

عفاعنکم (afforded you relief). The word عفا gives a number of meanings (see 2:53). The expression عفاالله عن فلان is sometimes used where there is no question of pardoning any sin or obliterating traces thereof but simply in the sense of removing one’s mistake or misunderstanding or improving one’s condition or bestowing honour on one (Aqrab). It also means, making things easy, i.e. affording relief (Muhit).

باشروھن (go in unto them) is derived from بشر from which is also derived the word بشارة or بشری meaning, glad tidings. The expression بشربه means, he became glad and happy because of that. The words بشرالجلد mean, he removed or peeled off its skin. البشرة means, outer part of skin, or what is visible of the face or body. باشرالمرأة means, he came in contact with his wife skin to skin; he went in unto her. البشری (glad tidings) is so called because it changes the colour of the listener’s face. البشر (man) is also so called because, unlike other animals, man’s skin is visible and not concealed under hair (Aqrab, Mufradat & Lane).

Commentary:

It was a custom among the Israelites to abstain from all kinds of food from one evening to the other on the occasion of the fast of the Atonement Day, the only fast prescribed by Moses for his people. When fasts were first prescribed for Muslims, and details had not yet been revealed, they thought that, like the Jews, they too would have to fast for 24 hours with a slight intervening breakfast. Hence, following their own judgement, they concluded that it was lawful for them to eat and drink and to go in unto their wives only as long as they did not go to bed, and that after they had gone to sleep, they were not allowed to partake of any food or drink or to go in unto their wives until the next evening. Bukhari gives the following tradition on the authority of Bara’: "When the command to fast was revealed, if anybody kept a fast and then went to sleep in the evening, he abstained from eating, drinking and sexual intercourse until the time for breaking the fast the following day" (Bukhari ch. on Saum). This tradition and others of the same import show that it was not in obedience to any command from God or the Holy Prophet that his Companions abstained from sexual intercourse after going to bed at night, but it was owing to their own imitation of similar customs among the People of the Book that they had imposed these restrictions on themselves. As, however, these restrictions were against the will of God, a revelation was soon sent down allowing the Faithful to eat and drink and approach their wives as they liked during the night; only they were forbidden to do so while fasting during the day.

Some commentators have inferred from the words, you have been acting unjustly to yourselves, that the Companions of the Holy Prophet were unable to act upon the commandment to abstain from intercourse with their wives during the nights of fasts and frequently broke it. But this is evidently wrong, for the good reason that there was no such commandment to be broken. Moreover, the words of the Quran, i.e. you may now go in, also belie this interpretation, for the use of the word "now" clearly indicates that the Companions of the Holy Prophet were erring not on the side of indulgence but on that of abstinence. The Quran could not obviously say, you may now go in, to a people who were already going in unto their wives.

The clause, they are a garment for you and you are a garment for them, very beautifully describes the object of marriage. The verse points out that the object of marriage is not the gratification of carnal passions. The real object is the comfort, protection and embellishment of the parties, for such are the uses of a garment as explained in 7:27 & 16:82. Thus in a very few words, the Quran has described the true relationship that should exist between husband and wife, a description which has hardly a parallel in any other scripture.

The clause, the white thread becomes distinct from the black thread of the dawn, does not refer to the thread made of yarn but to the streak of light that appears along the eastern horizon at the time of dawn. The verse enjoins that from dawn till sunset Muslims should abstain from food and drink and intercourse while fasting. But they are free to have recourse to these things between sunset and dawn. At places where days and nights are unusually long, i.e. nearer the poles, calculation should be made for the purpose of fasting on the basis of average conditions, i.e. in such a case day and night would each be supposed to be of twelve hours’ duration (Muslim, ch. on Ashratus-Sa‘at). The clause, while you remain in the mosques for devotion, refers to the practice of اعتکاف which is observed by remaining in the mosque, night and day, during the last ten days of Ramadan. During these days, the devotee who decides to observe اعتکاف is not to leave the mosque except from human necessity, i.e. to answer a call of nature, etc. He enters the mosque on the morning of the 20th of Ramadan

and abides therein till the end of the month, fasting from daybreak to sunset and occupying himself in prayer or recitation of the Quran or other religious study or meditation. During اعتکاف (I‘tikaf), which is, as it were, the consummation of the spirit of fasting, intercourse with wives and preliminaries thereto are not allowed even at night time. The clause, these are the limits fixed by Allah, so approach them not, points to the very important principle that a man can attain true piety only if he refrains from even "approaching" the things that have been forbidden by God. "Some acts," says the Holy Prophet "are of doubtful character, one not knowing whether they are right or wrong. It is always better to avoid these. The forbidden things are like a pasture-land which the Wise God prohibits to the people. If you make your beasts graze on the borders of such land, i.e. allow your beasts to approach near them, there is danger of their trespassing upon the prohibited area" (Bukhari, ch, on Iman). This is an extremely wise injunction which cuts at the root of all trespass. Only those can protect themselves against sin who give all unlawful things a wide berth. The final clause, that they may become secure against evil, repeats the idea contained in 2:184 in which the subject of fasting was first introduced. In both verses the underlying object of fasting has been stated to be the attainment of تقوی i.e. piety, righteousness and protection against evil, which are all different forms of divineblessings. The reader may, with advantage, compare this idea with the belief of the Christians that the Law is a curse (Gal. 3:10, 13).

48:26.

Commentary:

From this verse begin commandments relating to حج or the Pilgrimage. The Pilgrimage is performed in the following manner: The would-be pilgrim enters into a state of احرام (Ihram) on reaching the میقات i.e. certain prescribed places slightly varying in distance in different directions, but in all cases outside حرم (the Sacred Territory). In the state of احرامthe pilgrim is forbidden sexual intercourse, the use of scent or perfumed oil, the wearing of sewn garments, hunting and the like. The male pilgrim discards ordinary clothes, putting on white unsewn sheets and keeping the head uncovered. The female pilgrim may put on ordinary but simple clothes and should ordinarily keep her face uncovered. The pilgrim (male or female) is required to repeat the following words as often as possible: Labbaik, Allahumma labbaik, Labbaik. La sharika laka labbaik. Innal-hamda wanni‘mata laka wal mulka la sharika laka…” i.e. "My Lord! I am at Thy service. There is no equal or partner with Thee. So I am at Thy service alone. All praise belongs to Thee and all blessings are from Thee and all authority rests in Thee. I say again, there is no equal or partner with Thee. So I am at Thy service alone."

At Mecca the first thing the pilgrim does, preferably after having a bath, is to perform seven circuits round the Ka’bah then he briskly walks or runs between the Safa and the Marwah (see 2:159) seven times. On the eighth day of Dhul-Hijjah (the month of Pilgrimage) he goes in the morning from Mecca to Mina, which is about three miles from Mecca, where he halts to perform, at their appointed time, the five daily Prayers, beginning from the midday Prayer. Next morning (i.e. the 9th) he starts from Mina and passing through, or by, Mash‘arul-Haram, which is about six miles from Mecca, he goes on to the great plain at ‘Arafat, three miles further ahead, where, before he actually enters ‘Arafat, he says the midday and the afternoon Prayers together; and when all the pilgrims have entered ‘Arafat, the Imam delivers a sermon, while the pilgrims do nothing but silently pray and stand still. Thereafter the pilgrim returns after sunset to Muzdalifah or Mash‘ar where he says the evening and the night Prayers together and spends most of his time in prayer and meditation. Next day (i.e. the 10th) after offering his morning Prayer at Mash‘arul-Haram he starts back early for Mina, where he casts pebbles (seven in number) at the three appointed pillars beginning with the Jamratul-‘Aqabah, repeating this each day that he stays at Mina. The same day, i.e. the 10th, the pilgrim offers his sacrifice (goat, sheep, ram, cow, camel, etc.), gets his head shaved, takes a bath and puts on his ordinary clothes. Thereafter he proceeds to Mecca and again performs the circuit of the Ka‘bah seven times and then returns to Mina if he should so desire. The stay at Mina may last from part of a day to three or four days known as ایام معدودات (i.e. the numbered days) with which the Hajj is completed. All this time the pilgrim should repeat, as many times as possible, the above mentioned prayer.

عمرة or the Lesser Pilgrimage consists in entering into a state of احرام (Ihram) in the way described above, circuiting the Ka‘bah seven times, running between the Safa and the Marwah and offering a sacrifice which, however, is not obligatory. ‘Umrah may be performed at any time of the year, whereas the Hajj or the Greater Pilgrimage is performed only during the month of Dhul-Hijjah. For the literal meanings of the words Hajj and ‘Umrah see note on 2:159.

The words, If you are kept back, refer to a state of affairs when a would-be pilgrim is prevented by disease, or a state of war, or some other cause, from visiting the Ka‘bah to perform the Hajj or the ‘Umrah. In this case the pilgrim may refrain from proceeding further and should sacrifice whatever offering is easily available, i.e. a goat, a sheep, a cow, or a camel, etc. But he should not shave his head until the offering reaches its destination, the idea being to remain in the state of Ihram until the offering reaches Mina which is the place meant for it. If, however, the offering cannot be sent to Mecca, it may be sacrificed by the pilgrim at the place where he is detained and the meat either consumed by the pilgrim himself or distributed among friends, relatives, neighbours, etc. It will be noted that the offering of a sacrifice is obligatory only when a would-be pilgrim is prevented from completing his Hajj or ‘Umrah. In ordinary circumstances when a person performs a Hajj or an ‘Umrah separately, it is only supererogatory, becoming obligatory only when the Hajj and the ‘Umrah are combined.

The clause, should make an expiation either by fasting or almsgiving or a sacrifice, relates to such people as cannot shave their heads owing to some ailment. The alternatives mentioned are meant to suit different grades of people. Fasting is meant for the poor; feeding the needy for the pilgrims of the middle class; and the offering of a sacrifice for the rich. The Quran does not fix the number of days for which one is to fast, or the number of the poor whom one is to feed or the kind of animal which one is to sacrifice. The Holy Prophet is reported to have once prescribed fasting for three days (i.e. three one-day fasts), and the feeding of six poor men and the offering of a goat as a sacrifice (Bukhari).

The words, when you are safe, mean, when the war is over, or when other obstacles are removed. In such case it is open to a person to proceed to Mecca with the intention of performing ‘Umrah and then stay on to perform Hajj in the ensuing month of Dhul-Hijjah. This is what is referred to in the words: who would avail himself of ‘Umrah together with the Hajj.

‘Umrah and Hajj may be combined in two ways: One way is for the would-be pilgrim to make up his mind to perform the ‘Umrah only and enter into the state of Ihram with that intention, and then perform its rites and finish it. After that on the eighth day of Dhul-Hijjah one should again enter into the state of Ihram and then perform the prescribed rites of Hajj. This form of combining the ‘Umrah and the Hajj is technically called Tamattu‘ which literally means, "availing oneself of a thing".

The second way is that a man should make up his mind to perform the ‘Umrah and Hajj simultaneously. He should, in this case, enter into the state of Ihram with that intention and should remain in that state till the end of the Pilgrimage. This combination of Hajj and ‘Umrah is called قران (Qiran) which literally means, "the putting together of two things". In both Tamattu‘ and Qiran it is obligatory to offer the sacrifice, while in the case of Hajj alone or in the case of ‘Umrah alone, the offering of the sacrifice is not obligatory. In the verse under comment the word تمتع is not used in the technical sense and covers قران also.

The fasting mentioned in the clause, should fast three days during the Pilgrimage, is distinct and separate from the fasting mentioned above. The first-mentioned fasting was meant for those who cannot shave their heads, while this fasting is meant for those who are unable to offer a sacrifice in case of Tamattu‘. The three days spoken of are preferably the 11th, 12th and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah. The remaining seven fasts may be observed after one has returned home.

The clause, this is for him whose family does not reside near the Sacred Mosque, means that the permission to combine Hajj with ‘Umrah is meant not for the residents of Mecca but for those who come from outside. By some, however, the words "the Sacred Mosque" have been extended to include the whole of حرم i.e. the Sacred Territory in and around Mecca.

The final clause, fear Allah and know that Allah is severe in punishing, has a twofold meaning: (1) That Muslims should not think that these are mere minor details of certain outward rites and may therefore not be strictly observed; for all these things which the All-Knowing God has prescribed for the Faithful are necessary in His sight and are meant for their own good. So, whoever neglects these details not only incurs the displeasure of God, but also hinders his own spiritual progress. (2) That the performance of Hajj should not fill the heart with pride (which unfortunately is very often the case nowadays), for this would defeat the very object of Pilgrimage which is the attainment of تقوی or fear of God. In such case, the so-called pilgrim will not find himself nearer God but rather would see His punishment descending on him.

In connection with this verse, it should also be noted that besides giving a general meaning as stated above, it also refers to a specific incident in Islamic history, i.e. the Truce of Hudaibiyyah. The verse was revealed before that truce and hinted that a time was coming when Muslims would start towards Mecca with the intention of performing Pilgrimage, but they would be "kept back" from doing so by disbelievers. Later, however, God would grant them victory over the disbelievers and they would be "safe" to perform the Pilgrimage in peace. What a true picture of the apparent set-back at Hudaibiyyah and the subsequent Fall of Mecca at the hands of the Holy Prophet!

See 2:228.

2:232; 4:130; 65:3.

Important Words:

امساك (retain) is derived from امسك which is again derived from مسك. They say امسك به i.e. he stuck to it. امسك is both transitive and intransitive. امسكه means, he got hold of it and stopped and retained it. امسك عن الکلام means, he abstained from talking. امساك means, (1) to hold or stop or prevent or retain; (2) to refrain or abstain (Aqrab).

تسریح (send away) is the noun-infinitive from سرح (sarraha) which is derived from سرح. They say سرح المواشی i.e. the cattle went forth for grazing. سرح السیل means, the flood moved on leisurely. سرحه means, he sent him away. سرح فلان زوجته means, he sent away or divorced his wife (Aqrab).

حدود (limits) is the plural of حد i.e. a limit. حده means, he put a limit to it. حد الشیء عن الشیء means, he distinguished one thing from the other. الحد means, (1) the limit or the line where two things meet; (2) last limit or extremity of a thing; (3) that by which a thing may be defined; (4) prescribed punishment for an offence. حدود الله means God’s religious commandments (Aqrab).

Commentary:

This verse contains the fifth check on divorce. A man who seeks permanent and irrevocable separation from his wife must pronounce divorce on three separate occasions, each in a separate طھر i.e. period of purity, when the woman is clean and the man has not gone in unto her during that period of purity. The pronouncement of divorce twice or thrice at one and the same time is not permissible as the verse hints in the word مرتان (twice) which signifies a thing happening on two separate occasions and not two things happening at one and the same time. The Holy Prophet treated such collective pronouncements, whatever their number, as only one divorce (Tirmidhi & Dawud). According to Nasa’i, the Holy Prophet was extremely angry when one day he was told that a person had made all the three pronouncements of divorce at one and the same time, and said: "Is the Book of God going to be made a plaything while I am yet among you?"

After the pronouncement of the first two divorces, the husband can take back the divorced wife within ‘iddah, i.e. the period of waiting, with or without her consent; but after the period of waiting is over, he can take her back only with her consent and that after remarrying her. After the pronouncement of the third divorce, however, the husband forfeits this right and the couple are finally separated. A Companion of the Holy Prophet once asked him saying, "The Quran has here spoken of two divorces only, whence comes in the third!" The Prophet referred him to the Quranic words اوتسریح باحسان i.e. or send them away with kindness meaning thereby that after the pronouncement of the first two divorces the husband was free to retain his wife if he so desired but if he wanted irrevocable separation, he should "send her away", i.e. divorce her a third time (Jarir & Musnad). The point is further made clear in the succeeding verse. Thus the word تسریح here signifies طلاق i.e. divorce.

The present verse also makes it clear that when a person divorces his wife, he forfeits مھر i.e. the dower-money he has given her; and if at the time of divorce he has not yet given her the dower-money agreed on by the parties, he must make the payment before the divorce becomes effective. Again, he is not allowed to take back anything he might have given her in the form of gifts and presents as the clause it is not lawful for you that you take anything of what you have given them indicates.

If, however, it is the wife who demands separation, technically known as خلع (Khul‘a lit. the putting off of clothes etc., or the shedding of old leaves), she must get it through a Qadi or judge as the word خفتم (you fear), which has been put in the plural number, hints. In this case she has to part with, in full or in part, her dowry as well as the gifts she might have received from her husband, as agreed on by the parties or decided by the judge. The case of Jamilah, wife of Qais bin Thabit, provides a good illustration of the exercise of the right of Khul‘a by women. She demanded separation from her husband, Qais, on the ground that she did not like him, i.e. their temperaments being different, she could not get on with him. She was granted Kkul‘a by the Holy Prophet, but she had to return to her husband the orchard he had given her (Bukhari). This right, however, is not to be exercised in a light-hearted manner. The Holy Prophet has condemned the action of a woman who demands separation from her husband without valid reason even as he has condemned the action of a man who divorces his wife without genuine cause. He is reported to have said, "A woman who seeks separation from her husband without a legitimate cause shall be deprived of the fragrance of heaven" (Dawud & Tirmidhi). This is what is hinted in the concluding words, these are the limits prescribed by Allah, so transgress them not, etc. The husband and the wife are both warned to fear God and refrain from transgressing the limits imposed by God for their own good.

Commentary:

The story of Talut, Jalut and David has been fittingly concluded by God with the verse under comment to point out that these incidents have been referred to by the Quran not by way of telling a story but as divine signs in order to hint that the Prophet of Islam, being also a Messenger of God, is sure to receive at least the same help and succour as was received by His Messengers of yore.

17:56.

4:165.

4:159;

2:88.

4:56; 10:41.

Important Words:

اقتتلوا and اقتتل (fought with one another) are derived from قتل i.e. he killed. اقتتلوا means, they fought with, and attempted to kill, one another (Aqrab).

Commentary:

This verse supplies an answer to an implied question that naturally arises from the preceding verse. The Prophets that had been raised previous to Islam were sent to particular peoples and their missions were confined to specified periods, but the Holy Prophet was sent to all nations and for all times. Hence it may be argued that the case of David or similar other Leaders who had to deal with certain hostile tribes could not apply to him. God answers this implied question by saying that the previous Prophets also were not all alike, for some of them were greater in rank and had to perform more difficult tasks than others. David, for instance, whose name has just been mentioned as the final link in the chain of the Israelite Prophets and kings who had to contend with their enemies, performed a much greater work than many of his predecessors. So the final victory promised to the Holy Prophet should not appear doubtful in the eyes of the people.

The clause, among them there are those to whom Allah spoke and some of them He exalted by degrees of rank, does not mean that there are some Prophets to whom Allah does not speak or that among them there are those who are not raised in rank. The expression has been used to point out that there are two kinds of Prophets: (1) those who bring a new Law, i.e. those who receive revelation bearing new and direct commandments from God; and (2) those who are not Lawgivers, i.e. those whose prophethood consists only in the loftiness of their spiritual rank. By the word "speaking" therefore is here meant a special kind of speaking, i.e. a revelation which brings a new Law. Thus those Messengers who are represented here as having been "spoken to" by God are the Law-giving Prophets, while those who are spoken of here as having been simply raised in rank are those Messengers of God who are raised to the rank of Prophets without being given any new Law. Of Moses who was a Law-giving Prophet the Quran says: And Allah conversed with Moses particularly and freely (4:165). That there are two kinds of Prophets, (1) مکلم (to whom God speaks particularly), i.e. Lawgivers, and (2) غیر مکلم (to whom God does not speak in that particular manner), i.e. Non-Lawgivers; is also clear from the sayings of the Holy Prophet. For instance, when asked by Abu Dharr whether Adam was a Prophet, the Holy Prophet is reported to have answered, "Yes, he was a مکلم (Mukallam) Prophet" (Musnad). The addition of the word Mukallam to the word Prophet clearly shows that Prophets are of two classes, Mukallam (Lawgivers) and Ghair Mukallam (Non-Lawgivers). Adam was a Lawgiver because it was he who brought the elementary Law.

The Arabic clause منھم من کلم الله و رفع بعضھم درجات may also be rendered as, "Among them there is he to whom Allah spoke and one of them He exalted by degrees of rank." In this case the clause would signify that by the Prophet to whom Allah spoke is meant Moses and by the Prophet whom He exalted by degrees of rank is meant the Holy Prophet to whom God did not only speak, as He speaks to all Prophets, but whom He raised above all others by so many degrees.

The clause, And We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs, does not mean that other Prophets were not granted such proofs. As a matter of fact, all Prophets are given clear proofs and all are strengthened with the Spirit of Holiness; but here God makes particular mention of Jesus in order to refute the objections of the Jews who declared that he had shown no Sign and that he was possessed with an Evil Spirit (Luke 11:15, 16). The Quran declares that Jesus was not an impostor, as the Jews believe, but a true Prophet, and that he was not possessed with the Devil but, like all other holy men, was aided with the Spirit of Holiness. In this connection see also note on 2:88.

The Arabic clause translated as, if Allah had so willed, those that came after them would not have fought with one another, does not mean, as some may wrongly think, that God is the originator of differences. The expression like لوشاء according to the Quranic idiom, does not simply mean "if Allah had willed" but "if Allah had acted according to His will", i.e. if He had enforced His will. In fact, Allah has, in His infinite wisdom, made man free to choose or reject a thing as he likes. That being so, differences are sure to arise among men. But God does not remain a placid on-looker; for whenever differences become vast and acute, He raises a new Reformer. This is why when discord and disagreements began to rend the ranks of the followers of the previous Prophets, God, in accordance with His old law, raised the Holy Prophet of Islam.

The words, Allah does what He desires, further indicate that the infinite wisdom of God demanded that man should be made a free agent. So God does not compel anyone to adopt this course or that. He has given man the power to choose the good or the evil course as he may like and God rewards him accordingly; He does not force anyone to accept the truth; nor should the Faithful.

3:133; 8:21; 33:72.

See 2:26.

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.

10:2; 11:2; 13:2; 14:2; 15:2.

15:2; 26:3; 27:2; 28:3.

Commentary:

In the words Alif Lam Ra i.e. I am Allah, the All-Seeing, the disbelievers have been called upon to make use of their power of observation, hence the reference to the Divine attribute of "Seeing." The Surah tells disbelievers that the Holy Prophet bears a close resemblance to Joseph, and that it is not right for them to call him an impostor before seeing his end.

The word مبین (i.e. clear, for the full meaning of which see 2:169) signifies that the Quran not only states facts and makes predictions and lays down laws and ordinances but also supports and substantiates what it says by solid arguments and sound reasons. The word also means that the Quran is not only clear in itself but also lifts the veil of obscurity from some previous Scriptures. It also implies an answer to the objection that Quranic accounts differ from those of previous Scriptures. Being مبین which means not only "clear" but also "that which makes clear or manifest," it is one of the functions of the Quran to point out errors that have found their way into former Scriptures. It is, therefore, inevitable that it should differ from them.

The word مبین also points to the Quran being complete in itself. It needs no external evidence to demonstrate the truth of its claims but contains adequate internal proofs to substantiate them. It not only puts forth claims but also supplies proofs and arguments in support of them.

The word مبین also contains a beautiful hint that all that is essential for the attainment of nearness to God and all that relates to the laws of Shari‘ah, to ethics, and to matters of belief has been made clear and manifest in the Quran.

11:2; 12:2; 13:2; 14:2; 15:2.

26:2; 27:2; 31:3.

Important Words:

The abbreviated letters الر (Alif Lam Ra) stand for the words انا الله اری i.e. I am Allah Who is All-Seeing. For a detailed discussion of the مقطعات (abbreviations) see 2:2.

تلك (these) is a demonstrative pronoun used to indicate something distant. See also 2:3.

Commentary:

The placing of the particle تلك (these), which relates to something remote and distant, before the words verses of the Book which evidently are not remote, is not without reason. Various explanations have been given for this: Firstly, it has been said that the revelation of the Quran had been promised in previous Scriptures and the word تلك (these) has been used in reference to those verses of previous Scriptures which contained prophecies about the Quran and which have seen their fulfilment in the Quranic verses. Secondly, according to some commentators, God had with Him the complete Book written beforehand and it was out of that Heavenly Book that He revealed verses from time to time. The reference in the pronoun تلك is thus to the original Book with God. Thirdly, other commentators say that this particle has been used to denote the remoteness of the Quran in respect of its high rank. The use of the particle تلك is thus meant to express the great eminence of the verses of the Quran.

Besides the above explanations, there is yet another one, more obvious and better. In the verse that follows, the words, Is it a matter of wonder for men that We have inspired a man from among them, have been used to represent disbelievers as thinking that it was impossible that God should have chosen from among them a man to whom He should have sent His revelation. The pronoun تلك is meant to remove this misgiving of disbelievers, who are told that the thing which they consider to be so remote and impossible has actually come to pass. This meaning is supported by another verse of the Quran which says, They think it to be far off, but We know it to be nigh (70:7, 8.). The expression, full of wisdom, further points out that, not only is there no improbability or strangeness in God’s revelation being sent to man, but also the seemingly improbable prophecies made in the Quran will certainly be fulfilled in the near future.

The word الحکیم (full of wisdom), for which see 2:130, also points to three distinct qualities of the Quran: (a) that it is full of wisdom, comprising the basis of all spiritual knowledge and inculcating all truths; (b) that it embodies teachings suited to all occasions and all circumstances; and (c) that it gives true judgement in all religious differences.

Commentary:

The words, This is of the tidings of the unseen, are intended to hint that the Quranic accounts of the various Prophets are not meant as mere stories of the ancient peoples. They are given in the Quran because they contain a prophetic allusion to the analogous events that were to occur in the life of the Holy Prophet himself. This is what is implied in the words "the tidings of the unseen". The concluding words of the verse, i.e. "the end is for the God-fearing," lend further support to this inference. These accounts also serve to warn Muslims that they too will have to pass through the experiences of the followers of former Prophets and they warn disbelievers that they too shall meet a fate similar to that of the rejecters of past Prophets.

The words, So be thou patient, mean that just as the people of Noah were destroyed, so will a section of the Holy Prophet’s people be destroyed; and then of their seed and of the seed of their companions God will raise a people who will bear the standard of piety and righteousness in every age.

The story of the Deluge with some variations is to be found in the traditions and literature of various countries (see Enc. Rel. & Eth. Enc. Bib. & Enc. Brit. under Deluge). The importance which is attached to it and the widespread credence it commands points to its being an historical event of very great importance. It cannot be denied that a great flood did take place sometime in the remote past, that it was of an extraordinary nature and that it affected many nations of the earth. Its description as given in the Quran, however, shows that there was nothing unnatural about it.

The catastrophe seems to have taken place somewhere at the dawn of human civilization. The Holy Prophet of Islam spoke of Noah as the first Messenger of God, i.e. the first organizer of a religious community (Bukhari, ch. on Anbiya’).The Bible also represents him as such (Gen. 6:8). Hindu traditions, too, corroborate this fact, for they speak of Manu (who is the same as Noah), the Hindu hero of the Deluge, as the first man (Enc. Brit. under Manu). But they add that seven others were saved with him, which points to the fact that he was not the first man absolutely but only the first man of the first cycle of human civilization. These statements made in the Scriptures of three great religions of the world leave no doubt about the fact that Noah laid the foundations of human civilization and culture. In fact, with the progress and advance of a people in civilization, their numbers also begin to grow with a corresponding decrease taking place in the numbers of less civilized communities living with them in the same land. It is a well-known historical fact that whenever a people, comparatively more advanced in culture and civilization, have come to settle in a country, they have either blotted out of existence the less civilized inhabitants of the land or have greatly weakened them. Thus it appears that when the descendants of Noah and those of his companions, who were the founders of human civilization, spread to other lands, because they were more powerful than the people already living there, they either exterminated them or absorbed them by breaking their power. In this way they must have introduced into all the countries they subjugated their own traditions and customs; and consequently the tradition about the Deluge which naturally impressed the subjugated people must also have come to be introduced into other lands. With the lapse of time, however, the immigrants ceased to have any connection with their original home and the catastrophe consequently came to be regarded as a local occurrence, with the result that local names of persons and places came to be substituted for the original names.

In short, the Deluge was not a universal visitation, nor should the traditions of different lands be taken to point to separate floods. It was confined to one land, but owing to the immigration of the descendants of Noah and his companions to other lands, the story spread far and wide and finally the Flood came to be regarded as a local occurrence in every country.

As for the place where the Deluge occurred see note on al-Judi in v. 45.

See 2:2.

13:20; 32:3-4.

Commentary:

Whereas chapters 2, 3 & 7 began with the abbreviated letters Alif Lam Mim (chapter 7 beginning with Alif Lam Mim Sad) and chapters 10, 11 & 12 began with the letters Alif Lam Ra, the present Surah which is the 13th in number opens with the letters, Alif Lam Mim Ra. This difference in the abbreviated letters shows that the subject matter of this Surahvaries a little from that of the three preceding chapters. These four letters stand for the words انا الله اعلم واری i.e. I am Allah, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing, the attribute of "Knowing" having been added to that of "Seeing" referred to in the preceding Surahs. It is obvious that when the attributes of "knowing" and "seeing" are used about God, they signify much more than what such words mean when used about man. God’s sight and knowledge are unlimited both as regards depth and extensiveness.

The words, These are verses of the Book, mean: (a) these are verses of the Book which mankind were instinctively expecting to be given; or (b) these are verses of the Book which had been promised in previous Scriptures. It is impossible success-fully to withstand and oppose such a Book.

The latter part of the verse means that man by nature hankers after true knowledge, but it is surprising that when disbelievers have actually been given a book comprising the truth, they prefer to grope in doubt and darkness rather than accept it.

2:26; 4:58; 47:16.

Commentary:

The idea underlying the word جنة generally rendered as Heaven but literally meaning garden, is not that of a land covered with trees, but of the trees themselves that give shade and cover the land. Thus the sentence تجری من تحت الانھار (through it flow streams) means that streams will flow under the trees of the gardens. This is intended to point not only to the proximity of water but also to the fact that the inmates of Heaven will be the owners and masters of the streams referred to. The word نھر (stream) properly signifies "water running with ease and unrestrictedly," which points to the unhampered and unimpeded progress of believers in Heaven. The word نھر (stream) also symbolizes the vastness of the works of believers, for it is only to water vast areas and not a few acres of land that streams or canals are constructed. Thus the word نھر (stream) implies the fact that the works of believers are and should be wide in their range and the scope of their vision unrestricted. It should be remembered that in the description of Paradise, trees stand for believers’ faith while streams symbolize their works. Just as trees without water become withered and dry, similarly, faith unaccompanied by good works is a dead formality.

The plural form انھار (streams) has been used in order to point to the fact that believers’ good works are of diverse kinds and versatile nature. This is why they will take the form of not one stream but of many. There will be a particular channel of running water representing a corresponding good work of man, reminding the inmates of Heaven that the different streams of Heaven represent their own many good works.

The words, its fruit is everlasting and so is its shade, signify that the fruits of Heaven will see no autumn, no season of decay, nor even of dormancy. Thus there will be no interruption in the boons and blessings of Paradise. "Fruit" and "shade" stand respectively for inward and outward blessings and imply that believers will enjoy all kinds of blessings in Heaven, both external and internal.

The words, the reward of the disbelievers is Fire, mean that as disbelievers paid no heed to their spiritual or moral welfare and only copied and imitated others and lived, as it were, not for themselves but for others, so they will have fire for their reward, which benefits others but burns itself.

10:2; 11:2; 12:2; 13:2; 14:2.

27:2; 31:3.

Commentary:

For the abbreviated letters see 2:2.

The word مبین (illuminating), meaning (1) to make plain and (2) to be plain, signifies both that which makes other things plain and that which is plain itself. In 12:2, the word has been used in the first-mentioned sense, while in the verse under comment it has been used in the latter sense, which signifies that the Quran itself bears testimony to its truth.

It is worthy of note that the Word of God sent to the Holy Prophet is spoken of here both as کتاب (that which is written) and قرآن (that which is read), to indicate that it will be preserved both, through writing and reading. And this has in fact been so. For, of all revealed Scriptures, the Quran alone has been preserved by its verses having been committed to writing as soon as they were revealed and also by its having been committed to memory by hundreds of thousands of Muslims during the past fourteen centuries. The practice of committing the Quran to memory has continued among Muslims since the time of the Holy Prophet, and in every age there have been thousands of Muslims who could recite from memory the whole of it—a distinction shared by no other revealed Book. Even if all copies of the Quran were lost, it would not disappear from the face of the earth, for it is indelibly inscribed on the memories of hundreds of thousands of Muslims from one end of the earth to the other. Thus has the Divine promise made in v. 10 below met with wonderful fulfilment.

One more point is worthy of special note here. Only at two places in the Quran do the words کتاب (Book) and قرآن(Quran) occur together viz. in 27:2 and in the verse under comment. In the present verse the word کتاب (Book) precedes the word قرآن (Quran), while in 27:2 the order has been reversed. As stated above the word کتاب (Book), implies a prophecy that the Holy Book of Islam will continue to be written, and the word قرآن (Quran), points to the prophecy that it will continue to be increasingly read and recited. Now whereas in the present verse the word مبین (illuminating) qualifies the word قرآن (Quran), in 27:2 it qualifies the word کتاب. This shows that the subject matter of the present Surah deals more with the attribute implied in the word قرآن (Quran) than with the attribute implied in the word کتاب (Book). But in 27:2 the order has been reversed, because in that Surah greater emphasis is laid on the changes which are to be brought about by the Quran as a کتاب (A written Book).

In the present Surah, accounts of the lives of those Prophets (e.g. Adam, Abraham, Lot, Salih) have been given in whose time the art of writing either had not been invented or was not common, and knowledge was acquired and preserved mostly by oral recitation and verbal transmission; while in the 27th Surah have been given accounts of the lives of those Prophets (e.g. Moses and David) in whose time writing had come into vogue and learning, instead of being acquired by heart, was acquired by means of the written word.

It is also worthy of note that whereas the words قرآن مبین (Illuminating Quran) have been used in the Quran only twice, the words کتاب مبین(Illuminating Book) have been used no less than twelve times. This is to hint that a record in writing is much more useful than mere oral transmission. Muslims should there-fore pay more attention to education and to the study of written knowledge.

7:44; 43:73; 52:18.

Commentary:

The word نورث signifies that the believers being God’s own beloved children will get Paradise as of right. The word incidentally implies permanence of the gifts of Paradise and constitutes a refutation of any exclusive title of Jesus to be the son of God.

12:2; 15:2; 27:2; 28:3.

Important Words:

مبین (clear) as active participle from أبان which is derived from بان which being intransitive means it (the thing) was or became clear, manifest, plain, etc. أبان is used both as transitive and intransitive. أبان الحق or استبان الحق (haqqu) means, the truth became apparent and أبان الحق (haqqa) means, he made the truth clear. مبین therefore means, (1) that which itself is clear and manifest; (2) that which makes other things clear and (3) that which cuts off one thing from another and renders it distinct and separate from it (Lane & Aqrab). See also 2:169.

Commentary:

The word مبین as its meanings show, points to the following three salient features of the Quran, viz. (1) that it not only states facts and makes prophecies and lays down laws and ordinances but also supports and substantiates what it says and claims by solid arguments and sound reasons; (2) that it is not only clear in itself but makes clear the obscurities and ambiguities that are to be found in previous revealed scriptures; and (3) that all that is essential for the attainment of nearness to God and all that relates to the laws of the Shari‘ah, to ethics and to matters of belief has been made quite clear in it.

This is a quality which the Quran possesses to the entire exclusion of all other revealed Books. Other scriptures are only مستبین (clear in themselves) but the Quran is not only مستبین but is also مبین (makes clear the obscurities that are to be found in other Books). What adds to the beauty of the Quran as کتاب مبین (clear and perspicuous Book) is that all its teachings are in perfect harmony with کتاب مکنون(preserved Book) i.e. pure and unsullied nature.

26:2; 28:2.

15:2; 26:3; 28:3.

Commentary:

For a general discussion about abbreviated letters see 2:2 & 19:2 and about طس see 26:2.

It is significant that whereas 26th and 28th chapters which have the abbreviated letters طسم in their beginning open with the verse "These are the verses of the clear Book", the present Surah which is prefixed with طس begins with the verse, "These are verses of the Quran, and of an illuminating Book." This shows that while in the former two Surahs the Quran was alluded to only with reference to Moses’ Book, in the present Surah it has been mentioned expressly and by name, as in the verse under comment as well as in vv. 7, 93.

One more fact deserves special notice. The verse has used two descriptive words for the Quran, viz. کتاب i.e. the Book and القرآن the Quran. The use of these two words implies a mighty prophecy that the Holy Book of Islam will continue to be preserved in the form of a book till the end of time and that it will be widely studied and read, the word قرآن meaning a book that is read. This prophecy was made at a time when the very art of printing had not yet been known and it was made to a people most of whom could not even read or write. The prophecy has met with marvellous fulfilment. Even the most hostile opponent of Islam can hardly deny the fact that no other book is so widely and frequently read as the Quran. The famous German orientalist Nöldeke writes: "Since the use of the Koran in public worship, in schools and otherwise, is much more extensive than, for example, the reading of the Bible in most Christian countries, it has been truly described as the most widely read book in existence" (Enc. Bri. 9th edit. vol. 16, p.597).

12:2; 15:2; 26:3; 27:2.

Commentary:

This verse has been commented upon in some detail in 12:2; 26:3 & 27:2.

7:170; 16:31.

10:2; 31:3.

Commentary:

The Quran has variously described itself as follows:

"The Book full of wisdom" as in the present verse; "the Book of Allah" (2:102); "the Book" (5:16); "a Book whose verses have been made unchangeable and then they have been expounded in detail" (11:2); "an enlightening Book" (22:9); "a mighty Book" (41:42); "the Book inscribed" (52:3); "a well-preserved Book" (56:79); "the Quran in Arabic" (12:3); "the illuminating Quran" (15:2); the Great Quran" (15:88); "the Quran full of wisdom" (36:2); "the Quran full of exhortation" (38:2); "the noble Quran" (56:78); "the wonderful Quran" (72:2); and "the glorious Quran" (85:22).

The Quran is indeed such a wise, and wonderful Book that "not a single one of the great truths, principles, and ideals enumerated and proclaimed by it has been contradicted or falsified by ancient learning or science, nor by modern discoveries and inventions." It has eminently held its own, and proved equal to the exigencies of time, in every age and period.

Like the abbreviated letters which have been placed in the beginning of different Surahs, the various qualifying words used for the Quran in the above-mentioned Surahs have a subtle connection with their subject matter. A deep study of the context reveals the connection between the two.

Important Words:

بعد (after) has a variety of meanings, some of which are: after or afterwards; behind; before; yet; now; in spite of; contrary to or against; in addition to, or furthermore (Lane & Aqrab).

حدیث (word) means, a piece of information; an announcement; an important news; an account; a narration; a tradition; a thing or matter that is talked of; any discourse that one hears (Lane & Aqrab). See also 4:43.

Commentary:

In view of different meanings of the words بعد and حدیث given above under Important Words, the expression فبأی حدیث بعدہ یؤمنون would mean:

(i) In what word or discourse, after rejecting the Word of Allah and after rejecting His signs, will they believe?

(ii) In what word, contrary to the Word of Allah and His signs, will they believe?

(iii) In what word, after the Word of Allah and His signs have come, will they believe?

(iv) In spite of the fact that the Word of God and His signs have come to them, they do not believe in them. Then in what else would they believe?

Important Words:

ضیزی (unjust) is derived from ضاز which means, he deviated from the right course; he acted unjustly, wrongfully, tyrannically. ضاز فی الحکم means, he gave an unjust judgement. ضاز حقه means, he deprived him or defrauded him of a part or the whole of his right or due (Lane & Aqrab).