يَعْمَلُ

62:9.

Commentary:

The reason why Jews were more attached to the world than pagans is that the latter did not believe in any retribution after death and, therefore, though they loved this world as the only place for enjoying honour and happiness and entertained no hope about the next, yet with no fear of punishment after death, they were less cringingly attached to the present life than the Jews, who believed in Resurrection after death and feared in their hearts that their actions would make them liable to punishment before God.

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).

2:150, 151.

Important Words:

قد (verily) means, already; sometimes; often; verily, etc. (Lane).

تقلب (turning) is derived from قلب. They say قلب الشیء i.e. (1) he made the thing change direction; (2) he turned it about so that its face and back changed directions; (3) he turned it upside down; (4) he turned it inside out; (5) he changed its condition. The word قلب (qallaba) gives almost the same meaning but with greater intensification. تقلب الشیء means, the thing turned over and over, doing so much and repeatedly (Aqrab). The expression تقلب وجھك would therefore mean, turning thy face with eagerness and anxiety to receive an order.

فلنولینك (We will make thee turn) is derived from ولی (walla) which again is derived from ولی (waliya). The expression ولاهgives two distinct meanings: (1) he made him ruler or master or guardian of it; (2) he made it change direction or he made it turn towards a thing or away from it as the case may be (Aqrab).

الحرام (Sacred) is derived from حرم which means, it was or became forbidden, prohibited or unlawful whether from sanctity or owing to its being injurious. حرمه الشیء means, he denied or refused him the thing. Thus

حرام means: (1) forbidden and unlawful; (2) sacred and inviolable (Aqrab). المسجدالحرام signifies, the Sacred Mosque at Mecca, i.e. the Ka‘bah.

Commentary:

While at Mecca, the Holy Prophet had orders to turn his face in Prayers towards the sacred Temple at Jerusalem. The Prophet, of course, obeyed the divine behest; but, as in his heart of hearts he desired the Ka‘bah to be his Qiblah and had a sort of intuition that eventually he would be ordered to turn his face towards it, he generally tried to choose such a place for worship where he could keep both the sacred Temple at Jerusalem and the Sacred Mosque of Mecca before him. When, however, the Holy Prophet migrated to Medina, it became impossible for him to turn his face to both the places at one and the same time, and in compliance with divine command he was forced to turn his face to the Temple at Jerusalem alone. With this change the inner desire of the Holy Prophet naturally became intensified, and though, out of deference to God’s command, he did not actually pray for the change, yet he anxiously and eagerly looked towards heaven for an order to that effect. The clause, verily We see thee turning thy face often to heaven, is therefore highly eulogistic of the Prophet, inasmuch as it indicates (1) that the Holy Prophet had such great insight into spiritual matters that in spite of the interim command from God he knew that sooner or later the order for turning the face towards the Ka‘bah would come; (2) that despite his great desire that the Ka‘bah should be appointed as Qiblah, the Holy Prophet had such extraordinary respect for his Lord’s command that he refrained from even praying to that effect; (3) that God the Almighty had such great love for His Messenger that He most graciously refers to his turning his face towards heaven and expedites the command about the change of Qiblah, lovingly adding, We will make thee turn to the Qiblah which thou likest; and (4) that God had such great regard for the wish of the Prophet that He not only ordered him to turn his face towards the Qiblah of his liking but at the same time hinted that He would soon make him master and guardian of it; for, as explained under Important Words, the expression نولینك also means, "We will make thee master or guardian". Truly did ‘A’ishah say to her illustrious husband, "I see that God hastens to fulfil your wishes" (Bukhari, ch. on Tafsir).

After the above introduction follows the commandment about the change of Qiblah in the words, So turn thy face towards the Sacred Mosque; and wherever you be, turn your faces towards it. This commandment was given after the Holy Prophet had migrated to Medina and had stayed there for about sixteen months. The words "Sacred Mosque" do not merely stand for the Ka‘bah but also provide an argument in favour of the change ordered. The Mosque was sacred and full of blessings and would prove a sanctuary for the faithful. The words, wherever you be, turn your faces towards it, have been added with a threefold purpose: (1) to make it clear that the order was not meant for the people of Medinaonly but for all Muslims wherever they might be; (2) to point to the fact that one of the reasons underlying the order relating to the Qiblah was to bring about unity and uniformity among all Muslims, wherever they might be; and (3) to hint that the commandment did not apply to the Holy Prophet only but extended to all Muslims, for whereas, in the preceding clause the Quran says, turn thy face, in the clause under comment it says, turn your faces.

The words, They to whom the Book has been given know that this is the truth from their Lord, mean that Jews and Christians were convinced on the basis of prophecies found in their Scriptures having special reference to the Ka‘bah and the Holy Prophet (Isa. 45:13, 14; John 4:21; Deut. 33:2; Gen. 21:21), that the commandment about the change of the Qiblah from the Temple at Jerusalem to the Ka‘bah at Mecca was truly from God. Mecca lies in what is known as the Desert of Faran or Paran mentioned in some of the above-mentioned verses of the Bible, and therefore the Jews knew that the prophecies contained in them applied to the Ka‘bah and the Holy Prophet.

It may be noted here that, though in ordinary circumstances, the Muslims are enjoined to turn their faces to the Ka‘bah when saying their prayers, yet as direction is of secondary importance, Islam ordains that, if in special circumstances, it becomes difficult for a man to turn his face to the Ka‘bah or to keep it so turned, he can say his Prayers in any direction that may be convenient. For instance, when a man does not know in which direction the Ka‘bah lies, while travelling at night in a Railway train or on the back of an animal, etc., he can pray facing any direction. Similarly, a sick man lying in bed may pray in a lying posture facing any direction that he may find convenient.

9:50.

Commentary:

The enemies of Islam, both open and secret, are grieved to see the success of believers and try to minimize it. But when Muslims meet with some failure, they rejoice and try to exaggerate it. Their object is to dishearten and discourage believers.

The words, Allah encompasses their deeds, signify that God will bring to nought all their doings and destroy them. Muslims should not, therefore, fear them. All machinations of the enemies of Islam are known to God, Who will frustrate them.

Commentary:

The words ھم درجات literally mean, they are different grades. Actually, however, they mean, they are the possessors of different grades of grace, the word اولوا (possessors) being understood before the word درجات. The word اولوا has been dropped to intensify the meaning, as if the holders of these grades of grace were the very grades personified.

4:82.

6:55; 16:120; 24:6.

Commentary:

The expression بجھالة (ignorantly) does not mean that the offenders do evil without knowing that it is evil. In fact, every evil deed which a man does is an act of ignorance, born of lack of true knowledge. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said, "There are some kinds of 'knowledge' which are really 'ignorance' ", i.e. the learning of which is injurious to man (Bihar). So the expression بجھالة (ignorantly) has been added to point to the philosophy of sin and to exhort people to acquire true knowledge with a view to avoiding sin.

The words من قریب (soon after) here mean "before death" which may come at any time and is thus always near. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said: "Allah accepts the repentance of man till the agonies of death" Muslim, ch. on Taubah). This explanation is corroborated by what is said in the next verse (4:19), viz. who continue to do evil until when death faces one of them, he says, I do repent now. This shows that repentance may be accepted of any person, if he sincerely repents before death actually overtakes him.

2:62; 3:92; 47:35.

6:123; 9:37; 10:13; 27:5; 40:38; 49:8.

Commentary:

In the foregoing verses, the Quran has spoken rather contemptuously of the utter helplessness of the false deities whom people associate with God. This might lead some Muslims to revile the false deities of the polytheists. The present verse warns them against following such a course. God has denounced the idols in His capacity as a judge, and the denunciation of a judge is not considered as abuse, but as a necessary expression of opinion. This does not give others the right to abuse the persons condemned by the Heavenly Judge and thereby offend their feelings, or the feelings of those who love and respect them.

The verse provides yet another reason for this noble teaching. It purports to say, if you, O Muslims, revile disbelievers’ false gods whom they treat with love and reverence, the result will be that they will be excited by your abuse and will retaliate by reviling God in return. The verse thus not only inculcates respect for the feelings of others but also assures amity between nations and communities.

The expression زینا (We have caused to seem fair) signifies not that God has actually beautified evil actions but that He has so created the nature of man (and in this law of God lies the secret of man’s progress) that when he goes on doing a thing for some length of time, he acquires a liking for it, and his action begins to appear good in his sight. So, in accordance with this general law of God, idolaters have also come to like their worship of idols, which appears to them to be good and meritorious.