Topic: Abyssinia (Najashi) Moved To Tears
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۞ لَتَجِدَنَّ أَشَدَّ ٱلنَّاسِ عَدَٰوَةً لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱلْيَهُودَ وَٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ ۖ وَلَتَجِدَنَّ أَقْرَبَهُم مَّوَدَّةً لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا نَصَٰرَىٰ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ مِنْهُمْ قِسِّيسِينَ وَرُهْبَانًا وَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ
Qissis means, the head or chief of the Christians in knowledge or science; a learned man of the Christians who has sought after and acquired great knowledge; an intelligent and learned man (Lane).
Ruhban is the plural of Rahib which means an ascetic, a Christian monk; a religious recluse; one who devotes himself to religious services or exercises in a cell or monastery (Lane).
This state of affairs, however, was not to last for ever. The Qur’an elsewhere warns Muslims that they were destined to suffer most grievously at the hands of Christians who would attack them from all sides (21:97). In the Hadith also there are prophecies to this effect. The verse applies only to the Christians of the Holy Prophet’s time. History bears out this inference. Najashi, the Christian King of Abyssinia, gave shelter to Muslim refugees; and Muqauqas, the Christian ruler of Egypt, sent presents to the Holy Prophet. Humility seemed to be one of the chief characteristics of the early Christians. This is evident from the different ways in which the epistles of the Holy Prophet were treated by the King of Persia, who was a heathen, and by Heraclius, Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, who was a Christian. The former tore the letter to pieces, while the latter received it with respect and even evinced some inclination towards Islam.
Important Words:
قسیسین (savants) is the plural of قسیس which is formed from قس. They say قسه i.e. he sought after or pursued it; or he sought after or pursued it leisurely or repeatedly or by degrees. The word also means, he became a قسیس which means, the head or chief of the Christians in knowledge or science, or one of their heads or chiefs; a learned man of the Christians who has sought after and acquired great knowledge; an intelligent and learned man (Lane).
رھبانا (monks) is the plural of راھب which is derived from رھب which means, he feared, or he feared with caution. راھبmeans, a fearer or a cautious fearer; a fearer of God; an ascetic, because he fears God much; a Christian devotee or monk; a religious recluse; one who devotes himself to religious services or exercises in a cell or monastery. رھبانیة means the state of a (monk), and راھب signifies excess in religious exercises and discipline and detaching oneself from mankind; monkery; asceticism (Lane).
Commentary:
As a rule, the followers of a new Prophet meet with greater opposition from the followers of the Prophet immediately preceding him than from the followers of those Prophets who had appeared in the remote past. But, contrary to this general practice, Jews, who should have been less inimically disposed towards the Muslims than Christians, proved at least in the Holy Prophet’s time to be bitterer enemies of Islam than Christians, who were comparatively less inimical. This state of affairs, however, was not to last forever. The Quran elsewhere warns Muslims that they were destined to suffer most grievously at the hands of Christians, who would attack them from all directions, (21:97). In the Hadith also there are prophecies to this effect. So the verse under comment may not be taken to apply to Christians of all times but only to those of the Holy Prophet’s time who lived round about him; and history bears out this inference. Najjashi, the Christian King of Abyssinia, gave shelter to Muslim refugees; and Muqauqas the Christian ruler of Egypt, sent presents to the Holy Prophet.
It appears that humility formed one of the chief characteristics of early Christians, and the teachings of Jesus about turning the other cheek to the striker seems to have exercised its influence on their lives for some centuries. This is evident from the different ways in which the epistles of the Holy Prophet were treated by the King of Persia, who was a heathen, and by Heraclius, Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, who was a Christian. The former tore the letter to pieces, while the latter received it respectfully and even evinced some inclination towards Islam.
So long as the above qualities formed distinctive features of the Christian character, Muslims generally met with fairer treatment at their hands. But as time passed, these qualities gradually took leave of them and now there are very few among Christian divines and religious leaders who are engaged in real and honest religious research, withdrawing from the cares of the world and taking an active and living interest in spiritual matters. Christian scholars began to meddle in politics in the 13th or 14th century, with the result that they became hostile to Islam.
391
قِسِّيْس (Qissis) 的意思是有知识或科学知识的基督徒的首脑人物; 一个明智而有学识的人 (Lane)。
392
رُهْبَانْ (Ruhban) 是 رَاهِبْ (Rahib) 的复数, 意思是: 苦行者、基督教修道士; 宗教隐士; 在修道院或其密室中把自己贡献给宗教工作或修业的人。(Lane)
713
Important Words:
قسیسین (savants) is the plural of قسیس which is formed from قس. They say قسه i.e. he sought after or pursued it; or he sought after or pursued it leisurely or repeatedly or by degrees. The word also means, he became a قسیس which means, the head or chief of the Christians in knowledge or science, or one of their heads or chiefs; a learned man of the Christians who has sought after and acquired great knowledge; an intelligent and learned man (Lane).
رھبانا (monks) is the plural of راھب which is derived from رھب which means, he feared, or he feared with caution. راھبmeans, a fearer or a cautious fearer; a fearer of God; an ascetic, because he fears God much; a Christian devotee or monk; a religious recluse; one who devotes himself to religious services or exercises in a cell or monastery. رھبانیة means the state of a (monk), and راھب signifies excess in religious exercises and discipline and detaching oneself from mankind; monkery; asceticism (Lane).
Commentary:
As a rule, the followers of a new Prophet meet with greater opposition from the followers of the Prophet immediately preceding him than from the followers of those Prophets who had appeared in the remote past. But, contrary to this general practice, Jews, who should have been less inimically disposed towards the Muslims than Christians, proved at least in the Holy Prophet’s time to be bitterer enemies of Islam than Christians, who were comparatively less inimical. This state of affairs, however, was not to last forever. The Quran elsewhere warns Muslims that they were destined to suffer most grievously at the hands of Christians, who would attack them from all directions, (21:97). In the Hadith also there are prophecies to this effect. So the verse under comment may not be taken to apply to Christians of all times but only to those of the Holy Prophet’s time who lived round about him; and history bears out this inference. Najjashi, the Christian King of Abyssinia, gave shelter to Muslim refugees; and Muqauqas the Christian ruler of Egypt, sent presents to the Holy Prophet.
It appears that humility formed one of the chief characteristics of early Christians, and the teachings of Jesus about turning the other cheek to the striker seems to have exercised its influence on their lives for some centuries. This is evident from the different ways in which the epistles of the Holy Prophet were treated by the King of Persia, who was a heathen, and by Heraclius, Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, who was a Christian. The former tore the letter to pieces, while the latter received it respectfully and even evinced some inclination towards Islam.
So long as the above qualities formed distinctive features of the Christian character, Muslims generally met with fairer treatment at their hands. But as time passed, these qualities gradually took leave of them and now there are very few among Christian divines and religious leaders who are engaged in real and honest religious research, withdrawing from the cares of the world and taking an active and living interest in spiritual matters. Christian scholars began to meddle in politics in the 13th or 14th century, with the result that they became hostile to Islam.
785
Qissis means, the head or chief of the Christians in knowledge or science; a learned man of the Christians who has sought after and acquired great knowledge; an intelligent and learned man (Lane).
786
Ruhban is the plural of Rahib which means an ascetic, a Christian monk; a religious recluse; one who devotes himself to religious services or exercises in a cell or monastery (Lane).
787
This state of affairs, however, was not to last for ever. The Qur’an elsewhere warns Muslims that they were destined to suffer most grievously at the hands of Christians who would attack them from all sides (21:97). In the Hadith also there are prophecies to this effect. The verse applies only to the Christians of the Holy Prophet’s time. History bears out this inference. Najashi, the Christian King of Abyssinia, gave shelter to Muslim refugees; and Muqauqas, the Christian ruler of Egypt, sent presents to the Holy Prophet. Humility seemed to be one of the chief characteristics of the early Christians. This is evident from the different ways in which the epistles of the Holy Prophet were treated by the King of Persia, who was a heathen, and by Heraclius, Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, who was a Christian. The former tore the letter to pieces, while the latter received it with respect and even evinced some inclination towards Islam.
وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا۟ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ تَرَىٰٓ أَعْيُنَهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ ٱلدَّمْعِ مِمَّا عَرَفُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ ۖ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا فَٱكْتُبْنَا مَعَ ٱلشَّٰهِدِينَ
3:54, 194.
3:54, 194.
The verse has also been applied to the Najashi in particular. When Ja‘far, a cousin of the Holy Prophet and spokesman of Muslim refugees in Abyssinia read to him the opening verses of the Surah Maryam, the Najashi was visibly moved and tears rolled down his cheeks and he said in a voice full of pathos that that exactly was his belief about Jesus, and that he did not look upon him by even a twig more than that (Hisham).
3:54, 194.
Commentary:
The description given in this verse of some of the Christians of the time of the Holy Prophet applies to all those who have a real hankering after truth and are ready to accept it wherever they find it. The verse has also been applied to Najjashi in particular. When Ja‘far, a cousin of the Holy Prophet and the spokesman of Muslim refugees to Abyssinia, tried to make clear their attitude towards Jesus and to dispel the suspicion caused by the Meccan emissaries about the alleged derogatory language used by the Quran concerning Jesus and read to Najjashithe opening verses of the chapter Maryam, the latter, along with such of his companions as feared God, was visibly moved, and tears rolled down his cheeks and he said in a voice full of pathos that that exactly was his belief about Jesus, and that he did not look upon him by even a twig more than that (Hisham, i. 305, 306).
a
3:54, 194.
a
3:54, 194.
714
Commentary:
The description given in this verse of some of the Christians of the time of the Holy Prophet applies to all those who have a real hankering after truth and are ready to accept it wherever they find it. The verse has also been applied to Najjashi in particular. When Ja‘far, a cousin of the Holy Prophet and the spokesman of Muslim refugees to Abyssinia, tried to make clear their attitude towards Jesus and to dispel the suspicion caused by the Meccan emissaries about the alleged derogatory language used by the Quran concerning Jesus and read to Najjashithe opening verses of the chapter Maryam, the latter, along with such of his companions as feared God, was visibly moved, and tears rolled down his cheeks and he said in a voice full of pathos that that exactly was his belief about Jesus, and that he did not look upon him by even a twig more than that (Hisham, i. 305, 306).
a
3:54, 194.
788
The verse has also been applied to the Najashi in particular. When Ja‘far, a cousin of the Holy Prophet and spokesman of Muslim refugees in Abyssinia read to him the opening verses of the Surah Maryam, the Najashi was visibly moved and tears rolled down his cheeks and he said in a voice full of pathos that that exactly was his belief about Jesus, and that he did not look upon him by even a twig more than that (Hisham).