Topic: Khairul-Hakimin (Most Just, Best Of Judges)
View Aspects
وَإِن كَانَ طَآئِفَةٌ مِّنكُمْ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِٱلَّذِىٓ أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِۦ وَطَآئِفَةٌ لَّمْ يُؤْمِنُوا۟ فَٱصْبِرُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَحْكُمَ ٱللَّهُ بَيْنَنَا ۚ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ ٱلْحَٰكِمِينَ
Commentary:
The verse refers to the last course that a Prophet adopts after the failure of all his efforts to make his people see the error of their ways and accept the truth. He leaves the whole matter in the hand of God and asks them to wait till God should show a decisive sign which would clearly distinguish between right and wrong.
986
Commentary:
The verse refers to the last course that a Prophet adopts after the failure of all his efforts to make his people see the error of their ways and accept the truth. He leaves the whole matter in the hand of God and asks them to wait till God should show a decisive sign which would clearly distinguish between right and wrong.
وَٱتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَيْكَ وَٱصْبِرْ حَتَّىٰ يَحْكُمَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ ٱلْحَٰكِمِينَ
7:204.
7:204.
7:204.
Commentary:
This, the concluding verse of the present Surah, briefly refers to the subject with which it began. The Holy Prophet is here told that the decree of God is bound to come to pass, for God is not only حکیم (Wise) but also خیر الحاکمین (the Best of Judges). So the Prophet should continue preaching the word of God and bear the persecution of his enemies with patience and fortitude until the decree of God was fulfilled.
In the words, He is the Best of judges, the Quran hints at the fact that God’s decree is going to prove the best for His Prophet. Accordingly, we find that when that decree actually came to pass, the world was simply taken aback. Those who were thirsty for the Prophet’s blood, became his most devoted followers; and the entire country of Arabia like unto the people of Jonah believed in him, and tribesmen from all parts of the land hastened to pay homage to him as their lord and master.
a
7:204.
b
7:204.
1381
Commentary:
This, the concluding verse of the present Surah, briefly refers to the subject with which it began. The Holy Prophet is here told that the decree of God is bound to come to pass, for God is not only حکیم (Wise) but also خیر الحاکمین (the Best of Judges). So the Prophet should continue preaching the word of God and bear the persecution of his enemies with patience and fortitude until the decree of God was fulfilled.
In the words, He is the Best of judges, the Quran hints at the fact that God’s decree is going to prove the best for His Prophet. Accordingly, we find that when that decree actually came to pass, the world was simply taken aback. Those who were thirsty for the Prophet’s blood, became his most devoted followers; and the entire country of Arabia like unto the people of Jonah believed in him, and tribesmen from all parts of the land hastened to pay homage to him as their lord and master.
c
7:204.
فَلَمَّا ٱسْتَيْـَٔسُوا۟ مِنْهُ خَلَصُوا۟ نَجِيًّا ۖ قَالَ كَبِيرُهُمْ أَلَمْ تَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ أَبَاكُمْ قَدْ أَخَذَ عَلَيْكُم مَّوْثِقًا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَمِن قَبْلُ مَا فَرَّطتُمْ فِى يُوسُفَ ۖ فَلَنْ أَبْرَحَ ٱلْأَرْضَ حَتَّىٰ يَأْذَنَ لِىٓ أَبِىٓ أَوْ يَحْكُمَ ٱللَّهُ لِى ۖ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ ٱلْحَٰكِمِينَ
Najiyy means, (1) a secret; (2) one to whom a secret is confided; one who confers with another in private; (4) the act of conferring in private (Aqrab).
According to the Bible it was Judah, the fourth among the brothers, and not Reuben, the eldest of them, who refused to go back to his father without Benjamin. The word which the Qur’an has used is Kabir which means, 'big' or 'elder' and not Akbar which means, 'the eldest.' Judah, being the fourth son of Jacob, was indeed one of the bigger or elder brothers of Joseph. Moreover, Kabir does not only mean 'big' or 'elder' but also means 'leader' and 'great in estimation, rank or dignity,' and it is in this sense that the word has been used here and so applies to Judah and not to Reuben. Judah was more important than Reuben in the eyes of Jacob (Gen. 43: 8-10).
Important Words:
خلصوا (they retired) is derived from خلص which means: (1) it was or became clear or pure or unmixed. They say خلص من القومi.e. he retired or withdrew or went away from the people. The Quranic expression خلصوا نجیا means, they retired, conferring privately together (Lane).
نجیا (conferring together in private). نجى is derived from نجا and means: (1) a secret; (2) one to whom a secret is confided; (3) one who confers with another in private; (4) the act of conferring in private (Aqrab).
کبیر (leader) means, great in body or rank or nobility; big or full-grown; learned or most knowing; teacher or master; lord or chief; old or advanced in age, etc. (Lane). See also 11:4.
Commentary:
Christian critics of the Quran accuse it of being ignorant of even well-known facts of history, basing their criticism on the fact that it was Judah, the fourth among the brothers, and not Reuben, the eldest of them—as they take the word کبیر(leader) to mean—who declared that he would not go back to his father without Benjamin. It is strange that, whenever these self-styled judges of the Quran happen to come across any difference between the narrative of the Quran and that of the Bible, they complacently assume the Bible to be right, as if it is altogether free from anachronism and misstatements, while the fact is that it has been shown even by Christian writers themselves to occupy a very low place among reliable books of history. To doubt the authenticity of an historical fact related by the Quran merely on the basis that it does not agree with the Bible is, to say the least, simply capricious. But even assuming the present Biblical account to be correct, the Quranic account cannot be found fault with. The word which the Quran has used with respect to the brother who refused to go is کبیر which means, "big" or "elder" and not اکبر which means "the eldest." Judah, being the fourth son of Jacob, was indeed one of the big or elder brothers of Joseph.
Again, کبیر does not always mean "big" or "elder" but, as shown under Important Words, it also means "leader" and "great in estimation, rank or dignity," and it is in this sense that the word has been used here and applies to Judah and not to Reuben. For, according to the Bible, the misconduct of Judah’s three elder brothers had resulted in his taking precedence over them (Gen. 49:3-8). Of him Jacob said, "Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise…thy father’s children shall bow down before thee." (Gen. 49:8). That Judah was greater than Reuben in the eyes of Jacob is also apparent from the fact that, when Reuben offered his two sons as hostages for Benjamin, Jacob refused to send Benjamin (Gen. 42:37, 38), but when Judah said, "I will be surety for him," Jacob gave his consent (Gen. 43:9-10).
Jacob’s prediction of Judah’s superiority started the long feud which later separated Judah and Israel.
1580
Important Words:
خلصوا (they retired) is derived from خلص which means: (1) it was or became clear or pure or unmixed. They say خلص من القومi.e. he retired or withdrew or went away from the people. The Quranic expression خلصوا نجیا means, they retired, conferring privately together (Lane).
نجیا (conferring together in private). نجى is derived from نجا and means: (1) a secret; (2) one to whom a secret is confided; (3) one who confers with another in private; (4) the act of conferring in private (Aqrab).
کبیر (leader) means, great in body or rank or nobility; big or full-grown; learned or most knowing; teacher or master; lord or chief; old or advanced in age, etc. (Lane). See also 11:4.
Commentary:
Christian critics of the Quran accuse it of being ignorant of even well-known facts of history, basing their criticism on the fact that it was Judah, the fourth among the brothers, and not Reuben, the eldest of them—as they take the word کبیر(leader) to mean—who declared that he would not go back to his father without Benjamin. It is strange that, whenever these self-styled judges of the Quran happen to come across any difference between the narrative of the Quran and that of the Bible, they complacently assume the Bible to be right, as if it is altogether free from anachronism and misstatements, while the fact is that it has been shown even by Christian writers themselves to occupy a very low place among reliable books of history. To doubt the authenticity of an historical fact related by the Quran merely on the basis that it does not agree with the Bible is, to say the least, simply capricious. But even assuming the present Biblical account to be correct, the Quranic account cannot be found fault with. The word which the Quran has used with respect to the brother who refused to go is کبیر which means, "big" or "elder" and not اکبر which means "the eldest." Judah, being the fourth son of Jacob, was indeed one of the big or elder brothers of Joseph.
Again, کبیر does not always mean "big" or "elder" but, as shown under Important Words, it also means "leader" and "great in estimation, rank or dignity," and it is in this sense that the word has been used here and applies to Judah and not to Reuben. For, according to the Bible, the misconduct of Judah’s three elder brothers had resulted in his taking precedence over them (Gen. 49:3-8). Of him Jacob said, "Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise…thy father’s children shall bow down before thee." (Gen. 49:8). That Judah was greater than Reuben in the eyes of Jacob is also apparent from the fact that, when Reuben offered his two sons as hostages for Benjamin, Jacob refused to send Benjamin (Gen. 42:37, 38), but when Judah said, "I will be surety for him," Jacob gave his consent (Gen. 43:9-10).
Jacob’s prediction of Judah’s superiority started the long feud which later separated Judah and Israel.
1399A
Najiyy means, (1) a secret; (2) one to whom a secret is confided; one who confers with another in private; (4) the act of conferring in private (Aqrab).
1400
According to the Bible it was Judah, the fourth among the brothers, and not Reuben, the eldest of them, who refused to go back to his father without Benjamin. The word which the Qur’an has used is Kabir which means, 'big' or 'elder' and not Akbar which means, 'the eldest.' Judah, being the fourth son of Jacob, was indeed one of the bigger or elder brothers of Joseph. Moreover, Kabir does not only mean 'big' or 'elder' but also means 'leader' and 'great in estimation, rank or dignity,' and it is in this sense that the word has been used here and so applies to Judah and not to Reuben. Judah was more important than Reuben in the eyes of Jacob (Gen. 43: 8-10).