Topic: Evil Practices Of

Commentary:

The "associate-gods" here referred to are divines, soothsayers and others. The "killing of children" happened in three ways: (1) some of the Arabs killed their female children and preserved the male ones; (2) some took the vow that if they had a certain number of children, whether male or female, one of them would be slaughtered in the name of God or in the name of one of their deities; and (3) sometimes they sacrificed their children to avert a calamity.

The word کثیر (many) in the expression, to many of the idolaters, shows that all Arabs did not indulge in this practice, nor even most of them, but only a considerable number. But, whatever the number, the practice provides one more instance of how men go astray when they begin to make laws for themselves with the sole aid of reason.

The particle ل (that) in لیـردوھم (that they may ruin them) is here used to express عاقبة (the result) and not the cause or motive. Thus, the sentence would mean that the result of the action of the associate-gods was that men who followed them were spiritually ruined. When a man goes so far as even to sacrifice his son in obedience to another person’s bidding, then he is entirely under the latter’s control, and is thus completely ruined in respect of religion.

Important Words:

حجر (forbidden). حجرہ (hajara-hu) means, he prevented or prohibited or forbade or interdicted him; or tie deprived him. حجر (hijr) means, forbidden or prohibited or unlawful; the faculty of reason or understanding because it prevents one from doing improper acts. The word also means custody or guardianship (Aqrab).

Commentary:

This verse gives another instance of the absurdity of man-made laws.

By "forbidden crops" are meant such cultivated fields as were dedicated to idols. These could be used only by the priests that attended upon the idols. The cattle might eat of all crops except those that were dedicated to idols.

The cattle whose backs were forbidden are those mentioned in 5:104. Nobody was allowed to ride them or use them as beasts of burden.

The cattle over which they pronounce not the name of Allah are the cattle which they dedicated to their associate-gods. There is no reference here to the mentioning of God’s name at the time of slaughtering.

Commentary:

The verse refers to another absurd custom of the Arabs. The Divine attributes "Wise" and "All-Knowing" have been mentioned here to point out that the people got entangled in these foolish beliefs and practices because they turned away from the Wise and Knowing God and followed false deities and their foolish devotees.

Commentary:

This verse recapitulates what has been said above about man-made laws. For the killing of children, see 6:138 above. The words, for lack of knowledge, signify that they do so because they do not possess revealed knowledge, which is the only source of true guidance.

6:100; 13:5; 16:12; 35:28; 36:35-36.

Important Words:

معروشات (trellised) is the plural of معروشة and is derived from عرش which means, he built or constructed a frame work or a trellis for supporting grapevines; or he built a shed or an enclosure, etc. So معروشة means, furnished with or trained on trellises. They say کروم معروشات i.e. grapevines furnished with or trained on trellises which are a framework for supporting the vines. عریش means, structure or trellis made for supporting grapevines; an enclosure made for beasts to protect them from cold. عرش means, a shed or booth, etc. constructed for shade; a hut; a house or a dwelling; the roof of a house; a throne (Lane).

حصاد (harvest) is derived from حصد i.e. he reaped or cut a seed-produce or herbage, etc. حصید means, reaped produce; حصادmeans time or season of reaping; also fruit or produce (Lane).

Commentary:

In the foregoing verses the Quran referred to some of the laws which pagan Arabs, unaided by Divine revelation, haddevised for themselves. Now, the Quran proceeds to give some of its own laws, so that the reader may contrast them with the man-made laws alluded to above. One of the man-made laws pertained to the fruits of the earth (6:141 above). Therefore, the Quran gives here its laws about these. It declares them to be lawful and pure, subject only to the condition that in eating them we should "not exceed the bounds", i.e. we should only eat as much of them as is not injurious to our health and morals.

The pronoun in the words حقه (His due) may either refer to God, or to ثـمر (fruit). In the former case, the sentence would mean that on the day of reaping we should give what is due to God as alms. In the latter case, it would mean that on the day of reaping we should give as charity a portion of the fruit which is in the nature of something due against it in order to make it pure.

It may be noted here that there are two kinds of charity in Islam–– obligatory and optional. But as, according to the practice and sayings of the Holy Prophet, زکاة i.e. obligatory charity or legal alms, is not due from all the fruits named in the verse but only from the fruit of the palm tree, so if it is the obligatory charity that is meant here, then the commandment to "pay His due" will apply only to the fruit of palm trees. It is, however, better to take the verse as referring to optional charity which may be given from all kinds of fruits. The use of the imperative mood in the words "pay His due" does not necessarily make it an obligatory command, for this form of the verb is also freely used in the Quran for the purpose of exhortation. This interpretation is in keeping with the practice of the Holy Prophet’s Companions who were in the habit of setting apart a portion of their produce for the poor, and such is also the practice of pious Muslims today.

Commentary:

This and the preceding verse imply a subtle rebuke to the disbelievers. After having declared the Glory, Majesty and Dignity of God in the former verses, these two verses seem to say to them that, instead of adoring such a Mighty and Powerful Creator and Lord, they stoop so low as to worship gods made of wood and stone.

It may be noted here that some prejudiced Christian critics of the Holy Prophet have woven quite a fantastic and foolish story of his having fallen a victim to the machinations of the Satan.

It is stated that one day at Mecca, when the Holy Prophet recited this Surah and as in his recitation he came upon these verses, before a mixed assembly of Muslims and disbelievers, Satan contrived to put in his mouth the words: تلک الغرانیق العلیٰ و ان شفا عتھن لترتجیٰ i.e. these are exalted goddesses and their intercession is hoped for (Zurqani). The critics call it the "lapse of Muhammad" or his "compromise with idolatry" and seem to rely upon Waqidi—that inveterate liar and fabricator of reports—or on Tabari, who is generally regarded as a credulous and indiscriminate narrator of events, for this entirely baseless story. These gentlemen have the audacity to attribute this blasphemous utterance to that great iconoclast (the Holy Prophet) whose whole life was spent in denouncing and condemning idolatry and who carried out his noble mission with unremitting vigour and fearless devotion, spurning all offers of compromise with idol worship, and whom blandishments, bribes, cajolery or intimidation failed to move an inch from his set purpose, and to whose unshakable firmness against idolatry the Almighty Himself has borne testimony in the words: ودوا لو تدھن فیدھنون i.e. it is their intense desire that thou shouldst show some pliancy so that they may also be pliant (68:10).

Moreover, the whole context gives the direct lie to this baseless assertion. Not only do the verses that follow but the whole Surah contains an unsparing condemnation of idolatry and an uncompromising insistence on Divine Unity. It is strange that this patent fact should have escaped the notice of the Holy Prophet’s critics and carpers.

Historical data, too, lend no support whatever to this so-called "lapse." The story has been rejected as completely unreliable by all the learned commentators of the Quran, Ibn Kathir and Radi among them. The renowned leaders of Muslim religious thought, well versed in the science of Hadith, such as ‘Aini, Qadi ‘Ayyad and Nawawi, have regarded it as pure invention. No trace of this story is to be found in الصحاح الستة (the Six Reliable Collections of Hadith). Imam Bukhari, whose collection, the Sahih Al-Bukhari, is regarded by Muslim scholars as the most reliable book next to the Quran and who himself was a contemporary of Waqidi to whom goes the unenviable credit of forging and reporting this story, makes no mention of it, nor does the great historian, Ibn Ishaq, who was born more than 40 years before him. It may be, as stated by Qastalaniand Zurqani and supported by some other eminent scholars, that when the Holy Prophet, during the recital of the present Surah before a mixed assembly of Muslims and disbelievers, came to these verses, some evil-minded person from among the disbelievers might have loudly interjected the words تلک الغرانیق العلی الخ, as was the disbelievers’ wont to create confusion by resorting to such low tactics, when the Quran was being recited (41:27).

It is also on record that in the "Days of Ignorance," the Quraish, when making a circuit of the Ka‘bah, used to recite the sentence: تلک الغرانیق العلی و ان شفاعتھن لترتجیٰ (Mu‘jamul-Buldan, vol. 5, under ‘Uzza).

Besides, it is not possible for the Satan to interfere with the purity of the Quranic text. God has taken it upon Himself to protect and safeguard the Quran against all interference and interpolation (15:10 & 72:27-29). So the whole story as invented by Waqidi and taken undue advantage of by Muir and others of his class is a pure myth and possesses no basis in fact.

It is further stated that the 53rd verse of Surah Al-Hajj was revealed in connection with this incident. The fact that theSurah under comment was revealed in the 5th year of the Call and Surah Al-Hajj in the 13th or 12th year, takes the bottom completely from under this baseless assertion.

6:101; 16:58; 37:154; 43:17; 52:40.

Commentary:

The verse administers a further rebuke to the Meccan pagans, purporting to say to them that apart from their blasphemous practice of associating gods, made of wood and stone, with God the Almighty, the Creator of heavens and earth and the Lord of Glory, Majesty and Dignity, they have the hardihood to assign to Him daughters whose birth they regard as a source of disgrace and humiliation in their own case.

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).

7:72; 12:41; 22:72.

Commentary:

Whereas a true believer stands on the bedrock of certainty and sure knowledge (12:109), an idolater possesses no rational argument and no revealed authority for his false beliefs or doctrines. He falls a helpless victim to conjecture and superstition and is a slave to his own desires and fancies. The verse, as also v. 29, speaks of the utter untenability of an idolater’s position. He stands on a broken reed.