عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

1215

Important Words:

صدقات (alms) is the plural of and here signifies Zakah. See also 4:5.

الفقراء (the poor) is the plural of فقیر which is derived from) فقر (faqara) which means, he dug the ground or he dug a well to draw forth water; or he bored or perforated beads, etc. فقر البعیر means, he made an incision in the nose of the camel to render it tractable. فقرہ also means, he broke the فقار or vertebrae of his back. فقر (faqura) or فقر (faqira) or افتقرmeans, he was or became poor or needy. فقر (faqrun) means, poverty, want or need; the state of a man when he has only what suffices for his household. فقیر means, poor or needy; one having only what suffices for his household; one who has only a bare sufficiency of food; one who is crippled by disease; one who has no trade or has only a mean trade. The word (one who possesses only what is barely sufficient) differs from مسکین (for which see below) which means, one who possesses nothing, altogether destitute. Some authorities however differ from this view (Lane). See also 2:269.

المساکین (the needy) is the plural of مسکین which is derived from سکن which means, he or it was or became still, motionless or stationary or quiet or clam. مسکین means, lowly, humble or submissive; low, abject or in a state of humiliation; weak, subdued or suppressed; poor; destitute, i.e. possessing nothing; or possessing somewhat; rendered by poverty to have little power of motion. Authorities differ as to who is in a worse condition—فقیر or مسکین (Lane).

Commentary:

In the previous verse reference was made to the displeasure of the hypocrites if they were not given a share in the Zakah. The present verse defines the objects for which Zakah is to be spent and these, as the verse explains, are eight in number.

The first-mentioned class, i.e. فقراء (the poor), signifies those broken or perforated with poverty or disease, whereas, the second-mentioned class, i.e. مساکین (the needy) signifies those rendered motionless through want of means, e.g. the unemployed, or those possessing the ability to work but lacking the means thereof.

The words, those employed in connection therewith, signify those who are employed in collecting Zakah, or in keeping an account thereof or in the performance of any other duty connected therewith.

The words, whose hearts are to be reconciled, mean those whose hearts are sincerely inclined towards Islam but who, owing to their having become disconnected with their former society, stand in need of monetary help. The term extends to new converts also.

The word, slaves, signifies, besides actual slaves, captives and such persons as are called upon to pay blood money to secure their freedom.

The expression, for those in debt, means those who are unable to pay their debts or those who have suffered an extraordinary loss in trade, etc.

The words, for the cause of Allah, imply every good or pious work commanded by God.

The term ابن السبیل (the wayfarer) includes those stranded on a journey for lack of money; or those who travel in search of knowledge or for promoting social relations. See also 2:178.

1159

Commentary:

The treacherous dealing mentioned here is that disbelievers should do evil in return for the kindness shown to them. As was the custom in Arabia, pre-Islamic Arabs used to slay their powerful enemies, whenever they fell into their hands. The verse, therefore, signifies that if the enemies of Islam proved treacherous, God would give Muslims power over them again; so it is not necessary for Muslims to put their prisoners to death as pre-Islamic Arabs used to do.

God knew that the time was soon coming when the disbelievers would embrace Islam, hence the injunction to spare their lives and to treat them with kindness, for was not God "All-Knowing, Wise"?

1178

Commentary:

The pronoun "their" in the words, the wrath of their hearts, refers to disbelievers, and the sentence means that God may thereby do away with the wrath that had been kindled in the hearts of disbelievers against Muslims. This could be done in two ways: (1) by crushing their power completely and forever; or (2) by making them accept Islam. Both of these means are intended here, for there were some who were destroyed and their power crushed and there were others who saw the light and voluntarily embraced Islam. The following words, And Allah turns with mercy to whomsoever He pleases, obviously refer to the latter class.

1188

Important Words:

نجس (unclean) is derived from نجس which means, it was or became unclean, filthy or impure. نجس therefore, means unclean, filthy or impure; it also signifies, a man having an incurable disease (Lane). نجاسة (uncleanness) is of two kinds; one kind of نجاسة is perceived by the physical senses and the other is perceived by the mind. In the present verse, it is the latter kind of uncleanness that is meant (Mufradat).

سوف (will) is a particle denoting amplification because it changes the aorist from the strait time which is the present to the ample time which is the future and is used with respect to that which has not yet happened; it is a word used to denote promising or threatening. According to some, it is synonymous with س but according to others it has a larger meaning than that letter and is distinct from it by its sometimes having ل prefixed to it. You say ولسوف یعطیک ربک فترضی meaning, And thy Lord will give thee, and thou wilt be well pleased (Lane).

Commentary:

The word نجس(unclean), as shown under Important Words, either means "one who is spiritually unclean", or "one having an incurable disease." Idolaters are, thus, described here as: (1) being spiritually unclean or (2) having become so inured to idolatry that it is almost impossible for them to rid themselves of it. But since Mecca was the birthplace of Islam and a monument of Abraham’s great faith in the One God, it was necessary that the place should be kept spiritually pure; hence the prohibition to idolaters to approach the Sacred Mosque.

The coming of pilgrims to Mecca was a source of great income for Meccans and the prohibition might have given rise to fear in the hearts of some Muslims that their income would thereby be considerably lessened. They are, therefore, told here not to fear poverty, for God would make abundant provision for them out of His bounty.

1246

Important Words:

اجدر (most apt) is derived from جدر which means, he or it was adapted, apt, suited, competent or worthy. They say جدرہ i.e. he made it or him adapted, apt, competent or worthy. One would say ما اجدرہ بالخیر i.e. how fit or suitable or adapted is he for what is good (Lane & Aqrab).

1255

Important Words:

مرجون (whose case has been postponed) is derived from ارجاء which again is derived from رجأ. They say ارجاء الامر i.e. he postponed, put off or delayed the affair. مرجون(which is really مرجئون) means, those who have been delayed or put off or postponed, i.e. the consideration of whose case has been postponed or deferred (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The reference here is to yet another party which consisted of three Medinite Muslims, Hilal, Murarah and Ka‘b. The Holy Prophet deferred pronouncing his decision regarding them. This he did to keep them in a state of suspense for sometime. The feeling of extreme uneasiness caused by the state of suspense served as a sort of atonement for their remissness and they were subsequently pardoned (see 9:118 below). In the meantime, the Quran proceeds to speak of other people.

1259

Commentary:

The words, unless their hearts be torn to pieces, are intended to hint that as the hearts of the hypocrites will never be cut into pieces, so the disquietude of their hearts will continue forever. Or, the words signify that the disquietude of their hearts will cease only when they repent so deeply that their hearts are, as it were, torn up with regret and repentance.

1511

Important Words:

یعقوب (Jacob) may, be said to have been derived from عقب. They say عقبه i.e. he struck his heel; he came after him as though at his heel. The Bible says, "And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob," (Gen. 25:26) as if "one who takes hold by the heel." The name is also explained in the Bible as "the supplanter" (Gen. 27:36). It is the prevalent critical opinion that Ya‘akob (Jacob) is really a shortened form of Ya‘akob-el, admitting several explanations such as "God follows" or "God rewards." Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebekah and the grandson of Abraham and the traditional ancestor of the people of Israel (another name of Jacob) and known as the third Patriarch (Enc. Bib. & Jew. Enc.). See also 2:41.

Commentary:

The words, thy Lord shall choose thee, mean that God will deal with you (Joseph) according to your dream, and you will attain to the greatness which has been promised to you in the vision.

The expression, shall teach you the interpretation of things, is capable of two meanings: (a) what you have seen in the dream will come to pass (b) God will teach you how to interpret dreams.

By the word "favour" occurring in this verse is meant the boon of prophethood, which means that Joseph received the promise that God would bestow prophethood on him, and through him He would bestow distinction on Jacob’s family also. God would make them believe in Joseph and thus they would share with him the favours and blessings of God.

This verse also embodies a divergence from the Bible. According to the Quran, Jacob was pleased to hear of the dream of Joseph and held it as true. But the Bible says: "His father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?" (Gen. 37:10). Evidently there was no reason or occasion for Jacob to become angry with his son for having seen a dream in which he had no hand. No reasonable person, much less a Prophet of God, would act so unreasonably. Neither can it be said that Jacob thought Joseph was telling a lie and that really he had dreamt no dream, for the words which Jacob uttered when he heard of the dream i.e. "What is this dream that thou hast dreamed?" show that Jacob did believe that Joseph had really seen a dream. It is curious that the Bible contradicts itself in this very passage, for it says, "His brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying" (Gen. 37:11). The fact that Jacob "observed the saying" i.e. remembered it and bore it in mind, shows that he believed it to be a true dream and a genuine heavenly vision.

This incident furnishes a fourth point of similarity between Joseph and the Holy Prophet. Just as Jacob believed in the truth of Joseph’s dream, similarly, when Waraqah heard of the first revelation of the Holy Prophet, he accepted it as the true Word of God and even likened it to the revelation of Moses.

2482

Important Words:

تمنی (he sought or desired to obtain). تمنی الشیء means, he desired the thing. تمنی الرجل means, the man lied. تمنی الکتاب means, he read or recited the book. أمنیة (أمانی plural) means, what is desired; a lie; an object of wish (Aqrab).

Commentary:

This verse has been subjected to much conjecture and speculation by some ignorant and careless commentators and has been deliberately misinterpreted and its meaning purposely distorted by prejudiced Christian writers. It is said that one day at Mecca when the Holy Prophet recited the Quranic verse, أفرأیتم اللات والعزی و مناة الثالثة الاخری i.e. "now tell me about Lat and ‘Uzza, and Manat, the third one, another goddess" (53:21), Satan put in his mouth the words تلک الغرانیق العلی وان شفا عتھن لترتجی i.e. these are exalted goddesses and their intercession is hoped for. They call it the 'lapse of Muhammad' or his 'compromise with idolatry'. In fact the Holy Prophet never made any compromise with idolatry nor was there any lapse on his part. The lapse, if any, occurred in the minds of these hostile critics of Islam. It is a case of wish being father to the thought. These people are always on the lookout to discover a lapse in the Holy Prophet and when they find none, they invent one and impute it to him.

They say that the verse under comment refers to the above incident. We shall deal at length with the whole episode when we come to the relevant verse i.e. 53:21. Suffice it here to say that the whole story is belied by the fact that 53rdchapter was, according to consensus of scholarly opinion, revealed in the 5th year of the Call at Mecca while the present Surah was revealed at Medina or on the eve of his departure from Mecca. It is inconceivable that God should have waited for eight long years to refer in this verse to that incident. Moreover, the story has been rejected as totally unfounded by all learned commentators of the Quran, Ibn Kathir, being one of them. It appears to have been based on some reports narrated by Waqidi, whom all competent authorities regard as quite untrustworthy. It seems strange that the utterance of this blasphemy should have been attributed to that great and uncompromising iconoclast i.e. the Holy Prophet, whose whole life was spent in denouncing and condemning idolatry and idol worship. Besides this the whole context of 53:21 belies this story. The verses preceding and succeeding 53:21 contain an unsparing denunciation of idolatry. In fact the whole Surah (53) is a condemnation of شرک (idol worship).

Moreover, there is nothing in the words of the verse itself to warrant the forging of such a blatant lie. The meaning of the verse is quite clear. It purports to say that whenever a Prophet desires to attain his object, i.e. whenever he preaches the message of truth and desires that Divine Unity may be established on earth, Satan places all sorts of obstacles and impediments in his way, i.e. wicked people seek to retard the progress of truth by putting all sorts of obstacles in the way of the Prophet. They wish to see his mission fail. But they cannot frustrate the Divine plan and God removes all those impediments and makes the cause of truth prevail and triumph. This meaning of the verse is quite simple and clear and is in perfect harmony with the text. The words "But Allah removes the obstacles placed by Satan," lend powerful support to this meaning. The verse is of general import. What it refers to happens in the case of every prophet. There is no warrant for suggesting that the verse applies exclusively to the Holy Prophet. History too supports the view that the verse is of general application. In their impatience to find fault with the Holy Prophet, however, hostile Christian writers have singled him out, and, misinterpreting the verse, have attributed a supposed lapse to him.

Moreover, it is wrong to suggest, as some commentators have done, that it is possible for Satan to interfere with the purity of the Quranic revelation. God has taken upon Himself to protect and safeguard it against all interference and interpolation. See also 15:10 & 72:27-29.

2633

Important Words:

مراة (times) is the plural of مرة which is infinitive noun from مر which means, he or it passed. مر الدھر means, the time passed. مرة means, a time; one time; one action; a single action or act; turn; also an occasion. فعلته مرة means, I did it once (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The subject of "purdah," as stated under v. 32 above has been referred to at four different places in the Quran. Whereas 24:32 deals with "purdah" primarily within four walls of the house, v. 33:60 discusses "purdah" outside the house and on thoroughfares while vv. 33:33-34 speak of a restricted kind of "purdah", particularly enjoined on the Holy Prophet’s wives and by implication on all Muslim women, and by inference point to the fact that the principal centre of a woman’s activities is her home. The present verse, however, refers to another kind of "purdah," viz. that domestic servants and minor children too should not enter the private apartments of their masters or parents at three particular hours mentioned here without getting prior permission.

2634

Commentary:

The words من قبلھم may mean, (i) those persons who have been mentioned in v. 28 above; or (ii) those who have attained puberty before them.

4218

Commentary:

Here is a testimony to the irresistible appeal of the Message of Islam. At a time when Muslims were being bitterly persecuted and it was not safe to leave Mecca and join the Muslim Community at Medina, a continuous stream of believers was pouring into Medina, leaving behind in Mecca their dear and near ones. These Refugees contained a fair number of women among them. The verse under comment refers to such refugee Muslim women. The verse also constitutes an eloquent commentary on the Holy Prophet’s anxiety not to accept into the Muslim Community any woman who had fled from Mecca unless there was proof available, after subjecting her to searching examination, that she was sincere, and honest in her faith and that she was accepting Islam out of no ulterior or otherwise objectionable motives. The verse further states that the marriage-tie between a refugee believing woman and her dis-believing husband becomes dissolved when she joins the Muslim Community, and a believer is allowed to marry such a woman, provided he fulfils two conditions: (a) He should have paid back to the disbelieving husband of such woman what the latter had spent on her, and (b) he should also have fixed or paid her dowry. Similarly, the marriage-tie between a Muslim and his wife who gives up Islam could not continue and the same procedure would be adopted if such an apostate woman marries a disbeliever as in the case of marriage between a Muslim and a refugee believing woman. The reciprocal arrangement prescribed in this verse is not the private affair of the individuals concerned but is to be carried out by the State, as is the practice in time of war, to which the verses particularly apply; there could not and should not continue any social relations between individual believers and individual disbelievers.