Qur'aanic Studies - Volume III

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

*************
Study the Qur'aan in Qur'aanic light to understand Islam in its pristine simplicity, clarity, beauty and purity
**************

Qur'aanic Studies - Volume III

by
Mohammad Shafi

PREFACE

Below the Arabic text of every verse of the Qur'aan, is its transliteration, followed by translation and Chapter Notes, if any, essentially based on the Qur'aan itself. Please remember that the Arabic text is divine and, therefore, sacrosanct, but the transliteration, translation and the Notes are human and, therefore, subject to correction. Please also remember that the human-made Notes cannot, and do not, explain the divine verses. They seek to explain the human translation only and/or to relate the verse to present circumstances or to divine explanations given in other verses of the Qur'aan.
I have adopted the transliteration method employed by the Muslim Students' Association (MSA) of the University of Southern California. And, in this regard, I may usefully quote from their site:
"MSA-USC would like to thank muslimnet.net for making their transliteration of the Qur'an publicly available.

'We would like to emphasize that this [transliteration] text is not a substitute for the original Arabic Qur'an. It is only an attempt to help those who are trying to learn to read the Arabic text, since it is as close to the written text as possible.

It is important to practice pronouncing the letters as directed in the transliteration table, especially the underlined letters, before starting to read. It will be helpful if an Arabic speaker can help you.

This work is free for use to everyone as long as no changes that might distort it are done to it. We request from those who benefit from it to pray for us. We pray to Almighty Allah to help you learn to read the Holy Qur'an, and to do every good thing.'"

I present this humble work in the earnest hope that it will prompt my Readers to try and understand the divine Message in its original Arabic text. They should remember that no translation however meticulously done can ever equal the original Arabic text in its divine grandeur and pristine clarity.

One may wonder why this yet another addition to the existing plethora of Translations and Commentaries! The answer to this question lies in the beauty of the fact that the divine Message of the Qur'aan remains valid for all times and ages since its revelation until the Last Day. The Message therefore needs to be studied from time to time in the changing perspectives of the changing times. It would be absolutely wrong to confine this universal Message for mankind to the circumstances and situations of a particular period in the past. Unfortunately, however, most of the commentators so far have based their understanding of the Qur'aan in the strict perspective of the circumstances and situations prevailing at the time of its revelation way back in 7th century A.D. The Muslim mindset generally has thus got stagnated and therefore unable to cope with the changing situations of the changing times. This humble attempt of mine is to help Muslims generally to come out, Allah willing, of that crippling stagnation.

This 2nd Volume of my Qur'aanic Studies covers Al-Baqarah Verses 142 to 202.

Mohammad Shafi
Mumbai, INDIA,
24th August, 2006

CONTENTS

Chapter 2. Al-Baqarah
Verses 142 to 150
Verses 151 to 160
Verses 161 to 170
Verses 171 to 180
Verses 181 to 190
Verses 191 to 202

Chapter 2: The Cow

142. Sayaqoolu alssufahao mina alnnasi ma wallahum AAan qiblatihimu allatee kanoo AAalayha qul lillahi almashriqu waalmaghribu yahdee man yashao ila siratin mustaqeemin
142. The fools among the people will say, "What turned them from their Qiblah²¹⁴, which they had been facing?" Say, "The East and the West are all Allah's²¹⁵. HE guides whom He wills to the Straight Path²¹⁶!"
Chapter Notes:

214. I have retained this original Arabic word in the translation, for brevity. For, there is no equivalent single word in English. Qiblah connotes a specific place on earth, in the direction of which people, located anywhere on the earth, are required to face while performing the formal prayers to their Creator. In verse 2.144, Al-Masjidil Haraam (the Sacred Place of Worship at Mecca, the Kaabah) has been divinely designated as the Qiblah for the believers. It should be clearly and carefully understood that the Qiblah does not symbolise the Creator, the way the polytheists consider man-made idols as symbols of their gods and goddesses. The Qiblah symbolises, if anything, the unity of the entire mankind. It symbolises the common centre of the innumerable concentric circles in which the believers pray around the world to their one common Creator!

215. It's like 'the East' and 'the West' divide we speak about in politics, or even in common day-to-day talk. This division of this world encompasses all places in the world, including those in the North and in the South. The obvious implication of this divine statement is that all places on the earth are Allah's, and He can choose any of these places as the Qiblah. It is foolish indeed of the mere creatures to question this divine right of their Creator!

216. The Straight Path is to worship Allah, the One Lord of all (verses 3.51, 19.36). To worship Him is to obey, unquestioningly, all His commands and directions. The fools who do not obey Him, in the matter of Qiblah or in any other matter, are obviously not those whom He has guided to the Straight Path - the Path of those upon whom He has bestowed favours (refer verse 1.7).

143. Wakathalika jaAAalnakum ommatan wasatan litakoonoo shuhadaa AAala alnnasi wayakoona alrrasoolu AAalaykum shaheedan wama jaAAalna alqiblata allatee kunta AAalayha illa linaAAlama man yattabiAAu alrrasoola mimman yanqalibu AAala AAaqibayhi wa-in kanat lakabeeratan illa AAala allatheena hada Allahu wama kana Allahu liyudeeAAa eemanakum inna Allaha bialnnasi laraoofun raheemun
143. And, in like manner²¹⁷, have We made you²¹⁸ an equitably balanced focal community so that you be witnesses over mankind; and the Messenger is a witness over you. And We did not make the Qiblah you had been facing²¹⁹, but a test to distinguish one who would obey the Messenger from the one who would turn about on one's heels. And it has been indeed hard, but not for those whom Allah has guided. And Allah is not One to let your Faith go waste. Surely, Allah is kind and merciful indeed to mankind!

217. That is, being guided to the Straight Path by Allah's Will. Reference here is undoubtedly to the last part of the preceding verse.

218. The corresponding pronoun in the original Arabic text is in the 2nd person plural form. And the context tells us that the first addressees were the Companions of the Prophet. The Prophet was witness to the communication of the divine Message to the Companions and to others with whom he (the Prophet) could establish contacts in his lifetime. The Companions were the ones guided by Allah's Will, and they had truly imbibed the Message. HE therefore chose them to be witnesses in their turn to the communication of the divine Message to others whom the Prophet could not contact. And, through the Companions, Allah would breed a new group of true believers, who in their turn be the torch-bearers and witnesses. And the process would and will, inshaAllah, go on till the Last Day.

219. The Qur'aan does not specify what Qiblah the Prophet and his followers had been facing before the divine designation of Al-Masjidil Haraam as the one. What is certain from the context is that it was different. And for the Companions of the Prophet, who from their childhood had been accustomed to consider the Kaabah as their most sacred place, it must have naturally been very hard to accept any place other than the Kaabah as the Qiblah. It was hard even for the Prophet! As is evident from the very next verse 2.144. But Allah was merciful, kind. The Companions passed the hard test and obediently followed the Prophet in the matter of the Qiblah.

144. Qad nara taqalluba wajhika fee alssama-i falanuwalliyannaka qiblatan tardaha fawalli wajhaka shatra almasjidi alharami wahaythu ma kuntum fawalloo wujoohakum shatrahu wa-inna allatheena ootoo alkitaba layaAAlamoona annahu alhaqqu min rabbihim wama Allahu bighafilin AAamma yaAAmaloona
144. WE did observe your²²⁰ face turning towards the sky; so We now turn you to the Qiblah you would like to have. Turn your face then towards the Sacred Place of Worship. And wherever you be, turn your²²¹ faces towards it. And those on whom the Book has been bestowed know it for certain that this is the Truth from their Lord.²²² And Allah is not unaware of what they do!

220. The corresponding Arabic pronoun in the original text is in the second person singular form. It therefore obviously refers to the Prophet. And it is also obvious, from what follows in this very verse, that the Prophet had been turning his face towards the heaven in silent prayers for making Kaabah, the Qiblah.

221. Here the Arabic pronoun is in the plural form; the addressees being all the believers around the world. This is a clear divine command. But like many other divine commands, this one too is not carefully and conscientiously adhered to. In my part of the world (India), for example, many Muslims are under the impression that it is enough to face in the general direction of the West. Not so. We are not asked to face East or West. We are asked to face a particular tiny place in the world: the Kaabah! So as one travels from place to place, even within India or within any other country, the Qiblah direction is bound to change after every few kilometres. We are duty-bound to ascertain the direction at every place. The kind, merciful Allah may forgive us initially at a new place, but not indefinitely.

222. As we have already seen in the preceding Part of these Studies, verse 7.157 of the Qur'aan informs us that the prophecy about the coming of the unlettered Prophet and Messenger (Muhammad, peace and Allah's blessings be upon him) was given both in the Torah and in the Gospel. And Allah is not unaware that the Jews and the Christians conceal this fact.

145. Wala-in atayta allatheena ootoo alkitaba bikulli ayatin ma tabiAAoo qiblataka wama anta bitabiAAin qiblatahum wama baAAduhum bitabiAAin qiblata baAAdin wala-ini ittabaAAta ahwaahum min baAAdi ma jaaka mina alAAilmi innaka ithan lamina alththalimeena
145. And were you²²³ to confront those to whom the Book has been bestowed²²⁴, with all the evidence²²⁵, they would still not follow your Qiblah²²⁶. Nor are you going to follow their Qiblah. Nor is any section of them going to follow the Qiblah of any other²²⁷. And were you to follow their desires after what has come to you of the knowledge, then, surely and certainly, you would be, in that event, one among the wrongdoers!²²⁸

223. The 2nd person pronoun here, in the original Arabic text, is in the singular. Obviously therefore, the original addressee of the divine statement was Prophet Muhammad.

224. Elsewhere in the Qur'aan, such people (i.e. 'those to whom the Book has been bestowed') are also described as ahl-il kitaab (people of the Book). For a comprehensive understanding of this Arabic term, please go back to Chapter Notes 146 and 147 of these Studies. But in the context of this verse (2.145), 'those to whom the Book has been bestowed' connotes the Jews and the Christians, who were the ones present at the time and place of revelation of this verse. The Muslims were there too; but the bestowal of the Book (the Qur'aan) to them was not completed then.

225. The Arabic word used in the original divine text is aayat. For a comprehensive Qur'aanic meaning of this term (along with its plural form aayaat), please refer to Chapter Notes 150 and 151 of these Studies. The term is rendered here as 'evidence' to suit the context. The Qur'aan pointed out to the Jews and the Christians that their own revealed Books contained the evidence of Muhammad (peace and Allah's blessings be upon him) being the divinely accredited Prophet of Allah (7.157). The verse here (2.145) hints that Books revealed to other people too contained this evidence. And even if all such evidence were presented to the Jews and the Christians, they would still not accept Muhammad as Prophet and therefore not accept the Qiblah divinely appointed for the entire mankind through this last Prophet to them. The other day, I was listening to a video cassette of a talk by Brother Zakir Naik (may Allah reward him richly for his services in the way of Allah). He was reeling off evidence after evidence of the prophecy about the coming of Prophet Muhammad, contained in the ancient Hindu Scriptures!

226.For the meaning of Qiblah, please see Chapter Note 214 of these Studies.

227. Besides denoting the direction in which to face while offering formal prayers, the Qiblah has other significances for the believers. It is the designated place of pilgrimage also for them. Visiting the place and praying there, is a duty divinely ordained for those who are in a position to undertake the journey. And for performing this duty, one could definitely expect rewards from Allah, here or in the Hereafter, at Allah's Will. But various people of various religions have their own separate places of pilgrimage (qiblahs). A place of pilgrimage that is held holy by one religious sect, does not have the same significance for another sect. A polytheist does of course have a number of such qiblahs, which he takes the trouble to visit and to pray there, expecting worldly gains miraculously therefrom. And it is sad to note that some Muslims too have also gradually gravitated to such qiblahs other than the One designated for them in the Qur'aan. A careful study of this verse (2.145) should open their eyes against following this polytheistic practice. If we nauzubillah follow such misguided brethren of ours, after what has come to us of the knowledge, then, surely and certainly, we would be among the wrongdoers.

228. And these rather harsh divine words were addressed, initially, to the Prophet! The phraseology does not give any definite indication that the Prophet was in fact inclined to follow the desires of the Jews and the Christians of his time. Why then were this harsh warning to the Prophet and some other such passages critical of him personally, included in the divine Book that was meant to serve as the Guidance for all mankind till the Last Day? The guidance in such warnings is two-fold. One: the All-knowing Allah has thus driven the point home that although the Prophet was divinely chosen as the best among men, he was still, after all, a man, susceptible to error. Mankind should therefore never fall into the fatal fault of shirk, by elevating him to the level of Allah as did the Christians do to their Prophet, Jesus. And, two: the All-wise Allah has thus provided an evidence for the believers that Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, had honestly conveyed the divine Message in its totality to us. He had not suppressed any part of it, even when it was critical of him, personally!

146. Allatheena ataynahumu alkitaba yaAArifoonahu kama yaAArifoona abnaahum wa-inna fareeqan minhum layaktumoona alhaqqa wahum yaAAlamoona
146. And those, to whom We have given the Book, recognize it²²⁹ as they would recognize their sons! And, surely, a group of them do indeed conceal the Truth, and they know they do!!²³⁰

229. The 3rd person sigular pronoun here obviously stands for Al-Masjidil-haraam (the Kaabah), divinely designated as the Qiblah in verse 2.144 and is the core subject matter of all verses right from 2.142 to 2.150.

230. Apparently, the evidence contained in the Jewish and the Christian Scriptures was so overwhelming that it was as easy to recognize the Kaabah as the right choice for the Qiblah of entire mankind, as to recognize their own sons. But it was unfortunate that their pride came in their way, and they suppressed the fact - the false pride that made them think that they were the only chosen people of God and that He could not have chosen for Prophethood anyone other than from among themselves.

147. Alhaqqu min rabbika fala takoonanna mina almumtareena
147. The Truth²³¹ from your Lord! Be not then one among those who are in doubt.²³²

231. The Truth that the Kaabah is the right choice from Allah for the Qiblah of entire mankind.

232. This is another instance of a divine warning to the Prophet. Please see Note 228 above.

148. Walikullin wijhatun huwa muwalleeha faistabiqoo alkhayrati aynama takoonoo ya/ti bikumu Allahu jameeAAan inna Allaha AAala kulli shay-in qadeerun
148. And for every direction He is its Focus²³³; compete then in doing good²³⁴! Wherever you be, Allah will bring you all together. Surely, Allah has power over everything!

233. In other words, whatever direction one may adopt, one has to go to Allah ultimately. One may do good things in one's adopted direction and one may do bad things; but one has to face Allah, in the end. And there, one will be rewarded or punished in accordance with one's deeds in the direction one takes in this world. If one's deeds are in accordance with the divine commands and directions, one will be rewarded. Otherwise, one is liable to be punished.

234. Good deeds (al-khairaat) are obviously deeds done in accordance with divine directions and commands.

149. Wamin haythu kharajta fawalli wajhaka shatra almasjidi alharami wa-innahu lalhaqqu min rabbika wama Allahu bighafilin AAamma taAAmaloona

149. And whersoever you²³⁵ hail from, turn your face towards the Sacred Place of Worship! And it is, indeed, the Truth from your Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.²³⁶

235. In the original Arabic text, this divine command is addressed to an individual. And from the context it is clear that it is addressed to every individual believer located anywhere on this earth - and in any age, till the Last Day. This command is repeated and further clarified in the next verse 2.150.

236. In the preceding verse 2.148, the believers were urged to vie with one another in al-khairaat (good deeds). Obeying the divine command contained in this verse is one such good deed. And Allah is well aware whether or not we do obey Him faithfully. Please see Note 221 herein above also, in this context.

150. Wamin haythu kharajta fawalli wajhaka shatra almasjidi alharami wahaythu ma kuntum fawalloo wujoohakum shatrahu li-alla yakoona lilnnasi AAalaykum hujjatun illa allatheena thalamoo minhum fala takhshawhum waikhshawnee wali-otimma niAAmatee AAalaykum walaAAallakum tahtadoona
150. And whersoever you hail from, turn your face towards the Sacred Place of Worship!²³⁷ And wherever you be, turn your faces towards it, so that people have no grudges against you - except those who have been wicked among them.²³⁸ Fear them not then, and fear Me, so that I complete My Favour upon you, and that you become guided!²³⁹

237. Please see Note 235 above.

238. By meticulously determining the Qiblah direction and by scrupulously following the divine command in this regard, a believer located anywhere on this earth sends an unmistakable signal to others of the essential unity of mankind transcending all national or racial barriers. Other people, observing this symbolic act of unity, would be inspired to feel an ungrudging admiration, although the admiration may be silent and unspoken. Only those bent on being wicked among the others shall have grudges, in any event.

239. Here's a divine mantra to enable the Muslims of today to come out of the doldrums, they find themselves in. Shed the fear of all worldly forces, however powerful, which would prevent you from following the divine commands and directions. And fear Allah, Who is infinitely more powerful. Follow Him at all worldly costs. And there's no reason why you shouldn't, when He, the All-Powerful, promises that if you fear Him and abide by His commands and directions, He shall complete His Favour upon you and guide you!

back to CONTENTS

151. Kama arsalna feekum rasoolan minkum yatloo AAalaykum ayatina wayuzakkeekum wayuAAallimukumu alkitaba waalhikmata wayuAAallimukum ma lam takoonoo taAAlamoona
151. Just as²⁴⁰ We sent down to you a Messenger, from among yourselves, reciting Our verses to you, purifying you, teaching you the Book and the Wisdom^{241 to 244}, and teaching you what you knew not!

240. The Arabic conjunctive word here (kamaaa) connects this verse to what is stated at the end of the preceding verse 2.150. There, Allah directs the believers to fear Him (and not to fear wicked beings) so that He completes His Favour upon them, and so that they become rightly guided. The sending down of the Messenger for the various tasks enumerated herein (verse 2.151), was part of the process of completing "My Favour upon you". And the process was completed with the revelation of the last of the Qur'aanic verses, inter alia, declaring, "... This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. ..." [Q: 5.3]. And, significantly, in this last verse (5.3) too, Allah admonishes the believers, "... fear them (the suppressors of Truth) not, but fear Me ..."

241. We have come across this word (al-hikmata, in Arabic), under our earlier Studies on Verse 2.129. Please go through Chapter Note 192 in this regard, under that Verse. We find that this word al-hikmata occurs in the Qur'aan more often with the word al-kitaab (the Book). And in verse 17.39, where al-hikmata occurs unaccompanied by al-kitaab, the divine commands of do's and don't's given in the preceding verses from 17.22 to 17.37, have been specifically described as min al-hikma, or, in other words, as some of the pearls of wisdom! Again, in verse 43.63, where also al-hikmata occurs unaccompanied by al-kitaab, Jesus tells the Children of Israel that he has come to them, with al-hikmati, to explain to them some of the points in which they differed. Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) is obviously referring here to the divine Book Injeel (the Gospel) bestowed upon him to sort out some differences that had cropped up among the Jews in their understanding of the provisions of the divine Book Torah revealed earlier. We can thus see that al-kitaab, as mentioned in the divine Book, does contain al-hikmata! In other words, the divine commands and directions contained in the Qur'aan are all pearls of Wisdom.

242. Why then is al-hikmata mentioned separately and in addition to al-kitaab, in the divine Book? And how come, in verse 31.12, Allah informs us that He had granted al-hikmata to Luqmaan, when we know of no divine Book revealed upon him?! We thus see that although al-kitaab contains al-hikmata, the latter Arabic word is not synonymous with the former! Verse 2.269 tells us that Allah grants al-hikmata to whom He wills. From this verse read with verse 31.12, it is apparent that granting of al-hikmata by Allah is a continuing process, to be continued till the Last Day. But al-kitaab was bestowed only upon the Prophets, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the last of the Prophets (verse 33.40)! From its dictionary meanings, and from the sense in which it is used in the Qur'aan, it is obvious that the word al-hikmata connotes the Wisdom or the ability, not only to do the right things, but to do those in the right way so as to maximise the good effects of doing the right things. The right things to be done, and, to some extent, the right way to do them, are indeed mentioned in al-kitaab. Therefore al-kitaab is al-hikmata too! But the right way often depends on the situation in which the right thing is to be done! And all the innumerably different situations, which can arise, cannot possibly be recorded in a written book. Al-hikmata is also therefore the intuition that one may get, at the spur of the moment, for the way in which to do the right thing on that particular occasion. The All-knowing Allah has therefore wisely mentioned al-hikmata separately and in addition to al-kitaab, in His Book!

244. In verse 4.113, Allah reminds the Prophet that it is He Who has bestowed al-kitaab and al-hikmata on him, and taught him what he knew not. In the present verse 2.151, Allah reminds the believers that the Prophet, in turn, teaches them al-kitaab and al-hikmata. Al-hikmata, that al-kitaab contains within itself, got taught along with al-kitaab. Besides, the Prophet demonstrated, by personal example, how superbly he handled very difficult situations that arose throughout his life. He handled those situations so superbly that even a Christian writer of our present generation was obliged to rank him (Prophet Muhammad) the first among all leaders of men, of all times that the world has ever had till now! It was the use of this Allah-given intuitive part of al-hikmata that helped the Prophet handle those situations. It was the use of the same intuitive part that made David and Solomon, two of the other great leaders. It is this intuitive part of al-hikmata that Allah continues to bestow, and will continue to bestow till the Last Day, upon whom He wills, that makes some persons great as thinkers, statesmen, scientists or leaders in other fields!

152. Faothkuroonee athkurkum waoshkuroo lee wala takfurooni
152. Keep Me in your rememberance, then; so I keep guiding you. And be grateful to Me, and suppress not the Truth!²⁴⁵
245. Remember that the addressees here, as in the previous verse, are the believers (refer Note 240 above). And remember that although the believers at the time of the revelation of the Qur'aan were the initial addressees, the Qur'aanic Message is for all times till the Last Day. The believers of the present age are, therefore, the addressees too! Looking at the verse in this light, then, we see that Allah is drawing our attention to the fact that we generally do not remember Him (let alone being genuinely grateful to Him for completing His Favour, in the form of the completed Qur'aan, upon us) in our day-to-day worldly activities. Yes, some of us do go mechanically through our daily prayers, but while praying too, our minds are busy thinking about our worldly affairs! No wonder then that we now are bereft of divine guidance. And, doesn't such failure to remember Him, betray our lack of Faith? Save us, Allah!

153. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo istaAAeenoo bialssabri waalssalati inna Allaha maAAa alssabireena
153. O you who believe! Seek help with patience and prayer. Certainly, Allah is with those who are patient!²⁴⁶

246. Allah does certainly not promise a bed of roses for the believers in this world. In order that they enjoy the Utopia in the Hereafter, they have to go through a test by fire, so to say, in this life! Only two verses later, in verse 2.155, Allah tells us that we will be tested with fear, hunger and with losses in property, life and produce! And He asks us to seek His help with prayers, while on trial in this world, but that we shouldn't expect an immediate reward. We have to wait patiently for it. Life on earth is indeed a severe test of our Faith! But happiness is a state of mind. We can be happy even in the most trying circumstances, if our Faith is so strong as to make us absolutely certain that our very Creator and Lord is with us.

154. Wala taqooloo liman yuqtalu fee sabeeli Allahi amwatun bal ahyaon walakin la tashAAuroona
154. And say not unto those who are killed, in Allah's Path, as dead. Nay! They are alive, but you perceive not.^{247 to 249}

247. It's one of the observed hard truths about life on this earth, that good work done in Allah's Path doesn't often get recompensed here. People have died, or have been killed, while struggling to traverse steadfastly on that Path. Seeing this happen, many of the others have fled from that Path. Should we follow suit? Allah has given us the freedom of choice. And if we follow suit, exercising that freedom, what would we get? Maybe, we would get some worldly wealth, and some worldly position. But at what cost? At the price of our abandoning good things like honesty, fairplay, justice, truth et al. And even if we bid goodbye to such good things, are we sure that we would get the worldly pelf and position? Not at all! Worldly life is very uncertain. Today we set about getting the world by fair means or foul, and tomorrow (who knows?) we may die! And who knows what's on the other side of the divide? Maybe, what these religious people say will come true. What if, because of our abandoning belief in Allah and in the Hereafter, we may be put into that Hell-fire, they talk about, to suffer there forever!!

248. If only we would think rationally thus, Brothers and Sisters, there is really no real alternative to Allah's Path! Although Allah has given us the freedom of choice, it's a choice between certainty or uncertainty, salvation or doom. So come! Let us be certain in our belief in Allah, and in what He tells us. HE tells us here not to consider those killed in His Path as dead. Let us have absolute belief in this, although we are not capable of understanding the divine statement. Being mere creatures, we do not understand many things. But our Lord, the absolute Creator, knows everything. So let's believe Him, for our own good!

249. In verse 3.169 and in verses immediately following that verse, we are further informed that the martyrs in Allah's Path receive provisions from Allah and that they rejoice in Allah's bounties! Allah tells us there, that He shall not let the supreme sacrifice of such believers go waste. It is thus apparent that the martyrs shall enjoy a pleasant continuity of consciousness even immediately after the end of their worldly lives. Unlike others, who shall be in a state of unconsciousness extending to even thousands of years, till they are resurrected in the Hereafter! That is an additional divine reward for the martyrs.

155. Walanabluwannakum bishay-in mina alkhawfi waaljooAAi wanaqsin mina al-amwali waal-anfusi waalththamarati wabashshiri alssabireena
155. And, certainly, We shall test you with something of the fear and the hunger, and with the loss in wealth, life and production. And gladden those who are patient, with the prophecy of good future.²⁵⁰

250. Recall Verse 2.153 and the corresponding Note 246 in this context. And let me hasten to add that the prophecy of good future need not necessarily be in the Hereafter only. It could come true in this earthly life as well. The Qur'aan says, "... seek forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance, that He may grant you good provision, for a term appointed, ..." [11.3, emphasis added] The phrase of the verse, that is underlined here, doubtlessly indicates that the good future promised in the present verse (2.155), could be in this very worldly life also.

156. Allatheena itha asabat-hum museebatun qaloo inna lillahi wa-inna ilayhi rajiAAoona
156. Those who, when any adversity confronts them, say, "We do indeed belong to Allah; and indeed are we to return to Him!"²⁵¹

251. This verse, so to say, constitutes the Qur'aanic definition of as-saabireen (those who are patient), mentioned in the preceding verse 2.155. It needs no explaining that mere mechanical repetition of the quote in this verse (2.156), as if it were a mantra, would not make people, as-saabireen. People, uttering the quote, have to know consciously - and sincerely mean - what they say!

157. Ola-ika AAalayhim salawatun min rabbihim warahmatun waola-ika humu almuhtadoona
157. Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and His grace; and those are the ones that are rightly guided!^{252
& 253}

252. In the short group of four verses, from 2.153 to 2.156 herein above, Allah Ta'ala has laid down a plain course of action. A course of action for the Muslims of today. The course of action that could lead them out of the morass of degeneration, degradation and deprivation that they find themselves in. And the salvation of those who follow the course devoutly, is guaranteed, in this verse 2.157, by none other than the Creator and Lord of everyone and everything. But do we have the necessary faith in Him and in His Book??

253. In this context, I am reminded of a story doing the rounds on the Internet: On a pitch-dark and freezingly cold night, a mountaineer slipped and found himself hanging by the life-saving rope tied around his waist. He couldn't see anything in the darkness. In that state, he called out to God to save him. God asked him whether he would follow His instruction. When the mountaineer said he would, God asked him to cut the rope he was hanging by. But the mountaineer had doubts. How could he cut himself off the the rope that provided him the slender hope of survival? A couple of days later, a rescue team found the mountaineer. His frozen hands were still clutching the rope he was hanging by. And his dead body was hardly 10 feet above a soft, level ground below!!

158. Inna alssafa waalmarwata min shaAAa-iri Allahi faman hajja albayta awi iAAtamara fala junaha AAalayhi an yattawwafa bihima waman tatawwaAAa khayran fa-inna Allaha shakirun AAaleemun

158. Indeed, the Suafaa²⁵⁴ and the Marwah²⁵⁴ are among Allah's Symbols²⁵⁵. So, whosoever undertakes a pilgrimage to the House²⁵⁶ or does visit it, there is no sin²⁵⁷ upon him/her in going to and fro between the two. And when anyone willingly follows anything good, Allah is indeed appreciative, knowing!

254. Muslims, and others, conversant with the religious rituals performed during the pilgrimage to Mecca, are aware that the Suafaa and the Marwah are two spots in the vicinity of the Kaabah there.

255. Allah's Symbols (sha'uaaair) are symbols associated with rituals symbolising submission to His Will. It was in submission to His Will that Prophet Abraham had made some of his progeny to settle at the site (refer verses 14.37 and 22.26). Verse 5.2 prohibits violation of Allah's sha'uaaair.

256. Please see Chapter Note 180 of these Studies.

257. One may wonder, "Where's the question of a sin here?" There is indeed no question of any 'sin' here! The symbolic act (known as Sayee) of going to and fro between the Suafaa and the Marwah is, on the other hand, very much appreciated by Allah, as can be seen from the ending part of this verse (2.158). A little reflection would however make it obvious that the Sayee was in practice, among the Arabs, even before the advent of Islam among them. And, the neo-Muslims must have initially feared that it would be a sin to continue with the practice of the jahiliya period. To allay that fear, Allah assured the Muslims that doing the Sayee was not a sin.

159. Inna allatheena yaktumoona ma anzalna mina albayyinati waalhuda min baAAdi ma bayyannahu lilnnasi fee alkitabi ola-ika yalAAanuhumu Allahu wayalAAanuhumu allaAAinoona
159. Indeed, those who hide what We sent down of the evidences and guidance - even after the clarifications We gave thereof in the Book for mankind - those are the ones whom Allah curses and whom the curse-invokers curse.²⁵⁸

258. This verse applies to all peoples on whom divine Books have been bestowed. It applies to the Jews and the Christians for what they have hidden from the divine Books - Torah and the Injeel (Gospel) - bestowed upon them. And it applies to the Muslims as well! The Qur'aanic Message, in original Arabic, is of course divinely protected; but the meanings of some passages therein are sought to be changed on the basis of external sources that are man-made and man-influenced. As reiterated here in this verse (2.159) - and as reiterated in several other passages throughout the Qur'aan - the divine Book itself contains sufficient clarifications for mankind. The divine curse is on those who ignore this oft-repeated divine reiteration. The curse on the Muslims, generally, is all too evident in today's world. As for the 'curse-invokers' mentioned in the verse (2.159), these could be the Angels and also human beings, who are adversely affected by the injustices generated by the twisting of the meanings of the divine verses.

160. Illa allatheena taboo waaslahoo wabayyanoo faola-ika atoobu AAalayhim waana alttawwabu alrraheemu
160. Except for those who repent and reform, and make themselves transparent. Those are the ones upon whom I bestow forgiveness. And forgiving and merciful, I am!²⁵⁹

259. But in this verse (2.160) lies some hope for the Muslims, and others. If they could only repent and reform and make themselves transparent in all their dealings!!

back to CONTENTS

161. Inna allatheena kafaroo wamatoo wahum kuffarun ola-ika AAalayhim laAAnatu Allahi waalmala-ikati waalnnasi ajmaAAeena
161. Indeed, those who suppressed the Truth and died while in that state of suppressing the Truth - upon those is curse of Allah, combined with that of the Angels and of mankind.²⁶⁰

260. The Almighty Allah is kind. HE gives opportunities galore to the suppressors of Truth to mend their illogical, unjust and destructive attitude. But if they maintain this attitude till the very end of their spans of life on this earth, He withdraws His grace from them. They are disgraced! That is Allah's curse upon them. The Angels curse them, because they are witnesses to the suppressors' wanton rejection of divinely-given opportunities. And mankind curses the suppressors, because every act of suppression of Truth, contributes to chaos and anarchy in this world.

162. Khalideena feeha la yukhaffafu AAanhumu alAAathabu wala hum yuntharoona162. Khalideena feeha la yukhaffafu AAanhumu alAAathabu wala hum yuntharoona
162. ²⁶¹They shall abide therein²⁶². They shall get neither relief nor respite from the punishment.

261. This verse is in continuation from the preceding verse, and the pronoun 'They' here stands for 'the suppressors of Truth'.

262. In the 'curse' referred to in the preceding verse, that is. Obviously, as a result of this curse, the suppressors of Truth land themselves, in the Hereafter, in Hell-fire.

163. Wa-ilahukum ilahun wahidun la ilaha illa huwa alrrahmanu alrraheemu
163. And the Being worthy of your worship is the One and Only! None is worthy of worship other than He - the Gracious, the Merciful.²⁶³

263. Allah, as we Muslims know, is the One and Only Being worthy of worship (Ilaah). 'Worship' connotes unquestioned obedience. We worship Allah if, and only if, we obey all His commands given in the Qur'aan. But we need to introspect, deeply and sincerely, whether we really do so. We need to introspect whether we do not have ilaahs, other than Allah, in the form of our own carnal desires and in the forms of oher forces, human or otherwise, imagined or real, in the influence of which we often do things contrary to divine commands.

164. Inna fee khalqi alssamawati waal-ardi waikhtilafi allayli waalnnahari waalfulki allatee tajree fee albahri bima yanfaAAu alnnasa wama anzala Allahu mina alssama-i min ma-in faahya bihi al-arda baAAda mawtiha wabaththa feeha min kulli dabbatin watasreefi alrriyahi waalssahabi almusakhkhari bayna alssama-i waal-ardi laayatin liqawmin yaAAqiloona
164. Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, in the contrast between the day amd the night, in the ship that sails on the sea with things beneficial to mankind, in what Allah sends down of water from the sky bringing the earth back to life after it was dead, in every kind of animals dispersed therein, in the winds changing their directions, and in the clouds under divine control between the sky and the earth, are compelling signs for people who make use of their intelligence.^{264 to 268}

264. A study of the Qur'aan reveals that the Messengers who came before Muhammad (peace be upon them all), were given some extraordinary signs to convince people of the existence of an absolute solitary Power controlling the entire Universe and also to convince them of the Messengers being the really authorised ones from that Power. The earlier Messengers came when the level of general knowledge among the people was low. Their (people's) knowledge therefore needed to be supplemented by divinely-given 'miracles'. But the last Messenger, Muhammad, came at the threshold of an era in which human knowledge would proliferate. The proliferation of human knowledge, combined with the divinely endowed human intelligence, became sufficient for people to recognise the Absolute Solitary Power. The supplement of 'miracles' was no more needed. The people are now in a position to recognise the Power from the signs that abound in Nature.

265. This divine exhortation made in this verse for study of Natural phenomena, moreover, imbibed the scientific spirit, of reason and research, in the minds of the believers. Consequently, a number of thinkers in various fields like medicine, mathematics, physics, astronomy, literature etc. arose in the Muslim world, who were instrumental in laying the foundation of the scientific renaissance that the world is witnessing today. It was from the works of those great Muslim scientists and thinkers of the Middle Ages that the Western world got the basics to develop from. And it makes one sad to think that while the Westerners built the scientific edifice of the modern world on the foundation laid by the Muslims, the Muslim world itself lost the scientific spirit with the weakening of their Faith in the Qur'aan!

266. 'The creation of the heavens and the earth' is the first Aayat (Sign) referred to in this divine verse. And we have already seen in Chapter Notes 20 and 21 how the seven layers of the earth's atmosphere have been meticulously and correctly designed to act as a protective shield and a provider of sustenance for all living creatures on the earth. Only an unreasonable fool would dismiss this wonderfully exquisite arrangement as a mere accident of nature. And then we have this mind-boggling spectacle of innumerable heavenly bodies floating in their respective orbits with such mathematical precision that they never bump into one another accidentally. We cannot but marvel at the Power Who no doubt made all this possible - consciously and purposefully. It would be irrational and unscientific for anyone to think of it as a mere accident in nature.

267. As regards the other Signs mentioned in the verse, the night following the day in every 24-hour cycle in time, is an obvious provision made for rest, without which human life is impossible to be sustained. Further, had it not been for the facility of navigation by sea, transport of tonnes and tonnes of merchandise from one part of the world to another wouldn't have been easy. Had it not been for the periodic rains, there wouldn't be the recurring stock of vegetable products necessary for sustenance of any kind of life on earth. One who ponders deeply can easily detect that some Extraordinarily Intelligent Power is guiding the directions of the cloud-bearing winds to bring rains to regions, as desired by that Unseen Power. The sprouting of vegetation on dry earth after a rainfall, moreover, provides an indication that human life could likewise be resurrected even after death.

268. With my limited knowledge, I have barely touched on the immense significances of the Signs mentioned in this verse. Persons with adequate knowledge and resources could write volumes and volumes on the significances - and on the sciences - of these Signs. All these Signs, however, unmistakenly point to the Hidden Hand of the Supremely Super Power.

165. Wamina alnnasi man yattakhithu min dooni Allahi andadan yuhibboonahum kahubbi Allahi waallatheena amanoo ashaddu hubban lillahi walaw yara allatheena thalamoo ith yarawna alAAathaba anna alquwwata lillahi jameeAAan waanna Allaha shadeedu alAAathabi
165. And, among humans, there are those who take to deserters, besides Allah. They love the deserters like they love Allah. And those who believe - those do love Allah the most. And if only the wicked persons could see - as they would, when they see the punishment - that absolute power rests with Allah, and that Allah is severe in giving punishment!^{269 to 271}

269. The word 'deserters', in the translation, is used for the Arabic andaad in the original. The Arabic word literally means those who run away from or desert established rule or authority. In the context here, it means those who have strayed away wantonly, from divine Authority or divine Path, a la the Satan.

270. And the Satan has his counterparts among human beings. And the greatest among these human counterparts could be the individual's own self. One is indeed in love with one's own self. And one's own self could well be guilty of straying away from the divine Path, under the influence of one's own carnal desires. One's own kith and kin, whom one loves, could as well be the other human 'deserters'. Allah warns us against our love for such deserters getting the better of - nay, even equal to - our love for Him.

271. The deserters, and those whose love for them is equal to or more than their love for Allah, are both called al ladheena zhalamu (oppressors, wrong-doers or the wicked people); for, through their deeds, they are suppressing the Truth. And the Truth is that all power rests with Allah, the Sole Creator of us all. HE has been Gracious and Kind enough to sustain us and thoroughly guide us, through divine Books, His Messengers, natural phenomena and human intelligence, to that Truth. And if we still disobey His commands and love Him not the most, we do indeed deserve to be punished - and punished severely!

166. Ith tabarraa allatheena ittubiAAoo mina allatheena ittabaAAoo waraawoo alAAathaba wataqattaAAat bihimu al-asbabu
166. When those who were followed disown their followers, and they see the punishment, and their mutual relations are torn asunder!!²⁷²

272. This verse and the one succeeding (2.167) are in continuation of the preceding verse (2.165). These two verses (2.166 and 2.167) further describe what would happen when the wicked people would come to see the punishment as mentioned in verse 2.165. People who blindly follow others in this world would realise that they are forsaken in the Hereafter, by those whom they followed. Herein is an important lesson for us: we should not blindly follow whatever our leaders, in religious or other matters, tell us. We should check whatever the leaders tell us, with the Qur'aan and our own consciences, in terms of the divine law of jurisprudence enunciated in Qr'aanic verse 4.59. We may come to grief and fruitless regrets otherwise and find no escape from the torment of everlasting punishment, as is made clear in the next verse 2.167.

167. Waqala allatheena ittabaAAoo law anna lana karratan fanatabarraa minhum kama tabarraoo minna kathalika yureehimu Allahu aAAmalahum hasaratin AAalayhim wama hum bikharijeena mina alnnari
167. And the followers would say, "If only we would have a return, we would disown them as they have disowned us." Thus shall Allah show them their deeds as anguishes upon them. And there shall be no exit for them from the Fire!!!

168. Ya ayyuha alnnasu kuloo mimma fee al-ardi halalan tayyiban wala tattabiAAoo khutuwati alshshaytani innahu lakum AAaduwwun mubeenun
168. O mankind! Consume of that which is lawful and wholesome on the earth, and follow not Satan's footsteps. Surely, he is to you an open enemy.^{273, 274}

273. Further down, in verses 2.172 and 2.173, the Qur'aan urges the believers to consume (eat) food items that are wholesome, and specifies particular items that are divinely forbidden. But in this verse (2.168), there is a general admonition for all mankind to have only lawful and wholesome things (not necessarily restricted to eatables) for their own general use. As indicated in the next verse 2.169, indulging in evil and lewd acts and attributing, without having proper knowledge, anything to Allah, would not be among things that are lawful and wholesome.

274. As regards Satan and his open enmity towards mankind, please refer to Verse 2.34 and Chapter Notes 29 and 30 as well as to Verse 2.36 and the corresponding Notes 33 to 35. In verse 4.119, the Satan is quoted as defiantly and openly declaring, "...I will mislead them...", concerning some of Allah's human creatures.18. The Qur'aan tells us elsewhere: "And whenever your Lord has brought forth from Adam's children - from their loins - their offspring, He has asked them to testify upon the evidence of their own selves, 'Am I not your Lord?' and they have said, 'Yes, we do testify!' Lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection, 'We were indeed unaware of this.' Or, lest you should say, 'Our forefathers had indeed assigned partners to You before, and we were but the offspring following them. Would You then destroy us for what those others indulging in falsehood did?' And thus do We explain the verses/signs in details, and so that they revert." [Q: 7.172 to 174] And in verse 4.107, the Qur'aan says, "And argue not on behalf of those who deceive themselves. Allah indeed loves not those who sinfully betray their trust." From these divine verses it should be abundantly clear that the truth about the existence of the Almighty Creator is ingrained in what we call the conscience of every human being at his/her very birth!

169. Innama ya/murukum bialssoo-i waalfahsha-i waan taqooloo AAala Allahi ma la taAAlamoona
169. He bids you to do nothing but the evil and that which is lewd, and to attribute to Allah what you know not!^{275 to 277}

275. There are many evil things that mankind enacts, with behind-the-scene promptings from the Satan. Ar-Riba is one such thing. This Qur'aanic term, in terms of verse 30.39, may be defined as the increase in one's wealth, fraudulently sought to be made by usurping other people's properties, dues or earnings. It is this economic ill or corruption that is rampantly prevalent in today's society, and more so among Muslims! The Muslim religious leadership generally do not tire of declaring from their housetops that Ar-Riba is 'haraam' 'haraam', while some of them at least may be blissfully ignorant of Ar-Riba growing luxuriantly in their own backyards!!

276. The Satan may not have to exert much in prompting mankind to lewdness or obscenity. The propensity thereto is inherent in its (mankind's) nature. It is by conscious effort that this propensity has to be curbed. Otherwise, mankind can easily degenerate to a status lower than that of other animals. If my information is correct, it was this lure of easy and passion-pandering life in the end, that cost the Muslims their earlier centuries-old magnificent rule in Spain.

277. And the Satan employs this ruse of making man attribute falsehoods to Allah. For example, despite repeated divine assertions in the Qur'aan, that the divine commands therein, for mankind to follow, are well-explained for easy understanding, I am astonished at some of the eminent Muslim scholars even, disbelieving in this divine assertion and saying that some of the Qur'aanic terms like Ar-Riba are not explained in the Qur'aan! Apparently, they are unable to see the explanation inherent in verse 30.39 (please refer Note 275 above). They have therefore come up with their own man-made explanation that Ar-Riba is interest charged on money lent or borrowed. And they have decreed that banking business is haraam! Clearly alluding to such a human decree, the Qur'aan says, in verse 2.275, that some people declare, under satanic influence, business to be like Ar-Riba. The Qur'aan then asserts emphatically that Allah has made business lawful, and Ar-Riba unlawful.

170. Wa-itha qeela lahumu ittabiAAoo ma anzala Allahu qaloo bal nattabiAAu ma alfayna AAalayhi abaana awa law kana abaohum la yaAAqiloona shay-an wala yahtadoona
170. And when they are asked to follow what Allah has sent down, they say, "But we follow what we found our forefathers doing." Even if their forefathers had understood nothing, nor had they been guided!?²⁷⁸

278. This loaded question, divinely posed over 1400 years ago, is still valid for people today, including most Muslims! Even though the Muslims have with them the divinely protected Qur'aan, they hardly refer to this invaluable Book of guidance, and choose instead to follow what they have found their forefathers doing. So they call dead saints to their aid in worldly matters and visit their graves, even though the Qur'aan categorically tells them that such acts of shirk would be unpardonable sins [Q: 4.116].

back to CONTENTS

171. Wamathalu allatheena kafaroo kamathali allathee yanAAiqu bima la yasmaAAu illa duAAaan wanidaan summun bukmun AAumyun fahum la yaAAqiloona
171. And the situation of those who suppress the Truth is like the situation wherein someone gives a call to another who hears it not but as some inarticulate cry and sound. Being deaf, dumb and blind, they understand not!²⁷⁹

279. Compare this verse 2.171 with Verses 2.17 and 2.18. There, the All-knowing Allah gives an example of someone kindling a fire to enlighten the environs. The obvious reference is to Prophet Muhammad (peace and Allah's blessings be upon him) through whom Allah has sent the light of His Message. But because of their wilful suppression of Truth, the wicked people had their capacity to see snatched away from them, and they could not take advantage of the divine light. Here, in verse 2.171, the same situation is explained in a different way. Because of their suppression of Truth, the wicked people had their power of understanding snatched away. So they could not understand the Prophet's call to them to accept Islam. The Prophet's call was a meaningless cacophony of sound beats to them.

172. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo kuloo min tayyibati ma razaqnakum waoshkuroo lillahi in kuntum iyyahu taAAbudoona
172. O those who believe! Eat of good, clean and wholesome food We have provided you with. And be grateful to Allah, if Him it is you worship.²⁸⁰

280. Please refer in this context Verse 2.168, and Note 273 thereon. And, good, clean and wholesome (tuayyibaat) food is obviously that which promotes physical, mental and moral health. A little reflection should convince any believer that the Creator has not only created all the creatures, but has also made adequate provisions for their sustenance. To name just one among countless such provisions is the wonderful phenomenon of the water cycle in Nature. But for the rains, most creatures would starve to death. And, despite all the technological progress, failure of rainfall in even a single year could ruin the economy of most countries. Believers would therefore be failing in their duty, if they do not feel sincerely grateful to their Lord for all the elaborate arrangements He has made for their sustenance.

173. Innama harrama AAalaykumu almaytata waalddama walahma alkhinzeeri wama ohilla bihi lighayri Allahi famani idturra ghayra baghin wala AAadin fala ithma AAalayhi inna Allaha ghafoorun raheemun
173. HE has forbidden upon you but the carrion, the blood, flesh of the swine, and that which is consecrated to someone other than Allah. But if one has to eat such things under any constraint, and if one does this not out of wilful disobedience or transgression, no blame on such a one! Allah is indeed Forgiving, Merciful.^{281 to 285}

281. 'Carrion' in the translation stands for maitata in the original Arabic. Literally, the Arabic word means 'that which is dead'. Verse 6.145 makes it further clear that what is forbidden is a living creature found by human beings only in a dead state. So, flesh of any found-dead living being is prohibited. It should well be remembered, in this context, that for any vegetarian or non-vegetarian source of food to be permissible, it has to pass the criterion of being wholesome, and fit for human consumption. Verse 5.3 gives us further details of non-vegetarian sources of food that are forbidden.

282. As regards blood, the same verse 6.145 as mentioned in the preceding Note, also clarifies that it is the blood, shed or poured forth, that is forbidden.

283. Swine, as we know, is an animal that lives in and breeds on filth. Eating its flesh may not therefore be conducive to physical, mental or moral health. And if my information is correct, medical opinion too confirms this view. But it is not for this reason, primarily, that the believers abstain from this food. They abstain, because Allah forbids it. Allah be praised, it is this one divine injunction that most Muslims do follow! And whatever He forbids, has got to be not good for us.

284. The last in the list of forbidden items mentioned in this verse is 'that which is consecrated to someone other than Allah'. Some commentators of the Qur'aan have interpreted this phrase to mean an animal only, that is slaughtered in a name other than that of Allah. Their interpretation is based on the fact that all the three preceding items in the list pertain to animals. So they apply a man-made law applicable to human writings. Suppose, in a human script, a list of 4 items is mentioned. Out of the 4, three are distinctly recognisable as belonging to the same one general class. Then as per this man-made law, the 4th item, ought to belong to the same class. This man-made law makes allowance for human weakness, because of which the human writer might have forgotten to specify or make clear to his readers, the class of the 4th item. But the human commentators have also unfortunately and unwittingly committed a human mistake of forgetting that the Qur'aan is divine and not authored by human beings. The Qur'aan is free from human errors. So, no man-made law can be made applicable to it for correcting any blasphemously supposed error therein. Every word therein is perfectly placed by the perfect Author.

285. So, the last item of forbidden foods, mentioned in this verse, has to be construed literally at its face value. And it literally means anything, vegetarian or non-vegetarian, that is consecrated or dedicated to any seen or unseen being other than Allah.

174. Inna allatheena yaktumoona ma anzala Allahu mina alkitabi wayashtaroona bihi thamanan qaleelan ola-ika ma ya/kuloona fee butoonihim illa alnnara wala yukallimuhumu Allahu yawma alqiyamati wala yuzakkeehim walahum AAathabun aleemun
174. Surely, those who conceal what Allah has sent down, from the Book and earn a trifle price therefor - they, stomach not but the Fire in their bellies! And Allah will not talk to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them. And for them will there be a painful punishment.^{286 to 289}

286. The divine Books, parts of which got literally concealed by human beings, were those revealed earlier than the Qur'aan. The Qur'aan, on the other hand, cannot thus be concealed, as it is divinely guaranteed (verse 15.9) against such concealment. But human beings, under the influence of the Satan, have resorted to other subtle and ingenious means of concealment. Since a vast majority of Muslims around the world is now non-Arab, a part of the 'clergy' among them have gradually come to acquire a vested interest in creating a wrongful notion among other common Muslims. They (the commoners) are not taught the Qur'aanic Arabic as a language, but are taught only to recite the Qur'aan without understanding what they recite. An impression is created that it is very difficult for the commoners to acquire the capability to understand the divine Message in original Arabic. So, they have willy-nilly to go to the 'clergy' to know what Islam is.

287. It is in such circumstances that some of the common Muslims, in different parts of the world, have come to understand that invoking dead saints for redressal of their worldly problems, and visiting their graves for the purpose, is part of Islam! The 'clergy' that is responsible for misleading the Muslims thus, are guilty of concealing the fact that the Qur'aan condemns such activity as unpardonable sin of shirk.

288. Let alone some ordinary Mullahs thus misleading some uneducated Muslims, but even eminent scholars of Islam do unfortunately and unwittingly fall into the satanic trap of misleading educated Muslims, when the scholars resort to their own interpolations while translating the original Arabic text into other languages. The interpolations are justified on the ground of syntactic differences between Arabic and the language into which the Qur'aan is to be translated. The interpolations are also justified on the ground that these are based on explanatory notes, contained in the ahaadheeth or given by the earlier prominent commentators of the Qur'aan. But the interpolations, more often than not, help in changing the original divine meaning! However great in scholarship the commentator may be, it would be highly presumptuous - nay, blasphemous - on his part to assume that his interpolated word/words could explain or set right any 'complicated' part of the divine text! Such an assumption would indeed be blasphemous, particularly in the light of the oft-repeated Qur'aanic assertion that its muhkam verses are clear by themselves or are well-explained in its other verses. [Reference is invited in this context to Verse 2.99 and the corresponding Chapter Note 135 of these Studies.] And once a commentator takes a stand on the interpretation of a certain verse, and makes an interpolation in furtherance of his stand-point, it becomes very difficult for him to change that stand, even when he gets convinced later that his stand is wrong. The Satan sees his opportunity then, and gets busy in influencing the learned commentator to stick to his wrong stand, and thus unfortunately to conceal the true divine meaning of the relevant verse from his gullible readers.

289. It is therefore necessary for every Muslim to try and get at least a working knowledge of Qur'aanic Arabic. He/she may thereby be able to find out if anything is amiss in the translation. When I wrote to one of my own readers on this need of learning Qur'aanic Arabic, he said that it was a 'tall, a very tall order' to expect every Muslim to do that. I replied that he wouldn't so dismiss the need, if he were convinced that his salvation from the Fire, in the Hereafter, very much depended on knowing the original divine Message of the Qur'aan in Arabic.

175. Ola-ika allatheena ishtarawoo alddalalata bialhuda waalAAathaba bialmaghfirati fama asbarahum AAala alnnari
175. Those are the ones who have exchanged right guidance for wrong guidance & error, and exchanged forgiveness for punishment! How persevering then are they, in getting to the Fire!!

176. Thalika bi-anna Allaha nazzala alkitaba bialhaqqi wa-inna allatheena ikhtalafoo fee alkitabi lafee shiqaqin baAAeedin
176. Thus it is, because Allah has sent down the Book in Truth. And, indeed, those who question the Truth in the Book, those are involved in a far-fetched hostility!²⁹⁰

290. To cite just one of the many instances wherein even prominent scholars of Islam have disputed the perfection of the divine words of the Qur'aan, take the word al-yataamaa occurring in verse 4.3. This Arabic word, in the form in which it occurs there, means orphans, whether male or female. But, on the basis of a hadheeth, the meaning is restricted to female orphans only - converting thereby the broad meaning of the entire verse to an illogically narrow one - by many learned scholars of Islam! The obvious implication of this man-imposed restriction is that, nauaoozubillab, the All-knowing Allah's word is imperfect, and needs help from an imperfect and man-influenced source to explain it!!

177. Laysa albirra an tuwalloo wujoohakum qibala almashriqi waalmaghribi walakinna albirra man amana biAllahi waalyawmi al-akhiri waalmala-ikati waalkitabi waalnnabiyyeena waata almala AAala hubbihi thawee alqurba waalyatama waalmasakeena waibna alssabeeli waalssa-ileena wafee alrriqabi waaqama alssalata waata alzzakata waalmoofoona biAAahdihim itha AAahadoo waalssabireena fee alba/sa-i waalddarra-i waheena alba/si ola-ika allatheena sadaqoo waola-ika humu almuttaqoona
177. It is not the righteousness, that you turn your faces towards the East and the West. But the righteous is one who believes in Allah, the Hereafter, the Angels, the Book, the Prophets and who gives material assistance - despite one's love for material possessions - to the near and dear, the orphans, the impoverished, the wayfarer, the beggars and in the freeing of the bonded and who is regular and steadfast in prayers and gives to charity. And the righteous are those who keep their word when they give it and are patient in adversities and afflictions and during conflicts. Those are the true people; and those are the ones who are Allah-fearing!^{291 & 292}

291. Read in the context of Verse 2.142, it is apparent that the divine emphasis here is on the spirit in which any duty is performed. The formal observance of facing the prescribed Qiblah in prayers, would carry little significance with Allah if it is devoid of real belief in Him and of the other requirements as mentioned in this verse 2.177. Remember also how the Allah-fearing are described in Verses 2.3 and 2.4. Here, in 2.177, we get further elaboration of that description.

292. Adherence to the letter of law is a must; for, otherwise, it would be an open defiance of authority. Similarly, the formal observance of all divine commands is a must; for, otherwise, it would be an open declaration of non-belief in Allah, in His Messenger and in the Hereafter! But we Muslims ought to reflect deeply whether our formal observance of divine commands, such as praying, fasting etc., has not degenerated into a mere show of conformity to societal norms. Do we really believe in the Qur'aan being invincible, incorruptible and divinely protected Word of Allah? Do we really believe that we all are accountable to Allah for every bit of deed in this world? Do we really believe in the Hereafter? Do we really believe that our salvation from ever-lasting suffering in the Hereafter lies in the conscious observance of not only the formal religious rites, but also of the divinely ordained etiquettes towards one another and towards society in general?

178. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo kutiba AAalaykumu alqisasu fee alqatla alhurru bialhurri waalAAabdu bialAAabdi waalontha bialontha faman AAufiya lahu min akheehi shay-on faittibaAAun bialmaAAroofi waadaon ilayhi bi-ihsanin thalika takhfeefun min rabbikum warahmatun famani iAAtada baAAda thalika falahu AAathabun aleemun
178. O you who believe! Prescribed for you, is the capital punishment in the matter of murdered persons. If the crime is committed by a free man, a slave/servant or a female, this prescribed punishment would accordingly be applicable only to that free man, that slave/servant or that female, respectively. But where the sentence is commuted by the guilty person's fellow citizen concerned, the commutation has to be adequately implemented, and the guilty person has to fulfil the terms of commutation in good measure. That is a remission from your Lord, and His grace! Then whoever transgresses thereafter - for him shall there be a painful punishment.^{293 to 296}

293. Advocates of abolition of capital punishment, beware! You cannot change what the Creator Himself has laid down. But it should well be noted that, in the light of verse 4.92, capital punishment would be applied only to cases of intentional murder, and not to killing by mistake. And, of course, it is not applicable to killings in a war.

294. The Arabic al-quisuaasu basically means retaliation - a tit-for-tat response. In the context of an intentional murder, therefore, I have rendered the Arabic word as 'capital punishment' in the translation.

295. Literally translated, the second sentence of the verse would look like, 'The free man, to the free man ...' In the context of the first sentence, it would obviously mean, 'If the murder is committed by a free man, the capital punishment would be meted out to that free man ...' To avoid any mistake in and consequent misconception of a literal rendering, a free renderiong is done, as in the second sentence of this English translation of the verse.

296. In some translations, the Arabic term min akheehi occurring in this verse, is so rendered as to mean 'the murdered person's brother'. But there is no justification for relating the possessive pronoun hi (his) here to the murdered person, as he/she (the murdered person) is not mentioned earlier in this verse or in the immediately preceding verses. The murderer, on the other hand, is mentioned. And it would be blasphemous to expect a mistake in a divine script. Moreover, akhee, in Qur'aanic terminology, does not necessarily mean only the close blood relationship of a brother. It often means (as for example in verse 27.45) a fellow human of the same group, community or nation. Min akheehi would therefore mean any human being, duly authorised by the community, in which the murder is committed, to examine the case and pronounce his judgement or grant commutation of the death penalty. I have hence rendered min akheehi as 'the guilty person's fellow citizen concerned' in the translation. Besides, this divine provision for commutation, it may be noted, would take care of cases of murder committed, inter alia, under intense provocation.

179. Walakum fee alqisasi hayatun ya olee al-albabi laAAallakum tattaqoona
179. And for you, o people of understanding, there is life in the capital punishment; maybe, you take heed!²⁹⁷

297. The fear of capital punishment may prevent some people from committing murder. There could thus be a better security of life in this world. Perhaps, men of understanding among protagonists of abolition of capital punishment, will take heed.

180. Kutiba AAalaykum itha hadara ahadakumu almawtu in taraka khayran alwasiyyatu lilwalidayni waal-aqrabeena bialmaAAroofi haqqan AAala almuttaqeena
180. It is prescribed for you that when death confronts any of you, the dying person, if he/she leaves behind any property, makes a will in favour of parents and relatives in a fair manner. Mandatory upon the pious!^{298 to 302}

298. As regards 'the pious', please refer to Chapter Note 2 of these Studies.

299. In verses 4.11 and 4.12, the Qur'aan has given the details of the shares divinely prescribed for different relatives of the deceased. But it has also been laid down in those verses, in clear terms, that the prescription would apply only to what remains of the deceased's property after execution of the deceased's will and repayment of his/her debts, if any. And there is no warrant in the Qur'aan for restricting the scope of the will to only a third part of the deceased's property, as most Muslims believe.

300. Making of a will is made obligatory on those who become reasonably aware of death approaching them. But death may often come suddenly, without notice. And the person may, on this account or on any other account, fail to make a will before dying. In that case, the law of inheritance as laid down in the said verses 4.11 and 4.12 shall have to be followed, in the distribution of the deceased person's entire property.

301. But where a person does make a will, there is nothing in the Qur'aan that binds him/her to stick necessarily to rules laid down in verses 4.11 and 4.12. He/she has of course to take heed of the divinely laid down rules overall, but the All-knowing Allah has given him/her the leeway to deviate from those rules to suit his/her particular circumstances. For example, the will may make better provisions for a son who is not financially well-off than for a better placed son.

302. It makes one sad to note, time and again, that we Muslims are wont to give more importance to what the ahaadheeth and the scholars say than to what the Qur'aan says in unambiguous and clear terms. The matter of inheritance dealt with in this verse, read with verses 4.11 and 4.12, is yet another instance of how the Satan is constantly at work to deviate us from Allah's Word. No wonder our beloved Prophet (peace and Allah's blessings be upon him) would sadly say, on the Resuurection Day, "... my Ummah had taken this Qur'aan as a thing of no importance." [Q: 25.30]

back to CONTENTS

181. Faman baddalahu baAAda ma samiAAahu fa-innama ithmuhu AAala allatheena yubaddiloonahu inna Allaha sameeAAun AAaleemun
181. Then if anyone changes it after hearing it as one did, the sin thereof shall certainly be on those who change it. Indeed, Allah is All-hearing, All-knowing!³⁰³

303. As would commonly happen, the dying person might not have made a written will. Or, the person might wish to alter any written will previously made. The person, in such a situation, might call anyone who happens to be near that person at that critical moment, and orally express his/her will. The divine verse here obviously alludes to such a situation.

182. Faman khafa min moosin janafan aw ithman faaslaha baynahum fala ithma AAalayhi inna Allaha ghafoorun raheemun
182. And whoever apprehends any wrong or sin on the part of a testator and settles matters between them, then there is no sin on him/her. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful!³⁰⁴

304. In the divine scheme of things then, there is scope for effecting a change in a testator's will, if done by mutual consent among the beneficiaries and in the interest of justice.

183. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo kutiba AAalaykumu alssiyamu kama kutiba AAala allatheena min qablikum laAAallakum tattaqoona
183. O you who believe! The fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those who lived before you, so that you become pious.³⁰⁵

305. And the pious are the ones who are on the right Guidance and successful, the All-knowing Allah assures us (refer Verses 2.2 to 2.5)! In other words, fasting opens the door to real success in this world and to salvation in the Hereafter. To achieve success in its real sense, therefore, one has got to fast in the divinely prescribed manner.

184. Ayyaman maAAdoodatin faman kana minkum mareedan aw AAala safarin faAAiddatun min ayyamin okhara waAAala allatheena yuteeqoonahu fidyatun taAAamu miskeenin faman tatawwaAAa khayran fahuwa khayrun lahu waan tasoomoo khayrun lakum in kuntum taAAlamoona
184. For a few number of days³⁰⁶. However, when any of you is ill or in journey, fasting is to be observed by him on other days to complete the number. And upon those who can afford it, a meal for a poor person is the required fee to gain exemption from a day's fasting. And he who brings himself to doing a better thing, it is all the better for him. And it is fasting that is better for you, if you but knew.^{307 & 308}

306. This phrase is obviously a continuation of the sentence in the preceding verse. This finishing phrase informs us that fasting is for only a few number of days.

307. As may be seen from the following verse No. 185, all the days in the month of Ramadhuaan are divinely appointed as the normal period for the fasting. The other days referred to in this verse for making up the period for any missed days during the appointed period are, therefore, days of any month other than those of Ramadhuaan.

308. There is a provision in this verse, for those above the poverty line, to gain for themselves exemption from fasting. For that they have to pay the price of a meal to one poor person. The exemption is obviously not available to those who cannot afford the price. A keen observer may notice that this is one small measure, among many others and bigger ones, divinely ordained for the care of the poor. But those who would be inclined to buy this exemption, are reminded that observing the fast is a better thing for their own selves.

185. Shahru ramadana allathee onzila feehi alqur-anu hudan lilnnasi wabayyinatin mina alhuda waalfurqani faman shahida minkumu alshshahra falyasumhu waman kana mareedan aw AAala safarin faAAiddatun min ayyamin okhara yureedu Allahu bikumu alyusra wala yureedu bikumu alAAusra walitukmiloo alAAiddata walitukabbiroo Allaha AAala ma hadakum walaAAallakum tashkuroona
185. Month of Ramadhuaan in which was revealed the Qur'aan - Guidance for mankind with clear substantiation thereof and the Criterion. One who gets to witness the month, observes it in fasting. And whoever is ill or in journey, for him the count of the number of days of fasting is to be made up by observing fasts on other days. Allah wants to make thing easy - and not difficult - for you to comlete the number of days of fasting and hymn the greatness of Allah for the guidance that He has given you, and so that you do feel grateful.^{309 & 310}

309. The original Arabic word al-furquaan is rendered here as the Criterion. We have come across this Arabic word earlier in our Studies, in verse 2.53. Please refer to Chapter Note 57 for a better understanding of the Qur'aanic term.

310. In this verse 2.185, the provision made earlier in verse 2.184 for postponing fastings in certain cases, is repeated. But, the provision for gaining exemption from fasting, at a price, made in the preceding verse, is not repeated here. This has led some Muslims to believe that the provision of exemption made in verse 2.184 gets abrogated by verse 2.185. It would be highly presumptuous - nay, blasphemous - on the part of any human being to consider any existing verse, or part of it, as abrogated. Please refer to Verse 2.106 and Chapter Notes 150 to 153, 161 and 162

186. Wa-itha saalaka AAibadee AAannee fa-innee qareebun ojeebu daAAwata alddaAAi itha daAAani falyastajeeboo lee walyu/minoo bee laAAallahum yarshudoona
186. And when my devotees ask for Me, I am indeed close to them. I answer the call of a caller, when he calls Me. Let them then respond to Me and believe in Me, so that they tread the right path.³¹¹

311. Here's yet another prescription given by the Merciful Allah to keep mankind on the Straight Path. They have just to sincerely believe in Him and abide by all the divine Commands given in the Qur'aan! But, alas! Exercising the freedom of choice given to us, we, Muslims, just don't do that. As a result we have fallen into ignominy in this world and face the prospect of an everlasting painful doom in the Hereafter.

187. Ohilla lakum laylata alssiyami alrrafathu ila nisa-ikum hunna libasun lakum waantum libasun lahunna AAalima Allahu annakum kuntum takhtanoona anfusakum fataba AAalaykum waAAafa AAankum faal-ana bashiroohunna waibtaghoo ma kataba Allahu lakum wakuloo waishraboo hatta yatabayyana lakumu alkhaytu al-abyadu mina alkhayti al-aswadi mina alfajri thumma atimmoo alssiyama ila allayli wala tubashiroohunna waantum AAakifoona fee almasajidi tilka hudoodu Allahi fala taqrabooha kathalika yubayyinu Allahu ayatihi lilnnasi laAAallahum yattaqoona
187. Permitted to you are sexual relations with your wives at night after a fast. They are garments for you; and you are garments for them. Allah knew you used to betray yourselves; so He has bestowed His mercy upon you and forgiven you. Now then, enjoy sexual relationships with them and seek what Allah has ordained for you. And eat and drink until the light of dawn becomes distinct to you from the darkness preceding dawn. Then, complete the fasting at nightfall. And have no sexual relationships with them while you are in the state of retreat, in total devotion to Allah, at the places of worship. These are restrictions ordained by Allah; so go not near these! Thus does Allah make His verses/signs clear to mankind so that they become pious.^{312 to 314}

312. Garments protect and hide. So does a spouse. Protects the partner from bad influence of carnal desire and hides it from public view.

313. From the context it is clear that earlier to the revelation of this verse, the believers had assumed that having sexual relations with their spouses was forbidden even in the nights during the month of Ramadhuaan. The verse allays their misconception.

314. There is a controversy among the Muslims as to the exact time when to start a day's fast. The time fixed in India, by public declaration, is about one and a quarter hours before sunrise. But does this coincide with the limit divinely fixed in this verse? Or have we abandoned the divine for the non-divine here too, as we have done in many other matters?

188. Wala ta/kuloo amwalakum baynakum bialbatili watudloo biha ila alhukkami lita/kuloo fareeqan min amwali alnnasi bial-ithmi waantum taAAlamoona
188. And consume not your property, among yourselves, falsely and plead to authorities therewith, in order to knowingly misappropriate part of others' property. ^{315 to 317}

315. With reference to the beginning part of this verse, the Qur'aan says, in verse 9.60, that spending a part of one's own property on the poor, the needy etc., is an obligation. If we fail to fulfil this Allah-imposed obligation, and consume our entire property on ourselves, it would be tantamount to consuming our property falsely.

316. As regards the latter part of the verse, the act of pleading with the authorities could be in the form of producing false evidences or of corrupting them to get a favourable decision.

317. As may be seen from verse 4.161, misappropriation of others' property is a sin associated with Ar-Riba. And Allah has condemned Ar-Riba in such strong terms as calling a declaration of war from Allah against those indulging in the sin [Q: 2.279]. It's a sad fact that we, Muslims, ourselves are deeply engrossed in this sin. There are innumerable ways in which we subtly do it, and we're blissfully unaware that we're committing a grave sin! And we've mis-interpreted Ar-Riba to mean only interest. Ar-Riba covers all transactional misappropriations of others' property. To give just one example, if we pay only $10 to a labourer for a job worth $15, we're misappropriating $5 from the labourer's dues. We're indulging in Ar-Riba! No wonder, Allah is angry with us. HIS wrath is copiously reflected in the pitiable helplessness of Muslims in most parts of the world today. You may wonder, why only Muslims? Other communities too indulge in Ar-Riba! Yes, but we may be indulging in this crime more than the other communities do. Moreover, there is a ray of hope in the Muslims getting some punishment here in this world. Maybe, the Merciful Allah is thus giving a warning signal to us to mend our ways before it becomes too late! And, maybe, the other communities, indulging in Ar-Riba, are not similarly being warned, as they are beyond hope.

189. Yas-aloonaka AAani al-ahillati qul hiya mawaqeetu lilnnasi waalhajji walaysa albirru bi-an ta/too albuyoota min thuhooriha walakinna albirra mani ittaqa wa/too albuyoota min abwabiha waittaqoo Allaha laAAallakum tuflihoona
189. They ask you about the new moons. Say, "These are fixed points in time, for mankind and the Hajj." And it is not righteousness that you enter the houses from their backsides. The righteousness, on the other hand, comes from those who fear Allah. So enter the houses through their front-doors, and fear Allah in order that you may be successful.^{318 to 320}

318. From the first part of the verse, that refers to the new moons, it is evident that the new moon represents, for the entire mankind, a specfic point of reference for measurement of time. The quantum of time between any two new moons is called a month; and 12 such months make a year.

319. It's also therefore evident from the original divine text that the fixed point in time, of the occurrence of the new moon, is commonly applicable to the entire world; and, as a matter of fact, it indeed is! It is the moment when the moon crosses the straight line between the Sun & the earth. This fixed point in time, however, is denoted by the different local times of different places. Suppose the new moon occurs at 5 pm on a Tuesday, at Mecca. The new moon is not possible to be seen anywhere in Saudi Arabia on the same Tuesday. But, in some country on the West coast of the American continent, the new moon can be seen on Tuesday itself. On this basis, it's possible for the next day (Wednesday) to be declared as the 1st date of the next lunar month, throughout the world. We can thus save ourselves from being ridiculed by other communities for observing our festivals on 2 or 3 different days in different parts of the world. We're reduced to this sorry state of affairs because of our preference for the divinely non-protected texts of the ahaadheeth over the divinely protected text of the Qur'aan!

320. The context reveals that at the time of the revelation of the Qur'aan, people had some sort of superstitious belief that entering houses from backsides, on certain occasions perhaps, constituted a righteous act. The latter part of the verse denies such superstitious beliefs, and educates the people that righteousness doesn't come through observance of acts of some dubious nature. It comes through being pious and Allah-fearing. And piety is the key to success.

190. Waqatiloo fee sabeeli Allahi allatheena yuqatiloonakum wala taAAtadoo inna Allaha la yuhibbu almuAAtadeena
190. And fight, in the way of Allah, those who fight with you. And transgress not! Indeed, Allah loves not the transgressors.^{321, 322}

321. This is a divine permission, or command, for believers to take to arms in self-defence. Islam doesn't expect its adherents to be like the dumb driven cattle. But it expects them first to try and gain the capability to fight back. And until they do that, they are advised to seek Allah's help with patience & prayers. Allah assures such genuine seekers that He is with them [refer Verse 2.153 & Note 246].

322. Even in self-defence, Muslims are commanded to be restrained & to commit no excesses. Islam is based on justice, and to commit excesses is to be obviously unjust. Allah has made us His representatives or vicegerents (khulafaa) to our respective worlds, and we would be failing in our duties utterly - as representatives of the absolutely just Sovereign - if we are unjust.

back to CONTENTS

191. Waoqtuloohum haythu thaqiftumoohum waakhrijoohum min haythu akhrajookum waalfitnatu ashaddu mina alqatli wala tuqatiloohum AAinda almasjidi alharami hatta yuqatilookum feehi fa-in qatalookum faoqtuloohum kathalika jazao alkafireena
191. And kill them wherever you find them, and turn them out from where they turned you out. For, persecution is worse than killing. And fight with them not, near the sacred Place of Worship, unless they fight with you therein. But if they fight with you, kill them then; for, such is the 'reward' for the suppressors of Truth.^{323, 324} -

323. The word Wa (And) at the beginning of this verse is significant. It connects this verse to the preceding one, wherein permission was given to wage a war. But this permission is subject to 3 conditions. One, it has to be in the way of Allah, i.e. against persecution and injustices. Two, it has to be with those who fight with you, i.e. in self-defence. Three, it has to be without commitment of any transgression or excesses. In the light of these conditions, it is obvious that the divine command to 'kill them wherever you find them' would be applicable only when 'you' are in a declared state of war with 'them'. And even if 'you' are in a declared state of war with 'them', 'you' are not to initiate a fight with 'them' near the Sacred Place of Worship, i.e. the Kaabaah. Mischievous persons desiring to depict Islam in bad light, make no mention of the context in which the verse was revealed. They don't mention even the immediately following divine command to 'turn them out from where they turned you out'; for, this quote would reveal that the earlier command was made for the situation of a state of war waged, in Allah's path, for redressal of an injustice.

324. In any eventuality, to kill a human being is indeed an undesirable thing. And, unless it is done in carrying out capital punishment sanctioned under Verse 2.178 (Also please see Note 293 thereunder) or in a state of war sanctioned under verse 2.190 above, the perpetrator of the act would be liable to capital punishment, as we have already seen, under the Qur'aanic Law. But this very Qur'aanic Law considers, as we see in this verse (2.191), persecution or unjustly tormenting other people, a worse crime than even killing. Persecution is rampant in our modern world. But can we find any people, collectively and sincerely guided by Qur'aanic Law, to withstand and repel the rampant persecution?

192. Fa-ini intahaw fa-inna Allaha ghafoorun raheemun
192. But if they refrain, then Allah is indeed Forgiving, Merciful.

193. Waqatiloohum hatta la takoona fitnatun wayakoona alddeenu lillahi fa-ini intahaw fala AAudwana illa AAala alththalimeena
193. And fight with them until persecution is no more, and the way of life leading to Allah is enabled. And if they refrain, no hostility shall there be, except against the persecutors.^{325, 326}

325. This verse (2.193) and the preceding one, both substantiate what is stated in Note 323, hereinabove.

326. Muslims are urged in this verse (2.193) to go on fighting till persecution ends. We should well remember here that fighting is permitted against persecution and not against non-muslims as such. If the non-muslims cease to persecute, it is made abundantly clear here, there ought to be no hostility against them. It is for Allah to deal with their non-belief. Muslims cannot force anyone to believe in Islam (refer verse 2.256). They can only plead. And if they force, they would themselves be guilty of persecution. And persecution is worse than killing, Allah declares.

194. Alshshahru alharamu bialshshahri alharami waalhurumatu qisasun famani iAAtada AAalaykum faiAAtadoo AAalayhi bimithli ma iAAtada AAalaykum waittaqoo Allaha waiAAlamoo anna Allaha maAAa almuttaqeena
194. If they observe the sanctity of the prohibited month, you too observe it. And for breach of the prohibitions, there is the law of quisuaasu ('tit for tat' or 'blow for blow'). So then, whoever transgresses against you, pay him back, in like manner. And fear Allah, and know for certain that Allah is with the pious.^{327 to 330}

327. Literally, the verse starts thus: "The prohibited month, for the prohibited month, and for the prohibitions, quisuaasu ...." This literal rendering in English, however, may fail to convey the meaning intended in the original Arabic text. Hence the free redering as resorted to, in the translation, above. The inerpretation made therein is obvious from the context of the preceding verses and from the latter part of this very verse, 2.194.

328. In verse 9.36, it is mentioned that 4 of the 12 months in a year are the prohibited (or sacred) months. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the Qur'aan has not specified the 4 sacred months. These were not specified because the Arabs, at the time of the revelation of the Qur'aan, knew, without controversy, which 4 months were sacred. And the All-Knowing Allah knew in advance that there would be no controversy ever afterwards about it. As the Arabs, since time immemorial, have been knowing, and as muslims all over the world today know, the 4 sacred months of the muslim lunar year are the first (Muharram), the seventh (Rajab), the eleventh (Zee Quad) and the twelfth (Zil-Hajj). And there has never been any cotroversy over it. The Qur'aan has not specified the 4 months because Allah, with His infinite knowledge, knew there was no need. Time has proved that there was indeed no need! And for those who ponder, there is indeed a Sign here of the Qur'aan being divine, complete and without any blemish that human writings may be prone to. Normally, fighting is prohibited during these prohibited months.

329. Earlier, in Verse 2.178, we have come across this Arabic word quisuaasu occurring in this verse. There (Verse 2.178), in that context of an intentional murder unlawfully committed, we have rendered it as 'capital punishment'. It has however been clarified, in Note 294 under that Part, that the Arabic word basically means retaliation. Therefore here, the context being fighting during prohibited months, it would mean that fighting is permitted against those who first breach the prohibition. What follows immediately in the verse, after the word quisuaasu, makes this abundantly clear.

330. The believers however are reminded that they should fear Allah and commit no excesses. And if they do just abide by this divine admonition, Allah assures them that He would be with them in all eventualities. That's a security cover from the Almighty Creator Himself! What greater security could one ask for? If only the Muslims of today could remember this and genuinely fear Allah while doing anything in this world, they wouldn't be in the sorry plight they are in now.

195. Waanfiqoo fee sabeeli Allahi wala tulqoo bi-aydeekum ila alttahlukati waahsinoo inna Allaha yuhibbu almuhsineena
195. And spend, in Allah's path; and throw not away, with your own hands, into destruction. And do good work. Indeed, Allah loves those who do good work.^{331 to 333}

331. In Verse 2.190, believers are commanded to fight in Allah's path/way. And here, in verse 2.195, they are commanded to spend in Allah's way. There, in 2.190, the context was fighting a war, and 'in Allah's way' was interpreted to mean fighting against persecution and injustices (see Chapter Note 323 herein above). Here, in 2.195, the context being 'spending', we have to generalise the interpretation. What is Allah's way? It is obviously the way shown, or the guidance given, in the Qur'aan. So to spend in Allah's way means to spend (not just the wealth one has, but) all Allah-given resources (time, knowledge, included) in facilitating and/or furthering human life totally in accordance with the Qur'aan. It may well be remembered in this context that adequately necessary spending on one's own and on one's immediate family would of course be covered by the term 'in Allah's way'.

332. And whatever one spends otherwise, i.e. other than in Allah's way, would in effect be spending for self destruction or for no tangible and abiding gains. That is the obvious import of throwing 'away, with your own hands, into destruction'. Frivolous spending on one's own self, as well as indiscriminate spending for others, at the cost of one's own needs, could both lead to self-destruction, in this world and/or in the next.

333. Allah directs us to do good work (ahusinoo). Good (suaalihuaa) work entails work done in accordance with divine instructions in the Qur'aan. It also entails such work done in the best possible manner. A believing carpenter, for example, would be a muhusin (singular of muhusineen) provided he does all his work, including carpentery, in a nice or beautiful manner. He wouldn't be entitled to that title (muhusin), if he does not attend to any of his work with all possible care and diligence. Please refer to Verse 2.112 & Chapter Note 165 also, in this regard.

196. Waatimmoo alhajja waalAAumrata lillahi fa-in ohsirtum fama istaysara mina alhadyi wala tahliqoo ruoosakum hatta yablugha alhadyu mahillahu faman kana minkum mareedan aw bihi athan min ra/sihi fafidyatun min siyamin aw sadaqatin aw nusukin fa-itha amintum faman tamattaAAa bialAAumrati ila alhajji fama istaysara mina alhadyi faman lam yajid fasiyamu thalathati ayyamin fee alhajji wasabAAatin itha rajaAAtum tilka AAasharatun kamilatun thalika liman lam yakun ahluhu hadiree almasjidi alharami waittaqoo Allaha waiAAlamoo anna Allaha shadeedu alAAiqabi
196. And complete the Hajj and the Umrah for Allah^{334 to 336}. But if you are prevented, then sacrifice an animal you can afford³³⁷. And shave not your heads until the animal is duly sacrificed^{338, 339}. But if any of you be sick or has an affliction in the head, he is exempted from this injunction provided he compensates by observing fast, spending for the needy or sacrificing. And when circumstances are favourable to you, then for the one who takes advantage of the Umrah before the Hajj, sacrificing an animal, that one can afford, is a must. But for the one who cannot afford, three days of fasting during the Hajj and seven after you return home. That is, ten in all. This provision is for the one whose family does not dwell in the vicinity of the Sacred Place of Worship^{340, 341}. And fear Allah and beware! Allah is severe in punishment.

334. In verse 28.27, the Arabic word huijaj (a plural form of huajj) has been used in the meaning of 'years'. And, as we have already seen in Verse 2.158, the Arabic term huajjal bayta has been used therein. In the light of verse 2.158 read with verse 3.97, therefore, the word huajj used with the Arabic definite article al in this verse (2.196) obviously means the divinely ordained annual pilgrimage to the Sacred House at Mecca. As all Muslims are aware, the Hajj is performed during a specific period of the muslim lunar calendar.

335. The Umrah, on the other hand, can be performed at any time in the year. It's a shorter visit to the holy place, with fewer rites to perform. This Arabic word, in its grammatically varied form, is also used in the same meaning in verse 2.158, which we have already studied under Part 48 referred to in the preceding Note. The Hajj is obligatory under certain conditions as per verse 3.97. In verse 2.196, the obligation is for performing both Hajj and Umrah for Allah, as and when the two are performed. People coming from outside for the Hajj, do perform the Umrah also, separately, besides the Hajj.

336. Both the Hajj and the Umrah, however, are specifically enjoined to be performed only for Allah. What is the significance of this stipulation? Historically of course, it is to mark a break from the jahiliya past when numerous idols had been installed in the Kaabah and people used to visit to propitiate their respective gods besides Allah. But for us, now, the significance of the stipulation lies in the fact that the Kaabah, with its precincts, is the only place in the world divinely permitted for a religious visit, for Allah alone. Allah listens to and answers our supplications to Him, wherever we make them. But since we go to His House at His call and perform the prescribed rites there at His bidding, Allah is more likely to be pleased to grant our supplications made there. So we do make our supplications there both for this world and for the next. There is of course no question of our making supplications there to anyone but Allah. We would thus be truly obeying Allah's command to complete or to perform the Hajj and the Umrah only for Him. But if we make our obeisance and supplications (even if it be to Allah only) at the grave of a saint or a prophet, thinking that Allah would more likely to be pleased with supplications to Him at such places, we would be making a grave mistake! For, such visits to the graves and making such supplications there would not qualify to be termed as only for Allah. We would, invariably in such supplications, be guilty of associating the saint or the prophet with Allah. And that would be a shirk, manifest!

337. The annually performed Hajj is ordained upon those who can afford the journey (verse 3.97). Does this mean that if one can afford the journey every year, one has to perform it every year too? Apparently, it does. But practical considerations like those of health, money, urgent domestic or family problems do come in the way of most people. Different circumstances with different people thus prevent them from undertaking the journey. It is for such people who are not in a position to undertake the journey for the Hajj that the rite of sacrificing an animal is here prescribed. Maybe, the then immediate cause for revelation of this particular part of the verse was a particular incident in the life of the Prophet; but we should always remember that the Qur'aan was revealed for all times till the Last Day. We should therefore apply the Qur'aanic commands, given in generalised terms like this one, to our live problems and questions today.

338. The Qur'aanic injunction against shaving heads is applicable to men who have started the process of accomplishing thir Hajj or Umrah. And it does appear from the context here that this injunction is also applicable to other believers who are required to sacrifice an animal at home during Eidul-Adhuhuaa. For such persons at home, the injunction ought also to start on the 8th of Dhul-Hijj and end when an animal is duly sacrificed, so as to synchronize with the period of the Hajj.

339. During Hajj, it has been the general practice to shave the head or get the hair on the head partially cut to symbolically mark the authorised end of the injunction period. But this symbolic act has assumed the sanctity of an obligatory act, which, going by the Qur'aanic text, it is certainly not! The Qur’aanic injunction is against shaving heads during Hajj up to the time the hadyi animal is duly sacrificed. The Qur’aan does not command us to get our heads necessarily shaved immediately after the sacrifice.

340. Please refer Chapter Note 180 of these Studies.

341. The special provisions of this verse are not applicable to residents of Mecca. In other words, hadyi (sacrificing an animal) is not obligatory on the Meccans, when they perform the Hajj.

197. Alhajju ashhurun maAAloomatun faman farada feehinna alhajja fala rafatha wala fusooqa wala jidala fee alhajji wama tafAAaloo min khayrin yaAAlamhu Allahu watazawwadoo fa-inna khayra alzzadi alttaqwa waittaqooni ya olee al-albabi
197. The Hajj months are known ones³⁴². So he, who has taken a decision to perform the Hajj during those months, should indulge in no sex, commit no transgression and have no quarrels during the Hajj³⁴³. And Allah is aware of whatever good you do. And take necessary provisions for the journey; but, indeed, the best provision one can take along is piety!³⁴⁴ And have fear of Me, O you, endowed with insight!

342. Ash-hurunm (months) is the word used in the original Arabic text. Since it is in the plural form, commentators of the Qur'aan have been searching fo