In addit ion, At -Tirmidhi said t hat ` Amin' means, "Do not disappoint our hope'', while t he maj orit

y of scholars said t hat it means. "Answer our invocat ion.'' Also, in his Musnad, Imam Ahmad recorded t hat ` A'ishah said t hat when t he Jews were ment ioned t o him, t he Messenger of Allah said,

:
(They will not envy us for anyt hing more t han t hey envy us for Friday which we have been guided t o, while t hey were led ast ray from it , and for t he Qiblah which we were guided t o, while t hey were led ast ray from it , and for our saying ` Amin' behind t he Imam.) Also, Ibn Maj ah recorded t his Hadit h wit h t he wording,

(The Jews have never envied you more t han for your saying t he Salam (Islamic greet ing) and for saying Amin.)

Surat Al-Baqarah

Which was revealed in Al-Madinah

The Virt ues of Surat Al-Baqarah In Musnad Ahmad, Sahih Muslim, At -Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i, it is recorded t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat t he Prophet said,


(Do not t urn your houses int o graves. Verily, Shayt an does not ent er t he house where Surat AlBaqarah is recit ed.) At -Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih. Also, ` Abdullah bin Mas` ud said, "Shayt an flees from t he house where Surat Al-Baqarah is heard.'' This Hadit h was collect ed by An-Nasa'i in Al-Yawm wal-Laylah, and Al-Hakim recorded it in his Must adrak, and t hen said t hat it s chain of narrat ion is aut hent ic, alt hough t he Two Sahihs did not collect it . In his Musnad, Ad-Darimi recorded t hat Ibn Mas` ud said, "Shayt an depart s t he house where Surat Al-Baqarah is being recit ed, and as he leaves, he passes gas.'' Ad-Darimi also recorded t hat Ash-Sha` bi said t hat ` Abdullah bin Mas` ud said, "Whoever recit es t en Ayat from Surat Al-Baqarah in a night , t hen Shayt an will not ent er his house t hat night . (These t en Ayat are) four from t he beginning, Ayat Al-Kursi (255), t he following t wo Ayat (256-257) and t he last t hree Ayat .'' In anot her narrat ion, Ibn Mas` ud said, "Then Shayt an will not come near him or his family, nor will he be t ouched by anyt hing t hat he dislikes. Also, if t hese Ayat were t o be recit ed over a senile person, t hey would wake him up.'' Furt her, Sahl bin Sa` d said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(Everyt hing has a hump (or, high peek), and Al-Baqarah is t he high peek of t he Qur'an. Whoever recit es Al-Baqarah at night in his house, t hen Shayt an will not ent er t hat house for t hree night s. Whoever recit es it during a day in his house, t hen Shayt an will not ent er t hat house for t hree days.) This Hadit h was collect ed by Abu Al-Qasim At -Tabarani, Abu Hat im Ibn Hibban in his Sahih and Ibn Marduwyah. At -Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Maj ah recorded t hat Abu Hurayrah said, "The Messenger of Allah sent an expedit ion force comprising of many men and asked each about what t hey memorized of t he Qur'an. The Prophet came t o one of t he youngest men among t hem and asked him, ` What have you memorized (of t he Qur'an) young man' He said, ` I memorized such and such Surahs and also Al-Baqarah.' The Prophet said, ` You memorized Surat Al-Baqarah' He said, ` Yes.' The Prophet said, ` Then you are t heir commander.' One of t he not ed men (or chiefs) comment ed, ` By Allah! I did not learn Surat Al-Baqarah, for fear t hat I would not be able t o implement it . The Messenger of Allah said,


(Learn Al-Qur'an and recit e it , for t he example of whoever learns t he Qur'an, recit es it and adheres t o it , is t he example of a bag t hat is f ull of musk whose scent fills t he air. The example of whoever learns t he Qur'an and t hen sleeps (i.e. lazy) while t he Qur'an is in his memory, is t he example of a bag t hat has musk, but is closed t ight .) This is t he wording collect ed by At -Tirmidhi, who said t hat t his Hadit h is Hasan. In anot her narrat ion, At -Tirmidhi recorded t his same Hadit h in a Mursal manner, so Allah knows best . Also, Al-Bukhari recorded t hat Usayd bin Hudayr said t hat he was once recit ing Surat AlBaqarah while his horse was t ied next t o him. The horse st art ed t o make some noise. When Usayd st opped recit ing, t he horse st opped moving about . When he resumed reading, t he horse st art ed moving about again. When he st opped recit ing, t he horse st opped moving, and when he resumed reading, t he horse st art ed t o move again. Meanwhile, his son Yahya was close t o t he horse, and he feared t hat t he horse might st ep on him. When he moved his son back, he looked up t o t he sky and saw a cloud radiat ing wit h light t hat looked like lamps. In t he morning, he went t o t he Prophet and t old him what had happened and t hen said, "O Messenger of Allah! My son Yahya was close t o t he horse and I feared t hat she might st ep on him. When I at t ended t o him and raised my head t o t he sky, I saw a cloud wit h light s like lamps. So I went , but I couldn't see it .'' The Prophet said, "Do you know what t hat was'' He said, "No.'' The Prophet said,

(They were t he angels, t hey came close hearing your voice (recit ing Surat Al-Baqarah), and if you had kept reading, t he people would have been able t o see t he angels when t he morning came, and t he angels would not be hidden from t heir eyes.) This is t he narrat ion report ed by Imam Abu Ubayd Al-Qasim bin Salam in his book Fada'il AlQur'an.

Virtues of Surat Al-Baqarah and Surat Al ` Imran

Imam Ahmad said t hat Abu Nu` aym narrat ed t o t hem t hat Bishr bin Muhaj ir said t hat ` Abdullah bin Buraydah narrat ed t o him from his fat her, "I was sit t ing wit h t he Prophet and I heard him say,

(Learn Surat Al-Baqarah, because in learning it t here is blessing, in ignoring it t here is sorrow, and t he sorceresses cannot memorize it .) He kept silent for a while and t hen said,

: . : : : : :


(Learn Surat Al-Baqarah and Al ` Imran because t hey are t wo light s and t hey shade t heir people on t he Day of Resurrect ion, j ust as t wo clouds, t wo spaces of shade or t wo lines of (flying) birds. The Qur'an will meet it s companion in t he shape of a pale-faced man on t he Day of Resurrect ion when his grave is opened. The Qur'an will ask him, 'Do you know me' The man will say, 'I do not know you.' The Qur'an will say, 'I am your companion, t he Qur'an, which has brought you t hirst during t he heat and made you st ay up during t he night . Every merchant has his cert ain t rade. But , t his Day, you are behind all t ypes of t rade.' Kingship will t hen be given t o him in his right hand, et ernal life in his left hand and t he crown of grace will be placed on his head. His parent s will also be grant ed t wo garment s t hat t he people of t his life could never afford. They will say, 'Why were we grant ed t hese garment s' It will be said, 'Because your son was carrying t he Qur'an.' It will be said (t o t he reader of t he Qur'an), 'Read and ascend t hrough t he levels of Paradise.' He will go on ascending as long as he recit es, whet her recit ing slowly or quickly.)'' Ibn Maj ah also recorded part of t his Hadit h from Bishr bin Al-Muhaj ir, and t his chain of narrat ors is Hasan, according t o t he crit eria of Imam Muslim. A part of t his Hadit h is also support ed by ot her Hadit hs. For inst ance, Imam Ahmad recorded t hat Abu Umamah Al-Bahili said t hat he heard t he Messenger of Allah say,

(Read t he Qur'an, because it will int ercede on behalf of it s people on t he Day of Resurrect ion. Read t he t wo light s, Al-Baqarah and Al ` Imran, because t hey will come in t he shape of t wo clouds, t wo shades or t wo lines of birds on t he Day of Resurrect ion and will argue on behalf of t heir people on t hat Day.) The Prophet t hen said,


(Read Al-Baqarah, because in having it t here is blessing, and in ignoring t here is a sorrow and t he sorceresses cannot memorize it .) Also, Imam Muslim narrat ed t his Hadit h in t he Book of Prayer Imam Ahmad narrat ed t hat An-Nawwas bin Sam` an said t hat t he Prophet said,

(On t he Day of Resurrect ion t he Qur'an and it s people who used t o implement it will be brought fort h, preceded by Surat Al-Baqarah and Al ` Imran.) An-Nawwas said, "The Prophet set t hree examples for t hese t wo Surahs and I did not forget t hese examples ever since. He said,

(They will come like t wo clouds, t wo dark shades or t wo lines of birds arguing on behalf of t heir people.) It was also recorded in Sahih Muslim and At -Tirmidhi narrat ed t his Hadit h, which he rendered Hasan Gharib.

Surat Al-Baqarah was revealed in Al-Madinah

There is no disagreement over t he view t hat Surat Al-Baqarah was revealed in it s ent iret y in AlMadinah. Moreover, Al-Baqarah was one of t he first Surahs t o be revealed in Al-Madinah, while, Allah's st at ement ,

(And be afraid of t he Day when you shall be brought back t o Allah.) (2:281) was t he last Ayah t o be revealed from t he Qur'an. Also, t he Ayat about usury were among t he last Ayat t o be revealed. Khalid bin Ma` dan used t o call Al-Baqarah t he Fust at (t ent ) of t he Qur'an. Some of t he scholars said t hat it cont ains a t housand news incident s, a t housand commands and a t housand prohibit ions. Those who count said t hat t he number of Al-Baqarah's Ayat is t wo hundred and eight y-seven, and it s words are six t housand t wo hundred and t went y-one words. Furt her, it s let t ers are t went y-five t housand five hundred. Allah knows best . Ibn Jurayj narrat ed t hat ` At a' said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Surat Al-Baqarah was revealed in AlMadinah.'' Also, Khasif said from Muj ahid t hat ` Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr said; "Surat Al-Baqarah was revealed in Al-Madinah.'' Several Imams and scholars of Tafsir issued similar st at ement s, and t here is no difference of opinion over t his as we have st at ed. The Two Sahihs recorded t hat Ibn Mas` ud kept t he Ka` bah on his left side and Mina on his right side and t hrew seven pebbles (at t he Jamrah) and said, "The one t o whom Surat Al-Baqarah was revealed (i.e. t he Prophet ) performed Rami (t he Haj j rit e of t hrowing pebbles) similarly.'' The Two Sahihs recorded t his Hadit h. Furt her, Ibn Marduwyah report ed a Hadit h of Shu` bah from ` Aqil bin Talhah from ` Ut bah bin Mart had; "The Prophet saw t hat his Companions were not in t he first lines and he said,

(O Companions of Surat Al-Baqarah.) I Think t hat t his incident occurred during t he bat t le of Hunayn when t he Companions ret reat ed. Then, t he Prophet commanded Al-` Abbas (his uncle) t o yell out ,

(O Companions of t he t ree!) meaning t he Companions who part icipat ed in t he pledge of ArRidwan (under t he t ree). In anot her narrat ion, Al- ` Abbas cried, "O Companions of Surat AlBaqarah!'' encouraging t hem t o come back, so t hey ret urned from every direct ion. Also, during t he bat t le of Al-Yamamah, against t he army of Musaylimah t he Liar, t he Companions first ret reat ed because of t he huge number of soldiers in Musaylimah's army. The Muhaj irun and t he Ansar called out for each ot her, saying; "O people of Surat Al-Baqarah!'' Allah t hen gave t hem vict ory over t heir enemy, may Allah be pleased wit h all of t he companions of all t he Messengers of Allah.

(In t he Name of Allah, t he Most Gracious, t he Most Merciful) (1. Alif Lam Mim).

The Discussion of the Individual Letters

The individual let t ers in t he beginning of some Surahs are among t hose t hings whose knowledge Allah has kept only for Himself. This was report ed from Abu Bakr, ` Umar, ` Ut hman, ` Ali and Ibn Mas` ud. It was said t hat t hese let t ers are t he names of some of t he Surahs. It was also said t hat t hey are t he beginnings t hat Allah chose t o st art t he Surahs of t he Qur'an wit h. Khasif st at ed t hat Muj ahid said, "The beginnings of t he Surahs, such as Qaf, Sad, Ta Sin Mim and Alif Lam Ra, are j ust some let t ers of t he alphabet .'' Some linguist s also st at ed t hat t hey are let t ers of t he alphabet and t hat Allah simply did not cit e t he ent ire alphabet of t went y-eight let t ers. For inst ance, t hey said, one might say, "My son recit es Alif, Ba, Ta, Tha... '' he means t he ent ire alphabet alt hough he st ops before ment ioning t he rest of it . This opinion was ment ioned by Ibn Jarir.

The Letters at the Beginning of Surahs

If one removes t he repet it ive let t ers, t hen t he number of let t ers ment ioned at t he beginning of t he Surahs is fourt een: Alif, Lam, Mim, Sad, Ra, Kaf, Ha, Ya, ` Ayn, Ta, Sin, Ha, Qaf, Nun. So glorious is He Who made everyt hing subt ly reflect His wisdom. Moreover, t he scholars said, "There is no doubt t hat Allah did not reveal t hese let t ers for j est and play.'' Some ignorant people said t hat some of t he Qur'an does not mean anyt hing, (meaning, such as t hese let t ers) t hus commit t ing a maj or mist ake. On t he cont rary, t hese let t ers carry a specific meaning. Furt her, if we find an aut hent ic narrat ion leading t o t he Prophet t hat explains t hese let t ers, we will embrace t he Prophet 's st at ement . Ot herwise, we will st op where we were made t o st op and will proclaim,

(We believe in it ; all of it (clear and unclear verses) is from our Lord) (3:7). The scholars did not agree on one opinion or explanat ion regarding t his subj ect . Therefore, whoever t hinks t hat one scholar's opinion is correct , he is obliged t o follow it , ot herwise it is bet t er t o refrain from making any j udgment on t his mat t er. Allah knows best .

These Letters testify to the Miraculous Qur'an

The wisdom behind ment ioning t hese let t ers in t he beginning of t he Surahs, regardless of t he exact meanings of t hese let t ers, is t hat t hey t est ify t o t he miracle of t he Qur'an. Indeed, t he servant s are unable t o produce somet hing like t he Qur'an, alt hough it is comprised of t he same let t ers wit h which t hey speak t o each ot her. This opinion was ment ioned by Ar-Razi in his Tafsir who relat ed it t o Al-Mubarrid and several ot her scholars. Al-Qurt ubi also relat ed t his opinion t o Al-Farra' and Qut rub. Az-Zamakhshari agreed wit h t his opinion in his book, Al-Kashshaf. In addit ion, t he Imam and scholar Abu Al-` Abbas Ibn Taymiyyah and our Shaykh Al-Hafiz Abu AlHaj j aj Al-Mizzi agreed wit h t his opinion. Al-Mizzi t old me t hat it is also t he opinion of Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah. KAz-Zamakhshari said t hat t hese let t ers, "Were not all ment ioned once in t he beginning of t he Qur'an. Rat her, t hey were repeat ed so t hat t he challenge (against t he creat ion) is more daring. Similarly, several st ories were ment ioned repeat edly in t he Qur'an,

and also t he challenge was repeat ed in various areas (i.e., t o produce somet hing like t he Qur'an). Somet imes, one let t er at a t ime was ment ioned, such as Sad, Nun and Qaf. Somet imes t wo let t ers were ment ioned, such as

(Ha Mim) (44:1) Somet imes, t hree let t ers were ment ioned, such as,

(Alif Lam Mim (2: 1)) and four let t ers, such as,

(` Alif Lam Mim Ra) (13:1), and

(Alif Lam Mim Sad) (7:1). Somet imes, five let t ers were ment ioned, such as,

(Kaf Ha Ya ` Ayn Sad) (19:1), and;

-
(Ha Mim. ` Ayn Sin Qaf) (42:1-2). This is because t he words t hat are used in speech are usually comprised of one, t wo, t hree, four, or five let t ers.'' Every Surah t hat begins wit h t hese let t ers demonst rat es t he Qur'an's miracle and magnificence, and t his fact is known by t hose well-versed in such mat t ers. The count of t hese Surahs is t went y-nine. For inst ance, Allah said,

(Alif Lam Mim) This is t he Book (t he Qur'an), wherein t here is no doubt (2:1-2),

-
(Alif Lam Mim. Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has t he right t o be worshipped but He), AlHayyul-Qayyuum (t he Ever Living, t he One Who sust ains and prot ect s all t hat exist s). It is He Who has sent down t he Book (t he Qur'an) t o you (Muhammad ) wit h t rut h, confirming what came before it .) (3:1-3), and,

(Alif Lam Mim Sad. (This is t he) Book (t he Qur'an) sent down unt o you (O Muhammad ), so let not your breast be narrow t herefrom) (7:1-2). Also, Allah said,

(Alif Lam Ra. (This is) a Book which We have revealed unt o you (O Muhammad ) in order t hat you might lead mankind out of darkness (of disbelief and polyt heism) int o t he light (of belief in t he Oneness of Allah and Islamic Monot heism) by t heir Lord's leave) (14:1),

-
(Alif Lam Mim. The revelat ion of t he Book (t his Qur'an) in which t here is no doubt , is from t he Lord of t he ` Alamin (mankind, Jinn and all t hat exist s)!) (32:1-2),

-
(Ha Mim. A revelat ion from (Allah) t he Most Gracious, t he Most Merciful) (41:1-2), and,

- -
(Ha Mim. ` Ain Sin Qaf. Likewise Allah, t he Almight y, t he Wise sends revelat ion t o you (O Muhammad ) as (He sent revelat ion t o) t hose before you.) (42:1-3). There are several ot her Ayat t hat t est ify t o what we have ment ioned above, and Allah knows best .

(2. That is Book in which t here is no Rayb, guidance for t he Mut t aqin).

There is no Doubt in the Qur'an

The Book, is t he Qur'an, and Rayb means doubt . As-Suddi said t hat Abu Malik and Abu Salih narrat ed from Ibn ` Abbas, and Murrah Al-Hamadani narrat ed from Ibn Mas` ud and several ot her Companions of t he Messenger of Allah t hat ,

(In which t here is no Rayb), means about which t here is no doubt . Abu Ad-Darda', Ibn ` Abbas, Muj ahid, Sa` id bin Jubayr, Abu Malik, Nafi` ` At a', Abu Al-` Aliyah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Muqat il bin Hayyan, As-Suddi, Qat adah and Isma` il bin Abi Khalid said similarly. In addit ion, Ibn Abi Hat im said, "I do not know of any disagreement over t his explanat ion.'' The meaning of t his is t hat t he Book, t he Qur'an, is wit hout a doubt revealed from Allah. Similarly, Allah said in Surat As- Saj dah,

-
(Alif Lam Mim). The revelat ion of t he Book (t his Qur'an) in which t here is no doubt , is from t he Lord of all t hat exist s) (32:1-2). Some scholars st at ed t hat t his Ayah - 2:2 - cont ains a prohibit ion meaning, "Do not doubt t he Qur'an.'' Furt hermore, some of t he recit ers of t he Qur'an pause upon reading,

(t here is no doubt ) and t hey t hen cont inue;

(in which t here is guidance for t he Mut t aqin (t he pious and right eous persons)). However, it is bet t er t o pause at ,

(in which t here is no doubt ) because in t his case,

(guidance) becomes an at t ribut e of t he Qur'an and carries a bet t er meaning t han,

(in which t here is guidance).

Guidance is granted to Those Who have Taqwa

Hidayah - correct guidance - is only grant ed t o t hose who have Taqwa - fear of Allah. Allah said,

(Say: It is for t hose who believe, a guide and a healing. And as for t hose who disbelieve, t here is heaviness (deafness) in t heir ears, and it (t he Qur'an) is blindness for t hem. They are t hose who are called from a place far away (so t hey neit her list en nor underst and)) (41:44), and,

(And We send down of t he Qur'an t hat which is a healing and a mercy t o t hose who believe (in Islamic Monot heism and act on it ), and it increases t he Zalimin (wrongdoers) in not hing but loss) (17:82). This is a sample of t he numerous Ayat indicat ing t hat t he believers, in part icular, benefit from t he Qur'an. That is because t he Qur'an is it self a form of guidance, but t he guidance in it is only grant ed t o t he right eous, j ust as Allah said,

(O mankind! There has come t o you a good advice from your Lord (i. e. t he Qur'an, enj oining all t hat is good and forbidding all t hat is evil), and a healing for t hat (disease of ignorance, doubt , hypocrisy and differences) which is in your breast s, a guidance and a mercy (explaining lawful and unlawful t hings) for t he believers) (10:57). Ibn ` Abbas and Ibn Mas` ud and ot her Companions of t he Messenger of Allah said,

(guidance for t he Mut t aqin (t he pious and right eous persons), means, a light for t hose who have Taqwa.

The Meaning of Al-Muttaqin

Ibn ` Abbas said about ,

(guidance for t he Mut t aqin) t hat it means, "They are t he believers who avoid Shirk wit h Allah and who work in His obedience.'' Ibn ` Abbas also said t hat Al-Mut t aqin means, "Those who fear Allah's punishment , which would result if t hey abandoned t he t rue guidance t hat t hey recognize and know. They also hope in Allah's mercy by believing in what He revealed.'' Furt her, Qat adah said t hat ,

(Al-Mut t aqin), are t hose whom Allah has described in His st at ement ;


(Who believe in t he Ghayb and perform t he Salah) (2:3), and t he following Ayat . Ibn Jarir st at ed t hat t he Ayah (2:2) includes all of t hese meanings t hat t he scholars have ment ioned, and t his is t he correct view. Also, At -Tirmidhi and Ibn Maj ah narrat ed t hat ` At iyah As-Sa` di said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(The servant will not acquire t he st at us of t he Mut t aqin unt il he abandons what is harmless out of fear of falling int o t hat which is harmful.) At -Tirmidhi t hen said "Hasan Gharib.''

There are Two Types of Hidayah (Guidance)

Huda here means t he fait h t hat resides in t he heart , and only Allah is able t o creat e it in t he heart of t he servant s. Allah said,

(Verily, you (O Muhammad ) guide not whom you like) (28:56),

(Not upon you (Muhammad ) is t heir guidance) (2:272),

(Whomsoever Allah sends ast ray, none can guide him) (7:186), and,

(He whom Allah guides, he is t he right ly guided; but he whom He sends ast ray, for him you will find no Wali (guiding friend) t o lead him (t o t he right pat h)) (18:17).

Huda also means t o explain t he t rut h, give direct ion and lead t o it . Allah, t he Exalt ed, said,

(And verily, you (O Muhammad ) are indeed guiding (mankind) t o t he st raight pat h (i.e. Allah's religion of Islamic Monot heism)) (42: 52),

(You are only a warner, and t o every people t here is a guide) (13:7), and,

(And as for Thamud, We showed and made clear t o t hem t he pat h of t rut h (Islamic Monot heism) t hrough Our Messenger (i.e. showed t hem t he way of success), but t hey preferred blindness t o guidance) (41:17). t est ifying t o t his meaning. Also, Allah said,

(And shown him t he t wo ways (good and evil).) (90:10) This is t he view of t he scholars who said t hat t he t wo ways refer t o t he pat hs of right eousness and evil, which is also t he correct explanat ion. And Allah knows best .

Meaning of Taqwa
The root meaning of Taqwa is t o avoid what one dislikes. It was report ed t hat ` Umar bin AlKhat t ab asked Ubayy bin Ka` b about Taqwa. Ubayy said, "Have you ever walked on a pat h t hat has t horns on it '' ` Umar said, "Yes.'' Ubayy said, "What did you do t hen'' He said, "I rolled up my sleeves and st ruggled.'' Ubayy said, "That is Taqwa.''

(3.Those Who have fait h in t he Ghayb).

The Meaning of Iman

Abu Ja` far Ar-Razi said t hat Al-` Ala' bin Al-Musayyib bin Rafi` narrat ed from Abu Ishaq t hat Abu Al-Ahwas said t hat ` Abdullah said, "Iman is t o t rust .''. ` Ali bin Abi Talhah report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said,

(who have fait h) means t hey t rust . Also, Ma` mar said t hat Az-Zuhri said, "Iman is t he deeds.'' In addit ion, Abu Ja` far Ar-Razi said t hat Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said t hat , ` They have fait h', means, t hey fear (Allah). Ibn Jarir (At -Tabari) comment ed, "The prefered view is t hat t hey be described as having fait h in t he Unseen by t he t ongue, deed and creed. In t his case, fear of Allah is included in t he general meaning of Iman, which necessit at es following deeds of t he t ongue by implement at ion. Hence, Iman is a general t erm t hat includes affirming and believing in Allah, His Books and His Messengers, and realizing t his affirmat ion t hrough adhering t o t he implicat ions of what t he t ongue ut t ers and affirms.'' Linguist ically, in t he absolut e sense, Iman merely means t rust , and it is used t o mean t hat somet imes in t he Qur'an, for inst ance, Allah t he Exalt ed said,

(He t rust s (yu'minu) in Allah, and t rust s (yu'minu) in t he believers.) (9: 61) Prophet Yusuf's brot hers said t o t heir fat her,

(But you will never believe us even when we speak t he t rut h) (12:17). Furt her, t he word Iman is somet imes ment ioned along wit h deeds, such as Allah said,

(Save t hose who believe (in Islamic Monot heism) and do right eous deeds) (95:6). However, when Iman is used in an unrest rict ed manner, it includes beliefs, deeds, and st at ement s of t he t ongue.We should st at e here t hat Iman increases and decreases.

There are many narrat ions and Hadit hs on t his subj ect , and we discussed t hem in t he beginning of our explanat ion of Sahih Al-Bukhari, all favors are from Allah. Some scholars explained t hat Iman means Khashyah (fear of Allah). For inst ance, Allah said;

(Verily, t hose who fear t heir Lord unseen (i.e. t hey do not see Him, nor His punishment in t he Hereaft er)) (67:12), and,

(Who feared t he Most Gracious (Allah) in t he Ghayb (unseen) and brought a heart t urned in repent ance (t o Him and absolut ely free from every kind of polyt heism)) (50: 33). Fear is t he core of Iman and knowledge, j ust as Allah t he Exalt ed said,

(It is only t hose who have knowledge among His servant s t hat fear Allah) (35:28).

The Meaning of Al-Ghayb

As for t he meaning of Ghayb here, t he Salaf have different explanat ions of it , all of which are correct , indicat ing t he same general meaning. For inst ance, Abu Ja` far Ar-Razi quot ed Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, report ing from Abu Al-` Aliyah about Allah's st at ement , i

((Those who) have fait h in t he Ghayb), "They believe in Allah, His angels, Books, Messengers, t he Last Day, His Paradise, Fire and in t he meet ing wit h Him. They also believe in life aft er deat h and in Resurrect ion. All of t his is t he Ghayb.'' Qat adah bin Di` amah said similarly. Sa` id bin Mansur report ed from ` Abdur-Rahman bin Yazid who said, "We were sit t ing wit h ` Abdullah bin Mas` ud when we ment ioned t he Companions of t he Prophet and t heir deeds being superior t o our deeds. ` Abdullah said, ` The mat t er of Muhammad was clear for t hose who saw him. By He ot her t han Whom t here is no God, no person will ever acquire a bet t er t ype of fait h t han believing in Al-Ghayb.' He t hen recit ed,

 -
(Alif Lam Mim. This is t he Book, wherein t here is no doubt , a guidance for t he Mut t aqin. Those who believe in t he Ghayb), unt il,

(t he successful). '' Ibn Abi Hat im, Ibn Marduwyah and Al-Hakim, in his Must adrak, recorded t his Hadit h. Al-Hakim comment ed t hat t his Hadit h is aut hent ic and t hat t he Two Shaykhs - AlBukhari and Muslim - did not collect it , alt hough it meet s t heir crit eria. Ahmad recorded a Hadit h wit h similar meaning from Ibn Muhayriz who said: I said t o Abu Jumu` ah, "Narrat e a Hadit h for us t hat you heard from t he Messenger of Allah.'' He said, "Yes. I will narrat e a good Hadit h for you. Once we had lunch wit h t he Messenger of Allah . Abu ` Ubaydah, who was wit h us, said, ` O Messenger of Allah! Are people bet t er t han us We embraced Islam wit h you and performed Jihad wit h you.' He said,

(Yes, t hose who will come aft er you, who will believe in me alt hough t hey did not see me.)'' This Hadit h has anot her rout e collect ed by Abu Bakr bin Marduwyah in his Tafsir, from Salih bin Jubayr who said: ` Abu Jumu` ah Al-Ansari, t he Companion of t he Messenger of Allah , came t o Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) t o perform t he prayer. Raj a' bin Haywah was wit h us, so when Abu Jumu` ah finished, we went out t o greet him. When he was about t o leave, he said, "You have a gift and a right . I will narrat e a Hadit h for you t hat I heard from t he Messenger of Allah. '' We said, "Do so, and may Allah grant you mercy.'' He said, "We were wit h t he Messenger of Allah, t en people including Mu` adh bin Jabal. We said, "O Messenger of Allah! Are t here people who will acquire great er rewards t han us We believed in Allah and followed you.' He said,

(What prevent s you from doing so, while t he Messenger of Allah is among you, bringing you t he revelat ion from heaven There are people who will come aft er you and who will be given a book

bet ween t wo covers (t he Qur'an), and t hey will believe in it and implement it s commands. They have a great er reward t han you, even t wice as much.)''

(And perform Salah, and spend out of what we have provided for t hem)

Meaning of Iqamat As-Salah

Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ,

(And perform t he Salah), means, "Perform t he prayer wit h all of t he obligat ions t hat accompany it .'' Ad-Dahhak said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Iqamat As-Salah means t o complet e t he bowings, prost rat ions, recit at ion, humbleness and at t endance for t he prayer.'' Qat adah said, "Iqamat As-Salah means t o preserve punct ualit y, and t he ablut ion, bowings, and prost rat ions of t he prayer.'' Muqat il bin Hayyan said Iqamat As-Salah means "To preserve punct ualit y for it , as well as complet ing ones purit y for it , and complet ing t he bowings, prost rat ions, recit at ion of t he Qur'an, Tashahhud and blessings for t he Prophet . This is Iqamat As-Salah.''

The Meaning of "Spending'' in this Ayah

Ali bin Abi Talhah report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said,

(And spend out of what We have provided for t hem) means, "The Zakah due on t heir wealt h.'' As-Suddi said t hat Abu Malik and Abu Salih narrat ed from Ibn ` Abbas, as well as Murrah from Ibn Mas` ud and ot her Companions of t he Messenger of Allah , t hat ,

(And spend out of what We have provided for t hem) means, "A man's spending on his family. This was before t he obligat ion of Zakah was revealed.'' Juwaybir narrat ed from Ad-Dahhak, "General spending (in charit y) was a means of drawing nearer t o Allah, according t o one's discret ion and capabilit y. Unt il t he obligat ion of charit y was revealed in t he seven Ayat of Surat Bara'ah (chapt er 9), were revealed. These abrogat ed t he previous case.'' In many inst ances, Allah ment ioned prayer and spending wealt h t oget her. Prayer is a right of Allah as well as a form of worshipping Him. It includes singling Him out for one's devot ion, praising Him, glorifying Him, supplicat ing t o Him, invoking Him, and it displays one's dependence upon Him. Spending is form of kindness t owards creat ures by giving t hem what will benefit t hem, and t hose people most deserving of t his charit y are t he relat ives, t he wife, t he

servant s and t hen t he rest of t he people. So all t ypes of required charit y and required spending are included in Allah's saying,

(And spend out of what we have provided for t hem). The Two Sahihs recorded t hat Ibn ` Umar said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

:
(Islam is built upon five (pillars): Test ifying t hat t here is no deit y wort hy of worship except Allah and t hat Muhammad is t he Messenger of Allah, est ablishing t he prayer, giving Zakah, fast ing Ramadan and Haj j t o t he House.) There are many ot her Hadit hs on t his subj ect .

The Meaning of Salah

In t he Arabic language, t he basic meaing of Salah is supplicat ion. In religious t erminology, Salah is used t o refer t o t he act s of bowing and prost rat ion, t he remaining specified act s associat ed wit h it , specificed at cert ain t imes, wit h t hose known condit ions, and t he charact erist ics, and requirement s t hat are well-known about it .

(4. And who have fait h in what is revealed t o you and in what was revealed before you, and in t he Hereaft er t hey are cert ain.) Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ,

(And who have fait h in what is revealed t o you and in what was revealed before you.) means, "They believe in what Allah sent you wit h, and in what t he previous Messengers were sent wit h, t hey do not dist inguish bet ween (believing) t hem, nor do t hey rej ect what t hey brought from t heir Lord.''

(And in t he Hereaft er t hey are cert ain) t hat is t he resurrect ion, t he st anding (on t he Day of Resurrect ion), Paradise, t he Fire, t he reckoning and t he t he Scale t hat weighs t he deeds (t he Mizan). The Hereaft er is so named because it comes aft er t his eart hly life.

Attributes of the Believers

The people described here (2:4) are t hose whom Allah described in t he preceding Ayah,

(Those who have fait h in t he Ghayb and perform Salah, and spend out of what we have provided for t hem.) Muj ahid once st at ed, "Four Ayat at t he beginning of Surat Al-Baqarah describe t he believers, t wo describe t he disbelievers, and t hirt een describe t he hypocrit es.'' The four Ayat ment ioned in t his st at ement are general and include every believer, whet her an Arab, non-Arab, or a person of a previous Script ure, whet her t hey are Jinns or humans. All of t hese at t ribut es complement each ot her and require t he exist ence of t he ot her at t ribut es. For inst ance, it is not possible t hat one believes in t he Unseen, performs t he prayer and gives Zakah wit hout believing in what t he Messenger of Allah and t he previous Messengers were sent wit h. The same wit h cert aint y in t he Hereaft er, t his is not correct wit hout t hat , for Allah has commanded t he believers,

(O you who believe! Believe in Allah, and His Messenger, and t he Book (t he Qur'an) which He has revealed t o t he Messenger, and t he Book which He sent own t o t hose before (him)) (4:136),


(And argue not wit h t he People of t he Book, unless it be in (a way) t hat is bet t er, except wit h such of t hem as do wrong; and say (t o t hem): "We believe in t hat which has been revealed t o us and revealed t o you; our Ilah (God) and your Ilah (God) is One (i.e. Allah)') (29:46),

(O you who have been given t he Book (Jews and Christ ians)! Believe in what We have revealed (t o Muhammad ) confirming what is (already) wit h you) (4:47), and,

(Say (O Muhammad ): "O People of t he Book (Jews and Christ ians)! You have not hing unt il you act according t o t he Tawrah (Torah), t he Inj il (Gospel), and what has (now) been revealed t o you from your Lord (t he Qur'an).'') (5:68). Also, Allah t he Exalt ed described t he believers;

(The Messenger (Muhammad ) believes in what has been revealed t o him from his Lord, and (so do) t he believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say,) "We make no dist inct ion bet ween any of His Messengers'') (2: 285), and,


(And t hose who believe in Allah and His Messengers and make no dist inct ion bet ween any of t hem (Messengers)) (4:152), This is a sample of t he Ayat t hat indicat e t hat t he t rue believers all believe in Allah, His Messengers and His Books. The fait hful among t he People of t he Book, have a special significance here, since t hey believe in t heir Books and in all of t he det ails relat ed t o t hat , so when such people embrace Islam and sincerely believe in t he det ails of t he religion, t hen t hey will get t wo rewards. As for t he ot hers, t hey can only believe in t he previous religious t eachings in a general way. For inst ance, t he Prophet st at ed,

:
(When t he People of t he Book narrat e t o you, neit her rej ect nor affirm what t hey say. Rat her, say, 'We believe in what was revealed t o us and what was revealed t o you.') However, t he fait h t hat many Arabs have in t he religion of Islam as it was revealed t o Muhammad might be more complet e, encompassing and firmer t han t he fait h of t he People of t he Book who embraced Islam. Therefore, if t he believers in Islam among t he People of t he Book gain t wo rewards, ot her Muslims who have firmer Islamic fait h might gain an equal reward t hat compares t o t he t wo t he People of t he Book gain (upon embracing Islam). And Allah knows best .

(5. They are on guidance from t heir Lord, and t hey are t he successful.)

Guidance and Success are awarded to the Believers

Allah said,


(They are) refers t o t hose who believe in t he Unseen, est ablish t he prayer, spend from what Allah has grant ed t hem, believe in what Allah has revealed t o t he Messenger and t he Messengers before him, believe in t he Hereaft er wit h cert aint y, and prepare t he necessary requirement s for t he Hereaft er by performing good deeds and avoiding t he prohibit ions. Allah t hen said,

(On guidance) meaning, t hey are (following) a light , guidance, and have insight from Allah,

(And t hey are t he successful) meaning, in t his world and t he Hereaft er. They shall have what t hey seek and be saved from t he evil t hat t hey t ried t o avoid. Therefore, t hey will have rewards, et ernal life in Paradise, and safet y from t he t orment t hat Allah has prepared for His enemies.

-(6. Verily, t hose who disbelieve, it is t he same t o t hem whet her you warn t hem or do not warn t hem, t hey will not believe.) Allah said,

(Verily, t hose who disbelieve) meaning, covered t he t rut h and hid it . Since Allah has writ t en t hat t hey would do so, it does not mat t er if you (O Muhammad ) warn t hem or not , t hey would st ill have disbelieved in what you were sent wit h. Similarly, Allah said,

(Truly, t hose against whom t he Word (wrat h) of your Lord has been j ust ified, will not believe. Even if every sign should come t o t hem, unt il t hey see t he painful t orment ) (10:96-97). About t he rebellious People of t he Book, Allah said,

(And even if you were t o bring t o t he People of t he Book (Jews and Christ ians) all t he Ayat , t hey would not follow your Qiblah (prayer direct ion)) (2:5). These Ayat indicat e t hat whomever Allah has writ t en t o be miserable, t hey shall never find anyone t o guide t hem t o happiness, and whomever Allah direct s t o misguidance, he shall never find anyone t o guide him. So do not pit y t hem - O Muhammad - deliver t he Message t o t hem. Cert ainly, whoever among t hem accept s t he Message, t hen he shall gain t he best rewards. As for t hose who t urn away in rej ect ion, do not feel sad for t hem or concerned about t hem, for

(Your dut y is only t o convey (t he Message) and on Us is t he reckoning) (13: 40), and,

(But you are only a warner. And Allah is a Wakil (Disposer of affairs, Trust ee, Guardian) over all t hings) (11:12). ` Ali bin Abi Talhah report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said about Allah's st at ement ,

(Verily, t hose who disbelieve, it is t he same t o t hem whet her you (O Muhammad ) warn t hem or do not warn t hem, t hey will not believe) "That t he Messenger of Allah was eager for all t he people t o believe and follow t he guidance he was sent wit h. Allah informed him t hat none would believe except for t hose whom He decreed happiness for in t he first place, and none would st ray except t hose who Allah has decreed t o do so in t he first place.''


(7. Allah has set a seal on t heir heart s and on t heir hearing, and on t heir eyes t here is a covering. Theirs will be a great t orment ).

Meaning of Khatama
As-Suddi said t hat ,

(Khat ama Allah) means, "Allah has sealed.'' Qat adah said t hat t his Ayah means, "Shayt an cont rolled t hem when t hey obeyed him. Therefore, Allah sealed t heir heart s, hearing and sight , and t hey could neit her see t he guidance nor hear, comprehend or underst and.'' Ibn Jurayj said t hat Muj ahid said,

(Allah has set a seal on t heir heart s), "A st amp. It occurs when sin resides in t he heart and surrounds it from all sides, and t his submersion of t he heart in sin const it ut es a st amp, meaning a seal.'' Ibn Jurayj also said t hat t he seal is placed on t he heart and t he hearing. In addit ion, Ibn Jurayj said, t hat ` Abdullah bin Kat hir narrat ed t hat Muj ahid said, "The st ain is not as bad as t he st amp, t he st amp is not as bad as t he lock which is t he worst t ype.'' Al-A` mash said, "Muj ahid demonst rat ed wit h his hand while saying, ` They used t o say t hat t he heart is j ust like t his - meaning t he open palm. When t he servant commit s a sin, a part of t he heart will be rolled up - and he rolled up his index finger. When t he servant commit s anot her sin, a part of t he heart will be rolled up' - and he rolled up anot her finger, unt il he rolled up all of his fingers. Then he said, ` Then, t he heart will be sealed.' Muj ahid also said t hat t his is t he descript ion of t he Ran (refer t o 83:14).'' Al-Qurt ubi said, "The Ummah has agreed t hat Allah has described Himself wit h sealing and closing t he heart s of t he disbelievers, as a punishment for t heir disbelief. Similarly, Allah said,

(Nay, Allah has set a seal upon t heir heart s because of t heir disbelief) (4:155).'' He t hen ment ioned t he Hadit h about changing t he heart s, (in which t he Prophet supplicat ed),

(O You Who changes t he heart s, make our heart s firm on Your religion.) He also ment ioned t he Hadit h by Hudhayfah recorded in t he Sahih, in which t he Messenger of Allah said,

:
(The Fit an (t rials, t est s) are offered t o t he heart s, j ust as t he st raws t hat are sewn int o a woven mat , one aft er anot her. Any heart t hat accept s t he Fit an, t hen a black dot will be engraved on it . Any heart t hat rej ect s t he Fit an, t hen a whit e dot will be engraved on it . The heart s will t herefore become t wo cat egories: whit e, j ust like t he barren rock; no Fit nah shall ever harm t his cat egory as long as t he heavens and eart h st ill exist . Anot her cat egory is black, j ust as t he cup t hat is t urned upside down, for t his heart does not recognize right eousness or renounce evil. ) Ibn Jarir said, "The t rut h regarding t his subj ect is what t he aut hent ic Hadit h from t he Messenger of Allah st at ed. Abu Hurayrah narrat ed t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(When t he believer commit s a sin, a black dot will be engraved on his heart . If he repent s, refrains and regret s, his heart will be polished again. If he commit s more errors, t he dot s will increase unt il t hey cover his heart . This is t he Ran (st ain) t hat Allah described,

(Nay! But on t heir heart s is t he Ran (st ain) which t hey used t o earn)'' (83:14). At -Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Maj ah recorded t his Hadit h, and At -Tirmidhi said t hat it is Hasan Sahih.

The Meaning of Ghishawah

Recit ing t he Ayah,

(Allah has set a seal on t heir heart s and on t heir hearing), t hen pausing, t hen cont inuing wit h,

(And on t heir eyes t here is a Ghishawah (covering)) is accurat e, for t he st amp is placed on t he heart and t he hearing while t he Ghishawah, t he covering, is appropriat ely placed on t he eyes. In his Tafsir, As-Suddi said t hat Ibn ` Abbas and Ibn Mas` ud said about Allah's st at ement ,

(Allah has set a seal on t heir heart s and on t heir hearing), "So t hat t hey neit her underst and nor hear. Allah also said t hat He placed a covering on t heir sight , meaning eyes, and so, t hey do not see.''

The Hypocrites
We ment ioned t hat four Ayat in t he beginning of Surat Al-Baqarah described t he believers. The t wo last Ayat (2:6-7) describe t he disbelievers. Aft erwards, Allah begins t o describe t he hypocrit es who show belief and hide disbelief. Since t he mat t er of t he hypocrit es is vague and many people do not realize t heir t rue realit y, Allah ment ioned t heir descript ion in det ail. Each of t he charact erist ics t hat Allah used t o described t hem wit h is a t ype of hypocrisy it self. Allah revealed Surat Bara'ah (chapt er 9) and Surat Al-Munafiqun (chapt er 63) about t he hypocrit es. He also ment ioned t he hypocrit es in Surat An-Nur (24) and ot her Surahs, so t hat t heir descript ion would be known and t heir ways and errors could be avoided. Allah said,

 -
(8. And of mankind, t here are some who say: "We believe in Allah and t he Last Day'' while in fact t hey do not believe). (9. They t ry t o deceive Allah and t hose who believe, while t hey only deceive t hemselves, and perceive (it ) not !)

Meaning of Nifaq
Nifaq means t o show conformit y - or agreement - and t o conceal evil. Nifaq has several t ypes: Nifaq in t he creed t hat causes it s people t o reside in Hell for et ernit y, and Nifaq in deed, which is one of t he maj or sins, as we will explain soon, Allah willing. Ibn Jurayj said of t he hypocrit e t hat , "His act ual deeds are different from what he publicizes, what he conceals is different from what he ut t ers, his ent rance and presence are not t he same as his exit and absence.''

The Beginning of Hypocrisy

The revelat ions about t he charact erist ics of t he hypocrit es were revealed in Al-Madinah, t his is because t here were no hypocrit es in Makkah. Rat her t he opposit e was t he sit uat ion in Makkah, since some people were forced t o pret end t hat t hey were disbelievers, while t heir heart s concealed t heir fait h. Aft erwards, t he Messenger of Allah migrat ed t o Al-Madinah, where t he Ansar from t he t ribes of Aws and Khazraj resided. They used t o worship idols during t he preIslamic period of ignorance, j ust as t he rest of t he Arab idolat ors. Three Jewish t ribes resided in Al-Madinah, Banu Qaynuqa` -allies of Al-Khazraj , Banu An-Nadir and Banu Qurayzah-allies of t he Aws. Many members of t he Aws and Khazraj t ribes embraced Islam. However, only a few Jews embraced Islam, such as ` Abdullah bin Salam. During t he early st age in Al-Madinah, t here weren't any hypocrit es because t he Muslims were not st rong enough t o be feared yet . On t he cont rary, t he Messenger of Allah conduct ed peace t reat ies wit h t he Jews and several ot her Arab t ribes around Al-Madinah. Soon aft er, t he bat t le of Badr occurred and Allah gave vict ory t o Islam and it s people. ` Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul was a leader in Al-Madinah. He was AlKhazraj 's chief, and during t he period of Jahiliyyah he was t he mast er of bot h t ribes - Aws and Khazraj . They were about t o appoint him t heir king when t he Message reached Al-Madinah, and many in Al-Madinah embraced Islam. Ibn Salul's heart was filled wit h hat red against Islam and it s people. When t he bat t le of Badr t ook place, he said, "Allah's religion has become apparent .'' So he pret ended t o be Muslim, along wit h many of t hose who were j ust like him, as well as many among t he People of t he Book. It was t hen t hat hypocrisy began in Al-Madinah and among t he surrounding nomad t ribes. As for t he Emigrant s, none of t hem were hypocrit es, since t hey emigrat ed willingly (seeking t he pleasure of Allah). Rat her, when a Muslim would emigrat e from Makkah, he would be forced t o abandon all of his wealt h, offspring and land; he would do so seeking Allah's reward in t he Hereaft er.

The Tafsir of Ayah 2:8

Muhammad bin Ishaq narrat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ,

(And of mankind, t here are some who say: "We believe in Allah and t he Last Day'' while in fact t hey do not believe) "This refers t o t he hypocrit es among t he Aws and Khazraj and t hose who behaved as t hey did.'' This is how Abu Al-` Aliyah, Al-Hasan, Qat adah and As-Suddi explained t his Ayah. Allah revealed t he charact erist ics of t he hypocrit es, so t hat t he believers would not be deceived by t heir out er appearance, t hus saving t he believers from a great evil. Ot herwise, t he believers might t hink t hat t he hypocrit es were believers, when in realit y t hey are disbelievers. To consider t he sinners as right eous people is ext remely dangerous, Allah said,

(And of mankind, t here are some who say: "We believe in Allah and t he Last Day'' while in fact t hey do not believe) meaning, t hey ut t er t hese false st at ement s only wit h t heir t ongues, j ust as Allah said,

(When t he hypocrit es come t o you (O Muhammad ), t hey say: "We bear wit ness t hat you are indeed t he Messenger of Allah.'' Allah knows t hat you are indeed His Messenger) (63:1). This Ayah means t hat t he hypocrit es ut t er t hese st at ement s only when t hey meet you, not because t hey act ually believe what t hey are saying. The hypocrit es emphasize t heir belief in Allah and t he Last Day wit h t heir words, when t hat is not t he case in realit y. Therefore, Allah st at ed t hat t he hypocrit es lie in t heir t est imony of creed, when He said,

(And Allah bears wit ness t hat t he hypocrit es are indeed liars.) (63:1), and,


(while in fact t hey believe not ) Allah said,

(They t ry t o deceive Allah and t hose who believe). The hypocrit es show belief out wardly while concealing disbelief. They t hink t hat by doing t his, t hey will mislead Allah, or t hat t he st at ement s t hey ut t er will help t hem wit h Allah, and t his is an indicat ion of t heir t ot al ignorance. They t hink t hat such behavior will deceive Allah, j ust as it might deceive some of t he believers. Similarly, Allah said,

(On t he Day when Allah will resurrect t hem all t oget her; t hen t hey will swear t o Him as t hey swear t o you. And t hey t hink t hat t hey have somet hing (t o st and upon). Verily, t hey are liars!) (58:18). aHence, Allah refut ed t heir way by saying,

(While t hey only deceive t hemselves, and perceive (it ) not !) Allah st at ed t hat t he hypocrit es only deceive t hemselves by t his behavior, alt hough t hey are unaware of t his fact . Allah also said,

(Verily, t he hypocrit es t ry t o deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives t hem) (4:142). Also, Ibn Abi Hat im narrat ed t hat Ibn Jurayj comment ed on Allah's st at ement ,

(Verily, t he hypocrit es seek t o deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives t hem), "The hypocrit es pronounce, ` There is no deit y wort hy of worship except Allah' seeking t o ensure t he sanct it y of t heir blood and money, all t he while concealing disbelief.''Sa` id said t hat Qat adah said,

-
(And of mankind, t here are some who say: "We believe in Allah and t he Last Day'' while in fact t hey believe not . They t ry t o deceive Allah and t hose who believe, while t hey only deceive t hemselves, and perceive (it ) not !) "This is t he descript ion of a hypocrit e. He is devious, he says t he t rut h wit h his t ongue and defies it wit h his heart and deeds. He wakes up in a condit ion ot her t han t he one he goes t o sleep in, and goes t o sleep in a different condit ion t han t he one he wakes up in. He changes his mind j ust like a ship t hat moves about whenever a wind blows.''

(10. In t heir heart s is a disease and Allah has increased t heir disease. A painful t orment is t heirs because t hey used t o t ell lies.)

The Meaning of ` Disease' in this Ayah

As-Suddi narrat ed from Abu Malik and (also) from Abu Salih, from Ibn ` Abbas, and (also) Murrah Al-Hamdani from Ibn Mas` ud and ot her Companions t hat t his Ayah,

(In t heir heart s is a disease) means, ` doubt ', and,

(And Allah has increased t heir disease) also means ` doubt '. Muj ahid, ` Ikrimah, Al-Hasan AlBasri, Abu Al-` Aliyah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Qat adah also said similarly. ` Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam comment ed on,


(In t heir heart s is a disease), "A disease in t he religion, not a physical disease. They are t he hypocrit es and t he disease is t he doubt t hat t hey brought t o Islam.

(And Allah has increased t heir disease) meaning, increased t hem in shameful behavior.'' He also recit ed,

(As for t hose who believe, it has increased t heir fait h, and t hey rej oice. But as for t hose in whose heart s is a disease, it will add disgrace t o t heir disgrace.) (9:124-125) and comment ed, "Evil t o t heir evil and deviat ion t o t heir deviat ion.'' This st at ement by ` Abdur-Rahman is t rue, and it const it ut es a punishment t hat is compat ible t o t he sin, j ust as t he earlier scholars st at ed. Similarly, Allah said,

(While as for t hose who accept guidance, He increases t heir guidance and grant s t hem t heir piet y) (47:17). Allah said next ,

(Because t hey used t o t ell lies). The hypocrit es have t wo charact erist ics, t hey lie and t hey deny t he Unseen. The scholars who st at ed t hat t he Prophet knew t he hypocrit es of his t ime have only t he Hadit h of Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman as evidence. In it t he Prophet gave him t he names of fourt een hypocrit es during t he bat t le of Tabuk. These hypocrit es plot t ed t o assassinat e t he Prophet during t he night on a hill in t hat area. They planned t o excit e t he Prophet 's camel, so t hat she would t hrow him down t he hill. Allah informed t he Prophet about t heir plot , and t he Prophet t old Hudhayfah t heir names.

As for t he ot her hypocrit es, Allah said about t hem,

(And among t he bedouins around you, some are hypocrit es, and so are some among t he people of Al-Madinah who persist in hypocrisy; you (O Muhammad ) know t hem not , We know t hem) (9:101), and,

-
(If t he hypocrit es, and t hose in whose heart s is a disease, and t hose who spread false news among t he people in Al-Madinah do not cease, We shall cert ainly let you overpower t hem, t hen t hey will not be able t o st ay in it as your neighbors but a lit t le while. Accursed, t hey shall be seized wherever found, and killed wit h a (t errible) slaught er) (33:60-61). These Ayat prove t hat t he Prophet was not informed about each and everyone among t he hypocrit es of his t ime. Rat her, t he Prophet was only informed about t heir charact erist ics, and he used t o assume t hat some people possessed t hese charact erist ics. Similarly, Allah said,

(Had We willed, We could have shown t hem t o you, and you should have known t hem by t heir marks; but surely, you will know t hem by t he t one of t heir speech!) (47:30). The most not orious hypocrit e at t hat t ime was ` Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul; Zayd bin Arqam t he Companion - gave t rut hful t est imony t o t hat effect . In addit ion, ` Umar bin Al-Khat t ab once ment ioned t he mat t er of Ibn Salul t o t he Prophet , who said,


(I would not like t he Arabs t o say t o each ot her t hat Muhammad is killing his Companions.) Yet , when Ibn Salul died, t he Prophet performed t he funeral prayer for him and at t ended his funeral j ust as he used t o do wit h ot her Muslims. It was recorded in t he Sahih t hat t he Prophet said,

(I was given t he choice (t o pray for him or not ), so I chose.) In anot her narrat ion, t he Prophet said,

(If I knew t hat by asking (Allah t o forgive Ibn Salul) more t han sevent y t imes t hat He would forgive him, t hen I would do t hat .)

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(11. And when it is said t o t hem: "Do not make mischief on t he eart h,'' t hey say: "We are only peacemakers.'') (12. Verily, t hey are t he ones who make mischief, but t hey perceive not .)

Meaning of Mischief
In his Tafsir, As-Suddi said t hat Ibn ` Abbas and Ibn Mas` ud comment ed,


(And when it is said t o t hem: "Do not make mischief on t he eart h,'' t hey say: "We are only peacemakers.'') "They are t he hypocrit es. As for,

("Do not make mischief on t he eart h''), t hat is disbelief and act s of disobedience.'' Abu Ja` far said t hat Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said t hat Abu Al-` Aliyah said t hat Allah's st at ement ,

(And when it is said t o t hem: "Do not make mischief on t he eart h,''), means, "Do not commit act s of disobedience on t he eart h. Their mischief is disobeying Allah, because whoever disobeys Allah on t he eart h, or commands t hat Allah be disobeyed, he has commit t ed mischief on t he eart h. Peace on bot h t he eart h and in t he heavens is ensured (and earned) t hrough obedience (t o Allah).'' Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Qat adah said similarly.

Types of Mischief that the Hypocrites commit

Ibn Jarir said, "The hypocrit es commit mischief on eart h by disobeying t heir Lord on it and cont inuing in t he prohibit ed act s. They also abandon what Allah made obligat ory and doubt His religion, even t hough He does not accept a deed from anyone except wit h fait h in His religion and cert aint y of it s t rut h. The hypocrit es also lie t o t he believers by saying cont rary t o t he doubt and hesit at ion t heir heart s harbor. They give as much aid as t hey can, against Allah's loyal friends, and support t hose who deny Allah, His Books and His Messengers. This is how t he hypocrit es commit mischief on eart h, while t hinking t hat t hey are doing right eous work on eart h.'' The st at ement by Ibn Jarir is t rue, t aking t he disbelievers as friends is one of t he cat egories of mischief on t he eart h. Allah said,

(And t hose who disbelieve are allies of one anot her, if you do not do t his (help each ot her), t here will be t urmoil and oppression on t he eart h, and great mischief.) (8:73), In t his way Allah severed t he loyalt y bet ween t he believers and t he disbelievers. Similarly, Allah said,


(O you who believe! Do not t ake disbelievers as Awliya' (prot ect ors or helpers or friends) inst ead of believers. Do you wish t o offer Allah a manifest proof against yourselves) (4: 144). Allah t hen said,

(Verily, t he hyprocrit es will be in t he lowest dept h of t he Fire; no helper will you find for t hem) (4:145). Since t he out ward appearance of t he hypocrit e displays belief, he confuses t he t rue believers. Hence, t he deceit ful behavior of t he hypocrit es is an act of mischief, because t hey deceive t he believers by claiming what t hey do not believe in, and because t hey give support and loyalt y t o t he disbelievers against t he believers. If t he hypocrit e remains a disbeliever (rat her t han pret ending t o be Muslim), t he evil t hat result s from him would be less. Even bet t er, if t he hypocrit e becomes sincere wit h Allah and makes t he st at ement s t hat he ut t ers conform t o his deeds, he will gain success. Allah said,

(And when it is said t o t hem: "Do not make mischief on t he eart h,'' t hey say: "We are only peacemakers.'') meaning, "We seek t o be friends wit h bot h part ies, t he believers and t he disbelievers, and t o have peace wit h bot h part ies.'' Similarly, Muhammad bin Ishaq report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said,

(And when it is said t o t hem: "Do not make mischief on t he eart h,'' t hey say: "We are only peacemakers.'') means, "We seek t o make amends bet ween t he believers and t he People of t he Book. '' Allah said,

(Verily, t hey are t he ones who make mischief, but t hey perceive not .). This Ayah means t hat t he hypocrit es' behavior, and t heir claim t hat it is for peace, is it self mischief, alt hough in t heir ignorance, t hey do not see it t o be mischief.

(13. And when it is said t o t hem: Believe as t he people believe,'' They say: "Shall we believe as t he fools have believed'' Verily, t hey are t he fools, but t hey do not know.) Allah said t hat if t he hypocrit es are t old,

("Believe as t he people believe,''), meaning, ` Believe j ust as t he believers believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, Resurrect ion aft er deat h, Paradise and Hellfire, et c. And obey Allah and His Messenger by heeding t he commandment s and avoiding t he prohibit ions.' Yet t he hypocrit es answer by saying,

("Shall we believe as t he fools have believed'') t hey meant (may Allah curse t he hypocrit es) t he Companions of t he Messenger of Allah . This is t he same Tafsir given by Abu Al-` Aliyah and AsSuddi in his Tafsir, wit h a chain of narrat ion t o Ibn ` Abbas, Ibn Mas` ud and ot her Companions. This is also t he Tafsir of Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and ` Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam. The hypocrit es said, "Us and t hem having t he same st at us, following t he same pat h, while t hey are fools!'' ` The fool' is t he ignorant , simple-minded person who has lit t le knowledge in areas of benefit and harm. This is why, according t o t he maj orit y of t he scholars, Allah used t he t erm foolish t o include children, when He said,


(And do not give your propert y, which Allah has made a means of support for you, t o t he foolish) (4:5). Allah answered t he hypocrit es in all of t hese inst ances. For inst ance, Allah said here,

(Verily, t hey are t he fools). Allah t hus affirmed t hat t he hypocrit es are indeed t he fools, yet ,

(But t hey know not ). Since t hey are so t horoughly ignorant , t he hypocrit es are unaware of t heir degree of deviat ion and ignorance, and such sit uat ion is more dangerous, a severer case of blindness, and furt her from t he t rut h t han one who is aware.

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(14. And when t hey meet t hose who believe, t hey say: "We believe,'' but when t hey are alone wit h t heir Shayat in (devils), t hey say: "Truly, we are wit h you; verily, we were but mocking.'') (15. Allah mocks at t hem and leaves t hem increasing in t heir deviat ion t o wander blindly.)

The Hypocrites' Cunning and Deceit

Allah said t hat when t he hypocrit es meet t he believers, t hey proclaim t heir fait h and pret end t o be believers, loyalist s and friends. They do t his t o misdirect , mislead and deceive t he believers. The hypocrit es also want t o have a share of t he benefit s and gains t hat t he believers might possibly acquire. Yet ,

(But when t hey are alone wit h t heir Shayat in), meaning, if t hey are alone wit h t heir devils, such as t heir leaders and mast ers among t he rabbis of t he Jews, hypocrit es and idolat ors.

Human and Jinn Devils

Ibn Jarir said, "The devils of every creat ion are t he mischievous among t hem. There are bot h human devils and Jinn devils. Allah said,

(And so We have appoint ed for every Prophet enemies Shayat in (devils) among mankind and Jinn, inspiring one anot her wit h adorned speech as a delusion (or by way of decept ion)) (6:112).

The Meaning of ` Mocking

Allah said,

(They say: "Truly, we are wit h you''). Muhammad bin Ishaq report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat t he Ayah means, "We are wit h you,

(Verily, we were but mocking), meaning, we only mock people (t he believers) and deceive t hem.'' Ad-Dahhak said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat t he Ayah,

(Verily, we were but mocking), means, "We (meaning t he hypocrit es) were mocking t he Companions of Muhammad.'' Also, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Qat adah said similarly. Allah's st at ement ,


(Allah mocks at t hem and leaves t hem increasing in t heir deviat ion t o wander blindly) answers t he hypocrit es and punishes t hem for t heir behavior. Ibn Jarir comment ed, "Allah ment ioned what He will do t o t hem on t he Day of Resurrect ion, when He said,

(On t he Day when t he hypocrit es men and women will say t o t he believers: "Wait for us! Let us get somet hing from your light !'' It will be said: "Go back t o your rear! Then seek a light !'' So a wall will be put up bet ween t hem, wit h a gat e t herein. Inside it will be mercy, and out side it will be t orment .) (57:13), and,

(And let not t he disbelievers t hink t hat Our post poning of t heir punishment is good for t hem. We post pone t he punishment only so t hat t hey may increase in sinfulness.) (3:178).'' He t hen said, "This, and it s like, is Allah's mockery of t he hypocrit es and t he people of Shirk.''

The Hypocrites suffering for their Plots

Allah st at ed t hat He will punish t he hypocrit es for t heir mockery, using t he same t erms t o describe bot h t he deed and it s punishment , alt hough t he meaning is different . Similarly, Allah said,

(The recompense for an offense is an offense equal t o it ; but whoever forgives and makes reconciliat ion, his reward is wit h Allah) (42:40), and,

(Then whoever t ransgresses (t he prohibit ion) against you, t ransgress likewise against him) (2:194). The first act is an act of inj ust ice, while t he second act is an act of j ust ice. So bot h act ions carry t he same name, while being different in realit y. This is how t he scholars explain deceit , cunning and mocking when at t ribut ed t o Allah in t he Qur'an. Surely, Allah exact s revenge for cert ain evil act s wit h a punishment t hat is similar in nat ure t o t he act it self. We should affirm here t hat Allah does not do t hese t hings out of j oyful play, according t o t he consensus of t he scholars, but as a j ust form of punishment for cert ain evil act s.

Meaning of ` Leaves them increasing in their deviation to wander blindly

Allah said,

(Allah mocks at t hem and leaves t hem increasing in t heir deviat ion t o wander blindly). As-Suddi report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas, Ibn Mas` ud and several ot her Companions of t he Messenger of Allah said t hat ,

(and leaves t hem increasing) means, He gives t hem respit e. Also, Muj ahid said, "He (causes t heir deviat ion) t o increase.'' Allah said;

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(Do t hey t hink t hat by t he wealt h and t he children wit h which We augment t hem. (That ) We hast en t o give t hem wit h good t hings. Nay, but t hey perceive not .) (23:55-56). Ibn Jarir comment ed, "The correct meaning of t his Ayah is ` We give t hem increase from t he view of giving t hem respit e and leaving t hem in t heir deviat ion and rebellion.' Similarly, Allah said,


(And We shall t urn t heir heart s and t heir eyes away (from guidance), as t hey refused t o believe in it t he first t ime, and We shall leave t hem in t heir t respass t o wander blindly). '' (6:110). Tughyan used in t his Ayah means t o t ransgress t he limit s, j ust as Allah said in anot her Ayah,

(Verily, when t he wat er Tagha (rose) beyond it s limit s, We carried you in t he ship) (69:11). Also, Ibn Jarir said t hat t he t erm ` Amah, in t he Ayah means, ` deviat ion'. He also said about Allah's st at ement ,

(in t heir deviat ion t o wander), "In t he misguidance and disbelief t hat has encompassed t hem, causing t hem t o be confused and unable t o find a way out of it . This is because Allah has st amped t heir heart s, sealed t hem, and blinded t heir vision. Therefore, t hey do not recognize guidance or find t he way out of t heir deviat ion.''

(16. These are t hey who have purchased error wit h guidance, so t heir commerce was profit less. And t hey were not guided.) In his Tafsir, As-Suddi report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas and Ibn Mas` ud comment ed on;

(These are t hey who have purchased error wit h guidance) saying it means, "They pursued misguidance and abandoned guidance. '' Muj ahid said, "They believed and t hen disbelieved,'' while Qat adah said, "They preferred deviat ion t o guidance.'' Qat adah's st at ement is similar in meaning t o Allah's st at ement about Thamud,


(And as for Thamud, We grant ed t hem guidance, but t hey preferred blindness t o guidance) (41:17). In summary, t he st at ement s t hat we have ment ioned from t he scholars of Tafsir indicat e t hat t he hypocrit es deviat e from t he t rue guidance and prefer misguidance, subst it ut ing wickedness in place of right eousness. This meaning explains Allah's st at ement ,

(These are t hey who have purchased error wit h guidance), meaning, t hey exchanged guidance t o buy misguidance. This meaning includes t hose who first believed, t hen lat er disbelieved, whom Allah described,

(That is because t hey believed, and t hen disbelieved; t herefore t heir heart s are sealed) (63:3). The Ayah also includes t hose who preferred deviat ion over guidance. The hypocrit es fall int o several cat egories. This is why Allah said,

(So t heir commerce was profit less. And t hey were not guided), meaning t heir t rade did not succeed nor were t hey right eous or right ly guided t hroughout all t his. In addit ion, Ibn Jarir narrat ed t hat Qat adah comment ed on t he Ayah,

(So t heir commerce was profit less. And t hey were not guided), "By Allah! I have seen t hem leaving guidance for deviat ion, leaving t he Jama` ah (t he communit y of t he believers) for t he sect s, leaving safet y for fear, and t he Sunnah for innovat ion.'' Ibn Abi Hat im also report ed ot her similar st at ement s.

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(17. Their likeness is as t he likeness of one who kindled a fire; t hen, when it illuminat ed all around him, Allah removed t heir light and left t hem in darkness. (So) t hey could not see). (18. They are deaf, dumb, and blind, so t hey ret urn not (t o t he right pat h).)

The Example of the Hypocrites

Allah likened t he hypocrit es when t hey bought deviat ion wit h guidance, t hus acquiring ut t er blindness, t o t he example of a person who st art ed a fire. When t he fire was lit , and illumnit at ed t he surrounding area, t he person benefit ed from it and felt safe. Then t he fire was suddenly ext inguished. Therefore, t ot al darkness covered t his person, and he became unable t o see anyt hing or find his way out of it . Furt her, t his person could not hear or speak and became so blind t hat even if t here were light , he would not be able t o see. This is why he cannot ret urn t o t he st at e t hat he was in before t his happened t o him. Such is t he case wit h t he hypocrit es who preferred misguidance over guidance, deviat ion over right eousness. This parable indicat es t hat t he hypocrit es first believed, t hen disbelieved, j ust as Allah st at ed in ot her part s of t he Qur'an. Allah's st at ement ,

(Allah removed t heir light ) means, Allah removed what benefit s t hem, and t his is t he light , and He left t hem wit h what harms t hem, t hat is, t he darkness and smoke. Allah said,

(And left t hem in darkness), t hat is t heir doubt s, disbelief and hypocrisy.

((So) t hey could not see) meaning, t hey are unable t o find t he correct pat h or find it s direct ion. In addit ion, t hey are,

(deaf) and t hus cannot hear t he guidance,

(dumb) and cannot ut t er t he words t hat might benefit t hem,

(and blind) in t ot al darkness and deviat ion. Similarly, Allah said,

(Verily, it is not t he eyes t hat grow blind, but it is t he heart s which are in t he breast s t hat grow blind) (22:46) and t his why t hey cannot get back t o t he st at e of guidance t hat t hey were in, since t hey sold it for misguidance.

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(19. Or like a rainst orm in t he sky, bringing darkness, t hunder, and light ning. They t hrust t heir fingers in t heir ears t o keep out t he st unning t hunderclap for fear of deat h. But Allah ever encompasses t he disbelievers.) (20. The light ning almost snat ches away t heir sight , whenever it flashes for t hem, t hey walk t herein, and when darkness covers t hem, t hey st and st ill. And if Allah willed, He could have t aken away t heir hearing and t heir sight . Cert ainly, Allah has power over all t hings.)

Another Parable of the Hypocrites

This is anot her parable which Allah gave about t he hypocrit es who somet imes know t he t rut h and doubt it at ot her t imes. When t hey suffer from doubt , confusion and disbelief, t heir heart s are,

(Like a Sayyib), meaning, "The rain", as Ibn Mas` ud, Ibn ` Abbas, and several ot her Companions have confirmed as well as Abu Al-` Aliyah, Muj ahid, Sa` id bin Jubayr, ` At a', Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Qat adah, ` At iyah Al-` Awfi, ` At a' Al-Khurasani, As-Suddi and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas. Ad-Dahhak said "It is t he clouds." However, t he most accept ed opinion is t hat it means t he rain t hat comes down during,

(darkness), meaning, here, t he doubt s, disbelief and hypocrisy.

(t hunder) t hat shocks t he heart s wit h fear. The hypocrit es are usually full of fear and anxiet y, j ust as Allah described t hem,

(They t hink t hat every cry is against t hem) (63: 4), and,

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(They swear by Allah t hat t hey are t ruly of you while t hey are not of you, but t hey are a people who are afraid. Should t hey find refuge, or caves, or a place of concealment , t hey would t urn st raight way t heret o in a swift rush) (9:56-57).

(The light ning), is in reference t o t he light of fait h t hat is somet imes felt in t he heart s of t he hypocrit es,


(They t hrust t heir fingers in t heir ears t o keep out t he st unning t hunderclap for fear of deat h. But Allah ever encompasses t he disbelievers), meaning, t heir caut iousness does not benefit t hem because t hey are bound by Allah's all-encompassing will and decision. Similarly, Allah said,

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(Has t he st ory reached you of t wo host s. Of Fir` awn (Pharaoh) and Thamud Nay! The disbelievers (persist ed) in denying. And Allah encompasses t hem from behind!) (85:17-20). Allah t hen said,

F(The light ning almost snat ches away t heir sight ) meaning, because t he light ning is st rong it self, and because t heir comprehension is weak and does not allow t hem t o embrace t he fait h. Also, ` Ali bin Abi Talhah report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed on t he Ayah,

(The light ning almost snat ches away t heir sight ), "The Qur'an ment ioned almost all of t he secret s of t he hypocrit es.'' ` Ali bin Abi Talhah also narrat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said,

(Whenever it flashes for t hem, t hey walk t herein), "Whenever t he hypocrit es acquire a share in t he vict ories of Islam, t hey are cont ent wit h t his share. Whenever Islam suffers a calamit y, t hey are ready t o revert t o disbelief.''. Similarly, Allah said,


(And among mankind is he who worships Allah on t he edge: If good befalls him, he is cont ent wit h t hat .) (22:11). Also, Muhammad bin Ishaq report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said,

(Whenever it flashes for t hem, t hey walk t herein, and when darkness covers t hem, t hey st and st ill), "They recognize t he t rut h and speak about it . So t heir speech is upright , but when t hey revert t o disbeleif, t hey again fall int o confusion.'' This was also said by Abu Al-` Aliyah, AlHasan Al-Basri, Qat adah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and As-Suddi, who narrat ed it from t he Companions, and it is t he most obvious and most correct view, and Allah knows best . Consequent ly, on t he Day of Judgment , t he believers will be given a light according t o t he degree of t heir fait h. Some of t hem will gain light t hat illuminat es over a dist ance of several miles, some more, some less. Some people's light will glow somet imes and be ext inguished at ot her t imes. They will, t herefore, walk on t he Sirat (t he bridge over t he Fire) in t he light , st opping when it is ext inguished. Some people will have no light at all, t hese are t he hypocrit es whom Allah described when He said,

(On t he Day when t he hypocrit es men and women will say t o t he believers: "Wait for us! Let us get somet hing from your light !'' It will be said t o t hem; "Go back t o you rear! Then seek a light !'') (57:13). Allah described t he believers,


(On t he Day you shall see t he believing men and t he believing women t heir light running forward before t hem and by t heir right hands. Glad t idings for you t his Day! Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise)) (57:12), and,

(The Day t hat Allah will not disgrace t he Prophet (Muhammad ) and t hose who believe wit h him. Their Light will run forward before t hem and (wit h t heir Records Books of deeds) in t heir right hands. They will say: "Our Lord! Keep perfect our Light for us and do not put it off t ill we cross over t he Sirat (a slippery bridge over t he Hell) safely and grant us forgiveness. Verily, You are Able t o do all t hings'') (66:8). Ibn Abi Hat im narrat ed t hat ` Abdullah bin Mas` ud comment ed on,

(Their Light will run forward before t hem), "They will pass on t he Sirat . according t o t heir deeds. The light t hat some people have will be as big as a mount ain, while t he light of ot hers will be as big as a dat e t ree. The people who will have t he least light are t hose whose index fingers will somet imes be lit and ext inguished at ot her t imes.'' Ibn Abi Hat im also report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Every person among t he people of Tawhid (Islamic Monot heism) will gain a light on t he Day of Resurrect ion. As for t he hypocrit e, his light will be ext inguished. When t he believers wit ness t he hypocrit e's light being ext inguished, t hey will feel anxious. Hence, t hey will supplicat e,

(Our Lord! Keep perfect our Light for us).'' Ad-Dahhak bin Muzahim said, "On t he Day of Resurrect ion, everyone who has embraced t he fait h will be given a light . When t hey arrive at

t he Sirat , t he light of t he hypocrit es will be ext inguished. When t he believers see t his, t hey will feel anxious and supplicat e,

(Our Lord! Keep perfect our Light for us).''

Types of Believers and Types of Disbelievers

Consequent ly, t here are several t ypes of people. There are t he believers whom t he first four Ayat (2:2-5) in Surat Al-Baqarah describe. There are t he disbelievers who were described in t he next t wo Ayat . And t here are t wo cat egories of hypocrit es: t he complet e hypocrit es who were ment ioned in t he parable of t he fire, and t he hesit ant hypocrit es, whose light of fait h is somet imes lit and somet imes ext inguished. The parable of t he rain was revealed about t his cat egory, which is not as evil as t he first cat egory. This is similar t o t he parables t hat were given in Surat An-Nur (chapt er 24). Like t he example of t he believer and t he fait h t hat Allah put in his heart , compared t o a bright ly illuminat ed lamp, j ust like a rising st ar. This is t he believer, whose heart is built on fait h and receiving it s support from t he divine legislat ion t hat was revealed t o it , wit hout any impurit ies or imperfect ions, as we will come t o know, Allah willing. Allah gave a parable of t he disbelievers who t hink t hat t hey have somet hing, while in realit y t hey have not hing; such people are t hose who have compounded ignorance. Allah said,

(As for t hose who disbelieved, t heir deeds are like a mirage in a desert . The t hirst y one t hinks it t o be wat er, unt il he comes up t o it , he finds it t o be not hing) (24:39). Allah t hen gave t he example of ignorant disbelievers, simple in t heir ignorance. He said;

(Or (t he st at e of a disbeliever) is like t he darkness in a vast deep sea, overwhelmed by waves, t opped by dark clouds, (layers of) darkness upon darkness: if a man st ret ches out his hand, he can hardly see it ! And he for whom Allah has not appoint ed light , for him t here is no light ) (24:40). Therefore, Allah divided t he camp of t he disbelievers int o t wo groups, advocat es and followers. Allah ment ioned t hese t wo groups in t he beginning of Surat Al-Haj j ,

(And among mankind is he who disput es about Allah, wit hout knowledge, and follows every rebellious (disobedient t o Allah) Shayt an (devil) (devoid of every kind of good)) (22:3), and,

(And among men is he who disput es about Allah, wit hout knowledge or guidance, or a Book giving light (from Allah)) (22:8). Furt hermore, Allah has divided t he group of t he believers in t he beginning of Surat Al-Waqi` ah (56) and at t he end. He also divided t hem in Surat Al-Insan (76) int o t wo groups, t he Sabiqun (t hose who preceded), t hey are t he "near ones" (Muqaribun) and Ashab Al-Yamin (t he companions of t he right ), and t hey are right eous (Abrar). In summary, t hese Ayat divide t he believers int o t wo cat egories, t he near ones and right eous. Also, t he disbelievers are of t wo t ypes, advocat es and followers. In addit ion, t he hypocrit es are divided int o t wo t ypes, pure hypocrit es and t hose who have some hypocrisy in t hem. The Two Sahihs record t hat ` Abdullah bin ` Amr said t hat t he Prophet said,

:
(Whoever has t he following t hree (charact erist ics) will be a pure hypocrit e, and whoever has one of t he following t hree charact erist ics will have one charact erist ic of hypocrisy, unless and

unt il he gives it up. Whenever he speaks, he t ells a lie. Whenever he makes a covenant , he proves t reacherous. Whenever he is ent rust ed, he breaches t he t rust ) Hence, man might have bot h a part of fait h and a part of hypocrisy, whet her in deed, as t his Hadit h st ipulat es, or in t he creed, as t he Ayah (2:20) st ipulat es.

Types of Hearts
Imam Ahmad recorded Abu Sa` id saying t hat t he Messenger of Allah said

:
(The heart s are four (t ypes): polished as shiny as t he radiat ing lamp, a sealed heart wit h a knot t ied around it s seal, a heart t hat is t urned upside down and a wrapped heart . As for t he polished heart , it is t he heart of t he believer and t he lamp is t he light of fait h. The sealed heart is t he heart of t he disbeliever. The heart t hat is t urned upside down is t he heart of t he pure hypocrit e, because he had knowledge but denied it . As for t he wrapped heart , it is a heart t hat cont ains belief and hypocrisy. The example of fait h in t his heart , is t he example of t he herb t hat is sust ained by pure wat er. The example of hypocrisy in it , is t he example of an ulcer t hat t hrives on puss and blood. Whichever of t he t wo subst ances has t he upper hand, it will have t he upper hand on t hat heart ). This Hadit h has a Jayid Hasan (good) chain of narrat ion. Allah said,


(And if Allah willed, He would have t aken away t heir hearing and t heir sight . Cert ainly, Allah has power over all t hings). Muhammad bin Ishaq report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed on Allah's st at ement ,

(And if Allah willed, He would have t aken away t heir hearing and t heir sight ), "Because t hey abandoned t he t rut h aft er t hey had knowledge in it .''

(Cert ainly, Allah has power over all t hings). Ibn ` Abbas said, "Allah is able t o punish or pardon His servant s as He wills.'' Ibn Jarir comment ed, "Allah only described Himself wit h t he abilit y t o do everyt hing in t his Ayah as a warning t o t he hypocrit es of His cont rol over everyt hing, and t o inform t hem t hat His abilit y complet ely encompasses t hem and t hat He is able t o t ake away t heir hearing and sight .'' Ibn Jarir and several ot her scholars of Tafsir st at ed t hat t hese t wo parables are about t he same kind of hypocrit e. So t he ` or' ment ioned in,

(Or like a rainst orm from t he sky) means ` and', j ust as t he Ayah,

(And obey neit her a sinner or a disbeliever among t hem). Therefore, ` or' in t he Ayah includes a choice of using eit her example for t he hypocrit es. Also, Al-Qurt ubi said t hat ` or' means, "To show compat ibilit y of t he t wo choices, j ust as when one says, ` Sit wit h Al-Hasan or Ibn Sirin.' According t o t he view of Az-Zamakhshari, ` so it means each of t hese persons is t he same as t he ot her, so you may sit wit h eit her one of t hem.' The meaning of ` or' t hus becomes ` eit her.' Allah gave t hese t wo examples of t he hypocrit es, because t hey bot h perfect ly describe t hem.'' I (Ibn Kat hir) say, t hese descript ions are relat ed t o t he t ype of hypocrit e, because t here is a difference bet ween t hem as we st at ed. For inst ance, Allah ment ioned t hese t ypes in Surat Bara'ah (chapt er 9) when He repeat ed t he st at ement , "And among t hem'' t hree t imes, describing t heir t ypes, charact erist ics, st at ement s and deeds. So t he t wo examples ment ioned here describe t wo t ypes of hypocrit es whose charact erist ics are similar. For inst ance, Allah

gave t wo examples in Surat An-Nur, one for t he advocat es of disbelief and one for t he followers of disbelief, He said,

(As for t hose who disbelieved, t heir deeds are like a mirage in a desert ) (24:39), unt il,

(Or (t he st at e of a disbeliever) is like t he darkness in a vast deep sea) (24:40). The first example is of t he advocat es of disbelief who have complex ignorance, while t he second is about t he followers who have simple ignorance. Allah knows best .

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(21. O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who creat ed you and t hose who were before you so t hat you may acquire Taqwa.) (22. Who has made t he eart h a rest ing place for you, and t he sky as a canopy, and sent down wat er (rain) from t he sky and brought fort h t herewit h fruit s as a provision for you. Then do not set up rivals unt o Allah (in worship) while you know (t hat He alone has t he right t o be worshipped).)

Tawhid Al-Uluhiyyah
Allah next ment ioned His Oneness in divinit y and st at ed t hat He has favored His servant s by bringing t hem t o life aft er t hey did not exist . He also surrounded t hem wit h blessings, bot h hidden and apparent . He made t he eart h a rest ing place for t hem, j ust like t he bed, st able wit h t he firm mount ains.

(And t he sky as a canopy) meaning, ` a ceiling'. Similarly, Allah said in anot her Ayah,

(And We have made t he heaven a roof, safe and well-guarded. Yet t hey t urn away from it s signs (i.e. sun, moon, winds, clouds)) (21:32).

(And sends down for you wat er (rain) from t he sky) meaning, t hrough t he clouds, when t hey need t he rain. Hence, Allah caused t he various t ypes of veget at ion and fruit s t o grow as a means of sust enance for people and t heir cat t le. Allah reit erat ed t his bount y in various part s of t he Qur'an. There is anot her Ayah t hat is similar t o t his Ayah (2:22), t hat is, Allah's st at ement ,

(It is He Who has made for you t he eart h as a dwelling place and t he sky as a canopy, and has given you shape and made your shapes good (looking) and has provided you wit h good t hings. That is Allah, your Lord, so Blessed be Allah, t he Lord of all t hat exist s) (40:64). The meaning t hat is reit erat ed here is t hat Allah is t he Creat or, t he Sust ainer, t he Owner and Provider of t his life, all t hat is in and on it . Hence, He alone deserves t o be worshipped, and no one and not hing is t o be associat ed wit h Him. This is why Allah said next ,

(Then do not set up rivals unt o Allah (in worship) while you know (t hat He alone has t he right t o be worshipped)) (2:22). The Two Sahihs record t hat Ibn Mas` ud said, "I said t o t he Messenger of Allah , ` Which evil deed is t he worst wit h Allah' He said,


(To t ake an equal wit h Allah, while He alone creat ed you.)'' Also, Mu` adh narrat ed t he Prophet 's st at ement ,

(Do you know Allah's right on His servant s They must worship Him alone and refrain from associat ing anyt hing wit h Him in worship.) Anot her Hadit h st at es,

:
(None of you should say, ` What Allah and so-and-so person wills. Rat her, let him say, ` What Allah wills, and t hen what so-and-so person wills.)

Hadith with the same MeaningImam Ahmad narrat ed t hat

t hat t he Prophet of Allah said,

Al-Harit h Al-Ash` ari said

: :

 : : : . . . :

 .
(Allah commanded Yahya bin Zakariya t o implement five commands and t o order t he Children of Israel t o implement t hem, but Yahya was slow in carrying out t hese commands. ` Isa said t o Yahya, ` You were ordered t o implement five commands and t o order t he Children of Israel t o implement t hem. So eit her order, or I will do it .' Yahya said, 'My brot her! I fear t hat if you do it before me, I will be punished or t he eart h will be shaken under my feet .' Hence, Yahya bin Zakariya called t he Children of Israel t o Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), unt il t hey filled t he Masj id. He sat on t he balcony, t hanked Allah and praised him and t hen said, ` Allah ordered me t o implement five commandment s and t hat I should order you t o adhere t o t hem. The first is t hat you worship Allah alone and not associat e any wit h Him. The example of t his command is t he example of a man who bought a servant from his money wit h paper or gold. The servant st art ed t o work for t he mast er, but was paying t he profit s t o anot her person. Who among you would like his servant t o do t hat Allah creat ed you and sust ains you. Therefore, worship Him alone and do not associat e anyt hing wit h Him. I also command you t o pray, for Allah direct s His Face t owards His servant 's face, as long as t he servant does not t urn away. So when you pray, do not t urn your heads t o and fro. I also command you t o fast . The example of it is t he example of a man in a group of men and he has some musk wrapped in a piece of clot h, and consequent ly, all of t he group smells t he scent of t he wrapped musk. Verily, t he odor of t he mout h of a fast ing person is bet t er before Allah t han t he scent of musk. I also command you t o give charit y. The example of t his is t he example of a man who was capt ured by t he enemy. They t ied his hands t o his neck and brought him fort h t o cut off his neck. He said t o t hem, 'Can I pay a ransom for myself' He kept ransoming himself wit h small and large amount s unt il he liberat ed himself. I also command you t o always remember Allah. The example of t his deed is t hat of a man who t he enemy is t irelessly pursuing. He t akes refuge in a fort ified fort . When t he servant remembers Allah, he will be resort ing t o t he best refuge from Sat an.) Al-Harit h t hen narrat ed t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

: .


: :

(And I order you wit h five commandment s t hat Allah has ordered me. St ick t o t he Jama` ah (communit y of t he fait hful), list en and obey (your leaders) and perform Hij rah (migrat ion) and Jihad for t he sake of Allah. Whoever abandons t he Jama` ah, even t he dist ance of a hand span, will have removed t he t ie of Islam from his neck, unless he ret urns. Whoever uses t he slogans of Jahiliyah (t he pre-Islamic period of ignorance) he will be among t hose kneeling in Jahannam (Hellfire).) They said, "O Messenger of Allah! Even if he prays and fast s'' He said, (Even if he prays, fast s and claims t o be Muslim. So call t he Muslims wit h t heir names t hat Allah has called t hem: ` The Muslims, t he believing servant s of Allah.') This is a Hasan Hadit h, and it cont ains t he st at ement , "Allah has creat ed and sust ains you, so worship Him and do not associat e anyt hing wit h Him in worship.'' This st at ement is relevant in t he Ayat (2:21-22) we are discussing here and support s singling Allah in worship, wit hout part ners.

Several scholars of Tafsir, like Ar-Razi and ot hers, used t hese Ayat as an argument for t he exist ence of t he Creat or, and it is a most wort hy met hod of argument . Indeed, whoever ponders over t he t hings t hat exist , t he higher and lower creat ures, t heir various shapes, colors, behavior, benefit s and ecological roles, t hen he will realize t he abilit y, wisdom, knowledge, perfect ion and maj est y of t heir Creat or. Once a bedouin was asked about t he evidence t o Allah's exist ence, he responded, "All praise is due t o Allah! The camel's dung t est ifies t o t he exist ence of t he camel, and t he t rack t est ifies t o t he fact t hat someone was walking. A sky t hat holds t he giant st ars, a land t hat has fairways and a sea t hat has waves, does not all of t his t est ify t hat t he Most Kind, Most Knowledgeable exist s'' Hence, whoever gazes at t he sky in it s immensit y, it s expanse, and t he various kinds of planet s in it , some of which appear st at ionary in t he sky - whoever gazes at t he seas t hat surround t he land from all sides, and t he mount ains t hat were placed on t he eart h t o st abilize it , so t hat

whoever lives on land, what ever t heir shape and color, are able t o live and t hrive - whoever reads Allah's st at ement ,

(And among t he mount ains are st reaks whit e and red, of varying colours and (ot hers) very black. And likewise, men and Ad-Dawabb (moving (living) creat ures, beast s) and cat t le are of various colours. It is only t hose who have knowledge among His servant s t hat fear Allah) (35: 27-28). Whoever t hinks about t he running rivers t hat t ravel from area t o area bringing benefit , whoever ponders over what Allah has creat ed on eart h; various animals and plant s of different t ast es, scent s, shapes and colors t hat are a result of unit y bet ween land and wat er, whoever t hinks about all of t his t hen he will realize t hat t hese fact s t est ify t o t he exist ence of t he Creat or, His perfect abilit y, wisdom, mercy, kindness, generosit y and His overall compassion for His creat ion. There is no deit y wort hy of worship except Allah, nor is t here a Lord besides Him, upon Him we rely and t o Him we t urn in repent ance. There are numerous Ayat in t he Qur'an on t his subj ect .

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(23. And if you (Arab pagans, Jews, and Christ ians) are in doubt concerning t hat which We have sent down (i.e. t he Qur'an) t o Our servant (Muhammad ), t hen produce a Surah (chapt er) of t he like t hereof and call your wit nesses (support ers and helpers) besides Allah, if you are t rut hful). (24. But if you do it not , and you can never do it , t hen fear t he Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and st ones, prepared for t he disbelievers.)

The Message of Messenger of Allah is True

Allah begins t o prove t he t rut h of prophet hood aft er He st at ed t hat t here is no deit y wort hy of worship except Him. Allah said t o t he disbelievers,

(And if you (Arab pagans, Jews, and Christ ians) are in doubt concerning t hat which We have sent down (i.e. t he Qur'an) t o Our servant ) meaning, Muhammad ,

(t hen produce a Surah (chapt er)) meaning, similar t o what he brought t o you. Hence, if you claim t hat what he was sent wit h did not come from Allah, t hen produce somet hing similar t o what he has brought t o you, using t he help of anyone you wish inst ead of Allah. However, you will not be able t o succeed in t his quest . Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ,

(your wit nesses) means "Aids.'' Also, As-Suddi report ed t hat Abu Malik said t he Ayah means, "Your part ners, meaning, some ot her people t o help you in t hat . Meaning t hen go and seek t he help of your deit ies t o support and aid you.'' Also, Muj ahid said t hat ,

(and call your wit nesses) means, "People, meaning, wise and eloquent men who will provide t he t est imony t hat you seek.''

The Challenge
Allah challenged t he disbelievers in various part s of t he Qur'an. For inst ance, Allah said in Surat Al-Qasas (28:49),

(Say (t o t hem, O Muhammad ): "Then bring a Book from Allah, which is a bet t er guide t han t hese t wo (t he Tawrah (Torah) and t he Qur'an), t hat I may follow it , if you are t rut hful''). Also, Allah said in Surat Al-Isra' (17:88),


(Say: "If mankind and t he Jinn were t oget her t o produce t he like of t his Qur'an, t hey could not produce t he like t hereof, even if t hey helped one anot her.'') Allah said in Surat Hud (11:13),

(Or t hey say, "He (Prophet Muhammad ) forged it (t he Qur'an).'' Say: "Bring you t hen t en forged Surahs (chapt ers) like it , and call whomsoever you can, ot her t han Allah (t o your help), if you speak t he t rut h!''), and in Surat Yunus (10:37-38),

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(And t his Qur'an is not such as could ever be produced by ot her t han Allah (Lord of t he heavens and t he eart h), but it is a confirmat ion of (t he revelat ion) which was before it (i.e. t he Tawrah, and t he Inj il), and a full explanat ion of t he Book (i.e. Laws decreed for mankind) wherein t here is no doubt from t he Lord of all t hat exist s.) (Or do t hey say: "He (Muhammad ) has forged it '' Say: "Bring t hen a Surah (chapt er) like it , and call upon whomsoever you can besides Allah, if you are t rut hful!''). All of t hese Ayat were revealed in Makkah. Allah also challenged t he disbelievers in t he Ayat t hat were revealed in Al-Madinah. In t his Ayah, Allah said,


(And if you (Arab pagans, Jews, and Christ ians) are in Rayb) meaning, doubt .

(Concerning t hat which We have sent down (i.e. t he Qur'an) t o Our servant ) meaning, Muhammad ,

(t hen produce a Surah (chapt er) t he like t hereof) meaning, similar t o t he Qur'an. This is t he Tafsir of Muj ahid, Qat adah, Ibn Jarir At -Tabari, Az-Zamakhshari and Ar-Razi. Ar-Razi said t hat t his is t he Tafsir of ` Umar, Ibn Mas` ud, Ibn ` Abbas, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and t he maj orit y of t he scholars. And he gave preference t o t his view and ment ioned t he fact t hat Allah has challenged t he disbelievers as individuals and as groups, whet her lit erat e or illit erat e, t hus making t he challenge t ruly complet e. This t ype of challenge is more daring t han simply challenging t he disbelievers who might not be lit erat e or knowledgeable. This is why Allah said,

(Bring you t hen t en forged Surahs (chapt ers) like it ) (11:13), and,

(They could not produce t he like t hereof) (17:88). Therefore, t his is a general challenge t o t he Arab disbelievers, t he most eloquent among all nat ions. Allah challenged t he Arab disbelievers bot h in Makkah and Al-Madinah several t imes, especially since t hey had t remendous hat red and enmit y for t he Prophet and his religion. Yet , t hey were unable t o succeed in answering t he challenge, and t his is why Allah said,

(But if you do it not , and you can never do it ), indicat ing t hat t hey will never be able t o answer t he challenge. This is anot her miracle, in t hat , Allah clearly st at ed wit hout doubt t hat t he Qur'an will never be opposed or challenged by anyt hing similar t o it , for et ernit y. This is a t rue st at ement t hat has not been changed unt il t he present and shall never change. How can anyone be able t o produce somet hing like t he Qur'an, when t he Qur'an is t he Word of Allah Who creat ed everyt hing How can t he words of t he creat ed ever be similar t o t he Words of t he Creat or

Examples of the Miracle of the Qur'an

Whoever reads t hrough t he Qur'an will realize t hat it cont ains various levels of superiorit y t hrough bot h t he apparent and hidden meanings t hat it ment ions. Allah said,

(Alif Lam Ra. (This is) a Book, t he verses whereof are perfect (in every sphere of knowledge, et c.), and t hen explained in det ail from One (Allah), Who is Wise and well-acquaint ed (wit h all t hings)) (11:1) So t he expressions in t he Qur'an are perfect and it s meanings are explained. Furt her, every word and meaning in t he Qur'an is eloquent and cannot be surpassed. The Qur'an also ment ioned t he st ories of t he people of t he past ; and t hese account s and st ories occurred exact ly as t he Qur'an st at ed. Also, t he Qur'an commanded every t ype of right eousness and forbade every t ype of evil, j ust as Allah st at ed,

(And t he Word of your Lord has been fulfilled in t rut h and in j ust ice) (6:115). meaning, t rue in t he st ories it narrat es and j ust in it s Laws. The Qur'an is t rue, j ust and full of guidance. It does not cont ain exaggerat ions, lies or falsehood, unlike Arabic and ot her t ypes of poems t hat cont ained lies. These poems, conform wit h t he popular st at ement , "The most eloquent speech is t he one t hat cont ains t he most lies!'' Somet imes, one would find a long poem t hat mainly cont ains descript ions of women, horses or alcohol. Or, t he poem might cont ain praise or t he descript ion of a cert ain person, horse, camel, war, incident , fear, lion, or ot her t ypes of it ems and obj ect s. Such praise or descript ions do not bring any benefit , except shed light on t he poet 's abilit y t o clearly and eloquent ly describe such it ems. Yet , one will only be able t o find one or t wo sent ences in many long poems t hat elaborat e on t he main t heme of t he poem, while t he rest of t he poem cont ains insignificant descript ions and repet it ions. As for t he Qur'an, it is ent irely eloquent in t he most perfect manner, as t hose who have knowledge in such mat t ers and underst and Arabic met hods of speech and expressions concur. When one reads t hrough t he st ories in t he Qur'an, he will find t hem fruit ful, whet her t hey were in ext ended or short forms, repeat ed or not . The more t hese st ories are repeat ed, t he more fruit ful and beaut iful t hey become. The Qur'an does not become old when one repeat s recit ing it , nor do t he scholars ever get bored wit h it . When t he Qur'an ment ions t he subj ect of warning and promises, it present s t rut hs t hat would make solid, firm mount ains shake, so what about t he comprehending, underst anding heart s When t he Qur'an promises, it opens t he heart s and t he ears, making t hem eager t o at t ain t he abode of peace - Paradise - and t o be t he neighbors of t he Throne of t he Most Beneficent . For inst ance, on t he subj ect of promises and encouragement , t he Qur'an said,


(No person knows what is kept hidden for t hem of j oy as a reward for what t hey used t o do) (32:17), and,

((There will be) t herein all t hat inner selves could desire, and all t hat eyes could delight in and you will abide t herein forever) (43:71). On t he subj ect of warning and discouragement ;

(Do you t hen feel secure t hat He will not cause a side of t he land t o swallow you up) (17:68), and,

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(Do you feel secure t hat He, Who is over t he heaven (Allah), will not cause t he eart h t o sink wit h you, and t hen it should quake Or do you feel secure t hat He, Who is over t he heaven (Allah), will not send against you a violent whirlwind Then you shall know how (t errible) has been My warning) (67:16-17). On t he subj ect of t hreat s, t he Qur'an said,

(So We punished each (of t hem) for his sins) (29:40). Also, on t he subj ect of soft advice, t he Qur'an said,

 - -
(Tell Me, (even) if We do let t hem enj oy for years. And aft erwards comes t o t hem t hat (punishment ) which t hey had been promised. All t hat wit h which t hey used t o enj oy shall not avail t hem) (26:205-207). There are many ot her examples of t he eloquence, beaut y, and benefit s of t he Qur'an. When t he Qur'an is discussing Laws, commandment s and prohibit ions, it commands every t ype of right eous, good, pleasing and beneficial act . It also forbids every t ype of evil, disliked and amoral act . Ibn Mas` ud and ot her scholars of t he Salaf said, "When you hear what Allah said in t he Qur'an, such as,

(O you who believe!), t hen list en wit h full at t ent ion, for it eit her cont ains a t ype of right eousness t hat Allah is enj oining, or an evil t hat He is forbidding.'' For inst ance, Allah said,

(He (Muhammad ) commands t hem for Al-Ma` ruf (i.e. Islamic Monot heism and all t hat Islam has ordained); and forbids t hem from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polyt heism of all kinds, and all t hat Islam has forbidden); he allows t hem as lawful At -Tayyibat (i.e. all good and lawful t hings), and prohibit s t hem as unlawful Al-Khaba'it h (i.e. all evil and unlawful t hings), he releases t hem from t heir heavy burdens and from t he fet t ers (bindings) t hat were upon t hem) (7:157). When t he Ayat ment ion Resurrect ion and t he horrors t hat will occur on t hat Day, and Paradise and t he Fire and t he j oys and safe refuge t hat Allah prepared for His loyal friends, or t orment and Hell for His enemies, t hese Ayat cont ain glad t idings or warnings. The Ayat t hen call t o perform good deeds and avoid evil deeds, making t he life of t his world less favorable and t he Hereaft er more favorable. They also est ablish t he correct met hods and guide t o Allah's st raight pat h and j ust legislat ion, all t he while ridding t he heart s of t he evil of t he cursed devil.

The Qur'an is the Greatest Miracle given to the Prophet

The Two Sahihs record t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat t he Prophet said,


(Every Prophet was given a miracle, t he t ype of which brings mankind t o fait h. What I was given is a revelat ion t hat Allah sent down t o me. Yet , I hope t hat I will have t he most following on t he Day of Resurrect ion.) This is t he wording narrat ed by Muslim. The Prophet st at ed t hat among t he Prophet s he was given a revelat ion, meaning, he was especially ent rust ed wit h t he miraculous Qur'an t hat challenged mankind t o produce somet hing similar t o it . As for t he rest of t he divinely revealed Books, t hey were not miraculous according t o many scholars. Allah knows best . The Prophet was also aided wit h innumerable signs and indicat ions t hat t est ify t o t he t rut h of his prophet hood and what he was sent wit h, all t hanks and praise is due t o Allah.

Meaning of ` Stones

Allah said,

(Then fear t he Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and st ones, prepared for t he disbelievers) (2:24). ` Fuel' is wood, or similar subst ances, used t o st art and feed a fire. Similarly, Allah said,

(And as for t he Qasit un (disbelievers who deviat ed from t he right pat h), t hey shall be firewood for Hell) (72:15), and,


(Cert ainly you (disbelievers) and t hat which you are worshipping now besides Allah, are (but ) fuel for Hell! (Surely) you ent er it . Had t hese (idols) been alihah (gods), t hey would not have ent ered t here (Hell), and all of t hem will abide t herein) (21:98-99). The st ones ment ioned here are t he giant , rot t en, black, sulfuric st ones t hat become t he hot t est when heat ed, may Allah save us from t his evil end. It was also report ed t hat t he st ones ment ioned here are t he idols and rivals t hat were worshipped inst ead of Allah, j ust as Allah said,

(Cert ainly you (disbelievers) and t hat which you are worshipping now besides Allah,are (but ) fuel for Hell!) (21:28). Allah's st at ement ,

(prepared for t he disbelievers) It appears most obvious t hat it refers t o t he Fire t hat is fueled by men and st ones, and it also may refer t o t he st ones t hemselves. There is no cont radict ion bet ween t hese t wo views, because t hey are dependent upon each ot her. ` Prepared' means, it is ` kept ' and will surely t ouch t hose who disbelieve in Allah and His Messenger . Ibn Ishaq narrat ed t hat Muhammad said t hat ` Ikrimah or Sa` id bin Jubayr said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said,

(prepared for t he disbelievers), "For t hose who embrace t he disbelief t hat you (disbelievers) have embraced.''

Jahannam (Hellfire) exists now

Many of t he Imams of t he Sunnah used t his Ayah t o prove t hat t he Fire exist s now. This is because Allah said,

(prepared) meaning, prepared and kept . There are many Hadit hs on t his subj ect . For inst ance, t he Prophet said,

(Paradise and t he Fire had an argument ..) Also, t he Prophet said,

: :
(The Fire sought t he permission of her Lord. She said, 'O my Lord! Some part s of me consumed t he ot her part s.' And Allah allowed her t wo periods t o exhale, one in wint er and one in summer.) Also, t here is a Hadit h recorded from Ibn Mas` ud t hat t he Companions heard t he sound of a falling obj ect . When t hey asked about it , t he Messenger of Allah said,

(This is a st one t hat was t hrown from t he t op of Jahannam sevent y years ago, but only now reached it s bot t om.) This Hadit h is in Sahih Muslim. There are many Hadit hs t hat are Mut awat ir (narrat ed by many different chains of narrat ions) on t his subj ect , such as t he Hadit hs about t he eclipse prayer, t he night of Isra' et c. Allah's st at ement s,


(Then produce a Surah (chapt er) of t he like t hereof) (2:23), and,

(A Surah (chapt er) like it ) (10:38) t his includes t he short and long Surahs of t he Qur'an. Therefore, t he challenge t o creat ion st ands wit h regards t o bot h t he long and short Surahs, and t here is no disagreement t hat I know of on t his fact bet ween t he scholars of old and new. Before he became Muslim, ` Amr bin Al-` As met Musaylimah t he Liar who asked him, "What has recent ly been revealed t o your fellow (meaning Muhammad ) in Makkah'' ` Amr said, "A short , yet eloquent Surah.'' He asked, "What is it '' He said,

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(By Al-` Asr (t he t ime). Verily, man is in loss,) (103:1-2) Musaylimah t hought for a while and said, "A similar Surah was also revealed t o me.'' ` Amr asked, "What is it '' He said, "O Wabr, O Wabr (i.e. a wild cat ), you are but t wo ears and a chest , and t he rest of you is unwort hy and t hin.'' ` Amr said, "By Allah! You know t hat I know t hat you are lying.''

(25. And give glad t idings t o t hose who believe and do right eous good deeds, t hat for t hem will be Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise). Every t ime t hey will be provided wit h a fruit t herefrom, t hey will say: "This is what we were provided wit h before,'' and t hey will be given t hings in resemblance (i.e. in t he same form but different in t ast e) and t hey shall have t herein Azwaj un Mut ahharat un (purified mat es or wives), and t hey will abide t herein forever.)

Rewards of Righteous Believers

Aft er ment ioning t he t orment t hat Allah has prepared for His miserable enemies who disbelieve in Him and in His Messengers, He ment ions t he condit ion of His happy, loyal friends who believe in Him and in His Messengers, adhere t o t he fait h and perform t he good deeds. This is t he reason why t he Qur'an was called Mat hani, based on t he correct opinion of t he scholars. We will elaborat e upon t his subj ect lat er. Mat hani means t o ment ion fait h and t hen disbelief, or vice versa. Or, Allah ment ions t he miserable and t hen t he happy, or vice versa. As for ment ioning similar t hings, it is called Tashabbuh, as we will come t o know, Allah willing. Allah said,

(And give glad t idings t o t hose who believe and do right eous good deeds, t hat for t hem will be Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise)). Consequent ly, Allah st at ed t hat Paradise has rivers t hat run beneat h it , meaning, underneat h it s t rees and rooms. From Hadit hs it is learned t hat t he rivers of Paradise do not run in valleys, and t hat t he banks of Al-Kawt har (t he Prophet 's lake in Paradise) are made of domes of hollow pearls, t he sand of Paradise is made of scent ed musk while it s st ones are made from pearls and j ewels. We ask Allah t o grant Paradise t o us, for verily, He is t he Most Beneficent , Most Gracious. Ibn Abi Hat im report ed t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(The rivers of Paradise spring from beneat h hills, or mount ains of musk.) He also report ed from Masruq t hat ` Abdullah said, "The rivers of Paradise spring from beneat h mount ains of musk.''

The similarity between the Fruits of Paradise

Allah said next ,

(Every t ime t hey will be provided wit h a fruit t herefrom, t hey will say: "This is what we were provided wit h before'').

Ibn Abi Hat im report ed t hat Yahya bin Abi Kat hir said, "The grass of Paradise is made of saffron, it s hills from musk and t he boys of everlast ing yout h will serve t he believers wit h fruit s which t hey will eat . They will t hen be brought similar fruit s, and t he people of Paradise will comment , ` This is t he same as what you have j ust brought us.' The boys will say t o t hem, ` Eat , for t he color is t he same, but t he t ast e is different . Hence Allah's st at ement ,

(and t hey will be given t hings in resemblance). Abu Ja` far Ar-Razi narrat ed t hat Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said t hat Abu Al-` Aliyah said t hat ,

(and t hey will be given t hings in resemblance) means, "They look like each ot her, but t he t ast e is different .'' Also, ` Ikrimah said,

(and t hey will be given t hings in resemblance) "They are similar t o t he fruit s of t his life, but t he fruit s of Paradise t ast e bet t er. '' Sufyan At h-Thawri report ed from Al-A` mash, from Abu Thubyan, t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Not hing in Paradise resembles anyt hing in t he life of t his world, except in name.'' In anot her narrat ion, Ibn ` Abbas said, "Only t he names are similar bet ween what is in t his life and what is in Paradise.''

The Wives of the People of Paradise are Pure

Allah said,

(and t hey shall have t herein Azwaj un Mut ahharat un). Ibn Abi Talhah report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Purified from filt h and impurit y.'' Also, Muj ahid said, "From menst ruat ion, relieving t he call of nat ure, urine, spit , semen and pregnancies.'' Also, Qat adah said, "Purified from impurit y and sin.'' In anot her narrat ion, he said, "From menst ruat ion and pregnancies.'' Furt her, ` At a', Al-Hasan, Ad-Dahhak, Abu Salih, ` At iyah and As-Suddi were report ed t o have said similarly. Allah's st at ement ,

(and t hey will abide t herein forever) meaning ult imat e happiness, for t he believers will enj oy everlast ing delight , safe from deat h and disrupt ion of t heir bliss, for it never ends or ceases.

We ask Allah t o make us among t hese believers, for He is t he Most Generous, Most Kind and Most merciful.

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(26. Verily, Allah is not ashamed t o set fort h a parable even of a mosquit o or so much more when it is bigger (or less when it is smaller) t han it . And as for t hose who believe, t hey know t hat it is t he t rut h from t heir Lord, but as for t hose who disbelieve, t hey say: "What did Allah int end by t his parable'' By it He misleads many, and many He guides t hereby. And He misleads t hereby only t he Fasiqin (t he rebellious, disobedient t o Allah). (27. Those who break Allah's covenant aft er rat ifying it , and sever what Allah has ordered t o be j oined and do mischief on eart h, it is t hey who are t he losers.) In his Tafsir, As-Suddi report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas, Ibn Mas` ud, and some Companions said; "When Allah gave t hese t wo examples of t he hypocrit es'' meaning Allah's st at ement s,

(Their likeness is as t he likeness of one who kindled a fire), and,

(Or like a rainst orm from t he sky), "The hypocrit es said, ` Allah's far more exalt ed t han for Him t o make such examples.' So Allah revealed t hese Ayat (2:26-27) up t o:


(Who are t he losers)''. Sa` id said t hat Qat adah said, "Allah does not shy away from t he t rut h when He ment ions a mat t er as a parable, whet her t his mat t er is significant or not . When Allah ment ioned t he flies and t he spider in His Book, t he people of misguidance said, ` Why did Allah ment ion t hese t hings.' So Allah revealed;

(Verily, Allah is not ashamed t o set fort h a parable even of a mosquit o or so much more when it is bigger (or less when it is smaller) t han it ).''

A Parable about the Life of This World

Abu Ja` far Ar-Razi report ed t hat Ar-Rabi` bin Anas comment ed on t his Ayah (2:26); "This is an example t hat Allah has given for t he life of t his world. The mosquit o lives as long as it needs food, but when it get s fat , it dies. This is also t he example of people whom Allah ment ioned in t he Qur'an: when t hey acquire (and collect t he delight s of) t he life of t his world, Allah t hen t akes t hem away.'' Aft erwards, he recit ed,

(So, when t hey forgot (t he warning) wit h which t hey had been reminded, We opened for t hem t he gat es of every (pleasant ) t hing) (6:44) In t his Ayah (2:26) Allah st at ed t hat He does not shy away or hesit at e in making an example or parable of anyt hing, whet her t he example involves a significant or an insignificant mat t er. Allah's st at ement ,

(Or so much more when it is bigger t han it ) Fama fawqaha means, somet hing bigger t han t he mosquit o, which is one of t he most insignificant and t iniest of creat ures. Muslim narrat ed t hat Aishah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,


(No Muslim is harmed by a t horn, Fama fawqaha (or somet hing larger), but a good deed will be writ t en for him and an evil deed will be erased from his record.) So Allah has informed us t hat t here is no mat t er t hat is t oo small t hat is exempt from being used as an example, even if it was as insignificant as a mosquit o or a spider. Allah said,

(O mankind! A similit ude has been coined, so list en t o it (carefully): Verily, t hose on whom you call besides Allah, cannot creat e (even) a fly, even t hough t hey combine t oget her for t he purpose. And if t he fly snat ches away a t hing from t hem, t hey will have no power t o release it from t he fly. So weak are (bot h) t he seeker and t he sought .) (22:73),

(The likeness of t hose who t ake (false deit ies as) Awliya' (prot ect ors, helpers) ot her t han Allah is t he likeness of a spider who builds (for it self) a house; but verily, t he frailest (weakest ) of houses is t he spider's house if t hey but knew.) (29:41), and,

 - -
(See you not how Allah set s fort h a parable A goodly word as a goodly t ree, whose root is firmly fixed, and it s branches (reach) t o t he sky (i.e. very high). Giving it s fruit at all t imes, by t he leave of it s Lord, and Allah set s fort h parables for mankind in order t hat t hey may remember. And t he parable of an evil word is t hat of an evil t ree uproot ed from t he surface of eart h, having no st abilit y. Allah will keep firm t hose who believe, wit h t he word t hat st ands firm in life of t his world (i.e. t hey will keep on worshipping Allah alone and none else), and in t he Hereaft er. And Allah will cause t he Zalimin (polyt heist s and wrongdoers) t o go ast ray t hose and Allah does what He wills.) (14:24-27). Allah said,

(Allah put s forward t he example of (t wo men a believer and a disbeliever); a servant under t he possession of anot her, he has no power of any sort ) (16:75). He t hen said,

(And Allah put s forward (anot her) example of t wo men, one of t hem dumb, who has no power over anyt hing, and he is a burden on his mast er; whichever way he direct s him, he brings no good. Is such a man equal t o one who commands j ust ice) (16:76). Also, Allah said,


(He set s fort h for you a parable from your own selves: Do you have part ners among t hose whom your right hands possess (i.e. your servant s) t o share as equals in t he wealt h we have best owed on you) (30:28). Muj ahid comment ed on Allah's st at ement ,

(Verily, Allah is not ashamed t o set fort h a parable even of a mosquit o or so much more when it is bigger t han it .) "The believers believe in t hese parables, whet her t hey involve large mat t ers or small, because t hey know t hat t hey are t he t rut h from t heir Lord, and Allah guides t he believers by t hese parables.'' In his Tafsir, As-Suddi report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas, Ibn Mas` ud and ot her people among t he Companions said,

(By it He misleads many), "Meaning t he hypocrit es. Allah guides t he believers wit h t hese parables, and t he st raying of t he hypocrit es increases when t hey rej ect t he parables t hat Allah ment ioned for t hem which t hey know are t rue. This is how Allah misleads t hem.''

(And He guides t hereby) meaning, wit h t he parables,

(many) from among t he people of fait h and convict ion. Allah adds guidance t o t heir guidance, and fait h t o t heir fait h, because t hey firmly believe in what t hey know t o be t rue, t hat is, t he parables t hat Allah has ment ioned. This is guidance t hat Allah grant s t hem;

(And He misleads t hereby only t he Fasiqin (t he rebellious, disobedient t o Allah)), meaning, t he hypocrit es. The Arabs say t hat t he dat e has Fasaqat , when it comes out of it s skin, and t hey call t he mouse a Fuwaysiqah, because it leaves it s den t o cause mischief. The Two Sahihs recorded ` A'ishah saying t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

:
(Five animals are Fawasiq, and t hey must be killed during Ihram and ot herwise: t he crow, t he kit e, t he scorpion, t he mouse and t he rabid dog.) eFasiq, includes t he disbeliever and t he disobedient . However, t he Fisq of t he disbeliever is worse, and t his is t he t ype of Fasiq t hat t he Ayah is describing here, because Allah described t hem as,

(Those who break Allah's covenant aft er rat ifying it , and sever what Allah has ordered t o be j oined and do mischief on eart h, it is t hey who are t he losers.) These are t he charact erist ics of t he disbelievers and t hey cont radict t he qualit ies of t he believers. Similarly, Allah said in Surat Ar-Ra` d,

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(Shall he t hen, who knows t hat what has been revealed unt o you (O Muhammad ) from your Lord is t he t rut h, be like him who is blind But it is only t he men of underst anding t hat pay heed. Those who fulfill t he covenant of Allah and break not t he Mit haq (bond, t reat y, covenant ). And t hose who j oin t hat which Allah has commanded t o be j oined (i.e. t hey are

good t o t heir relat ives and do not sever t he bond of kinship), and fear t heir Lord, and dread t he t errible reckoning.) (13:19-21)) unt il,

(And t hose who break t he covenant of Allah, aft er it s rat ificat ion, and sever t hat which Allah has commanded t o be j oined (i.e. t hey sever t he bond of kinship and are not good t o t heir relat ives), and work mischief in t he land, on t hem is t he curse (i.e. t hey will be far away from Allah's mercy), and for t hem is t he unhappy (evil) home (i.e. Hell).) (13:25) The covenant t hat t hese deviant people broke is Allah's covenant wit h His creat ion, t hat is, t o obey Him and avoid t he sins t hat He prohibit ed. This covenant was reit erat ed in Allah's Books and by t he words of His Messengers. Ignoring t his covenant const it ut es breaking it . It was said t hat t he Ayah (2:27) is about t he disbelievers and t he hypocrit es among t he People of t he Book. In t his case, t he covenant t hat t hey broke is t he pledge t hat Allah t ook from t hem in t he Tawrah t o follow Muhammad when he is sent as a Prophet , and t o believe in him, and in what he was sent wit h. Breaking Allah's covenant in t his case occured when t he People of t he Book rej ect ed t he Prophet aft er t hey knew t he t rut h about him, and t hey hid t his t rut h from people, even t hough t hey swore t o Allah t hat t hey would do ot herwise. Allah informed us t hat t hey t hrew t he covenant behind t heir backs and sold it for a miserable price. It was also report ed t hat t he Ayah (2:27) refers t o all disbelievers, idol worshippers and hypocrit es. Allah t ook t heir pledge t o believe in His Oneness, showing t hem t he signs t hat t est ify t o His Lordship. He also t ook a covenant from t hem t o obey His commands and refrain from His prohibit ions, knowing t hat His Messengers would bring proofs and miracles t hat none among t he creat ion could ever produce. These miracles t est ified t o t he t rut h of Allah's Messengers. The covenant was broken when t he disbelievers denied what was proven t o t hem t o be aut hent ic and rej ect ed Allah's Prophet s and Books, alt hough t hey knew t hat t hey were t he t rut h. This Tafsir was report ed from Muqat il bin Hayyan, and it is very good. It is also t he view t hat Az-Zamakhshari held. Allah's st at ement next ,

(And sever what Allah has ordered t o be j oined) is in reference t o keeping t he relat ions wit h t he relat ives, as Qat adah assert ed. This Ayah is similar t o Allah's st at ement ,

(Would you t hen, if you were given t he aut horit y, do mischief in t he land, and sever your t ies of kinship) (47:22) Ibn Jarir At -Tabari preferred t his opinion. However, it has been said t hat t he meaning of t he Ayah (2:27) here is more general. Hence, everyt hing t hat Allah has commanded t o nurt ure, and t he people severed, is included in it s meaning.

The Meaning of ` Loss

Muqat il bin Hayyan comment ed on Allah's st at ement ,

(It is t hey who are t he losers) "In t he Hereaft er.'' Similarly, Allah said,

(On t hem is t he curse (i.e. t hey will be far away from Allah's mercy), and for t hem is t he unhappy (evil) home (i.e. Hell)) (13:25). Also, Ad-Dahhak said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Every charact erist ic t hat Allah describes t hose ot her t han t he people of Islam - such as being losers - t hen it refers t o disbelief. However, when t hey are at t ribut ed t o t he people of Islam, t hen t hese t erms refer t o sin.'' Ibn Jarir comment ed on Allah's st at ement ,

(It is t hey who are t he losers,) "` Losers is plural for loser, t his word refers t o whoever decreased his own share of Allah's mercy by disobeying Him, j ust as t he merchant loses in his t rade by sust aining capit al loss. Such is t he case wit h t he hypocrit e and t he disbeliever who lose t heir share of t he mercy t hat Allah has in st ore for His servant s on t he Day of Resurrect ion. And t hat is when t he disbeliever and t he hypocrit e most desperat ely need Allah's mercy.''

(28. How can you disbelieve in Allah seeing t hat you were dead and He gave you life Then He will give you deat h, t hen again will bring you t o life (on t he Day of Resurrect ion) and t hen unt o Him you will ret urn.) Allah t est ifies t o t he fact t hat He exist s and t hat He is t he Creat or and t he Sust ainer Who has full aut horit y over His servant s,


(How can you disbelieve in Allah) How can anyone deny Allah's exist ence or worship ot hers wit h Him while;

(You were dead and He gave you life) meaning, He brought t hem from t he st at e of nonexist ence t o life. Similarly, Allah said,

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(Were t hey creat ed by not hing Or were t hey t hemselves t he creat ors Or did t hey creat e t he heavens and t he eart h Nay, but t hey have no firm belief) (52:35-36) and,

(Has t here not been over man a period of t ime, when he was not a t hing wort h ment ioning) (76:1). There are many ot her Ayat on t his subj ect . Ibn Jarir report ed from ` At a' t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ,

(Seeing t hat you were dead and He gave you life) means, "You did not exist beforehand. You were not hing unt il Allah creat ed you; He will bring deat h t o you and t hen bring you back t o life during Resurrect ion.'' Ibn ` Abbas t hen said, "This is similar t o Allah's st at ement ;

(They will say: "Our Lord! You have made us t o die t wice and You have given us life t wice.'') (40:11)''


(29. He it is Who creat ed for you all t hat is on eart h. Then He Ist awa ila t he heaven and made t hem seven heavens and He is t he Knower of everyt hing.)

Evidence of Allah's Ability

Aft er Allah ment ioned t he proofs of His creat ing t hem, and what t hey can wit ness in t hemselves as proof of t hat , He ment ioned anot her proof t hat t hey can wit ness, t hat is, t he creat ion of t he heavens and eart h. Allah said,

(He it is Who creat ed for you all t hat is on eart h. Then He Ist awa ila t he heaven and made t hem seven heavens) meaning, He t urned t owards t he heaven,

(And made t hem) meaning, t hat He made t he heaven, seven heavens. Allah said,

(And made t hem seven heavens and He is t he Knower of everyt hing) meaning, His knowledge encompasses all His creat ion, j ust as He said in anot her Ayah,

(Should not He Who has creat ed know) (67:14).

The Beginning of the Creation

This Ayah (2:29) is explained in det ail in Surat As-Saj dah where Allah said;

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(Say (O Muhammad ): "Do you verily disbelieve in Him Who creat ed t he eart h in t wo Days And you set up rivals (in worship) wit h Him That is t he Lord of all t hat exist s. He placed t herein (i.e. t he eart h) firm mount ains from above it , and He blessed it , and measured t herein it s sust enance (for it s dwellers) in four Days equal (i.e. all t hese four ` days' were equal in t he lengt h of t ime) for all t hose who ask (about it s creat ion). Then He Ist awa ila t he heaven when it was smoke, and said t o it and t o t he eart h: "Come bot h of you willingly or unwillingly.'' They bot h said: "We come willingly.'' Then He finished t hem (as) seven heavens in t wo Days and He made in each heaven it s affair. And We adorned t he nearest (lowest ) heaven wit h lamps (st ars) t o be an adornment as well as t o guard (from t he devils by using t hem as missiles against t he devils). Such is t he decree of t he Almight y, t he Knower) (41:9-12). These Ayat indicat e t hat Allah st art ed creat ion by creat ing eart h, t hen He made heaven int o seven heavens. This is how building usually st art s, wit h t he lower floors first and t hen t he t op floors, as t he scholars of Tafsir reit erat ed, as we will come t o know, Allah willing. Allah also said,

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 - -
(Are you more difficult t o creat e or is t he heaven t hat He const ruct ed He raised it s height , and has perfect ed it . It s night He covers wit h darkness and it s forenoon He brings out (wit h light ). And t he eart h, aft er t hat , He spread it out . And brought fort h t herefrom it s wat er and it s past ure. And t he mount ains He has fixed firmly. (To be) a provision and benefit for you and your cat t le) (79:27-33). It is said t hat "Then'' in t he Ayah (2:29) relat es only t o t he order of recit ing t he informat ion being given, it does not relat e t o t he order t hat t he event s being ment ioned t ook place, t his was report ed from Ibn ` Abbas by ` Ali bin Abi Talhah.

The Earth was created before Heaven

Muj ahid comment ed on Allah's st at ement ,

(He it is Who creat ed for you all t hat is on eart h) "Allah creat ed t he eart h before heaven, and when He creat ed t he eart h, smoke burst out of it . This is why Allah said,

(Then He Ist awa ila (t urned t owards) t he heaven when it was smoke.) (41:11)

(And made t hem seven heavens) means, one above t he ot her, while t he ` seven eart hs' means, one below t he ot her.'' This Ayah t est ifies t o t he fact t hat t he eart h was creat ed before heaven, as Allah has indicat ed in t he Ayat in Surat As-Saj dah.

Spreading the Earth out after the Heavens were created

Sahih Al-Bukhari records t hat when Ibn ` Abbas was quest ion about t his mat t er, he said t hat t he eart h was creat ed before heaven, and t he eart h was spread out only aft er t he creat ion of t he heaven. Several Tafsir scholars of old and recent t imes also said similarly, as we have elaborat ed on in t he Tafsir of Surat An-Nazi` at (chapt er 79). The result of t hat discussion is

t hat t he word Daha (t ranslat ed above as "spread'') is ment ioned and explained in Allah's st at ement ,

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(And t he eart h, aft er t hat , He spread it out . And brought fort h t herefrom it s wat er and it s past ure. And t he mount ains He has fixed firmly.) (79:30-32) Therefore, Daha means t hat t he eart h's t reasures were brought t o it s surface aft er finishing t he j ob of creat ing what ever will reside on eart h and heaven. When t he eart h became Daha, t he wat er burst out t o it s surface and t he various t ypes, colors, shapes and kinds of plant s grew. The st ars st art ed rot at ing along wit h t he planet s t hat rot at e around t hem. And Allah knows best .

(30. And (remember) when your Lord said t o t he angels: "Verily, I am going t o place (mankind) generat ions aft er generat ions on eart h.'' They said: "Will You place t herein t hose who will make mischief t herein and shed blood, while we glorify You wit h praises and t hanks and sanct ify You.'' He (Allah) said: "I know t hat which you do not know.'')

Adam and His Children inhabited the Earth, Generation after Generation
Allah reit erat ed His favor on t he Children of Adam when He st at ed t hat He ment ioned t hem in t he highest of height s before He creat ed t hem. Allah said,

(And (remember) when your Lord said t o t he angels.) This Ayah means, "O Muhammad ! Ment ion t o your people what Allah said t o t he angels,


(Verily, I am going t o place a Khalifah on eart h). Meaning people reproducing generat ion aft er generat ion, cent ury aft er cent ury, j ust as Allah said,

(And it is He Who has made you (Khala'if) generat ions coming aft er generat ions, replacing each ot her on t he eart h) (6:165),

(And makes you (Khulafa') inherit ors of t he eart h) (27:62),

(And if it were Our will, We would have (dest royed you (mankind all, and) made angels t o replace you (Yakhlufun) on t he eart h.) (43: 60) and,

(Then aft er t hem succeeded an (evil) generat ion (Khalf)) (7:169). It appears t hat Allah was not refering t o Adam specifically as Khalifah, ot herwise he would not have allowed t he angels' st at ement ,

(Will You place t herein t hose who will make mischief t herein and shed blood). The angels meant t hat t his t ype of creat ure usually commit s t he at rocit ies t hey ment ioned. The angels knew of t his fact , according t o t heir underst anding of human nat ure, for Allah st at ed t hat He would creat e man from clay. Or, t he angels underst ood t his fact from t he word Khalifah, which also means t he person who j udges disput es t hat occur bet ween people, forbidding t hem from inj ust ice and sin, as Al-Qurt ubi said.

The st at ement t he angels ut t ered was not a form of disput ing wit h Allah's, nor out of envy for t he Children of Adam, as some mist akenly t hought . Allah has described t hem as t hose who do not precede Him in speaking, meaning t hat t hey do not ask Allah anyt hing wit hout His permission. When Allah informed t hem t hat He was going t o creat e a creat ion on t he eart h, and t hey had knowledge t hat t his creat ion would commit mischief on it , as Qat adah ment ioned, t hey said,

(Will You place t herein t hose who will make mischief t herein and shed blood) This is only a quest ion for t he sake of learning about t he wisdom of t hat , as if t hey said, Our Lord! What is t he wisdom of creat ing such creat ures since t hey will cause t rouble in t he eart h and spill blood "If t he wisdom behind t his act ion is t hat You be worshipped, we praise and glorify You (meaning we pray t o You) we never indulge in mischief, so why creat e ot her creat ures'' Allah said t o t he angels in answer t o t heir inquiry,

(I know t hat which you do not know.) meaning, "I know t hat t he benefit of creat ing t his t ype of creat ure out weighs t he harm t hat you ment ioned, t hat which you have no knowledge of. I will creat e among t hem Prophet s and send Messengers. I will also creat e among t hem t rut hful, mart yrs, right eous believers, worshippers, t he modest , t he pious, t he scholars who implement t heir knowledge, humble people and t hose who love Allah and follow His Messengers.'' The Sahih recorded t hat when t he angels ascend t o Allah wit h t he records of t he servant 's deeds, Allah asks t hem, while having bet t er knowledge, "How did you leave My servant s'' They will say, "We came t o t hem while t hey were praying and left t hem while t hey were praying.'' This is because t he angels work in shift s wit h mankind, and t hey change shift s during t he Faj r and ` Asr prayers. The angels who descended will remain wit h us, while t he angels who have remained wit h us ascend wit h our deeds. The Messenger of Allah said,

(The deeds of t he night are elevat ed t o Allah before t he morning, and t he deeds of t he morning before t he night falls. ) Hence, t he angels' st at ement , "We came t o t hem while t hey were praying and left t hem while t hey were praying,'' explains Allah's st at ement ,


(I know t hat which you do not know.) It was said t hat t he meaning of Allah's st at ement ,

(I know t hat which you do not know.) is, "I have a specific wisdom in creat ing t hem, which you do not have knowledge of.'' It was also said t hat it is in answer t o,

(While we glorify You wit h praises and t hanks and sanct ify You) aft er which Allah said,

(I know t hat which you do not know). Meaning, "I know t hat Iblis is not as you are, alt hough he is among you.'' Ot hers said,

"(Will You place t herein t hose who will make mischief t herein and shed blood, while we glorify you wit h praises and t hanks and sanct ify You.) is t heir request t hat t hey should be allowed t o inhabit t he eart h, inst ead of t he Children of Adam. So Allah said t o t hem,

(I know t hat which you do not know) if your inhabit ing t he heavens is bet t er, or worse for you.'' Ar-Razi as well as ot hers said t his. Allah knows best .

The Obligation of appointing a Khalifah and some related Issues

Al-Qurt ubi, as well as ot her scholars, said t hat t his Ayah (2:30) proves t he obligat ion of appoint ing a Khalifah t o pass j udgement s on mat t ers of disput e bet ween people, t o aid t he oppressed against t he oppressor, t o implement t he Islamic penal code and t o forbid evil. There are many ot her t asks t hat can only be fulfilled by appoint ing t he Imam, and what is necessary

in performing an obligat ion, is an obligat ion it self. We should st at e here t hat Imamah occurs by eit her naming a successor, as a group among Ahl As-Sunnah scholars said occurred - by t he Prophet - in t he case of Abu Bakr, or hint ing t o a successor. Or, t he current Khalifah names a cert ain person as Khalifah aft er him, as Abu Bakr did wit h ` Umar. Or, t he Khalifah might leave t he mat t er in t he hands of t he Muslim consult at ive council, or a group of right eous men, j ust as ` Umar did. Or, t he people of aut horit y could gat her around a cert ain person t o whom t hey give t he pledge of allegiance, or t hey could select one among t hem t o choose t he candidat e, according t o t he maj orit y of t he scholars. The Khalifah must be a responsible adult Muslim male, able t o perform Ij t ihad (independent legal j udgment s), bodily able, right eous, wit h knowledge of warfare, polit ics. He also must be from t he t ribe of Quraysh, according t o t he correct view, but it is not necessary t hat he be from t he t ribe of Bani Hashim, or t hat he be immune from error, as t he Rafidah (Shiit es) falsely claim. When t he Khalifah becomes an immoral person (Fasiq), should he be impeached There is disagreement over t his mat t er, but t he correct view is t hat he is not t o be removed, because t he Messenger of Allah said,

(Unless you wit ness a clear Kufr regarding which you have clear proof from Allah. ) Does t he Khalifah have t he right t o resign from his post There is a difference on t his issue. It is a fact t hat Al-Hasan bin ` Ali removed himself from t he posit ion of Khalifah and surrendered it t o Mu` awiyah. However, t his occurred because of a necessit y, and Al-Hasan was praised for t his act ion. It is not permissible t o appoint t wo Imams for t he world or more at t he same t ime. This is not allowed because t he Messenger of Allah said,

(Whoever came t o you while you are unit ed and t ried t o divide you, t hen execut e him, no mat t er who he is.) This is t he view of t he maj orit y of scholars. Imam Al-Haramayn st at ed t hat Abu Ishaq allowed t he appoint ment of t wo or more Imams when t he various provinces are far away from each ot her. However, Imam Al-Haramayn himself was indecisive about t his view.

 - -
(31. And He t aught Adam all t he names (of everyt hing), t hen He showed t hem t o t he angels and said, "Tell Me t he names of t hese if you are t rut hful.'') (32. They (angels) said: "Glory is t o You, we have no knowledge except what you have t aught us. Verily, You are t he Knower, t he Wise.'') (33. He said: "O Adam! Inform t hem of t heir names,'' and when he had informed t hem of t heir names, He said: "Did I not t ell you t hat I know t he Ghayb (unseen) in t he heavens and t he eart h, and I know what you reveal and what you have been concealing'')

The Virtue of Adam over the Angels

Allah st at ed t he virt ue of Adam above t he angels, because He t aught Adam, rat her t han t hem, t he names of everyt hing. This occurred aft er t hey prost rat ed t o him. This discussion precedes t hat event here, only t o show t he import ance of his posit ion, and t he absence of t he angels' knowledge about creat ing t he Khalifah when t hey asked about it . So Allah informed t he angels t hat He knows what t hey do not know, and t hen He ment ioned t his t o show t hem Adam's superiorit y over t hem in knowledge. Allah said,

(And He t aught Adam all t he names (of everyt hing)). Ad-Dahhak said t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed on t he Ayah;

(And He t aught Adam all t he names (of everyt hing)) "Meaning, t he names t hat people use, such as human, animal, sky, eart h, land, sea, horse, donkey, and so fort h, including t he names of t he ot her species.'' Ibn Abi Hat im and Ibn Jarir report ed t hat ` Asim bin Kulayb narrat ed from Sa` id bin Ma` bad t hat Ibn ` Abbas was quest ioned,

(And He t aught Adam all t he names (of everyt hing)) "Did Allah t each him t he names of t he plat e and t he pot '' He said, "Yes, and even t he t erms for breaking wind!'' Allah t aught Adam t he names of everyt hing, t heir proper names, t he names of t heir charact erist ics, and what t hey do, j ust as Ibn ` Abbas st at ed about t he t erms for passing gas. In his Sahih, Al-Bukhari explained t his Ayah in t he Book of Tafsir wit h a report from Anas bin Malik who said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

: : : : : : : :

 : : : :
(The believers will gat her on t he Day of Resurrect ion and will say, ` We should seek a means of int ercession wit h our Lord' They will go t o Adam and say, ` O Adam! You are t he fat her of all mankind, Allah creat ed you wit h His Own Hand, ordered t he angels t o prost rat e for you and t aught you t he names of everyt hing. Will you not int ercede for us wit h your Lord, so t hat he relieve us from t his gat hering place' On t hat Adam will reply, ` I cannot do what you have asked'. He will have remembered his error and will be embarrassed, saying, ` Go t o Nuh, for he is t he first of Allah's Messengers whom Allah sent t o t he people of t he eart h.' They will go t o Nuh and ask him. He will say, ` I cannot do what you have asked.' He will recall asking Allah what he was not t o know, and will also be embarrassed. He will say, ` Go t o Khalil Ar-Rahman.' They will go t o Ibrahim and he will also say, ` I cannot do what you have asked.' He will say, ` Go t o Musa, a servant t o whom Allah spoke direct ly and gave t he Tawrah.' Musa will say, ` I cannot do what you have asked.' He will remember t hat he killed a person wit hout j ust ificat ion and will be embarrassed before his Lord. He will say, ` Go t o ` Isa, Allah's servant and Messenger and His Word and a spirit of His.' They will go t o ` Isa and he will say, ` I will not do what you asked. Go t o Muhammad, a servant whose previous and lat t er errors were forgiven.' They will come t o me, and I will go t o Allah and seek His permission and He will give me His permission. When I gaze at my Lord, I will prost rat e myself and Allah will allow me t o remain like t hat as much as He will. Then I will be addressed, ` O Muhammad! Raise your head; ask, for you will be

given what you ask, and int ercede, for your int ercession will be accept ed.' I will raise my head and t hank and praise Allah wit h such praise as He will inspire me. I will int ercede and He will grant me a quant it y of people t hat He will admit int o Paradise. I will go back t o Him, and when I see my Lord, I will int ercede and He will allow me a quant it y t hat He will admit int o Paradise. I will do t hat for a t hird and t hen a fourt h t ime. I will say, ` There are no more people left in Hell except t hose whom t he Qur'an has incarcerat ed and have t hus acquired et ernit y in Hell.') This Hadit h was collect ed by Muslim, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Maj ah. fThe reason why we ment ioned t his Hadit h here is t he Prophet 's st at ement ,

:
(They will go t o Adam and say, ` O Adam! You are t he fat her of all mankind, and Allah creat ed you wit h His Own Hand, ordered t he angels t o prost rat e for you, and t aught you t he names of everyt hing). This part of t he Hadit h t est ifies t o t he fact t hat Allah t aught Adam t he names of all creat ures. This is why Allah said,

(Then He showed t hem t o t he angels) meaning, t he obj ect s or creat ions. ` Abdur-Razzaq narrat ed t hat Ma` mar said t hat Qat adah said, "Allah paraded t he obj ect s before t he angels,

(And said, "Tell Me t he names of t hese if you are t rut hful'').'' Allah's st at ement means, "Tell Me t he names of what I paraded before you, O angels who said,

(Will You place t herein t hose who will make mischief t herein and shed blood). You asked, ` Are You appoint ing a Khalifah from us or from ot her creat ions We praise and glorify You. Therefore, Allah said, "If you say t he t rut h, t hat if I appoint a non-angel Khalifah on t he eart h, he and his offspring will disobey Me, commit mischief and shed blood, but if I designat e you t he Khalifahs you will obey Me, follow My command and honor and glorify Me. However, since you

do not know t he names of t he obj ect s I paraded before you, t hen you have even less knowledge of what will occur on t he eart h t hat does not exist yet .''

(They (angels) said: "Glory is t o You, we have no knowledge except what you have t aught us. Verily, it is You, t he Knower, t he Wise.''). Here t he angels are praising Allah's holiness, and perfect ion above every kind of deficiency, affirming t hat no creat ure could ever acquire any part of Allah's knowledge, except by His permission, nor could anyone know anyt hing except what Allah t eaches t hem. This is why t hey said,

("Glory is t o You, we have no knowledge except what you have t aught us. Verily You are t he Knower, t he Wise) meaning, Allah is knowledgeable of everyt hing, Most Wise about His creat ion, and He makes t he wisest decisions, and He t eaches and deprives whom He wills from knowledge. Verily, Allah's wisdom and j ust ice in all mat t ers is perfect .

Adam's Virtue of Knowledge is demonstrated

Allah said,

(He said: "O Adam! Inform t hem of t heir names,'' and when he had informed t hem of t heir names, He said: "Did I not t ell you t hat I know t he Ghayb (unseen) in t he heavens and t he eart h, and I know what you reveal and what you have been concealing'') Zayd bin Aslam said, "You are Jibril, you are Mika'il, you are Israfil, unt il he ment ioned t he name of t he crow.'' Muj ahid said t hat Allah's st at ement ,


(He said: "O Adam! Inform t hem of t heir names,'') "The name of t he pigeon, t he crow and everyt hing.'' St at ement s of a similar meaning were report ed from Sa` id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan, and Qat adah. When Adam's virt ue over t he angels became apparent , as he ment ioned t he names t hat Allah t aught him, Allah said t o t he angels,

(Did I not t ell you t hat I know t he Ghayb (unseen) in t he heavens and t he eart h, and I know what you reveal and what you have been concealing) This means, "Did I not st at e t hat I know t he seen and unseen mat t ers. '' Similarly, Allah said,

(And if you (O Muhammad ) speak (t he invocat ion) aloud, t hen verily, He knows t he secret and t hat which is yet more hidden) (20:7). Also, Allah said about t he hoopoe, t hat it said t o Sulayman;

( As Shayt an (Sat an) has barred t hem from Allah's way so t hey do not prost rat e before Allah, Who brings t o light what is hidden in t he heavens and t he eart h, and knows what you conceal and what you reveal. Allah, La ilaha illa Huwa (none has t he right t o be worshipped but He), t he Lord of t he Supreme Throne!) (27:25-26). They also have comment s ot her t han what we have said about t he meaning of Allah's st at ement ,

(And I know what you reveal and what you have been concealing).

It is report ed from Ad-Dahhak t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ,

(And I know what you reveal and what you have been concealing) means, "` I know t he secret s, j ust as I know t he apparent t hings, such as, what Iblis concealed in his heart of arrogance and pride.'' Abu Ja` far Ar-Razi narrat ed t hat Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said t hat ,

(And I know what you reveal and what you have been concealing) means, "The apparent part of what t hey said was: ` Do you creat e in it t hat which would commit mischief and shed blood' The hidden meaning was: ` We have more knowledge and honor t han any creat ion our Lord would creat e.' But t hey came t o know t hat Allah favored Adam above t hem regarding knowledge and honor.''

(34. And (remember) when We said t o t he angels: "Prost rat e yourselves before Adam.'' And t hey prost rat ed except Iblis (Shayt an), he refused and was proud and was one of t he disbelievers (disobedient t o Allah).)

Honoring Adam when the Angels prostrated before Him

This Ayah ment ions t he great honor t hat Allah grant ed Adam, and Allah reminded Adam's offspring of t his fact . Allah commanded t he angels t o prost rat e before Adam, as t his Ayah and many Hadit hs t est ify, such as t he Hadit h about t he int ercession t hat we discussed. There is a Hadit h about t he supplicat ion of Musa, "O my Lord! Show me Adam who caused us and himself t o be t hrown out of Paradise.'' When Musa met Adam, he said t o him, "Are you Adam whom Allah creat ed wit h His Own Hands, blew life int o and commanded t he angels t o prost rat e before'' Iblis was among Those ordered t o prost rat e before Adam, alt hough He was not an Angel When Allah commanded t he angels t o prost rat e before Adam, Iblis was included in t his command. Alt hough Iblis was not an angel, he was t rying - and pret ending - t o imit at e t he angels' behavior and deeds, and t his is why he was also included in t he command t o t he angels t o prost rat e before Adam. Sat an was crit icized for defying t hat command, as we will explain wit h det ail, Allah willing, when we ment ion t he Tafsir of Allah's st at ement ,

(Except Iblis (Sat an). He was one of t he Jinn; he disobeyed t he command of his Lord.) (18:50) Similarly, Muhammad bin Ishaq report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Before he undert ook t he pat h of sin, Iblis was wit h t he angels and was called ` Azazil.' He was among t he resident s of t he eart h and was one of t he most act ive worshippers and knowledgeable persons among t he angels. This fact caused him t o be arrogant . Iblis was from a genus called Jinn.''

The Prostration was before Adam but the Obedience was to Allah
Qat adah comment ed on Allah's st at ement ,

(And (remember) when We said t o t he angels: "Prost rat e yourselves before Adam.'') "The obedience was for Allah and t he prost rat ion was before Adam. Allah honored Adam and commanded t he angels t o prost rat e before him.'' Some people said t hat t his prost rat ion was j ust a prost rat ion of greet ing, peace and honor, hence Allah's st at ement ,

(And he (Prophet Yusuf) raised his parent s t o t he t hrone and t hey fell down before him prost rat e. And he said: "O my fat her! This is t he int erpret at ion of my dream aforet ime! My Lord has made it come t rue!'') (12:100) The pract ice of prost rat ing was allowed for previous nat ions, but was repealed for ours. Mu` adh said t o t he Prophet , "I visit ed Ash-Sham and found t hat t hey used t o prost at e before t heir priest s and scholars. You, O Messenger of Allah, are more deserving of prost rat ion.'' The Prophet said,

(No. If I was t o command any human t o prost rat e before anot her human, I would command t he wife t o prost rat e before her husband because of t he enormit y of his right on her.) Ar-Razi agreed wit h t his view. Also, Qat adah said about Allah's st at ement ,


(And t hey prost rat ed except Iblis (Shayt an), he refused and was proud and was one of t he disbelievers (disobedient t o Allah).) "Iblis, t he enemy of Allah, envied Adam because Allah honored Adam. He said, ` I was creat ed from fire, and he was creat ed from clay.' Therefore, t he first error ever commit t ed was arrogance, for t he enemy of Allah was t oo arrogant t o prost rat e before Adam.'' I - Ibn Kat hir say, t he following is recorded in t he Sahih,

(No person who has t he weight of a must ard seed of arrogance in his heart shall ent er Paradise.) Iblis had disbelief, arrogance, and rebellion, all of which caused him t o be expelled from t he holy presence of Allah, and His mercy.

-
(35. And We said: "O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in t he Paradise and eat bot h of you freely wit h pleasure and delight , of t hings t herein wherever you will, but come not near t his t ree or you bot h will be of t he Zalimin (wrongdoers). '') (36. Then t he Shayt an made t hem slip t herefrom (t he Paradise), and got t hem out from t hat in which t hey were. We said: "Get you down, all, wit h enmit y bet ween yourselves. On eart h will be a dwelling place for you and an enj oyment for a t ime.'')

Adam was honored again

Allah honored Adam by commanding t he angels t o prost rat e before him, so t hey all complied except for Iblis. Allah t hen allowed Adam t o live and eat wherever and what ever he wished in Paradise. Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr bin Marduwyah report ed Abu Dharr saying, "I said, ` O Messenger of Allah! Was Adam a Prophet ' He said,

(Yes. He was a Prophet and a Messenger t o whom Allah spoke direct ly), meaning

((O Adam!) Dwell you and your wife in t he Paradise.)''

Hawwa' was created before Adam entered Paradise

The Ayah (2:35) indicat es t hat Hawwa' was creat ed before Adam ent ered Paradise, as Muhammad bin Ishaq st at ed. Ibn Ishaq said, "Aft er Allah finished crit icizing Iblis, and aft er t eaching Adam t he names of everyt hing, He said,

(O Adam! Inform t hem of t heir names) unt il,

(Verily, You are t he Knower, t he Wise.) Then Adam fell asleep, as t he People of t he Book and ot her scholars such as Ibn ` Abbas have st at ed, Allah t ook one of Adam's left ribs and made flesh grow in it s place, while Adam was asleep and unaware. Allah t hen creat ed Adam's wife, Hawwa', from his rib and made her a woman, so t hat she could be a comfort for him. When Adam woke up and saw Hawwa' next t o him, it was claimed, he said, ` My flesh and blood, my wife.' Hence, Adam reclined wit h Hawwa'. When Allah married Adam t o Hawwa' and gave him comfort , Allah said t o him direct ly,


("O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in t he Paradise and eat bot h of you freely wit h pleasure and delight , of t hings t herein wherever you will, but come not near t his t ree or you bot h will be of t he Zalimin (wrongdoers).'').''

Allah tests Adam

Allah's st at ement t o Adam,

(but come not near t his t ree) is a t est for Adam. There are conflict ing opinions over t he nat ure of t he t ree ment ioned here. Some said t hat it was t he grape t ree, barley, dat e t ree, fig t ree, and so fort h. Some said t hat it was a cert ain t ree, and whoever eat s from it will be relieved of t he call of nat ure. It was also said t hat it was a t ree from which t he angels eat so t hat t hey live for et ernit y. Imam Abu Ja` far bin Jarir said, "The correct opinion is t hat Allah forbade Adam and his wife from eat ing from a cert ain t ree in Paradise, but t hey at e from it . We do not know which t ree t hat was, because Allah has not ment ioned anyt hing in t he Qur'an or t he aut hent ic Sunnah about t he nat ure of t his t ree. It was said t hat it was barley, grape, or a fig t ree. It is possible t hat it was one of t hose t rees. Yet , t his is knowledge t hat does not bring any benefit , j ust as being ignorant in it s nat ure does no harm. Allah knows best .'' This is similar t o what ArRazi st at ed in his Tafsir, and t his is t he correct opinion. Allah's st at ement ,

(Then t he Shayt an made t hem slip t herefrom) eit her refers t o Paradise, and in t his case, it means t hat Shayt an led Adam and Hawwa' away from it , as ` Asim bin Abi An-Naj ud recit ed it . It is also possible t hat t his Ayah refers t o t he forbidden t ree. In t his case, t he Ayah would mean, as Al-Hasan and Qat adah st at ed, "He t ripped t hem.'' In t his case,

(Then t he Shayt an made t hem slip t herefrom) means, "Because of t he t ree'', j ust as Allah said,


(Turned aside t herefrom (i.e. from Muhammad and t he Qur'an) is he who is t urned aside (by t he decree and preordainment of Allah)) (51:9) meaning, t he deviant person becomes t urned aside - or slips - from t he t rut h because of so and so reason. This is why t hen Allah said,

(And got t hem out from t hat in which t hey were) meaning, t he clot hes, spacious dwelling and comfort able sust enance.

(We said: "Get you down, all, wit h enmit y bet ween yourselves. On eart h will be a dwelling place for you and an enj oyment for a t ime.'') meaning, dwelling, sust enance and limit ed life, unt il t he commencement of t he Day of Resurrect ion

Adam was very Tall

Ibn Abi Hat im narrat ed t hat Ubayy bin Ka` b said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

: :

(Allah creat ed Adam t all, wit h t hick hair, j ust as a dat e t ree wit h full branches. When Adam at e from t he forbidden t ree, his cover fell off, and t he first t hing t hat appeared was his privat e area. When he saw his privat e area, he ran away in Paradise and his hair got caught in a t ree. He t ried t o free himself and Ar-Rahman called him, 'O Adam! Are you running away from Me' When Adam heard t he words of Ar-Rahman (Allah), he said, 'No, O my Lord! But I am shy.')

Adam remained in Paradise for an Hour

Al-Hakim recorded t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Adam was allowed t o reside in Paradise during t he t ime period bet ween t he ` Asr (Aft ernoon) prayer, unt il sunset .'' Al-Hakim t hen comment ed t his is "Sahih according t o t he Two Shaykhs (Al-Bukhari and Muslim), but t hey did not include it in t heir collect ions.'' Also, Ibn Abi Hat im recorded Ibn ` Abbas saying, "Allah sent Adam t o eart h t o an area called, Dahna, bet ween Makkah and At -Ta'if.'' Al-Hasan Al-Basri said t hat Adam was sent down t o India, while Hawwa' was sent t o Jeddah. Iblis was sent down t o Dust umaysan, several miles from Basra. Furt her, t he snake was sent down t o Asbahan. This was report ed by Ibn Abi Hat im. Also, Muslim and An-Nasa'i recorded t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(Friday is t he best day on which t he sun has risen. On Friday, Allah creat ed Adam, admit t ed him int o Paradise, and expelled him from it .)

A Doubt and a Rebuttal

If one asks, "If t he Paradise t hat Adam was t hrown out of was in heaven, as t he maj orit y of t he scholars assert , t hen is it possible for Iblis t o ent er Paradise, alt hough he was expelled from it by Allah's decision (when he refused t o prost rat e before Adam)'' Basically, t he response t o t his would be t hat t he Paradise which Adam was in, was in t he heavens, not on t he eart h, as we explained in t he beginning of our book Al-Bidayah wanNihayah. The maj orit y of scholars said t hat Shayt an was originally prohibit ed from ent ering Paradise, but t here were t imes when he sneaked int o it in secret . For inst ance, t he Tawrah st at ed t hat Iblis hid inside t he snake's mout h and ent ered Paradise. Some scholars said t hat it is possible t hat Shayt an led Adam and Hawwa' ast ray on his way out of Paradise. Some scholars said t hat he led Adam and Hawwa' ast ray when he was on eart h, while t hey were st ill in heaven, as st at ed by Az-Zamakhshari. Al-Qurt ubi ment ioned several beneficial Hadit hs here about snakes and t he ruling on killing t hem.

(37. Then Adam received from his Lord Words. And his Lord pardoned him (accept ed his repent ance). Verily, He is t he One Who forgives (accept s repent ance), t he Most Merciful.)

Adam repents and supplicates to Allah

It was report ed t hat t he above Ayah is explained by Allah's st at ement ,

(37. They said: "Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not , and best ow not upon us Your mercy, we shall cert ainly be of t he losers.'') (7:23) as Muj ahid, Sa` id bin Jubayr, Abu Al-` Aliyah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, Muhammad bin Ka` b Al-Qurazi, Kha lid bin Ma` dan, ` At a' Al-Khurasani and ` Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam have st at ed. As-Suddi said t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed on,

(Then Adam received from his Lord Words) "Adam said, ` O Lord! Did You not creat ed me wit h Your Own Hands' He said, ` Yes.' He said, ` And blow life int o me' He said, ` Yes.' He said, ` And when I sneezed, You said, ` May Allah grant you His mercy.' Does not Your mercy precede Your anger' He was t old, ` Yes.' Adam said, ` And You dest ined me t o commit t his evil act ' He was t old, ` Yes.' He said, ` If I repent , will You send me back t o Paradise' Allah said, ` Yes.''' Similar is report ed from Al-` Awfi, Sa` id bin Jubayr, Sa` id bin Ma` bad, and Ibn ` Abbas. Al-Hakim recorded t his Hadit h in his Must adrak from Ibn Jubayr, who narrat ed it from Ibn ` Abbas. AlHakim said, "It s chain is Sahih and t hey (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it .'' Allah's st at ement ,

(Verily, He is t he One Who forgives (accept s repent ance), t he Most Merciful) (2:37) means t hat Allah forgives whoever regret s his error and ret urns t o Him in repent ance. This meaning is similar t o Allah's st at ement s,

(Know t hey not t hat Allah accept s repent ance from His servant s) (9:104),


(And whoever does evil or wrongs himself) (4:110) and

(And whosoever repent s and does right eous good deeds) (25:71). The Ayat ment ioned above, t est ify t o t he fact t hat Allah forgives t he sins of whoever repent s, demonst rat ing His kindness and mercy t owards His creat ion and servant s. There is no deit y wort hy of worship except Allah, t he Most Forgiving, t he Most Merciful.

(38. We said: "Get down all of you from t his place (t he Paradise), t hen whenever t here comes t o you Hudan (guidance) from Me, and whoever follows My guidance, t here shall be no fear on t hem, nor shall t hey grieve.) (39. But t hose who disbelieve and belie Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelat ions, et c.) such are t he dwellers of t he Fire. They shall abide t herein forever.'') Allah st at ed t hat when He sent Adam, Hawwa', and Shayt an t o eart h from Paradise, He warned t hem t hat He will reveal Books and send Prophet s and Messengers t o t hem, i.e., t o t heir offspring. Abu Al-` Aliyah said, "Al-Huda, refers t o t he Prophet s, Messengers, t he clear signs and plain explanat ion.''

(And whoever follows My guidance) meaning, whoever accept s what is cont ained in My Books and what I send t he Messengers wit h,

(There shall be no fear on t hem) regarding t he Hereaft er,


(nor shall t hey grieve) regarding t he life of t his world. Similarly, in Surat Ta Ha, Allah said,

(He (Allah) said: "Get you down (from t he Paradise t o t he eart h), bot h of you, t oget her, some of you are an enemy t o some ot hers. Then if t here comes t o you guidance from Me, t hen whoever follows My guidance, he shall neit her go ast ray, nor shall he be dist ressed.) (20:123) Ibn ` Abbas comment ed, "He will not be misguided in t his life or miserable in t he Hereaft er.'' The Ayah,

(But whosoever t urns away from My Reminder (i.e. neit her believes in t his Qur'an nor act s on it s t eachings) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on t he Day of Resurrect ion.) (20:124) is similar t o what Allah st at ed here,

(But t hose who disbelieve and belie Our Ayat such are t he dwellers of t he Fire. They shall abide t herein forever), meaning, t hey will remain in Hell for et ernit y and will not find a way out of it .


(40. O Children of Israel! Remember My favor which I best owed upon you, and fulfill (your obligat ions t o) My covenant (wit h you) so t hat I fulfill (My obligat ions t o) your covenant (wit h Me), and fear none but Me.) (41. And believe in what I have sent down (t his Qur'an), confirming t hat which is wit h you (t he Tawrah and t he Inj il), and be not t he first t o disbelieve t herein, and buy not wit h My verses (t he Tawrah and t he Inj il) a small price (i.e. get t ing a small gain by selling My verses), and fear Me and Me alone.)

Encouraging the Children of Israel to embrace Islam

Allah commanded t he Children of Israel t o embrace Islam and t o follow Muhammad . He also reminded t hem wit h t he example of t heir fat her Israel, Allah's Prophet Ya` qub, as if saying, "O children of t he pious, right eous servant of Allah who obeyed Allah! Be like your fat her, following t he t rut h.'' This st at ement is similar t o one's saying, "O you son of t hat generous man! Do t his or t hat '' or, "O son of t he brave man, engage t he st rong fight ers,'' or "O son of t he scholar, seek t he knowledge,'' and so fort h. Similarly, Allah said,

(O offspring of t hose whom We carried (in t he ship) wit h Nuh (Noah)! Verily, he was a grat eful servant ) (17:3).

Israel is Prophet Ya` qub (Jacob)

Israel is Prophet Ya` qub, for Abu Dawud At -Tayalisi recorded t hat ` Abdullah Ibn ` Abbas said, "A group of Jews came t o t he Prophet and he said t o t hem,

(Do you know t hat Israel is Jacob) They said, "Yes, by Allah.'' He said,

(O Allah! Be wit ness.)'' At -Tabari recorded t hat ` Abdullah Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ` Israel' means, ` t he servant of Allah.'

Allah's Blessings for the Children of Israel

Allah said,

(Remember My favor which I best owed upon you). Muj ahid comment ed, "Allah's favor t hat He grant ed t he Jews is t hat He made wat er gush from st ones, sent down manna and quails for t hem, and saved t hem from being enslaved by Pharaoh.'' Abu Al-` Aliyah also said, "Allah's favor ment ioned here is His sending Prophet s and Messengers among t hem, and revealing Books t o t hem.'' I - Ibn Kat hir - say t hat t his Ayah is similar t o what Musa said t o t he Children of Israel,

(O my people! Remember t he favor of Allah t o you: when He made Prophet s among you, made you kings, and gave you what He had not given t o any ot her among t he nat ions (of t heir t ime) (5:20) meaning, during t heir t ime. Also, Muhammad bin Ishaq said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said,

(Remember My favor which I best owed upon you,) means, "My support for you and your fat hers,'' t hat is saving t hem from Pharaoh and his people.

Reminding the Children of Israel of Allah's Covenant with Them

Allah's st at ement ,

(And fulfill (your obligat ions t o) My covenant (wit h you) so t hat I fulfill (My obligat ions t o) your covenant (wit h Me),) means, ` My covenant t hat I t ook from you concerning Prophet Muhammad , when he is sent t o you, so t hat I grant you what I promised you if you believe in him and follow him. I will t hen remove t he chains and rest rict ions t hat were placed around your necks, because of t he errors t hat you commit t ed.' Also, Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "The ` covenant ' is in reference t o Allah's st at ement , i


(Indeed, Allah t ook t he covenant from t he Children of Israel (Jews), and We appoint ed t welve leaders among t hem. And Allah said: "I am wit h you if you perform As-Salah and give Zakah and believe in My Messengers; honor and assist t hem, and lend a good loan t o Allah, verily, I will expiat e your sins and admit you t o Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise)) (5:12).'' Ot her scholars said, "The covenant is what Allah t ook from t hem in t he Tawrah, in t hat , He will send a great Prophet - meaning Muhammad - from among t he offspring of Isma` il, who will be obeyed by all peoples. Therefore, whoever obeys him, t hen Allah will forgive his sins, ent er him int o Paradise and award him t wo rewards.'' We should ment ion here t hat Ar-Razi ment ioned several cases of informat ion brought by t he earlier Prophet s regarding t he coming of Muhammad . Furt her, Abu Al-` Aliyah said t hat ,

(And fulfill (your obligat ions t o) My covenant (wit h you)) means, "His covenant wit h His servant s is t o embrace Islam and t o adhere t o it .'' Ad-Dahhak said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "` I fulfill My obligat ions t o you' means, ` I (Allah) will be pleased wit h you and admit you int o Paradise.''' AsSuddi, Ad-Dahhak, Abu Al-` Aliyah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said similarly. Ibn ` Abbas said t hat Allah's st at ement ,

(And fear Me and Me alone.) means, "Fear t he t orment t hat I might exert on you, j ust as I did wit h your fat hers, like t he mut at ion, et c.'' This Ayah cont ains encouragement , followed by warning. Allah first called t he Children of Israel, using encouragement , t hen He warned t hem, so t hat t hey might ret urn t o t he Trut h, follow t he Messenger , heed t he Qur'an's prohibit ions and commands and believe in it s cont ent . Surely, Allah guides whom He wills t o t he st raight pat h. Allah said next ,


(And believe in what I have sent down, confirming t hat which is wit h you (t he Tawrah and t he Inj il)) meaning, t he Qur'an t hat Allah sent down t o Muhammad , t he unlet t ered Arab Prophet , as bringer of glad t idings, a warner and a light . The Qur'an cont ains t he Trut h from Allah and affirms what was revealed beforehand in t he Tawrah and t he Inj il (t he Gospel). Abu Al-` Aliyah said t hat Allah's st at ement ,

(And believe in what I have sent down (t his Qur'an), confirming t hat which is wit h you (t he Tawrah and t he Inj il)) "means, ` O People of t he Book! Believe in what I sent down t hat conforms t o what you have.' This is because t hey find t he descript ion of Muhammad recorded in t he Tawrah and t he Inj il.'' Similar st at ement s were at t ribut ed t o Muj ahid, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Qat adah. Allah said,

(and be not t he first t o disbelieve t herein). Ibn ` Abbas comment ed, "Do not become t he first t o disbelieve in t he Qur'an (or Muhammad ), while you have more knowledge in it t han ot her people.'' Abu Al-` Aliyah comment ed, "` Do not become t he first t o disbelieve in Muhammad, ' meaning from among t he People of t he Book, ` aft er you hear t hat he was sent as a Prophet .''' Similar st at ement s were at t ribut ed t o AlHasan, As-Suddi and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas. Ibn Jarir st at ed t hat t he Ayah (disbelieve t herein 2:41) refers t o t he Qur'an, ment ioned earlier in t he Ayah,

(in what I have sent down (t his Qur'an),) Bot h st at ement s are correct because t hey are int er-relat ed. For inst ance, whoever disbelieves in t he Qur'an will have disbelieved in Muhammad , and whoever disbelieves in Muhammad will have disbelieved in t he Qur'an. Allah's st at ement ,

(t he first t o disbelieve t herein) means, do not become t he first among t he Children of Israel t o disbelieve in it , for t here were people from Quraysh and t he Arabs in general who rej ect ed Muhammad before t he People of t he Book disbelieved in him. We should st at e here t hat t he Ayah is t alking about t he Children of Israel in specific, because t he Jews in Al-Madinah were

t he first among t he Children of Israel t o be addressed by t he Qur'an. Hence, t heir disbelief in t he Qur'an means t hat t hey were t he first among t he People of t he Book t o disbelieve in it . Allah's st at ement ,

(and buy not wit h My verses a small price,) means, "Do not subst it ut e fait h in My Ayat and belief in My Prophet wit h t he life of t his world and it s lust s which are minut e and bound t o end. '' Allah said,

(and have Taqwa of Me and Me alone). Ibn Abi Hat im report ed t hat Talq bin Habib said, "Taqwa is t o work in Allah's obedience, on a light from Allah, hoping in Allah's mercy, and t o avoid Allah's disobedience, on a light from Allah, fearing Allah's punishment .'' Allah's st at ement ,

(and fear Me and Me alone) means, t hat Allah warns t he People of t he Book against int ent ionally hiding t he t rut h and spreading t he opposit e of it , as well as, against defying t he Messenger .

-
(42. And mix not t rut h wit h falsehood, nor conceal t he t rut h while you know (t he t rut h).) (43. And perform As-Salah, and give Zakah, and bow down along wit h Ar-Raki` in.)

The Prohibition of hiding the Truth and distorting It with Falsehood

Allah forbade t he Jews from int ent ionally dist ort ing t he t rut h wit h falsehood and from hiding t he t rut h and spreading falsehood,


(And mix not t rut h wit h falsehood, nor conceal t he t rut h while you know (t he t rut h)). So Allah forbade t hem from t wo t hings; He ordered t hem t o make t he t rut h known, as well as explaining it . Ad-Dahhak said t hat Ibn ` Abbas ment ioned t he Ayah,

(And mix not t rut h wit h falsehood) and said; "Do not mix t he t rut h wit h falsehood and t he fact s wit h lies.'' Qat adah said t hat ,

(And mix not t rut h wit h falsehood) means, "Do not mix Judaism and Christ ianit y wit h Islam,

(while you know (t he t rut h).) t hat t he religion of Allah is Islam, and t hat Judaism and Christ ianit y are innovat ions t hat did not come from Allah.'' It was report ed t hat Al-Hasan AlBasri said similarly. Also, Muhammad bin Ishaq narrat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ,

(nor conceal t he t rut h while you know (t he t rut h).) means, "Do not hide t he knowledge t hat you have of My Messenger and what he was sent wit h. His descript ion, which you know about , can be found writ t en in t he Books t hat you have.'' It is possible t hat it means, "..alt hough you know t he t remendous harm t hat t his evil will cause people, misguiding t hem and leading t hem t o t he Fire, because t hey will follow t he falsehood t hat you mixed wit h t he t rut h in your claims.''

(And perform As-Salat and give Zakah, and bow down along wit h Ar-Raki` in.) Muqat il said, "Allah's st at ement t o t he People of t he Book,

(And perform As-Salah) commands t hem t o perform t he prayer behind t he Prophet ,

(and give Zakah) commands t hem t o pay t he Zakah t o t he Prophet , and

(and bow down along wit h Ar-Raki` in) commands t hem t o bow down wit h t hose who bow down among t he Ummah of Muhammad . Allah t herefore commands t he People of t he Book t o be wit h, and among t he Ummah of Muhammad .'' In addit ion, Allah's st at ement ,

(And bow down along wit h Ar-Raki` in) means, "And be among t he believers performing t he best deeds t hey perform, such as, and foremost , t he prayer.'' Many scholars said t hat t his Ayah (2:43) is proof for t he obligat ion of performing t he prayer in congregat ion (for men only). I will explain t his ruling in det ail in Kit ab Al-Ahkam Al-Kabir, Allah willing.

(44. Enj oin you Al-Birr (piet y and right eousness and every act of obedience t o Allah) on t he people and you forget (t o pract ise it ) yourselves, while you recit e t he Script ure (Tawrah))! Have you t hen no sense)

The Condemnation of commanding Others to observe Righteousness while ignoring Righteousness

Allah said, "How is it , O People of t he Book, t hat you command people t o perform Al-Birr, which encompasses all t ypes of right eousness, yet forget yourselves and do not heed what you call ot hers t o And you read Allah's Book (t he Tawrah) and know what it promises t o t hose who do not fulfill Allah's commandment s.


(Have you t hen no sense) of what you are doing t o yourselves, so t hat you might become aware of your slumber and rest ore your sight from blindness'' ` Abdur-Razzaq said t hat Ma` mar st at ed t hat Qat adah comment ed on Allah's st at ement ,

(Enj oin you Al-Birr (piet y and right eousness and every act of obedience t o Allah) on t he people and you forget (t o pract ise it ) yourselves,) "The Children of Israel used t o command people t o obey Allah, fear Him and perform Al-Birr. Yet , t hey cont radict ed t hese orders, so Allah reminded t hem of t his fact .'' As-Suddi said similarly. Ibn Jurayj said t hat t he Ayah:

(Enj oin you Al-Birr on t he people) "Is about t he People of t he Book and t he hypocrit es. used t o command people t o pray and fast . However, t hey did not pract ice what commanded ot hers. Allah reminded t hem of t his behavior. So whoever commands people right eousness, let him be among t he first of t hem t o implement t hat command.'' Muhammad bin Ishaq narrat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat , They t hey t o do Also,

(And you forget yourselves,) means, "You forget t o pract ice it yourselves,

(While you recit e t he Script ure (Tawrah)! Have you t hen no sense) You forbid t he people from rej ect ing t he prophet hood and t he covenant t hat you have ment ioned wit h you in t he Tawrah, while you yourselves have forgot en it , meaning t hat ` you have forgot t en t he covenant t hat I made wit h you t hat you will accept My Messenger. You have breeched My covenant , and rej ect ed what you know is in My Book.' '' Therefore, Allah admonished t he Jews for t his behavior and alert ed t hem t o t he wrongs t hat t hey were perpet rat ing against t hemselves by ordering right eousness, yet refraining t hemselves from right eousness. We should st at e t hat Allah is not crit icizing t he People of t he Book for ordering right eousness, because enj oining good is a part of right eousness and is an obligat ion for t he scholars. However, t he scholar is himself required t o heed, and adhere t o, what he invit es ot hers t o. For inst ance, Prophet Shu` ayb said,


(I wish not , in cont radict ion t o you, t o do t hat which I forbid you. I only desire reform t o t he best of my power. And my guidance cannot come except from Allah, in Him I t rust and unt o Him I repent ) (11:88). Therefore, enj oining right eousness and performing right eousness are bot h required. Neit her cat egory is rendered not necessary by t he pract ice of t he ot her, according t o t he most correct view of t he scholars among t he Salaf (predecessors) and t he Khalaf. Imam Ahmad report ed t hat Abu Wa'il said, "While I was riding behind Usamah, he was asked, ` Why not advise ` Ut hman' He said, ` Do you t hink t hat if I advise him I should allow you t o hear it I advise him in secret , and I will not st art somet hing t hat I would hat e t o be t he first t o st art . I will not say t o a man, ` You are t he best man,' even if he was my leader, aft er what I heard from t he Messenger of Allah .' They said, ` What did he say' He said, ` I heard him say,

: :
(A man will be brought on t he Day of Resurrect ion and t hrown in t he Fire. His int est ines will fall out and he will cont inue circling pulling t hem behind him, j ust as t he donkey goes around t he pole. The people of t he Fire will go t o t hat man and ask him, ` What happened t o you Did you not used t o command us t o do right eous act s and forbid us from commit t ing evil' He will say, ` Yes. I used t o enj oin right eousness, but refrained from performing right eousness, and I used t o forbid you t o perform from evil while I myself did it .').''' This Hadit h was also recorded by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. eAlso, Ibrahim An-Nakha` i said, "I hesit at e in advising people because of t hree Ayat :


(Enj oin you Al-Birr on t he people and you forget (t o pract ise it ) yourselves).

-
(O you who believe! Why do you say t hat which you do not do Most hat eful it is t o Allah t hat you say t hat which you do not do) (61:2-3).'' And Allah informed us t hat t he Prophet Shu` ayb said,

(I wish not , in cont radict ion t o you, t o do t hat which I forbid you. I only desire reform t o t he best of my power. And my guidance cannot come except from Allah, in Him I t rust and unt o Him I repent ) (11:88).

-
(45. And seek help in pat ience and As-Salat (t he prayer) and t ruly, it is ext remely heavy and hard except for Al-Khashi` in.) (46 (They are t hose) who are cert ain t hat t hey are going t o meet t heir Lord, and t hat unt o Him t hey are going t o ret urn.)

The Support that comes with Patience and Prayer

Allah commanded His servant s t o use pat ience and prayer t o acquire t he good of t his life and t he Hereaft er. Muqat il bin Hayan said t hat t his Ayah means, "Ut ilize pat ience and t he obligat ory prayer in seeking t he Hereaft er. As for pat ience (here), t hey say t hat it means

fast ing.'' There are similar t ext s report ed from Muj ahid. Al-Qurt ubi and ot her scholars comment ed, "This is why Ramadan is called t he mont h of pat ience,'' as is ment ioned in t he Hadit h lit erat ure. It was also said t hat ` pat ience' in t he Ayah means, refraining from evil, and t his is why ` pat ience' was ment ioned along wit h pract icing act s of worship, especially and foremost , t he prayer. Also, Ibn Abi Hat im narrat ed t hat ` Umar bin Al-Khat t ab said, "There are t wo t ypes of pat ience: good pat ience when t he disast er st rikes, and a bet t er pat ience while avoiding t he prohibit ions of Allah.'' Ibn Abi Hat im said t hat Al-Hasan Al-Basri was report ed t o have said similarly. Allah t hen said,

(And As-Salah (t he prayer).) The prayer is one of t he best means of assist ance for firmly adhering t o Allah's orders, j ust as Allah said;

(Recit e (O Muhammad ) what has been revealed t o you of t he Book (t he Qur'an), and perform As-Salah. Verily, As-Salah (t he prayer) prevent s from Al-Fahsha' (i.e. great sins of every kind), and Al-Munkar and t he remembrance of (praising) of (you by) Allah is great er indeed) (29:45). The personal pronoun in t he Ayah,

(And t ruly, it is ext remely heavy and hard) refers t o prayer, as Muj ahid is report ed t o have said, and it was also t he choice of Ibn Jarir. It is possible t hat t he pronoun might be referring t o t he advice - t o observe pat ience and t he prayer - ment ioned in t he same Ayah. Similarly, Allah said about Qarun (Korah),


(But t hose who had been given (religious) knowledge said: "Woe t o you! The reward of Allah (in t he Hereaft er) is bet t er for t hose who believe and do right eous good deeds, and t his, none shall at t ain except As-Sabirun (t he pat ient ).'') (28:80). Also, Allah said,

-
(The good deed and t he evil deed cannot be equal. Repel (t he evil) wit h one which is bet t er t hen verily he, bet ween whom and you t here was enmit y, (will become) as t hough he was a close friend. But none is grant ed it (t he above qualit y) except t hose who are pat ient and none is grant ed it except t he owner of t he great port ion (of happiness in t he Hereaft er and) in t his world.) (41:34-35) meaning, t his advice is only implement ed by t hose who are pat ient and t he fort unat e. In any case, Allah's st at ement here means, prayer is ` heavy and burdensome',

(except for Al-Khashi` in.) Ibn Abi Talhah report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed on t his Ayah, "They (Al-Khashi` in) are t hose who believe in what Allah has revealed.'' Allah's st at ement ,

(They are t hose who are cert ain t hat t hey are going t o meet t heir Lord, and t hat unt o Him t hey are going t o ret urn.) cont inues t he subj ect t hat was st art ed in t he previous Ayah. Therefore, t he prayer, or t he advice t o observe it is heavy,

(except for Al-Khashi` in. (They are t hose) who are cert ain (Yazunnuna) t hat t hey are going t o meet t heir Lord,) meaning, t hey know t hat t hey will be gat hered and face t heir Lord on t he Day of Resurrect ion,

(and t hat unt o Him t hey are going t o ret urn.) meaning, t heir affairs are all subj ect t o His will and He j ust ly decides what He wills. Since t hey are cert ain t hat t hey will be ret urned t o Allah and be reckoned, it is easy for t hem t o perform t he act s of obedience and refrain from t he prohibit ions. Ibn Jarir comment ed on Allah's st at ement ;

(Yazunnuna t hat t hey are going t o meet t heir Lord) Ibn Jarir said; "The Arabs call cert aint y as well as doubt , Zann. There are similar inst ances in t he Arabic language where a subj ect as well as it s opposit e share t he same name. For inst ance, Allah said,

(And t he Muj rimun (criminals, polyt heist s, sinners), shall see t he Fire and Zannu (apprehend) t hat t hey have t o fall t herein)''(18:53). It is recorded in t he Sahih t hat on t he Day of Resurrect ion, Allah will say t o a servant , "Have I not allowed you t o marry, honored you, made t he horses and camels subservient t o you and allowed you t o become a chief and a mast er'' He will say, "Yes.'' Allah will say, "Did you have Zann (t hink) t hat you will meet Me'' He will say, "No.'' Allah will say, "This Day, I will forget you, j ust as you forgot Me.'' If Allah wills, we will furt her elaborat e on t his subj ect when we explain Allah's st at ement ,

(They have forgot t en Allah, so He has forgot t en t hem) (9:67).


(47. O Children of Israel! Remember My favor which I best owed upon you and t hat I preferred you over t he ` Alamin (nat ions))

Reminding the Children of Israel that They were preferred above the Other Nations
Allah reminds t he Children of Israel of t he favors t hat He grant ed t heir fat hers and grandfat hers, how He showed preference t o t hem by sending t hem Messengers from among t hem and revealing Books t o t hem, more so t han any of t he ot her previous nat ions. Similarly, Allah said,

(And We chose t hem (t he Children of Israel) over t he ` Alamin, (nat ions) wit h knowledge.) (44:32) and,

(And (remember) when Musa (Moses) said t o his people: "O my people! Remember t he favor of Allah t o you: when He made Prophet s among you, made you kings, honored you above t he ` Alamin (nat ions).'') (5:20). Abu Ja` far Ar-Razi report ed t hat Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said t hat Abu Al-` Aliyah said t hat Allah's st at ement ,

(and t hat I preferred you over t he ` Alamin) means, "The kingship, Messengers and Books t hat were grant ed t o t hem, inst ead of grant ing such t o t he ot her kingdoms t hat exist ed during t heir t ime, for every period t here is a nat ion.'' It was also report ed t hat Muj ahid, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Qat adah and Isma` il bin Abi Khalid said similarly.

The Ummah of Muhammad is Better than the Children of Israel

This is t he only way t he Ayah can be underst ood, because t his Ummah is bet t er t han t heirs, as Allah said;

(You are t he best of people ever raised up for mankind; you enj oin good and forbid evil, and you believe in Allah. And had t he People of t he Book (Jews and Christ ians) believed, it would have been bet t er for t hem) (3:110). Also, t he Musnad and Sunan Collect ions of Hadit h recorded t hat Mu` awiyah bin Haydah AlQushayri said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(You (Muslims) are t he sevent iet h nat ion, but you are t he best and most honored of t hem according t o Allah.) There are many Hadit hs on t his subj ect , and t hey will be ment ioned when we discuss Allah's st at ement ,

(You are t he best of peoples ever raised up for mankind) (3:110).

(48. And fear a Day (of Judgement ) when a person shall not avail anot her, nor will int ercession be accept ed from him, nor will compensat ion be t aken from him, nor will t hey be helped.)

Aft er Allah reminded t he Children of Israel of t he favors t hat He has grant ed t hem, He warned t hem about t he durat ion of t he t orment which He will punish t hem wit h on t he Day of Resurrect ion. He said,

(And fear a Day) meaning, t he Day of Resurrect ion,

(When a person shall not avail anot her) meaning, on t hat Day, no person shall be of any help t o anot her. Similarly, Allah said,

(And no bearer of burdens shall bear anot her's burden) (35:18)

(Every man t hat Day will have enough t o make him careless of ot hers.) (80:37) and,

(O mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord (by keeping your dut y t o Him and avoiding all evil), and fear a Day when no fat her can avail aught for his son, nor a son avail aught for his fat her) (31: 33). This indeed should serve as a great warning t hat bot h t he fat her and t he son will not be of help t o each ot her on t hat Day.

Neither Intercession, Ransom, or Assistance will be accepted on behalf of the Disbelievers

Allah said,


(nor will int ercession be accept ed from him) meaning, from t he disbelievers. Similarly, Allah said,

(So no int ercession of int ercessors will be of any use t o t hem) (74:48) and described t he people of t he Fire saying,

-
(Now we have no int ercessors. Nor a close friend (t o help us)) (26:100-101). Allah's st at ement here (2:48)

(nor will compensat ion be t aken from him) means, t hat Allah does not accept t he disbelievers t o ransom t hemselves. Similarly, Allah said,

(Verily, t hose who disbelieved, and died while t hey were disbelievers, t he (whole) eart h full of gold will not be accept ed from anyone of t hem even if t hey offered it as a ransom) (3:91)

(Verily, t hose who disbelieve, if t hey had all t hat is in t he eart h, and as much again t herewit h t o ransom t hemselves from t he t orment on t he Day of Resurrect ion, it would never be accept ed of t hem, and t heirs would be a painful t orment ) (5:36)


(And even if he offers every ransom, it will not be accept ed from him) (6:70) and,

(So t his Day no ransom shall be t aken from you (hypocrit es), nor of t hose who disbelieved. Your abode is t he Fire. That is your Mawla (friend proper place)) (57:15). Allah st at ed t hat if t he people do not believe in His Messenger and follow what He sent him wit h, t hen when t hey meet Him on t he Day of Resurrect ion, aft er remaining on t he pat h of disbelief, t heir family lineage and/ or t he int ercession of t heir mast ers will not help t hem at all. It will not be accept ed of t hem, even if t hey paid t he eart h's fill of gold as ransom. Similarly, Allah said,

(Before a Day comes when t here will be no bargaining, nor friendship, nor int ercession) (2:254) and,

(On which t here will be neit her mut ual bargaining nor befriending) (19:31). Allah's st at ement next ,

(nor will t hey be helped.) means, "no person shall get angry - or anxious - on t heir behalf and offer t hem any help, or t ry t o save t hem from Allah's punishment .'' As st at ed earlier on t hat Day, neit her t he relat ive, nor persons of aut horit y will feel pit y for t he disbelievers, nor will any ransom be accept ed for t hem. Consequent ly, t hey will receive no help from ot hers and t hey will be helpless t hemsleves. Allah said,

(While He (Allah) grant s refuge (or prot ect ion), but none grant s refuge from Him) (23:88)

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(So on t hat Day none will punish as He will punish. And none will bind (t he wicked, disbelievers and polyt heist s) as He will bind) (89:25-26)

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("What is t he mat t er wit h you Why do you not help one anot her (as you used t o do in t he world)'' Nay, but t hat Day t hey shall surrender) (37:25-26) and,

(Then why did t hose whom t hey had t aken for alihah (gods) besides Allah, as a way of approach (t o Allah) not help t hem Nay, but t hey vanished complet ely from t hem) (46:28). Also, Ad-Dahhak said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat Allah's st at ement ,

("What is t he mat t er wit h you Why do you not help one anot her'') (37:25) means, "This Day, you shall not have a refuge from Us. Not t his Day.'' Ibn Jarir said t hat Allah's st at ement ,

(nor will t hey be helped.) meaning, on t hat Day, t hey shall neit her be helped by any helper, nor shall anyone int ercede on t heir behalf. No repeal or ransom will be accept ed for t hem, all court esy t owards t hem will have ceased, along wit h any helpful int ercession. No t ype of help or cooperat ion will be available for t hem on t hat Day. The j udgment will, on t hat Day, be up t o t he Most Great , t he Most Just , against whom no int ercessor or helper can ever assist . He will t hen award t he evil deed it s kind and will mult iply t he good deeds. This is similar t o Allah's st at ement ,

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(But st op t hem, verily, t hey are t o be quest ioned. "What is t he mat t er wit h you Why do you not help one anot her'' Nay, but t hat Day t hey shall surrender) (37:24-26).

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(49. And (remember) when We delivered you from Fir` awn's (Pharaoh) people, who were afflict ing you wit h a horrible t orment , killing your sons and sparing your women, and t herein was a might y t rial from your Lord.) (50. And (remember) when We separat ed t he sea for you and saved you and drowned Fir` awn's (Pharaoh) people while you were wat ching.)

The Children of Israel were saved from Pharaoh and His Army Who drowned
Allah said t o t he Children of Israel, "Remember My favor on you

(And (remember) when We delivered you from Fir` awn's (Pharaoh) people, who were afflict ing you wit h a horrible t orment ,) meaning, ` I - Allah - saved you from t hem and delivered you from t heir hands in t he company of Musa, aft er t hey subj ect ed you t o horrible t ort ure.' This favor came aft er t he cursed Pharaoh had a dream in which he saw a fire emerge from Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), and t hen t he fire ent ered t he houses of t he Copt ics in Egypt , wit h t he except ion of t he Children of Israel. It s purport was t hat his kingship would be t oppled by a man among t he Children of Israel. It was also said t hat some of Pharaoh's ent ourage said t hat t he Children of Israel were expect ing a man among t hem t o arise who would est ablish a st at e for t hem. We will ment ion t he Hadit h on t his subj ect when we explain Surat Ta Ha (20), Allah willing. Aft er t he dream, Pharaoh ordered t hat every newborn male among t he Children of Israel be killed

and t hat t he girls be left alone. He also commanded t hat t he Children of Israel be given t asks of hard labor and assigned t he most humiliat ing j obs. The t orment here refers t o killing t he male infant s. In Surat Ibrahim (14) t his meaning is clearly ment ioned,

(Who were afflict ing you wit h horrible t orment , and were slaught ering your sons and let t ing your women live.) (14:6). We will explain t his Ayah in t he beginning of Surat Al-Qasas (28), Allah willing, and our reliance and t rust are wit h Him. The meaning of,

(who were afflict ing you) is, "They humiliat ed you,'' as Abu ` Ubaydah st at ed. It was also said t hat it means, "They used t o exaggerat e in t orment ing you'' according t o Al-Qurt ubi. As for Allah saying,

(killing your sons and sparing your women) t hat explains His st at ement ,

(who were afflict ing you wit h horrible t orment ) t hen it explains t he meaning of t he favor He gave t hem, as ment ioned in His st at ement ,

(Remember My favor which I best owed upon you). As for what Allah said in Surat Ibrahim,

(And remind t hem of t he annals of Allah) (14:5) meaning, t he favors and blessing He grant ed t hem, He t hen said,

(Who were afflict ing you wit h horrible t orment , and were slaught ering your sons and let t ing your women live.) (14:6) So Allah ment ioned saving t heir children from being slaught ered in order t o remind t hem of t he many favors t hat He grant ed t hem. We should st at e here t hat ` Pharaoh' (Fir` awn) is a t it le t hat was given t o every disbelieving king who ruled Egypt , whet her from t he ` Amaliq (Canaanit es) or ot herwise, j ust as Caesar (Qaysar) is t he t it le of t he disbelieving kings who ruled Rome and Damascus. Also, Khosrau (Kisra) is t he t it le of t he kings who ruled Persia, while Tubb` a is t he t it le of t he kings of Yemen, and t he kings of Abyssinia (Et hiopia) were called Negus (An-Naj ashi). Allah said,

(And t herein was a might y t rial from your Lord.) Ibn Jarir comment ed t hat t his part of t he Ayah means, "Our saving your fat hers from t he t orment t hat t hey suffered by t he hand of Pharaoh, is a great blessing from your Lord.'' We should ment ion t hat in t he blessing t here a is t est , t he same as wit h hardship, for Allah said,

(And We shall make a t rial of you wit h evil and wit h good) (21:35) and,

(And We t ried t hem wit h good (blessings) and evil (calamit ies) in order t hat t hey might t urn (t o obey Allah.)) (7:168). Allah's st at ement next ,


(And (remember) when We separat ed t he sea for you and saved you and drowned Fir` awn's (Pharaoh) people while you were wat ching) means, ` Aft er We saved you from Fir` awn and you escaped wit h Musa; Fir` awn went out in your pursuit and We part ed t he sea for you.' Allah ment ioned t his st ory in det ail, as we will come t o know, Allah willing. One of t he short est references t o t his st ory is Allah's st at ement ,

(And saved you) meaning, "We saved you from t hem, drowning t hem while you wat ched, bringing relief t o your heart s and humiliat ion t o your enemy.''

Fasting the Day of ` Ashura

It was report ed t hat t he day t he Children of Israel were saved from Fir` awn was called t he day of ` Ashura'. Imam Ahmad report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat t he Messenger of Allah came t o AlMadinah and found t hat t he Jews were fast ing t he day of ` Ashura'. He asked t hem, "What is t his day t hat you fast '' They said, "This is a good day during which Allah saved t he Children of Israel from t heir enemy, and Musa used t o fast t his day.'' The Messenger of Allah said,

(I have more right t o Musa t han you have.) So t he Messenger of Allah fast ed t hat day and ordered t hat it be fast ed. This Hadit h was collect ed by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Maj ah.

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(51. And (remember) when We appoint ed for Musa (Moses) fort y night s, and (in his absence) you t ook t he calf (for worship), and you were Zalimun (polyt heist s and wrongdoers).) (52. Then aft er t hat We forgave you so t hat you might be grat eful.) (53. And (remember) when We gave

Musa t he Script ure (t he Tawrah)) and t he crit erion (of right and wrong) so t hat you may be guided aright .)

The Children of Israel worshipped the Calf

Allah t hen said, "Remember My favor on you when I forgave you for worshipping t he calf.'' This happened aft er Musa went t o t he meet ing place wit h his Lord at t he end of t hat period which was fort y days. These fort y days were ment ioned in Surat Al-A` raf, when Allah said,

(And We appoint ed for Musa t hirt y night s and added (t o t he period) t en (more)) (7:142). It was said t hat t hese days were during t he mont h of Dhul-Qa` dah plus t he first t en days in Dhul-Hij j ah, aft er t he Children of Israel were delivered from Fir` awn and t hey safely crossed t he sea. Allah's st at ement ,

(And (remember) when We gave Musa t he Script ure) means, t he Tawrah,

(And t he crit erion) t hat is t hat which different iat es bet ween t rut h and falsehood, guidance and deviat ion.

(So t hat you may be guided aright ), aft er escaping t he sea, as anot her Ayah in Surat Al-A` raf clearly st at ed,

(And indeed We gave Musa aft er We had dest royed t he generat ions of old t he Script ure (t he Tawrah) as an enlight enment for mankind, and a guidance and a mercy, t hat t hey might remember (or receive admonit ion)) (28:43).

(54. And (remember) when Musa said t o his people: "O my people! Verily, you have wronged yourselves by worshipping t he calf. So t urn in repent ance t o your Creat or and kill yourselves (t he innocent kill t he wrongdoers among you), t hat will be bet t er for you wit h your Creat or.'' Then He accept ed your repent ance. Truly, He is t he One Who accept s repent ance, t he Most Merciful.)

The Children of Israel kill each other in Repentance

This was t he repent ance required from t he Children of Israel for worshipping t he calf. Comment ing on Allah's st at ement ;

(And (remember) when Musa said t o his people: "O my people! Verily, you have wronged yourselves by worshipping t he calf...), Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "When t heir heart s t hought of worshipping t he calf,

(And when t hey regret t ed and saw t hat t hey had gone ast ray, t hey (repent ed and) said: "If our Lord does not have mercy upon us and forgive us'') (7:149). This is when Musa said t o t hem,

(O my people! Verily, you have wronged yourselves by worshipping t he calf...).'' Abu ` Al` Aliyah, Sa` id bin Jubayr and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas comment ed on,

(So t urn in repent ance t o your Bari') t hat it means, "To your Creat or.'' Allah's st at ement ,

(t o your Bari' (Creat or)) alert s t he Children of Israel t o t he enormit y of t heir error and means, "Repent t o He Who creat ed you aft er you associat ed ot hers wit h Him in worship.'' An-Nasa'i, Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hat im recorded Ibn ` Abbas saying, "Allah t old t he Children of Israel t hat t heir repent ance would be t o slay by t he sword every person t hey meet , be he fat her or son. They should not care whom t hey kill. Those were guilt y whom Musa and Harun were not aware of t heir guilt , t hey admit t ed t heir sin and did as t hey were ordered. So Allah forgave bot h t he killer and t he one killed.'' This is part of t he Hadit h about t he t rials t hat we will ment ion in Surat Ta Ha, (20) Allah willing. Ibn Jarir narrat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Musa said t o his people,

("So t urn in repent ance t o your Creat or and kill each ot her (t he innocent kill t he wrongdoers among you), t hat will be bet t er for you wit h your Creat or.'' Then He accept ed your repent ance. Truly, He is t he One Who accept s repent ance, t he Most Merciful.) Allah ordered Musa t o command his people t o kill each ot her. He ordered t hose who worshipped t he calf t o sit down and t hose who did not worship t he calf t o st and holding knives in t heir hands. When t hey st art ed killing t hem, a great darkness suddenly overcame t hem. Aft er t he darkness lift ed, t hey had killed sevent y t housand of t hem. Those who were killed among t hem were forgiven, and t hose who remained alive were also forgiven.'' p

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(55. And (remember) when you said: "O Musa! We shall never believe in you unt il we see Allah plainly.'' But you were seized wit h a bolt of light ning while you were looking). (56.Then We raised you up aft er your deat h, so t hat you might be grat eful.)

The Best among the Children of Israel ask to see Allah; their subsequent Death and Resurrection

Allah said, ` Remember My favor on you for resurrect ing you aft er you were seized wit h light ning when you asked t o see Me direct ly, which neit her you nor anyone else can bear or at t ain.' This was said by Ibn Jurayj . Ibn ` Abbas said t hat t he Ayah

(And (remember) when you said: "O Musa ! We shall never believe in you unt il we see Allah plainly.'') means, "Publicly'', "So t hat we gaze at Allah.'' Also, ` Urwah bin Ruwaym said t hat Allah's st at ement ,

(While you were looking) means, "Some of t hem were st ruck wit h light ning while ot hers were wat ching.'' Allah resurrect ed t hose, and st ruck t he ot hers wit h light ning. As-Suddi comment ed on,

(But you were seized wit h a bolt of light ning) saying; "They died, and Musa st ood up crying and supplicat ing t o Allah, ` O Lord! What should I say t o t he Children of Israel when I go back t o t hem aft er You dest royed t he best of t hem,

(If it had been Your will, You could have dest royed t hem and me before; would You dest roy us for t he deeds of t he foolish ones among us)' Allah revealed t o Musa t hat t hese sevent y men were among t hose who worshipped t he calf. Aft erwards, Allah brought t hem back t o life one man at a t ime, while t he rest of t hem were wat ching how Allah was bringing t hem back t o life. That is why Allah's said,

(Then We raised you up aft er your deat h, so t hat you might be grat eful.)'' Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said, "Deat h was t heir punishment , and t hey were resurrect ed aft er t hey died so t hey could finish out t heir lives.'' Qat adah said similarly.

` Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam comment ed on t his Ayah, "Musa ret urned from meet ing wit h his Lord carrying t he Tablet s on which He wrot e t he Tawrah. He found t hat t hey had worshipped t he calf in his absence. Consequent ly, he commanded t hem t o kill t hemselves, and t hey complied, and Allah forgave t hem. He said t o t hem, ` These Tablet s have Allah's Book, cont aining what He commanded you and what He forbade for you.' They said, ` Should we believe t his st at ement because you said it By Allah, we will not believe unt il we see Allah in t he open, unt il He shows us Himself and says: This is My Book, t herefore, adhere t o it . Why does He not t alk t o us as He t alked t o you, O, Musa''' Then he (` Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd) recit ed Allah's st at ement ,

(We shall never believe in you unt il we see Allah plainly) and said, "So Allah's wrat h fell upon t hem, a t hunderbolt st ruck t hem, and t hey all died. Then Allah brought t hem back t o life aft er He killed t hem.'' Then he (` Abdur-Rahman) recit ed Allah's st at ement ,

(Then We raised you up aft er your deat h, so t hat you might be grat eful), and said, "Musa said t o t hem, ` Take t he Book of Allah.' They said, ` No.' He said, ` What is t he mat t er wit h you' They said, ` The problem is t hat we died and came back t o life.' He said, ` Take t he Book of Allah.' They said, ` No.' So Allah sent some angels who made t he mount ain t opple over t hem.'' This shows t hat t he Children of Israel were required t o fulfill t he commandment s aft er t hey were brought back t o life. However, Al-Mawardy said t hat t here are t wo opinions about t his mat t er. The first opinion is t hat since t he Children of Israel wit nessed t hese miracles, t hey were compelled t o believe, so t hey did not have t o fulfill t he commandment s. The second opinion st at es t hat t hey were required t o adhere t o t he commandment s, so t hat no responsible adult is free of such responsibilit ies. Al-Qurt ubi said t hat t his is what is correct , because, he said, alt hough t he Children of Israel wit nessed t hese t remendous calamit ies and incident s, t hat did not mean t hat t hey were not responsible for fulfilling t he commandment s any more. Rat her t hey are responsible for t hat , and t his is clear. Allah knows best .

(57. And We shaded you wit h clouds and sent down on you Al-Manna and t he quail, (saying): "Eat of t he good lawful t hings We have provided for you,'' (but t hey rebelled). And t hey did not wrong Us but t hey wronged t hemselves.)

The Shade, the Manna and the Quail

Aft er Allah ment ioned t he calamit ies t hat He saved t he Children of Israel from, He ment ioned t he favors t hat He grant ed t hem, saying,

And We shaded you wit h clouds. This A0yah ment ions t he whit e clouds t hat provided shade for t he Children of Israel, prot ect ing t hem from t he sun s heat during t heir years of wandering. In t he H ad0t h about t he t rials, An-Nasa0 i recorded Ibn Abba0s saying, Alla0h shaded t he Children of Israel wit h clouds during t he years of wandering. Ibn Abi H a0t im said, Narrat ions similar t o t hat of Ibn Abba0s were report ed from Ibn Umar, Ar-Rab0 bin Anas, Abu Mij laz, Ad D ah h a0k, and As-Suddi. Al-H asan and Qat a0dah said t hat ,

(And We shaded you wit h clouds) "This happened when t hey were in t he desert and t he clouds shielded t hem from t he sun.'' Ibn Jarir said t hat several scholars said t hat t he t ype of cloud t he Ayah ment ioned, "was cooler and bet t er t han t he t ype we know.'' ` Ali bin Abi Talhah report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed on Allah's st at ement ,

And sent down on you Al-Manna, The manna used t o descend t o t hem t o t he t rees, and t hey used t o eat what ever t hey wished of it . Also, Qat a0dah said, The manna, which was whit er t han milk and sweet er t han honey, used t o rain down on t he Children of Israel, j ust as t he snow falls, from dawn unt il sunrise. One of t hem would collect enough for t hat part icular day, for if it remained more t han t hat , it would spoil. On t he sixt h day, Friday, one would collect enough for t he sixt h and t he sevent h day, which was t he Sabbat h during which one would not leave home t o seek his livelihood, or for anyt hing else. All t his occurred in t he wilderness. The t ype of manna t hat we know provides sufficient food when eat en alone, because it is nut rit ious and sweet . When manna is mixed wit h wat er, it becomes a sweet drink. It also changes composit ion when mixed wit h ot her t ypes of food. However, t his is not t he only t ype. The evidence t o t his fact is t hat Al-Bukha0ri narrat ed, t hat Sa 0d bin Zayd said t hat t he Messenger of Alla0h said,

(Kam'ah (t ruffles) is a t ype of manna, and it s liquid is a remedy for t he eyes.) This Hadit h was also collect ed by Imam Ahmad. The group of Hadit h compilers, wit h t he except ion of Abu Dawud, also collect ed it , and At -Tirmidhi graded it Hasan Sahih. At -Tirmidhi recorded Abu Hurayrah saying t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,


(The ` Aj wah (pressed, dried dat e) is from Paradise and it cures poison, Al-Kam'ah (t ruffles) is a form of manna, and it s liquid heals t he eye.'') At -Tirmidhi is t he only one of t hem who recorded t his Hadit h. As for t he quail (Salwa) in quest ion, ` Ali bin Abi Talhah report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "The (Salwa) is a bird t hat looks like t he quail.'' This is t he same opinion report ed from Muj ahid, AshSha` bi, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan, ` Ikrimah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, may Allah have mercy upon t hem. Also, ` Ikrimah said t hat t he Salwa is a bird in Paradise about t he size of a sparrow. Qat adah said "The Salwa is a bird t hat is similar t o a sparrow. During t hat t ime, an Israelit e could cat ch as many quails as was sufficient for t hat part icular day, ot herwise t he meat would spoil. On t he sixt h day, Friday, he would collect what is enough for t he sixt h and t he sevent h day, t he Sabbat h, during which one was not allowed t o depart his home t o seek anyt hing.'' Allah said,

(Eat of t he good lawful t hings We have provided for you,) (7:160) t his form of command is a simple order of allowance, guiding t o what is good. Allah said,

(And t hey did not wrong Us but t hey wronged t hemselves) means, ` We commanded t hem t o eat from what We gave t hem, and t o perform t he act s of worship (but t hey rebelled).' This Ayah is similar t o Allah's st at ement ,

(Eat of t he provision of your Lord, and be grat eful t o Him) (34:15). Yet , t he Children of Israel rebelled, disbelieved and commit t ed inj ust ice against t hemselves, even t hough t hey saw t he clear signs, t remendous miracles and ext raordinary event s.

The Virtue of Muhammad's Companions over the Companions of all Other Prophets
Here it is import ant t o point out t he virt ue of Muhammad's Companions over t he companions of t he ot her Prophet s. This includes firmness in t he religion, pat ience and t he lack of arrogance, may Allah be pleased wit h t hem. Alt hough t he Companions accompanied t he Prophet in his

t ravels and bat t les, such as during t he bat t le of Tabuk, in int ense heat and hardship, t hey did not ask for a miracle, t hough t his was easy for t he Prophet by Allah's leave. And when t he Companions became hungry, t hey merely asked t he Prophet - t o invoke Allah - for an increase in t he amount of food. They collect ed what ever food t hey had and brought it t o t he Prophet , and he asked Allah t o bless it , t old each of t hem t o t ake some food, and t hey filled every pot t hey had. Also, when t hey needed rain, t he Prophet asked Allah t o send down rain, and a rain cloud came. They drank, gave wat er t o t heir camels and filled t heir wat er skins. When t hey looked around, t hey found t hat t he cloud had only rained on t heir camp. This is t he best example of t hose who were willing t o accept Allah's decision and follow t he Messenger of Allah .

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(58. And (remember) when We said: "Ent er t his t own (Jerusalem) and eat bount ifully t herein wit h pleasure and delight wherever you wish, and ent er t he gat e in prost rat ion (or bowing wit h humilit y) and say: ` Forgive us,' and We shall forgive you your sins and shall increase (reward) for t he good-doers.'') (59. But t hose who did wrong changed t he word from t hat which had been t old t o t hem for anot her, so We sent upon t he wrongdoers Rij z (a punishment ) from t he heaven because of t heir rebellion.)

The Jews were Rebellious instead of Appreciative when They gained Victory
Allah admonished t he Jews for avoiding Jihad and not ent ering t he holy land as t hey had been ordered t o do when t hey came from Egypt wit h Musa. They were also commanded t o fight t he disbelieving ` Amaliq (Canaanit es) dwelling in t he holy land at t hat t ime. But t hey did not want t o fight , because t hey were weak and exhaust ed. Allah punished t hem by causing t hem t o become lost , and t o cont inue wandering, as Allah has st at ed in Surat Al-Ma'idah (5). The correct opinion about t he meaning of, ` t he holy land' ment ioned here is t hat it was Bayt AlMaqdis (Jerusalem), as As-Suddi, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Qat adah and Abu Muslim Al-Asfahani, as well as ot hers have st at ed. Musa said,


(O people! Ent er t he holy land which Allah has assigned t o you and t urn not back (in flight ).) (5:21) However, some scholars said t hat t he holy land is Jericho, (Ariha') and t his opinion was ment ioned from Ibn ` Abbas and ` Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd. Aft er t he years of wandering ended fort y years lat er, in t he company of Yuwsha` (Joshua) bin Nun, Allah allowed t he Children of Israel t o conquer t he holy land on t he eve of a Friday. On t hat day, t he sun was kept from set t ing for a lit t le more t ime, unt il vict ory was achieved. When t he Children of Israel conquered t he holy land, t hey were commanded t o ent er it s gat e while,

(prost rat ing) in appreciat ion t o Allah for making t hem vict orious, t riumphant , ret urning t hem t o t heir land and saving t hem from being lost and wandering. Al-` Awfi said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ,

(and ent er t he gat e Suj j adan) means, "While bowing''. Ibn Jarir report ed Ibn ` Abbas saying,

(and ent er t he gat e in prost rat ion) means, "Through a small door while bowing.'' Al-Hakim narrat ed it , and Ibn Abi Hat im added, "And t hey went t hrough t he door backwards!'' Al-Hasan Al-Basri said t hat t hey were ordered t o prost rat e on t heir faces when t hey ent ered t he cit y, but Ar-Razi discount ed t his explanat ion. It was also said t hat t he Suj ud ment ioned here means, ` submissiveness', for act ually ent ering while prost rat ing is not possible. Khasif said t hat ` Ikrimah said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "The door ment ioned here was facing t he Qiblah.'' Ibn ` Abbas, Muj ahid, As-Suddi, Qat adah and Ad-Dahhak said t hat t he door is t he door of Hit t ah in Iylya', which is Jerusalem. Ar-Razi also report ed t hat some of t hem said t hat it was a door in t he direct ion of t he Qiblah''. Khasif said t hat ` Ikrimah said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat t he Children of Israel ent ered t he door sideways. As-Suddi said t hat Abu Sa` id Al-Azdy said t hat Abu Al-Kanud said t hat ` Abdullah bin Mas` ud said t hat t hey were commanded t o, u

(ent er t he gat e in prost rat ion (or bowing wit h humilit y)) but inst ead, t hey ent ered while t heir heads were raised in defiance. Allah said next ,

(and say: ` Hit t ah'). Ibn ` Abbas comment ed, "Seek Allah's forgiveness.'' Al-Hasan and Qat adah said t hat it means, "Say, ` Relieve us from our errors.''

(and We shall forgive you your sins and shall increase (reward) for t he good-doers) Here is t he reward for fulfilling Allah's commandment . This Ayah means, "If you implement what We commanded you, We will forgive your sins and mult iply your good deeds.'' In summary, upon achieving vict ory, t he Children of Israel were commanded t o submit t o Allah in t ongue and deed and, t o admit t o t heir sins and seek forgiveness for t hem, t o be grat eful t o Allah for t he blessings He gave t hem, hast ening t o do t he deeds t hat Allah loves, as He said,

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(When t here comes t he help of Allah (t o you, O Muhammad against your enemies) and t he conquest (of Makkah). And you see t hat t he people ent er Allah's religion (Islam) in crowds. So glorify t he praises of your Lord, and ask His forgiveness. Verily, He is t he One Who accept s t he repent ance.) (110). Allah said,

(But t hose who did wrong changed t he word from t hat which had been t old t o t hem for anot her). Al-Bukhari recorded Abu Hurayrah saying t hat t he Prophet said,

:
(The Children of Israel were commanded t o ent er t he door while bowing and t o say ` Hit t ah'. Yet , t hey ent ered t he door on t heir behinds, dist ort ing t he words. They said; ` Habbah (seed), in Sha` rah (a hair).') An-Nasa'i recorded t his part of it from Abu Hurayrah only, but he has a chain from t he Prophet , explaining Allah's st at ement ,

(` Hit t ah'), saying, "So t hey deviat ed and said ` Habbah.'' Similar was recorded by ` AbdurRazzaq, and his rout e was also collect ed by Al-Bukhari. Muslim and At -Tirmidhi narrat ed similar versions of t his Hadit h, At -Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih.'' The summary of what t he scholars have said about t his subj ect is t hat t he Children of Israel dist ort ed Allah's command t o t hem t o submit t o Him in t ongue and deed. They were commanded t o ent er t he cit y while bowing down, but t hey ent ered while sliding on t heir rear ends and raising t heir heads! They were commanded t o say, ` Hit t ah' meaning, "Relieve us from our errors and sins.'' However, t hey mocked t his command and said, "Hint ah (grain seed) in Sha` irah (barley).'' This demonst rat es t he worst t ype of rebellion and disobedience, and it is why Allah released His anger and punishment upon t hem, all because of t heir sinning and defying His commands. Allah said,

(So We sent upon t he wrongdoers Rij z (a punishment ) from t he heaven because of t heir rebellion.) Ad-Dahhak said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Every word in Allah's Book t hat says Rij z means, ` a punishment .''' Muj ahid, Abu Malik, As-Suddi, Al-Hasan and Qat adah were report ed t o have said t hat Rij z means ` Torment .' Ibn Abi Hat im narrat ed t hat Sa` d bin Malik, Usamah bin Zayd and Khuzaymah bin Thabit said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

 .
(The plague is a Rij z, a punishment wit h which Allah punished t hose before you.) This is also how An-Nasa'i recorded t his Hadit h. In addit ion, t he basis of t his Hadit h was collect ed in t he Two Sahihs,

(If you hear of t he plague in a land, t hen do not ent er it .) Ibn Jarir recorded Usamah bin Zayd saying t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(This calamit y and sickness (i.e. t he plague) is a Rij z, a punishment wit h which some nat ions who were before you were punished.) The basis of t his Hadit h was also collect ed in t he Two Sahihs.

(60. And (remember) when Musa asked for wat er for his people, We said: "St rike t he st one wit h your st ick.'' Then gushed fort h t herefrom t welve springs. Each (group of) people knew it s own place for wat er. "Eat and drink of t hat which Allah has provided and do not act corrupt ly, making mischief on t he eart h.'')

Twelve Springs gush forth

Allah said, "Remember My favor on you when I answered t he supplicat ion of your Prophet , Musa, when he asked Me t o provide you wit h wat er. I made t he wat er available for you, making it gush out t hrough a st one. Twelve springs burst out of t hat st one, a designat ed spring for each of your t ribes. You eat from t he manna and t he quails and drink from t he wat er t hat I provided for you, wit hout any effort or hardship for you. So worship t he One Who did t his for you.

(And do not act corrupt ly, making mischief on t he eart h) meaning, "Do not ret urn t he favor by commit t ing act s of disobedience t hat cause favors t o disappear.'' Ibn ` Abbas said t hat t he Children of Israel, "Had a square st one t hat Musa was commanded t o st rike wit h his st aff and, as a result , t welve springs burst out of t hat st one, t hree on each side. Each t ribe was, t herefore, designat ed a cert ain spring, and t hey used t o drink from t heir springs. They never had t o t ravel from t heir area, t hey would find t he same bount y in t he same manner t hey had in t he first area.''This narrat ion is part of t he long Hadit h t hat An-Nasa'i, Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hat im recorded about t he t rials. This st ory is similar t o t he st ory in Surat Al-` Araf (Chapt er 7) alt hough t he lat t er was revealed in Makkah. In Surat Al-A` raf, Allah used t he t hird person when He ment ioned t he Children of Israel t o t he Prophet and narrat ed what He favored t hem wit h. In t his Surat Al-Baqarah, which was revealed in Al-Madinah, Allah direct ed His Speech at t he Children of Israel. Furt her, Allah said in Surat Al-A` raf,

(And t here gushed fort h out of it t welve springs) (7:160), describing what first occurred when t he wat er begins t o gush out . In t he Ayah in Surat Al-Baqarah, Allah described what happened lat er on, meaning when t he wat er burst out in full force. Allah knows best .

(61. And (remember) when you said, "O Musa ! We cannot endure one kind of food. So invoke your Lord for us t o bring fort h for us of what t he eart h grows, it s herbs, it s cucumber it s Fum, it s lent ils and it s onions.'' He said, "Would you exchange t hat which is bet t er for t hat which is lower Go you down t o any t own and you shall find what you want !'')

The Children of Israel preferred Foods inferior to Manna and Quails

Allah said, "And remember My favor on you when I sent down t he manna and quails t o you, a good, pure, beneficial, easily acquired food. And remember your ungrat efulness for what We grant ed you. Remember how you asked Musa t o exchange t his t ype of food for an inferior t ype t hat consist s of veget at ion, and so fort h.'' Al-Hasan Al-Basri said about t he Children of Israel, "They were bored and impat ient wit h t he t ype of food t hey were provided. They also remembered t he life t hey used t o live, when t heir diet consist ed of lent ils, onions, garlic and herbs.'' They said,

(O Musa ! We cannot endure one kind of food. So invoke your Lord for us t o bring fort h for us of what t he eart h grows, it s herbs, it s cucumbers, it s Fum, it s lent ils and it s onions). They said,

(One kind of food) meaning, t he manna and quails, because t hey at e t he same food day aft er day. The Ayah ment ioned lent ils, onions and herbs, which are all known t ypes of foods. As for t he Fum, Ibn Mas` ud read it , Thum (garlic). Also, Ibn Abi Hat im narrat ed t hat Al-Hasan said about t he Ayah,

(It s Fum), "Ibn ` Abbas said t hat Fum means, garlic.'' He also said t hat t he expression, ` Fumu-lanna' means, ` bake for us', according t o t he languages of old. Ibn Jarir comment ed, "If t his is t rue, t hen ` Fum' is one of t he words whose pronounciat ion were alt ered, t he let t er ` fa' was replaced by t he let t er ` t ha', since t hey are similar in sound.'' And Allah knows best . Ot hers said t hat Fum is wheat , t he kind used for bread. Al-Bukhari said, "Some of t hem said t hat Fum includes all grains or seeds t hat are eat en.'' Allah's st at ement ,

(He said, "Would you exchange t hat which is bet t er for t hat which is lower'') crit icized t he Jews for asking for inferior foods, alt hough t hey were living an easy life, eat ing t ast y, beneficial and pure food. Allah's st at ement ,


(Go you down t o any Misr) means, ` any cit y', as Ibn ` Abbas said. Ibn Jarir also report ed t hat Abu Al-` Aliyah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said t hat t he Ayah refers t o Misr, t he Egypt of Fir` awn. The t rut h is t hat t he Ayah means any cit y, as Ibn ` Abbas and ot her scholars st at ed. Therefore, t he meaning of Musa's st at ement t o t he Children of Israel becomes, "What you are asking for is easy, for it is available in abundance in any cit y t hat you might ent er. So since what you asked for is available in all of t he villages and cit ies, I will not ask Allah t o provide us wit h it , especially when it is an inferior t ype of food. '' This is why Musa said t o t hem,

(Would you exchange t hat which is bet t er for t hat which is lower Go you down t o any t own and you shall find what you want !) Since t heir request was t he result of boredom and arrogance and since fulfilling it was unnecessary, t heir request was denied. Allah knows best .

(61. And t hey were covered wit h humiliat ion and misery, and t hey drew on t hemselves t he wrat h of Allah. That was because t hey used t o disbelieve in t he Ayat (proofs, evidence) of Allah and killed t he Prophet s wrongfully. That was because t hey disobeyed and used t o t ransgress t he bounds (in t heir disobedience t o Allah, i.e. commit crimes and sins.)) (2:61)

Covering the Jews in Humiliation and Misery

Allah said,

(And t hey were covered wit h humiliat ion and misery). This Ayah indicat es t hat t he Children of Israel were plagued wit h humiliat ion, and t hat t his will cont inue, meaning t hat it will never

cease. They will cont inue t o suffer humiliat ion at t he hands of all who int eract wit h t hem, along wit h t he disgrace t hat t hey feel inwardly. Al-Hasan comment ed, "Allah humiliat ed t hem, and t hey shall have no prot ect or. Allah put t hem under t he feet of t he Muslims, who appeared at a t ime when t he Maj us (Zoroast rians) were t aking t he Jizyah (t ax) from t he Jews.'' Also, Abu Al-` Aliyah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and As-Suddi said t hat ` misery' used in t he Ayah means, ` povert y.' ` At iyah Al-` Awfi said t hat ` misery' means, ` paying t he t ilt h (t ax).' In addit ion, AdDahhak comment ed on Allah's st at ement ,

(and t hey drew on t hemselves t he wrat h of Allah), "They deserved Allah's anger.'' Also, Ibn Jarir said t hat ,

(and t hey drew on t hemselves t he wrat h of Allah) means, "They went back wit h t he wrat h. Similarly, Allah said,

(Verily, I int end t o let you draw my sin on yourself as well as yours) (Al-Ma'idah 5:29) meaning, ` You will end up carrying my, and your, mist akes inst ead of me'. Thus, t he meaning of t he Ayah becomes, ` They went back carrying Allah's anger; Allah's wrat h descended on t hem; t hey deserved Allah's anger.''' Allah's st at ement ,

(That was because t hey used t o disbelieve in t he Ayat (proofs, evidences, et c.) of Allah and killed t he Prophet s wrongfully.) means, "This is what We rewarded t he Children of Israel wit h: humiliat ion and misery.'' Allah's anger t hat descended on t he Children of Israel was a part of t he humiliat ion t hey earned, because of t heir defiance of t he t rut h, disbelief in Allah's Ayat and belit t ling t he carriers of Allah's Law i.e. t he Prophet s and t heir following. The Children of Israel rej ect ed t he Messengers and even killed t hem. Surely, t here is no form of disbelief worse t han disbelieving in Allah's Ayat and murdering t he Prophet s of Allah.

Meaning of Kibr
Similarly, in a Hadit h recorded in t he Two Sahihs t he Messenger of Allah said,


(` Kibr, is refusing t he t rut h and degrading (belit t ling) people.) Imam Ahmad recorded, ` Abdullah bin Mas` ud saying t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

:
(The people who will receive t he most t orment on t he Day of Resurrect ion are: a man who was killed by a Prophet or who killed a Prophet , an unj ust ruler and one who mut ilat es (t he dead).) Allah's st at ement ,

(That was because t hey disobeyed and used t o t ransgress t he bounds) ment ions anot her reason why t he Children of Israel were punished in t his manner, for t hey used t o disobey and t ransgress t he limit s. Disobedience is t o do what is prohibit ed, while t ransgression ent ails overst epping t he set limit s of what is allowed and what is prohibit ed. Allah knows best .

(62. Verily, t hose who believe and t hose who are Jews and Christ ians, and Sabians (Sabi'in), whoever believes in Allah and t he Last Day and does right eous good deeds shall have t heir reward wit h t heir Lord, on t hem shall be no fear, nor shall t hey grieve.)

Faith and doing Righteous Deeds equals Salvation in all Times

Aft er Allah described t he condit ion - and punishment - of t hose who defy His commands, fall int o His prohibit ions and t ransgress set limit s by commit t ing prohibit ed act s, He st at ed t hat t he earlier nat ions who were right eous and obedient received t he rewards for t heir good deeds. This shall be t he case, unt il t he Day of Judgment . Therefore, whoever follows t he unlet t ered

Messenger and Prophet shall acquire et ernal happiness and shall neit her fear from what will happen in t he fut ure nor become sad for what has been lost in t he past . Similarly, Allah said,

(No doubt ! Verily, t he Awliya' of Allah, no fear shall come upon t hem nor shall t hey grieve) (10:62). The angels will proclaim t o t he dying believers, as ment ioned,

(Verily, t hose who say: "Our Lord is Allah (alone),'' and t hen t hey st and firm, on t hem t he angels will descend (at t he t ime of t heir deat h) (saying): "Fear not , nor grieve! But receive t he glad t idings of Paradise which you have been promised!''). (41:30)

The Meaning of Mu'min, or Believer

Ali bin Abi Talhah narrat ed from Ibn ` Abbas, about ,

(Verily, t hose who believe and t hose who are Jews and Christ ians, and Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and t he Last Day) t hat Allah revealed t he following Ayah aft erwards,

(And whoever seeks religion ot her t han Islam, it will never be accept ed of him, and in t he Hereaft er he will be one of t he losers) (3:85). This st at ement by Ibn ` Abbas indicat es t hat Allah does not accept any deed or work from anyone, unless it conforms t o t he Law of Muhammad t hat is, aft er Allah sent Muhammad . Before t hat , every person who followed t he guidance of his own Prophet was on t he correct pat h, following t he correct guidance and was saved

Why the Jews were called ` Yahud

The Jews are t he followers of Prophet Musa, who used t o refer t o t he Tawrah for j udgment . Yahud is a word t hat means, ` repent ing', j ust as Musa said,

why the christians were called nasara
("Who will be my helpers in Allah's cause'' Al-Hawariyyun said: "We are t he helpers of Allah.'') (61:14) It was said t hat t hey were called ` Nasara', because t hey inhabit ed a land called An-Nasirah (Nazaret h), as Qat adah, Ibn Jurayj and Ibn ` Abbas were report ed t o have said, Allah knows best . Nasara is cert ainly plural for Nasran. When Allah sent Muhammad as t he Last and Final Prophet and Messenger t o all of t he Children of Adam, mankind was required t o believe in him, obey him and refrain from what he prohibit ed t hem; t hose who do t his are t rue believers. The Ummah of Muhammad was called ` Mu'minin' (believers), because of t he dept h of t heir fait h and cert aint y, and because t hey believe in all of t he previous Prophet s and mat t ers of t he Unseen.

The Sabi'un or Sabians

There is a difference of opinion over t he ident it y of t he Sabians. Sufyan At h-Thawri said t hat Layt h bin Abu Sulaym said t hat Muj ahid said t hat , "The Sabians are bet ween t he Maj us, t he Jews and t he Christ ians. They do not have a specific religion.'' Similar is report ed from Ibn Abi Naj ih. Similar st at ement s were at t ribut ed t o ` At a' and Sa` id bin Jubayr. They (ot hers) say t hat t he Sabians are a sect among t he People of t he Book who used t o read t he Zabur (Psalms), ot hers say t hat t hey are a people who worshipped t he angels or t he st ars. It appears t hat t he closest opinion t o t he t rut h, and Allah knows best , is Muj ahid's st at ement and t hose who agree wit h him like Wahb bin Munabbih, t hat t he Sabians are neit her Jews nor Christ ians nor Maj us nor polyt heist s. Rat her, t hey did not have a specific religion t hat t hey followed and enforced, because t hey remained living according t o t heir Fit rah (inst inct ual nat ure). This is why t he idolat ors used t o call whoever embraced Islam a ` Sabi', meaning, t hat he abandoned all religions t hat exist ed on t he eart h. Some scholars st at ed t hat t he Sabians are t hose who never received a message by any Prophet . And Allah knows best .

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(63. And (O Children of Isra'il, remember) when We t ook your covenant and We raised above you t he Mount (saying): "Hold fast t o t hat which We have given you, and remember t hat which is t herein so t hat you may acquire Taqwa.) (64. Then aft er t hat you t urned away. Had it not been for t he grace and mercy of Allah upon you, indeed you would have been among t he losers.)

Taking the Covenant from the Jews

Allah reminded t he Children of Israel of t he pledges, covenant s and promises t hat He t ook from t hem t o believe in Him alone, wit hout a part ner, and follow His Messengers. Allah st at ed t hat when He t ook t heir pledge from t hem, He raised t he mount ain above t heir heads, so t hat t hey affirm t he pledge t hat t hey gave Allah and abide by it wit h sincerit y and seriousness. Hence, Allah's st at ement ,

(And (remember) when We raised t he mount ain over t hem as if it had been a canopy, and t hey t hought t hat it was going t o fall on t hem. (We said): "Hold firmly t o what We have given you (Tawrah), and remember t hat which is t herein (act on it s commandment s), so t hat you may fear Allah and obey Him.'') (7:171). The mount ment ioned here is At -Tur, j ust as it was explained in Surat Al-A` raf, according t o t he Tafsir of Ibn ` Abbas, Muj ahid, ` At a', ` Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and ot hers. This is more obvious. There is anot her report from Ibn ` Abbas saying; ` The Tur is a t ype of mount ain t hat veget at ion grows on, if no veget at ion grows on it , it is not called Tur.' And in t he Hadit h about t he t rials, Ibn ` Abbas said; "When t hey (t he Jews) refused t o obey, Allah raised t he mount ain above t heir heads so t hat t hey would list en.'' Al-Hasan said t hat Allah's st at ement ,


(Hold fast t o t hat which We have given you) means, t he Tawrah. Muj ahid said t hat t he Ayah commanded, "St rict ly adhere t o it .'' Abu Al-` Aliyah and Ar-Rabi` said t hat ,

(and remember t hat which is t herein) means, "Read t he Tawrah and implement it .'' Allah's st at ement ,

(Then aft er t hat you t urned away. Had it not been for t he grace of Allah) means, "Yet , aft er t he firm pledge t hat you gave, you st ill deviat ed and broke your pledge'';

(Had it not been for t he grace and mercy of Allah upon you), meaning, by forgiving you and by sending t he Prophet s and Messengers t o you,

(Indeed you would have been among t he losers) meaning, in t his life and t he Hereaft er due t o t heir breach of t he covenant .

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(65. And indeed you knew t hose amongst you who t ransgressed in t he mat t er of t he Sabbat h (i.e. Sat urday). We said t o t hem: "Be you monkeys, despised and rej ect ed.'') (66. So We made t his punishment an example for t hose in front of it and t hose behind it , and a lesson for AlMut t aqin (t he pious.)

The Jews breach the Sanctity of the Sabbath

Allah said,


(And indeed you knew). This Ayah means, O Jews! Remember t hat Allah sent His t orment on t he village t hat disobeyed Him and broke t heir pledge and t heir covenant t o observe t he sanct it y of t he Sabbat h. They began using deceit ful means t o avoid honoring t he Sabbat h by placing net s, ropes and art ificial pools of wat er for t he purpose of fishing before t he Sabbat h. When t he fish came in abundance on Sat urday as usual, t hey were caught in t he ropes and net s for t he rest of Sat urday. During t he night , t he Jews collect ed t he fish aft er t he Sabbat h ended. When t hey did t hat , Allah changed t hem from humans int o monkeys, t he animals having t he form closest t o humans. Their evil deeds and deceit appeared lawful on t he surface, but t hey were in realit y wicked. This is why t heir punishment was compat ible wit h t heir crime. This st ory is explained in det ail in Surat Al-A` raf, where Allah said (7:163),

(And ask t hem (O Muhammad ) about t he t own t hat was by t he sea; when t hey t ransgressed in t he mat t er of t he Sabbat h (i.e. Sat urday): when t heir fish came t o t hem openly on t he Sabbat h day, and did not come t o t hem on t he day t hey had no Sabbat h. Thus We made a t rial of t hem, for t hey used t o rebel (disobey Allah).)(7:163) In his Tafsir, Al-` Awfi report ed from Ibn ` Abbas t hat he said,

(We said t o t hem: "Be you monkeys, despised and rej ect ed'') means, "Allah changed t heir bodies int o t hose of monkeys and swines. The young people t urned int o monkeys while t he old people t urned int o swine.'' Shayban An-Nahwi report ed t hat Qat adah comment ed on,

(We said t o t hem: "Be you monkeys, despised and rej ect ed''), "These people were t urned int o howling monkeys wit h t ails, aft er being men and women.''

The Monkeys and Swine that exist now are not the Descendants of Those that were transformed

Ibn Abi Hat im recorded t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Those who violat ed t he sanct it y of t he Sabbat h were t urned int o monkeys, t hen t hey perished wit hout offspring.'' Ad-Dahhak said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Allah t urned t hem int o monkeys because of t heir sins. They only lived on t he eart h for t hree days, for no t ransformed person ever lives more t han t hree days. They did not eat , drink or have offspring. Allah t ransformed t heir shapes int o monkeys, and He does what He wills, wit h whom He wills and He changes t he shape of whomever He wills. On t he ot her hand, Allah creat ed t he monkeys, swines and t he rest of t he creat ion in t he six days (of creat ion) t hat He ment ioned in His Book.'' Allah's st at ement ,

(So We made t his punishment an example) means, Allah made t he people of t his village, who violat ed t he sanct it y of t he Sabbat h,

(an example) via t he way t hey were punished. Similarly, Allah said about Pharaoh,

(So Allah, seized him wit h punishing example for his last and first t ransgression) (79:25). nAllah's st at ement ,

(for t hose in front of it and t hose behind it ) meaning, for t he ot her villages. Ibn ` Abbas comment ed, "Meaning, ` We made t his village an example for t he villages around it by t he manner in which We punished it s people.''' Similarly, Allah said,

(And indeed We have dest royed t owns (populat ions) round about you, and We have (repeat edly) shown (t hem) t he Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelat ions, et c.) in various ways t hat t hey might ret urn (t o t he t rut h and believe in t he Oneness of Allah Islamic Monot heism)).(46:27) Therefore, Allah made t hem an example for t hose who lived during t heir t ime as well as a reminder for t hose t o come, by preserving t heir st ory. This is why Allah said,


(and a lesson for Al-Mut t aqin (t he pious)), meaning, a reminder. This Ayah means, "The t orment and punishment t hat t his village suff ered was a result of indulging in Allah's prohibit ions and t heir deceit . Hence, t hose who have Taqwa should be aware of t heir evil behavior, so t hat what occurred t o t his village does not befall t hem as well.'' Also, Imam Abu ` Abdullah bin Bat t ah report ed t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(Do not commit what t he Jews commit t ed, breaching what Allah has forbidden, by resort ing t o t he lowest t ypes of deceit .) This Hadit h has a good (Jayid) chain of narrat ion. Allah knows best .

(67. And (remember) when Musa said t o his people: "Verily, Allah commands you t hat you slaught er a cow.'' They said, "Do you make fun of us'' He said, "I t ake Allah's refuge from being among Al-Jahilin (t he ignorant or t he foolish).'')

The Story of the murdered Israeli Man and the Cow

Allah said, ` O Children of Israel! Remember how I blessed you wit h miracle of t he cow t hat was t he means for discovering t he ident it y of t he murderer, when t he murdered man was brought back t o life.' Ibn Abi Hat im recorded ` Ubaydah As-Salmani saying, "There was a man from among t he Children of Israel who was impot ent . He had subst ant ial wealt h, and only a nephew who would inherit from him. So his nephew killed him and moved his body at night , placing it at t he doorst ep of a cert ain man. The next morning, t he nephew cried out for revenge, and t he people t ook up t heir weapons and almost fought each ot her. The wise men among t hem said, ` Why would you kill each ot her, while t he Messenger of Allah is st ill among you' So t hey went t o Musa and ment ioned t he mat t er t o him and Musa said,


("Verily, Allah commands you t hat you slaught er a cow.'' They said, "Do you make fun of us'' He said, "I t ake Allah's refuge from being among Al-Jahilin (t he ignorant or t he foolish)).'' "Had t hey not disput ed, it would have been sufficient for t hem t o slaught er any cow. However, t hey disput ed, and t he mat t er was made more difficult for t hem, unt il t hey ended up looking for t he specific cow t hat t hey were lat er ordered t o slaught er. They found t he designat ed cow wit h a man, only who owned t hat cow. He said, ` By Allah! I will only sell it for it s skin's fill of gold.' So t hey paid t he cow's fill of it s skin in gold, slaught ered it and t ouched t he dead man wit h a part of it . He st ood up, and t hey asked him, ` Who killed you' He said, ` That man,' and point ed t o his nephew. He died again, and his nephew was not allowed t o inherit him. Thereaft er, whoever commit t ed murder for t he purpose of gaining inherit ance was not allowed t o inherit .'' Ibn Jarir report ed somet hing similar t o t hat . Allah knows best .

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(68. They said, "Call upon your Lord for us t hat He may make plain t o us what it is!'' He said, "He says, ` Verily, it is a cow neit her t oo old nor t oo young, but (it is) bet ween t he t wo condit ions', so do what you are commanded.'') (69. They said, "Call upon your Lord for us t o make plain t o us it s colour.'' He said, "He says, ` It is a yellow cow, bright in it s colour, pleasing t he beholders.' '') (70. They said, "Call upon your Lord for us t o make plain t o us what it is.

Verily, t o us all cows are alike. And surely, if Allah wills, we will be guided.'') (71. He (Musa) said, "He says, ` It is a cow neit her t rained t o t ill t he soil nor wat er t he fields, sound, having no blemish in it .' '' They said, "Now you have brought t he t rut h.'' So t hey slaught ered it t hough t hey were near t o not doing it .)

The Stubbornness of the Jews regarding the Cow; Allah made the Matter difficult for Them
Allah ment ioned t he st ubbornness of t he Children of Israel and t he many unnecessary quest ions t hey asked t heir Messengers. This is why when t hey were st ubborn, Allah made t he decisions difficult for t hem. Had t hey slaught ered a cow, any cow, it would have been sufficient for t hem, as Ibn ` Abbas and ` Ubaydah have said. Inst ead, t hey made t he mat t er difficult , and t his is why Allah made it even more difficult for t hem. They said,

(Call upon your Lord for us t hat He may make plain t o us what it is!), meaning, "What is t his cow and what is it s descript ion'' Musa said,

(He says, ` Verily, it is a cow neit her t oo old nor t oo young'), meaning, t hat it is neit her old nor below t he age of breeding. This is t he opinion of Abu Al-` Aliyah, As-Suddi, Muj ahid, ` Ikrimah, ` At iyah Al-` Awfi, ` At a', Al-Khurasani, Wahb bin Munabbih, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan, Qat adah and Ibn ` Abbas. Ad-Dahhak report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ,

(But (it is) bet ween t he t wo condit ions) means, "Neit her old nor young. Rat her, she was at t he age when t he cow is st rongest and fit t est .'' In his Tafsir Al-` Awfi report ed from Ibn ` Abbas t hat ,

(bright in it s colour) "A deep yellowish whit e.'' As-Suddi said,

(pleasing t he beholder) meaning, t hat it pleases t hose who see it . This is also t he opinion of Abu Al-` Aliyah, Qat adah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas. Furt hermore, Wahb bin Munabbih said, "If you look at t he cow's skin, you will t hink t hat t he sun's rays radiat e t hrough it s skin.'' The modern version of t he Tawrah ment ions t hat t he cow in t he Ayah was red, but t his is an error. Or, it might be t hat t he cow was so yellow t hat it appeared blackish or reddish in color. Allah's knows best .

(Verily, t o us all cows are alike) t his means, t hat since cows are plent iful, t hen describe t his cow for us furt her,

(And surely, if Allah wills) and if you furt her describe it t o us,

(we will be guided.)

(He says, ` It is a cow neit her t rained t o t ill t he soil nor wat er t he fields') meaning, it is not used in farming, or for wat ering purposes. Rat her, it is honorable and fair looking. ` AbdurRazzaq said t hat Ma` mar said t hat Qat adah said t hat ,

(sound) means, "The cow does not suffer from any defect s.'' This is also t he opinion of Abu Al` Aliyah and Ar-Rabi` . Muj ahid also said t hat t he Ayah means t he cow is free from defect s. Furt her, ` At a' Al-Khurasani said t hat t he Ayah means t hat it s legs and body are free of physical defect s. Also, Ad-Dahhak said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat t he Ayah,

(So t hey slaught ered it t hough t hey were near t o not doing it ) means, "They did not want t o slaught er it .'' This means t hat even aft er all t he quest ions and answers about t he cow's descript ion, t he Jews were st ill reluct ant t o slaught er t he cow. This part of t he Qur'an crit icized t he Jews for t heir behavior, because t heir only goal was t o be st ubborn, and t his is why t hey nearly did not slaught er t he cow. Also, ` Ubaydah, Muj ahid, Wahb bin Munabbih, Abu Al-` Aliyah and ` AbdurRahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said, "The Jews bought t he cow wit h a large amount of money.'' There is a difference of opinion over t his.

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(72. And (remember) when you killed a man and disagreed among yourselves as t o t he crime. But Allah brought fort h t hat which you were Takt umun.) (73. So We said: "St rike him (t he dead man) wit h a piece of it (t he cow).'' Thus Allah brings t he dead t o life and shows you His Ayat (proofs, evidences, et c.) so t hat you may underst and.)

Bringing the murdered Man back to Life

Al-Bukhari said t hat ,

(And disagreed among yourselves as t o t he crime) means, "Disput ed.'' This is also t he Tafsir of Muj ahid. ` At a' Al-Khurasani and Ad-Dahhak said, "Disput ed about t his mat t er.'' Also, Ibn Jurayj said t hat ,

(And (remember) when you killed a man and disagreed among yourselves as t o t he crime) means, some of t hem said, "You killed him,'' while t he ot hers said, "No you killed him.'' This is also t he Tafsir of ` Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam. Muj ahid said t hat ,

(But Allah brought fort h t hat which you were Takt umun) means, "what you were hiding.''

Allah said,

(So We said: "St rike him (t he dead man) wit h a piece of it (t he cow)'') meaning, "any part of t he cow will produce t he miracle (if t hey st ruck t he dead man wit h it ).'' We were not t old which part of t he cow t hey used, as t his mat t er does not benefit us eit her in mat t ers of life or religion. Ot herwise, Allah would have made it clear for us. Inst ead, Allah made t his mat t er vague, so t his is why we should leave it vague. Allah's st at ement ,

(Thus Allah brings t he dead t o life) means, "They st ruck him wit h it , and he came back t o life.'' This Ayah demonst rat es Allah's abilit y in bringing t he dead back t o life. Allah made t his incident proof against t he Jews t hat t he Resurrect ion shall occur, and ended t heir disput ing and st ubbornness over t he dead person. Allah ment ioned His bringing t he dead back t o life in five inst ances in Surat Al-Baqarah. First Allah said,

(Then We raised you up aft er your deat h). He t hen ment ioned t he st ory about t he cow. Allah also ment ioned t he st ory of t hose who escaped deat h in t heir land, while t hey were numbering in t he t housands. He also ment ioned t he st ory of t he Prophet who passed by a village t hat was dest royed, t he st ory of Abraham and t he four birds, and t he land t hat comes back t o life aft er it has died. All t hese incident s and st ories alert us t o t he fact t hat bodies shall again become whole, aft er t hey were rot t en. The proof of Resurrect ion is also reit erat ed in Allah's st at ement ,

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(And a sign for t hem is t he dead land. We give it life, and We bring fort h from it grains, so t hat t hey eat t hereof. And We have made t herein gardens of dat e palms and grapes, and We have caused springs of wat er t o gush fort h t herein. So t hat t hey may eat of t he fruit t hereof and t heir hands made it not . Will t hey not t hen give t hanks) (36:33-35).


(74. Then aft er t hat your heart s were hardened and became as st ones or even worse in hardness. And indeed, t here are st ones out of which rivers gush fort h, and indeed, t here are of t hem (st ones) which split asunder so t hat wat er flows from t hem, and indeed, t here are of t hem (st ones) which fall down for fear of Allah. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.)

The Harshness of the Jews

Allah crit icized t he Children of Israel because t hey wit nessed t he t remendous signs and t he Ayat of Allah, including bringing t he dead back t o life, yet ,

(Then aft er t hat your heart s were hardened). So t heir heart s were like st ones t hat never become soft . This is why Allah forbade t he believers from imit at ing t he Jews when He said,

(Has not t he t ime come for t he heart s of t hose who believe (in t he Oneness of Allah Islamic Monot heism) t o be affect ed by Allah's Reminder (t his Qur'an), and t hat which has been revealed of t he t rut h, lest t hey become as t hose who received t he Script ure (t he Tawrah) and t he Inj il

(Gospel)) before (i.e. Jews and Christ ians), and t he t erm was prolonged for t hem and so t heir heart s were hardened And many of t hem were Fasiqun (t he rebellious, t he disobedient t o Allah)) (57:16). v In his Tafsir, Al-` Awfi said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "When t he dead man was st ruck wit h a part of t he cow, he st ood up and became more alive t han he ever was. He was asked, ` Who killed you' He said, ` My nephews killed me.' He t hen died again. His nephews said, aft er Allah t ook his life away, ` By Allah! We did not kill him' and denied t he t rut h while t hey knew it . Allah said,

(And became as st ones or even worse in hardness). '' And by t he passage of t ime, t he heart s of t he Children of Israel were unlikely t o accept any admonishment , even aft er t he miracles and signs t hey wit hnessed. Their heart s became harder t han st ones, wit h no hope of ever soft ening. Somet imes, springs and rivers burst out of st ones, some st ones split and wat er comes out of t hem, even if t here are no springs or rivers around t hem, somet imes st ones fall down from mount aint ops out of t heir fear of Allah. Muhammad bin Ishaq narrat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ,

(And indeed, t here are st ones out of which rivers gush fort h, and indeed, t here are of t hem (st ones) which split asunder so t hat wat er flows from t hem, and indeed, t here are of t hem (st ones) which fall down for fear of Allah), means, "Some st ones are soft er t han your heart s, t hey acknowledge t he t rut h t hat you are being called t o,

(And Allah is not unaware of what you do).''

Solid Inanimate Objects possess a certain Degree of Awareness

Some claimed t hat t he Ayat ment ioned t he st ones being humble as a met aphor. However, ArRazi, Al-Qurt ubi and ot her Imams said t hat t here is no need for t his explanat ion, because Allah creat es t his charact erist ic - humbleness - in st ones. For inst ance, Allah said,


(Truly, We did offer Al-Amanah (t he t rust ) t o t he heavens and t he eart h, and t he mount ains, but t hey declined t o bear it and were afraid of it (i.e. afraid of Allah's t orment )) (33:72),

(The seven heavens and t he eart h and all t hat is t herein, glorify Him) (17:44),

(And t he st ars and t he t rees bot h prost rat e t hemselves (t o Allah)) (55:6),

(Have t hey not observed t hings t hat Allah has creat ed: (how) t heir shadows incline) (16:48),

(They bot h said: "We come willingly.'') (41:11),

(Had We sent down t his Qur'an on a mount ain) (59:21), and,

(And t hey will say t o t heir skins, "Why do you t est ify against us'' They will say: "Allah has caused us t o speak.'') (41:21). It is recorded in t he Sahih t hat t he Prophet said,


(This (Mount Uhud) is a mount t hat loves us and t hat we love.) Similarly, t he compassion of t he st ump of t he palm t ree for t he Prophet as confirmed in aut hent ic narrat ions. In Sahih Muslim it is recorded t hat t he Prophet said,

(I know a st one in Makkah t hat used t o greet me wit h t he Salam before I was sent . I recognize t his st one now.) He said about t he Black St one t hat ,

(On t he Day of Resurrect ion it will t est ifiy for t hose who kiss it .) There are several ot her t ext s wit h t his meaning. The scholars of t he Arabic language disagreed over t he meaning of Allah's st at ement ,

(And became as st ones or even worse in hardness) aft er agreeing t hat ` or' here is not being used t o reflect doubt . Some scholars said t hat ` or' here means, ` and'. So t he meaning becomes, "As hard as st ones, and harder.'' For inst ance, Allah said,

(And obey not a sinner or a disbeliever among t hem) (76:24), and,

(To cut off all excuses or t o warn) (77:6). Some ot her scholars said t hat ` or' here means, ` rat her'. Hence, t he meaning becomes, ` As hard as st ones. Rat her, harder.' For inst ance, Allah said,


(A sect ion of t hem fear men as t hey fear Allah or even more) (4:77),

(And We sent him t o a hundred t housand (people) or even more) (37:147), and,

(And was at a dist ance of t wo bows' lengt h or (even) nearer) (53:9). Some ot her scholars said t hat t his Ayah means t heir heart s are only of t wo t ypes, as hard as st one or harder t han st one. Furt her, Ibn Jarir comment ed t hat t his Tafsir means t hat some of t heir heart s are as hard as st one and some heart s are harder t han st one. Ibn Jarir said t hat he favored t his last Tafsir, alt hough t he ot hers are plausible. I - Ibn Kat hir - say t hat t he last Tafsir is similar t o Allah's st at ement ,

(Their likeness is as t he likeness of one who kindled a fire) (2:17), and t hen His st at ement ,

(Or like a rainst orm from t he sky) (2:19). It is also similar t o Allah's st at ement ,

(As for t hose who disbelieved, t heir deeds are like a mirage in a desert ) (24:39), and t hen His st at ement ,

(Or (t he st at e of a disbeliever) is like t he darkness in a vast deep sea) (24:40). This t hen means t hat some of t hem are like t he first example, and some ot hers are like t he second example. Allah knows best .

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(75. Do you (fait hful believers) covet t hat t hey will believe in your religion inspit e of t he fact t hat a part y of t hem (Jewish rabbis) used t o hear t he Word of Allah (t he Tawrah), t hen t hey used t o change it knowingly aft er t hey underst ood it ) (76. And when t hey (Jews) meet t hose who believe (Muslims), t hey say, "We believe,'' but when t hey meet one anot her in privat e, t hey say, "Shall you (Jews) t ell t hem (Muslims) what Allah has revealed t o you t hat t hey (Muslims) may argue wit h you (Jews) about it before your Lord'' Have you (Jews) t hen no underst anding) (77. Know t hey (Jews) not t hat Allah knows what t hey conceal and what t hey reveal)

There was little Hope that the Jews Who lived during the Time of the Prophet could have believed
Allah said,

(Do you covet ) O believers,

(That t hey will believe in your religion) meaning, t hat t hese people would obey you They are t he deviant sect of Jews whose fat hers wit nessed t he clear signs but t heir heart s became hard aft erwards. Allah said next ,

(Inspit e of t he fact t hat a part y of t hem (Jewish rabbis) used t o hear t he Word of Allah (t he Tawrah), t hen t hey used t o change it ) meaning, dist ort it s meaning,

(aft er t hey underst ood it ). They underst ood well, yet t hey used t o defy t he t rut h,

(knowingly), being fully aware of t heir erroneous int erpret at ions and corrupt ion. This st at ement is similar t o Allah's st at ement ,

(So, because of t heir violat ion of t heir covenant , We cursed t hem and made t heir heart s grow hard. They change t he words from t heir (right ) places) (5:13). Qat adah comment ed t hat Allah's st at ement ;

(Then t hey used t o change it knowingly aft er t hey underst ood it ) "They are t he Jews who used t o hear Allah's Words and t hen alt er t hem aft er t hey underst ood and comprehended t hem.'' Also, Muj ahid said, "Those who used t o alt er it and conceal it s t rut hs; t hey were t heir scholars.'' Also, Ibn Wahb said t hat Ibn Zayd comment ed,

(used t o hear t he Word of Allah (t he Tawrah), t hen t hey used t o change it ) "They alt ered t he Tawrah t hat Allah revealed t o t hem, making it say t hat t he lawful is unlawful and t he prohibit ed is allowed, and t hat what is right is false and t hat what is false is right . So when a person seeking t he t rut h comes t o t hem wit h a bribe, t hey j udge his case by t he Book of Allah, but when a person comes t o t hem seeking t o do evil wit h a bribe, t hey t ake out t he ot her (dist ort ed) book, in which it is st at ed t hat he is in t he right . When someone comes t o t hem who is not seeking what is right , nor offering t hem bribe, t hen t hey enj oin right eousness on him. This is why Allah said t o t hem,

(Enj oin you Al-Birr (piet y and right eousness and every act of obedience t o Allah) on t he people and you forget (t o pract ise it ) yourselves, while you recit e t he Script ure (t he Tawrah)! Have you t hen no sense) (2:44)''

The Jews knew the Truth of the Prophet , but disbelieved in Him
Allah said next ,

(And when t hey (Jews) meet t hose who believe (Muslims), t hey say, "We believe'', but when t hey meet one anot her in privat e..). Muhammad bin Ishaq report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed,

(And when t hey (Jews) meet t hose who believe (Muslims), t hey say, "We believe'') "They believe t hat Muhammad is t he Messenger of Allah, ` But he was only sent for you (Arabs)''' However, when t hey meet each ot her t hey say, "Do not convey t he news about t his Prophet t o t he Arabs, because you used t o ask Allah t o grant you vict ory over t hem when he came, but he was sent t o t hem (not t o you).'' Allah t hen revealed,


(And when t hey (Jews) meet t hose who believe (Muslims), t hey say, "We believe,'' but when t hey meet one anot her in privat e, t hey say, "Shall you (Jews) t ell t hem (Muslims) what Allah has revealed t o you, t hat t hey (Muslims) may argue wit h you (Jews) about it before your Lord'') meaning, "If you admit t o t hem t hat he is a Prophet , knowing t hat Allah t ook t he covenant from you t o follow him, t hey will know t hat Muhammad is t he Prophet t hat we were wait ing for and whose coming we find foret old of in our Book. Therefore, do not believe in him and deny him.'' Allah said,

(Know t hey (Jews) not t hat Allah knows what t hey conceal and what t hey reveal). Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "When t he Jews met t he believers t hey used t o say, ` We believe.' When t hey met each ot her, some of t hem would say, ` Do not t alk t o t he companions of Muhammad about what Allah has foret old in your Book, so t hat t he news (t hat Muhammad is t he Final Messenger) does not become a proof for t hem against you wit h your Lord, and, t hus, you will win t he disput e.''' Furt her, Abu Al-` Aliyah said about Allah's st at ement ,

(Know t hey (Jews) not t hat Allah knows what t hey conceal and what t hey reveal), "Meaning t heir secret denial and rej ect ion of Muhammad, alt hough t hey find his coming recorded in t heir Book.'' This is also t he Tafsir of Qat adah. Al-Hasan comment ed on,

(That Allah knows what t hey conceal), "What t hey concealed refers t o when t hey were alone wit h each ot her away from t he Companions of Muhammad . Then t hey would forbid each ot her from conveying t he news t hat Allah revealed t o t hem in t heir Book t o t he Companions of Muhammad , fearing t hat t he Companions would use t his news (about t he t rut h of Muhammad ) against t hem before t heir Lord.''


(And what t hey reveal) meaning, when t hey said t o t he Companions of Muhammad ,

(We believe), as Abu Al-` Aliyah, Ar-Rabi` and Qat adah st at ed.

(78. And t here are among t hem (Jews) ` Ummyyun (unlet t ered) people, who know not t he Book, but t hey t rust upon Amani (false desires) and t hey but guess.) (79. Then woe t o t hose who writ e t he book wit h t heir own hands and t hen say, "This is from Allah,'' t o purchase wit h it a lit t le price! Woe t o t hem for what t heir hands have writ t en and woe t o t hem for t hat t hey earn t hereby.)

The Meaning of ` Ummi

Allah said,

(And t here are among t hem Ummyyun people) meaning, among t he People of t he Book, as Muj ahid st at ed. Ummyyun, is plural for Ummi, t hat is, a person who does not writ e, as Abu Al` Aliyah, Ar-Rabi` , Qat adah, Ibrahim An-Nakha` i and ot hers said. This meaning is clarified by Allah's st at ement ,

(Who know not t he Book) meaning, are t hey not aware of what is in it .

Ummi was one of t he descript ions of t he Prophet because he was unlet t ered. For inst ance, Allah said,

(Neit her did you (O Muhammad ) read any book before it (t his Qur'an) nor did you writ e any book (what soever) wit h your right hand. In t hat case, indeed, t he followers of falsehood might have doubt ed) (29:48). Also, t he Prophet said,

(We are an Ummi nat ion, neit her writ ing nor calculat ing. The (lunar) mont h is like t his, t his and t his (i.e. t hirt y or t went y-nine days.) This Hadit h st at ed t hat Muslims do not need t o rely on books, or calculat ions t o decide t he t imings of t heir act s of worship. Allah also said,

(He it is Who sent among t he Ummiyyin ones a Messenger (Muhammad ) from among t hemselves) (62:2).

The Explanation of Amani

Ad-Dahhak said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat Allah's st at ement ,

(But t hey t rust upon Amani) means, "It is j ust a false st at ement t hat t hey ut t er wit h t heir t ongues.'' It was also said t hat Amani means ` wishes and hopes'. Muj ahid comment ed, "Allah described t he Ummiyyin as not underst anding any of t he Book t hat Allah sent down t o Musa, yet t hey creat e lies and falsehood.'' Therefore, t he word Amani ment ioned here refers t o lying and falsehood. Muj ahid said t hat Allah's st at ement ,


(And t hey but guess) means, "They lie.'' Qat adah, Abu Al-` Aliyah and Ar-Rabi` said t hat it means, "They have evil false ideas about Allah.''

Woe unto Those Criminals among the Jews

Allah said,

(Then Waylun (woe) t o t hose who writ e t he book wit h t heir own hands and t hen say, "This is from Allah,'' t o purchase wit h it a lit t le price!). This is anot her cat egory of people among t he Jews who called t o misguidance wit h falsehood and lies about Allah, t hriving on unj ust ly amassing people's propert y. ` Waylun (woe)' carries meanings of dest ruct ion and perishing, and it is a well-known word in t he Arabic language. AzZuhri said t hat ` Ubadydullah bin ` Abdullah narrat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "O Muslims! How could you ask t he People of t he Book about anyt hing, while t he Book of Allah (Qur'an) t hat He revealed t o His Prophet is t he most recent Book from Him and you st ill read it fresh and young Allah t old you t hat t he People of t he Book alt ered t he Book of Allah, changed it and wrot e anot her book wit h t heir own hands. They t hen said, ` This book is from Allah,' so t hat t hey acquired a small profit by it . Hasn't t he knowledge t hat came t o you prohibit ed you from asking t hem By Allah! We have not seen any of t hem asking you about what was revealed t o you.'' This Hadit h was also collect ed by Al-Bukhari. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "The lit t le amount here means t his life and all t hat it cont ains.'' Allah's st at ement ,

(Woe t o t hem for what t heir hands have writ t en and woe t o t hem for t hat t hey earn t hereby) means, "Woe t o t hem because of what t hey have writ t en wit h t heir own hands, t he lies, falsehood and alt erat ions. Woe t o t hem because of t he propert y t hat t hey unj ust ly acquired.'' Ad-Dahhak said t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed,

(Woe t o t hem), "Means t he t orment will be t heirs because of t he lies t hat t hey wrot e wit h t heir own hands,

(And woe t o t hem for t hat t hey earn t hereby), which t hey unj ust ly acquired from people, be t hey commoners or ot herwise.''

(80. And t hey (Jews) say, "The Fire shall not t ouch us but for a few numbered days.'' Say (O Muhammad t o t hem): "Have you t aken a covenant from Allah, so t hat Allah will not break His covenant Or is it t hat you say of Allah what you know not '')

The Jews hope They will only remain in the Fire for a Few Days
Allah ment ioned t he claim of t he Jews, t hat t he Fire will only t ouch t hem for a few days, and t hen t hey will be saved from it . Allah refut ed t his claim by saying,

(Say (O Muhammad t o t hem): "Have you t aken a covenant from Allah'). Hence, t he Ayah proclaims, ` if you had a promise from Allah for t hat , t hen Allah will never break His promise. However, such promise never exist ed. Rat her, what you say, about Allah, you have no knowledge of and you t hus ut t er a lie about Him.' Al-` Awfi said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said about t he Ayah,

(And t hey (Jews) say, "The Fire shall not t ouch us but for a few numbered days.''). "The Jews said, ` The Fire will only t ouch us for fort y days.''' Ot hers added t hat t his was t he period during which t he Jews worshipped t he calf. Also, Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr bin Marduwyah report ed Abu Hurayrah saying,

. :

: :

. : :

: :

: :

. :

: :

: :


: . (When Khaybar was conquered, a roast ed poisoned sheep was present ed t o t he Prophet as a gift (by t he Jews). The Messenger of Allah ordered, ` Assemble before me all t he Jews who were here.' The Jews were summoned and t he Prophet said (t o t hem), ` Who is your fat her' They replied, ` So-and-so.' He said, ` You have lied; your fat her is so-and-so.' They said, ` You have ut t ered t he t rut h.' He said, ` Will you now t ell me t he t rut h, if I ask you about somet hing' They replied, ` Yes, O Abul-Qasim; and if we should t ell a lie, you will know our lie as you have about our fat hers.' On t hat he asked, ` Who are t he people of t he (Hell) Fire' They said, ` We shall remain in t he (Hell) Fire for a short period, and aft er t hat you will replace us in it .' The Prophet said, ` May you be cursed and humiliat ed in it ! By Allah, we shall never replace you in it .' Then he asked, ` Will you t ell me t he t rut h if I ask you a quest ion' They said, ` Yes, O AbulQasim.' He asked, ` Have you poisoned t his sheep' They said, ` Yes.' He asked, ` What made you do so' They said, ` We want ed t o know if you were a liar, in which case we would get rid of you, and if you were a Prophet t hen t he poison would not harm you.') Imam Ahmad, Al-Bukhari and An-Nasa'i recorded similarly.

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(81. Yes! Whosoever earns evil and his sin has surrounded him, t hey are dwellers of t he Fire (i.e. Hell); t hey will dwell t herein forever). (82. And t hose who believe and do right eous good deeds, t hey are dwellers of Paradise, t hey will dwell t herein forever.) Allah says, t he mat t er is not as you have wished and hoped it t o be. Rat her, whoever does an evil deed and abides purposefully in his error, coming on t he Day of Resurrect ion wit h no good deeds, only evil deeds, t hen he will be among t he people of t he Fire.

(And t hose who believe and do right eous good deeds) meaning, "They believe in Allah and His Messenger and perform t he good deeds t hat conform wit h t he Islamic Law. They shall be among t he people of Paradise.'' Allah said in a similar st at ement ,

 -
(It will not be in accordance wit h your desires (Muslims), nor t hose of t he People of t he Script ure (Jews and Christ ians), whosoever works evil, will have t he recompense t hereof, and he will not find any prot ect or or helper besides Allah. And whoever does right eous good deeds, male or female, and is a (t rue) believer in t he Oneness of Allah (Muslim) , such will ent er Paradise and not t he least inj ust ice, even t he size of a Naqira (speck on t he back of a dat e st one), will be done t o t hem) (4: 123-124). Also, Abu Hurayrah, Abu Wa'il, ` At a', and Al-Hasan said t hat ,

(And his sin has surrounded him) means, "His Shirk (polyt heism) has surrounded him.'' Also, AlA` mash report ed from Abu Razin t hat Ar-Rabi` bin Khut haym said,

(And his sin has surrounded him), "Whoever dies before repent ing from his wrongs.'' As-Suddi and Abu Razin said similarly. Abu Al-` Aliyah, Muj ahid, Al-Hasan, Qat adah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said t hat ,

(And his sin has surrounded him) refers t o maj or sins. All of t hese st at ement s carry similar meanings, and Allah knows best .

When Small Sins gather, They bring about Destruction

Here we should ment ion t he Hadit h t hat Imam Ahmad recorded, in which ` Abdullah bin Mas` ud said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,


(Beware of t he belit t led sins, because t hey gat her on a person unt il t hey dest roy him.) He t hen said t hat t he Messenger of Allah gave t hem an example,

(This is t he example of people who set up camp on a flat land, and t hen t heir servant s came. One of t hem collect ed some wood and anot her man collect ed some wood unt il t hey collect ed a great deal. They t hen st art ed a fire and cooked what t hey put on it .) Muhammad bin Ishaq report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ,

(And t hose who believe and do right eous good deeds, t hey are dwellers of Paradise, t hey will dwell t herein forever) "Whoever believes in what you (Jews) did not believe in and implement s what you refrained from implement ing of Muhammad's religion, shall acquire Paradise for et ernit y. Allah st at ed t hat t he recompense for good or evil works shall remain wit h it s people for et ernit y. ''


(83. And (remember) when We t ook a covenant from t he Children of Israel, (saying): Worship none but Allah (alone) and be dut iful and good t o parent s, and t o kindred, and t o orphans and (t he poor), and speak good t o people and perform As-Salah and give Zakah. Then you slid back, except a few of you, while you are backsliders.)

The Covenant that Allah took from the Children of Israel

Allah reminded t he Children of Israel of t he commandment s t hat He gave t hem, and t he covenant s t hat He t ook from t hem t o abide by t hose commands, and how t hey int ent ionally and knowingly t urned away from all of t hat . Allah commanded t hem t o worship Him and t o associat e none wit h Him in worship, j ust as He has commanded all of His creat ures, for t his is why Allah creat ed t hem. Allah said,

(And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad ) but We revealed t o him (saying): La ilaha illa Ana none has t he right t o be worshipped but I (Allah) , so worship Me (alone and none else)) (21:25), and,

(And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (communit y, nat ion) a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allah (alone), and avoid t he Taghut (all false deit ies,)) (16:36). This is t he highest and most import ant right , t hat is, Allah's right t hat He be worshipped alone wit hout part ners. Aft er t hat comes t he right of t he creat ures, foremost , t he right of t he parent s. Allah usually ment ions t he right s of t he parent s along wit h His right s. For inst ance, Allah said,

(Give t hanks t o Me and t o your parent s. Unt o Me is t he final dest inat ion) (31:14). Also, Allah said,


(And your Lord has decreed t hat you worship none but Him. And t hat you be dut iful t o your parent s) (17:23), unt il,

(And give t o t he kinsman his due and t o t he Miskin (poor) and t o t he wayfarer) (17:26). The Two Sahihs record t hat Ibn Mas` ud said,

: : : : : :
(I said, ` O Messenger of Allah! What is t he best deed' He said, ` Performing t he prayer on t ime.' I said, 'Then what ' He said, ` Being kind t o one's parent s.' I said, ` Then what ' He said, ` Jihad in t he cause of Allah.') Allah t hen said,


(and t o orphans) meaning, t he young who have no fat hers t o fend for t hem.

(and Al-Masakin (t he poor)), plural for Miskin, t he one who does not find what he needs t o spend on himself and his family. We will discuss t hese cat egories when we explain t he Ayah of Surat An-Nisa` where Allah said,

(Worship Allah and j oin none wit h Him (in worship); and do good t o parent s) (4:36). Allah's st at ement ,

(and speak good t o people) meaning, say good words t o t hem and be lenient wit h t hem, t his includes commanding good and forbidding evil. Al-Hasan Al-Basri comment ed on Allah's st at ement ,

(and speak good t o people), ".` The good saying' means commanding good and forbidding evil, and being pat ient and forgiving. The ` good words t o people', as Allah commanded, also includes every good t ype of behavior t hat Allah is pleased wit h.'' Imam Ahmad narrat ed t hat Abu Dharr said t hat t he Prophet said,

(Do not belit t le any form of right eousness, and even if you did not find any good deed except meet ing your brot her wit h a smiling face, t hen do so.) This Hadit h was also collect ed by Muslim in his Sahih and At -Tirmidhi, who graded it Sahih.

Allah commands t he servant s t o say good words t o people, aft er He commanded t hem t o be kind t o t hem, t hereby ment ioning t wo cat egories of manners: good speech and good act ions. He t hen emphasized t he command t o worship Him and t he command t o do good, ordaining t he prayer and t he Zakah,

(and perform As-Salah and give Zakah). Allah informed us t hat t he People of t he Book, except for a few among t hem, ignored t hese orders, t hat is, t hey knowingly and int ent ionally abandoned t hem. Allah ordered t his Ummah similarly in Surat An-Nisa' when He said,

(Worship Allah and j oin none wit h Him (in worship); and do good t o parent s, kinsfolk, orphans, Al-Masakin (t he poor), t he neighbor who is near of kin, t he neighbor who is a st ranger, t he companion by your side, t he wayfarer (you meet ), and t hose (servant s) whom your right hands possess. Verily, Allah does not like such as are proud and boast ful) (4:36). Of t hese orders, t his Ummah has pract iced what no ot her nat ion before it has, and all praise is due t o Allah.

 -
(84. And (remember) when We t ook your covenant (saying): Shed not t he blood of your (people), nor t urn out your own people from t heir dwellings. Then, (t his) you rat ified and (t o t his) you bore wit ness.) (85. Aft er t his, it is you who kill one anot her and drive out a part y of you from t heir homes, assist (t heir enemies) against t hem, in sin and t ransgression. And if t hey come t o you as capt ives, you ransom t hem, alt hough t heir expulsion was forbidden t o you. Then do you believe in a part of t he Book and rej ect t he rest Then what is t he recompense of t hose who do so among you, except disgrace in t he life of t his world, and on t he Day of Resurrect ion t hey shall be consigned t o t he most grievous t orment . And Allah is not unaware of what you do.) (86. Those are t hey who have bought t he life of t his world at t he price of t he Hereaft er. Their t orment shall not be light ened nor shall t hey be helped.)

The Terms of the Covenant and their Breach of It

Allah crit icized t he Jews who lived in Al-Madinah during t he t ime of t he Messenger of Allah . They used t o suffer, because of t he armed conflict s bet ween t he t ribes of Al-Madinah, Aws and Khazraj . Before Islam, t he Aws and Khazraj worshipped idols, and many bat t les t ook place bet ween t hem. There were t hree Jewish t ribes in Al-Madinah at t hat t ime, Banu Qaynuqa` and Banu An-Nadir, t he allies of t he Khazraj , and Banu Qurayzah, who used t o be t he allies of t he Aws. When war erupt ed bet ween Aws and Khazraj , t heir Jewish allies would assist t hem. The Jew would kill his Arab enemy, and somet imes t hey also killed Jews who were t he allies of t he ot her Arab t ribe, alt hough t he Jews were prohibit ed from killing each ot her according t o clear religious t ext s in t heir Books. They would also drive each ot her from t heir homes and loot what ever furnit ure and money t hey could. When t he war ended, t he vict orious Jews would release t he prisoners from t he defeat ed part y, according t o t he rulings of t he Tawrah. This is why Allah said,

(Then do you believe in a part of t he Script ure and rej ect t he rest ) Allah said,


(And (remember) when We t ook your covenant (saying): Shed not t he blood of your (people), nor t urn out your own people from t heir dwellings.) meaning, "Do not kill each ot her, nor expel one anot her from t heir homes, nor part icipat e in fight ing against t hem.'' Allah ment ioned t he word ` your own' here, j ust as He said in anot her Ayah.

(So t urn in repent ance t o your Creat or and kill yourselves, t hat will be bet t er for you wit h your Creat or) (2:54) because t he followers of one religion are j ust like one soul. Also, t he Messenger of Allah said,

(The example of t he believers in t heir kindness, mercy and sympat hy t o each ot her is t he example of one body, when an organ of it falls ill, t he rest of t he body rushes t o it s aid in fever and sleeplessness.) Allah's st at ement ,

(Then, (t his) you rat ified and (t o t his) you bore wit ness.) means, "You t est ified t hat you know of t he covenant and t hat you were wit nesses t o it .''

(Aft er t his, it is you who kill one anot her and drive out a part y of you from t heir homes). Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed on t he Ayah,


(Aft er t his, it is you who kill one anot her and drive out a part y of you from t heir homes) "Allah ment ioned what t hey were doing, and t hat in t he Tawrah He had prohibit ed t hem from shedding each ot her's blood, and required t hem t o free t heir prisoners. Now t hey were divided int o t wo camps in Al-Madinah, Banu Qaynuqa` , who were t he allies of t he Khazraj , and AnNadir and Qurayzah, who were t he allies of t he Aws. When fight ing erupt ed bet ween Aws and Khazraj , Banu Qaynuqa` would fight along wit h t he Khazraj , while Banu An-Nadir and Qurayzah would fight along wit h t he Aws. Each Jewish camp would fight against t heir Jewish bret hren from t he ot her camp. They would shed each ot her's blood, alt hough t hey had t he Tawrah wit h t hem, and t hey knew t heir right s and dues. Meanwhile, t he Aws and Khazraj were polyt heist s who worshipped idols. They did not know about Paradise, t he Fire, Resurrect ion, Divine Books t he lawful and prohibit ed. When t he war would end, t he Jews would ransom t heir prisoners and implement t he Tawrah. Consequent ly, Banu Qaynuqa` would ransom t heir prisoners who were capt ured by t he Aws, while Banu An-Nadir and Qurayzah would ransom t heir prisoners who were capt ured by t he Khazraj . They would also ask for blood money. During t hese wars, t hey would kill whomever (Jews or Arabs) t hey could, while helping t he polyt heist s against t heir bret hren. Therefore, Allah reminded t hem of t his when He said,

(Then do you believe in a part of t he Script ure and rej ect t he rest ) This Ayah means, ` Do you ransom t hem according t o t he rulings of t he Tawrah, yet kill t hem while t he Tawrah forbade you from killing t hem and from expelling t hem from t heir homes The Tawrah also commanded t hat you should not aid t he polyt heist s and t hose who associat e wit h Allah in t he worship against your bret hren. You do all t his t o acquire t he life of t his world.' I was informed t hat t he behavior of t he Jews regarding t he Aws and Khazraj was t he reason behind revealing t hese Ayat .'' These noble Ayat crit icized t he Jews for implement ing t he Tawrah somet imes and defying it at ot her t imes, alt hough t hey believed in t he Tawrah and knew what t hey were doing was wrong. This is why t hey should not be t rust ed t o preserve or convey t he Tawrah. Furt her, t hey should not be believed when it comes t o t he descript ion of t he Messenger of Allah , his coming, his expulsion from his land, and his Hij rah, and t he rest of t he informat ion t hat t he previous Prophet s informed t hem about him, all of which t hey hid. The Jews, may t hey suffer t he curse of Allah, hid all of t hese fact s among t hemselves, and t his is why Allah said,

(Then what is t he recompense of t hose who do so among you, except disgrace in t he life of t his world), because t hey defied Allah's Law and commandment s,


(And on t he Day of Resurrect ion t hey shall be consigned t o t he most grievous t orment ) as punishment for defying t he Book of Allah t hat t hey had.

(And Allah is not unaware of what you do. Those are t hey who have bought t he life of t his world at t he price of t he Hereaft er) meaning, t hey prefer t his life t o t he Hereaft er. Therefore,

(Their t orment shall not be light ened) not even for an hour,

(Nor shall t hey be helped), and t hey shall find no helper who will save t hem from t he et ernal t orment t hey will suffer, nor shall t hey find any t o grant t hem refuge from it .

(87. And indeed, We gave Musa t he Book and followed him up wit h a succession of Messengers. And We gave ` Isa, t he son of Maryam, clear signs and support ed him wit h Ruh-il-Qudus. Is it t hat whenever t here came t o you a Messenger wit h what you yourselves desired not , you grew arrogant Some you disbelieved and some you killed.)

The Arrogance of the Jews who denied and killed Their Prophets

and desires. Allah ment ioned t hat He gave Musa t he Book, t he Tawrah, and t hat t he Jews changed, dist ort ed, and defied it s commands, as well as alt ered it s meanings. Allah sent Messengers and Prophet s aft er Musa who followed his law, as Allah st at ed,

(Verily, We did reveal t he Tawrah (t o Musa), t herein was guidance and light , by which t he Prophet s, who submit t ed t hemselves t o Allah's will, j udged for t he Jews. And t he rabbis and t he priest s (t oo j udged for t he Jews by t he Tawrah aft er t hose Prophet s), for t o t hem was ent rust ed t he prot ect ion of Allah's Book, and t hey were wit nesses t heret o) (5:44). This is why Allah said here,

(And Qaffayna him wit h Messengers). As-Suddi said t hat Abu Malik said t hat Qaffayna means, "Succeeded'', while ot hers said, "Followed". Bot h meanings are plausible, since Allah said,

(Then We sent Our Messengers in succession) (23:44). Thereaft er, Allah sent t he last Prophet among t he Children of Israel, ` Isa t he son of Mary, who was sent wit h some laws t hat differed wit h some in t he Tawrah. This is why Allah also sent miracles t o support ` Isa. These included bringing t he dead back t o life, forming t he shape of birds from clay and blowing int o t hem, aft erwhich t hey became living birds by Allah's leave, healing t he sick and foret elling t he Unseen, as Ibn ` Abbas st at ed. Allah also aided him wit h Ruh Al-Qudus, and t hat refers t o Jibril. All of t hese signs t est ified t o t he t rut hfulness of ` Isa and what he was sent wit h. Yet , t he Children of Israel became more defiant and envious of him and did not want t o differ wit h even one part of t he Tawrah, as Allah said about ` Isa,


(And t o make lawful t o you part of what was forbidden t o you, and I have come t o you wit h a proof from your Lord) (3:50). Hence, t he Children of Israel t reat ed t he Prophet s in t he worst manner, rej ect ing some of t hem and killing some of t hem. All of t his occurred because t he Prophet s used t o command t he Jews wit h what differed from t heir desires and opinions. The Prophet s also upheld t he rulings of t he Tawrah t hat t he Jews had changed, and t his is why it was difficult for t hem t o believe in t hese Prophet s. Therefore, t hey rej ect ed t he Prophet s and killed some of t hem. Allah said,

(Is it t hat whenever t here came t o you a Messenger wit h what you yourselves desired not ,you grew arrogant Some you disbelieved and some you kill).

Jibril is Ruh Al-Qudus

The proof t hat Jibril is t he Ruh Al-Qudus is t he st at ement of Ibn Mas` ud in explanat ion of t his Ayah. This is also t he view of Ibn ` Abbas, Muhammad bin Ka` b, Isma` il bin Khalid, As-Suddi, ArRabi` bin Anas, ` At iyah Al-` Awfi and Qat adah. Addit ionally, Allah said,

-
(Which t he t rust wort hy Ruh (Jibril) has brought down. Upon your heart (O Muhammad ) t hat you may be (one) of t he warners) (26:193-194). Al-Bukhari recorded ` A'ishah saying t hat t he Messenger of Allah erect ed a Minbar in t he Masj id on which Hassan bin Thabit (t he renowned poet ) used t o defend t he Messenger of Allah (wit h his poems). The Messenger of Allah said,

(O Allah! Aid Hassan wit h Ruh Al-Qudus, for he defended Your Prophet .) Abu Dawud recorded t his Hadit h in his Sunan as did At -Tirmidhi who graded it Hasan Sahih. Furt her, Ibn Hibban recorded in his Sahih t hat Ibn Mas` ud said t hat t he Prophet said,

(Ruh Al-Qudus informed me t hat no soul shall die unt il it finishes it s set provisions and t erm limit . Therefore, have Taqwa of Allah and seek your sust enance in t he most suit able way.)

The Jews tried to kill the Prophet

Az-Zamakhshari comment ed on Allah's st at ement ,

(Some you disbelieved and some you kill), "Allah did not say ` killed' here, because t he Jews would st ill t ry t o kill t he Prophet in t he fut ure, using poison and magic.'' During t he illness t hat preceded his deat h, t he Prophet said,

(I kept feeling t he effect of what I at e (from t he poisoned sheep) during t he day of Khaybar, unt il now, when it is t he t ime t hat t he aort a will be cut off (meaning when deat h is near).) This Hadit h was collect ed by Al-Bukhari and ot hers

(88. And t hey say, "Our heart s are Ghulf.'' Nay, Allah has cursed t hem for t heir disbelief, so lit t le is t hat which t hey believe.)

Muhammad bin Ishaq report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ,

(And t hey say, "Our heart s are Ghulf.''), means, "Our heart s are screened.'' Muj ahid also said t hat ,

(And t hey say, "Our heart s are Ghulf.''), means, "They are covered.''` Ikrimah said, "There is a st amp on t hem.'' Abu Al-` Aliyah said, "They do not comprehend.'' Muj ahid and Qat adah said t hat Ibn ` Abbas read t he Ayah in a way t hat means, "Our heart s cont ain every t ype of knowledge and do not need t he knowledge t hat you (O Muhammad) have.'' This is t he opinion of ` At a' and Ibn ` Abbas.

(Nay, Allah has cursed t hem for t heir disbelief) meaning, "Allah expelled t hem and deprived t hem of every t ype of right eousness.'' Qat adah said t hat t he Ayah,

(So lit t le is t hat which t hey believe.) means, "Only a few of t hem believe.'' Allah's st at ement ,

(And t hey say, "Our heart s are Ghulf .'') is similar t o His st at ement ,

(And t hey say: "Our heart s are under coverings (screened) from t hat t o which you invit e us) (41:5). This is why Allah said here,

(Nay, Allah has cursed t hem for t heir disbelief, so lit t le is t hat which t hey believe.) meaning, "It is not as t hey claim. Rat her, t heir heart s are cursed and st amped,'' j ust as Allah said in Surat An-Nisa' (4:155),

(And of t heir saying: "Our heart s are wrapped (wit h coverings, i.e. we do not underst and what t he Messengers say) nay, Allah has set a seal upon t heir heart s because of t heir disbelief, so t hey believe not but a lit t le.) There is a difference of opinion regarding t he meaning of Allah's st at ement ,

(So lit t le is t hat which t hey believe.) and His st at ement ,

(So t hey believe not except a few). Some scholars said t hat t he Ayat indicat e t hat a few of t hem would believe, or t hat t heir fait h is minut e, because t hey believe in Resurrect ion and in Allah's reward and punishment t hat Musa foret old. Yet , t his fait h will not benefit t hem since it is overshadowed by t heir disbelief in what Muhammad brought t hem. Some scholars said t hat t he Jews did not act ually believe in anyt hing and t hat Allah said,

(So lit t le is t hat which t hey believe), meaning, t hey do not believe. This meaning is similar t o t he Arabic expression, "Hardly have I seen anyt hing like t his,'' meaning, "I have never seen anyt hing like t his.''

(89. And when t here came t o t hem (t he Jews), a Book (t his Qur'an) from Allah confirming what is wit h t hem (t he Tawrah) and t he Inj il (Gospel), alt hough aforet ime t hey had invoked Allah (for t he coming of Muhammad ) in order t o gain vict ory over t hose who disbelieved, t hen when t here came t o t hem t hat which t hey had recognised, t hey disbelieved in it . So let t he curse of Allah be on t he disbelievers.)

The Jews were awaiting the Prophet's coming, but They disbelieved in Him when He was sent
Allah said,

(And when t here came t o t hem) meaning, t he Jews,

(a Book from Allah) meaning, t he Qur'an t hat Allah sent down t o Muhammad,

(confirming what is wit h t hem) meaning, t he Tawrah. Furt her, Allah said,

(alt hough aforet ime t hey had invoked Allah (for coming of Muhammad ) in order t o gain vict ory over t hose who disbelieved) meaning, before t his Messenger came t o t hem, t hey used t o ask Allah t o aid t hem by his arrival, against t heir polyt heist ic enemies in war. They used t o say t o t he polyt heist s, "A Prophet shall be sent j ust before t he end of t his world and we, along wit h him, shall ext erminat e you, j ust as t he nat ions of ` Ad and Iram were ext erminat ed.'' Also, Muhammad bin Ishaq narrat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "The Jews used t o invoke Allah (for t he coming of Muhammad ) in order t o gain vict ory over t he Aws and Khazraj , before t he Prophet was sent . When Allah sent him t o t he Arabs, t hey rej ect ed him and denied what t hey used t o say about him. Hence, Mu` adh bin Jabal and Bishr bin Al-Bara' bin Ma` rur, from Bani Salamah, said t o t hem, ` O Jews! Fear Allah and embrace Islam. You used t o invoke Allah for t he coming of Muhammad when we were st ill disbelievers and you used t o t ell us t hat he would come and describe him t o us,' Salam bin Mushkim from Bani An-Nadir replied, ` He did not bring anyt hing t hat we recognize. He is not t he Prophet we t old you about .' Allah t hen revealed t his Ayah about t heir st at ement ,


(And when t here came t o t hem (t he Jews), a Book (t his Qur'an) from Allah confirming what is wit h t hem (t he Tawrah) and t he Inj il (Gospel)).''' Abu Al-` Aliyah said, "The Jews used t o ask Allah t o send Muhammad so t hat t hey would gain vict ory over t he Arab disbelievers. They used t o say, ` O Allah! Send t he Prophet t hat we read about - in t he Tawrah - so t hat we can t orment and kill t he disbelievers alongside him.' When Allah sent Muhammad and t hey saw t hat he was not one of t hem, t hey rej ect ed him and envied t he Arabs, even t hough t hey knew t hat he was t he Messenger of Allah. Hence, Allah said,

(Then when t here came t o t hem t hat which t hey had recognized, t hey disbelieved in it . So let t he curse of Allah be on t he disbelievers). ''

(90. How bad is t hat for which t hey have sold t heir own selves, t hat t hey should disbelieve in t hat which Allah has revealed (t he Qur'an), grudging t hat Allah should reveal of His grace unt o whom He wills of His servant s. So t hey have drawn on t hemselves wrat h upon wrat h. And for t he disbelievers, t here is disgracing t orment .) Muj ahid said,

(How bad is t hat for which t hey have sold t heir own selves), "The Jews sold t he t rut h for falsehood and hid t he t rut h about Muhammad .'' As-Suddi said t hat t he Ayah,


(How bad is t hat for which t hey have sold t heir own selves) means, "The Jews sold t hemselves.'' meaning, what is worse is what t hey chose for t hemselves by disbelieving in what Allah revealed t o Muhammad inst ead of believing, aiding and support ing him. This behavior of t heirs is t he result of t heir inj ust ice, envy and hat red,

(grudging t hat Allah should reveal of His grace unt o whom He wills of His servant s). '' There is no envy worse t han t his. Therefore,

(So t hey have drawn on t hemselves wrat h upon wrat h). Ibn ` Abbas comment ed on t his Ayah, "Allah became angry wit h t hem because t hey ignored some of t he Tawrah and disbelieved in t he Prophet t hat He sent t o t hem.'' I (Ibn Kat hir) say t hat t he meaning of,

(And t hey drew on t hemselves) is t hat t hey deserved and acquired mult iplied anger. Also, Abu Al-` Aliyah said, "Allah became angry wit h t hem, because of t heir disbelief in t he Inj il and ` Isa and He became angry wit h t hem again, because t hey disbelieved in Muhammad and t he Qur'an.'' Similar was said by ` Ikrimah and Qat adah. Allah said,

(And for t he disbelievers, t here is disgracing t orment ). Since t heir disbelief was a result of t heir t ransgression and envy, which was caused by arrogance, t hey were punished wit h disgrace and humiliat ion in t his world and t he Hereaft er. Similarly, Allah said,

(Verily, t hose who scorn My worship (i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness) t hey will surely ent er Hell in humiliat ion!'') (40:60) meaning, "Disgraced, degraded and

humiliat ed.'' Imam Ahmad narrat ed t hat ` Amr bin Shu` ayb said t hat his fat her said t hat his grandfat her said t hat t he Prophet said,

.
(The arrogant people will be gat hered on t he Day of Resurrect ion in t he size of ant s, but in t he shape of men. Everyt hing shall be above t hem, because of t he humiliat ion placed on t hem, unt il t hey ent er a prison in Jahannam called ` Bawlas' where t he fire will surround t hem from above. They shall drink from t he puss of t he people of t he Fire.)

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(91. And when it is said t o t hem (t he Jews), "Believe in what Allah has sent down,'' t hey say, "We believe in what was sent down t o us.'' And t hey disbelieve in t hat which came aft er it , while it is t he t rut h confirming what is wit h t hem. Say (O Muhammad t o t hem): "Why t hen have you killed t he Prophet s of Allah af oret ime, if you indeed have been believers'') (92. And indeed Musa came t o you wit h clear proofs, yet you worshipped t he calf aft er he left , and you were Zalimun.)

Although The Jews denied the Truth, They claimed to be Believers!

Allah said,

(And when it is said t o t hem), meaning, t he Jews and t he People of t he Book,

(Believe in what Allah has sent down) t o Muhammad , believe in and follow him,

(They say, "We believe in what was sent down t o us.'') meaning, it is enough for us t o believe in what was revealed t o us in t he Tawrah and t he Inj il, and t his is t he pat h t hat we choose,

(And t hey disbelieve in t hat which came aft er it ).

(while it is t he t rut h confirming what is wit h t hem) meaning, while knowing t hat what was revealed t o Muhammad ,

(it is t he t rut h confirming what is wit h t hem). This means t hat since what was sent t o Muhammad conforms t o what was revealed t o t he People of t he Book, t hen t his fact const it ut es a proof against t hem. Similarly, Allah said,

(Those t o whom We gave t he Script ure (Jews and Christ ians) recognize him (Muhammad ) as t hey recognize t heir sons) (2:146). Allah said next ,


("Why t hen have you killed t he Prophet s of Allah aforet ime, if you indeed have been believers''). This means, "If your claim t hat you believe in what was revealed t o you is t rue, t hen why did you kill t he Prophet s who came t o you affirming t he Tawrah's Law, alt hough you knew t hey were t rue Prophet s You killed t hem simply out of t ransgression, st ubbornness and inj ust ice wit h Allah's Messengers. Therefore, you only follow your lust s, opinions and desires.'' Similarly, Allah said,

(Is it t hat whenever t here came t o you a Messenger wit h what you yourselves desired not , you grew arrogant Some you disbelieved and some you killed.) Also, As-Suddi said, "In t his Ayah, Allah chast ised t he People of t he Book,

(Say (O Muhammad t o t hem): "Why t hen have you killed t he Prophet s of Allah aforet ime, if you indeed have been believers'').''

(And indeed Musa came t o you wit h clear proofs) meaning, wit h clear signs and clear proofs t hat he was t he Messenger of Allah and t hat t here is no deit y wort hy of worship except Allah. The clear signs -or miracles- ment ioned here are t he flood, t he locust s, t he lice, t he frogs, t he blood, t he st aff and t he hand. Musa's miracles also include part ing t he sea, shading t he Jews wit h clouds, t he manna and quails, t he gushing st one, et c.

(yet you worshipped t he calf) meaning, as a deit y inst ead of Allah, during t he t ime of Musa. Allah's st at ement ,


(aft er he left ) aft er Musa went t o Mount Tur t o speak t o Allah. Similarly, Allah said,

(And t he people of Musa made in his absence, out of t heir ornament s, t he image of a calf (for worship). It had a sound (as if it was mooing)) (7:148).

(and you were Zalimun) meaning, you were unj ust in t his behavior of worshipping t he calf, alt hough you knew t hat t here is no deit y wort hy of worship except Allah. Similarly, Allah said,

(And when t hey regret t ed and saw t hat t hey had gone ast ray, t hey (repent ed and) said: "If our Lord have not mercy upon us and forgive us, we shall cert ainly be of t he losers'') (7:149).

(93. And (remember) when We t ook your covenant and We raised above you t he Mount (saying), "Hold firmly t o what We have given you and hear (Our Word).'' They said, "We have heard and disobeyed.'' And t heir heart s absorbed (t he worship of) t he calf because of t heir disbelief. Say: "Worst indeed is t hat which your fait h enj oins on you if you are believers.'')

The Jews rebel after Allah took Their Covenant and raised the Mountain above Their Heads
Allah reminded t he Jews of t heir errors, breaking His covenant , t ransgression and defiance, when He raised Mount Tur above t hem so t hat t hey would believe and agree t o t he t erms of t he covenant . Yet , t hey broke it soon aft erwards,

(They said, "We have heard and disobeyed.'') We have ment ioned t he Tafsir of t his subj ect before. ` Abdur-Razzaq said t hat Ma` mar narrat ed t hat Qat adah said t hat ,

(And t heir heart s absorbed (t he worship of) t he calf) means, "They absorbed it s love, unt il it s love resided in t heir heart s.'' This is also t he opinion of Abu Al-` Aliyah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas. Allah's st at ement ,

(Say: "Worst indeed is t hat which your fait h enj oins on you if you are believers.'') means, "Worse yet is t he manner in which you behaved in t he past and even now, disbelieving in Allah's Ayat and defying t he Prophet s. You also disbelieved in Muhammad , which is t he worst of your deeds and t he harshest sin t hat you commit t ed. You disbelieved in t he Final Messenger and t he mast er of all Prophet s and Messengers, t he one who was sent t o all mankind. How can you t hen claim t hat you believe, while commit t ing t he evil of breaking Allah's covenant , disbelieving in Allah's Ayat and worshipping t he calf inst ead of Allah"

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(94. Say t o (t hem): "If t he abode of t he Hereaft er wit h Allah is indeed for you especially and not for ot hers of mankind, t hen long for deat h if you are t rut hful.'') (95. But t hey will never long for it because of what t heir hands have sent before t hem (i.e. what t hey have done). And Allah is Aware of t he Zalimin .) (96. And verily, you will find t hem (t he Jews) t he greediest of mankind for life and (even greedier) t han t hose who ascribe part ners t o Allah. One of t hem wishes t hat he could be given a life of a t housand years. But t he grant of such life will not save him even a lit t le from (due) punishment . And Allah is Seer of what t hey do.)

Calling the Jews to invoke Allah to destroy the Unjust Party

Muhammad bin Ishaq narrat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Allah said t o His Prophet ,

(Say t o (t hem): "If t he home of t he Hereaft er wit h Allah is indeed for you especially and not for ot hers, of mankind, t hen long for deat h if you are t rut hful.'') meaning, ` Invoke Allah t o bring deat h t o t he lying camp among t he t wo (Muslims and Jews).' The Jews declined t his offer by t he Messenger of Allah .''

(But t hey will never long for it because of what t heir hands have sent before t hem (i.e. what t hey have done). And Allah is Aware of t he Zalimin (polyt heist s and wrongdoers).) meaning, "Since t hey know t hat t hey recognize you, and yet disbelieve in you.'' Had t hey wished deat h t hat day, no Jew would have remained alive on t he face of t he eart h. Moreover, Ad-Dahhak said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ,

(Then long for deat h), means, "Invoke (Allah) for deat h.'' Also, ` Abdur-Razzaq narrat ed t hat ` Ikrimah said t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed,


(Then long for deat h if you are t rut hful), "Had t he Jews invoked Allah for deat h, t hey would have perished.'' Also, Ibn Abi Hat im recorded Sa` id bin Jubayr saying t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Had t he Jews asked for deat h, one of t hem would have choked on his own saliva.'' These st at ement s have aut hent ic chains of narrat ion up t o Ibn ` Abbas. Furt her, Ibn Jarir said in his Tafsir, "We were t old t hat t he Prophet said,

(Had t he Jews wished for deat h, t hey would have died and seen t heir seat s in t he Fire. And, t hose who invoked such curse against Allah's Messenger would have found no families or propert y had t hey ret urned t o t heir homes).'' Similar t o t his Ayah is Allah's st at ement in Surat Al-Jumu` ah,

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((Say (O Muhammad ): "O you Jews! If you pret end t hat you are friends of Allah, t o t he exclusion of (all) ot her mankind, t hen long for deat h if you are t rut hful. ''But t hey will never long for it (deat h), because of what (deeds) t heir hands have sent before t hem! And Allah knows well t he Zalimin. Say (t o t hem): "Verily, t he deat h from which you flee will surely meet you, t hen you will be sent back t o (Allah) t he Knower of t he unseen and t he seen, and He will t ell you what you used t o do.'') (62:6-8).

So t hey claimed t hat t hey are Allah's sons and loved ones and said, "Only t hose who are Christ ian or Jews shall ent er Paradise.'' Therefore, t hey were called t o invoke Allah t o dest roy t he lying group, be it t hem or t he Muslims. When t he Jews declined, every one was sure of t heir wrong, for had t hey been sure of t heir claims, t hen t hey would have accept ed t he proposal. Their lies were t hus exposed aft er t hey declined t he offer t o invoke t he curse. Similarly, t he Messenger of Allah called a delegat ion of Naj ran's Christ ians t o curse aft er he refut ed t hem in a debat e in which t hey demonst rat ed st ubbornness and defiance. Allah said,

(Then whoever disput es wit h you concerning him (` Isa) aft er (all t his) knowledge t hat has come t o you (i.e. ` Isa) being a servant of Allah, and having no share in divinit y), say (O Muhammad ): "Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves t hen we pray and invoke (sincerely) t he curse of Allah upon t hose who lie.'') (3:61). When t he Christ ians heard t his challenge, some of t hem said t o each ot her, "By Allah! If you do such wit h t his Prophet , none of you will have an eye t hat blinks.'' This is when t hey resort ed t o peace and gave t he Jizyah (t ax) in disgrace. The Prophet accept ed t he Jizyah from t hem and sent Abu ` Ubaydah bin Al-Jarrah wit h t hem as a t rust ee. Similar t o t his meaning is Allah's command t o His Prophet t o proclaim t o t he polyt heist s:

(Say (O Muhammad ) whoever is in error, t he Most Gracious (Allah) will prolong him (in it ).) (19:75) meaning, "Whoever among us has deviat ed, may Allah increase and prolong his deviat ion.'' We will ment ion t his subj ect lat er, Allah willing. The Mubahalah (invocat ion t o Allah t o dest roy t he liars) was called a ` wish' here, because every j ust person wishes t hat Allah dest roy t he unj ust opponent who is debat ing wit h him, especially when t he j ust person has a clear, apparent proof for t he t rut h he is calling t o. Also, t he Mubahalah involves invoking Allah for deat h of t he unj ust group, because t o disbelievers, life is t he biggest prize, especially when t hey know t he evil dest inat ion t hey will meet aft er deat h.

Disbelievers wish They could live longer

This is why Allah said next ,

(But t hey will never long for it because of what t heir hands have sent before t hem (i.e.what t hey have done). And Allah is Aware of t he Zalimin. And verily, you will find t hem (t he Jews) t he greediest of mankind for life.) meaning, greedy t o live longer, because t hey know t heir evil end, and t he only reward t hey will have wit h Allah is t ot al loss. This life is a prison for t he believer and Paradise for t he disbeliever. Therefore, t he People of t he Book wish t hey could delay t he Hereaft er, as much as possible. However, t hey shall cert ainly meet what t hey are t rying t o avoid, even if t hey are more eager t o delay t he Hereaft er t han t he polyt heist s who do not have a divine book. Muhammad bin Ishaq narrat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed on,

(But t he grant of such life will not save him even a lit t le from (due) punishment .) "Long life shall not save t hem from t orment . Cert ainly, t he polyt heist s do not believe in resurrect ion aft er deat h, and t hey would love t o enj oy a long life. The Jews know t he humiliat ion t hey will suffer in t he Hereaft er for knowingly ignoring t he t rut h.'' Also, ` Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said, "The Jews are most eager for t his life. They wish t hey could live for a t housand years. However, living for a t housand years will not save t hem from t orment , j ust as Iblis' Sat an - long life did not benefit him, due t o being a disbeliever.'' t

(And Allah is Seer of what t hey do.) meaning, "Allah knows what His servant s are doing, whet her good or evil, and will compensat e each of t hem accordingly.''

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(97. Say (O Muhammad ): "Whoever is an enemy t o Jibril (Gabriel) (let him die in his fury), for indeed he has brought it (t his Qur'an) down t o your heart by Allah's permission, confirming what

came before it (i.e. t he Tawrah and t he Inj il) and guidance and glad t idings for t he believers). (98. "Whoever is an enemy t o Allah, His Angels, His Messengers, Jibril and Mika'il, t hen verily, Allah is an enemy t o t he disbelievers.'')

The Jews are the Enemies of Jibril

Imam Abu Ja` far bin Jarir At -Tabari said, "The scholars of Tafsir agree t hat t his Ayah (2: 97-98) was revealed in response t o t he Jews who claimed t hat Jibril (Gabriel) is an enemy of t he Jews and t hat Mika'il (Michael) is t heir friend.'' Al-Bukhari said, "Allah said,

(Whoever is an enemy of Jibril (let him die in his fury)). ` Ikrimah said, "Jibr, Mik and Israf all mean, worshipper, while il means, Allah''. Anas bin Malik said, "When ` Abdullah bin Salam heard of t he arrival of t he Prophet in Al-Madinah, he was working on his land. He came t o t he Prophet and said, ` I am going t o ask you about t hree t hings which nobody knows except a Prophet . What will be t he first port ent of t he Hour What will be t he first meal t aken by t he people of Paradise Why does a child resemble it s fat her, and why does it resemble it s mat ernal uncle' Allah's Messenger said, (Jibril has j ust t old me t he answers.) ` Abdullah said, ` He (i.e. Jibril), among all t he angels, is t he enemy of t he Jews.' Allah's Messenger recit ed t he Ayah,

(Whoever is an enemy t o Jibril (Gabriel) (let him die in his fury), for indeed he has brought it (t his Qur'an) down t o your heart ). Allah's Messenger t hen said, (The first port ent of t he Hour will be a fire t hat will bring t oget her t he people from t he east t o t he west ; t he first meal of t he people of Paradise will be t he caudat e lobe of t he liver of fish. As for t he child resembling his parent s: If a man has sexual int ercourse wit h his wife and his discharge is first , t he child will resemble t he fat her. If t he woman has a discharge first , t he child will resemble her side of t he family.) On t hat ` Abdullah bin Salam said, ` I t est ify t hat t here is no deit y wort hy of worship except Allah and you are t he Messenger of Allah.' ` Abdullah bin Salam furt her said, ` O Allah's Messenger! The Jews are liars, and if t hey should come t o know about my conversion t o Islam before you ask t hem (about me), t hey will t ell a lie about me.' The Jews came t o Allah's Messenger , and ` Abdullah went inside t he house. Allah's Messenger asked (t he Jews), (` What kind of man is ` Abdullah bin Salam') They replied, ` He is t he best among us, t he son of t he best among us, our mast er and t he son of our mast er.' Allah's Messenger said, (What do you t hink if he would embrace Islam) The Jews said, ` May Allah save him from it .' Then ` Abdullah bin Salam came out in front of t hem saying, ` I t est ify t hat none has t he right t o be worshipped but Allah and t hat Muhammad is t he Messenger of Allah.' Thereupon t hey said, ` He is t he evilest among us, and t he son of t he evilest among us.' And t hey cont inued t alking badly about him. Ibn Salam said, ` This is what I feared, O Messenger of Allah!.''' Only Al-Bukhari recorded t his Hadit h wit h t his chain of narrat ion. Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded t his Hadit h from Anas using anot her chain of narrat ion. Some people say t hat ` il' means worshipper while what ever word t hat is added t o it becomes Allah's Name, because ` il' is a const ant in such conj unct ion. This is similar t o t he names ` Abdullah, ` Abdur-Rahman, ` Abdul-Malik, ` Abdul-Quddus, ` Abdus-Salam, ` Abdul-Kafi, ` Abdul-

Jalil, and so fort h. Hence, ` Abd' is const ant in t hese compound names, while t he remainder differs from name t o name. This is t he same case wit h Jibril, Mika'il, ` Azra'il, Israfil, and so fort h. Allah knows best .

Choosing Some Angels to believe in over Others is Disbelief like choosing Some Prophets over Others

Allah said,

(Whoever is an enemy t o Jibril (Gabriel) (let him die in his fury), for indeed he has brought it (t his Qur'an) down t o your heart by Allah's permission,) meaning, whoever becomes an enemy of Jibril, let him know t hat he is Ruh Al-Qudus who brought down t he Glorious Dhikr (Qur'an) t o your heart from Allah by His leave. Hence, he is a messenger from Allah. Whoever t akes a messenger as an enemy, will have t aken all t he messengers as enemies. Furt her, whoever believes in one messenger, is required t o believe in all of t he messengers. Whoever rej ect s one messenger, he has rej ect ed all of t he messengers. Similarly, Allah said,

(Verily, t hose who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers and wish t o make dist inct ion bet ween Allah and His Messengers (by believing in Allah and disbelieving in His Messengers) saying, "We believe in some but rej ect ot hers.'') (4:150) Allah decreed t hat t hey are disbelievers, because t hey believe in some Prophet s and rej ect ot hers. This is t he same wit h t hose who t ake Jibril as an enemy, because Jibril did not choose missions on his own, but by t he command of his Lord,

(And we (angels) descend not except by t he command of your Lord) (19: 64), and,

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(And t ruly, t his (t he Qur'an) is a revelat ion from t he Lord of all t hat exist s. Which t he t rust wort hy Ruh (Jibril) has brought down. Upon your heart (O Muhammad ) t hat you may be (one) of t he warners) (26:192-194). Al-Bukhari report ed t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(Allah said, ` Whoever t akes a friend of Mine as an enemy, will have st art ed a war wit h Me.) Therefore, Allah became angry wit h t hose who t ook Jibril as an enemy. Allah said,

(Whoever is an enemy t o Jibril (Gabriel) (let him die in his fury), for indeed he has brought it (t his Qur'an) down t o your heart by Allah's permission, confirming what came before it ) meaning, t he previous Books,

(and guidance and glad t idings for t he believers) meaning, as guidance t o t heir heart s and bringer of t he good news of Paradise, which is exclusively for t he believers. Similarly, Allah said,

(Say: "It is for t hose who believe, a guide and a healing.'') (41:44), and,

(And We send down of t he Qur'an t hat which is a healing and a mercy t o t hose who believe) (17:82). Allah t hen said,

(Whoever is an enemy t o Allah, His Angels, His Messengers, Jibril and Mika'il (Michael), t hen verily, Allah is an enemy t o t he disbelievers.) Allah st at ed t hat whoever t akes Him, His angels and messengers as enemies, t hen...Allah's messengers include angels and men, for Allah said,

(Allah chooses Messengers from angels and from men) (22:75). Allah said,

(Jibril (Gabriel) and Mika'il (Michael)). Allah ment ioned Jibril and Mika'il specifically - alt hough t hey are included among t he angels who were messengers - only because t his Ayah was meant t o support Jibril t he emissary bet ween Allah and His Prophet s. Allah also ment ioned Mika'il here, because t he Jews claimed t hat Jibril was t heir enemy and Mika'il was t heir friend. Allah informed t hem t hat whoever is an enemy of eit her of t hem, t hen he is also an enemy of t he ot her as well as Allah. We should st at e here t hat Mika'il somet imes descended t o some of Allah's Prophet s, alt hough t o a lesser ext ent t han Jibril, because t his was primarily Jibril's t ask, and Israfil is ent rust ed wit h t he j ob of blowing t he Trumpet for t he commencement of Resurrect ion on t he Day of Judgment . It is recorded in t he Sahih t hat whenever t he Messenger of Allah would wake up at night , he would supplicat e,

(O Allah, Lord of Jibril, Mika'il and Israfil, Creat or of t he heavens and eart h and Knower of t he seen and t he unseen! You j udge bet ween Your servant s regarding what t hey differ in, so direct me t o t he t rut h which t hey differ on, by Your leave. Verily, You guide whom You will t o t he st raight pat h.) Allah's st at ement ,

(t hen verily, Allah is an enemy t o t he disbelievers) informed t he disbelievers t hat whoever t akes a friend of Allah as an enemy, t hen he has t aken Allah as an enemy, and whoever t reat s Allah as an enemy, t hen he shall be Allah's enemy. Indeed, whoever is an enemy of Allah t hen he will lose in t his life and t he Hereaft er, as st at ed earlier;

(Whoever t akes a friend of Mine as an enemy, I shall wage war on him.)

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 -
(99. And indeed We have sent down t o you manifest Ayat and none disbelieve in t hem but Fasiqun (t hose who rebel against Allah's command).) (100. Is it not (t he case) t hat every t ime t hey make a covenant , some part y among t hem t hrow it aside Nay! (t he t rut h is:) most of t hem believe not .) (101. And when t here came t o t hem a Messenger from Allah (i.e. Muhammad ) confirming what was wit h t hem, a part y of t hose who were given t he Script ure t hrew away t he Book of Allah behind t heir backs as if t hey did not know!) (102. They followed what t he Shayat in (devils) gave out (falsely of t he magic) in t he lifet ime of Sulayman (Solomon). Sulayman did not disbelieve, but t he Shayat in (devils) disbelieved, t eaching men magic and such t hings t hat came down at Babylon t o t he t wo angels, Harut and Marut , but neit her of t hese t wo (angels) t aught anyone (such t hings) t ill t hey had said, "We are for t rial, so disbelieve not (by learning t his magic from us).'' And from t hese (angels) people learn t hat by which t hey cause separat ion bet ween man and his wife, but t hey could not t hus harm anyone except by Allah's leave. And t hey learn t hat which harms t hem and profit s t hem not . And indeed t hey knew t hat t he buyers of it (magic) would have no share in t he Hereaft er. And how bad indeed was t hat for which t hey sold t heir own selves, if t hey but knew.) (103. And if t hey had believed and guarded t hemselves from evil and kept t heir dut y t o Allah, far bet t er would have been t he reward from t heir Lord, if t hey but knew!)

Proofs of Muhammad's Prophethood

Imam Abu Ja` far bin Jarir said t hat Allah's st at ement ,

(And indeed We have sent down t o you manifest Ayat ) means, "We have sent t o you, O Muhammad, clear signs t hat t est ify t o your prophet hood.'' These Ayat are cont ained in t he Book of Allah (Qur'an) which narrat es t he secret s of t he knowledge t hat t he Jews possess, which t hey hid, and t he st ories of t heir earlier generat ions. The Book of Allah also ment ions t he t ext s in t he Books of t he Jews t hat are known t o only t he rabbis and scholars, and t he sect ions where t hey alt ered and dist ort ed t he rulings of t he Tawrah. Since Allah ment ioned all of t his in His

Book revealed t o His Prophet Muhammad , t hen t his fact alone should be enough evidence for t hose who are t rut hful wit h t hemselves and who wish t o avoid bringing t hemselves t o dest ruct ion due t o envy and t ransgression. Furt her human inst ict t est ifies t o t he t rut h t hat Muhammad was sent wit h and t he clear signs t hat he brought which he did not learn or acquire from mankind. Ad-Dahhak said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ,

(And indeed We have sent down t o you manifest Ayat ) means, "You recit e and convey t his Book t o t hem day and night , alt hough you are an Ummi (unlet t ered) who never read a book. Yet , you inform t hem of what t hey have (in t heir own Books). Allah st at ed t hat t his fact should serve as an example, a clear sign and a proof against t hem, if t hey but knew.''

The Jews break Their Covenants

When t he Messenger of Allah was sent and Allah reminded t he Jews of t he covenant t hat t hey had wit h Him, especially concerning Muhammad , Malik bin As-Sayf said, "By Allah! Allah never made a covenant wit h us about Muhammad, nor did He t ake a pledge from us at all.'' Allah t hen revealed,

(Is it not (t he case) t hat every t ime t hey make a covenant , some part y among t hem t hrow it aside) Al-Hasan Al-Basri said t hat Allah's st at ement ,

(Nay! (t he t rut h is:) most of t hem believe not ) means, "There is not a promise t hat t hey make, but t hey break it and abandon it . They make a promise t oday and break it t omorrow.''

The Jews abandoned the Book of Allah and practiced Magic

As-Suddi comment ed on,

(And when t here came t o t hem a Messenger from Allah (i.e. Muhammad ) confirming what was wit h t hem), "When Muhammad came t o t hem, t hey want ed t o cont radict and disput e wit h him using t he Tawrah. However, t he Tawrah and t he Qur'an affirmed each ot her. So t he Jews gave

up on using t he Torah, and t ook t o t he Book of Asaf, and t he magic of Harut and Marut , which indeed did not conform t o t he Qur'an. Hence Allah's st at ement ,

(As if t hey did not know!).'' Also, Qat adah said t hat Allah's st at ement ,

(As if t hey did not know!) means, "They knew t he t rut h but abandoned it , hid it and denied t he fact t hat t hey even had it .''

Magic existed before Sulayman (Solomon)

As-Suddi said t hat Allah's st at ement ,

(They followed what t he Shayat in (devils) gave out (falsely of t he magic) in t he lifet ime of Sulayman) means, "` During t he t ime of Prophet Solomon.' Beforehand, t he devils used t o ascend t o heaven and eavesdrop on t he conversat ions of t he angels about what will occur on t he eart h regarding deat h, ot her incident s or unseen mat t ers. They would convey t his news t o t he soot hsayers, and t he soot hsayers would in t urn convey t he news t o t he people. The people would believe what t he soot hsayers t old t hem as being t rue. When t he soot hsayers t rust ed t he devils, t he devils st art ed t o lie t o t hem and added ot her words t o t he t rue news t hat t hey heard, t o t he ext ent of adding sevent y false words t o each t rue word. The people recorded t hese words in some books. Soon aft er, t he Children of Israel said t hat t he Jinns know mat t ers of t he Unseen. When Solomon was sent as a Prophet , he collect ed t hese books in a box and buried it under his t hrone; any devil t hat dared get near t he box was burned. Solomon said, ` I will not hear of anyone who says t hat t he devils know t he Unseen, but I will cut off his head.' When Solomon died and t he scholars who knew t he t rut h about Solomon perished, t here came anot her generat ion. To t hem, t he devil mat erialized in t he shape of a human and said t o some of t he Children of Israel, ` Should I lead you t o a t reasure t hat you will never be able t o use up' They said. ` Yes.' He said, ` Dig under t his t hrone,' and he went wit h t hem and showed t hem Solomon's t hrone. They said t o him, ` Come closer.' He said, ` No. I will wait for you here, and if you do not find t he t reasure t hen kill me. ' They dug and found t he buried books, and Sat an said t o t hem, ` Solomon only cont rolled t he humans, devils and birds wit h t his magic.' Thereaft er, t he news t hat Solomon was a sorcerer spread among t he people, and t he Children of Israel adopt ed t hese books. When Muhammad came, t hey disput ed wit h him relying on t hese books. Hence Allah's st at ement ,


(Sulayman did not disbelieve, but t he Shayat in (devils) disbelieved).

The Story of Harut and Marut, and the Explanation that They were Angels
Allah said,

(And such t hings t hat came down at Babylon t o t he t wo angels, Harut and Marut , but neit her of t hese t wo (angels) t aught anyone (such t hings) t ill t hey had said, "We are for t rial, so disbelieve not (by learning t his magic from us).'' And from t hese (angels) people learn t hat by which t hey cause separat ion bet ween man and his wife). There is a difference of opinion regarding t his st ory. It was said t hat t his Ayah denies t hat anyt hing was sent down t o t he t wo angels, as Al-Qurt ubi st at ed and t hen referred t o t he Ayah,

(Sulayman did not disbelieve) saying, "The negat ion applies in bot h cases. Allah t hen said,

(But t he Shayat in (devils) disbelieved, t eaching men magic and such t hings t hat came down at Babylon t o t he t wo angels). The Jews claimed t hat Gabriel and Michael brought magic down t o t he t wo angels, but Allah refut ed t his false claim.'' Also, Ibn Jarir report ed, t hat Al-` Awfi said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said about Allah's st at ement ,


(And such t hings t hat came down at Babylon t o t he t wo angels) "Allah did not send magic down.'' Also, Ibn Jarir narrat ed t hat Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said about ,

(And such t hings t hat came down t o t he t wo angels), "Allah did not send magic down t o t he t hem.'' Ibn Jarir comment ed, "This is t he correct explanat ion for t his Ayah.

(They followed what t he Shayat in (devils) gave out (falsely) in t he lifet ime of Sulayman.) meaning, magic. However, neit her did Solomon disbelieve nor did Allah send magic wit h t he t wo angels. The devils, on t he ot her hand, disbelieved and t aught magic t o t he people of t he Babylon of Harut and Marut .'' Ibn Jarir cont inued; "If someone asks about explaining t his Ayah in t his manner, we say t hat ,

(They followed what t he Shayat in (devils) gave out (falsely) in t he lifet ime of Sulayman.) means, magic. Solomon neit her disbelieved nor did Allah send magic wit h t he t wo angels. However, t he devils disbelieved and t aught magic t o t he people in t he Babylon of Harut and Marut , meaning Gabriel and Michael, for Jewish sorcerers claimed t hat Allah sent magic by t he words of Gabriel and Michael t o Solomon, son of David. Allah denied t his false claim and st at ed t o His Prophet Muhammad t hat Gabriel and Michael were not sent wit h magic. Allah also exonerat ed Solomon from pract icing magic, which t he devils t aught t o t he people of Babylon by t he hands of t wo men, Harut and Marut . Hence, Harut and Marut were t wo ordinary men (not angels or Gabriel or Michael).'' These were t he words of At -Tabari, and t his explanat ion is not plausible. Many among t he Salaf, said t hat Harut and Marut were angels who came down from heaven t o eart h and did what t hey did as t he Ayah st at ed. To conform t his opinion wit h t he fact t hat t he angels are immune from error, we say t hat Allah had et ernal knowledge what t hese angels would do, j ust as He had et ernal knowledge t hat Iblis would do as he did, while Allah refered t o him being among t he angels,


(And (remember) when We said t o t he angels: "Prost rat e yourselves before Adam.'' And t hey prost rat ed except Iblis (Sat an), he refused) (20:116) and so fort h. However, what Harut and Marut did was less evil t han what Iblis, may Allah curse him, did. Al-Qurt ubi report ed t his opinion from ` Ali, Ibn Mas` ud, Ibn ` Abbas, Ibn ` Umar, Ka` b Al-Ahbar, As-Suddi and Al-Kalbi.

Learning Magic is Kufr

Allah said,

(But neit her of t hese t wo (angels) t aught anyone (such t hings) t ill t hey had said, "We are for t rial, so disbelieve not (by learning t his magic from us).) Abu Ja` far Ar-Razi said t hat Ar-Rabi' bin Anas said t hat Qays bin ` Abbad said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "When someone came t o t he angels t o learn magic, t hey would discourage him and say t o him, ` We are only a t est , so do not fall int o disbelief.' They had knowledge of what is good and evil and what const it ut es belief or disbelief, and t hey t hus knew t hat magic is a form of disbelief. When t he person who came t o learn magic st ill insist ed on learning it , t hey commanded him t o go t o such and such place, where if he went , Sat an would meet him and t each him magic. When t his man would learn magic, t he light (of fait h) would depart him, and he would see it shining (and flying away) in t he sky. He would t hen proclaim, ` O my sorrow! Woe unt o me! What should I do.'' Al-Hasan Al-Basri said t hat t his Ayah means, "The angels were sent wit h magic, so t hat t he people whom Allah willed would be t ried and t est ed. Allah made t hem promise t hat t hey would not t each anyone unt il first proclaiming, ` We are a t est for you, do not fall int o disbelief.''' It was recorded by Ibn Abi Hat im. Also, Qat adah said, "Allah t ook t heir covenant t o not t each anyone magic unt il t hey said, ` We are a t est . Therefore, do not fall in disbelief.''' Also, As-Suddi said, "When a man would come t o t he t wo angels t hey would advise him, ` Do not fall int o disbelief. We are a t est . ' When t he man would ignore t heir advice, t hey would say, ` Go t o t hat pile of ashes and urinat e on it .' When he would urinat e on t he ashes, a light , meaning t he light of fait h, would depart from him and would shine unt il it ent ered heaven. Then somet hing black t hat appeared t o be smoke would descend and ent er his ears and t he rest of his body, and t his is Allah's anger. When he t old t he angels what happened, t hey would t each him magic. So Allah's st at ement ,


(But neit her of t hese t wo (angels) t aught anyone (such t hings) t ill t hey had said, "We are for t rial, so disbelieve not (by learning t his magic from us).) Sunayd said t hat Haj j aj said t hat Ibn Jurayj comment ed on t his Ayah (2:102), "No one dares pract ice magic except a disbeliever. As for t he Fit nah, it involves t rials and freedom of choice.''The scholars who st at ed t hat learning magic is disbelief relied on t his Ayah for evidence. They also ment ioned t he Hadit h t hat Abu Bakr Al-Bazzar recorded from ` Abdullah, which st at es,

(Whoever came t o a soot hsayer or a sorcerer and believed in what he said, will have disbelieved in what Allah revealed t o Muhammad .) This Hadit h has an aut hent ic chain of narrat ion and t here are ot her Hadit hs which support it .

Causing a Separation between the Spouses is One of the Effects of Magic

Allah said,

(And from t hese (angels) people learn t hat by which t hey cause separat ion bet ween man and his wife,) This means, "The people learned magic from Harut and Marut and indulged in evil act s t hat included separat ing spouses, even t hough spouses are close t o, and int imat ely associat e wit h each ot her. This is t he devil's work.'' Muslim recorded t hat Jabir bin ` Abdullah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

 : : : : :
(Sat an erect s his t hrone on wat er and sends his emissaries among t he people. The closest person t o him is t he person who causes t he most Fit nah. One of t hem (a devil) would come t o him and would say, ` I kept incit ing so-and-so, unt il he said such and such words.' Iblis says, ` No, by Allah, you have not done much.' Anot her devil would come t o him and would say, ` I kept incit ing so-and-so, unt il I separat ed bet ween him and his wife.' Sat an would draw him closer and embrace him, saying, ` Yes, you did well.') Separat ion bet ween a man and his wife occurs here because each spouse imagines t hat t he ot her spouse is ugly or ill-mannered, et c.

Allah's Appointed Term supercedes Everything

Allah said,

(But t hey could not t hus harm anyone except by Allah's leave). Sufyan At h-Thawri comment ed, "Except by Allah's appoint ed t erm.'' Furt her, Al-Hasan Al-Basri said t hat ,

(But t hey could not t hus harm anyone except by Allah's leave) means, "Allah allows magicians t o adversely affect whomever He wills and saves whomever He wills from t hem. Sorcerers never bring harm t o anyone except by Allah's leave.'' Allah's st at ement ,

(And t hey learn t hat which harms t hem and prof it s t hem not .) means, it harms t heir religion and does not have a benefit compared t o it s harm.


(And indeed t hey knew t hat t he buyers of it (magic) would have no (Khalaq) share in t he Hereaft er.) meaning, "The Jews who preferred magic over following t he Messenger of Allah knew t hat t hose who commit t he same error shall have no Khalaq in t he Hereaft er.'' Ibn ` Abbas, Muj ahid and As-Suddi st at ed t hat ` no Khalaq' means, ` no share.' Allah t hen said,

-
(And how bad indeed was t hat for which t hey sold t heir own selves, if t hey but knew. And if t hey had believed and guarded t hemselves from evil and kept t heir dut y t o Allah, far bet t er would have been t he reward from t heir Lord, if t hey but knew!). Allah st at ed, o

(And how bad) meaning, what t hey preferred, magic, inst ead of fait h and following t he Messenger, if t hey but comprehend t he advice.

(And if t hey had believed and guarded t hemselves from evil and kept t heir dut y t o Allah, far bet t er would have been t he reward from t heir Lord,) meaning, "Had t hey believed in Allah and His Messenger and avoided t he prohibit ions, t hen Allah's reward for t hese good deeds would have been bet t er for t hem t han what t hey chose and preferred for t hemselves.'' Similarly, Allah said,

(But t hose who had been given (religious) knowledge said: "Woe t o you! The reward of Allah (in t he Hereaft er) is bet t er for t hose who believe and do right eous good deeds, and t his none shall at t ain except As-Sabirun (t he pat ient in following t he t rut h).'') (28:80).

-
(104. O you who believe! Say not (t o t he Messenger ) Ra` ina but say Unzurna (make us underst and) and hear. And for t he disbelievers t here is a painful t orment .) (105. Neit her t hose who disbelieve among t he People of t he Script ure (Jews and Christ ians) nor Al-Mushrikin (t he idolat ers) like t hat t here should be sent down unt o you any good from your Lord. But Allah chooses for His mercy whom He wills. And Allah is t he Owner of great bount y.)

Manners in Speech
Allah forbade His believing servant s from imit at ing t he behavior and deeds of t he disbelievers. The Jews used t o use devious words t hat hide what t hey really meant . May Allah's curse be upon t hem. When t hey want ed t o say, ` hear us,' t hey would use t he word Ra` ina, which is an insult (in Hebrew, but means ` hear us' in Arabic). Allah said,

(Among t hose who are Jews, t here are some who displace words from (t heir) right places and say: "We hear your word (O Muhammad ) and disobey,'' and "Hear and let you (O Muhammad ) hear not hing.'' And Ra` ina wit h a t wist of t heir t ongues and as a mockery of t he religion (Islam). And if only t hey had said: "We hear and obey,'' and "Do make us underst and,'' it would have been bet t er for t hem, and more proper; but Allah cursed t hem for t heir disbelief, so t hey believe not except a few) (4:46). Also, t he Hadit hs st at ed t hat when t hey would greet Muslims, t hey would say, ` As-Samu ` alaykum,' meaning, ` deat h be t o you'. This is why we were commanded t o answer t hem by saying, ` Wa ` alaykum,' meaning, ` and t o you t oo', t hen our supplicat ion against t hem shall be answered, rat her t han t heirs against us. Allah forbade t he believers from imit at ing t he disbelievers in t ongue or deed. Allah said,

(O you who believe! Say not (t o t he Messenger ) Ra` ina but say Unzurna (make us underst and) and hear. And for t he disbelievers t here is a painful t orment ) (2:104). Also, Imam Ahmad narrat ed t hat Ibn ` Umar said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,


(I was sent wit h t he sword j ust before t he Last Hour, so t hat Allah is worshipped alone wit hout part ners. My sust enance was provided for me from under t he shadow of my spear. Those who oppose my command were humiliat ed and made inferior, and whoever imit at es a people, he is one of t hem.) Abu Dawud narrat ed t hat t he Prophet said,

(Whoever imit at es a people is one of t hem.) These Hadit hs indicat e, along wit h t heir t hreat s and warnings, t hat we are not allowed t o imit at e t he disbelievers in t heir st at ement s, deeds, clot hes, feast s, act s of worship, et c., what ever act ions of t he disbelievers t hat were not legislat ed for us. Ad-Dahhak said t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed on t he Ayah,

(Say not (t o t he Messenger ) Ra` ina) "They used t o say t o t he Prophet , Ar` ina samak (which is an insult ).'' Ibn Abu Hat im said t hat it was report ed t hat Abu Al-` Aliyah, Abu Malik, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, ` At iyah Al-` Awfi and Qat adah said similarly. Furt her, Muj ahid said, "` Do not say Ra` ina' means, ` Do not disput e'.'' Muj ahid said in anot her narrat ion, "Do not say, ` We hear from you, and you hear from us.''' Also, ` At a' said, "Do not say,

(Ra` ina), which was a dialect t hat t he Ansar used and which was forbidden from use by Allah.'' Also, As-Suddi said, "Rifa` ah bin Zayd, a Jewish man from t he t ribe of Qaynuqa` , used t o come t o t he Prophet and say t o him, ` Hear, Ghayr Musma'in (let you hear not hing).' The Muslims used t o t hink t hat t he Prophet s are greet ed and honored wit h t his t ype of speech, and t his is why some of t hem used t o say, ` Hear, let you hear not hing,' and so on, as ment ioned in Surat An-

Nisa.'' Thereaft er, Allah forbade t he believers from ut t ering t he word Ra` ina.'' ` Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam also said similarly.

The extreme Enmity that the Disbelievers and the People of the Book have against Muslims
Allah said next (2:105),

(Neit her t hose who disbelieve among t he People of t he Script ure (Jews and Christ ians) nor AlMushrikin (t he idolat ers), like t hat t here should be sent down unt o you any good from your Lord). Allah described t he deep enmit y t hat t he disbelieving polyt heist s and People of t he Script ure, whom Allah warned against imit at ing, have against t he believers, so t hat Muslims should sever all friendship wit h t hem. Also, Allah ment ioned what He grant ed t he believers of t he perfect Law t hat He legislat ed for t heir Prophet Muhammad . Allah said,

(But Allah chooses for His mercy whom He wills. And Allah is t he Owner of great bount y) (2:105).

-
(106. What ever a verse (revelat ion) do Nansakh (We abrogat e) or Nunsiha (cause t o be forgot t en), We bring a bet t er one or similar t o it . Know you not t hat Allah is Able t o do all t hings) (107. Know you not t hat it is Allah t o Whom belongs t he dominion of t he heavens and t he eart h And besides Allah you have neit her any Wali (prot ect or or guardian) nor any helper.)

The Meaning of Naskh

Ibn Abi Talhah said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ,

(What ever a verse (revelat ion) do Nansakh) means, "What ever an Ayah We abrogat e.'' Also, Ibn Jurayj said t hat Muj ahid said t hat ,

(What ever a verse (revelat ion) do Nansakh) means, "What ever an Ayah We erase.'' Also, Ibn Abi Naj ih said t hat Muj ahid said t hat ,

(What ever a verse (revelat ion) do Nansakh) means, "We keep t he words, but change t he meaning.'' He relat ed t hese words t o t he companions of ` Abdullah bin Mas` ud. Ibn Abi Hat im said t hat similar st at ement s were ment ioned by Abu Al-` Aliyah and Muhammad bin Ka` b AlQurazi. Also As-Suddi said t hat ,

(What ever a verse (revelat ion) do Nansakh) means, "We erase it .'' Furt her, Ibn Abi Hat im said t hat it means, "Erase and raise it , such as erasing t he following wordings (from t he Qur'an), ` The married adult erer and t he married adult eress: st one t hem t o deat h,' and, ` If t he son of Adam had t wo valleys of gold, he would seek a t hird.''' Ibn Jarir st at ed t hat ,

(What ever a verse (revelat ion) do Nansakh) means, "What ever ruling we repeal in an Ayah by making t he allowed unlawful and t he unlawful allowed.'' The Nasakh only occurs wit h commandment s, prohibit ions, permissions, and so fort h. As for st ories, t hey do not undergo Nasakh. The word, ` Nasakh' lit erally means, ` t o copy a book'. The meaning of Nasakh in t he case of commandment s is removing t he commandment and replacing it by anot her. And whet her t he Nasakh involves t he wordings, t he ruling or bot h, it is st ill called Nasakh. Allah said next ,


(or Nunsiha (cause it t o be forgot t en)). ` Ali bin Abi Talhah said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ,

(What ever a verse (revelat ion) do Nansakh or Nunsiha) means, "What ever Ayah We repeal or uphold wit hout change.'' Also, Muj ahid said t hat t he companions of Ibn Mas` ud (who read t his word Nansa'ha) said t hat it means, "We uphold it s wording and change it s ruling.'' Furt her, ` Ubayd bin ` Umayr, Muj ahid and ` At a' said, ` Nansa'ha' means, "We delay it (i.e., do not abrogat e it ).'' Furt her, ` At iyyah Al-` Awfi said t hat t he Ayah means, "We delay repealing it .'' This is t he same Tafsir provided by As-Suddi and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas. ` Abdur-Razzaq said t hat Ma` mar said t hat Qat adah said about Allah's st at ement ,

(What ever a verse (revelat ion) do We abrogat e or cause t o be forgot t en) "Allah made His Prophet forget what He willed and He abrogat ed what He will.'' Allah's said,

(We bring a bet t er one or similar t o it ), bet t er, relat es t o t he benefit provided for t he one it addresses, as report ed from ` Ali bin Abi Talhah t hat Ibn ` Abbas said,

(We bring a bet t er one) means, "We bring fort h a more beneficial ruling, t hat is also easier for you.'' Also, As-Suddi said t hat ,

(We bring a bet t er one or similar t o it ) means, "We bring fort h a bet t er Ayah, or similar t o t hat which was repealed.'' Qat adah also said t hat ,

(We bring a bet t er one or similar t o it ) means, "We replace it by an Ayah more facilit at ing, permit t ing, commanding, or prohibit ing.''

Naskh occurs even though the Jews deny it

Allah said,

-
(Know you not t hat Allah is Able t o do all t hings Know you not t hat it is Allah t o Whom belongs t he dominion of t he heavens and t he eart h And besides Allah you have neit her any Wali (prot ect or or guardian) nor any helper). Allah direct ed His servant s t o t he fact t hat He alone is t he Owner of His creat ures and t hat He does wit h t hem as He wills. Indeed, His is t he supreme aut horit y and all creat ion is His, and j ust as He creat ed t hem as He wills, He brings happiness t o whom He wills, misery t o whom He wills, healt h t o whom He wills and ailment t o whom He wills. He also brings success t o whom He wills and failure t o whom He wills. He j udges bet ween His servant s as He wills, allows what He wills and disallows what He wills. He decides what He wills, t here is no opponent for His j udgment , and no one can quest ion Him about what He does, while t hey shall be quest ioned. He t est s His servant s and t heir obedience t o His Messengers by t he Naskh. He commands a mat t er cont aining a benefit which He knows of, and t hen He out of His wisdom, prohibit s it . Hence, perfect obedience is realized by adhering t o His commands, following His Messengers, believing in what ever t hey convey, implement ing t heir commands and avoiding what t hey prohibit . The st at ement s of Allah here cont ain t remendous benefit , prove t hat t he Jews are disbelievers and refut e t heir claim t hat Naskh does not occur, may Allah curse t he Jews. In ignorance and arrogance t hey claimed t hat t he sound mind st ipulat es t hat Naskh does not occur. Some of t hem falsely claimed t hat t here are divine t ext s t hat dismiss t he possibilit y t hat Naskh occurred. Imam Abu Ja` far bin Jarir said, "The Ayah means, ` Do you not know, O Muhammad, t hat I alone own t he heavens and t he eart h and t hat I decide what ever I will in t hem I forbid what ever I will, change and repeal what ever I will of My previous rulings, whenever I will. I also uphold what ever I will.'' Ibn Jarir t hen said, "Alt hough Allah direct ed His st at ement indicat ing His great ness t owards His Prophet , He also rej ect ed t he lies of t he Jews who denied t hat t he rulings of t he Torah could undergo Naskh. The Jews also denied t he prophet hood of Jesus and Muhammad, because of t heir dislike for what t hey brought from Allah, such as changing some rulings of t he Torah, as Allah commanded. Allah t hus proclaimed t o t he Jews t hat He owns t he heavens and eart h and

also all aut horit y in t hem. Furt her, t he subj ect s in Allah's kingdom are His creat ion, and t hey are required t o hear and obey His commands and prohibit ions. Allah has full aut horit y t o command t he creat ion as He wills, forbidding t hem from what He wills, abrogat e what He wills, uphold what He wills, and decide what ever commandment s and prohibit ions He wills.'' I (Ibn Kat hir) say t hat t he Jews' dismissal of t he occurrence of t he Naskh is only a case of t heir disbelief and rebellion. The sound mind does not deny t hat t here could be a Naskh in Allah's commandment s, for He decides what He wills, j ust as He does what He wills. Furt her, Naskh occurred in previous Books and Law. For inst ance, Allah allowed Adam t o marry his daught ers t o his sons and t hen lat er forbade t his pract ice. Allah also allowed Nuh t o eat from all kinds of animals aft er t hey left t he ark, t hen prohibit ed eat ing some t ypes of foods. Furt her, marrying t wo sist ers t o one man was allowed for Israel and his children, but Allah prohibit ed t his pract ice lat er in t he Torah. Allah commanded Abraham t o slaught er his son, t hen repealed t hat command before it was implement ed. Also, Allah commanded t he Children of Israel t o kill t hose who worshipped t he calf and t hen repealed t hat command, so t hat t he Children of Israel were not all ext erminat ed. There are many ot her inst ances t hat t he Jews admit have occurred, yet t hey ignore t hem. Also, it is a well-known fact t hat t heir Books foret old about Muhammad and cont ained t he command t o follow him. These t ext s, in t heir Books, indicat e t hat t he Jews were required t o follow t he Prophet Muhammad and t hat no good deed would be accept ed from t hem, unless it conformed t o Muhammad's Law. The Prophet brought anot her Book, - t he Qur'an -, which is t he last revelat ion from Allah.

(108. Or do you want t o ask your Messenger (Muhammad ) as Musa (Moses) was asked before (i.e. show us openly our Lord) And he who changes fait h for disbelief, verily, he has gone ast ray from t he right way.)

The Prohibition of Unnecessary Questions

In t his Ayah, Allah forbade t he believers from asking t he Prophet numerous quest ions about mat t ers t hat did not occur yet . Similarly, Allah said,

(O you who believe! Ask not about t hings which, if made plain t o you, may cause you t rouble. But if you ask about t hem while t he Qur'an is being revealed, t hey will be made plain t o you) (5:101).

This Ayah means, "If you ask about a mat t er aft er it is revealed, it shall be duly explained t o you. Therefore, do not ask about mat t ers t hat have not occurred yet , for t hey might become prohibit ed, due t o your quest ions.'' This is why t he Sahih narrat ed,

(The great est criminal among t he Muslims is t he one who asks if a t hing is prohibit ed, which is not prohibit ed, and it becomes prohibit ed because of his asking about it .) This is why when t he Messenger of Allah was asked about a husband who finds anot her man wit h his wife; if he exposes t he adult ery, he will be exposing a maj or incident ; if he is quiet about it , he will be quiet about a maj or mat t er. The Messenger of Allah did not like such quest ions. Lat er on, Allah revealed t he ruling of Mula` anah Refer t o Nur 24:6-9 in t he Qur'an . The Two Sahihs recorded t hat Al-Mughirah bin Shu` bah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah "Forbade saying, ` It was said' and ` He said,' and wast ing money and asking many quest ions.'' Muslim recorded t hat t he Prophet said,

(Leave me as I leave you; t hose before you were only dest royed because of t heir excessive quest ioning and disput ing wit h t heir Prophet s. Therefore, when I command you wit h a mat t er, adhere t o it as much as you can, and when I forbid from somet hing, avoid it .) The Prophet only said t his aft er he t old t he Companions t hat Allah has ordered t hem t o perform Haj j . A man asked, "Every year, O Messenger of Allah'' The Prophet did not answer him, but he repeat ed his quest ion t hree t imes. Then t he Prophet said,

:
(No. Had I said yes, it would have been ordained, and you would not have been able t o implement it .)

This is why Anas bin Malik said, "We were forbidden from asking t he Messenger of Allah about t hings. So we were delight ed when a bedouin man would come and ask him while we list ened.'' Muhammad bin Ishaq said t hat Muhammad bin Abi Muhammad t old him t hat ` Ikrimah or Sa` id said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat Rafi` bin Huraymilah or Wahb bin Zayd said, "O Muhammad! Bring us a Book sent down from heaven and which we could read, and make some rivers flow for us, t hen we will follow you and believe in you.'' Allah sent down t he answer t o t his challenge,

(Or do you want t o ask your Messenger (Muhammad ) as Musa was asked before (i.e. show us openly our Lord) And he who changes fait h for disbelief, verily, he has gone ast ray from t he right way). Allah crit icized t hose who ask t he Messenger of Allah about a cert ain mat t er j ust for t he purpose of being difficult , j ust as t he Children of Israel asked Musa out of st ubbornness, rej ect ion and rebellion. Allah said,

(And he who changes fait h for disbelief) meaning, whoever prefers disbelief t o fait h,

(verily, he has gone ast ray from t he right way) meaning, he has st rayed from t he st raight pat h, t o t he pat h of ignorance and misguidance. This is t he case of t hose who deviat ed from accept ing t he Prophet s and obeying t hem and t hose who kept asking t heir Prophet s unnecessary quest ions in defiance and disbelief, j ust as Allah said,

(Have you not seen t hose who have changed t he blessings of Allah int o disbelief (by denying Prophet Muhammad and his Message of Islam), and caused t heir people t o dwell in t he house of dest ruct ion Hell, in which t hey will burn and what an evil place t o set t le in!) (14:28-29). Abu Al-` Aliyah comment ed, "They exchanged comfort for hardship.''

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(109. Many of t he People of t he Script ure (Jews and Christ ians) wish t hat t hey could t urn you away as disbelievers aft er you have believed, out of envy from t heir own selves, even aft er t he t rut h (t hat Muhammad is Allah's Messenger) has become manifest unt o t hem. But forgive and overlook, t ill Allah brings His command. Verily, Allah is able t o do all t hings.) (110. And perform t he Salah and give t he Zakah, and what ever of good you send fort h for yourselves before you, you shall find it wit h Allah. Cert ainly, Allah is t he Seer of what you do.)

The Prohibition of following the Ways of the People of the Book

Allah warned His believing servant s against following t he ways of t he People of Book, who publicly and secret ly harbor emnit y and hat red for t he believers, and who envy t he believers, while t hey recognize t he virt ue of t he believers and t heir Prophet . Allah also commanded His believing servant s t o forgive t hem and t o be pat ient wit h t hem, unt il Allah delivers His aid and vict ory t o t hem. Allah commanded t he believers t o perform t he prayer perfect ly, t o pay t he Zakah and He encouraged t hem t o preserve t he pract ice of t hese right eous deeds. Ibn Abi Hat im recorded t hat ` Abdullah bin Ka` b bin Malik said t hat Ka` b bin Al-Ashraf, who was a Jew and a poet , used t o crit icize t he Prophet in his poems, so Allah revealed,

(Many of t he People of t he Script ure (Jews and Christ ians) wish t hat t hey could t urn you away..) regarding his mat t er. Also, Ad-Dahhak said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "An unlet t ered Messenger came t o t he People of t he Script ures confirming what t hey have in t heir own Books about t he Messengers and t he Ayat of

Allah. He also believes in all of t his, j ust as t hey believe in it . Yet , t hey rej ect ed t he Prophet out of disbelief, envy and t ransgression. This is why Allah said,

(out of envy from t heir own selves, even aft er t he t rut h (t hat Muhammad is Allah's Messenger) has become manifest unt o t hem). Allah said t hat aft er He illuminat ed t he t rut h for t hem, such t hat t hey were not ignorant of any of it , yet t heir envy made t hem deny t he Prophet . Thus Allah crit icized, chast ised and denounced t hem.'' Allah legislat ed t he charact erist ics t hat His Prophet and t he believers should adhere t o: belief, fait h and accept ing what Allah revealed t o t hem and t o t hose before t hem out of His generosit y and t remendous kindness. Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said t hat ,

(from t heir own selves) means, "of t heir making.'' Also, Abu Al-` Aliyah said t hat ,

(even aft er t he t rut h (t hat Muhammad is Allah's Messenger) has become manifest unt o t hem) means, "Aft er it became clear t hat Muhammad is t he Messenger of Allah whom t hey find writ t en of in t he Torah and t he Inj il. They denied him in disbelief and t ransgression because he was not one of t hem.'' Qat adah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said similarly. Allah said,

(But forgive and overlook, t ill Allah brings His command.) t his is similar t o His saying;

(And you shall cert ainly hear much t hat will grieve you from t hose who received t he Script ure before you (Jews and Christ ians) and from t hose who ascribe part ners t o Allah) (3: 186). ` Ali bin Abi Talhah said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat Allah's st at ement ,


(But forgive and overlook, t ill Allah brings His command.) was abrogat ed by t he Ayah,

(Then kill t he Mushrikin wherever you find t hem) (9:5), and,

(Fight against t hose who believe not in Allah, nor in t he Last Day) (9:29) unt il,

(And feel t hemselves subdued) (9:29). Allah's pardon for t he disbelievers was repealed.'' Abu Al-` Aliyah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Qat adah and As-Suddi said similarly: It was abrogat ed by t he Ayah of t he sword." (Ment ioned above). The Ayah,

(t ill Allah brings His command.) gives furt her support for t his view. Ibn Abi Hat im recorded Usamah bin Zayd saying t hat t he Messenger of Allah and his Companions used t o forgive t he disbelievers and t he People of t he Book, j ust as Allah commanded in His st at ement ,

(But forgive and overlook, t ill Allah brings His command. Verily, Allah is able t o do all t hings). The Messenger of Allah used t o forgive t hem and was pat ient wit h t hem as Allah ordered him, unt il Allah allowed fight ing t hem. Then Allah dest royed t hose who He decreed t o be killed among t he st rong men of Quraysh, by t he Prophet 's forces. The chain of narrat ion for t his t ext is Sahih, but I did not see it s wordings in t he six collect ions of Hadit h, alt hough t he basis of it is in t he Two Sahihs, narrat ed from Usamah bin Zayd.

The Encouragement to perform Good Deeds

Allah said,

(And perform t he Salah and give t he Zakah, and what ever of good you send fort h for yourselves before you, you shall find it wit h Allah). Allah encouraged t he believers t o busy t hemselves in performing deeds t hat would bring t hem benefit and reward on t he Day of Resurrect ion, such as prayer and paying Zakah. This way, t hey will gain Allah's aid in t his life and on a Day when t he wit nesses t est ify,

(The Day when t heir excuses will be of no profit t o t he Zalimin (wrongdoers). Theirs will be t he curse, and t heirs will be t he evil abode (i.e. painful t orment in Hell-fire)) (40:52). This is why Allah said,

(Cert ainly, Allah sees what you do), meaning, t hat He is never unaware of t he deeds of any person, nor will t hese deeds be lost by Him. Whet her deeds are right eous or evil, Allah will award each according t o what he or she deserves based on t heir deeds.

- -


(111. And t hey say, "None shall ent er Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christ ian.'' These are t heir own desires. Say (O Muhammad ), "Produce your Burhan if you are t rut hful.'') (112. Yes! But whoever submit s his face (himself) t o Allah (i.e. follows Allah's religion of Islamic Monot heism) and he is a Muhsin t hen his reward is wit h his Lord (Allah), on such shall be no fear, nor shall t hey grieve.) (113. The Jews said t hat t he Christ ians follow not hing (i.e. are not on t he right religion); and t he Christ ians said t hat t he Jews follow not hing (i.e. are not on t he right religion); t hough t hey bot h recit e t he Script ure. Like unt o t heir word, said t hose (t he pagans) who know not . Allah will j udge bet ween t hem on t he Day of Resurrect ion about t hat wherein t hey have been differing.)

The Hopes of the People of the Book

Allah made t he confusion of t he Jews and t he Christ ians clear, since t hey claim t hat no one will ent er Paradise, unless he is a Jew or a Christ ian. Similarly, Allah ment ioned t heir claims in Surat Al-Ma'idah:

(We are t he children of Allah and His loved ones) (5:18). Allah refut ed t his false claim and informed t hem t hat t hey will be punished because of t heir sins. Previously we ment ioned t heir claim t hat t he Fire would not t ouch t hem for more t han a few days, aft er which t hey would be put in Paradise. Allah rebuked t his claim, and He said about t his baseless claim, m

(These are t heir own desires). Abu Al-` Aliyah comment ed, "These are wishes t hat t hey wished Allah would answer, wit hout basis.'' Similar was st at ed by Qat adah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas. Allah t hen said,

(Say) meaning, "Say O Muhammad:''

("Produce your Burhan...'') meaning, "Your proof'', as Abu Al-` Aliyah, Muj ahid, As-Suddi and ArRabi` bin Anas st at ed. Qat adah said t hat t he Ayah means, "Bring t he evidence t hat support s your st at ement ,

(if you are t rut hful) in your claim. '' Allah t hen said,

(Yes! But whoever submit s his face (himself) t o Allah (i.e. follows Allah's religion of Islamic Monot heism) and he is a Muhsin) meaning, "Whoever performs deeds in sincerit y, for Allah alone wit hout part ners.'' In a similar st at ement , Allah said,

(So if t hey disput e wit h you (Muhammad ) say: "I have submit t ed myself t o Allah (in Islam), and (so have) t hose who follow me.'') (3:20) Abu Al-` Aliyah and Ar-Rabi` said t hat ,

(Yes! But whoever submit s his face (himself) t o Allah) means, "Whoever is sincere wit h Allah.'' Also, Sa` id bin Jubayr said t hat ,

(Yes! But whoever submit s) means, he is sincere,


(his face (himself)) meaning, in his religion.

(and he is a Muhsin) following t he Messenger . For t here are t wo condit ions for deeds t o be accept ed; t he deed must be performed for Allah's sake alone and conform t o t he Shari` ah. When t he deed is sincere, but does not conform t o t he Shari` ah, t hen it will not be accept ed. The Messenger of Allah said,

(Whoever performs a deed t hat does not conform wit h our mat t er (religion), t hen it will be rej ect ed.) This Hadit h was recorded by Muslim. Therefore, t he good deeds of t he priest s and rabbis will not be accept ed, even if t hey are sincerely for Allah alone, because t hese deeds do not conform wit h t he met hod of t he Messenger , who was sent for all mankind. Allah said regarding such cases,

(And We shall t urn t o what ever deeds t hey (disbelievers, polyt heist s, sinners) did, and We shall make such deeds as scat t ered float ing part icles of dust .) (25:23)

(As for t hose who disbelieved, t heir deeds are like a mirage in a desert . The t hirst y one t hinks it t o be wat er, unt il he comes up t o it , he finds it t o be not hing.) (24:39) and,

- - -

(Some faces, t hat Day will be humiliat ed. Laboring, weary. They will ent er in t he hot blazing Fire. They will be given t o drink from a boiling spring) (88:2-5). When t he deed conforms t o t he Shari` ah out wardly, but t he person did not perform it sincerely for Allah alone, t he deed will also be rej ect ed, as in t he case of t he hypocrit es and t hose who do t heir deeds t o show off. Similarly, Allah said,

(Verily, t he hypocrit es seek t o deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives t hem. And when t hey st and up for As-Salah (t he prayer), t hey st and wit h laziness t o be seen by people, and t hey do not remember Allah but lit t le.) (4:142) and,

- -
(So woe unt o t hose performers of Salah (prayers) (hypocrit es). Those who delay t heir Salah (from t heir st at ed fixed t imes). Those who do good deeds only t o be seen (of men). And wit hhold Al-Ma` un (small kindnesses)) (107:4-7). This is why Allah said,

(So whoever hopes for t he meet ing wit h his Lord, let him work right eousness and associat e none as a part ner in t he worship of his Lord) (18: 110). He also said in t his Ayah,

(Yes, but whoever submit s his face (himself) t o Allah (follows Allah's religion of Islamic Monot heism) and he is a Muhsin).

Allah's st at ement ,

(Shall have t heir reward wit h t heir Lord, on t hem shall be no fear, nor shall t hey grieve) guarant eed t hem t he rewards and safet y from what t hey fear and should avoid.

(There shall be no fear on t hem) in t he fut ure,

(nor shall t hey grieve) about what t hey abandoned in t he past . Moreover, Sa` id bin Jubayr said,

"(There shall be no fear on t hem) in t he Hereaft er, and

(nor shall t hey grieve) about t heir imminent deat h.''

The Jews and Christians dispute among Themselves out of Disbelief and Stubbornness
Allah said,

(The Jews said t hat t he Christ ians follow not hing (i.e. are not on t he right religion); and t he Christ ians said t hat t he Jews follow not hing (i.e. are not on t he right religion); t hough t hey bot h recit e t he Script ure.) Allah explained t he disput es, hat red and st ubbornness t hat t he People of t he Book have t owards each ot her. Muhammad bin Ishaq report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "When a delegat ion of Christ ians from Naj ran came t o t he Messenger of Allah , t he Jewish rabbis came and began arguing wit h t hem before t he Messenger of Allah . Rafi` bin Huraymilah said, ` You do not follow anyt hing,' and he reit erat ed his disbelief in Jesus and t he Inj il. Then a Christ ian man from Naj ran's delegat ion said t o t he Jews, ` Rat her, you do not follow anyt hing,' and he reit erat ed his rej ect ion of Musa's prophet hood and his disbelief in t he Torah. So Allah revealed t he Ayah,

(The Jews said t hat t he Christ ians follow not hing (i.e. are not on t he right religion); and t he Christ ians said t hat t he Jews follow not hing (i.e. are not on t he right religion); t hough t hey bot h recit e t he Script ure. )'' Allah made it clear t hat each part y read t he affirmat ion of what t hey claimed t o rej ect in t heir Book. Consequent ly, t he Jews disbelieve in Jesus, even t hough t hey have t he Torah in which Allah t ook t heir Covenant by t he t ongue of Moses t o believe in Jesus. Also, t he Gospel cont ains Jesus' assert ion t hat Moses' prophet hood and t he Torah came from Allah. Yet , each part y disbelieved in what t he ot her part y had. Allah said,

(Like unt o t heir word, said t hose who know not ) t hus exposing t he ignorance displayed by t he Jews and t he Christ ians concerning t heir st at ement s t hat we ment ioned. There is a difference of opinion regarding t he meaning of Allah's st at ement ,

(who know not ) For inst ance, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Qat adah said t hat ,


(Like unt o t heir word, said t hose said t hose who know not ) means, "The Christ ians said similar st at ement s t o t he Jews.'' Ibn Jurayj asked ` At a' "Who are t hose ` who know not ''' ` At a' said, "Nat ions t hat exist ed before t he Jews and t he Christ ians and before t he Torah and t he Gospel.'' Also, As-Suddi said t hat ,

(said t hose who know not ) is in reference t o t he Arabs who said t hat Muhammad was not following anyt hing (i. e. did not follow a t rue or exist ing religion). Abu Ja` far bin Jarir chose t he view t hat t his Ayah is general and t hat t here is no evidence t hat specifically support s any of t hese explanat ions. So int erpret ing t he Ayah in a general way is bet t er. Allah knows best . Allah said,

(Allah will j udge bet ween t hem on t he Day of Resurrect ion about t hat wherein t hey have been differing.) meaning, t hat Allah will gat her t hem all on t he Day of Ret urn. On t hat Day, Allah will j ust ly j udge bet ween t hem, for He is never unj ust wit h anyone, even as lit t le as t he weight of an at om. This Ayah is similar t o Allah's st at ement in Surat Al-Haj j (22:17),

(Verily, t hose who believe (in Allah and in His Messenger Muhammad ), and t hose who are Jews, and t he Sabians, and t he Christ ians, and t he Maj us, and t hose who associat e part ners wit h Allah; t ruly, Allah will j udge bet ween t hem on t he Day of Resurrect ion. Verily, Allah is over all t hings a Wit ness). Allah said,


(Say: "Our Lord will assemble us all t oget her (on t he Day of Resurrect ion), t hen He will j udge bet ween us wit h t rut h. And He is t he Just Judge, t he Knower of t he t rue st at e of affairs.'') (34:26).

(114. And who are more unj ust t han t hose who forbid t hat Allah's Name be ment ioned (i.e. prayers and invocat ions) in Allah's Masj ids and st rive for t heir ruin It was not fit t ing t hat such should t hemselves ent er t hem (Allah's Masj ids) except in fear. For t hem t here is disgrace in t his world, and t hey will have a great t orment in t he Hereaft er.)

Of the Most Unjust are Those Who prevent People from the Masjids and strive for their Ruin
The Quraysh idolat ors are t hose who hindered t he people from t he Masj ids of Allah and want ed t o dest roy t hem. Ibn Jarir report ed t hat Ibn Zayd said t hat Allah's st at ement ,

(And who are more unj ust t han t hose who forbid t hat Allah's Name be ment ioned (i.e. prayers and invocat ions) in Allah's Masj ids and st rive for t heir ruin) is about t he Quraysh idolat ors who prevent ed t he Prophet from ent ering Makkah from Al-Hudaybiyyah, unt il he slaught ered t he Hadi (animal for sacrifice) at Dhi-Tuwa. He t hen agreed t o a peace t reat y wit h t he idolat ors and said t o t hem, (No one before has ever prevent ed people from ent ering t he House. One would even see t he killer of his fat her and brot her, but would not prevent him (from ent ering t he House of Allah).) They said, "Whoever killed our fat hers at Badr, shall never ent er it while t here is one of us alive.'' Allah's st at ement ,


(and st rive for t heir ruin) means t hose who prevent whoever maint ain t he Masj ids wit h Allah's remembrance and who visit Allah's House t o perform Haj j and ` Umrah. Ibn Abi Hat im recorded t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat t he Quraysh prevent ed t he Prophet from praying at t he Ka` bah in AlMasj id Al-Haram, so Allah revealed,

(And who are more unj ust t han t hose who forbid t hat Allah's Name be ment ioned (i.e. prayers and invocat ions) in Allah's Masj ids)'' Aft er Allah chast ised t he Jews and Christ ians, He also crit icized t he idolat ors who expelled t he Messenger of Allah and his Companions from Makkah, prevent ing t hem from praying in Al-Masj id Al-Haram, which t hey kept exclusively for t heir idols and polyt heism. Allah said,

(And why should not Allah punish t hem while t hey hinder (men) from Al-Masj id Al-Haram, and t hey are not it s guardians None can be it s guardians except Al-Mut t aqun (t he pious), but most of t hem know not .) (8:34)


(It is not for t he Mushrikin (polyt heist s), t o maint ain t he Masj ids of Allah while t hey wit ness against t heir own selves of disbelief. The works of such are in vain and in Fire shall t hey abide. The Masj ids of Allah shall be maint ained only by t hose who believe in Allah and t he Last Day; perform t he Salah, and give t he Zakah and fear none but Allah. It is t hey who are on t rue guidance.) (9:17-18) and,

(They are t he ones who disbelieved and hindered you from Al-Masj id-Al-Haram (at Makkah) and det ained t he sacrificial animals, from reaching t heir place of sacrifice. Had t here not been believing men and believing women whom you did not know, t hat you may kill t hem and on whose account a sin would have been commit t ed by you wit hout (your) knowledge, t hat Allah might bring int o His mercy whom He wills if t hey (t he believers and t he disbelievers) had been apart , We verily, would have punished t hose of t hem who disbelieved wit h painful t orment ) (48:25). Therefore, Allah said here,

(The Masj ids of Allah shall be maint ained only by t hose who believe in Allah and t he Last Day; perform t he Salah, and give t he Zakah and fear none but Allah). Therefore, if t hose believers

who follow t he virt ues ment ioned in t he Ayah were prevent ed from at t ending t he Masj id, t hen what cause for dest ruct ion is worse t han t his Maint aining t he Masj ids not only means beaut ifying t hem, but it involves remembering Allah, est ablishing His Shari` ah in t he Masj ids and purifying t hem from t he filt h of Shirk.

The Good News that Islam shall prevail

Allah said next ,

(It was not fit t ing t hat such should t hemselves ent er t hem (Allah's Masj ids) except in fear). This Ayah means, "Do not allow t hem - t he disbelievers - t o ent er t he Masj ids, except t o sat isfy t he t erms of an armist ice or a t reat y.'' When t he Messenger of Allah conquered Makkah in 9 H, he commanded t hat someone announce at Mina, "Aft er t he current year, no idolat ors shall perform Haj j , and no naked persons shall perform Tawaf around t he House, except for t hose who have a t reat y. In t his case, t he t reat y will be carried t o t he end of it s t erm.'' This Ayah support s t he Ayah,

(O you who believe! (in Allah's Oneness and in His Messenger Muhammad )! Verily, t he Mushrikun (idolat ors) are Naj asun (impure). So let t hem not come near Al-Masj id-Al-Haram (at Makkah) aft er t his year) (9:28). It was also said t hat t his Ayah (2:114) carries t he good news for t he Muslims from Allah t hat He will allow t hem t o t ake over Al-Masj id Al-Haram and all t he Masj ids and disgrace t he idolat ors. Soon aft er, t he Ayah indicat ed, no idolat or shall ent er t he House, except out of fear of being seized or killed, unless he embraces Islam. Allah fulfilled t his promise and lat er decreed t hat idolat ors not be allowed t o ent er Al-Masj id Al-Haram. The Messenger of Allah st at ed t hat no t wo religions should remain in t he Arabian Peninsula, and t he Jews and Christ ians should be expelled from it , all praise is due t o Allah. All of t hese rulings ensure maint aining t he honor of Al-Masj id Al-Haram and purifying t he area where Allah sent His Messenger t o warn and bring good news t o all of mankind, may Allah's peace and blessings be on him. This Ayah also described t he disgrace t hat t he disbelievers earn in t his life, and t hat t he punishment comes in a form comparable t o t he deed. Just as t hey prevent ed t he believers from ent ering Al-Masj id Al-Haram, t hey were prevent ed from ent ering it in t urn. Just as t hey expelled t he believers from Makkah, t hey were in t urn expelled from Makkah,

(and t hey will have a great t orment in t he Hereaft er) because t hey breached t he sanct it y of t he House and brought filt h t o it by erect ing idols all around it , invoking ot her t han Allah and performing Tawaf around it while naked, et c. Here it is wort h ment ioning t he Hadit h about seeking refuge from disgrace in t his life and t he t orment of t he Hereaft er. Imam Ahmad recorded t hat Busr bin Art ah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah used t o supplicat e,

(O Allah! Make our end bet t er in all affairs, and save us from disgrace in t his life and t he t orment of t he Hereaft er.) This Hadit h is Hasan.

(115. And t o Allah belong t he east and t he west , so wherever you t urn (yourselves or your faces) t here is t he Face of Allah (and He is High above, over His Throne). Surely, Allah is Sufficient (for His creat ures' needs), Knowing.)

Facing the Qiblah (Direction of the Prayer)

This ruling brought comfort t o t he Messenger of Allah and his Companions, who were driven out of Makkah and had t o depart from t he area of Al-Masj id Al-Haram. In Makkah, t he Messenger of Allah used t o pray in t he direct ion of Bayt Al-Maqdis, while t he Ka` bah was bet ween him and t he Qiblah. When t he Messenger migrat ed t o Al-Madinah, he faced Bayt Al-Maqdis for sixt een or sevent een mont hs, and t hen Allah direct ed him t o face Al-Ka` bah in prayer. This is why Allah said,

(And t o Allah belong t he east and t he west , so wherever you t urn (yourselves or your faces) t here is t he Face of Allah (and He is High above, over His Throne)).

` Ali bin Abi Talhah said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "The first part of t he Qur'an t hat was abrogat ed was about t he Qiblah. When t he Messenger of Allah migrat ed t o Al-Madinah, which was inhabit ed by t he Jews, he was at first commanded t o face Bayt Al-Maqdis. The Jews were happy, and t he Messenger of Allah faced Bayt Al-Maqdis for some t en mont hs. However, t he Messenger of Allah liked t o face t he Qiblah of Ibrahim (Al-Ka` bah at Makkah), and he used t o look t o t he sky and supplicat e. So Allah revealed,

(Verily, We have seen t he t urning of your (Muhammad's) face t owards t he heaven) unt il,

(t urn your faces (in prayer) in t hat direct ion) (2:144). The Jews were dist urbed by t his development and said, ` What made t hem change t he direct ion of t he Qiblah t hat t hey used t o face' Allah revealed,

(Say (O Muhammad ): "To Allah belong bot h, east and t he west '') and,

(So wherever you t urn (yourselves or your faces) t here is t he Face of Allah (and He is High above, over His Throne)).'' ` Ikrimah said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said,

(So wherever you t urn (yourselves or your faces) t here is t he Face of Allah (and He is High above, over His Throne)) means, "Allah's direct ion is wherever you face, east or west .'' Muj ahid said t hat ,

(So wherever you t urn (yourselves or your faces) t here is t he Face of Allah (and He is High above, over His Throne))

means, "Wherever you may be, you have a Qiblah t o face, t hat is, Al-Ka` bah.'' However, it was said t hat Allah sent down t his Ayah before t he order t o face t he Ka` bah. Ibn Jarir said, "Ot hers said t hat t his Ayah was revealed t o t he Messenger of Allah permit t ing t he one praying volunt ary prayers t o face wherever t hey wish in t he east or west , while t raveling, when in fear and when facing t he enemy.'' For inst ance, Ibn ` Umar used t o face what ever direct ion his animal was headed and proclaim t hat t he Messenger of Allah did t he same, explaining t he Ayah,

(So wherever you t urn (yourselves or your faces) t here is t he Face of Allah).'' That Hadit h was also collect ed by Muslim, At -Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i, Ibn Abi Hat im, Ibn Marduwyah, and it s origin is in t he Two Sahihs from Ibn ` Umar and ` Amr bin Rabi` ah wit hout ment ioning t he Ayah. In his Sahih, Al-Bukhari recorded t hat Nafi` said t hat whenever Ibn ` Umar was asked about t he prayer during t imes of fear, he used t o describe it and would t hen say, "When t he sense of fear is worse t han t hat , pray while st anding, or while riding, whet her facing t he Qiblah or not .'' Nafi` t hen said, "I t hink Ibn ` Umar ment ioned t hat from t he Prophet .'' It was also said t hat t he Ayah was revealed about t hose who are unable t o find t he correct direct ion of t he Qiblah in t he dark or due t o cloudy skies and, t hus, prayed in a direct ion ot her t han t he Qiblah by mist ake.

The Qiblah for the People of Al-Madinah is what is between the East and the West
In his Tafsir of t his Ayah (2:115), Al-Hafiz Ibn Marduwyah recorded t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(What is bet ween t he east and t he west is t he Qiblah for t he people of Al-Madinah, Ash-Sham and ` Iraq.) At -Tirmidhi and Ibn Maj ah recorded t his Hadit h wit h t he wording,

(What is bet ween t he east and t he west is a Qiblah.) Ibn Jarir said, "The meaning of Allah's st at ement ;


(Surely, Allah is Sufficient (for His creat ures' needs), Knowing) is t hat Allah encompasses all His Creat ion by providing t hem wit h sufficient needs and by His generosit y and favor. His st at ement ,

(Knowing) means He is knowledgeable of t heir deeds and not hing escapes His wat ch, nor is He unaware of anyt hing. Rat her, His knowledge encompasses everyt hing.''

-
(116. And t hey (Jews, Christ ians and pagans) say: Allah has begot t en a son (children or offspring). Glory is t o Him (Exalt ed is He above all t hat t hey associat e wit h Him). Nay, t o Him belongs all t hat is in t he heavens and on eart h, and all are Qanit un t o Him.) (117. The Originat or of t he heavens and t he eart h. When He decrees a mat t er, He only says t o it : "Be! and it is.)

Refuting the Claim that Allah has begotten a Son

This and t he following Ayat refut e t he Christ ians, may Allah curse t hem, and t heir like among t he Jews and t he Arab idolat ors, who claimed t hat t he angels are Allah's daught ers. Allah refut ed all of t hem in t heir claim t hat He had begot t en a son. Allah said,

(Glory is t o Him.) meaning, He is holier and more perfect t han such claim;

(Nay, t o Him belongs all t hat is in t he heavens and on eart h,) meaning, t he t rut h is not as t he disbelievers claimed, rat her, Allah's is t he kingdom of t he heavens and eart h and what ever and whoever is in, on and bet ween t hem. Allah is t he Supreme Aut horit y in t he heavens and eart h, and He is t he Creat or, Provider and Sust ainer Who decides all t he affairs of t he creat ion as He wills. All creat ures are Allah's servant s and are owned by Him. Therefore, how could one of t hem be His son The son of any being is born out of t wo comparable beings. Allah has no equal or rival sharing His grace and great ness, so how can He have a son when He has no wife Allah said,

(He is t he Originat or of t he heavens and t he eart h. How can He have children when He has no wife He creat ed all t hings and He is t he Knower of everyt hing) (6:101).

- - - - - - -
(And t hey say: "The Most Gracious (Allah) has begot t en a son (offspring or children).'' Indeed you have brought fort h (said) a t errible evil t hing. Whereby t he heavens are almost t orn, and t he eart h is split asunder, and t he mount ains fall in ruins. That t hey ascribe a son (or offspring or children) t o t he Most Gracious (Allah). But it is not suit able for (t he maj est y of) t he Most Gracious (Allah) t hat He should beget a son (or offspring or children). There is none in t he heavens and t he eart h but comes unt o t he Most Gracious (Allah) as a servant . Verily, He knows each one of t hem, and has count ed t hem a full count ing. And everyone of t hem will come t o Him alone on t he Day of Resurrect ion (wit hout any helper, or prot ect or or defender)) (19:8895), and,

 - -
(Say: "He is Allah (t he) One, Allah t he Samad (t he Self- Sufficent , upon whom all depend), He beget s not , nor was He begot t en, and t here is none comparable t o Him.'') (112). In t hese Ayat , Allah st at ed t hat He is t he Supreme Mast er Whom t here is no equal or rival, everyt hing and everyone was creat ed by Him, so how can He have a son from among t hem This is why, in t he Tafsir of t his Ayah, Al-Bukhari recorded t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat t he Prophet said,

:
(Allah said, ` The son of Adam has denied Me, and t hat is not his right . He has insult ed Me, and t hat is not his right . As for t he denial of Me, he claimed t hat I am unable t o bring him back as he used t o be (resurrect him). As for his insult ing Me, he claimed t hat I have a son. All praise is due t o Me, it is unbefit t ing t hat I should have a wife or a son.') This Hadit h was recorded by Al-Bukhari. It is recorded in t he Two Sahihs t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

:
e(No one is more pat ient when hearing an insult t han Allah. They at t ribut e a son t o Him, yet He st ill gives t hem sust anence and healt h.)

Everything is within Allah's Grasp

Allah said,


(all are Qanit un t o Him). Ibn Abi Hat im said t hat Abu Sa` id Al-Ashaj informed t hem t hat Asbat informed t hem from Mut arrif, from ` At iyah, from Ibn ` Abbas who said t hat ,

(Qant in) (2:238) means, t hey pray t o Him. ` Ikrimah and Abu Malik also said t hat ,

(and all are Qanit un t o Him.) means, bound t o Him in servit ude t o Him. Sa` id bin Jubayr said t hat Qanit un is sincerit y. Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said t hat ,

(all are Qanit un t o Him.) means, "St anding up - before Him - on t he Day of Resurrect ion.'' Also, As-Suddi said t hat ,

(and all are Qanit un t o Him.) means, "Obedient on t he Day of Resurrect ion.'' Khasif said t hat Muj ahid said t hat ,

(and all are Qanit un t o Him. ) means, "Obedient . He says, ` Be a human' and he becomes a human.'' He also said, "(Allah says,) ` Be a donkey' and it becomes a donkey.'' Also, Ibn Abi Naj ih said t hat Muj ahid said t hat ,

(and all are Qanit un t o Him.) means, obedient . Muj ahid also said, "The obedience of t he disbeliever occurs when his shadow prost rat es, while he hat es t hat .'' Muj ahid's st at ement , which Ibn Jarir preferred, combines all t he meanings, and t hat is t hat Qunut means obedience and submission t o Allah. There are t wo cat egories of Qunut : legislat ed and dest ined, for Allah said,


(And unt o Allah (alone) falls in prost rat ion whoever is in t he heavens and t he eart h, willingly or unwillingly, and so do t heir shadows in t he mornings and in t he (lat e) aft ernoons) (13:15).

The Meaning of Bad 299 "

Allah said,

(The Badi` (Originat or) of t he heavens and t he eart h.) which means, He creat ed t hem when not hing resembling t hem exist ed. Muj ahid and As-Suddi said t hat t his is t he linguist ic meaning, for all new mat t ers are called Bid` ah. Muslim recorded t he Messenger of Allah saying,

(...every innovat ion (in religion) is a Bid` ah.) There are t wo t ypes of Bid` ah, religious, as ment ioned in t he Hadit h:

(...every innovat ion is a Bid` ah and every Bid` ah is heresy.) And t here is a linguist ic Bid` ah, such as t he st at ement of t he Leader of t he fait hful ` Umar bin Al-Khat t ab when he gat hered t he Muslims t o pray t he Tarawih prayer in congregat ion (which was also an earlier pract ice of t he Prophet ) and said, "What a good Bid` ah t his is.'' Ibn Jarir said, "Thus t he meaning of t he Ayat (2:116-117) becomes, ` Allah is far more glorious t han t o have had a son, for He is t he Owner of everyt hing t hat is in t he heavens and eart h. All t est ify t o His Oneness and t o t heir submissiveness t o Him. He is t heir Creat or and Maker. Wit hout creat ed precedence, He shaped t he creat ures in t heir current shapes. Allah also bears wit ness t o His servant s t hat Jesus, who some claimed t o be Allah's son, is among t hose who t est ify t o His Oneness. Allah st at ed t hat He creat ed t he heavens and eart h out of not hing and wit hout precedent . Likewise, He creat ed Jesus, t he Messiah, wit h His power and wit hout a fat her.'' This explanat ion from Ibn Jarir, may Allah have mercy upon him, is very good and correct . Allah said,


(When He decrees a mat t er, He only says t o it : "Be! and it is.) t hus, demonst rat ing His perfect ly complet e abilit y and t remendous aut horit y; if He decides a mat t er, He merely orders it t o, ` Be' and it comes int o exist ence. Similarly, Allah said,

(Verily, His command, when He int ends a t hing, is only t hat He says t o it , "Be! (36:82), and it is.)

(Verily, Our Word unt o a t hing when We int end it , is only t hat We say unt o it : "Be! (16:40) and, and it is.)

(And Our commandment is but one as t he t winkling of an eye) (54:50) So Allah informed us t hat He creat ed Jesus by merely saying, "Be!'' and he was, as Allah willed:

(Verily, t he likeness of ` Isa (Jesus) before Allah is t he likeness of Adam. He creat ed him from dust , t hen (He) said t o him: "Be! and he was) (3:59).

(118. And t hose who have no knowledge say: "Why does not Allah speak t o us (face t o face) or why does not a sign come t o us'' So said t he people before t hem words of similar import . Their heart s are alike, We have indeed made plain t he signs for people who believe wit h cert aint y.) Muhammad bin Ishaq report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat Rafi` bin Huraymilah said t o t he Messenger of Allah , "O Muhammad! If you were t ruly a Messenger from Allah, as you claim, t hen ask Allah t o speak t o us direct ly, so t hat we hear His Speech.'' So Allah revealed,

(And t hose who have no knowledge say: "Why does not Allah speak t o us (face t o face) or why does not a sign come t o us'') Abu Al-` Aliyah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Qat adah and As-Suddi said t hat it was act ually t he st at ement of t he Arab disbelievers:

(So said t he people before t hem words of similar import . ) He said, "These are t he Jews and t he Christ ians.'' What furt her proves t hat t he Arab idolat ors said t he st at ement ment ioned in t he Ayah is t hat Allah said,

(And when t here comes t o t hem a sign (from Allah) t hey say: "We shall not believe unt il we receive t he like of t hat which t he Messengers of Allah had received.'' Allah knows best wit h whom t o place His Message. Humiliat ion and disgrace from Allah and a severe t orment will overt ake t he criminals (polyt heist s and sinners) for t hat which t hey used t o plot .) (6:124) and


(And t hey say: "We shall not believe in you (O Muhammad ), unt il you cause a spring t o gush fort h from t he eart h for us) unt il,

(Say (O Muhammad ): "Glorified (and Exalt ed) be my Lord (Allah) above all t hat evil t hey (polyt heist s) associat e wit h Him ! Am I anyt hing but a man, sent as a Messenger'') (17:90-93) and,

(And t hose who expect not a meet ing wit h Us (i. e. t hose who deny t he Day of Resurrect ion and t he life of t he Hereaft er) said: "Why are not t he angels sent down t o us, or why do we not see our Lord'') (25:21) and,

(Nay, everyone of t hem desires t hat he should be given pages spread out ) (74:52). There are many ot her Ayat t hat t est ify t o t he disbelief of t he Arab idolat ors, t heir t ransgression, st ubbornness, and t hat t hey asked unnecessary quest ions out of disbelief and arrogance. The st at ement s of t he Arab idolat ors followed t he st at ement s of t he nat ions of t he People of t he Two Script ures and ot her religions before t hem. Allah said,

(The People of t he Script ure (Jews) ask you t o cause a book t o descend upon t hem from heaven. Indeed, t hey asked Musa (Moses) for even great er t han t hat , when t hey said: "Show us Allah in public,'') (4:153) and,

(And (remember) when you said: "O Musa! We shall never believe in you unt il we see Allah plainly.'') (2:55). Allah's st at ement ,

(Their heart s are alike. ) means, t he heart s of t he Arab idolat ors are j ust like t he heart s of t hose before t hem, cont aining disbelief, st ubbornness and inj ust ice. Similarly, Allah said,

(Likewise, no Messenger came t o t hose before t hem but t hey said: "A sorcerer or a madman!'' Have t hey (t he people of t he past ) t ransmit t ed t his saying t o t hese (Quraysh pagans)) (51:5253). Allah said next ,

(We have indeed made plain t he signs for people who believe wit h cert aint y.) meaning, We made t he argument s clear, prooving t he t rut h of t he Messengers, wit h no need of more quest ions or proofs for t hose who believe, follow t he Messengers and comprehend what Allah sent t hem wit h. As for t hose whose heart s and hearing Allah has st amped and whose eyes have been sealed, Allah described t hem:

(Truly, t hose, against whom t he Word (wrat h) of your Lord has been j ust ified, will not believe. Even if every sign should come t o t hem, unt il t hey see t he painful t orment ) (10:96-97).

(119. Verily, We have sent you (O Muhammad ) wit h t he t rut h (Islam), a bringer of glad t idings (for t hose who believe in what you brought , t hat t hey will ent er Paradise) and a warner (for t hose who disbelieve in what you brought , t hat t hey will ent er t he Hellfire). And you will not be asked about t he dwellers of t he blazing Fire.) Allah's st at ement ;

(And you will not be asked about t he dwellers of t he blazing Fire.) means, "We shall not ask you about t he disbelief of t hose who rej ect ed you.'' Similarly, Allah said,

(Your dut y is only t o convey (t he Message) and on Us is t he reckoning.) (13:40)

-
(So remind t hem (O Muhammad ) t hem.)(88:21-22) and, you are only one who reminds. You are not a dict at or over

(We know best what t hey say. And you (O Muhammad ) are not t he one t o force t hem (t o belief). But warn by t he Qur'an; him who fears My t hreat ) (50:45). There are many ot her similar Ayat .

The Description of the Prophet in the Tawrah

Imam Ahmad recorded ` At a' bin Yasar saying t hat he met ` Abdullah bin ` Amr bin Al-` As and said t o him, "Tell me about t he descript ion of t he Messenger of Allah in t he Torah.'' He said, "Yes, by Allah, he is described by t he Torah wit h t he same charact erist ics t hat he is described wit h in t he Qur'an wit h: ` O Prophet ! We have sent you as a wit ness, a bringer of good news, a warner, and as safe refuge for t he unlet t ered people. You are My servant and Messenger. I have called you t he Mut awakkil (who depends and relies on Allah for each and everyt hing). You are not harsh, nor hard, nor obnoxious in t he bazaars. He does not reward t he evil deed wit h an evil deed. Rat her, he forgives and pardons. Allah will not bring his life t o an end, unt il he st raight ens t he wicked's religion by his hands so t hat t he people proclaim: There is no deit y wort hy of worship except Allah. By his hands, Allah will open blind eyes, deaf ears and sealed heart s.''' This was recorded by Al-Bukhari only.

-
(120. Never will t he Jews nor t he Christ ians be pleased wit h you (O Muhammad ) t ill you follow t heir religion. Say: "Verily, t he guidance of Allah (i.e. Islamic Monot heism) t hat is t he (only) guidance. And if you (O Muhammad ) were t o follow t heir (Jews and Christ ians) desires aft er what you have received of Knowledge (i.e. t he Qur'an), t hen you would have against Allah neit her any Wali (prot ect or or guardian) nor any helper.) (121. Those t o whom we gave t he Book recit e it as it should be recit ed (Yat lunahu Haqqa Tilawat ihi) t hey are t he ones who believe t herein. And whoso disbelieve in it , t hose are t hey who are t he losers.) Ibn Jarir said, "Allah said,

(Never will t he Jews nor t he Christ ians be pleased wit h you (O Muhammad ) t ill you follow t heir religion.) meaning, ` The Jews and t he Christ ians will never be happy wit h you, O Muhammad! Therefore, do not seek what pleases or appeases t hem, and st ick t o what pleases Allah by calling t hem t o t he t rut h t hat Allah sent you wit h.' Allah's st at ement ,

(Say: "Verily, t he guidance of Allah (i.e. Islamic Monot heism) t hat is t he (only) guidance'') emeans, ` Say, O Muhammad , t he guidance of Allah t hat He sent me wit h is t he t rue guidance, meaning t he st raight , perfect and comprehensive religion.''' Qat adah said t hat Allah's st at ement ,

(Say: "Verily, t he guidance of Allah (i.e. Islamic Monot heism) t hat is t he (only) guidance) is, "A t rue argument t hat Allah t aught Muhammad and his Companions and which t hey used against t he people of misguidance.'' Qat adah said, "We were t old t hat t he Messenger of Allah used t o say,

(There will always be a group of my Ummah fight ing upon t he t rut h, having t he upper hand, not harmed by t heir opponent s, unt il t he decree of Allah (t he Last Hour) comes.) This Hadit h was collect ed in t he Sahih and narrat ed from ` Abdullah bin ` Amr.

(And if you (O Muhammad ) were t o follow t heir (Jews and Christ ians) desires aft er what you have received of Knowledge (i.e. t he Qur'an), t hen you would have against Allah neit her any Wali (prot ect or or guardian) nor any helper.) This Ayah carries a st ern warning for t he Muslim Ummah against imit at ing t he ways and met hods of t he Jews and Christ ians, aft er t hey have acquired knowledge of t he Qur'an and Sunnah, may Allah grant us refuge from t his behavior. Alt hough t he speech in t his Ayah was direct ed at t he Messenger , t he ruling of which applies t o his ent ire Ummah.

The Meaning of Correct Tilawah

Allah said,

(Those t o whom We gave t he Book. Yat lunahu Haqqan Tilawat ih.) ` Abdur-Razzaq said from Ma` mar, from Qat adah, "They are t he Jews and Christ ians.'' This is t he opinion of ` Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam, and it was also chosen by Ibn Jarir. Sa` id report ed from Qat adah, "They are t he Companions of t he Messenger of Allah .'' Abu Al-` Aliyah said t hat Ibn Mas` ud said, "By He in Whose Hand is my soul! The right Tilawah is allowing what it makes lawful, prohibit ing what it makes unlawful, recit ing it as it was revealed by Allah, not changing t he words from t heir places, and not int erpret ing it wit h ot her t han it s act ual int erpret at ion.'' As-Suddi report ed from Abu Malik from Ibn ` Abbas who said about t his Ayah (2:121): "They make lawful what it allows and t hey prohibit what it makes unlawful, and t hey do not alt er it s wordings.'' ` Umar bin Al-Khat t ab said, "They are t hose who when t hey recit e an Ayah t hat ment ions mercy, t hey ask Allah for it , and when t hey recit e an Ayah t hat ment ions t orment , t hey seek refuge wit h Allah from it .'' This meaning was at t ribut ed t o t he Prophet , for when he used t o recit e an Ayah of mercy, he invoked Allah for mercy, and when he recit ed an Ayah of t orment , he sought refuge from it wit h Allah. Allah's st at ement ,

(t hey are t he ones who believe t herein) explains t he Ayah,

(Those t o whom We gave t he Book. Yat lunahu Haqqa Tilawat ihi). These Ayat mean, "Those among t he People of t he Book who perfect ly adhered t o t he Books t hat were revealed t o t he previous Prophet s, will believe in what I have sent you wit h, O Muhammad!'' Allah said in anot her Ayah,

(And if only t hey had act ed according t o t he Tawrah, t he Inj il, and what has (now) been sent down t o t hem from t heir Lord (t he Qur'an), t hey would surely, have got t en provision from above t hem and from underneat h t heir feet .) (5:66). The Ayah,


(Say (O Muhammad ) "O People of t he Script ure (Jews and Christ ians)! You have not hing (as regards guidance) t ill you act according t o t he Tawrah, t he Inj il, and what has (now) been sent down t o you from your Lord (t he Qur'an).'') means, "If you adhere t o t he Torah and t he Gospel in t he correct manner, believe in t hem as you should, and believe in t he news t hey carry about Muhammad's prophet hood, his descript ion and t he command t o follow, aid and support him, t hen t his will direct you t o adhere t o t rut h and right eousness in t his life and t he Hereaft er.'' In anot her Ayah, Allah said,

(Those who follow t he Messenger, t he Prophet who can neit her read nor writ e (i.e. Muhammad ) whom t hey find writ t en wit h t hem in t he Tawrah and t he Inj il.) (7:157) and,

-
(Say (O Muhammad t o t hem): "Believe in it (t he Qur'an) or do not believe (in it ). Verily, t hose who were given knowledge before it , when it is recit ed t o t hem, fall down on t heir faces in humble prost rat ion. And t hey say: "Glory be t o our Lord! Truly, t he promise of our Lord must be fulfilled.'') (17:107-108). These Ayat indicat e t hat what Allah promised for Muhammad will cert ainly occur. Allah also said,

 -
(Those t o whom We gave t he Script ure (i. e. t he Tawrah and t he Inj il) before it , t hey believe in it (t he Qur'an). And when it is recit ed t o t hem, t hey say: "We believe in it . Verily, it is t he t rut h from our Lord. Indeed even before it we have been from t hose who submit t hemselves t o Allah in Islam as Muslims. These will be given t heir reward t wice over, because t hey are pat ient , and repel evil wit h good, and spend (in charit y) out of what We have provided t hem.) (28:52-54) and,

(And say t o t hose who were given t he Script ure (Jews and Christ ians) and t o t hose who are illit erat es (Arab pagans): "Do you (also) submit yourselves (t o Allah in Islam)'' If t hey do, t hey are right ly guided; but if t hey t urn away, your dut y is only t o convey t he Message; and Allah is t he Seer of (His) servant s) (3:20). Allah said,

(And whoever disbelieves in it (t he Qur'an), t hose are t hey who are t he losers), j ust as He said in anot her Ayah,

(But t hose of t he sect s (Jews, Christ ians and all t he ot her non-Muslim nat ions) t hat rej ect it (t he Qur'an), t he Fire will be t heir promised meet ing place) (11:17). As recorded in t he Sahih, t he Prophet said,


(By He in Whose Hand is my soul! There is no member of t his Ummah (mankind and Jinns), Jew or a Christ ian, who hears of me, yet does not believe in me, but will ent er t he Fire.)

(122. O Children of Israel! Remember My favor which I best owed upon you and t hat I preferred you over t he nat ions).) (123. And fear t he Day (of Judgement ) when no person shall avail anot her, nor shall compensat ion be accept ed from him, nor shall int ercession be of use t o him, nor shall t hey be helped.) We ment ioned a similar Ayah at t he beginning of t his Surah, and it is ment ioned here t o emphisize t he import ance of following t he Ummi Prophet and Messenger, who is described for t he People of t he Script ures in t heir Books by his charact erist ics, name, t he good news about him and t he descript ion of his Ummah. Allah warned t hem against concealing t his informat ion, which is among t he favors t hat Allah grant ed t hem. Allah also commanded t hem t o remember t heir daily life and t heir religious affairs and how He blessed t hem. They should not envy t heir cousins, t he Arabs, for what Allah has given t hem, t he Final Messenger of Allah being an Arab. Envy should not incit e t hem t o oppose or deny t he Prophet or refrain from following him, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him unt il t he Day of Judgment .

(124. And (remember) when t he Lord of Ibrahim (Abraham) t ried him wit h (cert ain) commands, which he fulfilled. He (Allah) said (t o him), "Verily, I am going t o make you an Imam (a leader)

for mankind (t o follow you).'' (Ibrahim) said, "And of my offspring (t o make leaders).'' (Allah) said, "My covenant (prophet hood) includes not Zalimin (polyt heist s and wrongdoers).'')

Ibrahim Al-Khalil was an Imam for the People

Allah is informing us of t he honor of Ibrahim Al-Khalil, who He made an Imam for t he people, and a model t o be imit at ed, because of t he way he conduct ed himself and adhered t o Tawhid. This honor was given t o Prophet Ibrahim when he adhered t o Allah's decisions and prohibit ions. This is why Allah said,

(And (remember) when t he Lord of Ibrahim (i.e., Allah) t ried him wit h (cert ain) commands). This Ayah means, O Muhammad! Remind t he idolat ors and t he People of t he Script ures, who pret end t o be followers of t he religion of Ibrahim, while in realit y t hey do not follow it , while you, O Muhammad, and your followers are t he t rue followers of his religion; remind t hem of t he commands and prohibit ions t hat Allah t est ed Ibrahim wit h.

(which he fulfilled.) indicat ing t hat Ibrahim implement ed all of Allah's orders. Allah said in anot her Ayah,

(And of Ibrahim (Abraham) who fulfilled (or conveyed) all t hat (Allah ordered him t o do or convey)) (53:37) meaning, he was t rut hful and he was obedient t o Allah's legislat ion. Also, Allah said,

- - -

(Verily, Ibrahim was an Ummah (or a nat ion), obedient t o Allah, Hanif (i.e. t o worship none but Allah), and he was not one of t hose who were Al-Mushrikin (polyt heist s), (He was) t hankful for His (Allah's) favors. He (Allah) chose him and guided him t o a st raight pat h. And We gave him good in t his world, and in t he Hereaft er he shall be of t he right eous. Then, We have sent t he revelat ion t o you (O Muhammad saying): "Follow t he religion of Ibrahim Hanif (Islamic Monot heism t o worship none but Allah) and he was not of t he Mushrikin.) (16:120-123)

(Say (O Muhammad ): "Truly, my Lord has guided me t o a st raight pat h, a right religion, t he religion of Ibrahim, Hanifan, and Ibrahim (t o worship none but Allah, alone) and he was not of Al-Mushrikin.'') (6:161) and,

-
(Ibrahim was neit her a Jew nor a Christ ian, but he was a t rue Muslim Hanifan (Islamic Monot heism t o worship none but Allah alone) and he was not of Al-Mushrikin. Verily, among mankind who have t he best claim t o Ibrahim are t hose who followed him, and t his Prophet (Muhammad ) and t hose who have believed (Muslims). And Allah is t he Wali (Prot ect or and Helper) of t he believers) (3:67-68). Allah said,

(wit h Kalimat (words)) which means, "Laws, commandment s and prohibit ions.'' ` Words' as ment ioned here, somet imes refers t o what Allah has willed, such as Allah's st at ement about Maryam,

(And she t est ified t o t he t rut h of t he Words of her Lord, and (also believed in) His Script ures, and she was of t he Qanit in (i.e. obedient t o Allah)) (66:12). "Words'' also refers t o Allah's Law, such as Allah's st at ement ,

(And t he Word of your Lord has been fulfilled in t rut h and in j ust ice) (6:115) meaning, His legislat ion. "Words'' also means t rut hful news, or a j ust commandment or prohibit ion. For inst ance, Allah said,

(And (remember) when t he Lord of Ibrahim t ried him wit h (cert ain) Words (commands), which he fulfilled) meaning, he adhered t o t hem, Allah said,

("Verily, I am going t o make you an Imam (a leader) for mankind (t o follow you).'') as a reward for Ibrahim's good deeds, adhering t o t he commandment s and avoiding t he prohibit ions. This is why Allah made Ibrahim a role model for t he people, and an Imam whose conduct and pat h are imit at ed and followed.

What were the Words that Ibrahim was tested with

There is a difference of opinion over t he words t hat Allah t est ed Ibrahim wit h. There are several opinions at t ribut ed t o Ibn ` Abbas. For inst ance, ` Abdur-Razzaq said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Allah t est ed him wit h t he rit uals (of Haj j ).'' Abu Ishaq report ed t he same. ` Abdur-Razzaq also narrat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ,

(And (remember) when t he Lord of Ibrahim (Abraham) (i.e., Allah) t ried him wit h (cert ain) commands) means, "Allah t est ed him wit h Taharah (purit y, ablut ion): five on t he head and five on t he body. As for t he head, t hey are cut t ing t he must ache, rinsing t he mout h, inhaling and discarding wat er, using Siwak and part ing t he hair. As for t he body, t hey are t rimming t he nails, shaving t he pubic hair, circumcision and plucking under t he arm and washing wit h wat er aft er answering t he call of nat ure.'' Ibn Abi Hat im said, "A similar st at ement was also report ed from Sa` id bin Al-Musayyib, Muj ahid, Ash-Sha` bi, An-Nakha` i, Abu Salih, Abu Al-Jald, and so fort h.''

There is a similar st at ement t hat Imam Muslim narrat ed from ` A'ishah who said t hat Allah's Messenger said,

:
(Ten are among t he Fit rah (inst inct , nat ural const it ut ion): t rimming t he must ache, growing t he beard, using Siwak, inhaling and t hen exhaling wat er (in ablut ion), cut t ing t he nails, washing bet ween t he fingers (in ablut ion), plucking t he underarm hair, shaving t he pubic hair, washing wit h wat er aft er answering t he call of nat ure, (and I forgot t he t ent h, I t hink it was) rinsing t he mout h (in ablut ion).) The Two Sahihs recorded Abu Hurayrah saying t hat t he Prophet said,

:
(Five are among t he act s of Fit rah: circumcision, shaving t he pubic hair, t rimming t he must ache, cut t ing t he nails and plucking t he underarm hair.) This is t he wording wit h Muslim. Muhammad bin Ishaq report d t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "The words t hat Allah t est ed Ibrahim wit h, and t hat he implement ed were: abandoning his (disbelieving) people when Allah commanded him t o do so, disput ing wit h Nimrod (king of Babylon) about Allah, being pat ient when he was t hrown in t he fire (alt hough t his was ext remely t raumat ic) migrat ing from his homeland when Allah commanded him t o do so, pat ience wit h t he monet ary and mat erial demands of host ing guest s by Allah's command, and Allah's order for him t o slaught er his son. When Allah t est ed Ibrahim wit h t hese words, and he was ready for t he maj or t est , Allah said t o him,

("Submit (be a Muslim)!'' He said, "I have submit t ed myself (as a Muslim) t o t he Lord of all t hat exist s. '') (2:131) alt hough t his meant defying and being apart from t he people.''

The Unjust do not qualify for Allah's Promise

Allah said t hat Ibrahim said,


(And of my offspring (t o make leaders)) and Allah replied,

(My covenant (prophet hood) includes not Zalimin (polyt heist s and wrongdoers)). When Allah made Ibrahim an Imam (Leader for t he fait hful), he asked Allah t hat Imams t hereaft er be chosen from his offspring. Allah accept ed his supplicat ion, but t old him t hat t here will be unj ust people among his offspring and t hey will not benefit from Allah's promise. Thus, t hey will neit her become Imams nor be imit at ed (for t hey will not be right eous). The proof t hat Ibrahim's supplicat ion t o Allah was accept ed is t hat Allah said in Surat Al-` Ankabut (29:27),

(And We ordained among his offspring prophet hood and t he Book). Hence, every Prophet whom Allah sent aft er Ibrahim were from among his offspring, and every Book t hat Allah revealed was t o t hem. As for Allah's st at ement ,

((Allah) said, "My covenant (prophet hood) includes not Zalimin (polyt heist s and wrongdoers). '') Allah ment ioned t hat t here are unj ust people among t he offspring of Ibrahim, and t hey will not benefit from Allah's promise, nor would t hey be ent rust ed wit h anyt hing, even t hough t hey are among t he children of Allah's Khalil (int imat e friend, Prophet Abraham). There will also be t hose who do good among t he children of Ibrahim, and t hese it is who will benefit from Ibrahim's supplicat ion. Ibn Jarir said t hat t his Ayah indicat ed t hat t he unj ust shall not be Imams for t he people. Moreover, t he Ayah informed Ibrahim t hat t here will be unj ust people among his offspring. Also, Ibn Khuwayz Mindad Al-Maliki said, "The unj ust person does not qualify t o be a Khalifah, a ruler, one who gives religious verdict s, a wit ness, or even a narrat or (of Hadit hs).''

(125. And (remember) when We made t he House (t he Ka` bah at Makkah) a place of resort for mankind and a place of safet y. And t ake you (people) t he Maqam (place) of Ibrahim (or t he st one on which Ibrahim as a place)

The Virtue of Allah's House

Al-` Awfi report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed on Allah's st at ement ,

(And (remember) when We made t he House (t he Ka` bah at Makkah) a place of resort for mankind) "They do not remain in t he House, t hey only visit it and ret urn t o t heir homes, and t hen visit it again.'' Also, Abu Ja` far Ar-Razi narrat ed from Ar-Rabi` bin Anas from Abu Al` Aliyah who said t hat ,

(And (remember) when We made t he House (t he Ka` bah at Makkah) a place of resort for mankind and a place of safet y) means, "Safe from enemies and armed conflict . During t he t ime of Jahiliyyah, t he people were oft en vict ims of raids and kidnapping, while t he people in t he area surrounding it (Al-Masj id Al-Haram) were safe and not subj ect t o kidnapping.'' Also, Muj ahid, ` At a', As-Suddi, Qat adah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas were report ed t o have said t hat t he Ayah (2:125) means, "Whoever ent ers it shall be safe.'' This Ayah indicat es t hat Allah honored t he Sacred House, which Allah made as a safe refuge and safe haven. Therefore, t he souls are eager, but never bored, t o conduct short visit s t o t he House, even every year. This is because Allah accept ed t he supplicat ion of His Khalil, Ibrahim, when he asked Allah t o make t he heart s of people eager t o visit t he House. Ibrahim said (14:40),

(Our Lord! And accept my invocat ion).

Allah described the House as a safe resort and refuge, for those who visit it are safe, even if they had committed acts of evil. This honor comes from the honor of the person who built it first, Khalil Ar-Rahman, just as Allah said,

(And (remember) when We showed Ibrahim t he sit e of t he (Sacred) House (t he Ka` bah at Makkah) (saying): "Associat e not anyt hing (in worship) wit h Me...'') (22:26) and,

(Verily, t he first House (of worship) appoint ed for mankind was t hat at Bakkah (Makkah), full of blessing, and a guidance for Al-` Alamin (mankind and Jinn). In it are manifest signs (for example), t he Maqam (place) of Ibrahim; whosoever ent ers it , he at t ains securit y) (3:96-97). The last honorable Ayah emphasized t he honor of Ibrahim's Maqam, and t he inst ruct ion t o pray next t o it ,

(And t ake you (people) t he Maqam (place) of Ibrahim as a place of prayer). The Maqam of Ibrahim Sufyan At h-Thawri report ed t hat Sa` id bin Jubayr comment ed on t he Ayah,

(And t ake you (people) t he Maqam (place) of Ibrahim as a place of prayer) "The st one (Maqam) is t he st anding place of Ibrahim, Allah's Prophet , and a mercy from Allah. Ibrahim st ood on t he st one, while Isma` il was handing him t he st ones (const ruct ing t he Ka` bah).''As-Suddi said, "The Maqam of Ibrahim is a st one which Isma` il's wife put under Ibrahim's feet when washing his head." Al-Qurt ubi ment ioned t his, but he considered it unaut hent ic, alt hough ot hers gave it prefrence, Ar-Razi report ed it in his Tafsir from Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Qat adah, and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas. Ibn Abi Hat im report ed t hat Jabir, describing t he Haj j (pilgrimage) of t he Prophet said, "When t he Prophet performed Tawaf, ` Umar asked him, ` Is t his t he Maqam of our fat her' He said, ` Yes.' ` Umar said, ` Should we t ake it a place of prayer' So Allah revealed,

(And t ake you (people) t he Maqam (place) of Ibrahim (Abraham) as a place of prayer.'') Al-Bukhari said, "Chapt er: Allah's st at ement ,


(And t ake you (people) t he Maqam (place) of Ibrahim (Abraham) as a place of prayer) meaning, t hey ret urn t o it repeat edly.'' He t hen narrat ed t hat Anas bin Malik said t hat ` Umar bin AlKhat t ab said, "I agreed wit h my Lord, or my Lord agreed wit h me, regarding t hree mat t ers. I said, ` O Messenger of Allah! I wish you t ake t he Maqam of Ibrahim a place for prayer.' The Ayah,

(And t ake you (people) t he Maqam (place) of Ibrahim (Abraham)) was revealed. I also said, ` O Messenger of Allah! The right eous and t he wicked ent er your house. I wish you would command t he Mot hers of t he believers (t he Prophet 's wives) t o wear Hij ab. Allah sent down t he Ayah t hat required t he Hij ab. And when I knew t hat t he Prophet was angry wit h some of his wives, I came t o t hem and said, ` Eit her you st op what you are doing, or Allah will endow His Messenger wit h bet t er women t han you are.' I advised one of his wives and she said t o me, ` O ` Umar! Does t he Messenger of Allah not know how t o advise his wives, so t hat you have t o do t he j ob inst ead of him' Allah t hen revealed,

(It may be if he divorced you (all) t hat his Lord will give him inst ead of you, wives bet t er t han you, Muslims (who submit t o Allah)).'' (66:5) Also, Ibn Jarir narrat ed t hat Jabir said, "Aft er t he Messenger of Allah kissed t he Black St one, he went around t he house t hree t imes in a fast pace and four t imes in a slow pace. He t hen went t o Maqam of Ibrahim, wit h it bet ween him and t he House, and prayed t wo Rak` ahs.'' This is part of t he long Hadit h t hat Muslim recorded in Sahih. Al-Bukhari recorded t hat ` Amr bin Dinar said t hat he heard Ibn ` Umar say, "The Messenger of Allah performed Tawaf around t he House seven t imes and t hen prayed t wo Rak` ahs behind t he Maqam.'' All t hese t ext s indicat e t hat t he Maqam is t he st one t hat Ibrahim was st anding on while building t he House. As t he House's walls became higher, Isma` il brought his fat her a st one, so t hat he could st and on it , while Isma` il handed him t he st ones. Ibrahim would place t he st ones on t he wall, and whenever he finished one side, he would move t o t he next side, t o complet e t he building all around. Ibrahim kept repeat ing t his unt il he finished building t he House, as we will describe when we explain t he st ory of Ibrahim and Isma` il and how t hey built t he House, as narrat ed from Ibn ` Abbas and collect ed by Al-Bukhari. Ibrahim's foot print s were st ill visible in t he st one, and t he Arabs knew t his fact during t he t ime of Jahiliyyah. This is why Abu Talib said in his poem known as ` Al-Lamiyyah', "And Ibrahim's foot print wit h his bare feet on t he st one is st ill visible.'' The Muslims also saw Ibrahim's foot print s on t he st one, as Anas bin Malik said, "I saw t he Maqam wit h t he print of Ibrahim's t oes and feet st ill visible in it , but t he foot print s dissipat ed because of t he people rubbing t he st one wit h t heir hands.''

Earlier, t he Maqam was placed close t o t he Ka` bah's wall. In t he present t ime, t he Maqam is placed next t o Al-Hij r on t he right side of t hose ent ering t hrough t he door. When Ibrahim finished building t he House, he placed t he st one next t o t he wall of Al-Ka` bah. Or, when t he House was finished being built , Ibrahim j ust left t he st one where it was last st anding, and he was commanded t o pray next t o t he st one when he finished t he Tawaf (circumambulat ing). It is underst andable t hat t he Maqam of Ibrahim would st and where t he building of t he House ended. The Leader of t he fait hful ` Umar bin Al-Khat t ab, one of t he Four Right ly Guided Caliphs whom we were commanded t o emulat e, moved t he st one away from t he Ka` bah's wall during his reign. ` Umar is one of t he t wo men, whom t he Messenger of Allah described when he said,

(Imit at e t he t wo men who will come aft er me: Abu Bakr and ` Umar.) ` Umar was also t he person whom t he Qur'an agreed wit h regarding praying next t o Maqam of Ibrahim. This is why none among t he Companions rej ect ed it when he moved it . ` Abdur-Razzaq report ed from Ibn Jurayj from ` At a', "` Umar bin Al-Khat t ab moved t he Maqam back.'' Also, ` Abdur-Razzaq narrat ed t hat Muj ahid said t hat ` Umar was t he first person who moved t he Maqam back t o where it is now st anding.'' Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr, Ahmad bin ` Ali bin AlHusayn Al-Bayhaqi recorded ` A'ishah saying, "During t he t ime of t he Messenger of Allah and Abu Bakr, t he Maqam was right next t o t he House. ` Umar moved t he Maqam during his reign.'' This Hadit h has an aut hent ic chain of narrat ion. i

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(125. And We commanded Ibrahim (Abraham) and Isma` il (Ishmael) t hat t hey should purify My House (t he Ka` bah at Makkah) for t hose who are circumambulat ing it , or st aying (I` t ikaf), or bowing or prost rat ing t hemselves (t here, in prayer).) (126. And (remember) when Ibrahim said, "My Lord, make t his cit y (Makkah) a place of securit y and provide it s people wit h fruit s, such of t hem as believe in Allah and t he Last Day.'' He (Allah) answered: "As for him who disbelieves, I shall leave him in cont ent ment for a while, t hen I shall compel him t o t he t orment of t he Fire, and worst indeed is t hat dest inat ion!'') (127. And (remember) when Ibrahim and (his son) Isma` il were raising t he foundat ions of t he House (t he Ka` bah at Makkah), (saying), "Our Lord! Accept (t his service) from us. Verily, You are t he Hearer, t he Knower.'') (128. "Our Lord! And make us submissive unt o You and of our offspring a nat ion submissive unt o You, and show us our Manasik, and accept our repent ance. Truly, You are t he One Who accept s repent ance, t he Most Merciful.)

The Command to purify the House

Al-Hasan Al-Basri said t hat ,

(And We gave Our 'Ahd (command) t o Ibrahim and Isma` il) means, "Allah ordered t hem t o purify it from all filt h and impurit ies, of which none should ever t ouch it .'' Also, Ibn Jurayj said, "I said t o ` At a', ` What is Allah's ` Ahd' He said, ` His command.''' Also, Sa` id bin Jubayr said t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed on t he Ayah,

(t hat t hey should purify My House (t he Ka` bah) for t hose who are circumambulat ing it , or st aying (I` t ikaf)) "Purify it from t he idols.'' Furt her, Muj ahid and Sa` id bin Jubayr said t hat ,

(purify My House for t hose who are circumambulat ing it ) means, "From t he idols, sexual act ivit y, false wit ness and sins of all kinds.''

Allah said,

(for t hose who are performing Tawaf (circumambulat ing) it ). The Tawaf around t he House is a well-est ablished rit ual, Sa` id bin Jubayr said t hat ,

(for t hose who are circumambulat ing it ) means, st rangers (he means who do not live in Makkah), while;

(or st aying (I` t ikaf)) is about t hose who live in t he area of t he Sacred House. Also, Qat adah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said t hat I` t ikaf is in reference t o t hose who live in t he area of t he House, j ust as Sa` id bin Jubayr st at ed. Allah said,

(or bowing or prost rat ing t hemselves (t here, in prayer)) Ibn ` Abbas said, when it is a place of prayer it includes t hose who are described as bowing and prost rat ing t hemselves. Also, ` At a' and Qat adah offered t he same Tafsir. Purifying all Masj ids is required according t o t his Ayah and according t o Allah's st at ement ,

(In houses (mosques) which Allah has ordered t o be raised (t o be cleaned, and t o be honored), in t hem His Name is remembered (i.e. Adhan, Iqamah, Salah, invocat ions, recit at ion of t he Qur'an). Therein glorify Him (Allah) in t he mornings and in t he (lat e) aft ernoons) (24:36). There are many Hadit hs t hat give a general order for purifying t he Masj ids and keeping filt h and impurit ies away from t hem. This is why t he Prophet said,


(The Masj ids are est ablished for t he purpose t hat t hey were built for (i. e. worshipping Allah alone).) I have collect ed a book on t his subj ect , and all praise is due t o Allah.

Makkah is a Sacred Area

Allah said,

(And (remember) when Ibrahim said, "My Lord, make t his cit y (Makkah) a place of securit y and provide it s people wit h fruit s, such of t hem as believe in Allah and t he Last Day.'') Imam Abu Ja` far bin Jarir At -Tabari narrat ed t hat Jabir bin ` Abdullah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(Ibrahim made Allah's House a Sacred Area and a safe refuge. I have made what is bet ween t he t wo sides of Al-Madinah a Sacred Area. Therefore, it s game should not be hunt ed, and it s t rees should not be cut .) An-Nasa'i and Muslim also recorded t his Hadit h. There are several ot her Hadit hs t hat indicat e t hat Allah made Makkah a sacred area before He creat ed t he heavens and eart h. The Two Sahihs recorded ` Abdullah bin ` Abbas saying t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

: :
(Allah has made t his cit y a sanct uary (sacred place) t he Day He creat ed t he heavens and eart h. Therefore, it is a sanct uary unt il t he Day of Resurrect ion because Allah made it a sanct uary. It was not legal for anyone t o fight in it before me, and it was legal for me for a few hours of one day. Therefore, it is a sanct uary unt il t he Day of Resurrect ion, because Allah made it a sanct uary. None is allowed t o uproot it s t horny shrubs, or t o chase it s game, or t o pick up somet hing t hat has fallen, except by a person who announces it publicly, nor should any of it s t rees be cut .) Al-` Abbas said, ` O Messenger of Allah! Except t he lemon-grass, for our goldsmit hs and for our graves.' The Prophet added, (Except lemon-grass.) This is t he wording of Muslim. The Two Sahihs also recorded Abu Hurayrah narrat ing a similar Hadit h, while Al-Bukhari recorded a similar Hadit h from Safiyyah bint Shaybah who narrat ed it from t he Prophet . Abu Shurayh Al-` Adawi said t hat he said t o ` Amr bin Sa` id while he was sending armies t o Makkah, "O Commander! Let me narrat e a Hadit h t hat t he Messenger of Allah said t he day t hat followed t he vict ory of Makkah. My ears heard t he Hadit h, my heart comprehended it , and my eyes saw t he Prophet when he said it . He t hanked Allah and praised him and t hen said,

 :
(Allah, not t he people, made Makkah a sanct uary, so any person who has belief in Allah and t he Last Day, should neit her shed blood in it nor should he cut down it s t rees. If anybody argues t hat fight ing in it is permissible on t he basis t hat Allah's Messenger fought in Makkah, say t o him, ` Allah allowed His Messenger and did not allow you.' Allah allowed me only for a few hours on t hat day (of t he Conquest ), and t oday it s sanct it y is valid as it was before. So, t hose who are present should inform t hose who are absent (concerning t his fact ).) Abu Shurayh was asked, ` What did ` Amr reply' He said, (` Amr said) ` O Abu Shurayh! I know bet t er t han you about t his, t he Sacred House does not give prot ect ion t o a sinner, a murderer or a t hief.' This Hadit h was collect ed by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. Aft er t his, t here is no cont radict ion bet ween t he Hadit hs t hat st at ed t hat Allah made Makkah a sanct uary when He creat ed t he heavens and eart h and t he Hadit hs t hat Ibrahim made it a sanct uary, since Ibrahim conveyed Allah's decree t hat Makkah is a sanct uary, before he built t he House. Similarly, t he Messenger of Allah was writ t en as t he Final Prophet when Adam was st ill clay. Yet , Ibrahim said,

(Our Lord! Send amongst t hem a Messenger of t heir own) (2: 129). Allah accept ed Ibrahim's supplicat ion, alt hough He had full knowledge beforehand t hat it will occur by His decree. To furt her elaborat e on t his subj ect , we should ment ion t he Hadit h about what t he Messenger of Allah said when he was asked, "O Messenger of Allah! Tell us about how your prophet hood st art ed.'' He said,


(I am t he supplicat ion of my fat her Ibrahim, t he good news of Jesus, t he son of Mary, and my mot her saw a light t hat radiat ed from her which illuminat ed t he cast les of Ash-Sham (Syria).) In t his Hadit h, t he Companions asked t he Messenger about t he beginning of his prophet hood. We will explain t his mat t er lat er, if Allah wills

Ibrahim invokes Allah to make Makkah an Area of Safety and Sustenance

Allah said t hat Ibrahim said,

(My Lord, make t his cit y (Makkah) a place of securit y) (2:126) from t error, so t hat it s people do not suffer from fear. Allah accept ed Ibrahim's supplicat ion. Allah said,

(Whosoever ent ers it , he at t ains securit y) (3:97) and,

(Have t hey not seen t hat We have made (Makkah) a secure sanct uary, while men are being snat ched away from all around t hem) (29:67). We have already ment ioned t he Hadit hs t hat prohibit fight ing in t he Sacred Area. Muslim recorded t hat Jabir said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(No one is allowed t o carry weapons in Makkah.) Allah ment ioned t hat Ibrahim said,


(My Lord, make t his cit y (Makkah) a place of securit y) meaning, make t his a safe cit y. This occurred before t he Ka` bah was built . Allah said in Surat Ibrahim,

(And (remember) when Ibrahim said, "My Lord! Make t his cit y (Makkah) one of peace and securit y...'') (14:35) as here, Ibrahim supplicat ed a second t ime aft er t he House was built and it s people lived around it , aft er Ishaq who was t hirt een years Isma` il's j unior was born. This is why at t he end of his supplicat ion, Ibrahim said here,

(All t he praises and t hanks be t o Allah, Who has given me in old age Isma` il (Ishmael) and Ishaq (Isaac). Verily, my Lord is indeed t he Hearer of invocat ions) (14:39). Allah said next ,

("...and provide it s people wit h fruit s, such of t hem as believe in Allah and t he Last Day.'' He (Allah) answered: "As for him who disbelieves, I shall leave him in cont ent ment for a while, t hen I shall compel him t o t he t orment of t he Fire, and worst indeed is t hat dest inat ion!'') Ibn Jarir said t hat Ubayy bin Ka` b comment ed on,

(He answered: "As for him who disbelieves, I shall leave him in cont ent ment for a while, t hen I shall compel him t o t he t orment of t he Fire, and worst indeed is t hat dest inat ion!'') "These are

Allah's Words (meaning not Ibrahim's)'' This is also t he Tafsir of Muj ahid and ` Ikrimah. Furt hermore, Ibn Abi Hat im narrat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed on Allah's st at ement ,

(My Lord, make t his cit y (Makkah) a place of securit y and provide it s people wit h fruit s, such of t hem as believe in Allah and t he Last Day.) "Ibrahim asked Allah t o grant sust enance for t he believers only. However, Allah revealed, ` I will also provide for t he disbelievers, j ust as I shall provide for t he believers. Would I creat e somet hing and not sust ain and provide for I shall allow t he disbelievers lit t le delight , and t hen force t hem t o t he t orment of t he Fire, and what an evil dest inat ion.'' Ibn ` Abbas t hen recit ed,

(On each t hese as well as t hose We best ow from t he bount ies of your Lord. And t he bount ies of your Lord can never be forbidden) (17:20). This was recorded by Ibn Marduwyah, who also recorded similar st at ement s from ` Ikrimah and Muj ahid. Similarly, Allah said,

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(Verily, t hose who invent a lie against Allah will never be successful. (A brief) enj oyment in t his world! And t hen unt o Us will be t heir ret urn, t hen We shall make t hem t ast e t he severest t orment because t hey used t o disbelieve.) (10:69-70),

(And whoever disbelieves, let not his disbelief grieve you (O Muhammad ). To Us is t heir ret urn, and We shall inform t hem what t hey have done. Verily, Allah is t he Knower of what is in t he breast s (of men). We let t hem enj oy for a lit t le while, t hen in t he end We shall oblige t hem t o (ent er) a great t orment .) (31:23-24) and,

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(And were it not t hat mankind would have become of one communit y (all disbelievers desiring worldly life only), We would have provided for t hose who disbelieve in t he Most Gracious (Allah), silver roofs for t heir houses, and elevat ors whereby t hey ascend. And for t heir houses, doors (of silver), and t hrones (of silver) on which t hey could recline. And adornment s of gold. Yet all t his would have been not hing but an enj oyment of t his world. And t he Hereaft er wit h your Lord is (only) for t he Mut t aqin (t he pious).) (43:33-35). Allah said next ,

(Then I shall compel him t o t he t orment of t he Fire, and worst indeed is t hat dest inat ion!) meaning, "Aft er t he delight t hat t he disbeliever enj oyed in t his life, I will make his dest inat ion t orment in t he Fire, and what an evil dest inat ion.'' This Ayah indicat es t hat Allah gives t he disbelievers respit e and t hen seizes t hem in a manner compat ible t o His great ness and abilit y. This Ayah is similar t o Allah's st at ement ,

(And many a t ownship did I give respit e while it was given t o wrongdoing. Then (in t he end) I seized it (wit h punishment ). And t o Me is t he (final) ret urn (of all)) (22:48). Also, t he Two Sahihs recorded,


(No one is more pat ient t han Allah when hearing abuse. They at t ribut e a son t o Him, while He grant s t hem sust enance and healt h.) The Sahih also recorded,

(Allah gives respit e t o t he unj ust person, unt il when He seizes him; He never let s go of him.) He t hen recit ed Allah's st at ement ,

(Such is t he punishment of your Lord when He punishes t he (populat ion of) t owns while t hey are doing wrong. Verily, His punishment is painful (and) severe). (11:102)

Building the Ka` bah and asking Allah to accept This Deed
Allah said,

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(And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) and (his son) Isma` il (Ishmael) were raising t he foundat ions of t he House (t he Ka` bah at Makkah), (saying), "Our Lord! Accept (t his service) from us. Verily, You are t he Hearer, t he Knower. Our Lord! And make us submissive unt o You

and of our offspring a nat ion submissive unt o You, and show us our Manasik and accept our repent ance. Truly, You are t he One Who accept s repent ance, t he Most Merciful.'') Allah said, "O Muhammad! Remind your people when Ibrahim and Isma` il built t he House and raised it s foundat ions while saying,

(Our Lord! Accept (t his service) from us. Verily, You are t he Hearer, t he Knower.'') Al-Qurt ubi ment ioned t hat Ubayy and Ibn Mas` ud used t o recit e t he Ayah t his way,

(And (remember) when Ibrahim and (his son) Isma` il were raising t he foundat ions of t he House (t he Ka` bah at Makkah), Saying, "Our Lord! Accept (t his service) from us. Verily, You are t he Hearer, t he Knower.'') What furt her t est ifies t o t his st at ement (which adds ` saying' t o t he Ayah) by Ubayy and Ibn Mas` ud, is what came aft erwards,

(Our Lord! And make us submissive unt o You and of our offspring a nat ion submissive unt o You). The Prophet s Ibrahim and Isma` il were performing a good deed, yet t hey asked Allah t o accept t his good deed from t hem. Ibn Abi Hat im narrat ed t hat Wuhayb bin Al-Ward recit ed,

(And (remember) when Ibrahim and (his son) Isma` il were raising t he foundat ions of t he House (t he Ka` bah at Makkah), (saying), "Our Lord! Accept (t his service) from us'') and cried and said, "O Khalil of Ar-Rahman! You raise t he foundat ions of t he House of Ar-Rahman (Allah), yet you

are afraid t hat He will not accept it from you'' This is t he behavior of t he sincere believers, whom Allah described in His st at ement ,

(And t hose who give t hat which t hey give) (23:60) meaning, t hey give away volunt ary charit y, and perform t he act s of worship yet ,

(wit h t heir heart s full of fear) (23: 60) afraid t hat t hese good deeds might not be accept ed of t hem. There is an aut hent ic Hadit h narrat ed by ` A'ishah on t his subj ect , which we will ment ion lat er, Allah willing. Al-Bukhari recorded t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Prophet Ibrahim t ook Isma` il and his mot her and went away wit h t hem unt il he reached t he area of t he House, where he left t hem next t o a t ree above Zamzam in t he upper area of t he Masj id. During t hat t ime, Isma` il's mot her was st ill nursing him. Makkah was t hen uninhabit ed, and t here was no wat er source in it . Ibrahim left t hem t here wit h a bag cont aining some dat es and a wat er-skin cont aining wat er. Ibrahim t hen st art ed t o leave, and Isma` il's mot her followed him and said, ` O Ibrahim! To whom are you leaving us in t his barren valley t hat is not inhabit ed' She repeat ed t he quest ion several t imes and Ibrahim did not reply. She asked, ` Has Allah commanded you t o do t his' He said, ` Yes.' She said, ` I am sat isfied t hat Allah will never abandon us.' Ibrahim left , and when he was far enough away where t hey could not see him, close t o Thaniyyah, he faced t he House, raised his hands and supplicat ed,

(O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring t o dwell in an uncult ivable valley by Your Sacred House (t he Ka` bah at Makkah)) unt il,

(Give t hanks) (14:37). Isma` il's mot her t hen ret urned t o her place, st art ed drinking wat er from t he wat er-skin and nursing Isma` il. When t he wat er was used up, she and her son became t hirst y. She looked at him, and he was suffering from t hirst ; she left , because she disliked seeing his face in t hat condit ion. She found t he nearest mount ian t o where she was, As-Safa, ascended it and looked, in vain, hoping t o see somebody. When she came down t o t he valley, she raised her garment and ran, j ust as a t ired person runs, unt il she reached t he Al-Marwah mount ain. In vain, she looked t o see if t here was someone t here. She ran t o and fro (bet ween t he t wo mount ains) seven t imes.'' Ibn ` Abbas said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said, "This is why t he people make t he t rip bet ween As-Safa and Al-Marwah (during Haj j and Umrah).''

"When she reached Al-Marwah, she heard a voice and said, ` Shush,' t o herself. She t ried t o hear t he voice again and when she did, she said, ` I have heard you. Do you have relief' She found t he angel digging wit h his heel (or his wing) where Zamzam now exist s, and t he wat er gushed out . Isma` il's mot her was ast onished and st art ed digging, using her hand t o t ransfer wat er t o t he wat er-skin.'' Ibn ` Abbas said t hat t he Prophet t hen said, "May Allah grant His mercy t o t he mot her of Isma` il, had she left t he wat er, (flow nat urally wit hout her int ervent ion), it would have been flowing on t he surface of t he eart h.'' "Isma` il's mot her st art ed drinking t he wat er and her milk increased for her child. The angel (Gabriel) said t o her, ` Do not fear abandonment . There shall be a House for Allah built here by t his boy and his fat her. Allah does not abandon His people.' During t hat t ime, t he area of t he House was raised above ground level and t he floods used t o reach it s right and left sides. Aft erwards some people of t he t ribe of Jurhum, passing t hrough Kada', made camp at t he bot t om of t he valley. They saw some birds, t hey were ast onished, and said, ` Birds can only be found at a place where t here is wat er. We did not not ice before t hat t his valley had wat er.' They sent a scout or t wo who searched t he area, found t he wat er, and ret urned t o inform t hem about it . Then t hey all went t o Isma` il's mot her, next t o t he wat er, and said, ` O Mot her of Isma` il! Will you allow us t o be wit h you (or dwell wit h you)' She said, ` Yes. But you will have no exclusive right t o t he wat er here.' They said, ` We agree.''' Ibn ` Abbas said t hat t he Prophet said, "At t hat t ime, Isma` il's mot her liked t o have human company.'' "And t hus t hey st ayed t here and sent for t heir relat ives t o j oin t hem. Lat er on, her boy reached t he age of pubert y and married a lady from t hem, for Isma` il learned Arabic from t hem, and t hey liked t he way he was raised. Isma` il's mot her died aft er t hat . Then an idea occurred t o Abraham t o visit his dependent s. So he left (t o Makkah). When he arrived, he did not find Isma` il, so he asked his wife about him. She said, ` He has gone out hunt ing.' When he asked her about t heir living condit ions, she complained t o him t hat t hey live in misery and povert y. Abraham said (t o her), ` When your husband comes, convey my greet ing and t ell him t o change t he t hreshold of his gat e.' When Isma` il came, he sensed t hat t hey had a visit or and asked his wife, ` Did we have a visit or' She said, ` Yes. An old man came t o visit us and asked me about you, and I t old him where you were. He also asked about our condit ion, and I t old him t hat we live in hardship and povert y.' Isma` il said, ` Did he ask you t o do anyt hing' She said, ` Yes. He asked me t o convey his greet ing and t hat you should change t he t hreshold of your gat e.' Isma` il said t o her, ` He was my fat her and you are t he t hreshold, so go t o your family (i.e. you are divorced).' So he divorced her and married anot her woman. Again Ibrahim t hought of visit ing his dependent s whom he had left (at Makkah). Ibrahim came t o Isma` il's house, but did not find Isma` il and asked his wife, ` Where is Isma` il' Isma` il's wife replied, ` He has gone out hunt ing.' He asked her about t heir condit ion, and she said t hat t hey have a good life and praised Allah. Ibrahim asked, ` What is your food and what is your drink' She replied, ` Our food is meat and our drink is wat er.' He said, ` O Allah! Bless t heir meat and t heir drink.''' The Prophet (Muhammad ) said, "They did not have crops t hen, ot herwise Ibrahim would have invoked Allah t o bless t hat t oo. Those who do not live in Makkah cannot bear eat ing a diet only cont aining meat and wat er.'' "Ibrahim said, ` When Isma` il comes back, convey my greet ing t o him and ask him t o keep t he t hreshold of his gat e.' When Isma` il came back, he asked, ` Has anyone visit ed us.' She said, ` Yes. A good looking old man,' and she praised Ibrahim, ` And he asked me about our livelihood and I t old him t hat we live in good condit ions.' He asked, ` Did he ask you t o convey any message' She said, ` Yes. He conveyed his greet ing t o you and said t hat you should keep t he t hreshold of your gat e.' Isma` il said, ` That was my fat her, and you are t he t hreshold; he commanded me t o keep you.'

Ibrahim t hen came back visit ing and found Isma` il behind t he Zamzam well, next t o a t ree, mending his arrows. When he saw Ibrahim, he st ood up and t hey greet ed each ot her, j ust as t he fat her and son greet each ot her. Ibrahim said, ` O Isma` il, Your Lord has ordered me t o do somet hing.' He said, ` Obey your Lord.' He asked Isma` il, ` Will you help me' He said, ` Yes, I will help you.' Ibrahim said, ` Allah has commanded me t o build a house for Him t here, ' and he point ed t o an area t hat was above ground level. So, bot h of t hem rose and st art ed t o raise t he foundat ions of t he House. Abraham st art ed building (t he Ka` bah), while Isma` il cont inued handing him t he st ones. Bot h of t hem were saying, ` O our Lord ! Accept (t his service) from us, Verily, You are t he Hearing, t he Knowing.' (2.127).''' Hence, t hey were building t he House, part by part , going around it and saying,

(Our Lord! Accept (t his service) from us. Verily, You are t he Hearer, t he Knower.)

The Story of rebuilding the House by Quraysh before the Messenger of Allah was sent as Prophet
In his Sirah, Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar said, "When t he Messenger of Allah reached t hirt yfive years of age, t he Quraysh gat hered t o rebuild t he Ka` bah, t his included covering it wit h a roof. However, t hey were weary of demolishing it . During t hat t ime, t he Ka` bah was barely above a man's shoulder, so t hey want ed t o raise it s height and build a ceiling on t op. Some people had st olen t he Ka` bah's t reasure beforehand, which used t o be in a well in t he middle of t he Ka` bah. The t reasure was lat er found wit h a man called, Duwayk, a freed servant of Bani Mulayh bin ` Amr, from t he t ribe of Khuza` ah. The Quraysh cut off his hand as punishment . Some people claimed t hat t hose who act ually st ole t he t reasure left it wit h Duwayk. Aft erwards, t he sea brought a ship t hat belonged t o a Roman merchant t o t he shores of Jeddah, where it washed-up. So t hey collect ed t he ship's wood t o use it for t he Ka` bah's ceiling; a Copt ic carpent er in Makkah prepared what t hey needed for t he j ob. When t hey decided t o begin t he demolit ion process t o rebuild t he House, Abu Wahb bin ` Amr bin ` A'idh bin ` Abd bin ` Imran bin Makhzum t ook a st one from t he Ka` bah; t he st one slipped from his hand and went back t o where it had been. He said, ` O people of Quraysh! Do not spend on rebuilding t he House, except from what was earned from pure sources. No money earned from a prost it ut e, usury or inj ust ice should be included.''' Ibn Ishaq comment ed here t hat t he people also at t ribut e t hese words t o Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah bin ` Abdullah bin ` Amr bin Makhzum. Ibn Ishaq cont inued, "The Quraysh began t o organize t heir effort s t o rebuild t he Ka` bah, each subt ribe t aking t he responsibilit y of rebuilding a designat ed part of it . However, t hey were st ill weary about bringing down t he Ka` bah. Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah said, ` I will st art t o bring it down.' He held an ax and st ood by t he Ka` bah and said, ` O Allah! No harm is meant . O Allah! We only seek t o do a good service.' He t hen st art ed t o chop t he House's st ones. The people wait ed t hat night and said, ` We will wait and see. If somet hing st rikes him, we will not bring it down and inst ead rebuid it t he way it was. If not hing happens t o him, t hen Allah will have agreed t o what we are doing.' The next morning, Al-Walid went t o work on t he Ka` bah, and t he people st art ed bringing t he Ka` bah down wit h him. When t hey reached t he foundat ions t hat Ibrahim built , t hey uncovered green st ones t hat were above each ot her, j ust like a pile of spears.'' Ibn Ishaq t hen said t hat some people t old him, "A man from Quraysh, who was helping rebuild t he Ka` bah, placed t he shovel bet ween t wo of t hese st ones t o pull t hem

up; when one of t he st ones was moved, all of Makkah shook, so t hey did not dig up t hese st ones.''

The Dispute regarding Who should place the Black Stone in Its Place
Ibn Ishaq said, "The t ribes of Quraysh collect ed st ones t o rebuild t he House, each t ribe collect ing on t heir own. They st art ed rebuilding it , unt il t he rebuilding of t he Ka` bah reached t he point where t he Black St one was t o be placed in it s designat ed sit e. A disput e erupt ed bet ween t he various t ribes of Quraysh, each seeking t he honor of placing t he Black St one for t heir own t ribe. The disput e almost led t o violence bet ween t he leaders of Quraysh in t he area of t he Sacred House. Banu ` Abd Ad-Dar and Banu ` Adi bin Ka` b bin Lu'ay, gave t heir mut ual pledge t o fight unt il deat h. However, five or four days lat er, Abu Umayyah bin Al-Mughirah bin ` Abdullah bin ` Amr bin Makhzum, t he oldest man from Quraysh t hen int ervened at t he right moment . Abu Umayyah suggest ed t hat Quraysh should appoint t he first man t o ent er t he House from it s ent rance t o be a mediat or bet ween t hem. They agreed. The Messenger - Muhammad - was t he first person t o ent er t he House. When t he various leaders of Quraysh realized who t he first one was, t hey all proclaimed, ` This is Al-Amin (t he Honest one). We all accept him; This is Muhammad.' When t he Prophet reached t he area where t he leaders were gat hering and t hey informed him about t heir disput e, he asked t hem t o bring a garment and place it on t he ground. He placed t he Black St one on it . He t hen request ed t hat each of t he leaders of Quraysh hold t he garment from one side and all part icipat e in lift ing t he Black St one, moving it t o it s designat ed area. Next , t he Prophet carried t he Black St one by himself and placed it in it s designat ed posit ion and built around it . The Quraysh used t o call t he Messenger of Allah ` Al-Amin' even before t he revelat ion came t o him.''

Ibn Az-Zubayr rebuilds Al-Ka` bah the way the Prophet wished
Ibn Ishaq said, "During t he t ime of t he Prophet , t he Ka` bah was eight een cubit s high and was covered wit h Egypt ian linen, and t hey wit h a st riped garment . Al-Haj j aj bin Yusuf was t he first person t o cover it wit h silk.'' The Ka` bah remained t he same way t he Quraysh rebuilt it , unt il it was burned during t he reign of ` Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr, aft er t he year 6o H, at t he end of t he reign of Yaz 0d bin Mu` awiyah. During t hat t ime, Ibn Az-Zubayr was besieged at Makkah. When it was burned, Ibn Az-Zubayr brought t he Ka` bah down and built it upon t he foundat ions of Ibrahim, including t he Hij r in it . He also made an east ern door and a west ern door in t he Ka` bah and placed t hem on ground level. He had heard his aunt ` A'ishah, t he Mot her of t he believers, narrat e t hat t he Messenger of Allah had wished t hat . The Ka` bah remained like t his t hroughout his reign, unt il Al-Haj j aj killed Ibn Az-Zubayr and t hen rebuilt it t he way it was before, by t he order of ` Abdul-Malik bin Marwan. Muslim recorded t hat ` At a' said, "The House was burnt during t he reign of Yazid bin Mu` awiyah, when t he people of Ash-Sham raided Makkah. Ibn Az-Zubayr did not t ouch t he House unt il t he people came for Haj j , for he want ed t o incit e t hem against t he people of Ash-Sham. He said t o t hem, ` O people! Advise me regarding t he Ka` bah, should we bring it down and rebuild it , or j ust repair t he damage it sust ained' Ibn ` Abbas said, ` I have an opinion about t his. You should rebuild t he House t he way it was when t he people became Muslims. You should leave t he st ones t hat exist ed when t he people became Muslims and when t he Prophet was sent . ' Ibn AzZubayr said, ` If t he house of one of t hem get s burned, he will not be sat isfied, unt il he rebuilds it . How about Allah's House I will invoke my Lord for t hree days and will t hen implement what I decide.' When t he t hree days had passed, he decided t o bring t he Ka` bah down. The people hesit at ed t o bring it down, fearing t hat t he first person t o climb on t he House would be st ruck

down. A man went on t op of t he House and t hrew some st ones down, and when t he people saw t hat no harm t ouched him, t hey st art ed doing t he same. They brought t he House down t o ground level. Ibn Az-Zubayr surrounded t he sit e wit h curt ains hanging from pillars, so t hat t he House would be covered, unt il t he building was erect . Ibn Az-Zubayr t hen said, ` I heard ` A'ishah say t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(If it was not for t he fact t hat t he people have recent ly abandoned disbelief, and t hat I do not have enough money t o spend on it , I would have included in t he House five cubit s from Al-Hij r and would have made a door for it t hat people could ent er from, and anot her door t hat t hey could exit from.) Ibn Az-Zubayr said, ` I can spend on t his j ob, and I do not fear t he people.' So he added five cubit s from t he Hij r, which looked like a rear part for t he House t hat people could clearly see. He t hen built t he House and made it eight een cubit s high. He t hought t hat t he House was st ill short and added t en cubit s in t he front and built t wo doors in it , one as an ent rance and anot her as an exit . When Ibn Az-Zubayr was killed, Al-Haj j aj wrot e t o ` Abdul-Malik bin Marwan asking him about t he House and t old him t hat Ibn Az-Zubayr made a rear sect ion for t he House. ` Abdul-Malik wrot e back, ` We do not agree wit h Ibn Az-Zubayr's act ions. As, for t he Ka` bah's height , leave it as it is. As for what he added from t he Hij r, bring it down, and build t he House as it was before and close t he door.' Therefore, Al-Haj j aj brought down t he House and rebuilt it as it was.'' In his Sunan, An-Nasa'i collect ed t he Hadit h of t he Prophet narrat ed from ` A'ishah, not t he whole st ory, The correct Sunnah conformed t o Ibn Az-Zubayr's act ions, because t his was what t he Prophet wished he could do, but feared t hat t he heart s of t he people who recent ly became Muslim could not bear rebuilding t he House. This Sunnah was not clear t o ` Abdul-Malik bin Marwan. Hence, when ` Abdul-Malik realized t hat ` A'ishah had narrat ed t he Hadit h of t he Messenger of Allah on t his subj ect , he said, "I wish we had left it as Ibn Az-Zubayr had made it .'' Muslim recorded t hat ` Ubadydullah bin ` Ubayd said t hat Al-Harit h bin ` Abdullah came t o ` Abdul-Malik bin Marwan during his reign. ` Abdul-Malik said, ` I did not t hink t hat Abu Khubayb (Ibn AzZubayr) heard from ` A'ishah what he said he heard from her.' Al-Harit h said, ` Yes he did. I heard t he Hadit h from her.' ` Abdul-Malik said, ` You heard her say what ' He said, ` She said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,


(Your people rebuilt t he House smaller. Had it not been for t he fact t hat your people are not far from t he t ime of Shirk, I would add what was left out side of it . If your people aft erwards t hink about rebuilding it , let me show you what t hey left out of it .) He showed her around seven cubit s.' One of t he narrat ors of t he Hadit h, Al-Walid bin ` At a', added t hat t he Prophet said,

:
: : . :

(I would have made t wo doors for t he House on ground level, one east ern and one west ern. Do you know why your people raised it s door above ground level) She said, ` No.' He said, (To allow only t hose whom t hey want ed t o ent er it . When a man whom t hey did not wish t o ent er t he House climbed t o t he level of t he door, t hey would push him down) ` Abdul-Malik t hen said, ` You heard ` A'ishah say t his Hadit h' He said, ` Yes.' ` Abdul-Malik said, ` I wish I left it as it was.''

An Ethiopian will destroy the Ka` bah just before the Last Hour

The Two Sahihs recorded t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(The Ka` bah will be dest royed by Dhus-Sawiqat ayn (lit erally, a person wit h t wo lean legs) from Et hiopia.) Also, Ibn ` Abbas said t hat t he Prophet said,

(As if I see him now: a black person wit h t hin legs plucking t he st ones of t he Ka` bah one aft er anot her.) Al-Bukhari recorded t his Hadit h. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal recorded in his Musnad t hat ` Abdullah bin ` Amr bin Al-` As said t hat he heard t he Messenger of Allah say,

(Dhus-Sawiqat ayn from Et hiopia will dest roy t he Ka` bah and will loot it s adornment s and cover. It is as if I see him now: bald, wit h t hin legs st riking t he Ka` bah wit h his ax.) This will occur aft er t he appearance of Gog and Magog people. Al-Bukhari recorded t hat Abu Sa` id Al-Khudri said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(There will be Haj j and ` Umrah t o t he House aft er t he appearance of Gog and Magog people.)

Al-Khalil's Supplication
Allah said t hat Ibrahim and Isma` il supplicat ed t o Him,


(Our Lord! And make us submissive unt o You and of our offspring a nat ion submissive unt o You, and show us our Manasik, and accept our repent ance. Truly, You are t he One Who accept s repent ance, t he Most Merciful.) Ibn Jarir said, "They meant by t heir supplicat ion, ` Make us submit t o Your command and obedience and not associat e anyone wit h You in obedience or worship.''Also, ` Ikrimah comment ed on t he Ayah,

(Our Lord! And make us submissive unt o You) "Allah said, ` I shall do t hat .'''

(And of our offspring a nat ion submissive unt o You) Allah said, ` I shall do t hat .'" This supplicat ion by Ibrahim and Isma` il is similar t o what Allah informed us of about His believing servant s,

(And t hose who say: ` Our Lord! Best ow on us from our wives and our offspring t he comfort of our eyes, and make us leaders of t he Mut t aqin) (25:74). This t ype of supplicat ion is allowed, because loving t o have offspring who worship Allah alone wit hout part ners is a sign of complet e love of Allah. This is why when Allah said t o Ibrahim,

(Verily, I am going t o make you an Imam (a leader) for mankind (t o follow you)) Ibrahim said,

("And of my offspring (t o make leaders).'' (Allah) said, "My covenant (prophet hood) includes not t he Zalimin (polyt heist s and wrongdoers)'') which is explained by,

(And keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols) Muslim narrat ed in his Sahih t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

:
(When t he son of Adam dies, his deeds end except for t hree deeds: an ongoing charit y, a knowledge t hat is being benefit ed from and a right eous son who supplicat es (t o Allah) for him.)

The Meaning of Manasik

Sa` id bin Mansur said t hat ` At t ab bin Bashir informed us from Khasif, from Muj ahid who said, "The Prophet Ibrahim supplicat ed,

(and show us our Manasik) Jibril t hen came down, t ook him t o t he House and said, ` Raise it s foundat ions.' Ibrahim raised t he House's foundat ions and complet ed t he building. Jibril held Ibrahim's hand, led him t o As-Safa and said, ` This is among t he rit uals of Allah.' He t hen t ook him t o Al-Marwah and said, ` And t his is among t he rit uals of Allah.' He t hen t ook him t o Mina unt il when t hey reached t he ` Aqabah, t hey found Iblis st anding next t o a t ree. Jibril said, ` Say Takbir (Allah is t he Great ) and t hrow (pebbles) at him.' Ibrahim said t he Takbir and t hrew (pebbles at ) Iblis. Iblis moved t o t he middle Jamrah, and when Jibril and Ibrahim passed by him, Jibril said t o Ibrahim, ` Say Takbir and t hrow at him.' Ibrahim t hrew at him and said Takbir. The devious Iblis sought t o add some evil act s t o t he rit uals of Haj j , but he was unable t o succeed. Jibril t ook Ibrahim's hand and led him t o Al-Mash` ar Al-Haram and ` Arafat and said t o him, ` Have you ` Araft a (known, learned) what I showed you' t hrice. Ibrahim said, ` Yes I did.''' Similar st at ement s were report ed from Abu Mij laz and Qat adah. a


(129. "Our Lord! Send amongst t hem a Messenger of t heir own, who shall recit e unt o t hem Your verses and inst ruct t hem in t he Book (t his Qur'an), and purify t hem. Verily, You are t he Might y, t he Wise.'')

Ibrahim's Supplication that Allah sends the Prophet

Allah ment ioned Ibrahim's supplicat ion for t he benefit of t he people of t he Sacred Area (t o grant t hem securit y and provision), and it was perfect ed by invoking Allah t o send a Messenger from his offspring. This accept ed supplicat ion, from Ibrahim, conformed wit h Allah's appoint ed dest iny t hat Muhammad be sent as a Messenger among t he Ummiyyin and t o all non-Arabs, among t he Jinns and mankind. Hence, Ibrahim was t he first person t o ment ion t he Prophet t o t he people. Ever since, Muhammad was known t o t he people, unt il t he last Prophet was sent among t he Children of Israel, Jesus t he son of Mary, who ment ioned Muhammad by name. Jesus addressed t he Children of Israel saying,

(I am t he Messenger of Allah unt o you, confirming what is before me in t he Tawrah, and giving glad t idings of a Messenger t o come aft er me, whose name shall be Ahmad) (61:6) This is why t he Prophet said ,

(The supplicat ion of my fat her Ibrahim and t he glad t idings brought fort h by Jesus t he son of Mary.) The Prophet said,


(My mot her saw a light t hat went out of her and radiat ed t he palaces of Ash-Sham.) It was said t hat t he Prophet 's mot her saw t his vision when she was pregnant wit h, narrat ed t his vision t o her people, and t he st ory became popular among t hem. The light ment ioned in t he Hadit h appeared in Ash-Sham (Great er Syria), t est ifying t o what will lat er occur when t he Prophet 's religion will be firmly est ablished in Ash-Sham area. This is why by t he end of t ime, Ash-Sham will be a refuge for Islam and it s people. Also, Jesus t he son of Mary will descend in Ash-Sham, next t o t he east ern whit e minaret in Damascus. The Two Sahihs st at ed,

(There will always be a group of my Ummah who will be on t he t rut h, undet erred by t hose who fail or oppose t hem, unt il t he command of Allah comes while t hey are on t his.) Al-Bukhari added in his Sahih, (And t hey will reside in Ash-Sham.)

The Meaning of Al-Kitab wal-Hikmah

Allah said,

(and inst ruct t hem in t he Book) meaning, Al-Qur'an,

(and Al-Hikmah) meaning, t he Sunnah, as Al-Hasan, Qat adah, Muqat il bin Hayyan and Abu Malik assert ed. It was also said t hat ` Al-Hikmah', means ` comprehension in t he religion', and bot h meanings are correct . ` Ali bin Abi Talhah said, t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ,

(and purify t hem) means, "Wit h t he obedience of Allah.''

(Verily, You are t he Might y, t he Wise). This Ayah st at ed t hat Allah is able t o do anyt hing, and not hing escapes His abilit y. He is Wise in His decisions, His act ions, and He put s everyt hing in it s right ful place due t o His perfect knowledge, wisdom and j ust ice.

- -
(130. And who t urns away from t he religion of Ibrahim (i.e. Islamic Monot heism) except him who fools himself Truly, We chose him in t his world and verily, in t he Hereaft er he will be among t he right eous). (131. When his Lord said t o him, "Submit (i.e. be a Muslim)!'' He said, "I have submit t ed myself (as a Muslim) t o t he Lord of t he ` Alamin (mankind, Jinn and all t hat exist s).'') (132. And t his (submission t o Allah, Islam) was enj oined by Ibrahim (Abraham) upon his sons and by Ya` qub (Jacob) (saying), "O my sons! Allah has chosen for you t he (t rue) religion, t hen die not except as Muslims.'')

Only the Fools deviate from Ibrahim's Religion

Allah refut ed t he disbelievers' innovat ions of associat ing ot hers wit h Allah in defiance of t he religion of Ibrahim, t he leader of t he upright . Ibrahim always singled out Allah in worship, wit h sincerit y, and he did not call upon ot hers besides Allah. He did not commit Shirk, even for an

inst ant . He disowned every ot her deit y t hat was being worshipped inst ead of Allah and defied all his people in t his regard. Prophet Ibrahim said,

-
(O my people! I am indeed free from all t hat you j oin as part ners (in worship wit h Allah). Verily, I have t urned my face t owards Him Who has creat ed t he heavens and t he eart h Hanifa (Islamic Monot heism), and I am not of Al-Mushrikin.) (6:78-79). Also, Allah said,

-
(And (remember) when Ibrahim said t o his fat her and his people: "Verily, I am innocent of what you worship. "Except Him (i.e. I worship none but Allah alone) Who did creat e me; and verily, He will guide me'') (43:26-27),

(And Ibrahim's invoking (of Allah) for his fat her's forgiveness was only because of a promise he (Ibrahim) had made t o him (his fat her). But when it became clear t o him (Ibrahim) t hat he (his fat her) was an enemy of Allah, he dissociat ed himself from him. Verily, Ibrahim was Awwah (one who invokes Allah wit h humilit y, glorifies Him and remembers Him much) and was forbearing) (9:114), and,

 - -
(Verily, Ibrahim was an Ummah (a leader having all t he good qualit ies, or a nat ion), obedient t o Allah, Hanif (i.e. t o worship none but Allah), and he was not one of t hose who were AlMushrikin. (He was) t hankful for His (Allah's) favors. He (Allah) chose him (as an int imat e friend) and guided him t o a st raight pat h. And We gave him good in t his world, and in t he Hereaft er he shall be of t he right eous.) (16:120-122). This is why Allah said here,

(And who t urns away from t he religion of Ibrahim), meaning, abandons his pat h, way and met hod

(except him who fools himself) meaning, who commit s inj ust ice against himself by deviat ing from t he t rut h, t o wickedness. Such a person will be defying t he pat h of he who was chosen in t his life t o be a t rue Imam, from t he t ime he was young, unt il Allah chose him t o be His Khalil, and who shall be among t he successful in t he Last Life. Is t here anyt hing more insane t han deviat ing from t his pat h and following t he pat h of misguidance and deviat ion inst ead Is t here more inj ust ice t han t his Allah said,

(Verily, j oining ot hers in worship wit h Allah is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed) (31:13). Abu Al-` Aliyah and Qat adah said, "This Ayah (2:130) was revealed about t he Jews who invent ed a pract ice t hat did not come from Allah and t hat defied t he religion of Ibrahim.'' Allah's st at ement ,

 -
(Ibrahim was neit her a Jew nor a Christ ian, but he was a t rue Muslim Hanifa (t o worship none but Allah alone) and he was not of Al-Mushrikin. Verily, among mankind who have t he best claim t o Ibrahim are t hose who followed him, and t his Prophet (Muhammad ) and t hose who have believed (Muslims). And Allah is t he Wali (Prot ect or and Helper) of t he believers.) (3:6768), t est ifies t o t his fact . Allah said next ,

(When his Lord said t o him, "Submit (i. e. be a Muslim)!'' He said, "I have submit t ed myself (as a Muslim) t o t he Lord of t he ` Alamin (mankind, Jinn and all t hat exist s).'') This Ayah indicat es t hat Allah commanded Ibrahim t o be sincere wit h Him and t o abide and submit t o Him; Ibrahim perfect ly adhered t o Allah's command. Allah's st at ement ,

(And t his (submission t o Allah, Islam) was enj oined by Ibrahim upon his sons and by Ya` qub) means, Ibrahim commanded his offspring t o follow t his religion, t hat is, Islam, for Allah. Or, t he Ayah might be referring t o Ibrahim's words,

(I have submit t ed myself (as a Muslim) t o t he Lord of t he ` Alamin (mankind, Jinn and all t hat exist s)). This means t hat t hese Prophet s loved t hese words so much t hat t hey preserved t hem unt il t he t ime of deat h and advised t heir children t o adhere t o t hem aft er t hem. Similarly, Allah said,

(And he (Ibrahim) made it i.e. La ilaha illallah (none has t he right t o be worshipped but Allah alone) a Word last ing among his offspring, (t rue Monot heism)) (43:28). It might be t hat Ibrahim advised his children, including Jacob, Isaac's son, who were present . It appears, and Allah knows best , t hat Isaac was endowed wit h Jacob, during t he lifet ime of Ibrahim and Sarah, for t he good news includes bot h of t hem in Allah's st at ement ,

(But We gave her (Sarah) glad t idings of Ishaq (Isaac), and aft er Ishaq, of Ya` qub (Jacob)) (11:71). Also, if Jacob was not alive t hen, t here would be no use here in ment ioning him specifically among Isaac's children. Also, Allah said in Surat Al-` Ankabut ,

(And We best owed on him (Ibrahim), Ishaq and Ya` qub, and We ordained among his offspring prophet hood and t he Book.) (29:27), and,

(And We best owed upon him Ishaq, and (a grandson) Ya` qub) (21:72), t hus, indicat ing t hat t his occurred during Ibrahim's lifet ime. Also, Jacob built Bayt Al-Maqdis, as earlier books t est ified. The Two Sahihs recorded t hat Abu Dharr said, "I said, ` O Messenger of Allah! Which Masj id was built first ' He said, (Al-Masj id Al-Haram (Al-Ka` bah).) I said, ` Then' He said, (Bayt Al- Maqdis.) I said, ` How many years lat er' He said, (Fort y years. )'' Furt her, t he advice t hat Jacob gave t o his children, which we will soon ment ion, t est ifies t hat Jacob was among t hose who received t he advice ment ioned in Ayat above (2:130-132).

Adhering to Tawhid until Death

Allah said,

((Saying), "O my sons! Allah has chosen for you t he (t rue) religion, t hen die not except as Muslims.'') meaning, perform right eous deeds during your lifet ime and remain on t his pat h, so t hat Allah will endow you wit h t he favor of dying upon it . Usually, one dies upon t he pat h t hat

he lived on and is resurrect ed according t o what he died on. Allah, t he Most Generous, helps t hose who seek t o do good deeds t o remain on t he right eous pat h. This by no means cont radict s t he aut hent ic Hadit h t hat says,

.
(Man might perform t he works of t he people of Paradise unt il only a span of out st ret ched arms or a cubit separat es him from it , t hen t he Book (dest iny) t akes precedence, and he performs t he works of t he people of t he Fire and t hus ent ers it . Also, man might perform t he works of t he people of t he Fire unt il only a span of out st ret ched arms or a cubit separat es him from t he Fire, but t he Book t akes precedence and he performs t he works of t he people of Paradise and t hus ent ers it .) Allah said, (92:5-10),

- - - - -
(As for him who gives (in charit y) and keeps his dut y t o Allah and fears Him. And believes in AlHusna. We will make smoot h for him t he pat h of ease (goodness). But he who is a greedy miser and t hinks himself self-sufficient . And belies Al-Husna (none has t he right t o be worshipped except Allah). We will make smoot h for him t he pat h for evil),

 -
n(133. Or were you wit nesses when deat h approached Ya` qub (Jacob) When he said unt o his sons, "What will you worship aft er me'' They said, "We shall worship your AIlah (God Allah) t he Ilah of your fat hers, Ibrahim (Abraham), Isma` il (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), One Ilah, and t o Him we submit (in Islam)).'' (134. That was a nat ion who has passed away. They shall receive t he reward of what t hey earned and you of what you earn. And you will not be asked of what t hey used t o do.)

Ya` qub's Will and Testament to His Children upon His Death
This Ayah cont ains Allah's crit icism of t he Arab pagans among t he offspring of Isma` il as well as t he disbelievers among t he Children of Israel Jacob t he son of Isaac, t he son of Ibrahim. When deat h came t o Jacob, he advised his children t o worship Allah alone wit hout part ners. He said t o t hem,

("What will you worship aft er me'' They said, "We shall worship your Ilah (God of your fat hers, Ibrahim, Isma` il, Ishaq,'') Allah) t he Ilah Ment ioning Isma` il here is a figure of speech, because Isma` il is Jacob's uncle. An-Nahas said t hat t he Arabs call t he uncle a fat her, as Al-Qurt ubi ment ioned). This Ayah is used as evidence t hat t he grandfat her is called a fat her and inherit s, rat her t han t he brot hers (i.e. when his son dies), as Abu Bakr assert ed, according t o Al-Bukhari who narrat ed Abu Bakr's st at ement from Ibn ` Abbas and Ibn Az-Zubayr. Al-Bukhari t hen comment ed t hat t here are no opposing opinions regarding t his subj ect . This is also t he opinion of ` A'ishah t he Mot her of t he believers, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Tawus and ` At a', Malik, Ash-Shaf` i and Ahmad said t hat t he inherit ance is divided bet ween t he grandfat her and t he brot hers. It was report ed t hat t his was also t he opinion of ` Umar, ` Ut hman, ` Ali, bin Mas` ud, Zayd bin Thabit and several scholars among t he Salaf and lat er generat ions. The st at ement ,


(One Ilah (God)) means, "We single Him out in divinit y and do not associat e anyt hing or anyone wit h Him.''

(And t o Him we submit ), in obedience meaning, obedient and submissiveness. Similarly, Allah said,

(While t o Him submit t ed all creat ures in t he heavens and t he eart h, willingly or unwillingly. And t o Him shall t hey all be ret urned) (3:83). Indeed, Islam is t he religion of all t he Prophet s, even if t heir rei spect ive laws differed. Allah said,

(And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad ) but We revealed t o him (saying): La ilaha illa Ana none has t he right t o be worshipped but I (Allah) , so worship Me (alone and none else)) (21:25). There are many ot her Ayat - and Hadit hs - on t his subj ect . For inst ance, t he Prophet said,

(We, t he Prophet s, are brot hers wit h different mot hers, but t he same religion.) Allah said,

(That was a nat ion who has passed away) meaning, exist ed before your t ime,


(They shall receive t he reward of what t hey earned and you of what you earn). This Ayah proclaims, Your relat ionship t o t he Prophet s or right eous people among your ancest ors will not benefit you, unless you perform good deeds t hat bring about you religious benefit . They have t heir deeds and you have yours,

(And you will not be asked of what t hey used t o do).'' This is why a Hadit h proclaims,

(Whoever was slowed on account of his deeds will not get any fast er on account of his family lineage.)'

(135. And t hey say, "Be Jews or Christ ians, t hen you will be guided.'' Say (t o t hem O Muhammad ), "Nay, (we follow) only t he religion of Ibrahim, Hanif (Islamic Monot heism), and he was not of Al-Mushrikin (t hose who worshipped ot hers along wit h Allah. ) Muhammad bin Ishaq report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ` Abdullah bin Suriya Al-A` war said t o t he Messenger of Allah, "The guidance is only what we (Jews) follow. Therefore, follow us, O Muhammad, and you will be right ly guided.'' Also, t he Christ ians said similarly, so Allah revealed,

(And t hey say, "Be Jews or Christ ians, t hen you will be guided.'') Allah's st at ement ,

(Say (t o t hem O Muhammad ), "Nay, (we follow) only t he religion of Ibrahim, Hanif) means, "We do not need t he Judaism or Christ ianit y t hat you call us t o, rat her,


((we follow) only t he religion of Ibrahim, Hanif) meaning, on t he st raight pat h, as Muhammad bin Ka` b Al-Qurazi and ` Isa bin Jariyah st at ed. Also, Abu Qilabah said, "The Hanif is what t he Messengers, from beginning t o end, believed in.''

(136. Say (O Muslims): "We believe in Allah and t hat which has been sent down t o us and t hat which has been sent down t o Ibrahim (Abraham), Isma` il (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Ya` qub (Jacob), and t o Al-Asbat (t he offspring of t he t welve sons of Ya` qub), and t hat which has been given t o Musa (Moses) and ` Isa (Jesus), and t hat which has been given t o t he Prophet s from t heir Lord. We make no dist inct ion bet ween any of t hem, and t o Him we have submit t ed (in Islam).'')

The Muslim believes in all that Allah ` revealed and all the Prophets
Allah direct ed His believing servant s t o believe in what He sent down t o t hem t hrough His Messenger Muhammad and in what was revealed t o t he previous Prophet s in general. Some Prophet s Allah ment ioned by name, while He did not ment ion t he names of many ot hers. Allah direct ed t he believers t o refrain from different iat ing bet ween t he Prophet s and t o believe in t hem all. They should avoid imit at ing whomever Allah described as,

(And wish t o make dist inct ion bet ween Allah and His Messengers (by believing in Allah and disbelieving in His Messengers) saying, "We believe in some but rej ect ot hers,'' and wish t o adopt a way in bet ween. They are in t rut h disbelievers) (4:150-151).

Al-Bukhari narrat ed t hat Abu Hurayrah said, "The People of t he Book used t o read t he Torah in Hebrew and t ranslat e it int o Arabic for t he Muslims. The Messenger of Allah said,

:
(Do not believe t he People of t he Book, nor rej ect what t hey say. Rat her, say, ` We believe in Allah and in what was sent down t o us.)'' Also, Muslim, Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i recorded t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Most ly, t he Messenger of Allah used t o recit e,

(We believe in Allah and t hat which has been sent down t o us) (2: 136), and,

(We believe in Allah, and bear wit ness t hat we are Muslims (i.e. we submit t o Allah)) (3:52) during t he t wo (volunt ary) Rak` at before Faj r.'' Abu Al-` Aliyah, Ar-Rabi` and Qat adah said, "Al-Asbat are t he t welve sons of Jacob, and each one of t hem had an Ummah of people from his descendant s. This is why t hey were called AlAsbat .'' Al-Khalil bin Ahmad and ot hers said, "Al-Asbat among t he Children of Israel are j ust like t he t ribes among t he Children of Isma` il.'' This means t hat t he Asbat are t he various t ribes of t he Children of Israel, among whom Allah sent several Prophet s. Moses said t o t he Children of Israel,

(Remember t he favor of Allah t o you: when He made Prophet s among you, made you kings) (5:20). Also, Allah said,

(And We divided t hem int o t welve t ribes) (7:160). Al-Qurt ubi said, "Sibt is t he group of people or a t ribe all belonging t o t he same ancest ors.''

Qat adah said, "Allah commanded t he believers t o believe in Him and in all His Books and Messengers. '' Also, Sulayman bin Habib said, "We were commanded t o believe in t he (original) Torah and Inj il, but not t o implement t hem.''

-
(137. So if t hey believe in t he like of t hat which you believe t hen t hey are right ly guided; but if t hey t urn away, t hen t hey are only in opposit ion. So Allah will suffice for you against t hem. And He is t he Hearer, t he Knower.) (138. Our Sibghah (religion) is t he Sibghah of Allah (Islam) and which Sibghah can be bet t er t han Allah's And we are His worshippers.) Allah said, if t hey, t he disbelievers among t he People of t he Book and ot her disbelievers, believe in all of Allah's Books and Messengers and do not different iat e bet ween any of t hem,

(t hen t hey are right ly guided) meaning, t hey would acquire t he t rut h and be direct ed t o it .

(but if t hey t urn away) from t rut h t o falsehood aft er proof had been present ed t o t hem,

(t hen t hey are only in opposit ion. So Allah will suffice you against t hem) meaning, Allah will aid t he believers against t hem,

(And He is t he Hearer, t he Knower). Allah said,

(The Sibghah of Allah). Ad-Dahhak said t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed, "The religion of Allah.'' This Tafsir was also report ed of Muj ahid, Abu Al-` Aliyah, ` Ikrimah, Ibrahim, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, Ad-Dahhak, ` Abdullah bin Kat hir, ` At iyah Al-` Awfi, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, As-Suddi and ot her scholars. The Ayah,

(Allah's Fit rah (i.e. Allah's Islamic Monot heism)) (30:30) direct s Muslims t o, "Hold t o it .''

-
(139. Say (O Muhammad t o t he Jews and Christ ians), "Disput e you wit h us about Allah while He is our Lord and your Lord And we are t o be rewarded for our deeds and you for your deeds. And we are sincere t o Him (i.e. we worship Him alone and none else, and we obey His orders).'') (140. Or say you t hat Ibrahim, Isma` il, Ishaq, Ya` qub and Al-Asbat , were Jews or Christ ians Say, "Do you know bet t er or does Allah And who is more unj ust t han he who conceals t he t est imony he has from Allah And Allah is not unaware of what you do.'') (141. That was a nat ion who has passed away. They shall receive t he reward of what t hey earned, and you of what you earn. And you will not be asked of what t hey used t o do.) Allah direct ed His Prophet t o pre-empt t he argument s wit h t he idolat ors:

(Say (O Muhammad t o t he Jews and Christ ians), "Disput e you wit h us about Allah) meaning, "Do you disput e wit h us regarding t he Oneness of Allah, obedience and submission t o Him and in avoiding His prohibit ions,


(while He is our Lord and your Lord) meaning, He has full cont rol over us and you, and deserves t he worship alone wit hout part ners.

(And we are t o be rewarded for our deeds and you for your deeds.) meaning, we disown you and what you worship, j ust as you disown us. Allah said in anot her Ayah,

(And if t hey belie you, say: "For me are my deeds and for you are your deeds! You are innocent of what I do, and I am innocent of what you do!'') (10:41), and,

(So if t hey disput e wit h you (Muhammad ) say: "I have submit t ed myself t o Allah (in Islam), and (so have) t hose who follow me'') (3:20). Allah said about Ibrahim,

(His people disput ed wit h him. He said: "Do you disput e wit h me concerning Allah'') (6:80), and,

(Have you not looked at him who disput ed wit h Ibrahim about his Lord (Allah)) (2:258). He said in t his honorable Ayah,

(And we are t o be rewarded for our deeds and you for your deeds. And we are sincere t o Him.) meaning, "We disown you j ust as you disown us,''


(And we are sincere t o Him), in worship and submission. Allah t hen crit icized t hem in t he claim t hat Ibrahim, t he Prophet s who came aft er him and t he Asbat were following t heir religion, whet her Judaism or Christ ianit y. Allah said,

(Say, "Do you know bet t er or does Allah'') meaning, Allah has t he best knowledge and He st at ed t hat t hey were neit her Jews, nor Christ ians. Similarly, Allah said in t he Ayah,

(Ibrahim was neit her a Jew nor a Christ ian, but he was a t rue Muslim Hanifa (t o worship none but Allah alone) and he was not of Al-Mushrikin) (3:67) and t he following Ayat . Allah also said,

And who is more unj ust t han he who conceals t he t est imony he has from Alla0h )2:140(. AlH asan Al-Bas ri said, They used t o recit e t he Book of Alla0h He sent t o t hem t hat st at ed t hat t he t rue religion is Isla0m and t hat Muh ammad is t he Messenger of Alla0h. Their Book also st at ed t hat Ibra0h0m, Isma0 0l, Ish a0q, Ya qu0b and t he t ribes were neit her Jews, nor Christ ians. They t est ified t o t hese fact s, yet hid t hem from t he people. Alla0h s st at ement ,

(And Allah is not unaware of what you do), is a t hreat and a warning t hat His knowledge encompasses every one's deeds, and He shall award each accordingly. Allah t hen said,

(That was a nat ion who has passed away.) meaning, exist ed before you,

(They shall receive t he reward of what t hey earned, and you of what you earn.) meaning, t hey bear t heir deeds while you bear yours,

(And you will not be asked of what t hey used t o do) meaning, t he fact t hat you are t heir relat ives will not suffice, unless you imit at e t heir good deeds. Furt her, do not be deceived by t he fact t hat you are t heir descendant s, unless you imit at e t hem in obeying Allah's orders and following His Messengers who were sent as warners and bearers of good news. Indeed, whoever disbelieves in even one Prophet , will have disbelieved in all t he Messengers, especially if one disbelieves in t he mast er and Final Messenger from Allah, t he Lord of t he worlds, t o all mankind and t he Jinns. May Allah's peace and blessings be on Muhammad and t he rest of Allah's Prophet s.

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(142. The fools (idolat ors, hypocrit es, and Jews) among t he people will say: "What has t urned t hem (Muslims) from t heir Qiblah prayer direct ion (t owards Jerusalem) t o which t hey used t o face in prayer.'' Say (O Muhammad ): "To Allah belong bot h, east and t he west . He guides whom He wills t o t he st raight way.'') (143. Thus We have made you t rue Muslims real believers of Islamic Monot heism, t rue followers of Prophet Muhammad and his Sunnah (legal ways) , a Wasat (j ust and t he best ) nat ion, t hat you be wit nesses over mankind and t he Messenger (Muhammad ) be a wit ness over you. And We made t he Qiblah which you used t o face, only t o t est t hose who followed t he Messenger (Muhammad ) from t hose who would t urn on t heir heels (i.e., disobey t he Messenger). Indeed it was great (heavy, difficult ) except for t hose whom Allah guided. And Allah would never make your fait h (prayers) t o be lost (i.e., your prayers

offered t owards Jerusalem). Truly, Allah is full of kindness, t he Most Merciful t owards mankind.)

Changing the Qiblah

Direction of the Prayer

Imam Al-Bukhari report ed t hat Al-Bara' bin ` Azib narrat ed: "Allah's Messenger offered his prayers facing Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) for sixt een or sevent een mont hs, but he wished t hat he could pray facing t he Ka` bah (at Makkah). The first prayer which he offered (facing t he Ka` bah) was t he ` Asr (Aft ernoon) prayer in t he company of some people. Then one of t hose who had offered t hat prayer wit h him, went out and passed by some people in a mosque who were in t he bowing posit ion (in Ruku` ) during t heir prayers (facing Jerusalem). He addressed t hem saying, ` By Allah, I bear wit ness t hat I have offered prayer wit h t he Prophet facing Makkah (Ka` bah).' Hearing t hat , t hose people immediat ely changed t heir direct ion t owards t he House (Ka` bah) while st ill as t hey were (i.e., in t he same bowing posit ion). Some Muslims who offered prayer t owards t he previous Qiblah (Jerusalem) before it was changed t owards t he House (t he Ka` bah in Makkah) had died or had been mart yred, and we did not know what t o say about t hem (regarding t heir prayers t owards Jerusalem). Allah t hen revealed:

(And Allah would never make your fait h (prayers) t o be lost (i.e., t he prayers of t hose Muslims were valid)) (2:143).'' Al-Bukhari collect ed t his narrat ion, while Muslim collect ed it using anot her chain of narrat ors. Muhammad bin Ishaq report ed t hat Al-Bara' narrat ed: Allah's Messenger used t o offer prayers t owards Bayt Al-Maqdis (in Jerusalem), but would keep looking at t he sky await ing Allah's command (t o change t he Qiblah). Then Allah revealed:

(Verily, We have seen t he t urning of your (Muhammad's) face t owards t he heaven. Surely, We shall t urn you t o a Qiblah (prayer direct ion) t hat shall please you, so t urn your face in t he direct ion of Al-Masj id Al-Haram (at Makkah).) (2:144) A man from among t he Muslims t hen said, "We wish we could know about t hose among us who died before t he Qiblah was changed (i.e., t owards Makkah) and also about our own prayers, t hat we had performed t owards Bayt Al-Maqdis.'' Allah t hen revealed:

(And Allah would never make your fait h (prayers) t o be lost .) (2:143) The fools among t he people, meaning t he People of t he Script ure (Jews and Christ ians), said, "What made t hem change t he former Qiblah t hat t hey used t o face'' Allah t hen revealed:

(The fools (idolat ors, hypocrit es, and Jews) among t he people will say...) unt il t he end of t he Ayah. ` Ali bin Abu Talhah relat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said: When Allah's Messenger migrat ed t o AlMadinah, Allah commanded him t o face Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). The Jews were delight ed t hen. Allah's Messenger faced Jerusalem for over t en mont hs. However, he liked (t o offer prayer in t he direct ion of) Prophet Ibrahim's Qiblah (t he Ka` bah in Makkah) and used t o supplicat e t o Allah and kept looking up t o t he sky (await ing Allah's command in t his regard). Allah t hen revealed:

(t urn your faces (in prayer) in t hat direct ion.) meaning, it s direct ion. The Jews did not like t his change and said, "What made t hem change t he Qiblah t hat t hey used t o face (meaning Jerusalem)'' Allah revealed:

(Say (O Muhammad ): "To Allah belong bot h, east and t he west . He guides whom He wills t o t he st raight way.'') There are several ot her Ahadit h on t his subj ect . In summary, Allah's Messenger was commanded t o face Bayt Al-Maqdis (during t he prayer) and he used t o offer prayer t owards it in Makkah bet ween t he t wo corners (of Ka` bah), so t hat t he Ka` bah would be bet ween him and Bayt AlMaqdis8. When t he Prophet migrat ed t o Al-Madinah, t his pract ice was no longer possible; t hen Allah commanded him t o offer prayer t owards Bayt Al-Maqdis, as Ibn Abbas and t he maj orit y of t he scholars have st at ed. Al-Bukhari report ed in his Sahih t hat t he news (of t he change of Qiblah) was conveyed t o some of t he Ansar while t hey were performing t he ` Asr (Aft ernoon) prayer t owards Bayt Al-Maqdis, upon hearing t hat , t hey immediat ely changed t heir direct ion and faced t he Ka` bah. It is report ed in t he Sahihayn (Al-Bukhari Muslim) t hat Ibn ` Umar narrat ed: While t he people were in Quba' (Mosque) performing t he Faj r (Dawn) prayer, a man came and said, "A (part of t he) Qur'an was revealed t onight t o Allah's Messenger and he was commanded t o face t he

Ka` bah. Therefore, face t he Ka` bah. They were facing Ash-Sham, so t hey t urned t owards t he Ka` bah. These Hadit hs prove t hat t he Nasikh (a Text t hat abrogat es a previous Text ) only applies aft er one acquires knowledge of it , even if t he Nasikh had already been revealed and announced. This is why t he Companions ment ioned above were not commanded t o repeat t he previous ` Asr, Maghrib and ` Isha' prayers (alt hough t hey had prayed t hem t owards Jerusalem aft er Allah had changed t he Qiblah). Allah knows best . When t he change of Qiblah (t o Ka` bah in Makkah) occurred, t hose inflict ed wit h hypocrisy and mist rust , and t he disbelieving Jews, bot h were led ast ray from t he right guidance and fell int o confusion. They said:

(What has t urned t hem (Muslims) from t heir Qiblah t o which t hey used t o face in prayer.) They asked, "What is t he mat t er wit h t hese people (Muslims) who one t ime face t his direct ion (Jerusalem), and t hen face t hat direct ion (Makkah)'' Allah answered t heir quest ions when He st at ed:

(Say (O Muhammad ): "To Allah belong bot h, east and t he west .) meaning, t he command, t he decision and t he aut horit y are for Allah Alone. Hence:

(...so wherever you t urn (yourselves or your faces) t here is t he Face of Allah (and He is High above, over His Throne).) (2:115), and:

( It is not Al-Birr (piet y, right eousness) t hat you t urn your faces t owards east and (or) west (in prayers); but Al-Birr is t he one who believes in Allah.) (2:177) This st at ement means, t he best act is t o adhere t o Allah's commands. Hence, wherever He commands us t o face, we should face. Also, since obedience requires implement ing Allah's commands, if He commands us every day t o face different places, we are His servant s and under His disposal, and we face what ever He orders us t o face. Cert ainly, Allah's care and kindness t owards His servant and Messenger, Muhammad , and cert ainly, his Ummah (Muslim nat ion) is profoundly great . Allah has guided

t hem t o t he Qiblah of (Prophet ) Ibrahim -- Allah's Khalil (int imat e friend). He has commanded t hem t o face t he Ka` bah, t he most honorable house (of worship) on t he face of t he eart h, which was built by Ibrahim Al-Khalil in t he Name of Allah, t he One wit hout a part ner. This is why Allah said aft erwards:

(Say (O Muhammad ): "To Allah belong bot h, east and t he west . He guides whom He wills t o t he st raight way.'') Imam Ahmad report ed t hat ` A'ishah (t he Prophet 's wife) said t hat Allah's Messenger said about t he People of t he Script ure (Jews and Christ ians):

:
(They do not envy us for a mat t er more t han t hey envy us for Jumu` ah (Friday) t o which Allah has guided us and from which t hey were led ast ray; for t he (t rue) Qiblah t o which Allah has direct ed us and from which t hey were led ast ray; and for our saying ` Amin' behind t he Imam (leader of t he prayer).)

The Virtues of Muhammad's Nation

Allah said:

(Thus We have made you t rue Muslims , a Wasat (j ust ) (and t he best ) nat ion, t hat you be wit nesses over mankind and t he Messenger (Muhammad ) be a wit ness over you.) Allah st at ed t hat He has changed our Qiblah t o t he Qiblah of Ibrahim and chose it for us so t hat He makes us t he best nat ion ever. Hence, we will be t he wit nesses over t he nat ions on t he Day of Resurrect ion, for all of t hem will t hen agree concerning our virt ue. The word Wasat in t he

Ayah means t he best and t he most honored. Therefore, saying t hat (t he Prophet 's t ribe) Quraysh is in t he Wasat regarding Arab t ribes and t heir areas, means t he best . Similarly, saying t hat Allah's Messenger was in t he Wasat of his people, means he was from t he best subt ribe. Also, ` Asr, t he prayer t hat is described as ` Wust a' (a variat ion of t he word Wasat ), means t he best prayer, as t he aut hent ic collect ions of Ahadit h report ed. Since Allah made t his Ummah (Muslim nat ion) t he Wasat , He has endowed her wit h t he most complet e legislat ion, t he best Manhaj (way, met hod, et c.,) and t he clearest Madhhab (met hodology, mannerism, et c). Allah said:

(He has chosen you (t o convey His Message of Islamic Monot heism t o mankind), and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship: it is t he religion of your fat her Ibrahim. It is He (Allah) Who has named you Muslims bot h before and in t his (t he Qur'an), t hat t he Messenger (Muhammad ) may be a wit ness over you and you be wit nesses over mankind!) (22:78) Moreover, Imam Ahmad report ed t hat Abu Sa` id narrat ed: Allah's Messenger said:

: : : : : : :

 :
(Nuh will be called on t he Day of Resurrect ion and will be asked, ` Have you conveyed (t he Message)' He will say, ` Yes.' His people will be summoned and asked, ` Has Nuh conveyed (t he Message) t o you' They will say, ` No warner came t o us and no one (Prophet ) was sent t o us.' Nuh will be asked, ` Who t est ifies for you' He will say, ` Muhammad and his Ummah.') This is why Allah said:

(Thus We have made you a Wasat nat ion.) The Prophet said; (The Wasat means t he ` Adl (j ust ). You will be summoned t o t est ify t hat Nuh has conveyed (his Message), and I will at t est t o your t est imony.) It was also recorded by Al-Bukhari, At -Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Maj ah. Imam Ahmad also report ed t hat Abu Sa` id Khudri narrat ed: Allah's Messenger said:

: : : : : : : : : : :

(The Prophet would come on t he Day of Resurrect ion wit h t wo or more people (his only following!), and his people would also be summoned and asked, ` Has he (t heir Prophet ) conveyed (t he Message) t o you' They would say, ` No.' He would be asked, ` Have you conveyed (t he Message) t o your people' He would say, ` Yes.' He would be asked, ` Who t est ifies for you' He would say, ` Muhammad and his Ummah.' Muhammad and his Ummah would t hen be summoned and asked, ` Has he conveyed (t he Message) t o his people' They would say, ` Yes.' They would be asked, ` Who t old you t hat ' They would say, ` Our Prophet (Muhammad) came t o us and t old us t hat t he Messengers have conveyed (t heir Messages). ') Hence Allah's st at ement :

(Thus We have made you a Wasat nat ion.) He said, "(meaning) t he ` Adl,' (he t hen cont inued recit ing t he Ayah):

(Thus We have made you, a j ust (and t he best ) nat ion, t hat you be wit nesses over mankind and t he Messenger (Muhammad ) be a wit ness over you.)'' Furt hermore, Imam Ahmad report ed t hat Abul-Aswad narrat ed: I came t o Al-Madinah and found t hat an epidemic had broken out t hat caused many fat alit ies. I sat next t o ` Umar bin AlKhat t ab once when a funeral procession st art ed and t he people praised t he dead person. ` Umar said, "Waj abat (it will be recorded as such), Waj abat !'' Then anot her funeral was brought fort h and t he people crit icized t he dead person. Again, ` Umar said, "Waj abat .'' AbulAswad asked, "What is Waj abat , O Leader of t he fait hful'' He said, "I said j ust like Allah's Messenger had said:

: : .

(Any Muslim for whom four t est ify t hat he was right eous, t hen Allah will ent er him int o Paradise.' We said, ` What about t hree' He said, ` And t hree.' We said, ` And t wo' He said, ` And t wo.' We did not ask him about (t he t est imony) of one (believing) person.)'' This was also recorded by Al-Bukhari, At -Tirmidhi, and An-Nasa'i.

The Wisdom behind changing the Qiblah

Allah t hen said:

(And We made t he Qiblah (prayer direct ion t owards Jerusalem) which you used t o face, only t o t est t hose who followed t he Messenger (Muhammad ) from t hose who would t urn on t heir heels (i.e., disobey t he Messenger). Indeed it was great (heavy, difficult ) except for t hose whom Allah guided.)

Allah st at es t hus: We have legislat ed for you, O Muhammad, facing Bayt Al-Maqdis at first and t hen changed it t o t he Ka` bah so as t o find who will follow and obey you and t hus face what ever you face.

(...from t hose who would t urn on t heir heels.) meaning, revert s from his religion. Allah t hen said:

(Indeed it was great (heavy, difficult )) The Ayah indicat es t hat changing t he Qiblah from Bayt Al-Maqdis t o t he Ka` bah is heavy on t he heart , except for whomever Allah has right ly guided t heir heart s, who believe in t he t rut h of t he Messenger wit h cert aint y and t hat what ever he was sent wit h is t he t rut h wit hout doubt . It is t hey who believe t hat Allah does what He wills, decides what He wills, commands His servant s wit h what He wills, abrogat es any of His commands t hat He wills, and t hat He has t he perfect wisdom and t he unequivocal proof in all t his. (The at t it ude of t he believers in t his respect is) unlike t hose who have a disease in t heir heart s, t o whom whenever a mat t er occurs, it causes doubt s, j ust as t his same mat t er adds fait h and cert aint y t o t he believers. Similarly, Allah said:

(And whenever t here comes down a Surah (chapt er from t he Qur'an), some of t hem (hypocrit es) say: "Which of you has had his fait h increased by it '' As for t hose who believe, it has increased t heir fait h, and t hey rej oice. But as for t hose in whose heart s is a disease (of doubt , disbelief and hypocrisy), it will add doubt and disbelief t o t heir doubt and disbelief; and t hey die while t hey are disbelievers.) (9:124, 125) and:

(And We send down of t he Qur'an t hat which is a healing and a mercy t o t hose who believe, and it increases t he wrongdoers in not hing but loss.) (17:82) Cert ainly, t hose who remained fait hful t o t he Messenger , obeyed him and faced what ever Allah commanded t hem, wit hout doubt or hesit at ion, were t he leaders of t he Companions. Some scholars st at ed t hat t he Early Migrant s (who migrat ed wit h t he Prophet from Makkah t o Al-Madinah) and Ansar (t he resident s of Al-Madinah who gave aid and refuge t o bot h t he Prophet and t he Migrant s) were t hose who offered prayers t owards t he t wo Qiblah (Bayt AlMaqdis and t hen t he Ka` bah). Al-Bukhari report ed in t he explanat ion of t he Ayah (2:143) t hat Ibn ` Umar narrat ed: While t he people were performing t he Faj r (Dawn) prayer in t he Quba' Mosque, a man came and said, "Qur'an was revealed t o t he Prophet and he was ordered t o face t he Ka` bah. Therefore, face t he Ka` bah.'' They t hen faced t he Ka` bah. Muslim also recorded it . At -Tirmidhi added t hat t hey were performing Ruku` (bowing down in prayer), and t hen changed t he direct ion (of t he Qiblah) t o t he Ka` bah while st ill bowing down. Muslim report ed t his last narrat ion from Anas. These Hadit hs all indicat e t he perfect obedience t he Companions had for Allah and His Messenger and t heir compliance wit h Allah's commandment s, may Allah be pleased wit h t hem all. Allah said:

(And Allah would never make your fait h (prayers) t o be lost .) meaning, t he reward of your prayers t owards Bayt Al-Maqdis before would not be lost wit h Allah. It is report ed in Sahih t hat Abu Ishaq As-Sabi` y relat ed t hat Bara' narrat ed: "The people asked about t he mat t er of t hose who offered prayers t owards Bayt Al-Maqdis and died (before t he Qiblah was changed t o Ka` bah). Allah revealed:

(And Allah would never make your fait h (prayers) t o be lost .)'' It was also recorded by At -Tirmidhi from Ibn ` Abbas, and At -Tirmidhi graded it Sahih. Ibn Ishaq report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas narrat ed:

(And Allah would never make your fait h t o be lost .) ent ails: Your (prayer t owards) t he first Qiblah and your believing your Prophet and obeying him by facing t he second Qiblah; He will grant you t he rewards for all t hese act s. Indeed,

(Truly, Allah is full of kindness, t he Most Merciful t owards mankind.)'' Furt hermore, it is report ed in t he Sahih t hat Allah's Messenger saw a woman among t he capt ives who was separat ed from her child. Whenever she found a boy (infant ) among t he capt ives, she would hold him close t o her chest , as she was looking for her boy. When she found her child, she embraced him and gave him her breast t o nurse. Allah's Messenger said:

: . :

(Do you t hink t hat t his woman would willingly t hrow her son in t he fire) They said, "No, O Messenger of Allah!'' He said, (By Allah! Allah is more merciful wit h His servant s t han t his woman wit h her son.)

(144. Verily, We have seen t he t urning of your (Muhammad's) face t owards t he heaven. Surely, We shall t urn you t o a Qiblah (prayer direct ion) t hat shall please you, so t urn your face in t he direct ion of Al-Masj id Al-Haram (at Makkah). And wheresoever you people are, t urn your faces (in prayer) in t hat direct ion. Cert ainly, t he people who were given t he Script ure (i.e., Jews and Christ ians) know well t hat , t hat (your t urning t owards t he direct ion of t he Ka` bah at Makkah in prayers) is t he t rut h from t heir Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what t hey do).

The First Abrogation in the Qur'an was about the Qiblah

Ali bin Abu Talhah relat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas narrat ed: The first abrogat ed part in t he Qur'an was about t he Qiblah. When Allah's Messenger migrat ed t o Al-Madinah, t he maj orit y of it s people were Jews, and Allah commanded him t o face Bayt Al-Maqdis. The Jews were delight ed t hen. Allah's Messenger faced it for t en and some mont hs, but he liked t o face t he Qiblah of Ibrahim

(Ka` bah in Makkah). He used t o supplicat e t o Allah and look up t o t he sky (await ing Allah's command). Allah t hen revealed:

(Verily, We have seen t he t urning of your (Muhammad's) face t owards t he heaven), unt il,

(t urn your faces (in prayer) in t hat direct ion.) The Jews did not like t his ruling and said:

("What has t urned t hem (Muslims) from t heir Qiblah (prayer direct ion) t o which t hey used t o face in prayer.'' Say (O Muhammad), "To Allah belong bot h, east and t he west .'') (2:142) Allah said:

(. ..so wherever you t urn (yourselves or your faces) t here is t he Face of Allah) (2:115), and:

(And We made t he Qiblah (prayer direct ion t owards Jerusalem) which you used t o face, only t o t est t hose who followed t he Messenger (Muhammad ) from t hose who would t urn on t heir heels (i.e., disobey t he Messenger).) (2:143)

Is the Qiblah the Ka` bah itself or its General Direction

Al-Hakim relat ed t hat ` Ali bin Abu Talib said:

(...so t urn your face in t he direct ion of Al-Masj id Al-Haram (at Makkah).) means it s direct ion.'' Al-Hakim t hen comment ed t hat t he chain of t his narrat ion is aut hent ic and t hat t hey (i.e., AlBukhari and Muslim) did not include it in t heir collect ions. This ruling concerning t he Qiblah is also t he opinion of Abu Al-` Aliyah, Muj ahid, ` Ikrimah, Sa` id bin Jubayr, Qat adah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and ot hers. Allah's St at ement :

(And wheresoever you people are, t urn your faces (in prayer) in t hat direct ion) is a command from Allah t o face t he Ka` bah from wherever one is on t he eart h: t he east , west , nort h or sout h. The except ion is of t he volunt ary prayer (Nafl) while one is t raveling, for one is allowed t o offer it in any direct ion his body is facing, while his heart is int ending t he Ka` bah. Also, when t he bat t le is raging, one is allowed t o offer prayer, however he is able. Also, included are t hose who are not sure of t he direct ion and offer prayer in t he wrong direct ion, t hinking t hat it is t he direct ion of t he Qiblah, because Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear.

The Jews had Knowledge that the (Muslim) Qiblah would later be changed
Allah st at ed t hat :

(Cert ainly, t he people who were given t he Script ure (i.e., Jews and t he Christ ians) know well t hat , t hat (your t urning t owards t he direct ion of t he Ka` bah at Makkah in prayers) is t he t rut h from t heir Lord.) This Ayah means: The Jews, who did not like t hat you change your Qiblah from Bayt Al-Maqdis, already knew t hat Allah will command you (O Muhammad) t o face t he Ka` bah. The Jews read in t heir Books t heir Prophet s' descript ion of Allah's Messenger and his Ummah, and t hat Allah has endowed and honored him wit h t he complet e and honorable legislat ion. Yet , t he People of t he Book deny t hese fact s because of t heir envy, disbelief and rebellion. This is why Allah t hreat ened t hem when He said:


(And Allah is not unaware of what t hey do.)

(145. And even if you were t o bring t o t he People of t he Script ure (Jews and Christ ians) all t he Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelat ions, et c.), t hey would not follow your Qiblah (prayer direct ion), nor are you going t o follow t heir Qiblah. And t hey will not follow each ot her's Qiblah. Verily, if you follow t heir desires aft er t hat which you have received of knowledge (from Allah), t hen indeed you will be one of t he wrongdoers.)

The Stubbornness and Disbelief of the Jews

Allah describes t he Jews' disbelief, st ubbornness and defiance of what t hey know of t he t rut h of Allah's Messenger , t hat if t he Prophet brought forward every proof t o t he t rut h of what he was sent wit h, t hey will never obey him or abandon following t heir desires. In anot her inst ance, Allah said:

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(Truly, t hose, against whom t he Word (wrat h) of your Lord has been j ust ified, will not believe. Even if every sign should come t o t hem, unt il t hey see t he painful t orment .) (10:96, 97) This is why Allah said here:

(And even if you were t o bring t o t he People of t he Script ure (Jews and Christ ians) all t he Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelat ions, et c.), t hey would not follow your Qiblah (prayer direct ion)). Allah's st at ement :

(...nor are you going t o follow t heir Qiblah ), indicat es t he vigor wit h which Allah's Messenger implement s what Allah commanded him. Allah's st at ement also indicat es t hat as much as t he Jews adhere t o t heir opinions and desires, t he Prophet adheres by Allah's commands, obeying Him and following what pleases Him, and t hat he would never adhere t o t heir desires in any case. Hence, praying t owards Bayt Al-Maqdis was not because it was t he Qiblah of t he Jews, but because Allah had commanded it . Allah t hen warns t hose who knowingly defy t he t rut h, because t he proof against t hose who know is st ronger t han against ot her people. This is why Allah said t o His Messenger and his Ummah:

(Verily, if you follow t heir desires aft er t hat which you have received of knowledge (from Allah), t hen indeed you will be one of t he wrongdoers.)

-
(146. Those t o whom We gave t he Script ure (Jews and Christ ians) recognise him (Muhammad or t he Ka` bah at Makkah) as t hey recognize t heir sons. But verily, a part y of t hem conceal t he t rut h while t hey know it i.e., t he qualit ies of Muhammad which are writ t en in t he Tawrah and t he Inj il ). (147. This is) t he t rut h from your Lord. So be you not one of t hose who doubt ).

The Jews know that the Prophet is True, but they hide the Truth
Allah st at es t hat t he scholars of t he People of t he Script ure know t he t rut h of what Allah's Messenger was sent wit h, j ust as one of t hem knows his own child, which is a parable t hat t he Arabs use t o describe what is very apparent . Similarly, in a Hadit h, Allah's Messenger said t o a man who had a youngst er wit h him:


: (Is t his your son) He said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah! I t est ify t o t his fact .'' Allah's Messenger said:

(Well, you would not t ransgress against him nor would he t ransgress against you.) According t o Al-Qurt ubi, it was narrat ed t hat ` Umar said t o ` Abdullah bin Salam (an Israelit e scholar who became a Muslim), "Do you recognize Muhammad as you recognize your own son'' He replied, "Yes, and even more. The Honest One descended from heaven on t he Honest One on t he eart h wit h his (i.e., Muhammad's) descript ion and I recognized him, alt hough I do not know anyt hing about his mot her's st ory.'' Allah st at es next t hat alt hough t hey had knowledge and cert aint y in t he Prophet , t hey st ill:

(conceal t he t rut h.) The Ayah indicat es t hat t hey hide t he t rut h from t he people, about t he Prophet , t hat t hey find in t heir Books,

(while t hey know it . ) Allah t hen st rengt hens t he resolve of His Prophet and t he believers and affirms t hat what t he Prophet came wit h is t he t rut h wit hout doubt , saying:

((This is) t he t rut h from your Lord. So be you not one of t hose who doubt .)


(148. For every nat ion t here is a direct ion t o which t hey face (in t heir prayers). So hast en t owards all t hat is good. Wheresoever you may be, Allah will bring you t oget her (on t he Day of Resurrect ion). Truly, Allah is able t o do all t hings.)

Every Nation has a Qiblah

Al-` Awfi report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said:

(For every nat ion t here is a direct ion t o which t hey face (in t heir prayers)) "This t alks about followers of t he various religions. Hence, every nat ion and t ribe has it s own Qiblah t hat t hey choose, while Allah's appoint ed Qiblah is what t he believers face.'' Abul-` Aliyah said, "The Jew has a direct ion t o which he faces (in t he prayer). The Christ ian has a direct ion t o which he faces. Allah has guided you, O (Muslim) Ummah, t o a Qiblah which is t he t rue Qiblah.'' This st at ement was also relat ed t o Muj ahid, ` At a' Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, As-Suddi, and ot hers. This last Ayah is similar t o what Allah said:

(To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way. If Allah had willed, He would have made you one nat ion, but t hat (He) may t est you in what He has given you; so compet e in good deeds. The ret urn of you (all) is t o Allah.) (5:48) In t he Ayah (2:148), Allah said:


(Wheresoever you may be, Allah will bring you t oget her (on t he Day of Resurrect ion). Truly, Allah is able t o do all t hings.) meaning: He is able t o gat her you from t he eart h even if your bodies and flesh disint egrat ed and scat t ered.

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(149. And from wheresoever you st art fort h (for prayers), t urn your face in t he direct ion of AlMasj id Al-Haram (at Makkah), t hat is indeed t he t rut h from your Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.) (150. And from wheresoever you st art fort h (for prayers), t urn your face in t he direct ion of Al-Masj id Al-Haram (at Makkah), and wheresoever you are, t urn your faces t owards it (when you pray) so t hat men may have no argument against you except t hose of t hem t hat are wrongdoers, so fear t hem not , but fear Me! And so t hat I may complet e My blessings on you and t hat you may be guided.)

Why was changing the Qiblah mentioned thrice

This is a t hird command from Allah t o face Al-Masj id Al-Haram (t he Sacred Mosque) from every part of t he world (during prayer). It was said t hat Allah ment ioned t his ruling again here because it is connect ed t o what ever is before and what ever is aft er it . Hence, Allah first said:

(Verily, We have seen t he t urning of your (Muhammad's) face t owards t he heaven. Surely, We shall t urn you t o a Qiblah (prayer direct ion) t hat shall please you) (2:144), unt il:

(Cert ainly, t he people who were given t he Script ure (i.e., Jews and t he Christ ians) know well t hat , t hat (your t urning t owards t he direct ion of t he Ka` bah at Makkah in prayers) is t he t rut h from t heir Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what t hey do.) (2:144) Allah ment ioned in t hese Ayat His fulfillment of t he Prophet 's wish and ordered him t o face t he Qiblah t hat he liked and is pleased wit h. In t he second command, Allah said:

(And from wheresoever you st art fort h (for prayers), t urn your face in t he direct ion of Al-Masid Al-Haram t hat is indeed t he t rut h from your Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.) Therefore, Allah st at es here t hat changing t he Qiblah is also t he t rut h from Him, t hus upgrading t he subj ect more t han in t he first Ayah, in which Allah agreed t o what His Prophet had wished for. Thus Allah st at es t hat t his is also t he t rut h from Him t hat He likes and is pleased wit h. In t he t hird command, Allah refut es t he Jewish assert ion t hat t he Prophet faced t heir Qiblah, as t hey knew in t heir Books t hat t he Prophet will lat er on be commanded t o face t he Qiblah of Ibrahim, t he Ka` bah. The Arab disbelievers had no more argument concerning t he Prophet 's Qiblah aft er Allah commanded t he Prophet t o face t he Qiblah of Ibrahim, which is more respect ed and honored, rat her t han t he Qiblah of t he Jews. The Arabs used t o honor t he Ka` bah and liked t he fact t hat t he Messenger was commanded t o face it .

The Wisdom behind abrogating the Previous Qiblah

Allah said:

(...so t hat men may have no argument against you) Therefore, t he People of t he Book knew from t he descript ion of t he Muslim Ummah t hat t hey would be ordered t o face t he Ka` bah. If t he Muslims did not fit t his descript ion, t he Jews would have used t his fact against t he Muslims. If t he Muslims had remained on t he Qiblah of

Bayt Al-Maqdis, which was also t he Qiblah of t he Jews, t his fact could have been used as t he basis of argument by t he Jews against ot her people. Allah's St at ement :

(...except t hose of t hem t hat are wrongdoers,) indicat es t he Mushrikin (polyt heist s) of Quraysh. The reasoning of t hese unj ust persons was t he unsound st at ement : "This man (Muhammad) claims t hat he follows t he religion of Ibrahim! Hence, if his facing Bayt Al-Maqdis was a part of t he religion of Ibrahim, why did he change it '' The answer t o t his quest ion is t hat Allah has chosen His Prophet t o face Bayt Al-Maqdis first for cert ain wisdom, and he obeyed Allah regarding t his command. Then, Allah changed t he Qiblah t o t he Qiblah of Ibrahim, which is t he Ka` bah, and he also obeyed Allah in t his command. He, obeys Allah in all cases and never engages in t he defiance of Allah even for an inst ant , and his Ummah imit at es him in t his. Allah said:

(. ..so fear t hem not , but fear Me!) meaning: ` Do not fear t he doubt s t hat t he unj ust , st ubborn persons raise and fear Me Alone.' Indeed, Allah Alone deserves t o be feared. Allah said:

(...so t hat I may complet e My blessings on you.) This Ayah relat es t o Allah's st at ement :

(...so t hat men may have no argument against you), meaning: I will perfect My bount y on you by legislat ing for you t o face t he Ka` bah, so t hat t he (Islamic) Shari` ah (law) is complet e in every respect . Allah said:

(...t hat you may be guided.), meaning: ` To be direct ed and guided t o what t he nat ions have been led ast ray from, We have guided you t o it and preferred you wit h it .' This is why t his Ummah is t he best and most honored nat ion ever.

 -
(151. Similarly (t o complet e My blessings on you), We have sent among you a Messenger (Muhammad ) of your own, recit ing t o you Our verses (t he Qur'an) and purifying you, and t eaching you t he Book (t he Qur'an) and t he Hikmah (i. e., Sunnah, Islamic laws and Fiqh j urisprudence), and t eaching you t hat which you did not know.) (152. Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying). I will remember you, and be grat eful t o Me (for My count less favors on you) and never be ungrat eful t o Me.)

Muhammad's Prophecy is a Great Bounty from Allah

Allah reminds His believing servant s wit h what He has endowed t hem wit h by sending Muhammad as a Messenger t o t hem, recit ing t o t hem Allah's clear Ayat and purifying and cleansing t hem from t he worst t ypes of behavior, t he ills of t he souls and t he act s of Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era). The Messenger also t akes t hem away from t he darkness (of disbelief) t o t he light (of fait h) and t eaches t hem t he Book, t he Qur'an, and t he Hikmah (i.e., t he wisdom), which is his Sunnah. He also t eaches t hem what t hey knew not . During t he t ime of Jahiliyyah, t hey used t o ut t er foolish st at ement s. Lat er on, and wit h t he blessing of t he Prophet 's Message and t he goodness of his prophecy, t hey were elevat ed t o t he st at us of t he Awliya' (loyal friends of Allah) and t he rank of t he scholars. Hence, t hey acquired t he deepest knowledge among t he people, t he most pious heart s, and t he most t rut hful t ongues. Allah said:

(Indeed, Allah conferred a great favor on t he believers when He sent among t hem a Messenger (Muhammad ) from among t hemselves, recit ing unt o t hem His verses (t he Qur'an), and purifying t hem (from sins).) (3:164) Allah also crit icized t hose who did not give t his bount y it s due considerat ion, when He said:

(Have you not seen t hose who have changed t he favors of Allah int o disbelief (by denying Prophet Muhammad ) and his Message of Islam), and caused t heir people t o dwell in t he house of dest ruct ion) (14:28) Ibn ` Abbas comment ed, "Allah's favor means Muhammad.'' Therefore, Allah has commanded t he believers t o affirm t his favor and t o appreciat e it by t hanking and remembering Him:

(Therefore, remember Me. I will remember you, and be grat eful t o Me, and never be ungrat eful t o Me.) Muj ahid said t hat Allah's st at ement :

(Similarly (t o complet e My favor on you), We have sent among you a Messenger (Muhammad ) of your own,) means: Therefore, remember Me in grat it ude t o My favor. Al-Hasan Al-Basri comment ed about Allah's st at ement :

(Therefore remember Me. I will remember you), "Remember Me regarding what I have commanded you and I will remember you regarding what I have compelled Myself t o do for your benefit (i.e., His rewards and forgiveness).'' An aut hent ic Hadit h st at es:

:
(Allah t he Exalt ed said, ` Whoever ment ions Me t o himself, t hen I will ment ion him t o Myself; and whoever ment ions Me in a gat hering, I will ment ion him in a bet t er gat hering.)' Imam Ahmad report ed t hat Anas narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

 : :
(Allah t he Exalt ed said, ` O son of Adam! If you ment ion Me t o yourself, I will ment ion you t o Myself. If you ment ion Me in a gat hering, I will ment ion you in a gat hering of t he angels (or said in a bet t er gat hering). If you draw closer t o Me by a hand span, I will draw closer t o you by forearm's lengt h. If you draw closer t o Me by a forearm's lengt h, I will draw closer t o you by an arm's lengt h. And if you come t o Me walking, I will come t o you running). It s chain is Sahih, it was recorded by Al-Bukhari. Allah said:

(...and be grat eful t o Me (for My count less favors on you) and never be ungrat eful t o Me.) In t his Ayah, Allah commands t hat He be t hanked and appreciat ed, and promises even more rewards for t hanking Him. Allah said in anot her Ayah:

(And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: "If you give t hanks (by accept ing fait h and worshipping none but Allah), I will give you more (of My blessings); but if you are t hankless (i.e., disbelievers), verily, My punishment is indeed severe.) Abu Raj a' Al-` Ut aridi said: ` Imran bin Husayn came by us once wearing a nice silken garment t hat we never saw him wear before or aft erwards. He said, "Allah's Messenger said:

(Those whom Allah has favored wit h a bount y, t hen Allah likes t o see t he effect of His bount y on His creat ion), or he said, "on His servant '' - according t o Ruh (one of t he narrat ors of t he Hadit h).

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(153. O you who believe! Seek help in pat ience and As-Salah (t he prayer). Truly, Allah is wit h As-Sabirin (t he pat ient ).) (154. And say not of t hose who are killed in t he way of Allah, "They are dead.'' Nay, t hey are living, but you perceive (it ) not .)

The Virtue of Patience and Prayer

Aft er Allah commanded t hat He be appreciat ed, He ordained pat ience and prayer. It is a fact t hat t he servant is eit her enj oying a bount y t hat he should be t hankful for, or suffering a calamit y t hat he should meet wit h pat ience. A Hadit h st at es:

:
(Amazing is t he believer, for what ever Allah decrees for him, it is bet t er for him! If he is t est ed wit h a bount y, he is grat eful for it and t his is bet t er for him; and if he is afflict ed wit h a hardship, he is pat ient wit h it and t his is bet t er for him.)

Allah has st at ed t hat t he best t ools t o help ease t he effect s of t he afflict ions are pat ience and prayer. Earlier we ment ioned Allah's st at ement :

(And seek help in pat ience and As-Salah (t he prayer) and t ruly, it is ext remely heavy and hard except for Al-Khashi` in i.e., t he t rue believers in Allah ) (2:45) There are several t ypes of Sabr pat ience: one for avoiding t he prohibit ions and sins, one for act s of worship and obedience. The second t ype carries more rewards t han t he first t ype. There is a t hird t ype of pat ience required in t he face of t he afflict ions and hardships, which is mandat ory, like repent ance. ` Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said, "Sabr has t wo part s: pat ience for t he sake of Allah concerning what He is pleased wit h (i.e., act s of worship and obedience), even if it is hard on t he heart and t he body, and pat ience when avoiding what He dislikes, even if it is desired. Those who acquire t hese qualit ies will be among t he pat ient persons whom Allah shall greet (when t hey meet Him in t he Hereaft er; refer t o Surat Al-Ahzab 33:44), Allah willing.''

The Life enjoyed by Martyrs

Allah's st at ement :

(And say not of t hose who are killed in t he way of Allah, "They are dead.'' Nay, t hey are living,) indicat es t hat t he mart yrs are alive and receiving t heir sust enance. Muslim report ed in his Sahih:

: :

 : :
(The souls of t he mart yrs are inside green birds and move about in Paradise wherever t hey wish. Then, t hey t ake refuge in lamps t hat are hanging under t he Throne (of Allah). Your Lord looked at t hem and asked t hem, ` What do you wish for' They said, ` What more could we wish for while You have favored us wit h what You have not favored any ot her of your creat ion' He repeat ed t he quest ion again. When t hey realize t hat t hey will be asked (unt il t hey answer), t hey said, ` We wish t hat You send us back t o t he eart hly life, so t hat we fight in Your cause unt il we are killed in Your cause again,' (because of what t hey enj oy of t he rewards of mart yrdom). The Lord t hen said, ` I have writ t en t hat t hey will not be ret urned t o it (eart hly life) again.) Imam Ahmad report ed t hat ` Abdur-Rahman bin Ka` b bin Malik narrat ed from his fat her t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(The believer's soul is a bird t hat feeds on t he t rees of Paradise unt il Allah sends it back t o it s body when t he person is resurrect ed.) This Hadit h includes all t he believers in it s general meaning. Thus, t he fact t hat t he Qur'an ment ions t he mart yrs in part icular in t he above Ayah serves t o honor, glorify and favor t hem (alt hough t he ot her believers share t he rewards t hey enj oy).

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(155. And cert ainly, We shall t est you wit h somet hing of fear, hunger, loss of wealt h, lives and fruit s, but give glad t idings t o As-Sabirin (t he pat ient ).) (156. Who, when afflict ed wit h calamit y, say: "Truly, t o Allah we belong and t ruly, t o Him we shall ret urn.'') (157. They are t hose on whom are t he Salawat (i.e., who are blessed and will be forgiven) from t heir Lord, and (t hey are t hose who) receive His mercy, and it is t hey who are t he guided ones.)

The Believer is Patient with the Affliction and thus gains a Reward
Allah informs us t hat He t est s and t ries His servant s, j ust as He said in anot her Ayah:

(And surely, We shall t ry you t ill We t est t hose who st rive hard (for t he cause of Allah) and AsSabirin (t he pat ient ), and We shall t est your fact s (i.e., t he one who is a liar, and t he one who is t rut hful).) (47:31) Hence, He t est s t hem wit h t he bount y somet imes and somet imes wit h t he afflict ions of fear and hunger. Allah said in anot her Ayah:

(So Allah made it t ast e ext reme of hunger (famine) and fear.) (16:112) The fright ened and t he hungry persons show t he effect s of t he afflict ion out wardly and t his is why Allah has used here t he word ` Libas' (cover or clot hes) of fear and hunger. In t he Ayat above, Allah used t he words:

(wit h somet hing of fear, hunger,) meaning, a lit t le of each. Then (Allah said),


(loss of wealt h,) meaning, some of t he wealt h will be dest royed,

(lives) meaning, losing friends, relat ives and loved ones t o deat h,

(and fruit s,) meaning, t he gardens and t he farms will not produce t he usual or expect ed amount s. This is why Allah said next :

(but give glad t idings t o As-Sabirin (t he pat ient ).) He t hen explained whom He meant by ` t he pat ient ' whom He praised:

(Who, when afflict ed wit h calamit y, say: "Truly, t o Allah we belong and t ruly, t o Him we shall ret urn.'') meaning, t hose who recit e t his st at ement t o comfort t hemselves in t he face of t heir loss, know t hat t hey belong t o Allah and t hat He does what He wills wit h His servant s. They also know t hat not hing and no deed, even if it was t he weight of an at om, will be lost wit h Allah on t he Day of Resurrect ion. These fact s t hus compel t hem t o admit t hat t hey are Allah's servant s and t hat t heir ret urn will be t o Him in t he Hereaft er. This is why Allah said: t

(They are t hose on whom are t he Salawat (i. e. , who are blessed and will be forgiven) from t heir Lord, and (t hey are t hose who) receive His mercy,) meaning, Allah's praise and mercy will be wit h t hem. Sa` id bin Jubayr added, "Meaning, safet y from t he t orment .''


(and it is t hey who are t he guided ones.) ` Umar bin Al-Khat t ab comment ed: "What right eous t hings, and what a great height s.

(They are t hose on whom are t he Salawat from t heir Lord, and (t hey are t hose who) receive His mercy) are t he t wo right eous t hings.

(and it is t hey who are t he guided ones) are t he height s.'' The height s means more rewards, and t hese people will be awarded t heir rewards and more.

The Virtue of asserting that We all belong to Allah, during Afflictions

There are several Ahadit h t hat ment ion t he rewards of admit t ing t hat t he ret urn is t o Allah by saying:

("Truly, t o Allah we belong and t ruly, t o Him we shall ret urn.'') when afflict ions st rike. For inst ance, Imam Ahmad report ed t hat Umm Salamah narrat ed: Once, Abu Salamah came back aft er he was wit h Allah's Messenger and said: I heard Allah's Messenger recit e a st at ement t hat made me delight ed. He said:

:
(No Muslim is st ruck wit h an afflict ion and t hen says Ist irj a` when t he afflict ion st rikes, and t hen says: ` O Allah! Reward me for my loss and give me what is bet t er t han it ,' but Allah will do j ust t hat .) Umm Salamah said: So I memorized t hese words. When Abu Salamah died I said Ist irj a` and said: "O Allah! Compensat e me for my loss and give me what is bet t er t han it .'' I t hen t hought about it and said, "Who is bet t er t han Abu Salamah'' When my ` Iddah (t he period

of t ime before t he widow or divorced woman can remarry) finished, Allah's Messenger asked for permission t o see me while I was dyeing a skin t hat I had. I washed my hands, gave him permission t o ent er and handed him a pillow, and he sat on it . He t hen asked me for marriage and when he finished his speech, I said, "O Messenger of Allah! It is not because I do not want you, but I am very j ealous and I fear t hat you might experience some wrong mannerism from me for which Allah would punish me. I am old and have children.'' He said:

(As for t he j ealousy t hat you ment ioned, Allah t he Exalt ed will remove it from you. As for your being old as you ment ioned, I have suffered what you have suffered. And for your having children, t hey are my children t oo.) She said, "I have surrendered t o Allah's Messenger.'' Allah's Messenger married her and Umm Salamah said lat er, "Allah compensat ed me wit h who is bet t er t han Abu Salamah: Allah's Messenger .'' Muslim report ed a short er version of t his Hadit h.

(158. Verily, As-Safa and Al-Marwah are of t he symbols of Allah. So it is not a sin on him who performs Haj j or ` Umrah (pilgrimage) of t he House t o perform Tawaf bet ween t hem. And whoever does good volunt arily, t hen verily, Allah is All-Recognizer, All-Knower).

The Meaning of "it is not a sin'' in the Ayah

Imam Ahmad report ed t hat ` Urwah said t hat he asked ` A'ishah about what Allah st at ed:

(Verily, As-Safa and Al-Marwah (t wo mount ains in Makkah) are of t he symbols of Allah. So it is not a sin on him who performs Haj j or ` Umrah (pilgrimage) of t he House (t he Ka` bah at Makkah) t o perform t he going (Tawaf) bet ween t hem (As-Safa and Al-Marwah).) "By Allah! It is not a sin if someone did not perform Tawaf around t hem.'' ` A'ishah said, "Worst is t hat which you said, O my nephew! If t his is t he meaning of it , it should have read, ` It is not a sin if one did not perform Tawaf around t hem.' Rat her, t he Ayah was revealed regarding t he Ansar, who before Islam, used t o assume Ihlal (or Ihram for Haj j ) in t he area of Mushallal for t heir idol Manat t hat t hey used t o worship. Those who assumed Ihlal for Manat , used t o hesit at e t o perform Tawaf (going) bet ween Mount s As-Safa and Al-Marwah. So t hey (during t he Islamic era) asked Allah's Messenger about it , saying, ` O Messenger of Allah! During t he t ime of Jahiliyyah, we used t o hesit at e t o perform Tawaf bet ween As-Safa and Al-Marwah.' Allah t hen revealed:

(Verily, As-Safa and Al-Marwah are of t he symbols of Allah. So it is not a sin on him who performs Haj j or ` Umrah of t he House t o perform t he going (Tawaf) bet ween t hem.)'' ` A'ishah t hen said, " Allah's Messenger has made it t he Sunnah t o perform Tawaf bet ween t hem (As-Safa and Al-Marwah), and t hus, no one should abandon performing Tawaf bet ween t hem.'' This Hadit h is report ed in t he Sahihayn. In anot her narrat ion, Imam Az-Zuhri report ed t hat ` Urwah said: Lat er on I (` Urwah) t old Abu Bakr bin ` Abdur-Rahman bin Al-Harit h bin Hisham (of ` A'ishah's st at ement ) and he said, "I have not heard of such informat ion. However, I heard learned men saying t hat all t he people, except t hose whom ` A'ishah ment ioned, said, ` Our Tawaf bet ween t hese t wo hills is a pract ice of Jahiliyyah. ' Some ot hers among t he Ansar said, ` We were commanded t o perform Tawaf of t he Ka` bah, but not bet ween As-Safa and Al-Marwah.' So Allah revealed:

(Verily, As-Safa and Al-Marwah are of t he symbols of Allah.)'' Abu Bakr bin ` Abdur-Rahman t hen said, "It seems t hat t his verse was revealed concerning t he t wo groups.'' Al-Bukhari collect ed a similar narrat ion by Anas. Ash-Sha` bi said, "Isaf (an idol) was on As-Safa while Na'ilah (an idol) was on Al-Marwah, and t hey used t o t ouch (or kiss) t hem. Aft er Islam came, t hey were hesit ant about performing Tawaf bet ween t hem. Thereaft er, t he Ayah (2:158 above) was revealed.''

The Wisdom behind legislating Sa` i between As-Safa and Al-Marwah

Muslim recorded a long Hadit h in his Sahih from Jabir, in which Allah's Messenger finished t he Tawaf around t he House, and t hen went back t o t he Rukn (pillar, i.e., t he Black St one) and kissed it . He t hen went out from t he door near As-Safa while recit ing:


(Verily, As-Safa and Al-Marwah are of t he symbols of Allah.) The Prophet t hen said, (I st art wit h what Allah has commanded me t o st art wit h meaning st art t he Sa` i (i.e., fast walking) from t he As-Safa ). In anot her narrat ion of An-Nasa'i, t he Prophet said, (St art wit h what Allah has st art ed wit h (i.e., As-Safa).) Imam Ahmad report ed t hat Habibah bint Abu Taj rah said, "I saw Allah's Messenger performing Tawaf bet ween As-Safa and Al-Marwah, while t he people were in front of him and he was behind t hem walking in Sa` i. I saw his garment t wist ed around his knees because of t he fast walking in Sa` i (he was performing) and he was recit ing:

.
(Perform Sa` i, for Allah has prescribed Sa` i on you.)''' This Hadit h was used as a proof for t he fact t hat Sa` i is a Rukn of Haj j . It was also said t hat Sa` i is Waj ib, and not a Rukn of Haj j and t hat if one does not perform it by mist ake or by int ent ion, he could expiat e t he short coming wit h Damm. Allah has st at ed t hat Tawaf bet ween As-Safa and Al-Marwah is among t he symbols of Allah, meaning, among t he act s t hat Allah legislat ed during t he Haj j for Prophet Ibrahim. Earlier we ment ioned t he Hadit h by Ibn ` Abbas t hat t he origin of Tawaf comes from t he Tawaf of Haj ar (Prophet Ibrahim's wife), bet ween As-Safa and Al-Marwah seeking wat er for her son (Isma` il) Ibrahim had left t hem in Makkah, where t here was no habit at ion for her. When Haj ar feared t hat her son would die, she st ood up and begged Allah for His help and kept going back and fort h in t hat blessed area bet ween As-Safa and Al-Marwah. She was humble, fearful, fright ened and meek before Allah. Allah answered her prayers, relieved her of her loneliness, ended her dilemma and made t he well of Zamzam bring fort h it s wat er for her, which is:

(A t ast y (or nut rit ional) food and a remedy for t he illness.) Therefore, whoever performs Sa` i bet ween As-Safa and Al-Marwah should remember his meekness, humbleness and need for Allah t o guide his heart , lead his affairs t o success and forgive his sins. He should also want Allah t o eliminat e his short comings and errors and t o guide him t o t he st raight pat h. He should ask Allah t o keep him firm on t his pat h unt il he meet s deat h, and t o change his sit uat ion from t hat of sin and errors t o t hat of perfect ion and being forgiven, --- t he same providence which was provided t o Haj ar. Allah t hen st at es:

(And whoever does good volunt arily.) It was said t hat t he Ayah describes performing Tawaf more t han seven t imes, it was also said t hat it refers t o volunt ary ` Umrah or Haj j . It was also said t hat it means volunt eering t o do good works in general, as Ar-Razi has st at ed. The t hird opinion was at t ribut ed t o Al-Hasan AlBasri. Allah knows best . Allah st at es:

(...t hen verily, Allah is All-Recognizer, All-Knower.) meaning, Allah's reward is immense for t he lit t le deed, and He knows about t he sufficiency of t he reward. Hence, He will not award insufficient rewards t o anyone. Indeed:

(Surely, Allah wrongs not even of t he weight of an at om, but if t here is any good (done), He doubles it , and gives from Him a great reward.) (4:40)

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(159. Verily, t hose who conceal t he clear proofs, evidences and t he guidance, which We have sent down, aft er We have made it clear for t he People in t he Book, t hey are t he ones cursed by

Allah and cursed by t he cursers.) (160. Except t hose who repent and do right eous deeds, and openly declare (t he t rut h which t hey concealed). These, I will accept t heir repent ance. And I am t he One Who accept s repent ance, t he Most Merciful.) (161. Verily, t hose who disbelieve, and die while t hey are disbelievers, it is t hey on whom is t he curse of Allah and of t he angels and of mankind, combined.) (162. They will abide t herein (under t he curse in Hell), t heir punishment will neit her be light ened nor will t hey be reprieved).

The Eternal Curse for Those Who hide Religious Commandments

These Ayat st ernly warn against t hose who hide t he clear signs t hat t he Messengers were sent wit h which guide t o t he correct pat h and beneficial guidance for t he heart s, aft er Allah has made such aspect s clear for His servant s t hrough t he Books t hat He revealed t o His Messengers. Abu Al-` Aliyah said t hat t hese Ayat , "were revealed about t he People of t he Script ure who hid t he descript ion of Muhammad .'' Allah t hen st at es t hat everyt hing curses such people for t his evil act . Cert ainly, j ust as everyt hing asks for forgiveness for t he scholar, even t he fish in t he sea and t he bird in t he air, t hen t hose who hide knowledge are cursed by Allah and by t he cursers. A Hadit h in t he Musnad, narrat ed t hrough several chains of narrat ors, t hat st rengt hens t he overall j udgment of t he Hadit h, st at es t hat Abu Hurayrah narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(Whoever was asked about knowledge t hat one has, but he hid it , t hen a bridle made of fire will be t ied around his mout h on t he Day of Resurrect ion.) It is also recorded by Al-Bukhari t hat Abu Hurayrah said, "If it was not for an Ayah in Allah's Book, I would not have narrat ed a Hadit h for anyone:

(Verily, t hose who conceal t he clear proofs, evidences and t he guidance, which We have sent down,)'' Muj ahid said, "When t he eart h is st ruck by drought , t he animals say, ` This is because of t he sinners among t he Children of Adam. May Allah curse t he sinners among t he Children of Adam.''' Abu Al-` Aliyah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Qat adah said t hat

(and cursed by t he cursers) means t hat t he angels and t he believers will curse t hem. Moreover, a Hadit h st at es t hat everyt hing, including t he fish in t he sea, asks for forgiveness for t he

scholars. The Ayah (2:159 above) st at es t hat t hose who hide t he knowledge will be cursed, (in t his life and) on t he Day of Resurrect ion, by Allah, t he angels, all humanit y, and t hose who curse (including t he animals) each in it s own dist inct way. Allah knows best . From t his punishment , Allah excluded all who repent t o Him:

(Except t hose who repent and do right eous deeds, and openly declare (t he t rut h which t hey concealed).) This Ayah refers t o t hose who regret what t hey have been doing and correct t heir behavior and, t hus, explain t o t he people what t hey have been hiding.

(These, I will accept t heir repent ance. And I am t he One Who accept s repent ance, t he Most Merciful.) This Ayah also indicat es t hat t hose who used t o call t o innovat ion, or even disbelief, and repent t o Allah, t hen Allah will forgive t hem. Allah aft erwards st at es t hat t hose who disbelieve in Him and remain in t his st at e unt il t hey die, t hen:

(it is t hey on whom is t he curse of Allah and of t he angels and of mankind, combined. They will abide t herein (under t he curse in Hell).) Therefore, t hey will suffer t he et ernal curse unt il t he Day of Resurrect ion and aft er t hat in t he fire of Jahannam, where,

(t heir punishment will neit her be light ened) Hence, t he t orment will not be decreased for t hem,


(nor will t hey be reprieved.) The t orment will not be changed or t empered for even an hour. Rat her, it is cont inuous and et ernal. We seek refuge wit h Allah from t his evil end.

Cursing the Disbelievers is allowed

There is no disagreement t hat it is lawful t o curse t he disbelievers. ` Umar bin Al-Khat t ab and t he Imams aft er him used t o curse t he disbelievers in t heir Qunut (a t ype of supplicat ion) during t he prayer and ot herwise. As for cursing a specific disbeliever, some scholars st at ed t hat it is not allowed t o curse him, because we do not know how Allah will make his end. Ot hers said t hat it is allowed t o curse individual disbelievers. For proof, t hey ment ion t he st ory about t he man who was brought t o be punished repeat edly for drinking (alcohol), a man said, "May Allah curse him! He is being brought repeat edly (t o be flogged for drinking).'' Allah's Messenger said:

(Do not curse him, for he loves Allah and His Messenger). This Hadit h indicat es t hat it is allowed t o curse t hose who do not love Allah and His Messenger . Allah knows best .

(163. And your Ilah (God) is One Ilah (God Allah), La ilaha illa Huwa (t here is none who has t he right t o be worshipped but He), t he Most Gracious, t he Most Merciful.) In t his Ayah, Allah ment ions t hat He is t he only deit y, and t hat He has no part ners or equals. He is Allah, t he One and Only, t he Sust ainer, and t here is no deit y wort hy of worship except Him. He is t he Most Gracious Ar-Rahman, t he Most Merciful Ar-Rahim. We explained t he meanings of t hese t wo Names in t he beginning of Surat Al-Fat ihah. Shahr bin Hawshab report ed t hat Asma' bint Yazid bin As-Sakan narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(Allah's Great est Name is cont ained in t hese t wo Ayat ):


(And your Ilah (God) is One Ilah (God Allah), La ilaha illa Huwa (t here is none who has t he right t o be worshipped but He), t he Most Gracious, t he Most Merciful.) and:

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(Alif-Lam-Mim. Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has t he right t o be worshipped but He), AlHaiyul-Qaiyum (t he Ever Living, t he One Who sust ains and prot ect s all t hat exist s).) (3:1, 2)'' Then Allah ment ions some of t he proof t hat He is alone as t he deit y, t hat He is t he One who creat ed t he heavens and t he eart h and all of t he various creat ures bet ween t hem, all of which t est ify t o His Oneness. Allah said:

(164. Verily, in t he creat ion of t he heavens and t he eart h, and in t he alt ernat ion of night and day, and t he ships which sail t hrough t he sea wit h t hat which is of use t o mankind, and t he wat er (rain) which Allah sends down from t he sky and makes t he eart h alive t herewit h aft er it s deat h, and t he moving (living) creat ures of all kinds t hat He has scat t ered t herein, and in t he veering of winds and clouds which are held bet ween t he sky and t he eart h, are indeed Ayat (proofs, evidences, signs, et c.) for people of underst anding.)

The Proofs for Tawhid

Allah said:


(Verily, in t he creat ion of t he heavens and t he eart h...) Therefore, t he sky, wit h it s height , int ricat e design, vast ness, t he heavenly obj ect s in orbit , and t his eart h, wit h it s densit y, it s lowlands, mount ains, seas, desert s, valleys, and ot her st ruct ures, and beneficial t hings t hat it has. Allah cont inues:

(...and in t he alt ernat ion of night and day.) This (t he night ) comes and t hen goes followed by t he ot her (t he day) which does not delay for even an inst ant , j ust as Allah said:

(It is not for t he sun t o overt ake t he moon, nor does t he night out st rip t he day. They all float , each in an orbit .) (36:40) Somet imes, t he day grows short er and t he night longer, and somet imes vice versa, one t akes from t he lengt h of t he ot her. Similarly Allah said:

(Allah merges t he night int o t he day, and He merges t he day int o t he night ) (57:6) meaning, He ext ends t he lengt h of one from t he ot her and vice versa. Allah t hen cont inues:

(. ..and t he ships which sail t hrough t he sea wit h t hat which is of use t o mankind,) Shaping t he sea in t his manner, so t hat it is able t o carry ships from one shore t o anot her, so people benefit from what t he ot her region has, and export what t hey have t o t hem and vice versa. Allah t hen cont inues:


(...and t he wat er (rain) which Allah sends down from t he sky and makes t he eart h alive t herewit h aft er it s deat h), which is similar t o Allah's st at ement :

(And a sign for t hem is t he dead land. We give it life, and We bring fort h from it grains, so t hat t hey eat t hereof.) (36:33), unt il:

(which t hey know not .) (36:36) Allah cont inues:

(and t he moving (living) creat ures of all kinds t hat He has scat t ered t herein,) meaning, in various shapes, colors, uses and sizes, whet her small or large. Allah knows all t hat , sust ains it , and not hing is concealed from Him. Similarly, Allah said:

(And no moving (living) creat ure is t here on eart h but it s provision is due from Allah. And He knows it s dwelling place and it s deposit (in t he ut erus or grave). All is in a Clear Book (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz t he Book of Decrees wit h Allah).) (11:6)

(...and in t he veering of winds...) Somet imes, t he wind brings mercy and somet imes t orment . Somet imes it brings t he good news of t he clouds t hat follow it , somet imes it leads t he clouds, herding t hem, scat t ering t hem or direct ing t hem. Somet imes, t he wind comes from t he nort h (t he nort hern wind), and somet imes from t he sout h, somet imes from t he east , and st riking t he front of t he Ka` bah, somet imes from t he west , st riking it s back. There are many books about t he wind rain, st ars and t he regulat ions relat ed t o t hem, but here is not t he place t o elaborat e on t hat , and Allah knows best . Allah cont inues:

(...and clouds which are held bet ween t he sky and t he eart h,) The clouds run bet ween t he sky and t he eart h t o wherever Allah wills of lands and areas. Allah said next :

(...are indeed Ayat for people of underst anding,) meaning, all t hese t hings are clear signs t hat t est ify t o Allah's Oneness. Similarly, Allah said:

-
(Verily, in t he creat ion of t he heavens and t he eart h, and in t he alt ernat ion of night and day, t here are indeed signs for men of underst anding. Those who remember Allah (always, and in prayers) st anding, sit t ing, and lying down on t heir sides, and t hink deeply about t he creat ion of t he heavens and t he eart h, (saying): "Our Lord! You have not creat ed (all) t his wit hout purpose, glory t o You! (Exalt ed are You above all t hat t hey associat e wit h You as part ners). Give us salvat ion from t he t orment of t he Fire.'') (3:190, 191)

 - -
(165. And of mankind are some who t ake (for worship) ot hers besides Allah as rivals (t o Allah). They love t hem as t hey love Allah. But t hose who believe, love Allah more (t han anyt hing else). If only, t hose who do wrong could see, when t hey will see t he t orment , t hat all power belongs t o Allah and t hat Allah is severe in punishment .) (166. When t hose who were followed disown (declare t hemselves innocent of) t hose who followed (t hem), and t hey see t he t orment , t hen all t heir relat ions will be cut off from t hem). (167. And t hose who followed will say: "If only we had one more chance t o ret urn (t o t he worldly life), we would disown (declare ourselves as innocent from) t hem as t hey have disowned (declared t hemselves as innocent from) us. '' Thus Allah will show t hem t heir deeds as regret s for t hem. And t hey will never get out of t he Fire.)

The Condition of the Polytheists in this Life and the Hereafter

In t hese Ayat , Allah ment ions t he condit ion of t he polyt heist s in t his life and t heir dest inat ion in t he Hereaft er. They appoint ed equals and rivals wit h Allah, worshipping t hem along wit h Allah and loving t hem, j ust as t hey love Allah. However, Allah is t he only deit y wort hy of worship, Who has neit her rival nor opponent nor part ner. It is report ed in t he Sahihayn t hat ` Abdullah bin Mas` ud said: I said, "O Messenger of Allah! What is t he great est sin'' He said:

(To appoint a rival t o Allah while He Alone has creat ed you.) Allah said:


(But t hose who believe, love Allah more (t han anyt hing else)) Because t hese believers love Allah, know His great ness, revere Him, believe in His Oneness, t hen t hey do not associat e anyt hing or anyone wit h Him in t he worship. Rat her, t hey worship Him Alone, depend on Him and t hey seek help from Him for each and every need. Then, Allah warns t hose who commit Shirk,

(If only, t hose who do wrong could see, when t hey will see t he t orment , t hat all power belongs t o Allah.) if t hese people knew what t hey will face and t he t errible punishment t hey are t o suffer because of t heir disbelief and Shirk (polyt heism), t hen t hey would shun t he deviat ion t hat t hey live by. Allah ment ions t heir false beliefs in t heir idols, and t hat t hose t hey followed will declare t heir innocence of t hem. Allah said:

(When t hose who were followed disown (declare t hemselves innocent of) t hose who followed (t hem).) t he angels, whom t hey used t o claim t hat t hey worshipped, declare t heir innocence of t hem in t he Hereaft er, saying:

(We declare our innocence (from t hem) before You. It was not us t hey worshipped.) (28:63), and:

("Glorified be You! You are our Wali (Lord) inst ead of t hem. Nay, but t hey used t o worship t he Jinn; most of t hem were believers in t hem.'') (34:4)

The Jinn will also disown t he disbelievers who worshipped t hem, and t hey will rej ect t hat worship. Allah said:

-
(And who is more ast ray t han one who calls on (invokes) besides Allah, such as will not answer him t ill t he Day of Resurrect ion, and who are (even) unaware of t heir calls (invocat ions) t o t hem And when mankind are gat hered (on t he Day of Resurrect ion), t hey (false deit ies) will become t heir enemies and will deny t heir worshipping.) (46:5, 6) Allah said:

(And t hey have t aken (for worship) alihah (gods) besides Allah, t hat t hey might give t hem honor, power and glory (and also prot ect t hem from Allah' punishment ). Nay, but t hey (t he socalled gods) will deny t heir worship of t hem, and become opponent s t o t hem (on t he Day of Resurrect ion).) (19:81, 82) Prophet Ibrahim said t o his people:

(You have t aken (for worship) idols inst ead of Allah. The love bet ween you is only in t he life of t his world, but on t he Day of Resurrect ion, you shall disown each ot her, and curse each ot her, and your abode will be t he Fire, and you shall have no helper.) (29:25) Allah said:


(But if you could see when t he Zalimun (polyt heist s and wrongdoers) will be made t o st and before t heir Lord,how t hey will cast t he (blaming) word one t o anot her! Those who were deemed weak will say t o t hose who were arrogant : "Had it not been for you, we should cert ainly have been believers!'' And t hose who were arrogant will say t o t hose who were deemed weak: "Did we keep you back from guidance aft er it had come t o you Nay, but you were Muj rimin (polyt heist s, sinners, disbelievers, criminals).'' Those who were deemed weak will say t o t hose who were arrogant : "Nay, but it was your plot t ing by night and day, when you ordered us t o disbelieve in Allah and set up rivals t o Him!'' And each of t hem (part ies) will conceal t heir own regret s (for disobeying Allah during t his worldly life), when t hey behold t he t orment . And We shall put iron collars round t he necks of t hose who disbelieved. Are t hey requit ed aught except what t hey used t o do) (34:31-33) Allah said:


(And Shayt an (Sat an) will say when t he mat t er has been decided: "Verily, Allah promised you a promise of t rut h. And I t oo promised you, but I bet rayed you. I had no aut horit y over you except t hat I called you, and you responded t o me. So blame me not , but blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can you help me. I deny your former act in associat ing me (Sat an) as a part ner wit h Allah (by obeying me in t he life of t he world). Verily, t here is a painful t orment for t he Zalimin (polyt heist s and wrongdoers).) (14:22) Allah t hen said:

(...and t hey see t he t orment , t hen all t heir relat ions will be cut off from t hem.) meaning, when t hey see Allah's t orment , t heir power and means of salvat ion are all cut off, and t hey will have no way of making amends, nor will t hey find a way of escape from t he Fire. ` At a' report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said about :

(t hen all t heir relat ions will be cut off from t hem.) "meaning t he friendship.'' Muj ahid report ed a similar st at ement in anot her narrat ion by Ibn Abu Naj ih. Allah said:

(And t hose who followed will say: "If only we had one more chance t o ret urn (t o t he worldly life), we would disown (declare ourselves as innocent from) t hem as t hey have disowned (declared t hemselves as innocent from) us.'') This Ayah means: ` If we only had a chance t o go back t o t he life so t hat we could disown t hem (t heir idols, leaders, et c.) shun t heir worship, ignore t hem and worship Allah Alone inst ead.' But t hey ut t er a lie in t his regard, because if t hey were given t he chance t o go back, t hey would only ret urn t o what t hey were prohibit ed from doing, j ust as Allah said. This is why Allah said:


(Thus Allah will show t hem t heir deeds as regret s for t hem.) meaning, t heir works will vanish and disappear. Similarly, Allah said:

(And We shall t urn t o what ever deeds t hey (disbelievers, polyt heist s, sinners) did, and We shall make such deeds as scat t ered float ing part icles of dust .) (25:23) Allah also said:

(The parable of t hose who disbelieved in t heir Lord is t hat t heir works are as ashes, on which t he wind blows furiously on a st ormy day.) (14:18), and:

(As for t hose who disbelieved, t heir deeds are like a mirage in a desert . The t hirst y one t hinks it t o be wat er.) (24:39) This is why Allah said at t he end of t he Ayah 2:167 above

(And t hey will never get out of t he Fire.)

 -
(168.O mankind! Eat of t hat which is lawful and good on t he eart h, and follow not t he foot st eps of Shayt an (Sat an). Verily, he is t o you an open enemy.) (169. He (Sat an) commands you only what is evil and Fahsha' (sinful), and t hat you should say about Allah what you know not .)

The Order to eat the Lawful Things, and the Prohibition of following the Footsteps of Shaytan
Aft er Allah st at ed t hat t here is no deit y wort hy of worship except Him and t hat He Alone creat ed t he creat ion, He st at ed t hat He is t he Sust ainer for all His creat ion, and He ment ioned a favor t hat He grant ed t hem; He has allowed t hem t o eat any of t he pure lawful t hings on t he eart h t hat do not cause harm t o t he body or t he mind. He also forbade t hem from following t he foot st eps of Shayt an, meaning his ways and met hods wit h which he misguides his followers, like prohibit ing t he Bahirah (a she-camel whose milk was spared for t he idols and nobody was allowed t o milk it ), or Sa'ibah (a she-camel let loose for free past ure for t he idols and not hing was allowed t o be carried on it ), or a Wasilah (a she-camel set free for idols because it has given birt h t o a she-camel at it s first delivery and t hen again gives birt h t o a she-camel at it s second delivery), and all of t he ot her t hings t hat Shayt an made at t ract ive t o t hem during t he t ime of Jahiliyyah. Muslim recorded ` Iyad bin Himar saying t hat Allah's Messenger said t hat Allah t he Exalt ed says,

:
(` Every t ype of wealt h I have endowed My servant s is allowed for t hem...' (unt il), ` I have creat ed My servant s Hunafa' (pure or upright ), but t he devils came t o t hem and led t hem ast ray from t heir (t rue) religion and prohibit ed t hem from what I allowed for t hem. ') Allah said:

(...he is t o you an open enemy.)

warning against Sat an. Allah said in anot her inst ance:

(Surely, Shayt an is an enemy t o you, so t ake (t reat ) him as an enemy. He only invit es his Hizb (followers) t hat t hey may become t he dwellers of t he blazing Fire.) (35:6), and:

(Will you t hen t ake him (Iblis) and his offspring as prot ect ors and helpers rat her t han Me while t hey are enemies t o you What an evil is t he exchange for t he Zalimin (polyt heist s, and wrongdoers, et c).) (18:50) Qat adah and As-Suddi comment ed on what Allah said:

(...and follow not t he foot st eps of Shayt an (Sat an)): Every act of disobedience t o Allah is among t he foot st eps of Sat an. ` Abd bin Humayd report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said: "Any vow or oat h t hat one makes while angry, is among t he foot st eps of Shayt an and it s expiat ion is t hat of t he vow. '' Allah's st at ement :

(He (Sat an) commands you only what is evil and Fahsha (sinful), and t hat you should say about Allah what you know not .) The verse means: ` Your enemy, Sat an, commands you t o commit evil act s and what is worse t han t hat , such as adult ery and so fort h. He commands you t o commit what is even worse, t hat is, saying about Allah wit hout knowledge.' So t his includes every innovat or and disbeliever.

 -
(170 When it is said t o t hem: "Follow what Allah has sent down.'' They say: "Nay! We shall follow what we found our fat hers following.'' (Would t hey do t hat !) even t hough t heir fat hers did not underst and anyt hing nor were t hey guided) (171. And t he example of t hose who disbelieve is as t hat of him who shout s t o t hose (flock of sheep) t hat hear not hing but calls and cries. (They are) deaf, dumb and blind. So t hey do not underst and.)

The Polytheist imitates Other Polytheists

Allah st at es t hat if t he disbelievers and polyt heist s are called t o follow what Allah has revealed t o His Messenger and abandon t he pract ices of misguidance and ignorance t hat t hey indulge in, t hey will say, "Rat her. We shall follow what we found our fat hers following,'' meaning, worshipping t he idols and t he false deit ies. Allah crit icized t heir reasoning:

((Would t hey do t hat !) even t hough t heir fat hers), meaning, t hose whom t hey follow and whose pract ices t hey imit at e, and:

(...did not underst and anyt hing nor were t hey guided) meaning, t hey had no sound underst anding or guidance. Ibn Ishaq report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat t his was revealed about a group of Jews whom Allah's Messenger called t o Islam, but t hey refused, saying, "Rat her, we shall follow what we found our forefat hers following.'' So Allah revealed t his Ayah (2:170) above."

The Disbeliever is just like an Animal

Allah t hen made a parable of t he disbelievers, j ust as He said in anot her Ayah:


(For t hose who believe not in t he Hereaf t er is an evil descript ion.) (16:60) Similarly, Allah said here (2:171 above)

(And t he example of t hose who disbelieve...) meaning, in t heir inj ust ice, misguidance and ignorance, t hey are j ust like wandering animals, not underst anding what t hey are t old; if t he shepherd heralds t hem or calls t hem t o what benefit s t hem, t hey would not underst and what is act ually being said t o t hem, for t hey only hear unint elligible sounds. This is what is report ed from Ibn ` Abbas, Abu Al-` Aliyah, Muj ahid, ` Ikrimah, ` At a', Al-Hasan, Qat adah, ` At a' AlKhurasani and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas.

(They are deaf, dumb, and blind.) means, t hey are deaf, as t hey do not hear t he t rut h; mut e, as t hey do not ut t er it ; and blind, as t hey do not see or recognize it s pat h and way.

(So t hey do not underst and.) means, t hey do not comprehend or underst and anyt hing.

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(172. O you who believe (in t he Oneness of Allah Islamic Monot heism)! Eat of t he lawful t hings t hat We have provided you wit h, and be grat eful t o Allah, if it is indeed He Whom you worship). (173. He has forbidden you only t he Mait ah (dead animals), and blood, and t he flesh of swine, and t hat which is slaught ered as a sacrifice for ot her t han Allah. But if one is forced by necessit y wit hout willful disobedience nor t ransgressing due limit s, t hen t here is no sin on him. Truly, Allah is Oft -Forgiving, Most Merciful.)

The Command to eat Pure Things and the Explanation of the Prohibited Things
Allah commands His believing servant s t o eat from t he pure t hings t hat He has creat ed for t hem and t o t hank Him for it , if t hey are t ruly His servant s. Eat ing from pure sources is a cause for t he accept ance of supplicat ions and act s of worship, j ust as eat ing from impure sources prevent s t he accept ance of supplicat ions and act s of worship, as ment ioned in a Hadit h recorded by Imam Ahmad, t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat Allah's Messenger said:

: : :
(O people! Allah is Tayyib (Pure and Good) and only accept s t hat which is Tayyib. Allah has indeed commanded t he believers wit h what He has commanded t he Messengers, for He said: (O (you) Messengers! Eat of t he Tayyibat and do right eous deeds. Verily, I am well-acquaint ed wit h what you do) (23:51), and: (O you who believe! Eat of t he lawful t hings t hat We have provided you wit h) He t hen ment ioned a man, (who is engaged in a long j ourney, whose hair is unt idy and who is covered in dust , he raises his hands t o t he sky, and says, ` O Lord! O Lord!'

Yet , his food is from t he unlawful, his drink is from t he unlawful, his clot hes are from t he unlawful, and he was nourished by t he unlawful, so how can it (his supplicat ion) be accept ed'') It was also recorded by Muslim and At -Tirmidhi Aft er Allah ment ioned how He has blessed His creat ures by providing t hem wit h provisions, and aft er commanding t hem t o eat from t he pure t hings t hat He has provided t hem, He t hen st at ed t hat He has not prohibit ed anyt hing for t hem, except dead animals. Dead animals are t hose t hat die before being slaught ered; whet her t hey die by st rangling, a violent blow, a headlong fall, t he goring of horns or by being part ly eat en by a wild animal. Dead animals of t he sea are excluded from t his ruling, as is explained lat er, Allah willing, as Allah said:

(Lawful t o you is (t he pursuit of) wat ergame and it s use for food) (5:96), and because of t he Hadit h about t he whale recorded in t he Sahih. The Musnad, Al-Muwat t a' and t he Sunan recorded t he Prophet saying about t he sea:

(It s wat er is pure and it s dead are permissible.) Ash-Shafi` i, Ahmad, Ibn Maj ah, and Ad-Daraqut ni report ed t hat Ibn ` Umar said t hat t he Prophet said:

(We have been allowed t wo dead t hings and t wo bloody t hings: fish and locust s; and liver and spleen). We will ment ion t his subj ect again in Surat Al-Ma'idah (chapt er 5 in t he Qur'an), In sha' Allah (if Allah wills). Issue: According t o Ash-Shafi` i and ot her scholars, milk and eggs t hat are inside dead unslaught ered animals are not pure, because t hey are part of t he dead animal. In one narrat ion from him, Malik said t hat t hey are pure t hemselves, but become impure because of t heir locat ion. Similarly, t here is a difference of opinion over t he cheeses (made wit h t he milk) of dead animals. The popular view of t he scholars is t hat it is impure, alt hough t hey ment ioned t he fact t hat t he Companions at e from t he cheeses made by t he Magians (fire worshippers). Hence, Al-Qurt ubi comment ed: "Since only a small part of t he dead animal is mixed wit h it , t hen it is permissible, because a minut e amount of impurit y does not mat t er if it is mixed wit h a large amount of liquid.'' Ibn Maj ah report ed t hat Salman said t hat Allah's Messenger was asked about but t er, cheese and fur. He said:


(The allowed is what Allah has allowed in His Book and t he prohibit ed is what Allah has prohibit ed in His Book. What He has not ment ioned is a part of what He has pardoned.) Allah has prohibit ed eat ing t he meat of swine, whet her slaught ered or not , and t his includes it s fat , eit her because it is implied, or because t he t erm Lahm includes t hat , or by analogy. Similarly prohibit ed are offerings t o ot her t han Allah, t hat is what was slaught ered in a name ot her t han His, be it for monument s, idols, divinat ion, or t he ot her pract ices of t he t ime of Jahiliyyah. Al-Qurt ubi ment ioned t hat ` A'ishah was asked about what non-Muslims slaught er for t heir feast s and t hen offer some of it as gift s for Muslims. She said, "Do not eat from what has been slaught ered for t hat day, (or feast ) but eat from t heir veget ables.''

The Prohibited is Allowed in Cases of Emergency

Then Allah permit t ed eat ing t hese t hings when needed for survival or when t here are no permissible t ypes of food available. Allah said:

(But if one is forced by necessit y wit hout willful disobedience nor t ransgressing due limit s), meaning, wit hout t ransgression or overst epping t he limit s,

(...t hen t here is no sin on him.) meaning, if one eat s such it ems, for,

(Truly, Allah is Oft -Forgiving, Most Merciful.) Muj ahid said, "If one is forced by necessit y wit hout willful disobedience nor t ransgressing t he set limit s. For example, if he didn't , t hen he would have t o resort t o highway robbery, rising against t he rulers, or some ot her kinds of disobedience t o Allah, t hen t he permission applies t o him. If one does so t ransgressing t he limit s, or cont inually, or out of disobedience t o Allah, t hen t he permission does not apply t o him even if he is in dire need.'' The same was report ed from Sa` id bin Jubayr. Sa` id and Muqat il bin Hayyan are report ed t o have said t hat wit hout willful disobedience means, "Wit hout believing t hat it is permissible.'' It was report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed on t he Ayah:


(. ..wit hout willful disobedience nor t ransgressing) saying, "Wit hout willful disobedience means eat ing t he dead animal and not cont inuing t o do so. Qat adah said:

(wit hout willful disobedience) "Wit hout t ransgressing by eat ing from t he dead animals, t hat is when t he lawful is available.'' Issue: When one in dire st rait s finds bot h dead animals, and foods belong t o ot her people which he could get wit hout risking t he loss of his hands or causing harm, t hen it is not allowed for him t o eat t he dead animals. Ibn Maj ah report ed t hat ` Abbad bin Shurahbil Al-Ghubari said, "One year we suffered from famine. I came t o Al-Madinah and ent ered a garden. I t ook some grain t hat I cleaned, and at e, t hen I left some of it in my garment . The owner of t he garden came, roughed me up and t ook possession of my garment . I t hen went t o Allah's Messenger and t old him what had happened. He said t o t he man:

. (You have not fed him when he was hungry - or he said st arving - nor have you t aught him if he was ignorant .) The Prophet commanded him t o ret urn ` Abbad's garment t o him, and t o offer him a Wasq (around 180 kilograms) - or a half Wasq - of food This has a sufficient ly st rong chain of narrat ors and t here are many ot her wit nessing narrat ions t o support it , such as t he Hadit h t hat ` Amr bin Shu` ayb narrat ed from his fat her t hat his grandfat her said: Allah's Messenger was asked about t he hanging clust ers of dat es. He said:

(There is no harm for whoever t akes some of it in his mout h for a necessit y wit hout put t ing it in his garment .) Muqat il bin Hayyan comment ed on:


(...t hen t here is no sin on him. Truly, Allah is Of t -Forgiving, Most Merciful.) "For what is eat en out of necessit y.'' Sa` id bin Jubayr said, "Allah is pardoning for what has been eat en of t he unlawful, and Merciful' in t hat He allowed t he prohibit ed during t imes of necessit y.'' Masruq said, "Whoever is in dire need, but does not eat or drink unt il he dies, he will ent er t he Fire.'' This indicat es t hat eat ing dead animals for t hose who are in need of it for survival is not only permissible but required.

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(174. Verily, t hose who conceal what Allah has sent down of t he Book, and purchase a small gain t herewit h (of worldly t hings), t hey eat int o t heir bellies not hing but fire. Allah will not speak t o t hem on t he Day of Resurrect ion, nor purify t hem, and t heirs will be a painful t orment ). (175. Those are t hey who have purchased error at t he price of guidance, and t orment at t he price of forgiveness. So how bold t hey are (for evil deeds which will push t hem) t o t he Fire). (176. That is because Allah has sent down t he Book (t he Qur'an) in t rut h. And verily, t hose who disput ed as regards t he Book are far away in opposit ion).

Criticizing the Jews for concealing what Allah revealed

Allah said:

(Verily, t hose who conceal what Allah has sent down of t he Book.) Meaning t he Jews who concealed t heir Book's descript ions of Muhammad , all of which t est ify t o his t rut h as a Messenger and a Prophet . They concealed t his informat ion so t hat t hey would not lose

aut horit y and t he posit ion t hat t hey had wit h t he Arabs, where t hey would bring t hem gift s, and honor t hem. The cursed Jews feared t hat if t hey announced what t hey know about Muhammad , t hen t he people would abandon t hem and follow him. So t hey hid t he t rut h so t hat t hey may ret ain t he lit t le t hat t hey were get t ing, and t hey sold t heir souls for t his lit t le profit . They preferred t he lit t le t hat t hey gained over guidance and following t he t rut h, believing in t he Messenger and having fait h in what Allah was sent him wit h. Therefore, t hey have profit ed failure and loss in t his life and t he Hereaft er. As for t his world, Allah made t he t rut h about His Messenger known anyway, by t he clear signs and t he unequivocal proofs. Thereaft er, t hose whom t he Jews feared would follow t he Prophet , believed in him and followed him anyway, and so t hey became his support ers against t hem. Thus, t he Jews earned anger on t op of t he wrat h t hat t hey already had earned before, and Allah crit icized t hem again many t imes in His Book. For inst ance, Allah said in t his Ayah (2:174 above):

(Verily, t hose who conceal what Allah has sent down of t he Book, and purchase a small gain t herewit h (of worldly t hings).) meaning, t he j oys and delight s of t his eart hly life. Allah said:

(...t hey eat int o t heir bellies not hing but fire,) meaning, what ever t hey eat in ret urn for hiding t he t rut h, will t urn int o a raging fire in t heir st omachs on t he Day of Resurrect ion. Similarly, Allah said:

(Verily, t hose who unj ust ly eat up t he propert y of orphans, t hey eat up only fire int o t heir bellies, and t hey will be burnt in t he blazing Fire!) (4:10) Also, report ed in an aut hent ic Hadit h is t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(Those who eat or drink in golden or silver plat es are filling t heir st omachs wit h t he fire of Jahannam (Hell).) Allah said:

(Allah will not speak t o t hem on t he Day of Resurrect ion, nor purify t hem, and t heirs will be a painful t orment .) This is because Allah is furious wit h t hem for concealing t he t rut h. They t hus deserve Allah's anger, so Allah will not look at t hem or purify t hem, meaning t hat He will not praise t hem but will cause t hem t o t ast e a severe t orment . Then, Allah said about t hem:

(Those are t hey who have purchased error for guidance.) Hence, t hey opposed t he guidance, t hat is, not announcing t he Prophet 's descript ion t hey find in t heir Books, t he news about his prophecy and t he good news of his coming which t he previous Prophet s proclaimed, as well as following and believing in him. Inst ead, t hey preferred misguidance by denying him, rej ect ing him and concealing his descript ions t hat were ment ioned in t heir Books. Allah said:

(...and t orment at t he price of forgiveness,) meaning, t hey preferred t orment over forgiveness due t o t he sins t hey have commit t ed. Allah t hen said:

(So how bold t hey are (for evil deeds which will push t hem) t o t he Fire.) Allah st at es t hat t hey will suffer such severe, painful t orment t hat t hose who see t hem will be amazed at how t hey could bear t he t remendous punishment , t ort ure and pain t hat t hey will suffer. We seek refuge wit h Allah from t his evil end. RAllah's St at ement :

(That is because Allah has sent down t he Book (t he Qur'an) in t rut h. ) means, t hey deserve t his painful t orment because Allah has revealed Books t o His Messenger Muhammad , and t he Prophet s before him, and t hese revelat ions bring about t rut h and expose falsehood. Yet , t hey t ook Allah's signs for mockery. Their Books ordered t hem t o announce t he t rut h and t o spread t he knowledge, but inst ead, t hey defied t he knowledge and rej ect ed it . This Final Messenger Muhammad called t hem t o Allah, commanded t hem t o work right eousness and forbade t hem from commit t ing evil. Yet , t hey rej ect ed, denied and defied him and hid t he t rut h t hat t hey knew about him. They, t hus, mocked t he Ayat t hat Allah revealed t o His Messengers, and t his is why t hey deserved t he t orment and t he punishment . This is why Allah said here (2:176):

(That is because Allah has sent down t he Book (t he Qur'an) in t rut h. And verily, t hose who disput ed about t he Book are far away in opposit ion.)

(177. It is not Birr t hat you t urn your faces t owards east and (or) west ; but Birr is t he one who believes in Allah, t he Last Day, t he Angels, t he Book, t he Prophet s and gives his wealt h, in spit e of love for it , t o t he kinsfolk, t o t he orphans, and t o Al-Masakin (t he poor), and t o t he wayfarer, and t o t hose who ask, and t o set servant s free, performs As-Salah (Iqamat -As-Salah), and gives t he Zakah, and who fulfill t heir covenant when t hey make it , and who are pat ient in ext reme povert y and ailment (disease) and at t he t ime of fight ing (during t he bat t les). Such are t he people of t he t rut h and t hey are Al-Mut t aqun (t he pious).)

Al-Birr (Piety, Righteousness)

This Ayah cont ains many great wisdoms, encompassing rulings and correct beliefs. As for t he explanat ion of t his Ayah, Allah first commanded t he believers t o face Bayt Al-Maqdis, and t hen t o face t he Ka` bah during t he prayer. This change was difficult for some of t he People of t he Book, and even for some Muslims. Then Allah sent revelat ion which clarified t he wisdom behind t his command, t hat is, obedience t o Allah, adhering t o His commands, facing wherever He commands facing, and implement ing what ever He legislat es, t hat is t he obj ect ive. This is Birr, Taqwa and complet e fait h. Facing t he east or t he west does not necessit at e right eousness or obedience, unless it is legislat ed by Allah. This is why Allah said:

(It is not Birr t hat you t urn your faces t owards east and (or) west (in prayers); but Birr is t he one who believes in Allah and t he Last Day,) Similarly, Allah said about t he sacrifices:

(It is neit her t heir meat nor t heir blood t hat reaches Allah, but it is t he piet y from you t hat reaches Him.) (22:37) Abu Al-` Aliyah said, "The Jews used t o face t he west for t heir Qiblah, while t he Christ ians used t o face t he east for t heir Qiblah. So Allah said:

(It is not Birr t hat you t urn your faces t owards east and (or) west (in prayers)) (2: 177) meaning, "t his is fait h, and it s essence requires implement at ion.'' Similar was report ed from AlHasan and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas. At h-Thawri recit ed:


(but Birr is t he one who believes in Allah,) and said t hat what follows are t he t ypes of Birr. He has said t he t rut h. Cert ainly, t hose who acquire t he qualit ies ment ioned in t he Ayah will have indeed embraced all aspect s of Islam and implement ed all t ypes of right eousness; believing in Allah, t hat He is t he only God wort hy of worship, and believing in t he angels t he emissaries bet ween Allah and His Messengers. The ` Books' are t he Divinely revealed Books from Allah t o t he Prophet s, which were finalized by t he most honorable Book (t he Qur'an). The Qur'an supercedes all previous Books, it ment ions all t ypes of right eousness, and t he way t o happiness in t his life and t he Hereaft er. The Qur'an abrogat es all previous Books and t est fies t o all of Allah's Prophet s, from t he first Prophet t o t he Final Prophet , Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon t hem all. Allah's st at ement :

(...and gives his wealt h, in spit e of love for it ,) refers t o t hose who give money away while desiring it and loving it . It is recorded in t he Sahihayn t hat Abu Hurayrah narrat ed t hat t he Prophet said:

(The best charit y is when you give it away while st ill healt hy and t hrift y, hoping t o get rich and fearing povert y.) Allah said:

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(And t hey give food, inspit e of t heir love for it , t o t he Miskin (t he poor), t he orphan, and t he capt ive (saying): "We feed you seeking Allah's Face only. We wish for no reward, nor t hanks from you.'') (76:8, 9) and:


(By no means shall you at t ain Birr unless you spend of t hat which you love.) (3:92) Allah's st at ement :

(...and give t hem preference over t hemselves even t hough t hey were in need of t hat ) (59:9) refers t o a higher cat egory and st at us, as t he people ment ioned here give away what t hey need, while t hose ment ioned in t he previous Ayat give away what t hey covet (but not necessarily need). Allah's st at ement :

(t he kinsfolk) refers t o man's relat ives, who have more right s t han anyone else t o one's charit y, as t he Hadit h support s:

:
(Sadaqah (i. e., charit y) given t o t he poor is a charit y, while t he Sadaqah given t o t he relat ives is bot h Sadaqah and Silah (nurt uring relat ions), for t hey are t he most deserving of you and your kindness and charit y). Allah has commanded kindness t o t he relat ives in many places in t he Qur'an.

(t o t he orphans) The orphans are children who have none t o look aft er t hem, having lost t heir fat hers while t hey are st ill young, weak and unable t o find t heir own sust enance since t hey have not reached t he age of work and adolescence. ` Abdur-Razzaq report ed t hat ` Ali said t hat t he Prophet said:

(and t o Al-Masakin) The Miskin is t he person who does not have enough food, clot hing, or he has no dwelling. So t he Miskin should be grant ed t he provisions t o sust ain him enough so t hat he can acquire his needs. In t he Sahihayn it is recorded t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(The Miskin is not t he person who roams around, and whose need is met by one or t wo dat es or one or t wo bit es. Rat her, t he Miskin is he who does not have what is sufficient , and t o whom t he people do not pay at t ent ion and, t hus, do not give him from t he charit y.)

(and t o t he wayfarer) is t he needy t raveler who runs out of money and should, t hus, be grant ed what ever amount t hat helps him t o go back t o his land. Such is t he case wit h whoever int ends t o go on a permissible j ourney, he is given what he needs for his j ourney and back. The guest s are included in t his cat egory. ` Ali bin Abu Talhah report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Ibn As-Sabil (wayfarer) is t he guest who is host ed by Muslims.'' Furt hermore, Muj ahid, Sa` id bin Jubayr, Abu Ja` far Al-Baqir, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, Ad-Dahhak, Az-Zuhri, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Muqat il bin Hayyan said similarly.

(and t o t hose who ask) refers t o t hose who beg people and are t hus given a part of t he Zakah and general charit y.

(and t o set servant s free) These are t he servant s who seek t o free t hemselves, but cannot find enough money t o buy t heir freedom. We will ment ion several of t hese cat egories and t ypes under t he Tafsir of t he Ayah on Sadaqah in Surat Bara'ah chapt er 9 in t he Qur'an , In sha' Allah. Allah's st at ement :


(performs As-Salah (Iqamat -As-Salah)) means t hose who pray on t ime and give t he prayer it s due right ; t he bowing, prost rat ion, and t he necessary at t ent ion and humbleness required by Allah. Allah's st at ement :

(and gives t he Zakah) means t he required charit y (Zakah) due on one's money, as Sa` id bin Jubayr and Muqat il bin Hayyan have st at ed. Allah's st at ement :

(and who fulfill t heir covenant when t hey make it ,) is similar t o:

(Those who fulfill t he covenant of Allah and break not t he Mit haq (bond, t reat y, covenant ).) (13:20) The opposit e of t his charact erist ic is hypocrisy. As found in a Hadit h:

:
(The signs of a hypocrit e are t hree: if he speaks, he lies; if he promises, he breaks his promise; and if he is ent rust ed, he breaches t he t rust .) In anot her version:

(If he speaks, he lies; if he vows, he breaks his vow; and if he disput es, he is lewd.) Allah's st at ement :

(. ..and who are pat ient in ext reme povert y and ailment (disease) and at t he t ime of fight ing (during t he bat t les).) means, during t he t ime of meekness and ailment .

(...and at t he t ime of fight ing (during t he bat t les).) means on t he bat t lefield while facing t he enemy, as Ibn Mas` ud, Ibn ` Abbas, Abu Al-` Aliyah, Murrah Al-Hamdani, Muj ahid, Sa` id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, As-Suddi, Muqat il bin Hayyan, Abu Malik, AdDahhak and ot hers have st at ed. And calling t hem t he pat ient here, is a form of praise, because of t he import ance of pat ience in t hese circumst ances, and t he suffering and difficult ies t hat accompany t hem. And Allah knows best , it is He Whom help is sought from, and upon Him we rely. Allah's st at ement :

(Such are t he people of t he t rut h) means, whoever acquires t hese qualit ies, t hese are t rut hful in t heir fait h. This is because t hey have achieved fait h in t he heart and realized it in deed and upon t he t ongue. So t hey are t he t rut hful,

(and t hey are Al-Mut t aqun (t he pious).) because t hey avoided t he prohibit ions and performed t he act s of obedience.

 -
(178. O you who believe! Al-Qisas (t he Law of equalit y) is prescribed for you in case of murder: t he free for t he free, t he slave for t he slave, and t he female for t he female. But if t he killer is forgiven by t he brot her (or t he relat ives) of t he killed (against blood money), t hen it should be sought in a good manner, and paid t o him respect fully. This is an alleviat ion and a mercy from your Lord. So aft er t his, whoever t ransgresses t he limit s (i.e. kills t he killer aft er t aking t he blood money), he shall have a painful t orment .) (179. And t here is (a saving of) life for you in Al-Qisas (t he Law of equalit y in punishment ), O men of underst anding, t hat you may acquire Taqwa.)

The Command and the Wisdom behind the Law of Equality

Allah st at es: O believers! The Law of equalit y has been ordained on you (for cases of murder), t he free for t he free, t he slave for t he slave and t he female for t he female. Therefore, do not t ransgress t he set limit s, as ot hers before you t ransgressed t hem, and t hus changed what Allah has ordained for t hem. The reason behind t his st at ement is t hat (t he Jewish t ribe of) Banu AnNadir invaded Qurayzah (anot her Jewish t ribe) during t he t ime of Jahiliyyah (before Islam) and defeat ed t hem. Hence, (t hey made it a law t hat ) when a person from Nadir kills a person from Quraizah, he is not killed in ret aliat ion, but only pays a hundred Wasq of dat es. However, when a person from Quraizah kills a Nadir man, he would be killed for him. If Nadir want ed (t o forfeit t he execut ion of t he murderer and inst ead require him) t o pay a ransom, t he Quraizah man pays t wo hundred Wasq of dat es double t he amount Nadir pays in Diyah (blood money) . So Allah commanded t hat j ust ice be observed regarding t he penal code, and t hat t he pat h of t he misguided and mischievous persons be avoided, who in disbelief and t ransgression, defy and alt er what Allah has commanded t hem. Allah said:

(Al-Qisas (t he Law of equalit y in punishment ) is prescribed for you in case of murder: t he free for t he free, t he slave for t he slave, and t he female for t he female.) Allah's st at ement :


(t he free for t he free, t he slave for t he slave, and t he female for t he female.) was abrogat ed by t he st at ement life for life (5:45). However, t he maj orit y of scholars agree t hat t he Muslim is not killed for a disbeliever whom he kills. Al- Bukhari report ed t hat ` Ali narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(The Muslim is not killed for t he disbeliever (whom he kills).) No opinion t hat opposes t his ruling could st and correct , nor is t here an aut hent ic Hadit h t o cont radict it . However, Abu Hanifah t hought t hat t he Muslim could be killed for a disbeliever, following t he general meaning of t he Ayah (5:45) in Surat Al-Ma'idah (chapt er 5 in t he Qur'an). The Four Imams (Abu Hanifah, Malik, Shafi` i and Ahmad) and t he maj orit y of scholars st at ed t hat t he group is killed for one person whom t hey murder. ` Umar said, about a boy who was killed by seven men, "If all t he resident s of San` a' (capit al of Yemen t oday) collaborat ed on killing him, I would kill t hem all.'' No opposing opinion was known by t he Companions during t hat t ime which const it ut es a near Ij ma` (consensus). There is an opinion at t ribut ed t o Imam Ahmad t hat a group of people is not killed for one person whom t hey kill, and t hat only one person is killed for one person. Ibn Al-Mundhir also at t ribut ed t his opinion t o Mu` adh, Ibn AzZubayr, ` Abdul-Malik bin Marwan, Az-Zuhri, Ibn Sirin and Habib bin Abu Thabit . Allah's st at ement :

(But if t he killer is forgiven by t he brot her (or t he relat ives) of t he killed (against blood money), t hen it should be sought in a good manner, and paid t o him respect fully.) refers t o accept ing blood money (by t he relat ives of t he vict im in ret urn for pardoning t he killer) in cases of int ent ional murder. This opinion is at t ribut ed t o Abu Al-` Aliyah, Abu Sha` t ha', Muj ahid, Sa` id bin Jubayr, ` At a' Al-Hasan, Qat adah and Muqat il bin Hayyan. Ad-Dahhak said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said:

(But if t he killer is forgiven by t he brot her (or t he relat ives) of t he killed (against blood money)) means t he killer is pardoned by his brot her (i.e., t he relat ive of t he vict im) and accept ing t he Diyah aft er capit al punishment becomes due (against t he killer), t his is t he ` Afw (pardon ment ioned in t he Ayah).'' Allah's st at ement :


(...t hen it should be sought in a good manner,) means, when t he relat ive agrees t o t ake t he blood money, he should collect his right ful dues wit h kindness:

( and paid t o him respect fully.) means, t he killer should accept t he t erms of set t lement wit hout causing furt her harm or resist ing t he payment . Allah's st at ement :

(This is an alleviat ion and a mercy from your Lord.) means t he legislat ion t hat allows you t o accept t he blood money for int ent ional murder is an alleviat ion and a mercy from your Lord. It light ens what was required from t hose who were before you, eit her applying capit al punishment or forgiving. Sa` id bin Mansur report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "The Children of Israel were required t o apply t he Law of equalit y in murder cases and were not allowed t o offer pardons (in ret urn for blood money). Allah said t o t his Ummah (t he Muslim nat ion):

(The Law of equalit y in punishment is prescribed for you in case of murder: t he free for t he free, t he servant for t he servant , and t he female for t he female. But if t he killer is forgiven by t he brot her (or t he relat ives) of t he killed (against blood money),) Hence, ` pardoning' or ` forgiving' means accept ing blood money in int ent ional murder cases.'' Ibn Hibban also recorded t his in his Sahih. Qat adah said:

(This is an alleviat ion from your Lord)

Allah had mercy on t his Ummah by giving t hem t he Diyah which was not allowed for any nat ion before it . The People of t he Torah (Jews) were allowed t o eit her apply t he penal code (for murder, i.e., execut ion) or t o pardon t he killer, but t hey were not allowed t o t ake blood money. The People of t he Inj il (t he Gospel - t he Christ ians) were required t o pardon (t he killer, but no Diyah was legislat ed). This Ummah (Muslims) is allowed t o apply t he penal code (execut ion) or t o pardon and accept t he blood money.'' Similar was report ed from Sa` id bin Jubayr, Muqat il bin Hayyan and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas. Allah's st at ement :

(So aft er t his whoever t ransgresses t he limit s, he shall have a painful t orment .) means, t hose who kill in ret aliat ion aft er t aking t he Diyah or accept ing it , t hey will suffer a painful and severe t orment from Allah. The same was report ed from Ibn ` Abbas, Muj ahid, ` At a' ` Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, As-Suddi and Muqat il bin Hayyan.

The Benefits and Wisdom of the Law of Equality

Allah's st at ement :

(And t here is life for you in Al-Qisas) legislat ing t he Law of equalit y, i.e., killing t he murderer, carries great benefit s for you. This way, t he sanct it y of life will be preserved because t he killer will refrain from killing, as he will be cert ain t hat if he kills, he would be killed. Hence life will be preserved. In previous Books, t here is a st at ement t hat killing st ops furt her killing! This meaning came in much clearer and eloquent t erms in t he Qur'an:

(And t here is (a saving of) life for you in Al-Qisas (t he Law of equalit y in punishment ).) Abu Al-` Aliyah said, "Allah made t he Law of equalit y a ` life'. Hence, how many a man who t hought about killing, but t his Law prevent ed him from killing for fear t hat he will be killed in t urn.'' Similar st at ement s were report ed from Muj ahid, Sa` id bin Jubayr, Abu Malik, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Muqat il bin Hayyan. Allah's st at ement :

(O men of underst anding, t hat you may acquire Taqwa.) means, ` O you who have sound minds, comprehension and underst anding! Perhaps by t his you will be compelled t o refrain from

t ransgressing t he prohibit ions of Allah and what He considers sinful. ' Taqwa (ment ioned in t he Ayah) is a word t hat means doing all act s of obedience and refraining from all prohibit ions.

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(180. It is prescribed for you, when deat h approaches any of you, if he leaves wealt h, t hat he makes a bequest t o parent s and next of kin, according t o reasonable manners. (This is) a dut y upon Al-Mut t aqin (t he pious).) (181. Then whoever changes it aft er hearing it , t he sin shall be on t hose who make t he change. Truly, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.) (182. But he who fears from a t est at or some unj ust act or wrongdoing, and t hereupon he makes peace bet ween t he part ies concerned, t here shall be no sin on him. Cert ainly, Allah is Oft -Forgiving, Most Merciful.)

Including Parents and Relatives in the Will was later abrogated

This Ayah cont ains t he command t o include parent s and relat ives in t he will, which was obligat ory, according t o t he most correct view, before t he Ayah about inherit ance was revealed. When t he Ayah of inherit ance was revealed, t his Ayah was abrogat ed, so fixed shares of t he inherit ance for deserving recipient s were legislat ed by Allah. Therefore, deserving inherit ors t ake t heir fixed inherit ance wit hout t he need t o be included in t he will or t o be reminded of t he favor of t he inherit ed person. For t his reason we see t he Hadit h narrat ed in t he Sunan and ot her books t hat ` Amr bin Kharij ah said: I heard Allah's Messenger saying in a speech:

(Allah has given each heir his fixed share. So t here is no will for a deserving heir.) Imam Ahmad recorded t hat Muhammad bin Sirin said: Ibn ` Abbas recit ed Surat Al-Baqarah (chapt er 2 in t he Qur'an) unt il he reached t he Ayah:

(...if he leaves wealt h, t hat he makes a bequest t o parent s and next of kin.) He t hen said, "This Ayah was abrogat ed.'' This was recorded by Sa` id bin Mansur and Al-Hakim in his Must adrak Al-Hakim Said, "It is Sahih according t o t heir crit eria (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)''. Ibn Abu Hat im report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat Allah's st at ement :

(a bequest t o parent s and next of kin) was abrogat ed by t he Ayah:

(There is a share for men and a share for women from what is left by parent s and t hose nearest relat ed, whet her t he propert y be small or large a legal share.) (4:7) Ibn Abu Hat im t hen said, "It was report ed from Ibn ` Umar, Abu Musa, Sa` id bin Musayyib, AlHasan, Muj ahid, ` At a' Sa` id bin Jubayr, Muhammad bin Sirin, ` Ikrimah, Zayd bin Aslam and ArRabi` bin Anas. Qat adah, As-Suddi, Muqat il bin Hayyan, Tawus, Ibrahim An-Nakha` i, Shurayh, Ad-Dahhak and Az-Zuhri said t hat t his Ayah (2:180 above) was abrogat ed by t he Ayah about t he inherit ors (4:7).''

The Will for the Relatives that do not qualify as Inheritors

It is recommended t hat t he remaining relat ives who do not have a designat ed fixed share of t he inherit ance, be willed up t o a t hird, due t o t he general meaning of t he Ayah about t he will. It is recorded in t he Sahihayn t hat Ibn ` Umar said t hat Allah's Messenger said:


(It is not permissible for any Muslim who has somet hing t o will t o st ay for t wo night s wit hout having his last will and t est ament writ t en and kept ready wit h him.) Ibn ` Umar comment ed, "Ever since I heard t his st at ement from Allah's Messenger , no night has passed, but my will is kept ready wit h me.'' There are many ot her Ayat and Ahadit h ordering kindness and generosit y t o one's relat ives.

The Will should observe Justice

The will should be fair, in t hat one designat es a part of t he inherit ance t o his relat ives wit hout commit t ing inj ust ice against his qualified inherit ors and wit hout ext ravagance or st inginess. It is recorded in t he Sahihayn t hat Sa` d bin Abu Waqqas said, "O Allah's Messenger! I have some money and only a daught er inherit s from me, should I will all my remaining propert y (t o ot hers)'' He said, "No.'' Sa` d said, "Then may I will half of it '' He said, "No.'' Sa` d said, "Onet hird'' He said, "Yes, one-t hird, yet even one-t hird is t oo much. It is bet t er for you t o leave your inherit ors wealt hy t han t o leave t hem poor, begging from ot hers.'' Al-Bukhari ment ioned in his Sahih t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "I recommend t hat people reduce t he proport ion of what t hey bequeat h by will t o a fourt h (of t he whole legacy) rat her t han a t hird, for Allah's Messenger said:

(One-t hird, yet even one-t hird is t oo much.)'' Allah's st at ement :

(Then whoever changes it aft er hearing it , t he sin shall be on t hose who make t he change. Truly, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.) means, whoever changed t he will and t est ament or alt ered it by addit ion or delet ion, including hiding t he will as is obvious, t hen

(t he sin shall be on t hose who make t he change. )

Ibn ` Abbas and ot hers said, "The dead person's reward will be preserved for him by Allah, while t he sin is acquired by t hose who change t he will.''

(Truly, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.) means, Allah knows what t he dead person has bequeat hed and what t he beneficiaries (or ot hers) have changed in t he will. Allah's st at ement :

(But he who fears from a t est at or some unj ust act or wrongdoing,) Ibn ` Abbas, Abu Al-` Aliyah, Muj ahid, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and As-Suddi said, "Error.'' These errors include such cases as when t he inherit or indirect ly acquires more t han his fair share, such as by being allocat ed t hat a cert ain it em ment ioned in t he legacy be sold t o him. Or, t he t est at or might include his daught er's son in t he legacy t o increase his daught er's share in t he inherit ance, and so fort h. Such errors might occur out of t he kindness of t he heart wit hout t hinking about t he consequences of t hese act ions, or by sinful int ent ion. In such cases, t he execut ive of t he will and t est ament is allowed t o correct t he errors and t o replace t he unj ust it ems in t he will wit h a bet t er solut ion, so t hat bot h t he Islamic law and what t he dead person had wished for are respect ed and observed. This act would not const it ut e an alt erat ion in t he will and t his is why Allah ment ioned it specifically, so t hat it is excluded from t he prohibit ion (t hat prohibit s alt ering t he will and t est ament ) ment ioned in t he previous Ayah. And Allah knows best .

The Virtue of Fairness in the Will

` Abdur-Razzaq report ed t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(A man might perform t he works of right eous people for sevent y years, but when he dict at es his will, he commit s inj ust ice and t hus his works end wit h t he worst of his deeds and he ent ers t he Fire. A man might perform t he works of evil people for sevent y years, but t hen dict at es a j ust will and t hus ends wit h t he best of his deeds and t hen ent ers Paradise.) Abu Hurayrah t hen said, "Read if you wish:

(These are t he limit s ordained by Allah, so do not t ransgress t hem.)'' (2:229)

(183. O you who believe! Fast ing is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for t hose before you, t hat you may acquire Taqwa.) (184. Fast for a fixed number of days, but if any of you is ill or on a j ourney, t he same number (should be made up) from ot her days. And as for t hose who can fast wit h difficult y, (e.g., an old man), t hey have (a choice eit her t o fast or) t o feed a Miskin (poor person) (for every day). But whoever does good of his own accord, it is bet t er for him. And t hat you fast is bet t er for you if only you know.)

The Order to Fast

In an address t o t he believers of t his Ummah, Allah ordered t hem t o fast , t hat is, t o abst ain from food, drink and sexual act ivit y wit h t he int ent ion of doing so sincerely for Allah t he Exalt ed alone. This is because fast ing purifies t he souls and cleanses t hem from t he evil t hat might mix wit h t hem and t heir ill behavior. Allah ment ioned t hat He has ordained fast ing for Muslims j ust as He ordained it for t hose before t hem, t hey being an example for t hem in t hat , so t hey should vigorously perform t his obligat ion more obedient ly t han t he previous nat ions. Similarly, Allah said:


(To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way. If Allah had willed, He would have made you one nat ion, but t hat (He) may t est you in what He has given you; so compet e in good deeds.) (5:48) Allah said in t his Ayah:

(O you who believe! Fast ing is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for t hose before you, t hat you may have Taqwa).) since t he fast cleanses t he body and narrows t he pat hs of Shayt an. In t he Sahihayn t he following Hadit h was recorded:

.(O young people! Whoever amongst you can afford marriage, let him marry. Whoever cannot afford it , let him fast , for it will be a shield for him.) Allah t hen st at es t hat t he fast occurs during a fixed number of days, so t hat it does not become hard on t he heart s, t hereby weakening t heir resolve and endurance.)

The various Stages of Fasting

Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded t hat ` A'ishah said, "(The day of) ` Ashura' was a day of fast ing. When t he obligat ion t o fast Ramadan was revealed, t hose who wished fast ed, and t hose who wished did not .'' Al-Bukhari recorded t he same from Ibn ` Umar and Ibn Mas` ud. Allah said:


(...t hose who can fast wit h difficult y, (e.g., an old man), t hey have (a choice eit her t o fast or) t o feed a Miskin (poor person) (for every day).) Mu` adh comment ed, "In t he beginning, t hose who wished, fast ed and t hose who wished, did not fast and fed a poor person for each day.'' Al- Bukhari recorded Salamah bin Al-Akwa` saying t hat when t he Ayah:

(...t hose who can fast wit h difficult y, (e.g., an old man), t hey have (a choice eit her t o fast or) t o feed a Miskin (poor person) (for every day).) was revealed, t hose who did not wish t o fast , used t o pay t he Fidyah (feeding a poor person for each day t hey did not fast ) unt il t he following Ayah (2:185) was revealed abrogat ing t he previous Ayah. It was also report ed from ` Ubaydullah from Nafi` t hat Ibn ` Umar said; "It was abrogat ed.'' As-Suddi report ed t hat Murrah narrat ed t hat ` Abdullah said about t his Ayah:

(t hose who can fast wit h difficult y, (e.g., an old man), t hey have (a choice eit her t o fast or) t o feed a Miskin (poor person) (for every day).) "It means ` t hose who find it difficult (t o fast ).' Formerly, t hose who wished, fast ed and t hose who wished, did not but fed a poor person inst ead.'' Allah t hen said:

(But whoever does good of his own accord) meaning whoever fed an ext ra poor person,

(it is bet t er for him. And t hat you fast is bet t er for you) Lat er t he Ayah:

(So whoever of you sight s (t he crescent on t he first night of) t he mont h (of Ramadan, i.e., is present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fast ing) t hat mont h) (2:185) was revealed and t his abrogat ed t he previous Ayah (2:184).

The Fidyah (Expiation) for breaking the Fast is for the Old and the Ailing
Al-Bukhari report ed t hat ` At a heard Ibn ` Abbas recit e:

(And as for t hose who can fast wit h difficult y, (e.g., an old man), t hey have (a choice eit her t o fast or) t o feed a Miskin (poor person) (for every day).) Ibn ` Abbas t hen comment ed, "(This Ayah) was not abrogat ed, it is for t he old man and t he old woman who are able t o fast wit h difficult y, but choose inst ead t o feed a poor person for every day (t hey do not fast ).'' Ot hers report ed t hat Sa` id bin Jubayr ment ioned t his from Ibn ` Abbas. So t he abrogat ion here applies t o t he healt hy person, who is not t raveling and who has t o fast , as Allah said:

(So whoever of you sight s (t he crescent on t he first night of) t he mont h (of Ramadan, i.e., is present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fast ing) t hat mont h.) (2:185) As for t he old man (and woman) who cannot fast , he is allowed t o abst ain from fast ing and does not have t o fast anot her day inst ead, because he is not likely t o improve and be able t o fast ot her days. So he is required t o pay a Fidyah for every day missed. This is t he opinion of Ibn ` Abbas and several ot hers among t he Salaf who read t he Ayah:

(And as for t hose who can fast wit h difficult y, (e.g., an old man)) t o mean t hose who find it difficult t o fast as Ibn Mas` ud st at ed. This is also t he opinion of Al-Bukhari who said, "As for t he old man (person) who cannot fast , (he should do like) Anas who, for one or t wo years aft er he became old fed some bread and meat t o a poor person for each day he did not fast .'' This point , which Al-Bukhari at t ribut ed t o Anas wit hout a chain of narrat ors, was collect ed wit h a cont inuous chain of narrat ors by Abu Ya` la Mawsuli in his Musnad, t hat Ayyub bin Abu Tamimah said; "Anas could no longer fast . So he made a plat e of Tharid (brot h, bread and meat ) and invit ed t hirt y poor persons and fed t hem.'' The same ruling applies for t he pregnant and breast -feeding women if t hey fear for t hemselves or t heir children or fet uses. In t his case, t hey pay t he Fidyah and do not have t o fast ot her days in place of t he days t hat t hey missed.


(185. The mont h of Ramadan in which was revealed t he Qur'an, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for t he guidance and t he crit erion (bet ween right and wrong). So whoever of you sight s (t he crescent on t he first night of) t he mont h (of Ramadan, i.e., is present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fast ing) t hat mont h, and whoever is ill or on a j ourney, t he same number of days which one did not observe Sawm (fast ing) must be made up from ot her days. Allah int ends for you ease, and He does not want t o make t hings difficult for you. (He want s t hat you) must complet e t he same number (of days), and t hat you must magnify Allah i.e., t o say Takbir (Allahu Akbar: Allah is t he Most Great ) for having guided you so t hat you may be grat eful t o Him.)

The Virtue of Ramadan and the Revelation of the Qur'an in it.

Allah praised t he mont h of Ramadan out of t he ot her mont hs by choosing it t o send down t he Glorious Qur'an, j ust as He did for all of t he Divine Books He revealed t o t he Prophet s. Imam Ahmad report ed Wat hilah bin Al-Asqa` t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(The Suhuf (Pages) of Ibrahim were revealed during t he first night of Ramadan. The Torah was revealed during t he sixt h night of Ramadan. The Inj il was revealed during t he t hirt eent h night of Ramadan. Allah revealed t he Qur'an on t he t went y-fourt h night of Ramadan.)

The Virtues of the Qur'an

Allah said:

(...a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for t he guidance and t he crit erion (bet ween right and wrong).) Here Allah praised t he Qur'an, which He revealed as guidance for t he heart s of t hose who believe in it and adhere t o it s commands. Allah said:

(and clear proofs) meaning, as clear and unambiguous signs and unequivocal proof for t hose who underst and t hem. These proofs t est ify t o t he t rut h of t he Qur'an, it s guidance, t he opposit e of misguidance, and how it guides t o t he st raight pat h, t he opposit e of t he wrong pat h, and t he dist inct ion bet ween t he t rut h and falsehood, and t he permissible and t he prohibit ed.

The Obligation of Fasting Ramadan

Allah said:

(So whoever of you sight s (t he crescent on t he first night of) t he mont h (of Ramadan, i.e., is present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fast ing) t hat mont h.) This Ayah requires t he healt hy persons who wit ness t he beginning of t he mont h, while residing in t heir land, t o fast t he mont h. This Ayah abrogat ed t he Ayah t hat allows a choice of fast ing or paying t he Fidyah. When Allah ordered fast ing, He again ment ioned t he permission for t he ill person and t he t raveler t o break t he fast and t o fast ot her days inst ead as compensat ion. Allah said:

(...and whoever is ill or on a j ourney, t he same number of days which one did not observe Sawm (fast ing) must be made up from ot her days.)

This Ayah indicat es t hat ill persons who are unable t o fast or fear harm by fast ing, and t he t raveler, are all allowed t o break t he fast . When one does not fast in t his case, he is obliged t o fast ot her days inst ead. Allah said:

(Allah int ends for you ease, and He does not want t o make t hings difficult for you.) This Ayah indicat es t hat Allah allowed such persons, out of His mercy and t o make mat t ers easy for t hem, t o break t he fast when t hey are ill or t raveling, while t he fast is st ill obligat ory on t he healt hy persons who are not t raveling.

Several Rulings concerning the Fast

The aut hent ic Sunnah st at es t hat Allah's Messenger t raveled during t he mont h of Ramadan for t he bat t le for Makkah. The Prophet marched unt il he reached t he area of Kadid and t hen broke his fast and ordered t hose who were wit h him t o do likewise. This was recorded in t he Two Sahihs. Breaking t he fast ment ioned in t his Hadit h was not required, for t he Companions used t o go out wit h Allah's Messenger during t he mont h of Ramadan, t hen, some of t hem would fast while some of t hem would not fast and neit her cat egory would crit icize t he ot hers. If t he command ment ioned in t he Hadit h required breaking t he fast , t he Prophet would have crit icized t hose who fast ed. Allah's Messenger himself somet imes fast ed while t raveling. For inst ance, it is report ed in t he Two Sahihs t hat Abu Ad-Darda' said, "We once went wit h Allah's Messenger during Ramadan while t he heat was int ense. One of us would place his hand on his head because of t he int ense heat . Only Allah's Messenger and ` Abdullah bin Rawahah were fast ing at t hat t ime.'' We should st at e t hat observing t he permission t o break t he fast while t raveling is bet t er, as Allah's Messenger said about fast ing while t raveling:

(Those who did not fast have done good, and t here is no harm for t hose who fast ed.) In anot her Hadit h, t he Prophet said:

(Hold t o Allah's permission t hat He has grant ed you.) Some scholars say t hat t he t wo act ions are t he same, as ` A'ishah narrat ed t hat Hamzah bin ` Amr Al-Aslami said, "O Messenger of Allah! I fast a lot , should I fast while t raveling'' The Prophet said:


(Fast if you wish or do not fast if you wish.) This Hadit h is in t he Two Sahihs. It was report ed t hat if t he fast becomes difficult (while t raveling), t hen breaking t he fast is bet t er. Jabir said t hat Allah's Messenger saw a man who was being shaded (by ot her people while t raveling). The Prophet asked about him and he was t old t hat man was fast ing. The Prophet said:

(It is not a part of Birr (piet y) t o fast while t raveling.) This was recorded by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. As for t hose who ignore t he Sunnah and believe in t heir heart s t hat breaking t he fast while t raveling is disliked, t hey are required t o break t he fast and are not allowed t o fast . As for making up for missed fast ing days, it is not required t o be consecut ive. One may do so consecut ively or not consecut ively. There are ample proofs t o t his fact . We should ment ion t hat fast ing consecut ive days is only required exclusively during Ramadan. Aft er t he mont h of Ramadan, what is required t hen is t o merely make up for missed days. This is why Allah said:

(. ..t he same number (should be made up) from ot her days.)

Ease and not Hardship

Allah t hen said:

(Allah int ends for you ease, and He does not want t o make t hings difficult for you.) Imam Ahmad recorded Anas bin Malik saying t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(Treat t he people wit h ease and don't be hard on t hem; give t hem glad t idings and don't fill t hem wit h aversion.)

This Hadit h was also collect ed in t he Two Sahihs. It is report ed in t he Sahihayn t hat Allah's Messenger said t o Mu` adh and Abu Musa when he sent t hem t o Yemen:

(Treat t he people wit h ease and don't be hard on t hem; give t hem glad t idings and don't fill t hem wit h aversion; and love each ot her, and don't differ.) The Sunan and t he Musnad compilers recorded t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(I was sent wit h t he easy Hanifiyyah (Islamic Monot heism).) Allah's st at ement :

(Allah int ends for you ease, and He does not want t o make t hings difficult for you. (He want s t hat you) must complet e t he same number (of days)) means: You were allowed t o break t he fast while ill, while t raveling, and so fort h, because Allah want ed t o make mat t ers easy for you. He only commanded you t o make up for missed days so t hat you complet e t he days of one mont h.

Remembering Allah upon performing the Acts of Worship

Allah's st at ement :

(...and t hat you must magnify Allah i.e., t o say Takbir (Allahu Akbar: Allah is t he Most Great ) for having guided you) means: So t hat you remember Allah upon finishing t he act of worship. This is similar t o Allah's st at ement :


(So when you have accomplished your Manasik, (rit uals) remember Allah as you remember your forefat hers or wit h far more remembrance.) (2:200) and:

(...Then when t he (Jumu` ah) Salah (prayer) is ended, you may disperse t hrough t he land, and seek t he bount y of Allah (by working), and remember Allah much, t hat you may be successful.) (62:10) and:

-
(...and glorify t he praises of your Lord, before t he rising of t he sun and before (it s) set t ing. And during a part of t he night , glorify His praises, and aft er t he prayers.) (50:39, 40) This is why t he Sunnah encouraged Tasbih (saying Subhan Allah, i.e., all praise is due t o Allah), Tahmid (saying Al-Hamdu Lillah, i.e., all t he t hanks are due t o Allah) and Takbir (saying Allahu Akbar, i.e., Allah is t he Most Great ) aft er t he compulsory prayers. Ibn ` Abbas said, "We used t o know t hat Allah's Messenger has finished t he prayer by t he Takbir.'' Similarly, several scholars have st at ed t hat recit ing Takbir t he during ` Id-ul-Fit r was specified by t he Ayah t hat st at es:

((He want s t hat you) must complet e t he same number (of days), and t hat you must magnify Allah i.e., t o say Takbir (Allahu Akbar: Allah is t he Most Great ) for having guided you...) Allah's st at ement :

(...so t hat you may be grat eful t o Him.) means: If you adhere t o what Allah commanded you, obeying Him by performing t he obligat ions, abandoning t he prohibit ions and abiding by t he set limit s, t hen perhaps you will be among t he grat eful.

(186. And when My servant s ask you (O Muhammad concerning Me, t hen answer t hem), I am indeed near (t o t hem by My knowledge). I respond t o t he invocat ions of t he supplicant when he calls on Me (wit hout any mediat or or int ercessor). So let t hem obey Me and believe in Me, so t hat t hey may be led aright .)

Allah hears the Servant's Supplication

Imam Ahmad report ed t hat Abu Musa Al-Ash` ari said, "We were in t he company of Allah's Messenger during a bat t le. Whenever we climbed a high place, went up a hill or went down a valley, we used t o say, ` Allah is t he Most Great ,' raising our voices. The Prophet came by us and said:

(O people! Be merciful t o yourselves (i.e., don't raise your voices), for you are not calling a deaf or an absent one, but One Who is All-Hearer, All-Seer. The One Whom you call is closer t o one of you t han t he neck of his animal. O ` Abdullah bin Qais (Abu Musa's name) should I t each you a st at ement t hat is a t reasure of Paradise: ` La hawla wa la quwwat a illa billah (t here is no power or st rengt h except from Allah).') This Hadit h was also recorded in t he Two Sahihs, and Abu Dawud, An-Nasa'i, At -Tirmidhi and Ibn Maj ah recorded similar wordings. Furt hermore, Imam Ahmad recorded t hat Anas said t hat t he Prophet said:


("Allah t he Exalt ed said, ` I am as My servant t hinks of Me, and I am wit h him whenever he invokes Me.') Allah accept s t he Invocat ion Imam Ahmad also recorded Abu Sa` id saying t hat t he Prophet said:

:
: :

(No Muslim supplicat es t o Allah wit h a Du` a t hat does not involve sin or cut t ing t he relat ions of t he womb, but Allah will grant him one of t he t hree t hings. He will eit her hast en t he response t o his supplicat ion, save it for him unt il t he Hereaft er, or would t urn an equivalent amount of evil away from him.'') They said, "What if we were t o recit e more (Du` a).'' He said, (There is more wit h Allah.) ` Abdullah t he son of Imam Ahmad recorded ` Ubadah bin As-Samit saying t hat t he Prophet said:

(There is no Muslim man on t he face of t he eart h who supplicat es t o Allah but Allah would eit her grant it t o him, or avert a harm from him of equal proport ions, as long as his supplicat ion does not involve sin or cut t ing t he relat ions of t he womb.) At -Tirmidhi recorded t his Hadit h. Imam Malik recorded t hat Abu Hurayrah narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

:
(One's supplicat ion will be accept ed as long as he does become get hast y and say, JAWAD TO DO CHECK ORIG FOR TEXT

Allah accepts the Invocation

Imam Ahmad also recorded Abu Sa` id saying t hat t he Prophet said:

:
: :

(No Muslim supplicat es t o Allah wit h a Du` a t hat does not involve sin or cut t ing t he relat ions of t he womb, but Allah will grant him one of t he t hree t hings. He will eit her hast en t he response t o his supplicat ion, save it for him unt il t he Hereaft er, or would t urn an equivalent amount of evil away from him.'') They said, "What if we were t o recit e more (Du` a).'' He said, (There is more wit h Allah.) ` Abdullah t he son of Imam Ahmad recorded ` Ubadah bin As-Samit saying t hat t he Prophet said:


(There is no Muslim man on t he face of t he eart h who supplicat es t o Allah but Allah would eit her grant it t o him, or avert a harm from him of equal proport ions, as long as his supplicat ion does not involve sin or cut t ing t he relat ions of t he womb.) At -Tirmidhi recorded t his Hadit h. Imam Malik recorded t hat Abu Hurayrah narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

:
(One's supplicat ion will be accept ed as long as he does become get hast y and say, ` I have supplicat ed but it has not been accept ed from me.'') This Hadit h is recorded in t he Two Sahihs from Malik, and t his is t he wording of Al-Bukhari. Muslim recorded t hat t he Prophet said:

: : :
(The supplicat ion of t he servant will be accept ed as long as he does not supplicat e for what includes sin, or cut t ing t he relat ions of t he womb, and as long as he does not become hast y.)

He was asked, "O Messenger of Allah! How does one become hast y'' He said, (He says, ` I supplicat ed and supplicat ed, but I do not see t hat my supplicat ion is being accept ed from me.' He t hus looses int erest and abandons supplicat ing (t o Allah).)

Three Persons Whose Supplication will not be rejected

In t he Musnad of Imam Ahmad and t he Sunans of At -Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Maj ah it is recorded t hat Abu Hurayrah narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

: :
(Three persons will not have t heir supplicat ion rej ect ed: t he j ust ruler, t he fast ing person unt il breaking t he fast , and t he supplicat ion of t he oppressed person, for Allah raises it above t he clouds on t he Day of Resurrect ion, and t he doors of heaven will be opened for it , and Allah says, ` By My grace! I will cert ainly grant it for you, even if aft er a while.')


(187. It is made lawful for you t o have sexual relat ions wit h your wives on t he night of As-Siyam (fast ing). They are Libas i.e., body-cover, or screen for you and you are Libas for t hem. Allah knows t hat you used t o deceive yourselves, so He t urned t o you (accept ed your repent ance) and forgave you. So now have sexual relat ions wit h t hem and seek t hat which Allah has ordained for you (offspring), and eat and drink unt il t he whit e t hread (light ) of dawn appears t o you dist inct from t he black t hread (darkness of night ), t hen complet e your fast t ill t he night fall. And do not have sexual relat ions wit h t hem (your wives) while you are in I` t ikaf in t he Masj ids. These are t he limit s (set ) by Allah, so approach t hem not . Thus does Allah make clear His Ayat t o mankind t hat t hey may acquire Taqwa.)

Eating, Drinking and Sexual Intercourse are allowed during the Nights of Ramadan
These Ayat cont ain a relief from Allah for t he Muslims by ending t he pract ice t hat was observed in t he early years of Islam. At t hat t ime, Muslims were allowed t o eat , drink and have sexual int ercourse only unt il t he ` Isha' (Night ) prayer, unless one sleeps before t he ` Isha' prayer. Those who slept before ` Isha' or offered t he ` Isha' prayer, were not allowed t o drink, eat or sexual int ervourse sex unt il t he next night . The Muslims found t hat t o be difficult for t hem. The Ayat used t he word ` Rafat h' t o indicat e sexual int ercourse, according t o Ibn ` Abbas, ` At a' and Muj ahid. Similar Tafsir was offered by Sa` id bin Jubayr, Tawus, Salim bin ` Abdullah, ` Amr bin Dinar, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, Az-Zuhri, Ad-Dahhak, Ibrahim An-Nakha` i, As-Suddi, ` At a' AlKhurasani and Muqat il bin Hayyan. Allah said:

(They are Libas i.e., body-cover, or screen for you and you are Libas for t hem.) Ibn ` Abbas, Muj ahid, Sa` id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, As-Suddi and Muqat il bin Hayyan said t hat t his Ayah means, "Your wives are a resort for you and you for t hem.'' Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said, "They are your cover and you are t heir cover.'' In short , t he wife and t he husband are int imat e and have sexual int ercourse wit h each ot her, and t his is why t hey were permit t ed t o have sexual act ivit y during t he night s of Ramadan, so t hat mat t ers are made easier for t hem. Abu Ishaq report ed t hat Al-Bara' bin ` Azib said, "When t he Companions of Allah's Messenger observed fast but would sleep before breaking t heir fast , t hey would cont inue fast ing unt il t he following night . Qays bin Sirmah Al-Ansari was fast ing one day and was working in his land. When t he t ime t o break t he fast came, he went t o his wife and said, ` Do you have food' She said, ` No. But I could t ry t o get you some.' His eyes t hen were overcome by sleep and when his wife came back, she found him asleep. She said, ` Woe unt o you! Did you sleep' In t he middle of t he next day, he lost consciousness and ment ioned what had happened t o t he Prophet . Then, t his Ayah was revealed: r


(It is made lawful for you t o have sexual relat ions wit h your wives on t he night of As-Siyam (fast ing)) unt il...

(and eat and drink unt il t he whit e t hread (light ) of dawn appears t o you dist inct from t he black t hread (darkness of night ), t hen complet e your fast t ill t he night fall. ) Consequent ly, t hey were very delight ed.'' Al-Bukhari report ed t his Hadit h by Abu Ishaq who relat ed t hat he heard AlBara' say, "When fast ing Ramadan was ordained, Muslims used t o refrain from sleeping wit h t heir wives t he ent ire mont h, but some men used t o deceive t hemselves. Allah revealed:

(Allah knows t hat you used t o deceive yourselves, so He t urned t o you (accept ed your repent ance) and forgave you.) ` Ali bin Abu Talhah narrat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "During t he mont h of Ramadan, aft er Muslims would pray ` Isha', t hey would not t ouch t heir women and food unt il t he next night . Then some Muslims, including ` Umar bin Al-Khat t ab, t ouched (had sex wit h) t heir wives and had some food during Ramadan aft er ` Isha'. They complained t o Allah's Messenger . Then Allah sent down:

(Allah knows t hat you used t o deceive yourselves, so He t urned t o you (accept ed your repent ance) and forgave you. So now have sexual relat ions wit h t hem)'' This is t he same narrat ion t hat Al-` Awfi relat ed from Ibn ` Abbas. Allah said:

(. ..and seek t hat which Allah has ordained for you (offspring),) Abu Hurayrah, Ibn ` Abbas, Anas, Shurayh Al-Qadi, Muj ahid, ` Ikrimah, Sa` id bin Jubayr, ` At a', Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, As-Suddi, Zayd bin Aslam, Hakam bin ` Ut bah, Muqat il bin Hayyan, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Ad-Dahhak, Qat adah, and ot hers said t hat t his Ayah refers t o having offspring. Qat adah said t hat t he Ayah means, "Seek t he permission t hat Allah has allowed for you.'' Sa` id narrat ed t hat Qat adah said,

(and seek t hat which Allah has ordained for you,)

Time for Suhur

Allah said:

(...and eat and drink unt il t he whit e t hread (light ) of dawn appears t o you dist inct from t he black t hread (darkness of night ), t hen complet e your fast t ill t he night fall.) Allah has allowed eat ing and drinking, along wit h having sexual int ercourse, as we have st at ed, during any part of t he night unt il t he light of dawn is dist inguished from t he darkness of t he night . Allah has described t hat t ime as ` dist inguishing t he whit e t hread from t he black t hread.' He t hen made it clearer when He said:

(of dawn.) As st at ed in a Hadit h t hat Imam Abu ` Abdullah Al-Bukhari recorded, Sahl bin Sa` d said, "When t he following verse was revealed:

(Eat and drink unt il t he whit e t hread appears t o you, dist inct from t he black t hread) and (of dawn) was not revealed, some people who int ended t o fast , t ied black and whit e t hreads t o t heir legs and went on eat ing t ill t hey different iat ed bet ween t he t wo. Allah t hen revealed t he words, (of dawn), and it became clear t o t hem t hat it meant (t he darkness of) night and (t he light of) day. '' Al-Bukhari recorded t hat Ash-Sha` bi said t hat ` Adi said, "I t ook t wo st rings, one black and t he ot her whit e and kept t hem under my pillow and went on looking at t hem t hroughout t he night , but could not make any dist inct ion bet ween t he t wo. So, t he next morning I went t o Allah's Messenger and t old him t he whole st ory. He said:

(Your pillow is very wide if t he whit e and black t hreads are under it !) Some wordings for t his Hadit h read,

(Your Qafa (back side of your neck) is wide!) Some people said t hat t hese words meant t hat ` Adi was not smart . This is a weak opinion. The narrat ion t hat Al-Bukhari collect ed explains t his part of t he Hadit h. Al-Bukhari recorded t hat ` Adi bin Hat im narrat ed: I said, "O Messenger of Allah! What is t he whit e t hread from t he black t hread Are t hey act ual t hreads'' He said:

:
(Your Qafa is wide if you see t he t wo t hreads. Rat her, t hey are t he blackness of t he night and t he whit eness of t he daylight .)

Suhur is recommended
Allah allowed eat ing and drinking unt il dawn, it represent s proof t hat Suhur is encouraged, since it is a Rukhsah (concession or allowance) and Allah likes t hat t he Rukhsah is accept ed and implement ed. The aut hent ic Sunnah indicat es t hat eat ing t he Suhur is encouraged. It is report ed in t he Two Sahihs t hat Anas narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(Eat t he Suhur, for t here is a blessing in Suhur.) Muslim report ed t hat ` Amr bin Al-` As narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(The dist inct ion bet ween our fast and t he fast of t he People of t he Book is t he meal of Suhur.) Imam Ahmad report ed t hat Abu Sa` id narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(Suhur is a blessed meal. Hence, do not abandon it , even if one j ust t akes a sip of wat er. Indeed, Allah and His angels send Salah (blessings) upon t hose who eat Suhur.) There are several ot her Hadit hs t hat encourage t aking t he Suhur, even if it only consist s of a sip of wat er. It is preferred t hat Suhur be delayed unt il t he t ime of dawn. It is recorded in t he Two Sahihs t hat Anas bin Malik narrat ed t hat Zayd bin Thabit said, "We had Suhur wit h Allah's Messenger and t hen went on t o pray.'' Anas asked, "How much t ime was t here bet ween t he Adhan (call t o prayer) and t he Suhur'' He said, "The t ime t hat fift y Ayat t ake (t o recit e).'' Imam Ahmad recorded Abu Dharr saying t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(My Ummah will always ret ain goodness as long as t hey hast en in breaking t he fast and delay t he Suhur.) There are several Hadit hs t hat narrat e t hat t he Prophet called Suhur "t he blessed meal.'' There are narrat ions from several of t he Salaf t hat t hey allowed t he Suhur t o be eat en lat er unt il close t o Faj r. This is is report ed from Abu Bakr, ` Umar, ` Ali, Ibn Mas` ud, Hudhayfah, Abu Hurayrah, Ibn ` Umar, Ibn ` Abbas and Zayd bin Thabit . It is also report ed from many of t he

Tabi` in, such as Muhammad bin ` Ali bin Husayn, Abu Mij laz, Ibrahim An-Nakha` i, Abu Ad-Duha, Abu Wa'il and ot her companions of Ibn Mas` ud. This is also t he opinion of ` At a', Al-Hasan, Hakam bin ` Uyainah, Muj ahid, ` Urwah bin Az-Zubayr, Abu Sha` t ha' Jabir bin Zayd, Al- A` mash and Ma` mar bin Rashid. We have ment ioned t he chains of narrat ions for t heir st at ement s in our (Ibn Kat hir's) book about Siyam (Fast ing), and all praise is due t o Allah. It is also recorded in t he Two Sahihs t hat Al-Qasim said t hat ` A'ishah narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(The Adhan pronounced by Bilal should not st op you from t aking Suhur, for he pronounces t he Adhan at night . Hence, eat and drink unt il you hear t he Adhan by Ibn Umm Makt um, for he does not call t he Adhan unt il dawn.) This is t he wording collect ed by Al-Bukhari. Imam Ahmad report ed t hat Qays bin Talq quot ed from his fat her t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(Dawn is not t he (ascending) glow of whit e light of t he horizon. Rat her, it is t he red (radiat ing) light .) Abu Dawud and At -Tirmidhi also recorded t his Hadit h, but t heir wording is:

(Eat and drink and do not be rushed by t he ascending (whit e) light . Eat and drink unt il t he redness (of t he dawn) appears.) Ibn Jarir (At -Tabari) recorded t hat Samurah bin Jundub narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:


(Do not be st opped by Bilal's Adhan or t he (ascending) whit eness, unt il it spreads.) Muslim also recorded t his Hadit h.

There is no Harm in beginning the Fast while Junub (a state of major ritual impurity)
Issue: Among t he benefit s of allowing sexual act ivit y, eat ing and drinking unt il dawn for t hose who are fast ing, is t hat it is allowed t o st art t he fast while Junub (in t he st at e of impurit y aft er sexual discharge), and t here is no harm in t his case if one t akes a bat h any t ime in t he morning aft er waking up, and complet es t he fast . This is t he opinion of t he Four Imams and t he maj orit y of t he scholars. Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded t hat ` A'ishah and Umm Salamah said t hat Allah's Messenger used t o wake up while Junub from sexual int ercourse, not wet dreams, and he would t ake a bat h and fast . Umm Salamah added t hat he would not break his fast or make up for t hat day. Muslim recorded t hat ` A'ishah said t hat a man asked:

: Fasting ends at

Sunset
Allah said:

(...t hen complet e your fast t ill t he night fall.) This Ayah orders breaking t he fast at sunset . It is recorded in t he Two Sahihs t hat ` Umar bin AlKhat t ab said t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(If t he night comes from t his direct ion (t he east ), and t he day depart s from t hat direct ion (t he west ), t hen t he fast ing person breaks his fast .) It is report ed t hat Sahl bin Sa` d As-Sa` idi narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:


(The people will ret ain goodness as long as t hey hast en in breaking t he fast .) Imam Ahmad recorded t hat Abu Hurayrah narrat ed t hat t he Prophet said:

:
(Allah t he Exalt ed said, ` The dearest among My servant s t o Me are t hose who hast en in breaking t he fast t he most .') At -Tirmidhi recorded t his Hadit h and said t hat t his Hadit h is Hasan Gharib.

Prohibition of Uninterrupted Fasting (Wisal)

There are several aut hent ic Hadit hs t hat prohibit Al-Wisal, which means cont inuing t he fast t hrough t he night t o t he next night , wit hout eat ing. Imam Ahmad recorded Abu Hurayrah saying t hat Allah's Messenger said:

: :
:

(Do not pract ice Al-Wisal in fast ing.) So, t hey said t o him, "But you pract ice Al-Wisal, O Allah's Messenger!'' The Prophet replied, "(I am not like you, I am given food and drink during my sleep by my Lord.) ,So, when t he people refused t o st op Al-Wisal, t he Prophet fast ed t wo days and t wo night s (along wit h t hose who pract iced Wisal) and t hen t hey saw t he crescent moon (of t he mont h of Shawwal). The Prophet said t o t hem (angrily):


(If t he crescent had not appeared, I would have made you fast for a longer period.) That was as a punishment for t hem (when t hey refused t o st op pract icing Al-Wisal). This Hadit h is also recorded in t he Sahihayn. The prohibit ion of Al-Wisal was also ment ioned in a number of ot her narrat ions. It is a fact t hat pract icing Al-Wisal was one of t he special qualit ies of t he Prophet , for he was capable and assist ed in his pract ice of it . It is obvious t hat t he food and drink t hat t he Prophet used t o get while pract icing Al-Wisal was spirit ual and not mat erial, ot herwise he would not be pract icing Al-Wisal. We should ment ion t hat it is allowed t o refrain from breaking t he fast from sunset unt il before dawn (Suhur). A Hadit h narrat ed by Abu Sa` id Khudri st at es t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(Do not pract ice Al-Wisal, but whoever wishes is allowed t o pract ice it unt il t he Suhur.) They said, "You pract ice Al-Wisal, O Messenger of Allah!'' He said:

(I am not similar t o you, for I have One Who makes me eat and drink during t he night .) This Hadit h is also collect ed in t he Two Sahihs.

The Rulings of I` tikaf

Allah said:

(And do not have sexual relat ions wit h t hem (your wives) while you are in I` t ikaf in t he Masj ids.)

` Ali bin Abu Talhah report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "This Ayah is about t he man who st ays in I` t ikaf at t he mosque during Ramadan or ot her mont hs, Allah prohibit ed him from t ouching (having sexual int ercourse wit h) women, during t he night or day, unt il he finishes his I` t ikaf.'' Ad-Dahhak said, "Formerly, t he man who pract iced I` t ikaf would go out of t he mosque and, if he wished, would have sexual int ercourse (wit h his wife). Allah t hen said:

(And do not have sexual relat ions wit h t hem (your wives) while you are in I` t ikaf in t he Masj ids.) meaning, ` Do not t ouch your wives as long as you are in I` t ikaf, whet her you were in t he mosque or out side of it '.'' It is also t he opinion of Muj ahid, Qat adah and several ot her scholars, t hat t he Muslims used t o have sexual int ercourse wit h t he wife while in I` t ikaf if t hey depart ed t he mosque unt il t he Ayah was revealed. Ibn Abu Hat im comment ed, "It was report ed t hat Ibn Mas` ud, Muhammad bin Ka` b, Muj ahid, ` At a' Al-Hasan, Qat adah, Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Muqat il said t hat t he Ayah means, ` Do not t ouch t he wife while in I` t ikaf.''' What Ibn Abu Hat im report ed from t hese people is t he agreed upon pract ice among t he scholars. Those who are in I` t ikaf are not allowed t o have sexual int ercourse as long as t hey are st ill in I` t ikaf in t he mosque. If one has t o leave t he mosque t o at t end t o a need, such as t o relieve t he call of nat ure or t o eat , he is not allowed t o kiss or embrace his wife or t o busy himself wit h ot her t han his I` t ikaf. He is not even allowed t o visit ailing persons, but he can merely ask about t heir condit ion while passing by. I` t ikaf has several ot her rulings t hat are explained in t he books (of Fiqh), and we have ment ioned several of t hese rulings at t he end of our book on Siyam (Fast ing), all praise is due t o Allah. Furt hermore, t he scholars of Fiqh used t o follow t heir explanat ion of t he rules for fast ing wit h t he explanat ion of t he rules for I` t ikaf, as t his is t he way t hese act s of worship were ment ioned in t he Qur'an. By ment ioning I` t ikaf aft er fast ing, Allah draws at t ent ion t o pract icing I` t ikaf during t he mont h of t he fast , especially t he last part of t he mont h. The Sunnah of Allah's Messenger is t hat he used t o perform I` t ikaf during t he last t en night s of t he mont h of Ramadan unt il he died. Aft erwards, t he Prophet 's wives used t o perform I` t ikaf as t he Two Sahihs recorded from ` A'ishah t he Mot her of t he believers. It is report ed in t he Two Sahihs t hat Safiyyah, t he daught er of Huyai, went t o Allah's Messenger t o visit him in t he mosque while he was in I` t ikaf. She had a t alk wit h him for a while, t hen she got up in order t o ret urn home. The Prophet accompanied her back home, as it was night . Her house was at Usamah bin Zayd's house on t he edge of Al-Madinah. While t hey were walking, t wo Ansari men met t hem and passed by t hem in a hurry, for t hey were shy t o bot her t he Prophet while he was walking wit h his wife. He t old t hem:

(Do not run away! She is (my wife) Safiyyah bint Huyai.) Bot h of t hem said, "All praise is due t o Allah, (How dare we t hink of any evil) O Allah's Messenger!'' The Prophet said (t o t hem):

 :
(Shayt an reaches everywhere in t he human body, t hat t he blood reaches. I was afraid lest Shayt an might suggest an evil t hought in your minds.) Imam Ash-Shafi` i comment ed, "Allah's Messenger sought t o t each his Ummah t o inst ant ly eliminat e any evil t hought , so t hat t hey do not fall int o t he prohibit ed. They (t he t wo Ansari men) had more fear of Allah t han t o t hink evil of t he Prophet . Allah knows best .'' The Ayah (2:187) prohibit s sexual int ercourse and anyt hing like kissing or embracing t hat might lead t o it during I` t ikaf. As for having t he wife helping t he husband, it is allowed. It is report ed in t he Two Sahihs t hat ` A'ishah said, "Allah's Messenger would bring his head near me (in her room) and I would comb his hair, while I was on my menses. He would ent er t he room only t o at t end t o what a man needs.'' Allah's st at ement :

(These are t he limit s (set ) by Allah) means, ` This is what We have explained, ordained, specified, allowed and prohibit ed for fast ing. We also ment ioned t he fast 's obj ect ives, what is permit t ed during it , and what is required of it . These are t he set limit s t hat Allah has legislat ed and explained, so do not come near t hem or t ransgress t hem.' ` Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said, "(Allah's set limit s ment ioned in t he Ayah) mean t hese four limit s (and he t hen recit ed):

(It is made lawful for you t o have sexual relat ions wit h your wives on t he night of As-Siyam (fast ing).) and he recit ed up t o:

(t hen complet e your Sawm (fast ) t ill t he night fall.) My fat her and ot her's used t o say similarly and recit e t he same Ayah t o us.'' Allah said:


(Thus does Allah make clear His Ayat t o mankind) meaning, ` Just as He explains t he fast and it s rulings, He also explains t he ot her rulings by t he words of His servant and Messenger, Muhammad .' Allah cont inues:

(t o mankind t hat t hey may at t ain Taqwa.) meaning, ` So t hat t hey know how t o acquire t he t rue guidance and how t o worship (Allah).' Similarly, Allah said:

(It is He Who sends down manifest Ayat t o His servant (Muhammad ) t hat He may bring you out from (t ypes of) darkness int o t he light . And verily, Allah is t o you full of kindness, Most Merciful.) (57:9)

(188. And eat up not one anot her's propert y unj ust ly (in any illegal way, e.g., st ealing, robbing, deceiving), nor give bribery t o t he rulers (j udges before present ing your cases) t hat you may knowingly eat up a part of t he propert y of ot hers sinfully.)

Bribery is prohibited and is a Sin

Ali bin Abu Talhah report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "This (Ayah 2:188) is about t he indebt ed person when t here is no evidence of t he loan. So he denies t aking t he loan and t he case goes t o t he aut horit ies, even t hough he knows t hat it is not his money and t hat he is a sinner, consuming what is not allowed for him.'' This opinion was also report ed from Muj ahid, Sa` id bin Jubayr, ` Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, As-Suddi, Muqat il bin Hayan and ` Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam. They all st at ed, "Do not disput e when you know t hat you are being unj ust .''

The Judge's Ruling does not allow the Prohibited or prohibit the Lawful
It is report ed in t he Two Sahihs t hat Umm Salamah narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(I am only human! You people present your cases t o me, and as some of you may be more eloquent and persuasive in present ing his argument , I might issue a j udgment in his benefit . So, if I give a Muslim's right t o anot her, I am really giving him a piece of fire; so he should not t ake it .) The Ayah and t he Hadit h prove t hat t he j udgment of t he aut horit ies in any case does not change t he realit y of t he t rut h. Hence, t he ruling does not allow what is in fact prohibit ed or prohibit what is in fact allowed. It is only applicable in t hat case. So if t he ruling agrees wit h t he t rut h, t hen t here is no harm in t his case. Ot herwise, t he j udge will acquire his reward, while t he cheat er will acquire t he evil burden. This is why Allah said:

(And eat up not one anot her's propert y unj ust ly, nor give bribery t o t he rulers (j udges before present ing your cases) t hat you may knowingly eat up a part of t he propert y of ot hers sinfully.) meaning, ` While you know t he falsehood of what you claim. ' Qat adah said, "O son of Adam! Know t hat t he j udge's ruling does not allow you what is prohibit ed or prohibit you from what is allowed. The j udge only rules according t o his best j udgment and according t o t he t est imony of t he wit nesses. The j udge is only human and is bound t o make mist akes. Know t hat if t he j udge erroneously rules in some one's favor, t hen t hat person will st ill encount er t he disput e when t he disput ing part ies meet Allah on t he Day of Resurrect ion. Then, t he unj ust person will be j udged swift ly and precisely wit h t hat which will surpass what ever he acquired by t he erroneous j udgment he received in t he life of t his world.''


(189. They ask you (O Muhammad) about t he crescent s. Say: "These are signs t o mark fixed periods of t ime for mankind and for t he pilgrimage.'' It is not Al-Birr (piet y, right eousness, et c.) t hat you ent er t he houses from t he back, but Al-Birr is from Taqwa. So ent er houses t hrough t heir proper doors, and have Taqwa of Allah t hat you may be successful.)

The Crescent Moons

Al-` Awfi relat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "The people asked Allah's Messenger about t he crescent moons. Thereaft er, t his Ayah was revealed:

(They ask you (O Muhammad) about t he crescent s. Say, "These are signs t o mark fixed periods of t ime for mankind...) so t hat t hey mark t heir act s of worship, t he ` Iddah (t he period of t ime a divorced woman or a widow is required t o wait before remarrying) of t heir women and t he t ime of t heir Haj j (pilgrimage t o Makkah).'' ` Abdur-Razzaq report ed t hat Ibn ` Umar narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(Allah has made t he crescent s signs t o mark fixed periods of t ime for mankind. Hence, fast on seeing it (t he crescent for Ramadan) and break t he fast on seeing it (t he crescent for Shawwal). If it (t he crescent ) was obscure t o you t hen count t hirt y days (mark t hat mont h as t hirt y days).) WThis Hadit h was also collect ed by Al-Hakim in his Must adrak, and he said, "The chain is Sahih, and t hey (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) did not recorded it ."

Righteousness comes from Taqwa

Allah said:

(It is not Al-Birr (piet y, right eousness, et c.) t hat you ent er t he houses from t he back, but AlBirr is from Taqwa. So ent er houses t hrough t heir proper doors.) Al-Bukhari recorded t hat Al-Bara' said, "During t he t ime of Jahiliyyah, t hey used t o ent er t he house from t he back upon assuming t he Ihram. Thereaft er, Allah revealed (t he following Ayah):

(It is not Al-Birr (piet y, right eousness, et c.) t hat you ent er t he houses from t he back but Al-Birr is from Taqwa. So ent er houses t hrough t heir proper doors.) Abu Dawud At -Tayalisi recorded t he same Hadit h from Al-Bara' but wit h t he wording; "The Ansar used t o ent er t heir houses from t he back when ret urning from a j ourney. Thereaft er, t his Ayah (2:189 above) was revealed...'' Al-Hasan said, "When some people during t he t ime of Jahiliyyah would leave home t o t ravel, and t hen decide not t o t ravel, t hey would not ent er t he house from it s door. Rat her, t hey would climb over t he back wall. Allah t he Exalt ed said:

(It is not Al-Birr (piet y, right eousness) t hat you ent er t he houses from t he back,).'' Allah's st at ement :

(...and have Taqwa of Allah t hat you may be successful.) Have Taqwa of Allah, means t o do what He has commanded you and refrain from what He has forbidden for you,

(t hat you may be successful.) t omorrow when you st and before Him and He t hus rewards you perfect ly.

- - -
(190. And fight in t he way of Allah t hose who fight you, but t ransgress not t he limit s. Truly, Allah likes not t he t ransgressors.) (191. And kill t hem wherever you find t hem, and t urn t hem out from where t hey have t urned you out . And Al-Fit nah is worse t han killing. And fight not wit h t hem at Al-Masj id Al-Haram (t he sanct uary at Makkah), unless t hey (first ) fight you t here. But if t hey at t ack you, t hen kill t hem. Such is t he recompense of t he disbelievers. ) (192. But if t hey cease, t hen Allah is Oft -Forgiving, Most Merciful.) (193. And fight t hem unt il t here is no more Fit nah (disbelief and worshipping of ot hers along wit h Allah) and t he religion (all and every kind of worship) is for Allah (Alone). But if t hey cease, let t here be no t ransgression except against Az-Zalimin (t he polyt heist s and wrongdoers).)

The Command to fight Those Who fight Muslims and killing Them wherever They are found
Abu Ja` far Ar-Razi said t hat Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said t hat Abu Al-` Aliyah comment ed on what Allah said:

(And fight in t he way of Allah t hose who fight you,) Abu Al-` Aliyah said, "This was t he first Ayah about fight ing t hat was revealed in Al-Madinah. Ever since it was revealed, Allah's Messenger used t o fight only t hose who fought him and avoid non-combat ant s. Lat er, Surat Bara'ah (chapt er 9 in t he Qur'an) was revealed.'' ` Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said similarly, t hen he said t hat t his was lat er abrogat ed by t he Ayah:

(t hen kill t hem wherever you find t hem) (9:5). However, t his st at ement is not plausible, because Allah's st at ement :

(...t hose who fight you) applies only t o fight ing t he enemies who are engaged in fight ing Islam and it s people. So t he Ayah means, ` Fight t hose who fight you', j ust as Allah said (in anot her Ayah):

(...and fight against t he Mushrikin collect ively as t hey fight against you collect ively.) (9:36) This is why Allah said lat er in t he Ayah:

(And kill t hem wherever you find t hem, and t urn t hem out from where t hey have t urned you out .) meaning, ` Your energy should be spent on fight ing t hem, j ust as t heir energy is spent on fight ing you, and on expelling t hem from t he areas from which t hey have expelled you, as a law of equalit y in punishment .'

The Prohibition of mutilating the Dead and stealing from the captured Goods
Allah said:

(but t ransgress not t he limit s. Truly, Allah likes not t he t ransgressors.) This Ayah means, ` Fight for t he sake of Allah and do not be t ransgressors,' such as, by commit t ing prohibit ions. Al-Hasan Al-Basri st at ed t hat t ransgression (indicat ed by t he Ayah), "includes mut ilat ing t he dead, t heft (from t he capt ured goods), killing women, children and old people who do not part icipat e in warfare, killing priest s and resident s of houses of worship, burning down t rees and killing animals wit hout real benefit .'' This is also t he opinion of Ibn ` Abbas, ` Umar bin ` Abdul-` Aziz, Muqat il bin Hayyan and ot hers. Muslim recorded in his Sahih t hat Buraydah narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(Fight for t he sake of Allah and fight t hose who disbelieve in Allah. Fight , but do not st eal (from t he capt ured goods), commit t reachery, mut ilat e (t he dead), or kill a child, or t hose who reside in houses of worship.) It is report ed in t he Two Sahihs t hat Ibn ` Umar said, "A woman was found dead during one of t he Prophet 's bat t les and t he Prophet t hen forbade killing women and children. '' There are many ot her Hadit hs on t his subj ect .

Shirk is worse than Killing

Since Jihad involves killing and shedding t he blood of men, Allah indicat ed t hat t hese men are commit t ing disbelief in Allah, associat ing wit h Him (in t he worship) and hindering from His pat h, and t his is a much great er evil and more disast rous t han killing. Abu Malik comment ed about what Allah said:

(And Al-Fit nah is worse t han killing.) Meaning what you (disbelievers) are commit t ing is much worse t han killing.'' Abu Al-` Aliyah, Muj ahid, Sa` id bin Jubayr, ` Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, Ad-Dahhak and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said t hat what Allah said:

(And Al-Fit nah is worse t han killing.) "Shirk (polyt heism) is worse t han killing.''

Fighting in the Sacred Area is prohibited, except in Self-Defense

Allah said:

(And fight not wit h t hem at Al-Masj id Al-Haram (t he sanct uary at Makkah)) It is report ed in t he Two Sahihs t hat t he Prophet said:

:
(Allah has made t his cit y a sanct uary since t he day He creat ed t he heavens and t he eart h. So, it is a sanct uary by Allah's decree t ill t he Day of Resurrect ion. Fight ing in it was made legal for me only for an hour in t he dayt ime. So, it (i.e., Makkah) is a sanct uary, by Allah's decree, from now on unt il t he Day of Resurrect ion. It s t rees should not be cut , and it s grass should not be uproot ed. If anyone ment ions t he fight ing in it t hat occurred by Allah's Messenger, t hen say t hat Allah allowed His Messenger, but did not allow you.) In t his Hadit h, Allah's Messenger ment ions fight ing t he people of Makkah when he conquered it by force, leading t o some deat hs among t he polyt heist s in t he area of t he Khandamah. This occurred aft er t he Prophet proclaimed:

(Whoever closed his door is safe. Whoever ent ered t he (Sacred) Mosque is safe. Whoever ent ered t he house of Abu Sufyan is also safe.) Allah said:

(...unless t hey (first ) fight you t here. But if t hey at t ack you, t hen kill t hem. Such is t he recompense of t he disbelievers.) Allah st at es: ` Do not fight t hem in t he area of t he Sacred Mosque unless t hey st art fight ing you in it . In t his case, you are allowed t o fight t hem and kill t hem t o st op t heir aggression.' Hence, Allah's Messenger t ook t he pledge from his Companions under t he t ree (in t he area of AlHudaybiyyah) t o fight (t he polyt heist s), aft er t he t ribes of Quraysh and t heir allies, Thaqif and ot her groups, collaborat ed against t he Muslims (t o st op t hem from ent ering Makkah t o visit t he Sacred House). Then, Allah st opped t he fight ing before it st art ed bet ween t hem and said:

(And He it is Who has wit hheld t heir hands from you and your hands from t hem in t he midst of Makkah, aft er He had made you vict ors over t hem.) (48:24) and:

(Had t here not been believing men and believing women whom you did not know, t hat you may kill t hem and on whose account a sin would have been commit t ed by you wit hout (your) knowledge, t hat Allah might bring int o His mercy whom He wills if t hey (t he believers and t he disbelievers) had been apart , We verily, would have punished t hose of t hem who disbelieved wit h painful t orment .) (48:25) Allah's st at ement :


(But if t hey cease, t hen Allah is Oft -Forgiving, Most Merciful.) which means, ` If t hey (polyt heist s) cease fight ing you in t he Sacred Area, and come t o Islam and repent , t hen Allah will forgive t hem t heir sins, even if t hey had before killed Muslims in Allah's Sacred Area.' Indeed, Allah's forgiveness encompasses every sin, what ever it s enormit y, when t he sinner repent s it .

The Order to fight until there is no more Fitnah

Allah t hen commanded fight ing t he disbelievers when He said:

(...unt il t here is no more Fit nah) meaning, Shirk. This is t he opinion of Ibn ` Abbas, Abu Al` Aliyah, Muj ahid, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, Ar-Rabi` , Muqat il bin Hayyan, As-Suddi and Zayd bin Aslam. Allah's st at ement :

(...and t he religion (all and every kind of worship) is for Allah (Alone).) means, ` So t hat t he religion of Allah becomes dominant above all ot her religions.' It is report ed in t he Two Sahihs t hat Abu Musa Al-Ash` ari said: "The Prophet was asked, ` O Allah's Messenger! A man fight s out of bravery, and anot her fight s t o show off, which of t hem fight s in t he cause of Allah' The Prophet said:

(He who fight s so t hat Allah's Word is superior, t hen he fight s in Allah's cause.) In addit ion, it is report ed in t he Two Sahihs:

(I have been ordered (by Allah) t o fight t he people unt il t hey proclaim, ` None has t he right t o be worshipped but Allah'. Whoever said it , t hen he will save his life and propert y from me, except for cases of t he law, and t heir account will be wit h Allah.) Allah's st at ement :

(But if t hey cease, let t here be no t ransgression except against t he wrongdoers.) indicat es t hat , ` If t hey st op t heir Shirk and fight ing t he believers, t hen cease warfare against t hem. Whoever fight s t hem aft erwards will be commit t ing an inj ust ice. Verily aggression can only be st art ed against t he unj ust .' This is t he meaning of Muj ahid's st at ement t hat only combat ant s should be fought . Or, t he meaning of t he Ayah indicat es t hat , ` If t hey abandon t heir inj ust ice, which is Shirk in t his case, t hen do not st art aggression against t hem aft erwards.' The aggression here means ret aliat ing and fight ing t hem, j ust as Allah said:

(Then whoever t ransgresses against you, you t ransgress likewise against him.) (2:194) Similarly, Allah said:

(The recompense for an evil is an evil like t hereof.) (42:40), and:

(And if you punish t hem, t hen punish t hem wit h t he like of t hat wit h which you were afflict ed. ) (16:126) ` Ikrimah and Qat adah st at ed, "The unj ust person is he who refuses t o proclaim, ` There is no God wort hy of worship except Allah'.'' Under Allah's st at ement :

(And fight t hem unt il t here is no more Fit nah) Al-Bukhari recorded t hat Nafi` said t hat t wo men came t o Ibn ` Umar during t he conflict of Ibn Az-Zubayr and said t o him, "The people have

fallen int o short comings and you are t he son of ` Umar and t he Prophet 's Companion. Hence, what prevent s you from going out '' He said, "What prevent s me is t hat Allah has for bidden shedding t he blood of my (Muslim) brot her.'' They said, "Did not Allah say:

(And fight t hem unt il t here is no more Fit nah (disbelief and worshipping of ot hers along wit h Allah))'' He said, "We did fight unt il t here was no more Fit nah and t he religion became for Allah Alone. You want t o fight unt il t here is Fit nah and t he religion becomes for ot her t han Allah!'' ` Ut hman bin Salih added t hat a man came t o Ibn ` Umar and asked him, "O Abu ` AbdurRahman! What made you perform Haj j one year and ` Umrah anot her year and abandon Jihad in t he cause of Allah, alt hough you know how much He has encouraged performing it '' He said, "O my nephew! Islam is built on five (pillars): believing in Allah and His Messenger, t he five daily prayers, fast ing Ramadan, paying t he Zakah and performing Haj j (pilgrimage) t o t he House.'' They said, "O Abu ` Abdur-Rahman! Did you not hear what Allah said in His Book:

(And if t wo part ies (or groups) among t he believers fall t o fight ing, t hen make peace bet ween t hem bot h. But if one of t hem out rages against t he ot her, t hen fight you (all) against t he one t hat which out rages t ill it complies wit h t he command of Allah.) (49:9) and:

(And fight t hem unt il t here is no more Fit nah (disbelief)) He said, "That we did during t he t ime of Allah's Messenger when Islam was st ill weak and (t he Muslim) man used t o face t rials in his religion, such as killing or t ort ure. When Islam became st ronger (and apparent ), t here was no more Fit nah.'' He asked, "What do you say about ` Ali and ` Ut hman'' He said, "As for ` Ut hman, Allah has forgiven him. However, you hat ed t he fact t hat Allah had forgiven him! As for ` Ali, he is t he cousin of Allah's Messenger and his son-in-law.'' He t hen point ed wit h his hand, saying, "This is where his house is locat ed (meaning, ` so close t o t he Prophet 's house j ust as ` Ali was so close t o t he Prophet himself').''


(194. The sacred mont h is for t he sacred mont h, and for t he prohibit ed t hings, t here is t he Law of equalit y (Qisas). Then whoever t ransgresses against you, you t ransgress likewise against him. And fear Allah, and know t hat Allah is wit h Al-Mut t aqin.)

Fighting during the Sacred Months is prohibited, except in SelfDefense

Ibn ` Abbas, Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi, Qat adah, Miqsam, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and ` At a said, "Allah's Messenger went for ` Umrah on t he sixt h year of Hij rah. Then, t he idolat ors prevent ed him from ent ering t he Sacred House (t he Ka` bah in Makkah) along wit h t he Muslims who came wit h him. This incident occurred during t he sacred mont h of Dhul-Qa` dah. The idolat ors agreed t o allow t hem t o ent er t he House t he next year. Hence, t he Prophet ent ered t he House t he following year, along wit h t he Muslims who accompanied him, and Allah permit t ed him t o avenge t he idolat ors' t reat ment of him, when He said:

(The sacred mont h is for t he sacred mont h, and for t he prohibit ed t hings, t here is t he Law of equalit y (Qisas).) Imam Ahmad recorded t hat Jabir bin ` Abdullah said, "Allah's Messenger would not engage in warfare during t he Sacred Mont h unless he was first at t acked, t hen he would march fort h. He would ot herwise remain idle unt il t he end of t he Sacred Mont hs.'' This Hadit h has an aut hent ic chain of narrat ors. Hence, when t he Prophet was t old t hat ` Ut hman was killed (in Makkah) when he was camped at t he area of Al-Hudaybiyyah, aft er he had sent ` Ut hman as his emissary t o t he polyt heist s, he accept ed t he pledge from his Companions under t he t ree t o fight t he polyt heist s. They were one t housand and four hundred t hen. When t he Prophet was informed t hat ` Ut hman was not killed, he abandoned t he fight and revert ed t o peace. When t he Prophet finished fight ing wit h (t he t ribes of) Hawazin during t he bat t le of Hunayn and Hawazin t ook refuge in (t he cit y of) At -Ta'if , he laid siege t o t hat cit y. Then, t he (sacred) mont h of Dhul-Qa` dah st art ed, while At -Ta'if was st ill under siege. The siege went on for t he rest of t he fort y days (rat her, from t he day t he bat t le of Hunayn st art ed unt il t he Prophet went back t o Al-Madinah from Al-Ji` ranah, were fort y days), as report ed in t he Two Sahihs and narrat ed by Anas. When t he Companions suffered mount ing casualt ies (during t he siege), t he Prophet ended t he siege before conquering At -Ta'if. He t hen went back t o Makkah, performed ` Umrah from Al-Ji` ranah, where he divided t he war boot y of Hunayn. This ` Umrah occurred during Dhul-Qa` dah of t he eight h year of Al-Hij rah.

Allah's st at ement :

(...whoever t ransgresses against you, you t ransgress likewise against him.) ordains j ust ice even wit h t he polyt heist s. Allah also said in anot her Ayah:

(And if you punish, t hen punish t hem wit h t he like of t hat wit h which you were afflict ed.) (16:126) Allah's st at ement :

(And fear Allah, and know t hat Allah is wit h Al-Mut t aqin (t he pious)) (2:194) commands t hat Allah be obeyed and feared out of Taqwa. The Ayah informs us t hat Allah is wit h t hose who have Taqwa by His aid and support in t his life and t he Hereaft er.

(195. And spend in t he cause of Allah and do not t hrow yourselves int o dest ruct ion, and do good. Truly, Allah loves Al-Muhsinin (t hose who do good).)

The Command to spend in the Cause of Allah

Al-Bukhari recorded t hat Hudhayfah said:

(And spend in t he cause of Allah and do not t hrow yourselves int o dest ruct ion.) "It was revealed about spending.'' Ibn Abu Hat im report ed him saying similarly. He t hen comment ed, "Similar is

report ed from Ibn ` Abbas, Muj ahid, ` Ikrimah, Sa` id bin Jubayr, ` At a', Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, As-Suddi and Muqat il bin Hayyan.'' Aslam Abu ` Imran said, "A man from among t he Ansar broke enemy (Byzant ine) lines in Const ant inople (Ist anbul). Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari was wit h us t hen. So some people said, ` He is t hrowing himself t o dest ruct ion.' Abu Ayyub said, ` We know t his Ayah (2:195) bet t er, for it was revealed about us, t he Companions of Allah's Messenger who part icipat ed in Jihad wit h him and aided and support ed him. When Islam became st rong, we, t he Ansar, met and said t o each ot her, ` Allah has honored us by being t he Companions of His Prophet and in support ing him unt il Islam became vict orious and it s following increased. We had before ignored t he needs of our families, est at es and children. Warfare has ceased, so let us go back t o our families and children and at t end t o t hem.' So t his Ayah was revealed about us:

(And spend in t he cause of Allah and do not t hrow yourselves int o dest ruct ion.) t he dest ruct ion refers t o st aying wit h our families and est at es and abandoning Jihad'.'' This was recorded by Abu Dawud, At -Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i, ` Abd bin Humayd in his Tafsir, Ibn Abu Hat im, Ibn Jarir, Ibn Marduwyah, Al-Hafiz Abu Ya` la in his Musnad, Ibn Hibban and Al-Hakim. At -Tirmidhi said; "Hasan, Sahih, Gharib" Al-Hakim said, "It meet s t he crit eria of t he Two Shaykhs (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) but t hey did not record it ." Abu Dawud's version ment ions t hat Aslam Abu ` Imran said, "We were at (t he siege of) Const ant inople. Then, ` Uqbah bin ` Amr was leading t he Egypt ian forces, while t he Syrian forces were led by Fadalah bin ` Ubayd. Lat er on, a huge column of Roman (Byzant ine) soldiers depart ed t he cit y, and we st ood in lines against t hem. A Muslim man raided t he Roman lines unt il he broke t hrough t hem and came back t o us. The people shout ed, ` All praise is due t o Allah! He is sending himself t o cert ain demise.' Abu Ayyub said, ` O people! You explain t his Ayah t he wrong way. It was revealed about us, t he Ansar when Allah gave vict ory t o His religion and it s following increased. We said t o each ot her, ` It would be bet t er for us now if we ret urn t o our est at es and at t end t o t hem.' Then Allah revealed t his Ayah (2:195)'.'' Abu Bakr bin ` Aiyash report ed t hat Abu Ishaq As-Subai` y relat ed t hat a man said t o Al-Bara' bin ` Azib, "If I raided t he enemy lines alone and t hey kill me, would I be t hrowing myself t o cert ain demise'' He said, "No. Allah said t o His Messenger :

(Then fight (O Muhammad ) in t he cause of Allah, you are not t asked (held responsible) except for yourself.) (4:84) That Ayah (2:195) is about (refraining from) spending.'' Ibn Marduwyah report ed t his Hadit h, as well as Al-Hakim in his Must adrak who said; "It meet s t he crit eria of t he Two Shaykhs (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) but t hey did not record it ." At h-Thawri and Qays bin Ar-Rabi` relat ed it from Al-Bara'. but added:

(You are not t asked (held responsible) except for yourself.) (4:84) "Dest ruct ion refers t o t he man who sins and refrains from repent ing, t hus t hrowing himself t o dest ruct ion.'' Ibn ` Abbas said:

(And spend in t he cause of Allah and do not t hrow yourselves int o dest ruct ion) "This is not about fight ing. But about refraining from spending for t he sake of Allah, in which case, one will be t hrowing his self int o dest ruct ion." The Ayah (2:195) includes t he order t o spend in Allah's cause, in t he various areas and ways t hat involve obedience and drawing closer t o Allah. It especially applies t o spending in fight ing t he enemies and on what st rengt hens t he Muslims against t he enemy. Allah st at es t hat t hose who refrain from spending in t his regard will face ut t er and cert ain demise and dest ruct ion, meaning t hose who acquire t his habit . Allah commands t hat one should acquire Ihsan (excellence in t he religion), as it is t he highest part of t he act s of obedience. Allah said:

(and do good. Truly, Allah loves Al-Muhsinin (t hose who do good).)


(196. And complet e Haj j and ` Umrah for Allah. But if you are prevent ed, t hen sacrifice a Hady t hat you can afford, and do not shave your heads unt il t he Hady reaches t he place of sacrifice. And whosoever of you is ill or has an ailment on his scalp (necessit at ing shaving), he must pay a Fidyah (ransom) of eit her fast ing or giving Sadaqah or a sacrifice. Then if you are in safet y and whosoever performs t he ` Umrah (in t he mont hs of Haj j ), before (performing) t he Haj j , he must slaught er a Hady such as he can afford, but if he cannot (afford it ), he should fast for t hree days during Haj j and seven days aft er his ret urn, making t en days in all. This is for him whose family is not present at Al-Masj id Al-Haram (i.e., non-resident of Makkah). And fear Allah much and know t hat Allah is severe in punishment .) g

The Command to complete Hajj and ` Umrah

Aft er Allah ment ioned t he rulings for fast ing and Jihad, he explained t he rit uals by commanding t he Muslims t o complet e Haj j and ` Umrah, meaning, t o finish t he rit uals of Haj j and ` Umrah aft er one st art s t hem. This is why Allah said aft erwards:

(But if you are prevent ed) meaning, if your way t o t he House is obst ruct ed, and you are prevent ed from finishing it . This is why t he scholars agree t hat st art ing t he act s of Haj j and ` Umrah requires one t o finish t hem. As for Makhul, he said, "Complet e, means t o st art t hem from t he Miqat (areas t he Prophet designat ed t o assume Ihram from).'' ` Abdur-Razzaq said t hat Az-Zuhri said: "We were t old t hat ` Umar comment ed on:

(And complet e Haj j and ` Umrah for Allah.) "Complet e Haj j and ` Umrah means performing each of t hem separat ely, and t o perform ` Umrah out side of t he mont hs of Haj j , for Allah t he Exalt ed says:

(The Haj j (pilgrimage) is (in) t he well-known (lunar year) mont hs. )'' As-Suddi said,

(And complet e Haj j and ` Umrah for Allah.) means, "Maint ain t he performance of Haj j and ` Umrah.'' Ibn ` Abbas was report ed t o have said, "Haj j is ` Arafat , while ` Umrah is Tawaf.'' AlA` mash relat ed t hat Ibrahim said t hat ` Alqamah comment ed on Allah's st at ement :

(And complet e Haj j and ` Umrah for Allah.) "Abdullah (Ibn Mas` ud) recit ed it t his way: ` Complet e Haj j and ` Umrah t o t he House, so t hat one does not exceed t he area of t he House during t he ` Umrah'.'' Ibrahim t hen said, "I ment ioned t his st at ement t o Sa` id bin Jubayr and he said; ` Ibn ` Abbas also said t hat .''' Sufyan report ed t hat Ibrahim said t hat ` Alqamah said (regarding t he Ayah 2:196), "Perform t he Haj j and ` Umrah t o t he House.'' At h-Thawri report ed t hat Ibrahim read (t he Ayah), "Perform t he Haj j and ` Umrah t o t he House.''

If One is prevented while in Route, He slaughters the Sacrifice, shaves his Head and ends Ihram
Allah's st at ement :

(But if you are prevent ed, sacrifice a Hady (animals for sacriface) such as you can afford,) was revealed in t he sixt h year of Hij rah, t he year of t he t reat y of Al-Hudaybiyyah when t he polyt heist s prevent ed Allah's Messenger from reaching t he House. Allah revealed Surat Al-Fat h (chapt er 48 in t he Qur'an) t hen, and allowed t he Muslims t o slaught er any Hady (animals for sacrifice) t hey had. They had sevent y camels wit h t hem for t hat purpose. They were also permit t ed t o shave t heir heads and end t heir Ihram. When t he Prophet commanded t hem t o shave t heir heads and end t he st at e of Ihram, t hey did not obey him, as t hey were await ing t hat order t o be abrogat ed. When t hey saw t hat t he Prophet went out aft er shaving his head, t hey imit at ed him. Some of t hem did not shave, but only short ened t heir hair. This is why t he Prophet said:

(May Allah award His mercy t o t hose who shaved.) They said, "What about t hose who short ened t he hair'' He said in t he t hird t ime, "And t o t hose who short ened.'' Every seven among t hem shared one camel for t heir sacrifice. They were one t housand and four hundred Companions and were camping in t he area of Al-Hudaybiyyah, out side t he Sacred Area. It was also report ed t hat t hey were wit hin t he boundaries of t he Sacred Area. Allah knows best . Being prevent ed from t he House (Hasr) includes more t han j ust being sick, fearing an enemy or get t ing lost on t he way t o Makkah. Imam Ahmad report ed t hat Al-Haj j aj bin ` Amr Al-Ansari said t hat he heard Allah's Messenger saying:


(Whoever suffered a broken bone or a limb, will have ended his Ihram and has t o perform Haj j again.) He said, "I ment ioned t hat t o Ibn ` Abbas and Abu Hurayrah and t hey bot h said, ` He (AlHaj j aj ) has said t he t rut h'.'' This Hadit h is also report ed in t he Four Collect ions. In t he version of Abu Dawud and Ibn Maj ah, t he Prophet said, "Whoever limped, had a broken bone or became ill...'' Ibn Abu Hat im also recorded it and said, "It was report ed t hat Ibn Mas` ud, Ibn Az-Zubayr, ` Alqamah, Sa` id bin Musayyib, ` Urwah bin Az-Zubayr, Muj ahid, An-Nakha` i, ` At a' and Muqat il bin Hayyan said t hat being prevent ed (Hasr) ent ails an enemy, an illness or a fract ure.'' At hThawri also said, "Being prevent ed ent ails everyt hing t hat harms t he person.'' It is report ed in t he Two Sahihs t hat ` A'ishah said t hat Allah's Messenger went t o Duba` ah bint Az-Zubayr bin ` Abdul-Mut t alib who said, "O Messenger of Allah! I int end t o perform Haj j but I am ill.'' He said, "Perform Haj j and make t he condit ion: ` My place is where You prevent (or halt ) me.'' Muslim recorded similarly from Ibn ` Abbas. So saying such a condit ion for Haj j is allowed is based on t his Hadit h. Allah's st at ement :

(...sacrifice a Hady such as you can afford) includes a sheep also, as Imam Malik report ed t hat ` Ali bin Abu Talib used t o say. Ibn ` Abbas said, "The Hady includes eight t ypes of animals: camels, cows, goat s and sheep.'' ` Abdur-Razzaq report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said about what Allah said:

(...sacrifice a Hady such as you can afford) "As much as one could afford.'' Al-` Awfi said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "If one can afford it , t hen camels, ot herwise cows, or sheep.'' Hisham bin ` Urwah quot ed his fat her:

(...sacrifice a Hady (animal, i.e., a sheep, a cow, or a camel) such as you can afford) ` Depending on t he price.' The proof t hat sacrificing only a sheep is allowed in t he case of being prevent ed from cont inuing t he rit es, is t hat Allah has required sacrificing what ever is available as a Hady, and t he Hady is any t ype of cat t le; be it camels, cows or sheep. This is t he opinion of Ibn ` Abbas

t he cousin of Allah's Messenger and t he scholar of Tafsir. It is report ed in t he Two Sahihs t hat ` A'ishah, t he Mot her of t he believers, said, "The Prophet once offered some sheep as Hady.'' Allah's st at ement :

(...and do not shave your heads unt il t he Hady reaches t he place of sacrifice.) is a cont inuat ion of His st at ement :

(And complet e, t he Haj j and ` Umrah for Allah.) and is not dependent upon:

(But if you are prevent ed, t hen sacrifice a Hady) as Ibn Jarir has erroneously claimed. When t he Prophet and his Companions were prevent ed from ent ering t he Sacred House during t he AlHudaybiyyah year by t he polyt heist s from Quraysh, t hey shaved t heir heads and sacrificed t heir Hady out side t he Haram (Sacred) area. In normal circumst ances, and when one can safely reach t he House, he is not allowed t o shave his head unt il:

(.. .and do not shave your heads unt il t he Hady reaches t he place of sacrifice.) and t hen he ends t he rit uals of Haj j or ` Umrah, or bot h if he had assumed Ihram for bot h. It is recorded in t he Two Sahihs t hat Hafsah said, "O Allah's Messenger! What is wrong wit h t he people, t hey have finished t heir Ihram for ` Umrah but you have not '' The Prophet said,

(I mat t ed my hair and I have garlanded my Hady (animals for sacrifice), so I will not finish my Ihram t ill I offer t he sacrifice.)

Whoever shaved his Head during Ihram, will have to pay the Fidyah
Allah said:


(And whosoever of you is ill or has an ailment on his scalp (necessit at ing shaving), he must pay a Fidyah.) Al-Bukhari report ed t hat ` Abdur-Rahman bin Asbahani said t hat he heard ` Abdullah bin Ma` qil saying t hat he sat wit h Ka` b bin ` Uj rah in t he mosque of Kufah (in Iraq). He t hen asked him about t he Fidyah of t he fast ing. Ka` b said, "This was revealed concerning my case especially, but it is also for you in general. I was carried t o Allah's Messenger and t he lice were falling in great numbers on my face. The Prophet said:

: (I never t hought t hat your ailment (or st ruggle) had reached t o such an ext ent as I see. Can you afford a sheep (for sacrifice)' I replied in t he negat ive.) He t hen said:

(Fast for t hree days or feed six poor persons, each wit h half a Sa` of food (1 Sa` = 3 kilograms approx.) and shave your head.) So t his is a general j udgement derived from a specific case. Imam Ahmad recorded t hat Ka` b bin ` Uj rah said, "Allah's Messenger came by while I was ignit ing t he fire under a pot and while t he lice were falling down my head or my eyelids. He said:

: (Do t hese lice in your head bot her you) I said, ` Yes.' He said:


(Shave it , t hen fast t hree days, or feed six poor people, or sacrifice an animal.) Ayyub (one of t he narrat ors of t he Hadit h) comment ed, "I do not know which alt ernat ive was st at ed first .'' The wording of t he Qur'an begins wit h t he easiest t hen t he more difficult opt ions: "Pay a Fidyah of fast ing (t hree days), feeding (six poor persons) or sacrificing (an animal).'' Meanwhile, t he Prophet advised Ka` b wit h t he more rewarding opt ion first , t hat is, sacrificing a sheep, t hen feeding six poor persons, t hen fast ing t hree days. Each Text is suit able in it s place and cont ext , all t he t hanks and praises are due t o Allah.

Tamattu` during Hajj

Allah said:

(Then if you are in safet y and whosoever performs t he ` Umrah (in t he mont hs of Haj j ), before (performing) t he Haj j , he must slaught er a Hady such as he can afford,) That is, when you are able t o complet e t he rit es, so whoever among you connect s his ` Umrah wit h Haj j having t he same Ihram for bot h, or, first assuming Ihram for ` Umrah, and t hen assuming Ihram for Haj j when finished t he ` Umrah, t his is t he more specific t ype of Tamat t u` which is well-known among t he discussion of t he scholars whereas in general t here are t wo t ypes of Tamat t u` , as t he aut hent ic Hadit hs prove, since among t he narrat ors are t hose who said, "Allah's Messenger performed Tamat t u` , and ot hers who said, "Qarin" but t here is no difference bet ween t hem over t he Hady. So Allah said,

(Then if you are in safet y and whosoever performs t he ` Umrah (in t he mont hs of Haj j ), before (performing) t he Haj j (i.e., Haj j At -Tamat t u` and Al-Qiran), he must slaught er a Hady such as he can afford,) means let him sacrifice what ever Hady is available t o him, t he least of which is a sheep. One is also allowed t o sacrifice a cow because t he Prophet slaught ered cows on behalf

of his wives. Al-Awza` i report ed t hat Abu Hurayrah narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger slaught ered cows on behalf of his wives when t hey were performing Tamat t u` . This was report ed by Abu Bakr bin Marduwyah. This last Hadit h proves t hat Tamat t u` is legislat ed. It is report ed in t he Two Sahihs t hat ` Imran bin Husayn said, "We performed Haj j At -Tamat t u` in t he lifet ime of Allah's Messenger and t hen t he Qur'an was revealed (regarding Haj j At -Tamat t u` ). Not hing was revealed t o forbid it , nor did he (t he Prophet ) forbid it unt il he died. And somebody said what he wished (regarding Haj j At -Tamat t u` ) according t o his own opinion.'' Al-Bukhari said t hat ` Imran was t alking about ` Umar. It is report ed in an aut hent ic narrat ion t hat ` Umar used t o discourage t he people from performing Tamat t u` . He used t o say, "If we refer t o Allah's Book, we should complet e it ,'' meaning:

(...whosoever performs t he ` Umrah (in t he mont hs of Haj j ), before (performing) t he Haj j , he must slaught er a Hady such as he can afford,) However ` Umar did not say t hat Tamat t u` is unlawful. He only prevent ed t hem so t hat t he people would increase t heir t rips t o t he House for Haj j (during t he mont hs of Haj j ) and ` Umrah (t hroughout t he year), as he himself has st at ed.

Whoever performs Tamattu` should fast Ten Days if He does not have a Hady
Allah said:

(...but if he cannot (afford it ), he should fast t hree days during t he Haj j and seven days aft er his ret urn (t o his home), making t en days in all.) This Ayah means: "Those who do not find a Hady, let t hem fast t hree days during t he Haj j season.'' Al-` Awfi said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "If one does not have a Hady, he should fast t hree days during Haj j , before ` Arafah day. If t he day of ` Arafah was t he t hird day, t hen his fast is complet e. He should also fast seven days when he get s back home.'' Abu Ishaq report ed from Wabarah from Ibn ` Umar who said, "One fast s one day before t he day of Tarwiyah, t he day of Tarwiyah (eight h day of Dhul-Hij j ah) and t hen ` Arafah day (t he nint h day of t he mont h of DhulHij j ah).'' The same st at ement was report ed by Ja` far bin Muhammad from his fat her from ` Ali.

If one did not fast t hese t hree days or at least some of t hem before ` Id day (t he t ent h day of Dhul-Hij j ah), he is allowed t o fast during t he Tashriq days (11-12-13t h day of Dhul-Hij j ah). ` A'ishah and Ibn ` Umar said, "Fast ing t he days of Tashriq was only allowed for t hose who did not find t he Hady,'' as Al-Bukhari has report ed. Sufyan relat ed t hat Ja` far bin Muhammad narrat ed t hat his fat her said t hat ` Ali said, "Whoever did not fast t he t hree days during t he Haj j , should fast t hem during t he days of Tashriq.'' This is also t he posit ion t aken by ` Ubayd bin ` Umayr Al-Layt hi, ` Ikrimah, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and ` Urwah bin Az-Zubayr, referring t o t he general meaning of Allah's st at ement :

(...fast t hree days during t he Haj j ...) As for what Muslim report ed t hat Qut aybah Al-Hudhali said t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(The days of Tashriq are days of eat ing and drinking and remembering Allah t he Exalt ed.) This narrat ion is general in meaning while what ` A'ishah and Ibn ` Umar narrat ed is specific. Allah said:

(...and seven days aft er his ret urn.) There are t wo opinions regarding t he meaning of t his Ayah. First , it means ` when you ret urn t o t he camping areas'. The second, upon going back home. ` Abdur-Razzaq report ed t hat Salim narrat ed t hat he heard Ibn ` Umar saying:

"(...but if he cannot (afford it ), he should fast t hree days during t he Haj j and seven days aft er his ret urn,) means when he goes back t o his family. '' The same opinion was report ed from Sa` id bin Jubayr, Abu Al-` Aliyah, Muj ahid, ` At a', ` Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, Imam Az-Zuhri and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas.

Al-Bukhari report ed t hat Salim bin ` Abdullah narrat ed t hat Ibn ` Umar said, "During t he Farewell Haj j of Allah's Messenger , he performed Tamat t u` wit h ` Umrah and Haj j . He drove a Hady along wit h him from Dhul-Hulayfah. Allah's Messenger st art ed by assuming Ihram for ` Umrah, and t hen for Haj j . And t he people, t oo, performed t he ` Umrah and Haj j along wit h t he Prophet . Some of t hem brought t he Hady and drove it along wit h t hem, while t he ot hers did not . So, when t he Prophet arrived at Makkah, he said t o t he people:

(Whoever among you has driven t he Hady, should not finish his Ihram t ill he complet es his Haj j . And whoever among you has not (driven) t he Hady wit h him, he should perform Tawaf of t he Ka` bah and bet ween As-Safa and Al-Marwah. Then, he should shave or cut his hair short and finish his Ihram, and should lat er assume Ihram for Haj j ; but he must offer a Hady (sacrifice) . And if anyone cannot afford a Hady, he should fast for t hree days during t he Haj j and seven days when he ret urns home.) He t hen ment ioned t he rest of t he Hadit h, which is report ed in t he Two Sahihs. Allah said:

(...making t en days in all.) t o emphasize t he ruling we ment ioned above. This met hod is common in t he Arabic language, for t hey would say, ` I have seen wit h my eyes, heard wit h my ears and writ t en wit h my hand,' t o emphasize such fact s. Similarly, Allah said:

(...nor a bird t hat flies wit h it s t wo wings) (6:38) and:

(...nor did you writ e any book (what soever) wit h your right hand) (29:48) and:

(And We appoint ed for Musa t hirt y night s and added (t o t he period) t en (more), and he complet ed t he t erm, appoint ed by his Lord, of fort y night s.) (7:142) It was also said t hat t he meaning of "t en days in all'' emphasizes t he order t o fast for t en days, not less t han t hat .

The Residents of Makkah do not perform Tamattu"

Allah said:

(This is for him whose family is not present at Al-Masj id Al-Haram (i.e., non-resident of Makkah).) This Ayah concerns t he resident s of t he area of t he Haram, for t hey do not perform Tamat t u` . ` Abdur-Razzaq report ed t hat Tawus said, "Tamat t u` is for t he people, t hose whose families are not residing in t he Haram area (Makkah), not for t he resident s of Makkah. Hence Allah's St at ement :

(This is for him whose family is not present at Al-Masj id Al-Haram (i.e., non-resident of Makkah).) ` Abdur-Razzaq t hen said, "I was also t old t hat Ibn ` Abbas said similar t o Tawus.'' Allah said:

(...and fear Allah) meaning, in what He has commanded you and what He prohibit ed for you. He t hen said:


(...and know t hat Allah is severe in punishment ) for t hose who defy His command and commit what He has prohibit ed.

(197. The Haj j (pilgrimage) is (in) t he well-known mont hs. So whosoever int ends t o perform Haj j t herein (by assuming Ihram), t hen he should not have sexual relat ions (wit h his wife), nor commit sin, nor disput e unj ust ly during t he Haj j . And what ever good you do, Allah knows it . And t ake provisions for t he j ourney, but t he best provision is At -Taqwa (piet y, right eousness). So fear Me, O men of underst anding!)

When does Ihram for Hajj start

Allah said:

(The Haj j is (in) t he well-known mont hs.) This Ayah indicat es t hat Ihram for Haj j only occurs during t he mont hs of Haj j . This was report ed from Ibn ` Abbas, Jabir, ` At a', Tawus and Muj ahid. The proof for t his is Allah's st at ement t hat Haj j occurs during known, specific mont hs, which indicat es t hat Haj j is not allowed before t hat , j ust as t he prayer has a fixed t ime (before which one's prayer is not accept ed). Ash-Shafi` i recorded t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "No person should assume Ihram for Haj j before t he mont hs of t he Haj j , for Allah said:

(The Haj j is (in) t he well-known mont hs.) Ibn Khuzaymah report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "No Ihram for Haj j should be assumed, except during t he mont hs of Haj j , for among t he Sunnah of Haj j is t hat one assume Ihram for it during

t he Haj j mont hs. '' This is an aut hent ic narrat ion and t he Companion's st at ement t hat such and such is among t he Sunnah is considered as a Hadit h of t he Prophet , according t o t he maj orit y of t he scholars. This is especially t he case when it is Ibn ` Abbas who issued t his st at ement , as he is t he Tarj uman (t ranslat or, int erpret er, explainer) of t he Qur'an. There is a Hadit h about t his subj ect t oo. Ibn Marduwyah relat ed t hat Jabir narrat ed t hat t he Prophet said:

(No one should assume Ihram for Haj j , but during t he mont hs of Haj j .) The chain of narrat ors for t his Hadit h is reasonable. Ash-Shafi` i and Al-Bayhaqi recorded t his Hadit h from Ibn Jurayj who relat ed t hat Abu Az-Zubayr said t hat he heard Jabir bin ` Abdullah being asked, "Does one assume Ihram for Haj j before t he mont hs of t he Haj j '' He said, "No.'' This narrat ion is more reliable t han t he narrat ion t hat we ment ioned from t he Prophet . In short , t his st at ement is t he opinion of t he Companion, support ed by Ibn ` Abbas' st at ement t hat it is a part of t he Sunnah not t o assume Ihram for Haj j before t he mont hs of t he Haj j . Allah knows best .

The Months of Hajj

Allah said:

(...t he well-known mont hs.) Al-Bukhari said t hat Ibn ` Umar said t hat t hese are Shawwal, Dhul-Qa` dah and t he first t en days of Dhul-Hij j ah. This narrat ion for which Al-Bukhari did not ment ion t he chain of narrat ors, was collect ed by a cont inuous chain of narrat ors t hat Ibn Jarir rendered aut hent ic, leading t o Ibn ` Umar, who said:

(The Haj j (pilgrimage) is (in) t he well-known (lunar year) mont hs.) "which are Shawwal, DhulQa` dah and t he (first ) t en days of Dhul-Hij j ah.'' It s chain is Sahih. Al-Hakim also recorded it in his Must adrak, and he said,"It meet s t he crit eria of t he Two Shaykhs." This st at ement is also report ed from ` Umar, ` Ali, Ibn Mas` ud, ` Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr, Ibn ` Abbas, ` At a', Tawus, Muj ahid, Ibrahim An-Nakha` i, Imam Ash-Sha` bi, Al-Hasan, Ibn Sirin,

Makhul, Qat adah, Ad-Dahhak bin Muzahim, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Muqat il bin Hayyan. This opinion was preferred by Ibn Jarir who said, "It is a common pract ice t o call t wo mont hs and a part of t he t hird mont h as ` mont hs'. This is similar t o t he Arab's saying, ` I visit ed such and such person t his year or t his day.' He only visit ed him during a part of t he year and a part of t he day. Allah said:

(But whosoever hast ens t o leave in t wo days, t here is no sin on him.) In t his case, one will only be hast ening for one and a half days.'' Allah t hen said:

(So whosoever int ends (Farada) t o perform Haj j t herein (by assuming Ihram),) meaning t hat one's assuming t he Ihram requires a Haj j , for t he person is required t o complet e t he rit uals of Haj j aft er assuming Ihram. Ibn Jarir said t hat Al-` Awfi said, "The scholars agree t hat (Farada) ` int ends' ment ioned in t he Ayah means it is a requirement and an obligat ion.'' ` Ali bin Abu Talhah said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said: f

(So whosoever int ends t o perform Haj j t herein (by assuming Ihram), ) refers t o t hose who assume Ihram for Haj j and ` Umrah''. ` At a' said, "'Int ends', means, assumes t he Ihram.'' Similar st at ement s were at t ribut ed t o Ibrahim, Ad-Dahhak and ot hers.

Prohibition of Rafath (Sexual Intercourse) during Hajj

Allah said:

(He should not have Rafat h) This Ayah means t hat t hose who assume t he Ihram for Haj j or ` Umrah are required t o avoid t he Rafat h, meaning, sexual int ercourse. Allah's st at ement here is similar t o His st at ement :

(It is made lawful for you t o have Rafat h (sexual relat ions) wit h your wives on t he night of t he fast .) (2:187) What ever might lead t o sexual int ercourse, such as embracing, kissing and t alking t o women about similar subj ect s, is not allowed. Ibn Jarir report ed t hat Nafi` narrat ed t hat ` Abdullah bin ` Umar said, "Rafat h means sexual int ercourse or ment ioning t his subj ect wit h t he t ongue, by eit her men or women.'' ` At a' bin Abu Rabah said t hat Rafat h means sexual int ercourse and foul speech. This is also t he opinion of ` Amr bin Dinar. ` At a' also said t hat t hey used t o even prevent t alking (or hint ing) about t his subj ect . Tawus said t hat Rafat h includes one's saying, "When I end t he Ihram I will have sex wit h you.'' This is also t he same explanat ion offered by Abu Al-` Aliyah regarding Rafat h. ` Ali bin Abu Talhah said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Rafat h means having sex wit h t he wife, kissing, fondling and saying foul words t o her, and similar act s.'' Ibn ` Abbas and Ibn ` Umar said t hat Rafat h means t o have sex wit h women. This is also t he opinion of Sa` id bin Jubayr, ` Ikrimah, Muj ahid, Ibrahim An-Nakha` i, Abu Al-` Aliyah who narrat ed it from ` At a' and Makhul, ` At a Al-Khurasani, ` At a' bin Yasar, ` At iyah, Ibrahim, Ar-Rabi` , AzZuhri, As-Suddi, Malik bin Anas, Muqat il bin Hayyan, ` Abdul-Karim bin Malik, Al-Hasan, Qat adah and Ad-Dahhak, and ot hers.

The Prohibition of Fusuq during Hajj

Allah said:

(...nor commit sin) Miqsam and several ot her scholars relat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "It is disobedience." This is also t he opinion of ` At a,' Muj ahid, Tawus, ` Ikrimah, Sa` id bin Jubayr, Muhammad bin Ka` b, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, Ibrahim An-Nakha` i, Az-Zuhri, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, ` At a' bin Yasar, ` At a' Al-Khurasani and Muqat il bin Hayyan. Ibn Wahb report ed t hat Nafi` narrat ed t hat ` Abdullah bin ` Umar said, "Fusuq or sin ment ioned in t he Ayah (2:197) refers t o commit t ing what Allah has forbidden in t he Sacred Area.'' Several ot hers said t hat Fusuq means cursing ot hers, t hey based t his on t he aut hent ic Hadit h:

(Cursing t he Muslim is Fusuq, while fight ing him is Kufr.) ` Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said Fusuq here means slaught ering animals for t he idols, as Allah said:

(...or impious (Fisq) meat (of an animal) which is slaught ered as a sacrifice for ot hers t han Allah.) (6: 145)

Ad-Dahhak said t hat Fusuq is insult ing one anot her wit h bad nicknames. Those who said t hat t he Fusuq means all t ypes of disobedience are correct . Allah has also prohibit ed commit t ing inj ust ice during t he mont hs of Haj j in specific, alt hough inj ust ice is prohibit ed t hroughout t he year. This is why Allah said:

(...of t hem four are sacred. That is t he right religion, so wrong not yourselves t herein.) (9:36) Allah said about t he Sacred Area:

(...and whoever inclines t o evil act ions t herein or t o do wrong, him We shall cause t o t ast e from a painful t orment .) (22:25) It is recorded in t he Two Sahihs t hat Abu Hurayrah narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(Whoever performed Haj j t o t his (Sacred) House and did not commit Rafat h or Fusuq, will ret urn sinless, j ust as t he day his mot her gave birt h t o him.)

The Prohibition of arguing during Hajj

Allah said:

(nor should t here be Jidal during Haj j ) meaning, disput es and argument s. Ibn Jarir relat ed t hat ` Abdullah bin Mas` ud said t hat what Allah said:

(...nor disput e unj ust ly during t he Haj j .) means t o argue wit h your companion (or fellow) unt il you make him angry. This is similar t o t he t he opinion t hat Miqsam and Ad-Dahhak relat ed t o Ibn ` Abbas. This is also t he same meaning report ed from Abu Al-` Aliyah, ` At a', Muj ahid, Sa` id bin Jubayr, ` Ikrimah, Jabir bin Zayd, ` At a' Al-Khurasani, Makhul, As-Suddi, Muqat il bin Hayyan, ` Amr bin Dinar, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Ibrahim An-Nakha` i, ` At a bin Yasar, Al-Hasan, Qat adah and Az-Zuhri.

The Encouragement for Righteous Deeds and to bring Provisions for Hajj
Allah said:

(And what ever good you do, Allah knows it .) Aft er Allah prohibit ed evil in deed and t ongue, He encouraged right eous, good deeds, st at ing t hat He is knowledgeable of t he good t hat t hey do, and He will reward t hem wit h t he best awards on t he Day of Resurrect ion. Allah said next :

(And t ake provisions (wit h you) for t he j ourney, but t he best provision is At -Taqwa (piet y, right eousness).) Al-Bukhari and Abu Dawud report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "The people of Yemen used t o go t o Haj j wit hout t aking enough supplies wit h t hem. They used t o say, ` We are t hose who have Tawakkul (reliance on Allah).' Allah revealed t his Ayah:

(And t ake provisions (wit h you) for t he j ourney, but t he best provision is At -Taqwa (piet y, right eousness).) Ibn Jarir and Ibn Marduwyah narrat ed t hat Ibn ` Umar said, "When people assumed Ihram, t hey would t hrow away what ever provisions t hey had and would acquire ot her t ypes of provisions. Allah revealed:

(And t ake a provisions (wit h you) for t he j ourney, but t he best provision is At -Taqwa (piet y, right eousness).) Allah forbade t hem from t his pract ice and required t hem t o t ake flour and Sawiq (a t ype of food usually eat en wit h dat es) wit h t hem.''

The Provisions of the Hereafter

Allah said:

(...but t he best provision is At -Taqwa (piet y, right eousness).) When Allah required mankind t o supply t hemselves wit h what sust ains t hem for t he j ourneys of t his life, He direct ed t hem t o t he necessary provisions for t he Hereaft er: Taqwa. Allah said in anot her Ayah:

(...and as an adornment ; and t he raiment of Taqwa, t hat is bet t er.) (7:26) Allah ment ioned t he mat erial covering and t hen He ment ioned t he spirit ual covering, which includes humbleness, obedience and Taqwa. He also st at ed t hat t he lat t er provision is bet t er and more beneficial t han t he former.

(So fear Me, O men of underst anding!) meaning: ` Fear My t orment , punishment , and afflict ion for t hose who defy Me and do not adhere t o My commands, O people of reason and underst anding.'

(198. There is no sin on you if you seek t he bount y of your Lord (during pilgrimage by t rading). Then when you leave ` Arafat , remember Allah (by glorifying His praises, i.e., prayers and invocat ions) at t he Mash` ar-il-Haram. And remember Him (by invoking Allah for all good) as He has guided you, and verily you were before, of t hose who were ast ray).

Commercial Transactions during Hajj

Al-Bukhari report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "` Ukaz, Mij annah and Dhul-Maj az were t rading post s during t he t ime of Jahiliyyah. During t hat era, t hey did not like t he idea of conduct ing business t ransact ions during t he Haj j season. Lat er, t his Ayah was revealed:

(There is no sin on you if you seek t he bount y of your Lord.) during t he Haj j season.'' Abu Dawud and ot hers recorded t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "They used t o avoid conduct ing business t ransact ions during t he Haj j season, saying t hat t hese are t he days of Dhikr. Allah revealed:

(There is no sin on you if you seek t he bount y of your Lord (during pilgrimage by t rading).) This is also t he explanat ion of Muj ahid, Sa` id bin Jubayr, ` Ikrimah, Mansur bin Al-Mu` t amir, Qat adah, Ibrahim An-Nakha` i, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and ot hers. Ibn Jarir report ed t hat Abu Umaymah said t hat when Ibn ` Umar was asked about conduct ing t rade during t he Haj j , he recit ed t he Ayah:

(There is no sin on you if you seek t he bount y of your Lord (during pilgrimage by t rading). ) This Hadit h is relat ed t o Ibn ` Umar wit h a st rong chain of narrat ors. This Hadit h is also relat ed t o t he Prophet , as Ahmad report ed t hat Abu Umamah At -Taymi said, "I asked Ibn ` Umar, ` We buy (and sell during t he Haj j ), so do we st ill have a valid Haj j ' He said, ` Do you not perform Tawaf around t he House, st and at ` Arafat , t hrow t he pebbles and shave your heads' I said, ` Yes.' Ibn ` Umar said, ` A man came t o t he Prophet and asked him about what you asked me, and t he Prophet did not answer him unt il Jibril came down wit h t his Ayah:

(There is no sin on you if you seek t he bount y of your Lord (during pilgrimage by t rading).) The Prophet summoned t he man and said: (You are pilgrims).'' Ibn Jarir narrat ed t hat Abu Salih said t o ` Umar, "` O Leader of t he fait hful! Did you conduct t rade t ransact ions during t he Haj j '' He said, "Was t heir livelihood except during Haj j ''

Standing at ` Arafat

Allah said:

(Then when you leave ` Arafat , remember Allah (by glorifying His praises, i.e., prayers and invocat ions) at t he Mash` ar-il-Haram.) ` Arafat is t he place where one st ands during t he Haj j and it is a pillar of t he rit uals of Haj j . Imam Ahmad and t he Sunan compilers recorded t hat ` Abdur-Rahman bin Ya` mar Ad-Diyli said t hat he heard Allah's Messenger saying:

(Haj j is ` Arafat , (t hrice). Hence, t hose who have st ood at ` Arafat before dawn will have performed (t he rit uals of t he Haj j ). The days of Mina are t hree, and t here is no sin for t hose who move on aft er t wo days, or for t hose who st ay.) The t ime t o st and on ` Arafat st art s from noon on t he day of ` Arafah unt il dawn t he next day, which is t he day of t he Sacrifice (t he t ent h day of Dhul-Hij j ah). The Prophet st ood at ` Arafat during t he Farewell Haj j , aft er he had offered t he Zuhr (noon) prayer, unt il sunset . He said, "Learn your rit uals from me.'' In t his Hadit h (i. e., in t he previous paragraph) he said, "Whoever st ood at ` Arafat before dawn, will have performed (t he rit uals of Haj j ).'' c` Urwah bin Mudarris bin Harit hah bin Lam At -Ta'i said, "I came t o Allah's Messenger at Al-Muzdalifah when it was t ime t o pray. I said, ` O Messenger of Allah! I came from t he t wo mount ains of Tayy', and my animal became t ired and I became t ired. I have not left any mount ain, but st ood on it . Do I have a valid Haj j ' Allah's Messenger said:

(Whoever performed t his prayer wit h us, st ood wit h us unt il we moved fort h, and had st ood at ` Arafat before t hat , day or night , will have performed t he Haj j and complet ed it s rit uals).'' This Hadit h was collect ed by Imam Ahmad and t he compilers of t he Sunan, and At -Tirmidhi graded it S ahih. It was report ed t hat t he mount was called ` Arafat because, as ` Abdur-Razzaq report ed t hat ` Ali bin Abu Talib said, "Allah sent Jibril t o Prophet Ibrahim and he performed Haj j for him (t o t each him it s rit uals). When Ibrahim reached ` Arafat he said, ` I have ` Araft u (I know t his place).' He had come t o t hat area before. Thereaft er, it was called ` Arafat .'' Ibn AlMubarak said t hat ` At a' said, "It was called ` Arafat because Jibril used t o t each Ibrahim t he rit uals of Haj j . Ibrahim would say, ` I have ` Araft u, I have ` Araft u.' It was t hereaft er called ` Arafat .'' Similar st at ement s were at t ribut ed t o Ibn ` Abbas, Ibn ` Umar and Abu Mij laz. Allah knows best . ` Arafat is also called Al-Mash` ar Al-Haram, Al-Mash` ar Al-Aqsa and Ilal, while t he mount t hat is in t he middle of ` Arafat is called Jabal Ar-Rahmah (Mount of Mercy).

The Time to leave ` Arafat and Al-Muzdalifah

Ibn Abu Hat im report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "During t he t ime of Jahiliyyah, t he people used t o st and at ` Arafat . When t he sun would be on t op of t he mount ains, j ust as t he t urban is on t op of a man's head, t hey would move on. Allah's Messenger delayed moving from ` Arafat unt il sunset .'' Ibn Marduwyah relat ed t his Hadit h and added, "He t hen st ood at Al-Muzdalifah and offered t he Faj r (Dawn) prayer at an early t ime. When t he light of dawn broke, he moved on.'' This Hadit h has a Hasan chain of narrat ors. The long Hadit h t hat Jabir bin ` Abdullah narrat ed, which Muslim collect ed, st at ed, "The Prophet kept st anding t here (meaning at ` Arafat ) unt il sunset , when t he yellow light had somewhat gone and t he disc of t he sun had disappeared. Then, t he Prophet made Usamah sit behind him, and in order t o keep her under cont rol, pulled t he nose st ring of Al-Qaswa' so hard, t hat it s head t ouched t he saddle. He gest ured wit h his right hand and said, "Proceed calmly people, calmly!" Whenever he happened t o pass over an elevat ed t ract of sand, he light ly loosened t he nose st ring of his camel t ill she climbed up and t his is how t hey reached Al-Muzdalifah. There, he led t he Maghrib (Evening) and ` Isha' (Night ) prayers wit h one Adhan and t wo Iqamah (which announces t he imminent st art of t he act s of t he prayer) and did not glorify Allah in bet ween t hem (i.e., he did not perform volunt ary Rak` ah). Allah's Messenger t hen laid down t ill dawn and offered t he Faj r (Dawn) prayer wit h Adhan and Iqamah, when t he morning light was clear. He again mount ed Al-Qaswa', and when he came t o Al-Mash` ar Al-Haram, he faced t owards Qiblah, supplicat ed t o Allah, glorifying Him and saying, La ilaha illallah, and he cont inued st anding unt il t he daylight was very clear. He t hen went quickly before t he sun rose.'' It is report ed in t he Two Sahihs t hat Usamah bin Zayd was asked, "How was t he Prophet 's pace when he moved'' He said, "Slow, unless he found space, t hen he would go a lit t le fast er.''

Al-Mash` ar Al-Haram
Abdur-Razzaq report ed t hat Ibn ` Umar said t hat all of Al-Muzdalifah is Al-Mash` ar Al-Haram. It was report ed t hat Ibn ` Umar was asked about Allah's st at ement :


(...remember Allah (by glorif ying His praises, i.e., prayers and invocat ions) at t he Mash` ar-ilHaram.) He said, "It is t he Mount and t he surrounding area.'' It was report ed t hat Al-Mash` ar AlHaram is what is bet ween t he t wo Mount s (refer t o t he following Hadit h), as Ibn ` Abbas, Sa` id bin Jubayr, ` Ikrimah, Muj ahid, As-Suddi, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Al-Hasan and Qat adah have st at ed. Imam Ahmad recorded t hat Jubayr bin Mut ` im narrat ed t hat t he Prophet said:

(All of ` Arafat is a place of st anding, and keep away from ` Uranah. All of Al-Muzdalifah is a place for st anding, and keep away from t he bot t om of Muhassir. All of t he areas of Makkah are a place for sacrifice, and all of t he days of Tashriq are days of sacrifice.) Allah t hen said:

(And remember Him (by invoking Allah for all good) as He has guided you. ) This Ayah reminds Muslims of Allah's bount y on t hem t hat He has direct ed and t aught t hem t he rit uals of Haj j according t o t he guidance of Prophet Ibrahim Al-Khalil. This is why Allah said:

(...and verily, you were, before, of t hose who were ast ray.) It was said t hat t his Ayah refers t o t he condit ion before t he guidance or t he Qur'an or t he Messenger , all of which are correct meanings.

(199. Then depart from t he place whence all t he people depart and ask Allah for His forgiveness. Truly, Allah is Oft -Forgiving, Most -Merciful.

The Order to stand on ` Arafat and to depart from it

This Ayah cont ains Allah's order t o t hose who st and at ` Arafat t o also move on t o Al-Muzdalifah, so t hat t hey remember Allah at Al-Mash` ar Al-Haram. Allah commands t he Muslim t o st and wit h t he rest of t he pilgrims at ` Arafat , unlike Quraysh who (before Islam) used t o remain in t he sanct uary, near Al-Muzdalifah, saying t hat t hey are t he people of Allah's Town and t he servant s of His House. Al-Bukhari report ed t hat ` A'ishah said, "Quraysh and t heir allies, who used t o be called Al-Hums, used t o st ay in Al-Muzdalifah while t he rest of t he Arabs would st and at ` Arafat . When Islam came, Allah commanded His Prophet t o st and at ` Arafat and t hen proceed from t here. Hence Allah's st at ement :

(...from t he place whence all t he people depart .) This was also said by Ibn ` Abbas, Muj ahid, ` At a', Qat adah and As-Suddi and ot hers. Ibn Jarir chose t his opinion and said t hat t here is Ij ma` (a consensus among t he scholars) for it . Imam Ahmad report ed t hat Jubayr bin Mut ` im said, "My camel was lost and I went out in search of it on t he day of ` Arafah, and I saw t he Prophet st anding in ` Arafat . I said t o myself, ` By Allah he is from t he Hums. What has brought him here''' This Hadit h is also report ed in t he Sahihayn. Al-Bukhari report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ` depart ' ment ioned in t he Ayah refers t o proceeding from Al-Muzdalifah t o Mina t o st one t he pillars. Allah knows best .

Asking Allah for His Forgiveness

Allah said:

(...and ask Allah for His forgiveness. Truly, Allah is Oft -Forgiving, Most -Merciful.) Allah frequent ly orders remembrance of Him aft er act s of worship are finished. Muslim report ed t hat Allah's Messenger used t o ask Allah for His forgiveness t hrice aft er t he prayer is finished. It is report ed in t he Two Sahihs t hat t he Prophet encouraged Tasbih (saying Subhan Allah, i.e., Glorified is Allah), Tahmid (saying Al-Hamdu Lillah, i.e., praise be t o Allah) and Takbir (saying Allahu Akbar, i.e., Allah is t he Most Great ) t hirt y-t hree t imes each (aft er prayer). Ibn Marduwyah collect ed t he Hadit h t hat Al-Bukhari report ed from Shaddad bin Aws, who st at ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

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(The mast er of supplicat ion for forgiveness, is for t he servant t o say: ` O Allah! You are my Lord, t here is no deit y wort hy of worship except You. You have creat ed me and I am Your servant . I am on Your covenant , as much as I can be, and await ing Your promise. I seek refuge wit h You from t he evil t hat I have commit t ed. I admit Your favor on me and admit my fault s. So forgive me, for none except You forgives t he sins.' Whoever said t hese words at night and died t hat same night will ent er Paradise. Whoever said it during t he day and died will ent er Paradise.) Furt hermore, it is report ed in t he Two Sahihs t hat ` Abdullah bin ` Amr said t hat Abu Bakr said, "O Messenger of Allah! Teach me an invocat ion so t hat I may invoke (Allah) wit h it in my prayer. He t old me t o say:

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(Allahumma inni zalamt u nafsi zulman kat hiran, wa la yaghfirudh-dhunuba illa Ant a faghfirli maghfirat an min ` indika, war-hamni innaka Ant al-Ghafur-ur-Rahim (O Allah! I have done great inj ust ice t o myself and none except You forgives sins, so please forgive me and be merciful t o me as You are t he Forgiver, t he Merciful).) There are many ot her Hadit hs on t his subj ect .

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(200. So when you have accomplished your Manasik, remember Allah as you remember your forefat hers or wit h far more remembrance. But of mankind t here are some who say: "Our Lord! Give us (Your bount ies) in t his world!'' and for such t here will be no port ion in t he Hereaft er.) (201. And of t hem t here are some who say: "Our Lord! Give us in t his world t hat which is good and in t he Hereaft er t hat which is good, and save us from t he t orment of t he Fire!'') (202. For t hem t here will be allot ed a share for what t hey have earned. And Allah is swift at reckoning.)

The Order for Remembrance of Allah and seeking Good in this Life and the Hereafter upon completing the Rites of Hajj
Allah commands t hat He be remembered aft er t he rit uals are performed.

(...as you remember your forefat hers) Sa` id bin Jubayr said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "During t he t ime of Jahiliyyah, people used t o st and during t he (Haj j ) season, and one of t hem would say, ` My fat her used t o feed (t he poor), help ot hers (end t heir disput es, wit h his money), pay t he Diyah (i.e., blood money),' and so fort h. The only Dhikr t hat t hey had was t hat t hey would remember t he deeds of t heir fat hers. Allah t hen revealed t o Muhammad :

(Remember Allah as you remember your forefat hers or wit h far more remembrance.) Therefore, remembering Allah t he Exalt ed and Ever High is always encouraged. We should ment ion t hat when Allah used "or'' in t he Ayah, He meant t o encourage t he people t o remember Him more t han t hey remember t heir forefat hers, not t hat t he word ent ails a doubt (as t o which is larger or bigger). This st at ement is similar t o t he Ayat :


(...as st ones or even worse in hardness) (2:74) and,

(. ..fear men as t hey fear Allah or even more) (4:77) and,

(And We sent him t o a hundred t housand (people) or even more) (37:147) and,

(And was at a dist ance of t wo bows' lengt h or (even) nearer.) (53:9) Allah encourages calling Him in supplicat ion aft er remembering Him, because t his will make it more likely t hat t he supplicat ion will be accept ed. Allah also crit icizes t hose who only supplicat e t o Him about t he affairs of t his life, while ignoring t he affairs of t he Hereaft er. Allah said:

(But of mankind t here are some who say: "Our Lord! Give us (Your bount ies) in t his world!'' and for such t here will be no port ion in t he Hereaft er.) qmeaning, t hey have no share in t he Hereaft er. This crit icism serves t o discourage ot her people from imit at ing t hose ment ioned. Sa` id bin Jubayr said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Some bedouins used t o come t o t he st anding area (` Arafat ) and supplicat e saying, ` O Allah! Make it a rainy year, a fert ile year and a year of good child bearing.' They would not ment ion any of t he affairs of t he Hereaft er. Thus, Allah revealed about t hem:

(But of mankind t here are some who say: "Our Lord! Give us (Your bount ies) in t his world!'' and for such t here will be no port ion in t he Hereaft er.) The believers who came aft er t hem used t o say:

(Our Lord! Give us in t his world t hat which is good and in t he Hereaft er t hat which is good, and save us from t he t orment of t he Fire!'') Next , Allah revealed:

(For t hem t here will be allot ed a share for what t hey have earned. And Allah is swift at reckoning.) Hence, Allah praised t hose who ask for t he affairs of bot h t his life and t he Hereaft er. He said:

(And of t hem t here are some who say: "Our Lord! Give us in t his world t hat which is good and in t he Hereaft er t hat which is good, and save us from t he t orment of t he Fire!'') The supplicat ion ment ioned and praised in t he Ayah includes all good aspect s of t his life and seeks refuge from all t ypes of evil. The good of t his life concerns every mat erial request of well-being, spacious dwelling, pleasing mat es, sufficient provision, beneficial knowledge, good profession or deeds, comfort able means of t ransport at ion and good praise, all of which t he scholars of Tafsir have ment ioned regarding t his subj ect . All of t hese are but a part of t he good t hat is sought in t his life. As for t he good of t he Hereaft er, t he best of t his includes acquiring Paradise, which also means acquiring safet y from t he great est horror at t he gat hering place. It also refers t o being quest ioned light ly and t he ot her favors in t he Hereaft er. As for acquiring safet y from t he Fire, it includes being direct ed t o what leads t o t his good end in t his world, such as avoiding t he prohibit ions, sins of all kinds and doubt ful mat t ers.

Al-Qasim bin ` Abdur-Rahman said, "Whoever is gift ed wit h a grat eful heart , a remembering t ongue and a pat ient body, will have been endowed wit h a good deed in t his life, a good deed in t he Hereaft er and saved from t he t orment of t he Fire.'' This is why t he Sunnah encourages recit ing t his Du` a' (i.e., in t he Ayah about gaining a good deed in t his life and t he Hereaft er). Al-Bukhari report ed t hat Anas bin Malik narrat ed t hat t he Prophet used t o say:

(O Allah, our Lord! Give us t hat which is good in t his life, t hat which is good in t he Hereaft er and save us from t he t orment of t he Fire.) Imam Ahmad report ed t hat Anas said, "Allah's Messenger visit ed a Muslim man who had become as weak as a sick small bird. Allah's Messenger said t o him, ` Were you asking or supplicat ing t o Allah about somet hing' He said, ` Yes. I used t o say: O Allah! What ever punishment you saved for me in t he Hereaft er, give it t o me in t his life.' Allah's Messenger said:

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( (All praise is due t o Allah! You cannot bear it -or st and it -. You should have said: (Our Lord! Give us in t his world t hat which is good and in t he Hereaft er t hat which is good, and save us from t he t orment of t he Fire!)) The man began recit ing t his Du` a and he was cured.'' Muslim also recorded it . Al-Hakim report ed t hat Sa` id bin Jubayr said, "A man came t o Ibn ` Abbas and said, ` I worked for some people and set t led for a part of my compensat ion in ret urn for t heir t aking me t o perform Haj j wit h t hem. Is t his accept able' Ibn ` Abbas said, ` You are among t hose whom Allah described:

(For t hem t here will be allot ed a share for what t hey have earned. And Allah is swift at reckoning.) Al-Hakim t hen comment ed; "This Hadit h is aut hent ic according t o t he crit eria of t he Two Shaykhs (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) alt hough t hey did not record it ."

(203. And remember Allah during t he Appoint ed Days. But whosoever hast ens t o leave in t wo days, t here is no sin on him and whosoever st ays on, t here is no sin on him, if his aim is t o do good and obey Allah (fear Him), and know t hat you will surely be gat hered unt o Him.)

Remembering Allah during the Days of Tashriq - Days of Eating and Drinking
Ibn ` Abbas said, ` The Appoint ed Days are t he Days of Tashriq (11-12-13t h of Dhul-Hij j ah) while t he Known Days are t he (first ) t en (days of Dhul-Hij j ah).'' ` Ikrimah said t hat :

(And remember Allah during t he Appoint ed Days.) means recit ing t he Takbir -- Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, during t he days of Tashriq aft er t he compulsory prayers. Imam Ahmad report ed t hat ` Uqbah bin ` Amr said t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(The day of ` Arafah (9t h of Dhul-Hij j ah), t he day of t he Sacrifice (10t h) and t he days of t he Tashriq (11-12-13t h) are our ` Id (fest ival) for we people of Islam. These are days of eat ing and drinking.) Imam Ahmad report ed t hat Nubayshah Al-Hudhali said t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(The days of Tashriq are days of eat ing, drinking and Dhikr (remembering) of Allah.) Muslim also recorded t his Hait h We also ment ioned t he Hadit h of Jubayr bin Mut ` im:

(All of ` Arafat is a st anding place and all of t he days of Tashriq are days of Sacrifice. ) We also ment ioned t he Hadit h by ` Abdur-Rahman bin Ya` mar Ad-Diyli:

(The days of Mina (Tashriq) are t hree. Those who hast en in t wo days t hen t here is no sin in it , and t hose who delay (i.e., remain in Mina for a t hird day) t hen t here is no sin in it .) Ibn Jarir report ed t hat Abu Hurayrah narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(The days of Tashriq are days of eat ing and remembering Allah.) Ibn Jarir report ed t hat Abu Hurayrah narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger sent ` Abdullah bin Hudhafah t o Mina proclaiming:

(Do not fast t hese days (i.e., Tashriq days), for t hey are days of eat ing, drinking and remembering Allah t he Exalt ed and Most Honored.)

The Appointed Days

Miqsam said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat t he Appoint ed Days are t he days of Tashriq, four days: t he day of t he Sacrifice (10t h of Dhul-Hij j ah) and t hree days aft er t hat . This opinion was also report ed of Ibn ` Umar, Ibn Az-Zubayr, Abu Musa, ` At a', Muj ahid, ` Ikrimah, Sa` id bin Jubayr, Abu Malik, Ibrahim An-Nakha` i, Yahya bin Abu Kat hir, Al-Hasan,

Qat adah, As-Suddi, Az-Zuhri, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Ad-Dahhak, Muqat il bin Hayyan, ` At a' AlKhurasani, Malik bin Anas, and ot hers. In addit ion, t he apparent meaning of t he following Ayah support s t his opinion:

(But whosoever hast ens t o leave in t wo days, t here is no sin on him and whosoever st ays on, t here is no sin on him.) So t he Ayah hint s t o t he t hree days aft er t he day of Sacrifice. Allah's st at ement :

(And remember Allah during t he Appoint ed Days) direct s remembering Allah upon slaught ering t he animals, aft er t he prayers, and by Dhikr (supplicat ion) in general. It also includes Takbir and remembering Allah while t hrowing t he pebbles every day during t he Tashriq days. A Hadit h t hat Abu Dawud and several ot hers collect ed st at es:

(Tawaf around t he House, Sa` i bet ween As-Safa and Al-Marwah and t hrowing t he pebbles were legislat ed so t hat Allah is remembered in Dhikr.) When ment ioning t he first procession (refer t o 2:199) and t he second procession of t he people upon t he end of t he Haj j season, when t hey st art t o ret urn t o t heir areas, aft er t hey had gat hered during t he rit uals and at t he st anding places, Allah said,

(and obey Allah (fear Him), and know t hat you will surely be gat hered unt o Him.) Similarly, Allah said:

(And it is He Who has creat ed you on t he eart h, and t o Him you shall be gat hered back.) (23:79)

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(204. And of mankind t here is he whose speech may please you (O Muhammad ), in t his worldly life, and he calls Allah t o wit ness as t o t hat which is in his heart , yet he is t he most quarrelsome of t he opponent s.) (205. And when he t urns away (from you O Muhammad ), his effort in t he land is t o make mischief t herein and t o dest roy t he crops and t he cat t le, and Allah likes not mischief). (206. And when it is said t o him, "Fear Allah'', he is led by arrogance t o (more) crime. So enough for him is Hell, and worst indeed is t hat place t o rest !) (207. And of mankind is he who would sell himself, seeking t he pleasure of Allah. And Allah is full of kindness t o (His) servant s.)

The Characteristics of the Hypocrites

As-Suddi said t hat t hese Ayat were revealed about Al-Akhnas bin Shariq At h-Thaqafi who came t o Allah's Messenger and announced his Islam alt hough his heart concealed ot herwise. Ibn ` Abbas narrat ed t hat t hese Ayat were revealed about some of t he hypocrit es who crit icized Khubayb and his companions who were killed during t he Raj i` incident . Thereaft er, Allah sent down His condemnat ion of t he hypocrit es and His praise for Khubayb and his companions:

(And of mankind is he who would sell himself, seeking t he pleasure of Allah.) It was also said t hat t hey refer t o t he hypocrit es and t he believers in general. This is t he opinion of Qat adah, Muj ahid, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and several ot hers, and it is correct .

Ibn Jarir relat ed t hat Al-Qurazi said t hat Nawf Al-Bikali, who used t o read (previous Divine) Books said, "I find t he descript ion of some members of t his Ummah in t he previously revealed Books of Allah: t hey (hypocrit es) are people who use t he religion t o gain mat erial benefit . Their t ongues are sweet er t han honey, but t heir heart s are more bit t er t han Sabir (a bit t er plant , aloe). They show t he people t he appearance of sheep while t heir heart s hide t he viciousness of wolves. Allah said, ` They dare challenge Me, but t hey are deceived by Me. I swear by Myself t hat I will send a Fit nah (t rial, calamit y) on t hem t hat will make t he wise man bewildered.' I cont emplat ed about t hese st at ement s and found t hem in t he Qur'an describing t he hypocrit es:

(And of mankind t here is he whose speech may please you (O Muhammad ), in t his worldly life, and he calls Allah t o wit ness as t o t hat which is in his heart ,) This st at ement by Al-Qurazi is Hasan Sahih. Allah said:

(...and he calls Allah t o wit ness as t o t hat which is in his heart ,) This Ayah indicat es t hat such people pret end t o be Muslims, but defy Allah by t he disbelief and hypocrisy t hat t heir heart s conceal. Similarly Allah said:

(They may hide (t heir crimes) from men, but t hey cannot hide (t hem) from Allah.) (4:108) This Tafsir was report ed from Ibn ` Abbas by Ibn Ishaq. It was also said t hat t he Ayah means t hat when such people announce t heir Islam, t hey swear by Allah t hat what is in t heir heart s is t he same of what t heir t ongues are pronouncing. This is also a correct meaning for t he Ayah t hat was chosen by ` Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam. It is also t he choice of Ibn Jarir who relat ed it t o Ibn ` Abbas and Muj ahid. Allah knows best . Allah said:

(Yet he is t he most Aladd of t he opponent s.) (2:204) lThe Ayah used t he word Aladd here, which lit erally means ` wicked' (here it means ` quarrelsome'). A variat ion of t he word Ludda was also used in anot her Ayah:


(So t hat you (Muhammad) warn wit h it (t he Qur'an) a Ludda people.) (19:97) Hence, a hypocrit e lies, alt ers t he t rut h when he quarrels and does not care for t he t rut h. Rat her, he deviat es from t he t rut h, deceives and becomes most quarrelsome. It is report ed in Sahih t hat Allah's Messenger said:

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(The signs of a hypocrit e are t hree: Whenever he speaks, he t ells a lie. Whenever he promises, he always breaks it (his promise). If you have a disput e wit h him, he is most quarrelsome.) Imam Bukhari report ed t hat ` A'ishah narrat ed t hat t he Prophet said:

(The most hat ed person t o Allah is he who is Aladd and Khasim (meaning most quarrelsome).) Allah t hen said:

(And when he t urns away (from you O Muhammad), he st ruggles in t he land t o make mischief t herein and t o dest roy t he crops and t he cat t le, and Allah likes not mischief.) This Ayah indicat es t hat such persons are deviant in t he t ongue, evil in t he deeds, t heir words are fabricat ed, t heir belief is wicked and t heir works are immoral. The Ayah used t he (Arabic word) Sa` a (lit erally, ` t ries' or ` int ends'). This word was also used t o describe Pharaoh:

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(Then he t urned his back, Yas` a (st riving hard against Allah). Then he gat hered (his people) and cried aloud saying, ` I am your lord, most high.' So Allah, seized him wit h a punishing example for his last and first t ransgression. Verily, in t his is an inst ruct ive admonit ion for whosoever fears Allah.) (79:22-26) Sa` a was also used in t he Ayah :

(O you who believe (Muslims)! When t he call is proclaimed for t he Salah (prayer) on t he day of Friday (Jumu` ah prayer), As` aw come t o t he remembrance of Allah.) (62:9) This Ayah means, ` (when t he call t o t he Friday prayer is announced) int end and t hen proceed t o at t end t he Friday prayer.' We should ment ion t hat hast ening t o t he mosque is condemed by t he Sunnah (as t his is anot her meaning for t he word Sa` a):

(When you come t o at t end t he prayer, do not come in a Sa` i (hast e). Rat her, come t o it while walking at ease and in peace (or grace). ) The hypocrit e has no mot ive in t his life but t o cause mischief and t o dest roy t he crops and t he offspring, including what t he animals produce and what t he people depend on for t heir livelihood. Muj ahid said, "If t he hypocrit e st rives for mischief in t he land, Allah prevent s t he rain from falling and t hus t he crops and t he offspring perish.'' The Ayah cont inues:

(...and Allah likes not mischief.) t hat is, Allah does not like t hose who possess t hese charact erist ics, or t hose who act like t his.

Rejecting Advice is Characteristic of the Hypocrites

Allah said:

(And when it is said t o him, "Fear Allah'', he is led by arrogance t o (more) crime.)

This Ayah indicat es t hat when t he hypocrit e, who deviat es in his speech and deeds, is advised and commanded t o fear Allah, refrain from his evil deeds and adhere t o t he t rut h, he refuses and becomes angry and out raged, as he is used t o doing evil. This Ayah is similar t o what Allah said:

(And when Our clear verses are recit ed t o t hem, you will not ice a denial on t he faces of t he disbelievers! They are nearly ready t o at t ack wit h violence t hose who recit e Our verses t o t hem. Say: "Shall I t ell you of somet hing worse t han t hat The Fire (of Hell) which Allah has promised t o t hose who disbelieved, and worst indeed is t hat dest inat ion!) (22:72) This is why in t his Ayah, Allah said:

(So enough for him is Hell, and worst indeed is t hat place t o rest ) meaning, t he Fire is enough punishment for t he hypocrit e.

The Sincere Believer prefers pleasing Allah

Allah said:

(And of mankind is he who would sell himself, seeking t he pleasure of Allah.) Aft er Allah described t he evil charact erist ics of t he hypocrit es, He ment ioned t he good qualit ies of t he believers. Allah said:


(And of mankind is he who would sell himself, seeking t he pleasure of Allah.) Ibn ` Abbas, Anas, Sa` id bin Musayyib, Abu ` Ut hman An-Nahdi, ` Ikrimah and several ot her scholars said t hat t his Ayah was revealed about Suhayb bin Sinan Ar-Rumi. When Suhayb became a Muslim in Makkah and int ended t o migrat e (t o Al-Madinah), t he people (Quraysh) prevent ed him from migrat ing wit h his money. They said t hat if he forfeit s his propert y, he is free t o migrat e. He abandoned his money and preferred t o migrat e, and Allah revealed t his Ayah about him. ` Umar bin Khat t ab and several ot her Companions met Suhayb close t o t he out skirt s of Al-Madinah at Al-Harrah (flat lands wit h black st ones). They said t o him, "The t rade has indeed been successful.'' He answered t hem, "You t oo, may Allah never allow your t rade t o fail. What is t he mat t er'' ` Umar t old him t hat Allah has revealed t his Ayah (2:207) about him. It was also report ed t hat Allah's Messenger said, "The t rade has been successful, O Suhayb!'' The meaning of t he Ayah (2:207) includes every Muj ahid in t he way of Allah. Allah said in anot her Ayah:

(Verily, Allah has purchased of t he believers t heir lives and t heir propert ies for (t he price) t hat t heirs shall be t he Paradise. They fight in Allah's cause, so t hey kill (ot hers) and are killed. It is a promise in t rut h which is binding on Him in t he Tawrah and t he Inj il and t he Qur'an. And who is t ruer t o his covenant t han Allah Then rej oice in t he bargain which you have concluded. That is t he supreme success.) (9:111) When Hisham bin ` Amr penet rat ed t he lines of t he enemy, some people crit icized him. ` Umar bin Al-Khat t ab and Abu Hurayrah refut ed t hem and recit ed t his Ayah:

(And of mankind is he who would sell himself, seeking t he pleasure of Allah. And Allah is full of kindness t o (His) servant s.)

(208.O you who believe! Ent er Silm perfect ly, and follow not t he foot st eps of Shayt an (Sat an). Verily, he is t o you a plain enemy.) (209. Then if you slide back aft er t he clear signs (Prophet Muhammad , and t his Qur'an and Islam) have come t o you, t hen know t hat Allah is All-Might y, All-Wise).

Entering Islam in its Entirety is obligated

Allah commands His servant s who believe in Him and have fait h in His Messenger t o implement all of Islam's legislat ion and law, t o adhere t o all of it s commandment s, as much as t hey can, and t o refrain from all of it s prohibit ions. ` Al-` Awfi said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, and also Muj ahid, Tawus, Ad-Dahhak, ` Ikrimah, Qat adah, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd said t hat Allah's st at ement :

(Ent er Silm) means Islam. Allah's st at ement :

(...perfect ly) means, in it s ent iret y. This is t he Tafsir of Ibn ` Abbas, Muj ahid, Abu Al-` Aliyah, ` Ikrimah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, As-Suddi, Muqat il bin Hayyan, Qat adah and Ad-Dahhak. Muj ahid said t hat t he Ayah means, ` Perform all t he good works and t he various pious deeds, t his is especially addressed t o t hose from among t he People of t he Script ure who embraced t he fait h.' Ibn Abu Hat im report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat :

(O you who believe! Ent er Silm perfect ly) refers t o t he believers among t he People of t he Script ure. This is because t hey believed in Allah, some of t hem st ill followed some part s of t he Tawrah and t he previous revelat ions. So Allah said:

(Ent er Islam perfect ly.) Allah t hus commanded t hem t o embrace t he legislat ion of t he religion of Muhammad in it s ent iret y and t o avoid abandoning any part of it . They should no longer adhere t o t he Tawrah. Allah t hen said:

(...and follow not t he foot st eps of Shayt an) meaning, perform t he act s of worship and avoid what Sat an commands you t o do. This is because:

(He (Shayt an) commands you only what is evil and Fahsha' (sinful), and t hat you should say about Allah what you know not .) (2:169) and:

(He only invit es his Hizb (followers) t hat t hey may become t he dwellers of t he blazing Fire.) (35:6) Hence, Allah said:

(Verily, he is t o you an open enemy.) Allah said:

(Then if you slide back aft er t he clear signs have come t o you) meaning, if you deviat e from t he Trut h aft er clear proofs have been est ablished against you,


(...t hen know t hat Allah is All-Might y) in His punishment , and no one can escape His vengeance or defeat Him.

(All-Wise) in His decisions, act ions and rulings. Hence Abu Al-` Aliyah, Qat adah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said, "He is Might y in His vengeance, Wise in His decision.''

(210. Do t hey t hen wait for anyt hing ot her t han t hat Allah should come t o t hem over t he shadows of t he clouds and t he angels (Then) t he case would be already j udged. And t o Allah ret urn all mat t ers (for decision).)

Do not delay embracing the Faith

(Do t hey t hen wait for anyt hing ot her t han t hat Allah should come t o t hem over t he shadows of t he clouds and t he angels) on t he Day of Resurrect ion t o j udge t he early and t he lat t er creat ions. Allah shall t hen reward each according t o his or her deeds; and whoever does good shall see it , and whoever does evil shall see it . This is why Allah said:

((Then) t he case would be already j udged. And t o Allah ret urn all mat t ers (for decision).) Similarly, Allah said:

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(Nay! When t he eart h is ground t o powder. And your Lord comes wit h t he angels in rows. And Hell will be brought near t hat Day. On t hat Day will man remember, but how will t hat remembrance (t hen) avail him) (89:21-23) and:

(Do t hey t hen wait for anyt hing ot her t han t hat t he angels should come t o t hem, or t hat your Lord (Allah) should come, or t hat some of t he signs of your Lord should come (i. e., port ent s of t he Hour, e.g., rising of t he sun from t he west )!) (6:158) Abu Ja` far Razi report ed t hat Abu Al-` Aliyah narrat ed t hat :

(Do t hey t hen wait for anyt hing ot her t han t hat Allah should come t o t hem over t he shadows of t he clouds and t he angels) means, t he angels will descend on t he shadows of clouds, while Allah comes as He wills. Some of t he recit ers read it ,

Do t hey t hen wait for anyt hing ot her t han t hat Allah should come t o t hem and also t he angels over t he shadows of t he clouds. This is similar t o Allah's ot her st at ement :

(And (remember) t he Day when t he heaven shall be rent asunder wit h clouds, and t he angels will be sent down, wit h a grand descending.) (25:25)

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(211. Ask t he Children of Israel how many clear Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelat ions, et c.) We gave t hem. And whoever changes Allah's favor aft er it has come t o him, e.g., renounces t he religion of Allah (Islam) and accept s Kufr (disbelief) t hen surely, Allah is severe in punishment .) (212. Beaut ified is t he life of t his world for t hose who disbelieve, and t hey mock at t hose who believe. But t hose who have Taqwa, will be above t hem on t he Day of Resurrect ion. And Allah gives (of His bount y, blessings, favors, and honors on t he Day of Resurrect ion) t o whom He wills wit hout limit .)

The Punishment for changing Allah's Favor and mocking the Believers
Allah ment ioned t hat t he Children of Israel, were wit nesses t o many clear signs t hat at t est t o t he t rut h of Moses regarding what he was sent wit h for t hem. They wit nessed his hand (when it became lit wit h light ), his part ing t he sea, his st riking t he rock (and wat er flowed from t he rock), t he clouds t hat shaded t hem during t he int ense heat , t he manna and t he quails, and so fort h. These signs at t est ed t o t he exist ence of t he Creat or and t he t rut h of Moses by whose hand t hese signs appeared. Yet , so many among t hem changed Allah's favor, by preferring disbelief t o fait h and by ignoring Allah's favors,

(And whoever changes Allah's favor aft er it had come t o him, t hen surely, Allah is severe in punishment .) Similarly, Allah said about t he disbelievers of Quraysh:

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(Have you not seen t hose who have changed t he blessings of Allah int o disbelief, and caused t heir people t o dwell in t he house of dest ruct ion Hell, in which t hey will burn, and what an evil place t o set t le in!) (14:28, 29) Then Allah st at es t hat He has made t he life of t his world beaut iful for t he disbelievers who are sat isfied wit h it , who collect wealt h, but refrain from spending it on what t hey have been commanded, which could earn t hem Allah's pleasure. Inst ead, t hey ridicule t he believers who ignore t his life and who spend what ever t hey earn on what pleases t heir Lord. The believers spend seeking Allah's Face, and t his is why t hey have gained t he ult imat e happiness and t he best share on t he Day of t he Ret urn. Therefore, t hey will be exalt ed above t he disbelievers at t he Gat hering Place, when t hey are gat hered, during t he resurrect ion and in t heir final dest inat ion. The believers will reside in t he highest grades in t he ut most highs, while t he disbelievers will reside in t he lowest of lows (in t he Fire). This is why Allah said:

(And Allah gives t o whom He wills wit hout limit .) This Ayah indicat es t hat Allah gives sust enance t o whomever He wills of His servant s wit hout count or limit in t his and t he Hereaft er. A Hadit h has st at ed (t hat Allah said):

(O son of Adam! Spend (in Allah's cause) and I (Allah) will spend on you.) The Prophet said:

(O Bilal! Spend and do not fear deprivat ion from t he Owner of t he Throne.) Allah said:

(...and what soever you spend of anyt hing (in Allah's cause), He will replace it .) (34:39) In addit ion, it is report ed in t he Sahih (t hat t he Prophet said):

: :
(Every day t wo angels come down from heavens and one of t hem says, ` O Allah! Compensat e every person who spends in Your cause,' and t he ot her (angel) says, ` O Allah! Dest roy every miser.') Also in t he Sahih:

. :
(The son of Adam says, ` My money, my money!' Yet , what is your money except t hat which you eat and use up, wear and t ear, and spend in charit y and t hus keep (in your record). Ot her t han t hat , it will go away and will be left for t he people (t he inherit ors).) In addit ion, Imam Ahmad report ed t hat t he Prophet said:

(The Dunya (life of t his world) is t he residence of t hose who have no residence, t he wealt h of t hose who have no wealt h, and it is harvest ed by t hose who have no sense of reason.)


(213. Mankind was one communit y and Allah sent Prophet s wit h glad t idings and warnings, and wit h t hem He sent down t he Script ure in t rut h t o j udge bet ween people in mat t ers wherein t hey differed. And only t hose t o whom (t he Script ure) was given differed concerning it , aft er clear proofs had come unt o t hem, t hrough hat red, one t o anot her. Then Allah by His leave guided t hose who believed t o t he t rut h of t hat wherein t hey differed. And Allah guides whom He wills t o t he st raight pat h).

Disputing, after the Clear Signs have come, indicates Deviation

Ibn Jarir report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "There were t en generat ions bet ween Adam and Nuh, all of t hem on t he religion of Trut h. They lat er disput ed so Allah sent t he Prophet s as warners and bringers of glad t idings.'' He t hen said t hat t his is how ` Abdullah read t he Ayah:

The people were one Ummah and t hey t hen disput ed. Al-Hakim recorded t his in his Must adrak and said, "It s chain of narrat ors is Sahih, but t hey (AlBukhari and Muslim) did not record it .'' Abu Ja` far Razi report ed t hat Abu Al-` Aliyah said t hat Ubayy bin Ka` b read t he Ayah as:

The people were one Ummah and t hey t hen disput ed and Allah sent t he Prophet s as warners and bringers of glad t idings. ` Abdur-Razzaq said t hat Ma` mar said t hat Qat adah said t hat Allah's st at ement :

(Mankind was one communit y) means; "They all had t he guidance. Then:


They disput ed and Allah sent Prophet s. The first t o be sent was Nuh." ` Abdur-Razzaq report ed t hat Abu Hurayrah comment ed on:

(Then Allah by His leave guided t hose who believed t o t he t rut h of t hat wherein t hey differed. ) saying t hat t he Prophet said:

(We are t he last (nat ion), but t he first (foremost ) on t he Day of Resurrect ion. We are t he first people t o ent er Paradise, alt hough t hey (Jews and Christ ians) have been given t he Book before us and we aft er t hem. Allah has guided us t o t he t rut h wherever t hey disput ed over it . This is t he day (Friday) t hat t hey disput ed about , Allah guided us t o it . So, t he people follow us, as t omorrow is for t he Jews and t he day aft er is for t he Christ ians.) Ibn Wahb relat ed t hat ` Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said t hat his fat her said about t he Ayah:

(Then Allah by His leave guided t hose who believed t o t he t rut h of t hat wherein t hey differed.) They disput ed about t he day of Congregat ion (Friday). The Jews made it Sat urday while t he Christ ians chose Sunday. Allah guided t he Ummah of Muhammad t o Friday. They also disput ed about t he t rue Qiblah. The Christ ians faced t he east while t he Jews faced Bayt Al-Maqdis. Allah guided t he Ummah of Muhammad t o t he t rue Qiblah (Ka` bah in Makkah). They also disput ed about t he prayer, as some of t hem bow down, but do not prost rat e, while ot hers prost rat e, but do not bow down. Some of t hem pray while t alking and some while walking. Allah guided t he Ummah of Muhammad t o t he t rut h. They also disput ed about t he fast ; some of t hem fast during a part of t he day, while ot hers fast from cert ain t ypes of foods. Allah guided t he Ummah of Muhammad t o t he t rut h. They also disput ed about Ibrahim. The Jews said, ` He was a Jew,' while t he Christ ians considered him Christ ian. Allah has made him a Haniyfan Musliman. Allah has guided t he Ummah of Muhammad t o t he t rut h. They also disput ed about ` Isa. The Jews rej ect ed him and accused his mot her of a grave sin, while t he Christ ians made him a god and t he son of God. Allah made him by His Word and a spirit from (t hose He creat ed) Him. Allah guided t he Ummah of Muhammad t o t he t rut h.'' Allah t hen said:

(...by His leave) meaning, ` By His knowledge of t hem and by what He has direct ed and guided t hem t o,' according t o Ibn Jarir. Also:

(And Allah guides whom He wills) means from among His creat ion. (Allah said:)

(...t o t he st raight way) meaning, He commands t he decision and t he clear proof. Al-Bukhari and Muslim report ed t hat ` A'ishah narrat ed t hat when Allah's Messenger used t o wake up at night t o pray, he would say:


(O Allah, t he Lord of (angels) Jibril, Mika'il and Israfil, Creat or of t he heavens and eart h and Knower of t he seen and t he unseen. You j udge bet ween Your servant s regarding what t hey have disput ed in, so guide me t o what have been t he subj ect of disput e of t he t rut h by Your leave. Indeed, You guide whom You will t o t he st raight pat h.( A Du` a reads:

(O Allah! Show us t he t rut h as t rut h, and best ow adherence t o it on us. Show us t he evil as evil, and make us st ay away from it , and do not confuse us regarding t he realit y of evil so t hat we will not be led ast ray by it , and make us leaders for t he believers.)

(214. Or t hink you t hat you will ent er Paradise wit hout such (t rials) as came t o t hose who passed away before you They were afflict ed wit h severe povert y and ailment s and were so shaken t hat even t he Messenger and t hose who believed along wit h him said, "When (will come) t he help of Allah'' Yes! Cert ainly, t he help of Allah is near!)

Victory only comes after succeeding in the Trials

Allah said:

(Or t hink you t hat you will ent er Paradise) before you are t est ed and t ried j ust like t he nat ions t hat came before you This is why Allah said:

(...wit hout such (t rials) as came t o t hose who passed away before you They were afflict ed wit h severe povert y and ailment s) meaning, illnesses, pain, disast ers and hardships. Ibn Mas` ud, Ibn ` Abbas, Abu Al-` Aliyah, Muj ahid, Sa` id bin Jubayr, Murrah Al-Hamdani, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, AdDahhak, Ar-Rabi` , As-Suddi and Muqat il bin Hayyan said t hat

(Al-Ba'sa') means povert y. Ibn ` Abbas said t hat

(...and Ad-Darra') means ailment s.

(and were so shaken) for fear of t he enemy, and were t est ed, and put t o a t remendous t rial. An aut hent ic Hadit h narrat ed t hat Khabbab bin Al-Arat t said, "We said, ` O Messenger of Allah! Why do you not invoke Allah t o support us Why do you not supplicat e t o Allah for us' He said:

.
(The saw would be placed on t he middle of t he head of one of t hose who were before you (believers) and he would be sawn unt il his feet , and he would be combed wit h iron combs bet ween his skin and bones, yet t hat would not make him change his religion.) He t hen said:


(By Allah! This mat t er (religion) will spread (or expand) by Allah unt il t he t raveler leaves San` a' t o Hadramawt (bot h in Yemen, but at a great dist ance from each ot her) fearing only Allah and t hen t he wolf for t he sake of his sheep. You are j ust a hast y people.) And Allah said:

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(Alif-Lam-Mim. Do people t hink t hat t hey will be left alone because t hey say: "We believe,'' and will not be t est ed And We indeed t est ed t hose who were before t hem. And Allah will cert ainly make (it ) known (t he t rut h of) t hose who are t rue, and will cert ainly make (it ) known (t he falsehood of) t hose who are liars.) (29:1-3) The Companions experienced t remendous t rials during t he bat t le of Confederat es). Allah said: Al-Ahzab (t he

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(When t hey came upon you from above you and from below you, and when t he eyes grew wild and t he heart s reached t o t he t hroat s, and you were harboring doubt s about Allah. There, t he believers were t ried and shaken wit h a might y shaking. And when t he hypocrit es and t hose in whose heart s is a disease (of doubt s) said: "Allah and His Messenger promised us not hing but delusion!'') (33:10-12) When Heraclius asked Abu Sufyan, "Did you fight him (Prophet Muhammad)'' He said, "Yes.'' Heraclius said, "What was t he out come of warfare bet ween you'' Abu Sufyan said, "Somet imes we lose and somet imes he loses.'' He said, "Such is t he case wit h Prophet s, t hey are t est ed, but t he final vict ory is t heirs.'' Allah's st at ement :

(...wit hout (such) (t rials) as came t o t hose who passed away before you) meaning, t heir way of life. Similarly, Allah said:

(Then We dest royed men st ronger (in power) t han t hese passed away (before t hem)) (43: 8) and: and t he example of t he ancient s has

(...were so shaken t hat even t he Messenger and t hose who believed along wit h him said, "When (will come) t he help of Allah.'') They pleaded (t o Allah) for vict ory against t heir enemies and invoked Him for aid and deliverance from t heir hardships and t rials. Allah said:

(Yes! Cert ainly, t he help of Allah is near!) Allah said:

-
(Verily, along wit h every hardship is relief. Verily, along wit h every hardship is relief.) (94:5, 6)

So j ust as t here is hardship, it s equal of relief will soon arrive. This is why Allah said:

(Yes! Cert ainly, t he help of Allah is near!)

(215. They ask you (O Muhammad ) what t hey should spend. Say: "What ever you spend of good must be for parent s and kindred and orphans and Al-Masakin (t he poor) and t he wayfarer, and what ever you do of good deeds, t ruly, Allah knows it well.'')

Who deserves the Nafaqah (Spending or Charity)

Muqat il bin Hayyan said t hat t his Ayah was revealed about t he volunt ary charit y. The Ayah means, ` They ask you (O Muhammad ) how t hey should spend,' as Ibn ` Abbas and Muj ahid have st at ed. So, Allah explained it for t hem, saying:

(Say: "What ever you spend of good must be for parent s and kindred and orphans and Al-Masakin and t he wayfarer,'') meaning, spend it on t hese cat egories or areas. Similarly, a Hadit h st at es (t hat t hose who deserve one's generosit y t he most , are):

(Your mot her, fat her, sist er, brot her, t he closest and t hen t he fart hest (relat ives).) Maymun bin Mihran once recit ed t his Ayah (2:215) and comment ed, "These are t he areas of spending. Allah did not ment ion among t hem t he drums, pipe, wooden pict ures, or t he curt ains t hat cover t he walls.'' Next , Allah said:


(...and what ever you do of good deeds, t ruly, Allah knows it well.) meaning, what ever you perform of good works, Allah knows t hem and He will reward you for t hem in t he best manner, no one will be dealt wit h unj ust ly, even t he weight of an at om.

(216. Fight ing is ordained for you (Muslims) t hough you dislike it , and it may be t hat you dislike a t hing which is good for you and t hat you like a t hing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know.)

Jihad is made Obligatory

In t his Ayah, Allah made it obligat ory for t he Muslims t o fight in Jihad against t he evil of t he enemy who t ransgress against Islam. Az-Zuhri said, "Jihad is required from every person, whet her he act ually j oins t he fight ing or remains behind. Whoever remains behind is required t o give support , if support is warrant ed; t o provide aid, if aid is needed; and t o march fort h, if he is commanded t o do so. If he is not needed, t hen he remains behind.'' It is report ed in t he Sahih:

(Whoever dies but neit her fought (i.e., in Allah's cause), nor sincerely considered fight ing, will die a deat h of Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era of ignorance).) On t he day of Al-Fat h (when he conquered Makkah), t he Prophet said:

(There is no Hij rah (migrat ion from Makkah t o Al-Madinah) aft er t he vict ory, but only Jihad and good int ent ion. If you were required t o march fort h, t hen march fort h.) Allah's st at ement :

(...t hough you dislike it ) means, ` Fight ing is difficult and heavy on your heart s.' Indeed, fight ing is as t he Ayah describes it , as it includes being killed, wounded, st riving against t he enemies and enduring t he hardship of t ravel. Allah t hen said:

(. ..and it may be t hat you dislike a t hing which is good for you) meaning, fight ing is followed by vict ory, dominance over t he enemy, t aking over t heir lands, money and offspring. Allah cont inues:

(...and t hat you like a t hing which is bad for you.) This Ayah is general in meaning. Hence, one might covet somet hing, yet in realit y it is not good or beneficial for him, such as refraining from j oining t he Jihad, for it might lead t o t he enemy t aking over t he land and t he government . Then, Allah said:

(Allah knows, but you do not know.) meaning, He has bet t er knowledge t han you of how t hings will t urn out t o be in t he end, and of what benefit s you in t his eart hly life and t he Hereaft er. Hence, obey Him and adhere t o His commands, so t hat you may acquire t he t rue guidance.

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(217. They ask you concerning fight ing in t he Sacred Mont hs. Say, "Fight ing t herein is a great (t ransgression) but a great er (t ransgression) wit h Allah is t o prevent mankind from following t he way of Allah, t o disbelieve in Him, t o prevent access t o Al-Masj id Al-Haram (at Makkah), and t o drive out it s inhabit ant s, and Al-Fit nah is worse t han killing.'' And t hey will never cease fight ing you unt il t hey t urn you back from your religion (Islamic Monot heism) if t hey can. And whosoever of you t urns back from his religion and dies as a disbeliever, t hen his deeds will be lost in t his life and in t he Hereaft er, and t hey will be t he dwellers of t he Fire. They will abide t herein forever.) (218. Verily, t hose who have believed, and t hose who have emigrat ed (for Allah's religion) and have st riven hard in t he way of Allah, all t hese hope for Allah's mercy. And Allah is Oft -Forgiving, Most -Merciful.)

The Nakhlah Military Maneuvers, and the Ruling on Fighting during the Sacred Months
Ibn Abu Hat im report ed t hat Jundub bin ` Abdullah said: Allah's Messenger assembled a group of men under t he command of Abu ` Ubaydah bin Jarrah. When he was about t o march, he st art ed crying for t he t hought of missing Allah's Messenger . Consequent ly, t he Messenger relieved Abu ` Ubaydah from command, appoint ed ` Abdullah bin Jahsh inst ead, gave him some writ t en inst ruct ions and commanded him not t o read t he inst ruct ions unt il he reached such and such area. He also said t o ` Abdullah:

.
(Do not compel any of your men t o cont inue marching wit h you t hereaft er.) When ` Abdullah read t he inst ruct ions, he recit ed Ist irj a` saying, ` Truly! t o Allah we belong and t ruly, t o Him we shall ret urn'; and refer t o (2:156) and said, "I hear and obey Allah and His

Messenger.'' He t hen t old his companions t he st ory and read t he inst ruct ions t o t hem, and t wo men went back while t he rest remained. Soon aft er, t hey found Ibn Hadrami (one of t he disbelievers of Quraysh) and killed him not knowing t hat t hat day was in Raj ab or Jumadi (where Raj ab is t he Sacred Mont h). The polyt heist s said t o t he Muslims, "You have commit t ed murder in t he Sacred Mont h.'' Allah t hen revealed:

(They ask you concerning fight ing in t he Sacred Mont hs. Say, "Fight ing t herein is a great (t ransgression)...'') Abdul-Malik bin Hisham, who compiled t he Sirah (life st ory of t he Prophet ), relat ed t hat Ziyad bin ` Abdullah Bakka'i said t hat Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar Al-Madani wrot e in his book on t he Sirah, "Allah's Messenger sent ` Abdullah bin Jahsh bin Riyab Al-Asadi in Raj ab, aft er he (t he Prophet ) came back from t he first bat t le of Badr. The Prophet sent eight people wit h him, all from among t he Muhaj irun and none from t he Ansar. He also gave him some writ t en inst ruct ions and ordered him not t o read t hem unt il he marched for t wo days. ` Abdullah should t hen read t he inst ruct ions and march t o implement t hem, but should not force any of t hose who were wit h him t o accompany him. The companions of ` Abdullah bin Jahsh were all from t he Muhaj irun, from t he t ribe of Banu ` Abd Shams bin ` Abd Manaf, t here was Abu Hudhayfah bin ` Ut bah bin Rabi` ah bin ` Abd Shams bin ` Abd Manaf. From t heir allies, t here was ` Abdullah bin Jahsh, who was t he commander of t he army unit , and ` Ukkashah bin Mihsan from t he t ribe of Banu Asad bin Khuzaymah. From t he t ribe of Banu Nawfal bin ` Abd Manaf, t here was ` Ut bah bin Ghazwan bin Jabir, one of t heir allies. From t he t ribe of Banu Zuhrah bin Kilab, t here was Sa` d bin Abu Waqqas. From Banu Ka` b, t here were t heir allies: ` Adi bin ` Amr bin Ar-Rabi` ah not from t he t ribe of Ibn Wa'il; Waqid bin ` Abdullah bin ` Abd Manaf bin ` Arin bin Tha` labah bin Yarbu` from Banu Tamim; and Khalid bin Bukair from t he t ribe of Banu Sa` d bin Layt h, Suhayl bin Bayda' from Banu Al-Harit h bin Fihr was also among t hem. When ` Abdullah bin Jahsh marched for t wo days, he opened and read t he (Prophet 's) inst ruct ions, "When you read t hese inst ruct ions, march unt il you set camp at Nakhlah bet ween Makkah and At -Ta'if. There, wat ch t he movement s of t he caravan of Quraysh and collect news about t hem for us.'' When ` Abdullah bin Jahsh read t he document , he said, "I hear and obey.'' He t hen said t o his companions, "Allah's Messenger has commanded me t o march fort h t o Nakhlah t o wat ch t he movement s of t he caravan of Quraysh and t o inform him about t heir news. He has prohibit ed me from forcing any of you (t o go wit h me). So, t hose who seek mart yrdom, t hey should march wit h me. Those who dislike t he idea of mart yrdom, let t hem t urn back. Surely, I will implement t he command of Allah's Messenger .'' He and his companions cont inued wit hout any of t hem t urning back. ` Abdullah ent ered t he Hij az area (west ern Arabia) unt il he reached an area called Buhran, close t o Furu` . There, Sa` d bin Abu Waqqas and ` Ut bah bin Ghazwan lost t he camel t hat t hey were riding in t urns, and t hey went back t o search for it while ` Abdullah bin Jahsh and t he rest of his companions cont inued unt il t hey reached Nakhlah. Then, a caravan belonging t o t he Quraysh passed by carrying raisins, food st uff and some t rade it ems for t he Quraysh. ` Amr bin Hadrami, whose name was ` Abdullah bin ` Abbad, was in t he caravan, as well as ` Ut hman bin ` Abdullah bin Al-Mughirah and his brot her Nawfal bin ` Abdullah from t he t ribe of Makhzum, and Al-Hakam bin Kaysan, a freed slave of Hisham bin Al-Mughirah. When t hey saw t he Companions t hey were fright ened, but when t hey saw ` Ukkashah bin Mihsan t heir fears

subsided, since his head was shaved. They said, "These people seek t he ` Umrah, so t here is no need t o fear t hem.'' The Companions conferred among t hemselves. That day was t he last day in t he (sacred) mont h of Raj ab. They said t o each ot her, "By Allah! If you let t hem pass, t hey will soon ent er t he Sacred Area and t ake refuge in it from you. If you kill t hem, you will kill t hem during t he Sacred Mont h.'' They at first hesit at ed and did not like t o at t ack t hem. They t hen began encouraging t hemselves and decided t o kill whomever t hey could among t he disbelievers and t o confiscat e what ever t hey had. Hence, Waqid bin ` Abdullah At -Tamimi shot an arrow at ` Amr bin Al-Hadrami and killed him. ` Ut hman bin ` Abdullah and Al-Hakam bin Kaysan gave t hemselves up, while Nawfal bin ` Abdullah was able t o out run t hem in flight . Lat er on, ` Abdullah bin Jahsh and his companions went back t o Allah's Messenger in Al-Madinah wit h t he caravan and t he t wo prisoners. dIbn Ishaq went on: I was t old t hat some members of t he family of ` Abdullah bin Jahsh said t hat ` Abdullah said t o his companions: "Allah's Messenger will have one-fift h of what we have confiscat ed.'' This occurred before Allah required one-fift h for His Messenger from t he war boot y. So, ` Abdullah designat ed one-fift h of t he caravan for Allah's Messenger and divided t he rest among his companions. Ibn Ishaq also st at ed t hat at first , when t he Sariyah came back t o Allah's Messenger , he said t o t hem:

(I have not commanded you t o conduct warfare during t he Sacred Mont h. ) He left t he caravan and t he t wo prisoners alone and did not t ake any share of t he war boot y. When Allah's Messenger did t hat , t he soldiers from t he at t ack were concerned and felt t hat t hey were dest royed, and t heir Muslim bret hren crit icized t hem for what t hey did. The Quraysh said t hat Muhammad and his Companions violat ed t he sanct it y of t he Sacred Mont h and shed blood, confiscat ed propert y and t ook prisoners during it . Those who refut ed t hem among t he Muslims who remained in Makkah replied t hat t he Muslims had done t hat during t he mont h of Sha` ban (which is not a sacred mont h). Meanwhile, t he Jews were pleased about what happened t o Allah's Messenger . They said, ` Amr bin Hadrami was killed by Waqid bin ` Abdullah: ` Amr, means t he war has st art ed, Hadrami means t he war has come, as for Waqid (bin ` Abdullah): t he war has raged (using some of t he lit eral meanings of t hese names t o support t heir fort une-t elling!).'' But , Allah made all t hat t urn against t hem. The people cont inued t alking about t his mat t er, t hen Allah revealed t o His Messenger :

(They ask you concerning fight ing in t he Sacred Mont hs. Say, "Fight ing t herein is a great (t ransgression) but a great er (t ransgression) wit h Allah is t o prevent mankind from following t he way of Allah, t o disbelieve in Him, t o prevent access t o Al-Masj id Al-Haram (at Makkah), and t o drive out it s inhabit ant s, and Al-Fit nah is worse t han killing.) This Ayah means, ` If you had killed during t he Sacred Mont h, t hey (disbelievers of Quraysh) have hindered you from t he pat h of Allah and disbelieved in it . They also prevent ed you from ent ering t he Sacred Mosque, and expelled you from it , while you are it s people,

(...a great er (t ransgression) wit h Allah) t han killing whom you killed among t hem. Also:

(...and Al-Fit nah is worse t han killing.) means, t rying t o force t he Muslims t o revert from t heir religion and re-embrace Kufr aft er t hey had believed, is worse wit h Allah t han killing.' Allah said:

(And t hey will never cease fight ing you unt il t hey t urn you back from your religion (Islamic Monot heism) if t hey can.) So, t hey will go on fight ing you wit h unrelent ing viciousness. Ibn Ishaq went on: When t he Qur'an t ouched t his subj ect and Allah brought relief t o t he Muslims inst ead of t he sadness t hat had befallen t hem, Allah's Messenger t ook possession of t he caravan and t he t wo prisoners. The Quraysh offered t o ransom t he t wo prisoners, ` Ut hman bin ` Abdullah and Hakam bin Kaysan. Allah's Messenger said:

(We will not accept your ransom unt il our t wo companions ret urn safely. ) meaning Sa` d bin Abu Waqqas and ` Ut bah bin Ghazwan, "For we fear for t heir safet y wit h you. If you kill t hem, we will kill your people.'' Lat er on, Sa` d and ` Ut bah ret urned safely and Allah's Messenger accept ed t he Quraysh's ransom for t heir prisoners. As for Al-Hakam bin Kaysan, he became Muslim and his Islam st rengt hened. He remained wit h Allah's Messenger unt il he was mart yred during t he incident at Bir Ma` unah (when t he Prophet sent sevent y Companions t o Naj d t o t each t hem Islam, but Banu Sulaim killed t hem all except t wo). As for ` Ut hman bin ` Abdullah, he went back t o Makkah and died t here as a disbeliever.

Ibn Ishaq went on: When ` Abdullah bin Jahsh and his companions were relieved from t heir depressing t hought s aft er t he Qur'an was revealed about t his subj ect , t hey sought t he reward of t he fight ers (in Allah's way). They said, "O Messenger of Allah! We wish t hat t his incident be considered a bat t le for us, so t hat we gain t he rewards of t he Muj ahidin.'' Then, Allah revealed:

(Verily, t hose who have believed, and t hose who have emigrat ed (for Allah's religion) and have st riven hard in t he way of Allah, all t hese hope for Allah's mercy. And Allah is Oft -Forgiving, Most Merciful.) Hence, Allah has great ly elevat ed t heir hopes of gaining what t hey had wished for.

(219. They ask you (O Muhammad ) concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: "In t hem is a great sin, and (some) benefit s for men, but t he sin of t hem is great er t han t heir benefit .'' And t hey ask you what t hey ought t o spend. Say: "That which is (spare) beyond your needs.'' Thus Allah makes clear t o you His Laws in order t hat you may give t hought .) (220. In (t o) t his worldly life and in t he Hereaft er. And t hey ask you concerning orphans. Say: "The best t hing is t o work honest ly in t heir propert y, and if you mix your affairs wit h t heirs, t hen t hey are your brot hers. And Allah knows (t he one) who means mischief (e.g., t o swallow t heir propert y) from (t he one) who means good (e.g., t o save t heir propert y). And if Allah had wished, He could have put you int o difficult ies. Truly, Allah is All-Might y, All-Wise.'')

The Gradual Prohibition of Khamr (Alchoholic Drink)

Imam Ahmad recorded t hat Abu Maysarah said t hat ` Umar once said, "O Allah! Give us a clear ruling regarding Al-Khamr!'' Allah sent down t he Ayah of Surat Al-Baqarah:

(They ask you (O Muhammad ) concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: "In t hem is a great sin...) ` Umar was t hen summoned and t he Ayah was recit ed t o him. Yet , he st ill said, "O Allah! Give us a clear ruling regarding Al-Khamr.'' Then, t his Ayah t hat is in Surat An-Nisa' was revealed:

(O you who believe! Approach not As-Salah (t he prayer) when you are in a drunken st at e.) (4:43) Then, when t he prayer was called for, a person used t o herald on behalf of Allah's Messenger , "No drunk person should at t end t he prayer.'' ` Umar was summoned again and t he Ayah was recit ed t o him. Yet , he st ill said, "O Allah! Give us a clear ruling regarding Al-Khamr.'' Then, t he Ayah t hat is in Surat Al-Ma'idah was revealed, ` Umar was again summoned and t he Ayah was recit ed t o him. When he reached:

(So, will you not t hen abst ain) (5:91) he said, "We did abst ain, we did abst ain.'' This is also t he narrat ion t hat Abu Dawud, At -Tirmidhi and An-Nasai collect ed in t heir books. ` Ali bin Al-Madini and At -Tirmidhi said t hat t he chain of narrat ors for t his Hadit h is sound and aut hent ic. We will ment ion t his Hadit h again along wit h what Imam Ahmad collect ed by Abu Hurayrah Allah's saying in Surat Al-Ma'idah:


(Int oxicant s and gambling, and Al-Ansab, and Al-Azlam are an abominat ion of Sat an's handiwork. So avoid (st rict ly all) t hat (abominat ion) in order t hat you may be successful.) (5:90) Allah said:

(They ask you (O Muhammad ) concerning alcoholic drinks and gambling.) As for Al-Khamr, ` Umar bin Khat t ab, t he Leader of t he fait hful, used t o say, "It includes all what int oxicat es t he mind.'' We will also ment ion t his st at ement in t he explanat ion of Surat AlMa'idah, along wit h t he t opic of gambling. Allah said:

(Say: In t hem is a great sin, and (some) benefit s for men.) As for t he harm t hat t he Khamr and gambling cause, it effect s t he religion. As for t heir benefit , it is mat erial, including benefit for t he body, digest ing t he food, get t ing rid of t he excrement s, sharpening t he mind, bringing about a j oyous sensat ion and financially benefit ing from t heir sale. Also, (t heir benefit includes) earnings t hrough gambling t hat one uses t o spend on his family and on himself. Yet , t hese benefit s are out weighed by t he clear harm t hat t hey cause which affect s t he mind and t he religion. This is why Allah said:

(...but t he sin of t hem is great er t han t heir benefit .) This Ayah was t he beginning of t he process of prohibit ing Khamr, not explicit y, but it only implied t his meaning. So when t his Ayah was recit ed t o ` Umar, he st ill said, "O Allah! Give us a clear ruling regarding Al-Khamr.'' Soon aft er, Allah sent down a clear prohibit ion of Khamr in Surat Al-Ma'idah:

 -
(O you who believe! Int oxicant s (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and gambling, and Al-Ansab, and Al-Azlam are an abominat ion of Shayt an's handiwork. So avoid (st rict ly all) t hat (abominat ion) in order t hat you may be successful. Shayt an want s only t o excit e enmit y and hat red bet ween you wit h int oxicant s (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from t he remembrance of Allah and from As-Salah (t he prayer). So, will you not t hen abst ain) (5:90, 91) We will ment ion t his subj ect , by t he will of Allah, when we explain Surat Al-Ma'idah. Ibn ` Umar, Ash-Sha` bi, Muj ahid, Qat adah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and ` Abdur-Rahman bin Aslam st at ed t hat t he first Ayah revealed about Khamr was:

(They ask you about Khamr and gambling. Say: "In t hem t here is great sin.'') (2:219) Then, t he Ayah in Surat An-Nisa' was revealed (on t his subj ect ) and t hen t he Ayah in Surat AlMa'idah which prohibit ed Khamr.

Spending whatever One could spare of his Money on Charity

Allah said:

(And t hey ask you what t hey ought t o spend. Say: "That which is (spare) beyond your needs.'')

Al-Hakam said t hat Miqsam said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat t his Ayah means, what ever you can spare above t he needs of your family. This is also t he opinion of Ibn ` Umar, Muj ahid, ` At a', ` Ikrimah, Sa` id bin Jubayr, Muhammad bin Ka` b, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, Al-Qasim, Salim, ` At a' AlKhurasani and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas. Ibn Jarir relat ed t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat a man said, "O Messenger of Allah! I have a Dinar (a currency).'' The Prophet said:

(Spend it you on yourself.) He said, "I have anot her Dinar.'' He said:

(Spend it on your wife.) He said, "I have anot her Dinar.'' He said:

(Spend it on your offspring.) He said, "I have anot her Dinar.'' He said:

(You have bet t er knowledge (meaning how and where t o spend it in charit y).) Muslim also recorded t his Hadit h in his Sahih. Muslim recorded t hat Jabir said t hat Allah's Messenger said t o a man:

(St art wit h yourself and grant it some charit y. If anyt hing remains, t hen spend it on your family. If anyt hing remains, t hen spend it on your relat ives. If anyt hing remains, t hen spend it like t his and like t hat (i.e., on various charit able purposes).)

A Hadit h st at es:

(O son of Adam! If you spend what ever you can spare, it would be bet t er for you; but if you keep it , it would be worse for you. You shall not be blamed for what ever is barely sufficient .) Allah said:

(Thus Allah makes clear t o you His Ayat in order t hat you may give t hought . In (t o) t his worldly life and in t he Hereaft er.) meaning, j ust as He st at ed and explained t hese commandment s for you, He also explains t he rest of His Ayat regarding t he commandment s and His promises and warnings, so t hat you might give t hought in t his life and t he Hereaft er. ` Ali bin Abu Talhah said t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed, "Meaning about t he imminent demise and t he brevit y of t his life, and t he imminent commencement of t he Hereaft er and it s cont inuit y.'' a

Maintaining the Orphan's Property

Allah said:

(And t hey ask you concerning orphans. Say: "The best t hing is t o work honest ly in t heir propert y, and if you mix your affairs wit h t heirs, t hen t hey are your brot hers. And Allah knows him who means mischief (e.g., t o swallow t heir propert y) from him who means good (e.g., t o save t heir propert y). And if Allah had wished, He could have put you int o difficult ies.) Ibn Jarir report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "When t he Ayat :


(And come not near t o t he orphan's propert y, except t o improve it .) (6:152) and

(Verily, t hose who unj ust ly eat up t he propert y of orphans, t hey eat up only fire int o t heir bellies, and t hey will be burnt in t he blazing Fire!) (4:10) were revealed, t hose who t ook care of some orphans, separat ed t heir food and drink from t he orphans' food and drink. When some of t he orphans' food and drink remained, t hey would keep it for t hem unt il t hey eat it or ot herwise get spoiled. This sit uat ion was difficult for t hem and t hey ment ioned t his subj ect t o Allah's Messenger .

(And t hey ask you concerning orphans. Say: "The best t hing is t o work honest ly in t heir propert y, and if you mix your affairs wit h t heirs, t hen t hey are your brot hers.) Hence, t hey j oined t heir food and drink wit h t he food and drink of t he orphans.'' This Hadit h was also collect ed by Abu Dawud, An-Nasa'i and Al-Hakim in his Must adrak. Several ot hers said similarly about t he circumst ances surrounding t he revelat ion of t he Ayah (2:220), including Muj ahid, ` At a', Ash-Sha` bi, Ibn Abu Layla, Qat adah and ot hers among t he Salaf and t hose aft er t hem. Ibn Jarir report ed t hat ` A'ishah said, "I dislike t hat an orphan's money be under my care, unless I mix my food wit h his food and my drink wit h his drink.'' Allah said:

(Say: The best t hing is t o work honest ly in t heir propert y.) meaning, on t he one hand (i.e., t his is required in any case). Allah t hen said:

(...and if you mix your affairs wit h t heirs, t hen t hey are your brot hers.) meaning, t here is no harm if you mix your food and drink wit h t heir food and drink, since t hey are your brot hers in t he religion. This is why Allah said aft erwards:


(And Allah knows (t he one) who means mischief (e.g., t o swallow t heir propert y) from (t he one) who means good (e.g., t o save t heir propert y). ) meaning, He knows t hose whose int ent is t o cause mischief or right eousness. He also said:

(And if Allah had wished, He could have put you int o difficult ies. Truly, Allah is All-Might y, AllWise) meaning, if Allah wills, He will make t his mat t er difficult for you. But , He made it easy for you, and allowed you t o mix your affairs wit h t he orphans' affairs in a way t hat is bet t er. Similarly, Allah said:

(And come not near t o t he orphan's propert y, except t o improve it .) (6:152) Allah has t hus allowed spending from t he orphan's est at e by it s execut or, in reasonable proport ions, on t he condit ion t hat he has t he int ent ion t o compensat e t he orphan lat er on, when he can afford it . We will ment ion about it in det ail in Surat An-Nisa' by Allah's will.

(221. And do not marry Al-Mushrikat (idolat resses) t ill t hey believe (worship Allah Alone). And indeed a slave woman who believes is bet t er t han a (free) Mushrikah (idolat ress), even t hough she pleases you. And give not (your daught ers) in marriage t o Al-Mushrikin t ill t hey believe (in Allah Alone) and verily, a believing servant is bet t er t han a (free) Mushrik (idolat or), even t hough he pleases you. Those (Mushrikin) invit e you t o t he Fire, but Allah invit es (you) t o Paradise and forgiveness by His leave, and makes His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelat ions, et c.) clear t o mankind t hat t hey may remember.)

The Prohibition of marrying Mushrik Men and Women

Allah prohibit ed t he believers from marrying Mushrik women who worship idols. Alt hough t he meaning is general and includes every Mushrik woman from among t he idol worshippers and t he People of t he Script ure, Allah excluded t he People of t he Script ure from t his ruling. Allah st at ed:

((Lawful t o you in marriage) are chast e women from t hose who were given t he Script ure (Jews and Christ ians) before your t ime when you have given t heir due dowry, desiring chast it y (i.e., t aking t hem in legal wedlock) not commit t ing illegal sexual int ercourse.) (5:5) ` Ali bin Abu Talhah said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said about what Allah said:

(And do not marry Al-Mushrikat (female idolat ors) t ill t hey believe (worship Allah Alone).) "Allah has excluded t he women of t he People of t he Script ure.'' This is also t he explanat ion of Muj ahid, ` Ikrimah, Sa` id bin Jubayr, Makhul, Al-Hasan, Ad-Dahhak, Zayd bin Aslam and ArRabi` bin Anas and ot hers. Some scholars said t hat t he Ayah is exclusively t alking about idol worshippers and not t he People of t he Script ure, and t his meaning is similar t o t he first meaning we ment ioned. Allah knows best . Abu Ja` far bin Jarir (At -Tabari) said, aft er ment ioning t hat t here is Ij ma` t hat marrying women from t he People of t he Script ure is allowed, "` Umar disliked t his pract ice so t hat t he Muslims do not refrain from marrying Muslim women, or for similar reasons.'' An aut hent ic chain of narrat ors st at ed t hat Shaqiq said: Once Hudhayfah married a Jewish woman and ` Umar wrot e t o him, "Divorce her.'' He wrot e back, "Do you claim t hat she is not allowed for me so t hat I divorce her'' He said, "No. But , I fear t hat you might marry t he whores from among t hem.'' Ibn Jarir relat ed t hat Zayd bin Wahb said t hat ` Umar bin Khat t ab said, "The Muslim man marries t he Christ ian woman, but t he Christ ian man does not marry t he Muslim woman.'' This Hadit h has a st ronger, aut hent ic chain of narrat ors t han t he previous Hadit h. Ibn Abu Hat im said t hat Ibn ` Umar disliked marrying t he women from t he People of t he Script ure. He relied on his own explanat ion for t he Ayah:

(And do not marry Al-Mushrikat (female idolat ors) t ill t hey believe (worship Allah Alone).)

Al-Bukhari also report ed t hat Ibn ` Umar said, "I do not know of a bigger Shirk t han her saying t hat Jesus is her Lord!'' Allah said:

(And indeed a slave woman who believes is bet t er t han a (free) Mushrikah (female idolat ors), even t hough she pleases you.) It is recorded in t he Two Sahihs t hat Abu Hurayrah narrat ed t hat t he Prophet said:

:
(A woman is chosen for marriage for four reasons: her wealt h, social st at us, beaut y, and religion. So, marry t he religious woman, may your hands be filled wit h sand (a st at ement of encouragement ).) Muslim report ed t his Hadit h from Jabir. Muslim also report ed t hat Ibn ` Amr said t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(The life of t his world is but a delight , and t he best of t he delight s of t his eart hly life is t he right eous wife.) Allah t hen said:

(And give not (your daught ers) in marriage t o Al-Mushrikin t ill t hey believe (in Allah Alone).) meaning, do not marry Mushrik men t o believing women. This st at ement is similar t o Allah's st at ement :

(They are not lawful (wives) for t hem, nor are t hey lawful (husbands) for t hem.) (60:10)

Next , Allah said:

(. ..and verily, a believing servant is bet t er t han a (free) Mushrik (idolat or), even t hough he pleases you.) This Ayah indicat es t hat a believing man, even an Abyssinian servant , is bet t er t han a Mushrik man, even if he was a rich mast er.

(Those (Al-Mushrikun) invit e you t o t he Fire) meaning, associat ing and mingling wit h t he disbelievers makes one love t his life and prefer it over t he Hereaft er, leading t o t he severest repercussions. Allah said:

(...but Allah invit es (you) t o Paradise and forgiveness by His leave) meaning, by His Law, commandment s and prohibit ions. Allah said:

(...and makes His Ayat clear t o mankind t hat t hey may remember.)

(222. They ask you concerning menst ruat ion. Say: "That is an Adha, t herefore, keep away from women during menses and go not in unt o t hem t ill t hey are purified.'' And when t hey have purified t hemselves, t hen go in unt o t hem as Allah has ordained for you. Truly, Allah loves t hose who t urn unt o Him in repent ance and loves t hose who purify t hemselves.) (223. Your wives are a t ilt h for you, so go t o your t ilt h, when or how you will, and send (good deeds, or ask Allah t o best ow upon you pious offspring) for your own selves beforehand. And fear Allah, and know t hat you are t o meet Him (in t he Hereaft er), and give good t idings t o t he believers (O Muhammad ).)

Sexual Intercourse with Menstruating Women is prohibited

Imam Ahmad recorded t hat Anas said t hat t he Jews used t o avoid t heir menst ruat ing women, t hey would not eat , or even mingle wit h t hem in t he house. The Companions of t he Prophet asked about t his mat t er and Allah revealed:

(They ask you concerning menst ruat ion. Say: "That is an Adha, t herefore, keep away from women during menses and go not in unt o t hem t ill t hey are purified.) Allah's Messenger said:

(` Do everyt hing you wish, except having sexual int ercourse.) When t he Jews were t old about t he Prophet 's st at ement , t hey said, "What is t he mat t er wit h t his man He would not hear of any of our pract ices, but would defy it .'' Then, Usayd bin Hudayr and ` Abbad bin Bishr came and said, "O Messenger of Allah! The Jews said t his and t hat , should we have sex wit h our women (meaning, during t he menst ruat ion period)'' The face of Allah's Messenger changed color, unt il t he Companions t hought t hat he was angry wit h t hem. They left . Soon aft er, some milk was brought t o Allah's Messenger as a gift , and he sent some of it for t hem t o drink. They knew t hen t hat Allah's Messenger was not angry wit h t hem. Muslim also report ed t his Hadit h. Allah said:

(. ..t herefore, keep away from women during menses.) meaning, avoid t he sexual organ. The Prophet said:


(Do anyt hing you wish except having sexual int ercourse.) This is why most of t he scholars said t hat it is allowed t o fondle t he wife, except for having sexual int ercourse (when she is having her menses). Abu Dawud report ed t hat ` Ikrimah relat ed t o one of t he Prophet 's wives t hat she said t hat whenever t he Prophet want ed t o fondle (one of his wives) during her menses, he would cover her sexual organ wit h somet hing. Abu Ja` far bin Jarir relat ed t hat Masruq went t o ` A'ishah and greet ed her, and ` A'ishah greet ed him in ret urn. Masruq said, "I wish t o ask you about a mat t er, but I am shy.'' She replied, "I am your mot her and you are my son.'' He said, "What can t he man enj oy of his wife when she is having her menses'' She said, "Everyt hing except her sexual organ.'' This is also t he opinion of Ibn ` Abbas, Muj ahid, Al-Hasan and ` Ikrimah. One is allowed t o sleep next t o his wife and t o eat wit h her (when she is having her menses). ` A'ishah said, "Allah's Messenger used t o ask me t o wash his hair while I was having t he menses. He would lay on my lap and read t he Qur'an while I was having t he period.'' It is also report ed in t he Sahih t hat ` A'ishah said, "While having t he menses, I used t o eat from a piece of meat and give it t o t he Prophet who would eat from t he same place I at e from. I used t o have sips of a drink and would t hen give t he cup t o t he Prophet who would place his mout h where I placed my mout h.'' It is also report ed in t he Two Sahihs t hat Maymunah bint Al-Harit h Al-Hilaliyah said, "Whenever t he Prophet want ed t o fondle any of his wives during t he periods (menses), he used t o ask her t o wear an Izar (a sheet covering t he lower-half of t he body).'' These are t he wordings collect ed by Al-Bukhari. Similar was report ed from ` A'ishah. In addit ion, Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawud, At -Tirmidhi and Ibn Maj ah report ed t hat ` Abdullah bin Sa` d Al-Ansari asked Allah's Messenger , "What am I allowed of my wife while she is having her menses'' He said, "What is above t he Izar (a sheet covering t he lower-half of t he body).'' Hence, Allah's st at ement : h

(...and go not in unt o t hem t ill t hey are purified.) explains His st at ement :

(...t herefore, keep away from women during menses.) Allah prohibit ed having sexual int ercourse wit h t he wife during menst ruat ion, indicat ing t hat sexual int ercourse is allowed ot herwise. Allah's st at ement :

(And when t hey have purified t hemselves, t hen go in unt o t hem as Allah has ordained for you.) indicat es t hat men should have sexual int ercourse wit h t heir wives aft er t hey t ake a bat h. The scholars agree t hat t he woman is obliged t o t ake a bat h, or t o perform Tayammum wit h sand, if she is unable t o use wat er, before she is allowed t o have sexual int ercourse wit h her husband, aft er t he mont hly period ends. Ibn ` Abbas said:

"(t ill t hey are purified) means from blood, and,

(And when t hey have purified t hemselves) means wit h wat er.'' This is also t he Tafsir of Muj ahid, ` Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, Muqat il bin Hayyan and Al-Layt h bin Sa` d and ot hers.

Anal Sex is prohibited

Allah said:

(...as Allah has ordained for you.) t his refers t o Al-Farj (t he vagina), as Ibn ` Abbas, Muj ahid and ot her scholars have st at ed. Therefore, anal sex is prohibit ed, as we will furt her emphasize aft erwards, Allah willing. Abu Razin, ` Ikrimah and Ad-Dahhak and ot hers said t hat :

(...t hen go in unt o t hem as Allah has ordained for you.) means when t hey are pure, and not during t he menses. Allah said aft erwards:

(Truly, Allah loves t hose who t urn unt o Him in repent ance) from t he sin even if it was repeat ed,

(and loves t hose who purify t hemselves.) meaning, t hose who purify t hemselves from t he impurit y and t he filt h t hat include having sexual int ercourse wit h t he wife during t he menses and anal sex.

The Reason behind revealing Allah's Statement: "Your Wives are a Tilth for You.
Allah said:

(Your wives are a t ilt h for you,) Ibn ` Abbas comment ed, "Meaning t he place of pregnancy.'' Allah t hen said:

(...so go t o your t ilt h, when or how you will,) meaning, wherever you wish from t he front or from behind, as long as sex t akes place in one valve (t he female sexual organ), as t he aut hent ic Hadit hs have indicat ed. For inst ance, Al-Bukhari recorded t hat Ibn Al-Munkadir said t hat he heard Jabir say t hat t he Jews used t o claim t hat if one has sex wit h his wife from behind (in t he vagina) t he offspring would become cross-eyed. Then, t his Ayah was revealed:

(Your wives are a t ilt h for you, so go t o your t ilt h, when or how you will,) Muslim and Abu Dawud also report ed t his Hadit h. Ibn Abu Hat im said t hat Muhammad bin Al-Munkadir narrat ed t hat Jabir bin ` Abdullah t old him t hat t he Jews claimed t o t he Muslims t hat if one has sex wit h t heir wife from behind (in t he vagina) t heir offspring will become cross-eyed. Allah revealed aft erwards:

(Your wives are a t ilt h for you, so go t o your t ilt h, when or how you will,) Ibn Jurayj (one of t he report ers of t he Hadit h) said t hat Allah's Messenger said:


(From t he front or from behind, as long as t hat occurs in t he Farj (vagina).) Imam Ahmad recorded t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "The Ayah,

(Your wives are a t ilt h for you) was revealed about some people from t he Ansar who came t o t he Prophet and asked him (about having sex wit h t he wife from behind). He said t o t hem:

(Have sex wit h her as you like as long as t hat occurs in t he vagina.) Imam Ahmad recorded t hat ` Abdullah bin Sabit said: I went t o Hafsah bint ` Abdur-Rahman bin Abu Bakr and said, "I wish t o ask you about somet hing, but I am shy.'' She said, "Do not be shy, O my nephew.'' He said, "About having sex from behind wit h women.'' She said, "Umm Salamah t old me t hat t he Ansar used t o refrain from having sex from behind (in t he vagina). The Jews claimed t hat t hose who have sex wit h t heir women from behind would have offspring wit h crossed-eyes. When t he Muhaj irun came t o Al-Madinah, t hey married Ansar women and had sex wit h t hem from behind. One of t hese women would not obey her husband and said, ` You will not do t hat unt il I go t o Allah's Messenger (and ask him about t his mat t er). ' She went t o Umm Salamah and t old her t he st ory. Umm Salamah said, ` Wait unt il Allah's Messenger comes.' When Allah's Messenger came, t he Ansari woman was shy t o ask him about t his mat t er, so she left . Umm Salamah t old Allah's Messenger t he st ory and he said:

(Summon t he Ansari woman.)'' She was summoned and he recit ed t his Ayah t o her:

(Your wives are a t ilt h for you, so go t o your t ilt h, when or how you will.) He added:

(Only in one valve (t he vagina).)''

This Hadit h was also collect ed by At -Tirmidhi who said, "Hasan.'' An-Nasa'i report ed t hat Ka` b bin ` Alqamah said t hat Abu An-Nadr said t hat he asked Nafi` , "The people are repeat ing t he st at ement t hat you relat e from Ibn ` Umar t hat he allowed sex wit h women in t heir rear (anus).'' He said, "They have said a lie about me. But let me t ell you what really happened. Ibn ` Umar was once recit ing t he Qur'an while I was wit h him and he reached t he Ayah:

(Your wives are a t ilt h for you, so go t o your t ilt h, when or how you will,) He t hen said, ` O Nafi` ! Do you know t he st ory behind t his Ayah' I said, ` No.' He said, ` We, t he people of Quraysh, used t o have sexual int ercourse wit h our wives from t he back (in t he vagina). When we migrat ed t o Al-Madinah and married some Ansari women, we want ed t o do t he same wit h t hem. They disliked it and made a big issue out of it . The Ansari women had followed t he pract ice of t he Jews who have sex wit h t heir women while t hey lay on t heir sides. Then, Allah revealed:

(Your wives are a t ilt h for you, so go t o your t ilt h, when or how you will,)'' This has an aut hent ic chain of narrat ors. Imam Ahmad report ed t hat Khuzaymah bin Thabit Al-Khat ami narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(Allah does not shy from t he t rut h - he said it t hrice-, do not have anal sex wit h women.) This Hadit h was collect ed by An-Nasa'i and Ibn Maj ah. Abu ` Isa At -Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(Allah does not look at a man who had anal sex wit h anot her man or a woman.)

At -Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Gharib.'' This is also t he narrat ion t hat Ibn Hibban collect ed in his Sahih, while Ibn Hazm st at ed t hat t his is an aut hent ic Hadit h. In addit ion, Imam Ahmad report ed t hat ` Ali bin Talaq said, "Allah's Messenger forbade anal sex wit h women, for Allah does not shy away from t rut h.'' Abu ` Isa At -Tirmidhi also report ed t his Hadit h and said, "Hasan''. Abu Muhammad ` Abdullah bin ` Abdur-Rahman Darimi report ed in his Musnad t hat Sa` id bin Yasar Abu Hubab said: I said t o Ibn ` Umar, "What do you say about having sex wit h women in t he rear'' He said, "What does it mean'' I said, "Anal sex.'' He said, "Does a Muslim do t hat '' This Hadit h has an aut hent ic chain of narrat ors and is an explicit rej ect ion of anal sex from Ibn ` Umar. Abu Bakr bin Ziyad Naysaburi report ed t hat Isma` il bin Ruh said t hat he asked Malik bin Anas, "What do you say about having sex wit h women in t he anus'' He said, "You are not an Arab Does sex occur but in t he place of pregnancy Do it only in t he Farj (vagina).'' I said, "O Abu ` Abdullah! They say t hat you allow t hat pract ice.'' He said, "They ut t er a lie about me, t hey lie about me.'' This is Malik's firm st ance on t his subj ect . It is also t he view of Sa` id bin Musayyib, Abu Salamah, ` Ikrimah, Tawus, ` At a , Sa` id bin Jubayr, ` Urwah bin Az-Zubayr, Muj ahid bin Jabr, Al-Hasan and ot her scholars of t he Salaf (t he Companions and t he following t wo generat ions aft er t hem). They all, along wit h t he maj orit y of t he scholars, harshly rebuked t he pract ice of anal sex and many of t hem called t his pract ice a Kufr. Allah said:

(. ..and send for your own selves beforehand.) meaning, by performing t he act s of worship while refraining from what ever Allah has prohibit ed for you. This is why Allah said aft erwards:

(And fear Allah, and know t hat you are t o meet Him (in t he Hereaft er),) meaning, He will hold you account able for all of your deeds,

(...and give good t idings t o t he believers (O Muhammad ).) meaning, t hose who obey what Allah has commanded and refrain from what He has prohibit ed. Ibn Jarir report ed t hat ` At a' said, or relat ed it t o Ibn ` Abbas,

(...and send for your own selves beforehand.) means, ment ion Allah's Name, by saying, ` Bismillah', before having sexual int ercourse.'' Al-Bukhari also report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

:
(If anyone of you on having sexual relat ions wit h his wife said: ` In t he Name of Allah. O Allah! Prot ect us from Sat an and also prot ect what you best ow upon us (i.e., t he coming offspring) from Sat an,' and if it is dest ined t hat t hey should have a child t hen, Sat an will never be able t o harm him.)

-
(224. And make not Allah's (Name) an excuse in your oat hs against doing good and act ing piously, and making peace among mankind. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower (i.e., do not swear much and if you have sworn against doing somet hing good t hen give an expiat ion for t he oat h and do good).) (225. Allah will not call you t o account for t hat which is unint ent ional in your oat hs, but He will call you t o account for t hat which your heart s have earned. And Allah is Oft -Forgiving, Most -Forbearing.)

The Prohibition of swearing to abandon a Good Deed

Allah commands, ` You should not implement your vows in Allah's Name t o refrain from pious act s and severing t he relat ions wit h t he relat ives, if you swear t o abandon such causes.' Allah said in anot her Ayah:


(And let not t hose among you who are blessed wit h graces and wealt h swear not t o give (any sort of help) t o t heir kinsmen, Al-Masakin (t he poor), and t hose who left t heir homes for Allah's cause. Let t hem pardon and forgive. Do you not love t hat Allah should forgive you) (24:22) Cont inuit y in a sinful vow is more sinful t han breaking it by expiat ion. Allah's Messenger said:

(By Allah! It is more sinful t o Allah t hat one of you implement s his vow regarding (severing t he relat ions wit h) his relat ives t han (breaking his promise and) paying t he Kaffarah t hat Allah has required in such cases.) This is how Muslim report ed t his Hadit h and also Imam Ahmad. ` Ali bin Abu Talhah report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat what Allah said:

(And make not Allah's (Name) an excuse in your oat hs) means, "Do not vow t o refrain from doing good works. (If you make such vow t hen) break it , pay t he Kaffarah and do t he good work.'' This was also said by Masruq, Ash-Sha` bi, Ibrahim An-Nakha` i, Muj ahid, Tawus, Sa` id bin Jubayr, ` At a', ` Ikrimah, Makhul, Az-Zuhri, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, Muqat il bin Hayyan, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Ad-Dahhak, ` At a' Al-Khurasani and As-Suddi. Suport ing t his view, which is t he maj orit y view, is what is report ed in t he Two Sahihs t hat Abu Musa Al-Ash` ari narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said: .


(By Allah! Allah willing, I will not vow t o do a t hing and t hen see a bet t er act , but I would do what is bet t er and break my vow.) Muslim report ed t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(Whoever makes a vow and t hen finds what is bet t er t han his vow (should break his vow,) pay t he Kaffarah and perform t he bet t er deed.)

The Laghw (Unintentional) Vows

Allah said:

(Allah will not call you t o account for t hat which is unint ent ional in your oat hs,) This Ayah means, ` Allah does not punish or hold you account able for t he Laghw (unint ent ional) vows t hat you make.' The Laghw vows are unint ent ional and are j ust like t he habit ual st at ement s t hat t he t ongue repeat s, wit hout really int ending t hem. For inst ance, it is report ed in t he Two Sahihs t hat Abu Hurayrah narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(Whoever swore and (unint ent ionally) ment ioned Al-Lat and Al-` Uzza (t wo idols) in his vow, should t hen say, ` There is no deit y wort hy of worship except Allah'.) The Messenger said t his st at ement t o some new Muslims whose t ongues were, before Islam, used t o vowing by t heir idol Al-Lat . Therefore, t he Prophet ordered t hem t o int ent ionally recit e t he slogan of Ikhlas, j ust as t hey ment ioned t hese words by mist ake, so t hat it (t he word of Ikhlas) may eradicat e t he word (of Shirk). This is why Allah said:


(...but He will call you t o account for t hat which your heart s have earned.) and in anot her Ayah:

(...for your deliberat e oat hs) (5:89) Abu Dawud report ed under Chapt er: ` The Laghw Vows' t hat ` At a' said t hat ` A'ishah said t hat Allah's Messenger said:

:
(The Laghw in t he vows includes what t he man says in his house, such as, ` No, by Allah,' and, ` Yes, by Allah'.) Ibn Abu Hat im report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "The Laghw vow includes vowing while angry.'' He also report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "The Laghw vow includes vowing t o prohibit what Allah has allowed, and t his t ype does not require a Kaffarah (expiat ion).'' Similar was said by Sa` id bin Jubayr. In addit ion, Abu Dawud relat ed under Chapt er: ` Vowing while Angry' t hat Sa` id bin Musayyib said t hat t wo Ansari brot hers bot h received inherit ance and one of t hem asked t hat t he inherit ance be divided. His brot her said, "If you ask me about dividing t he inherit ance again, t hen all of what I have will be spent on t he Ka` bah's door.'' ` Umar said t o him, "The Ka` bah does not need your money. So break your vow, pay t he Kaffarah and come t o t erms wit h your brot her. I heard Allah's Messenger saying:

(Do not make a vow against yourself, nor t o disobey t he Lord, cut t he relat ions of t he womb or dispose of what you do not own.)'' Allah said:


(. ..but He will call you t o account for t hat which your heart s have earned,) Ibn ` Abbas, Muj ahid and several ot hers said t hat t his Ayah means swearing about a mat t er while knowing t hat he is lying. Muj ahid and ot hers said t his Ayah is similar t o what Allah said:

(...but He will punish you for your deliberat e oat hs.) (5:89) Allah said (2:225 above):

(And Allah is Oft -Forgiving, Most -Forbearing.) meaning, He is Oft -Forgiving t o His servant s and Most Forbearing wit h t hem.

-
(226. Those who t ake an oat h not t o have sexual relat ion wit h t heir wives must wait for four mont hs, t hen if t hey ret urn, verily, Allah is Of t -Forgiving, Most Merciful.) (227. And if t hey decide upon divorce, t hen Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.)

The Ila' and its Rulings

Ila' is a t ype of vow where a man swears not t o sleep wit h his wife for a cert ain period, whet her less or more t han four mont hs. If t he vow of Ila' was for less t han four mont hs, t he man has t o wait for t he vow's period t o end and t hen is allowed t o have sexual int ercourse wit h his wife. She has t o be pat ient and she cannot ask her husband, in t his case, t o end his vow before t he end of it s t erm. It is report ed in t he Two Sahihs t hat ` A'ishah said t hat Allah's Messenger swore he would st ay away from wit h his wives for a mont h. He t hen came down aft er t went y-nine days saying:

(The (lunar) mont h is t went y-nine days.) Similar was narrat ed by ` Umar bin Al-Khat t ab and report ed in t he Two Sahihs. If t he period of Ila' is for more t han four mont hs, t he wife is allowed in t his case t o ask her husband, upon t he end of t he four mont hs, t o end t he Ila' and have sexual relat ions wit h her. Ot herwise, he should divorce her, by being forced t o do so by t he aut horit ies if necessary, so t hat t he wife is not harmed. Allah said:

(Those who t ake an oat h not t o have sexual relat ions wit h t heir wives) meaning, swear not t o have sexual relat ions wit h t he wife. This Ayah indicat es t hat t he Ila' involves t he wife and not a slave-women, as t he maj orit y of t he scholars have agreed,

(...must wait for four mont hs,) meaning, t he husband wait s for four mont hs from t he t ime of t he vow and t hen ends t he Ila' (if t he vow was for four or more mont hs) and is required t o eit her ret urn t o his wife or divorce her. This is why Allah said next :

(...t hen if t hey ret urn,) meaning, t o a normal relat ionship, having sexual int ercourse wit h t he wife. This is t he Tafsir of Ibn ` Abbas, Masruq, Ash-Sha` bi, Sa` id bin Jubayr and Ibn Jarir.

(...verily, Allah is Oft -Forgiving, Most Merciful.) wit h any short comings t hat occurred in t he right s of t he wife because of t he vow of Ila'. Allah said:

(And if t hey decide upon divorce,) indicat ing t hat divorce does not occur by merely passing t he four mont h mark (during t he Ila'). Malik report ed from Nafi` t hat ` Abdullah bin ` Umar said, "If t he man swears t o Ila' from his wife, t hen divorce does not occur aut omat ically even aft er t he four mont hs have passed. When he st ops at t he four mont hs mark, he should eit her divorce or ret urn.'' Al-Bukhari also report ed t his Hadit h. Ibn Jarir report ed t hat Suhayl bin Abu Salih said t hat his fat her said, "I asked t welve Companions about t he man who does Ila' wit h his wife. They all st at ed t hat he does not have t o do anyt hing unt il t he four mont hs have passed and t hen has t o eit her ret ain or divorce her.'' Ad-Daraqut ni also report ed t his from Suhayl.

It is also report ed from ` Umar, ` Ut hman, ` Ali, Abu Ad-Darda', ` A'ishah, Ibn ` Umar and Ibn ` Abbas. This is also t he opinion of Sa` id bin Musayyib, ` Umar bin ` Abdul-` Aziz, Muj ahid, Tawus, Muhammad bin Ka` b and Al-Qasim.

(228. And divorced women shall wait (as regards t heir marriage) for t hree menst rual periods, and it is not lawful for t hem t o conceal what Allah has creat ed in t heir wombs, if t hey believe in Allah and t he Last Day. And t heir husbands have t he bet t er right t o t ake t hem back in t hat period, if t hey wish for reconciliat ion. And t hey (women) have right s (over t heir husbands as regards living expenses) similar (t o t hose of t heir husbands) over t hem (as regards obedience and respect ) t o what is reasonable, but men have a degree (of responsibilit y) over t hem. And Allah is All-Might y, All-Wise.)

The ` Iddah (Waiting Period) of the Divorced Woman

This Ayah cont ains a command from Allah t hat t he divorced woman, whose marriage was consummat ed and who st ill has menst ruat ion periods, should wait for t hree (menst rual) periods (Quru') aft er t he divorce and t hen remarry if she wishes.

The Meaning of Al-Quru

Ibn Jarir relat ed t hat ` Alqamah said: We were wit h ` Umar bin Al-Khat t ab when a woman came and said, "My husband divorced me one or t wo periods ago. He t hen came back t o me while I had prepared my wat er for t aking a bat h , t ook off my clot hes and closed my door.'' ` Umar asked ` Abdullah bin Mas` ud, "What do you t hink'' He said, "I t hink t hat she is st ill his wife, as long as she is not allowed t o resume praying (i.e., unt il t he t hird period ends before he t akes her back).'' ` Umar said, "This is my opinion t oo.'' This is also t he opinion of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, ` Umar, ` Ut hman, ` Ali, Abu Ad-Darda', ` Ubadah bin As-Samit , Anas bin Malik, Ibn Mas` ud, Mu` adh, Ubayy bin Ka` b, Abu Musa Al-Ash` ari and Ibn ` Abbas. Furt hermore, t his is t he opinion of Sa` id bin Musayyib, ` Alqamah, Aswad, Ibrahim, Muj ahid, ` At a', Tawus, Sa` id bin Jubayr, ` Ikrimah, Muhammad bin Sirin, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, Ash-Sha` bi, Ar-Rabi` , Muqat il bin Hayyan,

As-Suddi, Makhul, Ad-Dahhak and ` At a' Al-Khurasani. They all st at ed t hat t he Quru' is t he menst ruat ion period. What t est ifies t o t his is t he Hadit h t hat Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i report ed t hat Fat imah bint Abu Hubaiysh said t hat Allah's Messenger said t o her:

(Do not pray during your Aqra' (pl. for Quru', t he menst ruat ion period).) If t his Hadit h was aut hent ic, it would have been a clear proof t hat t he Quru' is t he menst ruat ion period. However, one of t he narrat ors of t his Hadit h, Al-Mundhir, is an unknown person (in Hadit h t erminology), as Abu Hat im has st at ed, alt hough Ibn Hibban has ment ioned Al-Mundhir in his book At h-Thiqat .

A Woman's Statement about Menses and Purity is to be accepted

Allah said:

(...and it is not lawful for t hem t o conceal what Allah has creat ed in t heir wombs,) meaning, of pregnancy or menst ruat ion periods. This is t he Tafsir of Ibn ` Abbas, Ibn ` Umar, Muj ahid, AshSha` bi, Al-Hakam bin ` Ut aybah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Ad-Dahhak and ot hers. Allah t hen said:

(...if t hey believe in Allah and t he Last Day.) This Ayah warns women against hiding t he t rut h (if t hey were pregnant or on t heir menses), indicat ing t hat t hey are t he aut horit y in such mat t ers as t hey alone know such fact s about t hemselves. Since verifying such mat t ers is difficult , Allah left t his decision wit h t hem. Yet , women were warned not t o hide t he t rut h in case t hey wish t o end t he ` Iddah sooner, or lat er, according t o t heir desires. Women were t hus commanded t o say t he t rut h (if t hey were pregnant or on t heir menses), no more and no less.

The Husband has the Right to take back his Divorced Wife during the ` Iddah (Waiting Period)
Allah said:


(And t heir husbands have t he bet t er right t o t ake t hem back in t hat period, if t hey wish for reconciliat ion.) Hence, t he husband who divorces his wife can t ake her back, providing she is st ill in her ` Iddah (t ime spent before a divorced woman or a widow can remarry) and t hat his aim, by t aking her back, is right eous and for t he purpose of bringing t hings back t o normal. However, t his ruling applies where t he husband is eligible t o t ake his divorced wife back. We should ment ion t hat (when t his Ayah 2:228 was revealed), t he ruling t hat made t he divorce t hrice and specified when t he husband is ineligible t o t ake his divorced wife back, had not been revealed yet . Previously, t he man used t o divorce his wife and t hen t ake her back even if he had divorced her a hundred separat e t imes. Thereaft er, Allah revealed t he following Ayah (2:229) t hat made t he divorce only t hrice. So t here was now a reversible divorce and an irreversible final divorce.

The Rights the Spouses have over Each Other

Allah said:

(And t hey (women) have right s (over t heir husbands as regards living expenses) similar (t o t hose of t heir husbands) over t hem (as regards obedience and respect ) t o what is reasonable,) This Ayah indicat es t hat t he wife has cert ain right s on her husband, j ust as he has cert ain right s on her, and each is obliged t o give t he ot her spouse his due right s. Muslim report ed t hat Jabir said t hat Allah's Messenger said:

a(Fear Allah regarding your women, for you have t aken t hem by Allah's covenant and were allowed t o enj oy wit h t hem sexually by Allah's Words. You have t he right on t hem t hat t hey do not allow anyone you dislike t o sit on your mat . If t hey do t hat , t hen discipline t hem lenient ly. They have t he right t o be spent on and t o be bought clot hes in what is reasonable.) Bahz bin Hakim said t hat Mu` awiyah bin Haydah Al-Qushayri relat ed t hat his grandfat her said, "O Messenger of Allah! What is t he right t he wife of one of us has'' The Prophet said:

(To feed her when you eat , buy her clot hes when you buy for yourself and t o refrain from st riking her on t he face, cursing her or st aying away from her except in t he house.) Waki` relat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "I like t o t ake care of my appearance for my wife j ust as I like for her t o t ake care of her appearance for me. This is because Allah says:

(And t hey (women) have right s similar (t o t hose of t heir husbands) over t hem t o what is reasonable.)'' This st at ement is report ed by Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abu Hat im.

The Virtue Men have over Women

Allah said:

(but men have a degree (of responsibilit y) over t hem.) This Ayah indicat es t hat men are in a more advant ageous posit ion t han women physically as well as in t heir mannerism, st at us, obedience (of women t o t hem), spending, t aking care of t he affairs and in general, in t his life and in t he Hereaft er. Allah said (in anot her Ayah):

(Men are t he prot ect ors and maint ainers of women, because Allah has made one of t hem t o excel t he ot her, and because t hey spend (t o support t hem) from t heir means.) (4:34) Allah's st at ement :

(And Allah is All-Might y, All-Wise) means, He is Might y in His punishment of t hose who disobey and defy His commands. He is Wise in what He commands, dest ines and legislat es.

-
(229. The divorce is t wice, aft er t hat eit her you ret ain her on reasonable t erms or release her wit h kindness. And it is not lawful for you (men) t o t ake back (from your wives) any of what you gave t hem (t he Mahr, bridal-money given by t he husband t o his wife at t he t ime of marriage), except when bot h part ies fear t hat t hey would be unable t o keep t he limit s ordained by Allah (e.g., t o deal wit h each ot her on a fair basis). Then if you fear t hat t hey would not be able t o keep t he limit s ordained by Allah, t hen t here is no sin on eit her of t hem if she gives back (t he Mahr or a part of it ). These are t he limit s ordained by Allah, so do not t ransgress t hem. And whoever t ransgresses t he limit s ordained by Allah, t hen such are t he wrongdoers.) (230. And if he has divorced her (t he t hird t ime), t hen she is not lawful unt o him t hereaft er unt il she has married anot her husband. Then, if t he ot her husband divorces her, it is no sin on bot h of t hem t hat t hey reunit e, provided t hey feel t hat t hey can keep t he limit s ordained by Allah. These are t he limit s of Allah, which He makes plain for t he people who have knowledge.)

Divorce is Thrice
This honorable Ayah abrogat ed t he previous pract ice in t he beginning of Islam, when t he man had t he right t o t ake back his divorced wife even if he had divorced her a hundred t imes, as long as she was st ill in her ` Iddah (wait ing period). This sit uat ion was harmful for t he wife, and t his is why Allah made t he divorce t hrice, where t he husband is allowed t o t ake back his wife aft er t he first and t he second divorce (as long as she is st ill in her ` Iddah). The divorce becomes irrevocable aft er t he t hird divorce, as Allah said:

(The divorce is t wice, aft er t hat , eit her you ret ain her on reasonable t erms or release her wit h kindness.) In his Sunan, Abu Dawud report ed in Chapt er: "Taking t he Wife back aft er t he t hird (Divorce) is an abrogat ed pract ice," t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed on t he Ayah:

(And divorced women shall wait (as regards t heir marriage) for t hree menst rual periods, and it is not lawful for t hem t o conceal what Allah has creat ed in t heir wombs,) (2:228) The man used t o have t he right t o t ake back his wife even if he had divorced her t hrice. Allah abrogat ed t his and said:

(The divorce is t wice.) This Hadit h was also collect ed by An-Nasa'i. Ibn Abu Hat im report ed t hat ` Urwah said t hat a man said t o his wife, "I will neit her divorce you nor t ake you back.'' She said, "How'' He said, "I will divorce you and when your t erm of ` Iddah nears it s end, I will t ake you back.'' She went t o Allah's Messenger and t old him what happened, and Allah revealed:

(The divorce is t wice.)

Ibn Jarir (At -Tabari) also report ed t his Hadit h in his Tafsir. Allah said:

(...aft er t hat , eit her you ret ain her on reasonable t erms or release her wit h kindness.) meaning, ` If you divorce her once or t wice, you have t he choice t o t ake her back, as long as she is st ill in her ` Iddah, int ending t o be kind t o her and t o mend differences. Ot herwise, await t he end of her t erm of ` Iddah, when t he divorce becomes final, and let her go her own way in peace, wit hout commit t ing any harm or inj ust ice against her.' ` Ali bin Abu Talhah report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "When t he man divorces his wife t wice, let him fear Allah, regarding t he t hird t ime. He should eit her keep her wit h him and t reat her wit h kindness, or let her go her own way wit h kindness, wit hout infringing upon any of her right s.''

Taking back the Mahr (Dowry)

Allah said:

(And it is not lawful for you (men) t o t ake back (from your wives) any of (t he dowry) what you gave t hem,) meaning, you are not allowed t o bot her or pressure your wives t o end t his sit uat ion by giving you back t he Mahr and any gift s t hat you have given t hem (in ret urn for divorce). Similarly, Allah said:

(...and you should not t reat t hem wit h harshness, t hat you may t ake away part of what you have given t hem, unless t hey commit open illegal sexual int ercourse.) (4:19) However, if t he wife willingly gives back anyt hing wit h a good heart , t hen Allah said regarding t his sit uat ion:

(...but if t hey, of t heir own good pleasure, remit any part of it t o you, t ake it , and enj oy it wit hout fear of any harm.) (4:4)

Allowing Khul` and the Return of the Mahr in that Case

When t he spouses have irreconcilable differences wherein t he wife ignores t he right s of t he husband, dislikes him and becomes unable t o live wit h him any longer, she is allowed t o free herself (from married life) by giving him back what he had given her (in gift s and Mahr). There is no sin on her in t his case nor on him if he accept s such offer. This is why Allah said:

(And it is not lawful for you (men) t o t ake back (from your wives) any of what you gave t hem, except when bot h part ies fear t hat t hey would be unable t o keep t he limit s ordained by Allah (e.g., t o deal wit h each ot her on a fair basis). Then if you fear t hat t hey would not be able t o keep t he limit s ordained by Allah, t hen t here is no sin on eit her of t hem if she gives back.) Somet imes, t he woman has no valid reason and she st ill asks for her marriage t o be ended. In t his case, Ibn Jarir report ed t hat Thawban said t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(Any woman who asks her husband for divorce wit hout j ust ificat ion, t hen t he scent of Paradise will be forbidden for her.) At -Tirmidhi recorded t his Hadit h and st at ed t hat it is Hasan. Ibn Jarir said t hat t he Ayah (2:229) was revealed about Thabit bin Qays bin Shammas and his wife Habibah bint ` Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul. In his Muwat t a', Imam Malik report ed t hat Habibah bint Sahl Al-Ansariyah was married t o Thabit bin Qays bin Shammas and t hat Allah's Messenger once went t o t he Faj r (Dawn) prayer and found Habibah bint Sahl by his door in t he dark. Allah's Messenger said, "Who is t his'' She said, "I am Habibah bint Sahl, O Messenger of Allah!'' He said, "What is t he mat t er'' She said, "I and Thabit bin Qays'', meaning, (she can no longer be wit h) her husband. When her husband Thabit bin Qays came, Allah's Messenger said t o him:


(This is Habibah bint Sahl, she said what Allah has permit t ed her t o say.) Habibah also said, "O Messenger of Allah! I st ill have everyt hing he gave me.'' Allah's Messenger said:

(Take it from her.) So, he t ook it from her and she remained in her family's house.'' This was report ed by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and An-Nasai. Al-Bukhari report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat t he wife of Thabit bin Qays bin Shammas came t o t he Prophet and said, "O Messenger of Allah! I do not crit icize his religion or mannerism. But I hat e commit t ing Kufr in Islam (by ignoring his right s on her).'' Allah's Messenger said:

(Will you give him back his garden) She said, "Yes.'' Allah's Messenger said:

(Take back t he garden and divorce her once. ) An-Nasa'i also recorded it .

The ` Iddah (Waiting Period) for the Khul"

At -Tirmidhi report ed t hat Rubayi` bint Mu` awwidh bin ` Afra' got a Khul` during t he t ime of Allah's Messenger and t he Prophet ordered her t o wait for one menst ruat ion period for ` Iddah.

Transgressing the set limits of Allah is an Injustice

Allah said:


(These are t he limit s ordained by Allah, so do not t ransgress t hem. And whoever t ransgresses t he limit s ordained by Allah, t hen such are t he wrongdoers.) This means t hat t he laws t hat Allah has legislat ed are His set limit s, so do not t ransgress t hem. An aut hent ic Hadit h st at es:

(Allah has set some limit s, so do not t ransgress t hem; and commanded some commands, so do not ignore t hem; and made some t hings unlawful, so do not commit t hem. He has also left some mat t ers (wit hout rulings) as a mercy wit h you, not because He has forgot t en t hem, so do not ask about t hem.)

Pronouncing Three Divorces at the same Time is Unlawful

The last Ayah we ment ioned was used as evidence t o prove t hat it is not allowed t o pronounce t hree divorces at one t ime. What furt her proves t his ruling is t hat Mahmud bin Labid has st at ed - as An-Nasa'i recorded - t hat Allah's Messenger was t old about a man who pronounced t hree divorces on his wife at one t ime, so t he Prophet st ood up while angry and said:

(The Book of Allah is being made t he subj ect of j est while I am st ill amongst you) A man t hen st ood up and said, "Should I kill t hat man, O Messenger of Allah''

The Wife cannot be taken back after the Third Divorce

Allah said:

(And if he has divorced her (t he t hird t ime), t hen she is not lawful for him t hereaft er unt il she has married anot her husband.) This Ayah indicat es t hat if t he man divorces his wife for t he t hird t ime aft er he divorced her t wice, t hen she will no longer be allowed for marriage t o him. Allah said:

(...unt il she has married anot her husband.) meaning, unt il she legally marries anot her man. For inst ance, if she has sexual int ercourse wit h any man, even her mast er (if she was a servant ), she would st ill be ineligible for marriage for her ex-husband (who divorced her t hrice), because whomever she had sexual relat ions wit h was not her legal husband. If she marries a man wit hout consummat ing t he marriage, she will not be eligible for her ex-husband. Muslim report ed t hat ` A'ishah said t hat Allah's Messenger was asked about a woman who marries a man who t hereaft er divorces her (t hrice). She t hen marries anot her man and he divorces her before he has sexual relat ions wit h her, would she be allowed for her first husband Allah's Messenger said:

(No, unt il he enj oys her ` Usaylah (sexual relat ion).) Al-Bukhari also report ed t his Hadit h. Imam Ahmad recorded t hat ` A'ishah said, "The wife of Rifa` ah Al-Qurazi came while I and Abu Bakr were wit h t he Prophet and she said, ` I was Rifa` ah's wife, but he divorced me and it was an irrevocable divorce. Then I married ` Abdur-Rahman bin Az-Zubayr, but his sexual organ is minut e like a st ring.' She t hen t ook a small st ring of her garment (t o resemble how small his sexual organ was). Khalid bin Sa` id bin Al-` As, who was next t o t he door and was not yet allowed in, said, ` O Abu Bakr! Why do you not forbid t his (woman) from what she is revealing frankly before t he Prophet ' The Prophet merely smiled. Then, Allah's Messenger asked her: c

(Do you want t o remarry Rifa` ah You cannot unless you experience his ` Usaylah and he experiences your ` Usaylah (i.e., had a complet e sexual relat ion wit h your present husband).)''

Al-Bukhari, Muslim, and An-Nasa'i also recorded t his Hadit h. Muslim's wording is "Rifa` ah divorced his wife for t he t hird and final t ime." The word ` Usaylah ment ioned in t he Hadit h means sexual int ercourse. Imam Ahmad and AnNasa'i report ed t hat ` A'ishah said t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(` Usaylah is sexual int ercourse.)

The Curse on the Participants of Tahlil/ Halalah

The reason for t he woman (who was divorced t hrice) t o marry anot her man must be t hat t he man desires her and has t he int ent ion of having an ext ended married life wit h her. These are t he legal goals and aims behind marriage. If t he reason behind t he second marriage was t o make t he woman eligible for her ex-husband again, t hen t his is t he Tahlil t hat t he Hadit hs have cursed and crit icized. In addit ion, when t he reason behind t his marriage (if it was Tahlil) is announced in t he cont ract , it would make t he cont ract invalid according t o t he maj orit y of t he scholars. Imam Ahmad report ed t hat ` Abdullah bin Mas` ud said, "Allah's Messenger cursed t he one who does Tahlil, t he one in whose favor it is done, t hose who eat Riba (usury) and t hose who feed it (pay t he usury).'' At -Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i report ed t his Hadit h and At -Tirmidhi said, "This Hadit h is Hasan.'' He said, "This is what is act ed upon according t o people of knowledge among t he Companions, among whom are ` Umar, ` Ut hman and Ibn ` Umar. It was also t he saying of t he scholars of Fiqh among t he Tabi` in (second generat ion of Islam). And it has been report ed from ` Ali, Ibn Mas` ud and Ibn ` Abbas''. In his Must adrak, Al-Hakim report ed t hat Nafi` said: "A man came t o Ibn ` Umar and asked him about a man who divorced his wife t hree t imes. Then, his brot her married her t o make Tahlil for his brot her, wit hout t he brot her knowing t his fact . He t hen asked, "Is she allowed for t he first (husband)'' He said, "No, unless it is a marriage t hat involves desire. We used t o consider t his an act of adult ery during t he t ime of Allah's Messenger .'' Al-Hakim said, "This Hadit h has a Sahih chain alt hough t hey (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it .''The wording of t his Hadit h indicat es t hat t he ruling came from t he Prophet . Abu Bakr bin Abu Shaybah, Al-Jawzj ani, Harb Al-Kirmani and Abu Bakr Al-At hram said t hat Qabisah bin Jabir said t hat ` Umar said, "If t he part icipant s t o Tahlil are brought t o me, I will have t hem st oned.''

When does a Woman who was divorced Three Times become Eligible for Her First Husband
Allah said:

(And if he has divorced her) meaning, t he second husband aft er he had complet e sexual relat ions wit h her,

(it is no sin on bot h of t hem t hat t hey reunit e) meaning, t he wife and her first husband,

(provided t hey feel t hat t hey can keep t he limit s ordained by Allah.) meaning, t hey live t oget her honorably. Muj ahid said, "If t hey are convinced t hat t he aim behind t heir marriage is honorable.'' Next , Allah said:

(These are t he limit s of Allah,) His commandment s and legislat ion,

(He makes plain)

(for t he people who have knowledge.)


(231. And when you have divorced women and t hey have fulfilled t he t erm of t heir prescribed period, eit her t ake t hem back on a reasonable basis or set t hem free on a reasonable basis. But do not t ake t hem back t o hurt t hem, and whoever does t hat , t hen he has wronged himself. And t reat not t he verses (Laws) of Allah in j est , but remember Allah's favors on you (i.e., Islam), and t hat which He has sent down t o you of t he Book (i.e., t he Qur'an) and Al-Hikmah (t he Prophet 's Sunnah legal ways Islamic j urisprudence) whereby He inst ruct s you. And fear Allah, and know t hat Allah is All-Aware of everyt hing).

Being Kind to the Divorced Wife

This is a command from Allah t o men t hat when one of t hem divorces his wife wit h a reversible divorce, he should t reat her kindly. So when her t erm of ` Iddah (wait ing period) nears it s end, he eit her t akes her back in a way t hat is bet t er, including having wit nesses t hat he has t aken her back, and he lives wit h her wit h kindness. Or, he should release her aft er her ` Iddah finishes and t hen kindly asks her t o depart from his house, wit hout disput ing, fight ing wit h her or using foul words. Allah t hen said:

(But do not t ake t hem back t o hurt t hem,) Ibn ` Abbas, Muj ahid, Masruq, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi` and Muqat il bin Hayyan said t hat a man used t o divorce his wife, and when her ` Iddah came near it s end, he would t ake her back t o harm her and t o st op her from marrying someone else. He t hen divorced her and she would begin her ` Iddah and when her ` Iddah t erm neared it s end, he would t ake her back again, so t hat t he t erm of ` Iddah would be prolonged for her. Aft er t hat , Allah prohibit ed t his pract ice. Allah has also t hreat ened t hose who indulge in such pract ices, when He said;

(...and whoever does t hat , t hen he has wronged himself.) meaning, by defying Allah's commandment s. Allah t hen said:

(And t reat not t he verses (Laws) of Allah in a j est ,) Ibn Jarir said t hat Abu Musa (Al-Ash` ari) narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger once became angry at t he Ash` ari t ribe. Abu Musa went t o him and said, "O Messenger of Allah! Are you angry wit h t he Ash` ariyyin'' The Prophet said:

 :
(One of you says, ` I divorced her' -t hen says- ` I t ook her back!' This is not t he appropriat e way Muslims conduct divorce. Divorce t he woman when she has fulfilled t he t erm of t he prescribed period.) Masruq said t hat t he Ayah refers t o t he man who harms his wife by divorcing her and t hen t aking her back, so t hat t he ` Iddah t erm is prolonged for her. Al-Hasan, Qat adah, ` At a' AlKhurasani, Ar-Rabi` and Muqat il bin Hayyan said, "He is t he man who divorces his wife and says, ` I was j oking.' Or he frees a servant or get s married and says, ` I was only j oking.' Allah revealed:

(And t reat not t he verses (Laws) of Allah in a j est ,) Then such men were made t o bear t he consequences of t heir act ions. Allah t hen said:

(. ..but remember Allah's favors on you,) meaning, by His sending His Messenger wit h t he right guidance and clear signs t o you:

(...and t hat which He has sent down t o you of t he Book (i.e., t he Qur'an) and Al-Hikmah) meaning t he Sunnah,

(...whereby He inst ruct s you.) meaning, commands you, forbids you and t hreat ens you for t ransgressing His prohibit ions. Allah said:

(And fear Allah) meaning, concerning what you perform and what you avoid,


(and know t hat Allah is All-Aware of everyt hing.) none of your secret or public affairs ever escapes His knowledge, and He will t reat you accordingly.

(232. And when you have divorced women and t hey have fulfilled t he t erm of t heir prescribed period, do not prevent t hem from marrying t heir (former) husbands, if t hey mut ually agree on reasonable basis. This (inst ruct ion) is an admonit ion for him among you who believes in Allah and t he Last Day. That is more virt uous and purer for you. Allah knows and you know not .)

The Wali (Guardian) of the Divorced Woman should not prevent Her from going back to Her Husband
Ali bin Abu Talhah report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "This Ayah was revealed about t he man who divorces his wife once or t wice and her ` Iddah finishes. He lat er t hinks about t aking her back in marriage and t he woman also wishes t hat , yet , her family prevent s her from remarrying him. Hence, Allah prohibit ed her family from prevent ing her.'' Masruq, Ibrahim An-Nakha` i, Az-Zuhri and Ad-Dahhak st at ed t hat t his is t he reason behind revealing t he Ayah (2:232). These st at ement s clearly conform t o t he apparent meaning of t he Ayah. There is no Marriage

without a Wali (for the Woman)

The Ayah (2:232) also indicat es t hat t he woman is not permit t ed t o give herself in marriage. Rat her, she requires a Wali (guardian such as her fat her, brot her, adult son, and so fort h) t o give her away in marriage, as Ibn Jarir and At -Tirmidhi have st at ed when t hey ment ioned t his Ayah. Also, a Hadit h st at es t hat :

(The woman does not give anot her woman away for marriage and t he woman does not give herself away in marriage, for only t he adult eress gives herself away for marriage.) Anot her Hadit h st at es:

(No marriage is valid except wit h t he part icipat ion of a mat ure Wali and t wo t rust wort hy wit nesses.)

The Reason behind revealing the Ayah (2:232)

It was report ed t hat t his Ayah was revealed about Ma` qil bin Yasar Al-Muzani and his sist er. AlBukhari report ed in his Sahih, when he ment ioned t he Tafsir of t his Ayah (2:232), t hat t he husband of t he sist er of Ma` qil bin Yasar divorced her. He wait ed unt il her ` Iddah finished and t hen asked t o remarry her, but Ma` qil refused. Then, t his Ayah was sent down:

(...do not prevent t hem from marrying t heir (former) husbands.) Abu Dawud, At -Tirmidhi, Ibn Abu Hat im, Ibn Jarir and Ibn Marduwyah and Al-Bayhaqi report ed t his Hadit h from Al-Hasan from Ma` qil bin Yasar. At -Tirmidhi rendered t his Hadit h aut hent ic and in his narrat ion, Ma` qil bin Yasar gave his sist er in marriage for a Muslim man during t he t ime of Allah's Messenger . She remained wit h him for a while and he divorced her once and did not t ake her back unt il her ` Iddah finished. They t hen want ed t o get back wit h each ot her and he came t o ask her for marriage. Ma` qil said t o him, "O ungrat eful one! I honored you and married her t o you but you divorced her. By Allah! She will never be ret urned t o you.'' But Allah knew his need for his wife and her need for her husband and He revealed:

(And when you have divorced women and t hey have fulfilled t he t erm of t heir prescribed period, ) unt il He said:

(...and you know not .) When Ma` qil heard t he Ayah, he said, "I hear and obey my Lord.'' He t hen summoned t he man and said, "I will honor you and let you remarry (my sist er).'' Ibn Marduwyah added (t hat Ma` qil said), "And will pay (t he expiat ion) for breaking my vow.'' Allah said:


(This (inst ruct ion) is an admonit ion for him among you who believes in Allah and t he Last Day.) meaning, prohibit ing you from prevent ing t he women from marrying t heir ex-husbands, if t hey bot h agree t o it ,

(among you) O people,

(who believes in Allah and t he Last Day.) meaning, believes in Allah's commandment s and fears His warnings and t he t orment in t he Hereaft er. Allah said:

(That is more virt uous and purer for you.) meaning, obeying Allah's Law by ret urning t he women t o t heir ex-husbands, and abandoning your displeasure, is purer and cleaner for your heart s,

(Allah knows) t he benefit s you gain from what He commands and what He forbids.

(and you know not ) t he benefit s in what you do or what you refrain from doing.


n(233. The mot hers should suckle t heir children for t wo whole years, (t hat is) for t hose (parent s) who desire t o complet e t he t erm of suckling, but t he fat her of t he child shall bear t he cost of t he mot her's food and clot hing on a reasonable basis. No person shall have a burden laid on him great er t han he can bear. No mot her shall be t reat ed unfairly on account of her child, nor fat her on account of his child. And on t he (fat her's) heir is incumbent t he like of t hat (which was incumbent on t he fat her). If t hey bot h decide on weaning, by mut ual consent , and aft er due consult at ion, t here is no sin on t hem. And if you decide on a fost er suckling-mot her for your children, t here is no sin on you, provided you pay (t he mot her) what you agreed (t o give her) on a reasonable basis. And fear Allah and know t hat Allah is All-Seer of what you do.)

The Suckling Period is only Two Years

This is a direct ion from Allah t o t he mot hers t o suckle t heir infant s t hrough t he complet e t erm of suckling, which is t wo years. Hence, suckling aft er t wo years is not included in t his address. Allah said:

(...who desire t o complet e t he t erm of suckling,) Therefore, t he suckling t hat est ablishes Tahrim (prohibit ion, i.e., one cannot marry his mot her or sist er from suckling) is what occurs before t he t wo years end. If t he infant is suckled only aft er t wo years of age, t hen no Tahrim will be est ablished. At -Tirmidhi under Chapt er: ` Suckling est ablishes Tahrim wit hin t he first t wo years,' report ed t hat Umm Salamah narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(Suckling est ablishes Tahrim if it is on t he breast and before Fit am (before weaning, i.e., before t he end of t he first t wo years).) At -Tirmidhi said, "This Hadit h is Hasan Sahih. The maj orit y of t he people of knowledge among t he Companions of Allah's Messenger and ot hers act ed upon t his, t hat is t hat suckling est ablishes Tahrim (prohibit ion in marriage) before t he end of t he t wo years and t hat what ever occurs aft er t hat does not est ablish Tahrim". At -Tirmidhi is alone in recording t his Hadit h and t he narrat ors in it s chain meet t he crit eria of t he Sahihayn. The Prophet 's st at ement :

(On t he breast ) refers t o t he organ of suckling before t he t wo years. Imam Ahmad report ed a Hadit h in which Al-Bara' bin ` Azib narrat ed, "When Ibrahim, t he Prophet 's son, died, t he Prophet said:

(My son has died on t he breast and he has someone t o suckle him in Paradise.) Furt hermore, Ad-Daraqut ni relat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(Suckling est ablishes Tahrim only wit hin t he (first ) t wo years.) Imam Malik report ed t his Hadit h from Thawr bin Zayd who narrat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas relat ed it t o t he Prophet . Ad-Darawardi report ed t his Hadit h from Thawr who narrat ed it from ` Ikrimah who narrat ed it from Ibn ` Abbas. In t his narrat ion, which is more aut hent ic, he added:

(What ever occurs aft er t he t wo years is not considered.)

Suckling beyond the Two Years

It is report ed in t he Sahih t hat ` A'ishah t hought t hat if a woman gives her milk t o an older person (meaning beyond t he age of t wo years) t hen t his will est ablish Tahrim. This is also t he opinion of ` At a' bin Abu Rabah and Layt h bin Sa` d. Hence, ` A'ishah t hought t hat it is permissible t o suckle t he man whom t he woman needs t o be allowed in her house. She used as evidence t he Hadit h of Salim, t he freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah, where t he Prophet ordered Abu Hudhayfah's wife t o give some of her milk t o Salim, alt hough he was a man, and ever since

t hen, he used t o ent er her house freely. However, t he rest of t he Prophet 's wives did not agree wit h t his opinion and t hought t hat t his was only a special case. This is also t he opinion of t he maj orit y of t he scholars.

Suckling for Monetary Compensation

Allah said:

(...but t he fat her of t he child shall bear t he cost of t he mot her's food and clot hing on a reasonable basis.) meaning, t he fat her of t he baby is obliged t o provide for t he expenses of t he mot her and t o buy her clot hes, in reasonable amount s usually used by similar women in t hat area, wit hout ext ravagance or st inginess. The fat her spends wit hin his means in t his case. Allah said in anot her Ayah:

(Let t he rich man spend according t o his means; and t he man whose resources are rest rict ed, let him spend according t o what Allah has given him. Allah put s no burden on any person beyond what He has given him. Allah will grant aft er hardship, ease.) (65:7) Ad-Dahhak comment ed, "If t he husband divorces his wife, wit h whom he had a child, and she suckles t hat child, he is required t o provide for t he mot her's expenses and clot hes wit hin reason.''

No Darar (Harm) or Dirar (Revenge)

Allah said:

(No mot her shall be t reat ed unfairly on account of her child,) meaning, t he mot her should not decline t o rear her child t o harm it s fat her. The mot her does not have t he right t o refrain from suckling t he child aft er giving birt h, unless she suckles him/ her t he milk t hat is necessary for

his/ her survival. Lat er on, she is allowed t o give up cust ody of t he child as long as she does not do t hat int ending t o harm t he fat her. In addit ion, t he fat her is not allowed t o t ake t he child from his mot her t o harm t he mot her. This is why Allah said:

(...nor fat her on account of his child.) meaning, by t aking t he child from it s mot her int ending t o harm t he mot her. This is t he Tafsir of Muj ahid, Qat adah, Ad-Dahhak, Az-Zuhri, As-Suddi, At h-Thawri and Ibn Zayd, and ot hers on t his Ayah. Allah t hen said:

(And on t he (fat her's) heir is incumbent t he like of t hat (which was incumbent on t he fat her).) meaning, by refraining from harming t he relat ive (of t he fat her, i.e., his infant ), as Muj ahid, Ash-Sha` bi and Ad-Dahhak st at ed. It was also report ed t hat (t he Ayah requires) t he inherit or (of t he fat her) t o spend on t he mot her of t he child, j ust as t he fat her was spending, and t o preserve her right s and refrain from harming her, according t o t he Tafsir of t he maj orit y of t he scholars. We should st at e t hat Ibn Jarir has explained t his subj ect in det ail in his Tafsir and t hat he also st at ed t hat suckling t he child aft er t he second year might harm t he child's body and mind. Sufyan At h-Thawri narrat ed t hat ` Alqamah asked a woman who was suckling her child aft er t he second year ended, not t o do t hat .

Fitam (weaning) occurs by Mutual Consent

Allah said:

(If t hey bot h decide on weaning, by mut ual consent , and aft er due consult at ion, t here is no sin on t hem.) This Ayah indicat es t hat if t he fat her and t he mot her decide on t he Fit am (weaning) before t he t wo years (of suckling) end, and for a benefit t hat t hey duly discuss and agree upon, t hen t here is no sin in t his case. So, t he Ayah indicat es t hat one parent is not allowed t o make t his kind of decision wit hout duly consult ing t he ot her parent , as st at ed by At h-Thawri. The met hod of mut ual consult at ion prot ect s t he child's int erest s. It is also a mercy from Allah t o His servant s, for He has legislat ed t he best met hod for parent s t o rear t heir children, and His legislat ion guides and direct s t he parent s and t he children t o success. Similarly, Allah said in Surat At Talaq (chapt er 65 in t he Qur'an):


(Then if t hey give suck t o t he children for you, give t hem t heir due payment , and let each of you accept t he advice of t he ot her in a j ust way. But if you make difficult ies for one anot her, t hen some ot her woman may give suck for him (t he fat her of t he child).) (65:6) Allah t hen said:

(And if you decide on a fost er suckling-mot her for your children, t here is no sin on you, provided you pay (t he mot her) what you agreed (t o give her) on a reasonable basis.) meaning, if t he mot her and t he fat her bot h agree t hat t he fat her assumes cust ody of t he child due t o a circumst ance t hat compels her or allows him t o do so, t hen t here is no sin in t his case. Hence, t he mot her is allowed t o give up t he child and t he fat her is allowed t o assume cust ody of t he child. The fat her should kindly give t he mot her her expenses for t he previous period (during which she reared and suckled t he child), and he should seek ot her women t o suckle his child for monet ary compensat ion. Thereaft er, Allah said:

(And fear Allah) meaning, in all of your affairs,

(And know t hat Allah is All-Seer of what you do.) meaning, none of your affairs or speech escapes His perfect Wat ch.


(234. And t hose of you who die and leave wives behind t hem, t hey (t he wives) shall wait (as regards t heir marriage) for four mont hs and t en days, t hen when t hey have fulfilled t heir t erm, t here is no sin on you if t hey (t he wives) dispose of t hemselves in a (j ust and) honorable manner (i.e., t hey can marry). And Allah is well-acquaint ed wit h what you do.)

The ` Iddah (Waiting Period) of the Widow

This Ayah cont ains a command from Allah t o t he wives whose husbands die, t hat t hey should observe a period of ` Iddah of four mont hs and t en night s, including t he cases where t he marriage was consummat ed or ot herwise, according t o t he consensus (of t he scholars). The proof t hat t his ruling includes t he case where t he marriage was not consummat ed is included in t he general meaning of t he Ayah. In a narrat ion recorded by Imam Ahmad and t he compilers of t he Sunan, which At -Tirmidhi graded Sahih, Ibn Mas` ud was asked about a man who married a woman, but he died before consummat ing t he marriage. He also did not appoint a Mahr (dowry) for her. They kept asking Ibn Mas` ud about t his subj ect unt il he said, "I shall give you my own opinion, and if it is correct t hen it is from Allah, while if it is wrong it is because of my error and because of (t he evil effort s of) Sat an. In t his case, Allah and His Messenger are innocent of my opinion. She has her full Mahr.'' In anot her narrat ion, Ibn Mas` ud said, "She has a similar Mahr t o t hat of t he women of her st at us, wit hout st inginess or ext ravagance.'' He t hen cont inued, "She has t o spend t he ` Iddah and has a right t o t he inherit ance.'' Ma` qil bin Yasar Ashj a` i t hen st ood up and said, "I heard Allah's Messenger issue a similar j udgment for t he benefit of Barwa` bint Washiq.'' ` Abdullah bin Mas` ud became very delight ed upon hearing t his st at ement . In anot her narrat ion, several men from Ashj a` (t ribe) st ood up and said, "We t est ify t hat Allah's Messenger issued a similar ruling for t he benefit of Barwa` bint Washiq.'' As for t he case of t he widow whose husband dies while she is pregnant , her t erm of ` Iddah ends when she gives birt h, even if it occurs an inst ant (aft er her husband dies). This ruling is t aken from Allah's st at ement :

(And for t hose who are pregnant , t heir ` Iddah is unt il t hey lay down t heir burden.) (65:4) There is also a Hadit h from Subay` ah Al-Aslamiyah in t he Two Sahihs, t hrough various chains of narrat ion. Her husband, Sa` d bin Khawlah, died while she was pregnant and she gave birt h only a few night s aft er his deat h. When she finished her Nifas (post nat al period), she beaut ified herself for t hose who might seek t o engage her (for marriage). Then, Abu Sanabil bin Ba` kak came t o her and said, "Why do I see you beaut ified yourself, do you wish t o marry By Allah! You will not marry unt il t he four mont hs and t en night s have passed.'' Subay` ah said, "When he said t hat t o me, I collect ed my garment s when night fell and went t o Allah's Messenger and asked him about t his mat t er. He said t hat my ` Iddah had finished when I gave birt h and allowed me t o get married if I wished.''

The Wisdom behind legislating the ` Iddah

Sa` id bin Musayyib and Abu Al-` Aliyah st at ed t hat t he wisdom behind making t he ` Iddah of t he widow four mont hs and t en night s is t hat t he womb might cont ain a fet us. When t he woman wait s for t his period, it will become evident if she is pregnant . Similarly, t here is a Hadit h in t he Two Sahihs narrat ed by Ibn Mas` ud st at ing:

((The creat ion of) a human being is put t oget her in t he womb of his mot her in fort y days in t he form of a seed, and next he becomes a clot of t hick blood for a similar period, and next a morsel of flesh for a similar period. Then, Allah sends an angel who is ordered t o breat he life unt o t he fet us.) So, t hese are four mont hs and t en more days t o be sure, as some mont hs are less (t han t hirt y days), and t he fet us will t hen st art t o show signs of life aft er t he soul has been breat hed int o it . Allah knows best .

The ` Iddah of the Slave Mother whose Master dies

We should st at e here t hat t he ` Iddah of t he slave mot her is t he same in t he case of deat h, as t he ` Iddah of t he free woman. Imam Ahmad report ed t hat ` Amr bin Al-` As said, "Do not confuse t he Sunnah of our Prophet for us. The ` Iddah of t he mot her, who is also a servant , when her mast er dies, is four mont hs and t en night s.''

Mourning is required during the ` Iddah of Death

Allah said:

(...t hen when t hey have fulfilled t heir t erm, t here is no sin on you if t hey (t he wives) dispose of t hemselves in a (j ust and) honorable manner (i.e., t hey can marry). And Allah is wellacquaint ed wit h what you do.) This Ayah indicat es t hat mourning for t he dead husband is required unt il t he ` Iddah is finished. It is also report ed in t he Two Sahihs t hat Umm Habibah and Zaynab bint Jahsh narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and t he Last Day t o mourn for more t han t hree days for any dead person except her husband, for whom she mourns for four mont hs and t en days.) It is report ed in t he Two Sahihs t hat Umm Salamah said t hat a woman said, "O Messenger of Allah! My daught er's husband died and she is complaining about her eye, should we administ er kohl in her eye'' He said, "No,'' several t imes upon repeat ing t his quest ion. He t hen said:

(It is four mont hs and t en (night s)! During t he Jahiliyyah, one of you would mourn for an ent ire year.) Zaiynab t he daught er of Umm Salamah said (about t he pre-Islamic era of ignorance), "When t he woman's husband died, she would go int o seclusion and would wear t he worst clot hes she has. She would refrain from wearing perfume or any adornment s unt il a year passed. She would t hen come out of seclusion and would be given dung t hat she would t hrow. Then an animal would be brought out , a donkey, a sheep, or a bird. Then some blood would be drained from it , usually result ing in it s deat h.'' In short , t he mourning required from a wife whose husband dies, includes not using beaut ificat ion aids, such as wearing perfume and t he clot hes and j ewelry t hat encourage t he men t o seek marriage from t he woman. All widows must observe t his period of mourning whet her t hey are young, old, free, servant , Muslim or disbeliever, as t he general meaning of t he Ayah indicat es. Allah also said:


(...t hen when t hey have fulfilled t heir t erm) meaning, when t he ` Iddah finishes, according t o Ad-Dahhak and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas.

(t here is no sin on you) Az-Zuhri said, "Meaning her Wali (guardian).''

(if t hey (t he wives) dispose) meaning, t he women whose ` Iddah has finished. Al-` Awfi said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "If t he woman is divorced or if her husband dies and t hen her ` Iddah t erm ends, t here is no sin t hat she beaut ifies herself, so t hat she becomes ready for marriage proposals. This is t he way ` t hat is j ust and honorable'.'' It was report ed t hat Muqat il bin Hayyan gave t he same explanat ion. Ibn Jurayj relat ed t hat Muj ahid said:

(...t here is no sin on you if t hey (t he wives) dispose of t hemselves in a j ust and honorable manner.) "refers t o allowed and pure (honorable) marriage.'' It was also report ed t hat Al-Hasan, Az-Zuhri and As-Suddi said t he same.


(235. And t here is no sin on you if you make a hint of bet rot hal or conceal it in yourself, Allah knows t hat you will remember t hem, but do not make a promise (of cont ract ) wit h t hem in secret except t hat you speak an honorable saying. And do not be det ermined on t he marriage bond unt il t he t erm prescribed is fulfilled. And know t hat Allah knows what is in your minds, so fear Him. And know t hat Allah is Oft -Forgiving, Most Forbearing.)

Mentioning Marriage indirectly during the ` Iddah

Allah said:

(And t here is no sin on you) meaning, t o indirect ly ment ion marriage t o t he widow during t he t erm of ` Iddah for her deceased husband. At h-Thawri, Shu` bah and Jarir st at ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said:

(And t here is no sin on you if you make a hint of bet rot hal) "means saying, ` I want t o marry and I am looking for a woman whose qualit ies are such and such,' t hus t alking t o her in general t erms in a way t hat is bet t er.'' In anot her narrat ion (by Ibn ` Abbas), "Saying, ` I wish t hat Allah endows me wit h a wife,' but he should not make a direct marriage proposal.'' Al-Bukhari report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat t he Ayah:

(And t here is no sin on you if you make a hint of bet rot hal) means, "The man could say, ` I wish t o marry,' ` I desire a wife,' or, ` I wish I could find a good wife'.'' Muj ahid, Tawus, ` Ikrimah, Sa` id bin Jubayr, Ibrahim An-Nakha` i, Ash-Sha` bi, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, Az-Zuhri, Yazid bin Qusayt , Muqat il bin Hayyan and Al-Qasim bin Muhammad and several ot hers among t he Salaf and t he Imams said t hat one is allowed t o ment ion marriage indirect ly t o t he woman whose husband died. It is also allowed t o indirect ly ment ion marriage t o a woman who had gone t hrough final, irrevocable divorce. The Prophet ordered Fat imah bint Qays t o remain in t he

house of Ibn Umm Makt um for ` Iddah when her husband Abu ` Amr bin Hafs divorced her for t he t hird t ime. He said t o her:

(Inform me when your ` Iddah t erm ends.) When she finished t he ` Iddah, Usamah bin Zayd, t he Prophet 's freed slave asked t o marry her, and t he Prophet married her t o him. As for t he divorced wife (not irrevocably divorced), t here is no disagreement t hat it is not allowed for ot her t han her husband t o ment ion marriage proposals t o her direct ly or indirect ly (before t he ` Iddah finishes). Allah knows best . Allah said:

(...or conceal it in yourself,) meaning, if you hide t he int ent ion of seeking marriage wit h t hem. Similarly, Allah said:

(And your Lord knows what t heir breast s conceal, and what t hey reveal) (28:69) and:

(...while I am All-Aware of what you conceal and what you reveal.) (60: 1) So, Allah said here:

(Allah knows t hat you will remember t hem) meaning, in your heart s, so He made it easy for you. Allah t hen said:

(...but do not make a promise (of cont ract ) wit h t hem in secret ) ` Ali bin Abu Talhah report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat


(but do not make a promise (of cont ract ) wit h t hem in secret ) means do not say t o her, "I am in love (wit h you),'' or, "Promise me you will not marry someone else (aft er t he ` Iddah finishes),'' and so fort h. Sa` id bin Jubayr, Ash-Sha` bi, ` Ikrimah, Abu Ad-Duha, Ad-Dahhak, Az-Zuhri, Muj ahid and At h-Thawri said t hat it (meaning of t he Ayah) means t aking t he woman's promise not t o marry someone else. Aft erwards, Allah said:

(...except t hat you speak an honorable saying.) Ibn ` Abbas, Muj ahid, Sa` id bin Jubayr, As-Suddi, At h-Thawri and Ibn Zayd said t hat t he Ayah means t o indirect ly refer t o marriage, such as saying, "I desire someone like you.'' Muhammad bin Sirin said: I asked ` Ubaydah about t he meaning of Allah's st at ement :

(. ..except t hat you speak an honorable saying.) He said, "He says t o her Wali, ` Do not give her away (in marriage) unt il you inform me first '.'' This st at ement was narrat ed by Ibn Abu Hat im. Allah t hen said:

(And do not be det ermined on t he marriage bond unt il t he t erm prescribed is fulfilled.) meaning, do not make marriage cont ract s before t he ` Iddah finishes. Ibn ` Abbas, Muj ahid, AshSha` bi, Qat adah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Abu Malik, Zayd bin Aslam, Muqat il bin Hayyan, Az-Zuhri, ` At a' Al-Khurasani, As-Suddi, At h-Thawri and Ad-Dahhak said t hat :

(unt il t he t erm prescribed is fulfilled.) means, ` Do not consummat e t he marriage before t he ` Iddah t erm finishes.' The scholars agree t hat marriage cont ract s during t he ` Iddah are invalid. Allah t hen said:


(And know t hat Allah knows what is in your minds, so fear Him.) warning t he men against t he ideas t hey conceal in t heir heart s about women, direct ing t hem t o t hink good about t hem rat her t han t he evil, and Allah would not let t hem despair of His mercy, as He said:

(And know t hat Allah is Oft -Forgiving, Most Forbearing.)

(236. There is no sin on you, if you divorce women while yet you have not t ouched t hem, nor appoint ed for t hem t heir due (dowry). But give t hem a Mut ` ah (a suit able gift , t he rich according t o his means, and t he poor according t o his means, a gift of reasonable amount is a dut y on t he doers of good.)

Divorce before consummating the Marriage

Allah allowed divorce aft er t he marriage cont ract and before consummat ing t he marriage. Ibn ` Abbas, Tawus, Ibrahim and Al-Hasan Al-Basri said t hat ` t ouched' (ment ioned in t he Ayah) means sexual int ercourse. The husband is allowed t o divorce his wife before consummat ing t he marriage or giving t he dowry if it was deferred.

The Mut` ah (Gift) at the time of Divorce

Allah commands t he husband t o give t he wife (whom he divorces before consummat ing t he marriage) a gift of a reasonable amount , t he rich according t o his means and t he poor according t o his means, t o compensat e her for her loss. Al-Bukhari report ed in his Sahih t hat Sahl bin Sa` d and Abu Usayd said t hat Allah's Messenger married Umaymah bint Sharahil. When she was brought t o t he Prophet he ext ended his hand t o her, but she did not like t hat . The Prophet t hen ordered Abu Usayd t o provide provisions for her along wit h a gift of t wo garment s.

 "Rrgjim=)p,%30(raster -
(237. And if you divorce t hem before you have t ouched (had a sexual relat ion wit h) t hem, and you have appoint ed for t hem t heir due (dowry), t hen pay half of t hat , unless t hey (t he women) agree t o remit it , or he (t he husband), in whose hands is t he marriage t ie, agrees t o remit it . And t o remit is nearer t o At -Taqwa (piet y, right eousness). And do not forget liberalit y bet ween yourselves. Truly, Allah is All-Seer of what you do.)

The Wife gets half of Her Mahr if She is divorced before the Marriage is consummated
This honorable Ayah is not a cont inuat ion of t he Mut ` ah (gift ) t hat was ment ioned in t he previous Ayah (i.e., divorce before t he marriage is consummat ed). This Ayah (2:237) requires t he husband t o relinquish half of t he appoint ed Mahr if he divorces his wife before t he marriage is consummat ed. If it was discussing any ot her t ype of gift , t hen it would have been ment ioned t hat way, especially when t his Ayah follows t he previous Ayah relat ed t o t his subj ect . Allah knows best . Giving away half of t he bridal-money in t his case is t he agreed pract ice according t o t he scholars. So, t he husband pays half of t he appoint ed Mahr if he divorces his wife before consummat ing t he marriage. Allah t hen said:

(unless t hey (t he women) agree t o remit it ,) meaning, t he wife forfeit s t he dowry and relieves t he husband from furt her financial responsibilit y. As-Suddi said t hat Abu Salih ment ioned t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed on Allah's st at ement :

(unless t hey (t he women) agree t o remit it ,) "Unless t he wife forfeit s her right .''Furt hermore, Imam Abu Muhammad bin Abu Hat im said t hat it was report ed t hat Shurayh, Sa` id bin

Musayyib, ` Ikrimah, Muj ahid, Ash-Sha` bi, Al-Hasan, Nafi` , Qat adah, Jabir bin Zayd, ` At a' AlKhurasani, Ad-Dahhak, Az-Zuhri, Muqat il bin Hayyan, Ibn Sirin, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and As-Suddi said similarly. Allah t hen said:

(...or he (t he husband), in whose hands is t he marriage t ie, agrees t o remit it .) Ibn Abu Hat im report ed t hat ` Amr bin Shu` ayb said t hat his grandfat her narrat ed t hat t he Prophet said:

(The husband is he who has t he marriage t ie.) Ibn Marduwyah also report ed t his Hadit h, and it is t he view chosen by Ibn Jarir. The Hadit h st at es t hat t he husband is t he person who really holds t he marriage t ie in his hand, as it is up t o him t o go on wit h t he marriage or end it . On t he ot her hand, t he Wali of t he wife is not allowed t o give away any of her right ful dues wit hout her permission, especially t he dowry. Allah t hen st at ed:

(And t o remit it is nearer t o At -Taqwa (piet y, right eousness).) Ibn Jarir said, "Some scholars said t hat t his st at ement is direct ed at bot h men and women.'' Ibn ` Abbas said:

(And t o remit it is nearer t o At -Taqwa (piet y, right eousness).) indicat es t hat t he one who forgives, is nearer t o At -Taqwa (piet y).'' A similar st at ement was made by Ash-Sha` bi and several ot her scholars. Muj ahid, An-Nakha` i, Ad-Dahhak, Muqat il bin Hayyan, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Thawri st at ed t hat ` liberalit y' ment ioned in t he Ayah refers t o t he woman giving away her half Mahr, or t he man giving away t he full Mahr. This is why Allah said here:

(And do not forget liberalit y bet ween yourselves.) meaning, kindness (or generosit y), as Sa` id has st at ed. Allah said:

(Truly, Allah is All-Seer of what you do.) meaning, none of your affairs ever escapes His perfect Wat ch, and He will reward each according t o his deeds.

(238. Guard st rict ly (five obligat ory) As-Salawat (t he prayers) especially t he Middle Salah.And st and before Allah wit h obedience.) (239. And if you fear (an enemy), (perform Salah) on foot or riding. And when you are in safet y, t hen remember Allah (pray) in t he manner He has t aught you, which you knew not (before).) Allah commands t hat t he prayer should be performed properly and on t ime. It is report ed in t he Two Sahihs t hat Ibn Mas` ud said, "I asked t he Prophet , ` Which deed is t he dearest (t o Allah)' He replied:

(To offer t he prayers at t heir fixed t imes.) I asked, ` What is t he next (in goodness)' He replied:

(To part icipat e in Jihad (religious fight ing) in Allah's cause.)'' I again asked, ` What is t he next (in goodness)' He replied:

(To be good and dut iful t o your parent s.) ` Abdullah t hen added, "The Prophet t old me t hese words, and had I asked more, t he Prophet would have t old me more.''

The Middle Prayer

Furt hermore, Allah has specifically ment ioned t he Middle prayer, which is t he ` Asr prayer according t o t he maj orit y of t he scholars among t he Companions, as At -Tirmidhi and AlBaghawi have st at ed. Al-Qadi Al-Mawardi added t hat t he maj orit y of t he scholars of t he Tabi` in also held t his view. Al-Hafiz Abu ` Umar bin ` Abdul-Barr said t hat t his is also t he opinion of t he maj orit y of t he scholars of t he At har (i.e., t he Hadit h and t he st at ement s of t he Salaf). In addit ion, Abu Muhammad bin ` At iyah said t hat t his is t he Tafsir (of t he Middle prayer) of t he maj orit y of scholars. Al-Hafiz Abu Muhammad ` Abdul-Mu'min bin Khalaf Ad-Dumyat i st at ed in his book on t he Middle prayer t hat it is t he ` Asr prayer and ment ioned t hat t his is t he Tafsir of ` Umar, ` Ali, Ibn Mas` ud, Abu Ayyub, ` Abdullah bin ` Amr, Samurah bin Jundub, Abu Hurayrah, Abu Sa` id, Hafsah, Umm Habibah, Umm Salamah, Ibn ` Abbas and ` A'ishah. This is also t he Tafsir of ` Ubaydah, Ibrahim An-Nakha` i, Razin, Zirr bin Hubaysh, Sa` id bin Jubayr, Ibn Sirin, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Kalbi, Muqat il, ` Ubayd bin Abu Maryam, and ot hers.

The Proof that the ` Asr Prayer is the Middle Prayer

Imam Ahmad report ed t hat ` Ali narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said during t he bat t le of AlAhzab (t he Confederat es):

(They (t he disbelievers) busied us from performing t he Middle prayer, t he ` Ar prayer, may Allah fill t heir heart s and houses wit h fire.) He performed t he ` Asr prayer bet ween Maghrib and ` Isha'. Muslim and An-Nasa'i recorded t his Hadit h. In addit ion, t he Two Shaykhs, Abu Dawud, At -Tirmidhi An-Nasa'i and several ot her collect ors of t he Sunan recorded t his Hadit h using different chains of narrat ors t o ` Ali. The Hadit h about t he bat t le of Al-Ahzab, when t he Mushriks prevent ed Allah's Messenger and his Companions from performing t he ` Asr prayer, has been narrat ed by several ot her Companions. We only ment ioned t he narrat ions t hat st at ed t hat t he Middle prayer is t he ` Asr prayer. Furt hermore, Muslim report ed similar wordings for t his Hadit h from Ibn Mas` ud and Al-Bara' bin ` Azib. In addit ion, Imam Ahmad report ed t hat Samurah bin Jundub said t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(The Middle prayer is t he ` Asr prayer.) In anot her narrat ion, Allah's Messenger ment ioned:


(Guard st rict ly (five obligat ory) As-Salawat (t he prayers) especially t he Middle Salah) and st at ed t hat it is t he ` Asr prayer. In anot her narrat ion, Allah's Messenger said:

(It is t he ` Asr prayer.) and Ibn Ja` far ment ioned t hat t he Prophet was t hen being asked about t he Middle prayer. At -Tirmidhi report ed t his Hadit h and said, "Hasan, Sahih." In addit ion, Abu Hat im bin Hibban report ed in his Sahih t hat ` Abdullah said t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(The Middle prayer is t he ` Asr prayer.) At -Tirmidhi report ed t hat Ibn Mas` ud narrat ed t hat Allah's Messenger said:

(The ` Asr prayer is t he Middle prayer.) At -Tirmidhi t hen st at ed t hat t his Hadit h is of a Hasan, Sahih t ype. Muslim report ed t he Hadit h in his Sahih and his wordings are:

(They (disbelievers) busied us from performing t he Middle prayer, t he ` Asr prayer.) These t ext s emphasize t he fact (t hat t he ` Asr prayer is t he Middle prayer). What furt her proves t his fact is t hat , in an aut hent ic Hadit h, Allah's Messenger emphasized t he necessit y of preserving t he ` Asr prayer, when he said, as Ibn ` Umar narrat ed:

(Whoever misses t he ` Asr prayer will be like who has lost his family and money.) It is report ed in t he Sahih t hat Buraydah bin Al-Husayb said t hat t he Prophet said:


(On a cloudy day, perform t he (` Asr) prayer early, for whoever misses t he ` Asr prayer, will have his (good) deeds annulled.)

The Prohibition of speaking during the Prayer

Allah said:

(And st and before Allah wit h obedience.) meaning, wit h humbleness and humilit y before Him (i.e., during t he prayer). This command indicat es t hat it is not allowed t o speak during t he prayer, as speaking cont radict s t he nat ure of t he prayer. This is why t he Prophet refused t o answer Ibn Mas` ud when he greet ed him while he was praying and said aft erwards:

(The prayer makes one sufficient ly busy.) (i.e., by t he various act ions of t he body, t ongue and heart involved during t he prayer.) Muslim report ed t hat t he Prophet said t o Mu` awiyah bin Hakam As-Sulami when he spoke during t he prayer:

(The ordinary speech people indulge in is not appropriat e during t he prayer. The prayer involves only Tasbih (praising Allah), Takbir (saying Allahu Akbar, i.e., Allah is t he Most Great ) and remembering Allah.) Imam Ahmad report ed t hat Zayd bin Arqam said, "One used t o address his friend about various affairs during t he prayer. Then when t his Ayah was revealed:

(And st and before Allah wit h obedience.) we were ordered t o refrain from speaking.'' The Group (i. e., t he Hadit h collect ions), except Ibn Maj ah, report ed t his Hadit h.

The Fear Prayer

Allah said:

(And if you fear (an enemy), (perform Salah) on foot or riding. And when you are in safet y, t hen remember Allah (pray) in t he manner He has t aught you, which you knew not (before).) Aft er Allah commanded His servant s t o perform t he prayer perfect ly and emphasized t his commandment , He ment ioned t he sit uat ion where t he person might not be able t o perform t he prayer perfect ly, during bat t le and combat . Allah said:

(And if you fear (an enemy), perform Salah on foot or riding.) meaning, pray in t he appropriat e manner under t hese circumst ances, whet her on foot or riding and whet her facing t he Qiblah or ot herwise. Imam Malik report ed t hat Nafi` relat ed t hat Ibn ` Umar used t o describe t he Fear prayer when he was asked about it and would t hen add, "If t here is int ense fear, pray on foot , riding, facing t he Qiblah and ot herwise.'' Nafi` comment ed, "I t hink t hat he relat ed t hat t o t he Prophet .'' Al-Bukhari and Muslim report ed t he Hadit h. Muslim, Abu Dawud, An-Nasa'i, Ibn Maj ah and Ibn Jarir report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Allah has ordained t he prayer by t he words of your Prophet : four (Rak` ah) while residing, t wo Rak` ah while t raveling and one Rak` ah during t imes of fear.'' This is also t he view of Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Qat adah, Ad-Dahhak, and ot hers. In addit ion, Al-Bukhari has ent it led a Chapt er: ` Prayer while confront ing t he Fort s and facing t he Enemy'. Al-Awza` i said, "If t he vict ory seems near and t he Muslims are unable t o perform t he prayer (in t he normal manner), t hey should pray by nodding each by himself. If t hey are unable t o nod, t hey should delay t he prayer unt il fight ing is finished. When t hey feel safe, t hey should pray t wo Rak` ah. If t hey are unable, t hey should t hen pray one Rak` ah t hat includes t wo prost rat ions. If t hey are unable, t hen Takbir alone does not suffice, so t hey should delay t he prayer unt il t hey are safe.'' This is t he same view t hat Makhul held. Anas bin Malik said, "I part icipat ed in t he at t ack on t he fort of Tast ar, when t he light of dawn st art ed t o become clear. Suddenly, t he fight ing raged and t he Muslims were unable t o pray unt il t he light of day spread. We t hen prayed (t he Dawn prayer) wit h Abu Musa and we became vict orious. I would not have been pleased if I were t o gain in t he life of t his world and what ever is in it inst ead of t hat prayer.'' This is t he wording of Al-Bukhari.

Prayer during the Times of Peace is performed normally

Allah said:

(And when you are in safet y, t hen remember Allah (pray)) meaning, ` Perform t he prayer as I have commanded you by complet ing it s bowing, prost rat ion, st anding, sit t ing, and wit h t he required at t ent ion (in t he heart ) and supplicat ion.' Allah said:

(in t he manner He has t aught you, which you knew not (before).) meaning, j ust as He has endowed you, guided you and t aught you about what benefit s you in t his life and t he Hereaft er, so t hank and remember Him. Similarly, Allah said aft er He ment ioned t he prayer of Fear,

(...but when you are free from danger, perform As-Salah. Verily, As-Salah (t he prayer) is enj oined on t he believers at fixed hours.) (4:103) We will ment ion t he Hadit hs about t he prayer of Fear and it s descript ion in Surat An-Nisa' while ment ioning Allah's st at ement :

(When you (O Messenger Muhammad ) are among t hem, and lead t hem in As-Salah (t he prayer).) (4:102)

 -
(240. And t hose of you who die and leave behind wives should bequeat h for t heir wives a year's maint enance (and residence) wit hout t urning t hem out , but if t hey (wives) leave, t here is no sin on you for t hat which t hey do of t hemselves, provided it is honorable (e.g., lawful marriage). And Allah is All-Might y, All-Wise.) (241. And for divorced women, maint enance (should be provided) on reasonable (scale). This is a dut y on Al-Mut t aqin (t he pious).) (242. Thus Allah makes clear His Ayat (Laws) t o you, in order t hat you may underst and.)

Ayah (2:240) was abrogated

The maj orit y of t he scholars said t hat t his Ayah (2:240) was abrogat ed by t he Ayah (2:234), what Allah said:

(...t hey (t he wives) shall wait (as regards t heir marriage) for four mont hs and t en days.) (2:234) For inst ance, Al-Bukhari report ed t hat Ibn Az-Zubayr said: I said t o ` Ut hman bin ` Affan:

(And t hose of you who die and leave wives behind t hem) was abrogat ed by t he ot her Ayah (2:234). Therefore, why did you collect it (meaning, in t he Qur'an)'' He said, "O my nephew! I shall not change any part of t he Qur'an from it s place.'' The quest ion t hat Ibn Az-Zubayr asked ` Ut hman means: ` If t he ruling of t he Ayah (2:240) was abrogat ed t o four mont hs (t he ` Iddah of t he widow, and refer t o 2:234), t hen what is t he wisdom behind including it in t he Qur'an, alt hough it s ruling has been abrogat ed If t he Ayah (2:240) remains (in t he Qur'an) aft er t he Ayah t hat abrogat ed it (2:234), t his might imply t hat it s ruling is st ill valid.' ` Ut hman, t he Leader of t he fait hful, answered him by st at ing t hat t his is a mat t er of t he revelat ion, which ment ioned t hese Ayat in t his order. ` Therefore, I shall leave t he Ayah where I found it in t he Qur'an.' Ibn Abu Hat im report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said about what Allah said:


(And t hose of you who die and leave behind wives should bequeat h for t heir wives a year's maint enance (and residence) wit hout t urning t hem out , ) "The widow used t o reside, and have her provisions provided for her for a year, in her deceased husband's house. Lat er, t he Ayah t hat specified t he inherit ance (4:12) abrogat ed t his Ayah (2:240), and t hus t he widow inherit s one-fourt h or one-eight h of what her (deceased) husband leaves behind.'' Ibn Abu Hat im also relat ed t hat ` Ali bin Abu Talhah st at ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "When a man died and left behind a widow, she used t o remain in his house for a year for her ` Iddah, all t he while receiving her provisions during t his t ime. Thereaft er, Allah revealed t his Ayah:

(And t hose of you who die and leave wives behind t hem, t hey (t he wives) shall wait (as regards t heir marriage) for four mont hs and t en days.) (2:234) So, t his is t he ` Iddah of t he widow, unless she was pregnant , for her ` Iddah t hen ends when she gives birt h. Allah also said:

(In t hat which you leave, t heir (your wives') share is a fourt h if you leave no child; but if you leave a child, t hey get an eight h of t hat which you leave.) (4:12) So Allah specified t he share of t he widow in t he inherit ance and t here was no need for t he will or t he Nafaqah (maint enance) which were ment ioned in (2:240).'' Ibn Abu Hat im st at ed t hat Muj ahid, Al-Hasan, ` Ikrimah, Qat adah, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi` and Muqat il bin Hayyan said t hat t he Ayah (2:240) was abrogat ed by:

(four mont hs and t en days.) (2:234) Al-Bukhari report ed t hat Muj ahid said t hat :


(And t hose of you who die and leave wives behind t hem) (2:234) used t o be t he ` Iddah, and t he widow had t o remain wit h her (deceased) husband's family (during t hat period, i.e., four mont hs and t en days). Then, Allah revealed:

(And t hose of you who die and leave behind wives should bequeat h for t heir wives a year's maint enance (and residence) wit hout t urning t hem out , but if t hey (wives) leave, t here is no sin on you for t hat which t hey do of t hemselves, provided it is honorable (e.g., lawful marriage).) So, Allah made t he rest of t he year, which is seven mont hs and t went y days, as a will and t est ament for her. Consequent ly, if she want s, she could use her right in t his will and remain in t he residence (for t he rest of t he year). Or, if she want s, she could leave t he (deceased husband's) house aft er t he four mont hs and t en days have passed. This is t he meaning of what Allah said:

(...wit hout t urning t hem out , but if t hey (wives) leave, t here is no sin on you.) Therefore, t he required t erm of ` Iddah is st ill unchanged (refer t o 2:234). ` At a' quot ed Ibn ` Abbas, "This Ayah (2:240) has abrogat ed (t he requirement t hat ) t he widow spends t he ` Iddah wit h his (i.e., her deceased husband's) family. So, she spends her ` Iddah wherever she want s. This is t he meaning of what Allah said:

(wit hout t urning t hem out ,).'' ` At a' also said: "If she want s, she spends t he ` Iddah wit h his family and resides t here according t o t he will (meaning t he rest of t he year). If she want s, she is allowed t o leave, for Allah said:


(t here is no sin on you for t hat which t hey do of t hemselves,).'' ` At a' t hen said: "Then (t he Ayah on) t he inherit ance (refer t o 4:12) came and abrogat ed t he residence. Hence, t he widow spends her ` Iddah wherever she want s and does not have t he right t o residence any more.'' The st at ement of ` At a' and t hose who held t he view t hat t he Ayah (2:240) was abrogat ed by t he Ayah on t he inherit ance (4: 12), is only valid for more t han t he four mont hs and t en days (required in 2:234). However, if t hey mean t hat t he four mont hs and t en days are not required from t he deceased husband's est at e, t hen t his opinion is t he subj ect of disagreement among t he scholars. As proof, t hey said t hat t he widow is required t o remain in her (deceased) husband's house (for four mont hs and t en days) according t o what Malik report ed from Zaynab bint Ka` b bin ` Uj rah. She said t hat Fari` ah bint Malik bin Sinan, t he sist er of Abu Sa` id AlKhudri, t old her t hat she came t o Allah's Messenger asking him t o ret urn t o her family's residence wit h Banu Khudrah. Her husband had pursued some of his servant s who ran away, but when he reached t he area of Al-Qadum, t hey killed him. She said, "So I asked Allah's Messenger if I should st ay wit h my family in Banu Khudrah, for my (deceased) husband did not leave me a residence t hat he owns or Nafaqah (maint enance). Allah's Messenger answered in t he posit ive. While I was in t he room, Allah's Messenger summoned me or had someone summon me and said:

(What did you say) I repeat ed t he st ory t o him about my (deceased) husband. He said:

(St ay at your home unt il t he t erm reaches it s end.) So I remained t hrough t he ` Iddah t erm for four mont hs and t en days in my (deceased husband's) house. Thereaft er, ` Ut hman bin ` Affan sent for me during his reign and asked me about t his mat t er and I t old him what happened. He made a j udgment t o t he same effect .'' This Hadit h was also collect ed by Abu Dawud, At Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Maj ah. At -Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih".

The Necessity of the Mut` ah (Gift) at the Time of Divorce

Allah said:

(And for divorced women, maint enance (should be provided) on reasonable (scale). This is a dut y on Al-Mut t aqin (t he pious).) ` Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said t hat when Allah's st at ement :


(...a gift of reasonable amount is a dut y on t he doers of good) (2:236) was revealed, a man said, "If I want , I will be excellent and if I do not , I will not .'' Thereaft er, Allah revealed t his Ayah:

(And for divorced women, maint enance (should be provided) on reasonable (scale). This is a dut y on Al-Mut t aqin (t he pious).) The scholars who ruled t hat t he Mut ` ah (reasonable gift ) at t he t ime of divorce is required for every divorced woman, whet her she had a bridal-money appoint ed for her or not , and whet her t he marriage was consummat ed or not , relied on t his Ayah (2:241) when t hey issued t heir ruling. This is t he view t aken on t his subj ect by Sa` id bin Jubayr and several ot hers among t he Salaf and also Ibn Jarir. Hence, Allah's st at ement :

(There is no sin on you, if you divorce women while yet you have not t ouched (had sexual relat ion wit h) t hem, nor appoint ed for t hem t heir due (dowry). But best ow on t hem (a suit able gift ), t he rich according t o his means, and t he poor according t o his means, a gift of reasonable amount is a dut y on t he doers of good.) (2:236) only ment ions some specifics of t his general ruling. Allah t hen said:

(Thus Allah makes clear His Ayat (Laws) t o you,) meaning, what He allows, forbids, requires, His set limit s, His commandment s and His prohibit ions are all explained and made plain and clear for you. He did not leave any mat t er in general t erms if you needed t he specifics,

(in order t hat you may underst and.) meaning, underst and and comprehend.

- -
(243. Did you (O Muhammad ) not t hink of t hose who went fort h from t heir homes in t he t housands, fearing deat h Allah said t o t hem, "Die''. And t hen He rest ored t hem t o life. Truly, Allah is full of bount y t o mankind, but most men t hank not .) (244. And fight in t he way of Allah and know t hat Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.) (245. Who is he t hat will lend t o Allah a goodly loan so t hat He may mult iply it t o him many t imes And it is Allah t hat decreases or increases (your provisions), and unt o Him you shall ret urn.)

The Story of the Dead People

Ibn Abu Hat im relat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat t hese people ment ioned herein, were t he resident s of a village called Dawardan. ` Ali bin ` Asim said t hat t hey were from Dawardan, a village several miles away from Wasit (in Iraq). In his Tafsir, Waki` bin Jarrah said t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed,

(Did you (O Muhammad ) not t hink of t hose who went fort h from t heir homes in t housands, fearing deat h) t hat t hey were four t housand persons who escaped t he plague (t hat broke out in t heir land). They said, "We should go t o a land t hat is free of deat h!'' When t hey reached a cert ain area, Allah said t o t hem:

("Die.'') and t hey all died. Aft erwards, one of t he Prophet s passed by t hem and supplicat ed t o Allah t o resurrect t hem and Allah brought t hem back t o life. So, Allah st at ed:

r(Did you (O Muhammad ) not t hink of t hose who went fort h from t heir homes in t he t housands, fearing deat h) Furt hermore, several scholars among t he Salaf said t hat t hese people were t he resident s of a cit y during t he t ime of t he Children of Israel. The weat her in t heir land did not suit t hem and an epidemic broke out . They fled t heir land fearing deat h and t ook refuge in t he wilderness. They lat er arrived at a fert ile valley and t hey filled what is bet ween it s t wo sides. Then Allah sent t wo angels t o t hem, one from t he lower side and t he ot her from t he upper side of t he valley. The angels screamed once and all t he people died inst ant ly, j ust as t he deat h of one man. They were lat er moved t o a different place, where walls and graves were built around t hem. They all perished, and t heir bodies rot t ed and disint egrat ed. Long aft erwards, one of t he Prophet s of t he Children of Israel, whose name was Hizqil (Ezekiel), passed by t hem and asked Allah t o bring t hem back t o life by his hand. Allah accept ed his supplicat ion and commanded him t o say, "O rot t ed bones, Allah commands you t o come t oget her.'' The bones of every body were brought t oget her. Allah t hen commanded him t o say, "O bones, Allah commands you t o be covered wit h flesh, nerves and skin.'' That also happened while Hizqil was wat ching. Allah t hen commanded him t o say, "O souls, Allah commands you t o ret urn, each t o t he body t hat it used t o inhabit .'' They all came back t o life, looked around and proclaimed, "All praise is due t o You (O Allah!) and t here is no deit y wort hy of worship except You.'' Allah brought t hem back t o life aft er t hey had perished long ago. We should st at e t hat bringing t hese people back t o life is a clear proof t hat physical resurrect ion shall occur on t he Day of Resurrect ion. This is why Allah said:

(Truly, Allah is full of bount y t o mankind,) meaning, in t hat He shows t hem His great signs, sound proofs and clear evidences. Yet ,

(but most men t hank not .) as t hey do not t hank Allah for what He has given t hem wit h in t heir worldly life and religious affairs. The st ory of t he dead people (2:244 above) also indicat es dest iny and t hat t here is no refuge from Allah, but t o Allah from t heir land fleeing t he epidemic and seeking t o enj oy a t he opposit e of what t hey sought , as deat h came quickly and all. t hat no caut ion can ever avert Himself. These people depart ed long life. What t hey earned was inst ant aneously and seized t hem

There is an aut hent ic Hadit h t hat Imam Ahmad report ed t hat ` Abdullah bin ` Abbas said t hat ` Umar bin Al-Khat t ab once went t o Ash-Sham (Syria). When he reached t he area of Sargh, he was met by t he commanders of t he army: Abu ` Ubaydah bin Jarrah and his companions. They t old him t hat t he plague had broken out in Ash-Sham. The Hadit h t hen ment ioned t hat ` AbdurRahman bin ` Awf, who was away at t ending t o some of his affairs, came and said, "I have knowledge regarding t his mat t er. I heard Allah's Messenger say:

(If it (t he plague) breaks out in a land t hat you are in, do not leave t hat land t o escape from it . If you hear about it in a land, do not ent er it .) ` Umar t hen t hanked Allah and went back. This Hadit h is also report ed in t he Sahihayn.

Abandoning Jihad does not alter Destiny

Allah said:

(And fight in t he way of Allah and know t hat Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.) This Ayah indicat es t hat j ust as caut ion does not alt er dest iny, abandoning Jihad will neit her bring t he appoint ed t erm closer nor delay it . Rat her, dest iny and t he appoint ed provisions are fixed and shall never be changed or alt ered, neit her by addit ion nor delet ion. Similarly, Allah said:

((They are) t he ones who said about t heir killed bret hren while t hey t hemselves sat (at home): "If only t hey had list ened t o us, t hey would not have been killed.'' Say: "Avert deat h from your own selves, if you speak t he t rut h.'') (3:168)

Allah said:

(They say: "Our Lord! Why have you ordained for us fight ing Would t hat you had grant ed us respit e for a short period'' Say: "Short is t he enj oyment of t his world. The Hereaft er is (far) bet t er for him who fears Allah, and you shall not be dealt wit h unj ust ly even equal t o t he Fat ila (a scalish t hread in t he long slit of a dat e st one). Wheresoever you may be, deat h will overt ake you even if you are in fort resses built up st rong and high!'') (4:77, 78) Abu Sulayman, Khalid bin Al-Walid, t he commander of t he Muslim armies, t he vet eran among Muslim soldiers, t he prot ect or of Islam and t he Sword of Allah t hat was raised above His enemies, said while dying, "I have part icipat ed in so-and-so number of bat t les. There is not a part of my body, but suffered a shot (of an arrow), a st ab (of a spear) or a st rike (of a sword). Yet , here I am, I die on my bed j ust as t he camel dies! May t he eyes of t he cowards never t ast e sleep.'' He, may Allah be pleased wit h him, was sorry and in pain because he did not die as mart yr in bat t le. He was sad t hat he had t o die on his bed!

The Good Loan and its Reward

Allah said:

(Who is he t hat will lend t o Allah a goodly loan so t hat He may mult iply it t o him many t imes) In t his Ayah, Allah encourages His servant s t o spend in His cause. Allah ment ioned t his same Ayah in several ot her part s of His Glorious Qur'an. The Hadit h t hat ment ions t hat Allah descends (every night down on t he nearest heaven t o us when t he last t hird of t he night remains) st at es t hat Allah says:

(Who would give a loan t o He Who is neit her poor nor unj ust .)

Allah's st at ement :

(He may mult iply it t o him many t imes), is similar t o His st at ement :

(The likeness of t hose who spend t heir wealt h in t he way of Allah, is as t he likeness of a grain (of corn); it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase t o whom He wills.) (2:261) We will ment ion t his Ayah lat er on. Allah t hen said:

(And it is Allah t hat decreases or increases (your provisions), ) meaning, ` Spend (in Allah's cause) and do not be anxious.' Cert ainly, Allah is t he Sust ainer Who increases or decreases t he provisions t o whomever He wills among His servant s. Allah's wisdom is perfect , and,

(and unt o Him you shall ret urn.) on t he Day of Resurrect ion.


(246. Have you not t hought about t he group of t he Children of Israel aft er (t he t ime of) Musa When t hey said t o a Prophet of t heirs, "Appoint for us a king and we will fight in Allah's way.'' He said, "Would you t hen refrain from fight ing, if fight ing was prescribed for you'' They said, "Why should we not fight in Allah's way while we have been driven out of our homes and our children (families have been t aken as capt ives)'' But when fight ing was ordered for t hem, t hey t urned away, all except a few of t hem. And Allah is All-Aware of t he wrongdoers.)

The Story of the Jews Who sought a King to be appointed over Them
Muj ahid said t hat t he Prophet (ment ioned in t he Ayah 2:246 above) is Shamwil (Samuel). Wahb bin Munabbih said: The Children of Israel remained on t he st raight pat h for a period of t ime aft er Moses. They t hen innovat ed in t he religion and some of t hem even worshipped t he idols. Yet , t here were always Prophet s sent among t hem who would command t hem t o work right eous deeds, refrain from doing evil and who would rule t hem according t o t he commands of t he Torah. When t hey (Israelit es) commit t ed t he evil t hat t hey commit t ed, Allah caused t heir enemies t o overwhelm t hem, and many fat alit ies fell among t hem as a consequence. Their enemies also capt ured a great number of t hem, and t ook over large areas of t heir land. Earlier, anyone who would fight t he Israelit es would lose, because t hey had t he Torah and t he Tabut , which t hey inherit ed generat ion aft er generat ion ever since t he t ime of Moses, who spoke t o Allah direct ly. Yet , t he Israelit es kept indulging in misguidance unt il some king t ook t he Tabut from t hem during a bat t le. That king also t ook possession of t he Torah, and only a few of t he Israelit es who memorized it remained. The prophet hood halt ed among t heir various t ribes and only a pregnant woman remained of t he offspring of Lavi (Levi), in whom t he prophet hood st ill appeared. Her husband had been killed, so t he Israelit es kept her in a house so t hat Allah may give her a boy, who would be t heir Prophet . The woman also kept invoking Allah t o grant her a boy. Allah heard her pleas and gave her a boy whom she called ` Shamwil' meaning ` Allah has heard my pleas.' Some people said t hat t he boy's name was Sham` un (Simeon), which also has a similar meaning. As t hat boy grew, Allah raised him t o be a right eous person. When he reached t he age of prophet hood, Allah revealed t o him and commanded him t o call (his people) t o Him and t o His Tawhid (Oneness). Shamwil called t he Children of Israel (t o Allah) and t hey asked him t o appoint a king over t hem so t hat t hey could fight t heir enemies under his command. The kingship had also ended among t hem. Their Prophet said t o t hem, "What if Allah appoint s a king over you, would you fulfill your vow t o fight under his command''

(They said, "Why should we not fight in Allah's way while we have been driven out of our homes and our children'') meaning, ` Aft er our land had been confiscat ed and our children had been t aken from us' Allah said:

(But when fight ing was ordered for t hem, t hey t urned away, all except a few of t hem. And Allah is All-Aware of t he wrongdoers) meaning, only a few of t hem kept t heir promise, but t he maj orit y abandoned Jihad and Allah has full knowledge of t hem.

(247. And t heir Prophet said t o t hem, "Indeed Allah has appoint ed Talut (Saul) as a king over you.'' They said, "How can he be a king over us when we are fit t er t han him for t he kingdom, and he has not been given enough wealt h.'' He said: "Verily, Allah has chosen him above you and has increased him abundant ly in knowledge and st at ure. And Allah grant s His kingdom t o whom He wills. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creat ures' needs, All-Knower.'') When t he Israelit es asked t heir Prophet t o appoint a king over t hem, he appoint ed Talut (Saul), who was t hen a soldier. But , Talut was not a descendant of t he house of kings among t hem, which was exclusively in t he offspring of Yahudha (Judah). This is why t hey said:

(How can he be a king over us) meaning, how can he be t he king for us,

(when we are fit t er t han him for t he kingdom, and he has not been given enough wealt h) They said t hat Talut was also poor and did not have t he wealt h t hat j ust ifies him being king. Some people st at ed t hat Talut used t o bring wat er t o t he people, while ot hers st at ed t hat his profession was dyeing skins. The Jews, t hus, disput ed wit h t heir Prophet while t hey were supposed t o obey him and t o say good words t o him. Their Prophet answered t hem:

(Verily, Allah has chosen him above you) meaning, ` Allah chose Talut from amongst you while having bet t er knowledge about him.' Their Prophet st at ed, "I did not choose Talut t o be your king on my own. Rat her, Allah has commanded t hat upon your request .'' Furt her:

(...and has increased him abundant ly in knowledge and st at ure.) meaning, ` Talut is more knowledgeable and honorable t han you, and st ronger and more pat ient during combat , and has more knowledge of warfare. In short , he has more knowledge and is st ronger t han you are. The king should have sufficient knowledge, be fair looking and should have a st rong soul and body.' He t hen said:

(And Allah grant s His kingdom t o whom He wills.) meaning, Allah Alone is t he Supreme Aut horit y Who does what He wills and no one can ask Him about His act ions, while t hey will be asked (about t heir act ions by Him). This is because Allah has perfect knowledge, wisdom and kindness wit h His creat ion. Allah said:

(And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creat ures' needs, All-Knower.) meaning, His favor is encompassing and He grant s His mercy t o whom He wills. He also knows t hose who deserve t o be kings and t hose who do not deserve it .


b(248. And t heir Prophet said t o t hem: "Verily! The sign of His kingdom is t hat t here shall come t o you At -Tabut , wherein is Sakinah (peace and reassurance) from your Lord and a remnant of t hat which Musa (Moses) and Harun (Aaron) left behind, carried by t he angels. Verily, in t his is a sign for you if you are indeed believers.) Their Prophet t hen proclaimed, "The sign of t he blessings of Talut 's kingship over you is t hat Allah will give you back t he Tabut (wooden box) t hat has been t aken from you.'' Allah said:

(wherein is Sakinah from your Lord) meaning, peace (or grace) and reassurance. ` Abdur-Razzaq st at ed t hat Qat adah said:

(wherein is Sakinah) means grace. In addit ion, Ar-Rabi` said t hat Sakinah means mercy. This is also t he meaning given by Ibn ` Abbas, as Al-` Awfi narrat ed. Allah t hen said:

(...and a remnant of t hat which Musa (Moses) and Harun (Aaron) left behind,) Ibn Jarir relat ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said about t his Ayah:

(...and a remnant of t hat which Musa (Moses) and Harun (Aaron) left behind, ) Meaning, Moses' st aff and t he remnant s of t he Tablet s. This is t he same Tafsir of Qat adah, As-Suddi, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and ` Ikrimah, who added, "And also t he Torah.'' ` Abdur-Razzaq said t hat he asked At hThawri about t he meaning of,

(...and a remnant of t hat which Musa (Moses) and Harun (Aaron) left behind,)

At h-Thawri said, "Some said t hat it cont ained a pot of manna and t he remnant s of t he Tablet s, while some ot hers said t hat it cont ained (Moses') st aff and t wo shoes (and refer t o 20:12).'' Allah t hen said:

(...carried by t he angels.) Ibn Jurayj st at ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "The angels came down while carrying t he Tabut bet ween t he sky and t he eart h, unt il t hey placed it before Talut while t he people were wat ching.'' As-Suddi said, "The Tabut was brought t o Talut 's house, so t he people believed in t he prophet hood of Sham` un (Simeon) and obeyed Talut '' The Prophet t hen said:

(Verily, in t his is a sign for you) t est ifying t o my t rut h in what I was sent wit h, my prophet hood, and my command t o you t o obey Talut ,

(if you are indeed believers. ) in Allah and t he Hereaft er.''

"Rrgjim=)p,%30(raster

. ( ) - "Rrgkal=)p,%30(raster
(249. Then when Talut set out wit h t he army, he said: "Verily, Allah will t ry you by a river. So whoever drinks t hereof, he is not of me; and whoever t ast es it not , he is of me, except him who t akes (t hereof) in t he hollow of his hand.'' Yet , t hey drank t hereof, all, except a few of t hem. So when he had crossed it (t he river), he and t hose who believed wit h him, t hey said: "We have no power t his day against Jalut (Goliat h) and his host s.'' But t hose who knew wit h cert aint y t hat t hey were going t o meet Allah, said: "How oft en has a small group overcome a might y host by Allah's leave'' And Allah is wit h As-Sabirin (t he pat ient ).) Allah st at es t hat Talut , t he king of t he Children of Israel, marched fort h wit h his soldiers and t he Israelit es who obeyed him. His army was of eight y t housand t hen, according t o As-Suddi, but Allah knows best . Talut said:

(Verily, Allah will t ry you) meaning, He will t est you wit h a river, which flowed bet ween Jordan and Palest ine, i.e. , t he Shari` ah river, according t o Ibn ` Abbas and ot hers. He cont inued,

(So whoever drinks t hereof, he is not of me;) meaning, shall not accompany me t oday,

(and whoever t ast es it not , he is of me, except him who t akes (t hereof) in t he hollow of his hand.) meaning, t here is no harm in t his case. Allah t hen said:

(Yet , t hey drank t hereof, all, except a few of t hem.) Ibn Jurayj st at ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed, "Whoever t ook some of it (t he river's wat er) in t he hollow of his hand, quenched his t hirst ; as for t hose who drank freely from it , t heir t hirst was not quenched.'' Ibn Jarir report ed t hat Al-Bara' bin ` Azib said, "We used t o say t hat t he Companions of Muhammad who accompanied him on t he bat t le of Badr were more t han t hree hundred and t en, j ust as many as t he soldiers who crossed t he river wit h Talut . Only t hose who believed crossed t he river wit h him.'' Al-Bukhari also report ed t his.

This is why Allah said:

(So when he had crossed it (t he river), he and t hose who believed wit h him, t hey said: "We have no power t his day against Jalut (Goliat h) and his host s.'') This Ayah indicat es t hat t he Israelit es (who remained wit h Saul) t hought t hat t hey were few in t he face of t heir enemy who were many t hen. So, t heir knowledgeable scholars st rengt hened t heir resolve by st at ing t hat Allah's promise is t rue and t hat t riumph comes from Allah Alone, not from t he large numbers or t he adequacy of t he supplies. They said t o t hem:

("How oft en has a small group overcome a might y host by Allah's leave'' And Allah is wit h AsSabirin (t he pat ient ).)

- - V
(250. And when t hey advanced t o meet Jalut (Goliat h) and his forces, t hey invoked: "Our Lord! Pour fort h on us pat ience, and set firm our feet and make us vict orious over t he disbelieving

people.'') (251. So t hey rout ed t hem by Allah's leave and Dawud (David) killed Jalut (Goliat h), and Allah gave him (Dawud) t he kingdom aft er t he deat h of Talut and Samuel and Al-Hikmah (prophet hood), and t aught him of t hat which He willed. And if Allah did not check one set of people by means of anot her, t he eart h would indeed be full of mischief. But Allah is full of bount y t o t he ` Alamin (mankind, Jinn and all t hat exist s).) (252. These are t he verses of Allah, We recit e t hem t o you (O Muhammad ) in t rut h, and surely, you are one of t he Messengers (of Allah.) When t he fait hful part y, who were few under t he command of Talut , faced t heir enemy, who were many under t he command of Jalut ,

(t hey invoked: "Our Lord! Pour fort h on us pat ience...'') meaning, send down pat ience on us from You.

(and set firm our feet ) meaning, against t he enemy and save us from running away and from feebleness,

(and make us vict orious over t he disbelieving people.) Allah said:

(So t hey rout ed t hem by Allah's leave) meaning, t hey defeat ed and overwhelmed t hem by Allah's aid and support . Then,

(and Dawud killed Jalut ) Israelit e account s claimed t hat (Prophet ) David killed Goliat h wit h a slingshot t hat he had, which he launched at Goliat h causing his deat h. Talut promised t hat whoever killed Jalut , would marry his daught er and would share his kingship and aut horit y. He kept his promise. Lat er, t he kingship was t ransferred t o Prophet Dawud in addit ion t o being grant ed Prophet hood by Allah. So, Allah said:


(...and Allah gave him (Dawud) t he kingdom) t hat Talut had and,

(and Al-Hikmah) t hat comes wit h t he prophet hood, meaning, aft er Shamwil. Allah t hen said:

(and t aught him of t hat which He willed.) meaning, what He willed of t he knowledge t hat He best owed on (Prophet ) Dawud. Next , Allah said:

(And if Allah did not check one set of people by means of anot her, t he eart h would indeed be full of mischief.) This Ayah indicat es t hat if it were not for t he fact t hat Allah checks one set of people wit h anot her, such as when Talut and t he bravery of Dawud helped t he Children of Israel (against Goliat h), t hen people would have perished. Similarly, Allah said:

(For had it not been t hat Allah checks one set of people by means of anot her, monast eries, churches, synagogues, and Masj ids, wherein t he Name of Allah is ment ioned much, would surely, have been pulled down.) (22:40) Allah t hen said:


(But Allah is full of bount y t o t he ` Alamin (mankind, Jinn and all t hat exist s)) meaning, by His mercy and favor He fixes some of t hem by some ot hers. Surely, Allah has t he wisdom, t he supreme aut horit y and t he clear proof against His creat ion in all of His act ions and st at ement s. Allah said:

(These are t he verses of Allah, We recit e t hem t o you (O Muhammad ) in t rut h, and surely, you are one of t he Messengers (of Allah).) This Ayah st at es, ` These Ayat (verses) of Allah t hat We have narrat ed for you in t rut h conform t o t he exact manner t hat t hese st ories have occurred and t o t he t rut h t hat st ill remain in t he (Divine) Books t hat t he scholars of t he Children of Israel have and know. Allah said: O Muhammad,

(you are)

(one of t he Messengers (of Allah)) emphat ically st at ing t he t rut h of his prophet hood


(253. Those Messengers! We preferred some of t hem t o ot hers; t o some of t hem Allah spoke (direct ly); ot hers He raised t o degrees (of honor); and t o ` Isa, t he son of Maryam, We gave clear proofs and evidences, and support ed him wit h Ruh-il-Qudus Jibril . If Allah had willed, succeeding generat ions would not have fought against each ot her, aft er clear Verses of Allah had come t o t hem, but t hey differed some of t hem believed and ot hers disbelieved. If Allah had willed, t hey would not have fought against one anot her, but Allah does what He wills.)

Allah Honored Some Prophets Above Others

Allah st at es t hat He has honored some Prophet s t o ot hers. For inst ance, Allah said,

(And indeed, We have preferred some of t he Prophet s above ot hers, and t o Dawud We gave t he Zabur (Psalms)) 17:55 . In t he Ayah above, Allah said,

(Those Messengers! We preferred some of t hem t o ot hers; t o some of t hem Allah spoke (direct ly)) meaning, Musa and Muhammad , and also Adam according t o a Hadit h recorded in Sahih Ibn Hibban from Abu Dharr.

(Ot hers He raised t o degrees (of honor)) as is evident in t he Hadit h about t he Isra' j ourney, when t he Messenger of Allah saw t he Prophet s in t he various heavens according t o t heir rank wit h Allah. If somebody asks about t he collect ive meaning of t his Ayah and t he Hadit h t hat t he Two Sahihs collect ed from Abu Hurayrah which st at es, "Once, a Muslim man and a Jew had an argument and t he Jew said, ` No, by Him Who gave Musa superiorit y over all human beings!' Hearing him,

t he Muslim man raised his hand and slapped t he Jew on his face and said, ` Over Muhammad t oo, O evil one!' The Jew went t o t he Prophet and complained t o him and t he Prophet said,

(Don't give me superiorit y above t he Prophet s, for t he people will become unconscious on t he Day of Resurrect ion, and I will be t he first t o be resurrect ed t o see Musa holding on t o t he pillar of Allah's Throne. I will not know whet her t he unconsciousness Musa suffered on t he Day of t he Trumpet sufficed for him, or if he got up before me. So, do not give me superiorit y above t he Prophet s.) In anot her narrat ion, t he Prophet said, (Do not give superiorit y t o some Prophet s above ot hers.) The answer t o t his quest ion is t hat t his Hadit h prohibit s preferring some Prophet s above ot hers in cases of disput e and argument , such as t he incident ment ioned in t he Hadit h. The Hadit h indicat es t hat it is not up t o creat ion t o decide which Prophet is bet t er, for t his is Allah's decision. The creat ion is only required t o submit t o, obey and believe in Allah's decision. Allah's st at ement ,

(And We gave ` Isa, t he son of Maryam, clear signs) refers t o t he proofs and unequivocal evidences t hat t est ify t o t he t rut h t hat ` Isa delivered t o t he Children of Israel, t hus t est ifying t hat he was Allah's servant and His Messenger t o t hem.

(And support ed him wit h Ruh-il-Qudus) meaning Allah aided ` Isa wit h Jibil, peace be upon him. Allah t hen said,


(If Allah had willed, succeeding generat ions would not have fought against each ot her, aft er clear Verses of Allah had come t o t hem, but t hey differed some of t hem believed and ot hers disbelieved. If Allah had willed, t hey would not have fought against one anot her.) meaning all t his happened by Allah's decree, and t his is why He said next ,

(But Allah does what He wills.)

(254. O you who believe! Spend of t hat wit h which We have provided for you, before a Day comes when t here will be no bargaining, nor friendship, nor int ercession. And it is t he disbelievers who are t he wrongdoers.) Allah commands His servant s t o spend for His sake, in t he pat h of right eousness, from what He has grant ed t hem, so t hat t hey acquire and keep t he reward of t his right eous deed wit h t heir Lord and King. Let t hem rush t o perform t his deed in t his life,

(before a Day comes) meaning, t he Day of Resurrect ion,

(when t here will be no bargaining, nor friendship, nor int ercession.)

This Ayah indicat es t hat on t hat Day, no one will be able t o bargain on behalf of himself or ransom himself wit h any amount , even if it was t he eart h's fill of gold; nor will his friendship or relat ion t o anyone benefit him. Similarly, Allah said,

(Then, when t he Trumpet is blown, t here will be no kinship among t hem t hat Day, nor will t hey ask of one anot her) 23:101 .

(Nor int ercession) meaning, t hey will not benefit by t he int ercession of anyone. Allah's st at ement ,

(and it is t he disbelievers who are t he wrongdoers) indicat es t hat no inj ust ice is worse t han meet ing Allah on t hat Day while a disbeliever. Ibn Abi Hat im recorded t hat ` At a' bin Dinar said, "All t hanks are due t o Allah Who said,

(and it is t he disbelievers who are t he wrongdoers) but did not say, ` And it is t he wrongdoers who are t he disbelievers.'''


(255. Allah! None has t he right t o be worshipped but He, t he Ever Living, t he One Who sust ains and prot ect s all t hat exist s. Neit her slumber nor sleep overt akes Him. To Him belongs what ever is in t he heavens and what ever is on t he eart h. Who is he t hat can int ercede wit h Him except wit h His permission He knows what happens t o t hem (His creat ures) in t his world, and what will happen t o t hem in t he Hereaft er. And t hey will never compass anyt hing of His Knowledge except t hat which He wills. His Kursi ext ends over t he heavens and t he eart h, and He feels no fat igue in guarding and preserving t hem. And He is t he Most High, t he Most Great .)

The Virtue of Ayat Al-Kursi

This is Ayat Al-Kursi and t remendous virt ues have been associat ed wit h it , for t he aut hent ic Hadit h describes it as ` t he great est Ayah in t he Book of Allah.' Imam Ahmad recorded t hat ` Ubayy bin Ka` b said t hat t he Prophet asked him about t he great est Ayah in t he Book of Allah, and ` Ubayy answered, "Allah and His Messenger know bet t er.'' When t he Prophet repeat ed his quest ion several t imes, ` Ubayy said, "Ayat Al-Kursi.'' The Prophet comment ed,

(Congrat ulat ions for having knowledge, O Abu Al-Mundhir! By He in Whose Hand is my soul! This Ayah has a t ongue and t wo lips wit h which she praises t he King (Allah) next t o t he leg of t he Throne.) This Hadit h was also collect ed by Muslim, but he did not include t he part t hat st art s wit h, "By He in Whose Hand...'' Imam Ahmad recorded t hat Abu Ayyub said t hat he had some dat es and a Ghoul used t o t ake some, and he complained t o t he Prophet . The Prophet said t o him, "When you see her, say, ` In t he Name of Allah, answer t o t he Messenger of Allah'.'' Abu Ayyub said t hat when she came again, he said t hese words and he was able t o grab her. She begged, "I will not come again,'' so Abu Ayyub released her. Abu Ayyub went t o t he Prophet and t he Prophet asked him, "What did your prisoner do'' Abu Ayyub said, "I grabbed her and she said t wice, ` I will not come again,' and I released her.'' The Prophet said, "She will come back.'' Abu Ayyub said, "So I grabbed her t wice or t hree t imes, yet each t ime I would release her when she vowed not t o come back. I would go t o t he Prophet who would ask me, ` What is t he news of your prisoner' I would say, ` I grabbed her, t hen released her when she said t hat she would not ret urn.' The Prophet would say t hat she would ret urn. Once, I grabbed her and she said, ` Release me and I will t each you somet hing t o recit e so t hat no harm t ouches you, t hat is, Ayat Al-Kursi.' Abu Ayyub went t o t he Prophet and t old him, and t he Prophet said, "She is liar, but she t old t he t rut h.'' At -Tirmidhi

recorded t his Hadit h in t he chapt er of t he virt ues of t he Qur'an and said, "Hasan Gharib.'' In Arabic, ` Ghoul' refers t o t he Jinn when t hey appear at night . Al-Bukhari recorded a similar st ory in his Sahih from Abu Hurayrah, in t he chapt ers on t he virt ues of t he Qur'an and t he descript ion of Shayt an. In t his narrat ion, Abu Hurayrah said, "Allah's Messenger assigned me t o keep wat ch over t he Sadaqah (charit y) of Ramadan. A person snuck in and st art ed t aking handfuls of foodst uff. I caught him and said, ` By Allah, I will t ake you t o Allah's Messenger.' He said, ` Release me, for I am meek and have many dependent s and am in great need.' I released him, and in t he morning Allah's Messenger asked me, ` What did your prisoner do yest erday, O Abu Hurayrah' I said, ` O Allah's Messenger! He complained of being needy and of having many dependent s, so I pit ied him and let him go.' Allah's Messenger said, ` Indeed, he t old you a lie and will be coming again.' I believed t hat he would show up again, for Allah's Messenger had t old me t hat he would ret urn. So, I wat ched for him. When he (showed up and) st art ed st ealing handfuls of foodst uff, I caught hold of him again and said, ` I will definit ely t ake you t o Allah's Messenger.' He said, ` Leave me, for I am very needy and have many dependent s. I promise I will not come back again.' I pit ied him and let him go. In t he morning Allah's Messenger asked me, ` What did your prisoner do last night , O Abu Hurayrah!' I replied, ` O Allah's Messenger! He complained of his great need and of t oo many dependent s, so I t ook pit y on him and set him free.' Allah's Messenger said, ` Verily, he t old you a lie; he will ret urn.' I wait ed for him at t ent ively for t he t hird t ime, and when he (came and) st art ed st ealing handfuls of t he foodst uff, I caught hold of him and said, ` I will surely t ake you t o Allah's Messenger as it is t he t hird t ime you promised not t o ret urn, yet you ret urned.' He said, ` Let me t each you some words which Allah will give you benefit from.' I asked, ` What are t hey' He replied, ` Whenever you go t o bed, recit e Ayat Al-Kursi- Allahu la ilaha illa Huwal-HayyulQayyum, t ill you finish t he whole verse. (If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will st ay wit h you, and no Shayt an will come near you unt il morning.' So, I released him. In t he morning, Allah's Messenger asked, ` What did your prisoner do yest erday' I replied, ` O Allah's Messenger! He claimed t hat he would t each me some words by which Allah will grant me some benefit , so I let him go.' Allah's Messenger asked, ` What are t hey' I replied, ` He said t o me: Whenever you go t o bed, recit e Ayat Al-Kursi from t he beginning t o t he end, Allahu la ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum. He furt her said t o me: (If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will st ay wit h you, and no Shayt an will come near you unt il morning.' (One of t he narrat ors) t hen comment ed t hat t hey (t he Companions) were very keen t o do good deeds. The Prophet said, ` He spoke t he t rut h, alt hough he is a liar. Do you know whom you were t alking t o, t hese t hree night s, O Abu Hurayrah' Abu Hurayrah said, ` No.' He said, ` It was Shayt an.''' AnNasa'i also recorded t his Hadit h in Al-Yawm wa Al-Laylah.

Allah's Greatest Name is in Ayat Al-Kursi

Imam Ahmad recorded t hat Asma' bint Yazid bin As-Sakan said, "I heard t he Messenger of Allah say about t hese t wo Ayat ,

(Allah! None has t he right t o be worshipped but He, t he Ever Living, t he One Who sust ains and prot ect s all t hat exist s) 2:255 , and,

(Alif-Lam-Mim. Allah! None has t he right t o be worshipped but He, t he Ever Living, t he One Who sust ains and prot ect s all t hat exist s) 3:1-2 ,

(They cont ain Allah's Great est Name.) This is also t he narrat ion collect ed by Abu Dawud, At -Tirmidhi and Ibn Maj ah, and At -Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih''. Furt her, Ibn Marduwyah recorded t hat Abu Umamah report ed t hat t he Prophet said,

:
(Allah's Great est Name, if He was supplicat ed wit h it , He answers t he supplicat ion, is in t hree Surahs - Al-Baqarah, Al ` Imran and Ta-Ha.) Hisham bin ` Ammar, t he Khat ib (orat or) of Damascus (one of t he narrat ors in t he above narrat ion), said, "As for Al-Baqarah, it is in,

(Allah! None has t he right t o be worshipped but He, t he Ever Living, t he One Who sust ains and prot ect s all t hat exist s) 2:255 ; in Al ` Imran, it is in,

-
(Alif-Lam-Mim. Allah! None has t he right t o be worshipped but He, t he Ever Living, t he One Who sust ains and prot ect s all t hat exist s) 3:1-2 , while in Ta-Ha, it is in,

(And (all) faces shall be humbled before (Allah), t he Ever Living, t he One Who sust ains and prot ect s all t hat exist s) 20:111 .''

Ayat Al-Kursi has Ten Complete Arabic Sentences 1. Allah's statement,


(Allah! None has t he right t o be worshipped but He) ment ions t hat Allah is t he One and Only Lord of all creat ion. 2. Allah's st at ement ,

(Al-Hayyul-Qayyum) t est ifies t hat Allah is t he Ever Living, Who never dies, Who sust ains everyone and everyt hing. All creat ion st ands in need of Allah and t ot ally relies on Him, while He is t he Most Rich, Who st ands in need of not hing creat ed. Similarly, Allah said,

(And among His signs is t hat t he heaven and t he eart h st and by His command) Allah's st at ement , 30:25 . 3.

(Neit her slumber nor sleep overt akes Him) means, no short coming, unawareness or ignorance ever t ouches Allah. Rat her, He is aware of, and cont rols what every soul earns, has perfect wat ch over everyt hing, not hing escapes His knowledge, and no secret mat t er is secret t o Him. Among His perfect at t ribut es, is t he fact t hat He is never effect ed by slumber or sleep. Therefore, Allah's st at ement ,

(Neit her slumber overt akes Him) indicat es t hat no unawareness due t o slumber ever overt akes Allah. Allah said aft erwards,

(nor sleep), which is st ronger t han slumber. It is recorded in t he Sahih t hat Abu Musa said, "The Messenger of Allah delivered a speech regarding four words:


(Allah does not sleep, and it does not befit His maj est y t hat He sleeps. He lowers t he scales and raises t hem. The deeds of t he day are resurrect ed in front of Him before t he deeds of t he night , and t he deeds of t he night before t he deeds of t he day. His Veil is light , or fire, and if He removes it , t he rays from His Face would burn what ever His sight reaches of His creat ion.) 4. Allah's st at ement ,

(To Him belongs what ever is in t he heavens and what ever is on t he eart h) indicat es t hat everyone is a servant for Allah, a part of His kingdom and under His power and aut horit y. Similarly, Allah said,

- -
(There is none in t he heavens and t he eart h but comes unt o t he Most Gracious (Allah) as a servant . Verily, He knows each one of t hem, and has count ed t hem a full count ing. And everyone of t hem will come t o Him alone on t he Day of Resurrect ion (wit hout any helper, or prot ect or or defender)) 19:93-95 . 5. Allah's st at ement ,

(Who is he t hat can int ercede wit h Him except wit h His permission) is similar t o His st at ement s,


(And t here are many angels in t he heavens, whose int ercession will avail not hing except aft er Allah has given leave for whom He wills and is pleased wit h) 53:26 , and,

(They cannot int ercede except for him wit h whom He is pleased) 21:28 . These Ayat assert Allah's great ness, pride, and grace, and t hat no one dares t o int ercede wit h Him on behalf of anyone else, except by His permission. Indeed, t he Hadit h about t he int ercession, st at es t hat t he Prophet said,

: . :
(I will st and under t he Throne and fall in prost rat ion, and Allah will allow me t o remain in t hat posit ion as much as He wills. I will t hereaft er be t old, "Raise your head, speak and you will be heard, int ercede and your int ercession will be accept ed''. The Prophet t hen said, "He will allow me a proport ion whom I will ent er int o Paradise.'') 6. Allah's st at ement ,

(He knows what happens t o t hem (His creat ures) in t his world, and what will happen t o t hem in t he Hereaft er) t his refers t o His perfect knowledge of all creat ion; it s past , present and fut ure. Similarly, Allah said t hat t he angels proclaimed;


(And we (angels) descend not except by t he command of your Lord (O Muhammad ). To Him belongs what is before us and what is behind us, and what is bet ween t hose t wo; and your Lord is never forget ful) 19:64 . 7. Allah's st at ement ,

(And t hey will never compass anyt hing of His Knowledge except t hat which He wills), assert s t he fact t hat no one at t ains any part of Allah's knowledge except what Allah conveys and allows. This part of t he Ayah indicat es t hat no one ever acquires knowledge of Allah and in His At t ribut es, except what He conveys t o t hem. For inst ance, Allah said,

(But t hey will never compass anyt hing of His knowledge) 20: 110 . 8. Allah said,

(His Kursi ext ends over t he heavens and t he eart h.) Waki` narrat ed in his Tafsir t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Kursi is t he foot st ool, and no one is able t o give due considerat ion t o Allah's Throne.'' Al-Hakim recorded t his Hadit h in his Must adrak from Ibn ` Abbas, who did not relat e it t o t he Prophet . Al-Hakim said, "It is Sahih according t o t he crit eria of t he Two Sahihs, and t hey (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it .'' In addit ion, Ad-Dahhak said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "If t he seven heavens and t he seven eart hs were flat t ened and laid side by side, t hey would add up t o t he size of a ring in a desert , compared t o t he Kursi.'' 9. Allah said,

(And He feels no fat igue in guarding and preserving t hem) meaning, it does not burden or cause Him fat igue t o prot ect t he heavens and eart h and all t hat is in bet ween t hem. Rat her, t his is an easy mat t er for Him. Furt her, Allah sust ains everyt hing, has perfect wat ch over everyt hing, not hing ever escapes His knowledge and no mat t er is ever a secret t o Him. All mat t ers are insignificant , modest and humble before Him. He is t he Most Rich, wort hy of all praise. He does what He wills, and no one can ask Him about what He does, while t hey will be asked. He has supreme power over all t hings and perfect alert ness concerning everyt hing. He is t he Most High, t he Great est , t here is no deit y wort hy of worship except Him, and no Lord ot her t han Him.

10. Allah's st at ement ,

(And He is t he Most High, t he Most Great ) is similar t o His st at ement ,

(t he Most Great , t he Most High) 13:9 . These and similar Ayat and aut hent ic Hadit hs about Allah's At t ribut es must be t reat ed t he way t he Salaf (right eous ancest ors) t reat ed t hem by accept ing t heir apparent meanings wit hout equat ing t hem wit h t he at t ribut es of t he creat ion or alt ering t heir apparent meanings.

(256. There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, t he right pat h has become dist inct from t he wrong pat h. Whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah, t hen he has grasped t he most t rust wort hy handhold t hat will never break. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.)

No Compulsion in Religion
Allah said,

(There is no compulsion in religion), meaning, "Do not force anyone t o become Muslim, for Islam is plain and clear, and it s proofs and evidence are plain and clear. Therefore, t here is no need t o force anyone t o embrace Islam. Rat her, whoever Allah direct s t o Islam, opens his heart for it and enlight ens his mind, will embrace Islam wit h cert aint y. Whoever Allah blinds his heart and seals his hearing and sight , t hen he will not benefit from being forced t o embrace Islam.''

It was report ed t hat t he Ansar were t he reason behind revealing t his Ayah, alt hough it s indicat ion is general in meaning. Ibn Jarir recorded t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat before Islam , "When (an Ansar) woman would not bear children who would live, she would vow t hat if she gives birt h t o a child who remains alive, she would raise him as a Jew. When Banu An-Nadir (t he Jewish t ribe) were evacuat ed from Al-Madinah , some of t he children of t he Ansar were being raised among t hem, and t he Ansar said, ` We will not abandon our children.' Allah revealed,

(There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, t he right pat h has become dist inct from t he wrong pat h.)'' Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i also recorded t his Hadit h. As for t he Hadit h t hat Imam Ahmad recorded, in which Anas said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said t o a man,

: :

("Embrace Islam.'' The man said, "I dislike it .'' The Prophet said, "Even if you dislike it .'') First , t his is an aut hent ic Hadit h, wit h only t hree narrat ors bet ween Imam Ahmad and t he Prophet . However, it is not relevant t o t he subj ect under discussion, for t he Prophet did not force t hat man t o become Muslim. The Prophet merely invit ed t his man t o become Muslim, and he replied t hat he does not find himself eager t o become Muslim. The Prophet said t o t he man t hat even t hough he dislikes embracing Islam, he should st ill embrace it , ` for Allah will grant you sincerit y and t rue int ent .'

Tawhid is the Most Trustworthy Handhold

Allah's st at ement ,

(Whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah, t hen he has grasped t he most t rust wort hy handhold t hat will never break. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower) is in reference t o,

"Whoever shuns t he rivals of Allah, t he idols, and t hose t hat Shayt an calls t o be worshipped besides Allah, whoever believes in Allah's Oneness, worships Him alone and t est ifies t hat t here is no deit y wort hy of worship except Him, t hen

(t hen he has grasped t he most t rust wort hy handhold.) Therefore, t his person will have acquired firmness in t he religion and proceeded on t he correct way and t he st raight pat h. Abu Al-Qasim Al-Baghawi recorded t hat ` Umar said, "Jibt means magic, and Taghut means Shayt an. Verily, courage and cowardice are t wo inst inct s t hat appear in men, t he courageous fight s for t hose whom he does not know and t he coward runs away from defending his own mot her. Man's honor resides wit h his religion and his st at us is based upon his charact er, even if he was Persian or Nabat ian.'' ` Umar's st at ement t hat Taghut is Shayt an is very sound, for t his meaning includes every t ype of evil t hat t he ignorant people of Jahiliyyah (pre Islamic era of ignorace) fell int o, such as worshipping idols, referring t o t hem for j udgement , and invoking t hem for vict ory. Allah's st at ement ,

(t hen he has grasped t he most t rust wort hy handhold t hat will never break) means, "He will have hold of t he t rue religion wit h t he st rongest grasp.'' Allah equat ed t his adherence t o t he firm handhold t hat never breaks because it is built solid and because it s handle is firmly connect ed. This is why Allah said here,

(t hen he has grasped t he most t rust wort hy handhold t hat will never break.) Muj ahid said, "The most t rust wort hy handhold is Iman (fait h).'' As-Suddi said t hat it refers t o Islam. Imam Ahmad recorded t hat Qays bin ` Abbad said, "I was in t he Masj id when a man whose face showed signs of humbleness came and prayed t wo Rak` ahs t hat were modest in lengt h. The people said, ` This is a man from among t he people of Paradise.' When he left , I followed him unt il he ent ered his house, and I ent ered it aft er him and spoke wit h him. When he felt at ease, I said t o him, ` When you ent ered t he Masj id, t he people said such and such t hings.' He said, ` All praise is due t o Allah! No one should say what he has no knowledge of. I will t ell you why t hey said t hat . I saw a vision during t he t ime of t he Messenger of Allah, and I narrat ed it t o him. I saw t hat I was in a green garden, ' and he described t he garden's plant s and spaciousness, ` and t here was an iron pole in t he middle of t he garden affixed in t he eart h and it s t ip reached t he sky. On it s t ip, t here was a handle, and I was t old t o ascend t he pole. I said, ` I cannot .' Then a helper came and raised my robe from behind and said t o me, ` Ascend.' I ascended unt il I grasped t he handle and he said t o me, ` Hold on t o t he handle.' I awoke from t hat dream wit h t he handle in my hand. I went t o t he Messenger of Allah and t old him about t he vision and he said,


(As for t he garden, it represent s Islam; as for t he pole, it represent s t he pillar of Islam; and t he handle represent s t he most t rust wort hy handhold. You shall remain Muslim unt il you die.) This Companion was ` Abdullah bin Salam.'' This Hadit h was also collect ed in t he Two Sahihs; and Al-Bukhari also recorded it wit h anot her chain of narrat ion.

(257. Allah is t he Wali (Prot ect or or Guardian) of t hose who believe. He brings t hem out from darknesses int o light . But as for t hose who disbelieve, t heir Awliya' (support ers and helpers) are Taghut (false deit ies and false leaders), t hey bring t hem out from light int o darknesses. Those are t he dwellers of t he Fire, and t hey will abide t herein forever.) Allah st at ed t hat whoever follows what pleases Him, He will guide him t o t he pat hs of peace, t hat is Islam, or Paradise. Verily, Allah delivers His believing servant s from t he darkness of disbelief, doubt and hesit at ion, t o t he light of t he plain, clear, explained, easy and unequivocal t rut h. He also st at ed t hat Shayt an is t he support er of t he disbelievers who beaut ifies t he pat hs of ignorance and misguidance t hat t hey follow, t hus causing t hem t o deviat e from t he t rue pat h int o disbelief and wickedness.

(Those are t he dwellers of t he Fire, and t hey will abide t herein forever.) This is why Allah ment ioned t he light in t he singular while ment ioned t he darkness in t he plural, because t rut h is one, while disbelief comes as several t ypes, all of which are false. Similarly, Allah said,


(And verily, t his is my st raight pat h, so follow it , and follow not (ot her) pat hs, for t hey will separat e you away from His pat h. This He has ordained for you t hat you may have Taqwa) 6:153 ,

(And originat ed t he darknesses and t he light ) 6:1 , and,

(t o t he right and t o t he left s) 16: 48 . There are many ot her Ayat on t he subj ect t hat ment ion t he t rut h in t he singular and falsehood in t he plural, because of falsehood's many divisions and branches.

(258. Have you not looked at him who disput ed wit h Ibrahim about his Lord (Allah), because Allah had given him t he kingdom When Ibrahim said (t o him): "My Lord is He Who gives life and causes deat h.'' He said, "I give life and cause deat h.'' Ibrahim said, "Verily, Allah brings t he sun from t he east ; t hen bring it you from t he west .'' So t he disbeliever was ut t erly defeat ed. And Allah guides not t he people, who are wrongdoers.)

The Debate Between Ibrahim Al-Khalil and King Nimrod

The king who disput ed wit h Ibrahim was King Nimrod, son of Canaan, son of Kush, son of Sam, son of Noah, as Muj ahid st at ed. It was also said t hat he was Nimrod, son of Falikh, son of ` Abir, son of Shalikh, son of Arfakhshand, son of Sam, son of Noah. Muj ahid said, "The kings who ruled t he east ern and west ern part s of t he world are four, t wo believers and t wo disbelievers. As for t he t wo believing kings, t hey were Sulayman bin Dawud and Dhul-Qarnayn. As for t he t wo disbelieving kings, t hey were Nimrod and Nebuchadnezzar.'' Allah knows best . Allah said,

(Have you not looked) meaning, "Wit h your heart , O Muhammad!''

(at him who disput ed wit h Ibrahim about his Lord) meaning, about t he exist ence of Allah. Nimrod denied t he exist ence of a god ot her t han himself, as he claimed, j ust as Fir` awn said lat er t o his people,

(I know not t hat you have a god ot her t han me) 28:38 . What made Nimrod commit t his t ransgression, ut t er disbelief and arrant rebellion was his t yranny and t he fact t hat he ruled for a long t ime. This is why t he Ayah cont inued,

(Because Allah had given him t he kingdom. ) It appears t hat Nimrod asked Ibrahim t o produce proof t hat Allah exist s. Ibrahim replied,

(My Lord is He Who gives life and causes deat h) meaning, "The proof of Allah's exist ence is t he creat ions t hat exist aft er t hey were not hing and perish aft er t hey had exist ed. This only proves t he exist ence of t he Creat or, Who does what He wills, for t hese t hings could not have occurred on t heir own wit hout a Creat or who creat ed t hem, and He is t he Lord t hat I call t o for worship, Alone wit hout a part ner.'' This is when Nimrod said,


(I give life and cause deat h.) Qat adah, Muhammad bin Ishaq and As-Suddi said t hat he meant , "Two men who deserved execut ion were t o be brought before me, and I would command t hat one of t hem be killed, and he would be killed. I would command t hat t he second man be pardoned, and he would be pardoned. This is how I bring life and deat h.'' However, it appears t hat since Nimrod did not deny t he exist ence of a Creat or, his st at ement did not mean what Qat adah said it meant . This explanat ion does not provide an answer t o what Ibrahim said. Nimrod arrogant ly and defiant ly claimed t hat he was t he creat or and pret ended t hat it was he who brings life and deat h. Lat er on, Fir` awn imit at ed him and announced,

(I know not t hat you have a god ot her t han me) 28: 38 . This is why Ibrahim said t o Nimrod,

(Verily, Allah brings t he sun from t he east ; t hen bring it you from t he west .) This Ayah means, "You claim t hat it is you who brings life and deat h. He who brings life and deat h cont rols t he exist ence and creat es what ever is in it , including cont rolling it s planet s and t heir movement s. For inst ance, t he sun rises everyday from t he east . Therefore, if you were god, as you claimed, bringing life and deat h, t hen bring t he sun from t he west .'' Since t he king was aware of his weakness, inadequacy and t hat he was not able t o reply t o Ibrahim's request , he was idle, silent and unable t o comment . Therefore, t he proof was est ablished against him. Allah said,

(And Allah guides not t he people, who are wrongdoers) meaning, Allah deprives t he unj ust people of any valid proof or argument . Furt hermore, t heir false proof and argument s are annulled by t heir Lord, and t hey have earned His anger and will suffer severe t orment . The meaning t hat we provided is bet t er t han t he meaning t hat some philosophers offered, claiming t hat Ibrahim used t he second argument because it was clearer t han t he first one. Rat her, our explanat ion assert s t hat Ibrahim refut ed bot h claims of Nimrod, all praise is due t o Allah.

As-Suddi st at ed t hat t he debat e bet ween Ibrahim and Nimrod occurred aft er Ibrahim was t hrown in t he fire, for Ibrahim did not meet t he king before t hat day.

(259. Or like t he one who passed by a t own in ruin up t o it s roofs. He said: "How will Allah ever bring it t o life aft er it s deat h'' So Allah caused him t o die for a hundred years, t hen raised him up (again). He said: "How long did you remain (dead)'' He (t he man) said: "(Perhaps) I remained (dead) a day or part of a day.'' He said: "Nay, you have remained (dead) for a hundred years, look at your food and your drink, t hey show no change; and look at your donkey! And t hus We have made of you a sign for t he people. Look at t he bones, how We bring t hem t oget her and clot he t hem wit h flesh.'' When t his was clearly shown t o him, he said, "I know (now) t hat Allah is able t o do all t hings.'')

The Story of ` Uzayr

Allah's st at ement ,

(Have you not looked at him who disput ed wit h Ibrahim about his Lord) means, "Have you seen anyone like t he person who disput ed wit h Ibrahim about his Lord'' Then, Allah connect ed t he Ayah,


(Or like t he one who passed by a t own in ruin up t o it s roofs) t o t he Ayah above by using ` or'. Ibn Abi Hat im recorded t hat ` Ali bin Abi Talib said t hat t he Ayah 2:259 meant ` Uzayr. Ibn Jarir also report ed it , and t his explanat ion was also report ed by Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hat im from Ibn ` Abbas, Al-Hasan, Qat adah, As-Suddi and Sulayman bin Buraydah. Muj ahid bin Jabr said t hat t he Ayah refers t o a man from t he Children of Israel, and t he village was Jerusalem, aft er Nebuchadnezzar dest royed it and killed it s people.

(in ruin) means, it became empt y of people. Allah's st at ement ,

(up t o it s roofs) indicat es t hat t he roofs and walls (of t he village) fell t o t he ground. ` Uzayr st ood cont emplat ing about what had happened t o t hat cit y, aft er a great civilizat ion used t o inhabit it . He said,

(Oh! How will Allah ever bring it t o life aft er it s deat h) because of t he ut t er dest ruct ion he saw and t he implausibilit y of it s ret urning t o what it used t o be. Allah said,

(So Allah caused him t o die for a hundred years, t hen raised him up (again).) The cit y was rebuilt sevent y years aft er t he man (` Uzayr) died, and it s inhabit ant s increased and t he Children of Israel moved back t o it . When Allah resurrect ed ` Uzayr aft er he died, t he first organ t hat He resurrect ed were his eyes, so t hat he could wit ness what Allah does wit h him, how He brings life back t o his body. When his resurrect ion was complet e, Allah said t o him, meaning t hrough t he angel,

("How long did you remain (dead)'' He (t he man) said: "(Perhaps) I remained (dead) a day or part of a day.'') The scholars said t hat since t he man died in t he early part of t he day and Allah resurrect ed him in t he lat t er part of t he day, when he saw t hat t he sun was st ill apparent , he t hought t hat it was t he sun of t hat very day. He said,

("Or part of a day. '' He said: "Nay, you have remained (dead) for a hundred years, look at your food and your drink, t hey show no change.'') He had grapes, figs and j uice, and he found t hem as he left t hem; neit her did t he j uice spoil nor t he figs become bit t er nor t he grapes rot .

(And look at your donkey!), "How Allah brings it back t o life while you are wat ching.''

(And t hus We have made of you a sign for t he people) t hat Resurrect ion occurs.

(Look at t he bones, how We Nunshizuha) meaning, collect t hem and put t hem back t oget her. In his Must adrak, Al-Hakim, recorded t hat Kharij ah bin Zayd bin Thabit said t hat his fat her said t hat t he Messenger of Allah read t his Ayah,

(how We Nunshizuha.) Al-Hakim said; "It s chain is Sahih and t hey (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it .'' The Ayah was also read, ( )

"Nunshiruha'' meaning, bring t hem back t o life, as Muj ahid st at ed.


(And clot he t hem wit h flesh. ) As-Suddi said, " ` Uzayr observed t he bones of his donkey, which were scat t ered all around him t o his right and left , and Allah sent a wind t hat collect ed t he bones from all over t he area. Allah t hen brought every bone t o it s place, unt il t hey formed a full donkey made of fleshless bones. Allah t hen covered t hese bones wit h flesh, nerves, veins and skin. Allah sent an angel who blew life in t he donkeys' nost rils, and t he donkey st art ed t o bray by Allah's leave.'' All t his occurred while ` Uzayr was wat ching, and t his is when he proclaimed,

(He said, "I know (now) t hat Allah is able t o do all t hings,'') meaning, "I know t hat , and I did wit ness it wit h my own eyes. Therefore, I am t he most knowledgeable in t his mat t er among t he people of my t ime.''

(260. And (remember) when Ibrahim said, "My Lord! Show me how You give life t o t he dead.'' He (Allah) said: "Do you not believe'' He (Ibrahim) said: "Yes (I believe), but t o be st ronger in fait h.'' He said: "Take four birds, t hen cause t hem t o incline t owards you (t hen slaught er t hem, cut t hem int o pieces), and t hen put a port ion of t hem on every hill, and call t hem, t hey will come t o you in hast e. And know t hat Allah is All-Might y, All-Wise.'')

The Khalil Supplicates to Allah to Show Him How He Resurrects the Dead
The scholars said t hat t here are reasons behind t his request by Ibrahim. For inst ance, when Ibrahim said t o Nimrod,

e(My Lord (Allah) is He Who gives life and causes deat h,) he want ed t o solidify his knowledge about resurrect ion by act ually wit nessing it wit h his eyes. Prophet Ibrahim said,

("My Lord! Show me how You give life t o t he dead.'' He (Allah) said: "Do you not believe'' He (Ibrahim) said: "Yes (I believe), but t o be st ronger in fait h.'') Al-Bukhari recorded t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(We are more liable t o be in doubt t han Ibrahim when he said, "My Lord! Show me how You give life t o t he dead.'' Allah said, "Don't you believe'' Ibrahim said, "Yes (I believe), but (I ask) in order t o be st ronger in fait h.'') The Prophet 's st at ement in t he Hadit h means, "We are more liable t o seek cert aint y.''

The Answer to Al-Khalil's Request

Allah said,

(He said: "Take four birds, t hen cause t hem t o incline t owards you.'') Scholars of Tafsir disagreed over t he t ype of birds ment ioned here, alt hough t his mat t er in not relevant due t o t he fact t hat t he Qur'an did not ment ion it . Allah's st at ement ,

(cause t hem t o incline t owards you) means, cut t hem t o pieces. This is t he explanat ion of Ibn ` Abbas, ` Ikrimah, Sa` id bin Jubayr, Abu Malik, Abu Al-Aswad Ad-Dili, Wahb bin Munabbih, AlHasan and As-Suddi. Therefore, Ibrahim caught four birds, slaught ered t hem, removed t he

feat hers, t ore t he birds t o pieces and mixed t he pieces t oget her. He t hen placed part s of t hese mixed pieces on four or seven hills. Ibn ` Abbas said, "Ibrahim kept t he heads of t hese birds in his hand. Next , Allah commanded Ibrahim t o call t he birds t o him, and he did as Allah commanded him. Ibrahim wit nessed t he feat hers, blood and flesh of t hese birds fly t o each ot her, and t he part s flew each t o t heir bodies, unt il every bird came back t o life and came walking at a fast pace t owards Ibrahim, so t hat t he example t hat Ibrahim was wit nessing would become more impressive. Each bird came t o collect it s head from Ibrahim's hand, and if he gave t he bird anot her head t he bird refused t o accept it . When Ibrahim gave each bird it s own head, t he head was placed on it s body by Allah's leave and power. '' This is why Allah said,

(And know t hat Allah is All-Might y, All-Wise) and no one can overwhelm or resist Him. What ever Allah wills, occurs wit hout hindrance, because He is t he All-Might y, Supreme above all t hings, and He is Wise in His st at ement s, act ions, legislat ion and decrees. ` Abdur-Razzaq recorded t hat Ma` mar said t hat Ayyub said t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed on what Ibrahim said,

(but t o be st ronger in Fait h), "To me, t here is no Ayah in t he Qur'an t hat brings more hope t han t his Ayah.'' Ibn Abi Hat im recorded t hat Muhammad bin Al-Munkadir said t hat ` Abdullah bin ` Abbas met ` Abdullah bin ` Amr bin Al-` As and said t o him, "Which Ayah in t he Qur'an carries more hope for you'' Ibn ` Amr said,

(Say: "O ` Ibadi (My servant s) who have t ransgressed against t hemselves (by commit t ing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not .) 39:53 . Ibn ` Abbas said, "But I say t hat it is Allah's st at ement ,

(And (remember) when Ibrahim said, "My Lord! Show me how You give life t o t he dead.'' He (Allah) said: "Do you not believe'' He (Ibrahim) said: "Yes (I believe)...)

Allah accept ed Ibrahim's affirmat ion when he merely said, ` Yes.' This Ayah refers t o t he doubt s t hat at t ack t he heart and t he t hought s t hat Shayt an inspires.'' Al-Hakim also recorded t his in AlMust adrak and said; "It s chain is Sahih but t hey did not record it .''

(261. The parable of t hose who spend t heir wealt h in t he way of Allah, is t hat of a grain (of corn); it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase t o whom He wills. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creat ures' needs, All-Knower.)

Rewards of Spending in Allah's Cause

This is a parable t hat Allah made of t he mult iplicat ion of rewards for t hose who spend in His cause, seeking His pleasure. Allah mult iplies t he good deed t en t o seven hundred t imes. Allah said,

(The parable of t hose who spend t heir wealt h in t he way of Allah...) Sa` id bin Jubayr comment ed, "Meaning spending in Allah's obedience.'' Makhul said t hat t he Ayah means, "Spending on Jihad, on horse st alls, weapons and so fort h.'' The parable in t he Ayah is more impressive on t he heart t han merely ment ioning t he number seven hundred. This Ayah indicat es t hat Allah ` grows' t he good deeds for it s doers, j ust as He grows t he plant for whoever sows it in fert ile land. The Sunnah also ment ions t hat t he deeds are mult iplied up t o seven hundred folds. For inst ance, Imam Ahmad recorded t hat Abu Mas` ud said t hat a man once gave away a camel, wit h it s bridle on, in t he cause of Allah and t he Messenger of Allah said,

(On t he Day of Resurrect ion, you will have seven hundred camels wit h t heir bridles.) Muslim and An-Nasa'i also recorded t his Hadit h, and Muslim's narrat ion reads, "A man brought a camel wit h it s bridle on and said, ` O Messenger of Allah! This is in t he sake of Allah.' The Messenger said,

(You will earn seven hundred camels as reward for it on t he Day of Resurrect ion. ) Anot her Hadit h: Ahmad recorded t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

: :
(Every good deed t hat t he son of Adam performs will be mult iplied t en folds, t o seven hundred folds, t o many ot her folds, t o as much as Allah wills. Allah said, "Except t he fast , for it is for Me and I will reward for it . One abandons his food and desire in My sake.'' The fast ing person has t wo t imes of happiness: when he breaks his fast and when he meet s his Lord. Verily, t he odor t hat comes from t he mout h of whoever fast s is more pure t o Allah t han t he scent of musk. Fast ing is a shield (against sinning), fast ing is a shield.) Muslim recorded t his Hadit h. Allah's st at ement ,

(Allah gives manifold increase t o whom He wills) is according t o t he person's sincerit y in his deeds.

(And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creat ures' needs, All-Knower) meaning, His Favor is so wide t hat it encompasses much more t han His creat ion, and He has full knowledge in whoever deserves it , or does not deserve it . All t he praise and t hanks are due t o Allah.


(262. Those who spend t heir wealt h in t he cause of Allah, and do not follow up t heir gift s wit h reminders of t heir generosit y or wit h inj ury, t heir reward is wit h t heir Lord. On t hem shall be no fear, nor shall t hey grieve.) (263. Kind words and forgiving of fault s are bet t er t han Sadaqah (charit y) followed by inj ury. And Allah is Rich (free of all needs) and He is Most Forbearing.) (264. O you who believe! Do not render in vain your Sadaqah (charit y) by reminders of your generosit y or by inj ury, like him who spends his wealt h t o be seen of men, and he does not believe in Allah, nor in t he Last Day. His likeness is t he likeness of a smoot h rock on which is a lit t le dust ; on it falls heavy rain which leaves it bare. They are not able t o do anyt hing wit h what t hey have earned. And Allah does not guide t he disbelieving people.)

To Remind About Charity Given is Forbidden

Allah praises t hose who spend from t heir money in His cause, and t hen refrain from reminding t hose who received t he charit y of t hat fact , whet her t hese hint s t ake t he form of words or act ions. Allah's st at ement ,

(or wit h inj ury), indicat es t hat t hey do not cause harm t o t hose whom t hey gave t he charit y t o, for t his harm will only annul t he charit y. Allah next promised t hem t he best rewards for t his good deed,

(t heir reward is wit h t heir Lord), indicat ing t hat Allah Himself will reward t hem for t hese right eous act ions. Furt her,

(On t hem shall be no fear) regarding t he horrors of t he Day of Resurrect ion,

(nor shall t hey grieve) regarding t he offspring t hat t hey leave behind and t he adornment and delight s of t his world. They will not feel sorry for t his, because t hey will acquire what is far bet t er for t hem. Allah t hen said,

(Kind words) meaning, compassionat e words and a supplicat ion for Muslims,

(and forgiving) meaning, forgiving an inj ust ice t hat t ook t he form of act ions or words,

(are bet t er t han Sadaqah (charit y) followed by inj ury.)

(And Allah is Rich) not needing His creat ion,


(Most Forbearing) forgives, releases and pardons t hem. There are several Hadit hs t hat prohibit reminding people of act s of charit y. For inst ance, Muslim recorded t hat Abu Dharr said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

:
(Three persons whom Allah shall neit her speak t o on t he Day of Resurrect ion nor look at nor purify, and t hey shall receive a painful t orment : he who reminds (t he people) of what he gives away, he who lengt hens his clot hes below t he ankles and he who swears an oat h while lying, t o sell his merchandise.) This is why Allah said,

(O you who believe! Do not render in vain your Sadaqah (charit y) by reminders of your generosit y or by inj ury) st at ing t hat t he charit y will be rendered in vain if it is followed by harm or reminders. In t his case, t he reward of giving away charit y is not sufficient enough t o nullify t he harm and reminders. Allah t hen said,

(like him who spends his wealt h t o be seen of men) meaning, "Do not nullify your act s of charit y by following t hem wit h reminders and harm, j ust like t he charit y of t hose who give it t o show off t o people.'' The boast ing person pret ends t o give away charit y for Allah's sake, but in realit y seeks t o gain people's praise and t he reput at ion of being kind or generous, or ot her mat erial gains of t his life. All t he while, he does not t hink about Allah or gaining His pleasure and generous rewards, and t his is why Allah said,


(and he does not believe in Allah, nor in t he Last Day.) Allah next set t he example of whoever gives charit y t o show off. Ad-Dahhak comment ed t hat t he example fit s one who follows his act s of charit y wit h reminders or harm. Allah said,

(His likeness is t he likeness of Safwan) where Safwan, from is Safwanah, meaning ` t he smoot h rocks,'

(on which is lit t le dust ; on it falls a Wabil) meaning, heavy rain,

(which leaves it bare.) This Ayah means t hat heavy rain left t he Safwan complet ely barren of dust . Such is t he case wit h Allah's act ion regarding t he work of t hose who show off, as t heir deeds are bound t o vanish and disappear, even t hough people t hink t hat t hese deeds are as plent iful as specks of dust . So Allah said,

(They are not able t o do anyt hing wit h what t hey have earned. And Allah does not guide t he disbelieving people.)

(265. And t he parable of t hose who spend t heir wealt h seeking Allah's pleasure while t hey in t heir own selves are sure and cert ain t hat Allah will reward t hem (for t heir spending in His cause), is t hat of a garden on a height ; heavy rain falls on it and it doubles it s yield of harvest . And if it does not receive heavy rain, light rain suffices it . And Allah is All-Seer (knows well) of what you do.) This is t he example of t he believers who give away charit y seeking only Allah's pleasure,

(while t hey in t heir own selves are sure and cert ain) meaning, t hey are cert ain t hat Allah shall reward t hem for t hese right eous act s wit h t he best rewards. Similarly, in a Hadit h collect ed by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, t he Messenger of Allah said,

(Whoever fast s Ramadan wit h fait h and expect at ion...) meaning, believing t hat Allah commanded t he fast , all t he while await ing His reward for fast ing it . Allah's st at ement ,

(is t hat of a garden on a Rabwah) means, t he example of a garden on ` a height above t he ground', as t he maj orit y of scholars have st at ed. Ibn ` Abbas and Ad-Dahhak added t hat it also has flowing rivers. Allah's st at ement ,

(Wabil falls on it ) means, heavy rain as we st at ed, So it produces it s,

(yield of harvest ) meaning, fruit s or produce,

(doubles), as compared t o ot her gardens.


(And if it does not receive Wabil, a Tall suffices it .) Ad-Dahhak said t hat t he ` Tall' is light rain. The Ayah indicat es t hat t he garden on t he Rabwah is always fert ile, for if heavy rain does not fall on it , light rain will suffice for it . Such is t he case regarding t he believer's good deeds, for t hey never become barren. Rat her, Allah accept s t he believer's right eous deeds and increases t hem, each according t o his deeds. This is why Allah said next ,

(And Allah is All-Seer of what you do) meaning, none of His servant s' deeds ever escapes His perfect wat ch.

(266. Would any of you wish t o have a garden wit h dat e palms and vines, wit h rivers flowing underneat h, and all kinds of fruit s for him t herein, while he is st riken wit h old age, and his children are weak (not able t o look aft er t hemselves), t hen it is st ruck wit h a fiery whirlwind, so t hat it is burnt Thus does Allah make clear His Ayat t o you t hat you may give t hought .)

The Example of Evil Deeds Nullifying Good Deeds

Al-Bukhari recorded t hat Ibn ` Abbas and ` Ubayd bin ` Umayr said t hat ` Umar bin Al-Khat t ab asked t he Companions of t he Messenger of Allah, "According t o your opinion, about whom was t his Ayah revealed,

(Would any of you wish t o have a garden wit h dat e palms and vines...).'' They said, "Allah knows best .'' ` Umar became angry and said, "Say we know or we do not know.'' Ibn ` Abbas said, "O Leader of t he Fait hful! I have an opinion about it .'' ` Umar said, "O my nephew! Say your opinion and do not belit t le yourself.'' Ibn ` Abbas said, "This is an example set for a deed.'' ` Umar said, "What t ype of deed'' Ibn ` Abbas said, "For a wealt hy man who works in Allah's pleasure and t hen Allah sends Shayt an t o him, and he works in disobedience, unt il he annuls his good works.'' This Hadit h suffices as an explanat ion for t he Ayah, for it explains t he example it set s by a person who does good first and t hen follows it wit h evil, may Allah save us from t his end. So, t his man annulled his previous good works wit h his lat t er evil works. When he desperat ely needed t he deeds of t he former t ype, t here were none. This is why Allah said,

(while he is st riken wit h old age, and his children are weak (not able t o look aft er t hemselves), t hen it is st ruck wit h a whirlwind) wit h heavy wind,

(t hat is fiery, so t hat it is burnt ) meaning, it s fruit s were burnt and it s t rees were dest royed. Therefore, what will his condit ion be like Ibn Abi Hat im recorded t hat Al-` Awfi said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Allah has set a good parable, and all His parables are good. He said,

(Would any of you wish t o have a garden wit h dat e palms and vines, wit h rivers flowing underneat h, and all kinds of fruit s for him t herein.) But he lost all t his in his old age,

(while he is st riken wit h old age) while his offspring and children are weak j ust before t he end of his life. Then a light ning st orm came and dest royed his garden. Then he did not have t he st rengt h t o grow anot her garden, nor did his offspring offer enough help. This is t he condit ion of t he disbeliever on t he Day of Resurrect ion when he ret urns t o Allah, for he will not have any good deeds t o provide an excuse - or refuge - for him, j ust as t he man in t he parable had no st rengt h t o replant t he garden. The disbeliever will not find anyt hing t o resort t o for help, j ust as t he offspring of t he man in t he parable did not provide him wit h help. So he will be deprived of his reward when he most needs it , j ust as t he man in t he parable was deprived of Allah's garden when he most needed it , when he became old and his offspring weak.'' In his Must adrak, Al-Hakim recorded t hat t he Messenger of Allah used t o say in his supplicat ion,

(O Allah! Make Your biggest provision for me when I am old in age and at t he t ime my life ends.) This is why Allah said,

(Thus Allah makes clear t o you His Laws in order t hat you may give t hought ) meaning, comprehend and underst and t he parables and t heir int ended implicat ions. Similarly, Allah said,

(And t hese similit udes We put forward for mankind; but none will underst and t hem except t hose who have knowledge (of Allah and His signs)) 29:43 .


(267.O you who believe! Spend of t he good t hings which you have (legally) earned, and of t hat which We have produced from t he eart h for you, and do not aim at t hat which is bad t o spend from it , (t hough) you would not accept it save if you close your eyes and t olerat e t herein. And know t hat Allah is Rich (free of all needs), and wort hy of all praise.) (268. Shayt an t hreat ens you wit h povert y and orders you t o commit Fahsha' (evil deeds) whereas Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself and bount y, and Allah is All-Sufficient for His creat ures' needs, AllKnower.) (269. He grant s Hikmah t o whom He wills, and he, t o whom Hikmah is grant ed, is indeed grant ed abundant good. But none remember (will receive admonit ion) except men of underst anding.)

The Encouragement to Spend Honest Money for Allah's Sake

Allah commands His believing servant s t o spend in charit y, as Ibn ` Abbas st at ed, from t he pure, honest money t hat t hey earned and from t he fruit s and veget ables t hat He has grown for t hem in t he land. Ibn ` Abbas said, "Allah commanded t hem t o spend from t he purest , finest and best t ypes of t heir money and prohibit ed spending from evil and dishonest money, because Allah is pure and good and only accept s t hat which is pure and good.'' This is why Allah said,

(and do not aim at t hat which is bad) meaning, filt hy (impure) money,

(t o spend from it , (t hough) you would not accept it ) meaning, "If you were given t his t ype, you would not t ake it , except if you t olerat e t he deficiency in it . Verily, Allah is far Richer t han you, He is in no need of t his money, so do not give, for His sake, what you would dislike for yourselves.'' It was report ed t hat ,

(and do not aim at t hat which is bad t o spend from it ) means, "Do not spend from t he dishonest , impure money inst ead of t he honest , pure money.'' Ibn Jarir recorded t hat Al-Bara' bin ` Azib comment ed on Allah's st at ement ,

(O you who believe! Spend of t he good t hings which you have (legally) earned, and of t hat which We have produced from t he eart h for you, and do not aim at t hat which is bad t o spend from it ,) t hat it was revealed about t he Ansar. When t he season for harvest ing dat e-t rees would st art , t he Ansar would collect ripe-dat e branches from t heir gardens and hang t hem on a rope erect ed bet ween t wo pillars in t he Masj id of t he Messenger of Allah. The poor emigrant Companions would eat from t hese dat es. However, some of t hem (Ansar) would also add lesser t ype of dat es in bet ween ripe-dat e branches, t hinking t hey are allowed t o do so. Allah revealed t his Ayah about t hose who did t his,

(and do not aim at t hat which is bad t o spend from it .) ` Ali bin Abi Talhah said t hat Ibn ` Abbas comment ed on t he Ayah,

(you would not accept it save if you close your eyes and t olerat e t herein) means, "If you had a right on someone who would pay you less t han what you gave t hem, you would not agree unt il you require more from t hem t o make up t he difference. This is why Allah said,

(save if you close your eyes and t olerat e t herein) meaning, ` How do you agree for Me what you do not agree for yourselves, while I have a right t o t he best and most precious of your possessions'' Ibn Abi Hat im and Ibn Jarir recorded t his Hadit h and Ibn Jarir added, "And t his is t he meaning of Allah's st at ement ,

(By no means shall you at t ain Al-Birr, unless you spend of t hat which you love)'' 4:92 Allah said next ,

(And know t hat Allah is Rich (free of all needs), and wort hy of all praise) meaning, "Alt hough Allah commanded you t o give away t he purest of your money in charit y, He is far Richer from needing your charit y, but t he purpose is t hat t he dist ance bet ween t he rich and t he poor becomes less.'' Similarly, Allah said,

(It is neit her t heir meat nor t heir blood t hat reaches Allah, but it is piet y from you t hat reaches Him) 22:37 . Allah is Rich and free of needing anyt hing from any of His creat ures, while all of His creat ures st and in need of Him. Allah's bount y encompassing, and what He has never ends. Therefore, whoever gives away good and pure t hings in charit y, let him know t hat Allah is t he Most Rich, His favor is enormous and He is Most Generous, Most Compassionat e; and He shall reward him for his charit y and mult iply it many t imes. So who would lend t o He Who is neit her poor nor unj ust , Who is wort hy of all praise in all His act ions, st at ement s, and decisions, of Whom t here is neit her a deit y wort hy of worship except Him, nor a Lord ot her t han Him

Shaytanic Doubts Concerning Spending in Charity

Allah said,

(Shayt an t hreat ens you wit h povert y and orders you t o commit Fahsha'; whereas Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself and bount y, and Allah is All-Sufficient for His creat ures' needs, All-Knower.) Ibn Abi Hat im recorded t hat ` Abdullah bin Mas` ud said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,


(Shayt an has an effect on t he son of Adam, and t he angel also has an effect . As for t he effect of Shayt an, it is by his t hreat ening wit h evil repercussions and rej ect ing t he t rut h. As for t he effect of t he angel, it is by his promise of a good end and believing in t he t rut h. Whoever finds t he lat t er, let him know t hat it is coming from Allah and let him t hank Allah for it . Whoever finds t he former, let him seek refuge - wit h Allah - from Shayt an.) The Prophet t hen recit ed,

(Shayt an t hreat ens you wit h povert y and orders you t o commit Fahsha'; whereas Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself and bount y) This is t he narrat ion t hat At -Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i collect ed in t he book of Tafsir in t heir Sunan collect ions. Allah said,

(Shayt an t hreat ens you wit h povert y), so t hat you hold on t o what ever you have and refrain from spending it in Allah's pleasure.

(And orders you t o commit Fahsha'), meaning, "Shayt an forbids you from spending in charit y because of t he false fear of becoming poor, and he encourages evil deeds, sins, indulging in what is prohibit ed, and immoral conduct .'' Allah said,


(Whereas Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself) inst ead of t he evil t hat Shayt an enj oins on you,

(And Bount y) as opposed t o t he povert y t hat Shayt an fright ens you wit h,

(And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creat ures' needs, All-Knower.)

The Meaning of Al-Hikmah

Allah said,

(He grant s Hikmah t o whom He wills.) ` Ali bin Abi Talhah report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "That is knowledge of t he Qur'an. For inst ance, t he abrogat ing and t he abrogat ed, what is plain and clear and what is not as plain and clear, what it allows, and what it does not allow, and it s parables.'' Imam Ahmad recorded t hat Ibn Mas` ud said t hat he heard t he Messenger of Allah saying,

:
(There is no envy except in t wo inst ances: a person whom Allah has endowed wit h wealt h and he spends it right eously, and a person whom Allah has given Hikmah and he j udges by it and t eaches it t o ot hers.) This was also collect ed by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, An-Nasa'i, Ibn Maj ah.

Allah's st at ement ,

(But none remember (will receive admonit ion) except men of underst anding.) means, "Those who will benefit from t he advice are t hose who have sound minds and good comprehension wit h which t hey underst and t he words (of advice and reminder) and t heir implicat ions.''

-
(270. And what ever you spend for spendings (e.g., in Sadaqah) or what ever vow you make, be sure Allah knows it all. And for t he wrongdoers t here are no helpers.) (271. If you disclose your Sadaqat (almsgiving), it is well; but if you conceal t hem and give t hem t o t he poor, t hat is bet t er for you. (Allah) will expiat e you some of your sins. And Allah is Well-Acquaint ed wit h what you do.) Allah st at es t hat He has perfect knowledge of t he good deeds performed by all of His creat ion, such as charit y and various vows, and He rewards t remendously for t hese deeds, provided t hey are performed seeking His Face and His promise. Allah also warns t hose who do not work in his obedience, but inst ead disobey His command, rej ect His revelat ion and worship ot hers besides Him:

(And for t he wrongdoers t here are no helpers.) meaning, who will save t hem from Allah's anger and t orment on t he Day of Resurrect ion.

The Virtue of Disclosing or Concealing Charity

Allah said,

(If you disclose your Sadaqat , it is well) meaning, "It is well if you make known t he charit y t hat you give away.'' Allah's st at ement ,

(But if you conceal t hem and give t hem t o t he poor, t hat is bet t er for you.) t his indicat es t hat concealing charit y is bet t er t han disclosing it , because it prot ect s one from showing off and boast ing. However, if t here is an apparent wisdom behind disclosing t he charit y, such as t he people imit at ing t his right eous act , t hen disclosing it becomes bet t er t han concealing it . The Messenger of Allah said,

(He who ut t ers aloud Qur'anic recit at ion is j ust like he who discloses charit y act s. He who conceals Qur'anic recit at ion is j ust like he who conceals charit y act s.) The Ayah indicat es t hat it is bet t er t hat act s of charit y be concealed, as reit erat ed by t he Hadit h t hat t he Two Sahihs recorded from Abu Hurayrah t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

: :


(Allah will give shade t o seven on t he Day when t here will be no shade but His. (They are:) a j ust ruler, a yout h who has been brought up in t he worship of Allah, t wo persons who love each ot her only for Allah's sake who meet and part in Allah's cause only, a man whose heart is at t ached t o t he Masj ids from t he t ime he depart s t he Masj id unt il he ret urns t o it , a person who remembers Allah in seclusion and his eyes are t hen flooded wit h t ears, a man who refuses t he call of a charming woman of noble birt h for illicit int ercourse wit h her and says, ` I fear Allah, Lord of t he worlds', and a man who gives charit able gift s so secret ly t hat his left hand does not know what his right hand has given.) Allah's st at ement ,

((Allah) will expiat e you some of your sins) means, in ret urn for giving away charit y, especially if it was concealed. Therefore, you will gain goodness by your rank being raised, and your sins being forgiven. Allah's st at ement ,

(And Allah is Well-Acquaint ed wit h what you do) means, "No good deed t hat you perform escapes His knowledge, and He shall reward for it .''

 -
(272. Not upon you (Muhammad ) is t heir guidance, but Allah guides whom He wills. And what ever you spend in good, it is for yourselves, when you spend not except seeking Allah's Face. And what ever you spend in good, it will be repaid t o you in full, and you shall not be wronged.) (273. (Charit y is) for Fuqara' (t he poor), who in Allah's cause are rest rict ed (from t ravel), and cannot move about in t he land (for t rade or work). The one who knows t hem not , t hinks t hat t hey are rich because of t heir modest y. You may know t hem by t heir mark, t hey do not beg of people at all. And what ever you spend in good, surely Allah knows it well.) (274. Those who spend t heir wealt h (in Allah's cause) by night and day, in secret and in public, t hey shall have t heir reward wit h t heir Lord. On t hem shall be no fear, nor shall t hey grieve.)

Giving Charity to Polytheists

Abu ` Abdur-Rahman An-Nasa'i recorded t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat t hey, "Disliked giving charit y t o t heir polyt heist relat ives, but were lat er on allowed t o give it t o t hem when t hey inquired about t his mat t er, and t his Ayah was revealed,

(Not upon you (Muhammad ) is t heir guidance, but Allah guides whom He wills. And what ever you spend in good, it is for yourselves, when you spend not except seeking Allah's Face. And what ever you spend in good, it will be repaid t o you in full, and you shall not be wronged.) Allah's st at ement ,

(And what ever you spend in good, it is for yourselves) is similar t o His ot her st at ement ,

(Whosoever does right eous good deed, it is for (t he benefit of) his ownself.) There are many ot her similar Ayat in t he Qur'an. Allah said next ,

(When you spend not except seeking Allah's Face. ) Al-Hasan Al-Basri comment ed, "Whenever t he believer spends, including what he spends on himself, he seeks Allah's Face wit h it .'' ` At a' Al-Khurasani said t hat t he Ayah means, "You give away charit y for t he sake of Allah. Therefore, you will not be asked about t he deeds or wickedness of t hose who receive it .'' This is a sound meaning indicat ing t hat when one spends in charit y for Allah's sake, t hen his reward will be wit h Allah. He will not be asked if t he charit y unint ent ionally reached right eous, evil, deserving or undeserving persons, for he will be rewarded for his good int ent ion. The proof t o t his st at ement is t he Ayah,

(And what ever you spend in good, it will be repaid t o you in full, and you shall not be wronged.) The Two Sahihs recorded a Hadit h by Abu Hurayrah t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

: : :

 : : : : : .
(A man said, "Tonight , I shall give charit y.'' He went out wit h his charit y and (unknowingly) gave it t o an adult eress. The next morning t he people said t hat alms were given t o an adult eress. The man said, "O Allah! All t he praises are for You. (I gave my alms) t o an adult eress. Tonight , I shall give alms again.'' He went out wit h his charit y and (unknowingly) gave it t o a rich person. The next morning (t he people) said, "Last night , a wealt hy person was given alms.'' He said, "O Allah! All t he praises are for You. (I gave alms) t o a wealt hy man. Tonight , I shall again give charit y.'' So he went out wit h his charit y and (unknowingly) gave it t o a t hief. The next morning (t he people) said, "Last night , a t hief was given alms.'' He said, "O Allah! All t he praises are for You. (I have given alms) t o an adult eress, a wealt hy man and a t hief.'' Then, someone came t o him and said, "The alms t hat you gave away were accept ed. As for t he adult eress, t he alms might make her abst ain from adult ery. As for t he wealt hy man, it might make him t ake a lesson and spend his wealt h t hat Allah has given him. As for t he t hief, it might make him abst ain from st ealing.'')

Who Deserves Charity

Allah said,

((Charit y is) for t he poor, who in Allah's cause are rest rict ed (from t ravel)) meaning, t he migrant s who migrat ed t o Allah and His Messenger, resided in Al-Madinah and did not have resources t hat sufficient ly provided t hem wit h t heir needs,


(And cannot Darban (move about ) in t he land) meaning, "They cannot t ravel in t he land t o seek means of livelihood.'' Allah said in ot her inst ances using a variat ion of t he word Darban

(And when you (Muslims) t ravel in t he land, t here is no sin on you if you short en t he Salah (t he prayer)) 4:101 , and,

(He knows t hat t here will be some among you sick, ot hers t raveling t hrough t he land, seeking of Allah's bount y, yet ot hers fight ing in Allah's cause) 73:20 . Allah t hen said,

(The one who knows t hem not , t hinks t hat t hey are rich because of t heir modest y) meaning, t hose who do not know t heir sit uat ion t hink t hat t hey are well-off, because t hey are modest in t heir clot hes and speech. There is a Hadit h wit h t his meaning t hat t he Two Sahihs recorded from Abu Hurayrah t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,


(The Miskin (needy) is not he who wanders about and whose need is sufficed by a dat e or t wo, a bit e or t wo or a meal or t wo. Rat her, t he Miskin is he who neit her has enough resources t o sust ain him, all t he while people are unaware of his need so t hey do not give t o him, nor does he ask people for anyt hing.) Imam Ahmad also recorded t his Hadit h from Ibn Mas` ud. Allah's st at ement ,

(You may know t hem by t heir mark) means, "Those who have good minds discover t heir sit uat ion,'' j ust as Allah said in ot her inst ances,

(The mark of t hem (i.e. of t heir fait h) is on t heir faces) 48:29 , and,

(But surely, you will know t hem by t he t one of t heir speech!) 47:30 . Allah's st at ement ,

(t hey do not beg of people at all) means, t hey do not beg and, t hus, do not require people t o provide t hem wit h more t han what t hey act ually need. Indeed, t hose who ask people for help, while having what suffices for t heir needs, have begged. Imam Ahmad recorded t hat Abu Sa` id said, "My mot her sent me t o t he Messenger of Allah t o ask him for help, but when I came by him I sat down. The Prophet faced me and said t o me,


(Whoever felt sat isfied, t hen Allah will enrich him. Whoever is modest , Allah will make him decent . Whoever is cont ent , t hen Allah will suffice for him. Whoever asks people, while having a small amout , he will have begged t he people.) Abu Sa` id said, "I said t o myself, ` I have a camel, Al-Yaqut ah, and indeed, it is wort h more t han a small amount .' And I went back wit hout asking t he Prophet for anyt hing.'' This is t he same wording for t his Hadit h collect ed by Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i. Allah's st at ement ,

(And what ever you spend in good, surely Allah knows it well) indicat es t hat no charit y escapes Him, and He will reward it fully and perfect ly on t he Day of Resurrect ion, when it is most desperat ely needed.

Praise for those who Spend in Charity

Allah said,

(Those who spend t heir wealt h (in Allah's cause) by night and day, in secret and in public, t hey shall have t heir reward wit h t heir Lord. On t hem shall be no fear, nor shall t hey grieve.) This Ayah praises t hose who spend in charit y for Allah's sake, seeking His pleasure, day and night , publicly and in secret , including what one spends on his family. The Two Sahihs recorded t hat t he Messenger of Allah said t o Sa` d bin Abi Waqqas:


(You will not spend charit y wit h which you seek Allah's Face, but you will ascend a higher degree and st at us because of it , including what you put in your wife's mout h.) Imam Ahmad recorded t hat Abu Mas` ud said t hat t he Prophet said,

(When t he Muslim spends on his family while await ing t he reward for it from Allah, it will be writ t en as charit y for him.) Al-Bukhari and Muslim also recorded t his Hadit h. Allah said,

(shall have t heir reward wit h t heir Lord), on t he Day of Resurrect ion, as reward for what t hey spent in act s of obedience. We previously explained t he Ayah,

(t here shall be no fear on t hem nor shall t hey grieve.)


(275. Those who eat Riba will not st and (on t he Day of Resurrect ion) except like t he st anding of a person beat en by Shayt an leading him t o insanit y. That is because t hey say: "Trading is only like Riba,'' whereas Allah has permit t ed t rading and forbidden Riba. So whosoever receives an admonit ion from his Lord and st ops eat ing Riba, shall not be punished for t he past ; his case is for Allah (t o j udge); but whoever ret urns (t o Riba), such are t he dwellers of t he Fire t hey will Abide t herein.)

The Punishment for Dealing with Riba (Interest and Usury)

Aft er Allah ment ioned t he right eous believers who give charit y, pay Zakah and spend on t heir relat ives and families at various t imes and condit ions, He t hen ment ioned t hose who deal in usury and illegally acquire people's money, using various evil met hods and wicked ways. Allah describes t he condit ion of t hese people when t hey are resurrect ed from t heir graves and brought back t o life on t he Day of Resurrect ion:

(Those who eat Riba will not st and (on t he Day of Resurrect ion) except like t he st anding of a person beat en by Shayt an leading him t o insanit y.) This Ayah means, on t he Day of Resurrect ion, t hese people will get up from t heir graves j ust as t he person afflict ed by insanit y or possesed by a demon would. Ibn ` Abbas said, "On t he Day of Resurrect ion, t hose who consume Riba will be resurrect ed while insane and suffering from seizures.'' Ibn Abi Hat im also recorded t his and t hen comment ed, "This Tafsir was report ed from ` Awf bin Malik, Sa` id bin Jubayr, As-Suddi, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Qat adah and Muqat il bin Hayyan.'' Al-Bukhari recorded t hat Samurah bin Jundub said in t he long Hadit h about t he dream t hat t he Prophet had,


(We reached a river -t he narrat or said, "I t hought he said t hat t he river was as red as blood''and found t hat a man was swimming in t he river, and on it s bank t here was anot her man st anding wit h a large collect ion of st ones next t o him. The man in t he river would swim, t hen come t o t he man who had collect ed t he st ones and open his mout h, and t he ot her man would t hrow a st one in his mout h.) The explanat ion of t his dream was t hat t he person in t he river was one who consumed Riba. Allah's st at ement ,

(That is because t hey say: "Trading is only like Riba,'' whereas Allah has permit t ed t rading and forbidden Riba) indicat es t hat t he disbelievers claimed t hat Riba was allowed due t o t he fact t hat t hey rej ect ed Allah's commandment s, not t hat t hey equat ed Riba wit h regular t rade. The disbelievers did not recognize t hat Allah allowed t rade in t he Qur'an, for if t hey did, t hey would have said, "Riba is t rade.'' Rat her, t hey said,

(Trading is only like Riba) meaning, t hey are similar, so why did Allah allow t his, but did not allow t hat , t hey asked in defiance of Allah's commandment s. Allah's st at ement ,

(Whereas Allah has permit t ed t rading and forbidden Riba) might be a cont inuat ion of t he answer t o t he disbelievers' claim, who ut t ered it , alt hough t hey knew t hat Allah decided t hat ruling on t rade is different from t hat of Riba. Indeed, Allah is t he Most Knowledgeable, Most Wise, Whose decision is never resist ed. Allah is never asked about what He does, while t hey will be asked. He is knowledgeable of t he t rue realit y of all t hings and t he benefit s t hey carry. He knows what benefit s His servant s, so He allows it for t hem, and what harms t hem, so He forbids t hem from it . He is more merciful wit h t hem t han t he mot her wit h her own infant .

Thereaft er, Allah said,

(So whosoever receives an admonit ion from his Lord and st ops eat ing Riba, shall not be punished for t he past ; his case is for Allah (t o j udge),) meaning, t hose who have knowledge t hat Allah made usury unlawful, and refrain from indulging in it as soon as t hey acquire t his knowledge, t hen Allah will forgive t heir previous dealings in Riba,

(Allah has forgiven what is past .) On t he day Makkah was conquered t he Prophet said,

(All cases of Riba during t he t ime of Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic period of ignorance) is annulled and under my feet , and t he first Riba I annul is t he Riba of Al-'Abbas (t he Prophet 's uncle).) We should ment ion t hat t he Prophet did not require t he ret urn of t he int erest t hat t hey gained on t heir Riba during t he t ime of Jahiliyyah. Rat her, he pardoned t he cases of Riba t hat occured in t he past , j ust as Allah said,

(shall not be punished for t he past ; his case is for Allah (t o j udge).) Sa` id bin Jubayr and As-Suddi said t hat ,

(shall not be punished for t he past ) refers t o t he Riba one consumed before it was prohibit ed. Allah t hen said,


(But whoever ret urns) meaning, deals in Riba aft er gaining knowledge t hat Allah prohibit ed it , t hen t hat warrant s punishment , and in t his case, t he proof will have been est ablished against such person. This is why Allah said,

(such are t he dwellers of t he Fire t hey will abide t herein forever.) Abu Dawud recorded t hat Jabir said, "When

(Those who eat Riba will not st and (on t he Day of Resurrect ion) except like a person beat en by Shayt an leading him t o insanit y) was revealed, t he Messenger of Allah said,

(Whoever does not refrain from Mukhabarah, t hen let him receive a not ice of war from Allah and His Messenger.)'' Al-Hakim also recorded t his in his Must adrak, and he said, "It is Sahih according t o t he crit eria of Muslim, and he did not record it .'' Mukhabarah (sharecropping), farming land in ret urn for some of it s produce, was prohibit ed. Muzabanah, t rading fresh dat es st ill on t rees wit h dried dat es already on t he ground, was prohibit ed. Muhaqalah, which refers t o t rading produce not yet harvest ed, wit h crops already harvest ed, was also prohibit ed. These were prohibit ed t o eradicat e t he possibilit y t hat Riba might be involved, for t he qualit y and equit y of such it ems are only known aft er t hey become dry. The subj ect of Riba is a difficult subj ect for many scholars. We should ment ion t hat t he Leader of t he Fait hful, ` Umar bin Al-Khat t ab, said, "I wished t hat t he Messenger of Allah had made t hree mat t ers clearer for us, so t hat we could refer t o his decision: t he grandfat her (regarding inherit ing from his grandchildren), t he Kalalah (t hose who leave neit her descendant s nor ascendant s as heirs) and some t ypes of Riba.'' ` Umar was refering t o t he t ypes of t ransact ions where it is not clear whet her t hey involve Riba or not . The Shari` ah support s t he rule t hat for any mat t er t hat is unlawful, t hen t he means t o it are also unlafwful, because what ever result s in t he unlawful is unlawful, in t he same way t hat whenever an obligat ion will not be complet e except wit h somet hing, t hen t hat somet hing is it self an obligat ion.

The Two Sahihs recorded t hat An-Nu` man bin Bashir said t hat he heard t he Messenger of Allah say,

(Bot h lawful and unlawful t hings are evident , but in bet ween t hem t here are mat t ers t hat are not clear. So whoever saves himself from t hese unclear mat t ers, he saves his religion and his honor. And whoever indulges in t hese unclear mat t ers, he will have fallen int o t he prohibit ions, j ust like a shepherd who grazes (his animals) near a privat e past ure, at any moment he is liable t o ent er it .) The Sunan records t hat Al-Hasan bin ` Ali said t hat he heard t he Messenger of Allah say,

(Leave t hat which makes you doubt for t hat which does not make you doubt .) Ahmad recorded t hat Sa` id bin Al-Musayyib said t hat ` Umar said, "The Ayah about Riba was one of t he last Ayat t o be revealed, and t he Messenger of Allah died before he explained it t o us. So leave t hat which makes you doubt for t hat which does not make you doubt .'' Ibn Maj ah recorded t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(Riba is sevent y t ypes, t he least of which is equal t o one having sexual int ercourse wit h his mot her.) Cont inuing on t he subj ect of prohibit ing t he means t hat lead t o t he unlawful, t here is a Hadit h t hat Ahmad recorded in which ` A'ishah said, "When t he Ayat in Surat Al-Baqarah about Riba were revealed, t he Messenger of Allah went out t o t he Masj id and recit ed t hem and also

prohibit ed t rading in alcohol.'' The Six collect ions recorded t his Hadit h, wit h t he except ion of At -Tirmidhi. The Two Sahihs recorded t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(May Allah curse t he Jews! Allah forbade t hem t o eat animal fat , but t hey melt ed it and sold it , eat ing it s price.) ` Ali and Ibn Mas` ud narrat ed t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(May Allah curse whoever consumes Riba, whoever pays Riba, t he t wo who are wit nesses t o it , and t he scribe who records it .) They say t hey only have wit nesses and a scribe t o writ e t he Riba cont ract when t hey want it t o appear t o be a legit imat e agreement , but it is st ill invalid because t he ruling is applied t o t he agreement it self, not t he form t hat it appears in. Verily, deeds are j udged by t heir int ent ions. d

-
(276. Allah will dest roy Riba and will give increase for Sadaqat . And Allah likes not t he disbelievers, sinners.) (277. Truly, t hose who believe, and do deeds of right eousness, and perform t he Salah and give Zakah, t hey will have t heir reward wit h t heir Lord. On t hem shall be no fear, nor shall t hey grieve.)

Allah Does Not Bless Riba

Allah st at es t hat He dest roys Riba, eit her by removing t his money from t hose who eat it , or by depriving t hem of t he blessing, and t hus t he benefit of t heir money. Because of t heir Riba,

Allah will t orment t hem in t his life and punish t hem for it on t he Day of Resurrect ion. Allah said,

(Say: "Not equal are Al-Khabit h (evil t hings) and At -Tayyib (good t hings), even t hough t he abundance of Al-Khabit h may please you'') 5:100

(And put t he wicked (disbelievers and doers of evil deeds) one over anot her, heap t hem t oget her and cast t hem int o Hell) 8:37 , and,

(And t hat which you give in gift (t o ot hers), in order t hat it may increase (your wealt h by expect ing t o get a bet t er one in ret urn) from ot her people's propert y, has no increase wit h Allah) 30:39 . Ibn Jarir said t hat Allah's st at ement ,

(Allah will dest roy Riba) is similar t o t he st at ement report ed of ` Abdullah bin Mas` ud, "Riba will end up wit h less, even if it was subst ant ial.'' Imam Ahmad recorded a similar st at ement in Al-Musnad.

Allah Increases Charity, Just as One Raises His Animal

Allah's st at ement ,

(And will give increase for Sadaqat ) means, Allah makes charit y grow, or He increases it . AlBukhari recorded t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(Whoever gives in charit y what equals a dat e from honest resources, and Allah only accept s t hat which is good and pure, t hen Allah accept s it wit h His right (Hand) and raises it for it s giver, j ust as one of you raises his animal, unt il it becomes as big as a mount ain.) This was recorded in t he book of Zakah.

Allah Does not Like the Disbelieving Sinners

Allah's st at ement ,

(And Allah likes not t he disbelievers, sinners) indicat es t hat Allah does not like he who has a disbelieving heart , who is a sinner in t ongue and act ion. There is a connect ion bet ween t he beginning of t he Ayah on Riba and what Allah ended it wit h. Those who consume Riba are not sat isfied wit h t he permissible and pure resources t hat Allah provided t hem. Inst ead, t hey t ry t o illegally acquire people's money by relying on evil met hods. This demonst rat es t heir lack of appreciat ion for t he bount y t hat Allah provides.

Praising Those Who Thank Allah

Allah praised t hose who believe in His Lordship, obey His commands, t hank Him and appreciat e Him. They are t hose who are kind t o His creat ion, est ablish prayer and give charit y due on t heir money. Allah informed t hem of t he honor t hat He has prepared for t hem and t hat t hey will be safe from t he repercussions of t he Day of Resurrect ion. Allah said,

(Truly, t hose who believe, and do deeds of right eousness, and perform t he Salah and give Zakah, t hey will have t heir reward wit h t heir Lord. On t hem shall be no fear, nor shall t hey grieve.)

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(278. O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah and give up what remains from Riba, if you are (really) believers.) (279. And if you do not do it , t hen t ake a not ice of war from Allah and His Messenger but if you repent ,you shall have your capit al sums. Deal not unj ust ly, and you shall not be dealt wit h unj ust ly.) (280. And if t he debt or is having a hard t ime, t hen grant him t ime t ill it is easy for him t o repay; but if you remit it by way of charit y, t hat is bet t er for you if you did but know.) (281. And have Taqwa t he Day when you shall be brought back t o Allah. Then every person shall be paid what he earned, and t hey shall not be dealt wit h unj ust ly.)

The Necessity of Taqwa and Avoiding Riba

Allah commands His believing servant s t o fear Him and warns t hem against what would bring t hem closer t o His anger and drive t hem away from His pleasure. Allah said,

(O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah) meaning, fear Him and remember t hat He is wat ching all t hat you do.


(And give up what remains of Riba) meaning, abandon t he Riba t hat people st ill owe you upon hearing t his warning,

(if you indeed have been believers) believing in t he t rade t hat He allowed you and t he prohibit ion of Riba. Zayd bin Aslam, Ibn Jurayj , Muqat il bin Hayyan and As-Suddi said t hat t his Ayah was revealed about Bani ` Amr bin ` Umayr, a sub-t ribe of Thaqif, and Bani Al-Mughirah, from t he t ribe of Bani Makhzum, bet ween whom were out st anding t ransact ions of Riba left over from t ime of Jahiliyyah. When Islam came and bot h t ribes became Muslims, Thaqif required Bani Al-Mughirah t o pay t he Riba of t hat t ransact ion, but Bani Al-Mughirah said, "We do not pay Riba in Islam.'' ` At t ab bin Usayd, t he Prophet 's deput y on Makkah, wrot e t o t he Messenger of Allah about t his mat t er. This Ayah was t hen revealed and t he Messenger of Allah conveyed it t o ` At t ab,

(O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah and give up what remains (due t o you) from Riba (from now onward), if you are (really) believers. And if you do not do it , t hen t ake a not ice of war from Allah and His Messenger.) They said, "We repent t o Allah and abandon what ever is left of our Riba'', and t hey all abandoned it This Ayah serves as a st ern t hreat t o t hose who cont inue t o deal in Riba aft er Allah revealed t his warning.

Riba Constitutes War Against Allah and His Messenger

Ibn Jurayj said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said t hat ,

(t hen t ake a not ice of war) means, "Be sure of a war from Allah and His Messenger.'' He also said, "On t he Day of Resurrect ion, t hose who eat Riba will be t old, ` t ake up arms for war.''' He t hen recit ed,


(And if you do not do it , t hen t ake a not ice of war from Allah and His Messenger.) ` Ali bin Abi Talhah said t hat Ibn ` Abbas said about ,

(And if you do not do it , t hen t ake a not ice of war from Allah and His Messenger,) "Whoever kept dealing wit h Riba and did not refrain from it , t hen t he Muslim Leader should require him t o repent . If he st ill did not refrain from Riba, t he Muslim Leader should cut off his head.'' Allah t hen said,

(But if you repent , you shall have your capit al sums. Deal not unj ust ly) by t aking t he Riba,

(And you shall not be dealt wit h unj ust ly) meaning, your original capit al will not diminish. Rat her, you will receive only what you lent wit hout increase or decrease. Ibn Abi Hat im recorded t hat ` Amr bin Al-Ahwas said, "The Messenger of Allah gave a speech during t he Farewell Haj j saying;

(Verily, every case of Riba from t he Jahiliyyah is complet ely annulled. You will only t ake back your capit al, wit hout increase or decrease. The first Riba t hat I annul is t he Riba of Al-` Abbas bin ` Abdul-Mut t alib, all of it is annulled.)

Being Kind to Debtors Who Face Financial Difficulties

Allah said,


(And if t he debt or is having a hard t ime, t hen grant him t ime t ill it is easy for him t o repay; but if you remit it by way of charit y, t hat is bet t er for you if you did but know.) Allah commands credit ors t o be pat ient wit h debt ors who are having a hard t ime financially,

(And if t he debt or is having a hard t ime (has no money), t hen grant him t ime t ill it is easy for him t o repay.) During t he t ime of Jahiliyyah, when t he debt came t o t erm, t he credit or would say t o t he debt or, "Eit her pay now or int erest will be added t o t he debt .'' Allah encouraged credit ors t o give debt ors respit e regarding t heir debt s and promised all t hat is good, and a great reward from Him for t his right eous deed,

(But if you remit it by way of charit y, t hat is bet t er for you if you did but know) meaning, if you forfeit your debt s and cancel t hem complet ely. Imam Ahmad recorded t hat Sulayman bin Buraydah said t hat his fat her said, "I heard t he Messenger of Allah say,

(Whoever gives t ime t o a debt or facing hard t imes, will gain charit y of equal proport ions for each day he gives.) I also heard t he Prophet say,

(Whoever gives t ime t o a debt or facing hard t imes, will earn charit y mult iplied t wo t imes for each day he gives.) I said, ` O Messenger of Allah! I heard you say, ` Whoever gives t ime t o a debt or facing hard t imes, will gain charit y of equal proport ions for each day he gives.' I also heard you say, ` Whoever gives t ime t o a debt or facing hard t imes, will earn charit y mult iplied by t wo t imes for each day he gives.' He said,


(He will earn charit y of equal proport ions for each day (he gives t ime) before t he t erm of t he debt comes t o an end, and when t he t erm comes t o an end, he will again acquire charit y mult iplied by t wo t imes for each day if he gives more t ime.)'' Ahmad recorded t hat Muhammad bin Ka` b Al-Qurazi said t hat Abu Qat adah had a debt on a man, who used t o hide from Abu Qat adah when he looked for him t o pay what he owed him. One day, Abu Qat adah came looking for t he debt or and a young boy came out , and he asked him about t he debt or and found out t hat he was in t he house eat ing. Abu Qat adah said in a loud voice, "O Fellow! Come out , for I was t old t hat you are in t he house.'' The man came out and Abu Qat adah asked him, "Why are you hiding from me'' The man said, "I am having a hard t ime financially, and I do not have any money.'' Abu Qat adah said, "By Allah, are you t ruly facing a hard t ime'' He said, "Yes.'' Abu Qat adah cried and said, "I heard t he Messenger of Allah say,

(Whoever gives t ime t o his debt or, or forgives t he debt , will be in t he shade of t he Throne (of Allah) on t he Day of Resurrect ion.)'' Muslim also recorded t his Hadit h in his Sahih. Al-Hafiz Abu Ya` la Al-Mawsili recorded t hat Hudhayfah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

: : :

 : :
(On t he Day of Resurrect ion, one of Allah's servant s will be summoned before Him and He will ask him, "What deeds did you perform for Me in your life'' He will say, "O Lord! In my life, I have not performed a deed for Your sake t hat equals an at om,'' t hree t imes. The t hird t ime, t he servant will add, "O Lord! You grant ed me wealt h and I used t o be a merchant . I used t o be lenient , giving easy t erms t o t hose well-off and giving t ime t o t he debt ors who faced hard t imes.'' Allah will say, "I Am t he Most Wort hy of giving easy t erms. Therefore, ent er Paradise.'') Al-Bukhari, Muslim and Ibn Maj ah also recorded t his Hadit h from Hudhayfah, and Muslim recorded a similar wording from ` Uqbah bin ` Amir and Abu Mas` ud Al-Badri. Allah furt her advised His servant s, by reminding t hem t hat t his life will soon end and all t he wealt h in it will vanish. He also reminded t hem t hat t he Hereaft er will surely come, when t he Ret urn t o Him will occur, and t hat He will hold His creat ion account able for what t hey did, rewarding t hem or punishing t hem accordingly. Allah also warned t hem against His t orment ,

(And have Taqwa for t he Day when you shall be brought back t o Allah. Then every person shall be paid what he earned, and t hey shall not be dealt wit h unj ust ly.) It was report ed t hat t his was t he last Ayah revealed from t he Glorious Qur'an. An-Nasa'i recorded t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "The last Ayah t o be revealed from t he Qur'an was,

(And have Taqwa for t he Day when you shall be brought back t o Allah. Then every person shall be paid what he earned, and t hey shall not be dealt wit h unj ust ly.'') This is t he same narrat ion report ed by Ad-Dahhak and Al-` Awfi from Ibn ` Abbas.


(282. O you who believe! When you cont ract a debt for a fixed period, writ e it down. Let a scribe writ e it down in j ust ice bet ween you. Let not t he scribe refuse t o writ e, as Allah has t aught him, so let him writ e. Let him (t he debt or) who incurs t he liabilit y dict at e, and he must have Taqwa of Allah, his Lord, and diminish not anyt hing of what he owes. But if t he debt or is

of poor underst anding, or weak, or is unable t o dict at e for himself, t hen let his guardian dict at e in j ust ice. And get t wo wit nesses out of your own men. And if t here are not t wo men (available), t hen a man and t wo women, such as you agree for wit nesses, so t hat if one of t hem (t wo women) errs, t he ot her can remind her. And t he wit nesses should not refuse when t hey are called (for evidence). You should not become weary t o writ e it (your cont ract ), whet her it be small or big, for it s fixed t erm, t hat is more j ust wit h Allah; more solid as evidence, and more convenient t o prevent doubt s among yourselves, save when it is a present t rade which you carry out on t he spot among yourselves, t hen t here is no sin on you if you do not writ e it down. But t ake wit nesses whenever you make a commercial cont ract . Let neit her scribe nor wit ness suffer any harm, but if you do (such harm), it would be wickedness in you. So have Taqwa of Allah; and Allah t eaches you. And Allah is t he All-Knower of everyt hing.)

The Necessity of Writing Transactions That Take Effect Later on

This Ayah is t he longest in t he Glorious Qur'an. Imam Abu Ja` far bin Jarir recorded t hat Sa` id bin Al-Musayyib said t hat he was t old t hat t he Ayah most recent ly revealed from above t he Throne -- t he last Ayah t o be revealed in t he Qur'an -- was t he Ayah about debt s. Allah's st at ement ,

(O you who believe! When you cont ract a debt for a fixed period, writ e it down) direct s Allah's believing servant s t o record t heir business t ransact ions when t heir t erm is delayed, t o preserve t he t erms and t iming of t hese t ransact ions, and t he memory of wit nesses, as ment ioned at t he end of t he Ayah,

(t hat is more j ust wit h Allah; more solid as evidence, and more convenient t o prevent doubt s among yourselves.) The Two Sahihs recorded t hat Ibn ` Abbas said, "Allah's Messenger came t o Al-Madinah, while t he people were in t he habit of paying in advance for fruit s t o be delivered wit hin one or t wo years. The Messenger of Allah said,

(Whoever pays money in advance (for dat es t o be delivered lat er) should pay it for known specified measure and weight (of t he dat es) for a specified dat e. ) Allah's st at ement ,

(writ e it down) is a command from Him t o record such t ransact ions t o endorse and preserve t heir t erms. Ibn Jurayj said, "Whoever borrowed should writ e t he t erms, and whoever bought should have wit nesses.'' Abu Sa` id, Ash-Sha` bi, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Al-Hasan, Ibn Jurayj and Ibn Zayd said t hat recording such t ransact ions was necessary before, but was t hen abrogat ed by Allah's st at ement ,

(Then if one of you ent rust s t he ot her, let t he one who is ent rust ed discharge his t rust (fait hfully).) Allah's st at ement ,

(Let a scribe writ e it down in j ust ice bet ween you) and in t rut h. Therefore, t he scribe is not allowed t o cheat any part y of t he cont ract and is t o only record what t he part ies of t he cont ract agreed t o, wit hout addit ion or delet ion. Allah's st at ement ,

(Let not t he scribe refuse t o writ e, as Allah has t aught him, so let him writ e) means, "Those who know how t o writ e should not refrain from writ ing t ransact ion cont ract s when asked t o do so.'' Furt her, let writ ing such cont ract s be a t ype of charit y from t he scribe for t hose who are not let t ered, j ust as Allah t aught him what he knew not . Therefore, let him writ e, j ust as t he Hadit h st at ed,

(It is a t ype of charit y t o help a worker and t o do somet hing for a feeble person.)

In anot her Hadit h, t he Prophet said,

(Whoever kept knowledge t o himself will be rest rained by a bridle made of fire on t he Day of Resurrect ion.) Muj ahid and ` At a' said t hat if asked t o do so, "The scribe is required t o record.'' Allah's st at ement ,

(Let him (t he debt or) who incurs t he liabilit y dict at e, and he must have Taqwa of Allah, his Lord) indicat es t hat t he debt or should dict at e t o t he scribe what he owes, so let him fear Allah,

(And diminish not anyt hing of what he owes,) meaning, not hide any port ion of what he owes.

(But if t he debt or is of poor underst anding) and is not allowed t o decide on such mat t ers, because he used t o wast e money, for inst ance,

(Or weak), such as being t oo young or insane,

(Or is unable t o dict at e for himself) because of a disease, or ignorance about such mat t ers,

(t hen let his guardian dict at e in j ust ice.)

Witnesses Should Attend the Dictation of Contracts

Allah said,

(And get t wo wit nesses out of your own men) requiring wit nesses t o at t end t he dict at ion of cont ract s t o furt her preserve t he cont ent s,

(And if t here are not t wo men (available), t hen a man and t wo women) t his requirement is only for cont ract s t hat direct ly or indirect ly involve money. Allah requires t hat t wo women t ake t he place of one man as wit ness, because of t he woman's short comings, as t he Prophet described. Muslim recorded in his Sahih t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(O women! Give away charit y and ask for forgiveness, for I saw t hat you comprise t he maj orit y of t he people of t he Fire.) One eloquent woman said, "O Messenger of Allah! Why do we comprise t he maj orit y of t he people of t he Fire'' He said,

(You curse a lot and you do not appreciat e your mat e. I have never seen t hose who have short coming in mind and religion cont rolling t hose who have sound minds, ot her t han you.) She said, "O Messenger of Allah! What is t his short coming in mind and religion'' He said,


(As for t he short coming in her mind, t he t est imony of t wo women equals t he t est imony of one man, and t his is t he short coming in t he mind. As for t he short coming in t he religion, woman remains for night s at a t ime when she does not pray and breaks t he fast in Ramadan) Allah's st at ement ,

(such as you agree for wit nesses) requires compet ency in t he wit nesses. Furt her, Allah's st at ement ,

(so t hat if one of t hem errs) refers t o t he t wo women wit nesses; whenever one of t hem forget s a part of t he t est imony,

(t he ot her can remind her) meaning, t he ot her woman's t est imony mends t he short coming of forget fulness in t he first woman. Allah's st at ement ,

(And t he wit nesses should not refuse when t hey are called) means, when people are called t o be wit nesses, t hey should agree, as Qat adah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas st at ed. Similarly, Allah said,

(Let not t he scribe refuse t o writ e as Allah has t aught him,


(As for t he short coming in her mind, t he t est imony of t wo women equals t he t est imony of one man, and t his is t he short coming in t he mind. As for t he short coming in t he religion, woman remains for night s at a t ime when she does not pray and breaks t he fast in Ramadan) Allah's st at ement ,

(such as you agree for wit nesses) requires compet ency in t he wit nesses. Furt her, Allah's st at ement ,

(so t hat if one of t hem errs) refers t o t he t wo women wit nesses; whenever one of t hem forget s a part of t he t est imony,

(t he ot her can remind her) meaning, t he ot her woman's t est imony mends t he short coming of forget fulness in t he first woman. Allah's st at ement ,

(And t he wit nesses should not refuse when t hey are called) means, when people are called t o be wit nesses, t hey should agree, as Qat adah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas st at ed. Similarly, Allah said,

(Let not t he scribe refuse t o writ e as Allah has t aught him, so let him writ e.) Some say t hat t his Ayah indicat es t hat agreeing t o become a wit ness is Fard Kifayah (required on at least a part of t he Muslim Ummah). However, t he maj orit y of t he scholars say t hat t he Ayah,

(And t he wit nesses should not refuse when t hey are called) is referring t o t est ifying t o what t he wit nesses act ually wit nessed, t hus befit t ing t heir descript ion of being ` wit nesses'. Therefore, when t he wit ness is called t o t est ify t o what he wit nessed, he is required t o give t est imony, unless t his obligat ion was already fulfilled, in which case such t est imony becomes Fard Kifayah. Muj ahid and Abu Mij laz said, "If you are called t o be a wit ness, t hen you have t he choice t o agree. If you wit nessed and were called t o t est ify, t hen come forward.'' It was report ed t hat Ibn ` Abbas and Al-Hasan Al-Basri said t hat t he obligat ion includes bot h cases, agreeing t o be a wit ness and t est ifying t o what one wit nessed. Allah's st at ement ,

(You should not become weary t o writ e it (your cont ract ), whet her it be small or large, for it s fixed t erm) perfect s t his direct ion from Allah by commanding t hat t he debt be writ t en, whet her t he amount is large or small. Allah said,

(You should not become weary) meaning, do not be discouraged against writ ing t ransact ions and t heir t erms, whet her t he amount involved is large or small. Allah's st at ement ,

(t hat is more j ust wit h Allah; more solid as evidence, and more convenient t o prevent doubt s among yourselves) means, writ ing t ransact ions t hat will be fulfillled at a lat er dat e is more j ust wit h Allah meaning bet t er and more convenient in order t o preserve t he t erms of t he cont ract . Therefore, recording such agreement s helps t he wit nesses, when t hey see t heir handwrit ing or signat ures - lat er on and t hus remember what t hey wit nessed, for it is possible t hat t he wit nesses might forget what t hey wit nessed.


(And more convenient t o prevent doubt s among yourselves) meaning, t his helps repel any doubt . Since if you need t o refer t o t he cont ract t hat you wrot e and t he doubt will end. Allah's st at ement ,

(save when it is a present t rade which you carry out on t he spot among yourselves, t hen t here is no sin on you if you do not writ e it down) indicat es t hat if t he t ransact ion will be fulfilled immediat ely, t hen t here is no harm if it is not recorded. As for requiring wit nesses t o be present in t rading t ransact ions, Allah said,

(But t ake wit nesses whenever you make a commercial cont ract . ) However, t his command was abrogat ed by,

(Then if one of you ent rust s t he ot her, let t he one who is ent rust ed discharge his t rust (fait hfully).) Or, it could be t hat having wit nesses in such cases is only recommended and not obligat ory, as evident from t he Hadit h t hat Khuzaymah bin Thabit Al-Ansari narrat ed which Imam Ahmad collect ed. ` Umarah bin Khuzaymah Al-Ansari said t hat his uncle, who was among t he Prophet 's Companions, t old him t hat t he Prophet was making a deal for a horse wit h a bedouin man. The Prophet asked t he bedouin t o follow him so t hat he could pay him t he price of t he horse. The Prophet went ahead of t he bedouin. The bedouin met several men who t ried t o buy his horse, not knowing if t he Prophet was act ually det ermined t o buy it . Some people offered more money for t he horse t han t he Prophet had. The bedouin man said t o t he Prophet , "If you want t o buy t his horse, t hen buy it or I will sell it t o someone else.'' When he heard t he bedouin man's words, t he Prophet st ood up and said, "Have I not bought t hat horse from you'' The bedouin said, "By Allah! I have not sold it t o you.'' The Prophet said, "Rat her, I did buy it from you.'' The people gat hered around t he Prophet and t he Bedouin while t hey were disput ing, and t he bedouin said, "Bring fort h a wit ness who t est ifies t hat I sold you t he horse.'' Meanwhile, t he

Muslims who came said t o t he bedouin, "Woe t o you! The Prophet only says t he t rut h.'' When Khuzaymah bin Thabit came and heard t he disput e bet ween t he Prophet and t he bedouin who was saying, "Bring fort h a wit ness who t est ifies t hat I sold you t he horse, '' Khuzaymah said, "I bear wit ness t hat you sold him t he horse.'' The Prophet said t o Khuzaymah, "What is t he basis of your t est imony'' Khuzaymah said, "That I ent rust ed you, O Messenger of Allah!'' Therefore, t he Messenger made Khuzaymah's t est imony equal t o t he t est imony of t wo men. This was also recorded by Abu Dawud and An-Nasa 299 . Allah's st at ement ,

(Let neit her scribe nor wit ness suffer (or cause) any harm) also indicat es t hat t he scribe and t he wit ness must not cause any harm, such as, when t he scribe writ es ot her t han what he is being dict at ed, or t he wit ness t est ifies t o ot her t han what he heard or conceals his t est imony. This is t he explanat ion of Al-Hasan and Qat adah.'' Allah's st at ement ,

(But if you do (such harm), it would be wickedness in you) means, "If you defy what you were commanded and commit what you were prohibit ed, t hen it is because of t he sin t hat resides and remains wit h you; sin t hat you never release or rid yourselves from.'' Allah's st at ement ,

(So have Taqwa of Allah) means, fear Him, remember His wat ch over you, implement His command and avoid what He prohibit ed,

(And Allah t eaches you. ) Similarly, Allah said,

(O you who believe! If you have Taqwa of Allah, He will grant you Furqan (a crit erion t o j udge bet ween right and wrong) ) 8:29 , and,


(O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah, and believe in His Messenger, He will give you a double port ion of His mercy, and He will give you a light by which you shall walk (st raight )) 57:28 . Allah said;

(And Allah is t he All-Knower of everyt hing) st at ing t hat Allah has perfect knowledge in all mat t ers and in t heir benefit s or repercussions, and not hing escapes His perfect wat ch, for His knowledge encompasses everyt hing in exist ence.

(283. And if you are on a j ourney and cannot find a scribe, t hen let t here be a pledge t aken (mort gaging), t hen if one of you ent rust s t he ot her, let t he one who is ent rust ed discharge his t rust , and let him have Taqwa of Allah, his Lord. And conceal not t he evidence, for he who hides it , surely, his heart is sinful. And Allah is All-Knower of what you do.)

What is the ` Mortgaging' Mentioned in the Ayah

Allah said,

(And if you are on a j ourney) meaning, t raveling and some of you borrowed some money t o be paid at a lat er dat e,

(and cannot find a scribe) who would record t he debt for you. Ibn ` Abbas said, "And even if t hey find a scribe, but did not find paper, ink or pen.'' Then,

(let t here be a pledge t aken (mort gaging)) given t o t he credit or in lieu of writ ing t he t ransact ion. The Two Sahihs recorded t hat Anas said t hat t he Messenger of Allah died while his shield was mort gaged wit h a Jew in ret urn for t hirt y Wasq (approximat ely 180 kg) of barley, which t he Prophet bought on credit as provisions for his household. In anot her narrat ion, t he Hadit h st at ed t hat t his Jew was among t he Jews of Al-Madinah. Allah said,

(t hen if one of you ent rust s t he ot her, let t he one who is ent rust ed discharge his t rust (fait hfully).) Ibn Abi Hat im recorded, wit h a sound chain of narrat ion, t hat Abu Sa` id Al-Khudri said, "This Ayah abrogat ed what came before it (i.e. t hat which required recording t he t ransact ion and having wit nesses present ).'' Ash-Sha` bi said, "If you t rust each ot her, t hen t here is no harm if you do not writ e t he loan or have wit nesses present .'' Allah's st at ement ,

(And let him have Taqwa of Allah) means, t he debt or. Imam Ahmad and t he Sunan recorded t hat Qat adah said t hat Al-Hasan said t hat Samurah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(The hand (of t he debt or) will carry t he burden of what it t ook unt il it gives it back.) Allah's st at ement ,


(And conceal not t he evidence) means, do not hide it or refuse t o announce it . Ibn ` Abbas and ot her scholars said, "False t est imony is one of t he worst of t he maj or sins, and such is t he case wit h hiding t he t rue t est imony. This is why Allah said,

(For he who hides it , surely, his heart is sinful). As-Suddi comment ed, "Meaning he is a sinner in his heart .'' This is similar t o Allah's st at ement ,

(We shall not hide t est imony of Allah, for t hen indeed we should be of t he sinful) 5:106 . Allah said,

(O you who believe! St and out firmly for j ust ice, as wit nesses t o Allah, even t hough it be against yourselves, or your parent s, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allah is a bet t er Prot ect or t o bot h (t han you). So follow not t he lust s (of your heart s), lest you avoid j ust ice; and if you dist ort your wit ness or refuse t o give it , verily, Allah is Ever Well-Acquaint ed wit h what you do) 4:135 and in t his Ayah 2:283 He said,


(And conceal not t he evidence, for he who hides it , surely, his heart is sinful. And Allah is AllKnower of what you do.)

(284. To Allah belongs all t hat is in t he heavens and all t hat is on t he eart h, and whet her you disclose what is in yourselves or conceal it , Allah will call you t o account for it . Then He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills. And Allah is able t o do all t hings.)

Would the Servants be Accountable for What They Conceal in Their Hearts
Allah st at es t hat His is t he kingship of t he heavens and eart h and of what and whoever is on or bet ween t hem, t hat He has perfect wat ch over t hem. No apparent mat t er or secret t hat t he heart conceals is ever a secret t o Him, however minor it is. Allah also st at es t hat He will hold His servant s account able for what t hey do and what t hey conceal in t heir heart s. In similar st at ement s, Allah said,

(Say (O Muhammad ): "Whet her you hide what is in your breast s or reveal it , Allah knows it , and He knows what is in t he heavens and what is in t he eart h. And Allah is able t o do all t hings) 3:29 , and,

(He knows t he secret and t hat which is yet more hidden.) There are many ot her Ayat on t his subj ect . In t his Ayah 2:284 , Allah st at es t hat He has knowledge of what t he heart s conceal, and consequent ly, He will hold t he creat ion account able for what ever is in t heir heart s. This is why when t his Ayah was revealed, it was hard on t he Companions, since out of t heir st rong fait h and convict ion, t hey were afraid t hat such reckoning would diminish t heir good deeds. Imam Ahmad recorded t hat Abu Hurayrah said, "When

(To Allah belongs all t hat is in t he heavens and all t hat is on t he eart h, and whet her you disclose what is in yourselves or conceal it , Allah will call you t o account for it . Then He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills. And Allah is able t o do all t hings) was revealed t o t he Messenger of Allah , it was very hard for t he Companions of t he Messenger . The Companions came t o t he Messenger and fell t o t heir knees saying, ` O Messenger of Allah! We were asked t o perform what we can bear of deeds: t he prayer, t he fast , Jihad and charit y. However, t his Ayah was revealed t o you, and we cannot bear it .' The Messenger of Allah said,

: :
(Do you want t o repeat what t he People of t he Two Script ures before you said, t hat is, ` We hear and we disobey' Rat her, say, ` We hear and we obey, and we seek Your forgiveness, O our Lord, and t he Ret urn is t o You.) When t he people accept ed t his st at ement and t heir t ongues recit ed it , Allah sent down aft erwards,


(The Messenger believes in what has been sent down t o him from his Lord, and (so do)t he believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say,) "We make no dist inct ion bet ween one anot her of His Messengers and t hey say, "We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord, and t o You is t he ret urn (of all).'') When t hey did t hat , Allah abrogat ed t he Ayah 2:284 and sent down t he Ayah,

(Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He get s reward for t hat (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for t hat (evil) which he has earned. "Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall int o error.'') unt il t he end.'' Muslim recorded it wit h t he wording; "When t hey did t hat , Allah abrogat ed it 2:284 and sent down,

(Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He get s reward for t hat (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for t hat (evil) which he has earned. "Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall int o error''.) Allah said, ` I shall (accept your supplicat ion),'


("Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like t hat which You did lay on t hose before us (Jews and Christ ians)'') Allah said, ` I shall (accept your supplicat ion),'

("Our Lord! Put not on us a burden great er t han we have st rengt h t o bear. '') Allah said, ` I shall (accept your supplicat ion),'

("Pardon us and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Mawla (Support er and Prot ect or) and give us vict ory over t he disbelieving people.'') Allah said, ` I shall.''' Imam Ahmad recorded t hat Muj ahid said, "I saw Ibn ` Abbas and said t o him, ` O Abu Abbas! I was wit h Ibn ` Umar, and he read t his Ayah and cried.' He asked, ` Which Ayah' I said,

` (And whet her you disclose what is in yourselves or conceal it .)' Ibn ` Abbas said, ` When t his Ayah was revealed, it was very hard on t he Companions of t he Messenger of Allah and worried t hem t remendously. They said: O Messenger of Allah! We know t hat we would be punished according t o our st at ement s and our act ions, but as for what occurs in our heart s, we do not cont rol what is in t hem.' The Messenger of Allah said,

:
(Say, ` We hear and we obey.') They said, ` We hear and we obey.' Thereaft er, t his Ayah abrogat ed t he previous Ayah,


(The Messenger believes in what has been sent down t o him from his Lord, and (so do) t he believers. Each one believes in Allah), unt il,

(Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He get s reward for t hat (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for t hat (evil) which he has earned.) Therefore, t hey were pardoned what happens in t heir heart s, and were held account able only for t heir act ions.''' The Group recorded t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(Allah has pardoned my Ummah for what t hey say t o t hemselves, as long as t hey do not ut t er it or act on it .) The Two Sahihs recorded t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

:
(Allah said (t o His angels), "If My servant int ends t o commit an evil deed, do not record it as such for him, and if he commit s it , writ e it for him as one evil deed. If he int ends t o perform a good deed, but did not perform it , t hen writ e it for him as one good deed, and if he performs it , writ e it for him as t en good deeds.'')

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l(285. The Messenger believes in what has been sent down t o him from his Lord, and (so do) t he believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say,) "We make no dist inct ion bet ween one anot her of His Messengers and t hey say, "We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord, and t o You is t he ret urn (of all).'') (286. Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He get s reward for t hat (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for t hat (evil) which he has earned. "Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall int o error, our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like t hat which You did lay on t hose before us (Jews and Christ ians); our Lord! Put not on us a burden great er t han we have st rengt h t o bear. Pardon us and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Mawla (Pat ron, Support er and Prot ect or) and give us vict ory over t he disbelieving people.'') The Hadit hs on t he Virt ue of These Two Ayat , May Allah Benefit Us by Them Al-Bukhari recorded t hat Abu Mas` ud said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(Whoever recit es t he last t wo Ayat in Surat Al-Baqarah at night , t hey will suffice for him.)

The rest of t he six also recorded similar wording for t his Hadit h. The Two Sahihs recorded t his Hadit h using various chains of narrat ion, and Imam Ahmad also recorded it . Muslim recorded t hat ` Abdullah said, "When t he Messenger of Allah went on t he Isra j ourney, he ascended t o t he Sidrat Al-Munt aha in t he sixt h heaven, where what ever ascends from t he eart h ends at , and what ever descends from above it ends at .

(When t hat covered t he lot e t ree which did cover it !) 53:16 meaning, a mat made of gold. The Messenger of Allah was t hen given t hree t hings: t he five prayers, t he last Ayat in Surat AlBaqarah and forgiveness for whoever did not associat e anyt hing or anyone wit h Allah from his Ummah.'' Earlier we ment ioned t he Hadit h regarding t he virt ues of Surat Al-Fat ihah from Ibn ` Abbas which st at ed, "While t he Messenger of Allah was wit h Jibil, he heard a noise from above. Jibil lift ed his sight t o t he sky and said, ` This is a door t hat was opened j ust now in heaven, and it was never opened before.' An angel came down t hrough t he door t o t he Prophet and said, ` Receive t he good news of t wo light s t hat you have been given and which no Prophet before you was given: t he Opener of t he Book (Al-Fat ihah) and t he last Ayat in Surat Al-Baqarah. You will not read a let t er of t hem, but you will be grant ed it s benefit .''' This Hadit h was collect ed by Muslim and An-Nasa'i, and t his is t he wording collect ed by An-Nasa'i.

The Tafsir of the Last Two Ayat of Surat Al-Baqarah

Allah said,

(Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say,) "We make no dist inct ion bet ween one anot her of His Messengers.'') Therefore, each of t he believers believes t hat Allah is t he One and Only and t he Sust ainer, t here is no deit y wort hy of worship except Him and t here is no Lord except Him. The believers also believe in all Allah's Prophet s and Messengers, in t he Books t hat were revealed from heaven t o t he Messengers and Prophet s, who are indeed t he servant s of Allah. Furt her, t he believers do not different iat e bet ween any of t he Prophet s, such as, believing in some of t hem and rej ect ing ot hers. Rat her, all of Allah's Prophet s and Messengers are, t o t he believers, t rut hful, right eous, and t hey were each guided t o t he pat h of right eousness, even when some of t hem bring what abrogat es t he Law of some ot hers by Allah's leave. Lat er on, t he Law of Muhammad, t he Final Prophet and Messenger from Allah, abrogat ed all t he laws of t he Prophet s before him. So t he Last Hour will commence while Muhammad's Law remains t he only valid Law, and all t he while a group of his Ummah will always be on t he pat h of t rut h, apparent and dominant . Allah's st at ement ,


(And t hey say, "We hear, and we obey'') means, we heard Your st at ement , O our Lord, comprehended and implement ed it , and adhered t o it s implicat ions.

((We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord) cont ains a plea and supplicat ion for Allah's forgiveness, mercy and kindness. Allah's st at ement ,

(Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope) means, Allah does not ask a soul what is beyond it s abilit y. This only demonst rat es Allah's kindness, compassion and generosit y t owards His creat ion. This Ayah is t he Ayah t hat abrogat ed t he Ayah t hat worried t he Companions, t hat is, Allah's st at ement ,

(And whet her you disclose what is in yourselves or conceal it , Allah will call you t o account for it .) This indicat es t hat alt hough Allah will quest ion His servant s and j udge t hem, He will only punish for what one is able t o prot ect himself from. As for what one cannot prot ect himself from, such as what one says t o himself - or passing t hought s - t hey will not be punished for t hat . We should st at e here t hat t o dislike t he evil t hought s t hat cross one's mind is a part of fait h. Allah said next ,

(He get s reward for t hat which he has earned) of good,

(And he is punished for t hat which he has earned) of evil, t hat is, concerning t he act s t hat one is responsible for.

Allah t hen said, ment ioning what t he believers said while direct ing His servant s t o supplicat e t o Him, all t he while promising t hem t hat He will answer t heir supplicat ion:

("Our Lord! Push us not if we forget or fall int o error,'') meaning, "If we forgot an obligat ion or fell int o a prohibit ion, or made an error while ignorant of it s ruling.'' We ment ioned t he Hadit h by Abu Hurayrah, t hat Muslim collect ed, wherein Allah said, "I shall (accept your supplicat ion).'' There is also t he Hadit h by Ibn ` Abbas t hat Allah said, "I did (accept your supplicat ion).''

(Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like t hat which You did lay on t hose before us (Jews and Christ ians),) means, "Even if we were able t o perform t hem, do not require us t o perform t he difficult deeds as You required t he previous nat ions before us, such as t he burdens t hat were placed on t hem. You sent Your Prophet Muhammad , t he Prophet of mercy, t o abrogat e t hese burdens t hrough t he Law t hat You revealed t o him, t he Hanifi (Islamic Monot heism), easy religion.'' Muslim recorded t hat Abu Hurayrah said t hat t he Messenger of Allah said t hat Allah said, "I shall (accept your supplicat ion).'' Ibn ` Abbas narrat ed t hat t he Messenger of Allah said t hat Allah said, "I did (accept your supplicat ion).'' There is t he Hadit h recorded t hrough various chains of narrat ion t hat t he Messenger of Allah said,

(I was sent wit h t he easy Hanifiyyah way.)

(Our Lord! Put not on us a burden great er t han we have st rengt h t o bear) of obligat ions, hardships and afflict ions, do not make us bear what we cannot bear of t his.

(Our Lord! Put not on us a burden great er t han we have st rengt h t o bear.) We ment ioned t hat Allah said, "I shall (accept your supplicat ion)'' in one narrat ion, and, "I did (accept your supplicat ion),'' in anot her narrat ion.


(Pardon us) meaning, bet ween us and You regarding what You know of our short comings and errors.

(And grant us forgiveness) concerning what is bet ween us and Your servant s. So do not expose our errors and evil deeds t o t hem.

(Have mercy on us) in what will come t hereaft er. Therefore, do not allow us t o fall int o anot her error. They say t hat t hose who commit error need t hree t hings: Allah's forgiveness for what is bet ween Him and t hem, t hat He conceals t hese errors from His ot her servant s, and t hus does not expose t hem before t he servant s, and t hat He grant s t hem immunit y from furt her error.'' We ment ioned before t hat Allah answered t hese pleas, "I shall,'' in one narrat ion and, "I did,'' in anot her narrat ion.

(You are our Mawla) meaning, You are our support er and helper, our t rust is in You, You are sought for each and every t ype of help and our t ot al reliance is on You. There is no power or st rengt h except from You.

(And give us vict ory over t he disbelieving people) t hose who rej ect ed Your religion, denied Your Oneness, refused t he Message of Your Prophet , worshipped ot her t han You and associat ed ot hers in Your worship. Give us vict ory and make us prevail above t hem in t his and t he Hereaft er. Allah said, "I shall,'' in one narrat ion, and, "I did,'' in t he Hadit h t hat Muslim collect ed from Ibn ` Abbas. Furt her, Ibn Jarir recorded t hat Abu Ishaq said t hat whenever Mu` adh would finish recit ing t his Surah,

(And give us victory over the disbelieving people), he would say "Amin.''