Hizb 2 | AL-BAQARA 2:75 -> AL-BAQARA 2:141

Do you (faithful believers) covet that they will believe in your religion inspite of the fact that a party of them (Jewish rabbis) used to hear the Word of Allah (the Tawrah), then they used to change it knowingly after they understood it (75)And when they (Jews) meet those who believe (Muslims), they say, "We believe," but when they meet one another in private, they say, "Shall you (Jews) tell them (Muslims) what Allah has revealed to you that they (Muslims) may argue with you (Jews) about it before your Lord?" Have you (Jews) then no understanding (76)Know they (Jews) not that Allah knows what they conceal and what they reveal (77)

Allah said,

أَفَتَطْمَعُونَ

(Do you covet) O believers,

أَن يُؤْمِنُوا لَكُمْ

(That they will believe in your religion) meaning, that these people would obey you? They are the deviant sect of Jews whose fathers witnessed the clear signs but their hearts became hard afterwards. Allah said next,

وَقَدْ كَانَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُ 

(Inspite of the fact that a party of them (Jewish rabbis) used to hear the Word of Allah (the Tawrah), then they used to change it) meaning, distort its meaning,

مِن بَعْدِ مَا عَقَلُوهُ

(after they understood it). They understood well, yet they used to defy the truth,

 وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ

(knowingly), being fully aware of their erroneous interpretations and corruption. This statement is similar to Allah's statement,

فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِم مِّيثَاقَهُمْ لَعَنَّاهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَا قُلُوبَهُمْ قَاسِيَةً يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِ

(So, because of their violation of their covenant, We cursed them and made their hearts grow hard. They change the words from their (right) places)(5:13).

Qatadah commented that Allah's statement;

 ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُ مِن بَعْدِ مَا عَقَلُوهُ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ

(Then they used to change it knowingly after they understood it) "They are the Jews who used to hear Allah's Words and then alter them after they understood and comprehended them." Also, Mujahid said, "Those who used to alter it and conceal its truths; they were their scholars." Also, Ibn Wahb said that Ibn Zayd commented,

يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُ

(used to hear the Word of Allah (the Tawrah), then they used to change it) "They altered the Tawrah that Allah revealed to them, making it say that the lawful is unlawful and the prohibited is allowed, and that what is right is false and that what is false is right. So when a person seeking the truth comes to them with a bribe, they judge his case by the Book of Allah, but when a person comes to them seeking to do evil with a bribe, they take out the other (distorted) book, in which it is stated that he is in the right. When someone comes to them who is not seeking what is right, nor offering them bribe, then they enjoin righteousness on him. This is why Allah said to them,

أَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنسَوْنَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ

(Enjoin you Al-Birr (piety and righteousness and every act of obedience to Allah) on the people and you forget (to practise it) yourselves, while you recite the Scripture (the Tawrah)! Have you then no sense?)(2:44)"

Allah said next,

وَإِذَا لَقُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قَالُوا آمَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَا بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ 

(And when they (Jews) meet those who believe (Muslims), they say, "We believe", but when they meet one another in private...). Muhammad bin Ishaq reported that Ibn 'Abbas commented,

وَإِذَا لَقُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قَالُوا آمَنَّا

(And when they (Jews) meet those who believe (Muslims), they say, "We believe") "They believe that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah, 'But he was only sent for you (Arabs)'" However, when they meet each other they say, "Do not convey the news about this Prophet to the Arabs, because you used to ask Allah to grant you victory over them when he came, but he was sent to them (not to you)." Allah then revealed,

وَإِذَا لَقُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قَالُوا آمَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَا بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ قَالُوا أَتُحَدِّثُونَهُم بِمَا فَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لِيُحَاجُّوكُم بِهِ عِندَ رَبِّكُمْ

(And when they (Jews) meet those who believe (Muslims), they say, "We believe," but when they meet one another in private, they say, "Shall you (Jews) tell them (Muslims) what Allah has revealed to you, that they (Muslims) may argue with you (Jews) about it before your Lord?") meaning, "If you admit to them that he is a Prophet, knowing that Allah took the covenant from you to follow him, they will know that Muhammad is the Prophet that we were waiting for and whose coming we find foretold of in our Book. Therefore, do not believe in him and deny him." Allah said,

أَوَلَا يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ

(Know they (Jews) not that Allah knows what they conceal and what they reveal?).

Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "When the Jews met the believers they used to say, 'We believe.' When they met each other, some of them would say, 'Do not talk to the companions of Muhammad about what Allah has foretold in your Book, so that the news (that Muhammad is the Final Messenger) does not become a proof for them against you with your Lord, and, thus, you will win the dispute.'" Further, Abu Al-'Aliyah said about Allah's statement,

أَوَلَا يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ

(Know they (Jews) not that Allah knows what they conceal and what they reveal?), "Meaning their secret denial and rejection of Muhammad ﷺ, although they find his coming recorded in their Book." This is also the Tafsir of Qatadah. Al-Hasan commented on,

أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ

(That Allah knows what they conceal), "What they concealed refers to when they were alone with each other away from the Companions of Muhammad ﷺ. Then they would forbid each other from conveying the news that Allah revealed to them in their Book to the Companions of Muhammad ﷺ, fearing that the Companions would use this news (about the truth of Muhammad ﷺ) against them before their Lord."

وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ

(And what they reveal?) meaning, when they said to the Companions of Muhammad ﷺ,

ءَامَنَّا

(We believe), as Abu Al-'Aliyah, Ar-Rabi' and Qatadah stated.

And there are among them (Jews) 'Ummyyun (unlettered) people, who know not the Book, but they trust upon Amani (false desires) and they but guess (78)Then woe to those who write the book with their own hands and then say, "This is from Allah," to purchase with it a little price! Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for that they earn thereby (79)

Allah said,

وَمِنْهُمْ أُمِّيُّونَ

(And there are among them Ummyyun people) meaning, among the People of the Book, as Mujahid stated. Ummyyun, is plural for Ummi, that is, a person who does not write, as Abu Al-'Aliyah, Ar-Rabi', Qatadah, Ibrahim An-Nakha'i and others said. This meaning is clarified by Allah's statement,

 لَا يَعْلَمُونَ الْكِتَابَ

(Who know not the Book) meaning, are they not aware of what is in it.

Ummi was one of the descriptions of the Prophet ﷺ because he was unlettered. For instance, Allah said,

وَمَا كُنتَ تَتْلُو مِن قَبْلِهِ مِن كِتَابٍ وَلَا تَخُطُّهُ بِيَمِينِكَ إِذًا لَّارْتَابَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ

(Neither did you (O Muhammad ﷺ) read any book before it (this Qur'an) nor did you write any book (whatsoever) with your right hand. In that case, indeed, the followers of falsehood might have doubted)(29:48).

Also, the Prophet ﷺ said,

إِنَّا أُمَّةٌ أُمِّيَّةٌ لَا نَكْتُبُ وَلَا نَحْسِبُ، الشَّهْرُ هٰكَذَا وَهٰكَذَا وَهٰكَذَا

(We are an Ummi nation, neither writing nor calculating. The (lunar) month is like this, this and this (i.e. thirty or twenty-nine days.)

This Hadith stated that Muslims do not need to rely on books, or calculations to decide the timings of their acts of worship. Allah also said,

هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ

(He it is Who sent among the Ummiyyin ones a Messenger (Muhammad ) from among themselves)(62:2).

Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn 'Abbas said that Allah's statement,

إِلَّا أَمَانِيَّ

(But they trust upon Amani) means, "It is just a false statement that they utter with their tongues." It was also said that Amani means 'wishes and hopes'. Mujahid commented, "Allah described the Ummiyyin as not understanding any of the Book that Allah sent down to Musa, yet they create lies and falsehood." Therefore, the word Amani mentioned here refers to lying and falsehood. Mujahid said that Allah's statement,

وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ

(And they but guess) means, "They lie." Qatadah, Abu Al-'Aliyah and Ar-Rabi' said that it means, "They have evil false ideas about Allah."

Allah said,

فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَكْتُبُونَ الْكِتَابَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ يَقُولُونَ هَٰذَا مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ لِيَشْتَرُوا بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا

(Then Waylun (woe) to those who write the book with their own hands and then say, "This is from Allah," to purchase with it a little price!).

This is another category of people among the Jews who called to misguidance with falsehood and lies about Allah, thriving on unjustly amassing people's property. 'Waylun (woe)' carries meanings of destruction and perishing, and it is a well-known word in the Arabic language. Az-Zuhri said that 'Ubadydullah bin 'Abdullah narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said, "O Muslims! How could you ask the People of the Book about anything, while the Book of Allah (Qur'an) that He revealed to His Prophet ﷺ is the most recent Book from Him and you still read it fresh and young? Allah told you that the People of the Book altered the Book of Allah, changed it and wrote another book with their own hands. They then said, 'This book is from Allah,' so that they acquired a small profit by it. Hasn't the knowledge that came to you prohibited you from asking them? By Allah! We have not seen any of them asking you about what was revealed to you." This Hadith was also collected by Al-Bukhari. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "The little amount here means this life and all that it contains."

Allah's statement,

فَوَيْلٌ لَّهُم مِّمَّا كَتَبَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَوَيْلٌ لَّهُم مِّمَّا يَكْسِبُونَ

(Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for that they earn thereby) means, "Woe to them because of what they have written with their own hands, the lies, falsehood and alterations. Woe to them because of the property that they unjustly acquired." Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn 'Abbas commented,

فَوَيْلٌ لَّهُم

(Woe to them), "Means the torment will be theirs because of the lies that they wrote with their own hands,

وَوَيْلٌ لَّهُم مِّمَّا يَكْسِبُونَ

(And woe to them for that they earn thereby), which they unjustly acquired from people, be they commoners or otherwise."

And they (Jews) say, "The Fire shall not touch us but for a few numbered days." Say (O Muhammad ﷺ to them): "Have you taken a covenant from Allah, so that Allah will not break His covenant? Or is it that you say of Allah what you know not? (80)

Allah mentioned the claim of the Jews, that the Fire will only touch them for a few days, and then they will be saved from it. Allah refuted this claim by saying,

قُلْ أَتَّخَذْتُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَهْدًا 

(Say (O Muhammad ﷺ to them): "Have you taken a covenant from Allah?'). Hence, the Ayah proclaims, 'if you had a promise from Allah for that, then Allah will never break His promise. However, such promise never existed. Rather, what you say, about Allah, you have no knowledge of and you thus utter a lie about Him.' Al-'Awfi said that Ibn 'Abbas said about the Ayah,

وَقَالُوا لَن تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلَّا أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَةً

(And they (Jews) say, "The Fire shall not touch us but for a few numbered days."). "The Jews said, 'The Fire will only touch us for forty days.'" Others added that this was the period during which the Jews worshipped the calf.

Also, Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr bin Marduwyah reported Abu Hurayrah saying,

(When Khaybar was conquered, a roasted poisoned sheep was presented to the Prophet ﷺ as a gift (by the Jews). The Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered, 'Assemble before me all the Jews who were here.' The Jews were summoned and the Prophet ﷺ said (to them), 'Who is your father?' They replied, 'So-and-so.' He said, 'You have lied; your father is so-and-so.' They said, 'You have uttered the truth.' He said, 'Will you now tell me the truth, if I ask you about something?' They replied, 'Yes, O Abul-Qasim; and if we should tell a lie, you will know our lie as you have about our fathers.' On that he asked, 'Who are the people of the (Hell) Fire?' They said, 'We shall remain in the (Hell) Fire for a short period, and after that you will replace us in it.' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'May you be cursed and humiliated in it! By Allah, we shall never replace you in it.' Then he asked, 'Will you tell me the truth if I ask you a question?' They said, 'Yes, O Abul-Qasim.' He asked, 'Have you poisoned this sheep?' They said, 'Yes.' He asked, 'What made you do so?' They said, 'We wanted to know if you were a liar, in which case we would get rid of you, and if you were a Prophet then the poison would not harm you.') Imam Ahmad, Al-Bukhari and An-Nasa'i recorded similarly.

Yes! Whosoever earns evil and his sin has surrounded him, they are dwellers of the Fire (i.e. Hell); they will dwell therein forever (81)And those who believe and do righteous good deeds, they are dwellers of Paradise, they will dwell therein forever (82)

Allah says, the matter is not as you have wished and hoped it to be. Rather, whoever does an evil deed and abides purposefully in his error, coming on the Day of Resurrection with no good deeds, only evil deeds, then he will be among the people of the Fire.

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ

(And those who believe and do righteous good deeds) meaning, "They believe in Allah and His Messenger ﷺ and perform the good deeds that conform with the Islamic Law. They shall be among the people of Paradise." Allah said in a similar statement,

لَّيْسَ بِأَمَانِيِّكُمْ وَلَا أَمَانِيِّ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ مَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا يُجْزَ بِهِ وَلَا يَجِدْ لَهُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرًا - وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِنَ الصَّالِحَاتِ مِن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُولَٰئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ نَقِيرًا

(It will not be in accordance with your desires (Muslims), nor those of the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), whosoever works evil, will have the recompense thereof, and he will not find any protector or helper besides Allah. And whoever does righteous good deeds, male or female, and is a (true) believer [in the Oneness of Allah (Muslim)], such will enter Paradise and not the least injustice, even the size of a Naqira (speck on the back of a date stone), will be done to them)(4:123-124).

Also, Abu Hurayrah, Abu Wa'il, 'Ata', and Al-Hasan said that,

وَأَحَاطَتْ بِهِ خَطِيئَتُهُ

(And his sin has surrounded him) means, "His Shirk (polytheism) has surrounded him." Also, Al-A'mash reported from Abu Razin that Ar-Rabi' bin Khuthaym said,

وَأَحَاطَتْ بِهِ خَطِيئَتُهُ

(And his sin has surrounded him), "Whoever dies before repenting from his wrongs." As-Suddi and Abu Razin said similarly. Abu Al-'Aliyah, Mujahid, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and Ar-Rabi' bin Anas said that,

وَأَحَاطَتْ بِهِ خَطِيئَتُهُ

(And his sin has surrounded him) refers to major sins. All of these statements carry similar meanings, and Allah knows best.

Here we should mention the Hadith that Imam Ahmad recorded, in which 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

إِيَّاكُمْ وَمُحَقَّرَاتِ الذُّنُوبِ فَإِنَّهُنَّ يَجْتَمِعْنَ عَلَى الرَّجُلِ حَتّى يُهْلِكْنَهُ

(Beware of the belittled sins, because they gather on a person until they destroy him.)

He then said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave them an example,

كَمَثَلٍ قَوْمٍ نَزَلُوا بِأَرْضِ فَلَاةٍ، فَحَضَرَ صَنِيعُ الْقَوْمِ فَجَعَلَ الرَّجُلُ يَنْطَلِقُ فَيَجِيءُ بِالْعُودِ وَالرَّجُلُ يَجِيءُ بِالْعُودِ، حَتّى جَمَعُوا سَوَادًا وَأَجَّجُوا نَارًا فَأَنْضَجُوا مَا قَذَفُوا فِيهَا

(This is the example of people who set up camp on a flat land, and then their servants came. One of them collected some wood and another man collected some wood until they collected a great deal. They then started a fire and cooked what they put on it.)

Muhammad bin Ishaq reported that Ibn 'Abbas said that,

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

(And those who believe and do righteous good deeds, they are dwellers of Paradise, they will dwell therein forever) "Whoever believes in what you (Jews) did not believe in and implements what you refrained from implementing of Muhammad's religion, shall acquire Paradise for eternity. Allah stated that the recompense for good or evil works shall remain with its people for eternity. "

And (remember) when We took a covenant from the Children of Israel, (saying): Worship none but Allah (alone) and be dutiful and good to parents, and to kindred, and to orphans and (the poor), and speak good to people and perform As-Salah and give Zakah. Then you slid back, except a few of you, while you are backsliders (83)

Allah reminded the Children of Israel of the commandments that He gave them, and the covenants that He took from them to abide by those commands, and how they intentionally and knowingly turned away from all of that. Allah commanded them to worship Him and to associate none with Him in worship, just as He has commanded all of His creatures, for this is why Allah created them. Allah said,

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدُونِ

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

وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولًا أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ

(And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allah (alone), and avoid the Taghut (all false deities,))(16:36).

This is the highest and most important right, that is, Allah's right that He be worshipped alone without partners.

After that comes the right of the creatures, foremost, the right of the parents. Allah usually mentions the rights of the parents along with His rights. For instance, Allah said,

 أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ

(Give thanks to Me and to your parents. Unto Me is the final destination)(31:14). Also, Allah said,

وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا

(And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents)(17:23), until,

وَآتِ ذَا الْقُرْبَىٰ حَقَّهُ وَالْمِسْكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ

(And give to the kinsman his due and to the Miskin (poor) and to the wayfarer)(17:26).

The Two Sahihs record that Ibn Mas'ud said,

قُلْتُ:

يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أيُّ الْعَمَل أَفْضَلُ؟

قَالَ: الصَّلَاةُ عَلى وَقْتِهَا

قُلْتُ: ثُمَّ أَيٌّ؟

قَالَ: بِرُّ الْوَالِدَيْنِ

قُلْتُ: ثُمَّ أَيٌّ؟

قَالَ: الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ

(I said, 'O Messenger of Allah! What is the best deed?' He said, 'Performing the prayer on time.' I said, 'Then what?' He said, 'Being kind to one's parents.' I said, 'Then what?' He said, 'Jihad in the cause of Allah.')

Allah then said,

وَالْيَتَامَىٰ 

(and to orphans) meaning, the young who have no fathers to fend for them.

وَالْمَسَاكِينِ 

(and Al-Masakin (the poor)), plural for Miskin, the one who does not find what he needs to spend on himself and his family. We will discuss these categories when we explain the Ayah of Surat An-Nisa' where Allah said,

وَاعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا 

(Worship Allah and join none with Him (in worship); and do good to parents)(4:36).

Allah's statement,

وَقُولُوا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا

(and speak good to people) meaning, say good words to them and be lenient with them, this includes commanding good and forbidding evil. Al-Hasan Al-Basri commented on Allah's statement,

وَقُولُوا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا

(and speak good to people), "The good saying' means commanding good and forbidding evil, and being patient and forgiving. The 'good words to people', as Allah commanded, also includes every good type of behavior that Allah is pleased with." Imam Ahmad narrated that Abu Dharr said that the Prophet ﷺ said,

لَا تَحْقِرَنَّ مِنَ الْمَعْرُوفِ شَيْئًا وَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ فَالْقَ أَخَاكَ بِوَجْهٍ مُنْطَلِقٍ

(Do not belittle any form of righteousness, and even if you did not find any good deed except meeting your brother with a smiling face, then do so.)

This Hadith was also collected by Muslim in his Sahih and At-Tirmidhi, who graded it Sahih.

Allah commands the servants to say good words to people, after He commanded them to be kind to them, thereby mentioning two categories of manners: good speech and good actions. He then emphasized the command to worship Him and the command to do good, ordaining the prayer and the Zakah,

وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ

(and perform As-Salah and give Zakah). Allah informed us that the People of the Book, except for a few among them, ignored these orders, that is, they knowingly and intentionally abandoned them. Allah ordered this Ummah similarly in Surat An-Nisa' when He said,

وَاعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَبِذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْجَارِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْجَارِ الْجُنُبِ وَالصَّاحِبِ بِالْجَنبِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ مُخْتَالًا فَخُورًا

(Worship Allah and join none with Him (in worship); and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, Al-Masakin (the poor), the neighbor who is near of kin, the neighbor who is a stranger, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (you meet), and those (servants) whom your right hands possess. Verily, Allah does not like such as are proud and boastful)(4:36).

Of these orders, this Ummah has practiced what no other nation before it has, and all praise is due to Allah.

And (remember) when We took your covenant (saying): Shed not the blood of your (people), nor turn out your own people from their dwellings. Then, (this) you ratified and (to this) you bore witness (84)After this, it is you who kill one another and drive out a party of you from their homes, assist (their enemies) against them, in sin and transgression. And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, although their expulsion was forbidden to you. Then do you believe in a part of the Book and reject the rest? Then what is the recompense of those who do so among you, except disgrace in the life of this world, and on the Day of Resurrection they shall be consigned to the most grievous torment. And Allah is not unaware of what you do (85)Those are they who have bought the life of this world at the price of the Hereafter. Their torment shall not be lightened nor shall they be helped (86)

Allah criticized the Jews who lived in Al-Madinah during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. They used to suffer, because of the armed conflicts between the tribes of Al-Madinah, Aws and Khazraj. Before Islam, the Aws and Khazraj worshipped idols, and many battles took place between them. There were three Jewish tribes in Al-Madinah at that time, Banu Qaynuqa' and Banu An-Nadir, the allies of the Khazraj, and Banu Qurayzah, who used to be the allies of the Aws. When war erupted between Aws and Khazraj, their Jewish allies would assist them. The Jew would kill his Arab enemy, and sometimes they also killed Jews who were the allies of the other Arab tribe, although the Jews were prohibited from killing each other according to clear religious texts in their Books. They would also drive each other from their homes and loot whatever furniture and money they could. When the war ended, the victorious Jews would release the prisoners from the defeated party, according to the rulings of the Tawrah. This is why Allah said,

أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ

(Then do you believe in a part of the Scripture and reject the rest?) Allah said,

وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَكُمْ لَا تَسْفِكُونَ دِمَاءَكُمْ وَلَا تُخْرِجُونَ أَنفُسَكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ

(And (remember) when We took your covenant (saying): Shed not the blood of your (people), nor turn out your own people from their dwellings.) meaning, "Do not kill each other, nor expel one another from their homes, nor participate in fighting against them." Allah mentioned the word 'your own' here, just as He said in another Ayah.

فَتُوبُوا إِلَىٰ بَارِئِكُمْ فَاقْتُلُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ عِندَ بَارِئِكُمْ

(So turn in repentance to your Creator and kill yourselves, that will be better for you with your Creator)(2:54) because the followers of one religion are just like one soul. Also, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي تَوَادِّهِمْ وَتَرَاحُمِهِمْ وَتَوَاصُلِهِمْ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْجَسَدِ الْوَاحِدِ إِذَا اشْتَكىٰ مِنْهُ عُضْوٌ تَدَاعَىٰ لَهُ سَائِرُ الْجَسَدِ بِالْحُمَّى وَالسَّهَرِ

(The example of the believers in their kindness, mercy and sympathy to each other is the example of one body, when an organ of it falls ill, the rest of the body rushes to its aid in fever and sleeplessness.) Allah's statement,

 ثُمَّ أَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَشْهَدُونَ

(Then, (this) you ratified and (to this) you bore witness.) means, "You testified that you know of the covenant and that you were witnesses to it."

ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ هَٰؤُلَاءِ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَتُخْرِجُونَ فَرِيقًا مِّنكُم مِّن دِيَارِهِمْ

(After this, it is you who kill one another and drive out a party of you from their homes). Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar reported that Ibn 'Abbas commented on the Ayah,

ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ هَٰؤُلَاءِ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَتُخْرِجُونَ فَرِيقًا مِّنكُم مِّن دِيَارِهِمْ

(After this, it is you who kill one another and drive out a party of you from their homes)

"Allah mentioned what they were doing, and that in the Tawrah He had prohibited them from shedding each other's blood, and required them to free their prisoners. Now they were divided into two camps in Al-Madinah, Banu Qaynuqa', who were the allies of the Khazraj, and An-Nadir and Qurayzah, who were the allies of the Aws. When fighting erupted between Aws and Khazraj, Banu Qaynuqa' would fight along with the Khazraj, while Banu An-Nadir and Qurayzah would fight along with the Aws. Each Jewish camp would fight against their Jewish brethren from the other camp. They would shed each other's blood, although they had the Tawrah with them, and they knew their rights and dues. Meanwhile, the Aws and Khazraj were polytheists who worshipped idols. They did not know about Paradise, the Fire, Resurrection, Divine Books the lawful and prohibited. When the war would end, the Jews would ransom their prisoners and implement the Tawrah. Consequently, Banu Qaynuqa' would ransom their prisoners who were captured by the Aws, while Banu An-Nadir and Qurayzah would ransom their prisoners who were captured by the Khazraj. They would also ask for blood money. During these wars, they would kill whomever (Jews or Arabs) they could, while helping the polytheists against their brethren. Therefore, Allah reminded them of this when He said,

أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ

(Then do you believe in a part of the Scripture and reject the rest?)

This Ayah means, 'Do you ransom them according to the rulings of the Tawrah, yet kill them while the Tawrah forbade you from killing them and from expelling them from their homes? The Tawrah also commanded that you should not aid the polytheists and those who associate with Allah in the worship against your brethren. You do all this to acquire the life of this world.' I was informed that the behavior of the Jews regarding the Aws and Khazraj was the reason behind revealing these Ayat."

These noble Ayat criticized the Jews for implementing the Tawrah sometimes and defying it at other times, although they believed in the Tawrah and knew what they were doing was wrong. This is why they should not be trusted to preserve or convey the Tawrah. Further, they should not be believed when it comes to the description of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, his coming, his expulsion from his land, and his Hijrah, and the rest of the information that the previous Prophets informed them about him, all of which they hid. The Jews, may they suffer the curse of Allah, hid all of these facts among themselves, and this is why Allah said,

فَمَا جَزَاءُ مَن يَفْعَلُ ذَٰلِكَ مِنكُمْ إِلَّا خِزْيٌ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا

(Then what is the recompense of those who do so among you, except disgrace in the life of this world), because they defied Allah's Law and commandments,

وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ أَشَدِّ الْعَذَابِ

(And on the Day of Resurrection they shall be consigned to the most grievous torment) as punishment for defying the Book of Allah that they had.

وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ - أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُا الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا بِالْآخِرَةِ

(And Allah is not unaware of what you do. Those are they who have bought the life of this world at the price of the Hereafter) meaning, they prefer this life to the Hereafter. Therefore,

فَلَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابُ

(Their torment shall not be lightened) not even for an hour,

وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ

(Nor shall they be helped), and they shall find no helper who will save them from the eternal torment they will suffer, nor shall they find any to grant them refuge from it.

And indeed, We gave Musa the Book and followed him up with a succession of Messengers. And We gave 'Isa, the son of Maryam, clear signs and supported him with Ruh-il-Qudus. Is it that whenever there came to you a Messenger with what you yourselves desired not, you grew arrogant? Some you disbelieved and some you killed (87)

Allah described the insolence of Children of Israel, their rebelliousness, defiance and arrogance towards the Prophets, following their lusts and desires. Allah mentioned that He gave Musa the Book, the Tawrah, and that the Jews changed, distorted, and defied its commands, as well as altered its meanings.

Allah sent Messengers and Prophets after Musa who followed his law, as Allah stated,

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا التَّوْرَاةَ فِيهَا هُدًى وَنُورٌ ۚ يَحْكُمُ بِهَا النَّبِيُّونَ الَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُوا لِلَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالْأَحْبَارُ بِمَا اسْتُحْفِظُوا مِن كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَكَانُوا عَلَيْهِ شُهَدَاءَ

(Verily, We did reveal the Tawrah (to Musa), therein was guidance and light, by which the Prophets, who submitted themselves to Allah's will, judged for the Jews. And the rabbis and the priests (too judged for the Jews by the Tawrah after those Prophets), for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah's Book, and they were witnesses thereto)(5:44). This is why Allah said here,

وَقَفَّيْنَا مِن بَعْدِهِ بِالرُّسُلِ

(And Qaffayna him with Messengers).

As-Suddi said that Abu Malik said that Qaffayna means, "Succeeded", while others said, "Followed". Both meanings are plausible, since Allah said,

ثُمَّ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا تَتْرَىٰ

(Then We sent Our Messengers in succession)(23:44).

Thereafter, Allah sent the last Prophet among the Children of Israel, 'Isa the son of Mary, who was sent with some laws that differed with some in the Tawrah. This is why Allah also sent miracles to support 'Isa. These included bringing the dead back to life, forming the shape of birds from clay and blowing into them, afterwhich they became living birds by Allah's leave, healing the sick and foretelling the Unseen, as Ibn 'Abbas stated. Allah also aided him with Ruh Al-Qudus, and that refers to Jibril. All of these signs testified to the truthfulness of 'Isa and what he was sent with. Yet, the Children of Israel became more defiant and envious of him and did not want to differ with even one part of the Tawrah, as Allah said about 'Isa,

وَلِأُحِلَّ لَكُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَجِئْتُكُم بِآيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ 

(And to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you, and I have come to you with a proof from your Lord)(3:50).

Hence, the Children of Israel treated the Prophets in the worst manner, rejecting some of them and killing some of them. All of this occurred because the Prophets used to command the Jews with what differed from their desires and opinions. The Prophets also upheld the rulings of the Tawrah that the Jews had changed, and this is why it was difficult for them to believe in these Prophets. Therefore, they rejected the Prophets and killed some of them. Allah said,

أَفَكُلَّمَا جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ بِمَا لَا تَهْوَىٰ أَنفُسُكُمُ اسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ فَفَرِيقًا كَذَّبْتُمْ وَفَرِيقًا تَقْتُلُونَ

(Is it that whenever there came to you a Messenger with what you yourselves desired not,you grew arrogant? Some you disbelieved and some you kill).

The proof that Jibril is the Ruh Al-Qudus is the statement of Ibn Mas'ud in explanation of this Ayah. This is also the view of Ibn 'Abbas, Muhammad bin Ka'b, Isma'il bin Khalid, As-Suddi, Ar-Rabi' bin Anas, 'Atiyah Al-'Awfi and Qatadah. Additionally, Allah said,

نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ - عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنذِرِينَ

(Which the trustworthy Ruh (Jibril) has brought down. Upon your heart (O Muhammad ﷺ) that you may be (one) of the warners)(26:193-194).

Al-Bukhari recorded 'A'ishah saying that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ erected a Minbar in the Masjid on which Hassan bin Thabit (the renowned poet) used to defend the Messenger of Allah (with his poems). The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

اللَّهُمَّ أَيِّدْ حَسَّانَ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ كَمَا نَافَحَ عَنْ نَبِيِّكَ

(O Allah! Aid Hassan with Ruh Al-Qudus, for he defended Your Prophet.)

Abu Dawud recorded this Hadith in his Sunan as did At-Tirmidhi who graded it Hasan Sahih. Further, Ibn Hibban recorded in his Sahih that Ibn Mas'ud said that the Prophet ﷺ said,

إِنَّ رُوحَ الْقُدُسِ نَفَثَ فِي رُوعِي أَنَّهُ لَنْ تَمُوتَ نَفْسٌ حَتَّى تَسْتَكْمِلَ رِزْقَهَا وَأَجَلَهَا، فَاتَّقُوا اللهَ وَأَجْمِلُوا فِي الطَّلَبِ

(Ruh Al-Qudus informed me that no soul shall die until it finishes its set provisions and term limit. Therefore, have Taqwa of Allah and seek your sustenance in the most suitable way.)

Az-Zamakhshari commented on Allah's statement,

فَفَرِيقًا كَذَّبْتُمْ وَفَرِيقًا تَقْتُلُونَ

(Some you disbelieved and some you kill), "Allah did not say 'killed' here, because the Jews would still try to kill the Prophet in the future, using poison and magic." During the illness that preceded his death, the Prophet ﷺ said,

مَا زَالَتْ أَكْلَةُ خَيْبَرَ تُعَاوِدُنِي، فَهذَا أَوَانُ انْقِطَاعِ أَبْهَرِي

(I kept feeling the effect of what I ate (from the poisoned sheep) during the day of Khaybar, until now, when it is the time that the aorta will be cut off (meaning when death is near).)

This Hadith was collected by Al-Bukhari and others

And they say, "Our hearts are Ghulf." Nay, Allah has cursed them for their disbelief, so little is that which they believe (88)

Muhammad bin Ishaq reported that Ibn 'Abbas said that,

وَقَالُوا قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌ

(And they say, "Our hearts are Ghulf."), means, "Our hearts are screened." Mujahid also said that,

وَقَالُوا قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌ

(And they say, "Our hearts are Ghulf."), means, "They are covered." Ikrimah said, "There is a stamp on them." Abu Al-'Aliyah said, "They do not comprehend." Mujahid and Qatadah said that Ibn 'Abbas read the Ayah in a way that means, "Our hearts contain every type of knowledge and do not need the knowledge that you (O Muhammad) have." This is the opinion of 'Ata' and Ibn 'Abbas.

بَل لَّعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِكُفْرِهِمْ

(Nay, Allah has cursed them for their disbelief) meaning, "Allah expelled them and deprived them of every type of righteousness." Qatadah said that the Ayah,

فَقَلِيلًا مَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ

(So little is that which they believe.) means, "Only a few of them believe." Allah's statement,

وَقَالُوا قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌ

(And they say, "Our hearts are Ghulf.") is similar to His statement,

وَقَالُوا قُلُوبُنَا فِي أَكِنَّةٍ مِّمَّا تَدْعُونَا إِلَيْهِ

(And they say: "Our hearts are under coverings (screened) from that to which you invite us)(41:5).

This is why Allah said here,

بَل لَّعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَقَلِيلاً مَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ

(Nay, Allah has cursed them for their disbelief, so little is that which they believe.) meaning, "It is not as they claim. Rather, their hearts are cursed and stamped," just as Allah said in Surat An-Nisa' (4:155),

وَقَوْلِهِمْ قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌ بَلْ طَبَعَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهَا بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا

(And of their saying: "Our hearts are wrapped (with coverings, i.e. we do not understand what the Messengers say) ـ nay, Allah has set a seal upon their hearts because of their disbelief, so they believe not but a little.)

There is a difference of opinion regarding the meaning of Allah's statement,

فَقَلِيلًا مَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ

(So little is that which they believe.) and His statement,

فَلاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلاً

(So they believe not except a few). Some scholars said that the Ayat indicate that a few of them would believe, or that their faith is minute, because they believe in Resurrection and in Allah's reward and punishment that Musa foretold. Yet, this faith will not benefit them since it is overshadowed by their disbelief in what Muhammad ﷺ brought them. Some scholars said that the Jews did not actually believe in anything and that Allah said,

فَقَلِيلًا مَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ

(So little is that which they believe), meaning, they do not believe. This meaning is similar to the Arabic expression, "Hardly have I seen anything like this," meaning, "I have never seen anything like this."

And when there came to them (the Jews), a Book (this Qur'an) from Allah confirming what is with them (the Tawrah) and the Injil (Gospel), although aforetime they had invoked Allah (for the coming of Muhammad ﷺ) in order to gain victory over those who disbelieved, then when there came to them that which they had recognised, they disbelieved in it. So let the curse of Allah be on the disbelievers (89)

Allah said,

وَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ

(And when there came to them) meaning, the Jews,

كِتَابٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ 

(a Book from Allah) meaning, the Qur'an that Allah sent down to Muhammad,

مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ

(confirming what is with them) meaning, the Tawrah. Further, Allah said,

وَكَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ يَسْتَفْتِحُونَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا

(although aforetime they had invoked Allah (for coming of Muhammad ﷺ) in order to gain victory over those who disbelieved) meaning, before this Messenger came to them, they used to ask Allah to aid them by his arrival, against their polytheistic enemies in war. They used to say to the polytheists, "A Prophet shall be sent just before the end of this world and we, along with him, shall exterminate you, just as the nations of 'Ad and Iram were exterminated." Also, Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said, "The Jews used to invoke Allah (for the coming of Muhammad ﷺ) in order to gain victory over the Aws and Khazraj, before the Prophet ﷺ was sent. When Allah sent him to the Arabs, they rejected him and denied what they used to say about him. Hence, Mu'adh bin Jabal and Bishr bin Al-Bara' bin Ma'rur, from Bani Salamah, said to them, 'O Jews! Fear Allah and embrace Islam. You used to invoke Allah for the coming of Muhammad ﷺ when we were still disbelievers and you used to tell us that he would come and describe him to us,' Salam bin Mushkim from Bani An-Nadir replied, 'He did not bring anything that we recognize. He is not the Prophet we told you about.' Allah then revealed this Ayah about their statement,

وَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ كِتَابٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ 

(And when there came to them (the Jews), a Book (this Qur'an) from Allah confirming what is with them (the Tawrah) and the Injil (Gospel))."

Abu Al-'Aliyah said, "The Jews used to ask Allah to send Muhammad ﷺ so that they would gain victory over the Arab disbelievers. They used to say, 'O Allah! Send the Prophet that we read about - in the Tawrah - so that we can torment and kill the disbelievers alongside him.' When Allah sent Muhammad ﷺ and they saw that he was not one of them, they rejected him and envied the Arabs, even though they knew that he was the Messenger of Allah. Hence, Allah said,

فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُم مَّا عَرَفُوا كَفَرُوا بِهِ فَلَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ

(Then when there came to them that which they had recognized, they disbelieved in it. So let the curse of Allah be on the disbelievers). "

How bad is that for which they have sold their own selves, that they should disbelieve in that which Allah has revealed (the Qur'an), grudging that Allah should reveal of His grace unto whom He wills of His servants. So they have drawn on themselves wrath upon wrath. And for the disbelievers, there is disgracing torment (90)

Mujahid said,

بِئْسَمَا اشْتَرَوْا بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ

(How bad is that for which they have sold their own selves), "The Jews sold the truth for falsehood and hid the truth about Muhammad ." As-Suddi said that the Ayah,

بِئْسَمَا اشْتَرَوْا بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ

(How bad is that for which they have sold their own selves) means, "The Jews sold themselves." meaning, what is worse is what they chose for themselves by disbelieving in what Allah revealed to Muhammad ﷺ instead of believing, aiding and supporting him. This behavior of theirs is the result of their injustice, envy and hatred,

أَن يُنَزِّلَ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ

(grudging that Allah should reveal of His grace unto whom He wills of His servants). " There is no envy worse than this. Therefore,

فَبَاءُوا بِغَضَبٍ عَلَىٰ غَضَبٍ

(So they have drawn on themselves wrath upon wrath). Ibn 'Abbas commented on this Ayah, "Allah became angry with them because they ignored some of the Tawrah and disbelieved in the Prophet that He sent to them." I (Ibn Kathir) say that the meaning of,

بَاءُوا 

(And they drew on themselves) is that they deserved and acquired multiplied anger. Also, Abu Al-'Aliyah said, "Allah became angry with them, because of their disbelief in the Injil and 'Isa and He became angry with them again, because they disbelieved in Muhammad ﷺ and the Qur'an." Similar was said by 'Ikrimah and Qatadah. Allah said,

وَلِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ

(And for the disbelievers, there is disgracing torment). Since their disbelief was a result of their transgression and envy, which was caused by arrogance, they were punished with disgrace and humiliation in this world and the Hereafter. Similarly, Allah said,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ

(Verily, those who scorn My worship (i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness) they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!")(40:60) meaning, "Disgraced, degraded and humiliated." Imam Ahmad narrated that 'Amr bin Shu'ayb said that his father said that his grandfather said that the Prophet ﷺ said,

يُحْشَرُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَمْثَالَ الذَّرِّ فِي صُوَرِ النَّاسِ، يَعْلُوهُمْ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ مِنَ الصِّغَارِ حَتَّى يَدْخُلُوا سِجْنًا فِي جَهَنَّمَ يُقَالُ لَهُ. بَوْلَسُ تَعْلُوهُمْ نَارُ الْأَنْيَارِ يُسْقَونَ مِنْ طِينَةِ الْخَبَالِ عُصَارَةِ أَهْلِ النَّارِ

(The arrogant people will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection in the size of ants, but in the shape of men. Everything shall be above them, because of the humiliation placed on them, until they enter a prison in Jahannam called 'Bawlas' where the fire will surround them from above. They shall drink from the puss of the people of the Fire.)

And when it is said to them (the Jews), "Believe in what Allah has sent down," they say, "We believe in what was sent down to us." And they disbelieve in that which came after it, while it is the truth confirming what is with them. Say (O Muhammad ﷺ to them): "Why then have you killed the Prophets of Allah aforetime, if you indeed have been believers? (91)And indeed Musa came to you with clear proofs, yet you worshipped the calf after he left, and you were Zalimun (92)

Allah said,

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ

(And when it is said to them), meaning, the Jews and the People of the Book,

 آمِنُوا بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ

(Believe in what Allah has sent down) to Muhammad ﷺ, believe in and follow him,

قَالُوا نُؤْمِنُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا 

(They say, "We believe in what was sent down to us.") meaning, it is enough for us to believe in what was revealed to us in the Tawrah and the Injil, and this is the path that we choose,

وَيَكْفُرُونَ بِمَا وَرَاءَهُ 

(And they disbelieve in that which came after it).

 وَهُوَ الْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ

(while it is the truth confirming what is with them) meaning, while knowing that what was revealed to Muhammad ﷺ,

 الْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ

(it is the truth confirming what is with them). This means that since what was sent to Muhammad ﷺ conforms to what was revealed to the People of the Book, then this fact constitutes a proof against them. Similarly, Allah said,

الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ

(Those to whom We gave the Scripture (Jews and Christians) recognize him (Muhammad ﷺ) as they recognize their sons)(2:146). Allah said next,

فَلِمَ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنبِيَاءَ اللَّهِ مِن قَبْلُ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

("Why then have you killed the Prophets of Allah aforetime, if you indeed have been believers?").

This means, "If your claim that you believe in what was revealed to you is true, then why did you kill the Prophets who came to you affirming the Tawrah's Law, although you knew they were true Prophets? You killed them simply out of transgression, stubbornness and injustice with Allah's Messengers. Therefore, you only follow your lusts, opinions and desires." Similarly, Allah said,

أَفَكُلَّمَا جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ بِمَا لَا تَهْوَىٰ أَنفُسُكُمُ اسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ فَفَرِيقًا كَذَّبْتُمْ وَفَرِيقًا تَقْتُلُونَ

(Is it that whenever there came to you a Messenger with what you yourselves desired not, you grew arrogant? Some you disbelieved and some you killed.)

Also, As-Suddi said, "In this Ayah, Allah chastised the People of the Book,

قُلْ فَلِمَ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنبِيَاءَ اللَّهِ مِن قَبْلُ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

(Say (O Muhammad ﷺ to them): "Why then have you killed the Prophets of Allah aforetime, if you indeed have been believers?")."

وَلَقَدْ جَاءَكُم مُّوسَىٰ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ

(And indeed Musa came to you with clear proofs) meaning, with clear signs and clear proofs that he was the Messenger of Allah and that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. The clear signs - or miracles - mentioned here are the flood, the locusts, the lice, the frogs, the blood, the staff and the hand. Musa's miracles also include parting the sea, shading the Jews with clouds, the manna and quails, the gushing stone, etc.

ثُمَّ اتَّخَذْتُمُ الْعِجْلَ

(yet you worshipped the calf) meaning, as a deity instead of Allah, during the time of Musa. Allah's statement,

مِن بَعْدِهِ 

(after he left) after Musa went to Mount Tur to speak to Allah. Similarly, Allah said,

وَاتَّخَذَ قَوْمُ مُوسَىٰ مِن بَعْدِهِ مِنْ حُلِيِّهِمْ عِجْلًا جَسَدًا لَّهُ خُوَارٌ

(And the people of Musa made in his absence, out of their ornaments, the image of a calf (for worship). It had a sound (as if it was mooing))(7:148).

وَأَنتُمْ ظَالِمُونَ

(and you were Zalimun) meaning, you were unjust in this behavior of worshipping the calf, although you knew that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. Similarly, Allah said,

وَلَمَّا سُقِطَ فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ وَرَأَوْا أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ ضَلُّوا قَالُوا لَئِن لَّمْ يَرْحَمْنَا رَبُّنَا وَيَغْفِرْ لَنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

(And when they regretted and saw that they had gone astray, they (repented and) said: "If our Lord have not mercy upon us and forgive us, we shall certainly be of the losers")(7:149).

And (remember) when We took your covenant and We raised above you the Mount (saying), "Hold firmly to what We have given you and hear (Our Word)." They said, "We have heard and disobeyed." And their hearts absorbed (the worship of) the calf because of their disbelief. Say: "Worst indeed is that which your faith enjoins on you if you are believers. (93)

Allah reminded the Jews of their errors, breaking His covenant, transgression and defiance, when He raised Mount Tur above them so that they would believe and agree to the terms of the covenant. Yet, they broke it soon afterwards,

قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا

(They said, "We have heard and disobeyed.") We have mentioned the Tafsir of this subject before. 'Abdur-Razzaq said that Ma'mar narrated that Qatadah said that,

وَأُشْرِبُوا فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْعِجْلَ بِكُفْرِهِمْ

(And their hearts absorbed (the worship of) the calf) means, "They absorbed its love, until its love resided in their hearts." This is also the opinion of Abu Al-'Aliyah and Ar-Rabi' bin Anas. Allah's statement,

قُلْ بِئْسَمَا يَأْمُرُكُم بِهِ إِيمَانُكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

(Say: "Worst indeed is that which your faith enjoins on you if you are believers.") means, "Worse yet is the manner in which you behaved in the past and even now, disbelieving in Allah's Ayat and defying the Prophets. You also disbelieved in Muhammad ﷺ, which is the worst of your deeds and the harshest sin that you committed. You disbelieved in the Final Messenger and the master of all Prophets and Messengers, the one who was sent to all mankind. How can you then claim that you believe, while committing the evil of breaking Allah's covenant, disbelieving in Allah's Ayat and worshipping the calf instead of Allah?"

Say to (them): "If the abode of the Hereafter with Allah is indeed for you especially and not for others of mankind, then long for death if you are truthful. (94)But they will never long for it because of what their hands have sent before them (i.e. what they have done). And Allah is Aware of the Zalimin (95)And verily, you will find them (the Jews) the greediest of mankind for life and (even greedier) than those who ascribe partners to Allah. One of them wishes that he could be given a life of a thousand years. But the grant of such life will not save him even a little from (due) punishment. And Allah is Seer of what they do (96)

Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said, "Allah said to His Prophet ﷺ,

قُلْ إِن كَانَتْ لَكُمُ الدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ عِندَ اللَّهِ خَالِصَةً مِّن دُونِ النَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

(Say to (them): "If the home of the Hereafter with Allah is indeed for you especially and not for others, of mankind, then long for death if you are truthful.") meaning, 'Invoke Allah to bring death to the lying camp among the two (Muslims and Jews).' The Jews declined this offer by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ."

وَلَن يَتَمَنَّوْهُ أَبَدًا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ

(But they will never long for it because of what their hands have sent before them (i.e. what they have done). And Allah is Aware of the Zalimin (polytheists and wrongdoers).) meaning, "Since they know that they recognize you, and yet disbelieve in you." Had they wished death that day, no Jew would have remained alive on the face of the earth. Moreover, Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn 'Abbas said that,

فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ

(Then long for death), means, "Invoke (Allah) for death." Also, 'Abdur-Razzaq narrated that 'Ikrimah said that Ibn 'Abbas commented,

فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ

(Then long for death if you are truthful), "Had the Jews invoked Allah for death, they would have perished." Also, Ibn Abi Hatim recorded Sa'id bin Jubayr saying that Ibn 'Abbas said, "Had the Jews asked for death, one of them would have choked on his own saliva." These statements have authentic chains of narration up to Ibn 'Abbas. Further, Ibn Jarir said in his Tafsir, "We were told that the Prophet ﷺ said,

لَوْ أَنَّ الْيَهُودَ تَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ لَمَاتُوا وَلَرَأَوْا مَقَاعِدَهُمْ مِنَ النَّارِ، وَلَوْ خَرَجَ الَّذِينَ يُبَاهِلُونَ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلّى الله عليه وسلّم لَرَجَعُوا لَا يَجِدُونَ أَهْلًا وَلَا مَالًا

(Had the Jews wished for death, they would have died and seen their seats in the Fire. And, those who invoked such curse against Allah's Messenger would have found no families or property had they returned to their homes)."

Similar to this Ayah is Allah's statement in Surat Al-Jumu'ah,

قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ هَادُوا إِن زَعَمْتُمْ أَنَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ لِلَّهِ مِن دُونِ النَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ - وَلَا يَتَمَنَّوْنَهُ أَبَدًا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ - قُلْ إِنَّ الْمَوْتَ الَّذِي تَفِرُّونَ مِنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ مُلَاقِيكُمْ ثُمَّ تُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

((Say (O Muhammad ): "O you Jews! If you pretend that you are friends of Allah, to the exclusion of (all) other mankind, then long for death if you are truthful. "But they will never long for it (death), because of what (deeds) their hands have sent before them! And Allah knows well the Zalimin. Say (to them): "Verily, the death from which you flee will surely meet you, then you will be sent back to (Allah) the Knower of the unseen and the seen, and He will tell you what you used to do.")(62:6-8).

So they claimed that they are Allah's sons and loved ones and said, "Only those who are Christian or Jews shall enter Paradise." Therefore, they were called to invoke Allah to destroy the lying group, be it them or the Muslims. When the Jews declined, every one was sure of their wrong, for had they been sure of their claims, then they would have accepted the proposal. Their lies were thus exposed after they declined the offer to invoke the curse.

Similarly, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ called a delegation of Najran's Christians to curse after he refuted them in a debate in which they demonstrated stubbornness and defiance. Allah said,

فَمَنْ حَاجَّكَ فِيهِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَأَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَنِسَاءَنَا وَنِسَاءَكُمْ وَأَنفُسَنَا وَأَنفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَل لَّعْنَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَاذِبِينَ

(Then whoever disputes with you concerning him ('Isa) after (all this) knowledge that has come to you (i.e. 'Isa) being a servant of Allah, and having no share in divinity), say (O Muhammad ﷺ): "Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves ـ then we pray and invoke (sincerely) the curse of Allah upon those who lie.") (3:61).

When the Christians heard this challenge, some of them said to each other, "By Allah! If you do such with this Prophet, none of you will have an eye that blinks." This is when they resorted to peace and gave the Jizyah (tax) in disgrace. The Prophet ﷺ accepted the Jizyah from them and sent Abu 'Ubaydah bin Al-Jarrah with them as a trustee. Similar to this meaning is Allah's command to His Prophet ﷺ to proclaim to the polytheists:

قُلْ مَن كَانَ فِي الضَّلَالَةِ فَلْيَمْدُدْ لَهُ الرَّحْمَٰنُ مَدًّا

(Say (O Muhammad ﷺ) whoever is in error, the Most Gracious (Allah) will prolong him (in it).)(19:75) meaning, "Whoever among us has deviated, may Allah increase and prolong his deviation." We will mention this subject later, Allah willing.

The Mubahalah (invocation to Allah to destroy the liars) was called a 'wish' here, because every just person wishes that Allah destroy the unjust opponent who is debating with him, especially when the just person has a clear, apparent proof for the truth he is calling to. Also, the Mubahalah involves invoking Allah for death of the unjust group, because to disbelievers, life is the biggest prize, especially when they know the evil destination they will meet after death.

This is why Allah said next,

وَلَن يَتَمَنَّوْهُ أَبَدًا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ - وَلَتَجِدَنَّهُمْ أَحْرَصَ النَّاسِ عَلَىٰ حَيَاةٍ

(But they will never long for it because of what their hands have sent before them (i.e.what they have done). And Allah is Aware of the Zalimin. And verily, you will find them (the Jews) the greediest of mankind for life.) meaning, greedy to live longer, because they know their evil end, and the only reward they will have with Allah is total loss. This life is a prison for the believer and Paradise for the disbeliever. Therefore, the People of the Book wish they could delay the Hereafter, as much as possible. However, they shall certainly meet what they are trying to avoid, even if they are more eager to delay the Hereafter than the polytheists who do not have a divine book.

Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated that Ibn 'Abbas commented on,

وَمَا هُوَ بِمُزَحْزِحِهِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ أَن يُعَمَّرَ

(But the grant of such life will not save him even a little from (due) punishment.)

Long life shall not save them from torment. Certainly, the polytheists do not believe in resurrection after death, and they would love to enjoy a long life. The Jews know the humiliation they will suffer in the Hereafter for knowingly ignoring the truth. Also, 'Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said, "The Jews are most eager for this life. They wish they could live for a thousand years. However, living for a thousand years will not save them from torment, just as Iblis' - Satan - long life did not benefit him, due to being a disbeliever."

وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ

(And Allah is Seer of what they do.) meaning, "Allah knows what His servants are doing, whether good or evil, and will compensate each of them accordingly."

Say (O Muhammad ﷺ): "Whoever is an enemy to Jibril (Gabriel)(let him die in his fury), for indeed he has brought it (this Qur'an) down to your heart by Allah's permission, confirming what came before it (i.e. the Tawrah and the Injil) and guidance and glad tidings for the believers (97)"Whoever is an enemy to Allah, His Angels, His Messengers, Jibril and Mika'il, then verily, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers. (98)

Imam Abu Ja'far bin Jarir At-Tabari said, "The scholars of Tafsir agree that this Ayah (2: 97-98) was revealed in response to the Jews who claimed that Jibril (Gabriel) is an enemy of the Jews and that Mika'il (Michael) is their friend." Al-Bukhari said, "Allah said,

 مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ

(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 the arrival of the Prophet ﷺ in Al-Madinah, he was working on his land. He came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, 'I am going to ask you about three things which nobody knows except a Prophet. What will be the first portent of the Hour? What will be the first meal taken by the people of Paradise? Why does a child resemble its father, and why does it resemble its maternal uncle?' Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "Jibril has just told me the answers." 'Abdullah said, 'He (i.e. Jibril), among all the angels, is the enemy of the Jews.' Allah's Messenger ﷺ recited the Ayah,

 مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ

(Whoever is an enemy to Jibril (Gabriel)(let him die in his fury), for indeed he has brought it (this Qur'an) down to your heart).

Allah's Messenger ﷺ then said, (The first portent of the Hour will be a fire that will bring together the people from the east to the west; the first meal of the people of Paradise will be the caudate lobe of the liver of fish. As for the child resembling his parents: If a man has sexual intercourse with his wife and his discharge is first, the child will resemble the father. If the woman has a discharge first, the child will resemble her side of the family.) On that 'Abdullah bin Salam said, 'I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and you are the Messenger of Allah.' 'Abdullah bin Salam further said, 'O Allah's Messenger! The Jews are liars, and if they should come to know about my conversion to Islam before you ask them (about me), they will tell a lie about me.' The Jews came to Allah's Messenger ﷺ, and 'Abdullah went inside the house. Allah's Messenger ﷺ asked (the Jews), ('What kind of man is 'Abdullah bin Salam?') They replied, 'He is the best among us, the son of the best among us, our master and the son of our master.' Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, (What do you think if he would embrace Islam?) The Jews said, 'May Allah save him from it.' Then 'Abdullah bin Salam came out in front of them saying, 'I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.' Thereupon they said, 'He is the evilest among us, and the son of the evilest among us.' And they continued talking badly about him. Ibn Salam said, 'This is what I feared, O Messenger of Allah!.'" Only Al-Bukhari recorded this Hadith with this chain of narration. Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded this Hadith from Anas using another chain of narration.

Some people say that 'il' means worshipper while whatever word that is added to it becomes Allah's Name, because 'il' is a constant in such conjunction. This is similar to the names 'Abdullah, 'Abdur-Rahman, 'Abdul-Malik, 'Abdul-Quddus, 'Abdus-Salam, 'Abdul-Kafi, 'Abdul-Jalil, and so forth. Hence, 'Abd' is constant in these compound names, while the remainder differs from name to name. This is the same case with Jibril, Mika'il, 'Azra'il, Israfil, and so forth. Allah knows best.

Allah said,

 مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ 

(Whoever is an enemy to Jibril (Gabriel)(let him die in his fury), for indeed he has brought it (this Qur'an) down to your heart by Allah's permission,) meaning, whoever becomes an enemy of Jibril, let him know that he is Ruh Al-Qudus who brought down the Glorious Dhikr (Qur'an) to your heart from Allah by His leave. Hence, he is a messenger from Allah. Whoever takes a messenger as an enemy, will have taken all the messengers as enemies. Further, whoever believes in one messenger, is required to believe in all of the messengers. Whoever rejects one messenger, he has rejected all of the messengers. Similarly, Allah said,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يُفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَ اللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيَقُولُونَ نُؤْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَكْفُرُ بِبَعْضٍ 

(Verily, those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers and wish to make distinction between Allah and His Messengers (by believing in Allah and disbelieving in His Messengers) saying, "We believe in some but reject others.")(4:150)

Allah decreed that they are disbelievers, because they believe in some Prophets and reject others. This is the same with those who take Jibril as an enemy, because Jibril did not choose missions on his own, but by the command of his Lord,

وَمَا نَتَنَزَّلُ إِلَّا بِأَمْرِ رَبِّكَ

(And we (angels) descend not except by the command of your Lord)(19: 64), and,

وَإِنَّهُ لَتَنزِيلُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ - نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ - عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنذِرِينَ

(And truly, this (the Qur'an) is a revelation from the Lord of all that exists. Which the trustworthy Ruh (Jibril) has brought down. Upon your heart (O Muhammad ﷺ) that you may be (one) of the warners)(26:192-194).

Al-Bukhari reported that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Allah, the Exalted, has said

مَنْ عَادَى لِي وَلِيًّا فَقَدْ بَارَزَنِي بِالْحَرْبِ

(Whoever takes a friend of Mine as an enemy, will have started a war with Me.)"

Therefore, Allah became angry with those who took Jibril as an enemy. Allah said,

 مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ

(Whoever is an enemy to Jibril (Gabriel)(let him die in his fury), for indeed he has brought it (this Qur'an) down to your heart by Allah's permission, confirming what came before it) meaning, the previous Books,

وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(and guidance and glad tidings for the believers) meaning, as guidance to their hearts and bringer of the good news of Paradise, which is exclusively for the believers. Similarly, Allah said,

قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَاءٌ

(Say: "It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing.")(41:44), and,

وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(And We send down of the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe)(17:82).

Allah then said,

مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّلَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَجِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَالَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَدُوٌّ لِّلْكَافِرِينَ

(Whoever is an enemy to Allah, His Angels, His Messengers, Jibril and Mika'il (Michael), then verily, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers.)

Allah stated that whoever takes Him, His angels and messengers as enemies, then...Allah's messengers include angels and men, for Allah said,

اللَّهُ يَصْطَفِي مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا وَمِنَ النَّاسِ

(Allah chooses Messengers from angels and from men)(22:75). Allah said,

وَجِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَالَ

(Jibril (Gabriel) and Mika'il (Michael)). Allah mentioned Jibril and Mika'il specifically - although they are included among the angels who were messengers - only because this Ayah was meant to support Jibril the emissary between Allah and His Prophets. Allah also mentioned Mika'il here, because the Jews claimed that Jibril was their enemy and Mika'il was their friend. Allah informed them that whoever is an enemy of either of them, then he is also an enemy of the other as well as Allah. We should state here that Mika'il sometimes descended to some of Allah's Prophets, although to a lesser extent than Jibril, because this was primarily Jibril's task, and Israfil is entrusted with the job of blowing the Trumpet for the commencement of Resurrection on the Day of Judgment. It is recorded in the Sahih that whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would wake up at night, he would supplicate,

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ جِبْرَائِيلَ وَمِيكَائِيلَ وَإِسْرَافِيلَ فَاطِرَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ عَالِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ، أَنْتَ تَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ، اهْدِنِي لِمَا اخْتُلِفَ فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِكَ إِنَّكَ تَهْدِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ إِلى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ

(O Allah, Lord of Jibril, Mika'il and Israfil, Creator of the heavens and earth and Knower of the seen and the unseen! You judge between Your servants regarding what they differ in, so direct me to the truth which they differ on, by Your leave. Verily, You guide whom You will to the straight path.)

Allah's statement,

 فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَدُوٌّ لِّلْكَافِرِينَ

(then verily, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers) informed the disbelievers that whoever takes a friend of Allah as an enemy, then he has taken Allah as an enemy, and whoever treats Allah as an enemy, then he shall be Allah's enemy. Indeed, whoever is an enemy of Allah then he will lose in this life and the Hereafter, as stated earlier;

مَنْ عَادَى لِي وَلِيًّا فَقَدْ آذَنْتُهُ بِالْمُحَارَبَةِ

(Whoever takes a friend of Mine as an enemy, I shall wage war on him.)

And indeed We have sent down to you manifest Ayat and none disbelieve in them but Fasiqun (those who rebel against Allah's command)(99)Is it not (the case) that every time they make a covenant, some party among them throw it aside? Nay! (the truth is:) most of them believe not (100)And when there came to them a Messenger from Allah (i.e. Muhammad ﷺ) confirming what was with them, a party of those who were given the Scripture threw away the Book of Allah behind their backs as if they did not know (101)They followed what the Shayatin (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime of Sulayman (Solomon). Sulayman did not disbelieve, but the Shayatin (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Harut and Marut, but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, "We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us)." And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between man and his wife, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah's leave. And they learn that which harms them and profits them not. And indeed they knew that the buyers of it (magic) would have no share in the Hereafter. And how bad indeed was that for which they sold their own selves, if they but knew (102)And if they had believed and guarded themselves from evil and kept their duty to Allah, far better would have been the reward from their Lord, if they but knew (103)

Imam Abu Ja'far bin Jarir said that Allah's statement,

وَلَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ

(And indeed We have sent down to you manifest Ayat) means, "We have sent to you, O Muhammad, clear signs that testify to your prophethood." These Ayat are contained in the Book of Allah (Qur'an) which narrates the secrets of the knowledge that the Jews possess, which they hid, and the stories of their earlier generations. The Book of Allah also mentions the texts in the Books of the Jews that are known to only the rabbis and scholars, and the sections where they altered and distorted the rulings of the Tawrah. Since Allah mentioned all of this in His Book revealed to His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, then this fact alone should be enough evidence for those who are truthful with themselves and who wish to avoid bringing themselves to destruction due to envy and transgression. Further human instict testifies to the truth that Muhammad ﷺ was sent with and the clear signs that he brought which he did not learn or acquire from mankind. Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn 'Abbas said that,

وَلَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ

(And indeed We have sent down to you manifest Ayat) means, "You recite and convey this Book to them day and night, although you are an Ummi (unlettered) who never read a book. Yet, you inform them of what they have (in their own Books). Allah stated that this fact should serve as an example, a clear sign and a proof against them, if they but knew."

When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sent and Allah reminded the Jews of the covenant that they had with Him, especially concerning Muhammad ﷺ, Malik bin As-Sayf said, "By Allah! Allah never made a covenant with us about Muhammad, nor did He take a pledge from us at all." Allah then revealed,

أَوَكُلَّمَا عَاهَدُوا عَهْدًا نَّبَذَهُ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُم

(Is it not (the case) that every time they make a covenant, some party among them throw it aside?) Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that Allah's statement,

بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

(Nay! (the truth is:) most of them believe not) means, "There is not a promise that they make, but they break it and abandon it. They make a promise today and break it tomorrow."

As-Suddi commented on,

وَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ

(And when there came to them a Messenger from Allah (i.e. Muhammad ﷺ) confirming what was with them), "When Muhammad ﷺ came to them, they wanted to contradict and dispute with him using the Tawrah. However, the Tawrah and the Qur'an affirmed each other. So the Jews gave up on using the Torah, and took to the Book of Asaf, and the magic of Harut and Marut, which indeed did not conform to the Qur'an. Hence Allah's statement,

كَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

(As if they did not know!)."

Also, Qatadah said that Allah's statement,

كَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

(As if they did not know!) means, "They knew the truth but abandoned it, hid it and denied the fact that they even had it."

As-Suddi said that Allah's statement,

وَاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ

(They followed what the Shayatin (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime of Sulayman)

means, "During the time of Prophet Solomon.' Beforehand, the devils used to ascend to heaven and eavesdrop on the conversations of the angels about what will occur on the earth regarding death, other incidents or unseen matters. They would convey this news to the soothsayers, and the soothsayers would in turn convey the news to the people. The people would believe what the soothsayers told them as being true. When the soothsayers trusted the devils, the devils started to lie to them and added other words to the true news that they heard, to the extent of adding seventy false words to each true word. The people recorded these words in some books. Soon after, the Children of Israel said that the Jinns know matters of the Unseen. When Solomon was sent as a Prophet, he collected these books in a box and buried it under his throne; any devil that dared get near the box was burned. Solomon said, 'I will not hear of anyone who says that the devils know the Unseen, but I will cut off his head.' When Solomon died and the scholars who knew the truth about Solomon perished, there came another generation. To them, the devil materialized in the shape of a human and said to some of the Children of Israel, 'Should I lead you to a treasure that you will never be able to use up?' They said. 'Yes.' He said, 'Dig under this throne,' and he went with them and showed them Solomon's throne. They said to him, 'Come closer.' He said, 'No. I will wait for you here, and if you do not find the treasure then kill me. ' They dug and found the buried books, and Satan said to them, 'Solomon only controlled the humans, devils and birds with this magic.' Thereafter, the news that Solomon was a sorcerer spread among the people, and the Children of Israel adopted these books. When Muhammad ﷺ came, they disputed with him relying on these books. Hence Allah's statement,

وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَانُ وَلَٰكِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ كَفَرُوا

(Sulayman did not disbelieve, but the Shayatin (devils) disbelieved).

Allah said,

وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَارُوتَ وَمَارُوتَ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلَا تَكْفُرْ فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِ

(And such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Harut and Marut, but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, "We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us)." And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between man and his wife).

There is a difference of opinion regarding this story. It was said that this Ayah denies that anything was sent down to the two angels, as Al-Qurtubi stated and then referred to the Ayah,

 وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَانُ

(Sulayman did not disbelieve) saying, "The negation applies in both cases. Allah then said,

وَلَٰكِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ كَفَرُوا يُعَلِّمُونَ النَّاسَ السِّحْرَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ

(But the Shayatin (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels).

The Jews claimed that Gabriel and Michael brought magic down to the two angels, but Allah refuted this false claim."

Also, Ibn Jarir reported, that Al-'Awfi said that Ibn 'Abbas said about Allah's statement,

وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ

(And such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels)

"Allah did not send magic down."

Also, Ibn Jarir narrated that Ar-Rabi' bin Anas said about,

وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ

(And such things that came down to the two angels), "Allah did not send magic down to the them." Ibn Jarir commented, "This is the correct explanation for this Ayah.

وَاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ

(They followed what the Shayatin (devils) gave out (falsely) in the lifetime of Sulayman.) meaning, magic. However, neither did Solomon disbelieve nor did Allah send magic with the two angels. The devils, on the other hand, disbelieved and taught magic to the people of the Babylon of Harut and Marut."

Ibn Jarir continued; "If someone asks about explaining this Ayah in this manner, we say that,

وَاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ

(They followed what the Shayatin (devils) gave out (falsely) in the lifetime of Sulayman.) means, magic. Solomon neither disbelieved nor did Allah send magic with the two angels. However, the devils disbelieved and taught magic to the people in the Babylon of Harut and Marut, meaning Gabriel and Michael, for Jewish sorcerers claimed that Allah sent magic by the words of Gabriel and Michael to Solomon, son of David. Allah denied this false claim and stated to His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that Gabriel and Michael were not sent with magic. Allah also exonerated Solomon from practicing magic, which the devils taught to the people of Babylon by the hands of two men, Harut and Marut. Hence, Harut and Marut were two ordinary men (not angels or Gabriel or Michael)." These were the words of At-Tabari, and this explanation is not plausible.

Many among the Salaf, said that Harut and Marut were angels who came down from heaven to earth and did what they did as the Ayah stated. To conform this opinion with the fact that the angels are immune from error, we say that Allah had eternal knowledge what these angels would do, just as He had eternal knowledge that Iblis would do as he did, while Allah refered to him being among the angels,

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَىٰ

(And (remember) when We said to the angels: "Prostrate yourselves before Adam." And they prostrated except Iblis (Satan), he refused)(20:116) and so forth. However, what Harut and Marut did was less evil than what Iblis, may Allah curse him, did. Al-Qurtubi reported this opinion from 'Ali, Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn 'Abbas, Ibn 'Umar, Ka'b Al-Ahbar, As-Suddi and Al-Kalbi.

Allah said,

 وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلَا تَكْفُرْ

(But neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, "We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).)

Abu Ja'far Ar-Razi said that Ar-Rabi' bin Anas said that Qays bin 'Abbad said that Ibn 'Abbas said, "When someone came to the angels to learn magic, they would discourage him and say to him, 'We are only a test, so do not fall into disbelief.' They had knowledge of what is good and evil and what constitutes belief or disbelief, and they thus knew that magic is a form of disbelief. When the person who came to learn magic still insisted on learning it, they commanded him to go to such and such place, where if he went, Satan would meet him and teach him magic. When this man would learn magic, the light (of faith) would depart him, and he would see it shining (and flying away) in the sky. He would then proclaim, 'O my sorrow! Woe unto me! What should I do?" Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that this Ayah means, "The angels were sent with magic, so that the people whom Allah willed would be tried and tested. Allah made them promise that they would not teach anyone until first proclaiming, 'We are a test for you, do not fall into disbelief.'" It was recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim. Also, Qatadah said, "Allah took their covenant to not teach anyone magic until they said, 'We are a test. Therefore, do not fall in disbelief.'"

Also, As-Suddi said, "When a man would come to the two angels they would advise him, 'Do not fall into disbelief. We are a test. ' When the man would ignore their advice, they would say, 'Go to that pile of ashes and urinate on it.' When he would urinate on the ashes, a light, meaning the light of faith, would depart from him and would shine until it entered heaven. Then something black that appeared to be smoke would descend and enter his ears and the rest of his body, and this is Allah's anger. When he told the angels what happened, they would teach him magic. So Allah's statement,

 وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلَا تَكْفُرْ

(But neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, "We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).)

Sunayd said that Hajjaj said that Ibn Jurayj commented on this Ayah (2:102), "No one dares practice magic except a disbeliever. As for the Fitnah, it involves trials and freedom of choice."The scholars who stated that learning magic is disbelief relied on this Ayah for evidence. They also mentioned the Hadith that Abu Bakr Al-Bazzar recorded from 'Abdullah, which states,

مَنْ أَتَى كَاهِنًا أَوْ سَاحِرًا فَصَدَّقَهُ بِمَا يَقُولُ فَقَدْ كَفَر بِمَا أُنْزِلَ عَلى مُحَمَّدٍ صلّى الله عليه وسلّم

(Whoever came to a soothsayer or a sorcerer and believed in what he said, will have disbelieved in what Allah revealed to Muhammad ﷺ.)

This Hadith has an authentic chain of narration and there are other Hadiths which support it.

Allah said,

فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِ

(And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between man and his wife,) This means, "The people learned magic from Harut and Marut and indulged in evil acts that included separating spouses, even though spouses are close to, and intimately associate with each other. This is the devil's work." Muslim recorded that Jabir bin 'Abdullah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَيَضَعُ عَرْشَهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ ثُمَّ يَبْعَثُ سَرَايَاهُ فِي النَّاسِ فَأَقْرَبُهُمْ عِنْدَهُ مَنْزِلَةً أَعْظَمُهُمْ عِنْدَهُ فِتْنَةً وَيَجِيءُ أَحَدُهُمْ فَيَقُولُ: مَا زِلْتُ بِفُلَانٍ حَتَّى تَرَكْتُهُ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ كَذَا وَكَذَا، فَيَقُولُ إِبْلِيسُ: لَا وَاللهِ مَا صَنَعْتَ شَيْئًا، وَيَجِيءُ أَحَدُهُمْ فَيَقُولُ: مَا تَرَكْتُهُ حَتّى فَرَّقْتُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ أَهْلِهِ، قَالَ: فَيُقرِّبُهُ وَيُدْنِيهِ وَيَلْتَزِمُهُ وَيَقُولُ: نِعْمَ أَنْتَ

(Satan erects his throne on water and sends his emissaries among the people. The closest person to him is the person who causes the most Fitnah. One of them (a devil) would come to him and would say, 'I kept inciting so-and-so, until he said such and such words.' Iblis says, 'No, by Allah, you have not done much.' Another devil would come to him and would say, 'I kept inciting so-and-so, until I separated between him and his wife.' Satan would draw him closer and embrace him, saying, 'Yes, you did well.')

Separation between a man and his wife occurs here because each spouse imagines that the other spouse is ugly or ill-mannered, etc.

Allah said,

وَمَا هُم بِضَارِّينَ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

(But they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah's leave). Sufyan Ath-Thawri commented, "Except by Allah's appointed term." Further, Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that,

وَمَا هُم بِضَارِّينَ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

(But they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah's leave) means, "Allah allows magicians to adversely affect whomever He wills and saves whomever He wills from them. Sorcerers never bring harm to anyone except by Allah's leave." Allah's statement,

وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ

(And they learn that which harms them and profits them not.) means, it harms their religion and does not have a benefit compared to its harm.

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمُوا لَمَنِ اشْتَرَاهُ مَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَاقٍ

(And indeed they knew that the buyers of it (magic) would have no (Khalaq) share in the Hereafter.) meaning, "The Jews who preferred magic over following the Messenger of Allah ﷺ knew that those who commit the same error shall have no Khalaq in the Hereafter." Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid and As-Suddi stated that 'no Khalaq' means, 'no share.'

Allah then said,

وَلَبِئْسَ مَا شَرَوْا بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ - وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَمَثُوبَةٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَّوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ

(And how bad indeed was that for which they sold their own selves, if they but knew. And if they had believed and guarded themselves from evil and kept their duty to Allah, far better would have been the reward from their Lord, if they but knew!). Allah stated,

وَلَبِئْسَ 

(And how bad) meaning, what they preferred, magic, instead of faith and following the Messenger, if they but comprehend the advice.

وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَمَثُوبَةٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ

(And if they had believed and guarded themselves from evil and kept their duty to Allah, far better would have been the reward from their Lord,) meaning, "Had they believed in Allah and His Messenger ﷺ and avoided the prohibitions, then Allah's reward for these good deeds would have been better for them than what they chose and preferred for themselves." Similarly, Allah said,

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ وَيْلَكُمْ ثَوَابُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لِّمَنْ آمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا وَلَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلَّا الصَّابِرُونَ

(But those who had been given (religious) knowledge said: "Woe to you! The reward of Allah (in the Hereafter) is better for those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and this none shall attain except As-Sabirun (the patient in following the truth).")(28:80).

O you who believe! Say not (to the Messenger ﷺ) Ra'ina but say Unzurna (make us understand) and hear. And for the disbelievers there is a painful torment (104)Neither those who disbelieve among the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) nor Al-Mushrikin (the idolaters) like that there should be sent down unto you any good from your Lord. But Allah chooses for His mercy whom He wills. And Allah is the Owner of great bounty (105)

Allah forbade His believing servants from imitating the behavior and deeds of the disbelievers. The Jews used to use devious words that hide what they really meant. May Allah's curse be upon them. When they wanted to say, 'hear us,' they would use the word Ra'ina, which is an insult (in Hebrew, but means 'hear us' in Arabic). Allah said,

مِّنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُوا يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِ وَيَقُولُونَ سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا وَاسْمَعْ غَيْرَ مُسْمَعٍ وَرَاعِنَا لَيًّا بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ وَطَعْنًا فِي الدِّينِ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا وَاسْمَعْ وَانظُرْنَا لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ وَأَقْوَمَ وَلَٰكِن لَّعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا

(Among those who are Jews, there are some who displace words from (their) right places and say: "We hear your word (O Muhammad ﷺ) and disobey," and "Hear and let you (O Muhammad ﷺ) hear nothing." And Ra'ina with a twist of their tongues and as a mockery of the religion (Islam). And if only they had said: "We hear and obey," and "Do make us understand," it would have been better for them, and more proper; but Allah cursed them for their disbelief, so they believe not except a few)(4:46).

Also, the Hadiths stated that when they would greet Muslims, they would say, 'As-Samu 'alaykum,' meaning, 'death be to you'. This is why we were commanded to answer them by saying, 'Wa 'alaykum,' meaning, 'and to you too', then our supplication against them shall be answered, rather than theirs against us.

Allah forbade the believers from imitating the disbelievers in tongue or deed. Allah said,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَقُولُوا رَاعِنَا وَقُولُوا انظُرْنَا وَاسْمَعُوا وَلِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

(O you who believe! Say not (to the Messenger ﷺ) Ra'ina but say Unzurna (make us understand) and hear. And for the disbelievers there is a painful torment)(2:104).

Also, Imam Ahmad narrated that Ibn 'Umar said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

بُعِثْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ السَّاعَةِ بِالسَّيْفِ حَتَّى يُعْبَدَ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَجُعِلَ رِزْقِي تَحْتَ ظِلِّ رُمْحِي، وَجُعِلَتِ الذِّلَّةُ وَالصَّغَارُ عَلَى مَنْ خَالَفَ أَمْرِي، وَمَنْ تَشَبَّهَ بِقَومٍ فَهُوَ مِنْهُم

(I was sent with the sword just before the Last Hour, so that Allah is worshipped alone without partners. My sustenance was provided for me from under the shadow of my spear. Those who oppose my command were humiliated and made inferior, and whoever imitates a people, he is one of them.)

Abu Dawud narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said,

مَنْ تَشَبَّهَ بِقَوْمٍ فَهُوَ مِنْهُم

(Whoever imitates a people is one of them.)

These Hadiths indicate, along with their threats and warnings, that we are not allowed to imitate the disbelievers in their statements, deeds, clothes, feasts, acts of worship, etc., whatever actions of the disbelievers that were not legislated for us.

Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn 'Abbas commented on the Ayah,

لَا تَقُولُوا رَاعِنَا

(Say not (to the Messenger ﷺ) Ra'ina)

They used to say to the Prophet ﷺ, Ar'ina samak (which is an insult). Ibn Abu Hatim said that it was reported that Abu Al-'Aliyah, Abu Malik, Ar-Rabi' bin Anas, 'Atiyah Al-'Awfi and Qatadah said similarly. Further, Mujahid said, "Do not say Ra'ina' means, 'Do not dispute'." Mujahid said in another narration, "Do not say, 'We hear from you, and you hear from us.'" Also, 'Ata' said, "Do not say,

رَاعِنَا 

(Ra'ina), which was a dialect that the Ansar used and which was forbidden from use by Allah."

Also, As-Suddi said, "Rifa'ah bin Zayd, a Jewish man from the tribe of Qaynuqa', used to come to the Prophet ﷺ and say to him, 'Hear, Ghayr Musma'in (let you hear nothing).' The Muslims used to think that the Prophets are greeted and honored with this type of speech, and this is why some of them used to say, 'Hear, let you hear nothing,' and so on, as mentioned in Surat An-Nisa." Thereafter, Allah forbade the believers from uttering the word Ra'ina." 'Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam also said similarly.

Allah said next (2:105),

مَّا يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَلَا الْمُشْرِكِينَ أَن يُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ

(Neither those who disbelieve among the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) nor Al-Mushrikin (the idolaters), like that there should be sent down unto you any good from your Lord).

Allah described the deep enmity that the disbelieving polytheists and People of the Scripture, whom Allah warned against imitating, have against the believers, so that Muslims should sever all friendship with them. Also, Allah mentioned what He granted the believers of the perfect Law that He legislated for their Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Allah said,

وَاللَّهُ يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ

(But Allah chooses for His mercy whom He wills. And Allah is the Owner of great bounty)(2:105).

Whatever a verse (revelation) do Nansakh (We abrogate) or Nunsiha (cause to be forgotten), We bring a better one or similar to it. Know you not that Allah is Able to do all things (106)Know you not that it is Allah to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth? And besides Allah you have neither any Wali (protector or guardian) nor any helper (107)

Ibn Abi Talhah said that Ibn 'Abbas said that,

مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ آيَةٍ

(Whatever a verse (revelation) do Nansakh) means, "Whatever an Ayah We abrogate." Also, Ibn Jurayj said that Mujahid said that,

مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ آيَةٍ

(Whatever a verse (revelation) do Nansakh) means, "Whatever an Ayah We erase." Also, Ibn Abi Najih said that Mujahid said that,

مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ آيَةٍ

(Whatever a verse (revelation) do Nansakh) means, "We keep the words, but change the meaning." He related these words to the companions of 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud. Ibn Abi Hatim said that similar statements were mentioned by Abu Al-'Aliyah and Muhammad bin Ka'b Al-Qurazi. Also As-Suddi said that,

مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ آيَةٍ

(Whatever a verse (revelation) do Nansakh) means, "We erase it." Further, Ibn Abi Hatim said that it means, "Erase and raise it, such as erasing the following wordings (from the Qur'an), 'The married adulterer and the married adulteress: stone them to death,' and, 'If the son of Adam had two valleys of gold, he would seek a third.'"

Ibn Jarir stated that,

مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ آيَةٍ

(Whatever a verse (revelation) do Nansakh) means, "Whatever ruling we repeal in an Ayah by making the allowed unlawful and the unlawful allowed." The Nasakh only occurs with commandments, prohibitions, permissions, and so forth. As for stories, they do not undergo Nasakh. The word, 'Nasakh' literally means, 'to copy a book'. The meaning of Nasakh in the case of commandments is removing the commandment and replacing it by another. And whether the Nasakh involves the wordings, the ruling or both, it is still called Nasakh.

Allah said next,

أَوْ نُنسِهَا

(or Nunsiha (cause it to be forgotten)). 'Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn 'Abbas said that,

مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ آيَةٍ أَوْ نُنسِهَا

(Whatever a verse (revelation) do Nansakh or Nunsiha) means, "Whatever Ayah We repeal or uphold without change." Also, Mujahid said that the companions of Ibn Mas'ud (who read this word Nansa'ha) said that it means, "We uphold its wording and change its ruling." Further, 'Ubayd bin 'Umayr, Mujahid and 'Ata' said, 'Nansa'ha' means, "We delay it (i.e., do not abrogate it)." Further, 'Atiyyah Al-'Awfi said that the Ayah means, "We delay repealing it." This is the same Tafsir provided by As-Suddi and Ar-Rabi' bin Anas. 'Abdur-Razzaq said that Ma'mar said that Qatadah said about Allah's statement,

مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ آيَةٍ أَوْ نُنسِهَا

(Whatever a verse (revelation) do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten) "Allah made His Prophet ﷺ forget what He willed and He abrogated what He will."

Allah's said,

نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِّنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلِهَا

(We bring a better one or similar to it), better, relates to the benefit provided for the one it addresses, as reported from 'Ali bin Abi Talhah that Ibn 'Abbas said,

نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِّنْهَا

(We bring a better one) means, "We bring forth a more beneficial ruling, that is also easier for you." Also, As-Suddi said that,

نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِّنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلِهَا

(We bring a better one or similar to it) means, "We bring forth a better Ayah, or similar to that which was repealed." Qatadah also said that,

نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِّنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلِهَا

(We bring a better one or similar to it) means, "We replace it by an Ayah more facilitating, permitting, commanding, or prohibiting."

Allah said,

أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ - أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ

(Know you not that Allah is Able to do all things? Know you not that it is Allah to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth? And besides Allah you have neither any Wali (protector or guardian) nor any helper).

Allah directed His servants to the fact that He alone is the Owner of His creatures and that He does with them as He wills. Indeed, His is the supreme authority and all creation is His, and just as He created them as He wills, He brings happiness to whom He wills, misery to whom He wills, health to whom He wills and ailment to whom He wills. He also brings success to whom He wills and failure to whom He wills. He judges between His servants as He wills, allows what He wills and disallows what He wills. He decides what He wills, there is no opponent for His judgment, and no one can question Him about what He does, while they shall be questioned. He tests His servants and their obedience to His Messengers by the Naskh. He commands a matter containing a benefit which He knows of, and then He out of His wisdom, prohibits it. Hence, perfect obedience is realized by adhering to His commands, following His Messengers, believing in what ever they convey, implementing their commands and avoiding what they prohibit.

The statements of Allah here contain tremendous benefit, prove that the Jews are disbelievers and refute their claim that Naskh does not occur, may Allah curse the Jews. In ignorance and arrogance they claimed that the sound mind stipulates that Naskh does not occur. Some of them falsely claimed that there are divine texts that dismiss the possibility that Naskh occurred.

Imam Abu Ja'far bin Jarir said, "The Ayah means, 'Do you not know, O Muhammad, that I alone own the heavens and the earth and that I decide whatever I will in them? I forbid whatever I will, change and repeal whatever I will of My previous rulings, whenever I will. I also uphold whatever I will."

Ibn Jarir then said, "Although Allah directed His statement indicating His greatness towards His Prophet ﷺ, He also rejected the lies of the Jews who denied that the rulings of the Torah could undergo Naskh. The Jews also denied the prophethood of Jesus and Muhammad, because of their dislike for what they brought from Allah, such as changing some rulings of the Torah, as Allah commanded. Allah thus proclaimed to the Jews that He owns the heavens and earth and also all authority in them. Further, the subjects in Allah's kingdom are His creation, and they are required to hear and obey His commands and prohibitions. Allah has full authority to command the creation as He wills, forbidding them from what He wills, abrogate what He wills, uphold what He wills, and decide whatever commandments and prohibitions He wills."

I (Ibn Kathir) say that the Jews' dismissal of the occurrence of the Naskh is only a case of their disbelief and rebellion. The sound mind does not deny that there could be a Naskh in Allah's commandments, for He decides what He wills, just as He does what He wills. Further, Naskh occurred in previous Books and Law. For instance, Allah allowed Adam to marry his daughters to his sons and then later forbade this practice. Allah also allowed Nuh to eat from all kinds of animals after they left the ark, then prohibited eating some types of foods. Further, marrying two sisters to one man was allowed for Israel and his children, but Allah prohibited this practice later in the Torah. Allah commanded Abraham to slaughter his son, then repealed that command before it was implemented. Also, Allah commanded the Children of Israel to kill those who worshipped the calf and then repealed that command, so that the Children of Israel were not all exterminated. There are many other instances that the Jews admit have occurred, yet they ignore them. Also, it is a well-known fact that their Books foretold about Muhammad ﷺ and contained the command to follow him. These texts, in their Books, indicate that the Jews were required to follow the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and that no good deed would be accepted from them, unless it conformed to Muhammad's Law. The Prophet ﷺ brought another Book - the Qur'an - which is the last revelation from Allah.

Or do you want to ask your Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ) as Musa (Moses) was asked before (i.e. show us openly our Lord)? And he who changes faith for disbelief, verily, he has gone astray from the right way (108)

In this Ayah, Allah forbade the believers from asking the Prophet ﷺ numerous questions about matters that did not occur yet. Similarly, Allah said,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَسْأَلُوا عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ إِن تُبْدَ لَكُمْ تَسُؤْكُمْ وَإِن تَسْأَلُوا عَنْهَا حِينَ يُنَزَّلُ الْقُرْآنُ تُبْدَ لَكُمْ 

(O you who believe! Ask not about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble. But if you ask about them while the Qur'an is being revealed, they will be made plain to you)(5:101).

This Ayah means, "If you ask about a matter after it is revealed, it shall be duly explained to you. Therefore, do not ask about matters that have not occurred yet, for they might become prohibited, due to your questions." This is why the Sahih narrated,

إِنَّ أَعْظَمَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ جُرْمًا مَنْ سَأَلَ عَنْ شَيْءٍ لَمْ يُحَرَّمْ، فَحُرِّمَ مِنْ أَجْلِ مَسْأَلَتِهِ

(The greatest criminal among the Muslims is the one who asks if a thing is prohibited, which is not prohibited, and it becomes prohibited because of his asking about it.)

This is why when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked about a husband who finds another man with his wife; if he exposes the adultery, he will be exposing a major incident; if he is quiet about it, he will be quiet about a major matter. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not like such questions. Later on, Allah revealed the ruling of Mula'anah [Refer to Nur 24:6-9 in the Qur'an]. The Two Sahihs recorded that Al-Mughirah bin Shu'bah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ "Forbade saying, 'It was said' and 'He said,' and wasting money and asking many questions." Muslim recorded that the Prophet ﷺ said,

ذَرُونِي مَا تَرَكْتُكُمْ، فَإِنَّمَا هَلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ بِكَثْرَةِ سُؤَالِهِمْ وَاخْتِلَافِهِمْ عَلى أَنْبِيَائِهِمْ، فَإِذَا أَمَرْتُكُمْ بِأَمْرٍ فَأْتُوا مِنْهُ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ وَإِنْ نَهَيْتُكُمْ عَنْ شَيْءٍ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ

(Leave me as I leave you; those before you were only destroyed because of their excessive questioning and disputing with their Prophets. Therefore, when I command you with a matter, adhere to it as much as you can, and when I forbid from something, avoid it.)

The Prophet ﷺ only said this after he told the Companions that Allah has ordered them to perform Hajj. A man asked, "Every year, O Messenger of Allah?" The Prophet ﷺ did not answer him, but he repeated his question three times. Then the Prophet ﷺ said,

لَا، وَلَوْ قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ، لَوَجَبَتْ وَلَوْ وَجَبَتْ لَمَا اسْتَطَعْتُم

(No. Had I said yes, it would have been ordained, and you would not have been able to implement it.)

This is why Anas bin Malik said, "We were forbidden from asking the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about things. So we were delighted when a bedouin man would come and ask him while we listened."

Muhammad bin Ishaq said that Muhammad bin Abi Muhammad told him that 'Ikrimah or Sa'id said that Ibn 'Abbas said that 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, then we will follow you and believe in you." Allah sent down the answer to this challenge,

أَمْ تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَسْأَلُوا رَسُولَكُمْ كَمَا سُئِلَ مُوسَىٰ مِن قَبْلُ وَمَن يَتَبَدَّلِ الْكُفْرَ بِالْإِيمَانِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ

(Or do you want to ask your Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ) as Musa was asked before (i.e. show us openly our Lord)? And he who changes faith for disbelief, verily, he has gone astray from the right way).

Allah criticized those who ask the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about a certain matter just for the purpose of being difficult, just as the Children of Israel asked Musa out of stubbornness, rejection and rebellion. Allah said,

وَمَن يَتَبَدَّلِ الْكُفْرَ بِالْإِيمَانِ

(And he who changes faith for disbelief) meaning, whoever prefers disbelief to faith,

فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ

(verily, he has gone astray from the right way) meaning, he has strayed from the straight path, to the path of ignorance and misguidance. This is the case of those who deviated from accepting the Prophets and obeying them and those who kept asking their Prophets unnecessary questions in defiance and disbelief, just as Allah said,

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ بَدَّلُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ كُفْرًا وَأَحَلُّوا قَوْمَهُمْ دَارَ الْبَوَارِ - جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَوْنَهَا وَبِئْسَ الْقَرَارُ

(Have you not seen those who have changed the blessings of Allah into disbelief (by denying Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his Message of Islam), and caused their people to dwell in the house of destruction? Hell, in which they will burn and what an evil place to settle in!)(14:28-29).

Abu Al-'Aliyah commented, "They exchanged comfort for hardship."

Many of the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) wish that they could turn you away as disbelievers after you have believed, out of envy from their own selves, even after the truth (that Muhammad ﷺ is Allah's Messenger) has become manifest unto them. But forgive and overlook, till Allah brings His command. Verily, Allah is able to do all things (109)And perform the Salah and give the Zakah, and whatever of good you send forth for yourselves before you, you shall find it with Allah. Certainly, Allah is the Seer of what you do (110)

Allah warned His believing servants against following the ways of the People of Book, who publicly and secretly harbor emnity and hatred for the believers, and who envy the believers, while they recognize the virtue of the believers and their Prophet ﷺ. Allah also commanded His believing servants to forgive them and to be patient with them, until Allah delivers His aid and victory to them. Allah commanded the believers to perform the prayer perfectly, to pay the Zakah and He encouraged them to preserve the practice of these righteous deeds.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that 'Abdullah bin Ka'b bin Malik said that Ka'b bin Al-Ashraf, who was a Jew and a poet, used to criticize the Prophet ﷺ in his poems, so Allah revealed,

وَدَّ كَثِيرٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَوْ يَرُدُّونَكُم

(Many of the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) wish that they could turn you away..) regarding his matter.

Also, Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn 'Abbas said, "An unlettered Messenger came to the People of the Scriptures confirming what they have in their own Books about the Messengers and the Ayat of Allah. He also believes in all of this, just as they believe in it. Yet, they rejected the Prophet out of disbelief, envy and transgression. This is why Allah said,

كُفَّارًا حَسَدًا مِّنْ عِندِ أَنفُسِهِم مِّن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الْحَقُّ

(out of envy from their own selves, even after the truth (that Muhammad ﷺ is Allah's Messenger) has become manifest unto them).

Allah said that after He illuminated the truth for them, such that they were not ignorant of any of it, yet their envy made them deny the Prophet ﷺ. Thus Allah criticized, chastised and denounced them." Allah legislated the characteristics that His Prophet ﷺ and the believers should adhere to: belief, faith and accepting what Allah revealed to them and to those before them out of His generosity and tremendous kindness.

Ar-Rabi' bin Anas said that,

مِّنْ عِندِ أَنفُسِهِم

(from their own selves) means, "of their making." Also, Abu Al-'Aliyah said that,

مِّن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الْحَقُّ

(even after the truth (that Muhammad ﷺ is Allah's Messenger) has become manifest unto them) means, "After it became clear that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah whom they find written of in the Torah and the Injil. They denied him in disbelief and transgression because he was not one of them." Qatadah and Ar-Rabi' bin Anas said similarly. Allah said,

فَاعْفُوا وَاصْفَحُوا حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَ اللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ

(But forgive and overlook, till Allah brings His command.) this is similar to His saying;

وَلَتَسْمَعُنَّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا أَذًى كَثِيرًا

(And you shall certainly hear much that will grieve you from those who received the Scripture before you (Jews and Christians) and from those who ascribe partners to Allah)(3: 186).

Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn 'Abbas said that Allah's statement,

فَاعْفُوا وَاصْفَحُوا حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَ اللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ

(But forgive and overlook, till Allah brings His command.) was abrogated by the Ayah,

فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْ

(Then kill the Mushrikin wherever you find them)(9:5), and,

قَاتِلُوا الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَلَا بِالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ

(Fight against those who believe not in Allah, nor in the Last Day)(9:29) until,

وَهُمْ صَاغِرُونَ

(And feel themselves subdued)(9:29).

Allah's pardon for the disbelievers was repealed." Abu Al-'Aliyah, Ar-Rabi' bin Anas, Qatadah and As-Suddi said similarly: It was abrogated by the Ayah of the sword." (Mentioned above). The Ayah,

حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَ اللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ

(till Allah brings His command.) gives further support for this view.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded Usamah bin Zayd saying that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his Companions used to forgive the disbelievers and the People of the Book, just as Allah commanded in His statement,

فَاعْفُوا وَاصْفَحُوا حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَ اللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

(But forgive and overlook, till Allah brings His command. Verily, Allah is able to do all things).

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to forgive them and was patient with them as Allah ordered him, until Allah allowed fighting them. Then Allah destroyed those who He decreed to be killed among the strong men of Quraysh, by the Prophet's forces. The chain of narration for this text is Sahih, but I did not see its wordings in the six collections of Hadith, although the basis of it is in the Two Sahihs, narrated from Usamah bin Zayd.

Allah said,

وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ اللَّهِ

(And perform the Salah and give the Zakah, and whatever of good you send forth for yourselves before you, you shall find it with Allah).

Allah encouraged the believers to busy themselves in performing deeds that would bring them benefit and reward on the Day of Resurrection, such as prayer and paying Zakah. This way, they will gain Allah's aid in this life and on a Day when the witnesses testify,

يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ الظَّالِمِينَ مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ وَلَهُمُ اللَّعْنَةُ وَلَهُمْ سُوءُ الدَّارِ

(The Day when their excuses will be of no profit to the Zalimin (wrongdoers). Theirs will be the curse, and theirs will be the evil abode (i.e. painful torment in Hell-fire))(40:52).

This is why Allah said,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ

(Certainly, Allah sees what you do), meaning, that He is never unaware of the deeds of any person, nor will these deeds be lost by Him. Whether deeds are righteous or evil, Allah will award each according to what he or she deserves based on their deeds.

And they say, "None shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian." These are their own desires. Say (O Muhammad ﷺ), "Produce your Burhan if you are truthful. (111)Yes! But whoever submits his face (himself) to Allah (i.e. follows Allah's religion of Islamic Monotheism) and he is a Muhsin then his reward is with his Lord (Allah), on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve (112)The Jews said that the Christians follow nothing (i.e. are not on the right religion); and the Christians said that the Jews follow nothing (i.e. are not on the right religion); though they both recite the Scripture. Like unto their word, said those (the pagans) who know not. Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection about that wherein they have been differing (113)

Allah made the confusion of the Jews and the Christians clear, since they claim that no one will enter Paradise, unless he is a Jew or a Christian. Similarly, Allah mentioned their claims in Surat Al-Ma'idah:

نَحْنُ أَبْنَاءُ اللَّهِ وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ

(We are the children of Allah and His loved ones)(5:18).

Allah refuted this false claim and informed them that they will be punished because of their sins. Previously we mentioned their claim that the Fire would not touch them for more than a few days, after which they would be put in Paradise. Allah rebuked this claim, and He said about this baseless claim,

تِلْكَ أَمَانِيُّهُمْ

(These are their own desires). Abu Al-'Aliyah commented, "These are wishes that they wished Allah would answer, without basis." Similar was stated by Qatadah and Ar-Rabi' bin Anas. Allah then said,

قُلْ 

(Say) meaning, "Say O Muhammad:"

هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ

("Produce your Burhan...") meaning, "Your proof", as Abu Al-'Aliyah, Mujahid, As-Suddi and Ar-Rabi' bin Anas stated. Qatadah said that the Ayah means, "Bring the evidence that supports your statement,

 إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

(if you are truthful) in your claim. "

Allah then said,

بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ

(Yes! But whoever submits his face (himself) to Allah (i.e. follows Allah's religion of Islamic Monotheism) and he is a Muhsin) meaning, "Whoever performs deeds in sincerity, for Allah alone without partners." In a similar statement, Allah said,

فَإِنْ حَاجُّوكَ فَقُلْ أَسْلَمْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّهِ وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِ

(So if they dispute with you (Muhammad ﷺ) say: "I have submitted myself to Allah (in Islam), and (so have) those who follow me.")(3:20)

Abu Al-'Aliyah and Ar-Rabi' said that,

بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلَّهِ

(Yes! But whoever submits his face (himself) to Allah) means, "Whoever is sincere with Allah."

Also, Sa'id bin Jubayr said that,

بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ

(Yes! But whoever submits) means, he is sincere,

وَجْهَهُ 

(his face (himself)) meaning, in his religion.

وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ

(and he is a Muhsin) following the Messenger ﷺ. For there are two conditions for deeds to be accepted; the deed must be performed for Allah's sake alone and conform to the Shari'ah. When the deed is sincere, but does not conform to the Shari'ah, then it will not be accepted. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَدٌّ

(Whoever performs a deed that does not conform with our matter (religion), then it will be rejected.)

This Hadith was recorded by Muslim. Therefore, the good deeds of the priests and rabbis will not be accepted, even if they are sincerely for Allah alone, because these deeds do not conform with the method of the Messenger ﷺ, who was sent for all mankind. Allah said regarding such cases,

وَقَدِمْنَا إِلَىٰ مَا عَمِلُوا مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَاءً مَّنثُورًا

(And We shall turn to whatever deeds they (disbelievers, polytheists, sinners) did, and We shall make such deeds as scattered floating particles of dust.)(25:23)

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَعْمَالُهُمْ كَسَرَابٍ بِقِيعَةٍ يَحْسَبُهُ الظَّمْآنُ مَاءً حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَهُ لَمْ يَجِدْهُ شَيْئًا 

(As for those who disbelieved, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert. The thirsty one thinks it to be water, until he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing.)(24:39) and,

وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَاشِعَةٌ - عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ - تَصْلَىٰ نَارًا حَامِيَةً - تُسْقَىٰ مِنْ عَيْنٍ آنِيَةٍ

(Some faces, that Day will be humiliated. Laboring, weary. They will enter in the hot blazing Fire. They will be given to drink from a boiling spring)(88:2-5).

When the deed conforms to the Shari'ah outwardly, but the person did not perform it sincerely for Allah alone, the deed will also be rejected, as in the case of the hypocrites and those who do their deeds to show off. Similarly, Allah said,

إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ يُخَادِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ وَإِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ قَامُوا كُسَالَىٰ يُرَاءُونَ النَّاسَ وَلَا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا

(Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them. And when they stand up for As-Salah (the prayer), they stand with laziness to be seen by people, and they do not remember Allah but little.)(4:142) and,

فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْمُصَلِّينَ - الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَن صَلَاتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ - الَّذِينَ هُمْ يُرَاءُونَ - وَيَمْنَعُونَ الْمَاعُونَ

(So woe unto those performers of Salah (prayers)(hypocrites). Those who delay their Salah (from their stated fixed times). Those who do good deeds only to be seen (of men). And withhold Al-Ma'un (small kindnesses))(107:4-7).

This is why Allah said,

فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاءَ رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا

(So whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord)(18:110).

He also said in this Ayah,

بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ

(Yes, but whoever submits his face (himself) to Allah (follows Allah's religion of Islamic Monotheism) and he is a Muhsin).

Allah's statement,

فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

(Shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve) guaranteed them the rewards and safety from what they fear and should avoid.

فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ

(There shall be no fear on them) in the future,

وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

(nor shall they grieve) about what they abandoned in the past. Moreover, Sa'id bin Jubayr said,

فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ

"(There shall be no fear on them) in the Hereafter, and

وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

(nor shall they grieve) about their imminent death."

Allah said,

وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ لَيْسَتِ النَّصَارَىٰ عَلَىٰ شَيْءٍ وَقَالَتِ النَّصَارَىٰ لَيْسَتِ الْيَهُودُ عَلَىٰ شَيْءٍ وَهُمْ يَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ

(The Jews said that the Christians follow nothing (i.e. are not on the right religion); and the Christians said that the Jews follow nothing (i.e. are not on the right religion); though they both recite the Scripture.)

Allah explained the disputes, hatred and stubbornness that the People of the Book have towards each other. Muhammad bin Ishaq reported that Ibn 'Abbas said, "When a delegation of Christians from Najran came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the Jewish rabbis came and began arguing with them before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Rafi' bin Huraymilah said, 'You do not follow anything,' and he reiterated his disbelief in Jesus and the Injil. Then a Christian man from Najran's delegation said to the Jews, 'Rather, you do not follow anything,' and he reiterated his rejection of Musa's prophethood and his disbelief in the Torah. So Allah revealed the Ayah,

وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ لَيْسَتِ النَّصَارَىٰ عَلَىٰ شَيْءٍ وَقَالَتِ النَّصَارَىٰ لَيْسَتِ الْيَهُودُ عَلَىٰ شَيْءٍ وَهُمْ يَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ

(The Jews said that the Christians follow nothing (i.e. are not on the right religion); and the Christians said that the Jews follow nothing (i.e. are not on the right religion); though they both recite the Scripture.)"

Allah made it clear that each party read the affirmation of what they claimed to reject in their Book. Consequently, the Jews disbelieve in Jesus, even though they have the Torah in which Allah took their Covenant by the tongue of Moses to believe in Jesus. Also, the Gospel contains Jesus' assertion that Moses' prophethood and the Torah came from Allah. Yet, each party disbelieved in what the other party had.

Allah said,

 كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ

(Like unto their word, said those who know not) thus exposing the ignorance displayed by the Jews and the Christians concerning their statements that we mentioned. There is a difference of opinion regarding the meaning of Allah's statement,

الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

(who know not)

For instance, Ar-Rabi' bin Anas and Qatadah said that,

كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

(Like unto their word, said those said those who know not) means, "The Christians said similar statements to the Jews." Ibn Jurayj asked 'Ata', "Who are those 'who know not'?" 'Ata' said, "Nations that existed before the Jews and the Christians and before the Torah and the Gospel." Also, As-Suddi said that,

قَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

(said those who know not) is in reference to the Arabs who said that Muhammad ﷺ was not following anything (i. e. did not follow a true or existing religion). Abu Ja'far bin Jarir chose the view that this Ayah is general and that there is no evidence that specifically supports any of these explanations. So interpreting the Ayah in a general way is better. Allah knows best.

Allah said,

فَاللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ

(Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection about that wherein they have been differing.) meaning, that Allah will gather them all on the Day of Return. On that Day, Allah will justly judge between them, for He is never unjust with anyone, even as little as the weight of an atom. This Ayah is similar to Allah's statement in Surat Al-Hajj (22:17),

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالصَّابِئِينَ وَالنَّصَارَىٰ وَالْمَجُوسَ وَالَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ

(Verily, those who believe (in Allah and in His Messenger Muhammad ﷺ), and those who are Jews, and the Sabians, and the Christians, and the Majus, and those who associate partners with Allah; truly, Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection. Verily, Allah is over all things a Witness).

Allah said,

قُلْ يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَنَا رَبُّنَا ثُمَّ يَفْتَحُ بَيْنَنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَهُوَ الْفَتَّاحُ الْعَلِيمُ

(Say: "Our Lord will assemble us all together (on the Day of Resurrection), then He will judge between us with truth. And He is the Just Judge, the Knower of the true state of affairs.")(34:26).

And who are more unjust than those who forbid that Allah's Name be mentioned (i.e. prayers and invocations) in Allah's Masjids and strive for their ruin? It was not fitting that such should themselves enter them (Allah's Masjids) except in fear. For them there is disgrace in this world, and they will have a great torment in the Hereafter (114)

The Quraysh idolators are those who hindered the people from the Masjids of Allah and wanted to destroy them. Ibn Jarir reported that Ibn Zayd said that Allah's statement,

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن مَّنَعَ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ أَن يُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ وَسَعَىٰ فِي خَرَابِهَا

(And who are more unjust than those who forbid that Allah's Name be mentioned (i.e. prayers and invocations) in Allah's Masjids and strive for their ruin?) is about the Quraysh idolators who prevented the Prophet ﷺ from entering Makkah from Al-Hudaybiyyah, until he slaughtered the Hadi (animal for sacrifice) at Dhi-Tuwa. He then agreed to a peace treaty with the idolators and said to them, (No one before has ever prevented people from entering the House. One would even see the killer of his father and brother, but would not prevent him (from entering the House of Allah).) They said, "Whoever killed our fathers at Badr, shall never enter it while there is one of us alive." Allah's statement,

وَسَعَىٰ فِي خَرَابِهَا

(and strive for their ruin) means those who prevent whoever maintain the Masjids with Allah's remembrance and who visit Allah's House to perform Hajj and 'Umrah. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn 'Abbas said that the Quraysh prevented the Prophet ﷺ from praying at the Ka'bah in Al-Masjid Al-Haram, so Allah revealed,

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن مَّنَعَ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ أَن يُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ

(And who are more unjust than those who forbid that Allah's Name be mentioned (i.e. prayers and invocations) in Allah's Masjids?)"

After Allah chastised the Jews and Christians, He also criticized the idolators who expelled the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his Companions from Makkah, preventing them from praying in Al-Masjid Al-Haram, which they kept exclusively for their idols and polytheism. Allah said,

وَمَا لَهُمْ أَلَّا يُعَذِّبَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَهُمْ يَصُدُّونَ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَمَا كَانُوا أَوْلِيَاءَهُ إِنْ أَوْلِيَاؤُهُ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقُونَ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

(And why should not Allah punish them while they hinder (men) from Al-Masjid Al-Haram, and they are not its guardians? None can be its guardians except Al-Muttaqun (the pious), but most of them know not.)(8:34)

مَا كَانَ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ أَن يَعْمُرُوا مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ شَاهِدِينَ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِم بِالْكُفْرِ أُولَٰئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ وَفِي النَّارِ هُمْ خَالِدُونَ - إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ فَعَسَىٰ أُولَٰئِكَ أَن يَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَ

(It is not for the Mushrikin (polytheists), to maintain the Masjids of Allah while they witness against their own selves of disbelief. The works of such are in vain and in Fire shall they abide. The Masjids of Allah shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day; perform the Salah, and give the Zakah and fear none but Allah. It is they who are on true guidance.)(9:17-18)

and,

هُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَصَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَالْهَدْيَ مَعْكُوفًا أَن يَبْلُغَ مَحِلَّهُ وَلَوْلَا رِجَالٌ مُّؤْمِنُونَ وَنِسَاءٌ مُّؤْمِنَاتٌ لَّمْ تَعْلَمُوهُمْ أَن تَطَئُوهُمْ فَتُصِيبَكُم مِّنْهُم مَّعَرَّةٌ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ لِّيُدْخِلَ اللَّهُ فِي رَحْمَتِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ لَوْ تَزَيَّلُوا لَعَذَّبْنَا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا

(They are the ones who disbelieved and hindered you from Al-Masjid-Al-Haram (at Makkah) and detained the sacrificial animals, from reaching their place of sacrifice. Had there not been believing men and believing women whom you did not know, that you may kill them and on whose account a sin would have been committed by you without (your) knowledge, that Allah might bring into His mercy whom He wills ـ if they (the believers and the disbelievers) had been apart, We verily, would have punished those of them who disbelieved with painful torment)(48:25).

Therefore, Allah said here,

إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ

(The Masjids of Allah shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day; perform the Salah, and give the Zakah and fear none but Allah)(9:18).

Therefore, if those believers who follow the virtues mentioned in the Ayah were prevented from attending the Masjid, then what cause for destruction is worse than this? Maintaining the Masjids not only means beautifying them, but it involves remembering Allah, establishing His Shari'ah in the Masjids and purifying them from the filth of Shirk.

Allah said next,

 أُولَٰئِكَ مَا كَانَ لَهُمْ أَن يَدْخُلُوهَا إِلَّا خَائِفِينَ

(It was not fitting that such should themselves enter them (Allah's Masjids) except in fear).

This Ayah means, "Do not allow them - the disbelievers - to enter the Masjids, except to satisfy the terms of an armistice or a treaty." When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ conquered Makkah in 9 H, he commanded that someone announce at Mina, "After the current year, no idolators shall perform Hajj, and no naked persons shall perform Tawaf around the House, except for those who have a treaty. In this case, the treaty will be carried to the end of its term." This Ayah supports the Ayah,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْمُشْرِكُونَ نَجَسٌ فَلَا يَقْرَبُوا الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ بَعْدَ عَامِهِمْ هَٰذَا

(O you who believe! (in Allah's Oneness and in His Messenger Muhammad ﷺ)! Verily, the Mushrikun (idolators) are Najasun (impure). So let them not come near Al-Masjid-Al-Haram (at Makkah) after this year)(9:28).

It was also said that this Ayah (2:114) carries the good news for the Muslims from Allah that He will allow them to take over Al-Masjid Al-Haram and all the Masjids and disgrace the idolators. Soon after, the Ayah indicated, no idolator shall enter the House, except out of fear of being seized or killed, unless he embraces Islam. Allah fulfilled this promise and later decreed that idolators not be allowed to enter Al-Masjid Al-Haram. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stated that no two religions should remain in the Arabian Peninsula, and the Jews and Christians should be expelled from it, all praise is due to Allah. All of these rulings ensure maintaining the honor of Al-Masjid Al-Haram and purifying the area where Allah sent His Messenger to warn and bring good news to all of mankind, may Allah's peace and blessings be on him.

This Ayah also described the disgrace that the disbelievers earn in this life, and that the punishment comes in a form comparable to the deed. Just as they prevented the believers from entering Al-Masjid Al-Haram, they were prevented from entering it in turn. Just as they expelled the believers from Makkah, they were in turn expelled from Makkah,

 وَلَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

(and they will have a great torment in the Hereafter) because they breached the sanctity of the House and brought filth to it by erecting idols all around it, invoking other than Allah and performing Tawaf around it while naked, etc.

Here it is worth mentioning the Hadith about seeking refuge from disgrace in this life and the torment of the Hereafter. Imam Ahmad recorded that Busr bin Artah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to supplicate,

اللَّهُمَّ أَحْسِنْ عَاقِبَتَنَا فِي الْأُمُورِ كُلِّهَا وَأَجِرْنَا مِنْ خِزْيِ الدُّنْيَا وَعَذَابِ الْآخِرَةِ

(O Allah! Make our end better in all affairs, and save us from disgrace in this life and the torment of the Hereafter.)

This Hadith is Hasan.

And to Allah belong the east and the west, so wherever you turn (yourselves or your faces) there is the Face of Allah (and He is High above, over His Throne). Surely, Allah is Sufficient (for His creatures' needs), Knowing (115)

This ruling brought comfort to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his Companions, who were driven out of Makkah and had to depart from the area of Al-Masjid Al-Haram. In Makkah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray in the direction of Bayt Al-Maqdis, while the Ka'bah was between him and the Qiblah. When the Messenger ﷺ migrated to Al-Madinah, he faced Bayt Al-Maqdis for sixteen or seventeen months, and then Allah directed him to face Al-Ka'bah in prayer. This is why Allah said,

وَلِلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ

(And to Allah belong the east and the west, so wherever you turn (yourselves or your faces) there is the Face of Allah (and He is High above, over His Throne)).

Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn 'Abbas said, "The first part of the Qur'an that was abrogated was about the Qiblah. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ migrated to Al-Madinah, which was inhabited by the Jews, he was at first commanded to face Bayt Al-Maqdis. The Jews were happy, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ faced Bayt Al-Maqdis for some ten months. However, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ liked to face the Qiblah of Ibrahim (Al-Ka'bah at Makkah), and he used to look to the sky and supplicate. So Allah revealed,

قَدْ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ

(Verily, We have seen the turning of your (Muhammad's) face towards the heaven) until,

فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ

(turn your faces (in prayer) in that direction)(2:144).

The Jews were disturbed by this development and said, 'What made them change the direction of the Qiblah that they used to face?' Allah revealed,

قُل لِّلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ

(Say (O Muhammad ﷺ): "To Allah belong both, east and the west") and,

فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّواْ فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ

(So wherever you turn (yourselves or your faces) there is the Face of Allah (and He is High above, over His Throne))."

Ikrimah said that Ibn 'Abbas said,

فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّواْ فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ

(So wherever you turn (yourselves or your faces) there is the Face of Allah (and He is High above, over His Throne)) means, "Allah's direction is wherever you face, east or west." Mujahid said that,

فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّواْ فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ

(So wherever you turn (yourselves or your faces) there is the Face of Allah (and He is High above, over His Throne))

means, "Wherever you may be, you have a Qiblah to face, that is, Al-Ka'bah."

However, it was said that Allah sent down this Ayah before the order to face the Ka'bah. Ibn Jarir said, "Others said that this Ayah was revealed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ permitting the one praying voluntary prayers to face wherever they wish in the east or west, while traveling, when in fear and when facing the enemy." For instance, Ibn 'Umar used to face whatever direction his animal was headed and proclaim that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did the same, explaining the Ayah,

فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّواْ فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ

(So wherever you turn (yourselves or your faces) there is the Face of Allah)."

That Hadith was also collected by Muslim, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Marduwyah, and its origin is in the Two Sahihs from Ibn 'Umar and 'Amr bin Rabi'ah without mentioning the Ayah. In his Sahih, Al-Bukhari recorded that Nafi' said that whenever Ibn 'Umar was asked about the prayer during times of fear, he used to describe it and would then say, "When the sense of fear is worse than that, pray while standing, or while riding, whether facing the Qiblah or not." Nafi' then said, "I think Ibn 'Umar mentioned that from the Prophet ﷺ." It was also said that the Ayah was revealed about those who are unable to find the correct direction of the Qiblah in the dark or due to cloudy skies and, thus, prayed in a direction other than the Qiblah by mistake.

In his Tafsir of this Ayah (2:115), Al-Hafiz Ibn Marduwyah recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

مَا بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ قِبْلَةٌ لِأَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَأَهْلِ الشَّامِ وَأَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ

(What is between the east and the west is the Qiblah for the people of Al-Madinah, Ash-Sham and 'Iraq.)

At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah recorded this Hadith with the wording,

مَا بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ قِبْلَةٌ

(What is between the east and the west is a Qiblah.)

Ibn Jarir said, "The meaning of Allah's statement;

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

(Surely, Allah is Sufficient (for His creatures' needs), Knowing) is that Allah encompasses all His Creation by providing them with sufficient needs and by His generosity and favor. His statement,

عَلِيمٌ

(Knowing) means He is knowledgeable of their deeds and nothing escapes His watch, nor is He unaware of anything. Rather, His knowledge encompasses everything."

And they (Jews, Christians and pagans) say: Allah has begotten a son (children or offspring). Glory is to Him (Exalted is He above all that they associate with Him). Nay, to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth, and all are Qānitūn to Him (116)The Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it: "Be! ـ and it is (117)

This and the following Ayat refute the Christians, may Allah curse them, and their like among the Jews and the Arab idolators, who claimed that the angels are Allah's daughters. Allah refuted all of them in their claim that He had begotten a son. Allah said,

سُبْحَانَهُ 

(Glory is to Him.)

meaning, He is holier and more perfect than such claim;

بَل لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ

(Nay, to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth,) meaning, the truth is not as the disbelievers claimed, rather, Allah's is the kingdom of the heavens and earth and whatever and whoever is in, on and between them. Allah is the Supreme Authority in the heavens and earth, and He is the Creator, Provider and Sustainer Who decides all the affairs of the creation as He wills. All creatures are Allah's servants and are owned by Him. Therefore, how could one of them be His son? The son of any being is born out of two comparable beings. Allah has no equal or rival sharing His grace and greatness, so how can He have a son when He has no wife? Allah said,

بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لَهُ وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ تَكُن لَّهُ صَاحِبَةٌ وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

(He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. How can He have children when He has no wife? He created all things and He is the Knower of everything)(6:101).

وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمَٰنُ وَلَدًا - لَّقَدْ جِئْتُمْ شَيْئًا إِدًّا - تَكَادُ السَّمَاوَاتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْهُ وَتَنشَقُّ الْأَرْضُ وَتَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدًّا - أَن دَعَوْا لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ وَلَدًا - وَمَا يَنبَغِي لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ وَلَدًا - إِن كُلُّ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ إِلَّا آتِي الرَّحْمَٰنِ عَبْدًا - لَّقَدْ أَحْصَاهُمْ وَعَدَّهُمْ عَدًّا - وَكُلُّهُمْ آتِيهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَرْدًا

(And they say: "The Most Gracious (Allah) has begotten a son (offspring or children)." Indeed you have brought forth (said) a terrible evil thing. Whereby the heavens are almost torn, and the earth is split asunder, and the mountains fall in ruins. That they ascribe a son (or offspring or children) to the Most Gracious (Allah). But it is not suitable for (the majesty of) the Most Gracious (Allah) that He should beget a son (or offspring or children). There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Gracious (Allah) as a servant. Verily, He knows each one of them, and has counted them a full counting. And everyone of them will come to Him alone on the Day of Resurrection (without any helper, or protector or defender))(19:88-95), and,

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ - اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ - لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ - وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

(Say: "He is Allah (the) One, Allah the Samad (the Self-Sufficent, upon whom all depend), He begets not, nor was He begotten, and there is none comparable to Him.")(112).

In these Ayat, Allah stated that He is the Supreme Master Whom there is no equal or rival, everything and everyone was created by Him, so how can He have a son from among them? This is why, in the Tafsir of this Ayah, Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn 'Abbas said that the Prophet ﷺ said,

قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى: كَذّبَنِي ابْنُ آدَمَ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ ذلِكَ، وَشَتَمَنِي وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ ذلِكَ، فَأَمَّا تَكْذِيبُهُ إِيَّايَ فَيَزْعُمُ أَنِّي لَا أَقْدِرُ أَنْ أُعِيدَهُ كَمَا كَانَ، وَأَمَّا شَتْمُهُ إِيَّايَ فَقَوْلُهُ لِي وَلَدًا فَسُبْحَانِي أَنْ أَتَّخِذَ صَاحِبَةً أَوْ وَلَدًا

(Allah said, 'The son of Adam has denied Me, and that is not his right. He has insulted Me, and that is not his right. As for the denial of Me, he claimed that I am unable to bring him back as he used to be (resurrect him). As for his insulting Me, he claimed that I have a son. All praise is due to Me, it is unbefitting that I should have a wife or a son.')

This Hadith was recorded by Al-Bukhari.

It is recorded in the Two Sahihs that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

لَا أَحَدَ أَصْبَرُ عَلَى أَذًى سَمِعَهُ مِنَ اللهِ: إِنَّهُمْ يَجْعَلُونَ لَهُ وَلَدًا وَهُوَ يَرْزُقُهُمْ وَيُعَافِيهِم

(No one is more patient when hearing an insult than Allah. They attribute a son to Him, yet He still gives them sustanence and health.)

Allah said,

كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَانِتُونَ

(all are Qānitūn to Him).

Ibn Abi Hatim said that Abu Sa'id Al-Ashaj informed them that Asbat informed them from Mutarrif, from 'Atiyah, from Ibn 'Abbas who said that,

قَانِتِينَ

(Qānitīn)(2:238) means, they pray to Him. 'Ikrimah and Abu Malik also said that,

كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَانِتُونَ

(and all are Qānitūn to Him.) means, bound to Him in servitude to Him. Sa'id bin Jubayr said that Qānitūn is sincerity. Ar-Rabi' bin Anas said that,

كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَانِتُونَ

(all are Qānitūn to Him.) means, "Standing up - before Him - on the Day of Resurrection." Also, As-Suddi said that,

كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَانِتُونَ

(and all are Qānitūn to Him.) means, "Obedient on the Day of Resurrection." Khasif said that Mujahid said that,

كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَانِتُونَ

(and all are Qānitūn to 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 Najih said that Mujahid said that,

كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَانِتُونَ

(and all are Qānitūn to Him.) means, obedient. Mujahid also said, "The obedience of the disbeliever occurs when his shadow prostrates, while he hates that." Mujahid's statement, which Ibn Jarir preferred, combines all the meanings, and that is that Qunut means obedience and submission to Allah. There are two categories of Qunut: legislated and destined, for Allah said,

وَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَظِلَالُهُم بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ

(And unto Allah (alone) falls in prostration whoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and so do their shadows in the mornings and in the (late) afternoons)(13:15).

Allah said,

بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ

(The Badī' (Originator) of the heavens and the earth.) which means, He created them when nothing resembling them existed. Mujahid and As-Suddi said that this is the linguistic meaning, for all new matters are called Bid'ah. Muslim recorded the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying,

فَإِنَّ كُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ

(...every innovation (in religion) is a Bid'ah.)

There are two types of Bid'ah, religious, as mentioned in the Hadith:

فَإِنَّ كُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ

(...every innovation is a Bid'ah and every Bid'ah is heresy.)

And there is a linguistic Bid'ah, such as the statement of the Leader of the faithful 'Umar bin Al-Khattab when he gathered the Muslims to pray the Tarawih prayer in congregation (which was also an earlier practice of the Prophet ﷺ) and said, "What a good Bid'ah this is."

Ibn Jarir said, "Thus the meaning of the Ayat (2:116-117) becomes, 'Allah is far more glorious than to have had a son, for He is the Owner of everything that is in the heavens and earth. All testify to His Oneness and to their submissiveness to Him. He is their Creator and Maker. Without created precedence, He shaped the creatures in their current shapes. Allah also bears witness to His servants that Jesus, who some claimed to be Allah's son, is among those who testify to His Oneness. Allah stated that He created the heavens and earth out of nothing and without precedent. Likewise, He created Jesus, the Messiah, with His power and without a father." This explanation from Ibn Jarir, may Allah have mercy upon him, is very good and correct.

Allah said,

وَإِذَا قَضَىٰ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ

(When He decrees a matter, He only says to it : "Be! ـ and it is.) thus, demonstrating His perfectly complete ability and tremendous authority; if He decides a matter, He merely orders it to, 'Be' and it comes into existence. Similarly, Allah said,

إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُ إِذَا أَرَادَ شَيْئًا أَن يَقُولَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ

(Verily, His command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, "Be! ـ and it is.)(36:82),

إِنَّمَا قَوْلُنَا لِشَيْءٍ إِذَا أَرَدْنَاهُ أَن نَّقُولَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ

(Verily, Our Word unto a thing when We intend it, is only that We say unto it: "Be! ـ and it is.)(16:40) and,

وَمَا أَمْرُنَا إِلَّا وَاحِدَةٌ كَلَمْحٍ بِالْبَصَرِ

(And Our commandment is but one as the twinkling of an eye)(54:50)

So Allah informed us that He created Jesus by merely saying, "Be!" and he was, as Allah willed:

إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَىٰ عِندَ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ آدَمَ خَلَقَهُ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ

(Verily, the likeness of 'Isa (Jesus) before Allah is the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then (He) said to him: "Be! ـ and he was)(3:59).

And those who have no knowledge say: "Why does not Allah speak to us (face to face) or why does not a sign come to us?" So said the people before them words of similar import. Their hearts are alike, We have indeed made plain the signs for people who believe with certainty (118)

Muhammad bin Ishaq reported that Ibn 'Abbas said that Rafi' bin Huraymilah said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, "O Muhammad! If you were truly a Messenger from Allah, as you claim, then ask Allah to speak to us directly, so that we hear His Speech." So Allah revealed,

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ لَوْلَا يُكَلِّمُنَا اللَّهُ أَوْ تَأْتِينَا آيَةٌ

(And those who have no knowledge say: "Why does not Allah speak to us (face to face) or why does not a sign come to us?")

Abu Al-'Aliyah, Ar-Rabi' bin Anas, Qatadah and As-Suddi said that it was actually the statement of the Arab disbelievers:

كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ

(So said the people before them words of similar import.) He said, "These are the Jews and the Christians."

What further proves that the Arab idolators said the statement mentioned in the Ayah is that Allah said,

وَإِذَا جَاءَتْهُمْ آيَةٌ قَالُوا لَن نُّؤْمِنَ حَتَّىٰ نُؤْتَىٰ مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ رُسُلُ اللَّهِ ۘ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ سَيُصِيبُ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا صَغَارٌ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَعَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَمْكُرُونَ

(And when there comes to them a sign (from Allah) they say: "We shall not believe until we receive the like of that which the Messengers of Allah had received." Allah knows best with whom to place His Message. Humiliation and disgrace from Allah and a severe torment will overtake the criminals (polytheists and sinners) for that which they used to plot.)(6:124) and

وَقَالُوا لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ تَفْجُرَ لَنَا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ يَنبُوعًا

(And they say: "We shall not believe in you (O Muhammad ﷺ), until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us) until,

قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي هَلْ كُنتُ إِلَّا بَشَرًا رَّسُولًا

(Say (O Muhammad ﷺ): "Glorified (and Exalted) be my Lord [(Allah) above all that evil they (polytheists) associate with Him]! Am I anything but a man, sent as a Messenger?")(17:90-93) and,

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا لَوْلَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَوْ نَرَىٰ رَبَّنَا

(And those who expect not a meeting with Us (i. e. those who deny the Day of Resurrection and the life of the Hereafter) said: "Why are not the angels sent down to us, or why do we not see our Lord?")(25:21) and,

بَلْ يُرِيدُ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُؤْتَىٰ صُحُفًا مُّنَشَّرَةً

(Nay, everyone of them desires that he should be given pages spread out)(74:52).

There are many other Ayat that testify to the disbelief of the Arab idolators, their transgression, stubbornness, and that they asked unnecessary questions out of disbelief and arrogance. The statements of the Arab idolators followed the statements of the nations of the People of the Two Scriptures and other religions before them. Allah said,

يَسْأَلُكَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ أَن تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ كِتَابًا مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ فَقَدْ سَأَلُوا مُوسَىٰ أَكْبَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ فَقَالُوا أَرِنَا اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً 

(The People of the Scripture (Jews) ask you to cause a book to descend upon them from heaven. Indeed, they asked Musa (Moses) for even greater than that, when they said: "Show us Allah in public,")(4:153) and,

وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَىٰ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً 

(And (remember) when you said: "O Musa! We shall never believe in you until we see Allah plainly.")(2:55).

Allah's statement,

تَشَابَهَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ

(Their hearts are alike.) means, the hearts of the Arab idolators are just like the hearts of those before them, containing disbelief, stubbornness and injustice. Similarly, Allah said,

كَذَٰلِكَ مَا أَتَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا قَالُوا سَاحِرٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ - أَتَوَاصَوْا بِهِ

(Likewise, no Messenger came to those before them but they said: "A sorcerer or a madman!" Have they (the people of the past) transmitted this saying to these (Quraysh pagans)?)(51:52-53).

Allah said next,

قَدْ بَيَّنَّا الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ

(We have indeed made plain the signs for people who believe with certainty.) meaning, We made the arguments clear, prooving the truth of the Messengers, with no need of more questions or proofs for those who believe, follow the Messengers and comprehend what Allah sent them with. As for those whose hearts and hearing Allah has stamped and whose eyes have been sealed, Allah described them:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ - وَلَوْ جَاءَتْهُمْ كُلُّ آيَةٍ حَتَّىٰ يَرَوُا الْعَذَابَ الْأَلِيمَ

(Truly, those, against whom the Word (wrath) of your Lord has been justified, will not believe. Even if every sign should come to them, until they see the painful torment)(10:96-97).

Verily, We have sent you (O Muhammad ﷺ) with the truth (Islam), a bringer of glad tidings (for those who believe in what you brought, that they will enter Paradise) and a warner (for those who disbelieve in what you brought, that they will enter the Hellfire). And you will not be asked about the dwellers of the blazing Fire (119)

Allah's statement;

وَلَا تُسْأَلُ عَنْ أَصْحَابِ الْجَحِيمِ

(And you will not be asked about the dwellers of the blazing Fire.) means, "We shall not ask you about the disbelief of those who rejected you." Similarly, Allah said,

فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَاغُ وَعَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُ

(Your duty is only to convey (the Message) and on Us is the reckoning.)(13:40)

فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُذَكِّرٌ - لَّسْتَ عَلَيْهِم بِمُصَيْطِرٍ

(So remind them (O Muhammad ﷺ) ـ you are only one who reminds. You are not a dictator over them.)(88:21-22) and,

نَّحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ وَمَا أَنتَ عَلَيْهِم بِجَبَّارٍ فَذَكِّرْ بِالْقُرْآنِ مَن يَخَافُ وَعِيدِ

(We know best what they say. And you (O Muhammad ﷺ) are not the one to force them (to belief). But warn by the Qur'an; him who fears My threat)(50:45).

There are many other similar Ayat.

Imam Ahmad recorded 'Ata' bin Yasar saying that he met 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As and said to him, "Tell me about the description of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the Torah." He said, "Yes, by Allah, he is described by the Torah with the same characteristics that he is described with in the Qur'an with: 'O Prophet! We have sent you as a witness, a bringer of good news, a warner, and as safe refuge for the unlettered people. You are My servant and Messenger. I have called you the Mutawakkil (who depends and relies on Allah for each and everything). You are not harsh, nor hard, nor obnoxious in the bazaars. He does not reward the evil deed with an evil deed. Rather, he forgives and pardons. Allah will not bring his life to an end, until he straightens the wicked's religion by his hands so that the people proclaim: There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. By his hands, Allah will open blind eyes, deaf ears and sealed hearts.'" This was recorded by Al-Bukhari only.

Never will the Jews nor the Christians be pleased with you (O Muhammad ﷺ) till you follow their religion. Say: "Verily, the guidance of Allah (i.e. Islamic Monotheism) that is the (only) guidance. And if you (O Muhammad ﷺ) were to follow their (Jews and Christians) desires after what you have received of Knowledge (i.e. the Qur'an), then you would have against Allah neither any Wali (protector or guardian) nor any helper (120)Those to whom we gave the Book recite it as it should be recited (Yatlunahu Haqqa Tilawatihi) they are the ones who believe therein. And whoso disbelieve in it, those are they who are the losers (121)

Ibn Jarir said, "Allah said,

وَلَن تَرْضَىٰ عَنكَ الْيَهُودُ وَلَا النَّصَارَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ

(Never will the Jews nor the Christians be pleased with you (O Muhammad ﷺ) till you follow their religion.) meaning, 'The Jews and the Christians will never be happy with you, O Muhammad! Therefore, do not seek what pleases or appeases them, and stick to what pleases Allah by calling them to the truth that Allah sent you with.' Allah's statement,

قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللَّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَىٰ

(Say: "Verily, the guidance of Allah (i.e. Islamic Monotheism) that is the (only) guidance") means, 'Say, O Muhammad ﷺ, the guidance of Allah that He sent me with is the true guidance, meaning the straight, perfect and comprehensive religion.'" Qatadah said that Allah's statement,

قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللَّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَىٰ

(Say: "Verily, the guidance of Allah (i.e. Islamic Monotheism) that is the (only) guidance) is, "A true argument that Allah taught Muhammad ﷺ and his Companions and which they used against the people of misguidance." Qatadah said, "We were told that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say,

لَا تَزَالُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي يُقَاتِلُونَ عَلَى الْحَقِّ ظَاهِرِينَ، لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ مَنْ خَالَفَهُمْ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ أَمْرُ اللهِ

(There will always be a group of my Ummah fighting upon the truth, having the upper hand, not harmed by their opponents, until the decree of Allah (the Last Hour) comes.)

This Hadith was collected in the Sahih and narrated from 'Abdullah bin 'Amr.

وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءَهُم بَعْدَ الَّذِي جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ

(And if you (O Muhammad ﷺ) were to follow their (Jews and Christians) desires after what you have received of Knowledge (i.e. the Qur'an), then you would have against Allah neither any Wali (protector or guardian) nor any helper.)

This Ayah carries a stern warning for the Muslim Ummah against imitating the ways and methods of the Jews and Christians, after they have acquired knowledge of the Qur'an and Sunnah, may Allah grant us refuge from this behavior. Although the speech in this Ayah was directed at the Messenger ﷺ, the ruling of which applies to his entire Ummah.

Allah said,

الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَتْلُونَهُ حَقَّ تِلَاوَتِهِ

(Those to whom We gave the Book. Yatlunahu Haqqan Tilawatih.)

Abdur-Razzaq ﷺ said from Ma'mar, from Qatadah, "They are the Jews and Christians." This is the opinion of 'Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam, and it was also chosen by Ibn Jarir. Sa'id reported from Qatadah, "They are the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." Abu Al-'Aliyah said that Ibn Mas'ud said, "By He in Whose Hand is my soul! The right Tilawah is allowing what it makes lawful, prohibiting what it makes unlawful, reciting it as it was revealed by Allah, not changing the words from their places, and not interpreting it with other than its actual interpretation." As-Suddi reported from Abu Malik from Ibn 'Abbas who said about this Ayah (2:121): "They make lawful what it allows and they prohibit what it makes unlawful, and they do not alter its wordings." 'Umar bin Al-Khattab said, "They are those who when they recite an Ayah that mentions mercy, they ask Allah for it, and when they recite an Ayah that mentions torment, they seek refuge with Allah from it." This meaning was attributed to the Prophet ﷺ, for when he used to recite an Ayah of mercy, he invoked Allah for mercy, and when he recited an Ayah of torment, he sought refuge from it with Allah.

Allah's statement,

أُولَٰئِكَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ

(they are the ones who believe therein)

explains the Ayah,

الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَتْلُونَهُ حَقَّ تِلَاوَتِهِ

(Those to whom We gave the Book. Yatlunahu Haqqa Tilawatihi).

These Ayat mean, "Those among the People of the Book who perfectly adhered to the Books that were revealed to the previous Prophets, will believe in what I have sent you with, O Muhammad!" Allah said in another Ayah,

وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ أَقَامُوا التَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنجِيلَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِم مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ لَأَكَلُوا مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِم

(And if only they had acted according to the Tawrah, the Injil, and what has (now) been sent down to them from their Lord (the Qur'an), they would surely, have gotten provision from above them and from underneath their feet.)(5:66). The Ayah,

قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لَسْتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَيْءٍ حَتَّىٰ تُقِيمُوا التَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنجِيلَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ

(Say (O Muhammad ﷺ) "O People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! You have nothing (as regards guidance) till you act according to the Tawrah, the Injil, and what has (now) been sent down to you from your Lord (the Qur'an).")(5:68)

means, "If you adhere to the Torah and the Gospel in the correct manner, believe in them as you should, and believe in the news they carry about Muhammad's prophethood, his description and the command to follow, aid and support him, then this will direct you to adhere to truth and righteousness in this life and the Hereafter." In another Ayah, Allah said,

الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِيَّ الْأُمِّيَّ الَّذِي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا عِندَهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنجِيلِ

(Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad ﷺ) whom they find written with them in the Tawrah and the Injil.)(7:157) and,

قُلْ آمِنُوا بِهِ أَوْ لَا تُؤْمِنُوا إِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهِ إِذَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ يَخِرُّونَ لِلْأَذْقَانِ سُجَّدًا - وَيَقُولُونَ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَا إِن كَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّنَا لَمَفْعُولًا

(Say (O Muhammad ﷺ to them): "Believe in it (the Qur'an) or do not believe (in it). Verily, those who were given knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration. And they say: "Glory be to our Lord! Truly, the promise of our Lord must be fulfilled.")(17:107-108).

These Ayat indicate that what Allah promised for Muhammad ﷺ will certainly occur. Allah also said,

الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِهِ هُم بِهِ يُؤْمِنُونَ - وَإِذَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِهِ إِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا مِن قَبْلِهِ مُسْلِمِينَ - أُولَٰئِكَ يُؤْتَوْنَ أَجْرَهُم مَّرَّتَيْنِ بِمَا صَبَرُوا وَيَدْرَءُونَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ السَّيِّئَةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ

(Those to whom We gave the Scripture (i. e. the Tawrah and the Injil) before it, they believe in it (the Qur'an). And when it is recited to them, they say: "We believe in it. Verily, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed even before it we have been from those who submit themselves to Allah in Islam as Muslims. These will be given their reward twice over, because they are patient, and repel evil with good, and spend (in charity) out of what We have provided them.)(28:52-54) and,

وَقُل لِّلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ وَالْأُمِّيِّينَ أَأَسْلَمْتُمْ فَإِنْ أَسْلَمُوا فَقَدِ اهْتَدَوا وَّإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَاغُ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ

(And say to those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and to those who are illiterates (Arab pagans): "Do you (also) submit yourselves (to Allah in Islam)?" If they do, they are rightly guided; but if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the Message; and Allah is the Seer of (His) servants)(3:20).

Allah said,

وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ

(And whoever disbelieves in it (the Qur'an), those are they who are the losers)(2:121), just as He said in another Ayah,

وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ مِنَ الْأَحْزَابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهُ 

(But those of the sects (Jews, Christians and all the other non-Muslim nations) that reject it (the Qur'an), the Fire will be their promised meeting place)(11:17).

As recorded in the Sahih, the Prophet ﷺ said,

وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَا يَسْمَعُ بِي أَحَدٌ مِنْ هذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ يَهُودِيٌّ وَلَا نَصْرَانِيٌّ ثُمَّ لَا يُؤْمِنُ بِي إِلَّا دَخَلَ النَّارَ

(By He in Whose Hand is my soul! There is no member of this Ummah (mankind and Jinns), Jew or a Christian, who hears of me, yet does not believe in me, but will enter the Fire.)

O Children of Israel! Remember My favor which I bestowed upon you and that I preferred you over the nations) (122)And fear the Day (of Judgement) when no person shall avail another, nor shall compensation be accepted from him, nor shall intercession be of use to him, nor shall they be helped (123)

We mentioned a similar Ayah at the beginning of this Surah, and it is mentioned here to emphisize the importance of following the Ummi Prophet and Messenger, who is described for the People of the Scriptures in their Books by his characteristics, name, the good news about him and the description of his Ummah. Allah warned them against concealing this information, which is among the favors that Allah granted them. Allah also commanded them to remember their daily life and their religious affairs and how He blessed them. They should not envy their cousins, the Arabs, for what Allah has given them, the Final Messenger of Allah being an Arab. Envy should not incite them to oppose or deny the Prophet or refrain from following him, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him until the Day of Judgment.

And (remember) when the Lord of Ibrahim (Abraham) tried him with (certain) commands, which he fulfilled. He (Allah) said (to him), "Verily, I am going to make you an Imam (a leader) for mankind (to follow you)." (Ibrahim) said, "And of my offspring (to make leaders)." (Allah) said, "My covenant (prophethood) includes not Zalimin (polytheists and wrongdoers). (124)

Allah is informing us of the honor of Ibrahim Al-Khalil, who He made an Imam for the people, and a model to be imitated, because of the way he conducted himself and adhered to Tawhid. This honor was given to Prophet Ibrahim when he adhered to Allah's decisions and prohibitions. This is why Allah said,

وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ

(And (remember) when the Lord of Ibrahim (i.e., Allah) tried him with (certain) commands).

This Ayah means, O Muhammad! Remind the idolators and the People of the Scriptures, who pretend to be followers of the religion of Ibrahim, while in reality they do not follow it, while you, O Muhammad, and your followers are the true followers of his religion; remind them of the commands and prohibitions that Allah tested Ibrahim with.

فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ 

(which he fulfilled.) indicating that Ibrahim implemented all of Allah's orders. Allah said in another Ayah,

وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ الَّذِي وَفَّىٰ

(And of Ibrahim (Abraham) who fulfilled (or conveyed) all that (Allah ordered him to do or convey))(53:37)

meaning, he was truthful and he was obedient to Allah's legislation. Also, Allah said,

إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِّلَّهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ - شَاكِرًا لِّأَنْعُمِهِ اجْتَبَاهُ وَهَدَاهُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ - وَآتَيْنَاهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَإِنَّهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ - ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

(Verily, Ibrahim was an Ummah (or a nation), obedient to Allah, Hanif (i.e. to worship none but Allah), and he was not one of those who were Al-Mushrikin (polytheists), (He was) thankful for His (Allah's) favors. He (Allah) chose him and guided him to a straight path. And We gave him good in this world, and in the Hereafter he shall be of the righteous. Then, We have sent the revelation to you (O Muhammad ﷺ saying): "Follow the religion of Ibrahim Hanif (Islamic Monotheism ـ to worship none but Allah) and he was not of the Mushrikin.)(16:120-123)

قُلْ إِنَّنِي هَدَانِي رَبِّي إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ دِينًا قِيَمًا مِّلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

(Say (O Muhammad ﷺ): "Truly, my Lord has guided me to a straight path, a right religion, the religion of Ibrahim, Hanifan, and Ibrahim (to worship none but Allah, alone) and he was not of Al-Mushrikin.")(6:161) and,

مَا كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ - إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِإِبْرَاهِيمَ لَلَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ وَهَٰذَا النَّبِيُّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَاللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(Ibrahim was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim Hanifan (Islamic Monotheism ـ to worship none but Allah alone) and he was not of Al-Mushrikin. Verily, among mankind who have the best claim to Ibrahim are those who followed him, and this Prophet (Muhammad ﷺ) and those who have believed (Muslims). And Allah is the Wali (Protector and Helper) of the believers)(3:67-68).

Allah said,

بِكَلِمَاتٍ

(with Kalimāt (words)) which means, "Laws, commandments and prohibitions." 'Words' as mentioned here, sometimes refers to what Allah has willed, such as Allah's statement about Maryam,

 وَصَدَّقَتْ بِكَلِمَاتِ رَبِّهَا وَكُتُبِهِ وَكَانَتْ مِنَ الْقَانِتِينَ

(And she testified to the truth of the Words of her Lord, and (also believed in) His Scriptures, and she was of the Qanitin (i.e. obedient to Allah))(66:12).

"Words" also refers to Allah's Law, such as Allah's statement,

وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ صِدْقًا وَعَدْلًا

(And the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice)(6:115) meaning, His legislation. "Words" also means truthful news, or a just commandment or prohibition. For instance, Allah said,

وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ

(And (remember) when the Lord of Ibrahim tried him with (certain) Words (commands), which he fulfilled) meaning, he adhered to them, Allah said,

إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا

("Verily, I am going to make you an Imam (a leader) for mankind (to follow you).") as a reward for Ibrahim's good deeds, adhering to the commandments and avoiding the prohibitions. This is why Allah made Ibrahim a role model for the people, and an Imam whose conduct and path are imitated and followed.

There is a difference of opinion over the words that Allah tested Ibrahim with. There are several opinions attributed to Ibn 'Abbas. For instance, 'Abdur-Razzaq said that Ibn 'Abbas said, "Allah tested him with the rituals (of Hajj)." Abu Ishaq reported the same. 'Abdur-Razzaq also narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said that,

وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ

(And (remember) when the Lord of Ibrahim (Abraham)(i.e., Allah) tried him with (certain) commands) means, "Allah tested him with Taharah (purity, ablution): five on the head and five on the body. As for the head, they are cutting the mustache, rinsing the mouth, inhaling and discarding water, using Siwak and parting the hair. As for the body, they are trimming the nails, shaving the pubic hair, circumcision and plucking under the arm and washing with water after answering the call of nature." Ibn Abi Hatim said, "A similar statement was also reported from Sa'id bin Al-Musayyib, Mujahid, Ash-Sha'bi, An-Nakha'i, Abu Salih, Abu Al-Jald, and so forth."

There is a similar statement that Imam Muslim narrated from 'A'ishah who said that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said,

عَشْرٌ مِنَ الْفِطْرَةِ: قَصُّ الشَّارِبِ وَإِعْفَاءُ اللِّحْيَةِ وَالسِّوَاكُ وَاسْتِنْشَاقُ الْمَاءِ وَقَصُّ الْأَظْفَارِ وَغَسْلُ الْبَرَاجِمِ وَنَتْفُ الْإِبْطِ وَحَلْقُ الْعَانَةِ وَانْتِقَاصُ الْمَاءِ وَنَسِيتُ الْعَاشِرَةَ إِلَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ الْمَضْمَضَةَ

(Ten are among the Fitrah (instinct, natural constitution): trimming the mustache, growing the beard, using Siwak, inhaling and then exhaling water (in ablution), cutting the nails, washing between the fingers (in ablution), plucking the underarm hair, shaving the pubic hair, washing with water after answering the call of nature, (and I forgot the tenth, I think it was) rinsing the mouth (in ablution).)

The Two Sahihs recorded Abu Hurayrah saying that the Prophet ﷺ said,

الْفِطْرَةُ خَمْسٌ: الْخِتَانُ وَالْاسْتِحْدَادُ وَقَصُّ الشَّارِبِ وَتَقْلِيمُ الْأَظْفَارِ وَنَتْفُ الْإِبْطِ

(Five are among the acts of Fitrah: circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, trimming the mustache, cutting the nails and plucking the underarm hair.) This is the wording with Muslim.

Muhammad bin Ishaq reportd that Ibn 'Abbas said, "The words that Allah tested Ibrahim with, and that he implemented were: abandoning his (disbelieving) people when Allah commanded him to do so, disputing with Nimrod (king of Babylon) about Allah, being patient when he was thrown in the fire (although this was extremely traumatic) migrating from his homeland when Allah commanded him to do so, patience with the monetary and material demands of hosting guests by Allah's command, and Allah's order for him to slaughter his son. When Allah tested Ibrahim with these words, and he was ready for the major test, Allah said to him,

أَسْلِمْ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

("Submit (be a Muslim)!" He said, "I have submitted myself (as a Muslim) to the Lord of all that exists.")(2:131) although this meant defying and being apart from the people."

Allah said that Ibrahim said,

وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي

(And of my offspring (to make leaders)) and Allah replied,

 لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ

(My covenant (prophethood) includes not Zalimin (polytheists and wrongdoers)).

When Allah made Ibrahim an Imam (Leader for the faithful), he asked Allah that Imams thereafter be chosen from his offspring. Allah accepted his supplication, but told him that there will be unjust people among his offspring and they will not benefit from Allah's promise. Thus, they will neither become Imams nor be imitated (for they will not be righteous). The proof that Ibrahim's supplication to Allah was accepted is that Allah said in Surat Al-'Ankabut (29:27),

وَجَعَلْنَا فِي ذُرِّيَّتِهِ النُّبُوَّةَ وَالْكِتَابَ

(And We ordained among his offspring prophethood and the Book).

Hence, every Prophet whom Allah sent after Ibrahim were from among his offspring, and every Book that Allah revealed was to them. As for Allah's statement,

قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ

((Allah) said, "My covenant (prophethood) includes not Zalimin (polytheists and wrongdoers).")

Allah mentioned that there are unjust people among the offspring of Ibrahim, and they will not benefit from Allah's promise, nor would they be entrusted with anything, even though they are among the children of Allah's Khalil (intimate friend, Prophet Abraham). There will also be those who do good among the children of Ibrahim, and these it is who will benefit from Ibrahim's supplication. Ibn Jarir said that this Ayah indicated that the unjust shall not be Imams for the people. Moreover, the Ayah informed Ibrahim that there will be unjust people among his offspring. Also, Ibn Khuwayz Mindad Al-Maliki said, "The unjust person does not qualify to be a Khalifah, a ruler, one who gives religious verdicts, a witness, or even a narrator (of Hadiths)."

وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًا وَاتَّخِذُوا مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى

(125. And (remember) when We made the House (the Ka'bah at Makkah) a place of resort for mankind and a place of safety. And take you (people) the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim (or the stone on which Ibrahim as a place)

Al-'Awfi reported that Ibn 'Abbas commented on Allah's statement,

وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ

(And (remember) when We made the House (the Ka'bah at Makkah) a place of resort for mankind)

"They do not remain in the House, they only visit it and return to their homes, and then visit it again." Also, Abu Ja'far Ar-Razi narrated from Ar-Rabi' bin Anas from Abu Al-'Aliyah who said that,

وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًا

(And (remember) when We made the House (the Ka'bah at Makkah) a place of resort for mankind and a place of safety) means, "Safe from enemies and armed conflict. During the time of Jahiliyyah, the people were often victims of raids and kidnapping, while the people in the area surrounding it (Al-Masjid Al-Haram) were safe and not subject to kidnapping." Also, Mujahid, 'Ata', As-Suddi, Qatadah and Ar-Rabi' bin Anas were reported to have said that the Ayah (2:125) means, "Whoever enters it shall be safe."

This Ayah indicates that Allah honored the Sacred House, which Allah made as a safe refuge and safe haven. Therefore, the souls are eager, but never bored, to conduct short visits to the House, even every year. This is because Allah accepted the supplication of His Khalil, Ibrahim, when he asked Allah to make the hearts of people eager to visit the House. Ibrahim said (14:40),

رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَاءِ

(Our Lord! And accept my invocation).

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,

وَإِذْ بَوَّأْنَا لِإِبْرَاهِيمَ مَكَانَ الْبَيْتِ أَن لَّا تُشْرِكْ بِي شَيْئًا

(And (remember) when We showed Ibrahim the site of the (Sacred) House (the Ka'bah at Makkah)(saying): "Associate not anything (in worship) with Me...")(22:26) and,

إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِي بِبَكَّةَ مُبَارَكًا وَهُدًى لِّلْعَالَمِينَ - فِيهِ آيَاتٌ بَيِّنَاتٌ مَّقَامُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمَن دَخَلَهُ كَانَ آمِنًا

(Verily, the first House (of worship) appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah (Makkah), full of blessing, and a guidance for Al-'Alamin (mankind and Jinn). In it are manifest signs (for example), the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim; whosoever enters it, he attains security)(3:96-97).

The last honorable Ayah emphasized the honor of Ibrahim's Maqam, and the instruction to pray next to it,

وَاتَّخِذُوا مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى

(And take you (people) the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim as a place of prayer).

The Maqam of Ibrahim

Sufyan Ath-Thawri reported that Sa'id bin Jubayr commented on the Ayah,

وَاتَّخِذُوا مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى

(And take you (people) the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim as a place of prayer)

"The stone (Maqam) is the standing place of Ibrahim, Allah's Prophet, and a mercy from Allah. Ibrahim stood on the stone, while Isma'il was handing him the stones (constructing the Ka'bah). As-Suddi said, "The Maqam of Ibrahim is a stone which Isma'il's wife put under Ibrahim's feet when washing his head." Al-Qurtubi mentioned this, but he considered it unauthentic, although others gave it prefrence, Ar-Razi reported it in his Tafsir from Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Qatadah, and Ar-Rabi' bin Anas.

Ibn Abi Hatim reported that Jabir, describing the Hajj (pilgrimage) of the Prophet ﷺ said, "When the Prophet ﷺ performed Tawaf, 'Umar asked him, 'Is this the Maqam of our father?' He said, 'Yes.' 'Umar said, 'Should we take it a place of prayer?' So Allah revealed,

وَاتَّخِذُوا مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى

(And take you (people) the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim (Abraham) as a place of prayer.")

Al-Bukhari said, "Chapter: Allah's statement,

وَاتَّخِذُوا مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى

(And take you (people) the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim (Abraham) as a place of prayer) meaning, they return to it repeatedly." He then narrated that Anas bin Malik said that 'Umar bin Al-Khattab said, "I agreed with my Lord, or my Lord agreed with me, regarding three matters. I said, 'O Messenger of Allah! I wish you take the Maqam of Ibrahim a place for prayer.' The Ayah,

وَاتَّخِذُوا مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى

(And take you (people) the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim (Abraham)) was revealed. I also said, 'O Messenger of Allah! The righteous and the wicked enter your house. I wish you would command the Mothers of the believers (the Prophet's wives) to wear Hijab. Allah sent down the Ayah that required the Hijab. And when I knew that the Prophet ﷺ was angry with some of his wives, I came to them and said, 'Either you stop what you are doing, or Allah will endow His Messenger with better women than you are.' I advised one of his wives and she said to me, 'O 'Umar! Does the Messenger of Allah not know how to advise his wives, so that you have to do the job instead of him?' Allah then revealed,

عَسَىٰ رَبُّهُ إِن طَلَّقَكُنَّ أَن يُبْدِلَهُ أَزْوَاجًا خَيْرًا مِّنكُنَّ مُسْلِمَاتٍ

(It may be if he divorced you (all) that his Lord will give him instead of you, wives better than you, ـ Muslims (who submit to Allah))." (66:5)

Also, Ibn Jarir narrated that Jabir said, "After the Messenger of Allah kissed the Black Stone, he went around the house three times in a fast pace and four times in a slow pace. He then went to Maqam of Ibrahim, with it between him and the House, and prayed two Rak'ahs." This is part of the long Hadith that Muslim recorded in Sahih. Al-Bukhari recorded that 'Amr bin Dinar said that he heard Ibn 'Umar say, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed Tawaf around the House seven times and then prayed two Rak'ahs behind the Maqam."

All these texts indicate that the Maqam is the stone that Ibrahim was standing on while building the House. As the House's walls became higher, Isma'il brought his father a stone, so that he could stand on it, while Isma'il handed him the stones. Ibrahim would place the stones on the wall, and whenever he finished one side, he would move to the next side, to complete the building all around. Ibrahim kept repeating this until he finished building the House, as we will describe when we explain the story of Ibrahim and Isma'il and how they built the House, as narrated from Ibn 'Abbas and collected by Al-Bukhari. Ibrahim's footprints were still visible in the stone, and the Arabs knew this fact during the time of Jahiliyyah. This is why Abu Talib said in his poem known as 'Al-Lamiyyah', "And Ibrahim's footprint with his bare feet on the stone is still visible."

The Muslims also saw Ibrahim's footprints on the stone, as Anas bin Malik said, "I saw the Maqam with the print of Ibrahim's toes and feet still visible in it, but the footprints dissipated because of the people rubbing the stone with their hands."

Earlier, the Maqam was placed close to the Ka'bah's wall. In the present time, the Maqam is placed next to Al-Hijr on the right side of those entering through the door.

When Ibrahim finished building the House, he placed the stone next to the wall of Al-Ka'bah. Or, when the House was finished being built, Ibrahim just left the stone where it was last standing, and he was commanded to pray next to the stone when he finished the Tawaf (circumambulating). It is understandable that the Maqam of Ibrahim would stand where the building of the House ended. The Leader of the faithful 'Umar bin Al-Khattab, one of the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs whom we were commanded to emulate, moved the stone away from the Ka'bah's wall during his reign. 'Umar is one of the two men, whom the Messenger of Allah ﷺ described when he said,

اقْتَدُوا بِاللَّذَيْنِ مِنْ بَعْدِي أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ

(Imitate the two men who will come after me: Abu Bakr and 'Umar.)

Umar was also the person whom the Qur'an agreed with regarding praying next to Maqam of Ibrahim. This is why none among the Companions rejected it when he moved it.

Abdur-Razzaq reported from Ibn Jurayj from 'Ata', "Umar bin Al-Khattab moved the Maqam back." Also, Abdur-Razzaq narrated that Mujahid said that Umar was the first person who moved the Maqam back to where it is now standing." Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr, Ahmad bin 'Ali bin Al-Husayn Al-Bayhaqi recorded A'ishah saying, "During the time of the Messenger of Allah and Abu Bakr, the Maqam was right next to the House. 'Umar moved the Maqam during his reign." This Hadith has an authentic chain of narration.

(cont.) And We commanded Ibrahim (Abraham) and Isma'il (Ishmael) that they should purify My House (the Ka'bah at Makkah) for those who are circumambulating it, or staying (I'tikaf), or bowing or prostrating themselves (there, in prayer)(125)And (remember) when Ibrahim said, "My Lord, make this city (Makkah) a place of security and provide its people with fruits, such of them as believe in Allah and the Last Day." He (Allah) answered: "As for him who disbelieves, I shall leave him in contentment for a while, then I shall compel him to the torment of the Fire, and worst indeed is that destination! (126)And (remember) when Ibrahim and (his son) Isma'il were raising the foundations of the House (the Ka'bah at Makkah), (saying), "Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily, You are the Hearer, the Knower. (127)"Our Lord! And make us submissive unto You and of our offspring a nation submissive unto You, and show us our Manasik, and accept our repentance. Truly, You are the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful (128)

Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that,

وَعَهِدْنَا إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ

(And We gave Our 'Ahd (command) to Ibrahim and Isma'il) means, "Allah ordered them to purify it from all filth and impurities, of which none should ever touch it." Also, Ibn Jurayj said, "I said to 'Ata', 'What is Allah's 'Ahd?' He said, 'His command.'" Also, Sa'id bin Jubayr said that Ibn 'Abbas commented on the Ayah,

أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْعَاكِفِينَ

(that they should purify My House (the Ka'bah) for those who are circumambulating it, or staying (I'tikaf)) "Purify it from the idols." Further, Mujahid and Sa'id bin Jubayr said that,

طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ

(purify My House for those who are circumambulating it) means, "From the idols, sexual activity, false witness and sins of all kinds."

Allah said,

لِلطَّآئِفِينَ

(for those who are performing Tawaf (circumambulating) it).

The Tawaf around the House is a well-established ritual, Sa'id bin Jubayr said that,

لِلطَّآئِفِينَ

(for those who are circumambulating it) means, strangers (he means who do not live in Makkah), while;

وَالْعَاكِفِينَ

(or staying (I'tikaf)) is about those who live in the area of the Sacred House. Also, Qatadah and Ar-Rabi' bin Anas said that I'tikaf is in reference to those who live in the area of the House, just as Sa'id bin Jubayr stated. Allah said,

 وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ

(or bowing or prostrating themselves (there, in prayer))

Ibn 'Abbas said, when it is a place of prayer it includes those who are described as bowing and prostrating themselves. Also, 'Ata' and Qatadah offered the same Tafsir.

Purifying all Masjids is required according to this Ayah and according to Allah's statement,

فِي بُيُوتٍ أَذِنَ اللَّهُ أَن تُرْفَعَ وَيُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ فِيهَا بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ

(In houses (mosques) which Allah has ordered to be raised (to be cleaned, and to be honored), in them His Name is remembered (i.e. Adhan, Iqamah, Salah, invocations, recitation of the Qur'an). Therein glorify Him (Allah) in the mornings and in the (late) afternoons)(24:36).

There are many Hadiths that give a general order for purifying the Masjids and keeping filth and impurities away from them. This is why the Prophet ﷺ said,

إِنَّمَا بُنِيَتِ الْمَسَاجِدُ لِمَا بُنِيَتْ لَهُ

(The Masjids are established for the purpose that they were built for (i. e. worshipping Allah alone).)

I have collected a book on this subject, and all praise is due to Allah.

Allah said,

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا بَلَدًا آمِنًا وَارْزُقْ أَهْلَهُ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ مَنْ آمَنَ مِنْهُم بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ

(And (remember) when Ibrahim said, "My Lord, make this city (Makkah) a place of security and provide its people with fruits, such of them as believe in Allah and the Last Day.")

Imam Abu Ja'far bin Jarir At-Tabari narrated that Jabir bin 'Abdullah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَرَّمَ بَيْتَ اللهِ وَأَمَّنَهُ وَإِنِّي حَرَّمْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ مَا بَيْنَ لَابَتَيْهَا، فَلَا يُصَادُ صَيْدُهَا وَلَا يُقْطَعُ عِضَاهُهَا

(Ibrahim made Allah's House a Sacred Area and a safe refuge. I have made what is between the two sides of Al-Madinah a Sacred Area. Therefore, its game should not be hunted, and its trees should not be cut.) An-Nasa'i and Muslim also recorded this Hadith.

There are several other Hadiths that indicate that Allah made Makkah a sacred area before He created the heavens and earth. The Two Sahihs recorded 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas saying that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

إِنَّ هَذَا الْبَلَدَ حَرَّمَهُ اللهُ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ، فَهُوَ حَرَامٌ بِحُرْمَةِ اللهِ إِلى يَومِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَحِلَّ الْقِتَالُ فِيهِ لِأَحَدٍ قَبْلِي وَلَمْ يَحِلَّ لِي إِلَّا سَاعَةً مِنْ نَهَارٍ، فَهُوَ حَرَامٌ بِحُرْمَةِ اللهِ إِلى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لَا يُعْضَدُ شَوْكُهُ وَلَا يُنَفَّرُ صَيْدُهُ، وَلَا يَلْتَقِطُ لُقَطَتَهُ إِلَّا مَنْ عَرَّفَهَا وَلَا يُخْتَلى خَلَاهَا

فَقَالَ الْعَبَّاسُ:

يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ: إِلّا الْإذْخِرَ فَإِنَّهُ لِقَيْنِهِمْ وَلِبُيُوتِهِمْ

فَقَالَ: إِلَّا الْإِذْخِرَ

(Allah has made this city a sanctuary (sacred place) the Day He created the heavens and earth. Therefore, it is a sanctuary until the Day of Resurrection because Allah made it a sanctuary. It was not legal for anyone to fight in it before me, and it was legal for me for a few hours of one day. Therefore, it is a sanctuary until the Day of Resurrection, because Allah made it a sanctuary. None is allowed to uproot its thorny shrubs, or to chase its game, or to pick up something that has fallen, except by a person who announces it publicly, nor should any of its trees be cut.) Al-'Abbas said, 'O Messenger of Allah! Except the lemon-grass, for our goldsmiths and for our graves.' The Prophet added, (Except lemon-grass.)

This is the wording of Muslim. The Two Sahihs also recorded Abu Hurayrah narrating a similar Hadith, while Al-Bukhari recorded a similar Hadith from Safiyyah bint Shaybah who narrated it from the Prophet ﷺ.

Abu Shurayh Al-'Adawi said that he said to 'Amr bin Sa'id while he was sending armies to Makkah, "O Commander! Let me narrate a Hadith that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said the day that followed the victory of Makkah. My ears heard the Hadith, my heart comprehended it, and my eyes saw the Prophet ﷺ when he said it. He thanked Allah and praised him and then said,

إِنَّ مَكَّةَ حَرَّمَهَا اللهُ وَلَمْ يُحَرِّمْهَا النَّاسُ فَلَا يَحِلُّ لِامْرِىءٍ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللهِ وَالْيَومِ الْآخِرِ أَنْ يَسْفِكَ بِهَا دَمًا وَلَا يَعْضِدَ بِهَا شَجَرَةً، فَإِنْ أَحَدٌ تَرَخَّصَ بِقِتَالِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صلّى الله عليه وسلّم فَقُولُوا: إِنَّ اللهَ أَذِنَ لِرَسُولِهِ وَلَمْ يَأْذَنْ لَكُمْ، وَإِنَّمَا أَذِنَ لِي فِيهَا سَاعَةً مِنْ نَهَارٍ وَقَدْ عَادَتْ حُرْمَتُهَا الْيَومَ كَحُرْمَتِهَا بِالْأَمْسِ فَلْيُبَلِّغِ الشَّاهِدُ الْغَائِبَ

(Allah, not the people, made Makkah a sanctuary, so any person who has belief in Allah and the Last Day, should neither shed blood in it nor should he cut down its trees. If anybody argues that fighting in it is permissible on the basis that Allah's Messenger fought in Makkah, say to him, 'Allah allowed His Messenger and did not allow you.' Allah allowed me only for a few hours on that day (of the Conquest), and today its sanctity is valid as it was before. So, those who are present should inform those who are absent (concerning this fact).)

Abu Shurayh was asked, 'What did 'Amr reply?' He said, ('Amr said) 'O Abu Shurayh! I know better than you about this, the Sacred House does not give protection to a sinner, a murderer or a thief.' This Hadith was collected by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

After this, there is no contradiction between the Hadiths that stated that Allah made Makkah a sanctuary when He created the heavens and earth and the Hadiths that Ibrahim made it a sanctuary, since Ibrahim conveyed Allah's decree that Makkah is a sanctuary, before he built the House. Similarly, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was written as the Final Prophet when Adam was still clay. Yet, Ibrahim said,

رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ

(Our Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own)(2: 129).

Allah accepted Ibrahim's supplication, although He had full knowledge beforehand that it will occur by His decree. To further elaborate on this subject, we should mention the Hadith about what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said when he was asked, "O Messenger of Allah! Tell us about how your prophethood started." He ﷺ said,

دَعْوَةُ أَبِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، وَبُشْرَى عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ، وَرَأَتْ أُمِّي كَأَنَّهُ خَرَجَ مِنْهَا نُورٌ أَضَاءَتْ لَهُ قُصُورُ الشَّامِ

(I am the supplication of my father Ibrahim, the good news of Jesus, the son of Mary, and my mother saw a light that radiated from her which illuminated the castles of Ash-Sham (Syria).)

In this Hadith, the Companions asked the Messenger ﷺ about the beginning of his prophethood. We will explain this matter later, if Allah wills.

Allah said that Ibrahim said,

رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا بَلَدًا آمِنًا

(My Lord, make this city (Makkah) a place of security)(2:126) from terror, so that its people do not suffer from fear. Allah accepted Ibrahim's supplication. Allah said,

وَمَن دَخَلَهُ كَانَ آمِنًا

(Whosoever enters it, he attains security)(3:97) and,

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا جَعَلْنَا حَرَمًا آمِنًا وَيُتَخَطَّفُ النَّاسُ مِنْ حَوْلِهِمْ

(Have they not seen that We have made (Makkah) a secure sanctuary, while men are being snatched away from all around them?)(29:67).

We have already mentioned the Hadiths that prohibit fighting in the Sacred Area. Muslim recorded that Jabir said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

لَا يَحِلُّ لِأَحَدٍ أَنْ يَحْمِلَ بِمَكَّةَ السِّلَاحَ

(No one is allowed to carry weapons in Makkah.) Allah mentioned that Ibrahim said,

رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا بَلَدًا آمِنًا

(My Lord, make this city (Makkah) a place of security) meaning, make this a safe city. This occurred before the Ka'bah was built. Allah said in Surat Ibrahim,

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا الْبَلَدَ آمِنًا

(And (remember) when Ibrahim said, "My Lord! Make this city (Makkah) one of peace and security...")(14:35) as here, Ibrahim supplicated a second time after the House was built and its people lived around it, after Ishaq who was thirteen years Isma'il's junior was born. This is why at the end of his supplication, Ibrahim said here,

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي وَهَبَ لِي عَلَى الْكِبَرِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ إِنَّ رَبِّي لَسَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ

(All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has given me in old age Isma'il (Ishmael) and Ishaq (Isaac). Verily, my Lord is indeed the Hearer of invocations)(14:39).

Allah said next,

وَارْزُقْ أَهْلَهُ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ مَنْ آمَنَ مِنْهُم بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ قَالَ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَأُمَتِّعُهُ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ أَضْطَرُّهُ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ النَّارِ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ

("...and provide its people with fruits, such of them as believe in Allah and the Last Day." He (Allah) answered: "As for him who disbelieves, I shall leave him in contentment for a while, then I shall compel him to the torment of the Fire, and worst indeed is that destination!")

Ibn Jarir said that Ubayy bin Ka'b commented on,

قَالَ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَأُمَتِّعُهُ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ أَضْطَرُّهُ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ النَّارِ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ

(He answered: "As for him who disbelieves, I shall leave him in contentment for a while, then I shall compel him to the torment of the Fire, and worst indeed is that destination!")

"These are Allah's Words (meaning not Ibrahim's)" This is also the Tafsir of Mujahid and 'Ikrimah. Furthermore, Ibn Abi Hatim narrated that Ibn 'Abbas commented on Allah's statement,

رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا بَلَدًا آمِنًا وَارْزُقْ أَهْلَهُ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ مَنْ آمَنَ مِنْهُم بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ

(My Lord, make this city (Makkah) a place of security and provide its people with fruits, such of them as believe in Allah and the Last Day.)

"Ibrahim asked Allah to grant sustenance for the believers only. However, Allah revealed, 'I will also provide for the disbelievers, just as I shall provide for the believers. Would I create something and not sustain and provide for? I shall allow the disbelievers little delight, and then force them to the torment of the Fire, and what an evil destination. Ibn 'Abbas then recited,

كُلًّا نُّمِدُّ هَٰؤُلَاءِ وَهَٰؤُلَاءِ مِنْ عَطَاءِ رَبِّكَ وَمَا كَانَ عَطَاءُ رَبِّكَ مَحْظُورًا

(On each these as well as those We bestow from the bounties of your Lord. And the bounties of your Lord can never be forbidden)(17:20).

This was recorded by Ibn Marduwyah, who also recorded similar statements from 'Ikrimah and Mujahid. Similarly, Allah said,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ لَا يُفْلِحُونَ - مَتَاعٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا مَرْجِعُهُمْ ثُمَّ نُذِيقُهُمُ الْعَذَابَ الشَّدِيدَ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ

(Verily, those who invent a lie against Allah will never be successful. (A brief) enjoyment in this world! And then unto Us will be their return, then We shall make them taste the severest torment because they used to disbelieve.)(10:69-70),

وَمَن كَفَرَ فَلَا يَحْزُنكَ كُفْرُهُ إِلَيْنَا مَرْجِعُهُمْ فَنُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا عَمِلُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ - نُمَتِّعُهُمْ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ نَضْطَرُّهُمْ إِلَىٰ عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ

(And whoever disbelieves, let not his disbelief grieve you (O Muhammad ﷺ). To Us is their return, and We shall inform them what they have done. Verily, Allah is the Knower of what is in the breasts (of men). We let them enjoy for a little while, then in the end We shall oblige them to (enter) a great torment.)(31:23-24) and,

وَلَوْلَا أَن يَكُونَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً لَّجَعَلْنَا لِمَن يَكْفُرُ بِالرَّحْمَٰنِ لِبُيُوتِهِمْ سُقُفًا مِّن فِضَّةٍ وَمَعَارِجَ عَلَيْهَا يَظْهَرُونَ - وَلِبُيُوتِهِمْ أَبْوَابًا وَسُرُرًا عَلَيْهَا يَتَّكِئُونَ - وَزُخْرُفًا وَإِن كُلُّ ذَٰلِكَ لَمَّا مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةُ عِندَ رَبِّكَ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

(And were it not that mankind would have become of one community (all disbelievers desiring worldly life only), We would have provided for those who disbelieve in the Most Gracious (Allah), silver roofs for their houses, and elevators whereby they ascend. And for their houses, doors (of silver), and thrones (of silver) on which they could recline. And adornments of gold. Yet all this would have been nothing but an enjoyment of this world. And the Hereafter with your Lord is (only) for the Muttaqin (the pious).)(43:33-35). Allah said next,

ثُمَّ أَضْطَرُّهُ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ النَّارِ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ

(Then I shall compel him to the torment of the Fire, and worst indeed is that destination!) meaning, "After the delight that the disbeliever enjoyed in this life, I will make his destination torment in the Fire, and what an evil destination." This Ayah indicates that Allah gives the disbelievers respite and then seizes them in a manner compatible to His greatness and ability. This Ayah is similar to Allah's statement,

وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ أَمْلَيْتُ لَهَا وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌ ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُهَا وَإِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ

(And many a township did I give respite while it was given to wrongdoing. Then (in the end) I seized it (with punishment). And to Me is the (final) return (of all))(22:48).

Also, the Two Sahihs recorded,

لَا أَحَدَ أَصْبَرُ عَلى أَذًى سَمِعَهُ مِنَ اللهِ إِنَّهُمْ يَجْعَلُونَ لَهُ وَلَدًا وَهُوَ يَرْزُقُهُمْ وَيُعَافِيهِم

(No one is more patient than Allah when hearing abuse. They attribute a son to Him, while He grants them sustenance and health.)

The Sahih also recorded,

إِنَّ اللهَ لَيُمْلِي لِلظَّالِـمِ حَتّى إِذَا أَخَذَهُ لَمْ يُفْلِتْهُ

(Allah gives respite to the unjust person, until when He seizes him; He never lets go of him.)

He then recited Allah's statement,

وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَخْذُ رَبِّكَ إِذَا أَخَذَ الْقُرَىٰ وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌ إِنَّ أَخْذَهُ أَلِيمٌ شَدِيدٌ

(Such is the punishment of your Lord when He punishes the (population of) towns while they are doing wrong. Verily, His punishment is painful (and) severe). (11:102)

Allah said,

وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ - رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ

(And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) and (his son) Isma'il (Ishmael) were raising the foundations of the House (the Ka'bah at Makkah), (saying), "Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily, You are the Hearer, the Knower. Our Lord! And make us submissive unto You and of our offspring a nation submissive unto You, and show us our Manasik and accept our repentance. Truly, You are the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful.")

Allah said, "O Muhammad! Remind your people when Ibrahim and Isma'il built the House and raised its foundations while saying,

رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

(Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily, You are the Hearer, the Knower.")

Al-Qurtubi mentioned that Ubayy and Ibn Mas'ud used to recite the Ayah this way,

وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ وَيَقُولَانِ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

(And (remember) when Ibrahim and (his son) Isma'il were raising the foundations of the House (the Ka'bah at Makkah), Saying, "Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily, You are the Hearer, the Knower.")

What further testifies to this statement (which adds 'saying' to the Ayah) by Ubayy and Ibn Mas'ud, is what came afterwards,

رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ 

(Our Lord! And make us submissive unto You and of our offspring a nation submissive unto You).

The Prophets Ibrahim and Isma'il were performing a good deed, yet they asked Allah to accept this good deed from them. Ibn Abi Hatim narrated that Wuhayb bin Al-Ward recited,

وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا

(And (remember) when Ibrahim and (his son) Isma'il were raising the foundations of the House (the Ka'bah at Makkah), (saying), "Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us") and cried and said, "O Khalil of Ar-Rahman! You raise the foundations of the House of Ar-Rahman (Allah), yet you are afraid that He will not accept it from you?" This is the behavior of the sincere believers, whom Allah described in His statement,

وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْتُونَ مَا آتَوا

(And those who give that which they give)(23:60) meaning, they give away voluntary charity, and perform the acts of worship yet,

 وَّقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ

(with their hearts full of fear)(23: 60) afraid that these good deeds might not be accepted of them. There is an authentic Hadith narrated by 'A'ishah on this subject, which we will mention later, Allah willing.

Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn 'Abbas said, "Prophet Ibrahim took Isma'il and his mother and went away with them until he reached the area of the House, where he left them next to a tree above Zamzam in the upper area of the Masjid. During that time, Isma'il's mother was still nursing him. Makkah was then uninhabited, and there was no water source in it. Ibrahim left them there with a bag containing some dates and a water-skin containing water. Ibrahim then started to leave, and Isma'il's mother followed him and said, 'O Ibrahim! To whom are you leaving us in this barren valley that is not inhabited?' She repeated the question several times and Ibrahim did not reply. She asked, 'Has Allah commanded you to do this?' He said, 'Yes.' She said, 'I am satisfied that Allah will never abandon us.' Ibrahim left, and when he was far enough away where they could not see him, close to Thaniyyah, he faced the House, raised his hands and supplicated,

رَّبَّنَا إِنِّي أَسْكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّيَّتِي بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِي زَرْعٍ عِندَ بَيْتِكَ الْمُحَرَّمِ

(O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in an uncultivable valley by Your Sacred House (the Ka'bah at Makkah)) until,

يَشْكُرُونَ

(Give thanks)(14:37). Isma'il's mother then returned to her place, started drinking water from the water-skin and nursing Isma'il. When the water was used up, she and her son became thirsty. She looked at him, and he was suffering from thirst; she left, because she disliked seeing his face in that condition. She found the nearest mountian to where she was, As-Safa, ascended it and looked, in vain, hoping to see somebody. When she came down to the valley, she raised her garment and ran, just as a tired person runs, until she reached the Al-Marwah mountain. In vain, she looked to see if there was someone there. She ran to and fro (between the two mountains) seven times." Ibn 'Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "This is why the people make the trip between As-Safa and Al-Marwah (during Hajj and Umrah)."

"When she reached Al-Marwah, she heard a voice and said, 'Shush,' to herself. She tried to hear the voice again and when she did, she said, 'I have heard you. Do you have relief?' She found the angel digging with his heel (or his wing) where Zamzam now exists, and the water gushed out. Isma'il's mother was astonished and started digging, using her hand to transfer water to the water-skin." Ibn 'Abbas said that the Prophet ﷺ then said, "May Allah grant His mercy to the mother of Isma'il, had she left the water, (flow naturally without her intervention), it would have been flowing on the surface of the earth."

"Isma'il's mother started drinking the water and her milk increased for her child. The angel (Gabriel) said to her, 'Do not fear abandonment. There shall be a House for Allah built here by this boy and his father. Allah does not abandon His people.' During that time, the area of the House was raised above ground level and the floods used to reach its right and left sides.

Afterwards some people of the tribe of Jurhum, passing through Kada', made camp at the bottom of the valley. They saw some birds, they were astonished, and said, 'Birds can only be found at a place where there is water. We did not notice before that this valley had water.' They sent a scout or two who searched the area, found the water, and returned to inform them about it. Then they all went to Isma'il's mother, next to the water, and said, 'O Mother of Isma'il! Will you allow us to be with you (or dwell with you)?' She said, 'Yes. But you will have no exclusive right to the water here.' They said, 'We agree.'" Ibn 'Abbas said that the Prophet ﷺ said, "At that time, Isma'il's mother liked to have human company."

"And thus they stayed there and sent for their relatives to join them. Later on, her boy reached the age of puberty and married a lady from them, for Isma'il learned Arabic from them, and they liked the way he was raised. Isma'il's mother died after that.

Then an idea occurred to Abraham to visit his dependents. So he left (to Makkah). When he arrived, he did not find Isma'il, so he asked his wife about him. She said, 'He has gone out hunting.' When he asked her about their living conditions, she complained to him that they live in misery and poverty. Abraham said (to her), 'When your husband comes, convey my greeting and tell him to change the threshold of his gate.' When Isma'il came, he sensed that they had a visitor and asked his wife, 'Did we have a visitor?' She said, 'Yes. An old man came to visit us and asked me about you, and I told him where you were. He also asked about our condition, and I told him that we live in hardship and poverty.' Isma'il said, 'Did he ask you to do anything?' She said, 'Yes. He asked me to convey his greeting and that you should change the threshold of your gate.' Isma'il said to her, 'He was my father and you are the threshold, so go to your family (i.e. you are divorced).' So he divorced her and married another woman.

Again Ibrahim thought of visiting his dependents whom he had left (at Makkah). Ibrahim came to 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 hunting.' He asked her about their condition, and she said that they 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 water.' He said, 'O Allah! Bless their meat and their drink.'" The Prophet (Muhammad ﷺ) said, "They did not have crops then, otherwise Ibrahim would have invoked Allah to bless that too. Those who do not live in Makkah cannot bear eating a diet only containing meat and water."

"Ibrahim said, 'When Isma'il comes back, convey my greeting to him and ask him to keep the threshold of his gate.' When Isma'il came back, he asked, 'Has anyone visited us.' She said, 'Yes. A good looking old man,' and she praised Ibrahim, 'And he asked me about our livelihood and I told him that we live in good conditions.' He asked, 'Did he ask you to convey any message?' She said, 'Yes. He conveyed his greeting to you and said that you should keep the threshold of your gate.' Isma'il said, 'That was my father, and you are the threshold; he commanded me to keep you.'

Ibrahim then came back visiting and found Isma'il behind the Zamzam well, next to a tree, mending his arrows. When he saw Ibrahim, he stood up and they greeted each other, just as the father and son greet each other. Ibrahim said, 'O Isma'il, Your Lord has ordered me to do something.' 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 to build a house for Him there,' and he pointed to an area that was above ground level. So, both of them rose and started to raise the foundations of the House. Abraham started building (the Ka'bah), while Isma'il continued handing him the stones. Both of them were saying, 'O our Lord ! Accept (this service) from us, Verily, You are the Hearing, the Knowing.' (2.127) Hence, they were building the House, part by part, going around it and saying,

رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

(Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily, You are the Hearer, the Knower.)

In his Sīrah, Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar said, "When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ reached thirty-five years of age, the Quraysh gathered to rebuild the Ka'bah, this included covering it with a roof. However, they were weary of demolishing it. During that time, the Ka'bah was barely above a man's shoulder, so they wanted to raise its height and build a ceiling on top. Some people had stolen the Ka'bah's treasure beforehand, which used to be in a well in the middle of the Ka'bah

The treasure was later found with a man called, Duwayk, a freed servant of Bani Mulayh bin 'Amr, from the tribe of Khuza'ah. The Quraysh cut off his hand as punishment. Some people claimed that those who actually stole the treasure left it with Duwayk. Afterwards, the sea brought a ship that belonged to a Roman merchant to the shores of Jeddah, where it washed-up. So they collected the ship's wood to use it for the Ka'bah's ceiling; a Coptic carpenter in Makkah prepared what they needed for the job.

When they decided to begin the demolition process to rebuild the House, Abu Wahb bin 'Amr bin 'A'idh bin 'Abd bin 'Imran bin Makhzum took a stone from the Ka'bah; the stone slipped from his hand and went back to where it had been. He said, 'O people of Quraysh! Do not spend on rebuilding the House, except from what was earned from pure sources. No money earned from a prostitute, usury or injustice should be included.'" Ibn Ishaq commented here that the people also attribute these words to Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah bin 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Makhzum.

Ibn Ishaq continued, "The Quraysh began to organize their efforts to rebuild the Ka'bah, each subtribe taking the responsibility of rebuilding a designated part of it.

However, they were still weary about bringing down the Ka'bah. Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah said, 'I will start to bring it down.' He held an ax and stood by the Ka'bah and said, 'O Allah! No harm is meant. O Allah! We only seek to do a good service.' He then started to chop the House's stones. The people waited that night and said, 'We will wait and see. If something strikes him, we will not bring it down and instead rebuid it the way it was. If nothing happens to him, then Allah will have agreed to what we are doing.' The next morning, Al-Walid went to work on the Ka'bah, and the people started bringing the Ka'bah down with him. When they reached the foundations that Ibrahim built, they uncovered green stones that were above each other, just like a pile of spears." Ibn Ishaq then said that some people told him, "A man from Quraysh, who was helping rebuild the Ka'bah, placed the shovel between two of these stones to pull them up; when one of the stones was moved, all of Makkah shook, so they did not dig up these stones."

Ibn Ishaq said, "The tribes of Quraysh collected stones to rebuild the House, each tribe collecting on their own. They started rebuilding it, until the rebuilding of the Ka'bah reached the point where the Black Stone was to be placed in its designated site. A dispute erupted between the various tribes of Quraysh, each seeking the honor of placing the Black Stone for their own tribe. The dispute almost led to violence between the leaders of Quraysh in the area of the Sacred House. Banu 'Abd Ad-Dar and Banu 'Adi bin Ka'b bin Lu'ay, gave their mutual pledge to fight until death. However, five or four days later, Abu Umayyah bin Al-Mughirah bin 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Makhzum, the oldest man from Quraysh then intervened at the right moment. Abu Umayyah suggested that Quraysh should appoint the first man to enter the House from its entrance to be a mediator between them. They agreed.

The Messenger - Muhammad ﷺ - was the first person to enter the House. When the various leaders of Quraysh realized who the first one was, they all proclaimed, 'This is Al-Amin (the Honest one). We all accept him; This is Muhammad.' When the Prophet ﷺ reached the area where the leaders were gathering and they informed him about their dispute, he asked them to bring a garment and place it on the ground. He placed the Black Stone on it. He then requested that each of the leaders of Quraysh hold the garment from one side and all participate in lifting the Black Stone, moving it to its designated area. Next, the Prophet ﷺ carried the Black Stone by himself and placed it in its designated position and built around it. The Quraysh used to call the Messenger of Allah 'Al-Amin' even before the revelation came to him."

Ibn Ishaq said, "During the time of the Prophet ﷺ, the Ka'bah was eighteen cubits high and was covered with Egyptian linen, and they with a striped garment. Al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf was the first person to cover it with silk." The Ka'bah remained the same way the Quraysh rebuilt it, until it was burned during the reign of 'Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr, after the year 6o H, at the end of the reign of Yazid bin Mu'awiyah. During that time, Ibn Az-Zubayr was besieged at Makkah. When it was burned, Ibn Az-Zubayr brought the Ka'bah down and built it upon the foundations of Ibrahim, including the Hijr in it. He also made an eastern door and a western door in the Ka'bah and placed them on ground level. He had heard his aunt 'A'ishah, the Mother of the believers, narrate that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had wished that. The Ka'bah remained like this throughout his reign, until Al-Hajjaj killed Ibn Az-Zubayr and then rebuilt it the way it was before, by the order of 'Abdul-Malik bin Marwan.

Muslim recorded that 'Ata' said, "The House was burnt during the reign of Yazid bin Mu'awiyah, when the people of Ash-Sham raided Makkah. Ibn Az-Zubayr did not touch the House until the people came for Hajj, for he wanted to incite them against the people of Ash-Sham. He said to them, 'O people! Advise me regarding the Ka'bah, should we bring it down and rebuild it, or just repair the damage it sustained' Ibn 'Abbas said, 'I have an opinion about this. You should rebuild the House the way it was when the people became Muslims. You should leave the stones that existed when the people became Muslims and when the Prophet ﷺ was sent. Ibn Az-Zubayr said, 'If the house of one of them gets burned, he will not be satisfied, until he rebuilds it. How about Allah's House? I will invoke my Lord for three days and will then implement what I decide.' When the three days had passed, he decided to bring the Ka'bah down. The people hesitated to bring it down, fearing that the first person to climb on the House would be struck down. A man went on top of the House and threw some stones down, and when the people saw that no harm touched him, they started doing the same. They brought the House down to ground level. Ibn Az-Zubayr surrounded the site with curtains hanging from pillars, so that the House would be covered, until the building was erect. Ibn Az-Zubayr then said, 'I heard 'A'ishah say that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

لَوْلَا أَنَّ النَّاسَ حَدِيثٌ عَهْدُهُمْ بِكُفْرٍ، وَلَيْسَ عِنْدِي مِنَ النَّفَقَةِ مَا يُقَوِّينِي عَلى بِنَائِهِ لَكُنْتُ أَدْخَلْتُ فِيهِ مِنَ الْحِجْرِ خَمْسَةَ أَذْرُعٍ، وَلَجَعَلْتُ لَهُ بَابًا يَدْخُلُ النَّاسُ مِنْهُ وَبَابًا يَخْرُجُونَ مِنْهُ

(If it was not for the fact that the people have recently abandoned disbelief, and that I do not have enough money to spend on it, I would have included in the House five cubits from Al-Hijr and would have made a door for it that people could enter from, and another door that they could exit from.)

Ibn Az-Zubayr said, 'I can spend on this job, and I do not fear the people.' So he added five cubits from the Hijr, which looked like a rear part for the House that people could clearly see. He then built the House and made it eighteen cubits high. He thought that the House was still short and added ten cubits in the front and built two doors in it, one as an entrance and another as an exit.

When Ibn Az-Zubayr was killed, Al-Hajjaj wrote to 'Abdul-Malik bin Marwan asking him about the House and told him that Ibn Az-Zubayr made a rear section for the House. 'Abdul-Malik wrote back, 'We do not agree with Ibn Az-Zubayr's actions. As, for the Ka'bah's height, leave it as it is. As for what he added from the Hijr, bring it down, and build the House as it was before and close the door.' Therefore, Al-Hajjaj brought down the House and rebuilt it as it was." In his Sunan, An-Nasa'i collected the Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ narrated from 'A'ishah, not the whole story,

The correct Sunnah conformed to Ibn Az-Zubayr's actions, because this was what the Prophet ﷺ wished he could do, but feared that the hearts of the people who recently became Muslim could not bear rebuilding the House. This Sunnah was not clear to 'Abdul-Malik bin Marwan. Hence, when 'Abdul-Malik realized that 'A'ishah had narrated the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on this subject, he said, "I wish we had left it as Ibn Az-Zubayr had made it." Muslim recorded that 'Ubadydullah bin 'Ubayd said that Al-Harith bin 'Abdullah came to 'Abdul-Malik bin Marwan during his reign. 'Abdul-Malik said, 'I did not think that Abu Khubayb (Ibn Az-Zubayr) heard from 'A'ishah what he said he heard from her.' Al-Harith said, 'Yes he did. I heard the Hadith from her.' 'Abdul-Malik said, 'You heard her say what?' He said, 'She said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

إِنَّ قَوْمَكِ اسْتَقْصَرُوا مِنْ بُنْيَانِ الْبَيْتِ وَلَوْلَا حَدَاثَةُ عَهْدِهِمْ بِالشِّرْكِ أَعَدْتُ مَا تَرَكُوا مِنْهُ، فَإِنْ بَدَا لِقَوْمِكِ مِنْ بَعْدِي أَنْ يَبْنُوهُ فَهَلُمِّي لِأُرِيَكِ مَا تَرَكُوهُ مِنْهُ

(Your people rebuilt the House smaller. Had it not been for the fact that your people are not far from the time of Shirk, I would add what was left outside of it. If your people afterwards think about rebuilding it, let me show you what they left out of it.) He showed her around seven cubits.'

One of the narrators of the Hadith, Al-Walid bin 'Ata', added that the Prophet ﷺ said,

وَلَجَعَلْتُ لَهَا بَابَيْنِ مَوْضُوعَيْنِ فِي الْأَرْضِ: شَرْقِيًّا وَغَرْبِيًّا، وَهَلْ تَدرِينَ لِمَ كَانَ قَومُكِ رَفَعُوا بَابَهَا؟

قَالَتْ: قُلْتُ: لَا. قَالَ:

تَعَزُّزًا أَنْ لَا يَدْخُلَهَا إِلَّا مَنْ أَرَادُوا، فَكَانَ الرَّجُلُ إِذَا هُوَ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَهَا يَدَعُونَهُ يَرْتَقِي حَتَّى إِذَا كَادَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ دَفَعُوهُ فَسَقَطَ

(I would have made two doors for the House on ground level, one eastern and one western. Do you know why your people raised its door above ground level?) She said, 'No.' He said, (To allow only those whom they wanted to enter it. When a man whom they did not wish to enter the House climbed to the level of the door, they would push him down)

Abdul-Malik then said, 'You heard 'A'ishah say this Hadith' He said, 'Yes.' 'Abdul-Malik said, 'I wish I left it as it was."

The Two Sahihs recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

يُخَرِّبُ الْكَعْبَةَ ذُو السُّوَيْقَتَيْنِ مِنَ الْحَبَشَةِ

(The Ka'bah will be destroyed by Dhus-Sawiqatayn (literally, a person with two lean legs) from Ethiopia.)

Also, Ibn 'Abbas said that the Prophet ﷺ said,

كَأَنِّي بِهِ أَسْوَدَ أَفْحَجَ يَقْلَعُهَا حَجَرًا حَجَرًا

(As if I see him now: a black person with thin legs plucking the stones of the Ka'bah one after another.) Al-Bukhari recorded this Hadith.

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal recorded in his Musnad that 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As said that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say,

يُخَرِّبُ الْكَعْبَةَ ذُو السُّوَيْقَتَيْنِ مِنَ الْحَبَشَةِ وَيَسْلُبُهَا حِلْيَتَهَا وَيُجَرِّدُهَا مِنْ كِسْوَتِهَا، وَلَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ أُصَيْلِعَ وَ أُفَيْدِعَ يَضْرِبُ عَلَيْهَا بِمِسْحَاتِهِ وَمِعْوَلِهِ

(Dhus-Sawiqatayn from Ethiopia will destroy the Ka'bah and will loot its adornments and cover. It is as if I see him now: bald, with thin legs striking the Ka'bah with his ax.)

This will occur after the appearance of Gog and Magog people. Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

لَيُحَجَّنَّ الْبَيْتُ وَلَيُعْتَمَرَنَّ بَعْدَ خُرُوجِ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ

(There will be Hajj and 'Umrah to the House after the appearance of Gog and Magog people.)

Allah said that Ibrahim and Isma'il supplicated to Him,

رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ

(Our Lord! And make us submissive unto You and of our offspring a nation submissive unto You, and show us our Manasik, and accept our repentance. Truly, You are the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful.)

Ibn Jarir said, "They meant by their supplication, 'Make us submit to Your command and obedience and not associate anyone with You in obedience or worship."Also, 'Ikrimah commented on the Ayah,

رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ

(Our Lord! And make us submissive unto You)

"Allah said, 'I shall do that.'"

وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَآ أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ

(And of our offspring a nation submissive unto You)

Allah said, 'I shall do that.'"

This supplication by Ibrahim and Isma'il is similar to what Allah informed us of about His believing servants,

وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا

(And those who say: 'Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives and our offspring the comfort of our eyes, and make us leaders of the Muttaqin)(25:74).

This type of supplication is allowed, because loving to have offspring who worship Allah alone without partners is a sign of complete love of Allah. This is why when Allah said to Ibrahim,

إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا

(Verily, I am going to make you an Imam (a leader) for mankind (to follow you)) Ibrahim said,

وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ

("And of my offspring (to make leaders)." (Allah) said, "My covenant (prophethood) includes not the Zalimin (polytheists and wrongdoers)") which is explained by,

وَاجْنُبْنِي وَبَنِيَّ أَن نَّعْبُدَ الْأَصْنَامَ

(And keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols)(14:35)

Muslim narrated in his Sahih that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

إِذَا مَاتَ ابْنُ آدَمَ انْقَطَعَ عَمَلُهُ إِلَّا مِنْ ثَلَاثٍ: صَدَقَةٍ جَارِيَةٍ أَوْ عِلْمٍ يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ أَوْ وَلَدٍ صَالِحٍ يَدْعُو لَهُ

(When the son of Adam dies, his deeds end except for three deeds: an ongoing charity, a knowledge that is being benefited from and a righteous son who supplicates (to Allah) for him.)

Sa'id bin Mansur said that 'Attab bin Bashir informed us from Khasif, from Mujahid who said, "The Prophet Ibrahim supplicated,

وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا

(and show us our Manasik)

Jibril then came down, took him to the House and said, 'Raise its foundations.' Ibrahim raised the House's foundations and completed the building. Jibril held Ibrahim's hand, led him to As-Safa and said, 'This is among the rituals of Allah.' He then took him to Al-Marwah and said, 'And this is among the rituals of Allah.' He then took him to Mina until when they reached the 'Aqabah, they found Iblis standing next to a tree. Jibril said, 'Say Takbir (Allah is the Great) and throw (pebbles) at him.' Ibrahim said the Takbir and threw (pebbles at) Iblis. Iblis moved to the middle Jamrah, and when Jibril and Ibrahim passed by him, Jibril said to Ibrahim, 'Say Takbir and throw at him.' Ibrahim threw at him and said Takbir. The devious Iblis sought to add some evil acts to the rituals of Hajj, but he was unable to succeed. Jibril took Ibrahim's hand and led him to Al-Mash'ar Al-Haram and 'Arafat and said to him, 'Have you 'Arafta (known, learned) what I showed you?' thrice. Ibrahim said, 'Yes I did.'" Similar statements were reported from Abu Mijlaz and Qatadah.

"Our Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own, who shall recite unto them Your verses and instruct them in the Book (this Qur'an), and purify them. Verily, You are the Mighty, the Wise. (129)

Allah mentioned Ibrahim's supplication for the benefit of the people of the Sacred Area (to grant them security and provision), and it was perfected by invoking Allah to send a Messenger from his offspring. This accepted supplication, from Ibrahim, conformed with Allah's appointed destiny that Muhammad ﷺ be sent as a Messenger among the Ummiyyin and to all non-Arabs, among the Jinns and mankind.

Hence, Ibrahim was the first person to mention the Prophet ﷺ to the people. Ever since, Muhammad ﷺ was known to the people, until the last Prophet was sent among the Children of Israel, Jesus the son of Mary, who mentioned Muhammad ﷺ by name. Jesus addressed the Children of Israel saying,

إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُم مُّصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِي مِن بَعْدِي اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ

(I am the Messenger of Allah unto you, confirming what is before me in the Tawrah, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad)(61:6)

This is why the Prophet ﷺ said,

دَعْوَةُ أَبِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَبُشْرَى عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيـَمَ

(The supplication of my father Ibrahim and the glad tidings brought forth by Jesus the son of Mary.)

The Prophet ﷺ said,

وَرَأَتْ أُمِّي أَنَّهُ خَرَجَ مِنْهَا نُورٌ أَضَاءَتْ لَهُ قُصُورُ الشَّامِ

(My mother saw a light that went out of her and radiated the palaces of Ash-Sham.)

It was said that the Prophet's mother saw this vision when she was pregnant with, narrated this vision to her people, and the story became popular among them. The light mentioned in the Hadith appeared in Ash-Sham (Greater Syria), testifying to what will later occur when the Prophet's religion will be firmly established in Ash-Sham area. This is why by the end of time, Ash-Sham will be a refuge for Islam and its people. Also, Jesus the son of Mary will descend in Ash-Sham, next to the eastern white minaret in Damascus. The Two Sahihs stated,

لَا تَزَالُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي ظَاهِرِينَ عَلَى الْحَقِّ لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ مَنْ خَذَلَهُمْ وَلَا مَنْ خَالَفَهُمْ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ أَمْرُ اللهِ وَهُمْ كَذَلِكَ

وفي صحيح البخاري

وَهُمْ بالشَّامِ

(There will always be a group of my Ummah who will be on the truth, undeterred by those who fail or oppose them, until the command of Allah comes while they are on this.)

Al-Bukhari added in his Sahih, (And they will reside in Ash-Sham.)

Allah said,

وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ

(and instruct them in the Book) meaning, Al-Qur'an,

وَالْحِكْمَةَ 

(and Al-Hikmah) meaning, the Sunnah, as Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Muqatil bin Hayyan and Abu Malik asserted. It was also said that 'Al-Hikmah', means 'comprehension in the religion', and both meanings are correct. 'Ali bin Abi Talhah said, that Ibn 'Abbas said that,

وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ 

(and purify them) means, "With the obedience of Allah."

إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

(Verily, You are the Mighty, the Wise).

This Ayah stated that Allah is able to do anything, and nothing escapes His ability. He is Wise in His decisions, His actions, and He puts everything in its rightful place due to His perfect knowledge, wisdom and justice.

And who turns away from the religion of Ibrahim (i.e. Islamic Monotheism) except him who fools himself? Truly, We chose him in this world and verily, in the Hereafter he will be among the righteous (130)When his Lord said to him, "Submit (i.e. be a Muslim)!" He said, "I have submitted myself (as a Muslim) to the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, Jinn and all that exists). (131)And this (submission to Allah, Islam) was enjoined by Ibrahim (Abraham) upon his sons and by Ya'qub (Jacob)(saying), "O my sons! Allah has chosen for you the (true) religion, then die not except as Muslims. (132)

Allah refuted the disbelievers' innovations of associating others with Allah in defiance of the religion of Ibrahim, the leader of the upright. Ibrahim always singled out Allah in worship, with sincerity, and he did not call upon others besides Allah. He did not commit Shirk, even for an instant. He disowned every other deity that was being worshipped instead of Allah and defied all his people in this regard. Prophet Ibrahim said,

يَا قَوْمِ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ - إِنِّي وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

(O my people! I am indeed free from all that you join as partners (in worship with Allah). Verily, I have turned my face towards Him Who has created the heavens and the earth Hanifa (Islamic Monotheism), and I am not of Al-Mushrikin.)(6:78-79). Also, Allah said,

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ لِأَبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِ إِنَّنِي بَرَاءٌ مِّمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ - إِلَّا الَّذِي فَطَرَنِي فَإِنَّهُ سَيَهْدِينِ

(And (remember) when Ibrahim said to his father and his people: "Verily, I am innocent of what you worship. "Except Him (i.e. I worship none but Allah alone) Who did create me; and verily, He will guide me")(43:26-27),

وَمَا كَانَ اسْتِغْفَارُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ إِلَّا عَن مَّوْعِدَةٍ وَعَدَهَا إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ أَنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ لِّلَّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَأَوَّاهٌ حَلِيمٌ

(And Ibrahim's invoking (of Allah) for his father's forgiveness was only because of a promise he (Ibrahim) had made to him (his father). But when it became clear to him (Ibrahim) that he (his father) was an enemy of Allah, he dissociated himself from him. Verily, Ibrahim was Awwah (one who invokes Allah with humility, glorifies Him and remembers Him much) and was forbearing)(9:114), and,

إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِّلَّهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ - شَاكِرًا لِّأَنْعُمِهِ اجْتَبَاهُ وَهَدَاهُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ - وَآتَيْنَاهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَإِنَّهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ

(Verily, Ibrahim was an Ummah (a leader having all the good qualities, or a nation), obedient to Allah, Hanif (i.e. to worship none but Allah), and he was not one of those who were Al-Mushrikin. (He was) thankful for His (Allah's) favors. He (Allah) chose him (as an intimate friend) and guided him to a straight path. And We gave him good in this world, and in the Hereafter he shall be of the righteous.)(16:120-122).

This is why Allah said here,

وَمَن يَرْغَبُ عَن مِّلَّةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ

(And who turns away from the religion of Ibrahim), meaning, abandons his path, way and method

إِلَّا مَن سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُ

(except him who fools himself) meaning, who commits injustice against himself by deviating from the truth, to wickedness. Such a person will be defying the path of he who was chosen in this life to be a true Imam, from the time he was young, until Allah chose him to be His Khalil, and who shall be among the successful in the Last Life. Is there anything more insane than deviating from this path and following the path of misguidance and deviation instead? Is there more injustice than this? Allah said,

إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ

(Verily, joining others in worship with Allah is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed)(31:13).

Abu Al-'Aliyah and Qatadah said, "This Ayah (2:130) was revealed about the Jews who invented a practice that did not come from Allah and that defied the religion of Ibrahim." Allah's statement,

مَا كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ - إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِإِبْرَاهِيمَ لَلَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ وَهَٰذَا النَّبِيُّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَاللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(Ibrahim was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim Hanifa (to worship none but Allah alone) and he was not of Al-Mushrikin. Verily, among mankind who have the best claim to Ibrahim are those who followed him, and this Prophet (Muhammad ﷺ) and those who have believed (Muslims). And Allah is the Wali (Protector and Helper) of the believers.)(3:67-68), testifies to this fact.

Allah said next,

إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ أَسْلِمْ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

(When his Lord said to him, "Submit (i. e. be a Muslim)!" He said, "I have submitted myself (as a Muslim) to the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, Jinn and all that exists).")

This Ayah indicates that Allah commanded Ibrahim to be sincere with Him and to abide and submit to Him; Ibrahim perfectly adhered to Allah's command. Allah's statement,

وَوَصَّىٰ بِهَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ

(And this (submission to Allah, Islam) was enjoined by Ibrahim upon his sons and by Ya'qub) means, Ibrahim commanded his offspring to follow this religion, that is, Islam, for Allah. Or, the Ayah might be referring to Ibrahim's words,

أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

(I have submitted myself (as a Muslim) to the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, Jinn and all that exists)).

This means that these Prophets loved these words so much that they preserved them until the time of death and advised their children to adhere to them after them. Similarly, Allah said,

وَجَعَلَهَا كَلِمَةً بَاقِيَةً فِي عَقِبِهِ

(And he (Ibrahim) made it [i.e. La ilaha illallah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone)] a Word lasting among his offspring, (true Monotheism))(43:28).

It might be that Ibrahim advised his children, including Jacob, Isaac's son, who were present. It appears, and Allah knows best, that Isaac was endowed with Jacob, during the lifetime of Ibrahim and Sarah, for the good news includes both of them in Allah's statement,

 فَبَشَّرْنَاهَا بِإِسْحَاقَ وَمِن وَرَاءِ إِسْحَاقَ يَعْقُوبَ

(But We gave her (Sarah) glad tidings of Ishaq (Isaac), and after Ishaq, of Ya'qub (Jacob))(11:71).

Also, if Jacob was not alive then, there would be no use here in mentioning him specifically among Isaac's children. Also, Allah said in Surat Al-'Ankabut,

وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَجَعَلْنَا فِي ذُرِّيَّتِهِ النُّبُوَّةَ وَالْكِتَابَ

(And We bestowed on him (Ibrahim), Ishaq and Ya'qub, and We ordained among his offspring prophethood and the Book.)(29:27), and,

وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةً

(And We bestowed upon him Ishaq, and (a grandson) Ya'qub)(21:72), thus, indicating that this occurred during Ibrahim's lifetime. Also, Jacob built Bayt Al-Maqdis, as earlier books testified. The Two Sahihs recorded that Abu Dharr said, "I said, 'O Messenger of Allah! Which Masjid was built first?' He said, (Al-Masjid Al-Haram (Al-Ka'bah).) I said, 'Then?' He said, (Bayt Al- Maqdis.) I said, 'How many years later?' He said, (Forty years.)" Further, the advice that Jacob gave to his children, which we will soon mention, testifies that Jacob was among those who received the advice mentioned in Ayat above (2:130-132).

Allah said,

يَا بَنِيَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَىٰ لَكُمُ الدِّينَ فَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ

((Saying), "O my sons! Allah has chosen for you the (true) religion, then die not except as Muslims.") meaning, perform righteous deeds during your lifetime and remain on this path, so that Allah will endow you with the favor of dying upon it. Usually, one dies upon the path that he lived on and is resurrected according to what he died on. Allah, the Most Generous, helps those who seek to do good deeds to remain on the righteous path.

This by no means contradicts the authentic Hadith that says,

إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ حَتّـى مَا يَكُونُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهَا إِلَّا بَاعٌ أَوْ ذِرَاعٌ فَيَسْبِقُ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ فَيَعمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ النَّار فَيَدْخُلُهَا. وَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَعْمَلُ بعَمَلِ أَهلِ النَّارِ حَتَّى مَا يَكُونُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهَا إِلَّا بَاعٌ أَو ذِرَاعٌ فَيَسْبِقُ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ فَيَعْمَلُ بعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَيَدْخُلُهَا

(Man might perform the works of the people of Paradise until only a span of outstretched arms or a cubit separates him from it, then the Book (destiny) takes precedence, and he performs the works of the people of the Fire and thus enters it. Also, man might perform the works of the people of the Fire until only a span of outstretched arms or a cubit separates him from the Fire, but the Book takes precedence and he performs the works of the people of Paradise and thus enters it.) Allah said, (92:5-10),

فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَىٰ وَاتَّقَىٰ - وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَىٰ - فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ - وَأَمَّا مَن بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَىٰ - وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَىٰ - فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَىٰ

(As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him. And believes in Al-Husna. We will make smooth for him the path of ease (goodness). But he who is a greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient. And belies Al-Husna (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah). We will make smooth for him the path for evil),

Or were you witnesses when death approached Ya'qub (Jacob)? When he said unto his sons, "What will you worship after me?" They said, "We shall worship your AIlah (God ـ Allah) the Ilah of your fathers, Ibrahim (Abraham), Isma'il (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), One Ilah, and to Him we submit (in Islam)) (133)That was a nation who has passed away. They shall receive the reward of what they earned and you of what you earn. And you will not be asked of what they used to do (134)

This Ayah contains Allah's criticism of the Arab pagans among the offspring of Isma'il as well as the disbelievers among the Children of Israel Jacob the son of Isaac, the son of Ibrahim. When death came to Jacob, he advised his children to worship Allah alone without partners. He said to them,

مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن بَعْدِي قَالُوا نَعْبُدُ إِلَٰهَكَ وَإِلَٰهَ آبَائِكَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ

("What will you worship after me?" They said, "We shall worship your Ilah (God ـ Allah) the Ilah of your fathers, Ibrahim, Isma'il, Ishaq,")

Mentioning Isma'il here is a figure of speech, because Isma'il is Jacob's uncle. An-Nahas said that the Arabs call the uncle a father, as Al-Qurtubi mentioned).

This Ayah is used as evidence that the grandfather is called a father and inherits, rather than the brothers (i.e. when his son dies), as Abu Bakr asserted, according to Al-Bukhari who narrated Abu Bakr's statement from Ibn 'Abbas and Ibn Az-Zubayr. Al-Bukhari then commented that there are no opposing opinions regarding this subject. This is also the opinion of 'A'ishah the Mother of the believers, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Tawus and 'Ata', Malik, Ash-Shaf'i and Ahmad said that the inheritance is divided between the grandfather and the brothers. It was reported that this was also the opinion of 'Umar, 'Uthman, 'Ali, bin Mas'ud, Zayd bin Thabit and several scholars among the Salaf and later generations.

The statement,

إِلَٰهًا وَاحِدًا

(One Ilah (God)) means, "We single Him out in divinity and do not associate anything or anyone with Him."

 وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ

(And to Him we submit), in obedience meaning, obedient and submissiveness. Similarly, Allah said,

وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ

(While to Him submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly. And to Him shall they all be returned)(3:83).

Indeed, Islam is the religion of all the Prophets, even if their rei]spective laws differed. Allah said,

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدُونِ

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

There are many other Ayat - and Hadiths - on this subject. For instance, the Prophet ﷺ said,

نَحْنُ مَعْشَرَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ أَوْلَادُ عَلَّاتٍ دِينُنا وَاحِدٌ

(We, the Prophets, are brothers with different mothers, but the same religion.)

Allah said,

تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ

(That was a nation who has passed away) meaning, existed before your time,

لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ

(They shall receive the reward of what they earned and you of what you earn).

This Ayah proclaims, Your relationship to the Prophets or righteous people among your ancestors will not benefit you, unless you perform good deeds that bring about you religious benefit. They have their deeds and you have yours,

وَلَا تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

(And you will not be asked of what they used to do)."

This is why a Hadith proclaims,

مَنْ بَطَّأَ بِهِ عَمَلُهُ لَمْ يُسْرِعْ بِهِ نَسَبُهُ

(Whoever was slowed on account of his deeds will not get any faster on account of his family lineage.)'

And they say, "Be Jews or Christians, then you will be guided." Say (to them O Muhammad ﷺ), "Nay, (we follow) only the religion of Ibrahim, Hanif (Islamic Monotheism), and he was not of Al-Mushrikin (those who worshipped others along with Allah (135)

Muhammad bin Ishaq reported that Ibn 'Abbas said that 'Abdullah bin Suriya Al-A'war said to the Messenger of Allah, "The guidance is only what we (Jews) follow. Therefore, follow us, O Muhammad, and you will be rightly guided." Also, the Christians said similarly, so Allah revealed,

وَقَالُوا كُونُوا هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَىٰ تَهْتَدُوا

(And they say, "Be Jews or Christians, then you will be guided.") Allah's statement,

قُلْ بَلْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا

(Say (to them O Muhammad ﷺ), "Nay, (we follow) only the religion of Ibrahim, Hanif) means, "We do not need the Judaism or Christianity that you call us to, rather,

مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا

((we follow) only the religion of Ibrahim, Hanif) meaning, on the straight path, as Muhammad bin Ka'b Al-Qurazi and 'Isa bin Jariyah stated. Also, Abu Qilabah said, "The Hanif is what the Messengers, from beginning to end, believed in.")

Say (O Muslims): "We believe in Allah and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Ibrahim (Abraham), Isma'il (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Ya'qub (Jacob), and to Al-Asbat (the offspring of the twelve sons of Ya'qub), and that which has been given to Musa (Moses) and 'Isa (Jesus), and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted (in Islam). (136)

Allah directed His believing servants to believe in what He sent down to them through His Messenger Muhammad ﷺ and in what was revealed to the previous Prophets in general. Some Prophets Allah mentioned by name, while He did not mention the names of many others. Allah directed the believers to refrain from differentiating between the Prophets and to believe in them all. They should avoid imitating whomever Allah described as,

وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يُفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَ اللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيَقُولُونَ نُؤْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَكْفُرُ بِبَعْضٍ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَّخِذُوا بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًا - أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ حَقًّا

(And wish to make distinction between Allah and His Messengers (by believing in Allah and disbelieving in His Messengers) saying, "We believe in some but reject others," and wish to adopt a way in between. They are in truth disbelievers)(4:150-151).

Al-Bukhari narrated that Abu Hurayrah said, "The People of the Book used to read the Torah in Hebrew and translate it into Arabic for the Muslims. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

لَا تُصَدِّقُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ وَلَا تُكَذِّبُوهُمْ وقُولُوا: آمَنَّا بِاللهِ وَمَا أُنْزل إِلَيْنَا

(Do not believe the People of the Book, nor reject what they say. Rather, say, 'We believe in Allah and in what was sent down to us.)"

Also, Muslim, Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i recorded that Ibn 'Abbas said, "Mostly, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite,

 آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا

(We believe in Allah and that which has been sent down to us)(2: 136), and,

آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ

(We believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are Muslims (i.e. we submit to Allah))(3:52) during the two (voluntary) Rak'at before Fajr."

Abu Al-'Aliyah, Ar-Rabi' and Qatadah said, "Al-Asbat are the twelve sons of Jacob, and each one of them had an Ummah of people from his descendants. This is why they were called Al-Asbat." Al-Khalil bin Ahmad and others said, "Al-Asbat among the Children of Israel are just like the tribes among the Children of Isma'il." This means that the Asbat are the various tribes of the Children of Israel, among whom Allah sent several Prophets. Moses said to the Children of Israel,

اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ جَعَلَ فِيكُمْ أَنبِيَاءَ وَجَعَلَكُم مُّلُوكًا

(Remember the favor of Allah to you: when He made Prophets among you, made you kings)(5:20). Also, Allah said,

وَقَطَّعْنَاهُمُ اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ أَسْبَاطًا

(And We divided them into twelve tribes)(7:160).

Al-Qurtubi said, "Sibt is the group of people or a tribe all belonging to the same ancestors."

Qatadah said, "Allah commanded the believers to believe in Him and in all His Books and Messengers. " Also, Sulayman bin Habib said, "We were commanded to believe in the (original) Torah and Injil, but not to implement them."

So if they believe in the like of that which you believe then they are rightly guided; but if they turn away, then they are only in opposition. So Allah will suffice for you against them. And He is the Hearer, the Knower (137)[Our Sibghah (religion) is] the Sibghah of Allah (Islam) and which Sibghah can be better than Allah's? And we are His worshippers (138)

Allah said, if they, the disbelievers among the People of the Book and other disbelievers, believe in all of Allah's Books and Messengers and do not differentiate between any of them,

فَقَدِ اهْتَدَوا

(then they are rightly guided) meaning, they would acquire the truth and be directed to it.

وَّإِن تَوَلَّوْا

(but if they turn away) from truth to falsehood after proof had been presented to them,

فَإِنَّمَا هُمْ فِي شِقَاقٍ فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللَّهُ

(then they are only in opposition. So Allah will suffice you against them) meaning, Allah will aid the believers against them,

وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

(And He is the Hearer, the Knower). Allah said,

صِبْغَةَ اللَّهِ

(The Sibghah of Allah). Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn 'Abbas commented, "The religion of Allah." This Tafsir was also reported of Mujahid, Abu Al-'Aliyah, 'Ikrimah, Ibrahim, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, 'Abdullah bin Kathir, 'Atiyah Al-'Awfi, Ar-Rabi' bin Anas, As-Suddi and other scholars. The Ayah,

فِطْرَتَ اللَّهِ

(Allah's Fitrah (i.e. Allah's Islamic Monotheism))(30:30) directs Muslims to, "Hold to it."

Say (O Muhammad ﷺ to the Jews and Christians), "Dispute you with us about Allah while He is our Lord and your Lord? And we are to be rewarded for our deeds and you for your deeds. And we are sincere to Him (i.e. we worship Him alone and none else, and we obey His orders). (139)Or say you that Ibrahim, Isma'il, Ishaq, Ya'qub and Al-Asbat, were Jews or Christians? Say, "Do you know better or does Allah? And who is more unjust than he who conceals the testimony he has from Allah? And Allah is not unaware of what you do. (140)That was a nation who has passed away. They shall receive the reward of what they earned, and you of what you earn. And you will not be asked of what they used to do (141)

Allah directed His Prophet ﷺ to pre-empt the arguments with the idolators:

قُلْ أَتُحَاجُّونَنَا فِي اللَّهِ

(Say (O Muhammad ﷺ to the Jews and Christians), "Dispute you with us about Allah) meaning, "Do you dispute with us regarding the Oneness of Allah, obedience and submission to Him and in avoiding His prohibitions,

وَهُوَ رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّكُمْ

(while He is our Lord and your Lord?) meaning, He has full control over us and you, and deserves the worship alone without partners.

وَلَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ

(And we are to be rewarded for our deeds and you for your deeds.) meaning, we disown you and what you worship, just as you disown us. Allah said in another Ayah,

وَإِن كَذَّبُوكَ فَقُل لِّي عَمَلِي وَلَكُمْ عَمَلُكُمْ ۖ أَنتُم بَرِيئُونَ مِمَّا أَعْمَلُ وَأَنَا بَرِيءٌ مِّمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

(And if they 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,

فَإِنْ حَاجُّوكَ فَقُلْ أَسْلَمْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّهِ وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِ

(So if they dispute with you (Muhammad ﷺ) say: "I have submitted myself to Allah (in Islam), and (so have) those who follow me")(3:20). Allah said about Ibrahim,

وَحَاجَّهُ قَوْمُهُ قَالَ أَتُحَاجُّونِّي فِي اللَّهِ

(His people disputed with him. He said: "Do you dispute with me concerning Allah")(6:80), and,

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِي حَاجَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي رَبِّهِ

(Have you not looked at him who disputed with Ibrahim about his Lord (Allah)?)(2:258). He said in this honorable Ayah,

وَلَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُخْلِصُونَ

(And we are to be rewarded for our deeds and you for your deeds. And we are sincere to Him.) meaning, "We disown you just as you disown us,"

وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُخْلِصُونَ

(And we are sincere to Him), in worship and submission.

Allah then criticized them in the claim that Ibrahim, the Prophets who came after him and the Asbat were following their religion, whether Judaism or Christianity. Allah said,

 قُلْ أَأَنتُمْ أَعْلَمُ أَمِ اللَّهُ

(Say, "Do you know better or does Allah?") meaning, Allah has the best knowledge and He stated that they were neither Jews, nor Christians. Similarly, Allah said in the Ayah,

مَا كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

(Ibrahim was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim Hanifa (to worship none but Allah alone) and he was not of Al-Mushrikin)(3:67) and the following Ayat. Allah also said,

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن كَتَمَ شَهَادَةً عِندَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ

And who is more unjust than he who conceals the testimony he has from Allah? (2:140) Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, They used to recite the Book of Allah He sent to them that stated that the true religion is Islam and that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah. Their Book also stated that Ibrahim, Isma'il, Ishaq, Ya'qub and the tribes were neither Jews, nor Christians. They testified to these facts, yet hid them from the people. Allah's statement,

وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

(And Allah is not unaware of what you do), is a threat and a warning that His knowledge encompasses every one's deeds, and He shall award each accordingly. Allah then said,

تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ

(That was a nation who has passed away.) meaning, existed before you,

لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ

(They shall receive the reward of what they earned, and you of what you earn.) meaning, they bear their deeds while you bear yours,

وَلَا تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

(And you will not be asked of what they used to do) meaning, the fact that you are their relatives will not suffice, unless you imitate their good deeds. Further, do not be deceived by the fact that you are their descendants, unless you imitate them 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 the Messengers, especially if one disbelieves in the master and Final Messenger from Allah, the Lord of the worlds, to all mankind and the Jinns. May Allah's peace and blessings be on Muhammad ﷺ and the rest of Allah's Prophets.